Nikon D7100 From Snapshots to Great Shots
Contents
1. e First set the camera to your favorite settings under any of the semiautomatic modes or Manual mode adjusting aperture shutter speed ISO flash focus point metering and or bracketing e Go to the setup menu and click on Save User Settings A B e Highlight U1 or U2 then click OK to save your settings C e When you want to use those settings again just rotate the top dial to U1 or U2 and the camera will choose your saved settings so that you re ready to go D For more on setting up user modes see page 55 of your owner s manual SETUP MENU Save user settings Format memory card Reset user settings Monitor brightness Clean image sensor Save to U2 Image Dust Off ref photo Flicker reduction Save user settings Save to U1 Cancel CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 99 100 HOW I SHOOT MY FAVORITE CAMERA SETTINGS I m generally a landscape and travel photographer but like many of you enjoy photographing everything There s very little that doesn t interest me have found throughout the years that primarily use the Aperture Priority mode Why Often when I m traveling and focusing on my street photography don t have time to worry about every single variable and I ve found focusing on aperture has given me the control need for 95 percent of my photography If want an image to have a shallow depth of field then I ll use a large aperture such as f 2 8 or if I m shooting a landscape and I need2. 105 106 108 112 115 116 118 119 Manual Focus for Anticipated Action Keeping Up with the Continuous Shooting Modes A Sense of Motion Tips for Shooting Action Chapter 5 Assignments CHAPTER 6 PERFECT PORTRAITS Settings and Features to Make Great Portraits Poring Over the Picture Automatic Portrait Mode Using Aperture Priority Mode Metering Modes for Portraits Using the AE Lock Auto Exposure Lock Feature Focusing The Eyes Have It Classic Black and White Portraits The Portrait Picture Control for Better Skin Tones Detect Faces with Live View Use Fill Flash for Reducing Shadows Portraits on the Move Tips For Shooting Better Portraits Chapter 6 Assignments CHAPTER 7 LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Tips Tools and Techniques for Taking Beautiful Landscape Photographs Poring Over the Picture Sharp Focus Using a Tripod Selecting the Proper Iso Using Noise Reduction Selecting a White Balance Using the Landscape Picture Control Taming Bright Skies with Exposure Compensation Shooting Amazing Black and White Landscapes The Golden Light Where to Place Your Focus Focusing with Live View Smooth Water 120 122 124 127 130 133 134 136 136 139 141 142 144 146 146 147 149 150 159 161 162 164 166 167 168 171 173 1 5 176 177 178 180 CONTENTS vii Directing the Viewer s Eye A Word About Composition 181 Advanced Techniques to Explore 186 Chapter 7 Assignments 192 CHAPTE
3. Nolu DIALO From Snapshots to Great Shots Learn the best ways to compose your pictures Get great detail in your subjecist John Batdorff 5 Nikon D7100 From Snapshots to Great Shots John Batdorff Peachpit Nikon D7100 From Snapshots to Great Shots John Batdorff Peachpit Press www peachpit com To report errors please send a note to errata peachpit com Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education Copyright 2014 Peachpit Press All photography John Batdorff Project Editor Susan Rimerman Developmental Copy Editor Peggy Nauts Production Editor Rebecca Winter Proofreader Elaine Merrill Composition Danielle Foster Indexer James Minkin Cover Design Aren Straiger Cover Image John Batdorff Interior Design Riezebos Holzbaur Design Group Notice of Rights All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts contact permissions peachpit com Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to b
4. ever the potential exists for overexposure The black and white flashing will only appear in areas of your picture that are in danger of overexposure SETTING UP THE HIGHLIGHT ALERT FEATURE 1 Press the Menu button and then use the Multi selector to access the Playback menu 2 Once in the Playback menu move the Multi selector to Playback Display Options and press OK A 3 Move the Multi selector down to select the Highlights option Move the Multi selector to the right to place a check mark next to the word Highlights B 4 Press OK on the Multi selector to lock in your change PLAYBACK MENU Playback display options Delete Basic photo info Playback folder O Focus point Hide image N Additional photo info O None image only Copy image s MH Image review O RGB histogram After delete 1 Shooting data Rotate tall CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 101 Once the highlights warning is turned on use it to check your images on the back of the LCD after taking a shot If you see an area that is blinking try setting exposure compensation to an underexposed setting like 1 3 or 2 3 stops and take another photo checking the result on the screen Don t make yourself crazy trying to get rid of every single blinking area It is easy enough to add some black back into your photo later using post editing software and you don t want to underexpose the rest of the image because there is one blown out highlight Sometimes suc
5. 6 7 TV connections 242 243 U underexposed images 21 updating the firmware 32 33 51 user manual AF area mode information 243 HDR capabilities reference 191 image quality settings chart 11 Mirror up mode info 165 picture control settings info 171 shooting mode settings table 82 Speedlight flash info 217 User Settings mode 99 V vanishing points 185 230 vantage point 129 225 Vibration Reduction VR lenses 57 165 201 video recording 235 245 assignments on 245 editing videos after 244 focusing for 236 243 244 Live View mode for 236 237 memory cards for 30 237 microphone for 240 241 quality settings for 238 239 245 reviewing recorded video 242 243 sound settings for 242 starting stopping 236 time limits for 236 237 viewfinder grid display 22 184 185 W warm colors 176 water flowing 87 89 90 180 181 WB button 8 170 white balance settings 6 8 assignment on using 25 choices available for 7 custom presets for 170 171 landscape photography and 168 171 Live View feature and 170 RAW file format and 6 scene modes and 74 steps for selecting 8 wide angle lenses 41 42 depth of field and 42 138 distortion caused by 41 138 150 portraits and 138 150 151 wildlife photography 44 92 wireless remote 255 Z zoo photography 96 Zoom In Out buttons 112 zoom lenses 44 95 INDEX 275 creative Unlimited online access to all Peac
6. 76 77 Autumn Colors mode 69 Beach Snow mode 67 Blossom mode 69 Candlelight mode 69 Child mode 66 Close Up mode 62 63 Dusk Dawn mode 67 example of using 54 55 Food mode 68 Landscape mode 61 limitations of 74 75 Mode dial setting for 59 Night Landscape mode 68 Night Portrait mode 67 Party Indoor mode 68 Pet Portrait mode 70 Portrait mode 59 60 136 Sports mode 64 Sunset mode 65 See also effects modes SD memory cards See memory cards Selective Color effect 72 Self timer feature 23 202 203 208 semiautomatic modes 90 91 sensor cleaning 34 35 51 Setup menu 31 32 35 99 Shade setting 7 168 shadows Active D Lighting for 261 fill flash for 147 148 sharpening RAW images 37 sharpness of photos 181 Shooting menu 24 40 116 168 237 238 shooting modes automatic modes 53 77 dial for selecting 7 effects modes 70 73 professional modes 79 103 scene modes 58 70 shotgun microphone 240 shutter delay options 22 23 Shutter Priority S mode 86 91 action photos and 87 88 112 114 assignment on using 102 103 flash sync speeds in 209 long exposures and 87 89 254 setting up and shooting in 91 situations for using 87 90 181 shutter speed action photography and 108 111 exposure and 46 47 48 flash synchronization and 208 209 focal length related to 87 low light photography and 206 motion and 49 87 88 108 111 prioritizing 86 91 112 114 range for setting
7. 90 slow vs fast 87 tripod use and 164 VR lenses and 201 Silhouette effect 73 silhouetted subjects 92 96 97 Single Frame mode 122 123 single point focusing 13 14 25 143 Single servo AF mode 14 142 143 skies exposure compensation for 173 174 landscape photos and 172 173 176 skin tones 146 INDEX 273 274 snowy scenes Beach Snow mode for 67 shooting in Manual mode 96 97 Spot metering for 250 251 sound recording 240 242 special effects See effects modes speed of subject 110 Speedlight flashes 216 Sports mode 64 76 sports photography automatic mode for 64 telephoto lenses for 44 See also action photography Spot metering mode 139 250 252 263 star trail photography 254 255 street photography 43 100 159 199 studio photography 253 subject to camera distance 111 sunburst effect 93 sunlight fill flash and 147 lens flare from 256 portraits and 147 153 159 sunny 16 rule 47 sunrise sunset photos automatic modes for 65 67 example of shooting 28 29 golden light in 176 Spot metering for 251 252 Sunset mode 65 T telephoto lenses 43 44 tonal range 20 Trash button 18 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS tripods advice on choosing 165 HDR photography and 190 landscape photography and 164 165 177 low light photography and 197 198 207 macro photography and 260 video recording and 236 245 VR feature and 165 TTL metering 210 211 tungsten lighting
8. A special thanks to Peggy Nauts for cleaning up my copy and removing my foot from my mouth on more than one occasion You re a rock star Susan Rimerman my editor this is our fourth book together so think this officially makes us book bud dies Thanks for your encouragement and your relentless bluntness love it To the Peachpit crew thank you for all your support throughout the years You ve become like family Finally to all of you who have bought this book enjoy your new camera and remember to have fun If you ever have any questions feel free to contact me on my blog The camera used while writing this From Snapshots to Great Shots book was generously provided by B amp H Photo www bhphotovideo com Contents INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 THE D7100 TOP 12 LIST Twelve Tips to Make Your Shooting More Productive Right Out of the Box Set the Correct White Balance Turn Off the Auto ISO Setting Set Your Image Quality Set the Appropriate Image Area 1 2 3 4 5 Set Your Focus Point and Mode 6 Manual Focus 7 Review Your Shots 8 Where s the Beep Custom Focusing Options 9 Custom Display Options 10 Shutter Delay Options 11 Oh Shoot Reset Options 12 Hold Your Camera for Proper Shooting Chapter 1 Assignments CHAPTER 2 FIRST THINGS FIRST A Few Things to Know and Do Before You Begin Taking Pictures Poring Over the Picture Choosing the Right Memory Card Formatting Your Memory Card Updating
9. fill 147 148 manual power setting 211 range distance of 210 red eye reduction 214 215 reflections on glass from 215 shutter speed and 208 209 TTL metering for 210 211 Flash Compensation feature 212 213 automatic modes and 75 changing the flash output with 213 disabling the flash with 206 See also Exposure Compensation feature Flash Off mode 57 58 206 flash synchronization 208 209 Flash white balance setting 7 Flickr group 25 Fluorescent setting 7 169 focal length overview of lenses and 40 44 shutter speed related to 87 focus confirmation beep 19 focus modes 75 120 3D tracking 119 120 AF A 75 AF C 75 118 119 inDex 267 268 focus modes continued AF S 13 14 25 75 142 143 manual 14 15 120 121 178 204 Focus Point Wrap feature 19 focus points 13 14 118 focusing for action photography 118 121 for landscape photography 177 179 for low light photography 203 205 for portraits 142 144 for video recording 236 243 244 focusing system autofocus settings 13 14 custom focusing options 19 Food scene mode 68 formatting memory cards 31 51 framing images action photos 127 composition guidelines for 231 232 portraits 150 152 155 freezing motion 64 87 88 108 f stops 46 47 48 94 See also aperture settings G geometric shapes 233 glass shooting through 96 215 golden light 176 196 grid overlay 22 184 185 192 193 group portraits 151 H handheld photograp
10. will diffuse the sun FIGURE 4 15 wanted the foreground as well as the background in focus so used a wide angle lens combined with a small aperture to maintain focus throughout the image This is called a deep depth of field CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 93 F STOPS AND APERTURE As discussed earlier the numeric value of your lens aperture is described as an f stop The f stop is one of those old photography terms that technically relates to the focal length of the lens e g 200mm divided by the effective aperture diameter These measurements are defined as stops and work incrementally with your shutter speed to determine proper exposure Older camera lenses used one stop increments to assist in exposure adjustments such as 1 4 2 2 8 4 5 6 8 11 16 and 22 Each stop represents about half the amount of light entering the lens iris as the larger stop before it Today most lenses don t have f stop markings since all adjustments to this setting are performed via the camera s electronics The stops are also now typically divided into 1 3 stop incre ments to allow much finer adjustments to exposures as well as to match the incremental values of your camera s ISO settings which are also adjusted in 1 3 stop increments strongly recommend knowing your lens s aperture rating Every lens has a marking on it with a number f 1 4 2 8 or f 5 6 are all very common maximum aperture sizes
11. 22 35mm lens CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 90 As you can see the subject of your photo usually determines whether or not you will use Shutter Priority mode It is important that you be able to previsualize the result of using a particular shutter speed The great thing about shooting with digital cam eras is that you get instant feedback by viewing your shot on the LCD But what if your subject won t give you a do over Such is often the case when shooting sporting events It s not like you can go ask your daughter to score another goal in her soccer game because your photograph was blurry from a slow shutter speed This is why it s important to know what those speeds represent in terms of their capabilities to stop the action and deliver a blur free shot First let s examine just how much control you have over the shutter speeds The D7100 has a shutter speed range from 1 8000 of a second all the way down to 30 seconds With that much latitude you should have enough control to capture almost any subject The other thing to think about is that Shutter Priority mode is considered a semiautomatic mode That means that you are taking control over one aspect of the total exposure while the camera handles the other In this instance you are controlling the shutter speed and the camera is controlling the aperture This is important because there will be times that you want to use a particular shutter speed but your lens won t be
12. a zoo behind glass and wanted to avoid having my flash trigger because that would have left a nasty reflection decided to bump up my ISO and use a large aperture to get this shot 96 NIKON D7100 When you have your camera set to Manual M mode the camera meter will give you a reading of the scene you are photographing It s your job though to set both the f stop aperture and the shutter speed to achieve a correct exposure If you need a faster shutter speed you will have to make the reciprocal change to your f stop Using any other mode such as Shutter Priority or Aperture Priority would mean that you just have to worry about one of these changes but Manual mode means you have to do it all yourself This can be a little challenging at first but after a while you will have a complete understanding of how each change affects your exposure which will in turn improve the way that you use the other modes WHEN TO USE MANUAL M MODE e When lighting and exposure get tricky Figure 4 18 Shooting indoors through glass can be especially tricky The wonderful thing about your D7100 is that it has an incredible ISO range with relatively low digital noise e When your environment is fooling your light meter and you need to maintain a certain exposure setting Figure 4 19 Beaches and snow are always a challenge for light meters Whenever I m shooting something in snow find myself switch ing over to Manual mode e
13. been to give you a resource that will help you create great photographs with your Nikon D7100 Learning the basics is vital but playing with them is what makes the photographer Photography like most things takes time to master and requires practice It has been a part of my life since got my first Kodak 110 when I was seven years old and am still learning Always remember it s not the cam era but the person using it who makes beautiful photographs Have fun make mistakes and then learn from them In no time I m sure you will transition from someone who takes nice snapshots to a photographer who makes great shots xi ISO 100 1 125 sec 9 35mm lens The Professional Modes TAKING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL If you talk to professional photographers you will find that the majority of them use a few selective modes that offer the greatest amount of control over their photography To anyone who has been involved with photography for any period of time these modes are the backbones of the art They allow you to influence two of the most important factors in taking great photographs aperture and shutter speed To access these modes you simply turn the Mode dial to one of the letter designated modes and begin shooting But wouldn t it be nice to know exactly what those modes control and how to make them do our bidding Well if you really want to take that next step in controlling your photography it is essent
14. go back to the default Programmed Auto exposure simply turn the dial until the star goes away or switch to a different mode and then back to P mode again FIGURE 4 4 This image was shot using the Programmed Auto mode In this image the shutter was faster because the image is lighter than Figure 4 5 Because the image is lighter the camera needs less time to expose so the shutter opens and closes very quickly in this case 1 160 of a ISO 200 second quicker 1 800 sec 5 6 58mm lens FIGURE 4 5 When we zoom in on the bronze statue our image becomes darker than in Figure 4 4 because there is less of the bright blue sky The camera needs more light to properly expose the image so the shutter is left open longer ISO 200 1 640 sec 5 6 105mm lens CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 85 Let s set up the camera for Programmed Auto mode and see how we can make all of this come together SETTING UP AND SHOOTING IN PROGRAMMED AUTO MODE 1 Turn your camera on and then turn the Mode dial to align the P with the indicator line 2 Select your ISO by pressing and holding the ISO button on the back left of the camera while rotating the main Command dial with your thumb 3 The ISO will appear on the top display Choose your desired ISO and release the ISO button on the left to lock in the change 4 Point the camera at your subject and then activate the camera meter by depressing the shutter button h
15. is to get a new piece of equip ment so let me start off by telling you a little bit about how this book is going to help you master that new camera You already know that you have the guide to your camera because it came right in the box the owner s manual But don t worry Nikon D7100 From Snapshots to Great Shots is not a rehash of the manual It is a resource to teach photographic concepts using the wonderful technology of the D7100 with instructional photos and insights from my own work as a professional photographer have put together a short Q amp A to help you get a better understand ing of just what it is that you can expect from this book Q IS EVERY CAMERA FEATURE GOING TO BE COVERED A Nope just the ones I think you need to know about in order to start taking great photos As I said you already own a great resource that covers every feature of your camera the owner s manual I know we all hate reading manuals we want to grab our new camera and start shooting But if you look at your manual more closely you ll realize it can actually help you A book that just rephrases this information would have been a waste of your time and money What did want to write about was how to harness certain camera features to benefit your photography As you read through this book you will also see references to specific pages in your owner s manual that are related to the topic being discussed For example in Chapter 6 the AE L button
16. mode 69 B backgrounds blurring 50 115 116 136 137 isolating subjects from 60 115 116 portrait 136 137 154 backlit subjects 250 battery charging 25 Beach Snow scene mode 67 BKT button 190 259 Black and White From Snapshots to Great Shots Batdorff 144 black and white images landscape photos as 175 portraits as 144 145 selective color with 72 blinkies 101 102 173 181 Blossom scene mode 69 blur background 50 115 116 136 137 motion 49 87 88 107 125 126 bracketing exposures 75 190 191 257 259 263 brightness 20 181 buffer 124 built in flash 208 211 217 Bulb setting 254 255 263 bull s eye composition 183 burst mode 122 c cable release 165 208 camera shake 164 165 Candlelight mode 69 carbon fiber tripods 165 Cartier Bresson Henri 262 catchlight in eyes 148 Center weighted metering mode 139 140 141 Child mode 66 children action portraits of 149 automatic mode for shooting 66 shooting at their level 157 cityscape photography 92 93 196 197 cleaning the sensor 34 35 51 clipping 20 21 Close Up mode 62 63 76 close up photography See macro photography clouds in photos 176 Cloudy setting 7 168 color complementary 228 eyes drawn to 181 warm vs cool 176 color balance 6 color composition 226 227 228 color modes effects Autumn Colors scene mode 69 Color Sketch effect 71 Selective Color effect 72 inDex 265 266 Color Sketch effe
17. the D7100 s Firmware Cleaning the Sensor Using the Right Format RAW vs JPEG Lenses and Focal Lengths What Is Exposure Motion and Depth of Field Chapter 2 Assignments 10 12 13 14 15 19 22 22 23 24 25 27 28 30 31 32 34 35 40 45 49 51 CONTENTS v vi NIKON D71 00 CHAPTER 3 THE AUTO MODES Getting Started with the Scene Special Effects Modes Poring Over the Picture Auto Mode Flash Off Mode Scene Modes Portrait Mode Landscape Mode Close Up Mode Sports Mode Sunset Mode Child Mode Special Effects When You May Not Want to Use Auto Mode Chapter 3 Assignments CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES Taking Your Photography to the Next Level Poring Over the Picture P Programmed Auto Mode S Shutter Priority Mode A Aperture Priority Mode M Manual Mode User Settings Mode Saving Your Favorite Settings to the Mode Dial How Shoot My Favorite Camera Settings Chapter 4 Assignments CHAPTER 5 MOVING TARGET How to Shoot When Your Subject Is in Motion Poring Over the Picture Stop Right There Using Shutter Priority S Mode to Stop Motion Using Aperture Priority A Mode to Isolate Your Subject The ISO Sensitivity Auto Control Trick Keep Them in Focus with Continuous servo Focus and AF Focus Point Selection Stop and Go with 3D Tracking AF FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS 53 54 56 57 58 59 61 62 64 65 66 70 74 76 79 80 82 86 91 95 99 100 102
18. 146 skin tone adjustments for 146 tips for shooting 150 158 post processing RAW images 36 Pre white balance setting 7 prime lenses 44 professional modes 7 79 103 Aperture Priority mode 91 95 assignments on using 102 103 Manual mode 95 98 Programmed Auto mode 82 86 Shutter Priority mode 86 91 User Settings mode 99 See also automatic modes Programmed Auto P mode 82 86 assignment on using 102 automatic modes and 82 flash sync speed in 209 setting up and shooting in 86 situations for using 83 85 progressive video 238 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS Q Qual button 11 39 quality settings JPEG format 10 11 video recording 238 239 245 quick release tripod head 165 R RAW file format 10 36 37 advantages of 36 37 advice on shooting in 37 HDR images and 190 post processing and 36 RAW and JPEG option 38 40 white balance and 6 reciprocal exposures 47 48 red eye reduction 214 215 217 reflections catchlight 148 eliminating flash on glass 215 photographing 222 223 224 Release Mode dial 122 165 remote controls 255 reset options 23 24 resolution image 38 video 238 Revell Jeff 45 reviewing photos 15 18 assignment on 25 display modes for 16 18 duration setting for 16 histograms used for 20 21 zooming in for 112 reviewing recorded videos 242 243 RGB histogram display mode 18 rule of thirds 183 185 192 231 S scene modes 7 58 70 assignments on using
19. 261 262 red eye reduction and 215 See also flash low light photography sunlight Live View feature 74 Face Priority mode 146 147 grid overlay 184 185 192 193 manual focus and 178 179 260 video recording and 236 237 white balance and 170 Lo indicator warning 57 90 long exposures Bulb setting for 254 255 low light photography and 107 206 208 217 noise reduction for 167 168 206 217 255 Shutter Priority mode for 87 89 254 Low Key effect 73 low light photography 195 217 AF assist illuminator and 19 205 annotated examples of 80 81 106 107 196 197 assignments on shooting 216 217 automatic modes for 67 68 69 built in flash for 208 211 disabling the flash for 206 eliminating flash reflections in 215 flash compensation for 212 213 focusing for 203 205 ISO settings for 198 201 long exposures for 107 206 208 217 254 255 red eye reduction in 214 215 Self timer feature for 202 203 tripods used for 197 198 207 Vibration Reduction lenses for 201 D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS luminance 20 LV button 170 179 236 M macro photography 259 260 263 Aperture Priority mode for 260 Close Up mode for 62 63 Manual flash mode 211 manual focus mode 14 15 25 anticipated action and 120 121 Live View feature used with 178 179 260 low light photography and 204 Manual M mode 95 98 253 assignment on using 103 Bulb setting in 254 255 landscape photogr
20. 3 Nikon SB700 AF Speedlight 216 Nikon ViewNX 2 software 36 37 244 noise descriptions of 9 166 file size related to 200 ISO setting and 9 100 114 166 198 Noise Reduction NR feature 167 168 198 200 206 208 217 nondestructive editing 37 normal lenses 42 43 0 overexposure warning 101 102 173 181 Overview Data display mode 17 P panning 88 124 125 panoramas 186 188 Party Indoor scene mode 68 patterns 226 233 Pet Portrait mode 70 picture controls 74 Landscape 61 171 172 Monochrome 144 145 175 Portrait 59 146 pixel resolution 38 Playback button 112 Playback menu 15 17 101 point of view 129 225 233 polarizing filter 181 pop up flash 208 211 217 Portrait mode 59 60 76 136 portrait orientation 152 Portrait picture control 59 146 portraits 133 159 action shots as 149 A Lock feature for 141 annotated example of 134 135 aperture settings for 136 138 assignments on shooting 159 automatic modes for 59 60 67 136 inDex 271 272 portraits continued backgrounds for 136 137 154 black and white 144 145 Child mode for 66 composition of 150 158 depth of field in 136 159 environmental 138 Face Priority mode for 146 147 fill flash for 147 148 focusing for 142 144 framing 150 152 155 lenses used for 59 150 151 lighting for 147 148 153 metering modes for 139 141 159 nighttime 67 Pet Portrait mode for 70 picture controls for 144 145
21. 74 261 262 Adams Ansel 175 AE Lock feature 141 251 AF A focus mode 75 D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS AF area modes 119 243 244 AF assist illuminator 19 205 AF C focus mode 75 118 119 AF S focus mode 13 14 25 75 142 143 angles shooting 224 animal photography pet photos 70 wildlife photos 44 92 zoo photos 96 Aperture Priority A mode 91 95 assignment on using 103 flash sync speeds in 209 isolating subjects using 115 116 landscape photography and 92 177 180 low light photography and 208 portrait photography and 136 138 setting up and shooting in 95 situations for using 92 94 100 260 aperture settings depth of field and 50 91 103 exposure and 46 47 48 f stops and 94 landscape photography and 92 light levels and 94 portrait photography and 136 138 prioritizing 91 95 zoom lenses and 44 95 audio recording 240 242 Auto Bracketing mode 190 259 Auto Cleaning feature 34 Auto Exposure Lock feature 141 251 Auto ISO Sensitivity Control 117 Auto ISO setting 8 9 10 57 Auto mode 56 57 76 Auto white balance setting 7 autofocus system 13 14 41 203 automatic modes 53 77 assignments on using 76 77 Auto mode 56 57 effects modes 70 73 example of using 54 55 Flash Off mode 57 58 206 limitations of 74 75 Mode dial settings for 56 59 70 Programmed Auto mode and 82 scene modes 58 70 using as baseline 77 81 See also professional modes Autumn Colors scene
22. 9 more on this is in Chapter 8 e When you want to create that smooth looking water in a waterfall or rapids in a creek or river Figure 4 10 87 FIGURE 4 7 Whenever I m plan ning on freezing motion always make sure I m shooting with a fast shutter speed knew the rodeo would be giving me lots of opportuni ties for that kind of action so set my speed to be very fast so that could capture every movement of the horse and the rider ISO 400 1 200 sec f 4 280mm lens FIGURE 4 8 If you re photo graphing a fast moving subject and wish to convey a sense of motion always use a slower shutter In this image wanted to blur the back ground while freez ing the subject so it required me to use a slower shutter while following or panning with the subject in focus ISO 250 1 25 sec 9 38mm lens 88 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS FIGUR took this very long exposure of the Jefferson Monument in Washington DC using a tripod and a cable release There s no way could have held the camera steady for 15 seconds A tripod is a must for long exposures ISO 100 15 sec 16 70mm lens FIGURE 4 10 l used a cable release and tripod to photograph this small creek on Mackinac Island Michigan was able to create a smooth look to the water by increasing the length of the expo sure using Shutter Priority mode ISO 200 5 sec
23. EG file format explained 10 35 quality settings 10 11 RAW and JPEG option 38 40 reasons for using 35 white balance and 6 K kit lens 14 15 41 44 L Landscape mode 61 76 landscape photography 161 193 annotated examples of 28 29 54 55 162 163 248 249 aperture settings and 92 assignments on shooting 192 193 automatic modes for 61 68 black and white 175 composition in 181 185 exposure compensation for 173 174 181 focusing for 177 179 golden light in 176 HDR images and 189 191 hyper focal distance for 177 178 ISO settings for 166 Live View used for 178 179 Manual mode used for 100 nighttime 68 noise reduction for 167 168 panoramas and 186 188 picture control for 61 171 172 skies included in 172 173 sunrise sunset and 176 tripods used for 164 165 177 190 waterfall shots in 180 181 white balance settings for 168 171 wide angle lenses for 41 42 Landscape picture control 61 171 172 LCD display histogram in 17 20 21 Live View feature and 74 reviewing photos in 15 18 25 reviewing videos in 242 zooming in on 112 leading lines 229 230 233 lens compression 162 lens flare 256 lenses 40 44 exploring 51 how they work 40 41 kit 14 15 41 44 normal 42 43 portrait 59 150 151 telephoto 43 44 Vibration Reduction 57 165 201 wide angle 41 42 138 zoom 44 95 level feature 188 inDex 269 270 NIKON lighting Active D Lighting feature and 74
24. R 8 MOOD LIGHTING 195 Shooting When the Lights Get Low Poring Over the Picture 196 Raising the ISO 198 Using Very High ISOs 200 Stabilizing the Situation 201 Focusing in Low Light 203 Shooting Long Exposures 206 Using the Built in Flash 208 Compensating for Flash Exposure 212 Reducing Red eye 214 Flash and Glass 215 A Few Words about External Flash 216 Chapter 8 Assignments 216 CHAPTER 9 CREATIVE COMPOSITIONS 219 Better Photography Starts with Better Composition Poring Over the Picture 220 Depth of Field 222 Angles 224 Point of View 225 Patterns 226 Color 226 Contrasting and Complementing 228 Leading Lines 229 Splitting the Frame 231 Frames within Frames 232 Chapter 9 Assignments 233 CHAPTER 10 LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION 235 Getting the Most Out of the D7100 s Video Capabilities Recording with Live View 236 Dedicating a Second Card to Video 237 Video Quality 238 Sound 240 VIII NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS Playback Focusing Editing Chapter 10 Assignments CHAPTER 11 ADVANCED TECHNIQUES Impress Your Family and Friends Poring Over the Picture Spot Meter for More Exposure Control Manual Mode Avoiding Lens Flare Bracketing Exposures Macro Photography Active D Lighting Conclusion Chapter 11 Assignments INDEX 242 243 244 245 247 248 250 253 256 257 259 261 262 263 264 CONTENTS ix X NIKON D7 0 Introduction Welcome to your new camera know how exciting it
25. This number simply means the largest aperture your lens supports is f 1 4 f 2 8 or f 5 6 respectively The D7100 kit ships with a standard 18 105mm lens with an f 3 5 f 5 6 variable maximum aperture j FIGURE 4 16 Figure 4 16 It s important to know the focal range and maximum aperture of your lens Knowing the limits of your lens aperture is crucial when using Aperture Priority As a general rule the lower the number on the lens the faster it is because it allows more light in to expose the image thus reducing the amount of shutter time and the sharper the image is Typically fast lenses are heavier and more expensive but they re well worth the investment if you find yourself shooting in low light condi tions The larger the aperture is the better the exposure without having to increase ISO and introduce digital noise On the other hand bright scenes require the use of a small aperture such as f 16 or f 22 especially if you want to use a slower shutter speed That small opening reduces the amount of incoming light and this reduction of light requires that the shutter stay open longer 94 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS ZOOM LENSES AND MAXIMUM APERTURES Some zoom lenses like the 18 105mm kit lens have a variable maximum aperture This means that the largest opening will change depending on the zoom setting In the example of the 18 105mm zoom the lens has a maximum aperture of f 3 5 at 18m
26. When shooting silhouetted subjects which requires overriding the camera s meter readings Figure 4 20 ISO 4000 1 50 sec 2 8 66mm lens FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS A good rule of thumb in snow is to bump your exposure up one or two f stops if it s really sunny That should get you closer to the cor rect exposure lt y FIGURE 4 19 ISO 200 A 1 400 sec f 11 85mm lens FIGURE 4 20 ISO 100 The camera s meter will do a 1 3000 sec great job most of the time but f 7 1 when you want to get creative 35mm lens sometimes you need to use Manual mode Using Manual mode allowed me to silhouette the buildings while maintaining the warm glow of the sun CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 97 98 SETTING UP AND SHOOTING IN MANUAL MODE 1 Turn your camera on and then turn the Mode dial to align the M with the indi cator line Select your ISO by pressing and holding the ISO button on the back left of the camera while rotating the main Command dial with your thumb The ISO will appear on the top display Choose your desired ISO and release the ISO button on the left to lock in the change Point the camera at your subject and then activate the camera meter by depressing the shutter button halfway View the exposure information in the bottom area of the viewfinder or by look ing at the top display panel To set your exposure using shutter speed while the meter is activated use your
27. a greater depth of field I ll use a smaller aperture such as f 16 However sometimes Aperture Priority just doesn t work Maybe the lighting is tricky or it s close but not quite right In those cases I ll switch over to Manual mode Almost all of my landscape photography that I ve shot during the golden hours was done in Manual mode because the light changes very quickly Each photographer has a different way of doing things No one approach is neces sarily better than the other In the end it s about creating your own system so that you re consistent When you re consistent you can measure results and then make changes accordingly When first started out photographing in Aperture Priority the biggest mistake made was shooting with much too slow of a shutter speed would get blurry pic tures and would ask myself How did this happen They looked super sharp when took them would then look at the metadata image information and would see that shot the blurry image at 1 30 of a second way too slow for handholding a camera So learned my lesson and started shooting a little faster and my results improved immensely Doing things consistently and measuring results is a great way to improve your photography Don t ignore the metadata it s very helpful in understanding why an image looks a certain way and learning how to change your setting the next time to make the image stronger While the other camera modes ha
28. able to accommodate your request For example you might encounter this problem when shooting in low light situ ations If you are shooting a fast moving subject that will blur at a shutter speed slower than 1 125 of a second but your lens s largest aperture is f 3 5 you might find your aperture display in your viewfinder and the rear LCD panel will display the word Lo This is your warning that there won t be enough light available for the shot due to the limitations of the lens so your picture will be underexposed Your only remedy is to increase your ISO to accommodate the shutter speed needed Another case where you might run into this situation is when you are shooting mov ing water To get that look of smooth flowing water it s usually necessary to use a shutter speed at least as slow as 1 15 of a second If your waterfall is in full sunlight you may get a message that reads Hi because the lens you are using only stops down to f 22 at its smallest opening In this instance your camera is warning you that you will be overexposing your image There are workarounds for these problems which we will discuss later but it is important to know that there can be limitations when using Shutter Priority mode SETTING UP AND SHOOTING IN SHUTTER PRIORITY MODE 1 Turn your camera on and then turn the Mode dial to align the S with the indicator line 2 Select your ISO by pressing and holding the ISO button on the back left of
29. al scene modes can deliver 82 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS WHEN TO USE PROGRAMMED AUTO P MODE INSTEAD OF THE AUTOMATIC SCENE AND EFFECTS MODES It s graduation time and you re ready to move on to a more advanced mode but not quite ready to jump in with both feet When does Programmed Auto mode come in handy e When shooting in a casual environment where quick adjustments are needed e When you want more control over the ISO e If you want to make corrections to the white balance e When you want to take advantage of the Flexible Program mode and change shutter speeds via aperture Move the main Command dial to the left for small apertures to increase depth of field or rotate the dial to the right for large aper tures to create a shallow depth of field Let s go back to our picnic scenario As said the light is moving from deep shadow to bright sunlight which means that the camera is trying to balance our three photo factors ISO aperture and shutter speed to make a good exposure From Chapter 1 we know that Auto ISO is generally not what we want except when shooting in Auto mode so we have already turned that feature off you did turn it off didn t you Well in P mode you can choose which ISO you would like the camera to base its exposure on The lower the ISO number the better the quality of the photographs but the less light sensitive the camera becomes It s a balancing act with the main goal alw
30. alfway 5 View the exposure information in the bottom area of the viewfinder or by look ing at the top display panel 6 While the meter is activated use your thumb to roll the main Command dial left and right to see the changed exposure values 7 Select the exposure that is right for you and start clicking Don t worry if you aren t sure what the right exposure is yet We will work on making the right choices for those great shots beginning with the next chapter S SHUTTER PRIORITY MODE S mode is what we photog raphers commonly refer to as Shutter Priority mode Just as the name implies it is the mode that prioritizes or places major emphasis on the shutter speed above all other camera settings Figure 4 6 Just as with Programmed Auto mode Shutter Priority mode gives us more FIGURE 4 6 freedom to control certain aspects of our Shutter Priority mode is great for freezing or showing motion Use this mode when your photography In this case we are talking shutter speed is of utmost importance about shutter speed The selected shutter speed determines just how long you expose your camera s sensor to light The longer it remains open the more time your sensor has to gather light 86 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS The shutter speed also to a large degree determines how sharp your photographs are Even though an image may appear sharply in focus any movement by the sub ject or the camera
31. aphy and 100 setting up and shooting in 98 situations for using 96 97 253 Matrix metering mode 74 139 McCurry Steve 262 megapixels MP 38 memory cards 30 31 advice on choosing 30 dual format shots and 38 39 40 formatting 31 51 updating firmware from 33 video recording and 30 237 metering modes 139 141 AE Lock feature 141 Center weighted 139 140 141 Manual flash 211 Matrix 74 139 Spot 139 250 252 TTL 210 211 microphone 240 241 Miniature effect 72 mirror reflections 223 224 Mirror up mode 165 Mode dial 7 56 59 70 Monochrome picture control 144 145 175 motion blurring 49 87 88 107 125 126 continuous shooting modes for 122 124 focus modes for 118 121 freezing 64 87 88 108 panning 88 124 125 shutter speed and 49 108 111 techniques for conveying 124 126 tips for shooting 127 129 See also action photography Movie Record button 236 244 Movie Settings menu 237 239 241 242 movie making features See video recording mug shot pose 150 multiple image panoramas 187 188 N natural light 159 neutral density filter 181 Night Landscape mode 68 Night Portrait mode 67 209 Night Vision effect 70 nighttime photography annotated examples of 80 81 106 107 automatic scene modes for 67 68 See also low light photography Nikon D7100 camera features illustration 2 5 firmware updates 32 33 properly holding 24 sensor cleaning 34 35 Nikon Download Center 32 3
32. ays being to keep the ISO as low as possible too low an ISO and we will get camera shake in our images from a long shutter speed too high an ISO and we will have an unacceptable amount of digital noise Figures 4 2 and 4 3 For now let s go ahead and select ISO 400 so that we provide enough sensitivity for those shadows while allowing the camera to use shutter speeds that are fast enough to stop motion FIGURE 4 2 FIGURE 4 3 Look closely and you ll notice the image is grainy Notice the detail in the black plastic and how or has small pixels That s digital noise Now little noise is in the image look at the same image taken at a lower 100 ISO CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 83 84 STARTING POINTS FOR ISO SELECTION Many years ago camera manufacturers were racing to create cameras with more megapix els Today the digital race is all about higher ISO Photographers want to be able to shoot in lower light conditions without the risk of digital noise There is a lot of discussion concern ing ISO in this and other chapters but it might be helpful if you know where your starting points should be for your ISO settings The first thing you should always try to do is use the lowest possible ISO setting Your D7100 has a working range of 100 6400 That being said here are good starting points for your ISO settings 100 Bright sunny day 200 Hazy or outdoor shade on a sunny day 400 Indoor lighting at night or clou
33. ct 71 color temperatures 6 176 Command dial 59 70 83 84 complementary colors 228 composition 219 233 action photo 127 129 angles and 224 annotated example of 220 221 assignments on 233 color and 226 227 228 contrast and 228 229 creating depth through 185 depth of field and 222 223 framing and 231 232 landscape 181 185 leading lines and 229 230 patterns and 226 point of view and 225 portrait 150 158 rule of thirds 183 185 231 compression standards 35 continuous shooting modes action photography and 122 124 HDR photography and 190 memory cards and 30 contrast 228 229 cool colors 176 crop factor 12 13 Custom Settings menu 16 24 D Data display mode 18 Daylight setting 168 default settings 23 24 deleting images 18 depth creating 185 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS depth of field action photography and 115 116 aperture settings and 50 91 103 cityscape photography and 92 93 composition and 222 223 233 hyper focal distance and 177 178 landscape photography and 177 178 192 macro photography and 260 portrait photography and 136 159 telephoto lenses and 44 wide angle lenses and 42 138 Direct Sunlight setting 7 direction of travel 108 109 display modes 16 18 distance flash range and 210 hyper focal 177 178 subject to camera 111 distance compression 43 distortion 41 138 150 D Lighting feature 73 drive modes 122 dSLR cameras 24 40 d
34. dy conditions outside 800 Late night low light conditions or sports arenas at night 1600 Very low light possibly candlelight or events where no flash is allowed 3200 6400 Extreme low light some digital noise will be present however less than ever before These are just suggestions you ll have to adjust as necessary Your ISO selection will depend on a number of factors that will be discussed later in the book With the ISO selected we can now make use of the other controls built into Programmed Auto mode By rotating the main Command dial we now have the abil ity to shift the program settings Remember your camera is using the internal meter to pick what it deems suitable exposure values but sometimes it doesn t know what it s looking at and how you want those values applied Figures 4 4 and 4 5 With the program shift you can influence what the shot will look like Do you need faster shutter speeds in order to stop the action Just turn the main Command dial to the right Do you want a smaller aperture so that you get a narrow depth of field Turn the dial to the left until you get the desired aperture The camera shifts the shutter speed and aperture accordingly to get a proper exposure You will also notice that a small star will appear above the letter P in the viewfinder and the rear display if you rotate the main Command dial This star is an indication that you modified the exposure from the one the camera chose To
35. e a subject from the background such as when shooting a portrait you can use a large aperture low f stop number to keep the focus on your subject and make both the foreground and background blurry If you want to keep the entire scene sharply focused as with a landscape scene then using a small aperture high f stop number will render the greatest amount of depth of field possible CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 91 WHEN TO USE APERTURE PRIORITY A MODE e When shooting portraits or wildlife Figure 4 12 e When shooting most landscape photography Figure 4 13 e When shooting in bright skies consider silhouetting an image Figure 4 14 e When shooting cityscape photography which often benefits from a large depth of field Figure 4 15 FIGURE 4 12 The lizard was very still so was able to use a tripod and zoom in tight The large aperture helped create a smooth blurry background also known as bokeh ISO 200 1 100 sec f 5 200mm lens FIGURE 4 13 The smaller aper ISO 200 ture setting brings 1 200 sec f 10 sharpness to near and far objects 27mm lens 92 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS ISO 160 1 640 sec 22 27mm lens ISO 100 1 50 sec f 10 80mm lens FIGURE 4 14 Using a very small aperture on a clear blue day was able to create this sunburst Typically f 16 or higher will do the trick Give it a try The key ingredient is a clear sky because clouds
36. e caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it Trademarks All Nikon products are trademarks of Nikon and or Nikon Corporation Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks Where those designations appear in this book and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark No such use or the use of any trade name is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book ISBN 13 978 0 321 93496 3 ISBN 10 0 321 93496 2 987654321 Printed and bound in the United States of America ACKNOWLEDGMENTS If life has taught me anything in the past few years it s that you re only as strong as the people with whom you surround yourself To Anna my daughter we just get each other and suspect we always will Oh and quit filling my iPod with Taylor Swift and I ll quit subjecting you to Leonard Cohen Staci my love you re a rock and would be lost without you Your sense of direction is unmatched along with your taste in men Seriously love you both more than words can express Thank you for always being there for me
37. h as when you re shooting into the sun the warning will blink no matter how much you adjust the exposure because there is just no detail in the high light On the contrary if you re shooting a white wedding dress and the entire dress is blinking then you have no detail in the dress and the bride will not be happy Use your best judgment to determine if the warning is alerting you to an area where you want to retain highlight detail If you are not sure what the perfect exposure is and you have to get a good shot try bracketing your exposure We will talk more about this in later chapters As you work your way through the coming chapters you will see other tips and tricks to use in your daily photography but the most important advice can give is to take the time to understand the features of your camera so that you can leverage the technology in a knowledgeable way This will pay off in better photographs Chapter 4 Assignments This will be more of a mental challenge than anything else but you should put a lot of work into these assignments because the information covered in this chapter will define how you work with your camera from this point on Granted there may be times that you just want to grab some quick pictures and will resort to the automatic scene modes but to get serious with your photography you will want to learn the professional modes inside and out Starting off with Programmed Auto mode Set your camera on P mode and
38. her to make great images Meanwhile you will be learning how your camera works and how to apply its functions and features to your photography Q DO I REALLY NEED TO DO THE ASSIGNMENTS A In the shooting assignments at the end of the chapters give you some sugges tions on how you can apply the lessons of the chapter to help reinforce everything you just learned Can make you do them No but let s face it using the camera is much more fun than reading about it so the assignments are a way of taking a little break after each chapter having some fun and trying out your new chops Q SHOULD I READ THE BOOK STRAIGHT THROUGH OR CAN I SKIP AROUND FROM CHAPTER TO CHAPTER A Here s the easy answer yes and no No skipping around the whole time isn t the best idea because the first four chapters give you the basic information that you need to know about your camera These are the building blocks of using the D7100 After that yes you can move around the book as you see fit because the following chapters are written to stand on their own as guides to specific types of photogra phy or shooting situations So you can bounce from portraits to landscapes and then maybe to a little action photography It s all about your needs and how you want to address them Or you can read the book straight through The choice is up to you Q 1S THAT IT A One last thought before you dive into the first chapter My goal in writing this book has
39. hpit Adobe Press Apple Training and New Riders videos and books as well as content from other leading publishers including O Reilly Media Focal Press Sams Que Total Training John Wiley amp Sons Course Technology PTR Class on Demand VTC and more No time commitment or contract required Sign up for one month or a year All for 19 99 a month peachpit com creativeedge
40. hy holding your camera for 24 25 216 Vibration Reduction lenses for 57 201 video recording and 236 245 hands in portraits 155 156 NIKON D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS HDMI cable connections 242 243 Hi indicator warning 90 high dynamic range HDR images 189 191 bracketing exposures for 191 built in camera feature for 191 setting up for shooting 190 High ISO Noise Reduction feature 168 198 200 High Key effect 73 high definition video 238 Highlight Alert feature 101 102 173 181 highlights overexposure warning for 101 102 173 181 regaining detail in 174 Highlights display mode 17 histograms 20 21 horizon line 183 184 193 231 hyper focal distance HFD 177 178 192 l i button 12 59 image area setting 12 13 image formats dual 38 40 exploring 51 JPEG 10 11 RAW 10 36 37 image quality settings 10 11 image resolution 38 Image Review feature 15 242 Incandescent setting 7 in focus indicator 14 interlaced video 238 ISO button 9 23 ISO Display feature 22 ISO sensitivity settings 116 117 ISO settings action photos and 113 114 116 117 Auto ISO option 8 9 10 57 changing on the fly 114 display feature for 22 expanded settings 200 201 explained 8 9 exposure and 46 47 48 flash range and 210 landscape photos and 166 low light photos and 198 201 noise and 9 100 114 166 198 prioritizing 83 84 selecting 9 starting points for 84 J JP
41. ial that you understand not only how to control these modes but why you are controlling them So let s move that Mode dial to the first of our professional modes or as like to think of it professional light Programmed Auto mode 79 Bulb mode was a must here since needed to create an exposure over 30 seconds long Cf I F scn m ee l used a low ISO with a tripod to guarantee a high quality image free of camera shake The wide angle lens allowed s me to fill the frame while 2 being close to the subject 4 ISO 100 240 sec f 22 24mm lens Cloud s Gate affectionately known by Chicago locals as the Bean is one of my favorite subjects to shoot in downtown Chicago The Bean is made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together ground and then polished to create very reflective surfaces The trick with this shot is finding the right time of day to photograph when no one is around After spending nearly four hours on location I finally got lucky and captured the image I was looking for Killer tip lIf you re not sure what settings to use consider placing your camera in Auto mode and referencing the settings the camera uses This is a great way to create a baseline to start from P PROGRAMMED AUTO MODE call Programmed Auto mode or P mode professional light because it s a great mode to become familiar with as you transition from the automatic or sce
42. is discussed but there is more information available on this feature in the manual cover the function that applies to our specific needs and give you the page numbers in the manual to explore this function further Q SO IF ALREADY OWN THE MANUAL WHY DO I NEED THIS BOOK A The manual does a pretty good job of telling you how to use a feature or turn it on in the menus but it doesn t necessarily tell you why and when you should use it If you really want to improve your photography you need to know the whys and the whens to put all of those great camera features to use To that extent the manual just isn t going to cut it It is however a great resource on the camera s features and for that reason treat it like a companion to this book You already own it so why not get something of value from it FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS Q WHAT CAN EXPECT TO LEARN FROM THIS BOOK A My hope is that you will learn how to take great photographs My goal and the reason the book is laid out the way it is is to guide you through the basics of pho tography as they relate to different situations and scenarios By using the features of your D7100 and this book you will learn about aperture shutter speed ISO lens selection depth of field and many other photographic concepts You will also find plenty of large full page photos that include shooting data and comments from me so you can see how all of the photography fundamentals come toget
43. le item Set your camera to the largest aper ture your lens will allow Remember large aperture means a low f stop number like f 3 5 and small aperture means a high f stop like f 22 Now take a photo While still focusing on the middle subject set your camera to the smallest aperture you lens will allow and take another photo Now compare the depth of field between to the two images Giving and taking with Manual mode Manual mode is not going to require a lot of work but you should pay close attention to your results Go outside on a sunny day and using the camera in Manual mode set your ISO to 100 your shutter speed to 1 125 of a second and your aperture to f 16 Now press your shut ter release button to get a meter reading You should be pretty close to that zero mark If not make small adjustments to one of your settings until it hits that mark Here is where the fun begins Start moving your shutter speed slower to 1 60 and then set your aperture to f 22 Now go the other way Set your aperture on f 8 and your shutter speed to 1 500 Review your images If all went well all the exposures should look the same This is because you balanced the light with reciprocal changes to the aperture and shutter speed Now go back to our original setting of 1 125 at f 16 and try moving the shutter speed without changing the aperture Just make 1 3 stop changes 1 125 to 1 100 to 1 80 to 1 60 and then review your images to see what a 1 3 stop of
44. m and only f 5 6 when the lens is zoomed out to 105mm SETTING UP AND SHOOTING IN APERTURE PRIORITY MODE 1 Turn your camera on and then turn the Mode dial to align the A with the indicator line Select your ISO by pressing and holding the ISO button on the back left of the camera while rotating the main Command dial with your thumb The ISO will appear on the top display Choose your desired ISO and release the ISO button on the left to lock in the change Point the camera at your subject and then activate the camera meter by depressing the shutter button halfway View the exposure information in the bottom area of the viewfinder or by looking at the top display panel While the meter is activated use your finger to roll the Sub command dial left and right to see the changed exposure values Roll the dial to the right for a smaller aperture higher f stop number and to the left for a larger aperture lower f stop number M MANUAL MODE pilot and shoot to our heart s content It was designed to allow the photographer to take complete control of shutter speed and aperture Figure 4 17 The camera doesn t do any of the work for you Manual mode is all about con trol Keep in mind this mode was not designed for those of us who want to go on auto FIGURE 4 17 For ultimate control of shutter speed and aperture use Manual mode CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 95 FIGURE 4 18 l took this image of apes at
45. ne modes Figure 4 1 to Aperture Priority Shutter Priority or Manual mode There is a reason that Programmed Auto mode is only one click away from the FIGURE 4 1 automatic modes With respect to apertures Use Programmed Auto mode for flexible and shutter speeds the camera is doing control and as a great place to start learning most of the thinking for you So if that is professional modes the case why even bother with P mode First let me say that rarely use Programmed Auto mode because it just doesn t give as much control over the image making process as the other professional modes However we all start somewhere and much like many of you started fully auto matic moved to Programmed Auto mode and now hang out in Aperture Priority most of the time There are still occasions when Programmed Auto mode comes in handy like when I am shooting in widely changing lighting conditions and don t have the time to think through all of my options or I m not very concerned with having ultimate control of the scene Think of a picnic outdoors in a partial shade and sun environment want great looking pictures Manual Callout but I m not looking for anything to hang in a T LH 7 i tti museum If that s the scenario why choose P SE EN E SE S f each mode check out the mode over one of the scene modes Because it i table on pages 47 54 of your gives me choices and control that none of the 5 owner s manu
46. overexposure looks like Then do the same thing going the opposite way It s hard to know if you want to over or underexpose a scene until you have actually done it and seen the results With each of the assignments make sure that you keep track of your modes and exposures so that you can compare them with the image If you are using software to review your images you should also be able to check the camera settings that are embedded within the image s metadata Share your results with the book s Flickr group Join the group here flickr com groups nikond7100_fromsnapshotstogreatshots 103 264 NIKON INDEX 1 3 DX crop 12 3D tracking AF mode 119 120 14 bit images 37 A action photography 105 131 3D tracking mode for 119 120 annotated example of 106 107 anticipating action in 120 121 assignments on shooting 130 131 automatic mode for 64 composing shots in 127 129 continuous shooting modes for 122 124 conveying motion in 124 126 direction of travel in 108 109 factors to consider for 108 111 focus modes for 118 121 framing subjects in 127 freezing motion in 87 88 ISO setting and 113 114 116 117 isolating subjects in 115 116 manual focus for 120 121 portraits as 149 showing faces in 128 shutter speed and 108 111 speed of subject in 110 subject to camera distance in 111 telephoto lenses for 44 tips for shooting 127 129 vantage points for 129 See also motion Active D Lighting feature
47. start shooting Become familiar with the adjustments you can make to your exposure by turning the main Command dial Shoot in bright sun deep shade indoors anywhere that you have different types and intensities of light While you are shooting make sure that you keep an eye on your ISO and raise or lower it according to your environment Learning to control time with Shutter Priority mode Find some moving subjects and then set your camera to S mode Have someone ride a bike back and forth or even just photograph cars as they go by Start with a slow shutter speed of around 1 30 of a second and then start shooting with faster and faster shutter speeds Keep shooting until you can freeze the action D7100 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS Now find something that isn t moving like a flower Start with your shutter speed at some thing fast like 1 500 of a second and then work your way down Don t brace the camera on a steady surface Just try to shoot as slowly as possible down to about 1 4 of a second The point is to see how well you can handhold your camera before you start introducing hand shake into the image making it appear soft and somewhat unfocused Controlling depth of field with Aperture Priority mode The name of the game with Aperture Priority mode is depth of field Set up three items at an equal distance from you maybe chess pieces or something similar Now set your zoom on a focal length of 50mm while focusing on the midd
48. the camera while rotating the main Command dial with your thumb 3 The ISO will appear on the top display Choose your desired ISO and release the ISO button on the left to lock in the change 4 Point the camera at your subject and then activate the camera meter by depressing the shutter button halfway 5 View the exposure information in the bottom area of the viewfinder or by looking at the top display panel 6 While the meter is activated use your thumb to roll the main Command dial left and right to see the changed exposure values Roll the dial to the right for faster shutter speeds and to the left for slower speeds A APERTURE PRIORITY MODE Probably the mode most widely used by professional photographers Aperture Priority is one of my personal favorites and believe that it will quickly become one of yours Aperture Priority mode is also deemed a semiautomatic mode because it allows you to once again control one factor of exposure while the FIGURE 4 11 Use Aperture Priority mode when you need to control depth of field This is my favorite shooting mode camera adjusts for the other Figure 4 11 Why is this one of my favorite modes It s because the aperture of your lens dictates depth of field Depth of field along with composition is a major factor in how you direct attention to what matters in your image It is the controlling factor of how much area in your image is sharp If you want to isolat
49. thumb to roll the main Command dial left and right to change your shut ter speed value until the exposure mark is lined up with the zero mark The exposure information is displayed in the viewfinder using a scale with marks that run from 2 to 2 stops with 0 indicating proper exposure As the indicator moves to the left the image is being underexposed or gets darker Move the indicator to the right and the image is being overexposed or gets brighter To set your exposure using the aperture while the meter is activated use your finger to roll the Sub command dial left and right to see the changed exposure values Roll the dial to the right for a smaller aperture higher f stop number and to the left for a larger aperture lower f stop number Note You might have good reasons to want to overexpose or underexpose an image For instance as a black and white photographer l Il often overexpose my images by one third of a stop to assure that my shadows have some details This is just one of many creative reasons for adjusting your exposure differently than is suggested by the meter USER SETTINGS MODE SAVING YOUR FAVORITE SETTINGS TO THE MODE DIAL User settings are a great feature if you re looking to have your favorite settings at the turn of a dial These are located on the dial as U1 and U2 If you have a group of settings that you find you are using often and you want to have them close at hand then these modes are handy for you
50. ual image formats 38 40 Dusk Dawn scene mode 67 DX frame size 12 Dynamic Area mode 118 119 dynamic range 189 E editing videos 244 effects modes 70 73 Color Sketch effect 71 High Key effect 73 limitations of 74 75 Low Key effect 73 Miniature effect 72 Mode dial setting for 70 Night Vision effect 70 Selective Color effect 72 Silhouette effect 73 See also scene modes environmental portraits 138 exposure 45 48 bracketing 75 190 191 257 259 calculating 47 48 creative use of 98 factors of 45 46 histograms and 20 21 locking in 141 251 long 87 89 107 167 206 208 254 255 reciprocal settings for 47 48 Exposure Compensation feature 101 automatic modes and 74 174 highlight warning and 102 173 landscape photography and 173 174 181 shooting mode changes and 174 See also Flash Compensation feature Exposure Delay mode 22 23 202 208 Exposure From Snapshots to Great Shots Revell 45 exposure triangle 45 46 exposure value EV 45 external flash 216 eyes catchlight in 148 focusing on 142 144 red eye reduction 214 215 F Face Priority mode 146 147 faces action photos showing 128 feature for detecting 146 147 fill flash 147 148 filters Monochrome picture control 144 175 polarizing and neutral density 181 fireworks 254 firmware 32 33 checking version number of 32 51 updating from your SD card 33 flash built in 208 211 disabling 57 58 206 external 216
51. ve their place think you will find that most pro fessional photographers use the Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes for 90 percent of their shooting One big concern that have when I am setting up my camera is just how low can keep my ISO This is always a priority for me because a low ISO will deliver the clean est image I raise the ISO only as a last resort because each increase in sensitivity is an opportunity for more digital noise to enter my image To make quick changes while shoot often use the Exposure Compensation feature covered in Chapter 7 so that can make small over and underexposure changes This is different than changing the aperture or shutter it is more like fooling the camera meter into thinking the scene is brighter or darker than it actually is To get to this function quickly simply press the Exposure Compensation button right next to the shutter button and then dial in the desired amount of compensation using the main Command dial If you can t get the exact exposure you want with aperture and speed alone make little adjustments to the exposure compensation One of the reasons some people change their exposure is to make corrections when there are blinkies in the rear LCD Blinkies are the warning signal that part of the image has been overexposed to the point that there is no longer any detail in the highlights When the Highlight Alert feature is turned on the display will flash wher
52. while the shutter is open can blur the image If you think about it when you are trying to show motion you want a slower shutter speed because it blurs the image A good rule of thumb for avoiding blurry images is to always use a shutter speed as fast as your focal length For instance if I m out photographing my daughter with an 80mm lens then I ll want to make sure my shutter speed is at least 1 120 of a second taking into account that the camera is not full frame so the actual focal length is greater than the focal length of the lens Anything less than that might cause camera shake even if you re equipped with biceps as big as Popeye s The D7100 has a 1 3x magnification so if your focal length is 100mm you shouldn t shoot less than 1 150 of a second SHUTTER SPEEDS A slow shutter speed refers to leaving the shutter open for a long period of time like 1 30 of a second or more A fast shutter speed means that the shutter is open for a very short period of time like 1 250 of a second or less A faster shutter speed is used to stop motion and a slower shutter speed is used to show motion WHEN TO USE SHUTTER PRIORITY S MODE e When working with fast moving subjects and you want to freeze the action Figure 4 7 much more on this is in Chapter 5 e When you want to emphasize movement in your subject with motion blur Figure 4 8 e When you want to use a long exposure to gather light over a long period of time Figure 4
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