Create with intention and examine how photography is a form of visual storytelling. Over the course of 5 days, students will learn technical skills photographers use such as perspective, composition, and lighting, as well as basic posing and how those skills are used to evoke emotions and convey a message through an image. The program encourages students to create their own learning experience by providing them with opportunities to work as a class, in small groups, and self-reflect on what is presented throughout the program. Students will learn how messages are crafted in media by examining the work of other visual storytellers and invite students to share their ideas about what strategies they connect with and want to use in their storytelling. They will be provided with the tools they'll need to be able to effectively craft their own message using photography. During the program, students will design and create photos around a specified narrative while exploring the question, "What is visual storytelling?"

Program Daily Overview:

Day 1. Students will learn some of the technical choices photographers use to create an image through visual examples, class discussions, and physical demonstrations. Through group collaboration, students will learn how to execute these choices and demonstrate their knowledge by creating an image that incorporates these choices.

Day 2. Students will review the images created from the previous session through self-reflection, and class discussion. As a class, students will learn how to plan a creative project. In small groups students will collaborate on a plan that incorporates the technical choices and physical posing learned from the previous sessions, to create a specific message through imagery.

Day 3. In small groups, students will execute their plan created in the last session to create 3 images that portray a specific message. Students will have no more than 15 snaps to create their vision and will be confined to the parameters set in the session prior.

Day 4. Students will reflect on how the project went within their groups and analyze the images that were created from the previous session. Through self-reflection, group, and class discussion students will discuss what was photographed and what they learned through the process of message crafting.

Day 5. Students will learn how image selection, description, and the order they are presented will impact the narrative of the story they're trying to convey. Each group will design a presentation that shares their 3 chosen photos to be shared with the class or displayed for the school.

Sessions are designed for 60 minute classes. Another session may need to be added for shorter class periods or for more in depth narratives.