Blast from the past
You’ll need
- Camera or phone
- Printed copies of old black and white pictures
Look at old photographs
- Split into groups, and give each group a few of the black and white photographs.
- Each group should look carefully at the photos. Where were they taken? What time of day was it? How many people were in the photo? What were they wearing? What were they doing?
- Each group should choose one or two old photos to recreate. They should choose the ones they find interesting, but ones which are realistic to recreate during their meeting.
Take new photographs
- Each group should recreate their chosen photographs as closely as possible, using a camera or smartphone.
- Each group needs to recreate the photograph twice: once in black and white, and once in colour.
Compare the old and the new
- Look at your two new photos. Which elements stand out better in black and white, and which look better in colour? Do the photos make you feel different things? Which works best for this picture?
- Compare your new photos to the old photograph. Can you imagine how the old one would look in colour? How would it change it? Would you see other details?
Reflection
This activity helped you develop practical and up-to-date skills. Do you usually think a lot about the pictures you take? Did this task help you improve your photography skills? Do you think people in the future will look at pictures you’ve taken? Was it easy to recreate the photos? What were the easiest and most difficult bits?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Phones and cameras
Make sure parents and carers are aware and have given consent for photography.
Make it accessible
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
