Wk-1a
Handout: Hr 1 - Study it.
1. Let students ‘speed-read’ the handout (10 minute maximum).
2. Quick-review document (skip Requirements) lead by student concerns (15 minute maximum).
3. Focused step-by-step review of the ‘Requirements’ (remainder of 1st hour).
4. Use ‘resource/0_tempate/requireTemplate.doc’, save ASAP as your own file replacing the word
‘Template’ with your own first name.
5. Customize the template into your own custom require document using your own ‘personal words’.
6. Use your camera manual, online class resource, and dpreview.com – go there and check it out…
http://
facweb.northseattle.edu/ktachiba/2009F
Class Work: Hr 2 - Create your own ‘require’ document using my template (requireTemplate.doc).
1. Recommend and demonstrate ‘dpreview.com’.
2. Ask for questions…
3. Finish your ‘requireYourName. Doc’ as homework… as needed.
Demo: Squint view thumb for aperture, depth of field, and seeing light…
1. Aperture – wide open vs. stopped down
- Wide open (big
) results in shallow dof (portrait – scene mode)
- Stopped down (small ) results in deep dof (landscape – scene mode)
2. Seeing light
Squinting also helps to reduce the scene to an abstraction of values and color.
Story: Hr 3 - It controls both the technical and the aesthetic decisions.
Illustrate with the traffic control at the Intersection Story.
- People shot – Jane controlling traffic
- Place shot - intersection (high angle shot
- Thing – Human traffic controller
- Idea – Traffic control (top down shot)
Q&A: ‘Open Topic’ from ‘what camera to buy’ to any other class related topic.
Homework: Read Syllabus
1. Study the ‘handout’ and ‘syllabus’ docs carefully and thoroughly. Come to the next class with specific
question written out.
2. Study the class text books
- ‘textbk_164.pps’ (PowerPoint slide show with 164 slides).
- Your camera manual to help ‘flesh-out’ your own ‘requireYourName.doc’. Remember that
dpreview.com is also very helpful in ‘fleshing-out’ your require doc.
Wk-1b
Handout: Hr 1 - Study it again based on students concerns.
Requirements: Go over it topic by topic as needed.
Story: Hr 2 - Four types of images – go online and find examples of the following:
1. People shots 2. Things shots
3. Place shots
4. Idea shots
Story Support:
1. Technique – made it transparent (without error).
Exposure – not too light or dark.
-
Focus – (focus bracket, focus point, focus plain, and dof).
Pentax K1000 demo…
Importance of shutter speed (everyone find it on their own digital LCD…)
White Balance (WB) – use Auto WB combined with Skylight.
2. Light – photography means drawing with light. Use side light direction to draw ‘form’.
3. Composition Class – story focus supported by and influence technique, composition (design), and
lighting
4. Students – talk about image type preference and relevant experience.
Library Show: Hr 3 - View discus, select best, discuss Pro – Con – Constructive Conclusion.
1. Use the online resource/0_template/reportTemplate.doc.
2. Return to class and 1 person from each team with share team observations.
Technique: Develop your skill in the following areas…
1. Basic
- Exposure – light to dark with perfect in the middle region
- Focus – front to back with perfect in the mid section
- Color – warm to cool with neutral in the middle
2. Composition
- Based on 1/3 grid
- Based on optical center
- Based on fill frame by 85%
- Based on negative shape
- Based on movement
3. Lighting
- Source – keep it single, soft, and side direction
- Other
Assignment: Category choice is yours but you must choose one: Remind students of the Intersection Story.
1. People shots, stories, or narrative
2. Things shots, stories, or narrative
3. Place
shots, stories, or narrative
4. Idea
shots, stories, or narrative
Story Levels: Story or subject treatment
a. ID – tight head shot with minimal neutral background (Passport or ID shot).
b. ID Plus – head & shoulder shot with more information in the background.
c. Subject in Living Environment – can show full figure and much more background. Extremely
important idea is that every bit of the background must contribute to the story. There must not be
anything irrelevant in the background (or foreground). Watch out to avoid compositional flaws such
as tangency or amputation.
- As prose
- Poetic (a metaphor)
Story Overview: It must be simple!
a. I recommend that you start at the very basic ‘ID’ level. An image that can be described by a noun
would be a good start. Subject against a non-descript low detail color and texture less background.
Example: A person.
b. Next time, take that same image the next level of complexity which I refer to as ‘ID Plus’. In the Plus
version, show more of the subject and the background. Take care not to make the background too
visually interesting. The story should become more complicated. Now the ‘noun’ must be modified
by an adjective. Example: A tall person.
c. In the final re-shoot, the subject must be in a ‘living’ environment that is real, believable, and
relevant to the subject. The noun was previously modified by an adjective. In this final version, it
must be modified by a verb. A word which has an ‘ing’ ending such as ‘waiting’.
d. If the ‘Tall Person Waiting’ is very successful and you are very into the story. It can then be
developed further as the Library Show project. The sentence (story) may get further enhanced into
‘A Person Waiting at the Train Station’
e. Note that this ‘slow evolution method’ from very simple to complex will take at least half the
quarter to materialize. You are not expected to know about story telling at the beginning of this
quarter. But will start to learn through a slow process of simple to complex assignment shoots.
f. You will be following my simple to complex procedure but the story idea must be your own.
g. Don’t shoot ideas that bore you. If you’re not excited by your story, it is unlikely going to be very
interesting to anyone else.
- Another danger is starting the story telling process at a complex level. Start simple so that the
class and I can help you to evolve the idea worth spending the whole quarter on… metaphor)
Story Development: An assignment image must have a title (keep it simple)
a. Word based - Mind map
b. Image based – Simple line drawing
c. Team work – word and image based sharing and feedback
Wk-2a – First Assignment Review & Critique
Beginning:
Intro to working with Artshare (3404) assign_01 folder turn in.
Assignment Team Review: Do this as an informal discussion.
1. Category – this should be a matter of fact.
a. People shots, stories, narratives, or poems
b. Things shots, stories, narratives, or poems
c. Place
shots, stories, narratives, or poems
d. Idea
shots, stories, narratives, or poems
2. Story title – you must have ONE.
a. The story title should be simple and short.
b. In the first shooting assignment, just let the title be a noun.
c. Keep the shot simple and crop tight on the subject showing minimal background.
3. Technique
1. Basic – is it transparent? If not, what is the exact issue? Naming the problem gets you better than
half way to the solution.
- Exposure – is it light, dark, or just right?
- Focus – is it perfectly placed on the focal point? Even with auto focus, I have seen many backfocused images.
- Color – is it warm, cool, or perfectly neutral. Set the camera to Auto WB and use Skylight. The
result will be slightly cool but easily ‘neutralized’ in the basic lab phase.
2. Lighting – does it draw the subject well (make it boldly three dimensional)?
- Is it Skylight soft and cool?
- If not, what is it? Is it harsh direct sunlight or indoor light?
- Other comments or issues…
3. Composition – which of the following was used to arrange the image layout?
- Based on 1/3 grid
- Based on optical center
- Based on fill frame by 85%
- Based on negative space shape
- Based on movement
Assignment Overview: Any photograph can be improved.
Please be honest in your assignment image feedback because it’s probably going to be re-shot. And the
intent of the re-shoot is to make it better at telling the story. You also need honest feedback so that your
re-shoot can benefit from your class and team mate observations. Just do your best and be supportive
rather than critical.
Assignment Re-shoot: Team develop and simple line drawing sketches
Take half an hour to come up with assignment ideas. Avoid ‘trying to be cleaver or creative’. There is
nothing new – it’s all been done before. The most important thing is to be true to yourself. Let the story
be a meaningful yarn that comes out of you. Tell a story that you can be proud of…
Assignment Grade: Please try to stay learning focused.
The following will describe three different needs based on grade and work requirement.
1. Earn an easy ‘C’ if your need is minimal regarding controlling the camera, composition, and lighting.
2. Earn a harder ‘B’ if your need is moderate regarding controlling the camera, composition, lighting, and
story.
3. Work extremely hard to earn an ‘A’, if your need is to use photography as a production tool or to
become an image maker (artist). Although working hard will not guarantee an A grade.
Make an honest decision for yourself about what 1, 2, or 3 category your needs fit into. Please note that
number on your name-card on the lower right corner. If you are undecided, place an X on your namecard. I will be teaching the class with the group 3 in mind.
Grade Factoring – the early grades that you earn in this class will not have very meaningful affect on the
final class grade. For instance, this first assignment can earn from 1 to 4 points (4 is an ‘A’). Your final class
grade may be as much as 700 to 1,000. The 1 to 4 grading is only for your ‘how well you’re doing’
feedback purposes.
Meaningful Grade – you will be getting an official grade feedback during the 4th or 5th week of class. By
that point, your grade will have practical and long term relevance. It’s usually a good predictor of the final
class grade.
Assignment Present: Keep it 1 minute (60 second) simple
1. Pro – what worked
2. Con – what was problematic
3. Constructive Conclusion (Summary)
Assignment Technical Review: If time permits
The following technical information is not critical to getting a passing grade in this class. But if you need to
use the camera for practical or artistic expression purposes, the following information is vital to your
image making future.
Basic Technique 1:
Brightness is directly related to exposure which is controlled by the following
Aperture control the amount of light entering the camera.
- Large to small lens opening which have specific f/stops.
- F/stop ranges from wide open f/2.8 to stopped-down f/8 as shown below as numbers land bars.
F/2.8
f/4.0
f/5.6
f/8.0
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- Each stop above represents a whole stop difference. And each stop difference represents either
a doubling or halving of the amount of light
- Whole stops are also sub-divided into 1/3 stop increments.
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f/3.2 f/3.6
f/4.5 f/5.0
f/6.3 f/7.1
- F/2.8 to f/8 is a ‘modest’ 3-f/stop range.
- The amount of light is partnered with the lens open duration, shutter speed.
Shutter speed control the length of time the light enters the camera. The shutter speed also has
whole stop settings. Partial speed range shown below:
1 sec ½ sec ¼ 1/8 1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000
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- Shutter speed also has 1/3-stop settings.
- There are also many more settings compared to apertures.
Light meter which is built into the digital camera is what sets the aperture and shutter speed to
produce the correct exposure.
Correct exposure is about believable brightness.
- Too light – correct this by stopping down the aperture or speeding up the shutter speed.
- Too dark – correct this by opening up the aperture or slowing the shutter speed.
Exposure Compensation (EC) is about easy brightness control without resorting to Aperture or Shutter
Priority modes.
- Too light – move the EC to the + side on the exposure scale.
- Too dark – move the EC to the – side of the exposure scale.
EC Adjustment Range
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-2
-1.7
-1.3
-1
-.7
-.3
0
+.3
+.7
+1
+1.3 +1.7 +2
EC Display on the LCD or viewfinder should darken or lighten with EC changes. Use this feature to
fine-tune your visual idea about what:
 1/3 f/stop change looks & feels like
 2/3 f/stop change looks & feels like
 1 f/stop change looks & feels like and so on to the full 2w f/stops
EC Fine-Tune exposure adjustment of ‘.3’ is considered an acceptable part of lab work.
Easily Correctable exposure range can go from a .3 to 1 full stop of under exposure. Try to avoid any
over-exposure (too light).
Basic Technique 2:
Focus (Sharpness) control the amount sharpness and sharpness area.
Auto or Manual focus
Focus bracket
- Single centered [ ]
- Single super wide [
]
- Multiple [ ] [ ] [ ]
- Moveable
- Large to small lens opening which have specific f/stops.
Class Assignment: Library Show - Team view, discus, analyze, and present.
If there is not enough time to complete this time consuming task, it may end up as homework and
continued at the beginning of the following class.
Wk-2b – Next Assignment
Open Topic Q&A: Student question driven
Unfininished Business:
1.
2.
Library Show sharing, discussion and report.
Any other?
Re-shoot Assignment 1: Correct any issues discussed in the previous class feedback.
1. Team review to refresh your memory
2. Write down all the salient details in bulleted points about what is not right yet.
 Story – unclear or no title…
 Basic technique – not error free (transparent).
a. Exposure
b. Focus
c. White (color) balance
 Lighting – not Skylight, soft, or from the side direction…
 Composition – non-existent or counterproductive…
 Wow factor – not very visually interesting…
3. Write down corrective actions for each of the above bulleted points.
 Example: Lighting – used harsh direct sunlight. Use soft easy to work with Skylight.
 Example: Require – used wide angle. Use the assignment recommended 105 equiv. tele.
4. Make new layout sketches as needed.
5. Open your ‘custom’ require doc and prepare to edit as needed….
Extra Credit: Assignment report using the ‘reportTmp.doc’ ….
1. Doing this will help you to earn bonus grade points.
2. More importantly, it will help you to learn the material better.
3. It will also help you to make your classroom or team assignment report