Digital camera basics
- 3. Lens ◦ Lenses come in all different sizes, focal lengths and apertures and are a very important part of the camera. If you did not have a lens you wouldn’t e able to take any photos! The light goes through the lens and that is where the start of the creation of a photo begins. Depending on what camera you have the lenses can either be permanently fixed or interchangeable. If your camera has interchangeable lenses here are the main types of lenses you can buy to help enhance your photographer abilities: ◦ Telephoto Zoom Lenses: allow you to zoom in super far, giving you an advantage of not having to get closer to what you are shooting. ◦ Wide Angle Lenses: The wide angle lens is amazing for shooting landscape photography. They completely open up the perspective and sometimes super wide angles kind of warp the image a bit, for example, the fisheye lens. ◦ Macro Lenses: The macro lens is personally my favourite and I am saving up for my own but these lenses are specially made for capturing photos very up-close. http://www.3benefitsof.com/the-benefits-of-investing-in-camera-lenses/ A good thing to keep in mind is that all lenses are different and it is important to know that they have different levels of quality and configuration. https://photographylife.com/macro-photography-tutorial This was taken with a macro lens my favourite!(This is also a really good tutorial)
- 4. Aperture/F-Stop https://petphotographytips.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/what-is-an-fstop/ https://www.iamlivingit.com/photography/f-stop-for-dslr-photography/ The aperture can help you focus on your image or do the opposite by adding dimension by adding a soft blur to the background of your photos. The easiest way to example to use for explaining aperture is our eye. The eye is our lens and the iris is the adjusting f-stop. When our eye dilates larger that is like the camera making its aperture larger and more light is being let in, then when our iris goes smaller its likes when the camera's aperture goes smaller and is letting in less light. Something that is a bit confusing and should be pointed out is that when the f-stop is smaller (example 2.5) that is what is considered a large aperture and vice versa with larger numbers. The graph on the side of the screen shows at the bottom the depth of field. The depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects, having a smaller aperture blurs the background behind a focal object and is considered a shallow depth of field (then a larger aperture is a greater depth of field and makes the background very clear).
- 5. Shutter ◦ The shutter speed is helpful for freezing action as well as blurring any motion. Shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutter on the camera is open letting light to expose the camera sensors. If the shutter speed is high it freezes action and is great for photographing sports or anything that is moving fast. A slow shutter speed is useful for motion blur and can soften the appearance of motion (good for photographing waterfalls or water movement). For freezing action it is best to use a fast shutter speed (eg. 1/1000,1/500) and for blurring, motion use a slower shutter speed (ex. 1/30,1/15) https://medium.com/@Flipboard/how-d-you-get-that-picture-bob-martin-s-glorious- sports-photography-66ef341d7960 http://webneel.com/daily/14-motion-blur-speed-photography http://www.laurieflickinger.com/shutter-speed/
- 6. Exposure ◦ To achieve good exposure it requires three main things shutter speed, depth of field, and ISO. These things most are all leveled out in order to have proper exposure. Exposure itself is the amount of light per unit area reaching the cameras light sensor. If an image is underexposed it means that not enough light is reaching the cameras light sensor resulting in the photo showing up super dark. When an image is overexposed it means there is too much light reaching the cameras light sensor and the result of the image is it being overly bright and sometimes just white. http://whiteonricecouple.com/photography-tips/what-is-photography-exposure/ http://ferndeanpress.org/2015/06/photography-craft-exposure-triangle-overview/
- 7. Optical Zoom ◦ The optical zoom allows you to zoom in/out on a camera. The optical zoom allows you to get a closer few of the object you are shooting before actually taking the photo. The advantage of using the optical zoom of digital zoom is that the optical zoom allows for better and clear quality. https://www.quora.com/Photography-What-is-the-difference-between-optical-zoom-and-digital-zoom#!n=18
- 8. Digital Zoom ◦ A digital zoom is a tool on a camera that allows you to make the image appear more close-up than it actually is. The digital zoom works the same as if you were cropping or enlarging an image when editing it. The down side of using digital zoom compared o optical zoom is that you lose the resolution and quality of the photo the more you zoom into it. https://photopedia.in/difference-between-optical-zoom-and-digital-zoom/
- 9. Auto Program Mode ◦ Program mode is easily described as a step out of fully automatic mode, which is what people use most commonly for easy shooting. When shooting in program mode it is similar to automatic mode but you are able to adjust the ISO. The camera still automatically adjusts the shutter and aperture for you to work with the ISO you use allowing for it not to be too hard for beginner users to use but you still get a similar experience of changing settings. https://digital-photography-school.com/understanding-program-mode-on-your-camera/
- 10. Manual Mode ◦ The manual mode allows you to adjust the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed without the cameras restrictions on automatic. When you use manual mode it gives you a lot more control over the camera compared to when using automatic mode you have little to none. The major advantage of using manual mode is it has no restrictions on what you can adjust your settings to and allows you to use your own creativeness to capture images. http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/fully-manual/ https://improvephotography.com/photography-basics/shooting-modes/
- 11. HOW DOES A DSLR CAMERA TAKE A PICTURE?
- 12. How a DSLR Camera works ◦ Cameras overtime advanced so much in how they work compared to what the first film cameras were like. When you press the button on the top of your camera to take a photo an aperture opens up the front of the camera and allows light in through the lens and inside there is a piece of electronic equipment that absorbs the light and transfers them into electronic signals. From there on the camera sensors measured each pixel of the photos colours and brightness and stores it as a number. The photograph is really a long string of numbers that contain details of each pixel. ◦ Inside the camera, the image actually shows upside down typically but is corrected when the final product is shown. If the camera did not automatically correct itself our images would be either distorted or upside down and the opposite way this like how an image show up in our eye. http://lightartacademy.com/blog/basics/how-does-a- digital-camera-work/ https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/21495/why-are-objects-far- away-inverted-through-a-lens-but-not-through-the-viewfinder
- 13. What is a pentaprism? ◦ The pentaprism is what allows a photographer to see through the viewfinder on the camera. It transfers the image seen through the camera into the viewfinder. http://www.exclusivearchitecture.com/?page_id=978 https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/35212/how-to-clean-the-focusing-screen
- 15. Macro ◦ While in macro mode the camera uses minimal focus distances to make small objects and details in sharp focus when they are up-close. ◦ Macro mode is most commonly used for shooting flowers and other smaller objects. ◦ It varies from each camera but macro mode allows you to take photos less than an inch away. http://www.better-digital-photo- tips.com/best-camera-for-macro- photography.html http://www.boxedlight.com/dp2/susan1.htm
- 16. Night ◦ Night mode is a function of digital cameras that allows you to capture photos in low lighted places or at night. ◦ When you take photos with night mode it makes the shutter speed longer and turns on the cameras flash. ◦ Photos taken at night are more difficult to take because they tend not to be the best quality, that’s where this mode helps out. http://www.photoreview.com.au/tips/shooting/special-effects-photography-at- night http://livinginanotherlanguage.com/12-night-photography-tips/
- 17. Portrait ◦ Portrait mode is used for exactly that, taken portraits. When you switch your camera into portrait mode it makes the camera's aperture larger to make the background of focusing and it makes the depth of field smaller. http://elizabethbernsteinphoto.com/blog/?p=73 http://blog.flickr.net/en/2015/09/24/the-subtle-art-of-portrait-photography-alberto-monteraz/
- 18. Landscape ◦ Landscape mode is used when you are not shooting a singular object like in portrait but more for when you are taking a picture of a scene. ◦ When you switch the camera into landscape mode the camera makes the depth of field very large so it does not focus on a single object. https://practicalphotographytips.com/Digital-Camera- Basics/digital-camera-modes-2.html https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3671532
- 19. Sports ◦ Sports mode is for photographers to use when shooting action or people playing sports. The camera automatically makes the shutter speed faster so your able to capture and freeze the action. https://practicalphotographytips.com/Photography-Tips/digital-sports-photography-tips.html https://www.wareable.com/fitbit/how-to-add-bike-mode-to-fitbit-surge
- 20. Photo-Stitching ◦ Photostiching is an editing process where you take a combination of photos that overlap the same scene and attach them together. ◦ The final product of photo stitching is known as a panorama. ◦ Panorama can also easily be done on our smartphones. http://photoblogstop.com/photoshop/hdr-and-multiple-image-panorama-processing http://mikeandrewphotography.com/portfolio-view/surfers-paradise-sunrise- panorama-limited-edition/
- 21. AV-Aperture Priority ◦ Av mode is a semi-automatic mode on DSLR cameras. The camera controls the shutter speed but it allows you to control the aperture and varying from each camera sometimes you can control the ISO as well. http://betterphotography.in/features/question-day-aperture- priority-2/3692/ https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-photos/how-to-take-great-mountain-bike-photos/
- 22. TV-Shutter Priority ◦ TV mode is another semi-automatic mode on DSLR cameras. It allows you to have control over the shutter speed but the camera still automatically controls the ISO and aperture. http://www.paulhippaufphotography.com/photo-tip-tv-mode-camera-dial/ http://www.samsung.com/uk/discover/camera/revealing-the-secrets-of-taking-night-time-photos/
- 23. White Balance ◦ The reason we use white balance is to make sure the colours of our photos are accurate. ◦ Many DSLR cameras have semi/full automatic modes that adjust the white balance on its own. ◦ By using the flash on the camera it actually helps white balance too. https://www.slrlounge.com/white-balance-tutorial-introduction-and-basic-explanation/
- 24. Pixel ◦ Megapixels are used to tell a number of pixels in an image (pixels make up digital images) and they also tell us a number of image sensor elements of the camera. ◦ The larger amount of MP a camera has the better quality it is. https://photohdrblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/photography-cameras-2/
- 25. DPI ◦ DPI stands for dots per inch. ◦ DPI is a term used when talking about getting a photo printed and it is the resolution the photo will turn out to be when the photo is printed. https://www.epson.co.uk/viewcon/corporatesite/products/mainunits/faq//4877
- 26. JPEG ◦ JEPG is a common file format for images that are taken on a digital camera. ◦ When you format your photos as a jpeg it compresses the information. For example, if you shoot in raw it stores all the information of the photo. ◦ An advantage of formatting your photos as a JPEG is they do not take up as much space on your computer compared to a raw format. http://www.melyssagriffin.com/beginners-guide-using-dslr-blog- photography/
- 27. RAW ◦ Raw is another file format for your photography. ◦ Raw keeps more of the photos information compared to JPEG photos which compress the information. ◦ An advantage of shooting in raw that I like is that it allows you to manipulate and edit your photos more than f you are editing a JPEG file. ◦ A disadvantage is that RAW photos take up more storage. ◦ Fun Fact: Some cameras take two photos one raw and one as a jpeg. https://www.slrlounge.com/workshop/dynamic-range-and-raw-vs-jpeg/ As you can see RAW images first show up more dull and do not look as good as the JPEG image when it is unedited but once you edit it the RAW will turn out better.