photography skills
In this project, I intend to see what the different settings on my camera do to my photographs, and how I can use these settings to manipulate my photos to how I want them to be. I will also see what different lenses do to each of my images and how I can use them to achieve different perspectives in my photos.
Aperture
Aperture is whatever the size of the opening (big or small) depends on how much light passes through the camera lens to the image sensor. It is measured using f/stops, which is the ratio between the focal length of the lens and the actual size of the diameter diaphragm opening. The f/stop needs to be a larger number for an underexposed image, for example f/22 or f/36 , because the hole within the lens is smaller. The f/stop needs to be smaller number for an overexposed image, for example f/5.6 or f/2.2, because the hole within the lens is larger. A good exposure image can range between aperture f/6 to f/8, so the hole within the lens would be in the middle. If i were to shoot in a darker environment (for example in the night or in a dark room) , I would need to use a smaller f/stop value because the hole within the lens would be larger, therefore more light would be let in and the image would be clearer. If i were to shoot in a much brighter environment (for example in the middle of the day or a bright studio), I would need to use a much larger f/stop value because the hole within the lens would be much smaller, therefore less light would be the let and the image would be clearer.
Overexposed image
Good exposure image
Underexposed image
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Edward Weston
Edward Weston was an American Photographer who was most known for his innovative approach to photography. I chose him to represent aperture because I thought his creative use to underexpose his photographs to bring out the details was a clever way to bring detail into his images. In this photograph I think he used a small aperture value because his photographs have very low light, meaning that the hole in the lens would be smaller. I really like how his photographs are simple yet very detailed, I want to carry this on by also making my aperture photographs detailed.
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Photoshoot One
During this mini shoot, I was experimenting with different aperture values. During this, I further proved that a small aperture value makes the photo underexposed whereas a larger aperture value makes the image underexposed. I also changed the settings on my camera so the raw image will turn out black and white, I did this so I could easily show what an underexposed and overexposed image looks like as the highlights and shadows show much better in monochromatic photographs.
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Photoshoot Two
During this shoot, I experimented with the light meter and the aperture value whilst keeping the ISO at 400 and the shutter speed at 1/60 so there wouldn't be any camera shake. When I set the aperture value to a high number (f/29), the light meter read at -2, this meant that the image would turn out under exposed. When I brought the aperture value up to f/16, the light meter read at -1 when I looked through the view finder of the camera. This image would still be under exposed however this time it would be bright. When I changed the aperture value to f/11, the light meter read at 0, this meant that this image would have a good exposure, the shadow, highlights and mid-tones would be balanced. However, when I moved the aperture value further down to f/7.1, the light meter read at +1, this means that the photograph would be over exposed but not severely. Moving the aperture value to the furthest down it could go (f/4.5) resulted in the image turning out very over exposed because the light meter read at +2.
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Shadows, Mid-tones and Highlights
Shadows, mid-tones and highlights are determined by the tonal ranges found in an image, whether colour or black and white. Shadows are the darkest parts of an image, highlights are the brightest parts of an image and the mid-tones are the colours/shades found in between the two.
I think this photograph represents under exposed images very well because it is primarily made up of darker aspects. Even though the image does get a bit lighter moving upwards, it is still a dark image overall because you can't see many details within the darkest parts of the photograph whereas in the sightly lighter parts, more details show up. Before this photograph was taken, the light meter within the photographers camera possibly told them that their photograph would be under exposed because they might've used a smaller aperture value, for example f/22. By using this low aperture value, the hole within the lens would've been smaller, letting in less light to the camera's sensor and therefore making the image darker and moving the reading on the light meter down to -2 or lower. I think the photographer has chosen to under expose their image because it makes the windows within the building stand out, possibly emphasising that the building is tall. I really like this image because I feel like you need to really look at this image to see its details as it is so dark, however I really like that its under exposed because I like how the flags and the windows stand out. Overall I think this image is successful being under exposed because it makes it look more interesting to a viewer.
I think this photograph shows balanced exposure really well because you can see the details within the dark and light aspects of the photograph. The use of the balanced exposure makes the colourful flowers stand out because even though they are the brightest aspect of the photograph, you can still see the the details in each petal, further showing how the balanced exposure has helped the photo stand out. Furthermore, even though the shadows of the photograph aren't the main show, they still down details within them, which helps show the depth in the image. Before this photograph was taken, the light meter most likely read at 0 with an aperture value of f/8-f/12 because the shadows, highlights and mid-tones are balanced. I think the photographer chose well to take this photograph with a balanced exposure because it makes everything stand out even if they are the focal point of the image or not. Overall, I really like the image because of how balanced it is overall, there isn't anything that feels out of place because the image feels harmonious overall.
I think this photograph shows over exposure well because the snow is exaggerated because of how light it is. If the photographer chose to not over expose the image, the snow would've turned out grey instead of white because of what the camera thinks is a balanced exposure. When taking the photograph, I think the photographer used a small f/stop value (e.g. f/2.2 or f/4.5) in this photograph because they would want to let in more light to make the snow the focal point because a large f/stop means that the hole in the lens is larger, therefore letting in more light. I think the photographer made a good choice in using a small f/stop value because even though the trees and fence posts are darker, there are more brighter areas rather than darker areas, meaning that the brighter areas would stand out rather than the darker areas, which is what I really love about the image. Another thing I love about this image is that the tree in the centre is darker, whereas when you move further back in the image, the other trees start to become lighter due to the use of a small aperture value.
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Photoshoot Three
In this final mini shoot experimenting with aperture values, I used a person to capture a depth of field. I started off using a smaller aperture value as I knew the image would be lighter because the hole in the lens would be larger therefore letting in more light. In the next two photographs, I increased the f/stop value to make the hole in the lens smaller, therefore letting in less light and making the image darker. When taking these photos, I made the mistake of taking them when it was dark outside, so even though I used an aperture value which would make the photograph bright, it still came out dark due the conditions outside.
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Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is the length of time a cameras shutter is open when taking a photograph. The amount of light that reaches the film or image sensor is proportional to the exposure time. It is measured in fractions of a second, for example 1/1000, 1/60 and 1. As you move from one shutter speed to the next, they half their size so 1/100 halves to 1/500. A blurry image would use a shutter speed smaller than 1/60 whereas a frozen photograph would use a shutter speed larger than 1/60.
Blurry image
Less blurry image
Still image
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Martin Waugh
Martin Waugh is a photographer who uses a fast shutter speed to capture the water droplets rebounding from the surface of the water. I chose his photograph to represent shutter speed because I think it is the perfect representation of fast shutter speed as there is no blur within the movement of the image, telling me that he used a shutter speed between 1/2000 and 1/4000. I really like this image because it is quite colourful, which helps differentiate between both of the water drop elements of the photograph. Overall, I think this image is successful because as well as showing fast shutter speeds, it is also visually interestsing.
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Examples of different Shutter Speeds
This photograph represents freeze motion photography because the tennis ball and the droplets have been captured even though it is clear that the tennis ball is moving. This was done using a fast shutter speed, for example 1/1000 or 1/2000. I think using a fast shutter speed was chosen for this photograph because the photographer wanted to capture all the droplets coming off of the tennis ball because even though the image is still, the spiral shape of the droplets represents the movement. I really like this photography because of how the light in the photograph reflects in the droplets, this stood out to me and made the photograph more interesting in my opinion. I also really like how the tennis ball is green whereas the rest of the photograph is black and white, this makes it stand out more to a viewer and how the composition has placed it in the centre of the photo, further assuring that it is the focal point. I think how the droplets move away from the tennis ball makes a viewer look out at the photograph as a whole gradually because the droplets are going round in a spiral. Overall I think this photograph is successful because it brings interest in the viewer because of its composition and how shutter speed has been used the freeze the ball spinning mid air.
This photograph shows subject blur because the subjects movement was captured over a period of time using a longer shutter speed. The photographer possibly used a shutter speed of 1/4 of 1/2 seconds because it seems like the subject has been captured in the air in a short period of their movement. I think the photographer decided to use a longer shutter speed to show a viewer the subjects movement in the air instead of a shorter shutter speed because it allows a viewer to understand what the subject is doing whereas in a frozen photo a viewer might struggle to understand what they are doing. I really like how the photographer has positioned the subject in front of a black background because it brings the attention to the subject and what their movement is. I also really like how the purple in the subject contrasts to the background because it stands out amongst the black background and how the subject isn't in the centre of the image, it tells a viewer that their movement would continue across the rest of the frame. Overall, I think this photograph is successful at representing subject blur because the blur is shown within the subjects blur, telling a viewer that their is movement within the photograph whilst also bringing visual interest into what the subject is doing.
This photograph shows all blur because the foreground as well a s the background is blurry. Here this photographer also used a longer shutter speed because they wanted to capture the movement of the subject over a short period of time. It seems like the subject is jumping whilst the photographer is also moving their camera slightly so the whole photograph is blurry. This creates an interesting photograph because it tells a viewer that their is movement going on within the image as a whole. I think the photographer decided to move their camera whilst the subject was also moving because it creates more movement within the image because the photographer is moving with the subject. Overall I really like this photograph because even though the person is supposed the be the subject, I looked at the photo as a whole because I found how the background as also blurry quite interesting. I also like how what the subject is wearing contrasts with the green in the background because it makes them stand out a bit more even though the photo is the same as a whole.
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Movement Task One
These photos represent freeze motion. This is where I used a fast shutter speed to captured the fans movement and the paper planes mid flight without any blur. I really like these images because none are over or under exposed and they clearly show that the subject is frozen in its motion without any blur.
These photographs show motion blur. This is where I used a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the person and the fan over a period of time to represent the movement within the blur. I like these photos because they all show the subjects movement over a period of time however I think that the bottom right photograph is too over exposed because you cant see much of its motion being captured whereas with the other images you can see the motion being captured because they have a balanced exposure
These photos represent all blur. This is when I used a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the object and person as well as moving my camera slightly so the foreground and background were both blurry, creating the effect of more movement. I like these photos because they show the subject moving as well as the background moving as well however I think the way I moved my camera has made the images seem confusing to a viewer as you cant see what is going on fully. However, overall I think these images are good at showing all blur because you can see the subjects movement as well as the background movement.
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Movement Task Two
These are the photographs that I took for this task. For some of them, I used a fast shutter speed to capture my subjects frozen in place whereas with other photos I used a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of my subject over a period of time. Some photos were more successful than other because they have a balanced exposure, however with some photos, they are under or over exposed, which affects how the image is presented.
This photograph represents freeze motion photography because I used a quick shutter speed to capture the flight of the pigeons. As it was quite bright outside, I also used a large f/stop value so the hole within my lens would be smaller, therefore letting in less light so the photography wouldn't turn out over exposed. I used the shutter speed 1/800 so I would capture the pigeons flying without much blur, however if I did use a faster shutter speed, the photograph would turn out over exposed because trying to do this beforehand. I couldn't get the f/stop value and the ISO to a point where my light meter told me that the image would have a balanced exposure, having this faster shutter speed value would've meant that the wings of the pigeons would be less blurry. Overall, I think this photograph is successful at showing freeze motion within the shutter speed aspect because the pigeons are frozen in place rather than being a blur going through the image.
This image represents subject blur because I used a slow shutter speed whilst holding my camera still so only the subject (the pigeons) would be blurry. I used a half second shutter speed so I could capture the movement of the pigeons over that period of time so the movement of the pigeons would be shown. Whilst taking this photograph however, I wasn't used a tripod so my hands moved slightly, causing the photograph as a whole to be slightly blurry even though it isn't very visible, to fix this mistake I will use a tripod for longer exposed photographs. I think this image is a bit over exposed however because I was unable to have the f/stop value any higher due to the shutter speed I was using. Overall, I think this photograph is successful at showing subject blur because the movement of the pigeons is being show well because the shutter speed used is just about right.
This photograph represents all blur because both the subject and the background are blurry. I decided to use this technique with this image because I thought following the pigeons in their flight would show a viewer that there is some speed within their flight, without having the background blurry I thought it would be difficult to show this. To create this image, I used a shutter speed of 1/12 seconds because I thought any faster (e.g. 1/2 second) would make the photo too over exposed and the pigeons would not be able to be picked out. Using the f/36 helped make my photo more 'balanced' because it meant that the hole within the less would be smaller, therefore letting in less light however the ISO value competes with this because it is a higher value, meaning that the light sensor would be more sensitive, detecting more light. I really like how this image turned out because moving the camera whilst the pigeons were moving I think was successful to show how fast the pigeons are moving whilst also bringing more interest into the photograph.
This image represents panning, this is where you follow the subject with your camera and the result is the background being blurry but the subject being clear. To create this photograph, I used a shutter speed of half a second to capture more blur behind the car. I also used an aperture value of f/22, which is a similar value to the subjects blur aperture value, however in that image the photograph was a lot more over exposed. I think the aperture value worked better in the environment where I took this image because the photo as a whole is moving, so the brighter areas seem less bright due to that movement. I think this photograph is somewhat successful at showing panning because both the subject and background is blurry whereas the subject shouldn't be blurry, if I were to redo this photograph, I would follow the subject a bit slower because I think I followed the car too fast, which made it blurry. Overall, I like this image because of how the blue in the car stands out amongst the background and I think it is successful because it does show some sort of panning even though the subject is a bit blurry.
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ISO
ISO is how sensitive the cameras sensor is to light. A high ISO means that the cameras sensor is very sensitive to light, so taking a photograph with a high ISO would result in the photograph being brighter. However, a low ISO means that the cameras sensor is not as sensitive to light, so taking a photograph with a low ISO would create a very dark image. A lower ISO also reduces the amount of noise in a photograph, but the higher the ISO gets, the more noise is revealed.
ISO 100
ISO 1600
ISO 6400
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Daido Moriyama
I decided to use Daido Moriyama photography as an example of ISO because of how he uses monochromatic photography to make the coloured noise black and white, which makes to images feel 'raw'. I think he uses an ISO of 1600 and above because this makes the sensor in the camera more sensitive, thus revealing more noise. I think this is a good representation of ISO because you can see the noise within the image even though it isn't that obvious. The noise makes the image seem more interesting because it give the image texture rather than it just looking flat.
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Experimenting with ISO
To see the effect of ISO, I took 7 photographs with the ISO increasing in each image. As the ISO increased, I found that more noise was revealed with each photograph because the cameras light sensor was becoming more sensitive, thus detecting more light. To counteract this, I also increased the f/stop value because this would mean the hole in the lens would become smaller, therefore letting in less light and reducing the amount of light the camera would detect.
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Focal Length
Focal length is where the lens of the camera is focused at infinity and is measured in millimetres. The light information is recorded between the optical centre of the lens and camera sensor. A wider focal length means more of the surroundings would be captured whereas a shallower focal length means that less of the surroundings would be captured.
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Experimenting with Focal length
Here, I experimented with different lenses on my camera so I could see the effect of the different lenses on my subject matter. I found that with a lens that had a smaller focal length, more of the surroundings would be captured as its depth of field is deeper whereas with a lens that had a larger focal length, its depth of field was a lot shallower.
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Depth of Field
Depth of Field is how much of an image is in focus. A larger depth of field would mean that more of the image would be in focus, this also means that the hole in the lens would be larger, therefore meaning that the aperture value is smaller. A smaller depth of field means that the background of the image would be out of focus whereas the foreground would be in focus. The aperture here would therefore be a larger value because the hole in the lens needs to be smaller to focus more on the foreground (the subject).
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Experimenting with Depth of Field
To further experiment with depth of field, I used aperture to change the depth of field. I stood about 1.5 metres away from my subject area, adjusting the aperture value for each image. For the image on the top, I used a large f/stop value so the whole image would be in focus. Moving to the middle photo, I used a regular f/stop value so the large stuffed animal would be the main focus whereas in the photo below it, I used the smallest f/stop value I could, which resulted in the Lego figures being out of focus whilst the stuffed animal was in focus.
