CannonAustralia’s explanation of Aperture and Shutter

07Apr10

This video is a really great explanation of the aperture and shutter that adds to what I’ve written in my previous posts. The tutorial below relates aperture and shutter  to the human eye. It also gives some good information on ISO. You might also want to subscribe to  CannonAustralia’s YouTube feed. He has several beginner tutorials that can become really useful to you as you begin shooting photos.

Look for my comments below on the points discussed in the following video.

The host for this tutorial does a really good job of explaining shutter speed and gives some helpful tips for when to use what speed. In particular, it’s important to note that lower lighting settings won’t allow for very fast shutter speeds. So if you wanted to capture a cat inside playing with a ball of yard without any blur, you would need a lot of light.

It’s also noteworthy to mention again his tip for using a tripod or a steady surface for both an aperture or shutter speed shot. Doing so can help reduce unwanted blur and increase the number of sharp images you get from a shoot.

Filed under: Settings   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: aperture, Austrailia, Cannon, critique, shutter, video tutorial, YouTube

Aperture:The mouth of a watering hose

06Apr10

Two of the hardest photography concepts to grasp for beginners are aperture and shutter speed. I mentioned these two settings a couple posts ago, but for most people it takes more than a sentence or two to understand how to use aperture let alone remember the word.

The best explanation I’ve heard of aperture is an analogy to a garden watering hose. When you hold the hose and turn on the water, it doesn’t spray the water very far. It just gushes out water a few inches from your feet and hits only one spot on the ground, but place your thumb over part of the mouth of the watering hose and the water shoots much further and spreads over a wide area. Like the water, our shots can focus only inches from where we’re standing or out to the horizon. To get that blurred background on a close up shot you need to use a low aperture setting and for a fully in focus shot where you clearly see the foreground, background, and everything in between, use a high aperture setting.

Low Aperture Setting

Both of these photos were taken with an aperture setting also referred to as F stop of 5.6.  Notice how the first image is focused on the foreground cement siding and keeps that in focus, while the second photo focuses on the staircase in the background. To try this yourself, set your camera aperture setting to its lowest, center your camera on the part of the photo you want in focus, lock the auto focus by holding the shutter button halfway, position your camera to compose the shot, and click. Keep in mind that you’ll need a lot of light to get this shot to work without blurring. You can also use a tripod to steady the camera. Since the lower the F-stop the wider the aperture opens in the camera, more light will come through the lens. Too much light can make your shots overexposed.

Using a point and shoot you can also achieve this effect using the macro mode or portrait mode.

High Aperture Setting

When taking landscape or architectural shots like this one of an old tabernacle building, using a higher aperture is ideal. Doing so ensures the whole frame will be in focus. To take a shot like this, you’ll want to be outside with a lot of light since with a higher F-stop less light gets into the camera. If it’s too dark, you’ll need a tripod or the photo will come out blurry or your photo will turn out underexposed.

Using the landscape mode on a point and shoot will automatically set a higher aperture.

Filed under: Getting Started, Settings   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: aperture, blur background, focus

First Impressions

05Apr10

We hear about first impressions all the time. If you’re human, you experience dozens a day. This is no different as a photographer or as a client. One thing that can stand out for others around you, whether they’re the subject of your photo or just a passer by, is the way you hold a camera. Funny as it may seem, there’s actually a right a wrong way to go about holding your camera. The right way will give you more confidence, professional appeal, and better pictures. The wrong way, to put it frankly, will make you stand out in a bad way. People will just get that feeling that you don’t know what you’re doing, and while that might be the case, no body has to know that.

Follow the images and text below to get a grip on holding your camera the right way:

Three things to keep in mind when learning to hold your camera are (1) tuck your arms in close to your body, (2) Keep your left hand around the lens or at the base of your camera, and (3) place your right index finger on the shutter.

Tucking in your arms will help keep your center and balance to steady your shots. Breathing out before a shot can help you get sharper pictures and keep you from having to retake shots.

If you have an SLR, your left hand should be found around the lens, and if you have a point and shoot place your left had at the base of the camera to help keep it steady and level. If you need to make adjustments to your focus your left hand will be there to quickly shift the lens focus.

Your index finger shouldn’t leave the shutter button while your camera is to your face. Any adjustments behind the camera can be made with your thumbs. This keeps you alert and ready for the next photo opportunity.

Just so you can see the wrong way and avoid it, here it is:

By simply comparing the images, you can get a hunch to which photo will turn out better.

Filed under: Cameras   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: hold camera, reduce blur, sharpen images

Project 365

03Apr10

Along the lines of my last post, here’s an excellent challenge for beginning photographers. It’s unrealistic to assume anyone who is just starting out with photography to be able to shoot a consecutive 365 days, but don’t give up when you miss a day. Just take an extra photo the next time you shoot. I won’t mind that you cheat, and I’m sure anyone following up on you would understand.

So, what is Project 365?

Some photographers base their entire portfolio of of the idea of Project 365. It’s much like a photo journal. Photographers commit to taking one photo a day for 365 days. (Like I said before, don’t let this overwhelm you, just start out with one day at a time. The idea is to just get out and shoot). Having a goal like this can really get you started with obtaining the photography experience every beginning photographer needs.

Here's a photo a day seven days in a row example

Starting Project 365

To get started, you can create a blog with wordpress.com or blogger.com. When you come to the template option  in the sign up process, select a photo blog template. These templates are generally sized and coded to be more compatible with a blog containing a lot of photos and simple captions.

Note that you don’t have to have a blog to do project 365. But doing so can keep you from missing days and from just letting your photos from a  shoot sit in a folder. If you know that you’ll need to upload a photo a day or seven photos at the end of the week, you’ll actually go through your photos and select your favorites. Some project 365 are done only in print, others are just a portfolio, but most people use blogs to showcase their work. This also helps in obtaining an audience because people come come and make comments day by day.

Mini Challenges:

Doing this for a week can even be a challenge, so if you don’t think you can commit to a whole year, go a head and try it for just a week or a month. Set an achievable period of time and then get started.

Project 365 Examples:

http://sanni-licious.com/Project365/

http://mtjrphotos.com/blog/

http://365-days-photo-project.blogspot.com/

You can search for more project 365 blogs through google.com, blogger.com, wordpress.com or technorati.com.

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Start at Shot 1

02Apr10

When I first began taking photos, there were a couple things I kept hearing from people. The most prominant opinion of which was that when you’re starting out you need to take pictures as often as you can. And, you don’t really get anything great until you hit like 3,000 photos. I don’t know if it really takes that many photos, but here are a couple tips to keep in mind and  get you out and taking photos:

1. Take your camera with you everywhere. It’s hard to lug around an SLR everywhere you go, but this doesn’t mean you can’t put your camera phone to good use. And the majority of SLRs are easy enough to take along in a coat pocket or bag. You never know when a good photo opportunity will present itself, and it’s always better to be prepared.

2. Create a Photo Blog. Setting self deadlines and acquiring an audience can be one of the best ways to keep you taking photos consistently. If you plan to post a photo every Friday, make it part of your week. Upload your photos and write out the settings you used, the time of day you shot, what you did to take the shot, etc. Taking time to look through your photos and select your favorites, write about the composition, the colors, the textures and other elements that make the photo attractive and appealing. Remaining consistent with something like a blog will teach you that you have to get out and shoot, and then writing about your photos can help you learn what you like in photos and what worked for you, what types of shots look good at what time of day and a handful of other photography components to teach you better photography skills.

3. Join a photo club. Photography clubs often have little contests to give you challenges for types of photos to take. It’s kind of like a check up system, the more you’re involved in photography, and the more reasons to actually go shoot photos the better.

Filed under: Getting Started   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: beginning photography, ideas, photo blog, photo club, take more shots