Assignment 5: Motion

Part One: Experimenting with Motion

This third in-class assignment was aimed at getting students more acquainted with how to capture motion. Digital SLR cameras like the Alpha a900 that I have come equipped with  Shutter Speed Priority and Manual Modes which allow users to play around with exposure time to either freeze motion or slow it down. 

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The following is a collage I put together in Picasa with the ten pictures I took in which a fast shutter speed was used to freeze motion and ultimately freeze the subjects and the actions they were doing at that precise moment.

"FREEZING THE MOMENT" ALBUM

To view the individual pictures on Picasa web albums click here.

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These images, on the other hand, were taken with a long shutter speed allowing the motion in each picture to be slowed down hence why some of the pictures have some blur in them.

"SLOWING THINGS DOWN A LITTLE" ALBUM

To view the individual pictures on Picasa web albums click here.



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PART TWO: SHUTTER SPEED EXPERIMENT


Frozen Action Shot of Coin Hitting Water


I really like this shot because it really was captured at the right moment when the coin had just hit the water's surface thanks to the fast shutter speed that was used.

The following picture was taken with the following settings:

Camera Model: Sony Alpha DSLR A900

Lens: Sony 50mm Macro

Aperture: f/3.2

Shutter Speed: 1/160 

ISO: 1600

Blurred shot of penny hitting the water

As opposed to the previous image, it is clear that the splash in the this one is blurred which is easy to understand since there was a rather long shutter speed used. 

The following picture was taken with the following settings:

Camera Model: Sony Alpha DSLR A900

Lens: Sony 50mm Macro 

Aperture: f/3.5

Shutter Speed: 1/20

ISO: 200

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Assignment 2: Self-Portrait & Camera Procedures

This second photography assignment was intended to make us tap into our creative abilities by charging us with the task of taking self-portraits of ourselves with a digital camera. 

This is my favorite amongst the group of self-portraits I took as I believe it is is the most representative of me: a true food lover who adores not only eating but the art of cooking as well. I took this picture using my DSLR with a ten second timer giving me just enough time to position myself for the shot. Although most of the portraits were taken with the use of a tripod, this photograph was taken with the camera at rest on the table. 

The following are the list of steps I took in order to get my photos from my camera onto a Picasa web album:

1. I began by taking my self-portraits with my Sony Alpha DSLR.


2. Next, I connected my camera to my Mac computer via a USB cable.


3. As always, when I turned my camera on,my Mac detected that a camera was connected and it launched the iPhoto application that then prompted me with a message asking me which I photos I wished to import.


4. I selected the batch of 100 photos or so that I had taken earlier that day and hit the "import" button.


5. Once the pictures were imported, I sorted through them and chose my favorites. After doing so, I exported my top picks onto a USB stick into a designated folder entitled "Self-portraits".


6. The next step required getting my photos onto Picasa so that I could upload them onto Picasa web albums. 


7. I launched the Picasa application from my desktop and it immediately recognized the pictures that were on my USB stick and imported them into the program.


8. I retouched my images slightly in Picasa until they were to my liking. I then proceeded to create a new album entitled "Self-Portraits" by hitting the small button that looks like a book with an addition sign (located near the top menu). After creating my album I dragged and dropped my ten photos into it.


9. Next I right-clicked on the album I had just created and chose "Upload to Picasa Web Albums" at which point I was prompted with a message to provide my Google account ID. I did so and then simply hit the "Upload" button. The process was rather quick: taking no longer than a minute to complete the upload.


10. Finally I logged onto Picasa on the Internet and just as expected my newly created album had been posted to my account. 


All of my self-portraits can be viewed simply by clicking here. 

Assignment 1: Light Sensitive Material

This class assignment was intended to introduce us to light sensitive materials: the very materials which led to the invention of photography and to make us develop a sense of obtaining a correct exposure. The goal of this experiment was to create our own photograms using a simple light source, carefully chosen objects and a light-sensitive material: in this case photographic paper measuring half of a 8.5” X 11” paper.  My decision was to create a smiley face using simple objects such as sea shells, keys and sunglasses.

My first attempt at completing a photogram ended in failure. Using my iPhone 4’s screen as a light source I exposed my image for a total of six seconds at maximum brightness. What resulted was an image that was over exposed; the image was almost entirely black. The problem of over-exposure seemed recurrent in my group especially amongst members who were using an iPhone as a light source ... It seems the iPhone's screen is too strong as a light source and thus one must use a shorter exposure.

Following the instructor’s advice, on my second attempt, I covered half the screen of my iPhone (in essence to halve the amount of light). Fearing an over-exposed image, I exposed my light sensitive paper for only three seconds, thinking that this would result in a correct exposure. However, my calculations were wrong. The photo that resulted was faded and dull-gray color indicating that it was under-exposed.

2ND ATTEMPT (UNSUCCESSFUL)

On my third attempt, I decided to expose my image for a total of six seconds with my iPhone’s screen always covered half-way with a piece of paper towel. I kept my phone at the the same distance as the first two attempts. The image that resulted on the photographic paper was correctly exposed i.e. the smiling face was much easier to see and distinguish against the black background. They say that the “third time’s the charm”… and in this instance the saying held true.

THIRD ATEMPT (THE KEEPER)