Workshop Experience : Photography Studies College Week #8
Wednesday night we got stuck in to discussing an understanding exposure and creative exposure a little better. Clearly this area is one of the most technical, problem solving and creative areas of photography - a great topic for a week night !
Understanding that the "exposure" is the amount of light that hits and gets recorded by your censor (film cameras not excluded here but will stick to digital examples for simplicity! although much translates to both forms of light capture of course), and that the three variables that effect this exposure are : ISO, Aperture, and Shutter speed.
The beauty of getting correct exposure is that you only really need to get the combination of three parameters "right"; and given that you can generally lock ISO away (ISO 100/200 for outside daylight sun; ISO600/800 or so for cloudy/late afternoon; ISO1600/3200 for inside) then really its "just" aperture and shutter - easy !
Things in photography are moving very quickly technically - but the above equation remains the same equation every camera tries to get right. As photographers Scott firmly let us know that it is we that need to take that role back from he camera, and hence master it. Simple things like getting the dial off P mode, manually setting aperture, shutter and ISO, and of course manually metering for the exposure that you want the camera to record for you due to your problem solving and creative decisions. Now thats the not easy parts right there for me !
So given the camera in your hands reads the amount of reflected light off any subject you point it at, it then returns you the ("a") combination of ISO, Aperture and Shutter to give a correct E.V (exposure value). When there are highlights and shadows in the frame, this makes the meter work even harder. Given human eyes can ascertain around 13 to 14 stops (E.V'S) for an image, Digital cameras are still catching up although the Nikon D series is getting arguably the closest. It really doesn't matter too much what range (dynamic range) your camera gives you as its all about the subject, composition and exposure that gives to a lasting image, so plenty to work with.
So we talked through contrasting light, direct light or front right, side light, and rear light, and the problems this imposes to capturing an image, and exposure ides to address it. This is where Scott's problem solving skills really came to the fore and how he made analysing certain lighting situations so clear and simple - much harder to do when he is not around ! It was a great session and really lifted my understanding and realisation of my gap areas. Much to work on practically out on the streets and surrounds, and really turn to a master slave type engagement with my kit !
For the Thursday session with Lucia we deep dived into the wonderful pool of Colour. Lucia started by stating that colour can be used to communicate Narrative (think green for Go or red for Stop); Mood (think red brown for warmth, cyan for cool) and Rhythms (think complimentary colours appearing throughout a frame).
We then went through the various colour spaces in use around photography - RYB/CYMK being the "on surface" colour wheels, and RGB being the "projected" (screen) colour type.
We then discussed the qualities of light, being Hue (Redness), Value (or Tone), and Saturation (Intensity).
We went on to talk at length around Colour Harmonies; Analogous Colours (those colours NEXT to each other on the wheel), Complimentary Colours Those colours opposite each other on the wheel), and Colour Triads (those colours connected via a triangle on the wheel).
Really interesting and challenging given I scored pretty poorly on the identifying hues test. Gulp. But as a male I am not alone sadly.
A fantastic and stimulating session, giving us yet another palette of compositional choices and problems to solve in order to add to our frame taking.
Special Edition Workshop Session
Whoo hoo ! We had an extra curricular activity this week in that for the weekend, we did two different location shoots. Scott bought along a helper, in Eamon Gallagher - great guy and really insightful and creative in his approach to photography.
We started the first morning with a discussion about the three main types of light - Front, Side and Backlit - and the Quality of light, being Soft, Harsh and Warm/Cool - and the exposure challenges and choices we can make in order to capture the subject the way in which we want to, and not in the way the camera wants to. Thats what we are all trying to achieve after all !
We were given two assignments for the weekend. Saturday was street and photo essay focussed and we were each given an area in Melbourne to go out and take some photos to create a photo essay. 10 to 12 images max. I was given the National Gallery of Victoria. This involved both indoor and outdoor shooting, lots of metal structure stuff, and plenty of tricky lighting scenarios. I found it fun and very challenging. Will post results when the essay comes together. Here is an image I have taken at the NGV before.
©LesWillPhoto
Sunday saw us going out to a really special place in Melbourne called the Australian Garden at the Cranbourne Botanical Gardens. An amazing creative landscape project that has won several global awards. We were to interpret the gardens and take 10 to 12 images to show our view of the gardens at a later date. It was a great experience and both Scott and Eamon really helped with the ways in which to meter for the ever changing light conditions, and the ways in which interesting frames could be produced. I don't know how well I went but I really learnt a great deal from them both. I also went down really early and caught some morning sun and took my drone to get some aerial perspectives.
Having assignments like these really hope focus the skills you have talked about and to practise them - always with mixed results - but thats the purpose. It was a great weekend, lots of walking and work, and I look forward to putting together some stories.