First, don’t forget about the assignment I gave you last week. I want to see what you’re thankful for. If you didn’t get a chance to shoot those pictures over the weekend, you’re in luck, since I’m away, you get until Friday to show me those. Please complete the assignment. Instructions

You should also make sure that your composition research project is complete. Again, due to my absence, you don’t really have to have that in until Friday, but I really would like to see it then.

If you’ve completed those and all of your other assignments, you finally get to unravel the mystery of the other modes on your camera. It’s time to take it off of “auto” and set some important controls yourself.

There are some videos and documents here. Please download them to your computer and watch the videos from there. Do this in order. Each mode has an assignment. Do those in order as well. (ie watch the Aperture video, then do the assignment. After that, watch Shutter Speed and do the assignment, etc.)

The assignment: For each mode, I want you to take at least 3 photos. For the first, I want you to set up a shot that you can take 3 times. I recommend doing these in the hall outside of the classroom. Your camera needs to be stable to take these. Use a tripod if you know how to properly attach your camera (DO NOT put your camera on the tripod and turn it. EVER! Take the plate off of the tripod and use the screw underneath the plate to turn to attach the plate. Then put the plate back on the tripod. ALWAYS!) You can also move the brown desk or the little table in the hall and set your camera on one of those. It’s often easiest to have a classmate stand in the hall at a reasonable distance. For aperture, take a shot of that person (or whatever else you choose) at the lowest aperture setting, a setting in the middle, and the highest setting.

Once you have your 3 photos, use Skitch or put them in a document or, yes, PowerPoint (ugh) and explain the difference between the 3. Tell me what the aperture setting (number) was for each shot, and describe what changing the aperture did to the shot. You should see a significant difference. Explain what changed.

If you get that done and move on to Shutter Speed, you need something moving. Again, have a classmate slowly walk toward your camera or away from it. Describe what happens at the highest shutter speed, somewhere in the middle, and the lowest.

Please email me if you have questions or problems.

Please be taking photos of students and school events! Important!