picture project research

How to Find and Choose the Best Images for Your Project

To spot high-quality images, you’ll need to draw on your basic visual literacy skills.

As we’ve been learning in this visual literacy column , images tell stories. From photographs to illustrations to maps, they offer glimpses into moments beyond our reach and help us better understand our world. Delving into a variety of visual materials, we’ve learned to recognize the elements that make up an image—such as composition , color , and symbolism —and understand how each contributes to an image’s overall interpretation or significance. Developing visual literacy skills such as these enhances our understanding and appreciation of all images—those we seek out intentionally and those we encounter by chance: a billboard passed during a commute, an image in a newspaper article, a photo shared on social media. It also helps us sort through and evaluate the quality of the images we see and make choices about which images are relevant for our specific purpose.

To take the next step in our journey towards visual literacy, we need to know where to find high-quality images that meet our research needs and what questions to ask about the images we decide to use.

Why Do You Need the Image?

When beginning to look for images or other visual material, it’s important to first understand the nature of your need, to ask yourself why you’re seeking out images in the first place. You might be using them to learn more about a current topic or to research different perspectives on a topic. Alternatively, you might simply be looking for something visually appealing or interesting to inspire you. Depending on your end goal, the types of images and places you’ll look are different.

What is the Topic You are Exploring?

When it comes to recognizing what kind of visual information you need to better understand a topic, it’s important to consider contextual factors such as the age and material of the image. A painting of a king in regalia from a historical period might offer valuable insights into the culture and customs around royalty of that time. Conversely, a more recent image of the same garments on display provides access to greater detail about the king’s clothing but loses some of the historical context and emphasis provided by the artist.

Age also affects the kind of information you can glean from an image. Are you attempting to understand a historical moment? Images produced at that time will provide something closer to a firsthand account, influenced by contemporaneous beliefs and contexts, while an image created much later will be interpreting and reflecting that moment with the benefit of hindsight.

Consider also the genre or format of image you are seeking. Different media types , such as photographs, illustrations, or infographics, can offer different information about a topic. For example, an infographic might provide a succinct summary of complex data while a photograph might offer a window into a specific event or moment. A work of art may provide a more emotional or visceral connection to a particular topic.

Who Made the Image?

It’s crucial to build an understanding of authorship and different perspectives. Think about who is creating and sharing the images and what their goals and motivations might be. We may also consider the creator’s personal beliefs, the context in which the image was created, and other factors that may shape an image.

We’ve discussed authorship in the context of bias and seeking multiple viewpoints , but it’s also beneficial to consider when you’re determining where to look for images. When seeking visual information, we often need a particular perspective.

Where Should You Look for Quality Images?

Just like finding images from various types of creators yields distinct results, you get different kinds of images depending on where you look for them. Although there are innumerable image resources available and easily accessible online, it’s important to seek out reliable and high-quality sources. These aren’t necessarily difficult to find and are usually free to use. Depending on your need, resources might include stock photo websites, public domain image collections, institutional archives—like museums or universities —and more. It’s also important to consider the context in which the image will be used, as certain sources might not allow for commercial use or might require attribution.

There are many resources available that provide access to high-quality images online, including:

• The Library of Congress has a vast collection of digitized images—including photographs, maps, and prints—from its own collections as well as other institutions. The images cover a wide range of topics, including American history, world cultures, and science and technology.
• AP Newsroom offers a vast archive of contemporary and historical news photos, covering a wide range of events and subjects from around the world. With a focus on journalism, this resource provides a window into the major news events of the past and present.
• Europeana is a digital library of cultural heritage collections from across Europe, including images, videos, and audio recordings.
• Getty Images is a commercial stock image company that also offers a large selection of historical images, including photographs, illustrations, and artwork. While not all images are free, Getty Images offers a substantial selection of images that can be licensed for use in research and educational settings.
• Digital Public Library of America provides access to millions of digitized materials from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. It includes a collection of historical images, including photographs, maps, and documents.
• Asia Art Archive collects and provides access to materials related to contemporary art and visual culture in Asia, including photographs, documents, and artworks.
• Digital South Asia Library , from the University of Chicago, provides access to digital materials related to South Asia, including historical photographs, manuscripts, and books from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In addition, the South Asia Open Archives (SAOA) is a collaborative, open-access resource for research, teaching, and learning about South Asia.
• Trove , provided by the National Library of Australia, includes a large collection of digitized historical images, including photographs, artworks, and maps, from Australia and the Pacific region covering a wide range of topics, including Australian history, culture, and society.
• Openverse is a Creative Commons search engine that allows users to find and use openly licensed images and other media for a variety of uses.

These are just a few examples of online resources that provide access to historical and contemporary images from across the world. Some of these and many other historical collections are also part of JSTOR Collections , providing an access point to explore a wide variety of visual material that you likely won’t find through Google. Exploring these and other sources can broaden your perspective on historical topics and discover unique images that can enhance your research.

By forming a clearer understanding of your initial needs as well as the likely context and sources in which relevant images may be found and used, you can better identify and locate the types of images that will best serve you. Actively seeking out reliable and high-quality sources will ensure that the images you use are accurate, ethical, and effective in enhancing your understanding of a topic.

In the next article, we’ll dive deeper into strategies for effectively finding the best images. In the meantime, try exploring JSTOR Collections and considering which of the images you find there might meet your research needs.

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65+ photography project ideas you can start today.

Written by  Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Dec 8, 2020

Do you want to sharpen your skills, learn fresh techniques or just have fun with your camera? Photography projects help you accomplish all three.

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Through themed projects, you can capture unique images that follow a certain framework or style. Your project can last a week, month or year—depending on how in depth you’d like to go. To offer you inspiration, we’ve compiled 68 creative photography projects that are appropriate for all skill levels.

Once you’ve completed your project, be sure to create a photo book with your images or select your favorite for a canvas print .

1. Self Portrait

By switching the focus from other subjects to yourself as the subject, your photography takes on a whole new perspective. When setting up your shot, choose a landmark item to use as a stand-in until you’re ready to jump in the frame.

Play with auto and manual focus with your stand-in until you get the shot just right. Then, enter the scene using the timer option.

For the wisdom project, the goal is to gather photographs of those who have offered you wisdom or a helpful perspective. You might feature grandparents or mentors—or be inclined to include young ones who have provided you a fresh angle on life.

Aim to capture individuals in their natural state, especially if it’s in a location where they shared a special moment with you.

3. Candid Photo

Photographing someone in their natural state allows for their true personality to shine through. With a candid photography project, incorporate a range of human subjects for a diverse collection, or capture the same subject across different settings and days.

Building a portfolio of several candids allows you to paint a vivid persona of your subjects.

4. Street Style Photography

Authentic street style photography allows you to snag shots of the latest fashion—all without the strut of the runway. Look for colors first (either eye-catching or stunningly neutral), then watch for the cut and structure of the clothes.

Aim for overall beauty within the frame, including the street or walkway, so the focus isn’t solely on the clothes.

5. All About The Details

Create a collection of shots with unique subjects that focus on the details. Whether the photos are for an engagement , graduation or everyday occasion, you can take portraits of smaller details, like wisps of hair, relaxed hands and prominent features. Making your subjects feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera is the first priority. Plan a single shoot for various angles to help capture what looks best on a given day or moment.

6. Natural Element

Plan for your gallery of photos to include candid shots of the subject in their element. Whether they love the beach or like to craft, you can capture your subject in their favorite space or place to go.

If a subject feels awkward in front of the camera, have him or her lean against something vertical, like a fence, wall or car. They’ll feel more anchored and their body angle will offer the photo some character without seeming unnatural.

7. Pet Photography

From cats to dogs to horses, the heart and soul of your pets can be captured with the right technique. Incorporate natural light in your shoot keep watch of your pet’s eyes. Expressions and personality often shine through and it’s a great time to capture these moments.

8. Motherhood

Being a mother is one of life’s greatest gifts. When we’re parents, beautiful moments take place along with messy and chaotic ones. Encapsulate the full spectrum of motherhood with photos from quiet moments like snuggling with your child to lively times like cooking together in the kitchen.

With any photography project, it’s important that your images tell a story.

9. Panoramic Pictures

A popular technique for landscapes, panoramic photography enlarges the viewpoint beyond the normal size of a camera lens. To ensure there are no gaps in your panoramic shot, overlap your image by 15-30%.

You’ll also want to keep your camera as level as possible to ensure the photo is even throughout. Don’t forget that panos work well for vertical shots, too, like waterfalls and deep canyons.

10. Sunsets Photos

Sunsets make for stunning photos—especially when executed well. For maximum beauty, be sure to slightly underexpose the sunset for rich and dramatic colors. Use manual mode and a fast shutter speed for underexposure, or use aperture priority with exposure compensation.

Make your sunset even more magnificent by arranging an object or scene in the foreground of the sunset, like a lake or mountain.

Mist and fog are natural elements that can enhance the beauty of your photography. Check the weather to determine when fog might pop up. Oftentimes the best lighting for fog photos occurs in the wee hours of the morning or late in the evening after sunset. The low lighting causes a slower shutter speed, which means a shakier camera.

Keep your camera as still as possible or use a tripod. The best places for foggy photos? Open bodies of water and other sweeping landscapes like fields and low rolling hills.

12. Cityscapes

Hovering skyscrapers and diverse skylines are part of what makes cityscapes such attractive photography. For a cityscapes project, try different vantage points across the city to see what works best (think: a popular lookout compared with a more secret locale).

Prepare for an after sunset shoot, allowing the city lights to pop against the dark sky. Remember to use a wide angle lens to cover as much ground as possible.

13. Water (Rain, Ocean)

Whether you’re hoping to create scenes of smooth, flowing water or capture dynamic waves crashing against a seawall, it’s critical to have better than average camera equipment. For nearly every water shot, a tripod is also essential to keep the frame still for the length of the exposure (usually two to four seconds).

Pack along a lens-friendly cloth to remove splashes and water marks. Plan to get wet if you’re banking on a stunning water shot.

14. Seasons

Each season offers its own charms—from snowy branches to colored leaves. Select a location for your seasons project where you’ll snap photos throughout all four seasons. Once the year is complete, you’ll have a collection of stunning images that tell the story of your special place over the course of a year.

15. Star Trails

Spectacular from edge to edge, star trails photography is an adventure to shoot. The first step is to find a clear sky full of stars, but free of pollution and other light interference. Anchoring your camera on a tripod, set your camera to shoot on manual mode. The faster the lens you have, the better.

Once you have your shot prepared, select drive mode for consecutive shots rather than a single frame. With your remote, let your camera take photos for thirty minutes up to a few hours, depending on the length of star trails you’re creating.

Capturing still images with a remote-controlled drone opens up the options for angles and perspectives in your photography. Consider sending a drone above a beach, golf course or mountaintop.

Increase the altitude of your drone for a more impressive viewpoint and try GPS mode for a more stable shot.

17. Food Photography

As a still life technique, food photography requires a few main ingredients: good lighting, props and style. Place your items near natural lighting or use a flash to give the photo a balanced look. When it comes to the arrangement, consider adding in table setting details like plates and silverware.

Amplify the photo’s texture with decorative pieces like colorful fruits and sprigs of herbs. For a well-rounded food photography project, shoot a variety of foods and dishes.

18. Black and White Month

Instead of using the full color spectrum, this project idea prompts you to capture images in black and white only. Two-toned photography provides a different perspective or feel to your work, and gives you a chance to highlight people, places and objects in a novel way.

For instance, a close-up of hands be enticing when displayed in color, but in black and white, the image paints the story that all humankind is united.

19. Everyday Moments

Photos that showcase a slice of regular life contain a certain genuine beauty. When preparing for everyday moment shots, make sure subjects are comfortable. People should interact as if you aren’t even present.

The true magic happens when you’re able to capture two people’s true connection.

20. Random Acts of Kindness

The random acts of kindness project prompts you to capture someone doing something thoughtful or helpful for another person. By photographing these moments, you’re telling a larger story of humanity.

To be successful in this project, you’ll need to keep a keen eye out for small acts of generosity, like a young man holding the door or a little girl smiling at a stranger.

21. Shoes For a Week

Narrow your photography focus for a week by capturing different styles of footwear. From boots to sandals to athletic shoes, diversify your image collection. Be sure to utilize a range of angles to create unique stories for each photo (i.e. a guy lounging with shoes on, two people talking while standing, a woman running).

22. Comfort Zone Challenge

Pushing the limits of your creativity often leaves you with impressive and surprising results. With the comfort zone challenge, throw caution to the wind and experiment without expectations.

Maybe that means you’ll shoot a paragliding experience, a fireworks explosion or animals in action. When you’re snapping shots, play around with your shutter speed, aperture, focal length and movement.

23. 30 Strangers

Taking a photo of someone whom you’ve only just met can be thrilling. It can also be personally and professionally rewarding. Through the 30 strangers project, you’ll capture 30 portraits of people you’ve never met before. Find people on the street, in a shopping mall or at a park.

Be sure to ask each person’s consent first before posting publicly. The 30 strangers challenge will certainly stretch you outside of your artistic comfort zone.

24. Duotone

Duotone photography refers to a multitone production of an image, usually imposed through photo editing techniques. The superimposition of a contrasting color halftone (normally black) over another color halftone enhances the middle tones of an image.

Photographs with one main object, like a flower, seashell or tree, are ideal for creating duotone effects.

25. Perspective

Perspective photography can take many forms: those shot from a low angle, ones with strong leading lines and those that look straight up into the sky. Whether your scene is a railroad track or skyscraper, your image should emphasize the angle and the unique perspective you’re hoping to give the viewer.

Train your eye to notice patterns, lines and reflections you can capture from different angles.

Not only is coffee delicious and rejuvenating, it’s also a work of art. Collaborate with a barista on a latte design or the type of mug to use. Choose a simple backdrop so the coffee remains the focal point.

A dark backdrop is best if you’re aiming to capture the steam rolling off of a warm drink.

27. Create a Photo Album

Let your memories last forever by creating a photo album for a recent vacation, an adventurous summer or a year filled with fun. Design your photo album with a theme in mind to build cohesion. Vary your layouts from page to page for texture and personality.

28. Traffic Lights

When photographing traffic lights and other light trails, the best time is during or after twilight on a night when minimal wind is present. Based on your camera angle and objects, you’ll need to adjust and experiment with your settings.

Often times, shutter priority mode is ideal along with a shutter speed of six seconds. Make stability a non-issue with a tripod, and remember you won’t be using a flash.

29. Happy Days

Allow joy to take the center stage of your photos. Whether they’re candid shots of family members interacting or a single subject, make sure the smiles are natural. Enhance the happiness level by highlighting the subject with ample natural lightening.

30. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Challenge yourself and your fellow photographers by setting up a photo scavenger hunt . Rather than choosing objects and locations to capture, create a list of photography styles to achieve. For instance, your list might include building a motion blur or catching a clear action shot. At the end of your hunt, you’ll have a collection of impressive photographs.

31. Night Scenes

Night scenes, also known as low light photography, allow you to make the most of dark scenes that are hard to capture. When less light is present, it means you’ll also have slower shutter speeds, which equals more camera shake. For this reason, landscapes and long exposures at night time require tripods.

Whether you’re shooting special moments around the campfire or gazing up at the stars, utilize a wide aperture or a low f-number to let in as much light as possible.

32. Polaroids

Polaroids offer a timeless feel and give photos a natural frame. When creating a collection of polaroids, be sure to switch up your angles and perspectives. Try a few upclose shots of objects along with macro shots of mountains and lakes.

For polaroids with human subjects, allow for plenty of natural light and aim for candids.

33. Letters/Signs

With any inanimate object, the challenge with photography is to bring it to life. With letters and signs, try to enrich the shot with the surrounding scene whether it’s greenery or a neat light fixture. Angle your lens in a way that makes the lettering most striking.

Build a full photography project with at least five to ten different signs.

34. Action Shots

To nail a clear action shot—for sports, animals or anything else—the most important aspect is to be prepared. Consider pre-focusing your shot, so when the subject enters the frame, you’re ready.

Because it may take several shots to capture even one solid photo, shoot in short bursts for a few seconds at a time. Keep extra space at either edge of your frame to allow for your subject’s movement.

35. Abstract

Fundamental to abstract photography are lines and curves. The shapes you highlight will guide the viewer’s eye to a certain engaging element. To get up close and personal with an object or design, use a macro lens. With the macro, your photo composition will have clearer resolution and sharpness. Complete your project by gathering a collection of abstract photo pieces.

36. New Lens

Your camera equipment plays a large role in your work as a photographer. Your tools, like your lenses, can fundamentally change the structure your art.

To sharpen your skills, try using a single lense for an entire month. Ideally, the lense will be new to you—allowing you to master the new tool and broaden your photography skills.

37. Architecture

Photographing architecture—whether modern or classic—presents unique challenges. Consider capturing an array of building styles for your portfolio and don’t forget to mix up your angles. Vary your shots by choosing a different weather conditions and times of day.

Through your diversity of shots, you’ll have richer story of the buildings’ relationship with the environment.

38. Thankful

To enhance your gratitude and happiness, consider completing a thankful project where you take one photo every day of something you’re grateful for. From flowers to pets to family members, find subjects that have personal meaning to you.

By capturing what you’re thankful for, you connect deeper with the people, places and things that surround you.

39. Sunday Mornings

Whether you’re enjoying a cup of coffee or a good book, snap a photo every Sunday morning for one month or a year. Capturing everyday occurrences through photography is a form of artistic journaling, helping you to document life’s big and small moments.

40. Top View

The angle of your shot makes all the difference in how appealing and engaging it is. Try a series of photos where your perspective comes from the top. Amp up the creativity by getting higher for your shoot and using a wide angle lens.

A busy environment, like a packed street or active household, can become a striking composition when using a top view perspective because it offers necessary distance from the cluttered setting.

41. Guilty Pleasures

We all have foods and activities we love despite feeling that they might not be held in high regard. Perhaps your guilty pleasure is cream-filled donuts or binge watching reruns of your favorite sitcom.

Collecting images of your guilty pleasures will likely bring you humor and levity, knowing that these items are a part of you, but they don’t necessarily define you.

42. Silhouettes

Forming a distinct contrast between light and dark, silhouettes highlight one or multiple subjects. Ensure your subject is backlit with the sun behind them. The best times to shoot silhouettes are in the morning or late evening.

Build a stunning image by setting the scene with open space, like in a field or along the beach. Set up your camera angle facing the sun, then ask your subject to stand between the sun and you. Play around with the exact angle until you have a strong contrast.

Create a collection of photos shot with prism filters on your lens or by placing a prism in front of your lens. The light that dances off of the prism will add creative effects to your photography by dispersing light before it hits the camera. Secure your camera on a tripod so you can have your hands free to play with the prism and lighting.

Prism photography can include large subjects like nature scenes and architecture or smaller objects like books and candles.

44. Symmetry

Finding subjects that offer you symmetry is the foundational step for this photography project idea. Look for symmetry in architecture and nature, but don’t leave out human and animals subjects. Smaller details, like hands or feet, often make for the perfect symmetrical photo.

Bokeh photography is denoted by one unique characteristic: a blur produced in the out-of-focus area of an image. The blur, produced by a lens, helps direct the focus of the photo. A fast lens is necessary to achieve this technique, with at least an f/2.8 aperture.

With a wide open lens, you can create bokeh with subjects like butterflies, humans and fencing around a baseball field. These photos are perfect for framing around your home .

46. Action Figures

Due to their size, action figures are easy to rearrange and shoot from multiple angles. Bring the scene to life by having the figures interact with each other. If you’re looking for an extra challenge, tell a story through your action figures, like one you would find in a comic book. Include action shots against a simple backdrop.

47. Steel Wool

Although it may seem like steel wool photography would require expensive equipment, it is a surprisingly inexpensive technique. For this project, you’ll need the following: a camera, lens, tripod, shutter cable, steel wool, string, stainless steel whisk, lighter and protective gloves. In a dark location—away from combustible items and other people—burn steel wool that’s loosely packed in a whisk.

As the steel wool burns, spin the whisk either vertically or horizontally to create the desired effect. The burning will only last about ten seconds, so you’ll want to set up for at least five seconds of exposure time. Steel wool photography creates wild and interesting images, but be sure to follow safety precautions to avoid hazards.

To enhance your skills and test out a nifty shooting technique, try macro photography on tiny subjects like insects, match-heads and flowers. Keeping your budget in mind, choose a magnification lens that lets you make super small items appear larger than life. For your macro project, vary your subjects.

Consider nature’s smallest members, miniature household items and up close shots of human elements for your portfolio.

49. Double Exposure

Double exposure, also known as multiple exposure, is a technique that combines two images in a single image. By using double exposure, you can create a distinct effect like a mirror image or ghost-like presence. The layering technique can be done with or without photoshop, depending on your equipment and skill set.

50. Escapism

Photography, like any type of art, can be a form of escapism. Through the camera, we can create images that help us step out of reality and into our daydreams. Prepare for your escapism photography project by thinking of your ‘happy places’ or locations you go to get away.

After brainstorming, head to one of those locations and shoot scenes that offer a mystical aura—whether it’s birds fluttering in the forest or the clouds lifting off of the mountains.

51. Shadow Art

Just as light is a critical element to photography, so is darkness. With shadow art, the focus is placed on the subject as it blocks light from reaching a surface, like a sidewalk or table. Experiment with the angle, distance and size of your light source to alter the intensity and scale of your shadows.

Consider humans as your subjects, but inanimate objects, too, like musical instruments, buildings and action figures.

52. Texture

From brick walls to tiled roofs to wooden fences, textures are all around us. Complete a photo challenge where you take one shot of a textured surface every day. Turn on your auto focus to ensure the object is in perfect focus. Adjust your distance from the subject based on how much detail you want in your image. This idea is perfect if you’re also looking for creative Instagram photo ideas .

Aim for a ninety degree angle when you shoot the image so your texture is lined up straight with the camera.

53. 365 Wardrobe

On each day of the year, snap photos of your clothes before you begin the day. Arrange them differently—sometimes orderly, sometimes more carelessly—to gain a sense of how your mood changed from day to day. Remember to include accessories like purses, shoes, belts and headbands.

54. Suspend Time

Photography is a powerful art medium: it can even pause time. Whether you’re suspending an item with a fishing line or taking a shot of someone jumping, you can create the look of time being stopped. Start this photography project by choosing three items or people you’d like to suspend.

55. Balloons

Bursting with color or more neutral tones, balloons make for versatile props. Let helium balloons off into the sky and capture photos as they float up. Surround the birthday girl with balloons in an otherwise empty room. Or tie a balloon to a child’s wrist and photograph them as they wander through a park.

56. Hotel Carpet

If you travel frequently, the hotel carpet project may be the right kind of fun for you. Next time you’re walking through a hotel lobby, glance down at the carpet beneath your feet. All sorts of patterns and colors are used in hotel carpets across the world. Take a snapshot (ideally at a 90-degree angle) of each carpet for a collection that will help you remember all of the places you’ve been.

Across neighborhoods and cities, doors provide insight to each home’s character. For this photography project, set out on an adventure to collect as many styles and sizes of doors as possible. Choose a macro approach, where the whole door makes the shot, or go micro by narrowing the frame to door handles and styles of wood.

58. Juxtaposition

To build juxtaposition in your photographs, place two opposite subjects next to one another. Like a blue ocean and a green forest, the contrast between the two is noticeable yet stunning. Types of juxtaposition might include a person and their shadow or a thin item next to a thicker item. For this photography project, try several contrasting subjects or locations.

Photos full of irony can be humorous or thought-provoking. Maybe you snap an image of a tow truck hauling another tow truck or you notice a descriptive sign in a place that doesn’t quite seem to fit. When it comes to ironic photos, a keen eye is needed along with a quick wit.

60. Fairy Lights

Fairy lights make for beautiful focal points. You can wrap the lights around a tree, weave them between human subjects or fill mason jars with them. Build a larger scene by ensuring no backdrop distractions are present or capture the fairy lights up close.

Regardless of what subjects and scenes you decide to shoot, proper exposure is crucial.

For this photography project, choose smoke as your primary accent. Incense sticks are easy to use and allow you to play with various colors. Your setup should ensure ample ventilation for the smoke to escape the room. Some photographers merge two photographs (one of the smoke and one of the object) to design a special scene, like one of a toy train blowing smoke or a tea kettle steaming.

62. Vintage Cars

From sporty models to classic town cars, vintage vehicles never go out of style. Look for vintage makes at car rallies and exhibitions, although sometimes you’ll come across them in your everyday happenings. The golden hours, right after sunrise or right before sunset, are ideal for shooting cars. Highlight specific parts, like bumpers, trunks and hoods for diverse perspectives.

63. Faces In Things

You’ve probably seen images that double as a face and another object. In this photography project, you’ll create a similar effect. Take a close look at nature, food and furniture to locate hidden human faces. Compile as many faces as you can, and see if your friends can guess what’s in the images.

Alter your perspective by shooting your subject through a picture frame. The frame technique works best outdoors where you can place ample distance between your lens and your subject. Consider creating scenes with a woman standing on the beach, a tree in an open field or a tall building at the end of a street.

65. Reflections

Any body of water—like a lake, river, pond or swimming pool—can act as your reflective tool for this photography project. You’ll want to avoid direct light on the water to eliminate glare. Practice using reflections on waterfront cityscapes or mountains overlooking a lake.

66. Take My Hand

When you can represent human connection in photography, the emotion of the image is strengthened. Head out on a hike or stroll through a garden to practice photographing two hands linked together.

67. Picception

A relatively new technique, picception images incorporate another camera or photo into the shot. It can be a picture-in-a-picture style or something more subtle like a photograph of someone taking a photograph. While often informal, picception shots can be formal if intentionally designed.

Often eye-catching, neon photos provide a stunning mix of light, shape and color. Whether you’re on the Vegas strip or exploring your hometown at night, take photos of neon signs with your camera’s evaluative meter exposure setting. Choose a low ISO of 200 or 100 to avoid noise. Be sure to place your camera on a tripod for stability.

No matter which photography projects you decide to complete, remember to enjoy the process and save copies of your photos. Design a themed calendar or metal print to showcase your results.

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6 Tips for How to Build a Story and Shoot a Photo Project

A Post By: Andrew S. Gibson

I’m a strong believer that setting yourself photo projects is the best way to improve your photography skills. Projects give you focus and help you build a cohesive body of work. A photo project can last for years, and set a theme that helps you find new people and subjects to photograph.

Of course, you may be wondering what sort of project you could set yourself that would achieve these aims. A project can be simple, like photographing flowers in your back yard, or it can be more complex, such as travelling to a foreign country and photographing the people you find there.

Getting ideas for a photo project

You’ll find lots of inspiration at websites like Feature Shoot that regularly publish photo projects.

I’m going to give you some advice on tackling a project by giving you some examples from a project that I undertook to photograph artists and craftspeople. I have learned a number of things from this project.

Here are some of the most important:

• Meeting new people and learning about their crafts is interesting. I like meeting and talking to new people and learning about their lives. The brief window I have during the shoot is a chance to connect and talk about art and creativity, as well as the work of the artist or craftsperson. Some of those people have become friends. This project has rewarded me on a personal level as well as on a photographic one.
• It helps me find something interesting to photograph. For example, 18 months ago I spent three days in Raglan, a small town on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Before I went, I contacted two local craftspeople and asked if I could drop by and take some photos. Both said yes – and I made my most interesting photos on the trip during those two shoots.
• The project grows by itself. I send photos to the people I photograph, then ask them if they know of anybody else who may be interested. These personal introductions and recommendations help me find new artists and craftspeople to photograph.
• My portraiture skills have improved. Practice makes perfect, and every shoot means I get a little better at this documentary style of portraiture.

Here’s a portrait I made of artist Chris Meek, one of the artists I photographed in Raglan. We had a great conversation about art, creativity, and life. I’d never have had this experience if I hadn’t embarked on the project.

So, once you’ve decided on a project, how do you make it a success? These ideas will help.

1. Shoot a variety of images

This is important because it adds interest and variety to the photos you get from the shoot. But I’d like to add a proviso, because I think in general there are two ways to approach a project shoot.

Firstly, is to concentrate all your resources on getting one great photo. The second is to create a set of varied photos that collectively give a better interpretation and tell a story.

My suggestion is to combine these two approaches. Aim to create a variety of photos, but give each photo your best effort. In other words, when you see the possibility of an image, give it your full attention and make it as good as you can before you move on to the next.

How do you create variety? Here are two ways:

1. Vary your viewpoint. Get closer to your subject, or farther away. Take photos from below, or from above. Of course, the best viewpoint depends a lot on the subject of your project, the light, and the lenses you are using. But the key is to always be thinking about how you can add variety by moving around and  taking photos from different angles .

2. Take scene setting shots and close-ups. You could start with a scene-setting photo that captures everything, then move on and create a variety of photos from closer viewpoints showing details.

This works well for projects like mine, where you can take a photo of the artist or craftsperson at work in their studio, along with a series of tighter images and close-ups that show them at work. In this example, you can also take photos of the product the craftsperson makes as well as photos of the craftsperson themselves.

These two photos show Todd, a flute maker, working in his garage. Both were taken with the same lens, but I got a lot closer to make the second image.

This also applies to more static subjects like landscapes. If you have a landscape related project, you can create variety with photos that show the entire scene, mixed with some that show close-ups of details that you noticed within the scene.

2. Tell a story

It’s often hard to a story with a single image, but it’s much easier with a sequence of photos because you can show different aspects of the same story in each one.

For example, with my photos of craftsmen I like to show images taken at different stages of the creation process. Put together they show how a certain item was made. That’s the story. These three photos show different stages in the creation of an artwork by Chris Meek.

You can also tell a story by paying attention to detail. While taking photos of Eoin, a glass blower, I noticed that his hands gave away a lot about his profession. So I made sure that I took photos like this, that shows the dirt on his hands and the tattoo on his thumb.

3. Find commonalities that link the photos

While photo stories need variety amongst the images to create interest, it is helpful if the photos are also linked in some way. For example, you could process all the photos from a shoot in black and white . Or they could be processed in a similar style, perhaps by using the same Lightroom Develop Preset as the basis for the processing.

Or, if you have a project that involves portraits , you could use light to link the photos. Using the same lighting setup for each portrait is one way to to do that.

These photos of Jasmin, a weaver who makes hats, are linked by the lighting and the processing. Each is lit by natural light coming through a window in her home, and given the same color treatment in Lightroom.

4. Show genuine interest in people

If your project involves people it is important to be genuinely interested in them and what they are doing. Let’s say, for example, you undertake a project taking portraits of surfers. You’ll get the best results if you are genuinely interested in surfing and enjoy talking with surfers.

It’s all about authenticity. If you’re genuinely interested in people, you will have plenty in common and find it easy to talk with them. But, if you’re not, then you won’t make the connection that is essential for good portraiture.

5. Give it time

Give your projects time to evolve and mature. For example, if you have a project photographing your local landscape, giving it time lets you create a series of photos that show the variation created by weather and seasons . Showing the changes that happen over a period of time is also another way of telling a story.

6. Compare and evolve

The reason why projects are such a good learning experience is because they give you the opportunity to compare your current work with your earlier photos. You will see how your ideas and techniques have evolved over time. You’ll also benefit by building a body of work and learning to edit a portfolio by selecting the strong images that work together.

Have you undertaken any photography projects? Did they help you become a better photographer? Please share your thoughts and project in the comments below.

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Picture This: Using Photography to Teach Science, Math, and Writing

Learn how to turn a cardboard box, disposable cameras, and kids’ natural curiosity into an academically rich project-learning program.

Hands-on Experience:

Students used both animate and inanimate objects to make photograms, which taught them the scientific properties of light and how to create photographic images with it.

Public school teachers aren't often presented with the opportunity to spend $15,000 to develop new extracurricular programs for inner-city kids. But that's just what happened last year to Liz Beck, a fifth-grade math, science, and social studies instructor at Chicago International Charter School , in Washington Park, on the city's south side.

Beck's sudden windfall came from a large public grant, which the charter school would lose unless it spent the money in time. The school charged Beck, known as a leader and innovator among her peers, with the task of creating a summer enrichment program.

As Beck brainstormed ideas for the program, she set out to accomplish three goals: stimulate students academically using hands-on activities, expose students to Chicago's diverse resources, and introduce students to career paths and professionals in their community. To do so, the project would include in-class projects, guest speakers, and field trips over the course of four weeks.

Beck also sought a theme that could bring all her ideas together -- and pique student interest. Ultimately, she chose photography. "There's something in nearly every subject that relates to photography, and it's a topic that appeals to kids," she explains.

Beck collaborated with five teachers in various disciplines to develop course materials. "The opportunity was an amazing chance to think about what's possible when we challenge ourselves to be creative in our classrooms," she says. Their curriculum integrated six content areas -- science, computer skills, geometry, writing, art, and career exploration -- into the study of traditional 35mm photography. Based on teacher recommendations, Beck invited twenty high-achieving, well-behaved kids in grades 5-7, and fifteen accepted the invitation to participate in the program, dubbed A Picture-Perfect Summer.

Although A Picture-Perfect Summer was necessarily extravagant, most of its project-learning lessons can be re-created as low-budget classroom activities during the school year. (Beck spent the bulk of her $15,000 budget on teacher salaries, film processing, and a few indulgences during field trips.) All teachers really need, she says, are a few disposable cameras, some basic supplies, and a few adult volunteers.

Start with the Basics

The premise of Beck's program is simple: Teach students about the science and art of photography, then help them apply their new knowledge in other subjects. So the first few lessons of A Picture-Perfect Summer were photocentric, dominated by conversations about basic optics and chemistry. How do 35mm cameras work? How does light travel, and why is it so important to photography? Just what goes on in those trays of liquid in the darkroom? Beck gave students a working vocabulary of terms such as foreground, background, shadow, light, focus, and flash.

Beck also recruited Heather Stumpf, a professional photographer and Art Resources in Teaching teacher, to present concepts such as light and shadow, and positive and negative space. "If you're not a professional photographer, this is a great opportunity to invite a member of the community into the classroom, as long as that person can explain concepts in age-appropriate terms," Beck explains.

Stumpf and Beck led students in a project that everyone loved: building a darkroom. The adults sliced open two recycled refrigerator boxes donated by a local appliance store, and the students painted the interior black. Then the group taped the boxes together to create a light-tight space large enough for a couple of students and a teacher to stand inside. Near the top, they cut a small hole and covered it with red gel (available at photography-supply stores) to allow a small amount of "safe" light into the darkroom. For a door, they cut a hole in the side of the box and hung black garbage bags over it to keep the room dark.

Sixth grader Romanus explains, "We knew how a camera makes the image by allowing or blocking light through the lens and onto the chemicals on the film. So we had to be sure we didn't get any cracks of light in our darkroom."

Stumpf says students could develop black-and-white film inside the darkroom with the help of a photo-savvy teacher or a volunteer photography buff. But, for the sake of time, she asked students to make photograms instead. These images are created by placing objects onto photo-sensitive paper (also available at photography-supply stores) and then exposing the paper to the light by quickly turning a flashlight on and off. Students dunked the paper into trays of developer and stop bath and a fix solution to develop the images, then rinsed the pages in water and hung them up to dry. It takes about ten minutes to process a photogram from start to finish.

"It was cool, because we learned about opacity, translucence, and transparent objects," Romanus recalls. "It's like a negative. If light can't get through the object you use, it's all white on the paper. It looked like an X-ray."

Expand Content into New Areas

After being introduced to photography, A Picture-Perfect Summer's students received more diverse assignments that included art, math, and computers. Beck gave each student a thirty-six-exposure disposable camera with flash. The students spent three days a week in classes with different instructors and two days a week on field trips. In lieu of excursions, students can take photos around campus. "You can modify field trips, maybe by having a speaker come into the classroom, which we did too," Beck says. (See the sidebar for more field-trip alternatives.)

For example, Stumpf led students in talks about photography as art. "It was pretty easy to get into discussions about the artistic elements of photography, because the kids knew there weren't any right or wrong answers," Beck says. Simple questions can spark lively dialogue: How does this picture make you feel? Why do you think the photographer took such a close shot? What would happen if he or she had zoomed out from the details?

Beck also invited a local sculptor to talk about how she uses photography to guide her work. During this class, each student created a sculpture from modeling clay and took a picture of it. "By the end of the program, the sculptures had melted, but the photos hadn't," Beck says. "We talked about how photos preserve moments in time."

After the photo-as-art conversation, Beck led a simple poetry workshop in which she gave students images and asked them to write poems about the photos. "They learn about images as a means to access their emotional cores," Beck explains. "It can be really powerful." Students also kept journals throughout the four-week program, in which they wrote reflections on their experiences each day.

For the conceptual activities, the teachers provided photos, but Beck emphasizes the importance of giving students a chance to take their own snapshots. "It's an activity they like, and they start thinking about what's happening in their cameras, how to compose a photo, how the photo will make people feel," she notes. "It links their learning together." To keep costs down, she suggests using disposable cameras -- ideally, one 400 ISO thirty-six-exposure model with flash per student, although small groups could share a single camera if necessary. Sharing a digital camera, a computer, and a printer would also work in a pinch.

Beck used the photographs students took of buildings during an architectural cruise down the Chicago River to teach math. (Photos of any building kids find interesting will do, she says.) Beck began the lesson with discussions about the geometric properties of the structures. She encouraged students to consider scale and proportion, which, she explains, "relate really well to photographic concepts of enlarging and reducing." From there, she branched into lessons about the concept of producing images to scale. Beck had students do grid drawings of their images, enlarging or reducing the images by specific amounts.

Students also learned that there are easier ways to manipulate images than grid paper and pencil. With the help of computer teacher Nitin Hemmady, students learned how to scan images so they could use Adobe Photoshop to alter them. (The goal of the computer work was to introduce students to technology they may not have used before.) Each student also created an animated sequence set to music. Sixth grader Romanus animated a man falling into a hole. "It was a taste of what real artists do with computers," he says. Beck suggests that other teachers might expand the classroom curriculum to include desktop publishing.

Involve the Community

Because Beck had $15,000 to spend, she made outside experiences a key part of A Picture-Perfect Summer. "The kids in our community often don't have exposure to bigger and better things," she notes. "I really wanted our kids to see that there is life beyond the four walls of a classroom, to teach them that there are jobs available that they find exciting."

Beck invited four speakers, one each week, to talk about their jobs and how they use photography at work. To find them, she posted a note on craigslist and found four professionals who met her criteria: the aforementioned sculptor, a graphic designer for the Chicago Cubs, a trial attorney, and a children's-book author.

Beck says she took care to make sure her guest speakers understood what students were studying. She set clear expectations and asked each professional to incorporate a relevant activity into his or her visit. For example, the attorney talked about how he uses pictures to build his cases. He then gave the students a scenario and asked them to choose the best photos to represent it. "I liked when the lawyer came to talk to us," says fifth grader Razia. "When you have photos, you can tell the truth from lies. And photos help you tell stories so people understand."

The children's-book author spoke about how she chooses pictures for her stories, then helped students write their own tales and select photos from magazines to complement their words. The graphic designer for the Chicago Cubs showed students how to turn a player's picture into a poster and how to make baseball cards. "What matters most is that the speakers can communicate clearly with the students, whatever their ages," Beck says. "Kids love new faces, new stories, new voices."

Beck also wanted to give students a chance to share their new knowledge with others. At the end of the program, they presented their work to parents, administrators, and fellow summer school students. They turned their many photos into scrapbooks, which they set up science-fair style for visitors to peruse. They opened their darkroom to guests and used trifold boards to explain several of the science concepts they'd learned. The crowning event was the first public viewing of the video clips Beck had taken during the four-week program with a disposable VHS video recorder. The photo team at the pharmacy where she bought the video camera edited the clips down to a three-minute video set to music.

Jeanine Hutchins, Romanus and Razia's mother, was thrilled by what she saw. "That's not anything a parent can teach a child if you're not into photography," she says. "It was a broadening experience for them, and we all just really appreciated the opportunity."

Beck is grateful for the experience, too. She says the program's format mattered less than the nature of the instruction. "You don't have to have a lot of money or a month in the summer to make most of this work," she says. In fact, Beck continues to use the photo-based math lessons in her regular classes. The results are the same: Students learn the core academics and experience the joys of discovery. "We want that spirit in our classrooms all the time," Beck notes, whether it's during a summer enrichment program or a Monday-afternoon geometry lesson.

Hilary Masell Oswald lives in Denver and writes about such diverse topics as urban education, health care policy, and trends in art and architecture.

Re-creating the experience, on location or off: field trips and alternatives.

Liz Beck used field trips to supplement her summer curriculum, but for teachers whose resources require them to stay put, she suggests classroom alternatives to her off-campus adventures. Here's a list of both types of experiences:

WGN-TV Station: Students watched a live taping of the morning news and toured the studios. The camera operators talked to them about how they compose different shots. The writers explained to students how they edit a story and use images to show viewers what the reporter is communicating. Alternative: Nearly every community has a local newsroom. If you can't go there, invite a spot-news reporter and a camera operator to campus. "Don't be afraid to ask for what you need from local groups," Beck says.

Museum of Surgical Science: Students learned about medical imaging, from the first rough X-rays to modern medical devices, such as MRI machines. Alternative: Call a local medical-imaging center and ask a radiologist to come talk to students about imaging and to bring samples.

A Culinary Tour: Students and teachers ate their way through downtown Chicago and up into Lincoln Park, a neighborhood that food lovers adore. They tasted foods from different cultures, photographed the dishes, and wrote reviews as if they were restaurant critics. Alternative: Invite a couple of local chefs to bring dishes to class and talk about the foods' history and cultural roots. Or set up a meal at a single restaurant within walking distance where the chef is willing to speak to the students. Ask students to taste, photograph, and write about their meals. Send their reviews to the restaurants as notes of thanks.

Architectural Cruise Along the Chicago River: Students learned the history of Chicago's architectural gems while floating down the river. They took photographs of buildings for use in math lessons. Alternative: Students take photos of any buildings they find interesting, on campus or off. Or teachers can provide images of some of the world's most famous structures to use in discussions of photo composition or the buildings' geometry and scale.

The Art Institute: Students noted the differences among various styles of art and talked about how artists use photography to inspire and inform their work. Alternative: Invite a local painter or sculptor to present his or her work to the class and to talk about the role of photography in its creation.

The Museum of Science and Industry: The students saw a crime-scene-investigation exhibit, which taught them about how investigators use photographs, X-rays, and other image-related technology to solve crimes. Alternative: Call your local police department and invite a detective to speak to the class on similar topics.

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Pedigree pennant bunting, family reunion photo collage, got roots infinity scarf, acrylic gel photo transfer to canvas, family history photo book, photo calendar theme ideas, family vacation photo ideas, easy ancestor photo ornaments.

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Genealogists know there’s more to family photographs than the chores of scanning, file naming and organizing images. We want to get those photos out of our hard drives and into family history projects that bring life to our ancestry and share our heritage with family and friends. Fortunately, the digital revolution makes it fun and easy to share photos—and details about them—in projects everyone will enjoy.

Invite your ancestors to the party with festive family bunting showcasing old images or more recent snapshots. This 30-minute project makes great decor for a birthday party, anniversary celebration or wedding.

• digitized family photos
• bunting template
• computer with word processor and printer
• white letter-size cardstock
• ribbon or twine

Step 1: Choose one or more digital photos that will fit in the triangular bunting template and save copies in a folder on your desktop named Bunting.

Step 2: Open the bunting template in your word processor. Choose Insert>Photo>Picture From File and insert a photo as large as possible on the page. It will appear below the template.

Step 3: Double-click on the image (Control-click) on a Mac and Choose Wrap Text>Through (or Behind Text, depending on your version of Word) to move the photo on top of the template. Double-click or Control Click on the image again and choose Arrange >Send to Back, to place the photo behind the template. Adjust the photo to fill the pennant template.

Step 4: If you want to apply special effects to the image, such as soft edges or a color filter, double- or control-click and choose Format Picture.

Step 5: Print the pennant pages on cardstock. Cut out the pennant shape and score along the double line between the tab and the pennant. Fold over ribbon or string and glue. Repeat to make the bunting as long as desired.

Denise May Levenick

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Are family get-togethers growing so large that they’ve become a version of Guess Who? Help everyone match names with faces by making a quick family collage to print and post at your next reunion (and share beforehand). You also can upload it to a photo service to include in a photo book or other project.

• digitized family photos that show faces clearly
• computer with internet access and printer
• white cardstock

Step 1: Collect copies of selected digital photos in a desktop folder labeled Collage

Step 2: Go to PicMonkey website. (Close the promotional popup if you see one.) Hover your ouse over the Collage option at the top and choose Computer in the menu that appears below. Navigate to your photos and follow the prompts to upload them.

Step 3: In the editing menu on the far left, click the collage icon to view template options. Choose Square Deal, then click the template with a grid of 16 squares. Choose Photos (the picture icon) in the Editing menu and drag your images to the layout grid where you want them. Choose Open Photos to upload more photos.

Step 4: Click and drag each image until you like the placement. To enlarge images or adjust the exposure, hover your mouse pointer over the photo and click the Edit button in the top corner.

Step 5: Click the artist’s palette icon in the editing menu to adjust the spacing between photos round the photo corners or change the background color.

Step 6: To add the title, click Edit collage in the menu bar at the top. This opens the collage in the editor. Click the text icon (Tt) and choose a font (I used Lobster Two). Click Add Text at the top of the font list. Type your text and adjust color, size and alignment.

Step 7: Add the name in the text box under each photo. Preserve the font and size by right-clicking or Control-clicking to copy a text box, then paste it under the next photo and replace the name.

Step 8: Close the text edit box and click Save in the top menu bar. Name the collage, select “Pierce” or “Sean” photo quality for optimal resolution, and click the green Save to My Computer button. Open the file and print or use in a photo project.

Show your interest in family history using the PicMonkey photo editor and Spoonflower custom fabric service. This simple infinity scarf uses a yard of custom-printed poly crepe de chine. You can choose different fabrics or custom gift-wrap. You can also select various family photos for a collage.

• computer with internet access
• sewing machine and supploes

Step 1: Log into Spoonflower, choose the Create Fabric option and select Other Design Options at the bottom of the page. Choose to design a Fat Quarter 21×18 inches.

Step 2 : PicMonkey opens in your browser with a blank design area. Choose the Text icon, select EcuyerDax and drag the Add Text box to the design area. Type the text Got Roots? Enlarge the words to fill the page horizontally by fragging the corner of the text box to the edge of the design area.

Step 3 : Click on the Crop icon and adjust the crop box to enclose your text. Click Apply. Click Save in the top toolbar.

Step 4 : The Spoonflower design page opens; select Repeat: Half-Block. Select poly crepe de chine as the fabric. Choose the size and product and place the order. Sew your scarf following the instructions at www.wikihow.com/Make-an-Infinity-Scarf .

Looking for a fun project you can do on a rainy day or want to take a break from tackling your brick walls? This photo transfer craft project is an easy method of creating some family history mementos that you can hang on your wall or give as a present to a family member. If you’re a fan of gallery walls, old photos, or homemade gifts, then why not try this craft? The best part: You don’t need to have any skills with a paintbrush or any kind of crafting tools.

This might be the perfect project to do with school-age kids. Have them help you choose the old (or new!) photos to transfer and scan them into your computer to print out (this won’t work with an original photo). While you’re choosing the old photos, you can share stories about the people and places in them.

Transfer an old photo to any surface

Acrylic transfers create a kind of “skin” that you can then transfer onto another surface. This makes it great for any project that you want to incorporate your photo into, such as jewelry, a keepsake box, or another memento. If you have a black and white image, you can easily add a tint or color to your photo transfer using acrylic paints – or even paint the surface you transfer onto.

Plus, because you’re not working with originals, but rather inexpensive printouts, you can make multiple photo transfers, which means that you can prevent your family members from fighting over the only copy.

Do you want to incorporate that picture of your grandfather in his uniform into a collage about his military service? You can do that simply by layering the photo transfer onto another. You can make the acrylic skin transparent (especially if it has a lot of white space in the picture), which makes acrylic transfers ideal for layering over other backgrounds.

• acrylic gel medium
• an old photo printed out on regular printer paper
• canvas or other surface
• brush or plastic palette knife
• an old board to work on
• a tray or nearby sink filled with water
• optional: a soft sponge

Step 1: Prepare your photo and workspace

Once you’ve chosen the photo you’d like to use, print it out using a regular printer. Inkjet printers are the best option, but I have had no issues using a laser printer either.

A Note: This process is a bit messy, so it’s a great idea to use something you don’t mind staining with gel. I have an old wooden art board that I use, but an old cookie sheet or tray could also be an option. Avoid paper, though, as that will also stick to the gel and could ruin your image transfer.

Step 2: Cover the image with gel medium

There are different types of acrylic gel mediums you can use. I got two different ones from Michaels , a heavy gel gloss and a soft gel medium (which is why you see two different photos here). Both seemed to work equally well, though the heavy gel seemed like a more solid option. You can also determine if you want a glossy gel or a matte gel as well. If you choose regular gel medium, you might want to add a second coat after the first one dries.

Likewise, the way you spread the gel on the surface depends on what you want it to look like. I used a brush and discovered that the bristles in the brush created lines. I don’t mind them, but if you prefer a smooth, even coating, a palette knife or sponge brush may be a better option.

There is no trick to covering the image; just make sure it’s all well-coated. Then, let it dry. It will dry clear. Ideally, you’ll want to give it 24 hours, but mine was dry enough after about 2 hours to complete the project.

Step 3: Soak the image and remove the paper fibers

Once the image is dry, you’ll want to fill a tray or the sink with water and then soak the back of your image (the blank white paper side) thoroughly.

Use either your finger or a soft sponge to start removing the paper fiber from the dried acrylic medium. This is the trickiest part as you learn how much pressure to apply without tearing the medium. You may need to re-soak it a few times as the paper gets dry or particularly stubborn spots. If you get a few tears, don’t worry, though – that can be part of the image’s charm. Later, you’ll be sealing the image and any tears to prevent further damage.

Once you’ve gotten enough of the paper removed to your satisfaction, let the transfer dry. Again, if it gets cloudy, don’t worry! It will dry clear. Once it’s dry, your image is ready to place on the surface of your choice.

Step 4: Prepare your canvas

Coat the canvas or surface in a good coat of gel medium.

Then, carefully place the photo transfer onto the canvas and press down, carefully smoothing out any bubbles. While the medium is still wet, you can manipulate the surface a bit to seal any tears or damage.

If you’ve made the image transfer large enough, you can coat the sides and back with the medium and wrap it around to cover or you can trim it to the size and shape you prefer.

Once you’ve placed the image, let it dry.

Step 5: Seal it

Once the image is set and dried, you may want to seal the image with one final coat of acrylic gel medium. Find a place to hang your new old photos, add additional paint or details if you wish, or package them up for a relative, then pat yourself on the back. You did it!

Here are the final canvases hanging on my office wall over my computer. I like how the tears and brushstrokes seem to add character to the images, and I still have the originals in pristine condition at home.

Vanessa Wieland

Photo books are a great project to take on. No only will you get some of your family photos organized, you can order as many copies of the finished book as you want so you can share them with others. We have an in-depth guide to creating a photo book projects , but here are the basics to get you started.

Choosing Photo Book Images

There are three things to consider when choosing which photos should go in your photo book. Begin by narrowing your photo book idea down to a single theme. The highlights of the life of one person is a popular theme. Others to consider are:

• Family Yearbook
• Heirloom Reproduction Book
• Grandparent and Grandchild Memory Book
• Remembering and Celebrating Book

Theme ideas by Denise May Levenick

Once you’ve selected your theme, zero in on the best pictures by keeping in mind these three things: images that are the most relevant and interesting, those you have a right to print, and those with the best image quality.

Elements to Include

There are five basic elements to add to you photo book to make it really stand out and be memorable. Those are:

• genealogical data

Making a Page Plan

A book page plan is similar to the storyboards used by filmmakers. Your page plan provides you with a visual map of your photo book. The standard photo book length is 20 pages, including a right-side-only opening page and a left-side-only closing page. You can start by using sample picture book templates, like this one . This will give you a rough idea of how the photo “story” will look in the book.

Sunny Morton

Gifts that are both meaningful and practical are always welcome. You can easily create photo wall calendars with websites like Mixbook and Shutterfly. Here are a few theme ideas to consider:

• It’s a Party! Calendar
• A Year in the Life Calendar
• Kitchen Duty Calendar

Family vacations have so many memorable moments: laughter, tears, sandy toes, silly songs in the car. Keep these memories alive and in mind with the following projects.

Re-staged old photos

Bring the past into the present by snapping a modern-day version of an old photo. Before your trip, choose pictures of places you plan to visit. Make a quick photocopy to use as reference, then leave the original at home for safekeeping. Re-create the photo to the best of your ability once you arrive, using the same people, props and setting. It’s fun to see how people, homes and landscaped have changed. You could even pose your kids where their great-great-grandparents once stood, and print both old and new images for your vacation photo album . See more examples of “then and now” photos at The Family Curator .

Greeting Cards

If your vacation is the only time the whole family will be together, snap a photo to use in your annual Christmas card. Don’t worry too much about coordinating red-and-green outfits—authentic vacation garb will add charm to the photo. You can find well-designed cards in almost every style and color at online services such as Costco Photo Center or Shutterfly . Consider converting the photo to black and white for a classic photo style.

Photo Postcards

You don’t have to buy generic postcards “off the rack” anymore. Use a smartphone app like TouchNote for iOS and Android to convert a photo into a mail-ready postcard. Simply choose a photo, add a message and address, order the print and send. Use postcards to share your vacation with friends and relatives, or send one to yourself as a souvenir.

Vacation photo story

With some foresight, you can make a narrative out of your vacation photos, from beginning to end. Take a picture of the car loaded with suitcases and gear. Then snap photos from inside looking out the window at the endless holiday traffic or long desert views. Include pictures of anything that represents your vacation: sunburned shoulders, the local mile-high ice cream cone and bonfires at the beach. After all, family memories aren’t always about the “perfect” trip. Pictures that remind us of the flat tire and the nice cowboy who helped us fix it are often the ones that bring the biggest smiles and the richest memories.

Are you feeling crafty? It’s time for some photo-related holiday crafts.

Reader Margaret Cole used copies of her family photos as Christmas ornaments:

Here’s how she did it:

Each photo is 3×4 inches. She printed each image on matte photo paper and to make it sturdy, used photo-safe glue to mount it onto heavy art paper from a 9×12 inch pad cut into 3×4 inch pieces.

There’s more! On the back of each ornament is family tree information—birth, death and marriage data.

Margaret printed the information from her Ancestry.com family tree using the “publish” format. She used either the “Person Report-Individual Report” or “Relationship Report-Family Group Sheet.” She adjusted the print size to 3×4 inch format and glued it on.

She added a narrow ribbon to frame each photo and make a loop for hanging.

Maureen A. Taylor

Photo Magnets or Necklace Pendants

Stick notes to your locker with old family photographs, or build a pictorial family tree on your refrigerator. You can also make necklace pendants using the same process to keep your ancestors close to your heart!

• printed copies of old photographs
• cabochons and magnets set OR cabochons and pendants set
• clear-drying glue (we used Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue )

Instructions

Step 1: Cut your photo larger than the glass gem.

Step 2: Put a small drop of glue on the gem’s flat side and spread it around with your finger.

Step 3: Press the gem onto the photo, centering over the face. Let dry.

Step 4: Use your scissors to trim the photo as close to the gem as possible.

Step 5: Turn over the gem and glue a magnet to the back of the paper. Let dry.

Rachel Christian

Portions of this article appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Family Tree Magazine .

FamilyTreeMagazine.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.

Family Tree Editors

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Picture this: Microsoft Research project can interpret, caption photos

May 28, 2015 | Allison Linn

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If you’re surfing the web and you come across a photo of the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez on the pitchers’ mound at Safeco Field, chances are you’ll quickly interpret that you are looking at a picture of a baseball player on a field preparing to throw a pitch.

Now, there is technology that can do that, too.

Microsoft researchers are at the forefront of developing technology that can automatically identify the objects in a picture, interpret what is going on and write an accurate caption explaining it.

That’s an important tool in and of itself. But the ability for a machine to correctly describe what’s going on in a photo also has broader implications for helping Microsoft advance its overall work in the field of artificial intelligence, or the development of systems that can see, hear, speak and even understand.

“The machine has been trained to understand how a human understands the image,” said Xiaodong He , a researcher with Microsoft Research’s Deep Learning Technology Center and one of the people working on the project.

For example, when given a picture of a man sitting in front of a computer, the image captioning technology can accurately recognize that it should focus on describing the man in the foreground, not the image on the computer in the background. Because the man has facial hair, it also knows that it is a man, not a woman.

For decades, researchers have been tantalized by the possibility of creating systems that could accurately interpret and caption photos. But until a few years ago, most of the systems being developed just weren’t getting it right, said Margaret Mitchell , a researcher in Microsoft Research’s natural language processing group who also is working on the technology.

That changed when researchers hit upon the idea of using neural networks, which are computing elements that are modeled loosely after the human brain, to connect vision to language. With that technology, the systems began to get it right more often, and error rates have been decreasing ever since.

“It’s basically gone from not working to working because of neural networks,” Mitchell said.

Automated image captioning still isn’t perfect, but it has quickly become a hot research area, with experts from universities and corporate research labs vying for the best automated image captioning algorithm.

The latest competition to create the most informative and accurate captions, the MS COCO Captioning Challenge 2015 , ends this Friday.

Throughout the competition, a leaderboard has been tracking how well the teams are doing using various technical measurements, and ranking them based on who is currently producing the best results. The top performers will have their results evaluated by human judges at the CVPR computer vision conference in early June.

Microsoft’s algorithm is trained to automatically write a caption using several steps.

First, it predicts the words that are likely to appear in a caption, using what’s called a convolutional neural network to recognize what’s in the image.

The convolutional neural network is trained with many examples of images and captions, and automatically learns features such as color patches, shapes and other features. That’s much like the way the human brain identifies objects.

Next, it uses a language model to take that set of words and create coherent possible captions.

“The critical thing is that the language model is generating text conditioned on the information in the image,” said Geoffrey Zweig , who manages Microsoft Research’s speech and dialog research group.

Finally, it deploys a checker that measures the overall semantic similarity between the caption and the image, to choose the best possible caption.

As the technology continues to improve, the researchers say they see vast possibilities for how these types of tools could be used to make significant gains in the field of artificial intelligence, in which computers are capable of intelligent behavior in an era of more personal computing .

“We want to connect vision to language because we want to have artificial intelligence tools,” Mitchell said.

He, the deep learning researcher, said the technology could serve as a piece of the foundation for much more sophisticated AI tools, such as a universal augmented intelligence system that would constantly be with you, learning about you and the world around you and helping you when needed.

People have been looking forward to those types of capabilities for a long time.

“Now, we are optimistic to see them come true in the foreseeable future,” He said.

Related content:

From captions to visual concepts and back

Microsoft’s Xiaodong He will talk about Microsoft’s image captioning work at a workshop that is taking place at the CVPR computer vision conference in early June. You can also follow He on Twitter

For more information about Microsoft’s image recognition work, listen to Harry Shum, executive vice president of Technology and Research for Microsoft, discuss the  “Invisible Revolution” at the company’s Ignite Conference .

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