Wednesday: Week Three

Wednesday evening introduced a mix of subjects that included, macro/lenses, program mode, ISO and creating a narrative through your imagery.

Macro -
For a brief overview of the Macro function refer to the Monday Week 2 (Macro) entry; in most instances this mode will allow you to get closer to a subject than most other, however for effective close-up photography you may consider investing in a Macro lens. The choice of lens can be a complicated and lengthy process but the following information may help, much of which has been taken from a brilliant online resource called Photonotes.

You may find a situation when you want to get really close to a subject to photograph its delicate and minute detail but the lens you are using won't permit it; the lens doesn't achieve a sharp focus, this is where a Macro function on the lens allows you to get that much further.

However there are things to watch out for when buying a Macro lens.

"The fact a lens has MACRO printed on it basically means nothing, and you have to look closely at the lens specs. If a lens can do 1:1 or 1:2 photography then it’s a real macro lens, optimized for closeup photography".


Image of a Soap Bubble by Jason Tozer

The Macro facility can be found on lenses of most focal ranges. The focal lens refers to the field of view you can photograph, for example, most cameras are purchased as a kit (camera and lens), usually the lens is a Zoom allowing you to shoot from a semi wide view (17mm) to a normal view (55mm). However it can be a good idea to choose a fairly long focal length, i.e. 180mm as it allows you to achieve some distance from your subject to avoid distortion or disturbing for example wildlife that you may be photographing.

Macro lenses can be expensive, it may cost several hundred pounds to find a good quality one but there are options of course, perhaps the best, especially when starting out is a Macro Filter. These screw on the front of your lens and simply act as a magnifying glass, and you can buy a very basic one from 7dayshop for around £4.

Another very good website for exploring the technical and theoretical aspects of photography is Cambridge in Colour, click here to explore Macro in more detail.

Program Mode -
As apposed to the fully Auto mode the 'P' mode (Program Mode) allows relative freedom with regards to controlling the brightness of your images. Program Mode will allow you to adjust the ISO (the sensitivity of the sensor to light) but will work out the shutter and aperture for you - remember the Exposure triangle!

This mode offers other functions (depending on your camera) such as a metering option, and filter options such as, monochrome, but the flexibility is offered through the exposure compensation control denoted either as a small '+/-' symbol or the letters 'AV'.

By holding down this button and turning the dial usually found on the top/back of the camera body allows you to make adjustments of a 1/3 of an exposure to the brightness of your photograph, these subtle changes in brightness can make a large difference to the qualities of your image such as in portraiture and landscapes.

Narrative-
To complete the evening we used both Macro and Program Mode to achieve a combination of photographs; close-up and contextual to offer a narrative. An effective way to document an event can be to compliment general shots that capture your subject matter in full and present context with shots that feature detail. Such techniques are commonly used in articles such as in design (Elle Decoration) and Sunday magazines. A wide shot of a living room can be complimented by detailed images of what is on the wall or the pattern of fabric on the furniture.

There are many scenarios it may be used and the task this week is to document a part of your week. Next session Chris will show us how to adjust the size of images according to different needs and demonstrate how we can quickly arrange a series of images into a simple layout.

Happy snapping.

Monday: Week Two (Macro)

The macro facility on your camera is an auto setting that allows you to shoot closer than other settings will permit, so if you want to capture detail in subjects such as the texture of a sea shell, the weave of fabric or the subtle tones of flower petals then the macro function is what to use.

Macro is an Auto setting so the camera will work out the exposure for you, (I may have to check this?) Sometimes this has disadvantages as the camera may determine the necessity to use flash and this can mean loosing some detail in the highlight areas.

The range of the focus will vary depending on the camera and lens you are using so it is a good idea to become familiar with this range. Start by getting as close to the object as you can. With the camera lens on AF (Auto Focus) try and focus: Usually when the camera has focussed on the subject it will beeb and a guide in the view finder (usually a rectangle) will flash green, it is normally red if focus hasn't been achieved. Move back from the object gradually pressing the shutter half way to focus the camera as you move - eventually you will find the distance to which you can focus.

Consider what you will photograph and maybe after experimenting and getting familiar with the setting try building a collection of images around the same subject matter - consider, texture, pattern and the tonal range of your subject.