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 Photography 1:
The Art of Photography

Written by
Michael Freeman
About the author

Michael Freeman is one of the world’s most highly respected professional

photographers. He is widely published, with more than 80 books to his credit
including the classic 35mm handbook (over 1.5 million copies sold). His
publications include Spirit of Asia; Angkor: Cities and Temples (both Thames
and Hudson); Japan Modern and The Modern Japanese Garden (both Mitchell
Beazley).

Michael has produced a unique series of guide books for the digital
photographer and this is published by ILEX, who are digital media
specialists.

He has worked on commissions for many well-known publishing clients,

including Time-Life, Reader’s Digest, Condé Nast Traveller and GEO. He is also
the principle photographer for the Smithsonian Magazine.
Contents

You and your course

What's in your course pack
The equipment you will need
Linking up with your tutor
Course work
A note on filter equivalents
On completing the course
Project and tutorial plan

1: A way of seeing
Introduction
Learning from professional work
Equipment versus image
The equipment you will need
General advice
Getting to know your camera
Project 1: focal length and angle of view
Project 2: focus with a set aperture
Project 3: focus with different apertures
Photographing movement
Project 4: shutter speeds
Project 5: panning with different shutter speeds

2: The frame
Looking through the viewfinder
Project 6: fitting the frame to the subject
Project 7: objects in different positions in the frame
Project 8: recording a sequence
The angle of view
Project 9: focal lengths
Project 10: focal lengths and different viewpoints
 Dividing the frame
Project 11: balance
Project 12: positioning the horizon
Project 13: the golden section
Frame shapes and sizes
Project 14: vertical and horizontal frames
Cropping
Project 15: cropping
Assignment 1: the theory and practice of contrasts

3: Elements of design
Introduction
Points
Project 16: defining a point
Project 17: positioning a point
Project 18: relationship between points
Project 19: multiple points
Lines
Project 20: horizontal and vertical lines
Project 21: diagonals
Project 22: curves
Using lines in composition
Project 23: implied lines
Shapes
Project 24: shapes
Project 25: rectangles
Project 26: real and implied triangles
Project 27: real and implied circles
Rhythm and pattern
Project 28: rhythms and patterns
Project 29: applying the elements of design
4: Colour
Introduction: the history and properties of colour in photography
Project 30: colour control
Project 31 analysing a colour
Making a slide library of colours
Project 32: primary colours
Project 33: secondary colours
Colours in real life
Project 34: black and white and grey as colours
Colour relationships
Project 35: colour relationships
Project 36: warm and cool colours
Colour filters in black-and-white photography
Project 37: filters with black-and-white film
Assignment 2: colour

5: Natural light
The raw material of photography
The intensity of light
Project 38: measuring the intensity of light
Project 39: using faster film and higher sensitivity
Project 40: using a meter
The colour of light
Project 41: your eye’s sensitivity to colour
Project 42: judging colour temperature
Dawn to dusk
Project 43: through the day
Project 44: low sun
Project 45: picture count
Project 46: choosing the moment
Project 47: twilight
Weather
Project 48: cloudy and dull weather
Project 49: graduated filters
 Project 50: rain
Assignment 3: applying what you have learned so far

6: Artificial light
Introduction
Available light
Project 51: tungsten lights
Project 52: tungsten film/tungsten balance
Project 53: fluorescent lights
Project 54: outdoors at night
Photographic lighting
Project 55: light intensity
Project 56: softening the light
Project 57: the lighting angle
Project 58: contrast and shadow fill
Project 59: concentrating light
Project 60: shiny surfaces
Project 61: making the best use of built-in flash
Assignment 4: applying lighting techniques

7: Narrative and illustration

Putting the subject first
Narrative
Project 62: researching an event
Project 63: a narrative picture essay
Illustration
Project 64: evidence of action
Illustration by symbols
Project 65: symbols
Illustration by juxtaposition
Project 66: juxtaposition
Project 67: rain
Assignment 5: applying the techniques of illustration and narrative
At the end of your course
Appendix A: if you plan to submit your work for
formal assessment
Appendix B: equipment
Appendix C: technique
Appendix D: design
Appendix E: information concerning the proper use of
materials and equipment
Further reading
Project 35: colour relationships
[3 photographs for the first part, 3 - 4 for the second part]

The project is to produce one photograph for each combination of primary

and secondary colours, adjusting the distance, focal length or framing when
you shoot so that you compose the picture to the proportions listed above.
Finding these combinations will not necessarily be easy, and adjusting the
proportions even less so. As you do the project, read the Colour section in
Appendix D which describes the same principle of equilibrium with more
colours (see the images below). Produce multi-colour combinations, of which
at least one should be in these balanced proportions. The other images can be
of any mixtures of strong colours that appeal to you. The objective here is to
demonstrate that there is no 'correctness' to complementary colours. But you
should be aware of any imbalance in the combination and study its effect.
Write this in your logbook for future reference. As in the discussion on
balance in 2: The frame, the slight tension that comes from imbalance can often
be more interesting than perfect equilibrium. What is important in this course
is that you are aware of it and can make use of it in your own work.

Early morning sunlight gives additional vibrance to the contrasting colours in this
façade of a colonial mansion in the Mexican city of Merida.

The following images have been reduced to abstract colour relationships in

the adjoining diagrams. The ability to look at a complex subject and see
within it the main elements of form and colour is an important stage in the
framing of balanced images and in the conscious use of colour.
Complementary colours: the red and green in this image are not pure and so the
interaction normally associated with complementary colours is less evident.

Complementary colours: the relationship between the orange and blue areas is
softened by the intervening neutral fawn.
 Complementary colours: although the 2 hues are pale in the dawn view of fishing
boats, the persistent harmony of yellow and violet creates a calm feeling.

Contrasting colours: the juxtaposition of green and pink form a strong focal point in
this photograph of a Kathakali dancer. This shot also illustrates the value of on-
camera flash which usually works best on a subject with strong colours or tones.

Contrasting colours: the classic primary combination with roughly equal areas of red
and yellow and a greater area of blue which, being darker in tone, adds to the
intensity of the other 2.
 Contrasting colours: even though they are separated by more neutral hues, the
intensity of the 3 primary colours is still evident in this study of a Balinese fishing
boat.

Contrasting colours: here the dominant green acts as a setting for the limited areas of
primary colours.

Contrasting colours: apart from the contrast in hue, the green, blue and orange
share a similar quality of desaturation. This helps to make a coherent image.