What should be in my photo? What should not? Make photos that tell the story you want them to tell.
4H Photography Resources
Getting Started (Level 1)
Learn photography basics such as:
- Equipment
- Proper lighting
- Creating good composition to build your skills as a photographer
Composition can be practised anywhere
Check with the Extension Office to order your personal copy to use in the photography project.
Leader/Family photography resources from National 4-H (Multiple tips on cameras, lighting and composition.)
Leading lines
Light
Color
Other resources
- National 4-H activity books (Check out more resources)
- Utah 4-H photography curriculum (free download)
- Photography adventure (free download)
- 4-H Guide to Digital Photography (book)
Smartphone photography 101
Learning More (Level 2)
Advance your knowledge further with these skills:
- Depth of field
- Backlighting
- Rule of thirds
Composition
Photo manipulation
Video production resources- Making Movies with Your iPhone by Ben Harvell
- How to Shoot Video by Steve Stockman
- Screenwriting for Teens: The 199 principles of screenwriting every budding writer must know by Christina Hamlett
- Digital Filmmaking for Kids by Nick Willoughby
- The iMovie ’11 Project Book: Stuff you can do with iMovie by Jeff Carlson
- Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling off your shorts 2nd Ed. by Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols
- 4-H Filmmaking Workshop DVD, National 4-H
Becoming Awesome (Level 3)
Take your skills to the next level:
- Learn more exciting techniques
- Learn when rules of photography can be broken, how to use color to your advantage
- Put together an attractive and interesting portfolio and learn how to exhibit your work professionally
Try different genres
- Portraits: Photograph people alone or in small groups.
- Photojournalism: Display 3-5 photos together with captions. Together, they tell a story.
- Close-up: Print three images taken with a normal lens, macro lens or microscope.
- Light experiment: Take three photos of the same thing in different kinds of light.
Check out the Photography Challegnes below provided by Minnesota 4-H to gain helpful tips to take your next photo. A great project meeting resource for project leaders.
- See the entries and grand prize winners of the Black and White Photography Challenge. Contest entries came from 11 Midwest states.
- See the entries and grand prize winners of the Family and Friends Photography Challenge.
- See the entries and grand prize winners of the 2020 Fall Photo Challenge.
- See the entries and grand prize winners of the 2020 Photo Scavenger Hunt.
- See the entries and grand prize winners of the 2020 Elements of Photography Contest.
Digital Storytelling/Film Making
Take your photography skills to the next level. 4-H youth ages 9 and older can develop and share their skills as filmmakers. Whether you are interested in documentaries, graphic animation, public service announcements (PSA), or just want to create fun videos to share with your friends and family, 4-H is the place for YOU! Discover resources, see examples of youth-created videos, and meet some of the 4-H volunteers who are helping with this program. Enroll today!
The 4-H Filmmaking Studio and Workshop is an online website to learn about filmmaking, digital storytelling, and videography. On the main page, you'll find video workshop modules to assist you with making your own films. Practice with your camera and tripod, learn about filmmaking tricks, find your passion and voice, tell your digital story, and upload your film to share with others.
Other resources:
- The Importance of Copyright - I'm just a kid working on a project, why should I care about copyright? (PowerPoint)
- MUSOPEN: provide recordings, sheet music, and textbooks to the public for free, without copyright restrictions. http://www.musopen.org/music
- Moviemaker: A free video editing tool for PC users. http://www.soft82.com/download/Windows/Windows_Movie_Maker
- iMovie: A free video editing tool for MAC users. Usually pre-installed. Updates available at http://support.apple.com/downloads/#imovie
- Do Ink is both an application and an online community for animators. You can use the drawing tools to create objects from scratch or pull them from a database of user created submissions. A video and link to the site is at: http://www.doink.com/
- Pencil Animation: A more traditional hand-drawn 2-d animation tool. http://www.pencil-animation.org
- Scratch: A tool to create your own animations as well as games (with sound): http://scratch.mit.edu/
- Stop Motion Central: Resources and examples of stop motion and claymation films. http://www.stopmotioncentral.com/
- Making History... GIS and Women: Interactive Map to Find Real Professionals in Your Community http://morganstate.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=c421c79aef2745afacc48e7836dc265f
Share Your Video!
4‑H Filmmaking Studio and Workshop
The video workshop modules assist youth with making their own films. Youth practice with cameras and tripods, learn about filmmaking tricks, find their passion and voice, while telling their digital story.
This 4‑H Filmmaking Studio and Workshop was developed in collaboration with Montana State University and is hosted by National 4-H. Your film making career is just a click away!
4-H Film Making Showcase Opportunities
Public Service Announcement - Prepare a short video (30 seconds to 1 minute in length) that communicates an educational message. The video should demonstrate skills in making and editing video.
Promotional Video - Prepare a short video (30 seconds to 1 minute in length) that promotes an event or advertises a specific project/product. The video should demonstrate skills in making and editing video.
Animated Video - Video in this class should represent creative animation of original artwork created by the exhibitor. Media might include images created with graphics software or hand-drawn images.
Stop Motion Video - Video in this class should use animation to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence with editing software. Clay figures are most often used in stop motion for their ease of repositioning (also called claymation), but any object may be used as the subject for this class.
Documentary - Video in this class should represent a research-based investigation into a topic of choice. Video credits should list research sources and may include paper or electronically published materials, and/or interviews with experts or constituents related to the topic of investigation.
FilmFest 4-H 2022
August 2022
Check details!
FilmFest 4-H is a national film festival for youth that are filmmakers, visual artists, aspiring actors, and those that are just interested in meeting other creative people. FilmFest helps youth become producers, not just consumers, of digital media.
FilmFest 4-H takes place in a 4-H environment. Imagination, fun and curiosity are essential! Cameras, smart phones and mobile devices are strictly encouraged. Courtesy and creativity are always in style. FilmFest 4-H provides a venue for 4-H members to demonstrate their filmmaking skills plus generate even more enthusiasm for 4-H digital filmmaking in their home state.
Featured: Screenwriting competition!
In addition to our traditional youth film submission categories, FilmFest 4-H began accepting screenplays for competition in 2021. Information about the category rules and guidelines can be found in the "Resources" tab.
This exciting annual festival is a showcase of films, seminars, workshops and more. Attendees will be exposed to advanced filmmaking techniques from industry professionals, network with fellow 4-H filmmakers, discover new techniques & ideas, and celebrate their successes. Zoom and hydrid options offered. Film Fest is hosted by Missouri 4-H in Branson, Missouri.
For more information:https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/missouri-4-h/4-h-projects-opportunities/4-h-opportunities/4-h-filmfest