Table landscapes

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR CHILDREN

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

> Objects from the kitchen

> Light sources (a torch, or one or more lamps)

> a Smartphone

MAKING A TABLE LANDSCAPE

Put your objects on a table, in a position they aren’t used to, light them up using different lights and from different angles, observe them from several points of view.

When you find a viewpoint you like, take a picture, as if you were looking at an interesting landscape.

You can create cities, space bases, and anything else that comes to mind.

You can introduce some toy characters and have them go for a stroll around the landscape you have invented. 

> What does it look like? What title would you give it?

Send a picture of your landscape to friends.

Do they like it? What does it remind them of? What name would they give to the photo?

MAKE A MOTION TABLE LANDSCAPE  

Would you like your table landscape to come to life, like an animated film?

You can try using the stop motion technique.

Download a stop-motion video App on your phone, such as Stop Motion Studio.

Choose a “frame” you like of your landscape that’s good for taking photos, or simply position your phone so you won’t have to move it again.

Take your first picture.

Plan some moves for your characters / objects, inside the “frame” you have chosen.

Now make your characters or objects do the first bit of the movement, and take your second picture.

Slightly move the characters again and take a third picture, then continue like this, with small moves then a picture, until your characters/objects have completed all the moves you thought up.

If you want your motion video to look effective you need to take at least 30 photos

Be careful you can’t see your hands in the frame when you take your pictures.

Another way of doing this is to simulate movement in the objects by moving yourself.

Take a photograph of your objects, and then change place a little (for example get up a bit closer) and then take a second photo.

Continue like this, slightly changing place around the table, and taking photos as above, until you have at least 30 photos.

For your video to look effective you have to change placevery slightly.

You can move aroundin lots ofdifferent ways: move closer to a detail, step sideways, do zigzags left and right or move in the shape of a wave, start high and go low, or vice versa – and see what happens.

If two, three, or four of you are working together you can create several different movements and effects, but you’ll have to coordinate with each other very carefully.

You can transform your motion video into a gif and send it to friends. But don’t forget to give it a title!

You can suggest the idea to friends who live in different houses, and invent, plan, and try out new landscapes all together.

AT HOME WITH THE REGGIO APPROACH