Sean Tucker
“Photography is all about secrets. The secrets we all have and will never tell.� - Kim Edwards
co n t e n t sp a g e
1-2. Iso and Noise 3-4. White Balance 5-6. Aperture 7-8. Shutter 9-10. Exposure Control 11-12. Light Reading 13-16. High Key 17-19. High Key 20-22. Painting with light 23. Bibliograpghy
ISO and Noise
ISO Scale 50 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400
I
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less sensitivity to light
more sensitivity to light
will capture less light
will capture more light
more light needed
less light needed
less image noise
more image noise
SO which stands for International Standards Organization is basically the degree of sensitivity your camera has towards light. One of the greatest advantages of SLR camera’s is their ability to adjust the ISO of the camera.
Whereas in the past, photographers working with film would have to purchase film of a certain ISO and then use it and carry other film of different ISO with them If they wanted to adjust the cameras light sensitivity. With the induc-
tion of the digital camera we are able to adjust this simply by changing the settings on the camera. Now with the ability on the camera to change the ISO, it doesn’t help not knowing when and how is the best way to use this amazing
feature. During daylight and in situations with a lot of light available the camera does not need a high ISO or a high sensitivity to light as it has an abundance of it available. Using a low ISO is also in the favor of the Photographer as having a high ISO creates a lot of noise in the exposure. Noise is a type of image distortion that creates a fuzzy or blurry texture on the image. It can also look like splotches and discoloration and can ruin an image. This is the greatest downside
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to working with a high ISO. Typically the best times to use a low ISO would be during the day. Areas with good lighting, landscapes, when shooting on a tripod and especially when you are creating prints of an image as you want the maximum clarity and crispness to your image. When working in dark areas and at night without any lighting then higher ISO’s are not a bad idea as they create artificial light by allowing more light onto the sensor and increasing the light sensitivity.
Noise Reduction Tips 2 3
Take photos in areas with more light available or bring a light source as you will be able to have a lower ISO as there will be more light.
Turn on the noise reduction setting on your camera as this will help in assisting the lessening of visible noise on your images and compositions.
Use software such as photoshop to combat noise in an image by using the noise reduction tools. These tools help greatly in combating noise.
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White Balance W
hite balance is the adjustments setting, which we use to correct and achieve the correct and most accurate colour in a photograph. Digital cameras do not have the same ability humans have to correct the colour of thing’s we see under different light sources. When we see an object under different lighting we are able to adjust our eyes without even thinking about it to accommodate the colour and to see an accurate colour. Only when looking at harsh extremes, a white sheet of paper may not seem white to us. Digital cameras do not have the ability to automatically adjust accurately and will occasionally need the photographer to change the settings and white balance according to the light source. When working in a light source that is at a lower kelvin degrees (the scale, light temperature is measured) we find tha it is much warmer in colour and if we go higher in kelvin degrees, we find the light source becomes colder. By using this to our advantage we can adjust and counteract the light source we are with to achieve the perfect white balance. Just by simply changing our white balance we can change the entire outcome of the image we are trying to create. By using this to the photographers advantage, you can succesufully and accuratly represent the colours in a setting correctly! Looking at the different white balances we can choose from are: Auto: this is where your camera chooses for you Tungsten/Incandescnet: shooting indoors, especially under tungsten lightbulbs light generally cools the colour. Fluorescent: will warm the coolness of fluorescent light. Daylight/Sunny: Sets things at normal white balance. Flash: Warms the picure to balance the coolness of a flash’s light. Shade: Warms the image balancing the coolness of shade.
A diagram showing the difference the light temperature can have on a composition moving from a warm low kelvin degree to a colder high kelvin degree.
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To set the white balance in a nikon go to the shooting mode settings.
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You can locate and change the white balance in the basic menus in a canon.
Auto
Fluorescent
Flash
Incandescent
Direct Sunlight
Shade
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Aperture A
perture is the setting, which affects the amount of light allowed onto the sensor. Aperture is measured is f-stops which make their way from 1.8 – 32. One thing that causes a lot of photographer’s confusion is that large apertures (where lots of light gets through) are given f/stop smaller numbers and smaller apertures (where less light gets through) have larger f-stop numbers. So f/2.8 is in fact a much larger aperture than f/22. You can control the aperture with the adjustments ring. When working with aperture it is also wise to re-
member that with the changing of the f-stop you can in fact change the entire composition of your photo. When using a larger aperture (smaller numbers) you will affect the depth of field of an image compared to smaller apertures (larger numbers). Smaller apertures create a great depth of field, which allows for more in your image to be in focus. While larger apertures create a shallow depth of field where your subject would be in focus while the background would be fuzzy and out of focus. This can be used to the photographers advantage
Shallow Depth of Field
to get the best possible shot. When working with a shallow depth of field sometimes in the background and out of focus area you can begin to see “circles of confusion”. Circles of confusion are created because a camera cannot sometimes resolve a point exactly so instead little circles are created which we are able to visibly see. They show us where the depth of field in an image has stopped.
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Great Depth of Field
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Shutter
Shutter Speeds W
hen in the process of taking a photo with a digital camera, we need to keep into account shutter speed. The shutter in the camera is a device used to shield the cameras sensor from light, which controls the amount of time the shutter is left open, which affects the amount of light. Aperture and Shutter
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speed are definitely interlocked as they both affect the light, which the camera receives, and by taking both into consideration then we can create the perfect composition. The shutter speed numbers go from 1/4000 to bulb. By changing your shutter speed you will be able to create vast differences in your
images. You can create images that look completely frozen in time or photographs of objects seemingly still in motion. Because you are able to control the time your camera’s sensor receives light you can create a vast array of photographs. When thinking of shutter speed it is wise to rememebr that you shouldnt think
of shutter speed in isolation from aperture and iso becasue by changing the shutter speed you need to compensate for the chnage by changing the aperture and iso. By using a shutter speed of generally more than 1/60 of a second can create a photograph where the subject is completely frozen and there wont be any movement or image blurr. Another thing to consider when The ‘rule’ of thumb generally to use is to choose a shutter speed with a denominator that is larger than the focal length of the lens. For example if you have a lens that is 50mm 1/60th is probably ok but if you have a 200mm lens you’ll probably want to shoot at around 1/250. Also by using a tripod you can eliminate camera shake which will create sharp, crisp image. Although camera chake and blur is not always a bad thing. By using the shutter speed to your advantage you can create beautiful compositions which show a blurr motion in it .
One of the most difficult but also a great technique to creating a wonderful shot is panning. Panning is when you create an image generally with an infocus subject while the background is blurry and not in focus by having a slow shutter speed relative to the subject you can create a panning image. To get a panning shot just right you have to follow the subject with your camera and then move a long with the subject in the same direction to achieve the best results in panning. A helpful tip to remember when panning and not using a tripod is to bring your elbows together when taking photos as it stabalizers your camera as you want the subject to be in focus and crisp. Also another advantage of the shutter is being able to leave the shutter open for extented periods of time which allows you to paint and draw with light with the continous way the camera recieves light.
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Exposure Control A
n exposure generally refers to a single shutter cycle which is essentially is the made up of the 3 most important elements of a camera: Iso, Aperure and Shutter speed. By affecting one of these elements we affect the other two elements. The end product is the result of all these different elements coming together to control the amount of light the camera recieves and the exposure it creates. An easy way to view this is as a triangle known as the exposure triangle which shows how all the elements are connected and that you cannot view them in isolation because by affecting one of the the elements you need to compensate for the change by chaning another element. They are all interlocked and work together to create “the perfect composition�. Another name for this concept is the law of reciprocity. To try and get the correct exposure we use our cameras built in light sensor which tells us if the image is basically underexposed or overexposed and by changing our settings accordingly to try and create the best exposure in the situation. A good tip is to always get the best exposure to try aim for the perfect exposure or a little elss have it a little underexposed because if the image is overexposed a lot of the information is lost and you cannot edit the photo whereas you get more information out of the underexposed image. Essentially you can acheive the perfect exposure but in many different combinations each will be different in some way from the other.
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Light Reading When working with light exposure and trying to manipulate the settings of your camera to achieve the perfect exposure the best way to do this to by using your cameras light meter. A light meter is basically a device used to read the amount of light available. You are able to get two different kinds of light meters such as a hand held light meter or a light meter that is installed in a camera. Using your In camera meter you can choose a few different types of meters such as Spot metering, partial metering, central weighted metering and evaluative metering. Each of thise has a different purpose to find the correct balance for your exposure and affects the area which the light meter reads. By using a braoder or more specific light reading you are able to achieve the perfect exposure you are looking for. Generally your light meter records two different kinds of light, incedent light and reflective light. Incedent light is the light that falls directely on the subject while reflective light is light that is reflected to the the camera. When your camera is reading alighting situation it picks up an entire spectrum of different light and from different sources. When you are in a situation where you have a lot of different types of light all interferng with the specific light you want your camera to read then you can hold up a grey card to the camera in the same light you want to read and you will be able to make the correct light reading.
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Bibliography Aperture guide. (2014). [image] Available at: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KRgPFjKewI/UpSkz4uMb8I/ AAAAAAAAIjc/JoXAkCoarNM/s1600/aperture.jpg [Accessed 21 May. 2014]. Cambridgeincolour.com, (2014). Understanding Depth of Field in Photography. [online] Available at: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm [Accessed 21 May. 2014]. Cambridgeincolour.com, (2014). Understanding White Balance. [online] Available at: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/white-balance.htm [Accessed 21 May. 2014]. Canon, (2014). [image] Available at: http://d1ax9dx3gero0.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ canon_white_balance_k.jpg [Accessed 21 May. 2014]. Digital Photography School, (2006). Introduction to Shutter Speed - Digital Photography School. [online] Available at: http://digital-photography-school.com/shutter-speed [Accessed 26 May. 2014]. Digital Photography School, (2006). Introduction to White Balance - Digital Photography School. [online] Available at: http://digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-white-balance/ [Accessed 21 May. 2014]. Digital Photography School, (2011). Learning about Exposure - The Exposure Triangle - Digital Photography School. [online] Available at: Digital Photography School, (2009). Photography 101.8 - The Light Meter - Digital Photography School. [online] Available at: http://digital-photography-school.com/photography-1018-meter/ [Accessed 27 May. 2014]. Digital Photography School, (2011). Learning about Exposure - The Exposure Triangle - Digital Photography School. [online] Available at: http://digital-photography-school.com/learning-exposure-in-digital-photography/ [Accessed 27 May. 2014]. Exposure, H. (2014). How to Understand Camera Exposure. [online] wikiHow. Available at: http://www. wikihow.com/Understand-Camera-Exposure [Accessed 27 May. 2014]. Godigitalslr.com, (2014). The Exposure Triangle – How ISO, Shutter Speed & Aperture are related. [online] Available at: http://godigitalslr.com/understanding-exposure-bringing-iso-shutter-speed-aperture-together/ [Accessed 27 May. 2014].
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