Categories
Exercises

Focus Exercise

Preparation

Read the parts of your camera manual on focusing and close-up (macro or flower setting) and become familiar with how your ‘auto’ focus and ‘focus points’ operate (if fitted)

  • With ½ pressure on shutter release watch the camera autofocus. Does it beep when focused? Can you switch the beep off?
  • Find out how to adjust where your camera focuses ( eg; multi-spot/single centre spot?) Does it focus on the nearest part of the subject?
  • Find out if your camera has manual focus capability. This is useful in certain circumstances where background items can ‘fool’ the camera to focus incorrectly.
  • Compact camera users: Try out the macro (flower symbol) control for close up photographs. Cancel macro after use.
  • DSLR Users: Find out how close you can focus. Does it vary with different lenses?
  • How does your camera tell you you’re too close? (light/beep?)
  • Compact users: Use the ‘tele’ setting to get better out-of-focus backgrounds ie; creating a shallow depth of field.
  • DSLR Users: Set a wide aperture (low f/Number)and/or use a long lens to create depth of field and blur backgrounds
  • Try moving the focus point in your camera if fitted, this is usually a small rectangle visible in the viewfinder that can be moved around the viewfinder and will create a ‘focus point’ at the part of the subject where the rectangle is situated.

Exercise *

  • Take two hand-held photos, with and without macro (flower symbol) control as close up as possible for an in-focus image. What is the difference in the distances and in the depth of field?
  • Repeat the previous step with the camera on a tripod (or on a firm surface) so you can assess the effect of camera shake.
  • If your camera supports it, adjust the focus point and repeat one of the choices above (DSLR users can do this. Compact users may not be able to.)
  • Compare the various images (view on PC). How do sharpness and depth of field vary? How can you use this knowledge?

*Write down your choices so you know which images correspond to each setting. Where (view on PC) is shown this part may have to be completed later.

Categories
Exercises

Exposure Exercise

Preparation

To understand how exposure is affected by aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, see camera exposure [new window]

Read the part of your camera manual on exposure (Some compact cameras may have none of these – but don’t worry!)

  • Check if you have got both automatic and manual exposure control.
  • Check any different metering settings ( eg; evaluative/spot) – these determine the area of your photograph that the camera will take into account when setting its’ exposure.
  • Have you got Full Auto (green) and Program (P) settings?
  • Have you got shutter priority (Tv) or (S) and aperture priority (Av) or (A)?
  • Read about ISO settings (sensitivity of the camera sensor) – these help take better pictures in poor light settings
  • Establish how to adjust the camera aperture settings (f numbers). Small f numbers allow more light into the lens and bigger f numbers less light (this is important when using aperture priority) settings
  • Establish how to change the shutter speed of your camera, this determines the amount of time for which a photograph will be exposed. Note; when using aperture priority you set the aperture and the camera will auto-select the shutter speed and vice versa when using shutter priority.
  • Some cameras have a fully manual setting enabling the photographer to select any combination of shutter speed and aperture they wish
  • Your camera may have ‘exposure compensation’ (+/- ve) – this is very useful to make slight exposure adjustments.

Exercise *

  • Take several photos with a range of exposure settings.
  • Take several photos with a range of ISO settings.
  • Try experimenting with exposure compensation (+/- ve)
  • Try using spot meterings and evaluative (wide area) metering
  • Compare the images (view on PC) for sharpness, depth of field and digital noise. How can you use this knowledge to take better pictures?

*Write down your choices so you know which images correspond to each setting. Where (view on PC) is shown this part may have to be completed later.

Categories
Exercises

Flash Exercise

Preparation

Read the part of your camera manual on flash.

  • Check how flash ‘toggles’ between always-on/off/auto/red-eye. 
  • Red-eye occurs when the flash is in direct alignment with a person’s eyes. Some cameras have red-eye suppression, otherwise it will be necessary to angle the flash out of alignment of a person’s eyes (if adjustable) or to move the position from which you are taking the photograph.
  • Rather than use flash, you may be able to increase the sensitivity of your camera sensor by ‘cranking up’ the ISO setting to higher number values eg; ISO 800, ISO 1200, ISO 3200, etc.

Exercise*

  • Take a couple of photos – one with flash and one without. Compare (view on PC) to see the differences. Which do you prefer? What might you do to get the best of both methods in a picture?
  • Take several pictures of the same object with and without flash at different distances (eg 1 metre, 3 metres, 10 metres, 30 metres – perhaps easier outside). Compare (view on PC) to see the differences. Are any parts overexposed or underexposed? What is the maximum distance for your flash to be useful? Is there a minimum distance?
  • Try taking photos without flash at a high ISO setting and check this with the same photo taken using flash

*Write down your choices so you know which images correspond to each setting. Where (view on PC) is shown this part may have to be completed later.

Categories
Exercises

Other Settings Exercise

Preparation

Read the parts of your camera manual on file size/quality settings/scene modes or creative modes

  • Find out how to set your camera to the best file size/quality settings (Always aim for superfine quality and large file size.)
  • Change the settings if need be (or bring the camera and manual and we will help)
  • Find out what scene/creative modes you have (eg landscape/portrait/snow/night)

Exercise*

  • Take the same photo for several file quality settings, if possible using a tripod. Compare (view on PC) the sharpness of each image by zooming in. Why do they differ?
  • Take the same photo using several scene/creative mode settings, if possible using a tripod. Compare (view on PC) depth of field and colour. How do they differ and how might you use what you have learned?

*Write down your choices so you know which images correspond to each setting. Where (view on PC) is shown this part may have to be completed later.

Categories
Camera Tips

Camera Tips

The full automatic setting of modern digital cameras usually gives excellent results. However, if the outcome is not what you are expecting, or you wish to achieve a particular effect, eg to put the background out of focus or to blur motion, you need to know how to set your camera controls.

The links below provide some basic checklists for the main camera types that people use:

Categories
Camera Tips

Exposure and shooting mode

(DSLR/Bridge cameras)

This page explains the basics of exposure to help you choose an appropriate shooting mode

Exposure basics

Image exposure is independently affected by three camera settings:

  • aperture
  • shutter speed
  • ISO speed

Aperture and shutter speed control how much light reaches the camera sensor by determining how much light enters the lens and for how long the sensor is exposed to that light. ISO speed electronically adjusts the sensor sensitivity, large ISO numbers are more sensitive than low ISO numbers.

The table shows typical values. Since optimal settings are camera and lens specific, these values can give only general guidance. Over time, for your camera and your way of taking photos, you will develop a ‘gut feel’ for what works and what doesn’t.

In many lighting situations, choice of settings for ‘correct’ exposure will be a compromise.

For more background, see camera exposure [new window]

Depth of Field

It’s important to understand the term ‘depth of field’, which is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in acceptably sharp focus. For more see depth of field [new window]

Summary of exposure settings and typical values

Shooting modes

Full Auto is a fail-safe initial choice, often resulting in good photos, but you cannot change settings if you want to be creative.

Provided you have a basic understanding of exposure, we suggest you experiment with other modes (examples below).

For all modes, the first step is to set a suitable ISO, but be prepared to change that later if necessary. Then choose your mode and use the camera dial or menu to adjust the setting.

Advantages and disadvantages of selected shooting modes

ModeDescriptionSuitable subjectsAdvantagesDisadvantages
P / AutoProgram Auto ExposuremostSelects a good compromise between shutter speed and aperture. You can easily change the aperture/shutter speed combination whilst maintaining correct exposure.As shutter speed and aperture both change when you alter the setting, you need a feel for the relationship between them. Usually sets falsh to auto so it may go off when you don’t want it to.
Av / AAperture Prioritylandscapes any photo where you wish to control depth of fieldEasy to understand – set the aperture and let the camera set shutter speed. By setting the aperture you can control the depth of field, large apertures (small f No’s) equal shallow depth of filed and vice versa.Shutter speed can easily become too slow, especially indoors.
Tv / SShutter PriorityMoving objects
Objects requiring long exposures.		Easy to understand – set the shutter speed and let the camera work out the aperture. A fast shutter speed will ‘Freeze’ a moving object whereas a slow shutter speed can ‘blur’ moving objects. Long shutter speeds may be required for low light conditions and for avoiding very high ISO settings that might reduce image quality. As a rule of thumb, unless you are using a tripod do not set the shutter speed less than ‘1’ over the camera lens focal length.
The automatically selected aperture may be inappropriate eg; wrong depth of field. Slow shutter speeds can result in ‘camera shake’ particularly with ‘long’ lens’s.

For other modes, read your camera manual or see:

Categories
Camera Tips

Basic DSLR/Bridge Checklist

Before you start

Dials and other settings may not be as you expect so always spend a few minutes with the camera’s manual and checking out the basic settings and control features and check how to do the following.

  • Set the image stabiliser to on [if available, might be on the side of the lens or in a menu] – this avoids blurred images from camera shake at slow shutter speeds.
  • Select ‘auto’ or ‘manual’ focus as desired [if available this may be on the lens as well as the camera itself] – manual focus can be usefule in ceratin circumstances that will otherwise confuse the auto focus eg; birds against a moving background of a tree.
  • Switch the flash on and off. Usually this is best kept switched off to avoid harsh lighting and inadvertently using flash in prohibitted areas/locations.
  • Set the shooting mode selection as desired (eg; auto, manual, aperture priority, shutter priority or selected ‘scene’ modes)
  • Adjust ISO sensitivity. [generally as low as practical]
  • Select ‘focus points’ to the most suitable [generally select just the central focus point]
  • Set ‘light’ metering options to most suitable.

To take a photo

  • set zoom (if available) to suit subject [wide angle – good depth of field; telephoto – narrower depth of field]
  • [Depth of field = distance between the nearest and farthest objects in sharp focus]
  • if shutter speed is 1/60 second or slower, find a way of steadying the camera [touch/half press shutter release button to check speed]
  • focus camera [point at main subject, touch/half press shutter release button to focus]
  • compose photo [keep shutter release button half down to maintain focus and other settings, don’t alter zoom]
  • take photo [fully press shutter release button]
Categories
Camera Tips

Basic Compact Checklist

Before you start

Dials and other settings may not be as you expect so always spend a few minutes with the camera’s manual and checking out the basic settings and control features and check how to do the following.

  • Select your preferred ‘shooting mode’ if available eg; auto, aperture, shutter and change as necessary during a photo session.
  • Set the image stabilisation [if available might be a button, in a menu or a shooting mode]
  • Turn the flash ‘on’ and ‘off’ as desired, and understand flash behaviour with various shooting modes [switch off for less harsh lighting]
  • Choose the macro (flower) setting for closeup photograps, [off otherwise]
  • Set ‘scene modes’ if an option
  • Adjust sensor sensitivity (ISO) settings

To take a photo

  • set zoom to suit subject
  • focus camera [point at main subject, touch/half press shutter release button to focus] respond if there are warnings eg if too close to a subject for proper focus
  • compose photo [keep shutter release button half down to maintain focus and other settings, don’t alter zoom]
  • take photo [fully press shutter release button]