FUNDAMENTALS QUIZ 2 STUDY GUIDE

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1 FUNDAMENTALS QUIZ 2 STUDY GUIDE YOU WILL STUDY WHAT YOU MISSED ON THE LAST QUIZ. DON T WORRY ABOUT THE THINGS YOU ALREADY KNOW. ALSO STUDY THE INFORMATION FROM FUNDAMENTALS LESSON 5 Vocabulary: Aperture simply another word for opening. In photography, this is the opening made by the diaphragm Backlighting- The light comes from behind the subject. When light really highlights the edge of the subject this is also known as rimlighting. Composition the way objects are arranged in the viewing area. Compositions should use the Principles of Design: 1. Balance All items in the composition appear to be arranged in a way that they appear stable. It is visually appealing. 2. Rhythm and Repetition There are repeated elements throughout the image that keep the viewer s eye moving and keeps the viewer interested. 3. Scale and Proportion All times are proper size and in proportion (meaning that everything is the right size in relation to other parts). Scale and Proportion can be manipulated to draw attention to a specific area. 4. Unity and Harmony All elements in the composition seem like they belong, there is nothing that should not be in the image. This can also be modified to draw attention to a specific object or area of the image. 5. Emphasis and Focal Point Something in the image must catch the viewer s attention, this is the Focal Point. You can emphasize (bring attention to) something in order to catch the viewer s eye and draw them in. Depth of field the area of the image that is in focus. Diaphragm This device controls the amount of light that reaches the film by varying the size of the lens opening. The iris type of diaphragm is composed of a series of thin metal leaves that overlap leaving a variable circular opening in the center. This opening can be made larger or smaller to increase or decrease the amount of light that passes through the lens and strikes the film. Film In the traditional camera, film is a light sensitive material that records the image when treated with certain chemicals. In a video camera, the film instantly records the image magnetically. In a digital camera, a semiconductor device records light electronically instead of using film. So the image is actually recorded as bits and bytes a long string of 0 s and 1 s that represent the pixels of your photograph. f numbers different size apertures are referred to as f numbers. Flare when bright light passes through a camera lens, part of the light will reflect off the various surfaces of lens elements. Focusing Control For serious work, you want a camera that enables you to focus the light so that you can record the sharpest possible image on film. Focal Length distance from the center of the lens to the image it forms on the film plane. Frontlighting shooting a picture with the sun/light behind the camera. Also known as flat lighting. 45 sidelighting- Light is 45 to the side of the subject. Also known as natural lighting. Intensity the relative strength of the light. Lens The optical glass that gathers rays of light that enter from the front and focuses them to form a clearly defined image on the film. Lightproof box That s what a camera is. A box that keeps unwanted light out, and has an opening to admit desired light. Macro lens Used to focus on things very closely. Good for photographing small objects.

2 90 sidelighting- The light is directly to the side of the subject. This is also known as texture lighting. Panning using a relatively slow shutter speed you focus on your subject and move with them... keeping them in the center of the picture plane. This means to center the object on your viewfinder and swivel your body and the camera to follow the motion so that the object stays in focus and centered as it moves across your field of view. The result is a sharp image of the moving object against a motion blurred background. Pixel tiny colored dots that collectively make up your image. Silhouette The lighting comes from directly behind the subject and creates a dark image in front of the background. Shutter a mechanical or electronic device that controls the length of time that light is allowed to enter the camera. Shutter release The button that activates the shutter. Viewfinder The viewfinder shows you the approximate image that will be recorded. It guides you in aiming and composing this image. Zoom lens a zoom lens allows you to change the focal length without changing lenses. It has a variable focal length. Three guidelines 1. First, what is the subject the theme I want this picture to be about? 2. Second, how can I focus attention on my subject and draw the viewer s eye to it? 3. Third, have I simplified? Have I included only what draws attention to my subject, and have I eliminated everything that is non-essential or distracting? History French contributed the basic chemistry by Daguerre using ideas developed by his countrymen Niepce. The Americans through George Eastman and his Eastman Kodak company brought photography to the common man with mass production and mass distribution starting in the 1890 s. Steve Sasson at Kodak builds the first working CCD based (charge coupled device, the silicon chip inside the digital camera that records the image) digital still camera in How the camera works. The camera is basically a lightproof box with an opening that admits light through one side of the box and film that captures the image. Light enters the lens and is focused by it, it strikes the film, and the film records the image. With digital photography, the film is actually a semiconductor that turns the information into bits and bytes (zeroes and ones) which can be read by a computer. f numbers The diaphragm can be adjusted to produce apertures of different size. In photography, these different size apertures are referred to as f numbers. The important thing to know about f numbers is the lower the f number, the wider the aperture and the more light the lens transmits (remember, f numbers are fractions so f 2 is a wider opening than f 16). With lower the f numbers you have a wider range of lighting conditions under which you can shoot without adding artificial light. The f number is also referred to as the f stop. The f stop numbers are magic numbers and by knowing them and using them you can control your exposure more easily. Here s how.

3 Opening up one full f stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera. Closing down one full f stop cuts the light in half. The full sequence of f numbers is as follows: f /1... f / f /2... f / f /4... f / f /8... f /11... f /16... f /22... f /32... f /44... f /64. Common Problems Flare. When a bright light passes through a camera lens, part of the light will reflect of fthe various surfaces of lens elements. Perspective Distortion Things closer to us appear larger than things further away. Move back and zoom in so you don t get distortion. Flattening of image Zoom lenses tend to flatten an image, just be aware of this. This may be common sense to some of you, but we need to talk about how to care for your camera. 1. Store the camera in a cool, clean, dry place. Do not use the glove compartment of your car. 2. If your camera has a lens cap, keep it on whenever you are not shooting. 3. Don t try to repair your camera... take it to an expert. 4. Keep your fingers off the lens. Skin acids can harm the lens surface. 5. Keep your camera clean inside and out. To clean the inside, open your camera and gently blow out any bits and pieces of debris using a rubber air syringe. 6. Keep your camera bag clean inside and out, this will help keep your camera clean. 7. Keep your lens clean to get the sharpest images possible. To clean your lens use a rubber syringe or soft camel hair or sable brush to gently remove the dust. If you blow on your lens, you may get spit on it. Next breathe on the surface to fog it. Breathe gently so that you don t spit on your lens. Then, gently rub the surface clean with soft photographic lens tissue. Do not use eyeglass tissue since its silicone may harm the lens coating. Do not use Kleenex type tissue since it may leave lint on the lens. Handkerchiefs and clothing may scratch the lens. Use photographic lens tissue. If dirt on the lens is stubborn and remains after you ve tried the above try this: Wrap a piece of photographic lens tissue loosely around a cotton swab stick. Apply a drop or two of lens cleaning fluid to the tip of the tissue. (Never apply drops of cleaning fluid directly to the lens! This can damage the lens.) Gently wipe the lens surface with a circular motion starting at the lens center. The critical word in cleaning a lens is gentle. 8. You can also get a skylight filter to protect the lens. It is cheaper to replace a filter than it is to replace a lens. But, there are some problems with filters, it is not invisible... it is a piece of glass that has a thickness, a texture, and two surfaces. Any filter cuts down the sharpness of the image reaching the film. Also, a skylight filter increases flare. So, if you are truly looking to produce professional photographs, a skylight filter may not be a good idea. You will then just need to be very careful to not scratch your lens. All light, whether natural sunlight or artificial studio light, has certain characteristics: 1. Intensity. Intensity refers to the relative strength of the light. This varies according to the output of the light source and the distance from the source. 2. Direction. Where there is a single source, the direction is clearly defined. Where there are multiple sources, or the light is diffused as on a cloudy day, the direction is less evident or totally absent.

4 3. Color. Light varies in color depending upon its source and the substances through which it passes. Natural sunlight has a different color-mix from incandescent lighting or electronic flash, and the color of sunlight itself caries depending upon atmospheric conditions and time of day. The Four Basic Directions of light. 1. Frontlighting sidelighting sidelighting 4. Backlighting Frontlighting This is the type of lighting you get when you follow the advice given to many amateur snapshooters shoot with the sun behind you. Fronlighting produces a shadowless image. Because all parts of the subject facing the camera are bathed in direct light, all is light. This produces a flat two-dimensional feel so it is often called flat lighting. When shooting portraits with high frontlighting (as from the noonday sun) you will find that flat lighting may be unattractive since it casts deep shadows in the hollows of the eyes and under the nose. Low frontlighting (early morning or late afternoon sun) may be more flattering to the face, but the squinting it causes is not. 45 Sidelighting This type of lighting, which occurs in midmorning and midafternoon, is considered by many to be the best type for portrait photographs. The main light in studio portraiture is, in fact, most often a 45 sidelight. This type of lighting produces a nice interplay of light and shadows, without being overwhelming. Shapes take on tonal qualities that emphasize their depth, producing what is called a modeling effect. The texture of the surface is subtly brought out. For these reasons, 45 sidelighting is often considered natural lighting. 90 Sidelighting This is dramatic lighting that emphasizes the stark contrast between light and dark. The side of your subject toward the light is bathed in brightness; the side away from the light is buried in darkness. Shadows are long and powerful. The texture of the surface stands out strongly because each tiny bump creates a stark shadow. In fact, this is sometimes referred to as texture lighting. In portraiture, you use 90 sidelighting only when you want to produce a hard, dramatic effect. You would certainly avoid it if your objective is a soft, feminine image. When using 90 sidelighting, pay careful attention to the shadows; they are as important a part of the composition as are the highlights. Backlighting When light comes from behind the subject toward the camera, you have the highly theatrical effect of backlighting. You can have a black silhouette or by working with the exposure, you can produce details in your subject while still having the subject stand out strongly against the light background. If the light is high, a dramatic rim of bright light may outline the top of your subject for example, your model s hair producing a dramatic effect. This is called rimlighting. Whit backlighting, the silhouetted subject against the bright background produces a high-contrast image that can be very powerful in its simplicity. How to shoot portraits outdoors. Don t shoot with the subject in direct sunlight. Rather, bath your subject in soft diffused sunlight. This can be accomplished in a number of different ways. You can wait to shoot on an overcast day. Or, you can wait for a cloud to obscure the direct sun. Or, move your subject out of the direct sun into a shaded area. The shade of a tree is perfect, but watch out for bright patches of direct sun that may shine between the leaves onto your subject s face producing a speckled effect.

5 You can also get rid of your subject s squint by turning the subject s face until the light is no longer directly in the eyes. Your objective now would be to add some light to the shadows so that they are not totally black. To do this, the simplest technique is to reflect sunlight back into the subject s face by using a white reflector card, as shown here. The trick here is to bring the card up close to the face. If you hold it more than 12 inches away, you will usually not get enough light into the shadows. Also, move it back and forth while carefully observing how its reflected light plays upon the shadow areas. At some point, you will see the lighting that you want. An assistant works great for holding the reflector card. The three main things to remember when shooting portraits: 1. Pay close attention to shadows on the face. Shadows in the wrong areas will create effects that you may not want. 2. Watch your background! If you don t want things growing out of the subject s head, be aware of what is behind them. 3. Careful of perspective distortion. If you get in too close when taking a picture of someone s face, you may create a huge nose (like the dog nose) which is not appealing. Photoshop Tutorial 1. Know how to use the Sponge, Dodge and Burn tools and know what they do. a. Sponge- used to saturate (add more color) or desaturate (take away color) from your image b. Dodge- used to lighten the image c. Burn- used to darken the image 2. Know how to make tonal adjustments to your image. a. Go in to Image < Adjustments < then choose one or more of the options. 3. Know how to make selections and work with layers in Photoshop.