P S Art 2016 Exhibition Schedule www.nyc.gov/schools/artseducation

Helena
Allie Von Spreckelsen
Grade: 8
School: MS 51, Brooklyn
Art Teacher: Amy Flatow
Digital black-and-white print
STUDENT: I used to think
photography was more about
the pretty pictures, beaches
and flowers and happy things.
But now I’ve come to realize
that it’s more than that. It’s
about telling a story within
a picture. It doesn’t always
have to be pretty. It can say
something about society
or social issues/injustices.
I see pictures all around
me everywhere I go. My art
teacher for the past three
years, Ms. Flatow, taught
many techniques, how
to use a camera, and most
importantly, the significance
of using light.
This photograph was from my Mood
Lighting project. Because the whole
project was based on the use of light,
a challenge I faced was getting the
perfect lighting on my subject. It was
also difficult to make the lighting
match the mood of my subject, but
I was creative with the lighting,
angles, manipulation of the lighting,
and position of my subject, and
finally Helena matched the vision
I had in mind.
TEACHER: This project was inspired
by cinematic mood lighting. As
preparation, students explored stills
from Hitchcock films, classic silver
screen films, and the contemporary
film The Artist. They explored how
a light source can be manipulated
using various reflective modifiers.
Prepped and ready to go, students
worked in small groups, acting as
directors and photographers, to
create their personal vision for
the shot. Students assisted their
directors by modeling or following
instructions to assist with lighting.
Allie used costumes to enhance
Helena’s appearance. She emphasized
the rich textures of costume to create
an image that has the feeling of a
Renaissance painting.
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