i work with an after school program and the 8th graders want to start a photo project what equipmentsdoweneed?

Answer 1

I'm going to assume that you will use a digital camera. Of course you'll need a camera, computer and printer. I wouldn't go above a 4 meg camera....at that point you can create fine 4x6 prints and up to an 8x10 if needed. If you are starting from scratch go with a PC and pay for the extra RAM you'll need it for the large files. You might entertain getting each student their own 128 CF card (if that is the medium the camera requires) . This way they can't confuse what picture is theirs.

If the program is designed to teach photography and composition I would just take the disks to a local photo finisher and have prints made. Ink cartridges will kill a budget and trying to get the "right" color from a desktop computer can be a big challenge. If they seem interested in learning this particular part of photography then go for it but have a supply of the cartridges. (I would also look at getting a printer with separate color inks...the tri-color cartridges can drain one color and leave the rest, part full.)

As for software Photoshop Elements will do most anything they will require. There are other programs out there but this is the one I have used and it suits my needs.

As for other equipment I would also suggest making a set of cropping "L's" for each student. These are great for showing students how to see the same situation in different views. Take a set on location and have them slide the L's to create different sizes of rectangles. A small set can be used on the 4x6 prints to show how to crop out distracting objects in the background or foreground. They will soon learn to do this instinctively in the viewfinder.

I would also suggest a supply of old photography magazines. They are filled with a variety of different kinds of photography. The different styles will offer ideas ( don't let them just copy the image) for their own work.

Hope this helps....good luck

Answer 2

it matters wha kind of photo project your doing. like taking photos,printing, both? etc.