Understanding Your Camera 1: Basics UUU103

Understanding Your Camera 1: Basics UUU103

Your Camera I Understanding Your Camera I Understanding Objective Objective Materials Materials The The Basics Basics After completing this class, the student will have an understanding of basic photography and basic creative DSLR camera functions. Items required for participation are the following: Digital Single Reflex Camera Camera Manual Normal (50mm) Lens DSLR Instruction Booklet (provided) Pen or pencil Addressed Standards Addressed Standards 1. The definition of photography. 2. The function of the International Standards Organization rating for sensitivity to light and how it affects the exposure as well as the aesthetic look of a photograph. 3. The mechanics of the shutter and how it affects the exposure as well as the aesthetic look of a photograph. 4. The mechanics of the aperture and how it affects the exposure as well as the aesthetic look of a photograph. Practice Independent Practice Independent Record an image demonstrating: a shallow depth of field a medium depth of field stopped motion a blurred subject implying its motion panning

Michael Downey Head Instructor michaeld@uniquephoto.com 908.458.6716 123 US HWY 46, Fairfield, NJ 07004 WWW.UNIVERSITY.UNIQUEPHOTO.COM BE PATIENT Take Lots of Pictures Practice Makes Perfect Have Fun! Michael Downey is the Head Instructor of Unique University. He currently owns and operates Michael Downey Photography, Inc. out of Somerville, New Jersey. He has photographed hundreds of moderate to high-end weddings throughout the northeast. Michael also teaches during photo walks and workshops. His images can be seen at New Century Artist Art Gallery in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.

NJ s Only Camera & Video Superstore n 20,000+ Brand Name Products n Highly Trained Photography Sales Staff n Photography Classes n Digital Computer Lab n Photo Lab n Free Technical Support Since moving to Fairfield in 2008, Unique Photo has become the center of photography in NJ. Our Superstore stocks over 20,000 items, including the latest digital cameras and accessories from top brands such as Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Leica, Fujifilm, Manfrotto, Epson, Lexar, and many more. We also have NJ s best photo lab, NJ s largest rental equipment program, NJ s premiere camera trade-in program, and a Red House Roasters gourmet coffee bar and Wi-Fi lounge.

Unique University is the highly acclaimed education component of Unique Photo. There is over 2000 sq. ft. of learning space, including our state-of-the-art, 1000 sq. ft. main presentation hall. Unique University s mission is to help our visitors Create Better Pictures by providing photography education for beginners to professionals. With events daily, it is the place where photography groups such as local camera clubs, ASMP, PPA and others meet. We have a full curriculum of classes and seminars from world famous speakers such as Art Wolfe, Rick Sammon, Ron Wyatt, Michael Yamashita, Tyler Stableford, Lindsay Adler, and Will Crockett. We offer photography excursions to many places, including the Meadowlands Racetrack, Lakota Wolf Preserve, Rutgers University Football, Botanical Gardens and Ballooning. Our technical classes include such topics as basic DSLR photography, DSLR video, lighting techniques, Adobe Photoshop, Elements anf Lightroom, composition, editing and printing, wedding photography, HDR photography, working with speedlites, one-on-one instruction, and much more.

is Photography? What is Photography? What Let s begin with a very clear definition of photography. Photography is the art or science of recording light. Specifically, you are capturing the light s direction, color, and intensity. A camera is a light recorder, just like a tape recorder is an audion recorder. It doesn t matter what s in front of your lens because the subject is always in the light. The subject is the direction, color, and intensity of the light. photo- A combining photo- form meaning light (photobiology); also used to represent photographic or photograph in the formation of compound words: photocopy. graphy- A combining form denoting a process or form of drawing, writing, representing, recording, describing, etc., or an art or science concerned with such a process: biography, choreography, geography, orthography, graphy- and photography.

Marriage The Marriage The Photography is a wonderful marriage. It is the marriage of art and science. I m the type of person that likes to save the best for last so I will begin by talking about the science aspect of photography. First, it is very important that we understand the photographic principles and techniques we use in order to create wonderful images. Proper Exposure Every DSLR camera is designed to achieve proper exposure at any setting other than manual. It will always try to achieve an exposure of 18% gray. In photography 18% gray is an accurate exposure but in the real world we seldom see things at a value of 18% gray. A great example of this is when taking pictures of polar bears playing on icebergs at the North Pole. When shooting in mid-day light, the camera would render these images a little darker than reality. It would expose the white bears and snow at 18% gray.

to Achieve a Good Exposure How to Achieve a Good Exposure How Three Variables That a Camera Uses to Achieve a Good Exposure Let s begin by talking about the three variables the camera uses to achieve 18% gray. 1 ISO Setting 2 Shutter Speed 3 Aperture All of these have an impact on how a picture looks and each of these can be manipulated to vary the exposure. International Standards Organization ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 ISO Low ISO For Bright Conditions Medium ISO For Darker Conditions High ISO For Action, Low Light and Night Photography The effect is Noise or Grain 1 ISO Setting The ISO setting dictates your digital camera s sensitivity to light. ISO is an acronym for the International Standards Organization. Before the digital age, you may remember your parents talking about film. Film is assigned an ISO number to designate its speed rating or sensitivity to light. Prior to the 1980s, a film s light sensitivity was designated by the ASA (American Standards Association) rating. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive the film or digital sensor is to light. The higher the ISO the more sensitive to light the sensor is. In very bright situations you want to use lower a ISO but in very dark situations you want to use higher ISOs. My recommendation is to start somewhere around 400 to see of you can create the picture you want. Higher ISOs have the effect of noise in an image. The actual ISO at which the noice occurs varies from camera to camera.

ISO Settings Low ISO Settings Low Low ISO settings are recommended for bright conditions, when there is a lot of light. They have the least amount of noise and best overall image quality. A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety. - Ansel Adams ISO 100 ISO 200

ISO Settings Medium ISO Settings Medium Medium ISO settings are used in darker conditions: n Deep shade n Dawn or dusk n Overcast skies Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art. - Ambrose Bierce ISO 400 ISO 800

ISO Settings High ISO Settings High High ISO settings are often used in action, low light, and night photography. I believe there is no more creative medium than photography to recreate the living world of our time.. Photography gladly accepts the challenge because it is at home in its element: namely realism--real life--the now. - Berenice Abbott ISO 1600 ISO 3200

Speed Shutter Speed Shutter A camera s shutter is a mechanical curtain in front of the imaging sensor. It opens and closes at various speeds to let in either more or less light. Most normal shutter speeds are measured in fractions of a second. When combined with the size of the aperture opening, the shutter controls how much light reaches the imaging sensor. Shutter speeds will range from as fast as 1/8000th of a second to 30 seconds on most digital cameras. There is also a BLUB or B setting, which will force the shutter to stay open for as long as the release button is held down. Shutter Speed Priority S Nikon/Olympus Tv Canon 1/1000th second In the viewfinder you will see: n 1/250 th = 250 n 1/8 th = 8 n 4 seconds = 4 The shutter speed is the first number in the viewfinder. Fast Shutter Speeds Fast shutter speeds ensure that the subject records no movement. They are generally used in bright daylight and to freeze motion.

Shutter Speeds Slow Shutter Speeds Slow Slow shutter speeds record movement in the subject. They are generally used in deep shade or low lighting conditions or to create motion blur. You ve got to push yourself harder. You ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper. - William A. Allard 1/4th second Panning Panning is a creative effect that combines a slow shutter speed with a moving camera following the moving subject.

Shutter Speeds Long Shutter Speeds Long Long shutter speeds refers to when the shutter of the camera is open for longer than one second. Longer shutter speeds are generally used in night photography. Life is about capturing the moment in its beauty, and telling a story to every beautiful moment. - Blanca Acosta 15 second Bulb Exposures Used when you can t anticipate the action, and you want the exposure to last several seconds. Put the camera on a tripod with theshutter speed set to B (bulb). Also used when an exposure of longer than 30 is required. Most DSLR cameras can t be set for longer than 30 seconds.

Aperture Aperture The aperture is the diaphragm that opens and closes to modify the amount of light that reaches the sensor. A small aperture lets in a small amount of light, while a big aperture allows for more light to reach the sensor. The aperture is also called f-stop. Aperture sizes are denoted by f numbers: f/32, f/22, f/16, f/11, f/8, f/5.6, f/4, f/2.8, f/2, f/1.4, f/1. The smaller the number, the bigger the aperture opening. f/22 f/16 Less Light Deeper Depth of Field (More in Focus) Aperture Priority A Nikon/Olympus Av Canon f/11 f/8 In bright light conditions you should use a small aperture to cut back the amount of light to avoid over exposing your picture. f/5.6 f/4 In low light conditions you should use a wide aperture to let more light reach the sensor. f/2.8 More Light Shallower Depth of Field (Less in Focus)

Mode Icons Shooting Mode Icons Shooting In the mode dial we can find: Fully Automatic Operations: Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Portrait, Kids, Flash Off. Auto, Semi-auto, or Manual Operations: Manual Exposure, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority P ART SCN Not all the cameras have the same controls and menu settings.

of Field Depth of Field Depth Depth of field is the zone of sharp focus both in front of and behind the point of true focus. Depth of field is dependent on the aperture, the focal length of the lens, and the actual distance to the subject. Deep Depth of Field A deep depth of field will keep everything in focus, including objects or people close to you, and everything in the background. It is quite good for landscape, architectural shots or technical photographs. Shallow Depth of Field A shallow depth of field will only focus on the object or person you have photographed. Everything else will be out of focus. This is useful for portraits because it draws the eye to the person photographed and softens any distractions in the background. f/22 f/2.8

Canon Nikon Sony Olympus BASIC MODES Portrait Shallow depth of field (wider aperture) Landscape Deep depth of field (smaller aperture) Close-Up Shallow depth of field (smaller aperture) Sports Stopping the motion (fast shutter speed) Night Portrait Stopping the motion (flash and slow shutter speed) Kids Stopping the motion (fast shutter speed) Sunset Stopping the motion/shooting the red of the sunset beautifully (fast shutter speed) Flash Off M Av Tv P AUTO M M M A S A S A S P P P Auto CREATIVE MODES Manual Exposure Aperture Priority AE Shutter Priority AE Program

Additional Light Flash Settings n Window n Reflective wall n Flash n Bounced n Reflected n Diffused n Compensate Additional Light Flash Settings Flash ON Flash OFF A Auto Flash Sunlight from a clear sky entering a room from a window acts as a spotlight, brightly illuminating one side of your subject. Reflectors are simply any item used to reflect light toward your subject. Reflectors can be used with a flash or in place of a flash.

Balance White Balance White White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. The Color of Light n Warm vs. Cool n Yellow vs. Blue n Sunlight vs. Cloudy n Direct Light vs. Shade Sunny Cloudy Sources of Light Incandescent or Tungsten Fluorescent Proper camera white balance takes into account the color temperature of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light. Our eyes are very good at judging what is white under different light sources, but digital cameras often have great difficulty with auto white balance (AWB) -- and can create unsightly blue, orange, or even green color casts. Incorrect White Balance Correct White Balance

Guidelines Artistic Guidelines Artistic n Use the rule of thirds or golden rule n Fill the frame n Be aware of everything in the frame n Think two dimensional The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography, & design The Rule of Thirds The rule of thirds is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section. The main reason for observing the rule of thirds is to discourage placement of the subject ar the center, or prevent a horizon from appearing to divide the picture in half.

Fill the Frame One sure way to keep from including to much information in a photograph is to fill the frame with your subject and nothing but your subject. Filling the frame from edge to edge leaves little doubt about what your intended target was. Filling the frame from edge to edge leaves little doubt about what your intended target was. There are two ways to get closer: use a telephoto lens or get closer to the subject. People The filling the frame technique is particularly important when taking pictures of people whose facial features tend to disappear when you move more than a few meters away from them. Their expressions help to tell their story.

Be Aware of Everything in the Frame Be aware of everything in your field of view. Don t just focus your attention on the subject. If something is distracting or disturbing elsewhere in the frame, viewers will likely pay attention to that and the viewers eyes will stray away from your subject. Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change - Wayne W. Dyer Think Two Dimensional Sometimes objects that are in another dimension look like they are in the same dimsension. In the example of the two siblings, the flowers look as though they are just on top of the head of the boy. This can be very simply avoided by taking the picture from another angle.