Eileen Cowin lives and works in Santa Monica, California. While some photographers, such as photojournalists, photograph "found" moments that are generally outside of their control (like candid shots), Cowin actually invents the moments.
In the late 1970s she began to compose and photograph scenes about American family life, focusing on family relationships. Each of Cowin's photographs are records of carefully-staged moments. She herself often appears as an actor along with her family members.
Cowin plans her photographs by sketching (drawing) the scene. She plans the arrangement of the people, their gestures and poses, the camera location, and the lighting and shadows. Cowin's method of directing and staging her images is not new. It is an approach that photographers have used to tell stories through art since photography was developed.
We are going to use Cowin's idea and method to create our own story moment with a photograph. Use the next sheet to plan your story.