What is Photography? Photography is the art or job of taking or making photographs. It is the creation of images by exposing film or a computer chip to light inside a camera. The word photography comes from Greek words meaning to write or draw with light. Most pictures are made using a device called a camera. A camera works somewhat like the human eye, capturing reflected light from objects through a camera lens and focusing those light rays into an image. Traditionally cameras recorded the image onto film. More recently through the development of computer chips, many cameras capture their images on a computer chip. The computer chip then allows the conversion of the image to digital data. Regardless of whether the photography is film or digital-based, the images can be made permanent and seen by an unlimited number of people. DPI Dots Per Inch. Number of dots a printer or device (like a monitor) can display per linear inch. For example, most laser printers have a resolution of 300 dpi and most monitors 72 dpi. Photo quality inkjet printers now range from 1200 to 2400 dpi. GIF GIF, short for Graphics Interchange Format is a file format for storing graphical images up to 256 colors. It uses LZW compression which is a lossless compression method. For images containing text GIF tends to be better than JPG because the files tend to be smaller and JPG files usually have some degree of compression and this can make text blurry.
JPEG A standardized format used by many digital cameras for storing images. This format is also commonly used for images on the web and images attached to e-mail messages. JPEG, which stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, is one of the most widely used formats today. JPEG is a standardized image compression mechanism designed for compressing full-color or gray scale images. JPEG uses lossy compression, which can damage image quality. Kilobyte (K) An amount of computer memory, disk space, or document size consisting of approximately one thousand bytes. Actual value is 1,024 bytes. LCD Liquid Crystal Display. A full-color display screen on cameras used to preview and review pictures and view information, such as menu options and camera settings. Megabyte (MB) An amount of computer memory consisting of about one million bytes. The actual value is 1,048,576 bytes. Megapixel A unit equal to one million pixels. The higher the resolution, the more pixels in an image and therefore the greater the image quality. An image file that is 1 megapixel (MP) can make a photo realistic print of 5 x 7 inches; a 2 MP file can make an 8 x 10-inch print; a 3 MP file can make an 11 x 14-inch print. Memory card A storage device used to store data, such as picture and movie files. Available in a range of sizes, such as 8 MB, 32 MB, and 256 MB. Online photo service An online photofinishing service that lets digital and, at some sites, film camera users share and store their photos in online photo albums and order high quality prints from digital images. The sites lets users enhance pictures with editing tools, order prints online and order other photo products, like calendars and cards. Pixel (PICture ELement) The smallest element of a digitized image. One small dot of light among the many dots that make up an image on a computer screen. PNG PNG is short for Portable Network Graphics and was created as a more powerful alternative to the GIF file format because of the Unisys Patent on LZW compression that emerged in the mid 1990s. PNGs are not restricted to the 256 color limitation of GIF files, support better transparency options and have better compression but do not support the multiple frames and simple animation that GIF files have. Overall though PNG are widely supported, GIF is still the most popular. PPI Pixels Per Inch. The number of pixels per linear inch is used to describe image resolution. A higher ppi means more image detail and correlates to higher image quality. Monitors display images at 72 ppi, inkjet printers require at least 150 ppi to produce photo realistic prints. Resolution The number of pixels in an image. A higher number correlates to a higher quality image.
9 Lessons for taking Better Photos Lesson 1: Experiment Vary your shots in a number of these ways: Shoot from different perspectives up high, down low etc., getting in close stepping back for a wider angle shot, moving around your subject to shoot from different sides, & experimenting with different settings (exposure modes) Lesson 2: Check your Backgrounds A very simple concept that can enhance an image is to check out the background of a shot to check for clutter or distraction. Scan the background (and the foreground) of an image quickly and change the framing if there s too many distractions otherwise your shots will end up with all kinds of objects growing out of the heads of those you are photographing. A. Check your Background Before Hitting the Shutter Release - Always scan the background of your shots before shooting. Look for colors that don t fit with the rest of the image, bright patches that might distract the eye, lines that clash or people that don t belong. B. Move Your Subject - This is a fairly simple technique but is probably the first thing you should consider. Quite often asking a portrait subject to take a step to the left or right will fix things either by putting the distraction behind them or by putting it out of frame. C. Change your Shooting Angle - If you have distracting elements in the background of a shot but can t move your subject another strategy is to move yourself and shoot from a new angle. This might mean rotating around your subject but could also include getting down low to make the sky the background or even getting up high and shooting down onto your subject to make the background the ground. D. Place Subjects In front of Open Spaces - Placing your subject a long way in front of other objects will also help to make those objects more blurry. For example if you have the choice between shooting your subject standing right in front of a brick wall or standing in front of an open field the open field shot will have a much more blurred background simply because the brick wall is just centimeters from your subject and inside the focal range whereas an open field stretches off into the distance where everything will be out of focus. E. Fill your frame with your subject - One of the most effective ways of removing distractions from backgrounds is to remove the background altogether by totally filling the frame with your subject. Get up close and/or use your zoom lens to tightly frame the shot and you ll not only remove distractions but could end up with a high impact shot as well. F. Make your Own Background - Sometimes there just isn t any suitable background and so you might want to consider making your own. This could range from buying a purpose built studio background or simply buying some cloth to do the job for you.
9 Lessons for taking Better Photos Lesson 3: Hold the Camera Straight While shots that are not straight can be quite effective (they can be playful or give a more candid feel to them) it is good to check the framing of your shot before hitting the shutter. A. Watch the horizon when framing a photograph. - An off-balance horizon line is an elementary mistake that many photographers make. It has the ability to spoil otherwise brilliant shots. Of course at times you might want to experiment with holding your camera at different kinds of angles and put your horizon purposely offline, a good rule of thumb is to either make it perfectly flat or very obviously off line. Slightly off horizontal does nothing except make your photos viewers feel dizzy or lean their heads when they view your shots. B. Line up the horizon with the top or bottom of your view finder. - Keep in mind that the edge of your frame in your viewfinder or LCD screen will be the edges of the actual image and will be the reference point for the eventual viewers of your shots to work out whether your shot is straight or not. Many cameras also have markers in their view finder (often a rectangle or set of focussing spots). These can often be used to help line up your horizons mid frame. Some cameras have a rule of thirds mode where they overlay a grid in your LCD/viewfinder to show you where to place your points of interest. While they re not intended to help you get your images stright they can be helpful markers to show you where a level line is. Lesson 4: How to Hold a Camera One of the common problems that many new digital (and film) photographers have is camera shake where images seem blurry usually because the camera was not held still enough while the shutter was depressed. This is especially common in shots taken in low light situations where the shutter is open for longer periods of time. Even the smallest movement of the camera can cause it and the only real way to eliminate it is with a tripod Tripods are the best way to stop camera shake because they have three sturdy legs that keep things very still but if you don t have one then another simple way to enhance the stability of the camera is to hold onto it with two hands. While it can be tempting to shoot one handed a two hands will increase your stillness (like three legs on a tripod being better than one). Add extra stability by leaning against a solid object like a wall or a tree or by sitting or kneeling down. If you have to stand and don t have anything to lean on for extra support put your feet shoulder width apart to give yourself a steady stance. The stiller you can keep your body the stiller the camera will be. Another quick bonus tip before you take your shot take a gentle but deep breath, hold it, then take the shot and exhale. The other method people use is the exact opposite exhale and before inhaling again take the shot. It s amazing how much a body rises and falls simply by breathing being conscious of it can give you an edge.
9 Lessons for taking Better Photos Lesson 5: Get in Close While empty spaces can be used effectively in photos to create stunning results, you re much more likely to get a wow from those looking at your photos if your shots are filled with interest. So how do you fill your frame? You ve largely got three options: A. Use your Optical Zoom most point and shoot digital cameras these days come with a zoom lens and all DSLRs are able to be fitted with one. Use them. B. Use your Legs most photographers have a built in zoom in the form of their legs. Don t just rely upon your cameras zoom but actually position yourself effectively for close in shots. C. Crop your Shots the other option is to zoom in manually at home after you ve taken your shots. This is a good option if you re just trimming shots but any major cropping will result in a loss of quality of your image. Digital Zooms Another option that many digital camera owners use is to utilize their digital zoom. Most digital cameras these days have boast about having digital zooms but don t tell you that to use them will decrease the quality of your shots in a similar way that cropping your shots can. In essence a digital zoom fills your frame by increasing the size of pixels in your shots when can leave you with a grainy impact. I would highly recommend switching off your digital zoom feature and relying upon option 1 and 2 above. If you still need to get in closer you can always crop your shots and achieve the same results as using your digital zoom. Lesson 6: Take Lots of Photos Lesson 7: Getting the Balance Right Between Photographing People, Things and Places Try and vary the types of photographs you take. Many people like to photograph their family and frients, but rarely shoot their surroundings. Others tend to shoot the places they have been, but not the people they are with. If you strive to shoot both types of images, you will have a well rounded balance of images.
9 Lessons for taking Better Photos Lesson 8: Find a Point of Interest Interesting photographs have interesting things in them they need a visual point of interest (a focal point). It is best to identify what this point of interest is before hitting the shutter. Once you ve identified the point of interest you can then think about how to highlight it (by positioning it, using your zoom etc). 6 Techniques to Enhance the Focal Point in an Image A focal point can be virtually anything ranging from a person, to a building, to a mountain, to a flower etc. Obviously the more interesting the focal point the better but there are other things you can do to enhance it s power including: 1. Position Place it in a prominent position you might want to start with the rule of thirds for some ideas. 2. Focus Learn to use Depth of Field to blur out other aspects in front or behind your focal point. 3. Blur If you really want to get tricky you might want to play with slower shutter speeds if your main subject is still and things around it are moving. 4. Size making your focal point large is not the only way to make it prominent but it definitely can help. 5. Color using contrasting colors can also be a way of setting your point of interest apart from it s surroundings. 6. Shape similarly contrasting shapes and textures can make a subject stand out especially patterns that are repeated around a subject. Keep in mind that a combination of above elements can work well together. Lastly don t confuse the viewer with too many competing focal points which might overwhelm the main focal point. Secondary points of interest can be helpful to lead the eye but too many strong ones will just clutter and confuse.
9 Lessons for taking Better Photos Lesson 9: Rule of Thirds What is the Rule of Thirds? The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. As follows. As you re taking an image you would have done this in your mind through your viewfinder or in the LCD display that you use to frame your shot. With this grid in mind the rule of thirds now identifies four important parts of the image that you should consider placing points of interest in as you frame your image. Not only this but it also gives you four lines that are also useful positions for elements in your photo. The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it. Here are some of examples: Another Rule of Thirds Example In this image the head of the subject is on one of the intersecting points especially his eyes which are a natural point of focus for a portrait. His tie and flower also take up a secondary point of interest. The subject is placed along a whole line which means she is considerably off center and therefore creating an additional point of interest. Placing her right in the center of the frame could have resulted in an awkward shot. In a similar way a good technique for landscape shots is to position horizons along one of the horizontal lines like in the following shot. Using the Rule of Thirds comes naturally to some photographers but for many ofus takes a little time and practice for it to become second nature. In learning how to use the rule of thirds (and then to break it) the most important questions to be asking of yourself are: What are the points of interest in this shot? Where am I intentionally placing them? Once again remember that breaking the rule can result in some striking shots so once you ve learned it experiment with purposely breaking it to see what you discover.
Applying rules 1-4 along with the element of value Assignment: Black & White Buildings / Nature DUE: Wed 10/10/12 20 pts Apply the first 4 lessons & value Lesson 1: Experiment (take at least 12 shots) look for texture, value range, and contrast. Lesson 2: Check your Backgrounds (avoid distractions) Lesson 3: Hold the Camera Straight (line up your horizon line or vertical edges) Lesson 4: How to Hold a Camera (hold steady, feet shoulder width apart or steady yourself against a building) Value - The lightness and darkness of a hue or neutral Step 1. Photograph buildings, parts of buildings, benches, or nature. Step 2. Take at least 12 photographs. Look for images that will show a range of value and texture. Step 3. Upload your images to iphoto. Step 4. Choose your 2 favorites (you may crop in) and label them Image 1 and Image 2. Image 1.jpg Step 5. Convert to greyscale (Image / Mode / Greyscale) Image 2.jpg
Applying rules 1-4 along with the element of value Step 6:Resize to 4 x 6 @ 300dpi. (Image / Image size) Step 7: Save As Photoshop file (.psd) and close the file (remember where you saved your image) Step 8: Make a 2 duplicate files of your first image. Step 9: Open the original in photoshop (drag file to photoshop icon). Step 10: Make duplicate background layer. (layer palette / duplicate layer) Step 11: Use the brightness/contrast tool (found in your adjustments pallette) to make the whites in your image brighter, the darks darker and the overall image more interesting with a greater value range. (see image on next page) Step 12: SAVE adjustments palette
Applying rules 1-4 along with the element of value Step 13:Then SAVE AS Image1BC.jpg Image1BC.jpg Step 14: Open duplicate file #1 Step 15: Open it in photoshop (drag file to photoshop icon). Step 16: Make duplicate background layer. adjustments palette Step 17: Use the curves tool to make the whites in your image brighter, the darks darker and the overall image more interesting with a greater value range. Step 18: SAVE Step 19: Then SAVE AS Image1Curves.jpg Image1Curves.jpg Step 20: Open duplicate file #2 Step 21: Open it in photoshop (drag file to photoshop icon). Step 22: Make duplicate background layer. Step 23: Use the levels tool to make the whites in your image brighter, the darks darker and the overall image more interesting with a greater value range. SAVE Image1Levels.jpg Step 25: Then SAVE AS Image1Levels.jpg Spep 26: REPEATE ALL STEPS FOR IMAGE #2 Step 24:
Applying rules 1-4 along with the element of value Spep 27: After you REPEATE ALL STEPS FOR IMAGE #2 Post all 8 images (before & after) to your blog. Title each image with Bright/Contrast, Curves and Levels Step 28: Answer these questions on your blog: 1. Which tool worked best for your first image? 2. Which tool worked best for your second image? 3. Which tool did you like working with the most? 4. Did the texture in your image look better after you applied the filter? Why or why not (hint: use value and contrast in the answer) For those that have mastered these techniques: 1. Take a new image, one that is too dark and work with it to make the value range greater. You can do this in color or black & white. 2. Take an overexposed image (too light) and make the value range better. You can do this in color or black & white.