Monday, September 8, 2014

People Project

The first shooting assignment for this class will focus on taking good photos of people. What sort of things should you as the photographer consider when doing this?  When you were asked “what makes a good photo” the first day of class you said “a good photo should have…”
 
-Good Lighting
-Simplicity
-Tells a Story
-Clarity – Good Focus
-Evokes a Memory
-Candid
-Shows Character/Personality
-Captures a Moment
-Shows Emotion
-Shows a Mood
-Expressive
-Interesting Perspective
 
Not only should you remember the above items when photographing your subjects, but also remember the following:
*Composition- You have learned the elements and principles of art. Use these rules. They will help you compose great photos.
Elements of Art: Line, Shape, Form, Texture, Contrast, Space
Principles of Art: Balance, Unity, Variety, Emphasis, Movement, Proportion, Pattern
*Are you close enough to your subject? Remember that you can see the EXACT scene you will be taking a photograph of through your SLR camera’s viewfinder. Make sure that you are close enough to the person you are taking a photo of.  Fill the frame.
*Change positions.  Recall your first photo shoot.  Just by stepping to the side, squatting down, or standing on a bench can change the perspective (and the feeling of your photo) dramatically. Don’t forget to move around while looking through your viewfinder. The first choice isn’t always the best choice.
*Go outside! Indoor light usually is not the best light for getting a great image. When at all possible take your photos outside in natural light.
*Take candids. Usually photos that are not posed are more interesting than those photos that are posed. Try to hang out in the background and wait for a good picture. Don’t be shy about asking people to take their photo.  Or set up your subject so the photo looks unposed.
*Use your light meter! Make sure to look at your light meter and make necessary adjustments before taking every photo. A badly exposed negative never makes a good picture.  Make sure your shutter speed is at least 1/60 or your image will be fuzzy.
*Interesting subject = interesting photos. Photograph a variety of people. Try to catch them in the middle of doing something interesting.  Do your best to capture their personality, emotion, or mood.  Make your photos stand out from others by telling a story or showing a different perspective.
What kind of people pictures do you need?
This assignment will be a scavenger hunt. Below is a list. You must find and photograph everything on the list. Negatives will be checked. You will be choosing the best 3 photos to print for submission.
 
2 photos of a young person (under 10)
 
2 Elderly people photos (over 65)
 
2 People photos from birdseye view – looking down.
 
2 People photos from worms eye view – looking up.
 
2 Profiles– from the side. Find someone with an interesting profile.

 

2 photos of something other than someone’s face
 
2 photos of your parent(s) / Guardian
 
2 photos of a friend
 
2 photos of person with an animal
 
2 self portraits
 
2 photos of groups of people (4 or more)
 
2 photos showing emotion
 
Total = 24 photos
 
Due Date: Monday, October 13th
 
What Next?
Things you will need to turn in for this assignment:
*3 GOOD prints: good prints should be IN FOCUS, contain a rich black, brilliant white and several gray values
*Contact Sheet
*Evaluation Form
Place all of these items in a folder with your name on the outside.  All components must be turned in to receive full credit.
 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Using Photoshop Part 1

Enhancing a Photo:
 
Download and Save each of these photos:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Removing Blemishes and Wrinkles!
 
 
 
Download and Save each of these photos:
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Creating a Contact Sheet

Step 1. Upload your images in your Photography 1 folder- H Drive
(Inside this folder make two additional folders "Set 1" and "Set 2")

Step 2. Right click on each image and name it according to the category that you took it for. 

Step 3.  Open in Bridge.

Step 4.  On the left side of the screen you will see your computer station.  Navigate to your h-drive and then to the folder with your photos.

Step 5.  Select OUTPUT at the top right of the screen in Bridge.

Step 6.  Click on one of your images and then press cntrl A which will select all of your images.

Step 7.  Select PDF at the top right of your screen.  Check the box at the bottom that says "View PDF After Save"

Step 8.  Save.  The computer will prompt you to title your contact sheet and save it.  Title it as People Contact Shoot 1 and save it into your Photography one "Set 1" folder inside of the "People" folder.

Step 9.  Save your contact sheet to the appropriate folder.  Your contact sheet should open up in a separate window as a PDF.

Step 10.  Email your contact sheet to your instructor.