Scanograms

Students go through a similar creative process for scanograms as they do for photograms. In both, they begin with a blank canvas and must compose objects within that space to create their final work. This is an interesting twist in a photography course, as creating a traditional photograph is a subtractive thought process: you begin with the world, and then you crop things out with the four edges of the frame. The result is a photograph.

For scanograms, however, students work in our digital lab with flatbed scanners and with the Adobe Photoshop software. They are asked to scan a variety of objects, some 3D and some 2D, and then assemble those objects in Photoshop. The project serves two key purposes: the first is to give them some variety in the breadth portion of their AP portfolio. The other is to teach them the fundamentals of digital photography and Adobe Photoshop. They are expected to consider image size, the layers palette, and a variety of tools. The tools include but are not limited to the crop tool, the move tool, brushes, and the eraser tool. Here are some examples:


Amanda Marco


Diana Martinez


Dolly Rivera

Like the photograms in the previous post, the best scanograms consider the entire page and transform the original objects into something brand new. Some also work within a coherent theme or idea and even employ metaphor, expanding them beyond mere aesthetic concerns.

Bill Guy
Teaching Artist
AAEP