Fall 2009 Session

Assignment 1:

Take a picture of anything. Follow these two rules:

1) Hold camera properly to get a sharp image (Click Here to see how to hold a camera)

2) Follow Rule of Thirds. (Click Here to see what it means)

Please email your assignments by Sunday, October 11 to suhailmir@hotmail.com.

Thank you.

SPRING 2009 SESSION

Assignment for Week 4 (May 13, 2009)

Take a picture of an animal (wild, pet, birds). If you cannot find a real one then you may take a picture of a toy.

Rules:
1. Sharp (hold camera properly)
2. rule of thirds
3. Watch your background
4. Take several shots and check the sharpness on your computer monitor.

Please visit this page for very a very important lesson: http://www.photomeadow.com/falcon/composition.html

Due date: May 18. Please submit all missed assignments also.

Reminder:
The Prince William Forest Park photo-shoot is on May 17 from 1:30 to 4:30. For park info please visit their website at:
http://www.nps.gov/prwi/. You will have to pay a small entrance fee.

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Assignment for Week 3 (May 6, 2009)

The assignmet for this week is to photograph a person (preferably your mom). Don't ask your subject to pose for you. Take the photograph while they are doing something: cooking, reading, talking on the phone....
Follow these rules:

1) Plan (watch light, background, height, etc)
2) Hold camera properly (watch your focus and sharpness)
3) Rule of Thirds (Don't place your subject dead-center)
4) Avoid objects that are not important.
5) TAKE MANY SHOTS AND SEND ME THE BEST ONE.

Assignment is due on or before May 10, 2009. Please mail the picture to me at suhailmir@hotmail.com.

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Assignment for Week 2 (April 29, 2009)

Take a photograph of a real flower. Follow these three rules:

1) Planning (watch the light, distracting elements, background)

2) Hold camera properly to get a sharp image (Click Here to see how to hold a camera)

3) Follow Rule of Thirds. (Click Here to see what it means)

Assignment is due on or before May 3, 2009. Please email your assignment to me at suhailmir@hotmail.com.

Thank you.

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Welcome to your Spring 2009 Session.

April 22, 2009

Assignment 1:

Take a photograph of anything green. Email it to me at suhailmir@hotmail.com on or before Sunday, April 26, 2009.

Thank you.

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Last Class on January 21, 2009

Please don't miss this class. We will be taking a group shot for the year-book.

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Award Ceremony on January 23, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Story Room.

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Assignment # 6

QUIZ

1) What is the first thing you need to do before you take a picture:

1. hold the camera properly
2. put on a helmet
3. plan your shot

 2) Generally, you should not place your main subject dead-center. This rule is known as:

1. rule of fourths
2. rule of thirds
3. rule of first

3) What is the best time of the day to take a picture:

1. early morning
2. mid-day
3. late afternoon
4. a and c

How to submit your answers:
You can email me your answers. Write down the question number and the answer next to it. E.g. 4=b (4 is the number of question an b is your answer)

You may, if you wish email me new pictures for your web-page. This is not an assignment. I will be more than happy to upload them and discuss them in the class. Remember, don’t just take a snap. Plan your photo-shoot and follow the guidelines. Keep taking photos!

Deadline: January 18, 2009

Please contact me if you have any questions.
suhailmir@hotmail.com, 703.989.2999

Thank you

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Award Ceremony

Dear Parents:

You are invited to the Falcon Photographers Award Ceremony.

The award ceremony will be held on the 23rd of January (Friday) at Ashland Elementary. The ceremony will take place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Story Room.

Some students did not send in photographs for the contest. I have, therefore, decided to pick images from their assignments. If you don’t want the image to be included in the contest please let me know.

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January 7, 2009
Assignment # 5

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO FOR AN OPEN THEME CONTEST. DEADLINE: JANUARY 11, 2009.

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT OF ANY SUBJECT YOU LIKE. THIS IMAGE WILL BE USED IN THE PHOTO CONTEST. So, take your time. Plan your photo-shoot. Read the rules and examples on this website and other websites on the net. Carefully review the composition page of the Falcon website.

Finally, you must submit your images by January 11, 2009. Images received after this deadline will not be included in the contest.

If you wish, you may use any image for the contest that you have already submitted as an assignment.

Thank you.
Email your images to: SUHAILMIR@HOTMAIL.COM

Don’t forget to see your photos on:
http://www.photomeadow.com/falcon
If you have questions or need guidance please feel free to call me at 703-989-2999.
Thank you.
Suhail

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December 17, 2008
Assignment # 4

Take a photograph of anything you like. Also, submit the photograph you took in the class today.

Rules:

1. Hold camera properly to get a sharp image (Click Here to see how to hold a camera)
2. Follow Rule of Thirds. (Click Here to see what it means)
3. Try to avoid other distracting objects. (Click Here to see what it means)
4. Zoom in or get close and fill the frame with your subject/subjects (Click here to see some samples)

Assignment is due by Tuesday, December 30, 2008. Please submit your photos on time.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
We are planning to have a photo contest at the end of the course. We may pick images from your assignments. Therefore, it is very important that you complete all your assignments. If you have missed an assignment you must send it in by December 30, 2008 to be included in the contest. More assignments you turn in greater your chances are to win the contest.

Email your images to: SUHAILMIR@HOTMAIL.COM

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COMPOSITION:

CLICK HERE to see some examples of how to compose a photograph

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Assignment # 3

Take a photograph of an animal/animals.
It can be your pet, an animal outside, a bird, or even a toy animal.

Rules:

1. Hold camera properly (Click Here to see how to hold a camera)
2. Follow Rule of Thirds (Click Here to see what it means)
3. Try to avoid other distracting objects (Click Here to see what it means)
4. If the animal is smaller than you then bend down to take the picture at the same level.

Assignment is due by Sunday, December 14, 2008. Please submit your photos on time.

Email your images to: SUHAILMIR@HOTMAIL.COM

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Previous Assignments:

Assignment # 2

Take a photograph of a person.

Rules:

1. Hold camera properly (Click Here to see how to hold a camera)
2. Follow Rule of Thirds (Click Here to see what it means)
3. Try to avoid other distracting objects (Click Here to see what it means)

 Assignment is due by Sunday, December 7, 2008. Please submit your photos on time so that I can upload them on the website.

Email your images to: SUHAILMIR@HOTMAIL.COM

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Assignment # 1:
Take a picture of anything that is red in color. Hold your camera properly and use the "Rule of Thirds".

Guide for Assignment # 1:

• Use both hands and hold it like you hold a game controller or a steering wheel of the car.

• If your camera has a viewfinder then hold it against your forehead.

• Press the shutter release gently (don’t push it down hard)

• Make sure that your fingers are not blocking the lens or the flash. (common mistake).

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The Rule of Thirds says that we should divide each photo frame into nine sections, much like a tic-ac-toe board. The subject or points of interest in the photo should then coincide with any of the four points of intersection on the tic-ac-toe board.

Here are some examples of the Rule:

WRONG:

RIGHT:

RIGHT:

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Watch For Distracting Objects:

When you plan to take a picture of a subject, one important factor to be taken into consideration is to watch for other objects around it. Move around. Look at your subject through different angles. Try to get rid of as many distracting objects as possible.

A human eye is very efficient. It can ignore objects that are not important. For example, when you are watching your favorite cartoon show on the TV you never look at your vcr, or other things surrounding that tv set. Your brain moves them out of your sight. However, a camera lens or the eye of the camera is not that efficient. It will capture whatever it sees. Therefore, it is your job not to include those distracting elements in the image. Here is an example:

If you want take a picture of the squirrel on tv, this is what your camera is going to see:

Notice how the table, vcr, red flowers on the top, laptop etc. are taking our eyes away from the squirrel. You could move close and take these objects out.

This is what your eyes are going to see:

Notice how your brain completely took out the unnecessary objects.