NYC

Ellen and I initially wanted to go around the city, talk to strangers/ask them questions, record our conversations, and turn them into songs. Luke pointed out the obvious flaw in our plan- many people will be reluctant to participate in this project, and therefore that will make our project pretty impossible. I still want to try it and see if we get anyone willing to participate. So if this does end up failing, Ellen and I will record noises that we hear around the city and turn that into a song as well. Even if we do get strangers to speak for us, we want to incorporate sounds from around the city. In the case that we aren't able to record strangers, I would still like to jot down their stories or whatever they have to say. That may come in handy somewhere down the road.

Exposure Terminology

Define these:

ISO Speed- controls how sensitive its sensor is to the light that hits it 

Aperture- the opening through which light travels 

Shutter Speed- the effective length of time camera's shutter is open 

Using only ONE SENTENCE, explain:

What is an exposure meter (a light meter)? A device used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph.

How does it work? It measures the amount of light in scene and sets the appropriate shutter speed and aperture settings to give the best picture brightness or "exposure."

What is an incident-light meter? The incident meter is aimed at the light source and measures the light source falling directly on a scene and is not influenced by the reflectance of the subject being photographed. 

What is a reflected-light meter? Reflected metering reads the intensity of light reflecting off the subject and may vary according to variances in tonality, color, contrast, background, surface, or shape. 

What is a Center Weighted Meter?  It's a meter that evaluates the light in the middle of the frame and its surroundings. 

What is an Evaluative/Multi-Segment Meter? A meter that divides the frame into several areas and calculates exposure based on these readings. 

What is a Spot Meter? A very narrowly angled meter capable of giving an exact exposure (not necessarily a correct one) from a simple subject (preferably the most important part of the subject).

What sort of exposure meter is on your camera? My camera has three main metering modes, matrix, center-weighted, and spot metering.

What is overexposure? Over exposure is when a picture has been exposed with too much light, making it look brighter and washed out

What is under exposure? Under exposure is when a picture hasn't been exposed with enough light, making it look black or near black. 

What is depth of field? The distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image 

What is the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO?The relationship between aperture, shutter speed, ISO can be represented by an exposure triangle. A change in one of the elements will impact the others, which means you can never really isolate a specific element. If you decide to use a bigger aperture, you will have to make an adjustment in either the ISO or shutter speed (either making the ISO or shutter speed a smaller number). The same applies if you decide to use a faster shutter speed. You will have to adjust the aperture to allow more light to come through the opening, or the ISO to be more sensitive to the light. 

What is exposure compensation? 

Exposure compensation is an easy way to correct for improper exposure.  You are not setting the actual exposure settings, that is still left up to the camera. What you are doing is telling the camera that you are not completely satisfied with its calculations and adjusting them slightly.  

An Idea Is A Greater Monument Than A Cathedral

Today Luke let me shoot with his camera. From what I remember it was a Canon 5D Mark II. I've never shot Canon before, so it was nice to use something out of my comfort zone. I was also able to use the 70-200mm lens. That was the first time using that lens, after dreaming about it for months and months via pictures on the internet. I was so excited to use it. I wasn't allowed to look at my pictures right after I took them, which made this task a bit more challenging just because I'm so used to doing that with digital. Obviously when I shoot film I can't look at the photo right after it's taken, and I had to deal with the same thing today, only digital. I came across some difficulties when shooting. At times I'd go to take a picture, the camera wouldn't take it. I'd adjust the focus, exposure comp, shutter, aperture, etc. but it still wouldn't give. It was SO frustrating, especially when I had so many opportunities to take great pictures. 

This was the first time shooting long range, and that could be easily seen in my pictures. If I were given a chance to shoot, I would change so many different things about my shots. I would definitely focus on composition a lot more. I think I totally neglected that today, and that was stupid of me. 

As I'm reading Art and Fear and doing this project, I'm finding myself relating to it even more. The authors speak about materials, and how they have potential. They do what your hands make them do. Having this super expensive camera with a super expensive lens was thrilling. They were seducing me with their potential. Having a higher quality camera makes a difference in the photos you shoot, but not entirely. The quality of the photo may be superb, but the shot itself may not be that all impressive. I can relate to that for sure. 

Going back to shooting without seeing the pictures right after, this was the uncertainty I was faced with. I had no idea if my pictures would come out with a perfect exposure. "Photographer Jerry Uelsmann once gave a slide lecture in which he showed every single image he had created in the span of one year: some hundred-odd pieces- all but about ten of which he judged insufficient and destroyed without ever exhibiting." I took 112 pictures today, and I liked MAYBE four or five pictures. Uncertainty is inevitably, and makes working a bit more interesting. 

PS: I think this book is one of the greatest, and reading it has helped me understand myself and art a lot better.