btec level 2 creative digital media production: photography booklet

BTEC Certificate

Digital Photography for a Media Product

By K McCabe Booklet 1

UNIT 10

2013

Unit Content: The Photography Unit is an internally assessed coursework unit. There are 4 key learning

aims: understanding production, exploring techniques, creating and reviewing. Term 2 will cover the following: Task 1: A2 Why digital photographs are produced for media products Task 2: A1 & B3 How digital photographs are produced, exported & stored Task 3: B1 & B2 Exploring photography & digital photography techniques The Assessment Criteria for the learning aims are as follows:

Pass Merit Distinction

Task 1

Describe the use of photographs in two different media products

A2 P

Explain why photographs are produced in two different media products

A2 M

Discuss why photographs are produced in two media products across different media sectors A2 D

Task 2

Describe how digital cameras produce photographic images

A1 P

Explain how digital cameras produce photographic images

A1 M

Task 2

Demonstrate adequate use of photography techniques

B3 P

Demonstrate effective use of photography techniques

B3 M

Demonstrate confident use of photography techniques

B3 D

Task 3

Describe the techniques used in the different types of digital photography for digital media products B4 P

Explain the techniques used in the different types of digital photography for digital media products B4 M

Analyse the techniques used in the different types of digital photography for digital media products B4 D

Why are digital photographs produced ?

Photographs are visual communication

Look at the Image.

What is the purpose of the image in the media product?

Why is it in Black & White?

What does the mise-en-scene communicate?

What does it communicate about both the magazine and the film?

Task 1

Create a visual annotated report showing evidence you understand why photographs are produced in digital media products

Warning: Example. Do not copy – this is on architecture!

Key Word Bank for Task 1

• Shorthand communication – of colour, lighting etc.

• Mise-en-scene • To anchor text • To enhance text • To market products • Impact on audience

How are digital photographs produced ?

Lens: The eye of the camera

Aperture: The size of the pupil of the camera

Manual and Automatic functions: the brain of the camera

Shutter: the eyelid of the camera

Other elements of Digital Images

Image sensor: Converts light into electronic messages

Colour Temperature: different light sources produce different coloured light. For example, a candle emits a reddish light, while the midday sun's rays have a blue tint. These different colours can be expressed using a number, and this number is known as the colour temperature. Colour temperature is measured on the Kelvin scale, which is denoted by the letter "K" or the word "kelvin" after the number.

Exposure: the quantity of light reaching the image sensor

Flash: provides an instant light source for the image

White balance: Our eyes automatically make whites white . But the camera sees white depending on the tempertaure of the light source – so whites can be tinted with orange or blue. The white balance needs to be adjusted to reduce or increase the colour temperature

Lights: Artificial - Fluorescent (appears whiteish) Tungsten (appears yellowish) Natural - from daylight, Sun, Moon

The Process

Size of image: Pixels

Task 2

• Create a guide to show you understand the production and process of digital photography

Key Word Bank for Task 2

• Manual Mode (SLR) • Automatic Mode • Viewfinder • Lens • Image Sensor • Aperture (f stops, small, large) • Shutter (speed – fast, slow) • Memory (SD , Compact Flash etc.) • Flash • Exposure (under exposed, over exposed) • Colour Temperature (warm, cold) • White balance • Lights (tungsten, fluorescent, natural, artificial) • File Size • File type • File Storage

Exploring Photography

• Techniques

• Framing • Angle • Composition • Focus

• Types & Genres

• Locations • Studio • Events • Night • Action (moving objects) • Portraits

1.Framing

What are the main elements within the frame? What might have been left out, outside of the frame?

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Elements of Framing

• Distance & Size – close-up, macro, medium shot, medium long shot,

2. Composition

Sketch where you would place the following objects/subjects within a photograph?

• A man walking alone?

• A smiling baby?

• Trees and mountains

Elements of Composition

Rule of Thirds How does it work? (Remember Photographers

often like to break rules. Why?)

Focal point

How does it work?

Foreground

Background

Eve Arnold

Balance

The eyes naturally seek balance and symmetry

....but balance is not always interesting in an image

3. Line

Horizontal lines are the most

powerful in images

• Straight

• Sloping

• Broken

• Travelling through an image – what order do you look at the elements

in this image?

Steve McCurry

4.Viewpoint or Angle Look at the

images.

Decide what alternative vantage point you could use and briefly explain what difference it would make.

5. Depth Where is the focal point in this

image?

What are the other significant points of interest in this image?

How has this been achieved?

Ian Berry

6. Light The word Photography comes from Greek (Photo and Graph translate as Light Writing) Light is essential for an image What is significant is: •What type of light is being used? (natural or artificial) •Where is it coming from? •What impact or effect does it have on the subject and background in terms of contrast?

Light from a large source appears soft (sunlight or several ‘fill’ lights – no shadows)

Light from a small or directional light source appears hard (spotlights etc. creating dark, hard shadows)

What impact does the light have in terms of contrast?

• Images are a series of tones – light and dark. • A high contrast image includes more tones at

either end of the spectrum (black and white) whereas a low contrast image contains more mid-tones (greys etc.)

• Directional light increases contrast (high contrast) whereas more natural, large light can minimise contrast (low contrast)

What type of light? Why? With what impact?

7.Speed and Movement

Changing the shutter speed (the eyelid) means the motion speed of the image is changed. A fast shutter speed (eyelid open and closing at a fraction of a second) captures an image frozen in time

A slow shutter speed (eyelid opening and closing very slowly) captures an image of movement Which kinds of photography might use fast or slow shutter speeds? What difficulties might the photographer have taking an image with fast or slow shutter speeds?

8. Depth of Field

• A shallow depth of field allows for a small area of the image to be in focus

• A large depth of field allows for the whole image to be in focus.

• Depth of field is created by controlling the Aperture (the size of the eye – the hole through which light enters the camera) .

• Aperture is measured in F numbers. The lower the number, the widest aperture and a shallow depth of field . The higher the number, the smallest aperture and a large depth of field.

Name the depth of field and the impact.

Genres of Photography Look at the list of photography genres/locations. What might be the issues/ techniques needed to take good shots in these locations or conditions?

Location Issues/Difficulties/techniques needed

Exterior Location Shots

Studio

Event photography

Night shots

Action shots

Portraits

Task 3

• Create a visual report on different photography techniques and how they relate to the location, conditions and genre of photography.

Key Word Bank for Task 3

• Photography techniques - o Framing – macro, landscape, shot size (medium,

close-up, long shot etc.) o angle – high, canted, low, wide o composition - rule of thirds, focal point, balance,

line o Focus – large and shallow depth of field o Zoom o Shutter Speed – fast and slow o Aperture – small and large o High and low Contrast o Soft and harsh tones o Lighting – natural, artificial, directional lighting o Exposure oColour temperature oWhite balance

• Types of shots - Exterior location shot, studio, events, night, action, portraits

• Practical considerations • Impact on audience

Still to do...

• Create your own digital photographs for a media product based upon a brief

• Develop concepts

• Show evidence of understanding of practical considerations

• Produce photographs

• Edit images

• Review and self-evaluate your

digital photography skills in

terms of technical skills and

creative fulfilment of brief.