Below are my top 5 photos from this semester’s Digital Imaging class. I chose each of these photos because I feel like they helped me define my style in photography – textured details, visible skies, and warmer tones. Each of these photos also helped me learn and practice new skills in photography, like bracketing, composition, depth of field, and in-depth editing in post-production.
Macro Photography
Bannack Excursion: Fine Art
Bannack Excursion: Portraits
On May 28th, the Digital Imaging class went on an all day excursion to Bannack Ghost Town in southern Montana. Models from all around Montana and Idaho came out in costume to pose for photos and help us learn about different types of lighting.
Sagebrush: Meghan Nielsen
Hotel: Rick and Cathy Toot
Saloon: David Duster
Doc’s House: Martin
Hotel: David Walker
Bannack Excursion: Series
On May 28th, the Digital Imaging class went on an all day excursion to Bannack Ghost Town in southern Montana. We were assigned to create a series; capturing at least 5 photos with the same theme. While exploring Bannack, I noticed that a lot of the ceilings were falling apart, and decided to capture the variety of textures in each one. Below are the images I captured for my series.
Bannack Excursion: Creative
On May 28th, the Digital Imaging class went on an all day excursion to Bannack Ghost Town in southern Montana. Our first assignment was to shoot 5 creative shots, under these categories: Levitation, Ghost, Abstract, Commercial, and Conceptual. Below are the 5 photos I produced for those prompts, as well as descriptions of my process for each one.
Perspective of Nine in Landscapes
This week our class focused on landscapes and the perspective of nine. For my photo set, I focused on a fire pit outside of my apartment complex. I worked to photograph the fire pit from all different angles and distances, and came up with the collage below. With my editing, I wanted to have vibrant colors and bright whites while still maintaining the way it looks in real life. I did this by lightening shadows and highlights, increasing contrast, brightening the whites and darkening the blacks. I also added more vibrancy to each photo to help the orange flames and green grass stand out.
Below are the individual images seen in the collage
Exploring Depth of Field in the Greenhouses
Deep Depth of Field
A deep depth of field keeps everything sharp and in focus – from small flowers in the foreground to the mountains in the distance. Capturing a deep depth of field requires a small aperture, around f/16 or f/22. Because the aperture is so small, shooting outside in daylight is ideal for bringing in as much light as possible.
Shallow Depth of Field
A shallow depth of field focuses only on the subject and blurs out the rest. Shallow depths of field are achieved with a wide open aperture, like f/1.8 or f/3.5. When background objects are further away from the main subject, it turns into bokeh, or background blur, in camera.
Capturing Motion in Photography
Blurred Motion
To capture blurred motion, your camera has to have a long shutter speed and be on a stable surface to reduce shakiness. I didn’t have my tripod when I shot these two photos on campus, so I used benches, the ground, and other flat surfaces to stabilize the camera. Both shots were taken in shutter-priority mode, meaning that the camera chose the aperture to best work with my chosen shutter speed.
Frozen Motion
To freeze motion, I had to set the shutter speed very fast, at 1/1250. By doing this I was able to capture the water droplets shooting out of the fountain, and the moment a water droplet hits a puddle on the ground. Again, shutter-priority mode was used to take these photos.
A Study in Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO
After learning about different concepts of photographic exposure, I found some royalty-free images from pexels.com that show aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
1. Wide Aperture
The photo below is an example of wide aperture. The camera’s f/stop is at a smaller number, like f/1.8. This creates a larger opening, letting in more light and blurring the background. In the photo below, the one flower is the only thing that’s crisp, everything else behind it is blurred out. Wide apertures are used in portrait photography and a lot of fine art photography.
2. Narrow Aperture
The photo below is an example of narrow aperture. Everything in the photo is clear and sharp, even the mountains further off in the distance. This is because the f/stop is set to a larger number, around f/22. Narrow apertures are typically used in capturing landscapes.
3. Fast Shutter Speed
The photo below is an example of a fast shutter speed. In reality, the dog is probably running pretty fast, but the camera was able to capture and freeze the dog’s motion without any blur. When raising the shutter speed, it shortens the amount of time that the sensor is exposed to light, making it able to capture quick movements. Fast shutter speeds are used a lot in sports photography, as well as capturing things like waterfalls or moving cars.
4. Slow Shutter Speed
The photo below is an example of slow shutter speed. When a camera is on a slow shutter speed, the sensor is open for a longer time, capturing more light and more motion. The result is smooth, blurred objects, like the subject’s coat and the ocean waves. Slow shutter speed photos are typically done on a tripod in order to keep some parts of the photo sharp. In the photo below, the mountains and sand on the right side are still very sharp, even though the subject is blurred.
5. Street Photography
The photo below is an example of Street Photography, a type of photography that I’m interested in exploring and trying. Street photography is very candid, and typically shows the people and architecture seen in a specific location. I have a background in photojournalism, and I find street photography to be a little more “fine art” than photojournalism. I really like street photography that’s done at night, which requires a high ISO and, in this case, a narrow aperture to capture all the business signs and things on the sidewalk.