This was our third photo assignment, and for it I chose Macro. The following picture is one I took of a lighting fixture on the side of my garage (1/50 shutter speed, f2.8, ISO 100):
Below is a slideshow of some other pictures I took in hopes of portraying macro photography:
From this assignment I learned the importance of detail. I learned that taking a closer look at objects can make you view them in a whole new light -- and often makes them far more interesting.
This assignment consisted of taking three pictures, then editing them together to create a panorama. Here is my attempt, using pictures taken of the lake across from the school:
For my second photo assignment I chose nature. Here is my picture (1/500 shutter speed, f2.8, ISO 80): I chose to not take the typical pretty trees/flowers kind of nature picture, instead opting for the destruction of nature. After taking the picture I took it into Photoshop, adjusted the levels, colors, and applied a Gaussian Blur layer that I blended with Overlay to create the definition seen in the photograph.
Here are a few more nature pictures I took (unedited):
I did not learn a lot about technical photo shooting during this assignment however I did learn some editing techniques. The Gaussian Blur Overlay layer was something that I think really made the photo 'pop' (as much as I hate that term), and made the nature seem even more real.
This assignment was to take a 'still life' photo that protrayed some sort of object, product, etc. in an exciting way.
Here is my attempt at a still life photo (taken at a 1/1600 shutter speed, f3.2, ISO 100):
To create this look I also boosted the yellow mid-tones to draw out the 'white' pieces as well as the blue shadows to make the black pieces pop and make the shadows more defined. I also adjusted the light level to cut out the very high and very low ends of the spectrum.
Below are a few more pictures I took while attempting still-life (unedited):
From this assignment I learned how interesting angles and creative techniques can make ordinary objects look extra-ordinary. Also, I discovered how changing of color and lighting levels can make a photo pop and seem super-real.
This assignment was to explore shutter and aperture (through the AV -- aperture variable and TV -- time variable settings) and how they effect the outcome of the pictures.
Below are eight pictures that help to capture this idea:
Shutter
Picture #1 -- Shutter speed of 1/60. The bike tire is blurry as the motion is much faster than can be captured by the relatively slow shutter.
Picture #2 -- Shutter speed of 1/125. When the shutter speed is doubled the bike tire is still blurry but noticeably less so.
Picture #3 -- Shutter speed of 1/500. The tire is now fairly clear, although some blurring is still seen in the spokes.
Picture #4 -- Shutter speed of 1/2000. The tire and spokes are now perfectly clear as the motion of the bike is frozen in 1/2000ths of a second.
Aperture
Photo # 5 -- f2.8. The background (our focus) is crystal clear while the foreground (with the tree branch) is blurry. This is due to the small f-stop creating a shallow depth of field, only having our focus be in focus.
Photo #6 -- f4.0. The background is still clear but the foreground is still rather blurry.
Photo #7 -- f5.6. The background is still clear and the foreground is starting to become clear.
Photo #8 -- f8.0. The background remains in focus but now the foreground is as well. The larger f-stop allows for a greater depth of field which puts our whole frame into focus.
From this assignment I learned how both shutter and apeture work to change the way in which the pictures turn out. I learned that if I am capturing motion I need to adjust the speed of my shutter (higher = stop frame, lower = blurry). I also learned that to achieve different depths of field I need to use different apertures (lower = shallower depth of field -- not much in focus, higher = larger depth of field, more is in focus).
In this assignment we took our first foray into Gimp. We imported an image, mirrored it thrice and colored each one differently to create an Andy Warhol-esque image.
Here is my creation:
From this assignment I have learned the basics of Gimp (how to open images, crop, move and change the color).
Our assignment was to show 11 basic composition techniques -- the rule of thirds, patterns, symmetry, texture, depth of field, lines, framing, perspective, space, balance and color. Below is a slideshow showcasing each one of the 11 examples.
Photo 1: Balance. This picture shows balance between the three trees with no big gaping open spaces.
Photo 2: Depth of Field. This picture has a portion of fire hydrant in focus in the foreground, while the grass in the background is out of focus. This helps our mind identify the subject of the picture.
Photo 3: Framing. In this picture the pond is framed between two pine trees.
Photo 4: Lines. In this picture the lines of mortar separating the bricks are prominently displayed, drawing our eyes from left to right.
Photo 5: Perspective. This picture of the peace pole is seen from bird eye's view and adds an element of intrigue to it.
Photo 6: Patterns. The brick path has a clear pattern throughout it and gives the impression of an unlimited number of bricks around the edges.
Photo 7: Space. This picture is very 'urban' looking with the split aluminum and dirt. The can fills the space of the shot well.
Photo 8: Texture, This close-up of a wall shows the amount of texture held within it's ridges.
Photo 9: Symmetry. The trees and pond provide for a nice sense of symmetry in this photo.
Photo 10: Rule of Thirds. This picture of the visitor sign displays a classic use of the rule of thirds. The face on the sign falls on the intersection of the top and rightmost lines.
Photo 11: Color. The red fire hydrant stands boldly out against the drab background. This effect is further extenuated by the desaturation of the background.
This assignment taught me all about these 11 basic composition techniques. More importantly, however, it taught me to be on the lookout for shots that utilize them. Now that my mind is more trained to recognize a good use of framing, lines or symmetry I can work to make my photos better.
