Fundamentals of Photography

Series: Great Courses

4.6

(189)

Episodes

Rating

TVPG

Year

2012

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

National Geographic Masters of Photography goes inside the creative process of the industry's most sought-after photographers as they reveal their working methods, from the planning stages of an assignment through the execution. Twelve National Geographic photographers teach two lessons each, offering rich insights into how to approach your own images and boost your confidence as you work.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. Making Great Pictures

30m

What makes a photograph iconic? What three things must every picture have to stand out from any old snapshot? These two questions form the core of Mr. Sartore's introduction to the course. You'll also discover that a great picture doesn't rely on equipment-but on being able to see and think critically about your surroundings.

2. Camera Equipment-What You Need

30m

To take a picture, you need to have good equipment. Here, get a no-nonsense guide to finding photography equipment-including cameras, tripods, and camera bags-that fits your needs. Also, take an in-depth look at a camera's controls and settings for everything from aperture to shutter speed to ISO (your film's sensitivity to light).

3. Lenses and Focal Length

30m

Lenses are the most critical tools of photography. In this lecture, he takes you into the field and shows you different camera lenses in action. Among them: 70–200 mm (good for blurring out distracting backgrounds), rectilinear lenses (great for photographing things with minimal distortion), and wide-angle lenses (perfect for both landscapes and for shooting subjects in tight quarters).

4. Shutter Speeds

30m

Your camera's shutter speed controls how much light enters the lens in a shot. Learn how to become a master at working with this critical tool of photography. You'll discover when to use fast or slow shutter speeds, study each speed's unique effects, and uncover different techniques-such as panning and ghosting-that can add great artistic touches.

5. Aperture and Depth of Field

30m

What do numbers such as f/1.4, f/2.8, or f/16 mean? Finally make sense of your camera's aperture settings, which can help create eye-popping visual effects and solve specific compositional problems. Then examine some of Mr. Sartore's acclaimed work to see the dramatic relationship between aperture and a photograph's depth of field.

6. Light I-Found or Ambient Light

30m

In this first lecture on one of the two building blocks of photography, learn how to tap into the power of ambient light, which isn't created in a studio but is found around you. Look at how you should adjust your camera to make the most of found light, and learn the best kind of ambient light to shoot in and why. Explore front lighting, hatchet lighting, and even zebra lighting.

7. Light II-Color and Intensity

30m

Continue exploring light and photography with a look at color-both the "color" of different types of light and colors as they appear in your photographs. Then, focus on the differences between hard light and soft light, and how to adjust your camera accordingly to maximize the potential of these key photographic elements.

8. Light III-Introduced Light

30m

Mr. Sartore discusses a tricky type of light: man-made (or introduced) light. You'll learn tips for manipulating different sources of light (including firelight, car taillights, reflectors, and spotlights). Also, you'll start to see your camera's flash setting as not a pesky button but a powerful tool for creating breathtaking effects in your photography.

9. Composition I-Seeing Well

30m

How do you truly capture the beauty of the three-dimensional world around you? The answer lies within composition-photography's second building block. In the first of three lectures on the subject, analyze a series of pictures to get a basic understanding of how framing works.

10. Composition II-Background and Perspective

30m

Great composition also involves paying attention to background and perspective. Here, Mr. Sartore offers you numerous tips and strategies for finding the perfect background, examining the benefits and drawbacks of particular perspectives, and avoiding compositional mistakes that can ruin the power of even the most perfectly lit photograph.

Extended Details

SeriesGreat Courses

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Kim FullerActor