BP11_2009103_Web 2.0 Photo Op

For this blog and the next two blogs, I’m going over a few of my favorite Web 2.0 tools from The National Gallery of Art Kids Zone website (http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/zone.htm). It contains many Web 2.0 applications ready for online use with the aid of Adobe Shockwave which is also free to download. One of my favorites is Photo Op, http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/photoop.htm. Photo Op is free and has many of the tools necessary to learn about Digital Photography and Photoshop. The first part of Photo Op allows students to play with digital photography using the Snapper. This is specifically set up for a beginner photographer as the panoramic landscape is already in place. Directional arrows allow students to move to any desired spot in the landscape for a photo opportunity. Focus, aperture, and speed are located under the camera. Students can then move the focus, aperture, and speed to see how each one changes the snapshot. Snaps are taken by clicking the button on top of the camera just like you would on a regular camera. Snapshots may be viewed on the left column or in the section on the camera that says Pix.

Once a good number of snapshots have been taken, roughly ten to twelve, students may click on a snapshot and the screen immediately changes to edit mode. If the student wants to edit another picture, clicking on the snapper icon will take them back to the snapshots and they may choose another photo. The editor has several options for effects lined up on the left-hand side. Adding to these effects are options at the bottom of the screen to blend, change or add colors, brush styles, cropping, and collage for mirror and multi effects. Once a desired effect is achieved, the photo is saved by clicking on the “save” button. The saves can be edited again and again and it holds up to eighteen saves while the student is working.

The only thing I don’t like about Photo Op is that it will only allow you to work and save while the browser is open. Once the browser is closed and refreshed, all work is lost unless you have saved a screen shot on your computer. Photo Op also does not allow you to upload photos that have already been taken. Each lesson must be started over. This is why it is mostly a beginner learning tool for the basics of practicing how to use a digital camera and edit a photograph. If I had Photoshop on all the school computers, I would use Photo Op in conjunction with it so that students can attain the basic information first before saving and editing.

Images from http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/photoop.htm