Most of us take pictures of our friends and ourselves all the time—be it selfies, snapshots of our mouth-watering ice cream cone, or pics of our friends goofing off at the mall. For this activity, you will have the opportunity to slow down a bit and take the time to experiment with all the many ways that you can use your digital camera by taking various portrait photographs.

Question

Start by choosing a willing subject for your portraits, whether that is a friend, a family member, or even yourself. Then, prepare your camera by making sure your batteries are charged, that you have your memory card formatted, and that both are in the camera.

When you are ready to take your photos, it might be helpful to keep a notepad handy to take notes about the specific steps you took for each shot or things that you noticed about a particular shot setting.

First, you will experiment with camera modes. Take a photograph of your subject in each of the following camera modes:

Auto
Manual
Program (P)
Shutter Priority (Tv) or (S)
Aperture Priority (Av) or (A)
At least two scene modes (like sports, portrait, or night modes) if your camera has them.
Next, experiment with different handholds by taking two photographs in landscape setting and two photographs in portrait setting. Again, it may be helpful to keep notes regarding how you held the camera for each shot.

Keep in mind that the above number of photographs (one in each mode, two in portrait, two in landscape) are merely the minimum requirements for this activity. You are more than welcome to take additional images for more practice, but you are not required to.

Finally, upload your photos to a computer or thumb drive using the camera cables.

Name each photo with the type of program and/or handhold you used to take the photo.
Gather the photos into a folder and label the folder Digital Photography 1a.
Make a subfolder inside that called Unit 1 Activity and save all your photos to this folder. This is your chance to begin collecting your photos in an organized fashion so that you will be able to choose your best work to show at the end of the course.
Create another folder within your Digital Photography 1a folder and label it: Portfolio. As you complete the labs and/or activities for each unit, select several of your best or most successful photographs/images and place copies of them in this Portfolio folder. This way, at the end of the course, you will have samples of your most successful photos throughout the course in one place and can easily refer to them for the final portfolio project that you will create in Unit 8. Keep in mind that not ALL of the labs/activities may involve work that is appropriate or that you want to include in your final portfolio; you can feel free to include anything that you think may be appropriate and simply choose whether or not to use these images when working on your final portfolio activity in Unit 8.

Answer 1

That sounds like a fantastic activity to explore the different aspects of digital photography! Here’s a structured approach to help you execute this project smoothly:

Preparation

1. Choose Your Subject: Identify a friend, family member, or yourself as your subject. Communicate with them about what you’re doing, and ensure they’re comfortable with the photo session.

2. Prepare Your Camera:

   • Fully charge the batteries.
   • Format your memory card (remember to back up any existing photos if necessary).
   • Ensure the camera is clean and ready to use.

3. Materials:

   • Have a notepad or digital notes app handy to jot down settings and observations.
   • Plan your time to ensure you can capture all necessary shots without feeling rushed.

Taking the Photographs

Camera Modes

1. Auto Mode: Capture a basic shot. This mode should adjust settings automatically for you. Note any challenges or advantages you observe.

   • File Name: Auto.jpg

2. Manual Mode: Set your own ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Take notes on how adjusting these values affects the due imagery.

   • File Name: Manual.jpg

3. Program Mode (P): This allows some manual control, so note how it differs from full auto. Capture your subject under this mode.

   • File Name: Program.jpg

4. Shutter Priority (Tv or S): Select a shutter speed and observe how the camera compensates for aperture.

   • File Name: ShutterPriority.jpg

5. Aperture Priority (Av or A): Set the aperture and watch how the shutter speed is adjusted.

   • File Name: AperturePriority.jpg

6. Scene Modes: Choose a couple of modes, like Portrait and Night, to see how the camera optimizes these settings.

   • File Names: ScenePortrait.jpg and SceneNight.jpg

Handholds

7. Landscape Orientation: Take two portrait shots. Hold the camera horizontally.

   • File Names: LandscapeShot1.jpg, LandscapeShot2.jpg

8. Portrait Orientation: Take two shots holding the camera vertically.

   • File Names: PortraitShot1.jpg, PortraitShot2.jpg

Organizing Your Photos

1. Transfer Photos: Connect your camera to your computer and upload all the images you captured.

2. Folder Structure:

   • Create a folder on your computer named: Digital Photography 1a.
   • Inside that folder, create a subfolder called: Unit 1 Activity and save all your photos there.
   • Create another subfolder called: Portfolio.

3. Select Best Photos: As you progress through future activities, curate your best works into the Portfolio folder for easy access later during your final project in Unit 8.

Final Touches

• Review and Reflect: Go through each photo and your notes. Consider what worked well and what didn’t, and think about how you can improve in your next photography tasks.
• Feedback: If possible, seek feedback from your subject or peers on your photos to gain different perspectives.

By following this structured approach, you'll gain a deeper understanding of camera settings and composition, helping you to continue developing your skills in digital photography. Enjoy your shoot!