Nikon D750 From Snapshots to Great Shots
Contents
1. P Nikon D750 t detail T Nikon D750 From Snapshots to Great Shots Rob Sylvan Peachpit Nikon D750 From Snapshots to Great Shots Rob Sylvan 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 2015 by Peachpit Press All images copyright 2015 by Rob Sylvan Project Editor Valerie Witte Production Editor Becky Winter Copyeditor Scout Festa Proofreader Patricia Pane Composition Danielle Foster Indexer James Minkin Cover Image Rob Sylvan Cover Design Aren Straiger Interior Design Mimi Heft 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 be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it Trademarks From Sn2. Chapter 9 Assignments 251 CHAPTER 10 THE MOVING PICTURE 253 Getting the Most Out of the D750 s Video Capabilities It s All About the Lenses 254 Recording with Live View 254 Video Quality 255 Sound 257 Dedicating a Second Card to Video 259 Focusing 260 View Modes 261 Accessories for Video 263 Getting a Shallow Depth of Field 265 Giving a Different Look to Your Videos 266 Creating a Time Lapse Movie 267 Tips for Better Video 269 Watching and Editing Your Video 271 Chapter 10 Assignments 273 CHAPTER 11 ACCESSORIZE 275 Upgrades and Accessories to Expand Your Camera s Creative Potential Filters 276 Tripods 282 Remote or Cable Release 283 Macro Photography Accessories 284 Hot Shoe Flashes 287 Diffusers 289 Camera Bags 289 Bits and Pieces 290 A Word About Lenses 292 Conclusion 293 VIII NikoN D750 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS CHAPTER 12 CREATIVE COMPOSITIONS Improve Your Pictures with Sound Compositional Elements Poring Over the Picture Depth of Field Angles Point of View Patterns Color Contrast Leading Lines Splitting the Frame Frames Within Frames Chapter 12 Assignments INDEX 295 295 296 298 300 300 300 302 303 305 305 307 309 310 CONTENTS IX This page intentionally left blank Introduction The D750 is a wonderful bit of camera technology and a very capable tool for creating photographs and video that you will be proud to show others The intention of this book is not to be
3. Clean image sensor E Lock mirror up for cleaning Image Dust Off ref photo Save to U2 1 Set the camera to your favorite settings under any of the semi automatic modes or Manual mode adjusting aperture shutter speed ISO flash focus point Save user settings metering and or bracketing g g Save to U1 2 Go to the setup menu and highlight Save user settings A 3 Highlight Save to U1 or Save to U2 B then press OK to save your settings C 4 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 find it useful to set up one user setting for Aperture Priority mode with bracketing turned on and ISO set to 100 I find it too easy to forget that have bracketing enabled and to configure the other user setting for Shutter Priority mode with Auto ISO sensitivity enabled for times when freezing fast action is more important than ISO setting and I also find it easy to forget have Auto ISO sensitivity enabled This makes it simple for me to jump right to those settings but also to jump out again 99 100 NIKON D750 F Customizing My Menu An awesome characteristic of the D750 is how many aspects can be customized to suit your shooting needs One of those is the My Menu screen This is for menu items that you want to make available with fewer clicks You can add up to 20 items from the Playback
4. Virtual Horizon mode 261 262 Ww warm colors 10 181 waterfall photography 86 87 88 185 187 white balance settings 7 9 assignment on using 25 automatic modes and 75 choices available for 8 color temperature and 10 landscape photography and 172 174 Live View feature and 174 steps for selecting 9 video recording and 267 wide angle lenses 39 40 depth of field and 40 distortion caused by 139 environmental portraits and 139 140 landscape photography and 183 situations for using 40 Wi Fi feature 284 wildlife photography 247 Wireless Mobile Utility WMU 284 wireless remote 234 283 284 workshops with author 293 Z Zoom In Out buttons 116 zoom lenses 42 94
5. explanation of 12 exposure and 44 45 46 flash range and 212 landscape photos and 170 171 low light photos and 198 202 noise and 13 64 170 171 198 202 prioritizing 82 83 102 sensitivity control feature 120 122 starting points for 83 steps for selecting 12 13 J JPEG file format explained 6 35 36 quality settings 6 7 Raw JPEG option 37 38 reasons for using 35 K Kelvin temperature scale 10 Kelvin white balance setting 8 L Landscape mode 61 77 landscape photography 165 193 annotated examples of 80 81 166 167 aperture settings and 90 182 assignments on shooting 193 automatic mode for 61 black and white 179 180 clouds in 29 181 composition in 188 192 exposure compensation for 177 179 187 focusing for 182 185 golden light in 181 182 hyper focal distance for 182 183 193 ISO settings for 170 171 manual focus for 184 185 nighttime 67 noise reduction for 171 172 panoramas and 245 247 picture control for 174 175 tripods used for 168 169 182 185 waterfall shots in 185 187 white balance settings for 172 174 Landscape picture control 61 174 175 LCD display accessories for 264 291 reviewing photos in 19 23 25 reviewing videos in 271 zooming in on 116 lens cloth 290 lens flare 235 lenses 39 44 assignment on exploring 51 compatible with D750 292 DX crop sensor 292 how they work 39 normal 40 41 portrait 60 156 rental of 292 telephoto 42 43 V
6. eyes brains and hearts too behind the scenes owe everyone at Peachpit a great deal of gratitude but specifically Ted Waitt Valerie Witte Scout Festa Becky Winter Danielle Foster Patricia Pane Owen Wolfson Aren Straiger Sara Jane Todd and Nancy Aldrich Ruenzel who were instrumental in getting this book finished looking so darn fantastic and out into the world Thank you all A special thanks to David Brommer and B amp H Photo Video for help in securing the D750 used to write this book am grateful for all that have learned from my friends at KelbyOne the Digital Photo Workshops my peers at Stocksy United the fantastic instructors at Photoshop World and countless numbers of fellow photographers You all have taught and inspired me over the years also want to thank my wife Paloma for being the love of my life and my number one supporter during this project my son Quinn for assisting me on many shoots and being the model in many more and my family friends and neighbors Ea Avery Nicole Brian Randy Adrienne Emma Julia Paige Ella John Kris Gabby Ed Jaylin Alden Hayden Charlie Dan Raymond Maggie Kayla Justin Jayda Nekos for being a part of the book in large and small ways 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 D750 TOP TEN LIST Ten Tips to Mak
7. large aperture means a small number like f 3 5 Now while still focusing on the middle subject start shooting with ever smaller apertures until you are at the smallest f stop for your lens If you have a zoom lens try doing this exercise with the lens at the widest and then the most telephoto settings Now move up to subjects that are farther away like telephone poles and shoot them in the same way The idea is to get a feel for how each aperture setting affects your depth of field 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 shutter 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 Now 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 Now 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 just moving the shutter speed without changing the aperture Just ma
8. 281 282 Monochrome picture control 148 179 180 neutral density 187 279 280 polarizing 187 276 279 skylight 276 fireworks 232 233 firmware updates 32 33 51 flash disabling 57 58 220 exposure compensation for 288 external 221 223 fill 151 152 hot shoe 8 287 288 manual power mode 213 214 metering modes for 213 214 pop up 211 214 223 range distance 212 Rear Curtain Sync mode 218 219 red eye reduction 216 217 reflections from 220 221 shutter speed and 212 213 sync modes for 218 220 flash compensation feature 75 151 214 216 Flash Off mode 57 58 flash synchronization changing modes for 220 Rear Curtain Sync mode 218 219 shutter speed and 212 213 Flash white balance setting 8 Flickr group for book 25 flower photography 228 229 250 Fluorescent setting 8 172 173 focal lengths 39 44 focus modes 14 76 3D tracking 124 AF A 76 AF C 76 122 123 AF F 261 AF S 13 14 76 144 146 manual 15 124 125 184 185 207 208 focus points 13 14 123 focusing for action photography 122 125 for landscape photography 182 185 for low light photography 207 209 for portraits 144 146 for video recording 260 261 273 focusing system 13 14 207 Food scene mode 70 formatting memory cards 31 32 51 frame rate for video 256 framing action shots 129 portraits 153 155 157 160 161 Framing Guides mode 261 262 freezing motion 46 47 85 112 Front Curtain Sync mode 218 f
9. a rehash of the owner s manual that came with the camera but rather to be a resource for learn ing how to improve your photography while specifically using your D750 am very excited and honored to help you in that process and to that end have put together a short Q amp A to help you get a better understand ing of just what you can expect from this book XI XII Q Is every camera feature going to be covered A Nope just the ones felt you need to know about in order to start taking great photos Believe it or not you already own a great resource that covers every feature of your camera the owner s manual Writing a book that just repeats this information would have been a waste of my time and your money What did want to write about was how to harness certain camera features to the benefit of your photography As you read through the book you will also see callouts that point you to specific pages in your owner s manual that are related to the topic being discussed For example discuss the use of Live View but there is more information available on this feature in the manual cover the function that applies to our specific needs but also give you the page numbers in the manual to explore this function even 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
10. fantastic still photographs devote an entire chapter Chapter 10 to help you get started capturing video with your D750 Q What are the assignments all about A At the end of most of the chapters you will find shooting assignments where give you some suggestions as to how you can apply the lessons of the chapter to help reinforce everything you just learned 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 and having some fun 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 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 D750 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 photography 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 Is there anything else should know before getting started A In order to keep the book short and focused had to be pretty selective about what included in each chapter The problem is that there is a little more inf
11. its name but Aperture Priority mode is one of the most useful and popular modes in DSLR photography Aperture Priority is one of my personal favorite modes and believe that it will quickly become one of yours as well Aperture Priority is also deemed a semi automatic mode because it allows you to once again control one factor of exposure while the camera adjusts for another Why you may ask 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 element in how you direct attention to what is important in your image It is the controlling factor when determining how much of your image is sharp If you want to isolate a subject from the background such as when shooting a portrait you can use a large aperture to keep the focus on your subject and make both the foreground and background blurry If your emphasis is on keeping the entire scene sharply focused such as with a landscape scene then using a small aperture will render the greatest depth of field possible When to use Aperture Priority mode e When shooting portraits or wildlife Figure 4 7 e When shooting most landscape photography Figure 4 8 e When shooting macro or close up photography Figure 4 9 e When shooting architectural photography which often benefits from a large depth of field Figure 4 10 89 Figure 4 7 A large aperture created a blurry background so all
12. the emphasis was left on the subjects ISO 3200 1 125 sec f 1 4 50mm lens Figure 4 8 The smaller aperture setting brings sharpness to near and far objects ISO 100 1 15 sec _ f 11 45mm lens rigure 4 9 A small aperture was used to capture the smiling faces of my bees as they emerged from the hive ISO 4000 1 320sec f 8 400mm lens smaller apertures for architectural shots to keep everything in focus ISO 200 1 10 sec f 11 s 40mm lens So we have established that Aperture Priority A mode is highly useful in controlling the depth of field in your image But it s also pivotal in determining the limits of avail able light that you can shoot in Different lenses have different maximum apertures The larger the maximum aperture or f stop the less light you need to achieve an acceptably sharp image You will recall that when in Shutter Priority mode there is a limit at which you can handhold your camera without introducing movement or hand shake which causes blurriness in the final picture If your lens has a larger aperture then you can let in more light all at once which means that you can use faster shutter speeds This is why lenses with large maximum apertures such as f 1 4 are called fast lenses 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 Figure 4 11 That small op
13. 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 at the right time 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 Q What can I expect to learn from this book A Hopefully 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 photography as they relate to different situations and scenarios By using the features of your D750 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 captions shooting data and callouts so you can see how all of the photography fundamentals come together to make great images All the while you will be learning how your camera works and how to apply its functions and features to your photography Q What about video A The video recording functionality of DSLR cameras continues to improve with each new model and the D750 is right up there near the top of its class While the title of this book From Snapshots to Great Shots gives a nod to the fact that its main focus is on creating
14. you rotate the Main Command dial This star is an indication that you modified the exposure from the one the camera chose To go back to the default Program exposure simply turn the dial until the star goes away or switch to a different mode and then back to Program mode again Let s set up the camera for Program mode and see how we can make all of this come together Setting up and shooting in Program mode 1 Turn your camera on and then press the Mode dial release lock and 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 halfway 5 View the exposure information in the bottom of the viewfinder or by looking at the display panel on the back of the camera 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 84 NIKON D750 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOT
15. 84 progressive video 256 Q quality settings JPEG format 6 7 video recording 255 257 quick release tripod heads 283 R raw file format 36 37 advice on shooting in 37 HDR images and 240 picture controls and 176 Raw JPEG option 37 38 reasons for using 36 Rear Curtain Sync mode 218 219 225 reciprocal exposures 45 46 Red Eye Reduction feature 216 217 225 reflections flash 220 221 remote release cord 234 283 284 resolution image 36 video 256 257 reviewing photos 17 23 assignment on 25 display modes for 19 21 histograms used for 22 23 timer settings for 17 18 turning on feature for 17 zooming in for 116 reviewing recorded videos 271 RGB colors 10 RGB Highlights view 105 RGB histogram display mode 20 21 rule of thirds 188 190 193 S scene modes 59 7O Autumn Colors mode 70 Beach Snow mode 67 Blossom mode 69 Candlelight mode 69 Child mode 62 63 Close Up mode 65 Dusk Dawn mode 68 Food mode 70 Landscape mode 61 Night Landscape mode 67 Night Portrait mode 66 Party Indoor mode 67 Pet Portrait mode 69 Portrait mode 59 60 Sports mode 62 64 Sunset mode 68 See also effects modes screen display See LCD display SD memory cards 30 51 270 SDHC memory cards 30 Selective Color effect 73 self timer mode 205 206 semiautomatic modes 86 89 sensor cleaning 34 35 51 Setup menu 31 33 35 99 Shade setting 8 sharpening raw images 36 sharpnes
16. FF OSet Picture Control ESD Image review ON Battery info Move MIOK You can remove and reorder items over time which is bound to happen as you get more familiar with the camera and your needs change To make that menu even handier assigned the Preview button to display My Menu when pressed CUSTOM SETTING MENU f Controls Reset custom settings _ 1 OK button a Autofocus 2 Assign Fn button b Metering exposure 13 Assign preview button C Timers AE lock 4 Assign AE L AF L button d Shooting display 5 Customize command dials Bracketing flash f6Release button to use dial OFF Slot empty release lock ed g Movie 8 Reverse indicators 0 1 Press the Menu button scroll down to the Custom Settings menu and highlight f Controls A 2 Press OK then highlight f3 Assign preview button B f3Assign preview button Press fH Viewfinder grid display Viewfinder virtual horizon MY MENU FoR Access top item in MY MENU E1 Playback Press iy gt None Press command dials OFF 3 Press OK then with Press highlighted C press the Multi selector to the right to access its options 4 With My Menu selected press OK to commit the change D 102 How I Shoot A Closer Look at the Camera Settings Use The great thing about working with a DSLR camera is that can always feel confident that some things will remain unchanged from camera to camera For me these are the Aperture P
17. Photo Shooting Movie Shooting Custom o i T m Settings Setup and Retouch menus In Chapter 2 I mentioned that add the Clean image sensor function to mine for easy sensor cleaning but a few others like to add are Self timer Remote Control mode Set Picture Control Image Review and Battery Info What works for me may not work for you but that is the beauty of customization 1 Press the Menu button scroll down to the My Menu screen and highlight Add items A 2 Press OK to go to the Add items screen and highlight the menu section containing the item you want to add to My Menu B 3 Press OK to see the available menu choices from that section and then highlight the one you want to add to My Menu C 4 Press OK to add the item and use the Multi selector to choose the position for that item in the list D Press OK to commit the change ROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS MY MENU 3 Self timer Remote control mode ML L3 GOFF OSet Picture Control ESD Image review ON Battery info Add iten Remove items Rank items Add items PLAYBACK MENU PHOTO SHOOTING MENU MOVIE SHOOTING MENU CUSTOM SETTING MENU CETIID MENU j RETOUCH MENU Add items SETUP MENU N Format memory card Save user settings N Reset user settings Monitor brightness Monitor color balance Pee pee lean image senso Choose position Clean image sens 3 Self timer Remote control mode ML L3 50
18. S S mode is what photographers commonly refer to as Shutter Priority Just as the name implies it is the mode that prioritizes or places major emphasis on the shutter speed above all other camera settings Just as with Program mode Shutter Priority gives us more freedom to control certain aspects of our photography In this case we are Shutter speeds talking about shutter speed The selected shutter speed deter A slow shutter speed refers to leaving mines just how long you expose your camera s sensor to light The the shutter open for a long period of longer it remains open the more time your sensor has to gather time like 1 30 of a second or slower A light The shutter speed also to a large degree determines how fast shutter speed means that the shutter sharp your photographs are This is different from the image being 1S OPen for a very short period of time sharply in focus One of the major influences on the sharpness of He MPU Neer ES Be an image is just how much blurring is occurring based on camera shake and the subject s movement Because a slower shutter speed means that light from your subject is hitting the sensor for a longer period of time any movement by you or your subject will show up in your photos as blur When to use Shutter Priority mode e When working with fast moving subjects where you want to freeze the action Figure 4 3 much more on this in Chapter 5 Figure 4 3 Even the fastest of subjec
19. SO settings and 83 lens flare from 235 NDEX 315 316 NIKON D750 sunlight continued portrait photography and 158 159 163 white balance setting for 8 sunny 16 rule 45 sunrise sunset photos 181 231 232 251 Sunset scene mode 68 T tack sharp images 183 telephoto lenses 42 43 Time mode 234 time lapse video 267 269 timers auto off 17 18 interval timer 247 249 self timer 205 206 tonal range 22 tonemapping process 239 top of camera features 4 tripods advice on choosing 169 282 283 HDR photography and 239 landscape photography and 168 169 182 185 macro photography and 250 multiple image panoramas and 245 247 stability considerations for 168 video recording and 255 263 264 VR lenses and 169 TTL metering 213 TV connections 264 265 271 U underexposed images 23 104 updating the firmware 32 33 51 User Settings mode 99 V Vibration Reduction VR lenses 58 169 204 video recording 253 273 accessories for 263 265 assignments on 273 book recommendation 272 depth of field for 254 265 266 273 DSLR lenses for 254 focusing for 260 261 273 Live View mode for 254 255 memory cards for 259 260 270 picture controls for 266 267 273 quality settings 255 257 reviewing editing videos 271 sound settings 257 259 270 time lapse feature for 267 269 tips for improving 269 270 tripods used for 255 263 264 view modes for 261 263 white balance settings 267
20. al cameras Let s face it if you want to learn the effects of aperture and shutter speed on your photography there is no better way to learn than by setting these adjustments yourself However today with the advancement of camera technology many new photographers never give this mode a second thought That s truly a shame as it is not only an excellent way to learn your photography basics it s also an essential tool to have in your photographic bag of tricks When you have your camera set to Manual M mode the camera meter will give you a reading of the scene you are photographing but it s your job to actually 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 or Aperture Priority would mean that you just have to worry about one of these changes but Manual mode requires you 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 mode e When learning how each exposure element interacts with the others Figure 4 12 e When shooting silhouetted subjects which requires overriding the camera s meter readings Figure 4 13 e When your environment is fooling your light meter and you nee
21. al flash mode 213 214 manual focus mode anticipated action and 124 125 132 low light photography and 207 208 recomposing shots using 184 185 setting the camera to 15 25 125 video recording and 261 273 Manual M mode 95 98 232 assignment on using 107 Bulb setting in 232 234 flash sync speeds in 212 photo examples using 96 97 setting up and shooting in 98 situations for using 95 97 102 103 131 232 Matrix metering mode 75 141 142 MC DC2 remote release cord 234 283 megapixels MP 36 memory cards 30 32 choosing 30 formatting 31 32 51 Noex 313 memory cards continued roles for multiple 38 safeguard against missing 15 16 updating firmware from 33 video recording and 259 260 270 menu customization 100 101 metering modes 141 142 163 Center weighted 141 142 143 Highlight weighted 141 Manual flash 213 214 Matrix 75 141 142 Spot 141 230 232 TTL 213 microphones 257 270 Miniature effect 72 mini HDMI cable 264 265 ML L3 wireless remote 234 283 Mode dial 56 57 59 71 79 99 Monochrome picture control 147 149 163 179 180 motion assignments on shooting 132 133 automatic mode for 62 64 blurring 46 48 86 128 129 133 continuous shooting mode for 126 127 conveying a sense of 86 127 128 focus modes for 122 125 freezing 46 47 85 112 panning 127 128 133 shutter speed and 46 48 112 115 techniques for shooting 127 131 See also action photography Movi
22. always have the High ISO Noise Reduction feature turned on when shooting in JPEG mode I use Lightroom to deal with high ISO noise in raw format To make quick changes while I shoot often use exposure compensation so that can make small over and underexposure changes This is different than changing the aper ture or shutter because 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 and then dial in the desired amount of compensation One of the reasons change my exposure is to make corrections when see the blinkies in my rear LCD monitor Blinkies is not the real name for the highlight clipping warn ing just the one most photographers use Blinkies are the warning signal that part of my image has been overexposed to the point that no longer have any detail in the high lights When the Highlights feature is turned on the display will flash between black and white whenever there is a potential of overexposing in the image The black and white flashing will only appear in areas of the picture that are in danger of overexposure To turn on this feature go to the Playback menu and enable the feature as follows hey gins gt j ne 4 v Figure 4 16 At the landscape pho tography workshops I teach we end most days with light paint ing after the sun goes down My co leade
23. apshots to Great Shots is a trademark in the U S and or other countries of Pearson Education Inc or its affiliates All Nikon products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nikon and or Nikon Corpora tion 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 identi fied 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 13 409436 6 ISBN 10 0 13 409436 0 987654321 Printed and bound in the United States of America Dedication For my dear friends Brian Matiash and Nicole S Young thank you for being a constant source of inspiration to me and for all that you have given to the community of photographers around the world Acknowledgments My deepest thanks go to Jeff Revell the founding author of the From Snapshots to Great Shots series Jeff is a tremendous photographer and gifted teacher Thank you for provid ing such a sound foundation upon which to build Any book that has reached the final stage of being published is actually the work of many hands
24. ating subjects in 118 119 manual focus for 124 125 portraits as 153 154 shutter speed and 85 102 112 115 techniques for shooting 127 131 See also motion Active D Lighting feature 75 243 244 251 Adams Ansel 179 additive color 11 Adobe RGB color space 10 11 AE Lock feature 142 144 232 AF A focus mode 76 AF area modes 14 123 260 AF assist Illuminator 209 AF C focus mode 76 122 123 AF F focus mode 261 AF mode button 14 AF S focus mode 13 14 76 144 146 air blowers 291 Aperture Priority A mode 89 94 assignment on using 106 close up photography and 89 91 250 flash sync speeds in 212 HDR photography and 239 isolating subjects using 118 119 landscape photography and 89 90 182 185 photo examples using 90 91 92 93 portrait photography and 89 90 138 setting up and shooting in 94 situations for using 89 93 102 aperture settings depth of field and 48 49 89 93 102 exposure and 44 45 46 f stops and 94 landscape photography and 90 185 light levels and 93 Live View feature and 265 266 portrait photography and 138 139 prioritizing 89 94 zoom lenses and 42 94 architectural photography 89 92 audio recording 257 259 270 Auto Cleaning feature 34 35 auto exposure bracketing function 238 240 Auto Exposure Lock AE L feature 142 144 232 Auto ISO sensitivity control 120 122 Auto ISO setting 12 13 Auto mode 56 57 77 Auto white balance setting 8 autof
25. but you should put a lot of work into these lesson 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 Program mode but to get serious with your photography you will want to learn the professional modes inside and out 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 Now find something that isn t moving like a flower and work your way down from a fast shutter speed like 1 500 of a second Don t brace the camera on a steady surface Just try and shoot as slowly as possible down to about 1 4 of a second The point is to see how well you can hand hold 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 A mode is depth of field Set up three items at varying distances from you I would use chess pieces or something similar Now focus on the middle item and set your camera to the largest aperture that your lens allows remember
26. chniques to Get the Most Out of Your Landscape Photography Poring Over the Picture Sharp and In Focus Using Tripods Selecting the Proper ISO Selecting a White Balance Using the Landscape Picture Control Turn On Exposure Preview Taming Bright Skies with Exposure Compensation Shooting Beautiful Black and White Landscapes The Golden Light Where to Focus Easier Focusing Making Water Fluid Directing the Viewer A Word About Composition Chapter 7 Assignments CHAPTER 8 MOOD LIGHTING Shooting When the Lights Get Low Poring Over the Picture Raising the ISO The Simple Solution Using Very High ISOs Stabilizing the Situation Focusing in Low Light Shooting Long Exposures Using the Built in Flash Compensating for the Flash Exposure Reducing Red Eye Rear Curtain Sync Flash and Glass A Few Words About External Flash Chapter 8 Assignments CHAPTER 9 ADVANCED TECHNIQUES Impress Your Family and Friends Poring Over the Picture Spot Meter for More Exposure Control 147 149 150 151 153 153 163 165 166 168 170 172 174 176 177 179 181 182 184 185 188 193 195 196 198 201 204 207 210 211 214 216 218 220 221 224 227 228 230 CONTENTS Vil Manual Mode 232 Avoiding Lens Flare 235 Using the Sun Creatively 236 Bracketing Exposures 237 High Dynamic Range HDR Photography 239 Active D Lighting 243 Shooting Panoramas 245 Shooting with the Interval Timer 247 Macro Photography 250
27. close up photography 250 accessories for 284 287 annotated example of 54 55 Aperture Priority mode for 89 91 250 assignment on shooting 251 automatic mode for 65 clouds in photos 29 181 Cloudy setting 8 CMYK colors 10 color additive vs subtractive 11 viewing in photographs 188 warm vs cool 10 181 Color Sketch effect 72 color space settings 10 11 color temperature 10 181 color theory 11 Command dial 59 71 83 84 commander function 222 223 composition action photo 128 131 bonus chapter on xi creating depth through 191 192 elements related to 188 189 grid overlay for 191 landscape 188 192 portrait 153 155 162 rule of thirds 188 190 193 continuous shooting mode 126 127 240 Continuous servo AF C mode 122 123 cool colors 10 181 Creating DSLR Video From Snapshots to Great Shots Harrington 272 Creative Lighting System CLS 222 223 crop sensor lenses 292 Custom Setting menu 142 191 customizing menus 100 101 D Daylight setting 172 deleting images 21 depth creating 191 192 depth of field action photography and 118 119 aperture settings and 48 49 89 93 102 close up photography and 250 landscape photography and 182 183 193 lens focal length and 193 portrait photography and 138 139 163 telephoto lenses and 42 video recording and 254 265 266 273 wide angle lenses and 40 diffusers 289 diopter adjustment 14 Direct Sunlight setting 8 direct
28. control of the scene Think of a picnic outdoors in a partial shade sun environment want great looking pictures but I m not looking for anything to hang in a museum If that s the scenario why choose Program over one of the scene modes Because it gives me choices and control that none of the scene modes can deliver When to use Program P mode instead of the automatic scene 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 Program 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 change shutter speeds or the aperture to achieve a specific result 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 Program 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 photographs but the less light sensitive the camera becomes It s a balancing act
29. ctivated use your index finger to roll the Main Command dial left and right to change your shutter speed value until the exposure mark is lined up with the zero mark The exposure information is displayed in the viewfinder and on the rear LCD after pressing the info button Figure 4 15 by a scale with marks that run from 3 to 3 stops A proper exposure will line up with the taller mark in the middle As the indicator moves to the left it is a sign that you will be underexposing not enough light on the sensor to provide adequate exposure Move the indicator to the right and you will be providing more exposure than the camera meter calls for this is overexposure To set your exposure using the aperture depress the shutter release button until the meter is activated Then rotate the Sub command dial to change the aperture Rotate right for a smaller aperture large f stop number and left for a larger aper ture small f stop number User Settings Mode Saving Your Favorite Settings to the Mode Dial The User Settings mode is a great feature if you re looking to have your favorite settings at the touch of a dial These are located on the dial as U1 and U2 If you have a favorite group of settings that you find you are using often and want to have them close at hand then these modes are for you SETUP MENU Save user settings Format memory card O cm At gt Reset user settings Monitor brightness Monitor color balance
30. d to maintain a certain exposure setting Figure 4 14 95 igur 12 The camera was set to Manual so could expose properly for the bright lights while still using a slow enough shutter to enhance the feeling of motion that exists in Times Square ae ert 22 80mm lens l used the spot meter on the bright background and adjusted exposure manually to put the subject into silhouette ma f 8 200mm lens Figure 4 14 Beaches and snow are always a challenge for light meters Add to that the desire to have exact control of depth of field and shutter speed and you have a perfect scenario for Manual mode ISO 100 2sec f 8 40mm lens 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES 97 98 Setting up and shooting in Manual mode 1 Turn your camera on Press the Mode dial release lock and turn the Mode dial to align the M with the indicator line Set your ISO by pressing the ISO button select the appropriate setting by looking at the ISO readout on the control panel or by looking at the info display on the rear LCD monitor Point the camera at your subject and then activate the camera meter by depressing the shutter button halfway Figure 4 15 Use the over under scale to find your exposure settings View the exposure information in the bottom area of the viewfinder or by pressing the info button on the back of the camera and looking at the info display on the rear LCD monitor While the meter is a
31. e Shooting menu 258 Movie record button 254 255 multiple image panoramas 245 247 My Menu screen 100 101 N natural light 163 neutral density ND filter 187 279 280 Night Landscape mode 67 Night Portrait mode 66 Night Vision effect 71 202 203 nighttime photography Manual mode for 232 234 Night Vision effect for 71 202 203 scene modes for 66 67 See also low light photography Nikon D750 camera accessories 275 293 features illustration 2 4 firmware updates 32 33 setting up 5 25 Nikon Speedlights 221 222 287 288 Nikon ViewNX software 37 Nikon website 32 33 noise in images file size related to 201 ISO setting and 13 64 170 171 198 202 long exposures and 171 172 210 Noise Reduction features High ISO Noise Reduction 102 198 200 224 Long Exposure Noise Reduction 171 172 210 234 normal lenses 40 41 O OK button 116 online bonus chapter xi overexposure warning 102 104 105 177 187 Overview display mode 19 20 P painting with light 234 pan heads for tripods 282 panning 127 128 133 270 panoramas 245 247 shooting multiple image 245 246 247 sorting images for 245 Party Indoor scene mode 67 Pet Portrait mode 69 picture controls auto modes and 75 Landscape 61 174 175 Live View and 175 Monochrome 147 149 163 179 180 Portrait 60 149 163 raw files and 176 user manual info on 174 video recording and 266 267 273 pixel resolution 36 Playback bu
32. e Your Shooting More Productive Right Out of the Box Poring Over the Camera Poring Over the Camera Charge Your Battery Set Your JPEG Image Quality Set the Correct White Balance Set Your Color Space Choose Your ISO Setting Set Your Focus Point and Mode Know How to Override Auto Focus Disable the Slot Empty Release Lock 9 Turn On Image Review 10 Review Your Shots Chapter 1 Assignments ON AUN gt C2 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 the D7505 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 CHAPTER 3 THE AUTO MODES Get Shooting with the Automatic Camera Modes Poring Over the Picture Auto Mode Flash Off Mode Scene Modes Portrait Mode 28 30 31 32 34 35 39 44 46 51 53 54 56 57 59 59 CONTENTS Vv Vi NIKON Landscape Mode Child Mode Sports Mode Close Up Mode Night Portrait Mode Other Scene Modes to Explore Effects Modes When You May Never Want to Use the Auto Modes Again Chapter 3 Assignments CHAPTER 4 THE PROFESSIONAL MODES Taking Your Photography to the Next Level Poring Over the Picture P Program Mode S Shutter Priority Mode A Aperture Priority Mode M Manual Mode Use
33. ening reduces the amount of incoming light and this reduction of light requires that the shut ter stay open longer ae ME WE nh sa ON I WO na cay s t ca 272 2 7 P A wide angle lens combined with a small aperture added to the depth of field It also created the need for a long shutter speed which helped add fluidity to the falling water ISO 100 1 20 sec f 22 24mm lens gt pin ane 94 F stops and aperture When referring to the numeric value of your lens aperture you will find it described as an f stop The f stop is one of those old photography terms that technically speaking 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 expo sure 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 increments to allow much finer adjustments to exposures as well as to match the incremental values of your camera s ISO settings which are adjusted in 1 3 stop increments as well Set
34. ext Level Most professional photographers use a few select 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 known as the backbones of photography They allow you to influence two of the most important factors in taking great photographs namely aperture and shutter speed To access these modes you simply hold the Mode dial lock release and 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 essential that you understand not only how to control these modes but why you are controlling them So let s switch over to the first of our professional modes Program 79 Poring Over the Picture PT yf sed Shutter Priority Mode to ensuf fhat the 28 w P v Pag was slow enough to a lur t ter n 4 CS d paid a visit to Franconia Notch State Park in my home state of New Hampshire the other day The predominant feature of Franconia Notch is the Flume Gorge an amaz s ing cascade of water over granite I brought my tripod but I absentmindedly forgot to bring the bracket that attaches the D750 to it That tilting screen on the D750 was about to make itself really usef
35. have to adjust as necessary Your ISO selection will depend ona 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 Program mode By rotating the Main Command dial we now have the ability to shift the program settings Remember your camera is using the internal meter to pick what it deems suit able exposure values but sometimes it doesn t know what it s looking at and how you want those values applied Figures 4 1 and 4 2 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 greater depth of field Turn the dial to the left until you get the desired aperture The camera shifts the shutter speed and aper ture accordingly to get a proper exposure and you will get the benefit of your choice as a result 83 Figure 4 1 left This is my first shot using Program mode ISO 100 1 50 sec 4 5 85mm len Figure 4 2 right decreased the size of the aperture by rotating the Main Com mand dial to the left to get a greater depth of field and the shutter speed slowed down to maintain the same exposure value ISO 100 1 4 sec f 20 85mm lens You will also notice that a small star will appear above the letter P in the viewfinder and the rear display if
36. ibration Reduction 58 169 204 video recording and 254 wide angle 39 40 zoom 42 94 LensPen 290 291 light meters 95 97 141 lighting Active D Lighting feature and 75 243 244 red eye reduction and 216 See also flash low light photography sunlight lightning storms 234 Live View feature 76 aperture settings and 265 266 Exposure Preview and 176 177 Face Priority mode 150 picture controls and 175 video recording and 254 255 261 262 white balance settings and 174 Long Exposure Noise Reduction 171 172 210 234 long exposures Bulb setting for 232 234 low light photography and 210 211 225 noise reduction for 171 172 210 234 Shutter Priority mode for 86 87 lossy compression 6 Low Key effect 74 low key images 74 178 low light photography 195 225 annotated example of 196 197 assignments on shooting 224 225 disabling the flash for 220 eliminating flash reflections in 220 221 Exposure Delay mode for 206 207 external flash for 221 223 flash compensation for 214 216 focusing for 207 209 ISO settings for 83 198 202 long exposures for 210 211 232 234 manual focus mode for 207 208 noise reduction for 198 200 210 pop up flash for 211 214 Rear Curtain Sync mode for 218 219 red eye reduction in 216 217 self timer mode for 205 206 Vibration Reduction lenses for 204 See also nighttime photography luminance 22 M macro photography See close up photography Manu
37. ion of travel 112 113 display modes 19 21 display screen See LCD display distance flash range and 212 hyper focal 182 183 193 subject to camera 114 115 distortion 139 drive modes 125 dual image formats 37 38 Dusk Dawn scene mode 68 DX crop sensor lenses 292 Dynamic area AF mode 123 124 dynamic range 36 239 E editing video 271 effects modes 70 74 Color Sketch effect 72 High Key effect 74 Low Key effect 74 Miniature effect 72 Night Vision effect 71 202 203 Selective Color effect 73 Silhouette effect 73 See also scene modes environmental portraits 138 140 exposure 44 46 calculating 45 46 factors of 44 45 histograms and 22 23 long 86 87 171 210 211 232 234 previewing 176 177 reciprocal settings for 45 46 exposure bracketing 75 237 238 240 244 exposure compensation feature 102 automatic modes and 75 flash adjustments and 288 highlight warning and 104 177 landscape photography and 177 179 187 portrait photography and 142 steps for using 179 Exposure Delay mode 206 207 Exposure Preview feature 176 177 exposure triangle 44 45 exposure value EV 44 extension tubes 284 285 external flash 221 223 eyes catchlight in 151 focusing on 144 145 146 red eye reduction 216 217 F Face Priority mode 150 faces action conveyed in 131 detecting with Live View 150 fast lenses 93 fill flash 151 152 xNpEx 311 filters 276 282 close up 285 287 graduated ND
38. is in full sunlight you may see the aper ture readout blink 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 see Chap ter 7 for all the details but it is important to know that there can be limitations when using the Shutter Priority mode Figure 4 6 Increasing the length of the exposure time gives moving water a misty look ISO 100 f 13 24mm lens 88 NIKON D750 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS Setting up and shooting in Shutter Priority mode 1 Turn your camera on Press the Mode dial release lock and turn the Mode dial to align the S with the indicator line 2 Set your ISO by pressing the ISO button select the appropriate setting by looking at the ISO readout on the control panel or by looking at the info display on the rear LCD monitor 3 Once your ISO is set point the camera at your subject and then activate the camera meter by depressing the shutter button halfway 4 View the exposure information in the bottom area of the viewfinder or in the control panel 5 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 You wouldn t know it from
39. ke 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 overexposure looks like Then do the same thing going in 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 www flickr com groups nikond750_fromsnapshotstogreatshots 107 Index 3D tracking AF mode 124 12 or 14 bit raw images 36 A about this book ix xi accessories 275 293 camera bags 289 290 cleaning tools 290 291 diffusers 289 filters 276 282 285 287 hot shoe flashes 287 288 LCD viewing 264 macro photography 284 287 remote or cable release 283 284 tripods 282 283 video specific 263 265 action photography 109 133 3D tracking mode for 124 annotated example of 110 111 assignments on shooting 132 133 automatic mode for 62 64 composing shots in 128 131 continuous shooting mode for 126 127 conveying motion in 127 128 depth of field in 118 119 factors to consider for 112 115 focus modes for 122 125 freezing motion in 85 112 ISO settings and 115 117 120 122 isol
40. ocus modes See focus modes automatic modes 53 77 assignments on using 77 Auto mode 56 57 Child mode 62 63 Close Up mode 65 effects modes 70 74 Flash Off mode 57 58 Landscape mode 61 limitations of 75 76 Night Portrait mode 66 Portrait mode 59 60 138 Program mode vs 82 scene modes 59 70 Sports mode 62 64 See also professional modes auto off timers 17 18 Autumn Colors scene mode 70 B backgrounds blurring 118 119 138 139 isolating subjects from 118 119 portrait 138 139 158 159 back of camera features 3 backup battery 5 ball heads for tripods 282 battery charging 5 Beach Snow scene mode 67 black and white images landscapes as 179 180 portraits as 147 149 blinkies 102 104 105 177 187 Blossom scene mode 69 blur background 118 119 138 139 motion 46 48 86 128 129 133 bonus chapter on composition xi bracketing exposures 75 237 238 240 244 brightness 22 188 buffer camera 127 built in flash See pop up flash Bulb setting 232 234 251 bull s eye composition 188 burst shooting mode 126 127 C camera bags 289 290 camera shake 58 168 204 224 camera stabilizers 264 Candlelight mode 69 catchlight 151 Center weighted metering mode 141 142 143 charging the battery 5 Child mode 62 63 child photography 62 63 161 Clean Now feature 34 35 cleaning the sensor 34 35 51 clipping 22 Close Up mode 65 77 close up filters 285 287
41. ormation that might come in handy after you ve gone through all the chapters So as an added value for you have written a bonus chapter Chapter 12 Creative Compositions Chapter 12 will lead you through some photography tips and techniques to make your photographs even better To access the bonus chapter just log in or join peachpit com it s free then enter the book s ISBN on this page www peachpit com store register aspx After you register the book a link to the bonus chapter will be listed on your Account page under Registered Products Note If you purchased an electronic version of this book you re set Chapter 12 is already included in it Q Is that it A One last thought before you dive into the first chapter My goal in writing this book has been to give you a resource that you can turn to for creating great photographs with your Nikon D750 Take some time to learn the basics and then put them to use Photography like most things takes time to master and requires practice have been a photographer for many years and I m still learning Always remember that it s not the camera that makes beautiful photographs it s the person using it Have fun make mistakes and then learn from them In no time I m sure you will transition from a person who takes snapshots to a photographer who makes great shots XIII ISO 100 1 2 sec f 22 29mm lens The Professional Modes Taking Your Photography to the N
42. r Randy was shining a powerful light on Balanced Rock in Arches National Park while used a small pocket flashlight on the foreground stones Manual mode was required ISO 800 30sec f 9 14mm lens 1 To set up the highlight warning for your camera press the Menu button and then use the Multi selector to access the Playback menu Q PLAYBACK MENU Playback display options Basic photo info O Focus point Additional photo info Playback folder M None image only OO RGB histogram O Shooting data Image review After delete Rotate tall EA aa OK 0 4 2 Once in the Playback menu use the Multi selector to choose Playback display options and press OK A 3 Move the Multi selector down to the Highlights option and then press the OK button to add a checkmark B 4 Now move back up to the Done heading and press the OK button again to lock in your change Once the highlight warning is turned on 100 117 use it to check my images on the back of the LCD after taking a shot If see an area that is blinking Figure 4 17 will usually set the exposure compensation feature to an underexposed setting like 1 3 or 2 3 stops and take another photo checking the result on the screen repeat this process until the warning is gone AAR Highlights em select R G B Figure 4 17 The blinking black and white areas shown in this image as black are a warning that part of the image is overexpo
43. r Settings Mode Saving Your Favorite Settings to the Mode Dial Customizing My Menu How Shoot A Closer Look at the Camera Settings Use Chapter 4 Assignments CHAPTER 5 MOVING TARGET The Tricks to Shooting Sports and More 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 Manual Focus for Anticipated Action Keeping Up with the Continuous Shooting Mode 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 L Auto Exposure Lock Feature Focusing The Eyes Have It D750 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS 61 62 62 65 66 67 70 75 77 79 80 82 85 89 95 99 100 102 106 109 110 112 115 118 120 122 124 124 126 127 128 132 135 136 138 138 142 142 144 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 Te
44. riority A Manual M and Shutter Priority S shooting modes Regardless of the subject am shooting from landscape to portrait to macro l am almost always going to be concerned with my depth of field Whether it s isolating my subject with a large aperture or trying to maximize the overall sharpness of a sweeping landscape always keep an eye on my aperture setting which makes Aperture Priority my default mode If do need to control the action use Shutter Priority If am trying to create a silky waterfall effect can depend on Shutter Priority mode to provide the long shutter speed to get the desired result Or perhaps am shooting a sporting event definitely need fast shutter speeds that will freeze the fast moving action For times when need to control all settings such as when the situation is more complicated than my camera can handle automatically put it in Manual Figure 4 16 While the other camera modes have their place think you will find that like myself and most other working pros you will use the Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes for 90 percent of your shooting The other concern that have when I am setting up my camera is just how low I can keep my ISO This is always a priority for me because a low ISO will always give the cleanest image only raise the ISO as a last resort because each increase in sensitivity is an oppor tunity for more digital noise to enter my image To that end
45. ront of camera features 2 f stops 44 45 46 94 See also aperture settings G glass reflections 220 221 golden light 181 182 graduated ND filter 281 282 grid overlay 191 193 H hand portraits 162 handheld photography 58 204 224 HDMI cable connection 264 265 271 headphone jack 258 Hess Alan 223 high definition video 255 high dynamic range HDR images 239 243 assignment on shooting 251 bracketing exposures for 240 in camera function for 241 243 setting up for shooting 239 240 High ISO Noise Reduction feature 102 198 200 224 High Key effect 74 high key images 74 178 Highlight Alert feature 102 104 105 177 187 highlights overexposure warning for 102 104 105 177 187 regaining detail in 179 Highlights display mode 20 177 Highlight weighted metering mode 141 histograms 22 23 177 261 262 horizon line 188 190 193 hot shoe flashes 8 287 288 hyper focal distance HFD 182 183 193 i button 262 263 image formats dual 37 38 exploring 51 JPEG 6 7 35 36 raw 36 37 image quality settings 6 7 image resolution 36 image review features See reviewing photos Incandescent setting 8 Information On Off modes 261 262 interval timer 247 249 Introduction to the Nikon Creative Lighting System An Hess 223 ISO sensitivity auto control 120 122 ISO settings action photos and 115 117 120 122 Auto option 12 13 changing on the fly 118 expanded settings 201 202 224
46. s of photos 183 188 Shooting data display mode 20 21 Shooting menu 38 121 shooting modes automatic modes 53 77 effects modes 70 74 professional modes 79 107 scene modes 59 70 Shutter Priority S mode 85 89 action photos and 85 102 115 assignment on using 106 flash sync speeds in 212 photo examples using 85 86 87 88 setting up and shooting in 89 situations for using 85 88 102 187 shutter speed action photography and 85 102 112 115 exposure and 44 45 46 flash synchronization and 212 213 handheld photography and 204 224 lens limitations and 86 87 motion and 46 48 112 115 prioritizing 85 89 115 silky waterfall shots and 185 slow vs fast 85 tripod use and 168 VR lenses and 204 Silhouette effect 73 silhouetted subjects 95 96 Single Frame mode 126 Single Point AF mode 123 124 single point focusing 13 14 123 146 skies exposure compensation for 177 178 skylight filter 276 slot empty release lock 15 16 Slow Sync mode 218 sound recording 257 259 270 speed of subject 112 113 114 Speedlight flashes 221 222 287 288 Sports mode 62 64 77 sports photography See action photography Spot metering mode 141 230 232 251 setting up and shooting in 230 231 situations for using 230 sunrise sunset photos and 231 232 sRGB color space 10 11 star trail photos 247 249 subject to camera distance 114 115 subtractive color 11 sunlight creative use of 236 I
47. sed at the current camera settings 104 NIKON D750 FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS Sometimes such as when shooting into the sun the warning will blink no matter how much you adjust the exposure because there is just no detail in the highlights Use your best judgment to determine if the warning is alerting you to an area where you want to retain highlight detail To see the highlight or blinkie warning you will need to change your display mode To do this press the Playback button on the back of the camera and then press up or down on the Multi selector button until you see RGB Highlights at the bottom of the display screen This will now be your default display mode unless you change it or turn off the highlight warning If you really want to nerd out while in the RGB Highlights view hold the Zoom Out button and press the Multi selector to the right to view the clipping on a per channel basis With each press you ll see the letter representing the channel being viewed blink Keep pressing to the right to return to the full RGB view As you work your way through the coming chapters you will see other tips and tricks use in my daily photography but the most important tip can give is to understand the features of your camera so that you can leverage the technology in a knowledgeable way This will result in better photographs 105 Chapter 4 Assignments 106 This will be more of a mental challenge than anything else
48. t 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 able to accommodate your request Figure 4 4 Slowing down the shutter speed and following the motion conveys a sense of movement in the shot ISO 800 1 10 sec f 8 24mm lens Figure 4 5 With along enough exposure moonlight can look like daylight ISO 400 120 sec f 8 24mm lens For example you might encounter this problem when shooting in low light situations If you are shooting a fast moving subject that will blur at a shutter speed slower than 1 125 of a second and your lens s largest aperture is f 3 5 you might find that your aperture display in the viewfinder and the control panel will blink 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 It does not however prevent you from taking the shot so you need to be aware of the warning and the results Another case where you might run into this situation is when you are shooting moving water To get that look of silky flowing water it s usually necessary to use a shutter speed of at least 1 15 of a second If your waterfall
49. ting up and shooting in Aperture Priority mode 1 Turn your camera on Press the Mode dial release lock and turn the Mode dial to align the A with the indicator line Set your ISO by pressing the ISO button select the appropriate setting by looking at the ISO readout on the control panel or by looking at the info display on the rear LCD monitor Once your ISO is set 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 in the control panel While the meter is activated use your index 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 smaller f stop number Zoom lenses and maximum apertures Some zoom lenses like the 24 85mm lens have a variable maximum aperture This means that the largest opening will change depending on the zoom setting In the example of the 24 85mm zoom the lens has a maximum aperture of f 3 5 at 25mm and only f 4 5 when the lens is zoomed out to 85mm M Manual Mode Once upon a time long before digital cameras and program modes there was manual mode Only in those days it wasn t called manual mode because there were no other modes It was just photography In fact many photogra phers cut their teeth on completely manu
50. ts can be frozen with the right shutter speed 1 1000sec f 5 6 400mmilens e When you want to emphasize movement in your subject with motion blur Figure 4 4 e When you want to use a long exposure to gather light over a long period of time Figure 4 5 more on this in Chapter 8 e When you want to create that silky looking water in a waterfall Figure 4 6 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 can visualize the result of using a particular shutter speed The great thing about shooting with digital cameras is that you get instant feedback by viewing your shot on the rear LCD monitor 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 ask the quarterback to throw that touchdown pass again because your last shot was blurry from a slow shutter speed This is why it s important to know what those speeds represent in terms of their capability to stop the action and deliver a blur free shot First let s examine just how much control you actually have over the shutter speeds The D750 has a shutter speed range from 1 4000 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 is considered a semi automatic mode This means tha
51. tton 116 Playback display options 20 21 Playback menu 17 20 21 polarizing filter 187 276 279 pop up flash 211 214 assignment on exploring 225 commander function 222 223 metering modes 213 214 sync speeds 212 213 See also flash Portrait mode 59 60 77 138 portrait orientation 157 Portrait picture control 60 149 163 portraits 135 163 action shots as 153 154 AE Lock feature for 142 144 annotated example of 136 137 Aperture Priority mode for 89 90 138 assignments on shooting 163 automatic mode for 59 60 138 backgrounds for 138 139 158 159 black and white 147 149 composition of 153 155 162 depth of field in 138 139 163 environmental 138 140 Face Priority mode for 150 fill flash for 151 152 focusing for 144 146 framing 153 155 157 160 161 lenses used for 60 156 metering modes for 141 142 143 163 Night Portrait mode for 66 Pet Portrait mode for 69 picture controls for 147 149 163 tips for shooting 153 155 162 Power Aperture feature 266 Pre white balance setting 8 pre focusing the camera 124 125 prime lenses 42 professional modes 79 107 Aperture Priority mode 89 94 assignments on using 106 107 Manual mode 95 98 Program mode 82 84 Shutter Priority mode 85 89 User Settings mode 99 See also automatic modes Program P mode 82 84 automatic modes vs 82 flash sync speed in 212 photo examples using 84 setting up and shooting in 84 situations for using 82
52. ul still intended to get that silky water look by using a slow shutter speed so made a tripod out of every rock root and branch I could find to frame up my shots Tilting the screen out allowed me to compose when it wasn t possible to get my eye to the viewfinder r ee hy i gt lusedthe camera s self timer feature to trigger the shutter to avoid shaking the camera during the exposure Despite the sr n ative S nice 0 med the lens to The camera was perched ona mossy root for a firm foundation 82 P Program Mode I think of Program mode as a good place to begin for those graduating from the automatic or scene modes There is a reason that Program mode is only one click away from the automatic modes With respect to apertures and shutter speeds the camera is doing most of the thinking for you So if that is the case why even bother with Program mode First let me say that rarely use Program mode because it just doesn t give as much Manual Callout control over the image making process as To see available settings for each mode check the other professional modes There are out the table on pages 460 and 461 of the occasions however when it comes in electronic user s manual handy like when I am shooting in widely changing lighting conditions and don t have the time to think through all my options or when I m not very concerned with having ultimate
53. with the main goal always 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 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 Starting points for ISO selection Many years ago camera manufacturers were racing to create cameras with more megapixels Today the digital race is more 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 concerning 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 D750 has a good working range of 100 6400 That being said here are good starting points for your ISO settings e 100 Bright sunny day e 200 Hazy or outdoor shade on a sunny day 400 Indoor lighting at night or cloudy conditions outside 800 Late night low light conditions or sports arenas at night e 1600 Very low light possibly candlelight or events where no flash is allowed e 3200 6400 Extreme low light some digital noise will be present however less than ever before These are just suggestions you ll
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