DUMP aperture and shutter speed activites

Aperture Photochallenge

To best see the difference the changes in aperture makes, have a subject (like a tree or person) in the foreground and have the background a little further away.

Directions:

  1. Set your camera to Manual Mode.
  2. Set your ISO to 100 (if you are in nice/bright light… if it’s darker out or you are inside, you may need to try this task with your ISO higher, maybe in the 200-800+ range if you’re in the shade or shooting on a cloudy day).
  3. Set your Aperture to the SMALLEST aperture possible (remember, the smallest opening is actually the LARGEST number, for example, f22).
  4. Use the in camera light meter, and adjust your shutter speed according to what your camera believes is a ‘good exposure’ (a ‘0’ or center reading, when you focus on your subject). Take a photo at this setting. Make a note of your camera’s settings for each of the photos when you add them to your visual diary.
  5. Then change your aperture, making it WIDER (or, a smaller number, like f16). Adjust your shutter speed in the same manner, and again, take another photo.
  6. Continue this process, taking a new photo with each new aperture, as you open up your lens aperture wider & wider – until it is at its widest (your lens’ maximum aperture).

*NOTE: I also want you to write some notes – specifically taking note of what happened to the shutter speed as you continued to open your aperture wider. Did you ever reach your maximum shutter speed? Did the images get darker or lighter at one point? Was your shutter getting faster or slower as you opened the aperture wider? And lastly, what do you notice about your depth of field in these shots from the first to the last images you shot?

Shutter Speed Photochallenge

Choose several props or moving objects to test the effects of slow and fast shutterspeed on objects. Here is a list of examples of objects:

  • Bubbles ?
  • Hoop
  • Food colouring in glass fish tank?
  • Dice
  • Playing Cards
  • Ball – tennis racket

Similar to the aperture challenge, test capturing the objects with a fast and slow shutterspeed. See what shutterspeed you will need to get the moving objects sharp and in focus and to have them blur. We will get into groups and rotate around each station.