Think the best way to take a photo is to put stuff in the center? Nope.
Sure that can look cool on occasion, but most professional
photographers know that people tend to pay attention to objects when
they hang out in a specific place: the “thirds” of the frame.
How to use the rule of thirds?
Think of a photo like there’s an invisible tic-tac-toe board going
through it. In other words, the frame is divided into three equal
sections left to right and up to down. Our eyes tend to like it when
important things are at the intersection of those lines. NOTE: Sure
there are exceptions to the rule. But in general, most photographers
try to use this framing as a kind of “golden rule.”
Exercise – Using the rule of thirds:
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Pair participants up with a partner. Pass out smartphones or
iPads so each group has at least one. Ask each person to take a
photo of something RED in the room using the rule of thirds.
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Have students share their favorite photo.
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(If grid lines aren’t visible {for iPhone/iPad} go into Settings >
Photos & Camera > Grid and activate it)
Now that students have been introduced to the rule of thirds, we’re
going to practice taking photos using a concept called “Leading Lines.”
What are leading lines?
Leading lines are the natural “lines” in a photo. They’re not actual
lines, but more like how the elements in a photo make your eyes move
because they point to something. There is a natural instinct for the
viewer to visually follow leading lines. Look for natural lines to place
your subject in so it looks as if the lines are leading to your subject.
Exercise – Using Leading Lines:
Now, using elements in the room to create leading lines, take a photo
of your partner. Feel free to be creative! You have five minutes to take
a photo of each of you.
ACTIVITY 4: ZOOM IN/ZOOM OUT
For our last activity today, we’re going to play with some props and
use our photo skills to tell a story. So keep in mind what we have
learned about the rule of thirds and leading lines. Now we are going to
throw one more element into the mix: zoom.
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Materials:
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One smartphone per group of 3
Paper and markers
Tape
Enough space to have each group move around
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(Optional: a backdrop, like a sheet, for each group)
Have students get into small groups (3-5 students in each group
depending on the class size).
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Hand out a scenario and some markers/paper to each group.
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Instruct students to take 3 photos to tell the story of what’s going
on. Students will take a wide shot, a medium shot, and a close
up (show examples from the slides).
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Each photo should tell a different story (or have a different
interpretation) when seen solo.
Each group will get a scenario to photograph — you can use our
examples or invite the groups to come up with their own. They
are welcome to make props using the markers and tape.
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POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
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You’re a giant dinosaur destroying a tiny city
You’re doing pushups with someone sitting on you
You’re brushing your teeth while driving a car
For this activity, the group will come up with 3 photos — an extreme
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closeup, a medium close up, and a wide shot. Each photo should tell a
different story (or have a different interpretation) when seen solo.