Why you are doing this assignment
A photograph is just a pattern of light and dark tones on a flat piece of paper. It works by creating the illusion that the image is in three dimensions and has depth. Photographers deliberately create that illusion in lots of ways, but one of the most basic is to include subjects that are both close and far.
How to do this assignment
- Locate a series of scenes that contain visually interesting objects or people (We call that object the center of interest.)
- Back up so that when you take the pictures other objects enter into the frame.
- Place your center of interest so that you are shooting through the closer objects, so that they become a part of the image. We say that these objects are in the foreground. Sometimes we call them the frame (even though they might exist just on one side, and not extend all the way around your image.)
What to shoot
Think of somebody standing at the top of a flight of stairs, with the photographer standing near the bottom. The image might include the nearby part of the handrail. Or think of someone standing some distance away, with your shot taken through someoneʻs legs, with that personʻs shadow extending towards your subject. Imagine a shot of, say, an overflowing dumpster, taken though some foliage, or through an open doorway.
Whatever you shoot, frame it with something in the foreground.
What your folder should contain
- A contact sheet. It is ok to punch holes in a contact sheet.
- Three identical 5X7 prints (prints from the same negative). Pick your best shot of the roll. Make a tape circle and stick the prints on white paper. Punch hols in the white paper, never in your prints.
For the first print determine the best exposure using the test strip method you have been taught. Print that image using the #0 filter. Make two more prints, one with filter #2.5 and the last with filter #5. Remember that when you use the filters, the white light indicator light must be OFF.
Remember that the most recent assignment goes on TOP.
What your assignment should look like
Aim for a contact sheet that contains
- At least 20 visible images
- At least 7 different subjects
- Solid black outside the negatives
- Identifiable negatives, not too light or too dark
Your three prints should show differences in tone or value. Look carefully at the darkest and whitest areas and try to see what the filters do. We will discuss this in class.