Master Photographers : PORTRAITURE

Fine Art Photography Online

Richard Avedon

Irving Penn

Diane Arbus

masters-of-photography online

Yousuf Karsh

Irving Penn

Class Notes Setting up the d-SLR

This is basic set up guide for using d-SLR camera as discussed in class. these settings are usually in the camera menu often accessed on the back of the camera. 1. File Format and Resolution -jpeg (if you choose this setting select the highest quality.) -RAW (this is the preferred setting for the quality we discussed in class) 2. Color Setting -sRGB -Adobe 1998 (this is the setting that gives you the highest level of color.) 3. Numbering -revert to 0 -continuous (personal choice, less overwrite problems with this choice) 4. Format -this is the selection when formating the storage card, before each use. It is best to use the format rather than erase card within the computer software. these setting are usually on the top of the camera 1. Set your ISO (light sensitivity) 2. White Balance (many cameras default to Auto) -set to daylight, tungsten or Flourescent for the light you are working with. -cameras often have shade, cloudy, flash choices as well. -Advanced students may choose CUSTOM by using a white or Gray card.' - Some models also offer K setting for Kelvin Temperature. i.e 5500 or 3200 3. Meter setting - Spot (narrow exposure area) -Center Weighted (good general purpose) - Matrix Metering (uses various reading areas or zones to determine exposure reading) 4. Drive setting -single
-multi -self timer 5. AutoFocus Setting -single shot -tracking 6. Exposure Compensation (advanced setting to override the meter) Digital Camera Basics Link Nikon D-80 Review

Class Notes #8 & #10 Questions from the class

As it turns out, Point Park University has it's spring break a week prior to Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Class #10 it seems all of the non university students caught a bug or something, so we had two weeks that due to the students present we opened the floor to questions that were challenging the class.

The two classes boiled down to three basic questions.
- Setting up the d-SLR for making pictures.
- Recommended work flow.
- Simple lighting advice for the portrait assignments.

I am going to break these questions into three separate posts.

Copyright Infringement Case over Photograph of Obama

Interest in the Obama Poster Shepard Fairey and Mannie Garcia AP photographer, see the story here

#7 Class Notes Lecture _ Self Portrait, Portrait and

Self Portrait, Portrait and the Decisive Moment.

Today we looked at websites featuring photographers work showing:

Self Portraits:
Cindy Sherman : Metro Pictures & Film Stills
Richard Avedon
Helmut Newton
Herb Ritts
Christine Gatti

Portraits:
Arnold Newman Environmental Portraits
Richard Avedon Sixties American West
August Sander Masters of Photography
Diane Arbus
Jill Greenberg Manipulator
Art Kane
Dan Winters

We then viewed the e-Book Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier Bresson.

You Tube Video of Henri Cartier Bresson

Annie Leibovitz Shooting

Other Photographers to check out
Irving Penn
Mary Ellen Mark
Nicholas Nixon
Greg Gorman
Greg Heisler

#6 Class Notes Critique Assignment #1

The First Shooting assignment for the Basic Digital Class:

Texture,
Line,
Quality of Light,
Edge of Frame,
Shallow and Deep Depth of Field
Stop Action and Slow Shutter Speed.

Everyone who completed their assignment did a wonderful job. This is a great stretch assignment as everyone can push themselves at every level to fulfill the assignment.

In addition to the images from class posted here (Coming Soon.)

Here are a couple just uploaded.

Todd's

Olivia's

#5 Class Notes Digital Workflow

Using Bridge to rank select RAW files and then use ACR (adobe camera raw) to make adjustments. -White Balance, including Color and Tint.
-Exposure, Recovery, Fill Light and Black.
-Brightness and Contrast.
-Tone Curve
-Sharpness

Link to Tutorial for using Adobe Camera Raw

We learned to set the parameters for Export by selecting the hyperlink at the bottom of Bridge.

-set color space (Adobe 1998, ProPhoto RGB, Colormatch RGB, sRGB)
Use Adobe 1998 if you are going to continue editing as it is a larger color space, you can always change to sRGB later for the web or for printing at a Photo lab.

Use sRGB if you are going to be uploading to the web or sending to photo lab.

You can set the size, the default is you camera sensor size.

Set the resolution. 72 ppi (pixels per inch) is a common screen resolution. 240-360 ppi is common for printing to inkjet and offset lithography.

Use the save image button as a jpeg, tiff or dng. (which we will go into later in the semester.)

UPDIG 4.0 guidelines for digital photography

We made contact sheets and web galleries in Photoshop.


You can use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to make contact sheets and web galleries

We also discussed the value of Photoshop in preparing work files, working in layers.

To prepare for #6 class download the Words to Think about for Photography.

Here is a guide to critiquing.

#4 Class Notes Using Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw

Someone mentioned some sort of parade for a football team and all hell breaks loose.

Oh well no harm no foul, truth be told, we need to go over this stuff a couple of times and hey everyone who showed up is at the head of the class.

We downloaded some RAW Canon files (cr2) and opened them using Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw. The images were a variety of exposure brackets to show that the Camera Meter Indicated Exposure (MIE) this is what the meter suggests is just that a suggestion, the photographer decides how to interpret the measurement.

Also included was a range of depth of field examples, and a color balance example.

We will continue with this exercise this week and work on using Photoshop. We will also look at making contact sheets and web galleries.

#3 Class Notes Camera Meters & Exposure Calculations

The last couple of weeks we have looked at the settings for the camera. This week we took a close look at the camera meter, the camera sensor, how the meter evaluates a scene and how photographers calculate the exposure based on the meters recommendation.

Here is a fun online exposure calculator that explains the "sunny sixteen rule" in fun interactive way.

Metering tip for metering specifically Nikon.

How your meter "sees"

Ultimate Exposure information

Accurate Exposure

Here is an article on selecting a d-SLR

We talked about how to hold a camera.

A good discussion about the "exposure triangle" ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture (f/ stop)

Gray Cards for exposure : a little history by Thom Hogan, using a Gray Card & another

#2 Class Notes Camera Settings

Welcome to those of you who joined us today for the first time. Please review the notes from last week to see what you missed. Do not worry, we will review a lot the the info here over and over.

Books: These are the three books I recommended during today's class.
The New Photography Manual or here .

The Photography Bible

RAW Pipeline

Thanks to Chris from the equipment office for presenting a primer on checking out equipment and using the computer / digital lab.

Today we looked at settings for digital camera's. Here is a link for info on setting aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

Links for other of today's topics.
- Focal Length
- Zoom Lenses
- Aperture Priority & here
- Shutter Priority
- White Balance
- Shutter speed and Aperture scales and how they work to determine exposure
A good summary

Photographing JPEG vs RAW and here

Metering systems
- canon
- nikon

Focusing Systems
- Nikon d-80
- Canon

Web Link to a blog about Workflow using Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw ACR in Photoshop

Remember to bring in 20 images as jpegs on a jump dive .

Please put them in a folder with your last name. if you can rename the files or adding your initials to the files so we know who's work we are reviewing.

Welcome Class #1

Thanks to everyone for attending today's class at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. I think we are going to have a lot of fun this semester. Favorite quote today, " Pittsburgh has two season's Winter and Rainy." The truth really hurts. Luckily for us digital photography works well with flat light. In addition to the basic housekeeping for a new semester including the syllabus and the facility tour we jumped right into the software. I do not want anyone to feel overwhelmed and it looks like a lot of heads were shaking affirmatively today so I think we are on the right course. I want everyone to know that by the end of the semester you will be throwing terms like Metadata and RAW files around so much your friends will be superbly impressed. Why not start tomorrow. The main topics covered today: Renaming, Metadata (EXIF and user data called IPTC), using Adobe Bridge to Rename and add Metadata as well as keywords. Creating a Metadata template. Link to a video tutorial here. Using Adobe Camera Raw plugin for Raw conversions. I currently use a file name schema using my initials, the download date and a machine generated four digit number. (RKP_090113_0001.CR2) Here is a link to renaming for Lightroom . We discussed that a sidecar file called an .xmp file is created in Bridge, Lightroom etc that adds text info to be used with the RAW file in software that can read both. Next week, remember to bring your camera and instruction manual.