Aperture Priority Preset Camera Mode

Aperture priority is marked on camera dials by the letters "AV", standing for aperture value. In this mode the photographer controls the aperture/F-Stop while the camera then resets shutter speed (and sometimes film speed) to maintain a midrange exposure.

This setting is very useful where the photographer knows that he/she wants either a large or small depth of field but the shutter speed is not important.

Source : http://photography.about.com

Portrait Preset Camera Mode

Portrait preset mode is most often represented by a silhouette of a head and is designed for taking "head shots". This means a head and shoulders portrait of a person. This mode is not well suited for full-length portraits or groups of people.
Portrait mode tells the camera to default to a:
-Slow Film Speed
-[linkurl=http://photography.about.com/od/takingpictures/ss/DOF_2.htm]Small Depth of Field (Large Aperture)

This is supposed to result in a fine film grain and blurred background. On some cameras, however, the default depth of field is so small that part of the subject's face becomes blurred. Also, the shutter speed can become slow enough to trigger the on-board flash.

Source : http://photography.about.com

Night Portrait Preset Camera Mode

Night portrait presets can vary widely from camera to camera. Often they are called "night scene" presets. This setting varies from camera to camera but the general preset is to slow down the shutter speed to allow a lot of light into the camera. The flash then fires at some point during the exposure so that both the foreground and background of the image are properly exposed. This setting will often require a tripod but is very useful in taking low-light images where you do not want the background to be pure black.

Source : http://photography.about.com

Color Temperature

Did you know that light has temperature? Most of us have noticed that light seems to have different colors based on different times of day, weather conditions, and if it is natural or artificial light. Well, those color differences are measured by temperature. The Kelvin scale measures the amount of heat reflected by different light sources under controlled conditions. Because real-world lighting is not under controlled conditions, the actual color temperature of light varies widely.

The Kelvin scale generally used with photography ranges from red to white and then through blue. This covers a visible light spectrum and not the entire light spectrum. An easy way to remember the progression of light colors is the acronym "Roy G Biv". This stands for "red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet." This does not match exactly the way light colors behave in photography but it is a good place to start. Green tends to show up only occasionally in lighting situations with "white light" occupying green's place most of the time.

Contrary to what colors we tend to think of as "hot" and "cold", red is actually a cooler temperature than blue according to Kelvin scale. Still, in photographic terms, we refer to bluish light tint photographs as "cool" and reddish light tint photographs as "warm".

Color temperature is often used in digital darkroom software for making color corrections to images. It is also used to know what type of tint particular lighting will create in images. The most common usage of the Kelvin scale in photography is to determine white balance.

Source : http://photography.about.com

White Balance

White balance refers to the color tint of a photograph. Film and digital sensors are calibrated for certain types of light. Whenever an image is shot under different light conditions (or color temperature), white does not appear white. If an image appears reddish it is referred to as "warm", while bluish images are referred to as "cool". Images shot under fluorescent lighting that turn out green are usually just referred to as "icky", and accompanied by words I cannot repeat here.

Having a tint to photographs is not always a bad thing. Many photographers like to use warm images for landscapes and portraits. Cool color temperatures can make wonderful images as well. The trick is to make sure that color tinting in your images is deliberate. In order to use color tint to your advantage you should understand what light creates what tint. In studying color temperature we learned how light color is measured by its temperature. Now we need to see what light creates what temperatures/tints.

Light Sources and Approximate Color Tints
-Flame - Yellow to Orange
-Incandescent Lighting (your house lightbulbs) - Yellow
-Sunrise/Sunset - Orangish Red to Yellow
-Midday - White
-Flash - White
-Moonlight - Bluish to Faint Yellow
-Cloudy Sky - Bluish

In general, reddish color tints are more flattering to skintones than are bluish tints. Yellow tints can also tend to give a jaundiced appearance if they are too strong.

In order to control color tints, photographers use a few basic methods. Film photographers use specially calibrated film and/or filters to adjust white balance in their images. Digital photographers set the white balance controls in their camera based on the shooting situation. Some adjustment to color balance can also be made in a traditional darkroom or by using digital darkroom software such as Adobe Lightroom.


Source : http://photography.about.com

Film Speed

Definition: The light sensitivity of a film or equivalent digital sensor sensitivity. The larger the number the less light is needed to capture the image. This sensitivity is measured by a formula developed by the international Standard of Organization and is abbreviated as ISO. Occasionally film speed is still designated by ASA, which is an older measurement standard from the American National Standards Institute.

Common Film Speeds
64
100
200
400
800
1600
3200

Also Known As: ISO, ASA

Source : http://photography.about.com/

Macro or Close-Up Preset Camera Mode

Macro (also called Close-Up) mode is almost always represented by an image of a flower of some sort. This mode tells your camera that you want to be very close to your subject in order to fill the frame with the subject. This setting works with your camera lens to allow it to focus from a very short distance. In some cases, only a few inches from the subject. While this setting allows you to get some great shots of small objects, be aware that the depth of field becomes very small in macro photography.

This preset is best used for its original purpose of getting very close to small objects and does not have a lot of alternative uses.

Source : http://photography.about.com

Landscape Preset Camera Mode

Landscape mode is generally designated by a icon representing a mountain. This setting's primary function is to allow a large depth of field. To accomplish this the camera defaults to a small aperture setting in this mode. While this creates a large depth of field, it also has an alternate effect of creating a need for more light to properly expose an image. This means that the camera may use a slow enough shutter speed to create the need for a tripod.

Still, this preset is very useful for well-lit landscapes when a tripod is not available. Also, this setting is well-used for portraits when you want the background to be in focus.

Source : http://photography.about.com

Action Preset Camera Mode

Almost every camera on the market today has an "action" mode. Many of these cameras use an icon of a running man to designate this preset. The purpose of this mode is to make is to tell the camera to default its settings toward capturing images faster.
This is done by:
1.Increasing Shutter Speed
2.Increasing Film Speed

While increasing the shutter speed will help to "freeze" the action (stop moving subjects in mid-motion), it also decreases the amount of light striking the film surface. Increasing the film speed helps to offset this light loss by increasing the sensitivity of the film (making the camera need less light to record an image). However, the increase in film sensitivity is often not enough to make up for the loss of light from the faster shutter speed and this can result in underexposed images. The other control for increasing the light striking the film is aperture. Unfortunately, the aperture may not be able to open wide enough in all situations to avoid a dark image. And even in cases when it does open wide enough, the depth of field is reduced drastically so that only a tiny portion of your image is in focus.

This does not mean that action mode is a bad thing. It simply means that you must understand the limits of your camera before shooting a subject. Most camera action modes are best suited for brightly lit action shots such as daytime ball games or moving animals.

Some cameras also switch to continuous focusing when in action mode. This means that the camera constantly tracks the subject and adjusts focus until the moment the shutter button is pressed. This makes it much easier to keep a moving object in focus while composing an image.

Source : http://photography.about.com/

Blurry Image

An example of an image showing camera shake

This close-up image of fireworks shows shaky light trails where the camera moved during the exposure. This is a classic example of camera shake. In this particular case, the camera shake was caused by unstable support during a several second exposure. The image was taken at a baseball game where it was not possible to take a sturdy tripod so the camera was supported on a camera bag in the photographer's lap.

In order to correct the camera shake in this case, more stable support would have prevented the blurry image. A possible solution under these circumstances would have been place the camera bag on a non-moving surface (such as the floor).

An example of an image showing blur due to slow shutter speed

This football image shows blur due to use of a slow shutter speed. In this case, the shutter speed was fast enough to allow the camera to be hand held, but too slow for the subject. The blur of the field was caused by the photographer panning (moving with the subject) in an attempt to freeze the action at such a low shutter speed. While the panning motion did not completely stop the action, it did come close to freezing the action of the player running the ball.

Possible solutions for the blur on this image includeUsing a faster film speed to allow a higher shutter speed
Using a flash to add light to the situation
Using a tripod to allow a smoother panning motion
Using a larger aperture (smaller F-Stop) to allow a faster shutter speed

 The photographer relied on the autofocus feature and due to the subject's motion and the bright white color, the camera was unable to focus precisely in time. In this particular case, the aperture was also set too large so that the depth of field was too shallow.

A possible solution for this image would be to have used a small aperture (large DOF) and to have manually focused the camera. Also, the photographer should try to focus on the head of the subject in order to ensure the face/eye is in focus. When the face/eyes of a subject are in good focus it is easier to overlook minor defects in focus across the rest of the subject.

An example of a worst case blurry image

This image shows an illustration of just about everything going wrong at once. The subject was a moving wild turkey. The image is blurry becauseThe shutter speed was too slow for the subject's motion
The shutter speed was too slow to allow for the camera to be hand held
The focus was poor
The shutter speed was too slow for the subject's motion
The shutter speed was too slow to allow for the camera to be hand held
The focus was poor
In this case the photographer was faced with poor lighting (shaded forest just before sunset) and a quick subject. This made it very difficult to focus quickly and to achieve a fast enough shutter speed. In order to correct these problems the photographer should haveUsed a higher film speed
Manually focused
Used a smaller aperture to gain a larger DOF
Used a tripod or other camera support

Source : http://photography.about.com

Using Your Built-In Flash

Most cameras have a flash built into the camera body (some of them "pop up") and have much lower power than off-camera add on flashes used with SLR style cameras. However, that doesn't mean the flash is not useful.

-Diffuse It
To create a softer light that does not create harsh shadows you can make your own diffuser. To diffuse a built in flash, simply tape a piece of velum paper or thin cotton over the flash. While this will reduce the distance the flash will travel, it will create a more pleasing soft light than a naked flash. You can also experiment with different color plastic wrap to create special effects lighting.

-Use a Slave Flash
There are numerous models of off-camera add on flashes that do not have to be mounted on a camera to work. These flashes can be placed on a stand at another point in the room (within the range of your on-camera flash) and will activate when your on-camera flash fires. This is a great way to have instant studio lighting without spending thousands of dollars. Just be sure to check with the flash manufacturer about how strong the flash needs to be to activate the slave flash.

-Use Red-Eye Reduction
If your camera has red-eye reduction, a small strobe that fires right before the main flash, use it. Because you can not increase the distance between the lens and the flash, the strobe is necessary to cause the eyes to contract and lessen the chances of red-eye.

Source : http://photography.about.com

Lesson on Silhouette Photography

Silhouette photography refers to images where a part of the image is blacked out. That is, the background is bright while the foreground subject is completely black due to exposure differences. Silhouette photography happens most often by accident in sunset and sunrise shots. It also happens accidentally with some regularity in snapshots when something bright is behind the subject. Silhouette photography can create beautiful images when used deliberately and is not that difficult to master.

Subject selection
When shooting silhouette photography it is important to pay attention to the shape of your subject. Because all surface features will be lost, the impact of the subject must be conveyed by the outline shape. This means that not all subjects are well suited to silhouette photography.

How to create a silhouette
To create the silhouette effect, you must meter the exposure for the background (the brightest part of the image) and completely underexpose the foreground subject. When first learning silhouette photography sunrise and sunset are good times to practice because the sun can be positioned directly behind the subject you wish to underexpose. With a camera that allows manual settings this process is fairly simple. Focus the camera on the bright background and adjust the exposure for that lighting. Then focus the camera on your subject and check the meter to make sure that it is at least 2 stops underexposed. From there simply readjust your focus and snap away. With a camera that does not have manual exposure control you can trick the camera by placing a piece of black tape or cardboard over the flash so when the camera attempts to fire the flash no light is added to the scene. This method is a bit more tricky but with practice you can accurately predict how underexposed your camera will record the scene in this way.

Source : http://photography.about.com/

Macro Photography

What is Macro Photography?
Macro photography means to record a subject at life size on the negative or sensor. That means that the image on the negative is the same size as the subject in real life. In common usage, however, macro photography simply means an extreme close up image.

Methods for Achieving Macro Photography
There are two main tools used to achieve macro photography images. These are macro lenses and extension tubes. Macro lenses are marked with a ratio such as 1:1 or 1:2. Some high end lenses can even provide larger than life magnifications such as 5:1. Extension tubes are hollow tubes of varying lengths that increase the focal distance of the lens by moving the lens elements further from the film or sensor. Extension tubes on current cameras generally disables the autofocus feature.

Depth of Field in Macro Photography
When working with macro images depth of field is greatly compressed. A small aperture (large F-stop) such as F22 might give a depth of field of nearly a mile in normal photography, with macro photography it might only give an inch or less of clearly focused area. This compression comes from the extremely small distance required between the lens and subject as well has the high magnifications often used in macro photography. Because of this depth of field compression, precision focus and stable equipment is essential.

Focus in Macro Photography
Because subjects of macro photography are often very small and the compression factor of the depth of field focus must be very precise. Due to this, a tripod or other stable support is greatly recommended even if using a high shutter speed. If you hand-hold the camera any forward/backward motion of your body will affect the focal point of the image. If a tripod or other stable support is not an option due to location or subject speed, use the fastest shutter speed possible to reduce the chance of body motion changing focal points. Also recommended is the use of manual focus. The depth of field in macro photography is often so small that only a piece of an insect or other subject will be in focus. It is essential in these cases that the “right” part of the subject is in focus. For example, a portrait of a dragonfly where the back of the insect is in focus but the face out of focus is not a good image. The face of the subject should be the focal point.

Subject Selection in Macro Photography
While macro photography focuses on smaller things, your subject does not necessarily have to be small. With subjects that are larger you simply focus on a piece of the subject. For example, part of the interior workings of a pocket watch or your pet’s paw could be a good macro photography subject.

Lighting in Macro Photography
Macro photography requires much more light than “standard” photography. This is because high magnification lenses and extension tubes lead to less light reaching the film/sensor. Also, the small apertures used to get as much depth of field as possible require much more light for an adequate exposure. If enough natural light is not available, fill flash and reflectors are good options.

Source : http://photography.about.com

Exposure Compensation

The camera's metering system will sometimes determine the wrong exposure value needed to correctly expose the image. This can be corrected by the "EV Compensation" feature found in prosumer and professional cameras. Typically the EV compensation ranges from -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV with adjustments in steps of 0.5 or 0.3 EV. Some digital SLRs have wider EV compensation ranges, e.g. from -5.0 EV to +5.0 EV.

It is important to understand that increasing the EV compensation by 1 is equivalent to reducing EV by 1 and will therefore double the amount of light. For instance if the camera's automatic mode determined you should be using an aperture of f/8 and a shutterspeed of 1/125s at ISO 100 (13 EV) and the resulting image appears underexposed (e.g. by looking at the histogram), applying a +1.0 EV exposure compensation will cause the camera to use a shutterspeed of 1/60s or an aperture of f/5.6 to allow for more light (12 EV).

Of course, as you become more familiar with your camera's metering system, you can already apply an EV compensation before the shooting. For instance if your camera tends to clip highlights and you are shooting a scene with bright clouds, you may want to set the EV compensation to -0.3 or -0.7 EV.

This article is written by Vincent Bockaert

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

Distortion Display

This shows how a rectangular grid is projected by the lens, and therefore how lines will deviate from being rendered as perfectly straight. We also calculate the degree of distortion along both axes of the frame. Again you can select any of the marked focal lengths on the lens, but as distortion is essentially independent of aperture, we only show data recorded at F8.

The display is a direct representation of the grid pattern captured by the lens (some tests only show you a mathematical curve fit using over-simplified equations). Our data therefore allows you to see any complexity in the distortion, and you can even use screen shots to help find appropriate correction parameters in your preferred image manipulation software.

Data panel
Along with the grid representation, we present three results in the data panel:
Short edge: defined as the percentage difference in length between the central vertical grid line and the left/right ‘short edge’. Describes the degree of bowing of the upper and lower horizontal lines, which are normally the most distorted.
Long edge: defined as the percentage difference in length between the central horizontal grid line and the top/bottom ‘long edge’. Describes the degree of bowing of the outermost left and right vertical lines.
Distortion type: Barrel or pincushion

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

Photographing Road signs

Road signs are something we drive, walk or ride past everyday but there not something that's really looked at for more than a few seconds while we work out what they're telling us. But spend a little more time looking for them and you'll soon have a photography project that will keep you entertained even if it's only for a short while!

Gear
A zoom lens will get you closer to the signs without putting yourself in the path of oncoming cars. A tripod's not really needed but you may want to carry a lint free cloth to wipe away the dust and dirt traffic kicks up.

Technique
Signs aren't particularly difficult to photograph but they can be in places that make them difficult to reach. Don't put yourself in danger for the sake of a photograph and don't upset any workmen by getting in their way just because they have a particularly interesting road sign near them.

If you want to make a montage out of your sign images or you have a sign that's particularly interesting or funny, zoom right in and fill the frame with the sign. But most of the time try to shoot them within their context. This might be the famous 'man struggling with an umbrella' sign near some workmen or a sign warning of a round-a-bout with the round-a-bout in the distance. Make sure you can still see what's on the sign if you're going down this road as, after all, it's still our focus. To do this try using a small aperture to get front to back sharpness. Watch out for unwanted reflections and don't use your flash as the material modern signs are made of will just bounce it back at you and you may upset a few drivers with it.

Source : http://www.ephotozine.com

Autofocus

All digital cameras come with autofocus (AF). In autofocus mode the camera automatically focuses on the subject in the focus area in the center of the LCD/viewfinder. Many prosumer and all professional digital cameras allow you to select additional autofocus areas which are indicated on the LCD/viewfinder.

Example of a camera with a multi selector button (extreme right) to select the AF area spot. The selected area spot is indicated on the main LCD by a red bracket.

In "single AF" mode, the camera will focus when the shutter release button is pressed halfway. Some cameras offer "continuous AF" mode whereby the camera focuses continuously until you press the shutter release button halfway. This shortens the lag time, but reduces battery life. Normally a focus confirmation light will stop blinking once the subject in focus. Autofocus is usually based on detecting contrast and therefore works best on contrasty subjects and less well in low light conditions, in which case the use of an AF assist lamp is very useful. Some cameras also feature manual focus.

See also AF Servo.
This article is written by Vincent Bockaert

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

Manual Focus

Manual focus disables the camera's built-in automatic focus system so you can focus the lens by hand (*). Manual focus is useful for low light, macro or special effects photography. It is very important when the autofocus system is unable to get a good focus lock, e.g. in low light situations. Note that some digital cameras allow you to manually focus only to a few preset distances. Higher-end digital cameras allow focusing using the normal focus ring on the attached lens, just like in conventional photography.

(*) In digital cameras, manual focus is often implemented on a fly-by-wire basis, whereby the manual inputs to focus in or out are relayed to the autofocus system which effects the change in focus.


This article is written by Vincent Bockaer

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

Exposure

The exposure is the amount of light received by the film or sensor and is determined by how wide you open the lens diaphragm (aperture) and by how long you keep the film or sensor exposed (shutterspeed). The effect an exposure has depends on the sensitivity of the film or sensor.

The exposure generated by an aperture, shutterspeed, and sensitivity combination can be represented by its exposure value "EV". Zero EV is defined by the combination of an aperture of f/1 and a shutterspeed of 1s at ISO 100 (1). Each time you halve the amount of light collected by the sensor (e.g. by doubling shutterspeed or by halving the aperture), the EV will increase by 1. For instance, 6 EV represents half the amount of light as 5 EV. High EVs will be used in bright conditions which require a low amount of light to be collected by the film or sensor to avoid overexposure.

From the above it is clear that a certain exposure value can be achieved by a variety of combinations of aperture, shutterspeed and sensitivity. For instance if you are shooting at ISO 100 with an aperture of f/8 and a shutterspeed of 1/125s, doubling the shutterspeed to 1/250 (halving the exposure time) and reducing the f-number one stop to f/5.6 (doubling the aperture) will lead to the same exposure of 13 EV. Or if you double the shutterspeed to 1/250s (halve the exposure time) while keeping the aperture unchanged at f/8, you could double the effect of the incoming light by doubling the sensitivity to ISO 200, thereby keeping the EV constant at 13 EV. Note that doing so will increase noise levels in digital cameras and film grain in conventional cameras.

In automatic mode, the camera determines the optimal combination of aperture, shutterspeed, and sensitivity (4) based on the exposure value determined by the light metering system. A high EV indicates bright conditions, hence the need for high shutterspeeds, high f-numbers, and/or low sensitivities, to avoid overexposure. When you change the aperture in aperture priority mode, the camera will adjust the shutterspeed to keep the EV constant. In shutter priority mode, the camera will adjust the aperture to keep the EV constant.

See also exposure compensation.

Technical footnotes (for the purists):
(1) Strictly speaking, the term "exposure value" is used to represent shutterspeed and aperture combinations. An exposure value which takes into account the ISO sensitivity is called "Light Value" or LV and represents the luminance of the scene (2). For the sake of simplicity, as is the case in this article, Light Value is often referred to as "exposure value", grouping aperture, shutterspeed and sensitivity in one familiar variable. This is because in a digital camera it is as easy to change sensitivity as it is to change aperture and shutterspeed. Many digital cameras even offer an auto-ISO mode. Although sensitivity will not change the amount of light entering the camera, it changes the effect of it and is therefore a third variable that can be adjusted to achieve an exposure that matches what is measured by the camera's light meter. As stated in the article, changes in the sensitivity will affect the noise levels in the image.
Given the automatic metering systems in current cameras, the absolute EV value is less important than in the days when people were working with exposure tables. What is more important is to understand the effect of aperture, shutterspeed, and sensitivity on the exposure (and quality) of the image.
(2) There is also a variant, called "Brightness Value" or BV, used in the APEX system.
(3) When sensitiviy is adjusted, it is not the amount of light but the effect of it that is adjusted.
(4) In case the "auto-ISO" option is selected.

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

Shutterspeed

The shutterspeed determines how long the film or sensor is exposed to light. Normally this is achieved by a mechanical shutter between the lens and the film or sensor which opens and closes for a time period determined by the shutterspeed. For instance, a shutter speed of 1/125s will expose the sensor for 1/125th of a second. Electronic shutters act in a similar way by switching on the light sensitive photodiodes of the sensor for as long as is required by the shutterspeed. Some digital cameras feature both electronic and mechanical shutters.

Shutterspeeds are expressed in fractions of seconds, typically as (approximate) multiples of 1/2, so that each higher shutterspeed halves the exposure by halving the exposure time: 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/15s, 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s, 1/500s, 1/1000s, 1/2000s, 1/4000s, 1/8000s, etc. Long exposure shutterspeeds are expressed in seconds, e.g. 8s, 4s, 2s, 1s.

The optimal shutterspeed depends on the situation. A useful rule of thumb is to shoot with a shutterspeed above 1/(focal length) to avoid blurring due to camera shake. Below that speed a tripod or image stabilization is needed. If you want to "freeze" action, e.g. in sports photography, you will typically need shutterspeeds of 1/250s or more. But not all action shots need high shutterspeeds. For instance, keeping a moving car in the center of the viewfinder by panning your camera at the same speed of the car allows for lower shutterspeeds and has the benefit of creating a background with a motion blur.

 

This image was shot at 1/500s, freezing the splashing of the waves.

 

 Motion blur created by tracking the car with the camera and shooting at 1/125s. The motion blur and speed effects were further enhanced using techniques described in my interactive e-book.

Prosumer and professional cameras provide shutter priority exposure mode, allowing you to vary the shutterspeed while keeping exposure constant.

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

Aperture

Aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that determines the amount of light falling onto the film or sensor. The size of the opening is controlled by an adjustable diaphragm of overlapping blades similar to the pupils of our eyes. Aperture affects exposure and depth of field.

Just like successive shutterspeeds, successive apertures halve the amount of incoming light. To achieve this, the diaphragm reduces the aperture diameter by a factor 1.4 (square root of 2) so that the aperture surface is halved each successive step as shown on this diagram.



Because of basic optical principles, the absolute aperture sizes and diameters depend on the focal length. For instance, a 25mm aperture diameter on a 100mm lens has the same effect as a 50mm aperture diameter on a 200mm lens. If you divide the aperture diameter by the focal length, you will arrive at 1/4 in both cases, independent of the focal length. Expressing apertures as fractions of the focal length is more practical for photographers than using absolute aperture sizes. These "relative apertures" are called f-numbers or f-stops. On the lens barrel, the above 1/4 is written as f/4 or F4 or 1:4.

We just learned that the next aperture will have a diameter which is 1.4 times smaller, so the f-stop after f/4 will be f/4 x 1/1.4 or f/5.6. "Stopping down" the lens from f/4 to f/5.6 will halve the amount of incoming light, regardless of the focal length. You now understand the meaning of the f/numbers found on lenses:

Because f-numbers are fractions of the focal length, "higher" f-numbers represent smaller apertures.


Maximum Aperture or Lens Speed
The "maximum aperture" of a lens is also called its "lens speed". Aperture and shutterspeed are interrelated via exposure. A lens with a large maximum aperture (e.g. f/2) is called a "fast" lens because the large aperture allows you to use high (fast) shutterspeeds and still receive sufficient exposure. Such lenses are ideal to shoot moving subjects in low light conditions.

Zoom lenses specify the maximum aperture at both the wide angle and tele ends, e.g. 28-100mm f/3.5-5.6. A specification like 28-100mm f/2.8 implies that the maximum aperture is f/2.8 throughout the zoom range. Such zoom lenses are more expensive and heavy.

Source : http://www.dpreview.com

What kinds of digital SLRs are available?

There are three kinds of digital SLR systems being made as of September 2005:
1.big lenses, big sensor
2.big lenses, small sensor
3.small lenses, small sensor

We will discuss each in turn.

Big lenses, big sensor. Canon and Kodak have taken the most obvious approach to the challenge of transitioning from film to digital: build a digital sensor exactly the same size as one frame of 35mm film. The result is a chunk of silicon 24x36mm in size, which is vast compared to the sensor in a point-and-shoot digicam. The benefit of this vast sensor is reduced noise, which looks like grain, in low light/high-ISO situations. The drawback of a vast sensor is that manufacturing a flawless piece of silicon this big is very expensive. Consumer-priced cameras in this category include: Canon EOS 5D (review), Canon EOS 5D Mark II (review), Nikon D700, $2697 (review), Nikon D3 (review), and Sony Alpha A900, $2699 (review). If you have a strong back and an unlimited budget, the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, $6300 (review), is a great choice. It is probably the best digital camera made and produces image quality that rivals medium format film (e.g., 6x6cm Hasselblad).

The only other full-frame digital SLRs made were the discontinued Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n and SLR/c bodies. The Kodaks were cheaper than the Canon, but not quite as functional and the fact that they were discontinued is a good illustration of why you want to buy a digital SLR from a market leader. I own a 5D and have written a full review of the Canon EOS 5D.

Big lenses, small sensor. In order to keep the cost of the body within a range of $700-1500 and allow photographers to use their old 35mm system lenses most digital SLRs fall into this category. The front of the body has the same lens mount as an old film SLR. The back of the body has a sensor that is smaller than the 24x36mm standard frame of an old film SLR. The result is a camera that looks the same as the old film camera but multiplies the magnification of all the lenses. Having a smaller sensor is like cutting the center out of a drugstore proof print. You don't capture all the information on the left and right and top and bottom of the frame. It is as though you took the picture with a telephoto lens. The viewfinder has been adjusted so that what you see optically is what is captured in the digital file. If you're coming from the film world you will need to do a mental adjustment. A 50mm normal perspective lens on a big lens/small sensor camera behaves like an 80mm telephoto lens on a film camera. A 20mm ultra wide-angle lens behaves like a 30-32mm slightly wide angle lens on a film camera. Nearly all the popular digital SLRs fall into this category and their various merits will be discussed below.

Small lenses, small sensor. The biggest problem with the "big lens, small sensor" situation is that photographers are forced to cart around lenses that are much larger, heavier, and, theoretically, more expensive, than they need to be. A big heavy Canon telephoto lens is big and heavy mostly because it is built to cast an image circle large enough to cover a 24x36mm frame but the Canon EOS 30D body's sensor is only 15x22mm in size. Any engineer would look at this "big lens, small sensor" situation and say "Why not come up with a standard reasonable sensor size and then make lenses that are just large enough to cover that sensor with an image?" That's precisely what the Four Thirds consortium did. Olympus and Kodak seem to be the originators of the standard but Fuji, Panasonic, Sanyo, and Sigma have signed on as well according to www.four-thirds.org. This seemed like a great idea at the time (2002) but four years later only three Four Thirds system bodies have been built, all by Olympus, and only a handful of lenses, all from Olympus and Sigma.

If you have a a robust checking account and/or a lot of Canon EOS film camera lenses an unlimited budget the "full-frame" Canon EOS-5D (big lenses/big sensor; medium weight; $2900) is the obvious choice. If you don't need state-of-the-art performance and value compactness above all, the Olympus E System is a reasonable choice (see my review of the Olympus E1 for more detail; the current best buy is a complete starter kit with the E-500 for $630 from amazon). More than 90 percent of photographers, however, will find that the engineering compromise of "big lenses/small sensor" fits their budget and needs. This has led to the introduction of lenses that have the big lens mount for a 35mm film camera but optically cover only the small sensor of a mid-range digital SLR. These are sold as "digital-only lenses" or "digital camera lenses" but in fact they won't work on a full-frame digital SLR--the corners of the image would be black. Canon denotes these lenses as "EF-S", Nikon as "DX".

What is a single-lens reflex (SLR)?

The single lens reflex (SLR) is most folks' idea of a serious camera. "SLR" means that the same lens is used for viewing and taking pictures. A mirror in the body directs the light from the lens up into a prism for viewing, then flips up out of the way just before an exposure is made. The standard photojournalist's Nikon from the 1960s or 1970s was an SLR with a roll of 35mm film behind the mirror. When the mirror came up the light passed through to the shutter, which opened to expose one frame of film for perhaps 1/60th of a second. A Canon Digital Rebel or Nikon D80 looks very similar and works in almost the same way. The only difference is that instead of a piece of film behind the shutter there is an electronic sensor.

The mirror and optical viewfinder are what enable a photographer to frame images more quickly and accurately than with a point-and-shoot camera. Regardless of what lens or filters you have attached to the camera you see what the sensor will see. The same can be said for the LCD displays on the back of a $200 point-and-shoot camera but those displays are difficult to interpret in sunlight. The typical digital SLR camera viewfinder offers additional information underneath the image, including all the most important camera settings.

The SLR is much larger and heavier than the point-and-shoot camera. If you are leaving the house to socialize and want a camera to keep in your pocket just in case an interesting photo presents itself, the SLR will seem cumbersome. If you are heading out specifically with a photographic project in mind you will appreciate how the SLR and its controls fit into your hands.

Because digital SLRs are more expensive than point-and-shoot cameras the manufacturers typically put in faster computers and better autofocus systems. This makes the cameras more responsive and you are more likely to catch the "decisive moment" as the baby's face lights up with a smile, the soccer ball leaves the player's foot, or the dog catches the frisbee.

A digital SLR may offer the same number of megapixels, individual image elements, as a high-end point-and-shoot. Not all pixels are created equal, however. Resolution is important if you intend to make large prints but dynamic range, the ability to capture detail within bright highlights and dark shadows, is more critical in many situations. The sensors in digital SLRs are typically much larger than those found in point-and-shoot cameras. The main advantage of a larger sensor is better performance in dim light. If there are 8 megapixels spread out over a sensor that is 4 times larger than the sensor in a point-and-shoot camera that means more photons of light will fall on any given pixel. If during an exposure 50 photons would fall on the small sensor then 200 photons would fall on the big sensor. If there is a small change in the light from one part of the scene to another the sensor in the point and shoot camera is trying to notice a single extra photon; the electronics in the camera with the big sensor have four extra photons that are much easier to detect.

First-time consumers of digital SLR cameras focus on the body. Long-time photographers, however, look at the system. An SLR system includes a body, multiple lenses, flash units, and various connecting cords. For most photographers the investment in lenses will come to dwarf the cost of a body. It is thus important to choose a system whose manufacturer makes the lenses that you need for all of your potential projects and, ideally, whose system is popular enough that you can rent special-purpose lenses for uncommon situations. Each camera system has its own lens mount design and a lens that works on, say, a Nikon camera cannot be attached to a Canon body.

Source : http://photo.net

Building a digital SLR system: Looking at the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, Nikon D40, Nikon D80, and EOS 5D cameras

Digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras are the standard tool for serious photographers. With the introduction of cameras such as the Nikon D40 and the Canon Digital Rebel XTi the market for digital SLR cameras has expanded tremendously. A point-and-shoot compact digital camera can offer reasonably good image quality, but a digital SLR, which usually looks a lot like an old standard 35mm film camera and may use the same lenses, offers the following advantages:
accurate, large, and bright optical viewfinder
fast operation and large controls
excellent image quality in low "available" light situations when it is necessary to use higher ISO speeds
interchangeable lenses






For more information on what to consider when purchasing a DSLR, including details on lens compatibility, system expandibility, size and weight, ISO settings, noise levels, etc, take a look at Bob Atkins' article on Factors to Consider when Choosing a Digital SLR Camera.

With the digital SLR you have a good idea of what you're going to capture by looking through the viewfinder. When you press the shutter release the camera captures the image immediately. If you need to zoom or focus manually there are large rings that you can operate quickly by feel. If you see a beautifully-lit scene you can capture that beauty instead of using an on-camera flash to blast everything with harsh white light. If you need to make a specialized photo, you can buy or rent a specialized lens and attach it to the camera.

This article explains the different kinds of digital SLR cameras available, how to choose the right one for you, and what to do once you get it home from the shop. A digital SLR camera system, complete with lenses and accessories, can cost anywhere from $600 to $10,000. This article shows you how to choose and buy the basic items first and the more expensive and hard-to-use components later.

Source : http://photo.net

Knowing Shutter Speed or Rana Speed

Shutter Speed a.k.a in Indonesian. Shutter is a sort of layer that covers the sensor. At the time we had snap, this will open during the Shutter In recent times so that the sensor can record the light coming through the lens. Shutter opening duration is what is known as the Shutter Speed. Logically, the longer the shutter is opened, the more incoming light. And conversely the faster the shutter is opened so the less light is recorded.

Second unit. The unit is easier to understand than the unit Aperture. To reduce the amount of light entering into a half before (-1 stop), Shutter Speed time to stay on for second. And conversely, to add light to the previous 2x (one stop) living in multiply 2. In Nikon D50, Shutter Speed values that can be used on the camera are 60, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1s, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, 1 / 32, 1 / 64, 1 / 125, 1 / 250, 1 / 500, 1 / 1000, 1 / 2000, 1 / 4000. 1 / 4000. Shutter Speed Range value on the camera type / other brands more or less the same. In some pro cameras, the speed can be up to 1/8000s. Fast enough to photograph a bullet shot!

Slow Shutter Speed

Technical using a low shutter speed (great value). Usually used in less light conditions, shutter open longer for the camera lebiiih can collect enough light to produce images who we want. If we are photographing a scene with multiple moving objects, will produce a new and cool effects.

For example photographing traffic at night effect "light path" / lightrail. Lights from the milling cars recorded in the sensor.

                                     
Photo by ^ sean, on Flickr

Slow speeds can also lead to a dynamic impression on our photos. As in the photo below water. This photo is tricky because the religion is taken in the afternoon which is still plenty of light. The trick is that we reduce the light reaching the sensor by putting one or several (Stack) ND filter (Neutral Density). This filter will reduce the time from initially reared in such kinds of light (depending on the level of ND filter) so many light conditions will look like tonight.

                                             Photo by jurvetson, on Flickr

Or a more extreem using Bulb mode where the shutter will remain open as long as we press the shutter button. Usually cuman in DSLR cameras (buy buy hehehe). In the dark night though, we can still capture the moments that exist, such as the track record of stars in the sky. Photo below was taken with a shutter speed = 16 minutes.
   

                                         Photo by stignygaard, on Flickr

Slow Shutter Speed and Tripod

Tripod is an absolute necessary if we want experimented with slow-speed photographs. The reason for the camera to be supported by other objects during the shutter open. If not, then the resulting image will be blurry because of camera shake to and fro shear. Ga normal human would be strong to stand still holding the camera during In recent sec without rocking. Unless human ente-robots that can hibernate myself: p. Well, it does not need a tripod .. Other objects such as sandbags can too. The important thing is solid enough to hold the camera during the shutter open. Okeh?

Source : http://tukangmoto.wordpress.com

Knowing ISO

ISO in digital photography, for me, better understood as the ability to capture light sensor technology. The higher the ISO value, the greater the light that can be captured by the sensors. However, they are missing is the emergence of noise with increasing ISO value that gives a chance. This noise looks like a freckle - a small granular spots which spread all the photos. If the image in zoom to 100% will be obvious noise. Apart from causing noise, the ISO value addition can also lead to reduced quality image is produced for example: color does not appear so, detail is lost and so on.

The value of ISO on the camera in general is 100,200,400,800,1600,3200. Professional DSLR camera, NIKON D3, even able to achieve the ISO until 6400.12800 and 25 600 with a very low noise. As technological developments do not be surprised if the next few years will be better digital sensor, capable of supporting high ISO but with minimal noise.

The use of ISO

Generally, the recommended ISO setting is a small ISO value. Resultant noise is smaller, so the result is better pictures especially if berenacana for in-print in large sizes. Also suitable for shooting landscapes / scenery where the noise to a minimum desideratum. Fuss when photographing landscapes usually at times where it is less light: sunrise, sunset or night. Inevitably, fans of these types of photos should be prepared tripod or the like to be able to use a long shutter speed.

ISO great value normally used to less light conditions (night time or indoor), where setting the Aperture and Shutter Speed is mentog. In these conditions, the ISO value can raise up us who get the ideal shutter speed. Why not use a tripod just like photographing scenery? well, if for example you want to photograph objects still frozen over hell could have In recent sec .. but my son could be so euy ga. Photo below is a sample using the highest ISO on my Nikon D50 camera such as ISO 1600. You can see at the bottom of the photo, religion section looks dark granules noise. But I must take this photo because a good moment. Light crude gained from afternoon sunlight through. To get enough shutter speed to prevent blur / shake, with a fairly wide DOF (F5.0), I must increase the ISO up to 1600.

== Bad Noise?

Jugaa Ga .. I've even seen a picture of Audi (singer) in a photo magazine (forgot to mention) presented a full page with high ISO alias lot of noise. According to the photographer to come up with the noise moodnya yangg Audi ... glum? : P

Personally, I, the origin is not in print in big size is very timid ga using a high ISO up to 1600-even. Lha wong make the most sense is placed on this blog: p .. standard web size, going ga-noise its very subtle. If the print is also ga gede-gede very aka postcard size. The important purpose of a picture can already digested by the reader as well. Another story because of the noise if the object so not clear as who I have ever experienced when forced to use the camera's high ISO Prosumer FZ7. Why buy a DSLR aja deh .. completely different in his power ISO. Photos of the night, ga indoor photos can be a problem again ..

Auto ISO

Is a feature on the Nikon D50 which I love. Do not know yet if any of the other camera brands. What is clear is the automation function selection by the camera ISO value to get a minimum shutter speed that we specify. On my camera, there In recent minimum value that can be selected that is 1, 1 / 15, 1 / 30, 1 / 60 and 1/125sec. Suppose we select a value 1 / 125 sec. Cameras will be to adjust the ISO value as much as possible so that the aperture value of existing options we can obtain the value 1 / 125 sec. In the normal lens (eg 50mm) 1 / 125 sec is high enough value to prevent the possibility of blur / shake. ISO-value would be more specific, is not limited to ISO values I mentioned above earlier (200,400,800 etc.). It could be eg the camera set the ISO value to 350 etc etc..

Source : http://tukangmoto.wordpress.co

Learning Strobist

Strobist .. is a technique using the flash / flash off-camera. Off - the camera? yes .. in general, the camera's flash hot-shoe nancep at the camera. Now off-camera flash can be Triggered wherever possible without having installed in the hot-shoe. The advantage we can position one or more flash anywhere to set the direction, intensity of light to produce the image we want.

How can an off-camera? actually on some DSLR cameras have embedded these functions (master / Commander) .. jebot camera like mine-one could have with additional accessories. Well, all cameras can think yes .. origin is no mechanism for triggering the flash.
Nikon is no such thing in Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) .. in the name Canon E-TTL. Nikon CLS uses IR (infrared) to communicate with flash - another flash. So have a line-of-sight with the other cameras though kyknya can also triggering another flash behind the walls (link). The advantage is powerful! Body cameras can communicate with existing flash-flash, set the existing power, set the white balance etc etc. .. our lives as usual and the wah setting. The disadvantage: need line-of-sight and expensive bo!
using the Sync cable .. camera body and flash is connected via a special cable. disadvantages: beribet, many kabel2 scattered. Advantages: TTL function still works
using a radio trigger. Triggered flash from the camera uses a radio frequency. There are special adapters for this mechanism: the transmitter and receiver. As the name would mean friends tau lah. Transmitter installed in the camera body. If the flash on the trigger, the transmitter sends a signal to one / several receivers flash. Advantages: does not need line-of-sight .. This main advantage of people who attracted so many. Disadvantage: the function of TTL (auto flash) in no way, should the manual. Dooh manual anymore? already advanced age still manually .. hehehehe, yup manual. Well actually there's, the radio can trigger TTL. Please google independent

Tutelyudetrut .. I am actually not so interested in the world per-flash of this. I think it difficult, there are additional controls that must be set blah blah .. not to mention the placement of the flash is that .. plus I think expensive. And a little extra ego of a naive and geeky photographer: "I am a nature photographer ah .. Just enough light nature "hahahaha .. well, there was a piece of creative talent hidden inside of me who wanted out. The creative side of me ..

Until I finally saw the DVD of his One Light workshop Zack Arias .. I got interested. Turns out easily, and prinsip2 his theory is easy to remember. Not much different from the concept of exposure in general, with some notes such as:
shutter speed affects the ambient exposure (background)
inverse square law .. ribet aga nih diterangin but the bottom line that comes out of the flash exposure will be reduced gradually by the formula of the inverse square law
There is additional lighting from the flash .. we can control its output (if manual mode)
aperture and ISO still function to regulate the light coming

And .. Wife finally after obtaining approval tercintakuh and after giving up not buying the iPhone hehe so, finally bought some devices also strobist beginners. Oh yes .. I chose to step no 3 (radio trigger). More simple and powerful because it does not need line-of-sight. Moreover, many 3rd party accessories and cheap. But it manually? yes .. then? hehehe .. I also want the manual-exposure science ngetest nih. Actually ga-ribet ribet very still, so long already understand the concept of exposure. Moreover, the Manual mode, the image produced can still be consistent with the same exposure level for each photo. Ga should tweak it again in PS controlnya brightness for you? hehehe
Nikon SB24, I bought some secondhand nih while selling at cheap prices (950rb) .. delicious with one of the radio trigger is that we do not have to buy a flash new and modern. What is important is to be manually .. lha wong who's just using that its manual power-kok. Nikon? because a relative: p .. ga ding, because the voltage it is safe for the triggers, and no PC socket.
Btw .. I am still looking for another flash nih. Who feel like selling flash it with the price reform, post your offer in the comment box below. Lho kok much? yes, it looks like a single source of lighting is not enough euy .. at least two, three syukur2 can
Radio triggers from China .. cheap. 400s I already can one transmitter and two receivers. FN can be purchased on the stock while still there. Good and reliable seller.
If more funds pny, mending buy Pocket Wizard. It's already very powerful and reliable. My house is still in the learning stage .. so who apparently was apparently used to aja
Stuff .. ahhh yes .. Additional accessories such as a light stand, spigot, softbox, etc.. Many also still .. itung-itung can kebeli iPhone too ya: p
But the good thing is .. strobist community is a creative community. All these accessories can be assembled itself from materials existing home. For example softbox .. I think the food with cover caps can also tuh: p or some other means (Google)

Source : http://tukangmoto.wordpress.com

Lens aperture

Lens aperture is a component of a functioning set the intensity of light entering the camera.

Lens diaphragm is usually a hole like a circle or a particular facet. It was formed from a number of sheet metal (usually 5, 7 or 8 pieces) that can be adjusted to change the size of the hole opening (shutter / Shuter) lens where the light will pass by or in Aperture digital photographic lens aperture size is a function of light to enter and continue film or sensor. size of regulated through the diaphragm. In general the camera contained 2.8; 4; 5.6 ff. angka2 is known as the f-number, so called aperture (aperture) f / 2.8, f / 4, f / 5.6 ff. The bigger the aperture the smaller the f-numbernya and the lesser diameter of opening, so it is smaller in diameter than f/16 f / 5.6

It works like a pupil aperture on the human eye, the more light coming in, the smaller the diameter of the pupil, and vice versa. Aperture very much associated with a sharp space or depth of field, the greater the f-number, eg f/22, sharpness will increasingly wide range. This means that objects behind and in front of the main focus has good sharpness. otherwise we will get blur effect / blur to objekdi front and behind the main focus when using a small f-number, eg f / 2.8

Shutter speed and aperture should be synergized to get proper exposure. ISO is also an important role, the higher the ISO is used, the sensitivity to light any bigger, so that at any dim lighting, shutter speed and aperture can still be used optimally. But keep in mind, the higher the ISO is used, the higher the level of noise or grain produced

(ISO / ASA speed film is is a term used in photography to measure the level kesensitivitas or sensitivity to light photo film. The film with low sensitivity (a lower ISO number) requires attention (UK: exposure) is longer so-called slow film, while films with high sensitivity (a high ISO number) requires a brief exposure.)

To determine whether the exposure was correct or not, in conventional digital cameras available ato metering facilities. So that the occurrence of over-exposure (excess lighting), or under exposure (lack of lighting) can be minimized.

Once the basic technique can be mastered, the next is the flying hours required, because art is identical with the moment of photography, fine day and the moment was not easily repeated, skill determines the composition and angle of image capture can be developed as flying hours, then multiply references, books, internet, as well as other sumber2. How good and sophisticated a camera, just a tool, clincher is that those who were behind the camera.

Source : http://citrastudio.com/

Playing With Long Exposure

Fun to play, try to use the concept of long exposure on camera. Set to 10 or 15S (forgotten) .. camera rocking right and left, up and down, play the zoom back and forth .. like a dangdut singer, and the result as above. Somewhat futuristic ya .. The blue color is the blue screen television. Condition of the room lights turned off, so who ya dominant color is blue. Mayan was the newbie who make more fun / I'm bored.

Source : http://tukangmoto.wordpress.com

Basic Digital Photography Techniques: Shutter Speed

Shutter Speed in the Indonesian language is called Shutter speed or in terms of closing speed photography is a curtain that covers the camera's exposure sensor surface or on the surface of the film or image sensor earlier. photos. If the curtain is open there will be arrests image

Originally shutter is made of sheet metal, but most modern cameras use a cover made from fabric faster shutter speeds. The cover is made of fabric has a strength of about 50.000 to 200.000 times the process of opening and closing (to exposure). Cloth covering worn or damaged can be easily replaced in the center of the camera brand sales services concerned. to reduce the weight of the camera and to obtain

The duration of the curtain is open is determined by the camera's shutter speed setting.

Digital photography allows us to understand the world of photography, photographs resulted in a review can be directly through the LCD window, so we can evaluate the shots, because of technical data relating to catapult who had been seen and recorded, in contrast to conventional photography, where we have to print them first and can see , to review and evaluate the results jeperetan, any technical data it first we must note, that it took a lot of money and time wasted on who can improve our photography skills

Digital photography art can be described as painting with light, in this case the camera and lens that replaces the role of the brush and paint. There are two things that the most important role in the camera and lens, the Shutter Speed and Aperture

Shutter Speed is the length of time required to illuminate the CCD ato CMOS sensors on digital cameras, and film in conventional cameras. On the numbers listed Kemera 250,125,60,30,15 ff. This means that the duration of exposure is 1 / 250 sec, 1 / 125 sec, 1 / 60 seconds, and so on.

The larger numbers mean faster the time who used, this will create the effect of silent (freeze), for example, who we will be photographing a moving object, eg a car, with the effect of silence, we require at least a shutter speed above 1 / 125 sec

Conversely, if we will be photographing objects with moving effects, then the required shutter speed of less than 1 / 125 seconds, preferably done by following the direction of motion of the object, this technique called panning,

Two things also from the above depending on the speed of the moving object, the faster an object moves, it means that the higher the shutter speed required to obtain still or moving effects that we want, should be noted, the lower the shutter speed, will result in the greater also the possibility of camera shaking , who will cause shots to be rocking and not sharp

To be safe, use a shutter speed above 30 or 1 / 30 seconds, if it wants a lower shutter speed, eg 1 / 15 sec, 1 / 8 seconds ato undersell, use a tripod to use a buffer ato

Source : http://citrastudio.com

What is Dynamic Range?

Dynamic Range photography is a range of differences in dark and light from a scene. The camera turned out to have the ability to capture the range limit of these differences. Canon EOS 1-D Mark III has a dynamic range of about 11 stop (link). 11-stop range that is captured with good details on the camera sensors, beyond that the details will be dark / black or washout. Now, whereas in the real world .. scene which we will very often have a range of photo-stop for more than 11 stops. Nih example: why do photos in the daytime sky is white, or why when the sky is blue / the details but the man who photographed so dark? the sign of the effect of dynamic range.
There was shortage of tips / tricks to overcome them. Among them is the trick High Dynamic Range (HDR), which was popular, the use of Gradual ND Filter (such as my photo of this), Multi-Exposure. Other times we tried was the discussion, just how the dynamic range as above.

Source : www.tukangmoto.wordpress.com

Lights and Lighting

Lights and Lighting
By Diki Umbara

Shooting is painting with light. Means of light elements is very important in making the film and television. The light does not always deal with a lamp. There are other light sources other than light sources. In simple terms there are two kinds of sources pecahayaan, ie natural lighting (natural) and artificial lighting (artificial).
Light is a wave that is received by the senses elektromagnestis sight (eyes) which was then forwarded to the brain that would respond, responding to light stimulation stretcher. Sederhanya, without light, the object will not be visible. For this reason, film and video production requires visible light to the subject.
Lighting television and film have the following functions:
• illuminates the object / subject
• Creating artistic images,
• Eliminate unnecessary shadow
• Creating special effects.

Illuminates the object that means giving pencahyaan to object or subject can be seen clearly fit the concept of the film itself. Not every image is needed and not all the shadows are not necessary. With lighting tetentu shadow can be eliminated, reduced, or even added. Whether or not to shade or shadow, again depends on the concept of the film itself.

Three Points Lighting
It has become the basis of a formula or formulas lighting in video production, film and photographs. Three important points were made up: Key Light, Fill Light, Back Light.
Key Light is the main lighting directed at the object. Keylight is the most dominant source of lighting. Keylight usually brighter than the fill light. In the design of three points pencahyaan, keylight placed at an angle of 45 degrees above the subject.

Fill Light is pencahyaan filler, usually used for objects menghilagkan shadow caused by the key light. Fill light is placed opposite to the subjects that have a distance equal to the keylight. Pencahyaan fill light intensity is usually half of the key light.
Back Light, lighting from behind the object, is used to gave the dimensions so that the subject is not "united" with the background. Pencahyaan was placed 45 degrees behind the subject. Pencahyaan backlight intensity depends on the lighting the key light and fill light, and of course depending on the subject. Eg backlight for people with blond hair will be slightly different with the lighting for people with black hair color.
In addition to three point lighting there were still other pencahyaan types, namely Background Light is meant to set / stage can still look good.

Light Direction
Direction of light from the lighting will depend on the height and angle of the light sources. From the top, bottom, or flat with an object? By doing so we will know the image produced in which the light falls. Laying of the light source on the subject will produce a different effect when compared with the laying of the light source from underneath the subject. Pencahyaan direction is usually referred to as the up-down angle and angle. With a down angle will produce shadows that fall Kea red body (if the subject person). For example, the concept down angle can be done on interrogation scene, it will seem dramatic. While lighting up the angle will generate less prevalent, but with the placement of lighting will look like this subject powefull and stout.

Quality of Light Quality lighting associated with hard or soft pencahyaan itself. Broadly speaking there are two quality of lighting, ie the hard light and soft light. Hard light has a characteristic strong pencahyaan where shadow or shadow more clearly visible. Softlight have opposite characters, between the shadow pencahyaan only have minor differences.

Lighting Ratio
Lighting Ratio is the ratio between brightness and lightnest. For example ratio of 2:1, where the lighting bright area twice the level of dark areas. Video technology allows up to 4:1 ratio, the area of light has an intensity four times brighter than the dark areas. If more than that, the element of shadow or shadow detail will be lost.

Light Control
This is a method to increase or decrease the illumination from light sources. The addition or subtraction to produce a particular effect. For example the effects of sunlight shine into the bedroom window, used translucent attached near the source of light.

Intensity Measure
The intensity of light generated from the key light, fill light, and the backlight can be measured by an instrument that is Lightmeter. There are two types of this tool is Incident and Reflectant. Incident intended to measure the intensity of light which "fell" on the subject. While Reflectant used to measure the intensity of light reflected by the subject.

Types of Lighting There are so many types of lamps used in the process of making gamar or shooting. Type of lamp comprising:
* Blonde :1000-2000 watts, usually used as flood lighting for large areas
* Readhead: 650 - 1000 watts, are used as the key to flood large areas
* Pepper Light: 100 - 1000 watt, low-intensity lights are used exclusively for key or fill light
* HMI: This is the kind of high quality light
* Hallogen: 100-500 watts, used sebahgai key to flood a large area, type of lamp is usually used for production with low budgeting.
* Fresnell: type of lamp that has a special lens that emits light.

Color Temperature

Color Temperature is the impression created by the light of an object when the light was about the object. The size of the color temperature measured in degrees Kelvin (K). The larger degrees Kelvin, the color of the white object, the object will be visible kebalikkanya getting yellowed.

Utilizing the Available Light

By Diki Umbara
There are two types of lighting that can be used in making the movie, both fiction and non fiction (like a documentary). Type of artificial lighting is the light (he explained in my previous post) and available light. Available light is the lighting by utilizing the existing light sources. Available light of which the sun, the lights in the house, moonlight, and the lights on the road. Thus, the available light associated light sources are available and how to keep the light source can be used to illuminate the object. If there is only one source of lighting, it was confirmed as the main lighting or keylight. There are three important points is three points lighting lighting, the lighting I have explained in Part 1. In the utilization of available light can be used as the key light and fill light.

In Room
Lighting in the room / indoor lighting such as an existing (neon lamp or incandescent lamp). This lighting can be used for the purposes of shooting, though it can be a lot of weaknesses, including the intensity of light produced is too low for the sake of shooting. With this digital video technology can still be tricked by increasing the slice, however there must be a tolerance limit. When we raise the f-stop on the camera, possibly resulting picture will look grainy / freckles. Try, the objects have sufficient lighting, although not always a good solution, try to move the object / subject you will shoot enough light on areas where the lights went down.
If you will be shooting in the living room, you can take advantage of sunlight from the outdoors. But again, you must set the position of the subject in order to obtain the desired light intensity.

Outdoor
When we will be shooting outdoor / exterior in the daytime to be considered is the direction of the sun. Not really recommended for shooting from 11 am to 1 pm, because the sun was scorching-hot, and may be just above the object, which means it will create shadows. To reduce the intensity of light that is too strong, you can use Neutral Density filters / ND that existed at the camera. By using this filter, excessive light will direduce / reduced so that to be normal. My suggestion is, when it comes to shooting in daylight and using only available light, between the hours of 2 to 4 pm. To set the direction of lighting use a reflector.

Using Reflector
Reflector is a tool to reflect or reflect light on the subject. Reflectors for shooting purposes (also photography) has many designed by the factory, but several friends with creative make their own reflectors.

Moving Object
If the use of lighting with normal lighting / artificial light where the light source can be shifted to adjust the light that must be obtained by the object / subject / area of our shooting. Bede as if we take advantage of available light. My advice, use a manual iris, because then we can adjust the incoming light source by controlling irisnya.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed or aperture is a window opening speed camera so that light can enter the image sensor. Unit than is a second shutter speed, and highly dependent with the light conditions while shooting. Such a bright light in the daytime, then the shutter speed must be adjusted to be faster, such as 1 / 500 second. Whereas for a light evening a little more, then the shutter speed should be adjusted to be longer, such as 1 / 5 seconds. This also explains why the photos at night tend to be blurry, that a slower shutter speed allows the camera movement caused by vibration of hand make light shifted so that the image becomes blurry / blur.

 Photos with fast shutter speed

Source : www.kaskus.us

Aperture or Diaphragm

Aperture or diaphragm is an umbrella term for the lens aperture. If likened to a window, then the diaphragm is kiray / gordyn that can be opened or closed to adjust the amount of light entering. Aperture on the camera is denoted by the letter F and the unit as follows:
f/1.2
f/1.4
f/1.8
f/2.0
f/2.8
f/3.5
f/4.0
etc. ...

The smaller the number of units will increase the aperture lens (f/1.4 larger opening than the f/4.0).

Thus, the correlation between shutter speed and aperture is that the larger the aperture, the shutter speed will be faster, smaller aperture on the contrary, it will be increasingly slow shutter speed.

Source : www.kaskus.us

On the Nikon D70 are 11 shooting modes:

F = Full Manual
In this mode, fully manual camera settings, both shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc..

A = Aperture Priority
In this mode the aperture can be adjusted in accordance with the will, but the shutter speed will automatically compensate the light requirement in accordance with the large aperture.

S = Shutter Priority
In this mode the shutter speed can be adjusted in accordance with the will, but the aperture will automatically compensate the light requirement in accordance with the shutter speed.

P = Program
In this mode both aperture and shutter speed automatically calculates according to the needs of light, only in this mode the exposure level can be adjusted in accordance with the will.

Auto
Auto mode is a mode where the camera fully configure all the needs of the setting, in other words in this fashion photographer stayed "snap" just.

Portrait
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of portrait (human photos), such as the use of tonal colors for skin tone, etc..

Landscape
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of landscape photographs (landscape), such as tone colors more vivid or others.

Macro
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of image macros (short distances, so objects appear larger), such as a more customized focus lens.

Moving Object
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of shooting a moving object, so the focus lens will be moving faster to adjust with the movement of objects.

Night Landscape
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of landscape photography at night.

Night Portrait
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of portrait photographs at night or low light.

Source : www.kaskus.us

Mode on a Cannon DSLR camera

On the Canon 350D camera there are 12 shooting modes:

A-DEP = Automatic Depth of Field
In this mode, focus foreground and background settings set automatically by the camera so it is more possible to produce a sharp image in both foreground and background.

F = Full Manual
In this mode, fully manual camera settings, both shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc..

Av = Aperture Priority Value
In this mode the aperture can be adjusted in accordance with the will, but the shutter speed will automatically compensate the light requirement in accordance with the large aperture.

Tv = Time Value Priority
In this mode the shutter speed can be adjusted in accordance with the will, but the aperture will automatically compensate the light requirement in accordance with the shutter speed.

P = Program
In this mode both aperture and shutter speed automatically calculates according to the needs of light, only in this mode the exposure level can be adjusted in accordance with the will.

Auto
Auto mode is a mode where the camera fully configure all the needs of the setting, in other words in this fashion photographer stayed "snap" just.

Portrait
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of portrait (human photos), such as the use of tonal colors for skin tone, etc..

Landscape
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of landscape photographs (landscape), such as tone colors more vivid or others.

Macro
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of image macros (short distances, so objects appear larger), such as a more customized focus lens.

Moving Object
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of shooting a moving object, so the focus lens will be moving faster to adjust with the movement of objects.

Night Scene
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but more adapted to the needs of photo at night.

No Flash
This mode is the branching of full auto mode, but if the other auto mode built in flash will automatically pop up when the light is felt less, in this mode built in flash will not light at all, so the shutter speed and aperture will further serve to offset the need for light .

Source : www.kaskus.us