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Zany Zoom Ins: Even if you're introducing photography as part of a larger project, you'll want to spend time over several sessions introducing photographic techniques to kids to help them understand elementary concepts like distance, angle and framing. "Zany Zoom Ins" is an intermediate activity you can use along the way. In this activity, the kids take ultra-close-up photographs of common objects to identify what they are. Recommended Time 20 to 30 minutes Goals
Materials and Equipment
Before You Begin Before you attempt this activity, be sure that you've introduced the digital camera and covered the basic techniques of digital photography. You can use this activity at any time after introducing the concept of distance. Some time before class, take several ultra-close-up photos of parts of different objects in the classroom, such as the corner of the computer or the middle section of a magic marker. You are going to ask the kids to try to find the objects, so don't make the pictures too hard to identify—but don't make them too obvious, either. Bring the photos into PhotoShop (or another photo-editing program) and put them all on one page, or keep each image on a single sheet. Print several copies of the combined page or of each photo. Step 1: Scavenger Hunt Talk about how sometimes it's hard to see the big picture and how sometimes an image only tells us part of a story. Have the kids get into teams of two, three or four, whichever you prefer. Pass out copies of your photos to each team. Explain only that they are very close-up pictures of things in the room. Show them what you mean by comparing one of your photos to the actual object. Now send them off to find the other objects in teams. Each time they find one, have them write it on the sheet of paper next to the photo. When everyone has finished, have the kids return to their seats. Step 2: Model Taking the Photo Take the digital camera and review the concept of distance and close-ups. Tell the class that they are going to make their own "zoom ins." Pick an object in the room that has an interesting detail (not one of the objects in your previous photos). Talk it through out loud before selecting the object, especially about what makes it an interesting element. Be sure to consider and reject one thing that's too obvious and one that's too hard to identify, and explain why (because it's no fun if a game is too hard or too easy). Once you've selected an object, spend a few minutes considering out loud what part of it to use in the photo, the angle to use, etc. Remember, you're modeling the thought process they'll need to use as they decide on their own photos. Get right up close to your object and start to take the picture. Before actually doing so, however, be sure to review and talk about the concept of focus. Although you will have talked about focus in your earlier introductions, the kids will have to pay more attention to it when taking ultra-close-up photos. Talk briefly about framing as well: Their goal is to make interesting photos for the game. So, for example, if your model is the very tip of a chair leg, you might talk through whether to center it in the frame or position it off to the side, whether to cut off part of it to make it harder to identify, etc. Take the photo and show it to the class. Bring up a pair-share partner and model the process again, helping your partner through it. Be sure to ask lots of questions about the decisions he or she is making. Step 3: Generate Ideas In teams of two, have the kids walk around the room and find ideas for their zoom ins. Have each team write down three ideas on a sheet of paper, taking about two or three minutes to make up their lists. They don't have to decide on all the elements of angle and framing for the photo right now—just what parts of which objects they might use. Step 4: Pair-Share Call on one of the teams to model the photo-taking process, as in step one, using one of the ideas from their list. Once again, be sure to ask lots of questions about the decisions they make about angle, focus, distance, framing, etc. Step 5: Take the Pictures Once the modeling pair is finished, send the kids off in teams to take pictures of one of the things on their lists. When they're finished, have them move the photos to the computer. Print them out or view them on the screen, and have the class try to guess what they are. Variations After taking their zoom ins, have each team take a series of photos of the same part of the object—one each from about three inches further away, six inches further away, a foot, a yard, halfway across the room and all the way across the room. Follow-Up If you want to continue working with these concepts and images, try some of the following activities:
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