Okay, this "I am…" thing is really hard…

I know you want to just shoot and edit whatever you'd like but now you have a real job with a real client.  If you ARE having trouble with the assignment, this is the post for you.  Here are some specifics that might help.  If all else fails, ask for help and we can edit your images together.  I'm going to use an example from last year to walk you through what you need to do and think about when shooting your own "I am" images.

1.  You must set up the shot and have great lighting…your image will live or die with the settings you choose so think about time of day, using lights and/or reflectors, what is the background you've chosen - does it make sense?

This is the final image…

This is what we started with…

2.  Shoot wider than you normally would.  You will be cropping after the shoot and you need to leave PLENTY of space around your image.  Your final image MUST be 31 x 37".  Your LIVE area (what the viewer will see on the front of the canvas) will be 22.5 x 28.5".  Your final resolution must be 300.

3. Open your image in Photoshop.  The image size needs to be not smaller than 31 x 37 - your image will more than likely be larger one direction or the other.  If you make the width 31, the height might end up being 45.  You will crop later.

Select the rectangle tool

Drag the rectangle to the approximate size you want - it will appear as a new layer

Command T will select the rectangle so you can make the size 22.5 x 28.5"
…measure the edge against the ruler  to double check.

Now that you know you have enough space for the final crop and text, you can make the image correct for the canvas to be printed.

4.  Create a new file to the final size of 31 x 37" at a resolution of 300.

5.  Drag your image to the new file and position it where you like - 

6.  Create another rectangle to make sure the text fits correctly.  Your 22.5 x 28.5 rectangle MUST be centered.  You CANNOT move it around to make the crop work - that should be done when you sized the original image.

 7.  Create a new layer and select the Horizontal Text Tool.  You will be using Museo 500 - the font size I used for this image was 150 pt but yours might be larger.  You can find this font on the school computers - you probably don't have it on your personal laptop.

8.  Type in your "I am…" making certain it is within the rectangle you created earlier.  You can create a guide line to help you center it.  You have a few color options.  NDB blue, yellow/gold, or white.

Done!  Save the file as a psd in case you need to make changes, but you will be sending me the file as a jpeg.

Nicely done!

Assignment #25 - Great Portrait Tips & Let's JUMP!

Every year Notre Dame does a "jump" photo to use in the ad campaign.  Knowing exactly how to take the shot and what settings to use can be a bit tricky.  The same is true for taking fabulous portraits. 

This assignment is two-fold. 

Part 1: I want you to take a fantastic portrait shot of one (or more) person you know very well.  Think about the set up, the lighting, the composition, the mood of the final image you're after. 

Part 2: I want you to go outside and practice your hand at capturing an interesting jump image using first one person, then more than two.  Think about the location so you can capture the whole person (or people), and not have any loss of feet...

Post your best portrait and the technical information and your two best jump images, with technical information.

Due:  March 24, end of class.

Portrait Tips:

Quick Formula Rules:

Photographing one person, use the lowest aperture number your lens will allow, which is normally f/2.8.  Photographing two or three people, change your camera’s aperture setting to f/4.  Four or more people, set your camera at f/5.6 aperture.

The higher you set your aperture number, the more detail you’ll see in the photo. This isn’t always good for portrait photography. Wrinkles, pimples and other unwanted blemishes will suddenly appear multiplied.

Quick run down on those basic rules again:

One person, use the lowest aperture setting your lens will allow.

Two or three people, set an aperture number f/4.

Four or more / group shots, set f/5.6 aperture.

JUMP!

Camera settings for one person jumps:

When photographing one person jumping, always set your DSLR camera to shutter priority. This allows you to concentrate on the speed of the shot and the camera adjusts other settings to suit. The shutter speed is the most important setting for capturing the person nice and sharp. A speed of 1/400th of a second works every time.

Camera settings for groups of people jumping:

When photographing two or more people jumping, use aperture priority, yet still keep your attention on the shutter speed. Why aperture priority? There is no use photographing a group of jumpers if only one person is sharply focused. Set your aperture to f/5.6 following the rules on  aperture settings for portraits.  

A technique for groups:

Set your camera to aperture priority and choose an aperture of f/5.6. Before the group starts jumping, press your shutter button half way down while looking through the viewfinder and you’ll notice camera settings listed along the edges of the screen light up. Take note especially of the shutter speed. If the shutter speed is 1/400th of a second or faster then you are ready to shoot. If not, up your ISO to a higher number. Increase your ISO by 100 at a time and try again, adjusting from there until the shutter speed is showing as 1/400th of a second minimum.

Auto Focus:

Keep the focal switch on the side of your lens on AF. Obviously you won’t have time to manually focus.

Focal Points:

Set a middle single focal point. This set up will ensure you can easily find the focal point and focus on the person as they start their jump. If you are not sure what focal points are, then read this article on how to focus DSLR cameras.

Continuous Shooting:

Set your camera to continuous shooting, also called burst mode on some DSLR cameras.  Continuous shooting will allow you to take several shots or more per second. Your camera will keep shooting, as long as your finger holds down the shutter button. Note, cameras do limit how many you can take in any one burst until it needs to clear its cache. So if you hold your finger down on the shutter and it suddenly stops shooting, this is perfectly normal. That is your camera telling you it needs to catch up!

Pre-focusing:

If the person is jumping up and down in the same spot, what you can do is pre-focus before they leap. It’s important that they don’t change their distance from you when they jump. i.e don’t jump forward or back. For these types of shots,  sometimes press your shutter button half way down to pre-focus, then ask them to jump as you press the rest of the shutter and take several burst shots.

Should you move the camera up and down with the jumper?

Until you perfect the technique it’s best to keep your camera steady in one place. Therefore don’t zoom in too far that you cut the persons head off when they are at the top of their jump. Once you have perfected these camera settings and technique, you can then try panning up and down with the person to show motion in the background.

Assignment #24 - TED!

How Photography Connects Us

Good question - how does photography connect us?  David Griffin, the photo director for National Geographic, knows the power of photography to connect us to our world.

Your assignment:  Watch the TED Talk, on your blog, post a summary of the talk, critiquing it as to its relevance, in your opinion.  How has this talk potentially altered your views of photography? Your application to the art?

Your post should include at least three intelligent paragraphs.

Due:  March 20, end of class.

Assignment #22 - A Triptych that tells a Story

What is this?

What is the story of this triptych?

A triptych is three of something - usually "like" things put together that tell a story.  Your assignment is to make a photographic story with three images only.  Think of what your concept is first, what are you going to try to say with visuals only?  You might think of an actual story you know and try to recreate it in three frames:  What would Little Red Riding Hood look like in three frames?  The Three Little Pigs?

1.  On your blog, post your story concept in approximately one paragraph.  

2.  Shoot as many images as you think you need, then pare down to three you will use.

3.  If it helps, write the story line under each of your images for clarity.

4.  Use Photoshop, Lightroom, whatever you need.

5.  Shoot in manual and post the technical information for each image.

Due date:  March 13, end of class 

Assignment # 21 - Me, myself, and I

What would it look like if you could talk to yourself?  

You know yourself better than anyone, so in this assignment you will be capturing several images of yourself in the same location, then will put them together in Photoshop to make it look as if you are relating to yourself. One of the photographs will be the base image.  Position the others to create a final image for the assignment.

Writing Critique: Post the final image, titled "Me, Myself, and I" and write both your inspiration for the final image and a paragraph on the final meaning of the photograph.

Due date:  March 7, end of class

Assignment #18 - The 8 Hour Capture

What do you see throughout the day?  Do you really notice what you're looking at or do you only see what you want to when you are asked to?

Okay, so now I'm asking.

This assignment is an 8 hour capture.  8 hours.  One shot every hour for 8 hours.  Whatever you are DIRECTLY looking at, I want yo to capture.  Choose a time and stick to it:  every hour on the hour, at 5 after the hour, whatever works for you.  Set a timer so you don't forget.  shoot what you see at that moment in front of you.  What does your day look like?  Don't try to "re-frame" images or look around for something more interesting or glamorous, just capture.  Make sure you or on the manual mode and check your ISO, aperture and shutter speed for the optimum lighting for the shot.  If you need to, use either a small tripod or balance your camera if the light is low (or jack up the ISO like you've learned!).  At the end of 8 hours you will have 8 shots.

1.  Pick a day you can actually do this - a weekend day may work best - just make sure you have your camera with you.
2.  At an exact time every hour, shoot what you see DIRECTLY in front of you.  Do not look around for the perfect shot.  Make what you're LOOKING AT the perfect shot.
3.  Once you have your 8 images, piece them together chronologically, in an interesting way.  Label each with time of day and technical information.
4.  You may alter in Photoshop but make sure you keep the original images pure.

Due date:  February 23

And yes, I will be doing this challenge with you.

Assignment #13: It's so SURREAL!

What is the difference between real and surreal?  What does it mean when, in conversation, someone says, "That's so SURREAL!"?  Take a look at the images below created by two Surreal artists and think about where the images take the viewer and why.

The assignment:

1.  Answer the two questions above - to be turned in at the end of class.

2.  Post images from two Surreal Artists (one from each artist) you are intrigued with and a short paragraph explaining why.  You will be using one or both of the artists you have discovered to create a surreal image with a strong concept.

Using your research, create your own surreal photograph, using Photoshop, Lightroom, and/or double exposure to create the final pieces.  Post your final image on your blog.  Below each of the images you post, explain what your concept is and how you achieved the end result.

Due date:  January 19th