The Art of Visual Storytelling

Mika Martinez

Create with intention and examine how photography is a form of visual storytelling. Over the course of 5 days, students will learn technical skills photographers use such as perspective, composition, and lighting, as well as basic posing and how those skills are used to evoke emotions and convey a message through an image. The program encourages students to create their own learning experience by providing them with opportunities to work as a class, in small groups, and self-reflect on what is presented throughout the program. Students will learn how messages are crafted in media by examining the work of other visual storytellers and invite students to share their ideas about what strategies they connect with and want to use in their storytelling. They will be provided with the tools they’ll need to be able to effectively craft their own message using photography. During the program, students will design and create photos around a specified narrative while exploring the question, “What is visual storytelling?”

Program Daily Overview:

Day 1. Students will learn some of the technical choices photographers use to create an image through visual examples, class discussions, and physical demonstrations. Through group collaboration, students will learn how to execute these choices and demonstrate their knowledge by creating an image that incorporates these choices.

Day 2. Students will review the images created from the previous session through self-reflection, and class discussion. As a class, students will learn how to plan a creative project. In small groups students will collaborate on a plan that incorporates the technical choices and physical posing learned from the previous sessions, to create a specific message through imagery.

Day 3. In small groups, students will execute their plan created in the last session to create 3 images that portray a specific message. Students will have no more than 15 snaps to create their vision and will be confined to the parameters set in the session prior.

Day 4. Students will reflect on how the project went within their groups and analyze the images that were created from the previous session. Through self-reflection, group, and class discussion students will discuss what was photographed and what they learned through the process of message crafting.

Day 5. Students will learn how image selection, description, and the order they are presented will impact the narrative of the story they’re trying to convey. Each group will design a presentation that shares their 3 chosen photos to be shared with the class or displayed for the school.

Sessions are designed for 60 minute classes. Another session may need to be added for shorter class periods or for more in depth narratives.

This program offered by: Mika Martinez

Request this Program

Details

Program Model: In Class

Art Form: Visual Art

Curriculum Connections: Character Education, Community Building, Social Justice, Social Studies

Grades: 10, 11, 12, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Adult

Program Requirements: Student classroom with the potential of using other spaces for their photo shoots

Instruction Language(s):

Min. Residency Sessions/Classroom: 5

Mika Martinez

About the Artist

Mika Martinez

Mika is a visual storyteller with more than twenty years of experience. A self-taught artist who learned photography on the job and until 2019 worked with cameras gifted by those who saw their passion and potential. As a Queer Chingona and second-generation Mexican American, Mika is passionate about using photography to transform ideas of possibility by sharing and creating bold and authentic stories. They are most interested in using photography to create a broader representation of people and ideas that lack representation in media. They use collaborative projects to share authentic narratives that connect to their experiences, perceptions, and world observations. In this way, Mika aims to inspire a more inclusive world and to invite people to see themselves as valued and reflected in it. Striving to create through a lens of decolonization and recognizing their positionality as a creator, Mika takes the role of a conduit rather than an owner of the photos created and the knowledge gained. They are a changemaker, working to build a community of mindful and ethical storytellers that will change the world one story at a time.

Learn More

Program Costs

Please note that the cost of a program is determined based on a variety of different factors including number of sessions, planning hours needed and material costs. Please contact Arts for Learning NW for help determining the actual cost of your programs. Email us at [email protected] or call 503-225-5900, ext 705

Delivery Method	Type	Cost	Description
In Class	Mileage/Travel Costs		$.58 per mile round-trip from Nob Hill neighborhood and $15 per hour of drive time (based on typical time listed on Google Maps) from Northwest Portland. This program is available within 20 miles of Portland.
In Class	Planning Meeting	100.00	An in person planning meeting with partnering teachers is required for residencies.
In Class	Materials Preparation Fee		Time spent preparing materials outside of program days. Expect a minimum of one hour per classroom.
In Class	Equipment Use		Camera rental fee $30 per day
In Class	Additional Planning	100.00	Additional planning time with teachers or volunteers, etc.
In Class	Prep Hours	86.00	Time spent on activities in support of the program (e.g. setting up/cleaning a classroom, research, curriculum development, etc.). Expect a minimum of 3 hours prep time per day (cleaning and charging the cameras, uploading, editing and sorting images).
In Class	Culminating Event	100.00	Artist time to oversee a student performance, gallery event, etc.
In Class	Supplies		$3.50 per student
In Class	50 min Workshop Session	250.00	A one session program with students- 50 minutes.
In Class	Teacher Workshop	250.00	A 90 minute workshop for teachers.
In Class	Residency Session	100.00	Residency session prices are based on a 50 minute session. Some artists may prefer different session lengths and will pro-rate the cost.
In Class	Family Arts Night Workshop	400.00	A 90 minute workshop for students and families, typically in the evening or on weekends.