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Introduction to Photography Basic
For quick tips, jump down to the introduction.
Principle Covered:
Definition of Terms
History
Introduction
Composition
Exposure
Digital Touch-Up
Conclusion
Definition of Terms
Aperture - In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light is admitted. A small, fast, or wide aperture would be 1.8, letting much light in, where as a narrow, slow, or small aperture would be 32. Limiting the aperture also limits depth of field, and speeds up shutter times. Formatting of aperture is as follows: f/2.8-3.5 signifies that the lens this aperture is set on is a zoom lens. Zoomed out, the aperture minimum is 2.8, and zoomed in, the minimum is 3.5. To record the size of aperture, always place an f/ in front of the number: f/28.
Automatic - Where the camera sets all settings.
Composition - The layout of the frame, and where objects are placed within it.
Contrast - The difference between the darks and the lights.
Depth Of Field - The 3 dimensional distance along the Z axis that is in focus. The amount of the image in focus.
Exposure - The overall brightness and darkness of the image.
Film - A recording medium made by layers of silver bromide crystal.
Filter - A transparent piece of glass placed in front of a lens to alter the light entering the camera
Focal Length - The angle of view. Terms are derivative to 35mm lens specifications. How far you are zoomed. Refer to your camera manual for the specifications of your lens. Most zooms range from 24-150mm.
Focus - The part of the frame that is sharp compared to fuzzy.
Frame - The picture
Iris - Also know as aperture. Think of the iris of your eye. Very similar function.
ISO - The sensitivity of the film/sensor that the light strikes. EG ISO100, ISO400, ect.
LCD - The display on digital cameras that allows you to see your picture.
Lens - The glass element that light passes through and is scaled to your sensor or film.
Prime - A Prime Lens is one that has a fixed focal length. It cannot zoom. These lenses are smaller, lighter, and higher quality than thier zoom lense partners.
Sensor - In digital Cameras, this is the electronic device that records the light that passes through the frame.
Shutter - A physical or electronic device that exposes the sensor/film for a given time.
Shutter Speed - The time the sensor/film is exposed to light.
History
For centuries images have been projected onto surfaces. The camera obscura and the camera lucida were used by artists to trace scenes as early as the 16th century. These early cameras did not fix an image in time; they only projected what passed through an opening in the wall of a darkened room onto a surface. In effect, the entire room was turned into a large pinhole camera. Indeed, the phrase camera obscura literally means "darkened room," and it is after these darkened rooms that all modern cameras have been named.
The first photograph is considered to be an image produced in 1826 on a polished pewter plate covered with bitumen. It was produced with a camera, and required an eight hour exposure in bright sunshine. However this process turned out to be a dead end and they began experimenting with silver compounds based on a discovery in 1724 that a silver and chalk mixture darkens when exposed to light.
During the Industrial Age, a new process of photography was invented, known as the Daguerreotype. This medium provided beautiful photographs for the time, however the glass they were exposed on was expensive, and very fragile. In 1888, Kodak Eastman marketed the slogan, "You press the button, we do the rest!" Now anyone could take a photograph and leave the complex parts of the process to others. Photography became available for the mass-market in 1901. Since then color film has become standard, as well as automatic focus and automatic exposure.The recent introduction of digital recording of images is becoming increasingly common, as digital cameras allow instant previews on LCD screens and the resolution of top of the range models has exceeded high quality 35mm film while lower resolution models have become affordable.
Introduction
Photography is the process of making pictures by capturing light. The purpose of this article is to help the average person take better pictures. Two main topics make up a good picture, composition and exposure. As with many things in life, there can be no manual to make you a perfect photographer. Creating good photos takes time and practice. One of the joys of digital photography is that you can take as many pictures as you like, and immediately see the results. Experimentation is a very important way to learn good photography. Practice as much as you can.
Composition
How your image is composed is very vital in the process of taking a good picture. There is no exact set formula on how to compose a frame, but there are guidelines and rules that will assist you in your framing. The general goal is to select and place appropriate elements within the frame in order to communicate ideas and feelings to the viewer. It is the primary element in photography.
The main elements of composition within a frame are:
The area within the picture used for the illustration.
The perspective, relating to spatial arrangements of objects within a picture, creating depth of field or giving the illusion of dimension or depth on a two-dimensional surface.
The line or direction followed by the viewer's eye when they observe the image.
The value or degree of lightness and darkness, used within the picture.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a guide followed by all professional photographers. The goal is to keep the subject(s) and areas of interest (such as the horizon, or eyes) out of the center of the image, by placing them near one of the lines that would divide the image into three equal columns and rows, ideally near the intersection of those lines. Some photographs are appropriate centered, but experiment and try to break away from that habit.
Cleanliness
Images with a lot of clutter can distract from the main focus of the picture and make it difficult to identify the subject. By decreasing the unneeded content, the viewer is more likely to focus on the primary message. Clutter can also be reduced through the use of lighting, as the brighter areas of the image tend to draw the eye, as do lines and linear features.
Exposure
Exposure is determined by the speed of your shutter, the size of your aperture, and youre ISO. In Automatic modes, these three are set for you, and you dont need to worry about them. However, sometimes the automatic features of the camera dont know what you want exposed properly, requiring you to expose the image yourself.
Shutter Speed
Your shutter speed will determine how long you take the picture for. If you are holding you camera, and not using a tripod or monopod, you have to be careful not to slow your shutter too much. Generally, do not go slower than 1/60th of a second, if you are not sure. A rule of thumb is to set you minimum shutter speed to your focal length. If your zoomed to 180mm, then your slowest shutter speed should be 1/180th a second. However, if you are zoomed out, say, to 24mm, you could slow your shutter to 1/30th a second. Adjusting shutter speed is a great way to create effects. Mount your camera on a tripod and slow your shutter to 1sec or less, and try taking a picture of moving cars at night.
Aperture
The wider your aperture, the more light enters the camera. Think of your eyes function and reactions to light vs. dark. When you walk inside a room from outside, your pupils open up to allow you to see better in the darker room. When you exit a building, everything is bright, and your pupils must shrink to expose what you see properly. A wide aperture is usually the best way to go, unless the image is too bright. A smaller aperture helps assure that the picture you are taking is in focus.
ISO
The sensitivity of your sensor/film is your ISO. This can either be adjusted by changing your film, or selecting a different setting in your camera preferences. Typical film ISO ranges from 100-800, and for digital, 100-400. By selecting a higher ISO, you can choose a faster shutter speed and a smaller aperture for sharper photos or handheld use, but increasing the ISO increases the amount of noise or grain within the image. For the cleanest image, use a fast ISO such as ISO 100.
Digital Touch Up
If you are shooting digitally, touching up is simple. Most computers come with software to do basic touch up. Touch up includes brightness/contrast enhancement, cropping, and color adjustments. For a basic touch up, increase the contrast of the image. Be careful not to increase it too much. Adjust your brightness to a desired level so that the subject is easy to see. Also, crop the image in include just the subject of the frame, to help the viewer remain focused on the subject.
Conclusion
While this has been a very basic lesson of photography, I hope it covered some topics that you will benefit from. I will be publishing an advanced guide in the future. If you have any questions, message me.
For quick tips, jump down to the introduction.
Principle Covered:
Definition of Terms
History
Introduction
Composition
Exposure
Digital Touch-Up
Conclusion
Definition of Terms
Aperture - In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light is admitted. A small, fast, or wide aperture would be 1.8, letting much light in, where as a narrow, slow, or small aperture would be 32. Limiting the aperture also limits depth of field, and speeds up shutter times. Formatting of aperture is as follows: f/2.8-3.5 signifies that the lens this aperture is set on is a zoom lens. Zoomed out, the aperture minimum is 2.8, and zoomed in, the minimum is 3.5. To record the size of aperture, always place an f/ in front of the number: f/28.
Automatic - Where the camera sets all settings.
Composition - The layout of the frame, and where objects are placed within it.
Contrast - The difference between the darks and the lights.
Depth Of Field - The 3 dimensional distance along the Z axis that is in focus. The amount of the image in focus.
Exposure - The overall brightness and darkness of the image.
Film - A recording medium made by layers of silver bromide crystal.
Filter - A transparent piece of glass placed in front of a lens to alter the light entering the camera
Focal Length - The angle of view. Terms are derivative to 35mm lens specifications. How far you are zoomed. Refer to your camera manual for the specifications of your lens. Most zooms range from 24-150mm.
Focus - The part of the frame that is sharp compared to fuzzy.
Frame - The picture
Iris - Also know as aperture. Think of the iris of your eye. Very similar function.
ISO - The sensitivity of the film/sensor that the light strikes. EG ISO100, ISO400, ect.
LCD - The display on digital cameras that allows you to see your picture.
Lens - The glass element that light passes through and is scaled to your sensor or film.
Prime - A Prime Lens is one that has a fixed focal length. It cannot zoom. These lenses are smaller, lighter, and higher quality than thier zoom lense partners.
Sensor - In digital Cameras, this is the electronic device that records the light that passes through the frame.
Shutter - A physical or electronic device that exposes the sensor/film for a given time.
Shutter Speed - The time the sensor/film is exposed to light.
History
For centuries images have been projected onto surfaces. The camera obscura and the camera lucida were used by artists to trace scenes as early as the 16th century. These early cameras did not fix an image in time; they only projected what passed through an opening in the wall of a darkened room onto a surface. In effect, the entire room was turned into a large pinhole camera. Indeed, the phrase camera obscura literally means "darkened room," and it is after these darkened rooms that all modern cameras have been named.
The first photograph is considered to be an image produced in 1826 on a polished pewter plate covered with bitumen. It was produced with a camera, and required an eight hour exposure in bright sunshine. However this process turned out to be a dead end and they began experimenting with silver compounds based on a discovery in 1724 that a silver and chalk mixture darkens when exposed to light.
During the Industrial Age, a new process of photography was invented, known as the Daguerreotype. This medium provided beautiful photographs for the time, however the glass they were exposed on was expensive, and very fragile. In 1888, Kodak Eastman marketed the slogan, "You press the button, we do the rest!" Now anyone could take a photograph and leave the complex parts of the process to others. Photography became available for the mass-market in 1901. Since then color film has become standard, as well as automatic focus and automatic exposure.The recent introduction of digital recording of images is becoming increasingly common, as digital cameras allow instant previews on LCD screens and the resolution of top of the range models has exceeded high quality 35mm film while lower resolution models have become affordable.
Introduction
Photography is the process of making pictures by capturing light. The purpose of this article is to help the average person take better pictures. Two main topics make up a good picture, composition and exposure. As with many things in life, there can be no manual to make you a perfect photographer. Creating good photos takes time and practice. One of the joys of digital photography is that you can take as many pictures as you like, and immediately see the results. Experimentation is a very important way to learn good photography. Practice as much as you can.
Composition
How your image is composed is very vital in the process of taking a good picture. There is no exact set formula on how to compose a frame, but there are guidelines and rules that will assist you in your framing. The general goal is to select and place appropriate elements within the frame in order to communicate ideas and feelings to the viewer. It is the primary element in photography.
The main elements of composition within a frame are:
The area within the picture used for the illustration.
The perspective, relating to spatial arrangements of objects within a picture, creating depth of field or giving the illusion of dimension or depth on a two-dimensional surface.
The line or direction followed by the viewer's eye when they observe the image.
The value or degree of lightness and darkness, used within the picture.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a guide followed by all professional photographers. The goal is to keep the subject(s) and areas of interest (such as the horizon, or eyes) out of the center of the image, by placing them near one of the lines that would divide the image into three equal columns and rows, ideally near the intersection of those lines. Some photographs are appropriate centered, but experiment and try to break away from that habit.
Cleanliness
Images with a lot of clutter can distract from the main focus of the picture and make it difficult to identify the subject. By decreasing the unneeded content, the viewer is more likely to focus on the primary message. Clutter can also be reduced through the use of lighting, as the brighter areas of the image tend to draw the eye, as do lines and linear features.
Exposure
Exposure is determined by the speed of your shutter, the size of your aperture, and youre ISO. In Automatic modes, these three are set for you, and you dont need to worry about them. However, sometimes the automatic features of the camera dont know what you want exposed properly, requiring you to expose the image yourself.
Shutter Speed
Your shutter speed will determine how long you take the picture for. If you are holding you camera, and not using a tripod or monopod, you have to be careful not to slow your shutter too much. Generally, do not go slower than 1/60th of a second, if you are not sure. A rule of thumb is to set you minimum shutter speed to your focal length. If your zoomed to 180mm, then your slowest shutter speed should be 1/180th a second. However, if you are zoomed out, say, to 24mm, you could slow your shutter to 1/30th a second. Adjusting shutter speed is a great way to create effects. Mount your camera on a tripod and slow your shutter to 1sec or less, and try taking a picture of moving cars at night.
Aperture
The wider your aperture, the more light enters the camera. Think of your eyes function and reactions to light vs. dark. When you walk inside a room from outside, your pupils open up to allow you to see better in the darker room. When you exit a building, everything is bright, and your pupils must shrink to expose what you see properly. A wide aperture is usually the best way to go, unless the image is too bright. A smaller aperture helps assure that the picture you are taking is in focus.
ISO
The sensitivity of your sensor/film is your ISO. This can either be adjusted by changing your film, or selecting a different setting in your camera preferences. Typical film ISO ranges from 100-800, and for digital, 100-400. By selecting a higher ISO, you can choose a faster shutter speed and a smaller aperture for sharper photos or handheld use, but increasing the ISO increases the amount of noise or grain within the image. For the cleanest image, use a fast ISO such as ISO 100.
Digital Touch Up
If you are shooting digitally, touching up is simple. Most computers come with software to do basic touch up. Touch up includes brightness/contrast enhancement, cropping, and color adjustments. For a basic touch up, increase the contrast of the image. Be careful not to increase it too much. Adjust your brightness to a desired level so that the subject is easy to see. Also, crop the image in include just the subject of the frame, to help the viewer remain focused on the subject.
Conclusion
While this has been a very basic lesson of photography, I hope it covered some topics that you will benefit from. I will be publishing an advanced guide in the future. If you have any questions, message me.
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