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Photo Project Unit #2

I finally got my results back for my Photo Project, which I sent in almost two months ago. I got a "B-" on the Comprehension Tests and here are the results for the Photo Project Assignments.


Photograph #1: Emphasizing the subject by its size and off-center placement.

#1
I sent in this picture that I took of patio lights in my Grandparent's backyard. The instructor said it was a good picture and that she liked that the green light stuck out more then the others. She liked that there is more light on the upper right side, but doesn't like the light peeking through the top. Yeah, that's not confusing at all. I actually like the light coming through, I think it helps with the theme of the patio.




# 2

She said to crop this one a little more for the rule of thirds.





#3

She said this one is underexposed and that I lost important details in the tulips. I'm still trying to figure out how to get a close up without loosing the detail. I wish she would have given me a hint.

Photograph #2: Using framing to focus attention on your subject.

#1

She said it was nicely done and I did a good job getting the weeds out of focus while keeping Damon sharp. The problem is the lighting and that he is squinting. You want to be able to see the eyes since they are the most important part of your picture. She also recommended not to have writing on clothing since that draws the eye to the writing and not your subject.

#2

I haven't got the actual pictures back yet so I'm not sure which one she is talking about.

She thought this was a great idea, but she wants more detail. I really like the blur and thought it was a nice touch. She said that it needs more space around main tulip. Again I wish she would have told me how I could have achieved that.


Photograph #3: Using leading lines to draw attention to your subject.


#1





I did a good job getting Damon large and in frame, but with the lines in the background I'm leading the eyes away from the subject. I thought that because the lines seem to get wider that I used it correctly, but OK.


#2

This photo is much better. The lines are coming from the sides and drawing the eye to the subject. She liked how Jasmine was leaning in. She said a better way of using leading lines is to have them at a diagonal or a curve. And yes, I sent her a cropped version so that John's butt isn't in the picture.

I sent Unit 3 in last week and should have that one back in about a month. Unit 3 has been about "Lighting", and really baffles me. I understand fill lights, main lights, and background lights but why do they turn out so yellow? I understand that I'm just using homemade floods, but what's the trick?

This week I have been working on Unit 4, which has been about "Studio Portraiture". I have spent the entire week creating and setting up an indoor studio. I found some really great backgrounds and have had a blast using "Natural Light" from a window to take pictures. It has been such a learning experience. I think taking pictures on location and with kids playing are much easier then trying to pose them and get the lighting perfect. I'll be posting those pictures as soon as I learn how to use my new Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.

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.