Class 1

Composition
Composition is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole. In photography that thought is very important in taking good pictures.

Before you just step up and take a picture you should consider what you want your viewers to look at and how you should display main points of interest. You should ask yourself, what is the main subject? What angle should the light be hitting in my picture? Is there anything that could accentuate the main subject? Where should the main subject be in the frame? These are all important things you should consider, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to follow the rules exactly.

Rule of thirds
When taking a photo, mentally divide your image into thirds and place your center of interest, the focus of your shot, what you want us to look at, in one of the intersections of the thirds where the little circles meet.
The Rule of Thirds has been used for centuries and is probably the most important of all the composition techniques. The Rule of Thirds means that the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections and therefore, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect makes an ideal location for the more important parts of your picture. By locating your main subject at one of the four intersections you give the subject more emphasis than if it was right smack in the middle of the picture. This is also a good technique if you have more than one important subject, the intersections can still work even if there's a subject on more than one. The divisions can also be helpful in setting up a picture, they can for example, help you determine how much horizon you want. Most famous photographs or paintings in the world today have the rule of thirds applied to them in some way.

The jargon

Even before we get to the details of the classes, let's talk about some of the frequently used terms related to photography. This will help us in better understanding the technical jargon of photography. Let's start to sound more like a pro photographer [:)]

The terms that I can think of outright when it comes to photography are

Aperture

Lens opening. The opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening. Apertures are measured in something called f/stops (a very wide aperture is f/2.8 and a very small aperture is f/19). Aperture controls the depth-of-field which is what is in focus in the picture. Aperture can be used to draw attention to one subject (like the flower on the right) by blurring the background with a wide aperture (low f/stop). Aperture can also be used to focus everything in a picture with a narrow aperture (high f/stop).

Composition

The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects.

Depth of Field

The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject.

Exposure

The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper.

Exposure Meter/Light Meter

An instrument with a light-sensitive cell that measures the light reflected from or falling on a subject, used as an aid for selecting the exposure setting. The same as a light meter.

Film Speed

The sensitivity of a given film to light, indicated by a number such as ISO 200. The higher the number, the more sensitive or faster the film. Note: ISO stands for International Standards Organization.

f-Number

A number that indicates the size of the lens opening on an adjustable camera. The common f-numbers are f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, and f/22. The larger the f-number, the smaller the lens opening. In this series, f/1.4 is the largest lens opening and f/22 is the smallest. Also called f-stops, they work in conjunction with shutter speeds to indicate exposure settings.

Focal Length

The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimetres on the lens mount.

ISO Speed

The emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. In these standards, both arithmetic (ASA) and logarithmic (DIN) speed values are expressed in a single ISO term. For example, a film with a speed of ISO 100/21° would have a speed of ASA 100 or 21 DIN. The common span of ISO speed is 100 to 800. The higher the ISO speed the faster the camera collects light but it also adds more noise to the photograph than the lower speeds. For example if your trying to take pictures in dim light without a tripod you might want to raise the ISO speed in order to get a picture that's not blurry. Most of the time you should keep it at a lower ISO speed if there is enough light, but it makes a big difference when there isn't.

Shutter

Blades, a curtain, plate, or some other movable cover in a camera that controls the time during which light reaches the film.

Shutter Speed

The amount of time the sensor is exposed to light. Shutter speeds are measured in seconds and more commonly fractions of a second. (1/2000 of a second is very fast and 8' seconds is extremely slow). Shutter speed for example can be used to freeze subjects in midair with a fast speed or it can be used to blur water with a slow speed.

Shutter Priority

An exposure mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you select the desired shutter speed; the camera sets the aperture for proper exposure. If you change the shutter speed, or the light level changes, the camera adjusts the aperture automatically.

Soft Focus

Produced by use of a special lens that creates soft outlines.

Spotting

Retouching a processed print with a pencil or brush (with watercolors or dyes) to eliminate spots left by dust or scratches on the negative.

Telephoto Lens

Retouching a processed print with a pencil or brush (with watercolors or dyes) to eliminate spots left by dust or scratches on the negative.A lens that makes a subject appear larger on film than does a normal lens at the same camera-to-subject distance. A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a normal lens.

Vignetting

A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. Can be caused by poor lens design, using a lens hood not matched to the lens, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.

White Balance

It is the process of measuring your light source’s colour temperature accurately, based on your lighting conditions, and using that information to correctly balance your whites and colours.

Wide-Angle Lens

A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.

A wide-angle lens takes in a greater angle of view than a normal lens. This image was made with an ultra-wide 16 mm fisheye lens. Notice the curved horizon.

Zoom Lens

A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.

Started Photography Classes

Feb 4th is when I started with the Class 1. I took up a photography course starting this month feb going through may. I will try to update this blog after each class with value added information. I am hoping to see a gradual improvement in my shots over this period.

First Blog

This is my first blog. I want to add all the fun stuff here, share my pictures and support my passion for Photography.