Lesson 1 Two Prospectives

[Jessica Thurston]

I took these photos of a Oil Lamp that usually hangs in my mothers living room, they are up above everyone’s heads so they normally don’t get noticed. I figured that this would make a good first assignment. Comments, thoughts and ideas are greatly appreciated. Thank You!

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[Duncan Rawlinson]

Hi Jessica,

First things first. Thank you for enrolling in the course and thanks for submitting your first assignment. I am happy that you’re embarking on your journey of learning in photography.

Let’s briefly take a look at the EXIF data of your images so we can see what settings you and your camera used to make these photos.

If you’re not familiar with EXIF data take a look at this page. In simple terms it’s just all the settings that we’re used to make a photo.

http://photographyicon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/100_0576.jpg

Date Time Original: 2015:02:23 17:29:12
Exposure Time: 1/50
F Number: f / 9.80
Exposure Program: Manual
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length: 7.30mm
White Balance: Auto white balance
Make: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
Model: KODAK EasyShare Z5010 Digital Camera
Exif Version:
Flashpix Version:
Color Space: 1
Pixel X Dimension: 3216
Pixel Y Dimension: 4288
Maker Note: 5060
Date Time Digitized: 2015:02:23 17:29:12
Subsec Time Original: 000
Subsec Time Digitized: 000
Shutter Speed Value: 5.60
Aperture Value: 6.50
Brightness Value: 4
Max Aperture Value: 3.60
Light Source: Unknown
Exposure Index: 100
Sensing Method: One-chip color area sensor
File Source: DSC
Scene Type: Directly photographed
Custom Rendered: Normal process
Focal Length In 35mm Film: 41mm
Scene Capture Type: Standard
Gain Control: Low gain up
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Subject Distance Range: Unknown
InteroperabilityIFDPointer: 8872
ExifIFDPointer: 2362
Orientation: 1
YCbCr Positioning: 2
X Resolution: 480
Y Resolution: 480
Resolution Unit: 2
Date Time: 2015:02:23 17:35:11
Software: Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer 6.1.7600.16385

http://photographyicon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/100_0574.jpg

Date Time Original: 2015:02:23 17:27:37
Exposure Time: 1/50
F Number: f / 8.70
Exposure Program: Manual
ISO Speed Ratings: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length: 4.50mm
White Balance: Auto white balance
Make: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
Model: KODAK EasyShare Z5010 Digital Camera
Exif Version:
Flashpix Version:
Color Space: 1
Pixel X Dimension: 4288
Pixel Y Dimension: 3216
Maker Note: 14916
Date Time Digitized: 2015:02:23 17:27:37
Subsec Time Original: 000
Subsec Time Digitized: 000
Shutter Speed Value: 5.60
Aperture Value: 6
Brightness Value: 4
Max Aperture Value: 3.20
Light Source: Unknown
Exposure Index: 100
Sensing Method: One-chip color area sensor
File Source: DSC
Scene Type: Directly photographed
Custom Rendered: Normal process
Focal Length In 35mm Film: 25mm
Scene Capture Type: Standard
Gain Control: Low gain up
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Subject Distance Range: Unknown
InteroperabilityIFDPointer: 18728
ExifIFDPointer: 14246
Orientation: 1
YCbCr Positioning: 2
X Resolution: 480
Y Resolution: 480
Resolution Unit: 2
Date Time: 2015:02:23 17:27:37

I like that you’re using manual exposure program mode here and I like that you chose to use a flash because that environment looks very dark. I also like that you’ve done a couple of simple things here.

For one thing you moved the object and brought it much closer. This is great. Take a look at this example.

Getting close is simply the best and easiest thing you can do to improve your photographs. When I say get close I don’t mean zoom in either, I mean getting physically closer. If you take anything away from this first lesson it should be to be close to your subject and to fill your frame with it.

As you progress through the course you will also become more familiar with light and the quality of light. In this case it’s a very dark environment. This is particularly interesting because it may not have felt too dark to you. The human eye is absolutely amazing because it’s attached to a your brain. The combination is extremely powerful. So powerful that we often don’t even notice the light in our environment as your brain just handles everything automatically.

As a photographer you will have to learn that your camera is nowhere near as good as a human eye and you’ll have to use settings accordingly when shooting or change the light or environment. In this case what you could have done is use a tripod and a longer exposure and no flash. This is because your object was not moving. In this way you could have a different, less harsh look to the image.

There is nothing wrong with using a flash to get a nice image in low light but for something like this that isn’t moving you could use the aforementioned technique.

One thing you can do as an experiment is set your camera on a tripod or just on a flat surface and shoot the exact same thing but change just one variable at a time to learn what happens. For example, see what happens when you set everything to manual and expose correctly but just change ISO, or just change, shutter. If this sounds too complicated don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it as you go.

As easier way to do this is to play with the simulators in the student workspace. So go check that out as well.

Whatever you do just have fun and play. There is no need to get bogged down with your learning just experiment and play around. This is the beauty of digital, you can shoot and shoot and shoot to your heart’s content.

One thing I will tell you is one of my favorite quotes about photography:

“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” –Henri Cartier-Bresson

So don’t be discouraged, just keep going! Some people often get discouraged in their early photography learning because they’re photos don’t look as good as the professionals. I tell them, would you expect to be as good as professional basketball player without practice and experience?!

So good job here and keep working.

Remember you can email office@photographyicon.com any time with questions. Whether it’s something you don’t understand or if you need a recommendation for camera gear.

See you on the next assignment!

[Author]

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