Media arts exam revision

Composition

Composition is the placement of relative objects and elements in a work of art and arranging elements within the frame. This can be done by moving objects or by moving the camera.

Landscape

Landscape is when the image is wider than it is tall and is horizontal.

Portrait

Portrait is when the image is taller than it is wide and is vertical.

Subject

The primary object (often a person) being photographed for a project.

Focal Point

A focal point is the part of an image that draws the eye of the viewer to the most important part of the image.

The “Rule of Thirds”

The Rule of Thirds is an aesthetically pleasing way to compose the frame. If you divide the frame into thirds, the points of interest should be positioned along these lines or at their intersections.

Name all the rule of thirds.

Left vertical, right vertical, upper horizontal and lower horizontal.

Shot size

Shot size basically means how big things are in the picture, and whether it mainly shows the setting, people in the setting, or details of faces and things.

Extreme long shot

Often used at the beginning of a scene to show where the scene will take place. For this reason, this type of shot is often called an establishing shot.

Long shot

-Shows the background.

Full shot

-Shows a person from head to toe.

Medium shot

-Usually used when filming a conversation.

Close up

-Usually show a persons face

Extreme close up

-Shows small details like a person’s eyes

Camera angle

This is the direction from which the camera takes the scene. Changing position or point of view can emphasise or exaggerate how big or small a subject is.

Overshot

-The camera is positioned directly above the subject. This is often used in establishing shots, where the camera flies over city streets.

-Can be called a birds eye view.

High angle

-Shot above a person, looking down at the subject, making the viewer feel more powerful than him or her, or suggesting an air of detachment.

Eye level

-Shows how the person or subject sees the world

-Where most photos are taken from.

-A view we are used to.

-Provides a POV and connects to subject.

-Comfortable view.

Low angle

-Below eye level, looking up at the person or subject

-Often used to show a powerful or scary character.

Undershot

-Position directly beneath a subject, looking up.

Elements of design

The elements of design are the basic units of any visual design which form its structure and convey visual messages. 

Line

Line leads the viewers eyes towards the point of interest in a photograph which unify different sections of the picture by leading the eye from one area to another.

Shape

-Two-dimensional area with no form or thickness.

Form

A three-dimensional shape that is emphasised best with side lighting making a soft shadow.

Texture

About surface quality, either tactical or visual.

Pattern

Shows consistency with colours or lines. Indicates movement by the repetition of elements.

Colour

Refers to specific hues and have 3 properties- purity, intensity and value.

Principles of Design

It is the arrangement of the elements of design that are used in the Principles of Design to create artistic, engaging, and uniquely powerful photographs.

Space

The distance or area around or between elements of an artwork. The illusion of depth created on a flat surface through the use of linear perspective, overlapping elements, size, level of detail, color and value.

Balance

Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colours, texture, and space. If the design was a scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable. In symmetrical balance, the elements used on one side of the design are similar to those on the other side; in asymmetrical balance, the sides are different but still look balanced.

Movement

Movement is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the work of art.

Emphasis

Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention. Usually, the artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas.

Rhythm

Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like music or dancing.

Exposure

Using the camera settings to capture light which is determined by the shutter speed, lens aperture and scene luminance (ISO).

Basic Tv camera setting

Tv or Shutter Priority allows you to choose the shutter speed while the camera chooses the aperture which would produce the correct exposure.

Basic Av camera setting

Av or Aperture Priority allows you to choose the aperture value while the camera chooses the shutter speed required to obtain a correct exposure.

Basic M camera setting

M or Manual gives you complete manual control.  You choose both shutter speed and aperture.

What is it? (Define Shutter Speed.)

Refers to how long the shutter is open, exposing the image sensor to the light.

How does shutter speed work?

A camera shutter covers the hole through which light enters to expose the sensor or film.

What is shutter speed used to capture?

Movement

What ‘mode’ do you set the camera to manually set the shutter speed?

Manual speed

Once we have the camera in the right mode, how do we make the 'shutter speed' faster or slower?

 -What part of camera do we use?

-Fast shutter speed are used to stop motion and will freeze the subject. (600 and up, 1/600 of a second)

 -Slower shutter speed (1/60 or slower) can be used to portray movement or speed.

Mode dial

Change settings on the camera from automatic to TV, AV or manual.

TV = Shutter Speed priority.

Main dial wheel

Changes the shutter speed from 3 secs to fractions of a sec (1/1000).

What is it? (Define aperture)

Aperture is ‘the opening in the lens.’ through which light travels.

F stops (focus stops)

-The f number refers to how open the aperture is.

-The “Focal Ratio” is how much of the image is in focus.

-This allows you to set “depth of field”.

-On the camera aperture is represented by: f/1.8, or f/5.6

Depth of Field

-The distance between the nearest and the furthest objects giving a focused image.

-Depth of Field can be deep (everything in focus) or shallow (only part of the image is in focus, highlighting it.

I.S.O. - International Standards Organisation

-Traditionally it referred to the industry norm for sensitivity of film stock.

-It is now used to describe the light sensitivity of the sensor.

-The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to the light, while a higher ISO number increases the sensitivity of your camera.

-Change the ISO on the camera if your shot is too bright (overexposed) or too dark (underexposed).

M - Manual

-M or Manual gives you complete manual control.

Photography genres

Commercial, artistic, documentary.

Commercial Photography

Commercial photography: or advertising photography, is used to promote and market products or services.

Artistic Photography

Artistic: or Fine Art photography is a style of photography created by an artist. Fine art photos are photographs created purely for their aesthetic and imaginative qualities.

Documentary photography

Documentary photography is a style of photography that provides a straightforward and accurate representation of people, places, objects and events.