Hey folks, I was not sure about the title of this blog. But, recently I have been reading a lot and so I thought may be its a good time to share few things I know, which helped me taking good shots.
The balance of 3: Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO
Any good photograph is a balance of the above three things, so lets look at them one by one:
Shutter Speed: Have you ever clicked a picture at night with a point and shoot camera, tried to capture the sky-line and found that you have just one dark picture, in which nothing is visible. I had that problem a lot of times. When you click the picture the curtains behind the image sensor opens and lets the light impact the image sensor (film in old school) cameras. Now, without light, you cannot generate an image, we know that. So, if the shutter is open just for a fraction of second (ideally 1/250 or 1/500) in Auto mode, not enough light impacts the sensor and we fail to create an image. So, ideally the shutter speed should be slow, say 1 sec or more when you take pictures at night. I will go in detail later on.
Aperture: Aperture is another key factor in taking good photographs. We can think of the camera aperture as something similar to our IRIS. If you are in a dark room, our iris expands and lets more light in and so we can see the things in dark. On the other hand, if we go out in the bright sunshine. the IRIS contracts, and let less light inside our eyes, thus compensating the bright light. This happens involuntarily and so we don't notice it. Similarly, in a digital camera the aperture size dictates whether you are letting less or more light inside your camera, depending whether you are in bright or dark situations. The aperture size is generally stated as f/22, f/8 etc. The higher the denominator the smaller is the aperture because it is represented as a fraction of the full-aperture size.
ISO: Now, what is ISO, everyone at some point of time or the other is intrigued by this term. Well its analogous to the film speed in the film cameras. But, does that definition help us. I don't think so. Think it like this, when you are in a low light situation and you cannot have a long exposure (slow shutter speed), just crank up the ISO. But, if you have a tripod just keep it low as low as 100 or 200 (slowest your camera allows). Lower ISO makes the picture less noisy, if you crank up the ISO to 1600 or 3200, the picture becomes grainy and it won't be what we call "tach sharp". So only crank up the ISO when long exposure is not possible because of lack of tripods or any steady camera holder. I hope this minimum knowledge helps.
Combining all 3 key-elements: Ok, so now if you have a general understanding of these 3 main features, you can combine these 3 things to shoot great pictures, of-course there are more to it than just these 3 things. Normally, you can set your camera to any ISO you want to (lower or higher). So, you are left with only 2 other parameters aperture and shutter speed. Now, depending on whether you keep your camera in Aperture priority or shutter priority, if you choose one the other is automatically decided by the camera to get a correct exposure, unless you are in manual mode where you have the power to control both.
Few more terms: There are more technical jargons one should know and using that knowledge one can give a creative look to their shots. Few techniques are discussed here:
Depth of Field: What is depth of field? If you have seen those portraits where the subjects looks sharper than the background, and you always want to do that but just don't know how to do it? Here is a quick tip. First you should know, that depth of field means how much of your picture is in sharp focus. A shallow depth of field means less of the photograph is in sharp focus, whereas a massive depth of field means large portion of the snap is in focus. So how to achieve a narrow depth of field.
Set the camera to aperture priority and use the highest aperture value and shoot the portrait. The larger the f number the shallower will be the depth of field. For typical portraits you are looking at f/11.
Capturing Night Landscapes: Capturing a well-lit skyline is everyone's dream. People starting with point and shoot cameras almost find it impossible to do, at-least it was the case with me. But I am going to tell you how it can be done. So hang on. Get a tripod. Do this favor to yourself if you want to take good tach sharp images. Find a good angle and set your camera on tripod. Set the camera to manual mode. Set aperture to the maximum possible typically f/11 and the shutter speed to 1 or 2 seconds (do experiment with different shutter speed to get the desirable result). Set the camera to self-timer. This is important to eradicate any vibration due to your fingers clicking the camera. Set the ISO to lowest possible may be 100 to remove any noise. That should be it you should get a good picture of sky-line well lit up at night.
For dSLR users Set the camera to above mentioned settings. As you are setting the camera on tripod, switch off any vibration reduction mechanisms within the camera. If your camera allows use mirror locking and use cable release or self-timer mode to shoot the picture.
Capturing trail lights at night: In the night you might be interested in capturing the trail lights of fast going cars, they add a dramatic effect to the pictures. Actually you are trying to induce some blur in your picture to give that effect. So set the camera to manual mode. Use aperture f/11 and set shutter speed to 20 to 30 sec. A 30 second shutter speed works well for me, and you will have the desired trail lights in your picture.
Adding Blur to your pictures: Oh snap!! what did I just say adding blur. Well yes! adding blur can give very good effect on your pictures. Just set the camera on tripod and increase the shutter speed to 10 sec during day while shooting a waterfall or a fast moving vehicle to add some motion to your pictures. Trust me you will be astonished with the results.
Taking pictures of monuments: Well if you know what I mean, anyone going to Paris returns with an image of Eiffel Tower, everyone going to Pisa, returns with a snap of him/her trying to support the leaning tower as if it will fall..:)
So, what to do if you have to take pictures of places which are shot to death, if you know what I mean. Go to those places when the weather is bad or early morning or late late night, when they look a little different and you may end up getting a 100 dollar shot if not million....:D
Also keep experimenting with your composition and taking pictures from different angles.. open eyes look around.. everything is beautiful in its own way. All we are trying to do is to make an attempt to capture the beauty, it is long way to reach perfection..
This blog contains no new information, I just happened to read a lot presently so just felt like sharing what I learned through experimentation. Its like taking notes when I read or see some tutorial. Hope it helps anyone looking for some quick information...
More to come as I learn.....
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
dSLR Camera: How I made my choice?
Its a big investment, and probably if you are buying a dSLR its an investment that you need to think through. Probably, this is the second most expensive thing I have bought with my hard-earned cash (if you think earning your stipend as a lowly grad-student as hard-earned). The first being of-course the sweet MacBook. While buying a Macbook I was sure why I need it, and there are hardly any laptop that goes even close to it, and I knew I need it, its a piece of art, its not technology.
But, buying a dSLR camera, though its been three years of thinking but you start thinking again twice and thrice before finally entering your credit card details on the web and you think it till the last moment until you authorize the purchase, if you are not a professional photographer and have no intensions of minting money with your photography skills. Graduate students are always low on budget and high on ambitions. So finally coming back to the topic of the day how did I choose Nikon d5000?
Earlier, I wanted to buy Nikon d90, but when I compared it with newly released d5000, I found that it has all the features as d5000, as well as the same size of CMOS sensor. One of the few noticeable difference for the amateur photographers being that nikon d90 has a 3" LCD display, whereas d5000 has a 2.7" display. I personally think that a 2.7" display is a good enough size, unless you want to be picky about each little aspect of d5000. But before doing that one should remember that d5000 is almost $500 cheaper and so more affordable. Also the LCD is tilt-able which gives a wide freedom for the photographers for taking pictures. Another good thing about d5000 is that its much lighter and smaller than d90. So clearly, I ruled out d90 on the grounds of d90 being expensive as well as little heavier.
So, what about Canon, is that any better than Nikon? Well, as there is always a rivalry between Mac and windows users, so is it between Nikon and Canon. There is no straight answer for that, depends what you are comfortable with. I had the privilege of handling both the cameras. Though Canon gives you higher specifications at the same price, but the downside with Canon is that, it doesn't feel so good in hand (atleast to me). The body and the lens doesn't seems so well made, where as Nikon feels just great, which is very important when you are taking serious photographs. A lousy handling won't take you far. If you compare the specs, the Canon ISO goes up to 12800 (with boost) and nikon goes up to 6400 which is good enough for any photographs you take. The numbers seems to me a marketing strategy. Higher resolution, higher ISO won't yield much.. People take good pictures with much lower end SLR cameras. And personally I had reasons for choosing NIkon because I knew Nikon lenses much better than Canon lenses, so at the end it depends what kind of lenses are you comfortable with, about which brand you know the most.
Few tips about choosing lenses:
dSLR is an expensive investment and if you are low on budget, I will suggest go for a low end camera and get more lenses, because at the end they matter the most. If you have a 18-55 mm and another 55-200 mm lens, you are good for taking your dream shots. But just don't stick with those kit lenses.. Read more and try to find more specific lenses that suits your photography style.
Few initial doubts:
What is 18-55 mm lens and what it is used for?
Well 18-55 is one lens which are readily available and comes with most camera kits. Its kind of a lens used for taking landscape photographs, and is not very good for portraits because the zoom doesn't fill your subject with your camera's field of view. You need to move really close to the subject and definitely you cannot do that if you want to take close ups of insects and animals.
So use it for landscape photography, again there is no had and fast rule.
What about another popular lens 55-200 mm?
Well this is a really good lens and will be the most used lens during your photography. It is good for taking portraits and also macro photography. But, keep in mind its still a zoom lens and not a dedicated macro lens.
What is the deal with Macro/Micro photography?
If you are interested in macro photography, like me. Be prepared to spend some bucks. Start Saving $$s...:)
Macro or micro photography are the same thing and the terms are used indifferently. The macro lenses are one which can create a 1:1 or 1:2 image of the subject on the image sensor. And easy way to know if your lens supports that is to look at the lens specification. They write Macro specifically on the lens and they are little expensive. If you are buying a Nikon you are looking at almost $800. If you are going for a third party lens like Tamron or Sigma, which are also good unless you are too picky, you are still looking at $500 approximately. I still need to get one.
Accessories you think you might need
Its not true that if you buy everything in the market your pictures will turn out well. So initially be a little patient and get the bare minimum stuff. be familiar with their usage. The most important being a sturdy tripod, a camera bag with good padding for your lenses and last but most important get a UV-protection filter for each lens, you dont want to get scratches on your lens and they are really cheap ($20 max).
Useful Websites:
For lessons and more knowledge:
http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/
For reviews
http://www.kenrockwell.com/
Also,last but not the least, talk to people with similar interest and take atleast one class on photography near you.. There is so much to learn and a good class will be worth it. Know about F numbers, aperture control, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field. They are just technical terms but be familiar with them. Join Flickr...
One most important note, most people think that good pictures can only be taken by using the camera in manual mode. But, I suggest pay more attention to composing your pictures, use the appropriate auto mode, they are pretty good and learn about manual settings slowly,,,But concentrate on composing your image first.
More posts will come as i learn more...In the mean time Happy Clicking.. :)
But, buying a dSLR camera, though its been three years of thinking but you start thinking again twice and thrice before finally entering your credit card details on the web and you think it till the last moment until you authorize the purchase, if you are not a professional photographer and have no intensions of minting money with your photography skills. Graduate students are always low on budget and high on ambitions. So finally coming back to the topic of the day how did I choose Nikon d5000?
Earlier, I wanted to buy Nikon d90, but when I compared it with newly released d5000, I found that it has all the features as d5000, as well as the same size of CMOS sensor. One of the few noticeable difference for the amateur photographers being that nikon d90 has a 3" LCD display, whereas d5000 has a 2.7" display. I personally think that a 2.7" display is a good enough size, unless you want to be picky about each little aspect of d5000. But before doing that one should remember that d5000 is almost $500 cheaper and so more affordable. Also the LCD is tilt-able which gives a wide freedom for the photographers for taking pictures. Another good thing about d5000 is that its much lighter and smaller than d90. So clearly, I ruled out d90 on the grounds of d90 being expensive as well as little heavier.
So, what about Canon, is that any better than Nikon? Well, as there is always a rivalry between Mac and windows users, so is it between Nikon and Canon. There is no straight answer for that, depends what you are comfortable with. I had the privilege of handling both the cameras. Though Canon gives you higher specifications at the same price, but the downside with Canon is that, it doesn't feel so good in hand (atleast to me). The body and the lens doesn't seems so well made, where as Nikon feels just great, which is very important when you are taking serious photographs. A lousy handling won't take you far. If you compare the specs, the Canon ISO goes up to 12800 (with boost) and nikon goes up to 6400 which is good enough for any photographs you take. The numbers seems to me a marketing strategy. Higher resolution, higher ISO won't yield much.. People take good pictures with much lower end SLR cameras. And personally I had reasons for choosing NIkon because I knew Nikon lenses much better than Canon lenses, so at the end it depends what kind of lenses are you comfortable with, about which brand you know the most.
Few tips about choosing lenses:
dSLR is an expensive investment and if you are low on budget, I will suggest go for a low end camera and get more lenses, because at the end they matter the most. If you have a 18-55 mm and another 55-200 mm lens, you are good for taking your dream shots. But just don't stick with those kit lenses.. Read more and try to find more specific lenses that suits your photography style.
Few initial doubts:
What is 18-55 mm lens and what it is used for?
Well 18-55 is one lens which are readily available and comes with most camera kits. Its kind of a lens used for taking landscape photographs, and is not very good for portraits because the zoom doesn't fill your subject with your camera's field of view. You need to move really close to the subject and definitely you cannot do that if you want to take close ups of insects and animals.
So use it for landscape photography, again there is no had and fast rule.
What about another popular lens 55-200 mm?
Well this is a really good lens and will be the most used lens during your photography. It is good for taking portraits and also macro photography. But, keep in mind its still a zoom lens and not a dedicated macro lens.
What is the deal with Macro/Micro photography?
If you are interested in macro photography, like me. Be prepared to spend some bucks. Start Saving $$s...:)
Macro or micro photography are the same thing and the terms are used indifferently. The macro lenses are one which can create a 1:1 or 1:2 image of the subject on the image sensor. And easy way to know if your lens supports that is to look at the lens specification. They write Macro specifically on the lens and they are little expensive. If you are buying a Nikon you are looking at almost $800. If you are going for a third party lens like Tamron or Sigma, which are also good unless you are too picky, you are still looking at $500 approximately. I still need to get one.
Accessories you think you might need
Its not true that if you buy everything in the market your pictures will turn out well. So initially be a little patient and get the bare minimum stuff. be familiar with their usage. The most important being a sturdy tripod, a camera bag with good padding for your lenses and last but most important get a UV-protection filter for each lens, you dont want to get scratches on your lens and they are really cheap ($20 max).
Useful Websites:
For lessons and more knowledge:
http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/
For reviews
http://www.kenrockwell.com/
Also,last but not the least, talk to people with similar interest and take atleast one class on photography near you.. There is so much to learn and a good class will be worth it. Know about F numbers, aperture control, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field. They are just technical terms but be familiar with them. Join Flickr...
One most important note, most people think that good pictures can only be taken by using the camera in manual mode. But, I suggest pay more attention to composing your pictures, use the appropriate auto mode, they are pretty good and learn about manual settings slowly,,,But concentrate on composing your image first.
More posts will come as i learn more...In the mean time Happy Clicking.. :)
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