Mann 1 Tobias Mann College Comp Mr.

Reynolds May 7, 2012 AN INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY

It was a hot summer day in July, my family was back together and I was a precocious little nine year old with a bicycle and a mission. I was going to be biking into town with my big sister, and my baby brother. It was only my second time biking into town and I was determined to make it all the way, and go to my favorite book store, the Northern Lights Bookstore, where I was going to get trading cards. In hindsight I dont really know what turned me onto them. I just made up rules for my brother and I to play by, out in our tent by the camp fire. The sun had already begun to bake down onto the soft gravel road outside our home, as we began our journey five miles into town, by the first mile and a half I had begun to sweat profusely, but I wasnt ready to give up just yet, I needed those trading cards too badly. As we neared Dairy Queen, on highway thirty two, we took a left onto Arnold Avenue and headed toward toward my sisters school. After a few more minutes, I would be in the cool confines of the magical bookstore where, I would find cool gadgets, movies, and games.

Mann 2 INTRO Photography is an art form combining beauty with technology. Month after month, new technology is developed new cameras, films, sensors, and software to complicate but also innovate, unlike many art forms where the tools have already been developed. Photography has become more accessible than ever with the advent of digital imaging. It seems that every family has a point and shoot or at least some sort of camera in this day in age. With the abundance of cameras, photography as a hobby has exploded. However not every camera is equal. The advent of digital imaging allowed for a massive degree of miniaturization, permitting consumer cameras to reach extremely small sizes. Unfortunately with this miniaturization, photography was divided.

Once I got there, I was disappointed to find they didnt have any cards to sell. Discouraged I walked about hoping to find something to make this endeavor worth the sweat I had poured into it. I happened upon a small black case with something metallic glinting off the harsh fluorescent lights above. Grabbing hold of the case I found a camera inside, and best of all the sticker on the side read $2.00. Looking over the switches I found the lens extended outward when I flicked the power switch, and with every click of the shutter button a there was a bright flash, and the slow wine of it recycling, then a soft whirr as some small motor attempted to bring a nonexistent frame into place. I had to have it! With my remaining two dollars I got an episode of Indiana Jones, and a pack of gum. We set forth on our way back to the house, stopping briefly at Thrifty White Drug for something in a small green box containing something which I would only learn later breathed life into my new toy.

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When 35mm film was dominate the recording medium, quality was determined by your choice of film, Unfortunately with the miniaturization of that recording medium in digital imaging now called a sensor, image quality was divided between consumer and professional grade cameras. The latter featuring drastically larger sensors, which allowed for comparable quality to film. This divide came at a cost rending professional grade cameras extremely expensive. It did however put the necessary photographic tools in the hands of nearly every household. Not only that, digital cameras eliminated the frustration of mistakes which previously could only be discovered after the film was processed. People take up photography for their own reasons, but the vast majority start out with some kind of point and shoot, or better yet with an old film camera. An old film camera forces one to learn the dynamics of photography, which would be more difficult to learn with a point and shoot, due to major degree automation. If you find yourself starting with a point and shoot there are a few things that can help you get started. Playing with the settings to get an idea what level of control you have is an excellent place to start.

Mann 4 ItwasonedaybeforeourfirsttriptoDuluthofthe summer,nothingspecial,butitmeantleavingboringoldTRF behindonafivehourjourneyinwhichIcouldpickmyfather's mindcleantothepointmadness.Madnesswhichmuchtomy delightnevercame.Everytwoweeksinthesummerregardlessof gaspricesandtravelconditionstwoorthreeofuswouldhead downinmyfatherstruckaMyfather,anextremelypatientman offiftyfouratthetime,hadseentheworldoverandbackand hadthepicturestoproveit.FromGreenBay,WisconsintoSan Francisco,California,allthewaytoVietnam.Withevery chapterofhislifehehaddocumenteditcarefullywithwhat evercameraheaccessto,andsavedthepicturestothisday. ButonthisThursdayeveninghegavemesomethingIwillthank himforforever.

HAVE CAMERA WILL PHOTOGRAPH Your camera is your most important asset as a photographer, it is what makes you a photographer, and without it you cant fulfill your purpose as one. There are many different kinds of cameras but the two most common in households tend toward compact point and shoots, or bridge cameras. These cameras are excellent for photography, but do not provide the shear quality and control you can expect from professional grade cameras. With that said one of the most important things to do, is to determine what level of control your camera offers you, explore your

Mann 5 cameras settings buttons and look for things like, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, or focus. These are all important factors to how a photograph is going to come out. It is important to learn about your instrument as the more you know and understand the better your shots will be.

Consumer Compact: This type of camera is typical of point and shoots, offering short zoom lens with small sensors and high megapixel counts. These cameras don't have a lot in terms of controls and operate better as point and shoots than photographic instruments. They also suffer from high noise (grain) because of their high megapixel and small sensor size combinations. On the other hand these cameras are very affordable, and can be a good place to start developing your understanding of the fundamentals of photography. Super Zoom / Bridge Cameras

These cameras offer larger bodies featuring powerful zooms, and appropriate megapixel counts for reasonable low light performance. These cameras work best for individuals on a budget, who need a powerful telephoto lens. The major advantage for these cameras tends to be their larger size and SLR styled look and feel. Bridge cameras typically feature an electronic viewfinder for through the lens composition, making them, powerful choice, for starting photographers.

ThatThursdaymyfatherslowlysaunteredoutofhisstudy holdingwhatappearedtobeacamera,butonethatwasobviously veryold,andverystrange.Thecamerahadadullmattechrome finish,andblackleatheraccents,itwasmaybethreeandahalf inchestall,fiveandahalfincheswide,andtwoinchesdeep, withalargeblacklensextendingoutanotherinchandaquarter

Mann 6 fromthefront.Thetopofthecamerawasdomedwithapeculiar geometricanomaly,behindwhichhidalargeviewfinder.Inthe otherhandhecarriedtheinfamousgreenboxcontainingasingle rolloffilm.HandingmethecameraIwasstunnedbytheweight, itwaslikeabrick,weighingwhatmuchmusthavebeenafull pound.CarefullygraspingthecameraIwasinastateof completeconfused,Ihadneverusedacamerawithsettings controlledbydials,ithadalwaysbeenbuttons,andeventhose buttonsIdidntentirelyunderstand.Tosaythiscamerawas coveredindialswouldhavebeenanunderestimate,everything fromfilmspeedtoaperture,termswhichIwasutterlyataloss todescribeasIpawedthecameracarefullyinbothofmyhands. Handingthecamerabacktomyfatherwithaquestioninglookin myeyesIaskedhimwhatitwas.Asherewoundaforgottenroll offilmviaahiddenleveronthetopleftofthecamera,he explained. ThisisthecameraIgotaftermyhousewasburglarized. It'saPentaxSLR, IhadknowideawhatthatwassupposedtomeanbutsoI asked,WhatisanSLR?Iassumeditwassomesortofacronym.

Mann 7 ItmeansSingleLensReflex.Itmeansthatwhatyouseein theviewfinderishowitisgoingtolookonthepicture,I thoughtyoumightgetakickoutofgivingitatry. Iwasright!Itdidmeansomething,butIwasntsurehow itwassupposedtowork. Afterhehadextractedthefilmfromthecamerahehanded itbacktomewiththebackhatchstillopenandproceededto teachmehowtoloadthefilmintothecamera,andthatafterit wasloadedheexplained.Youhavetotakethreeorsoshots rightawaytocleartheexposedfilmfromloadingthecamera, thatwaynoneofyourshotswillgetmessedup.Withthathe firedofffourshotsatthekitchenfloor,itwasreadytogo.

Single Lens Reflex SLR

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1. Lens 2. Mirror 3. Shutter 4. Sensor or Film 5. Focusing Screen 6. Condensing Lens 7. Pentaprism 8. Eyepiece (image credit wikimedia)

SLRs have been the staple of photography for a long time, and even today they are the go to camera amongst most professional photographers. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, which means, what the film or sensor is exposed to when you press the shutter is what you see through the viewfinder. The camera does this by bouncing the image up into a pentaprism with a mirror, which then flips up to expose the film or sensor at the same moment the shutter opens. This makes focusing the image extremely accurate. These cameras feature very large sensors and high megapixel counts, which produce images of massive size and quality. The build quality however ranges wildly from brand to brand and model to model. Many entry level SLRs have a plastic over an aluminum body making them more fragile than more advanced models. However this isn't true of all manufacturers, Pentax is known for making weather sealed SLRs. A lot of research should be done before committing to brand or system.

Experimenting

Mann 9 Once you have determined what level of control you posses it is important that you experiment with the cameras settings so you get a feel for how your camera works. Try your cameras shutter or aperture priority modes, and see how they influence your photographs. Adjust your ISO speed from 100 to 6400, and see how it affects your cameras shutter speed and aperture. Find the button or menu entry that control exposure compensation and adjust it up or down. Exposure compensation allows you to push the exposure up and down without having to manually adjust aperture and shutter speed.

Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras. MILC These cameras are relatively new, first cropping up around 2009 as small SLR style interchangeable lens cameras. However unlike SLRs they lacked a mirror box and optical viewfinder, instead offering significantly smaller body sizes, large LCD panels, and sometimes small electronic viewfinders. Like SLRs these cameras offer interchangeable lens systems, often aligned with a standard such as Micro Four Thirds. These cameras offer SLR size sensors with appropriately high megapixel counts, and deliver resolving power equal to that of the best professional SLRs. Like any interchangeable lens camera, MILCs are expensive, and cost about the same as an SLR system of equal or better build quality. In general these cameras will

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cost around $900 for an entry level ILC and two lens kit. These cameras will however allow you to achieve large prints, and mobility due to their small size.

After spending a few moments looking around I spied my sister playing her guitar in the living room. After only a second there was a flash a whine and a little whirr as the next frame was aligned for my next victim to be captured. My next thought was of my brother, who had always been my best friend, a snap and a whirr, another image captured. What would fill my frame next I didnt know, but it was time to Indiana Jones.

Walkingoutsidehetoldhetoholdthecameratomyeyeand tellmewhatIsaw.LookingthroughthelargeglassviewfinderI sawablurryviewoftheworld,andaverticalcolumnofunlit lightsgoinguptheleftsideofthefinder,whichwerelabeled withnumericalreferencesscrawledintotheglassnexttothem goingfrom4atthebottomto1/2000atthetop. Presshalfwaydownontheshutterbuttonandseewhat lightsup.Hesaid.Butbecarefulnottopressdownallthe way. Yeah,yeahdad,Iknowthat!Iexclaimeddefensively. Lookingbackintotheviewfinder.Islowlypresseddownonthe shutteruntilasmallredlightappearedatthebottomthe column.Pullingthecameraawayfrommyfacewithaconfused

Mann 11 lookonmyface.Iasked,Whatdoesaredlightatthebottom mean?Ihadalreadybeguntogothroughinmyheadforallthe possiblethingsitcouldbe.Ihadseenratiosbeforeandthough theymighthavesomethingtodowithshutterspeedbutwhoknew, Ihadneverreallybotheredwithitonmycamerainthepast. Inresponseherepliedchangetheapertureringonthe lensandseewhathappens Theapertureringwaslittlemorethana5mmthickband withnumbersgoingfromtwentytwo,tootwoaroundthelens barrel.AsIturnedthedialtotheleftthelightsslowlybegan toclimbthecolumnuntilithasreachedthemiddleandread 1/250intheviewfinder. Iasked,Whatdoes1/250mean?Hopingthistimeto clarifywhatitactuallymeant. Heexplained,Themarkingsrefertothetimeinwhichthe filmisexposedtolight,itneedstobeabout1/100sforthe cameratotakeaclearphoto.

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[A] Is For Aperture Priority Aperture Priority allows you to simply set what you want your depth of field to be, via a corresponding f-stop number and the shutter speed will adjust automatically for the lighting conditions. Signified by an A or Av on most cameras today, this mode controls the size of the opening allowing light into the camera. The size of this opening is generally represented by a fstop number ranging anywhere between f/0.95 to f/100, however most range between f/2.8 and f/22, depending on your specific lens. The smallest number represents the widest opening and the shortest band of focus, whereas any number increasing represents an increasing band of focus. For example with the camera set to f/2.8 the band of focus might be one centimeter deep, anything in front or behind will be blurred. On the opposite side of the scale at an fstop of f/22 the band of focus would be infinite and everything would be in focus. The band of focus is called depth of field, or DOF for short. Aperture priority mode can be very helpful when one begins shooting in a very short controlled depth of field, for example in macro photography.

Mann 13 Shutter Priority: When? Shutter priority exists on most cameras today, and unless you're using manual lenses it should work on yours. Find your cameras mode dial look for an "S" or "Tv" this will let you set shutter speed manually, and force the aperture to adjust automatically for it. As a general rule the longer you leave the shutter open the smaller the aperture will become, whereas the faster the shutter closes the wider the aperture will become. So if you're trying to shoot fast, set the shutter speed to something like 1/1000 of a second or faster, and increase the ISO to help compensate. If your trying to blur water, slow down the shutter speed to 11 seconds. This will slow down the capture, and blur the water into a fine mist. When depth of field is second to slowing down the camera, or the aperture will react predictably, shutter priority is a good place to start.

LookingbackinthefinderIexperimentedwiththering directlyinfrontoftheoneforaperture.Idiscoveredthatthe scenegotclearerasIturnedit. Lookingtomyfather,Iasked,SoIfocusthisthingby turningthisringuntilthecircleinthecenterofthe viewfinderlinesup? Yep,youhavetofocusyourself,theydidnthave autofocuswhenthatcameracameout.Dadexplained. Afterafewshots,Ihadthehangofthecamera,andwhile Ididntunderstandeverything,Iwouldquicklylearn.

Manual: When and Why

Mann 14 The manual mode has become far less common today, with automation taking over, even aperture and shutter priority have been lost on some cameras, but on those cameras that do feature a manual mode, it can be one of the best learning experiences of using a camera. Manual mode isn't actually all that manual. Manual mode requires the photographer to set the aperture and the shutter speed manually. There is no exposure compensation, one compensates called stopping up or down by adjusting either the shutter speed or aperture. A meter generally located at the bottom of the screen reads your exposure. This mode isn't any more effective than shooting in one of the priority modes it only forces you to slow down and think about the shot your composing. That being said depending on your camera these settings can be rather difficult to adjust. On some cameras there are dedicated dials for each component but on many smaller cameras these controls are manipulated through a series of menu entries making it difficult to make use of them. That being said it might be worth giving this shooting mode a try as it will force you to think carefully about your composition.

ThenextdayweleftforDuluthandafterarather uneventfulrideinthetruckwearrivedinaveryblusteryand wetDuluth.Myhopesformakingquickuseofmynewgadgetwere dashedastheweatherhadfailedtoliveuptoexpectations. AfterfilingslowlythroughthegrocerystoreinWoodlandwe madeourwaytoourcabinafewmilesaway,throughthesloping hillsofmideasternMinnesota.Mydisappointmentshowedandmy fathergunnedtheengineaswereachedtothetopofa particularlydeepvalleyandmystomachlurchedaswedescended

Mann 15 rapidlytowardthebottom,asmallsmilecrossedmylips,butit wasntenough. AsunhappyasIwas,Istillmanagedtooccupymyselfgoing overthecamerawithextremescrutiny,Ihadbeenpainfully separatedfromitfortheentiretripandIwantedverybadlyto discoverwhatsecretsithadtohide.Scrawledacrossthetopof thecamerawerethewordsPentax,andofftotheleftwerethe wordsMESuper.Thelenshadsomenonsenseimprintedaroundthe lenselement,andeverydialhadnumbersimprintedinwhite paint.Icouldnttakeitanymore. LookingthroughtheviewfinderIpeeredthroughthevery lensitselfandspiedthelampacrosstheroom.Adjustingthe apertureringtoallowenoughlightIpressedtheshutterdown, andinaninstantIheardtheslapofthemirror,thesharp clickoftheshutteropeningandclosing,andanotherslapof thereturningmirror.StillnotsatisfiedItookastepoutthe doorofcabinintoadownpourandcarefullycalibratedthe cameraforoptimumresults,anotherslap,aclick,andaslapas itreturnedtoitsoriginalstate.ThenIlookeddisheartened downattheframecounter,andrealizedtherewerebutafew shotsleftonthatroll.Claspingtheheavyblackleather evereadycasebackontothecameraIputitdown,togetready

Mann 16 fordinner,weweregoingoutforpizzaatmyfavoritepizzeria Bulldog!

Wait, I don't have any of those, I have [P] If you are using a point and shot or super zoom camera you might run into a problem with the shooting modes described above, that problem being you don't have them. Now that doesn't mean you need to get a new camera, it just means you have to be more creative. Looking at your camera determine if it has a program or program shift mode represented by a P or Ps. If you do you may have the ability to influence your cameras automatic exposure settings. Switching into this mode see if your camera tells you the aperture and shutter speed most likely displayed at the bottom of your display. As you move your camera about these numbers should automatically change. Experiment with your cameras buttons and determine if you can influence your cameras automatically adjusted perimeters. If you can, your camera has a program shift mode, that will give you at least some control over your camera. Next determine if you have access to exposure compensation. If you can't you're not entirely out of luck but a new camera might be a consideration for the future should you decide to invest in photography. If you have discovered that your camera only offers a program mode your left with one option tricking the camera into making adjustments by changing the ISO speed. ISO indicates the sensors sensitivity to light. For the most part this is set automatically on compacts but can be set manually on the majority of them. By setting the ISO low you will not only ensure little noise, but also that the aperture is wide open, which is great for close ups and portraits. Setting the ISO high may allow the aperture to close down but that is more dependent on the light conditions, the best way to close down the aperture is

Mann 17 look for a landscape mode on your camera. The landscape mode closes down the aperture to ensure a focus range of infinity, not great but better than nothing.

Therainhadabatedfornowandhavingfoundseatingnear thewindowsatBulldogPizzastartedtalking,butfirstour classicgameofhangman,mydadwentfirst.Sixletters,I guessedR,thefirstletterwasrevealed.RHYTHMIexclaimed happily,healwaysuseditandIalwaysguesseditrightaway, butformeitnevergotold.ItwasmyturnnowandIputspaces forfivelettersdownunderneathanewhangman.IchoseAGENT, asthelastmoviewewatchedbeforeleavingonourtriphadbeen TheHuntForRedOctober.ThemoviestarredAlecBaldwinwho playedaCIAagentassignedtodeterminethetrueintentionofa defectingnuclearsubcommander,playedbySeanConnery. ConneryscharacterhadbeenplacedincommandoftheRed October,amassivestealthsubmarine,invisibletosonar,and designedtostrikefirst.Unfortunatelymychosenworddidnt foolmyfather,whodeciphereditquickly. OurmealstillhadntarrivedsoItookthechancetopull outthepentaxandtakeapictureofmydad.Carefullypressing thecameratomyface,Iadjustingthefocus,andtheaperture sothatenoughlightfounditswayintothecameratoforma

Mann 18 viablepicture,withtheotherhandIslowlyclickedtheshutter buttonashortclick,andtheclackofthemirrorgoingup,then nothingtheviewfinderwentdark,theclickoftheshutter,and afinalclackasthemirrorfellbackintoplacerevealingmy fathertomeagain.Myfatherstillsmilingaskedforthe camera, Letmeseethat,Iwanttotakeapictureofyou.Hesaid Heslowlyadjustingeverything,thentheiconicsoundof clack,click,clackfilledtheair.Ashepullingthecamera fromhisfacethewaitresswalkedinwithourpizza.Itwastime tochowdown.

ISO This is something your going to be changing a lot on any camera. ISO is a throwback from the film days, representing films sensitivity to light, and consequent grain. Depending on your film a high ISO could mean unbearable film grain or only moderate grain. The same is true of digital cameras. In the film days anything ISO 200 or lower was considered low sensitivity low grain, 400 everyday sensitivity, and moderate low grain, ISO 800 was considered high sensitivity high grain, and anything greater than 800 was considered specialized. These days on some high performance professional equipment grain, called noise in digital, is moderate all the way up to ISO 12800. According to Michael Burgess Typical day-to-day speeds are 100 (for bright conditions), 200 (for general use) and 400 (for low light or subjects that need a fast shutter speed to freeze subject movement).(Getting The Best From Your 35mm SLR Camera, 35) Noise is a limitation of

Mann 19 miniaturization, as the sensors got smaller to accommodate smaller bodies and more powerful zooms, millions of pixels were downsized and packed on to minuscule sensors, because of this, the sensitivity of compact cameras is limited severely, and the need for in camera noise reduction came about. On any camera you should be setting the ISO for the lighting conditions manually or on strictly configured automatic mode. On compacts ISO 100-400 is an acceptable range, and on more advanced cameras ISO 100-800/1600 is acceptable, and on professional grade cameras ISOs as high as 12,800 may or may not be effective.

AfterdinnerwefoundourwaydowntoFitgersandthemalt shop.Eventhoughitwascoldoutsidewedidntcarewewanted ourchocolatemalts.Afterthewomanhandedusouricecreamwe begantomakeourwaydowntheslopingstepsdowntothe boardwalkwhenIhappenedtolookatthewater.Therewerebands aboutthewateralternatinglikestripes,goingbackandforth betweenareasthatlookedasthoughtheywerebeingpeltedwith hail,tooclearglassywaterwhichlookedcalmandunaffected. Pullingthecameraupfrommychestandquicklyunsnappingthe leatherevereadycase,Ipressedthecameraintomyeyeand focusedtoinfinity.Thelightwasgood,andtheshutterfast,I heardtheclickoftheshutterandtheclackofthemirrorthen letthecameradropbackdownaroundmychest,fastenedaboutmy neckbyastrongnylonstrap.Ihesitatedandpulledonthe

Mann 20 windinglevertobringanewframeintoplace,thenpulledthe camerabackuptomyfacetotakeanotherpicturejustbesure. Ilookedoverandlaughed.MyfatherhadhisHPdigicampressed uptohisfacedoingexactlythesame. WhenhehadfinishedIaskedhim,Whatdoyouthinkcaused it?Itlookslikeoil. Idontknow,butitsureisacooleffect.Heresponded afterlookingatitcarefully. Ithadbeguntomistagainandweheadedbacktoourcabin togetsomerestandlistentotheradioshowputonbythe universityeverFridaynight.Thistimeitwasareenactmentof H.G.WellsWarOfTheWorlds,anditwassuretobegood. GroversMillneverseemedsoexciting.

The Fundamentals Light is everything to a photographer, it is color, contrast, it breaths life into each photo, and makes an art out of capturing it. As such understanding how our camera manipulates light to form an image is crucial to making good photographs. So when is the best time of the day to take pictures, and what days aren't going to render the best results. It works kind of like this. The days you don't want to go outside are going to be the best days to take pictures, and the days you can't stand to be indoors are probably the worst days to be doing so. The most interesting photos I have taken have been in stormy conditions, moments from a down poor. If you want to take unbelievable macro shots of flowers, go out right after its rained and the sky is still murky. The

Mann 21 richness of your images will be unbelievable. On days where it is bright and beautiful you may run into some trouble taking pictures. For this reason I advise using neutral density filters to act as sun glasses for your camera, that isn't possible on all cameras, so stop your camera down by one full stop, using the exposure compensation button located on your camera. Knowing when to grab your camera is one of the best talents of a photographer. Composing a shot is a lot less about technique than about acquiring an eye. There are quite a few ways of composing a shot, but the first step forget what you've heard about composition, and compositional taboo. Lets start with the rule of thirds, a classic compositional technique that is similar to mentally overlaying a tic-tack-toe board over your image and placing the subject at one of the intersections. Many cameras offer a display mode that achieves this making practicing this technique very easy. When framing, two important compositional attributes to consider are diagonals, and overlapping subjects. Diagonals work by tricking your eye into following a path that other wise might be over looked. Overlapping subjects can add depth to your shot, but can also cause problems. It is important to avoid bad tangents, where an overlapping subjects edge lines up perfectly another subjects edge. Another technique to consider are patterns. Patterns breed interest in an audience allowing them to imagine the big picture based upon only a small portion of reality. While it may seem simple, acquiring an eye for photography can take some time, I know it did for me, so be patient and practice. Take a ton of pictures and go back and search for your mistakes, then correct them the next time you go out. Horizontal Vs. Vertical, it seams like a rather straight forward question which orientation is going to yield the best image for your specific situation, but another factor to consider is presentation, you photos might end up published somewhere at some point and most published materials are printed in portrait. The best recommendation I can give is take both consider that you

Mann 22 might decide later that the other was more appropriate in hindsight and you will have something to fall back on. Horizontal can be especially useful when photographing a city, landscape or group photograph, it is also the default orientation of most cameras.

Thenextmorningmyfatherhadgottenupextraearlytotry tomowouratthetime,insignificantlawnandspraysomegrass killer.Ourpropertyhadgonethroughmanyownerspreviousto us,andevenatthetimewehadowneditfortwentytwoyears, longerthananyoneelse.Oneofthepreviousownershadkept horsesthereandhadseededthegroundwithanobnoxiousweed calledryegrass.Itgrewtoaheightofaboutsixfeet,andgew extremelydenselymakingitnearlyimpossibletoreclaimthe land,asevenafterchoppingdowngrassonehadtoburnthesoil anddigouttherootsbeforenormalgrasscouldtakeholdagain. Unfortunatelytheweatherhadnothelduptoexpectationand mowingwasntreallymuchofanoption,soasmydadworkedwith thechemicals,Itookawalkwithmynewbestfriend. WalkingdowngoodoldLavisRoadisalittlecreepy,if you'renotusedtoitofcourse,thetreesgrowclosetothe roadandtheditchesareshallowwhereacreekflowsalongthe sideoftheroadbeforeenteringourproperty,whereit disappearsslowlymakingitswaybacktotheLesterRiver.AsI

Mann 23 walkedalongassmallbrownandwhitebutterflykeptfollowing me,landingontheroadandthenflappingwayasIgotcloser. TryasImightIcouldntgetthecameracloseenough,andthe lensdidnthavethereachtobringthebutterflyinclose enoughtobemuchmorethanaspecontheroad.Hearingmydad callTOBY!Iturned,andranbacktowardsthecabin.The weatherhadchangeddrasticallyandwhileitwasstilltoocold togoswimmingwedecidedweweregoingtogodowntoourwater holeafewmilesdowntheroad,andseeifwecouldntgetany goodpictures.

Macro Photography The art of close up shooting These shots become popular among starting photographers as they are fun, interesting, abstract and fairly easy to call artful. These shots are actually fairly easy to shoot, especially with a compact point and shoot. The small sensor does a lot to allow close focusing which would be impossible on larger cameras without specialized optics or correctional filters. Another factor aiding compacts is a dedicated macro setting on most of them, represented by a flower. This mode tells the camera to open its aperture wide and puts a priority on focusing closer to the camera. On more advanced cameras the same effect can be achieved by switching to aperture priority, setting the aperture to its widest opening and switching to manual focus. On some cameras close focusing can be a problem. According to Daniel Lezano Close up filters screw to the tread of a lens and serve to increase the lens magnification(The Photography Bible, 149) At this point is more about composition and careful consideration than any setting on your camera. According to Tom Ang

Mann 24 One of the secrets underlying good close-up photography is avoiding unwanted highlights intruding on the image.(Digital Photography, 50) So keep an eye on the background of your shot too. Digital Photography Digital photography took the dark room to a new level as software replaced development solution and enlargers. With this a whole slew of software sought to fill the gap in the post production process. Many confuse the use of Photoshop with fakery, and while it can be a lot of fun and an excellent waste of time to put light-sabers in the hands of kittens, it isn't what Photoshop is really used for in photography. When digital became dominant over film photography the effects attainable in a darkroom were misplaced. In actually the vast majority of effects used by photographers in Photoshop had their start in a darkroom. Digital photography introduced few new problems which only existed in poor quality films, such as white balance incongruities, which couldn't be corrected without the help of software like Photoshop. Its important to understand that there is a lot that can be achieved in Photoshop, but for the vast majority of people it goes far beyond their needs especially for the retail price, which stands at $700. A bit much for anyone only just entering the world of photography. Thankfully Photoshop isn't your only option and there are even free alternatives. Photoshop is by far the most advanced piece of image manipulation software, and no competitor comes close, but the closes thing to it is actually free. GIMP is an open source multi-platform image manipulation program designed as an alternative to Photoshop. Although like Photoshop, GIMP has a steep learning curve and is intended as a professional tool. In digital photography you need to be processing your photos, even if it is just to adjust the exposure. The camera does a lot of the guesswork that was once engineered into the film.

Mann 25 Familiarizing yourself with levels, curves, and hue & saturation in your software of choice is an important step in becoming successful.

WejumpedinmydadsGreen1998ChevySilveradoandheaded downlavistowardsLakewood,whichconsistedoflittlemorethan aschool,afiredepartment,andthetownhall.Passingthe schoolweheadeddownagreatbighillandtookalefton MaxwellRoaduntilwehittheendoftheroadandtookaleft ontotothegravelaccessroad,thesecretaccesswaytoour waterhole.Itwasntexactlyasecretasanyonefamiliarwith theareawentthere,butmoreoftIt wasnt long before I had run through every frame the film had to offer me I offering up the camera dejectedly to my father whom anticipating this problem purchased a number of what appeared to be more green boxes. Upon further inspection of the boxes I realized it was film for my camera. I now forced my dad to show me how he loaded the film into the camera. I was fascinated. I shot more rolls of film than I could count that summer, but I never could take enough.enthannotyoucouldgo swimmingwithoutanyinterruptionofembarrassment.Thewater wasgushingdownthewaterfallsinatorrentsendingafinemist upward,thesunsraysintermittentamistthenewlyforming clouds.Itseemedourbeautifulmorningwasgoingtogivewayto astormyafternoon.Thankfullybecauseofourrelativeinablity

Mann 26 todoanythingwehadmadethedecisiontodrivehomethat afternoon,andyetIwasunwilling.Ididntwanttoleavethis adventurebehindletaloneputthecameraawayforanyamountof time.AsweattemptedtoenjoyourfinalhoursinDuluthweshot pictureafterpictureoftheragingwaters,stainedrustredby theironofthesoulfollowingathinpathdowntheheavyrocks andbouldersdefiningtheLesterRiver.Ireacheddowntowind thecameraagainfeltresistance,ihadreachedmyfinalframe, myheartsank.

Cropping This seems like it would have ended up in the software section of this paper, but cropping transcends digital photography entirely and is deserving of its own separate acknowledgement. Cropping is one of those things that gets over looked far to often and needs to be rethought. According to Tom Ang One of the simplest, and often one of the most effective, changes you can make to image proportions is to crop them(45) No matter how good your original composition is unless you are framing for every possible aspect ratio one needs to experiment with different crops. If you are having trouble with this concept I recommend shooting on square aspect ratio and cropping later. Yes you will lose some resolution, but what does that matter when it might mean the difference between sale or no sale. Don't limit yourself, even if the crop seems excessive.

Mann 27 Aswepackedupourthingsandwalkedbacktothecar.My fatheraskedifIwantedtodrivedowntheothersixbridgeson sevenbridgesroad,thefirstofwhichwehadgoneovertoget here.IrespondedYes,butmyfunwasoverandnowIjust wantedmorefilmandgetthisstuffdevelopingASAP.Attheend ofthedrivewereachedthehighwayanddroveovertothegas stationtofillup.Whenmydadreturnedhehandedmealittle whitebox.Abroadsmilecrossedmylips.ThanksDad!weremy firstwordsoutofmymouthtohim. ThedrivehomecouldntgofastenoughasIcontemplated whatIwouldtakepicturesofnext,firstIwouldneedtostock uponfilmandfigureouthowIwasgoingtogetitdeveloped.I wasprettysureIcouldgetitdoneatThriftyWhiteDrug,butI hadntbeenthereinyears.Ialsoneededtolearnmoreabout photographysoIcouldmakegooduseofthisgift.Mynextstop wouldbethelibraryforsure.Iwillneverforgetthistrip.

Mann 28

General Rules As a photographer there happen to be a few general rules you just can't escape, the most important being never be without a camera at hand. If you have a good smart phone your already set with a very good piece of hardware, but it goes beyond that. Don't sell you point and shoot to get a bigger better camera, keep it and leave it in your coat pocket, and remember you always will have it with you. Remember a half rate camera is still better than none. Never shoot in automatic, or program, always shoot in aperture/shutter priority or manual. Take complete control over your of your camera, and always zero your settings when your done so you don't end up shooting at ISO 1600 in broad daylight. And no matter how you feel about it always wear your camera strap,

Mann 29 replace it, wear a shoulder strap I don't care, but unless of course you want to be labeled an amateur from the get go.

It wasnt long before I had run through every frame the film had to offer me I offering up the camera dejectedly to my father whom anticipating this problem purchased a number of what appeared to be more green boxes. Upon further inspection of the boxes I realized it was film for my camera. I now forced my dad to show me how he loaded the film into the camera. I was fascinated. I shot more rolls of film than I could count that summer, but I never could take enough.

Mann 30 Work Cited Ang, Tom. Digital Photography An Introduction. New York: DK Publishing, 2007. Print. Burgess, Michael. Getting The Best From your 35mm SLR Camera. Sussex: Photographers' Institute Press, 2004. Print. Lezano, Daniel. The Photography Bible. UK: F+W Publications, 2004. Print. SLR cross section. 2007. Wikimediamr