What is media?

1. What is media? Television Internet Film Newspapers Videogames Adverts Radio Graphic design

2. What is media? Photography Every photograph you take conveys a message to the viewer. This is the most important aspect, the reason for the image. You can have the same subject but alter that message simply by changing the light

3. Light • Why do we need light? • The most obvious answer to this question is that we need enough illumination to see the image clearly and for the camera to produce a well-defined quality image. This is referred to as exposure. • Unfortunately, this is sometimes where it stops for some photographers. When stating to light for an image we have to ask the question - what kind of effect are we trying to achieve?

4. Light • One of the hardest things to get right in a photograph is the lighting. • Too much light, too little light, or a combination of the two can ruin an otherwise perfect photo. • But, luckily this problem can be solved if you understand the types of lighting, how they affect your camera and what you can do to use these effects to your full advantage.

5. Back lighting Backlighting is just as it sounds: light that comes from behind your subject. Backlighting is what turns a palm tree into a silhouette against the sunset. In this case, that is a good thing that adds to the photograph. The same thing can happen if you want to take a photograph of a person who has a strong backlight behind them, such as the sun, sky, or bright lights. The camera reads the brightness behind the main subject and sets its internal meter to expose properly for the extra light. This underexposes your subject and will usually turn them into a silhouette

9. “It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the ordinary.”-- David Bailey

10. Side lighting Side lighting can have a very drastic effect on your photos, also. But, unlike backlighting, its brightness comes from the right or left of your subject. This tends to cast one side in total darkness, while putting the other in the spot light. This is a wonderful way to get a mysterious, dramatic portrait photo. Pose your subject in front of a window, with one of their shoulders close to the window. Your camera will expose properly for the bright side and will usually cast the other side of the face in complete darkness.

13. Lighting Every change of light holds something for the photographer. Its intensity can be strong or weak. It can hit the subject from the front, back or side. It will bounce off surfaces differently, depending on their reflectance. It can come from a high or a low angle. It can be hard, with dark and distinct shadows, or soft and almost shadowless, or diffused, with shadows that are definite but faint.

14. Diffused lighting Sometimes lighting from any direction is just too harsh. This is when you want to soften the incoming light, to take away some of the contrast for a more pleasing photograph. Bright sunlight at midday is the worst kind of light for photography. The light colors are washed out and the contrasting shadows are too dark. To avoid this, wait for the sun to go behind a cloud or if your subject is moveable, put them in the shade of a tree or building and take the photo there. The light will be much more natural here and will result in a better photo.

18. Artificial lighting • All lighting that does not originate from a natural source - is termed as artificial light. • Artificial lighting comes in all shapes and sizes. From a built in flash on your camera to expensive lights in the studio, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. • On camera flashes are simple and easy to use, but sometimes cause the awful red eye so common in snapshots. The farther the flash is away from the lens, the less likely this is to happen. • Another problem with on camera flash is the harsh light they cast onto the subject. If you have an off camera flash, you can bounce the light for a softer effect.

21. Artificial lighting • Lighting Significant Areas. • If a subject or object within the frame needs to be highlighted, the photographer can expose them correctly, but reduce the exposure for the rest of the image, thereby helping to focus the audience's attention to the subject or object

22. Artificial lighting • Reflectors are used in studios and exterior shots to bounce light off a subject • A cutter is used to block the light • Both are use to create/emphasise the focal point in the image • Always remember what you are trying to say with your photo – what message????

24. Lighting • Space, Place and Time • It is possible to give the illusion of different spaces and times by using light and shadow. For instance, we can give the illusion of a window by framing a beam of light through a rectangle and casting the shadow of the frame onto a wall on the set. • Using further shadow devices called gobos, like bits of paper suspended on string, we can give the impression of trees blowing against the window. If the light through this window is blue, it may give the impression of moonlight. If it is yellow, and placed at a low angle, it might give the impression of dawn or dusk.

25. Unique lighting

26. Lighting • Atmosphere and Mood. • An important part of lighting is to help the mood and atmosphere of the piece, or of individual scenes. Obvious examples of this would be the high contrast low key lighting usually associated with film noir or horror films, where the lighting is designed to give a downbeat, claustrophobic or alienated feel to it. • When the subject is in equilibrium, the lighting is high key and warm, with a high contrast ratio giving rich and strong colours. When the equilibrium is threatened, the lighting tends to be low key and cooler.

27. Lighting • Atmosphere and Mood. • The hardness of light relates to the moods above. Hard light gives a clear outline and sharp shadows; soft light softens the outline of objects and gives less well-defined shadows. Softer lighting tends to be associated with romantic subjects; whereas hard lighting tends to be associated with 'harder' subject matter such as found in Westerns or Thrillers. • The height of the lights can also affect the mood. Very high or very low lighting positions will alter the shadows, especially on faces, giving a more disturbing non-naturalistic effect.

28. Lighting • Colour • Colour is also an important device for determining mood and atmosphere. The overall colour of the shot will affect the warmth and coldness of the mood depending on how blue or orange it is. Overall colour can affect the atmosphere beyond cold and warm. Colour coding can give the impression of a particular time.

29. Lighting • Colour • In photography it can also be determined and controlled by adjustment of the lights used. Mixed colour lighting can produce more subtle effects. • An example of this would be a shot of a staircase or hallway at night lit with blue light, and an open door giving an orange glow. This would contrast the warm safety of the room with the more threatening exterior.

30. 3 point Lighting • As mentioned earlier, it is almost impossible to give clear rules about lighting, but the three point lighting set up should form the basis of most lighting situations. The three main lights used are the keylight, the filllight and the backlight.

31. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. 3 point Lighting • The filllight is used to fill out the shadow areas. In a studio environment, or a situation where there is not very much bounced or diffused light, the key light will produce very strong shadows giving virtually do detail in those areas. (This effect is often associated with low-key dramatic lighting). • It is an artificial light that should not produce any visible shadow within the frame. The average power of the fill will be about 1 stop under the base illumination (e.g. half the power of the key light). This fill light should be positioned at the opposite side of the camera to the key.

32. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. 3 point Lighting • The backlightshould be placed above and behind the subject of the shot, facing toward the camera. Its purpose is to create a rim around the subject, which defines the subject from the background. It is sometimes called a rim light. • Care must be taken that the lamp stand is not in shot, and that the camera lens is protected from rays of light falling directly on to it.y the use of barn doors or flags

33. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. Notes • Rule of thirds • The rule of thirds states that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two eaqually spaced horizontal lines and two eqaually spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by these intersections of these lines can be used to align features within the frame. The rule of thirds can be applied by lining up the subjects within the guiding lines.

34. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. Notes • Framing • When constructing a shot, it is an art of selection. The edges of the image create a ‘frame’ that includes or excludes aspects of what occurs in front of the camera. • The expressive qualities of framing included the angle of the camera to the object, the aspect ratio of the image, the relationship between camera and object, etc.

38. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. Personal style • Individual style in photography, the stamp of which is often a characteristic lighting, can still exist. But style in photography must be allowed to emerge. Its development is a process of discovery; by exploring all that light offers, you arrive at style naturally.Watch how the light changes . • Shadow pattern and light intensity have an emotional effect on the way a subject is perceived. As the light changes, so does the mood it evokes.

39. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. Personal style • When a subject is of special interest, study it from various positions. If you shoot with the sun at your back, the light is with you, photographically speaking, because frontal lighting is flat (direct and even, with shadows not apparent) and bright. • Exposures are relatively easy to measure, and the relative brightness of the subject means you can use a smaller aperture (for greater depth of field) and a faster shutter speed (to ensure camera steadiness and to freeze movement).

41. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. Tips • Flat frontal lighting is thought to show surface features most accurately, while backlighting better describes a subject's form, and side lighting enhances its beauty.- Direct sunlight is usually too harsh for portraits, but sometimes the supposed defects it shows can be seen as features on a facial landscape, in which is written a story of experience.- Hard lighting is described as cruel; soft lighting is said to beautify.

43. The key light is the main source of light and usually it will be the brightest. Its direction will usually have some motivation if the audience is going to be aware of the direction of the light. In other words, if we see a window in the scene, and we are to be given the impression that the light is coming from the window, then the key light must be coming from that direction, even if we do not see the window in that particular shot. The key light direction must remain continuous within a scene. Convention tells us if there is no apparent motivation then the light should be set about 45 degrees above the camera and between 40 to 60 degrees to one side of the camera. Tips • High-key lighting may be ethereal; low-key lighting may be brooding.- A light in the eye can give a portrait more life, and hard-angled lighting best conveys the impression of sharpness. Angled lighting also is best for revealing textures.- Long shadows may add depth and beauty, or obscure the main subject and draw our attention away from it.- Bright colors on a dull day can look all the more vibrant, or they can only underscore the dreariness.

44. Task • Try and create 5 different looks with the same subject. • Think about the light and how you can portray emotions with different effects • Take regular shots of your subject, ie, face on, side, above, normal lighting conditions • Try a completely unique lighting trick just to experiment.