Spring Semester Top 5

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.

Inside a home in Bannack ghost town, Montana

Sunflowers in the BYU-Idaho Greenhouses

Headstone in a cemetery outside of Bannack, Montana

Water droplets on a rose

David from Bannack ghost town, Montana

Macro Photography

Macro photography taken with a Nikon D600 and a closeup filter on a 28-300mm lens

Bannack Excursion: Fine Art

On May 28th, the Digital Imaging class went on an all day excursion to Bannack Ghost Town in southern Montana. Along with following prompts for creative photos, modeled shots, and a themed set, I also explored the ghost town and took some fine art photos throughout the day.

Hotel Meade

1930s Ford truck

1930s Ford truck

1930s Ford truck

One of the model’s dogs

Freemason temple and school

Schoolhouse Merry-Go-Round

Window inside one of the homes

Vintage photo and books

Early 1900s stove

1900s mason jars

Headstone in a cemetery just outside of Bannack

 

 

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

Before – without reflector

After – with reflector

Hotel: Rick and Cathy Toot

Strobe lighting

Saloon: David Duster

Continuous lighting

Continuous lighting

Continuous lighting

Doc’s House: Martin

Rogue speedlight and reflector

Hotel: David Walker

LED/Reflector

LED/Reflector

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.

Levitation: I used a tripod to get a photo of the model sitting on a chair, then a second photo where the model and chair were both removed. In post-production, I masked out any parts of the chair that showed to give the illusion that the model was levitating.

Ghost: For this shot, I set the camera on a tripod and captured an antique merry-go-round as two students spun on it. The blurred motion gives a “ghost” appearance.

Abstract: This photo was taken inside one of the homes in town. To get both the darker shadows inside the house and the brighter details outside the window, I bracketed this shot and merged them in post-production.

Commercial: For this photo I set up the hymn book on a piano found in a house and captured photos of it being used. In post-production I added the Church’s logo and a slogan, emphasizing the hymn book’s use in the home.

Conceptual: For this prompt, I wanted to try to capture the lively town that Bannack once was, and show that as a ghost to reflect the current state of the town. I set up my tripod in front of Hotel Meade and took about 25 photos of people (and a truck) passing by, then masked and blended the blurred motions in post-production.

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

In this photo, I brought back some of the lost texture in the out-of-focus grass by using blending modes, layer masks, and opacity.

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.

Surrounded by Greenery | 5/14/2019 | 2PM | Greenhouse, BYUI | 50mm | Aperture: f/18 | Shutter speed: 1/100 | ISO: 1000

Pinks and Purples | 5/14/2019 | 2PM | BYUI Plant Shop | 50mm | Aperture: f/22 | Shutter speed: 1/80 | ISO: 1250

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.

White Flower | 5/14/2019 | 2PM | Ricks Gardens, BYUI | 50mm | Aperture: f/2.5 | Shutter speed: 1/1000 | ISO: 100

Catching Sunlight | 5/14/2019 | 2PM | Greenhouse, BYUI | 50mm | Aperture: f/3.2 | Shutter speed: 1/400 | ISO: 100

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.

Pool Between Classes | 5/7/2019 | 2PM | Manwaring Center, BYUI | 50mm | Aperture: f/11 | Shutter speed: 2.5 | ISO: 100

Soft Waterfall | 5/7/2019 | 2PM | Ricks Gardens, BYUI | 50mm | Aperture: f/22 | Shutter speed: 2.8 | ISO: 100

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.

Frozen Fountain | 5/7/2019 | 2PM | Ricks Gardens, BYUI | 50mm | Aperture: f/2.8 | Shutter speed: 1/1250 | ISO: 100

A Drop of Water | 5/7/2019 | 2PM | Ricks Gardens, BYUI | 50mm | Aperture: f/1.8 | Shutter speed: 1/1250 | ISO: 100

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.

Example of wide aperture

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.

Example of narrow aperture

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.

Example of fast shutter speed

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.

Example of slow shutter speed

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.

A sample of street photography