Photography 101 for noobs and others who want to advance their knowledge
01-13-2006, 11:32 AM
#1
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Photography 101 for noobs and others who want to advance their knowledge
I know we have some very knowledgeable people on this board, but I asked Jcolman from OT (a professional photographer) if I could post this here and he said sure, so thanks to him for this info! If anybody has anything to add, thats cool, but I figured this is accurate and could explain alot about how to use an SLR in one thread.
Many of you received cameras for Christmas and are just beginning to learn how to use them This is a beginning disscussion on basic camera functions. In addition I will attempt to teach you basic exposure control and other principals of photography. Please note that Digital point and shoot cameras may not have any or few of the things in this discussion however the basic principals of photography will still apply. This is intended mainly for 35mm SLR's or higher end digital cameras with interchangable lenses.
There are many markings and numbers on your camera and lens. Most noobs are easily confused by then. Here is a guide to what they mean. How and why you use these markings is discussed after the introduction. Please note that digital cameras may not have these markings but all 35mm SLR’s will have them.
LEARNING YOUR WAY AROUND YOUR CAMERA
The infinity symbol (sideways figure 8) is found on the lens and it refers to the maximum focus point (distance) of your lens. There are usually other numbers on the lens that are the focus distance in meters or feet. These numbers can be useful especially when figuring depth of field, which will be discussed later.
The other markings on your lens are the ones that confuse people the most. These are the aperture settings or F/stops. They look like this:
1.2 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 22.
The F/stop markings on your lens may be slightly different but they all do the same thing and that is control how much light passes thru your lens to the film or pixals. Each setting is double the amount of light. For example, f/5.6 allows twice as much light as f/4 even though the numerical values don’t add up to double. Confusing? Yes. F/stops work in conjunction with shutter speeds to control how much light hits the film or pixals to make a proper exposure.
F/stops also play a role in controlling depth of field. Depth of field refers to how much of your subject is in focus from near to far. The smaller the aperture (f/16 is smaller than f/8 for example) the more the DOF in your picture.
Where you focus the camera also plays a role in DOF. The closer your subject is to the camera, the less DOF you’ll have. This is why macro shots have very shallow DOF.
Lens selection is also crucial in determing how much depth of field you'll have in a given picture. The longer the lens (telephoto) the less DOF you’ll have. Conversely, the wider the lens, the more DOF in your picture.
Your camera also has a shutter speed knob or dial. Most cameras double the shutter speed as you move up or down the scale. For instance, my camera's settings in seconds are:1 -/1/2-/1/4 -/1/8/-1/15/-1/30/-1/60/-1/125-1/250-1/500-1/1000. Most professional photographers can hand hold at 1/30 sec with a wide angle lens and get a sharp pic. but going any slower or using a longer lens requires some sort of camera support.
The "B" next to your shutter speed knob stands for "Bulb". It's typically used in conjunction with a cable release to hold the shutter open for long exposures.
An "X" by the 60 or 125 shutter speed means that's the shutter speed at which your flash will sync with your camera. If you use a faster shutter speed the shutter itself will close before the flash has fully fired leaving part of your picture dark. You can always sync a flash at a slower speed. Some cameras like the Hassleblad use a different type shutter and will flash sync at any speed.
EXPOSURE
Your camera has to have the right combination of light + exposure time to = proper exposure. Your shutter speed and your lens aperture work together to give you the correct exposure as determined by either you or your camera. (more on how to determine best exposure later). This means that if you change shutter speed you must also change f/stop (aperture) in order to keep the same exposure value.
Lets assume that your camera's light meter tells you that 1/60 second exposure time @ f/11 will give you the correct exposure. If you were to place the shutter speeds and the f/stops (aperture) on a scale the following combinations would also give you exactly the same exposure value.
1/15 - 1/30 - 1/60 - 1/125 - 1/250 - 1/500 - 1/1000
f/22 - f/16 -- f/11 - - f/8 --- f/5.6 -- - f/4 - -- f/2.8
Deciding which combination to use depends primarily on which is more important to the photographer, shutter speed or depth of field for this particular picture. Remember however, if you change shutter speed setting (or aperture) you must change the corresponding aperture (or shutter speed) setting to keep the same exposure value.
For example. If your camera light meter tells you that 1/60 second at f/11 will give you the correct exposure and you want to increase your shutter speed to 1/250 sec you must open your lens aperture to f/5.6 in order to keep the same exposure value. You have to let in more light to compensate for the fact that you're now cutting the amount of time that the light will be exposed on the film or pixals.
Remember, f/5.6 is two stops wider than f/11 and 1/250 sec is two shutter speed settings from 1/60. This is the easiest way to remember this as opposed to thinking; "hmm...1/250 is four times faster than 1/60 so I need four times as much light...." The math is much easier if you simply remember if you change your shutter speed by x number of clicks you must change the aperature the same number. And vice versa obviously.
Faster shutter speeds means you need more light. Less light means you need slower shutter speeds.
ISO refers to a films "speed" or the sensativity of the pixals you've selected in your digital camera. The higher the number, the more sensative to light is the film/pixals. However, the higher the speed the more "grain" or "noise" you'll get in your final picture. High speed film or ISO settings is useful for shooting fast action where you need a very short shutter speed to "freeze" the action. It's also useful in very low light situations. The rule of thumb is to use the slowest film/ ISO setting you can for the shot you want.
HOW TO GET THE PROPER EXPOSURE
Much can be written about this however I'll try to keep it simple. There are two types of light meters that are used to measure the amount of light your camera needs. Incident and Reflective. Incident meters measure the amount of light that is illuminating a subject. These meters are used mainly by professional cinematographers and photogaphers. Reflective meters measure the amount of light that is reflecting off your subject. A Reflective meter is what your cameras uses to judge how much light is needed to make a proper exposure. The easist way to use your meter is this:
Let your camera do the work for you.
The vast majority of pictures will turn out just fine if you trust your camera's built in exposure meter. Your camera "sees" the image and calulates the exposure value based on the areas of light and dark in the scene. Most cameras will average the light and dark parts of a scene to come up with the correct setting however some cameras will allow you to "spot" the area you want to meter.
Your camera will then either set the f/stop (remember those?) or the shutter speed or both automatically for you. Some cameras allow you to chose either the shutter speed or the f/stop you want to use and the camera will do the rest.
The problem with this type of photography is that your camera is only as smart as you allow it. For instance, if you want to take a picture of a very bright subject, say a sailboat with white sails, the camera will "see" all this white area and try to average it so that it comes out to be a middle grey. This will cause the picture to be "underexposed" or in other words, not enough light has passed thru the lens to make a proper exposure. In order to make a correct exposure of the follwing picture I had to open my aperture one full f/stop to allow more light to hit the film.
Conversely, the opposite is true when taking pictures of a scene with a lot of dark areas. Your camera will "see" all the black or dark areas and try to make them grey. This leads to "overexposure". In order to take the following picture I had to "stop down" my aperture by one or more stops.
This picture was just right. The camera saw all the light and dark in the scene and gave me the correct exposure.
All professional photographers use a little trick to insure that they get a correct exposure on shots like the ones above. They will "bracket" the exposure by shooting multiple shots of the same scene. This means that they shoot one f/stop "over" exposed, one "normal" exposure (what they think is the correct exposure) and one "under" exposed shot. Many pros will shoot in half stop increments and go two or three stops over and under to insure that they have the absolute correct exposure.
The advent of digital photography and photoshop have done a lot to eliminate this practice since it's easy to see what you've got or to "fix it" in post if necessary. However, the professional photographer gets the right exposure for any picture 90% of the time. Your percentage may vary.
Finally, there are certain shots that defy logic in trying to get a correct exposure. This shot of a fisherman at sunset is one. When you take a picture like this with the sun in the picture, the sun is so bright that it makes metering difficult. The trick is to move your camera so the sun is just outside of the frame, note the meter reading that your camera gives you, lock the meter (or set the shutter speed and aperture combination) into place the reframe your shot and shoot.
DEPTH OF FIELD
When you take a picture you focus on your subject. However, depending on aperature setting and how close to the subject you are will determine how much of your subject stays in focus. Also, the smaller the aperature you use (higher f/stop number) the more DoF you will have.
Depth of Field (DoF) is the distance in front of and behind your focus point that will appear to be in sharp focus.
Image size and f-stop are the main determinants of depth of field. Focal length of the lens does not matter, although on the extreme ends of focal length, image diffraction and interference play some part. If one moves an 18mm shot close enough to make the subject exactly the same size as it was with the 250mm lens, then the DoF is identical assuming the f-stop is exactly the same.
The following pictures are examples of DoF and how best to use it. The first two pictures were taken with the same lens (135mm) but the image size is different. In the first pic of the little boy, the subject is about 10' from my camera. The background is out of focus due to two things. First, the closer the subject is to the camera, the less DoF you will have. Second, by using an aperature of about f/5.6 I was able to insure that the background would be nice and soft. Note. I should have used a flash on my camera to "fill in" the boys face with light. I was still a noob when I took this picture and didn't have a good flash yet.
In the second picture, the same lens was used but I was farther away from the subject. I also used a smaller aperature (around f/11) to insure sharpness. Combined, this makes the whole picture sharp.
In the last picture, The subject is actually quite close to the camera. I used a 50mm lens and a very small DoF (f/16) to insure that the subject would be sharp. The use of the small aperature means that I needed a lot of light and a somewhat slow (1/30 sec) shutter speed. I obviously used a tripod with this slow of a shutter speed.
A good rule of thumb is to always focus on your subjects eyes when shooting close up shots of people.
Most cameras are equipped with a mechanism that directs all of the light from the lens to the viewfinder at your widest aperture until you actually take the picture. This allows you to easily compose the picture as the image in the viewfinder is bright and clear. However this can fool you into thinking you have less DoF than you actually do. However most cameras also have a DoF preview button that you can press and the lens will "stop down" to the f/stop you've selected. By simply viewing the scene thru the viewfinder you can actually see the sharpness increase and you can see your DoF. Of course the picture will become darker since less light is directed to the viewfinder.
Many cameras have a ring of f/stop values located next to the distance markings on the lens. These f/stops are another guide to help you determine DoF at a particular f/stop setting without having to "stop down" the lens and view the picture.
That's all for now.
Many of you received cameras for Christmas and are just beginning to learn how to use them This is a beginning disscussion on basic camera functions. In addition I will attempt to teach you basic exposure control and other principals of photography. Please note that Digital point and shoot cameras may not have any or few of the things in this discussion however the basic principals of photography will still apply. This is intended mainly for 35mm SLR's or higher end digital cameras with interchangable lenses.
There are many markings and numbers on your camera and lens. Most noobs are easily confused by then. Here is a guide to what they mean. How and why you use these markings is discussed after the introduction. Please note that digital cameras may not have these markings but all 35mm SLR’s will have them.
LEARNING YOUR WAY AROUND YOUR CAMERA
The infinity symbol (sideways figure 8) is found on the lens and it refers to the maximum focus point (distance) of your lens. There are usually other numbers on the lens that are the focus distance in meters or feet. These numbers can be useful especially when figuring depth of field, which will be discussed later.
The other markings on your lens are the ones that confuse people the most. These are the aperture settings or F/stops. They look like this:
1.2 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 22.
The F/stop markings on your lens may be slightly different but they all do the same thing and that is control how much light passes thru your lens to the film or pixals. Each setting is double the amount of light. For example, f/5.6 allows twice as much light as f/4 even though the numerical values don’t add up to double. Confusing? Yes. F/stops work in conjunction with shutter speeds to control how much light hits the film or pixals to make a proper exposure.
F/stops also play a role in controlling depth of field. Depth of field refers to how much of your subject is in focus from near to far. The smaller the aperture (f/16 is smaller than f/8 for example) the more the DOF in your picture.
Where you focus the camera also plays a role in DOF. The closer your subject is to the camera, the less DOF you’ll have. This is why macro shots have very shallow DOF.
Lens selection is also crucial in determing how much depth of field you'll have in a given picture. The longer the lens (telephoto) the less DOF you’ll have. Conversely, the wider the lens, the more DOF in your picture.
Your camera also has a shutter speed knob or dial. Most cameras double the shutter speed as you move up or down the scale. For instance, my camera's settings in seconds are:1 -/1/2-/1/4 -/1/8/-1/15/-1/30/-1/60/-1/125-1/250-1/500-1/1000. Most professional photographers can hand hold at 1/30 sec with a wide angle lens and get a sharp pic. but going any slower or using a longer lens requires some sort of camera support.
The "B" next to your shutter speed knob stands for "Bulb". It's typically used in conjunction with a cable release to hold the shutter open for long exposures.
An "X" by the 60 or 125 shutter speed means that's the shutter speed at which your flash will sync with your camera. If you use a faster shutter speed the shutter itself will close before the flash has fully fired leaving part of your picture dark. You can always sync a flash at a slower speed. Some cameras like the Hassleblad use a different type shutter and will flash sync at any speed.
EXPOSURE
Your camera has to have the right combination of light + exposure time to = proper exposure. Your shutter speed and your lens aperture work together to give you the correct exposure as determined by either you or your camera. (more on how to determine best exposure later). This means that if you change shutter speed you must also change f/stop (aperture) in order to keep the same exposure value.
Lets assume that your camera's light meter tells you that 1/60 second exposure time @ f/11 will give you the correct exposure. If you were to place the shutter speeds and the f/stops (aperture) on a scale the following combinations would also give you exactly the same exposure value.
1/15 - 1/30 - 1/60 - 1/125 - 1/250 - 1/500 - 1/1000
f/22 - f/16 -- f/11 - - f/8 --- f/5.6 -- - f/4 - -- f/2.8
Deciding which combination to use depends primarily on which is more important to the photographer, shutter speed or depth of field for this particular picture. Remember however, if you change shutter speed setting (or aperture) you must change the corresponding aperture (or shutter speed) setting to keep the same exposure value.
For example. If your camera light meter tells you that 1/60 second at f/11 will give you the correct exposure and you want to increase your shutter speed to 1/250 sec you must open your lens aperture to f/5.6 in order to keep the same exposure value. You have to let in more light to compensate for the fact that you're now cutting the amount of time that the light will be exposed on the film or pixals.
Remember, f/5.6 is two stops wider than f/11 and 1/250 sec is two shutter speed settings from 1/60. This is the easiest way to remember this as opposed to thinking; "hmm...1/250 is four times faster than 1/60 so I need four times as much light...." The math is much easier if you simply remember if you change your shutter speed by x number of clicks you must change the aperature the same number. And vice versa obviously.
Faster shutter speeds means you need more light. Less light means you need slower shutter speeds.
ISO refers to a films "speed" or the sensativity of the pixals you've selected in your digital camera. The higher the number, the more sensative to light is the film/pixals. However, the higher the speed the more "grain" or "noise" you'll get in your final picture. High speed film or ISO settings is useful for shooting fast action where you need a very short shutter speed to "freeze" the action. It's also useful in very low light situations. The rule of thumb is to use the slowest film/ ISO setting you can for the shot you want.
HOW TO GET THE PROPER EXPOSURE
Much can be written about this however I'll try to keep it simple. There are two types of light meters that are used to measure the amount of light your camera needs. Incident and Reflective. Incident meters measure the amount of light that is illuminating a subject. These meters are used mainly by professional cinematographers and photogaphers. Reflective meters measure the amount of light that is reflecting off your subject. A Reflective meter is what your cameras uses to judge how much light is needed to make a proper exposure. The easist way to use your meter is this:
Let your camera do the work for you.
The vast majority of pictures will turn out just fine if you trust your camera's built in exposure meter. Your camera "sees" the image and calulates the exposure value based on the areas of light and dark in the scene. Most cameras will average the light and dark parts of a scene to come up with the correct setting however some cameras will allow you to "spot" the area you want to meter.
Your camera will then either set the f/stop (remember those?) or the shutter speed or both automatically for you. Some cameras allow you to chose either the shutter speed or the f/stop you want to use and the camera will do the rest.
The problem with this type of photography is that your camera is only as smart as you allow it. For instance, if you want to take a picture of a very bright subject, say a sailboat with white sails, the camera will "see" all this white area and try to average it so that it comes out to be a middle grey. This will cause the picture to be "underexposed" or in other words, not enough light has passed thru the lens to make a proper exposure. In order to make a correct exposure of the follwing picture I had to open my aperture one full f/stop to allow more light to hit the film.
Conversely, the opposite is true when taking pictures of a scene with a lot of dark areas. Your camera will "see" all the black or dark areas and try to make them grey. This leads to "overexposure". In order to take the following picture I had to "stop down" my aperture by one or more stops.
This picture was just right. The camera saw all the light and dark in the scene and gave me the correct exposure.
All professional photographers use a little trick to insure that they get a correct exposure on shots like the ones above. They will "bracket" the exposure by shooting multiple shots of the same scene. This means that they shoot one f/stop "over" exposed, one "normal" exposure (what they think is the correct exposure) and one "under" exposed shot. Many pros will shoot in half stop increments and go two or three stops over and under to insure that they have the absolute correct exposure.
The advent of digital photography and photoshop have done a lot to eliminate this practice since it's easy to see what you've got or to "fix it" in post if necessary. However, the professional photographer gets the right exposure for any picture 90% of the time. Your percentage may vary.
Finally, there are certain shots that defy logic in trying to get a correct exposure. This shot of a fisherman at sunset is one. When you take a picture like this with the sun in the picture, the sun is so bright that it makes metering difficult. The trick is to move your camera so the sun is just outside of the frame, note the meter reading that your camera gives you, lock the meter (or set the shutter speed and aperture combination) into place the reframe your shot and shoot.
DEPTH OF FIELD
When you take a picture you focus on your subject. However, depending on aperature setting and how close to the subject you are will determine how much of your subject stays in focus. Also, the smaller the aperature you use (higher f/stop number) the more DoF you will have.
Depth of Field (DoF) is the distance in front of and behind your focus point that will appear to be in sharp focus.
Image size and f-stop are the main determinants of depth of field. Focal length of the lens does not matter, although on the extreme ends of focal length, image diffraction and interference play some part. If one moves an 18mm shot close enough to make the subject exactly the same size as it was with the 250mm lens, then the DoF is identical assuming the f-stop is exactly the same.
The following pictures are examples of DoF and how best to use it. The first two pictures were taken with the same lens (135mm) but the image size is different. In the first pic of the little boy, the subject is about 10' from my camera. The background is out of focus due to two things. First, the closer the subject is to the camera, the less DoF you will have. Second, by using an aperature of about f/5.6 I was able to insure that the background would be nice and soft. Note. I should have used a flash on my camera to "fill in" the boys face with light. I was still a noob when I took this picture and didn't have a good flash yet.
In the second picture, the same lens was used but I was farther away from the subject. I also used a smaller aperature (around f/11) to insure sharpness. Combined, this makes the whole picture sharp.
In the last picture, The subject is actually quite close to the camera. I used a 50mm lens and a very small DoF (f/16) to insure that the subject would be sharp. The use of the small aperature means that I needed a lot of light and a somewhat slow (1/30 sec) shutter speed. I obviously used a tripod with this slow of a shutter speed.
A good rule of thumb is to always focus on your subjects eyes when shooting close up shots of people.
Most cameras are equipped with a mechanism that directs all of the light from the lens to the viewfinder at your widest aperture until you actually take the picture. This allows you to easily compose the picture as the image in the viewfinder is bright and clear. However this can fool you into thinking you have less DoF than you actually do. However most cameras also have a DoF preview button that you can press and the lens will "stop down" to the f/stop you've selected. By simply viewing the scene thru the viewfinder you can actually see the sharpness increase and you can see your DoF. Of course the picture will become darker since less light is directed to the viewfinder.
Many cameras have a ring of f/stop values located next to the distance markings on the lens. These f/stops are another guide to help you determine DoF at a particular f/stop setting without having to "stop down" the lens and view the picture.
That's all for now.
01-13-2006, 11:56 AM
#2
Big Block go VROOOM!
Holy resource Batman! Hats off to Jcolman & Bdog!!!
The only thing I would like to point out is that many, if not most, modern lenses do not have aperture markings on them anymore.
The only thing I would like to point out is that many, if not most, modern lenses do not have aperture markings on them anymore.
01-13-2006, 12:10 PM
#3
Not Registered
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Billiam
Holy resource Batman! Hats off to Jcolman & Bdog!!!
The only thing I would like to point out is that many, if not most, modern lenses do not have aperture markings on them anymore.
The only thing I would like to point out is that many, if not most, modern lenses do not have aperture markings on them anymore.
01-17-2006, 02:28 PM
#5
Not Registered
Thread Starter
FLASH PHOTGRAPHY BY Jcolman
Most people think of flash photography as simply turning on the flash that is built in to their cameras and snapping away. While this is fine for taking snap shots of your buddies while they’re downing shots at your local bar, more often than not the pictures turn out looking quite amateurish.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t use the flash that is built into your camera or a separate flash that attaches to your camera, but how and when you use it makes all the difference between a snap shot and a photograph.
The "snapshot look" generally comes from the fact that placing a powerful light so close to the lens results in a washed out picture where the foreground is exposed properly (or often overexposed) but the background is severely underexposed. As you remember, underexposure is the lack of light on the scene and overexposure is too much light for the scene. Speaking of power, while your flash is powerful enough to light a scene from 10’ feet away, that’s about all it will do. Don’t expect your flash to be able to completely light an entire room much less an auditorium. Light falls off at a tremendous rate so you need an extremely powerful flash to be able to light large areas. This is an example of the "snapshot" look from an oncamera flash. The girls are exposed properly but notice how the background is quite dark.
HOW TO SET EXPOSURE FOR FLASH
All aftermarket flash units have a scale built in that will tell you at what range they are effective. Some even offer an automatic setting that regulates how much light it puts out depending on how close you are to the subject. The effective range of the flash is dependent on the speed of the film or ISO setting on your digital camera.
In order to get a proper exposure using an aftermarket flash, you first have to dial in your film or ISO speed. If the flash is in manual mode, you would then calculate the distance from the flash to the subject. The scale on the back of the flash would then give you the right aperture (f/stop) to use. Some flash units offer an automatic setting whereby you set the aperture you want to use and the flash will adjust itself to give you the correct exposure from 5’ to 25’. The flash actually "sees" the light as it bounces off your subject and automatically shuts itself off when enough light has reached the subject.
Perhaps the best use of a built in flash is in broad daylight. You might think that using flash in daylight isn’t necessary but it can add a lot to your pictures. This technique is called "fill flash". It’s used to help fill in the dark shadows caused by the bright sun. It’s normally used for taking pictures of people rather than larger objects. The only trick is that you have to use a shutter speed (usually 1/60) that will sync with your flash. Point and shoot cameras can simply leave the flash on all the time. When you use a shutter speed this slow in the bright sun, your aperture setting may be too small (f/22 for example) for your flash to be effective. In this instance, switching to a very slow film or ISO setting will help. Below is an example of fill flash in broad daylight.
Perhaps the best use of flash is to take it off the camera. People and most other objects typically look better when the light is coming from the side or above the lens. If you’ve ever watched a wedding photographer at work you’ll see that he or she will often hold the flash above the camera.
If one flash is good, two are better. Flash units are not expensive. I have three, one primary and two "slaves". I think I spent about $30-$40 for each slave unit. The slaves are used for sidelight, backlight and set lights when necessary. They are fired by a remote sensor that "sees" the light from my main flash which then triggers the slaves to fire. These lights help to add depth to a shot. In the example below, two flash units were used, one on each side of the bird. You can see how the light illuminates the bird evenly. Also, round objects, like this bird, usually look best when lit from the side.
Here is another shot where I used a single flash to light up my car. I set my camera to a long 30-40 second exposure and then walked around, firing the flash at the car from about 10’ away. I had the aperture set at f/22 so that I could take a long exposure but f/22 was too small a setting to really light the car in full. However you can see how the flash helps to light the tires and rims.
Flash photography also usually looks best when the flash is bounced off a white card or wall. While this cuts down on the range of the flash it softens the light so you don’t get harsh shadows. In the following pic I use a "bounce" card mounted above my flash that directs the light towards my subject when I have to use a flash mounted on the camera. I still prefer to take the light off the camera but sometimes that isn’t practical. Professionals will often bounce a flash into a white or silver umbrella to soften the light. Remember that if you bounce the light off a wall or ceiling, the light will pick up the color of the wall. This is why it’s important to use white or silver as a reflector.
Perhaps the best use of flash is its ability to freeze fast moving objects. A flash units light typically operates in the tens of thousands of seconds range. In the right conditions a flash can freeze a fast moving object much better than your cameras shutter.
FYI... He said he Googled the above image to give an example of stop motion with a flash.
This is how you would get a pic like that
What you need is a completely dark room and a method of firing the flash the moment the hammer strikes the primer. You set up your camera, the flash, the flash trigger and the gun. Turn out all the lights. Open the camera's shutter by setting it to "B" and locking it. You then use a flash trigger like a microphone that will send a signal to fire the flash the moment the gun is fired. You have to have the mic right next to the gun because the speed of sound is slower than the bullet. You can vary the timing of the flash firing by simply moving the microphone closer or farther from the gun. I did this method years ago with an exploding balloon and got some cool shots.
Most people think of flash photography as simply turning on the flash that is built in to their cameras and snapping away. While this is fine for taking snap shots of your buddies while they’re downing shots at your local bar, more often than not the pictures turn out looking quite amateurish.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t use the flash that is built into your camera or a separate flash that attaches to your camera, but how and when you use it makes all the difference between a snap shot and a photograph.
The "snapshot look" generally comes from the fact that placing a powerful light so close to the lens results in a washed out picture where the foreground is exposed properly (or often overexposed) but the background is severely underexposed. As you remember, underexposure is the lack of light on the scene and overexposure is too much light for the scene. Speaking of power, while your flash is powerful enough to light a scene from 10’ feet away, that’s about all it will do. Don’t expect your flash to be able to completely light an entire room much less an auditorium. Light falls off at a tremendous rate so you need an extremely powerful flash to be able to light large areas. This is an example of the "snapshot" look from an oncamera flash. The girls are exposed properly but notice how the background is quite dark.
HOW TO SET EXPOSURE FOR FLASH
All aftermarket flash units have a scale built in that will tell you at what range they are effective. Some even offer an automatic setting that regulates how much light it puts out depending on how close you are to the subject. The effective range of the flash is dependent on the speed of the film or ISO setting on your digital camera.
In order to get a proper exposure using an aftermarket flash, you first have to dial in your film or ISO speed. If the flash is in manual mode, you would then calculate the distance from the flash to the subject. The scale on the back of the flash would then give you the right aperture (f/stop) to use. Some flash units offer an automatic setting whereby you set the aperture you want to use and the flash will adjust itself to give you the correct exposure from 5’ to 25’. The flash actually "sees" the light as it bounces off your subject and automatically shuts itself off when enough light has reached the subject.
Perhaps the best use of a built in flash is in broad daylight. You might think that using flash in daylight isn’t necessary but it can add a lot to your pictures. This technique is called "fill flash". It’s used to help fill in the dark shadows caused by the bright sun. It’s normally used for taking pictures of people rather than larger objects. The only trick is that you have to use a shutter speed (usually 1/60) that will sync with your flash. Point and shoot cameras can simply leave the flash on all the time. When you use a shutter speed this slow in the bright sun, your aperture setting may be too small (f/22 for example) for your flash to be effective. In this instance, switching to a very slow film or ISO setting will help. Below is an example of fill flash in broad daylight.
Perhaps the best use of flash is to take it off the camera. People and most other objects typically look better when the light is coming from the side or above the lens. If you’ve ever watched a wedding photographer at work you’ll see that he or she will often hold the flash above the camera.
If one flash is good, two are better. Flash units are not expensive. I have three, one primary and two "slaves". I think I spent about $30-$40 for each slave unit. The slaves are used for sidelight, backlight and set lights when necessary. They are fired by a remote sensor that "sees" the light from my main flash which then triggers the slaves to fire. These lights help to add depth to a shot. In the example below, two flash units were used, one on each side of the bird. You can see how the light illuminates the bird evenly. Also, round objects, like this bird, usually look best when lit from the side.
Here is another shot where I used a single flash to light up my car. I set my camera to a long 30-40 second exposure and then walked around, firing the flash at the car from about 10’ away. I had the aperture set at f/22 so that I could take a long exposure but f/22 was too small a setting to really light the car in full. However you can see how the flash helps to light the tires and rims.
Flash photography also usually looks best when the flash is bounced off a white card or wall. While this cuts down on the range of the flash it softens the light so you don’t get harsh shadows. In the following pic I use a "bounce" card mounted above my flash that directs the light towards my subject when I have to use a flash mounted on the camera. I still prefer to take the light off the camera but sometimes that isn’t practical. Professionals will often bounce a flash into a white or silver umbrella to soften the light. Remember that if you bounce the light off a wall or ceiling, the light will pick up the color of the wall. This is why it’s important to use white or silver as a reflector.
Perhaps the best use of flash is its ability to freeze fast moving objects. A flash units light typically operates in the tens of thousands of seconds range. In the right conditions a flash can freeze a fast moving object much better than your cameras shutter.
FYI... He said he Googled the above image to give an example of stop motion with a flash.
This is how you would get a pic like that
What you need is a completely dark room and a method of firing the flash the moment the hammer strikes the primer. You set up your camera, the flash, the flash trigger and the gun. Turn out all the lights. Open the camera's shutter by setting it to "B" and locking it. You then use a flash trigger like a microphone that will send a signal to fire the flash the moment the gun is fired. You have to have the mic right next to the gun because the speed of sound is slower than the bullet. You can vary the timing of the flash firing by simply moving the microphone closer or farther from the gun. I did this method years ago with an exploding balloon and got some cool shots.
Last edited by Bdog; 01-17-2006 at 02:31 PM.
11-29-2007, 01:33 PM
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I know it's ye olde thread, but for someone that doesn't currently have a ton of time to dedicate to reading about a camera he doesn't understand to begin with, this is pretty handy stuff!
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11-29-2007, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by mrsteve
Pick up "Understanding Exposure"
It's a light read, fairly short, and covers just about everything you need to know.
It's a light read, fairly short, and covers just about everything you need to know.
Me rikey der pictur boocs.
11-29-2007, 01:58 PM
#10
^^^ It's less than $20 on amazon
11-29-2007, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by jupitersolo
^^^ It's less than $20 on amazon
I'm looking for a tripod right now (literally...right now) & will get the book in a minute. Is there a tripod thread? Preferably a Canon (to match the camera) for under $40.
I started reading it last night.
11-29-2007, 02:59 PM
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I think the only Canon tripod you will find for $40 is the box your camera came in. Just rest the camera on top of the box. Lots of pan, but no tilt.... Lol.
11-29-2007, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by stogie1020
I think the only Canon tripod you will find for $40 is the box your camera came in. Just rest the camera on top of the box. Lots of pan, but no tilt.... Lol.
Yeah, buddy. The last 45 minutes have been...educational. I searched for "tripod" under thread names & have read all of those.
Damn.
They're expensive.
It's funny how you read through things like that fully intending on spending...20, 30, maybe 40 bucks & when you get done, you're like..."hmmm...yeah, I'll probably just order this set of legs & this head & it'll only be...$160. Sweet!".
11-29-2007, 06:04 PM
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Originally Posted by revitupwriteitoff
"hmmm...yeah, I'll probably just order this set of legs & this head & it'll only be...$160. Sweet!".
When you spend $160 on a L-plate that mounts your camera to your ballhead, come back and tell us how it feels.
11-29-2007, 06:18 PM
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http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ipod_with.html
goin' to get it now...screw worrying about it anymore. I just want to get good still shots, dammit!
goin' to get it now...screw worrying about it anymore. I just want to get good still shots, dammit!
Last edited by revitupwriteitoff; 11-29-2007 at 06:23 PM.
11-29-2007, 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by revitupwriteitoff
It's funny how you read through things like that fully intending on spending...20, 30, maybe 40 bucks & when you get done, you're like..."hmmm...yeah, I'll probably just order this set of legs & this head & it'll only be...$160. Sweet!".
Happens to me EVERY time I start to "get into" some new hobby.....
$80 scuba mask turns into $2000 worth of full gear
$350 New video card for computer, and sudenly there are Lian Li cases showing up at my door...
Nice little point and shoot, and I am up to $1800 on Amazon for a 40d and accessories...
Don't get me started on car wash products....
11-29-2007, 09:07 PM
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Originally Posted by revitupwriteitoff
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ipod_with.html
goin' to get it now...screw worrying about it anymore. I just want to get good still shots, dammit!
goin' to get it now...screw worrying about it anymore. I just want to get good still shots, dammit!
just a word of advice, i bought a cheapo $40 tripod, its a piece of crap, lots of vibration when nothing is moving, and it wont hold the weight of my XTi + 70-300 IS lens. and when i do have it pointed up at something, it slowly starts to sag back down
11-29-2007, 09:09 PM
#19
^^ rev it got it to use with his S5IS, weight is not going to be a problem.
11-29-2007, 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by stogie1020
Happens to me EVERY time I start to "get into" some new hobby.....
$80 scuba mask turns into $2000 worth of full gear
$350 New video card for computer, and sudenly there are Lian Li cases showing up at my door...
Nice little point and shoot, and I am up to $1800 on Amazon for a 40d and accessories...
Don't get me started on car wash products....
$80 scuba mask turns into $2000 worth of full gear
$350 New video card for computer, and sudenly there are Lian Li cases showing up at my door...
Nice little point and shoot, and I am up to $1800 on Amazon for a 40d and accessories...
Don't get me started on car wash products....
to that, I need to stop getting new hobbies...
11-29-2007, 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted by jupitersolo
^^ rev it got it to use with his S5IS, weight is not going to be a problem.
11-29-2007, 09:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Mizouse
just a word of advice, i bought a cheapo $40 tripod, its a piece of crap, lots of vibration when nothing is moving, and it wont hold the weight of my XTi + 70-300 IS lens. and when i do have it pointed up at something, it slowly starts to sag back down
too late...done done it.
It's working well so far! If I end up using it until it starts wearing out like that, it means I'm enjoying it & getting better, so I'll buy a nice one. Otherwise, I'm not spending 200-1200 on something to learn on.
Thanks for the input, though!
11-29-2007, 09:19 PM
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the problem with mine, is ive hardly used it and its doing that 
11-29-2007, 09:23 PM
#24
Originally Posted by revitupwriteitoff
too late...done done it.
It's working well so far! If I end up using it until it starts wearing out like that, it means I'm enjoying it & getting better, so I'll buy a nice one. Otherwise, I'm not spending 200-1200 on something to learn on.
Thanks for the input, though!
It's working well so far! If I end up using it until it starts wearing out like that, it means I'm enjoying it & getting better, so I'll buy a nice one. Otherwise, I'm not spending 200-1200 on something to learn on.
Thanks for the input, though!
rev, take a look at what can be done with a point and shoot after you learn about it.
https://acurazine.com/forums/cameras-photography-44/maybe-all-we-need-p-s-373275/
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