The power of
Photography
Telling the visual story
Everyone these days is a photographer, but not
everyone is a visual storyteller. The best yearbooks
showcase storytelling images, those that capture
and communicate a sense of experience about
school life as it unfolds day by day.
Storytelling images take readers into the real
world – where interesting people (faculty,
students and staff) experience exciting events full
of emotion. Such images are memorable and
engaging. They attract and hold attention, and
help involve readers with the yearbook at
ever-deeper levels.
Storytelling images almost never result when
we interrupt people’s reality, pose them against
brick walls, and tell them to say, “Cheese.” That
approach leads to routine, predictable and
forgettable images.
A storytelling mindset helps us identify unique
story angles and treatments, and anticipate and
capture meaningful moments, actions and
behaviors.
Capturing
Images • 1
Goal:
At the end of this unit, students will plan and take
photos that tell stories and use composition and
lighting techniques that add visual interest to their
images.
Objectives:
1. Staff members understand the importance of
planning their photo stories and brainstorming with
their section teams to tell their stories visually.
2. Section editors and photo editor assist team
members with photo story planning..
3. Editors, section editors and photo editor review
team members’ photos to help team members
improve their skills in visual storytelling.
4. Staff members correct exposure, noise factors and
color in photo editing software under the
supervision of photographers and/or photo editor.
5. Staff members work with photo editor and other
photographers to edit images in photo editing
software.
Methodology:
Staff members will go on a live photo shoot with
experienced photographer and/or photo editor to
gain hands-on experience.
Evaluation:
Editors, section editors, photo editor and adviser
will critique images submitted for review by staff
members. Photos will be evaluated according to the
Photo Rubric on Adviser Resource page 5 of the
Introduction to Yearbook chapter.
 Using the
Camera
How does the camera work?
What’s an f-stop? How does the ISO
setting affect my pictures? Do I need a fast or
slower shutter speed? Can I just shoot
everything on “automatic?”
Cameras can be complicated, but
knowing how they work and how the settings
affect your photos will help you become a
better photographer. Let’s say you’re shooting
pictures of a soccer game with hundreds of
people in the background. Perhaps you realize
you only want to focus on the action in the
game and blur the people in the background.
How can you do that?
Aperture priority
Set your camera on “aperture priority”
and move the f-stop to the widest opening,
usually 2.8. Your digital camera will
automatically set the shutter speed to allow
the correct amount of light into the camera.
The wide aperture works much like the pupil
of your eye, allowing more light into the
Capturing
Images • 2
camera, but making the “depth of field”
shallow, thus blurring the background. At
that same soccer game, if you want to stop
action, set your digital camera on “shutter
priority” and move it to 1/500 of a second.
The camera will automatically change the
aperture to allow the correct amount of light
to come into the camera.
How the shutter works
The shutter works much like your eye-lid,
opening and closing at a fraction of a
second to either stop or blur action,
depending on the result you’re trying to
achieve.
The ISO setting relates to the light sensor
on your camera. The higher the ISO, the
faster shutter speed you can use in low-light
situations; however, higher ISO settings
create “noise.” You can experiment with
various camera settings and their effects on
images at the Canon website below:
http://canonoutusideofauto.ca
Aperture/f-stops
Your camera’s aperture allows light
to enter the camera. F-stop numbers
Capturing
designate aperture size.The wider the
Aperture range Images • 3
aperture, the smaller the f-stop
number. The smaller the aperture,
the larger the f-stop number.

Lets in more light

Lets in less light

Wide aperture settings allow
more light into the camera than
small apertures. To purposely blur
the background, use a wide aperture
(f 2.8). This practice creates shallow
depth of field. When you want f 2.8 f4 f 5.6 f8 f 11 f 16 f 22
greater depth of field with subjects
and background in focus, use a
smaller aperture (f-2). Shallow depth of field (background is out of focus) Depth of field Greater depth of field (background is in focus)
Photo by Laura Schaub, Lifetouch

Photo by Laura Schaub, Lifetouch

Photo by Laura Schaub, Lifetouch

Shallow depth of field -
pine cone and needles are
in focus; background is
completely out of focus

Some depth of field - cheerleader in focus; Greater depth of field - subjects

background slightly out of focus and background are all in focus
 Deposit Photos
Shutter speed
The camera’s shutter also helps control the amount of
light available to expose a photo. Shutter speeds vary from Capturing
camera to camera. Most devices range from 1 second (very Images • 4
slow) to 1/500 of a second, or higher. To stop action, use a
fast shutter speed, 1/250 of a second or higher. The faster
the shutter opens and closes, the better chance you have to
stop action.
In low light situations, you’ll need to allow more light to
enter your camera. You may need to use 1/30 or 1/60 of a
second with your aperture wide open. At slower
shutter speeds, hold the camera rock steady or use a tripod
to avoid blurry images. To stop action in low light
situations, use a higher-numbered ISO setting, somewhere
Fast shutter speed -
between 1600 and 3200.
1/500 or higher to stop action

Deposit Photos

Deposit Photos

Deposit Photos
Slow shutter speed -
1/30-1/60
Fast shutter speed - Medium shutter speed -
1/500 or higher to stop action 1/125 to 1/250
What is the ISO?
The International Standards Organiza-
tion standardizes the sensitivity ratings for
camera light sensors.
By adjusting your ISO setting, you
change your camera’s light sensitivity. A
camera’s ISO can range from 24 to 6,400
or higher.
Lower-numbered ISOs mean your
camera is less responsive to light.
ISO Settings
Low-numbered ISO - 100 - no noise
Higher-numbered ISOs mean your camera
is more sensitive to light.
Higher numbers cause “noise,“ or
tiny dots, to appear in the photo. Lower Capturing
numbers produce higher quality images; Images • 5
however, the lower numbered ISOs aren’t
great for shooting moving objects in
low-light because they force you to use
slow shutter speeds.
High-numbered ISO - 3200 - increased noise
Which ISO setting should I use?
ISO 50-100 - Works well with bright light
(outdoors on a sunny day)
ISO 200 - Excellent setting for overcast or
cloudy days
ISO 400-800 - Good setting for dim light
ISO 1600 and above - Excellent setting for nighttime
shots or action shots in low-light situations (sports,
musicals, performances)