As detailed in my July 21/11 post, I made use of an iOS app that allows for predicting the position of the sun on a given date, time and location. This information is overlaid on a Google map and can also make use of the built-in camera on many iOS devices to show the actual position of the sun in the sky.
From a photographer’s perspective, knowing where the sun will be is a key element in creating a successful image outdoors. I chose to incorporate this app in the architecture photography assignment that existed in the PHOT 2338 course.
Process
Step 1: Choose a compelling building to photograph.
Step 2: During a site visit, capture a range of images to explore various camera positions and how the objective viewpoint of the camera will affect the image versus our perception. While on location, use the Sunseeker app to visualize the angle of the sun and how it changes. The built-in GPS of the device will identify the location automatically.
Step 3: Using a Courseweb (WordPress) blog, the students posted their chosen image from Step 2 and a screenshot of the Sunseeker app. A description of the building and their planned method on photographing it was to be included.
Step 4: Capture the final image using equipment and techniques suitable to produce a high quality 16×20″ print as the final output.
Analysis
The assignment went relatively smoothly with only a few hiccups along the way. Setup of the Courseweb blog was not a straight forward as I had hoped. Most of my students used a personal email address and the invite to the blog was identified as spam. For a few students it took two or three attempts to get them signed up. Not a huge issue, however it would be very convenient if Langara’s IT department could add students registered in the course automatically. I also noticed that there was often a significant delay in receiving the emails. I’m not sure whether this was due to the Courseweb system or the email servers being used by the students.
I would incorporate a session early on in the course that focused on the use of WordPress. Most of the students found it easy to create a post and insert an image, however some of the details got lost along the way. Specifically, I will show how to adjust font & size, insert a hyperlink, and subscribe via RSS. The ability to add a RSS feed will be helpful as a couple students commented that the blog became one more piece of technology that they had to manage. Instead of complementing the course, my impression was that they found it made their lives even more complicated.
In terms of the use of a mobile device in the course, adding this dimension seemed positive overall. It provided additional information that assisting in making their final photograph more successful. It becomes a “must have” app as knowing the sun position is key to many types of photography. For the assignment, I plan on including the requirement for an analysis of how the angle of the sun changes throughout the day and how that will impact the appearance of the image. This will be instead of just choosing the optimum time. As a photographer, we need to think about how the angle and direction of the sun will impact the building’s appearance whether that be reflections, texture or depth.
Another dimension to a future version of this assignment will be to return to the location scouting information once the final image has been created and analyze its usefulness and accuracy.
I plan on investigating the use of a mobile version of the Courseweb blog so that the location scouting and analysis could be done while on location. This is not a necessity from the perspective of the course, but it would be a valuable skill that the students can offer their clients once they are in business.
– Darren Bernaerdt