Breaking away from the automatic setting dependency does not need to be as daunting as it may initially appear. The key to developing an understanding how to take better photographs in the manual setting is to learn hoe to balance the exposure settings on your camera. Once you learn how the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings are interrelated, you will on your way to shooting full-time in manual mode.
Shutter Speed
The shutter speed setting you your camera dictates the level of detail you are able to capture on a single frame. Shutter speed is usually measured from 30 seconds to fractions of a second all the way up to 1000th of a second. It is necessary to have a fast shutter speed when taking photographs of moving objects, such as race cars and airplanes. A shot taken at 1/2500th of a second can clearly capture a helicopter rotor in mid flight. However, capture the same helicopter at a slower speed, let's say about 1/250th of a second an all you will capture is a blur. Many SLR cameras have an additional setting known as "bulb," which is indicated by the letter "B" on the shutter speed selector. Bulb mode allows the photographer to maintain an open shutter as long as the shutter release button is depressed (unless the batteries die first). This mode allows the photographer to use a shutter release remote or cable to capture long exposures, such as star trails or streaks of light from passing cars.
The shutter speed not only dictates the level of clarity for a moving object, but it also has a direct influence on the exposure. As the shutter speed is increased, the amount of light that is allowed to enter the film, or sensor, is decreased. During periods of increased light, this usually poses very little trouble for the photographer. However, as the available light decreases, the time needed to properly expose the shot increases. Oftentimes, a flash can compensate by increasing the amount of available light while the strobe simulates a stop in the action. Of course, since we are shooting in manual mode, we have a few options available to us, such as adjusting the aperture and increasing the ISO setting.
Aperture
The aperture setting on an SLR camera dictates the amount of light that is allowed to enter the camera. Technically, the aperture settings on a film camera and the aperture settings on a digital camera function identically. However, there are some differences. The aperture settings on a film camera refers to a physical device that operates similar to the way an iris controls the amount of light that is allowed to enter an eye. As the aperture (or iris) is opened, more light is allowed to enter the back of the lens (pupil) and strike the film (optic nerve). However, digital cameras do not have a physical device that operates in this manner, rather the aperture settings are controlled by a combination of the lens characteristics and the camera's ability to process the light.
The aperture settings are indicated by a series of numbers that refer the quantity of light entering a camera; these numbers are known as "f-stops." Generally, the aperture range is dictated by the quality of the lens. For instance, when shopping for an SLR lens, you may see two lenses of equal focal length, but different f-stops. The lens with the lower f-stop will normally be more expensive due to the enhanced light sensitivity.
The aperture settings allow more light to enter the camera as the f-stop numbers are decreased. Inversely, the amount of light entering the camera is decreased as the f-stop numbers are increased. We can use the aperture to compensate for changes made to the shutter speed. If the shutter speed is set to a high speed, then we can increase the aperture settings to allow more light to enter the camera. Likewise, we can decrease the amount of light by closing the aperture and reducing the shutter speed.
ISO
Before the days of digital photography, the term "film speed" was used interchangeably with the ISO grade of the film. As the ISO grade was increased, so was the film's sensitivity to light. The ability to increased the film sensitivity allowed a photographer to take photographs in low-light situations without dependency on axillary lighting, such as flash. Of course, there is always a trade-off when compensating for a shortfall. This light sensitivity trade-off came at the expense of an effect known as film grain, commonly referred to as "noise" in the digital world. Film noise, or grain, can be easily identified by specs of light, or red and blue dots scattered throughout the print.
Since digital cameras do not use film, the ISO refers to the sensor's sensitivity grade. As we increase the amount of ISO, the digital camera requires less light, which translates to having the ability to offset the aperture and shutter speed. For instance, if you want to take an action shot on an overcast day without setting the aperture wide-open, you can increase the ISO setting while maintaining a fast shutter speed. Most digital SLR cameras have advanced technology that compensates for noise which was a problem with earlier models.
There is a fine line between the relationship between shutter speed, aperture settings, and ISO sensitivity. However, with practice and experience with your camera, you will learn how to best work with the available light to produce professional shots every time. Although no two cameras operate identically, understanding the principle relationships will bring you to shooting like a professional in no time.
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