One Story, Eight ShotsCamera Shot Review AssignmentWhat You Are CreatingFor this assignment, you will create a short photo story using 8 photographs.
Each photograph must use a different type of camera shot.
Your goal is to arrange the 8 photographs so that someone can understand what is happening without you explaining the story in writing.
Think of your photographs as 8 still frames from a movie.
Step 1 — Choose a Simple Story
Choose a very simple situation that can be photographed around the school.
Examples:
- Someone loses their phone.
- Someone finds a mysterious note.
- Someone realizes they are late.
- Someone receives surprising news.
- Someone finds a strange object.
- Someone is looking for something.
- Someone notices they are being followed.
- Someone discovers something unexpected.
Keep your story simple. The purpose of this assignment is to practise camera shots and visual storytelling, not to create a complicated plot.
Step 2 — Plan Your 8 Photographs
Before taking photographs, decide what needs to happen in your story.
Write down a simple 8-shot plan.
Example:
- Student walking down the hallway.
- Student notices something on the floor.
- Student bends down to look at it.
- Close view of the object.
- Student reacts.
- Student picks it up.
- Student looks around.
- Final photograph reveals what happened.
- a beginning
- a middle
- an ending
Step 3 — Include These 8 Camera Shots
You must use each of the following camera shots once.
1. Extreme Long Shot / Establishing ShotShows a large area and tells the viewer where the scene is taking place.
2. Long Shot / Full ShotShows the entire person from head to toe along with some of the surroundings.
3. Medium Long ShotShows approximately from the knees upward.
4. Medium ShotShows approximately from the waist upward.
5. Medium Close-UpShows approximately from the chest or shoulders upward.
6. Close-UpShows the face, expression, or an important object clearly.
7. Extreme Close-UpShows one small detail very closely, such as an eye, hand, phone screen, key, note, or other important object.
8. Point-of-View or Over-the-Shoulder ShotShows what a person is seeing or shows the scene from behind another person.
Step 4 — Match the Camera Shot to the Story
You do not need to use the camera shots in the order listed above.
Choose the camera shot that works best for each moment.
For example:
Establishing Shot → Medium Shot → POV Shot → Close-Up → Extreme Close-Up → Medium Close-Up → Full Shot → Long Shot
Ask yourself:
What should the viewer see at this moment?
Use wide shots when you want to show the location or action.
Use close shots when you want the viewer to notice an expression, emotion, clue, or important detail.
Step 5 — Photograph Your Story
Use your DSLR camera.
Photograph in Manual Mode.
For every photograph, check:
- Focus
- Exposure
- Aperture
- Shutter speed
- ISO
- Composition
- Background
- Subject placement
Create the correct camera shot when you take the photograph.
Take several versions of each photograph so you can choose the strongest one later.
Step 6 — Select Your Best 8 Photographs
After shooting, review your photographs.
Choose the strongest photograph for each camera shot.
Make sure:
- all 8 required camera shots are included
- the story makes sense
- photographs are properly exposed
- subjects are in focus
- backgrounds are not distracting
- each photograph helps move the story forward
Step 7 — Put the Photographs in Story Order
Arrange the photographs in the order they should be viewed.
Your final sequence should clearly show:
Beginning → Development → Ending
The viewer should be able to look through the photographs and understand what happened.
Step 8 — Create Your Final Presentation
Create one finished presentation page or document titled:
One Story, Eight ShotsPlace your 8 photographs in story order.
Under each photograph, identify the camera shot.
Example:
Photo 1 — Establishing Shot
Photo 2 — Medium Shot
Photo 3 — Extreme Close-Up
Do not explain what is happening underneath each photograph.
The images should tell the story.
Step 9 — Complete the Reflection
At the bottom of your assignment, answer:
Which photograph is the strongest image in your sequence? Explain why the camera shot you selected works well for that moment in the story.
Write approximately 3–4 sentences.
Before You Submit Check that you have:
- 8 photographs
- 8 different camera shots
- a clear beginning, middle, and ending
- correct camera-shot labels
- properly focused photographs
- properly exposed photographs
- intentional composition
- completed the reflection
The Main Goal
This assignment is not simply about proving that you know the names of different camera shots.
The goal is to demonstrate that you understand when and why a photographer would choose each shot.
A strong photographer controls:
what the viewer sees, how much they see, and when they see it.