Composition Shooting Assignment

DSLR

PHONE

Elements and Principles of Photography

Leading Lines:  a composition technique where lines that lead directly to the principle subject in the image attract the viewer's eye

the lines of the road lead toward the tree and house in the background

Vertical Lines: lines that go north to south (grandness and spirituality) 

piano keys are positioned vertically

Horizontal Lines: lines that go east to west conveying rest, calm, tranquil 

the boards of wood are laid horizontally

Diagonal Lines: They draw the eye of an image’s viewer through the photograph and create points of interest as they intersect with other lines and often give images depth by suggesting perspective

the rock the turtle is standing on is angled diagonally which make the turtle on a diagonal line

Curved Lines:  A curved line can be geometric, like the arc of a perfect circle. Curved lines can also be "organic," creating irregular lines and shapes

the edges of the guitar are curved

Symmetrical Balance: one side balances/mirrors the other

you could cut this picture in half and it would hold the same elements on each side

Asymmetrical Balance: informal balance; occurs when elements are placed unevenly in a piece, but work together to produce harmony overall

the picture couldn't be split in half and have the same things/elements on each side, but it works together as a whole

Unity: all elements work together to produce balanced, harmonious, complete whole

the chains are linked together

Variety: a way of combining elements of art in involved ways to achieve intricate and complex relationships

the variety of colors creates the rainbow

Movement/Rhythm: the path the viewer’s eye takes through the artwork; a movement in which some elements recurs regularly

the skater and the water around them is moving

Emphasis: elements that are given dominance or attention

the flower is given the emphasis because it is in color while the background is black and white

Proportion/Scale: ratio that defines the size relationships

the tulip is so close to the camera it looks big enough to be the girl's skirt

Repetition/Pattern: repeated consistency of an element

the little glass bubble thing is repeated constantly

Bird's Eye View: view from above looking down

the camera is looking down from the top of the staircase to the bottom landing

Worm's Eye View: view from below looking up

the camera is in the ground looking up at the house

Horizon Line: a dividing point in the photograph; an anchor that the rest of the image is formed around

the sun and sky both come out of the horizon line

Rule of Thirds: the frame can be divided into three vertical sections and three horizontal sections

it can be divided equally into three vertical and horizontal sections

Framing: using natural surroundings mindfully can add more meaning and focus to your subject

the trees frame the couple

Simplicity: keep the items in your photo relatively simple

the only thing happening in this picture is the flower

Texture: appearance and feel of a surface

you can almost feel the ridges in the picture

What is Composition?

Composition is...

...the arrangement of visual elements within the frame of a photograph.


Why is it important to understand and utilize composition in photography?

You have to understand the "rules" of photography in order to be able to bend them creatively to create a meaning. t's how you use it that makes it interesting. 

Aspects of a "snapshot"

A casual record of some event, person, or object. The picture is clear enough to preserve a memory. 

Aspects of a "photograph"

An artistic interpretation of an event, person, or object. It's purpose is to tell the viewer something - what the object was like.  

"Photography is the art of...

...discovery."

Group A Quiz

1)  f/4.0  1/80  ISO 800

I had Emily (the subject) pose in front of these doors so I would be able to focus on her while achieving a blurry background using a low aperture.

2)   f/7.1  1/100  ISO 800

Using a medium aperture and a higher shutter speed, I was able to capture - without blur - Emily doing a C Jump. 

3)    f/5.6   1/100  ISO 400

With the ISO on the low side, I was able to capture Maria's eyeball without any pixels.

4)   f/5.6  1/60  ISO 800

I set the camera on the Tv setting (this sets the shutter speed for me), set the aperture, and the self timer (10 seconds). I put it on the stairs and was able to capture a selfie with blurred motion.

Summary of Camera Knowledge

• Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens 
• measured in "f stops"
• Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter is open
• measured in seconds
• blur is not always bad
• ISO is the measure of a digital camera sensor's sensitivity to light
• the higher the ISO the more grain is present in the image
• Exposure triangle is when all of these are balanced 

Understanding White Balance

Auto 
f/4.5
1/40
ISO 800










Daylight
f/4.5
1/40
ISO 800












Cloudy
f/4.5
1/40
ISO 800

Tungsten
f/4.5
1/40
ISO 800

Fluorescent
f/4.5
1/40
ISO 800

Custom
f/4.5
1/40
ISO 800

What is white balance?

The process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in the photo.

Why is it important to set your white balance?

It gives clarity to the photo.

Understanding Shutter Speeds

Blurry

f/13.0
1/60
ISO 1600

No Blur

f/7.1
1/200
ISO 1600

What is shutter speed?

The amount of time the shutter is open

How shutter speed works both technically and visually:

Technically: the length of time the image sensor is exposed to light.  Visually: Blur vs. No Blur

Relationship to the exposure triangle:

The higher or lower the shutter speed, the less balanced the exposure triangle is. 

Understanding ISO

ISO 100

f/3.5

1"6

ISO 200

f/3.5
0"8

ISO 400
f/3.5
0"4

ISO 800
 f/3.5
1/4

ISO 1600
f/3.5
1/8

ISO 3200
f/3.5
1/15

ISO 6400
f/3.5
1/30

What is ISO?

The measure of a digital camera sensor's sensitivity to light.

How ISO works both technically and visually:

Technically: the lower the ISO, the less sensitive to light.  Visually: The higher the ISO the more pixilated the picture gets.

The relationship to the exposure triangle:

The more or less ISO you use unbalances the exposure triangle.

Understanding Aperture

Small Depth of Field

f/5.0
1/60
ISO 800

Large Depth of Field

f/11.0

1/60

ISO 800

What is aperture?

The size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken.

How aperture works both technically and visually:

Aperture is measured in "f stops". The lower your f stop is, the wider the aperture is. It lets in more light. 

Relationship to the exposure triangle:

Aperture is at the top of the triangle and helps with the lighting in pictures. 

Photo Themes Part 2

This was a hard but fun project. You really had to think about what would represent the theme clearly in your mind. Themes like ugly, pride, hope, and sounds were really hard to depict. 

I like the end result. I was able to semi-organize all of the pictures in a certain way in the collage.

One of my favorite picture is the one underneath the flower in the middle: patriotic. It took about 50 tries to get the perfect firebird (a dance move). I either took the picture too early or took it too late. After a while we both were annoyed, so we decided we'd try one more time, and sure enough, on the last try, we got the perfect picture. 

Peer Portrait Sketchbook

Portrait Session with Harry Sidney Claypool IV

I am the fourth generation of Harry Claypools in my family. I like to photograph things, mainly sports, and like to express myself through photography. If I could photograph anything in the world it would be a professional football game. I am relaxed. The only thing I would change about myself is being able to run for a longer time and have better stamina. Ten years into the future I see myself out of college with a job and a dog. Hopefully not living in a box. I also want to be in a Nike commercial. I like to play music and watch Netflix on my phone. You can find me in the gym, on the football field, in my room, or hanging with friends. As long as I’m not affected by pop culture, 5 don’t care. I would like to break my procrastination habit. Spiders scare me, but despite that, I’m flawless! Not really: I’m concussion prone and indecisive. If I were a superhero, my superpower would be invisibility. There are so many things you can do when you’re invisible, and if I could only eat at one restaurant for the rest of my life, it would be Chipotle.