Photo Class Number 1
So, I've just been to my first photo class... I really do have a lot to learn. I've been taking photographs with the SLR for about 16 months, but I only tend to use the automatic mode, or occasionally the manual mode, but only really fiddle with the exposure settings. Today we had a full run down of manual settings and use of aperture variation. There were only six of us in the class and everyone was really chatty and interested and at a similar level, so it was a good night out if only for that. Still, I have 2 rather large bits of homework to do by the 8th May - which sounds like a long time, except I'm away between the 1st and 6th, so I really only have a few days to play with.
Beneath the cut, my notes from this evening - more for my reference on the move than for anyone else's benefit, although you never know, it might be interesting
Books to buy:
Jane Bown 'Faces' - portrait textbook
Lee Frost 'Personal Views' - landscape textbook
Sue Hillyard 'The Photography Handbook'
Roger Hicks & Frances Schultz 'Darkroom Basics and Beyond'
Minimum kit required
35mm SLR with 50mm standard lens (f1.4/f1.8) and both manual exposure and aperture priority modes
Aperture
(biggest aperture) f1.4 2 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 (smallest aperture)
f1.4 is the largest aperture - a fully open lens
f16 is the smallest aperture - a v small opening.
Each f stop halves the amount of light -->
Shutter Speed
(least light) 1/1000 1/500 1/250 1/125 1/60 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/4 1/2 1 2 (most light)
The length of shutter speed doubles with each stop
Each stop allows double the amount of light in -->
Hand shake tends to start affecting pictures at around 1/60
Film Speed
ISO 25 50 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 (fastest)
Each increase in ISO doubles the film speed and its reaction to light -->
ISO25 - a very slow film requiring long shutter speeds, very fine grain
ISO1600 & 3200 - for low light conditions without flash. Very fast films with very coarse grain
ISO100, 400 & 1600 are most useful.
When deciding what film to choose, think:
- How much light?
- Do I want grain? (eg ISO400 gives great grain for portraits, espec. of young people)
- Am I photographing a fast moving subject?
Recommended film for course
Kodak Tri-X
Ilford HP5
Fuji Neopan
Light Metering
Cameras tend to either use spot metering, centre weighted metering or evaluative/matrix metering.
The exposure reading (EV) is a product of the fstop and shutter speed you're working with.
Depth of Field
This is controlled by 3 things:
1. Proximity to subject - closer you are, the smaller the depth of field
2. Aperture of lens - big aperture (eg f1.4) gives small depth of field
3. Focal length of lens - 24mm lens = wide DoF, 105mm telephoto = small DoF
Composition
The rule of thirds divides the rectangle into nine boxes, and recognises that in landscapes it looks best to use 1/2 to 2/3 ground to sky or vice versa. In portraits, it places interesting features at the nodal lines.
However, apparently some of the best photos ignore this -
Think about 'lead lines' - rows of trees, roads etc. which draw your eye into the picture.
Think about how people move into and out of the frame - be creative.
Homework for 8th May
1. Buy a colour disposable camera, use the whole thing, develop it and bring the pictures in to the next class.
Take pictures of anything you like - people, places, objects - but think about framing and the angles you're taking the pictures from. Don't forget that disposable cameras can't or don't focus well with anything closer than a metre away from you.
2. Window-lit portraits:
Seat a subject on a chair at a window and get him/her reading. Get him/her to sit at a variety of angles to the window so you can take photographs of the different light and shadow on the face. Use one of the black and white films mentioned earlier.
Get the subject seated and reading a book - capture the person down to waist height and get the book in the picture.
Try calling the person by name and capture their distracted look. Focus on the eyes.
In the last shot, get your subject facing you with his/her back to the window. Take your exposure metering from the bright light of the window, then take the photograph - this should silhouette the subject against the window. If in doubt, take a reading of the window in AV mode, get to where you need to be, and recreate that setting manually. Can use exposure lock if you have it.
3. Use the rest of the black and white film in the SLR to revisit the things you took pictures of with the disposable camera. How could you improve the images you took? Think about use of depth of field and better framing and composition. Bring the undeveloped film in on the 8th for processing in class.
So - anyone in the area - if you'd care to be my window portrait subject I'm pretty desperate to do this before Sunday!!
Beneath the cut, my notes from this evening - more for my reference on the move than for anyone else's benefit, although you never know, it might be interesting
Books to buy:
Jane Bown 'Faces' - portrait textbook
Lee Frost 'Personal Views' - landscape textbook
Sue Hillyard 'The Photography Handbook'
Roger Hicks & Frances Schultz 'Darkroom Basics and Beyond'
Minimum kit required
35mm SLR with 50mm standard lens (f1.4/f1.8) and both manual exposure and aperture priority modes
Aperture
(biggest aperture) f1.4 2 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 (smallest aperture)
f1.4 is the largest aperture - a fully open lens
f16 is the smallest aperture - a v small opening.
Each f stop halves the amount of light -->
Shutter Speed
(least light) 1/1000 1/500 1/250 1/125 1/60 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/4 1/2 1 2 (most light)
The length of shutter speed doubles with each stop
Each stop allows double the amount of light in -->
Hand shake tends to start affecting pictures at around 1/60
Film Speed
ISO 25 50 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 (fastest)
Each increase in ISO doubles the film speed and its reaction to light -->
ISO25 - a very slow film requiring long shutter speeds, very fine grain
ISO1600 & 3200 - for low light conditions without flash. Very fast films with very coarse grain
ISO100, 400 & 1600 are most useful.
When deciding what film to choose, think:
- How much light?
- Do I want grain? (eg ISO400 gives great grain for portraits, espec. of young people)
- Am I photographing a fast moving subject?
Recommended film for course
Kodak Tri-X
Ilford HP5
Fuji Neopan
Light Metering
Cameras tend to either use spot metering, centre weighted metering or evaluative/matrix metering.
The exposure reading (EV) is a product of the fstop and shutter speed you're working with.
Depth of Field
This is controlled by 3 things:
1. Proximity to subject - closer you are, the smaller the depth of field
2. Aperture of lens - big aperture (eg f1.4) gives small depth of field
3. Focal length of lens - 24mm lens = wide DoF, 105mm telephoto = small DoF
Composition
The rule of thirds divides the rectangle into nine boxes, and recognises that in landscapes it looks best to use 1/2 to 2/3 ground to sky or vice versa. In portraits, it places interesting features at the nodal lines.
However, apparently some of the best photos ignore this -
Think about 'lead lines' - rows of trees, roads etc. which draw your eye into the picture.
Think about how people move into and out of the frame - be creative.
Homework for 8th May
1. Buy a colour disposable camera, use the whole thing, develop it and bring the pictures in to the next class.
Take pictures of anything you like - people, places, objects - but think about framing and the angles you're taking the pictures from. Don't forget that disposable cameras can't or don't focus well with anything closer than a metre away from you.
2. Window-lit portraits:
Seat a subject on a chair at a window and get him/her reading. Get him/her to sit at a variety of angles to the window so you can take photographs of the different light and shadow on the face. Use one of the black and white films mentioned earlier.
Get the subject seated and reading a book - capture the person down to waist height and get the book in the picture.
Try calling the person by name and capture their distracted look. Focus on the eyes.
In the last shot, get your subject facing you with his/her back to the window. Take your exposure metering from the bright light of the window, then take the photograph - this should silhouette the subject against the window. If in doubt, take a reading of the window in AV mode, get to where you need to be, and recreate that setting manually. Can use exposure lock if you have it.
3. Use the rest of the black and white film in the SLR to revisit the things you took pictures of with the disposable camera. How could you improve the images you took? Think about use of depth of field and better framing and composition. Bring the undeveloped film in on the 8th for processing in class.
So - anyone in the area - if you'd care to be my window portrait subject I'm pretty desperate to do this before Sunday!!