THE BASIC STEPS IN MAKING A PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Photography is the record of images produced on sensitized material by a form of radiant energy - light rays, infrared rays, and x-rays. Light is the most common form of radiant energy. A discussion of light is used in this chapter to introduce and describe the basic photographic process.

2. There are three basic steps in making a photograph: EXPOSURE, PROCESSING, and PRINTING.

a. EXPOSURE: Exposure occurs when the camera shutter is tripped, permitting reflected light from the subject to enter and thereby exposing the film. A latent (invisible) image of the subject has now been exposed onto the film's light sensitive coating, the emulsion.

b. PROCESSING: Processing, also referred to as developing consists of a series of steps that will develop the latent image into a visible image through the use of chemical solutions. These steps are:

(1) Developer -- Here the exposed film is immersed in a chemical solution (developer) that will change the exposed portions of the film to a visible image of the subject photographed.

(2) Stop Bath -- To stop the action of the developing agent and thus prevent over-developing, the film is rinsed in a diluted acetic acid solution.

(3) Fixing -- The film is then placed in another chemical solution which dissolves the unexposed and undeveloped parts of the emulsion. These parts are left clear.

(4) Wash and Dry -- Film is washed in running water so that all chemicals and unwanted particles art removed. If any chemicals remain the image will fade over time. The film is then dried, and the result is a "negative." A negative is an image of the subject photographed in which the various tones appear reversed.

Description of Lighting System

The lighting system consists of a converter and two light assemblies.

a. Converter.

The converter is used to manually or automatically operate the light assemblies. The converter permits control of the lightassemblies to obtain even illumination and balanced color temperature over the entire surface of the easel. One end of the 20-foot POWER CORD is permanently attached to the converter. When set up for operation, the converter is secured to the rear of the cabinet by means of two convertermounting screws.

b. Light assemblies .
The two light assemblies use standardincandescent lamps (four 150-watt incandescent lamps in each assembly). The light assemblies are supported by a carriage assembly (two support arms) that are secured to the front end block. Each light assembly has its own15-foot interconnection cable (light assembly cable).

Description of Lens Assembly

The lens assembly includes a lens, a shutter, a lens board, and a
cable release.

a. Lens.
The lens is a four-element anastigmatic type XII copying unit. It has a focal length of 12 inches and a maximum aperture of f/6.3. The lens elements are coated to reduce internal reflections. Lens assembly mounted in front frame.

b. Shutter.
The shutter has five automatically timed speed settings plus time (T), bulb (B), and seven aperture settings. The shutter also contains an internal synchronization mechanism and a press focus lever to open and close the  shutter to facilitate focusing.

c. Lens board.
The lens board is provided to permit mounting the lens assembly in the front frame of the camera. The front vertical movement plate with the threaded shaft and shaft support, and the front horizontal movement plate with the vertical gear and rack gear shift the lens board and lens to position the image on the ground focusing glass.

d. Cable release.
The cable release is provided for remote operation of the shutter to permit making T, B, or instantaneous (I) exposures without jarring the lens or causing camera movement.

PHOTO OF ME wth MY BESTIE

I edit this photo using PHOTOSCAPE software.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT

Description of Camera
The camera consists of a camera body, two carriages, a  4" x 5" focusing back, an 8" x 10" focusing back, two front movement mechanisms, two handwheel assemblies, a camera bed, and an easel. 


a.Camera body.
The camera body includes the following:
(1) A front frame  for mounting the lens assembly.

The front frame contains a front stationary plate and two front movement plates (horizontal and vertical). (2) A front bellows and a rear bellows which provide a flexible lighttight compartment (body). (3) A center frame for securing the bellows in the center of the camera body. (4) A rear frame for mounting the focusing backs. A clip at each corner of the rear frame provides the means for securing the focusing back to the rear frame.

b. Camera bed.
   The camera bed includes two tubular guide rails  with an end block at each end. Wire-rope pulleys are secured to bracketswithin the end blocks. Two connecting bars between the tubular guide rails provide additional rigidity for the camera bed.

c.Easel.
The easel  is hinge-mounted on the front end and includes a blasted glass secured within the easel frame. Five
interlocking photographic masks  are supplied to hold-copy to theg lass frame. Both the glass frame and the   masks use clips to secure copy, or the next smaller mask, to the easel. A calibrated mounting plate [(2)
below], mounted on a sponge rubber padded mounting board, and two glass
plates are also part of the easel.

d.Carriages. 

The front and rear carriages  are castings that are secured to the front and rear frames respectively. The carriages house the camera movement and locking mechanisms, and the slides that ride on the tubular guide rails.

e. Camera focusing backs.
Two focusing backs are provided with thecamera set. (1) 4" x 5" focusing back.
The 4" x 5" focusing back isinterchangeable with the 8" x 10" focusing back [(2) below].
The focusingpanel shield (figure 2) is secured within the focusing back by two springs. A ground focusing glass is mounted within the focusing panel shield. Horizontal and vertical lines on the ground focusing glass provide a scale to align the image.

f. Front movement mechanisms.
The front movement mechanisms provide the facilities for horizontal movement or for the vertical movement of the lens assembly. Each mechanism consists of a guide bar  that runs the full length of the carriage bed, a handle grip, and a gear arrangement.

g. Handwheel assemblies.
Two handwheel assemblies are provided for movement of the camera carriages. The handwheels (front and rear) , through a system of cable reels and wire ropes, move the camera carriages forward and backward as required.

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES

1) KEEPING THE CAMERA STEADY

Many photographs have been ruined because of camera movement. Unless you want a blurred
picture, keeping your camera steady when shooting is crucial. The longer the exposure or focal-length lens you use, the more crucial holding your camera steady becomes; therefore, there are many instances when the use of a tripod or some other type of camera support is necessary.
The following section provides general guidelin.


2)HANDHOLDING THE CAMERA

Of the various methods to keep your camera steady, the best is to use a tripod, but often you may not have one with you or the situation makes the use of a tripod impossible. In these situations, if you use proper precautions, it is possible to take high-quality pictures using hand-held methods. Under normal circumstances, you should not handhold your camera at shutter speeds longer than about 1/60 second. When a long lens is used, this becomes even more critical, because the images produced by long lenses are affected more by camera movement.

3) CAMERA SUPPORTS

Use tripods, monopods and clamps.

4) PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION

Photographic composition is the pleasing arrangement of subject matter elements within the
picture area. Creative photography depends foremost on the photographer's ability to see as the camera sees because a photograph does not reproduce a scene quite the way we see it. The camera sees and records only a small isolated part of the larger scene, reduces it to only two dimensions, frames it, and freezes it. It does not discriminate as we do. When we look at a scene we selectively see only the important elements and more or less ignore the rest. A camera, on the other hand, sees all the details within the field of view. This is the reason some of our pictures are often disappointing. Backgrounds may be cluttered with objects we do not remember, our subjects are smaller in the frame or lessstriking than we recall, or the entire scene may lack significance and life. Good pictures are seldom created by chance. To make the most of any subject, you must understand the basic principles of composition. The way you arrange the elements of a scene within a picture, catch the viewer’s attention, please the eye, or make a clear statement are all qualities of good composition. By developing photographic composition skills, you can produce photographs that suggest movement, life, depth, shape, and form, recreating the impact of the original scene.

TYPES OF POTRAITS

THREE BASIC TYPES OF POTRAITS

A portrait is a likeness of a person, especially the face. This definition isolates one essential point in portraiture. A portrait should emphasize the person rather than the person's environment or something associated with the person. However, a pictorial representation which portrays only a recognizable likeness of a person is not enough. A portrait must be more than just a photograph. It must have mood, personality, and characteristics from which the viewer can draw conclusions about the subject. By manipulating expressions, posing, lighting, and environments, a portrait photographer can portray any mood from happiness to gloom as well as the personality of a subject. Posing the subject with familiar objects and environments can produce a more natural expression and pose because the subject will be more at ease. Articles or props included in the scene can help to tell more about the subject.

• Types of Portraits

There are three basic types of portraits:
These include: identification, formal, and informal. An identification portrait shows a person as he ordinarily looks.

A formal portrait shows a person to his best advantage, and an informal portrait shows a person as he appears in his natural environment.

Formal Portraits. Some of the uses of formal portraits are for records, formal display, and news release purposes. For example, this is the type of portrait displayed on bulletin boards or elsewhere to recognize accomplishments such as "Soldier of the Month." Formal photographs are also distributed to identify those in the chain of command. It is obvious from their uses that formal portraits should show the person at his best. When taking formal portraits, you should pose the subject in a studio against a neutral background -gray, light blue, or white. The subject should wear class A military dress with full decorations. Any object appearing in the portrait with the subject must be subordinate to the subject in tone, placement, or size.


Informal Portraits. Informal portraits are used for display and promotion in similar but more informal and unofficial circumstances than formal portraits. When you want to indicate the subject's position, job, agency, or a particular event, take an informal portrait.

Environmental portrait, Show the subject of an informal portrait in his natural environment, but do not have him engaged in any activity. The environment serves only as a background to connect the subject with some organization or event. The subject should be dressed properly but not necessarily in a class A uniform. The environmental portrait can be considered as a subcategory of the informal portrait. This type of picture may be classified as a "working portrait." The subject of an environmental portrait is photographed outside of the studio. The purpose of this picture is to show the person in a setting surrounded, perhaps, by props that indicate something about the individu.