#4

FLEX Course Material

At the end of the lesson, the
students will be able to:

Prepare presentation in
different media using
advanced techniques
either manual or
computer-generated
drawings.
Compile portfolio of
works
AVSTEN 3S

ARCHITECTURAL VISUAL
COMMUNICATIONS 5 / VISUAL
TECHNIQUES 3
 #2

At the end of the lesson, the

students will be able to:

Develop techniques in
camera settings and
manipulation

Produce architectural
photographs using
application of techniques

ARCHITECTURAL
PHOTOGRAPHY IN
PRESENTATION

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 Table of Contents

What is Photography? 4

Camera Settings 4

Main Variables in Controlling Light 5

Aperture 5

Shutter Speed 6

ISO/Light Sensitivity 6

7 Principles of Art in Photography 7

Balance 7

Rhythm 8

Pattern 8
Emphasis 9

Contrast 10

Unity 11

Movement 12

Assessment Activities 13
On-the-Spot Activity 13

Plate 4 13
References 14

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What is Photography?
Photography is the art of capturing
light with a camera, usually via a
digital sensor or film, to create an
image. With the right camera
equipment, you can even
photograph wavelengths of light
invisible to the human eye,
including UV, infrared, and radio.
The purpose of photography can
vary depending on what the
photographer is trying to achieve.
For example, documentary and
news photographers capture
images for the purpose of providing
detailed account of actual events,
while hobbyist photographers aim
to capture life moments with their
families and friends.
There are many different types of
photography, such as landscape,
macro, wildlife, portrait,
documentary, fashion, travel and
event photography.
Camera Settings
You can do photography with even the simplest of
cameras, but the principles that I’d like to teach are for
people who want to learn to use a DSLR camera, a
micro four-thirds camera, or at least a camera that
allows the photographer to adjust the shutter speed,
aperture, and ISO.
The three most important settings are called shutter
speed, aperture, and ISO. All three of them control the
brightness of your photo, although they do so in
different ways. In other words, each brings its own
“side effects” to an image. So, it’s a bit of an art to know
exactly how to balance all three for a given photo.
When we talk about “exposure,” we simply mean the
brightness or darkness of a photo. It seems simple
enough to take a photo that is correctly exposed (has
the proper brightness or darkness), but in reality, it can
be quite tricky. Exposure uses Aperture, Shutter speed,
and ISO in conjunction to create a properly exposed
image. View, share, and download the infographic
below to help better understand exposure below.

To start taking pictures, all you need

is a camera, which can be anything
from a basic smartphone to an
advanced DSLR or a mirrorless
camera. However, photography
equipment is not all that important
– light, subject, emotion and
composition are all critical
elements of a successful
photograph.

There are a number of photography

genres that are very popular today.
These include portrait, landscape,
architecture, fashion, food, sports,
wildlife, macro, street, event and
documentary photography.

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Main Variables in
Controlling Light

Aperture
Shutter Speed
ISO/Light Sensitivity

Aperture
The size of the opening the shutter controls is another setting that can be easily adjusted. This setting
is called aperture, and it has an effect both on exposure and depth of field, which is often shortened
to ‘DoF’. In short, a good understanding of DoF makes it possible to control the amount of the photo
that will be in focus. You’ve probably noticed photos where only the subject is in focus, while the
background almost melts into a soft blur. This is done by controlling the aperture, and therefore DoF.

Simply put, Aperture is the hole within

your lens, through which light travels into
the camera body.

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Shutter Speed
To impress a fixed image onto a sensor or film, a
tiny amount of light must be let through the lens.
When you click to take a photo, your camera’s
shutter will open and close really fast, letting a set
amount of light reach the sensor or film. The
amount of light that gets through the lens, and
therefore the speed the shutter opens and closes,
will have a huge effect on exposure (how bright
or dark your photo will be) and on motion blur,
which is your ability to ‘freeze’ movement or let it
show.

ISO/Light Sensitivity
Back in the days before digital photography, ISO
referred to a film roll’s sensitivity to light. Now it
also refers to how sensitive your camera’s sensor
is to light. Just as high sensitivity film will produce
grainy images, a high ISO setting on your camera
will make your image brighter but at the cost of
introducing the digital equivalent of grain, which
is known as noise. As technology improves, the
quality of photos taken at high ISO settings is also
increasing, but it’s important to remember that
each camera has a limit as to what can be
considered an acceptable amount of noise.

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7 Principles of Art in
Photography

Balance
Rhythm
Pattern
Emphasis
Contrast
Unity
Movement

Balance
Balance is used to illustrate the visual weight of an image. It can either unite a photograph or create
division. A carefully balanced image lends a sense of stability to a photograph. An unbalanced image
creates disunity or unrest.

Both applications are okay, depending on the desired outcome.

You can achieve balance in three ways:

• Symmetry – both sides of an image reflect the same

subject matter, like a mirror image.
• Asymmetry – contrasting elements balance the image. Balance is sensual in that it ‘feels’ wrong
For example, a highly textured surface on one side of an or right. If you’re looking to emphasize
image, counterbalanced by a smooth, matte surface on balance in an image, try moving your
the other. camera to achieve different perspectives.
• Radial balance symmetry – elements spaced equally
around a central point, like spokes on a wheel.

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Rhythm

In many ways, composition in music is very

similar to composition in photography. The
photographic concept of rhythm borrows
heavily from music theory.

Just like a musician reading the notes on a sheet

of music, subjects in a space regulate the way
we view a photograph.

The rhythm dictates the recurring or

organized/disorganized distribution of visual
elements throughout an image.

To introduce a sense of rhythm to your

photography, try visualizing musical notation.

The spaces, correlations, and differences

between subjects in a photograph like this one
reflect notes on a sheet of music.

Pattern
The pattern makes sense of the visual world through
regularity. From man-made objects to organic
material and abstraction.

Elements of design can be organized in a predictable

manner to form a pattern. Put simply, patterns are
repetitions of the elements of art and design. These
work in unison within a single frame.

The human eye is calibrated to seek out pattern. This

can evoke surprising emotional reactions from a
viewer.

Patterns are an active principle of art and design,

they lift an image off the page. Incorporating pattern
into your photography is as much about exploring as
it is about photographic technique.
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Emphasis
Emphasis shapes the center of
interest in an image. Colour, space,
texture, and line work together to
determine the focus of an image.
There are many ways to create
emphasis in a photograph. Spacial
emphasis involves the orientation
of a subject within
the photographic frame.
A lone subject located in the center
of an image will attract attention. It
is the most readily available
component of the photograph.
For a photograph with a number of
subjects, selective grouping guides
the viewer’s eye to particular focal
points.
The size of a subject also dictates
the way the viewer will ‘read’ a
photograph. A larger subject Following the seven principles of art and design, you
suggests a closeness to the surface should always single out the crucial component – the
of the photograph. It commands focal point. Its presence in the work assists the viewer
greater attention than that of a by first showing the important and then helping him
smaller subject in the background. see the rest.
Incorporating size tells a story
about the physicality of the subjects
in a photograph, adding depth
and perspective.
Colour is another tool that can
cultivate emphasis. A brightly
colored subject within a dark scene
gives a sense of vibrancy and life to
an image. It draws the viewer’s eye.

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Contrast

Contrast is one of the most crucial principles of

design photography. You can see the contrast
when two elements of the shot oppose each
other, for instance, dark vs light, cool vs warm.

However, contrast refers not only to colors and

shades. With the help of the texture, you can
demonstrate contrast as well. When you combine
several textures in the shot, you make it more
atmospheric and add a tactile sense.

One of the brightest examples of a clearly

contrasting theme is a round water droplet on
the plant’s fuzzy surface.
With the contrasting theme, you give a picture
more meaning. To get contrast, you may also
experiment with combining sharp and soft
objects or surfaces, vintage and new or correctly
and irregularly shaped ones.

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Unity
Unity describes the visual
relationship between elements in a
photograph. It helps create a
cohesive image.

Using similar colors or tones,

concepts or elements cultivates a
sense of unity.

Disunity is the opposite.

Bad cropping, awkward
perspectives or over and
underexposure disrupt an image
and can cause disunity.

Another aspect that underlies a

unified image is the clear idea of a
photographic outcome. A We can say that unity exists when all elements in the
photographic outcome, or goal, is image are in harmony or agreement. Especially when
the idealized mental image of a you are composing several elements, it doesn’t matter
photograph before it’s taken. if you’re using different elements as long as each of
them belongs to the composition and all these parts
equal a whole.
By pre-visualising an outcome, a
photographer can develop a clearer
idea of the purpose of a
photograph. This, in turn, allows a
photographer to take greater
control of the image.

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Movement

The term ‘movement’ in photography often

describes the relationship between the
camera’s shutter speed and a subject. When it comes
to art and design, movement refers to the path the
viewer’s eye takes while reading a photograph.

Movement is shaped by the elements and principles

of art and design. A photographer can take control
of the way a viewer absorbs a photograph.

For example, the use of line in photography

creates ‘visual highways’ that guide a viewer’s eye.

Jagged lines create excitement, shifting the viewer’s

gaze from one point to the next. Curved lines are
more subtle. These reduce the speed at which a
photograph is viewed.

Understanding the nature and psychology of human

sight is an important part of controlling movement.
For example, the human eye is more sensitive to
certain colors over others.

Red is attention-grabbing. Soft blues are gentler and

more subtle. Movement can be directed through the
selective use of color and saturation.

There are a lot of different ways to guide the

viewer’s eye through a photograph. Movement
studies the nature of the eye as well as the
psychology behind how we absorb visual
information.

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 • Plate 4:
Assessment Activities

On-the-spot practice in Show the principles of design in

photography
photography by taking pictures of
• Take 10 unique and/or different parts and objects inside your
abstract photographs of
different objects. Be as house as your subject.
creative as you can. You
may use camera tricks if
you want.
• Balance
• Rhythm
• Pattern
• Emphasis
• Contrast
• Unity
• Movement

Be creative about it.

Compile your photos in one PDF file.

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 REFERENCES

• Art of Visuals Website (n.d.). The Basics of Photography – An

Introduction to Photography. Retrieved from
https://artofvisuals.com/the-basics-of-photography-
introduction-to-photography-tutorials/
• Culot, Gabriele (2020). An Introduction to Photography Basics.
Retrieved from https://www.bonusprint.co.uk/blog/intro-to-
photography-basics
• Fix The Photo Website (n.d.). 7 Main Principles of Design
Photography. Retrieved from
https://fixthephoto.com/principles-of-design-
photography.html
• Gillespie, Alasdair (2015). Compelling Photographs: The
Elements and Principles of Design. Retrieved from
https://luminous-landscape.com/elements-principles-design/
• Grahovic, Nermin (n.d.). What Are The Elements And
Principles Of Photography? Retrieved from
https://www.pixobo.com/what-are-the-elements-and-
principles-of-photography/
• Kennedy, Megan (n.d.). How to Use the 7 Principles of Art and
Design in Photography. Retrieved from
https://expertphotography.com/principles-of-design-
photography/

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