Photography Class Lesson 1 (Sept. 15-22)

[April]

Click on this thread, and read about the format for this class.

This week we will be discussing this lesson. Notice MorgueFile.com has it's own forum for discussing this lesson. Obviously, you are more than welcome to post there too, but make sure you post your assignments here (in this thread) to qualify for any prizes we'll be giving away.

This week's assignments are the same as what is posted at the bottom of the lesson on MorgueFile.com. I'm reposting them here for easy reference.

• Assignment 1: Take at least one abstract photo based entirely on some of the compositional rules we talked about. Subjects should not be recognizable. Post your photo here, along with an explanation of why you think the composition makes a visually interesting image.
• Assignment 2: Students will take pictures of a subject from various viewpoints (near, far, from above, below, behind). Creativity is encouraged. Likewise, post your best two or three photos of the subject, along with an explanation of which you think is most visually appealing and why.

Don't worry too much anything besides coposition. We'll learn more about the technical side of photography in future lessons.

These assignments are due by the end of September 22nd if you want to be eligable for a prize, however even if you are late (days, months, years) I bet others will come back and chat with you here if you post your assignment.

If you want to read more on balance you can read this thread. It has some great information too.

[montmeag]

This looks awesome. The lesson seems so huge just glancing at it, I hope something sinks in. We'll see what I can come up with. The website name is interesting, it reminds me of work. Sorry, that was random.

[April]

I agree the lesson is huge this week. Just read part of it if you have to. I think there is a lot of amazing information there though if you can make the time for all of it.

[jessie]

The lesson this week is huge, but it is crucial to taking your photos from looking like simple snapshots to something more. In this photo, I composed it using some of those elements in the lesson:



Here you can see Simplify (by making the image black and white I eliminated the distractions that would have come into play with the color image), the Rule of Thirds (see the main post in the far left third? Also that top fence crossbar also hits the third as well), and Leading Lines (the fence lines create movement and a sense of direction). Using the Triangle rule, you can easily create a triangle with the fence as well.

Sometimes the most mundane objects (for example, here it's just a fence) become far more interesting when you play with the composition. This takes into account Lesson 2. Had I simply photographed the fence head on, there really wouldn't have been much of a story to tell. This way the object has a new life... simply by changing my perspective.

Good luck this week on your challenge, everyone!

[angelscrapper]

Hi everyone, I have posted my first two pics for the lesson here is the link to view the pics and my description
http://forum.digitalscrapbookmemorie...hp?albumid=142

[April]

Thank you Jessie!!! Jessie is one of the many photographers that will be here to help us throughout this class! You can check out more of Jessie's photography here.

[April]

I'm really excited for this photography class. I REALLY want to improve my photography. I WELCOME critiques from anyone. I really want to learn so I'm happy to get advice.

Here are some pictures I have taken over the last couple days.

Assignment 1:
I don't have a macro lense and had a hard time with the "Subjects should not be recognizable" part of the assignment. I just couldn't seem to get close enough to anything for that to happen so I completed the assignment without following that part.

For this one, I cropped into make it a little less "recognizable". I tried to use the triangle rule here and like how it turned out. I also took her advice to make sure there weren't any distracting elements around my subject, including the table. I put these on a couple white peices of paper and I think it brings to focus to the balls rather than the table or anything else.



Ha ha. This is a strange picture (and not correct technically, I'm sure) but I thought it was a good subject for trying diagonal lines. I think the same picture straight up and down would be really bad. The diagonal seems to make it a little more interesting.



If this picture wasn't so over exposed at the bottom, it *might* be a good example of leading lines. Maybe? If nothing else, it uses the rule of thirds.




Assignment 2:

I decided to take pictures of a bridge from different angles. I knew from what Jessie said that the picture wouldn't look good head on so I didn't even try that.

Had I simply photographed the fence head on, there really wouldn't have been much of a story to tell.

Here are a couple angles I didn't like quite as much:



I did like this one. I *think* it uses the rule of the triangle and leading lines.

[montmeag]

Nice pictures April. I agree about the bridge pictures, the big one is my favorite. I working on mine. I may have to post them in stages.

[kmsarles]

April, I LOVE the picture of the forks! I could totally see that hanging in a diner!!! I like the balls and the bridge too. The balls look really cool... like a catalog pic or something. I really should dig out my camera and try some of this stuff... It's cold outside here and that's putting me off taking any pictures outside.

[digimad]

I was trying to get up really close to some flowers last night and the camera would not focus and would not take a picture. I was using the flower setting. I have taken pictures up close before and not had a problem. Any idea what is wrong? Do I need a macro lens? If I backed up from the subject, then it would take the picture. Thanks!

[April]

I have taken pictures up close before and not had a problem. Any idea what is wrong?

I wonder if you were in darker light or if your hand was shaking. Sometimes even a little shake will stop the camera from taking a macro picture.

[jessie]

Originally Posted by April

I decided to take pictures of a bridge from different angles. I knew from what Jessie said that the picture wouldn't look good head on so I didn't even try that.

Now wait a minute... you can still make a picture of a bridge look good head-on, especially that one which had those cool diagonal lines! Sometimes zooming into just one piece of the bridge head on will make the difference. By filling the frame it could have been a really interesting shot.

I do like the ones you have, though... they have a lot of movement!

As for the overexposed one, try converting it to a contrasty BW or even burning that edge to bring back the detail... that could still save the shot!

I like the forks. I'd crop them even closer to get rid of your hand and probably tilt them just slightly more to the left. If you bring them into the lower third of your frame you can even make use of that negative space, too!

[Amanda J.]

And I can't wait for more lessons . I shot all of these with my Nikon D50 and a Sigma 105mm Macro lens.

Here are my abstract shots. The first is of a plant down by the lake that backs up to our property. I really like the way it looks like a fan.

1/100 shutter
ISO 1600
f/6.3


The second is of a very small section of my chain link fence:
1/400
ISO 800
f/3.5


The third abstract is of a portion of a letter on the back of our truck.
1/320
ISO 800
f/8


My different angle shots are of a flower. Let me say that shooting at such high ISO meant that Noiseware is my friend, LOL!
1/160
ISO 1600
f/6.3


1/250
ISO 1600
f/6.3


1/100
ISO 1600
f/6.3


1/160
ISO 1600
f/4

[Amanda J.]

April, I really like the one of the woven balls. I think the white background was an excellent choice. I wonder what it would look like with a color?

And the forks are really cool! I like your b/w conversion. Very steely looking.

You could crop the trees one so that most of the overexposed part is gone and then the trees would run down the right third. I really like the texture on them.

I really like the largest bridge one. Nice shots!

[April]

Jessie and Amanda, I liked reading your critiques. Thank you! I'm going to apply those ideas to future pictures in the next lessons. Amanda, I am definitely going to try color under those balls when we get to a lesson that teaches me how to manually set up my camera better. Great idea! Your pictures are great too! You have such a great eye for this stuff!!!

I like the forks. I'd crop them even closer to get rid of your hand and probably tilt them just slightly more to the left. If you bring them into the lower third of your frame you can even make use of that negative space, too!

Jessie, is this what you had in mind? I'm still not sure I love this but I think I mainly don't like it because I think I would have liked the fork closest to me in better focus. Doesn't matter. I'm learning.

[jessie]

kind of, April... I was actually thinking of just moving the forks lower in your frame so there was more neg. space at the top. But I like the "fill the frame" effect this one has, too. It would have been better with the front fork in focus, but it's not that bad.

[mindy]

Amanda, those are great shots I love the chain link fence photo. Makes me wish I had a macro lens. April, the one bridge looks awesome and I think that fork shot is cool because it's so different from anything I'm used to seeing! Jessie, thanks so much for taking the time to help out, you are awesome and it's fun to get inside your head!

This would be a hard lesson for me, but I'll give it a try. I have such a hard time not sticking a person in.

[April]

This would be a hard lesson for me, but I'll give it a try. I have such a hard time not sticking a person in.

Me too!!!

Mindy is another photographer that will be helping out during this class.

[Charm Lady]

Wow! You ladies have taken awesome photos! April-I love the fork idea. It is totally unusual.

And Amanda-Wow! The chain link and the plant are really cool!

I keep telling myself I am going to get outside and take some pictures, but my new baby wants to eat all day long. One of the joys (and trials) of being a new mom. I think I will go out tomorrow or on Saturday.

Thanks for sharing your photos for inspiration, ladies!

[iNancy]

The first one, obviously, is my abstract. I was going for simple (monochome) and golden mean.

The second one is working my favorite subject. Here we have behind, under, and in front of. Okay, these weren't really for the assignment, but I shot them today and I forgot part 2 of the assignment until I reread the lesson tonight. And I figure the last shot has lots of repetition (of the nets) and not a few leading lines. Although it has plenty of extraneous willy nilly lines, too.

[LucyLu]

Originally Posted by digimad

I was trying to get up really close to some flowers last night and the camera would not focus and would not take a picture. I was using the flower setting. I have taken pictures up close before and not had a problem. Any idea what is wrong? Do I need a macro lens? If I backed up from the subject, then it would take the picture. Thanks!

i have noticed this with my Rebel as well ... it does not take "macro" photos as well as my fuji even in the Macro setting... I just need to get a macro lens... because I love closeups.

[Amanda J.]

There are two things that may be causing your camera to not focus.

1. You are within the minimum focal distance from your subject. With my regular lenses (non-macro) I have to be about an arms length away for the camera to focus.

One way to achieve the abstract without getting very close to something small, is to pick a much larger subject. A trailer (like the yellow picture in the lesson) a building, a fountain, a large tree branch, playground equipment, furniture. Anything that is larger so you can stand/sit/lay three feet or more away and still have just a portion of the whole in your viewfinder.

The sky last November.


An absolutely huge leaf. Probably four feet across.


O'Neal Bridge across the Tennessee River:


2. There may not enough contrast for the auto focus to work. If you try to focus on the middle of a grey shirt, it won't work even if you are standing far enough away. But if you focus on the place where the neckline meets the skin, it will. The camera needs an area of distinct contrast in order to auto focus. You can always manually focus, but I have trouble moving fast enough as it is, without adding manual focus to the situation. LOL!

I do turn the autofocus off when I take a picture of my grey card. Really attractive, LOL!



So I would suggest two things:
1. Back up. Try to take a picture of a portion of something that is much larger.
2. Focus on an area of greater contrast.

I hope that helps!!!

[April]

That HELPS ME!!! Thanks Amanda. I didn't think of larger objects for this assignment.

[digimad]

Thanks Amanda!

[Amanda J.]

You are both very welcome .

[peverill]

I don't know if these fit. I am really not very good at this. Here is a couple of pictures that I took. And also you may critique me. I need to learn a lot!

[angelscrapper]

awesome pics and I will be going out sun to do some abstract pics, hope i can pull it off, I don't know enough to critique someone elses pics but I do know what I like
http://forum.digitalscrapbookmemorie...hp?albumid=142

[April]

Nancy, I loved looking at your pictures. The one of your son in the net is really cool, plus he is so CUTE!

Paula, those yarn pictures are SO COOL!!! I think that second picture of the yarn especially follows the rule of thirds and looks AWESOME!! As in frameable awesome. It makes me want to buy yarn. If you have time I would love to see you retake the outside picture. I think it has a ton of potential but I don't like the line going down the middle. I think if you apply the rule of thirds to that picture and/or take the picture on a diagonal it would be even neater. You might squat down and take the picture lower too??? Maybe??? I think the ruler picture would be even neater if you took the picture on a diagonal too. Please don't take my advice if you disagree. I personally love getting another person's point of view (good or not), so I hope you truly do too.

[Charm Lady]

Here are my abstract photos. One of the top of a gate post. It has a triangle in it (the shape), follows the rule of thirds, and has negative space where the background is out of focus. I actually took 3 or 4 photos of the top of this fence from different angles and fell in love with the way this one turned out. I think it is a very interesting angle of the fence.

The other 2 are of a wagon that holds potted plants. The one is of the top of the wheel. It follows the "leading lines" idea as it goes out of the photo. It also follows the rule of thirds, and if you think hard enough, there are triangles in it.
The other one (with the pipe) is of where the water comes in to feed the plants. It is on a diagonal, there are triangles in it, and it kind of follows the rule of thirds.

[Sparky4]

Assignment 1 - I liked the idea of getting really close. All week I was paying attention to small details - it was fun! These bubbles on the straw inside my water bottle really caught my eye, and I love the deep blue color! The straw is on the left third gridline, and the curve along the top third gridline. Also I think the curve helps lead the viewer's eye through the photo.




Assignment 2 - I went to the library and took photos of the bookshelves. I thought I would see some good repetition and lines. These three were my favorites.

The distance shot has some nice lines all leading toward the end of the row which is at the right gridline. To me this is inviting the library browser around the corner to the next shelf! I would have prefered not to have the empty space in the corner of the shelves right in the middle of the photo, but that's how our library does the ends of their shelves.




This next shot (from above) kind of surprised me. I love the converging lines, but I didn't "see" them until I'd taken the photo and looked at it on the camera LCD. Funny how your eye can adjust when it knows how things "should" be!




The last shot (close up) has a nice diagonal in the arm, leading to the book which is on the right third gridline. The arm and the tilted book form a triangle.