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PHOTO

ASSIGNMENT 5.3:

SELFIE SCHTICK

Ah, the selfie. Part of the photography landscape. Part self-portrait, part self-promotion. Officially, it's part of photography. And officially, photography is part of art. Right?

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Right?! Well. Let's look into it. You can decide for your self.

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While completing this assignment, you should have the following question in mind:  Does “the Selfie” qualify as art? Your work during this assignment should justify your answer. 

Part 1 | PRE-ASSIGNMENT PREPARATORY WORK.

PREP.

Here are a number of resources, from articles to videos. You should look through these and read some of them. You should make specific reference to elements found in these resources in your final presentation.
Watch the video  by Mike Rugnetta.
He outlines some good points.
Speech acts, selfies as art, etc.
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"Let's first talk for a second about photography, social media and the perfect expression of their hybridization."
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Read the article ‘My Selfie, Myself’  by Jenna Wortham.
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"I’ve watched as all my peers slowly began turning their cameras inward on themselves. It’s made my feed more interesting and entertaining. And I’d much rather see my friends’ faces as they prepare food than a close-up photo of the finished meals instead."

QUESTIONS 5.3a

  1. Should the selfie qualify as part of photography as art?

  2. Explain how the selfie is part photo and part status update.

  3. Find a selfie that you think qualifies as ‘art’.

  4. Explain your choice for question #3.

Part 2 | PRE-ASSIGNMENT PREPARATORY WORK.

So, we hate the selfie. (We, like society, in general). They're narcissistic and we hate them. But why don't we hate self-portraits for the same reason?

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Take a look through Alicia Eler's article  Before the selfie, the self-portrait  just so you have an idea of the types of artists who were painting self-portraits, back in the day.

 

"A selfie is a selfie is a selfie. But what about a self-portrait? Here are five art historical self-portraits that are predecessors to the modern-day selfie."

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Near the end of her article, Eler asks if it's even possible to mention self-portraits without bringing up Frida Kahlo. Nope. It's probably not. Read about her work,  The Broken Column. 

QUESTIONS 5.3b

  1. The selfie is often criticized and seen as narcissistic and egotistical. Why do artists like Frida Kahlo, Rembrandt and Van Gogh escape such criticism?

Part 3 | THE ASSIGNMENT

THE ASSIGNMENT

Remember, while completing this assignment, you should have the following question in mind:  Does “the Selfie” qualify as art? Your work during this assignment should justify your answer. 

PART 1

With a partner (sorry, no 3-person groups) create a presentation deck (PowerPoint, Google Slides etc) about The Selfie. Your presentation should be 10 slides long including a cover page. Slide specifics are outlined below.

PART 2

Take a series of selfies (minimum 3, but ideally, more) using a smartphone. (Include your selfie series in your presentation).
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Do’s:

  • Be original

  • Tell a story (like a reel) about you (use props if applicable)

  • Think about composition

  • Consider lighting

  • Consider background

  • Create depth by leaving space behind your subject

  • Consider body positioning

  • Have a theme that connects your series of photos

Don’ts

  • Avoid selfie no-no’s (duck face)

  • Avoid clichés you read about in your research

  • Avoid boring or typical selfie compositions

  • Avoid taking photos in the school

PART 3

Take a series of portraits (minimum 3) of your partner using a camera. (Include these photos in slide presentation as well)

PART 4

Answer the question ‘Is the Selfie art?’ and justify your answer (min 1 paragraph). Make reference to the facts you found in the pre-assignment preparatory work (research) you did earlier.

SLIDE BREAKDOWN

Slide 1: Title page with student names

Slide 2: Discussion of The Selfie (history, relevance, importance)

Slide 3: General Tips for taking a better selfie

Slide 4: Important Creative Considerations

Slide 5: Important Technical Considerations (light, time of day, selfie stick or not, composition)

Slide 6: Partner 1: Your selfies (minimum 3) – include explanation of theme

Slide 7: Partner 1: Portraits of your partner 2 (minimum 3)

Slide 8: Partner 2: Your selfies (minimum 3) – include explanation of theme

Slide 9: Partner 2: Portraits of your partner 1 (minimum 3)

Slide 10: Answer the question ‘Is the selfie art?’ and justify your answer.

DOWNLOADs

This rubric is for reference only. The Google Classroom task will include the rubric in .gdoc format

Rubric.pdf

PDF

Some cool stuff.
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How to Take a Good Selfie (research)

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Some Impressive Time-lapse Selfies
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