a digital jumpstart

A Digital JumpstartTom Maddrey :: Eclipse Photography Institute

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Little Bit about Me


Eclipse Photography Institute

! An Online University for learning Photography

! Find us at eclipseinstitute.com

! Courses and Seminars

! Local I-on-I tutoring (in DFW)

! Line of Training DVD’s


Photography BasicsOur Materials and Tools


All About Light

! Light is our only medium!

! Without Light, we cannot create anything whatsoever

! The whole of photography stem from the idea of capturing and controlling Light


Light + Camera = Exposure

! Exposure is the exact level of “Radiant Energy” (light) used to expose a photographic medium (film or sensor)

! Exposure is determined by three key ideas

! Aperture

! Shutter Speed

! Film Speed (ISO)


Aperture (cont.)

! The Aperture is the hole in the lens that allows light through

! It directly affects the “Intensity” of the Light

! Is the first tool we have to control Light

! Primary determinant of “Depth of Field” (or, how much of an image is in focus)


Shutter Speed (cont.)

! Shutter Speed controls the Duration of Light

! Shutter Speed controls the amount of Motion Blur seen in the final image

! In conjunction with Aperture, these two items make an “Exposure”


Exposure in Practice

!Aperture x Shutter Speed = Exposure

!Intensity x Duration = Exposure


Film Speed (ISO)

! Film Speed refers to the Sensitivity of the light-sensitive medium

! Notated in whole numbers

! 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200

! Once again, these “Stops” refer to 2x as much or 1/2 as much light

! Increased Film Speed result in Grain (film) or Noise (Digital)


The Ultimate Formula

! The interplay of Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Film Speed is the whole of photography

! These are the only Primary Tools we have to control the light

! Everything else in Photography (Filters, Lenses, any other modifiers) work as a result of affecting these three functions

! In the Digital Age, exposure often gets overlooked!


Your Camera Settings

! Cameras offer many different modes for basic shooting

! P = Program Mode

! The camera selects both the Shutter Speed and Aperture to create a “Correct” Exposure

! Av or A = Aperture Priority Mode

! You select the Aperture, and the camera sets the Shutter Speed to create a “Correct” Exposure


Your Camera Settings (cont.)

! Tv or S = Shutter Speed Priority Mode

! You set the Shutter Speed, the camera sets the Aperture to create a “Correct” Exposure

! M = Manual Exposure Mode

! You set the Shutter Speed and the Aperture, no help from the Camera


Scene Modes

! Portrait - Camera tries to blur the background (larger aperture)

! Party / Indoor - Camera uses a longer shutter speed to include more ambient light in dark settings

! Beach / Snow - Camera tries to make snow / sand the correct color (exposure compensation)

! Landscape - Camera focuses at infinity and stays locked on with a maximum aperture


Scene Modes (cont.)

! Sunset - Camera tries to slightly underexpose using exposure compensation

! Night Portrait - Camera uses Flash plus Long Exposure to expose both subject and background

! Night Landscape - Similar to Landscape but uses a longer exposure

! Sports - Uses Fast Shutter Speed


Lenses and Lens Choice

! Lenses come in different Focal Lengths, for different Situations

! Wide Angle

! Standard

! Telephoto

! Super Telephoto

! Zooms


Lenses and Lens Choice (cont.)

! Lens Focal Length also plays a factor in the Depth of Field

! Wider Lenses naturally have less DOF

! Telephotos are often used to isolate subjects using both length and Depth of Field


Depth of Field

! Depth of Field (DOF) refers to how much of a given image appears in focus

! Affected by Aperture and Focal Length

! One of your most powerful “Compositional” tools


Real World Examples

! Lets look at some example images of the differences in:

! Aperture

! Shutter Speed

! Film Speed

! Lens Choice

! Depth of Field


Aperture


Shutter Speed


Film Speed


Lens Choice


Depth of Field


Digital BasicsThe New World of Photography


Introduction to Digital Basics

! The idea of Digital Photography has exploded

! Along with these changes have come more work, and more problems

! Today, we are going to look at the absolute basics of Digital Imaging, and touch on some more advanced features


The Pixel

! Pixel (short for Picture Element) are the building blocks of images

! Cameras are measured by MegaPixels (1,000,000 pixels)

! Obviously, pixels are very small


The Pixel (cont.)

! Pixels are arranged in a digital camera according to a “Bayer Pattern”

! This pattern uses Red, Blue, and Green pixels to make a photograph

! 50% Green, 25% Blue, 25% Red


File Formats

! There are countless file formats, but two main ones we will be speaking about today

! RAW

! JPEG


JPEG Files

! These are images where the camera does all of the processing from pixel information to final image

! Benefits include, small file size, speed, ease of use

! Negatives include, loss of quality, subpar conversions, loss of information


RAW Files

! RAW files are the raw, untouched data directly off the sensor

! The processing of these files are done in a computer in a separate step by a RAW Processor

! Benefits include, ultimate image quality, personal control over images

! Negatives include, large file sizes, more space and processing power needed for working with RAW Files


White Balance

! White Balance refers to the “color” of whites in your image

! White Balance is measured in degrees Kelvin, a temperature scale

! 5000K is sunlight, 3200K is tungsten light

! The lower the number, the “warmer” the light

! White Balance is of great importance when shooting JPEGs, less so when shooting RAWs


White Balance (cont.)


White Balance (cont.)

! White Balance can be set by choosing the correct symbol for the lighting situation you are in

! i.e. daylight, cloudy, flash, tungsten, fluorescent

! On some cameras, white balance can be set by choosing the correct Kelvin temp

! Auto White Balance is better, but gets very confused in mixed lighting situations


Improving Your PhotographsEasy Ways to Make Better Images


Tips and Tricks for Better Images

! This next section will cover some popular types of photography and how we can make some quick changes to improve our images

! We will cover Portraits, Nature, Wildlife, and Travel Photography


Portraits

! Simplify Your Backgrounds

! Be Aware of Body Position (Make it Interesting!)

! Use a Medium to Telephoto Lens, Wide Angle Lenses exaggerate features

! Change Your Camera Position

! Get Low

! Get High


Nature

! Shoot at the Right Time of Day

! Use Depth of Field to its maximum potential

! Provide a Focal Point

! Be Patient


Wildlife

! Make sure the eyes are in focus

! Become best friends with your camera

! Get both “Portraits” and “Behavior” shots

! Always maintain your ethics


Travel

! Simplify your shots

! Learn your location

! Explore, explore, explore!


What Now?After the Shoot


Post - Production?

! Post - Production is everything you do with an image after you take it

! The cornerstone of Post - Production is a streamlined workflow

! There are many software programs designed to assist with workflow

! I use Adobe Lightroom

! All Cameras come with Software


Printing at a Store

! You can take your memory cards to any store (Arlington Camera) and they can print your photos for you almost instantly

! High Quality, easy, less cost effective


Let’s Go ShoppingCamera Acquisition Syndrome


The Tools In Every Photographers Bag! Every photographer should have some basic tools:

! Camera

! Tripod

! Bag

! Various Lenses

! Filters

! FlashTuesday, May 31, 2011

Choosing a Camera

! When Choosing a camera, use this progression

! Does it have the resolution I need?

! Does it accept the lenses I want to use?

! Is it in my budget?

! Can I rent accessories locally?

! How does it handle noise?


Choosing a Tripod

! With tripods more than anything else, you get what you pay for

! Choose a tripod at least as tall as you are without using the center column

! Make sure it is light enough and small enough you will actually carry it around and use it


Other Accessories! Flash - Off Camera Flash is a great investment. Stick with your camera

brand, powerful and great quality

! Bag - Buy a bag slightly bigger than you ever think you will need...you will fill it up!

! Lenses - Lenses are more important than bodies (IMO), invest in the best, and the will last a lifetime

! Filters - UV, Polarizing for sure (for each lens)

! Memory Cards - Always one more than you think you need!


Our Training Titles

! Beyond the Camera :: Tom Maddrey

! Seeing Light :: Neill Whitlock

! Naturally Modern Portraiture :: Jack Hollingsworth

! Photographing the Games :: Rick Rickman


Upcoming Events

! January 29th - Lightroom and Workflow Workshop

! February 12th - Untangling Light Workshop

! April 29th - May 1st - Hill Country Weekend Workshop

! June 28th - July 2nd - The Inside Passage, Juneau, AK (3 Spots Left)

! July 3rd - July 8th - Denali 2011 (1 Spot Left)


Our Info

! Tom Maddrey :: www.tommaddrey.com

! Eclipse Photography Institute :: www.eclipseinstitute.com

! Telephone: 214.749.7990

! Twitter: @eclipseinst

! Facebook: www.facebook.com/eclipseinstitute


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Thank You!Tom Maddrey


a digital jumpstart

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