IntroductiontoPhotography

ChildandherMotherDortheaLange
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PhotographyisArtcreatedby
Light!

WhatisPhotography?
Photographyisanartformlikedrawingandpainting.
Photographersusetheircameratomakeusseelifeina
differentway,feelemotions,andrecordstoriesandevents.

HowaCameraworks

Notice the inverted

(upside-down) tree.

Whentheshutterofacameraisopened,lightpassesthroughthelens
andontothefilm.Thefilmiscoveredwithchemicalsthatcreatea
patternoflightonthefilm.Thisbecomesthenegative.
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Therearethreebasicstylesof
photography.
Landscape

Portrait

Documentary

Landscape
Landscapeisa
photographofthe
environment.Itcouldbe
theforest,mountains,
oceans,oryourbackyard.
AnselAdamsisa
famouslandscape
photographer.Hereis
oneofhisimages.
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HereisanotherofAnselAdams
Photographs

WhatisLandscapePhotography?
Landscape photography is a
photograph of the outdoors.
It could be of the land,
water, or buildings.

Whatdoyouseeinyour
landscapephotograph?

PortraitPhotography
Portraitphotographyisaphotoof
apersonoranimal.
Itisimportanttoshowan
emotion.

Whatistheemotionshownin
thisphoto?
Scared
Other

Angry
HoldingVirginaSallyMann

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DifferentPortraitStyles

LukaszHolma,PolandLaurenBacall

RubenesqueKeithCarter

Canyoucompareandcontrastthesephotographs?
How are they similar? How are they different?

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MorePortraits
Portraitscanbethewholebody.

TheDressSallyMann

BoyandCar,NewYorkCityJeromeLiebling,1949

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WhatisPortraitPhotography?
A portrait photograph is a picture of a
person or animal that shows an
emotional connection.

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Whataresomewaysyoucan
makeaportraitphotograph
creativeanddifferentfrom
everyoneelse?

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Documentary
Documentary
photographypresents
factswithoutchanging
anything.

MigrantMotherDortheaLange

Gooddocumentary
photographsmakeyou
wonderwhatthestoryis
behindthephotograph.
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Whatarethestoriesinthesephotos?

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Wheredoyoufinddocumentary
photographs?
Magazines
Newspaper
Books
Internet
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Documentaryphotographscanbeeitherlandscapeorportrait.

DantesView1938EdwardWeston

Portrait

Landscape

Whichphotoshowsaportrait,andwhichshowsalandscape?
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WhatisDocumentary
Photography?
Documentary Photography tells a story without changing
the facts.
It can be a portrait or landscape.

Remember that a good documentary photograph makes you

wonder what the story is behind the picture!

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Whatstoriescanyoutellwith
yourcamera?

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Contrast
Contrastreferstothe
brightnessbetween
thelightandshadow
areasofapicture.

Doesthisphotographhavecontrast?
Mapplethorpe, Orchid and Leaf in White Vase 1982

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Doesithavecontrast?Whatdirectionis
thelightonthetreescomingfrom?

Alfred Stieglitz - Icy Night, 1893

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WhatisContrast?
Contrast is the difference between light and shadow.
Think about a flashlight in a dark room.

Dont think about zebras or pianos!

LIGHTS

SHADOWS
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Rule of Thirds
AphotoismoreinterestingifthesubjectisNOTdirectlyinthe
center.Tryplacingyoursubject1/3totheleftorright,or1/3
fromtoporbottom.

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Onephotographusesruleofthirdsandtheotherusescentralfocus.

Central Focus

Rule of Thirds

Whichphotographdoyoufindmoreinteresting?
WHY?

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PointofView
Tryselectingandunusualpointofview.

Above
Eye Level

Below

Wherewasthephotographerstandingforeachpicture?

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Proximity
Dontbeshy!Getclosetoyoursubject.

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Contrast, RuleofThirds,
PointofView, andProximity
aretoolstohelpyouMASTER
theartofphotography.

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One should really use the camera as though

tomorrow you'd be stricken blind.
-Dorthea Lange

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