- What do the timeframes of the camera actually look like? If you have a manual film camera, open the camera back (make sure there’s no film in the camera first!) and look through the shutter as you press the shutter release. What is the shortest duration in which your eyes can perceive a recognisable image in bright daylight? Describe the experiment in your learning log.
I used my old Olympus OM – 40 a camera I have had since I was 14 years old for this exercise.
I set the 28mm lens that was on it to the widest aperture f2.8 so that, I could get the most light through and to manual so I could control the shutter speed.
The fastest shutter 1/1000th of a second. At this speed as you would expect there was barely recognisable flicker of an image.
I then set the shutter at 1/125th of a second I shot this a few time and there was a fleeting glimpse of an image but I wasn’t really visible clearly – even given the image was not focused.
Increasing the shutter by one stop to 1/60th didn’t really improve the visible image fro 1/125th.
Increasing to 1/16th gave my eye a little chance to make out shapes through the lens (remember as I said the image was focused clearly) I shot this a few time and each time I could sat distinct shapes.
Just as final test I opened to 1/8th there was a real increase in the visibility of the shapes.
I would say that from this exercise that for me the shortest time my eyes need to recognize a shape as is around 1/20th or 1/25th of second.
- Find a good viewpoint, perhaps fairly high up (an upstairs window might do) where you can see a wide view or panorama. Start by looking at the things closest to you in the foreground. Then pay attention to the details in the middle distance and, finally, the things towards the horizon. Now try and see the whole landscape together, from the foreground to horizon (you can move your eyes). Include the sky in your observation and try to see the whole visual field together, all in movement (there is always some movement). When you’ve got it, raise your camera and take a picture. Add the picture and a description of the process to your learning log.
For this exercise I went to a raised walk way in Mong Kok over looking Fa Yuen street market. I chose this spot as it a place I know well so I could view the scene with fresh eyes.
Concentrating on the foreground I was drawn to the “give way” signs written on the road. But my eyes we drawn into the scene by the market stalls.
The middle distance I was focusing on the market stall although I eyes jumped around a bit to the building on the side. Look toward the horizon I was focused on the sky and shapes in the distance and the tunnel effect given by the building.
Looking at the whole image I have placed the sliver of horizon on the third at taken the shot on a 40mm lens on full frame. Interesting the image is not what my mind saw as I held up the camera and 40mm is fairly close if not slightly wider that what we are told the human eye sees. I my I could see the give signs in the foreground… interesting I guess this shows that it not always possible to capture what we see completely.
