Composition Shooting Assignment

Contact sheet of photos taken at home with a DSLR camera:

Contact sheet of photos taken at school with a DSLR camera:

Elements and Principles of Photography

1. Leading lines: Lines within an image that lead the eye to another part of the photo or sometimes out of the photo.

The rows in the field in this photo lead the eye to the windmill in the center.

2.Vertical Lines: Lines in a photo that go from top to bottom and portray certain moods such as strength or growth.

The vertical lines in this photo magnify the theme of growth and serve as an interesting background.

3. Horizontal lines: Lines a photo that go from side to side.

The sun shining through the clouds makes horizontal lines and a tranquil mood.

4.Diagonal lines: Lines in a photo that go from corner to corner.

This photo is panned and the blurred walls make diagonal lines creating an emphasis on speed.

5.Curved lines: Lines in a photo that are curved.

The guardrail in this photo wraps around the road presenting curved lines.

6.Symmetrical balance: In a centered composition with 2 elements, the composition is split down the middle so each element has equal visual space.

This photo is split down the middle and is identical on both sides showcasing symmetrical balance.

7. Asymmetrical Balance: Balance in a composition that does not rely on symmetry.

This photo is not symmetrical but it does have balance because the 2 subjects fit in together.

8. Unity: When all the elements of a composition come together to make one harmonious whole.

Each individual pencil in this photo comes together with the others to make one subject.

9. Variety: The use of combining diverse elements of art to make complex relationships.

The different colors and sizes of the spice bowls creates variety in this photo.

10. Movement/Rhythm: The path the viewers eye takes through the photo.

The movement of the bird guides your eye through the photo.

11. Emphasis: An area that attracts attention in a composition.

The surfer is the main point of interest in this photo since the rest is just the ocean.

12. Proportion/Scale: The size of an object compared to another object or a part of the whole.

The clothespin in this photo is compared to the relative size of people.

13. Repetition/Pattern: Repeating or recurring elements in a composition.

 The lines of light in this photo repeat themselves.

14. Bird's Eye View: Elevated view of an object from above.

This image shows a subject portrayed from very high above it.

15. Worm's Eye View: A view of an object from below it.

This photo shows the perspective of looking up at a tree from the ground showing worm's eye view.

16. Horizon Line: A very common horizontal line in photography that often acts as a dividing line.

The point where the ocean meets the sky is the horizon line and it divides the colors.

17. Rule of thirds: A way of breaking down a composition into thirds both vertically and horizontally.

The ocean takes up 2 thirds horizontally and the sky takes up the other third.

18. Framing: Using other objects to frame the main subject in the composition.

The main subject is the people but the leaves surrounding them act as a frame.

19. Simplicity: Taking a simple subject and putting in a setting clear of noise or disruption.

The hot air balloon is a simple subject an the sky is free of disruptions.

20. Texture: Formed by surface irregularities that create pattern like surfaces.

The surface irregularities in this rock formation create texture in the photo.

Composition

1. Composition is the arrangement of visual elements within the frame of a photograph.

2. It is important to understand and utilize composition because the basic elements create an amazing photograph when each one is used to contribute to a greater whole and none are serving no purpose.

3. A snapshot is a casual record of an object, person, or event.

4. A photograph is an artistic interpretation of an object, person, or event.

5. Photography is the art of discovery.

Camera Basics Quiz

Camera Quiz B

Blurred Subject

ISO: 1600   Shutter Speed: 1/30   Aperture: f/20
I achieved the goal in this photo by setting the shutter speed to very slow, stabilizing the camera, and then balancing the photo.

Photo with Grain/Noise

ISO: 6400   Shutter Speed: 1/30   Aperture: f/20
I achieved the right outcome with this photo by setting the ISO to the highest possible setting and then balancing the shot.

Large Depth of Field

ISO: 1600   Shutter Speed: 1/200   Aperture: f/16
I achieved the goal in this photo by setting the aperture to a high setting and then balancing the photo to make all objects in focus.

Selfie with Timer

ISO: 1600   Shutter Speed: 1/250   Aperture: f/4
I achieved the goal of this shot by having someone stand in place while I focused the camera, set the aperture low for a small depth of field, setting the self timer to 10 seconds, and resting the camera on a barrier.

What I learned:
During this unit, I learned many things that I think will be the foundation of my photography knowledge. I learned how the camera works both in a picture but also mechanically as well. Most importantly, I learned how to balance photos and make them look clear. I also learned how to troubleshoot the camera and figure out how to achieve desired outcomes.

Understanding White Balance

Auto  Shutter speed   1/250   f/4   ISO 1600

Daylight   shutter speed 1/250 f/4  ISO 1600

Tungsten  shutter speed 1/250  f/4  ISO 1600

Fluorescent

Shutter speed 1/250  f/4  ISO 1600

Cloudy

Shutter speed 1/250  f/4 ISO 1600

White

Shutter speed  1/250   f/4  ISO 1600

1. White balance is the process of removing unrealistic colors to make the photo look whiter.

2. It is important to set the white balance so that all the colors in the photo are balanced.

Understanding ISO

Lowest ISO

ISO: 100   f/4   Shutter speed: .8

Highest ISO

ISO: 1600   f/5    Shutter speed: 1/13

1. ISO is the sensitivity meter for light in the camera.
2. ISO raises and lowers the sensitivity for light and makes the photo lighter and darker and adds grain
3. ISO is the person inside the window looking at the light

Understanding Shutter Speeds

Slow Shutter Speed: ISO  1600   Aperture   f/8   Shutter Speed   1/15

Fast Shutter Speed: ISO   1600   Aperture   f/4   Shutter speed   1/200

1. Shutter speed is how long the aperture on the camera is open for.
2. It works technically by exposing the mirror to light for a certain amount of time and works visually by determining how much blur and light is let into the photo.
3. Shutter speed is how long the curtains are open on the window analogy.

Understanding Aperature

Small depth of field: ISO- 400   Aperture- f/4.0   Shutter Speed- 1/320

Large depth of field: ISO- 800   Aperture- f/20.0   Shutter speed- 1/40

1. Aperture is the opening that lets the light into the camera.
2. Aperture works technically by widening or closing to let different amounts of light in. Visually it makes the depth of field in the photo large or small.
3. In relation to the triangle, Aperture is the window when shutter speed is the curtain and ISO is the person standing inside.

Photographic Themes

This is my final project for the themes shooting assignment. I think that the end result is pretty good considering we had to use our phone cameras. It was a pretty fun assignment to complete but I didn't give myself as much time as I would've liked so I think I could have done this better. My favorite photos taken in the assignment have to be the ones with the sky and the ocean acting as subject matter because I find those two things to be very beautiful. The photos of my dog Rocky are really funny so I like those as well. Overall I'm happy with this final result.

Sketchbook Portrait Page

Portrait Session With Alyssa

Dear Cruise Line Company,

            Please let Alyssa Marie Keefer come home from the Caribbean. I know that she forgot her passport and there are some legal issues to deal with but I promise she was only trying to take pictures of pretty things and learn how to take a really good picture. She’s a bit of a handful since she’s outgoing and energetic but if you give her a cell phone she’ll be occupied for a while. She likes to spend time in her room anyway so if you lock her in the brig it shouldn’t be a problem as long as there aren’t any spiders in there. If you aren’t sure what to feed her for the time being, just give her some Italian food because that’s her favorite. Alyssa really does need to come home though because she’s engaged in a rigorous medical program and has taken too much time off as is. This wouldn’t be a problem if only she had her favorite superpower and could become invisible…

Photography Themes Project

Theme	Subject	Reason
1.     Anger		My younger brother is making his angry face in this photo.
2.     Power		Engines like this one create tons of power to move large objects.
3.     Ugly		This book is ugly to me because it has boring experiences linked to it.
4.     Calm		Nothing has more calm than a lake at sunset.
5.     Compassion		This photo shows a link between two people and I consider compassion a large part of this link.
6.     Authority		This Italian sports car puts 700 horsepower to the rear wheels so it commands authority.
7.     Pride		My cat has an air of pride.
8.     Mysterious		I find the ocean to be one of the world's most mysterious places.
9.     Wisdom		This crab knew to hide where he was could not be seen in order to stay alive. He possessed a certain degree of wisdom.
10.  Love		There is an obvious bond between the boy and the dog.
11.  Lazy		My dog was relaxing on a hot day giving off a lazy attitude.
12.  Temptation		This photo exhibits my temptation of eating junk food.
13.  Happiness		My dog saw some food and that made him really happy.
14.  Growth		This photo shows growth because the caterpillar will soon become a cocoon and go through metamorphosis.
15.  Memories		This was a turtle that I kept for a few days then released. It was a happy memory.
16.  Sounds		I feel that waterfalls make the most amazing sounds so this photo represents that sound.
17.  Diversity		This belt rack shows not only diversity among colors but also among ranks.
18.  Dangerous		I was on top of  very high pile of rocks when I took this photo and there was danger that I could fall.
19.  Hope		This lone flower reminds me of spring and spring correlates with hope.
20.  Truth		The truth about me is that I always have work to be done.
21.  Patriotic		This is the city circle in Nassau and the flag is flown making a patriotic image.
22.  Sad		My dog howling at the door is a sad sight.
23.  Terrifying		I'm afraid of spiders so this web creeps me out.
24.  Abandoned		This photo shows my younger brother alone on the side of the beach where there are no people. Everyone is on the other side showing abandonment.
25.  Courage		He had to have courage to pull of tricks like this on his bike.