PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS

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Level 1 – Photography Basics


Photography Basics

What is PhotographyWhat is a cameraCamera typesHow photography worksShutter speedApertureISOUsing the cameraExposure

Contents


What is Photography?

Photography Basics


Photography Basics What is photography?


What is a Camera?

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• A light-tight box to hold film or digital sensor

• Controls to alter the amount of light recorded

• Lens to focus light

What is a camera?


Camera Types

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• Compact or SLR

• Aimed at different markets

• Compact– Low-end consumer– Point and shoot

• SLR– Users with interest in photography

Camera types


Photography Basics Compact or SLR?

SLR

• Small• Lower cost• Small sensor• Standard

performance

Compact

• Larger• More expensive• Larger sensor• Higher performance• More versatile• Through-the-lens

viewing• Interchangeable lenses• More user control• Extensive accessories


How Photography Works

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• Painting with light

• 3 settings control exposure– Shutter Speed– Aperture– ISO

• Measured in ‘stops’– Half– Third– Full

How photography works


Shutter Speed

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• Measured in stops

• Most EOS cameras have a range from 30s to 1/8000s

• 1/2000s – 1/8000s = very fast shutter speeds

• 1/250s – 1/1000s = fast shutter speeds

• 1/8s – 1/125s = slow shutter speeds

• 30s –1/4s = very slow shutter speeds

Shutter speed


Photography Basics Shutter curtains

1st shutter curtain2nd shutter curtain


Photography Basics Shutter speed effects

1/15s1/30s1/60s1/125s1/250s1/500s1/1000s


Photography Basics

• Use the Main Dial to set shutter speeds

• Current shutter speed is shown in the LCD display and in the viewfinder

Setting shutter speedsMain Dial


Photography Basics Sync speed

Press shutter button halfway

Ambient lightreading

Press shutter button fully

Pre-flashfires

Combined ambient and flash reading

Ambient reading subtracted from ambient and flash reading

Flash power calculated Shutter opens Flash fires Shutter

closes

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10


Photography Basics Sync speed

1st shutter curtain2nd shutter curtain


Photography Basics

• Slow shutter speeds can cause camera shake

• General hand holding rule: use 1 divided by the focal length of the lens, i.e., 1/focal length

• E.g. with a 200mm lens, use 1/250s or faster when hand holding

• If shutter speed is less than hand-holding speed, use a tripod

Camera shake


Photography Basics

• Some lenses feature Image Stabilizer technology

• Helps avoid camera shake with slower shutter speeds

• Allows you to hand-hold a lens with a shutter speed 3-5 stops slower than the rule on the previous slide

• E.g. 200mm lens should be hand-held at 1/250s but could be hand-held at 1/30s to 1/8s depending on the IS system

Image Stabilizer

Hand holding a 200mm lens

IS 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000

1/2000

1/4000

1/8000

Lower speeds possible with IS on

Without IS


Photography BasicsImage Stabilizer examples

Image Stabilizer off Image Stabilizer on


Photography Basics

• A special group of lens elements are moved to counteract camera shake

• Two modes on some lenses

– Mode 1 for everyday use

– Mode 2 for panning with a subject

• EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens automatically detects panning

Image Stabilizer function


Aperture

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• Measured in stops called f-stops

• Aperture range determined by lens

• Controls amount of light let in

• Low number e.g. f/2 lets in more light

• High number e.g. f/22 lets in less light

Aperture


Photography Basics

• EOS 40D, EOS 5D, EOS-1 series– Use Quick Control Dial to adjust

aperture

• EOS 450D– Use AV button and Main Dial to

adjust aperture

ApertureQuick Control

Dial

AV Button


Photography Basics Aperture effects

f/1.2f/2f/2.8f/4f/5.6f/8f/11f/16


ISO Speeds

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• ISO – the third parameter that controls the amount of light recorded

• Measured in stops

• Affects the sensitivity of the sensor to light

• Range from L (ISO 50) to H (ISO 6400) depending on model

ISO speeds

50 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400

ISO Scale


Photography Basics ISO range

ISO 100

- Best quality

ISO 200

- Good for generalshooting

ISO 400

- Good for lower light

ISO 800

- Low light shooting

- Possibility of some image

noise

ISO 1600

- Low light shooting

- Image noise likely

ISO 3200

- Very low light

- Image noise

could be marked


Photography Basics

• Press the ISO button and rotate the Main Dial

Setting ISO speedsISO Button

ISO Button


Using the Camera

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• Support the weight of the camera with the left hand under the lens

• Use a firm grip with the right hand

• Use either left or right eye to look through the viewfinder

How to hold the camera


Photography Basics

• 2 stages– Half pressure activates the camera,

takes an exposure reading and activates autofocus

– Full pressure releases the shutter to take a picture

Pressing the shutter button


Exposure

Photography Basics


Photography Basics

• Exposure is controlled by shutter speed, aperture and ISO

• These settings balance to give correct exposure

• You can use a variety of combinations of these settings and still retain the same exposure

Exposure

f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

1/1000 1/500 1/250 1/125 1/60 1/30 1/15

All of these combinations give the same exposure


Photography Basics Exposure

Aperture = size of pipe

Shutter speed = time tap is open


Photography Basics Exposure samples

Correct exposureUnder exposureOver exposure


Photography Basics

What is PhotographyWhat is a cameraCamera typesHow photography worksShutter speedApertureISOUsing the cameraExposure

What have we covered?

Art & Photos

PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS