An Eye on the Garden

First, a word about cameras. Digital versions make photography instantly gratifying and allow you to preview and save only the shots you want. A 35mm camera can generally produce higher resolution photos that are better for print projects. But even an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera or single-use ("throw away") unit, wielded with a bit of skill and patience, can preserve the image of beads of dew glistening on a spiderweb, or nab a succession of shots to illustrate how to build a compost pile.

Materials - Cardboard frames, cameras, paper, and pencils.

Photo by Alice Knowlton, Middle School Student

Learning to See: Photo Op Safari

Since observation is essential to all learning and maintenance activities in the garden, your students already have a head start on this process. Adding a camera to the equation allows them to document their observations and experiment with seeing in different ways.

But there's more to an accurate representation of a fascinating scene or object than "point and shoot." Often, first efforts at taking photos are disappointing because "it looked a lot better than this in real life!" Taking photos before and after some coaching can be helpful for budding shutterbugs, because they can literally see the evidence of their improved skills.

To help students explore how our eyes take in scenes and begin to "think like a photographer," have them first spend some time sharpening their focus without using a camera. Here's how:

First Look

Second Look

1. Send students on a safari with pad and pencil to find and note or sketch several objects or areas in the garden that grab their attention. Ask, What about the image or scene sparked your interest? You might push their thinking further by asking them to describe colors, light/shadows, shapes, textures, or patterns they noticed. (For instance, "The fuzzy part of the purple iris blossom caught my eye.")
   
   
2. Next, give each youngster a cardboard frame at least 1 inch wide with an opening the size of a standard print photo (say, 4 by 6 inches). Have them return to their finds, this time to view them through the frame. Ask students to note the difference in how the scene or object appears when limited by the opening in the cardboard.
   
   They should try shifting the field of view by moving closer to or further from the subject or moving the frame to include or exclude certain elements (e.g., shift so the camera "sees" only the butterfly garden bed and not the parked cars or school building). Ask, How does what is inside or outside of the frame affect the quality or "feel" of the image? Suggest that they explore other aspects of the object or scene through their imaginary lenses. For instance, they might look at the same object from above or below, at an angle, or with a light shining from behind.
   
   
3. Back in class, survey the group about how the framing exercise changed how they looked at and perceived the image they chose. After this discussion, ask how they might describe the photo they'd like to take and share with others based on this new information. (A students might conclude, for instance, "I want to show how the fuzzy part of the iris flower makes you look deeper to where it's like a cave with a light glowing inside.")
   
   
4. Once students have envisioned their photos and learned the basic mechanics of using the camera, send them out to snap away.

1. Avoid splitting an image right down the middle, either horizontally or vertically. Try to place the horizon, for example, about a third of the way down from the top of the photo or, if the sky is the focal point, then a third of the way up from the bottom.
   
   
2. The "rule of thirds" suggests that photographers imagine a tic-tac-toe grid laid over the frame, and to try locating the most important elements of the photo where the lines intersect rather than smack in the middle. Students can adjust the view through their cardboard frames to find the look they like best. If you're trying to capture a symmetrical image, such as the center of a daisy blossom or veins in a leaf, centering it in the frame enhances the symmetry.

   Cross-Country Photo Exchange How have youngsters transformed schoolyards in other parts of the country or world? Consider using our School Garden Registry to locate peers with whom to share photos of schoolyards, their garden plant and animal denizens, cool structures or projects, and more!

   
   
   
3. Light intensity affects how colors appear. Harsh mid-day sun can wash out colors; morning and late afternoon or evening light is generally better. Mid-day on an overcast day produces more accurate colors in a photo.
   
   
4. Try to keep the sun behind you when you're taking outdoor photos. If you shoot toward the sun, your camera's shutter will close down, letting in less light, and the photo subjects will look dark. However, be sure your own shadow doesn't interfere with your photo! Try moving around your subject, positioning yourself so the light comes from different angles, and look for interesting shadows.
   
   

5. Consider the balance of light and dark in a photo. For example, a close-up of a light-colored flower against a backdrop of dark evergreens will jump off the page more than that same subject against a field of similar flowers.
6. When trying to capture action, such as birds, insects, or people in motion, place the subject towards one side of the frame with its direction of movement pointing to the center. This gives the moving object somewhere to "go." This may require you to make the subject of the photo smaller to allow it space in the frame.
   
   
7. Some automatic cameras won't focus on very close objects, so read the camera's instructions before taking close-up photos.

Contents

Pg. 1: An Eye on the Garden

Background

Learning to See

Considering Composition

Cross-Country Photo
Exchange


Pg. 2: Curriculum Connections

Developing Young Scientists

Create a Photo Field Guide

Capturing Design Ideas

Writing About Images

Photo-Rich Presentations

Patterns and Math in Nature

Pg. 3: Resources

Web Sites We Like

Inspiring Photography
for Kids

Book and Stepping Stone Kit


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