Author: rmichals (Page 7 of 8)

Photograph flowers with continuous lights.

Floodlight– light is diffused and wraps around the subject hitting it from many angles. shadows are soft.

Spotlight – light is direct and hits the subject from one angle. Shadows are hard.

In-class Flower Shoot Camera Settings:

• Resolution=RAW
• ISO=100-400
• WB=Flash
• Shooting Mode=Tv
• Shutter speed = 1/125
• The camera sets the aperture

Every shot has a flower in it as the main subject.

Shot list 1:

A. Front light: reduces detail, low contrast

Make the light a floodlight by diffusing the light with a soft box. Place it close to the camera position and subject.

B. Side Light floodlight with diffusion: brings out texture.

C. Side Light spotlight: brings out texture, high contrast

To get the background to fall off to black, increase the distance between the subject and the backdrop and angle the light so that it falls on the subject not the background.

D. Extreme close-up for texture-use extension tube

E. Back Light (white background): high contrast, reduces subject detail

Light the background only. Increase the distance between the background and the subject to increase the difference in the lighting ratio and to achieve a silhouette.

Shot list 2:

Photograph the same flower for the following uses:

1. A sympathy card – type will say “With Deepest Sympathy”
2. An article in National Geographic on patterns in nature
3. An upscale chocolate bar – organic dark chocolate

Put your best 20 in an album on Flickr. You must include at least one for each category. Please label your images accordingly so know what you intended. Send your best three, one for each of the items on shot list 2, to the class group.

2 pts. Take as many photos as you need to to create one visually engaging photo for each of the following compositional principles:

• Rule of Thirds
• Diagonal Lines
• Leading Lines
• Patterns (or breaking the pattern)
• Symmetry
• Figure to Ground
• Contrast of light and dark
• A frame within a frame

Put your 8 final photos in an album on Flickr. Label each file with the category above.

Working with your group:

Sign up for milanote. Create one mood board and add the members of your group to the board as editors. Everyone should then add their examples of each category of compositional principle.

Each group will select the best photo for each category. The final mood board should have 8 photos each labeled with the compositional principle and the photographer’s name. Make sure to include at least one photograph by every member of the group.

Send the secret link with me by email: rmichals@nastassiam so I can share the boards with the class.