Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Monday, 21 July 2014
Many people think they will improve their
photography by buying a spiffy new camera. In photography, technique is more
important than equipment. In addition, taking good pictures is something anyone
can do with any camera, if you practice enough and avoid some common mistakes.
1.
1
Read the
camera's manual. Learn what each control, switch, button, and
menu item does. Learn the basic actions, such as using the flash (on, off, and
auto), zooming in and out, and using the shutter button. Some cameras come with
a printed beginners manual but also offer a free larger manual on the
manufacturer's website
Part 2 of 8: Getting Started
1
Set the camera's resolution to take high
quality photos at the highest resolution possible. Low-resolution images are more difficult
to alter later; it also means that you cannot crop as enthusiastically as you
could with a higher-resolution version (and still end with something
printable). Upgrade to a bigger memory card. If you don't want to or can't
afford to buy a new one, then use the "fine" quality setting, if your
camera has one, with a smaller resolution.
2
Start with setting your camera to one of its
automatic modes, if you have a choice. Most useful is "Program" or "P" mode
on digital SLRs. Ignore advice to the contrary which suggests that you operate
your camera fully manually; the advances in the last fifty years in automatic
focusing and metering have not happened for nothing. If your photos come out
poorly focused or poorly exposed, then start operating certain
functions manually.
1.
1
Take your camera everywhere. When the camera is in your possession,
you will start to see the world differently; you will look for and find
opportunities to take great photographs. Because of this, you will end taking
more photographs; and the more you take, the better a photographer you will
become. [1] Furthermore, if you're taking
photographs of your friends and family, they will get used to you having your
camera with you all the time. Thus, they will feel less awkward or intimidated
when you get your camera out; this will lead to more natural-looking, less
"posed" photographs.
·
Remember to bring
spare batteries or charge it if you are using a digital camera.
2.
2
Get outside. Motivate yourself to get out and
take photographs in natural light. Take several normal 'point
and shoot' pictures to get a feel for the lighting at different times of the
day and night. Go outside, especially when most people are eating, watching
television, or sleeping. Lighting is often dramatic and unusual to many people
precisely because they never get to see it!
1.
1
Keep the lens clear of caps, thumbs, straps
and other obstructions. It
is basic, yes, but any of these (often unnoticed) obstructions can ruin a
photograph. This is less of a problem with modern live-preview digital cameras,
and even less of a problem with an SLR camera. However, people still make these
mistakes, especially when in a rush to take the image.
2.
2
Set
your white balance. Put simply, the human eye automatically
compensates for different kinds of lighting; white looks white to us in almost
any lighting. A digital camera compensates for this by shifting the colors
certain ways.
For example, under tungsten (incandescent) lighting, it will shift the colours towards blue to compensate for the redness of this lighting. The white balance is one of the most critical and underused settings on modern cameras. Learn how to set it, and what the various settings mean. If you are not under artificial light, the "Shade" (or "Cloudy") setting is a good bet in most circumstances; it makes for very warm-looking colors. If it comes out too red, it's very easy to correct it in software later on. "Auto", the default for most cameras, sometimes does a good job, but also sometimes results in colours which are a little too cold.[2]
For example, under tungsten (incandescent) lighting, it will shift the colours towards blue to compensate for the redness of this lighting. The white balance is one of the most critical and underused settings on modern cameras. Learn how to set it, and what the various settings mean. If you are not under artificial light, the "Shade" (or "Cloudy") setting is a good bet in most circumstances; it makes for very warm-looking colors. If it comes out too red, it's very easy to correct it in software later on. "Auto", the default for most cameras, sometimes does a good job, but also sometimes results in colours which are a little too cold.[2]
3.
3
Set a slower ISO speed, if circumstances
permit. This is less of
an issue with digital SLR cameras, but especially important for point-and-shoot
digital cameras (which, usually, have tiny sensors which are more prone to
noise). A slower ISO speed (lower number) makes for less noisy photographs;
however, it forces you to use slower shutter speeds as well, which restricts
your ability to photograph moving subjects, for example. For still subjects in
good light (or still subjects in low light, too, if you're using a tripod and
remote release), use the slowest ISO speed that you have.
1
Compose your shot thoughtfully. Frame the photo in your mind before
framing it in the viewfinder. Consider the following rules, but especially the
last one:
·
Use the Rule of
Thirds, where the primary points of interest in your scene sits along
"third" lines. Try not to let any horizon or other lines "cut
the picture in half."[3]
·
Get rid of distracting
backgrounds and clutter. Move positions to avoid trees looking like they are
growing out of heads, when they are in the background. Change angles to avoid
window glares from across the street. If you are taking vacation photographs,
take a moment to get your family to put down all the junk they may be carrying
around with them and to remove backpacks or hip packs as well. Keep that mess
well out of the frame of the picture, and you will end with much nicer, less
cluttered photos. If you can blur the background in a portrait, then do so.
And so on.
2
Ignore the advice above. Regard the above as laws,
which work much of the time but are always subject to judicious interpretation
— and not as absolute rules. Too close an adherence to them
will lead to boring photographs. For example, clutter and sharply focused
backgrounds can add context, contrast, and colour; perfect symmetry in a shot
can be dramatic, and so on. Every rule can and should be
broken for artistic effect at times. This is how many stunning photographs are
made.
3
Fill the frame with your subject. Do not be afraid to get closer to your
subject. On the other hand, if you are using a digital camera with plenty of
megapixels to spare, you can crop it later in software.
2.
4
Try an interesting angle. Instead of shooting the object straight
on, try looking down to the object, or crouching and looking up. Pick an angle
that shows maximum color and minimum shadow. To make objects appear longer or
taller, a low angle can help. You may also want to make the object look smaller
or make it look like you're hovering over; to get the effect you should put the
camera above the object. An uncommon angle makes for a more interesting shot.
5
Focus. Poor focusing is one of the most common ways that
photographs are ruined.[4] Use the automatic focus of your
camera, if you have it; usually, this is done by half-pressing the shutter
button. Use
the "macro" mode of your camera for close-up shots. Don't
focus manually unless your auto-focus is having issues; as with
metering, automatic focus usually does a far better job of focusing than you
can.
3.
6
Balance in ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. ISO is how sensitive your camera is to
light, shutter speed is how long it takes for your camera to take a picture
(which in turn alters the amount of light coming in), and aperture is how
dilated the lens of your camera is. Not all cameras have this, mostly only
digital photography cameras. By balancing these and keeping them as close to
the middle as possible, you can avoid the noise caused by high ISO, the
blurriness caused by low shutter speed, and the depth of field side effects
caused by low aperture. Depending on how your picture should be, you should
change these settings accordingly to keep light at a good level but still have
the effects you want on your picture. For example, say you are taking a picture
of a cool bird coming out of the water. You will need a high shutter speed to
get it in focus, but you will also need a low aperture or high ISO to
compensate for the lighting. A high ISO will make it look grainy, but a low
aperture is perfect because it also creates a cool blurry background effect
that draws attention to the bird. By balancing these elements, you can make the
best image possible.
1
Keep still. Many people are surprised at how blurry their pictures
come out when going for a close-up, or taking the shot from a distance. To
minimize blurring: If you're using a full-sized camera with a zoom lens, hold
the camera body (finger on the shutter button) with one hand, and steady the
lens by cupping your other hand under it. Keep your elbows close to your body,
and use this position to brace yourself firmly. If your camera or lens has
image stabilisation features, use them (this is called IS on Canon gear, and
VR, for Vibration Reduction, on Nikon equipment).
2
Consider using a tripod. If your hands are naturally shaky, or if
you're using large (and slow) telephoto lenses, or if you're trying to take
photographs in low light, or if you need to take several identical shots in a
row (such as with HDR
photography), or if you're taking panoramic
photos, then using a tripod is a good idea. For long exposures (more
than a second or so), a cable release (for older film cameras) or a remote
control is a good idea; you can use the self-timer feature of your camera if
you don't have one of these.
3
Consider not using a tripod,
especially if you do not already have one. A tripod infringes on your ability to move around, and to
change the framing of your shot rapidly. It is also more weight to carry
around, which is a disincentive to getting out
and taking photographs.
·
For shutter speed and
the difference between fast and slow shutter speeds, you only need a tripod if
your shutter speed is equal to or slower than the reciprocal of your focal
length.[5]. For example, if you have a 300mm
lens, then you want a shutter speed faster than 1/300th of a
second. If you can avoid using a tripod by using faster ISO speeds (and,
consequently, faster shutter speeds), or by using image stabilisation features
of your camera, or by simply moving to somewhere with better lighting, then do
that.
4
If you are in a situation where it would be
nice to use a tripod, but you don't have a tripod at the time, try one or more
of the following to reduce camera shake:
·
Turn on image
stabilization on your camera (only some digital cameras have this) or lens
(generally only some expensive lenses have this).
·
Zoom out (or
substitute a wider lens) and get closer. This will de-magnify the effect of a
small change towards the camera, and increase your maximum aperture for a
shorter exposure.
·
Hold the camera at two
points away from its center, such as the handle near the shutter button and the
opposite corner, or toward the end of the lens. (Do not hold a delicate
collapsible lens such as on a point-and-shoot, or obstruct something the camera
will try to move on its own such as a focusing ring, or obstruct the view from
the front of the lens.) This will decrease the angle, which the camera moves
for a given distance your hands wobble.
·
Squeeze the shutter
slowly, steadily, and gently, and do not stop until shortly after the picture
has taken. Place your index finger over the top of the camera. Squeeze the
shutter button with the second joint of the finger for a steadier motion; you are
pushing on the top of the camera all along.
·
Brace the camera
against something (or your hand against something if you are concerned about
scratching it), and/or brace your arms against your body or sit down and brace
them against your knees.
·
Prop the camera on
something (perhaps its bag or its strap) and use the self-timer to avoid shake
from pushing on the button if the item is propped on is soft. This often
involves a small chance the camera will fall, so check that it does not have a
far drop. Avoid it with an expensive camera or one with accessories such as a
flash that could break or rip off parts of the camera. If you anticipate doing
this much, you could bring along a beanbag, which would work well for it.
Purpose-built "beanbags" are available, bags of dried beans are
cheap, and the contents can be eaten when they begin to wear through or are
upgraded.
5
Relax when you push the shutter button. Also, try not to hold the camera up for
too long; this will cause your hands and arms to be shakier. Practice bringing
the camera up to your eye, focusing and metering, and taking the shot in one
swift, smooth action.
1
Avoid red eye. Red-eye is caused when your eyes dilate
in lower lighting. When your pupils are big, the flash lights the blood vessels
on the back wall of your eyeball, which is why it looks red. If you must use a
flash in poor light, try to get the person to not look directly at the camera,
or consider using a "bounce flash". Aiming your flash above the heads
of your subjects, especially if the walls surrounding are light, will keep
red-eye out. If you don't have a separate flash gun which is adjustable in this
way, use the red-eye reduction feature of your camera if available. The red-eye
reduction feature flashes a couple of times before opening the shutter, which
causes your subject's pupils to contract, thus minimizing red-eye. Better yet,
do not take photographs which require a flash to be used; find somewhere with
better lighting.
2
Use your flash judiciously, and do not use it
when you don't have to. A
flash in poor light can often cause ugly-looking reflections, or make the
subject of your photo appear "washed out"; the latter is especially
true of people photos. On the other hand, a flash is useful for filling in
shadows; to eliminate the "raccoon eye" effect in bright midday
light, for example (if you have a flash sync speed[6] fast enough). If you can avoid
using a flash by going outside, or steadying the camera (allowing you to use a
slower shutter speed without blur), or setting a faster ISO speed (allowing
faster shutter speeds), then do that.
·
If you do not intend
the flash to be the primary light source in the picture, set it up to give
correct exposure at an aperture a stop or so wider than that which is otherwise
correct and which you use for the exposure (which depends on the ambient light
intensity and the shutter speed, which cannot be above the flash-sync speed).
This can be done by choosing a specific stop with a manual or thyristor flash,
or by using "flash exposure compensation" with a fancy modern camera.
1.
1
Go through
your photos and look for the best ones. Look for what makes
the best photos and continue using the methods that got the best shots. Don't
be afraid to throw away or delete photos, either. Be brutal about it; if it
doesn't strike you as a pleasing shot, then ditch it. If you, like most people,
are shooting on a digital camera, then it would not have cost you anything but
your time. Before you delete them, remember you can learn a lot from your worst
photos; discover why they don't look good, then don't do that.
Practice, practice, and practice. Take many photos -- aim to fill your
memory card or to use up as much film as
you can afford to have developed. Avoid messing with film until you can get
decent pictures often with a simple digital camera. Until then, you need to
make many glaring mistakes to learn from them. It is convenient to make them
free and find out immediately, when you can figure out exactly what you did and
why under the current circumstances it is wrong). The more pictures you take,
the better you will get, and the more you (and everyone) will like your
pictures.
·
Shoot from new or
different angles, and find new subjects to take pictures of, and keep at it.
You can make even the most boring, everyday thing look amazing if you're
creative enough about photographing it.
·
Get to know your
camera's limitations, too; how well it performs in different kinds of lighting,
how well auto-focus performs at various distances, how well it handles moving
subjects, and so on.
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Aperture
1. Understand aperture
The most fundamental element any photographer should understand is aperture. The aperture is the physical opening within your lens that allows light through to the sensor (or film in an older camera). The wider the aperture opening, the more light can pass through, and vice versa.
The most fundamental element any photographer should understand is aperture. The aperture is the physical opening within your lens that allows light through to the sensor (or film in an older camera). The wider the aperture opening, the more light can pass through, and vice versa.
The size of the opening,
which is regulated by a series of fins encroaching from the edge of the lens
barrel, is measured in so-called f-stops, written f/2.8, f/5.9 and so on, with
smaller numbers denoting wider apertures. If you find this inverse relationship
tricky to remember, imagine instead that it relates not to the size of the hole
but the amount of each fin encroaching into the opening.
A narrow opening is
regulated by a large amount of each fin encroaching into the barrel, and so has
a high f-stop number, such as f/16, f/18 and so on. A wide opening is
characterised by a small number, such as f/3.2, with only a small amount of
each fin obscuring the light.
2. Aperture measurements
Lenses almost always have their maximum aperture setting engraved or stamped on one end of the barrel. On a zoom lens you'll see two measurements, often stated as f/3.5-f/5.9 or similar.
Lenses almost always have their maximum aperture setting engraved or stamped on one end of the barrel. On a zoom lens you'll see two measurements, often stated as f/3.5-f/5.9 or similar.
Rather than being
opposite ends of a single scale these describe the maximum aperture at the wide
angle and telephoto (maximum zoom) lens positions respectively. Always buy a
lens with the smallest number you can afford in each position.
3. Avoid using aperture
to compensate for poor lighting
Changing the aperture has a dramatic effect on the amount of light coming into the camera, as we have already said. You'll notice this is the case when shooting landscapes with a narrower aperture (higher numbered f-stop) as your camera will often want to take a longer exposure -- so much so that you may have to use a tripod to avoid motion blur.
Changing the aperture has a dramatic effect on the amount of light coming into the camera, as we have already said. You'll notice this is the case when shooting landscapes with a narrower aperture (higher numbered f-stop) as your camera will often want to take a longer exposure -- so much so that you may have to use a tripod to avoid motion blur.
You should avoid using
the aperture scale to compensate for unfavourable lighting, however, as it also
changes the amount of the image that remains in focus, as we'll explain below.
4. Use a wide aperture
for portraits
Anyone with a cat knows that when they're hunting or playing their irises contract to enlarge the size of their pupils. This has the same effect as widening the aperture in a camera lens: it makes the subject they are focusing on very sharp while causing everything behind and in front of it to blur. We call this a shallow depth of field. This is perfect for portrait photography, as it draws forward your model within the scene, making them the central focus while the background falls away. Choose f/1.8 or similar wherever possible.
Anyone with a cat knows that when they're hunting or playing their irises contract to enlarge the size of their pupils. This has the same effect as widening the aperture in a camera lens: it makes the subject they are focusing on very sharp while causing everything behind and in front of it to blur. We call this a shallow depth of field. This is perfect for portrait photography, as it draws forward your model within the scene, making them the central focus while the background falls away. Choose f/1.8 or similar wherever possible.
5. Use a narrow aperture
for landscapes
For landscapes, on the other hand, you want to have everything from close-at-hand foliage to a distant mountain in focus. This is achieved by selecting a narrow aperture. If possible stray towards f/22, or whatever the tightest setting your camera allows.
For landscapes, on the other hand, you want to have everything from close-at-hand foliage to a distant mountain in focus. This is achieved by selecting a narrow aperture. If possible stray towards f/22, or whatever the tightest setting your camera allows.
6. 'f/8 and be there'
Static models and immobile landscapes are easy to shoot as you can predict with a great deal of certainty which aperture setting you need to get the best out of either. Reportage and street photography, weddings, Christenings and so on are less predictable as your subjects will be moving in relation to the frame. In these circumstances, adopt the pro photographer's adage, "f/8 and be there".
Static models and immobile landscapes are easy to shoot as you can predict with a great deal of certainty which aperture setting you need to get the best out of either. Reportage and street photography, weddings, Christenings and so on are less predictable as your subjects will be moving in relation to the frame. In these circumstances, adopt the pro photographer's adage, "f/8 and be there".
Set your aperture to f/8
for a practical, manageable balance of fairly fast shutter speeds and broad
depths of field, allowing you to spend more time thinking about composition
within the frame than you do about optical algebra. When shooting indoors
without a flash, and depending on the lighting conditions, you may need to
increase your camera's sensitivity setting at this aperture, but be careful not
to push it so high that you introduce grain into your images, unless you are
chasing that specific effect.
Filters
and lenses
7. What does the ø
symbol on my lens mean?
After the focal and aperture ranges, the other measurement you'll see on most dSLR lenses is preceded by ø and describes the diameter of the screw mount on the front of lens barrel. Check this number each time you head out to buy a filter or hood as you can't guarantee that it will be the same for each lens in your collection, even if they are all designed to be used on the same camera.
After the focal and aperture ranges, the other measurement you'll see on most dSLR lenses is preceded by ø and describes the diameter of the screw mount on the front of lens barrel. Check this number each time you head out to buy a filter or hood as you can't guarantee that it will be the same for each lens in your collection, even if they are all designed to be used on the same camera.
8. If you only buy one
filter...
...make it a circular polariser. This is the perfect beginner's filter, and one that will have the biggest effect on your day to day photography, giving holiday skies a vibrant blue tone and accentuating the contrast between the sky and passing clouds to afford your images greater texture. Although you can add blue to your images in Photoshop or a similar post-production editing tool, the effect is never as believable when done that way as it is when shot using a lens.
...make it a circular polariser. This is the perfect beginner's filter, and one that will have the biggest effect on your day to day photography, giving holiday skies a vibrant blue tone and accentuating the contrast between the sky and passing clouds to afford your images greater texture. Although you can add blue to your images in Photoshop or a similar post-production editing tool, the effect is never as believable when done that way as it is when shot using a lens.
9. Don't confine it to
skies
Polarising filters also cut through glare and reflection. Use it to shoot through windows and water.
Polarising filters also cut through glare and reflection. Use it to shoot through windows and water.
10. Look for lenses
where the zoom control doesn't change the filter orientation
Rotating a circular polarising filter changes the strength of the polarising effect, making skies deeper or lighter, and changing the amount of reflection they cancel out. If you plan on using such a filter then wherever possible buy lenses where turning the zoom control doesn't simultaneously rotate the end of the lens, and with it the filter, as this will change the effect. If you have no choice, set your zoom first and adjust the effect afterwards, being careful not to throw the lens out of focus in the process.
Rotating a circular polarising filter changes the strength of the polarising effect, making skies deeper or lighter, and changing the amount of reflection they cancel out. If you plan on using such a filter then wherever possible buy lenses where turning the zoom control doesn't simultaneously rotate the end of the lens, and with it the filter, as this will change the effect. If you have no choice, set your zoom first and adjust the effect afterwards, being careful not to throw the lens out of focus in the process.
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