I Took This Photo, Added Some Text, and Voilà! My Title Image
This week’s challenge is to create a set of e-learning images to share with other course designers. Recently I’ve been contributing images to MorgueFile via their daily challenges (which I wrote about here), but was excited to put together a full set of related images.
The Setting
I was headed to a nearby island with a friend on Saturday anyway, so I grabbed my camera and spent a chilly afternoon snapping away. This location is often used for group retreats, and I tried to capture as many types of usable images as possible.
Simple Backgrounds
It’s easy to make simple background images. Below left you can see my pictures of wine glasses and some dry plants. On the right are the same pictures after I applied a couple of PowerPoint effects. It’s simple and I love the result.
Left: My Unretouched Photos. Right: The Same Images With Simple PowerPoint Effects
Scenario Backgrounds
When I create e-learning scenarios, I try to treat them like a movie. I go for the wide establishing shot, the group shot, the two-person shot, the one-person shot, and all sorts of close-ups. I took lots of pics with that approach in mind, where you can easily add in characters. These images are also HUGE, so they’re easy to crop to focus on any area you’d like.
Here Are a Few of My Scenario Backgrounds: Just Add Characters!
Objects & Themes
Recycling? Home? Nature? Recreation? Food Service? I found lots of image subgroups to play with. With a little creativity, they can be used in endless ways.
I Love These Images For Their Great Colors and Shapes
This is a Cottage Where I Focused on Photographing Everyday Objects & Scenario Backgrounds
I Just Love These Recycling Bins – They’re Fantastic Images to Work With
These are Just a Few of the Objects I Found at a Community Dining Hall
Download Them for Free!
Update: I’m not seeing these up on MorgueFile anymore – but if you can find ’em, you can use ’em!
The added bonus of doing these shots is having to clean the house. I need to take some pics of my daughter’s room. It’ll either be clean or can be used for HazMat training. :)
So you’ll get some good shots either way!
You’ll notice I only took pictures of other people’s houses. I might have used ours if David had preceded this with a “Clean Your House Already!” challenge.
You won’t get any rules around cleaning from me. Shoot whatever you like. Every layer of dirt and grime is a layer of authenticity. Death to sanitized stock photos!
Wow 198 pictures… Phew… you’ve been at it!
I have! But I’ve been looking for an excuse to put together a lot of related images rather than separate one-off photos – so this was the perfect opportunity.
I can’t wait to see yours, Jeff!
Wow Jackie! You actually were only looking for an excuse to do what you loved to do… I like all the pictures, I see similar sights too but don’t seem to always see its applications; like the bins and the washing machines…
The tree made sense after the text on it, but would I have thought that could be any useful? I tend to only find images/pictures when I need them and then it becomes difficult to locate them then.
Thanks, Daniel! Even though I might not be able to immediately think of a way to use an image of a stack of plates or a living room or a boat trailer – there are lots of others who can. PLUS – once it’s in my library I’m going to keep those scenes and objects in mind as I design courses, screens, scenarios, etc.
Equally importantly, we each observe the world in a way that only we can, which is easy to take for granted. You’d be amazed at how even the little things around you, if captured in a photo and shared, give others a window into your experience that broadens their horizons or sparks their creativity. Even recycling bins.
You should try it! People would love to see your world. :)
I love the pictures Jackie! Such a terrific glimpse into your world…and your photography skills and angles are quite impressive.
Thanks, Donna! I treated it more like a shoot to get raw material – photos I can crop, make brighter, add filters to, etc. – rather than pristine shots. It’s the kind of thing that helps me a lot when I’m building. :)