Digital Photo Session 3

8/8/2019 Digital Photo Session 3

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DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY LEVEL 1

Session 3Composition, Image Management &

Workflow

Instructor: Cody T WilliamsContact: [email protected]


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Composition & Law of Thirds

The Law of Thirds

If you divide an image into vertical and horizontal thirds and place the importantimage elements along the lines of these thirds and or any of the points ofintersection you are following the law of thirds, thus avoiding overly symmetric

compositions.

Try to avoid always placing the subject in the center. Avoid creating symmetric or static images. Look at all four corners before you take your shot. Note where you are cutting off limbs or continuations of a shapes. Note the placement of background elements so that they arent

interfering with your subject.

Using 2 equally spaced horizontal lines and 2 equally spaced vertical lines todivide the frame into horizontal thirds and vertical thirds. Resulting in nineequally sized divisions.

The four points that intersect within the frame can be used as a starting pointfor strong composition. These lines also help in linear alignment if the subjectrequires it.

Notice and work with patterns or create some of your own to create a sense ofbalance and harmony. For the opposite effect, establish a repeating form,then emphasize its absence.

Compositional Elements

Light: Our eyes are drawn towards lighter areas of an image. We can use light areas as a tool to direct the viewers attention. If the light area has no information the eye continues to look around. If the light area contains information, the viewer is more likely to onlyfocus on that area.

Lines: Lines signify borders between different elements within an image. Horizontal lines: give the viewer a sense of stability and security. Vertical lines: demands more attention than horizontal lines and tend to

break up the image more effectively.

Session 3: Composition, Image Management & Workflow

Rayko Photo Center Digital Photography Level 1 1


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Diagonal lines: make the image more dynamic and energetic and stronglydirect the views attention within the image. Diagonal lines can give the

viewer a sense of instability, insecurity, tension, or excitement.

Shapes: Shapes are clearly defined areas within the image that we perceive astwo-dimensional.

Dark Shapes are perceived as heavy and substantial. They can also beperceived as intriguing or unpredictable. A dark shape that bleeds off the

bottom of the image tends to seem stable and has considerable weight.

Dark shapes that are in floating ting the frame tend to give the viewer asense of insecurity.

Light Shapes are usually perceived to have little weight and to be lessstatic than dark shapes. Light shapes naturally draw attention to our

eyes.

Forms: Forms are threedimensional shapes. For an object to appear three-dimensional in a picture light and shadow

has to surround the object.

The more gradual the tonality of the light and shadow on the object themore three-dimensional it will seem.

To emphasize the three-dimensionality of a subject, soft diffused light isrecommended.

Subjects that appear as forms seem more realistic and convincing to usas they better reflect the three-dimensional world we live in.

Patterns: Patterns are continuous and uniform repetitions of shapes, forms , orlines.

Where patterns are concerned, our eyes tend to disregard the individualparts that make up the pattern and consider it a single unit.

Patterns in themselves can be interesting compositional elements,especially if they are irregular.




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Pattern Breaks: Breaks in patterns are an effective way to isolate a subject in animage and force the viewer to give attention to the subject.

Texture: Texture defines the quality of the surface. Texture is revealed or hidden by the angle of light and degree of diffusion

of the light that illuminates it.

The degree of sharpness the image contains will affect the quality oftexture.

Soft diffused light tends to hide texture, were more directed angled lighttends to emphasize texture.

- Foreground, middle ground, background -- Shooting perspective from low to high -

- 4 Corners -

Analyzing and Interpreting Photographs

Steps 1) Analysis

What is the subjects matter? How is it composed and why (snap shot or set-up)? What are the formal elements (tonal range, texture, lighting, spacing,

point of view, perspective, edges, camera angle)?

Are there narrative elements? Are the technical elements solid (exposure, color balance, quality)? Can you distinguish a style? Consider what the photographer may have left out and why?

Step 2) Interpretation

Consider all the analyzed aspects and elements concerning thephotograph.

What is the mood being conveyed? Are there other possible meanings besides what the photographer

intended, does it help or hinder?

Use any other information about the photographer to interpret the work. Does the photograph speak to you personally, and if so, why?

Step 3) Judgment

Without analysis and interpretation, judgment has no validity. Looking at the work as a whole, is it successful?




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DAM: Digital Asset Management

Why is image management important?

Digital photography has the ever-growing complexity of storing and accessing quickly anincreasing number of larger and larger images. If you don't take care of your assetsthen you are at risk of losing your images permanently. It is essential to devise a

system for storing and archiving your images along with creating reliable backups that iseffective and works for you in the long run.

Digital Asset Management (DAM) is a term that refers to everything one does withimage files from the point of capture onward. This includes transferring, renaming,attaching metadata, rating, adjusting, proofing, backing up, archiving and more. A

comprehensive catalog system will help you streamline your work in a secure andefficient way.

Making Images Discoverable

Metadata: Metadata is the textual information of an image file. When a digital camera captures an image it records two things in the file

that is saved - image data itself, and data about that data. The "aboutthe image" data is called "metadata."

Some kinds are automatically created metadata collected by catalogingsoftware, like date created, file format, and camera settings.

The rest of the metadata fields are generally modifiable, and help toplace and identify your images.

Keywording: Keywords are words used as reference points for finding particularphotos of interest or other information. Keywording lets you get the most out of your images, both personally

and professionally.

Comprehensive keywording techniques should follow standard guidelinesto be most usable.

You can learn to mine your collection for valuable groups of images, andmake your images more visible to others.

Controlled Vocabulary: Using particular words and language structure to describeyour images.

A controlled vocabulary makes a database easier to search. We have many different ways of describing concepts, drawing all of these

terms together under a single word or phrase in a database makes

searching the database more efficient as it eliminates guess work.

However, arriving at this efficiency requires consistency on the part of theindividual indexing the database and the use of pre-determined terms.




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System Hardware

Storage: Storage is simply where you put your images for day-to-day use. The perfect storage device would be fast, accessible from all your

computers without them needing to be on, reliable, and easy to back up.

Expandable and preferably inexpensive. An internal or external hard drives or RAID array (Redundant Array of

Inexpensive Disks) is the simplest solution.

RAID controllers also aren't cheap, ranging from $100 to $300 for high-performance desktop models.

One can find a 1 Terabyte drive are available for as l ittle as $100.

Archive: Your Image Archive is the collection of all your images cataloged. Archiving is needed when you have too many images to keep them all

online and need to store some offline.

Some of these you may not need to access quickly or frequently, butneed to be kept safe and organized.

Backups: Backups are copies of your stored and archived images that areduplicates to be used in the event of file corruption or some other catastrophicfailure.

Many of us start out trying to simply copy files from one folder to anotherto make a backup copy, but this process can be slow and error prone.

Sync tools are quicker because they only copy the changed files, andmore reliable because they have better error logging and recovery.

DVD backups provide a very nice solution for incremental backups of yourimages from a particular event, trip or time range.

An off-site copy in another location is crucial in the event of fire or naturaldisaster.

All media - disk, CD, DVD, tape included - are susceptible to randomimage deterioration, often called "bit rot."

Using consumer services for online backup can be affordable, safe, andconvenient (Carbonite http://www.carbonite.com, Mozyhttp://mozy.com/, etc.) and may suit your needs. Though beware, you

are putting your valuable assets in someone else's hands and relying onthem to safeguard your images.

1) To be fully protected, you should have three copies of any file. Threedifferent devices, two different media types, and one should be stored

off-site. This will ensure your archive is extremely well-protected.




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Example Work Flow

1) Complete Shot2) Transfer Images

i. Attach Card Reader to Computerii. Identify your destination folderiii. Connect memory card to your computeriv. Access the image files on the card.v. Do a visual check to confirm your photos are all on

the hard drive and okay3) Import and Rename Image Files4) Apply Bulk Metadata and Sort Images.5) Rate for Quality6) Custom Adjust Images as Needed7) Catalog and Backup to DVD/External Drive8) Create Proof Prints9) Validate Data

Non-Destructive Imaging

Processing of an image where the source data is not changed. The original is notdestroyed; instead we have imaging software that works with referenced files, rather

than by changing the original source image. This is a great advantage that brings new

efficiencies and a simplified work-flow.




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Software Programs

Picasa 3.0: [Windows] FreeiPhoto : [Mac] - Free with computer

Description: Both are pretty versatile with general global editing features including colorcorrection, cropping, red-eye, and spot removal. As well as web and print features,including printing from a printer, ordering prints on-line, and making web pages or

blogs. In addition, they have slideshow and movie making techniques available.

Pros: Free, easy to use, quick global changes, intuitive.

Cons: lack of control, limited file handling, clunky and unresponsive interface, slowprocessing.

Nikon Capture NX [Windows/Mac] -$179

Description: Nikon brand specific editing tool, designed for amateurs and professionals.Quite sophisticated raw processor with the following features: masking, dust and spot

removal, sharpening, various adjustment options (hue, saturation, shadow/highlight,etc.), image browser, metadata editing, filters, rating and sorting.

Pros: A comprehensive software package, that is customizable and very well refined for

the Nikon advanced user. Can be less taxing on a computer system then other software.

Cons: Only compatible for Nikon cameras and Nikon files.




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Canon EOS Utility: Digital Photo Professional [Windows/Mac] Free software

with Camera Purchase

Description: Canons in-box software is a no-frills basic Raw converter. It is able to

adjust images tones, color, white balance, contrast, saturation, sharpness, and othersimilar attributes. Also accompanied by a browser, image downloader, and tethered

shooting utility.

Pros: It is free! Designed for Canon systems. Several tools that can be quite helpful timeto time.

Cons: Limited control. Interface and capabilities are not as good as third party software

providers. Often described as clumsy and slow. Available only for Canon users.

Adobe Lightroom 1, 2, & 3: [Windows/Mac] - $199-99

Description: An image management and development tool. Allows for more complex

editing and file handling on a professional level. Broader file types and more precise

color management. Intended to aid amateur to professional photographers. Integrationwith professional design suites for real-world business solutions.

Pros - Has webpage and slide show modules. Able to easily work with Photoshop.

Nondestructive editing and a professional grade raw converter. Able to batch manage.Has user friendly interface for simple rating and cataloguing large catalogs.

Cons Limited in localized editing capabilities. Creatively limited to generally acceptedphotographic processing techniques.




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Aperture 1, 2, & 3: [Mac] - $199

Description: An image management and development tool directly competing withLightroom. Works with all sorts of image types and has an open work flow with an

intuitive interface.

Pros: Equipped with a great book making template tool. More control while maintaining

ease of use. Designed with the professional photographer in mind.

Cons: Only available for Macs. Higher cost and computer processing requirements. Still

have limited local adjustment tools. Not well integrated with Photoshop.

Photoshop Elements LE

Description: Photoshop Lite is a junior edition of Photoshop. It leans toward ease of usewhile maintaining important editing tools and functions. The #1 selling photo editing

program. Designed for the hobbyist though to the amateur photographer.

Pros: Low cost for what it can do, semi-professional file handling and management. Notas demanding on computer processing capabilities.

Cons: Less intuitive. Interface is not as professional looking. File management andhandling is limited.




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Photoshop CS2, 3, 4, & 5: [Windows/Mac] - $699 - 199

Description: Full service image editor considered the top of the line in precise editingand functionality. Packed with options for creative professionals. Photoshop and the

complete creative suites are industry standards. Complete Control of all image

components at a professional level. Difficult to master, not recommended for theamateurs.

Pros: Comes with Adobe Bridge, which is a professional level file management browser

program. Complete professional tools, abilities, and file handling from start to finish.Global To extremely detail functions available. Millions of plug- ins and additions

available. Smooth program integration with other industry standard development tools.

Cons - High cost, extremely slow at times if computer lacks processing power. Very

difficult to learn and master.

Some software program offerings, by type:

Browsers: Adobe Bridge Photo Mechanic Google Picasa BreezeBrowser

Catalog Software:

iView MediaPro Microsoft Expression Media idImager iMatch Apple Aperture Adobe Lightroom iPhoto

Photo Mechanics/Image Editors:

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Photoshop Elements Paintbrush




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Assignments for Session 3:

1) Look for local photo exhibits and art gallery showings and make aneffort to go. Visit your local library or bookstore and thumb

through magazines and the photo book collections. Criticallyanalyze the work and explore ideas and inspiration from what yousee.

2) Complete a series of 8 solid perfectly exposed images on yourassigned topic. Assign copyright, title, caption, keywords, andrating to each image.

3) Prepare an equipment list, shot list, and remember to bringanything you think you may need for the On Assignment activitiesof next class.


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Documents

Digital Photo Session 3