Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Michael E. Stern
PHOTOGRAPHY EDUCATION CONSULTING
626-298-6747
www.CyberStern.com

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
The objective of this presentation is to have fun while
learning a bit about photographic theory, camera controls,
composition and the study of light.
Afterwards you will be able to make better personal and
professional photographs.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
We begin this presentation by identifying several basic but important camera
controls. The objective of knowing and setting these camera controls effectively
is to have the camera record the scene as simply and as accurately as possible
while minimizing on-board processing.
You can then use the image editing program of your choice to prepare the files
for printing. Color adjustment, dust removal and sharpening are best
performed during this stage.

Photography Basics:
•Shutter Speed
•Aperture
•White Balance
•Color Space
•File Format
•ISO
•Sharpness
•Contrast
•Metering Modes
•Exposure Modes
•Card Formatting

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
White Balance
Light wavelengths contain color. Sunlight, overcast skies, table lamps, electronic flash, flourescent
tubes, etc., have specific colors associated with them. In general we do not discern these differences
because human vision does a great job of neutralizing the colors.
Cameras are not capable of performing this neutralization without operator intervention. Cameras
have white balance settings that can be set to match the main light source illuminating the
photograph.
Auto White Balance (AWB) seems like a good idea but in fact is a poor choice because for each and
every picture taken (even of the same scene), the camera’s on board computer will often use
different algorithms (recipes) for neutralizing the color of light. This means the color balance can shift
with each photograph taken.
Unless shooting in camera RAW (where color can be assigned in post-production), set the white
balance to match the light source. Refer to the camera manual to learn what the icons look like and
how to change them. Set to local conditions: tungsten for indoors, sunlight for clear sky, overcast for
cloudy days, etc.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Color Space
The display and reproduction of digital photographs varies between cameras, monitors and printers.
This has to do with the physical construction of these devices and how they interpret RGB numbers.
Red. Rojo. Rouge. The same color in different languages. We need a translator to understand this. In
order to get accurate and predictable color from camera to monitor to printer, we also need a
translator. Color management is the methodology for maintaining accurate and predictable color
throughout the entire workflow, from camera to monitor to print.
Picking a color space is the first step. There are two choices with a digital camera: sRGB and Adobe
’98. Set the color space in the camera to Adobe ’98 as this interpretation of color is larger and will
translate into better looking prints. When images are displayed online, convert the files to sRGB to
maintain the color information.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
File Format
In all but the simplest of digital cameras, files are written into one of two formats: JPEG and a
RAW proprietary format. All things being equal, setting your camera to record in JPEG allows
many more photographs to be taken. Image data is recorded in a way that allows elimination
(compression) of information while saving. Through special encoding, the file is reconstructed as
it opens in an image editing application like Photoshop. This workflow produces great prints, but
if you like to get creative with your photos (or have to color or density correct) before going to
your printer, set the camera to record in RAW. If you choose to shoot in JPEG, set your camera
to the highest (lowest compression, best quality) possible JPEG setting. It may be listed as Best,
Fine, Superfine or Large.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
File Format
If you decide to shoot in RAW, then you will have to become familiar with digital darkroom
software. Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) is one such program. A RAW file is minimally processed
by the camera and it is you who gets to do the work previously done by your camera. This gives
you unprecedented creative control over how your images are interpreted but there is a
learning curve before becoming proficient with the software. More like a learning highway.
For now we will concentrate on the basics of making better photos regardless of the file format.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Sharpness & Contrast
The process of turning analog information into discreet pixel values placed along the X and Y axis of a raster grid
causes a loss of sharpness, color fidelity and contrast relative to the original scene. Light energy passes through
the lens barrel and strikes the camera’s sensor. This energy is converted into an electronic impulse which in turn
is turned into the one’s and zero’s of computer code. Although you can set the camera to sharpen, once it is set,
changing it after the fact can affect image quality. I suggest setting sharpening and contrast values to low and color
rendering to neutral.
If your camera has the option of selecting picture profiles (which have color, contrast and sharpness presets), such
as landscape, portrait, faithful, etc., by all means experiment to understand which ones work best for you.
Camera original Sharpened

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Metering Modes
There are several metering schemes in most digital cameras, these are the top two:
1) Spot - the meter looks at a small area in the
center of the view finder, ignoring everything else
in the scene
2) Evaluative /Matrix Metering - Viewfinder is divided into numerous metering
zones to which all the AF points are linked. After detecting the main subject’s
position, brightness, background, front and back lighting conditions, camera
orientation, the camera sets the proper exposure.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Metering Modes
Spot metering and evaluative are the two choices most often used by
professionals. They are the most accurate because it is clear where in the
scene the light measurements are being taken from, either dead center or off
the entire sensor.
When to choose one over the other? When the sun or other light source is
at your back and the subject has a full range of colors and tones (think group
portrait, crowd scene or landscape) use evaluative.
If the main light source is at a position other than your back, use spot
metering mode and point the camera at a part of the scene that would look
like medium gray if it had no color.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Metering Modes
It is important to grasp the concept that in-camera reflective meters
average the reflected light from the subject into a mid-range value. This is
called 18% or middle gray.
The meter does not recognize color but rather the lightness or brightness
value of a color. For example the meter sees light gray and not the light
yellow of a flower. The meter sees a dark gray apple instead of a red one.
As such it is very important to ensure you are pointing the camera at a full
range scene when in evaluative mode or at a mid-tone value if in spot
mode. This takes practice and a trained eye.
What we see How the meter interprets the scene

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure Modes
The three exposures modes we will concern ourselves with are
Manual, Tv and Av.
Manual - the shutter speed and aperture are set by the
photographer.
Av (aperture variable) - the aperture is set manually and the
camera selects the proper shutter speed.
Tv (time variable) - the shutter speed is set manually and the
camera selects the proper aperture.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure Modes
Why work in Av mode? If the image you are attempting to make requires a specific f/stop (for
controlled depth of field), select this mode. Pick a large aperture number (small opening) and
the camera does the rest. If you need a shallow depth of field, pick a small aperture number
(large opening) and the camera does the rest.
Why work in Tv mode? If it’s important to freeze the action, select a fast shutter speed (1/250
or higher) and the camera does the rest. Conversely if it’s movement or blur you are trying to
create, use a slow shutter speed (one-eighth second or longer) and the camera selects the
appropriate aperture.You may need a tripod to help steady the camera and your nerves.
These decisions are driven by what you are trying to accomplish. Make the attempt to know
what you’re trying to accomplish beforehand and it will make choosing an exposure mode a bit
less stressful.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Card Formatting
Card formatting resets the File Allocation Table (FAT) on the card. The File
Allocation Table enables the camera and computer to track and locate files on
the card. Do this step after files have been successfully downloaded and the
card re-inserted into the camera.
Unlike erasing, reformatting a capture card doesn’t delete its files. If by chance
you reformat the card before copying the files to your computer (or storage
device), the files are recoverable. If you reformat and shoot again with the card,
it is still possible to recover the files. Most capture cards have a file recovery
application loaded onto them at the factory. Be sure to copy over the file
recovery application to your computer before you need it.
I’ve had the best results using a third party file recovery software called Klix
from joesoft.com.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Qualities of Light
Photographs are two dimensional recreations of the light reflected off a subject.
Therefore, the characteristics of light literally make the photograph. These
characteristics are divided into two categories:
Formative & Comparative

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Qualities of Light - Formative
• DIRECTION - Where the light is coming from
• SPECULAR - Direct light
• DIFFUSE - Indirect light

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Qualities of Light - Formative
• DIRECTION - Where the light is coming from
• SPECULAR - Direct light
• DIFFUSE - Indirect light
Direct sunlight Direct sunlight with a fill card Direct sunlight with a fill card Open shade with a fill card
against a dark background

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Qualities of Light - Comparative
• COLOR - Red, aquamarine blue, orange, violet, banana yellow, etc.
• CONTRAST - Does the image feel hard, soft or average in the distribution of
its gray, black and white tones
• BRIGHTNESS - Does the image feel too light, just right or too dark

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Qualities of Light
Direction
Specular
Diffused
Color
Contrast
Brightness Back-light
Side-light
Front-light
Non-directional

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
The unit of measurement photographers use to adjust ISO, shutter speed and aperture is called a
stop. A one stop change will allow twice as much light to reach the sensor or half as much light,
depending on how a particular camera control is changed. This is also known as the halving and
doubling principle and is a fundamental concept of photographic theory.
For example, adjusting the shutter speed from 1/500 to 1/250 lets in twice as much light. The
fractional number has been halved but the time has been doubled. Adjusting the exposure via f/
stops is similar. Changing the f/stop from f/8 to f/11, reduces the light energy by half, cutting the
exposure one stop.
A one stop change doubles (1X2 ) or halves the exposure. (1/2) A two stop change doubles or
halves the exposure again which means either four times (2X2) as much light is reaching the
sensor or one quarter as much. (1/2X1/2) A three stop change doubles or halves the exposure
again. (2X2X2 or 1/2X1/2X1/2) In practical terms this means a two stop change is four times as
much or 1/4 as much light, and a three stop change is eight times as much or 1/8 as much light.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
Exposure is a function of four factors:
• The amount of light reflected off a subject
• The sensitivity (ISO) of the camera sensor
• The shutter speed (the length of time the sensor is exposed to light)
• The aperture (the size of the opening in the lens)
Some or all of these factors can be controlled by the photographer.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
Photographers control exposure (the amount of light energy that accumulates on the
camera’s sensor) to influence the viewer’s response and to create reproducible images.
Consider:
Overall Tonal Value - High Key, Normal Key, Low Key
Shadow and Highlight Detail - Is there enough detail in the highlights and shadows for
purposes of reproduction?

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
Photographers control exposure (the amount of light energy that accumulates on the
camera’s sensor) with their choice of camera controls.
These include the following:
Shutter Speed - the length of time the shutter is open affects the
amount of light reaching the sensor. The choice of shutter speed helps determine if the
image will be affected by camera shake or if moving objects will be blurry or sharp.
Aperture - the size of the lens opening affects the amount (intensity) of light
reaching the sensor. The choice of aperture (f/stop) also affects
depth of field. The choice of aperture helps determine how much of the image is in focus.
The essential equation for defining exposure is: Time X Intensity = Exposure

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Shutter Speed
The amount of time light is allowed to accumulate onto the camera sensor. Shutter
speeds can be as brief as 1/4000 of a second or as long as several hours. The amount
of time depends on a variety of factors:
Is the subject moving? Do you wish to freeze this movement? Is the subject moving
slow? Do you wish to make it appear to be moving fast?
How do you wish to interpret the scene? Creatively or straight forward
documentation?
Answer these questions and the appropriate shutter speed will reveal itself.
1 sec. 1/2 sec. 1/4 sec. 1/5 1/8 1/10 1/13 1/15 1/20
Shutter Speed Scale:
1/25 1/30 1/40 1/50 1/60 1/80 1/100 1/125 1/160 1/200 1/250 1/320 1/400
1/500 1/640 1/800 1/1000 1/1250 1/1600 1/2000 1/2500 1/3200 1/4000

Photography Basics:
Aperture: 5.6 ISO: 200 Shutter Speed: Change
1/20 1/25 1/30 1/40 1/50
1/60 1/80 1/100 1/125 1/160

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Aperture
The intensity of water flowing through a pipe is controlled by changing the size of the valve opening. In
photography we control the intensity of light flowing through a lens, by changing the size of the iris. The openings
are called f/stops or apertures and large f/numbers denote a small opening and small f/numbers denote a larger
opening. This inverse relationship confuses a lot of photographers.
How do you know which one to select? If you want a picture to have a lot of in focus details (large depth of
field) like a landscape , choose a large (f/22 or higher) f/stop. (small opening) If you want a picture where the
subject is in focus but the background is out of focus, choose a small (f/5.6 or smaller) f/stop (large opening)
All things being equal, a larger lens opening allows more light to reach the sensor.
The Aperture Scale: 2.0 2.2 2.5 2.8 3.2 3.6 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.6 6.4 7.1 8.0 9.0 10 11 12.5 14 16 18 20
22 25 29 32 36 40 45

Photography Basics:
Shutter Speed: 1/20 ISO: 200 Aperture: Change
5.6 6.4 7.1 8.0 9.0
10 11 13 14 16

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
ISO
ISO describes the light sensitivity of the camera sensor. A low ISO will require more
light than a higher ISO. ISO changes are made for a variety of reasons: how much
light is present, whether or not a fast moving subject is being photographed or you
wish to work with specific shutter speed and aperture combinations.
When the available (ambient) light is so low that hand-holding without camera shake
is impossible (and a tripod is not handy), switch to an ISO that allows a shutter
speed between 1/60 and 1/125 of a second. However the specialized processing
required for high ISO files creates noise which is usually unacceptable.
The ISO scale: 25 32 40 50 64 80 100 125 160 200 250 320 400
500 640 800 1000 1250 1600 2000 2500 3200 4000 6400 8000

Photography Basics:
Aperture: 5.6 Shutter Speed:1/40 ISO: Change
50 100 125 160
Michael E. Stern
Photography Education Consulting
626-298-6747
CyberStern.com
200 250 320 400

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
The Aperture Scale: 2.0 2.2 2.5 2.8 3.2 3.6 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.6 6.4 7.1
8.0 9.0 10 11 12.5 14 16 18 20 22 25 29 32 36 40 45
The ISO scale: 25 32 40 50 64 80 100 125 160 200 250 320 400
500 640 800 1000 1250 1600 2000 2500 3200 4000 6400 8000
1sec. 1/2sec. 1/4sec. 1/5 1/8 1/10 1/13 1/15 1/20
Shutter Speed Scale:
1/25 1/30 1/40 1/50 1/60 1/80 1/100 1/125 1/160 1/200 1/250 1/320
1/400 1/500 1/640 1/800 1/1000 1/1250 1/1600 1/2000 1/2500 1/3200
1/4000
Each red number is a one stop change. The intermediate numbers are one-third stop
changes.You will see these numbers on each of the three scales in your camera:
Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
When working in manual mode where the photographer controls the ISO, shutter speed and f/stop, underexposure
and overexposure are common. In manual mode if you decide the picture is one stop underexposed, you can add one
stop by:
• Increasing the sensitivity (ISO) of the chip by one stop
• Increase the length of time (slow down) the shutter is open by one stop
• Increase the diameter (open up) of the lens opening by one stop
If your image is underexposed by two stops, you can solve this problem by adjusting one or more
variables to achieve a two stop increase.
Among your choices you could:
• Add one stop of light to the scene (via shutter speed or f/stop) and increase the sensitivity of the chip by one stop
• Increase the sensitivity of the chip by one stop and increase the diameter of the lens opening by one stop
• Increase the length of time the shutter is open by one stop and increase the diameter of the lens by one stop.
• Increase the diameter of the lens opening by two stops.
• Slow the shutter speed down by two stops.
• Increase the sensitivity of the chip by two stops.

Photography Basics:
Equivalent Exposure
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
In addition to earlier illustrating the concept of
Depth of Field, these two images also demonstrate
the concept of Equivalent Exposure.
Equivalent exposure refers to maintaining the same
exposure value despite changing camera controls.
How is this accomplished?
As one camera control moves (shutter speed), the
other camera control (f/stop) moves in an equal
but opposite direction.
1/60 @ f/5.6 ISO 200
.6 sec @ f/36 ISO 200
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Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
If you feel the picture is overexposed, reverse the process.
To correct exposure issues while in Tv or Av mode, navigate to the Exposure Compensation (EC) button and
for underexposures add 1 stop (or whatever you feel is necessary. For overexposures subtract 1 stop (or
whatever you feel is necessary)
How do you know what is necessary? How do you know if it is correctly exposed?
We look at the camera’s histogram to determine the correct exposure. While the histogram provides
accurate information, it takes time to understand what it’s displaying and how to translate the information.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure - Histogram
Composite
Shadow
The histogram is a scale that runs from 0 to 255.
Red
The histogram plots where information in the Highlights
camera files resides. The left side indicates where
the shadows are and the right side indicates where
the highlights are. Portions of the scale bunched up Green
at either end indicate underexposure or
overexposure. If this occurs, it will be difficult to
hold detail in a print.
Depending on the subject matter and the Blue
photographers interpretation of the scene, this may
be appropriate.
This histogram reflects
the distribution on
tones in a picture.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure - Histogram
Composite
Red
Green
This picture is mostly mid-tone values with Blue
a slight emphasis on the lighter values.
However there are dark shadows indicated This histogram reflects the distribution on
by the tall spike of information along the tones in the picture.
left side of the graph.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure - Histogram
Composite
Red
Green
This picture is mostly lower-tone values. Blue
This histogram reflects the distribution on
tones in the picture.

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure - Histogram
Composite
Red
Green
Blue
This picture is mostly higher-tone values.
This histogram reflects the distribution on
tones in the picture.

Photography Basics:
Depth of Field
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
1/60 @ f/5.6 ISO 200 .6 sec @ f/36 ISO 200

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Exposure
Can you identify the shutter speeds used in these photos?

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Checklist:
• Metering Mode - Av, Tv or manual
• Exposure Mode - spot or evaluative
• JPEG Quality- best
• Color Space - Adobe ‘98
• White Balance - your choice
• Format Card - always
• ISO - your choice
• Sharpness - low or off
• Contrast - medium, low or off

Photography Basics:
Camera Controls & The Study of Light
Let’s Shoot!
Michael E. Stern
PHOTOGRAPHY EDUCATION CONSULTING
626-298-6747
www.CyberStern.com