SFS ET: Class trip or event: smile for the photo

On a recent school trip I became the unofficial photographer, no easy task as you try and capture the highlights and make sure you get photos of everyone.
Here are some tips that you might find useful.

1. Have a designated photographer

In the chaos of making sure everyone is organized and that the students have the learning experience you hope they will get, take some of the pressure off yourself and have some one designated to take the photos. I have heard teachers in the past say, "I was so caught up I forgot" or "I just didn't have time").

Of course having students record their experiences is a valuable task, but by having an adult (or students in higher grades) be responsible for getting the overview photos and taking the shots that are important that the students may miss is worthwhile.

2. Have a plan

Work out what you want recorded on the school trip. If it is to capture the event so people can have some memory photos then that is a different requirement to photographing a process that the students observe to be used as a reflection or sequencing activity later.
By planning ahead, you can be more focussed on what you want captured and be able to articulate that to your photographer.

3. Have a shared space

A shared space allows for students and teachers to share the photos they have taken. SFS would recommend using Google Drive for this for a number of reasons.

Stored within the school domain and can be restricted to domain accounts
Google Drive mobile app available for iOS and Android devices making it easy to upload pictures from the Photo app or Camera
Setting up view and edit permissions for individuals and groups becomes an easy process
Images easily dropped into Google Apps
Interaction with Haiku allows for images to be viewed in Haiku or as a link to a particular folder being available

4. Get to know your camera and shooting techniques

Most cameras these days make it easy to take quick shots without any effort. Although this may be fine for most events, taking some time to learn about your camera can make a difference to the quality of the shot. Even taking some time finding about the camera on your mobile device can yield rewards.

In today's digital world, much of the photo editing takes place on your computer or mobile device. Find out about the filters available, cropping images and adjusting light, balance and color.
Here are some some tips and links.

Tips:

Try and make sure the sun is shine from over your shoulder (in other words don't shoot into the sun or towards a window).
Give your photo some context and interest by remembering the Rule of Thirds as shown below.