Digital PhotographyNovember 19th

Composition is all about organization and simplification.

Every element in your photo has a place. If it doesn’t have a place, it needs to be eliminated. The easiest way to eliminate extra elements is to move in closer toward your subject.

In fact, nine times out of ten, once you know what your subject is, all you need to do is simply move in closer to it. If your subject doesn’t completely fill the frame in your viewfinder, the picture will likely include details that can distract the viewer’s attention.

Keep it simple

Like the terminator, you want to scan your scene, looking for any distraction, BEFORE pressing down the shutter button. Then, you want to take steps to annihilate anything that doesn’t belong in the picture.

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

Each lens has a limit as to how close it will enable you to get to your subject. This is called the close-focusing distance. Move in closer than this distance, and the lens will refuse to focus. So, what do you do if you want to take a picture of a tiny subject, such as a ladybug or the world inside a tulip, and the lens will not focus when you fill the frame with your subject? This is where macro (close-up) mode comes in. By turning on the macro mode you enable the camera to photograph things in very close proximity.

Macro photography is exhilarating! You often see an entire universe open up right before your eyes. Small subjects such as flowers, stamps, coins, jewelry, and insects suddenly become large and beautiful.

When doing macro photography, I highly recommend using a tripod, or placing your camera on a still place like a table. When shooting macro, depth of field is so shallow that the slightest movement can cause the wrong part of your subject to be in focus, and a tripod will really help keep things steady.

• First scout out the environment, searching for subjects to which you would like to get especially close. Anything small with detail generally works well. I like to look for interesting textures, flowers, bugs, candies, sliced fruit.

• Usually, calm days are best for outdoor macro photography, if it’s windy, move indoors so that your subject doesn’t blur in the breeze.

• When you find a suitable subject, put your camera in the macro mode and place your camera on a tripod or still place.

• Move in as close as you possibly can, and watch your tiny subject become huge and impressive.

Tips

1. Figure out what you would like to take a picture of close up.

2. Take several pictures in the Macro setting.

3. Turn in your best picture.

Assignment

Irving Penn

This American photographer was known for his chic and elegant frames especially post World War II. After his graduation in 1938, he was a a part of the ‘Vogue’ magazine, where he employed techniques such as the use of white or grey backdrops which was a big leap for his period. Always a step ahead of his times, Penn’s series on nudes created quite a stir.

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHERS

Terence Donovan

This British photographer was widely known for his fashion photography in the ’60s. With a flair for adventure, it was reflected in his work when his models had to accomplish daredevil stunts for a pretty picture! With around 3000 commercials under his belt, he rubbed shoulders with London’s rich and famous and became a most sought after celebrity photographer as well.

Richard Avedon

He broke away from the traditional way models faced the camera. This New York born talented photographer, set up his own studio in 1946. He showcased his models in a natural light and his works found their way into the pages of magazines like ‘Vogue’ and ‘Life’. Avedon bagged many awards for his translation of fashion photography during his time.

Ansel Adams A hard-core environmentalist, this San Francisco born photographer was best known for his contribution towards black and white photographs. He always highlighted issues related to nature and created some epic photographic murals during his time. A recipient of three Guggenheim fellowships, he was first inspired by the works of Paul Strand.

Nature/Wildlife Photography

Frans Lanting

Born in Rotterdam, Lanting is a popular name for magazines like the ‘National Geographic’, ‘Life’ and ‘Outdoor Photographer’. Having traveled to various places, Frans had an inclination towards the flora and fauna of the tropical rainforests, which culminated in an exhibition in the Field Museum of natural history.

Galen Avery Rowell

For years Galen explored his relationship with the wilderness and captured in on his camera to captivate people. A winner of the Ansel Adams Award for wilderness photography in 1984, he also worked for reputed publications. He went in-depth when it came to his photography and scaled new heights in this subject. He went on excursions, climbed mountains, which added a different flavor to his frames.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

A French photographer, he has influenced photojournalists for many years. From the modest brownie box he moved on to the Leica camera and created visual sagas. He received international acclaim for his coverage of Gandhi’s funeral in India in 1948. He traveled extensively around the globe and firmly believed that photography was all about capturing the image at the ‘right’ moment.

PHOTO JOURNALISTS

Eddie Adams

Recipient of the Pulitzer award and over 500 prizes to his credit, it was the Vietnam War that saw him get recognition for his best-known photograph which shocked people around the globe (clicked on Saigon street). Adams was a known figure for his portraits of celebrities, politicians and wars. He believed the particular scene could always be manipulated to change the actual truth as seen by the photographer.

Felice Beato Although his origins have created confusion, Felice Beato was one of the first famous war photographers. His inclination to travel saw him capture many moods and moments of the people from different lands. He went from India to Japan and even China. Felice captured the Indian rebellion of 1857 and the second Opium War on film. His powerful and long-lasting images influenced other photographers as well.

Annie LiebovitzWidely considered one of America’s best portrait photographers, Annie Leibovitz started her career as a staff photographer for start-up rock music magazine Rolling Stone, in 1970. Two years later, Leibovitz was chief photographer for the magazine, a position she would hold for 10 years. Leibovitz is noted for her use of bold primary colors and surprising poses. Many of her Rolling Stone covers have become collector’s items.

PORTRAITS

Philippe Halsman Although Halsman suffered a few setbacks in his personal life early on, he went on to gain a reputation as one of the leading portrait photographers of his time. A Latvian-born American, his images were sharp and dark unlike the soft look generally used for portraits. After contributing to magazines like the ‘Vogue’, he scaled new heights when he met the surrealist artist Salvador Dali. It took him three hours to photograph the ‘Voluptas Mors’, which was a surrealist portrait of Dali, a skull and seven nude figures. He also developed the philosophy of jump Photography, to display the ‘real’ person within. In his booming career, he had also captured celebrities like Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Judy Garland and Pablo Picasso on frame.

Hiroh Kikai This Japanese photographer was best known for his monochrome portraits in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. His early years witnessed a lot of struggle, and spent his free time photographing visitors in Asakusa. A perfectionist at what he captured, Kikai would wait for a period of three days in the sole expectation of finding a subject he liked. He used the backdrop of Asakusa because he was really fond of the natural environs. In the year 1987, Ecce Homo was the first collection of these portraits to be published. His portraits from India though were contrasting to his formal pictures in Asakusa.

Talbert Abrams It was when he served the US Marine Corps during World War-I, that connected Abrams with aerial photography. Seeing his squadron’s photographic depictions of the rebel activities in Haiti, he decided to pursue this art. It was in 1923, he purchased the Standard J-1 and founded the Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation. It researched ways to develop better-equipped cameras and other gadgets related to this field.

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY:

William Garnett Born in Chicago, Illinois, Garnett began his career as a photographer and a graphic designer in 1938. He assisted the U.S. army in the production of training films for the U.S. Signal Corps. By 1949, he had purchased his first plane and moved on to aerial photography, a subject that had held his interest for long. A winner of the first three Guggenheim fellowships, he moved on to purchase a Cessna 170B in 1956, which underwent modifications to suit his photographic requirements. Armed with a Pentax, he created many visual stories that were featured in the leading national magazines in the years to come.

AssignmentFamous Photographer

You are required to compose a well written essay on a photographer of your choice. The essay should include the following: 1. Background information on the photographer: What has made this particular photographer famous? How has the photographer uniquely presented his/her particular view of the world? In what way has the photographer shaped the world of photography? 2. How do you personally respond to the photographer’s images? Why do you have the particular response that you have? Does this photographer influence the way you look at your own photographs? Does this photographer change the way you look at the world around you? Site things like composition, subject matter, quality of photograph, etc.

THEN choose 1 image from the photographer you picked and attempt to replicate one of their images.

DUE: Monday, Nov 29th