Basics of Photography
Paul SkawinskiCitizen Lake Monitoring Network Coordinator
UW‐Extension LakesAuthor – Aquatic Plants of the Upper Midwest
Outline
• Basic photography principles• Functions of digital cameras• Taking photos for identification purposes (vouchers)
• 2:45‐3:15 Break• Practice with your camera!
Every photographer has a unique eye
There is no one way to take a photo
Every photographer has a unique eye
I am not a professional photographer
Basic Photography Principles
Depth is Powerful
Rule of Thirds
Tell a story!
Tell a story!
Multiple layers make a scene interesting
Resist the temptation to zoom too much. Closer is not always better.
Bee patient!
Direct the eye to something
Get down to the level of your subject
Look at this huge tree!
Help!
Primary Functions of Digital Cameras
– White balance– ISO– Aperture– Shutter speed– Exposure compensation– Light metering
White Balance
• Auto• Manual settings• Custom (white card)
Daylight
Cloudy
Tungsten
Flourescent
Fluorescent H (daylight fluorescent)
Flash
What if you have multiple light sources?
ISO
• High ISO (>400)– Lower quality image, coarse “grain”, loss of detail, but good in low light. Many SLRs and high‐end point‐and‐shoots can look great way beyond 400.
• Low ISO (50‐400)– Highest quality, fine “grain”, high level of detail, but requires more light
ISO
ISO 100
ISO 3200
ISO 3200
ISO 100
Aperture
• Size of opening to allow light in. Larger opening, more light.
Macro Photography
Shutter Speed
• How long the film or sensor is exposed to the image
• Directly correlated with aperture
• 30s to 1/2000s is typical
• Fast to freeze action, slow to blur action
Exposure Compensation
• Increments of 1/3.
• Typically ‐2 (darker) to +2 (brighter).
Light Metering
• Evaluative• Center‐weighted / center bias• Spot meter• Others on some cameras
What’s wrong with this photo?
Is that a tree on your head?
• Be mindful of distractions in the background
Distraction, but…
Identification PhotosHigh contrast BG
ScaleShow features
Identification PhotosHigh contrast BG
ScaleShow features
Common AccessoriesSLR lenses – prime vs telephoto lenses
$200 ‐ $10,000+Macro capability
Filters – UV, macro, polarizing, neutral density, and more
Flash unitsTripodsUnderwater housingsLots more!
Common AccessoriesUnderwater housings
Practice
• Play with your camera!
• Change settings, see how the image changes