Assignment #4 - High Key / Low Key...TAKE TWO

Yes, you heard right. Do the last assignment, assignment #3, AGAIN! I know you learned a lot, but you're not quite where I want you to be. Remember to BRACKET the living daylights out of these shots. Remember to shoot BLACK objects on a BLACK background...and WHITE objects on a WHITE background.

Now the tricky part. Don't just shoot objects. Don't just show me stuff. TELL me stuff. Tell me a story. Tell me something about these objects more than just "Here is something that is white".

You have the advantage of being able to spend some time now and find the sweet light. The sweet light will help tell the story. Remember, you CAN'T take too many photos for me. You really can't.

Do more than just make photographs that fit the assignment requirements. Stretch your imagination and come up with a unique and interesting story. These stories do NOT have to be complex. They can be VERY SIMPLE. Hint: KEEP THEM SIMPLE AND THEY WILL BE GOOD.



These will be due the last class period of the week that we return back from Spring Break. I want you to print two images, put those two images on the blog, write about your first and second shooting experiences, what you learned, how you got better, how it got easier (or harder...).

Assignment #3 - High Key/Low Key

Two prints from High Key and two prints from Low Key, blog post and explanation (four images total), and your notebook due Friday, February 19th. Put the same images you print on the blog. I want you to also show me one example of your high-key and low-key that you did NOT process and show me the difference between it and the one you retouched. Ideally we should have a hard time telling the difference.

This assignment will be similar to the bracketing assignment, in that it will teach you to find the right exposure depending on the subject matter.

This assignment is basically two assignments in one. Treat it as such and it will be easier to break down.

You will shoot high-key and low-key images. What is high-key? The majority of the image (85%+) will be tones of light gray to white. It will help you to think of shooting white objects placed on a white background. So, then the opposite of high-key is low-key right? Think of low key as gray-ish to black objects. Shoot your dark objects placed on a dark background. You might need a tripod/beanbag for these shots.

For both of your shots you will want to pay close attention to the background. Don't let stray light/objects ruin your clean shot. Also it helps to isolate the objects by getting close. Take a look at the examples below.

You will want to shoot both of your high-key and low-key shots using the bracketing technique that we learned. Go from very very VERY underexposed all the way to very very VERY overexposed for each of the shots...both high-key *and* low-key.

Using the extreme bracketing you will find that buried somewhere in those images is a nearly perfect exposure. That will be your starting point. We will take those good exposures into post-production in the studio.

Here are some examples:















HERE IS A SLIDESHOW of student work.

Yes, this is an assignment that I even give to my basic black and white college film class. Here's the proof...



Things you will definitely want to be paying attention to:

Focus - make 'em sharp!

Light - will make or break the entire assignment. Move the light around the objects if you are shooting indoors...move the objects around into different light if you are shooting outdoors.

We will lecture and show examples of this in class. This WILL BE an assignment you will want to go back and re-shoot a few times. Don't consider doing it wrong the first time a failure...consider it good practice.

Assignment #2 - Bracketing

This assignment will teach you that the 'right' exposure is not necessarily the 'best' exposure.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS SLOWLY AND COMPLETELY. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO IS IN THE INSTRUCTIONS.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Choose a static object that will not move (that's what static means right?) The object should be large enough to fill the frame. You will use this object for ALL of the next exposures. DO NOT RECOMPOSE. A tripod could be helpful.

2. Focus sharply. Use your manual focus. Get it sharp *before* you make any images.

3. Make a 'good' exposure. Use your histogram. Make sure you do not clip the shadows or the highlights. Your histogram for this 'good' exposure should look approximately like this: To get to where you can see your histogram, once you take the picture, press the PLAY button. If you press the DISP button it will scroll you through various options, one of them will have the histogram. If you have any questions, e-mail me.



4. Open up the lens aperture completely. Set it to it's lowest number...for some of you this will be 2.8, for some it will be 2.0.

5. DO NOT CHANGE THE SHUTTER SPEED.

6. Make an exposure.

7. Close down the aperture one stop (i.e. go from 2.8 to 3.2).

8. Make an exposure.

9. Close down the aperture one stop (i.e. go from 3.2 to 3.5).

10. Make an exposure.

11. Can you guess what comes next? Yep...close down aperture one stop.

12. Make an exposure.

13. Repeat until you have reached your smallest aperture (f/8).

14. DO NOT DELETE ANY EXPOSURES EVEN IF YOU THINK THEY LOOK BAD.

15. Choose a different static object. You will use this object for all of the remaining exposures.

16. Make a 'good' exposure with your aperture set to 5.6. Adjust the shutter speed as needed.

17. Adjust your shutter speed to 1/2000

18. Make exposure. (do not change aperture)

19. Adjust shutter to 1/1000

20. Make exposure.

21. You will continue the pattern using the following shutter speeds in this order: 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 0"5, 1", 2", 4", 8", 15". Make an exposure for EACH OF THE SHUTTER SPEEDS.

22. Choose another static object.

23. Repeat steps 2-13

24. Choose another static object.

25. Repeat steps 16-21

26. Have fun making 50 more GOOD exposures of WHATEVER YOU WANT!!!! Remember to consult your histogram. TRUST IT!

Images are due on Monday, Febuary 2. We will upload them in class and discuss our results.  This assignment will require several things.  One...pay ATTENTION TO THE DIRECTIONS!  You will mess up if you don't.  You might mess up even if you do.  You will probably re-shoot this assignment at least one more time.  Be prepared for that.  Come next week with your images and we will talk about what you did wrong...and what you did RIGHT.

Remember...keep it SIMPLE. NOT like this:

Chewie Pitching

This is above the photograph.




This text appears below the photograph.

Double-yolk egg

This morning I had the chance to tell a unique story. I had my very first double-yolked egg! I have never had one, but this egg was VERY big. I noticed that each of the yolks from the double-yolked egg is larger than the regular yolk from the single-yolked egg. This is from one of my chickens that is named Vader. It was yummy on some toast for breakfast.

Assignment #1 - Scavenger Hunt

Ok gang, this first assignment is designed to get you used to using your camera, understand it's functions and really, most importantly, to have some fun.

I want you to follow these instructions for this assignment. Following instructions with exactness is crucial to many of the things we will do in photo. It is a very process-intense thing to do all of this right, so pay attention and you'll do fine.

1. Take your camera and set it on 'P'.

2. Try and find the following objects to photograph: tree, bird, dog, car, cat, platypus, friend, mom, dad, sky, floor, hand, something red, something green, something scary, something funny.

3. Try to mix it up with your shots. Get close, get closer, get REALLY close. Let the camera focus before you take the picture.

4. Get at least 30-50 shots of whatever it is you have found. It is NOT important that these images are perfect works of art. These images are PRACTICE! These images will give us some files that we can work with next week to teach you how to upload your images to the server, how to set up your blogs, etc... Something to work with is better than nothing to work with, so be sure you get something in your camera.

5. DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR CAMERA TO CLASS ON MONDAY! This is really important...if you don't have your images to class then the assignment is LATE and your grade will suffer. Not only that, but if you don't have your images with you then you won't be able to follow along with me as I do my demo on Monday.

6. Open your instruction manual read it and play with the various settings on the camera. Learn it's controls as much as you can. You don't have to understand everything, just the basics for now. We will go over in class in a very detailed manner everything you will need to know. For now just the basics are good. This will be the only assignment you ever shoot on 'P'. The rest of the shooting will be on 'M'. If you are really ambitious you can set your camera on 'M' and mess around with it.

7. If you are REALLY ambitious, start over from the beginning and re-photograph what you shot at first. You might be surprised at what you learned and how much better the images turn out.

Final Blog Entry - Self Evaluation

Hey guys,

First of all I want to say again, a big thank-you for all of the hard work you have done for me this year. I really appreciate it. I have seen you all grow in ways beyond photography and the scope of this class, and I am happy and proud to have been around to see it.

I want you all to do a little looking back over the course of this year and pause for some self-evaluation. I want you to all write a few paragraphs about what you learned this year with me. I want you to NOT write about technology or cameras or Lightroom or blogging or printing. I want you to write about how your vision changed. How are you a different photographer today than you were at the beginning of the year. It might help to scroll back through your own blogs and look back at your early work.

I look forward to reading and sharing your responses with my colleagues.

Thanks again!