0.0 History and E's and P's of Photography

First things first, let's chat HISTORY

History and Exposure Triangle.pdf

History, we may love it, we may hate it, but we've got to learn it.

We can go through this whole PowerPoint, but lets summarize a few days worth of notes, let's watch the History of Photography here: Watch The History Here!
We will review each key point in photography together in class
After we've learned the goods, let's use our notes and take this quiz (yes this is open note, hopefully you took some good stuff):

Now let's do some ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of Photography

1-Elements and Principles.pdf

Now to the good stuff, let's learn how to make a photo STAND OUT

Let's go over these together.
Then on your own you will download this PDF document and fill in the BLANKS using this PowerPoint on the left: Download and Fill in The Blank!

EXERCISE TIME:

GRAB YOUR PHONES, YES YOU HEARD ME. LET'S PRACTICE.

Pick an object out of your backpack, is that your water bottle? Your keys? A notebook? Maybe even your laptop? Pick one to be your MAIN subject.
Based off of the packet you filled in above, take a photo to make that subject stand out and look GOOD in our classroom. You will have 10 minutes to take 5 absolutely amazing images. You have to take 10-20 photos to get those 5 amazing images, so go for it.

Elements of Art – What to Look For

Line:
- Look for lines that guide the viewer’s eye.
- Examples: desk edges, cords, pencils, shadows, blinds, door frames.
Shape:
- Capture geometric or organic shapes.
- Examples: scissors, posters, cutouts, chair backs, lights.
Form:
- Show 3D qualities using light and shadow.
- Examples: crumpled paper, stacked books, backpacks, objects on desks.
Texture:
- Make viewers feel the surface through your photo.
- Examples: carpet, wood grain, fabric, brushes, textured walls.
Color:
- Use color contrast or harmony to create visual interest.
- Examples: bright markers, folders, paper, backpacks, posters.
Value:
- Explore light vs. dark areas for mood or focus.
- Examples: shadows under desks, bright windows, reflections on the whiteboard.
Space:
- Show depth or use negative space creatively.
- Examples: empty chairs, hallways, space between desks

Principles of Design – How to Compose Your Shot

Balance: Create visual stability.
- Examples: symmetrical desks or board setup; asymmetrical color balance.
Contrast: Show strong differences (light/dark, smooth/rough, dull/shiny).
Emphasis: Make one object clearly stand out.
- Use focus, lighting, or background simplicity.
Movement: Lead the viewer’s eye through the photo.
- Use floor lines, cords, or object placement.
Pattern/Repetition: Find repeating elements.
- Examples: rows of chairs, markers, posters, vents.
Unity: Make everything in the frame feel like it belongs together.
- Examples: objects organized by color, shape, or theme.
Variety: Add visual interest with differences in texture, color, or form.

📸 Creative Prompts

“Use line to lead my eye through the image.”
“Find a pattern that looks artistic.”
“Make a boring classroom object look dramatic using contrast.”
“Show emphasis — I should know what to look at first.”
“Use color to make your photo pop.”

💡 Tips for Great Photos

Get close — fill the frame.
Try unusual angles (above, below, behind).
Look for interesting lighting or shadows.
Avoid centering everything — use the rule of thirds.
Think like an artist, not just a documenter.

Now, let's learn how to place our camera correctly to make our subject stand out: COMPOSITION

Step 1: Watch This

READ ME FIRST -- Composition Presentation (1).pptx

Step 2: Let's go over more in depth

Now that we have learned more on COMPOSING an image, use that same subject using these steps/tools and see if you can spot the difference in how the subject looks?

Fill in the blank with your own photo E's and P's.pptx

download me and fill in the blank with your own photos

Overwhelmed yet? Let's see if we can photograph a little.

First and foremost, we will go over the different types of lines we can photograph as a class using the PowerPoint to the left. Then you will use your phones or those of you that have camera's can utilize those as well.

I want you to take these tips and tricks and use them. Take the following photos with your phone:

Leading Line (line where its leads your eye to the subject)
Implied Line (dotted/dashed line)
Framing your subject
Shoot from a birds eye view (high shot looking down)
Shoot from a worms eye view (low shot looking up)
A photo using an emphasis of SHAPE
Emphasize your subject with the use of LIGHT
Emphasize your subject with the use of COLOR
Emphasize your subject with FOCUS (bring them closer to the lens of the camera so the background is blurred)
Use the left side of the Rule of Thirds to INFORMALLY balance your photo
Use the right side of the Rule of Thirds to INFORMALLY balance your photo
Formally Balanced Photo (Split equally)

*save this powerpoint into your ONE DRIVE and turn in on the teams assignment*

Feel confident in your composing (aka how to place your subject)? Is it standing out exactly how you want it to? Or what is missing? Is it too dark? Grainy? Too in focus? Well let's learn how to expose photos. These three key points are what we call the EXPOSURE TRIANGLE.

DOF simulator - Camera depth of field calculator with visual background blur and bokeh simulation.Calculates camera depth of field and background blur and simulates it on a photo for any lens, camera and distance combination with different types of lens blur (bokeh).

Aperture/Depth of Field (DOF)

Aperture works like the pupil of your eye:

When it’s dark, your pupil dilates (gets bigger) to let in more light — like a wide aperture (low f-stop).
When it’s bright, your pupil contracts (gets smaller) to block light — like a narrow aperture (high f-stop).

So, just like your eyes adjust to light, your camera’s aperture opens and closes to control how bright the photo is and how much of it stays in focus.

Aperture controls how much light enters the camera through the lens — it affects both exposure (brightness) and depth of field (how much of the image is in focus).

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls how long the camera’s sensor is exposed to light — it’s like how long you keep your eyes open.

Think of it like blinking — a quick blink lets in less light but freezes what you see, while a slow blink lets in more light but can blur movement.

Let's go play with shutter speed: https://canon.ca/CanonOutsideOfAuto/play

Just a quick little snippet: Shutter speed and aperture work together to control exposure — how bright or dark your photo is.

Aperture controls how much light comes in (the size of the lens opening).
Shutter speed controls how long the light hits the camera sensor.

They balance each other:

If you open the aperture wider (more light), you’ll need a faster shutter speed to avoid overexposure.
If you close the aperture (less light), you’ll need a slower shutter speed to let in enough light.

👉 Think of it like filling a cup:

Aperture = how wide the faucet is open.
Shutter speed = how long the faucet runs.
You can fill the cup perfectly either way — you just adjust one when you change the other.

ISO - How sensitive your camera is to light. Think of this like "fake light" its compensating for the light that isn't there.

ISO 50-200 Produces SHARP images with NO obvious grain or noise (you need a lot of light)
ISO 400-800 Good for outdoor/cloudy or indoor photos
ISO 1600+ You're in a low light (very dark) situation. Which will create obvious grain/noise.

Energy Drink Analogy

ISO is like chugging an energy drink before a test. It gives you an artificial boost — you didn’t actually sleep more (light), but you feel like you have more energy.
The catch: it comes with jittery side effects (grain/noise).

Speaker Volume Analogy

ISO is like turning up the volume on a quiet song. You’re not adding instruments or improving the quality — you’re just making everything louder, including the background noise.
Higher ISO = more noise.

How do these 3 things work together?

ISO, shutter speed, and aperture are the three parts of the exposure triangle — they work together to control how bright or dark your photo is and how it looks overall.

Aperture – controls how much light enters through the lens.
- Wide = more light, blurry background.
- Narrow = less light, more in focus.
Shutter Speed – controls how long the light hits the sensor.
- Fast = freezes motion, darker image.
- Slow = shows motion blur, brighter image.
ISO – controls how sensitive the camera’s sensor is to light.
- Low ISO (100–400) = less sensitive, cleaner image (less grain).
- High ISO (800–3200+) = more sensitive, brighter image, but adds noise.

They all balance each other:

If you change one, you usually adjust another to keep exposure correct.
- Example: In low light, you might open the aperture, slow the shutter speed, or raise the ISO — depending on what creative effect you want.

👉 Think of it like a team:

Aperture controls how much light comes in.
Shutter speed controls how long light comes in.
ISO controls how sensitive the camera is to that light.
Together, they create the perfect exposure and the style you want.

Now let's try these out together

Download this PowerPoint Presentation and fill it in with the steps below: Download me and fill me in
Go to this link: CAMERA SIMULATOR

Then notice the 3 different shooting modes: Shutter Priority (where we can change shutter speed and ISO, but our camera figures out the Aperture number for us), Aperture Priority (where we can change aperture, and ISO, but our camera figures out the Shutter Speed for us) , or Manual (we change all the settings to what we want them to be.

Then on each mode find what settings work together to get the arrow above the image to be at 0. If the arrow is pointing the left the 0 Line Marker then it is an UNDEREXPOSED (dark) image. If it is pointing to the right of the 0 Line marker then it is OVEREXPOSED (bright).
1. Select Shutter Priority--> Make your shutter speed 1/250 and your ISO 100, what is your aperture set to? Screenshot (windows button + shift + s, or print sc (Then copy and paste into folder)) that image using the snipping tool, put it on a PowerPoint, and then write down what the Aperture F Stop was.
2. Select Aperture Priority --> Make your Aperture F stop F5.6 and your ISO 100, what is your shutter speed set to? Screenshot (windows button + shift + s, or print sc (Then copy and paste into folder)) that image using the snipping tool, put it on a PowerPoint, and then write down what the Shutter Speed was.
3. Then select MANUAL MODE --> Set your ISO to 100 and adjust your shutter speed and Aperture (F Stop) to values that will make that arrow on the exposure meter point at the 0 Line marker. Screenshot (windows button + shift + s, or print sc (Then copy and paste into folder)) that image using the snipping tool, put it on a PowerPoint, and then write down what the Aperture and Shutter Speed was.
Save that PowerPoint on OneDrive and turn in on teams.

The World Through Your Eyes Assignment

What are you supposed to do?

Make a PowerPoint Presentation, customize colors, backgrounds, etc,. to help with the overall feel. You can use CANVA as well if you’d like.
Create 5-10 slides with a photo on each slide. Each photo should be accompanied by a brief explanation describing how that photo relates to you in some way. Tell me about YOU.

Learning Target:

Students will explore the evolution of photography and apply foundational photographic principles—such as exposure, composition, and perspective—to create and analyze images that demonstrate an understanding of both historical context and technical execution.

Learning Intentions:

I will investigate the history of photography, understanding key milestones from early techniques to modern digital advancements.
I will identify and apply the "E's" of photography (Exposure, Elements, Emphasis) to enhance the visual impact of my photographs.
I will utilize the "P's" of photography (Perspective, Positioning, Point of View) to create compelling and dynamic compositions.
I will analyze photographic works, recognizing how historical context and technical choices influence the message and effectiveness of an image.
I will reflect on the evolution of photographic technology, considering how it shapes contemporary photographic practices and my own creative approach.

Why:

1.1.3 Research significant developments, advancements and current trends in the evolution of photography
1.1.4 Identify key people and major developments involved in the advancement of digital imaging technology
3.1.1 Identify the applications of color, line, shape, texture, form, space, and value in photographs
3.2.1 Identify the principles of design in photographs (e.g., balance, contrast, rhythm, repetition, movement, variety, emphasis, unity, etc.)
3.3.1 Identify and apply guidelines for composition (e.g. simplicity, rule of thirds, point of view, focal point, proportion/scale, framing, etc.)
3.4.1 Communicate a specific idea or narrative through photographic imagery
4.1.1 Explain various kinds of cameras (e.g., pinhole, view camera, point-and-shot, single lens reflex, etc.)
4.1.4 Demonstrate proper handling of a digital camera
5.1.1 Describe and utilize the basic elements of exposure (e.g., ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.)

How:

In class instruction and presentations. Students will apply these skills with proper camera's or tools that are either supplied by themselves or by the teacher.

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