ART 340 - Photography : January 2015

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Friday, January 30, 2015

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

This piece is a self portrait not only of me but of what photography is to me - a way to interpret your surroundings through a whole different perspective - a way to capture not only what you see, but beyond what's really there. Some of it is beautiful, some of it is strange, but overall it is art.

This representation of the word "SEE" was created with one Rubik's Cube. I feel it is a representation of me because I see behind the confusion of what life throws at me. Every day is a new challenge, but noticing the patterns and understanding that there's a different way to look at everything helps me to see my way.

Daily Photo 1/27/15

Daily Photo 1/26/15

Monday, January 26, 2015

Daily Photo 1/25/15

Chapter 5 & 8 Notes (Light ~ Science & Magic)

Ch 5 & 8

5 -Revealing Shape and Contour

-depth is the third necessary dimension for using light in photography

-visual clues à using contour to determine the visual

-perspective distortion: paying attention to length and angles to seem more realistic

-viewpoint determines perspective distortion and angles that cause direct reflection

-we are able to determine that a faraway object is not necessarily small

-perspective distortion allows us to perceive depth

-closer the camera, the greater the distortion

-farther the camera, less the distortion

-tonal variation à light and dark areas in the subject

-highlights and shadows are determined by the size and position

-clouds are good at diffusion

-increase the size of the sunlight source

-the closer a light is to the subject, the softer the shadows are

-moving a light farther from the subject increases its contrast

-the closer we move a light to the subject, the larger the light source becomes in relation to it

-least distracting place for shadow is direction under and in front of the subject

-using a different variation of tone in the background can add depth

-lighting ratios are determined by the specific subject and personal taste

-using a dark background can eliminate glare

-overhead light can reflect the top of the subject

-keep as much light as you can from the background

8 – An Arsenal of Lights

-main/key light: light that provides most of the illumination for any portrait

-the size of the light influence the texture

-faces have more complexity therefore we have to position the light so there is shadow on one side of their face

-focus on flat lighting to show less facial contours (place light near camera)

-helps to focus on the dominant eye

-illuminating the hair can add depth

-hair light: used for highlights that separate dark hair from a dark background

-rim light: illuminates the edges of a subject

-do best to compensate for light lost by dark skin or clothing

-gels can be used to accentuate certain colors for the feel you want for the piece

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Daily Photo 1/24/15

Friday, January 23, 2015

Daily Photo 1/22/15

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Daily Photo 1/21/15

Chapter 1 & 2 Notes (Light: Science & Magic)

How to Learn Lighting

- "a photographer without mastery of lighting is like a Shakespeare who could only speak the language of the people in the Globe Theater Pit"

- lighting = language (texture, feel, meaning)

- principles ~ predict behavior

-- size of light

-- types of reflections

-- family of angles

A photographer who understands lighting can execute any style

- successful photographs come from the photographer- not the equipment

- shooting digitally helps to get a better sense of instant feedback

- camera clubs are a good source of info

-know the basics of photoshop in post editing

-shoot in RAW

- it can be impossible to have enough equipment for the perfect lighting

- it is possible to have enough equipment to photograph well

- the sun can be your "equipment"

- small scenes = little light

- lots of information and help on the Internet

Light: The Raw Material of Photography

-we are more interested in the manipulation of energy than matter

-presenting light to a viewer

-electromagnetic radiation : weightless group of photons

-electromagnetic field : changes as photons travel

- some are faster than others

- the difference in photon energy is seen as color

- rate of fluctuation = frequency

- some cameras can see a larger range than the human eye

- describing light needs to be possible in order to control it

-brighter = better

- smaller aperture or faster shutter speed (if they have more light already)

- color is a mix of primary colors (red, blue, green)

- color temperature scale : if we heat material in a vacuum, it will glow a color)

- color temperature is measured in Kelvin - K

- 5500°K = daylight

- 3200°K an 3400° = standard

- hard shadow : sharply defined edges

- hard light : high contrast light sources

- soft shadow : no clearly defined edge

- soft light : light producing it

- size = primary influence

-shadow : part of scene that light does not strike

- highlight : area illuminated

- lighting = relationship between light, subject, and viewer

- transmission : light that passes through a subject

- refraction : bending of light rays

- direct transmission : light passes through in a predictable path

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Daily Photo 1/20/15

Project #2 Proposal - The Self Portrait

Self Portrait Portrait -- For this piece I will be compiling a type of photo collage to represent different aspects of my life along with a photo of myself staring out onto what I have accomplished.

Non Self Portrait Portrait -- Since I have the ability to manipulate Rubik's Cubes, I plan to write a word that represents who I am through the cube and stitch them together