Blog Points

September 10,  2012

Blog Points, then Photograph

multimedia
evidence of demographics
compelling reason for something you like to be liked
thinking out loud - explaining well the stuff you say - not simple facts - you need to embellish and give some of the process by which you got to that point
revealing yourself through the stuff you like and showing me that way in which you are unique
500 words - that sounds like a lot! I know, but it’s about stuff you like! if this is difficult, then like stuff more, OR like more stuff OR dislike some stuff

What tools are we using in this course?

One of the key tools we will be using is a Mac (or an iOS device - iPad).

If you make videos, you should use iMovie (you could also try Final Cut Pro)
If you make songs, you will need to use Garageband
If you write scripts, you will need to use CeltX (Macs) or Final Draft (which is on the iPads)
If you are messing around with photos, you can use iPhoto, or GIMP (a free software tool that is complex) or you can buy Photoshop, which the pros use. I don’t know it.
If you are making presentations, you can use Prezi, or Keynote, or PowerPoint, or OpenOffice Presentations (free on any kind of computer)
If you are writing a document, you can use Pages (on a Mac or iPad), Word (on anything), etc.

Elements of Photography

There are ways to consider planning a shot when taking photos.

SHOW YOUR SUBJECT - try to get that subject as the most obvious, valuable and HEAVIEST thing in the frame
think about lines - anytime you can get angled and diagonal lines moving around in the frame, your photo can be more exciting or appealing - geometric patterns can add a lot to your photos
lighting is the whole thing - without light, there is no photography - think about how your subject and the rest of the shot is lit - can you do anything to improve or adjust the light to better suit?
Colour or not? - colour can be used in a photo in a number of different ways that are obvious - how much, which ones, how little?
Framing - what’s in, what’s out and how did you show it?
Angle and shot variation - there lots of different ways to approach taking a shot - you don’t have to stand straight up and shoot at eye level.
Timing - WHEN you shoot can be a huge effect
Character and Emotion - who or what is in frame and what emotion is depicted, or what emotion is taken away by the viewer?
Composition and Balance - the layout of objects within the frame is important - you want your shots to look designed or well-structured if possible
Suggestive of a Story - some photos are awesome because of the story that they represent or create in a viewer's mind - these can be some of the most powerful photos
Context - what else is happening around the photo? is there information in the photo that tells us something that adds to the impact? ie war photography is powerful in this way