Exposure Basic Tips for Gaining The Perfect Shot

Obtaining crystal clear sharp photos can be quite tricky even for the most seasoned photographer. There are numerous factors that one must consider when trying to decide the proper setting for the camera. How fast is the subject moving? Will you be able to "hand hold" the camera? Should the entire scene be in focus or is there one specific subject that should be highlighted? All of these questions should be considered before pressing the shutter button and in reality there is only a few split seconds to make these decisions. Truly mastering the shutter speed and aperture combination is a skill that can only be perfected with time and taking a lot of photographs. But here are some tips and tricks that can give any photograph the professional look of a balanced exposure and depth of field.

Deciding how much of the photo will be in focus, depth of field, is a decision left entirely up to the photographer. It all depends on how much you'd like to see. If you are taking a close up picture of one singular flower, for example, then a greater depth of field is not much of a concern. Since the main subject of the photograph is only a few inches from your lens. In a situation such as this the more information recorded in the background (greater depth of field) can cause major distractions from the main subject. The same rings true for the opposite end of the scale. If you are photographing a wide landscape scene then you would want to record the most information possible. It is in situations such as this that you would use a wide open aperture to gain the most depth of field. It is important to keep in mind however that the depth of field is only a tool, a way to obtain a certain look for your photograph. If you primary concern is gaining the proper exposure and an all around sharp image then depth of field should not be your primary concern. Each camera and lens combination has an optimal aperture setting. Consulting your cameras manual will tell you this setting depending on the focal length of your lens. For example a 55mm lens takes the sharpest picture at an aperture of F8.0 and to be honest this the setting where most of your photographs will be taken. Knowing this setting will eliminate having to factor in the aperture number in gaining perfect exposure leaving shutter speed to be your primary concern.

Since most of your photographs will be taken at the optimal aperture number, that leaves only shutter speed to be considered when trying to calculate the best exposure. The easiest way to make a determination on shutter speed is the motion of your subject, the faster the subject the faster the shutter speed. It is as simple as that. An easy way to determine the proper shutter speed is to take what is called bracket exposures. Since your aperture number wont be changing, pick a starting point for your shutter speed (1/60 is the slowest shutter speed to use, unless you have a tripod) and shoot the photograph. If the photo is to dark than means you need to use a slower shutter speed and if your photo is to light than use a faster shutter speed. By systematically eliminating the settings that cause the image to be to dark or to light will make it easier to find the middle ground i.e the proper exposure.

Although it may seem daunting trying to match the perfect combination between shutter speed and aperture just keep in mind the majority of photos will be taken at the optimal aperture setting leaving only the shutter speed to be determined. All it takes is time an practice to gain the perfect exposure. The more time and photos taken with your camera will allow you to make these decision faster. Until then using bracketed exposure will visually allow you to see the different effect of the shutter speed settings allowing for perfect exposure.

Colin McDonald writes on behalf of Steven Brooks Photographer - wedding photographer and Oneagency - SEO Agency

View the original article here

Understanding Your Camera: Exposure and Depth of Field

If you've recenly moved up from your point and click camera to one that bases itself more on an SLR type camera, or is indeed an SLR, you will have no doubt noticed that there are a many more options for your to play with to get the perfect picture, but what does each one do?

Exposure

This refers to the amount of light collected by a camera's sensor to create a photograph. It is important to gauge how much light is needed for the photo; too much light and the picture will be blown out (too bright), not enough light, and the picture will be too dark. There are three main factors that contribute to and affect exposure and depth-of-field; aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. An understanding of each and how they relate to each other is necessary to get the right amount of exposure for your subject and lighting conditions. Most modern cameras have a light meter to show how much light the sensor is collecting, and indicate the best exposure for your shot. Many cameras also have an "Auto" mode that will set aperture, shutter speed and ISO for you. To move beyond the AUTO Mode and get good photos, you need to understand exposure, framing and focus, and have the ability to manually adjust your camera's settings to achieve the desired effect.

Aperture

This is the size of the lens opening that allows light to hit the sensor. When looking at the settings on a camera, aperture is called F-stop, and shown like this F8.0, or this f/2.8. The size of the F-Stop number is inversely related to the size of the lens opening, so lower numbers mean a larger aperture, which will let in more light to the sensor. Sometimes, the phrase "aperture value" is used instead of F-stop value. Aperture dictates what is actually in focus (depth-of-field). A low F-stop can be used to focus on a single object, blurring the background, and higher F-stop values can be used to focus on a lot of stuff at once.

Shutter Speed

This regulates how long the shutter stays open to admit light to the sensor. The slower your shutter speed, the more light will be gathered by the sensor, thus exposing the photo more. Shutter speed is measured in very small increments of time; seconds and fractions of seconds. With fractions of seconds, larger denominators indicate faster shutter speed. For most hand-held photos, shutter speeds of 1/60 of a second or faster will be optimal. Because it is very difficult to hold a camera perfectly steady for any length of time, lower speeds (longer exposure time) often result in blurry photos. Some cameras come with image stabilization, which helps with camera shake. Also, using a tripod is a good idea if you need a longer exposure for your shot.

ISO

This expresses the light sensitivity of a digital camera's sensor. Film ISO is not adjusted on the camera, but film can be bought in several ISO values. Higher ISO number means the digital camera's sensor is "getting more out of" the light it receives. Higher ISO settings are good for low-light situations, when you need the camera to make as much use of available light as possible. Lower ISO settings are preferable when there is plenty of available light. The higher the ISO, the more noise (grain, in film) you will get in your photo. Generally, it is best to use the lowest ISO setting that will also allow for proper exposure.

Since F-stop and shutter speed affect the amount of light received by the sensor, and ISO dictates the sensor's sensitivity to that light, they can be manipulated together for just the right exposure.

As with any skill, good photography takes a lot of practice, all the best sports photography and wedding photography shots have been taken after learning and of course practicing for years, but the satisfaction of taking beautiful, artistic photos is well worth the trial and error.

Graeme is writing on behalf of Steven Brooks Wedding Photographer London, for oneagency an SEO Agency

View the original article here

Photography Exposure Basics

It's good from time to time to review the basics of how a camera works and the adjustments you have at your disposal. So many people go around taking pictures with their cameras set on automatic. Modern digital cameras do a fantastic job in point-and-shoot mode, but there is a whole world of creative opportunity for those who take a few minutes to explore the features.

There's even a formula that describes the whole process: H=Et. Where H is the luminous exposure, E is the image-plane luminance and t is the exposure time in seconds. Perhaps a more practical explanation might help.

Aperture, Exposure, ISO

Think of those three elements as three legs on a stool. When all three are working in harmony, you have solid support. If one of them is a little off, it throws the whole stool out of whack. By balancing these three components in different ways, you can achieve remarkably different results in your photographs.

ISO

Formerly called ASA, represents the light sensitivity of the recording media. Whether it's film or a digital imaging chip, the trade off here is image quality. Regardless of the recording media, the less light the image capture device needs, the more artifacts in the resulting picture.

In modern digital cameras that degradation of image quality comes from the camera's on board computer trying to fill in and adjust an image with less than optimal lighting. To compensate for low light the camera increases the sensitivity of the imaging chip, introducing a whole host of visual artifacts collectively known as "noise."

The more light, the lower ISO the camera can select. The camera's computer is designed to select the ISO that will yield the clearest possible image for the available light. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 percent below full daylight, your camera's imaging chip will be operating at maximum efficiency. To get the proper amount of light, your camera can select a higher ISO or trigger the on-board flash.

Aperture or f-stop

The second exposure control for photo lighting is your aperture. The aperture sits between your lens and imaging surface. This works the opposite of ISO. The smaller the number, called an f-stop, the more light is getting through the lens.

When you hear photographers talking about a "fast" lens, they mean a lens that has the ability to select very low f-stops.

What changes is the focusing depth of field (DoF). At lower f-stops, your camera has a narrower depth of field. At higher f-stops your camera has a very wide DoF. So if you want the background in focus, think higher f-stops (which are smaller openings) and if you want to throw the background out of focus, think lower f-stops (wider openings).

Shutter Speed

The shutter on most modern SLR's is actually more like plates that leave the imaging surface exposed briefly, sometimes called "curtains." The leading surface moving out of the way is sometimes called the "first curtain" and the trailing "second curtain" cuts the light off to the imaging chip.

That's why most flash units have specific sync speed. At very fast shutter speeds there's not enough time between the first and second curtains for the flash to fire without one of the curtains being in the way. It also explains the feature some flash units have labeled 1st or 2nd curtain sync. You can select to have the flash fire in sync at the opening of the shutter, or just before it closes.

The shutter priority feature of your camera lets you choose the shutter speed. Faster to freeze objects moving fast, and slower speeds to create motion blur.

Experiment with the different modes your camera offers. You'll find the range of possibilities quite exciting.

You'll learn even more with Proud Photography - one of the best online photography schools available today at http://www.proudphotography.com/

View the original article here

Digital Photography - Exposure

Exposure is a term you will hear a lot in photography. It is used to describe the amount of light traveling through the lens and camera body, eventually collected onto the film or image sensor. Correct exposure is obtained through a delicate balance between shutter speed, aperture, and the sensitivity of the film or image sensor (this is generally referred to as ISO).

There is a correct exposure (objectively speaking) for every scene. For the purpose of this hub, we will focus on the techniques to obtain proper exposure.

Though there are quite a few things to consider when it comes to exposure, the most important thing to grasp is that good exposures require a general understanding of how to measure light. It also requires a lot of practice. It's important to master exposure so you can spend your energy being creative instead of wondering if the image will be too dark or too light. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to shoot in manual mode so that you are in control of this important part of making images. Digital cameras help this learning process by providing instant feedback on your shot via the LCD display. You'll therefore know immediately if your shot is underexposed or overexposed, allowing you to adjust accordingly when needed.

Shutter Speed
Let's discuss the concept of shutter speed in greater detail, as it is a key factor in determining the correct exposure for a scene. The shutter is an opening in the camera that allows light to pass to the film or image sensor. How much light it lets in is not based on size, but rather the amount of time it is open. A shutter speed can be fast, like 1/1000th of a second, or it might be slow, like 1/4th of a second.

A fast shutter speed will stop action, while a slower speed will render moving objects as blurred.

It is important to note (this will be repeated several times) that proper exposure is a relationship between shutter speed (time), aperture (amount of light), and ISO (sensitivity of the film or image sensor).

Aperture
The aperture is the opening of the lens. It controls how much light passes through the lens elements, based on how big or small the opening is. An adjustable bladed-metal iris enables the photographer to control the size of the opening, which is measured in f-stops (such as f/5.6, f/8, or f/16). Higher f-stop settings translate into smaller aperture openings; lower f-stop settings yield wider apertures. This can be confusing as it is counterintuitive (one would expect a higher number to correspond to a bigger opening); however, if you consider that this measure is actually a fractional relationship, then it is easier to remember. For example, you'd likely rather have 1/5th of your favorite pizza or pie (for example) than a mere 1/16th.

Equivalent Exposure
One of the most important aspects to understanding exposure is this relationship of shutter speeds and apertures. This is also referred to as reciprocity. The most important reason to understand the concept of equivalent exposures/reciprocity is so that, in any given situation, you can prioritize creative choices at a moment's notice, based on what is happening in front of you when you have your camera to your eye.

Shutter speed and aperture work together to create a proper exposure. You can explore many different combinations of aperture (which controls the amount of light that passes through the lens) and shutter speed (which controls the amount of time light is exposed to the image sensor). This allows you to shoot several images of the same subject, which will have different qualities of depth of field (what's in focus from front to back); yet, they all have equal amounts of exposure.

The chart below shows equivalent exposures based on an aperture of f/5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/125. As you can see, when you move up or down an f-stop, you need to halve or double the shutter speed, respectively.

Aperture Shutter (in seconds) Most Light f 2 1/1000 Least Light............ f 2.8 1/500........................ f 4 1/250........................ f 5.6 1/125........................ f 8 1/60........................ f 11 1/30........................ f 16 1/15........................ f 22 1/8........................ f 32 1/4........................ f 45 1/2............ Least Light f 64 1 Most Light

If you understand this most basic concept, many things will fall into place to help you get correct exposures. This is especially true if you take the time to memorize full stops of exposure. All of the settings above are full-stop measures of exposure. Think of them as inch-marks on a ruler, or full values. Many of you are shooting with cameras that also have 1/3 or 1/2 stops. If you have two shutter-speed settings between 15 and 30, for example, you know you have 1/3-stop increments; if you only have one, then you have 1/2-stop increments.

ISO (Sensitivity)
The other factor beyond shutter speeds and apertures that will affect the overall exposure is ISO (which is a measure of the sensitivity of film or images sensor).

ISO, or sensitivity, is a measure of how fast the film or image sensor reacts to light. A higher sensitivity means that the camera needs less light to make an exposure. This allows an exposure to be made with either a faster shutter speed or a smaller aperture. The specific film type or ISO setting you choose determines this sensitivity. If you've shot film before, then you are probably already familiar with this as the ISO ratings of film, such as 100, 200, or 400. Films for extremely low-light photography are available in ISO speeds as high as 1600 and 3200.

The higher the ISO rating, the more sensitive to light the film is. And with a digital camera, the higher you set the ISO, the less light will be needed. When using a higher ISO, for example, it is more likely you will be able to hand-hold a shot in lower light -- without the shutter speed dropping so low that camera shake will yield a slightly blurred image. If you are using a lower ISO, you will need much greater light levels, or a tripod, to ensure a steady shot that is sharp.

Left Field Photography
Angel Whisenant is a photographer based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. She has been photographing people for 10 years. Book one portrait session at half-off in the month of July, your friends session is free. Virginia Beach portrait photographer

View the original article here

Understanding Your Camera's Exposure Settings

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.

You'll learn even more with Proud Photography - one of the best online photography schools available today at http://www.proudphotography.com/

View the original article here

What Is a Long Exposure? Part I

THE LONG EXPOSURE, OR THE LONG AND SHORT OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPOSURES

Usually, when photographers talk about long exposures they mean that the shutter is open for longer than can easily be hand held, though it's surely not as simple a definition as that.

The first rule of thumb for a hand-holdable shot: THE FOCAL LENGTH RECIPROCAL RULE.

If your focal length is 30mm, then you should be able to hand hold a camera with a 1/30th of a second shutter speed. By hand hold, this just means that you SHOULD be able to depress the shutter and keep the camera from shaking so much that it shows up as a PHOTO WITH CAMERA SHAKE.

The RECIPROCAL RULE assumes that the subject is relatively still. Posed. This rule works especially well with objects that tend not to move, and inanimate human beings that tend not to move or talk. If you were shooting with a lens of focal length 300mm, then you'll see that you need at least 1/300th of a second. And you will notice, I hope, that the longer the lens, the more the image dances around in the viewfinder.

Which brings us to the usefulness of placing the camera on a steady surface, especially when shooting with longer lenses. And if you can't put it on a steady surface, and you can't use a tripod, then the best you can do is press the camera against your eye and forehead and have the camera strap at a good length so that it can also act as a sort of triangular brace, from shoulder to camera.

So right away, the idea of "long exposure" is related to your intentions. If you are using a long lens, and you can't achieve a shutter speed that is the RECIPROCAL of the FOCAL LENGTH, and you don't have anything to rest the camera on. It's a long exposure - unless - of course you want to have camera shake in the final image.

Image Stabilization (IS) is a great thing. I have it on the Canon 70-300mm lens, and it can easily save me one or two stops. By that I mean that if the focal length is 300mm, I can shoot at 1/125th of a second, or even 1/60th without getting camera shake. And as soon as that shutter button is halfway depressed, and IS is turned on, I can see through the viewfinder that camera shake is almost gone.

As mentioned, stabilization will have no effect on objects that are moving. And frankly, this is something that takes some experience and testing to learn about. For example, I've noticed that a figure that cuts quickly across the plane - say from left to right - is almost certainly going to blurred with a shutter speed of less than 1/250th of a second no matter how steady the camera is. But even here, this depends on the lens. At least it seems that way to me.

The figure moving from left to right at a constant speed will be blurred differently depending on the focal length. This is something I can't swear to, but it does seem that way, though it may only be due to the relative size of the figure in the frame.

Nevertheless - I think this covers the major points of what constitutes a long exposure, but it doesn't get to what the reader would expect to read about under this exposure, i.e "the really long exposure." What for example is the difference between an exposure of one minute, and an exposure of five minutes?

With film, for example, there is the concept of reciprocity. Film reciprocity - what the heck is that and why should you care.

If by any chance you are shooting film, most films will say that after a certain amount of time, reciprocity sets in. That's not a disease. It just means that the amount of exposure decreases according to a certain curve that is particular to that film after a certain amount of time. Shooting tri-x for example (once a well-known film) the amount of exposure that you get after ten minutes is not ten times as much as what you got with one minute.

Ah laddies, it's a long subject with many a twist and turn. Let me chat about the long long exposure as it applies to digital shots in the next post.

I consider this shot of Bill Emory to be a "long exposure" because it was shot at 1/15th of a second, with a 300mm lens. I had mentioned to him that it would be good if he didn't breathe while I took the shot. The camera was on a tripod (in my cramped studio) and the zoom lens (mentioned before, Canon EOS 70-300mm) had Image Stabilization turned on. Lighting was by my standing floor lamp.

http://www.beckermanphoto.com/ (The black and white photography store)

http://www.dbeckerman.wordpress.com/ (My main photography blog)

View the original article here