Week 1
September 1st, 2010
● A caption should not tell the obvious, they should add something to the photo.
● Ask someone for more information, this way you can have an accurate, detailed caption.
● Ask questions about the things you are taking pictures of.
● After each assignment we will be writing a self-critique. The guidelines can be found in the syllabus.
● The histogram tells you about the exposure of a photograph -- learn to use it.
● The photo is made up of whatever you compose. This is what tells the story:
--What are you going to put in it, how will it be light, what vantage point will you shoot from, etc.
● There are several things to consider in a photograph:
-- Geometry
-- Rule of thirds
-- Lighting
-- Biology
-- Psychology
-- Physics
Each of these things makes up and influences the photograph.
Geometry:
Point: is a very small dot
Line: Is a straight point in the photograph. It is essential to lining things up. It can be the side of a building, the horizon or any other straight line.
Triangle: Is a very stable structure
Proportions:
1:1 is a perfectly symmetrical square
1:2 is the rule of thirds (golden ratio)
1:4
2:3
4:3 is 8X10
Psych: What do we want to see in the photo
●Learn to use different type of light. Sometime diffused light or uneven light can be good. LEarn how to shoot in different types.
Some Tips and Advice:
●Pay attention to lines, limbs, distracting elements when composing a photo. Do not let a pole stick out of someone's head.
● Watch for motion, make sure you can get the right shutter speed to stop it.
● The light right before the sun comes up is an excellent time to shoot. It is also very calm.
● Shooting just before sunset is another good time
Thoughts:
I am excited to start this photo class. It has been years since I have picked up anything other than a point-and-shoot camera. I hope that I can familiarize myself with the camera and its controls quickly.
It will be interesting to see the work that other students are producing as well. I look forward to seeing the style and technique that my peers are using.
I need to make sure I review these initial tips, this way I can optimize my shooting time.
Week 2
Week 2
September 8th, 2010
●If your pictures are not coming out good enough, then you are not close enough.
-- this is both emotionally and physically. You need to know something about your subject for the shot to turn out well.
Icons: They symbolize something
● Pictures can become cliche too
● Photographers can become emotionally distraught depending on the kind of work they do.
● If you want good pictures, you need to arrive early and stay late.
● Think in the five dimensions
-- height
-- width
-- depth
-- time
-- imagination
● Sunlight is very intense, the skylight is about 1/4 as intense
● Avoid mergers in photographs
● Small group og photographers speaking out -- also a tiny aperture
● You should explore relationships within your photographs
● Your lead photo in your photo story should be showing a key activity and telling the reader something
Some of the important concepts to focus on:
● Five dimensions
● Weather
● Subject
● Composition
Thoughts:
This week we learned some more about concepts in photographs. I found it interesting to see how much emotions is in some photographs and how connected the photographers can be. I look forward to seeing how I am connected with more of the work I do in this class.
September 8th, 2010
●If your pictures are not coming out good enough, then you are not close enough.
-- this is both emotionally and physically. You need to know something about your subject for the shot to turn out well.
Icons: They symbolize something
● Pictures can become cliche too
● Photographers can become emotionally distraught depending on the kind of work they do.
● If you want good pictures, you need to arrive early and stay late.
● Think in the five dimensions
-- height
-- width
-- depth
-- time
-- imagination
● Sunlight is very intense, the skylight is about 1/4 as intense
● Avoid mergers in photographs
● Small group og photographers speaking out -- also a tiny aperture
● You should explore relationships within your photographs
● Your lead photo in your photo story should be showing a key activity and telling the reader something
Some of the important concepts to focus on:
● Five dimensions
● Weather
● Subject
● Composition
Thoughts:
This week we learned some more about concepts in photographs. I found it interesting to see how much emotions is in some photographs and how connected the photographers can be. I look forward to seeing how I am connected with more of the work I do in this class.
Week 3
Week 3
September 15th, 2010
Critiquing:
● What is strong in the photo
● What could be improved
Look for certain things:
● Content: is it newsworthy
● Aesthetics: well arranged, good looking
● Technical: in focus, clear, proper camera settings
Critiques:
Chip: Great subject, some are technically strong
Ellie: Really great subject, work on cropping
Mine: --The orange effect on skin is from the artificial light
-- She looks too fixed/forced in the photos
-- show more variation
-- what is outside the window
People Without People guidelines:
● Show the presence of people without showing any people
● Show effects of the masses
● Observe how people alter spaces
Thoughts:
The first round of critiques was good. It was fun to see what kinds of work other people are producing, and there is some great stuff in the class. I really need to brush up on camera skills, as I feel I was really lacking in this assignment. I hope to improve as the semester goes by.
September 15th, 2010
Critiquing:
● What is strong in the photo
● What could be improved
Look for certain things:
● Content: is it newsworthy
● Aesthetics: well arranged, good looking
● Technical: in focus, clear, proper camera settings
Critiques:
Chip: Great subject, some are technically strong
Ellie: Really great subject, work on cropping
Mine: --The orange effect on skin is from the artificial light
-- She looks too fixed/forced in the photos
-- show more variation
-- what is outside the window
People Without People guidelines:
● Show the presence of people without showing any people
● Show effects of the masses
● Observe how people alter spaces
Thoughts:
The first round of critiques was good. It was fun to see what kinds of work other people are producing, and there is some great stuff in the class. I really need to brush up on camera skills, as I feel I was really lacking in this assignment. I hope to improve as the semester goes by.
Week 4
Week 4:
September 22nd, 2010
Today we discussed the importance of captions and the proper information to put in them. Captions need to include information not present in the picture itself. It shouldn't include any speculation by the author, only facts. If you have the person's thoughts or comments, use them in quotations.
Selective focus: when the photographer selects parts of the frame to keep in focus. This is done by using a small f-stop. It will keep a very small plane in focus.
Bringing highlights to the right, and low-lights to the left will help bring out the maximum contrast of a photograph.
Merger: when two lines overlap and form a shape that the viewer can't understand. Just because two lines meet and overlap doesn't mean it's a merger.
When you want to have special attention paid to a certain detail, it is best to photograph it during the time of day during which it is spotlighted.
Thoughts:
I have been able to develop more of my personal style in my photography. It also looks like other people in the class have too. Everyone is getting better at taking photographs, as the work is much improved from the beginning of the semester. I am able to get constructive criticism during lectures that really helps me on future assignments. I also learn new skill and terms such as selective focus and focal planes, which help me get ideas for future photos.
September 22nd, 2010
Today we discussed the importance of captions and the proper information to put in them. Captions need to include information not present in the picture itself. It shouldn't include any speculation by the author, only facts. If you have the person's thoughts or comments, use them in quotations.
Selective focus: when the photographer selects parts of the frame to keep in focus. This is done by using a small f-stop. It will keep a very small plane in focus.
Bringing highlights to the right, and low-lights to the left will help bring out the maximum contrast of a photograph.
Merger: when two lines overlap and form a shape that the viewer can't understand. Just because two lines meet and overlap doesn't mean it's a merger.
When you want to have special attention paid to a certain detail, it is best to photograph it during the time of day during which it is spotlighted.
Thoughts:
I have been able to develop more of my personal style in my photography. It also looks like other people in the class have too. Everyone is getting better at taking photographs, as the work is much improved from the beginning of the semester. I am able to get constructive criticism during lectures that really helps me on future assignments. I also learn new skill and terms such as selective focus and focal planes, which help me get ideas for future photos.
Week 5
Week 5:
September 29th, 2010
Emotion can be conveyed by gesture, facial expression and body language. These elements are essential to communicate how a person feels. They offer clues to their personality.
Remember to specifically discuss elements that are good or could be improved. Don't be vague and general!
Don't pose the person for this type of candid assignment. Try and get them doing things they would do without you there.
Don't harass people on the street for photos. Start a conversation, be friendly, let them know what you are doing.
Remember to find the best vantage point. Watch for things running off the frame and disappearing. Get your vantage point, set-up then WAIT for the moment to happen.
The canvas around the image can affect how the image looks and what parts stand out.
Many images can come from one vantage point. It's about waiting for the moment to happen, then capturing it.
You can make something pop by mkaing the background of the photo out of focus.
Focal length, aperture and subject distance are the three tings that affect depth of field.
Thoughts:
There was some interesting discussion about capturing emotion. This will help me when doing future assignments that require emotion from people. It will also help me when I do my photo story. It is very interesting to see how much emotions can be capture din a phorograph, but it's even more inetretsing to see how much the photographer has an effect on the way emotion shows though.
September 29th, 2010
Emotion can be conveyed by gesture, facial expression and body language. These elements are essential to communicate how a person feels. They offer clues to their personality.
Remember to specifically discuss elements that are good or could be improved. Don't be vague and general!
Don't pose the person for this type of candid assignment. Try and get them doing things they would do without you there.
Don't harass people on the street for photos. Start a conversation, be friendly, let them know what you are doing.
Remember to find the best vantage point. Watch for things running off the frame and disappearing. Get your vantage point, set-up then WAIT for the moment to happen.
The canvas around the image can affect how the image looks and what parts stand out.
Many images can come from one vantage point. It's about waiting for the moment to happen, then capturing it.
You can make something pop by mkaing the background of the photo out of focus.
Focal length, aperture and subject distance are the three tings that affect depth of field.
Thoughts:
There was some interesting discussion about capturing emotion. This will help me when doing future assignments that require emotion from people. It will also help me when I do my photo story. It is very interesting to see how much emotions can be capture din a phorograph, but it's even more inetretsing to see how much the photographer has an effect on the way emotion shows though.
Week 6
Week 6
October 6th, 2010
Using the term "I set it up" implies the photo was set up by the photographer and the subject posed for the image. Framed is the proper term to use when discussing how the subject is posed and arranged in the shot.
Being comfortable with the people around you and demonstrating charisma is the easiest way to gain access and make people feel more comfortable. Engaging people with a smile, eye contact, body language, ETC is a good way to make people feel better and more comfortable about what you are doing.
Finding the best vantage point is one of the hardest things to learn. It comes with experience and repeated practice.
It is more acceptable to have a picture that is too warm, rather than a picture that is too cold. The green/blue cool colors make people look sick.
When working with an unclear picture, black & white becomes the only option to try and make it look good.
Don't start at lions, it's a sign of aggression. The same thing can apply to humans. People watching is fun, but you need to be cautious.
Sometimes having a washed out background is good. It will add a balance to the photograph. This was helpful to me because I like to burn the overly bright areas of a photograph.
Thoughts:
We learned about some more photography terminology and what gets implied when you say certain things. It is important to not "set things up," but take the photo as the appear. We also learned a bit more on how to photograph people and deal with ethics and issues associated with photographing people. I don't see many issues arising for me as I have dealt with getting people's permission in the past to do interviews. It is an important skill to have when working in this field. We also learned how to make people feel more comfortable, which is essential when doing our photo stories.
October 6th, 2010
Using the term "I set it up" implies the photo was set up by the photographer and the subject posed for the image. Framed is the proper term to use when discussing how the subject is posed and arranged in the shot.
Being comfortable with the people around you and demonstrating charisma is the easiest way to gain access and make people feel more comfortable. Engaging people with a smile, eye contact, body language, ETC is a good way to make people feel better and more comfortable about what you are doing.
Finding the best vantage point is one of the hardest things to learn. It comes with experience and repeated practice.
It is more acceptable to have a picture that is too warm, rather than a picture that is too cold. The green/blue cool colors make people look sick.
When working with an unclear picture, black & white becomes the only option to try and make it look good.
Don't start at lions, it's a sign of aggression. The same thing can apply to humans. People watching is fun, but you need to be cautious.
Sometimes having a washed out background is good. It will add a balance to the photograph. This was helpful to me because I like to burn the overly bright areas of a photograph.
Thoughts:
We learned about some more photography terminology and what gets implied when you say certain things. It is important to not "set things up," but take the photo as the appear. We also learned a bit more on how to photograph people and deal with ethics and issues associated with photographing people. I don't see many issues arising for me as I have dealt with getting people's permission in the past to do interviews. It is an important skill to have when working in this field. We also learned how to make people feel more comfortable, which is essential when doing our photo stories.
Week 8
Week 8:
October 20th, 2010
Studio in the field: How to make professional quality work while out in the field using what's presented to you.
Don't place all of your objects on the frame at once. Place them one at a time. This is easier than arranging many items at once.
Don't over clutter the frame with objects.
Direct light - do not used diffused light. The rays should be coming from one direction and all be parallel-- this brings out the texture of objects.
To get the perfect exposure: F/16 on a sunny day, put 1/iso
One large element should be the anchor element
Light translucent items from behind. This will allow you to see the internals.
F/stop= Diameter of lend/Focal length
Thoughts:
I found it very helpful to discuss some techniques when doing studio in the field. I think this is a very exciting assignment because of the creative flexibility it allows for. It should also be easier not dealing with human subjects, because inanimate subjects are much easier to work with. I also found the technical discussion helpful about how to get the right exposure on various days. This is something that is difficult for me to do because of my lack of hands on camera experience.
October 20th, 2010
Studio in the field: How to make professional quality work while out in the field using what's presented to you.
Don't place all of your objects on the frame at once. Place them one at a time. This is easier than arranging many items at once.
Don't over clutter the frame with objects.
Direct light - do not used diffused light. The rays should be coming from one direction and all be parallel-- this brings out the texture of objects.
To get the perfect exposure: F/16 on a sunny day, put 1/iso
One large element should be the anchor element
Light translucent items from behind. This will allow you to see the internals.
F/stop= Diameter of lend/Focal length
Thoughts:
I found it very helpful to discuss some techniques when doing studio in the field. I think this is a very exciting assignment because of the creative flexibility it allows for. It should also be easier not dealing with human subjects, because inanimate subjects are much easier to work with. I also found the technical discussion helpful about how to get the right exposure on various days. This is something that is difficult for me to do because of my lack of hands on camera experience.
Week 10
Week 10
November 3rd, 2010
It is difficult to accept pictures without a pure black.
It is easier to accept a picture lacking a pure white
If the histogram goes all the way down to the left corner, there is a pure black
If the histogram goes to the top right, there is a pure white
Sometimes it's good to not meticulously place your object. Just throw it out, randomly distributing it, and then look for the pattern.
-- Just like Amy did with the Cheeze-Its and popcorn in her photographs.
Shooting early in the morning makes for good light. The sun is not high in the sky yet and provides good side lighting, without creating too many harsh shadows.
Light can powerfully frame a subject. Like in the image of the scorpion on the lamp shade. The light helps to frame the outline very well.
Contrast makes a photo very powerful. The dots on top of stripes show excellent contrast. It shows contrast with shapes, colors and pattern.
For my cigarette photo I should have tried placing the cigarette at the very bottom of the frame and having them come out from there. This would add a more dramatic element to the photos. Michelle did an excellent job of this with her fish photograph by letting the fish run off the edge of the frame.
I also should have had a more interesting subject reflecting in the lenses of my glasses. The Apple logo was good, but some more interesting imagery in the background would have allowed more to be discovered in the picture.
Always review your images in the field. With digital photography it's easy to figure out if you should re-shoot your photograph.
The setting of an object tells a story. The game pieces on the ground suggest gaming outside. More object could tell a more powerful story.
Diffused lighting is best to light a shiny, reflective object. It will bring out more vivid detail.
Thoughts:
It was interesting to learn about the different color elements of a photo and how they affect whether or not we can accept them. It will definitely be something I am more aware of in my photographs and also something I look at on the histogram after my photos are taken. This also gave me a better understanding of the histogram and the information it presents to me as the photographer about the colors in the photo. It was also helpful to see how powerful light can be and teh effect it can have on our photographs. Some of the photos from the critique, such as Amy's, really helped to demonstrate this. I look forward to playing around with light in my future assignments.
November 3rd, 2010
It is difficult to accept pictures without a pure black.
It is easier to accept a picture lacking a pure white
If the histogram goes all the way down to the left corner, there is a pure black
If the histogram goes to the top right, there is a pure white
Sometimes it's good to not meticulously place your object. Just throw it out, randomly distributing it, and then look for the pattern.
-- Just like Amy did with the Cheeze-Its and popcorn in her photographs.
Shooting early in the morning makes for good light. The sun is not high in the sky yet and provides good side lighting, without creating too many harsh shadows.
Light can powerfully frame a subject. Like in the image of the scorpion on the lamp shade. The light helps to frame the outline very well.
Contrast makes a photo very powerful. The dots on top of stripes show excellent contrast. It shows contrast with shapes, colors and pattern.
For my cigarette photo I should have tried placing the cigarette at the very bottom of the frame and having them come out from there. This would add a more dramatic element to the photos. Michelle did an excellent job of this with her fish photograph by letting the fish run off the edge of the frame.
I also should have had a more interesting subject reflecting in the lenses of my glasses. The Apple logo was good, but some more interesting imagery in the background would have allowed more to be discovered in the picture.
Always review your images in the field. With digital photography it's easy to figure out if you should re-shoot your photograph.
The setting of an object tells a story. The game pieces on the ground suggest gaming outside. More object could tell a more powerful story.
Diffused lighting is best to light a shiny, reflective object. It will bring out more vivid detail.
Thoughts:
It was interesting to learn about the different color elements of a photo and how they affect whether or not we can accept them. It will definitely be something I am more aware of in my photographs and also something I look at on the histogram after my photos are taken. This also gave me a better understanding of the histogram and the information it presents to me as the photographer about the colors in the photo. It was also helpful to see how powerful light can be and teh effect it can have on our photographs. Some of the photos from the critique, such as Amy's, really helped to demonstrate this. I look forward to playing around with light in my future assignments.
Week 11
Week 11
More photo ideas:
Abe and Heather making burritos/food
People waiting in line for food
Burrito card
Different vantage points of the building
Photoshop/Lightroom Techniques
Recovery will help darken the highlights
Fill lights will adjust the shadow detail.
Thoughts:
More photo ideas:
Abe and Heather making burritos/food
People waiting in line for food
Burrito card
Different vantage points of the building
Photoshop/Lightroom Techniques
Recovery will help darken the highlights
Fill lights will adjust the shadow detail.
Thoughts:
After this week's lecture I developed some more ideas for my photo story. The class helped me generate some question and photo ideas to look out for. We also looked at different editing techniques that can be used in Photoshop. Some of the techniques will help to fix exposure or lighting problems. It is important to not alter the photograph, but only make it more presentable by fixing lighting or exposure problems. This is something I have known from the journalism field. It is critical that you do not altar the image you are showing people. You must present them with what was actually there, not what you want to be there, or wish was not there. It is a serious ethical issue to alter a photo in a way the shows something other than the original did.
Week 12
Week 12
November 17th, 2010
I brought in some pictures I took at the Verve for my photo story today. I already know I need to go back to get some more shots of Abe and Heather. The ones I got weren't properly exposed, and it doesn't show them in their element. It just shows them casually sitting in the lounge area. I hope to get some more ideas from the critique in class today.
Editing the photos:
Group for redundancy, then pick the best
Group by relationships:
444●Complementary: The blacksmith exhibiting pure strength in two different photos. These complement each other.
444●Contrasting: Put a photo of the blacksmith nursing a child next to one of her exhibiting strength. The two photos will contrast each other.
These groupings will create chapters to the photo narrative.
Sequence to create narrative:
4444●Thematic
444●Chronological
Action, setting and narrative make a great lead photo. It is difficult to get all three in one shot.
Thoughts:
Today we talked about how to edit and group photos. This will help when it comes time to select the photos for the final essay. It is important to understand how photos are related, this way they can be properly grouped and the redundant ones can be removed. I will use the methods we talked about in class to figure out which of my photos will go into my story, and which ones I will cut. I really liked the examples we looked at in class. There were great photos and helped explain the grouping and editing process to us.
November 17th, 2010
I brought in some pictures I took at the Verve for my photo story today. I already know I need to go back to get some more shots of Abe and Heather. The ones I got weren't properly exposed, and it doesn't show them in their element. It just shows them casually sitting in the lounge area. I hope to get some more ideas from the critique in class today.
Editing the photos:
Group for redundancy, then pick the best
Group by relationships:
444●Complementary: The blacksmith exhibiting pure strength in two different photos. These complement each other.
444●Contrasting: Put a photo of the blacksmith nursing a child next to one of her exhibiting strength. The two photos will contrast each other.
These groupings will create chapters to the photo narrative.
Sequence to create narrative:
4444●Thematic
444●Chronological
Action, setting and narrative make a great lead photo. It is difficult to get all three in one shot.
Thoughts:
Today we talked about how to edit and group photos. This will help when it comes time to select the photos for the final essay. It is important to understand how photos are related, this way they can be properly grouped and the redundant ones can be removed. I will use the methods we talked about in class to figure out which of my photos will go into my story, and which ones I will cut. I really liked the examples we looked at in class. There were great photos and helped explain the grouping and editing process to us.
Week 14
Week 14
December 1st, 2010
I took some more shots down at the Verve today. I was having problems with my lighting indoors. I will shoot with a 1600 ISO on my next shot to hopefully fix the issue.
I also plan to sit down and have another interview with Abe and Heather. I plan to dig deeper into:
December 1st, 2010
I took some more shots down at the Verve today. I was having problems with my lighting indoors. I will shoot with a 1600 ISO on my next shot to hopefully fix the issue.
I also plan to sit down and have another interview with Abe and Heather. I plan to dig deeper into:
●What responsibilities they have
●Do they do any of the dirty work, did they ever have to do it?
●What about the name Verve, where did it come from?
●What do they do in their spare time, what types of things do they get out and do?
●What kind of outdoor things do they do outdoors, their personal lifestyle
Showing meaningful activities is very important
Don't just show static photos--show action, tell a story
The best pictures are always the surprises--don't plan the shot in your head and go shoot it
Facial expression, gesture and body language convey emotion and interaction
Photo Story notes:
Don't plan a picture in your head and shoot it.
Look to find out what the story is about
Thoughts:
Things have been coming along very nicely in the class. People are presenting good work for their photo essays. There are some things that could be improved but it appears we are all on the right track. I will be taking advice away from the discussions we have been having in class so I can hopefully improve my photos for my photo story.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)