MERIAN PRODUCTION - Basic Photography

P H O T O G R A P H Y T I P S
What goes through your mind in the moments as you raise
your digital camera up to take a shot and before you press the
shutter? If you’re like many digital photographers you’re not
thinking about too much – you just want to capture the moment
and then move on.
However getting in the habit of asking some simple questions
can help take your images to the next level. Here’s 10
questions to get in the habit of asking while framing your shots.
I’ve included links in each one to further reading on the topics.
I hope you find them helpful:

1. What story am I telling? This is an important question and one that should help
you to make any number of decisions in terms of composition, framing, exposure
etc. In essence what you’re asking is ‘why am I taking this shot? What is it’s
purpose and what am I trying to convey?’ Is it purely a way to keep a record of a
moment, are you trying to capture the emotion of a moment, is it possibly a shot to
give to someone, is it part of a larger series of shots or will it be the only shot to
commemorate the moment etc.

2. What is the visual focal point of this shot? What will viewers of this picture
naturally have their eye drawn to in this scene? Once you’ve identified this focal
point you can think about where to place it in the frame (consider the rule of
thirds for example).There are a variety of ways that you can enhance a focal
point

3. What competing focal points are there? Once you’ve identified what you do
want your viewers eyes to be drawn towards and have placed it in the frame –
scan your eyes over the shot and see if there are any competing focal points and
ask yourself whether they add to or take away from the image? Secondary focal
points can add depth to shots but they can also be very distracting and so you
might need to reposition yourself or adjust your focal length and/or depth of field to
accommodate or remove them from your shots.

4. What is in the background and foreground ? One of most common places for
distractions in digital photography is the background of your shots. Run your eyes
over the space behind your subject to see what else is in the image (do the same
for the foreground). Consider whether you want the background in focus or nice
and blurry.

5. Am I close enough ? Another common mistake in digital photography is taking
shots where your subject is too small in the frame. Shots that fill the frame with
your subject tend to be much more dynamic and show a lot more detail of your
subject. To get this effect you have the option of moving yourself closer, moving
your subject closer or using a longer focal length to give the effect of closeness.

6. What is the main source of light ? Always give consideration to how your subject
is lit. Without light you’ll lose detail and clarity in your image and your camera will
have to compensate by doing things like increasing ISO and lengthening shutter
speeds (which could lead to noisy and blurred images). What is the main source of
light, where is it coming from, is there enough light, do you need artificial light
sources (flash etc), do you need to stabilize your camera on a tripod to stop
camera shake due to low light etc.

7. Is my Framing Straight ? It’s amazing how many otherwise good photos are
spoiled by framing that is slightly offline. Sloping horizons and slightly leaning
people or buildings should always be in the back of your mind to check. Read more
on getting horizons horizontal and getting other lines straight.

8. What other perspectives could I capture this subject from ? Put 10 digital
camera owners in front of a scene and most of them will take exactly the same
shot from the same position. Make your images stand out from the crowd by
challenging yourself to not only take the standard shots that everyone else will get
but to find creative and fresh angles and perspectives to shoot from.

9. How would holding the camera in the other format change this shot ? Many
photographers get into the habit of always holding their camera the same way
(horizontally/landscape or vertically/portrait). While it’s OK to have a preference
one way or the other it’s also worth remembering that changing the format can
drastically change the impact of the shot. Don’t forget you can also hold your
camera at an angle for an effective result too.

10. How will the eye travel through this image ? This is related to asking about
focal points but gets in touch with the fact that while you’re photographing a still
image your viewers eyes don’t remain still as they look at an image. People tend
to follow lines and are attracted to shapes and colors so considering all of these
different visual elements and cues can help improve your shots considerably.
Read more on horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines and how they impact a shot.

Photography offers something for everyone
Here are some starting points
•The word “Photography” comes from the Greek words “phos”
meaning light, and “graphos” meaning writing.
•The purpose of photography is to create a vision through the
expression of a visual language.
•The one holding the camera has the responsibility for the
successful outcome of a photo.
•The photographer controls the end result by the choice of
lighting, subject, angle, story and vision.
B A S I C P H O T O G R A P H Y

• Photos can capture a feeling often difficult to express in words.
• One’s intuition can play a large role in the timing of when to
click the shutter, so don’t underestimate the value of
intuitiveness.The purpose of photography is to create a vision
through the expression of a visual language.
• Viewing other photographer’s work can provide you with
inspiration.
• Visit galleries and bookstores to study how light, composition
and subjects are handled.
• Dissect images to see what works and does not work according
to your own eye. And remember this valuable information when
clicking on the shutter.

• Join photography clubs, internet photography forums.
• Experiment with various camera settings.
• Shoot a lot but learn from failures (beginning photographers
might consider keeping a record of camera settings for each
frame to understand how a change of setting can affect an
image).

The three most important aspects of a good photograph includes:
•The technical understanding of the camera and its operations and
functions.
•The elements of composition.
•The creative way in which light is manipulated or taken advantage
of.

EQUIPMENT BASIC FUNCTIONS
A.Camera A. Aperture
B. Lenses B. Shutter
C.Film / Sensor C. Depth of Field
D.Flash
EXPOSURE & METERING
CREATIVE USE OFTHE BASIC FUNCTIONS

Cameras share some common features:
a lens
a light tight body
a light sensitive medium (film or sensor) to capture the image.
a lens aperture which controls the amount of light reaching the
medium
a shutter which opens and closes to allow light to act for a
specified time
a viewfinder or screen on which you can see the picture you will
take

E Q U I P M E N T
135 mm FILM CAMERAS

E Q U I P M E N T
135 mm DIGITAL CAMERAS

E Q U I P M E N T
LENS
A primary component of your digital camera is the lens.
The lens is made of optical glass or plastic that has been
designed to gather light reflected from the subject and
project it onto the image sensor in the digital camera.
The lens serves as your camera’s eye, determining
what your camera can see and how well what is seen is
conveyed to the camera’s image sensor.

E Q U I P M E N T
Focal Length
One of the most important characteristics of a lens is its
focal length.
On a 35 mm camera, a lens with a focal length
of less than 35 mm is known as a short, or wide-angle lens.
with over 65 mm is considered a long, or telephoto lens.
And lenses with focal lengths between 35 mm and 65 mm
are considered normal.
The 50 mm lens is the most common lens.

E Q U I P M E N T
Focal Length
By changing focal lengths, you immediately change the lens’s
angle of view and its magnifying power.
The term angle of view describes how much of a scene
the lens captures.
A short lens has a wide angle of view, meaning it can
capture a wide expanse of a scene.
A long lens has a narrower angle of view so it will isolate
small sections of the scene.

E Q U I P M E N T
Focal Length
WIDE Angle ( Short lens )
STANDARD ( Normal )
LONG FOCUS (Telephoto )

E Q U I P M E N T
Wide Angle Lens
A wide angle lens takes in a larger view than a standard
lens, and is ideal for photographing a group of people or
when you are working in confined space .
If used too close to the subject, however distortion maybe a
problem. Depth of field at each aperture setting is
generous, which is useful when all parts of a subject must
be sharply rendered.

E Q U I P M E N T
Standard Lens
A standard or normal lens produces an image that is roughly
equivalent to the way a scene appears when viewed with the
naked eye.
Standard lenses often have a wide maximum apertures making
them useful in low-light situations.

E Q U I P M E N T
Long-Focus Lens
Long-focus lenses are useful for large images of distant
subjects or when you cannot move on close enough to use a
shorter lens. Long lenses tend to be heavy, which makes the
use of fast shutter speeds to avoid camera shake.

E Q U I P M E N T
Types of Lenses
Lenses are generally categorized as
integrated
interchangeable
zoom
macro.

E Q U I P M E N T
Integrated Lenses
An integrated lens is part of the camera and is not
detachable. Some integrated lenses allow you to add
supplementary lenses. Typically, supplementary lenses
screw onto the lens barrel thread or slip over it with a friction
mount.

E Q U I P M E N T
Interchangeable Lenses
An interchangeable lens can be detached from the camera
and replaced with another lens having the same type of
mount. Professional photographers rely on
interchangeable lenses to create desired effects depending
on the situation they are shooting.

E Q U I P M E N T
Macro Lenses
A macro lens allows you to focus while standing very close
to your subject in order to take close-up shots. It is
designed to maintain superior sharpness and contrast when
focused on a subject that is very near the camera.

E Q U I P M E N T
Zoom Lenses
A zoom lens has a variable focal length, meaning it allows you
to adjust the focal length over a variety of ranges.

E Q U I P M E N T
Zoom lenses are either optical or digital.
An optical zoom lens truly changes the amount of the
subject falling on the image sensor. This results in every
pixel in the image containing unique data, providing a
final photo that is crisp and clear.
A digital zoom takes a part of the normal image and
enlarges it to give the appearance that you have zoomed
in on the subject. The digital zoom adds new pixels to the
image using interpolation.

E Q U I P M E N T
Digital Zoom
Optical Zoom
Usually equivalent to a 35mm
lens, Details in the photo are
captured by the lens.
Camera adds pixels to make the
Photo larger. Details in the photo
are artificially added via software
in the camera.
Camera adds pixels to make the
photo larger. Details in the
photo are artificially added via
software in the camera.
x1 x2 x3

E Q U I P M E N T
Optical ZoomVS Digital Zoom
On consumer digital cameras, the terms OPTICAL ZOOM &
DIGITAL ZOOM are common.
When shopping for a digital camera, ignore the DIGITAL
ZOOM.
What you should look for is the OPTICAL ZOOM capability
because what is captured using optical zoom is what the lens
actually sees.
DIGITAL ZOOM is basically using in-camera software to
enlarge the center pixels in the photo, resulting in loss of
detail and sharpness.

E Q U I P M E N T
mirror upmirror down

E Q U I P M E N T
small apertures medium apertures large apertures

E Q U I P M E N T
1. Charge-Coupled Device and
Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor. CCD (Charge-Coupled
Device)
A CCD is known for its superior image
performance. A technology that has been
around for more than two decades.
CCD image sensors are usually found on
digital cameras that produce high
quality images.

E Q U I P M E N T
CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor)
One of the reasons for the fall in the prices of digital
cameras is because of CMOS sensors. CMOS is a
newer technology and cost less to manufacture than
CCDs.
CMOS sensors, initially used primarily in inexpensive
digital cameras, have greatly improved in image
quality and are now found in advanced and high-end
cameras.These smaller sensors are easier to
manufacture, faster than CCDs and don't take as
much battery power.

E Q U I P M E N T
ISO & Digital Noise
The ISO rating refers to the sensitivity of the media used to
capture the photos.
In film-based cameras.
The ISO rating refers to the film's sensitivity . Lower ratings
like ISO100 means that the film is less sensitive (needing
more light), but able to produce photos that contain less
grain and more saturated color.

E Q U I P M E N T
In digital cameras
The ISO rating refers to the camera CCD sensitivity, since
digital cameras don't use film. Most use CCD's to capture
photos. Lower ratings like ISO 100 means that the CCD is
less sensitive (needing more light), but able to produce
photos that contain less digital noise and more saturated
colors. In most digital cameras, ISO 100 is the setting which
enables it to produce its best images, because the CCD
doesn't need to boost it sensitivity (which results in noise).

E Q U I P M E N T
ISO & Digital Noise
ISO 100
Photo Quality is very good
ISO 200
Photo Quality is average
ISO 800
Photo Quality is rather
poor
No digital noise
Camera doesn’t need to
increase CCD sensitivity
But…
Camera needs a lot of light.
Works best outdoors or with a
light source, such as flash.
Digital noise is noticeable
Camera increases CCD
sensitivity to cope with less
available light
But…
Camera needs only half the
amount of light that ISO100
needs.
High levels of digital noise
Camera increases CCD
sensitivity to cope with less
available light
But…
Camera needs even less light,
only one-eight the amount of
light that ISO100 needs.

A P E R T U R E
Aperture is the term used to describe what is simply the
hole in the lens that light travels through to reach the
camera sensor or film.
This hole can be set at different sizes, and combined
with shutter speed, you get the two main settings
which control exposure.

 The aperture is like the pupil
in your eye.
 It’s a mechanical "iris" inside
of the lens that opens and
closes to varying degrees to
control the amount of light
that passes through the lens.
A P E R T U R E

A P E R T U R E
 When an aperture is "wide
open", it’s gathering all the
light the lens is capable of.
 When the aperture is "stopped
down", or closed down to a
pin-hole, it’s letting pass the
smallest amount of light
possible.

A P E R T U R E
small apertures medium apertures large apertures

A P E R T U R E
Maximum Aperture
The maximum aperture of a lens determines how much you
can open it.
The maximum aperture is also referred to as the maximum
iris, or the speed of a lens.
Larger maximum apertures, such as f/1.8, let it more light
than smaller apertures, such as f/3.2, allowing you to take
better shots in low-light situations.

E X P O S U R E
F-STOP or APERTURE SETTINGS
•The number used to describe aperture size.
• Is a measurement of the size of the aperture (opening)
of the camera iris.
• Control the amount of light striking the film/sensor.
• Control the amount of Depth of field or how much area
In front of and behind the subject is in focus.
Standard f-stops includes
f/1.4 f/2.8 f/4.0 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

E X P O S U R E
• Small aperture settings allow more depth of field.
• Larger aperture settings allow to blur the foreground or
Background while keeping the main subject in focus
F/1.4 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11
f/16

S H U T T E R S P E E D
• Defined most basically - shutter speed isThe amount of time
that the shutter is open.
• Shutter speed is measured in seconds - or in most cases
fractions of seconds.The bigger the denominator the faster
the speed (ie 1/1000 is much faster than 1/30).
• Standard shutter speed includes
B (Bulb) 8 seconds 4 seconds 2 seconds 1
second 1/2 second 1/4 1/8
1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250
1/500 1/1000

Faster Shutter speeds are generally used outdoors in bright
light and will freeze action

Slow Shutter Speeds are generally used indoors or
outdoors in low light and will blur movement

A P E R T U R E
Deciding what settings to use
*What is your priority? Is depth of field important? Do
you need to freeze action or do you want to emphasize
action in the photo?
*If depth of field is priority, set your F/stop first then read
the light meter to see what shutter speed must be to
have enough light.
*If stopping or blurring the action is the most important
consideration, set you shutter speed accordingly, then
read the light meter to see what the aperture setting
should be.

A P E R T U R E
Equivalent Exposure
There is two times relationship between each of the f/stop settings (f/22 is the
smallest opening; the next smallest opening, f/16, lets in exactly twice as much
light).There is a two times relationship between each of the shutter speeds (1000
is usually the fastest shutter speed; the next smaller number, 500, lets in exactly
twice as much lights). Since both settings have a two times relationship, you can
use different f/stop and shutter speed combinations to produce a variety of results
but with the same amount of light.
f/5.6 @ 125 =f/8 @ 60 :: f/11 @ 30 = f/16 @ 15 :: f/22 @ 8 = f/4 @ 250
Do not hand-hold a camera at shutter speeds slower than 60.Use a tripod. Most
poor pictures are caused by camera movement.

A P E R T U R E
1. We start with the aperture set to f/16 and the shutter speed to 1/30.
2. When you open the aperture one stop to f/11 the shutter speed has to decrease to 1/60 to
keep the exposure the same.This change decreases depth of field slightly and freezes action
better.
3. When you open the aperture another stop to f/8 the shutter speed has to decrease another
stop to 1/125.This change decreases depth of field even more and freezes action even better.

A P E R T U R E
1. Here the aperture is f/4 and the shutter speed is 1/125.

A P E R T U R E
2. If you reduce the aperture one stop to f/5.6 the shutter speed has to decrease
one stop to 1/60 to keep the exposure the same. Depth of field increases slightly
and the possibility of subject or camera blur increases.

A P E R T U R E
If you reduce the aperture one more stop to f/8 the shutter speed has to
decrease one more stop to 1/30 to keep the exposure the same. Depth of
field increases even more as does the possibility of subject or camera
blur.

D E P T H of F I E L D
Depth-of-Field
Depth-of-field is the area that is sharply focused which is
controlled by 3 factors :
Aperture (larger apertures give you less depth-of-field,
smaller aperture give you more)
Focal length (telephoto lenses have less depth-of-field while
wide-angle lenses have more)
Distance between subject and camera (the closer you get the
less depth-of-field you'll have.

F L A S H
Flash-Sync Speed
Most SLR cameras have a maximum shutter speed for use with flash called the
flash-sync speed. Commonly this will be about 1/125s and is often marked with
an "X" or a flash icon on the shutter speed dial.You must select a shutter speed
at or below this setting, eg. 1/60s.

F L A S H
Automatic flashguns have a sensor on the flash which
measures how much light is reflected from the subject and
tells the flash when to cut off.
Dedicated flashes use through the lens (TTL) flash metering
in which the flash sensor is inside the camera and the
camera controls the flash duration directly.

C R E A T I V E C O N T R O L S &
O T H E R F E A T U R E S
Creative Controls & Other Features
Creative Controls
Your digital camera comes with a number of creative
controls. These automatic features may include the
following:
Auto exposure - Automatic modes
Semi-Automatic modes
- Shutter Priority (TV Mode)
- Aperture Priority (AV Mode)
Manual Mode

Automatic Modes
When using a fully automatic mode, you simply depress
the shutter-release button and the camera selects all
settings depending on the type of lighting and
brightness of a scene.The camera focuses automatically
and, when light is low or insufficient, automatically fires
the flash.
Digital cameras with Program AE mode set the shutter
speed and aperture automatically however the user can
adjust some settings such as ISO and white balance.

Semi-Automatic Modes:
Shutter Priority (TV)
You choose the shutter speed (controlling motion), and
the camera selects the best matching aperture for best
results.
Aperture Priority (AV)
You choose the aperture (controlling depth of field), and
the camera sets the best matching shutter speed for
desirable exposure results

Manual Mode:
You have complete control by selecting both the shutter speed and the
aperture. Digital cameras with manual modes have a manual assist
indicator, or other means, which indicates whether or not the exposure
is adequate.
Metering Systems
A digi cam uses built-in light meters to measure the light reflecting
off the subject. There are several different ways in which the
camera’s metering mechanism calculates exposure. The metering
mode you choose will depend on the particular shot you are taking.

Matrix Metering
works by dividing the frame into a grid or matrix. Then it
analyzes light at different points on the grid and chooses
an exposure that best captures both the dark and light
sections of the scene.
Center-Weighted Metering
measures light throughout the scene but gives greater
importance (weight) to the center quarter of the image
area, assuming that is where the primary subject is
located.

Bottom-Weighted Metering:
measures light throughout the scene but gives greater
importance to the bottom of the image area.
Spot Metering:
measures the light only at the center of the image. If
your background is much brighter that your subject,
such as in a backlit situation, spot metering will provide
satisfying results.

Scene Modes:
Scene modes let you choose from a variety of preprogrammed modes
suitable to photograph a given subject such as a portrait, landscape,
close-up Sports or night shots.The camera settings change when
moving a dial to select the mode that matches the scene you plan to
photograph.
Exposure Compensation:
Is what you can do to override the exposure setting set by the camera’s
metering system.
also known as exposure value (EV). This allows you to increase or decrease
the exposure from what the auto exposure setting typically delivers.

Exposure Compensation Setting
- 2 EV No Compensation 0.0 + 2 EV

The In-Camera Histogram:
Many digital cameras have a histogram that is viewed on the LCD
or electronic viewfinder.The histogram provides an indication of
whether or not an image is properly exposed so that you don't
lose detail in the shadows and highlight area. If the histogram
indicates that an image is not exposed properly, change exposure
settings and retake the picture.

The histogram is simply a graph that allows you to judge the
brightness of an image.You can think of the area under the
graph as comprising all the pixels in your captured digital
image.The left side of the histogram depicts how many "dark"
pixels you have captured; the right side, how many "bright"
pixels you have captured.

Let's look at the histograms of three pictures to illustrate
how to read and use a histogram:
Dark
Light
Normal

Adjusting Color Balance
You have probably heard the expressions cool colors and
warm colors. In fact, different light sources really do
have different color temperatures, which means they are
made up of varying amounts of red, green, and blue
light. Color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin.
For instance, a 100-watt incandescent bulb measures
2,850 degrees Kelvin, noon light measure about 5,500
degrees Kelvin, and average daylight is approximately
6,500 degrees Kelvin.

Digital camera color balance setting
Daylight or sunny (for shooting in bright outdoor light)
Cloudy (for shooting when it is overcast outdoors)
Tungsten/incandescent (for shooting under standard
household lights)
Flash (for shooting with the camera’s built-in flash)
Fluorescent (for shooting under fluorescent lights)

As a new photographer, these are some of the ideas U may
consider.
1. Don’t go crazy buying the most expensive equipment right
away. It’s possible to get very nice photos with an inexpensive
point and shoot. The more photos you take, the more you’ll
know about what kind of camera to get when it’s time to
upgrade.
2. Consider a tripod. On the other hand, an inexpensive tripod
is worth getting, especially if you have shaky hands like mine.
When I got a tripod, my satisfaction with my shots
skyrocketed. For even more stability, use your camera’s timer
function with a tripod.

3. Keep your camera with you all the time. Photo ops often come
when you least expect it. If you can keep your equipment relatively
simple – just a small camera bag and a tripod – you might be able to
take advantage of some of those unexpected opportunities. Or, if
your phone has a camera, use it to take “notes” on scenes you’d like
to return to with your regular camera.
4. Make a list of shots you’d like to get. For those times you can’t
carry your camera around, keep a small notebook to jot down places
you’d like to come back and photograph. Make sure to note any
important details, like the lighting, so you can come back at the
same time of day or when the weather’s right.

5. Don’t overlook dull subjects for photography. You might not
see anything interesting to photograph in your living room or
your backyard, but try looking at familiar surroundings with
fresh eyes. You might catch an interesting trick of the light or
find some unexpected wildflowers in your yard. Often a simple
subject makes the best shot.
6. Enjoy the learning process. The best part of having a hobby
like photography is never running out of things to learn.
Inspiration is all around you. Look at everything with the eyes
of a photographer and you’ll see opportunities you never
noticed before

7. Take advantage of free resources to learn. Browse through
websites for inspiration and tips.
8. Experiment with your camera’s settings. Your point and
shoot may be more flexible and powerful than you know. Read
the manual for help deciphering all those little symbols. As you
explore, try shooting your subjects with multiple settings to
learn what effects you like. When you’re looking at your photos
on a computer, you can check the EXIF data (usually in the
file’s properties) to recall the settings you used.

9. Learn the basic rules. The amount of information about
photography online can be overwhelming. Be open to what
more experienced photographers have to say about
technique. You have to know the rules before you can break
them.
10. Take photos regularly. Try to photograph something every
day. If you can’t do that, make sure you take time to practice
regularly, so you don’t forget what you’ve learned. An
excellent way to motivate yourself is doing the monthly
assignment.

11. Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you’re using a digital
camera, the cost of errors is free. Go crazy – you might end
up with something you like. You’ll certainly learn a lot in the
process.

MERIAN PRODUCTION - Basic Photography

MERIAN PRODUCTION - Basic Photography

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MERIAN PRODUCTION - Basic Photography