1.5 hour workshop on digital photography. Photo and camera basics, composition, and some hands on practice.

1. June 23, 2009 Photography With Sarah Sutter

2. Image Size Generally you will want to shoot at the highest resolution possible with your camera. This means the “large” setting, at the highest quality. This will give you the most information and allow you to make the largest sharp prints. If you are posting the images on the web you may need to resize to a smaller resolution and file size.

4. Camera Functions F-Stop : Aperture Size of the opening: controls light and how much appears to be in focus. Shutter Speed Speed of shutter opening and closing: determines stop action or blurred motion, as well as whether or not you need a tripod to avoid camera shake.

5. Depth of Field

10. Stop Action / Blured Motion Faster shutter speeds will stop the action. Slower shutter speeds allow the action to blur.

11. Panning : Moving the camera with the action

12. Shutter Speed and Water

15. Focal Length of Lens To Zoom or not to Zoom . . .that is a question.

16. Auto Mode When you use this setting, your digital camera automatically sets the exposure, the focus, and the flash. With auto mode, you may override the flash's automatic options and choose to turn the flash off, use fill flash, or red eye reduction.

17. Landscape Mode With landscape mode you can capture subjects that are a great distance away from you, such as mountains, city skylines, and expansive vistas. Sometimes a slow shutter speed is chosen automatically in landscape mode, so you should use a steady support, such as a tripod. Camera shake may blur your final image without that support.

18. Sports Mode Capture subjects that are on the move such as cars, athletes, and children, with this mode. Try panning when using this mode. Preset the exposure and focus by pressing the shutter button half-way down. When you're ready to take the picture, press the shutter button all the way down.

19. Night Mode Use this mode to capture night scenes or low light conditions. The flash will illuminate subjects that are close to the camera. A longer exposure will capture details in the background. It is a good idea to use a camera support such as a tripod or a flat surface.

20. How to make your Photographs Better

21. Get down on their level

22. Whether your subject is a child or someone seated, get down where you are level with their face.

23. If close is good . . .

24. Details make good Portraits

25. Background has to do with Vantage Point

26. Use light to create contrast

27. Pay attention to the edges of your frame.

30. Place Subject Off-Center

31. Third Lines : NOT CENTER

32. Use Diagonals and Thirds

33. Place object on “Power Point” Power Points are where the third lines cross in the frame.

34. Lead Lines Diagonals and “S” curves give the eye a way to move through the picture. Often this is used to create depth within the image.

35. Lead Lines Again

36. Diagonals create depth and dynamic

37. Repeating Patterns and colors create rhythm

38. Simple Color Palettes can be effective

39. Framing the View

40. Place foreground objects in sky areas to avoid large blank areas.

41. Watch the Edge

42. Foreground Interest

43. Views and Details

44. Variety Context & Scale vs Color Impact vs Reflection

45. Vertical AND Horizontal

46. And again . . .

47. Sometimes the shot isn’t about what you thought it would be.

48. Sometimes the Shot . . .

49. Is where you least expect it.

50. With or Without? Both!

51. Candlelight

52. Sunrise isn’t always about the sun.

53. A Variety of Light is “Good” Light

54. Same Spot, Different Light

55. Shoot in “bad” weather

56. Use People For SCALE and for Interest

57. People and Repeating Pattern

58. Don’t Get Too Close : Above is good

59. Now back slowly away . . .

60. Sometimes it pays to stay INSIDE the car - and shoot through a sunroof.

61. Zoos and parks are great places to shoot “wildlife”

62. Shoot and keep shooting If you wait until you are “close enough”, the bird or animal will get away before you get your shot. Shoot, move in, shoot again, repeat until the creature runs away or you are at the edge of the safety zone.

63. Fireworks

64. Questions So Far?