Basic

Photography

by Je Curto

Basic Photography

2014 by the author of this book, Je Curto, who retains sole copyright
to the contents of this book. All photographs, text and graphics are the
original productions of the author and may not be reproduced or reused in
any way without express permission.
For more by Je Curto, see:
www.jecurto.com- Jes personal website
Camera Position Podcast - About the creative side of photography
History of Photography Podcast - Learn about the origins of the medium
Italy Photography Workshops - Hone your photography skills in Italy

Autumn leaves reflect in a stream in Michigans Upper Peninsula

i

About the Author

Photographer Je Curto is Professor Emeritus of Photography at College of
DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he has taught from 1984 to 2014.
He was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Illinois Wesleyan
University in 1981 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington College
in Vermont in 1983. Additionally, he attended Ansel Adams last workshop in
Carmel, California in 1983.
He was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2013, becoming part of a
global community of 2000 education leaders recognized for exploring new
ideas, seeking new paths, and embracing new opportunities.
Curto hosts two popular podcasts about photography, one that records his
History of Photography class sessions from College of DuPage and another,
Camera Position, that discusses photographys creative aspects.
In his early career, Curto worked as a photographer, specializing in event and
public relations photography, architectural interiors and exteriors, portrait
and product photography. His fine art photographs, which can be seen at
www.jecurto.com are held in numerous private and corporate collections.
Since retiring from College of DuPage, Curto teaches photography
workshops in Italy. See www.photographitaly.com for more information.

ii

Chapter 1

Welcome

Photography is everywhere.
Photography has become the worlds most
pervasive method of recording who we are, what we
value and what our environment looks like. Millions
of people now carry cameras in their pockets every
minute of every day.
Yet, even though photography is so omnipresent,
mastering its intricacies can consume a lifetime of
learning. This book is an introduction to those basic
qualities of photography.

Preface

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.

Dorothea Lange, photographer

This books primary audience is students entering the photography program at College of
DuPage, but should prove useful to anyone wanting to learn the basic technical and visual
qualities of photography. Though the book concentrates on digital photography, the essential
concepts can be easily transferred to film photography as well.
Starting with a basic overview of what makes up a camera, well move on to how an exposure
happens in the camera, looking at volume of light, length of time of exposure, light sensitivity
and more.
Then, well look at the eye of the camera; the lens. Well see how using dierent lenses can
change how the camera sees the world. Combined with that, well examine focus and how
controlling focus or lack of focus can dramatically alter the way our images communicate.
Once you have those technical considerations in hand, well look at the visual qualities of
photography and see how what goes into the frame is of critical importance by covering
elements of composition and visual literacy.
Lastly, well provide a few resources for you as you progress farther into photography;
organizations and websites where you can learn more about a medium that is at once so
simple and so complex.
As you go through this book, it would be a good idea to have both your camera and your
camera owners manual nearby, so you can see how the general concepts presented in this
book apply to your specific situation.

iv

Chapter 2

The Camera

Cameras come in many forms and many types, but

no matter whether the camera is costly or
inexpensive, uses film or digital sensors, has one
lens or can use many lenses, all cameras have the
same basic characteristics.

Section 1

Anatomy of a Camera
THE BASICS

A camera is actually a very simple device. Or, at least, it can be. To make a

1. A light-tight box

camera, all thats really required is a light-tight box, a lens that can focus light rays

2. A lens

through one side of the box, something to regulate the volume of light that comes
into the box (a variable aperture), something to regulate how long the light is

3. A shutter to regulate time of exposure

allowed to come into the box (a shutter) and something to record what the

4. An aperture to regulate volume of light

projected light is showing. Thats it; its really pretty simple.

5. A place to put light-sensitive material

6. A viewfinder to see what the camera will
make a photograph of.

In fact, it can be even more simple; a small hole in the side of a light-tight box will project an image of whatever is outside the box onto
the inside of the box. The hole is the aperture; all you need is a shutter to regulate the time of light and something to record the image and
you have a camera.
Of course, modern cameras have made a simple machine more complex by adding a wide variety
of features to control the cameras functions. But, no matter how sophisticated the camera is,
no matter how much it costs and no matter what style or type of camera it is, every camera
in the world has the same basic simple characteristics. Use the interactive graphics on
the next two pages to help familiarize yourself with the parts of a DSLR cameras
inner and outer workings.

DSLR - The Inside

Use the interactive graphic below to help familiarize yourself with the inside elements of a typical DSLR camera.

Illustration 2.1 A Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera The Inside View
Pentaprism

Focusing Screen

Mirror
Lens

Viewfinder

Sensor

Aperture
Shutter

Path of Light

9
8

DSLR - The Outside

Use the interactive graphic below to help familiarize yourself with the outside elements of a typical DSLR camera.

Illustration 2.2 A Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera The Outside View

Zoom Ring
Hot Shoe
Focus Ring & Scale

Mode Button

Finger Wheel

Back LCD Panel

Shutter Release Button

Jog Wheel
LCD Data Screen

Section 2

Types of Cameras
THE BASICS

Gallery 2.1 Pixels and Megapixels

1. Point-and-shoot
2. Mirrorless
3. Single-lens reflex
4. Medium format
5. Large Format
6. Camera Phones

We can crop a section out of the image, but we would have to accept a smaller image to print, as there arent
enough pixels to make a very large image

10

All cameras are more or less the same; they need the elements you just read about in the previous section. No matter how much the
camera costs or what its features are, it has the same basic elements of light-tight box, lens, shutter, aperture, etc.
So, if every camera is the same, then why are there dierent types of cameras? The answer is similar to why there are dierent types of
cars; there are dierent things we want cameras to do, and their design changes to accommodate dierent needs. Small cameras are
great for their portability and their ability to be unobtrusive. Larger cameras are typically able to record greater detail because of their
larger sensors or because of their higher quality lenses or both.
As technologies have evolved, dierent camera types and styles have been created to take advantage of new ways of making
photographs so photographers can have the right tool for the job. Tap the presentation at right to see a few of the dierent types of
cameras that photographers use.
Pixels & Megapixels
Pixels are the building blocks of the digital image world. They are they tiny picture elements (hence "pixel") that make up the image. The
more of them you have, the greater the potential you have for detail in a picture. Think of a mosaic picture; the more tiles there are in the
picture, the more detail it can contain.
Camera pixel sensors come in an x-y grid that record the amount and color of the light in a scene. We can count the number of pixels
horizontally and vertically on that grid and come up with the total number of pixels a camera has by multiplying one number by the other.
So, a camera that has 3072 pixels by 2304 pixels would have 7,077,888 total pixels, or, rounding up, 7.1 megapixels. Mega means
"million" and the term megapixel has become the standard that is used to measure the relative resolution of cameras. The greater the
number of pixels a camera has the more its images can be enlarged before pixels can be seen.
One thing to keep in mind when thinking about pixel count is the concept of "cropping" a photograph. When a photograph is cropped to
improve its composition or to zero in on the image information that's most important to the viewer, parts of the image are removed. When
you crop your digital photographs, you are removing pixels, so the total pixel count of your image goes down, reducing its resolution and
therefore the size to which it can be enlarged.

11

Chapter 3

Photographic
Exposure
Photography is all about light.
Controlling how much light gets into the camera
and how it gets there is one of the most important
parts of learning photography.
Getting the correct exposure for a given scene is
important for the highest quality photographs, but
thats only part of the story, as exposure is also a
creative tool, allowing you to make your pictures
look the way you want them to.

Section 1

Aperture
THE BASICS

Like the iris in your eye, your cameras aperture is a hole in the lens that changes

1. The aperture controls the volume of light

that enters the camera by adjusting the
size of a hole in the cameras lens

size, regulating the volume of light that enters the camera. As the aperture opens

2. A large hole lets in lots of light and is

defined by a small number (ex: /4)

sometimes see apertures referred to as f-stops, often with an italicized and a

3. A small hole lets in a small amount of light

and is defined by a large number (ex: /16)
4. The smaller the apertures hole, the more
things are in focus near-to-far in a scene;
when the aperture hole is large, fewer
things are in focus near-to-far
5. The aperture value is either set by the
camera in one of the automatic shooting
modes, or set by the photographer in
manual mode

to a larger hole, it lets more light into the camera. Conversely, a smaller hole will
let less light into the camera. Though the term aperture is most often used, you will
slash, as in /8. The terms aperture and -stop are interchangeable.
In addition to its function of controlling the volume of light that enters the camera,
the aperture can also alter the amount of things that are in focus in your
photographs. A smaller aperture hole will have more things in focus near-to-far in a
scene, while a larger aperture hole will allow you to focus on one spot
in your scene and blur things that are closer to or farther from the
camera. This is called depth of field or sometimes depth of
focus. So, the aperture is both a technical and a creative
control.
In order to predict and repeat a certain volume of light
entering the camera, a particular apertures hole size is
expressed by a number. So, a very small aperture hole is
/22, a large hole is /4. These numbers can be a bit
confusing at first because they seem contrary. If you can
just remember that a small aperture hole is expressed by a
13

big number and a large aperture hole is expressed by a small

With the digital controls on modern cameras, you have the ability

number, youll be fine.

to change by smaller increments of volume, cutting those twice

The largest aperture (remember, smaller number) available on a

lens varies depending on the type of lens, the lens design and the
cost of the lens, but most lenses start with aperture numbers
around /2.8, /3.5 or /4. The bigger the maximum aperture on a
lens, the faster that lens is said to be, as it lets more light into
the camera. The smallest aperture (remember, bigger number) on
a given lens also varies, but most lenses have /16 or /22 as

and half pieces into one-third less and one-third more. This
is great, because it gives you finer control over the volume of light
that is let into your camera. So, your camera can set aperture
settings in a 1/3-stop sequence like:
/5.6

/6.3

/7.1

/8

/9

/10

/11

their smallest aperture.

Aside from its function of letting a prescribed volume of light into

Apertures have a standard set of numbers that are whole aper-

occurs in images. The smaller the aperture (like 16 or /22), the

tures or whole stops. Moving from one aperture setting to the

more things are in focus near-to-far in your photographs. The

next whole aperture setting either doubles the exposure by letting

larger the aperture, (like /2.8 or /4) the fewer things are in focus

twice as much light into the camera or cuts the exposure in half

near-to-far in your photographs.

the camera, aperture can also dramatically alter the way focus

by letting in half as much light in. Photographers refer to this as

changing the exposure by a stop. The traditional sequence of
aperture settings starts at the largest aperture available and progresses like this:
/4

/5.6

/8

/11

/16

/22

So, going from /4 to /5.6 is thought of as one stop less

exposure (because the volume of light gets cut in half). Going
from /16 to /8 is two stops more exposure (because the
volume of light has been doubled by two whole apertures.
14

Apertures
Illustration 3.1 Standard Whole Apertures - click the numbers of the apertures to learn more

/2.8

/4

/5.6

/8

/16

/11

/22

7
15

Setting The Aperture

Setting the aperture on your camera is
accomplished dierently, depending on what
exposure mode you have set on your
camera:

Aperture Priority Mode allows you to set

the aperture you want and the camera sets
the shutter speed for you.

Manual Mode will allow you to set the

aperture you want and then you will have to
manually set the correct shutter speed for
that lighting condition.
See the Exposure Modes section of this
book for more information.
Here, an aperture of /16 provides lots of
depth of field, so both the horizon and
nearby objects are in focus.

Section 2

Shutter Speed
THE BASICS

Whether the goal is stopping fast action or creating a blur, the shutter is the setting

1. The shutter controls the length of time that

light has to enter the camera

that allows you to control the length of time light enters the camera. The shutter is

2. Shutter speeds are expressed in fractions

of seconds (ex: 1/250 of a second, usually
just 1/250 or even just 250)
3. A long shutter speed lets in lots of light and
is defined by a large number (ex: 1/2 or 1/8)
4. A short shutter speed lets in a small
amount of light and is defined by a small
number (ex: 1/500 or 1/1000)
5. The shorter the shutter speed, the more the
camera can stop motion in the frame; the
longer the shutter speed, the more motion
in the frame will be blurred
6. The shutter speed is either set by the
camera in one of the automatic shooting
modes, or set by the photographer in
manual mode

actually one of the most creative controls that there is in photography, allowing
you to express the element of time in your images. Sometimes, youll want to stop
the action of a quickly moving subject with a fast shutter speed. Other times, youll
want to blur the subjects motion with a slow shutter speed.
For most of your photographs, you will use shutter speeds that are fractions of a
second, like 1/125 of a second. Because of that, shutter speed settings on the
camera can be a bit confusing at first because many camera settings leave o the
top part of the fraction that they are expressing, so a small number (1/250) looks
like a big one (250). The key is to remember that the numbers are fractions so
500 is actually a shorter amount of time than 250.
Action in your scene can be stopped by using a fast shutter speed like 1/250,
1/500 or 1/1000 of a second. Conversely, if you want to blur the motion in a scene,
you can use a slow shutter speed like 1/30, 1/15 or 1/8 of a second.
Not long ago in photography, most cameras had a prescribed set of shutter
speeds that were the same on nearly every camera. Moving from one shutter
speed to the speed next to it on the camera either doubled the exposure or cut it
in half by letting the shutter stay open for either twice as much or half as much
time. The traditional sequence of shutter speeds started at 1 second, then moved
17

Shutter Speeds in Whole and Third Stops

Whole Shutter Speeds
One-Third Shutter Speeds

30

60
40

50

125
80

100

250
160

200

500
320

400

to 1/2 a second, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500

tripod and without creating camera shake at shutter speeds that

and 1/1000 of a second. Note that there are a couple of fudge

are 1/60 of a second and shorter. This changes as you change

factors where the numbers arent exactly half or double to make

the focal length on your cameras lens as telephoto or long

the numbers more even as the sequence progresses.

lenses will tend to magnify camera shake and wide-angle or

Just like with aperture, photographers refer to changing the

short lenses will tend to minimize it.

exposure by doubling or cutting it in half as changing the

To minimize camera shake,

exposure by a stop. So, going from 1/15 of a second to 1/30 of

practice maintaining a

a second is thought of as one stop less exposure (because the

steady stance while making

shutter speed gets cut in half). Going from 1/250 of a second to

photographs and using a

1/60 of a second is two stops more exposure because the

gentle squeeze on the

shutter has been slowed by two whole shutter speeds.

shutter release button

Now, with electronic controls on our cameras, most cameras

have the ability to change by smaller increments of time, cutting
those twice and half pieces into one-third less and onethird more. This is great, because it gives you finer-grained
control over how motion is stopped or blurred in your
photographs.
When using slower shutter speeds, you may need to have the

rather than stabbing it. As

youre photographing, you
may also want to look
around you for places that
you can lean against, sit on
or prop your camera on to
help keep you and your
camera steady.

camera on a tripod or some other steady support so the camera

is stationary and the subjects movement can be recorded. A rule

Tap the image to learn more

of thumb is that most people can hand-hold a camera without a

about tripods
18

Setting The Shutter Speed

Setting the shutters speed is accomplished
dierently, depending on what exposure
mode you have set on your camera:

Shutter Priority Mode allows you to set

the shutter speed you want and the camera
sets the aperture for you.

Manual Mode will allow you to set the

shutter speed you want and then you will
have to manually set the correct aperture
for that lighting condition.
See the Exposure Modes section of this
book for more information.
Here, a shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second
froze the motion of the water

19

Panning
Panning is a technique that can
be used when photographing fastmoving objects.
A slow shutter speed is used and
the camera is moved in the
direction of the subjects
movement, keeping the subject in
roughly the same position in the
frame. This keeps the subject
somewhat stationary and gives a
motion blur to the background.
Here, the exposure was /22 at
1/8 of a second.

Section 3

ISO: Sensitivity to Light

THE BASICS

The aperture and shutter speed of your camera control the amount of light that

1. Film cameras can only change ISO values

by changing the film in the camera; digital
cameras can change the ISO at any time
with a camera setting

enters the camera, but there is another control that is equally important and thats

2. A digital cameras ISO changes via

electronics; an amplifier turns up the
volume of light sensitivity for high ISO
and turns it down for low ISO

Organization (ISO). So, photographers refer to a cameras sensitivity to light by

3. The higher the ISO number, the more

sensitive to light the camera will be; the
lower the ISO number, the lower the
cameras light sensitivity will be

3200, 6400, etc) mean that

4. Lower ISO numbers generally will result in

sharper, better-quality photographs; higher
ISO numbers generally result in
photographs that have increased grain or
noise
5. As ISO values change, they change by
whole or third stops

the sensitivity of the cameras digital sensor to the light that falls on it. Like the
numbers that are used to describe aperture and shutter speed, camera sensitivity
settings are standardized internationally by the International Standards
talking about its ISO setting.
High ISO numbers (like
the camera can make
photographs in very low
light levels because the
sensors amplifier is turned
up high, making it very
sensitive to light. Lower ISO
numbers (like 200, 400 or
even 800) are better choices
for making photographs in
normal lighting levels.
Film cameras are limited

Though my ISO setting was 12,800, I got a picture of

Jim that I couldnt have gotten otherwise. Tap to see
full screen.
21

with regard to ISO settings. Thats because the only way a film

200. Also just like aperture and shutter speeds, you may see ISO

camera can change its ISO setting is to change the film thats in

numbers that arent half and twice on your camera.

the camera. Digital cameras, on the other hand can change their

Depending on how you have your cameras menu system set, you

ISO setting by the press of a button. In fact, digital cameras are

may find that your ISO numbers appear in one-third-stop

able to have very high ISO settings; far beyond the capabilities of

increments. For practical purposes, a whole-stop (twice as much,

film, allowing photography in very low light levels.

half as much) setting is adequate and you should be able to

There is a tradeo, however. The higher the ISO setting, the more
likely the cameras sensor will generate digital noise during the

change your camera to whole-stop ISO jumps . Look at this set of

images below to see the eects of ISO settings.

exposure. This is because setting a higher ISO setting on a digital

camera simply turns up an amplifier for the light signal. The more
the amplification, the more noise is generated. Noise usually
shows up in the darker areas of a photograph more than it does
in the lighter areas, but with high-ISO images, the grainy look of

Gallery 3.1 Scroll through these examples to see

how your cameras ISO setting can aect the
quality of your images. Tap to see the images fullscreen.

noise is everywhere.
Most digital cameras have an option for using automatic ISO.
This sets the ISO sensitivity for you, depending on the amount of
light in the scene. While this can be useful for shooting on the fly
when lighting conditions are changing dramatically, its probably
not the best choice for the highest quality photography. Making
sure you know what ISO your camera has set is your best bet for
having the best, most noise-free images.
Just like aperture and shutter speed numbers that have a 1:2
relationship (twice as much light, half as much light), ISO settings

This photograph was made in fairly low light levels with the
camera on a tripod

also represent one-half or two-times the amount of sensitivity. So,

400 ISO is exactly one stop more sensitive to light than is ISO
22

Section 4

Exposure: How Much Light?

THE BASICS

Have you ever noticed that when you leave a movie theater and go out into the

1. Exposure is controlled by Aperture, Shutter

Speed and ISO setting

bright daylight that after the initial shock of the change in illumination, you get

2. Each exposure control has a relationship of

1:2 or one stop of dierence
3. An in-camera light meter reads light in
scene and helps set the aperture, shutter
speed and (sometimes) the ISO
4. The meter bases its exposure suggestions
on an average amount of light reflecting
from objects in the scene
5. This average light is based on a middle
gray reflectance
6. There is a correct exposure (total amount
of light) for every scene, but the
combination of aperture, shutter and ISO
can be dierent

used to the tremendous dierence in the amount of light? This is because the
human eye and brain have a great exposure mechanism built in and most people
can see well in both low light levels and on the brightest of days.
The camera, though, isnt as instantly flexible as our eyes and brain are and
photographers need to control the amount of light that enters the camera in order
to get a correct rendition of the scene. Now that you have an understanding of the
three basic controls for photographic exposure of aperture, shutter speed and ISO,
lets put them together and see how they interact in what we can refer to as the
Exposure Triangle.
For any given scene, there is an ideal exposure; an ideal for the total amount of
light entering the camera. But, since you know that exposure is controlled by
several variables, there can be a number of dierent combinations of aperture,
shutter speed and ISO to create that given amount of light that should enter the
camera.
One of the keys to that interaction is that relationship of 1:2 or twice as much, half
as much that governs each of these controls. Remembering that moving one
whole shutter speed, one whole aperture or one whole ISO number either doubles

23

the amount of light or cuts it in half is an important part of

200, 400 or 800. Then, you can choose the aperture that will give

understanding total camera exposure.

you the depth of field that you want and the shutter speed that

The exposure for a given scene is calculated by a light meter.

stops or blurs motion the way you want.

Nearly every camera thats made has an light meter, which is

Remember, though, that since aperture and shutter speeds are

designed to measure the amount of light reflecting o of the

interdependent, you may not be able to choose both a small

objects in the scene. Once it reads the amount of reflected light, it

aperture and a fast shutter speed, as this may not produce the

works with the cameras settings and often your input to

required total volume of light entering the camera. So, how do

determine the correct aperture, shutter speed and ISO

you know which combination of aperture and shutter speed? This

combination for a correct exposure.

is where the creative elements of photography start to come into

The light meter is designed to look at the elements of the scene

play, giving you control over the final result of your photographs.

and average the reflectance of everything in the frame, with the

idea that most scenes have some very bright things, some very
dark things and many things that are of middle reflectance. In
fact, the light meter makes an assumption that whatever it sees
should average out to a middle gray value. In technical
photographic terms, this is 18% gray. In most instances, this
averaging works quite well, as the majority of scenes in the world
have mostly middle reflectance, so the light meter gives an
accurate suggestion of a combination of aperture, shutter speed
and ISO.
Once you have the meters reading of the scenes reflected light,
you can choose the shutter speed, the aperture and the ISO. In
practical terms, you are likely to set an ISO first, because you
want to control the amount of noise in your images. If you are in
normal bright lighting conditions, you will likely choose an ISO of
24

Section 5

Camera Exposure Modes

THE BASICS

In most cameras, determining and setting the correct exposure depends on the

1. Exposure modes control how the light

meters readings are interpreted by the
camera

exposure mode that you have set on the camera. Nearly all cameras can be

2. Dierent modes prioritize dierent parts of

the Exposure Triangle

of the exposure triangle.

3. Some exposure modes automate the

cameras settings
4. Other exposure modes give the
photographer control over the cameras
settings

controlled by dierent exposure modes, or ways of letting you control the cameras
settings. These modes primarily dier in the way they prioritize the three elements

Most cameras have several exposure modes.

Automatic mode and Program mode apply
large amounts of automation to the exposure for
your photograph, giving you limited or no control
over what settings the camera uses. Aperture
Priority and Shutter Priority modes allow for
partially automatic control over the cameras
settings; you set one part of the exposure triangle
and the camera sets the other. Manual mode
gives you complete manual control over your
exposure; you set everything on the camera.

Aperture Priority was selected for this

Which mode you select depends on what youre

image so that /22 could be set to

most interested in capturing in your photograph.

allow for maximum depth of field. The

Your cameras manual can help you learn which

camera chose the shutter speed.

modes you have and how they can be set on

(tap image for full screen)

your camera.
25

Use this interactive graphic to explore the exposure modes common to most cameras. The generic graphic you see here will likely dier
from what you find on your camera, but your camera will be similar. Every mode has its purpose and no one mode is better or worse
than any other.

Illustration 3.2 Camera Exposure Modes

Shutter Priority Mode

Manual Mode

Scene Modes
Aperture Priority Mode

Program Mode
Automatic Mode

26

Exposure Compensation in Action

As long as the reflectance of subjects in the scene is average all of the exposure
modes work very well to deliver accurate exposure for your photographs. But what
happens when there is something in the scene that is much brighter or much darker
than the rest of the objects in the frame? The exposure system can get confused
because it doesnt know that the bright thing is anything other than very light and it
will create an exposure that is too dark for what you envision. You need to adjust the
exposure so that the photograph you make isnt too light or too dark.
This is where Exposure Compensation comes in. Exposure compensation is a tool
found on all contemporary cameras and it allows you to override the settings that
any of the program modes set. Most cameras have a dial or a set of buttons that
allow you to adjust your exposure up to 2 stops (sometimes more) in 1/3-stop
increments up or down the exposure scale to give you the exposure you want. In
most cameras, you can see the exposure compensation setting in the cameras
viewfinder.

+2

If your photograph

If your photograph

is too light

is too dark

(overexposed)

(underexposed)

Decrease
Exposure Compensation
(give less light)

Increase
Exposure Compensation
(give more light)

Because there was so much white tone in the scene, exposure

compensation was used. In order to get the white building to show
as white, the exposure compensation dial was adjusted to +1 or
one stop more exposure.

27

Chapter 4

Lenses

Its likely that your camera came with a zoom lens.

Often called a kit lens, its a great starter lens,
allowing you to do a variety of things with a fairly
wide variety of subjects.
There are, however, other lenses out there for your
camera that can expand your range of things you
can do. Other zooms and single-focal-length lenses
(often called prime lenses) are tools that you may
want to add to your photographic arsenal as you
progress towards mastery of the medium.

Section 1

Lens Focal Length

THE BASICS

The ability to change the focal length of the lens is one of the most wonderfully

1. Focal length is expressed in millimeters; i.e.

a 50mm lens

creative and interesting aspects of photography. Lens focal lengths are usually

2. Focal length determines how wide or

narrow your field of view is
3. Telephoto or long lenses have a narrow
field of view and magnify the subject

referred to in millimeters (mm) and dont refer to the actual physical length of the
lens, but rather to the distance that the lens needs to focus inside the camera from
the point where the light rays converge to the digital sensor or film at the back of
the camera.
The focal length of a lens is an indication of how wide or narrow your cameras

4. Wide angle or short lenses have a wide

field of view and make the subject appear
smaller

field of view is or how much you see in the scene in front of you. It also indicates

5. Most cameras come with a kit lens that is

a zoom lens; allowing many focal lengths in
one lens

change how much of a scene you see in the frame, allowing you to concentrate

6. The other basic type of lens is a prime

lens; its focal length is fixed at one field of
view

the magnification of the scene or how large or how small individual objects in your
photograph will be. So, by changing the focal length of the cameras lens, you can
the viewers attention on more of the overall scene with a wide lens or a small
section of your selected subject with a long or telephoto lens.
In addition to changing the field of view, changing your lens focal length can also
help you control how your subject in the final photograph. With a wide angle lens,
you can exaggerate the dierence in distance between nearby subjects and ones
that are farther away. This is due to the fact that wide angle lenses, with their wide
field of view, make everything in the frame look smaller. Because they are smaller,
you are likely to move closer to your subject, altering the proportion of distance
between the nearest objects and the farthest ones.
29

Conversely, a long or telephoto lens can give

Gallery 4.1 The Importance of Camera Position

the illusion of compressing the space in the

cameras field of view. This is due to the fact
that telephoto lenses, with their narrow field of
view, make everything in the frame look bigger.
Because the subject is bigger, you are likely to
move farther from your subject, again altering
the proportion of distance between the nearest
objects and the farthest ones, but in this case,
making those objects appear to be closer in
size to each other.

This photograph was made with a wide angle lens. The photographers position was chosen to
keep the foreground flower pot about the same size as in other photograph in this gallery. Note
how the dierence in distance from the camera changes the sense of space in the scene.

30

Section 2

Zoom Lenses and Prime Lenses

One of the many choices that you have as a photographer is whether to choose a
zoom lens or a fixed-focal-length or prime lens for your photography. Its likely
that your camera, whether a film or digital model, came with a zoom lens when
you purchased it, yet you may find other photographers extolling the virtues of
prime lenses. What are the dierences between zooms and primes?
Zoom Lenses
A zoom lens has a variable focal length. When you turn the zoom ring on the lens,
you move glass elements inside the lens to achieve a dierent angle of view. So,
you can start out looking at your subject with a wide angle of view and, by turning
THE BASICS

the zoom ring, change to a narrow angle of view, all with one lens. Because of the
complex optical elements inside a zoom lens, they are often large and heavy, but

1. Zoom lenses allow you to change the focal

length of a single lens

they make up for their bulk by being versatile.

2. Prime lenses are a single focal length for a

given lens

Zoom lenses have some specifications which can tell you about the characteristics

3. Zoom lenses are versatile, but often heavy

and usually dont have a large maximum
aperture
4. Prime lenses are usually lighter and often
have a large maximum aperture

of a given lens. For example, a lens might be referred to as 18mm to 55mm (or
just 18 to 55), which means that the lens can be set for any focal length between
18mm and 55mm.
Additionally, many zoom lenses (especially inexpensive, consumer-grade zooms)
might also have variable aperture ranges, so you might see something like f/
3.5-5.6. This means that the larger aperture is available at the wider-angle focal

31

lengths but the lens switches to the slightly smaller aperture

prime lenses are prized by photographers: speed, quality, cost,

number as its largest aperture at the longer focal lengths.

and size.

Stepping up to a (more expensive!) professional-level zoom lens

will give you a consistent (and usually larger) aperture value
throughout the lens zoom range.

First on the list is speed. The maximum aperture opening on

prime lenses is usually much bigger than on zoom lenses,
especially relative to cost. So, its easier to find a prime lens with

Prime Lenses
In contrast to a zoom lens, a prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal

a maximum opening of /1.8 or even /1.4 than it is to find a

length, so its angle of view is always the same and cannot be

photograph in lower light levels and to create very shallow depth

changed. The only way you can make your subject appear larger

of field. A lens with a large maximum aperture is said to be a

or smaller is to move yourself closer to or farther from the subject.

fast lens.

Given that zoom lenses can cover many focal lengths in just one

A second benefit for prime lenses is their image quality. Despite

lens, the question might arise as to why anyone would want a

the advances in modern zoom lenses, prime lenses often produce

fixed focal length lens. There are essentially four reasons that

sharper, higher-quality images than their zoom counterparts.

zoom lens with that capability. This means the ability to

Many photographers love the sharpness and contrast that prime

lenses provide.
Thirdly, prime lenses are usually cost-eective. Many modern
prime lenses are inexpensive, especially for their quality and
zoom lenses, especially the best-quality ones, are usually quite
costly. A set of three fast prime lenses that cover the range of
focal lengths that a zoom might handle can be less expensive
than a single high-quality zoom lens. So, regardless of your
budget, you can experience world-class optics at a fraction of a
cost of an expensive zoom.
A 28-135mm Zoom Lens (left) and a 50mm Prime lens (right). The zoom
has a variable aperture of /3.5 for wide settings and /5.6 for the
telephoto settings, while the prime lens has an /1.8 opening.

32

Lastly, prime lenses are almost always much smaller and much

Zoom With Your Feet

lighter than zoom lenses. This means that youre lugging around

Whether you have a single zoom, a set of prime lenses or a

less weight with a camera body and a couple of prime lenses

combination of both, there is a strategy that can really help you

than a camera body and a single zoom.

use your lenses eectively that I like to call zoom with your feet.

Most photographers find that a mix of prime and zoom lenses is a

This involves choosing your camera position first, making choices

good option for their needs. If you purchased a camera with an

about how near or far you would like to be, how one part of the

inexpensive kit zoom lens, you may want to consider upgrading

subject lines up with the others, etc, zooming with your feet to

to a faster zoom with a consistent aperture range at some future

get to the right spot for the composition you want.

point. For prime lenses, a good choice might be a 50mm /1.8, a

reasonably priced lens available from most manufacturers.

Then, when camera position has been established, choose the

appropriate focal length of lens to fill the frame with what
information you want to show a short or wide angle of view
lens will show more of your subject, a long or narrow angle of
view lens will show less.
This concept applies to zoom lenses, too; choose camera
position first, then zoom to frame the area you want to see.
Essentially, you can think of the range of your zoom lens as being
a set of prime lenses; create your composition, then choose a
focal length for how much or how little you want to show.
Using this strategy helps you avoid falling into the trap of
standing in one place and just zooming randomly to find a good
photograph. Remember that the position of the camera dictates
subject interrelationships and the feeling of distance or proximity
to your subject. The lens focal length will determine how much of

Choose your camera position first, then choose the focal length that

the scene will appear on your film or digital sensor.

frames the scene the way you want it.

33

Section 3

Focus
THE BASICS

Focus is the degree of sharpness in your photograph; whether an image is clear or

1. Focus defines what is sharp in your

photographs

blurred. A lens is only capable of focusing on a single plane in a scene but you can

2. Most cameras have both autofocus and

manual focus options
3. Autofocus works well most of the time, but
manual focus gives you more control

use can use depth of field to bring more of the objects in front of or behind that
plane into focus. Elements inside the lens move to correctly focus the light rays at
the back of the camera.
In most modern cameras, there are
sophisticated auto-focus systems that use a
variety of strategies to figure out where to place
the plane of focus. You can read about the
various methods of autofocus that your camera
employs in your owners manual.
In addition to autofocus, most cameras have the

In this photograph, the camera's

ability to allow you to focus the camera

autofocus system wasn't sure

manually. Manual focus is a very, very useful tool

to have, as it allows you to exactly define where
the plane of focus falls in your photographs.
Make sure you know how to find the switch that
switches between manual and autofocus on your
camera and use manual focus when the camera
doesnt focus correctly for your needs.

whether to focus on the fenceposts

in the background or the foreground.
A flip of a switch brought me into
manual focus mode so I could get
the objects I wanted to have sharp
in my photograph into focus.
Tap for a larger image

34

Section 4

Depth of Field
THE BASICS

Previously, you learned about at how the aperture setting on your lens controls

1. The aperture setting is the primary control

for depth of field

depth of field (near-to-far focus) in your photographs. While the aperture is

2. The plane of focus is another element in

controlling depth of field
3. Lens focal length is a third element that
aects apparent depth of field

considered the primary method of controlling depth of field, there are two other
elements at play, each of them working hand-in-hand with the other two to control
whats in focus in your pictures and what is blurred.
A second element that controls depth of field is the cameras plane of focus or
the place in your scene where the camera is focused, near-to-far. The closer the
plane of focus is to the camera, the more shallow the depth of field will be.
Conversely, the farther away the plane of focus is from the camera, the more
things will be in focus near-to-far.
So, when you are very close to the subject and you need more depth of field,
backing up will help you get more things in focus, near-to-far. Or, if you would like
to have shallow depth of field, (blurring the background in a portrait, for example)
moving in closer can help make that happen.
The depth of field behind the focal plane is always greater than the depth of field in
front of the focal plane. So, to obtain the greatest depth of field possible in a given
scene, focus your camera about 1/3 of the way into the scene and use a smaller
aperture (/11 or /16) to bring the foreground and background into focus.

35

A third element that at least appears to aect depth of field is the focal length of the lens. The simple way to remember this is that the
longer the focal length, the more shallow the depth of field. Shorter focal lengths (like 20mm) will appear to have much greater depth of
field than a longer lens (like 200mm).
In actuality, while the focal length of the lens appears to have a significant impact on depth of field, if the subject is about the same size in
the frame, the depth of field will remain about the same regardless of the focal length of the lens. Of course, to keep the subject about the
same size in the frame, you would have to move closer with a short (wide angle) lens or farther away with a long (or telephoto) lens.

Gallery 4.2 Plane of Focus

A combination of a wide lens, a small aperture (/22) and careful placement of the plane of
focus to obtain maximum depth of field.
36

Chapter 5

Composition

Composition is the art of arranging the elements in

the frame so they make sense to the viewer and the
photograph can be understood.
A good composition in a photograph is the best
way of describing that subject in that situation.
The basics of composition only take a few minutes
to learn but they can take a lifetime to master.

The basic concepts of composition in visual images

are as old as the ancient Greeks. They understood the
ideas of harmony, balance, and symmetry. These next

Gallery 5.1 Simplify

few pages show explore the guidelines of The

Essential Elements of Photographic Composition.

Simplify reduce the elements in the image

Pare the subject down to its essentials.
Eliminate the extraneous.
Swipe through the images here to see simple
compositions in action (tap for full-screen).

A day at the beach, using a low camera angle to eliminate everything but the sky, the sand
and a happy bucket.

38

Rule of Thirds impose an imaginary grid on your image

Line intersections suggest places of center of interest.
Horizontal lines suggest horizon
placement.
Vertical lines suggest placement for
vertical elements

Gallery 5.2 Rule of Thirds

Swipe over the image at right to

see how the rule of thirds can act
as a guide to where to place
subjects in your photographs (tap
for full-screen).

Swipe to see this image with and without a rule of thirds grid over it

39

Lines create a path for the eye

Gallery 5.3 Lines

Can draw eye across the frame.

S curves can create a serene feeling.
Diagonals are more active elements.
Foreground to background lines lead the
viewer deeper into the picture.
Swipe through the images at right to see
how lines can guide the eye through
photographs (tap for full-screen).

A snow-covered branch creates a tracery of lines.

40

Balance the weight of image

Symmetricalequal weight on both sides creates a
feeling of solidity.
Asymmetricalone side more weighted than the other
creates a bit more tension because its more visually
challenging to look at.

Symmetrical Balance

41

Asymmetrical Balance

Framing The use of foreground objects

or elements in your images can add
emphasis and depth
Look for elements in the scene that can
frame your subject
You may need to change camera position or
focal length to use framing elements

42

Mergers when foreground and background collide

Learn to look at the 3-D world as if it is 2-D because the camera does
Changing camera position usually solves a merger problem

The signs behind the subjects head are

distracting, but moving a few steps to the
left eliminates the merger and creates a
more pleasing image.

The last guideline: ignore the guidelines and break the rules
Often the best images come from breaking the rules but learning the rules first helps you to understand when to break them.

43

Chapter 6

Resources
In todays environment, new ideas and technologies
appear on an almost daily basis and you have to
stay up to date with how photography is evolving.
Fortunately, the internet has some amazing
resources to help you continue to learn and grow as
a photographer.
Additionally, organizations exist to support
photographers of all types, from formal professional
groups to more casual groups of like-minded
photography enthusiasts.
Look here for some of the best and most useful
resources for your continuing journey as a
photographer.

College of DuPage Resources:

College of DuPage Admissions

College of DuPage Photography Program

College of DuPage Photography Course Catalog

Photography Professional Organizations

American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)

Professional Photographers of America (PPA)

Editorial Photographers (EP/APA)

National Press Photographers Association (NPPA)

Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI)

Society for Photographic Education (SPE)

Other Photography Resources

Zone Zero

Lens Culture

FlakPhoto

PetaPixel

Lenscratch

Conscientious

New York Times Lens Blog

Photo District News Online

Marketing Photos with Mary Virginia Swanson

45

Aperture
The adjustable diaphragm in the cameras lens that controls the volume of light that enters
the camera. Sometimes called f-stop, it also controls the depth of field or depth of focus.

Related Glossary Terms

Automatic mode, Camera, Depth of field, Exposure, Focus, Plane of focus, Program mode,
Stop

Index

Find Term

Chapter 2 - Anatomy of a Camera

Aperture Priority
One of several camera exposure modes, aperture priority mode allows the photographer to
set the aperture and the cameras metering system sets the shutter speed.

Related Glossary Terms

Drag related terms here

Index

Find Term

Automatic mode
One of several camera exposure modes, automatic mode uses the light meter reading to
set the ISO, the aperture and the shutter speed on the camera. The photographer cannot
control any of the exposure triangle elements.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, Exposure Triangle, Light meter, Shutter

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Camera Exposure Modes

Camera
A light-tight box that has a lens, a shutter, an aperture and something to record the image
like film or a digital sensor.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, DSLR, Exposure, Lens, Shutter

Index

Find Term

Chapter 1 - Preface

Cropping
Removing parts of an image to improve the composition or to focus the viewers attention
on the most important parts of the image.

Related Glossary Terms

Megapixels, Pixel

Index

Find Term

Chapter 2 - Types of Cameras

Depth of field
The amount of a subject that is in focus, near-to-far.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, Focus, Plane of focus

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Aperture

Digital noise
Non-picture information that is generated by setting a high ISO speed on the camera.
Sometimes called grain.

Related Glossary Terms

Grain, ISO, Noise

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - ISO: Sensitivity to Light

DSLR
a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera is one where the lens that takes the photograph is also
the lens that is used to view and compose the picture prior to exposure.

Related Glossary Terms

Camera, Sensor

Index

Find Term

Chapter 2 - Anatomy of a Camera

Exposure
The total amount of light that enters the camera through the lens. Controlled by aperture,
shutter speed and ISO.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, Camera, Exposure Compensation, Exposure Triangle, ISO, Lens, Light meter,
Manual mode, Shutter, Stop

Index

Find Term

Chapter 1 - Preface

Exposure Compensation
A function on most modern cameras that allows the exposure to be adjusted up or down
from what the cameras light meter sets on the camera.

Related Glossary Terms

Exposure, Light meter

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Camera Exposure Modes

Exposure Triangle
The combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO make up the exposure triangle, with
each one contributing to the overall total exposure for a given photograph.

Related Glossary Terms

Automatic mode, Exposure

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Exposure: How Much Light?

Focal length
Focal length, usually represented in millimeters (mm), is the basic description of a lens. The
focal length tells us the angle of view. The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of
view and the higher the magnification. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of
view and the lower the magnification.

Related Glossary Terms

Drag related terms here

Index

Find Term

Chapter 4 - Depth of Field

Focus
The relative sharpness or blur of a lens-based image.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, Depth of field, Lens, Plane of focus

Index

Find Term

Chapter 1 - Preface

Frame
The boundaries of the photograph.

Related Glossary Terms

Drag related terms here

Index

Find Term

Chapter 1 - Preface

Grain
Non-picture information that is generated by setting a high ISO speed on the camera.
Sometimes called noise.

Related Glossary Terms

Digital noise, Noise

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - ISO: Sensitivity to Light

ISO
The sensitivity of the cameras film or digital sensor. The numerical value of an ISO is
standardized by the International Standards Organization.

Related Glossary Terms

Digital noise, Exposure, Program mode, Stop

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - ISO: Sensitivity to Light

Lens
The part of the camera that focuses light onto the film or sensor.

Related Glossary Terms

Camera, Exposure, Focus, Telephoto, Wide-angle

Index

Find Term

Chapter 1 - Preface

Light meter
A measuring device that determines the amount of light in a scene and helps determine the
proper exposure.

Related Glossary Terms

Automatic mode, Exposure, Exposure Compensation

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Exposure: How Much Light?

Manual mode
One of several camera exposure modes, manual mode allows the photographer complete
control over aperture, shutter speed and ISO

Related Glossary Terms

Exposure

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Aperture
Chapter 3 - Shutter Speed

Megapixels
The total number of pixels that a cameras sensor can produce. Obtained by multiplying the
x-axis of the pixel sensor grid by the y-axis of that same grid. So, a camera sensor that has
4,000 pixels by 3,000 pixels is a 12 Megapixel sensor.

Related Glossary Terms

Cropping, Pixel, Sensor

Index

Find Term

Chapter 2 - Types of Cameras

Noise
Non-picture information that is generated by setting a high ISO speed on the camera.
Sometimes called grain.

Related Glossary Terms

Digital noise, Grain

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - ISO: Sensitivity to Light

Panning
A technique for shooting action photographs that employs a slow shutter speed. The
camera is moved in the direction of the motion of the subject, keeping the subject in focus
as the background becomes blurred.

Related Glossary Terms

Shutter

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Shutter Speed

Pixel
A single element on a digital cameras sensor. Pixel stands for Picture Element.

Related Glossary Terms

Cropping, Megapixels, Sensor

Index

Find Term

Chapter 2 - Types of Cameras

Plane of focus
An imaginary flat surface in space where a camera is focused, rendering it sharp. Depth of
field can be used to create focus in front of or behind that plane.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, Depth of field, Focus

Index

Find Term

Chapter 4 - Depth of Field

Program mode
One of several camera exposure modes, program mode uses the light meter reading to set
both the aperture and the shutter speed on the camera. The photographer can set the ISO
independently.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, ISO, Shutter

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Camera Exposure Modes

Sensor
The light-sensitive component of a digital camera.

Related Glossary Terms

DSLR, Megapixels, Pixel

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - ISO: Sensitivity to Light

Shutter
The shutter controls the length of time that the cameras lens is open. The shutters speed
determines whether moving objects in the photograph are shown as frozen in motion or
blurred.

Related Glossary Terms

Automatic mode, Camera, Exposure, Panning, Program mode, Stop

Index

Find Term

Chapter 2 - Anatomy of a Camera

Shutter Priority
One of several camera exposure modes, shutter priority mode allows the photographer to
set the shutter speed and the cameras metering system sets the aperture.

Related Glossary Terms

Drag related terms here

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Camera Exposure Modes

Stop
A unit of measurement in photography, a stop refers to doubling or cutting in half the
amount of light entering the camera. It can be used interchangeably with aperture, ISO and
shutter speed. Example: I need to give my photograph one stop more exposure.

Related Glossary Terms

Aperture, Exposure, ISO, Shutter

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Aperture

Telephoto
A lens that magnifies everything in the frame, thus making it look larger and therefore closer
to the camera.

Related Glossary Terms

Lens

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Shutter Speed

Wide-angle
A lens that makes everything in the frame appear smaller by taking in a wide field of view.

Related Glossary Terms

Lens

Index

Find Term

Chapter 3 - Shutter Speed