“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt
Image by Nan Goldin
Images by Martin Schoeller
The Portrait Project: Students will be able to use a digital or analog device, such as a cell phone, camera, or iPad, to create and edit an image, or series of images, that communicate a specific idea, individual style, and interesting graphic portrait of a subject(s).
Tips: Choose a topic you feel excited and passionate about. Choose a person you feel works well with your theme / artisitic concept and who is able and willing to be photographed. Portraits are collaborative. Preproduction and research are key. Challenge yourself to see your subject from different angles, lighting situations, and backgrounds.
Time Frame Estimate: 2-4 weeks
Students will be required to;
- Create. Conceptualize, research, and develop an artistic idea based on their imagination and life experiences,
- Organize and develop a complete body artistic work,
- Each student must complete a minimum of twenty photographic images. Unedited original images must be shared via Google Class Drive.
- Organize and develop a complete body artistic work,
- Produce. Select the images that best interpret their artistic ideas.
- Develop and refine the images using a free editing program Adobe Photoshop Express or Photopea.com
- Present a unified series of images that conveys meaning and tells a story.
- Respond. Write a reflective artist statement that analyzes and interprets meaning in the project.
- Identify and evaluate essential media components, such as the elements of art / principles of design, the language of photography, and compositional terms, as they relate to the project,
- Connect. Name your project. Explain your creative process, materials, cite influences, personal experiences, and overall purpose of your work.
- Speak about your work from a cultural, social, and historical perspective / context. Use reference materials to support your thesis.
Link to Photo Project Rubric
Video links:
Articles on portraiture:
Contemporary Portrait Photographers – Link to additional artists
Photo Project Rubric– based on New York State Learning Standards for the Arts
| Advanced | Accomplished | Proficient | Incomplete |
| -Exceeded all requirements. | -Met all or most requirements. | -Met some requirements. | -Did not meet requirements. |
Extra – Extra Credit
- Feeling ambitious! Create a 5 minute video using Screencast-o-matic and then share it on Vimeo. Include your final image(s), in the order you wish viewers to see them, with a detailed description of each. You may read your artist statement aloud, speak slowly and clearly.
A Photo Teacher 