I chose to create a lesson centered on what I know best- creating and manipulating photographic images; specifically, digital ones. I struggled with determining the best way of conveying that, since there are so many ways of creating images; there are also many steps that play into creating “effective” images. This reflection will outline those challenges, the approach I took in tackling them, and the outcome of those decisions.
The primary challenges that I identified were:
-Determining/defining what an “effective” photo is
-Communicating and explaining the elements of a photo
-Navigating editing software
-Teaching in a manner that creates a foundation (for further learning)
A lot of what makes a photo effective for me, is rooted in intuition and feeling. That’s not completely helpful if I’m trying to teach a skill. So I had to acknowledge that my primary focus had to be on the technical aspects of image editing and creating a familiarity with the software that my subject would be using. I determined that a video tutorial would be best- as its not only instructional but it would allow me to break down the process step by step while explaining how to use the software. Before beginning the editing process, I gave a brief overview of RAW vs JPEG photos and the reason/necessity for each from a photographer’s standpoint.
To start, I didn’t define for my viewer what an effective image was. I simply reviewed the 3 questions that I think about when approaching a new image. They were: 1) What’s the focal point of the image? 2) What (in regards to image information) do I have access to manipulating? & 3) Is the image edited realistically or in a manner that reflects what I intend for it to depict?
Note: The second question refers to the amount of light, megapixels, etc that are present in the image when it was captured.
Before I recorded the tutorial- I edited the image and saved it. I did this to create an example for my viewer- something to both work towards and use as a reference. I also created a “scenario” to establish a purpose or an objective of sorts; this would give the viewer a path to direct him/her on navigating the 3 questions I mentioned above. I figured that this would help him/her think about the photo elements that I would later lay out, further.
After this, I created the tutorial. I then had my subject edit the photo without any prior experience with editing or the software. I showed him the reference (“final”) photo and told him to try to match it as best as possible. He saved his edit, and I had him write/think about what was challenging. I then had him sit and watch the tutorial. After he watched it, I asked him to re-edit the photo without referencing neither his first edit or my reference version. As he did so, I asked him to speak his way through editing it and to explain what he was doing. We then put all 3 images side by side while we discussed what worked/didn’t work.
His challenges:
-Communicating what he wanted to do/ gaps in his understanding of the elements
-Finding a focal point to drive his editing process (i.e. making the photo vibrant, making the photo “pop”)
-How to manipulate the elements of the image to alter something specific without distorting something else or messing up what was previously done
He found the tutorial to be effective, and I certainly noticed a change in the quality of the image- particularly in regards to appearance of colors and image noise/grain. When we spoke, he even discussed the elements differently- referencing specific terms and displaying a clear understanding of their roles. And to me, that’s most important indicator of learning- to see a shift in his knowledge and approach to thinking about it. Next time around- I should have a quiz of some sort to solidify such a shift for my own research.
Below are the 3 images (edit 1, edit 2, and the reference version).
