Media
Lecture 1 complete audio (79 minutes):
Topics Covered/Lecture Notes
We began the Spring 2010 class with a review of camera theory. I talked about how you can make a camera by piercing a pinhole in a cardboard box containing light sensitive photopaper and how this makes a rather basic camera. From there we moved on to more advanced designs including film and digital SLRs. We discussesed the similarities and differences between digital and film cameras as well as between digital and film printing techniques. Keith mentioned a new camera model from Olympus (the digital PEN) and we discussed its advantages compared to SLRs (mainly smaller size).
I noted the creative advantages of shooting digitally--the photographer gains control of rendering color, contrast, brightness and other parameters using a computer while the largely mechanical task of printing can be done automatically, whether at home or at your favorite photo-finishing establishment. This delineation is expounded upon in a paper by Karl Lang available at Adobe's website.
James noted that next week is the deadline to submit entries for the Date Festival's photo contest and provided details in a hand out. This information is also available in a 116 page PDF file on the Datefest website. Have fun reading!
I concluded by saying that in order for us to become more creative photographers (at least as far as the technical aspects are concerned), we need to gain control over the camera's operation and the 'secret' to achieving this is to use manual mode rather than the default full-auto setting. Of course there is more to creative photography than the technicalities of exposure and focus, so for those who found this discussion tedious: fear not! We'll also explore creative composition as we move forward and begin our field trips.
Assignment
For the next class, familiarize yourself with the workings of your camera. In particular, find out which manual (or semi-automatic) modes your camera supports and how to activate them. This will vary from model to model so consult your manual if necessary/possible.
These modes will be labeled as M,A,S,Tv, and P. There may be other labeled scene modes as well. We'll discuss the uses for each in future lectures so don't worry too much about what they do for now. (Do feel free to experiment if you're so inclined, though!)
