Thursday Thoughts (18APR2013)

18th of April, 2013 Edition

This week, we finished up our projects and reviewed them. I had mostly finished my project, but the day before the project was officially due, I went shooting. Some of my photos changed for the better, I think, and I had a lovely time.
On Thursday, we started going through the class' photos. We only got through three, but I can tell that the class in improving quite a lot since the last project, and I'm very excited to present mine. Wish me luck!

Urban/Architecture Project

01 Cityscape

9 March, 2013

34 mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/1250 sec

Location: Pittock Mansion (3229 NW Pittock Dr, Portland, OR)

I considered attempting a panorama shot, but I chose to first focus on teaching myself how to properly shoot wide-angle photos.

 

02 City

22 February, 2013

55 mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/320 sec

Location: Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard, Portland, Oregon

The cranes and the clouds caught my eye, so I quickly snapped a photo.

03 City

8 March, 2013

29 mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/320 sec

Location: Northwest Couch Street / Northwest Naito Parkway, Portland, Oregon

Some of the classic buildings by Waterfront Park that Oregonians know and love and tourists long to see.

 

04 Urban

8 March, 2013

27 mm

ISO 800

f/5.6

1/25 sec

Location: Powell's City of Books (1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR)

A few weeks previously, I found a magazine pictured here with a favourite person of mine. While was there, I noticed the nice textures magazines make, and I wanted a photo of the favourite person on a magazine, so this happened.

05 Urban

17 February, 2013

49mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/200 sec

Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 SW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR)

A street sign with many direction points, both fictional and not. I think it may be the centre of Portland, but I'm not sure.

06 Urban

17 February, 2013

25 mm

ISO 200

f/4.5

1/50 sec

Location: Southwest Jefferson Street, Portland, Oregon

One day, public telephone booths will, sadly, be gone, Capturing them is a new hobby of mine, and I quite like them.

07 Urban

16 April, 2013

23 mm

ISO 100

f/5.6

1/400 sec

Location: Oregon City Fire Dept. (John Adams Street & 7th Street)

I love neon signs. The West Linn Police Department and the Oregon City Fire Department are two places that have them, and they bring joy to me (and I hope to you as well).

08 Reflective

17 February, 2013

43 mm

ISO 200

f/5.0

1/30 sec

Location: Cameron's Books and Magazines (336 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR)

I love cute, local bookstores. And the window reflects a Long brother checking their phone.

 09 Juxtaposition

8 March, 2013

40 mm

ISO800

f/5.6

1/1600 sec

Location: Powell's City of Books (1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR)

I've seen these at Powell's quite often, and I feel like they're always unnoticed.

10 Street (Candid)

3 March, 2013

55 mm

ISO 1600

f/7.1

1/125 sec

Location:Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside St, Portland, OR)

My groovy cousin who walks on stilts for a living at his band's concert.

11 Street

17 February, 2013

30 mm

ISO 200

f/4.5

1/125 sec

Location: Waterfront Park (Southwest Naito Parkway, Portland, OR)

Candid family portrait minus one.

12 Street (Stranger)

17 February, 2013

21 mm

ISO 200

f/4.5

1/200 sec

Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 SW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR)

He didn't give me his name, but Joseph has his email. He asked me to take his photo and was very nice.

13 Street (Environmental Portrait)

17 February, 2013

55 mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/100 sec

Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 SW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR)

An uncle and nephew meandering about.

14 My Choice

8 March, 2013

55 mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/800 sec

Location: Union Station (Northwest 6th Avenue & Northwest Hoyt Street, Portland, Oregon)

One of the most famous photography locations, but lovely nonetheless.

15 Architecture (Exterior Architecture)

8 March, 2013

55 mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/1600 sec

Location: 1200 Northwest 10th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

I was walking around and decided to take this shot on the way back to my car.

16 Architecture (Exterior Architecture)

8 March, 2013

55 mm

ISO 200

f/5.6

1/1600 sec

Location: Hawthorne Bridge

Driving in a car with my dad, we were stopped in traffic.

17 Architecture (Interior Architecture)

3 March, 2013

40 mm

ISO 1600

f/4.5

1/125 sec

Location: Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside St, Portland, OR)

I was at my cousin's concert and The Crystal is a ballroom, and ballrooms are exquisitely detailed.

18 Architecture (Exterior)

8 March, 2013

40 mm

ISO 200

f/5.0

1/500 sec

Location: Crown Point Highway & Historic East Columbia River Highway

A beautiful, complex bridge that is green. It took lots of help from Ellen to make the background less bright.

19 Architecture (Interior)

3 March, 2013

35 mm

ISO 1600

f/7.1

1/100 sec

Location: Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside St, Portland, OR)

I was at my cousin's concert and The Crystal is a ballroom, and ballrooms are exquisitely detailed - especially the chandeliers (of which I found to be most groovy).

20 Architecture (Exterior)

8 March, 2013

55 mm

ISO 800

f/5.6

1/640 sec

Location: Laurelhurst Theatre (2735 E Burnside St, Portland, OR)

I've always been attracted to older theatres, and this one has a most elaborate sign which I quite enjoyed on a car ride home.

Thursday Thoughts

12 APR, 2013 Edition

We focused on the aspects of portrait photography today. Here are the notes:

http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/

The Three Point Lighting Technique is a standard method used in visual media such as video, film, still photography and computer-generated imagery. It is a simple but versatile system which forms the basis of most lighting. Once you understand three point lighting you are well on the way to understanding all lighting.

The technique uses three lights called the key light, fill light and backlight. Naturally you will need three lights to utilise the technique fully, but the principles are still important even if you only use one or two lights. As a rule:

• If you only have one light, it becomes the key.
• If you have 2 lights, one is the key and the other is either the fill or the backlight.

~Key Light~

-This is the main light. It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.

~Fill Light~

-This is the secondary light and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key. To achieve this, you could move the light further away or use some spun. -You might also want to set the fill light to more of a flood than the key.

~Backlight~

-The backlight is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject's outlines. -This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional look.

If you have a fourth light, you could use it to light the background of the entire scene.

Posing techniques

- Body Turns

- Creating a base

- Tip and Turn

- Composition

-Straight on

- hair

(less hair on part is usually the better side of the face)

- texture

- eyes

(if there's no part, focus on the eyes)

(larger eye back, smaller eye forward)

- ⅓ + ⅔ turn

- forward tip

- feminine

- straight

- serious, more dramatic

-sideways/back

- masculine

- a photo with knees must include feet