Homework

Yesterday evening I went to a photography class on exposure and DSLR cameras. It's a two-part class, two hours on Tuesday evening for two weeks, and last night we went over the basic trio of controlling light in pictures: ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed.

I've done a class like this once before with Penny Silvia, our Goddess of family photos, but I really felt like I needed to hear it again - not because Penny didn't do a good job of teaching it (because I think my photos have improved immeasurably since her class) but because it still isn't coming naturally for me. In short, I need it pounded into my thick and aging skull one more time. What has been stumping me more than anything is the relationship between the three elements in controlling how your photo looks. Separately, and theoretically, I got it. Together, and when standing there with the buttons in-hand, I was having problems making each element work with the next successfully.

The teacher, Jordan Farmer, was very good, by the way and I would highly recommend his class for anyone who has a pretty decent understanding of their camera already but needs to get more in-depth on mechanics and technical elements relating to exposure. He did a great job of explaining (in simple English) how the three legs on the exposure stool balance one another out, as well as the side-effects and impacts of playing with one vs. another to let-in or reduce light.

So, now I have homework before next week's class. I have to take 7, maybe 8, photos:

1. A photo with a blurry background. (Meaning a photo with a shallow depth of field.)
2. A landscape photo. (Meaning a photo with a deep depth of field.)
3. A photo where something moving is intentionally blurry (playing with shutter speed)
4. A photo where something moving is frozen in time (again playing with shutter speed)
5. Two shots of the same subject in the highest and lowest possible ISO mode (to compare "noise" or "graininess")
6. A shot in the darkest place we can "safely" take a photo without a flash. ("Safely" here means that we can still get our shutter speed over 125th of a second, which is considered safe for hand-holding a camera.)
7. Optional bonus shot is for a silhouette - a subject totally blacked-out against a light background.

It sounds like a lot and I guess I could do most of them very simply around the house or yard but the creative and competitive streaks in me are determined to come to the table with images that at-least vie for the "best in class". So, I'm hoping to get up to Foresthill this weekend with the family, and use that setting for most of the shots.

Any suggestions, by the way, of subjects or settings or tips for any of the assignments, are much appreciated.

Of course, I will post the results of my homework here.