"An Introduction to Photography"
May 2004
Project Proposal
This project is designed to teach someone the basics of how to use their camera as well as take good pictures. It teaches the mechanics of the camera, and then goes on to illustrate concepts behind taking pictures that "don't look like snapshots." There are interactive lessons in both areas.
The project is divided into three main sections: how to use the camera, techniques for taking good pictures, and a brief history of photography. The project is designed to be as camera-independent as possible, so that the user can benefit from the project regardless of what kind of camera the user has. Although it illustrates some of the basic points on using a standard 35mm film camera, most of the concepts transfer easily over to the digital world. In the camera and photography sections, there are interactive projects in which the user is encouraged to participate. These projects, or explorations, are an extension of the corresponding text that the user has just been reading. For example, when the user is reading about the aperture of the lens and how it affects the focus of the picture, the user is then directed to an exercise where he can experiment with different aperture settings and observe the effects in a virtual photo.
When the user first enters the program, he is presented with a short introduction, which quickly leads to the main menu. From there, he has a choice of which area to focus on. He is guided and presented with limited choices while he is observing the layout, and exploring the content. A few pages deep are the interactive explorations, where he can modify the page and receive feedback on his modifications -- reciprocal change.
This project is designed to not be restricted to one format of presentation. Ideally, this will be a CD-ROM, but a website format is also possible.
Flowchart
Larger version
Screenshots
Start Screen
Main Menu
The Camera menu
The Camera menu with a rollover effect applied
The Photography menu
An activity which lets you explore the relationship between shutter speed and aperture.
This is the default screen.
In this screen, the user has set the shutter speed too slow, so the picture appears washed out.
In this screen, the user has set the aperture too high, the picture appears too dark.
An activity which lets you explore the relationship between aperture and focus.
Here, the aperture is set high, so everything in the picture is in focus.
Here, the aperture is set low, so the chess pieces in the front are in focus, but the chess pieces in the back are out of focus.
The Composition menu
Clicking the "Point of Interest" button in the picture above will take you to this screen. Each of the six words are menu choices.
The Point of Interest menu with a rollover
Some text and photos in the sample screenshots were taken from sources listed below.
Resources
- "Pause and Effect," Mark Stephen Meadows, New Riders, 2003
- http://www.azuswebworks.com/photography/ph_cam.html
- http://members.lycos.co.uk/RobertSlade/Photo/manual.html
- http://photographytips.com/page.cfm/6
- Microsoft Digital Photography Tips
- http://www.planetneil.com/colourzone/composition.html
- Petteri Sulonen - Teaching Composition
- http://www.azuswebworks.com/photography/ph_comp.html
- http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/index.html
- http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blphotographytimeline.htm
- http://www.photo.net/history/timeline
- http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blphotography.htm
- http://www.syntheticgraphics.com/gallery/35mm1152.html
- http://caughtintimephotography.com