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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Making a Contact Sheet Using Adobe Bridge


We are going to learn how to use Adobe Bridge to select, rename and organize your photos into a contact sheet. Bridge has many functions such as batch rename and other utilities to help with organization, and supports editing of digital images in Camera Raw format. Organizational features include assigning colored labels or star ratings to images. And can recognize a variety of file types. Here is a tutorial to clarify: http://youtu.be/6m9nBwiskAQ you only need to watch the first 2:20 mins. Don't change the spacing and keep "file name" turned on.
  1. Open Adobe Bridge
  2. Open the file that holds your Emphasis/Rules photo.
  3. Right click RENAME the photos by the emphasis technique you used.
  4. CTRL click on the photos using the same emphasis technique
  5. Select "OUTPUT" under the top tool bar.
  6.  
  7. Go to the Output window on the right of your screen (sometimes it will take a minute to appear).
  8. Select PDF instead of WEB GALLERY.
  9. Under the TEMPLATE option, select CONTACT SHEET (4*5=20 photos or 5*7=35 photos)
  10. Scroll to the very bottom of the Output window to where it says SAVE.
  11. Before you press save, check the "VIEW PDF AFTER SAVE"
  12. Once the PDF opens, FILE>SAVE AS>
  13. Type the assignment name i.e "My LFAS2 Contact Sheet" or "Emphasis Contact".
  14. SAVE AS TYPE: Select "JPG"
  15. Make sure you select where you are going to save it to.
  16. Then press SAVE.
  17. Post to your blog as you would post an image.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Welcome Photo Majors 2012-2013

Welcome to Photo Major 2012-2012
I am super stoked about this year. Like so excited!! Look at me

First off- job action is over-yay! so this year, we can go on field trips-YIPPEE! Just a few for starters- this Thursday, we are going to Fort Langley to take photos for our "Street Photo" project. Then next week we are going to try some landscapes at Kraus Farms on Thursday, September 13th. How fun. Jump to Spring Break... We are planning a trip to SanFrancisco and Yosemite National Park. We are sorting out last details and I will share them with you all at a lunch meeting next Tuesday, September, 11th. So get your field trip forms signed and bring it back so we can get out there.

Second- We have a great group of people in the major and I think it is going to be a great year! Whoot! OMG. No seriously, there are a bunch of super keen, genuine, helpful, interested, talented, skillful and really kind hearted people in this class- get to know your classmates. Help each other, learn from each other, inspire each other.

Thirdly- Quinn Middleton will be joining us once a week to help out in the darkroom and with projects.

Also- The Langley Artist Project is starting this year, I will explain later.

And that's just for starters... So let's go....
What makes a great photograph? Small group discussion- find an example and post it on the Ning site...
http://youtu.be/RMEOzOBHqDw

Photo11M Outline
Photo12M Outline

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Friday, June 8, 2012

Nature Verses Critique

Installation Project- Take Down, Sunday June 7th
Nature Verses Critique

1.     Describe your installation and where it exists in the school vicinity and how it interacts with the surroundings. Include a photo of your installation.

2.     What is the meaning of your installation? What does it say about the environment? Is your message clear? Ask someone for an interpretation.

3.     Is your installation as you had planned it, or did you adapt it in any way? If so, why did it change?

4.     Are you happy with your installation? If so, explain why and if not explain what you would have done differently next time.

5.     What do you think of the whole Nature Verses process? What would you change? Do you have any suggestions of how you would do it differently next time? Or what works well with in the way it was presented and executed.
6.     Were you ready and organized to install your installation on Monday? If not explain why not, if so explain what you had to do to organize your installation.


Make sure you take many photos of your installation over the duration of the installation and put them in your journal.

Critique 2 other installations one you like and one you don’t like, or don’t understand. Identify the creator(s), the title of the piece, state why you like it, or make suggestions that would have improved it.

Name

Name

Title

Title

Critique
Critique

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Alex Buono + Canon 5D MarkII

Alex Buono Interview Using a Canon 5D MarkII for SNL title sequence
Alex Buono Reels- SNL Title Sequence
Nortizu- New Printing Technologies
Christopher Scheneberger- a case of levitation

Steve Domjancic- Time lapse student work.

Per Bernal Photography: not so innovative, needs innovation to address body image issues.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Shooting with Infrared Film

WARNING several things to consider when shooting infrared:
  1. Keep infrared film cold.
  2. Load infrared film in complete darkness.
  3. Use a filter when shooting infrared film. (Red25 or an IR)
  4. Better to photograph in early or late day light, not mid-day, never at night.
  5. Choose landscapes, live things for your subject.
  6. Consider the sky- dramatic clouds look amazing.
  7. People look creepy- pale, eyes are black and veins are pronounced. 
In infrared photography, the film or image sensor used is sensitive to infrared light. The part of the spectrum used is referred to as near-infrared to distinguish it from far-infrared, which is the domain of thermal imaging. Wavelengths used for photography range from about 700 nanometre to about 900 nm. Film is usually sensitive to visible light too, so an infrared-passing filter is used; this lets infrared (IR) light pass through to the camera, but blocks all or most of the visible light spectrum (the filter thus looks black or deep red). ("Infrared filter" may refer either to such a filter or to one that blocks infrared but passes other wavelengths.)
When IR filters are used together with infrared-sensitive film or sensors, very interesting "in-camera effects" can be obtained; false-color or black-and-white images with a dreamlike or sometimes lurid effect mainly caused by foliage (such as tree leaves and grass) strongly reflecting in the same way visible light is reflected from snow. There is a small contribution from chlorophyll fluorescence, but this is marginal and is not the real cause of the brightness seen in infrared photographs
This is a BW Infrared project, but you are welcome to try digital infrared, but it seems that you need specialized/adapted camera equipment.
Here is an Infrared Photography site to check out: http://www.infraredphoto.eu/Site/GentleIntro1.html

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

11 White Still Life

Create a white on white still life like the demonstration. Be creative, thoughtful, and well constructed. You can shoot this in digital or B/W (if you want bonus marks, shoot in B/W). It is primarily a white tonal project, but design is as important as exposure. Check the High Key Tutorial. Be creative with your set up and be technically astute with your exposures.
High Lighting Tutorial
White Still Life Criteria

Photo 12s- Final Portfolio

Presentation of an Exemplary Portfolio
(20 marks)
  • Introduction/artists statement (5 marks): Paragraph 1 introduces self and explains interest in photography, Paragraph 2 describes nature of your work (make references to specific pieces), Paragraph 3 Your future how might you further your imterests in photography.
  • Well organized (5 marks)- good flow from image to image- strong beginning and end.
  • Professional presentation (5 marks)- no technical flaws.
  • Overall portfolio (5 marks)
12 Exemplary Original Photographs- each image masters the following:
(2.5 marks each image, total 30 marks)
  • Clear concept/message
  • Composition & design
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Creative treatment of subject matter
  • Professional quality
Web Page Portfolio (http://www.wix.com/)
Design a simple online portfolio with 12 + of your best images.
Select only your very best images: composition, technical, creativitiy.
Consider the flow, order, and make sure the page design does not distract from your images.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

HDR Landscapes

High-dynamic-range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is technique that allow a greater range of luminance between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wide dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight. The two main sources of HDR imagery are computer renderings and merging of multiple photographs, the latter of which in turn are individually referred to as low-dynamic-range (LDR) or standard-dynamic-range (SDR) photographs.
The HDR assignment:
  1. Find some examples of cool HDR images for your journal.
  2. Using the exposure compensation mode on your digital camera and take several sets (3 or more) of images of one topic with different exposures (keep your camera steady).
  3. Take several different landscapes with multiple exposures in different locations.
  4. Download, print/upload a contact sheet.
  5. Merge 3+ images into one HDR photo.
  6. Use Adobe Photoshop to merge together. Then try Photomatix.
  7. Upload 3 or more of your HDR image to your blog or print and paste into your journal.
Due May 25th

  

Monday, May 14, 2012

Cyanotpe, VanDyke+Lumin Processes

Cyanotype
Cyanotype
Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that gives a cyan-blue print. The process was popular in engineering circles well into the 20th century. The simple and low-cost process enabled them to produce large-scale copies of their work, referred to as blueprints.
A positive image can be produced by exposing it to a source of ultraviolet light (such as sunlight) with a negative. The UV light reduces the iron(III) to iron(II). This is followed by a complex reaction of the iron(II) complex with ferricyanide. The result is an insoluble, blue dye (ferric ferrocyanide) known as Prussian blue.
Upon exposure to ultraviolet light (such as that in sunlight), the iron in the unexposed areas will reduce, turning the paper a steel-grey-blue color. The extent of color change is dependent on the amount of UV light, but acceptable results are usually obtained after 10-20 minute exposures on a dark, gloomy day. The highlight values should appear overexposed as the water wash will reduce the final print values. Prints can be made with large format negatives and lithography film, or everyday objects can be used to make photograms.
After exposure, developing of the picture involves the yellow unreacted iron solution being rinsed off with running water. Although the blue color darkens upon drying, the effect can be accelerated by soaking the print in a 6% (v/v) solution of 3% (household) hydrogen peroxide. The water-soluble iron(III) salts are washed away, while the non-water-soluble Prussian blue remains in the paper. This is what gives the picture its typical blue color.
VanDyke
Van Dyke Brown is an early photographic printing process. The process was so named due to the similarity of the print color to that of a brown oil paint named for Flemish painter Van Dyck.
VanDyke Print
Printing with Van Dyke Brown requires the use of a large format negative in the size of the desired print, a suitable substrate for coating and subsequent printing, and a UV light source, either sunlight or suitable bulbs. The substrate can be almost anything that the solution will adhere to. Watercolor paper is a good first choice, but trickier substrates such as metal, glass or tile can be first 'sized' with gelatin or arrowroot to facilitate coating. The substrate is coated with solution under tungsten light, air dried, and coated a second time if desired for a stronger image.
The negative is placed on the thoroughly dried coated substrate, and is then weighted with a piece of glass. Frequent printers often use a printing frame to ease the checking of printing progress without disturbing the registration, or alignment, of the negative on the paper. These printing frames also ease the printing of a second coat over the same image.

Lumin
Lumin Print by Angel Pei
“Lumen” is understood as the projection of light radiating from one ominous source, i.e. sunlight, or UV light. This is particularly pertinent to this method of printing as it utilizes available light (daylight) as opposed to controlled light (enlarger exposure light, or the rapid on/off light when creating photograms) in order to print an image.

Lumen Printing is also an alternative to printing contact prints or photograms, again requiring minimum time, equipment and money. This is a black and white photographic process, although with that in mind, you will be surprised by the results (and colour) of your creations. That is the beauty of photography.

Alternative Processes Site

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Nature Verses- CHRISTO+JEAN-CLAUDE

Internationally acclaimed artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude spent more than 40 years creating highly celebrated works of art around the world. Together this unique, dynamic married couple changed the concept of “public art” by creating temporary works that are truly transitory by design.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have never accepted, nor will Christo accept in the future, any subsidies, royalties, grants, or sponsorships of any kind for their temporary public works of art. Similarly, the artists do not make any endorsements of businesses, products, political movements, other artists, or anything else. All of the artists’ income is derived from the sale of original works of art by Christo to private collectors, galleries and museums. Christo and Jeanne-Claude have always maintained a position of total artistic freedom, with no constraints or financial considerations imposed upon their works of art by any outside party.
Over the River Project Site- August of 2015
Over The River is a two-week temporary work of art by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The project’s plans call for 5.9 miles of silvery, luminous fabric panels to be suspended high above the Arkansas River along a 42-mile stretch of the river between Salida and Cañon City in south-central Colorado. Fabric panels will be suspended at eight distinct areas of the river that were selected by the artists for their aesthetic merits and technical viability.
Overview of Christo's & Jean-Claude's work
Find examples of Christo and Jean Claude's work to add to your journal.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Nature Verses- MANUFACTURING

"I think the environmental movement has failed in that it’s used the stick too much; it’s used the apocalyptic tone too much; it hasn’t sold the positive aspects of being environmentally concerned and trying to pull us out.” Edward Burtynsky

Edward Burtynsky- Vancouver Sun Article
The Photographer's Gallery- Burtynsky:Oil
Manufactured Landscapes Trailer
Manufactured Landscapes Full
TED talks: Edward Burtynsky on Manufactured Landscapes
TED talks: Edward Burtynsky- oil
Edward Burtynsky Site
Story of Stuff
Story of Electronics
Story of Bottled Water

Nature Verses III- Research Assignment

Choose 2 forms of research for your Nature Verses project. Select 2 sources to inspire and educate your project.

Take notes while you watch/read, and collect information for your project planning. Site the title and author of your research, describe what the document is about and what perspective the author takes on the issue, then note how it has influenced your project.
Due May 18th.
Film/Documentaries-
Dirt
No Impact Man
The Earthling (WARNING-real life horror film super scary!)
The Cove
Scared Sacred
Fierce Light
One Ocean (2 episodes)
FOOD Inc.
Our Daily Bread (warning- real life horror film)
Forks Over Knives
Force of Nature- Dr. David Suzuki
HOME by Yann Arthus Bertrand
Baraka
Koyaanisqatsi
Manufactured Landscapes
Inconvenient Truth- Al Gore
The Unforeseen
Sharkwater
Who Killed the Electric Car
Processed People

TED talks/short videos
Edward Burtynski- Photographer of industrial spaces
Phil Borges- Photographer
Wade Davis- National Geographic Explorer on Endangered Cultures
Mark Bittman- Cookbook Author-What is wrong with what we eat?
Jeremy Jackson- How we wrecked the ocean
Captain Charles Moore- Plastic in the ocean
Mike deGruy- Filming Octopus
Sylvia Earle- Protect Our Oceans
Dianna Cohen- Plastic Pollution Coalition
Chris Jordan- Photographer of Excess
Shai Agassi- Electric cars
John Robbins Part 1&2  Why I went vegetarian & What's wrong with eating animals
The Story of Stuff- Problems in Consuming
Story of Bottled Water
Story of Cosmetics
Story of Electronics
Articles/Publications
No Impact Man -Blog
Mother Earth News
The Guardian Environment
Vancouver Sun- Sharks
Globe and Mail- Biodiversity Conference
Globe and Mail- Price of Nature
NY Times- Environment Section
National Geographic
OnEarth
Emagazine
The Walrus- The Last Great Water Fight
Books
Silent Spring- Rachel Carson
Our Common Future
Manufactured Consent- Noam Chompsky
Diet for a New America- John Robbins
Walden, or Life in the Woods- Henry David Thoreau
Ishmael- Daniel Quinn
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral- Barbara Kingsolver
The World Without Us- 

Nature Verses- PLASTIC



Plastic State of Mind
TED talks: Cpt Charles Moore
Story of Water Bottles

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Nature Verses- ANDY GOLDSWORTHY


Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy is an extraordinary, innovative British artist whose collaborations with nature produce uniquely personal and intense artworks. Using a seemingly endless range of natural materials—snow, ice, leaves, bark, rock, clay, stones, feathers petals, twigs—he creates outdoor sculpture that manifests, however fleeting, a sympathetic contact with the natural world. Before they disappear, or as they disappear, Goldsworthy, records his work in suburb color photographs.

Andy Goldsworthy River & Tides1
Andy Goldsworthy River & Tides2
Rivers & Tides 3
Rivers & Tides4

Find examples of Andy Goldsworthy's work to add to your journal.

Nature Verses- Project Outline

Nature Verses is an exhibition showcasing the work of LFAS Photography students. The exhibition will consist of mini installations that respond to the environment. The great outdoors will be the venue (LFAS Court Yard).

The project questions and challenges the relationship between humans and nature. It’s the Canadian conundrum; the fine balance of peoples’ continuous struggles with the beauty, and the power of the environment. Students will respond to the works of Andy Goldsworthy, and Christo & Jean-Claude, and various other installation artists. The exhibition will be on-going for two weeks; nature may prevail and destroy the works; this harsh reality becomes part of the experience. Once the exhibition ends, there will be no evidence of its existence.
Materials & Construction Consider the following materials: fabric, photographs, paper, wood, rope, string, plastics, and metals. Bring all materials to create the installation and remove them when the exhibition is over. Students will not be permitted to alter or destroy anything on the school grounds.
Project Outline
Students are required to create a detailed plan in which they outline a proposal for an art installation in the school grounds. The installation will be in response to the environment and the chosen display area. When planning, consider renowned environmental installation artists: Andy Goldsworthy and Christo & Jean-Claude. Parents and friends are encouraged to participate.
Evaluation
The students will be marked on creativity, originality, successful implementation of their plan. The students’ artwork will express a clear message relating to the theme “Nature Verses”. The installation is respectful of the surrounding environment. The complete clean up of their installation area. Students will only receive a final grade when all evidence of the installation has been removed.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Rendering your ProShow Slideshow

You may have to install Quicktime in order to use the required rendering settings. Here is the link to follow to install Quicktime: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

When you finish your slideshow, you need to render it. When you render your slideshow you are creating a file that compiles all of your images, music, and effects into one show that can be displayed as one final piece, not many parts.

Here are the steps to follow to render your show:
  1. First save all of your files to the desktop of your computer, open your proshow file from there and render it to there.
  2. Create Output- Video File
  3. Type- Custom
  4. Format- QuickTime [check with Audio]
  5. Compression- Apple MPEG4 Compressor
  6. Resolution- 1280 x 1024
  7. Framerate- 29.97
  8. Aspect Ratio- 16:9 (Widescreen)
  9. Encoding- High Quality

***If you do not finish rendering your show by Tuesday morning, your piece will not make it into the final show*** I have to build a full composite of all of the photo shows into one final video, this takes time and it needs to be finished by Tuesday afterschool for the rehearsal.

Whoever is helping at the show, make sure they set the projector to the same frame resolution 1280 x 1024. Also, check the aspect ratio so that it doesn't stretch the images, but fills the whole frame of the main screen.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Silver and Light

This project was created with the same spirit that america was founded on. Our intentions are to connect everyone in america through the lens of this camera and social networking sites. We can't do this without you. We want to tell your story and show your city or town through photographs of you, and people you know. As we travel around america looking for people and places to shoot you will be able to keep track of where we are going and help us decide where we go next. Join us in our journey by liking our facebook to get yourself photographed by us.

An extra special thanks to Brandon Rein, Scotty Hoffman and Trevor Atwater.

twitter.com/#!/silverandlight
facebook.com/pages/Ian-Ruhter-Photography/159583283699
ianruhter.tumblr.com/

Thursday, March 8, 2012

12s- Photo Essay

Mahatma Gandhi,
by Margaret Bourque-White
The Photo Essay-
A photo essay (or "photographic essay") is a set or series of photographs that are intended to tell a story or evoke a series of emotions in the viewer. A photo essay will often show pictures in deep emotional stages. Photo essays range from purely photographic works to photographs with captions or small notes to full text essays with a few or many accompanying photographs. See Wikipedia.
Your Photo Essay is to be of seven or more photos that document a real life story or inform about a real issue. You are to have an introduction first (1-2 photos), a body of information (2-3 photos), and a conclusion (2-3 photos). Your images should be composed in an eye catching way. Each image should be a vital part of the story telling. The exposure, use of shutter and depth of field should work to tell your story.
Photo Essay Examples:

World Press Photo Story of the Year
Washington Post's Carol Guzy
James Natcheway XDRTB
David Griffen How- Photography Connects Us

Friday, March 2, 2012

5 Light Sources

Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin
Mary Ellen Mark

William Eggleston

Shane Oosterhoff

Monday, February 20, 2012

Portfolio Guidelines

Portfolio Presentation Guidelines:

·         Include your best and most recent work (12+) images.
·         Present work in a professional book, binder or case.
·         Include a cover page of your name, year and an optional image to represent your work.
·         Include an Artist Statement an overview of your process, areas of interests and future endeavors.
·         A title index of the photographs included in the portfolio.
·         Include only finished or completed works, no flaws.
·         Organize your work to fit together in a meaningful sequence.
·         Careful what goes beside what, the photos will affect each other.
·         More than one image on one page are considered one piece ie. diptych or triptych.   
·         The images should be the same size- there are exceptions, but for the most part.
·         Consider the layout of your photos in your portfolio before you buy a book, if your images are too big for your portfolio, then they might not fit on the page if they are landscape orientation. It is awkward to have to turn the book when looking through.
·         Make sure to use archival tape to fasten your images to the page.
·         If you are sending your portfolio to a post-secondary institution, check with the requirements of the school. Each school has different expectations.

 CD Portfolios of year end show
·         Make sure that your work is as finished/complete as possible.
·         Include a color printout of the work as well as a copy on disk format with attached list of instructions and programs used.
·         Make sure you label your CD.
·         Label the contents of the CD.
·         Put your CD in a CD envelope.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

11 Colour CD Cover Project

Florence and the Machine
Rolling Stones
Photo Series: Take a series of high contrast B/W photos for a CD cover inspired by music. Your images should be distinctly inspired by a musical genre or style of music. The music is up to you- could be a remake of an already existing CD for your favourite band, or a CD cover for an independent band, or for an imaginary band. Your series will be photographed with black & white film, but printed monochromatically using the colour printer.

Part 1- Colour Test. Try printing 2 monochromatic colour prints 5 X 7 one primary and one secondary colour print.

Part 2- Planning
Select your music and plan out how you are going to represent it visually. Select 6 songs to inspire your CD cover. Either choose one song for each of the images, or make a booklet representing the overall style of music.

Journal:
Elements of Design- Find one photo for each element of design line, shape, texture, form, colour.  or

Principles of Design- rhythm, repetition, balance, contrast, pattern, movement. 

Cold Play
Colour Wheel of Photos- Organize a series of photos in a sequence relating to the colour wheel. see colour wheel below.
Find 5 Colour CD Covers
 
Part 3 Photographing Elements of Design: Line, Shape, Form, Texture, Colour. You can also explore the Principles of Design: rhythm, repetition, balance, contrast, pattern, movement.
Each of your images should purposefully include at least one of the Elements of Design (but colour is hard to do in BW film, that will happen in the darkroom), or Principle of Design in each photo.  
Part 4 Colour Darkroom:
Print a BW contact sheet, make sure you have included all of the elements of design. Then print six 5 x 5 prints (red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple). They are square to fit the proportions of a CD cover, so consider the format when you are shooting, you will have to crop off part of your photo. You are to print your photos on colour paper with the colour processor. You are to use colour filters to create mono-chromatic (one colour) colour. Remember that the colour on the enlarger will make the opposite effect on your print. Adding a yellow filter creates a purple print.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Random Roll

Part 1- B Block
For many of you, this is a chance to catch up on Random Rolls. For others, this is a chance to get ahead. Here are a few suggestions of Random Rolls to try:
  1. Short depth of field and dead flowers (some of you still need to do your "APERTURE" Random Roll).
  2. New growth, shapes and textures
  3. Slow shutter
  4. Portraits and landscapes long depth of field.
  5. Make ugly look beauitful
  6. Directions to somewhere...
  7. Explore colours, shapes and lines of the new tennis court.
  8. Colour Balance- Remember this one? Some still have to try this 
  9. Take a whole random roll on "M" make adjustments to imporve.
Take a random roll of 20 or more and then print out a contact sheet and hand it in by the end of the day. This is your attendance and assignment for the day. Be creative and have fun...

Part 2- E Block
Grade 11-Histograms
http://youtu.be/Q3yiz1sBKLc
Take all photos on "M" but use the histogram to guide your exposure selections change the aperture or shutter to compensate, try 20+ and go outside.

Grade12- Macro Photography
http://youtu.be/2F_xfKcxvro
Watch this extreme macro tutorial and then try some, you will have to access two lenses, take turns

Monday, February 6, 2012

Random Roll Day

Hi Folks, while I am home sick, I want you to take advantage of this beautiful day and take some photos. Make sure you take 20+ photos and print a contact sheet by the end of class and hand it in by the end of class.



Option #1
Sunny Day Photosa few things to try: shoot into the light, look for shadows, try over exposing a little, add a fill flash to a portrait, play with white balance, experiment with depth of field, and horizon line...

Option #2
Grade 12s start your Abstract Self-Portrait project with a random roll today go out with a camera and photograph objects, your challenge is to make simple everyday items look interesting.
Grade 11s work to develop your Book project ideas both with examples from the internet post to your journal and with a random roll.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

12s Studio Still Life/Abstract Self-Portrait

This is a 2 part project. First we are going to learn about lighting objects in the studio. Then you are going to use the different lighting effects to creatively and stylistically light objects that represent something about you.

Studio Still Life
You are to create three studio still life compositions using metal, glass and textured objects. Compose a series of photos for each object; include backgrounds, a table and covering, and use one or two lights. Here is the Still Life Project Criteria


Abstract Self-Portrait
Create 5 interesting, creative, and eye catching images that represent something about you. This is sort of a photo essay of yourself except the images are going to be abstract photographs of objects that represent aspects about you. When you abstract things photographically, you don’t have to make it completely unrecognizable; though you should choose an attribute of that object and really explore it through the lens. Your compositions challenge the viewer to notice basic essence of objects.

Look for elements of design (shape and colour) and use the principles of design to help you compose the items that you choose to represent you.
Abstract Self-Portrait Criteria

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

White Balance Random Roll

White Balance is an aspect of photography that many digital camera owners don’t understand or use – but it’s something well worth learning about as it can have a real impact upon the digital photos you take.
The reason we adjust white balance is to get the colors in your images as accurate as possible. You might have noticed when examining your photos after taking them that at times images can come out with an orange, blue, yellow etc look to them – despite the fact that to the naked eye the scene looked quite normal. The reason for this is that images different sources of light have a different ‘color’ (or temperature) to them. Fluorescent lighting adds a bluish cast to photos whereas tungsten (incandescent/bulbs) lights add a yellowish tinge to photos.
We don’t generally notice this difference in temperature because our eyes adjust automatically for it. So unless the temperature of the light is very extreme a white sheet of paper will generally look white to us.


So for cooler (blue or green) light you’ll tell the camera to warm things up and in warm light you’ll tell it to cool down.

Adjusting White Balance- Different digital cameras have different ways of adjusting white balance so ultimately you’ll need to get out your camera’s manual out to work out the specifics of how to make changes. Having said this – many digital cameras have automatic and semi-automatic modes to help you make the adjustments.

Preset White Balance Settings- Here are some of the basic White Balance settings you’ll find on cameras:

Auto – this is where the camera makes a best guess on a shot by shot basis. You’ll find it works in many situations but it’s worth venturing out of it for trickier lighting.

Tungsten – this mode is usually symbolized with a little bulb and is for shooting indoors, especially under tungsten (incandescent) lighting (such as bulb lighting). It generally cools down the colors in photos.

Fluorescent – this compensates for the ‘cool’ light of fluorescent light and will warm up your shots.

Daylight/Sunny – not all cameras have this setting because it sets things as fairly ‘normal’ white balance settings.

Cloudy – this setting generally warms things up a touch more than ‘daylight’ mode.

Flash – the flash of a camera can be quite a cool light so in Flash WB mode you’ll find it warms up your shots a touch.

Shade – the light in shade is generally cooler (bluer) than shooting in direct sunlight so this mode will warm things up a little.