INTERMEDIATE PHOTOGRAPHY MINOR | 5th Semester Institution: Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture Department: Communication Design

Course Duration: Five weeks 2010

A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety. ~Ansel Adams Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be. ~Duane Michals

Course Objectives

To learn various in-camera special-effects techniques in colour. To use the acquired knowledge to the best of your abilities, to prepare and present in colour a fictitious photo-essay linked conceptually, due to a simple or a complex string of thought.

Course Outline
This course emphasises an increase in technical skills. As the students advance through the minors courses they learn to use a DLSR to its fullest potential in conjunction with basic knowledge of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop software, plus in-camera special effects techniques in colour. The students are encouraged to work more independently to expand their specialized skills in the creation and presentation of photographic imagery. A special effect can be something as simple as a two-stop alteration in exposure, or as complex as an electronically manipulative. They will learn to understand and carry out some basic tricks of the trade. Usually, the purpose behind special effects is to raise the impact or level of interest of an image. Photographers who practice special effect techniques depend on the basic belief that photographs do not lie. They exploit this idea by presenting to the viewer images that are seemingly impossible to achieve in reality or which enhance certain features of a subject beyond what is achievable by normal photographic methods. Lectures go alongside visual examples of various photographers straight and manipulated images, with shooting sessions or demonstrations in order to put the techniques discussed into practice. Effective compositions are emphasized throughout the course alongside technical considerations. Students are encouraged to explore creatively and technically with the full support and involvement of the instructors. They are also encouraged to discuss their ideas for the class assignments amongst themselves, and not just with the instructors, in order to learn independent problem-solving techniques.

Assignments: Special Effects in Colour Part OneImage Requirements

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Multiple Exposures One Zooming One Panning One Slow-sync flash One Long Exposures - Bulb Photography One Light Painting One Silhouettes One Front Projection One

Part TwoFictitious Short Story

This photo-essay requires you to finally use the acquired special effects knowledge to the best of your abilities, to prepare and present a fictitious photo-essay collection of 12 images linked conceptually, due to a simple or a complex string of thought. Produce a sequence of images that communicate a surreal short story. The source of your imagery could be a recent dream or daydream that you may have or may not have experienced, or write a poem or prose poem in either Urdu or English. Create imagined worlds where fact and fiction, real and make-believe, logic and nonsense, truth and fantasy collide. Utilise the various image manipulation techniques youve learned in this course. 1. Multiple Exposures In digital photography, double exposure is a technique in which the sensor is exposed twice. The resulting photographic image shows the second image superimposed over the first. In this context, there are a number of procedures that will lead you to your objective, depending on the camera type and the preferred effect. A distinction is made between double exposures and multiple exposures that consist of a theoretically infinite number of individual images. Because each exposure adds more density to the image, you'll end up with extremely overexposed photographs if you simply shoot away at the meter reading. To prevent overexposure, you must deliberately reduce each exposure. With a double image, it's easy: You just shoot the two pictures at half the normal exposure, in other words, one stop under.

But how do you figure exposure if you're shooting, say, 12 multiples? Just multiply the number of exposures times the ISO speed on your camera, and reset the camera to that new rating. Example: To shoot a 12-shot multiple at 100 ISO, multiply 12 times 100 to get 1200. Now set your camera ISO to the nearest standard rating, in this case 1250, and shoot away. Refer to the study notes for ideas but refrain from being a copycat and try coming up with original creative image ideas. 2. Zooming

This technique requires you to combine a relatively slow shutter speed with a synchronized change of focal length. You zoom from the short focal length setting to the long one, or vice versa, during the actual long-time exposure. A zoom lens is a cleverly designed optic that's like having half dozen lenses in one. Simply by moving the lens in and out, it's possible to select just the right focal length to get the composition and the image size you want. By zooming in the lens through its entire range during a slow shutter speed, the distinctive, streaky blur you see in the picture here can be created. Be sure to experiment with both zooming out and zooming in to get different effects. 3. Panning Panning is an effect where the moving subject is reasonably in sharp focus and the background is essentially blurry. The degree the background is blurred depends on the how slow the shutter speed has been set. This technique requires that you: Anticipate the path of the subject Know roughly the point where the shutter will be released, Predetermine the focus and follow the moving subject while releasing the shutter at that point Photograph various subjects on the move in a horizontal motion (across your field of view, not toward the camera) while moving the camera with the action using 1/60, 1/30, and 1/15 second. Remember to release the shutter during a firm, horizontal camera movement. It is crucial that the camera continues to move smoothly and steadily after opening the shutter.

4. Dragging the Shutter | Slow-sync flash Photography | Front & Rear Curtain Sync Slow-sync flash is a useful feature provided by most camera/ flash systems. With slow-sync flash, the camera utilizes a slow shutter speed to properly expose a dark night background, while also properly exposing a nearby flash-lit subject. With most cameras, the flash fires at the start of a long exposure. This is known as "front-curtain" sync. If you make a long exposure of a subject that is moving across the frame, the flash will fire at the start of the exposure, then the ambient light will record a ghost image of the subject as it moves across the frame. In the resulting photograph, the ghost-image "speed streaks" will appear in front of the subjectnot a natural effect. Some cameras also offer "rear-curtain" sync, in which the flash is fired at the end of the exposure, just before the shutter closes. With rear-curtain sync, the ghost-image speed streaks will be recorded by ambient light as the subject moves across the frame, and then the flash will fire to sharply record the subject at the end of the exposure. In the resulting photo, the speed streaks will appear behind the subjecta more natural effect. 5. Long Exposures- Bulb Mode Depending on your camera, the slowest available shutter speed is probably between 1 - 30 seconds. If your camera operates at the upper level of this range, the exposure meter can provide settings for many of the low light situations you encounter. If your camera operates at the lower end of the range, or when exposures need to exceed 30 seconds, you will need to use the Bulb mode more often for long exposures. When the camera is in Bulb mode, the shutter remains open as long as you keep the shutter button depressed. This allows exposures of any length. Use a locking cable release to allow removal of your finger from the shutter button during exposure, and to reduce vibration. There are three controls that photographers can manipulate to get a correct exposure. They are f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO. You can modify exposure by changing any of these controls. Changing the ISO from 100 to 200 has the same one-stop effect as changing the f-stop from f4 to f5.6. We will use these controls to determine the exposure duration for long exposures. Remember that using a wide aperture or a higher ISO results in a faster shutter speed. This principle will help us "fool" the cameras exposure meter, and enable the camera to provide the exposure settings needed for long exposures. As an example, we want to shoot a long exposure at f5.6 with ISO 100, but the exposure meter will not provide a shutter speed. Here's how to determine the shutter duration: Select the largest f-stop available on your lens.

Manually select the highest ISO available on your camera. Determine the number of stops between f5.6 and your largest f-stop. Also determine the number of stops between ISO 100 and the highest ISO setting on your camera. Add the stops together to determine the total stop adjustment. Meter the scene. At this point your camera should provide some shutter speed. Increase the shutter speed indicated by the camera by the number of calculated total stops. Reset your ISO, f-stop, and put the camera in Bulb mode. Take the image. Let's use a real life example of shooting a scene at f5.6 with ISO 100 and a lens with a maximum f-stop of f2.8. First, I set my f-stop to f2.8, which is 2 stops from my desired shooting f-stop of f5.6. Next, I set my ISO to 6400, which are 6 stops from my actual shooting speed of ISO 100. Adding the adjustments together, results in 8 stops of adjustment. When I meter the scene (at ISO 6400 and f2.8) my camera indicates as shutter speed of 4 seconds (hypothetical example). If I increase my shutter speed by 8 stops, the final shutter speed is 16 minutes (4" to 8" =1 stop, 8" to 15" = 2 stops, 15" to 30" = 3 stops, 30" to 1 min = 4 stops, 1 min to 2 min = 5 stops, 2 min to 4 min = six stops, 4 min to 8 min = seven stops, and 8 min to 16 min = 8 stops). Therefore, I should shoot the scene at ISO 100, f5.6 at 16 minutes in Bulb mode to get the proper exposure. Make sure that you have fresh batteries before you take really long exposures. Most auto focus cameras use battery power to keep the shutter open in Bulb mode. Depending on your camera, a fresh battery could last anywhere between 3 - 60 hours. Again, check you manual for the specific battery life of your camera in Bulb mode. 6. Painting with Light While in most normally exposed pictures the light source remains fixed, longer time exposures provide the option of moving the light source during the exposure. This technique is called "painting with light". This course will allow the students to take even the most mundane or ordinary object and turn it into an illustrated work of art. One of the main purposes of this course is to illustrate just how versatile this technique can be, from subtly sculpted light to an almost electric neon effect, students are encouraged to experiment with unconventional approaches and techniques. Painting with light, can offer results that range from a traditional portrait painted in oils to an absolutely dazzling array of lighting effects and vivid colors, all possible with inexpensive home-made equipment. This assignment will allow you to experiment with creative options you probably never dreamt of.

Your subject is to be light painted with colored gels and a hand held electronic flash or with a (flashlight) pen light torch. Cover the torch head with black chart paper to make a cone to control the spread of the light beam or try using a laser pointer. You are to use either technique to experiment with, or combine both for your final image. Please remember to keep a record of your exposures for future reference. Here are some random thoughts to get you going TRANSITION PERIOD- the time after the sunsets but before it is dark. Buildings are lit from within with tungsten lights. LONG EXPOSURES WITH HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS- Position yourself on a bridge or a freeway overpass, watch traffic pattern & compose the image for the best effect of streaking car lights. LONG EXPOSURES WITH CAMERA MOVEMENT- Move camera during exposure or put the camera on the dash of your car and expose your film while driving around. (Neon will give repeating lines) GHOST IMAGES- Find an area with a dark background. Expose with your subject in the frame for half of the exposure time and with your subject out of the frame for the other half. LIGHT WRITING- Find an area with a dark background. With penlight pointed toward the camera, draw or outline around subject. OFF CAMERA FLASH- Use dark background. Walk around and pop flash on subject. If you get between flash & camera you will be silhouetted.

7- Silhouettes In the 18th century, before photography was invented, silhouettes became the cheapest method of preserving one's likeness. Any other choice involved either a series of expensive sittings at the studio of a portrait artist or a similarly expensive commission to a sculptor. The word silhouette became associated with the art following the enforcement of petty economies by French finance Minister Etienne de Silhouette in 1759. Thereafter, anything economic in shape, form or color became known as 'silhouette'. Silhouette images are basically created by the bright light of the background. For this purpose, look for sufficiently large, light surface as a background. It should be more strongly illuminated than the actual subject. Meter and set the camera for the brighter area, without any change or compensation for the foreground subject. Shoot the image.

Although you can create an outdoor silhouette anytime theres daylight, the greatest opportunity to render one with vibrant color occurs at dawn and dusk. Before the sun rises, the clear sky in the eastern horizon takes on a graduated color that may range from red to cobalt blue. 8- Front Projection Projector Images Re-photographed Play with your collection of images to project on to another subject for interesting effects. There are several techniques used to combine a foreground subject located in a studio setting with a background photographed on location. The simpler approach relies on the tilted projection of an image from the rear onto a translucent screen. Foreground and background are balanced in lighting and photographed simultaneously. A more complicated technique commonly used in advertising, commercial and portrait photography to place inanimate, but also animated subjects; in a particular background is front projection. The technique depends on the use of a large and highly directional retroreflective projection screen. A semi-silvered mirror permits the projection of the desired background onto the screen along the optical axis of the camera. The image on the screen appears extremely bright because of the highly reflective quality of the screen material. The subject is placed in front of the screen and illuminated with tungsten or electronic flash in such a manner as to be consistent in direction, quality and quantity with the illumination present in the background scene. Normally the light falling on the subject is directed away from the surface of the screen although some spill is allowed. Although the projected image of the background falls on the subject as well as the screen, it does not show up on the subject because the directionality and reflectivity of the screen is many times greater than that of the subject. The final effect is that the subject appears placed in front of the background projected on the screen. Total Images to Submit: Submit 20 images according to the varying specified sizes. All images neatly mounted labelled and boxed. Moreover, a CD containing hi-res jpegs of the final images for our IVS student portfolio archives. The various techniques learned can be printed at 10"X12" or bigger and the 12 images from the photo essay must be 12" x 18".

EQUIPMENT & MATERIAL LIST

35mm DSLR Camera The brand of the camera is not important but consideration should be given to a camera that has the potential for integration into a full system to a professional level and that lenses are compatible with the student's digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera. The camera you choose must have the following minimum features: Single lens reflex (SLR) with interchangeable lens capability. Variable shutter speeds between 1 second and 1/500 second or faster Be capable of "B" shutter speed settings Have a PC Sync Cord connection or hot shoe PC sync adapter Have a Depth of Field preview (recommended) Fixed or zoom lens or a combination of both with an approximate combined focal length range of 28 mm to 200 mm

Camera Bag and the following accessories Portable Electronic Flash Tripod -Essential, because you will need to take long exposures. Filters close-up filters in a set of three or less and a polarizing filter. All should fit the lenses you intend to use. Spare Batteries: For all equipment that requires them. Pocket Torch: Light painting - Adjusting the camera at night. Notebook and Pen: for keeping record of the photography done. Camera-Cleaning kit- Lens Cleaning Liquid and Tissue or Anti-Static Cloth Cable release - Preferably, it should have a locking function so you do not need to keep your finger on the release for the entire length of the exposure

Reference Books:

Understanding Shutter Speed, Bryan Peterson, Amphoto Books 2008 Photography Foundations for Art and Design, Mark Galer, Focal Press

Please ask for the links to download the books.

Instructors Contact Information: Farah Mahbub Assistant Professor [email protected] 03458277559 Mahmood Ali Ahmed Teaching Assistant [email protected] 03002011668 Warda Umar Assistant Lecturer [email protected] 03052287887

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