PHOTO OP (Shockwave, 7 MB) is a two-part interactive activity that introduces you to digital photography and digital photo editing. Use the virtual camera to create snapshots and explore lighting, focus, shutter speed, and compositional effects. After you have taken some photos, transform your pictures into something completely different.
This Art Zone interactive is suitable for all ages. You can take simple snapshots or create complex artistic compositions by layering, applying filters, and experimenting with various special effects, lighting, and blends. If your Internet connection is slow, allow the program to load fully, then come back to play. Scroll down for some hints about how to use PHOTO OP.
SNAPPER: Use the viewfinder window to explore the panoramic scene. Pan left, right, up, and down. Select your subject, and then zoom in and out to frame your composition. Experiment with focus, aperture, and shutter speed settings to create different effects. Click the red button at the top of the camera to SNAP your pictures. With PHOTO OP you can create portraits, landscapes, architectural scenes, still life photos, and abstract designs. |
EDITOR: After you have taken some photos, click on a picture to enter the editing mode. Transform your photo into a whole new art form by changing the colors, adding special effects, or constructing composite collages. To return to the original picture and cancel your edits, use the REVERT button at the bottom left. |
SAVE: It's a good idea to save your work often so you can backtrack if you change your mind. You can save 18 pictures and mix them together to create interesting screens and collages. Saved pictures will remain active and "editable" as long as your Web browser and the window with the PHOTO OP program remain open. If you refresh the Web page, the interactive will reload and all work in progress will disappear. To take more pictures, return to the SNAPPER activity by clicking the camera icon at the top left.
To share your designs electronically or to save them to your computer, create a PDF or take a screen shot. Here's how.
RECOMMENDED BROWSERS: If you have a Macintosh, use Safari or Firefox 2. On a Windows-based computer, use Internet Explorer or Firefox 2. Firefox 3 is still in development, and you may experience display problems with Shockwave and Flash content. If parts of the interactive "disappear" from view, or if portions of the Firefox window turn black, just resize the browser window to refresh the screen.
PLUG-INS: If you see a broken plug-in icon or the top of the page is blank, you need to download or update your Shockwave Player. Some Intel-based Macintosh computers may experience printing problems when using Shockwave 11. Our help page explains how to uninstall the new Shockwave Player and install the older version in Rosetta mode. A simpler workaround is to take screenshots of your art and print the saved files.
