Painting with light

I also started last year with this photography project, but I think it is a really fun one that the students instantly love.  It is called light painting, but it is basically working with the shutter speed on a DSLR camera.  

I love bringing out these cameras at the beginning of the year because most of them are going to take my photography projects with their cell phones and I love all of the tips and tricks that they will pull out and learn from using  nice camera.  Now not to say that they can't take good pictures with their cell phones, but you can't take an image like light painting on an iphone.

To do this we really slow down the exposure on the camera by putting our Canon cameras into TV mode, with the ISO on 200, and the shutter speed anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds.

Here are some of my favorites from the student's experiments.

Brandon G.

Connor K.

Heidi S.

Jena F.

Kayla E.

I think they did a pretty good job considering we had to do this in practically a coat closet of a room.

Learning names

This year I feel like I have been at a disadvantage.  The incoming freshman this year are students that I haven't seen for four years and so I feel like I don't know any of their names.  So even though I give out this assignment every year, it felt like a really good refresher for me.  It help me put a name with a face as I watched them work.

Now I'm still not perfect and I am trying really hard to just remember which class they are in, but I am sure that will come as the year goes on.

Anyways, I am sorry that these pictures are not very good.  I forgot to take the pictures before I put the artwork in the display case.   So far I am really impressed with the products that they have been putting out, lets hope they can keep it up.

Welcome back Tri-Valley!

Okay so I'm a week late, but better late than never right??

I would like to take this opportunity to say welcome back to my students and their parents.  Please check back here often to see what we are up to in the art room.

Today Art 1 is starting a new Line unit, and I have high hopes for the project.  Wish me luck !!