Narrative Photography Workshop: 1 - Camera Mechanics.

Narrative Photography Workshop from KCAI (The Kansas City Arts Institute) - Level 1

This workshop deals with staged photography. From it you will learn to tell stories through the use of props, sets, costumes, and acting. You will also learn to operate a digital camera. Though this is a photography course these lessons apply to the moving image as well as the still image.


EQUIPMENT:

All that is necessary for this class is a digital camera with a manual focus setting and an adjustable shutter speed.

Assignment 1 - Camera Mechanics

Terms:

ISO - The speed with which the film exposes. A smaller number represents a slower exposure and a crisper image. A large number means represents a faster exposure and a grainier image.

Shutter Speed-The amount of time that the shutter opens and the film exposes. A smaller fraction means less time and less light.

Aperture - The size of the opening for light. A larger number means a smaller hole and less light.

Part 1 - Depth of Field

Find a subject to photograph with a distinct foreground middle ground and background. Fist set your aperture to it's lowest setting so that you have a narrow depth of field and adjust ISO (film speed) or shutter speed appropriately to compensate. Photograph your subject first with the fore ground in focus then with the middle ground in focus and finally with the background in focus. Next set your aperture to it's highest setting and adjust the ISO or shutter speed. With your aperture at it's highest setting photograph your subject so that all parts are in focus.

Part 2 - Shutter Speed

Take three photos to experiment with the effect of shutter speed. First photograph an action with a highs shutter speed in order to freeze the motion. Next photograph that same action or a different action with a slow shutter speed in order to blur the motion. Last Take a photo a night or in dark space with a very long exposure, if your camera has the a bulb setting (marked with a B) use that.