Photography
What can photography teach us for design?
Foremost photography is about composition. Looking through the viewfinder or the screen of a camera you are making decisions about the placement of subjects. There are many factors to consider when taking a photograph.
Foremost photography is about composition. Looking through the viewfinder or the screen of a camera you are making decisions about the placement of subjects. There are many factors to consider when taking a photograph.
Placement of Subjects.
This can be done in a few ways. Where the photo is taken from, or point of view. To create a focal point. To frame a subject. Using a guide like the rule of thirds. Being aware of the positive and negative space.
This can be done in a few ways. Where the photo is taken from, or point of view. To create a focal point. To frame a subject. Using a guide like the rule of thirds. Being aware of the positive and negative space.
Point of View
What view point are you using when taking a photo.
You can take a picture from eye height or you can get down low or up high for different view points. You may even look through or under something, such as a window or under a table.
What view point are you using when taking a photo.
You can take a picture from eye height or you can get down low or up high for different view points. You may even look through or under something, such as a window or under a table.
Max Dupain
Focal Point
The focal point is the where the viewer first looks in a photograph. Something that gains your attention and holds it. The focal point can vary somewhat depending on the person viewing the photograph.
You can create a focal point in various ways:
The focal point is the where the viewer first looks in a photograph. Something that gains your attention and holds it. The focal point can vary somewhat depending on the person viewing the photograph.
You can create a focal point in various ways:
- There is contrast to make the subject stand out, eg. a red lolly amongst black lollies.
- There is a lot of space around the subject
- There are lines placed within the photo that lead your eye towards the focal point, eg. a winding staircase leading to a person.
Rule of Thirds
This is a guide that can be used, which tends to appeal aesthetically. You can place your focal point or any line or area of space on a third of your photo.
This is a guide that can be used, which tends to appeal aesthetically. You can place your focal point or any line or area of space on a third of your photo.
Positive and Negative Space
The positive space is the subject within a photo. In other words it is the first thing that you notice and look at. In the photo below, the plant / black areas are the positive space.
Negative space is the space around the subject. It can be known as 'white space.'
Negative space defines and emphasises the main subject of a photo, drawing your eye to it. It provides "breathing room", giving your eyes somewhere to rest and preventing your image from appearing too cluttered with "stuff". All of this adds up to a more engaging composition.
Understanding and using positive and negative space can take your photos to the next level. It is all about the relationship between all the space used within your photo.
Describe how the space has been used below:
The positive space is the subject within a photo. In other words it is the first thing that you notice and look at. In the photo below, the plant / black areas are the positive space.
Negative space is the space around the subject. It can be known as 'white space.'
Negative space defines and emphasises the main subject of a photo, drawing your eye to it. It provides "breathing room", giving your eyes somewhere to rest and preventing your image from appearing too cluttered with "stuff". All of this adds up to a more engaging composition.
Understanding and using positive and negative space can take your photos to the next level. It is all about the relationship between all the space used within your photo.
Describe how the space has been used below:
Cropping
While it is good to get the best composition possible while out in the field, sometimes photos need a bit of adjusting to improve their composition. It is good to have a bit of 'play' when taking a photo so that it can be cropped later. However, you don't want to rely on cropping too much. The more you crop an image, the more you reduce it's size. Therefore if you want a large photo, it is hard to keep the photo sharp and free of noise.
While it is good to get the best composition possible while out in the field, sometimes photos need a bit of adjusting to improve their composition. It is good to have a bit of 'play' when taking a photo so that it can be cropped later. However, you don't want to rely on cropping too much. The more you crop an image, the more you reduce it's size. Therefore if you want a large photo, it is hard to keep the photo sharp and free of noise.
Lighting
Lighting is an extremely important part of photography. It can determine the quality of the photo, whether it turns out sharp, grainy, blurry, etc. and it helps to set the mood and tone of a photo.
When taking a photo think about the positioning of your light source. If the light is coming from behind a subject, your subject will turn out dark. If your light is directly in front of your subject, the lighting often looks flat. The best way to find out what works is to experiment. Try as many different ways of positioning light on your subject to get the effect you want.
Outdoor photography
The most obvious lighting is from the sun. In Australia we tend to have very harsh light which is not usually optimal for photography. The best times for soft light is in the mornings or on overcast days.
Indoor photography
Inside we tend to have light bulbs which produce different types of light. Halogen bulbs have white light and are usually the best for photos. Fluorescent bulbs tend to have cool light, while incandescent have warm light.
Lighting is an extremely important part of photography. It can determine the quality of the photo, whether it turns out sharp, grainy, blurry, etc. and it helps to set the mood and tone of a photo.
When taking a photo think about the positioning of your light source. If the light is coming from behind a subject, your subject will turn out dark. If your light is directly in front of your subject, the lighting often looks flat. The best way to find out what works is to experiment. Try as many different ways of positioning light on your subject to get the effect you want.
Outdoor photography
The most obvious lighting is from the sun. In Australia we tend to have very harsh light which is not usually optimal for photography. The best times for soft light is in the mornings or on overcast days.
Indoor photography
Inside we tend to have light bulbs which produce different types of light. Halogen bulbs have white light and are usually the best for photos. Fluorescent bulbs tend to have cool light, while incandescent have warm light.
Equipment
Equipment can matter when you want to take photos professionally. Equipment such as tripods, flashes and different lenses can help you to get clearer images and to control the lighting. However, you do not need expensive equipment to take good photos. A moderately expensive camera will only get you better image quality, but first you need to know how to take a picture. Then the next step is how to learn how to use your camera to it's full potential. There are many setting such as aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and manual focusing that you can control. You do not need an expensive camera if you can master these tools.
Equipment can matter when you want to take photos professionally. Equipment such as tripods, flashes and different lenses can help you to get clearer images and to control the lighting. However, you do not need expensive equipment to take good photos. A moderately expensive camera will only get you better image quality, but first you need to know how to take a picture. Then the next step is how to learn how to use your camera to it's full potential. There are many setting such as aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and manual focusing that you can control. You do not need an expensive camera if you can master these tools.
This photograph shows an example of a simple set up you can use to take photos of still objects. You don't need a fancy camera or tripod either. Use a point and shoot or your phone and place them on a cupboard or a stack of books. Use blue tack to keep your camera stable and if you need to tilt it on an angle.
This photo shows an effective set up because:
This photo shows an effective set up because:
- It has a light source, non direct day light is the best.
- It has a back drop underneath and behind for clean space. You can use one piece of paper and curve it so that it leans against the wall and curves underneath your subject. This creates a seamless finish.
- It has a reflector. A white piece of shiny card will work here. This is placed on the opposite side of your light source so that it provides some subtle light behind the subject creating a more dynamic look. Otherwise the picture may look a bit flat.
- The camera is stable. If you hand hold a camera without a flash the picture will be blurry. We don't want a flash here as it would have too harsh reflections. Unless you have a flash with a light disperser which will create light without the harsh reflections.
To know more about using the settings on an SLR camera try out these simulators. They give you a definition and some practice for what the different settings do.
Keywords:
- Composition
- Arrangement
- The Viewer
- Lighting
Let's critique these photos. We are looking at the technical qualities of the photos.
Which photo works and why? Compare.
Which photo works and why? Compare.
Your Task:
Task 1:
You will need to take at least 10 photos. We will take a walk around the school, weather permitting, to take photos. You may take photos for homework and bring them in to class to work on.
For these photos you must consider the composition. We need to think about in camera composition. Some photos can't be improved by simply cropping. You need to think about what you are including within your photo and where you are placing it.
You will be marked on your composition and quality, not the quantity of photographs!
Take at least 10 photos.
You will need to take at least 10 photos. We will take a walk around the school, weather permitting, to take photos. You may take photos for homework and bring them in to class to work on.
For these photos you must consider the composition. We need to think about in camera composition. Some photos can't be improved by simply cropping. You need to think about what you are including within your photo and where you are placing it.
You will be marked on your composition and quality, not the quantity of photographs!
Take at least 10 photos.
- Take you photos. While taking them consider: Point of view, the placement of your subjects, the lighting and the space within your photo.
- Next, use tracing paper and trace out your composition. Shade in the positive space, revealing the negative. How well have you used the space within your photos?
- Try cropping 2-3 of your photos to try to improve the composition. Edit the photos to improve exposure, colour, contrast, etc.
- Write at least 2 sentences about each photo.
Describe how you used the space, placement of subjects, point of view and lighting.