Life, In Focus

It is often said that “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Like a written language, photographs can be “read” to discern the messages and stories they are intended to reveal. In one glance, photographs convey a wealth of information about people, places, events, and times we may never experience directly. By capturing a moment in time, photographs serve as primary source documents to help us better understand and interpret the past. However, as our artist interviews reveal, a photographer takes pictures based on his or her own perspective. Photographs often have a specific intent to inform, persuade, or even shock. Interpreting photographs, therefore, requires careful analysis of both the content and the photographer's point of view. This month’s Spotlight collection will help you and your students more effectively read pictures, and uncover the stories they are waiting to tell.

Lessons:

Students learn about migrant workers and the impact of the Great Depression, through Dorothea Lange's photography.

This lesson addresses the role the photographs of the western frontier played in the establishment of the national parks system.

Students explore connections between art, the environment and political activism.

This lesson which supports the YFP Production of Dreams In The Golden Country uses photographs to visually describe the transition from old world to New World experienced by immigrants to the United States.

How-To:

This How-To offers tips for selecting and arranging visual elements to communicate ideas and create memorable photographs.

Look·Listen·Learn:

This multimedia slideshow brings to life the world of Kevin Bubriski's photography, a world that explores the people, landscapes, and traditions of global and local cultures, from India and Nepal, to rural Vermont.

Meet the Artist:

Kevin Bubriski, on Photography and Place

The professional photographer talks about his approach to photography and gives advice to students.