TGJ2O

Digital Photography: How they work, how to shoot, how to manage files

Section 1: Camera history, functionality, legalities | Assignment #2 - postcard

Section 2: How to shoot

Section 3: Shot types | Assignment #3 - Shot types

Assignment #4 - Culminating Glam Shot

Section 1: Camera history, function & legalities

History

This section introduces you to a number of inventions and discoveries that have helped to shape the development of the camera. You will explore the parts and functions of a camera and learn how your camera saves and transfers pictures. There are also some legal issues regarding publishing your images that will be covered here as well.

Every camera is essentially a lightproof box with an opening at one end to allow light to enter and a film holder at the other end. All other camera features will vary according to the type and format of the camera. As you read about the history of the camera use this graphic organizer to help you identify the different camera parts and their function.

The invention of the camera is based on a discovery about how light works when it passes through a small hole. This principle is called the rectilinear propagation of light. In about 350 BC, Aristotle observed that by creating a small hole in an enclosed area that was exposed to a light source, an inverted image of what was in front of the hole was observed on the surface inside the enclosed space. With this in mind it is not surprising to learn that photography is based on two Greek words that actually mean light drawing. This earliest "camera" was the "light drawing" type where an external image was shrunk via. lenses and reflections, onto a canvas and the artist drew an exact, but smaller, replica of what was seen outdoors.

There have been a number of improvements to this basic camera. The addition of a convex lens to help focus the light from the small hole onto the focal plane allowed for sharper images to be formed. Two hundred years later the ability to capture these images in a permanent form was developed. A glass image plate that was covered with light-sensitive chemicals was placed in the back of the light tight box, called the focal plane, and exposed to light through the small pin hole in the front of the box. The first successful photograph was taken in 1827 by Joseph Niepce. Ten years later another inventor, Louis Daguerre patented his daguerreotype process. Louis Daguerre and Joseph Neipce have been given credit for the invention of Photography.

Although this was a very crude method, it was the beginning of what we know today as film. With images taking up to eight hours of light exposure, this process was impractical to capture people, so the race to create faster methods of development was on.

This view camera was used by professional photographers. The large focal plane created big negative images which were ideal for larger finished pictures. It was capable of controlling focus, depth of field and perspective. The lenses and aperture rings were interchangeable to allow for pictures at different distances. This camera was used for pictures of landscapes and architecture.

The faster developing processes meant that the photographer had to be very accurate about the amount of time the light was allowed to be exposed to the image plate. A shutter was positioned behind the lens to control how long the light was allowed to enter the camera. This had the added benefit of capturing action. It was also observed that the amount of light affected the exposure time. This was controlled by the size of the hole that the light passed through called the aperture, similar in function to the iris in the human eye. The amount of light that was allowed to reach the focal plane determined the exposure time needed for an image. Careful calculations were made to determine the exact amount of time needed for each sized hole. These aperture rings also determined the focus in the image, measured in f stops. The smaller the hole, the more detail that was captured while the larger hole produced images that had less of the background in focus. Today this is referred to as depth of field and is still a very important consideration when taking photographs.

The first portable view camera was fitted with a fixed lens and aperture that could be used by the general public without the need for complicated calculations for shutter speed versus aperture. With the invention of film, these cameras were a fraction of the size of the view cameras. The main disadvantage was that there was no way to view the picture that was being captured.

The twin lens reflex resolved this issue allowing for the image to be observed through a viewfinder. This was basically another lens that was mounted above the existing lens with a mirror that reflected the image out of the top of the camera to be viewed by the photographer at the same time that the picture was taken.

There were still two issues that remained unresolved. The first was the ability to actually know if the image was in focus. The range finder camera added a focusing system into the viewfinder that allowed the photographer to adjust the lens and camera for a sharp image. The other issue had to do with the second lens being positioned above the focus lens. The finished composition was different than what was observed by the photographer because of this slightly different view. This was called a parallax error.

The Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera resolved this problem by adding a series of mirrors inside the camera that reflected an exact image from the focal lens to the viewfinder. Until recently, this camera design was considered the camera of choice.

The introduction of the digital camera in 1975 was viewed by most professionals as impractical because of the large file sizes and images that were of significantly lesser quality to that of film.

With the ability to capture images through the use of a photo sensor and instantly view them instead of the costly and time consuming film process, and the quality and size of the images continuing to improve, digital cameras have had a huge impact on the photo industry. Most professionals have abandoned their film cameras in exchange for the convenience and cost effectiveness of digital.

Storage & File Management

The following information describes some of the most common forms of saving and transferring data. As you have just learned, the digital camera captures images with the use of a photo sensor. This is positioned on the focal plane and converts the light image that is reflected from the lens, to digital ones and zeros. Once converted it has to do something with the information. This generally means that it stores it. You will need to find out how your camera does this.

Storage Devices:

A couple of options are available. Some cameras have memory space built in such as a cell phone. If this is the case the number of pictures that can be taken will be limited. Most will have a small card that is inserted into the body of the camera. These come in varying sizes and storage capacities. Even if the cards look the same they can be very different in the speed in which they store and retrieve the data. If this card is going to be used for video as well, you will want to make sure that you have chosen a minimum of a class 4 or 6 card which processes data faster. This is a image of a memory card. Notice the circled 4 - this means it is a class 4.

Digital cameras also have different quality settings. This refers to the amount of data that the photo sensor is able to capture and is measured in mega pixels. Most cameras will capture between 5 and 12 mega pixels while professionals often get upwards of 30 MB pictures when shooting "in RAW". The more pixels that can be stored, the larger the file size. It is not necessary to save your images in the best quality if you are not going to make large prints but don't choose the lowest setting (e-mail) either or they will end up pretty small.

There are a number of ways to get the information from the camera to your computer.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) Cable:

This is an older, but still common way to transfer data to your computer. A USB cable is connected to your computer at one end and inserted into a port on your camera at the other. When the camera is turned on, it will send a signal through the cable to let the computer know that there is a new device attached to it. Most computers will give you a popup window that gives an option to view the files.

Card Reader:

The second option for transferring the images would be a card reader. This is a devise you can insert the memory card into, and attach to your computer. You can access the data in much the same way that you would access the data from the camera. This method does not require the use of the camera and is useful if more than one person is using the same camera.

Finally, when you do transfer your pictures to your computer with potentially thousands of shots taken in a day, how do you manage your collection (often referred to in the digital photographers world as your catalogue)? There are no shortage of options and opinions. A great free management system is FastStone, while a paid hybrid photo editing/management system we use is Adobe Lightroom at school.

Ownership in the digital world: Privacy & copyright

This digital explosion is not without its issues; with easy access to cameras that can take and upload images almost instantaneously there are some concerns about security and privacy. Many schools have opted to ban the use of cell phones inside the school building in order to maintain privacy for the student body. This is a huge management issue for teachers and administrators so it would seem that educating students about their rights and freedoms would be an appropriate approach.

Copyright laws protect the photographer from others using their images without consent, but what about the person being photographed?

There is a law called the right to privacy. This states that you as a citizen should have a reasonable expectation for privacy and that private facts about you should not be published. Images taken in public areas can be used without permission as long as they are not used to promote a product or service or would damage your reputation. That being said it is important that you use good judgment in the pictures that you take and post. Obviously images should never be taken in washrooms and change rooms where personal privacy is expected. You would not have much legal protection in a court of law if someone felt that the image damaged their reputation.

If the image is going to be used in a form of advertising **you will need a model release**. This is a legal contract that a model would sign giving the photographer the right to use their image according to the conditions identified in the contract. As a matter of course most schools will have students and guardians sign release forms in order to avoid any potential legal action. If you are unsure it is always best to ask for permission especially when tagging people in pictures that they may not want others to see.

If you take images on private property and intend to make money from them, even if there are no people in the picture, you will need to obtain a property release form from the owner. That includes their cute little dog that posed so sweetly for you.

The issue over whether a release form is required does tend to be a bit unclear. It is clear that if the intent of the publication is to persuade people to buy something then a release is needed. If the image is used for educational or information purposes you do not. It is not always easy to establish whether something would be considered an informational piece so it is best to be cautious and obtain a release form if possible.

Assignment #2 - Camera History and Rights collage postcard

In Photoshop, on a blank 11"x8.5" 72ppi document tastefully display both the following questions, and your answers. Include copyright free-use photos (from royalty free sites like Pexels, Pixabay or RGBStock to name a few) to create a collage feel to the document

1. Write a one to two sentence overview of the evolution of capturing/displaying light.

2. In a modern camera, what part replaces the pinhole from the earliest 'cameras'?

3. How did a parallax error occur, how does it relate to cameras?

4. What is depth of field and how is it controlled.

5. Identify the benefits of shooting digitally (as opposed to on film).

6. When do you need to obtain a model release for a photograph?

7. When might someone sue you because of an image you have used?

8. What are two common methods of transferring images from the camera to the computer?

9. Research and name 2 software packages that allow users to catalogue and tag photos.

- student is to follow the history in the section above, then submit the postcard as a 100KB JPG as well as the original PSD

Exemplar in the level 2/3 range: This example has some good aspects (written answers) but was a lot of copy/paste from online, was missing a nice layout and only includes a handful of few pictures.

Level 4 exemplar. This exemplar got a great mark. It was a nice layout and also contained complete answers in the student's own words. One small drawback, the type was hard-ish to read.

Section 2: How To Shoot

If you ever wish you could take better pictures, you will find this activity very useful. You will discover how to hold the camera properly and consider how light might affect the images. You will also learn about, and practice how to create a center of interest by using the rule of thirds, breathing space and head room. Camera shots refer to how many people are in them—you will see how that works as well.

Although good composition is a subjective discipline just like good design, there are guiding principles that will help ensure that you compose pleasing images.

Holding the Camera

If you have not picked up your camera yet, this is actually one of the first steps to creating successful images. Holding it steady that is. Stand with your feet at a comfortable distance apart to give you stability. You may find that a wall to lean on would also be helpful. Pull your elbows into your sides or find something at a suitable height that they can rest on like a table, chair or fence post, to help stabilize the camera.

Professionals use tripods to keep the camera still while shooting images. A tripod is a three-legged structure in the shape of a triangle with a place at the top where the camera can be attached. These are used most frequently indoors because of the lower light levels. The other application is for shooting video where a shaky shot is the telltale sign of an amateur. If you are shooting video, once you have a stable position, take a deep breath and then release it slowly and quietly as you capture the shot.

Lighting

Lighting is an important factor for a good shot but you will find that using the existing lighting can be problematic and sometimes a bit boring. Existing lighting consists of natural lighting like the sun and artificial lighting like the light on a desk. That said, existing lighting can create very interesting photos if you know what to look for, like interesting shadows or reflections. The image below uses an amazing sunset to provide backlight for the subject; however an overcast day can also create a good atmosphere as seen beside it.

The characteristics of light

It is important to give you a bit of theory about the characteristics of light at this point. Our brains have an amazing ability to adapt to different conditions, so you might not have noticed that not all light sources are white. In fact most are not white at all. The sun gives off a blue cast and indoor lights generally reflect more yellow and orange. The camera is not quite as adaptable as our brains so there may be times when you will need to tell it what light situation you are shooting in. This is called white balance and most cameras will have the ability to manually choose a setting. If you have an SLR camera you might have slightly more control with an option that allows you to use a neutral grey card to calibrate the white balance. Take a few minutes and practice setting the while balance on your camera

Try taking a picture inside using the sun setting and an outside picture using the lamp setting and observe what happens to the images.

The images below demonstrates how using the wrong setting in the first example created a blue cast on this image shot outside. In the second image the setting was changed to outside lighting and looks much more natural. You should have noticed a yellow or orange tint to images shot inside with a daylight setting. This is clearly not what you want, so don't forget to check your white balance.

Light Levels

A common complaint when shooting inside is the fact that lower light levels can result in images that are dark or blurry. Extra light from a flashlight or lamp bounced off a wall might help. You might consider positioning your subject close to a window to take advantage of the sunlight. Just don't forget about white balance.

If you are outside the problem is the opposite. The light from the sun is so bright that it can make your images look washed out. Try moving so the sun is behind you or make use of a shadow from a building to cut the glare from the sun. You may also want to experiment with the different picture icon settings you have. You will probably have settings for portraits, landscapes, fast action, and close-ups. These are camera presets for optimal shutter and aperture settings for those kinds of shots. If you do not have manual control of these settings, experiment to see what happens when you use the presets for different situations.

Composition

Have you ever seen photographers make a little window at arm's length with their hands? Sometimes this is done to get a clearer idea of the composition. Composition is the way in which all the elements in a photograph are arranged. It is the design phase of photography. Similar to a graphic designer, a photographer composes by arranging the elements in the scene. The necessary elements and the position of the main subject in the picture should be the first considerations when composing a picture.

The Necessary Elements for the Picture - The key to a strong image lies in its simplicity.

There should be nothing in the photograph that doesn't contribute to its overall message. This isn't to say that the photograph must be sparse, but that all its elements must add up to something that makes sense. You must always be on your guard against backgrounds that distract, subjects that compete, and inclusion of the extraneous and unessential. You probably don't want a kid waving in the background of your image for this year's top athlete. Ask yourself what's important to the shot, and don't rely on post-processing to fix your mistakes. Below we ask ourselves: what is essential in the shot? The mom & daughter, or just the daughter's joy on the merry-go-round?

Shot type

When describing the shot, you describe them according to how many people are in them. If a single person is in the shot you would refer to it as a one-shot. If two people were in the shot it would be called a two-shot and if three people were in the shot it is a three-shot. Once there are between four and seven people it is referred to as a group shot. Anything over seven people is considered to be a crowd shot.

The Position of the Main Subject in the Picture

There are a number of things to consider when you are positioning your subject in the picture.

The subject that you want your audience to focus on is called the center of interest. Although the name would suggest that this should be in the center of the composition, it is not always best placed in the center of the photograph. The center is visually the weakest point in the frame. By placing the center of interest in the middle, the photograph becomes predictable and the viewer quickly loses interest.

Even when you have more than one person or object, you can achieve a good photo by developing a center of interest around which to organize the picture. When you have a group of three or more, you should avoid arrangements that waste space or look flat. Instead, you can keep your subjects close together and stagger the arrangement by overlapping the people or varying the heights. Giving the subjects something to do will help to create a focal point that you can build upon.

This is an image of four older teenagers that demonstrates good composition. By overlapping the people and varying their height, an interesting composition has been created.

Rule of thirds

Stronger points of placement are suggested by the rule of thirds, which recommends that you mentally divide the rectangular frame of your photograph into thirds both horizontally and vertically. This creates four points where the imaginary lines intersect. These points of intersection create strong areas where the image can be placed. They are called hot spots or power points in a composition. When the subject is located at one of these points, it creates a more pleasing composition.

This is an example of a rule of thirds grid.

The rule of thirds grid suggests four spots where the center of interest will be strongest.

In these scenic shots, the horizon is often the strongest line we see. But when it runs right through the middle of the scene, the shot is boring unless something else is the focus of attention. By raising the horizon to the top third of the screen, the open sky in the upper portion of the image is less inviting to the eye and your attention focuses on the foreground bottle and table. In the lighthouse shot below the lighthouse forms a dominant focus on straddling the right third of the shot.

Taking pictures of people is a bit more complicated as split second decisions need to be made. You have to keep in mind that whether you are shooting still images or capturing video footage, there is an expectation from the viewer for movement in the frame. This will be most critical when you are shooting in profile. If the subject is placed in the center of the frame with even amounts of space before and behind the subject, the person will lack direction.

Notice how the boy and ball are on the right third leaving the horizon, wall and water on the left. It is far more dynamic than if we'd asked him to face the camera and stay static.

By positioning the subject so that there is more space in front of them, where they are looking will lead the viewer and give the subject room to move. This is called lead room or breathing space.

There will be times when you need to take a shot that places the person in the middle of the picture especially if it is a one-shot. Consideration should be taken regarding the amount of space above the person's head, called head room. If you leave too little, the person may look cramped in the frame and if you leave too much it will make the person look lost in the frame. There is no special formula— just good judgment.

In general positioning the subject's eyes one third of the way down the frame is a good start. This principle also works when there are more people. You will note that the girls' heads are positioned in the upper two hot spots.

This is an example of a two-shot with the girls' heads at the upper two hot spots.

Depth of field

Depth of field is also a consideration. This is the amount of focus in the background which creates depth in the picture and is achieved by adjusting the aperture to allow more or less light into the camera. Many automatic cameras don't let you adjust the aperture, but you can sometimes choose different photo settings to do the same thing. If you want a short focal length, meaning only the centre of interest is in focus, try using the portrait setting. If you want more depth try the landscape setting.

This is image of the daisy demonstrates a short focal depth. This image demonstrates a short focal depth with only the flowers in focus.

This image of poppies demonstrates a long depth of field. This image demonstrates a long depth of field with all elements in focus.

Section 3: Shot types and angles

Taking pictures needs to have that same attention given to the angle and distance from your subject to clearly capture the detail and mood that you want your audience to experience.

The Angle From Which you Want to View the Main Subject

The angle from which you take your picture or video will have an impact on how your audience sees and reacts to it. This is very important in setting the mood in a shot.

A low camera angle is created by placing the camera below the normal eye level. With the camera looking up at the subject, this angle gives the viewer a feeling of inferiority or even fear.

For a high camera angle, the camera is placed well above the normal eye level. Viewers are looking down on the subject and feel as if they are in control.

An eye level angle is obtained by shooting at eye level with the subject. This allows the viewer to feel like they are part of the action as this would be the way they would normally view things.

Sometimes you want to create a dynamic view where there appears to be energy, drama or action. This can be achieved by turning the camera to a 45 degree angle creating a dutch tilt.

Relative Size

The size of the center of interest in the picture in comparison with its surroundings is the other compositional consideration that affects the way the viewer will react. Based on this broad perspective, when we view a scene we take in everything that is around us and make judgments about the action. The camera on the other hand has a limited view. Only what is seen in the viewfinder will be captured for the viewer. Take for instance the image to the right. We can interpret the picture because of a number of things that we see.

This is a picture of a car; even though only half of it is shown we assume that the rest of it is exists. This is called closure and we do this all the time. When we see pictures of people from the waist up we don't say, “Hey that is only half a person”; instead we automatically assume the rest of the body is there. It's important that we give the right amount of information to create interest for the audience. The blurred lines on the road and dutch tilt suggest fast action. There is no need to include the whole car to create the drama. By getting closer, the audience is drawn into the action.

The size of the shot is based on how much of the view the camera captures—referred to as the field of view. Common shot sizes are named based on the amount of subject in the frame.

An Extreme Close-Up (ECU) is a shot where the subject's face fills the frame. There is generally a focus on a single facial feature to help create, drama, tension or romance.

A Close-Up (CU) shows a bit more of the person. Generally the shoulders are visible in this shot. The facial features are clearly evident, so it is often used when you want to show the reaction of the subject to something that is happening.

The Medium Shot (MS) closely resembles the view that you would have in a normal conversation and takes in the subject from the waist up. This is often used by news reporters to give viewers a comfortable view of the action

Medium Long Shots (MLS) capture the subject from just above the knees. This allows for the subject to move in the frame. A group shot could also be taken at this distance.

In Long Shots (LS) (also known as a wide-shot) the viewer would be able to see the whole subject. This shot is also used for action especially if the background is needed for context. This could also be used for a group shot to show more clues about their surroundings.

Extreme Long Shots (ELS) are also referred to as establishing shots. This type of shot is useful to give the viewer context or introduce the scene. This would show the subject and background with similar importance in order to establish the overall view or setting. The size of a crowd could also be captured with this type of shot.

When choosing the field of view, you will need to consider a number of factors. Do you need the background to give context to the viewer? Will you be capturing action or do you want to create drama or emotion? Each of these situations requires different camera shots.

Three kings and taking a good picture

The Three Kings of photography are ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture. The video below left explain what they are and how to adjust them so that you get a photo of the subject matter using the best combination of settings.

Practice with a virtual camera

Assignment #3 - Your first shoot

In Photoshop, on a blank 11"x8.5" 72ppi document tastefully display examples of the following pictures and a brief description of which shots are which. Create a collage feel to the document and label shots with exposure settings as well as which type of shot it was (e.g. aperture = 12, shutterspeed = 1/180 ISO 100, )

1. Example of a deep depth of field landscape shot

2. Example of a shallow depth of field shot of 'something in a row'

3. Example of motion photography (either fast OR slow shutter speed)

4. Example of a portrait (close up with a shallow depth of field)

- student is to read sections 2 and 3 above, then submit the "postcard" as a 200KB JPG as well as the original PSD

Landscape shot - deep depth of field

Shallow depth of field

Fast shutter speed

Slow shutter speed

Portrait (close up with shallow depth of field)

Studio Lighting

Before we start, you’ll need to do a few things in preparation:

Setup your studio strobe on its stand, set the key to 60 power and the fill to 40 power make sure they works.
Place your subject 5-10 feet away from the backdrop.
Choose a portrait style and place your lights accordingly
You should know how to connect your strobe to the camera and make it fire by way of remote trigger, pc sync cable, slaved to your on-camera flash, or by way of an in-camera system. Ask me if you don't remember how.
Settings: Set your camera to manual mode, and use the 16/160 rule. Your aperture (F-stop) to 16, shutter speed to 1/160th of a second and your ISO to 100.
Take a test shot and begin adjusting shutter speed and aperture accordingly (typically drop your f-stop a step or two, and possibly your shutter speed "up" a step or two to 1/180 or 1/200.

Assignment #4 - Glam-Shot: Vogue!

Different portrait setups

- you're shooting for Vogue (or some other magazine of choice).

- you are to design a magazine cover (8.5x11 220pixels/inch) that includes, at minimum a shot of yourself (or a partner) and the title of the magazine (choose an existing magazine).

- If you need stock pictures for this assignment make sure they are from royalty free sites like Pexels, Pixabay or RGBStock to name a few.

· the goal of the assignment is to apply the various techniques learned in the tutorial above to a subject that is important to themselves.

- the background will be appropriate for the magazine type (e.g. Vogue would not likely include a bunch of nature scenes, likewise a National Geographic cover wouldn't likely feature Tom Hanks).

- look at various magazines and go back through their cover history. Try to mimic a cover as best you can using the picture of yourself.

- a 1200 KB JPG and the PSD are to be submitted

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