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PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
LEARNING UNIT ONE: PREPARE TO CAPTURE DIGITAL IMAGES

Learning Outcome 1.1Discuss photographic project with relevant people and


selection appropriate camera and accessories

What is camera?
A camera is an optical instrument that records images that can be stored directly,
transmitted to another location, or both. These images may be still photographs or
moving images such as videos or movies. The camera also record sound but not as
preliminary function.
What is Photography?
Photography: is the science, art, application and practice of creating durable
images by recording light on what means an image sensor, or photographic film

Photography is the perfect blend of art and science. The term ―photograph‖ it self
is essentially a combination of― photo ‖and ―graph‖, where photo means light and
graph means data. Every picture you capture is information about the object light.

What types of camera are there?

The most important thing to know when evaluating a camera is that


there‘s no one single spec that defines overall quality. A good camera
is dependent on many different components and Specifications.
Choosing a camera is a process of weighing three factors: image
quality, price, and features. Some feature filmmakers will be most
concerned about image quality and the ability to record 24p,
particularly if they are planning on digital projection. Other
filmmakers might value Portability and a low profile over image
quality. And others might have special needs, like the Ability to
shoot underwater or record at high frame rates for true slow
motion.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
CONSUMER CAMERAS
There are simple cameras designed for personal use by non-
professionals. In general they are used for everyday life to just
take images where professional work is not primordial.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Characteristics of Consumer Camera
 lower price $200-1500$

 smaller imaging chip

 small and simple operations

 most of the settings on them are full automatic


 they do not have XLR audio inputs.

 fixed lenses

PROSUMER CAMERAS
They are the intermediate class of cameras packed with the
important feature to help you to create an image.
This range of camera is the most used by the beginner
Video Producer and Most TV Production

Characteristics of Prosumer Camera

 Low Mid-Range Price 1500$-10,000$

 Full Manual Image Control

 Have Xlr Audio Inputs

 Medium To Large Imaging Chips

 Some Are Interchangeable Lenses

 Ability To Record Time Code For In And Out For Multi Camera Job

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Professional Cameras
It Is Hard Classify The Different Between So it is Called
Professional And Prosumer Camera But The Standard Feature Is
The Price. The Professional Camera Can Go Up To 50,000 $ and
Beyond. They Have Many Features To Help Achieve A Good
Image And Even More Flexibility To Work With Many Other
Devices.

Characteristics of Professional Camera

 Professional Cameras Tend to Be Big and Heavier

 Higher Price -10000-50000 And beyond

 Xlr Audio Input

 Interchangeable Lenses

 Time Code Input for Multi Camera Work

 Larger Imaging Chip (Superior Color Processing)

 They Offer the Highest Quality Image

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Super chip Camera

Characteristics of Super chip Camera

 Very large imaging chip


 Interchangeable lenses
 Affordable price 6000 $-20,000$

DSLR CAMERAS
Dslr The New and Rapidly Expanding Camera. They Are Designed
To Record Photo As Their Primary Job But They Do Also Record
High Video Quality. Dslr Stand For Digital Single Lenses Reflex.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Characteristics of DSRL Camera
 Low Mid-Range Price

 No Xlr Audio Inputs

 Very Large Imaging Chip

 Interchangeable Lenses

Compare The Dslr Camera To Prosumer, They Offer Good


Quality Image But They Have Some Major Limitation Such As:
• Manually Audio Control
• Zebra Stripe To Judge Exposure
• Peaking To Judge Focus
• Modernize Zoom Control
• Limited Recording Time (12-29) Min

TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY

There are so many types of photography which differ a little according to its
nature. The difference might be seen in types of equipment used to cover one
setting used or even the nature of photographs itself.

a. Aerial photography: is the taking of photographs of the ground from an


elevated/direct down position. Usually the camera is not supported by a ground-
based structure. Advantages. An aerial photograph has the following advantages
over a map: (1) It provides a current pictorial view of the ground that no map can
equal. (2) It is more readily obtained. The photograph may be in the hands of the
user within a few hours after it is taken; a map may take months to prepare. (3) It
may be made for places that are inaccessible to the military
(4) It shows military features that do not appear on maps. (5) It can provide a day-
to-day comparison of selected areas, permitting evaluations to be made of enemy
activity. (6) It provides a permanent and objective record of the day-to-day changes

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
with the area. Disadvantages. The aerial photograph has the following
disadvantages as compared to a map:
(1) Ground features are difficult to identify or interpret without symbols and are
often obscured by other ground detail as, for example, buildings in wooded areas.
(2) Position location and scale are only approximate. (3) Detailed variations in the
terrain features are not readily apparent without overlapping photography and a
stereoscopic viewing instrument. (4) Because of a lack of contrasting colors and
tone, a photograph is difficult to use in poor light. (5) It lacks marginal data. (6) It
requires more training to interpret than a map.

b. Architectural photography
Architectural photography is a very specialized branch of photography, which
involves taking pictures of buildings, both interior and exterior as well as the
spaces around those buildings.

c. Candid photography

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
This is a very popular genre of photography. Moments captured spontaneously as
they happen is known as candid photography. Tips for better candid photographs
-Take your Camera Everywhere -Use a Long Zoom -Kill the Flash

d. Documentary photography
Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to
chronicle events or environments both significant and relevant to history and
historical events as well as everyday life. Documentary photography follows a
single topic or story in-depth over time, as opposed to photojournalism‗s real-time
coverage of breaking news and events.
1. Documentary means as it happens naturally, in their environment.
2. Capture the person‘s essence, their real personality
3. Remember to capture the details and scene setters
4. Think big picture, take shots for the background of a collage or potential photo
book or album.
5. Not every photo needs to show their face. Facing away from camera, hands and
body are important too.
6. Create a story with images, leave a legacy

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
e. Fashion photography
Fashion photography is a genre of photography which is devoted to displaying
clothing and other fashion items.

1. Fashion photography is all about clothes and beauty.

f. Food photography
Food photography is a still life photography genre used to create attractive still life
photographs of food.

g. Landscape photography
Landscape Shows spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending,
Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
h. Action/sports photography
Refers to the genre of photography that covers all types of sports
Tips for doing sport photographer

1. Learn the Sport I mean really learn the sport. A big part of sports
photography is anticipating action. You will (almost) never get that great
shot of a diving shortstop spearing a line drive by simply reacting; you have
to be just as ready for that play as the player is himself. You need to have a
strong and instinctive understanding of a sport to really shoot it well.

i. Wedding Photography
Is the photography of activities relating to weddings. It encompasses
photographs of the couple before marriage (for announcements, portrait
displays, or than you cards) as well as coverage of the wedding and reception.

tips for wedding photography

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Create a „Shot List‟
One of the most helpful tips I‗ve been given about Wedding Photography is to get
the couple to think ahead about the shots that they‗d like you to capture on the day
and compile a list so that you can check them off.
Scout the Location
Visit the locations of the different places that you‗ll be shooting before the big day.
This will give you the idea of your shoot as well as the needed equipment
Shoot the small details Photograph rings, backs of dresses, shoes, flowers, table
settings, menus. Shoot the small details Photograph rings, backs of dresses, shoes,
flowers, table settings, menus etc – these help give the end album an extra
dimension. Flick through a wedding magazine in a news stand for a little
inspiration.
j. HDR Photography (High Dynamic Range)
HDR Photography is all about capturing three different types of images and
merging them together which brings out amazing contrasts in your photos.

k. Time Lapse Photograph


Time-lapse photography is a cinematography technique whereby the frequency at
which film frames are captured (frame rate) is much lower than that which will be
used to play the sequence back. When you replay this sequence at normal speed,
time appears to be moving faster and lapsing.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
1.1.2 selection of camera according to the project brief

while selecting camera you have consider the length of your project, duration,
location, budget even its feasibility. Let‘s take an example of wedding project.
Shoot the small details such as Photograph rings, backs of dresses, shoes,
flowers, table settings, menus etc. These help to give the end album an extra
dimension. Flick through a wedding magazine in a news stand for a little
inspiration.

Shoot in RAW format many readers feel that they don‘t have the time for
shooting in RAW (due to extra processing) but a wedding is one time that it can
be particularly useful as it gives so much more flexibility to manipulate shots
after taking them. Weddings can present photographers with tricky lighting
which result in the need to manipulate exposure and white balance after the fact
– RAW will help with this considerably.

Consider Your Backgrounds one of the challenges of weddings is that there


are often people going everywhere – including the backgrounds of your shots.
Particularly with the formal shots scope out the area where they‘ll be taken
ahead of time looking for good backgrounds. Ideally you‘ll be wanting
organized areas and shaded spots out of direct sunlight where there‘s unlikely to
be a wandering great aunt wander into the back of the shot Wedding Group
Shots shot a group of people rather than shooting personal photo on a wedding

1.1.3 SELECTION OF ACCESSORIES AND MOUNT KIT AS


PREDEFINED IN THE PROJECT

According to the project you have your accessories selection should consist of one
zoom lens (either a 24–70 or a 70–200) and a set of three prime lenses from among
24, 35, 50, 80, and 100 mm. A set of prime lenses can Help you create the visual
look you want and affect the way you tell your story. The biggest factor in your
lens choice for this kit will be where you are shooting. If you are inside a house or
in very tight space, then wider-angle lenses are a better choice than long lenses.
However, if you are doing mostly exteriors or you‘re in a location with a lot of
space, a mix of standard primes and some longer lenses would be a better fit and In
photography a tripod is used to stabilize a camera, a flash unit, or other
photographic equipment .all photography tripod have three legs and a mounting.

1.2 ASSESS DIGITAL CAMERA FEATURES TO ENSURE THAT


OUTCOMES MEET PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
B

particular lens. As a rule of thumb for most lenses, maximum sharpness is


generally two stops down from the maximum (widest) setting. For example, an
f/2.8 lens will normally realize maximum sharpness at around f/8.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Proper Planning of shots for the project taking into account digital camera features,
lighting,

1.3. ADJUST PLANNED SHOTS AS REQUIRED AND CORRECT


EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT WAYS OF ACHIEVING
DESIRED RESULTS

Proper Planning of shots for the project taking into account digital camera
features, lighting

1. Project plan
Set up a place to plan your project
Traditionally, a project plan might be scattered across various emails, to-do lists,
notepads and laptop folders. A central project plan combines these artefacts into
one easy to access place. It will evolve over the lifespan of your project but usually
includes:

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
 Workflow checklist
 Gear checklist
 The brief
 Inspiration and moodboards
 Time and location of the shoot
 Shot lists
 A gallery of final images following the shoot
 Client contact information

Define the goals

What do you want your images to communicate? Is there a specific concept or


vision you have in mind? Use emotive words to communicate the style and mood
you hope to achieve and list any specific shots you need. This helps the
photographer organize their shot-list, equipment, props and talent before the day of
the shoot.

Describe the target audience

This is where you describe a specific type of audience and detail what‘s important
to them. What do they care about? What inspires them? Include any relevant
research or stats you have. All this helps the photographer choose a mood or
direction that speaks to your audience. Ansel Adams described how important the
audience is when he said "There are always two people in every picture: the
photographer and the viewer".

3. Moodboard
Organize inspiration & references

In the brief, you set the goals and deliverables for your shoot. It's time to start
exploring some visual directions with a moodboard. Photography moodboards can
be used to plan and organize the final images you want to photograph, or they can
be more about exploring the mood of a photoshoot.

Collect existing material

Start by adding any existing material you have this could be images from previous
photoshoots or references your client has provided. Include any logos, existing
expressions of the brand like websites or design elements.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
4. Shot list
Plan each shot you need

Coordinating a photoshoot can be stressful and costly if that critical shot is missed
on the day. But a clearly defined shot list will make sure nothing slips through the
cracks.

A shot list is a simple checklist of every photo you (and you client) want to capture
on the day of a shoot. It usually contains a list of specific shots, some visual
references and extra details like camera angles or lighting set-up so you don't
forget a thing.

List the things you're shooting

Start by listing the subjects or topics you want to shoot. Depending on the type of
project, these could be commercial products, parts of an event, a buildings or
people. Adding references images or sketches will make your shot list easier to
scan.

List the individual shots you need

This is the heart of the shot list. It's where you list each shot you want to capture.
Think about the different product angles, formats, arrangements, even where you'll
position the camera.

5. Call sheet
Organize your crew & talent

You may have witnessed a disorganized photoshoot before—the models were late,
the crew forgot the lighting or the studio wasn't setup properly. One vital document
was missing—the call sheet.

The call sheet is a simple, but incredibly useful tool for organizing your shoot. It
outlines everything your talent and crew need to know before the day of the shoot.
Crucial elements like the location, contact details, the schedule and most
importantly the arrival time.

Add the location and background information

Add some background information about the shoot for your models and crew.
Next, add the location of the shoot and any details that will help people arrive

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
safely and on time. Explain where the parking options are, nearby public transport
and any details about to get into the building.

List your talent, crew & gear

Who's involved in your shoot? List your talent and crew along with their contact
details. This will save you hunting around for phone numbers when plans
inevitably change on the day. Next, add any specific arrival times so each person
knows exactly when they're expected.

Outline the schedule

Probably the most important part is the schedule—specifically the general crew
call time. The general crew call time is when everyone needs to arrive on location.
Under this, add the key events for the day so everyone can clearly see what's on
and when. Don't forget lunch!

6. Contact sheet
Share proofs with your client

You've just finished your photoshoot and you know you've captured some amazing
shots. It's time to organize the best ones and share them with your client. The
easiest way to do this is with a contact sheet (sometimes called a proof sheet).

A contact sheet is an online gallery of the best images from your shoot. It's a
simple way for you and your client to review the shortlist and select the final
images for the project.

It's a huge time saver for everyone involved. The client doesn't have to sift through
every photo taken on the day and the photographer only needs to retouch the ones
their client likes.

Upload your best shots

You might have captured 200 images from your photoshoot but your client only
needs 5 final images. It's time to reduce your list to a group of unedited images you
want them to choose from. Discard the shots that are bad from a technical

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
perspective and those that are generally unflattering. Try to be ruthless at this stage
so it doesn't become a time consuming exercise.

Explain your thinking

Providing some background on why you selected this shortlist of images will help
your client understand your thinking. What is it that you love about these images?
Share your thoughts on the lighting, composition or something special you see in
them. Refer back to the brief or moodboard you created to tie the images into the
initial concept.

Share it with your client

Once you've prepared your contact sheet, it's time to share it with your client. This
is an exciting moment for them as it's usually the first time they've seen the output
from your photoshoot. They can leave comments against the photos and vote for
their favourites. It's much quicker and more collaborative than creating PDFs and
emailing comments back and forth.

PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES

As a photographer, there are few things more satisfying than mastering a new
photography technique. Learning new photography techniques can open up new
possibilities, provide endless potential for inspiration, and can even help to get you
out of a creative

1. High Speed Photography

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
One of the things that makes high speed photography most intriguing is that it
freezes moments in time that are too fast for the naked eye to see. The trick to high
speed photography is a tripod, a narrow aperture, a flash, and lots of patience.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
2. Night Photography

The fun starts when the sun goes down! There is plenty of life to capture after dark.
For high-quality night photography, you will need a super-slow shutter speed, and
a tripod or solid surface to steady your camera for long exposures. Don‘t forget to
experiment with the rule of thirds as well, good old composition techniques are
still valid here.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
3. Motion Blur

Motion blur is the art of capturing a moving subject. This technique is often used
in sports photography, but can also be used to create interesting images with light
or fast moving objects. To effectively capture motion blur, slow down your shutter
speed, and hold your camera still as your subject moves. You can also ―pan‖ with
the camera, moving it along to follow the subject before releasing the shutter. This
will keep your subject in focus while blurring out the background.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
4. Black and White Photography

Black and white photography, when done effectively – conveys deep emotion or
drama. But there‘s more to black and white photography than just hitting the black
and white filter in Photoshop. Effective B&W photography starts with the
composition, making use of shadows, lighting, and strong subjects to create
powerful imagery.

5. Monochromatic Color Photography

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Monochromatic color photography captures images in a single hue or color. Much
like black and white photography, monochromatic photography has a powerful
way of conveying a message without much detail.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
6. Smoke Art Photography

Smoke art photography can be a challenging, yet extremely rewarding technique.


Smoke trails create mysterious and captivating images that are intriguing,
fascinating, and fun to capture.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Macro Photography

Macro photography is rewarding and unique. It‘s exciting to make huge images of
subjects that are tiny, capturing minute details that are invisible to the human eye.
The best way to make your macro photography stand out is to find subjects that are
interesting and detailed. You can accomplish macro photography with just about
any camera any lens, though the quality of the resulting images will vary
depending on the equipment you use.

Panoramic Photography

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Even if you don‘t have an expensive camera, you can capture panoramic
photographs through a technique known as ―panorama stitching‖. This technique
involves using a tripod, and taking a series of side-by-side photographs, and
merging them together later on.

Traffic Light Trails

Traffic light trails are a popular subject, and a great way to gets started with long
exposure photography. To capture light trails, find a high traffic area in an
otherwise dark location, set your tripod up, and use a slow shutter speed to blur the
motion of the lights.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Silhouettes

Silhouette photography is a fun and unique way to create dramatic photos. The best
time for silhouettes is sunset or sunrise. To create the silhouette effect, position
your subject in front of the sun, and shoot into the sun. A faster shutter speed will
result in darker exposure, and a slower shutter speed will create a brighter image.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Water Drop Photography

Water drop photography freezes the action of a drop of water, creating interesting
and artistic images. With water drop photography, you will want a small aperture,
something like f/11 or f/14, to keep the surface of the water in focus. Use a flash,
or a fast shutter speed such as 1/160 or faster to freeze the action.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
1.3.1 Getting the right the exposure

what is exposure: is the amount of light that is allowed into the image sensor.
When too much light falls on the image it is overexposed and when there is not
enough light, the image is consider underexposed. Exposed is controlled by
aperture and measured in f-stop. We getting right proper exposure when we use
those mode of exposure2. Exposure So what, exactly, is exposure? At the most
basic level, exposure is the amount of light that is allowed onto the image
sensor(s). When too much light falls on the imager, it is overexposed And when
there‘s not enough light, the image is considered underexposed. Underexposure
usually results in a dark or muddy-looking image, whereas overexposure causes
bright areas to turn white, or get ―blown out.‖ Properly exposed film or video
footage usually contains some areas of overexposure—usually reflective highlights
and bright whites. With film, overexposed images are easier to fix than
underexposed images because the brightness can be pulled down in the film lab.
However, with digital video, overexposure can cause many problems because
blown-out white areas contain no visual information. So, for digital video,
underexposure is preferable to overexposure. Of course, proper exposure is always
best of all.
Exposure is controlled by aperture and measured in f-stops.
The f-stop number is a ratio of the focal length of the lens to the diameter of the
aperture. They are digit which determine the opening of the aperture. The smaller
the number the big opening then more light enter the camera ,the big number the
small opening the small amount of light enter in the camera.
Understanding what is exposure on a camera and how photography exposure
works are the first and fundamental things you need to learn when taking your
first steps in digital photography, and it‘ll be the key to being successful when you
start shooting in manual mode.

EXPOSURE AND APERTURE

In a few words, aperture is the opening that determines how much light passes
through the camera lens to the sensor.
For this reason, exposure and aperture are completely related. If you use a
wider aperture, the camera lens will allow more light to reach the camera, and the
image will be brighter (more exposed). If, conversely, you close down your

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
aperture and block the amount of light that passes through the lens, the image will
be darker (less exposed).

E X P O S U R E A N D S HU T T E R S P E E D

Shutter speed is the length of time that the shutter of the camera remains open,
collecting light.
Exposure and shutter speed are also directly correlated. The longer you leave
the shutter of your camera open capturing light, the brighter the image will be, and
the quicker the shutter is opened and closed, the less light will hit the sensor, which
will result in a darker image.

EXPOSURE AND ISO

ISO is the amplification of the light captured by the camera sensor.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
The final exposure on your image and the ISO are completely related, even
though ISO is not a natural part of exposure.
The reason is because ISO works in an artificial way to brighten the light in the
image that has been already captured through the aperture and shutter speed.

Putting it simply, the higher the ISO, the brighter (and more exposed) your image
will be; the lower the ISO, the darker it will be, if the other settings are fixed.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Lens Focal Length
The most significant difference among lenses is their focal length. A lens is often
described in terms of its focal length (such as a 50mm lens) or its physical length
(short, medium, long). Technically, focal length is the distance between the lens‘s
rear
nodal point and the focal plane when the lens is focused on infinity (a far distance
from which light reaches the lens in more or less parallel rays).
The focal length controls magnification, or the size of the image formed by the
lens.
The longer the lens, you will find the size of objects in the image greater. A lens of
longer focal length bends light rays less than a short lens does (see Figure 4.1). The
longer the focal length, the less the rays are bent, the farther behind the lens the
image is focused, and the more the image is magnified (see Figure 4.2). The size of
the image increases in proportion to the focal length. If the subject remains at the
same distance from the lens, the image formed by a 50mm lens will be twice as big
as that from a 25mm lens.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
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1.3.2 Shutter delay

By far the biggest problem with consumer-level digital cameras is the delay.
Unlike
most film cameras, some consumer digital cameras have a significant delay when
you depress the shutter . When you take a picture with fixed-focus
35mm film cameras, the picture is taken immediately. This isn‘t always the case
with digital cameras. It may take several seconds before the camera can capture the
image because the camera must perform the following actions:
■ Autofocus on the subject.
■ Open the shutter when autofocus is finished to expose the sensor to light.
■ Accumulate enough charge on the sensor.
■ Close the shutter.

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Automatic Focus
Automatic focus (AF) does the focusing for you. In the simplest designs, you push
the shutter-release button and the lens snaps the image into focus. The camera
adjusts the lens to focus sharply on whatever object is at the center of the
viewfinder
within the focusing brackets. This type of autofocus works well in situations where
the main subject is—and stays—in the middle of the picture. The camera will
display
a confirmation light when it has focused, but the light does not assure that the
picture will be sharp overall.
If your subject is not within the focusing brackets, you can use autofocus lock to
make it sharp:
1. Frame the subject within the focusing brackets.
2. To temporarily lock in the focus, press the shutter release button halfway down.
3. Keeping the shutter partially pressed, reframe the scene (move the subject out
of the center), then press the shutter release button all the way down.
Wide-area focus systems provide more elaborate electronics. The viewfinder
displays
several focusing brackets. By rotating a dial or thumbwheel on the camera, you
select
Catadioptrics aren‘t as sharp as high-quality telephotos.
Most professionals use a telephoto and a tele-extender when they need extreme
telephoto capabilities.

Begin panning before a fast moving Subject is in front of you. This is always
preferable
to playing catch-up. a bracket that covers the subject you want to be sharp. When
you press the shutter, the camera focuses on the selected area. This feature allows
you to maintain your
framing without autofocus locking and reframing each picture. It also allows you
to shoot fast-moving subjects that are not in the center of the frame

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WHITE BALANCE

White balance is a function on camera which helps to set the electronics of the
camera so that they see colors accurately. Each time you change the environment
or condition of the light the white balance need also to set. White balance (WB) is
the process of removing unrealistic colour casts, so that objects which appear white
in person eyes are rendered white in your photo. Proper camera white balance has
to take into account the "colour temperature" of a light source, which refers to the
relative warmth or coolness of white light. Our eyes are very good at judging what
is white under different light sources, but digital cameras often have great
difficulty with auto white balance (AWB) — and can create unsightly blue, orange,
or even green colour casts. Understanding digital white balance can help you avoid
these colour casts, thereby improving your photos under a wider range of lighting
conditions.

Colour temperature describes the spectrum of light which is radiated from a


"blackbody" with that surface temperature. A blackbody is an object which absorbs
all incident light — neither reflecting it nor allowing it to pass through. A rough
analogue of blackbody radiation in our day to day experience might be in heating a
metal or stone: these are said to become "red hot" when they attain one
temperature, and then "white hot" for even higher temperatures. Similarly,
blackbodies at different temperatures also have varying colour temperatures of
"white light." Despite its name, light which may appear white does not necessarily
contain an even distribution of colours across the visible spectrum:
Relative intensity has been normalized for each temperature (in Kelvins).
Note how 5000 K produces roughly neutral light, whereas 3000 K and 9000 K
produce light spectrums which shift to contain more orange and blue wavelengths,
respectively. As the colour temperature rises, the colour distribution becomes
cooler. This may not seem intuitive, but results from the fact that shorter
wavelengths contain light of higher energy.
Why is colour temperature a useful description of light for photographers, if they
never deal with true blackbodies? Fortunately, light sources such as daylight and
tungsten bulbs closely mimic the distribution of light created by blackbodies,
although others such as fluorescent and most commercial lighting depart from
blackbodies significantly. Since photographers never use the term colour
temperature to refer to a true blackbody light source, the term is implied to be a
"correlated colour temperature" with a similarly coloured blackbody. The

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following table is a rule-of-thumb guide to the correlated colour temperature of
some common light sources:
Colour Temperature Light Source
1000-2000 K Candlelight
2500-3500 K Tungsten Bulb (household variety)
3000-4000 K Sunrise/Sunset (clear sky)
4000-5000 K Fluorescent Lamps
5000-5500 K Electronic Flash
5000-6500 K Daylight with Clear Sky (sun overhead)
6500-8000 K Moderately Overcast Sky
9000-10000 K Shade or Heavily Overcast Sky
Some camera come with built in white balance ( day light ,fluorescent,
incandescent, bulb, tungsten) and have a feature of auto white balance but it is
always recommended that you use white balance manually.

1.3.2 COMPOSITION
The composition is made of :
FRAMING

THE ILLUSION OF DEPTH

THE SUBJECT OR OBJECT WITHIN THE FRAME.

The Rule of Thirds


The rule of thirds starts by dividing the frame into thirds (Figure 3.25). The rule of
thirds proposes that a useful approximate starting point for any compositional
grouping is to place major points of interest
in the scene on any of the four intersections of the interior lines. It is a simple but
effective rough guideline for any frame composition. The rule of thirds has been
used by artists for centuries.

Basic Rules of Composition for People


When it comes to people there are some other framing principals that
are important to observe.
Headroom
Certain principles apply particularly to photographing people,
particularly in a medium shot or close-up. First is headroom — the
amount of space above the head. Too much headroom makes the
figure seem to be lost in the frame (Figure 3.27). Headroom is also

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wasted compositionally as it is often just sky or empty wall. It adds
no information to the shot and may draw the eye away from the
central subject. The convention is to leave the least amount of headroom
that doesn‘t make the head seem to be crammed against the top
of the frame (Figure 3.29). As the close-up gets bigger, it becomes
permissible to leave even less headroom. Once the shot becomes a
choker, you can even give the character a ―haircut,‖ and bring the
top of the frame down to the forehead but not as in Figure 3.28,
which is too wide a shot for a haircut. The idea is simply that the
forehead and hair convey less information than the lower part of
the face and neck. A head shot cut off above the eyebrows seems
perfectly normal. A shot that shows the top of the head but cuts off
the chin and mouth would seem very odd.

A well composed shot

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A big head room which makes this picture unacceptable.

Look Room
Look room (also called looking room or nose room) is the empty space that we
have provided within the frame, between the talent‘s eyes and the edge of the
frame opposite the face. It is this empty area, or ― negative space ‖ that helps
balance out this new frame where the weight of the object (the talent‘s head)
occupies frame left and the weight of the empty space occupies frame right. In this
case, the word ―weight‖
Really implies a visual mass whether it is an actual object, such as a head, or an
empty space, such as the void filling frame right.
Placing head on frame left allows the talent to look across the empty space.

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No look room creates a void crying out to be filled.

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What if we moved the head to the opposite side of the screen but kept the face and
eyes looking in the current direction
The look room for this framing is severely cut off on frame right and we have a
large, empty space on frame left. Our weighted objects — the head and the void —
still exist, but their placement just does not feel correct. The actor‘s face is too
close to the near ― wall ‖ of the frame, making it look congested, claustrophobic,
and trapped. Also, one gets the sense that the empty space occupying the majority
of frame left is crying out to be filled with someone or something. That negative
space behind the head can imply negative feelings of suspense, dread,
vulnerability, and so on and unless that is your
Creative intention, it would be best to not frame the actor this way.

With the head at the center of the frame is not wrong, mind You; it is just not
always as visually interesting to keep your objects of interest at the center of the
frame. That may work well for still photographic portraiture, but it lacks a certain
punch for motion picture imagery. You will become quite adept at placing
important objects on one side of the frame or the other over time.

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THE RULE OF THIRDS

The rule of third is the basic rule of composition. This guideline give you the idea
on where to place your subject within the frame. Though your tendency may be to
position your subject dead center on the screen, the rule of thirds will give
you a more compelling picture.
First imagine that the two vertical and two horizontal lines divide your viewfinder
into thirds. The rule of third suggest that the main subject in your shot should fall
on one of the points where these imaginary lines intersect. The resulting image will
be much stronger than if you simply place your subject in the crosshairs.

Frame markings along the 1/3 lines inside a 16:9 frame and a 4:3 frame.

Talent placed along the vertical 1/3 line.as the rule of third suggest.

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Back of talent‟s head is too close to frame left, breaking the frame edge .

Cutting the face in half may be considered “artsy” or “experimental” so


beware.

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LEARNING UNIT TWO: PREVIEW AND EXPERIMENT WITH IMAGE
CAPTURE

2.1 operation of digital camera according to manufacturer specifications

2.1.1 interpret the camera manuals

Shooting Menu

Many of the functions in the shooting menu, such as white balance, ISO, and file
mode (and image size), can be adjusted using external dials on the camera, where
it‘s far quicker and easier to operate them.
In the shooting menu you will also find functions to deal with excessive noise. It is
worth learning how these work in relation to high ISO settings and long-time
exposures so that you can apply them when appropriate to minimize the negative
effects of noise on image
quality.
Elsewhere in the shooting menu there are several menu options that fall under the
category of image optimization tools. If you shoot exclusively in RAW mode, then
how these options are set is largely irrelevant, as they more than likely will be
overwritten during in-computer RAW conversion. However, when shooting in
JPEG (or TIFF) mode in-camera, it is important to set the image optimization
values according to conditions and how you want the image to appear in print, as
these are the values used by the camera for image processing. Once they are
applied, it takes a considerable amount of time and effort in front of a computer to
undo or change the effects of these settings, with the added disadvantage that
reprocessing JPEG or TIFF fi les is a more destructive form of processing than that
applied during RAW conversion. Image Optimization Settings Although the extent
of available image optimization settings varies between the make and model of
camera, the main options are common across all DSLR cameras. These are:
1. Color space
2. Color mode
3. Tone
4. Saturation
5. Hue

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6. Sharpening Color Space

The color space option selects between Adobe RGB and sRGB and informs the
camera‘s processor of the range in which the color values recorded from the scene
should be placed. Of the two, the sRGB color space has the narrower range of
colors. It is considered the ideal standard when uploading image fi les to the
Internet for Web viewing, as it approximates the range of colors that can be
displayed by the most common computer monitors and is, therefore, likely to
reproduce colors more accurately across the thousands of different monitors on
which your photographic images are likely to be viewed via the Internet.

Tip : When shooting in RAW mode, color space can be altered during the RAW
conversion process without affecting the quality of the data recorded.

However, for reprographic print requirements (i.e., professional photography), the


Adobe RGB color space is the better option. Adobe RGB, designed by Adobe
Systems (makers of Photoshop), has a color range (gamut) much wider than that
of the sRGB space, and encompasses most of the colors achievable on a CMYK
printer.

2.1.2 step-by-step instructions of digital camera

Requirements For Buying Camera

Knowing what to look in camera is a great tool to achieve when purchasing a


camera. However, in this days where the image quality is highly recommended
they are certain must have features to look in camera
- Record high definition
-Recording on media card (SD, compact flash card, p2 card and other
-manual control (focus, exposure, white balance, shutter speed, ND filters, gain
and others.
However, they are some other feature which is not a must to have but it is highly
recommended to have them on camera
-XLR audio inputs and out puts
- Zebra stripe to judge exposure
- Big imaging chip
-Peaking to help focus

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2.2 Set Digital Camera Preferences and use Photographic Techniques To
Achieve Desired Results

2.2 How to Hold a Digital Camera

How to hold your DSLR camera? It's pretty obvious: You pick it up with the lens pointing
away from you, put your eye to the viewfinder and press the shutter button. Couldn't be
simpler, right? Well, yes and no. Doing the above will certainly get a picture, but the way
you hold your camera can help ensure you get a good picture.
Blur is caused by the movement of either the subject or the camera. Subject movement
is something we really can't control, although adjusting the shutter speed can give us
some control over how subject movement is captured. Camera movement, however, is
something we can control. Short of using a tripod or a VR, image-stabilized NIKKOR
lens, holding the camera properly is the best way to avoid a blurry picture.
You need to hold the camera as steady as possible. Hold the camera's handgrip in your
right hand and cradle the camera body or lens with your left. Keep your elbows propped
lightly against your torso for support and place one foot half a pace ahead of the other
to keep your upper body stable. This is a steadier position than holding the camera
away from your face.

Use your left hand to cradle the lens, so that it's helping to support the weight
of the camera. The added weight of a digital SLR can also help to steady the
camera. Wrapping your left hand over the top of the lens makes it less stable
and more likely that you'll move the camera while shooting. When you're ready
to take the picture, press the shutter release button halfway to focus. When
focus is complete, the selected focus point or points will be briefly highlighted.
Smoothly press the shutter release button the rest of the way down to release
the shutter and record a photograph. Try these suggestions and you may see
less blur and more sharp, in-focus pictures.

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If it's windy or your shutter speed's getting slow (1/100 or lower) try to find
something to lean your body against, like a tree or a pole. You can also place
your elbows on a low wall or table. You may not always have a tripod with you,
but you have a bipod—yourself. Do everything you can to be as solid a platform
as possible for your camera, and it will reward you with sharper pictures.

2.2.1 Digital Camera Modes

Camera Exposure mode determines how much control the photographer has over
the two main tools of exposure—lens aperture and shutter speed. Most current
DSLR cameras have four main exposure modes:
program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual. All modes work slightly
differently, but they all achieve the same end, which is to control exposure.
(Manufacturers refer to these modes in different ways. Typically, they will be
labeled P for program mode, A or Av for aperture-priority mode, or TV for
shutter-priority mode , and M for manual mode.)
Some DSLR cameras provide arrange of variable program modes suitable for
photographing different types of subject. Even so, they should be used with caution
, if at all.
Program Mode: In program mode, the camera determines both lens aperture and
shutter speed.
While this has advantages for basic point-and-shoot photography, it is of no use
for anyone serious about mastering the skills of photography. Another
disadvantage of program mode is that in this setting many existing cameras also set
ISO and white balance automatically , leaving no control to the photographer
Aperture Priority
When aperture-priority auto mode is selected, the user sets the lens aperture and
the camera sets an appropriate shutter speed.
ISO and white balance are also set manually. By controlling lens aperture, the user
determines the extent of depth of
field, that is, the area of the scene in front of and behind the point of focus that
appears sharp.

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Shutter Priority
In shutter-priority auto mode, the user selects the shutter speed and the camera sets
an appropriate lens aperture (again based on the meter reading). As with aperture-
priority mode, ISO and white balance are set manually. Shutter speed determines
how motion appears in a scene.
A fast shutter speed (relative to the subject) will freeze the appearance of motion,
revealing subject detail. At (relatively) slow shutter speeds, the appearance of
motion is blurred, creating a sense of motion.
Manual Exposure Mode Manual Exposure Controls When you take a picture,
three camera components affect exposure:
• Aperture The aperture is an iris in the lens that can be adjusted in size to control
how much light enters through the lens. Aperture size is represented by f-numbers
and written with the letter f followed by a slash and the f-number—for example
f/2.8. The higher the f-number, the smaller the aperture size. The aperture settings
themselves are referred to as f-stops.
• Shutter speed The shutter is like a window shade behind the camera lens. When
you take a picture, the shutter opens briefly to allow light to enter through the lens
and strike the camera‗s image sensor. Shutter speed refers to how long the shutter
remains open. The slower the shutter speed, the more light the sensor soaks up.
• ISO rating ISO ratings are used to indicate the light sensitivity of the image
sensor. The higher the ISO number, the greater the light sensitivity and the less
light is required to expose the image. If you‗re used to working with auto exposure
cameras, you may not be aware that being able to set aperture and shutter speed
manually gives you creative control over more than just how light or dark your
picture appears. Aperture affects depth of field, which is the range of distance in
the picture that‗s in sharp focus. Shutter speed determines whether a moving
subject appears frozen in time or blurred.
When the camera is set to manual exposure mode, the user controls both lens
aperture and shutter speed.

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2.2.2 Shutter Release Technique

If you're going to release the shutter on your camera with your finger, there are a few
important steps to follow. As I've mentioned above, you should already have a stable
stance, assisted by a tripod or monopod if necessary, and if you're hand-holding the
camera your upper arms or elbows should be braced against your body or a stable
object. If you're focusing manually, do that before you start the release. Now, let's take
the release a step at a time:

1. Hold your breath: Just before you press the button, inhale normally and hold your
breath. Don't do this for more than a second or two or you'll defeat the purpose.
2. Activate the autofocus: If you're shooting in autofocus mode, smoothly press the
button halfway and pause until focus is achieved. This can take longer than you might
think in many cases, and while the lens is focusing, parts are moving, internally or
externally. This is also when many cameras do their metering and set aperture and/or
shutter speed if you're not shooting in manual mode. Wait for the confirmation in the
viewfinder and/or the "beep" that indicates the camera is ready.
3. Activate the shutter: When step 2 is complete, smoothly press the release button fully.
4. Hold it: Keep the button depressed until you hear the shutter close. On a DSLR, the
mirror drop will make this fairly obvious, while you may need to listen more closely with
other cameras. By keeping the button depressed until you know the shutter is closed,
you avoid the possibility of moving the camera when relaxing your finger. Of course, if
you're shooting in a multi-frame mode, you'll want to release the button when you have
enough exposures. If you're shooting in bulb (B) mode, you shouldn't be holding the
camera.
5. Release the button: Don't just let go of the button. Try to remember to release it as
smoothly as you pressed it. This will prepare you and set the timing for another shutter
release if you want to fire off another shot quickly.

Now, regardless of how well and often you practice this advice, there will be times when
movement is unavoidable. That's when you fall back on common sense, which tells us
to:

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1. Keep the shutter speed as high as possible. The longer the shutter is open, the
more likely it is that motion blur will occur.
2. Use a tripod, monopod or other stabilizing device.
3. Use a remote shutter release. The best way to avoid shaking the camera is to
keep your hands off of it.

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Shooting with Servo

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2.2.3 Using Focal Lock

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Using Focal Lock

This is where focus lock comes in. To use it, point your camera at the subject and
half press the shutter button. You should hear a beep and see a light come on in the
viewfinder to let you know the camera has focused. The focus will now remain locked
while your finger is still holding the shutter button half down.

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Autofocus is a fantastic invention which has simplified photography and
greatly reduced the chances of ending up with a blurry image. However, it isn't
perfect, and there are times when you'll need to give your camera a helping
hand to get a sharp picture.

Focus lock is a handy tool for doing just that. It allows you to focus on the
most important part of your scene and then hold that focus while you
recompose the shot, ensuring your final image has the correct parts in focus.

There are a couple of different ways to use focus lock, depending on the
situation.

Locking Focus for a Single Shot

This is the most common use of focus lock, and the simplest to perform. It's
useful for shots like the following, where you have a subject placed off-centre
in the frame, in front of a distant background.

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If you compose your shot like this and focus as normal, your camera will try to
guess what needs to be sharp. Most cameras consider the centre of the
picture to be the most important part, and focus on it. This will result in the
background being sharp, but the woman in the foreground being blurry.

If we focused normally, the woman would be blurry.

Clearly this isn't what we want; we want the woman to be in focus seeing as
she's the most important part of the shot. This is where focus lock comes in.

To use it, point your camera at the subject and half press the shutter button.
You should hear a beep and see a light come on in the viewfinder to let you
know the camera has focused. The focus will now remain locked while your
finger is still holding the shutter button half down.

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Centre the subject in the frame and focus on them, then hold the shutter
button half down to maintain that focus distance.

With the focus locked you can now recompose your shot before taking the
final photo. In our example image, we'd bring the camera back to the
composition we want and press the shutter button down fully. This would
leave us with the same picture before, but with the woman rather than the
background in focus.

Focus Locking for Multiple Photos

If you want to take several photos all with the same focus distance, normal
focus lock won't work because it doesn't "remember" its settings between
photos. However, if you own a digital SLR there's a simple trick you can use to
keep your focus constant for as long as you'd like.

Start by focusing your scene using your camera's autofocus as normal. Once
you're happy, flick your lens into manual focus mode (most lenses have a

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switch on the side). This disables the autofocus feature and keeps the focus
distance fixed where it is, ensuring that all shots are focused the same. When
you're done, simply switch back to autofocus mode.

Taking Sharp Digital Images

If you want to capture sharp images consistently, then you’ve come to the right place.

Because while achieving clean, crisp, sharp photos may seem difficult, it’s actually pretty easy – once
you know the right techniques. And that’s what I’ll share in this article, today: my top 11 best tips,
techniques, and secrets for sharper images.

So whether you’re a beginner struggling to deal with blur, or an experienced photographer looking for
that extra bit of crispness, read on!

1. Hold your camera correctly


What’s the number one most common cause of image blur?
Camera shake.
When you press the shutter button, if your camera is moving even imperceptibly, you
may end up with a blurry photo. This is especially true when shooting with telephoto
lenses, at high magnifications, or in low light.
That’s why, if you’re looking to take sharper photos, you should brush up on your
handholding technique. Grip your camera in one hand and cup a second hand under
the lens. Keep the camera close to your body, keep your elbows tight, and – when
possible – support yourself with a wall, a tree, or another solid object.
Also, make sure to press the shutter button gently; don’t punch at it.

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Proper handholding technique will provide a major increase in
sharpness, but it’s not foolproof. If you shoot in low light, you may struggle to
get sharp handheld shots, which is where my next tip comes in handy:

2. Use a tripod
If sharp photos are your goal, then using a tripod is the absolute best thing you can do
for yourself.
You’ll need to buy a sturdy tripod, though; a cheap, plasticky model will offer limited
gains (and may even increase the blur, depending on other factors).
If you’re shooting long exposures at night, then a tripod is essential. I’d also recommend
taking a tripod for most landscape photography, as well as situations where you’re using
a long lens.

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Before grabbing your tripod, though, ask yourself: Is it really practical to bring
this with me? If your tripod is relatively heavy and you’re going on a long hike
or traveling by plane, you may be better off without it. (Pro tip: If you like to do
photography while traveling, invest in a good travel tripod. They’re
sturdy and compact!)

3. Select a fast shutter speed


Here’s another major culprit of blurry photos:
A too-slow shutter speed.
You see, the shutter speed refers to the length of time the camera sensor is exposed to
the light. And if the shutter speed is too long, elements of your image will have time to
move (and your setup will have time to shake, as well).
If you’re using a tripod and your subject is stationary (e.g., a desert landscape), you
generally don’t need to worry about using a fast shutter speed. But if you’re handholding
your camera or you’re hoping to freeze fast action, then a fast shutter speed is
essential.

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How do you pick the right shutter speed for tack-sharp images? If your subject
is stationary, use the reciprocal “rule” for handholding:
Your shutter speed should be faster than the lens’s focal length.
So if your lens is 50mm, then shoot at 1/50s or above. If your lens is 100mm, then shoot
at 1/100s and above. If your lens is 200mm, then shoot at 1/200s and above. Make
sense?
The rule isn’t perfect, and I recommend choosing your shutter speed conservatively (a
too-fast shutter speed is rarely harmful). In particular, you’ll need to err on the side of
caution when using a long lens, shooting at high magnifications, or shooting with an
unstable foundation (e.g., you’re standing on a chair).
Keep in mind that you cannot choose your shutter speed in isolation. If you increase the
shutter speed, your images will turn out darker – unless you increase the ISO or widen
the aperture to balance out the exposure.

4. Choose a narrow aperture


Aperture impacts the depth of field (the window of focus) in your images. And another
reason for a blurry shot is either missed focus or a too-thin depth of field.
Now, by narrowing your aperture, you’ll increase the window of focus in your images.
An aperture of f/16 may keep the entire scene sharp (depending on various factors,

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including your lens’s focal length). Whereas an aperture of f/2.8 will generally give a tiny
window of sharpness.
So if your images are blurry because the depth of field is too thin, just dial in an aperture
of f/8, f/11, or even f/16, and you should see a significant increase in sharpness.
Technically, if your images are blurry because you missed focus, you should work on
your focusing technique (as I discuss below). But by narrowing the aperture (and
consequently deepening the depth of field), you can give yourself a bit of extra leeway
when shooting.
Note that narrowing the aperture will also darken the image, so you’ll need to keep an
eye on your exposure as you make adjustments. You can compensate by lowering the
shutter speed or raising the ISO, but these have significant consequences, as I explain
throughout this article.

5. Keep your ISO as low as possible


In several of the above tips, I’ve discussed the possibility of raising your ISO for a
brighter exposure – and in certain cases, this is a good idea. A high ISO will increase
the image exposure so you get a detailed photo.

6. Turn on your image stabilization


Many cameras and lenses offer image stabilization, which is designed to cleverly
counteract camera shake.
So if your equipment has this option, use it. Image stabilization certainly isn’t perfect,
but it’ll let you handhold at very slow shutter speeds, especially if you’re using top-of-
the-line image-stabilized equipment. In some low-light situations, you can even get
away without using a tripod.
Keep in mind that image stabilization helps with camera movement but not subject
movement – so if you’re shooting low-light action, it won’t offer improved sharpness
(though a few lenses do offer sharpness gains when panning in low light; for more
details, consult your lens manual).
And one more thing:
If you mount your camera to a tripod and drop the shutter speed below 1/80s or so, then
turn off image stabilization. You won’t need the stabilization – your tripod will keep your
pictures sharp – and active image stabilization on a rock-solid base can actually
increase blur.

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7. Improve your focusing technique (and use
the right settings)
If you often find that the wrong part of your photo is sharp, then you’re dealing with a
focusing issue.
First, I’d recommend checking your focusing settings. When photographing stationary
subjects, make sure your camera is set to AF-S (One-Shot AF on Canon). And when
photographing moving subjects, set your camera to AF-C (AI-Servo on Canon).
Also, adjust your focusing points. The best choice will depend on the scenario, but a
single-point setting generally works for still subjects, while a group of AF points or some
form of AF tracking is better for moving subjects.
When focusing on fast-moving subjects, make sure to look through the viewfinder, not
the LCD. And pan your camera along with the subjects (and continue to pan, even after
you’ve hit the shutter button).
When focusing on stationary subjects, it’s often best to use the focus-and-recompose
technique, where you grab focus on your area of interest, continue to half-press the
shutter button (this will lock focus), then recompose until you get the result you want.
Only then should you press the shutter button down the rest of the way.
Pro tip: If you’re photographing a subject in near darkness or up close and your lens
keeps missing focus, just switch over to manual focus. Then carefully adjust the point of
focus using the focus ring on the lens barrel. Sure, it’s a slower technique, but at least it
gets the job done!

8. Make sure your lenses are sharp


This one is for DSLR and mirrorless owners:
Invest in the best lenses you can afford, because they can majorly impact image
sharpness.
Kit zooms (such as the 18-55mm glass that’s often bundled with beginner cameras)
tend to be on the soft side, especially compared to pro-level lenses offered by major
lens manufacturers.
If you don’t have a big budget but you want to upgrade your lenses, check out fixed-
focal-length options (called primes). These tend to cost very little, yet the image quality
is outstanding.

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9. Get your eyes checked
It may surprise you, but poor vision can decrease image sharpness, too! You may fail to
acquire perfect focus, you may accidentally focus in the wrong place, or you might not
notice if your lens has a focusing problem.
So get your eyes checked! I recently got mine tested for the first time in a number of
years, and I was surprised to find that they’d deteriorated significantly. Getting new
glasses improved a number of areas of my life, one of which was my photography.

10. Clean your equipment


Over time, your lenses will pick up dirt, dust, smudges, fingerprints, and various other
items – all of which can decrease sharpness.
So purchase a camera cleaning kit (you can buy them on Amazon for just a few dollars),
then dedicate an hour or so to cleaning all your lenses. You’ll need to work carefully,
because bad cleaning technique can permanently scratch or stain your lens elements.
Similarly, if you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, dust can get into the sensor and
cause unwanted blotches. I’d recommend letting professionals handle a sensor clean –
it can be damaging when done wrong – but if you’ve noticed unpleasant spots all across
your pictures, then it might be time to get one done.

11. Use your lens’s aperture sweet spot


As you adjust your lens’s aperture, the image will become softer and sharper depending
on the setting.
Wide apertures, such as f/2.8, tend to be softer, whereas the “sweet spot” range is
generally around f/8. (Go too narrow, and you’ll start to see softening due to diffraction,
so I’d recommend stopping before f/13 or so.)

B E S T C A ME R A S E T T IN GS IN P H O T OG R A P HY
In a nutshell, these are the best basic camera settings in photography:
1. Aperture: f/1.8-f/5.6 in low light or for a narrower depth of field, and f/8-f/16
for a wider DoF
2. Shutter Speed: From 30 seconds to 1/4000th of a second depending on the scene
3. ISO: 100-3200 in entry-level cameras, and 100-6400 in more advanced cameras
4. Camera Mode: Manual camera mode or Aperture-priority mode
5. Metering Mode: Matrix/Multi/Evaluative depending on your camera model
6. Focus Mode: AF-S for stills and AF-C for moving subjects

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7. Focus Area: Single-point for stills and Dynamic/Zone for moving subjects
8. White Balance: Automatic WB
9. File Format: Raw File (or JPEG if you don‘t want to edit your pictures)
10. Drive Mode: Single shooting for stills and continuous for moving subjects
11. Long exposure noise reduction: Off
12. High ISO noise reduction: Off
13. Color Space: sRGB
14. Image stabilization: On when shooting handheld and Off when shooting from a
tripod
15. HDR/DRO: Off
Below, you‘ll find all the camera settings explained along with the ideal camera
settings depending on the genre and subject that you‘re shooting.
We‘ll start with the basic exposure camera settings, and then move into
other important photography settings.

As mentioned above, for a better understanding of the photography camera


settings and to learn how to adjust them, I highly recommend reading the specific
camera setting article that you‘ll find in each section!

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1 . A PE R T U R E – T HE F IR ST B A S IC C A ME R A SE T T IN G
The aperture is one of the most important photography settings, and one of
the basic camera settings for beginners.

1. Aperture setting on camera


WH A T IS TH E A P E R TU R E C A ME R A SE T T IN G?
Simply put, the aperture is the opening of the camera lens, which affects the
amount of light that passes through the lens to the sensor. For this reason, this
camera setting has a direct impact on the exposure of the image, and it‘s critical to
the depth of field, sharpness, and final look of the image.
The maximum and minimum aperture is determined by a number popularly known
as F-stop value, which follows a sequence like this (The smaller the number, the
larger the aperture and vice versa):

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B E S T A P E R TU R E C A ME R A S E T T IN GS
In your aperture camera settings; when you want to have a large portion of the
scene in focus (big depth of field), you should use a narrow aperture, that is, an
aperture between f/8 and f/16. A good example of a narrow aperture is landscape
photography; I usually shoot my landscapes between f/8 and f/11.
If, conversely, your goal is to have a small portion of the scene in focus while
blurring some areas of the image, or if you‘re shooting in low-light, you should
aim at a wide aperture from the max. opening of your lens like f/2.8 down to
f/5.6. Examples of this are portrait and night photography.
H O W TO C H A N GE T H E A P E R T U R E SE T T IN G O N C A M E R A

In most cameras, the aperture dial is at the top right of the camera body, either in
the front or rear dial.
APERTURE GUIDE
2 . S HU T T E R S P E E D – A N E S SE N T IA L P H OT O GR A P HY
S E T T IN G T O C A PT U R E MO T I ON
Shutter speed is another fundamental setting on camera that‘s also related to the
main exposure camera settings.

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2. Shutter Speed camera setting

WH A T IS TH E S H U T T E R SP E E D C A ME R A SE T T IN G?
In short, shutter speed is the length of time that the camera shutter is open and
capturing light. The shutter speed camera setting plays a key role in exposure and
it has two important effects: Motion and shakiness.
Shutter speed is measured in seconds and fractions of a second. Following this
sequence, the higher the number, the longer the exposure time:

B E S T S H U T TE R S P E E D C A M E R A SE T T IN GS
Regarding shutter speed camera settings, when you want to capture motion like
in long exposure photography or want to shoot in low-light like in night
photography, you should use a slower shutter speed, generally from 1/60th of a
second up to several minutes. This photography setting is usually limited to 30‖ in
most cameras, so to increase this time, you‘ll need to use the Bulb mode camera
setting and a shutter release. As an example, my camera settings for Milky Way
photography in terms of shutter speed is usually between 15-25 seconds.
On the other hand, when you want to freeze motion, you should aim for a fast
shutter speed, generally between 1/60th and the minimum shutter speed setting of
your camera, which is usually 1/4000th of a second. A good camera setting
example of this are action shots, like in wildlife or sports photography.
H O W T O C H A N GE T H E SH U T T E R SPE E D SE T T IN G O N
C A ME R A

In most cameras, the shutter speed dial is at the top right of the camera body,
either in the front or rear dial.
GUIDE TO SHUTTER SPEED
3 . I S O – A KE Y S E T T IN G O N C A ME R A
ISO is the last exposure triangle setting and possibly the most difficult camera
setting for beginners.

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3. ISO photography setting

WH A T IS TH E IS O C A ME R A S E T T IN G?
In brief, ISO increases the light information captured by the camera sensor. The
ISO directly affects the exposure and the digital noise, so it‘s also a critical
camera setting to avoid digital noise.
ISO in photography is measured in a range of ―ISO levels‖, which follows a
sequence like this: (the higher the number, the higher the ISO, amount of light, and
digital noise):

B E S T IS O C A M E R A S E T T IN GS
The ideal ISO camera setting depends on the camera sensor size and other
factors like the type of photography.

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When you‘re shooting under good light conditions, you should use a low ISO
setting. ISO values from ISO 100-ISO 400 are considered low ISOs.
However, in those situations where there‘s not much light available or you need to
increase the shutter speed, you‘ll most likely have to set a high ISO setting,
usually between ISO 800 and ISO 6400. You should set the max. ISO according to
your camera. A good reference point is ISO 3200 for entry-level cameras and ISO
6400 for more advanced cameras.
To see an example, the ISO photo setting for the Northern Lights will be higher
compared to the ISO camera setting for shooting in broad sunlight.
H O W TO C H A N GE T H E IS O S E T T IN G O N C A ME R A

The placement of the ISO setting button completely changes from camera to
camera, but most models include a direct button to change it. I recommend
checking your camera manual if you‘re not sure where the ISO is on your camera
wheel.
ISO IN PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE
4 . C A ME R A M OD E S – T HE MA IN C A ME R A W HE E L
Once you know the three basic camera settings, now it‘s time to learn how to
change the camera settings for exposure.

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4. Camera Modes settings
WH A T A R E T H E C A ME R A M O D E S E T T IN GS ?
Briefly, camera modes are controls that let you set the main photo settings of
aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in order to get the best exposure in a photograph.
You‘ve probably heard before that the best dslr or mirrorless basic
settings require a fully manual control in-camera. While this is true to some extent,
you can also benefit from using any of the semi-automated or priority modes.
These are the main camera modes photography settings:
 Program Camera Mode (“P Mode”): Using this mode, your camera
automatically sets the aperture and shutter speed.
 Shutter-Priority Mode (“S/Tv Mode”): In this mode, you set the shutter speed
and the camera sets the aperture.
 Aperture-Priority Mode (“A/Av Mode”): You set the aperture and the camera
adjusts the shutter speed.
 Manual Camera Mode (M): Using this mode, you choose all the camera
settings.

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B E S T C A ME R A MO D E S E T T IN GS
Program shooting mode is a basic camera setting for beginners and
for shooting challenging subjects where it‘ difficult to determine the best settings.
Once you start feeling more comfortable with your camera settings, you‘ll most
likely want to jump into any of the other camera modes.
Shutter-Priority is aimed at those cases where you know the minimum shutter
speed you need to freeze the movement of the subject, like for shooting birds in
flight, in sports photography, or when shooting from an airplane.
The aperture-priority camera setting is useful in a wide range of scenarios. Once
you know the aperture you need, like a narrow aperture for landscapes or a wide
aperture for portraits, this mode will make things easier for you. It‘s also a very
common mode for shooting wildlife.
Manual is the ultimate mode, and the camera setting beginners find more
daunting. You can use it in many situations, like in landscape, panoramas, night &
astrophotography, etc.
If you want to make the most of your camera wheels and nail the exposure, I‘d
recommend using either Manual camera mode or Aperture-Priority mode. My
camera setting mode is Manual 95% of the time, like when shooting the Milky
Way, Northern Lights, long exposures, etc.
H O W TO C H A N GE T H E C A M E R A MO D E SE T T IN G

All digital cameras allow you to change the camera mode using the main camera
wheel or dial placed on top of the camera body.

GUIDE TO CAMERA MODES


5 . ME T E R IN G M OD E S – T HE FU N D A ME N T A L C A M E R A
S E T T IN G T O M E A S U R E L I G H T
The last adjustment related to camera setting and exposure is the metering
mode.

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5. Metering Modes setting on camera
WH A T A R E T H E ME T E R IN G M O D E SE T T IN GS ?
In short, metering modes are the way your camera measures the light of the scene.
In digital cameras, this is done by using the exposure meter built into the camera
body.
Disregarding the camera mode, understanding how light metering works, and the
different metering modes is fundamental. Your camera settings for a sunny day
will be very different from your camera settings for astrophotography, and the way
you calculate the light will have a direct impact on the final exposure of your shot.
If you are shooting in one of the auto modes your camera has, the metering mode
will change the way your camera adjusts the settings. In case you‘re shooting on
manual, your reference to know if the photo will be correctly exposed is the expose
value (EV), which will change depending on the metering mode too.

These are the main camera metering mode settings:


 Multi/Matrix metering: Using this mode, the camera evaluates the light of the
entire scene, splitting the frame into different zones.

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 Center-weighted metering: The camera takes the center of the frame to
calculate the light of the scene.
 Spot metering: The camera uses a single focus point to calculate the light.
B E S T ME T E R IN G M O D E SE T T IN GS O N C A ME R A
Multi metering is the default mode in most digital cameras and will serve your
purpose in most situations.
The center-weighted camera setting comes in handy when your subject is in the
middle of the frame, like in a headshot portrait or in some wildlife shots.
You can set spot metering when your subject or the specific area of your subject
that you want to capture is very small, like the eyes in a portrait, a small bird in the
frame, or the moon against a dark sky.
My go-to camera settings related to metering modes are always Multi/Matrix
except in rare occasions where I use spot metering, like in my camera settings for
photographing the moon.
T H E E X P O S U R E C O M P E N S A T IO N C A ME R A WH E E L

The exposure compensation dial/button is also related to the camera metering


modes. Using this function, you can increase/decrease the light metering value in
your camera, letting the camera know you‘re interested in having an overexposed
or underexposed image.

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The exposure compensation camera wheel
You can adjust this camera setting when using any of the camera‘s automatic or
semiautomatic modes. It‘s a good way to help your camera in challenging light
situations, particularly when there‘s high contrast, such as in a snowy scene. It‘s
also helpful when capturing a scene according to your artistic vision.
H O W TO C H A N GE T H E C A M E R A ME T E R IN G M O D E SE T T IN G

Some advanced cameras include direct buttons to change the metering mode, but
in most cameras, you‘ll have to do it from the menu or functions button.
HOW TO C H A N GE THE E X PO SU R E C O MPE N SA T IO N
S E T T IN G

The exposure compensation can be changed either using a small button along
with any of the front/rear dials or using the specific exposure compensation dial if
your camera includes this wheel.
GUIDE TO METERING MODES

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6 . F OC U S C A ME R A S E T T IN GS – IM P O R T A N T C A ME R A
S E T T IN GS T O T A K E S HA R P P H O T OS
One of the basic camera settings for taking sharper images is to adjust the
different focus camera settings.
Generally, we can divide these camera settings into Manual focus mode
(M) or Autofocus Mode (AF) depending on the type of photography that we‘re
doing.
Regarding the Autofocus Modes, it‘s important to differentiate between
the camera focus Modes and focus areas:
Please note that the Nikon camera settings and Canon camera settings related to
focus are generally the same, but they have different names.
FO C U S MO D E S E T T IN GS

Focus modes are the tools to decide whether the camera locks or continues to
adjust focus once the focus button is pressed.

6. Focus Mode Camera setting


There are two main focus mode camera settings:

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 Single Autofocus Mode (AF-S/One-shot AF): Using this mode, the camera
locks the focus on the subject but if it moves, the camera won‘t adjust focus to
compensate. It‘s the best setting mode for still subjects (and one of the best
camera settings for landscape photography).
 Continuous Autofocus Mode (AF-C/AI-Servo): Using this mode, once you‘ve
locked your focus, your camera will try to track the subject when it moves within
the frame. It‘s the best setting mode for moving subjects, like in wildlife, sports,
and street photography.
FO C U S A R E A S E T T IN GS

Focus Area photography settings


As regards photo settings related to focus areas, these are the main modes to
choose:
 Single Point Area Mode (single-point AF/Manual AF Point): Using this
mode, you can select a single focus point. It‘s the best focus area for landscape,
still portraits, macrophotography, and architecture.

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 Dynamic Area Mode (Dynamic AF Area/AF Point expansion): Once your
focus point is selected, if your subject moves, the camera will use several focus
points to track it. It‘s the best for wildlife, sports, and street photography.
 Auto Area Mode (Auto AF Area/Automatic AF Point selection): The camera
automatically decides the focus points to use. It‘s the best for scenes where you
need to focus on something easy and close to the camera.
There are other good camera settings to learn related to focus areas, like EYE
Autofocus, but this will depend on your camera model.
H O W TO C H A N GE T H E FO C U S C A ME R A SE T T IN GS

The buttons and dials to change the camera focus settings vary from camera to
camera. In most entry-level cameras, you can do it from the menu while most
advanced cameras include direct buttons or customized buttons to do it.
GUIDE TO FOCUS MODES & AREAS
7 . W H IT E B A L A N C E – T HE I M P OR T A N C E OF THE
K E L V IN C A ME R A S E T T IN GS
Another basic (and easy) camera setting to learn is the white balance.

7. White Balance Camera setting

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WH A T IS TH E WH IT E BA LA N C E C A M E R A S E T T IN G?
In short, white balance is a photography setting to get the colors of your image
right without being affected by the color of the light source of the scene. The white
balance camera setting is key to keeping your images from taking a warm or cool
tone when they shouldn‘t, something also known as ―color cast‖.
White balance is closely related to color temperature, which is measured
in Kelvins or “K”. The higher the number in the scale, the cooler the color will be.
Regarding the white balance settings on camera, there are three main types:
 Automatic white balance (AWB): As the name says, the camera automatically
adjusts the best WB camera setting.
 White Balance Presets (Semi-Automatic White Balance): The camera offers
different preset modes related to different color temperatures.
 White balance manual camera setting (Custom white balance mode): You
can manually adjust the white balance by either setting a specific Kelvin number
or creating a custom white balance.
B E S T WH IT E BA L A N C E C A ME R A SE T T IN GS
AWB is the most popular and widely used white balance setting and the one set
by default in most digital cameras.
White Balance presets are the best for environments where a single type of light
dominates the scene.
Manual White Balance is one of the best camera settings at night and in situations
where the light can change, like when shooting panoramas. It‘s also a fundamental
camera setting in product photography to maximize color accuracy.
Unlike the previous camera settings, you can perfectly change your white balance
in post-processing as long as you shoot in Raw. My camera setting related to
white balance is in AUTO most of the time except when shooting in low-light or
panoramas.
H O W TO C H A N GE T H E WH IT E B A LA N C E PH O TO SE T T IN GS

This also varies from camera to camera, with most entry-level cameras including
this setting in the menu and most advanced cameras including direct or customized
buttons.

WHITE BALANCE GUIDE


8 . F IL E F O R MA T SE T T IN GS – A F U N D A M E N T A L
C A ME R A QU A L IT Y SE T T I N G
The best camera quality setting is related to the file format, and it‘s as simple
as Shoot in Raw!

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8. File format photo setting
Raw files contain much more information than JPEG, which is essential when you
edit your images and need to make the most of the color and dynamic range.

Some cameras offer the option of “compressed” and “uncompressed” Raw files.
If your camera model can compress the Raw without losing quality, then go for
this option. If there‘s any quality loss, I‘d recommend using the uncompressed
raw file camera setting option.
If you don‘t want to edit your photos later, you can also shoot in RAW + JPEG, but
bear in mind that your SD cards will fill up sooner.

HOW TO C H A N GE THE FI L E Q U A L IT Y S E T T IN GS ON
C A ME R A

In most cameras, you have to do it from the menu, even though some advanced
cameras allow you to change this with a direct button.

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9 . D R I V E M OD E – A B A S IC C A ME R A SE T T IN G F O R
B E G IN N E R S
Drive Modes are good camera settings to familiarize yourself with and use
depending on the type of subject that you‘re shooting.

9. Drive Mode Camera setting


WH A T A R E T H E D R IV E MO D E S C A ME R A SE T T IN GS ?
Simply put, drive modes are used to control the shooting frequency.
The main drive mode camera settings are:
 Single Shot: When you press the shutter, you‘ll take a single photo. It‘s a simple
mode and the best in most situations.
 Continuous/Burst Mode: When you press the shutter, your camera will take
several photos. The number of pictures that you can shoot in a burst will depend
on your camera model. Most advanced cameras also have the option to shoot a
low burst or a high burst depending on the subject.
 Shutter Delay: When you press the shutter, the camera will release the shutter
after a specific time like 2, 5, or 10 seconds.

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 Mirror Lock-up: Using this setting, the DSLR lifts the mirror to avoid
vibrations and issues like mirror slap. This is anexclusive DSLR camera
setting.
B E S T D R IV E MO D E C A ME R A SE T T IN GS
You can use Single-shot in most situations, and Continuous when you shoot
action like wildlife, sports, etc.
Shutter Delay is a very useful mode when shooting from a tripod. To avoid
vibrations and get sharper images, you can set a 2 or 5-second delay. It‘s the best
mode for shooting long exposure photography, landscapes, and night photography
without using a remote shutter. It‘s also a handy camera setting for selfies and
portraits where you want to include yourself in the frame.
Lastly, mirror lock-up is one of the best DSLR camera settings when you have
your camera on a tripod and you‘re using a slow shutter speed (usually slower than
1/60th of a second).
H O W TO C H A N GE T H E D R IV E MO D E

You can change this camera photography setting from your camera
menu/functions.
1 0. L ON G EXPOSURE N O ISE R E D U C T I ON – A
C ON T R O VE R S IA L P H OT O G R A P HY SE T T IN G
This is a somewhat controversial camera setting; some photographers use this
photo setting while others never use it.

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10. Long Exposure Noise Reduction setting

WH A T IS TH E LO N G E X PO SU R E N R C A ME R A SE T T I N G?
Using long exposure noise reduction, your camera will process some noise
reduction in your file.
The main downside of this basic camera setting is that you won‟t be able to
operate your camera while it‘s processing the noise reduction, and the process
takes the same time as the shutter speed. For example, if you shoot the Milky
Way for 30 seconds, the camera will take 30 seconds to reduce the noise and you
won‘t be able to use your camera during that time.
For that reason, in my camera settings, long exposure noise reduction is always
off.
I prefer to do the noise reduction in post-processing, mostly using the Topaz
Denoise AI, as a plugin for Photoshop (but you can use the standalone version or
the plugin for Lightroom too).

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HOW TO TURN O N /O FF THE LONG E X PO SU R E N O I SE
R E D U C T IO N

You can change this camera photography setting from your camera
menu/functions.
1 1. HI G H - IS O N O IS E R E D U C T I ON – A P H OT O C A ME R A
S E T T IN G T O T U R N O F F
This is another setting on camera that‘s like the previous one; your camera will
reduce the noise resulting from using a High ISO.
In this case, this noise reduction can be applied only if you shoot in JPEG, so if
you shoot in Raw (as you should!), you can turn this camera setting off.

11. High-ISO noise reduction on camera

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HOW TO ADJUST THE H I GH - IS O N O ISE R E D U C T IO N
S E T T IN G

You can change this photo setting from your camera menu/functions.
1 2. C OL OR S PA C E – A SE T T IN G ON C A ME R A T O
I G N OR E
The main camera photo settings related to color space are sRGB and
AdobeRGB.
 sRGB: This is the most widely used color space and your best bet for color
accuracy across different devices and browsers.
 Adobe RGB: It includes more colors, but some devices and browsers aren‘t
capable of displaying all the colors, creating strange color swifts.
While color space is very important in photography, if you shoot RAW, it‘s
something that you can adjust in the digital darkroom, so your color space photo
setting on camera doesn‘t matter.

12. Color Space camera setting

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H O W TO C H A N GE T H E C O L O R SPA C E C A ME R A SE T T IN G

You can change this camera setting from your camera menu/functions.
1 3. I MA GE S T A B I L I Z A T IO N – A KE Y C A ME R A SE T T IN G
T O A D JU S T
We can‘t leave image stabilization out of this camera settings guide. It‘s a
very helpful camera setting that will allow you to shoot handheld at slower
shutter speeds.
Advanced digital cameras and lenses offer top-notch image stabilization features,
so you can use it to your advantage in certain situations:

 Image stabilization On: Use this when you shoot handheld unless you need a
super-fast shutter speed.
 Image stabilization Off: It‘s very important to turn this camera setting
offwhen you‘re shooting on a tripod or other stable surface to avoid blurry
pictures.

13. Image stabilization camera setting

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H O W TO TU R N O N /O FF T H E IM A GE S TA B IL IZ A T I O N

You can change this camera photography setting from your camera
menu/functions and in some lenses from the lens body.
1 4. HD R /D R O – A C R E A T IV E SE T T IN G ON C A ME R A
This is a considerably new camera setting and it‘s aimed at creating a high
dynamic-range image on camera.
While it‘s a nice idea, cameras are not good enough at creating automatic HDR
images yet, so if you want to achieve a natural HDR look in your images, my
advice is to turn HDR/DRO off and create this effect in post-processing or using a
specific plugin like HDR Pro from Nik Collection.

14. HDR/DRO camera setting

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LEARNING UNIT 3: REVIEW IMAGES

Learning Outcome 3.1: Download digital images or scan developed film images using
appropriate digital imaging software where appropriate

Compressing Images for the Internet with JPEG

The best way to speed up your Web page is to use more image compression. Slow
download speed is often more of a drawback to a Web site than compression
artifacts
(visual irregularities) in images. The Save For Web dialog box of Photoshop and
Photoshop Elements allows you to get the best performance from JPEG images.
Follow these steps to experiment with compression:
1. Select the Save For Web command from the File menu. The Save For Web
dialog
box enables you to experiment with compression and color settings for
images. These settings enable you to find the best compromise between
image quality and download speed.
2. Click the monitor color and download rate button.
3. A pop-up menu appears. Check the settings you want to use. When choosing
a download rate, remember that many viewers‘ modems work much slower
than they are supposed to work.
4. Choose how many versions of your image you want to view. You can open
two- or four-image windows at once; click an image window.
5. Select a JPEG quality setting for the image window you selected. Do this for
each window.

The Internet: Resource and Gallery


Photographers are increasingly using the Internet. There are two good reasons
why:
There are interesting places to visit, and you can show your own work there. Many
groups, companies and individuals have created sites that provide material such as
online magazines, product advertising, educational information, and more.
Newsgroups let you post and receive material about photography. Some groups let
you participate in online discussions with people interested in topics like the
history
of photography and photographic techniques and equipment.
The Web displays pages with text, graphics, photographs, sound, and video. You
can view photographs from individuals, stock agencies, and museums. You can put

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your own work up for display. If you have a site on the Web, you don‘t need to
convince acurator or gallery owner that your work should be shown. At a low cost,
you can create your own electronic gallery for people around the world to visit,
where you can show what you want.

Exploring the Web


How do you find photography sites on the Web? You‘ll find some addresses listed
in books and magazines, and you can link to many sites from other Web pages.
Suppose you are interested in a topic, but don‘t know the exact address of a related
Web site. Try using search engines like Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) or Google
(www.google.com). Using these sites is like doing a subject search in a library
catalog. Type in a subject or keywords, and a list of sites related to that topic is
displayed.

Your Own Virtual Gallery


You can create your own Web page. Do you have photographs you‘d like to show
to
a wider audience?
A personal Web page is one way to do so. Most Internet service providers let their
subscribers have their own Web page—that part is easy. Now all you have to do is
create your own page or pay someone else to do so. The simplest pages contain
text
plus photographs and graphics . More advanced designs can include
music, video, and animation. You will want to investigate different software
programs
that are available for building Web sites, such as Microsoft FrontPage,
Macromedia Flash and Dreamweaver.

SCAN DIGITAL IMAGE

Scanning creates digital images from negatives, transparencies, or prints


(see Figure 6.1). When images are scanned, their tones and colors are
converted into numbers that the software can edit. A scanner captures
samples of brightness and color in a regular grid pattern. The more
samples the scanner takes, the more detailed the scanned image is.
Image quality depends on the quality of the scan. Just as you can‘t get
a good darkroom print from a poor negative, you can‘t get a good
image from a bad scan, or even a good scan from a bad negative or
print. Scans made from poorly exposed or badly scratched film require
extra time to edit and rarely produce acceptable results.

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The scanning process is much easier if you know
beforehand how the image will be used. A
proper scan is the best starting point for editing
a print or negative, if you‘re still using film cameras.
If the final result is to be realistic, the scan
should produce an image as close to realism as
possible. If the final result is to be a colorful
departure from reality, the scan should be as
close to the intended colors as possible.
Before you scan an image, you also need to
know how it will be presented. Will the final
image be viewed on a Web site or printed in a
publication? Will it be exhibited as a fine print, and if so, how large will it be? A
digital image has no real physical size until you print it or show it on a monitor.
Potentially, it might be printed or displayed in many sizes, but if you select the
wrong settings, you might end up with a sub-par image. Your scanning decisions
must be based on both the physical size you want and the characteristics of the
printer or display device.

Internet
Internet is defined as an Information super Highway, to access information over the
web. However, It can be defined in many ways as follows:
 Internet is a world-wide global system of interconnected computer networks.
 Internet uses the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
 Every computer in internet is identified by a unique IP address.
 IP Address is a unique set of numbers (such as 110.22.33.114) which identifies
a computer location.
 A special computer DNS (Domain Name Server) is used to give name to the IP
Address so that user can locate a computer by a name.
 For example, a DNS server will resolve a
name http://www.tutorialspoint.com to a particular IP address to uniquely
identify the computer on which this website is hosted.
 Internet is accessible to every user all over the world.

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1. The differences between searching and
browsing mode
When a user types something into a search bar, they are probably
doing it in one of two scenarios:

Scenario 1: A user types “dentist” into Google.

Scenario 2: A user types “bucket list” into Pinterest.

The user in scenario 1 is looking for a finite result, they want to


receive an answer to a question. They are „searching‟. The user
tends to look at the name and description of the result. They may
even need to compare results.

The user in scenario 2 is looking to entertain themselves, seeking


inspiration, or simply researching. While they very well might go
scuba diving in the great barrier reef (if it is still around by then),
they aren‟t looking for one answer; they are looking for multiple
suggestions or just seeking amusement online. They are
„browsing‟.

TLDR: There are two types of searching behaviours: one


is goal focused (searching mode), and one is research or
inspiration focused (browsing mode).

Key differences between the two behaviours:

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 In searching mode you are „looking for‟, while in browsing
mode you are „looking at‟.

 In searching mode you are looking for a specific result, while in


browsing mode you are looking for general ideas or multiple
answers.

 In searching mode you are looking to complete a task, while in


browsing mode you may be looking for inspiration,
entertainment, or just more information.

 In searching mode you are actively looking for solutions, while


in browsing mode you are passively looking at results.

Something else that I want to talk about here is that I refer to these
users as being in “searching/browsing mode” and not as
“searchers/browsers”. The reason for this is that I want to make it
clear that users may flow in-between these two mindsets, and are
not only one or the other.

2. Browsing Mode
You know when you are in the store with a friend, and they‟re busy
in the changing room so you‟re just wondering around between
the aisles, but then a shop assistant asks you what you are looking
for, and you say: “I‟m just browsing”? — Well, that is the essence
of browsing behaviour. You are looking to entertain yourself as
opposed to seeking out something specific.

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So how does this translate into an online experience?

The user is not looking for a specific thing, instead they are open
to many suggestions. Their search query might be closer to “cheap
vacation destination”, rather than “Ubud, Bali”. They also may be
looking for multiple answers or suggestions which they may or
may not action.

Examples of browsing behaviour:

 Looking at wedding inspiration on Pinterest when you aren‟t


engaged.

 Looking at shoes in an online sale (you don‟t need shoes, but


you just want to see what is on special offer).

 Checking the news headlines.

 Browsing Instagram to see what your friends are up to (or not


up to) and what your favourite brands are doing.

 Looking at places to stay in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam;


researching how much they cost (without dates in mind).

3.1.2 Introduction to scanner and other computing devices

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5 Facts About Computer Scanners
 The history of Computer scanners began when Rudolf Hell came up
with the idea for the fax machine about 50 years ago. The scanner
was then invented in Kiel, starting with the fax machine. The first
image it scanned was of Walden, the son of the inventor of
computers scanner.
 If you scan a document, you can keep a copy on your laptop or
computer and have it with you at all times. Scanners also help cut
down on the amount of paper that is used. You can take a picture of
the document and make many copies of it to pass it around.
 The scanners help to speed up the process and work of the office. In
addition, it enables you to keep your documents safe by converting
them into a digital form so that you can save them on your
computer or send them to someone else by email or text message.
 While the first scanners could only read 8 bits (28), then 10 bits
(210), then 12 bits (212), they can now read up to 16 bits (216), or
65,000 greyscales. However, the human eye can’t see all of them.
But, with time, scanners have grown in cost too.
 The first scanner developed for use with a computer, was a drum
scanner. It was built in 1957 at the US National Bureau of Standards
by a team led by Russell A. Kirsch, working on America’s first
internally programmable (stored-program) computer, the Standards
Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC), in order to enable Kirsch’s
group to experiment with algorithms that launched the fields of
image processing and image pattern recognition.

Computer Scanner: How It Worked?


Drum scanners take very detailed pictures. They use a piece of
technology called a photomultiplier tube to make things look better
(PMT). In PMT, the paper to be scanned is put on a glass cylinder. It
has a sensor at its center that turns the light from the document into
three separate beams, so it can be seen. Each beam is sent through a
color filter and turned into an electric signal in a photomultiplier tube.

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Flatbed Scanner
Some people call a flatbed scanner “reflective” because it works by
shining white light on the item to be scanned and reading the intensity
and color of light reflected from it, usually one line at a time. Some of
them have transparency adapters, which aren’t very good for scanning
film for several reasons. They’re meant to be used with prints or other
flat, opaque materials.

Film Scanner
These types of scanners have great significance today. They are called
slide or transparency scans, and they work by shining a narrow beam
of light through the film and reading how much brightness or color
comes out. Stepper motors move a carrier through a lens and a CCD
sensor inside the scanner. Uncut film strips of up to six frames, or four
mounted slides, are usually placed in this carrier and moved by this
motor. Some models are mainly used for scans of the same size.

Handheld Scanner
A handheld scanner is an electrical device that scans paper documents
and converts them to digital representations. This can be digitally
stored, modified, transmitted, or emailed within the digital network.

Specific reading devices are necessary to capture barcodes and access


the information behind the codes for further data processing. For
example, the handheld scanner can read barcodes and detect code
patterns with red or infrared light.

Sheetfed Scanner
A sheetfed scanner (also known as an automatic document scanner or
ADF scanner) is a digital imaging system designed specifically for
scanning loose sheets of paper. Businesses commonly use them to
scan office documents and are used less frequently by archives and
libraries to scan disbound books or other robust unbound documents.
Sheetfed scanners can be compared based on the paperweight and

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size they can handle, their duty cycle rating, their speed (pages per
minute), and their duplex capability.

3d Scanner
The 3D scanner is one of the most innovative devices invented.
However, there are still a lot of restrictions on the types of things that
can be scanned. For example, optical technology may have a hard
time with dark, shiny, reflective, or transparent objects. For example,
industrial computed tomography scanners, structured-light 3D
scanners, LiDAR, and Time of Flight 3D scanners can be used to make
digital 3D models without destroying the object.

Learning Outcome 3.2: Correct rotating, culling, sorting and renaming of images to meet
requirements

Image Authoring and rendering texture resolution

Rendering textures onto vignette objects in Image Authoring and Image Rendering depends on
an accurate relationship between the resolution of the repeatable texture and the object's size. If
the texture resolution and the object size are set accurately, the renderer ensures a perfect match.
Determine the texture resolution: The texture resolution is expressed in pixels per inch (ppi). It
describes the relationship between the texture image and the physical sample of the material
(fabric, wallpaper, and so on).
You can determine the texture resolution by measuring the distance (in pixels) between two
arbitrary points in the image. Then, measure the corresponding distance (in inches) on the
physical sample, and divide:
res = imageDistance / physicalDistance
The distance could be the width or height of the entire repeatable area. For example, if the
repeatable swatch image is 542 pixels wide, and the measured, physical width of the visible
repeatable texture is 17.12 inches, the texture resolution is 542/17.12 = 31.66 ppi.
Alternatively, if the material was scanned on a flatbed scanner, the texture resolution
corresponds directly to the scan resolution. Make sure to account for any scaling of the image
that can change image size and resolution. For example, a fabric sample was scanned at 72 dpi,
and the raw image is cropped to a full repeat, making the image 1773 x 842 pixels. To save
space, the image then is scaled to 500 pixels width (the height is now 237 pixels). The new
resolution is adjusted by the scale factor:

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newRes = oldRes * newWidth / oldWidth
Example: 72 ppi * 500 / 1773 = 20.305 ppi.
Set the object size: When authoring objects with the Vignette Authoring Tool in IA for applying
textures, it is necessary to specify an appropriate object size.
3D scenes: Set the scale for the entire scene before importing the 3D data into the object
hierarchy. On the 3D Modeling Page, select the Picking Tool, select an edge with a known
length (in inches). Type that measurement in the Selected Length field and press Enter. Select
some other edges in the scene and verify that the measurements displayed in Current Length are
reasonable. Do this scaling operation after the camera is finalized and at least some model
surfaces created and tested. But, do it before importing the final 3D model data with the 3D
Import Model Tool on the Object page. Do this step only once. However, if either the camera or
the scale changes on the 3D model page, it's necessary to reimport the entire hierarchy.
2D scenes: A good sense of the actual size of the objects in the scene is required for accurate
authoring. Use the Edit Model Tool to assign a width and a height (in inches) to all Flat Objects,
Walls, and Cabinets.
Flowline objects: For both 2D and 3D scenes, set the Overall Size (in inches) of a part (object)
in the Texture Tool on the Flowline Page. The "Flow across Parts" mechanism helps fine-tune
the resolution to match adjacent parts.
Rendering: Image Authoring and the Image Rendering server applies the repeatable texture to
the object as follows (much simplified): (1) The texture is first scaled to an optimal resolution for
th target object/part (you can see that resolution on the Texture tab in the object's Properties in
the VAT). (2) The texture is repeated at that resolution to cover the total area equivalent to the
object size. (3) the texture is then transformed to match the shape of the target object.

3.2.2 Understanding of photography technical terminology


Aperture

This is the first common photography term you should learn. Simply put, aperture is the
size of the opening in the lens. Think of the lens as a window—large windows or wide
angles let in more light, while small windows let in less light. A wide open aperture will
let more light into the image for a brighter photo, while a smaller aperture lets in less
light. Aperture is measured in f-stops; a small f-stop like f/1.8 is a wide opening, a large
f-stop like f/22 is a very narrow one. Aperture is one of three camera settings that
determine an image‟s exposure, or how light or dark it is. Aperture also affects how
much of the image is in focus—wide apertures result in that creamy, unfocused
background while narrow apertures keep more of the image sharp.

Build A Strong Foundation For Your Photography In John Greengo’s Photography


Starter Kit

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Aspect Ratio

If you‟ve ever printed images before, you‟ve probably noticed that an 8 x 10 usually
crops from the original image. That‟s due to aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is simply the ratio
of the height to width. An 8 x 10 has an equal aspect ratio to a 4 x 5, but a 4 x 7 image
is a bit wider. You can change the aspect ratio in your camera if you know how you‟d
like to print your image, or you can crop your photo when you edit it to the right ratio.

Bokeh

Bokeh is the orbs created when lights are out of focus in an image. It‟s a neat effect to
have in the background of a photo, created through wide apertures. It will have an
interesting effect on your image quality. Check out our ultimate guide to Creating
Backgrounds With Bokeh for everything you could want to learn.

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Burst Mode

You can take photos one at a time. Or, you can turn the burst mode on and the camera
will continue snapping photos as long as you hold the button down, or until the buffer is
full (which is a fancy way of saying the camera can‟t process anymore). Burst speeds
differ based on what camera or film camera you own, some are faster than others. Just
how fast is written in “fps” or frames (pictures) per second. This will give you a wide
selection of which close-up you‟ll ultimately select of your dog!

Depth of Field

Depth of field is a photography term that refers to how much of the image is in focus.
The camera will focus on one distance, but there‟s a range of distance in front and
behind that point that stays sharp—that‟s depth of field. Portraits often have a soft,
unfocused background—this is a shallow depth of field. Landscapes, on the other hand,
often have more of the image in focus—this is a large depth of field, with a big range of
distance that stays sharp.

Digital Vs. Optical

Digital and optical are important terms to understand when shopping for a new camera.
Digital means the effect is achieved through software, not physical parts of the camera.
Optical is always better than digital. These terms are usually used when referring to a
zoom lens (on a compact camera) as well as image stabilization.

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Build A Strong Foundation For Your Photography In John Greengo’s Photography
Starter Kit

Exposure

Exposure is how light or dark an image is. An image is created when the camera sensor
(or film strip) is exposed to light—that‟s where the term originates. A dark photo is
considered underexposed, or it wasn‟t exposed to enough light; a light photo is
overexposed or exposed to too much light. Exposure is controlled through aperture,
shutter speed and ISO.

Exposure Compensation

Exposure compensation is a way to tell the camera that you‟d like the exposure to be
lighter or darker. Exposure compensation can be used on some automated modes and
semi-automated modes like aperture priority. It‟s measured in stops of light, with
negative numbers resulting in a darker image and positive ones creating a brighter shot.

File Format

The file format is how your camera lens will record the image or image file. Raw files
contain more information than JPGs, which makes them more suitable for photo editing
in various editing software.

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Build A Strong Foundation For Your Photography In John Greengo’s Photography
Starter Kit

Focal Length

The focal length describes the distance in millimeters between the lens and the image it
forms on the film. It informs the angle of view (how much of what is being shot will be
captured) and the magnification (how large things will appear). Essentially, the focal
length is how „zoomed in‟ your images will appear. For example, a Canon (or Nikon or
Olympus) 35mm lens will create images that appear more „zoomed in‟ than a Canon
18mm.

Focus

When your eyes focus on an object that‟s close to you, the objects far away will appear
blurry. The common photography term “focus” has the same meaning. Something that
is in focus is sharp, while an object that is out-of-focus isn‟t sharp. Different focus areas
determine if the camera is focusing on multiple points or one user-selected point.

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Flash Sync

You probably know that the flash is a burst of light—flash sync determines when the
flash fires. Normally, the flash fires at the beginning of the photo, but changing the flash
sync mode adjusts when that happens. The rear curtain flash sync mode, for example,
fires the flash at the end of the photo instead of the beginning.

Hot Shoe

Hot shoe is the slot at the top of a camera for adding accessories, like the aptly named
hot shoe flash.

ISO

The ISO determines how sensitive the camera is to light. For example, an ISO of 100
means the camera isn‟t very sensitive—great for shooting in the daylight. An ISO 3200
means the camera is very sensitive to light, so you can use that higher ISO for getting
shots in low light. The trade off is that images at high ISOs appear to be grainy and
have less detail. ISO is balanced with aperture and shutter speed to get a proper
exposure.

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Long Exposure

A long exposure is an image that has been exposed for a long time or uses a long
shutter speed. This technique is useful for shooting still objects in low light (used often
by landscape photographers), or rendering moving objects into an artistic blur.

Manual

Manual mode allows the photographer to set the exposure instead of having the camera
do it automatically. In manual, you choose the aperture, shutter speed and ISO, and
those choices affect how light or dark the image is. Semi-manual modes include
aperture priority (where you only choose the aperture), shutter priority (where you only
choose the shutter speed) and programed auto (where you choose a combination of
aperture and shutter speed together instead of setting them individually). Manual can
also refer to manual focus, or focusing yourself instead of using the autofocus.

Metering

Using manual mode isn‟t all guesswork—a light meter built into the camera helps guide
those decisions, indicating if the camera thinks the image is over or under exposed.
Metering is actually based on a middle gray, so having lighter or darker objects in the
image can throw the metering off a little bit. Metering modes indicate how the meter is
reading the light. Matrix metering means the camera is reading the light from the entire

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
scene. Center-weighted metering considers only what‟s at the center of the frame and
spot metering measures the light based on where your focus point is.

Noise

Noise is simply little flecks in an image, also sometimes called grain. Images taken at
high ISOs have a lot of noise, so it‟s best to use the lowest ISO you can for the amount
of light in the scene.

RAW or Raw Files

RAW is a file type that gives the photographer more control over photo editing. RAW is
considered a digital negative, where the default JPEG file type has already been
processed a bit. RAW requires special software to open, however, while JPEG is more
universal. Typically, it‟s better to shoot in RAW because the image retains more quality
making it better for editing.

Shutter Speed

The shutter speed is the part of the camera that opens and closes to let light in and take
a picture. The shutter speed is how long that shutter stays open, written in seconds or
fractions of a second, like 1/200 s. or 1”, with the “ symbol often used to designate an
entire second. The longer the shutter stays open, the more light that is let in. But,
anything that moves while the shutter is open will become a blur, and if the entire
camera moves while the shutter is open the whole image will be blurry—that‟s why
tripods are necessary for longer shutter speeds.

Shutter Release

That‟s the button (or shutter button) you press to take the picture. It allows you to point-
and-shoot.

Single Lens Reflex

A single lens reflex camera has a single lens that forms an image which is
reflected to the viewfinder. Digital single lens reflex cameras or DSLR cameras are the
most versatile of the digital cameras.

Time Lapse

A time-lapse is a video created from stitching several photos together taken of the same
thing at different times. Don‟t confuse a time lapse with a long exposure, which is a
single image with a long shutter speed.

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426
Viewfinder

That‟s the hole you look through to take the picture. Some digital cameras don‟t have
one and just use the screen, but all DSLRs and most mirrorless cameras use them.

White Balance

Your eyes automatically adjust to different light sources, but a camera can‟t do that—
that‟s why sometimes you take an image and it looks very blue or very yellow. Using the
right white balance setting will make what‟s white in real life actually appear white in the
photo. There‟s an auto white balance setting, but like any automatic setting, it‟s not
always accurate. You can use a preset based on what light you are shooting in like sun
or tungsten light bulbs, or you can take a picture of a white object and manually set the
white balance.

Learning Outcome 3.3: Proper application of metadata and key words to images as Back up and
archive as required

PREPARED BY: ISHIMO JEAN D’AMOUR FACILITATOR FROM APADE LYCEE DE KICUKIRO 0785425426

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