IntroductiontoPhotography

One should really use the camera as though tomorrow

you'd be stricken blind.
-Dorthea Lange

WhatisPhotography?
theart,science,andpracticeofcreating
durableimagesbyrecordinglightor
otherelectromagneticradiation,either
chemicallybymeansofalightsensitive
materialsuchasphotographicfilm,or
electronicallybymeansofanimage
sensor.

ShorthistoryofPhotography
Photographywasinventedinthebeginning
ofthe19thcentury
Chemicalphotographywasinventedinthe
1820s.

Thefirstpermanentphotoetching(fundamentalphotography)wasanimageproducedin1822by
theFrenchinventorNicephoreNiepce.
Hemadethefirstpermanentphotographfromnature(hisViewfromtheWindowatLeGras)witha
camerain1826.

Howacameraworks

N otice th e in verted
(u p sid e-d ow n ) tree.

Whentheshutterofacameraisopened,lightpassesthroughthelens
andontothefilm.Thefilmiscoveredwithchemicalsthatcreatea
patternoflightonthefilm.Thisbecomesthenegativeinchemical
Photography.Now,weoftenusedigital/electronicphotography.
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ImageSensor
Animagesensorisa
devicethatconvertsan
opticalimageinto
anelectronicsignal.

Therearethreebasicstylesof
photography.
Landscape

Portrait

Documentary

Landscape
Landscapeisa
photographofthe
environment.Itcouldbe
theforest,mountains,
oceans,oryourbackyard.
AnselAdamsisa
famouslandscape
photographer.Hereis
oneofhisimages.
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HereisanotherofAnselAdams
Photographs

PortraitPhotography
Portraitphotographyisaphoto
ofapersonoranimalthat
showsanemotional
connection.

Whatistheemotionshownin
thisphoto?
Scared
O ther

Angry
HoldingVirginaSallyMann
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MorePortraits
Portraitscanbethewholebody.

TheDressSallyMann

BoyandCar,NewYorkCityJeromeLiebling,1949

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Whataresomewaysyoucan
makeaportraitphotograph
creativeanddifferentfrom
everyoneelse?

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Documentary
Documentary
photographypresentsa
truescenewithout
changinganything.

MigrantMotherDortheaLange

Gooddocumentary
photographsmakeyou
wonderwhatthestoryis
behindthephotograph.
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Whatarethestoriesinthesephotos?

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Wheredoyoufinddocumentary
photographs?
M agazines
N ew spaper
Books
Internet
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Contrast
Contrastreferstothe
brightnessbetween
thelightandshadow
areasofapicture.

Mapplethorpe, Orchid and Leaf in White Vase 1982

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Doesithavecontrast?Whatdirectionis
thelightonthetreescomingfrom?

Alfred Stieglitz - Icy Night, 1893

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WhatisContrast?
Contrast is the diff
erence
betw een light and shadow .
Think about a fl
ashlight in a
dark room .
LIG H TS

SH AD O W S
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Thecomposition

The positioning of
objects or the photos
focus w ithin the
photograph
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Rule of Thirds
AphotoismoreinterestingifthesubjectisNOTdirectlyinthe
center.Tryplacingyoursubject1/3totheleftorright,or1/3
fromtoporbottom.

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Onephotographusesruleofthirdsandtheotherusescentralfocus.

CentralFocus

Rule of Thirds

Whichphotographdoyoufindmoreinteresting?
WHY?
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PointofView
Tryselectinganunusualpointofview.

Above
Below

Eye Level
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Proximity
Dontbeshy!Getclosetoyoursubject.Butmakesureyoukeepfocus!

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BasicPortfolioProject
Sm allgroups, 1+ D SLR cam era per group
Each person m ust take 4 photos of each
of the three subjects: Landscape,
Portrait, D ocum entary. (2 black and
w hite, 2 color)
Each person m ust then w rite a short
paragraph describing the photo,
explaining the contrast (B& W ), the point
of view , com position and proxim ity of the
picture as w ellas the subject.
As a group, you m ust decide on three
them es, one them e for each of the
subjects: Exam ple, for Landscape
the
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them e can be Essentials for life. W hat

 The group w illtake the photos and

print them to bring into the class.
As a group, you m ust choose one
best picture from each subject and
print it as a 10x12. Allother photos
m ust be printed as a 5x7.
The group w illpresent all
photographs, each m em ber
explaining his ow n photographs
and then as a group, explaining
w hy they chose the three best
photographs in relation to the
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Grading

10 points for each best picture as a group, 5

points for the photograph utilizing point of view ,
com positioning, and proxim ity (or contrast for
B& W ) and 5 points for the explanation (30 points
as a group)
10 points for each best picture out of the four
each student took individually, 5 points for the
photograph utilizing best point of view ,
contrast/proxim ity and 5 points for the
explanation (30 points individually)
10 points for printing out the photographs as
described in the project
10 points for follow ing the projects criteria
Totalpoints: 80 (40 as a group, 40 individually)
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