Capturing The Beauty of God s Creation Through The Lens Session 2 Building Your Craft January 14, 2013 Donald Jin donjin@comcast.net
Course Overview Jan 6 Setting The Foundation Jan 13 Building Your Craft Jan 20 From Snapshots to Great Shots Jan 27 Sharing the Beauty Introduction and overview Understanding light and exposure The mechanics of good exposure Capabilities and limitations of your own camera Building on our understanding of light, we will discuss how to use light to shape our compositions Examine traditional rules of composition so we know when to ignore and break them Using depth of field and bokeh as composition elements Recipe for a good photograph How to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls Simple tricks to instantly improve your photography Photo enhancing software, digital workflow, archiving your photos, and options for sharing your work with friends and family The joy of photography comes from not only in making the photographs but in sharing them, especially with fellow photographers. On this last class, students will be encouraged to bring samples of their own work and share it with the rest of the class.
Before You Press the Shutter Button What is the Center of Interest? Is it interesting? Do the Lighting, Background, Color, Texture, and Composition all work to emphasize the Center of Interest? Consider What s in and What s out What you leave out of the frame is just as important as what you include.
Center of Interest Every photo you take should have one principal idea, topic, or a center of interest. All supporting elements should draw the viewer s eyes to this center. A photo without a dominant center of interest, too many or competing centers of interest loses the viewer s interest and causes the eyes to wonder about the photo.
Depth of Field (dof) The distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image.
Remember Aperture? One of the three components of the Exposure Triangle. Besides controlling the amount of light, Aperture effects DOF What else effects DOF? The distance from lens to your subject and subject to your background.
Use DOF to Enhance Your Images
Draws the viewer s eyes to the sharpest element (center of interest) in the frame.
Use large DOF (>f/16) to keep all elements in sharp focus
Please note, on typical landscape shots Large DOF = Small Aperture (f16, 20, 22, etc.) Small Aperture = Less Light To maintain Exposure Balance You may need to keep the shutter open longer Not a problem on a bright day but on shady or low light situation, you ll need a tripod. 1/8 sec at f/22, ISO 100
Composition The art of arranging visual elements in a photograph.
Popular Composition Rules Rule of Thirds Leading /Dominant Lines Framing Depth Angle of View
Dead center is deadly
How does Rule of Third apply when taking portraits of people?
For Portraits The eyes should always be the Center of Interest Use the eye closest to the lens as the focus point Place the eye on the intersection point or line
Popular Composition Rules Rule of Thirds Leading /Dominant Lines Framing Depth Angle of View
Leading Lines Draw the viewer into the image Gives depth to the image Leads the viewers eyes Creates movement within the image Look for Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal and even curves. Each type can create a different mood
Horizontal Lines Conveys a mood of stability and permanency Most common with horizons Layering the horizon with colors and/or texture can add rhythm and patterns in an image, which can serve as a Center of Interest on its own Keep horizons straight!
Vertical Lines Conveys a mood of strength, power, and even growth (think trees) Keep vertical lines vertical Using Rule of Third, avoid placing dominant line in center this will split the image in half. Look for repeating patterns for greater impact
Diagonal and Curves Works well to draw the eyes into the photograph. Can add sense of movement and a dynamic mood Adds depth and perspective to an otherwise flat image
Popular Composition Rules Rule of Thirds Leading /Dominant Lines Framing Depth Angle of View
Framing Gives context to the image Gives a sense of depth and layer Leads the eye Intrigues the viewer
1.0 Sec f/4 ISO 100 On Tripod No Flash
Popular Composition Rules Rule of Thirds Leading /Dominant Lines Framing Depth Angle of View
Depth Use foreground, mid and background to give a flat image a sense of depth Combine with DOF, Leading Lines, Framing and other composition techniques
Popular Composition Rules Rule of Thirds Leading /Dominant Lines Framing Depth Angle of View
Angle of View Choosing an unusual angle of view to create a composition that is compelling and out of the ordinary Draws the viewer into image and creates a sense of being in the photo. Try different angle of views: From above, eye level or below From far or up close
Be Prepared and Wait for Your Image To Happen Look for the background first Frame the image in your mind Prepare your camera (exposure, composition, etc.) and tripod Wait for the subject (center of interest) to walk into the frame.
5.0 sec at f/22, ISO 100 Taken at 7:26pm
25 sec at f/22, ISO 100 Taken at 7:36 pm
30 sec at f/22, ISO 100 Taken at 7:47pm
30 sec at f/22, ISO 100 Taken at 7:57pm
Photo Assignment Look through your old photos as you keep in mind what your learned today. Does your image have a Center of Interest? Go out and take new photos applying the composition rules Put one or two of your favorite images aside to share with the class!