One of the very first things we talked about was the “Aspect Ratio” (which is the ratio of the width to the height of a photograph) and how you lose some of your image when it gets printed because the camera shoots in a 2:3 ratio. Here’s an article to help you flesh out that concept more.
Below is a visual tool to help you see what different sizing would do to the image you have printed.

.

Camera sensor sizes, and the difference between crop sensor and full frame models. We also went over lens compression and how the picture is affected by “crop factor” (p. 53)

Do you need a full frame camera? Check out this article to find out!

Bracketing (here’s a great article that really goes in depth about this!)

Metering Modes and their functions (p. 122)

~ Remember for this class we will live in Evaluative/Matrix Metering Mode

Camera Dial Modes

• Auto = Fully auto the camera does all the work and you’re playing Russian Roulette
• P = partial auto the camera allows you to set things like the ISO but controls the shutter speed and aperture
• AV / A (depending on camera model) = Aperture priority you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed
• TV / S (depending on camera model) = Shutter priority you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture
• M = fully manual you make all the decisions

Here’s a good description of the mode dial settings as well as the scene selection settings.

Composition

Things to consider include:

• Horizontal or vertical
• Perspective
• Subject
• Simplify
• Negative space
• Lines
• Visual Weight
• Fill the frame
• Motion
• Depth of Field

We talked about the Rule of thirds (think of your viewfinder as a tic tac toe board) and how it affects the composition and feeling of a photograph. We also talked about shallow depth of field and how it is used to isolate a subject from it’s surroundings. Also, how there are a combination of things that are needed to achieve the correct effect.

Moving Your Focal Point

Moving your focal point around in the frame will provide greater sharpness in your images and allow you to put the focus on exactly what you want in the frame.

Here’s a great article on moving your focal point in the frame.

Please Note: This is not changing to lens to manual focusing. We will still be shooting with your lens in autofocus, I just want you to learn to choose and move your focal point – which you can do on auto focus.

.

Depth of Field

Photographers use depth of field (DOF) to isolate their subjects and throw a distracting background out of focus (p. 42). To create a nice blurriness/bokeh behind your subject you’ll need to use a combination of the following…

• Use a long Lens (70mm – 85 mm and higher)
• Have a wide aperture/f-stop (1.2, 1.4, 1.8, 2.0, 2.8, 3.5)
• Get close to the subject
• Keep your subject away from the background

Here’s a link to an article with some good information on achieving shallow depth of field.

A nice slideshow on composition by Marlene Hieleme of the ImageMaven blog.

.

Homework

Reading – Please read the Chapter on Aperture in our textbook.

You have a big photography homework assignment this week, so make sure you’re out there playing with your camera and practicing what we learned this week so you’ll be ready to show your images in class. Here’s the breakdown of your assignments:

.

Homework Assignment Part One

Take your everyday object and, using what you learned about composition and depth of field in in class, re-shoot it to make it look more interesting. Take a bunch of shots from different angles and different lighting. I also want you to see how you can use depth of field (DOF) to enhance your subject. Pick out 1 of your best shots and have it printed for class next week. Don’t forget to bring your original photo as well so we can look at them side by side.

.