Triptych Project Photography Assignment - Free Lesson

Triptych Project

This assignment teaches the art of creating a cohesive narrative through three photographic panels, emphasizing visual coherence and thematic connection. Students will explore how composition, subject matter, and stylistic elements can work in unison to tell a story or present a theme.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the concept and structure of a triptych in photography.
  • Develop skills in composing images that work together visually and thematically.
  • Experiment with different styles and perspectives to enhance storytelling in photography.

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Before You Shoot

  • Choose a narrative or theme that you want to explore in your triptych.
  • Scout locations that fit your chosen theme and visualize how each panel will relate to one another.
  • Gather props or subjects that will help convey your story across the three images.
  • Plan your shooting schedule to ensure you have adequate time for each panel.
  • Review the principles of composition and how they can be applied to triptychs.

The Assignment

Technical Focus

  • Use aperture priority mode at f/5.6 with ISO 200 fixed, allowing the camera to adjust shutter speed for optimal exposure.
  • Consider using a tripod to maintain consistent framing across all three images.
  • Experiment with depth of field by adjusting aperture to emphasize your subject in each panel.
  • Ensure proper lighting for each shot to maintain a cohesive tone throughout the triptych.
  • Think about the angles and perspectives that will create a visual flow from one image to the next.

Creative Focus

  • Explore how color palettes can unify your triptych and create emotional resonance.
  • Use leading lines in your compositions to guide the viewer's eye across the three panels.
  • Incorporate contrasting elements in each image to highlight the narrative or theme.
  • Experiment with different focal lengths to add variety while maintaining coherence.
  • Think about the relationship between the left and right images and how they point to the center image.

Assignment Tasks

  1. Create three images that together tell a story of growth: the beginning, middle, and end stages of a plant's life cycle, using aperture priority mode at f/4 with ISO 200 fixed.
  2. Photograph a triptych representing a day in the life of a city, capturing the morning, afternoon, and evening scenes, using aperture priority mode at f/8 with ISO 200 fixed.
  3. Document a personal journey or experience in three parts, ensuring each image reflects a different emotional state, using shutter priority mode at 1/250s with ISO 200 fixed.
  4. Capture three related objects that represent a theme of change, ensuring each image has a distinct perspective while maintaining coherence, using aperture priority mode at f/2.8 with ISO 200 fixed.
  5. Photograph a dynamic event in three stages: the buildup, the climax, and the aftermath, using shutter priority mode at 1/500s with ISO 200 fixed.
  6. Create a triptych that explores a color theme, with each panel focusing on a different shade while maintaining a cohesive subject, using aperture priority mode at f/5 with ISO 200 fixed.

💡 Stretch Tasks

  • Create a series of triptychs that explore the same theme but through different photographic techniques, such as long exposure versus freeze motion.
  • Collaborate with another photographer to each create triptychs from the same subject matter, comparing styles and interpretations.

DO / DON'T

DO

  • ✓ Do plan each shot with the relationship between images in mind.
  • ✓ Do experiment with different times of day for varied lighting conditions.
  • ✓ Do ensure that your images are displayed in a way that highlights their connection.
  • ✓ Do consider the viewer's perspective when composing your images.
  • ✓ Do take multiple shots for each panel to have options during editing.

DON'T

  • ✗ Don't select unrelated subjects for your triptych.
  • ✗ Don't neglect the importance of visual flow between the images.
  • ✗ Don't rely solely on post-editing to create coherence; focus on composition during shooting.
  • ✗ Don't forget to maintain a consistent style across all three images.
  • ✗ Don't rush the process; take your time to plan each photograph.

Reflection Questions

  • What narrative did you aim to convey through your triptych, and how did each image contribute to that story?
  • How did the use of color and composition enhance the connection between your three images?
  • In what ways did the triptych format challenge your usual approach to photography?
  • How did the relationships between the left, center, and right images influence your creative decisions?

📚 Related Reading

Before you start, read these related blog posts to deepen your understanding:

For Foundation Plus members: Submit 3 images from this assignment for personalised feedback in your next Zoom session. You should upload to the shared Dropbox folder - link provided by Alan when you joined Foundation Plus.

Alan RangerGenre-Specific