Being the first week of a new photography course, I was introduced to what experienced photographers would refer to as the ‘basics’. However, after going through the effects which shutter speed, aperture and ISO all have on an image; I felt dwarfed by new complex information. Who knew photography was a simultaneously creative and technical discipline?

Despite being an avid admirer, I have never been particularly drawn to photography. Rather, I have alway preferred to create a composition either through fine art or digitally.

…so here goes nothing!

Our fist task began with finding a theme to capture images in the area around the Billy Blue campus. Keeping this theme ensured a clear continuity across the short series of images. Whilst also allowing me to test out different exposure settings to see how they affected my images first hand. I therefore chose to theme my activity around the colour green in natural things.

Still not fully understanding the practicalities of different settings, I didn’t think to take the overcast weather into consideration. It is only now that I look back on my initial images, that I realise how incorrect my exposure settings must have been to produce such dull images. The first three are all fairly dark and quite blurred.

Although I like the dull colour palette these two images create, I would consider them useless as they are so unclear.

Following this, I decreased the ISO which significantly improved colour contrast and clarity in the following images.

1/450s; f/5.4; ISO200 1/500s; f/5.0; ISO200

I still find myself confused about how to change aperture and shutter speeds on the kind of camera I am using (being that it is so old and automated).
Over the next week I will look into how to fully adjust the exposure settings on my camera (Fujifilm FinePix S3300), as thus far the only ones I can seem to easily adjust is the ISO.