Photography 101

UWPC 2015

Outline

Exposure
Focal Length and Perspective
Depth of Field and Focus
Composition
Quick tips

Getting out of the auto mode

and getting creative
Why not just shoot in automatic modes?
Youre limiting your creativity and
your photography in automatic modes.
Stop taking photos and start making photos.

Exposure
Exposure is the quantity of light reaching
your cameras sensor or film plane.
The quality and properties of the exposure
are determined by shutter speed, aperture
size, and ISO and aided by in-camera and
external tools.

Exposure
Generally speaking, you want to prioritize
shutter speed, aperture size, or ISO and
then work with the others to achieve proper
exposure. Rarely will there be no trade-off.

The shutter speed is the length of time for

which the shutter is open; this is essentially
the exposure time.
The longer the exposure time, or the
slower the shutter speed, the more light
that reaches the cameras sensor.

A change in shutter speed has the same respective

change in exposure. Doubling the shutter speed (in
terms of the time it is open for) doubles the exposure
amount, and halving it halves the exposure level.
For example, going from 1/8s to 1/4s, with all other
factors staying the same, your exposure will double,
or increase by one stop.
Different shutter speeds result in different amounts
of motion being captured, all at a consistently
changing exposure level.

Long exposure to show smooth

flow of water.

Short exposure to show fast

movement of water.

The aperture is made up of sliding blades that

decrease or increase the size of the opening in
the lens to allow varying amounts of light in.
Typically measured in f-numbers, a
measurement of light intake and depth-of-field.
Below, n represents the f-number, f represents
the focal length, and d represents the diameter
of the opening. The number is then just given
as f/d.

n=f/d

Thus, the smaller the number given, as f/d, the

larger the size of the aperture. As the size
increases, the amount of light reaching the
sensor increases.
Additionally, as the aperture size increases, the
less is effectively in focus due to the nature of
light dispersal to the sensor. The light is more
concentrated as the aperture size decreases
(higher f-number), resulting in more effective
sharpness across the image.

f-numbers increase on a non-linear scale

(based off of (f/1)/(2x) ), so the
doubling/halving doesnt apply exactly as it
does with the shutter speed.
For example, going from f/1.4 to f/2.8
doesnt cut the amount of light intake in half.
Going from f/1.4 to f/2 does, however.
Whats important to note is that these are
conveniently given in stops, so youll
probably never have to calculate this.

More in focus with a narrower aperture

diameter + further distance

Less in focus with a larger aperture

diameter + closer distance

ISO, or film speed, more accurately is a

scale of light sensitivity that a sensor is limited
to. In digital photography, this is provided as a
range within the camera, sometimes with
additional expanded amounts. It is based off
of film sensitivity to provide a reference point.
The lower the ISO index number, the less
sensitive the sensor will be to light. Thus, the
higher the ISO number, the more light will reach
the cameras sensor.

The ISO index number is something that, for

the most part, you want to focus on minimizing.
Increasing the ISO amount results in a greater
amount of noise in the resulting image
(disregarding signal-to-noise ratio).

This is due to the nature of a camera

guessing what should be around what it has
actually captured. Newer cameras have gotten
better at this, with ISO numbers as high as
409600.

Theoretically speaking, a camera should be

able to reduce noise produced at high ISO
levels to basically nothing. However, this is
limited by the time it takes.
Nobody can practically sit around waiting hours
for an old camera to process a high ISO image
when they can be taking more photos!
Newer cameras are faster at this, and as
processor speeds increase, were seeing
higher ISO levels with lower amounts of noise.

Not enough light in scene, had to use high

ISO (3200), produced heavy noise

Enough available light in scene, able to use

low ISO (200), produced little noise

Figure out what you want to make first, then

figure out how. There is always a way to
make a photograph happen, even if some
compromises need to be made.

Lets take a look at a few examples.

Clearly
underexposed...
What can we do?
Lets try lowering the
shutter speed.

The exposure seems

right, but the shutter
speed is too slow,
resulting in blurring.

Lets say youre

getting the perfect
amount of the subject
in focus, and you thus
dont want to lower the
aperture size.
So, the solution is...

Increasing the ISO

sensitivity.
200mm
1/80s
f/5.6
ISO 800

Sharpness is a photographic property

determined by the concentration of light; this
is controlled by more than just the shutter
speed.
Sharpness is typically seen as the quality of
an image when viewed from one level of
brightness to the next (neighbouring
pixels/grain). Proper exposure also aids in
proper sharpness, but this can be
supplemented in other ways.

Everything emits or reflects a different

amount of light, so there is a good
chance that youll often be dealing with
multiple exposure readings from
multiple subjects.
This non-uniformity usually needs to be
compensated for, or it can be used to
your advantage.

You can choose to properly expose your main subject and

get an incorrect exposure on the rest of the scene.

Or you can choose to properly expose the rest of

your scene, leaving your subject as a silhouette.

Sometimes, a good balance of exposure can be found

naturally, but otherwise, you have to make it happen.

A few things can be considered for

adding or subtracting exposure, and
there are some tools that can help you
get started in reading exposure.
Histograms, exposure/light meters, and
exposure compensation are features of
most modern cameras.

Histograms:

Exposure Meters:

Exposure Compensation:

Adding lighting gear to your scene can

help to supplement exposure where it is
lacking, or for generally increasing
dynamic range.

Dynamic range is the incremental

difference in shades from pure white to
pure black (or highest to lowest light).
More dynamic range essentially means
you have a greater range of light in your
photo.

A variety of different light sources are

used in photography. The most basic
are continuous lights, such as bulbs
and fixtures.
There are also flashes, strobes, and
modifiers that can be useful in creating
and balancing exposure.

Directing a light
source such as a
flash or strobe
can leave you
with a dramatic
photo.

In addition to using lighting equipment,

you can make good use of natural or
ambient light to supplement exposure.
The following slides show a great
example from David Hobbys Lighting
101 series.

Starting with just ambient light, you can

see the scene is fairly evenly lit.

Lowering the aperture size keeps the

lighting balance the same, but reduces the
exposure.

This allows for any addition of light to not cause the

image to be any darker than it is now; it can only be
more exposed with more light. The possibility for greater
dynamic range is allowed from here onward.

The final image: a balance of ambient light

and a flash source creates a very
appealing photo.

Modifiers are great ways to manipulate

light sources. These can be as simple
as using a tree for shade, or using a
reflector for spreading light.
Diffusion is a great way of making
lighting look more even across a
subject, and can prevent harsh
shadows.

This was taken

with just one
flash. Bouncing
the light off of
the ceiling
allowed it to
spread across
the subject.

Reflectors are great for redirecting light. Just pointing a

light source at a wall or ceiling can spread light across a
great range. Portable reflectors are always useful and
can be as simple as a piece of paper.

Some modifiers, such as snoots and

bare flashes, are meant to concentrate
and direct light while others, such as
softboxes, are meant to diffuse and
spread light.

Photography is all about light. Being

able to control lighting is being able to
control your photos.
On-camera flashes can be good
emergency fixes, but they limit
creativity. Even adding a modifier to a
pop-up flash can drastically change
your photographs.

Post-processing is an art of its own; a good

balance between capturing and refining will
produce your best work, even with analog
gear. A well-made photo minimizes editing,
but editing can otherwise save photos.
Some styles of photography rely on editing
heavily, and some go without it completely.

The focal length of a lens, usually

given in numbers relative to the 35mm
or full-frame format, is what
determines the reach and angle of
view of your photographs. Going from
a short focal length to a long one is
often called zooming.

Whats actually happening: the angle

and spread of light reaching your
cameras sensor is changing as the
focal length changes. This produces
progressively concentrated light, and
thus, a progressively concentrated
image.

Illustration of some common focal lengths and their

corresponding angles of view (for a 35mm film plane).

Some common focal lengths make up

approximate ranges and their names.
Ultra-wide: Fish-eye (180o) to 14mm
Wide: 24mm to 35mm
Normal: 35mm to 70mm
Telephoto: 70mm to 300mm
Super-telephoto: 300mm and above

Why is a 50mm focal length called

normal or standard?
The human eye focuses on about the
same angle of view as a 50mm lens.
This is why 50mm usually correlates to
a realistic view with little distortion.

Telephoto lenses can bring you close to wildlife.

300mm on APS-C = 480mm

Wide-angle lenses can give you more of a view.

11mm on APS-C = 17.6mm

Certain lenses will distort images. There are two

kinds of distortion: barrel and pincushion.
Barrel distortion brings the center of the image
closer to you, while pincushion distortion brings
the edges of the image closer to you.
Wider focal lengths cause barrel distortion and
longer focal lengths cause pincushion distortion.
Normal and short telephoto lengths typically
have little to no distortion.

Example of barrel distortion:

Various focal lengths and the distortion caused:

Portraiture is typically done with

lengths between 50mm and 135mm.
This is in part due to the lack of
distortion typically caused by this
range. Additionally, at a reasonable
distance (~10 feet), 50mm will get you
a full-body photo, and 135mm will get
you a close-up.

Intentionally using a distorting lens

can allow for some creative photos.
Wide-angle lenses can make subjects
appear larger than they actually are,
and longer lengths can make things
look miniature.

The sizes of sensors differ from some

camera lines to others. Full-frame
cameras offer the same view as shown
on the lens, but smaller sensors, such
as APS-C, Micro 4/3, etc., need to be
converted by simple calculations to find
the true focal length.

For example, an APS-C sensor is

approximately 23mmx15mm in size. A fullframe sensor is 36mmx24mm in size.
The focal length of a lens on an APS-C
sensor thus needs to be multiplied by
approximately 1.6 to find the true focal
length, to be used as intended.
This is known as a crop-factor.

This difference in size also changes

the depth of field. To put it simply, the
larger the sensor, the greater the depth
of field. This is the reason why small
sensors, such as those found in
phones and point-and-shoot cameras,
tend to have everything in focus.

Full-frame sensors are usually seen as

optimal, producing greater DoF and true
focal lengths. They also have better light
sensitivity due to a larger field of light
intake. Even larger sensors, such as
medium format, produce even more DoF
(but the crop-factor calculation is a division
instead, since theyre larger than FF).

Crop cameras come with advantages

too. They are usually smaller, lighter, less
expensive, and one can take advantage of
their crop-factors as well. Since focal
lengths are multiplied, you can get a lot
more reach with a smaller sensor. This is
useful for sports and wildlife photography.
Smaller sensors also allow for faster
continuous shooting and relatively faster
operation for the cost.

Some cameras offer the best of both (highend full-frame cameras and rangefinders, for
example), but they come at a greater price.

Depth of Field (DoF) is the difference

between in-focus and out-of-focus
elements. As introduced earlier, the
sensor size, focal length, and aperture
size can influence this greatly.
Parts in focus will appear relatively
sharper than parts that are out of
focus.

Focusing is done on a single plane, directly parallel

to your sensor. Everything in front of and behind this
focus plane will be gradually out of focus.

The longer the focal length, the greater the

DoF.
The larger your aperture (remember, that
means a lower f-number), the greater the
DoF.
The larger your sensor size, the greater the
DoF.
The closer you are from your plane of focus,
the greater the DoF.

When the difference between whats in focus and whats

out of focus is great enough, the in-focus elements will
appear to be sharp if they arent truly.

The further away your plane of focus is

from the rest of the scene, the more
separation occurs, and what isnt in
focus appears blurry.
The qualities and properties of this blur
are known as bokeh.

Bokeh is influenced by a few factors. The

greater the depth of field, the more blurry
the bokeh will appear. Also, the shape of
the aperture blades in the lens determine
the shape of bokeh.
Good bokeh tends to be clean, smooth,
and consistent, while bad bokeh is noisy,
misshapen, and confusing.
Creative uses of bokeh can result in very
unique photos.

Macro photography emphasizes bokeh and blur.

Using blur and bokeh is a great way of

bringing attention to your subject.
Blurring foreground or background
elements can add a 3D aspect to your
scene, allowing for more immersion.

Composition is perhaps the most

important aspect of visual arts. How a
photo is composed can provide a great
deal of information to a viewer, such as
implied movement, shape, and
perspective, or it can serve to confuse
if not considered properly.

There are good practices to follow in

composition, often called rules.
These rules (more accurately:
guidelines) can help with telling a story,
balancing a scene, displaying colours
and shapes, establishing layers,
providing contrast, implying movement,
and more.

This rule describes that if a photo were

to be split into 9 equal parts, your
primary subject should fall within an
intersection of these parts and
generally covering 2/3 of your field of
view.

This generally creates a more

interesting image and adds some
drama to the scene.

The Rule of Thirds also branches into

the Rule of Space. Leaving empty
space in the direction of a subjects
view or movement implies that it is
looking or moving in that direction. This
shows that there is something beyond
your subject and more to the scene.

The first image shows that there is

somewhere for the subject to go. The
second looks like a nearly missed photo.

Scenes can just look like backgrounds if they dont

have anything that stands out. Determining a focal
point can make your photo interesting.

Sometimes, waiting
for a focal point pays
off. Framing and then
predicting the
movement of your
subject can help to
catch unique
moments.

Showing a sense of scale can make for an interesting

photo. One can emphasize scale with the inclusion of
other objects with known sizes (people in below photo).

Composing a shot
to emphasize
symmetry and to
create balance
are useful
techniques in
creating a
pleasing photo.

Balance and unity can come in many forms.

Balance and unity can come in many forms.

Lines in
photographs can
help to direct,
divide, and
structure subjects.

Using elements in a scene to frame your subject can draw

attention to it and generally bring balance to your photo.

Its important to remember that these

are guidelines for a reason: they work.
However, you should also experiment
with composition as much as possible.
One rule may be better than another
for a particular scene, and sometimes,
breaking a rule can make a photo
appealing (usually fitting it into another
rule).

Its important to know what goes into

photography so that you dont have to rely
on chance to make a great photo. By
knowing the essentials, you can
consistently build off of something and
even form your own style.
Its important to challenge yourself. If you
think you cant create a certain photograph
or tell a certain story, you probably havent
looked at all the possible approaches.

Dont blame your gear. Youre making

the photos; your camera is just taking
them.

Practice to improve.
Find inspiration in other photographs.
Recreate and try again.
Analyze your photographs.
Share your photos and get involved
with other photographers.