Zoom, zoom! Lenses and more.

Half of our camera is the lens. In fact, it may be the more important part because the lens bends and focuses the light rays to form the image on the sensor chip. 

Lenses come in various "focal lengths". Those with a short focal length capture light and image from a wide angle of view and, for this reason, are called "wide angle" lenses. Their wide field of view makes them ideal for landscape photography and for photographing in close quarters when you can't move back to include all the content you want.

At the other end of the scale are "telephoto" lenses. Like telescopes, they magnify distant objects and make them appear closer than they are. These have a long focal length and have a narrow field of view. Bird watchers, sports photographers and anyone who just wants a close-up view of their subject will want a telephoto lens.

We talked about "portrait" lenses. These fit into the semi-telephoto family because they allow you to photograph a person close-up without needing to be "in their space". Your subject may feel more relaxed. 

Most cameras today come with zoom lenses. A "zoom" lens gets its name from the ability to zoom from wide angle to telephoto and back, allowing the photographer to use only one lens for multiple purposes. We can work faster, frame easier and save money too!

When we photograph a subject, the amount of background that we capture in the image depends on the type of lens we use and the distance we are from the subject. This is the concept of "perspective".

Try it yourself with your camera. Stand close to an object and look at it through the viewfinder of your camera. Zoom out and more background is included. As you zoom in, less and less background is included and more of the frame will be filled with the subject. Now step back and do it again. Notice how the relationship between the object and the background changes both with the amount of zoom (focal length) and distance. Perspective isn't unique to photography or any other art form. Our brains "understand" that objects look smaller when they are far away than when they are close.

This week we also discussed some things to help you organize your photographs. As the number of your photos increases, the harder it is to keep track of them, to know where they are and what each group of photos includes. We suggest that you try to develop a system of your own using a naming pattern. You can name your folders and your photos using the name of the photo project, the date, the subject etc. For a really detailed searching, you may want to invest in a photo management software package that lets you use keywords. Sometimes just making a list in a text file or a spreadsheet can be valuable.

We highly recommend that, after uploading your photos, you make a backup copy, preferably to another location and perhaps even to a CD or DVD. Computers and hard drives are fragile pieces of equipment and you risk losing all your photos if you accidentally drop your computer and your don't have another copy of them somewhere else. Many companies now allow you to back up your photos online to the "cloud", meaning onto their servers.

Finally we briefly discussed sharing your photos either by printing, uploading to web sites and social media sites like Facebook and in emails to family and friends. The key message here is that, for printing, high resolution images files will give you a higher quality print. The industry standard for printing is 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the print size. For online use, lower resolution values are sufficient and the standard to use is 72 dpi. Lower resolution image files are smaller in size and upload/download faster.

Lesley has offered you a creative challenge for your next project. Think about the concept of "red". What does that bring to mind? It could be an emotion like love or anger. It could be nature like flowers and trees. It could be danger. It could be blood! Let your imagination explore the concept and then try to capture it in some images. Use your skills in composition, focus and depth of field to convey your concept. Don't forget to have fun too!

The next class is on Dec. 3 and that gives you three weeks to work on the next project. And remember to think about a photo story to share with everyone at the final class on Dec. 10.

Good shooting!

Composing a visual symphony

This week we put away our technical toolbox and went to the dark side! Or maybe more literally, the right brain, creative side of photography, where most of us would rather spend our time. We started exploring composition - the art of creating beautiful photographs.

Just as that implies, composing a photograph is "art". While there are some techniques that can help us think about how to combine visual elements such as lines and curves into pleasing creations, it's really a "gut feel" that tells us when it works. Many famous photographers discount any "rules" of composition. And I can tell you from personal experience that if you always use the same techniques, your photos will begin to all look alike.

It's really useful to have some hints at your disposal though, especially at the beginning. Using techniques such as the rule of thirds and leading lines, we can create more harmonious images that draw in the viewer and encourage them to examine the photograph in more detail.

Try writing down some of the techniques on a slip of paper and bring it with you on your next photo outing. If you find yourself trying to think of something to shoot, pull out the list and use it to trigger your imagination. It's amazing how well they work!

And after a while, you won't need a list. You'll begin to "see". You'll develop your own eye and be on your way to being an artist.

By the way, please don't forget that the classes of November 19 & 26 have been postponed until December 3 & 10.

Thanks and good shooting!