PHOTOGRAPHY TEXTBOOK FOR SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL (SSS 1 – SSS 3) WRITTEN BY CYRIL ISI

ABOUT THE BOOK

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL is a textbook for students studying Photography in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. It covers the photography curriculum from SS 1 to SS 3. The book is written by CYRIL ISI using the Federal Ministry of Education (NERDC) approved curriculum on Photography for Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. The content of the photography curriculum is designed to reflect the basic nature of technology i.e knowledge, skill, creativity and attitude. The photography themes are meant to usher the students into the world of photography, cameras, computers, information and communication technology and mass media.

The book covers nineteen (19) photography themes in line with the NERDC curriculum. These themes include: Introduction to Photography / Theory of light / The Camera / The film / Shooting of photographs / The darkroom / Film development / Printing / History and appreciation of photography / Introduction to lighting / Lenses / Care and preservation of photographs / Introduction to digital photography / Field trips / Darkroom printing techniques / Exhibitions.

This book is written by CYRIL ISI with many years of professional teaching experience in Photography. It provides the students with quality of instructions and learning that are necessary for a thorough understanding of Photography. It is practical oriented, activity based, self-explanatory and learner-centered instructional material. Abundant drills and exercises provided at the end of each chapter reveal the extent at which the student is put in mind.

This book is also suitable for students preparing for National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) professional examination in Photography. And also student preparing for City and Guild of London Institute professional exam in Photography will find the book very useful and relevant.

PHOTOGRAPHY AS A SUBJECT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) marked a significant step in the history of education in Nigeria when it introduced the Entrepreneurship/Trade subjects in 2011 and made it mandatory for every student in Senior Secondary School to offer at least one Entrepreneurship/Trade subject and register for it in WAEC/NECO examination. The new trade curriculum was designed to meet the targets of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) which are expressed as: VALUE RE-ORIENTATION, POVERTY ERADICATION, JOB CREATION, WEALTH GENERATION and using education to empower the citizenry. The overall goal of the curriculum is to prepare the students to face the challenges of the new millennium. The major aim is that students having successfully passed through the senior secondary education, should have acquired the skills in a specific trade to enable them create jobs and generate wealth.

Photography is one of the Entrepreneurship/trade subjects introduced by NERDC in 2011 and offered as a subject in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. The introduction of the subject is informed by the continually changing world which we live today and the unprecedented rate in technological advancement that is shrinking the world into a global village. Photography enables a person to record visual images through photographs to be kept for posterity. It also enables one to transmit events happening around the globe in a matter of seconds thereby enriching ones experiences in terms of activities that have bearing on politics, economics, education, social, cultural and other institution. It is therefore a truism that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Photography mirrors reality, an ART as well as SCIENCE. It captures and reproduces reality with accuracy. Its services span the range of human needs, both practical and emotional. It plays a vital role in helping to preserve records of different fields of study, in preserving the cultural heritage, in business, industry, education, medicine, criminology and defence services, coupled with keeping a record of special occasions in day-to-day life.

Though the curriculum has been in use since 2011, it is still not common to find schools offering Photography as a subject. This is largely due to non-availability of qualified teachers who know the technical know-how, non-availability of teaching materials (textbooks, workbooks and teaching aids that goes with the NERDC curriculum) and lack of proper awareness by some school proprietors. Inorder to solve this problem, this interesting textbook on photography was written along with a training log book. This happens to be the first photography textbook in Nigeria for secondary schools.

BENEFITS OF LEARNING PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL

Photography for students offers a range of exciting and valuable learning experiences, not to mention some great experiences that help shape their future and make them more prepared to take responsibilities in life. The benefits include:

Stimulate Creativity: Photography allows students to display their potential through creativity and innovations. It stimulates students to develop their creativity through captured and edited photographs. Children grow up in a very visual world and everything that they see helps develop their personality and character. A big chunk of their learning development is in the visual aspect of their lives. Having them learn photography at an early age can therefore further fortify their academic progress, increase innovation and stimulate creativity.

ICT Skills: Learning digital photography improves students’ computer skills because they need to load pictures from their digital camera and smartphones unto the computer and edit the pictures using photo editing softwares like Photoshop, Piccasa, DG FotoArt etc. Also they will learn to upload edited pictures on the internet on platforms like facebook, school websites, newspaper and other media sites. All these help to strengthen and improve their information communication and technology skills.

Lifelong learners: In the course of learning digital photography, students will gain positive sense of identity and efficacy through the development of practical skills and knowledge. The photography curriculum is closely related to careers found in Technology, Science, Humanities and Business and therefore are directly connected to lifelong learning, whether in a professional career or through hobbies and personal interest.

Boost Self Esteem: To engage in photography, students not only need to use knowledge and skills but also must interact with each other. Through photography, students learn about themselves, others and the world around them. They use their new understanding and skills to explore who they are, who they might become and how they can contribute to the large community in which they live. This goes a long way to boost their self esteem

Responsible citizens: Responsible citizens have empathy for those around them and contribute to the well-being of the community as a whole. Photography students learn how new skills and abilities enable them to make a difference in their personal lives as well as in their family and community. Skills and abilities gained in photography classes build a sense of confidence which encourages students to participate effectively in their world.

Cross-curricular competencies: The cross-curricular competencies are four interrelated areas containing understandings, values, skills, and process that are considered important for learning in all areas of study. In photography, the cross-curricular competencies also relate to lifelong learning through career development and transitions to post-secondary training, education and work

Digital Literacy: Learning digital photography helps students to develop photo-visual literacy which leads to digital literacy. Digital literacy requires certain skill sets that are interdisciplinary in nature. These skills are information, media and technology, learning and innovation skills and life and career skills.

Communication skills: Photographs are a great tool for communication. It is rightly said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Taking photography as a subject, help the students to learn how to effectively communicate using the right pictures. This is a skill that will help them in any field of study and at any point in time in their life.

Entrepreneurship: Photography is a trade that is making wave in this era. It is also a money spinner when properly organized and managed. It is a trade for equipping the youth for self employment and empowerment. Acquiring the skills in photography will empower students for and prepare them for a career as a professional photographer or photojournalist.

DON’T BE LEFT OUT. BE PART OF THE NEW ERA OF EDUCATION. CHOOSE PHOTOGRAPHY AS A SUBJECT

• Are you a student in Senior Secondary School, studying Photography as a Trade subject and you need this textbook? Please contact the author. If your school is not offering Photography as a Trade subject, tell your Principal to contact the author. We can help your school introduce the subject, provide qualified teachers and learning materials.

• Are you a parent with a child in secondary school? Would you like your child to take Photography as a Trade subject? Talk to the school authority and let them contact the author. We can help introduce the subject in the school, provide qualified teachers and learning materials.

• Are you a secondary school owner/proprietor? Do you would want your school to offer Photography as a Trade subject? It is very easy, contact the author.

• Are you an educational bookseller? You can contact the author for a business relationship.

For further information please contact the author

MR CYRIL ISI
Tel: 08180495451; 08101809463
Email: writecyril@yahoo.com
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