Light and Lens : Photography in the Digital
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Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age Second Edition Robert Hirsch © • • • NEW YORK OXFORD AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG LONDON Focal • • TOKYO • SYDNEY PARIS • SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE Press ELSEVIER Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Contents Preface XXIX Artist Contributors XXXVI i CHAPTER 1 Why We Make Pictures: A Concise History of Visual Ideas 1 2 Not Just Pictures But Photographs 3 The Grammar of Photography The Evolution of Photographic Imaging 3 4 Full Circle: Some Things Remain the Same 5 Determining Meaning 5 BPS: Before Photoshop 6 Combination Printing The Advent of Straight Photography 7 The Pictorialists 7 The Photo-Secessionists 8 The Arrival of Straight Photography 8 Modernistic Approaches 9 9 Documentary 10 Straight Photography and Previsualization 10 Group f/64 and the Zone System Postvisualization 10 Social Landscape and the Snapshot Aesthetic 11 The Alternative Scene 11 13 The Rise of Color Photography Postmodernism 13 2^ I vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Electronic Imaging: New Ways of Thinking 'J The Digital Imaging Revolution 14 New Media 16 Questions about Photo-Based Imagemaking 17 18 1. How does one become a photographer? 2. What traits do good photographers often possess? 18 3. Why is photography important? 18 4. Why is it important to find an audience for your work? 19 5. What can images do that language cannot do? 19 20 6. What makes a photograph interesting? 7. How is the meaning of a photograph determined? 20 20 8. How can photographers know and define beauty and truth in the twenty-first century? 9. What are the advantages of digital imaging over silver-based imagemaking? 22 10. What are the disadvantages of digital imaging? 22 11. How can 1 find something intriguing to photograph? 23 12. Hasn't it been done before? 23 13. What if I'm not in the mood to make photographs? 24 14. What happens when I have difficulty photographing a subject? 24 15. Why is it important to understand and be proficient in your medium? 24 16. Why is it important to make your own photographs? 24 17. How much visual information do I need to provide a viewer to sustain meaning? 25 18. How much of my output is likely to be "good"? 25 19. How do photographers explore subjects like time and space? 25 20. Why study the history of photography? 25 21. What are the limitations in studying the images of others? 27 22. Can too much knowledge interfere with making photographs? 27 23. Is it necessary to explain my photographs? 27 24. What is the role of critics and critique? 27 25. What is the role of theory in relation to contemporary photography? 28 viii I TABLE OF CONTENTS 26. What do good teachers teach? 28 27. How do photographers earn a living? 28 28. Which equipment is the best? 28 29. Can creative efforts in other fields inspire your work? 28 30. Now it is your turn. Add a question and answer to this list 30 References 30 Chapter 2 Design: Visual Foundations 33 Learning to See: Communicating with Design 33 Beginners Mind 33 The Design Process 34 The Nature of Photography: Subtractive Composition 34 Departure Point 35 Attention Span and Staying Power 35 Photography's Privilege 36 The Language of Vision 37 Photography's Native Characteristics 37 Design Principles 38 Unity and Variety 38 Emphasis 39 Scale and Proportion 41 The Golden Mean: The Rule of Thirds 42 Balance 44 Visual Elements 46 Line 46 Shape 47 Space 49 Texture 50 Pattern 52 A* I ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Symbolism 53 General Symbol Categories 54 Shapes and Their General Symbolic Associations 57 Color Symbolism 58 Common Symbols and Some Potential Associations 58 References 61 Chapter 3 Image Capture: Cameras, Lenses, and Scanners 63 The Role of a Camera 63 What Is a Camera? 64 How a Camera Imaging System Works 65 Digital Cameras 66 Digital Observations 67 Image Sensors: CCD and CMOS 68 Color Filter Array: Bayer Filter Mosaic 68 Pixels 69 Image Resolution 69 PPI: Pixels per Square Inch and Digital Camera Resolution 70 DPI: Dots per Square Inch and Printer Resolution 70 The Differences between PPI and DPI 70 Visual Acuity and 300 DPI 71 Types ol Cameras 71 Compact Digital Cameras 72 Digital Single-Lens Reflex Cameras 72 Single-Lens Translucent Cameras 73 Other Camera Types 74 Choosing a Camera 78 Camera File Formats 78 Image Compression Algorithms: Lossless and Lossy 79 TABLE OF CONTENTS Major Image File Formats 79 JPEG 79 TIFF 80 RAW and Post-Processing 80 DNG 80 Opening Files 80 The Lens System and Exposure 81 Aperture 81 Aperture/F-Stop Control/Shutter Control/Exposure Modes 82 Depth of Field 83 Lens Focal Length 84 What Focal Length Establishes 84 The Focal Length Rule 85 35mm Film Camera Equivalencies 85 Angle of View 85 Calculating Lens Equivalency for Digital Sensors 86 Focusing the Image 87 Autofocus Modes 88 Types of Lenses 88 Zoom Lenses 88 Normal Lens 89 Wide-Angle Lens 89 Telephoto Lens 90 Special-Use Lenses 91 Shutter 91 Shutter Speed Control 91 Shutter Lag 92 Camera Movement 92 Shutter Modes 92 ^5* I xi TABLE OF CONTENTS 94 Determining Exposure 94 Digital Camera Features Resolution 94 Monitor 96 97 Monitor Playback Mode and Histogram Metadata/EXIF 98 Optical and Digital Zoom 98 99 Digital ISO/Sensitivity Digital Aberrations: Noise, Banding, Blooming, and Spots 99 White Balance 99 Metering Modes 101 Aspect Modes 101 Color Modes 101 101 Image Enhancement or Scene Modes Special Effect Modes 101 Motion Picture Mode 102 Sharpening Mode 102 103 Guide or Help Mode Noise Reduction 103 Image Stabilization 103 Flash 104 Memory Buffer 105 Removable Camera Memory Storage 105 Firmware 106 Software: You Press the Button and the Camera Does the Rest 106 Battery 107 Battery Choices 107 Battery Care in Cold Conditions 108 Camera, Lens, Monitor, and Sensor Care 109 TABLE OF CONTENTS Protection against the Elements 109 Scanners 112 Flatbed and Film Scanners 112 Drum Scanners 114 Scanning Guidelines 114 Scanning Steps 114 Frame Grabber 117 Effects on Photojournalists and Event Photographers 117 Storing Digital Images 118 Storage Media for Final Image Files 118 Compact Disc (CD) and Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) 118 Mechanical Storage 119 Internal Hard Disk Drives 120 External Hard Disk Drives 120 Solid-Stale Storage: Hard Drives, USB Drives, Jump Drives, and Flash Memory Media 120 Image Transfer 120 Living Photography: Authorship, Access, and the World's Largest Picture Book 120 Chapter 4 Exposure and Filters 125 Exposure Basics 125 Camera Light Meters Are 18 Percent Gray Contrast 125 Reflective and Incident Light 126 How a Light Meter Works 127 How a Histogram Works 128 Using a Gray Card 128 Camera Metering Programs 129 Matrix Metering/ln-Camera Metering Methods 129 Using a Camera Monitor 129 Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) 130 I xiii TABLE OF CONTENTS How a Meter Gets Deceived ^31 132 Exposure- Bracketing 137 fcjqwswre compensation *"' 132 Manual Override HWJfeciy Meters 133 133 Brigflwiroes* Ran^e 133 Exposing, to ihe Right 133 Hiigjh Pxnamic Range ^HDR> Imaging 136 lEUtsic Uglhiii Reading Methods ^36 «%ttTj$c- PUvlight 136 MDonu Mnnlight raiuis«n udni 137 ^37 Piimm Usjhii 137 CiOflMrasi CiOMroifTew Compensation 139 Litdte 'Mliiucmin)^ Techniques 139 Mctueinrntg 'k«s the Sulbjeci 139 E^jnctaBBg few Tonal Variations Btamiw Plash and! Basic Fill Flash 139 Bfadl Em- 142 I'tamiBwiul bJ^timg, Conditions 142 143 Suulfejiifini Him Shadow* 143 idbfott mm Bright Light 143 ZCUOTOI E^lpXoSUIR' Mxmgmg, liBckkm and Reflect Exposures 144 144 -kititK \ksdt ExjM'Sures 144 Long. Lxp&smt* sstd Dagput] Noise 144 feaijp'twoav Law 145 fM£im$ the Lsg?w -- 145 Our yim: A Cttmitmnts \Miite Light Spectrum xiv I TABLE OF CONTENTS Color Temperature and the Kelvin Scale 145 The Color of Light 147 White Balance 147 Camera Color Modes 148 Color Saturation Control 148 Hue Adjustment/RGB Color Mixing 149 Why a Color May Not Reproduce Correctly 149 Lens Filters 149 How Filters Work 149 Filter Factor 149 Neutral Density Filters 150 Dealing with Reflections: Polarized and Unpolarized Light 151 What a Polarizing Filter Can Do 151 Using a Polarizer 151 Linear and Circular Polarizers 152 Ultraviolet, Skylight, and Haze Filters 152 Special Effects Fillers 153 Homemade Colored and Diffusion Filters 153 Digital Filters and Plugins 155 Fluorescent and Other Gas-Filled Lights 157 High-Intensity Discharge Lamps/Mercury and Sodium Vapor Sources 158 CHAPTER 5 Interpreting the Light 161 Natural Light 161 The Thingness of Light 161 Good Light 162 Light and the Camera 163 The Time of Day/Types of Light 164 The Cycle of Light and Its Basic Characteristics 164 2^ I XV TABLE OF CONTENTS Before Sunrise 166 Morning/The Golden Hour 166 Midday 166 Afternoon 1^7 Twilight/Evening ^ 67 Night 167 The Seasons 167 The Weather and Atmospheric Conditions 168 Fog and Mist 169 Rain 169 Snow 170 Snow Effects 170 Dust 171 Heal and Fire 171 Beach and Desert 172 Artificial Light 173 Add a Light 173 The Size of the Main or Key Light 174 The Placement of the Light 174 Contrast/Brightness Range 174 Basic Lighting Methods 174 Front Light 175 Side Light 175 High Side Light 175 Low Side Light 175 Top Light 175 Back Light 175 Under Light 179 Lighting Accessories 180 TABLE OF CONTENTS Barn Doors 180 Dilfusor 180 Gels 181 Reflector Card 181 Seamless Paper Backdrops 181 Snoot 181 Studio Strobes 182 References 182 Chapter 6 Observation: Eyes Wide Open 185 How We See 185 Literacy 185 Learning to Look 186 The Difference between Artistic and Scientific Methods 186 Visual Literacy and Decision Making 187 Why We Make and Respond to Specific Images 190 Victor Lowenfelds Research 190 Visual-Realists as Imagemakers 190 Visual-Realist Photographic