Hasta La Ideas

Reporting and Images by Ciara Taylor

The Design Research Conference kicked off at IIT in Chicago with five half-day workshops. Conference attendees had the option to choose one of the following courses: Building Confidence in Design Sketching, Improv as a Tool for Prototyping, Research Photography, What4: Frame Stretching and Groundhog Day. Although I was able to see a portion of each, I spent most of my time in the Research Photography workshop hosted by Ben McAllister and Amber Lindholm of frog’s Austin, Texas branch. This workshop promised to be interactive and dynamic, taking participants outside the classroom to apply the techniques learned in the workshop to the world around them.

Ben and Amber touched on the fundamentals of photography in research. This included tips on the interaction between the researcher and the user. More specifically, how to obtain permission to take someone’s photo without losing the moment as well as the importance of keeping the camera visible so that you do not make your subject feel scared or dehumanized. A variety of techniques were also discussed such as photos as research data and, using photos to elicit stories or provoke thought. They also reviewed more technical photography topics, and made suggestions as to what type of lens to use, aperture settings, exposure, flash, and composition. Some key tips worth highlighting are: use a 50mm lens, do not rely on flash, utilize natural light and rely on your aperture and exposure to capture a great photo.

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