HORSE
PHOTOGRAPHY
Lynette Smith
LESSON
Introduction to
Photography
DEFINING DIGITAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
Digital photography is a style of photography
that utilizes digital technology to produce images of subjects. It is the art and science of producing and
manipulating digital photographs.
Digital photographs can be created in three ways: directly with a
digital camera; by capturing a frame from a video; or by scanning a standard
photograph.
Digital images can also be displayed,
printed, stored, manipulated, emailed and archived using digital and computer
techniques without chemical processing.
Digital photography is only one of
several digital imaging forms. The
general definition of digital photography is: a photographic method where the
image can be stored digitally for later reproduction.
Once you have a digital photograph,
you can create and apply numerous special effects with image enhancing software
(which we will discuss in later lessons).
You are then able to print your photo on a printer or send it to a
studio where they will print it on photographic paper.
An important benefit of digital photography,
along with being able to manipulate the photograph on a computer, is that the
image can be kept indefinitely without deterioration.
Although the resolution of digital
photos is not quite as high as photos produced from film, digital photography
makes instant pictures available. Digital photography is particularly useful
for photos that will be displayed on the World Wide Web.
When talking about digital
photography, it’s important to note that there many opinions as to which
photographic form is best, digital or film.
There’s no right answer to the question because it is a matter of personal
choice and your needs are at the time.
Each form has its advantages, and it’s always a good idea to experiment
with both.
WHAT IS A
DIGITAL CAMERA?
Before we go any further it’s
important to understand what a digital camera is and how it’s different from a
film camera.
When using a film camera an image is
formed when light is collected from a particular scene or object and focused on
film. The film reacts chemically when
struck by the light and is said to “capture” the image.
Instead of film, a “digital” camera
has an image sensor that reacts to light by sending out electrical
signals. The information the camera
takes from the image sensor is processed and stored as a collection of pixels
in a digital file typically on a memory card inside the camera. The process is a bit more complex, but for
our purposes this is essentially how a digital photo image is created.
The actual digital picture is made up
of thousands and thousands of tiny dots, or pixels.
WHAT
Digital cameras capture images as
pixel elements, referred to as pixels. Simply put, a megapixel is equal to one
million pixels. Digital images are made
up of thousands of these tiny, tile-like picture elements. The more pixels to an image, the higher the image resolution, which
means the clearer the picture.
Pixilated Image Here
The number of “megapixels” will tell
you how many pixels in the image file.
For instance, a camera that captures 8 million pixels is called an
8-megapixel camera. The number of
megapixels can also determine the size of photos you will be able to print or
the amount of cropping you can do. For
example, a 4-megapixel camera will be fine for snapshots and personal photos. But if you’re looking to enlarge an image to
a poster-size, then you would want to look at an 8 megapixel camera or
higher. A 4-megapixel image could end up
looking pixilated (meaning you can see the little squares and they’re fuzzy
looking rather than a clear image). Click
here to see an example of a photo; pixilated and non-pixilated.
The
size of the sensor, and the size of each individual image sensor element, which
corresponds to pixels, can affect photo quality. But the number of megapixels
alone doesn’t determine the quality of a digital camera’s images.
No matter how many pixels an image
has, when you enlarge it enough, it will begin to lose sharpness and ultimately
the pixels begin to show.
You can always make an image smaller
in a photo-editing program, but you can never make it larger and retain the
original quality.
“Resolution” is the term used to
indicate “sharpness” of an image.
Initially the term referred to the ability of a camera system to resolve
pairs of fine lines similar to those on a test chart.
When you are ready to purchase a
digital camera, decide on the number of megapixels based on the maximum print
size you will be creating, and the amount of cropping when editing. Don’t just let a sales person push you into
the digital camera they think you should buy.
You are going to be photographing
horses and you alone know what you intend to do with the photographs.
TYPES OF DIGITAL CAMERAS
It’s important to have a good
understanding of what type of photos you’d like to take because that will
determine the camera that you will purchase.
As digital photography continues to
develop and become more popular, camera users are gaining more skills and
knowledge. Quite a few non-professional photographers and serious photography
amateurs are looking for more than just “point and shoot” cameras. For those photographers considering digital
photography, a digital
A great example of someone with the
wrong camera, a friend of mine recently bought a digital camera “for a great
deal” at a local shop. She brought the
camera home and started using it. After
a few uses, she realized the camera isn’t suitable for the type of photography
she’s doing. She wants a camera to
“click, click, click – very fast”. She’s
photographing equestrian-action events.
The “good deal” camera she purchased
has a delay to it that won’t allow her the freedom she needs to take action
shots. She has a camera that frustrates
her because it doesn’t have all the features she wants and needs.
Before jumping at the “great deal”, make sure
it’s a camera that will work for you.
Digital Cameras can be divided into
two very broad categories, “Compact Digital Cameras” and “
COMPACT:
Sub
compact digital cameras
Sub compact digital cameras are more
than capable of taking quality images. They provide a convenient, small,
lightweight, easy to use option. They
will fit in your pocket, purse or backpack and can be carried everywhere. Some models have fewer features than compact
cameras, such as manual controls and a viewfinder. They also come with compromises: shorter
battery life, no viewfinder and a small zoom range of no more than 3 xs. Most don’t have
manual controls. The buttons and dials can be small, but typically they work
well. This form of camera can be
moderate to high priced.
Sub-compact Digital Camera
Compact
digital cameras
Mainstream compact digital cameras are
too big for your pocket, but compact enough for most handbags. They’re simple to use, lightweight and great
for point-and-shoot picture taking events. They have fully automatic and scene
modes; some have semi-automatic and manual controls. This can limit you to the camera’s
assortment of present scene modes, similar to subcompact digital cameras. All but the least expensive provide very good
image quality. Low to moderately priced, depending on features.
Compact Digital Camera
Super-zooms
This camera is characterized by a very
long zoom range of 10 xs or greater. This would be good for horse sporting events
and educational photographs focused on specific points of the horse. It’s typically a heavier and bulkier camera
than a compact digital camera. There are
a few models designed to be smaller and more lightweight.
Super-zoom
Digital
single lens reflex cameras (Digital
Single-lens reflex cameras are typically
used by professionals and photo enthusiasts who want a “top-of-the-line”
camera. The digital
Digital Single Lens
Camera
THE "BEST" DIGITAL CAMERA
BRAND
There are numerous camera brands, some
of the best known being Canon, Nikon, Fuji and Panasonic. My camera brand of choice is a Canon camera
because that’s what I started with 30+ years ago. I switched brands once briefly, but went back
to Canon. I like their products and have
had great luck with them. Nikon is
another great camera brand. They compete
well with Canon.
When you look at purchasing a camera,
remember:
A.
It’s “YOUR” personal preference.
B.
You need to be an educated consumer. Do
your research to determine the best camera for you, your needs and type of
photography you’ll be doing most often.
Truly there is no “best” brand of camera; it’s what works the “best” for
you.
DEFINE YOURSELF,
YOUR SUBJECT MATTER
The next important element of
photograph is defining yourself, your photographic style and your
audience. If you haven’t determined your
style, think about your interests and more specifically since this is a course
related to horses, what types of equine events you enjoy participating in and
watching. If you’re photographing an
event that you don’t enjoy, chances are your photos will communicate your lack
of enthusiasm.
Like any art form, photograph is based
on some basic rules of composition such as the “Rule of Thirds” (lesson 2) and
using a vanishing point. Once you’ve
mastered the composition techniques you can add your own artistic spin.
Your audience in essence is your
client. When photographing horses or
horse events, it’s important you understand the type of riding, cadence of the
horse, movement, rhythm and what they’re looking for as a rider. For instance, cattle cutting event is going
to want you to focus on the horse “down and low” in the dirt, the eyes watching
the cow and the body shifting quickly.
They’re not interested (some are) for the most part in a well-composed
rule of “Thirds” horse, cow, the sky.
They’re interested in the horse and the movement of the horse while
watching the cow. Another example is a
reining event. They’re focused on the
“slide” where the horse’s feet “roll” into the stop with lots of dirt, movement
and the horse’s “look”. The horse will
have one front leg straight while the other is bent and the back legs are “down
and low” as the horse slides into the stop.
Timing is critical when photographing
these events.
YOUR ARTISTIC
VISION
Creative Horse Shot back of mane
In my opinion, photography is
subjective. The events or images you
enjoy photographing may not convey to someone else the message you are trying
to communicate. Several years ago I
attended a photographer’s retreat and discovered quickly how important it is to
stay true to yourself, your artistic vision and who you are. During the course we had a photo share
evening and as the photos were being viewed there were many compliments being
handed out until they got to my photos.
The words I heard were “oh that’s interesting” to “that’s unusual”. The comments were not delivered in a good
tone. At the end of that evening I felt
like tossing my camera in the lake. The
next morning I realized that as much as they didn’t get my photos, their photos
weren’t very interesting to me. My
photos were of horses and horse situations that I love. Their photos were of leaves, rocks, moss and
forested areas. Although they had some
interesting photographs, they weren’t anything I’d hang on my wall. The same thoughts I’m sure they had about my
photographs as well.
Do What You Love
Photography is subjective. When you try to shift your style to please
others, you’ll lose what is special and unique about your photography. It’s important to embrace your art and what
you’re trying to communicate. Some will
love it and others will think it’s “interesting”.
Photography serves as a way to
preserve our fondest memories and record events as they happen. The images can be the most striking form of
art and always mean different things to different people.
BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY TERMINOLOGY
Image File Types
Bitmap:
A bitmap is a type of graphic that is composed of pixels (picture
element) in a grid. Each “pixel” or
“bit” also contains color information for the image. Bitmap graphic formats are a fixed
resolution, meaning the resizing of the bitmap graphic can potentially result
in distortion of the image and show jagged edges.
Popular
Bitmap Formats: Some popular bitmap formats include: JPEG,
GIF and TIFF. A common synonym for bitmap is "raster".
GIF: GIF
stands for “Graphics Interchange Format” and is a file format for storing
graphical images up to 256 colors. A “GIF” is a popular image format and image
file extension. It is also a popular image file used on the World Wide
Web. When using text on images, a GIF
has a tendency to be a better option than a JPEG due to the file size being
smaller. JPEG files also tend to have
some degree of compression which can cause text to be blurry.
JPEG: Stands
for “Joint Photographic Experts Group”, after the organization that developed
the format and is pronounced (jay-peg). JPEG
is designed for compressing either full-color or gray-scale digital
images. The JPEG (or JPG) format is
commonly used because it can reduce an image file size by up to 90% without
losing a lot of image quality noticeable to the naked eye. The more an image is
compressed, the more the image quality will be negatively affected.
TIFF:
A popular image format and image file
extension, "TIFF" stands for “Tagged Image File Format”. It is a complex, but flexible file format
used to store digital images. TIFF can compress large images without losing
information in the process or causing damage to the file. TIFF picks up where
JPEG may leave off when it comes to larger files requiring greater
compression. The TIFF format is
supported by several systems, and a common format for scanned images such as
photographs.
RAW: Many
high-end cameras have the ability to shoot in a “RAW” mode. When shooting in “RAW” mode your images will
not be compressed and will be left completely unprocessed. The “RAW” image file contains minimally
processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera or image scanner. They also have a wider dynamic range
or color gamut than the eventual final image format. RAW files are typically "closest"
to the real picture, meaning it preserves most of the image details. The
purpose of Raw image formats is to accurately record both 100% of exactly what
the sensor "saw" or "sensed" (the data), and the conditions
surrounding the recording of the image (the metadata).
Other Photography Terms
DPI: One of the ways in
which resolution is expressed is DPI (dots per inch). It refers to the number
of pixels representing one square inch of image information. A high DPI results
in greater image detail for printing purposes, but it also means larger file
sizes and memory usage. For example, a 1" x 1" image at 72 DPI
contains 5,184 (72 x 72) dots (pixels), while the same 1" x 1" image
at 300 DPI contains 90,000 (300 x 300) dots.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol is
a standard that allows users to transfer files from one computer to another.
Grain:
The sand-like or granular appearance of a
print, slide, negative or digital image. Grain becomes more noticeable with
higher
Image
Resolution: The amount of data stored in an
image file, measured in pixels per inch (PPI) or dots per inch (DPI).
Resolution: In digital
photography, resolution is a measurement of the number of pixels that make up a
digital photograph. Resolution is one of the benchmarks of digital cameras and
images. More pixels allow the production of bigger prints. Any of the modern 3,
4 & 5 megapixel cameras will allow making great 8x10 inch prints. Usually
for prints 11x14 inches or more, it's preferable to use 4+ megapixel camera
models.
Saturation: Saturation
is the density of a color.
Thumbnails:
Miniature images, resembling slides.
Thumbnails are small, low-resolution images, typically used to display search
results because they are easy to browse through. When you upload an image to a
royalty free stock photography site, it will be displayed as a thumbnail.
Digital
Watermark: A digital watermark is an imprint
used to brand images as property of an online retailer. The imprint is removed
once the image is sold. A watermark
protects the photo from being downloaded and used by someone else without
permission. However, a Photoshop expert
could possibly remove a watermark with a photo-editing program. They keep the honest person, honest. They’re not necessarily the best deterrent.
Watermark: A logo or mark that is
superimposed on an image. Preview images are watermarked because they can be
saved from a browser without purchase. Hi-resolution images purchased by the
buyer are not watermarked.
Assignment:
The information on assignment one helps
me get a better idea of who you are as a student, what you want to learn, what
you already know and what your skill level is.
There is no wrong answer, but please provide details to your answers.
1. What is your
goal with this class?
What
would you like to take away from this course?
2.
What is your photography experience?
How
much experience do you have?
Are
you a beginner, intermediate or advanced photographer?
Are
you photographing for fun, hobby or for
business?
What
type of equine photography experience do you have?
Do
you have any other photography experience?
3.
What do you hope to learn from this course?
Is there anything specific you
would like to learn from this class?
4.
What type of camera do you have for the course?
Please
list the specific camera brand you're using and any lens that you will be
photographing with such as (canon 70-200 f2.8) this will help me learn more
about what you're working with.
5.
How familiar are you with the camera you're using?
Does
your camera have the ability to photography in manual mode?
Does
your camera have the ability to photograph in shutter or aperture priority
mode?
How
long have you had your camera?
How
much have you used your camera?
What
camera modes have you experimented with (manual, shutter, aperture,
priority, auto, other)
6.
Have you read your camera's manual?
Did
you read your manual front to back?
Did
you have questions when you finished reading the manual or did it help you
understand your camera better?
What
is the sync speed for your camera when using flash? <-- this is in
your camera manual.
Please
send your answers to me at: info@lynettesmith.com
You
may sent them as an attachment in a Word document or
in the body of an email. Make sure your full
name and email address is on the document...not just on the email.