Mr.Wilson's Satellite Digital Photography Course: January 2016

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Welcome to the ROP Digital Photography Satellite Course

Hello Students,
Welcome to ROP's first satellite online/in-class digital photography course. In this course we will be studying exposure principals, composition, studio lighting, portraiture and creation of a photo essay.

Your Instructor, Mr.Wilson

Classes will meet in-class on 1 day a week for hands-on exercises and course work discussions, review and critique. Students will have access to class equipment during meeting days but will be required to use their own cameras, computers and internet access to complete online assignments each week. Students must provide transportation to and from class during in-class days. Students will post work and complete discussions on the course flickr group. Students will need a yahoo account to post work.

Students should check in with this website for new assignments and will post work for review, critique and grading online.

Introduction Assignment:
For this first assignment students will introduce themselves on the class Flickr group with an artistic image and an introduction.

Assignment Details:

Create or utilize your Yahoo email account to sign up for or log into Flickr
Request to join the class Flickr Group Page and wait for approval
When access is granted navigate the the group page and upload your artistic image to the Photo section, make sure your image is tagged with the word: artistic
When your image is uploaded navigate the the group Discussion area and type in your introduction to the post titled "Group Introduction Page", you will find instructions for completing your introduction in the first post written by me, your instructor.

Photo Credit: Seth Wilson 2015 "Blue Moon"

Key Assignment 1: Pareidolia and Balance
Your first key assignment is a study in pareidolia. Pareidolia is the perception or recognition of a specific pattern or form in something that is essentially different. In this case we will be looking for faces in objects or faces in everyday places and buildings/architecture. When an artist uses elements of pareidolia in a painting or illustration it can have a double-meaning. In photography the same effect can occur if the photographer sees the right conditions for it. Check out the samples below...

Reading Assignment:
Complete this reading assignment in order to be able to identify the types of balance used in your and others photographic compositions. Identifying balance in your work is part of the assignment requirements.

Link 1: New York Film Academy - 5 types of balance in photography
Link 2: Photography Life - Balance in photography

Photography and Writing Assignment Details and Requirements:

Walk the campus, your neighborhood or home looking for hidden faces in buildings, plumbing, fixtures, bookcases, trees, etc... capture the images with attention being paid to composition, lighting, color, angle, emotion and most importantly balance.
Take many shots (10-20) and choose your 4 best.
Post your 4 images to the Flickr group with the tag pareidolia (spell it correctly!)
For each image you post write a short paragraph describing the the artistic methods your image displays, what kind of balance it is utilizing and what emotion does your pareidolia display (happiness, fear, rage, etc...) and how that affects the composition. Include these paragraphs in the details section when posting your image.
Make comments on 4 images of other students providing constructive criticism or compliments on the photographers usage of composition, lighting, color, balance, etc... stay constructive and/or positive.
Project is due wednesday

Grading Specifications for a total of 10 possible points:
   2 points: All 4 shots posted with paragraphs and tags
   2 points: All 4 shots are properly exposed
   2 points: All shots show attention to balance, composition, light, exposure
   2 points: Work posted on time
   2 points: Constructive criticism, feedback and compliments posted to 4 other images

Advanced Students: HDR Pro Project

Hello Students,

Your new assignment is to shoot a set of "bracketed" images and combine them with Photoshop's "Merge to HDR Pro" feature. HDR Pro is a powerful tone mapping program, and is the best way to merge multi-exposure images. Bracketing refers to shooting images in multiple exposures, normal, over and under exposed... which are then combined to show a greater depth of light, a higher dynamic range... of color, light and dark.

Project Requirements:

• You will produce 4 final images for this project, 1 landscape, 1 architecture, 1 still life, 1 automobile

• You must use a tripod to shoot a set of multiple exposure images. and then combine them with the Merge to HDR Pro feature in photoshop. Take 3 different exposures, underexposed, normal and overexposed.

• Write down the shutter speed, aperture and ISO for each image you take, HDR Pro may need this information. You can look it up in your EXIF data as well. Use the inspector in the Preview program to see the data.

• For your first image you will merge the separate exposures and use the sliders in the HDR Pro interface to achieve your best desired look.

• For the other 3 images, reload your separate exposures in HDR Pro and choose your 3 favorite Presets from the Preset Menu.

• Post your final images to the flickr account when complete

Tips and Advice to get great results:

Subject matter is your choice, but avoid any portraits or any subject that will move between taking each picture. Only attempt portraits if your model can stay perfectly still for all exposures. otherwise there will be ghosting and blur in your image.
HDRI process works best with landscapes, cars, architecture and objects that have rich texture or very shiny surfaces, like cars.
HDR Pro can align your images, but if there is too much movement between exposures than results can be less than desirable.
Use a tripod, it is mandatory for this project!