• 4 finished images (one each: large depth of field, shallow depth of field, frozen motion, blurred motion) at full resolution uploaded to your Flickr account and added to the UBPhoto Group by the end of class. Please also upload the three original images to your Flickr account – just don’t add them to the UBPhoto Group. 

a)  Depth of Field:

The objective for this assignment is to use the different settings on your camera (such as “macro” and “infinity”) to create images with a shallow depth of field (sharp foreground, blurred background), as well as a large depth of field (both foreground and background reasonably sharp).

Take a minimum of 10 images that show shallow depth of field and 10 images that show large depth of field. The subject matter is your choice, but all images should be taken outdoors.

b)  Motion:

The objective for this assignment is to use the different settings or modes on your camera to effect the shutter speed. This will create images that show “frozen motion” when there is a fast shutter speed setting, and “blurred motion” when there is a slow shutter speed setting. It will likely be easiest to capture blurred motion in a lower light environment – either indoors (no flash) or when it’s darker outside. And, it will likely be easiest to capture frozen motion in a bright lighting situation – like in sunlight or using your flash.

Take a minimum of 10 images of frozen motion and 10 images of blurred motion. The subject matter is your choice. It is usually easier to capture motion on something you can direct or control, or where there is continuous movement.

Download PDF

Check out these Flickr sets for examples of Depth of Field and Motion:

Depth of Field

Motion

http://www.shortcourses.com/use/using1-10.html

this is another good website explaining shutter speed and aperture:

http://www.photonhead.com/beginners/shutterandaperture.php

• 3 finished, edited images (one from each category) at full resolution uploaded to your Flickr account and added to the UBPhoto Group by the end of class. Please also upload the three original images to your Flickr account – just don’t add them to the UBPhoto Group.

Download PDF of assignment

You are probably used to taking photographs standing, at your eye level, and looking straight ahead. The objective of this project is to break out of this habit. Take images this week that fulfill the following:

Straight Down: Take images of the world as if you are a bird looking down on your environment. Notice different angles and how abstracted your view is from what you are used to seeing. Take 10, good quality images.

Straight Up: Take images from the surface of the ground, looking up. As before, you will notice how different the world looks – people, buildings, trees – from what you are used to seeing. Take 10, good quality images.

Macro View: Take images using the macro setting on your camera, to allow you to see close-up details of the surfaces of objects (much like a bug would see). Notice different textures and patterns that you don’t normally see from your standard view. Take 10, good quality images.

The other objective for this project is for you to really get to know your camera and how it works. I expect you to investigate and experiment with all of the settings. For every image you take with the flash, try one without.

Also, when I mention good quality images, these are images that are sharp (not out of focus or blurry) and with a high (200 ppi or more) resolution for an 8×10 print. If you have images that look blurry or just don’t look good, delete them and try again.

For inspiration, check out Laszlo Moholy-Nagy:

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Radio Tower Berlin, 1928

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Bauhaus Balconies, 1926

With many point-and-shoot cameras there is a combination of something called Optical zoom and then Digital zoom. Optical zoom is the traditional kind of zoom where the lens of the camera itself moves closer and further away from your subject. When you zoom in on a subject it starts with Optical zoom and as you keep zooming, it might move into an area called Digital zoom. At this point the lens in no longer moving forward, but the camera is essentially cropping in on the image. The result is more of a closeup image but with a significant loss in detail and sharpness.

Here’s an example:

no zoom

optical zoom

digital zoom

Here’s an example:

no flash

flash

Which do you think is more successful?

The small flashes on your cameras, despite their sometimes usefulness, can have major limitations. They only illuminate a short distance and can cast very harsh looking (and unflattering) light onto your subject. Sometimes going without the flash will allow for more interesting lighting.

Here’s an example:

flash

no flash