Visual Methods to Explore Community GUIDE
About Visual Methods to Explore Community “Visual Methods to Explore Community� is a project financed by the European Commission under Erasmus+ Programme -KA1- Mobility of learners and staff. The project contained two Training Courses and it was addressed to youth workers inside 8 partner NGOs that needed to improve their practical knowledge and competences in creating visual content for increasing awareness and produce positive social change. The content of this guide was created by 64 participants from 8 countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Iceland, Poland, Romania and Slovakia during the implementation of both projects. Young Europe Society Miercurea Ciuc 2016 ISBN: 978-606-93838-3-4
Financed by the European Union. The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the author(s).
Guide of Video Making
Who is this Guide written for?
This guide was designed to provide you with the basics of the video-making and photography in an easy form.
This Guide is designed for anyone who wants to make quality video projects and participatory photography projects. Moreover, the Guide was designed to help the beginners who develop visual content to learn the right way to make a good quality video and professioanal photography. There is no need of any technical background or any previous experience. Our Guide is also dedicated to those interested in social change, video making, photography or digital media including photographers, visual practitioners who activate in non-profit organizations. The guide is addressed especially to youth workers who want to learn about how to make a participatory video and photo project for bringing people together to explore issues or community needs and empower them to take action.
It starts with the Guide of Video Making, as a result of the first Activity of “Visual Methods to Explore Community� project that took place in Baile Tusnad (3-12 June 2016). The Guide includes techniques and methodologies on how to use a camera, the phases of video-making, practical techniques of video production, how to engage the audience and how to develop community stories. By reading this, you will have a clear picture of what kind of equipment to choose, how to use your camera as a collective creation in order to produce community change. 4
5
Table of Contents 7 This is not a video camera 10 How to use the video camera 13 The phases of video making Pre-Production 16 Production 18 Post production 20 Management of the video 24 Useful Links 26 Videos made by the participants from the project 27 Gossary
6
This is not a video camera What is a Participatory Video?
It’s about making a video together with community members for producing change or transmitting a strong social message. In this case the video camera becomes a “magnet for people”. The video becomes collective creation happening in one community. and it can be shared in the local community, at the local, regional and European level. The video can become a tool to inspire other communities, other countries, and other people from other places with the same issues. In this way, local solutions are able to spread globally. It’s about getting people together and making change “there” where is needed or just transmitting a message about that community to other people. The camera is an innovation, a torch that helps community to be more aware of the community issues and find solution. 7
Learning how to use the camera through games
Recording Game
Chris Lunch’s video helped us to understand better the goal of the project and we weren’t afraid to use the camera even though we were beginners. Right from the beginning of the implementation we learnt how to be comfortable when using the camera and we tried to present ourselves while we were filming in the same time.
Materials: Camera, tripod and lights. The trainer prepares camera for recording. One participant is saying his/her name and something that he/ she likes to do in 1 minute. Another participant learns how to hold the camera taking into consideration the “rule of thirds” and record his/her colleague presentation.
Useful Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nVsI2nzzEs
The game continues until everybody gets the chance to present himself and also to use the camera for recording.
8
9
How to use the video camera The “know-how�
For producing a video, everybody needs to know how camera works and the basics of using the equipment. Know the layout of your camera. Hold it on in your hands. While it is stil off, touch each button and switch, locate the cable connection ports and check the memory card, the lens. Flip out the screen, adjust the hand strap and get comfortable with your camera. Turn it on and off again. Play. Check if the Record button is separate or not. The other main button or swich is Auto/Manual. Depending on the model, camcorders will have a battery to attach or other power source to plug in. Connect or attach the power source carefully and take it off and put it on a couple of times to get comfortable with the procedure. However, we prefer to give up concorders to shooting with a DSLR camera. First think if the DSLR is the right tool for making this video. It depends on what you would like to shoot. 10
If for example, you need to shoot people moving around in a scene, then the DSLR is not suited because the auto focus on most DSLR is slow and noisy. Usually the DSLR is limited to less than 30 minutes of single clip recording time. If you want to film subjects where clear separation from the background is desired, DSLR are well suited. Then you have to choose a frame size and frame rate. Usually, we choose 1920 X 1080 frame size, shot either at 24 or 30 fps. This allows the video to capture a high level of detail and look very professional when displayed on a large monitor, or projected at meetings and conferences. If you plan on integrating any kind of camera movement into your productions (more on that later in the article) I would recommend shooting at 30 fps as it will help the camera-produced motion look smoother than if shot at 24 fps. 11
Last step is to match shutter speed and frame rate. The reason for this is to match up your shutter speed and frame rate apropriately. This means using a shutter speed of 1/50th if shooting at 24 fps, 1/60th when shooting at 30 fps, or 1/125th when shooting at 60 fps. You can also use your shutter setting to achieve different creative effects. For example, shooting at slower shutter speeds will add more blur to your footage and can make it look more subdued or “dreamy”, while using faster shutter speeds can give it a sharper, sometimes even “choppy” or hectic feel. Panning or moving your camera while using these slower/faster shutter speeds will tend to amplify the effects.
The phases of Video Making Pre-Production This is the most important part of any video production. If you want to make a video, you should make some decisions before doing the actual steps. Most of the decisions will show up in your finished product. These are the first decisions you should make before doing your pre-production planning. Do you have a script? Does it need any modifications to be transformed into a video script? Is someone else going to write it? Find the location. Is is indoors or outdoors? Actors Do you need actors?
12
13
Equipment What equipment are you going to use? Period How many days will it take to shoot the project? Budget Do you have an aprooved budget? Steps: 1. Decide what kind of story are you going to show. 2. Get a script. Write it. Study it and try to understand what kind of video you are going to make. Get your ideas down on paper or at least make notes or sketches. 14
3. Start your storyboard. A storyboard is a visual representation containind the scenes you want to make and want to see. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a masterpieces, just a simple drawing. 4. Start a spreadsheet and make the first column your expense items: camera, les rental, other equipment, actors, crew. The next column should be cost per day and the rest will be columns for each day of shooting and a final column of total for each item. You must total the expenses ant foot them at the bottom of the spreadsheet. 5. Figure out the costs and plan everything that will have to be paid out of the pocket, charged or billed. 6. Find your location. 15
Production The production steps are the following: Batteries are all charged. Check to have plenty of batteries for the non-recheargeble devices. Spare bulbs for all your lights (or LEDs). All equipment ready. As soon as you have all equipment ready and set, you just need to go to the location. Production costs and potential budget points: Camera equipment rental if you don’t have your own camera and lenses. Get the right tripod, dolly or slider, fluid head or other support for the camera. Lights. Be carefull that different cameras take different lights because their sensors reacts differently to the light that’s there. As for example, if you’re using a phone camera and you’re shooting outside and it’s a sunny day you need a lot of sun balance for daylight and tons of reflectors. 16
Phone cameras can take beautiful pictures, but they need very little light. Using a DSLR camera still needs at least five lights to set it up properly. Microphones. Do you have enough and the right kind of microphones? Do you need to put lavalieres on them? Or maybe it will sound better with a shotgun mic. Cast. Do you need cast, what about people to populate the place? Crew. Having enough people to operate the equipment is important. Are you going to use a boom mic? Or do you have several microphones? Do you need a sound person to make sure that the recordings sound correct? Cables? Batteries? Fasteners?
17
Some tips and tricks
Post-production This stage takes the most time of the entire video making process. You won’t even get to this point unless you have done the first 2 parts well. Usually it takes at least 10 hours od editing and working on things in After Effects, Sounds, Lightroom, Adobe Premiere. Your results may vary. However, if you’re shooting characters and not scenes, you’ll probably be closer to 3-5 post time hours per production hour. It all depends on how creative you’re going to be or can be because of time constraints in post. Stephen Haskin, How much does it cost to produce a video
18
One tip then is to film longer than you think you need to. Have a pause at the start of the video and at the end of each take and this will make it much easier for you to edit it together later. you should always have the camera on a tripod and should keep it level. For shots with more movement, having the camera move as well can help to make your footage more dynamic and engaging. Another consideration is lighting. The idea here is to make people look their best and to do this you can try using Rembrandt lighting (which lights just a third of the face). You can do this with lights, or by sitting by the window. Very important, is to think about your set. If you're creating an advert or a vlog video, then this will have a big impact on how professional the production seems. One option is to use a white backdrop. You can either use a canvas for this purpose, or you can use a tightly pinned bedsheet that has been thoroughly ironed. Using a white backdrop of either kind, or a green screen, will make it easier for you to add effects subsequently too and makes a very professional look. you can create your own 'set' at home – clear some space, rig up a flat screen TV or monitor to show your logo and sit behind a table with a cloth over it adding some elements in the background. Once you have all your footage, you’ll then import this into your editing software. Transitions are the animations that occur between each clip. These tend to be used when you’re changing from one scene to another. Another time to use a transition is if you are moving from one video to another one that’s very similar. This can sometimes be used stylistically – especially for vlogs – and is what you call a ‘jump cut’. Another tip for editing, is to try and keep your shots shorter – especially for action shots. If you pause too long between angles it will again draw attention to the fact that it has been edited. To further make your videos look professional, there are a few extra things you can add, such as Openers, Music, Logos, Titles and Lower Thirds. A video opener is a short ‘intro’ to your video which makes sense if you’re creating a series of videos (such as a course or a vlog) rather than a single standalone video. 19
Management of the video Try to define your goal. Why do you want to record the video? Do you want to raise awareness about some important issues and problems in your community? Whom do you want to convince to see your video? Policy makers? To influence key decision-makers in your sector of work? Or maybe to educate a new target/audience on important issues affecting your community? You need to define your goal. Who will want to see your video? What will happen when the people finish watching the video? The lack of clear focus is the reason why videos fail to reach the target. Define your audience. Use marketing for communicating the value of your video to a specific audience.
20
Try to differenciate your message for that specific audience. For this step, you need some research for better knowing how to deliver a message to your audience. Have in mind the needs and preferences of your audience. Develop the message you want to communicate. What are the things you need your audience to know and remember after watching the video? What specific problem am I trying to solve and how do I communicate the solution to that problem? Budget. Find a video similar to what you are thinking about and ask potential video production companies what would a video like this cost to be made?
21
Planned distribution. Where, how and why will people watch your video. How are you going to get people watch your video? Concept. What’s the big idea. Start with a concept in search of a purpose. What’s the idea for the video? Storyboard. The storyboard takes your idea and considers things like: do you use voice-over to support what is being shown, do you use animation, do you employ actors, do you use music to set a tone or maintain a pace. This is the step where you determine the style, the flow, the length (more on this step below) and the structure of your video. The storyboard is the physical manifestation of the treatment. It breaks down the video into three key components: 22
1. Script / Narration – what is being said by whom on-screen or as voiceover. 2. What is being shown on screen – where is the action taking place and who or what is in each scene. 3. What other elements (logos, text, animations, cgi, etc. music track, sound effects etc. are needed to support what is being said and shown. Even if you don’t plan on developing a detailed storyboard (as a rule you should…) it’s still a very valuable exercise to write down the structure of your video. It allows you to think through the video in a logical fashion and share this vision with others. It’s also a tremendously valuable tool for accountability. You can’t ask your production company when the video is finished why something wasn’t included during shooting if it wasn’t included in the storyboard. A well written storyboard holds everyone involved accountable. 23
Useful Links How to Use Shutter Speed in Video on DSLR Camera - Exposure Tutorial and Comparison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGQ3DNLkp_4
Video Online Courses https://tutsplus.com/courses
Basic camera shoots for film making https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICcE72RwEyc
Video Gear Recommendations http://www.nitsan.co.uk/gear
How to film a report for an event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlBjqpwGCts Online and video courses
Nate J. Slaco
https://vimeo.com/155359956 Dave Dugdale about video-film making, equipment and tools https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpPnsOUPkWcukhWUVcTJvnA 24
https://vimeo.com/123792912 https://vimeo.com/108401518 Music to use if crediting the artists https://soundcloud.com/ 25
Glossary
Videos made by participants The following videos are made by the participants who participated in Activity I –Participatory Video Project of Visual Methods to Explore Community that took place in Băile Tuşnad, Romania on 3-12 June 2016. They identified various issues of Miercurea Ciuc community and recorded the stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF3L5bhOZ6w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKGTlklNkr0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6egEVoVReyY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrp4QXTn2tU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M90tYyIgFK8ttps://www.youtube. com/watch?v=hOJq5e1IxEs 26
Aperture -the opening in the lens that lets light into the camera. Auto-focus. Some cameras are designed to automatically focus on the subject. Closeup shot Encourages the audience to concentrate on a specific feature. Shows emotions. CMOS This „complementary metal-oxide semiconductor“ image sensor has less power consumption, saving energy for longer shooting time. Cut The „cut“ or „take“ is the most common transtition when editing. It is an instantaneous switch from one shot to the next. Depth of field The distance beetween the nearest and the farthest objects in focus. Focal length Simply an optical measurement – the distance beetween the optical center of the lens and the image sensor, when you are focused at a great distance such as infinity. It is measured in millimeters (mm) or inches. Long shot or wide angle shot Helps establish the scene for the viewer. Low angle When the camera is positioned lower than the subject. Optical zoom The optical zoom uses a lens to maintain a high quality image throughout its zoom range. Stereo Stereo sound uses two audio tracks to create an illusionof space and dimension. Storyboard The storyboard is simply a series of rough sketches that help you to visualize and to organize your camera treatment. Tripod A camera mount that is a three-legged stand with independently extendable legs. Underexpose Occurs when the lens lets an insufficient amount of light into the camera. The result is darker image with a loss of detail. Wide balance The process of calibrating a camera so that the light source will be reproduced accurately as white. Wide-angle lens Shows us a greater area of the scene than is normal. The subject looks unusually distant. Zoom lens A lens that has a variable focal length. 27
28
29
Participatory Photography Project Part II of this guide is dedicated to Participatory Photography and it is designed to provide you with the basics of photography terms, tips on technique, composition and practicing by understanding how to take thematic pictures in community and show the final result through Photovoice exibition involving members of the community that hadn’t made their voice heard up to that point and realising how much impact have that complex issues. In other words becoming familiar with a Photovoice Project created by the participants of second activity of ”Visual Methods to Explore Community” project that took place in Băile Tuşnad, Romania, on 30 June- 7 July 2016.
30
Table of Contents 32 Why Participatory Photography? 33 What is Photovoice? 39 Photography Composition Rules 51 Participants stories after finalising the Photovoice Project 62 Glossary
31
Why Participatory Photography? Taking control over representation. Invite the selective members of the community, people who normally weren’t given that opportunity, giving them an opportunity to chalenge the way they are seen, perceived, shown in the media, giving a change of breaking the circle. A change of challenging attitudes, of the way they have been represented that lead to the actual situation in the community. Self exploration and expression. It’s a process of leading people, of determining what they do want to say, of determining how complex these issues are and to realise what the impact it could have. Finding confidence in their own voice Challenging perceptions Creating change It’s very important that the people refected by these issues to be the heart of the materials, ideas, of the actions suggested for that community to benefit from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRqEbSJxBgA 32
What is PhotoVoice? Photovoice is a photographic method of Community Based Participatory Research usually conduced with people who have little influence within their own community. Goal: To empower participants to record community needs or strenghts. To promote critical discussion among participants about the photos. To create a platform for the participants to engage with policy makers and spark some change in the community, structure, environment and policies. In Photovoice, participants are given cameras to photograph their community strenghts/ needs. This means things in community structure/environment that enhances or limit community health. In other words, the community needs assesment...documenting strengths and needs of the community. 33
Group Discussions... Participants talk to each other about why they took each photo, the meaning behind each photo and what the group could do to see things chnage in their community regarding the health issues that were captured in the photos. Reasearchers facilitate photovoice group discussions with „SHOWED” mnemonic: what fo you see here? What is really Happening? How does this relate to Our lives? Why does this problem or strength Exist? What can we do about it? In small group, the researches ask these questions to make participants question what’s going on in their photos, the deep meaning behind the photos. Photovoice group discissions based on work of Paulo Freire...educator/ philosopher wrote Pedagogy of the Opressed. He believed that by having critical dialogue can help us perceive area of our lives/communities that are unfair, unjust, opressive. The process of critical dialogue can help us to take action to chnage the things in our environment. 34
Caption Writing... Based from discussions, participants write captions about their photos. The captions placed next to photos...let’s audience understand the participants’ meaning behind the photos. Data Analysis...(the photos and captions) Researchers and participants analyze data by organizing photos/captions into themes. Participants name the photos/caption themes. That give participants more ownership over the project and become more invested in it. Photo Exibit Get a venue, hang up photos, and invite all possible ”stakeholders”. Stakeholders are people who have a stake (interest, investment) in teh topic at hand...community members/ policymakers. policymakers are especially sought after to attend the exhibit...they have authority to make chnages. 35
Photo exhibit... During the photo exhibit, photos are used as talking points. Participants stand near their photos and talk with stakeholders to educate them about community strenghts and needs. At this point...those without a voice! Hopefully, the photo exihibit will inspire stakeholders to create change in the community. This comes from thoughts behind photo-journalism in which we use images to stimulate social counsciousness. Limitations Time... To gain access to the community, to recruit participants, to educate participants about photovoice/being a researcher, to educate participants about research ethics, privacy laws, train participants how to use cameras, allow time for taking photos, alow time for group discussions, work with participants to identify stakeholders, plan the exhibit, hold the exhibit. 36
No follow up with stakeholders... Experts suggest that researchers and participants conduct follow-up activities after the exhibit is over. Example: make phone calls, write letters, e-mails, plan face to face meetings. No guarantee that changes will happen It’s possible that stakeholders don’t want to or don’t have the resources to make any chnages to the community. Photovoice projects vary in thoroughness...A number photovoice projects have not help a photo-exhibit or let participants speak in groups. No small groups...no critical dialogue..no waking up to opressive aspects of community. No photo-exihibit..no voice being heard Photovoice projects are unique. The experience and findings of one photovoice project may not be similar to a projects with different participants/ community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyXnnOlvqOM 37
Photography Composition Rules Even though there are no rules in photography, there are some guidelines of basic composition that can impact your photos contributing it to the natural balance, drawing attention to the important parts of the scene or guiding the eye through the whole image. Make sure you include in your tehnique these composition tips and you will be surprise regarding the quality image of your photos.
SIMPLIFY THE SCENE; KEEP IT SIMPLE!
The simpler the shot, the bigger the impact. It is better to strive for design simplicity and avoid unnecesary complexity. There is no need to include any elements in our picture space that distract from the main message. Even though we feel tempted when we come upon a great scene to try to include everything in the picture, it’s better to include less elements in order to avoid the overload of the information. 38
39
FILL THE FRAME
Give your subject the prominence it deserves. In order to keep your photos simple, fill the frame with your subject and nothing else but the subject. Filling the frame complete doesn’t show what your intended target was. Making your subject bigger in the frame involves the viewer at a much more intense level. Common mistake here is that we tend to believe that we are filling the frame when in fact we are not.
The reason for this is that when you’re standing in front of a scene, you’re concentrating so intensely on your subject that your brain is tricked into thinking that your subject is closer than it actually is. As a solution, try to take a few steps forward and try again. Eliminate what you don’t need and take a few more steps closer. 40
ASPECT RATIO
Horizontal or vertical? Try both! Aspect ratio represents the dimensions of an image by comparing the width to the heights and expressing it in ratio form. These are expressed by the dimensions of your camera sensor. Aspect Ratio matters because it deals with the main subject to the sides of the frame and the amount of empty space you end up with around the subject. It help at composing better images or at recognize when cropping to a different aspect ratio will improve the composition of your image.
41
AVOID THE MIDDLE
Shift the balance! You’ll know when something looks right. One way of doing this is to divide the image area into thirds along both the horizontal and vertical axes, the goal is to give equal compositional weight to each grid, with special emphasis on the intersections of the guidelines. You can experiemnt with placing your subjects along the intersections of the grid lines. Try placing the subject off the side of the frame and use a wide aperture to blur the background and create a more engaging subject that draws viewer’s attention. 42
LEADING LINES
Lines exist everywhere and represents to a technique of composition where teh viewer’s attention is drawn to lines that lead to the main subject of the image. A leading line goes along the eye path in order to follow different elements of the photo. The lines start at the bottom of the frame and guide the eye upwards and inwards, from the foreground of the image to the background, showing the main subject. For example, a roadway gives us a feeling of motion and the leading lines point to a vanishing point.
43
USE DIAGONALS
If you want to create a strong impresion of movement, you can use diagonals to create a sense of depth. Knowing how to place the lines, affects the mood and composition of the final image. Use crazy angles and change your viewpoint when shooting with diagonals.
SPACE TO MOVE
Photographs can convey a strong sense of movement. The rule of space involves creating negative space that realtes directly to the subject. In practice, is involves the use of actual space in a photo and conveys an idea, movement, action or thought. Empty space in a photo that doesn’t in some way support the composition and relate to the subject can actually ruin a good photo. The rule of space is a great way to convey movement and speed in your subject.
44
45
CREATIVE WITH COLORS.
Create abstract shots from contrasting colors.
BACKGROUNDS You can’t exclude the background, but you can control it. The background is important while taking a picture, especially if you want to take a beautiful picture. Just pay attention to what is behind your subjects. Utilize your lens to throw the background out of focus by reducing the depth of field so that the picture is sharp and the background is blurred. Suggestions: open the aperture wide. The wider the aperture yields a shorter depth of field. Try to experiment.
46
47
The RULE OF Thirds
The rule of thirds represents dividing the image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines and position your most important elements in your scene along these lines or at the points they meet. How to use the RULE OF Thirds Try to divide the scene as it is in the above picture. Think about what elements of the photo are most important and position it at or near the lines and intersections of the grid.
48
49
Participants stories after finalising the Photovoice project
The Photo Voice project was such an experience. The whole preparation and organization was done with using the NAOME method, which we were tought in one of our sessions. We all agree that the Photo Voice project had a positive impact on us, our goal was to identify a problem in the community of Miercurea Ciuc and create awareness, maybe come up with a solution. We think we improved our skills in communication, photo making, organization skills, group working and presentation. We all had important subjects that impacted us and we really cared about our photos. It was a cultural shock for many of us that visited the gypsy area, we encountered a totally different community than our own and that really broadened the horizon. Emotions like gratefulness, accomplishment and excitement were all mentioned in the participants’ evaluation of the Photo Voice project. Alex, Filip, Gergana, Hristo, Marietta and Rebekka 50
51
The sense of exploration and a bulging will to find new inspirations led us to this project. A joint operation to explore the community through photography. Will it be a train wreck or a great leap to personal discoveries? None could not imagine, nor expect the outcomes. In this short journey many of us have dived into the new oceans. At the same time, there were several who put their oars to water after a longer break. In the end, the whole group contributed in various ways to this project and this journal has the only one purpose. It is meant to share our findings and feelings with the rest of the world. The first hours were filled with an aura of unknown and uncertainty as if a person sees the mist of Baile Tusnad for the first time. It is thick, tricky and might be full of bears. However, many of us have lifted the fog with our smiles during icebreakers and various interactive activities. We would not be able to reach this accommodating feeling without our facilitator. This man, Dan, has a capacity to inspire people to go beyond their comfort zones, try out the techniques learnt in seminars, and share his knowledge of visual arts and how to move mountains. If it is possible to draw a parallel that this project is a “Black Pearl� then our Captain Jack Sparrow is the same person, Dan. 52
The first theory sessions were meant to prepare our groups for the real action. It helped us to understand how our main tool, camera, works. What types of digital cameras we own and what differences they have. Then, what type of settings to choose and how to compensate one with another in different situations. The main settings to take in to account were aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Furthermore, we were instructed how to understand the correct positioning of camera, what to focus and the rule of one third. It is important to stress that there are always exceptions. The second theory sessions were devoted to learning the ins and outs of Photoshop and Lightroom software. Two main important tools that are made to aid finish the postproduction of photographs. The third set of theory sessions introduced participants to ethics of photography and eight competences. The last two makes up the very core of information that can inspire and ensure that process goes without any disturbances. The actual hunting and preparation of exhibitions presented many various emotions and experiences to everyone involved in this project. Participants have been divided in six teams.
53
There are a couple of tools that helped us to fulfil our ideas, such as, NAOMIE and SHOWeD. It empowered us with a necessary knowledge. All teams had chosen various different and unique areas to go to, such as, suburb towns, market places, universities, gypsy community centre or touristic spots in the city. Miercurea Ciuc had become a really vast ocean for our explorations. The teams have started the postproduction as soon as they have come back from the city. The postproduction involded two huge parts: the postproduction and exhibition. The postproduction consisted of several stages. The first stage was the selection of the most impactful photos that can deliver the message best. Additionally, we were advised to use the spiral method. The second stage involved the work with Lightroom at the beginning and the Photoshop at the end. The last stage helped us to finalize and prepare our exhibitions. In order to do that, we have prepared synopsis, final photographs’ titles and the actual exhibition area. The exhibition is still being held. However, all teams have felt pretty satisfied and accomplished when their exhibitions have been visited by the mayor. The visit gave the feeling that our ideas have been heard. 54
We all agree that Photo voice project was amazing. It’s so fresh and we can definitely use this method in our community or organizations that we work in. Also preparing the exhibition was a good experience, for most of us it was our first time and we felt excited about it. We learnt the whole process how to do it and we felt satisfied afterwards. We can totally agree that energizers are important. Not only because they made us awake before every session but also we could get to know each other more. And they are fun. Team work was also very important and what was good, almost every time we were changing the groups so we could work with different participants. It was very socializing and we got to know each other even better. There was no clear leader in each group, so we were all even and we learned how to compromise. We definitely improved our abilities for public speaking. We got out of our comfort zone and like that we improved as a person.
55
The last page of this journal includes activities during participants’ free time. In Baile Tusnad we had various opportunities to relief ourselves, enjoy the natural surroundings, meet the local people and experience their culture. Most of the activities were free to choose. For example, many of us went on hiking to reach the unique volcanic St. Anna’s lake while others chose to enjoy themselves in the local SPA centre. The hiking trip was a rather impressive event because it create a real feeling of community between us. Participants were taking care of each other in the wilderness of Transylvania. They were singing, waiting for others and encouraging everyone to move on. Furthermore, almost everyone had a chance to see the bear in person. Since the day one everyone had a chance to try out the sauna and the adventure park. To conclude, we would like to express our gratitude to the organizers’ team, the staff of hotel for their patience with us (they did not poison us), local municipality for giving permission to our exhibitions. Additionally, this journal would not exist without the great bunch of people that participated here. Thank you all and good luck in your future. Group No. 5 Kristina, Aldis, Joanna, Katka, Konstantin and Mantas 56
Zuzana: ,,Visual Methods to Explore Community“ was a wonderful training course which started on 30th June 2016, when motivated and inspired people from 8 european countries (Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Iceland, Lithuania, Hungary amd Estonia) gathered together to share their knowledge, get new skills and meet new people from other cultures. All of us were traveling the long distance to reach the beautiful place of this project – Baile Tusnad, Romania. We´ve heard a lot of stories about bears living around this wonderful area. All of us were very excited to meet them and know how is it to live a wild life. Some of us were scared, some of us were brave enough to face the wild nature here. By ice-breaking energizers and games during the first days we got to know each other very well and we started to develop new friendships. During these activities we felt the team spirit and right at the beginning we knew, that nothing is impossible, if we have each other. Right at the beginning we set our goals very clearly and we continued step by step to reach them. 57
Eglė: In order to understand how to make the best pictures possible we started with getting introduced to our equipment. As everybody had different sets of camera equipment, we tried to get as much knowledge possible to learn how to use different settings in different cameras. Even different parameters varied in all sets of cameras, we managed to get to know how to use our cameras in the most efficient way. To get the best results we also analyzed different kinds of rules and ways to adapt our cameras to different external factors. One of the most important of them is the factor of light. With different settings of lens opening, exposure time and light sensitivity we could try various methods of capturing the best picture possible. Not only the light factor matters, but also the composition itself. In order to make the best of it we were introduced to the rule of thirds and different kind of lining techniques in the pictures that we want to capture. Making them focused in different distances also made the pictures speak for themselves even better. 58
Diana: As an amateur photographer it was so exciting for me to try to capture all the important moments. Although it seems easy to make photographs, it was challenging to observe all the different feelings that participants had, like: happiness, tiredness, excitement and cheerfulness. It‘s really amazing how much difference is between the pictures from the first day and the last day. In the first day, the photographs transmited a really important message: “ the fear of the unknown „Fortunately, this fear dissapeard very fast, so in the next days I captured happiness and friendship. Even if the pictures don‘t use words they remain alive in our memories, that‘s why it‘s important to focus on emotion and not on finding the perfect frame.
59
Valeria: On the 8th day of project we arranged a wonderful photo voice exhibition. We have made lots of preparation: found the places for observing, spreaded the pictures all over the park and also used some decorations to make our photos more attractive for the visitors of exhibitions. When everything was ready the mayor of Baile Tusnad came to visit us and to listen to our presentations. Mayor gave us the feedback about the exhibition and it was obvious that he felt very pleased. I was also very pleased with our team work, we all were united for one mission and our cooperation was outstanding.
60
Ieva: The journey to Miercurea Ciuc started with excitement and hangover from welcoming party. We were about to explore the new city, this gave me a rush. It was perfect weather for outdoor exploration, we had the sun in our side. The most exciting thing was that yet we knew so little about each other and we were divided in groups with people from different countries. So basically we got to know the city and each other. First visit to the city were based on explore the local community learn its strength and weaknesses. My group was really awesome, we interviewed young people, took some pictures in the city. The best thing about first trip to Miercurea Ciuc that we met young group who was willing to share with us the coolest bar in city. We finished our task quite early so we had a place where to spend our time. Even though we are outsiders in community, we felt great there, the bar was cosy and perfect for youth, so even if our group came first there, the rest of participants joined us later and we spent nice time there getting to know each other.
61
Glossary Abstract An image that emphasizes formal (line, shape, etc.) elements rather than specific, recognizable objects. Contents The subject, topic or information captured in a photograph Direct approach Confronting a scene in a straight forward manner without using unusual angles or distortion. Documentary photography Photographs whose main purpose is to record a place, person(s) or event. Expressive Concerned with communicating emotion. Geometric shape Simple rectilinear or curvilinear shapes found in geometry, such as circles, squares, triangles, etc.
Light What areas of the photograph are most highlighted? Are there any shadows? Is the light natural or artiicial? Relected or directed? Line Are there objects that act as lines? Are they straight, curvy, thick or thin? Do they create movement or direction? Do they outline? Repetition Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create pattern? Shape Do you see geometrical or organic shapes? What are they? Texture If you could touch the surface of the photograph how would it feel? How would the objects in the picture look like they would feel? Space Is there depth to the photograph or does it seem shallow? What creates this appearance?
Landscape An image that portrays the natural environment.
Value Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest value? Where is the lightest? Angle The vantage point from which the image was taken; generally used when discussing an image taken from an unusual angle.
Objective A point of view free from personal bias, which attempts to consider all available information with equal regard and fairness.
Background The part of the scene or picture that is or seems to be towards the back.
Organic shape Shapes based on natural objects such as trees, mountains, leaves, etc.
Balance The distribution of visual elements in a photograph.
Intention Reason(s) why the artist made a work of art.
Representational An image which shows recognizable objects. Subject The main object or person(s) in a photograph. Focus: What areas appear clearest or sharpest in the photograph? What do not? 62
Central Focus The object(s) which appears most prominently and/or most clearly focused in a photograph. Composition What areas appear clearest or sharpest in the photograph? What do not? Contour The outline of an object or shape. 63
Contrast Strong visual differences between light and dark, varying textures, sizes, etc. Framing What the photographer has placed within the boundaries of the photograph. Setting Actual physical surroundings or scenery wether real or artiicial. Vantage point The place from which a photographer takes a photograph.
64
65
Contact Young Europe Society Association Bilbor No. 367 A Harghita, Romania Phone: +40 (0)748557503 E-mail: office@yes-eu.ro Web: www.yes-eu.ro