Basic photography tips

There are three technical elements that "make" an image

Aperture Shutter speed ISO speed (sensitivity of the digital sensor)

1. Aperture

The aperture determines the amount of light that gets to the digital sensor. A SMALL number indicates a LARGE aperture, good lenses start with a maximum aperture of 2, better and more expensive lenses start at 1.1! Apart from the quantity of light that is allowed to get through, the aperture also determines the DOF (depth of field). The numbers you see on the side of a lens usually look like this: F 22 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 5.6 | 4 | 2.4 At F 22, the lens lets in a very small amount of light, it is at minimum aperture. At F 2.4, the lens lets in the maximum amount of light that it has been designed for. Each number represents a double increase (or decrease) of the quantity of light that is allowed through the lens. For example: at aperture 5.6 you allow 2 times more light than at aperture 8, and 2 times less light than at aperture 4 On "point and shoot" digital cameras you do not see this numbers on the side of the lens, the process of opening and closing the aperture is controlled electronically and has also increments like: 5.9 or 8.2

2. Shutter speed
The shutter is the device that controls the exposure time of the photo. The exposure time usually begins at 1/2000 sec. and goes up to 30 sec. At 1/250 sec. exposure time, the shutter will let in 2 times more light than at 1/500 sec. and 2 times less than at 1/125 sec. The exposure time determines how a photo will look, if it will be "shaken" or crystal clear. For example: you want to take a picture of a water fountain. You have two options, use a short exposure, or a long one. A short exposure (of 1/2000 sec.) will "freeze" the water droplets in mid air; the detail of every droplet will be clearly visible in the photo. A long exposure time (of 1 sec.) will create a special effect where the falling droplets traces unite to create streams of water.

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/25 | Aperture Value 8 | ISO Speed 50

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/1000 | Aperture Value 3.2 | ISO Speed 50

3. ISO speed
ISO speed is the third element that "makes" a photo. It is usually expressed with the following numbers: 50 | 100 | 200 | 400 | 800 | 1600 | 3200 These numbers tell you how "fast" does the digital sensor react to the light sent through the aperture and shutter. A small number means that it takes a relatively long time to take a photo, a large number, a very short time. But things are relative in using the right ISO setting. On an average digital camera, the ISO goes from 50 to 400. The ISO speed 50 is usually used on bright sunny days, while the 200 and 400 ISO is used in low light conditions (like interiors or at night) There is also a problem with the image quality regarding the ISO speed. At large numbers, 400, 800, the image will contain "noise", so use the low ISO speed as much as possible. Here is a table that will further explain how the aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed are used TOGHETHER to "make" an image. I'll give a theoretical example of how this three indicators work together: At ISO speed 100 you select an aperture of 8 and the shutter speed is calculated by the camera at 1/250 sec. The same image*, mathematically speaking, can be created using the following settings:

ISO speed 100 100 100 100 100

Aperture 16 11 8 5.6 4

Shutter speed 1/60 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000

same image* - the same in theory but with different effects on the final, real image As you can see, with the ISO speed constant, the aperture and exposure time increase or decrease in connection with each other; if the aperture allows more light into the camera, the shutter speed decreases to compensate and give the perfect exposure. But what happens to these theoretical numbers if you set the ISO speed at 50? Take a look: ISO speed 50 50 50 50 50 Aperture 11 8 5.6 4 2.8 Shutter speed 1/60 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000

You can modify the aperture, keeping the shutter speed constant, or you can modify the shutter speed, while keeping the aperture values constant: ISO speed 50 50 50 50 50 Aperture 16 11 8 5.6 4 Shutter speed 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/1250

Aperture Priority Mode

It is a setting on most digital cameras that allows the user to choose the aperture, while the camera calculates the shutter speed for a good exposure. The need for using this shooting mode arises from the need to control the depth of field (how much of the image will be in focus); the larger the aperture, the shallow the depth of field. This mode is useful when you need to separate the subject from its background. If you want to make a portrait of someone, with trees in the background, a large aperture of 2 or 3 will be the one to use. If you use a smaller aperture, like 8 or 16, the trees and the subject are all going to be clear and in focus. This way, you might obtain the strange image of a branch sticking out of your friend's head! However, using a small aperture is very useful in dealing with landscape photography. In this case, you usually create an image of a large space and showing every detail of the landscape becomes paramount. In this case, using a small aperture will give you a full clear image.

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/400 | Aperture Value 2.5

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/125 | Aperture Value 3.2

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/100 | Aperture Value 5.6

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/400 | Aperture Value 5

Shutter priority mode

This shooting mode is very useful when dealing with the problem of a moving subject. For example, a car traveling at a speed of 50 km/h is doing about 13.8 m/sec. So, if you use a shutter speed of 1 sec, you will obtain an image with background, but no subject! At this shutter speed (1 sec.) the car has moved almost 14 m; in the best case you might get a trail of the shadow of the car What you need to do is to freeze the action. To "make" the car appear to be still, you'll have to use a shutter speed of 1/2000 sec. Even at this shutter speed, the car has moved about 7 mm not a very clear picture. So, if your camera allows it, you'll have to push the limits of the shutter to 1/4000 sec.! If not, wait for the car to stop. However, the shutter can also be set for a long exposure time. This allows for the very useful effects, particularly useful for night photography. These long exposures always require the use of a tripod to steady the camera.

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 1/13 | Aperture Value 2.5

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 0.6 | Aperture Value 8

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 1/320 | Aperture Value 3.5

Zoom
This feature is probably the most talked about property of a digital camera. From the 10x, 12x, 4x lenses to more traditional language like the "35 mm equivalent", the zoom of a particular lens is a subject of a lot of confusion. To put things in order, let's start with the 10x, 4x expression of zoom. First of all, it appears to be a very good standard. A camera with 10x zoom can be seen as a far better one than a 4x. I mean, 10 is a larger number than 4; but there is a problem 10x what?, 4x what? This is the big problem with this system, you have no reference point. It simply tells you that a 10x zoom will give you a 10 x magnification of the image that you get at 1x zoom. But how large is the field of view at 1x? Big question! You practically cannot compare two digital cameras this way because of the lack of a reference point. So, how about the "35mm equivalent" system? Well, with this system, things get very tricky if explained properly. It involves a lot of technical things but I believe that you need a clear, simple answer! The explanation starts with the understanding of the field of view. On lenses specifications you'll find something like 35-140 mm equivalent zoom. At 35 mm equivalent, on this particular lens, you get the largest field of view, you can put a lot of scenery in a photo. At 140 mm equivalent, the field of view shrinks by a factor of 4. To simplify the problem, you will need to take a look at your feet:

As you see, it is an effort of imagination. At 25 mm equivalent, you get a field of view of 90. At 50 mm equivalent, you get a field of view of 45. Closing your feet even more, at half of 45 (22.5), you get a 100 mm equivalent!

Landscape Photography
It is the most common form of photography. All you need to do is to be surrounded by beautiful scenery, point your camera in a particular direction and take a picture! But there are also some things you need to know before taking a picture. It would be very simple to set your digital camera on a full automatic landscape mode, but there is a better way. You have to check your surroundings, particularly for wind conditions. The wind can cause the movement of flowers and tree branches. It may feel good to be in the middle of nature, cooled down by a gentle breeze, but that is not a very good thing for your photos. Generally, with a landscape photo, you will probably try to "get in" as much as possible. To do this you need a full clear picture, which can be obtained using a small aperture (smaller than 8). However, a small aperture also means a long exposure time, in the case of a windy day, the picture will be ruined by small but visible movements of your "scenery". There are two ways of taking a good landscape photo: use the aperture priority mode, or the shutter priority mode. In the case of a clear day with no wind, set your camera to a small aperture, in windy conditions, select the shutter priority mode, with exposure time of less than 1/400 to "freeze" any movement.

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/320 | Aperture Value 5.6

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 1/400 | Aperture Value 3.5

Night Photography
It is a particular form of photography, which requires good technical knowledge of the capabilities of a digital camera and a tripod. The challenges arise from the absence of light. The poorly light scenery can be captured as an image only with long exposure times. This type of photography requires good knowledge of what is ISO speed and how steady is a camera at different shutter speeds. Take a look at the image below:

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 1/13 | Aperture Value 2.5 | ISO Speed 50 As you see, there are some indicators to help you with your images: Shutter Priority - the camera is set on shutter priority mode because the most important setting you need to control during night photography is the exposure time o Shutter Speed 1/13 - at 1/13 sec. the shutter speed is very slow. On various occasions, you may even get to 1, 5 or 10 sec. exposure time. o Aperture Value 2.5 - at F 2.5, the aperture is at the maximum I had available for my digital camera o ISO Speed 50 - I've used this ISO setting because of the low noise it generates. Remember the fact that for higher ISO values you get more and more noise. You get a lot of noise even if you are at ISO 50 using very long exposure times, like 5 or 10 sec.
o

Macro Photography
The photos that can be included in this category are those that depict reality at a 1:1 scale. So, if you take the picture of a butterfly and it has a wing span of 3 cm, the printed image must have a butterfly with a wing span of at least 3 cm. For DSLR cameras, there are specialized very expensive macro lenses, witch provide extreme magnification and image detail. However, most digital cameras have a zoom lens, with built in macro capabilities. What you must understand about macro photography is the fact it can be very satisfying. The amount of detail that can be captured with even a modest, low cost digital camera is breathtaking. In dealing with macro photography, you need patience and luck. First, you need patience in setting the camera; because you have a very shallow depth of field, the camera must be very still, or the image will be out of focus. Luck is required when dealing with subjects like insects. They tend to move

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/100 | Aperture Value 4 | ISO Speed 50

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/125 | Aperture Value 2.8 | ISO Speed 50

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/200 | Aperture Value 5 | ISO Speed 50

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/160 | Aperture Value 3 | ISO Speed 50

Nature Photography
It can have any kind of subject; it depends on the imagination of the photographer.

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 1/200 | Aperture Value 2.8 | ISO Speed 50

Aperture Priority | Shutter Speed 1/800 | Aperture Value 5 | ISO Speed 50

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 1/160 | Aperture Value 2.8 | ISO Speed 50

Shutter Priority | Shutter Speed 1/200 | Aperture Value 3 | ISO Speed 50