Exercises for Week of March 11/2008
These exercises are intended for NATURAL light. Next week we'll do AVAILABLE light. Fake "controlled" artificial light is after the field trip...
If you want to challenge yourself on these exercises even more, try using manual focus. You should all know enough about DOF by now to make conscious decisions about what artistic effect you'd like to see, so be as creative and adventurous as you like with this exercise! I strongly suggest shooting in Av or M for these exercises, with an ISO of either 100 or 200.
Good luck!
FOR THOSE PLAYING ALONG AT HOME WHO CAN METER AND CAN SET THEIR CAMERA TO MANUAL BUT CANNOT DO METERING LOCK: Whatcha gotta do is meter in the correct mode as you normally would, and write down the settings on your camera. After you've metered, when you step back to compose the picture, put the camera in M and manually set the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed to whatever the meter said.
Task #1 Light on Light
Take a light coloured object and set it on a light coloured surface - an egg on a tea towel, a feather on a piece of white paper, a white cat on top of a white shirt (because I know everyone has a white cat just laying around...) Take a picture showing the maximum amount of detail possible - textures in fabric, shadows in creases, etc. Use indirect or diffused lighting - ie) near a window but not in the sunbeam. HINT: evaluative (matrix) metering is a good place to start. Remember your ev+/- will allow you to tweak your exposure a bit *and* you can rearrange your objects in relation to the light. The idea is to have a very nice sorta low contrast high key kinda picture.
Task #2 Dark on Light
Find a darker object and set it on a light coloured, textured surface - a red apple on a pale wood table, a black stapler on a piece of crumpled white paper, a black cat on a white shirt (paint the white cat if you need) or if you are or have access to a person with dark skin, ask them to stand or lay in front of a light backdrop - your wall, a hanging piece of fabric, your carpet. If you choose to have your dark-skinned subject lay in the snowbank you better be able to work fast... Take a picture exposed for detail on each the light side and then the dark side of the dark object. Although direct light (in the sunbeam) will work easiest, you may use either direct or indirect lighting; for this assignment please make sure that if you are using indirect light, you set your subject up perpendicular to the light source. Next, take a picture of the surface so you can still see those details. HINT: spot metering will work best, and don't forget to lock your exposure before moving away to compose and shoot your picture!
Task #3 Light on Dark
Find a light-skinned volunteer (willing or unwilling, either will work if you have enough rope and duct tape) and place them in front of a dark backdrop (standing in front of a dark bedsheet or swath of fabric, laying on a dark cushion, couch, or carpet, wearing a dark hood. (If you can't find a volunteer, give the black cat a bath so it's white again and put it on a black shirt...) Have your volunteer stand perpendicular to the light source, which may be direct or indirect lighting. Expose for the shadowed side of the face, then for the light side of the face. Last, take one picture that is as evenly exposed as possible. HINT: You may want to use a combination of spot- and centre-weighted metering. Remember to move close enough to your subject to get an accurate metering as well.
Task #4 Dark on Dark
Find a dark object and place it on a similarly-toned dark textured surface - a black stapler on a black towel, a dried up pomegranite on a piece of dark red fabric - paint the white cat navy blue and put it on a navy blue shirt... Using direct light (remember - stay perpendicular to the light source!) take a picture metering for the light side of the object, and then one for the dark side. Move your object to indirect light and try to get as much detail as possible. HINT: black on black may meter very slow shutter speeds - be prepared to use a tripod or set your camera on a stable surface!
Good luck!
FOR THOSE PLAYING ALONG AT HOME WHO CAN METER AND CAN SET THEIR CAMERA TO MANUAL BUT CANNOT DO METERING LOCK: Whatcha gotta do is meter in the correct mode as you normally would, and write down the settings on your camera. After you've metered, when you step back to compose the picture, put the camera in M and manually set the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed to whatever the meter said.
Task #1 Light on Light
Take a light coloured object and set it on a light coloured surface - an egg on a tea towel, a feather on a piece of white paper, a white cat on top of a white shirt (because I know everyone has a white cat just laying around...) Take a picture showing the maximum amount of detail possible - textures in fabric, shadows in creases, etc. Use indirect or diffused lighting - ie) near a window but not in the sunbeam. HINT: evaluative (matrix) metering is a good place to start. Remember your ev+/- will allow you to tweak your exposure a bit *and* you can rearrange your objects in relation to the light. The idea is to have a very nice sorta low contrast high key kinda picture.
Task #2 Dark on Light
Find a darker object and set it on a light coloured, textured surface - a red apple on a pale wood table, a black stapler on a piece of crumpled white paper, a black cat on a white shirt (paint the white cat if you need) or if you are or have access to a person with dark skin, ask them to stand or lay in front of a light backdrop - your wall, a hanging piece of fabric, your carpet. If you choose to have your dark-skinned subject lay in the snowbank you better be able to work fast... Take a picture exposed for detail on each the light side and then the dark side of the dark object. Although direct light (in the sunbeam) will work easiest, you may use either direct or indirect lighting; for this assignment please make sure that if you are using indirect light, you set your subject up perpendicular to the light source. Next, take a picture of the surface so you can still see those details. HINT: spot metering will work best, and don't forget to lock your exposure before moving away to compose and shoot your picture!
Task #3 Light on Dark
Find a light-skinned volunteer (willing or unwilling, either will work if you have enough rope and duct tape) and place them in front of a dark backdrop (standing in front of a dark bedsheet or swath of fabric, laying on a dark cushion, couch, or carpet, wearing a dark hood. (If you can't find a volunteer, give the black cat a bath so it's white again and put it on a black shirt...) Have your volunteer stand perpendicular to the light source, which may be direct or indirect lighting. Expose for the shadowed side of the face, then for the light side of the face. Last, take one picture that is as evenly exposed as possible. HINT: You may want to use a combination of spot- and centre-weighted metering. Remember to move close enough to your subject to get an accurate metering as well.
Task #4 Dark on Dark
Find a dark object and place it on a similarly-toned dark textured surface - a black stapler on a black towel, a dried up pomegranite on a piece of dark red fabric - paint the white cat navy blue and put it on a navy blue shirt... Using direct light (remember - stay perpendicular to the light source!) take a picture metering for the light side of the object, and then one for the dark side. Move your object to indirect light and try to get as much detail as possible. HINT: black on black may meter very slow shutter speeds - be prepared to use a tripod or set your camera on a stable surface!
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