ADVANCED COURSE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Transcription

1 ADVANCED COURSE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

2 UNIT ONE MODULE ONE Off Camera Flash Equipment Triggers Flash Guns Light Meters ( Advanced )

3 OBJECTIVES To provide the learner with a practical understanding of Flash equipment and to be able to describe the functions and applications of the equipment in various different shooting conditions. Moreover to provide the learner with a practical understanding of the various flash and lighting techniques and how they might be applied in a practical situation.

4 WHAT IS OFF CAMERA FLASH? Off Camera Flash is exactly what the term suggests. It is placing the flash away from the camera to achieve various lighting effects Allows for greater flexibility in your lighting and composition.

5 WHAT IS OFF CAMERA FLASH? Traditionally the flash would be triggered from the Hot Shoe on your camera. We can t do this when the flash is placed away from the camera itself. When using off camera flash we need a different way of triggering the flash i.e.; making it fire when you press the shutter.

6 WHAT IS OFF CAMERA FLASH? Currently the most popular way is by Radio Trigger. You can also use wi-fi but this is unreliable outside You can also use Infa-red which can be also unreliable due to Infa-red light outside.

7 EQUIPMENT Flash Brackets Sync Cables Flash Diffuser Flash Gun Triggers ( Infa Red, Radio )

8 TRIGGERS RADIO & INFA - RED Triggers come in two different types Radio ( Works from any angle or direction ) Generally more expensive Infa Red ( Needs Line of Sight and is subject to interference from other infra red sources such as other flash and sunlight) Cheaper to Buy Radio Triggers have multi channels Radio Triggers typically have a Transmitter and Receiver.

9 TRIGGERS CONNECTING Receiver attaches to your flash via the hot shoe connection or by cable Transmitter is fitted to the hot shoe of your camera Set both the transmitter and receiver to the same channel Mount the receiver and flash on a stand and position accordingly Your good to go

10 1 HR VIDEO LESSON COMING UP Connecting the Trigger to the camera Connecting the trigger to the flash Setting the Channels Placing the flash Taking Photos

11 UNIT ONE MODULE ONE Using A light Meter Meter Principles

12 USING A LIGHT METER IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS They read light being reflected from a subject. i.e.; the reflected light They read light falling on a scene or subject. i.e.; the incident light They read light from an electronic flash. i.e. studio flash or gun

13 USING A LIGHT METER REFLECTED LIGHT All meters are programmed to assume the subjects in a scene are middle grey, which is to say that they reflect about 18% of the light that strikes them. If a subject is very light, like snow, or very dark like a man in a black suit standing close to the camera, the meter will be fooled into providing an inaccurate exposure because the meter assumes the snow and the suit are grey.

14 USING A LIGHT METER REFLECTED LIGHT Built-in meters can fail to give you an accurate reading because they don t allow you to read a very narrow portion of the composition. Even in spot mode, they read 3% to 5% of the scene, and that is not specific enough to take an accurate reading in many circumstances.

15 USING A LIGHT METER REFLECTED LIGHT A handheld meter reads the light in one degree, i.e.,.05% of the composition. This means that you can choose the portion of the picture that you have identified as middle grey and obtain an accurate reading from it.

16 USING A LIGHT METER REFLECTED LIGHT When you use a handheld meter in reflected mode, you simply identify a middle-toned area of the scene and point the meter at that area. When you use a middle-toned portion of a scene as the basis for the meter reading, all of the other tones fall into place correctly.

17 USING A LIGHT METER REFLECTED LIGHT When you use a middle-toned portion of a scene as the basis for the meter reading, all of the other tones fall into place correctly. For example, in the shots opposite, I used the dark grey clouds as the middle tone, and in the picture of the lighthouse I had a choice between the dark rocks or the rich blue sky. Both of those areas are middle tone, and reading them allows the entire picture to be properly exposed.

18 USING A LIGHT METER INCIDENT LIGHT The incident metering mode is not available on cameras. It is a function that is available only with a handheld light meter. In my opinion, this makes a handheld meter like any of the Sekonic models worth its weight in gold. In incident mode, you use the lens covered by a white hemispherical dome (below) to read the light falling on your subject, instead of measuring the light reflected from it. The difference is that in reflected mode, the meter can be fooled because a white subject and a black subject reflect light very differently. When using incident mode, how light or dark the subject is doesn t matter because the meter is reading the light emanating from the sky or from an artificial light source before it gets to the subject.

19 USING A LIGHT METER INCIDENT LIGHT To use the incident mode, you select it on the meter and then hold the device in the light that is falling on the subject when you take a reading. If you and the subject are both in open sunlight, you can take a reading from where you re standing, near the camera. However, if you are standing under the shade of a tree and your subject is being illuminated by direct sunlight, you must walk over to the subject or at least into the sunlight so that the meter detects the same level of light that is falling on the subject.

20 INCIDENT LIGHT THINGS TO REMEMBER The meter should be held so that the white dome faces the camera lens, not the light source. This will ensure that the light is falling upon the subject. For example, if you are photographing a face that is side lit, as with the young girl in the photo opposite, the light must hit the meter from the side. Hence, the dome must face the lens just like the subject s face does. By positioning the meter correctly, you will allow it to calculate the exposure correctly, regardless of the colours or the reflectivity of the subject.

21 INCIDENT LIGHT THINGS TO REMEMBER Incident mode can t be used when you re photographing backlit subjects. This includes shooting into a glowing sunrise or sunset sky or any situation in which the light can t fall on the dome of the meter when it is pointed at the camera. In these situations, you have to switch back to reflected mode. The image on the right with a tree against the sky is a good example of a scene in which an incident reading won t work.

22 UNIT ONE MODULE TWO Off Camera Flash/Working with Models/Copyright Working with models, release forms. Working with Makeup Artists. Shooting Outdoors with a professional model.( On Location video ) Shooting Indoors with a professional model. ( On Location Video ) Balancing Flash with Ambient Light. Using Built-in Flash.

23 OBJECTIVES To provide the learner with a practical understanding of flash and off camera techniques and to be able to describe the functions and applications of the equipment in various different shooting conditions. Moreover to provide the learner with a practical understanding of working with models and MUA.

24 WORKING WITH MODELS MODEL RELEASE FORMS What is a Model release form? Why do I need one? Why does the Model need one? Copyright

25 MODEL RELEASE FORMS WHAT IS A MODEL RELEASE FORM? Before any shoot with a model you would ask him/her to sign a release form. Because it give you the photographer permission to use the images in a manner outlined in the release form. It protects the Model against illegal use of the images outside the bounds of the release. It protects you ( the photographer) against any claim of ownership or payment for use of the images. How the images are used e.g.; who, what where, when, how and why should be outlined in the release.

26 MODEL RELEASE FORMS WHY DO I NEED ONE? If you plan to use the images on your website you must obtain permission from the model by using a release form If you are going to sell the images you must obtain permission from the model and agree payment to the model for the sale of her image. Using any persons image for profit or not you must obtain permission from the model.

27 MODEL RELEASE FORMS WHY DOES THE MODEL NEED ONE? The release protects the models image and identity It outlines the proposed use of the images and any payment agreed. It gives piece of mind and establishes trust with the people you are working with.

28 MODEL RELEASE FORMS COPYRIGHT A model release is a contract It is an agreement between you and the model It also protects copyright of your images and the models identity. From the moment you click the shutter you own the copyright to that image.

29 MODEL RELEASE FORMS COPYRIGHT It cannot be altered or used or displayed by anybody without your consent The copyright symbol is the letter C in a circle. Most photographers will watermark their images with their name and the symbol eg; yourname 2014 Nobody can take the copyright away from you unless you give it up by selling the rights to the photograph Most photographers will apply a charge for the use of images on a commercial basis.

30 SAMPLE MODEL RELEASE FORM Sample Release Lets take a closer look Prepared on Photographer Release App for ipad/ iphone

31 WORKING WITH MODELS SHOOTING OUTDOORS WITH A PROFESSIONAL MODEL Next video coming up Shooting outside with a Professional Model Real Shoot Real Location

32 UNIT ONE MODULE THREE Introduction to Photoshop Interface Tools Editing Cropping Colour Correction Resizing Preparing Images for Print

33 OBJECTIVES To provide the learner with a practical understanding of the basic functions and capabilities of Photoshop and to enhance the learners understanding of the process of non-destructive editing and colour correction and to provide the necessary skills to carry out basic editing and colour correction procedures consistent with industry standard practice.

34 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP THE INTERFACE OVERVIEW Toolbar Layers Menu Settings Colour Settings

35 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP THE TOOL BAR Move Tool Selection Tool Lasso Tool Crop Tool Patch Tool Clone Tool Eraser Tool Dodge Tool Magnifier Tool Colour Selection Tool

36 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP LAYERS WINDOW Histogram Layer Blend Mode Current Layer Layer on\off Opacity

37 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP THE TOP MENU BAR File Edit Image Layer Select Filter

38 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP SETTINGS & PREFERENCES General Settings Units & Rulers Preferences

39 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP COLOUR SETTINGS Settings menu RGB Settings CMYK Settings Grey Point Spot Colour Management RGB CMYK GREY

40 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP 5HRS OF VIDEO LESSONS COMING UP Editing. Cropping. Colour Correction. Resizing. Preparing Images for Print. Don t forget you can stop and rewind the video at any time. Practice. And above all, enjoy and relax yourself.

41 PRINTING & COLOUR PROFILING Screen Profile Sets The Colour For The Screen & Print Profile Screen. Print Profile Sets The Way The Printer sees Colour. Media Profile Print Media Profile Sets the way the colour is printed.

42 PRINTING & COLOUR PROFILING Important you use the same ink and printer manufacturer eg: Epson Ink + Epson Printer. You can use different types of photo paper but always make sure you have the paper profile for the brand and type of paper you are using. Paper profiles can usually downloaded from the manufacturer website. Paper profile must be installed on your system. Paper Profile is selected in Photoshop or similar. Eg; Capture one, Lightroom. Print Profile is selected in the print dialog of your computer.

43 UNIT TWO MODULE FOUR Filters & Add-ons Polarising Filters Neutral Density Filters Filters for Black & White UV Filters Special Effect Filters Software Based Filters

44 OBJECTIVES To provide the learner with a practical understanding of lighting setups and techniques. To be able to describe the functions and applications of the lighting setups in various different shooting conditions. Moreover to provide the learner with a practical understanding of the various filters and how they might be applied in a practical situation.

45 POLARISING FILTER OVERVIEW Filters come in basically two types. Circular Screw-on Modular Circular tend to be made of Glass with a metal frame but the glass can vary in quality. Modular tend to be made of high grade specially formulated plastic plates which fit into a holder attached to the lens of your camera. All filters come in a variety of sizes to fit all standard lens diameters. For example if the diameter of your lens is 43mm then you buy a 43mm filter to fit the thread on the front of the lens. A word of warning Avoid cheap filters why? because the glass is usually of a lower grade than the glass in your lens. You should try and match the quality of the filter to the quality of the lens Why put a cheap piece of glass in front of a 1000 euro lens. Expect to pay up to $ for a good quality filter.

46 POLARISING FILTER OVERVIEW They allow you to remove unwanted reflections from non-metallic surfaces such as water, glass etc. They also enable colours to become more saturated and appear clearer, with better contrast. This effect is often used to increase the contrast and saturation in blue skies and white clouds. Many of today's cameras use semi-silvered mirrors or prisms to split the light entering the viewfinder in order to calculate exposure and focusing distance. PL (Linear Polarising) filters can sometimes interact with these items to give unpredictable exposure or focusing. So be aware that you choose a PL- CIR filter unless you have a manual focus camera which has no beam splitter.

47 NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER OVERVIEW Neutral density filters are designed to reduce the amount of light entering your camera lens and should not have any other effect on the image. Reducing the amount of light allows for the use of wider apertures or slower shutter speeds for creative and dramatic effect in bright lighting conditions. They provide varying light reduction measured by F stops. ND 2 = 1 STOP LIGHT REDUCTION ND 4 = 2 STOP LIGHT REDUCTION ND 8 = 3 STOP LIGHT REDUCTION ND16= 4 STOP LIGHT REDUCTION THIS SEQUENCE CONTINUES UP TO ND 1000 WHICH IS A 10 STOP REDUCTION. ND 4 FILTER

48 COLOUR FILTERS OVERVIEW Colour Filters are used for various different purposes. Increase Contrast ( Red ) Balance light ( Blue) Brighten Landscapes ( Blue Enhancer ) Deepen Skin Tones ( Portrait ) There are dozens of filters available on the market that can be used for creative photography. Specifically RED,YELLOW,GREEN for Black and White Photography. Especially effective for increasing contrast. Ideal for dramatic cloud effects in landscapes. Can also be applied creatively in colour and infrared photography. Used primarily for black and white photography. X1 is highly effective for indoor portraits under tungsten lighting. Especially useful for clear contrast between blue sky with clouds and foreground. Provides a natural tonal rendition. Often used for subjects at intermediate distances.

49 SPECIAL EFFECT FILTERS OVERVIEW Special Effect Filters can be used to improve your creative photography. There are many different effects you can use. Be careful and do not over indulge using them. Some effects are more useful than others. A close-up lens with a hole in the centre.the periphery of the picture is rendered a delicate, soft focus effect while the central image is sharply focused Both are diffusion type filters but DIFFUSER gives a soft-focus effect due to its irregularly uneven surface DIFFUSER gives an overall soft-focus effect. These are particularly effective in portraiture and commercial photography. STAR-6 Add a dramatic cross flare

50 NIK SOFTWARE BASED PLUG-IN FILTERS FOR PHOTOSHOP OVERVIEW Nik Software On One Software Plugins that work inside Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture. Totally software based Apply Effects on your computer No need for expensive filters and attachments. Can look somewhat false. Expensive to buy the full collection Effect Suite For Colour, Black and White, Light Enhancement, Sharpening. Check out nikcollection/products/color-efex-pro/

51 ON ONE SOFTWARE BASED PLUG-IN FILTERS FOR PHOTOSHOP OVERVIEW On One Software Effects Plugin For Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture and Adobe Camera Raw. Similar to Nik Software Wide Choice of Effects Cheaper than Nik Good Quality. Note you need Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom or Aperture to use both of these Suites.

52 MODULAR FILTER SYSTEMS OVERVIEW There are two market leaders in this form of Filter COKIN LEE FILTERS Both use a mounting system that can take any of their filter plates. It is made up of an adapter ring which screws onto the lens and the mounting system slides onto the ring. The filter plate is then inserted into the mounting See the picture to the right. Both Manufacturers use a similar System. There are many add-ons to the system including lens hoods.

53 MODULAR FILTER SYSTEMS OVERVIEW They offer the same selection of filters when you compare them to the circular filters already discussed. The plates can be stored in boxes which you can buy. However you need a different ring to fit every lens size you have. They are not any cheaper than their circular counterparts. It is a matter of personal Choice as to which system you use.

54 MODULAR FILTER SYSTEMS OVERVIEW Cokin have four types of holder to suit your camera and budget. The smaller holders will only take ring sizes up to 67mm The Z PRO AND X PRO are the ones to purchase Check these systems out at your local camera store. Cokin Bellows Lens Hood

55 UNIT TWO MODULE FIVE Shooting For Black & White Things to consider Shooting in colour for B&W Shooting in B&W Processing for B&W Plugin Filters for B&W

56 OBJECTIVES To provide the learner with a practical understanding of Black & White Photography techniques. To be able to describe the process of shooting for Black & White in different conditions. Moreover to provide the learner with a practical understanding of the various filters and process techniques for Black & White and how they might be applied in a practical situation.

57 BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU SHOOT Be aware of the scene you are about to photograph. Make sure there are various shades of colour as this will help bring out the different shades of grey,white and black within the scene. Some photos work very well in Black & White and others do not. This can be as a result of composition, colour range and contrast. Be patient and experiment it takes time and practice to get right. Colour photos with too much of the same colour will produce poor Black & White when converted.

58 BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOTING IN COLOUR FOR BLACK AND WHITE Every colour within your scene when converted to B&W has a different shade of Black, Grey and White. All the Dark colours will be varying shades of Black and Grey All the bright colours will be varying shades of Grey and White. Of course exposure will have a direct effect on the depth and brightness of these colours. Good exposure is important. For good Black and White you need a wide variety of colours to achieve the various degrees of Black, White and Grey. This is why some photos look better than others when converted to Black and White. Colour photos that contain too much of one colour e.g. Green will look grey throughout the photo, which is not what you want. Though it is fair to state that you will have various shades of green which will product various shades of grey and black. However as will colour photo processing you can go overboard when processing B&W which will either produce a photo that is too dark or too bright. This Shadow and Highlight clipping was covered in the Photoshop Module.

59 BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOTING IN BLACK & WHITE You can of course switch your camera to shoot in Black & White if you wish. However it is widely accepted that this is not the best way to achieve good B&W results. Because Digital Camera sensors do not seem to be able to record the dynamic range needed for good B&W. This based on opinion after years of experience and Industry best practice. There is nothing wrong shooting with camera set to B&W if you so wish. Just because this feature is on your Camera does not make it the best way to produce good B&W. Most Pro Photographers I know would not use B&W mode on their camera because there is a greater degree of flexibility in post production However it is a fun way to experiment with Black & White and to get to know the dynamics of B&W

60 BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY POST PRODUCTION & PLUGIN FILTERS Greater degree of flexibility Better choice of variations More Control Control over the print setup Better dynamic range Better Results Industry Standard Practice

61 BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY POST PRODUCTION & PLUGIN FILTERS Demo Video Coming up on Black & White conversion using Photoshop and Nik Silver FX Pro.

62 UNIT TWO MODULE SIX Introduction to Studio Lighting & Equipment Studio Equipment Lighting Systems Add-ons

63 STUDIO EQUIPMENT Lighting Backgrounds Stands Filters Softboxes Triggers

64 STUDIO EQUIPMENT LIGHTING KITS Come in various power outputs EG; 250W 500W, AND ABOVE Consist of a flash tube and modelling lamp Can be mounted on a stand or ceiling Can be triggered using radio triggers Can be expensive to buy Several different brands on the market Brand shown is Bowens Can be purchased individually Or in pre made kits including soft boxes,stands and brollies.

65 STUDIO EQUIPMENT BACKGROUNDS Come in different lengths & widths Available in Cloth, Paper, Vinyl and collapsable You need supports for the background Available in many different colours, textures, and multi colour Cloth is easy to maintain Paper tears easy Some can be expensive to buy Yes you could just use a bed sheet if you want.

66 STUDIO EQUIPMENT STANDS Many different types and brands For many different uses Types of stand will depend on what you want to do and achieve Experiment Find out what you like Most light kits include the basic light stand. You will be limited to the space you are working in Stands are expensive so make sure it is the one you want

67 STUDIO EQUIPMENT FILTERS & EFFECTS Gels to add colour light to your shot Light Modifiers to soften light Snoots to add small beams of light Honeycomb to soften light Gel Holders for you lights

68 STUDIO EQUIPMENT SOFTBOXES Different shapes and sizes The bigger the soft box the better Big boxes offer softer light Simulate window light Attaches to your lights Narrow strip light is great for portrait Use a big box for you fill light Size and shape depends on the photography you are doing

69 STUDIO EQUIPMENT TRIGGERS Radio or Infa Red Transmitter & Receiver Transmitter fits onto the camera Receiver is connected to the light via a small cable Lights will then fire when you press the shutter Free to move around Greater Flexibility Radio Triggers can be expensive

70 STUDIO EQUIPMENT ADD ONS/REFLECTORS Can be used indoor or outdoor More effective outdoor on bright days Used to reflect light back to your subject Come in different finishes such as white, silver and gold Gold gives a nice warm look Small handheld ones are great for outdoor location shooting The bigger panel ones are more suited to studio Handheld ones collapse into a handy pack Every photographer should have at least one Great for Wedding and Portrait Photography