Depth of Field
The following 3 images were taken with a 50mm lens with the focal length at 50mmand ISO 200.
Settings:
Image 1 f4 1/125, Image 2 f8 1/30, Image 3 f16 1/8.
The next 3 images were taken with a wide angle 18-55mm lens with the focal point at 28mm and ISO 200.
Image 1 f4.5 1/100, Image 2 f8 1/30, Image 3 f16 1/8
The last 3 images were taken with a telephoto lens 55-200mm with the focal length at 85mm and ISO 200.
Image 1 f4.2 1/125, Image 2 f8 1/30, Image 3 f16 1/8
When I adjusted the aperture each time for each picture I also adjusted the shutter speed by the same amount of stops . Having all the photos laid out like the is the perfect way to see that that is
the best way to maintain exposure. The only way the images for each lens differed was the amount of blurr in the back ground. I found that the bigger the aperture (the smaller the number) the
blurrier the background and as I decreased the amount of light I let in each time you can clearly see (from left to right) the sharper the background became. This resulted in less attention on grandpa
and the photos appearing more dull. As a result this clearly goes to show that a shallower depth of field is much more flattering and affective for portrait photography, especially if the background you
have to work with isn’t very exciting.
Motion
FREEZING MOVEMENT
ISO 3200, shutter 1/200, aperture f7.1, internal flash.
Ideally for this activity I would have liked a faster shutter speed for a more precise capture of the water but because of the low lighting conditions I could only afford to have it at 1/200. It was a fun activity though and I intend to experiment with this a bit more with cool things like splashes of food colouring or sprinklers etc. This time of activity will be practical in day to day jobs likes kids, animals,
cars or sports photography.
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PANNING
ISO 220, shutter 1/20, aperture f4
This activity was little bit trickier to capture. The idea was to predict where the object is going to be and you follow it with the camera. You need to ensure you keep the camera steady as you move it to try and get a focused subject. I like the ‘moving lines’ in the background as it shows the speed. After
quite a few goes this was the best I could get. I definetly need practise with this one.
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Capturing blurred movement
ISO 200, Shutter 10seconds, aperture f22
I could have taken this picture out the front of my house in the suburbs but I thought with an interesting brief for the activity why not capture and interesting object like Flinders St Station. The white glow, coloured lines and blurs show the hustle and bustle that is Flinders St Station all day
everyday. I tried longer shutter speeds but because the station is so well lit it was too over exposed. 10 seconds was just enough time to capture lots of cars and a tram rush past. A tripod was essential
for this activity.
Night shoot.
As a class we visited the Federation Bells behind Fed square in Melbourne and then ventured off to photograph other parts of the beautiful city. It was very fun experimenting with long exposures and
capturing colour and light without the need for an external flash. I struggled the most with my tripod as it is cheap and flimsy and as a result I have discovered the importance of having a sturdy tripod. When capturing lights and movement etc its so important not to have camera shake bcause it can
ruin the desired effect and take away from the beauty of a well lit city. A wire-less remote trigger or hand pump are other ways of reducing shake but if your like me and you don’t have either then the self timer is the way to go. It was also crutial to aim to have straight lines on buildings etc. It wasn’t until this was brought to my attention that I realised the importance of it and how if its not done it
can make the buildings look distorted and less dramatic. Experimenting with different white balances also made an impact on the images. Not to say that some were right and some were wrong but it was and is simply a matter of personal preference and what kind of feel you want the photo to
have.
The Federation Bells: ISO 200, f8, 8 second shutter speed.
Likes: I like the colour tones- whites and reds of the bells and the blue art centre. I also like the hazy sky and that the bells are clearly visible.
Dislikes: There is nothing vibrant or special about it and the back ground is messy and too visble.
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The Federation Bells: ISO 400, f8, 5 second shutter speed.
Likes: I like the cooler tones to this image and the white ghostly glow.
Dislikes: I don’t like that there is no center peice. If I centred the solo bell in the middle the rest of the bells would be off centre. Also one of the two taller bells is off and I think the whole image would
be alot nicer and better composed with out those two.
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Foot Bridge/ Birrarung Marr: ISO 200, f11, 20 second shutter speed.
Likes: I like the relationship between nature and the man made buildings. I like that the trees over power the buildings. I like the light across the photo from a cyclist.
Dislikes: I would prefer if there were more coloured lights and more light movement.
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The Art Centre, Melbourne City and Yarra River: ISO 900, f22, 10 second shutter speed.
Likes: I like the colours, the composition and the reflection of lights on the water.
Dislikes: The image would be much more affective if the sky was blacker and the builders clearer and brighter.
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The Art Centre: ISO 320, f22, 10 second shutter speed.
Likes: I like the the composition and the simplicity of the photo. I like that the bottom is busy and tip of the statue has its own territory, like a flower sticking out of the ground or a bush.
Dislikes: I think the building needs to be clearer and more vibrant.
Landscape
Shooting landscapes requires patience, a good eye, tripod and interesting scenery. It doesn’t necasssarily have to beautiful but it needs to be worth looking at and eye catching. When I
attempted the landscapes for this activity I felt very limited with time as it was a very dark and gloomy day and the sun was going down very quickly. Everything seemed very grey and dull so some tweaking in post production was definantly necessary. When I personally felt the sunset looked the nicest unfortunately it was over housing estates which was not the look I was going for. I took my
tripod and checked out a couple of country paddocks and properties in my area. I experimented with different angles and tried to keep in mind the rule of thirds. I tried to look for interesting features to catch the eye. At one property I found a huge ‘yin yang’ symbol that had been mowed into the grass.
Unfortunately this photo would have only been affective if i was able to take it from a above. I experimented with a couple of images I felt could be suitable for my final image but some needed to be edited too much which decreased the image in quality (above). I decided on the below image. I
enhanced the clouds by decreasing the exposure and I enhanced the colour in the grass and sky etc because otherise it was just too dull and lacked personality and vibrance. . I particularly like the
shapes of the hills as I think they add depth and the mountains in the distant background spark a little bit of imagination and drama.
Sports/Action
For this acticity I chose to try something a little bit different to a typical sprts shot and took advantage of having a family full of dancers. I would have loved to get shots of my sister teaching
one of her classes in a studio but because she teachers children I wouldn’t have been aloud to take photos without permission from every childs parants. So insted I unfortunately had a very busy un
attractive background. I attempted to draw attention away from the backgroundby adding i vignette and my very dodgy editing attempt to only show a silhouette. Apart from the unfortunate
background I think I did an alright job of catching my sister in motion. This was from the help of a fast shutter speed of 1/800 of a second and lots and lots of attempts. Sport photography is trying to
predict the next move because you don’t always get a second chance to capture the move or the moment.
INSPIRATION SHOTS
My Sports Shots
