Category: Advanced Photo Assignments

Today’s Agenda:

• Warm Up on Teams
• Field Trip people: get an Artwork/Photo Release form from the sub! All forms due by Wednesday!
• Turn in missing work
• Neon Effect

Neon Effect

Open the PowerPoint below to find instructions and video tutorial showing you how to create a Neon Effect using Photoshop. Use your own photo.

Export your result no matter how they turn out. Post on your blog and turn in on Teams by Wednesday 2/4/26!

Neon Effect PowerPoint-Video Tutorial

(may take about 10 seconds for the PPT slides to load)

Original Adobe tutorial page: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/discover/neon-effect.html?msclkid=30c6851cc0f411ec8711d42c51118041#connect-the-dots-and-design-your-glow

Today’s Agenda:

• Complete, publish, and turn in your Self-Portrait Preparation blog post.
• Begin self-portrait project and independent photo challenges.

Independent Photo Challenges

Select TWO challenges to complete every month.

*For January and May, you only need to select one challenge.

• For each challenge, you need to take at least 15 photos. Select your best 3 to edit.
• Post a gallery of your 3 best edited photos with camera settings in the captions (please type them in the correct format=MASIF!).
• Add a gallery with all the unedited 15+ photos, include a screenshot of the challenge selected from below.
• Repeat layout for the second challenge in the same blog post.
• Publish your post and turn in by each month’s due date!
• Can’t wait to see what you create!! 🙂

Due dates: 

Monday Feb. 2nd  Friday Jan. 30th: one challenge due

Friday Feb. 27th: two new challenges due

Tuesday March 31st: two new challenges due

Thursday April 30th: two new challenges due

Friday May 15th: one new challenge due

Today’s Agenda:

• Warm Up Assignment on Teams: MLK Jr in Color
• Complete, post, and turn in New Year Collage
• Storytelling Through Photography Self-Portrait Assignment
• Storytelling Through Photography Field Trip to CA Museum of Photography in Riverside: Friday February 6, 2026

WarmUp_PreAssignment_SelfPortraitPhoto_UCRARTS_2026

Photoshop Action Sequence

Google search results for “Photoshop action sequence”

Body Triptych

Triptych is three photos meant to be viewed together. Create one using the theme: “Body”.

Bracketing in Photography Photo Assignment

Due Friday November 21, 2025

Photograph the following high-contrast scenes using the bracketing technique to create compelling final images.

1. Outdoor landscape with sky during the day 
2. Interior space with windows during the day

Photographing Instructions:

• Use a tripod to keep the camera steady and to get the same exact shots. Just like with the clone project, make sure the camera is not moved at all between shots!
• Use Manual Mode to get a good exposure of your scene.
• Then change your shutter speed only to then get an underexposed and an overexposed photo of the same scene.
• You may take more under & over exposed photos if you want more options.
• Use Photoshop layer masks to create a final image out of your bracketed scenes.
• Find more tips and examples here:

https://www.creativeislandphoto.com/blog/exposure-bracketing

Bracketing: How To Take Interior Photos From Good To Great

Bracketing in Photography: The Ultimate Guide

Posting Instructions:

1. Explain to your audience what bracketing in photography is all about and what it’s used for.
2. Post you final landscape image individually. Link to media file, size: large. Caption with the camera settings EXCEPT the shutter speed.
3. Add a gallery with the 3+ original bracketing photos. Link to media file, size medium, columns 3 or more. Caption with the shutter speed only for each exposure.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for your Interior Space photo.

Outdoor Portrait Photography w External Flash

Due Tuesday Nov. 18th (scroll down for posting instructions)

Create the following types of portraits with your group. This is a group effort, so you will collaborate to get the best results. Take turns in each role: photographer, subject, assistant.

Each group member needs to save all the photos taken from the SD card after each shoot (not email!) and each of you will post to your own blog.

FOR EACH SCENARIO, TAKE A PHOTOS BEFORE AND AFTER THE FLASH TECHNIQUES! This way we can compare.

You will need to post the best 2 portraits from each technique to post along with their unedited ‘before” photo.

The techniques correspond to the videos you watched!

1. Creating soft lighting with on camera external flash + reflector.

The first video shows this technique! Place your subjects in open shade for this one.

Flash is on the camera but directed at reflector to bounce onto subjects.

2. Capture dramatic portraits outside with external flash.

This would be ideal when the lighting outside is a little dimmer (overcast or sunset). So for now, find some shady areas.

Besides the video, you can also use these article tutorials:

Outdoor Flash Photography Tips for Natural or Dramatic Portraits

Beginner’s Guide to Flash Photography – Tips, Tricks and Lessons

3. Invisible Black Background Outdoor Portrait.

You may need to use the long flash cord or the remote trigger for this one.

The third video showed the technique, but here’s the article tutorial as well:

https://glyndewis.com/blog/2021/8/4/the-invisible-black-background

Invisible Black Background-2

Posting instructions:

Create ONE organized blog post that will showcase all the photos above.

I recommend using 3 separate photo galleries (link to media file, columns 2, medium size).

Be sure to indicate which series is which. Caption each photo with the camera settings used and add the word “before” and “after”. PLEASE list your settings in the following format or lose points!

For example:

1. Creating soft lighting with on camera external flash + reflector.

Then add a gallery with your 4 photos: two portraits with flash next to their corresponding “before” portrait with no flash. Use 2 columns to have the before & after side by side.

Portrait Portfolio Projects

You will begin a portrait journey starting today! I will have a separate Teams assignment for each one.

Each set of portraits will be posted as separate blog posts. All photos should be added as A GALLERY with camera settings in the caption. Gallery settings: link to media file, 2-3 columns, size medium.

Feel free to get creative with the portraits withing the requirements. You can use classmates, friends, and family as your subjects. 🙂

Blog Post 1: Natural Light Portraits

Due: Friday Oct. 24th

Total= 9 edited natural light portraits

You will need ONE edited portrait for EACH lighting type in this Natural Light Portraits PowerPoint. Open and view it to see examples of each lighting type.

Natural Light for Portraits PPT

1. Front
2. Side
3. Back
4. Open Shade
5. Dappled
6. “Garage” Lighting (open any door to let outdoor light in then subject stands just inside the doorway looking outside)
7. With Reflector (to bounce light back onto subject)
8. With Diffuser (to soften harsh light)
9. With Flash (to fill in shadows or add exposure)

Blog Post 2: Studio Portraits

Due: Monday Nov. 3rd

Total= 10 edited studio portraits

You will need 10 studio portraits using the classroom studio lights and backdrops.

Three-Point Portraiture Lighting and Beyond

How to Use Fill Light in Photography

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know

9 Types of Portrait Lighting

Blog Post 3: Environmental Portraits

Due: Monday Nov. 10th

Total= 5 edited environmental portraits (different subject for each)

You will need to turn in 5 environmental portraits. Remember, the background should tell us something about the person and therefore should be in focus too (great depth of field with higher f-stop number helps).

Go through this PowerPoint to get reacquainted with the purpose and techniques involving environmental portraits. I added extra examples on the last slide:

Environmental Portraits

Pick a partner or work with a group. Take portraits of ONE other person with EACH of the following set ups. Experiment with the intensity of each light and explore various poses or other ways to evoke emotion or drama!

Camera settings suggestions:

• Use the camera in portrait mode (vertical orientation)
• Aperture 3.5-5.6
• Shutter Speed: around 1/200
• ISO AUTO (unless you want to set your own)
• Focal length: 55mm (zoomed in all the way with the smaller lens)
• If you need more exposure, you can also increase intensity of the lights or move them closer to subject.

1. Rim only
2. Key + Rim
3. Key + Fill + Rim
4. Key + Fill
5. Key only

Three-Point Portraiture Lighting and Beyond

Fill Light Photography Guide

Save them to your OneDrive. Edit in Lightroom to enhance them a bit. Post them to your blog as a gallery in the order above and caption them with the lights used.