Well, it has been a while since I have updated. So much has gone on! My high school placement is now over so I can catch you up on some of the amazing projects we have done!
My Art 1 class did some great projects, but I really want to talk about my Art 2 project first... so Art 1 will come soon!!
Pinhole Cameras
At first my students were really against this idea. To them photography is DIGITAL, INSTANT, CELL PHONES, or nothing. I brought in about 7 or 8 of my film camera collection, as well as 2 digital cameras. One was a point and shoot, the other was a DSLR. The classes were excited to see these "Antique cameras" and I talked with them about light, exposure, etc...
So, for this project I had two classes. Period 4 and period 5. I had asked each class to bring in containers (pringles cans, slim jim cans, coffee cans, etc...) that can be made light tight. Period 4 was the only class to bring in containers. This created a problem... I had enough containers to help a few students, but not enough for a whole class. Here is where the competition began. Period 4 would use containers, pre-built, make them light tight, cut out the hole for the "lens", and use them that way... while Period 5 would have to construct their OWN containers from scratch. They measured and cut out pieces of cardboard, attached them using glue, tape... whatever they could find, and then made them light tight, cut out a hole for the lens, and went from there. This class worked hard to make the entire vessel from scratch... learning about construction and how hard it actually is to make something solid AND light tight!
The classes learned about exposure and darkroom procedures. Still, both classes were confused as to how a cardboard tube or box could take a photo.... They didn't understand that the "magic" was in the paper.
A few students at a time learned how to use the darkroom--- how to load the paper in the darkroom, how to develop, stop, and fix the images, as well as wash them. I had a group of "leaders" or "Darkroom maidens" who would help other students to load/ develop their images.
Well, needless to say... after both classes had taken and developed several images it was clear that the students who worked to build their cameras from scratch actually cared more about the project, as well as had more success with their images.
The period/ class that had pre made containers not only had a more difficult time getting successful images, but they didn't car whether they did or not. Give or take a few students, that class was very unmotivated.
The images are spectacular, the students loved it overall, and I have had so many comments on the images! People still can believe that these students create their own cameras, took and then even developed their own images!
What an awesome lesson!
Next time: Making Paper and Architectural Letters-- Art 2
Paper Marbling and Reverse Pastel Painting-- Art 1
