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Introduction to Photography

Basics and ExposureJoel Gambino/Bob Peters

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Photography 101

• First Class– Elements of a camera and how an

image is made– Types of cameras (deleting the

duplicate)

– Exposure • Second Class

– Metering– Color Balance (White Balance)– Terms– Gadgets

• Third Class– Camera Parts– Camera Settings– Shooting Modes and Scene Modes

• Fourth Class– Lenses– Filters– Stabilization– Flash

• Fifth and Sixth Class– Composition

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Basics and Exposure

• Elements of a camera• Exposure

– Aperture– Shutter speed– ISO]

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• Light rays from the subject arrive at the lens.

• The lens focuses and opens the proper aperture.

• The shutter opens for the proper time and the film or CCD is exposed to the image.

How an Image is Made

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Behind the sensor

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Aperture, shutter speed, ISO determine the amount of light reaching the sensor

F-Stop

Shutter Speed

ISO

F-Stop

Shutter Speed

ISO

Faster shutter speed needs to be compensated my some combination of wider aperture and higher ISO

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Aperture, f/ number• Bigger number = Smaller opening

• (Focal Length/Effective Aperture)

• Smaller opening gives greater Depth of Field• Preview (stop down) to see depth of field• All cameras use some of these numbers f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8,

f11, f16, f22. Each higher number halves amount of light

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Depth of Field

• The range of distance that is in focus

• Smaller apertures increase depth of field

• The effect is more severe with extreme close ups

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Shutter Speed

• How long the shutter is open• 250 means the shutter is open for 1/250th of

a second• Fast shutter speeds freeze motion, but

require, large f stop, high ISO• Slow shutter speeds can help in low light,

but motion blur or camera shake can occur• Vibration control allows lower shutter speed

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Shutter Speed

Too slow: Blurred Fast: Freeze motion

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Pan Shot

ISO 200, 1/200 sec, f/7.1

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Stop Action

1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400

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ISO / Film Speed• Low number

– Higher quality

• High number– Used in low light– Can get noisy if you go too high

• Unlike f-stop, shutter speed, is dependent on technology. Noise has been reduced dramatically in last 10 years

• Larger sensors of same technology have less noise for same ISO

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High ISO Noise (ISO 3200)

1/10 sec, f/3.9, ISO 3200

Noise most visible in dark areas, can be reduced by softwareLarger sensors have less noise

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Small Cameras: Fixed Lens 1• Cell Phone

– No zoom, weak flash, very small sensor so limited dynamic range, sensor noise in poor light. No control over exposure but

– Handy, handy, handy

• Shirt Pocket (Plummeting sales because of cell phone cameras– Small, convenient, but weaker flash, more limited

zoom, fewer pictures/battery charge– Limited over exposure control– No viewfinder– Limited maximum aperture

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Types of Cameras: Fixed Lens 2

• Pocketbook sized cameras– Everywhere in-between small and SLR like

• Single Lens Reflex (SLR) Like– Large physical size– Electronic view finder (EVF)– Full exposure control (APSAM)– Large zoom range– Larger battery, more pictures/charge

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Interchangeable Lens Cameras DLRS (Digital Single Lens Reflexes)

• Rangefinder like (Leica, Sony Alpha)• Mirror DSLRs have mirror flips out to expose

sensor and focusing• Usually have larger sensors

• Mirror compared to Mirror-less– Most common, Larger, heavier because of

space for mirror– Optical viewfinder– Faster focusing, lots of focusing modes

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Your Owner’s Manual

• If you don’t have it, look for it on-line• Read it or at least skim through it to get an

idea of all of the features of your camera.• It will tell you what you can control and

how to do it.• Return to it periodically as you progress –

you may find solutions to problems you encounter.

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Review

• When would you use:– small/large f-stop, – slow/fast shutter, – low/high ISO

• What are the advantages of large cameras

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Homework

• Find and read your owners manual (usually available on-line if you cannot find it)

• Find out what focusing modes you have• Find out what manual controls you have

– Exposure compensation– APSAM control– Find out what metering modes you have

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END OF DAY 1