Visual Arts & Technologies

Year 7/8 Media & Photography: Introducing Digital Cameras

Article by Michael Bader, Visual Arts & Technology Teacher 

As of Term 2, Year 7 and 8 students have begun using digital cameras in Media and Photography classes. The recent purchase of a set of Kodak PIXPRO FZ45 cameras provides the College with a user-friendly alternative to smartphones for capturing images and video. Free from the distractions that smart devices can present, the cameras allow students to focus solely on the creative and technical aspects of photography. 

Once students became familiar with the basic operation of the cameras, including start-up, image capture, playback navigation and transferring images to their laptops, they began exploring the on-screen displays and how these features can support effective composition. Students also used tripods to investigate the cameras’ optical zoom capabilities, enabling them to capture stable images when working with telephoto close-ups. 

The next step in introducing these point-and-shoot cameras will be to move students from Auto mode to Manual mode. This will allow them to adjust the cameras’ aperture and shutter speed, further developing their understanding of how these settings can be used to manipulate depth of field and capture motion in a variety of ways.