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David Doubliet:

Doubilet was born in 1946 in New York City, and started his photography at the age of 12.  As a pioneer of underwater photography, Doubilet's environmentalism is what inspired his passion for photographing marine wildlife. Doubilet has written 12 books including David Doubilet: Water Light Time, and shot for almost 70 stories for national Geographic since 1971, when he did his first assignment about garden eels in the Red Sea. 

Some of Doubilet’s accomplishments are as follows: founding Fellow of International League of Conservation Photographers, receiving The Explorers Club’s Lowell Thomas Award, receiving the Lennard Nilsson Award, being awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, and owning Undersea Images Inc.. In Doubilet’s own words, his goal as a professional photographer is to “redefine photographic boundaries”. Doubilet’s passion for the aquatic ecosystems is evident in his photography where he makes “an image that makes people think about, fall in love with, and protect the sea.” 

What kind of lighting was in their famous image?

The light source in this image was the sun which is visible in the lower left hand corner. The lighting in this image is soft and serves to underline the fact that the image comes from a perspective that is below the surface of the ocean, and the importance of preserving this ecosystem. 

Location where the image could have potentially been taken? 

This image was taken in the Pacific Ocean, near Papua New Guinea. 

Camera Settings 

The camera probably had a medium ISO because the sun is shining directly into the camera, but the water filters out some of that light. Judging by the sharpness of the image and the depth of field, the shutter speed was probably high, and the aperture was larger.

Subject body position

Doubilet was not able to pose either the diver or the fish. By positioning himself underneath the school of Barracuda, and was lucky enough that the fish circled the diver. 

Clothing and props

There aren't any props in this image, but the diver's scuba gear is important to the image because it shows nature and man interacting. 

And finally composition

Some of the rules of composition in this image are simplicity, circular composition, contrast, and frame in a frame. Simplicity is evident by the not-distracting blue background. Circular composition is evident by the circle formed by the barracuda. The contrast in this image is the black subjects and the blue background. The frame in a frame is the diver framed by the fish.

I picked this image because I like the contrast of the school of fish and the fisherman and the contrast of the colors under the surface of the water and the sunset/sunrise. I also picked this image because it shows nature and man interacting in a interesting manner. 

I picked this image because I like the characterization of the seals and the way the image captures the interaction of two different species. I also picked this image because I liked the lighting and the ripples of the surface of the water. 

Jeff Widener:

Jeff Widener was born in 1956 in Long Beach California. Widener is best known for his photograph the Tank Man. Widener attended Los Angeles Pierce College and Moorpark College to major in photojournalism. Widener beat out 8,000 students from across the United States in 1974 by receiving the Kodak Scholastic National Photography Scholarship, whose grand price was a study tour of East Africa. When Widener was 25, he took a position in Brussels, Belgium as a photographer with United Press International. 

Some of the awards Widener has received are as follows: finalist for 1990 Pulitzer Prize in Spot News Photographer, awards and citations from Overseas Press Club, DART Award from Columbia University, Casey Medal for meritorious Journalism, Chia Sardina Award in Italy, New York Press Club, best of Photojournalism, and Harry Chapin Media Award. Widener was also the first photojournalist to file digital images from the South Pole. Over Widener’s career, he has covered assignments in more than 100 countries involving wars and civil unrest and social issues. 

What kind of lighting was in their famous image?

The light source is the sun coming from out of the frame in the upper left hand corner. The lighting is soft, and not intense. The light helps to highlight the magnitude of the man's actions. 

Location where the image could have potentially been taken?

The image was taken in Tiananmen Square. 

Camera Settings 

The camera probably had a lower ISO because there was a lot of light judging by the shadows in the image. Judging by the sharpness of the image and the slight blurriness of the man, the shutter speed was medium as well as the aperture. 

Subject body position 

Widener was not able to pose either the man or the tanks. By positioning himself in a place with a good vantage point, and simply being in the right place at the right time, Widener was able to capture this image. 

Clothing and props

There aren't any props in this image, and the clothing of the man isn't significant in this image. 

And finally composition 

Some rules of photography in this image are leading lines (the tanks and lines on the road), asymmetrical balance (the tanks on one side vs the man on the other), and rhythm (the line of tanks). 

I picked this image because it shows interaction between machine and nature, and how nature doesn't care about the advancements men have made. I also liked this image because of the background and the s-curve of cars. 

I picked this image because it shows the deadly force of nature combined with technological advancements that cause devastation.












Lyle Owerko:

Lyle Owerko was born in Calgary Canada and earned a Masters in science in the communication arts program at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Owerko is currently working as a filmmaker and photographer who has worked for MTV, Time, and Sundance Channel. Owerko has documented a wide range of subjects including urban skateboarders and members of Kenya’s Samburu tribe. Owerko’s most famous image, The Second Plane, was featured on the cover of the September 14, 2001 Time magazine. 

Owerko often works with human rights organizations such as Charity:Water and United Nations Millennium Promise. The Boombox Project  was started 2005 as a documentation of vintage portable stereos, and in 2010, Owerko published a book of the photos. Some of Owerko’s work has been included in th permanent collection of the Library of Congress and has been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

What kind of lighting was in their famous image? 

The light sources in this image are the sun, which is out of the image, and the explosion. The lighting serves to highlight how tragic this event was. 

Location where the image could have potentially been taken?

This image was taken in Downtown New York at the World Trade Towers. 

Camera Settings 

The ISO probably wasn't that high, judging by the clarity of the picture. In addition, the shutter speed would have had to been high to capture the debris falling, and the aperture would have had to been fairly open to keep the subject in focus. 

Subject body position 

The photographer couldn't have posed the subject because the attack was unexpected and the subject is a set of buildings. Owerko couldn't really have planned to be in this position to take this photo, but was likely going toward the towers to take pictures, and happened to be ready at the right time. 

Clothing and props

There is no clothing or props in this image. 

And finally composition 

Some rules of composition in this image are Rule of Thirds, the explosion in in the upper left hand corner, and Simplicity, the blue, cloudless background.

I chose this image because it's visually appealing, the colors contrast in a really cool way, and the subject is showing emotion in such a powerful way. This image shows the humanity of humans that we've never before met. 

I chose this image because the boombox shows the sentimentality of it to somebody, the papers show the emotional connection someone obviously has to this image. 

File formats and lossy versus lossless

RAW vs JPEG

RAW Files:

Advantages

1. Complete data from camera

2. Higher in dynamic range

3. Gives more control over how the image looks

Disadvantages: 

1. Takes up a lot of space

JPEG Files:

Advantages:

1. Readable by any program

2. Small file size

3. Immediately suitable for printing, sharing, or posting on the internet

Disadvantages:

1. Lower in dynamic range

Why photographers would shoot using RAW 

1. A RAW file captures and preserves all of the data.

2. The photographer can change white balance, contrast, highlights, shadows, colors, and saturation. 

3. The photographer need to consider the facts that not all cameras have the ability to make RAW images, RAW files are significantly larger and the fact that a RAW file can be converted to a JPEG, but not the other way around.

4. An aspiring professional photographer would need to shoot in RAW format because it offers more flexibility and processing options that are necessary in the professional world. 

Image File Formats

1. I have previously used .jpeg, .png, and .nef file formats. 

2. Raster files are composed of pixels, while vector files are composed of lines and curves. 

Lossy vs Lossless

JPEG: Lossy

TIFF: Lossless

PSD: Lossless

NEF: Lossless

Common uses

JPEG: Internet and immediate printing

TIFF: Photograph standard in printing business

PSD: Creation of complex images with layers, shading and gradients

NEF: Editing

Can my Camera create this type of file?
JPEG: yes
TIFF: no
PSD: no
NEF: yes

Famous Paintings

The Oath of Horatii

1. The light is coming from the mid left side, out of the frame.
2. I can duplicate this light by taking the photo at a later time of day, or by using an adjustable lamp or studio light.
3. I will need swords, a spear, and some chairs/benches.
4. The painter used a center angle to capture the entirety of the scene.
5. I will need some togas, capes, sandals, helmets, and fabric to hold hair back.
6. Some good models would be an even mix of pale men and women, the men being around the same height.
7. The women will need to appear to be lounging and gossiping, while the men need to be preparing for a battle or melee.
8. The most difficult things to duplicate will be the setting, the authenticity of the clothing, and the poses (so that it looks natural).

The Mistress and Maid




















1. The light is coming from the mid left side just outside of the frame.
2. I can duplicate this light by using an adjustable lamp or studio light.
3. I will need a table, paper, pen and a decorated box
4. The painter angled the painting in order to capture the mistress's profile and the maid's face.
5. I will need a dark brown dress with a white collar and a yellow dress with black and white spotted trim, a ribbon to place in the bun, and pearl necklace and earrings.
6. Good models would be a short, stout woman and a dainty looking woman.
7. The "mistress" will need to look thoughtful, as though she is pondering something, but her pose shouldn't be too difficult. The "maid" will need to appear as though she is only doing her job, and her pose shouldn't be difficult either.
8. The most difficult things to duplicate will be the yellow dress, the black background, and the lighting.

The Astronomer



















1. The light is coming from the visible window in the mid to upper left side of the painting.
2. I can duplicate this light by placing the window in the same place.
3. I will need a globe, table cloth, papers, wardrobe, books, drapes, table, chair and a painting.
4. The painter chose a side angle to show the environment in which the astronomer works.
5. I will need a blue, baggy robe.
6. A good model would be a semi-tall person with long hair.
7. The astronomer is standing up slightly in order to move the globe and the the wardrobe is only half in the light.
8. The hardest things to duplicate will be the setting, holding the pose, and getting the exact lighting.