Viewing - Camera Angles

Aim: To provide a variety of activities to explain camera angles.

(Crossing into Media Studies and Oral language)

Before attempting this, it may be necessary (helpful) to relate this to Media Studies.

1. Take some “interesting’ pictures from a magazine.
Talk about/discuss - foreground
- middle ground
- background.

2. Look at advertisements, for example, children’s clothes. There is probably no background, or the background has been blotted/cut out. There is usually only a foreground taking up the whole picture.

3. Look at another picture. Is it a long distance shot? Is the horizon seen?
Find a long distance picture from a magazine.

4. Discuss the meaning of “close ups’ in pictures. Can you find any “close ups” in pictures? “Close ups” would probably be of one body part, for example, face or eyes, rather that the whole body as in point 2. There is probably no middle background.

5. “Focus” could also be discussed, that is: the point at which the subject is well defined and clear.

6. “Focal length” – discuss the distance between the camera and the subject.

7. “Frame” – discuss the limits as seen through the camera lens. In animation, films are made frame by frame, one picture at a time. If possible, children can look through a camera lens to see a frame.

8. Camera angle – can the children tell where the photographer was standing?
Discuss – - in front ... at eye level
- from overhead... as from a ‘plane or helicopter
- low angle... along the floor
- high angle... looking up high from down low.

9. Go back to all previous pictures and discuss camera angle.

10. Children find an interesting picture from a magazine. Using oral
language, children give a “picture talk” telling why they found it interesting and including: - foreground
- middle ground
- background
- long or short focal length
- camera angle.
Other areas like colour, interest, experience and involvement can be discussed.
Before applying this knowledge to a Viewing session, use some selected photographs of family, friends and holiday snaps of scenery.
Talk about - foreground
- middle ground
- background.

Optional extras.

Talk about/discuss:
 What is the picture trying to say?
 Who, what, why and where?
 Is it a celebration? Why/why not?
 Do the people in the photo know they are being photographed?
 What happened just before/just after the photo?
 Are the people in the photo dressed up?
 What is the location of the photo?

Categorise:
 holiday
 festival/celebration
 portrait
 party
 scenery

** Can children tell where the photographer was standing?
** What is the camera angle?

After working through these topics/areas/activities, children should have a better understanding of camera angles.