The Art Class

Swartzy · September 19, 2008

Shot up at a college this afternoon...drawing and ceramics department. Wow they sure use lots of props...LOL! Serious challenging light conditions....upped my flash exposure +1 with the 70-200 shots/snooted/bounced

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

Thanks for looking! :lust

Ed911 · September 19, 2008

School Days...
Wonderful insight via your camera...great shots. How was it that you were invited?
One and three are my favorites...that BW is really good...

Swartzy · September 19, 2008

Ed911 wrote:

Wonderful insight via your camera...great shots. How was it that you were invited?
One and three are my favorites...that BW is really good...

Thanks Ed. Am working on a marketing project for school's usage. Possibly some larger prints for department visiblity/promotion.

Agnieszka · September 19, 2008

Wonderful!!! Very nice journalistic photos, great use of light ... great composition. Way to go!

(Awwwww ... I miss my drawing classes :cry ...)

Risenhoover · September 19, 2008

These are great, #1,#4 and #5 are my favorites. I especially like the depth in #1, nice work!

SitterS · September 19, 2008

Really nice shots. The lighting looks great in all but really liking the first one. Would like to know some tech info on these if you have time. Also which lens did you use for these shots?

This will be my third year doing the yearbook for my sons school so I can appreciate the classroom shots. I photograph elementary students and the challenge at times is to enter the classroom and not distract the teacher and students. I always tell them their picture will not be taken if they are not listening to the teacher. I love the shots where they are doing their work, art, etc and not looking at the camera with the cheesy smile. I think music and art class are my favorite to photograph.

Shane

Qarik · September 19, 2008

very well lit crisp shots.

Swartzy · September 19, 2008

Agnieszka wrote:

Wonderful!!! Very nice journalistic photos, great use of light ... great composition. Way to go!

(Awwwww ... I miss my drawing classes :cry ...)

Thank you Angie! I love event shooting as it really makes one focus on what to convey in the images. So glad I've accomplished that per your kind comment! Heh, drawing class...they wouldn't even give me a pencil

Swartzy · September 19, 2008

Risenhoover wrote:

These are great, #1,#4 and #5 are my favorites. I especially like the depth in #1, nice work!

Thanks Risenhoover! That table in the middle with all those things...golly, a guy could shoot stuff for hours there

Swartzy · September 19, 2008

SitterS wrote:

Really nice shots. The lighting looks great in all but really liking the first one. Would like to know some tech info on these if you have time. Also which lens did you use for these shots?

This will be my third year doing the yearbook for my sons school so I can appreciate the classroom shots. I photograph elementary students and the challenge at times is to enter the classroom and not distract the teacher and students. I always tell them their picture will not be taken if they are not listening to the teacher. I love the shots where they are doing their work, art, etc and not looking at the camera with the cheesy smile. I think music and art class are my favorite to photograph.

Shane

Hey Shane, thanks! Ok...the set up/specs:

I could have brought in lights/umbrellas, etc...but wanted something different....selective lighting. These were all shot using flash "on board". I have a black foamy piece that I velcro 1/2 around my flash head. Then, looking at from which direction I wish the light to enter, simply spin the head/angle and so on to achieve that look. After awhile you get to know based on distance how much to "ride" the flash exposure and where you are bouncing it. Fortunately there were white walls. The ceilings were high as they converted an old gym into an art room. Using the foamy 1/2 snoot allowed for specific lighting.

The camera was set to manual of course. ISO 500 (yea, could have done 800 to save the batteries but wanted cleaner images). I used 2 lenses. This series was with the 70-200 f/4. Aperture was from f/4 to f/5. FEC was from 0 to +1 depending on where I was in relation to subject(s) and how much light to position where. Shutter speed was for the most part at 1/160th. This still allowed for enough ambient light to come in but what was most important to me is getting proper exposure. Sure, these could have been shot at 1/60th but with a 70-200 zoomed at 200.....forget it...didn't want to deal with camera blur nor subject blur. In fact, unless I'm going for some artistic thing with 2nd curtain sync and dragging the shutter, the lowest I let the shutter speed get is 1/100.....once in a while if everyone is static, 1/80th.

Getting enough light is most important as your focus, detail, sharpness, color, etc. will make or break. This project, unlike a wedding, did not require getting a ton of ambient "mood" so to speak, so letting the flash do the work did well.

BTW, the flash was set to ETTL which made it easier when moving around the room. If you are stationary you can dial in using Manual on the flash then have consistent exposures every shot.....:D but you know I'm all about variety...

Thanks again and good luck with your school shoots!

Swartzy · September 19, 2008

Qarik wrote:

very well lit crisp shots.

Thanks for stoppin by Qarik!

JAG · September 19, 2008

great work and ty for the explination on 1/2 snoot and light bounce.

Elaine · September 19, 2008

I love how they don't seem to notice or care that you're there. You caught real moments and I like the lighting and processing. What a fun job! And you did it so well!