Photography

the basics of
photography
HUMAN 100: Introduction to Humanities

photography
It is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by
recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either chemically by
means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film, or
electronically by means of an image sensor.
It came from two Greek words:
Photos (φωτός) – which means ‘light’ and
Graphine (γραφή) – which means ‘to draw’.

photography
The subject matters used for photography before includes
landscapes and portraits, today our daily life becomes our subject.

photography
Early photographers which practice photography as an art use
painting as model. Their photographs, like the paintings, tells a story.

Art Movements:
Styles in photography

pictorialism
Photographers use a variety of techniques to undercut the
objectivity of the camera, producing gauzy, atmospheric images that
seemed more painterly, and thus more like art.
It is a style in which the photographer has somehow manipulated
what would otherwise be a straightforward photograph as a means of
"creating" an image rather than simply recording it.
In 1869 English photographer Henry Peach Robinson published a
book entitled Pictorial Effect in Photography: Being Hints On
Composition And Chiaroscuro For Photographers.

Fading Away (1858)
by
pictorialism

Spiderwebs (1908)
by
pictorialism

straight photography
Pure photography or straight photography refers to photography
that attempts to depict a scene as realistically and objectively as
permitted by the medium, renouncing the use of manipulation.
Its also a type of picture that has no side effect but tell the truth
in general.
It is considered as a point of honor for photographers not to crop
or manipulate their photographs in a way.

The Steerage (1907)
by

Migrant Mother (1936)
by

abstraction
This was developed in the early 20th century painters, wherein
different forms of objects were simplified and reduced to its most
characteristic aspects.
Abstract photography can produce very dramatic images. It relies
on our more primal sense of form, color, and curves than it does on
detail.

abstraction
Abstraction (1915)
by

abstraction
Here are some techniques on abstract photography:
a. Selective Focus

abstraction
b. Light and Shadows

surrealism
Surrealism is a form of art which arose after the WWI, wherein
artist looked for the intrusion of strange, dreamlike moments into
ordinary, everyday life.

solarization
Solarization is a process by which an exposed negative is
briefly re exposed to light during development which cause chemical
change to the photographic emulsion.

new media
Today, photographers welcome the new technologies such
as computers and digital cameras as natural extensions of their
medium.

Basics of Photography
the camera as medium

cameras: then and now
19th century studio camera standing
on tripod and using plates
Compact Kodak
folding camera
from 1922
Leica-II, one of the first 135 film
cameras, 1932

Contax S of 1949 – the first
pentaprism SLR
Polaroid Colorpack 80
instant camera, c 1975
Digital camera, Canon Ixus class, c.
2000

Nikon D1, the first digital SLR used in
journalism and sports photography, c. 2000
Smartphone with built-in camera spreads
private images globally, c. 2010

basic parts of a camera
a. - holds all the other
parts together and provides
protection to the delicate
internal parts of a camera.

b. - consists of
several layers of lenses of varying
properties which allows to zoom
or focus.
Focusing - is a process at which the camera lenses are moved until
the subject becomes very sharp.

c. - this is the ‘trigger’ of the camera which
initiates the image capturing process.

d. - this part
contains several symbols
which allow you to select a
shooting mode.

e. - this is the small viewing window that shows the image
that the camera’s imaging sensor sees.

f. - this is found around the old manual of SLR as way
to select an aperture opening.

g. - this is also found around the lens of a DSLR
camera which is turned to manually focus the lens.

h. - this is the
small screen at the back of the
camera used for framing or for
reviewing recorded images.

i. usually built-in on the body of the camera which
provided instantaneous burst of bright light.

j.
comprise of a set of directional
keys and few other buttons to
activate certain functions and
menus.

k. this part turns on or off the camera. This may
also contain a record/play mode select or on some cameras.

l. this part allows the user to control the
camera’s lenses to zoom-in or zoom-out.

m.
this part holds the batteries.

n.
an expansion where the
memory card is inserted.

o. this varies the focal length of the lens in the viewfinder in
order for people wearing eyeglasses see clearly through it even without the eyeglass.

p. - this
part allows users to attach a
tripod or monopod for added
stability.

Basics of Photography
camera angles

camera angles
Camera angles and movements combine to create a sequence of
images, just as words, word order and punctuation combine to make the
meaning of a sentence. You need a straightforward set of key terms to
describe them.
Describing Shots
When describing camera angles, or creating them yourself, you have to
think about three important factors: a. The FRAMING or the LENGTH of shot,
b. The ANGLE of the shot, and c. If there is any MOVEMENT involved
When describing different cinematic shots, different terms are used to
indicate the amount of subject matter contained within a frame, how far away
the camera is from the subject, and the perspective of the viewer. Each
different shot has a different purpose and effect. A change between two
different shots is called a CUT.

framing or shot leght
a. Extreme Long Shot - This can be taken
from as much as a quarter of a mile away,
and is generally used as a scene-setting,
establishing shot. There will be very little
detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a
general impression rather than specific
information.

b. Long Shot or Full Shot - this is the most difficult to categories precisely, but is
generally one which shows the image as approximately "life" size -- corresponding to
the real distance between the audience and the screen in a cinema (the figure of a
man would appear as six feet tall).

c. Medium Shot - Contains a figure
from the knees/waist up and is
normally used for dialogue
scenes, or to show some detail of
action.

d. Close-up Shot - This shows very
little background, and concentrates
on either a face, or a specific detail.
Everything else is just a blur in the
background. This shot magnifies the
object and shows the importance of
things, be it words written on paper,
or the expression on someone's
face.

e. Extreme Close-up Shot - As its
name suggests, an extreme version of
the close up, generally magnifying
beyond what the human eye would
experience in reality. An extreme
close-up of a face, for instance, would
show only the mouth or eyes, with no
background detail whatsoever. This is
a very artificial shot, and can be used
for dramatic effect.

camera angles
1. The Bird's-Eye view
This shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and
strange angle. Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem
totally unrecognizable at first.
This shot does, however, put the audience in a godlike position,
looking down on the action. People can be made to look insignificant,
ant-like, part of a wider scheme of things.

camera angles
2. High Angle
Not so extreme as a bird's eye view. The camera is elevated
above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles
make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or
scary).
The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting -
they become part of a wider picture.

camera angles
3. Eye Level
A fairly neutral shot; the camera is positioned as though it is a
human actually observing a scene. The camera will be placed
approximately five to six feet from the ground.

camera angles
4. Low Angle
These increases the height and give a sense of speeded motion.
The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling,
the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the
viewer.
The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and
insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure
on the screen.

camera angles
5. Worm’s Eye View
Taken also from a
low angle but more
extreme.

camera angles
6. Oblique/Canted Angle
Sometimes the camera is tilted to suggest imbalance, transition
and instability. This technique is used to suggest point-of-view shots --
when the camera becomes the 'eyes' of one particular character, seeing
what they see.

elements
 Composition- taking the scene as a
whole and not just the main subject
of the photograph.
 Rule of thirds- mentally dividing the
frame into three distinct vertical and
horizontal sections.

 Framing- used to draw the viewer’s eye to the subject of the
photograph. It may use natural elements to frame your subject.
elements

 Graphic Interest- how a photographer
see the scene and how it is presented
to the audience.
elements

basic photography rules
1. Get a steady hand on the camera.
2. Choose a pleasing backdrop, preferably something that suits
the atmosphere you want to create.
3. Avoid direct sunlight when shooting outdoors.
4. Pay attention to what is happening when taking outdoor
photographs.
5. Find fitting backdrop for portraits and use tripod to keep the
shot from being blurred.
6. In group pictures, make sure that everyone is included in the
picture.
7. Take candid shots.

ACTIVITY
Answer page 177 and 178 in your book.

Photography

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Photography

More from Andrea May Malonzo

Recently uploaded

Photography