Logan

I was bored at a volleyball game and my little brother Logan was edgy. I had my camera, so of course I had to go have him model for me. This is what happened.

This one he actually took. I let him use the camera occasionally. I wonder who's gonna be a photographer when he grows up?

Up close cuteness.

Branch closeups.

Shutter Speed: Fast Freezes - Slow Shows

http://digital-photography-school.com/6-phrases-to-help-you-learn-photography-faster/

The phrase for shutter speed is my favorite: Fast freezes - slow shows.
Shutter speed is one of the most important things in photography. The phrase explains it in a simple way- a fast shutter speed will 'freeze' a picture, or make it sharper. A slow shutter speed will 'show' the movement and the picture will become blurry. The thing that you need to know that isn't in the phrase is that a shutter speed- represented by 1/ (some number(20, 400, etc.)) - is a portion of a second. So a larger number (1/500) is a faster speed, lower (1/60) is slower.

Understanding Aperture and Depth of Field

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9jt1jHLEQlIRVBFWUFkUXo3Ylk/view


1. What is depth of field?
Depth of field is how close the focused subjects in a photograph are, or the area that is in focus.

2. What is an aperture?
Aperture is the opening in the lens which indicates how wide they are opened.

3. Which aperture creates the shallowest depth of field? Which puts everything in focus?
An aperture of f/1.8 creates the shallowest depth of field, and a larger one, like f/22 puts the entire photo in focus.

4. What does “stop down” mean?
Stop down means to narrow the aperture, or create a deeper depth of field.

5. What do you have to do to make all three people sharp?
You have to close/stop down the aperture to f/22.

6. What happens to the shutter speed as you stop down to increase depth of field?
As you stop down the aperture, the shutter speed gets larger(slower).

7. What mode do you need to set the camera on to control the aperture? 
You have to set the camera on Av or Aperture Priority mode.

8. What is a “fast lens”?
A fast lens is a lens with a large maximum aperture opening, like f/1.8.

9. The aperture is an opening controlled by what?
Aperture is an opening in the lens controlled by blades.

This was taken with f/4.0, a shutter speed of 1/350, and an ISO of 200. This picture has the blurriest background. You can barely see the car in the background, and the second bike is not in focus.

This had an aperture of f/8.0, 1/180 shutter speed, and an ISO of 200. The background is more in focus than the first picture, but you can't see the details.

This one was taken with f/27.0, 1/8 shutter speed, and 200 ISO. The other bikes are in focus, and the car is almost focused.

Predicting Aperture and Shutter Speed

For photo A, I think the aperture would be f/22 and this one would have needed a faster shutter speed, which might have been about 800, or at least in the faster range. It might have had a smaller ISO(medium moonglasses) because it was sunny outside.

For photo B, I think it had f/8 and a shutter speed of 100-ish, with a higher ISO than photo A because it is lighter.

Introduction to Aperture

http://digital-photography-school.com/aperture/

According to the author, why is it so important to master aperture?
It is important to master aperture because it changes your ability of creativeness on the camera.

What happens each time you move from an f/stop from one number to the next smaller number?
When you move from one f/stop to a smaller one, it halves the size of the lens opening.

What happens each time your move from one shutter speed setting to the next smaller shutter speed setting?
When you move from one shutter speed to a smaller one, it increases the time that the shutter is open.

How is aperture related to depth of field?
The aperture is what changes the depth of field.

According to the author, what is the "best way to get your head around aperture"?
The best way is to get your camera and experiment.

What size aperture is typical used in landscape photography? in portrait photography? in macro photography? Why, why and why?
In landscape, smaller, because you want the entire area, including the horizon, in focus. In portrait you want a large aperture so that only the subject is in focus. In macro photography, you want a larger aperture so that the subject captures all the attention.

Photo Assignment 1

PART ONE - BLACK AND WHITE

This one is my least favorite of the three. I don't like the lack of contrast between the foreground and the background, but I love how clear the focal point is. I love shooting nature (especially flowers) up close. I like how in black and white, the flower glistens like it had been raining.

I really like this one. There is not much contrast, but where there is contrast, it's very noticeable. There is a clear focal point, and I like how the middle is centered, and the others are in random places around it. i also like how the plant is the only thing in the entire frame- there are no other objects in the frame.

This is absolutely my favorite. I love the focal point and how sharp it is, and I love the contrast. Also, the pattern of the rocks is easy to tell, but also very intriguing, Even from a side view. I did take one from above, but this one appeals to the eye more.

PART 2 - RULE OF THIRDS

I like this one because the focus is on the side, but at the same time, The lines of the lockers and the hallway leads you to the center. I wish there were no people in the hallway, but at least there aren't too many- they don't crowd the background that much.

I love this one. I like the focal point and the sharpness, but what really got me was the bright white of the wall. Also, I fall head over heels for bokeh. I just love it. The contrast is pretty light, but not so much that you can't see anything.

As I said before, I like taking pictures of nature. I love the color of leaves when you see the sun shining through them, and cameras captured it pretty well. The gray sky contrasts the bright leaves. The leaves being in the corner made you focus on them, but you can still see the sky and the contrast is balanced out.


PART 3 - MCCALLUM

I like the contrast in this, and how it goes darker farther away. The focus is on the side, but you ca still easily see everything else. I don't like The napkin on the ground and how the objects that aren't in focus are not unfocused enough.

I love how the object of focus is in the middle, but it doesn't feel like that because the mosaic is leading  away from it. I also like how it is simple, but complex at the same time, and that the colors aren't strong enough to distract you from everything else.

I love this picture of the Fine Arts building. It is a bit overexposed but I think it looks better like this. The building leads into the distance and the sky blends in to the roof. This makes it very interesting to look at.

Understanding Exposure

http://digital-photography-school.com/understand-exposure-in-under-10-minutes/

What is the central simile that Annie Tao uses to explain the relationship between the camera, the lens and the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, ISO)?

The camera body is our brain and the lens is our eyes. Aperture is how wide we open our eyes, shutter speed is how long you open your eyes, and ISO is like glasses that help you see in the dark (Moonglasses).

If you are shooting in low light, how wide do you open your eyes? Will you see well at night if you are squinting (small aperture)?

You would open your eyes as wide as you could. You wouldn't be able to see well at night if you were squinting.

What happens on a super bright day if your eyes are wide open and they’re open for a long time (slow shutter and large aperture)? Can you see well then?

A little bit- it would be overexposed but crisp.

If you want a crisp shot of someone jumping, how long do you need your eyes open? What will freeze the shot:  a quick blink (fast shutter) or a slow one (slow shutter)?

You would want a fast shutter/quick blink.

Do I need thick, thin or medium moonglasses if I’m shooting at the beach on my lunch break?

You would need thin moonglasses.

In the same scenario, your cat notices you are snapping photos, so she starts walking away and leaps off the couch. You still want to photograph her. Which would you change:  how open your eyes are (aperture), how long you leave your eyes open (shutter speed), or thickness of your moonglasses (ISO)?

You would want to increase the shutter speed so the picture wouldn't be blurry.

If you increase your shutter speed because you want to freeze the image, what else would you need to change? (If you changed nothing else, the image would be too dark because you let in less light.)

You would increase the ISO and the aperture.

Simplicity in Photography

Questions:
What is the point that photographer Ron Craig shares in this short article?
Why does he think this point is so important in photography?
What are the two best ways for a photographer to achieve simplicity?
What are some others?
What do you think of his advice?
Agree or disagree?
Explain.

The main idea or point that the article is making is that simplicity can make the best photos. It tends to be more emotionally compelling and easier for the viewer to understand. Two ways to achieve simplicity is to get closer to the object of focus. Also, paying attention to color- the brightest color are what we notice first, and having contrast between the objects color and the background achieve the greatest simplicity. Other techniques are more complex, including selective focusing and contrast management. I agree with Craig. I love doing close-ups and focusing on a single object. Those tend to be my best shots.

Camera Obscura

When was it created?
       The first record of the Camera Obscura was in about 400 BCE by Mozi. Other records of use/understanding was by Aristotle and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as some others.

What did it do?
       It was an early projector. It led to the invention of the camera.

Who was involved with its creation?
       Aristotle had used one for sure, but the first permanent exposure was by Nicephore Niepce in 1822.