Unit One Project

• **I have such a need to put a disclaimer on these pictures!!**

• I did not focus on getting all around great pictures.

• I focused only on technique and making sure I was conveying my understanding of the assignment.  I ignored other elements I naturally catch.  When my instructor began the critique, I wanted to call him immediately and justify my choices.

• And then I realized…..I have to always notice everything.

• If I want to be a professional, I cannot compromise composition for shutter speed and I can’t compromise exposure for framing.

• It all matters… all the time!!
  

1) Shallow Depth of Field- ISO 100, Focal Length : 50mm, F-stop: f/1.8, Shutter Speed:1/25

2) Greater Depth of Field- ISO:400, Focal Length: 21mmm F-stop: f/22, Shutter Speed: 1/15

3) Showing Motion and Shutter Speed- ISO:400, Focal Length: 55mm, F-Stop: f/9, Shutter Speed: 1/10

4) Panning and shutter speed - ISO:200. Focal Length: 21mm, F-stop: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 1/60

5) Stopping Motion and Shutter Speed-ISO: 500, Focal length: 18mm, F-stop: f/9, Shutter Speed: 1/250

Unit One: Lessons 1-4

I started the first lesson a little too confident in my abilities. The first book is called “Eye of the Photographer”.  I skimmed through the book thinking “I got this!” As you will see in lesson two….not so much. It simply gives you great examples of pictures and introduces you to the three basic guidelines to a great photograph.

• A Good Photograph Has a Clear Subject

• A Good Photograph Focuses Attention on the Subject

• A Good Photograph Simplifies

Lesson Two-The Camera

This was more historical than helpful in modern digital age. Three helpful ideas I did take from this lesson were:

• Brand is not that important. You can stick with what you know.

• The camera is not the key to a great photo….it is the operator.

• KNOW your camera.

Heidi suggested the Digital Field Guide for my Canon 30D. It is full of pictures and color. A great resource.

Lesson Three- The Lens

Ahhh….let the confusion begin!!

In this lesson they hinted at the move to manual. They began talking about f-numbers, f-stops and aperture. (Oh my!) The fresh breeze of the first two chapters turned into a slightly muggy breeze…maybe off of a fish market or something. As I look back even now, I know I will have to constantly refresh my memory of this information. I know over time…it will become second nature, but right now it still feels foreign.

Aperture and the lens:  Click Here for Video Example

F-stop and Focal Length: Click Here for Video Example (Love the Cheetos)

The rest of the lesson covers the different kind of lenses available-Zoom, Macro, fisheye, portrait, perspective control, catadioptric, digital….and the challenge/benefits of each.  Now don’t you tell me you already knew about all these!!

Lesson Four-How to Use Your Camera

This is the chapter I parked at for awhile.  This was the light bulb moment when I realized I might be in over my head.

The lesson forces you to look at the settings on your camera and see the possibilities.  Working through Depth of Field and Shutter Speed was like trying to run in molasses.

When you set up a shot…ask yourself lots of questions!  Do you want the background blurred?  Do you want everything in sharp focus? (like a scenic mountain picture) These questions have to do with depth of field. Great Video Explanation

Also, ask yourself if there will be action.  Is movement you want to freeze frame?  If you are taking a picture of water moving…do you want the water frozen or do you want the picture to reflect movement? These all involve shutter speed.

Basic rules for Aperture:

• The smaller the aperture (higher the f-number), the greater the depth of field

• The wider the aperture lower the f-number), the shallower the depth of field.

• Click Here to See  Video Example

Basic rules for Shutter Speed:

• Shutter speed is, apart from aperture, the other main component required to form a proper exposure.

• Shutter speed means timing and duration of opening and closing of the shutter curtain at the back of the camera.
• A fast shutter speed will freeze action while slower speed creates a blurring effect.
• Click Here to See Video Example

And remember:

Since both the aperture and shutter speed control amount of light reaches the film for a exposure, there is a very strong relationship between the two:

• The aperture (how big or small the lens diaphragm inside a lens opens up) allows different amount of light falling onto film through the lens that attached to your camera body and;

• The shutter speed (the shutter curtain – duration and how long it opens up to absorb the amount of light falls onto film)
• Click Here to See Video Example

More to come….

lol..just had to share. =)

A little late…not sure about the dollar

My friend and I decided to take our hobby to the next notch…BAM! We love photography and editing photos so we thought the natural progression must be to pursue photography as a profession. We discovered much sooner than later that you must actually take the button OFF automatic to be considered “professional”. This step is not easy and requires a certain bravery that I am still not 100% sure I even want to achieve in the end. I LOVE taking pictures and all of this new information is bumming me out, really. I have been good enough to get high fives from friends and family but I had a huge cold glass of ice water thrown on me when I tried to charge someone for my “work”. For some reason, no one was giving me a high five anymore….and I didn’t like it. If there is money exchanged, people are a little more picky than when I send a picture to the kids grandparents!

This lead Heidi and me to the decision to use our military spouse fund (woo hoo!) for photography classes at New York Institute of Photography. We are entering our third lesson now and plan to document our progress for each other and for anyone interested in either the school or photography in general. We are going to take a minute to catch up on the first two lessons as a refresher. The purpose of the blog is to reinforce our own learning….and if anyone learns a thing or two in the process…great!

We are trying to “Empty our cups…so that we may be filled” in this process…as the wise old Lightning Thief would say. Or was that Bruce Lee? Or were they talking about wineskins? Or maybe it had to do with coffee. I would prefer that anyway…
As we fill our cups I hope yours may get topped off too : )