Part 1 - Lehigh Valley Photography Club

100+ Photographic Techniques,
Subjects Styles, Terms and Ideas with
100+ Photographs in Less Than 100
Minutes
Presented by Jeff Grim
January 16, 2014
Jack of all some trades, master of none, but
(hopefully) faster than a speeding a bullet
…and NO, I did not take this photo (but I wish I could)
Technique versus
Vision
“The picture is good or not
from the moment it was
caught in the camera.” Henri Cartier-Bresson
(1908-2004)
“Your first 10,000
photographs are your
worst.”
― Henri CartierBresson
And from LVPC Facebook, Jan. 8, 2014:
“I am excited to become a part
of this club and hope to learn
some new things this year.”
Dylana Labenberg
“As long as I have an eye and a
finger I will take pictures”
Marianne Fehr Stair
Note:
There will be absolutely NO
time for questions.
OK, maybe a few questions…
but certainly no answers.
LVPC Photography 101 – An Outline
1. Get the Equipment
Finding the right camera, lens, filters, bags, other accessories,
printer, scanner and software
2. Get the Shot
Using your camera’s capabilities and settings to control image
quality, exposure, color and focus…and composition and various
techniques
3. Edit the Shot
Using software for correcting flaws, retouching, enhancing
4. Store/Organize the Shot
5. Print/Display/Share the Shot
6. What to Shoot (list)
7. Where to Shoot (list)
8. Other Topics
Caring for Your Camera
9. Learning More (list of publications and online sources)
10. Links to Outlined Topics
Things we will NOT be discussing
Camera features and their uses
What lenses to use and when
How to use flashes and strobes
Retouching your photo
•
Phjotographjy101 Part 1 - Get the Equipment Choosing a Camera and Equipment Selecting a Camera Digital vs Film Types of Digital Cameras Point & Shoot cameras DSLR Large Format Digital Digital
Video Camera Options MP (Megapixels) ISO Range Sensor Size – Imaging Chip Crop Factor (x35mm) Factors to Consider & Specifications What will you be using it for? Price Range Available Lenses
Warranty (and extended warranty) Gear You Already Own (Compatibility?) Resolution & Multiple resolutions Size & Feel (Ergonomics)…does it feel good? Ease of Use Image stabilization (built into
camera or lenses?) Speed Focus Between shots Continuous shooting Between flash Burst Mode Speed Battery type Memory card type LCD Size Sensor Size Durability Dust Protection Weatherproofing
Shooting Modes Focusing system Exposure modes ISO Ratings - Low-light capability Flash modes Auto-flash Self-timer Tripod mount Sound Video capability (movie mode) Color control USB Port
Optical zoom vs Digital zoom (P&S models) Viewfinder vs Monitor (or both) Optical or TTl (though the lens) viewfinder Scripting capability Watermarking capability Video-Out port A/C adapter Power
supply Manufacturers DSLRs -Canon, Konica-Minolta, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony Point & Shoot - Canon, Casio, Fujifilm, Kodak, Konica, Leica, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, Ricoh, Samsung,
Sigma, Sony, OTHER What Lenses Should I Have? Intended Use Types General Types Short vs Long Normal Wide-angle Telephoto Zoom Optical vs Digital Zoom Macro & Close-Up Extenders &
Converters Focal lengths 15-20mm - ultrawide 28-35mm – scenic, group shots 45-55mm – “normal” lens 70-90mm – head and shoulders portraits 135-200mm – intermediate focal length Over 200mm
– wildlife, sports and action Lens Quality Vignetting Barrel distortion Color fringing (chromatic aberration) IS (Image Stabilization) Accessories Filters Types & Uses Special Effects Memory Cards/Film
Memory Cards Types SD – Secure Digital CF – Compact Flash Capacity (shooting mode) Speed (see if camera can take advantage of) Care and Use of Film Batteries Flash & Lighting Built-in Flash
External Flash Exposure Meter Studio Lighting Tripods, Monopods and Heads Camera Bags Shutter Release Manual Remote Cleaning supplies Reviews and comparisons Try Before You Buy...where?
Where to buy equipment Local Retailers Non-local Retailers Amazon E-Bay LVPC’s Equipment for Sale Other online sources Caring for Your Equipment Insuring Equipment Protection Against the
Elements Water Cold The Future of Photographic Equipment What’s in Your Bag (checklist)? Camera Bag(s) Camera Back-up camera Batteries for both Battery charger Flash Memory cards (or film)
Cables for camera Lenses and hoods Filters Tripod/Monopod Blower/cleaning cloth Multi-tool Camera strap Camera instruction book Notebook and pen Flashlight (mini) Other options – suntan lotion,
bug spray, good map, water What you use that’s not in your bag Card reader (optional) Laptop and cables Portable hard drive Printer Scanner Software Photography 101 Part 2 - Digital Camera Basics
Aperture, Shutter Speeds and F-Stops - Aspect Ratio Shooting Choosing Viewpoint Camera Operation Basics Setting the Compression Setting the Resolution Selecting a File Format Focus (types)
Flexible autofocus Manual Shutter Speed (Tv) Aperture Value (Av) ISO Holding your camera Bracketing Exposure (AEB) Continuous Shoot Depth of Field Color adjustment, white balance Shooting
Modes Automatic Program Tv - Shutter priority Av - Aperture priority Custom Modes Full Manual Creative shooting and scene modes Auto vs P versus Manual Image Quality Settings Compression
Quality Crop factor (Focal Length Conversion Ratio) Metering Spot Center Weighted Averaging Evaluative Choosing a Metering Mode Auto Exposure Lock Using a Flash In Camera No Flash Auto Flash
Flash with Red-Eye Reduction Mounted Flash Bounce Flash Off Camera Day and Night Use Flash Power Understanding Flash Synchronization Bounce Flash Fill-in flash Slow-sync Flash Diffusers
Additional Light Sources Lighting Studio Light Boxes Other Sources Using Filters Types File Format RAW JPEG (lossy compression) TIFF Converting to JPEG for e-mail or posting online JPEG, TIFF and
RAW, PSD, DMP . http://www.zuberphotographics.com/content/digital/file-format.htm JPEG versus RAW http://www.zuberphotographics.com/content/digital/file-format.htm Composition Framing
the Subject Rule of 1/3rds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds The Golden Rule Dividing the Horizon Leading Lines Focusing for Effect (DOF) Crop IN camera Foregrounds and backgrounds
Adding scale Using shadows Shooting Techniques – Panning Time-Lapse Bokeh Macro and Closeup Photography Special Situations Sporting Events Fireworks Landscape Photography Shooting the
Moon Dawn or sunset People Pets Planes, Trains and Automobiles Shows and Performances Underwater and Waterside Travel Weddings Wildlife Winter Techniques – HDR (High Dynamic Range
Imaging) Camera Toss Panorama Tilt-Shift OOB (Out of Box) Photoshop – Layers Light painting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Painting Stop Action (ex: water drops) Painting (simulating) with
software Lighting Conditions Artificial Light Backlit Focusing Zone IS Image Stabilization Histogram http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_histogram
http://www.zuberphotographics.com/content/digital/histogram.htm Camera Options Infrared Color Swap White Balance Common Faults Tips for Better Photographs Photography 101 Part 3 - PostProccessing (PP) Working With Digital on the Computer Computer System Considerations Computers - PC Apple Laptop vs Desktop considerations Minimum requirements Editing Software (versions,
features, costs, comparison) Photo Editing - RAW Conversion and workflow, Plug-ins and Filters Photoshop CSE5 Photoshop Elements 6 Adobe Lightroom Aperture Picasa (Google) - free Paint Shop
(Corel) PhotoImpact IPhoto (Apple) GIMP (freeware) Noise Reduction & Sharpening Software DFine Noiseware Noise Ninja Neat Image Editing Layers B&W Conversion Selective Blur Cropping
Brightness/Contrast Hue/ Saturation Sharpening Red-Eye Correction Infrared Frames Shape Distortions Combining Images Panorama (stitching) Brightness Contrast range Cropping, enlarging and
reducing Dodging and burning Flipping Rotating Inverting Masking Silhouetting Collages and montages Duotones Hand-coloring Color correction Posterization Retouching Screening (specialized)
Camera-like effects Blur and focus Art work Painting tools Artistic medium Erasing Smudging Cloning or stamping Eye dropper Opacity control Cutouts Mosaic or tiles Oil painting Pointillism Contouring
Tracing Embossing Distortions – Linear Pinch Spherical Ripple or wrinkle Shear or wave Other – Adding text Virtual reality 3-D wrapping Other programs – Photo albums Framed art and posters
Collages E-mail Screen savers Slide shows Calendars Greeting cards Gift wrapping Family trees and genealogies Wedding albums Desktop Publishing Web design Image Correction Adjusting Photo Size
Cropping Cropping to a Standard Size Fixing Mistakes Selective Color Shooting in B&W Scanning Photos Photography 101 Part 4 – Storing & Organizing Your Photos Software - Browsers, Viewers and
Printing Flickr Smugmug Fototime Shutterfly Photoshop Library Organization Naming Saved Files Backing Up Images Hard Drives CD-Rom 650mb DVD 4.7 GB Storage Options Online storage Hard drive
DVD’s & CD’s Jump drive Memory cards Photography 101 Part 5 – Printing/Display/Sharing the Shot Printing Retail photo printing Printers Laser Inkjet Comparing Print kiosk Paper, Photographic Types
Matching to printer Making Prints – Options Printing at Home Stores – Pricing Mail-Order Printing Large Photos Slides to Prints or CDs Printing dpi Photo Printing Software EasyPhoto Photo Processing
Film Digital Options The Darkroom (x) Getting Prints Made Mounting, Matting & Framing Sharing Your Photos Photo Projects, Creative Collage Photo Essay Creating a Slideshow Software Fotomatix
Photography for Profit Selling Photos Starting a Business Model Releases Copyrighting How to Publish a Book Starting a Photography Business Building Your Reputation How to Sell Your Photographs
Stock Photography How to Price Your Photographs Selling to a Magazine Photography 101 Part 6 – What to Shoot Subject Matter/Themes Children Beach Portrait Landscapes Plants & Gardens
Skyscapes Animals Night Photography Still Life Architecture Cityscape Mirrors and Windows Sports and Action Macro Street Photography Silhouette Look Up/Look Down Fine Art Abstractions Pictoral
Creative Travel Photojournalism Nature Wildlife Sequence People Portrait Informal Formal Candid Street Wedding/Event Photography 101 Part 7 – Where to Shoot Places to Shoot Lehigh Valley (see
list on forums) Photography 101 Part 8 – Other Topics Caring for Your Equipment Legal Issues – Law and Etiquette Photographers Rights Dealing with Strangers Release Forms Law and Rights
Photography 101 Part 9 – Learning More Learning Photo classes Workshops and seminars Retreats Trips Galleries Museums Online Books Magazines Library Photo contests/competition Critiquing
Critiquing, How-To Judging Topics Scavenger hunt Photo Competitions Sources of Information Books Library Online Wikipedia Magazines Workshops, Classes & Courses List of Books Sharing Library
Recommended Books – The Digital Photography Book (Volumes 1 & 2) by Scott Kelby Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson LVPC Member Interests (compiled from the applications) Using the
forums Using club e-mail Resources Main Page Calendar Newsletter Forums Minutes Other Photography Clubs PSA Club Discounts History of Photography Collecting Photographs Photo Exhibitions
Museums Local Galleries Glossary (Photo Terms) List of Acronyms (see list on forums)
1. How to Shoot – Compositional Techniques
2. Subject Matter Techniques
3. Shooting Styles
4. Shooting Other Than Digital
5. Techniques and Ideas
In-Camera
Post-Processing
6. What to Shoot - Subject Matter, common
and not so common
7. Things you can do with your shots
8. Inspiration and Ideas
By yesterday, my wife was ready for
me to stop this stuff
Compositional
Techniques
A Few Ingredients for a Good Composition
• Vision
• Anticipation(Evaluation)
• Technique
• (Luck)
Or, is it…
“Everything about composition boils down to
three things…
• Where the camera is pointed
• Lighting
• What is in focus and what isn’t”
Rule of Thirds
This guideline suggests that an image
should be imagined as divided into
nine equal parts by two horizontal
and two vertical lines, and that
important compositional elements
should be placed on their
intersections.
Think TIC-TAC-TOE
Two More Placement Rules
The Golden Ratio
•“The Rule of 1/3rds on steroids”
•Also known as the Golden Mean or Divine
Proportion, was made famous by Leonardo
Fibonacci around 1200 A.D. He noticed that
there was an absolute ratio (1.618 to 1) that
appears often throughout nature, a design
element that is universally efficient in living
things and pleasing to the human eye.
•Hint: You can turn on a golden ratio overlay
in Adobe Lightroom when you’re cropping.
•The Golden Triangle
•An extrapolation on the golden ratio. If you
use the same ratio to extrapolate a diagonal
line, and then draw a perpendicular line to
the corner, you’ve created a set of triangles
that can guide your composition.
Rule of Odds
(have an odd number of subjects)
•Suggests that an odd number of subjects
in an image is more interesting and
pleasing than an even number.
•If you have more than one subject in
your picture, have at least three subjects.
•An even number of subjects produces
symmetries in the image, which can
appear less natural.
Background
• The human eye is excellent at
distinguishing between different
elements in a scene, whereas a camera
has a tendency to flatten the foreground
and background
• Try for a plain and unobtrusive
background and compose your shot so
that it doesn't distract or detract from the
subject
Balance
• Balance the "weight" of your subject with a
counterweight
• Every element carries a certain amount of
visual weight. Different colors, different levels
of contrast, and different subject positions all
carry different visual weights.
• Balance positive and negative space
Color
• The colors and how they are arranged are an
important compositional factor
• Bright colors can add vibrancy, energy and
interest
• Colors also greatly impact ‘mood’. Blues and
Greens can have a calming soothing impact,
Reds and Yellows can convey vibrancy ad
energy, etc.
• “When you see red, shoot it!”
Monochrome
•An image recorded in a single hue, usually
B&W
•Simple and easy to digest visually
•A monochrome print often expresses
ranges of tones and textures that a color
picture finds difficult, and often enables the
expression of mood and feeling.
Black and White
(B & W) Photography
Primary Color
A photo where one
color dominates the
composition
Aspect Ratios, Cropping
and Print Size
Aspect Ratio
• Aspect ratio describes the relationship between the
width and the height of an image.
• Often ignored is quite simple - the aspect ratio of your
photos depends on the camera you use, and we tend
to take that for granted.
• Most digital cameras, with a few exceptions, use one
of two aspect ratios. There is the 3:2 aspect ratio of
35mm cameras, and the 4:3 aspect ratio used by
micro four-thirds and many compact cameras.
• Many of the latest digital cameras give an option to
select from several aspect ratios, each of which has its
own characteristics.
Consider Your Final Print Size
• When composing a shot, you need to allow for
the fact that the composition may have to be
altered when a photo is printed.
• If you have a 3:2 35mm film or digital camera,
the aspect ratio of most common printing
paper sizes doesn't match that of your images
• This problem is one reason why some fine art
photographers prefer large format cameras, as
the 5:4 aspect ration matches precisely to the
standard sizes of darkroom printing paper
(5x4 inches, 10x8 inches, 16x20 inches and so
on).
Aspect Ratios and Print Sizes
Camera Aspect Ratios
• 3:2
• 4:3
• 5:4
1.50/1
1.33/1
1.25/1
Standard Print Sizes (in inches)
2.5 x 3.5
4x6
5x7
8x10
11x14
16x20
20x24
24x36
1.40/1
1.50/1
1.40/1
1.25/1
1.27/1
1.25/1
1.20/1
1.50/1
Cropping and
Orientation
Cropping (allow for)
•To achieve the best photo possible, you
may want to crop your image so that only
the most important parts are visible.
•However, allow for the fact that the photo
may be printed in various print sizes.
•Accordingly, when you compose your shot,
you may want to include more than the
frame you intend as a final product.
Depth-of-Field
•Amount of distance between the nearest and
farthest objects that appear in acceptably
sharp focus in a photograph.
•The depth of field will impact the composition
of an image.
•It can isolate a subject from its background
and foreground (when using a shallow depth of
field), or it can put the same subject in context
by revealing it’s surrounds with a larger depth
of field.
Deep Focus
• A photographic technique using a
large depth of field. Consequently, in
deep focus the foreground, middleground and background are in focus.
•Deep focus is achieved with a small
aperture.
Creating Depth
•As photography is a two-dimensional
medium, choose a composition to
convey the sense of depth that was
present in the actual scene.
•You can create depth in a photo by
including objects in the foreground,
middle ground and background.
Use of Lines
Leading Lines
•A compositional technique where the
viewer's eye is attracted to lines that lead
directly to the principle subject in the image.
•When we look at a photo our eye is naturally
drawn along lines. By thinking about how you
place lines in your composition, you can
affect the way we view the image, pulling us
into the picture, towards the subject, or on a
journey "through" the scene.
Converging Lines
Multiple lines that converge
together (or come close to
one another) can be also be
used to lead your viewers eye
into a shot.
Vanishing
Point .
Discovered by Renaissance artists,
the vanishing point refers to the
convergence of parallel lines in
the distance (infinity). For artists,
it creates a sense of perspective.
Filling the Frame
“If your photographs aren’t good enough,
you’re not close enough.” (photojournalist
Robert Capa)
Fill your entire frame without any outside noise
or distraction.
1. Use a Longer Lens
2. Get closer -Don’t always rely upon your
camera’s zoom. Position yourself effectively for
close in shots.
3. Crop your Shots – Zoom in manually at home
Framing
•Use other objects in your
photograph to frame the main
subject.
•Framing brings more depth to
the picture and a better focus on
what the main subject is.
Leaving Space
(To Move)
If you are shooting
Moving objects, leave
a space into which the
subject can appear
to move.
Negative Space
•Often adds interest as it can place a
stronger emphasis on the subject and it
can effectively evoke emotions.
•The absence of content does not mean
the absence of interest.
Lighting - Contrast and Shadows
•Contrast can be incorporated to
create drama in a photograph.
•It’s natural for an individual’s eyes
to be drawn to an area of a picture
where high tonal contrast is present.
•What creates the attentioncatching contrast is the interplay of
shadows and light.
Orientation
Horizontal (Landscape) vs Vertical (Portrait)
•Our eyes are set horizontally, giving us a view that is
wider instead of taller, allowing us to be more aware of
our surroundings through peripheral vision.
•However, in photographs our vision is limited by the
edges of the frame so that peripheral vision is eliminated.
•Limiting the field of vision in photography helps the
photographer to focus attention on the intended subject.
Orientation
Horizontal
Vertical
Patterns
•Patterns appear whenever strong
graphic elements—lines, colors,
shapes, or forms—repeat themselves.
• Patterns, both natural and man-made,
bring a sense of visual rhythm and
harmony to photographs that can
capture the imagination.
Perspective –
Point-of-View (P.O.V) or Viewpoint
•Viewpoint has a significant impact on the
composition of a photo, greatly affecting the
message that the shot conveys.
•Before photographing your subject, take
time to think about where you will shoot it
from.
•Rather than always shooting from eye level,
consider photographing from high above,
down at ground level, from the side, from
the back, from a long way away, from close
up, etc.
Perspective
- Looking Up
Perspective
– Looking Down
Tip: Use a neck or wrist strap when you do
Simplification
The technique of reducing a
composition to only the most
essential elements that
support the visual statement.
The Subject
• Have a clearly-defined subject to
capture the viewer’s interest
• As you compose, ask yourself
“What is this picture about?”
Symmetry
•A symmetrical subject can create a
compelling composition.
•The photo is balanced, and the graphic
design is usually visually pleasing.
•The best place to look for symmetry is in
architectural details; it’s harder to find
symmetry in nature, although it does
exist.
Dissymmetry
Texture
•Describes the surface quality of a
substance
•Created by contrast changes along the
surface of an object, a byproduct of the
angle of the light and the roughness of
the surface of an object
Rule #99
Ignore the Rules
•If you find a shot you like that
contradicts them, shoot it anyway.
•Remember, in photography there
are NO RULES, just GUIDELINES.
Subject Matter,
Techniques
Backlighting
•The subject is illuminated from the back,
with the light source and the viewer
facing towards each other and the subject
in between.
•It causes the edges of the subject to
glow, while the other areas remain darker.
•The backlight can be a natural or artificial
source of light.
Forced Perspective
“Faking” – posed photos to create an
illusion
This technique manipulates our human
perception with the use of optical
illusions to make objects appear larger,
smaller, farther, or closer than they
actually are.
The Golden Hour
Sometimes known as the magic hour,
it refers to the first and last hour of
light during the day when a specific
photographic effect is achieved due
to the quality of the light.
Halation
The appearance of a halo of light which surround
the edges of dark object in a photograph.
Juxtaposition
Occurs when two objects are
positioned next to each other
with the intent of comparing or
contrasting them.
Reflection
•The technique of using reflective
surfaces to capture images.
•Common surfaces used are bodies of
water, windows and mirrors.
•Often, images created using
reflections have a more artistic appeal.
Refraction
The phenomenon of light, being
deflected in passing obliquely
through the interface between one
medium and another or through a
medium of varying density.
Repetition
Repeating an element creates
patterns which can strengthen the
composition.
Ways to show repetition Repeating shapes
Repeating lines
Repeating colors
Silhouetting
•Silhouette photos often stand out because of
their simplicity
•Can be done in-camera or with post-processing
•Involves placing your subject in front of some
source of light and to set exposure based upon
the brightest part of your picture (the
background) and not the subject of your image.
Silhouetting
Shooting Styles
Style - Abstract Photography
•There is no standard, universally accepted
definition of abstract photography. It’s not
easy to create a clear-cut definition of an
abstract concept.
•Here’s one definition – It does not
represent the subject in a literal way,
communicating primarily through form,
color, and curves rather than image detail.
Shooting for
Contests and Competitions
Documentary Photography
•Refers to a popular form of
photography used to chronicle
significant and historical events.
•It is typically covered in
professional journalism, but it may
also be an amateur, artistic, or
academic pursuit. (Wiki)
Erotic Photography
. Also referred to as Art Photography
. Normally consists of a composed image of a subject
photographed in a still position. Though the subjects are
usually completely or mostly unclothed, it is not a
requirement.
. Erotic photography should be distinguished from nude
photography, which contains nude subjects not necessarily in
an erotic situation, and pornographic photography, which is
of a sexually explicit nature.
. Since the 1960s erotic photography began to be less
commonly referred to as such, to be increasingly described
as glamour photography.
. Erotic photography before the 1960’s is sometimes referred
to as vintage photography.
Condensed from Wikipedia
Erotic Photography
Hide photography
The use of a purpose-made construction
for approximation to a photographic
subject, usually an animal, in order to
get closer than would normally be
possible when the photographer is in
full view.
Not my photo
Night Photography
Shooting outdoors between
dusk and dawn
Night Photography
Shooting for a Photo
Shoot or Meetup
Partial Portrait Photography
(Sometimes Less is More)
• The aim of a portrait is to convey the likeness,
mood, and personality of a person (or
persons). The focus is often on the person’s
face, but other body features can also be quite
effective.
• One type of portrait photography is partial
portraiture, where only a portion of a person’s
face or body is framed in the photo.
http://www.photographytuts.com/playing-with-partialportraits/
Photo Reference (it will help later)
Secret Photography
• Photographing a person unaware that they are being
photographed.
• Sometimes called covert photography or
unauthorized photography.
• Includes stalking of celebrities, street photography,
use of a hidden camera in investigative journalism,
during intelligence gathering by police or private
investigators, or as a prank.
• Sometimes the photographer is concealed,
sometimes the camera itself is concealed.
• Some obvious element of concealment (or great
distance) is generally needed to make it fall under the
category of 'secret photography' rather than street or
documentary photography.
Storytelling –
Photo Narrative
Capture a Mood
Sequential
Time Lapse
Storytelling
• Photographs have the ability to convey emotion,
mood, narrative and ideas, all of which are
important elements of storytelling.
• Most newspaper photography fits into this
category…an image that attempts to capture the
essence of an accompanying written story.
• More recent examples include a series of
shots…one shot for 365 days or documenting a
single day.
Photo Narrative
Telling a Story
Tell a Story
“When I Grow Up…”
Sequential Photography
Photographer: Mike Leeds
http://mmminimal.com/spectacular-sequential-photography/
Street Photography
Themes and Collections
Vernacular Photography
•Photographs, usually by amateur or unknown photographers, of
everyday life and common things as subjects
•Examples include travel and vacation photos, family snapshots,
photos of friends and photo-booth images
•Types of accidental art, in that they often are unintentionally
artistic
•Began to develop in the years leading up to World War II. Walker
Evans (1903-75) is attributed with being heavily influenced by this
style of photography
•Now an accepted genre of art photography, vernacular
photographs have become popular with art collectors and with
collectors of found photographs. Some curators have begun to
exhibit vernacular photography
•(Source: Wikipedia)
“Vintage snapshots & vernacular photography” curated by Nicholas Osborn.
Shooting Other
Than Digital
Shooting Film
•Some believe film produces a better color.
•35mm film is still available in photo stores
and online.
•110, 126, 127, and 220 film can be found
online.
•There is still film for Polaroid cameras,
Type 100, Mio, SX/70, and 300.
•Disc film is a dead medium.
Using Vintage Equipment
3D Photography
There are a number of ways to do 3D (or stereo)
photography, including using a single camera,
linking cameras, or using attachments. The
easiest way it to simply use a stereo camera.
Digital 3D Camera (not mine)
Film 3D Camera (mine)
NISHIKA Nimslo N8000 35MM 3D ($16)
$199 on Amazon
Lomography
•A 1990’s film camera movement using the Lomo LC-A camera created by
LOMO PLC of St. Petersburg, Russia.
•Lomography not only refers to photographs taken with the LOMO
camera, but can also apply to casual photography taken with any ordinary
camera.
•The characteristics of Lomo photographs are oversaturated colors,
extreme optical distortions, rainbow-colored subjects, off-kilter exposure,
blurring and alternative film processing.
•In short, Lomography is the act of taking photographs without thinking,
and ignoring the established rules of “good” photography.
•The Diana camera is a plastic-bodied box camera using either 120
rollfilm or 35mm film.. Originally marketed as an inexpensive novelty gift
item, the Diana has been used to specifically take soft-focus,
impressionistic photographs.
•The Diana frequently suffers from light leaks, film advance issues, and
other problems. However, its low-quality plastic lens has been celebrated
for its artistic effects in photographs, normally resulting in a slightly
blurred composition that can provide a 'dreamlike' quality to the print.
Holga Photography
•The Holga is a plastic camera first manufactured in
China in 1981. Made for the Chinese consumer as a
low-budget, everyday kind of camera for capturing
family photos and portraits, it has since gathered a
cult following.
•It’s simple, cheap camera with a plastic lens that
produced soft (often blurry) images with edge
vignetting and uncontrollable light leaks. These were
the very same aesthetics that sky-rocketed this
camera's popularity.
•It gained a huge following around the world. People
started using it for everything from landscapes to still
life to street photography.
Holga 120 Film Camera
Pinhole Photography
Using a pinhole camera or lens
•A pinhole camera is a simple camera without a lens, with a single small
aperture – basically a light-proof box with a small hole. Light from a scene
passes through this single point and projects an inverted image on the
opposite side of the box. The smaller the hole, the sharper the image, but the
dimmer the projected image.
•Can be a pinhole camera, pinhole lens or homemade camera.
•Pinhole cameras requires a lengthy exposure, typically ranging from 5
seconds to several hours.
Why would you want to do that, you ask?
I really have no
answer to that.
Holga Pinhole Camera
Holga 0.25mm Pinhole Lens
mounted on my Canon Xti.
3 seconds at “f/152”
TtV (Through-The-Viewfinder)
•A photo is shot with one camera through
the viewfinder of a second camera
•Usually involves using a digital camera and
a twin-lens reflex (TLR)
•The resulting image may have an oldfashioned feel to it, often with vignetting,
blurred edges, distortion and dust.
Scanner Photography
•Using a scanner to make photographs may
seem a bit far out-of-the-box. But for simplicity
and effectiveness, it’s just another use for a
scanner.
•A scanner can provide a soft and flattering light
and a depth of field that is quite
My first
attempt
Topaz-painted
In-Camera
Techniques
Bokeh
•Refers to the blur, or the
aesthetic quality of the blur, in
out-of-focus areas of an image
•Bokeh occurs for parts of the
scene that lie outside the depthof-field
Droste Effect
• A Dutch term for a type of recursive picture.
An image exhibiting the Droste effect depicts a
smaller version of the image within itself in a
recursive manner.
• In theory, the picture in picture effect
continues deeper into the picture ad infinitum
• Can be shot using mirrors, or done with a
software plug-in.
Not my
photo
Filters (Use Of “Unusual”)
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Fish-eye
Star-burst
LensBaby
Infrared
Multivision
Welder’s helmet glass
…and other special effects or
makeshift filters
Filters – makeshift (sunglasses)
Infrared Photography (IR)
Our eyes literally cannot see IR light, as it lies just
beyond what is classified as the “visible” spectrum.
When we take photographs using infrared-equipped
film or cameras, we can be exposed to the world
that can often look very different from that we are
accustomed to seeing.
Options for infrared photography
1. Shoot with 35mm IR film
2. Convert a DSLR camera to exclusive infrared use
3. Use an infrared filter
4. Convert a photo to near-infrared look with
software
Intentional Camera Movement
Horizontal
Vertical
Zooming in (Zoom Burst)
Panning
Vertical (Up/Down)
Horizontal (Left/Right)
Zoom Burst
• Photographs characterized by blurred streaks
emanating from the center of the photograph
• Typically used to create an impression of
motion towards the subject
• Attainable with zoom lenses with a manual
zoom ring, it involves zooming while the
shutter is open with a relatively slow shutter
speed
Panning
•Refers to the rotation of a camera on a
horizontal plane
•Used to suggest fast motion, and to isolate the
subject from other elements in the frame
•Usually noted by a foreground subject in
action appearing still while the background is
streaked and/or skewed in the apparently
opposite direction of the subject's travel
•Often used in sports photography
Ummm….no
Photo: Buddy Eleazer
Kinetic Photography
•Meaning “caused by motion”, it’s a technique in
which the photographer uses movement to
create an image
•Can include, but is not limited to; holding and
shaking the wrist strap of the camera while
taking a picture, dropping the camera off of
objects while taking a picture, throwing or
spinning the camera up in the air while taking a
picture (called a camera toss), or rigorously
moving the camera while taking a picture, etc.
•Tends to produce abstract, random or blurredmotion photographs
Kinetic Photography –
Camera Tossing
•Most “risky” field of kinetic photography , where
you throw your camera into the air in hopes of
producing an artistic looking image
•Basics include using a slow shutter speed, pressing
the shutter button and quickly throwing the
camera into the air and then (hopefully) catching
the camera before it hits the ground
•Usually done at night when the camera is able to
capture light with a long exposure, resulting in
streaks of light patterns
Light
…and using light
Fill Flash
•Used to brighten shadow areas, typically outdoors on
sunny days, though the technique is useful any time the
background is significantly brighter than the subject of the
photograph, particularly in backlit subjects.
•Fill flash can have many variations. Consider the following
scenarios:
1) Subject in direct sun
2) Subject in shade with sunny background
3) Subject and background on a cloudy day
• Tip: consider it’s use in shooting nature
Normally we think of its use on people, but…
Photo by: Steve Kossack
Strobist
•“Refers to images taken by small, portable
off-camera flashes
•The term probably came about because
"using multiple wireless flash units set to
manual" is quite a mouthful, and many
people inspired by David Hobby’s "Strobist"
blog now use this technique.
(photo by: Jon DiFrancesco)
Slow Sync Flash
•A function found on many cameras allowing you to
shoot with both a longer shutter speed as well as
firing the flash
•If your camera gives you manual control when it
comes to slow sync flash, you might find two options
called ‘rear curtain sync’ and ‘front curtain sync’ •Rear Curtain Sync – this tells your camera to fire the
flash at the end of the exposure. When you press the
shutter your lens opens up and starts collecting light
and just before it closes the flash will fire to light up
and freeze your main subject.
•Front Curtain Sync – this tells your camera to fire the
flash at the start of the exposure.
http://digital-photography-school.com/slow-sync-flash
Shot using rear curtain sync
(1 sec., G15 on camera flash)
Light Painting
•A technique in which exposures are made by
moving a hand-held light source or by moving the
camera.
•By moving the light source, the light can be used
to selectively illuminate parts of the subject or to
"paint" a picture by shining it directly into the
camera lens.
•The term light painting also encompasses images
lit from outside the frame with hand-held light
sources.
(Wikipedia)
Image by rafoto
Image by Sean Rogers1
http://digital-photography-school.com/light-painting-part-one-thephotography
High Speed Photography (Stop-action)
• High speed photography is the art of
photographing a rapidly occurring event.
• Freezing fast motion can give some pretty
special photographic effects.
• Super fast movements can be captured using
ordinary camera gear and the addition of
some home-made electronics.
Photo: Tom Grim
Long-Exposure
Photography
•Long-exposure photography or timeexposure photography involves using a
long-duration shutter speed to sharply
capture the stationary elements of
images, while blurring, smearing, or
obscuring the moving elements. The paths
of moving light sources become clearly
visible.
15-second exposure
Macro
Motion Blur
•Often used capture motion simply to convey that an
object is moving, but there are other reasons to so.
Movement can communicate mood. Trees rustling in the
wind suggest serenity while throngs of people on a busy
city block imply harried activity.
•Can also use motion to eliminate elements in a scene. By
blurring everything but your primary subject you can
eliminate potential distractions and focus the viewer’s
attention.
Two Primary Techniques For Capturing Motion
1. Blurred Subject With Background In Focus
2. Blurred Background With Subject In Focus
Multiple Exposure
OOF (Out-Of-Focus)
…on purpose (as opposed a mistake), and as
differentiated from Bokeh and Selective Focus
Orton Effect or Orton Imagery
• A technique blending two different exposures of
the same scene, resulting in a distinctive mix of
high and low detail areas within the same photo.
• Originated by photographer Michael Orton in the
mid 1980's, the original technique was to overlay
two or more images of an identical scene with
very different exposures on slide film, one image
is sharply focused and the other(s) very out of
focus. (Wikipedia)
• Can be mimicked using editing software.
Orton-ize Your Photo
Original PSE9
Orton – mimicked
through PSE9