Portfolio Project for First Year Students

Overview: For your final exam, you will submit your updated online portfolio that will demonstrate your best work that you have done this year.

See the link below to preview the criteria that I will use to evaluate your your online portfolio.

For First Year Students

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1UFIVJD2sBzOThST0pZQWJJb1k/edit?usp=sharing


Directions: Beging reviewing your best photos on your Lightroom catalog and start marking the photos you want to add to your Folio HD account.

Photojournalism Preview

Overview: Most of you are familiar by now with what photojournalism is. However, you might not realize how it is also a form of commercial photography. Photojournalists not only work at newspapers and magazines. They also get paid as freelancers to cover events. All types of companies hire photojournalists for trade publications and corporate communications.

Directions: Check out the links below and answer the following questions.

Check out the work of Photojournalists here:
http://photojournalismlinks.com

John Moore Photojournalism
http://www.reportagebygettyimages.com/john-moore/

1. Find three photos that you find especially powerful.

2. Explain what kind of planning and research the photographer had to ask to get the photos they took?

Read the article at the following link:

Shooting like a photojournalist
http://digital-photography-school.com/shooting-like-a-photojournalist-part-2

3. Under the section on "Planning," what does the writer suggest doing to capture emotional images?

4. Under the section on "Composition," what does the writer suggest doing to help you "pick a face out of the crowd?"


Read the article at the following link:

Photo Essay Tips
http://digital-photography-school.com/5-photo-essay-tips

5. What is a photo essay?

6. Summarize the 5 tips the writer provides.

Need Inspiration? Check out the photo essays here:
https://nppa.org/page/photo-journal

Planning Ahead:

What event will you photograph?

Try check out the calendar section of the Austin Chronicle here: http://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/

or

http://www.austinmonthly.com/AM/Calendar/

or

Do512Family
http://do512family.com

Look for upcoming events anywhere and everywhere.


Provide the 5 Ws and H for your event:

Who:
What:
When:
Where:
Why (why will the event happen?):

How (how will the event happen?):

Landscape Major Projet

Formal Landscape Assignment:

Produce 8 landscape images that emphasize lighting to convey a sense of place, scale and mood. Although you may include people and man-made structures in your photos, do not allow these elements to become the main subjects of your photographs.

Or…

Formal Cityscape Assignment:

Produce 8 cityscape images that emphasize lighting to convey a sense of place, scale and mood. The images might also include natural objects (rivers, hills) but these elements should not dominate as the subject of the photographs.

Submit:
Eight photos should be added to your blog and must have the exposure metadata (shutter speed, f/stop) listed.

Link to Full Assignment Description:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1UFIVJD2sBzTTgtVWNiTlRSUGM/view?usp=sharing

5k Race Photography Example Review and Assignment

Overview: It's time to review what good race photography

Examples:

http://capstonephoto.com/race_directorsv3.htm

http://jackmccoyphotography.com/southboston2016

http://swimbikerunphoto.zenfolio.com/crystal_run_5k_fridays_1_2011


Assignment: On your blog post a two race "money" shots (photos people would spend money to purchase).

One photo should be horizontal and one photo should be vertical.

Requirements for photo: Photos should:

• show subject's face
• include full body if vertical and feet when horizontal if possible.
• freeze motion
• blur out background as much as possible.
• well lit with our strange shadows.

Tips on Shooting a 5K Race

Video on how to shoot a 5K Race




See link below to see photos from this shoot.

http://cazillo.com/articles/37-photography/225-event-photography-5k-race-in-philadelphia.html


Tips on Location and Settings

http://www.rt2photo.com/blog/2013/1/how-to-shoot-a-race


Tips on Location

• Getting to the right spot is essential.
• The common "finish line" shot is a LOT harder to get than it seems, and folks will look at their absolute worst during the final sprint to the finish.
• Once the start has gone, walk backwards into the course and look for a spot about 1/2 mile in that will be photographic as a background, but also thin the runners out a little - a long straight shoot down a road for example. For a 5k road race, you've got about 15 minutes before the winner is going to be coming by - don't delay.
• Once you have your spot, find a piece of course and go and sit on it. Get inside any barriers, move cones - do whatever you have to to be between the public and the runners. Once you have your stool, monopod and zoom lens out - folks will leave you alone.
• Park your butt on the stool, attach the monopod, set a shooting angle so you're shooting UP at the runners, not directly at them, and patiently wait for the lead guy.
• Pick a shady spot for the runners to come through, or get the sun to the front and side of them.
• Use  flash for those moments when you find the course is putting the sun to the runners backs and you've got a terrible problem with back lighting.

Tips for Settings

• Single point auto focus - this will let you put a single dot on the runners face/body and focus on it. using group focus modes will focus on their arms as they swing forwards, or the traffic cones in the middle.
• AI Servo - this will then track that focus point, and lock your focus down. Note - there are a bunch of custom functions that let you control the sensitivity and speed of this mode, and until you know what they do, ignore them.
• Shoot in JPG - controversial, as most pro photographers will recommend RAW all day every day. This is the exception. You may be taking LOTS of photos in quick succession, and you need the write speed to your memory card. You may also want to consider reducing the resolution your camera is shooting in, again - smaller files mean faster write speeds. Of course, shooting in JPG means you had better get your white balance and exposure correct before you even start shooting.
• Manual mode - be careful. Set your aperture, set your shutter speed, but be aware of changing conditions and cloud cover. Slightly over expose if possible, and be wide open if possible. 1/400th should be the slowest shutter speed you go for. f/4 or wider if possible. ISO is where you have the flexibility.
• Single Shot mode - the best way to spot someone who doesn't know what they are doing is to listen to their camera. Does it sound like a 12 frame per second machine gun any time someone passes them? Then they are praying like hell they get a shot. Don't be this guy. Instead, get the running in your frame - let them get closer. Lock your focus point on them and track them. Let them fill the shot. Click. Now move to the next runner and repeat. When you have large packs of runners coming at you, this process is no different, just quicker.

Akins 5K and Festival Info

http://akins5kandfestival.com

Race Map

http://akins5kandfestival.com/5k--fun-run.html

Photo Club Contest

Check the details to enter the Akins Photo Club Contest.

Bluebonnet Photo Tips

Blue Bonnet Photo Tips

http://photographyblog.dallasnews.com/2016/03/tips-for-getting-the-perfect-bluebonnet-family-photo.html/

• For bluebonnets, it’s about that time of year. Here are a few tips for getting that photo of your family and or friends with bluebonnets.
• Try to fill the frame with subject and bluebonnets. No need to see cars passing by or any other unwanted objects in the frame unless you really want to.
• Use the light to your advantage. Shoot during the early and late afternoon hours of light to get the best light (before 10 am and after 5pm).
• Dress in a solid so the subject pops out from the pattern bluebonnets create.
• Get variety in your photographs. Shoot loose, medium and tight. Shoot with a low and high angle. Variety is your friend.
• A tripod doesn’t hurt but you can make do without one.

http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/03/texans-could-soon-see-miles-and-miles-of-bluebonnets-thanks-to-rain-in-prior-months.html/