PGY2801C - Electronic Still Photography Allen Cheuvront

2011 Fall B

allen@cheuvront.com

Project 1 – The Shutter

The Shutter...Exposure Control   All image capture systems, including digital sensors and film, require a relatively precise amount of light to be shined on them (or exposed) to create an image:  Not too much light-over exposure, nor too little-under exposure. The "shutter" is the timing device which opens and closes to regulate the light. When open, light enters the dark chamber where the sensor lives, and closes to stop the light. The "shutter speed," combined with the "aperture" (the size of a variable opening of the lens, measured in f/ stops) and "ISO" (the imaging sensor's sensitivity to light) adjusted to the actual level of the light falling upon the subject, form the basis of "exposure." As one of the three primary camera exposure controls, the shutter "speed" adjusts the amount of light hitting the imaging sensor, by regulating the time (usually, but not always) in fractions of a second, that the imaging light is allowed to fall on the sensor. There is an artistic aspect to the shutter spped as well: it also affects the way that  movement is rendered in the final image- either subject or camera... Thus a shutter speed is selected as an element of the "exposure" of your image, but it also determines how things in front of the camera changed during that exposure time. "Fast" shutter speeds tend to stop action. "Slow" shutter speeds tend to enhance the expression of motion through blur. For this assignment, you may use your camera's "shutter priority auto-exposure" mode. You select a shutter speed, the camera reads the light, and sets the correct aperture or f/stop. This mode is ideal for directly controlling the time aspect of exposure.

...also Controls the Expression of Motion Blue Angel 6    Fast Shutter freezes motion.  exposure with  ISO 400 1/1000 sec  @  f/5.6

5 memorable images – 50 points:

a) 2 images showing a “ fast” shutter speed stopping action

b) 2 images with a very slow shutter speed expressing movement

c) 1 "panning" shot with the background blurred and the main subject sharp

Objectives:

• To illustrate your understanding of the use of the shutter to control exposure while expressing motion
• In photographs a)  freeze an action- show motion stopped in these two images.
  NOTE: I believe that you will need a "Stop Motion Figure" image for use in your Photoshop class second project, introduced March 29th. Confer with Prof. Peyton for details. You may use this for both my and Rhonda's assignment, so put some thought and effort into the image.
  
• Then conversely, in b) also capture a motion, but this time allow the shutter to stay open long enough to show the motion in progress. 
• Next, in c), use the motion of your camera to both freeze a moving subject, and yet show the motion of the subject in relation to the subject’s surroundings. This is called "panning."
• Use the correct camera settings to capture photos that illustrate the concept and/or techniques stated for each photo. Use your                     textbook as a reference, if you are not clear on the process of producing the photo.

            You should check the class website often  (http://www.cheuvront.com/sfc) where you should find relevant links, which will be                             updated regularly.  Besides Angel this will be the primary information resource.
   

Requirements for completion of Project 1 – use the following guidelines:

• Set your camera to shoot images in CAMERA RAW format (read the manual!!!)
  
• Also set your camera's default color space to Adobe RGB 1998 not sRGB
  
• Find the "histogram" display in your camera's menu system. This is the primary means for you to verify that you have an acceptable exposure for each shot. See if your camera has an overexposure warning display. If it is there, turn it on.
  
• Don't be stingy- shoot several variations of the subject, until you are sure you have a compelling image. NO BORING PHOTOGRAPHS.
  
  
• Use “Adobe Camera Raw” to make adjustments, (CS4) or see Adobe Camera RAW CS6,  then “Open Image” do your Photoshop adjustments ON LAYERS, and save as a .psd (this lets you keep your original RAW file untouched) and provides a non-destructive edit.
  

• Use adjustment layers to improve your image, and save with layers checked as .psd. This is called "non-destructive" editing.

SAVE and archive your original “RAW” file, (and it's associated .xmp file). The xmp file is a text type file which records the changed you make to image in the Adobe Camera Raw Photoshop applet. The actual RAW file CAN NOT be changed.  Only the way it displays when opened or previewed is changed, and recorded to the xmp file. These are like a film negative. You will return to this RAW file more than once.

For example: "DSCF2159.CR2" and "DSCF2159.xmp" (you should not try to rename this RAW file or it's "sidecar.")

You will do many of your adjustments in Photoshop, so you will also save your adjusted “DSCF2159.psd” file , maintaining the original image serial number eg. DSCF2159. You should append the filename to include the part of the assignment name, for example from Project 1, shot b:  

" DSCF2159_b.psd"

I will expect at least these three files to be included for each image described in your assignments. Use an underscore (_) instead of spaces in filenames, and always include the correct filename extension, eg. ".psd" for a Photoshop document.

When you have made the image look as good as possible, save A COPY of your project. I will bring a thumb drive for you to copy files to turn in to me for the assignment  Clearly label the folder with your name and project number.