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Created by James Ryan Carssow © 2009 Digital SLR

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1. and pressing the shutter at just the right time to record that moment I love seeing and reliving the moment every time I view a photograph whether I or someone else took the photo This guide is simply a rudimentary outline of the basic knowledge I have gathered over the past 15 years It is by no means the epitome of photography instruction I have left out plenty of information that I don t know can t remember or didn t want to share at this time I hope you will learn something useful from it But most of all I hope you will take anything learned from this guide and go out and photograph the moment as you see it I am always ready and willing and sometimes able to answer questions about photography Feel free to contact me any time Ryan Carssow 512 870 7004 ryancarssow yahoo com Page 29 of 29
2. e Ifyou need a tripod for your photograph it s likely because of slower shutter speeds that would cause camera shake and blur from hand holding the camera If this is the case then often even the motion of pressing the shutter button can blur the photo slightly even if mounted on a tripod There are two solutions to this o Use a remote shutter release o Use the self timer built into your camera Any shaking motion caused by your finger depressing the shutter button will fade after a few seconds So set your self timer to 10 seconds press the shutter and the photo will be taken shake free 10 seconds later e Many DSLRs have grid lines inside the viewfinder that can be turned on with a menu function check your user manual These lines are great for helping you level the horizon of a landscape Page 22 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 photo so that the photo does not appear tilted if the horizon is not straight across Don t rely solely on any bubble level built into your tripod as the horizon itself may not be perfectly level e Ifthe ground you re working on is uneven then adjust the legs of your tripod to compensate Don t extend all three legs all the way and then let the tripod lean on the uneven ground There s a good reason the three legs adjust height independently and this is it e Try using your tripod at different heights to get new perspectives on typical subjects Don t be afra
3. or otherwise out of whack you should be able to straighten it or otherwise fix such imperfections with software Some advanced software can even correct more complicated problems like perspective inaccuracies for example the rounding effect of a fisheye lens can be straightened with software and the leaning effect of photographing buildings can be corrected Photoshop All of the above functions can be performed on most any decent image editing software Even some of the software that comes with your camera can perform these basic functions And newer cameras are even including basic post exposure editing inside the camera But if you re serious about photography then the most important non photographic purchase you can make and skill you can develop is learning to use Adobe Photoshop There are countless imitators competitors and other image editing software titles available But Adobe Photoshop invented computerized image editing perfected it and continues to expand upon and re perfect image editing Simply put there is not a better image editing software Page 24 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 program available anywhere in the world never has been and likely never will be It is the end all and be all of photo editing and used well can be the difference between a good photo and a great photo WHERE TO PRINT HOW TO PRINT Now that you have all of these digital photos digital negatives
4. so to speak how best to obtain quality photographic prints There are a number of printing methods available from basic household inkjet computer printers to museum quality archival prints costing hundreds of dollars Ask 5 people this question and you re likely to get 5 different answers But here is my easy answer Have your photos printed by a retail or online printing service that gives you the results and pricing that you like best I don t even consider printing my own photos at home Regardless of countless improvements to home printing technology the costs are still higher and results still inferior to having your prints made by one of those big Fujitsu Noritsu or Kodak printing machines at the big stores I have personally found great results from Costco as cheap as 13 cents per 4x6 print HEB Target and Ritz Wolf Camera as well as Snapfish com Printroom com and Shutterfly com If you really want fantastic results you can even calibrate your computer monitor to fit the specifications of a particular store s or website s actual printing machines Then when you edit your photos on your computer the printed results will be exactly the same colors Of course I ve still yet to try this myself so if you figure it out show me how MEMORY CARDS AND COMPUTER STORAGE So you ve taken the photos edited them printed them and they look fantastic Now what do you do with all these large photo files on your memory
5. three large cases full of equipment to operate When and how to use flash When where and how to use flash still confuses many novice photographers The common misunderstanding is that flash is only needed indoors or to freeze action Most novice photographers would never consider using flash outdoors under bright sunlight which is actually one scenario where fill flash is most needed Here are some tips e Indoors this is when most automated cameras use flash When there is not sufficient natural light to get a decent exposure at hand held shutter speeds flash is used to augment the natural light with often mediocre results Here are ways to improve indoor flash exposure O Don t use flash at all Unless you need flash to help freeze people or other moving subjects many indoor photos are better without flash If you can gain proper exposure and a fast enough shutter speed without flash then do so or use a tripod or IS VR capable lens Placing subjects especially for portraits near windows to allow outside light to illuminate the subject is a classic technique Bounce or diffuse your flash this is when an external hot shoe mounted flash becomes your most important photographic tool Watch your average wedding photographer working the reception area He she will almost certainly have an external flash and will often diffuse the light through a soft box or by bouncing the light off the ceiling This gives a much
6. and then a decimal number For example 0 7 exposure compensation means the user wishes the camera to expose 2 3rds of one stop brighter than a standard exposure and 1 3 means user wishes the camera to expose one and one third stops darker than a standard exposure Why is this necessary Aren t the in camera exposure meters in modern cameras extremely accurate Yes they are but there is no absolute correct exposure It all depends on the creative goals for the particular photograph Photographers utilize exposure as an element in their expressive art the way musicians use particular notes or writers use particular words The photographer becomes known for his or her own particular style just like musicians writers painters and other artists Furthermore camera exposure meters are programmed for average exposure of average subjects in most situations This means they will only give proper exposure to subjects with average light tones The average tones vary from camera to camera but most are similar to a photographic 18 grey card a middle grey not too dark not too light or in real world terms the average tone of average Caucasian human skin So as strange as this sounds cameras are programmed to take good photos of white people and even Asian people but not black people There are many other subjects that can fool a camera exposure meter The stark difference between a bride s white dress and a groom s black
7. at very large sizes that are suitable for making large prints up to 3 or 4 feet wide But a computer screen displays images at a much smaller resolution than is needed for printing Even an HD television displays only 1920 x 1080 pixels So all that extra data making up a 6 megapixel or 10 megapixel photograph is just wasted file space and file size that will slow down a photo from loading via email or web site As a general rule of thumb Page 23 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 reduce the size of your photos by reducing the pixels per inch setting if available to 100 ppi instead of the 300 ppi usually found in photos at full size straight out of the camera Be sure to keep an untouched original full size copy of your file too Sharpening also known as unsharp masking this is an essential function to prepare a digital photo for optimum printing results As digital cameras become more sophisticated some or all of this sharpening may be done in the camera itself But if the photo looks dull and lacks crispness when printed but is otherwise in perfect focus then it likely needs some sharpening from image editing software Color correction if you or the auto function of your camera didn t calibrate the white balance of a photo just right there are ways to fix this in quality image editing programs It s good to know how to do this because no one gets white balance right for every photo In fact some situati
8. best lenses If Bjorn says a lens is great then it s a great lens A very accomplished photographer Also good information about infrared photography http www photosynthesis co nz nikon specs html exhaustive list of nearly every Nikon camera lens ever made including specifications and serial numbers to help determine what year your classic Nikon lens was manufactured www nikonians com a discussion forum dedicated to all things Nikon There are some competent pros who post on this site but a lot of discussion involves amateurs discussing camera gear more than photography Still a good place to find other users of your particular camera to compare notes Also Want to Buy and Want to Sell forums and photo critique forums www fredmiranda com another forum that discusses equipment more than photography http aa usno navy mil data Want to know when and where the sun will rise and set so you can anticipate your next great sunrise sunset photo Check this site from the Astronomical Applications Department of the U S Naval Observatory http www mindspring com cavu sunset html another site that helps determine sunrise and sunset time and location http www betterphoto com general photography help site Offers online courses instruction and answers to photography questions http www nyip com New York Institute of Photography offers a great section of tips and how to articles about a variety of ph
9. minor tweaking of flash exposure compensation But YOU the photographer must initiate the use of flash under bright sunlight The camera s auto mode simply will not do this AND this is really one of the ONLY times you should ever use full power straight ahead flash If possible you should always bounce or diffuse your flash if not in direct sunlight o With subjects in shade but a bright sunlit background you can use flash to balance the exposure of the subject and background If flash is not used then to properly expose the shaded subject the sunlit background will be over exposed Or more commonly the whole photo will be properly exposed according to the camera leaving the shaded subject underexposed and dark Using flash to balance a shaded subject against a bright background may require some tweaking of white balance but usually not to the extent needed for balanced indoor flash o Subjects outdoors at night offer the same difficulty with flash exposure as indoor subjects but without the easy solution of bouncing a flash off a ceiling Try using your flash pointed straight at the subject but with SLOW or REAR flash setting Or diffuse your straight ahead flash and adjust flash exposure compensation until you get a pleasing result If photographing distant subjects at night no flash in existence will have enough power to illuminate the scene or subject You ll need to use a long exposure and a camera mounted on a stable tr
10. on your hard drive and one on a portable backup hard drive or on a CD or DVD ROM disc works great As we all know computers are not fail safe They can crash become corrupted or just otherwise stop working right If all your photos are on your hard drive when your computer dies Then all your photos die with your computer Use a consistent format for photo file storage so you can always find your old photos when you need to I utilize a monthly file system and then sort each month s photos by the date and time the photo was taken I do this all very simply but completely manually in Microsoft Windows There are dozens of software programs available that will help sort your photos for you Use whatever works for you When editing your photos for printing or web use ALWAYS be certain to save an original untouched version of the photo Then save an edited version and or resized web version On many of my photos I have a minimum of three different versions of the same photo I add unique file name suffixes like EDIT or WEB to the different files to distinguish them from the original Keeping an original untouched version of each photo is also important because each time you open save and close a JPEG photo file you risk degrading the quality of the photo This is because JPEG is a file compression format And each time a file is resaved in JPEG format it is further compressed and some of the intricate data is lost Will these d
11. series and 5D e Half frame DX 15 6mm x 23 7mm approximate size of all other Nikon DX and Canon EOS DSLR camera sensors On most DSLRs lens focal length must be multiplied by 1 5 to correlate to a 35mm equivalent focal length e 4 3rds digital sensor an aspect ratio used widely in point n shoot digital cameras Olympus Sigma and other companies began a push to standardize all DSLR sensors to this size so that lenses could be shared across platforms But this movement has not caught on or been adapted by the two largest DSLR manufacturers Canon amp Nikon If you own a 4 3rds DSLR camera you multiply its stated focal length by 2 to arrive at the 35mm film equivalent field of view So a 14mm lens on an Olympus camera has the same field of view as 28mm lens on a 35mm film or full frame FX digital camera Note if you re not sure which size sensor your camera has then it is most likely a version of half frame DX As of 2008 you would know it if you purchased a full frame DSLR because the prices range from 3 000 to 8 000 Typical focal lengths e Normal o FX 50mm o DX 35mm e Wide angle o FX range between 24mm 35mm o DX range between 17mm 24mm e Extreme wide angle o FX 14mm 20mm range o DX 12mm e Portrait o FX 70mm to 125mm range o DX 50mm to 85mm range e Telephoto o FX 135mm 300mm range o DX 90mm 200mm range e Super Telephoto o FX 300mm and u
12. softer more even exposure than the typical deer in headlights straight flash effect It also greatly reduces the chance of red eye Red eye by the way is caused by the flash being too close to the camera lens and firing too much light too directly at the eyes With the external flash mounted higher above the camera lens and the light bounced or diffused the chances of red eye are greatly diminished You can try diffusing the light from your camera s pop up flash by putting a piece of wax paper in front of the flash But beware the pop up flash has little flash power to begin with and diffusing it in this manner will reduce that power even further So be sure your subjects are physically close and that you don t want need to see much detail in the background which will likely show up as almost black Balance the flash exposure with the ambient room lighting exposure by reducing the power of the flash look up flash exposure compensation in your user guide so that both the foreground subject and the background surroundings are properly exposed and visibly detailed This can often be semi automated with a SLOW setting on your camera or flash Some cameras especially the point n shoot variety also call this the NIGHT flash setting or PARTY MODE But be careful when doing this to customize your white balance Ambient light from incandescent or fluorescent bulbs combined with pure white light from the flash can produce s
13. the ground then your tripod needs to be able to flare its legs out so your camera can be positioned low to the ground Good professional tripods can hold the camera anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet above the ground Cheap plastic consumer tripods can only go as low as their legs will collapse to when folded up for travel usually 18 to 24 inches off the ground minimum e If you own or use more than one camera then you ll definitely want a tripod with quick release plates that screw into the bottom of each camera and then latch onto the tripod This way you can quickly change from one camera to the other on the same tripod without having to unscrew the tripod screw each time This is also safer and better for the camera even if you only own one because you re screwing a small lightweight plate into the bottom of your camera and not the entire tripod e If you re using a very large lens to photograph sporting events something that costs at least 1500 new then you need a monopod not a tripod If you re not using such a lens then you do not need a monopod to photograph sports If you mount your camera and not your lens to the monopod then you don t need a monopod Tips for photographing with a tripod Tripods are really quite self explanatory Just adjust the legs to the height you want then rotate tilt and pan the head until your camera is positioned properly But there are a few tricks to know when using a tripod
14. tuxedo has been befuddling novice wedding photographers for years The reason for these limitations to correct exposure is the dynamic range of the image recording medium Dynamic range refers to the maximum range of values from absolute white to absolute black and all the gray tones in between that the imaging medium can record As an example the dynamic range of black and white negative film can be as wide as 9 full stops of exposure Meaning a bright subject that might be best exposed at 500 f16 100 will show detail along with a dark subject best exposed at 60 5 6 800 on black and white film because the range of recordable exposure values is so wide Conversely digital imaging sensors and color slide or positive film have a limited dynamic range of about 5 stops And the color negative film many people are used to using before the advent of digital can record about 7 stops Because the dynamic range of digital imaging is so limited it is even Page 13 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 more important to achieve precise exposures that will record the correctly exposed subjects important to the overall image and allow the unimportant objects to be less accurately exposed But the beauty of digital photography is the ability to take a photo at a particular setting view the photo then adjust again and test again until you get the exposure you want Watch professional photojournalists just before a news conf
15. when including both foreground and background subjects flowers in a field in front a mountain etc also extremely useful in macro photography where depth of field is severely limited Remember lens focal length plays into depth of field as well A wide angle lens at f2 8 will have more in focus than a telephoto lens at f2 8 When choosing an aperture consider both the lens focal length and the distances between the subject and the camera and between one subject and another Subject Page 10 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Many consumer level cameras lenses can only be set as large or open as wide as f4 or f5 6 and cannot open up to f2 8 or f2 0 Many lenses that come as a kit with a consumer level DSLR are variable aperture zoom lenses This means that the maximum widest aperture at the widest focal length of the lens is different from the maximum widest aperture at the longest focal length of the lens For example an 18 55mm f 3 5 5 6 lens will have a maximum aperture of f3 5 at 18mm but only f5 6 at 55mm Large and expensive professional lenses with apertures that open to f2 8 or f2 0 are often referred to as faster than other lenses because the availability of a wider aperture allows the use of faster shutter speeds under the same exposure conditions when compared to a lens that only opens to f5 6 This ability to utilize f2 8 or f2 0 combined with vastly stronger materials and more rugged con
16. Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Digital SLR photography guide by Ryan Carssow 2009 Why buy use a digital SLR camera flex ibility speed manual control to take your photographic possibilities beyond the limitations of point and shoot better inherent image quality because of larger imaging sensors and more sophisticated exposure meters and autofocus systems What is a DSLR camera and how is it different from other types of digital cameras e DSLR digital single lens reflex An internal mirror reflects the view directly from the photographic lens into the viewfinder When the button is pressed to take a photo this mirror is instantly pulled upward this is the clicking or tapping noise you hear and out of the way of the shutter which slides open to expose the imaging sensor the digital film Because you see directly through the photographic lens there is no need for a second viewing lens as with older camera designs thus single lens reflex e The SLR design is superior to other designs because it allows the photographer to see through the viewfinder exactly what is seen through the lens and what will be seen by the imaging sensor When looking through the viewfinder of non SLR cameras the image seen is not exactly the same that the imaging sensor or film sees e Point n shoot digital cameras have electronic LCD viewing screens at the rear of the camera that show a digit
17. a has the better its AF system is going to perform In the 1980s there was often only the one AF point in the middle of the viewfinder Top of the line modern DSLRs can have 50 or more distinct AF points Also the type of AF point is important with linear either vertical or horizontal being the least effective and cross type points being most effective If you ve ever used a manual focus camera this distinction will make sense to you In old manual focus cameras there was often a split screen effect in the viewfinder and you determined focus by lining up the split screen over a straight line somewhere on your subject But if your split screen was oriented horizontally in your viewfinder then it was easiest to focus on a vertical line on your subject Autofocus systems work the same way so a linear AF point is limited to only focusing on subjects with discernable lines running in the opposite direction A cross hair type AF point can focus on either a horizontal or vertical orientated line The autofocus system in nearly every modern camera can be activated by half pressing the shutter release button This is an important skill to learn because obtaining accurate focus on the object that you want to be in focus depends on using and manipulating this method In a nutshell you press the shutter release button enough to engage the autofocus system but not so far that the shutter will fire and photo will be taken Once the AF syste
18. a panoramic view Try doing this once without a tripod and once with You ll use a tripod every time after you see the difference in the results To take time elapse exposures of stars at night To take photos of cityscapes at night To take photos of small objects to sell on eBay To take photos of rivers and water falls in which the water appears to be flowing in the photo you need shutter speeds of slower than 1 15 of one second to do this To take photos of sleeping babies or husbands indoors without flash Basically to take photos of any stationary subject in dim ambient light What kind of tripod to buy This is a question with an easy or a complicated answer depending on your point of view The easy answer is buy a tripod that best fits your camera and how and where you like to photograph The complicated answer is that there are hundreds of choices and prices ranging from 25 to well over 1 000 So here are some tips Always try out a tripod in person with YOUR camera before buying This doesn t mean you can t order a tripod over the internet or find a great deal on eBay but try to test the same ora very similar tripod at a local photography store or from a photographer friend who already owns one You don t want to buy a tripod unseen only to realize once you receive it that it doesn t work well with your camera Page 21 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 e Make sure the tripod is sturdy enoug
19. aced orders of 2 000 or more from this store with no problems ever Page 26 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 e www adorama com another great NYC based online photography store NOTE not all internet based photography equipment dealers are the same MANY whose prices appear too good to be true arein fact not true and some are simply crooks who will send you the wrong equipment and not refund your money There are horror stories all over the internet about electronics dealer criminals Buyer beware Check an online store s reference before placing an order e www keh com brokers of new and used photography equipment based in Atlanta Georgia Not the best prices but good used equipment condition rating system and used items come with a decent warranty period e www ebay com a veritable swap meet of camera equipment traders e www dpreview com thorough consumer focused reviews of a huge assortment of digital cameras discussion forums e www anseladams com site dedicated to the photographs of possibly the most influential photographer of all time Ansel Adams Buy original prints or reproductions from the descendants of the master e www robgalbraith com site run by news photographer turned digital photography teacher and webmaster Site tends toward content relevant to professional photojournalists but is a great site for articles about new equipment and to learn new techniques fr
20. al representation of the view through the lens But an SLR is still the only camera style that allows a real time optical view through the photographic lens This inherently allows for faster and more precise operation of an SLR camera over other types About user manuals and this guide DSLRs and for that matter all digital cameras are capable of many different options and uses Learning to use a digital camera is in some ways like learning to use a computer or cell phone or any other electronic device The user must know which button to press or option to select where to find that button or option when and why to use it and what results can be expected from using it For this reason it is imperative that the user read thoroughly the user manual for any given camera in addition to reading ancillary materials such as this guide This guide is purposely written to avoid detailed instructions for specific cameras To learn the specifics of YOUR camera READ THE MANUAL Once you are fluent with the terminology of your camera and the when where how and why of all the options and buttons then you re ready to expand your knowledge of PHOTOGRAPHY and combine your knowledge or your camera s operation with your knowledge of photographic theory and technique to take great photographs Seriously read the user manual Page 1 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Some basic photography truths Photographing outdoors in go
21. c at the peak times of beautiful natural light when you will need to utilize shutter speeds that are too slow for hand holding your camera This is the number one most important reason to own a tripod You will MISS the shot of a lifetime as the sun sets and the sky explodes with orange color if you don t have a tripod Tell me the five best landscape or sunset photos you ve ever seen and I ll bet you the cost of your camera that every single one of them was taken with the camera mounted on a tripod To take macro photos of tiny objects up close Because of the extremely small apertures f16 22 32 needed to get adequate depth of field in macro photography the appropriate shutter speed may be too slow to hand hold your camera To take photos of large groups of people In these situations it is often best for the photographer to compose the shot and focus the camera then take his eyes out of the viewfinder to scan the group and wait for the moment that everyone is smiling and looking at the camera to finally fire the shutter a wired or wireless remote shutter release is also helpful here To take photos with yourself in them Please don t rest your 500 DSLR on the hood of your car or some random flat surface in order to take a photo of you and your soul mate together in front of some iconic place on your vacation This is how nice cameras get broken or stolen To take photos that will be digitally stitched together to form
22. cards or in your computer First of all your memory card should be used only as temporary storage until you have time to download the images to your computer Don t use your memory card to store photos indefinitely because e Flash memory is the most expensive form of computer memory You ll pay more to store all those photos on a memory card than on a computer hard drive or optical disc CD ROM DVD ROM e What if you drop your camera in the lake Or it is stolen damaged or misplaced Then all your photographic memories are gone e If you store all your photos on your memory cards what happens when you run out of space and want to take more photos So you should copy your photos off your memory card regularly And after you ve transferred them be sure to FORMAT YOUR MEMORY CARD inside your camera Your instruction manual will tell you how to do this The reason to re format your card each time you transfer files from it rather than just delete the old files is that it keeps the card fresh and ensures it is properly communicating with your particular camera Memory cards that have had hundreds of files deleted off them without a proper re formatting often become corrupted in geek speak and you could lose the ability to add new photos to your card Page 25 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 How to store photos on your computer Keep at least two different sets of your most important photos one
23. e are photographing What could we do 500 is two full stops darker than 125 So if we just change to 500 shutter and leave the aperture and ISO the same then our photo will be exposed two full stops darker than ideal rendering an image too dark to be visible The solution is to slide one or both of the other elements in the opposite direction to arrive back at proper exposure Some examples that produce the same exposure as the original example while maintaining a 500 shutter speed f5 6 aperture f4 aperture f8 aperture one stop brighter two stops brighter same 500 shutter OR 500 shutter OR 500 shutter two stops darker two stops darker two stops darker 800 ISO 400 ISO 1600 ISO one stop brighter same two stops brighter Page 7 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 So why do you need to know all of this about exposure Doesn t the camera just set up the proper exposure for you Yes the camera will set up these three elements to ensure that the photo is exposed properly for the lighting conditions BUT it will NOT ensure that each element is used ideally for the particular photographic situation To be blunt if you re not thinking about exposure yourself and adjusting these elements to best capture the image you want then you have no need for an SLR or advanced camera and are better off witha point and shoot camera The trade off Using a particular setting for any of these three elements can have posit
24. ed shutter speed camera sets corresponding correct shutter speed Otherwise similar to Program AE o M Manual exposure Photographer selects both aperture and shutter speed and camera suggests whether these values will render accurate exposure like older pre AE cameras This mode is invaluable for difficult lighting situations when photographer wants to lock in particular settings he she knows will render the exposure he wants regardless of camera suggestion Page 15 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 WHITE BALANCE This is the other element of digital photography along with ISO that sets it apart from 35mm film photography With a digital camera adjustments for white balance or color balance can be made within the camera itself With film either the actual film itself was changed different films were manufactured to be used with different types of lighting or color correcting filters were placed in front of the lens The term white balance started with television and video production and refers to equalizing or balancing the color cast from different lighting sources to achieve a desired neutral color effect a necessity with the advent of color TV This ensures that white objects appear white not blueish or yellowish and that colors appear true and neutral not influenced by the color of the light itself Different lighting sources emit different colors of light The human eye adjusts automatically for t
25. efore the shutter is opened Other cameras use a delay function to flip up the mirror wait until vibration subsides and then take the photo The inherent drawback to this is the short delay could force the photographer to miss the critical moment More information about selection and use of tripods is found later in this guide Page 9 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Aperture aka f stop targe aperture opening photos from wikipedia com 1 Smaller f number larger aperture or opening 2 Larger f number smaller aperture or opening Example f2 8 Example f22 The trade off e Larger aperture smaller f number lets in more light but allows less of the photo to be in focus shallower depth of field e Smaller aperture large f number lets in less light but allows more of the photo to be in focus deeper depth of field Depth of field basic guide Depth of field how much of the overall image will be acceptably in clear focus e f2 0 to f4 great for portraits face in focus background blurred also a longer focal length lens will help blur background e 5 6 to f8 good general purpose old photojournalism adage about how to get the shot was f8 and be there Also useful for group photos of people where you want multiple faces at different distances from the camera to all be in clear focus e f11 to f22 most of image in focus great for landscapes especially
26. ene e On top quality cameras from makers like Nikon and Canon these modes work extraordinarily well 90 of the time to achieve correct exposure Page 12 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 e Even the best and most advanced meters of this type cannot get proper exposure every time This is why options like spot metering and exposure compensation discussed below are included in most cameras e Use evaluative Matrix metering as your default metering mode almost exclusively And if you switch modes for a special purpose be sure to switch the camera back to this mode EXPOSURE COMPENSATION As you learn more about exposure and understand when the in camera exposure meter gets it right and when the camera gets it wrong you ll want to start experimenting with exposure compensation This is a tool of most modern cameras that allows the user to preset default exposure to be plus or minus what the camera meter believes is proper exposure Many photographers when digital SLRs first hit the market realized that the new digital sensors did not record images exactly the same as the film they were used to Many thought these new cameras tended to under expose many images so they purposely set their cameras to compensate by over exposing what the camera meter set as proper exposure by 1 3 stop or more Exposure compensation is usually set in the camera by factors of 1 3 of a stop denoted by a symbol
27. er of megapixels a camera utilizes is nearly meaningless as a measurement of the effectiveness of the camera or the quality of photos produced by it Any camera with 4 megapixels or better is more than enough for any photograph printed 12x18 inches or smaller and many 4 megapixel images can be printed as large as 2 foot x 3 foot if properly exposed and in sharp focus Megapixels are a misleading gimmick relied on by camera salesman to convince uneducated buyers to spend more money Ever heard a camera salesman say this camera is twice as good it has 8 megapixels and the other only has 4 Well just because the number 8 is double the number 4 does not mean an 8 megapixel image is twice as large or twice as good as a4 megapixel image A 4 megapixel image is approximately 2450 pixels by 1650 pixels 4 million pixels An 8 megapixel image is approximately 3600 pixels by 2400 pixel 8 million pixels Look at the numbers 3600 is not twice as much as 2450 And 2400 is not twice as much as 1650 At best an 8 megapixel image is 50 percent larger than a 4 megapixel image and in reality it is less significant than that in terms of a difference noticeable to the human eye In order to achieve an image size twice as large as 4 megapixels you need an image that is 4800 pixels x 3600 pixels or approximately 16 megapixels And for what photographic purpose would you need 16 megapixels To print billboards Unless you re a professional making money o
28. erence or sporting event and you will see them take a photo of nothing adjust their camera take another photo of nothing adjust their camera etc These photographers are setting up the camera for the exposure and other settings they want BEFORE the real action starts Try this when taking photos of your children etc But beware that the image you see in the rear LCD screen of your camera is not necessarily a 100 accurate W YSIW YG representation of the final image s tone or color WYSIWYG what you see is what you get Use this technique of shoot view adjust re shoot as a guide but not an absolute guarantee of the results you desire Recent developments in specialized automated software nicknamed HDR for High Dynamic Range allow incredible expansion in the dynamic range of digital photographs even beyond the B amp W film standard of 9 stops This software and relevant techniques are limited to stationary subjects landscapes architecture etc because multiple exposures must be taken at different settings and then merged into a single exposure using the HDR software But use of each camera brand s proprietary RAW file format offers some promise of further HDR development even for single exposure action photographs Experienced and skillful users of Adobe Photoshop software can achieve similar HDR results via manual manipulation of multiple exposures Suffice to say these are very advanced techniques not
29. for headaches and poor results If you ever get to the point of buying the larger studio strobe systems then you can buy something other than the camera brand But you ll need to know how to set up and control those studio flash systems manually Types of flash e Built in on camera flash or pop up flash o Convenient don t have to worry about carrying extra gear o Decent results when used properly for subjects at short distances o Only option is straight ahead deer in headlights flash o Limited power and flexibility e External hot shoe mountable flash o Flexible point the flash head in any direction 360 degrees to bounce the light off of walls ceilings etc for a softer flash effect o When coupled with a diffuser box translucent white plastic cover over the flash head and bounced off a low to moderate height ceiling at a 45 degree angle delivers the most pleasing and evenly distributed on camera man made light possible o Much better power and distance range than built in flash but not up to capabilities of professional strobes o One extra piece of equipment to lug around Page 18 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 e Professional strobes and studio lighting systems O O O O Best man made lighting option available Extremely expensive Complicated too complicated for further discussion in this guide Not easily portable these large and cumbersome lighting systems often require two or
30. ges without noticeable motion blur at shutter speeds slower than 1 30 The generally accepted rule for ensuring photos are not blurred by hand shake is to set the shutter speed no slower than the focal length of the lens For example if hand holding a lens at 200mm focal length most people need at least a 1 200 shutter speed At a 50mm focal length 1 60 shutter is sufficient Very steady hands can sometimes use slightly slower shutter speeds Image stabilization or vibration reduction technologies introduced into some modern cameras and lenses can counter act camera shake and thus allow hand held photographs at shutter speeds 1 stop to 3 stops slower than without IS or VR So if you need 1 200 at 200mm focal length without IS VR then you d need only 1 100 with a basic IS VR system or as low as 1 25 with a professional level IS VR But remember IS VR will ONLY counteract motion from hand shake These systems WILL NOT freeze subject motion So just because your camera or lens has IS VR does not mean that the image of your child running will be frozen in a photo taken at 1 30 shutter speed Use of a stable tripod is the surest way to ensure photos are not blurred from camera shake at shutter speeds below 1 30 but even the motion of the mirror flipping up can blur photographs taken below 1 15 shutter speed High end SLR cameras come with mirror flip up lock functions to lock the mirror and its inherent vibration inducing tendencies out of the way b
31. h to hold your camera and lens flash etc steady in all conditions and at all angles If you have a heavy professional or semi professional camera and or lens then you ll need more than a 50 plastic tripod from Sunpak Velbon or Slik But if you have a relatively small and light consumer level DSLR then one of these inexpensive tripods will work well e Make sure the tripod is lightweight enough for YOU to carry it with you The clich amongst photographers is that a cheap lightweight tripod that you actually have WITH YOU is 1000 times better than the heavy and expensive tripod that is sitting at home or in the trunk of your car e Make sure the tripod head the maneuverable contraption upon which the camera sits is strong enough to support the weight of your camera and largest lens and a flash Also make sure it can maneuver in every conceivable direction and that it locks down tight once your desired position is achieved Make sure the methods of locking and unlocking the head s movement are easy for you to use Some are much more complicated and cumbersome than others e Don t buy a tripod that is intended for video cameras The manner in which the tripod head rotates and pans is built for video cameras and not still cameras and will not be as maneuverable as you need for a still camera e Make sure the tripod is flexible enough for your needs For example if you like to take macro photos of flowers and other things low to
32. hese differences but the camera sensor or film does not or at least not as well as the human eye We don t often notice the difference but e A standard household light bulb known as incandescent emits an orangish yellowish light e Different variations of fluorescent bulbs emit greenish bluish or pinkish light e Compact fluorescent CFL light bulbs those new curly cue lights differ depending on brand but often are color balanced to give off light similar to incandescent e The sun emits different colors of light depending on the time of day and its position relevant to the earth o At high noon the sun s light is an almost pure white o But closer to sunrise and sunset the sun can emit starkly orange tinted light o When obscured by objects shaded sunlight gives a distinct bluish tint e Photographic flash emits a pure white light similar to mid day sun e Special tungsten light photographic strobes used in studios emit an orange cast light requiring specific manual white balance settings Scientifically these differences are measured with the Kelvin scale of light temperature Some photographers must know and adjust for exact Kelvin measurements for example fashion photographers and catalog photographers who must render the color of clothing and other merchandise exactly as it appears in real life and many professional and semi professional DSLR cameras can set white balance to any specific Kelvin temperature Measuring
33. id to work with your knees butt or even belly on the ground e For taking tripod mounted photographs with the camera tilted to vertical orientation it is best to use specialized camera rotating brackets available at good photography stores or online that keep the camera s center of gravity directly over the center of the tripod Using the basic tilt function built into many tripods allows the camera to lean to one side of the tripod and could in some cases cause the camera to shake enough to blur a photo or even cause the tripod and camera to fall to the ground e BE CAREFUL when using a tripod or monopod as they often give a false sense of security that your camera is completely stable and secure One wrong spin or turn and you can knock over your tripod sending your expensive camera to an early death on the hard ground below SCARY STORY a former photographer colleague of mine once rested his monopod mounted camera and lens on a stadium wall for a brief second while digging another memory card out of his pocket The top heavy combination quickly slid off the wall crashing to the concrete below Both his 5 000 Nikon D2X camera and 6 000 Nikkor 200mm f2 0 lens were ruined even the Nikon factory could not repair either POST PROCESSING AND IMAGE EDITING Anyone who s ever studied even briefly the work of photography master Ansel Adams knows that he practiced and preached that a great photograph is a product of not just skill with
34. igital photo files digital negatives last longer than film Will they last forever No one honestly knows the answer to these questions Computer geeks already know that some early computer files are no longer recoverable because the hardware and software used to open these files no longer exists This would not seem likely with JPEG format photo files because it is such a ubiquitous file format However if you save files in your camera s proprietary RAW format then you could encounter recoverability issues down the road if the company that makes your camera goes out of business As far as outlasting film that is an unanswerable question for at least another 100 years because there are film negatives dating back to the late 1800s that are still useable today because they were properly stored in a cool dry dark place WEBSITES TO EXPAND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY KNOWLEDGE This is a collection of web sites about photography that I refer to often A large percentage of my photography knowledge is self taught by reading the ideas and experiences of other photographers on the web and then going out and trying different things with my own cameras www nikonusa com downloadable PDF copies of owners manuals recall and repair info product firmware updates software updates new products etc Www usa canon com similar to above www bhphoto com best online photography store based in New York City Have personally pl
35. ikon AF A e Canon AI Focus Page 6 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 EXPOSURE Shutter speed aperture f stop ISO film speed exposure These three elements make up the reciprocal choices a photographer has in selecting ideal exposure The numerical values assigned to these three elements are best understood on a sliding scale Ee BRIGHTER DARKER gt Aperture f stop 1 4 20 28 4 56 els 11 16 22 Shutter speed 8 15 30 60 125 250 500 1000 2000 ISO film speed 6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100 50 25 EEEN MORE LIGHT LESS LIGHT gt The different points on the scale are referred to as exposure stops The numerical values above represent the fundamental full stops on the scale But there are also in between stops in one half or one third increments for example a shutter speed of 160 is one third darker than 125 and 200 is two thirds darker The reciprocal nature of these elements allows the photographer to change one or more elements while still arriving at the same exposure For example Let s assume the camera s built in exposure meter tells us that this set of values will give correct exposure for the image we see in the viewfinder f8 aperture 125 shutter speed 400 ISO But we want to use a 500 shutter speed because we know this will help to stop or freeze the motion of the tennis player w
36. ipod Lastly many photographers will attempt to use flash to freeze action when they cannot achieve a fast enough shutter speed to do so This is OK if there is no alternative but do not expect stellar results You can expect plenty of deer in headlights exposures with visible and detailed subjects but backgrounds that quickly fade to black Also this technique greatly increases the probability of red eye in human subjects And using this technique is banned at many sporting events as it interferes with the players ability to see clearly Worst of all using flash in any circumstance takes a lot of battery power But using flash as the main spotlight form of illumination will drain batteries in record time And portable flash units do not have sufficient battery power to quickly recycle for a subsequent full power burst of light So even if your camera can photograph 5 frames per second only the first one or two of those frames will even be visible as the flash fails to recycle its power and thus fails to fire at all for the last few frames of a quick burst Page 20 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 TRIPOD A tripod is an essential tool of any good photographer If you have a new camera especially a DSLR and are wondering what accessory to buy next a quality tripod should top your list followed soon after by a camera brand external flash Why do I need a tripod To take photos of landscapes sunsets et
37. is fine tuning typically involves trial and error So if you shoot in a specific setting often make note of which mode and fine tune setting works best so you can use it each time Incandescent Fluorescent Flash Bright sunlight Cloudy Shade 000000 Preset PRE this is one of the best but most under utilized and least understood white balance modes in modern digital cameras This setting is indispensable for difficult lighting situations where the correct mode above cannot be determined or where a mixture of various lighting sources cannot be properly balanced using the Auto mode In a nutshell you activate this mode follow camera specific instructions in user manual take a test shot by photographing a solid white subject that completely fills the camera viewfinder and the camera does the rest by shifting the white balance to ensure that white objects photographed under the current lighting will show up as white in the photograph until the photographer changes white balance mode again As for a solid white object you can simply locate a person wearing a white shirt but keeping one of the following items in your camera bag can be helpful when presetting white balance o White paper or card any flat solid white object even a white text free page of your camera user manual o Wax paper or a Pringles can lid place either translucent white item directly over the front of your lens and take the preset test shot while pointing
38. ive and negative consequences for the overall outcome of the photo Shutter speed Shutter speed is literally measured as fractions of one second but often expressed in cameras as a whole number i e a 500 shutter speed in camera means 1 500 of one second Visualize the shutter as the blinking of your own eye lid If you hold your eye lid open long enough plenty of light will hit your eye and you will see clearly But if your eye lids are closed and you blink them open for just a fraction of a second before closing them again then your eye will not receive enough light to see everything clearly The faster a shutter is opened and closed in a camera the less light is allowed into the camera Freezing or bluring subject motion But there is another important facet of shutter speed how it affects subject motion A faster shutter speed will freeze the motion of moving subjects in a photograph A slower shutter speed will record moving subjects as a blur of motion Refer back to the eye lid analogy Close your eye lids and slowly pass your hand in front of your face Open your eye lids and instantly close them again as fast as you can You saw your moving hand so briefly did you actually see it move Now try the same thing again but this time hold your eye lids open a bit longer Did you actually SEE your hand moving this time The shutter in the camera acts the same way except that the human eye lid blinks opens and closes on ave
39. m is active you can then place the autofocus point on the desired subject or the camera will do so for you in some cases you will see or hear depending on camera and settings an indication that autofocus has been achieved and you then press the shutter release button the remainder of the way to take the photograph Page 5 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Focus area selection modes Center point autofocus camera focuses on whichever object is within a designated area within the center of the viewfinder frame If photographer desires an in focus subject not to be positioned in the center of the frame then photographer must utilize the focus and recompose technique basically focusing on the subject then while still half pressing the shutter to lock in the focus moving the camera to recompose the photo before finally pressing the button fully to release the shutter and take the photo Closet subject priority autofocus camera focuses on the closest object to the camera regardless of position within viewfinder User selectable multipoint autofocus a modern derivative of the center autofocus sensor Photographer decides which of multiple available AF points will be active and places the active AF point over the desired subject This can reduce the necessity to focus and recompose Intelligent multipoint autofocus similar to above system except the camera determines which AF point to utili
40. n photography that requires extremely large prints any camera offered for sale as of 2008 already has more megapixels than you ll ever need or use So if given the choice between buying two very similar cameras especially if from the same manufacturer go for the camera with fewer megapixels because it will cost significantly less and Page 2 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 offer no significant reduction in photographic quality Camera makers and sellers love to charge hundreds of dollars more for a few more megapixels Do the math and you ll see the difference is negligible Look at photographs taken with each camera and you Il see the difference is even less One of the biggest scams in camera sales as of Christmas 2008 is the Nikon D60 a 10 megapixel DSLR camera that sells for 700 with a lens when compared to the Nikon D40 a nearly identical camera with 6 megapixels that sells for 450 with a lens That s a difference of 250 for 4 extra useless megapixels Of course many cameras with higher megapixel counts also offer many other legitimate improvements over lower megapixel cameras The Nikon D200 for instance was a quantum leap improvement over the D100 model it replaced not because it had 10 MP to the D100 s 6 MP but because it was built of stronger titanium alloy had a more sophisticated autofocus system a faster frame advance rate a significantly better flash system a larger and brighter LCD screen better e
41. nd creative lighting effects Intentional misuse of white balance controls can render similar results For example set the camera s white balance to fluorescent while taking photos under normal household incandescent lighting and the resulting photo will have a heavy orangeish tint FLASH Use of flash with older film cameras was often a misunderstood and feared facet of photography for many novice photographers But today s digital TTL through the lens automated flash systems are technological marvels that take most of the guess work out of using photographic flash An in depth examination of flash would take up too much room for this guide but suffice to say using the TTL flash mode on your camera or external flash is all you need to use most of the time with perhaps a few tweaks for various situations When buying an external hot shoe mounted flash you should always use the camera brand flash The flash systems of top DSLR camera manufacturers like Nikon and Canon are extremely sophisticated and engineered to work seamlessly with their own brand of cameras and lenses Buying the camera brand flash is a no brainer Don t waste your money on an off brand flash like Sunpak Quantary or Vivitar In the film days those companies made cheaper flashes that produced decent results But with digital which is much more technologically difficult to sync with flash using anything other than the camera brand flash system is just asking
42. od daylight is EASY for any camera I ve seen good outdoor photos taken with a shoebox pinhole camera seriously Photographing indoors or at night in sub par light is CHALLENGING for any camera and any photographer Shooting moving subjects i e sports pets children indoors or at night without adequate auxiliary lighting sources is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for any camera and any photographer and beyond the capabilities of many consumer level DSLR cameras and lenses Yes even if you paid 500 or 1000 for your camera you may be unable to get Sports Illustrated quality photos of your child s 7 pm football game If you re going to spend the money on a top flight name brand camera Nikon Canon Olympus etc then buy the same name brand lenses flashes etc in order to get the best performance from an entire camera system There is no point to spending good money on a Nikon camera only to stick a mediocre Sigma Tamron or Quantaray lens on it Retailers like Ritz Wolf camera love to push off brand lenses because their profit margins are higher on these cheaper products But the most important part of any camera system is the quality of the glass in the lenses Don t skim on the glass to spend more on the electronics As a general rule DSLR cameras lose more than half their value in the first year while quality name brand lenses often sell years later on the used market for 80 or more of their original purchase price The numb
43. om paid professionals e www kenrockwell com opinionated but honest and knowledgeable about digital photography Focuses on Nikon equipment but has ventured into reviewing some Canon equipment as well Decent photographer but not nearly as good as he thinks he is e www earthboundlight com site run by accomplished landscape photographer Bob Johnson Good place for tips about landscape photography e www moosepeterson com site run by famed wildlife photographer Moose Peterson Some good tips and great photos of wild animals e www sportsshooter com news and discussion site for professional sports photographers some good tips about shooting action and sports as well as behind the scenes inside baseball about the lives of those guys and gals who roam the sidelines with giant lenses e digitaljournalist org site dedicated to photojournalism e www photo net photo hosting and online critiques and ratings systems discussion forums general photography articles e www bythom com a definitive source for Nikon equipment information writes how to books for operating Nikon cameras Good photographer Page 27 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 http www mir com my rb photography companies nikon htmls models index htm massive site dedicated the history of Nikon cameras http www naturfotograf com lens_surv html the best site for professional reviews of most of Nikon s
44. ome strangely colored results If you want to get very particular about this there are colored gels or filters that fit over your flash head just like colored lens filters to correct white balance issues when combining flash light with ambient lighting Page 19 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 e Outdoors this is where most automated cameras don t use flash but where it is often most useful o Under bright sunlight conditions especially when photographing people for posed shots and portraits USE YOUR FLASH The automated system in your camera won t do it for you You have to force your camera to fire the flash on a manual or semi manual setting Using flash in bright sunlight is called fill flash and is perhaps the most important and under utilized use of camera flash When human subjects are lit by extremely bright mid day sun faces often become a mixture of properly exposed bright areas and dark detail less shadows By using proper fill flash the subject s entire face is brightly lit with little to no shadow and the result is a bright beautiful face against a bright and beautiful sunlit background Fill flash in bright sunlight is the same basic technique used by the photographers who shoot models in bikinis for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and other publications along with reflectors shades and other more complicated techniques Most TTL flash systems are great at fill flash with some
45. on t think you ll need it You Il be surprised how often you re thankful you had it with you Without your camera you could miss the photographic opportunity of a lifetime On my morning commute to my day job I would often encounter a stunning sunrise or sunset and pull off the road grab my camera and snap a few photos If you work in or near a hi rise office building go into to work early or leave late and plan to capture the rising or setting sun from the rooftop of the building or parking garage if accessible e Set your camera s internal date and time as accurately as possible This will help you identify when photos were taken and the order in which they were taken later when you are sorting through them This is especially helpful if you have more than one camera Set each camera to identical time and date Page 3 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 LENS FOCAL LENGTH Expressed in millimeters The focal length of your lens es is notated on the lens If it is a prime lens then it has only one focal length i e 50mm If it is a zoom lens then it has a range of focal lengths i e 18 55mm What length is considered normal or wide angle or telephoto depends on the size of your image sensor or film format I mage sensor size e Full frame FX 24mm x 36 mm size of 35mm film and full frame Nikon FX digital camera sensors Currently Nikon D3 D3x D 700 Canon EOS 1DS
46. ons as detailed in the interesting note in the white balance section are not possible for the camera to achieve correct white balance Color saturation depending upon your camera and its configuration you may find the colors in photographs either too dull and boring or so bright and vivid and over saturated that they look unreal or even cartoonish This can and should be corrected with the settings of your camera but if you don t get it just right you can tweak it in post processing Color conversion most software can easily convert a color photo to black amp white sepia tone and other creative changes Better software and skillful users can convert to black amp white using the same methods and ideas that Ansel Adams used for his classic black amp white prints Levels or curves these functions can help correct minor problems with exposure by increasing or decreasing dark light and middle tones in the photograph They can also help a dull average exposure pop with more contrast Red eye correction most image editing software has a one or two step fix for the dreaded red eye Don t rely on your camera s red eye reduction mode to fix this As mentioned in the flash section the problem is caused by direct flash being located too closely to the camera lens If you get red eyes in your photos correct it with image editing Perspective or composition fixes if your photo appears tilted
47. otography subjects Sites to store display and or print your photos www snapfish com www shutterfly com www flickr com www photobucket com www picasa com www printroom com goes beyond the average printing site by offering printing services and web hosting for professional photographers selling prints online to customers o www photoreflect com similar to above OoOO000 0 0 Page 28 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 WHY DID I TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE THIS GUIDE I love photography I am a visually oriented person I am a visual learner but a profuse writer I have been practicing the art of photography off and on for more than 15 years to the point of semi professional status for a few years in the mid 2000s yes I was paid for my photography but not enough to quit my day job And I love sharing my passion for photography with others It is such a kick to teach someone a new trick about how to operate their camera or how to approach a particular photographic situation Unlike computers which I loathe operating and especially dread explaining to others I enjoy fiddling with all the settings and minutiae of cameras I also love to be behind the camera I feel about a well built high performance professional DSLR camera what a musician feels about a beloved guitar When everything is just right the camera becomes an extension of my mind and body I love the anticipation of the moment
48. p o DX 200mm and up Page 4 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 e Field sports football soccer baseball etc when shooting from sidelines o FX 300mm to 600mm range o DX 200mm to 400mm range e Gym sports basketball volleyball etc when shooting from sidelines extremely large apertures f2 0 f2 8 are required in order to bring in enough available light at fast shutter speeds o FX 50mm minimum for head to toe composition if close to basket or net up to 400mm to capture close up photos on other side of the court o DX 35mm minimum up to 300mm AUTOFOCUS The autofocus abilities of modern digital cameras are truly extraordinary If you get the chance try the autofocus on a 1980s era 35mm camera either SLR or point n shoot Then compare that to an equivalent modern camera The AF systems today are light years ahead of the capabilities just 25 years ago Each camera brand and even different cameras from the same manufacturer can have distinctly different methods of autofocus How to best use and manipulate each AF system is different for each camera So read very carefully and thoroughly the portions of your user manual detailing autofocus operation Understanding how the autofocus system in your camera functions and what options are available and how to use them is vitally important to consistently achieving photos in sharp focus Generally speaking the more autofocus points a camer
49. rage in 1 5 of one second Camera shutters are literally faster than the blink of an eye and can blink as fast a 1 8000 of one second The trade off So a faster shutter speed allows less light to enter a possible negative consequence but can freeze the motion of the subject a possible positive consequence General rules of thumb for using shutter speed to freeze or blur subject motion e To stop motion human athlete 1 250 1 1000 e To stop motion machines animals 1 1000 or faster e To blur motion 1 30 or slower for most subjects 1 8 or slower and mounted on a tripod to blur moving water stream waterfall etc Page 8 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Also there is a general 3 stop range of usable shutters speeds for photographing people at various levels of normal everyday motion 1 125 to 1 500 Keep shutter speed for ambient light exposures within this range and the casual movement of most people will be sufficiently frozen in the photograph avoiding unwanted motion blur When using flash an extra stop down to 1 60 shutter speed can adequately freeze casual motion of human subjects Avoiding camera shake Beyond subject motion shutter speed also affects the motion or shake of the photographer s own hands and body When hand holding a camera not mounted on a tripod or braced on a stationary object even the steadiest hands in the world cannot consistently achieve sharp ima
50. rgonomics and menu design and many other advances making it a better overall camera Quick tips to get you started e If your camera has the option choose to have it give each photo its own unique name Some cameras are set by default to restart the file numbering sequence each time you change memory cards For instance if you take 30 photos named DSC_0001 through DSC_0030 then when you take out your memory card transfer these photos and put your card back into your camera it will name the next photo DSC_0001 again You want it to name the next photo DSC_0031 The reason for this is so you won t accidentally have a new photo automatically overwrite an older photo when transferring to your computer because they have the same file name e Before you dive right into the detailed and highly technical world of photography as explained below take some time to just play around with your camera on Auto mode or any of the dummy modes This way you can get a feel for how your camera operates without having to worry about 1 000 different buttons menus and settings e If practical take your camera with you wherever you go You never know when a great photographic opportunity will present itself It is not advisable to leave a camera in your car for extended periods of time extreme hot and cold temperatures can damage sensitive circuits but toss the camera in your car hidden or in the trunk when you go out for the day even if you d
51. s General rule of thumb circa 2008 to ensure pleasing results e Small point n shoot cameras stay at 400 or less e Consumer DSLRs and other advanced amateur cameras stay at 800 or less unless you must go higher i e night or indoor sporting events e Professional DSLRs 1600 or higher depending on camera model Note Some cameras allow auto ISO or high auto ISO be careful of this because the camera may not choose the best ISO for your particular situation Often unless you need a fast shutter speed or a deep depth of field itis better to shoot at 125 f5 6 400 than 250 f8 1600 because the grain or noise at SO 1600 will degrade the photo Page 11 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 EXPOSURE METERING MODES Most digital cameras even some point n shoots include at least three user selectable exposure metering modes Understanding the different ways each mode determines correct exposure and when and why to use each mode is important to achieving good exposures Spot metering e The oldest form of in camera exposure metering also called light metering but most important to have available for particular situations e Determines proper exposure only for objects or portions of objects within the small point in the center of the viewfinder All other areas of the scene are ignored e Useful when one small object or a portion of an object within the larger scene is the most important subjec
52. st this is referred to as blown out white or highlight areas Page 14 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 EXPOSURE BRACKETING Bracketing is a simple camera function option that allows the photographer to take 3 or more photos of the same subject changing the exposure by a user set amount with each photo so that the photographer can later choose which exposure worked best and rendered the best photo This is a good tool for beginners to use while they learn the subtle tweaks that make for better exposure It is also useful when taking photos to that will later be post processed using HDR software As an example if you re photographing a sunset you know you want negative exposure compensation but how much You might bracket three photos at 1 0 2 0 amp 3 0 and then choose which looks best You can also manually bracket your photos Just take a photo then change the exposure compensation and take another Repeat Real world example When I took a photo of the National Mall in Washington DC at dusk showing the Lincoln Memorial the Washington Monument and the US Capital all in a row with a gorgeous dark blue background photographed the exact same image 37 times in 2 minutes tinkering with the exposure each time until achieved the desired combination of natural light and exposure The opportune moment when the twilight sky was at its most beautiful dark blue lasted less than 2 minutes SHOOTING MODES Mo
53. st consumer level DSLR cameras offer a wide variety of shooting modes to give the photographer fully manual semi manual or fully automated control of exposure e Auto the default point n shoot mode for any camera Use this until you become comfortable with exposure fine tuning And use it when loaning the camera to someone else who doesn t understand cameras e Dummy modes these are usually marked cutesy little icons to represent action mode or portrait mode or landscape mode etc These are a very minor step up in control over Auto in that you set the mode for the type of photo you re taking Other than that initial selection these modes operate fully automatic with no further manual input from the photographer e P S A M modes on Nikon and others P Tv Av M on Canon these are the manual and semi manual modes that most professional photographers use to ensure control over exposure o P Program Auto Exposure similar to Auto in that camera sets both aperture and shutter speed but allows the photographer to dial in exposure compensation and does NOT automatically engage and use on camera flash photographer must make conscious decision to use flash o Aor Av Aperture priority Auto Exposure Photographer sets desired aperture camera sets corresponding correct shutter speed Otherwise operates similar to Program AE o Sor Tv Shutter priority Auto Exposure Photographer sets desir
54. struction is what makes professional lenses better than consumer lenses But in situations where a large aperture is not required an amateur lens costing 1 10 the price of a professional lens will take equally pleasing photographs ISO aka film speed ISO along with White Balance discussed later is what sets digital cameras apart from 35mm film cameras With film you loaded one roll of film and used that film speed for that entire roll If you wanted to use a different film speed you waited until you changed rolls With digital you can change the ISO setting for each photograph if you desire This opens up a whole new world of options by allowing the third element of exposure ISO to be adjusted for each photo just like shutter speed and aperture The trade off e A higher ISO is more sensitive to light brighter but usually offers less pleasing overall results because of increases in grain or noise in the final image and less overall sharpness crispness and color saturation e A lower ISO is less sensitive to light darker but usually offers more pleasing overall results because of less grain noise and better overall sharpness and color But this trade off changes every year as the higher ISO settings in newer cameras get better and better Five years ago ISO 800 looked really crummy on even professional DSLR cameras But today ISO 800 looks good and even ISO 1600 is adequate for many use
55. suitable for a basic digital photography guide Some real world examples e When taking photos of sunset dial in negative exposure compensation as much as two or three whole stops 2 0 or 3 0 This will darken the overall image rendering any foreground objects as black silhouettes and the sky in deeper darker shades of yellow orange and red e When taking photos with strong backlighting either from a window the sky the sun a strong light or even bright beach sand or white snow in the background set a positive exposure compensation of as much as much as one full stop 1 0 for sand snow or as much as two or three stops 2 0 or 3 0 for images backlit by the sun or sky Otherwise the overall photo will be underexposed and too dark Alternatively if there is a single important subject in the photo for instance a person standing in front of a snow covered hill then you could use spot metering or center weighted metering to correctly expose the subject person And just like the focus and recompose technique You can spot meter a non centered subject and lock in that exposure data read your camera s manual to find out how then recompose and take the photo e When photographing a white or very light subject surrounded by a dark or black background the moon against a pitch black sky you will need to set negative exposure compensation Otherwise the white subject will be rendered so bright that all fine detail will be lo
56. t to the photo and must be exposed accurately e Useful in difficult lighting situations where the background is substantially darker or lighter than the subject such as a bright sky behind an airplane or bird in flight or a person posing indoors in front of a window filled with bright sunlight e Veteran photographers who learned exposure with this metering mode still use it often To get an effective exposure for an entire scene they meter individual objects within the scene then set the camera to an average of all the metered exposure values Center weighted metering e An older first attempt at properly exposing more than just one object in the overall scene e Sets an average exposure for a small area in the center of the viewfinder larger than the spot metering point the size of this area can be adjusted in many cameras e Not used much anymore because it offers neither the precision exposure measurement of spot metering nor the better overall scene metering of evaluative or Matrix metering Evaluative intelligent or Matrix metering e Different camera brands all have different terminology for their own unique and proprietary versions of this metering mode e Uses highly advanced computer algorithms to do what veterans photographers have been doing since the advent of in camera TTL through the lens metering with the early Nikon F cameras in the 1960s average the metered exposures for numerous objects within a single sc
57. the camera but also skill in the darkroom Well in the digital world computerized post processing and image editing have replaced the original wet darkroom but the emphasis on skills utilized after the photo is taken have never been more important Even the best photographer with the best camera set up in the best possible configuration with a perfect exposure can benefit from some amount of post exposure computerized image editing And the rest of us who aren t so perfect can see mediocre photos blossom into eye catching images with the help of digital image editing The how to of computerized image editing is enough to fill multiple semesters of college level graphics art classes But there are some basic functions every digital photographer should learn to perform with computer software to improve their final images The list below is what you should know how to do Read the instructions with your particular software to find out how e Re sizing this is a relatively simple operation in most software It simply refers to taking a large photo file that measures for example 3000 pixels by 2000 pixels or 6 megapixels is viewable at 30 x 20 inches on a computer screen and takes up megabyte of file space even in compressed JPEG format and reducing the photo to a more user friendly size for computer viewing for example 600 x 400 pixels or 6 x 4 inches on a computer Why is this necessary Digital photos are now taken
58. the camera toward the light source or the subject o Expodisc similar in use to the translucent items above this is a photographic quality glass filter that provides extremely reliable results with preset white balancing Retails for approximately 100 at any quality photographic supply store This is a highly recommended item for professional or semi professional photographers who want to obtain the most accurate possible white balance without using a Kelvin meter Interesting note many indoor sports gym lights and similar lights found elsewhere flicker ina manner that makes neutral white balance basically impossible to obtain for each individual shot You can set your white balance perfectly but after taking 5 photos depending on the millisecond when the photo was captured the lights may be cycling or flickering and a slightly different color of lightis emitted So moral of the story if you re photographing your daughter s basketball or volleyball game don t go nuts if you can t achieve perfect white balance J ust fix it later in post processing Page 17 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Creative use of white balance While the above information has focused on obtaining proper neutral white balance these same tools can be used for creative photographic effects With film cameras creative photographers have used colored filters or incorrect film or developing to purposely produce strange a
59. the exact Kelvin temperature however requires very expensive color temperature light meters 500 or more But most of us can get by adjusting for just the basic lighting categories discussed above And nearly all modern digital cameras include basic white balance adjustments White balance modes e Auto or AWB this all purpose mode in which the camera makes a rudimentary attempt to measure light temperature and adjust accordingly works very well in scenes lit by camera flash or sunlight It is also a decent setting for scenes with multiple different light sources i e inside a home with incandescent light bulbs open windows letting in diffused sunlight and on camera flash BUT the Auto setting is often sub par in man made lighting indoors either incandescent or fluorescent Page 16 of 29 Created by James Ryan Carssow 2009 Note itis a good idea to leave your camera in auto white balance mode until you need to tweak the white balance for a specific location And be certain to reset the camera to auto white balance when finished with the scene otherwise your next photo in another location may not have correct white balance and will look very strange Source specific these modes vary by camera but are usually self explanatory and include some or all of the following On many cameras the modes below can also be fine tuned by variables plus or minus 3 to signify the intensity of the effect of the color correction Using th
60. ze based on algorithms that determine the outline of human like forms Face detect multipoint autofocus same as above system but more sophisticated enough to automatically detect the face of each subject person in a photograph and focus on those faces Note the two camera controlled AF types above will normally operate slower than user controlled AF systems like center point and user selectable multi point For this reason avoid using the camera controlled AF types for photographing moving subjects Autofocus modes Quality DSLR cameras will give the photographer a choice in how the autofocus system performs in different conditions 1 Single servo focus locks on subject and doesn t move used for still subjects and landscapes in which you want to lock your focus onto a stationary subject e Nikon AF S e Canon One Shot Continuous servo or continuous predictive focus used for action and sports photography focus moves along with a subject in motion continuously adjusting focus to stay with moving subject or occasionally switching to a new subject that moves between camera and original subject like a linebacker jumping in front of a running back that the camera is following e Nikon AF C e Canon AI Servo Combination setting that locks focus onto a subject but monitors movement and switches to continuous predictive focus if the subject begins to move suddenly well suited for photographing young children e N

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