Photography Honor - Using a disposable camera

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Using a Disposable Camera -
Photography Honor

Using the Flash and Using the Angles

The Basics: An Introduction
-Framing & Camera Steadiness
-Direction & Quality of Lighting & Rule of Thirds
-Filling the frame & Use of Leading Lines
-Using a Flash & Using the AnglesHave you ever gotten photos back and the peoples faces are "super shiny" while the background is dark? If so, then you've experience the improper use of the flash!

Using a flash has two main uses:

To illuminate subjects (such as people) in a dark room
to fill in shadows on the subject.

Using a Flash:

Most flashes should be used no closer to a subject than 6 feet. and more than 20 feet away. Any closer and it will "wash out" your subject, (depending on flash), and any farther away, the light won't even reach.
For example: Have you ever seen people use a flash at a football game, or in a large stadium in hopes of getting photos of the people on the field? The flash won't help because its too far away!
Don't try to use a flash when there is a reflective object directly in front of the lens. For example, a mirror or window behind your friends, or the fishtank glass between you and that shark at SeaWorld. Move off to the side diagonally a little, so that the light, when it flashes off the reflective object, won't bounce directly back to your lens, but instead will bounce into empty space beside you!
Use the flash to fill in shadows. If your subject has side-lighting erasing the features on its face that you want to capture on film, use the flash to erase the shadows. BE SURE you're far enough away, or the whol picture will be blotted out!

Some ideas for Pathfinders:

1. Try using a flash when your friends are in a dark cave or room. Arrange them 6 feet away from your camera, then take 2 pictures. One with a flash and one without. Notice the difference. Now take one with your friend(s) only 3 feet away. What happened?

2. At your next campout, just before sunset grab some friends and have them stand in front of camp, with the sunlight coming from one side, casting shadows on their faces. Take 2 pictures. One with fill-in flash, and one without. What was the difference?

Use of Angles:

Subjects look different depending on where you are in relation to them when you take the picture.

You'll need three photos for this requirement, though they don't have to be of the same object. A High-angle, Mid-angle, and Low-angle photograph.

High angle means: looking down on your subject

Mid-angle means: looking at your subject straight on.

Low-angle means: looking up at your subject

For this requirement, take a subject, such as some tall straight trees, and take a picture looking straight at them, then another one by laying on the ground looking up through the trees. Did the angle make a difference?

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and that now you're ready to go earn the photography honor or teach it to your Pathfinders.

Did you enjoy this tutorial? Suggestions how we could make it better? If so, let us know

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