Previously we watched a series of tutorials about how best to plan and prepare for taking a portrait. (if you missed those or want to review, they are linked here)

Now it’s your turn! Use the knowledge gained through those tutorials as well as our discussion to take some dazzling photographs. You need to hand in AT LEAST 3 portraits (three different people and/or locations and/or poses.) Soon we will talk about retouching and how to make those photos even better, but the first part is to take great portraits.

You will also need to be able to answer the following questions:

1) Why did you choose the subject that you did? What things had to be considered when working with this person? (You have to do different things when working with a little kid than you would with one of your grandparents, for example. Does this person have hair, skin, jewelry, clothing, etc. that needed to be considered/modified?)

2) Why did you choose the location that you did? What things had to be considered when working in this location?

3) Why did you choose the pose that you did? What were you thinking when you got your subject to stand, move their body, or smile in a certain way?

4) What modifications did you make to the photo after you took it? (briefly explain the tools & techniques applied in Photoshop/Lightroom.) (I want to see a BEFORE AND AFTER photo, comparing the original and your modified version.)

You can answer alongside your finished portraits in a PowerPoint or Word document, or explain these things to me in person.

Some tips:

• As I’ve mentioned, SET YOUR CAMERA TO RAW (not .jpg). RAW files will be easiest and best for retouching.
• Taking photos of your friends or family is going to be easiest and most comfortable.
• As with all photos, LIGHT IS KEY. Choose a location that provides you with enough light. Although we don’t go into too much detail with lighting, you may want to consider bringing in extra lamps & lights, depending on your location. Outdoor photos generally have the most/best light, but it can be hard to find a background that isn’t too distracting (plus, it’s COLD OUT!)
• Nice clothing makes for a better formal portrait. Have people pay attention to what they’re wearing so that they look nice. Things like thin stripes and busy patterns (lots of tiny polka dots, for example) don’t photograph well. Consider plain clothing (simple colours) and avoid logos and busy designs.
• As the videos discuss, you need to be aware of how the people are sitting/standing. Make them look natural, but use the tips in the videos to make people look their best. You are the photographer/director/boss, so tell people what to do!
• TAKE A LOT OF PHOTOS! Although you only need to drop off 3, it’s hard to tell which will be best to use and easiest to fix up until you look at the photos later on your computer, so take a whole bunch to choose from!
• If you’re really stuck, you are welcome to do the assignment at school and have some help. Those might not turn out to be as beautiful, but it is an option.
• Pay attention to all of your choices and be prepared to write about them or discuss them. This is a big part of your mark – easy to do, but lots of people mess it up and forget about this step or don’t take it seriously and lose A LOT of marks!

 

Your final photography assignment (aside from your regular personal Flickr portfolio, which continues until the end of the semester, and yearbook event photography, which runs until the end of the school year) is to take a set of professional looking portrait photographs.

Portraits may seem simple, but there is a lot to consider when taking a high quality portrait. You need to concern yourself with much more than where your subject should stand and whether he/she is smiling or not.

I have some videos that I’d like you to watch to help you understand some of the important considerations. I will be asking you to explain how you’ve gone about your planning and posing, and these videos will give you a lot of good information about what I’m looking for.

Those videos can be accessed here

Your job is to take AT LEAST one good photo that demonstrates the composition techniques discussed in class. We have been learning about some concepts related to good photography composition. The in-class presentations and examples should have given you a good idea how to use these concepts, but here is a quick reference that may remind you of some: CompositionQuickReference

For each photo, you need to EXPLAIN not just the technique, but how it helps the photo. Explain what you did to incorporate the technique and how it makes the photo stronger. You must also be sure to take GOOD photos – don’t just shoot any old ugly item (garbage can, door handle, fire alarm, etc.) take your time and create a NICE photo!

Refer back to the Composition Techniques Examples and/or your notes, and/or the Internet to make sure that you understand each concept listed below.

Using an item or a willing person, you must demonstrate AND EXPLAIN each of the following:

• Simplicity
• Leading and Disappearing Lines
• Filling Your Frame
• Framing Your Subject
• Symmetry
• Perspective /Viewpoint
• Reflections
• Rule of Thirds

To make things a bit easier, you can use any of your previous photos (but they must be YOUR PHOTOS) to demonstrate.

Again, you may make a PowerPoint/KeyNote slideshow to demonstrate by placing the photo on the slide and above, below, or beside the photo, explaining how the technique is applied in the photo.

Examples:

 

For this assignment, we will be going on another walk outdoors. We will be spending about an hour wandering in search of subjects to photograph. You are encouraged to take as many photos as possible and to experiment. In the end, you must submit a picture that demonstrates your understanding of the following tips from the lesson:

• Focus is Key
• Get Close Up For Effect
• Think Differently
• Be Aware of Light

The 4 photos you select, must also satisfy the following requirements:

• You must have at least one photo of nature, one of a person and one of a man made structure
• 2 must be in landscape orientation and 2 must be in portrait orientation.

Digital cameras have made taking digital pictures more accessible to the general public. Advancements in technology have made it possible for people with very little knowledge of actual photography to take nice looking pictures in point-and-shoot fashion.

In this course we will go beyond simply pointing and shooting. To take good pictures you must be aware of exactly how you are taking the picture. Believe it or not, a great picture requires time, thought and preparation. It is rare to take great pictures “on-the-fly”. The following tips will help you start your journey into taking great photographs.

Be Patient… Take Your Time

Remember that when trying to take a great photo, your greatest enemy is impatience. If you don’t take the time to explore your surroundings and your subject (the object or person whom you are photographing) you will never achieve great photos. If you never leave your own comfort zone you will never achieve what you are capable of.

Portrait Vs. Landscape

A classic rookie mistake is taking all photos in landscape orientation. All you have to do avoid this problem is turn the camera every once in a while. This may not seem like it is very important, but when we get to creating design layouts for our yearbook, you will be very thankful that you have photos in both orientations as it will give you much more flexibility in the size and shape of photo boxes that you will be able to include in your page layouts.

Arrive Early & Plan Ahead

If you plan for a photograph you will get a better shot. This will require some thought about what it is that you want the picture to say. This is especially true if you are taking pictures of people. If you arrive early to each event you will have the chance to take some sample shots and find the best place to be. You can also talk to your subjects about the type of photos you will need and enlist their cooperation.

Sometimes, it is impossible to get the photos you need without planning ahead. Consider the photo below. It would have been impossible to get this photo without making advanced plans with the hockey coach for a photographer to be on ice during practice. The photographer had to bring skates and a helmet and find the best position to take the photo from. A photo of this quality does not happen from the stands.

Don’t be a Wallflower!

If you don’t get right into the action, you will not get the shots you want. As a photographer, you can’t be afraid to get up close and personal with your subjects. If you are at a crowded event and you’re worried about getting in the audience’s view, don’t be! It is your job to document this event and people in the crowd understand this. If anyone questions you, simply tell them that you are the school yearbook photographer and that will usually get them to back off.

Wall Flower Photos

Engaged Photographer

Focus is key

Always make sure that the camera has focused before you take the picture. There is nothing worse than an out of focus picture that you thought would be great.

 

Get Close Up For Effect

Photographing from far away can present some challenges for lighting, and usually takes the emphasis away from the subject you are photographing. Using a close-up shot can give the viewer of your picture a better understanding of what you want to convey.

 

Think differently

If you think normally, your pictures will be normal. Have fun… experiment… Try different angles, perspectives, subjects, camera settings, time of day. A good strategy to use is after taking each photo, take the same photo in a different way. You might surprise yourself with what you come up with!

 

Be Aware of Light

Light is a very important thing to consider when you are taking a photo. Light can make or break your photos. If used properly you can create some very neat effects with light and shadows. If disregarded, it can pose some serious problems for capturing even a decent shot.

Outdoors

When shooting outdoors, try to avoid sunlight directly into the lens (washed out).

When photographing people, try to avoid having them looking directly into the sunlight (squinting) and also avoid photographing them with shadows across their face.

Finally, when taking photos outdoors, be sure to watch out for your own shadow which can change the lighting of whatever you are photographing.

Natural Light can be used purposely for creative shots

You can also use light to create shadows for effect

Indoors

Taking photos indoors can present the biggest lighting challenges. A lack of light will result in grainy or blurry photos. Using an external flash can help you avoid this problem. A good rule of thumb is:

If the subject of your photo is more than 10 feet away, use an external flash.

No Flash Used	External Flash Used

You should also be very cautious of the position of light while shooting indoors. Having a light or reflective surface in the background can result in washed out pictures.

Light in Background	Not BackLit

Your ASSIGNMENT is to use these ideas to take some photos where you have to spend some time planning and thinking about things like light, being patient, being an engaged photographer (NOT a wallflower), and most importantly, thinking differently. Spend some time looking for interesting spots, people, action, or angles. Make sure that you take your time and get the best possible shot by remembering those considerations.

 

We have viewed some videos and discussed in detail the 3 aspects of the Exposure triangle. If you missed it or want to review, they can be accessed here.

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 use a desk or table 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.

For 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.

Once you have your 3 photos, use Lightroom or put them in a document or, yes, PowerPoint (ugh) and explain the difference between the 3. Tell me what the shutter speed/aperture setting/ISO (number) was for each shot, and describe what changing the setting did to the shot. You should see a significant difference. Explain what changed. (*hint: for each one, the amount of light should change, but each one ALSO changes something different about the photo. You need to know what changed and describe.)

Photographing people well can be particularly challenging. It is hard to capture people in a picture that truly represents them because we are always concerned only with getting the person. Here are some different techniques to consider when photographing people.

Talk To Your Subjects

The most common problem that new photographers have while photographing people is talking to them. Most new photographers don’t want to disrupt people who are in conversation or busy doing something. You will have to get over this fear in a hurry. As a photographer, it is your job to get the photo. Nobody is going to run up to you and beg to have their photo taken.

You will find the 90% of people will be willing participants for your photos if you ask permission and explain where the picture will be used.

Start with asking: “Excuse me can I take your photo?”

Try adding: “It’s for the yearbook” or “It’s for my photography class assignment.”

If someone refuses, don’t fight with them, simply say “Thanks anyway!” and move on to another subject.

Directing and Arranging People for Photos

The second most common problem for new photographers is arranging people for a photo. Once you’ve gotten permission to take a photo, don’t simply point and shoot. Tell your subjects what you want. You can ask your subjects to do many things to make the photo better or more interesting.

Consider how your picture would change if you said the following things:

• Let’s try one with nice smiles and then one with silly faces.
• Stand back to back and cross your arms, then look at the camera.
• Put your arm around him.
• Try to look like you’re suprised… annoyed… happy… sad… scared… sleepy

Or there’s always the standard direction you have to give when taking large group photos.

• Let’s get two rows, tall people in the back, shorter people in the front down on one knee…
• You turn slightly to the middle, move in on the ends…

Remember… it’s your photo and they’ve agreed to be part of it, you should be telling them what to do!

 

Natural Life – (Candid Shots)

This type of photography seeks to capture from the viewpoint of the observer. In other words, you are not creating the circumstances in which the photo has been taken. This is one of the most difficult types of photographs to get because it requires you to not behave like a photographer, but it tends to be the most rewarding and interesting. You must try to blend in and capture subjects without intruding or affecting their behaviour.

This does not mean being hidden like paparazzi in a celebrity’s dumpster, but rather taking steps to ensure that you are not readily detected before you have captured your shot. To do this, consider the following tips:

• Be quiet and not intrusive. Digital cameras are usually best for this as you can turn off shutter sounds. Don’t forget to do that!
• Do not hover with your camera up. This is noticeable and causes people to become self-conscious. Instead, have your camera on and set to the correct camera setting ahead of time. When the moment arises to take your photo, do not hesitate even for a second.
• If all else fails, ask! If you see the opportunity for a great photo, and you have tried to capture it repeatedly, but have failed, you can always stage the photo. Ask the people if you can direct them to get your shot.

 

At Work

Work is considered to be a fairly open activity, but you should seek permission before you sit and watch. People are usually much more likely to allow you to take pictures of them while they work because the topic of the photograph is not them, but rather what they are doing. If you wanted to photograph them walking down the street, they may feel uncomfortable because they are now the focus of the photograph. To take good pictures of people at work consider the following tips:

• The best forms of work to photograph are ones in which people take pride, and work that may be unusual.
• Sit and Observe. Before you can get an idea of what you want to capture about the person, you need to spend some time watching them work. A person’s job usually involves much more than one task. Watch them and try to find the essence of what it is that they are doing.
• When you take pictures, make sure that the person at work is not looking at the camera. You want the picture to appear candid. In other words, the person looking at the photo should feel like they are experiencing the moment.
• Physical work is easier to photograph than office work. With physical work we should see what the person is doing, this means that objects, and hands are in full view, the “doing” is the focus. In office work, try to liven the picture up by using unique angles and positioning. Hand gestures and facial expressions are also important to consider in this type of picture.

 

Casual & Planned Portraits

With portraits, you have the cooperation of your subjects. They know they are being photographed, and they know that they are the focus of the photo. The difference between a casual and planned portrait is:

Casual Portraits do not make use of a studio and there is very little planned in advance. They are often spur of the moment events where you see something interesting and ask someone if you can photograph them in their natural environment.

Again, this is not something you’ve planned ahead of time. You see an opportunity for a great photo, you direct your subject and you capture the portrait.

 

 

Planned Portraits involve a great deal of planning. They can be done in a studio with proper locations and lighting equipment or out on location. What makes them different from casual portraits is the planning involved. Costuming (how someone is dressed), props and set (or scene for outdoors) are all planned ahead of time. 

This means you have picked the location because it suits the subject of your picture and the person being photographed. You have scouted out the location and chosen a good angle and position for the photo. A good way of doing this is going to the location and practice shooting the exact shot you want without the person in it.

You should also consider the planned time for the photo. It should not only be convenient for both of you but also to ensure that there is proper sunlight (outdoor shots) and to control the number of people around.

For either type of portrait, you should consider the following things:

• Make sure that the area in which you are photographing is well lit. You should use a flash or extra lighting if you are indoors.
• Most people will stiffen up as time goes on. You are more likely to get a true likeness of them if you are quick to take the shot.
• Facial expression and gestures are important to enhance the photograph. They help us to understand personality and character of the subject.
• Consider what will be in the background before you ask someone for a picture. If you have to ask them to move or position themselves in a certain way, don’t be afraid to ask. It will make for a better picture.
• If you see someone posing or doing something unique, fun, or interesting, and you have missed it, don’t be afraid to ask them to do it again and hold the pose. Usually, people are more than happy to comply.
• Decide ahead of time what you want to focus on. Will your shot focus on:
  • close in on someone’s face?
  • head and shoulders?
  • Three-quarter shot ( head, shoulders, torso)?
  • full figure?

ASSIGNMENT

Your assignment is to experiment with photographing people. You must include:

An arranged group photo (3 people or more)
A natural life photograph
A photograph of someone at work
A casual portrait

DO NOT UPLOAD TO FLICKR! These should be put into a folder called “PhotographingPeople”, which should be added to your shared OneDrive folder. It should be obvious which photos are which, but label them, making sure that the file name reflects the type of photo you are submitting (e.g. work.jpg, casual.jpg, natural.jpg, etc.)

Today we will watch a series of videos that will give you some good tips to remember when you’re taking photographs. You will be responsible for demonstrating the technique used in each video.

For each video, I want you to take a photo of yourself, a classmate, or me doing what the video shows you to do, and in most cases, another photo of what NOT to do. We’ll label those in Lightroom and drop them off.

Video 1: Carrying your Camera

Have someone take a photo of you, or take a photo of someone else carrying a camera INCORRECTLY and a separate photo carrying the camera CORRECTLY.

Video 2: Be Ready to Shoot

Show me how to make sure that you’re ready to shoot so that you don’t miss important photos. What SHOULD YOU DO and WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT DO?

Video 3: Chimping

What is “chimping?” Show me what NOT to do.

Video 4: Diopter

Show me how to adjust your camera’s diopter.

Video 5: Handheld Stability

What should I do to make my photos more stable? What should I NOT do?

Video 6: Stabilize your Camera

Show me at least one of the techniques in this video.

 

Once you have your photos, transfer them to your computer and import them into Lightroom.

Inside Lightroom, open the Window menu or press Control + Alt + 6 to open the Print module.

Just like in the second video, I want you to take an inanimate object (feel free to borrow one of my collectables or nifty items) and take some “good” photos by paying attention to things like your angle, the background, light, etc. You’ll upload your photo to Flickr and add a comment explaining what you were thinking/doing to make your shot great!

You’ll upload your photo to Flickr and drop off the original raw file in OneDrive. Do both for full marks!