Moving Images, Understanding Media

138 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding Media

When there is a low f-stop, which opens up the aperture of the lens, there

will be a smaller depth of fi eld than when there is a high f-stop, in which the

aperture of the lens is closed to allow less light. For example, when shooting

outside on a bright day, a photographer would probably need to set the lens to

a high f-stop so that the image would not be overexposed. Subsequently, there

would be a relatively high depth of fi eld to the shot. It is primarily through

lighting that cinematographers can control the amount and quality of light

on a scene, and thus also the f-stop used and depth of fi eld for focus.

Th ese are the rudiments that determine the primary technical considerations

of photography. Th e artistic challenges of cinematography revolve around the

use and creation of light, shadow, and color, and the placement and movement

of the camera and the elements present in the frame. Th e technical skills of

cinematographers allow them to create the images that most fully express

the intentions of the originators of the motion picture.

Cinematography in Black and White

During the fi rst decades of the cinema, cinematographers developed many

approaches to the creative depiction of subjects. Black-and-white photography

aff ords a wonderful range of expressive possibilities. Even before considering

the introduction of color, the use and manipulation of light on the screen

involves the mastery of all of the central aspects of photography we have

discussed, and the search for artistic originality using these basic elements

continues to this day.

First, consider exposure. With black and white fi lm, there are many avenues

to explore in the use of contrast between light and dark and the palate of grays

Figure 4-19

Cinematographer Sven

Nykvist looking through a

spot meter with director

Andrei Tarkovsky next to the

camera on The Sacrifi ce.

(Courtesy Lars-Olof Löthwall)

Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).