Unit 3 Activity 4

 Photo by Antti Lehtinen

Photo by Daniel Poe

A great depth of field is useful for landscapes and other things which take in a lot of detail. It shows lines and rhythm in the image. A great depth of field is useful when subjects are also very far in the background. It helps show the scenery as well.

 Photo by Michael Zhang

Photo by Rudi Hulshof

A shallow depth of field is useful for a couple different reason. It can focus in on the subject and blur out any distraction things in the background. It also gives a clear, defined subject, and can capture detail much better. Using a shallow depth of field can also add story and lead the subject to a blurry, mysterious background. Shallow depths are also useful for focusing in onto a small subject.

Unit 3 Activity 3

 Photo by Jeremy Cowart

Photo by Brent Stirton

A light source in a picture gives a good gradient of lighting in an image. It shows exactly how a subject is lit, and gives a focal point as well. However, sometimes a light source coming from in front of a camera and behind a subject can drown out the subjects color and crispness.

Unit 3 Activity 2

Photo by Ira Kravchuk 

Multiple light sources are often used in portrait photography. It puts a soft lighting onto the subject and lights them evenly. this makes the image much more smooth, and well, soft. It removes unsightly textures or blemishes as well. 

Photo by Brent Stirton

A single light source gives the image a hard lighting. One section of the subject is light very well, while everything else is eclipsed. This adds roundness to a face or object. It makes the subject more organic. The hard lighting gives it shape and accentuates texture.

Unit 3 Activity 1

 photo by Michael Kanashkevich

Photo by Aaron Lockart

 Here are a couple examples of soft lighting. Soft lighting works well for portrait photography and getting every detail well lit. It shows everything evenly and leaves little out. However, sometimes it can make a subject look flat and without any roundness or edges. without shadows, you cannot see much form and specific detail.

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Photos by Jeremy Cowart

These images show hard lighting. Hard lighting usually only has one light source that focuses on a single section of the subject. Hard lighting really gives character to a face or shows detail and texture of a subject. The shadows can also give the image a bit of mysteriousness. Hard lighting can sometimes leave out important pieces of a subject, however. If you do not intend to have large shadows, hard lighting can ruin a picture.

Unit 2 Activity 3

These photographs (both taken by Mitchel Kanashkevich) show great use of the rule of thirds. The subject is put into these spots because it is the most aesthetically pleasing area. Not only is it good to have a subject in one area of the rule of thirds, but for it to flow smoothly into two or more of these spots, as shown in the second picture.

These two images (top by Brent Stirton, bottom by Rainer Pfingst) do not follow the rule of thirds. It is not always necessary to put images into the rule of thirds, it would make photography much more boring if that was the only way to have a "good" photograph. Centering your subject, creating leading lines, having varying depths-of-visions, and many more elements of a photograph can make it work well.

Unit 2 Activity 2

Part One

‘To quote out of context is the essence of the photographer’s craft. His central problem is a simple one: what shall he include, what shall he reject? The line of decision between in and out is the picture’s edge. While the draughtsman starts with the middle of the sheet, the photographer starts with the frame. The photograph’s edge defines content. It isolates unexpected juxtapositions. By surrounding two facts, it creates a relationship. e edge of the photograph dissects familiar forms, and shows their unfamiliar fragment. It creates the shapes that surround objects. The photographer edits the meanings and the patterns of the world through an imaginary frame. This frame is the beginning of his picture’s geometry. It is to the photograph as the cushion is to the billiard table.’ -John Szarkowski

The quote above talks about quoting out of context, which means to frame the subject matter in a way that can either remove distracting background matter or completely change the mood of the picture. Taken from the right angle, and image may mean a complete different meaning if it does not have any background information, much like hearing a story without knowing the background. Quoting out of context can make different forms, or a unique perspective, on regular things.

Part Two

Degas was a fairly revolutionary painter for his time. He painted images of people doing casual, everyday things. When most artwork was very dramatic, set-up, or posed, Degas showed people in their natural forms. He painted anything from cooking to bathing. His work was inspired by what was seen around him, much like most photography.

Unit 2 Activity 1

These photos (Left by Mitchell Kanashkevik, right by Brent Stirton) use very simple backgrounds to focus onto the subject more. The left picture's background is a solid color and texture, and since it water, it makes the photo very soothing. The photo on the right has a very shallow depth-of-field, creating a strong focus onto the subject, and offers no distraction.