Unit 31 - Photography for media products: November 2015

Camera features and settings

Exposure

Exposure is the amount of light which the film (or light sensor) picks up. This is important because it determines the amount of illumination in a photograph. Overexposure is when too much light reaches the image sensor or photographic film and can cause details to be removed from the image, the opposite of this underexposure where not enough light reaches the sensor causing the image to become dark. A camera has several different 'Exposure modes' these include:

Image by Frans Lemmens

Manual Mode (M) - This is where you have to set your own aperture and shutter speed. This is incredibly beneficial when taking photographs which have lots of light and dark contrasts in the frame, as demonstrated in the picture to the left, as well as being a useful tool when taking photos of moving subjects. However it can be difficult to get the perfect aperture settings, and therefore time-consuming so it could be beneficial to experiment with this setting first.

Shutter Priority (S or TV) - In this mode, you set the shutter speed but the aperture is adjusted automatically so that you get the correct exposure. This mode is generally used to suggest motion in a photograph, this is done by having a longer exposure which makes objects appear blurry. This mode is often used in sports, where they use a short exposure so that the subjects appear 'frozen'.

Aperture Priority (A or AV) - Here you adjust the aperture so that you can choose what is in focus and how blurry the image may be. This is usually used for depth of field, by using a small aperture everything becomes blurred which creates a shallow depth of field and by using a large aperture everything becomes focused. Aperture is the size of the hole in which light is allowed to travel through the lens, this is measured in 'f-stops'. The smaller the f-stop (e.g f/2), the larger the hole meaning more light can travel through.

Auto (P) - This is where everything is done automatically by the camera, this is not very good when trying to make creative decisions because everything is done for you.

Photographic Lenses

There are various types of lenses. The one that interests me the most is the fish eye lense because I think it gives a great perspective on things and really draws the eye in to the central part of the image. It makes the whole image look spherical and I think that is just a great effect.

I think it's highly possible that I will at least experiment with this lense but I will most likely only use a standard lense just because it is very simple to use. But it also gives a wider view of everything, which of course the fisheye lense does not.

The theme I have chosen for this unit is 'The identity of Abnormality'. The reason I've chosen this theme is because I find it quite interesting and I think it could be quite surreal. My main reason for choosing this theme though is I can draw a lot of inspiration from my favorite photographer, Christopher McKenney.

In particular I want to take the idea of his excessive use of cloth, particularly to cover the face. I think that will put a sense of irony in the word 'Identity' because obviously the model will not be identifiable.

Locations

I also like McKenney's frequent use of woodlands, and as such I shall probably visit similar areas. I do however also like the idea as having abandoned buildings in the background to give my images a sense of the real world and abandonment.

The first image out of this selection is a close-up and so the background is actually just darkness. So images like this could be done in my own house or at college in front of a dark backdrop.

Equipment

Most importantly I shall need a camera, obviously. And I have decided to use the Canon 650d DSLR camera, which shall be supported using a tripod. I decided to use a digital camera because there is a large chance that I shall want to edit these files using Adobe Photoshop, which is made much easier when you have a digital image. I have decided to use a tripod at all times because I want my shots to be steady and clear.

Lenses

I would like to experiment with various lenses, but mostly the Fish Eye and Wide Angle lenses. I would like to use the Fish Eye because of its obscure view on the scenery which I think adds to the theme of abnormality and the frame can be made circular as opposed to the standard rectangular frame which I think makes the image more intriguing. Which brings me on to the Wide Angle as this does have a standard rectangular frame. The reason I'd also like to use the wide angle is because of it's smaller focal length. This will help me to make the foreground appear much more prominent and again enhance the idea of abnormality.

As a contingency I shall also take images with a standard lens, this won't have any effect on the image like the Fish Eye and Wide Angle however. So the reason I shall also be taking images with this lens is in the case that I decide I do not like the images taken with the latter two lenses.

Costume

Costume is quite a vital part of my theme because it helps to express the idea of abnormality. Like McKenney, I shall be wrapping my models in some sort of cloth (most likely bed sheets). I also want to use electrical tape to make very clear lines on my models, which I think will be more intriguing.

At the moment I am considering having one male model and one female. And so I want to use that to my advantage in my images. The female should wear a dress and tights, all black. And the man should wear a shirt, tie and jeans. The reason for this is to provide a contrast. The girl will be dressed in very dark clothing to match the dark nature of the photographic style, and the man shall be dressed in more casual clothing to bring forward that sense of abnormality coming in to reality.

Camera Settings

For all of my photographs I shall be using manual focus. This is so that I can capture the image exactly the way I want to. However, I may also take images in auto-focus as a contingency in case the final images come out blurry.

I am also contemplating taking some images around a fire. For this picture I shall have the ISO set to 200 to make the image relatively dark, but still clear. Until I am actually at the shoot I cannot specify a shutter speed though I think I will experiment with most speeds between 1/350 and 1/550, this is so that I can capture the motion of the flames actually in the photograph.

Risks

The main risk involved in taking these photographs is protecting the equipment, mostly due to it's expense. Because of this I have to make sure that the weather is appropriate at times of shooting and make sure I know the areas which I am shooting in as to help avoid theft risks.

Another issue is the costume being used, because it shall be directly covering the models face it means they are likely to suffer loss of breath. So because of this I have make sure they are in fact able to breath and may have to take short breaks in between sets of photographs so the models can get some air.

There is also a possibility I shall be using fire in my images and so of course that is a hazard. This means that I will always have to have my phone on me with full battery. Having water nearby might also be precaution to take.