3.0 Creative and Natural Portraits

One of the main points of this unit is to focus on playing with DEPTH OF FIELD, also known as playing with APERTURE (part of the exposure triangle). So let's refresh our minds what that is 👇🏼

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

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).

EXERCISE PRATICE:

Pick an object from your backpack
I want you to shoot on Aperture Priority Mode on your camera so you can adjust your ISO and Aperture, but then your camera does the thinking for the shutter speed for you.

Since we're practicing in class, start with ISO 400 and F Stop 3.5 (keep your lens zoomed out, you move closer to your subject if you need to get closer to it).
Then take another photo with F Stop 5.6 and if your photo comes out dark, then change your ISO to the next stop up (ISO 800) so that the photo isn't blurry or dark. Write down what ISO you had to change it to to make it well exposed.
Then take another photo with F Stop 8 and if your photo comes out dark, then change your ISO to the next stop up (ISO 1600) so that the photo isn't blurry or dark. Write down what ISO you had to change it to to make it well exposed.
Then take another photo at F16 and if your photo comes out dark, then change your ISO to the next stop up (ISO 3200) so that the photo isn't blurry or dark again. Write down what ISO you had to change it to to make it well exposed.

Then with those 4 images, place them on a PowerPoint presentation and explain the difference you see in EACH photo. You can even use arrows to point out the difference if you wanted.

Portrait Photography.pdf

Step 1: Now for the FUN stuff (photo assignment)

Remember, Natural Portraits is driven by the SUBJECT, and Creative Portraits is driven by the IDEA.

3 Subjects (these need to be living breathing human beings)
40 Creative Photos
40 Natural Photos
50 edits (however you'd like to edit)
4 finals (2 from each category)

Student Work from 2024-2025

Know how to change your focus points on your camera. This is for CANON and NIKON.

EXERCISE PRACTICE (1 day to do):

I want you to take your cameras using the focal points to focus on your subject AND let's utilize WINDOW lighting first.
1. Photo 1: First take a photo with your back to the window but your subjects face facing the window so they have lots of light on them. Make sure they're really close to the window
2. Photo 2: Then have them step back like 5 steps, see how the light and the photo looks different?
3. Photo 3, 4, and 5: Now I want you to play with them angling themselves from right to left, watch how one side is illuminated by the window and the other side is shadowed.
4. Now place your subjects back to the window and you as the photographer are facing the camera, see the difference of them being BACKLIT.
After you have used the window lighting. Let's go outside (weather permitting) and do the following:
1. Subject Facing the sun
2. Sun hitting only the right side of the subject
3. Sun hitting only the left side of the subject
4. Sun hitting the backside of the subject

When we come back in, I want you to make a PowerPoint Presentation and put the following on it:

Title Slide with your name
Slide 1 Titled Window lighting --> Share the 6 photos you took and explain to me the differences you see in the images
Slide 2 Titled Outside Lighting --> Share the 4 photos you took and explain to me the differences you see in the images

Step 2: We love Portraits, so let's study a Portrait Photographer (3 days to do)

Portrait Photographer Research.pdf

2 - Photoshop Unit Fix Face.pdf

Step 3: Fix Face Photoshop Assignment (2 days to do)

Well not everyone is perfect with glowing, radiant, beautiful skin. Or teeth. Or sometimes our flash went off and now we have red eyes. Well let's learn to fix that.

Download this photo and follow along with the tutorial: Download me and Fix Me
Once you've followed the video tutorial please download and fix the following:
1. Blemishes (7 photos)
2. Teeth Whitening (7 photos)
3. Wrinkles (7 Photos)
4. Red eye (7 photos)
Make sure you save the original picture along with the edited picture.
1. Take screenshots of each folder to show BEFORE and AFTER and turn those screenshots into TEAMS.

Didn't get the blur you wanted? Let's learn how to fix that (1 day to do)

Using the photos we took in class, open them up in Photoshop and follow along with this tutorial.
I want you to do a total of 20 images adding depth of field into them.
Turn the screenshot into teams

Brain Buffet? What the heck is that? (2 full days to do)

You will be using a program called brain buffet throughout the year. We will be finishing up 1 Project EACH month. So, I would like you to be working on Project 4.

First off, let's download all of the exercise files we will need for this course
- Click HERE to download
Click here to log in: https://brainbuffet.com/sign-up/eagle-high-school-2021-2022/?gid=90046409&unerCG5N68DrA
- Now bookmark that bad boy, we are bookmarking people here.
- Use your student email, username, and password that you use for the school stuff. Same username and password you use to log into the computers here at school.
Once you're logged in you will see Photoshop Certification 2025 Course, click that.
There will be a section that says Photoshop Project Files, please go and download, through Microsoft Cloud, all the project files you will need. That means download EVERY folder.

Learning Target:

Students will capture dynamic and expressive portraits by mastering aperture settings to control depth of field, utilizing natural light and creative composition, and refining their images in Photoshop to enhance the final result.

Learning Intentions:

I will understand the role of aperture in controlling depth of field and how to use it to achieve sharp focus on my subject while blurring the background for a professional look.
I will apply aperture settings to manipulate how much of the portrait is in focus, using shallow depth of field for emphasis on the subject and deeper depth for context and environmental portraits.
I will experiment with different lighting techniques, utilizing natural light sources to enhance the mood and texture of the portrait.
I will compose portraits thoughtfully, considering framing, angles, and positioning to create engaging and aesthetically pleasing images.
I will capture authentic expressions and emotions by interacting with the subject, ensuring that the portrait conveys their personality and story.
I will use Photoshop to refine portraits, applying techniques such as skin smoothing, color grading, and background enhancements to elevate the overall image.
I will reflect on the technical and creative aspects of my work, evaluating how my use of aperture, composition, and editing techniques contribute to the final portrait.

How:

1.1.2 Describe the significance of infulential historical photographers
1.1.3 Research significant developments, advancements and current trends in the evolution of photography
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
4.1.4 Demonstrate proper handling of a digital camera
4.1.5 Navigate menus of digital cameras
5.1.1 Describe and utilize the basic elements of exposure (e.g., ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.)
5.1.7 List the factors that affect depth of field
7.2.3 Demonstrate digital manipulation (e.g., layers, layer mask, etc.)
7.2.1 Demonstrate understanding of global and local image enhancements using digital imaging software
7.2.5 Apply image adjustments (e.g., levels, curves, contrast, etc.)

HOW:

Students will apply these skills with proper camera's that are either supplied by themselves or by the teacher. They will then demonstrate their photoshop skills in class in Adobe Photoshop

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