Photography day: lesson ideas

19 августа — Всемирный день фотографии. Мы подготовили несколько заданий для разговорного урока по этой теме. Для удобства разделим их на две части: 

• то, что ученик выполнит дома сам, до занятия с вами;
• задания для разговорной практики и вопросы для обсуждения.

До урока

1. Read the sentences below. What do you think the words in bold mean?

This place tops my list of the beautiful spots I’ve been to.

The view was absolutely stunning.

The Rock of Gibraltar is one of Europe’s most famous landmarks.

This place is extremely popular, lots of tourists snap photos there every minute.

She could spend hours musing over the memories of the past. 

Things like this can enhance the quality of life.

I’ve spent a few weeks trying to capture those grizzly bears, and now I finally have a few good pictures.

I found the whole film very compelling.

We’ve got to get someone else’s perspective on this.

Those photos are irreplaceable, you’ll never find such rare birds again to take a picture of them.

2. Watch the video and choose the best summary:

   
   1) You can either enjoy the beauty or take pictures. You can’t possibly do both. So think carefully whether you really need your camera when you go on holiday.
   2) Whenever you witness something amazing, try to enjoy the moment before taking a picture. Don’t let photography be a block between you and reality.
   3) Snapping pictures has become not intentional and automatic. We tend to take pictures simply to share them on Instagram*. Nobody thinks of photography as an art anymore.

Key: 2

3. Match the words to the definitions below.

1) To top

2) Stunning 

3) Landmark

4) To snap a photo

5) To muse

6) To enhance

7) To capture

8) Compelling

9) Perspective

10) Irreplaceable

a) A building or place that is easily recognized and very popular.

b) To think about something carefully and for a long time.

c) Extremely beautiful or attractive.

d) To improve the quality or the strength of something.

e) Very exciting and interesting and making you want to watch.

f) A particular way of considering something.

g) Too special, unusual, or valuable to replace with something else.

h) To be the most important, the best.

i) To record or take a picture of something using a camera.

g) To take a picture.

Key:

1) h

2) c

3) a

4) j

5) b

6) d

7) i

8) e

9) f

10) g

На уроке

1. Discuss the questions.

• What is the most beautiful place you have ever been? 
• And when you were there, did you take a picture of it?
• Do you share your pictures on Instagram*?
• What kind of images do you tend to share, and what kind of pictures do you keep to yourself?
• Why do we take photos? Why do we share them on social media?
• Does photographing a moment steal the experience from you? 
• Can photography enhance our experiences or does it make us enjoy our experiences less? 
• When is it better to leave the camera behind and enjoy the experience without having to take a picture?
• Is it possible to communicate through an image?
• What if the next time you were somewhere amazing and you were not allowed to take a picture, would it feel like a limitation or relief?

2. Is there a photo you like most / least? Talk about your favourite / least favourite picture. Cover the following points:

• Where and when the picture was taken
• What is special about this photo
• How it makes you feel

Vocabulary

• I took this photo when / It was taken in …
• As you can see, in the foreground / background there is …
• In the centre there are …
• At the top / bottom there is …
• On the left / right there are …
• Between … there is …
• I choose this picture because …
• It reminds me of / It makes me think of …
• The reason I like / hate this picture is …
• I look as if / as though …

3. Agree or disagree with the statements below.

• Photography can be a part of a beautiful experience, but it shouldn’t be a block between you and reality.
• There’s no point in buying magnets or snow globes when you’re in a foreign country. Photos are the best souvenirs.
• Professional photo shoots are a complete waste of time and money. Why should you pay someone money for the photo if you can take one yourself?
• Photography is an art, and all photographers are artists.
• The camera never lies.
  
  4. Discuss some more questions.
  
• Have you ever been to a photography exhibition? 
• Why do you think Instagram* has become so popular?
• Do you consider yourself to be a keen photographer?
• What’s the secret to taking a good photograph?
• What’s the best photo you’ve ever taken?
• What kind of photos do you enjoy looking at?
• When was the last time you printed a photo? What type of pictures do you keep in your family’s photo albums? Do you have lots of pictures at home?
• Have you ever wished you had not been in a particular picture?
• Do you always bring a camera wherever you go for vacation?
• Are you a camera-shy? Or do you like taking photos of yourself?
• Do you have a favorite photo of you?
• Do you like your passport photo?
• Do you usually show your photos to others?
• If you don’t look good in a photo, do you tear/delete it?
• Have you ever photoshopped your photo? 

Распределите задания таким образом, чтобы ученик подготовился к занятию сам: посмотрел видео, поработал над лексикой, что-нибудь прочитал или заранее подумал над вопросами для обсуждения. Тогда весь урок можно будет посвятить исключительно разговорной практике. 

Вам также могут пригодиться:

— Talks about Photography

— Photography Terms

— Articles about Photography