Lisa+O'Brien+-+Bike

=**Lisa O'Brien's Camera Exploration: A Canon Camera and A Schwinn Bike**=  I used a [|Canon PowerShot SD800 IS] for my project. Some of the Camera's features are as follows: 7.1 megapixels, wide-angel 3.8x optical zoom with image stabilizing technology, DIGIC III image processor with face detection technology, as well as ISO 1600 and ISO High Auto settings.
 * The Camera**

Because I would be examining a single object in-depth, I chose my husband's Schwinn Le Tour road bike, as I knew the various parts of the bike could be used to create interesting compositions. Wanting to have a nice setting in which to photograph the bike, I took the photos in a grassy area of my apartment complex.
 * The Subject**

Although I chose various types of shots, from close-ups to long shots, close-ups were my favorite because I was able to capture amazing details that go unnoticed in the everyday usage of a bike. As for contextual techniques, I used the "place" in which I photographed minimally, as I could not obtain too many interesting shots with the bike just leaning against a tree. However, when I laid the bike on the grass, I was able to include the context by making the grassy ground a major presence in the photo. I also used varied angles for the photos, and this included being in some phsyically uncomfortable positions, like getting on my knees in the wet grass for close-up angles. With regards to using the camera's features for techniques, two of the features proved extremely useful. The first was the camera's digital macro setting. When I tried to use the zoom to capture small details of the bike, the picture would often look blurry. However, when I changed the settings to digital macro, the small details, like the tire's tread, would be clear when placing the lens very close to the object. Also, when I placed the bike on the grass, I wanted to spin the wheel for a picture that would show the wheel's movement. To do this, I played with the ISO. At the lowest ISO setting, ISO 80, the wheel had a blurred effect when I would spin it.
 * The Techniques**

The frustrating aspects was understanding the camera's features and choosing the best settings to use. Also, finding the settings on the camera was another issue, as I would somehow always click the wrong button when wanting to find a certain menu. Another frustration was remembering to change the camera's settings when taking different shots, such as changing from digital macro to normal mode after taking a close-up. Despite this, I never had so much fun photographing one object. I've taken numerous shots of tourist spots when on vacation, but I've never taken shots of an object in such detail. After this experience, I am interested in making photography a hobby.
 * The Frustrations/Fun**

I wanted to include at least one photo that showed more than one bike part, unlike the rest of my photos. Side shots of the bike were boring, but making the back wheel the focal point is an unexpected view. || Despite accidently including the tips of my feet in this picture, I like the angle of this shot, which is made more interesting by the odd shape of the bike seat. This angle gives the picture a real-life quality, as everyone has to pose themselves over a bike when getting on it. || One of my favorites, this photo is one of many in which the digital macro setting was used. The small and usually unnoticeable logo, with its strong colors and shininess, grabs our attention. || This picture also highlights another bike logo, but I like the effect in this photo. Unlike the previous picture, the background is not blurred, and so the bike does not look as far away from the grass as it actually is. || I tried to make this picture interesting by spinning the wheel to show motion. Of all the ISO settings on the camera, using the lowest one, ISO 80, created the blurred look of the spinning wheel. The picture makes me think of a scene in which a child hurredly drops her bike to the ground, and in some cases, the bike wheel is still moving once it is dropped. || This is another instance in which the digital macro was used. I wanted to capture the tread of the bike's wheel, as it is such a small detail. The angle also interests me because one can still see the other parts of the bike in the background, but since the background is blurred, the tread is shown as the most important focal point. || This is another excellent photo using digital macro. The texture of the chain's metal is especially appealing. I also like seeing the rust on the chain, since the chain is sometimes the place where one can see the most wear on a bike. || "Bug Meets Obstacle" might be the name of this picture. This is an example of the way I used the "place" as a contextual technique. And just as I began with a photo of the back wheel, so I end with one. ||
 * < [[image:Reformatted_Back_Wheel.jpg align="center" caption="Back Wheel Perspective"]]
 * < [[image:Reformatted_Seat.jpg align="center" caption="Bike Seat"]]
 * < [[image:Reformatted_Schwinn_Logo.jpg align="center" caption="Schwinn Logo"]]
 * < [[image:Reformatted_Le_Tour.jpg align="center" caption="Le Tour Logo"]]
 * < [[image:Reformatted_wheel_spinning.jpg align="center" caption="Spinning Wheel"]]
 * < [[image:Reformatted_Tire_Tread.jpg align="center" caption="Tire Tread"]]
 * < [[image:Reformatted_Chain.jpg align="center" caption="Chain"]]
 * < [[image:Reformatted_Grass.jpg align="center" caption="Wheel in Grass"]]

