PHOA113: W1A2 Set-Up



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Discussion Assignment 
Assignment 2: Light Meter inside DSLR Camera

Greetings Photographers,

Our first technical step in preparing work for our group exhibition (final project) requires you to fully understand how to take a photograph using the "manual setting" on your camera. This step will allow you to have complete control over your exposure settings: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Shooting pictures on the manual setting will also allow you to have control over your white balance.

This is an exciting time! These camera settings, coupled with your advanced knowledge of what you learned from our Week 1 lectures and the required reading, will allow you to consistently capture the light you intend for us to see. To help you capture the light you would like to show, you will be utilizing the light meter inside your DSLR camera.

I'm looking forward to seeing your images! Good luck!

-The Curator

Assignment Overview
In your Week 1 lectures, you were introduced to the different tools a photographer can use to measure the light when taking photographs. One tool is the handheld light meter and the other is the light meter that exists within one's DSLR camera. In this assignment, you will be focusing on the meter that exists within your camera, which measures reflective light (light that reflects off of a subject).

Assignment Description
In this assignment, you will be taking photographs using the "Manual" setting on your DSLR Camera as well as the meter that is within your camera. The meter in your camera can calculate light in different ways: Evaluative (or Matrix), Center Weighted, and Partial. You will adjust your meter to be set on "Center Weighted."

You will be taking 40 images total; 20 of which will be shot indoors, and 20 will be shot outdoors. Given that you'll be adjusting between inside and outside, you will want to ensure that your white balance is set properly to capture the "normal" color temperature (as opposed to capturing a photo that displays the overall color as too cool or too warm). Throughout your 40 images, you will be bracketing your exposures by adjusting the aperture.

You are asked to not edit your photos prior to submitting them. By avoiding a post-processing step, your instructor will be able to offer feedback based off of what you were able to accomplish by using only your camera.

Step-by-Step Instructions

    (Preparation for Shooting Indoors)

    1. Set your camera to the "Manual" setting and adjust the meter mode settings in your DSLR to be on "Center Weighted" mode.
      1. Review the weekly lectures, your manual, and online resources as necessary to help with these tasks. Consult with the instructor for any additional questions.
    2. Set up your camera to capture "RAW" files.
    3. Choose your subject matter to photograph indoors.
      1. Pick three different 3-Dimensional objects that have a mix of light and dark tones. (Avoid photographing kids' toys; Avoid photographing objects that do not have a "conceptual" connection.)
      2. Bring the objects into a room in your house that has ample natural and even light. You may want to choose a room that has a large open window. Avoid rooms that appear dark or have uneven light. Avoid supplementing the natural light with an additional strobe or continuous light to the situation.
      3. Arrange the objects against a plain backdrop. You may want to use a cloth or paper backdrop.
      4. Remove any surrounding items that "get in the way" of your photo; ensure that your camera lens is looking only at the 3 objects and the backdrop. In other words, avoid any distracting elements within the frame.
    4. Adjust your white balance pre-settings on your DSLR camera to match the temperature of light that is hitting your 3 objects and background.
    5. You may use either manual or auto focus for this assignment.
    6. Establish your initial ISO for your indoor shots.
      1. Refer to the Week 1 lectures for how to choose the proper ISO for your lighting situation.
    7. Establish your initial exposure settings (shutter speed and aperture) for your indoor shots.
      1. Refer to the Week 1 lectures for how to choose the proper exposure settings for your lighting situation.
      2. You will need to experiment with your exposure settings prior to "starting" your assignment. If you find that your photograph is too dark or too bright, adjust your shutter speed until you find a "happy medium." Then you will adjust your aperture. Your findings will be your initial exposure setting.

      8. (Begin Taking your 20 Indoor Photographs)

    8. You will take your first set of four images and bracket each of the shots.
      1. Take your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th photographs (of the 20 total) of your three objects. As you move through the first four images, you will be bracketing your shots by adjusting your aperture only.
        1. Within this set of four photographs, you are encouraged to keep your composition the same. This will allow you to see the effects of your bracketing more clearly.
        2. Your first photograph should be taken with your initial exposure setting, which you determined in the "Preparation" portion of this assignment.
        3. Your second photograph should be bracketed by 1/3rd of a stop. Depending on how your first photograph looked, you will want to adjust your aperture to be either brighter (smaller number–wider aperture opening) or darker (bigger number–smaller aperture opening). For example: if your initial ISO was set to 400 and your initial exposure settings were set to 1/60th of a second at f/5.6, then your second photograph should be taken with an f-stop of f/6.3 if your image requires less light
        4. Your third photograph should be bracketed by another 1/3rd of a stop. Using our example above, if your last f-stop was f/6.3, your next f-stop will be f/7.1.
        5. Your fourth photograph should be bracketed by another 1/3rd of a stop. Using our example above, if your last f-stop was f/7.1, your next f-stop will be f/8. The f/8 aperture setting will bring you "one full stop" from where you first started at f/5.6.
          1. In our example, the numbers are getting larger which means that the opening of the aperture is getting smaller. This will make the each consecutive photograph darker.
    9. Take your second set of four images and bracket each of the shots.
      1. Take your 4th – 7th photographs (of the 20 total) of your three objects. As you move through the next set of four images, you will be bracketing your shots by adjusting your aperture only.
        1. Adjust your composition to be different from the first set. You may want to change your point of view from where you are shooting and/or your focal length on your lens.
        2. Repeat the steps above to bracket your shots by adjusting the aperture. Eventually, you will not be able to open or close your aperture any further. In this case, adjust your shutter speed and proceed to bracket with the new shutter speed.
          1. Using our example above, the initial exposure reading was 1/60th of a second at f/5.6 with an ISO of 400. If the photographer cannot close down the aperture any further than f/22, the photographer will adjust the shutter speed to be 1/50th of a second—or 1/80th depending on the results.
    10. Continue to take your indoor photographs in sets of 4 until you complete your 20 total images.
      1. By the end, you will have 5 sets of 4 images. As noted above, each set should be bracketed, and you should have 5 different compositions (1 composition per set).

      11. (Preparation for Shooting Outdoors)

    11. Similar to what you did for your indoor images, you will first establish your ISO for your outdoor images.
      1. Given that the light is different from indoor to outdoor, your ISO and exposure settings are bound to be different. Ask yourself; is it brighter outdoors—if so, should I lower my ISO from 400 to 200?
    12. Establish your shutter speed and aperture to create an initial exposure reading for your outdoor images.
    13. Bring the 3 objects only (not the backdrops) with you outdoors and place them in a location without any distracting objects near by.
      1. You may want to place your objects in uneven light and in even light to see the difference.
    14. Adjust your white balance pre-setting to display a normal color temperature of the outdoor area you have selected.
      1. Given that the light is a different temperature from indoors to outdoors, you may need to choose a different pre-setting to display a normal color temperature. Ask yourself; does it appear to be sunnier outside or perhaps cloudy? Or does the time of day reflect a different color temperature?
    15. Shoot your 1st set of 4 outdoor images of the 3 objects. Bracket each of the shots accordingly by 1/3rd of a stop. Keep your composition the same throughout the 1st set of 4 images to clearly see the effects of the bracketing.
    16. For your 2nd set of 4 images, adjust the composition: change your point of view and/or your focal length. Bracket your shouts accordingly by 1/3rd of a stop.
    17. Repeat sets for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th sets of images.
    18. You will end with 20 outdoor images in total; 5 sets of 4.

      19. (Contact Sheet & Top Images)

    19. From the Adobe Lightroom Print module, format and print or "save as" an Adobe PDF contact sheets of this new work. All 40 images should be included in your contact sheet, which should be created according to our Photography Department's standards as seen below:
      1. Use the 3 x 3 option; this will give you 9 images per page.
      2. Use a white background (vs. black or other colors)
      3. Ensure that your contact sheet is created at 300 ppi.
      4. Ensure that your contact sheet is clearly displaying a file number, the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture for each image.
      5. Avoid the "zoom to fit" option and ensure that the images are displayed full frame in the contact sheet.
      6. Avoid watermarking your images and/or your contact sheet.
    20. Save your file name as "PHOA113_W1_A2_Lastname_Firstname_Contact.pdf"
    21. Choose 3 top photographs from this new work.
      1. Base your choices on the light, exposure, and composition.
      2. You are encouraged to choose at least one image from indoor and one image from outdoor.
      3. Your PPI for each of the top images should be 300ppi.
      4. Save these three images as JPEG files and label them as:
        1. "PHOA113_W1A2_Lastname_FirstInitial_1.jpeg"
        2. "PHOA113_W1A2_Lastname_FirstInitial_2.jpeg"
        3. "PHOA113_W1A2_Lastname_FirstInitial_3.jpeg"
      5. Place all three images into a ZIP file and save file as "PHOA113_W1_A2_Lastname_Firstname_Top Images.zip."

  1. Write a 200-word essay discussing your work directly into the Discussion Area (do not attach as a Word document). Write about the technical decisions you made (metering, exposure, white balance, etc.) as well as the creative decisions you made (light, subject matter, composition).
  2. Write a 100-word critique to 2 of your classmates and discuss their technical and creative decisions. Your post should be encouraging, ask questions, and/or challenge a topic.
Deliverable Specifications: due on Week 1, Day 4
  • Contact Sheet of 40 Images in PDF format
    • 20 shot indoors using bracketing techniques
    • 20 shot outdoors using bracketing techniques
    • 9 images per page
    • White background
    • Includes file number, ISO, shutter speed, aperture
    • 300ppi resolution
  • ZIP File of Top 3 Images
    • JPEG format
    • 300ppi resolution
    • At least 1 image shot indoors, 1 image shot outdoors
  • 200-word Essay in Discussion Area
Assumptions:
  • Metadata for all images is included
  • Follows MLA writing guidelines for style, spelling, grammar, and citation of sources
Exclusions:
  • Watermarks
  • Post-production adjustments
Peer Responses due on Week 1, Day 5
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Applied camera light meter and reflective metering techniques to create new photographs of 1 subject using indoor and outdoor natural light, applying effective technical lighting choices, exposure, white balance, and focus. The main focal point in sharp focus; all images shot in RAW format.
10
Created new photographs that display an understanding of exposure through bracketing shots by adjusting the aperture when necessary; applied white balance pre-settings to display a "normal" color temperature with diverse compositions per set of images.
20
Three selected top images make effective use of lighting, exposure, composition, and white balance options.
10
Provided a thoughtful, 200-word essay discussing student's technical and creative choices throughout the shoot.
5
Provided thoughtful, 100-word responses to 2 peers that discuss classmates' technical and creative choices throughout their shoots.
5
Total:
50
Provides link to the document that gives details on how this assignment will be graded.
For assistance with any problems you may have when completing this assignment—OR—to offer your assistance to classmates, please use the Problems and Solutions Discussion area located through the left side navigation link.
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