Media & Techniques

7 Affordable Digital & Darkroom Photography Hacks for Art Teachers

Are you a busy art teacher juggling tight budgets and minimal prep time? If so, this series is just for YOU!

Welcome to the Art of Education’s Art Room Hacks—round 2! Join Chris Hodge, a secondary art teacher in Illinois, for all things photography and hacks to make teaching photo so much easier. Plus, stay tuned for a fun, hands-on lesson idea all about material exploration and tips to help students spool their film with ease!

Watch for these photography hacks to save you valuable time and resources:

  • Transform work lights into colorful light wands.
  • Use colored construction paper for backgrounds.
  • Create magical effects with a spray bottle.
  • Flip your standard lens into a macro lens.
  • Repurpose discarded film into new photos.
  • Turn your enlarger into a microscope.
  • Build your own film washing tank with PVC pipe.

Don’t miss more innovative art medium hacks on:

  • Drawing,
  • Embroidery and Sewing,
  • Painting,
  • Ceramics,
  • Media Arts,
  • … and Printmaking!

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Discover more about photography and how to incorporate this medium into your art room by enrolling in Studio: Photography.

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Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lindsey McGinnis

Lindsey McGinnis is AOEU’s Media Content Manager and a former high school art educator. She is passionately equipping art teachers to be successful in their classrooms and firmly believes that art is the best place for students to explore and process the challenging topics and concepts around them.

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