Your Assignment for this Week

Uta Barth

Assignment 2: Quality of Light (Interior/Exterior)

In this assignment, consider light as your subject matter. We have just spent some time talking about bracketing and exposure and now is your chance to really put what you’ve learned so far into practice and think about the raw material of a photograph – light! As you’ve probably already noticed, light has many different qualities and this can really determine the tone and mood of your photograph. Remember, without light there is no picture.

For this assignment make compelling images of both exterior and interior spaces. Spend some time considering the spaces around you and see them anew.  Photographing landscapes or interiors can tell stories that are just as complicated and personal as photographs including people. Interior spaces can reveal complex histories, and tell many details about those who use them. Try and challenge the way you compose and remember to also consider depth of field to direct your viewer through these spaces. Photograph at different times of day, and if you shoot in low light situations, remember to put your camera on a tripod.

Note:  Please do not shoot with a flash or use studio lights to fulfill the assignment. Use only AVAILABLE/AMBIENT LIGHT.

While shooting consider light in the following situations:

reflective/absorbed

front/back/side lighting

bright/diffused light

harsh/soft shadows

low light

dawn/dust

sunny/overcast

light in the fog or rain

silhouette

textures or abstractions made by light 

Note: When selecting images to post to the blog, consider how they work together as well as individually.

Please post between 5-10 images. Remember to slow down, take your time and bracket – the best exposure may not be the one your light meter determines for you!