Basics of Camera Operation:Moving Beyond Automatic

Presented by Melinda JankowskiDecember 23, 2013

Evolution of a Photographer

Skill Level

[%]

Time

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Point &

Shoot

1st DSLR 1st Non-kitLens

ProfessionalCritique

2nd DSLR Death

Knowledge

Auto

1st PhotoClass

Manual

NewEquipment

Workshop NewSoftware

MoreClasses

Quality of Photos

ISO: how sensitive your sensor is to light

Aperture: opening thatlimits how much light hitsyour sensor

Shutter Speed:length of time the shutter is open

Terminology: Exposure Triangle

The Best Semiautomatic Modes

Shutter select to freeze motionAperture select to isolate subject (orshallow depth of focus)

1) Aperture Select: You choose the aperture, the camera chooses the shutter speed

2) Shutter Select: You choose the shutter speed, the camera chooses the aperture

Manual Mode: Great for creative shots

Silhouette at sunset

Six minute exposure to capture star trails

Studio shot with rim and main lights

Understanding ISO

Questions to ask yourself rst:

1. Light - Is the subject well lit?

2. Grain - Do I want a grainy image or one without noise?

3. Tripod - Do I have one on hand?

4. Moving - Is my subject moving or stationary?

ISO 200 ISO 10,000

Understanding Shutter Speed

Shutter speed = 1/8000 s

Shutter speed = 1/80 s

Shutter speed = 20 s

Rule of Thumb: If handheld, shutter speed should be no less than the inverse of the focal length of your lens

Understanding Aperture

f/2.0 f/5.6 f/16

Bokeh

Comes from the Japanese work boke (暈け or ボケ), which means "blur" or "haze"

Refers to the quality of the out of focus region

Focal Length

Wide will help youtell a story about theenvironment

Tele will isolate yoursubject from thebackground

Each Lens Has a Purpose

Understanding Depth of Field (DOF)

2) Different lenses have different DOF at the same f-stop

200 mmBackground close

200 mmBackground far

Shallow DOF: only the subject is in focus, background & foreground out of focus (bokeh)Deep DOF: everything is in focus

1) Placement of your subject matters!

Understanding Depth of Field (cont’d)

Full frame = 24 mm X 36 mmNikon & Canon consumer = ~18 X ~24 mmPoint and shoot = 2/3 inIPhone = 1/3”

3) A bigger senser has more shallow DOF

4) Decreasing distance to subject decreases DOF f/2.2, 1/5000 sFarther awayf/2.2, 1/4000 s

Closeup