PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS & MORE


Check out some of my latest photography lessons, art projects, and more available on my TPT and blog shop.

This time of year is also notoriously busy as I try to wrap up my semester-long classes and finish up end-of-the-semester projects in my yearlong classes. I am hopeful my students can cut up and display the me-sized laminated section of supply labels in the picture above before the year comes to a close (read more about these below). As a yearbook adviser, our second deadline is on the horizon, which means I will soon be cross-eyed with editing once again. As a wife and mom, I have a lot of prepping to do as Christmas very quickly approaches.

Although the school year has gone into full swing and my life outside of the classroom is always a hustle, I have been working hard on my TPT products. I have a bunch of new projects, bundles, and printable displays to share with you guys. Don’t forget to spoil yourself with a few TPT items this holiday season!

PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON

Pinhole photography has been a big theme in a number of my recent projects. I collaborated with my retired art teacher mom, Anne Ward, on a basic pinhole photography pack and an elementary through high school pack with everything you need to set up and teach pinhole. This is another great photography lesson to add to your course.

My mom never ceased to amaze me growing up with her ideas and fearlessness in trying new things in her classroom. I remember when she began exploring pinhole photography in her classes, converting a storage closet into a temporary darkroom every spring. She ended up bringing her pinhole knowledge home over the summers by teaching classes to neighborhood kids and converting a bathroom and my Dad’s workshop into a darkroom.

I remember helping her out during summers in college. Teaching these classes helped us raise money to go on a trip to Italy and France, a time that was so precious to spend one on one with my mom. Although she has retired from the classroom my mom continues to teach pinhole to neighborhood kids every summer. I was so excited to work on these packs with her so I could share her years of knowledge with you.

This basic pinhole pack gives you instructions on setting up a darkroom, building a camera, and contact printer, and getting started taking and developing pictures.

This pinhole photography lesson pack has everything mentioned above as well as lesson plans, worksheets, and additional projects for students to work on in elementary to high school. The lesson plan includes specifics on how to adapt everything to each grade level. You will have everything you need to get started with pinhole in your classroom.

In addition to working with my mom on pinhole I also picked the brain of my photography teacher coworker on how she implements pinhole photography in her class. I combined the resources created with my mom with Meagan’s project ideas to create a pack specific to upper middle school and high school age students.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON

Digital photography products have been a major theme in my TPT shop over the last year. I had the chance to work with my photographer teacher coworker, Meagan Brooker, to share her amazing lessons and resources with you. Every year her students are recognized in multiple contests for their outstanding photography. Now you have the chance to use her ideas and implement them in your classes.

If you are looking to incorporate traditional photography techniques into your class, but don’t have a darkroom set up, give cyanotypes a try. Use digitally captured and printed images to create fine art blueprints using this classic technique.

This light focused bundle pack includes two projects that cover seven different lighting techniques. From light box still lifes to light painting to using found lighting outside the classroom, this pushes students to think creatively about how they use lights to enhance their photographs.

DSLR photography selfies project

Selfies are an undeniable aspect of current photography trends. Take back the reigns of social media photography and teach students how to create artistic selfies. How can you create a selfie using a DSLR camera? Require the students to take a picture of themselves using self-timers, conceptual selfies, and more. Students select three out of four topics to explore, all focused on reflecting on themselves.

Start introducing Photoshop basics with this fun “magic” themed photo project, invisibility illusion. Students are tasked with combining multiple images together and cutting sections out to create the illusion of a section disappearing. This is another engaging photography lesson to add to your photo class.

A DSLR photography lesson on making ugly subject beautiful.

My latest addition to my TPT store is my making the ugly beautiful DSLR project. Students have to take two photographs that reflect two different topics: ugly subject, beautiful composition and glorifying the everyday. Link coming for this assignment tonight, in the meantime check out my TPT store and be on the lookout for this new addition.

SUPPLY LABELS

Colorful clay themed printable supply labels.

I finally took the time to add to my art pack of supply labels and create a stand alone set for all things clay. Clay supplies are their own special category and they are hopefully included in every art classroom. These are rainbow themed, easy to print, and easy to read. Two different styles are included.

Chalkboard themed printable clay supply labels

In addition to my rainbow themed clay supply labels, I also included chalkboard themed ones. Every classroom style is different, hopefully one of these will compliment your style and help your students find supplies independently. These are also included in my bundle pack of chalkboard supply labels for visual art supplies.

ART CURRICULUMS

It was a huge check on my to do list to A: Update my current AP art curriculums to the new standards and to B: add a 3D Design section to my curriculum. You can purchase this as a stand alone curriculum if you only teach 3D Design or you can purchase it as part of my AP studio art bundle if you teach all three. This is fully updated to reflect the switch to sustained investigation and selected works. Although I have never taught AP 3D, I did take it as a student (back in the day) and I work closely with two teachers who teach it at my current school.

I also finally got around to bundling all of my painting curriculums into one mega bundle. This includes my Introduction to Painting, Painting I, Painting II, and Advanced Painting. The painting I and II curriculums can be found here and here. The Introduction to Painting curriculum is separated out from my yearlong Intro to Art curriculum and the Advanced Painting is separated out from my yearlong Advanced Art curriculum.

After a quick getaway to Hilton Head Island for Thanksgiving I am back in the swing of things preparing for the holidays and the end of the semester at school. Treat yourself to the gift of time by purchasing one of my products and saving yourself all the planning that goes into lesson prep.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this post! If you want to read more summaries of products check out past sales updates here, here, and here. Help me spread the word about amazing art resources by sharing this with others. Don’t forget to follow me on TPT to get updated on new products and instagram for an inside look at my day to day classroom activities. Check out more visual journal blog posts here. Shop my education resources here.

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