Unit 1.1 Eye of the Photographer

What are the 3 guidelines for a great photograph?

1. Has a clear subject What do I want this photograph to be about? 2. Focuses attention on the subject How can I focus attention on my subject and draw the viewer's eye to it? 3. Simplifies Have I included only what draws attention to my subject? Have I eliminated everything that is non-essential or distracting?

What are 5 questions you need to ask yourself when you want to make sure the you have eliminated the distractions from a subject?

1. Have I focused attention on my main subject? 2. Have I zeroed-in on the key element in this scene? 3. Have I eliminated the distracting? 4. Have I eliminated the unnecessary? 5. Have I simplified down to the essence of the scene?

What are different ways to focus attention on the subjects in your photos? (5)

1. Positioning your subject within the frame 2. Lighting your subject 3. Using shutter speed and aperture 4. Using filters 5. Selective cropping and printing

What are different examples of how to focus attention on the subject?

1. Put the subject upfront and make it large 2. Keep only the subject in focus

When looking at a photograph, what are the 3 questions to ask?

1. What is the subject and/or theme of this photograph? 2. What is the message I draw from this photograph? 3. What is taking place in this photograph that conveys this message?

What is a universal theme?

A universal theme is something everyone can relate to and communicates that theme clearly.

Have an open mind on how you want to shoot a particular subject. ie:...

After you have shot it your way, then start thinking of alternative ways. Get creative with different techniques. ie: speed

What is a benefit to a layered photograph?

It creates a sense of depth and understanding of scale.

Trying to get the most interesting and unique photo always requires...

Perspective. • In this modern age, everyone has a camera and they always shoot from a default view: standing up at eye level. • When you do that none of your photos will be unique

Learning to photograph expressive moments is a core photographic skill—and one that's hard to come by. Many professional photographers don't have this sense after years in the business. Many wedding photographers have shot and sold hundreds of pictures at weddings or bar mitzvahs but have still never captured "Love" or "Manhood" or "Joy" in a truly universal way. Many baby photographers have sold hundreds of pictures of little ones, but have never captured "Innocence" or "Youth" or "The Future."

Sacrifice. Or Bravery and Loss.

What do they mean when they say a good photograph simplifies?

The photograph includes only those elements that draw the eye to the subject, and it excludes or diminishes those elements that might draw the eye away from the subject. Simplification in photography means eliminating elements that distract from the theme. It doesn't necessarily mean eliminating all background of all sorts. Where the surroundings contribute to our understanding of the theme, they shouldn't be eliminated.

When thinking about perspective, you should ask yourself...

What angle do you want to portray something from? • Want to accentuate height? GO LOW • Want to show more context or a more holistic scene? GO HIGHER

The really great photograph goes one step further. It not only clearly shows the subject, but also ...

expresses a UNIVERSAL THEME. This is a much harder objective to achieve. It separates the great photograph from the merely good.

A horizontal line, when placed behind a subject, helps to lead the viewers eye to:

the subject which obstructs this plane.

The starting point of a good photograph is:

to choose the subject of your picture and to make sure the viewer knows what that subject is.

What is a big challenge when photographing a well-known site?

to take a picture that will be interesting to the viewer who has seen thousands of photographs of this same place. (Chosen picture is top left)