Assignment #14

Photowalk

For this assignment you will be applying all the things you have learned in class to this point.  The assignment has two major parts and you will need to plan time to make these happen.

A Photowalk is as simple as it sounds; you go on a walk and take pictures along the way.  These pictures can be put together to make a story of your walk.  The big part of this assignment is to get you out taking pictures to apply what you have learned.  While you take pictures keep in mind subject, rule of thirds, leading lines, ISO, shutter speed, and perspective.  You should include an example of each of these on your walk and label which pictures show which techniques.

Part 1

Plan an outing and take pictures along the way.  You should end up with 50-100 pictures after the outing so plan accordingly.  Keep in mind, subject, rule of thirds, leading lines, ISO and shutter speed, and perspective.  Include some examples from each.

Part 2

Now you will create a Photostory from your photos.  Photostory is a free online program that will allow you to import your pictures, put them in order, add music and titles, and export a video of your story.  This is used by photographers all the time for weddings, funerals, and other events.  The important part of this assignment is to complete each step.  Plan, Shoot, edit/produce, and export. I will give an in class demonstration of Photostory on Tuesday Sept. 17th.  See me if you are absent to arrange how to get the information.  Your story should have at least 20-30 pictures, at least one title, and be put to music.  Additional features may be available but are not required.

Export:
     When you are finished with editing the story complete the activity by exporting the project and save it to your computer.  We will watch these videos the last couple of days in class.  If you want to burn it to a CD you can bring one in and I will help you with it.
Your assignment should include the following documents:

• A contact sheet with 50-100 photos on it.
• A completed photostory.

10 bonus points will be awarded if you post your photostory to your blog.

Assignment #13

Action Photography

Taking photographs of sporting events and things in motion is a fun part of owning a camera. For this assignment we will be taking some action shots. You may want to review ISO and shutter speed posts. Get familiar with your camera because some have an action shooting mode that may help for this assignment.
Extra Points will be awarded for action shots at MC sporting events.

For this assignment you will meet the following criteria:

1. Create a collage of 5 action photos in Photoshop.
2. All pictures must follow a common theme.
3. At least 2 pictures must have an effect added in Photoshop.
4. 1 photo taken with a panning effect.

For this assignment you will post 1 collage of 5 good action shots to your blog. Taking good action shots takes time and practice so make sure to take plenty of trial shots.  Do not turn in photos where the subject of the photo is blurry, you need to be able to freeze the action.  Use the following websites for references:

1.      http://improvephotography.com/736/10-tips-for-capturing-action-packed-moments/

2.      http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/30-examples-of-perfectly-timed-action-photography

3.      http://www.steephill.tv/photography/action-photography-tips.html

                  4.      http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/basic-digital-photography-taking-actio

Assignment #12 ISO/shutter speed

Ok, this is a difficult thing for some people to get but when you do get it you should no longer be afraid of manual mode on your camera.  The trick is to learn what the ISO and shutter speed setting does, then figure out how it is related to other settings, such as aperture.  Go to     http://sites.google.com/site/biowbiow002/twopeas_12week   and complete the assignment noted under the ISO and Shutter speed link.  This is a longer assignment and will be worth 20 points because it has 2 parts (3 pictures in your post).  Feel Free to explore on for more information.


For your blog you will post the kitchen sink assignment from the tutorial and post the two pictures to your blog.  Be sure to post the settings you used on your camera, including the shutter speed and ISO.  Please provide a description of why the pictures are different.  An additional photo is required for this post.  It will need to be a well composed shot that uses the shutter speed and/or ISO settings in some way.
Your post should include:

• One picture of splashing water with the Shutter set around 1/80th of a second.
• One picture of splashing water with the Shutter set around 1/1000 of a second.
• An explanation of the settings for each photo (which is which)
• Explanation of why the pictures show what they show.
• A third picture (well composed) in which you used your Shutter settings (shutter priority mode). 
• Information on the third picture regarding the composition and settings of the photo and why you chose those settings.

If you cannot find the Shutter Speed settings on your camera:

• Google the model of your camera with the word manual.
• View the pdf of your manual
• Search for shutter speed using the find tool in adobe reader.
• If your manual confirms that your camera does not have the settings post the model number of your camera on your post with an explanation of what ISO means and how it can be set.

Assignment #11 "In between moments"

The “In between Moments”

The best way to get better at photography is to take pictures, but not just clicking the button.  We have spent several weeks on learning composition and basic Photoshop. 

They say that the average professional photographer only gets two to three really good shots out of an entire roll of film, which would be the equivalent of 24-36 pictures. So, if you’re taking pictures of your daughter’s fifth birthday and you only take 20 shots, you have drastically decreased your odds of getting even a couple of good pictures.

This doesn’t mean you must try and take 100 composed perfect shots.  Often as a photographer you should have your finger on the trigger and between each shot when you ask someone to look at you and smile you should keep taking pictures.  Sometimes in these “in between moments” you will capture a photo that is better than the “set-up” shots.

Now it is time for you to really practice while learning a couple of additional concepts.  For most of your assignments from here on out you will be taking lots of photos with only one post.  For each of these remaining assignments you will also submit what is called a “contact sheet”.

What is a “contact sheet”?

A contact sheet is a set of multiple images printed at the same size as the negative, on one page. In film photography, contact sheets were often used to quickly scan for the highest quality images from a roll of film. Negatives were lined up on a glass sheet and laid on top of the photo paper. The enlarger was then turned on to expose the contact sheet. In digital photography, contact sheet refers to any sheet with multiple thumbnail images printed for the purpose of indexing, or for quick reference.

To create a contact sheet use the following tutorial

http://helpx.adobe.com/bridge/using/create-web-galleries-pdfs-adobe.html

You assignment is to attempt a photo-shoot.  Get a willing participant and hold a photo-shoot.  You should take at least 50 photos, select the best 3 and post them to your blog.  You will turn in your 50 photos on a contact sheet.  Put it in the box at the front of the room.  Be sure to pay attention to the “in between” moments.