Reflection - Mood board

The technique of which i want to do for my own photography is water reflection photography in which a photo is taken of a say a puddle where in which the water is dead still and you are able to catch the reflection of someone of a building or an action within the space of the water. The settings i will be using when trying to achieve this will be a shutter speed of around 1/200 as this allows some light into the frame without having it over over exposed. My apeture will be set quite low around 5.6. My ISO will be set around 400. This settings will benefit be for shooting in the later afternoon due to the fact i wont receive an glare from the sun on the water and i am able to get a clear photo. An early example of this style which i have taken myself is -

Inspiration - I wish to achieve this effect and make them look similar to these ones but with my own urban interpretation and not have it plain and simple. I will achieve this by not only using water for my reflection technique but also mirrors and glass. I will practice a lot and try and achieve my idea and get it as best it could possible be. 

Rule Of Thirds

This technique involves dividing your frame within the camera into 9 equal parts with 2 dividers going horizontally and vertically through the photo itself. The subject of the photo should be should be at one or more multiple points within the frame where the dividing lines meet. In some opinions the rule of thirds gives the photo better structure and makes the photo more appealing visually.

 

Light Graffiti

Light Graffiti

To achieve this technique you will need to first of all set your camera to Manual which is M on the dial. You will then need to set your shutter speed. We set ours to 15 seconds with our ISO of 100. You will also need to your apeture to 3.5. You then will need a light, a flash light will help and you then simply set your camera to commence taking the photo during that time you will then need to design your pattern within the frame. Once the shutter has been released you have your light graffiti. You can experiment with different designs and colours to achieve different photos.  

Frame Within a Frame

For this technique i decided to go around london and shooting at various different locations taking photos between buildings and through walls and gates. These act as a frame within the photograph. When shooting between two things, in my photos these are buildings. To achieve this i set my apeture about f5.6 which aided the photo by not letting alot of light in but not to much to over expose it. In addition to this i set my ISO to around 320 as the locations already have sufficient lighting. My shutter speed was low as this meant i could allow the photo to be exposed to a little light without have to end up with a massive blur as my final product.

Large Depth of Field

To achieve this you will first of need to set your camera to M which is manual. Once you have done this you will need to set your aperture high between f15 - f20. If you have a wide lense then this may help you achieve this even more. Focus on the subject in the background for maximum effect.

Shallow Depth Of Field

In order to achieve this effect you must first set your camera to M which is manual. Once you have done this, the aperture must be set quite low between f4.5  - f7. Your shutter speed should also be set low to about 1/20 - 1/30. This stops the middle and background having any blurry movement in the photo. When you are about to take the photo, the main thing you need to be focused on is the closet subject to have maximum effect. You must also consider lighting as your shutter speed is set low more light is able to be absorbed in the frame.

Portrait Shots Using Different Lighting Methods.

Clamshell lighting - This is a process which involves using a very heavy amount of light whilst using reflectors and multiple soft boxes. With this process it allows the subject to be heavily lit sometimes from a certain angle. This is a useful method as when photographing someone who is old then it removes lines and wrinkles.

Window Lighting - This process using natural lighting usually through windows which creates a mood around the subject. Photography in this style is usually the most natural looking as you are using sunlight which is a natural source of light. The only problem with this method of lighting is it may be hard to capture in certain months due to the lack of sunlight in seasons such as winter which means you wont achieve as much if say you shot this in summer where of course there is alot more light in the day. A way in which you can change is by shooting around mid day where the sun is highest in the sky. 

Spotlight Photography - This process involves shinning light on a subject from a specific angle. This gives the photographer the ability to capture a feeling with only one light shinning upon them. Due to there being a lot less light in the frame it can make the photograph alot more moodier. The Spotlight is also handy for concealing certain areas within the frame, a simple example of this is negative space.