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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 Working Methods 191 Haptic-Expressionist Imagemakers 191 Haptic-Expressionist Photographic Working Methods 192 The Effects of Digital Imaging 193
Photography's Effect on the Arts 193 Pushing Your Boundaries 193 Aesthetic Keys for Color and Composition 195 The Color Key 195 The Composition Key 196 Recognizing the Keys 196
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Figure-Ground Relationships The Importance of Figure-Ground Relationsh
CHAPTFR 7 Time, Space, Imagination, and the Camera
In Search of Time
The Perception of Time Controlling Camera Time Exploring Shutter Speeds Extending the Action Stopping the Action Stopping Action with Electronic Flash Blur and Out-of-Focus Images
Motion Blur Filters Lensbaby
The Pan Shot
Equipment Movement
Free-Form Camera Movement
Flash and Slow Shutter Speed Extended Time Exposures Drawing with Light Projection Multiple Images Sandwiching/Overlapping Transparencies Rephotography
Post-Camera Visualization
Sequences
Using a Grid Many Make One Contact Sheet Sequence
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Joiners 226 Slices of Time 227 Compound Pictures/Photomontage 227 Photographic Collage 227 Three-Dimensional Images: Physical and Virtual 228 Image-Based Installations 229 Public Art 231
Social Media 232 Imaging Software Solutions 234 Recomposing Reality 234
Animation (Timeline) 236 Getting Started: Making Your Animation (Timeline) 236 Preparing the Still Image Files 237 Steps for Importing Still Images, Sound, and Working with the Timeline 240 References 256
CHAPTER 8 Digital Studio: Where the Virtual Meets the Material World 259 The Megapixel Myth 259 the Displaying Image File: Transferring Image Files for Display, Web, or Print 260 The Display 262 Image Output: Display and Print 262
The Web: Pixels per Inch (PPI) 263
Print Resolution: Pixels per Inch and Dots per Inch (Embedded Resolution) 264 Properly Adjusting Image Size and Unchecking Resample Image 266 The Importance of Keeping Equivalent Pixel Dimensions 267
Sizing a Digital File 267
Resampling or Interpolation 267
Working with a Digital Negative: The Original Capture 270 Working with RAW File Formats 270
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Resampling/Interpolation and the Digital Negative 271 True Resolution and the Real World 273 Default Image Preview Confusion 273 Digital Post-Production and Cataloging 273 The Image Window 273
The Bottom Line: The Best Setting to Get the Desired Results 276 Making Photographic-Quality Prints 276
Inkjet Printers: Convening PPl to DPI to Dots 276 Droplet Size: Picoliters 276 Paper: Uncoaied and Coated 277 Inks: Dye and Pigment Based 278 Print Permanence 279
Printing Systems and Output Concerns 279 Thermal/Dye-Sublimation Printing 279 Desktop Inkjet Printers 279 Iris Print 279 Giclee Printing 280 Lightjet 280 Mural-Size Prints 280 Unusual Printing Materials: Mixing Media 280 Preparing a Digital Print for Mixed Media 281 Service Bureaus 282 and ihe Images Computer Workstation 282 The Color Monitor 282 How Monitors Display Color 283 Bit Color 283 8-bit and Comparing 16-bit Modes 284 Color Management (ICC Profiles) 285 Color Controlling Space: Profiles and Lights 285
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WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get 285 Lighting in the Work Space 286 Digital Colors: CMYK and RGB 286 Digital Memory 286 RAM 286
ROM 287 Hard Disk 287 Software and Imaging Applications 287
Raster/Bitmapped Software 287 Vector Graphics Software 287
Basic Digital Imaging Categories and Tools 288 Top Main Menu Options 288
Cut/Copy and Paste Functions 288 Scale and Distort Functions 289 Digital Filter Function 289 Toolbar Icons for Additional Photo Editing 290 Common Toolbar Icons from Photoshop 291
Finding Tools 291 Black Arrow 291
Select and Move Tools 291 Marquee Tools 291 Move Tool 291
Lasso Tools 292 Magic Wand Tools 292
Quick Selection Tool 292 Crop Tool 292
Drawing Tools 292 Brush and Pencil Tools 292 The Retouching Tools 293
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293 Healing Brush and Patch Tools 993 Clone Tool Stamp OQO ^-/J History Brush Tool nqq Eraser Tools 293 Fill Tools 293 Dodge and Burn Tools ")CkA Type Tools 294 Eyedropper (Color Picker) Tools 294 3D Tools 294 Zoom Tool 294 Additional Photoshop Tools 294 Masks
294*.->-t Layers 295 Changing Mouse Pointer 295 Option/Shift/Command Keys 296 The Computer as a Multimedia Stage: Moving Images 297 The Internet and the World Wide Web 298 Information Sharing: Search Engines and Weblogs 298 Digital Galleries 298 The Digital Future 300 References
303 CHAPTER 9 Presentation and Preservation 303 Digital Retouching and Repair 303 Archival Presentation 304 Presentation Materials 304 Mat Board Selection 304 Window Mat 306 Dry and Wet Mounting
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The Dry-Mounting Process 309 Cold Mounting 311
Floating a Print 311 Frames 311
Unusual Frames and Presentations 311
Portfolios 312
Books: Print on Demand 312
Images on a Screen: Web Sharing 314 Website Design/HTML 314 Factors Affecting Print Preservation 315
Materials to Avoid 315 Factors Affecting Print Stability 316 Color Print Life Span 316 Print Display Environment 316 Storage Environment 317 Digital Archives 317
Transferring Film-Based Images to a Digital Format .- 317 Long-Term Storage and Migrating Digital Archives 317 Post-Production Software 319
Cataloging Your Image Files 320 References for Digital Archives 320 Digital Print Stability 321 Dye-Based Inks 321 Pigmented Inks 321 Printing Media 322 Protecting Pigment Prints 322 Camera Copy Work 322
Lens Selection: Macro Lens/Mode 322 Copy Lighting 323
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324 Exposure 324 Presenting Work on a Disk ojc Welcome Ensuring a Good 325 Shipping 325 Copyright of Your Own Work 326 Where to Send Work 327 References
331 Chapter 10 Seeing with a Camera JJ3311 The Framing Effect: Viewpoint 331 33 ' Seeing Dynamically 333 Working Methods 333 Effectively Using Angles of View 336 Selective Focus 337 -j-j / Contrast 337 Complementary Colors 338 Warm and Cool Colors 338 Creating Color Contrast 340 Dominant Color 340 Be Straightforward 340 Sustain Compelling Composition 341 Harmonic Color 342 Effective Harmony 343 Isolated Color 344 Chance Favors the Prepared Mind 345 Monochrome Images 346 The Personal Nature of Monochrome 346 Color Contamination 347 Aerial Perspective
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Perspective 347 Basic Methods of Perspective Control 347 Converging Lines 350 Subdued Color 350
Operational Procedures 351 Highlights and Shadows 351 Attraction and Repulsion 352 Surmounting Preconceptions 353 Counterpoints and Opposites 353
Chapter 11 Solutions: Thinking and Writing about Images 357 Thinking Structure: A Process for Discovery and Problem Solving 358 A Thinking Model 361 Stage 1: Thinking Time 361 Getting Ideas 362 Challenging Fear 363 Source Notebook and Journal Keeping 363
The Success Game 364
Stage 2: Search for Form 365 The Possibility Scale 365 Stage 3: Definition and Approach 365 Stage 4: Bringing It Together 367 Stage 5: Operations Review 368 Stage 6: Evaluation 368
The Photograph as a Matrix 369
Size Matters 370
Communicating Cultural Knowledge 370 The Image Experience: Photographic Meaning Is Unstable 372 Writing about Images 373
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376 Writing an Artist's Statement 379 Essentials of Image Discussion 379 John Cage's Rules References 383
387 CHAPTER 12 Photographer on Assignment Making Portraits: Who Am I and Who Are You? 387
Self-Portrait Research 387
Self-Portraits 388
Portrait of Another Person 388
Environmental Portrait 390 Fauxtography: Photography's Subjective Nature 390 Truthiness and Wikiality 391 Picturing Social Identity 392 Depicting Social Customs 392 Who Can Represent Us? 394 Interior Experience: The Significance of Daily Life 395 Philosophical Belief: Optimism, Pessimism, and Existentialism 396 Psychological Drama 397
Social Issues 399
Fabrication for the Camera: Directorial Mode 400
The Social Landscape 400 Still Life 403
Still-Life Deliberations 404
The Human Form 406
The Display: Another Picture Reality 408 Alternative Approaches 408 Text and Images 409
Artists' Books and Albums 415
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Artists' and Photographic Books: References 419 Self-Assignment: Creation and Evaluation 419 Evaluation Guide—Before Making Images 419
Guide to Evaluation—After Photographing 419
Addendum 1: Safety: Protecting Yourself and Your Digital Imaging Equipment 423 Ergonomic Workstations 423
Monitor Emissions: ELF/VLF 423
Eyestrain 423 Proper Posture/Lower Back Problems 424 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 424 Taking Breaks 424 Neutral Body Positioning 424 Change Your Working Position 424
Addendum 2: Careers 427
The Working Photographer 427 Getting Started 429 References 430
Index 431
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