Photoshop activity

Photoshop activity

What software and image formats do you require to edit?
When editing images a software called Photoshop is highly recommended. It contains a lot of features that enable you to edit your images to a professional standard and give them the effect that you had originally wanted but couldn't achieve only with the camera. 
Image formats used when inserting an image into Photoshop are usually JPEGs and RAW. A JPEG will show the image however there may have been some editing done by the camera such as sharpening or some added colour, one the hand RAW images will simply be the original image captured with no edit at all.

Crop your images individually and apply a range of colours, shapes, textures and  dodge/burning techniques.
 

Images before and after being cropped.

Image with added texture from crumpled paper.

Here I have chosen two images which I will put together by having the image of the couple within the photo frame of the other image.

And this is my final image.
I have chosen to make these changes to the image as it gives a sense of creativity and shows something different that can be done when manipulating images. 

I decided to use Photoshop on only two of my final five images, as I was happy with the quality and the way the original image came across to a viewer without having to use Photoshop on it. 



With this image I wanted the subject to stand out from the background which she does, however I felt that if I adjust the brightness of the image it would brighten her up a bit and draw more attention towards her. I also used the contrast tool to blend the darker colours with the lighter clothing that she is wearing in the image.

I adjusted the brightness and saturation with this image as I thought that the original image was quite dull and grey rather than what I had wanted the image to portray: purity, innocence and mystery. 

Here I have taken the spot healing brush tool which enabled me to be able to make any blemishes on the skin of the subject to disappear.

                                                                                                                  

Mention health and safety considerations in relation to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992.
When using Photoshop there is no doubt you will be spending most of your time in front of a computer so it is important to give yourself breaks as working at a computer has been proven to be a main contributor when it comes to neck, shoulder, back or arm pain, as well as with fatigue and eyestrain.

Aperture Activity

Explain what depth of field is and how the aperture affects this.
Depth of field is the distance of which the image taken is shown to be particularly focused and sharp. By changing the aperture it also changes the depth of field. Having a smaller F number for the aperture gives a much shallower depth of field, for example an F number of 2.8 will focus on a closer subject and the background will be a lot more blurred compared to an image taken with an aperture such as f/8.0 show in the images below. 

The image on the left is taken with an aperture of f/4.2 and the other on the right with f/8.0. You can see that the image taken with an aperture of f/8.0 has a lot more of the background in focus compared to the image taken for f/4.2. 

How does the aperture affect exposure and why?
Exposure is the amount of light that is let into the camera lens and put into the image, the aperture is a hole that is within the lens of the camera. The aperture controls the amount of light let into the camera. The smaller the aperture the wider the lens will be opened so will let in more light, and the bigger the aperture the more closed the lens will be letting in less light. 

What is ISO? When might you need to adjust the ISO setting and what affect could this have on an image?
The ISO on a camera is its sensitivity to the light that is let through the camera lens, the higher the ISO the more sensitive the camera becomes to the light. 
When adjusting the ISO settings on a camera, it always goes up double the amount i.e. 100 - 200, 200 - 400. When increasing the ISO you are increasing the amount of light let into the lens, as you increase it you also increase the amount of background noise shown in the final picture. Noise comes up as a sort of speckled effect.

What applications of photography might rely heavily on aperture?
Applications such as portrait photography and landscape photography would rely heavily on aperture. Experimenting with different apertures can give your images very different effects, however using an aperture such as f/8 in an area with good light will make your image come out very sharp working really well with portraits. With landscape photography you will need a wider aperture to get the whole landscape in focus including the back and foreground. 

Show an understanding of the advantages of capturing images digitally as opposed to film?
Many people prefer to capture their images digitally nowadays, although saying that film is still popular with some photographers as the prefer the image that is produced in film.
However, digitally producing your images is a lot less time consuming as you are able upload your images directly to your own computer and print them in the convenience of your own home, whereas unless you have your own darkroom you would need to send your film to a lab where they can develop your images for you taking more of your time up waiting for them to be developed. 
Because of this it also shows that digitally producing your images is more cost efficient as you don't need to pay to get them developed etc. also you don't have to keep paying for film proving film photography is a continuing cost. 
Also, when using a digital camera to take your images you are able to see the images instantly once taking them whereas with film photography you have to wait until the photos have been developed to see how they turned out which can be a waste of money if it was an unsuccessful shoot. 

Shutter activity

What equipment have you used on this shoot (camera type, lens, tripod, memory card etc) and how has this helped you get better images?
When doing this shoot we used a Sony Alpha camera, a tripod, SD card and an 18-55 lens.
These pieces of equipment helped me to acquire focused images primarily the tripod as it maintained the camera at a steady position.
The camera is a high quality DSLR (digital single lens reflex) this allowed me to capture high quality images at 14.0 megapixels, this should effectively allow me to produce a printed image at 27 x 22 inches. 
An 18-55 lens with a focal length of 3.5-5.6 allows me to zoom at a far depth of field and capture a subject at a further distance creating a certain effect and mood. 
The SD card allowed me to store all the images that I needed for the activity as it was a 2GB card. 

Show an understanding what shutter speed means and why it is important?

The shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutter is left open to capture the image. If the camera is set to a long shutter speed it will capture an image that shows movement this is particularly effective with images of moving elements such as the sea and rivers. 

Having a short shutter speed will allow you to capture a moment in time. This allows you to effectively stop time as you are able to capture and see an image not normally seen by the human eye. 







How has the shutter speed altered your shots in relation to movement and exposure?
Shutter speed can show movement in two different ways. Having a long shutter speed enables you to capture an image that shows movement that has happened over a period of time for example the image above of the waves crashing against the cliffs. However, you can also have a very short shutter speed which manages to catch a moment in time such as the image the other image above showing the paint just before it goes on the mans face. 
Changing the shutter speed means that you will need to change the applications of the exposure triangle such as: aperture, ISO and shutter speed as you need to make sure that you are allowing enough light into the lens so that the photo is successful. 

What effect would different lenses and focal lengths have on your images? 
Using different lenses allows you to give the images a different effect. Some examples could be: a soft focus lens which will allow you to produce a soft image that is till in focus, a fish-eye lens which produces an intended distortion of the image and a swivel lens which can be moved from side to side whilst still attached to the camera body so will give unique perspectives and camera angles.
Using different focal lengths can give good effects to the images you take, however you need to be sure that they are all in focus as the focus will change as you zoom in over a depth of field. 

What applications of photography might rely heavily on shutter speeds?

The applications of photography that shutter speed tends to apply to would be: photojournalism, fine art and landscape. These applications all rely a lot on telling a story through an image often using the movement within, so shutter speed will allow the photographer to capture this detail in an easy yet effective way. 

Lighting/studio activity

What are the different effects of one point and three point lighting?

One point lighting: this lighting is also known as the key lighting as it is used to light the subjects face and give them shape and definition. However, not using this light can also make a good effect if the photographer is going for a silhouette.
The key light is placed in front of the subjects face at a 30-60° angle where it can be maneuvered upward or down.

 Three point lighting: three point lighting use three lights all known by different names. It is made up by the key light which I have mentioned above. A fill light, this light is placed in front of the subject but on the opposite side of the key light, it is also often positioned at a lower angle to the key light. 

Why are filters and gels used in studio photography?

Using gels and filters help a photographer to create different effects to the image. Coloured gels all represent a number of varying moods i.e. yellow = happiness, purple = deep. 
Gels are quite an urgent option and can be used when a photographer uses a camera that does not have the use of different filters on either the actual camera or the lens. 
However, filters can be done using a specific camera or done during the editing process using software such as Photoshop. 

When would flash be used and why? 
This would be used in a situation where only poor lighting is available, places like this could be in reception areas, or ballrooms. Churches are also quite dark, however often flash is not promoted within churches so that is when changing settings is the better option.
Fill flash can also be used on bright sunny days, this would be done to avoid intense shadows caused by the sun and any hot spots created from the natural light.

What health and safety considerations are needed when working with lighting?

When using lighting in a studio for example there are many health and safety features that need to be considered when working with the lights.
Often enough, when using a number of lights it is very easy for all the wires from the lights to gather and quickly become a great hazard for anyone that is in the studio to easily trip over. It is important that these wires are kept out of the way as the photographer will be concentrating on photographing the subject and often wont see where he/she are stepping. 
The lights also get very hot quite quickly so it is best to avoid touching them during the photographic period and when taking them down at the end of a shoot, they should be turned off first and left to cool down for a while to avoid anyone burning themselves and it is extremely dangerous to put them back into their boxes whilst hot.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) has been put into place to 'securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work', 'protecting persons other than persons at work against risks to health or safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work', 'controlling the keeping and use of explosive or highly flammable or otherwise dangerous substances, and generally preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession and use of such substances' and also 'controlling the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances from premises of any class prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph'.
It is also important that all the equipment used for the shoot is safe for the workers to use and they feel confident in using it. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (1998) states that all the equipment used should be:

• suitable for the intended use 
• safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to ensure it is correctly installed and does not subsequently deteriorate 
• used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training
• accompanied by suitable health and safety measures, such as protective devices and controls. These will normally include emergency stop devices, adequate means of isolation from sources of energy, clearly visible markings and warning devices
• used in accordance with specific requirements, for mobile work equipment and power presses