To get students working with layers in Photoshop, I start with simple instructions on how to take several images and combine them into a single image, for example, letter photography to create a word. Students first create their own sample using professional letter photography from the web, then they look at how to get a a good letter photograph of their own. Students then create their own words using their own photographs. The biggest challenge for students is learning to crop out the clutter in their image before snapping the picture. I find that this assignment not only lets students expand their beginning Photoshop skills, but helps them expand their "editing eye" when looking through the lens of their cameras.
To start the course, I being by assessing the student's prior knowledge or natural ability for photography. Students are given a list of things to photograph and they are sent on a "Scavenger Hunt" to photograph the items. Students are instructed to get unique perspectives of each object and to look at everything from a new and interesting angle. I then give students a basic introduction to Photoshop and I show them how to make simple adjustments to enhance the overall artistic quality of their images. Students learn how to adjust brightness/contrast, saturation, depth of field using blur effects, and how to eliminate unwanted subjects. Items on this photography scavenger hunt include the following: a chair, a clock, an eye, a group of objects, a phone, a shoe, technology and to create an abstract photograph.
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