SIAST Applied Photography: 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

PHOT 213 ~ Warm Tone Images

Warm colours advance; cool colours recede. Light colours advance; dark colours recede. Intense colours advance; neutralized colours recede. These rules are basic to understanding how colour affects space. Colours will create different spatial qualities in combination with one another. For example a light, intense colour such as yellow will seem to come further forward when it is surrounded by a cool, dark or neutralized colour than when it is surrounded by an intense orange.

Complimentary colours that set one another off most strongly can activate an area of space and provide strong spatial accents. Analogous colours do not have the same bold contrast but because they move into one another on the colour wheel, they can be arranged to imply movement in space.

Friday, December 17, 2010

PHOT 213 ~ Cool Tone Images

In general, people view a photograph and have an emotional response. The goal of a professional photographer is to draw out specific emotions. Lighting is the best tool a photographer has to control, guide and promote how his/her image will be experienced.

For most of our photographs, however, the attainment of a particular feeling or meaning is more suggestive – our ability to achieve impact may be more implied than actual. It's important to remember as well that the measure of our success is based not on our intent, but in the impact on the viewer. In the intense world of visual communications, if they don't get it, chances are it's our fault not theirs.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

PHOT 213 ~ High-key Lighting

In its simplest terms, a high-key photograph is a bright image full of light and mostly bright tones. But good high-key photography has a lot more to do with the quality of the light rather than the quantity of the light used to attain a successful image. Central to all of this is the mood the photographer is trying to achieve or communicate, often trying to create a feeling of freshness or optimism. While these techniques can be achieved with natural light, high-key photographs more commonly relate to induced mood lighting through a soft or diffused studio lighting set-up.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

PHOT 213 ~ Low-key Lighting Techniques

No matter the subject, there are choices to be made regarding the mood of a photograph. Visualization is knowing – in advance of taking a photograph – in what mood it will be received.

One of a photographer’s greatest challenges is to know the best way to light a subject and to control the light to the degree that it conveys precisely what the photographer has in mind.

Monday, December 13, 2010

PHOT 213 ~ Colour as a Subject

The endless variety of colour interacting with colour make it an exciting design element with which to work. Hue contrast, simultaneous contrast, warm/cool contrast, value contrast and contrast of intensity are aspects of colour which suggest its range. The addition of colour will affect line, shape, the principle of balance, dominance, variety and harmony in a design. The addition of a colour element to an achromatic design will immediately shift the balance. An intense yellow applied to a small secondary shape will attract attention to it.

Colour can also be used to strengthen an existing design idea. Using neutralized colour to set off the dominant element may make the dominant element stronger or the background more subtle. The best way to understand the effect of colour on other aspects of design is to experiment with it and observe the results.

Monday, November 29, 2010

PHOT 222 ~ Photojournalism

Shooting a hockey game is a great taste of what you’re in for if you want to be a photojournalist. The lighting is usually lousy. The subject is moving quickly and unpredictably. There are lots of people, lots of distractions and lots of clutter – all of which make it difficult to get a clean, sharp shot. But there is action. There is drama. There is emotion. And there is no time to waste. Photos have to be sent out for publication as soon as possible after the final buzzer. So you better get it right in the camera!

Regina Pats forward Carter Ashton hits the net after his shot was blocked by Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Liam Liston at the Brandt Centre in Regina on November 15. The Wheat Kings defeated the Pats 5-2.

Carter Ashton of the Regina Pats is mauled by the Brandon Wheat Kings' Ryan Pulock as Ashton tries to get a shot on Brandon goalie Liam Liston during a game in Regina on November 15. Pulock took a holding penalty on the play, but Brandon went on to win 5-2.

Swift Current Broncos' defencemen Tanner Muth and Jordan Evans watch in astonishment as the puck slips past their goalie early in the third period of their game against the Regina Pats on October 22. Right winger Carter Ashton scored the goal, the Pats' second of the night, in a 2-0 shutout against the Broncos.

Saskatoon Blades' defenceman Ryan Olsen (#9) skids into the scene to grab the puck as teammates Tyler Kizuik (#2), Darren Dietz (#44) and goaltender Adam Morrison look on. Regina Pats players Thomas Frazee (#11) and Carter Ashton (#25) try to get turned around to catch up to the play during the game on October 26th in Regina, which the Pats won 5-2.

A Lethbridge Hurricanes defenceman attempts to trip up Regina Pats forward Garrett Mitchell during action at the Brandt Centre in Regina on October 20. The Hurricanes went on to win the game with a final score of 4-3.

Monday, November 22, 2010

PHOT 201 ~ Architectural Interiors

Architectural interiors present the photographer with their own unique set of challenges. It's critical to examine any technical and artistic considerations that come into play when one sets out to create effective architectural interiors.

What are the characteristics of the space and the available lighting? Where do you establish an optimum shooting position and viewpoint to show the features of the space? Does it accentuate the lines and create a perception of depth? What supplemental lighting will be required? How do you strengthen essential principles of composition and design?

Working with large format view cameras, these are just a few of the questions to be addressed in this assignment. Here is a sampling of the results:

Monday, November 15, 2010

PHOT 222 ~ Editorial Photography

©2010 Amanda Krenbrink
Musician Curtis Baldy uses his talents at home in east Regina to woo his 11 month old daughter Keelee. During his time on parental leave, Curtis says that he quite often uses his guitar to sooth her on those "cranky days".

©2010 Megan Walbaum
Karl Sawilla makes a joking grimace as nurse Della Friesen administers this season's influenza vaccination at the Regina Armoury. The vaccinations were offered free in early October.

Veteran Lloyd Jones of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry shows off his unique custom licence plate during a visit to SIAST's Wascana Campus in Regina prior to Remembrance Day. Lloyd fought for his country with the Canadian forces during the Second World War.

Venyce Sayer and Jayda Ballantyne look on with interest as artist Margaret Orr finishes a bed of woven cloth and grasses commemorating missing and murdered aboriginal women at the Reclaiming Space and Spirit gala and vigil at the CBC building in Regina on October 4.

Regina senior Helen Puttkammer maintains an active life with her books, gardening and favourite pastimes. Here, she takes a break from her sewing.

Monday, October 25, 2010

PHOT 201 ~ Architectural Exteriors

The first major course of the program's second year is View Camera Operation, incorporating 4 x 5 camera work on location, for a variety of assignments. This year's assignments were hampered significantly by weeks of rain at the beginning of the semester, but students were ultimately able to find the right light for a good location. Here are a few samples:

Monday, October 18, 2010

PHOT 202 ~ Continuous Light Sources

For thousands of years, the egg has been considered a prime example of sculptural art. The egg is a perfect piece of sculpture, in the eyes of sculptors and artists. Our dumb little chicken friends have been creating artistic masterpieces without ever giving them a thought.

Because of their sculptural perfection, eggs are extremely easy to light. Using a single continuous source light and no props, students are encouraged to try all of the lighting techniques they have studied to date to create images that are exciting as well as beautiful Beauty is easily created in this case, but excitement is something beyond that. And though it can be difficult with such severe restrictions, students can be successful at generating some surprising and interesting compositions.