Close
Menu
For Jonas Bader and me, intuition and hands-on learning were at the heart of our course. Our aim was to offer the participants a free space in which they could develop their skills and become active. When setting tasks, it was important for us to actively participate ourselves and demonstrate that even we are not always able to solve every task quickly and satisfactorily. This approach enabled us to create a course at eye level that was participative and intuitive.
An important part of our course was also the direct availability of a black and white printer on site. This allowed us to print and discuss each photo directly. By limiting ourselves to black and white prints, we were able to focus on the essential aspects of photography: composition, contrast and narrative. This approach helped the participants to improve their photography skills and develop their own creative visions.
As an introduction to the course, all participants were given the task of creating an A3 collage within an hour that reflected their personality, interests and character traits. At the end of the lesson, the participants presented their collages and introduced themselves to each other.
To get straight into photography, we gave the participants the opportunity to overcome their fear of the camera. We gave them my full-frame camera and asked them to take group portraits of our working group. This process included not only the execution itself, but also the instruction, composition and setting of the camera, as well as the choice of location and the idea. The participants learned how to use their photography skills and create their own images. The results were great “family photos”.
After getting to know each other, we went straight into the practical application of the design principles. We selected eight of these principles and asked the participants to apply them according to their own interpretation. This gave each person the opportunity to develop their creative vision and apply the design principles in their own way. This approach enabled the participants to improve their visual design skills and develop their individual perspectives.
Jonas and I prepared a selection of twenty images for the participants to use as a starting point for their own creative work. The task was to expand, mirror or recreate these images using their own photos. The results were impressive and surprising, as the participants contributed their own interpretations and ideas. The work not only inspired us as supervisors, but also the participants themselves, who discovered and developed their creative skills.
Die Teilnehmer begannen mit der Suche nach einem Objekt im Raum, das sie aus allen möglichen Perspektiven fotografieren sollten. Diese Fotos wurden dann ausgedruckt und sollten nun in einer neuen Dimension wieder im Raum angeordnet werden. Die Aufgabe bestand darin, die Fotos so zu platzieren, dass sie eine neue, dreidimensionale Darstellung des Objekts erzeugten.
On the third day, we spent the whole day in the photo studio, where we had prepared two different backdrops. A large one, ideal for portraits, group photos and large still lifes, and a smaller one, especially for object photography. Each person was asked to bring as many objects or clothes as possible so that we had the widest possible selection of props to choose from. To take away the participants' fear of the complex studio technology, we set up the lighting and the backdrops so that they could concentrate fully on the composition and the actual photography. This allowed the participants to focus on the creative side of photography and improve their composition and compositional skills.
On the fourth day, we gave the participants the freedom to decide for themselves which projects they wanted to complete and finish from the previous days. While they worked on their projects, we stood by their side and supported them as needed. At the same time, we began to plan and design the exhibition for the next day together with the participants. This day served to bring together the results of the previous days and present the work in an appealing way.
We only had limited time on the last day, as the exhibition was due to open at around midday. We therefore concentrated on setting up the exhibition, planning the individual stations and the course of the event. We thought about how we could effectively present the results of the previous days. As we had generated a large number of results, Jonas and I decided that each participant should create a zine from the photos and collages that had been created. This would allow each participant to take home a personalized result. We printed all the pictures and collages on different papers, such as colored, transparent or white. Due to the time pressure and the limited time of only one hour for this task, we asked the participants to create as intuitively as possible. Once the zines were created, they still had to be punched and ring bound to finish them off.
PROCESS & INSIGHTS
