Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Lesson 2
In the last lesson, we talked about the technical side of focus. Today we’ll talk about the creative side or the Depth of Field.
In a shallow or narrow depth of field, part of the image is in focus (the subject) the rest is out of focus.
Greater depth of field is just the opposite. As in the image below, everything is in focus.
In a shallow or narrow depth of field, part of the image is in focus (the subject) the rest is out of focus.
Greater depth of field is just the opposite. As in the image below, everything is in focus.
You can see good examples of shallow depth of field in Dan’s pictures of the yellow flowers and the pick roses and in several of Diana’s pictures. If you look through everyone’s original “10 Favorites” you’ll see many other examples.
All of the images that you have submitted could have shown everything completely in focus, but someone chose (or the camera chose) to create a shallow depth of field.
So, how do you achieve this beautiful selective focus? There are several contributing factors:
The aperture
The distance from the subject to the background
The focal length of the lens
In order to continue, we need to talk a little about exposure. In our first lesson I said that in an exceptional image, the subject had to be properly focused and properly exposed – meaning the right amount of light on the subject. The subject is not too light and not too dark.
The camera controls the amount of light given an image by two things, the aperture (opening) of the lens – 1) the more open the aperture is, the more light it lets in. The more closed, the less light – just as your would expect.
And 2) how long the shutter keeps the lens open (called the shutter speed). Again it’s obvious: the longer the shutter stays open, the more light on the image. Aperture and shutter speed always work together to accurately (or inaccurately) expose your image.
There are usually several combinations of aperture and shutter speed that you can use for any give image and still have a properly exposed picture - a wide open aperture and a fast shutter speed or a smaller aperture and a slower shutter speed, and a few combinations in between. The only difference in the final picture is the depth of field.
If your camera has an aperture priority option, that is what you will be using this week. If it doesn’t, the camera manufacturers have preset the camera to shoot with the aperture either all the way open - portrait mode, and closed down - landscape mode.
Assignment:
Check your manual and
1. find out if your camera has an aperture and shutter speed option. It may be labeled Av and Tv.
2. see if you have an optical zoom or a digital zoom or both
3. post your findings
4a. If you have an aperture priority option, take 20 -25 pictures with the aperture fully open (f 2.8 for example. The smaller the number, the more open the lens). Then take the same basic image with the smallest aperture that light conditions will allow (f11 for example. The larger the number the more closed down the lens.) You will have problems achieving a properly exposed image if you try to use a small aperture in low light conditions – there just won’t be enough light, even at a slow shutter speed. So you may want to perform this assignment outside (during the day J) Then take the same images in auto mode. Post some of your results.
4b. If you do not have an aperture priority option, take 20 -25 pictures in portrait mode. Then take the same basic image in landscape mode. You will have problems achieving a properly exposed image if you try to use landscape mode in low light conditions – there just won’t be enough light, even at a slow shutter speed. So you may want to perform this assignment outside (during the day :)) Then take the same images in auto mode. Post some of your results.
Next time we'll talk about the effect the focal length has on the image.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Assignment one, S1
I finally got them downloaded!
I love how her eyes are the only thing really in focus!
I absolutely adore this picture!Saturday, March 15, 2008
Photo Assignment #1: paws and vetsac
Sleeping Monkey
(at the Phoenix Zoo)
(at the Phoenix Zoo)
Desert Flower Bloom
(on the outskirts of the metro Phoenix area)
(on the outskirts of the metro Phoenix area)
Pink Rose
Flower Bug
Shadow Cast
(sunset in Fountain Hills in front of our house)
(sunset in Fountain Hills in front of our house)
Assignment #1, Diana Style
Mom found my minimum focusing distance in my specifications section of my camera manual. I didn't even know I HAD a specifications section. Another reason mom is great. I played around with both my p/s and the S1. I like the pictures with the S1 better but it is a tad inconvenient to always have with you.
I found it was harder than I thought to take candid images of my kids and get them in focus. Pausing, holding breath, and pushing 1/2 way down was hard when I wanted to get the shot but I think I am getting better.
Here are some of my favorites:
All of these are from my p/s I'll post the ones I took with the S1 when I get them downloaded.
PSA
We are getting a lot of spam comments with links in them. I'm deleting them as I see them, but if you should happen to come across one do NOT click the link!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Just one or two??
I couldn't find any mention of a minimum focusing distance expect in the macro section. On macro mode it's 7.9 inches, so I'm assuming it's 8 inches in regular mode. ;)
Friday, March 7, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Addendum to Lesson #1
One important technical thing I forgot to mention: Every camera has a minimum focusing distance or , as my manual calls it, shooting distance. It is the distance from the front of the lens to your subject. You need to know what this distance is, and stay within it. If you get too close, your picture will be out of focus! If your camera has a Macro feature you will be able to get very close (2" on my P/S) but you will probably have to tell your camera to be in that mode. If you have already read this weeks assignment, there is an additional item !
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Lesson #1
Did you know that photography can be a rather violent profession/hobby? First we “shoot” our subjects, then we “frame” them, then “hang” them! :)
Elements of an exceptional image
An exceptional image requires technical as well as artistic elements.
Technical:
The subject must be properly in focus
The subject must be properly exposed
The image must be color balanced
Artistic
There must be good composition
There must be an interesting subject
There must be attractive lighting
Technical
Once mastered, technical elements take the least thought and preparation, but you cannot create an exceptional image without them.
This week, we are going to discuss focus.
The subject must be properly focused. Generally this means that the subject of the image must be “in focus” or “sharp”. Many times a subject, or the entire image will have a “soft focus” finish, but that is not the same as “out of focus”.
Virtually all cameras today have an autofocus feature; however, if not used properly, it can ruin your image. In order to have the subject of your image properly focused, you need to make the following principles a habit:
1. Hold the camera steady/squeeze the button
2. Make sure the autofocus icon is on what you want in focus.
3. Use a tripod in low light
4. Keep the lens clean
5. Keep your hair, fingers and anything else off the lens!
1. Hold the camera steady/squeeze the button.
Almost everyone jabs the shutter release (the button you push to take a picture!) This can’t help but move the camera slightly, creating camera shake. You probably won’t notice anything if the image was made in bright sun and printed to be a 4” x 6” print. But when you start taking images in window light or in other low light situations, or you want to make a large print, you will notice that the image is out of focus. No matter how artistically beautiful it is, the image that is out of focus can never be exceptional. You must get in the habit of squeezing the shutter release, while holding your elbows tight to your body and holding your breath until you are certain the camera has finished exposing the image. The amount of time is only a fraction of a second.
Many of the point and shoot (P/S) cameras don’t have a view finder. I hope yours does, because if you get in the habit of using the LCD display as a viewfinder and are shooting while holding the camera out in thin air, it will be very difficult to avoid camera shake. You make compose the image using the LCD display, but when you are ready to push the shutter release, find a way to anchor the camera.
2. Make sure the autofocus icon is on what you want in focus. Most cameras have autofocus brackets in the center of the viewfinder. That results in the subject always being in the center of the image – not necessarily the best composition – or the subject is out of focus because the camera is focused on whatever is in the center of the image.
I bet it has happened to you: you are photographing two people who end up both out of focus and the background is perfectly in focus because there was enough of a space between the two people that the brackets fell on the background.
I liked the above image so much that I wanted to enlarge it to 20” x24”. However, when I looked at it carefully, I discovered that the background was in focus rather than the subjects. DRAT! I know better than that, I just so involved in the composition that I neglected the technical.
Some cameras allow you to move those brackets around. If yours does, get in the habit of using that feature. Or simply press the shutter release down halfway to lock the focus (you should be in the habit of doing this for every image anyway), keeping it pressed, recompose the image and then press it down all the way.
There are times when the autofocus may not work well. For example, the subject has extremely low contrast to the surroundings. Or perhaps the subject is moving quickly. In these cases, aim the camera at an object that is at the same distance from the camera, lock the focus and recompose the image.
The other day, Diana was photographing Sophie’s very light wispy hair. The camera just couldn’t focus. In this case, I just held up my hand near Sophie’s head so that Diana could lock in the focus, and then moved my hand so she could take the picture.
3. Use a tripod in low light. You can not expect to be able to hand hold the camera at night or in low light situations, even if you are very steady. Since most of our cameras are small, it’s pretty easy to carry a small tripod. If you don’t have a tripod with you when you need it, you can brace your camera on something that is anchored, like a wall or a rock etc.
4. Keep the lens clean. Keep your hair, fingers and anything else off the lens before, during and after taking the picture! It’s very difficult to have a sharp image shot though fingerprints! If your lens should become dirty, use a blower to remove any loose dust. (Don’t blow on it – you might end up with saliva on your lens!) Then place a drop of lens cleaning fluid on a piece of special lens cleaning paper and gently wipe off the lens. DO NOT put the lens cleaning solution directly on the lens. The fluid can seep around the lens and damage the camera. You can also use a special lens cleaning cloth – they work great.
This Week's Assignment:
#1 Inspect & clean your lens, if necessary.
#2 Check your manual and see if your camera allows you to move the focusing brackets, and if it does, master changing it. Also, check your manual and find out what the minimum focusing distance is for your camera.
#3 Take 20-25 images this week of anything you want. Concentrate on placing the focusing brackets exactly where you want them. Take some of them with the subject off center. Take a few in low light. Try something you haven’t done before with your camera.
#4 In every image you take this week be conscious of:
a. Squeeeezing the shutter release,
b. Holding your arms tight to your sides,
c. Gently pressing the camera to your face and
d. Holding your breath.
#5 Of the images you took this week, post 1 or 2 of your favorites.
A creative element of focus is called selective focus or depth of field. This occurs when part of the image in sharp and part(s) of it are out of focus. Several of the images you submitted in your first assignment are great illustrations of this principle. We’ll talk about that next week!
Elements of an exceptional image
An exceptional image requires technical as well as artistic elements.
Technical:
The subject must be properly in focus
The subject must be properly exposed
The image must be color balanced
Artistic
There must be good composition
There must be an interesting subject
There must be attractive lighting
Technical
Once mastered, technical elements take the least thought and preparation, but you cannot create an exceptional image without them.
This week, we are going to discuss focus.
The subject must be properly focused. Generally this means that the subject of the image must be “in focus” or “sharp”. Many times a subject, or the entire image will have a “soft focus” finish, but that is not the same as “out of focus”.
Virtually all cameras today have an autofocus feature; however, if not used properly, it can ruin your image. In order to have the subject of your image properly focused, you need to make the following principles a habit:
1. Hold the camera steady/squeeze the button
2. Make sure the autofocus icon is on what you want in focus.
3. Use a tripod in low light
4. Keep the lens clean
5. Keep your hair, fingers and anything else off the lens!
1. Hold the camera steady/squeeze the button.
Almost everyone jabs the shutter release (the button you push to take a picture!) This can’t help but move the camera slightly, creating camera shake. You probably won’t notice anything if the image was made in bright sun and printed to be a 4” x 6” print. But when you start taking images in window light or in other low light situations, or you want to make a large print, you will notice that the image is out of focus. No matter how artistically beautiful it is, the image that is out of focus can never be exceptional. You must get in the habit of squeezing the shutter release, while holding your elbows tight to your body and holding your breath until you are certain the camera has finished exposing the image. The amount of time is only a fraction of a second.
Many of the point and shoot (P/S) cameras don’t have a view finder. I hope yours does, because if you get in the habit of using the LCD display as a viewfinder and are shooting while holding the camera out in thin air, it will be very difficult to avoid camera shake. You make compose the image using the LCD display, but when you are ready to push the shutter release, find a way to anchor the camera.
2. Make sure the autofocus icon is on what you want in focus. Most cameras have autofocus brackets in the center of the viewfinder. That results in the subject always being in the center of the image – not necessarily the best composition – or the subject is out of focus because the camera is focused on whatever is in the center of the image.
I bet it has happened to you: you are photographing two people who end up both out of focus and the background is perfectly in focus because there was enough of a space between the two people that the brackets fell on the background.
I liked the above image so much that I wanted to enlarge it to 20” x24”. However, when I looked at it carefully, I discovered that the background was in focus rather than the subjects. DRAT! I know better than that, I just so involved in the composition that I neglected the technical.
Some cameras allow you to move those brackets around. If yours does, get in the habit of using that feature. Or simply press the shutter release down halfway to lock the focus (you should be in the habit of doing this for every image anyway), keeping it pressed, recompose the image and then press it down all the way.
There are times when the autofocus may not work well. For example, the subject has extremely low contrast to the surroundings. Or perhaps the subject is moving quickly. In these cases, aim the camera at an object that is at the same distance from the camera, lock the focus and recompose the image.
The other day, Diana was photographing Sophie’s very light wispy hair. The camera just couldn’t focus. In this case, I just held up my hand near Sophie’s head so that Diana could lock in the focus, and then moved my hand so she could take the picture.
3. Use a tripod in low light. You can not expect to be able to hand hold the camera at night or in low light situations, even if you are very steady. Since most of our cameras are small, it’s pretty easy to carry a small tripod. If you don’t have a tripod with you when you need it, you can brace your camera on something that is anchored, like a wall or a rock etc.
4. Keep the lens clean. Keep your hair, fingers and anything else off the lens before, during and after taking the picture! It’s very difficult to have a sharp image shot though fingerprints! If your lens should become dirty, use a blower to remove any loose dust. (Don’t blow on it – you might end up with saliva on your lens!) Then place a drop of lens cleaning fluid on a piece of special lens cleaning paper and gently wipe off the lens. DO NOT put the lens cleaning solution directly on the lens. The fluid can seep around the lens and damage the camera. You can also use a special lens cleaning cloth – they work great.
This Week's Assignment:
#1 Inspect & clean your lens, if necessary.
#2 Check your manual and see if your camera allows you to move the focusing brackets, and if it does, master changing it. Also, check your manual and find out what the minimum focusing distance is for your camera.
#3 Take 20-25 images this week of anything you want. Concentrate on placing the focusing brackets exactly where you want them. Take some of them with the subject off center. Take a few in low light. Try something you haven’t done before with your camera.
#4 In every image you take this week be conscious of:
a. Squeeeezing the shutter release,
b. Holding your arms tight to your sides,
c. Gently pressing the camera to your face and
d. Holding your breath.
#5 Of the images you took this week, post 1 or 2 of your favorites.
A creative element of focus is called selective focus or depth of field. This occurs when part of the image in sharp and part(s) of it are out of focus. Several of the images you submitted in your first assignment are great illustrations of this principle. We’ll talk about that next week!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Romi's #2
1. What brand and model of camera(s) will you be using for this class? Nikon Coolpix S51c
2. Is your camera digital or film (you know where you go to the store and buy it and load it into your camera and take a bunch of pictures and then take it back to the store and then pick it up later and then FINALLY get to see what pictures you took!) Digital
3. Do you have, or can you get, a copy of the manual for your camera? Yes
4. On a scale of 1-10, how familiar are you with the features of your camera? 4
5. Do you have, or have access to a camera with interchangeable lenses? If so, what lenses to do have? No…well, I might be able to borrow my sis’s
6. Do you have any photo editing software (like Photoshop or Photo Elements)? Photo Impact Pro (& I know about 2% of the program)
7. Do you have a tripod for your camera? No
8. What percentage of the time do you use your camera on “auto everything” mode? %70
9. Do you know how the following terms apply to photography: just Yes or No - if you don’t know, don’t try to find out – I’m just trying to figure out where to begin.
a. Aperture No
b. Shutter speed Yes/Somewhat
c. ISO/ASA Not at all
d. Focus Yes
e. Depth of field Yes
f. Composition Yes/Somewhat
g. Quality of light No
h. Exposure Not really
i. What other photographic terms can you think of?
10. What is your photographic experience? e and f
11. How much time per week are you willing to spend on these photo assignments? A couple of hours.
2. Is your camera digital or film (you know where you go to the store and buy it and load it into your camera and take a bunch of pictures and then take it back to the store and then pick it up later and then FINALLY get to see what pictures you took!) Digital
3. Do you have, or can you get, a copy of the manual for your camera? Yes
4. On a scale of 1-10, how familiar are you with the features of your camera? 4
5. Do you have, or have access to a camera with interchangeable lenses? If so, what lenses to do have? No…well, I might be able to borrow my sis’s
6. Do you have any photo editing software (like Photoshop or Photo Elements)? Photo Impact Pro (& I know about 2% of the program)
7. Do you have a tripod for your camera? No
8. What percentage of the time do you use your camera on “auto everything” mode? %70
9. Do you know how the following terms apply to photography: just Yes or No - if you don’t know, don’t try to find out – I’m just trying to figure out where to begin.
a. Aperture No
b. Shutter speed Yes/Somewhat
c. ISO/ASA Not at all
d. Focus Yes
e. Depth of field Yes
f. Composition Yes/Somewhat
g. Quality of light No
h. Exposure Not really
i. What other photographic terms can you think of?
10. What is your photographic experience? e and f
11. How much time per week are you willing to spend on these photo assignments? A couple of hours.
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