Background:
Pixel Averaging is a Contemporary Art Technique that is unique to the 21st century. Not many artists are doing it, but it's a great new technique that will help you to understand how pixels work. 

How it works:
Pixel averaging combines the photos that you use (you can use as many as you want) and averages the colors in each pixel. It uses a mathematical formula to average the pixels. 

Assignment:

• Part 1 (1 project grade): Your assignment is to take at least 100 images and composite them into 1 image using an object.
• Part 2 (1 project grade): After experimenting with part 1, your assignment is to create an image composite with the theme "DREAMS." Take the theme and run with it! 

Objectives:

• Study digital imagery techniques and apply them to the editing of the final images.
• Analyze pixel averaging techniques to make your own image composites.

Grading Criteria:

• Part 1 & 2 will be graded as TWO separate project grades.
• Innovation
• Uniqueness
• Craftsmanship
• Technical Quality

<<<Insert video as to how pixel averaging works>>>>

Digital images come in a variety of sizes, file types, and qualities. For this lesson, you will be learning how to identify and manipulate digital images correctly so that you have high quality images that you will be able to keep forever.

Topics

• CMYK vs RGB
• 300 dpi vs 72 dpi (Resolution)
• Vector vs raster images
• Pixels
• Resampling images
• Stock image sites
• Distortion (holding shift)
• Stealing imagery from Google or the Internet
• Scanning with resolution
• Quality of camera (amount of Mega pixels - millions of pixels)
• iPad
• Nikon D3100 (what we have in school)
• Nikon D800
• iPhone 5
• File types
• jpeg (fine, normal)
• RAW
• TIFF
• png
• File sizes
• Byte
• Kilobyte
• Megabyte
• Gigabyte
• Terabyte

Background:
David Hockney is known primarily for his painting, but he also was the first artist to come up with the following photocollages. What Hockney did was piece together images that he took into one collage. The images didn't have to align perfectly; that was their magic. They looked a bit disorganized and scattered. Looking at the above image, Hockney assembled many different photographs to create one image.

Assignment:
Your assignments is to create a self-portrait in the style of David Hockney. You may use any part of your body, but your self-portrait should reflect you as a person. You will be using the DSLR cameras

Steps:

1. Put your camera in the following mode: Manual, ISO: 400
2. Get a partner to help you photograph
3. Choose your backdrop. Choose something interesting or colorful. 
   *Be sure to eliminate unnecessary objects in the background.
   Your friend will be taking the photographs but YOU should be doing everything else.
4. Meter for the area and the subject (you must use Manual mode)

Objectives:

• Study the work of artist David Hockney and create a photocollage self-portrait in that style.
• Study DSLR camera settings and utilize them in this project
  
  

Self-Critique Questions:

• How creative is my self-portrait?
• When I photographed, did I include any unnecessary objects in the background?
• Did I utilize the DSLR camera settings correctly?
• Is my project printed and mounted correctly?

Grading Criteria:

• Work habits
  
• Quality of photographs
  
• Resourcefulness
  
• Unique ideas
  
• Experimentation
• Effectiveness in communicating the idea within the theme
• Craftsmanship

Vocabulary:

• Photocollage
• Montage

Look at the photographs in the document and tell me how the photographer put them together. Write about the following: how he set it up, how he photographed it, and how he manipulated it (Photoshop). Please be specific. Also think about lighting and shadows. CHOOSE 10 Photos to write about.

You will be instagramming every school day! Be sure you are using your own photos and not those of any others. This will count as a project grade at the end of every quarter.

• Download Instagram
• Sign up for an account
• Follow your classmates with this Google Doc.
• Every photo should have the hashtag #bhsphoto2
• Take a photo every school day!

Photography class allows students a greater amount of responsibility than other classrooms because, let's face it, there are only so many photos we can take in the classroom! Because of these responsiblities, you and a parent are all required to read and sign the contract below. Please see me with any questions. Please bring this in for MONDAY 9/10.

Click here to download the file.