Assigned: Week #10 11/9/11
Due Date: Week #11 11/16/11
Prints Due for Critique: *Week #12 11/30/11
Images Due: 2 total Prints - 1 print each from Part A and Part B
Details:
To be shot in RAW file format and Manual Exposure Mode!
For this assignment, you are going to explore portrait photography. As with any assignment, make the most interesting compositions you can!
A tripod is strongly suggested for at least Part A of this assignment! And don’t wait for a sunny day to go photographing. You can take pictures under an umbrella or indoors if it is raining, or if the light is dim you can use a higher ISO. If you see a scene that appeals to you, you can find a way to photograph it. I also recommend a Daylight White Balance, but it is up to you!
Part A – Indoor Portrait: I want you to photograph a tight headshot inside with window light. Shoot at least 40 shots inside using only a window as your source of daylight (no inside lights on!) for the “Indoor Portrait” part of this assignment. Shoot with at least a 1/60 or faster of a second shutter speed - so increase your ISO if necessary to achieve the depth of field you want.
I also want you to use a longer focal length lens for the portrait and line the camera up directly with the subjects nose. This level of shooting, combined with longer lenses with their narrower angle of views, tend to distort a person’s face less, giving the photographer (and the subject!) a more pleasing portrait. A longer lens will also give you more space between you and your subject so that you are not uncomfortably close to them during the photographing. While shooting, try to capture different expressions and remember that the subject’s eyes do not always have to be back at the camera.
Window light is a very convenient source of light during the day and is excellent for portraits. The closer your subject is to the window, the brighter the light will be. Unless you want high contrast from direct sunlight coming through the window, it’s best to find a window with more diffused light coming in. Also try experimenting with filling in the shadows a bit, whether you use direct or diffused light. A white fill card, or reflector, positioned opposite the window can lighten shadows by “bouncing” the window light back into the darker side of the subjects face.
Part B – Outdoor Portrait: Shoot at least 40 shots outside in daylight during the day with natural light only for the “Outdoor Portrait” part of this assignment. Shoot with at least a 1/60 or faster of a second shutter speed - so increase your ISO if necessary to achieve the depth of field you want.
There are many ways to go about making an effective portrait. In my experience, a successful portrait is usually a collaboration between the photographer and the subject. Select a person that you would really like to work with. Start by shooting informally and casually, make the person feel comfortable with you and the camera. Take short breaks as you are shooting to converse with your subject to put them (and yourself) more at ease.
While shooting portraits, you have to make the camera an extension of yourself rather than an obtrusive object between you and your often nervous or uncomfortable subject. One helpful hint is to frame your subject with your camera, then simply peek over the top of it as you continue to photograph. This will allow for eye contact with your subject, which will put them more at ease. They think you are not shooting since you are not looking through the camera, therefore giving you more relaxed demeanor.
Use color to help describe your sitter’s personality. Think about the background and surrounding area and it’s relationship to the person, both in color and content. Don’t overlook details such as the color of the subjects clothing and whether it fits the mood you are trying to convey with the photograph. Everything you include in the frame should lend itself to the portrait you are making. Choose and use the background area effectively.
Try to make appropriate choices when selecting the aperture for the best use of depth of field. Experiment with different backgrounds as well and with different shooting angles.
Also try to illustrate not only what the person looks like, but what they do, or their relationship to you. Consider shooting a person doing a job in their work environment (called an Environmental or Industrial Portrait). One final helpful hint is to always crop a person at their joints (elbows, hips, knees, etc.) This will often times lend itself to a less jarring composition.
Submit ALL appropriately labeled digital files to your student folder by start of next class.
Example File Naming = “A4_Name_A.CR2”..
In Adobe Bridge, give a 5 star or color rating to your 3 favorite photos in each Part.
