The equipment i will be using for this theme is my compact on manual settings. I will be making full use of the lens range as i will need the wide angle for the context images and the macro for the detailed close-ups. As with the nature theme i will be finding things to lean against where possible to ensure a sharper image. Without a tripod and off camera flash it may be wise to avoid low light shots i.e indoor or night time photographs.
The locations i will be using are local buildings in nearby villages and towns. There are quite a number of old buildings in most towns but if necessary i'll go further afield to get a greater range. Churches are an obvious choice, but there are also places such as pubs, schools, castles, old houses etc which could be looked at.
As before i will be heading out on several occasions to get experience of a variety of issues. This theme is not as time critical as the nature theme as i'm not looking for foliage colour, but it is still outside so weather will still be a consideration. My aim is to cover both larger perspective images and also detailed close-ups.
Showing posts with label p4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label p4. Show all posts
Friday, 29 October 2010
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Assignment Planning
The equipment i will be using for this theme will be my compact camera. This is because i believe a decent compact can produce images of a reasonably high standard. Although this might sound a bit restrictive it does give various options. For example it does offer full manual control, a good optical zoom and macro setting. Although i won't be swapping lenses between shots, this will mean i'll have to think more about the composition and possibly walk around more to get the image i want. Without the use of a tripod i will be using any walls or trees to lean against. The inbuilt flash isn't particularly far reaching, but this shouldn't matter too much when working outdoors in the sunshine as long as i think carefully about the direction of the light. Some landscape photos wouldn't be possible without the use of filters on the lens, so with this in mind there won't be any very long exposures in my photos.
The locations for this theme will be my back garden and local countryside such as the fields, walks and woods near where i live. These will be used because i can easily return to them under different weather and lighting conditions to see what looks best. Also as i know these areas well i can be more prepared as i know what to expect and can come up with initial ideas before setting out. In addition to this they offer a variety of landscapes, such as farmed land, wild walks and cultivated garden.
My intention is to go out in the first instance to take some test images and see how they turn out, then head out on several occasions under different conditions when i have more idea of the practical issues and problems. I have very little experience of using manual settings so i'm not expecting to get it right the first time i go out. I aim to cover a mixture of images to show both the context i.e the surrounding landscape and also some more detailed close-up photographs.
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Choice of Equipment
The camera i have at home is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8. The specifications can be seen here
As i am working with a compact this may restrict some aspects of my images.
Some of the restrictions with using a compact are as follows:
Focus isn't manual - with a DSLR you can physically move the lens to manually adjust the focus. This allows for more accurate focussing than the electronic autofocus on a compact.
Slower shutter release - with a DSLR the image is captured soon after you press the button. With a compact there is a noticeable delay between these actions. This is particularly an issue when there is something moving through the frame.
Noise at higher ISO Levels - Due to the smaller sensor size in a compact the images are of a lesser quality than most DSLRs. This becomes more of a problem when taking photographs in low light as the ISO has to be increased and noise is more apparent.
Lack of accessories - When using a DSLR there are more options available. For example, you can change lens type. This allows the user to be more creative with the images they take than with a compact. Other examples include off camera flash and lens filters which can both make a huge difference to an image.
Crop factor - As there isn't an optical viewfinder on most compacts this means composing an image is done purely through the screen on the back. This wouldn't be too much of a problem if it showed 100% coverage of the sensor. However, what you see on the screen usually crops a bit off the edges of the captured photograph, meaning that distractions at the side of the image are not noticed until the image is uploaded.
Less Manual settings - Even on compacts that offer manual control there are still some restrictions. For example being able to change the aperture size when the range is F/3.3 - F/6.3 isn't much use. The most frustrating aspect of this being, that it isn't possible to get a really shallow depth of field effect unless you are using the macro setting and happen to be extremely close to your subject. This is a major restriction compared with using a DSLR.
Image format - DSLRs now offer the option to record in RAW format as opposed to just JPEG. Using RAW allows more flexibility in the post processing stage, such as the ability to adjust white balance and exposure without loss of quality. Very few compacts let you shoot in RAW.
As i am working with a compact this may restrict some aspects of my images.
Some of the restrictions with using a compact are as follows:
Focus isn't manual - with a DSLR you can physically move the lens to manually adjust the focus. This allows for more accurate focussing than the electronic autofocus on a compact.
Slower shutter release - with a DSLR the image is captured soon after you press the button. With a compact there is a noticeable delay between these actions. This is particularly an issue when there is something moving through the frame.
Noise at higher ISO Levels - Due to the smaller sensor size in a compact the images are of a lesser quality than most DSLRs. This becomes more of a problem when taking photographs in low light as the ISO has to be increased and noise is more apparent.
Lack of accessories - When using a DSLR there are more options available. For example, you can change lens type. This allows the user to be more creative with the images they take than with a compact. Other examples include off camera flash and lens filters which can both make a huge difference to an image.
Crop factor - As there isn't an optical viewfinder on most compacts this means composing an image is done purely through the screen on the back. This wouldn't be too much of a problem if it showed 100% coverage of the sensor. However, what you see on the screen usually crops a bit off the edges of the captured photograph, meaning that distractions at the side of the image are not noticed until the image is uploaded.
Less Manual settings - Even on compacts that offer manual control there are still some restrictions. For example being able to change the aperture size when the range is F/3.3 - F/6.3 isn't much use. The most frustrating aspect of this being, that it isn't possible to get a really shallow depth of field effect unless you are using the macro setting and happen to be extremely close to your subject. This is a major restriction compared with using a DSLR.
Image format - DSLRs now offer the option to record in RAW format as opposed to just JPEG. Using RAW allows more flexibility in the post processing stage, such as the ability to adjust white balance and exposure without loss of quality. Very few compacts let you shoot in RAW.
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