73% of digital camera owners wish they had more control over their camera

These results from a recent poll of readers highlight a challenge that many camera owners face – they’re unable to use their camera to its fullest potential because they don’t understand the basics of how to use it.

If you wish you had a better understanding of your camera and how to get it working to its potential – we’ve developed a resource for you.

And for the next 3 days (until Friday) we’re also throwing in a bonus pocket reference guide for DPS forum members – but more of that below

Discover How Your Camera Works and Take Better Photos Today

Photo Nuts and Bolts is a brand new downloadable PDF E-Book designed to help you know your camera and take better photos.

This resource has been written by regular contributor to DPS – Neil Creek and works through a series of 10 lessons centered around the basics of photography.

10 Lessons to Give You Control Over Your Camera

Buying this book – you’ll be walked through the following topics:

Lesson 1 – Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2 – Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3 – Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4 – Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5 – Aperture
Lesson 6 – Shutter
Lesson 7 – ISO
Lesson 8 – The Light Meter
Lesson 9 – White Balance
Lesson 10 – Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation

Photo Nuts and Bolts Contents Page: Covering 10 Lessons on the Basics of Understanding Your Camera

By the end of it you’ll understand how your camera works and be in a much better position to be able to make decisions on how to best use it rather than just sit in Auto mode.

Photo Nuts and Bolts Features:

• Takes you back to basics and builds your camera knowledge from the ground up
• Smoothly animated diagrams, right in the page, showing complex concepts simply and clearly
• Photographic theory made accessible
• Demonstrates how technical concepts relate directly to taking photos
• All lessons are written with a focus on helping you to be a better photographer
• Diagrams, photographs, analogies and lists makes the book fun and accessible
• Each lesson comes with homework and exercises that you can go away and DO to make what you learn stick
• All lessons come with extra resources for you to go away and learn more about the topics covered

Sample Pages from Photo Nuts and Bolts

Who is Photo Nuts and Bolts For?

• Photo Nuts and Bolts is for any photographer who feels that they would like to know more about how their camera works, and how to become more confident at using it to take better photos.
• The E-Book is directed at Digital SLR camera owners, but the principles explained apply to every camera, from the humblest pinhole to the most sophisticated DSLR.
• You will get the most out of this book if your camera allows you to take control of the settings (including many point and shoot cameras), but owners of fully automatic cameras will better understand how to deal with the limitations of their camera.
• This book is for those who are willing to read the manual, to understand the nitty gritty, to become the best photographer they can be, rather than those who are happy to cruise by on auto, with their manual gathering dust and their photos staying mediocre.

Feedback from Photo Nuts Owners

This E-Book is brand new but the feedback from readers is already coming in:

“Thank-you, for such an innovative product. Just skimming through the book and cheat sheet tells me heart, soul and mind went into their production.” – Mary (Anacortes, WA)

“This E-Book just got me inspired. I’m reading it at my computer, then dashing outside to test what I’m learning and then coming back in to learn more!” – Grant Thompson (Brisbane, Australia)

“I always knew my camera could do more than I was using it for and now I know where to start in doing more than just pointing, hoping and shooting.” – Ian Bishop (Boston, MA)

Brand New Teaching to DPS

Photo Nuts and Bolts is an E-Book that centres around content published on DPS in Neil’s Photography 101 series of posts but has been updated and rewritten with a lot of new content including:

• Over 5000 words of new original content
• New chapters covering the topics of White Balance, Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation
• Selected reader comments and questions answered and added to every chapter
• Glossary covering lots of technical camera terms
• All content has been revised and reviewed where necessary for more accuracy

FORUM MEMBER EXTENDED BONUS: Photo Nuts Pocket Reference Guide

Grab your copy of Photo Nuts and Bolts E-Book in the next 3 days and we’ll throw in a free bonus Printable PDF Photo Nuts Pocket Reference Guide.

This is a quick guide to get you started with camera settings in various situations. For example if you find yourself Indoor in a low lighting situation it’ll suggest where to start with setting your Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. If at the beach it’ll suggest how to approach shooting in that situation.

This Pocket Guide bonus covers 10 situations and will help you to take what you’ve learned in the main book and put it into action in a practical way while shooting.

This handy little bonus will only be available for 3 days after the launch of the Photo Nuts and Bolts E-Book and we’re extending this offer to you as a forum member only (as many of our members missed the initial launch of this E-Book). After the 3 days it’ll be available no more so act fast.

30 Day Money Back Guarantee

If you’re not satisfied that Photo Nuts and Bolts E-Book is helping your photography within 30 days just let me know and I’ll refund your money – that’s how confident we are that this is a resource that will help you improve your understanding of your camera and as a result, your photography.

Got any questions about the Photo Nuts and Bolts E-Book? Check out our FAQ Page.

Download Your Copy Today

Be among the first to secure your copy of Photo Nuts and Bolts and discover the secrets to how your camera operates today. Grab your copy today – Payment is via PayPal or Credit Card.

Please do note again – this is a downloadable resource not a hard cover book. As a result there is no need for delivery addresses or postage costs.

More Reader Feedback

“This book is, without a doubt, the most user friendly introduction to digital photography I’ve come across. I’m fairly new to the DSLR world and having become bogged down in my camera’s manual and some model specific instruction books I was becoming a bit frustrated with my inability to use and understand my camera’s functions. The information in this E-Book is clear, concise, and has clarified all sorts of confusion about basic camera functions. I had a number of Eureka! moments where I figured out where I had gone wrong with camera settings in the past. I’m excited to work on some of the assignments and very much appreciate the forum support for the book that is set up through the DPS website. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for to bring my photographic skills to the next level. Thanks!” – Andrea Paterson

“This is a good solid book that teaches the foundations of photography in a concise and meaningful fashion. And even if you’re somewhat familiar with the topics, there are a lot of background and theory details presented that you don’t typically see outside of textbooks.” – Brian Auer from Epic Edits Blog

“If you are a beginner, do not understand ISO, shutter speed and aperture, or if you still prefer run to the “green little box” atop your camera, you will want to check this book out. I love the animated graphics in the book, as well as the links to more resources on the topics, things you cannot get from a print book.” – Jodi Friedman from MCP Actions Blog

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photo Nuts and Bolts: Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos

In response to this we have published an E-book, explaining in easy-to-understand language how to get the most out of your camera.

Discover How Your Camera Works and Take Better Photos Today

Photo Nuts and Bolts is a brand new downloadable PDF E-book designed to help you know your camera and take better photos.

This resource has been written by regular contributor to DPS – Neil Creek and works through a series of 10 lessons centered around the basics of photography.

10 Lessons to Give You Control Over Your Camera

After investing in this book – you’ll be walked through the following topics:

Lesson 1 – Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2 – Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3 – Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4 – Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5 – Aperture
Lesson 6 – Shutter
Lesson 7 – ISO
Lesson 8 – The Light Meter
Lesson 9 – White Balance
Lesson 10 – Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation

Photo Nuts and Bolts Contents Page: Covering 10 Lessons on the Basics of Understanding Your Camera

By the end of it you’ll understand how your camera works and be in a much better position to be able to make decisions on how to best use it rather than just sit in Auto mode.

Photo Nuts and Bolts Features:

• Takes you back to basics and builds your camera knowledge from the ground up
• Smoothly animated diagrams, right in the page, showing complex concepts simply and clearly
• Photographic theory made accessible
• Demonstrates how technical concepts relate directly to taking photos
• All lessons are written with a focus on helping you to be a better photographer
• Diagrams, photographs, analogies and lists makes the book fun and accessible
• Each lesson comes with homework and exercises that you can go away and DO to make what you learn stick
• All lessons come with extra resources for you to go away and learn more about the topics covered

Sample Pages from Photo Nuts and Bolts

Feedback from Photo Nuts Owners

This E-Book is brand new but the feedback from readers is already coming in:

“Thank-you, for such an innovative product. Just skimming through the book and cheat sheet tells me heart, soul and mind went into their production.” – Mary (Anacortes, WA)

“This e-book just got me inspired. I’m reading it at my computer, then dashing outside to test what I’m learning and then coming back in to learn more!” – Grant Thompson (Brisbane, Australia)

“I always knew my camera could do more than I was using it for and now I know where to start in doing more than just pointing, hoping and shooting.” – Ian Bishop (Boston, MA)

Brand New Teaching to DPS

Photo Nuts and Bolts is an e-book that centres around content published on DPS in Neil’s Photography 101 series of posts but has been updated and rewritten with a lot of new content including:

• Over 5000 words of new original content
• New chapters covering the topics of White Balance, Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation
• Selected reader comments and questions answered and added to every chapter
• Glossary covering lots of technical camera terms
• All content has been revised and reviewed where necessary for more accuracy

30 Day Money Back Guarantee

If you’re not satisfied that Photo Nuts and Bolts ebook is helping your photography within 30 days just let me know and I’ll refund your money – that’s how confident I am that this is a resource that will help you improve your understanding of your camera and as a result, your photography.

Download Your Copy Today

Be among the first to secure your copy of Photo Nuts and Bolts and discover the secrets of taking control over your camera to take great images today. Grab your copy today – Payment is via PayPal or Credit Card.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Get Complete Control Of Your Camera

73% of digital camera owners wish they had more control over their camera

These results from a recent poll of readers highlight a challenge that many camera owners face – they’re unable to use their camera to its fullest potential because they don’t understand the basics of how to use it.

If you wish you had a better understanding of your camera and how to get it working to its potential – we’ve developed a resource for you.

Discover How Your Camera Works and Take Better Photos Today

Photo Nuts and Bolts is a brand new downloadable PDF E-Book designed to help you know your camera and take better photos.

This resource has been written by regular contributor to DPS – Neil Creek and works through a series of 10 lessons centered around the basics of photography.

10 Lessons to Give You Control Over Your Camera

Buying this book – you’ll be walked through the following topics:

Lesson 1 – Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2 – Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3 – Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4 – Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5 – Aperture
Lesson 6 – Shutter
Lesson 7 – ISO
Lesson 8 – The Light Meter
Lesson 9 – White Balance
Lesson 10 – Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation

Photo Nuts and Bolts Contents Page: Covering 10 Lessons on the Basics of Understanding Your Camera

By the end of it you’ll understand how your camera works and be in a much better position to be able to make decisions on how to best use it rather than just sit in Auto mode.

Photo Nuts and Bolts Features:

• Takes you back to basics and builds your camera knowledge from the ground up
• Smoothly animated diagrams, right in the page, showing complex concepts simply and clearly
• Photographic theory made accessible
• Demonstrates how technical concepts relate directly to taking photos
• All lessons are written with a focus on helping you to be a better photographer
• Diagrams, photographs, analogies and lists makes the book fun and accessible
• Each lesson comes with homework and exercises that you can go away and DO to make what you learn stick
• All lessons come with extra resources for you to go away and learn more about the topics covered

Sample Pages from Photo Nuts and Bolts

Who is Photo Nuts and Bolts For?

• Photo Nuts and Bolts is for any photographer who feels that they would like to know more about how their camera works, and how to become more confident at using it to take better photos.
• The E-Book is directed at Digital SLR camera owners, but the principles explained apply to every camera, from the humblest pinhole to the most sophisticated DSLR.
• You will get the most out of this book if your camera allows you to take control of the settings (including many point and shoot cameras), but owners of fully automatic cameras will better understand how to deal with the limitations of their camera.
• This book is for those who are willing to read the manual, to understand the nitty gritty, to become the best photographer they can be, rather than those who are happy to cruise by on auto, with their manual gathering dust and their photos staying mediocre.

Feedback from Photo Nuts Owners

This E-Book is brand new but the feedback from readers is already coming in:

“Thank-you, for such an innovative product. Just skimming through the book and cheat sheet tells me heart, soul and mind went into their production.” – Mary (Anacortes, WA)

“This E-Book just got me inspired. I’m reading it at my computer, then dashing outside to test what I’m learning and then coming back in to learn more!” – Grant Thompson (Brisbane, Australia)

“I always knew my camera could do more than I was using it for and now I know where to start in doing more than just pointing, hoping and shooting.” – Ian Bishop (Boston, MA)

Brand New Teaching to DPS

Photo Nuts and Bolts is an E-Book that centres around content published on DPS in Neil’s Photography 101 series of posts but has been updated and rewritten with a lot of new content including:

• Over 5000 words of new original content
• New chapters covering the topics of White Balance, Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation
• Selected reader comments and questions answered and added to every chapter
• Glossary covering lots of technical camera terms
• All content has been revised and reviewed where necessary for more accuracy

30 Day Money Back Guarantee

If you’re not satisfied that Photo Nuts and Bolts E-Book is helping your photography within 30 days just let me know and I’ll refund your money – that’s how confident we are that this is a resource that will help you improve your understanding of your camera and as a result, your photography.

Got any questions about the Photo Nuts and Bolts E-Book? Check out our FAQ Page.

Download Your Copy Today

Be among the first to secure your copy of Photo Nuts and Bolts and discover the secrets to how your camera operates today. Grab your copy today – Payment is via PayPal or Credit Card.

Please do note again – this is a downloadable resource not a hard cover book. As a result there is no need for delivery addresses or postage costs.

More Reader Feedback

“This book is, without a doubt, the most user friendly introduction to digital photography I’ve come across. I’m fairly new to the DSLR world and having become bogged down in my camera’s manual and some model specific instruction books I was becoming a bit frustrated with my inability to use and understand my camera’s functions. The information in this E-Book is clear, concise, and has clarified all sorts of confusion about basic camera functions. I had a number of Eureka! moments where I figured out where I had gone wrong with camera settings in the past. I’m excited to work on some of the assignments and very much appreciate the forum support for the book that is set up through the DPS website. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for to bring my photographic skills to the next level. Thanks!” – Andrea Paterson

“This is a good solid book that teaches the foundations of photography in a concise and meaningful fashion. And even if you’re somewhat familiar with the topics, there are a lot of background and theory details presented that you don’t typically see outside of textbooks.” – Brian Auer from Epic Edits Blog

“If you are a beginner, do not understand ISO, shutter speed and aperture, or if you still prefer run to the “green little box” atop your camera, you will want to check this book out. I love the animated graphics in the book, as well as the links to more resources on the topics, things you cannot get from a print book.” – Jodi Friedman from MCP Actions Blog

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photo Nuts and Bolts: Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos

As is tradition at the conclusion of every year I review my year in photos and select my best photos and evaluate those that were near misses. How and why I do this was detailed in a DPS blog post I wrote roughly 1 year ago titled 10 Ways to Top Your Best 2008 Photographs.  Continuing the tradition of this on my blog I invited my readers to share their Best Photos of 2009 in a blog project I regularly run. This year was amazing with 124 people taking part sharing not only what caught their eye in 2009, but what they felt reflected their very best work.

Editing is one of the toughest things a photographer can undertake and is often the hardest skill to learn. Before you get too far into 2010 be sure you take a moment to take stock of 2009, find your very best and share it with the world. Below are the 124 photographer who took part in my blog project. Enjoy perusing these photographers work and if you have a best of blog post or Flickr set add a link in the comments below for everyone to enjoy.

Best of 2009 Photos
content courtesy of JMG-Galleries

1. Best Photos of 2009 - Jim M. Goldstein | JMG-Galleries
2. Best of 2009 Photo Set - Heikki Salmi
3. Top 10 2009 - Chris Moore | Exploring Light Photography
4. Best of 2009 - Wat Chedi Luang | FocusPocus
5. Best of 2009 - Dave Wilson | News and Views
6. Five For Friday – Favorites of 2009 - Craig Ferguson Images | Cultural Photography
7. Best Photos of 2009 - David Cleland | Flixelpix
8. Best Photos 2009 - Chuq Von Rospach | chuqui 3.0
9. 2009 Favorites - G Dan Mitchell | G Dan Mitchell Photography
10. Best of 2009 - Roberta Murray | Uncommon Depth
11. My Year in Pictures - Jon McCormack Photography
12. Top 10 Photos of 2009 - Steven Bourelle | SierraVisions
13. 2009: Year in Review - Stephen Zacharias
14. 2009 – A Photographic Year in Review - David Taylor | Sixtyone North
15. Best Photos of 2009 - Tony Rath Photography
16. Top 10 of 2009 - Steve Cole Photography Blog
17. my top ten shots of 2009 - Tom Varden
18. Best of 2009 - Mario Batalla
19. My Top 10 Photos from 2009 - Justin Korn [dot] com
20. Best of 2009 - Inge Fernau | Magical Glow Photography
21. My Favorite Photos From 2009 - Brian Auer | Epic Edits
22. Best Photos From 2009 - Janis Janums Photography
23. Best of 2009 - Tim Parkin | Still Developing
24. 2009 Retrospective - Jan Klier | AllKlier Photography
25. Best of 2009 - Jenni Brehm | Changing Perspectives
26. 2009 in Pictures - Hitesh Sawlani | A Visual Treat
27. Year 2009 in pictures - Minna Kinnunen | The Quiet Picture
28. 2009 in front of my Lens - Marcin Retecki Photography
29. Best of 2009 - Peter Carr | Vanilla Days
30. Best of 2009 - Dave Reichert
31. My top favourites from 2009 - Ricky Law
32. Best of 2009 - Joshua Beckman |PhotoVandal
33. 2009 Top Ten - Jessica Sweeney | Quotidian Photography
34. My favourite shots in 2009 - Catalin Marin | Momentary Awe
35. Best Photos of 2009 - Suzy Walker | Reef Beasties
36. My Best of 2009! - Michelle Johnson | My Two Seasons
37. The Best of 2009 - Photographic Phantasy: Photography by Samantha Genier
38. Best of Photos Part I-IV - Chuck Goolsbee
39. Statue of Liberty 2009 - Scott Dunn
40. My Favorite Photos of 2009 - Ed Rosack | Central Florida Photo Ops
41. Best Photos from 2009 - Jim Wheeler
42. Year in Review 2009 - Laurie Ballesteros | Photine
43. Favorites of the Year - Ken Trout | Lunch is Optional
44. Year 2009 in Korwel photography - Iza Korwel | Korwel Photography
45. Best of 2009 - Uschi Gerschner Photography
46. Top Five Images from 2009 and Keeping It New - Mike Cavaroc
47. Wrapping up 2009 - Ivan Makarov Photography
48. Favourite Nine from 2009 - Todd Metcalfe | Daily Grind Photography
49. Favorite Images of 2009! - Allison Pluda | Seneca Creek Photography
50. Best photos of 2009: Non Portrait Pictures - Julie Provost | Julie Loves Photography
51. 2009 in 12 beelden - Jeroen Mentens | FaunaFlora.org
52. Reflections on images of 2009 - Mark Graf | Graf Nature & Wildlife Photography
53. An End of Year Retrospective for 2009 - Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston | Journey of Light Photography
54. Top Ten Photos Of 2009 - Jed Link | Mr. & Mrs. Link
55. YEAR IN REVIEW – TOP 5′S OF 2009 - Matt Graham
56. Ten Best for 2009 - Dan Baumbach
57. Top 10 Photographs For 2009 - Seung Kye Lee – fine art landscape photography
58. My 10 Favorite photos of 2009 - Alex Budak | Unpopped Collar
59. Best Photos of 2009 - Dave Hammaker Photography
60. My Best Photos of 2009 - D. Travis North | Shutter Photo
61. Favourite Pictures of 2009 - Janne Moren | Janne in Osaka
62. My Best Photos of 2009 - Michael Spivak | Developing The Fixer
63. 2009 Favourite - Marc Hodges | sevennine
64. NZ Opera: Macbeth behind the scenes - Alexia Sinclair
65. The Best of ‘09 - Porter Watkins
66. Respect - Paul (Slimeface) Tarin
67. Best Images for 2009 - Giovanni Russello | GRGalleries
68. Happy 2010 / Best of 2009 - William Neill Photography
69. Top 10 Photos of 2009 - Digital Kloc Photography
70. Best Photos of 2009 - Dave Schumaker
71. Best of 2009 - G. Kaltenbrun | gZphotoGraphs
72. Favourite landscape photographs from 2009 - Jonathan Martin-DeMoor | Silvicola borealis Images
73. Top 5 of 2009 - Jim Maher | Jim Maher Photoworks
74. Favourites 2009 - Chris Gin
75. Best Photographs of 2009: Globetrotting - Justin Shifrin | J. Stuart Studios
76. Best 10 of 2009 - Duffy Knox | The View Through My Glass
77. Best of 2009 - Rian Castillo | Digitized Chaos
78. Best of 2009 - Rick Goldwasser
79. Best of 2009 - Jeremy Brooks
80. My best from 2009 - Massimo Belloni
81. Favorites of 2009 - Pat Ulrich Photography
82. Best Photos of 2009 - Nick Fuller | JadeGreenImage
83. Best of 2009 - Stig Nygaard | Rockland
84. My Fave 5 from 2009 - Greg Russell Russell
85. Best Images of 2009 - Peter Cox Photography
86. My Favourite Photos of 2009 - Daniel Loshak
87. Favorite photo - Lacey Smith | Lace’s Photography
88. 2009 Year in Pictures - Lane Hartwell | The Post and Review
89. Ten More from 2009 - Ann Torrence
90. Best of 2009 - Ken Snyder
91. Best of 2009 - Simon Ponder | Simon Says
92. TOP Photos of 2009 - Gary Crabbe | Enlightened Images
93. 2009 Top 10 - Steven Scherbinski | Randomness
94. Looking back, looking forward - Kevin Ebi | Living Wilderness Nature Photography
95. Best of 2009 - Todd Heckert | Great Lakes Exposure
96. MY BEST PHOTOS of 2009 - Sean Willis Photography
97. Best Photos of 2009 - Andre Maltais | Maltphoto
98. Top 9 of 2009! - Jenna Stirling
99. 2009 in review, the photo version - Sam Bloomberg-Rissman Photography
100. Favorite Photos from 2009 - Ron Niebrugge | Niebrugge Images
101. Niner for Zero Niner before Zero Niner of Zero Ten - Jay Goodrich Photography
102. Best of 2009 - Prajit Ravindran
103. Photos of 2009 + Flickr Set- Carl Donohue | Skolai Images
104. Top 12, 2009 - John Fujimagari
105. Top 10 Photos of 2009 - Mike Criss
106. 2009 IN REVIEW - Kriz Cpec | kRiZ cPEc Photo Blog
107. My Favorite Photos of 2009 - Greg Lato | latoga photography
108. Best of 2009 - Andree Oulmann | On Linden Way
109. 10 Favorite Pictures of 2009 - Chris Williams | Hidden Light Photography
110. Your Best Photos From 2009 - Gurbir Singh Brar | Fotovala
111. Landscape Photography My Best of 2009 - Steve Sieren
112. Best of 2009 - Torsten Curdt
113. Best of 2009 - Stefan Neuweger | addicted2pixels
114. Image Picks from 2009 - Neil Corman Photography
115. Jahresrückblick (fotografisch) - Steffen Goethling | Lens-Flare.de
116. Best Photos of 2009 - Mike Reys |pl?dys
117. My Best Photos from 2009 - Terri Jacobson | Greyhound Gardens
118. My best photos of 2009 - Bryan Villarin | All Narfed Up
119. Best of 2009 - Heidi Donat
120. Best of 2009 - Pedja Pavlicic
121. Best of 2009 - Matthew Sallee | IAmMatt
122. Best of 2009 - Go2Grl
123. 10 Top Photos of 2009 - Gavriel Jecan Photography
124. My Top 10 Photos for 2009 - Neil Creek Photography

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

124 “Best Photos of 2009″ Blog Posts

Photo: Rainer Ebert - CC license

The following post is from Australian photographer Neil Creek who is running a photo studio in The Melbourne Anime Festival convention on the 21st-23rd of this month, and is developing his blog as a resource for the passionate photographer.

Over the past few months, I have been running this class to introduce readers to the fundamentals of the camera: the physics behind it all, how lenses and optics work, the mechanics of the camera and how to set and determine a photo’s exposure. I’ve tried to cover the basics of the camera, but I’m sure there are lots of questions that have gone unanswered.

Here’s What We’ve Covered Previously in this Series:

Lesson 1: Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2: Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3: Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4: Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5: Aperture
Lesson 6: Shutter
Lesson 7: ISO
Lesson 8: Light Meter

Last time I threw the floor open to readers to ask questions on the topic of “A basic course on the camera”. There were many takers, and the topics covered were a lot broader than the original topic! Rather than pick out just a handful of questions, I’ve decided to try and answer most of them with brevity and accuracy. I haven’t answered every question, and there may be better or more detailed answers to the ones I have. I encourage other readers to add their own thoughts via the comments.

I would also like to thank reader Eric Carson who offered his own answers to many of the questions submitted. You can read his thoughts in the comments on the previous post.

Below I have paraphrased each question to get to the core, but you can read each question in full by clicking on the reader’s name. You will be taken to their comment on the previous post.

Answers

Q1. Suresh: Is there a way to decrease the light getting into the camera when you’re at the minimum aperture, but want a slow shutter speed for creative effect?

A1: In these cases, you are best using a neutral density filter. It blocks light in a controlled way without affecting the colour. You can also do this to a lesser degree with a polarising filter.

Q2. Peter: How can I best shoot a couple who have very different skin tones without running into trouble?

A2: The average difference in skin tones is well within the exposure range that a DSLR can effectively capture. If you light well enough for the dark skinned individual, then the fair skinned individual should still be correctly exposed. You can tweak this with exposure compensation.

Q3. Jason Rosenberg: What’s the best way to get good sharpness, contrast and saturation in-camera?

A3: This is a complex question as each is different, but the most important factors for each are: sharpness – ensure accurate focus and eliminate motion blur with a fast shutter; contrast – avoid lens flare with a hood and keeping direct light off the lens; saturation – you are mostly at the mercy of the elements but slightly under exposing and effective use of a polarising filter can both help.

Q4. Danferno: People often say they don’t want to put a cheap UV filter on an expensive lens, because it would ruin the quality. Is that true?

A4: This is a fairly subjective question. I feel that the added two optical surfaces of the UV filter (front and back) increase the risk of flare and reduce contrast/sharpness enough to prefer not to use them.

Q5. Reznor, Peter, Shaun and Martin Barabe: A flash photography 101 series?

A5: It’s hard to imagine anyone being able to do a better job on this subject than David Hobby at http://strobist.com. I recommend reading his Lighting 101 and Lighting 102 courses.

Q6. Phil: What is meant by the terms “elements” and “groups” in lens descriptions, such as “16 elements in 12 groups”?

A6: As hinted at in Lessons 2 and 3 on lenses, the actual optics in most camera lenses is very complex. To provide accurate zoom, focusing, colour and other critical functions a series of lenses are used. Inside the bodies of DSLR lenses are a series of a few or many lenses, each piece of glass being referred to as an “element”. Sometimes, these elements are actually physically glued together into doublets, triplets or more. These are called “groups”. The elements count includes all of the lenses in any groups in the lens.

Q7. Krystle: How can I get correctly exposed photos of fast moving sports in dimly lit stadiums?

A7: This is one of the most challenging problems in photography. You’re working at the limits of the camera and lens’ abilities. You can increase the ISO as you mentioned, and opening up the aperture as wide as possible will help, but beyond that, the best thing you can do is get more light into the camera. You need a very “fast” lens to do this, with a large diameter front element. These lenses are very expensive, and are the kind you see in the media pit at sporting events. On a more accessible budget, your best alternative is to look into the possibility of adding light with a flash. This is a complex issue in itself and may be frowned upon at certain venues. I recommend reading the aforementioned Strobist.com lighting series.

Q8. Raheel: What are recommended settings and techniques for capturing lightning?

A8: At night or in the evening, set to f8 or thereabouts, 100ISO, use a remote shutter release and tripod. Focus on the most remote thing in your scene and open the shutter. Wait for a lightning strike, and then close the shutter. If there is any light about, you may need to limit yourself to 30second or shorter photos. If you capture any lightning look at the result and if the bolt is too bright, or dark, close or open your aperture respectively. If the sky is too light or dark, decrease or increase your shutter time respectively.

Daylight lightning is much harder to capture as you are limited to far shorter exposure times to prevent blowing out the photo. Try using a narrow aperture, a neutral density filter or polarising filter. In both situations, day or night, keep taking photos constantly as long as the lightning is around.

Q9. Renj: I am experiencing severe flaring on one side of my photos, why and how can I prevent it?

A9: Usually problems with flaring are as a result of shooting with a very bright object in, or just outside the edge of the frame. Try and shade the lens to prevent flaring. However in your case, since the flaring is consistent and from the same position in each shot, it sounds to me more like you may have a light leak in your camera. Check it for damage, and make sure the lens is correctly mounted. If you still have problems, take the camera and example photos to a camera repair store.

Q10. Carrie Alfaro: I have some photos taken with low resolution. They look terrible when printed. How can I increase the resolution to improve them?

A10: I’m afraid that once the images are in low resolution there is nothing you can do to increase the resolution. You may be able to upscale and sharpen the images slightly in image processing software, but they’ll never be as good as images taken at high resolution to start with. I recommend using the highest resolution your camera can take. You can always downsize images that are too big. You can’t really do the reverse.

Q11. Robert: What are the best settings to photograph the moon?

A11: It depends on the phase of the moon, the clarity of the air and other factors, but I have had success shooting with settings similar to the following: f11, 1/200sec, ISO100. Zoom in as far as you can, put the camera on a tripod and use a self timer or remote shutter to minimise the effect of camera shake. Take your photo, look at the result and adjust. I’d recommend increasing your shutter speed if it is too bright, and opening your aperture if it is too dark, up to about f8. Beyond f8, I’d recommend increasing the ISO.

Q12. Karese: What is the best way to photograph objects in display cases or museum displays behind glass and in low light?

A12: You may not have the option to try all these suggestions in a busy museum, but try and do what you can. To shoot with low light and no artificial light, put the camera on a tripod and use longer exposures. To avoid reflections, hold a large black sheet or card behind the camera from where you can see the reflections coming. A polarising lens may also help to reduce reflections.

Q13. Dave Williams: I would like some advice on flash sync speed.

A13: I’m sorry Dave, but flash sync speed is a topic I’m not familiar enough with to give you decisive answers. I would recommend you search for an answer to your questions at http://strobist.com My apologies for not being able to offer more help than that.

Q14. Ajith: My lens says the aperture is f4-5.6, yet I can set the aperture to f11. How is this possible?

A14: The aperture range described on your lens is not the range of apertures that your lens is able to use. Rather it is the range of maximum aperture settings it can use at various zoom lengths. Zoom lenses offer a range of focal lengths, but changing the focal length usually also changes the aperture. At longer focal lengths, zoom lenses are typically not able to achieve as wide an aperture setting as they are at shorter focal lengths. Your lens can go to f4 when it is at its widest and 5.6 when it is at its longest. Some very expensive high-end lenses are able to achieve a long focal range, with maintaining a fixed aperture, such as the popular 70-200mm f2.8.

In Conclusion

This post concludes the Photography 101 series, A Basic Course on the Camera. I hope that you have enjoyed the lessons, and now have a better understanding of how your camera works, why it’s important to learn about the camera, and are already seeing an improvement in your photography as a result.

If you have enjoyed the series and want more, fear not, this is not the last you will see of Photo 101. I am working on a secret project related to Photo 101, and hopefully will be able to reveal it to you all soon. Keep watching Digital Photography School for news.

Going forward I would like to start a new series in the near future, Photography 102 – A Basic Course on Taking Photos. In this course I plan to look at photographic technique, and applying the lessons we have learned in Photography 101. It will be a more practical course, and will aim to help you improve your photography by providing instructions, tips and techniques for a variety of real-world settings.

Until then, class dismissed! :)

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photo 101: Answer Time

Photo: Rainer Ebert - CC license

The following post is from Australian photographer Neil Creek who is teaching classes in portrait photography in Melbourne Australia, and is developing his blog as a resource for the passionate photographer.

Over the past few months, I have been running this class to introduce readers to the fundamentals of the camera: the physics behind it all, how lenses and optics works, the mechanics of the camera and how to set and determine a photo’s exposure. I’ve tried to cover the basics of the camera, but I’m sure there are lots of questions that have gone unanswered.

For this lesson, I’m opening up the classroom to your questions. Leave your questions on the subject of “A basic course on the camera” in the comments below. Have a read of the previous lessons so far to see if your question has been answered and if there’s anything you don’t understand:

Here’s What We’ve Covered Previously in this Series:

Lesson 1: Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2: Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3: Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4: Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5: Aperture
Lesson 6: Shutter
Lesson 7: ISO
Lesson 8: Shutter

Selected Questions Will Be Answered

Leave your questions about the camera in the comments on this post below. I will choose a number of questions, approximately five to seven, and answer them as best I can. The answers to the selected questions will appear in the next, and final post in the Photography 101 series.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photography 101 – Question Time

Photo: Rainer Ebert - CC license

The following post is from Australian photographer Neil Creek who will soon be teaching a class in portrait photography in Melbourne Australia, and is developing his blog as a resource for the passionate photographer.

Welcome to the seventh lesson in Photography 101 – A Basic Course on the Camera. In this series, we cover all the basics of camera design and use. We talk about the ‘exposure triangle’: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. We talk about focus, depth of field and sharpness, as well as how lenses work, what focal lengths mean and how they put light on the sensor. We also look at the camera itself, how it works, what all the options mean and how they affect your photos.

This week’s lesson is The Light Meter.

Here’s What We’ve Covered Previously in this Series:

Lesson 1: Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2: Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3: Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4: Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5: Aperture
Lesson 6: Shutter
Lesson 7: ISO

In previous lessons we have talked about the basic theory of how a camera works, including some basic optics, and introduced the idea of exposure and how we control it with the exposure triangle. Now that we have covered each of the points of the exposure triangle, it’s time to bring them all together with the tool at the core, the light meter.

What is the Light Meter?

A challenging scene to meter

For as long as people have been taking photos, there has been a need to determine how bright a scene is. Any method of recording light can only work in a relatively narrow band without over or under exposing the image. To find the correct exposure that will record the image without over or under exposing it too much, photographers need to know how bright the scene is. An extremely talented photographer may be able to guess a near-enough exposure, but a light meter is a far more accurate and convenient way to do it.

Light meters in cameras react to how intense the light is as seen from the camera. SLRs measure the light (called metering) through the lens – TTL. They collect light that has actually passed through the camera’s lens and measure its intensity. There are problems when the scene has parts that are much brighter or darker than others, for example shadows on a sunny day. This can trick the light meter into measuring the intensity of the light incorrectly, depending on which part of the scene was illuminating the sensor.

Modern SLR cameras use multi-point light meters, meaning that several light meters are actually scattered around the projected scene, each measuring the light intensity at that point. Very sophistocated cameras may have dozens of metering points. How much the measured intensity of the light at each point influences the final meter reading depends on the metering mode selected by the photographer.

For a more detailed look at metering modes, you can read: Introduction to metering modes.

How to Use the Light Meter

As we now know, the correct exposure is created by juggling the three points of the exposure triangle: aperture, shutter and ISO. The light meter is the tool that puts us in the right neighbourhood for how these should be set. If you are shooting on full auto, then when you meter the scene – usually done at the same time as focusing, by half pressing the shutter – the light meter gives its best guess for each of these variables.

If you want to take creative control of the photo, you can manually set each of the three variables yourself. Typically ISO is left at the default, or previous setting, and you take control by choosing aperture priority or shutter priority. On most DSLRs that’s done by turning the exposure mode dial. If you set the dial to Av – aperture priority, the photographer chooses what the aperture will be, and the light meter adjusts the shutter speed to mantain the correct exposure. The reverse is true for Tv – shutter priority.

When using these modes, it’s useful to refer to the exposure meter display on the camera. The exposure meter (display) shows the result of the measurement taken by the light meter (sensor). It will typically look something like this:

Exposure meter display on LCD

Exposure meter display in viewfinder

Each number represents a stop change in the light, as indicated, with the central mark being the “correct” exposure, as determined by the light meter. Each pip between the numbers represents one third of a stop. The arrow underneath indicates how close the current settings are to the correct exposure. Usually in priority modes, the arrow will stay in the middle as the light meter will be able to set the exposure correctly. However, if for example you set your aperture to 1/400sec in Tv (shutter priority mode) and the light meter indicated that you needed an aperture of f4, but your lens was only capable of f5.8, then the exposure meter will display one stop of underexposure. You will need to compensate for this by setting a longer shutter time, or increasing the ISO.

The juggling act becomes more complicated, and the light meter’s assistance more valuable, when you go to full manual control of the exposure. Here the exposure meter simply displays whether the current settings will under or over expose the image, according to the light meter. The photographer can freely change any of the values on the exposure triangle, and see the change to the predicted versus recommended exposure.

Exposure compensation

Even though the light meter in your camera is pretty sophistocated, sometimes it can get it wrong, especially with harsh contrasts, or highly reflective surfaces. Changing metering modes may help this, but a more controlled approach is to use exposure compensation. Imagine you are photographing a person against a large bright sky. The light meter thinks the sky is the most important part, and exposes correctly for that, leaving the person a dark silhouette. By using exposure compensation, you can tell the camera to take the metered exposure and make it brighter by a chosen amount. This will then allow the photographer to correctly expose the person. I’ll look at exposure compensation in more detail in a future post.

Examples

To show you how the different exposure modes might work in real world situations, here are some scenarios. The settings given below are what they happened to be for the examples shown. Settings for your own photo will be different.

Scanario 1 – Sports

• High speed is needed to freeze action
• Use Shutter Priority
• Set shutter speed to 1/800sec
• The light meter sets the aperture to f10
• If under exposed, change ISO to compensate – ISO400

Scanario 2 – Portrait

• An artistic narrow depth of field is desired
• Use Aperture Priority
• Set aperture to f5.6
• The light meter sets the shutter to 1/160sec
• If under exposed, change ISO to compensate – ISO100

Scenario 3 – Night scenery

• Ambient light is too low to accurately meter
• Use full Manual
• Set aperture to suit scene, erring to wider – f11
• Set a long shutter speed to light meter’s best guess – 20sec
• Set ISO to lowest possible for correct exposure – ISO100
• Take a test shot and adjust settings if the light meter got it wrong

Scenario 4 – Off-camera manual flash

• On auto, meter the scene and note settings
• Set camera to one or two stops under exposed
• Set up flashes and tweak power to expose correctly
• Tweak the flashes exposure by adjusting aperture
• Tweak the ambient light by adjusting shutter speed
• Settings for example shot: 1/160sec f8 ISO125, click image for flash details.

Homework

• Put the camera in auto mode and half press the shutter. While looking through the viewfinder, pan around a scene and see how the automatically selected camera settings – f ratio and shutter speed – change. This preview will disappear after a few seconds, so half press the shutter again for another look.
• Set the camera in shutter priority mode and choose a shutter speed for effect, eg: short for sports, long for motion blur. Shoot different scenes and note how the camera adjusts the aperture to balance the exposure.
• Do the same as above for aperture – wide for shallow depth of field, narrow for focus detail at all distances.
• Get adventurous and put the camera on full manual. Adjust the camera settings yourself, and watch the arrow below the exposure meter. Tweak the settings to get the arrow in the middle of the meter – half press the shutter while looking at your scene to take a meter reading.
• Try to apply what you have learned to make creative photos that take advantage of the different exposure modes.

Resources

• Light meter – at Wikipedia
• Understanding Camera Metering and Exposure – At Cambridge in Colour
• Ultimate Exposure Computer – At fredparker.com
• Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes – at Digital Photography School

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photography 101.8 – The Light Meter

Photo: Rainer Ebert - CC license

The following post is from Australian photographer Neil Creek who just launched a free background image site featuring his photography, and is developing his blog as a resource for the passionate photographer.

Welcome to the seventh lesson in Photography 101 – A Basic Course on the Camera. In this series, we cover all the basics of camera design and use. We talk about the ‘exposure triangle’: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. We talk about focus, depth of field and sharpness, as well as how lenses work, what focal lengths mean and how they put light on the sensor. We also look at the camera itself, how it works, what all the options mean and how they affect your photos.

This week’s lesson is ISO.

Here’s What We’ve Covered Previously in this Series:

Lesson 1: Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2: Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3: Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4: Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5: Aperture
Lesson 6: Shutter

In previous lessons we have talked about the basic theory of how a camera works, including some basic optics, and introduced the idea of exposure and how we control it with the exposure triangle. In this lesson we will be drawing upon what we have learned to understand the third point on the exposure triangle – ISO – and how it works to create your photo.

ISO is probably the most mysterious and complicated aspects of modern photography. ISO simply stands for International Organisation for Standards, and refers to – in simplest terms – the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor. Confusingly, there are several different standards, some which measure different things, and only a few completely agree with each other. To understand how to use ISO in your photography, you don’t need to know anything about that. You should understand how the camera’s sensor chip works, however.

The Sensor Chip

Fig 1.7.0 A typical digital camera sensor and mount.

The sensor inside your digital camera actually works on the same principle as a solar cell. When light hits the chip, a tiny electric current is generated: the brighter the light, the stronger the current. Instead of there being one giant solar panel generating lots of electricity, there are millions of extremely tiny solar cells collecting very small and precisely measured amounts of light. These photosites will eventually create the pixels in the image you capture.

It should be noted that a photosite is not the same as a pixel. Several photosites will add their captured light, which is filtered and processed and eventually combined to make a pixel. That’s a complex topic for discussion in another lesson.

All of this carefully measured electrical current, which reflects light intensity, is measured and stored by the camera’s circuitry. This data is called the signal. The signal, however, must compete with the noise inherent in all electrical equipment.

Signal vs Noise

Fig 1.7.1 Noise is at a contstant background level to the signal.

An unavoidable fact of electronics is noise. While the sensor is measuring the tiny electronic currents generated by the light, there is also a tiny electric current that comes from other places. This unwanted current is called noise, and it mostly comes from the ambient heat of the sensor. The difference between the value of the signal and the value of the noise is called the Signal to Noise Ratio. When the ratio becomes smaller, the noise is more apparent, and the signal may get lost in it.

There are two ways that the signal to noise ratio can become low: by a drop in the signal, or an increase in the noise. In modern cameras, the noise is mostly a constant value, so we only need to worry when the signal drops – that is, when we’re photographing a dark subject. The graph to the right may help to visualise the situation.

The ISO’s Effect on your Photos

Sometimes we aren’t fortunate enough to be shooting with enough light to be able to ignore the noise. When we need to keep a fast shutter speed, or there’s not enough light even with the aperture wide open, we can increase the ISO setting on the camera. When we do so, we are increasing the signal gain. Essentially this is like turning up the volume. All of the values of the measured current (whether from light or noise) are increased. Each doubling of the ISO value, is a doubling of the gain: a doubling of the measured current in the chip.

Fig 1.7.2 - As the ISO setting increases so does the noise, until it overwhelms the signal.

Doubling the light in your photo is a pretty easy way to make an otherwise under exposed photo bright enough, but it comes at a cost: you lower the signal to noise ratio, and the noise becomes more apparent. Imagine you’re in a candle-lit room, and to take your photo, you have to set your camera to ISO1600 to get a correct exposure. You have now increased the noise value – which at 100ISO would be invisible – sixteen times, resulting in a noisy, grainy mess.

Shooting at high ISO settings is one of the most challenging technical issues in photography. Noise can look ugly and obscure detail in your photos, but sometimes the light is so poor that you have to accept the noise or get no photo at all. The newest breed of cameras are able to get incredibly high signal to noise ratios, and let photographers get clearer images than ever before in very dark conditions. Compact cameras, with their tiny sensors are always going to perform relatively poorly at high ISO.

Much can also be done about noise in your photos in the processing stage, but that’s a topic for a later lesson. As always, one should struggle to do the best one can in the camera, before resorting to post-processing to fix problems.

This is All Too Confusing

I warned you! ISO and noise are difficult concepts, but the good news is that there’s a simple take-away lesson from all this:

Noise is ugly. Avoid noise by shooting at low ISO settings. Only increase your ISO if there is no other way to get enough light for a good exposure.

The good news is that most DSLRs are very good at handling noise at low ISO settings (100-400) so you don’t need to worry about them too much. When you start to get into the medium (800-1600) to high (1600+) ISO settings, does noise begin to become obnoxious. If the alternative is missing a great shot though, don’t be afraid to crank up the ISO.

The forward march of technology is very exciting, as new technologies and techniques ever improve the sensitivity of camera sensors. Even though ISO is a bear the photographer must wrestle, it’s getting friendlier and cuddlier every year.

Examples

Fig 1.7.3 A series of images taken with the Canon 5D MkII, changing the ISO and other setting to keep a constant exposure. Noise increases dramatically at higher ISO settings.

High ISO was required to balance low ambient light with flash, to fill in shadows. © Neil Creek

In order to get a bright photo of the stars without trailing, high ISO was necessary. © Neil Creek

Without a tripod, this shot in very low light was only possible with high ISO. © Neil Creek

Homework

Homework for this lesson is fairly simple. ISO is simply a matter of “turning up the brightness” on your photos, so it’s not really complicated in practice. What you should do, however, is experiment with your camera on various ISO settings and get a feel for how images look. If you know that ISO 1600 looks terrible on your camera, then you’ll be more likely to try to find other ways to get more light on the subject than just be lazy and increase the ISO. On the other hand, you’ll also know when it’s worth pushing it all the way just to catch the photo that can’t be missed.

Resources

• Film Speed – On Wikipedia
• Digital Camera Image Noise – On Cambridge in Colour
• Image Noise and Noise Reduction Review – On Digital Camera Reviews
• What Are CCD Image Sensors? – On Ezine Articles

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photography 101.7 – ISO

Photo: Rainer Ebert used under CC license

The following post is from Australian photographer Neil Creek who just launched a free background image site featuring his photography, and is developing his blog as a resource for the passionate photographer.

Welcome to the sixth lesson in Photography 101 – A Basic Course on the Camera. In this series, we cover all the basics of camera design and use. We talk about the ‘exposure triangle’: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. We talk about focus, depth of field and sharpness, as well as how lenses work, what focal lengths mean and how they put light on the sensor. We also look at the camera itself, how it works, what all the options mean and how they affect your photos.

This week’s lesson is Shutter.

Here’s What We’ve Covered Previously in this Series:

Lesson 1: Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2: Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3: Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4: Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5: Aperture

In previous lessons we have talked about the basic theory of how a camera works, including some basic optics, and introduced the idea of exposure and how we control it with the exposure triangle. In this lesson we will be drawing upon what we have learned to understand the second point on the exposure triangle – shutter – and how it works to create your photo.

The Shutter

The shutter’s function in the camera is simply to block light from getting into the camera, unless a photo is being taken, and then to allow light in only for as long as needed to achieve a correct exposure. The name shutter is a little misleading, however. Rather than being a door that opens, and then closes at the end of the exposure, it is more like a gate, with a pair of doors that slide together across the sensor. This arrangement allows for much shorter shutter speeds than could be achieved by moving a single door. The animation below explains this more clearly:

For the sake of clarity, the above diagram excludes the mirror and all other camera mechanics, only showing the sensor, shutter and some representative surrounds to give a context for the illustration.

When you press the shutter release on the camera, a complex sequence of events occurs, including setting the aperture in the lens, flipping up the mirror of an SLR and a lot more. We’ll just look at the shutter however. So referring to the animation above:

1. The rear of the two shutter “curtains” as they are called, opens behind the front curtain, and stays up out of the way. At this stage no light has entered the camera, as the front curtain is still closed.
2. The front curtain drops away, revealing the sensor behind, and allows the light to enter the camera, beginning the exposure.
3. After a period determined by the set shutter speed, the rear curtain now drops to close the camera to light and end the exposure.
4. To prepare for the next exposure, the front curtain returns to its normal closed position.

There is an outstanding interactive movie of the inside of a Nikon D3 showing the complete process in incredible detail. I highly recommend taking a look.

Fast Shutter Speeds

When the shutter has been set for a very short exposure period, such as 1/200th sec or faster, the twin curtain system comes into its own. A single “door” shutter wouldn’t be able to open and close this fast. For such short exposures, the rear curtain starts to fall, covering up the sensor before the front curtain is even fully open. The result is a moving open slit passing in front of the sensor. See the animation below:

This method of exposing the sensor (or film) is important when shooting with flash, but the topic of flash sync speed is best covered in another post. In the very early days of photography, when films had poor sensitivity to light, the rolling gap effect of this kind of shutter led to problems with moving subjects, but today there is no disadvantage at all. Most high end DSLRs can achieve incredibly short shutter speeds, such as 1/8000th sec with this shutter design.

The Shutter’s Effect on your Photos

It may seem like your camera is capturing an instant in time, but in reality, it’s capturing a duration of time equal to your shutter speed. This is especially noticeable with long exposures. Anything in the image that is moving while the shutter is open will appear blurred. This also includes the camera itself. Accidental movement of the camera during an exposure is called camera shake and has the effect of smearing the image in the direction of movement. This can be done deliberately for artistic effect, but in most circumstances you’ll want to avoid this.

A good rule of thumb to minimise camera shake is to set the shutter speed at a minimum of one second divided by your focal length. So for example, if you are using a 50mm lens, then to minimise camera shake, you should shoot at 1/50th sec at least. If you are shooting at 200mm, then set the shutter to 1/200th sec. The reason for this is that as we know, longer focal length lenses magnify the image, but they also magnify the camera shake.

Some examples of how choosing your shutter speed can affect your photos:

• Choose a high shutter speed to freeze motion or action, for example in sport photography.
• Create the appearance of motion in your photo by choosing slower shutter speed and deliberately controlling camera or subject movement during the shot.
• A longer exposure on a tripod can make moving water fluffy and white.
• Very long exposures on a tripod at night can capture very dim scenes, and even stars in the night sky fainter than you can see.

Examples

A fast shutter speed freezes the action. Photo: tylerdurden1 used under CC license

Panning with the subject during a long exposure blurs the background and gives the impression of motion. Photo: indywriter used under CC license

A slow shutter speed with the camera on a tripod turns river rapids misty white. Photo: Neil Creek all rights reserved.

Exposure of 30 seconds or more can capture striking night sky images. In this case, several 30 second images were “stacked”. Photo: Neil Creek all rights reserved.

Homework

• Find a fast moving subject – a water fountain is ideal. Photograph it at different shutter speeds, from slow to fast (adjust your aperture to maintain correct exposure), and see what affect it has on the appearance of the subject in the photo.
• Set your camera to a variety of slow shutter speeds – for example between 1/16sec to 1/2sec – and experiment with moving the camera during the exposure in different ways. Take note of how the different speeds affects the photo, and try exploiting this creatively.
• Find a moving subject such as cars, or kids on bikes, and shoot them at the same slow shutter speeds – you’ll probably need to do this at dusk or indoors. Pan the camera to keep the subject sharp, and see how the background blur changes at each setting.
• At night, grab a tripod, or find a stable surface for your camera, and experiment with longer exposures, from one to 30 seconds. Try this with moving subjects such as people at a busy street intersection.
• Shoot the stars! Take your camera and a tripod away from the city, under some darker skies and point the camera up. A moonless night is best. Use the self-timer or a remote shutter release to minimise camera shake. Set the shutter to 30sec and shoot the stars. Focus can be a challenge, so try auto focusing on a bright star, or use live view zoom to focus if you have it. Here are some of my recent astrophotos.

Resources

• Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes – At DPS
• Nikon D3 Shutter Release in Super Slow Motion – At Jeffrey Friedl’s Blog
• Camera Works: shutters, flashes, and sync speed – At penmachine.com
• Focal plane shutter – At Camerapedia

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photography 101.6 – Shutter

Photo: Rainer Ebert used under CC license

The following post is from Australian photographer Neil Creek who is part of the Fine Art Photoblog, and is developing his blog as a resource for the passionate photographer.

Welcome to the fifth lesson in Photography 101 – A Basic Course on the Camera. In this series, we cover all the basics of camera design and use. We talk about the ‘exposure triangle’: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. We talk about focus, depth of field and sharpness, as well as how lenses work, what focal lengths mean and how they put light on the sensor. We also look at the camera itself, how it works, what all the options mean and how they affect your photos.

This week’s lesson is Aperture.

Here’s What We’ve Covered Previously in this series:

Lesson 1: Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2: Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3: Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4: Exposure and Stops

In previous lessons we have talked about the basic theory of how a camera works, including some basic optics, and introduced the idea of exposure and how we control it with the exposure triangle. In this lesson we will be drawing upon what we have learned to understand the first point on the exposure triangle – aperture – and how it works to create your photo.

Aperture

Fig 1.5.1 The iris opens and closes to change the aperture.
Based on (source-http://www.camerarepairer.co.uk/Glossary.htm)

The word aperture simply means “an opening” (reference.com). In the case of photography, the aperture is created by an adjustable iris that can be opened or closed to control how much light enters the camera. This iris is made of a series of thin metal blades that move together to create a roughly circular opening of variable size. In most DSLR cameras, the iris is built into the lens itself. It is the opening in this iris that is actually the aperture.

When adjusting the size of the aperture, we describe “opening” the aperture up and “stopping” it down. That simply refers to making the hole wider or narrower. A photographer may say they are “shooting wide”, meaning they have opened the aperture a lot, or they may say they are “stopped way down”, meaning the aperture has been closed a lot.

f ratio revisited

In Lesson 3, we discussed the f ratio, and described that as the focal length of the lens divided by its diameter. This is the focal ratio. For a single lens, the f ratio is always the same. However, with our adjustable aperture, we can do a very neat trick. The aperture acts on the lens as if it is cutting away the part of the lens which is covered. So as we stop down the aperture, we effectively make the lens smaller, and thus change the f ratio of the lens. As such, the size of the aperture is described by the f ratio that it creates. A wide aperture may be f2.8, a narrow aperture may be f22.

As we discussed in lesson four, we measure the change in exposure with stops – a doubling or halving of the light, and fractions of stops. As such, the same measure applies to aperture. To double the light getting through a lens, we need to double the area of that lens which is uncovered. The area of a circle is determined by the formula πr2, so a doubling of the area increases the diameter by approximately 1.41. From this figure we get the sequence of f ratios:

Depth of Field

Fig 1.5.2 A narrower aperture has a much greater depth of field.

If we look again at the exposure triangle diagram in lesson 4, you’ll see that the aperture influences the depth of field. The depth of field is the region of the photo which is in focus when the image is captured. It is a range of distance from the camera where objects look to be in focus. Aperture influences the depth of field by widening or narrowing this range, thus bringing more or less of the photo into focus, based on its distance from the camera.

Recalling what we learned back in lesson 1, the larger the hole that the light passes through a pinhole camera, the blurrier the image will be. When a lens is added to the camera, the image can be brought into focus, no matter the size of the hole, however, objects just either side of the focus point will be affected. If the hole, or aperture, is large, only objects very close to the focus point will be in focus. If the aperture is small, then the depth of the focus field is much wider, and more remote objects will be in focus.

Depth of Field can be pretty complex when you look deeply into it (such as: hyperfocal distance, airy discs and diffraction), but for an introductory course, the most important thing to remember is that a wide aperture (low value) means a shallow depth of field with less in focus and a narrow aperture (large value) means a broad depth of field with more in focus. We may return to discuss the more complicated issues in a future course.

Examples

Creative use of DOF isolates subject from background. Photo: annia316 used under CC license

The highlights on the strings clearly shows the changing DOF. Photo: Paul J. S. used under CC license

A narrow aperture gives a very wide depth of field. Photo: wili_hybrid used under CC license

These images show focus from the closest objects to the horizon. Photo: Neil creek all rights reserved.

Homework

• Find a scene with interesting stuff at many distances from you. Photograph the scene with different apertures (keeping the photo exposed correctly by changing shutter speed), and see the difference in the depth of field.
• Find a small subject that stands against a background a few meters away, like a flower. Try adjusting the aperture to isolate the subject from the background with depth of field.
• Find a view. Try and photograph a vista with something in the foreground, such as a rock at a lookout. Try and adjust the aperture to keep the whole photo in focus.

Resources

• Aperture – At wikipedia.com
• Understanding Depth of Field – At Cambridge in Colour
• Depth of Field Calculator – At dofmaster.com
• Introduction to Aperture – At digital-photography-school.com
• DoF group – At flickr.com

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photography 101.5 – Aperture