Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling great.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling very, very pleased about it, because today, we're looking at photography, which is one of my absolute favourite mediums. Our lesson is called Introduction to the Principles of Photography.

It comes from the unit of work Foundation Workshops: An Introduction to the Areas of Study.

So I hope you're feeling enthusiastic too.

And if you are, you're ready with some focus and energy, we'll begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is, I can analyse and take photographs using key principles.

We have some keywords in our lesson, they are photography and light.

What do these keywords mean? Well, photography is the art and practise of using light to create images.

And light, what makes a photo possible.

It controls how we see the subject and sets the mood.

These are our keywords, photography and light.

Let's look out and listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Today's lesson is called Introduction to the Principles of Photography.

It has two learning cycles, What is Photography, and then The Principles of Photography.

Let's begin by exploring What is Photography.

Take a look at these photographs.

Which photograph would you describe as expressive or functional, and why? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

And next, which photograph do you prefer, and why? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Photography is the practise of using light to create images.

It can be used to express ideas and emotions, tell stories, or simply record what's happening.

Some photography is creative or expressive, like the one on the right while other types are more about capturing facts or information, and are more functional, perhaps like the one on the left.

Some photographs are expressive and functional.

The word photography has two stems. Photo derives from the Greek word photos, light, and graphy derives from the Greek word graphe, drawing.

Photography can be described as drawing with light.

So poetic.

So gorgeous.

Check for understanding.

The Greek words photos and graphe mean A, sound and measure, B, light and drawing, C, images and scratch? Pause here and complete the sentence with either A, B, or C.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, these Greek words mean light and drawing.

Lucas and Jun are deep in discussion.

Do you agree with this discussion? Here's Lucas, "I can't imagine taking photos with an actual camera.

It must be so different to using a phone." And June, "Since phones produce high-quality photos, they probably do the same as older cameras, or better anyway." What do you think? Do you agree with Lucas and Jun, or do you disagree? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Every photo you take on your phone, from selfies to sunsets, is made using the same basic principles that photographers used over 150 years ago.

Whether it's a high-end digital SLR or a camera obscura made from a shoebox, I've made one of them, it's a lot of fun, highly encourage it, it all comes down to one thing, controlling light.

Phone cameras are powerful, but professional cameras give more control, lens options, and depth of field, which matters for creative and technical work.

Check for understanding, true or false.

Photos taken on phones today use totally different principles than those taken with older cameras.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you selected false.

And now, I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this, "Every photo you take on your phone, from selfies to sunsets, is made using the same basic principles photographers used over 150 years ago.

It all comes down to one thing, controlling light." One of the key functions of photography is the communication of ideas and emotions.

A single image can instantly convey a message, atmosphere, or meaning, without needing any words.

This is what makes photography powerful across cultures, languages, and even time.

Do you think this photograph is expressive or functional? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

For me, it feels expressive, this perhaps oil rig against a vast space, a huge foreboding sky.

What do you think is happening in the photo? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

How has the photographer helped tell the story in this photograph? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

I think the lighting and the composition, where our eye is drawn, has a lot to do with the story of this photographer is telling.

Do you think this photo is expressive or functional? Pause here and share with somebody.

Thanks for sharing.

And what do you think is happening in this photograph? Pause here and share with somebody.

Thanks for sharing.

And take a look at this image.

How has the photographer helped tell the story in this photo? Thanks for sharing.

Now, it's time for your first task.

I would like you to look carefully at a photograph.

You could use the ones provided or source your own, and consider one of the questions, do you think this photo is expressive or functional? What do you think is happening in the photo? How has the photographer helped tell the story? Discuss and or record your thoughts.

You could annotate, audio record, sketch, or any other method.

Pause here while you have a go at this task, looking carefully at a photograph and considering one of the questions, I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task, of looking carefully at a photograph and answering one of the questions? There are many possible outcomes.

Let's see what Andeep's come up with, "I think the photo is expressive because it doesn't just show what's happening.

It gives a mood or feeling.

The blur and the fact that we can't see the monks' faces makes it feel mysterious or even peaceful, like a moment caught in time." That's beautifully expressed.

Thank you, Andeep.

And here's Izzy, "Nothing specific is happening, but that's kind of the point.

It shows a still moment, like time has stopped.

The building in the middle could be a home, which makes me think someone lives there surrounded by nature.

It gives off a peaceful, remote vibe." It really does.

I wouldn't mind visiting that place.

And here's Sam, "The photographer has made the earrings look special by setting up the photo in a clean and stylish way, which helps tell the story that these are handmade, beautiful, and worth buying.

The whole setup makes the earrings feel like something made with care, not just a random product.

It's like they're part of a small business or a craft market." Great observation, Sam.

And I hope you found it interesting exploring the photo that you looked at.

And now, we're onto our next learning cycle, The Principles of Photography.

What do you notice about this photograph? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

The photographer has used a principle of photography called the rule of thirds to compose this shot.

There are six main principles of photography, and the rule of thirds is one of them.

So the rule of thirds, imagine your photo is divided into a grid of nine equal sections.

Instead of putting a subject right in the middle, you place it on one of the lines or where the lines cross.

Leading lines, these are lines in the photo that guide your eye to the subject.

Framing, use things, windows, trees, doors, to frame your subject.

Symmetry and patterns, balance shapes or repeated patterns that look pleasing.

Depth, show space and distance, foreground, middle, background.

And contrast, strong differences, light versus dark, big versus small, colour versus monochrome.

So here's the rule of thirds, and we can see that the house has been placed on one of those lines rather than right in the centre of the image.

Photographers who have used the rule of thirds in their work include, Mitra Tabrizian uses the rule of thirds in many of the images in her "Leicestershire, 2021" series to emphasise isolation and disconnection by positioning figures within vast empty spaces.

Hilina Abebe uses the rule of thirds in her "Shoe Shine Girls" series to position her subject slightly off centre, drawing attention to their expressions while balancing them with their surroundings to highlight context, resilience, and everyday life.

Pause the video and share with someone where do you think the leading lines are in this image, guiding us towards the subject.

Thanks for identifying those.

Here, we can see these leading lines taking us towards the subject.

Photographers who have used leading lines in their work include, Nolan Ryan Trowe uses leading lines in his "Invisible" series to highlight the presence of disabled bodies in New York City, where nearly 1 million disabled people face daily challenges due to a lack of accessible infrastructure and support.

Henri Cartier-Bresson used leading lines in "Rue de Crimee et escalier de la rue des Annelets, 1953," with the stair railings and walls guiding of viewer's eye toward the solitary figure.

Framing, pause here and share with someone, how have these people framed in this photograph? The arch and ice has been used to frame these people.

Photographs that use framing include "Migrant Mother" by Dorothea Lange, 1936.

The subject's face is positioned in the top-left third, drawing the viewer's eye immediately to her expression, while allowing space for her children to frame the composition.

"The Hijab Series" by Maryam Wahid.

The subject is placed centre the image framed by vibrant, colourful patterns, drawing attention to identity, culture, and the strength of Muslim women.

Let's have a check for understanding, true or false, leading lines in a photograph guide your eyes to the edges of the composition? Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you selected false.

And now, I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this, "Leading lines in a photograph guide your eye to the subject." Symmetry and patterns.

Pause here and share with someone the symmetry and patterns you can see in this photograph.

Thanks for sharing.

Photographers who have used symmetry and pattern in their work include, Andreas Gursky uses pattern to create visually overwhelming scenes, highlighting repetition and scale, to reflect the complexity of global systems and modern life.

Zhong Lin often uses symmetry in her photography by pairing or mirroring two people, creating striking visual harmony that explores themes of duality, identity, and fashion.

Depth is one of the principles of photography.

Pause here and share with someone, what do you see that's in the foreground, the mid-ground, and the background? Thanks for sharing.

We can see the sky is the background, the tent-like structure is in the mid-ground, and the sand is the foreground.

Omar Z.

Robles uses depth to highlight the grace of ballet dancers, drawing viewers into layered urban scenes that amplify their movement and emotion.

Ursula Arnold uses depth to capture everyday life in East Germany, layering shadows and space to evoke quiet tension and introspection.

Contrast is one of the principles of photography.

Pause here and share with someone the contrast you can see in this image.

Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps you shared about the contrast between the darkness of these silhouettes, these figures, against the light background.

Some photographers who have used contrast in their work include, Edward Weston uses contrast in his images to highlight form and texture, transforming everyday subjects into striking, sculptural compositions.

And Malick Sidibe uses contrast in his "Photobooth" series through patterned clothing and striped backgrounds to enhance the visual impact, adding rhythm and energy, highlighting the playful expressions and stylish poses of Malian youth.

Check for understanding.

Which of these are included in the principles of photography, A, rule of thirds, contrast, and leading lines, B, rule of thirds, landscapes, and depth, C, symmetry and patterns, portraits, and rule of thirds? Pause here while you decide which of these are included in the principles of photography.

Well done if you selected answer A.

Indeed, the rule of thirds, contrast, and leading lines are three of the principles of photography.

The design principles can also apply to photography.

Balance, how visual weight is spread across the photo.

Pattern/repetition, repeated elements that create interest.

Emphasis, what stands out and draws attention.

Contrast, differences in light/dark, colour, size, et cetera.

Rhythm, a visual flow or beat, created by repeating elements.

Movement, how the viewer's eye moves around the image.

And unity/harmony, how everything in the photo feels like it belongs together.

And now, it's time for your task.

I would like you to take a series of photographs that use the principles of photography.

You could select one principle to focus on, select a few of the principles to focus on, consider the principles of design, look at photos you've already taken and see if they use any of the principles.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task, taking a series of photos that use the principles of photography? There are many possible outcomes.

Let's see what Sam has come up with.

"I took a series of photos that show neon lighting at night." What a fantastic series.

In the first photo, we can see that Sam has used the rule of thirds.

In the next one, there are leading lines, and in the third, there is contrast, In our lesson, Introduction to the Principles of Photography, we've covered the following, photography is the practise of using like to create images.

Using a camera allows the photographer to control many aspects of the photograph.

Photography is a powerful way to tell stories without words.

There are six key principles of photographic composition.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore photography, this practise of drawing of light, and the six key principles to photography.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I really loved sharing it with you.

And I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.