Friday, September 26, 2014

Camera Angles

Establishing Shot: Sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects
POD: LEADING LINES


Long Shot: Typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings
POD: INFORMAL BALANCE

Medium Shot: The medium shot is the most common shot used in movies. Every shot that isn't a long shot or close up is a medium shot.
POD: VERTICAL LINES

Eye Level Shot: The camera is located at normal eye level (five to six feet from ground level) in relation to the subject
POD: FORMAL BALANCE
Close Up Shot: The camera is close to the subject, so that when the image is projected most of the screen shows a face and its expression, or some relatively small part of a larger whole
POD: DIAGONAL LINES

Birds Eye View: The camera is placed directly over the subject.
1:09
POD: VERTICAL LINES

Worms Eye View: view of an object from below, as though the observer were a worm; the opposite of a bird's-eye view.
0:56
POD: VERTICAL LINES

Extreme Close Up: Closer shot than a closeup; a single detail occupies most of the screen image.  e.g., a mouth, a gun.  Sometimes called an "insert"
POD: INFORMAL BALANCE

Reaction Shot: A shot showing the reaction of a character to something or someone seen in the previous shot.
POD: HORIZONTAL LINES

Point of View Shot: Shows what a character (the subject) is looking at.
POD: DIAGONAL LINES

Over the Shoulder Shot: shot of someone or something taken from the perspective or camera angle from the shoulder of another person.
POD: vERTICAL LINES

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Camera Movements

Camera Movements
What is it?
How is it used?
Zoom
Zooming is one camera move that most people are probably familiar with. It involves changing the focal length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or further away in the frame. Zooming is one of the most frequently used camera moves and one of the most overused.
Increasing (or decreasing) the size of an actor on-screen is a pretty simple way for a director or cinematographer to signal the audience that the character and/or what he/she is saying is important. Or, if the person is getting smaller on the screen, it often means the director is pointing out that they are merely a little part of a larger world or situation.
Pan
Moving the camera lens to one side or another.
used to suggest fast motion, and bring out the subject from other elements in the frame
Tilt
Moving the cameras lens up or down while keeping its horizontal axis constant.
Tilt shots are often used to show the vertical significance of something
Tracking
shots where the camera moves on dolly with the subject
A tracking shot can be used for almost anything; its meaning comes from how the director decides to use it. It can have a natural feeling. Can reveal new information
Dolly
Motion towards or motion from.
1.     Tracking Shots
2.     Pushing In and Out
3.     Slight Movement
4.     Booming Up and Down



Thursday, September 18, 2014

Composition



This being our first project, I think that we still have a long way to go and need to learn a lot more. There's always room for improvement with anything. More diverse camera angles would have been a slight improvement, but the ones we have are still good. If I had to redo the project, I would think about changing the ways the principles can be shown and from the different angles. My recommendations to anyone doing something like this would be to always check for the rule of thirds and points of emphasis as they work, while also trying to get a variety of angles. Recreate the same principle with different ideas and find which one works the most with you and all other specifications.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Principles of Design

PHOTOGRAPHY AS ART

Photography is more than combining cameras, lenses, and film; it is about using those tools in combination with the elements and principles of design to create visual art.  Understanding how to use the elements and principles will turn your “snap shots” into photographic works of art.  Define the following terms.

Elements of Design
Line:
·      Leading
Leading lines are lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image. Anything with a definite line can be a leading line. Fences, bridges, even a shoreline can lead the eye. If can pair leading lines with a subject that is placed according to the rule of thirds your image should be very strong.
o    
·      Vertical
imply that our body is stiff, dignified, formal or still. Consequently, when we see a very upright figure in Egyptian art, we project our feelings and accurately envision a regal, important figure.
·      Horizontal
o   give us calm, quiet feelings, because they bring ideas of sleep and rest. If an artist wanted to show a composed, peaceful setting, many horizontal lines would help elicit this effect from the viewer.
·      Diagonal
o   the most active. They imply movement, tension, sometimes violence. Imagine a jogger whose legs and arms are formed into zigzags by diagonals. The whole thrust of a runner’s body is forward—on yet another diagonal.
·      Curved
o   present a sense of grace,  smoothness, and dignity
http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/element.htm use this website to figure out what each type of line represents.

Principles of Design
Balance:
·      Symmetrical
where elements are given equal "weight" from an imaginary line in the middle of a piece
·      Asymmetrical
when elements are placed unevenly in a piece, but work together to produce harmony overall.
Unity: when elements are placed unevenly in a piece, but work together to produce harmony overall.
Variety: refers to a way of combining elements of art in involved ways to achieve intricate and complex relationships
Movement / Rhythm: is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the artwork, often to a focal area. It can be directed along lines, edges, shapes and color/ a movement in which some elements recurs regularly.  Like a dance it will have a flow of objects that will seem to be like the beat of music.
Emphasis: center of interest) is an area that first attracts attention in a composition. This area is more important when compared to the other objects or elements in a composition.
Proportion / Scale: refers to the relative size and scale of the various elements in a design
Repetition / Pattern: Repeating visual elements such as line, color, shape, texture, value or image tends to unify the total effect of a work of art as well as create rhythm.


Making Choices
Point of View:
·      bird’s eye
elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird
·      worm’s eye
a view of an object from below, as though the observer were a worm; the opposite of a bird's-eye view
Rule of Thirds: photos are divided into thirds with two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images. Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect.
Framing: the presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject in relation to other objects
Simplicity: directs that you should keep the items in your photo relatively simple