The Exposure Magazine Spring 2013

Page 1


Letter from the editors

2

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

Welcome to the sophomore edition of The Exposure Magazine. Originally when we came up with the idea of the Exposure Magazine, we were planning to have a new issue come out each month. But, as our ideas became more advanced and our attention to detail forced us to spend weeks on single articles, we realized that a monthly issue would be impossible. But, rather begrudgingly, we compromised and decided to do a quarterly issue. As it often happens, life got in the way, things took longer than we thought they would and once again we were forced to change our plan. Even though what you see before you is just the second ever issue of The Exposure Magazine, it is the culmination of six months of hard work and we believe that the content of the magazine reflects this. Like any art project, the idea of the magazine evolved as we worked. In the first issue, you saw a lot of repetition in design; we used to joke that the ‘rounded blue rectangle’ was an Exposure Magazine staple. But in this issue we tried to make each article completely different from the rest. For each article we tried to make the form SPRING 2013


fit the function of the article; if it was an article about something fast we wanted the article to feel fast, if it was a guide then we wanted it to feel like a handmade guide. We hoped that in all the the articles’ differences, there would be an underlying similarity that made the entire magazine feel like a coherent piece. Our original goal was to help our readers learn more about photography—and hopefully we did that. But we learned just as much making it—in photography as well as graphic design, writing and organization. As the two editors of The Exposure Magazine, we would just like to thank you, the readers, for submitting photographs to make this magazine possible. The amount of submissions was incredible, and the quality impeccable. You were all the inspiration for this magazine, and were the driving force for it in this past year. At this point, we are reluctantly signing off as editors of The Exposure Magazine. It was a great experience, and we wouldn’t trade it for anything. And without further ado, enjoy the final issue of The Exposure Magazine for the 2012-2013 school year. THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

3


CONTENTS ABOUT THE COVER

editor’s choice

52 editor’s choice

4

62 THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

5 Interview 13 T H E B A S I C S 19 GALLERY 21 55 A Guide to ND Filters 57 INStagram 64

SPRING 2013


A B O U T

T H E

C O V E R We here at The Exposure Magazine cannot think of a better way to show motion than taking photos of smashing light bulbs. Here’s how we set the shot up. On the floor, we laid a tarp to catch pieces of flying glass. On top of this, we set up a small platform with a hard tile surface so that the bulb would break on impact. To create a neutral background, we propped up a white poster board behind the platform. We surrounded this platform with lights clipped to tripods, shifting their position until we created the lighting we liked. Directly in front of the

platform, looking towards the poster board, we set up the camera on a tripod. We used a cable release so we didn’t have to touch the camera. We set the camera to high speed, continuous shooting. To protect from flying shards of glass, safety goggles were placed on our faces. Once set up, taking the photos were pretty easy. We would first focus the camera on the spot the light bulb would land on the platform. We’d make sure the lens was set to manual focus before shooting so the camera didn’t try to refocus. Next, one person would hold a bulb directly above platform and count down from three. When it was released, one of us would hold down the shutter on the cable release until the bulb had stopped moving. The camera we used, a Canon EOS 60D, takes 5.3 frames per second. Although this may sound extremely fast, it’s actually not in comparison to the speed of a falling light bulb. We kept on repeating the process of dropping the lightbulbs until we got the photos we liked. In total, we smashed nine lightbulbs. As far as getting the perfect shots, a lot of luck was involved. But, with enough light bulbs it wasn’t too difficult to get the shot we wanted. Overall we were very happy with the shots we took. And, the best part is, after breaking all

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

5


After four hours we finally had found a technique that worked and had created a lighting we liked but still couldn’t get the composition we wanted. We crossed our fingers and dropped another bulb and got the shot below. After hours of breaking bulbs getting the picture was immensly satisfying. At that point we were tempted to just call it quits--we had only intended to get a cover picture and be done --but, we decided breaking lightbulbs was fun and decided to break just a few more.

6

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

7


It turns out that getting shots of lightbulbs breaking is just as much luck as it is skill and set up. After we got the initial picture that we were pleased with, we attempted to get an even better one. The picture on page right was the perfect moment to capture; with half the bulb broken and the other half intact, we knew we got the picture we wanted for the cover. While this one picture may look easy by itself, it is important to remember all the other lightbulbs that lost their lives that day to create this picture.

8

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

9


It turns out that dropping lightbulbs only lead us into the much more dangerous and satisfying world of smashing lightbulbs with hammers.

10

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

11


The images bellow and on the previous page are two of our favorite and were definitely the most fun to smash. The (potentially harmful) dust that went everywhere was perfectly captured in the picture on the previous page. On this page, we became a little carried away with all the smashing and accidentally broke the surface we were dropping the lightbulbs on. We really have to stop eating that spinach.

12

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


Interview Josh Garodnick is known by most as that physics teacher who takes pictures of his students almost getting smashed in the face by a bowling ball. But you might not know that he is an avid photographer who loves macro photography and microwaves DVDs in his free time.

How’d you get into photography? My ex fiancé bought me my first camera that I remember actually caring about. It took 110 film. Yeah, it was a point and shoot, a piece of garbage but she got it for my birthday. Everywhere I went I always had the camera. I remember there was a car fire and, driving 60mph, I thought I might as well try and take that shot as I’m going by. So yeah that’s how I got into it. I won’t forget the first picture that actu-

ally came out the way I wanted it to and that’s what hooked me. It was a garbage camera. I took a picture while we were hiking; there was a puddle, it was fall, and the whole puddle was surrounded by leaves and I wanted it to take a picture of the reflection of the trees above and have the rest out of focus. And it actually worked! I was like oh my God that’s what I wanted and after that I was hooked and then I went and bought a Canon Rebel. It’s like golf: that one moment you actually hit the good shot

you’re hooked. What are you using now? A Canon 60D. I love it and it takes great pictures. I have a 28-200mm lens which is really versatile, but I always wonder if I am sacrificing any quality by having a lens that can do so much. It is a little heavy lens as well. My next lens that I really want to get is a really quality telephoto.

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

13


and face it up—that was the best I could do—but the shoots out there would be great. What I would really like to do, because where I live it is pretty dark because there is very little light pollution, is hook it up to a computer and have the camera follow the stars and get better nighttime shots. But some of the ideas I’ve stolen from the photo club. My nephews think it is amazing when I take long exposures and they stand still and wave their flashlight or write their names and it comes out backwards. They love that stuff.

The good one to get would be the 75-300 that they put out—it does the job. And I have couple wide angles—I think I have one that’s like 15-28. And then I have a macro, which I love. What do you find yourself shooting now? What are your favorite things to shoot? My nephews— I shoot them all the time. I mean we still go hiking all the time so I’m still out there looking for stuff like that, but more recently I’m trying to be more creative. Like microwaving DVDs and taking picture of what it looks like. It looks like snowflakes—its really cool. I’m trying to do a lot more with my macro to be honest; soap bubbles, stuff like that, up close physic-y stuff I guess? Being a physics teacher do you think about how physics applies to taking pictures?

It’s like golf: that one moment you actually hit the good shot you’re hooked

Sometimes. It’s sad that on the inside I do think about it. Especially when you think about the aperture setting and why what you see is blurrier if the aperture is wide open and if it is closed tight you get a clearer shot. Sometimes I do think about it. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that if I see a picture of a rail going to water and it looks bent all I start thinking is “oh yeah bending light”. It’s so lame. So physics comes in to play a lot. Not as an inspiration, but I’m always thinking about it. Do you have a favorite type of photography? I love experimenting in the nighttime with long exposures. When we were in South Africa I didn’t have a tripod so I had to put the camera on the ground

14

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013

Do you have any favorite shots you’ve taken?W That first shot I ever took is still one of my favorites. It’s tough when you’ve taken so many pictures. That’s the problem with digital. It’s siphoning through thousands and thousands of pictures. Is photography for you more about the subject or the composition? I don’t usually think about composition. That’s not how my head works—I’m a physics teacher I’m pretty straightforward when it comes to that. But I need people like that to point it out so I can appreciate it more. So when I am taking shots I’m not usually thinking about that. But when it comes

to how the picture is laid out I almost never put the subject in the dead center of the frame. I try to create motion by moving the subject around. I just try to capture it how I see it. I’m not very artistic. What do you think about film vs digital? I thought about another favorite picture. It was the first time I caught wave motion at the beach. It was a personal picture because my father was in the hospital at the time. He told us that we needed to leave and go have fun. I can remember going to the beach with really dark black rocks in Belmar. The surf was coming up. I was really starting to learn at that time how to set the exposure


[with film] I would actually write down the f-stop, the aperture and what picture number it was so I could go back and learn from it. and set the aperture and I was doing it all by hand. It was film so you couldn’t know what you were doing. So I took three shots and changed the aperture pretty aggressively. And one came out absolutely perfect. It was just a smear of water tracing back through dark black shiny rocks with a little bit of contrast—there was a little bit of artistic quality— but it was one of my favorites because it was film and I got it. I remember when I was shooting film—especially when the sun is low in the sky and you have all those nice oranges and yellows— I remember thinking how do you get that so it is not over exposed and you can really see the color. So basically I found myself being more cautious and looking towards the sun to get the ex-

posure and then turning back around to get it a little darker. So you had to think about the shots you had done before. With film, I would actually write down the f-stop, the aperture and what picture number it was so I could go back and learn from it. But now you can just keep changing it. Do you have a preference with film or digital? Digital. The problem is I don’t print the photos like I used to. The ones that I like just go across my computer screen. And there is the less satisfaction of not having the moment of taking one picture that was right. As opposed to taking one shot and then adjusting until you got the right shot. With digital, you can learn so quickly

how to set the aperture and the shutter-speed to get the shot you want. But with film you have to be more careful which definitely makes it more satisfying. With digital its all photoshop which still feels like it is slightly cheating. There is something about film that is more rewarding. Do you think post processing is cheating? Not too much. I mean there are always things that you can do that make it a cleaner picture without changing the picture too much, but at the same time when you used to develop film—which I never did—there you have a lot of play as well. So it was film but you could change how the picture turned out. And that’s not really cheating, that’s even more artistic. But I would still go with digital any day.

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

15


I’m trying to be more creative. Like microwaving DVDs and taking picture of what it looks like ... up close physics-y stuff I guess.

16

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

17


I wonder about that sometimes. You can get a really good camera and take really good shots. Is it the camera or is it you? Have you ever made any money taking photos? No, I’ve thought about selling some of the pictures I’ve done—some of the more weird ones I’ve taken. I have shot concerts for friends, which has been so much fun. It has really been more learning for me and free photos for them. I have shot about four weddings and they just asked and I said sure. I don’t think I’m good enough to make money—I don’t have the equipment either. The gear the guys at the wed-

18

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013

dings have is just sick. So I really haven’t made any money off of it. There were a few pictures that I considered possibly framing and seeing if I could get sold in a store but I never tried. Does buying a good camera make you a good photographer?

Well I wonder about that sometimes. You can get a really good camera and take really good shots. Is it the camera or is it you? The better the tool the better the work. But with a SLR you can definitely experiment more than with a point and shoot.

How about you answer that.

Josh Gardodnick, 3/15/13


The Photography Basics How a picture is taken When a picture is taken, light comes through the lens, passes through the aperture, and hits the sensor of film. Depending on the aperture, shutter speed and ISO the photo is exposed differently. To properly expose a photograph, a balance between these three is required. In order to balance these components, a light meter if usually used. Light meters interpret the light coming through the lens and predict the exposure of the photograph. Depending on the settings you pick, the light meter will tell you if your photograph will be under/overexposed and to what extent. Exposure is measured in stops and is usually broken down into increments of 1/3 of a stop.

L I G H T UNDER EXPOSED

-2

M E T E R

PROPERLY EXPOSED

0

-1

DECREASE ONE STOP = half the shutter speed OR half the ISO OR decrease the f number

OVER EXPOSED

+1

+2

INCREASE ONE STOP = double the shutter speed OR double the ISO OR increase the f number

PROPER EXPOSURE IS ACHIEVED BY BALANCING THESE THREE ELEMENTS!

Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO explained Decrease

Aperture is the hole within the lens that the light travels through before entering the camera. The size of the aperture is measured in f numbers. They range from f3.5 to f22 on most standard zoom lenses. The size of the aperture determines the depth of field in the image— how deep the focus extends into the scene.

A wide aperture lets lots of light into the camera because it is a larger hole. The wider the aperture, the lower the depth of field. A wider aperture is represented by a lower f number.

A narrow aperture lets little light in because it is a small hole. The narrower the aperture, the greater the depth of field. A narrow aperture is represented by a high f number.

SHUTTER SPEED

After passing through the lens, the light passes through the shutter. The amount of time that the shutter is open is called the shutter speed. During this time light is hitting the sensor/film and creating the photograph. Everything that happens during this time is recorded in the image. Shutter speed is measured in seconds or fractions of seconds. A camera usually has speeds from 1/4000th of a second to 30 seconds.

When the shutter is open for a long amount of time, more light is captured. This is necessary in low light situations. A tripod is often needed to prevent blur. Slow shutter speeds can also be used to capture the movement of a subject over time, such as light streaks from a moving car.

When the shutter is open for a short amount of time, less light is captured. Fast shutter speeds are typically used in regularly lit environments and freeze a moving subject.

Also known as film speed, ISO is how sensitive the film or sensor is to light. ISO values start at 100 and then double (100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, etc.). Modern cameras have intermediate ISOs (between 400 and 800, for example) for more precise exposure control. The ISO level also affects the amount of noise (grain) in an image.

A high ISO is more sensitive to light. It creates a noisy image. High ISO film is often used specifically for its grainy quality. However, noise generated by a digital camera is typically avoided for its irregular appearance.

A low ISO is less sensitive to light. It creates an image with little noise (typically a desireable effect).

APERTURE

Increase

ISO

What is it?

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

19



G A L L E RY WELCOME T O T H E G A L L E RY WELCOME T O T H E G A L L E RY WELCOME THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

21


22

M

A

R

M

I

C

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

I

N

H SPRING 2013

A

E

R

L

L

I

E

D

D

K

L

I

E

M


A

S

H

E

R

S

T

A

B

THE MOTION ISSUE

L

.

E

R

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

23


G

A

B

R

I

E

L

L


E

B

R

E

N

N

A

N


J

26

A

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

C

.

K SPRING 2013

C

A

M

P

B

E

L

L


C

O

N

N

O

R

S

W

I

N

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

G

L

E

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

27


K

28

A

I

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

T

L

SPRING 2013

I

N

A

B

R

A

M

S


G

A

B

R

S

H

E

A

I

E

F

L

L

I

E

T

B

Z

P

R

A

E

N

N

A

N

T

R

I

C

K

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

29


C

30

O

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

N

.

N SPRING 2013

O

R

S

W

I

N

G

L

E


M

C

O

H

L

A

N

L

Y

D

L

J

E

R

E

R

N

O

N

B

E

I

R

THE MOTION ISSUE

N

T

.

G

S

O

S

N

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

31


J

32

A

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

C

.

K SPRING 2013

C

A

M

P

B

E

L

L


A

S

H

E

R

S

T

A

B

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

L

E

R

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

33


M

I

C

H

E

L


L

E

K

I

M


A

36

L

E

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

X

.

B

SPRING 2013

R

E

A

K

S

T

O

N

E


M

S

O

H

L

E

L

A

Y

F

I

J

E

T

Z

N

P

N

A

I

T

N

R

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

I

G

S

C

K

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

37


38

S

H

E

A

G

A

B

R

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

F

I

SPRING 2013

E

I

L

T

L

Z

E

P

A

B

R

T

R

I

C

K

E

N

N

A

N


A

M

S

A

H

R

E

Y

R

W

S

A

L

T

K

E

A

R

B

R

THE MOTION ISSUE

L

I

.

E

P

R

P

E

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

39


40

R

E

M

A

B

E

R

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

C

Y

C

W

SPRING 2013

A

R

A

L

O

K

W

E

K

R

I

R

E

F

E

R

I

P

P

E


C

O

U

T

R

N

E

Y THE MOTION ISSUE

H

.

A

N

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

41


M

O

L

L

Y

J


E

N

N

I

N

G

S


44

C

O

M

I

N

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

N

C

.

O

H

SPRING 2013

R

E

S

L

W

L

I

E

N

G

K

L

I

E

M


C

O

U

R

T

N

E

Y THE MOTION ISSUE

.

H

A

N

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

45


S

A

46

A

L

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

M

L

I

SPRING 2013

H

S

O

N

A

Y

S

I

E

M

S

O

N


A

B

B

I

E

P

A

O

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

N

E

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

47


K

48

A

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

I

.

T SPRING 2013

L

I

N

A

B

A

M

S


K

A

M

I

I

T

C

L

H

I

N

E

L

A

L

B

R

E THE MOTION ISSUE

A

K

.

M

I

S

M

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

49


A

50

L

L

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

I

S

SPRING 2013

O

N

W

O

R

M

S


J

A

C

K

C

A

M

P

B

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

E

L

L

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

51


editor’s choice

Street photography finds the beautiful in the mundane. We walk around without noticing the many people around us, but every now and then a photographer comes along and captures a special moment that so many of us would have walked right by. Mary Walker Rippe did just that. When first looking at the picture, the

52

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013

eye is drawn to the two kids in the center of the frame—but they’re only a small part of a greater picture. What makes the photograph so interesting is the layers around the subject; the children in the foreground and parked car and city in the background all add to the feeling that you are inside the photo. While this picture captures


Mary Walker Rippe

a single moment, it is incredibly dynamic. The out of focus children partly obscuring the main subjects give the audience the sensation that the foreground is constantly moving and emphasize the fleeting nature of the moment. Combined with their candid expressions, the audience feels as if they

are witnessing an intimate moment only meant to be shared by the two subjects. Capturing these moments are difficult, especially with the dynamic nature of all the other elements in the frame. Mary, awesome job capturing this wonderful picture and thanks for sharing it with us! THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

53


Typically, a photographer will use a very fast shutter speed a moving subject. Panning allows the photographer to free subject while creating dramatic motion blur in the backgrou Panning is a simple technique that adds a level of excitement to an otherwise boring depiction of motion. This fun and simple technique can add a level of excitement to an otherwise boring depiction of motion. Since it is almost impossible to get panning right on your first try, we suggest finding a location with a constant flow of moving subjects. Busy streets are ideal for panning, which is why the vast majority of panning shots are of cars—but feel free to try it on any moving subject you want. Panning is done by keeping a subject still in the frame while the background moves relative to the camera. As the subject starts to pass in front of you, move your camera along with the subject as you take the picture. Your feet should stay planted on the ground while your upper body rotates in a smooth arc. For a steady picture, try holding the camera with your arms outstretched or close to your body. You will be shooting blind, but it is worth it. If you have a tripod that has a panning feature, try this for

54

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


maximum stability. In order to find the right shutter speed for your shot, you’ll have to experiment; a good starting point is 1/60th of a second. The subject’s speed and distance from you will affect the shutter speed. Faster shutter speeds will make it easier to get a crisp subject, but will result in a less streaky background and probably a less exciting image. Slower shutter speeds make it harder it to keep the subject crisp, but will create longer streaks in the background. We suggest starting with a fast shutter speed and working your way down as you gain experience. Luck plays a large factor in panning; don’t be discouraged if only one out of fifty shots is a keeper. But keep at it, and you’ll get some shots worth showing off.

DIAGRAM OF PHOTOGRAPHER’S MOVEMENT

d to freeze eze the und.

B A

C

A: Center the subject in the frame and start moving the camera while keeping the subject centured. B: While moving the camera as fluidly as possible, press the shutter. C: Follow through with the camera as you hear the shutter close.

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

© JPSTANLEY

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

55



A

guide to

NEUTRAL DENSITY F I LT E R S

With a neutral density filter, you can create surreal effects in a picture with moving elements. Essentially very dark pieces of glass, these filters significantly lengthen the necessary exposure time when placed over a lens. This allows you to make long exposure photographs in broad daylight, creating effects like misty water and moving clouds. THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

57


[An introduction to Neutral density filters]

eutral density filters come in two styles: graduated and non-graduated. Graduated neutral density filters are half dark and half clear. This allows you to darken specific regions of the frame and therefore properly expose scenes with high dynamic range (a scene with extreme lights and darks). They are often used in landscapes photography to more evenly capture a very bright sky and dark foreground. However, the subject of this article is non-graduated neutral density filters. These filters make the entire scene darker. Although neutral density filters come in many different darknesses, we will be discussing the darkest of the dark. We use the Hoya x400 neutral density filter, which brings down the light intensity nine stops—1/500th of its original intensity. There are other equally dark ND filters on the market, but they are known to leave unwanted colorcasts in the image.

58

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013

BEFORE

SHOOTING

ANYTHING THESE IN

KEEP

THINGS MIND.

Be wary of moving subjects.

A common problem photographers encounter is blurry trees caused by wind. Even if there is a slight breeze, leafs will move.

Overexpose a little if shooting RAW.

Your camera actually picks up more information in the slightly overexposed areas than in the shadows. Thus, if you bring down the exposure in post, you will have more information in the areas that were over exposed.

Avoid highlights at all costs.

Highlights are areas of complete whiteness in an image. You cannot get rid of highlights on a computer. So, when shooting, overexpose as much as possible before highlights appear in the image. To find them, enable the “highlight alert” setting on your camera.

Consider in camera noise reduction.

This usually comes in two forms: high ISO noise reduction and long exposure noise reduction (LENR). In general, noise reduction can be preformed in post production with more precision, but if you know your photo will be very noisy, LENR may be worth it. Remember that when using LENR, the picture will take twice as long to make. This is because a dark frame of the same shutter speed is taken and subtracted from the original photo, thus removing noise.


[A Cut Out Tutorial for Neutral Density Filters]

Tripod.

When you set up the tripod, make sure it’s firmly planted on the ground and there’s nothing unstable beneath any of the legs. If your tripod is on the cheap side, or if conditions are especially windy, it’s always safe to hang some additional weight from the center of the tripod. An easy solution is a couple of full Nalgene water bottles.

Shutter Release. BEFORE SHOOTING

Be sure to attach the shutter release before focusing, as you probably will move the camera when attaching it. If you move the camera too much after focusing, the image will be blurry!

ANYTHING KEEP Focus. Do so however you wish, just make sure to set the lens to manual focus after focusing. This will preTHESE THINGS vent the camera from changing the focus by attempting to autofocus once the filter is on. IN MIND

Aperture.

Set the aperture to suit your desired depth of field. Remember that if you’re shooting with a low focal length, you can achieve a good amount of depth of field with a wide aperture. Also remember that using a wide aperture will decrease the length of the exposure.

RAW.

As a rule of thumb, you should shoot in RAW. However it is particularly important when doing long exposures like these because they require post production. RAW files contain much more image data and give much more control when editing than JPEG does.

Exposure.

Set your camera in manual mode and the shutter speed to bulb. The filter will make the scene too dark for metering to assist you in an automatic mode.

ISO.

Use your camera’s native ISO—typically 100 or 200. This will ensure the least amount of noise possible in your photograph. If you have to bump up the ISO to suit the situation, it probably won’t be a problem, but know your camera’s limits.

Test Shots.

If shooting in daylight, start by setting your shutter speed between 40-60 seconds on your shutter release. After taking a test shot, inspect the image and adjust your shutter speed accordingly. If it is too dark, lengthen the exposure. If it is too light, shorten it. THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

59


[Example Photographs] [Example Photographs]

Waterfalls

Neutral density filters are great for rivers or any rapidly running water. Just be prepared to bring some boots because you’re going to get wet.

Oceans

The beach is full of stagnant objects which complement the misty seas created by neutral density filters. Look out for big rocks, jetties, and piers to make interesting subjects.

60

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


[Example Photographs]

Remove Moving Objects

Because moving objects don’t reflect much light in one position, they vanish in photos of still subjects, like this bridge. A useful trick when people or cars are in frame. © Peter Hill

Skies

With a neutral density filter, you can transform a dull, cloudy day into something far more dramatic. Often the light of midday is too bright for a long enough exposure, but dusk is an excellent time to shoot skies.

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

© Peter Hill THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

61


editor’s choice

Rebecca Row Keifer

How does a photographer capture the essence of a cross-country race in single image? In this photograph, Rebecca has shown us how. We see the runners packed tightly together, with hair flying and mouths panting for more air. The use of panning was the deal breaker. The blurred movement of the subjects is unusual,

62

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013

but effective but in capturing the intensity of the scene. The double image of the two runners creates an exciting rhythm and the effect of a busier race. Its strong horizontal movement, seen in the blurred background; the placement of runners; and flurry of hair leading out the right side of the image, helps captures the


speed of the race. Despite the scene’s motion blur, the bold, white letters of “WESTFIELD” stand out large against the runner’s blue singlet, giving the image a sense of team spirit. Similarly, the dominating Westfield blue draws attention against the mostly green image (the uniform of the oppos-

ing team fades away) while nicely balancing the piece. This photograph stands out among other running photos that we’ve seen in the past for its strong composition and ability to bring the viewer completely into the race. We don’t feel like we’re watching the race from the sidelines, but instead, a part of it. THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

63


The Grea

Within only years, Instagram has become one of the m over 40 million pictures being posted a day, people a ever before. The Exposure Magazine has dug deep into

IS INSTAGRAM DESTROY All arguments against Instagram boil down to the same thing: accessibility. People who are against Instagram believe that once it is easy for anyone to make photographs, photography will be ruined. But we’ve seen this argument over and over again — in painting, the change from realism to impressionism; in music, rock and roll to electronic music — and each time the establishment’s fears have not materialized and whatever changes had been made were for the better. The transition into making photography an easily accessible art form is no different — and Instagram is leading that change. With 40 million photos being uploaded to Instagram every single day, more people are taking and viewing pictures than ever before. More people taking photographs means that more people are practicing the art. With 90 million active users, it is not unlikely that more than a few people used Instagram, got hooked on photography, and then moved into more complex methods. Instagram is essentially becoming a gateway drug into photo-enthusiasm — and therefore a major service to the field of photography. If more people start taking good pictures then that raises the bar for the rest of us. In the short term that will make photography more difficult, but in the long term we will have better quality photographs, and shouldn’t that supersede everything else? The history of photography can be seen as a gradual evolution into more accessible forms. Starting with the arduous process of wet plate collodion, to large format film, to 35mm, and finally to modern day digital, photography has grown in quality and variety, caused by its increasing accessibility. The next logical step in accessibility is iPhoneography, and Instagram is championing the transition. Many people put forth the idea that Instagram is too easy to be considered art. But that idea reflects an outdated view of art. Art is about getting a reaction from the audience, and if an Instagram photograph can do so then it should be considered art. Recently, the New York Times ran an Instagram photograph on its front page. Just because the picture was taken on Instagram instead of a fancy DSLR, doesn’t mean the photograph was any less impactful. Instagram is changing photography quickly by making the ability to create artistic photographs available to anyone. Instagram is here to stay, or at least until the next big thing.

64

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

.

SPRING 2013


at Schism

most prevalent social media platforms in the world. With are taking more pictures and sharing them online than the core of this trend to try and answer the question:

OYING PHOTOGRAPHY? Simply put, Instagram is the bastardization of the photographic process. Instagram takes the lo-fi, Lomography look and boils it down to filters that can easily be put onto any picture to get an artistic feel. What Instagram does is give people the ability to take uninteresting pictures and make them interesting by slapping on generic filters to get a generic look. All gripes about the Lomography aesthetic aside, Instagram creates lazy photographs and devalues the work of real artists. When a person looks at an Instagram image and a photograph side by side, they are judged on the same level. This is a problem. The person who used Instagram may have taken hundreds of photos on her/his iPhone, picked the best ones, then sorted through a selection of filters to get the effect she/he wanted. For the person who used a real camera, they had to put in time and commitment into crafting their photograph. They couldn’t just wake up one day and take beautiful photographs like you can with Instagram. They had to learn about ISO, shutter speed, and aperture; practice their composition; and learn to do develop their photographs either on the computer or in the darkroom. As any photographer will tell you, becoming good at all of these components doesn’t happen quickly. But this complex nature is one of the things that makes photography so exciting yet so difficult. Photography is a process, a process that requires thought, energy, and patience to create a beautiful image. But with Instagram, this process is virtually nonexistent; Instagramers shoot first and think later. If art is just the product that people create, then Instagram can create beautiful art. But art isn’t just about the product – it’s also about the process. Art requires thought, purpose, and time – all of which are absent in Instagram. This is why Instagram is bad for photography; it produces images that are good because of their filters, not the content of the image itself. Instagram is a company – essentially an art factory – that gives people a cheap and thoughtless mode to make images. And when these images are put against real photography then the thought and time that was put into it is devalued, and cheapens photography for the rest of us.

THE MOTION ISSUE

.

THE EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

65


All Content by Connor Swingle & Jack Campbell

Mentors Mr. Roy Chambers Mr. Tim Stumbers Mr. Marc Silbergeld

Thanks to Abbie Paone Alex Ying Alex Breakstone Allison Simon Allison Worms Andres Chang Asher Stabler Chandler Robertson Clara Smith Courtney Han Gabrielle Brennan Mary Rippe Marina Riddle Michelle Kim Molly Jennings Kaitlin Abrams Rebecca Row Kiefer Rob Marczydlo Sam Hayes Shea Fitzpatrick

theexposuremagazine.com Follow us on twitter @theexposuremag Or like us on Facebook.

The Exposure Magazine is an Alpha Centauri production.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.