Bies-Katie

What is important about focus? How do you get good focus in a digital slr photograph?
Focus is very important because it affects the quality of your photographs. It can also help draw the viewer's attention to the subject and emphasise it. Before you shoot your photo take time to purposefully focus your camera. Keep in mind that if you are to close to your subject the camera will have difficulty focusing on it so try to be an arms length away from your subject. If your camera is still having trouble autofocusing try to manually focus the camera.

Explain in your own words what depth of field is and why it's important to understand when shooting photos.
Depth of field is the range of distance that a photo appears clear and in focus. It is important to understand when shooting photos because you can control how large your depth of field is in your photos and this makes a large difference on what you want the focus to be. Having a large depth of field will allow you to have a larger area of focus and not one small specific subject. A small depth of field can draw the viewer's eyes to the clear part of your image. 

== What is the exposure triangle and why is it important to making quality photos? (HINT...there are 3 parts to the Triangle make sure you explain all three and how they relate to each other and making a good photo.) == The exposure triangle is made up of three parts ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. These are manipulated in order to change the exposure of a photo. ISO is a digital camera's sensitivity to light. ISO is measured in numbers and the lower the number the lower the sensitivity to light. When choosing ISO think about your setting and how much light is there, for settings with a lot of light use low ISO if there is little light use a higher ISO. Aperture is the size of the opening of the lense when the photo is taken. Aperture is measured in F stops, the smaller the f number the larger the lense opening. Along with impacting exposure the aperture can also change the depth of field. The final part of the exposure triangle is shutter speed. This is the amount of time the shutter is opened and it is measured in seconds. This can help you show movement in your photos. All of these relate to each other because they all impact each other and you need to keep all of these in mind before shooting.

What are the 5 compositional techniques we use in photography? EXPLAIN don't just list.
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 * 1)  The first technique is the rule of thirds. Imagine taking a photo and cutting it into 9 equal sections. The points of intersection are considered the interesting points and placing your subject there can break up your image so it is more appealing to look at. Avoid placing your subject in the center of the photograph all the time because this can get boring. This also identifies the horizontal lines where you should try and place your horizon.
 * 1)  The second technique is framing. This is using elements in the shot to frame your subject. One example of this would be using doorframes, windows, or even other people to place around your subject. This can help give your photo context. It also adds layers and depth and leads the viewer's eyes to the focal point. However you need to think about if a frame will add or take away from the image before using one. Sometimes a frame can be too distracting.
 * 1)  The third technique is to fill the frame. When shooting people be careful not to lose the person in the scene and choose the right balance of your distance away from your subject. Make sure not to lose any important or interesting details when you zoom in. When shooting still life make sure you play with the zoom and see which distance looks the most appealing and fills the frame while still giving context to the photo. Try to switch up your angle to help add interest as well. If you take a shot and notice something on the sides you don't like crop it out when you edit it later.
 * 1)  Next is level horizon. You want your horizon to be straight across your photo having diagonal lines can be confusing and hard to look at. Line up your horizon in your viewfinder and maybe play around with how much of the ground or sky is showing to add interest in that way.
 * 1)  The final compositional technique is leading lines. His can add interest and lead people around your photo. Diagonal lines create tension and drama in a photo where curved lines create peace and harmony in your photo. Add interest to where your lines converge.

Which lighting techniques come from natural sources and which come from artificial? When would you use one vs another?
Natural light comes from nature such as sunlight, moonlight, starlight, or fire light. Artificial light is man made such as flash, studio lights, fill lights, and bounce lights. These lights are easier to manipulate whereas natural light is more difficult to change. Use artificial light when creating extreme dramatic photos. Natural light works better for natural photos and have a softer light to them.

In terms of lighting what kinds of light sources do you already have experience shooting photos with? Explain.
I have experience with natural light because we all have access to the sun's light everyday. I have some experience with flash because I often use my phones flash at night when I need to create light to take a photo.