Lesson video

Hello, everybody.

How are you doing today? I hope you're feeling really good.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'm going to be your art teacher today.

I'm feeling really great about that 'cause I love teaching art and also I really love photography and that's what we're looking at today.

Our lesson is called "Photograph a Local Landmark," and it comes from the unit of work "Views of a local landmark ceramics." So I hope you're ready.

We are going to begin our lesson now.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can photograph a local landmark, considering composition.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Landmark.

Composition.

Rule of thirds.

Great to hear those words.

Let's find out what they mean.

A landmark is a notable and recognisable feature or structure in a specific area.

Composition is how we arrange or organise the things we want to take a picture of.

And rule of thirds, a guideline to help make pictures look more balanced.

These are our keywords.

Let's be on the lookout for them.

Let's listen out for them.

Let's think carefully about these words.

Our lesson is called "Photograph a Local Landmark" and it has two parts to it.

First of all, identify a local landmark.

And next, create a photographic composition.

Let's begin with identifying a local landmark.

Now, I have a question for you to begin.

What do these images have in common? Pause the video, take a good look at them and tell someone nearby, what do they have in common? I wonder what answers you came up with.

Let's take a look.

These images are landmarks.

Do you remember that keyword? These are all landmarks.

A landmark is a notable and recognisable feature or structure in a specific area that holds cultural, historical, architectural, or natural significance.

There are all kinds of ways in which a landmark can be significant, and this is a landmark that we can see on our screen.

And I wonder, are there any landmarks that are special to you in your local area? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing about your local landmark.

And sometimes places have special memories for different people, or a landmark might be a place where something important happened in the past.

Landmarks are all around us.

I wonder how many landmarks you have seen.

Let's keep exploring landmarks.

Izzy is sharing a landmark that is local to her.

"I am really proud to live near to this castle.

It has a really deep well and is famous for the donkeys they keep there." How interesting, Izzy.

I hope they don't keep the donkeys in the well, probably in the castle.

How lucky, Izzy, that you live near this castle.

Some landmarks are made by people.

Others are natural, such as waterfalls, rock formations, or rivers.

I wonder if you can think of any other natural landmarks.

These could be ones near you or other ones that are further away that you may have heard about.

Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

I hope you enjoyed sharing about some other natural landmarks.

I'm going to tell you about a couple of landmarks that I think are really interesting.

One I'm so lucky to have been able to visit.

It's a place called Giant's Causeway and it's a Northern Ireland.

And imagine you're stepping out onto a giant's stepping stone path that's leading out to the sea.

That's what it's like because there are thousands of amazing six-sided rocks sticking out from the cliffs on the coast.

It's a very special place to visit.

Another famous natural landmark that I would love to visit that I haven't been to is the tallest mountain in the UK and this is Ben Nevis in Scotland.

It's over 1,000 metres high, so that's very, very high.

Imagine seeing this landmark, Ben Nevis.

Thanks for sharing your ideas about natural landmarks.

Alex has another idea about a local landmark.

Oh wow.

Look at that image.

Here's Alex.

"These rock formations are special to my local area as they are a great place to see different kinds of birds." Oh wow, Alex, how wonderful to live near to these rock formations.

And perhaps you get to see some different kinds of birds, perhaps nesting or visiting this area.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

Landmarks are always human-made.

Pause the video, decide, is this true or false? Tell someone nearby.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little bit more about your answer, so pause here again and tell someone why.

I wonder if you came up with something like this.

Some landmarks are made by humans, but others are natural formations.

Great answer.

Some landmarks have stories or legends associated with them.

Here's Jun.

"This tree is special in our local area.

People say that at night, it turns into a dragon!" Oh my goodness.

What a story.

Thanks for sharing, Jun.

I wonder if you have any landmarks in your local area that have stories connected to them or legends.

Sofia shares a different idea.

"This building with the blue door is special to my local area as a famous singer grew up here." Oh wow, that's exciting.

I'm wondering who this singer is.

Some landmarks might mean more to some people than others.

"This landmark means a lot to me as I used to sit on it to eat ice creams in the summer with my sister." What lovely memory, Jun.

And Sofia says, "That's a lovely memory!" We're agreeing with each other.

"There are other landmarks which mean more to me, such as the house with the blue door." Check for understanding.

Which statement is not true? Landmarks can be human-made.

All landmarks are special to everyone.

Some landmarks are natural formations.

Pause the video while you decide which statement is not true.

Well done if you selected statement B.

Indeed, not all landmarks are special to everyone.

They may be connected to a personal choice or memory.

And now it's time for your first task.

I'd like you to discuss local landmarks that have meaning to you.

You might think about sharing why the landmark is famous, or well known, in your local area; why this landmark is special to you.

So pause the video here.

Have a think about a local landmark in your area that has meaning to you.

I'll see you when you're finished.

So well done for having a go at this task.

You might have discussed a historical building.

Maybe there's a place near you that has a story.

Or perhaps there's a tree or natural landmark that you are drawn to.

You might have said something like this.

Here's Aisha.

"I like the way this landmark has a personal story to me." Oh, you wonder what your personal story is, Aisha.

Here's Lucas.

"This landmark is special because it has such a long history.

Imagine all the things it has seen." Good point, Lucas.

And here's Sofia.

"I like this landmark because I imagine the singer could see the same things as me every day." Wow, that's quite amazing to consider that.

I hope you enjoyed sharing about your local landmark and why it's special to you.

Now we're onto the next part of our lesson.

Create a photographic composition.

Take a look at these two photographs.

Which photograph of the tree do you prefer? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

I wonder which one you preferred.

And now can you tell each other why? Why did you like the one that you preferred? Pause the video and share a little more about your preference.

Thanks for sharing.

In photography, composition means how we arrange or organise the things we want to take a picture of.

Do you remember that's one of our keywords, composition.

Photographers will decide where to place things in the photo to make it look interesting or balanced.

It can also mean considering how light can affect the subject within the image.

And we'll be exploring each of these things in more detail.

The subject in these images is the same, as both capture a tree.

The photographer has thought about the composition of each image differently.

We can see the tree in the photograph on the left and in the photograph on the right, and they're even quite similar looking trees, but quite different compositions.

There are some ideas that artists might use to help them when they take a photograph.

One idea is called the rule of thirds.

That's another one of our keywords.

The rule of thirds in photography is a simple guideline to help pictures look more balanced.

The photographer has imagined the image is divided into nine equal parts by using two vertical lines and two horizontal lines to form a grid.

So we have nine equal parts.

The photographer might place the most important parts of their picture along these lines or at the places where the lines cross.

Let's have a check for understanding.

In which image does the grid represent the rule of thirds? Is it image A, B, or C? Pause the video, take a good look at these three images and choose in which one does the grid represent the rule of thirds? Well done if you selected image C.

This grid has been divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically.

So there are nine parts.

Let's have a go at an "I do, you do" activity.

So first of all, I'll have a go.

Using the environment around, I'm gonna compose a photograph using the rule of thirds.

So there you can see my image, I've used the rule of thirds and I've placed the most important part of the image along the lines and where the lines cross.

And now it's your turn.

I would like you to have a go at looking around your environment and in composing a photograph using the rule of thirds.

So you'll place the most important part of your image either where the lines cross or along the lines.

So pause the video here while you have a go at this.

How did you get on? You may have: experimented with different viewpoints while still using the rule of thirds.

You may have taken some photographs in portrait and some in landscape orientation.

You may have held your hands steady so that the subject was in focus.

Well done for having a go at this.

Take a look at these two images of the trees.

A photographer can also choose the type of lighting that they want in their photograph.

Can you see the lighting's quite different in these two images? Pause the video and tell someone nearby, how is the lighting different in these two images? Thanks for sharing.

With the sun behind the photographer, it will light up the subject from the front, making the subject bright and clear.

If the sun is to the side, it creates shadows and highlights, which can make the photo look more dramatic.

And if the sun is in the front of the photographer, it can create a silhouette effect where the subject is dark against the bright sun.

In this image, it's hard to see the subject as the photographer is facing towards the sun.

And also the sun might be a bit bright in our eyes if we're looking up in this direction.

Also, I wonder if you noticed that in this image, we can't really see the colours of the leaves or the texture of the tree.

This is because the image is backlit and that means that light is behind the subject.

And so the tree is almost silhouetted.

In this image, the sun is behind the photographer, which makes the subject easier to see.

It's well lit.

We can see that this image is really well lit.

Because it's so well lit, we can see the textures clearly.

We can see the colours clearly.

Pause for a moment and tell someone nearby, what are some of the details, the colours, and the textures that you can see in this image? Pause the video here.

Thanks for sharing what you spotted.

Perhaps you spotted the different shades of green, the shadows from the tree, and the different shades of blue in the sky.

And remember, when you're taking your own photographs, remember to keep the light source behind you.

That way your subject will be really nicely lit and clear and easy to see.

Let's check for understanding.

True or false.

A photographer should always face the sun.

Pause the video while you decide is this true or false? Tell someone nearby well done if you selected false and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Share a bit more with someone nearby.

Pause the video here.

Perhaps you said something like this.

The photographer can choose how they take their photograph and its composition, but should be aware of the different effects that lighting can have upon their subject.

In the next part of this lesson, you may choose to move to an outdoor location to allow pupils to explore the photography equipment.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to take a photograph of a local landmark.

You might like to think about using the rule of thirds to arrange your composition, where the light in your composition is coming from.

And remember if the light is behind you, it will make your subject easier to see.

So pause the video here while you take a photograph of a local landmark.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Okay, it's great to be back with you.

I hope you enjoyed taking your photograph of a local landmark.

You may have chosen a local landmark that is special to you.

You might have thought about the rule of thirds for your composition, and maybe you ensured the light was to the side of or behind the photographer.

Well done everyone for engaging with this lesson and having a go at taking your own photograph of a local landmark.

I hope you enjoyed it.

In our lesson today, "Photograph a Local Landmark," we have covered the following.

Local landmarks can be important to people for different reasons.

Photographers can choose to use the rule of thirds to aid their composition.

Photographers consider their light carefully and the effect it will have upon their composition.

Well done, everyone, for engaging in this lesson in the way that you have done.

It was great to find out about landmarks, the different kinds of landmarks, they can be natural landmarks, human-made landmarks.

And well done for taking your own photograph using the rule of thirds, so that you're really highlighting the most important part of the image.

And well done for using lighting in a way to support you so that you're really getting a well-lit shot.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson.

It was great to be with you, and I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Bye for now.