the Whiteboard

Monday, July 20, 2026

Visual Values

What’s your level of interest in these things?

Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 (super interested)

Art 1 2 3 4 5

Design 1 2 3 4 5

Fashion 1 2 3 4 5

Cinema 1 2 3 4 5

What do all these things have in common?

Which topic are the following question about?

1. What kind of house did you grow up in? Architecture

2. Do you spend a lot of money on clothes? ______________

3. What colours look good on you? ______________

4. Can you remember the music from Star Wars? Harry Potter? The Simpsons? ______________

5. Do you like to have nice cups, plates, bowls and glasses in your home? ______________

6. Do you like walking around old cities and looking at the buildings? Which ones have you explored? ______________

7. What’s in fashion at the moment in your country? ______________

8. Can you draw a tree? ______________

9. Which cars are nicer looking – BMWs or Teslas? ______________

10. Do you like to watch documentaries? Which kinds? ______________

Now discuss the questions in pairs or groups

Which topic or field do the following words relate to more? Are there any words that belong in more than one group?

Scaffold palette drawing board catwalk editor curator

Plan garment canvas scene frame colour scheme

Sketch fabric brush plot portrait floor plan

Model costume prop studio foundations

Clothing

What are the following things?

Who wears them?

Where do they wear them?

Why?

gown

costume

dress

skirt

garment

outfit

suit

robe

coat

Describe a catwalk outfit

Discuss

Describe a building

This photo shows eleven men sitting on a steel beam high above New York City, eating lunch. The workers are dressed in shirts and trousers, some wearing hats. They appear relaxed, with legs dangling off the beam. Below, a busy city with other buildings and streets can be seen. The sky is clear, emphasizing the height and openness.

A woman stands on a city sidewalk above a subway grate. A sudden gust of air lifts her white dress, which billows up around her. She holds the dress down with both hands, smiling and slightly leaning forward. Her hair is styled in soft curls, and she wears high heels. The scene is lit brightly, with dark surroundings suggesting it is nighttime.

Here are 5 classic compositional or framing techniques for photography.

Which rule does each photograph exemplify?

1. Canted angle

2. Strong diagonal

3. Rule of thirds

4. Framing device

5. Dividing the frame (composite)

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What subjects for photography do you see in some of the following photographs?

Landscape Emotions Festivals Reflections Light Exotic things

Shadows Atmosphere Signs and text Symbols Juxtapositions

Unusual people Nature Patterns Architecture Colour Shapes

Overlooked things Cities Animals Movement Lines Angles

Texture The human form Water Striking moments Newsworthy things

"There is nothing in this world that does not have its decisive moment."

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Discuss this quote using this photograph to explain what Cartier-Bresson means...

Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything

What is / are the "decisive" thing / s in each image?

Agree or disagree?

1. These photographs are inspired by people more than surroundings.

2. The images would be better in colour.

3. The images use similar tricks to get your attention.

4. There is a strong diagonal line in most of the images.

5. The photographer must have been very patient.

6. The photographs apply the rule of thirds.

- Which is the strongest or most unforgettable image, in your opinion?

Seeing with the heart - Robert Frank

Discuss this quote:

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly - what is essential is invisible to the eye,”

- writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Robert Frank on the Americans

What does Robert say about the following things?

Being inconspicuous

Gambling

Atmosphere

Accidental photographs

Intruding

Vivid Verbs

Emotion

Movement

Behaviour

Face

Body

Animal

MInd

Natural

Noise

Voice

Now let's have a chat

1. Do you sometimes conceal your real opinions? Why?

2. Do you have a special way of coaxing a cat to come up to you for a pat?

3. Is there anyone in your life that you might try to dodge of you saw them in the street? Why?

4. What's a kind of food or drink you despise?

5. Do you struggle to emerge from sleep in the morning or do you leap out of bed?

6. Can you successfully flip a pancake?

7. Who is a friend you love to goof around with? What sort of things do you do together?

8. Have you ever fainted? When was it? Where were you? Why did you faint?

9. When did you last have to haul furniture from one house or one room to another?

10. Do you sometimes honk the horn of your car at other drivers?

11. What time of day do you find it easier to focus on more creative things?

12. Do you enjoy hunting for bargains at secondhand shops?

honk

conceal

flip

goof

haul

hunting

fainted

focus

coaxing

dodge

emerge

despise

1. Do you sometimes _______ your real opinions? Why?

2. Do you have a special way of _________ a cat to come up to you for a pat?

3. Is there anyone in your life that you might try to _______ if you saw them in the street? Why?

4. What's a kind of food or drink you ________?

5. Do you struggle to _________ from sleep in the morning or do you leap out of bed?

6. Can you successfully _________ a pancake?

7. Who is a friend you love to ________ around with? What sort of things do you do together?

8. Have you ever______ ? When was it? Where were you?

9. When did you last have to ________ furniture from one house or one room to another?

10. Do you sometimes ________ the horn of your car at other drivers?

11. What time of day do you find it easier to _______ on more creative things?

12. Do you enjoy ________ for bargains at second-hand shops?

In groups write a suitable noun next to any of these verbs: e.g. shatter + glass

Vivid verbs practice:

A to E

E to M

M to U

Raise

retain

Foresee

resisting

define

inspired

Explore

Measure

gather

focussing

1. How do you _______ ( ) your progress and development in learning a language?

2. Why might someone ______ ( ) their eyebrows?

3. What are you _______ ( ) on at the moment in your English language development?

4. What good things do you _______ ( )in your future?

5. Which parts of New Zealand would you like to ______ ( ) further?

6 . Do you feel like you _______ ( ) the language you learn? How do you do this?

7. Where do young people usually ______ ( ) in your town?

8. How would you ______ ( ) your personality type?

9 . Are you good at ________ ( ) the temptation to eat junk food?

10. Talk about a person that ______ ( ) you as a kid.

1. Ignore:

If someone ignored you during a conversation, how would you make sure they noticed you again?

2. Design:

If you could design a new fashion trend, what would it be and how do you think people would react to it?

3. Pinpoint:

Can you pinpoint the moment when you realized you were really good at something? Was it embarrassing or awesome?

4. Reconsider:

If someone told you that eating pizza every day would make you healthier, would you reconsider your diet?

5. Prevent:

What’s the best way to prevent embarrassing moments in front of your crush? Any tips?

6. Sidestep:

Have you ever tried to sidestep a tough question from a teacher or boss? How did you do it?

7. Retain:

If you could retain one piece of advice forever, what would it be, and why do you think it’s so important?

8. Scan:

If you were scanning a room full of people for the most interesting person, what would you be looking for?

9. Inspire:

What’s the most ridiculous thing someone has ever said that actually inspired you to do something?

10. Indicate:

If someone’s body language indicated they were totally uninterested in what you were saying, would you keep talking or change the subject?

Write five ten-word sentences using ten workhouse verbs.

1_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ ________ ________.

2_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ ________ ________.

3_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ ________ ________.

4_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ ________ ________.

5_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ ________ ________.