This week’s merit badge corner is a merit badge I recently finished and that is the photography merit badge. Photography is a great hobby and a great way to document the activities of your troop and yourself. Completion of the photography merit badge is also a great qualification to have if you are interested in being your troop’s historian. The memories you will capture with your camera will last you a lifetime. With that here are the requirements for the Photography Merit Badge:
- Explain how the following elements and terms affect the quality of a picture:
- a. Light-natural light/ambient, flash
- b. Exposure-aperture (f-stops), shutter speed, depth of field
- c. Composition-rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, depth
- d. Angle of view
- e. Stopping action
- Explain the basic parts and operation of a film camera or digital camera. Explain how an exposure is made when you take a picture.
- Discuss with your counselor the differences between a film camera and a digital camera. List at least five advantages and five disadvantages of using a digital camera versus using a film camera.
- Do ONE of the following:
- a. Produce a picture story using the photojournalistic technique of documenting an event. Share your plan with your counselor and get your counselor’s input and approval before you proceed. Then, using either a film camera or a digital camera, produce your approved picture story. Process your images and select eight to 12 images that best tell your story. Arrange your images in order, then mount the prints on a poster board. If you are using digital images, you may create a slide show on your computer or produce printouts for your poster board. Share your picture story with your counselor.
- b. Choose a topic that interests you to photograph for an exhibit or display. Get your counselor’s approval, then photograph (digital or film) your topic. Process your images. Choose 20 of your favorite images and mount them on poster board. Share your display with your counselor. If you are using digital images, you may create a slide show on your computer or produce printouts for your poster board.
- Discuss with your counselor the career opportunities in photography. Pick one that interests you and explain how to prepare for such a career. Discuss with your counselor the education and training such a career would require.
The requirements for this badge are quite simple and can be completed during a few discussions with your counselor. For requirement four my recommendation is to use a campout or another troop event but you could also do many other subjects for your photo story. This is really a very fun merit badge and it’s a shame that more scouts don’t take it. Good luck on your badge and I’ll see you next week in the merit badge corner.
Links:
Official BSA Requirements Page
My Gear Head Friday post on Photography
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