Photo Project Assignments-Unit 1

I wrote a few months back that I am taking an online course in photography. It's been a lot of fun so far, there has been a lot of materials to go over. Not to mention buying and learning a new camera. Some of the information I'm sure I'll never need to know. The first few lessons were about the history of the camera and how cameras have changed over the years. The first few lessons taught me exactly how and why a camera works. I found that very interesting, but I have spent hours and hours learning about film and darkrooms, both in which I never plan on using. I did however finish a Photo Project and sent it in to the school for an instructor to review. The instructor who reviewed this project is a freelance photographer who has written eight books and travels the world giving photography lectures.

Photograph #1: Using shutter speed to express a sense of motion or speed.

Fast Shutter Speed

She said I did a great job freezing motion by blurring the ball and the dog, but I need to crop and eliminate some of the distractions. Here is the same picture using her advice.

Slow Shutter Speed

She again suggested that I crop towards the action and since this picture was taken in the evening she suggested that I adjust my white-balance.

Slow Shutter Speed to pan the camera

Once again she suggested to crop the photograph. She suggests that I trim my photographs in the camera's touch-up menu instead of having to photoshop so much.

Photograph #2: Using selective focus to make the subject stand out.

She recommended using an even wider aperture to get a little closer and to really blur the background. This was as close as I could get since my smaller lens is still on back order. :(

Photograph #3: Creating a feeling of distance by using great depth of field.

She said this picture is perfect. Everything is in focus and sharp. YAY ME!

I also had to take a test and got a "B" that's pretty good for me since I haven't been in school in over 10 years. I just finished reading Units 2 and 3 and will be working on the Photo Projects over the next week.