Robin Michals | COMD 1340 Photography 1

Category: Course Activities (Page 9 of 10)

Lab: Week 2 – Composition

2 pts. Work with a shoe. Take a series of photos of that shoe from different angles and with different cropping until you get 20 photos of it that really look different. The goal is to take as wide a range of photos of the shoe as possible. The way to get this wide range is by using different ways to compose and light the shoe. The shoe should be the main element in every photo.

Shot list:

Framing

  • Long shot
  • Medium shot
  • Close-up
  • Extreme Close-up

 Angle of view

  • Worm’s-eye view
  • Low-angle
  • Eye-level
  • High angle
  • Aerial or Bird’s-eye view
  • Oblique angle

Focal Length

  • Wide Angle – zoom out
  • Telephoto – Zoom in

Line

  • Horizontal Line
  • Vertical line
  • Diagonal line

Balance

  • Rule of Thirds
  • Balanced/Symmetrical
  • Off-balance/Asymmetrical

Space and Perspective

  • Shallow Space
  • Deep Space

Put your 20 best photos of the shoe in an album on Flickr.

Inspiration: The Shoes of Our Lost Icons are Still Full of Life

Week 2 – Composition: The Frame

Photo by Mel D. Cole

The Frame

Cropping: how much information is in the frame

  • a long shot
  • a medium shot
  • a close up
  • an extreme close up.

Angle of View:  describes the camera position in relationship to the subject. The angle of view may be:

  • a worm’s-eye view
  • a low-angle
  • eye-level
  • a high-angle
  • a bird’s-eye or aerial or overhead view
  • oblique angle
Tram on Sukharevsky Boulevard, 1928. Alexander Rodchenko.

Angle of View Examples By Alexander Rodchenko

Lab: Week 2 – Composition

HW 2: Hula Hoops

Suzanne Stein, New York Street Two

The photograph depicts a close-up of hands adorned with silver rings holding a small bird. The image focuses on the interaction between the hands and the delicate bird. The photographer’s intention could be to capture a poignant moment, which symbolizes the connection between humanity and nature, emphasizing themes of fragility, care, and the beauty of the natural world. The name of the work allows us to know that the location of the photograph takes place in a New York setting.  The juxtaposition of urban surroundings with the act of holding a small bird creates a compelling contrast, highlighting the theme of nature within an urban environment. This further evokes a sense of harmony and connection between humanity and nature.

The photographer uses figures to ground, fill the frame, and patterns and repetition in their work. The photograph uses the “fill the frame” compositional principle by zooming in closely on the hands and the bird, the photographer eliminates distractions and emphasizes the main subject. The Figure to Ground principle is used to contrast between the hands and the bird against the background. Thus, drawing attention to the central subjects. The patterns and repetition could be seen in the arrangement of the rings on the hands, this could have been used to add visual interest and texture to the image. The use of the formal elements like “Fill the Frame” and “Figure to Ground” also further emphasize the intimacy of the moment by isolating the hands and the bird from their urban surroundings, thus reinforcing the central message of the image. Overall, the photograph conveys a sense of tenderness and stewardship toward the bird. The mood or feeling of the photograph also conveys emotions such as empathy, connection, and a sense of wonder in relation to the natural world.

Lab- Week 1 – Composition

2 pts. Photographing a stool or a chair as your main subject, create a clear example of each one of the 8 compositional principles in the Steve McCurry video:

1. Rule of Thirds

2. Leading Lines

3. Diagonals

4. Frame within a frame

5. Figure to Ground

6. Fill the Frame

7. Patterns and Repetition

8. Symmetry

Camera settings:

Under menu, select Image Quality to set the file format to jpg.

Use the shooting mode – P – for Program Mode (not A which is for aperture).

Set the ISO to Auto.

Practice moving the focus point around the screen.

Upload the 8 examples of the compositional principles to an album on Flickr. Label each one with the compositional principal it represents.

HW 1 – Photo Description

4pts. Due Sept 5, 12 noon. Post to OpenLab.
Review the Steve McCurry video:
http://petapixel.com/2015/03/16/9-photo-composition-tips-as-seen-in-photographs-by-steve-mccurry/

Look at the work of the photographers listed below. Then select one photograph by one of these photographers that really speaks to you and that you think is visually engaging. Once you have selected a photograph, write a 300-word post on OpenLab about the photograph. 

Category: Student posts>HW1-Composition

1. Identify the photograph with the name of the photographer and the name of the photograph. Write a short description of the subject matter and location. Then, identify the intention of the photographer. What is the purpose of the image? What is the mood or feeling of the photograph?
2. Select three of the formal elements from the Steve McCurry video that are most important in the photo that you selected. Write a second paragraph describing the photographer’s use of those three compositional principles. 

1. Rule of Thirds
2. Leading Lines
3. Diagonals
4. Frame within a frame
5. Figure to Ground
6. Fill the Frame
7. Dominant Eye
8. Patterns and Repetition
9. Symmetry

How do these elements help create the mood or feeling of the photograph?

Include a link to the photograph if you can’t include a version of the image so I can easily find it. 

1. Suzanne Stein
https://www.suzannesteinphoto.com
Pick from either New York Street One, Two, or Three

2. Janette Beckman

https://janettebeckman.com/
Pick from Hip Hop or US Youth

3. Thomas Holton
http://www.thomasholton.com/
The Lams of Ludlow Street

4. Michael Kenna-
http://www.michaelkenna.net/gallery.php?id=14
New York

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