The Basics of Photography - Assignment #6

THE BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Learning Goal

Get comfortable taking pictures with a camera and 

exploring different photo composition techniques.

The best camera is the one that you have with you.  This is a common quote among photographers, especially Chase Jarvis: check out his work here.  A better camera is not always available and there are important basic concepts that should be followed to get a great photograph.

Some links to great phone photographs.
10 of the best iphone photographers
iPhone Photography Tips
iPhone photography awards

Check out this photo from Media Arts Student Sierra Murray - it shows framing

Check out these wildlife photographs Best Wildlife Photos 2014

Your 1st Task

Find on the internet what you think THE BEST PHOTO EVER! Post it to your blog and write 2-3 sentences about why you think this is the best photo ever! 

Be ready to defend your stance to your classmates. 

You have 15 minutes to complete this.  

Simple camera tips

• Hold the shutter button down halfway to focus your subject. Press the shutter all the way down to take a photograph. If using a smart phone, tap the screen to focus.

• Keep the camera as still as possible when taking a picture.  Use a tripod when available or lean on something or set your camera down on something. This will keep the image focused. 

• Don’t use flash.

• Try different camera angles, get low to the ground, hold the camera high up.

• Move in close to the subject you want to photograph. Don't zoom in!
• HAVE A SUBJECT, there should be one thing that stands out in each photograph this is your subject.

Each person needs to take their own photographs but please go in groups of 2 or 3. 

You will need to take a photograph of the following:

1) 1 low angle = looking up at subject
2) 1 high angle = looking down at subject
3) Building or Machine
4) Landscape = no people just nature, make sure horizon line is straight
5) Pattern = repeated shapes
6) Framed (remember seeing Sierra's example above?) = subject has a frame around it
7) Rule of thirds = subject is not in the center
8) Person or people - they must give you permission
9) Interesting shape(s) or texture(s)
10) Macro = close-up of detail
11) Your choice

Success Criteria for photos
How will I know I have taken a great photo?

• it is in focus
• the lighting correct (not too dark, not too bright)
• it is obvious which photo it is, does a pattern photo look like a pattern
• the photo interesting
• all 10 photos included
• there is a subject
• SEE EXAMPLE PORTFOLIO BY Tonkin and Phillips 

This does not mean you take 11 photos.  Take lots of photos of the same subject matter (i.e. photographing a flower - take 10 shots of that flower, experiment with angle, moving in closer, lighting, etc) You should take somewhere from 50-100 photos

HOW TO HAND IN YOUR PROJECT 

• Be sure to save these photos on your student drive.
• Rename them (i.e DC32234 becomes Pattern) and upload them to your blog. If there are any faces in your photos you must have their permission to upload their photo to your blog.
• Edit in Camera Raw if you would like (open Adobe Bridge - right click on your image and choose open in Camera Raw) 

Success Criteria	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
-Photographs have the subject in focus, not blurry,  -lighting is not over or underexposed.	5  5.5	6  6.5	7  7.5	8  9  10
Each photograph is a great representation of each topic. It is obvious which photo it is supposed to be.	5  5.5	6  6.5	7  7.5	8  9  10
Creativity: The portfolio shows a variety of photographs that are interesting, (i.e. different angles, subjects, colours, textures).	5  5.5	6  6.5	7  7.5	8  9  10
Blog post: All 11 photographs are included and labelled correctly.	5  5.5	6  6.5	7  7.5	8  9  10
Total				/40

Assignment # 6 Example- By Tonkin & Phillips

Photography Portfolio Example by Tonkin & Phillips 

Here are some examples of the types of shots you need to get for your photography portfolio.

1. Low Angle 

2. High Angle

3. Machine or building 

4. Landscape 

5. Pattern

6. Framed

7. Subject not in center

8. People

9. Pencil Case Item

10. Other 

1) 1 low angle = looking up at subject
2) 1 high angle = looking down at subject

3) Building or Machine

4) Landscape = no people just nature, make sure horizon line is straight

5) Pattern = repeated shapes

6) Framed (remember seeing Sierra's example above?) = subject has a frame around it

7) Rule of thirds = subject is not in the center

8) Person or people - they must give you permission

9) Interesting shape(s) or texture(s)

10) Macro = close-up of detail

11) Your choice

Assignment #5 - Purpose of Photography Blog

PURPOSES OF PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG POST

 PURPOSES OF PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG POST 

Your task: Demonstrate your understanding of the purposes of photography by blogging about each: a control, an inform, an advertise, an educate and an entertain. Find 2 examples for each purpose and explain why each image is a good example of that purpose. Your blog post will have a total of 10 images, several sentences for one image/category and a citation to the website you found the image on. 

Ms. Tonkin's Example:

I found this image at http://atlengthmag.com/photography/mario-tama/ which is an image used in an online news article reporting on Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It is a great example of how photography is used to inform the public.  The photographer captures the flooding and electrical fires caused by Hurricane Katrina while using the main subject of a local person displaced by the tragedy.

EVALUATION

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Thinking/Inquiry -student describes the context of the photograph and explains how the image chosen is a good example of that purpose of photography                    /10	-student has provided limited descriptions of the context of the photo and a limited explanation of how the photo is a good example of the purpose of photography 5     5.5	-student has provided some good descriptions of the context of the photo and somewhat explains how that photo is an example of the purpose of photography 6     6.5	-student has provided good descriptions of the context of the photo and explains how that photo is an example of the purpose of photography 7     7.5	-student has provided an excellent description of the context of each photo and explains how that photo is an example of the purpose of photography 8     9     10
Communication -each image is well chosen for the purpose of photography. -student includes a link to where they found each photograph                    /10	-images are sometimes good examples of the purpose or some missing -some links are included OR are unclearly referenced. 5     5.5	-images are sometimes good examples of the purpose -most website links are included OR are unclearly referenced. 6     6.5	-each image is a good example of the purpose -all 10 website links are included and clearly referenced. 7     7.5	-each image is an excellent example of the purpose -all 10 website links are included and clearly referenced 8     9     10

I found this image at http://atlengthmag.com/photography/mario-tama/ which is an image used in an online news article reporting on Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It is a great example of how photography is used to inform the public.  The photographer captures the flooding and electrical fires caused by Hurricane Katrina while using the main subject of a local person displaced by the tragedy.

Purposes of Photography

Purposes of Photography

1) to CONTROL – photography used to provide a form of societal control (ID, photo radar, surveillance)

Jane Fonda Mug Shot

2) to INFORM – photography used to inform the viewer of an issue or subject (Time, Life magazines, newspapers, business documents

Hurricane Katrina Coverage

3) to ADVERTISE – photography used to advertise a product or service (magazine and newspaper ads, billboards, any photograph used to sell something)

4) to EDUCATE – photography used to educate the viewer (textbook photos, educational posters, diagrams)

5) to ENTERTAIN – photography use to entertain the viewer (most obvious, books, magazines, etc.)  Check out: Andrew Zuckerman Photography and for the Underwater Dog photography - check out Seth Casteel: Seth Casteel Photography

Friday Feb 24th - History of Photography Web Hunt

History of Photography Web Hunt

 I am away today at First Aid and CPR training.  Just a reminder that the Logos are due today and the peer reflection form.  


Learning Goal: Demonstrate an understanding of the historical contexts of photography.

Use the following two websites to complete the questions below on a good ol' fashioned piece of paper or complete in a document and email it to me at mediaartsshsm@gmail.com.  Due Monday.  

 Encyclopedia Britannica
 TutsPlus

Questions:
1. Give a basic definition of photography. ( /1)
2. What unique characteristic of photography sets it apart from all other picture-making technique? ( /1)
3. List two reasons for photography being called the most important invention since the printing press. ( /2)
4. Draw a picture of a camera obscura and label the following: hole, subject, image, light, dark. ( /6)
5. When and who took the first photo picture? ( /2)
6. How long did the exposure last in the first photo? ( /1)
6b. What was this process called? ( /1)
7. Who coined the term photography? When? What words is it derived from? ( /3)
The Daguerrotype
8. What was so great about a Daguerrotype that was not achieved previously? ( /1)
8b. Daguerre discovered that an image forms on a plate of _____ ______ and that it can be "developed" and made visibile by exposure to ________  _________, which settles on the exposed parts of the image. Daguerre was able to fix the image permanently by using a solution of ____ _____to dissolve the _________ silver iodide. ( /4)
9. What did painters fear about photography? ( /1)
10. Daguerrotypes became the first commercially successful photographic process but the exposure time was still too lengthy for _________________. ( /1)
11. When, where and by who was the first photography studio opened? For what type of photography? ( /4)
12. By the end of the 1860s where had Daguerrotypes been used? ( /1)
The Calotype
13. What made the Calotype different than the Daguerrotype? ( /1)
14. Who invented the Calotype? ( /1)
14b. What does Calotype mean? ( /1)
The Wet Collodion Process
15. When was the Wet Collodion Process introduced? By who? ( /2)
16. List 3 reasons why this process was better than the previous photographic processes. ( /3)
17. What was one major drawback to the Wet Collodion Process? ( /1)
The Dry Plate
18. Explain the event that marked the beginning of the modern era of photography.  ( /2)
19. Why were dry plates so much better that the wet Collodion Process? (  /3)
20. What was the first commercial camera available to the middle class? Who invented it? What was the slogan for this camera? ( /3)
21. What was the world's first motion-picture presentation? Who? Where? Subject matter? ( /4)
Colour
22. When did the first practical colour plate reach the market? ( /1)
23. How is the same technology still used today? ( /1)
24. Describe the first colour photo. What was the first colour photo taken of? By who? When? ( /3)
25. Describe the first photo of a human. ( /3)
26. Why was Alfred Stieglizt important for photography? ( /2)
27. What is photo-journalism? (  /2)

Total    /62 /2 = 31 points 

How to Hand in your Logos

How to Hand in Your Logos

1. Open your logos in Adobe Illustrator.
2. File > Export > Change file type to .jpeg > Make sure the file is being exported to a reliable Folder.  Choose USE ART BOARDS
3. Open a new post on your blog.
4. Click the Insert Image button.
5. Find your logo that you saved to add it to the blog post. You should post your best 4.
6. Title your blog: Logo Designs

Elements and Principles Quiz

Click on the following link to complete the quiz.


Elements and Principles Quiz