Like Exposed, PHOTOGRAPHICS is a journey that takes you across the western United States in order to explore light – the way it works, and how it changes. It took place over the course of more than four months and in excess of 12,000 miles. It covers a number of states including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California. All of this was done in an effort to show you how to understand light and how it affects your photography in a wide variety of situations.
PHOTOGRAPHICS
The goal of PHOTOGRAPHICS is not to show you the steps to create a great photograph, but rather to teach the concepts and techniques of exposure and light so that you can see it and work with it in any situation. The training comes on a DVD or as digital download. It is very easy to use and PHOTOGRAPHICS is presented in high definition video, broken out into 15 chapters that run three hours and 23 minutes in total.
Chapter 1, “Welcome to PHOTOGRAPHICS (7:59),” opens this video journey into what makes a great image. PHOTOGRAPHICS is a journey of exploration not only to some of the most breathtaking areas of the American West, but into the history of photography and of light, as well as an examination of the aspects that go into making a great photo.
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Chapter 2, “Simple Foundations (8:12),” points out that as a photographer, you are an image director. In the same way that a master director of a film directs those things that you see on the screen and the way you see them, you as a photographer must do the same with the images that you create. This applies both to developing the concept of your image and to the subsequent implementation of that concept in such a way as to direct the eye of the viewer so as to present the story you are trying to tell. To do this you will learn about space, position, line, and tone.
The title of Chapter 3, “Science Meets Art (14:07),” is justified because photography has its roots in science. The first photographers were scientists and inventors. In fact in the early days, photography was not considered an art form. While as a photographer you are trying to accomplish the same goals as a painter would, the methods you use have to take into account the science of light and exposure. This chapter looks at how the science affects the art of photography.
Chapter 4, “Chasing Light (14:00),” examines how, in order to get a good photograph, you have to visualize what the photograph will look like. Then you need to find the correct light, sometimes waiting for hours, sometimes coming back over many days or weeks until it finally works. Great photographs don’t just fall into your lap, they have to be planned and thought through. Here you will see how this is accomplished.
PHOTOGRAPHICS
Chapter 5, “Photographic History (21:50),” starts off with photographer Ken Whitmire of Wallportrait.com explaining how art history is important in the development of photographic techniques. The chapter continues with the concept that you need understand your craft, and to do that you need to understand where it came from and how we got to where we are now. Here you will learn about photographic technology from the camera obscura, which was developed around 1553 to aid artists in their work, all the way to modern digital technology.
Chapter 6, “Speaking of Tone (12:19),” explains that until you understand what tone does, you are never going to understand light and art. With the proper use of tone you can draw the viewer’s eye and tell the viewer’s mind where to go. It is through tone that you can provide drama in your image. Here you will learn how to think about light, where it is coming from, where it is going, how intense it is, and how best to use it in your image.
Chapter 7, “Light and Motion (14:03),” looks at how motion takes unique objects and stretches them into unique lines. While it does cover blurring and the use of slow shutter speed, it also includes detailed ways to give the impression of motion, like blowing hair, leaves falling from trees, and other things that give a sense of movement. Here you will learn how to use this motion to direct the objects in your image for better impact. You will also learn about how subtle changes in the light in a scene and changing the f-stop just a little can make the light hit a certain level of value and luminosity that can make all the difference in the world to your image.
