Photography -

101

(101= the basics)

 Before we get
started
Failureis a crucial part of the creative process.
Authentic success arrives only after we have
mastered failing better. George Bernard Shaw

You can learn more from your mistakes than you

can from your successes if you pay attention to
those mistakes. Paul Smith
The Camera
The Negative (35mm Film )
The Print (Photo Paper)
 How is an image created?
With LIGHT
Light makes photography. Embrace
light. Admire it. Love it. But above all,
know light. Know it for all you are
worth, and you will know the key to
photography.
George Eastman
Many Different Types of
Light/ Light Sources
 Types of Light

Sunlight
FlashLight
Moonlight
Good Light Incandescent
Bad Light U.V. Light
Soft Light Black Light
Harsh Light Fluorescent
Storm Light Indirect/Bounce
Highlights
 Exposure is the
total amount of
light allowed to fall
on the film/image
sensor
Too much light creates
an over-bright image
with white spots: parts
of the image are Over-
Exposed
Too little light creates an
under-bright image with
black spots: parts of the
image are Under-
Exposed

Getting the best exposure can be difficult in scenes with contrasting

light
Exposure can be controlled
mainly through two camera
settings:
Aperture

and
Shutter
Speed
Aperture is the size of the
opening in the lens that allows
light through the lens similar
to an eyes pupil
Low f-stop =
High aperture =
Large opening =
More light =
Higher Exposure

High f-stop =
Low aperture =
Small opening =
Less light =
Lower Exposure
Apertures
Aperture, measured in f stops, determines the size of the opening in
your lens, which controls how much light strikes your filming during
an exposure. The smaller the number, the larger the opening.
The larger the number, the smaller the opening. Aperture also
determines depth of field
smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field.

O o o o
o o o
f2.8 f4 f5.6 f8 f11 f16 f22
Each f stop change lets in either 2 times or the amount of light,
depending on whether you are opening up or stopping down.
Open up means to make the opening larger (but a smaller
number). Stop down means selecting an aperture that is smaller in
size (but bigger in number)
Shutter Speed
Shutter speeds appear as whole numbers, but are
really fractions:
1/60 sec., 1/125 sec., 1/250 sec., 1/500 sec.
Therefore 1/60 is a
slower shutter speed than
1/125, etc.
When you change 1 stop in
Shutter speed, you are letting in
either 2 times or
the amount of light-

- Long shutter speeds spend more time letting light in,

which can help in dark environments and create artistic
blur effects with movement
 - Short shutter speeds spends less time
letting light in, which allows for quicker
pictures and the ability to freeze time in
great detail

So Shutter Speed is the length of time the cameras lens

shutter is open in other words, how long the camera spends
taking the picture
What is a Reciprocal relationship between
Aperture and Shutter Speed?
If a correct exposure for a given
lighting condition is 1/60 @ 11, then
1/125 @ f8 will let in the same amount
of light.
If 1/125 @f8 is correct, then
1/250 @f5.6 will let in the same amount
of light.
- To get a good exposure on manual mode, you have
to make sure the aperture and shutter speed
balance each-other out correctly for the sort of
photo you want
- Most SLRs on automatic mode will judge the
aperture and shutter speed for you when taking a
picture but you can still change an exposure
compensation setting to alter what it thinks is
On most SLRs you can
correct if it gets it wrong
switch on: Aperture
Priority (you pick the
aperture, the camera picks
the shutter speed), or -
Shutter Priority (you pick
the shutter speed, the
Remember: camera picks the aperture
Practice makes compacts usually have this
too) -
perfect! depending on which is most
35mm Film speed
sensitivity contrast grain

) is the measure
rating
(size
Film speed 50 ISO/ASA low low low
of a photographic film's
sensitivity to light, 100 medium medium medium
determined by meters and ISO/ASA

measured on various 200 medium medium medium

numerical scales, the most ISO/ASA

recent being the ISO 400 high high high

system. ISO/ASA

800 very high very high very high

ISO/ASA

lower numbers = slower films = need more light = longer exposures

higher numbers = faster films = need less light = shorter exposures
Film Speed
Film speed uses stops, just like shutter and
aperture
For example, going from ISO50 to ISO200 buys
you 2 stops more light. Slower films are less
sensitive and generally require longer exposures / more
light. Faster films react rapidly, and can be used in low
light situations.
Film Speed vs. Contrast and Grain
The trade-off between slow and fast films is quality. Slow films generally
produce sharper, more detailed images, while faster films often have higher
contrast and grain.
Somewhat insensitive film, with a equally lower speed index
requires more exposure to light to produce the same image density
as a more sensitive film, and is thus termed a slow film. Highly
sensitive films are termed fast films. The ISO system is also used to
measure the sensitivity of digital imaging systems. In both digital
and film photography, the exposure of higher sensitivities generally
leads to reduced image quality (via coarser film grain or higher
image noise of other types). In short, the higher the film speed, the
grainier the image will be.

Remember aperture,
shutter speed, and
film speed (ISO) all
combine to affect Low ISO Low ISO, Long Exposure High ISO, Long
Exposure
the image be
careful not to forget
what youve set them
to!
Photographic paper (printing)
Have 5 elements
1.Base: Fiber or Resin Coated(RC)
2.Contrast: Variable (multiple) or Graded
3.Surface: Glossy, Satin/pearl or Matt
4.Size: postcard to 24x28
5.Emulsion: Monochromatic or Panchromatic and others
 Blurry Blues
Have to be careful blur is not always obvious at
first!

Can be caused by low light, fast movement, unsteady

camera, falling out of focus, using long zoom, slow
shutter speed
 - Use a tripod or lean against something
firm
-Switch on self-timer or use a remote
control
-Hold camera with arms pressed against
body
-Take a breath and then blow it out and
then push shutter release
-50% of
Make sure youre in all student failed photos are
focus
and focusingdueonto
theblur
right
part: turn off auto-focus : it
sometimes takes over and
confuses the photographer
Make an outline below to help you review for the quiz (worth 25
points)
The longer a picture is being taken, the more chance there
is that movement/unsteady camera will cause it to blur so
a fast shutter speed is desirable for sharp photos
(remember you will have to compensate the aperture to
keep
No flash it in good exposure)
Flash

Using flash creates enough

light to allow a fast shutter
speed very good for
capturing movement, but
short range and can lose
background
High ISO ISO affects the cameras
Low ISO
sensitivity to light:
Low ISO = less sensitive to
light, slower shutter speed
(likely to blur in low light, but
little grain)
High ISO = more sensitive to
light, faster shutter speed
(less likely to blur, but more
 Framing the Scene
- Digital screens/viewfinders tend to be more
accurate in framing the pictures you take

- Dont always (or never)

shoot your subject in the
centre of the shot laying
the scene out according to
thirds can be more
interesting/satisfying

- You can use Photoshop or other digital imagery

software to crop unwanted bits out of your
photos
 - Vary between landscape and
portrait
- Try to keep the
horizon/background objects lined
up straight (unless you are
throwing them off for artistic
effect)
- Try zooming/not zooming where
it might not be expected
- Rather than
capturing the whole
of something, try
taking a strange
angle and shooting
just part of it
(perhaps close up in
macro mode)
 Final things to
remember
These are
only
guidelines
every rule Always
has an remember
exception! your framing
and
Theres a lot exposure!
more to learn
and discover!
PRACTICE
MAKES
PERFECT!