Hi Darcee,
Thanks for submitting your first assignment here at the Icon Photography School.
I generally tell most students that if they want they can do the course over email if you don’t feel like using the student forum to upload assignments so just keep that in mind. All you’d have to do is email your assignments to office@photographyicon.com
Now onto the assignment.
First here is there EXIF data for your images.
( If you don’t know what EXIF data is just take a quick peek at this: http://photographyicon.com/exif/ )
http://photographyicon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/DSCF2330.jpg
Date Time Original: 2014:12:15 17:04:55
Exposure Time: 1/89
F Number: f / 4.10
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length: 8.45mm
White Balance: Auto white balance
Make: FUJIFILM
Model: FinePix S4830/Walmart
Exif Version:
Flashpix Version:
Color Space: 1
Pixel X Dimension: 4608
Pixel Y Dimension: 3456
CompressedBitsPerPixel: 4
Maker Note: 876
Date Time Digitized: 2014:12:15 17:04:55
Shutter Speed Value: 6.50
Aperture Value: 4.07
Brightness Value: 5.56
Max Aperture Value: 3.26
Light Source: Unknown
Focal Plane X Resolution: 7463
Focal Plane Y Resolution: 7463
Focal Plane Resolution Unit: 3
Sensing Method: One-chip color area sensor
File Source: DSC
Scene Type: Directly photographed
Custom Rendered: Normal process
Scene Capture Type: Standard
Sharpness: Normal
Subject Distance Range: Unknown
InteroperabilityIFDPointer: 26984
ExifIFDPointer: 314
Orientation: 1
YCbCr Positioning: 2
X Resolution: 72
Y Resolution: 72
Resolution Unit: 2
Date Time: 2014:12:15 17:04:55
Software: Digital Camera FUJIFILM FinePix S4830/Walmart Ver1.00
Copyright:
http://photographyicon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/DSCF2331.jpg
Date Time Original: 2014:12:15 17:05:26
Exposure Time: 1/2000
F Number: f / 3.40
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length: 5mm
White Balance: Auto white balance
Make: FUJIFILM
Model: FinePix S4830/Walmart
Exif Version:
Flashpix Version:
Color Space: 1
Pixel X Dimension: 4608
Pixel Y Dimension: 3456
CompressedBitsPerPixel: 4
Maker Note: 876
Date Time Digitized: 2014:12:15 17:05:26
Shutter Speed Value: 11
Aperture Value: 3.53
Brightness Value: 9.49
Max Aperture Value: 3.26
Light Source: Unknown
Focal Plane X Resolution: 7463
Focal Plane Y Resolution: 7463
Focal Plane Resolution Unit: 3
Sensing Method: One-chip color area sensor
File Source: DSC
Scene Type: Directly photographed
Custom Rendered: Normal process
Scene Capture Type: Standard
Sharpness: Normal
Subject Distance Range: Unknown
InteroperabilityIFDPointer: 26984
ExifIFDPointer: 314
Orientation: 1
YCbCr Positioning: 2
X Resolution: 72
Y Resolution: 72
Resolution Unit: 2
Date Time: 2014:12:15 17:05:26
Software: Digital Camera FUJIFILM FinePix S4830/Walmart Ver1.00
Copyright:
Now you’ve done well here to find an unusual perspective and look at the world from a different point of view. That’s the goal, always be looking at things in a different way and capturing that with your images.
Getting close and filling your frame with whatever you are photographing is essential to making nice photographs.
In this case you have done that. You’re close and your frame is quite full.
There are a few things to notice here.
For one you have clipped off one side of the lightbulb. Generally speaking you never want to clip off parts of the most interesting thing in your frame. In other words if you’re taking a picture of a person’s face you wouldn’t cut off half of their face at the edge of the frame. Try to just remember to keep the interesting bits in and the boring stuff out.
Another quick note here is that the image is not balanced well. There is lots of stuff on the left and not so much stuff on the right. This is ok if you’re doing it for a reason or using negative space to accentuate something but in this case the image is just lopsided.
From a technical perspective there are a few things you can learn here.
Notice how everything is yellowish? This is because your camera’s automatic white balance setting can’t figure out what you’re shooting.
In this case you could just set your camera literally to the lightbulb white balance setting (tungsten) and the image wouldn’t be so yellowish.
White balance is important because your camera can’t tell what it’s photographing. Cameras don’t have brains like us humans. Our brains can immediately figure out what colors things should be whereas your camera often has to be told what the color temperature of the light is. This is done by white balance. Try playing around with this setting. The general rule is match your white balance setting to the light source. Cloudy day outside? Use the cloudy white balance setting. Shooting in fluorescent light? Use the fluorescent setting…
Eventually with a little more experience you’ll find ways to use white balance creatively.
For now just experiment with it and play around. You’ll learn what it does quickly.
Just remember, cameras are dumb and you need to help them be less dumb!
That’s probably enough to digest for this one. Job well done here. You’re playing with light, experimenting with composition and you’re on your way.
And remember you can always email office@photographyicon.com with any photography related questions. Whether you need gear recommendations or just have a technical question.
Thanks and see you on the next assignment!