1. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I. Copyright © 2003 – 2009 Kenji Tachibana Self Portrait – Thing Shoot 47 slides

2. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Shoot a Thing: Shoot all stages This might be the most challenging self portrait shoot. Cover it as an ID, HS, and Env treatments. Or shoot it as a stage 1, 2, & 3 variations. They both mean quite similar thing to me but your take may be different. In the Env or the stage 3 shot, the story must be yours. And the image must be packed so that the viewer can unpack at least 3 different visual elements.

3. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Primary Considerations: 1.StoryIt must be personal and meaningful. It must be simple but not an ID only shot. 2.CompositionFill the frame with the complete story. The object and the place must have a convincing relationship. 3.TechniqueMake it transparent, flawless. 4.LightingMake it jump off the page with high form side lighting.

4. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Thing Shot: Phase 1 and 2 Phase 1: The Seikonic light meter and it parts are clearly shown as an ‘ID’ shot. The wood surface is starting to suggest Phase 2. Phase 2: The Belkin surge protector is shot In ¾ showing more form. And the back- ground is space with the gradated to black background

5. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Thing Shoot: Phase 3 At first glance, the maple leaf may appear to be the subject. But, the dew drops are the subject. The maple leaf is the background. The image was processed with advanced retouching to group the dew drops for first, second, and third reading order.

6. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Phase 3: This image of the water drops fits more of my Thing assignment requirements by having the background separated from the subject.

7. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Phase 3: This example contains at least 3 things from the ‘don’t do’ list. But it’s handle well. And it’s using the triangle to organize the visual elements into a group.

8. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Phase 3d: Another example with the ‘don’t do’ image elements. It uses red and has an obvious tangency. And the subject is also shiny. Hopefully, you see and sense that it is all intentional…

9. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Phase 3: Weight it… This image was definitely MADE. The weights were found in a second hand store. The map was found and shot elsewhere. The images were then merged into one. And it’s the cast shadow built in Photoshop which makes it work..

10. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Phase 3: Some tea? I answered yes to the question at lunch. I was pleasantly surprised when it came. Here is a stage 2 interpretation of the tea and kettle. I want you to almost be able to taste it…

11. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Phase 3: Here is an excellent student Thing Shot. She learned the fill- the-frame idea too well. I use this image to talk about backing off by 10% (frame safety margin).

12. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Phase 3: Here is another good student Thing Shot. The King is trapped on the chessboard. The excellent second reading is the seat back which is creating a jail cell bar- like detail in the background.

13. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Subject : Choose wisely Consider shooting something small and light weight. That will make it easy to transport and to manipulate. And, if that object belongs to you, that will make it easier to ‘fine tune’ re-shoot. Avoid anything white, black, or shiny if possible. If not, expect to run into technical difficulties that you must solve before shooting. Also avoid object that may age with time. That will make it hard or impossible to re-shoot.

14. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Tonal Range: Manipulate as needed Both shots were taken under the same direct sunlight condition. The top example is ‘flat-front’ lit’ And the bottom example is ‘top-back’ lit. Light direction matters Even more when shooting a shiny thing. I intentionally moved around the subject to use the glare for creating image depth and visual interest.

15. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Exposure: Based on story Both shots were taken under the same lighting condition. Although there is at least five-stop difference between the two shots. Talk about this special exposure issue in your team groups…

16. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Expose for Detail: Shooting shiny things often means purposely under exposing to retain highlight detail. This bug was parked on a hillside near my house. I shot for nostalgia sake. I practiced to shoot it to get the VW account. When I finally got it, the VW changed it shape and came out with the more angular Rabbit series.

17. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Process To: Normal Normal brightness is part of the post production lab work phase of the image making process. Since this ‘ordinary looking’ image has high tonal range (almost HDR), it got ‘under exposed’ to retain highlight detail and ‘processed’ to bring up shadow detail.

18. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Retouch: Isolate subject An story decision was made about the car parked behind the VW that it is a distraction from the subject. It was toned down to reduce its presence. It was not eliminated because that would have taken too long and it would also have reduced visual interest.

19. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Retouch Process: Habit forming The retouching process, cloning in particular, can be very enjoyable. Therefore it is very easy to get carried away and stamp (clone) out too much photographic detail from an image. You must take care to clone out only the bare minimum. Every digital editing move is something that might show up in the final image.

20. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Assignment Requirements:  Image Size2547 x 1955 or close as possible  Image SizeOptional listing 5 to 6 mega pixel  Image QualityHighest quality jpeg  Exposure ModeAuto-P  Exposure meterMatrix - computerized default  ApertureDeep DOF range from f/5 to f/6.3  ApertureDSLR – deep DOF range f/11 to f22  White balanceAuto – don’t use other settings  SensitivityISO 100 - don’t use other settings  SensitivityDSLR – ISO 400 allowed  FocusAuto - be sure to lock focus and recompose as needed  Focal lengthFull range from18 to 22mm preferred  Focal lengthDSLR 50 to 70mm preferred  Digital zoomNever use – it’s a lie.  FlashNever use in this class

21. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot Assignment Process: 1.Select your image choices based on Stages 1, 2, and 3 and rename them to:  “1_nameStage1.jpg”  “2_nameStage2.jpg”  “3_nameStage3.jpg”  “4_nameLight.jpg 2.Apply Photoshop adjustments Levels, Brightness/ Contrast, and Color.  “1_namePhase1.psd”  “2_namePhase2. psd”  “4_nameLight.psd”

22. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Self Portrait: Thing shoot PowerPoint: Relevant shows 07e_caseStudy_6.pps – fill the frame 08c_frogStages_9.pps– all 3 stages 08d_canonTest&.pps – indoor & outdoor 09b_stagesSpring.pps – incremental improvements 09c_sharpiDesign.pps – found object to an ad layout 09e_enriwqGolf_16.pps – Sunlight, HDR, and better story 10a_stagesMNscenes.pps – stages and variations 10b_stagesTarget.pps – Using design, color, and tangency 10d_caucus.pps – follow me around while I shoot found situations and things 12d_stagesFound.pps – spare architectural detail story 14_betterBetter.pps – student example ‘improved’ 14ps_making Image.pps – Seattle cityscape found and MADE 16_caseStudy_8.pps – Sam descending staircase

23. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I x Student Examples

24. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis: Robert’s Thing re-shoot: The Least choice to the right has a better composition. The Best choice is too tightly cropped, which results in leg amputation. And combination of elements makes it feel staged or stiff. The right image has a more relaxed found-image feeling with a natural situational humor. Best choice Least choice

25. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis: Viewing Size and Distance: At this small image size, the left one may seem to have more Presence. But if both images were 8x10 or larger prints, the image to the right will stand out more because of the better layout and more believable story. When composing through your viewfinder/LCD, final output must be a concerns. Sometimes, shot variations are done for different outputs in mind.

26. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis: Design Analysis: The design on the left is basically a diagonal line. Whereas the design on the right is based on a more interesting diamond shape. And its shape also has the advantage of keeping the viewer’s eyes moving but staying within the layout. Straight line composition can be bold but has a tendency to throw the viewer diagonally off the page prematurely.

27. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis: Proportion, Shape, or Ratio Both Robert and Melissa’s pictures share something in common. The image ratios are 3:2, which makes both of them too tall. And both images are cropped too tight. Robert can’t afford to lose any image area. And Melissa will lose valuable image elements if cropped. DSLR shotCompact digital set to 3:2

28. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis: 8x10 Print Shape: Neither image crop well for the 8 x10 print

29. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Photoshop: Shape shifting Sometimes a framing issue can be fixed in Photoshop using the Scale tool. I scaled the image to include the fence when cropped to the 8x10 print shape. If you had not seen the image to the left, the organic shape of the tomato shape will still look believable.

30. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I x Light Control: Diffuser, reflector, and light block

31. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Single Light :Mantra Whether using 1 or more light sources, the final result should ‘look & feel’ like its lit by a single light source. Easiest way to do that is to use only a single light source. And to manage the dynamic range, use reflectors to bounce light into the shadow areas to ‘open them up’ as needed. If you use a second light source to open up the shadows, you can easily end up with multiple cast shadows.

32. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Light Control: 1 of 2 Sunlight is coming through a 2x3 window Which is covered by a diffuser material. Gradated background is being created by a cereal box and towel acting as a light block, gobo. Making Choices & Design Analysis

33. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Light Control: 2 of 2 Even diffuse light needs tonal range management. A white cardboard is a fill-card reflecting light back into the shadow side of the subject. The mirror is redirecting the key light. The camera was mounted here to get the example shot to the right.

34. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I x More Student Examples

35. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Example 1: Thing shoot The side lighting is acceptable but : 1.The prop is too strong. 2.There is too much space at the top. 3.There is a separation problem. 4.There is not enough space at the bottom. 5.The ear is also causing a tangency. And because of the subject shape, it’s also is becoming a tip-of-the-arrow.

36. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Thing Shot: Re-shoot Re-shoot correct all the original errors but the framing is still too close by 20%. Framing too close can limit its potential commercial use and framing display options. The image is ½-stop under exposed but the lighting is better. Please squint view compare the two images. OriginalRe-shoot

37. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Example 2: Thing shoot This is a marginal Thing shot with two (2) light sources. Assignment requirement is for only 1 light source. The key-light is from camera right and it is too hard which can be easily seen by the hard shadow. The second light source is in the back acting as a top-back light putting a nice sheen on the shiny floor, which is another don’t use item).

38. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Example 2: Thing shoot I gave her an online feedback that we need a clue about the subject function. The subject is her dog’s favorite Squeaky toy. I suggested that maybe having the dog in the background might give the viewer enough of a clue…

39. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Very Successful Re-shoot: I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the new image. I had expected to see a blurry image of the dog in the background. Getting a puppy to be this cooperative is impressive. There is just enough of the dog to complete the story without taking away from the dog toy as the subject.

40. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Much Better: The only issue was the unwanted cropping and also cropping to a wrong shape. The camera original shows very good camera framing. And it perfect that we do not see the puppy’s eye…

41. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Lab Step 1: Cropping: The dark framing shows the final cropping. It is a easily removable Photoshop Layer. The layer is partially transparent (80%) to let some of the image show to through to see what was cropped out.

42. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Lab Step 2: Process The main affect of the processing is that the image looks brighter. Then you might notice that the colors are more vibrant. Another improvement is that the sense of space has been enlarged.

43. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Unwanted Details: The processing also brought out distracting image details which needs to be removed or toned down and they are circled in red.

44. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Retouching: The Clone Tool was used to eliminate or minimize distracting details. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to compare this image with the previous image.

45. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Watch It: Using the Clone Tool can become a ‘feel good’ habit. It’s easy to get carried away ‘cleaning up’ the image. Learn to resist the alluring temptation. Like, don’t touch the red oval area.

46. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Know What To Keep: The three (3) red oval areas create a very nice triangulation. And that opportunity would not have happened if the bottom oval area was ‘cleaned up’.

47. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I Making Choices & Design Analysis Summary: spThing shoot Remember that the Thing shoot is still a self portrait. Make the story connection real, deep, personally meaningful.

48. Teacher: Kenji Tachibana Digital Photography I x End