PHOTOGRAPHY 11 – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF …

THE PURPOSE: This is the idea gathering stage – to prepare you for your class project
A Day in the Life of Churchill. You will be looking at/analyzing a variety of photos in
terms of subject, theme and photographic techniques. Unless otherwise directed, do not
read the text related to the photos. The point is to look critically at the photos and gather
ideas that you might like to use for the photographing stage of your class project. So, as
you work, jot down ideas about content, lighting, form, shape, space, theme etc. Each
viewing session will be the stimulus for your own photographic project.

THE EXPECTATIONS: The questions below are NOT to be answered in one or two
words. Thoughtful, short paragraph answers are required and, although you have been
directed to specific pages, please peruse the books a bit to gather more ideas.

Station 1: A Day in the Life of Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School

(373.9711 DAY)
This book is the result of last year’s documentary project. How do you feel when you
look through the book? How do you suppose the photographers felt about being
selected for publication? How do you feel the subjects felt about being included in the
book? What strategies will you use to get your photos published? Why would you like to
a contributing photographer?

Station 2: The Forbidden Rainbow (779 FOR)

Look at the photograph of the women working on page 93. It seems they are all dressed
the same, what does this tell us about these women? Create photographs of people
who are in uniform while they are working.

Station 3: The Best of Life (779 BES)

a) Look at the photographs on pages 223 to 231. What Fads or short term trends are
represented in these pictures?
b) List five fads that you could photograph today. Why would you choose these fads?
Narrow your list to one fad that is current and visible. Make photos to document this fad.

Station 4: Circle of Life (390 CIR)

Look at page 69. Different cultures have different ways of dress, make-up and bodily
modification, such as tattoos and scarring. All cultures have rites of passage from
adolescence to adulthood. While our culture has less formalized and traditional rites of
passage, describe how you would photograph the transition to adulthood in our culture.
Document this phenomenon.

Station 5: The Way We Were (973.922 WAY)

a) Look at the pictures on and around page 109. What types of valuable historical
information is captured in events, arts, sports, technology, and science?
Represent current events in the Arts, popular culture and politics.

b) Choose a photograph and recreate it to bring it up to date.

January 2010
Station 6: Surveying Central British Columbia (971.1 SHE)
Historical photographs of very ordinary events become fascinating after enough time
has passed. Flip to page 74, what are the differences between these people having
lunch and a typical scene in the cafeteria in our school at lunch? What things remain
timeless? Spend a few lunch hours documenting hungry students.

Station 7: Vancouver: Gateway to the Pacific (971.1 FOR)

Imagine you have been assigned to bring this book up to date for the 2010 Olympics,
describe the pictures you would add and remove from this little book. Explain your
decision. Photograph the changes and at least two of the new Olympic Facilities.

Station 8: An Enterprising Life: Leonard Frank (779 FRA)

Cultural landmarks can easily become dated, whereas natural landmarks remain fairly
constant over longer periods of time. Flip to page 158, without the caption how could
you date this picture? Make a timeless series of landscape photos around Vancouver.

Station 9: Heroines (779 CLA)

Often we only associate picture taking with happy moments, beautiful places, people,
and things. It is also important to document horrible places, sadness, tragedy and pain.
Flip through the portraits in this book, choose and describe one that you feel is very
powerful. What is your response to it? Now it is your turn to find an emotional subject
and document it.

Station 10: Recording Their Story (971.1 THO)

Cultural artefacts help us to understand how a society or culture survived or thrived.
See pages 64-65. What are the important cultural artefacts from our modern society
that act in the same way? Create a series of still lifes that depict these current cultural
artifacts.

Station 11: Great Photographic Essays from LIFE (779 GRE)

Look at the picture on page 65, a doctor on the way to see a patient. What is the mood
of the photo and how is this mood elicited through setting, lighting and subject matter?
Choose a topic related to active health care and make photographs.

Station 12: National Geographic July 2007

Look at the two-page spread on pages 14 and 15. There is one major aspect of this
picture that really attracts us, which is, of course, the magnificent shades of blue.
Besides the colours in this photograph, what else do you find appealing? Provide your
reasons.

Station 13: Eye Witness: 25 Years Through World Press Photos (779 EVA)
a) Flip through this book. What would you say is the predominant theme of this
collection of photos?

b) Place yourself in the ‘shoes’ of a reporter. List 3 newsworthy events that take place at
Churchill and explain why you might like to photograph them. Select and cover the one
January 2010
that appeals to you the least.

Station 14: The Indelible Image: Photographs of War – 1845 to the Present
(779 IND)
Turn to page 97. Describe at least three things that this image tells us about the
Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917. Photograph a modern day war affect on civilian
culture.

Station 15: British Columbia: Spirit of the People (971.1 BAR)

Look at the photo on page 151, Robson Street in the 1950s. Describe how you would
photograph Robson Street to show what has changed since then. Take a trip downtown
and take the same pictures up to date. Try to duplicate the position exactly.

Station 16: National Geographic March 2007

Look at the dramatic photograph on page 12. The photographer has chosen a
composition and point of view that makes the subject abstract at first to your eyes.
Employ a similar technique to create a dazzling photograph yourself.

Station 17: Work: The World in Photographs (779 PRO)

Look at the picture on page 102. Which of the following elements most strongly
captures your attention when looking at this photo: colour, line, shape, light or space?
Describe how or why. Where and when have you seen similar strong light in or around
the school? Make photographs with similar strong lighting.

Station 18: Geo Mai 2004

Look at the image on pages 134 – 135. Where do you think the photographer was when
she/he took this picture? What do you think interested the photographer about the
subject? Describe how you could/would change the vantage point to make the picture
look different. Go somewhere like Cliffhanger and photograph rock climbing.

Station 19: Fred Herzog: Vancouver Photographs (779 HER)

Flip to page 35 (hint: find page 32 and count forward) and look at the photo of the CPR
Pier and Marine Building. Do you believe the light building in the background is actually
there or that is was edited in or an optical illusion? What supports your claim? Choose a
historic landmark in downtown Vancouver and photograph it from a variety of angles.

Station 20: The Illustrated History of British Columbia (971.1 REK)

a) Find the photograph of the oldest schoolhouse on page 42. What do you think the
small wood huts on the right are for? Why do you think that the photographer included
the huts in the picture?

b) While photographing Churchill, the building, photograph two other outside features
that you might include and how they represent life at Churchill.

January 2010
Station 21: Moments: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs (779 LEE)
Look at the photograph on page 49. What does this picture represent? What appears to
be going on? Capture a similar scene at Churchill.

Station 22: America 24/7 (973 AME)

Flip to page 43. How do think this picture was taken? What do you
find interesting about the photo? Utilize the same technique to do your own wedding
photographs. How is the photograph enhanced by the detailed caption?

Station 23: Reflections: One Hundred Years: A Celebration of the District

of North Vancouver’s Centennial (971.1 DAV)
Compare the two pictures on page 19. What do these two pictures tell of the historical
era they are from? Create similar photographs of class distinction

Station 24: National Geographic April 2007

a) On page 32 – 33, look over the photo. What do you think will happen if humanity
continues to catch sharks just for their fins? Do you think we should prevent this from
happening? Why or why not?
b) List any examples you can think of, in Churchill, where you could photograph such
wastage.

Station 25: A Vision Shared: A Classic portrait of America and its people,
1935 – 1943 (779 VIS)
Compare the photos found on pages 85, 131 and 182. Where are they
situated and what do the photos tell you about the kind of life the
people who live there have? Make photographs of those you know and document their
houses too.

Station 26: National Geographic January 2007

Look at the panoramic view of the Amazon found on page 40. What does
it tell you about the situation of the Amazon and maybe the world? How is the
environment being affected around the school for the good or the bad? Photograph
large and small scale changes to the environment in BC.

Station 27: Hungry Planet: What the World Eats (641.3 MEN)
Please flip though this book and think about food and the role it plays in your day to day
life. Food is also a big part of the school, what and where do people eat during the day,
is there one standard food that represents all of us. Plan out at least three instances of
photography of food you could do. Document everything you eat and drink for a week.

January 2010
Station 28: A Day in the Life of Australia (994 DAY)
a) Page 98: A diverse collection of faces, which faces of Churchill would you choose to
represent the diversity of culture and age at the school.
b) Page 147: What is the story being told on this page, is it a universal tale?
c) Page 55: The Human Eye likes to see repetition of shapes, where in the school can
you find a similar pattern to photograph? Why do you think repetition appeals to our
eyes and brains?

d) Using one of the photos you have just looked at, shoot your own similarly themed
photos.

Station 29: A Day in the Life of Canada (971 DAY)

a) Turn to page 37. These are all environmental portraits, the background and
surroundings contribute important information to the shot you would like to get. What
are these pictures ‘saying’?

b) Turn to Page 188 – a ‘behind the scenes’ look. Where would you like to go behind
the scenes at Churchill. Create similar shots at Churchill or in the community.

Station 30: Popular Photography March 2009

Read the article “5 Ways to be a picky editor” on page 44. Comment on the pros and
cons for each of the 5 points. Using these pointers edit your photos.

Station 31: A Day in the Life of Italy (945 DAY)

a) Page 156: graffiti and vandalism are universal problems, what could you photograph
to show that this is also a problem at Churchill. How does this picture affect you
emotionally?

b) Turn to pages 93- 94. Sometimes people like to take a nap during the day. Have you
ever fell asleep at school, where would you go to photograph people sleeping?

c) Document these activities or acts at school.

Station 32: A Day in the Life of America (973 DAY)

a) Look at pages 162- 163. What does this picture tell about these people other than
they have musical instruments? How could you photograph that music that is a part of
Churchill: choir, band, individually talented students?

b) Turn to page 206. What can we learn about someone from looking at their bedroom
or locker. Who do you know that has a typical ‘teen disaster zone’ bedroom. Describe
the state of that room. Ask that person if you can photograph the room. Fully document
the location. If you also know someone who is hyper-neat do a comparison.

January 2010