Author: Ken Pelka (Page 14 of 15)

Needed for this class

• Camera or cameraphone
• Light source: a window or a desk lamp
• two objects that represent opposites

Thinking about the Frame

By its nature, the photograph is a 2D representation of an original scene. A representation that has its’ own life and meaning. When making a photograph think about what you want to show. Use the frame to crop the original scene to eliminate distracting details and non-essential elements. This can be accomplished by moving in closer or changing the angle at which the photograph is shot.The frame can be used horizontally or vertically. Always consider which will be best for your subject

How does the difference in framing change the impact on the viewer of these two portraits?

Framing: How the frame brings together the elements inside the rectangle juxtaposing them, creating relationships between them

Types of shots: 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
• an oblique angle.

Frame within a frame – use elements in the frame to enclose the main subject and draw attention to it. A frame within a frame can be a window or door or it can be items in the foreground such as branches.

Rule of Thirds – Instead of placing the main subject in the center of the frame, divide the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically and place the main subject at one of these intersections.

Fill the Frame –  (get closer) – do not leave empty areas that do not add to the composition and plan to crop in later.

Juxtaposition: Essentially is about the principle of comparison. The photographer puts two or more objects in the frame to accentuate their difference. Generally when are using juxtaposition, you are making a statement through the apparent contrast of elements in the photo.

Resources

Joel Meyerowitz on the frame

Lab Exercise2: Angle of View

Lab Exercise 2B: Juxtaposition

Homework 2 Working the subject

Discussion 2: Importance of the frame

Witness is born and puzzles come together at the photographic moment, which is very simple and complete. The mind- finger presses the release on the silly machine and it stops time and holds what its jaws can encompass and what the light will stain. That moment when the landscape speaks to the observer.           Lee Friedlander

It is always the instantaneous reaction to oneself that produces a photograph.        Robert Frank

Making Dynamic Pictures

These compositional principals help you create a visual hierarchy in your photographs. These principals together with the framing and compositional elements from week2 ( angle of view ,rule of thirds, frame within a frame) to create an image that is an experience not just a photo of something.

Leading Lines – Lines can be actual lines in a photo or they can be created where two surfaces meet  (an edge) Lines create visual activity in an image, leading your eye thru the image. They can be used to emphasize the subject, create perspective and depth or have an emotional value.

• Horizontal lines create stability
• Vertical lines create strength
• Diagonal lines create motion
• Converging lines create depth
• Curve lines create grace and allow eye to travel through image slowly

Patterns – many repeated elements. Break the pattern for visual interest

Repetition of forms – generally a few repeated elements

Figure to Ground -the relationship between the subject and the background sometimes described as negative and positive space.

Symmetry – If you fold the image in half the two haves are very similar and have equal visual weight. Or make it asymmetrical to add tension to the composition.

Resources

Lab Exercise week3: Breaking Pattern

Lab Exercise week 3: Negative space

Due next week:

• Homework 3: Urban landscape
• Discussion 3

Needed for this class

• Clip lamp
• camera
• white or black board
• several objects to photograph

The depiction of space and focus

Perspective-the representation of a 3-dimensional space on a 2-dimensional surface by converging lines, leading lines, diminishing scale and/or atmospheric perspective.

Scale is the relative distance of objects from the lens and each other. Objects closer to the camera will appear larger than objects father away.

Converging lines will create linear perspective. Also straight and curved lines can lead your eye into the image to create a snese of depth.

Changing angle of view can also affect the feeling of depth

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Depth of Field-The distance between the nearest and farthest points that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field can be shallow or extensive. While the term includes the word depth, depth of field refers to focus.

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Sometimes photos combine perspective and depth of field.

How to control depth of field

These four factors control depth of field:

• lens aperture
• focal length
• camera-to-subject distance
• sensor size.

Aperture is the size of the opening that allows light to hit the camera’s sensor when the photograph is taken. 

1. Aperture values are expressed in numbers called f-stops. A smaller f-stop number means more light is coming into the camera and will create shallow depth of field. A larger f-stop number will let less light into the camera and create extensive depth of field.
2. The full stops for aperture are: F2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32
3. Cameraphones have a fixed aperture.

Focal Length  is the distance from where the light converges in the lens to the sensor. If it is a short distance then the lens is a wide angle lens and shows a lot of the scene. If it is a long distance, the lens is a telephoto lens and it magnifies the scene. Wide angle lenses create extensive depth of field while telephoto lenses create shallow depth of field.

Camera-to-subject distance is how far the subject is from the camera. If everything is far from the camera, it is easier to achieve extensive depth of field. If the main subject is very close to the camera and the background elements are far from the camera, it is easier to achieve shallow depth of field.

Sensor size-the smaller the sensor the easier it is to achieve extensive depth of field. Bigger sensors allow for shallow depth of field.

 Bokeh-Bokeh comes from the Japanese word boke (ボケ), which means “blur” or “haze”, or boke-aji, the “blur quality.” Bokeh is pronounced BOH-Kə or BOH-kay. 

 — From http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/article/h0ndz86v/bokeh-for-beginners.html

Lab Exercises

Shallow Depth of Field

Homework

Barriers