Ind Study: Project #1 – Autobiography

OVERVIEW:

If you’re in Independent Study, chances are that you’ve done an Autobiography project in Photo I or Photo II.  HOWEVER, that was so long ago!  You’ve changed!  It’s been months or years since the last time you took Photo II – that means you’ve experienced months/years worth of joy/struggle/knowledge!  You’ve experienced life in more ways than ever!

And even if you went all that time without learning a single thing, you at least know more about photography!

With that said, now that you are a different individual/photographer that you were in Photo II, how would you approach this project differently?  Would you use a different camera, new film, work in the studio, or try your hand at a new photoshop technique?  Here’s your chance to try it out.

One thing to keep in mind with Ind. Study is that the aim of all your projects are to create bodies of work.  Think about your final project from Photo II, that was (supposed to be) a body of work.  A collection of different yet cohesive photographs, united by a refined message/idea, with a similar aesthetic/technique/feel to them all.  While this isn’t an AP course, I loosely base some things in Ind. Study on AP 2-D Art outcomes/expectations, particularly looking at their guidelines for portfolio review.  Your final project for Ind. Study is to put together a portfolio of your work on display in the Spring Senior Showcase, so this is practice for that.

WHAT TO TURN IN:

  • 1 Project Proposal
  • 2 contact sheets (for film: 24 pictures per CS; for digital: 40 pictures per CS)
  • 4 8″x10″ prints
  • 1 Project Evaluation

PROJECT PURPOSE:

  • Review camera operations, film processing, printing (digital or darkroom)
  • Explore equipment and techniques that YOU are interested in
  • Gain practice in developing focused bodies of work.

INSPIRATION:

  • Review the Photo II Autobiography Assignment Page and the Photo I Autobiography Assignment Page
  • AP 2-D Art & Design has some really great sample portfolios on their website, along with student write ups and judges’ justification for the portfolio rating.  While they have examples of all types of art/media, THIS LINK  has 2 photo portfolios that both scored a 6 for their sustained investigation of an idea and their range of approaches. HERE are 2 more portfolios that earned a lower score of 4.  Read more about AP’s criteria for successful portfolios HERE.  Do you agree with their rating?

Iʻll keep updating this site with more examples as I find them.  Let me know if you find any awesome resources or examples too!