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High School, Experiment with Photography & Video Science Projects (11 results)

Explore the science and technology behind photography, digital photography, and video. Use your camera to see light in a new way, like skyglow or infrared. Or test how changing different settings of a camera or image affect what you see.

Picture This: Building a Cell Phone Microscope
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Imagine you are on a trip and see something interesting that you want to share with your friends. What do you do? You take a picture with your cell phone and e-mail it to them, of course. But did you realize that the same technology can be used to save lives? Using their cell phones modified as inexpensive microscopes, medical personnel can look at blood smears to help diagnose diseases like malaria and cholera. In this photography science project you will build a simple and inexpensive cell… Read more
Using a Digital Camera to Measure Skyglow
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
This is a great project for someone interested in both stargazing and photography. Bright city lights and even the light of the full Moon obscure the dimmest stars, which can make identifying constellations more difficult. In this astronomy science project, you will calibrate a digital camera to measure the skyglow in different locations. This can be a great tool to comparing the quality of different star viewing locations. Read more
Digital Pinhole Camera
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
If you sit under a leafy tree on a sunny day, you may notice spots of sunlight on the ground from light passing through spaces between the leaves. Try putting a piece of cardboard on the ground and examining the spots of light on the cardboard. Even though the spaces through which the light is passing are irregular in shape, the spots on the cardboard are round. What you are seeing, in fact, are projected images of the sun. Light passing through an aperture forms an image. A pinhole camera… Read more
Seeing Beyond the Visible: Photography with Near Infrared Illumination
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an extra sense? What if you could hear above the normal range (ultrasound) like dogs or bats? What if you could see ultraviolet light, like bees or juvenile trout? What if you could see infrared light, like a rattlesnake or boa constrictor? This project shows you how you can use a phone or camera, tripod, and a special filter to take pictures using near infrared illumination. It's a whole new way of looking at the world. Read more
Color Theory
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Advanced students might want to look for an experiment in the areas of color theory or gamma and light curves. Following web page can help you get started: Color Theory Fundamentals for Digital Photography Read more
Measuring Speed with a Video Camera
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
A video camera records 30 "frames" or distinct images per second. (That's for an NTSC camera in the U.S. PAL cameras in other areas of the world take 25 frames per second.) You can use this fact to time events and measure speed. One student has used a video camera to measure the speed of an arrow shot from a bow. The following project can help you set up your experiment: Distance and Speed of Rolling Objects Measured from Video Recordings. Read more
Measuring the Speed of Moving Objects with Stroboscopic Photography
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
A strobe light can illuminate an entire room in just tens of microseconds. Inexpensive strobe lights can flash up to 10 or 20 times per second. This project shows you how to use stroboscopic photography to analyze motion. Read more
Measuring Height Or Distances with a Camera
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
If you know or calculate the field of view for your camera, you can use it to measure distances and the height of almost anything. It's all a matter of basic trigonometry. Read more
Focusing Your Flash for 'Freezing' Motion
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Here's an interesting flash photography project. With an inexpensive Fresnel lens, you can concentrate the light from your flash. You'll be able to shoot with a smaller aperture and a shorter flash duration. This will give you greater depth of focus and will allow you to 'freeze' motion at higher speeds. The trade-off is that the light will be concentrated toward the center of the frame. This project shows you how you can investigate that trade-off and find out how you can best use your flash… Read more
Digital Photos and Dynamic Range
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Digital cameras can be a great way to learn about photography. Most digital cameras today have LCD screens, so you get instant feedback on your photo. If you make a mistake, no problem, you just delete the picture. It's nice that you don't have to worry about the expense and bother of developing film! This project can help you learn to take better pictures. Read more
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