Digital Imaging II - 2011 Spring Semester

4/20/11

Paint with Light using a LONG shutter speed

Painting with light is a fun technique that gives great results. It is called painting with light because this is what you are actually doing while taking the shot - painting with light.You don't need much to experiment with this kind of shot, just make sure you have the following items:

· A camera capable of long exposures. I will demonstrate in class how to set your camera up. The advantage of using a digital camera is you will be able to see the results in "real time" and make corrections as you go.

· A nice tripod. Since you will be doing some long exposures you want to make sure your camera sits still.

· A flash light

· A dark location. This one is tricky. If the location is to dark you camera will have a hard time focusing, so in this case you will need to have someone turn on the flashlight while so you can set up the shot prior to taking it.

Here is how it's done:

1. Set your camera on the tripod and take a sample shot with flash / lights on. This will help you verify that your composition is OK.

2. Set the exposure to a relatively long value. Stop down the aperture as much as you need. If you are outside do nothing. If you are inside - this is the time to turn off the lights.

3. Make the click. Once the shutter is open use your flashlight to light the stuff that you want to "paint". You can use the flashlight as a brush, and "smear" the light, just like you would have done with brush and paper. Or, you can use the light as a pen, and do precise work. Areas where you go slowly will be more lit then others. DO NOT hold the flashlight facing the camera for a long period of time. IT WILL DAMAGE (burn) the camera lens!!!

REMEMBER - Once the shutter closes, you are a free person again. Inspect your image and make corrections.

Here are some great ideas to use this technique with:

Glow-sticks

Sparklers

Location shot - find a location with some ambient light. Find an object that is less "hit" by that light. now you can use the ambient light to capture the background, while painting the object with light. You will get a nice effect - with some surreal foreground and a "normal" background. Also the white balance will be different on ambient and painted - another cool side affect.

Finding objects with lights – just set up the tripod and shot

I will use this post as a place to upload homework shooting assignments for the class. If you lose or forget what the assignment is please refer to this post!

-Thanks,
Ms. Lewis

Digital Imaging I - 2011 Spring Semester

I will use this post as a place to upload homework shooting assignments for the class. If you lose or forget what the assignment is please refer to this post!

-Thanks,
Ms. Lewis

Portrait Photography Assignment - DUE 4/25/11

Take 30-40 portraits using the techniques described above; 10 -Lighting, 10- Rule of Thirds, and 10- Depth of field. Remember you are taking Portraits so the person or people should be the main subject of your image. Due Date: Monday 4/25/11

Have you ever felt that you have far too many "snapshots" of your family, and want a more professional-looking photograph to hang on your wall? You don't need a photo studio and a ton of expensive lighting and camera gear to take portraits. With intelligent use of your equipment, thoughtful framing and attention paid to lighting, anybody can take good portraits. Here's how.

1.Getting the lighting right - Those fortunate enough to have a photo studio can precisely control their lighting. The rest of us will have to go out and find the right light. What you're looking for is consistent and diffused or soft lighting. Direct, harsh sunlight will cause bad shadows to be casted on the subject's face. Avoid direct, harsh sunlight from any direction. Apart from a few hours of soft light in the early morning and afternoon, direct sunlight is largely unfavorable for taking portrait photos. Looking into the sunlight will cause your subject to squint, and harsh light from behind will make it more difficult to get a consistent exposure. From any other angle, it will cast harsh shadows on the face (including the horrid "raccoon eye" effect from direct overhead light has). Overcast days are best, as clouds will diffuse the sunlight but if you don’t have clouds, use the shade if you can.

2.Composition - There are many rules and techniques that deal with composition. One of the most common rules of thumb is the rule of thirds. This works under the concept that tension in the picture will bring more interest. The way that the rule of thirds is used is by splitting up the scene in the viewfinder into 9 equal parts like a tic-tac-toe board. Where the lines intersect is where points of interest in the photograph should be located. If there is a horizontal line of interest such as a horizon or edge of a table, it should be placed on the top or bottom one third line. The picture below shows the proper layout using the rule of thirds in an outdoor portrait setting.

3.Depth of Field - The most important thing to remember with portraits is that the subject is the person or people in the photograph. I recommend head and shoulder shots for the most part. It is okay to pan out a bit to let some background in, but too much background may cause a subject conflict and the viewer's eye may not be able to tell what to focus on. If you pan out to get a better picture of an action portrait and the background is too distracting there is something that can be done. Decrease the aperture setting on your camera to narrow the depth of field. This will cause the background to be out of focus while keeping the subject in focus. This technique takes a bit of practice but the effect is worth it. While a point and shoot camera usually does not allow the user to change aperture setting, this same depth of field effect can be obtained by simply moving closer to the subject. The closer the subject is to camera, the narrower the depth of field it will appear in.

Macro: Texture, Line, Pattern

Texture, Lines, and Pattern

Assignment: Take 20-25 photographs that explore line, texture and pattern in the world around you. Experiment with the settings on your camera especially the macro modes. The Macro mode is usually found under scene setting and has a flower icon.

Criteria for Success: Your work should show experimentation with composition, macro camera settings, and actual and implied line.

Due Date: Monday, 10/25/10

This photograph used the macro function of the camera to capture the texture of an everyday object, tire tread. The image was enhanced with more contrast and the sharpen filter. You'll find lots of examples of lines, patterns and texture on cars. The macro setting on your camera will let you focus on objects only inches away.

Images from google.

Rule of Thirds Shooting Assignment - Due 10/4/10

DIRECTIONS: Take at least 15 shots using the Rule of Thirds. You should include the following subject matter.
Landscape, People, Repetition, Nature, and Line
In learning how to use the rule of thirds the most important questions to be asking yourself are:

• What are the points of interest in this shot?
• Where am I intentionally placing them?
  
  Image from google images
  

Example of Student Pop Art project

Pop Art shooting assignment - Due Mon 9-20-10

Digital Imaging –Pop Art Shooting Assignment

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

1. ALWAYS look at your background. Do you want everything that is in the background to be a part of your photo?

2. Look around the viewfinder / screen and make sure you are including subject matter because you want it there.

DIRECTIONS: For each item take 2 pictures for a total of 14 images. You will be using one of these photos for your Pop Art project.

1. Face or Object / Close up with little or no background

2. Face or Object / Profile or side view with little or no background

3. A single object

4. A piece of furniture

5. Anything that you like

6. Choose an Element of Art as your composition (Line, Shape, Form, Color, Texture, Space

7. Choose a Principle of Design as your composition (Rhythm, Balance, Proportion, Variety, Emphasis, Unity)

Postcard

I created my postcard about New York City. It is a very busy place with a lot going on. I took that into considerations when I was designing.