Syllabus | Notes Index

Lesson 4

How a Digital Camera Works:
Lens to Imaging sensor to Media
All about light.
In a digital camera when light reaches the back of the camera it hits an imaging sensor as opposed to the film in analog cameras.
From there the information is processed to eliminate noise, calculate color values and produce an image data file--that file is then written to your digital picture card.

The Lens: Because pixels are all the same size (and film grain is not), digital cameras are at a disadvantage when it comes to capturing fine detail. So digital cameras need to have better lenses to get the same information as an analog camera.
When we hear different "mm"s for lens types we are talking about the focal length of the lens. This is technically the length from the lens to the imaging sensor in a digital camera. The longer the focal length the more the lens will magnify the scene.

Most of these cameras do offer ZOOM capabilites, which does allow you to change the composition of your photo without having to move.

ZOOM:
optical: the lenses have a series of lens elements that move and later the focal length. These lenses may take pictures that are a bit less sharp than a prime (non zoom) lens in that there are added elements to the lens (such as glass) which can cut down on the sharpness.
"Digita Zoom"l: really just take the information that you have and crops it.

Changeable Lenses: Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras allow you to change the lenses.

Exif or MetaData: Can see this data in Bridge. Take a look.

A brief discussion on composition and what it is.

http://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_better_photographic_composition_introduction.html

http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-composition-tips

http://photoinf.com/General/Arnold_Kaplan/The_Magic_Of_Selective_Vision_-_Photo_Composition.htm

Horizontal or vertical: or view of the world is not limited to these constraints, so it is something that we have to get used to working with. Talk about why most novice photographers hold the camera horizontal all of the time. Have a discussion on what we might photograph vert and horiz. (also for publishing).

Different angles and points of view: Have discussion with students regarding this.
Bending down, tilting, standing on your head.

The importance of the frame (also known as figure-ground relationship). How do elements interact with the edge of the frame

Balance: How do elements interact with each other?

Foreground/Background:

Size, Position, and Point of View:

Line, Form and Color: abstraction

Fine Art Photography

http://www.photographywest.com/pages/gallery.html

Motion:
http://www.afterimagegallery.com/featurecaponigro.htm

Use of Focus: can be tied in with motion:
http://www.livingroom.org.au/photolog/tips/digital_sports_photography_tips.php

Homework: Part 1: Take an object that is about the size of a soda bottle, photograph it from a foot away using different angles. Take 20 photos of the object.
Part 2: take a photo of the same scene or object (your choice) 30 different times. Frame it differently each time (make sure to move closer and farther from it).