The Photoreportage and the Photojournalism

The travel photoreportage: if you go somewhere on vacation and if you take photos step by step to
keep impressions and emotions alive, it doesnt mean that what you actually do can be called a travel
photoreportage. Whenever you want to make such reportage you should start by carefully planning it. That
might appear to be quite an easy task at first sight and only at a close analysis a series of problems usually
occur. For example, what kind of film and what type of camera is needed or what kind of stand or flash is
necessary? When are all of these devices useful, and how is it done in such a situation?
Lets suppose that you have made up your mind to take a journey during which you should realize a
photoreportage about a certain village market, but the market happens to take place only once a week, in the
morning, and it is on that very day that you couldnt wake up on time.
The best thing, if you work according to a plan is to establish where when and how you take the
photos. Before proceeding make sure you know how long it takes you to gather all the necessary material
and which are the first pictures.
Make an introduction within the framework of the photoreportage. Make up your mind if the
reportage will be accompanied by a written text or if an ordered wordless presentation of the images is
sufficient. If you know exactly what the subject will be and how the reportage will end, the photos will
supply enough introductory information for the subject and will be able to arouse the interest towards it. If
the pictures are scattered, a unitary, chronological development of the subject is impossible to obtain. The
same thing it happens with your travel photoreportage which are meant to render a certain information or
situation. In the contrary case the person who will look at them will find them quite boring or meaningless.
To realize a reportage that will always be admired you need something very important in this domain:
experience. You must take a lot of photographs in various conditions, which demand technical knowledge
and a lot of skill. First of all you should focus your attention upon the photographed subject and you
shouldnt forget that experience is the best teacher. Dont be afraid of making mistakes, you will learn out of
your own mistakes, and the higher the technical quality of the photograph is, the greater the value of the
moment immortalized through your photograph will be.
If you have chosen the travel reportage, and if your subject is a foreign country, you should be well
informed about the procedure of the customhouse control. You need, among the documents you take on your
journey a copy of the buying license for an expensive or an old camera mostly if you intend to cross the
borders of the European Union. If you have voluminous equipment you can obtain a customhouse
declaration emitted by the customhouse authorities, specifying each object with its own fabrication code.
The keeping conditions for the camera can vary. Dont forget that photographing at increased
variations of humidity and temperature has a great influence upon
the functioning conditions of your device.
The photo camera and the other materials are to be kept
away from humidity. And there is a good way for doing that: use the
silica gel small bags, a hygroscopic material used for removing the
humidity of the air away. Introduce two small bags within the
slipcover of the photocamera or in the bag with the equipment in
order to absorb the humidity.
After a couple of days,
warming up the small bags
with
silica
gel
is
recommended
for
the
humidity to evaporate. You can repeat that, as many times you like.
Dont forget that all the films in your bags are exposed to the
action of Roentgen rays. The modern check of the luggage using the
Roentgen rays doesnt deteriorate the films. Only the highly sensitive
films are not allowed to be exposed to such procedures because of
the fogging risk, but in the case of the films with lower sensibility
than 1000 ISO, there is no danger in most of the European airports.
You must be careful to protect the photosensitive materials
and to keep them away from the action of high temperatures. You
should think about the manner of depositing the films if the
temperature exceeds 30 degrees. The depositing place must be

carefully considered. A breakfast can, stuffed with a rag, can keep the air colder with 10 degrees than a black
bag which is kept in the sun the whole daylong.
When returning from the journey, it is important that you should get the films developed as quickly
as possible because the latent image is more instable than the developed one.
Number the films in chronological order. Mention on each photo the subject. You can have the
photos developed in two turns and not all of them at once. When you develop them in two turns the degree of
risk is diminished.
Immortalizing an Important Event: the Wedding
Within a circle of friends, if you have the reputation of good photographer, the possibility of being
asked to photograph a wedding ceremony is not excluded at all. Such a subject requires knowledge and skill.
You are not to take photos in the conditions you could establish but in preexistent ones according to the
ceremony at the civil state or at the church. The rapidness of development of the ceremony leaves almost no
repetition of a certain frame, thus existing the risk of having an important moment lost for good or badly
caught and which cant be rendered. The custom for the ceremony at the civil state or at the church doesnt
allow the arrangement of the subjects within the frames, even forbidding the direct contact of the
photographer with the participants. The success depends thus mostly on the knowledge the skill of the
photographer and on his capacity of choosing the best moment for taking the picture. On one hand, the
emotion produced by such an event can only stimulate your artistic inclinations, but on the other hand you
may not have the required experience for a professional photographer yet, knowing very well the order of
development for the ceremony at the civil state and at the church. If you dont find disturbing, you are
recommended to take the wedding photos at least in the beginning, under the guidance of an experienced
photographer, familiarized with the development of these ceremonies.
The frames that surprise the agreement and the recording of the young men in the civil register
shouldnt be placed at the end of the film. The tall inside space of the town hall or of the church represent a
special background but the light of the rooms is not ideal for the photography: in most of the cases during
daytime the direction of the light is not proper
(contrejour), and at night the light comes from a
too great height from the chandeliers.
Installing supplementary light equipment
is usually disallowed. That explains the necessity
of using the flashes; so dont forget to have a blitz

ready for your camera. Introduce new batteries and load the storage battery, for they can turn very useful in
unforeseen situations.
To assure the optical quality of an image, you should use targets with different focal distances for
different scales of photography. You wont be always able to replace the targets along the short ritual of the
wedding; therefore using a zoom objective is desirable.

At a wedding, the image of the bride is the most important and thus rendering it in detail is a must:
the cut of the wedding dress is of a great importance. As the objects taken in the photo differ from the
contrast point of view, (the wedding dress is white and the bridegrooms suit is dark) it is indicated to render
the details in the perspective of lights and shadows, but the choice of exposure is difficult. You could
establish it relatively to the white wedding dress to which you add 2 or 4 levels. For a complete
determination of the exposure you deduct 1-2 EV.
Taking the photos in the parks or in
any kind of open space is constrained by
circumstances. If it rains, you chose,
together with the young married couple a
more suitable place for photography.
The manner of work depends, in
these situations, on the type of photocamera
that you have, on your skill and on your
artistic experience you possess. To establish
the style of your photographs: romantic,
classical, modern, artistic, or funny, it is
very important for you to know the couple
well enough. The choice belongs to the
young couple; your task is only to fulfill
their wishes, even if you would like to
realize the images differently. Anyway, for
them it is their wedding day whereas for
you its just another day of work. Paid or
nor, you are there in that special place to
photograph the ceremony the way the
young married men wish.
The Photojournalism
Unlike the ordered photographs,
many photoghraphers are concerned with
the photojournalism, flying in search of
novelties. To be more specific, if you
photograph an exceptional event, which can
become interesting for a newspaper or other
media, you could sell the photographed material to an editorial board. Anyone can take pictures for the press
for a certain amount of money.
The newspapers and the reviews have a well-planned system of rewards for the photos taken by
different persons. If you want to do that you should take pictures that could present a certain interest for the

publications, but experience again is required. The photojournalism is not an easy activity. Many times, the
events that can be considered as news cant be also considered as good news. The proverb no news is not
necessarily the best news can also apply in an up side
down manner in the case of the reporter: the most
important news is usually shocking or thrilling.
Technically speaking, there are a lot of details
that could be mentioned about the way one can open his
way in the domain of photojournalism. Almost all
photographers who work for different periodicals prefer
the black-and-white photo materials with increased
photosensitivity for they allow the immediate
processing of the film and its fast printing.
The speed in the realization of the photographs
must be high. A reporter usually has the possibility of
rendering an event in its exact development, without
interfering in the presented facts.
When immortalizing an event, the photoreporter
testifies for the unfolding of the events and establishes
what, where and how it has happened, offering in this way all the necessary information about it.
If a reporter lost his time on measuring the exposure and on fixing the photographic devices, he
would simply have no time for taking the photos of the respective events. A black-and-white film of 400 ISO
sensitivity can render a large range of contrasts and lights of the photographed objects, in the conditions of
acceptable granulations, responding to all the requirements of newspaper or review typography. The
photoreporters prefer using superangular objectives in order to highlight the main theme more powerfully
within the framework, but the use of superangular objectives presupposes the necessity of taking the pictures
from a very short distance.
The use of flashes leads to an increase of the contrast. If you do that on purpose, in order to darken
the background, the photo will e excellent, but if you do it unintentionally, you could obtain a luminous
foreground projected on the dark background of the secondary plan, spoiling thus the balance of the subject.
If the background enters the subject of press photography, the details are definitely not to be neglected; on
the contrary, they should be accurately exhibited.
In the case of using black-and-white materials you could interfere with the contrast in the photos
through different methods of magnifying and screening of the photographic copies, widely spread in
photojournalism.
In photojournalism of course even the raising of the first pillar for a new building presents a great
interest, as well as the handing of a declaration or the exhibition of a new monument. Such events are
important for the mass media but the photoreport is the one to be taken into consideration first of all even if a
single photo represents it.
Another useful advice refers to the realization of the photographs. If a photo is realized by more
photoreporters at the same time, you should try not
to disturb the activity of the other reporters present
there. They will be hardly content to have you
covering the entire subject for some moments
fixing a superangular objective on the camera and
trying to carefully regulate the frame.
When
selecting
the
best-realized
photographs, you should be very exigent. Its better
to take only a couple of very valuable photos than
taking a great number of a middling quality.
Insuring the photographic devices
If you are not a beginner in photography,
you must already know about the large amount of
expenses that the acquisition of the adequate
photography equipment presupposes. Therefore
you must understand that such investments need to

be protected in one way or another, not only through the expensive insurance taken before leaving on
holidays, but also through a common policy for goods insurance. In this case the advantage is that it can last
for years. You spend more money but in the case of having it stolen, you get an acceptable compensation,
according to the insurance policy. The insurance company usually has to fulfill its obligations.
When you go to take photos in the open space, in nature, and when you sneak out in places where
you could have marvelous images, the camera is exposed to the risk of deterioration. And such situations,
assuming personal risks, can also be assured. Read carefully the insurance policy and check step by step all
the included riders.
The Portrait
The
dictionary
explains the term of portrait as
the
rendering
of
the
characteristic features of an
individual, such as seen by an
artist.
The portrait is one of
the
main
genres
of
photography
art.
Its
complexity resides in the fact
that it doesnt suppose a mere
rendering of the external
appearance but at a certain
degree, it reveals the character,
the personality, the inner lived
experiences, the psychology of
the portrayed person.
With what should we
start? How are we to render the
features of the model? That is
the main concern artistically
speaking, that we should have
before pushing the button of
the photo camera. It is very
important that the person,
whom we photograph, should
not feel embarrassed in front of the camera and should not watch the device tensely waiting for the opening
of the strangleholder. Every person must be prepared before facing the camera. Thats why you should start
your photography meeting by talking to the model in a casual manner, because such a chat diminishes the
tension, calms down the person that will be photographed and allows him/ her to keep a certain position and
a tensionless look. Only when you feel that his/her attention is no longer focused upon you, you must
intuitively hunt the moment you want to catch. The resemblance with the original is the most important
condition in realizing a portrait. Any lack resemblance is a deterioration of the rapport between the
photographed person and his/her image. The principle of such a rapport depends on the purpose and on the
destination of the photograph. In certain cases the image of a person is destined to the identification, which
presupposes a clear and precise focalization of all the features of the face; but such a photo cant be called a
portrait. In the portrait intended to be artistic, the model doesnt appear as a faithful copy but as a
representation of certain characteristic features. The reflection of the personality in a portrait is determined
by certain elements of the face (eyes, lips, forehead).
If the respective person openly displays his/her real feelings, the general resemblance will be
perceived even when certain parts of the face appear in the dark or unclear. To obtain the resemblance it
suffice to highlight some features of the face, or you can even limit to the one which is more expressive.
The first steps are always the most difficult to make and if you study a couple of portraits you will
succeed in realizing yourself portraits as relevant as those made by a professional photographer.

The Hair
The quantity of hair and its
arrangement have a very important
role in a photograph. If you have a
person who is almost hairless it is
better to concentrate the attention
upon his figure. Dont orientate the
light too high lest you should create
lights and shadows on the skin above
the forehead. If the person is slightly
bald, you can apply an indirect
lighting of the edges, but its best that
you shouldnt place the model
frontally in relation to the camera.
A feminine hairstyle with
rich locks may be highlighted
through the light according to the
final purpose of the photo. A slight
lighting of the hair can create in
many cases a special effect. Thus, a
separate light source can be used,
placed in such a position as to outline
only the hairstyle. Thats why the
source of light should be always put
only in the back or under a large
lateral angle.
If you make a color photo,
you could focus upon the hair with a
filter of colored light, but in this case
a great attention is required. If the
hair is dark, you can use many
nuances but pay attention in the case
of light-haired models.
For the slight lighting of the
hair nuances of blue and even red are
to be used. The red light has the
tendency to create especially cast
upon the hair, a marvelous romantic
aura. On this purpose you could
develop a color film in front of the
light bulb, but paying very much
attention. Be careful not to get it
warmed up because it can lose the
color or even burn. Dont try this
method with a flash for the energy
necessary to lighting the object will
be too low.
The Ears
Although the ears are not a
part of the face, a lot of attention
should be paid to them. You might
have to photograph a flap-eared man. Imagine how that portrait would appear if the light is frontal. To obtain
a well-done portrait you can modify the position of the model in connection with the camera. If you twist the
model at 45 degrees in relation to the camera, you will notice that the visible pair of ears is not so highlighted
anymore, becoming a harmonious element of the portrait. The outline of the face is no longer interrupted; the
visible ear is not unpleasantly striking whereas the opposite ear is completely out of sight.

Another solution could be to photograph the model from the profile, so that the ear will exhibit less
disturbing proportions, without getting out from the outline of the face. Pay attention to the main light not to
be directed straight towards the ears. As the ears are a thin cartilage, in a powerful light they can even appear
slightly transparent, unnatural. Try to avoid such lighting.
For the persons who wear big earrings you can concentrate attention upon the ears. The earrings are
an important element for the expression force of a portrait, and an important part in the hairstyle, but
photographing the jewels requires a lot a care. The earrings hanging up side down produce a very anesthetic
impression in a photo, and if that happens the only one to be blamed is the photographer.
The Eyes
It is known that the eyes can have any kind of
expression. They can express anger, love, fear,
amazement as well as many other feelings, and this
phenomenon is permanent. It is impossible to have a
single moment passed without the eyes expressing
anything. Thus, it is very important that their expression
to be the wanted one the moment you press the button
of the photo camera. Be careful as well at the frequency
with which the respective persons blink. It is no secret
that a person waiting for the flash to come increases the
frequency of blinking. It may happen that you take the
picture the very moment he closes his eyes, therefore
you should try to avoid making such mistakes.
After preparing the model for photography, you
can ask him/ her to turn his/ her eyes to one side and
then to look at your direction again before the moment
of exposure. In this short interval when the model
moves the eyes a pleasant
glow appears in the widely opened eyes. The downcast looks confer a sad or
dramatic expression on the portrait. An upwards-oriented look gives an
interrogative air in a photo, also rendering a hopeful attitude. A fixed look often
appears to be in love. The half-closed eyes render a sober air, whereas the widely
open eyes express fear or amazement. You can express many other emotions
according to the degree of closure of the eyes. These details are very important
when you want to create a portrait as expressive as possible, reflecting the inner
world of the subject.
Also pay attention to the eyebrows, for they have an essential role in the
expressiveness of the eyes. Placed very close to the eyes their movement is
reflected in the expressiveness.
You must observe the depth of the eyes in the eye socket. For those who
have bulgy eyes and hardly deepened you must fix the light that can highlight
that characteristic. I dont advise you to have a profile portrait for the bulgy-eyed
men, because the image wont be a pleasant one.
When you photograph a man with the eyes deepened in the eye sockets,
you can use a great range of angles to take the photo. If the eyebrows are dark
and strongly outlined, you must pay attention to the angle which can influence
the expressiveness of the portrait. You need to have both eyes lighted and the
source of light shouldnt be too high or to be a lateral strong one.
We should also draw your attention upon the eye accessories. The
contact lens, for example, represents an impediment for the realization of a photo
portrait. It may happen that fixing a lateral source of light, the outline of the
lenses should become visible. The lenses of the glasses dont represent a problem
for the photographers if using skillfully oriented lights. The lenses are a
simplified model of the lenses of the camera objective: they let the lights penetrate through their surface and
the eyes of the person wearing glasses behave the same way the camera objective does, transforming a
virtual image into a real one. When you make up your mind to realize the portrait of a person wearing
glasses, you should pay attention to the shape of the glasses upon the outline of the cheeks. Because we look

through the optic system of the objective and also through the glass of the spectacles, it is possible that these
lenses should contribute to the formation of the image. If the spectacles are frontally seen through the
objective, there are no significant differences in rendering the image through the optic system of the device.
You should carefully take care with the double focalization lenses that the axe of passage from one type of
lens to the other should not fall in front of the pupils. The glasses with double focalization lenses are easily
noticed after the cut on the surface of the lens, but in a photo they wont be perceived at any scale.
If you make up your mind to photograph a person wearing glasses not from the front but from the
lateral side, you must take care that there is no deformation on the outline of the cheeks. This outline can be
modified because the objective of the device covers the entire face, deteriorating certain elements of the
image which are visible in the camera after they are reflected through the glass of the spectacles. In this case
the outline of the cheeks is slightly modified. With the change of the angle under which the photographs are
taken, the outlines of the cheeks are also modified. The shadow of the frames can create on the cheeks the
exaggerated magnifying effect upon the eyes of a frontal portrait, because the lenses of the glasses exercise
an influence on the image that is formed in the objective of the photo camera. Even without a photo camera
one could notice a certain magnifying effect of the eyes at an attentive look at that person through his/ her
glasses.
Lighting a person who wears glasses can be made in different manners. Dont forget the rule
according to which the incidence angle is equal with the reflection, meaning that if you place one of the
sources of light directly in front of that person, it can be reflected by one or by both of the lenses of the
spectacles. The same thing can happen when a layer of reflection covers the lenses of the glasses.
One of the methods recommended for the organization of the light in the case of the portrait of a
person wearing glasses is the use of a diffuse light falling laterally upon the photographed model. For the
reflection of the light fascicle, you must fix a screen of reflection in the other part of the cheek. You will get
this way a diffuse light, homogeneous and pleasant and there will appear no kind of light stains or shadows.
The Nose
If someone has a prominent nose, it doesnt necessarily means
that we should render it as such in the photograph.
Human nature has created the nose in many shapes and sizes,
making it a significant visible detail of human aspect. There are men
having an aquiline nose or a straight one or even a snub nose. The
concern is to render as fine as possible this variety.
You cant of course, tell someone with a big aquiline nose that
he/ she shouldnt have a profile portrait; that will be no pleasant
remark.
After you attentively study the model, try to imagine how the
type and the dimension of the nose will look in the picture. A man with
a long straight nose is better to be photographed under an angle of 45
degrees, lest the nose should dominate the whole figure. For a big
aquiline nose you can give up the profile photographing except for
those cases in which the person really wants to be thus photographed.
You should carefully let him/ her know that under such an angle, the
nose will be disproportioned and unpleasantly striking. If the man has
a snub nose, you could render the portrait best under a carefully chosen
angle, so that the model is always differently positioned in relation
with the camera and the light. The frontal photography in the case of
snub-nosed model is not indicated.
After you look through the sight of the photo camera, and you
ask the model to slightly raise the head, you always choose the angle
under which the imperfections of the figure shapes are not striking and
you should never take a picture from the angle which renders visible
the orifices of the nostrils.

The Mouth
The shapes of the mouth can vary from a small mouth with
thin lips to a big mouth with thick lips. Each of them has its own
charm. You should observe if the teeth are beautiful, but that doesnt
mean that all the models should smile. Many photographers,
especially when they are beginners and they have to make their first
portraits, try to obtain from their models the smallest smile, but this
is necessary when you want that person to exhibit a friendly
expression. A simple image offers more elements in revealing the
inner life of that model. Visual observation is the main method for
the spotlighting of its characteristics, through the turn of the head
from the camera. All these recommendations start from the fact that
in photography a three-dimensional object, such as the model is
rendered only two-dimensionally (the photo). Within the photo we
are to create a sense of profoundness by properly establishing the
photography angle and a suitable light.
Children s Portraits
The photos taken of the children must be luminous and
lively, thats why a good light is necessary. You should use a diffuse
light, powerful enough for the short-exposure photographs. The
expression of their figure is so changing that you may not even
notice the moment they close their eyes.
Those who imagine that a child is easy to photograph is
deeply wrong. His mobility, dynamism, the permanent modification
of the expression of a childs figure require a certain skill in
accomplishing such portraits. In principle, all children like to be
photographed. They like to work upon their appearances and they
gladly take any position, but this disposition forces the photographer
to focus all his attention on the child. Try to make more frames in
order to obtain results as satisfactory as possible. The best thing is to
lower the camera at the level of the childs eyes. When the child
looks at you from below, he appears little and insignificant in the
picture.
The babies that are
too small to walk can be
placed on the belly. You
should get the camera at the
level of their eyes, and you
should put their hands in
front lest they should keep
their faces downwards. To
photograph the children, the
use of a standard objective is
indicated.
Photographing the Animals
The difficulty in photographing the animals resides in their permanent movement; thats why the
photography must begin when the animals are in a position as quiet and still as possible, for example when
they eat or rest. The best model of learning how to realize the portraits is to photograph the domestic animals
at the zoo and natural reservations. Photographing the animals demands technical experience, methods and
special equipments. The equipment must be a mobile one and easy handle. Use the photo cameras with reflex
system of small dimensions, because the optic system of such devices meant for the choice of the frames and
regulation of the objective, allows you to supervise the photographed objective until the moment of
photography.

It may happen quite often to take pictures at great distances; the equipment must contain objectives
with large focal distance for the different focal distances. You are advised to use light filters which allow you
to enlarge the technical possibilities of a photo. For negative material use the black-and-white panchromatic
and izopanchromatic films, as well as the color films of increased sensitivity. To process the black-and-white
films use slow revelatory equalizers.
The
Photos
for
Documents
One of the most widely spread
types of portraits is represented by the
photographs for documents. The variety
of documents which need photos also
presupposes different sizes, such as: for
the foreign passports: 4*5 cm; for the
driving license: 3.5*4.5. In spite of this
variety of the photos for the documents,
there are established rules that a photo
destined to official documents needs to
observe. In other words you cant
choose your own style of lighting or a
stand point according to the model but
nevertheless you must try to obtain
photos as beautiful as possible,
resembling miniature portraits.
The demands for the photos
meant for the official documents have
been officially communicated and
completed during the last years.
If you have made up your mind
to make photos for the documents you
are advised to study first the technical
requirements of their realization. There
are some rules for all the types of
documents: the portrait contains the
bust; it is taken frontally, on a luminous

background. The lighting is obtained from two sources of light, a principal one and a secondary source, of
filling in; and sometimes for rendering the portrait livelier, a modeling light could be also added. In required
cases, the photographed persons can wear glasses, but the head cant be covered. The photos for documents
can e both black-and-white and colored.
The Lighting
In this chapter, the technical details will be explained in order to realize a portrait. The photos can be
taken inside or outside, in the nature.
The best thing to do is to take the first
steps in making the photo portrait on
nice clear weather. The cause is pretty
simple: the natural light that all you
need to do is make good use of it. The
best thing is to photograph on sunny
days when only some light white clouds
are on the sky. The clouded sky which
retains a certain quantity of light ,
diminishes the contrasts of the image.
The inside photo is much more
complex, it requires artificial light
equipment that you must learn to use.
In the art of the photography a
classification of the types of lights has
already been made. Thus the light can
be main light, of the filling-in type or
an outline light. The first highlights the
shape of the objects, their volume, the
main composing elements which
remain in a certain shadow. The fillingin light, which is not very clear, lights
the shadows and softens the passages
from the dark sides to wards the more
luminous ones. The third light, the
outline light, accentuates, as one could
deduce from the name itself, the outline
of the objects highlighted on the
background.
With
the
inside
photography, the outline light must be
placed behind the model and must be
sufficiently powerful.
The High Key
For a photo realized in a high
key light, colored or black and white
the luminous soft tonalities are
characteristic. In such a portrait must be
without shadow, only with dark
separate stains, such as the eyes, the
eyebrows and partially, the outline of
the face. A certain mood can be
rendered in this style, a mood usually
associated with femininity, tenderness,
lyricism and kindness.
When you make a high key
portrait it is better that you should use a
soft diffuse light almost without shadows. No source of light should be oriented towards the model; the

whole light must be reflected by a white surface. You need at least three sources of light: two on both sides of
the model, with two white reflecting screens, and the third one for the lighting of the background. The
background should usually be luminous and more lighted than the model. The exposure is calculated with
respect to the main elements of the subject. An underexposed exposure is not admitted because the entire
effect would be spoiled by the high contrast and by the lack of details in the areas covered by shadows.
The Low Key
The the low-key portrait is a reversed high-key photo. As you can see the dark tonalities
dominate together with the strong shadows; many areas are hardly lighted. The most expressive portraits are
realized by using a single source of light (the projector), oriented towards the face or towards parts of it. The
outline of the head and shoulders is hardly visible. If you want to light the dark parts you fix a reflector. The
exposure is determined with respect to the lights and shadows at the difference of more than four units the
elements of the luminous zones disappear.
The Use of Light Filters in Realizing the Portraits
For the realization of the portraits the
filters of light are used to diminish the contrasts of
the image to have soft tonalities you are advised to
use special filters for diffusion and diffusion rings.
These accessories are to be fixed on the
camera objective after the execution of the
regulation. Because most of the skin imperfections
or flaws have red nuances, they can be attenuated
or even removed through a yellow or an orange
light filter. For the freckles and the lips to become
clearer or for the skin to have a bronze nuance you
must fix a blue or green light filter on the
objective.
You can experiment the work with the
light filters only for the black-and-white portraits.
You must remember that any light filter fixed on
the camera objective exercises its influence upon
all the parts of the photographed person; thats
why sometimes it is preferable that you should
filter only the light of the separate source lighting
the object directly.
Thus you must fix a filter of the necessary
color in front of the main source of light, directed
for example towards the face, and leave it without
modifying the light of another source. Applying a
polarizing filter, which allows the removing of the
undesired brightness on the nose or forehead skin,
can also modify the color of the models skin. The
polarizing filter can also be used to remove the
undesired reflections on the spectacles lenses and
on the jewels.
The Necessary Devices for the
Realization of the portraits
The most complex portraits are not due to
a very expensive or perfected device, but to a
serious perseverant artistic work, using quality
devices and sure materials, the characteristics of
which have been studied in detail by the photographs.

For the portraits, you need a device to allow the realization of quality images. If you make up your
mind to realize common portraits in a natural frame, the best is to choose a single-objective reflex device of
small dimensions. Such devices are very light and they are not expensive. They can be equipped with
replaceable objectives and the realization systems for the frame and focalization of the image through the
objective are remarkable through their great exactness. And yet, the small dimensions of the negative
requires an attentive photography; in order to obtain good quality results, you are advised to take pictures on
a film with small sensitiveness and granulation.
If you make up your mind to go for the studio portraits, you should get yourself a medium-sized
device with the 6*6cm or 6*9cm frame dimensions. For the portraits you dont need to choose too many
objectives; the best would be to use no more than three main objectives. Generally speaking, a good standard
objective is sufficient for most of the portrait types, but if you need to introduce in the frame a part of the
surroundings, to remove from the object as far as possible the framing surface, you are not to get very close
to the face of the model, in order to avoid its deformations.
If you want to realize a foreground portrait, the focal distance of the standard objective is insufficient
and you will need a large focal distance objective. The advantage of large focal distance objectives consists
of the fact that , due to the small field profoundness of the objective, the background often appears in
pictures as if wet and the figure of the photographed person becomes artistic, without an exact rendering of
the skin details and flaws. It is obvious that these characteristics of the objectives can be used only in the
cases when the photography is realized at small values of the diaphragm for the diaphragm magnifies the
field profoundness of the objective and diminishes the mild character and the harmony of the optic image.
The more the objective is diaphragmed, the clearer the skin flaws appear in the picture.
The Lighting in the Studio
The results of the photography using discontinuous source of light cant be guessed and evaluated
from the beginning, but with the acquiring if the necessary experience you will e able to foresee the effects it

exhibits. The solving out of such principle problem is the placement of a continuous source of light. Such an

illumination assures a continuous light placed in the same position as the light bulb of the flash. Activating
the continuous light you can appreciate how the blitz will work during the photography process. With a
regulated emission of the flash you can use a continuous light, called continuous control light. If you use
several sources of constant light you can appreciate the exact composition of the lights assemble, thus having
the guarantee that the illumination produced by the flashes will produce the same effect you see if you look
at the photographed object from the point where the device is to be positioned. The lights and the reflections,
together with the color rendering and the positioning of the shadows in the image, are in this way, already
known; thus we can find out everything that is relevant for the photography.
With most of the studio flashes, different types of reflectors can be placed. The diffusion screens or
the shadows soften the illumination. An important element used for the realization of the portraits is the
reflection screens, fixed at a certain distance from the model for the illumination of the shadows.
The Landscape

Introduction
Next we will present another one of the photography genres: the Landscape. It can be rural, urban,
the panorama of a building sight or an impressive architecture. Picturesque color mixing with different
tonalities, special graphical effects, all of them created by the nature itself can occur. In time, the rendering
of the landscapes has preoccupied those who were concerned with the figurative art as well. As the

photography didnt exist yet, the man represented everything around him through paintings. The
disadvantage was that to render the combination of so many and varied elements, was not an easy thing to
accomplish. The painted landscapes were beautiful but the degree of faithfulness was exclusively determined
by the painters manner of work. From this point of view, the photography is a figurative art allowing you, in
a few seconds to render an object to its utmost detail, which to a painter would take months of work. The
photography is an artistic image offering more details and representing a more real world.
Any picture is a personal vision, an interpretation of the surrounding world. Working with the
camera, the photographer adds to the landscape his on artistic and technical approach. Why does he do that?
There are many explanations. One of the relevant arguments is the beauty itself of the landscape. It is easy to
understand why the same landscape is never rendered identically even if it is looked at from the same place.
Each photograph sees the landscape in his own way, which allows him to have his own vision upon things
that is not necessarily an expression of the classical beauty. An industrial complex can be represented in
pictures with a special elegance and style; even a pile of old steel can offer a beautiful picture if the
landscape is rendered in a personal manner, in which the common vision upon the surrounding world is
completed by the photographers own vision upon things.
The Technique of Realizing the Landscapes
You can use any kind of device to realize the landscapes, but some of them present certain
advantages. It is easy
to walk in the fields,
in the forests and on
the mountains with a
small-sized camera,
but that doesnt allow
you to photograph
landscapes of small
details. For such
photographs
a
medium-sized device
is preferable because
you will be able to
more clearly render
the details in a picture
and the colors as well
or
to
use
the
perspective in order
to render the surface
of a landscape. The most practical are the reflex-focus devices which allow you to see at real size the chosen
frame and to organize the composition.
Obtaining technical high-level photos is possible only if you will have a correct preparing for
photography. First of all you should evaluate the photography conditions. Consider the light you will work
with: against the light, in the lateral light or under the frontal light of the sunrays. Whatever lights you will
use, you have to correctly measure the exposure.
In the beginning when you make up your mind to photograph landscapes, it may seem a very easy
and accessible thing to do, but things are different. You will soon fall upon a great deal of questions:
What objective is to be used?
What will be the standpoint?
What kind of film is necessary?
What light filters are used in photography?
Is it possible for the flashlight to be used as modeling light?
Is the stand necessary?
We can help you find some answers to these questions and to many others.
The Illumination and the Particularities of the Exposure Measuring
The greatest influence upon the landscape is exercised by the weather, the natural illumination
conditions. A landscape can be photographed any time during daytime, in any season and on any kind of

weather. It is important that in

every concrete case of
photography the illumination
conditions should be those
required by the objective, and
those that allow a more
profound
and
expressive
presentation of the content, of
the ideas. The illumination
conditions are determined by
orientation: if in the moment
of photography, the sun is
behind the photographer, the
illuminated
objects
are
perceivable as plain; with a
lateral light the object are seen
best, but in most of the cases a
lateral light from the front is
chosen,
maintaining
the
volume and minimizing the
visible shadowed areas. In the
morning and in the evening
when the sun is not very high,
the surrounding objects produce shadows on the horizontal surfaces: the illumination is maxim on vertical
surfaces. On daytime, at noon, the landscape is illuminated especially from above. The contrast becomes

powerful and the shadows thrown upon the objects are shorter. Photography of the steep rocks and of the

high coasts can be expressive even in the sunset light, which permits the highlighting of the relief. Most of
the times, the landscapes are photographed in an outline light, accentuating the outline of the objects and
amplifying the fog effect that allows the rendering of the structure of the objects, of the land, of the grass, of
the water surfaces or of the snow. At the photography of landscapes, the correct exposure of the film is very
important because we have to deal with variations of contrast and light. A correct exposure assures on the
whole, good images. The position of the sun is also important because in the case of the landscapes, the
supplementary illumination using the flash is not possible. The supplementary artificial lighting with light
bulbs is not applied.
For the photo you can freely operate in any position of the sun: and even more, you can photograph
landscapes even on nighttime. The measuring in such conditions of illumination is more complex, because
only the light which enters through the optic system of the photo camera, is calculated, without observing the
lack of lining effect of the photographic emulsion characteristics. A good and correct exposure is realized
through two methods.
The first one of them represents the measuring of the exposure with the spotmeter, differently
executed for the positive and for the negative materials. For the negative materials in order to obtain an exact
result, we start from a value measured in the shadowed areas. That is not usually made in equal proportions
and it is recommended the 40-60% rapport (40% for the lighted areas and 60% for the measuring of the
shadowed zones). At the photography on positive material you have to measure in the most illuminated areas
that give a good rendering of the image on the film slide.
The second method for the realization of the measuring consists of using the reflex device with TTL
system. The TTL system allows the realization of exact expometric measurements, but practically it doesnt
take into account the fact that in the photography we look at the concrete object through the sight. The photo
camera processes the image automatically, without elements of artistic approach.
If you want to take nocturne pictures without having any relevant experience, you can make a series
of frames, that is more photos of one and the same subject, but with different exposures. If you use a TTL
measurement you take 5 photos: -2levels- 1level, the exposure corresponding to the TTL results, +1level
+2levels. In such a series there can be found a correctly exposed photo. If you apply several times this
method you will be able to take shorter series of photos, because you will understand and you will handle in
a better way the results of the measurement made by the device. There are also some types of professional
devices which allow the automatic realization of photos with the change of exposure parameters.
Once the correct value of exposure is determined, another problem can occur.
Lets suppose that in the camera we have a film designated to photography at a 1/15 second exposure
or even shorter, that is the S film. In this case we have to appeal to a corrections table of the irregularity
characteristics in order to discover the value for the increase in the exposure time. Sometimes there can also
appear applying recommendations for the light filters. There are special films designated to long exposure,
type L films, which differ through the chromatic sensitiveness too.
Exposure time in seconds

Light filters for chromatic

compensation

Correcting of the exposure

1/100 1/1000

No

No

1
10
100

No
No
No

+ steps
+1 steps
+ 2 steps

The Objective
One of the encountered problems when we prepare for the photography is the framing, determined
by the comprising angle of the objective, that is, by its focal distance.

Any object has a focal distance which influences the largeness of the frame edges. For a landscape
the choice of an objective with different focal distances is preferable because they give you the possibility to
choose the photography point first and then the most suitable objective. That allows you to render more
expressively the particularities of the landscape and to obtain interesting pictures from the artistic point of
view. If you want to obtain the special effect of a building outline on the background of clouds, it is better to
use a superangular objective, because the distance between objects will be larger. At the photography with a
distance-objective the same image becomes more condensed, as if everything were close within the frame.
Regarding the positioning of the device in rapport with the photographed object (the landscape), we can say
that the angle under which the camera is fixed determines in a great measure the naturalness of the photo. If
you fix the camera horizontally on both possible axes of inclination, the photo will preserve the natural
effect.
If you incline the camera forwards, the horizon appears in the upper-side of the picture, towards the
frame exit. Inclining the camera backwards, the horizon is very low. It is interesting to experiment these
things, but make sure that the photography angle is determined by the photographed object and by its
position.
Deformations often appear in pictures. Supposing that you photograph a landscape in which high
buildings appear. Because of the big height you have to orient the camera upwards, but you cant step
backwards. Youve got nothing else to do except for working with a superangular objective in the
impossibility to avoid deformations. What can you do if you cant increase the distance to the objective? You
keep the device perfectly horizontally in order to avoid the perspective deformations; you are advised to use
the medium-sized devices of 6*6 cm, so that when copying you shouldnt need to frame the image anymore.
When framing the 6*6 negatives the areas from the lower and from the upper sides are excluded (or at a
vertical composition of the frame the parts on the left and on the right of the negative are excluded)
You have to establish what film you use according to the station point as well. A positive or a
negative, be it black-and-white or colored depends on the final purpose of the photography. In principle, any
film if o. k. for the landscapes, but the more lowly sensitive film is preferable because it has a finer
granulation and it allows the obtaining of a better quality magnifying.
Light Filters
Have you made up your mind to use a light filter in the
photography or will you content yourself with an image as it is? If
the landscape is somewhere in a place directly lighted by the
sunrays, especially in the mountains, at a great height above the sea
level, you need a ultraviolet filter. It is a completely different thing
if you decide to use a polarizing filter. There are many varied and
serious arguments to use it. One of the most often used light filters
for the landscapes is the degrade filter, used in the diminution of the
luminousness or in the modification of the tonality of certain image
areas. Thus you can create special artistic effects that would allow
your own artistic approach and the obtaining of an important
modification in the foreground or background color. The
delimitation line of the filter may coincide with the horizon line,
influencing both the color and the contrast of the sky rendering.
The diversity of effect filters is quite large, enabling you to
apply your own artistic vision for each landscape; nevertheless,
dont exaggerate with the interventions upon the frame.
If you place an object in the foreground of the landscape,
you can use a flash for supplementary illumination. The flashlight
has to be transmitted exactly on the moment when the stranglehold
of the camera is entirely opened and it has to e oriented exactly
towards the photographed object. On what situations can you
artificially illuminate certain objects? The foreground is to be
illuminated in the cases when the objective is not as illuminated as
the other objectives of the frame, like the example of the
photography against light.
Is a stand needed for the photography of the landscapes?
Such a photo is naturally taken with the help of a stand.

Once fixed on the stand, the photographer has the possibility of approaching or moving away from
the object and of more carefully choosing the composition of the frame, checking the correctness of the
choice regarding the standing point and the height of the device; thus he can even wait for the moment of
photographing. If you use the stand you should also use a flexible releaser. You can work without the stand if
you take pictures on daytime, on a good light and with a short exposure time.
Special Situations
The landscapes can appear
even more beautifully if we obtain a
greater
profoundness
of
the
perspective. That is possible through
an exact composition of the frame,
without unnecessary details that
distract the attention upon unimportant
things. The good organization and the
harmony of the frame often render easy
the use of foreground elements on
artistic purposes: the branch of a tree,
the architecture of a building,
sometimes
even
people.
The
landscapes
presenting
in
the
foreground a person who wears
contrasting colors, especially red are
special. The red, even in small
quantities, draws the attention upon it:
it should be placed in the frame
somewhere to complete and not disturb
the composition of the photo: therefore
use the red nuances carefully.

The Sunset
The pictures taken at sunrise or sunset draw attention through their special range of colors and
nuances and through the strong chromatic contrasts.
As a rule, the most interesting photos are those in which a big part of the frame is occupied by the
sky. The place where the sunset is remarkable is definitely on the surface of a water: a lake or even the sea.
Whats so special about a sunset? The sun if often used as an artistic element within a landscape or it
may even become the main subject of the image. We usually take photos with the light produced by the
sunrays, but in this case we must not photograph the solar disk itself. During the day it is almost impossible
to take a photo in the sun direction, but when the sun approaches the horizon and starts lowering its color
temperature changes from yellow to dark red. The energy flux of the rays, part of which represented by the
visible light itself, diminishes. Such a combination of parameters turns the sun photography into a unique
chance; nevertheless there are some considerations to take into account. You should choose a stable point
from which the foreground should have a clear and detailed composition. The sunset on the sea is marvelous
and the sunset above the horizon line may exhibit a mysterious air. The sunset in which only the sun and the
sky are visible must fascinate through the chromatic range, whereas the impression aroused by the photo will
be strange. During the sunset the sun may be a little more and clear, which will strengthen the effect of the
sunrays and at the same time it will create the impression of bigger dimensions than the real ones. The
reflected light is the one to create this magnifying effect upon the sizes. For the beginning of the sunset you
can use chromatic correcting filters in order to correct the color up to the level of normal daytime light. With
the color filters you can derive the color range present in the beginning of the sunset, towards a red nuance.
This is the way to obtain a special effect of the color range, living the sun within the frame at a great
high above the horizon. According to the place where you are the color of the daylight quickly or slowly
turns into the purple of the sunset. At the tropics the sunset is much faster whereas in the north countries it is
much slower.
You can photograph not only the sunset but sunrise as well when the dew evaporates, the fog slowly
rising and the air becoming drier. The chromatic are modified; the tonalities turn pink and blue, than yellow
and blue. In the photo there appears a light pink-blue fog which high lights the airy perspective.
You may happen to see the sunset from a plane. You may see the aura of the sun above the high
edges of the clouds, directly illuminated by the sunrays, unfiltered by the thick layers of the atmosphere or
clouds.
The supplementary illumination of the sunset depends on the photography realization moment. You
can start from the fact that in a weak light the red tonalities become saturated. In the case when
photographing on slides, the exposure is shorter, the image density will be normal. If the exposure is longer
the image density decreases and thus the visual effects of the sunset diminish. The automatic exposure
cameras exhibit the tendency of shorter exposures; thats why at the sunset photography they can be oriented
directly towards the solar disk. If the photo camera has a special correction button for the photos taken
against the light, you can use for weak-illumination photos. It is good that your camera is equipped with
automatic control of the flash. If you supplementary illuminate the sun with it the automatic system of the
camera reacts and chooses a shorter exposure time, allowing the removal of the flaws provoked by the
camera movements. With long exposures you are advised to use the stand.
In case you dont have an automatic control of exposure in order to obtain red nuances and the sunset
effect, you can increase the exposure with one or two levels so that sun shouldnt appear as a round yellow
stain. It is preferable that you dont take only one picture, but a series of pictures, out of which you can
choose the best one.
The Photography of the Winter Landscapes
The principal element of the winter photographs is the snow, together with the hoar frost which
covers the land, the trees and the buildings. The winter landscapes are a very pleasant and picturesque
subject, but they require a certain skill to the photographer. If you go to the mountains on winter holidays,

dont

forget

to

take

photo

camera.

You can never lose the impression those special places and beautiful moments left upon you if you
dedicate a little while to the photography of the snowy landscapes. You should carefully choose the
photography moment, considering the position of the sun in rapport with the landscape. Dont forget the
ultraviolet filter, necessary in the mountain areas. If your camera functions entirely on automatic system, you
can introduce the correctors when you fix the sensitiveness at the film loading. You should do that because
the exponometer incorporated in your device is not equipped with the illumination particularities of certain
special situations. It perceives the big quantity of light as such. In this case, the snow-covered surface has a
much greater capacity of reflection than the etalon standard of the gray, which is of 18%; thats why you
have to make the necessary correction. On a sunny cloudless weather, you can apply a +2 level correction. If
your camera doesnt exhibit the capacity for such adjustments, you can modify the ISO sensitiveness value
with +4 levels. If that is also impossible to make, because the device observes only the DX code of the film
cassette consider the following advice. Take a piece of untransparent adhesive band (black or white) and
stick it on the code of a DX 200 ISO film before loading the film in the photo camera. Thus you accomplish
a one level correction. The stability interval of the modern films allows the cover of the remaining difference
You can do the same thing with a 400 ISO film, so that the DX code cant be automatically be read
by the camera; but on this film you cant take photos on a bad snowy weather. All the other photography
conditions will be wrongly exposed. These simple pieces of advice can be applied only if the camera, in the
absence of the DX code checking automatically fixes the sensitiveness of the film to 100 ISO.
The Football Stadium
Even if subjects like a
sport room or a stadium dont enter
the landscape domain, we have
decided to present them as
situations similar to the landscapes
that actually lead in practice to
numberless mistakes. Supposing

that when measuring the exposure, the device indicates the fact that a photography without a supplementary
illumination is possible with long exposures. Nevertheless on concrete situations you may fall upon moving
objects or the lack of the stand. The answer is as simple as the question: do we need the flashlight? NO! The
flashlight will never be able to assure the illumination at a great distance from the camera in the conditions of
a photography in nature, unlike the inside ones. When determining the directory number of the blitz, the
measurement is made for the outside conditions of photography.
A common white ceiling in a commonly high room, functions like a reflecting screen. If you
measure the illumination capacity of the flash in an open space, you will notice that the flashmeter indicates
with 2-3 levels less than inside a room.
The solving out of this problem in this situation will be the using of a highly sensitive film because
the flash decreases proportionally with the square of the distance.
The Panoramic Photography
The panoramic photography is the photo having a high rapport between the height and the largeness
of the frame comparatively to a common size of the negative. The panoramic photo can be extended both in
height and in largeness, allowing the realization of some landscapes, which comprise an entire picture in a
single frame. The work principle is quite easy. With a special panoramic device you cover a large sight.
There are varied models of panoramic devices. The simplest are one-use only and when you buy them they
are ready to be used and they are loaded with a film.
With these things you can realize panoramic photos in normal photography conditions, but because
of the optic simplicity the diaphragm must have a small opening. Such devices have steady values of the
diaphragm and focal distance and have to be loaded with a highly sensitive film so that you could work with
steady values of the diaphragm. The sight is pretty simple and it hardly allows a fixed framing of the
photography. At the loading of a small-sized film in camera only a small area with a width equal with the
common length of a small-sized negative, and with a 12mm height. Such photos are printed on 9*25 cm
format paper, but copying with magnifying through projections is also possible; but because of the big values
of ISO sensitiveness an increase of the granulation is obtained. The advantage of such devices is due to their
small prices and the disadvantage is that they cant be loaded the second time again; thus they are a
supplementary factor of pollution. There are also cheap models of panoramic devices (F 50), which can be
used with any type of small-sized film.
Unlike these ones there are also other expensive models of panoramic devices. Wholly they divide in
2 categories: circular and sectional. The circular panoramic devices have a rotary objective. Such an
objective rotates along a channel placed in front of the film, allowing in the photography the covering of a
360-degree surface. The sectional panoramic devices allow the obtainment of some photos that cover a 100130-degree surface or even more. There are also panoramic devices that function both on smallformat films
and on wide ones, of up to 6 cm width.

The basic principle in constructions is the growth in the dimensions of the device corpus. The entire
length of the negative which is used, is exposed through the objective placed in the middle. The Linhoff is
nothing else than a normal camera, at which the objective is placed in the upper side, on the middle of the
film, in order to diminish the deformations produced at the photography of the architectonic objectives. Such
devices are expensive and this is the reason for which they are produced in a small number comparatively to
the common devices.
None of these devices has an incorporated exponometer, and when using them, you have to consider
using a separated manual exponometer.
Such professional panoramic devices are difficult or even impossible to be loaded with photographic
negative material because of the substandard formats of the frames. The photographic materials are specially
conceived for certain types of panoramic devices and are designed to exclusively for polygraphy. The most
widely spread photographic materials are the slides for they can be directly scanned and rendered in a proper
shape for the black-and-white or for the color printing. The negative of the 6*17 cm format doesnt enter any
of the magnifying devices, and this is why the copy with color projection magnifying represents an
expensive and long process.
None of the presented panoramic devices can be built with a reflex system because of the big format
of the frame and this is the reason for which all panoramic devices have a simple sight placed on the device
corpus in the upper side. A small level is often fixed on the device to avoid the ruffling of the film
horizontally. With these devices looking through the sight requires experience, because each person sees
differently. The frame never exactly corresponds to the one rendered by the edges of the sight.
Making panoramic photos with a common device is also possible. You place the device on a stand
and you make sure that the device and the rotation surface of the stand are perfectly horizontally fixed. Now
you photograph the left part of the chosen panorama. Remember the exact point to which the image in the
sight arrives. Turn the camera to the right so that you entirely cover the image rendered in the first photo and
then take the picture. Continue photographing in the same manner till you arrive to the right edge of the
panorama or till you cover the 360 degrees all around. Get the film developed in a photographic laboratory
and specify that you must assemble these photos in a panorama. Then cut the pictures carefully and stick
them together side by side. Isnt the result extraordinary?
Lifeless Nature and the Sportive Subjects
In this section we will present some other photographic genres: the sportive photography and the
lifeless nature. We will try to describe in details these genres so that you could deal with them by yourselves;
but you should remember that first of all the best teacher in the photography art is the practice, which means
that you should go on taking as many photos as possible.
The Photography of the Sportive Subjects
The photography of the sportive subjects demands not only technical experience but also the
knowledge of the characteristics and the rules in the sportive competitions.

and

This is the only way in which the most important moments in a sportive competition can be surprised
photography
mistakes
can
be
avoided.

Lets follow in detail what are the conditions that must be observed when photographing the sportive
subjects. We know that the photo devices with automatic control of exposure are designed for many types of
photos. If you have made up your mind to deal with the sportive photography it is good for you to know that
the device you use should respond to the utmost exigencies. The sportive subjects that suppose high speed
imply the use of proper exposures according to the speed of the respective sports.
For example, on the Monte Carlo circuit a First Formula car has a very high speed and thus the
exposure must be fixed at the
1/125- 1/250 seconds interval. In
other words, if we choose a 1/160
exposure, or even bigger, the car
will be seen unclearly. The farther
the objective is from the camera,
the longer can the exposure b and
the other way round. Thats why
when getting the same object
photographed with two objectives
of different focal distance, you
have
to
establish
different
exposures. A long focal distance
objective renders the image at big
scale and thus there is a shorter
exposure
than
with
the
superangular objective.
With regard to the
objectives that we will use, they
are in a great measure determined by the type of sport that we want to use.
If you watch from the tribune a volley match in a closed space you can use a common objective.

It is best that you should be equipped with a transfocalizing objective; thus you would be able to
catch the most important moments if you fix the objective towards the distance-objective. If you work with a
transfocalizing objective or with a distance-objective, you should also consider its luminousness. And more,
the bigger the focal distance is, the greater the probability of the clarity to lack becomes, because of the
movements of the camera; short- exposure photographs on highly sensitive film are better.
The photography of car during the race can e done in two manners: with a photo camera held in a
still position or through the chasing photography.
In the first case the photography is made with a still camera. Because of the high speed of the object,
a pretty short exposure time is established together with the corresponding diaphragm. Try to make the best
choice because according to them the field profoundness also modifies. If you prefer in this case a greater
exposure, you can obtain a larger range of field profoundness, but the objects in fast movement wont be
clearly rendered. This method allows you to amplify the movement effect, but the disadvantage consists in
the fact that because of the moved image of the main object, its details are also lost, which is not always
desirable.
The second method called the photography with chase allows you to render a clear object on a still
background. Through this method try to keep the moving object in the same place of the frame by turning
the camera in the moving direction of the object. Thus the photographed object will be clear and still whereas
the moving wheels will give the impression of speed. The background will be unclear and moved.
For this type of photos the so-called sights for sportive photos are especially designed, some frames
that can be fixed on the device in order to freely follow the photographed objective. To apply this method
you can use a standard objective or a large angled one. Dont fix a too wide opening of the diaphragm.
The Flashlight (the Blitz)
The flashlight is not very useful for the photography of sportive subjects because the distance to the
photographed object is too big for the regular flashlights. The idea that a blitz assures an illumination
distance of no more than 10 meters is not available for the photography in a sport room and no more for the
open spaces. The confusion appears because in the determination of the maximum distance of illumination it
was considered that at 2.5m above the head there was a white ceiling, which didnt diffuse the light in all
directions but reflects it orienting it towards the photographed object.
When using a blitz, if the distance to photographed object is not very big, any image appears
frozen. If you are at a small distance, you can use a blitz, when you photograph for example a volley
player rejecting the ball with a quick blow in a high leap above the net.
The Directed Light
The static sports like billiard or chess are not exactly a subject suitable for flashlight illumination.
The tension of the fight between the two players could be better rendered through a directed light, a light
mainly concentrated upon the playing table. To choose the proper light you have to measure the exposure
through the method of local or spot determination in the centrally illuminated area of the photographed
object. The light directed towards the players and limited to a certain surface can be correctly exposed only
at exact measurements.
The bigger the contrast of the photographed object is the more exact the exposure must be made.
This is another reason against the use of the blitz for such sports, which suppose intellectual concentration:
the blitz could distract the attention of the players, disturbing them.
The Use of Objectives with Big Focal Distance

In certain sports, such as the football, the photo reporters occupy special places behind the two gates.
If you work with a long focal distance, you can photograph through the net of the gates, which wont be
perceivable. When photographing the game scenes in the punishment quarter or of the gate front, it would be
better if you didnt use such an objective
but a superangular or a standard one. When
you use long focal distance objectives or
distance-objectives, dont you forget the
countersun. Make sure you fix an
ultraviolet filter. even on a cloudy weather
this filter doesnt absorb the light but it
provides the protection against the dust and
the scratches. If you use a reflex system
objective you are advised to avoid taking
pictures in the sun direction lest the photo
should have light stains.

The Strangleholds
The variety of stranglehold types is an element that we should keep in our mind when photographing
the sportive competitions. The mostly spread stranglehold for reflex devices is the curtain one. It can be
either a stranglehold with curtain that moves horizontally, or a stranglehold with vertically moving lamella.
In principle the difference between them is not very big but when photographing sportive competitions you
should know what stranglehold is to be fixed on your device. The reason: supposing that you photograph a
racing car, which moves with a high speed, and you use the 1/1000second exposure; in the picture the car
will appear slightly flattened. That can be easily explained: the curtain stranglehold, in fact the curtain of the
stranglehold, being very narrow, moves horizontally against the car. The directions can be opposed; the
object can move towards one direction and the curtain of the stranglehold towards the opposed one. It would
be better if you should check the orientation of the curtain in this manner: you are in a train or in a car, and
you orient the camera perpendicularly on the moving direction. Establish a short time of exposure and the
corresponding diaphragm. Take a picture in the usual conditions of high- speed movements. Thus in the
photos you will be able to see in what direction the stranglehold moves. Such an effect is visible with the
vertically moving strangleholds, but as the stranglehold moves on a minimum surface (24 mm), the
deformation will be much smaller. With the central strangleholds there appears no deformation, but such

strangleholds cant insure exposures smaller than 1/500 seconds and they are not recommended for the
photography of sportive competitions of high speed.
The Mechanisms of Automatic Unfurling of the Film
If you watch professional photographers, you will immediately notice that they try to catch a certain
image in a certain place. They usually work with more devices, always equipped with automatic unfurling of
the film. Such mechanisms can be practically applied at any kind of camera with reflex system. In the
present, many cameras are equipped with internal unfurling mechanisms of the films. A manual unfurling is
out of the question. The unfurling speed is often variable. There are mechanisms for which 6 seconds are
enough to unfold a 36-frame film, but even so at the photography, they unfurl four frames in approximately
1.5 seconds each.
The Photography of Lifeless Nature
The dead nature is a composition of several lifeless objects, united according to a certain theme. The
realization of dead nature is a good exercise for the composition and illumination methods. The dead nature
must clearly express a certain idea. It may be composed of objects gathered according to their usage or of
objects which appear to be different and incompatible but they are unified by a clear idea. Lifeless nature is
often an integrating element of the portrait. The things surrounding a man in a picture have an important role,
strengthening the reality of the portrait and outlining the psychological profile of the subject.
The lifeless nature can be considered as a condensed history of man. The things made by a man can
tell about him as much as a portrait. In the present photo the reportage of lifeless nature is really interesting,
describing the world of the contemporary man. For example a chased subject y the photographers is the
placing of the instruments on the working table locksmith, giving birth to new ideas in the technical
esthetics.
In the present the advertising in which lifeless nature appears are widely spread, evoking not only
applied decorative art products but industrial ones as well, together with clothes or textures.
To create an artistic work of art presenting lifeless nature you must perfectly master the photographic
technique. You must learn to render the form of the objects and their structure; only thus the graphic and the
painting of lifeless things, usually unperceivable can be seen. You need a fine clearness of the image; it is
better for you to photograph with medium-sized reflex devices. On one hand they give you the possibility to
take large-scale photos from small distances; on the other hand the possibility of seeing the image on the
opaque glass of the sight exists, of controlling the field profoundness of the presented surface, the rendering
of dark areas and the result of the action for different optic elements.
To obtain great field profoundness you are advised to take photos with small openings the
diaphragm, which requires the use of the stand.
With the illumination certain artistic problems specific for the lifeless nature, are solved out: the
tonality, the luminousness of the image and the compositional balance. For the illumination of the lifeless
nature artificial illumination sources are regularly used. The lifeless nature can be photographed by day at
natural light. With such light the necessary tonality the illumination of the dark areas and the placement of
the luminous areas are obtained through the application of some reflecting screens of white paper aluminum
folio or the mirror. When photographing on black and white material the use of combined sources of light,
natural and artificial is allowed.
The lifeless nature requires a restrained composition of the frame: its surface must be limited to
guide the attention upon the objects, each of them needing a certain idea weight. The background must be so
organized as to have a calm appearance, homogenous and rarely with nuances from the luminous to the dark.
The luminous objects can be better seen on a dark background and the other way around. The background
should usually be slightly unclear. You can use as a background a smooth wall, cardboard or special scenery,
for example the curved drawing thick paper. The tonality of the background can be controlled through the
proper illumination. The composition of the lifeless nature depends entirely on you; you can freely
experiment shapes and colors. Take a look from time to time through the sight because your angle ob the
objective differs a little from the sight angle of the eye. The angle under which the photo is taken has a
special importance and depends in great measure upon the characteristics of the photographed object.
Before starting the photography, you are advised to check if everything is well fixed, answering to
some questions: in what device has the necessary film been loaded? Is the illumination well organized within
the frame? From what place has the exposure to be measured? How do you obtain the contrast for the
photographed objects? Are all the objects in their places?