We started off this week reviewing apertures/F-stops and shutter speeds and how they along with film speed (or ISO setting) affect your exposure as well as depth of field. Depth of field means “the amount in focus.” The smaller the f-stop number is, the bigger the hole is. This simply means you let in more light. So and F 2.8 aperture setting lets in more light, however you have less depth of field or less in focus in this case.
Conversely, if you have a bigger number such as f 22 the hole or aperture is much smaller letting in much less light. But in this case, you will get much more depth of field, or more in focus. Remember Alfred Steiglitz’s F-64 Club. Film speeds or ISO settings on you digital cameras also affect your exposure.
We talked about the “Sunny 16 rule” which means that at an ISO of 100 at mid-day sun, an aperture of f16 will require a shutter speed of 125. So if you open up to f11, your shutter speed will become 250. I mentioned it sort of being like a scale and balancing out.
Our main focus for this class was lenses. We talked about fisheye lenses (8-20mm), wide-angle lenses(20-28 mm) , regular focal length lenses (35-50mm), telephoto lenses from 70 mm and up, and micro and macro lenses for those incredible close-ups.
Photographers that we mentioned were Steve McCurry who photographed the Afghan Girl, Mary Ellen Mark, W. Eugene Smith and talked extensively about Eugene Richards and his use of wide angle lenses to gain intimacy with his subjects. Famous photographs by Dorthea Lange, Joe Rosenthal, and Alfred Eisenstadt were shown.