Photography Workshop Basics

Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Basic and Advanced Photography/Digital Workflow Workshop

Course Outline
MODULE 1: SHUTTER, APERTURE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP Shutter Speed. F/ stop explained. The aperture / shutter speed relationship. Reciprocity. Sharpness. What happens to the performance of the lens at various f/ stops? Depth of field explained. Working with depth of field. The depth of field scale. Hyperfocal distance. Depth of field preview. How to select the correct aperture & shutter speed for the job. Why use Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Program Mode? How to put it all together. MODULE 2: EXPOSURE AND METERING Different types of light meters. Reflective and incident metering. Spot metering. In-camera light meters. Different methods of metering. ISO and exposure compensation control. The 18% grey card and its uses. Dynamic Range. What is ISO and what does it do? Brief description of the zone system. Practical exposure methods. Same time same weather same exposure. Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB). Autoexposure. MODULE 3: CAMERAS, LENSES AND TRIPODS Introduction to the different types of cameras and their uses. The SLR in depth. What is the best camera to use? Focal length explained. Introducing different types of lenses and their uses. Lens Faults -Aberrations and distortion. What does MACRO mean? Extension rings and their uses. How to care for your lenses and camera body. How to pick the right lens for the job. Teleconverters. Tripods and Tripod Heads. MODULE 4: HOW TO TAKE BETTER PHOTOS A mental shooting checklist. What is important in the shot? What am I trying to achieve? Auto Focus Modes. Lighting Working on a Subject Vertical or Horizontal. Framing and placement. Pre-visualising. Adobe RGB 1998 and SRGB explained. Using the cameras preview tools. Working tethered. Things to look out for and to avoid. Make a portfolio of shots you love. How to develop a style of your own. MODULE 5: DIGITAL WORKFLOW / POSTPROCESSING Colour Management Policies (Colour Settings, Working Space, ICC Profiles etc.) Working with RAW files Tools for Post Processing (DPP, Capture One, Capture NX, Photoshop CS, Irfanview, Neatimage etc.) Converting/working on 16 bit tiff / JPEG images. Cropping and Image Editing Levels, Curves, Contrast, Saturation adjustments Image Sharpening, Digital Blending, Cloning, Selective Sharpening, Dodge and Burn Noise Reduction Adding copyright text, Framing / Presenting your images Saving for Web/printing
file:///Users/sudhirshivaram/Desktop/Digital-Photography-Workshop/Digital%20Photography%20Tutorial.htm Page 1 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
MODULE 1: SHUTTER, APERTURE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP Shutter Speed. Length of time camera shutter blades are open allowing light to fall on the film. The number refers to the duration of time (in seconds) that light can affect the film. 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1.250, 1/500, 1/1000 Slower shutter speeds are often selected to suggest movement in a still photograph of a moving subject.
Excessively fast shutter speeds can cause a moving subject to appear unnaturally frozen.
For instance, a running animal may be caught with all feet in the air with all indication of movement lost in the frozen moment.
file:///Users/sudhirshivaram/Desktop/Digital-Photography-Workshop/Digital%20Photography%20Tutorial.htm
Page 2 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
When a slower shutter speed is selected, a longer time passes from the moment the shutter opens till the moment it closes. More time is available for movement in the subject to be recorded by the camera. When slower shutter speeds, in excess of about half a second, are used on running water, the photo will have a ghostly white appearance reminiscent of fog. This effect can be used in landscape photography.
F/ stop explained. Measurement of size of the lens opening, the hole through which light passes to strike the film when the shutter is open. Expressed in f-stop numbers. f/1, f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32 Each is 1.4 times the previous and not actually double. Area of circle = (pi) (r)^2 2 (pi) (r)^2 = (pi) (x)^2 x = sq.rt(2) = 1.4
Page 3 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Standard full-stop f-number scale AV -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 f/# 0.5 0.7 1.0 1.4 2 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 22 32 45 64 90 128 Typical one-half-stop f-number scale f/# 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.7 2 2.4 2.8 3.4 4 4.8 5.6 6.7 8 9.5 11 13 16 19 22 Typical one-third-stop f-number scale f/# 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.5 2.8 3.3 3.5 4 4.5 5.0 5.6 6.3 7 8 9 10 11 12.5 14 16 18 20 22 The aperture / shutter speed relationship. Opening up - Going to a larger aperture Stopping Down - Going to a smaller aperture
Reciprocity The above two variables works in doubles and halves progression of stop increments and are related to each other. Shutter Speed and Aperture work together to control the amount of light hitting the file/sensor. They both work in stop values and are related to each other by what is called as "Reciprocity" 1/15 sec @ f/11 <=> 1/8 sec @ f/16
Page 4 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Sharpness. Sharpness describes the clarity of detail in a photo, and can be a valuable creative tool for emphasizing texture. Proper photographic and post-processing technique can go a long way towards improving sharpness, although sharpness is ultimately limited by your camera equipment, image magnification and viewing distance. Two fundamental factors contribute to the perceived sharpness of an image: resolution and acutance. Acutance Resolution
High Low Acutance describes how quickly image information transitions at an edge, and so high acutance results in sharp transitions and detail with clearly defined borders.
High Low Resolution describes the camera's ability to distinguish between closely spaced elements of detail, such as the two sets of lines shown above.
For digital cameras, resolution is limited by your digital sensor, whereas acutance depends on both the quality of your lens and the type of post-processing. Acutance is the only aspect of sharpness which is still under your control after the shot has been taken, so acutance is what is enhanced when you digitally sharpen an image (see Sharpening using an "Unsharp Mask"). Photos require both high acutance and resolution to be perceived as critically sharp. The following example is designed to give you a feel for how each influences your image:
Acutance: High
Resolution: Low
Acutance: Low
Resolution: High
Page 5 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Acutance: High
Resolution: High
Sharpness also depends on other factors which influence our perception of resolution and acutance. Image Noise (or film grain) is usually detrimental to an image, however small amounts can actually increase the appearance of sharpness. Consider the following example:
Low Noise, Soft
High Noise, Sharp
What happens to the performance of the lens at various f/ stops?
Canon EF 500mm 700mm, f5.6
Canon EF 500mm 700mm, f7.1
Canon EF 500mm 700mm, f11
Here are some rule of thumb for reading a chart MTF chart: the higher up the chart the 10 LP/mm line is (the thick lines), the higher the contrast reproduction capability of the lens will be. the higher up the chart the 30 LP/mm line is (the thin lines), the higher the resolving power and thus subjective sharpness of the lens will be. keep in mind that the black lines show the lens wide open while the blue lines show the lens stopped down to f/8, so the closer these sets of lines are to each other the better the performance of the lens when used wide open. The very best lenses will have the black and the blue lines close together. generally speaking a lens whose thick lines (10 LP/mm) are above .8 on the chart should be regarded as having excellent image quality. Above .6 is regarded as satisfactory. Below .6 is, well, below.
Page 6 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Page 7 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS Depth of field explained.
Working with depth of field. The actual size of this zone of sharpness (DOF) is controlled by 4 factors:
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
The actual f stop at which the picture is taken. The focal length of the lens being used. The size of the subject being photographed. Distance between the camera and the subject. 1. Actual f-stop: When you stop down to a smaller aperture, you get greater DOF. When you open up to a larger aperture, the DOF decreases. Aperture such as f/16, f/22, f/32 yields greater DOF. Aperture such as f/2, f/2.8, f/4 yields a shallow DOF. The smaller the hole - Greater DOF The larger the hole - Shallow DOF.
Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro on Canon 10D ISO 100, 0.6 secs @ f22, Center Weighted Average at Zero
Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro on Canon 10D ISO 100, 1/60 @ f3.5, Center Weighted Average at Zero
2. Lens being used: If you shoot a subject several times without changing the distance, the DOF decreases at any f-stop as you increase the focal length of the lens. Ex: From 28mm lens to 200mm lens - You lose DOF for the same distance/f-stop. 3. Size of subject: When you change the focal length, you are changing the size of the subject as it appears in the view finder. So if you gain magnification, you lose DOF. 4. Distance: At any given f-stop on any lens, you decrease DOF as you decrease the distance b/w lens and subject. Ex: If you are shooting an entire mountain side of trees - DOF is in yards. If you move close and shoot only trees - DOF is in feet.
Page 9 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
If you move closer and shoot only branch of a tree - DOF is in inches. Now move closer and shoot a leaf on the branch - DOF is fraction of an inch. The depth of field scale.
Hyperfocal distance. Definition: "The closest point of focus at a given aperture, at which infinity falls within the Depth of Field." For landscape photographers this is a critical number. This is the point at which you would focus the camera so that everything from that point out to Infinity is in focus. You should note that at the other end, the closest point that is in focus is at half the hyperfocal distance. Using the example we had above of a 50mm lens, set to f/16, the hyperfocal distance is 22.53 feet. Half that is 11.26 feet. So, by focusing the lens at a point 22.5 feet away everything will be in focus from roughly 11 feet to Infinity. The advent of autofocus, and the increased popularity of zooms over prime lenses has lead to the almost total demise of DOF scales on lenses. This makes the manual setting of hyperfocal distance impossible. But Canon has a solution the DEP mode. Here's how the manual says to use it. Set the camera to DEP mode Point at either the nearest or farthest object in the scene that you wish to be in focus and lightly press the shutter release Next, point the camera at the other extreme and once again half press the release. The camera will now autofocus the lens to the hyperfocal distance and will display the aperture that it has selected to achieve optimum depth of field Reframe the scene and press the shutter release to take the photograph. Depth of field preview.
Page 10 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
The depth of field preview button, gives you a preview of the overall depth of field you can expect to see in the final photograph before you've taken the actual shot. In other words, it will show you how much of your photograph will be in sharp focus and how much will be blurred. How to select the correct aperture & shutter speed for the job. Combination of Shutter Field/Aperture depends on Photographing Landscape or Action. If Wind is moving the Subject. How long a lens you are using. The Magnification at which you are working. Most basic decision is what Shutter Speed/Aperture combination you need to use. Do you need to stop the action or want greater DOF. Why use Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Program Mode? Aperture Priority When using aperture-priority, also known as Av mode, you manually select the aperture and the camera automatically sets the shutter speed. The aperture is the opening in a lens that admits light onto the camera sensor and is varied by changing the size of the opening. It's diameter is stated as an f-stop. Aperture-priority mode is used when you want to control depth-of-field. Shutter Priority Shutter speed relates to how long the camera's shutter stays open after you depress the shutter-release button. Shutter speed is measured in seconds, such as 1/125th. A slow shutter speed produces a longer exposure time. For shutter-priority mode (Tv), select the shutter speed and the aperture adjusts automatically. Use shutter-priority mode when you want to control action in a photo either to freeze the action of fast moving subjects or to create a sense of movement. Program Mode Under the program mode, the camera selects both the aperture and shutter speed. Consequently, you do not have to worry about exposure at all. How to put it all together. Shutter Speed Fast shutter speed - Freeze action, Sharp Images. Slow Shutter speed - Blurred background during panning, silky flow of water. A long shutter speed can be set at night to record car headlights as trails. Aperture Large f number (f16, f22 etc) - Greater DOF Small f number (f2.8, f4 etc) - Shallow DOF Reciprocity 1/15 sec @ f/11 <=> 1/8 sec @ f/16
Page 11 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Everything in photography works in halves and doubles. MODULE 2: EXPOSURE AND METERING Different types of light meters. A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter is often used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph. Typically a light meter will include a computer, either digital or analogue, which allows the photographer to determine which shutter speed and f-number should be selected for an optimum exposure, given a certain lighting situation and film speed. There are two types of Light Meters: Reflective and Incident light meters. Reflective and Incident metering.
Incident meters read the light falling on the subject utilizing a hemispherical dome. Its the half PingPong ball looking thing you see on incident meters that integrates the light readings. Reflective meters measure the light reflecting off the subject. Reflective metering is the metering type built into all current cameras as it is the only feasible option for metering at a distance. You can have center-weighted or spot metering (or matrix metering for computerized cameras), all of which attempt to determine the proper exposure.
Spot metering.
With spot metering, the camera will only measure a very small area of the scene (between 1-5% of the viewfinder area). This will typically be the very centre of the scene, but some cameras allow the user to select a different off-center spot, or to recompose by moving the camera after metering. Spot metering is very accurate and is not influenced by other areas in the frame. It is commonly used to shoot very high contrast scenes. In-camera light meters. The primary metering type for most cameras today is an overall meter. Meaning, it will take readings from different parts of the scene to cover most, if not all, of the viewfinder. All in-camera light meters have a fundamental flaw: they can only measure reflected light. This means the best they can do is guess how much light is
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
actually hitting the subject.
Different methods of metering. A Camera meter only gives a suggested exposure, which may not be the correct exposure. To be in charge of the photographic process, you need to think what you are doing. All TTL meters are reflected light meters. They measure the light reflected from any subject at which they are pointed to, and suggest the exposure values. Most current Cameras offer a choice of built in metering patterns: - Spot Metering - Center-Weighted metering - Partial metering - Multi Segment matrix or Evaluative metering.
Center-Weighted
Partial Metering
Spot Metering
The name indicates how much or how little the frame is actually read. Spot Meter - Reads a small spot with in the frame, disregarding the rest of the image. They are extremely useful when you want to meter one area only. Center-weighted metering - It places a strong emphasis on the center portion of the image. Matrix/Evaluative metering - Subdivides the entire frame into small sections, then runs a s/w program to evaluate the results. You can use any of the metering modes in either auto exposure or Manual exposure.
Page 13 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
ISO and exposure compensation control. ISO fiddling and exposure compensation can be used to accomplish the same task. All exposure compensation does is make the scene brighter or darker relative to the camera meter's exposure setting. ISO - shutter speed - and aperture are all directly related in a linear fashion. Exposure compensation is ideal for correcting in-camera metering errors caused by the subject's reflectivity. No matter what metering mode is used, an in-camera light meter will always mistakenly under-expose a subject which has over cast sky as background. Let's say the meter reading says F4 at 1/60 and you are shooting at ISO 200 in manual mode.
Page 14 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Then setting the ISO to 400 is the same as plus 1 stop exposure compensation. You can do either and get the same result.
The 18% grey card and its uses.
An 18 Percent Gray Card is a simple gray-coloured card which uniformly reflects 18% of the light which falls upon it. Gray cards can be used as a reference to set the camera exposure or to calibrate a light meter (light meters are used to determine which exposure setting is required to produce a medium gray tone). To set your exposure with a gray card, first make sure the camera is in manual mode or is able to hold its settings when you half-depress the shutter button. Position the card immediately in front of the subject, ensuring that the lighting on the card is exactly the same as the lighting on the subject. If you are using a light meter, take your reading now. Otherwise, half-depress the camera shutter button to save the exposure setting until you fully depress the button (and take the picture). Here are several situations that benefit greatly by the use of a gray card to check the exposure. Whenever there is any sort of back lighting such as a bright sky or window behind the subject. When there is a light source such as bulb or light fixture in front of your camera. When there is any type of back light such as a bright sky or window behind the subject. When a large part of the scene has a fairly dark tone like a close up of a big black car. When a large part of the scene has a fairly light tone like a snow scene. Dynamic range. In image processing, computer graphics and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures (the range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately
Page 15 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows.
CCD - High Dynamic Range CMOS - Moderate Dynamic Range
What is ISO and what does it do? In traditional (film) photography ISO (or ASA) was the indication of how sensitive a film was to light. It was measured in numbers (youve probably seen them on films - 100, 200, 400, 800 etc). The lower the number the lower the sensitivity of the film and the finer the grain in the shots youre taking. In Digital Photography ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. The same principles apply as in film photography - the lower the number the less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the grain. Higher ISO settings are generally used in darker situations to get faster shutter speeds When you do override your camera and choose a specific ISO youll notice that it impacts the aperture and shutter speed needed for a well exposed shot. For example - if you bumped your ISO up from 100 to 400 youll notice that you can shoot at higher shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures.
Page 16 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
When choosing the ISO setting I generally ask myself the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Light - Is the subject well lit? What is the corresponding shutter speed I get? Grain - Is it acceptable and can I remove it in Noise removal tool? Tripod - Am I use a tripod? Moving Subject - Is my subject moving or stationary?
The trade off of this increase in ISO will be noisier shots. Situations where you might need to push ISO to higher settings include: Indoor Sports Events - where your subject is moving fast yet you may have limited light available. Concerts - also low in light and often no-flash zones Art Galleries, Churches etc- many galleries have rules against using a flash and of course being indoors are not well lit. Birthday Parties - blowing out the candles in a dark room can give you a nice moody shot which would be ruined by a bright flash. Increasing the ISO can help capture the scene. Wildlife Photography in sholas or in forest patch with less light. Experiment with different settings and how they impact your images today. Brief description of the zone system. Zone System, a system of exposure determination and development control for black-and-white. It was devised by Ansel Adams in the late 1940s. It is partly a system of visualization. The visualization is based on print zones, originally nine in number, symmetrical about Zone V:
ZONE 1 = This is the threshold or the area where film begins to see an image. There is no visible texture here and nothing will print on paper. ZONE 2 = First suggestion of texture in the shadow area of a subject (darkest part of black hair). ZONE 3 = In most prints this is where the shadow detail becomes visible. In normal film this is just barely visible with normal development and exposure. Dark clothes, black hair are zone 3 examples. This will be 2 stops less than the zone 5 exposure. ZONE 4 = This is average dark leaves on trees, blue jeans, brown hair or a dark stone or a shadow on a landscape (grass). A meter reading of this shadow in a scene will be 1.5 to 2 stops more light than is needed. Exposure on the camera would be set to 1 to 1.5 f stops less exposure (example, if f4 is normal then expose at f5.6). ZONE 5 = This is the middle gray between black and white. This would be dark tan skin, average grass, or the north sky on a clear day. This is the normal value to be used in exposure metering. A neutral gray test card is this value and this is what the light meter is designed to reproduce on film. This is the one shade that is the same tone on the film and in real life. ZONE 6 = Average Caucasian skin, light hair, normal concrete, shadows on snow or sand. This is the high end of the mid tones. A spot reading increased 1 stop for this zone. ZONE 7 = Bright - Very light skin or snow in full sun, white concrete. This spot meter exposure is increased by 2 stops for this zone. ZONE 8 = Very white - Whites with faint texture - this is direct noon sun on a clear day on a white reflective surface, something that hurts the eyes to look at as snow or sand or white clothes. Exposure is increased by 3 stops. ZONE 9 = Glaring white surfaces that will show up without a texture on print. This is a reflection on metal of bright light....called a highlight.This should only be a small area on a print...a reflection. All other values above this are light sources such as the sun or a flood light. This represents the highlights on a print and have no texture. Exposure should not be set for
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
this area on a subject. Practical exposure methods. You may have the worlds best equipment, but without understanding the basics of exposure, your chances of getting a good photograph are limited. I would like to provide some useful tips in different situations for exposing your subject properly. The below tips are for spot metering technique: For a middle tone bird (what we call as the 18% grey), meter the bird if possible and use that exposure. For large extremely white birds (egrets) meter the white part and open up 1 1/3 stop. For lighter white birds, meter the bird and open up around 2/3 stop. For dark birds (coots, crows), meter the bird and stop down 1 or 1 1/3 stop. The below tips are for Center-Weighted technique: For a middle toned subject with a middle toned background, shoot as per the meter reading. For a dark subject with a middle toned background use +1/2 or +2/3 stop. For a dark subject with a light background use +1 or + 1 1/3 stop. For a dark subject with a fairly dark background use -1/3 or -1/2 stop. For a light/white subject with a light background use + 2/3 or +1 stop. For a light/white subject with a medium tones background, shoot as per the meter reading. For a light/white subject with dark background use -1/3 or -1/2 stop. Whether you spot meter the subject or use Center-Weighted technique, the idea is to place your subject at the tonality you want it to be. Same time same weather same exposure.
Page 18 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
The exposure reading in over cast conditions or after rains remains almost flat with very little variations. Take the exposure reading in these conditions, compensate for the tonal value and set that in your camera. The above exposure once set, can be used for any kind of subject, as long as it is in the same lighting condition. Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB). Bracketing is the general technique of taking several shots of the same subject using different camera settings. Autoexposure Bracketing is automatic bracketing by using a setting on the camera to take several bracketed shots (in contrast to the photographer altering the settings by hand between each shot).
Page 19 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Autoexposure. Almost all cameras has several built in autoexposure modes.
Icon
Basic zone mode Fully Automatic Exposure
AF mode
Drive mode
Flash mode
Picture Style
Single Auto AI Focus SelfStandard Camera has complete Red-eye Timer control over exposure, point-and-shoot operation. Portrait Apertures are kept as large Continuous Auto as possible (small F One Shot Portrait Self Red-eye number) to produce a Timer shallow Depth of Field (blurred background). Landscape Single Apertures as small as Off Landscape possible (large F numbers) One Shot SelfTimer for the largest depth of field. Close-up (Macro) Aperture is kept to a Single Auto medium setting to ensure One Shot SelfStandard Red-eye the subject DOF is deep Timer enough but the background is blurred. Sports Shutter speed is kept as Continuous AI Servo Off Standard
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Continuous Off high as possible to ensure AI Servo Selfcapture of fast moving Timer objects. Night Scene Allows for slow shutter speeds combined with flash to illuminate foreground and background. Flash off Single One Shot SelfTimer
Standard
Auto Standard Red-eye
Single Disables internal and AI Focus Selfexternal flash for taking Timer automatic slow exposures. MODULE 3: CAMERAS, LENSES AND TRIPODS Introduction to the different types of cameras and their uses. Small format cameras: Medium format cameras:
Off
Standard
Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in still photography and the related cameras and equipment which use this film. Generally, the term applies to film and cameras used to produce images larger than the 24 by 36 mm of 135 film, but smaller than the 4"!5" size, which is considered to be large format. Types: Single-lens reflex Twin-lens reflex Rangefinder Folding cameras Monorail view cameras Folding-bed field cameras Large camera formats: Large format describes large photographic films, large cameras, view cameras (including pinhole cameras) and processes that use a film or digital sensor, generally 4 x 5 inches or larger.
The SLR in depth. The single-lens reflex (SLR) camera uses an automatic moving mirror system which permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to non-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly different from what was captured on film.
Page 21 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
What is the best camera to use? Once you have graduate from a basic P&S camera, you will most likely purchase a 35mm Single-lens-reflex (SLR/DSLR) camera. You can use SLR to photograph everything from a mountain to a mosquito and everything in between.It has TTL viewing. Don't rush in and buy a camera. Answer these basic questions: What do you want to photograph. How often will you use the equipment. How serious are you about photography. Do you think your photography interest will grow in time and you'll want to shoot a wider variety of subjects. Its not the camera which takes the pictures - Its YOU. In reality, the quality of lens mounted in front of the camera has far more to do with the quality of the resulting photograph than the camera body does. And the way in which the lens is used by you, and the way you proceed in taking the pictures, is the ultimate factor. Purchase good equipment and learn to use the equipment in the best possible manner. Proper photographing technique is by far the most important factor in producing great pictures. You always tend to say, "If I had better equipment, even I can take photos like that." Use what ever camera and lens you already own and use them to the fullest, then consider purchasing new equipment's. Focal length explained. Focal Length: The two most basic characteristics of any lens are its focal length and its maximum aperture, which is generally referred to as its speed. - Focal length is defined as the distance between the optical centre of the lens and the film, when the lens is focused on infinity. There is a direct relationship between the focal length of the lens and the size of the subject's image on the film. The shorter the focal length, the shorter the image size. The longer the focal length, the larger the subject will appear on the film/sensor The size of the image on the film also works in terms of halves and doubles as you switch from 50mm to 100mm and vice-versa. Introducing different types of lenses and their uses. What Lenses Do: One of the greatest strengths of the 35mm SLR camera is that it allows the user to change lenses with a minimum of difficulty. - 50mm lens - Standard lens < 50mm - Wide angle lens > 50mm Telephoto lens - The speed of the lens refers to its maximum aperture, its widest f-stop.
Page 22 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
- fast lenses - max aperture (f/2.8); slow lens - smaller openings (f/5.6) - They are numerically equal to the lens focal length divided by the optical diameter of its aperture hole. - If the optical diameter of a 100mm lens is 50mm, then the max f number it can have is max f = 100mm/500mm = f/2. - An f-stop permits the same amount of light to pass through the diaphragm to hit the film, regardless of the lens's focal length. f/4 on 50mm, 100mm, or 400mm lens, all transmit the same amount of light. - If you use a wide angle lens, you can effectively change the relationship between foreground and background elements, and expand the scene to encompass more within your view. If on the other hand, you select a telephoto lens, you can pluck out one area of the viewer and effectively condense the scene. - The choice is yours to make, as long as you have a selection of lenses from which to pick. Zoom Lens v/s Fixed Focal Lens
- Fixed focal length lens are supposed to be optically best in quality compared to zoom lenses. - Zoom lens has the flexibility - All together in one lens, instead of carrying a number of lenses. - Cost of lens depends on the max f-stop of a lens. - Most zoom lenses cannot focus as close as their counterpart in fixed lengths. Minimum focusing distance also matters depending on what you want to shoot. Wide Angle Lenses
- When you aim any wide-angle lens upwards, weather its zoom or a fixed focal-length, all vertical lines appear to converge or tip, towards the top centre of the frame. - wide angle convergence or keystoning. - One word of caution when using wide-angle lens. Frame your subject carefully. Unwanted objects appear in your frame as you tend to concentrate on the centre most portion of a composition. - Wide angle is extremely useful in taking the entire scene. But this is also a problem, the temptation is to include everything you see in front of you, in the image frame. Normal Lens - 50mm
Page 23 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
- Also available are the 35-70mm f/2.8 zoom lenses. - For a multipurpose lens, consider purchasing the 50mm macro lens, which offers a very close focusing distance. - You can photographs subjects ranging from vast landscape to tight closeups. Short Telephoto Lenses : 80-200MM
The 80-200mm is probably the most popular lenses today. - Zooms in the short telephoto range are some of the best available, maintaining high image quality across their entire focal length range. - Its better to have a fast short telephoto lens in this range. Both applicable to photojournalists and shooting with polarizers. - Canon's 70-200 f/2.8 is one of the best. Note that the aperture does not change as you zoom. - Lenses in this range are great for shooting "portraits" of the landscape sections of the entire scene. Telephoto Lenses: 300MM / 400mm
- Long focal length lenses are a mixed blessing. They are wonderful when you want to isolate a small section of a landscape or photograph a mammal without disturbing it. - How long a lens you need is primarily determined by three factors: 1. The subjects you want to photograph. 2. The amount of lens weight and bulk you're willing carry in the field. 3. How much money you are willing to spend on the lens. - The larger the subject, the shorter the focal length needed. Super Telephoto Lenses: 500mm / 600mm / 800mm / 1200mm
Page 24 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
- 50mm used at 10ft yields the same image size on film as a 500mm from 100ft. - Selecting a long lens always involves some kind of compromise. speed, size and cost. - Faster lenses are considerably easier to focus as they let in so much more light. - Another advantage of fast long lenses is the ability to use teleconverters. - Autofocus works best with fast apertures, useful for photographing birds and mammals and action. Lens Faults -Aberrations and distortion. Chromatic aberration or "color fringing" is caused by the camera lens not focusing different wavelengths of light onto the exact same focal plane (the focal length for different wavelengths is different) and/or by the lens magnifying different wavelengths differently.
Barrel distortion is a lens effect which causes images to look spherical or "inflated". Barrel distortion is associated with wide angle lenses and typically occurs at the wide end of a zoom lens.
Page 25 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
What does MACRO mean? The term macro has been used in marketing material to mean being able to focus on a subject close enough so that when a regular 6!4 inch (15!10 cm) print is made, the image is life-size or larger. Macro photography is close-up photography; the classical definition is that the image projected on the "film plane" (i.e., film or a digital sensor) is close to the same size as the subject. There are different categories of macro lenses, depending on the focal length: 5060mm range typically used for product photography and small objects. 90105mm range the standard focal range used for insects, flowers, small objects. 150200mm range gives more working distance typically used for insects and small animals. a few zooms provide a macro option, but they generally do not allow a 1:1 magnification.
Page 26 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Extension rings and their uses. The extension tube contains no optical elements; its sole purpose is to move the lens farther from the film or digital sensor. The farther away the lens is, the closer the focus, the greater the magnification, and also the greater the loss of light.
Page 27 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
How to care for your lenses and camera body. There are four main types of external damage sources to be concerned about. Dirt Scratches Shock Water Camera Care Changing lens on DSLR indoors or in a car will help cut down on the amount of dirt and dust that may blow into the camera chamber when the back door is open. Never attempt to clean your Sensor. It is very easily scratched. Clean the mirror of your SLR using only a soft brush. A camel's hair brush is best. Clean your camera and lens case periodically. When traveling with your camera always keep your camera equipment with you as a carry-on item. Never travel with your flash mounted on your SLR. You risk breaking the shoe base and-or the top cover of the camera. Always remember to turn off your camera when you are done shooting pictures. Save any major brand name battery that leaks in your camera equipment. Never, ever, put any oil on your camera or lens. It is recommended that you keep your rear lens caps & body caps extra clean in order to avoid contributing dust to your CMOS / CCD sensor. Never blow air from your mouth to remove dust on the mirror or on the sensor. Lens Care It is important to keep your lens away from excessive heat (i.e., hot car in summertime or a heat source in a home). This will help prevent the greases, used in most lens barrels, from breaking down into an oil that can run inside your lens. Use rear element lens caps on your lenses when they are not on the body. Always use a filter or lens shade (hood) to protect the front element. But make sure to use high quality filters. Never, ever, oil your lens. A minute amount of oil on the diaphragm blades will cause them to operate slowly. Never keep your equipment bag in the rare of the vehicle. Use a lens cleaning kit (available in all photographic stores) to clean your lens. Watch this video to see on how to clean the lens.
Page 28 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
How to pick the right lens for the job. - Slow 300mm lenses: Good for landscape photography. Not for wildlife. - 300mm f/4: Good compromise lens in terms of focal length, speed and weight. Good for walking with the lens for long distance. - 300mm f/2.8: A great fast lens, fast AF, usable with teleconverters. - 400mm f/5.6: Good focal length for large mammals and birds in flight. - 400mm f/2.8: Heavy. Fast AF, very good with TCs. Excellent for wildlife. - 500mm f/4: For a very long focal length, best compromise in size, weight and cost. Good for all-round multipurpose bird and mammal photography. 1.4TC - 700mm f/5.6 and 2XTC - 1000mm f/8. - 600mm f/4: Specializing in bird photography. - 800mm f/5.6: Well-suited for a wide variety of long-range photo applications such as wildlife and nature photography as well as sports and documentary photojournalism. Teleconverters.
Page 29 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
- Teleconverters are optical magnifiers that increase the magnification of whatever you put in front of them. They mount between the camera body and the lens. - You get a bigger image from the same working distance. They are available in powers of 1.4X and 2X. - When a teleconverter is mounted behind a lens, it multiplies both the focal length and the f-stops by the power of the converter. - Using converters is an excellent way to increase image size without getting closer to your subject. - Always use fast lens with teleconverters. Some cameras dont autofocus. Use prime lens instead of zoom lenses. - DOF does change when you use TC, as the f-stop changes. - Teleconverters give you focal length choices. 500mm f/4 + 1.4 = 700mm f/5.6 500mm f/4 + 2X = 1000mm f/8 Tripods and Tripod Heads. Tripods If you want to improve the technical quality of your photographs, the very first step is to buy a well made tripod and use it every time you take a photograph. Without any doubt the tripod is the most important photographic accessory. Most tripods readily available in the market are neither well designed nor of good quality. Many beginners curse the tripod and tend not to use them as they have never come across any good tripods. Usually they would had used the ones used for shooting home movies. Many people claim that they can shoot long exposure photographs hand held. Even I was one of them. But when you shoot repeated photographs and compare them, you will notice the difference. Can you get absolutely sharp images at any time you want, regardless of the shutter speed ? An old photographic rule of thumb - To obtain relatively sharp photos with any consistency when hand holding a camera, you need to a shutter speed equal to the focal length of the lens in use. Ex: With a 50mm lens, 100mm, 200mm, 400mm - You will need faster shutter speed as the focal length increases. The conclusion to be drawn is that hand holding the camera restricts you to shoot in bright light, using wide open aperture, shooting high-speed films/ISO, using only short focal lengths, or a combination of these. Why not use a tripod and remove all these restrictions. Remember that a 35mm image is only 1 X 1 1/2 inches in size. When you project it on a screen or enlarge it, you magnify the defects also. Ex: Moving from 50mm to 100mm (double the problems)., to 400mm(4 times) etc. You have to be 4 times careful, 4 times sturdy to get proper shots. When you buy a tripod, run a test to check for sturdiness by mounting a camera with a long focal lens if available. Extend the legs completely, focus on a subject, and tap the camera/lens/tripod legs and watch for vibrations.
Page 30 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Tripod Heads Every tripod must have a head. You can add a three way pan/tilt head or a Ball-and-socket head. While there are major operational differences between these two heads, choose the one best suited for your need. Pan/Tilt heads offer precise movements in each axis of adjustment. Tilting forward and backwards, tipping left and right, swiveling around, are all governed by seperate controls. You get precision control for each of the movements. But the price you pay for this is the operational speed. Pan/Tils Heads - From Bogen are quite good.
Page 31 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Ball-and-socket heads are general called as "Ball heads" Has only one knob which controls all operational movements. Loosen it and the ball is free to travel in any direction. The ease and speed of operation makes ball heads great for normal photography and for action work. The best ball heads are the ones which have a tension control to set the amount of drag on the ball's movement.
Page 32 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Gimbal Heads Gimbal Heads are recommended for super telephoto lens like 500mm, 600mm or 800mm.
Page 33 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
MODULE 4: HOW TO TAKE BETTER PHOTOS A mental shooting checklist. Here's a pre-shoot checklist to help you get the best out of your camera: Is Your Battery charged? Format Your Memory Card. Check the ISO Setting. Select the Correct File type. Choose the right White Balance. Set the correct exposure mode. Check the exposure compensation. Make sure to carry extra memory cards and batteries. What is important in the shot? Composition is the art of clearly presenting your creative vision in an appealing manner. - Any portion of the frame, anything in the picture, that dilutes or distracts from your creative vision adds visual confusion and should be eliminated if at all possible. - Choose a subject and choose only that. While photographing a flower, they include everything. Avoid that. - It takes several paragraphs to describe a bad photograph, a few sentences for a mediocre photo, one sentence for a good photograph and just a phrase for a great photograph. - What I like about this scene is _________ so I will use (this equipment) and (these photographic techniques) to make this image. What am I trying to achieve? What do you want to photograph ? What do you find appealing in that ? What do you want to convey to the viewers ?
Auto Focus Modes Depending on camera specifications, there are certain number of AF points. You can select any one of the AF point (or all) to match your composition. You can also select the AF mode (One Shot, AI Servo) to match the shooting condition and the subject and select the best drive mode. One Shot Auto Focus Suited for still subjects. When you press the shutter button halfway, the camera will focus only once.
Page 34 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
When focus is achieved, the AF point which achieved focus will flash and the focus confirmation light in the viewfinder will also light. With evaluating metering, the exposure setting will be set at the same time focus is achieved. While you hold down the shutter button halfway, the focus will be locked. You can then reompose the shot if desired.
AI Servo Auto Focus This AF mode is for moving subjects when the focusing distance keeps changing. While you hold down the shutter button halfway, the subject will be focused continuously. The exposure is set the moment the picture is taken.
Lighting Light is what makes photograph possible. - In fact photography means "Painting with Light" Direction of light: - How it falls on the subject. Front lighting, backlighting and side lighting. Front lighting - Mammals + Birds Side Lighting - Landscape photography, shadows caused by side lighting adds to the 3D feeling of a photograph. Backlighting - Silhouetting.
Page 35 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
"Photograph early, photograph late, take a nap during the day" Light Character - Hard (high) or soft (over cast). Working on a Subject
- I see people take one photograph of a subject then declare that they have captured that subject. - Walk around the subject (depends on situation) and choose the best location to shoot. - Don't get satisfied too quickly. Try out new things. Vertical or Horizontal. One of the most basic composition decisions is whether the picture frame should have vertical or a horizontal orientation. - Most pictures are taken in horizontal format. If you check your collection, the number of horizontal photographs exceeds the number of vertical photos.
Page 36 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Framing and placement. Once you have chosen a subject to photograph and decided whether to take vertical or horizontal picture, you have two other major decisions to make. First, how tightly or loosely should you frame your subject ? And then, where within your rectangle image frame do you locate your subject. - Don't position your subject to the edge of your frame. - One of the biggest advantage of using a good tripod is that it allows you to compose with precision. - In case of auto focus, choose the focusing point appropriately. - Good composition is very subjective, and you want to please yourself.
Pre-visualising. Pre-visualising how something will look as a photo is one skill that distinguishes a serious amateur from a snap shooter. Pre-visualising the shot is very necessary. You visualise the event to be covered and plan the shots to be taken. You plan the angles, distance and choose an area and place yourself. You also need to take into account the lens you are using, the lighting and the exposure you need to be using.
Adobe RGB 1998 and SRGB explained. Adobe RGB 1998 and sRGB IEC61966-2.1 (sRGB) are two of the most common working spaces used in digital photography The following color gamut comparison aims to give you a better qualitative understanding of where the gamut of Adobe RGB 1998 extends beyond sRGB for shadow (~25%), midtone (~50%), and highlight colors (~75%). sRGB IEC61966-2.1 Adobe RGB 1998
25% Luminance
50% Luminance
75% Luminance
Using the cameras preview tools. Evaluating Images using Histogram
Page 37 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Page 38 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Page 39 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Working tethered Tethered digital camera operation is where the camera is permanently attached to a computer by a cable and so is usually restricted to lab or studio work. For the professional shooter there are many advantages when working tethered:
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Better preview capabilities More disk space (no need to rely on memory card availability) Easy file management Ability for clients and creative directors to observe the images directly as they are shot Usually you can connect a camera to a computer using the appropriate cable for Ethernet, USB 2.0 or FireWire ports. Both Nikon and Canon provide solutions for tethered operation. Nikon uses its own Camera Control Pro, while Canon uses its File Transmission Utility.
Things to look out for and to avoid. Composition. Distractions on the Edge. Background of the Subject. Kissing Edges / Cut subjects in Photographs. How to avoid the above mistakes: Change the Angle. Modify the Scene Use Digital Image Processing
Page 41 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Make a portfolio of shots you love. Create a portfolio of photographs (your best) either on your blog, your website or in prints. This serves multiple purpose: Portrays your best shot to viewers. Gives a perspective of your choice and taste for photography. Business of photography - "If it were easy, everyone would do it." How to develop a style of your own. This is very subjective. This goes in hand with the above subject. This needs time, patience and practice. Choose a theme and work on it. What makes you different from the photographer beside you ? MODULE 5: DIGITAL WORKFLOW / POSTPROCESSING COLOUR MANAGEMENT Colour Wheel / Primary Colours
Magenta Cyan Cyan Blue Red Blue
+ Yellow + Yellow + +
= Red = Green
Magenta = Blue Green Green Red = Cyan = Yellow = Magenta
+ +
Colour Settings, Working Space and ICC Profiles
Page 42 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
SRGB / Adobe RGB / Pro photo RGB
DIGITAL WORKFLOW This is how the camera has captured the image in RAW format:
RAW PROCESSING
Step 1: Set the White balance to match the actual scene
Step 2: Adjust the levels, increase saturation and sharpness
Page 43 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Step 3: Compose and Crop the image
Step 4: Convert the RAW and save it as jpeg image
IMP: Keep resolution as 72 DPI for web and 250 or 300 DPI for print (depending on what the printer takes). Set the image dimension during save.
Here is the RAW to JPEG converted image: Note: During the above conversion, you can change the image type to 16 bit
tiff (helpful for print purpose) JPEG / TIFF PROCESSING The steps need not be followed in specific order: Step 1: Evaluate the jpg image using levels for any kind of colour cast.
Step 2: Levels adjustment - Check the start / end of curve and make levels adjustments. Hold the <ctrl> key and pull in the curve till the first set of changes are visible. Stop there.
Step 3: Increase the saturation to an acceptable level.
Step 4: The famous "S" curve. This increases the saturation depth of the image. Place two points on the vertical line as shown and make adjustments to make it a small S curve.
Step 5: Run your noise removal tool if required.
Page 44 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Step 5: Run unsharp mask with Radius=0.3 (1.3 for print), Threshold=3
and amount = what ever is suitable. Note: You need to run unsharp mask as the last step of correction in photoshop. Step 6: Finally, we need to convert the the profile to sRGB for web posting
and save the image.
Here is the comparison of the original RAW image and the final processed image.
Page 45 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Need based corrections The below mentioned steps are need based depending on the situation. Colour Correction: In the above image, in case we feel the yellow cast is strong, we can correct
that using Image->Adjustments->Colour Balance option. Cloning Cloning tool is used to remove unwanted distractions in the image.
Page 46 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Exposure Correction The most common mistake we make, especially for dark subjects is that we expose it at 18% grey, going by the exposure given by the camera and we get a blue cast (depending on shooting conditions). This can be easily
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
corrected in the RAW file by under exposing it by 1 stop (and changing the white balance if required)
Noise Reduction This step can be used in images where the noise is quite visible. This works best for clean out of focus areas in the image.
Digital Blending
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
We have faced issues with using neatimage where the details in the subject are also taken out and the image looks very soft. Here, I describe the simple method of digital blending to overcome those issues. At this point I have already adjusted my image for white balance, levels, saturation and all other corrections as necessary. I now do Unsharp Mask and save the image as image-name-ps.jpg
Open the above saved image in your noise removal tool. I use neatimage Pro+ edition which can process 16 bit tiff images. Follow your procedure to remove the noise from the image. Don't worry if the details in the subject are taken away. Save it as a different file (image-name-ni.jpg). Check the below image on how the details in the black are gone:
In case the details in the subject are taken away due to noise removal, then we need to digitally blend both the sharpened image (using PS) and the neatimage processed image to get the details back in the subject. Thats why we need to save each image in a different name. Open the above saved image (image-name-ni.jpg) in PS and assign colour profile if its missing. Open the original image which was sharpened in PS (image-name-ps.jpg). Now, copy and paste the NI processed image (image-name-ni.jpg) on top of sharpened image in PS. (Do Ctrl A, Crtl C on NI image and then a Ctrl V on the sharpened image) Now the sharpened image looks like the NI processed image. Obviously, the NI image has been placed on top of this. Now use the eraser tool in PS to erase on the subject and get back the under laying image, which is the PS sharpened image. Hence you get back the details in the subject while removing the noise around the subject. Study the image to make sure it looks pleasing and make any adjustment
Page 49 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
required.
Burn and Dodge Tool This is one of the most used tool in nature photography to selectively bring out highlights or details in shadow areas or to under expose a subject selectively.
Page 50 of 51
Course Outline
14/11/10 7:12 AM
Page 51 of 51

Photography Workshop Basics

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Photography Workshop Basics

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Course Outline

Basic and Advanced Photography/Digital Workflow Workshop

Low Noise, Soft

High Noise, Sharp

What happens to the performance of the lens at various f/ stops?

Canon EF 500mm 700mm, f5.6

Canon EF 500mm 700mm, f7.1

Canon EF 500mm 700mm, f11

Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS Depth of field explained.

actually hitting the subject.

The 18% grey card and its uses.

CCD - High Dynamic Range CMOS - Moderate Dynamic Range

Autoexposure. Almost all cameras has several built in autoexposure modes.

Basic zone mode Fully Automatic Exposure

Auto Standard Red-eye

Using the cameras preview tools. Evaluating Images using Histogram

Magenta Cyan Cyan Blue Red Blue

Magenta = Blue Green Green Red = Cyan = Yellow = Magenta

Colour Settings, Working Space and ICC Profiles

SRGB / Adobe RGB / Pro photo RGB

Step 1: Set the White balance to match the actual scene

Step 2: Adjust the levels, increase saturation and sharpness

Step 3: Compose and Crop the image

Step 4: Convert the RAW and save it as jpeg image

Step 3: Increase the saturation to an acceptable level.

Step 5: Run your noise removal tool if required.

and save the image.

Вам также может понравиться