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BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY Students Copy 1

The document provides an overview of basic photography concepts, focusing on the importance of light, exposure, aperture, and shutter speed in capturing images. It discusses composition techniques such as shape, line, pattern, texture, and the rule of thirds to enhance photo quality. Additionally, it emphasizes the significance of balance and perspective in creating effective photographs.

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10 views75 pages

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY Students Copy 1

The document provides an overview of basic photography concepts, focusing on the importance of light, exposure, aperture, and shutter speed in capturing images. It discusses composition techniques such as shape, line, pattern, texture, and the rule of thirds to enhance photo quality. Additionally, it emphasizes the significance of balance and perspective in creating effective photographs.

Uploaded by

gibbcdt
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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BASIC

PHOTOGRAPHY—
ART AND COMPOSITION
WHAT IS PHOTOGRAPHY?
• It is a process of reproducing images on
sensitized materials by various forms of
radiant energy.
• Radiant energy includes visible light,
ultraviolet, infrared, x-rays, atomic radiations
and electron beams.
• It came from two Greek words:
• “photo” meaning light
• “graphos” meaning to write
Let there be light!

All photography
is based on light

Exposure is the total


amount of light allowed
to fall on the film/image
sensor
Exposure can be controlled
mainly through two lens settings:

Aperture…

… and
Shutter
Speed
Aperture is the size of the gap
light is let through in the lens –
similar to an eye’s pupil

Low f-stop = - Aperture is measured in f-


High aperture = stop numbers (e.g. f/2.1
Large gap = or f/8.3)
More light =
Higher Exposure

High f-stop = - The higher the f-stop,


the lower the aperture,
Low aperture =
the smaller the gap
Small gap = (and vice versa)
Less light =
Lower Exposure
Shutter Speed is the length of time the camera’s lens shutter is open –
in other words, how long the camera spends taking the picture

Long Shutter Speed Short Shutter Speed

- Long shutter speeds spend more time letting light in, which can
help in dark environments and create artistic blur effects with
movement
- Short shutter speeds spends less time letting light in, which allows
for quicker pictures and the ability to ‘freeze time’ in great detail
- To get a good exposure on manual mode, you have to
make sure the aperture and shutter speed balance
each-other out correctly for the sort of photo you want
- Most digital compacts/SLRs on automatic mode will judge
the aperture and shutter speed for you when taking a picture
– but you can still change an exposure compensation
setting to alter what it thinks is ‘correct’ if it gets it wrong

On most SLRs you can switch


on: Aperture Priority (you
pick the aperture, the camera
picks the shutter speed), or -
Shutter Priority (you pick the
shutter speed, the camera picks
the aperture – compacts usually
Remember: Practice have this too) -
makes perfect! depending on which is most
convenient for what you want
ISO
In digital photography, ISO measures the sensitivity of the
image sensor.
The same principles apply as in film photography:
The lower the number, the less sensitive your camera is to
light and the finer the resulting grain.
What makes
these images
effective?
CREATING
• Overall feel of a picture MOOD
• Created by
• Perspective
• Color
• Focus (isolation and distance)
• Weather and light
• Sunrise/sunset
• Misty, rainy days
• Sun vs. overcast
CHARACTERISTICS OF A
GOOD PHOTO
• Shape
• Line
• Pattern
• Texture
• Size and space
SHAPE
• Tends to be noticed first, before texture and
pattern
• Easiest and most recognizable composition
tool
• Shape helps create a mood/character for
the picture
CREATING SHAPE
• Common—
• use backlighting to create a silhouette
• Uncommon—
• side lighting with simple background
• underexpose to focus on shape vs. color
or texture
Image Number: 98cs1361 - CD1857-61 - Washington Monument, Washington, DC - USDA Photo by Ken Hammond
LINE
• Lines create
• Shape
• Pattern
• Depth
• Perspective
• Line leads the eye
• Focal point/subject
• Diagonals
• S-curves
LINE CREATES
PERSPECTIVE
• Lines into the horizon show depth and perspective for the
viewer
• Vanishing point
• Point at which lines converge and vanish in to the
horizon
• Place off-center
• Close-ups decrease perspective while wide-angles can
exaggerate it
PATTERN
• Orderly combination of shape, line, or color
• Pattern can help echo the character of a photo
• Catching attention
• Random patterns
• Slight variation in a pattern
• Pattern in common places
Image Number:98cs1379 - CD 1857-79 - U.S. Flags at Washington Monument, Washington, DC - USDA Photo by Ken Hammond

Image Number 01cs0043 Korean War Memorial, Washington, DC. USDA Photo by Ken Hammond
TEXTURE
• Adds realism (sense of touch) to a photo
• Sharp (hard) light highlights texture
• Especially important for close-up and b/w
shots
• Side lighting highlights texture
• Most portraits use front lighting to decrease
texture on skin
USING LIGHT FOR DEPTH
• Sometimes hard light is inappropriate for
illustrating shape and depth
• Soft side lighting can give a sense of
shape and depth without high contrast
• Portraits
• Still life
• When shape/depth is more important
that texture
GIVING PERSPECTIVE
• Linear—Lines which converge into the
distance
• Diminishing size—objects further away
are smaller
• Aerial perspective—atmosphere creates
haze, which lightens objects farther away
DEPTH AND PERSPECTIVE
• Overlapping forms—overlapping objects
in a picture create depth and distance
• Selective focusing—focusing on the
foreground and blurring the background
b97c2129
IMPROVING
COMPOSITION
• Rule of thirds
• Simplicity
• Angle and perspective
• Framing
HAVE A STRONG CENTER
OF INTEREST
• Take pictures at different angles with different
compositions
• Work around the rule of thirds
SIMPLICITY
• One strong center of interest
• Foreground or background should be simple
or complimentary to center of interest
• Include foreground or background for sense
of isolation, distance, depth, etc.
• Avoid mergers
CUT OFFS
• Avoiding cutting out parts or main subjects
• Avoiding cutting out the path of a moving
object
Give the object
somewhere to go
WORKING WITH ANGLES
• Low angles
• Clear sky backdrop
• Accentuate movement or action
• High angle
• Eliminate cloudy sky
• 45 degree angles will cut glare
• Avoid centered horizons
FRAMING
• Adds depth
• Should fit theme
• Helps subject fill the frame
• Can block unwanted subjects from view
• Watch focus on foreground
• Focus on foreground in landscape
• Focus on subject in portraits
• Auto-focus should be centered on main topic
• Overall—DEPENDS ON CAMERA
BALANCE

• Balance color and weight in a picture


• Formal and informal
• Symmetrical and asymmetrical
A PHOTOGRAPH IS SYMMETRICAL IF IT HAS TWO
(ALMOST) IDENTICAL SIDES WITH A CENTRAL POINT
OF AXIS. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU CUT THE PHOTO
IN HALF, THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE MIRROR EACH
OTHER. OR THE UPPER AND BOTTOM HALF ARE
IMITATING EACH OTHER.
WHEN A PHOTO IS ASYMMETRICAL, IT HAS UNEQUAL
VISUAL WEIGHT ON EITHER SIDE. BUT THOSE VISUAL
ELEMENTS BALANCE OUT EACH OTHER.
Symmetrical

Asymmetrical
FILL THE FRAME
• Would this picture look better if I was
closer?
• Focus on subject
• Detail
• Start far and move closer
• Fill the frame with objects that “fit”
• Long range shots provide depth and
perspective
Image Number 01cs0116 Modern hog farming in the Mt Olive area of NC. . USDA Photo by Ken Hammond
TAKE-AWAY TIPS
• Think
• Experiment
• Move
• Wait
• Rule of Thirds
THANK
YOU!!!

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