One of my first module I took at Singapore University of Social Science was in Digital Photography. From the course I learnt the three important variables of exposure, which are aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Which each has an effect on the other two. Apart from that, I also about the different camera modes, when and how to use them. Lastly and most importantly I learn about how design elements affects the outcomes and visual aesthetic

After learning those techniques and design principles, I finally have the opportunity to try it at my work, appointed as the photographer of a event. Here are some of the photos taken during the event.

Prior to taking the course MTD 105e Digital Photography Technology, I probably just have a DSLR and exploring it on my own while. To be frank, most the photos I took are merely snapshots using the Program mode. Prior to learning, there are many photos that I took didn't emphasize the main subject. One the key objectives in a good photo is to clearly display the main subject in its environment and be able to tell a story through it. From my learning experiences, I got the opportunity to try out various design elements. With my experience, I am much more prepared during the event. I managed to plan what to shoot and where to stand. And by waiting for the runners to passes by me, it gave me possibility to capture their best moments.

The mode that I used during the shot varies, but mostly I am on aperture priority mode. And also this time round during the event, I have the opportunity to try out the 40mm fixed lens which is suitable for portraits and the 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens which is suitable for sports action. Frankly, it is not about how good the lens was, but understanding the fundamental of the camera. With the knowledge on using the camera modes and settings, I can now able to capture the photos in the right exposure by adjusting the setting according to the situations, for example in aperture priority mode, if it is too dark due to the shutter speed selected by the camera, you can adjust through the exposure compensation.

The aesthetic of the photo is not only about exposure, but also how we frame the subject. Thus, this time when I took the photos, I infuse it it with as many design elements as possible. However, due to my reaction speed, the time of event and the nature location, I can only use mostly leading lines as the design elements in the photos.

Overall the result was well received from my colleagues, but I do find that photos lack variation in using design elements. Which probably in the next shoot, I will have take some time to recce and observe the environment prior to the start of the event, hopefully with that I can plan more kinds of variations. Also during the event, the weather was cloudy, the sun light wasn't strong, it has a lot of pros and cons. For example, the shadows are softer, but to capture photos with shadows as design elements become challenging to achieve. Therefore, I must also be wary of the weather for my next shoot. Since weather is something beyond a person's control, I will need to re-look and adapt my shots.