Previously I was using an outdated Fujifilm DSLR and became quickly frustrated with the image quality it produced in Week 1. To remedy this I sourced another camera which should be far more appropriate to learn with, and (hopefully) produce higher quality images. I am now using a Nikon D3300 AF-P 18-55mm.

Perhaps the most valuable practical lesson I have learned this week is to think before you shoot. Prior to taking a photo not only should you understand the surrounding environment but you should also know the effect you want to create, and finally how to execute this on a technical level. My prior understanding of this discipline pales increasingly in comparison to its reality.

Aperture is controlled by the lens and just like the pupil in our eyes, the aperture is the camera’s way of limiting light. It also controls how much is in focus, also known as depth, thus greatly affecting the hierarchy of elements within a shot.
Measured in ‘f stops’, the aperture numbering system is bound to be confusing for anyone who struggles with numbers. Being one of those people, I created a quick scale for myself to refer back to when shooting, until this comes more naturally to me:

Wide/large aperture Small/Narrow aperture
Most light  ————————————————————————————————> Least light 
f1.4     f2     f2.8     f4     f5.6      f8     f11     f16      f22     f32
Least depth ———————————————————————————————> Most depth

Larger f stop number = the smaller the opening = lets MORE light + LESS depth 
Smaller f-stop  number = the larger the opening = the LESS light + MORE depth 

Trying not to feel dwarfed by this new information, I set out to put this knowledge to the test. As I was not able to attend class this week, I completed the activity from home.In order to gain a better understanding of the aperture, I decided to keep my shutter speed and ISO settings the same for this activity. By isolating aperture I hoped to learn the subtle differences between f stop values in different lighting environments before launching into altering all exposure settings. 

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Composition rules to consider when framing a shot: 
Rule of Thirds: creating interesting yet balanced image using a grid based on the Fibonacci sequence.
Leading lines: guide the eye to a certain focal point of an image, this is an easy and literal way to manipulate the viewers’ line of sight.
Balance: equally juxtaposing the visual weighting of objects in a composition.
Tension: creating imbalance between elements, bouncing the line of sight around the image, tonal contrast or opposing lines. (ideal for evoking an unsettled response from a viewer).
Negative Space: can make an image feel quietly dramatic, whilst bringing to focus to something that may have otherwise been overlooked.
Symmetry and repetition: Not only can this be satisfying to look at, but it can also turn into a ‘spot the difference’ for the viewer and therefore interesting to look at closely.
Framing the subject: Using elements within a composition to frame an image often creates a playful inception of an image within an image.
Cropping: Draws a harsh focus to details that may often go unnoticed, but can also create a really interesting composition to an otherwise straightforward scene.

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