I am leading a camera camp next week, 2 days, about 4 hours each day. I am thinking composition, rule of 3rds and that sort of thing would be good to introduce. However, I've never taught anyone anything about camera's or photography. Any seasoned photograpy teachers have any tips/suggestions?
I would think this would be a little over the top for Middle School, but if you condense some of the concepts down to basics, you might pique their interest in photography with this information: http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm
I used to work with kids that age in martial arts. Sometimes they can be so adult and really engaging and then sometimes you just want to wring their little necks.
Get them to look for the following - textures, reflections, letters of the alphabet, perspective, bugs, specific colours, and to shoot from different angles, eg; looking up, looking down, and so on, they'll love it!! Good luck : )
Hi - I taught photography for several years. My tips?
1) Keep it as simple as possible - don't cram too much into one session. Just 1 or 2 key points is enough. Then reinforce those points by going over them again.
2) Make sure each student achieves something by the end of each session (this is usually some decent shots!) If they don't they will lose interest VERY quickly
3) Emphasize the fact that expensive equipment NEVER made anyone a better photographer - only their eyes and brain can do that. They need to learn to see (REALLY see!) what they are looking at-most people don't-that's the secret of good photography. Make them look, REALLY look, go up, go down, change the angle, go in close, pull back, try portrait, then landscape, etc etc
4) Get them to get it right in the camera and not rely on Photoshop or post production
5) Most important of all - turn off that wretched "AUTO" button and do it in "Manual". It's the only way they will learn about light-and photography is 99% about light. Composition, style, colour etc all falls into the remaining 1%.
Good luck-it's a great idea
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I used to work with kids that age in martial arts. Sometimes they can be so adult and really engaging and then sometimes you just want to wring their little necks.
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1) Keep it as simple as possible - don't cram too much into one session. Just 1 or 2 key points is enough. Then reinforce those points by going over them again.
2) Make sure each student achieves something by the end of each session (this is usually some decent shots!) If they don't they will lose interest VERY quickly
3) Emphasize the fact that expensive equipment NEVER made anyone a better photographer - only their eyes and brain can do that. They need to learn to see (REALLY see!) what they are looking at-most people don't-that's the secret of good photography. Make them look, REALLY look, go up, go down, change the angle, go in close, pull back, try portrait, then landscape, etc etc
4) Get them to get it right in the camera and not rely on Photoshop or post production
5) Most important of all - turn off that wretched "AUTO" button and do it in "Manual". It's the only way they will learn about light-and photography is 99% about light. Composition, style, colour etc all falls into the remaining 1%.
Good luck-it's a great idea