Assignment #6

For this weeks assignment I kinda messed up.  We were suppose to put our mode into Aperture or Speed - then adjust the Exposure Compensation to either overexpose or underexpose.  For some reason I forgot that when you're in Aperture or Speed mode - the camera automatically adjusts the opposite setting so you have the correct setting - why is why you have the Exposure Compensation.  So I skipped the Exposure Compensation mode and did all of my pictures in Manual Mode so I could view the light meter and make the adjustment on my own.  I'll do better next time.....
We had to take about 7 pictures of white overexposed and 7 back underexposed.  I'll save you from all the pics and just post a few.

White - Overexposed at 1 1/3

Black - Underexposed at 1 1/3

Now for our Creative pictures.  We had to take 5 pictures from our neighborhood.

Class #6

Light Meter
Today we learned that our light meter isn't so smart.  Objects come in countless shades of light and dark.....from bright white to absolute black.  All of these objects require different exposure settings.  Our cameras are making a big assumption that everything in the world is medium gray.  With this assumption, the light meter gives you a reading that will make whatever you're pointing at gray.  This is fine for many scenes that have "average scene brightness" (equal amounts of lights and darks).  But as soon as there is an imbalance of tones (like bright white or dark black) you've got problems.

To correct this you need to over expose when you're taking a picture that is bright white, and under expose when the object is dark black.  This is easy to adjust by looking through your light meter.  We also learned about the Exposure Compensation on our camera.  Usually when taking a picture, you adjust your settings until the light meter is balanced at 0.  If you are taking a white picture you'll want the light meter to read to the left (over exposed).  Or, you can adjust the Exposure Compensation setting in your camera so that when you're taking a picture, you'll adjust your settings until the light meter is balanced.  You just need to make sure you turn off the Exposure Compensation setting after you're done taking pictures......wanna bet I mess this one up.

Photo Essay
Next we talked about a Photo Essay.  This is any time you want to use more than one photograph to tell a story.  Often it is difficult to tell a story deeply with only one picture.  A photo essay can explore an idea or event with more detail and depth of emotion than one picture. 

Like writing, the Beginning, Middle and End is the basic frame work of a photo essay.  You start with a picture that describes where you started, what you did along the way, and where and how the trip ended.
There are no rules....but here are a few suggestions.
- The viewer knows nothing.  You have to guide them through the story....
- Break a scene down.  Take different shots from different angles with different focal length lenses edited together to tell the story.
- Start with an "establishing" shot or "long" shot.  The establishing shot is often an overview of a landscape, building or room that gives the viewer a sense of where the scene is taking place.
- Medium shots and close shots are the usual progression to the main theme in a scene.  Medium pictures are usually the bulk of a picture story.  The provide the body of the narrative.
- A detail shot is a quick "cut away" edit to some telling detail in the scene.  A close-up of a cigarette held in a shaky hand during a medium shot of dialogue is an example of close up.
- Camera viewpoints play a major role in story telling.  In film you'll often see three quickly edited shots of the same subject from three different camera angles.  Remember, a director is trying to tell you a story with everything that he or she does with the film.  By quickly showing you three separate views of the same subject they have told you everything about the environment that the subject is in.
- Try to think like a director when you make a picture story.  Shoot establishing shots, medium shots, portraits and details.  Be aware of the passing of time, the weather, and people's moods.  Ask yourself what is the real story unfolding here, and make sure you are using all your photographic skills (good light, composition, color and exposure) to tell it.
- Put meat into the story.  Include Action Shots and Point of View

My final assignment is a photo essay bound in a book.  I'm going to need a little help with suggestions.....so please feel free to share.  I want to keep the story simple....nothing too complex.  Final class is July 19th and it takes about 1.5 weeks to get a book printed and mailed.  The clock is ticking!!

I'll most likely be printing my book at Blurb.com

Links to Picture Stories:
www.burnmagazine.org
www.boston.com/bigpicture/
www.maryellenmark.com
www.johnfmartin.net
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/galleries/cuba/splash.htm
magnumphotos.com/archive
www.rwandaproject.org
www.photodocumentarypress.com

First Day of Class! Part 2

I realized that if you guys are going to learn from my Blog, I should provide a little more detail/explanation from the topics covered in class.  I didn't do such a great job with the Six Qualities of Light.  So I'm going to try this again.....

First - Our instructor keeps repeating something along the lines of......"As a photographer, we're taking a 3D image and capturing in 2D.  Our job is to try and create depth in the picture."  This is what I'm trying to think every time I take a picture.

Brightness
- By determining how much light there is, you can set the mood of the picture and create the "key" of the photo.

Direction
- Front lit objects create a very flat picture because there are now shadows.  It is very difficult to make a front lit object interesting because there is no depth.
- Side lit objects create textures through the highlights and shadows.
- Back lit objects throws a shadow to the viewer which can create depth

Color
- Not sure this requires much explanation.  But usually you'll have COOL/WARM colors as the sun is rising and setting and NEUTRAL colors in the middle of the day.  As the day/color changes, it can set a different mood to your picture.

Contrast
- High Contrast - this creates a heavy shadow and can almost black out/outline the subject of the photo.
- Low Contrast - no shadows which can make an object look flat

Specularity
- Think Bright Sunny Day.  In this light you'll want to capture dull objects.  This will allow you to capture the hard shadows of the object and create depth and texture.  If you took a picture of a shiny object, it will wash out the picture.

Diffuse
- Think Cloudy Day.  In this light you'll want to capture shiny objects.  The diffused/dull light will cast soft shadows and broad highlights that will bring out the depth of a shiny object.  But for a dull object, it will make it look flat.

Hopefully this was a little more helpful than my first post.....I'm learning.

Assignment #1

For our first assignment we were sent on a scavenger hunt.  We were given 13 lighting scenes we needed to capture.  I spent most of the weekend walking around Hoboken, Weehawken and Brooklyn with my camera just in case I found the correct light.  I'm pretty sure my friends are going to be sick of me by the end of the class.  As you'll notice, I think Duffy got into being my model.

For all the pictures I had the Mode Dial set on P (Programmed Auto).  We'll never set the Mode Dial on Auto.  I also messed around with the White Balance setting and went back and forth between Auto and Direct Sunlight.  The last two pictures required the Direct Sunlight setting.

1. Bright Scene

Church Square Park in Hoboken

2. Dark Scene

Taken from Kennedy Blvd in Weehawken

3. Back Lit Scene

Gowanus Canal on Carroll Street in Brooklyn

4. Side Lit Scene

Gowanus Canal on Carroll Street in Brooklyn

5. Front Lit Scene

Gowanus Canal on Carroll Street in Brooklyn

6. High Contrast Scene

Diane's garage in Weehawken

7. Low Contrast Scene

Jackson Street, Hoboken

8. Dull Object in Specular Light

Sinatra Drive, Hoboken

9. Glossy Object in Specular Light

My newly clean car on 3rd Street, Hoboken

10. Dull Object in Diffuse Light

Jackson Street, Hoboken

11. Glossy Object in Diffuse Light

Monroe Street, Hoboken

12. A Scene with Warm Light (shoot in Direct Sunlight Mode)

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

13. A Scene with Cool Light (shoot in Direct Sunlight Mode)

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

 

During class on Tuesday we'll project our pictures on a screen and review.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Fingers crossed I did a good job!

First day of class!

Can you tell I'm excited for class to start?!  Best part is I'm taking the class with my friend Sarah.  Day 1 we met the instructor and other students in the class.  He went over a few basics and told us why all our pictures suck.  But that is all about to change.....

What we learned on Day 1

- How pictures are captured, mega pixels and memory.
So if you have a 12 MP camera - it contains 12,000 receptors that capture light.  The receptors are divided into 3 colors (red, green, blue) that capture the light.  The light then turns into electricity then into a number.  This number is the RAW data.  Most cameras are set up to save as JPEG - which cuts the size of the picture way down...the camera makes a few general assumptions about the picture (like maybe generalizing a white back ground to only one shade of white vs. the true multiple shades it contains) so you loose a lot of the detail.  FYI......every time you re-save a JPEG, you're actually loosing more data.  I think he said you can save a JPEG 90 times before its nothing.  When working in PhotoShop - most likely saving the file as TIFF.  With TIFF, you won't loose data every time you save. We'll be working with RAW eventually.

- Six qualities of Light

• Brightness
• Direction
• Color (Cool, Neutral, Warm)
• Contrast (Hard vs. Low)
• Specularity (refers to the size of a light source - so think a bright sunny day)
• Diffuse (think a cloudy day)

We had a little quiz to see if we could identify the different light qualities....I might not have a natural eye for these things.  I have a lot to learn!

First assignment - we have to take 13 pictures using the above light sources.