Skyline High School Digital Photography I: Lesson 8- Working with Objects

In order to further create and document who you are through photographs for your Visual Ethnography, Object Photography ask you to choose 5 objects that are meaningful and reflective of who you are. You may pick an items that relates to your own personal interests, culture and/or even your favorite food(s). Think toys, handmade items & favorite little trinkets. Avoid jewelry because it is 2D not 3D.

For this project you will need to have 5 personal items, natural light and a neutral background. You will need to take pictures in which your object is the focal point. Once you have you 5 photos (varying perspectives and arrangement) of each of the 5 objects you will process them in PS with the Adjustments and cropping if necessary. The intent of this project is to use the Pixelate filters (found under the Filter tab) and apply one filter to each set of Object images (2). You will need to apply the Color Halftone, Crystalize, Mezzotint, Mosiac and Pointillize to one of the Objects photos from each set.

Below you will find links and articles to Object Photographers. Object Photographers often use flat lays in which they manipulate or create their own backdrops. Please take note that the object and environment need to work together.

We Have Moss by Shelly Corbett.

Object Photography can be a useful type of photography to highlight Shelly Corbett is great at taking images of objects. Her newest series is on Lego Figures which she places within an environment. Another Object Photographer includes Wendy Oakes, Maurizio di Iorio and Wendell White. Some other Object/ Still Life Photographers: Marcel Christ, Nori, Ray Massey, David Arky, Jan Groover, David Ashman, Sandy Skogland, Edward Weston and Holly Lackner. Contemporary Photographers (Jerry Uelsmann, Gregory Crewdson, William Wegman, Uta Bath, Jeff Wall, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Holly Andres, Andy Goldsworthy and Alex Prager).

Other Resources:

10 Easy Ways To Create Stunning Minimalist Compositions at http://iphonephotographyschool.com/minimalist-tips.

Use the link to see how to approach your object in different direction by viewing the video Shoot the Same Object with No Repeats:
http://petapixel.com/2015/11/24/6-photographers-asked-to-shoot-the-same-objects-with-no-repeats/

Watch the Still Life video to get some creative background ideas:
https://iphonephotographyschool.com/still-life-video/

Object Lesson in History https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/sunday-review/object-lessons-in-history.html

26 Imaginative Images if Inanimate Objects
https://digital-photography-school.com/26-imaginative-images-of-inanimate-objects/

You could even make a turntable.

Make sure to download all 5 sets of object photos. Once all 25 images have been edited you will pick the best 2 per set for a total of 10 images. Per set you will choose a Filter from the Pixelate dropdown menu excluding Facet and Fragment. Each set should have one filter on one image. Make sure to label what filter was used- Color Halftone, Crystalize, Mosiac, Mezzotint and Piontalize.

Object Project: Title and Artist Statement

As you took your photos of your object you may have been thinking about a story or a memory that you have attached to this object or maybe you really just liked the way it looked and photographed. Your artist statement need to describe the object in as much detail as you can. If the setting or time of the day has any relevance to your photo please describe it. Tell me how you feel about your object and why. I want at least 5 sentences. You can include the struggles you had with photographing it especially if it was a small object or the triumphs you had with you object. You need to title each of the 10 images.

The idea of using the different Pixelate filters (found in Filter- Pixelate) is so that one learns to have well cropped and high resolution. Images will have the filters found in Pixelate applied to one of the two images edited for each Object. The filters that will be applied (one per object) are the Color Halftone, Crystalize, Mezzotint, Mosiac and Pointillize.