https://parkerphotographic.

com/
Hello!
HELLO!

My name is Chris Parker and I’m your instructor!

As a photographer myself, I understand the journey

and struggles you’re facing to create better images.
I’ve been there.

I created this e-book as a supplement to the course.

Feel free to print at home or use the PDF as a

reference when off-line.

Please do not share this e-book. I have two kids to

feed!

If you have any questions along the way I can answer

your questions via the Q&A section in Udemy.

I’m also available via the private Facebook group

I’ve setup for students.

Thank you,

Chris Parker

P.S. This book is a work in progress and new content

will be added soon. If you see any mistakes please
let me know.
Legal Stuff

Copyright © 2022 Parker Photographic

All rights reserved. No portion of

this book may be reproduced in any
form without permission from the
publisher, except as permitted by U.S.
copyright law.

Sharing and selling this e-book is

prohibited and legal consequences will
prevail if violated.

All photos are copyright by Parker

Photographic unless otherwise noted.
 noun:
Guide [gahyd] a mark, tab, or the like, to catch the eye and thus provide quick reference.
a book, pamphlet, etc., giving information, instructions, or advice.

Use this guide to, well, guide you

through the class, print out for
reference when off-line and for use as you
progress through the course.

Each section is color coded and numbered

as follows;

Quick Start

Ingredient #1: Camera Gear

Ingredient #2: Light

Ingredient #3: Composition

Ingredient #4: Editing

03 Course Section
Table of Contents

Start Here
Exposures26
Hello!1
Legal Stuff 2
Exposures27
Guide [gahyd] 3
a Good Exposure 27
Table of Contents 4
a Moody Exposure 27
How To Get the Most From This Class 8
Deep Dive 27
Resources To Elevate Your Photo Skills 9
ISO Deep Dive 28
What Is ISO? 28
Photography Quick Start Guide 10 History + Origin of ISO 29
ISO Doubles Your Light. Sort Of. 30
4 Key Ingredients 11 What Do the ISO Numbers Represent? 31
Painting With Light 12 Where Did “ISO” Come From? 32
30 Years of Photography in 9 Minutes 13 the Truth 33
White Balance 14 How ISO Is Different in Our Digital World 34
5 Photography Tips 15 How ISO Is Processed Electronically 35
Another Digital ISO Advantage Over Film 38

Camera Masterclass 16 ISO Is the Perfect Camera Setting. Or Is It? 39

Is ISO Part of the Exposure Equation? 41
Real World Example: Sunset 42
Types of Cameras 17
Real World Example: Sunny Day 43
Compact Cameras 18
Real World Example: Cloudy Day 44
SLR or DSLR 19
Real World Example: Indoor 45
Full Frame + Mirrorless 20
ISO Cheat Sheat 46
Bridge 21
Aperture Deep Dive 47
Smartphone 22
How Aperture Affects Exposure 48
Medium + Large Format 23
Apertures For Creativity 49
How Your Camera Works 24
Bokeh51
What Camera Should You Buy 25
Depth-of-Field 52
F-Stops55
 Stops 57 Problems with Metering 97
Stop Terminology 62 Matrix99
Real World Example: Stops 63 Center-Weighted100
Moving Parts 64 Spot101
Real World Example: Aperture Comparison65 Exposure Compensation 102
Real World Examples: Portraits 66 What Is Exposure Compensation? 102
Real World Examples: Landscapes 68 Dynamic + Tonal Range 104
Real World Examples: Wildlife 70 What Is Dynamic Range? 104
Aperture Priority Mode 71 What Is Tonal Range? 104
Getting Started With Aperture Priority Dynamic + Tonal Range Deep Dive 105
Mode 73 Mother Nature vs Your Camera 106
Aperture Cheat Sheet 74 Improve the “Range” Before Shooting 108
Shutter Speed Deep Dive 75 How To Judge the Dynamic Range 110
Creative Side To Shutter Speeds 76 How HDR Can Improve the Dynamic Range 111
Amount of Blur Factors 77 Why HDR? 112
Blur Factor 1 | Shutter Speed 78 Maximize the “Range” With Editing 113
Blur Factor 2 | Speed of Subject 79 How Many Stops? 113
Blur Factor 3 | Distance of Subject To Luminance Values 114
Camera80
Banding115
Real World Example: Low Light 81
Banding Solution 115
Real World Example: Low Light 2 83
Histogram Deep Dive 116
Real World Example: Intense Light 85
What Is A Histogram? 116
Real World Example: Intense Light 86
the Histogram 118
Real World Example: Motion Blur 88
THE Perfect Exposure 127
Shutter Priority Mode 89
Exposure Triangle 129
Getting Started With Shutter Priority
Mode93 Manual Mode | Step-by-Step 130
Shutter Speed Cheat Sheet 94 A.E.B.131
Meter Modes 95 How It Works 131
What Is Metering? 95 Bulb Mode 132
What Is A Metering Mode? 95 30 Seconds Or More? 132
How Your Camera Sees the Light To Meter
It?  95
See the Light Meter 96
 Mood160
Resources133
FOUR: Color 161
Mood 162
Adapters  133
Context163
Reputable Online Camera Stores 133
Composition: Color 164
Lens Buying Checklist 134
What Is Color? 164
Color Properties 165
Compositions135 Hue  165
Saturation165
What Is Composition? 136 Luminance165
Why Does Comosition Matter? 137 Color Properties + Composition 166
What Happens If You Get It Wrong? 138 Hue166
a Visual Roadmap 140 Saturation 167
How Do You “Create” Composition? 141 Luminance168
Your Canvas? 142 Symmetry or Contrast 169
the Canvas + Aspect Ratio 142 Color Deep Dive 170
Oval vs Rectangle 143 The Color Wheel 171
Common Aspect Ratios 144 Primary + Secondary Colors 171
How the Aspect Ratio Affects Your Image145 Complementary Colors 172
Exercise146 Intermediate & Analogous Colors 173
What’s a Compositional Element? 147 Intermediate Color 174
Composition: Light 148 Analogous Color 175
ONE: Intensity 149 B&W 176
Visibility150 Composition: Shapes 177
Order of Viewing 151 Fundamentals of Shapes 177
Mood 152 Types of Shapes 178
Context153 Geometric Shapes 178
TWO: Quality 154 Hard Geometric Shapes 179
Visibility155 Soft Geometric Shapes 179
Mood156 Organic Shapes 179
THREE: Direction 157 Shapes + Composition 180
Visibility158 Attention180
Lines159 Stability180
 Frames181 Composition: Expression 204
Structure181 Composition: Pose 205
Lines 182 Composition: Shadows 206
Composition: Form 183 Shadows + Composition 206
Using Form Effectively 183 Context 207
Light184 Depth 208
Angle185 Interest 209
Depth186
Composition: Depth 187
Layers Add Depth 187
Depth for Composition 188
Content189
Engaged190
Mood191
Creative Choices 192
Things To Avoid 193
Composition: Texture 194
Texture & Emotions 195
Textures For Composition 196
Composition: Reflections 197
Context198
Complex198
Interest199
Pattern199
Composition: Patterns & Repetition 200
Patterns & Compositions 201
Interest 201
Flow 201
Composition: Motion 202
Motion + Compositions 203
Attention 203
Direction 203
Slow Shutter Speeds 203

How To Get the Most From This Class
Too Fast? Too Slow?
Some say I talk too fast. Some
say to slow. Either way, you
can adjust the speed of the
video by changing the speed at
the bottom/left of the
video.
Please Leave a Review
A review is much appreciated!
It helps by giving us the
information we need to continue
making this class better.
Plus, it helps students decide
if the class is right for them.
Here are a few things you’ll
need to know prior to starting
the class. This will help
you get the most out of your
learning experience.
How To Get Your
Questions Answered
Under the video, click on
the Q&A tab and then “Ask a
New Question. Questions are
answered within 2 business
days.
Resources To Elevate Your Photo Skills
Joining our private Facebook group is optional.
However, you’ll find plenty of opportunitys to
elevate your skills as a photographer...
> Weekly (friendly) Photo Challenges
> Monthly Editing Challenges
> Have Your Photos Critiqued
> Learn From Other Like-Minded Photographers
> Or Share Your Images to Inspire Others
To join click here.
As you begin your photography journey you’ll
come across a lot of “photo” terminology you
may not be familiar with.
No worries.
I’ve put together a list of over 100 words you
should be familiar with. Although you’ll learn
them within this e-book and this class you can
access the full list here for future reference.
 02
Photography Quick Start Guide

Nikon Z6 | ISO 100 | f/1.8 | 1/500 | 85mm

4 Key Ingredients

Do you want to create

amazing images that
you’ll be proud of and
will impress family and
friends?

If so, you’ll need to study

and master the 4 core
ingredients...

1 GEAR

2 LIGHT

3 COMPOSITION

Nikon D300 | f/4 | 1/60 | ISO 400 | 14mm A family camping trip to
4 EDITING
Watkins Glenn, N.Y. led us to
the Central Cascade bridge.
Painting With Light

You’re a photographic artist.

Without light, creating
a photograph wouldn’t be
possible. Light is your paint!

What is your creative

vision for your photo? What
characterstics of light will
you use; color, quality,
direction, and more.

You must know the

characteristics of your paint
before pressing the shutter
release button.

Then, you can use your camera

and lens like a brush. Use
them to control how much paint
is used, to capture the correct
color, and more. All of which
Fuji S2 | f/4 | 1/125 | ISO 400 | 28mm
is painted on your canvas
(media card).

After capture, you’ll adjust

Our son playing by the the paint in the editing
shore during sunset... software of choice based on
after we told him not your creative vision.
to go in the water.
30 Years of Photography in 9 Minutes

I’ve been using the same 3 camera settings to

create images for the last 30 years. And, I’ll do
so for the next 50 years.

Oh, and you’ll use them too! What are they? ISO:
> ISO It’s like a variable light
> Aperture switch. The higher you go the
> Shutter Speed more light you’ll be able to
paint with.
All three are used to capture your Exposure. What
is an “Exposure?”

APERTURE:
EXPOSURE “how bright or dark your image is”
A hole in your lens that can
If it’s too bright it’s overexposed. If it’s too allow more or less light
dark it’s underexposed. depending on the size of the
hole you choose.
However, exposure is relevant to your creative
vision. Knowing how to create a proper exposure
is the first step in being “creative.” SHUTTER SPEED:
Once you understand how to create perfect The amount of time you have
exposures everytime, how to read a Histogram, and to paint with light.
more you’ll be able to make creative decsisions
that will yield the ideal exposure for YOUR image.
White Balance

White balance in
photography is about
altering the color of the
light source to match the
white color you see in
person, so it’s rendered
pure white.

Otherwise, the whites

or greys’ (like the
highlights and shadows)
will have a color cast.

This color cast can be

detrimental to your
image. Or it can be
pleasing to the eye and
even artistic.
5 Photography Tips
TIP #1: Aperture Priority Mode
After 30 years of shooting strickly in
Manual Mode, I now find myself shooting in
Aperture Priority Mode.
Why is that?
Today’s digital cameras are smarter than
in years past. Plus, I know my cameras
limitations and know how to compensate for
it’s shortcomings.
TIP #2: Shoot In RAW
Once upon a time, I only shot in JPG since
I was able to capture the correct exposure
in-camera.
However, due to the camera’s inability to
capture the full dynamic range of a scene
detail was still lost. Switching to RAW
gives you more latitude!
TIP #3: Sharp Images
Sharp images are essential for creating amazing
images.
> Stabilize your camera in your hand.
> Keep elbows in tight against your body.
> Hold your breadth as you squeeze the trigger.
> Use a fast shutter speed.
> Place your camera on a hard surface.
> Or use a tripod.
TIP #4: Adjust the Diopter
It’s not your glasses. Check and adjust the
Diopter if things seem out-of-focus (when looking
through the viewfinder).
TIP #5: Your Peers
Share your images with others for feedback. It’s
the quickest way to elevate your photographic
skills. Remember, don’t take it personal they’re
just someone else’s opinion.
Camera Masterclass

Key Ingredient 01: Master Your Gear

Sections 3 - 6: Cameras, Exposures + Modes
Sections 7 - 9: Lenses 101, Aberrations, Buying Tips

Nikon Z6 | ISO 100 | f/1.8 | 1/160 | 50mm

 Types of Cameras 03

6 Main Types
Of Cameras:

1 Compact

2 SLR or DSLR

3 Mirrorless

4 Bridge

5 Smartphone

6 Medium + Large
Compact Cameras

A Compact Camera,
which is also known
as a point-and-
shoot camera, is
well, it’s compact
and can easily fit
into your pocket.

This type of camera

is small because
the lens will
recess inside of
the camera when
it’s turned off.

And unlike some of

the other types of
cameras, the lens
is fixed, you can’t
change it with
another one.

My first camera was a Kodak Disk

(compact) camera. Circ. 1984.
SLR or DSLR

An SLR or DSLR camera is the

most popular type of camera.

SLR stands for “single-lens

reflex” and the ‘D’ in DSLR
stands for “digital.”

My first SLR: Nikon 8008.

Circ. 1989.

Our daughter in 2003.

Second roll of film
Fuji S2 | F/5.6 | 1/60 | ISO 200
with my sister. Circ. My first DSLR: FUJI S2.
1989. Circ. 2002.
Full Frame + Mirrorless

A Mirrorless camera is similar

to a DSLR camera. However, it
does not have a mirror inside
the body. Hence, the name,
mirrorless.

My first Mirrorless: Nikon

Z6. Circ. 2019.

Our daughter in 2019.

Nikon Z6 | f/2.8 | 1/160 | ISO 100
Bridge

A hybrid of a compact
camera and a DSLR.

Has more camera

setting options and
features compared to a
compact camera.

However, the lens is

fixed.

Nikon Coolpix p100

Kodak PIXPRO AZ901

Samsung WB2200F
Smartphone

Perfect for walks in the

park and family vacations.
All images captured with
iPhone X.

Cave exploring with the family. A walk in the park with Echo. Trail hiking with the family.
Medium + Large Format

Used mostly by professional

photographers of any
photography niche;

> weddings
> portraits
> landscape
> commerical
> fashion
> and more

My first Medium Format: Mamiya I no longer have the negatives from

RB67. Circ. 2001. the Mamiya RB67! Digital took over
shortly thereafter purchase.
How Your Camera Works

Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera (DSLR)

What Camera Should You Buy

“It’s not the camera that creates

amazing images... it’s the person
behind the camera.”
Exposures
Exposures 04

a Good Exposure
“includes all the
details in a scene.”

Everything from the

darkest shadows to the
brightest highlights.

This is achieved by
mastering your camera.

a Moody Exposure
Based on your creative
vision, you may want an
image to be brighter or
darker than a “perfect”
exposure.

The Exposure can play

a role in the mood of
your image.

Deep Dive
The next 100+ pages are

EXPOSURE all about exposures.

It’s that important!

“how bright or dark your image is”

ISO Deep Dive

What Is ISO? ...if your Aperture and Shutter Speed stays the same.

Therefore, your ISO setting gives you the option to

In essence, ISO is a camera
choose a different Aperture and/or Shutter Speed based
setting that can increase
on your creative vision.
or decrease the amount of
light during capture.
To better understand ISO, we’re going to take a short
journey through the days of film.
“ISO is used to rate the
sensitivity of film to
Feel free to skip it if you’re already familiar with
light. The higher the
the origin of ISO.
ISO number, the more
sensitive the film. The
different ratings of
ISO are known as film
speeds.”

Ok, but you’re thinking…

“I don’t shoot film. What

does this have to do
with my digital camera?”

Well, ISO has been carried

over from the film days,
and the concept of ISO is
similar for digital.

In the digital world,
your photos will become
brighter, the higher the
ISO number. That is...
This image is overexposed.
ISO 400 | F/1.8 | 1/350
By lowering the ISO (by 1
stop) and keeping the same
settings the image is now
properly exposed.
ISO 200 | F/1.8 | 1/350
 History + Origin of ISO

The new ISO standard streamlined the rating system

by doubling the film sensitivity based on the
Before we had ISO (to rate the speed numeric value of the film speed.
of film), there were several competing
standards. And was adopted by film manufacturers making it
easier for photographers.
Hurter and Driffield – Two scientists
from the 19th century standardize the
classification of the speed of film at that Common ISO Settings
time (1890’s – 1928) based on the film’s
sensitivity. Not all DSLR’s will have
the exact same ISO settings
ISO 100
Weston – This father and son team available.
ISO 200
had a different method of rating film,
ISO 400
and sometimes it conflicted with the However, there are some
ISO 800
manufacturer ratings. This led to standard ISO settings that
ISO 1600
confusion on what speed of film you were most cameras will have.
ISO 3200
actually buying.
These are the same ISO
DIN – This was a competing rating system ratings we have for film.
introduced by the Deutsches Institute
Normung. It just added more confusion.

ASA – In 1943, the American Standards

Association tried to standardize film
ratings by taking inspiration from
previous systems and created a new method
for rating film.
ISO – In 1974, DIN and ASA were used for
inspiration (and were joined) to create a
new method to standardize the rating of
film. It’s still used today.
NOTE: Some cameras will not have an
ISO 100 rating. For example, my Nikon
D300 does not have it. Nor do some other
cameras.
Plus, some cameras have additional
options that will be labeled as “HI and
“LO”.
ISO Doubles Your Light. Sort Of.

Did you notice that each ISO number is

doubled or halved?

Each time you double the ISO, let’s say

from 100 to 200, your camera needs only
half as much light for the same exposure.

The opposite is true if you go from 400

to 200 you’ll need twice as much light
for the same exposure (either from the
aperture and/or shutter speed).

In general, the intensity of the light

source is going to be a starting point for
what ISO to use.

You’ll also have to take into

consideration whether or not you can allow
more light to be captured through a larger
aperture and/or slower shutter speed.
Low light scenes require a higher ISO setting. In
this case, ISO 800 was used due to the low light
Depending on the circumstances and your
of the lamps (and minimal window light).
creative vision, you may end up needing a
faster ISO. The shutter speed was set to 1/100th of a sec. and
an aperture of f/2.8. The fast aperture allowed
more light to enter.

Otherwise, if I used an aperture of f/5.6, an ISO

of 3200 would have been required for the proper
exposure.
What Do the ISO Numbers Represent?

Rating the sensitivity Shooting at sunset would

of film was required, so require maybe 800 or 1600.
you knew which one to use On a bright sunny day, you
during specific lighting may need a less sensitive
conditions. (slower) film, like 100 or
200.
The same applies to
digital photography. These are general
assumptions. Technically Kodak Portra ISO 800.
Having a number that you could shoot at ISO 100 3 stops brighter vs.
represents a brightness the majority of the time. ISO 100. ISO 800 is
level, helps in ideal for lower light
determining which one As long as you have a situations: under
heavy shade, cloudy
to use under specific tripod so you can shoot at day, indoors, etc.
lighting conditions. slower shutter speeds and
have the lens “wide-open”
In low light (larger aperture).
situations, you would
need a higher (more Or if you’re able to
sensitive) ISO to be increase the amount of
able to capture the light (flash, strobes,
image with optimal etc..), you could then
exposure. shoot at a lower ISO.

For example, a scene So, numbers were assigned

lit by candlelight to film based on how Kodak ISO 3200
B&W film. 5 stops
might require a fast sensitive it was to light. brighter vs. ISO 100.
(more sensitive) ISO,
like 3200. The higher the number, the This ISO rating is
more sensitive film is. perfect for extreme
low-light situations:
Model portfolio candle-light, indoors
shoot... 1989. I had with less intense
no idea what I was lighting, night
doing! photography, etc.
Where Did “ISO” Come From?
Ask anyone that has been in photography for
a while, and you’ll find that most will tell
you that ISO is an acronym for;
International Standards Organization
And that you should pronounce it
“eye – ess – oh.”
One problem, though. There is no such
company called “International Standards
Organization.”
Don’t believe me? Google it. Nothing.
Notta. Zilch. It doesn’t exist.
But, there is a company called the
“International Organization of
Standardization.” Which is not the same as
the name above.
A Google search lists
a company called:
“International
Organization for
Standardization.”
Which is not the same
as “International
Standards
Organization.”
From Their Website
“the International Organization
of Standardization is a non-profit
organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Our mission is to bring together experts
to share knowledge and develop voluntary,
consensus-based, market-relevant
International Standards that support
innovation and provide solutions to global
challenges.”
Why the Confusion?
They made things confusing by adopting “ISO”
vs. IOS. Here is another quote from their
website:
“Because ‘International Organization for
Standardization’ would have different
acronyms in different languages (IOS in
English, OIN in French for Organisation
Internationale de normalization), our
founders decided to give it the short form
ISO.
ISO is derived from the Greek isos,
meaning equal.
Whatever the country, whatever the
language, we are always ISO.”
the Truth

ISO is their brand! It’s not an acronym.

Coke is a brand (which is better than
Pepsi, by the way). Not an acronym.

As they mentioned, they use the short form

ISO, which is derived from the Greek word
isos. So, ISO is a word.

PRONOUNCED “Eye-so.” Not I.S.O.

Now, here is the real question…

Does It Really Matter?

In the grander scheme of things… no.
It’s not going to make you a better
photographer.

Truth be told, I’ve been saying “I.S.O.”

for 25 years! I had no idea until another
photographer informed me of the truth.

But, my level of photography didn’t change

one way or the other. ISO is a brand. Above, is the logo
for: “International Organization
of Standardization.” There logo is
Let’s move on.
trademarked and is presented here
only for educational purposes.

Therefore, ISO does not stand for:

“International Standardization
Organization.”
How ISO Is Different in Our Digital World

The first difference, with ISO in the digital

world, is concerning how your digital camera
processes the ISO settings in-camera.

In our analog world, film is sensitive to light.

In our digital world, your camera sensor is NOT
sensitive to light.

Why “Film” Is Sensitive To Light.

Film is made up of different layers. One of
which consists of the emulsion.

The emulsion is sensitive to light.

When exposed to light, an image (of the scene)

is “burned” into the emulsion.

For a full scientific explanation, seek out this

article from Kodak.

Why Sensors Are NOT Sensitive.

Your camera’s sensor is made up of electronics.
Electronics are not sensitive to light.

It gathers the information, from the light, and

records it electronically.
For a more technical explanation, check out
this post from Wikipedia.
Shot in 1989 with a Nikon 8008. Kodak
Portra film rated at ISO 800. In the early
days I had no idea what I was doing. 800
was way too much for a daytime shoot.
How ISO Is Processed Electronically

We’ve established that your camera’s sensor

is not sensitive to light.

Then, the question is, how does ISO affect the

brightness of an image electronically?

Technical Answer

Two things have to happen with your camera

sensor to capture your photo.

First, it needs input. That input is the

available light from your scene. The light
that reaches your sensor is controlled by two
things:

1 Your lens + aperture

2 The shutter speed

Your lens funnels the light to your camera

body. But, before it reaches the body, it
filters through an Aperture (hole in your
lens).
Then, before reaching your sensor, a shutter
has to open to allow the light in.
Now, your sensor needs to output (record)
that information to a media card. This...
Shot in 2010 with a Nikon D200. You
wouldn’t know that this was shot in the
middle of the day!
This little alley is next to a fire station
in Downtown Detroit and provided little
sunlight. Due to the low intensity of
light an ISO of 800 was used.
...step saves the data the sensor collected and
captures your photo.

But, different ISO ratings will alter your final

exposure. Or the brightness of it.

So, how does it make your image brighter or

darker if electronics are not sensitive to
light? Great question.

The ISO setting you choose will amplify the light

during output. The higher the ISO setting, the
more the light is amplified. Or the brighter the
image becomes.

So if you’re shooting in a low light situation,

you can “amplify” the light (during output) with a
higher ISO setting.

Note: In the music and video

world, this is known as “gain”
(when increasing ISO).

So adding “gain” or using a higher ISO doesn’t

actually make the camera sensor more sensitive
since it’s applied to the output and not the
input.

So why the big fuss about accurate and An in-studio portrait shot at ISO
technical information? Is it going to make you 100. Lit with an Ultra 600 White
a better photographer? Lightning strobe.

Absolutely not. But if you’re an avid music... The strobe provided plenty of light
to shoot at the lowest ISO setting.
...fan, a musician or videographer, then
you’re probably already aware of “gain” snd
how it can impact ISO.

Now For The Rest Of Us

All you need to know is the following:

“increasing the ISO will increase the

brightness of the light due to it being
amplified.”

Cheltenham Badlands in Toronto, Outdoor concert in Leamington,

Canada. An ISO of 100 is perfect on ON: Hogs for Hospice. Low light
bright sunny days. However, my D300 situations like this require much
doesn’t have that option so I went higher ISO settings. ISO 1600 was
with 200 instead. used for this shot.
Another Digital ISO Advantage Over Film

In our digital world, you’re not limited to
just 6 ISO’s (100 – 3200).
In fact, a Nikon Z6 has an ISO range of 50
– 51,200!!
Luckily, we have a built-in LCD screen to see
if our images are over or underexposed. By
learning to read the histogram, to capture a
balanced exposure, you’ll always be able to
nail the exposure in-camera.

It even goes higher if you take into account
the ability to adjust the EV (exposure value)
all the way up to an ISO equivalent of
204,800!
Oh, and there’s even more. As you manually
dial in the ISO, there are smaller
increments.
If your image is overexposed, drop the ISO to
a smaller number. And the opposite if it’s
underexposed.
But, you could be there all day until you get
it just right. That is, if you’re starting
with an ISO, that’s too far from what’s
needed.

For example, most digital cameras have the At the end of this ISO section you’ll find
following ISO increments… an ISO Cheat Sheet that will list which ISO
setting to use in common lighting conditions.
100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400...

These are 1/3, or 1/2 step increases vs.

doubling or halving.

The downside is calculating the settings

for aperture or shutter speeds to capture a
balanced exposure.

It’s easier to figure out if you double or

halve the ISO.

To compensate, you’ll just double or halve

the shutter speed or the aperture.
Nikon D300s | f/4 | 1/250 | ISO 200
Cue the calculator. Not!
ISO Is the Perfect Camera Setting. Or Is It?
Although ISO sounds like the perfect camera
setting, to achieve your creative vision, it
does have one major drawback.
“The higher the ISO number you use, the
more degraded your image will be.”
This degradation comes in the form of what is
known as the dreaded “Digital Noise.”
Digital noise comes from “amplifying” the
light. This “noise” looks like tiny colored
pixels in your image.
Shot at ISO 100. No grain or digital noise at this
ISO setting.
The first image was shot at an ISO of 100. The
second at an ISO of 1600.
Notice how the second image looks grittier?
That grit is “digital noise.” Yuck!
Film: With film, the faster (or
higher) the ISO, the grainier the
image becomes. The grainer the
photo the more degraded it becomes.
Shot at ISO 1600. It might be hard to see the
noise at this size. Try it out for yourself. Shoot
at ISO 1600, 3200 and 100. Compare the images
side-by-side.
Some Good News About Digital Noise
The advancement of technology continues to
lower the amount of digital noise created at
higher ISO’s.
My first digital camera, a Fuji S2, provided
decent photos at ISO 800. Anything higher was
useless.
Today, my Nikon Z6 creates images I’m happy
with at 3200 ISO! That’s a considerable
improvement.
Someday, we may not even have to worry about
digital noise.
Until then, it’s always best to figure out
how to shoot at the lowest (acceptable)
ISO possible. And how to remove noise in
post-processing.
Shot at ISO 3200. Noise is
minimal, with my Nikon Z6.
Is ISO Part of the Exposure Equation?

Yes. Yes, it is! Some photographers say it

isn’t. Let me explain why it is…

Remember, exposure is how bright or how dark

your image is. Both the aperture and shutter
speed can be adjusted to determine the
exposure.

Plus, the ISO can be adjusted to amplify the

light.

This effects exposure too. Doesn’t it?

ISO 200 | F/2.8 | 1/2000
Proof Is In the Pudding.
As you learned earlier, if you go from ISO
200 to ISO 400, you double the amount of
light.

Let’s say you use the following settings for

an image.

ISO 200 | F/2.8 | 1/2000

Then, for a second image you double the ISO

to 400 and keep the other settings the same.

Guess what?
Doubling
the light
You doubled the amount of light by amplifying created an
it with a higher ISO setting. Therefore, your overexposed ISO 400 | F/2.8 | 1/2000
“exposure” is being affected by the ISO! image.
Real World Example: Sunset

At sunset, the intensity of the light begins

to fade. The lower to the horizon, the
faster the intensity of the light will fade.

Typically, I’ll start with an ISO of around

200 – 400 (depending on the lens, creative
settings selected, and intensity of the
light). As the intensity fades I’ll increase
the ISO accordingly.

Once I reach an ISO of 800, I’ll try and

keep it there by shooting with a slower
shutter speed and/or larger aperture.

Keep in mind there are other factors that

will determine your ISO selection:

Your lens – a wide-angle

1 allows more light to reach
the sensor
Nikon Z6 | 50mm | f/8 | 1/200 | ISO 100

Plenty of sunlight left at this time of

Your desired creative choices
2 in regards to shutter speed
and aperture
DSLR vs mirrorless
3
day to shoot at ISO 100. However, as
the sun dropped, I had to raise the ISO.
Although, I could have used a larger
aperture and/or slower shutter speed
too.
Real World Example: Sunny Day

On sunny days, the light is pretty

intense.

However, the intensity can change

throughout the day, even if it’s sunny
all day.

You’ll find the sun to be brightest

(most intense) at high noon. A couple
of hours before and after, the light
is not as intense.

Keep this in mind when shooting

outdoors on a sunny day.

So, in general, you can shoot at a

very low ISO. Like, 100 or 200.

Earlier or later in the day, you may

need to start shooting at ISO 250+.
It all depends on your other camera
settings too.
Nikon D300 | 12-24mm | f/9 | 1/500 | ISO 200

I captured this image at the Silver Lake Sand

Dunes, Michigan.
Real World Example: Cloudy Day

Shooting on cloudy days lowers

the intensity of the light.

This results in the need to use a

higher ISO. Typically, ISO 400+
is ideal.

Unless, of course, you use a

slower Shutter Speed and/or
larger Aperture.

Nikon D300 | 50mm | f/1.4 | 1/320 | ISO 200

Captured this portrait, of our daughter, on a

partly cloudy day. I waited for the clouds to
hide the sun.

This way I could take advantage of the softer

light.
Real World Example: Indoor

Indoors is a bit trickier. The general

rule is, the more intense the light,
the lower the ISO you can use.

At home, on a bright sunny day, with

lots of windows, you could probably
use lower ISO settings.

Maybe 200 – 400 would be an excellent

place to start.

At home, on a cloudy day, may require

starting at an ISO of 400+.

At home, at night, with a few lights

on will probably require starting at
ISO 800+.

Nikon D300 | 28-70 @ 52mm | f/3.5 | 1/125 | ISO 400

I placed the bride near a window for a soft, bright

light.
ISO Cheat Sheat
Aperture Deep Dive

Setting your aperture is one of

three keys to better and creative What Is An Aperture?
photos. The other two are your
ISO and Shutter Speed. All three “In essence, an aperture
camera settings are part of the refers to the size of the
Exposure Triangle. opening (or hole) in your
lens. The aperture opening
Do you desire to create better, allows light to be captured
more creative photos? But, for your picture.”
maybe you find the v to be a bit
mysterious? “The larger the hole, the
more light that will be
All of these questions (and more) captured by your camera.
will be answered in this aperture Plus, the size of the hole
guide. gives you control over the
depth of field.”
Plus, some real-world challenges
where you’ll learn how I navigate
the world of apertures to get the
photo I had envisioned.

This “opening” is also known as an iris. Interestingly,

an aperture works very similarly to the pupil in your
eyes! When you walk into a dark room, the pupil of your
eye becomes larger to allow more light to become visible.

If you’re in a dark room and walk outside on a bright,

sunny day, the opposite happens… your pupil becomes
smaller.

We’ll explore the mechanical aspects of the Aperture

Pupil later on in this guide. But first, let’s discover how the
Aperture affects your photo’s exposure.
How Aperture Affects Exposure

A perfect (or balanced) exposure is when the photograph is rich

in details in both the highlights and shadows.

If you overexpose the image, you’ll lose details in the

As mentioned previously,
you can increase or
decrease the volume of
light that passes through
to your camera based on the
size of the lens aperture.
This can have a direct
affect on your exposure if
the aperture is too large
or too small.
highlights. The opposite happens with an underexposed picture.
All the details in the shadows are lost.
The goal should be to capture a proper, balanced exposure in-
camera. If not, you’ll end up with a lower quality image that
you’ll have to try and fix in Photoshop (or Lightroom).
For example, if the details have been clipped at the time of
capture, you can’t get them back. Here are the results of only
changing the aperture (the other two settings stayed the same).

That is if all else is

equal, and you’re not
adjusting your ISO and/or
Shutter Speed.

For example, if too much

light passes through the
lens, you end up with an
overexposed photo.

And, if not enough light

gets to the camera sensor,
your image will be
underexposed.

At f/1.8 it’s overexposed Correct exposure at f/4 Underexposed at f/8

Apertures For Creativity
Your Aperture Choice
Affects Your Photos
Creatively
“The aperture isolates the
world you see and gives
you the ability to craft
your photos based on your
creative vision.”
Chris Parker
Before you select your aperture
you may want to consider the
creative outcome.
This will help you decide which
aperture settings might be best
for the final photograph.
For example:
> Do you prefer to blur out light to paint with by
the background or keep it
sharp?
> What about the foreground?
> Do you prefer your for your final...
subject to be in focus or
selectively in-focus?
You can harness the
available light by
adjusting the aperture
larger or smaller.
Before the light, from
your scene, reaches your
camera’s sensor, you can
manipulate that light
based on your creative
vision.
In a way, you’re painting
with light.
Think of how a painter
uses different size brushes
to create a masterpiece on
canvas.
Your canvas is your
camera’s sensor, and your
paint is light.
You can control how much
changing the aperture.
Plus, the different sizes My creative vision for this image
was to keep a portion of the
of your aperture also
foreground in focus. What type of
gives you creative options aperture did I use for this, small
or large?
...masterpiece.

There are specific

apertures that can
be used to blur part
of your image. And
still, others that
can enhance the
sharpness of your
photo.

We’ll explore these

different apertures
in more detail, with
some real-world
examples, later on in
this aperture guide.

A large aperture of f/4 and A small aperture of f/16 was

a long lens were utilized used to keep the foreground
to creatively blur out the and background in focus.
background. Since the merry-
go-round was active I also had
to use a fast shutter speed!
Bokeh

Bokeh occurs when a light

source is blurred out due
to the length of your
lens, the distance the
subject(s) are to the lens
and the aperture.

You can selectively choose

a large aperture to
What Is Bokeh? enhance this effect with a
shallow depth of field.
“A photography term
that describes the
characteristics of
how the background
looks when blurred
out.

Bokeh appears as
little circles in the
out of focus areas.”
In this image, a macro lens
was utilized with a large
aperture resulting in a
shallow DOF.

Due to the lights being very

far from the lens, the Bokeh
effect was created.

Also, the shape of the Bokeh

can be round or the shape of
the aperture itself.
Depth-of-Field

Depth of field is a term to describe how the lens can also affect
much of the scene is in focus or out of the DOF (and Bokeh).
focus. This term is sometimes referred
to as DOF. For example, a longer
lens can achieve a
What Is The point at which you focus on is the similar DOF compared to
Depth-of-Field? starting point of the depth of field. a large aperture.

“The distance between That focus point will be the sharpest If a background is very
the foreground and part of the entire picture. Depending blurry, compared to the
background that appears on the aperture selected, parts of foreground, it’s known
acceptably in focus. the image will become less and less to have a “shallow”
in-focus. depth-of-field.
A shallow Depth of
Field (DOF) refers to This goes for both the back and A larger DOF is when
a smaller area of the foreground. The focal lengths of your both the foreground and
image in focus. lens and the distance of the subject to background are sharp.

A large DOF refers to

more of the foreground
and background in
focus.

Depending on the lens,

aperture selected, and
the distance to the
main subject can affect
how much of the scene
is in sharp focus.”
A shallow D.O.F. was
achieved by using a
macro lens with an
aperture of f/3.5.

Notice how some of the

branch is out-of-focus
too.
Notice the Bokeh in
this photo?

It’s subtle vs. the

image of the rings
(previous page).
But this too has a
shallow DOF.

Two other factors

affect the DOF as
well, the distance
of the owl to the
background and the
focal length of the
lens used!

Creating a blurry
background was done
intentionally, with
a large aperture, to
separate the owl.

Had I photographed
with a smaller
aperture, rendering Nikon D300 | f/2.8 | 1/1000 | ISO 200 | 70-200 @200mm
both the foreground
and background in
focus, there...
...wouldn’t be any separation between
them.

This would result in our eyes not

knowing what to focus on first, the
background, or the foreground.

It would be too busy. In this case,

the owl is the most essential part of
the image.

TIP
Therefore, by using a large aperture
(2.8 in this case) it provides the
depth of field required to separate
the two and your eyes gravitate to Remember the following
the owl.
when you wish to use the
aperture creatively
NOTE: DOF is not affected just
by the aperture. Other things “large aperture results in a
come into play as well. small DOF or more blur”

> the distancing and position “smaller apertures result in a

of your subject with each large depth of field or more in
other and other elements
focus”
> the focal length of your
lens

> the distance between your

subject in regards to the
background and/or foreground.
 F-Stops

What Is An F-Stop? Up to this point, we’ve

discussed the aperture in
“The f-stop refers to general terms: large, small,
a specific number that opening, hole, etc..
correlates to the size
of the aperture. However, there is another term
you should become familiar
These numbers help you with, which is “f-stop.”
choose the aperture
you want based on your It’s sometimes referred to as
desired outcome.” an f number (or f stop number).

There are two parts to the

f-stop: the “f” and the “stop.”
Standard “f” numbers:
Both have different meanings.
f/1.4 Let’s go over both.
f/2.8
f/4 What the “f”?
f/5.6
f/8 “f” in “f-stop” is short for
f/11 focal length. Lenses come in
f/16 all different sizes (focal
f/22 lengths).
My favorite types of
Plus, today’s modern Why does this matter? lenses are the Nikon 50mm
digital cameras (and (top) and 85mm.
lenses) allow you to dial Well, it will help you
The 50 and 85 represent
in apertures in-between understand the creative outcome the (F) focal length of
the standard f numbers. of your photograph based on the those lenses.
aperture selected.
For example, f/4.5 and Oh, and they’re also
Let’s find out how… referred to as prime
f/5.
lenses.
 First, take a look at the apertures, and
their corresponding f numbers, with the
images to the left.
Notice anything weird about the aperture
F/4 size and the f numbers?
According to the images, 4 is BIGGER than
16! “Wait a minute,” you say. “That’s
not true!” You’re right.
16 is definitely larger than 4 when
comparing a number to another number.
But, not in the world of apertures.
F/5.6
Have you ever wondered why an f stop
number is written like this f/4 vs. 4?
Here’s why. Two things are listed before
the number; an “f” and a forward slash:
f/
We’ve already established that “f” =
F/11 focal length.
Then what does the forward-slash mean?
Well, it’s known as the sign for
division.
Uh, oh! We’re fixin’ to do some math. No
F/16
worries, though. You don’t
need math to take great
photos. This is just for
educational purposes.
So, the f-number is an
equation: focal length divided
by “the aperture number.”
Let’s try it out with a 50mm
lens, and we’ll do some math
for f/4 and f/16.
Which is larger, f/4, or f/16?
The focal length of the lens
is 50. So, we divide 50 by 4.
The equations look like this:
50(f) / 4 = 12.5
50(f) / 16 = 3.125
So, 4 is actually bigger than
16! Well, at least f/4 has a
larger aperture vs. f/16.
Hopefully, this helps you
remember that the smaller
the f-number, the bigger the
aperture and vice versa.
Stops

What Is A Stop? photographers dislike math. Photography Math:

Are you one of them? Fear not!
“Stops”
“In essence, a stop is
a measure of exposure A Stop is a doubling or
relating to the We’re going to explore
halving of light. The amount
doubling or halving of what I like to refer to as
of light you capture will
the amount of light “photography math.”
either be well-balanced, over
when adjusting your or underexposed.
camera settings (in It’s easier than any math
relation to exposure). you’ve learned thus far.
If the exposure you capture is
Perfect for those of us that
incorrect, you can increase
These camera settings dislike math.
include the aperture,
shutter speed, and
ISO.

Each of these settings

is adjusted in
fractions or whole
numbers.”

When I mention numbers,

what comes to mind? Math?
The amount of
Yep, we have to do a light has to
little math to nail the be doubled
twice to get
exposure in-camera.
the correct
exposure.
Otherwise, your image This can
will end up being over or be done by
underexposed. We can’t decreasing
the shutter
have that!
speed from
Underexposed by 2 Stops Correct exposure 1/250th to
Now, I know a lot of 1/60th.
or decrease the amount of light by a
stop.
Or in other words, double the amount
of light or cut it in half. Easy
math.
If I’m critiquing your photo and say:
“increase the exposure by 1 stop”,
this means you’ll need to double the
amount of light.
But, the question is, how do you
double the light?
You could physically increase the
amount of light by adding strobes.
Or you can control how much light
reaches your camera’s sensor by
adjusting 1 or more camera settings.
Let’s explore some examples.
Pro Tip: Today’s digital cameras make
things a little more complicated vs. film
days.
Unlike the good ‘ole days of film
photography, your digital camera can
provide you with settings in smaller
increments vs. whole numbers.
For example, film was/is available in
whole numbers like ISO 100, 200, 400, and
800. In a digital camera, we have smaller
increments like ISO 250, 320, 500, 640,
and more.
For the shutter speed, my first film camera
(Nikon 8008) had speeds of 1/125, 1/250,
and 1/500, to name a few. My latest
Nikon Z6 has smaller increments for the
shutter, like 1/160, 1/200, 1/320, and
1/400.
Apertures are also available in smaller
increments. These smaller increments make
the “math” a little messy.
For simplicity’s sake, this article will
explore stops of light regarding the
options available from yesteryear.
 Stops & ISO

Pro Tip: Your camera’s sensor,

Since ISO is referenced in whole contrary to popular belief, is not
numbers, it’s the easiest of the sensitive to light. Therefore, an
three to grasp the doubling or increase in ISO doesn’t make it more
halving of light. sensitive.

In the film days, popular ISO options Instead, ISO and your camera’s processor
included 100, 200, 400, 800, and takes the available light and amplifies
1600. Each step in either direction it. Or makes it more intense. This gives
is one stop. the illusion of more light than there is.

For example, increasing the ISO from The good news is you can increase ISO to
200 to 400 is one stop, and you’re get more out of the available light. The
doubling the amount of light. bad news is this “amplification” results
in more digital noise!
Going from 1600 to 800 is also one-
stop, but this time you’re cutting
the amount of light in half.

Smaller ISO = Less Light Larger ISO = More Light

100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400

1 Stop 2 Stop

Stops & Shutter Speeds
Shutter speeds are available in both whole
seconds and fractions of a second. Whole
seconds, like ISO, are easier to comprehend
and visualize.
To double the amount of light, by 1 stop,
increase the desired speed duration by
multiplying by two. For example, a 1 stop
increase from 1 second would be 2 seconds.
From 4 seconds to 2 seconds would be a 1 stop
decrease… or half the amount of light.
Things get a little messy when you use
fractions of a second… sort of. The same
simple math applies.
1/60th of a second to 1/30th is doubling the
amount of light by 1 stop. Going from 1/60th
to 1/125th is cutting the light in half or by
1 stop.
Slower Shutter Speed = More Light
1/8 1/15 1/30 1/60
1 Stop
Although, it’s not a perfect halving of light,
which would be 1/120th of a second.
Close enough, though, so I wouldn’t fret over
the minuscule difference in the fractions.
Pro Tip: The shutter speed is a
duration of the shutter that is open.
When open, the shutter allows more
or less light to be recorded by your
sensor, depending on the “speed.”
The longer it’s open, the more
light it lets in. If open too long,
it can overexpose your image. Not
long enough will make your image
underexposed.
Faster Shutter Speed = Less Light
1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000
2 Stop
 Or is it?
Stops & Apertures
For those that like math: instead of
Doubling and halving gets even trickier with multiplying or dividing a number by 2, we
apertures. use the square root of 2. Or a multiplying
or dividing by 1.41.
An aperture is measured with an “f-number” or
an “f-stop,” which relates to the size of the If you were to increase by 1 stop from
aperture. f/5.6, the correct aperture would be f/4.

A lower f-number like f/4 is actually a larger
opening vs. a higher f-number like f/11.
Due to how apertures are measured, doubling or
halving the aperture number doesn’t apply.
Instead, the math gets more complicated, and a
calculator might be required.
The math is 5.6 / 1.41 = 4. A decrease from
f/2 to f/2.8 is one-stop since; 2 * 1.41. =
2.8.
For those that don’t like math: a visual
tool like an exposure triangle will
illustrate the increasing and decreasing of
light based on the aperture, shutter and
ISO options.

Large Aperture = More Light Small Aperture = Less Light

f/1.8 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

1 Stop 2 Stop
Stop Terminology

What Is Stopping Down? What Is Wide Open?

As you adjust your aperture from a The image below shows the
large hole down to a small aperture aperture fully open or also known
(the “hole”), it’s known as as wide open (sometimes referred
“stopping down.” to as the maximum aperture).

You may also hear photographers
refer to it as “closing” down.
Basically, you’re reducing the
amount of light passing through the
lens in half, with each stop.
F/11 No blades are visible. This
allows the maximum amount of
light to be sent through the lens
to the camera.

If you stop down from f/4 to f/5.6

that’s one stop and you’re cutting
the light in half. F/16
Stopping down from f/4 to f/8 is
two stops.

Note: You can double or halve the

sum of light with the ISO, Shutter
Speed or Aperture.

f/11 > f/16 is one stop

ISO 100 > 200 is one stop

1/500th > 1/250th is one stop

Real World Example: Stops

Let’s say you found the perfect settings for a well-

balanced exposure;

Aperture = f/4
Shutter Speed = 1/500
ISO = 400

The problem is those settings do not provide you

with the results you had envisioned. You’re shooting
portraits and would like to blur out the background.

You’ve read that blurring the background can be

controlled by the depth of field. In this case, you
decide to use a larger aperture to create delicious
Bokeh.

For simplicity, let’s say you decide on f/2.8. This is

a 1 stop increase of light (double) from f/4. So, now
your image is overexposed!

To get the same well-balanced exposure as before, you

need to change one of the other exposure settings:
Shutter Speed or ISO? Which one?

In this case, decreasing by 1 stop will work for either

option. But, ISO is probably the better way to go. Why?

Lower ISO’s produce less digital noise. So, you drop

the ISO by 1 stop to 200, and you have the perfect
Nikon D500 | ISO 200 | 1/500 | f/2.8
exposure!
Moving Parts

the Blades the Iris

The aperture itself
is made up of a
series of blades
inside your lenses.
These blades are
arranged to allow
a certain amount
of light to pass
through.
The iris is the mechanism that
allows you to open or close the
aperture.
The iris consists of the blades
themselves and the ring used to
adjust the aperture size (on older
lenses).

As you adjust the

aperture size, the
blades will recede
or advance in
increments.

These increments are

referred to as an
f-stop.

The opening at the

center of these
blades is the
aperture. Blades This Nikon 85mm lens has
an Aperture Ring (bottom).
Real World Example: Aperture Comparison

F/2.8 F/4 F/5.6

F/8 F/11 F/16

Notice how the sun rays are more
defined when stopping down.
Real World Examples: Portraits

It was a cold winter day, and the Take a look at

sun was tucked away behind the the background in
clouds. The last thing our son the second photo.
wanted to do was pose for photos. Notice how f/5.6
affects the sharpness
But, I had to get the shot. of the background.

The backdrop consisted of our shed In portrait

and a fence behind it. Attire was a photography, it’s
typical winter jacket all in black. best to utilize a
small depth of field
(larger aperture)
The first thing I decided to do was to separate your
use the maximum aperture available subject.
to blur out the background (first
image). An aperture like
f/11 is not ideal
for portraits.
It was necessary to add separation
between the structures and Bray. The shutter
Otherwise, the overall image would speed and ISO
have been too busy. were a secondary
consideration for
this portrait.
I strapped on a 50mm lens onto my
D300. The maximum aperture for this
lens is 1.4. Perfect.

ISO 200, for minimal digital noise

since 100 was not available on Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | 1/4000 | 50mm | f/5.6
this camera.F/8
Although it had “low”
settings, I’d rather stick with a
standard-setting. 200 it is.

Last, I had to figure out the speed

for the shutter. Although it was
cloudy, it was still fairly bright.
Plus, the wide aperture was letting in a LOT
of light. This meant I had to use a very
fast shutter to counter the large aperture.

I started with 1/2000 of a second and

checked the internal light meter. I was
1 stop overexposed. This meant I needed a
speed of 1/4000 of a second for a proper
exposure.

It also helped that I used the center-

weighted spot meter (on his face). This
allows the light meter to focus on the light
in the center of the viewfinder.

If I had used matrix metering (evaluative

metering for a Canon camera), it would
have taken all the light in the frame into
consideration.

This means the bright snow would have

tricked the light meter and would have
yielded a very underexposed image.

As you can see, in the first photo, the

background is blurred out enough to create
the separation needed.
F/8
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | 1/4000 | 50mm | f/1.4
This allows your eyes to focus on the
subject of the photo.
Real World Examples: Landscapes
Our final family camping trip of the year,
in late August, took us back to one of our
favorite locations: Letchworth State Park.
Letchworth is known as the Grand Canyon of
the east. This particular spot is a popular
destination for all to see.
We’ve been down this trail many times, and I
wanted to capture this image to hang in our
family living room.
As with most landscape photos, I wanted both
the foreground and background to be sharp (a
large depth of field). Lots of detail.
A small aperture was needed to allow less
light to go through the lens. One problem. It
was very dark in the shade vs. where the sun
was shining bright.
I needed to expose for the highlights to
capture all that detail in that part of the
scene. However, that meant all the detail in
the shadows would have been clipped.
F/8
Although f/11 or f/16 would have been
preferred, I needed to compromise and still
ensure no detail was lost.
After a few test shots, I determined that
f/5.6 would give me enough detail in the
foreground and render it in-focus.
But, I still erred on the side of caution and
exposed for the bright sun. Since this was
going to be a large wall print, I needed a
small ISO to minimize noise. 100 seemed ideal.
Now, to dial in the speed of the shutter. With
no tripod in-sight, I had to make sure the
shutter was fast enough to eliminate camera
shake. With these settings, I realized the
shutter speed was too slow and would create
that dreaded camera (shake) blur.
I could have allowed more light in by using a
larger aperture like f 4. But, it would have
begun blurring out the foreground.
Instead, I decided to bump the ISO one stop
from 100 to 200. The new, amplified light
allowed enough to allow for a faster shutter
speed.
I settled on 1/90th of a second. No camera
shake and in sharp focus. Success! Although
this was one of those times, I didn’t nail the
exposure in-camera.
The tonal range between the highlights and
shadows was more extensive than my Nikon D200
could handle (its Dynamic Range).
This resulted in a lot of work in Lightroom to
bring out all the details...
 Original

F/8
Nikon D200 | ISO 200 | 1/60 | 12mm | f/5.6 | Lightroom Edit
Real World Examples: Wildlife

My idea of wildlife photography consists of

critters that scamper through our campground
and visiting our local zoo.

Guess where this next photo was taken? Yep,

Letchworth. This little critter was hanging
out on our firewood on a cloudy day. Although
the color of the lizard was sufficient for
separating it from the foreground and
background, I still wanted to blur out both.

This can only be achieved with a… that’s

right, a large aperture. But, not as large as
you may think is required. I hooked on my
Nikon 60mm lens that has a maximum aperture of
f/2.8.

You would think, based on looking at the

photo, that 2.8 wouldn’t be large enough. Nikon D500 | ISO 400 | 1/60 | F/4 | 60mm Macro

What would be even more surprising is the fact

that I used f/4 to blur out the foreground and
background! Very little of the creature is in
focus. However, that was the creative vision
I had for theF/8
photograph.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, for the

shutter speed and ISO I set them as follows:
1/60th + 400.
Aperture Priority Mode

The goal of this mode is to use a shutter speed for a well-balanced

depth of field, via the aperture,
based on your creative vision for
the shot.
Then, the camera will determine
the correct shutter speed for a
well-balanced exposure.
This gives you the creative
freedom to dial in the amount of
depth of field you want for your
What Is Aperture photos.
exposure... 100% of the time.
This can be due to how it’s
calculating the light in a scene
based on the metering mode you’ve
selected.
If you notice your images are over
or underexposed, you have a couple
of options…

Priority Mode? Since you don’t have to worry

about dialing in the shutter
“This mode allows speed, it’s quicker (sometimes) to Change the metering mode
you to set the use vs. manual mode. from Matrix (Evaluative
aperture, and Metering) to Spot or vice
then your camera versa.
chooses the The Downside To This
shutter speed Setting
automatically.”
As much as I love this setting, it
does have some drawbacks.

Here are two things to consider Increase or decrease the

when using it. Exposure Compensation
accordingly.

1 Not 100% Accurate Exposures

Your camera is only a computer,

and it will not pick the right
 A slow shutter speed can create a blurry image
2 Low Light
ONE when hand-holding your camera. This is due to
not being able to hold the camera steady enough
at the slower shutter speed.
If you’re shooting in a low
light situation, the camera will
The result is what is known as camera shake,
choose a slower shutter speed to
and it creates a blurry photo.
allow more light to be captured.
The solution is to use a tripod. Or to use
However, two issues can arise
objects that can help you stay steady.
with slow shutter speeds.
For example, you could use a column to rest
your body against or use a table to place the
camera on.

A slower shutter speed may not be able to

TWO freeze the action in a scene. This creates a

blur around that action.

So, you’ll need to decide if you want to freeze

the action or blur the motion.

If the end result requires freezing the action,

you’ll need to increase the amount of light.
Either use a larger aperture or, if needed,
increase the ISO.

Both will give you a faster shutter speed

required for freezing the action.

Astrophotography requires a
shutter speed of a few seconds and
possibly longer. A tripod is a
must. Photo by Martin Mariani.
Getting Started With Aperture Priority Mode
Set your ISO?
Before you start taking
photos, you’ll need to also
set your ISO. Unless you
have Auto ISO?
In general, when it’s very
bright, like on a sunny
day, you’ll want to use
the lowest ISO setting
available.
This could be ISO 100 or
200. As the intensity of
the light diminishes, you
may need to increase the
ISO.
If you’re unsure what ISO
setting to use, have no
fear. Some DSLR cameras and
mirrorless come with an
“auto ISO” setting too!
Check your camera manual to
see if it does.
If so, set it and forget it
(for now).
If not, refer to the ISO
Cheat Sheet for some tips
on which ISO to select.
Getting Into Aperture
Priority Mode
You can place your camera in
aperture priority by selecting
the appropriate setting via the
mode dial or button.
If you’re a Nikon shooter, the
setting is designated by an “A,”
and for Canon shooters, it’s
For Canon users, you can set
“Av.” the aperture priority mode
by selecting the “Av” option
Next, you have to make a via a dial, button, or within
decision. Do you want the entire your camera menu.
scene in focus, or do you want to
blur part of the scene?
> Full focus – use a smaller
hole like f/16 or f/22.
> Selective focus – use a
larger hole like f/2.8.
Select the Aperture
Changing the aperture is easy on
most cameras. You’ll either find a For Nikon users, you can set
dial in front of or behind where the mode by selecting the “A”
option via a dial, button, or
the shutter release button is. within your camera menu.
Using this wheel allows you to
increase or decrease as needed.
APERTURE CHEAT SHEET

Aperture Cheat Sheet

Shutter Speed Deep Dive

The “shutter speed” consists of two main The shutter is

elements: the “shutter” and the “speed.” currently closed
and blocking
Let’s explore the mechanics of the shutter the sensor from
and the duration of the “speed.” capturing your
image.
the Mechanics of the Shutter
The first thing you’ll see is a mirror when
you take your lens off of a DSLR camera.

Behind that mirror is where your shutter is

located. And behind the shutter is the sensor
that captures your photos.

When you take a photo, both the mirror and

the shutter “open” (move) so the sensor can
> 1/4000
capture your image.
> 1/2000
> 1/1000
The length the shutter stays open is
> 1/500
dependent on the “speed” or the duration you
> 1/250
chose.
> 1/125
> 1/60
the Duration of the Speed
There are other faster and slower shutter
Shutter speeds come either in fractions of a speeds as well. All the way down to an eighth
second or longer durations can be 1 second or of a second and up to 1/8000 of a sec.
more.
You can even set the shutter to stay open for
The most common shutter speeds you’ll use are a full second and up to 30 seconds for an
in fractions of a second. even slower speed.

Here is a list of some speeds you’ll often It’s possible, with the right camera to keep
use in photography... the shutter open for more than 30 seconds.
Creative Side To Shutter Speeds

The primary purpose of the shutter speed
is to manage the light for a well-balanced
exposure. But it also gives you some creative
options.
If the shutter speed is too slow, it will
create a motion blur. In other words,
anything moving in your image will end up
blurry.
If you want your subjects to be tack sharp,
you’ll need to choose a faster shutter speed
to freeze the action.
The faster the subject is moving, the faster
the shutter speed you’ll need for a sharp
image. It all depends on your creative vision
for the shot.

A Shutter Speed This time a Shutter Hand-held at 1/8 of a

of 1/8 of a Speed of 1/8000th of second causes “Camera
second blurred a second froze the Shake.”
the action. action.
Amount of Blur Factors

There are 3 factors

that affect the
blurring of a
subject:

> Shutter Speed

> Speed of Subject
> Subject Distance

Nikon Z6 | f/16 | ISO 100 | 10 Seconds

Blur Factor 1 | Shutter Speed

Nikon D300 | IS0 200 | f/5.6 | 1/1000 Nikon D500 | IS0 200 | f/10 | 3” Nikon D2X | IS0 800 | f/2.8 | 1/30

Action shots require This shot required a For this action shot I
a fast Shutter Speed. tripod since I was decided to use a slow Shutter
That is, if you want using a Long Exposure Speed based on my creative
to freeze the action. of 3 seconds. vision for the image.
Blur Factor 2 | Speed of Subject

The speed of your subject plays a role in whether

or not you freeze or blur the action.

For example; let’s say you’re photographing race

cars, after a yellow flag, that are traveling at
10mph and wish to freeze the action.

You discover that 1/500th of a second does the

job. But, after the re-start the cars are now
traveling at 200mph.

To freeze the faster moving cars you’ll need a

faster Shutter Speed. At a fast Shutter Speed (1/500,
1/1000, etc.) the subject
doesn’t have time to travel from
one side to the other. This
As demonstrated “freezes” the subject in place.
in the video
tutorial the
faster fan
speed resulted
in blurring
(with the same
Shutter Speed).

A slower Shutter Speed allows

Slower fan speed at Faster fan speed at the subject to travel across the
1/8000th of a second. 1/8000th of a second. sensor. This causes the subject
to “blur”.
Blur Factor 3 | Distance of Subject To Camera

Distance can also play a At a distance

role in whether or not the of 10 feet I
captured my
action is frozen or blurred. daughter with
a one second
The further your subject is Shutter Speed and
from your camera the less this blurred the
they’ll travel across the action.
sensor.

This time, at a
distance of 500
feet (and a 1
second Shutter
Speed) resulted
in less blur
compared to her
being closer to
the camera.
Real World Example: Low Light

In situations where the light source

is dim, it could result in images
that are underexposed. ONE Inside when there is little light.

That is if you don’t use the correct You may find a shutter speed between
shutter speed, aperture, and ISO 1/30th of a second to 1/125th of a
settings for the proper exposure. second that may work.

Images that are underexposed appear It all depends on your vision for
darker, lack distinctive detail, and the shot and your selections for the
overall are of lower quality. aperture and ISO.

This is a general rule, and I

believe rules are meant to be
broken. In photography, at least.

What if you wanted a darker image

to tell a story about a particular
subject, and it was part of your
creative vision?

Go for it!

In most photos, at least for me,

I want to capture a well-balanced
exposure in-camera.
F/8
Here are a couple of low light
scenarios you may find yourself in
that require a slow shutter speed.

Indoor wedding venues are generally dark with mood lighting.

This image required a Shutter Speed of 1/60.
TWO Outdoors at night or sunset.

If you’re out of the city looking to

shoot the stars, you’re probably going
to need a shutter speed of 1 second or
slower.

In the city, for street photography you

may be able to get away with half a
second to 1/60th of a second.

Sunset and sunrise photos you can use

shutter speeds up to 1/250 (or more).

As the sun sets, if you don’t change the

aperture or ISO, you’ll need to use a
slower duration.

This is needed to compensate for the

lower intensity of the sun.

Overall, the shutter speed depends on

the intensity of the available light,
your other two exposure settings, and
your desired end result.

F/8

Nikon D300 | 85mm | f/1.8 | 1/125 | ISO 2500

A high ISO was required for a faster shutter

speed to avoid camera shake.
Real World Example: Low Light 2

This image was entirely

illuminated with candles!

Due to the low intensity of the

light, I had to use a slow shutter
speed.

The only problem was I didn’t have

my tripod with me.

So, I couldn’t go too low.

Otherwise, I would have ended up
with motion blur.

With the lens I was using (Nikon

85mm 1.8), I felt comfortable
using 1/50th of a sec for the
shutter speed.

That meant I also had to use a

shallow depth-of-field of f/1.8 and
a high ISO of 800.

To help reduce possible motion

blur, I held my elbows close to
my body and held my breath as
F/8squeezed the shutter
I slowly
release button.

I took several shots (7 total) to

ensure a sharp image was captured.
Nikon D500 | 85mm | f/1.8 | 1/50 | ISO 800
Luckily, all were tack sharp!
Now, you may be thinking, I could have
used fill flash (off-camera flash) to use a
faster shutter speed and a lower ISO.

Which is true. Increasing the amount of

light allows more to reach the sensor and,
therefore, means a faster shutter speed
could have been used.

However, the mood of the overall image

would have been different.

The goal for this image was to use natural

light to set the mood:

> soft
> elegant
> romantic

What kind of image do you want to capture?

What is the story behind it?

After all that
How can the lighting help tell the story hard work I
based on the mood it portrays? decided to go
with a b&w image.
Why? The skin
These are a few questions you need to tones looked too
answer before choosing your exposure unnatural with
settings. F/8 the orange color
from the lights.
Once you know the answers, you’ll know
what settings to choose based on your
vision for the shot.
Real World Example: Intense Light

When too much light is passed to the sensor,

it can create an overexposed image.

Overexposed images tend to have little to no

detail in the highlights. This results in
photos that are washed out, and, just like
underexposed images, are of low quality.

Here are a few examples of intense lighting

scenarios you may find yourself in that
require a faster shutter speed:
Nikon D300 | f/5.6 | ISO 1600 | 1/100

ONE Inside with bright lights.

If you’re attending an indoor sporting event

you may find a shutter speed of 1/125 sec (or
faster) is necessary. That is if you want
to freeze the action.

TWO Outdoors on a sunny day.

This may require a shutter speed of at least

1/500 sec or faster. You may need to go
all the way up to 1/4000 sec on very bright
days.

This, of course, can be countered with a

lower ISO and or a smaller aperture (like
f/11 or f/16).
Nikon D300 | f/13 | ISO 200 | 1/1250
Real World Example: Intense Light

The time of day was late afternoon. Not a

cloud in the sky!

For this shot, I wanted to keep the

background in focus to help tell the
story… the location (the Field Museum).
But, not too sharp where it competed too
much with the couple. There had to be some
separation.

I settled on f/4. Since it was bright, I

could also use the lowest ISO available for
minimal digital noise… ISO 200.

Now, the shutter speed. Where to start?

Well, it wasn’t high noon. If it was, then
I’d need at least 1/2000 of a second or
faster. How do I know? Experience.

In time, as you shoot more and more…

… you’ll start remembering what shutter

speeds work at what time of days… or even
based on the lighting in general, and that
will be your starting point.
F/8on 1/500th of a second to start.
I settled
I dialed in all my settings and reviewed
the exposure meter, through the viewfinder,
before shooting. It was spot-on.
Nikon D300 | f/4 | ISO 200 | 1/640
However, after looking at the histogram, I
noticed it was showing that the highlights
were overexposed. The
detail was being clipped.

I raised the shutter

speed to 1/640th of
a second and reshot.
Perfect exposure, in-
camera, with all the
details intact.

Sure, I could have “fixed”

the exposure in Lightroom
(or Photoshop).

But, why spend time doing

that when I can fix it
while shooting?

This photoshoot had

around 200 images.
Getting it right in-
camera saved me a lot of
editing time.

Same settings as before. Lightrom

edit with a custom Retro preset.
Real World Example: Motion Blur

This next image I captured during one

of our family vacations at Letchworth
state park. The sun was falling fast,
and it was a partly cloudy day.

The plan for this image was to have

a large wall print created for our
home. With that in mind, I decided on
a low ISO for minimal digital noise,
ISO 125.

I also wanted the foreground and

background sharp. This required a
large depth of field. So, I settled
on f/16.

This led to a small dilemma. I needed

a prolonged shutter speed. But I left
my tripod back at the cabin. There
wasn’t enough time to go back.
Nikon D200 | f/14 | 1/2 Second | ISO 125
After a few test shots, I determined
that half a second would give the
amount of motion

blur I wanted and provide a perfect

(in-camera) exposure. One. Half. A.
F/8
Second. Hand. Held. Yikes! slightly to get the entire waterfall.

To pull this off, I utilized the stone After composing, I braced my arms on top of the wall
wall in front of me. It was waist- and squeezed the shutter button. Perfect! Almost. I
high. I placed the camera on top of had to take several shots since most had motion blur
the wall and near the front edge. (camera shake).

This way, I could point it down Lesson learned. Don’t leave your tripod behind!
Shutter Priority Mode

The goal of this mode is to use unable to keep the camera steady,
a Shutter Speed that will either and the result is a blurry image.
freeze or blur the action... based
on your creative vision. The general rule is not to use a
speed below the focal length of
Your camera will determine the the lens.
correct Aperture for a well-
balanced exposure when using this For example, a 100mm lens will
What Is Shutter mode require a shutter speed no slower
Priority Mode? than 1/100 of a second. Anything
Since you don’t have to worry slower (like 1/60) could cause
“Shutter priority about dialing in the Aperture, camera shake.
allows you to it’s quicker (sometimes) to use
choose the speed vs. manual mode. But, this all depends on your
required for your ability to hand-hold your camera
desired outcome The Downside To This steadily. Some might be able to
and automatically hand-hold with a 100mm lens at
selects the
Setting 1/30 of a second.
aperture.
Shutter priority does have some When in doubt, use a faster
drawbacks. shutter speed or use a tripod.
The aperture your
camera selects
Here are a few things to consider If needed, boost your ISO or add
will be based on
when using it. more light if possible. This will
what it thinks
is necessary for allow you to use a faster shutter
a well-balanced speed.
exposure.” 1 Tripod?

Slow speeds are going to require 2 Not 100% Accurate Exposures

a tripod to help you avoid camera
shake. Your camera has a built-in
computer that is making creative
Camera shake occurs when you’re decisions for you… when you’re
using any “auto” option.
It takes the information presented to it when
the light enters your lens and decides what
to do next.
In the case of Shutter Priority, it will
auto-select the aperture based on what it
thinks is a well-balanced exposure. However,
it’s not going to be 100% accurate all the
time.
The computer can be fooled into thinking
the image is over or underexposed and will
provide an aperture accordingly.
calculate the existing light to establish a
proper or well-balanced exposure.
You can choose a metering option that will
concentrate it’s “calculation” of the light
in the center of the scene.
Or you can set the metering to the entire
scene.
Let’s say you’re shooting a landscape on a
bright, sunny, wintery day.
Currently, your camera is set to Matrix
Metering or Evaluative Metering (for Canon).

This may end up providing you with an If two-thirds of the image is covered
exposure you weren’t expecting. There are
three viable solutions…

ONE
Adjust the Exposure Compensation to fix the
over or underexposed image and reshoot.

TWO
The second option would be to change the
metering mode. The metering mode tells the Nikon Z6 | ISO 200 | f/8 | 1/125
camera what parts of the scene to determine
the overall exposure.
Switching from matrix to spot metering mode
Think of it as a “light” calculator. It will provided a more balanced exposure. Now the
detail in the shadows are visible.
with snow, your camera will most likely
underexpose the subject. This is due to the
excess brightness of the snow.
To fix this, you can set your metering to the
“Spot” mode to calculate the light for the
shadows vs. the snow.
Now, you’ll end up with a properly exposed
image of your subject.
are streaking through the sky, tail lights
from cars wind through the streets, or the
water from a waterfall looks soft, silky, and
sleek.
These are all forms of long exposure
photography and require, well, a long shutter
speed.
Oftentimes to achieve the blur effect you want
will require a setting of 1 second or longer.

Don’t leave your tripod at home!

THREE
Finally, you could switch over to Manual and
adjust the Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO
to get the result you want.

This is more advanced and will take time to

learn how to adjust all three to get the
desired results.

Ideal Uses For Shutter Priority

Let’s go over a couple of examples of using

this option for different situations.

1 Long Exposure Photography

Long exposure photography is the art of

blurring the action in the scene.

You may have seen photos where the stars

 2 Sports, Kids + Wildlife

Fast action is going to require a

faster shutter speed to freeze the
action.

That is if that’s the creative

decision you make.

There’s nothing that says you need

to use a fast shutter speed for
action.

Maybe you want to show the “speed”

of the movement as the running back
blasts through the hole.

Or showing the quickness of an elk,

by blurring the motion, as it races
through the forest.

Both of those scenarios might be

better suited with a slower shutter
speed. It’s up to you.

Nikon D500 | ISO 200 | f/2.8 | 1/2500

Getting Started With Shutter Priority Mode
Set your ISO?
Just like with Aperture
Priority Mode, you’ll need
to set your ISO first.
Unless you have Auto ISO?
In general, when it’s very
bright, you’ll want to use
the lowest ISO setting
available.
This could be ISO 100 or
200. As the intensity of
the light diminishes, you
may need to increase the
ISO.
If you’re unsure what ISO
setting to use refer to the
ISO Cheat Sheet provided
previously.
Or check your camera manual
to see if you have Auto ISO
and set it up.
Getting Into Shutter
Priority Mode
You can place your camera in
Shutter Priority via a dial or
within the main menu system.
For most cameras you’ll set it to
“S” for this mode.
Next, you have to decide if
For Canon users, you can set
you want to blur or freeze the the Shutter Priority Mode by
action. selecting the “S” option via
a dial, button, or within
> Freeze: the faster the your camera menu.
subject the faster the Shutter
Speed you’ll need to use.
> Blur: You’ll need a tripod
for the best results.
Select the Speed
Changing the “speed” is easy on
most cameras. You’ll either find a
dial in front of or behind where
the shutter release button is.
For Nikon users, you can also
Using this wheel allows you to set your dial to “S”.
increase or decrease as needed.
Shutter Speed Cheat Sheet
Meter Modes

How Your Camera Sees the Light To

As you may have already experienced,
when shooting in an “auto” mode
(program, aperture, or shutter
priority mode) the exposure isn’t
always perfect.
Knowing how Metering Modes work and the
options you have will help you better
achieve the exposure you desire.
Meter It?
Since your camera doesn’t have eyes like you and
I, your camera uses a light meter to see the
brightness levels in a scene.
Based on how it’s programmed determines the
camera settings it chooses for you.

The Light Meter in your camera measures the

What Is Metering? intensity of the light in your scene.

“Metering” is how your camera

determines what aperture and shutter
speed are required for a good
exposure. Getting a good exposure
isn’t easy. If it was, you wouldn’t
need three or more Metering Modes.”

What Is A Metering Mode?

“A Metering Mode determines how
much of the scene your camera will
evaluate prior to calculating the
exposure. In all, most cameras will
have at least three modes. -3..2..1.. 0 ..1..2..3+
These are Matrix (Nikon) or
Evaluative Metering (Canon),
Center-Weighted Metering, and Spot If you’re shooting in Aperture or Shuttor Priority Mode
Metering.” the Light Meter indicator is not available. You’ll need
to use your Histogram to confirm you got the exposure
you desired.
See the Light Meter
After evaluating the light, it will
give you a visual cue on whether it
thinks the exposure is too dark or
bright, or perfect.

This can be seen with the Light

Meter Indicator (or exposure
indicator) inside your viewfinder.

Before we go over the different

Modes, grab your camera, turn
it on, and look through your
viewfinder.

Either along the side or the

bottom, you’ll discover a line
of bars and possibly another bar
under it. This is your exposure
indicator.

As you move the camera around or

change your camera settings, the

FUN FACT: indicator will light up either on the negative or

“Metering” isn’t
something new. It’s been
around since I picked up
my first camera 30 years
ago and Light Meters were
introduced in 1932!
positive side to represent too dark or too bright.
If it lines up in the dead center, then it’s suggesting
you might have a perfect exposure.
But, remember, your camera isn’t perfect. This is
why you have several tools to help you get the right
exposure. Meter Modes is one of them and we’ll explore
the others later in this book.
Problems with Metering
Metering the light works perfectly when the
scene is lit evenly. Like on a cloudy day.
However, you’ll encounter problems when the
range of brightness levels increases. Like on
a bright, sunny day.
For example, if you’re shooting a landscape
at mid-day with rolling hills. The sky is
bright and any clouds are even brighter.
The shadows of the hills are on the other end
of the brightness scale… very dark.
In this scenario, your Light Meter looks at
the sky, clouds, and shadows and has to figure
out what camera settings will give the best
results.
With Matrix Metering
it provided a decent
exposure. However, the sky
is extremly overexposed.
And the shadows are
underexposed.
If I had exposed for the
shadows, the highlights
would be even more
overexposed. Opposite if I
exposed for the highlights.
Due to the extreme variation in light In essence, your Meter Modes are trying to
intensity, it’s not going to always give you level the scene to a mid-grey and something in
the results you desire. your scene will not be properly exposed.

As a result, you may find the sky or clouds are In that case, depending on your subject, you
overexposed but the shadows have the optimal can try a different Mode to get the results you
exposure (all the detail is visible). desire.

Or the opposite may be true.

No amount of EV or a change
of the Meter Mode would have
given me the proper exposure
from the highlights through
to the shadows.

This had to be fixed in

Lightroom by targeting
different areas with a mask.

Or multiple exposures (HDR)

could have been another
solution.
Matrix
The Matrix or Evaluative Metering
Mode is designed to evaluate all the
light you see in your viewfinder. Of
the metering modes you have, this is
the most complex.

This mode evaluates the light in five

different zones. Each zone analyzes
the light on an individual basis.

Then, it takes into consideration

where you are focusing and puts
more emphasis on that zone. There
are additional variables used to
determine the exposure that is
dependent on the make and model of
your camera.

For example, Nikon also compares Measures the entire Nikon Canon
scene. Useful for
your images data to a database of
scenes that are evenly
thousands of photos for calculating lit. For example;
the exposure. overcast days or in
full shade.
Remember, it’s all about how your
camera has been “programmed!”

Matrix is most likely the default

mode for your camera. For good
reason. It tends to work in most
situations.

I use this mode 90% of the time

(when not shooting in full Manual
Mode) for landscape and portrait
photography.
Center-Weighted
It’s not always a good idea to
use the entire frame for metering
the light. Especially when you’re
subject is being backlighted.

That is when you’ll want to switch

to the Center-Weighted mode. The
Center-Weighted mode evaluates the
light more towards the center of
the viewfinder and ignores the light
outside of it.

Unlike Matrix, this mode does

not take your focus point into
consideration. Instead, it meters
only the light in the center of
your frame.

Use this mode when photographing This is a combination Nikon Canon

close-up portraits and/or of the other two. It
relatively large subjects that are measures the entire
in the middle of the frame. scene too. However,
more “weight” is given
to the center of the
For example, if the sun is behind frame.
your subject, this mode will only
meter the light falling on their
face. This will ensure your
subject is properly exposed since
it’s going to ignore the light
around them.
Spot
Next is the Spot Metering mode
which evaluates an even smaller
portion of your frame. It only
considers around three to five
percent of the viewfinder area.

And the “spot” it calculates is

based on where your focus point
is. So, if you change the focus
point from the center to the right
or left side, the spot meter will
evaluate the light at that point in
your viewfinder.

This is perfect when tracking a

small subject, like a bird, to
ensure its properly exposed.

Also, I like using the Spot mode Measures from the Nikon Canon
for people too. Especially when center of the frame.
they are occupying a smaller
Perfect for subjects
portion of the frame. that are back-lit.
Exposure Compensation

The EV indicator, on Canon, will

indicate an image is underexposed Canon
to the left and overexposed if
to the right. On Nikon, left of
neutral is overexposed and to the
right is underexposed.

What Is Exposure The exposure indicator scale is

Compensation? measured by the exposure value

“The Exposure
(EV). Or also known as “stops”.
Nikon
Compensation (or the You can change your camera settings
Exposure Value - EV) is (aperture, shutter speed & ISO) to
a tool that allows you achieve different exposure stops on
to override the Light the scale.
Meters calculation of
your exposure..” It’s even possible to achieve
a good exposure with different
combinations of your 3 camera Other
settings.
So, you and your Light
Meter are not agreeing
on the optimal exposure.
You find it to be too dark
or too bright. Either
way, you can use the EV Minus 2 stops (or 2 EV) Plus 1 stop (or 1 EV)
to compensate for the
wrong exposure.

Adjust in 1/3 stops

Evenly Lit Dark Dominates Back Lit

When your scene is evenly lit, When you have an image that is When you have an image that
then your light meter will be dominated by darks, your light is back-lit or the “white” of
able to easily determine a meter will compensate and the scene is dominate, your
good exposure. overexpose the image (image is light meter will underexpose
has optimal exposure due to the image. (image has good
adjusting the EV). exposure after compensation).

Canon Canon Canon

Nikon Nikon Nikon

Dynamic + Tonal Range
What Is Dynamic Range?
“In essence, the dynamic
range in photography
refers to the measurement
between maximum and
minimum values of
light, in a scene being
photographed. Which is
different from tonal range.
What Is Tonal Range?
“Tonal range is the actual
amount of light captured
by your camera’s sensor.
Due to the limitations of
digital sensors in general
(and film), they cannot
capture the same amount
of dynamic range vs your
eyes.”
The Dynamic & Tonal Ranges
are one of those fundamental
basics of digital photography
that are often overlooked or
misunderstood… let’s face it…
it’s not a sexy topic!
Whether you’re a hobbyist or
pro, we are all guilty of
skipping the basic building
blocks of photography at some
point.
Light and its luminance
values in particular.
Light is the most essential
element for any image.
Without it, it’s like
shooting with the lens cap
on.
Master light, and you’ll be
able to shape your subject
to tell a story, add depth,
increase interest, and make
your friends, family, and
clients say “WOW!”
Both the Dynamic + Tonal
Range are ingredients of
light. If you wish to create
exceptional photos, then
understanding them both will
help you master light.
One And The Same?
Although the Dynamic Range
and Tonal Range are often
mentioned as one and the
same, they are not. Both, are
quite different.
The Dynamic Range refers to
what Mother Nature gives
us in terms of the range of
brightness (Luminance) levels
of light.
Tonal Range is what your
camera is capable of
capturing. It’s less than
you may think. In essence,
digital cameras see your
world differently vs your eyes.
And digital cameras have limitations in
regards to how much Dynamic Range they’re
able to capture (the Tonal Range).
Not being aware of this can cause havoc on
your image.
For example, if the sensor in your digital
camera has a low Dynamic Range, it could
result in detail not being captured either in
the Highlights or Shadows (or both).
Understanding the limitations of your
camera’s Dynamic Range will help you create
better images.
Dynamic Range
Dynamic range in photography is simply the
effort of your sensor to capture all the
details from the highlights to the mid-tones
to the shadows from the available light in
Nature.
Or from any artificial light inside or outside
a building.
The brighter the scene, the more “range” of
highlights to shadows there will be.
Therefore, the larger the Dynamic Range of
your sensor, the better chance you’ll have to
capture the full range of light.
In other words, all the details.
Dynamic + Tonal Range Deep Dive
To better understand your digital camera’s
Dynamic Range limitations, let’s break down
light into shades of grey.
In our digital world, your recording device,
whether it’s a digital sensor in your
DSLR, smartphone, or a digital file itself,
“visualizes” the brightness (luminance) in
1’s and 0’s.
Zero is pure black, and 255 is pure white for
a total of 256 shades of gray. Therefore,
your camera is limited to these 256 values;
i.e.; the Tonal Range.
256 shades of grey.
When it comes to Mother Nature she has an
infinite level of “gray” or brightness levels
to show you.
And, your eyes are not limited to 256 shades
of luminance like your DSLR.
 This gradient represents Mother Natures
infinite amount of dynamic range from
blacks to white.

Imagine your Ferrari has a range of 0 – 255

mph. That’s its dynamic range.

Now, imagine your spouse installs a speed

inhibitor and changes the range from 0 to 60,
which is the tonal range. This one shows the limitation of your eyes
at 24 stops.
Mother Nature vs Your Camera
In digital photography, the dynamic range is
measured in “stops.”

A “stop” refers to a level of luminance that

can be captured by a sensor. Your eyes have This next gradient represents the 14 stops
around 24 stops of dynamic range. of hi-end digital cameras, like a Nikon
Z6.
High-end digital cameras are limited to
around 14 stops and lower-end digital cameras
are even worse with ranges of 7 – 12 stops.
What does this really mean, though?

Well, the fewer “stops” your camera is

capable of capturing means you might end Our final gradient shows the limitations of
up losing detail in the shadows or the low-end digital cameras that have a Tonal
highlights. Let’s put this in perspective Range of 7 stops. Like my first digital
with some visuals. camera; Fuji S2.
Did you notice how the highlights and whites
are gradually clipped more and more with the
smaller Dynamic Ranges?
This means detail in those Tonal Ranges is
not being captured by your camera!
But, what if you want to capture all the
details in the Highlights and Whites?
Well, you’ll need to “expose to the right.”
Then you’ll capture the details in that
Dynamic Range.

Those types of exposures are known as However, due to the low Dynamic Range of your
“exposing to the left.” This means you’re camera, the details in the Blacks and Shadows
exposing the photo to capture the detail in are now being clipped!
the Blacks + Shadows.

The only camera

setting changed for
each was the Shutter
Speed (2 1/3 of a
Stop difference).

In order to capture
all the detail in
the Shadows I had to
use a slower Shutter
Speed. This resulted
in the Highlights
being blown out.

So, a faster Shutter

Speed was required
to properly expose
the Highlights
and Whites. But,
this resulted in
losing detail in the
Shadows!

Due to the Dynamic

Range exceeding what
my camera could
capture requires
Exposed to the left. Exposed to the right.
choosing one or the
Nikon Z6 | ISO 100 | f/5.6| 1/250 Nikon Z6 | ISO 100 | f/5.6 | 1/1250
other. Or shooting an
HDR image.
Improve the “Range” Before A Polarizer
filter works like
Shooting sunglasses.

You can do several things, prior to shooting, It darkens everything

by 1-4 Stops and
to improve the dynamic range at the time of
reduces reflections.
capture. Let’s go over a few options.
Both images were
Control the Light created with the same
1 settings;
This can include adding additional
ISO 100 | f/8 | 1/200
light with artificial light or
strobes. Or you can filter the light
with a scrim to lower its intensity.

Polarizing Filter
2 No Polarizer filter
Landscape photographers have less
control over the light. However, a
Polarizing Filter or a Graduated
Neutral Density Filter can lower the
dynamic range and help darken bright
skies.

Wait For the Weather To Change

3
If the sun is too bright, you could
wait for a cloud to cover it. Or come
back on an overcast day.

Either way, when the sun is being

filtered through clouds, its intensity
is lowered.

The thicker the clouds, the lower the

strength, and the lower the dynamic With Polarizer filter
range.
 Shoot From a Different Angle
4
Directional lighting can
be intense too. If so, try
shooting at a different angle
to reduce the intensity.

Put Your Subject In the

5 Shade

If waiting for the weather

to change or coming back
another day isn’t an option
move your subject/model to
the shade.

This could be the shade from

a tree, building, or another
large object that will
provide the shade needed. Direct Sunlight

Although this will lower

the dynamic range of your
subject, you’ll need to
consider the background’s
brightness level.

If the sun is filtering

through the forest, located
behind the subject, it
might still be too intense,
and you may end up with
overexposed areas.

Shade + Reflector
How To Judge the Dynamic Range Fix it at the time

Remember that gradient with 256 shades of gray?

ONE of capture. Take a
photo and look at the
histogram via the
You can visually see these 256 levels of luminance LCD screen of your
for every image you take! This visual representation camera.
is known as a Histogram.
Is it over or
Basically, a histogram is a graphical representation underexposed?
of the brightness levels of your image. Check out
this histogram; If so, fix it now by
reshooting until you get
the proper exposure (or
at least as close as
possible).

Or…

Fix it during

TWO post-processing.

You’ll have to spend

time fixing it if not
done in-camera, but
you’ll also end up with
On the left, we have the blacks, followed by the a lower-quality file.
shadows, mid-tones, highlights, and then the whites.
Reading the histogram is a skill all photographers If the image is too over
should learn. or underexposed “fixing”
it could add digital
Here’s why; the histogram will show whether noise, artifacts, and
your image is exposed correctly or if it needs possibly the loss of
adjustments. detail.

Once you know how to read a histogram, you can fix

any exposure issues in two ways.
How HDR Can Improve the Dynamic
Range
The following technique, for improving the
Tonal Range that you capture, is done through
both photography and editing.
This technique is known as HDR, which is
short for High Dynamic Range.
HDR is the art of taking multiple photos of a
scene at different exposures.
In post-processing, you’ll merge those photos
together to retain detail in both the shadows
and highlights.
This technique can be done with three or more
photos.
To merge them, you can use editing software
like Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, or other
alternatives to Photoshop.

The dynamic range of

my Nikon D200 was
too small to capture
all the tones of
light.

Knowing this, I
decided to capture
three different
exposures; 1
over exposed, 1
underexposed and one
in the middle.

The over and under

were 2 stops from
the middle.

Lightroom made merging the three

different exposures easy and seamless.
Why HDR? limitations too.

You could have the best camera in the world, For example, it’s challenging to use this
and it will still have a limitation when it technique on moving objects since the object
comes to the Dynamic Range it can will be in a different position as you take
capture.

Even editing software can only

do so much. If the detail wasn’t
captured in camera, not even
Photoshop could bring it back, at
least naturally.

For example, there are ways to

remove backgrounds in Photoshop
and replace them with “fluffy”
clouds that were not visible at
the time you took the photo.

This, in itself, is time-

consuming and doesn’t always look
natural.

You may want to consider HDR

photography instead since you’ll
capture the full tonal range of
the scene (all the details in the
highlights and shadows). Ghosting

Oh, and software like Lightroom

makes it a snap to merge the photos!
each additional image. This causes what is
known as “ghosting.”
During merging, you can control the exposures
for the highlights and shadows to maximize
It’s possible to overcome this if the subject
the texture and details.
isn’t moving too fast. Or by using a fast
shutter speed and using continuous shooting
If HDR sounds perfect, it’s not. It has
mode.
Maximize the “Range” With Editing
You can improve the Dynamic Range captured
when you shoot in the Raw format. This
is due to a Raw file containing a lot more
information vs. a JPEG.
When shooting in JPEG, your camera has to
make creative decisions for you when it
compresses the file.
In other words, your camera has to determine
how much detail it should retain in the
shadows and highlights. Unlike a Raw file, it
can’t keep it all.
So, the first step of improving the Dynamic
Range is shooting in Raw.
After that, you can use Adobe Lightroom or
Camera Raw to tweak the highlight and shadow
adjustments to bring back or reveal detail.
Plus, once you know how to read your
Histograms it will reveal whether or
not detail is hidden in the shadows and
highlights.
If you notice that the histogram isn’t
capturing all the detail at the time of the
shoot, you may want to consider the HDR
technique.
How Many Stops?
What is the number of “Stops” your camera
is capable of capturing? To find out, do a
Google search like: What is the dynamic range
of “your camera,” to find the answer.
What does the number of stops for the dynamic
range of your camera mean for you?
Anything less than 10 means you’ll have a
hard time in high luminance situations. In
that case, consider shooting multiple images
for a High Dynamic Range (HDR).
The Tonal Range is one of those fundamental
basics of digital photography that is often
overlooked or misunderstood. Let’s face it,
it’s not a sexy topic!
Whether you’re a hobbyist or pro, we are all
guilty of skipping the basic building blocks
of photography at some point. Light and its
luminance values in particular.
Light is the most essential element for any
image. Without it, it’s like shooting with
the lens cap on.
Master light, and you’ll be able to shape
your subject to tell a story, add depth,
increase interest, and make your friends,
family, and clients say “WOW!”
Luminance Values
To have or not to have pure black and pure
white in your image? That is the question!
The answer depends on who you ask.
Some photographers insist that photos should
always have a pure black and white point.
This way, the image will have the full
tonal range of light captured. Others will
disagree.
Who is right? Both! Actually neither! So,
which is it?
It doesn’t matter what other people think.
What do you think? All that matters is your
personal preference and the creative vision
you have for that particular image.
This image contains a full
tonal range from pure
black to pure white.
Inside the firehouse is the
location of both!
There’s a teeny, tiny
light bulb at the top that
contains the white point,
and it’s surrounded by
pure black.
Banding
Ever have “banding” in your
image? The most common
occurrences of banding are seen
in skies and backgrounds of a
solid color.
Banding occurs when there aren’t
enough tones to create a seamless
transition from one color to
another.
You can visibly see this since
the shade of one color ends
abruptly and is followed by a
new color, creating a stair-step
effect.
This is often caused because
your digital file doesn’t contain
enough colors (tonal range) to
smooth the transition.
For example, an 8-bit file
consists of 16.8 million
possible colors. A 16-bit file,
on the other hand, has up to 281
trillion colors!
More colors equal a smoother
transition from one color range
to another.
Trillions of colors will also
reduce the chance of banding
Notice how the transition
of colors, in the sky, are
not smooth. That’s banding.
during editing.
Banding Solution
The solution is to use a higher
bit depth. If you shoot in
JPEG, then you’re limited to 8
bits since nothing higher is
supported.
On the other hand, Raw shooters
can record anywhere from 8 – 16
bits, depending on your camera,
of course.
My Nikon Z6 offers two-bit depths
for Raw recording, 12, and 14
bit. For my photos, I’ve chosen
the higher bit depth.
The downside is that the file is
about 30% larger vs. 12 bit. It’s
a trade-off I believe is worth
it since I’m able to capture
trillions more colors and banding
is practically non-existent.
You’ll also notice that if you
shoot in 12 or 14 bit, for
example, and open the raw file
in Adobe Camera Raw, it will be
converted to 16 bit!
That is if you set up preferences
to switch to 16 bit.
Histogram Deep Dive

Previously, we went over the Dynamic and Tonal Range of

exposures. But, how do you know whether or not have the
exposure you desire.

Well, although you can view the image on the back of your
camera, with the LCD screen, there are numerous reasons why
that’s not the best way to determine if your image is over
or underexposed.
What Is A Histogram? One, the quality of your LCD screen may not be able to show
all the detail actually captured. Or if shooting outside
on a bright day, it’s going to be difficult to see your
“A histogram is nothing image.
more than a graphical
representation of data So, my recommendation is to learn how to read your
using bars of different Histogram to ensure you capture the right exposure for your
heights. creative vision.
Those bars represent Otherwise, you’re going to spend more time fixing your image
your camera’s different in post-production since you didn’t get the exposure right
tonal ranges or at the time of capture.
brightness levels.”
And we can’t forget about the lower quality image you’ll
create if the exposure is off by a lot, like, 2 stops or
more.

Trying to fix that is going to cause a lot of headaches and

it might not be worth keeping the image.

So, we’re going to fix that by elevating your histogram

knowledge.
Let’s say you go on vacation and
wish to record the number of images
you took each day on a graph. 200

On day 1, you took 50 photos, the 150

following day you took 150, then
100, and on day 4 you took 200.
100
Now, imagine your vacation was 256
days long. 50

Your graph would look like the image

below, and now it’s starting to look
like a photo’s histogram since, in
photography, your photo’s histogram Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4
includes 256 bars of data.

But, the real

question
is, how do
these bars of
information
help capture
the proper
exposure?

The answer
will be
apparent after
you and I
take a deeper
dive into the
histogram
itself.
the Histogram
The histogram represents the pixel data of
your image.
Depending on your camera and editing
software this data can be presented to show
information about the colors in your image
and or the brightness levels or the tonal
range in your image.
The grey peaks and valleys
represent the tonal range or the
luminance values. The other
colors represent the RGB color
channels (in each tonal range).
Black Point
Blacks Shadows
For now, we’re only going to cover the tonal
range of a histogram in this tutorial.
The tonal range goes from 0% or pure black
all the way up to 100% or pure white.
Everything else in-between is a shade of
gray.
These different shades of gray are divided up
into five zones within your Histogram.
Each zone of your histogram, of course,
represents a different level of brightness. In
addition to those zones, there’s also a Black
Point and a White Point.
We’re now going to take a deep dive into the
5 zones by reviewing some images.
White Point
Mid-Tones Highlights Whites
 BLACK POINTS

Pure black in an image is a result

of zero luminance. It’s void of any
detail.

There will be times when a photo

looks like it is dominated by pure
black.

However, a closer look at the pixel

values will reveal that some of them
are a lighter shade of pure black.

This image includes a blue overlay

mask that shows where pure black is
in the photo.

Some areas around it also appear to

be pure black due to the brightness
levels.

However, those areas contain small

amounts of detail and those pixels
reside within the “Blacks” zone.

The first bar represents

pure black.
 BLACKS

The Blacks consist of 25 bars of

lighter shades of Pure Black.

Unlike the Black Point, the

Blacks consist of detail.

The “Blacks” are

highlighted on the left
side (for this image).

For this image, the

Blacks reside along the
inside of the cave and in
some of the darker areas
of the rest of the scene.
 SHADOWS

Shadows consist of luminance

values that are brighter than
the blacks.

Sometimes, shadows can appear to

be closer to black.

But, by reading the histogram,

you’ll realize there’s more
detail than meets the eye!

At the same time, if you over-

edit your image, you can push
the shadows to pure black and
lose texture in the process.
The initial edit, for
Use those clipping masks this image, resulted
in the shadows
in Adobe Camera Raw and or
blending in with the
Lightroom to avoid over-editing! blacks.

This created no
separation between
the couples’ pants
and the structure in
the back.

By boosting the
shadows in Lightroom,
I was able to add
separation.

This didn’t affect

the full tonal range
of the image since
only the shadows were
Shadows highlighted. adjusted.
 The Exposure or
Mid-tones.
MIDTONES

Not too bright and not too dark.

That, in a nutshell, is the mid-
tones of your image.

Midtones are an essential part

of any image.

However, if only the mid-tones

are captured, it results in flat
contrast.

The histogram shows

that the mid-tones
dominate this image.

White and black

points don’t even
register!

If it wasn’t for the

shallow depth of
field, the foreground
foliage would
blend in with the
background.
 HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights, the opposite of the

Shadows… much brighter.

Like with the Shadows, your

histogram can tell you if
there’s more detail in this
range.

For this engagement image, I

captured a lot of highlights:
clouds, face, and shoulders of
both the statue + couple and
the dude’s shirt.

The black point is in the

mouth of the tiger, where
information is not needed.

This created the full tonal

range I wanted to capture.

Highlights.
 WHITES

The tonal values in the Whites

are the opposite of Black tones.
Pure white or 100% luminance has
no detail or texture in it.

The White zone consists of

darker shades of white compared
to pure white.

If your highlights are “blown

out,” then you’ll have pure
white in those areas.

Over editing can cause details

to be lost due to shifting the
highlights too far.

The sky in this image

appears to be pure white in
some places.

However, there’s a small

amount of texture throughout
the sky.

There’s actually no pure

white in this image and the
Histogram (above) confirms it
(small gap right side).

Whites
 This scene had
WHITE POINT a very high
Dynamic Range.

My Nikon D300
The White Point is pure white can only
and has no detail. For this capture 12
stops of light.
image, that would be the
majority of the sky. Therefore, I
was unable to
capture the
detail in the
sky (clouds are
blown out).

The last bar represents the White

Point. Notice how the bar spikes to
the top of the Histogram.

This is showing that there are more

pixels in this bar than any other
throughout the tonal range (except
maybe 1 bar in the Whites).
Overexposed Perfect Exposure Underexposed
THE Perfect Exposure
There is no such thing as a
perfect exposure.

The only exposure that matters

is the one that captures all the
details in a scene, based on YOUR
creative vision.

In the previous page you saw

three typical Histograms that
most say is proof of an image
being overexposed, perfect, and
underexposed.

Although that is the case

for those three images does
that mean the first Histogram
(to the right) represents an
overexposed image?

And does the second one mean

the image is overexposed?
Perfect exposure for the subject! There isn’t a
White Point and very little Whites in this image.
The brightest points are part of the Highlights.

Another perfect exposure for the subject. This

time, no Black Point and very little Blacks.
Exposure Triangle

The Exposure Triangle shows the

relationship between your different
camera settings with a visual tool...
the triangle.

Each side consists of one of the

exposure settings: ISO, Aperture, and
Shutter Speed.

In essence, if you change the setting

of one you’ll have to change one or
both of the other two to keep an
optimal exposure.

For example, let’s say your shooting

on a sunny day. Your Light Meter
indicates a good exposure can be
accomplished with an ISO of 800.

On a sunny day, 800 is too high.

Instead, I’d recommend ISO 100 to
minimize noise. But, you’ll now need
to change one or both of the other two
settings to ensure a proper exposure.

800 to 100 is 3 stops! So, you can

adjust the shutter speed or aperture
by 3 stops. Or a combination of 1 stop
with one and 2 stops with the other.

If you have an aperture of f/8 you’ll

need to add 3 stops of light to
compensate for the loss of light from
ISO 800 - 100. So, you’ll need to
change your Aperture to f/2.8.
Manual Mode | Step-by-Step

STEP ONE STEP TWO STEP THREE

Choose your ISO based on
your available light.
Remember, try to use
the lowest ISO number
possible based on the
brightness of the
available light.
Next, you have to decide Choose your Aperture +
on your creative vision Shutter Speed based on
for the photo you want to your desired creative
create. outcome.
Do you want to freeze or
blur the action?
Do you want a small or
large depth of field?

Which of those is the

most important?

STEP FOUR STEP FIVE

Compose your image and
review the Light Meter.
Is the Exposure Indicator
dead center?
After creating your photo
review the Histogram to
ensure you’ve captured
all the detail based on
your creative vision.

If not, adjust your If not, adjust your

Aperture and/or the camera settings and
Shutter Speed for a good reshoot.
exposure.
A.E.B.
Imagine you’re in a difficult lighting
situation, where the Dynamic Range is very
high. Let’s say twenty-four Stops of light
and your camera can only capture ten stops of
light.
And you’re not sure if you should expose to
the right or to the left or which camera
settings to use.
Actually, what you really want to do is
capture the full Dynamic Range.
With AEB, you can quickly take three or
more photos, depending on your camera, with
multiple exposures that will capture the full
Dynamic Range.
Then, with your software of choice, you can
merge these images together to include all
the details in the blacks, shadows, mid-
tones, whites, and highlights.
And there’s a photography term or technique
that describes this merging of photos to
capture the full Dynamic Range and it’s known
as HDR.
Which is short for High Dynamic Range.
How It Works
So, this is how it works. You’ll set your
camera up to capture multiple exposures for
you automagically.
Hence the term Auto Exposure Bracketing.
In essence, you’ll capture multiple images
that will save all the details in the full
dynamic range of your scene.
For example, one photo will be underexposed
to capture the details of the highlights and
whites. Another photo will be overexposed
for the details in the blacks and shadows.
And then, a third image will be created
somewhere in between. And like I mentioned
before, you’ll merge these images together to
preserve all the detail.
To use AEB, refer to your camera manual to
learn how to set it up and use it.
Bulb Mode

Another Exposure mode you may be interested

in is known as the Bulb Mode. What exactly is
that?

Bulb Mode is similar to Manual Mode with one

main difference. And that is, you will not
manually set your Shutter Speed.

Instead, you will leave the Shutter open

indefinitely or as long as needed to capture
your image.

30 Seconds Or More?
When using this mode, you can leave the
shutter open for thirty seconds or more.
This is perfect for low-light situations,
like Astrophotography.

Also, I highly recommend a tripod since it

will be impossible to hold your camera still
for that long.

In fact, I’d also recommend a trigger release

to remotely set the shutter since physically
pressing the shutter release button can
create vibrations.
Resources

Adapters

Here is a good resource for finding an

adapter for affixing your lens to your
camera.

Reputable Online Camera Stores

> Adorama
> B&H Photo Video
> KEH
> MBP
Lens Buying Checklist
Compositions

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/2.8 | 1/640 | 32mm Nikon Z6 | ISO 100 | f/1.8 | 1/250 | 50mm
What Is Composition?

“Composition is
the placement or
arrangement of
visual elements in
a work of art as
distinct from the
subject of work.

It can also be
thought of as the
organization of the
elements of art
according to the
principles of art.”

In essence, the
composition is meant
to add order to your
photo.

And what your viewer

gets out of a well
composed image is a
story that will evoke a
feeling or a mood.

COMPOSITION
“the arrangement of visual elements”
Why Does Comosition Matter? and figure out what it is that you’re looking
at.
Let’s say you want to watch a movie on
Netflix. If you can’t figure it out you’re not going to
waste a lot of time looking at the photo and
So you log in and none of the movies have you’re definitely not going to share the image
been categorized or sorted into specific on Social Media, am I right?
categories. The only thing you have to go by
is the movie poster or the thumbnail for that This is why composition matters. Strong
movie. Compositions are striking and engaging. They
will captivate viewers even before they
So as you scroll through all the different realize what it’s about.
options you find a cover with your favorite
actress or actor and decide to start watching An uninspired composition will fail to catch
the movie. your audience’s attention, and your image may
go unnoticed.
But, it doesn’t take long to realize you have
no idea what’s going on because the sequence
of the movie seems to be out of order,
because the director wasn’t directing and
simply turned on the video camera and yelled
action.

So, since nothing makes sense are you going

to continue watching? Probably not am I
right?

Now imagine, instead of a movie that is all

jumbled up and doesn’t make any sense, you’re
looking at an image.

And the photographer that took that photo did

the same thing as the movie director. They
just pointed their camera at something and Nikon D300
took a photo. ISO 200
f/3.2
1/250
And you may look at the photo briefly to try
28mm
What Happens If You Get It Wrong?
Here’s a poorly composed photo I did for an
engagement session. I used a technique known
as the Rule of Thirds and placed the couple
in the right-third of the frame.

Now, although I used a so-called “rule” in

photography that doesn’t mean I’ve
created a great composition.

And that’s due to having too

many elements competing for your
attention and in the wrong order.

Our primary subject is the

couple and since they’re in
the foreground they get your
attention.

But, there’s a lot of stuff in the

background competing for your
attention as well.

We have the Detroit Tigers logo,

the name of the park, a bat coming
out of the future groom’s head,
and a lot more.

It’s a mess.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/5.6 | 1/1250 | 28mm

What Could I Have Done
Differently?
Based on what you’ve learned
so far in this photography
course, what could I have done
better for the composition
(previous page)?

Well, the main thing would

have been to blur out the
background more, with a
larger Aperture, to create
more separation between the
foreground and background.

I used f/5.6 with a medium

telephoto lens at 28mm for
this particular image.

So, something like f/2.8 and

a longer lens would have been
better to isolate the couple.

I should have also positioned

them so their heads were in-
between the bats.
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/5.6 | 1/800 | 28mm

This would have added another
composition technique known
as Framing and it would have
eliminated the bat from
appearing like it’s growing
out of his head.
I felt the best option was changing our
position and incorporating a different part of
the stadium.
Custom Lightroom edit with one of my classic,
retro signature styles.
a Visual Roadmap
Not only is composition required for a
visually appealing image but it should also
act as a roadmap for the viewer. And that’s
because, when you look at an image you will
navigate around it in a predictable manner.

For example, your eyes will first be drawn to

something compelling, like a bright light or
color.

Or by something that takes up a large portion

of the frame. Or something that is in sharp
focus compared to the rest of the scene that
is blurry.

Then, your eyes will move to the other

elements that are not as eye-catching.

A well-composed image will direct a viewer’s

attention to the right elements based on the
“roadmap” or composition you laid out for
them.

This will create interest in the image,

hold the viewers’ attention, and influence
that “wow” factor and the story you want to
portray.

Finally, how you compose an image can be a

photographic signature that separates you Photo by Element 5 Digital
from the billions of other images created
every year.

In essence, getting composition right will

help you create amazing images.
How Do You “Create” wedding couple against a green maybe climb a tree to create
wall). your image?
Composition?
Basically, any object in a Well, that’s exactly what
Creating composition
scene is an element you have to you’ll discover how to do once
starts with recognizing
consider when composing. you’ve completed and practiced
the elements in front of
the 30 composition tools in the
you and deciding what gets
The good news is you’re in upcoming sections.
included in your image and
control of what’s included or
in what order you wish to
not and how to arrange the But first, let’s review some
emphasize them.
elements. additional composition tips
with the remainder of the
So, an element could be
It’s all about making a tutorials in this section.
the setting sun, the
decision based on your creative
couple, or the beach
vision.
itself.
The decision process involves
Or it can be steps leading
not only what to include or not
somewhere, other people in
to include, but also;
the surrounding area, and
expressions.
> where to stand kneel or sit
It could also be a > how to alter or control the
man-made shape like a light in a scene
sculpture. Plus, the
> where to place or
trees, the couple, and
their embrace are other re-arrange elements like
elements to consider. people for instance
> and more.
Color throughout an image
is another important If you decide to shoot while
element when it dominates. laying down vs standing that
will change the perspective of
Or when the color of an the elements. (pic of me laying
object contrasts with in the snow).
other elements in a scene
it will tend to stand out But, the question is how do you
more. (red fire hydrant of decide where to lay or stand or Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/640
Your Canvas?

the Canvas + Aspect

Ratio
Like a painter’s canvas,
the viewfinder or the LCD
monitor provides a canvas
for you to work on.

It’s the frame or the

“picture frame.”

And it’s restricted to

four sides. So, you have
to decide how to arrange
all the elements within
that frame.

When you look through your

viewfinder or if you prefer
the LCD screen what you
see is what is going to be
recorded (in most cases,
it will be pretty accurate
depending on your camera).

The image with the green

stroke represents the printed
frame. The second image shows
what I saw while looking
through the viewfinder.
Oval vs Rectangle
Let’s try something out. Take your
hand and cover your eye and look
straight ahead.

As you do you’ll notice that the

shape of your view is oval and it
gets blurry towards the edges.

With both eyes looking ahead your

view gets larger but it’s still an
oval shape and it’s still blurry
on the sides.

Your camera sees things a little

differently.

When looking through your

viewfinder you’ll see a rectangle
with four distinct edges.

This provides you with a new

perspective compared to what you
see in front of you.

So, think of the frame as your

canvas that you can use to paint
based on your creative vision.

Nikon Z6 | ISO 100 | f/1.8 | 1/500 | 85mm

 Another important concept to grasp before
Common Aspect Ratios you begin painting your canvas is Aspect
Ratios.

And that’s because different cameras come

Aspect Ratio Camera Type Image Shape with different size canvases or have
different Aspect Ratios.

The aspect ratio is the ratio of the

16:9
HDTV’s +
width and height of your frame and is
Cinema commonly used to describe the shape of a
TV or computer screen.

An Aspect Ratio in photography is based

Full Frame, on the same principle.

3:2 ASP-C +
35mm Film In essence, we’re referring to the
general shape of your image based on what
your camera creates.

For example...
Point-and-
4:3 Shoot +
iPhones
> an iPhone has an aspect ratio of 4:3
> full-frame and crop sensors have a
ratio of 3:2
> Polaroid film cameras are 1:1
Some Medium
1:1 Format +
Polaroid
> high definition TVs are 16:9.

Some modern cameras allow you to change the aspect ratio

from 3:2 to another of your choice. Plus, some will
include lines showing the new ratio within your viewfinder
(or LCD).
 ASPECT RATIOS + CROP SIZES
Common Aspect Ratios

Aspect Ratio Camera Type Image Shape

16:9
HDTV’s +
Cinema Aspect Ratio 3:2 7:5 5:4
6:5
Common print sizes

in inches
Full Frame,
3:2 ASP-C +
35mm Film
4x6 2.5.x3.5 4x5 20x24
6x9 5x7 8x10
8x12 16x20
Point-and-
4:3
10x15
Shoot +
12x18
iPhones
16x24
20x30
24x36
Some Medium
1:1
https://help.shootproof.com/hc/
Format + en-us/articles/115010233668-As-
pect-Ratio-and-Cropping-What-You-
Polaroid Need-to-Know

Some modern cameras allow you to change the aspect ratio

from 3:2 to another of your choice. Plus, some will
include lines showing the new ratio within your viewfinder
(or LCD).
How the Aspect Ratio Affects
Your Image

16:9
As you can see, the shape of the frame
or the shape of your final image will be
different based on the Aspect Ratio of
your camera.

You might wonder how this can affect your

images if you shoot in only one aspect
ratio.

Well, some cameras allow you to change

the aspect ratio prior to capturing your
image. Or you can change it during the 3:2
editing process.

Both of which will drastically change

the composition of your image based on
how you frame the elements.

4:3

1:1
Exercise
The frame is a simple, but often overlooked
aspect of your composition. It’s the
starting point of your composition since it
“frames” your elements.
So, here’s a simple exercise to see the world
around you with a new frame in mind.
Practicing this will help you see great
compositions all around you even when you
don’t have your camera.
a ratio closer to 16:9. So, if I separate my
hands the ratio changes and now I have a new
composition.
Now, if you’re walking around town looking
for something to shoot and this feels awkward
then you can do the same thing with your
camera.
Just review the LCD screen or look through
the viewfinder and notice how the composition
changes when you zoom in or out or change
your position.

The goal of this exercise is to train your

eyes to see the final composition before you
create your photo. And this will lead to a
habit of filtering out bad compositions ahead
of time.

So, take your right hand and point your index

finger and lift up that thumb. Do the same
with your left hand and turn it upside down.

Now, look through your hand-made frame and

navigate what’s in front of you and focus on
the elements that are within that frame.

What is the first thing you see in your frame?

Does anything, in particular, stand out more

than others?

What happens when you move to eliminate or

add some of the elements of your scene?

What about the Aspect Ratio? My hands create Photo by Khaled Reese
What’s a Compositional Element?

There are two distinct categories when it comes to

Compositions;

> Elements
> Rules or the Techniques

An element, in photography, is an object in the

scene you wish to include in your composition,
like;

> light
> shapes
> forms
> color
> and more

A photography rule or technique is the use of

arranging and placing your subjects and elements
within your frame, strategically to create a
strong image.

Now, they are a couple of Elements that are known

as photography techniques themselves and we’ll
cover those with the other photography rules.

So, the next twelve tutorials will focus on the

elements you can use to improve your compositions.

After that, you’ll learn about two more elements

within the twenty composition rules or techniques
that you’ll discover after the first twelve
tutorials. Photo by cottonbro
Composition: Light

It’s only fair that we give “light” the first spot in our But “light” goes further than
discussion of composition because, well, without it we couldn’t just illuminating a scene.
create photographs at all!
It’s a legitimate
And as far as the type of light it could be anything from a compositional element all
candle, to studio strobes, or the stars at night. in itself. And a fun one at
that.

So, you’re now going to

discover how light itself
can dramatically change your
composition based on the four
characteristics of light;

ONE: Intensity
TWO: Quality
THREE: Direction
FOUR: Color

And you may remember those

from previous tutorials.

Let’s dive into each

characteristic of light
to see how they impact
compositions.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/100 | 50mm

 ONE: Intensity

Light intensity simply refers to how

brightly a scene appears illuminated.

Imagine the intensity of light on a scale

from low intensity to high intensity. The
type of light on the low end would be the...

> stars
> moon
> table lamps

On the other end, you’d have high-intensity

light like

Nikon D300 | ISO 800 | f/3.5 | 1/80 | 50mm

> direct sunlight
> studio strobes
> overcast light
Two light sources with different
intensities; Lamp + Window Light.
Depending on its intensity, that light can
affect your image’s composition in terms of
visibility, order of viewing, and even the
mood.
 Lots of details
throughout the
scene.

Visibility
Your light intensity is directly
related to how many elements you High-Intenstity
can see in a scene.
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/5.6 | 1/1600
Or in other words, it determines
whether or not you can see the The lower
objects or subjects and the intensity, inside
number of details. the hallway,
reduces the
amount of details
This will affect the composition visible.
based on what’s visible or not.
And it will influence how your
viewers react to your image.

Low-Intenstity
Nikon D300 | ISO 800 | f/4 | 1/160
Order of Viewing
One of the first things that
will grab your attention is the
brightest part of the image.

Then, your eyes will pick up on

different elements based on their
intensity.

So, the intensity of the light

is like a roadmap in that you’ll
see something very bright and
will navigate to the next level
of brightness.

Using this in your compositions

can help you guide your viewers
where you want them. Nikon D300 | ISO 800 | f/3.5 | 1/320

The sun is the brightest element in the scene

and pulls you in. As the brightness level
decreases your eyes gradually explore the
rest of the image.
Mood
The intensity of your light
can also alter the mood of a
scene. Low-intensity light is
often perceived as moody and
mysterious.
High-Intenstity Low-Intenstity
Moderate intensity is the most
common in our daily lives and is
considered neutral.

For a little bit of drama high

intensity is what you need.

Medium-Intenstity
Context
The intensity of light is often
associated with the time of day.

For example, low intensity occurs

at night, during the middle
of the day the light is more
dramatic or intense, and later
in the day prior to sunset, the
light is more moderate.

Because of this, your viewer can

determine what time of day it is
based on the intensity of the
light.

In other words, the intensity of

light provides context to your
image.
Nikon D300 | ISO 800 | f/4 | 1/160

Due to the low-intensity of the main light

source (and the color) you may assume that
this was captured at night.

However, this was actually created precisley

at noon! Oh, and it was a bright sunny day
too.
 TWO: Quality

‘Quality of light’ refers to the amount of

contrast produced by lighting conditions in
a scene.

It can be soft, hard, or somewhere in

between.

Like Intensity, Quality can be rendered on

a scale from soft to hard light.

But, the question is… what is soft or hard

light?

For a quick refresher, Soft Light creates

low contrasts and the edges of shadows are
Soft Light
fuzzy.

Whereas Hard Light creates high contrast

and the edges of shadows are more defined.

Just like with Intensity, the Quality
of light can affect your composition’s
visibility and mood.

Hard Light
Visibility
Depending on the quality of your
light, you will be able to see
more or less of a scene.

When lighting a scene with Soft

Light it tends to be more even
throughout and will reveal more
details.

A perfect example of this is

shooting portraits on a cloudy
day (or with window light as I
did with the first image to the
right).

By diffusing the sunlight through

the clouds, the light becomes
less intense and more evenly
distributed, creating soft or no
shadows.

Hard light casts a deep, dark

shadow with little to no details Soft Light Hard Light
where the light can’t reach.

Elements that fall within the

range of hard light will be
illuminated.

But, the elements outside of

its reach will be cast in deep,
dark shadows. Any details within
those shadows will be hidden,
and they will not contribute to
the composition.
Mood
Your Quality of light can also
affect the mood of your scene.

Soft Light is perceived to be

well, soft or gentle, subtle,
romantic or classic.

Hard light is considered

dramatic, bold, angry, rigid, or
harsh.

Dramatic Hard Light

Romantic Soft Light

THREE: Direction

The Direction of your light can be placed

into two categories:

> Directional
> Diffuse

Top
The direction of the light is pretty
self-explanatory.

It comes from a certain area, whether it’s

the front, back, sides, top, or below.

Diffuse light is light that is even or has

no clear source or direction.

In essence, the intensity of the light

remains consistent throughout the scene.

The direction of your light will affect the

visibility, lines, and even the mood of
your image.

Let’s review some images to see the impact

Side
based on different directions.
Visibility
In this image, the direction of
light has been Diffused by the
clouds.

Due to the diffusion, the

direction of the light is
even throughout the scene, all
the elements are visible and
contribute to the composition.

When it comes to directional

light it can produce a variety
of results based on where it’s
coming from. Diffuse Light
For example, in this image, the
sun was setting and was directly
behind the couple.

Since my camera wasn’t capable

of capturing the full dynamic
range of the scene I had to make
a creative decision on exposing
it to the right or to the left.

In this case, I exposed for the

highlights and this created
a strong, dark shadow or a
silhouette on the couple.

The number of details would be

more apparent if the sun was in Backlit
front of them.
Lines
Previously you learned how a Hard
Light creates shapes and lines
and how they can contribute to
your composition.

When it comes to the direction of

the light it may alter the angle
of the lines or shapes and will
affect your composition.

In essence, the direction of

light can create lines and
shadows that are horizontal,
vertical, or diagonal. Each of
which manipulates the composition
differently.

As the sun rises and

sets the lines of
the shadows change
position accordingly.
Mood
When it comes to the mood that
is portrayed in your image it is
all based on whether your viewer
is aware of the light.

If you have a diffused image, that

will create a different mood vs.
direct light.

In general, as we go about our

lives we are in diffused light
more so than direct light.

So, we spend a lot of time at the

office and in our home compared to
being outside during the day.

So, diffused lighting will have

less impact on an image’s mood
than directional lighting.
Diffused = Neutral Dramatic Direct Light
 FOUR: Color

As mentioned in previous tutorials light

comes in a range of colors and can be seen
on a Kelvin Scale.

At first, you may not have been aware of

these color ranges.

It’s not until you look for the colors

you’ll notice them.

At sunrise or sunset, it’s easy to see the

warm orange colors compared to the blue on
an overcast day since it’s more subtle.
 White Red
Mood
White is neutral and Red feels more dramatic.
doesn’t affect the mood. Photo by Olya Prutskova
The color of light can
change the mood of your
composition.

Blue Orange
Blue can be surreal or Orange can be happy and warm.
calm. Photo Connor McManus
 Blue Hour occurs after
the sun has set.
Photo by Lum3n

Blue
Blue can also be
present and represented
on a cloudy day.
Photo by Josh Sorenson
Context
Blue
The color can also affect the
context of your composition.

Yellow to Orange occurs

during sunset.
Yellow/Orange
Composition: Color

What Is Color?
One of the characteristics of light
is color. The color you see is a
part of the spectrum of light your
eyes pick up which we covered in the
Lighting section.

To simplify it, imagine a box of

crayons with red, blue, green,
yellow, orange, and purple and all
the fancy colors in-between.

Each of those colors can be broken

down into different properties or
categories and each can have an effect
on your compositions.

Nikon D100 | ISO 500 | f/4 | 1/50

Color Properties
How you see color is dependent on the properties of that color. This can include the Hue,
Saturation, and Luminance.

Hue
The Hue is the actual color that you
see, like; red, green, or blue.

Saturation
Saturation is the purity or strength
of color, due to the absence of
black, white, or gray.
Dull Vivid
You can also think of it as the
intensity of the color. The less
intense the color the more it will
look washed out or dull.

Luminance
the Luminance is the brightness of a
color and represents how much white
or black is mixed into your color.
Dark Bright
The higher the luminance, the
brighter your color will be and as
you lower your luminance, the color
will appear to be darker.

So, you could have a dark red crayon

or a bright red crayon.
Color Properties + Com- For this image, there
is more yellow and
position orange throughout.

However, the red is

more dominant and
captures your eye’s
attention first.

Hue
Nikon D300
ISO 200
f/4
1/160
When it comes to colors certain
ones will grab your attention
more so than others.

For example, red tends to get

your attention and it’s most
likely why stop signs are red.

When you have a combination of

reds, yellow and orange, like in
a sunset they tend to give the Nikon D300
ISO 200
feeling of coming forward and f/4
attract your eyes for attention. 1/160

Cooler colors, like blues and

greens, tend to move backward and
help you achieve the opposite of
moving forward.

Nikon D300
ISO 1600
f/8
1/60
Saturation
A color that is more intense or
has more Saturation will tend to High Saturation
be noticed more compared to the
same color that is less dull.

So, more saturation gives the

feeling of boldness or high
energy. Low saturation on the
other hand will feel softer or
muted.

Low Saturation
Luminance
The brightness of a color works
similar to Saturation in that
the brighter the color the more
it will stand out.

Dark Red Bright Red

Symmetry or
Contrast
Colors can also be used to create
symmetry or contrast within your
composition.

If you have a specific Hue that

is present throughout your image
that creates symmetry.

If you have a large portion of

the image in one color, and then
a dash of a different color, this
will provide contrast.

Symmetry Contrast
Nikon D300 | ISO 400 | f/5.6 | 1/500
Color Deep Dive

Have you ever noticed the color scheme

of movie posters in the same genre are
similar?

This isn’t a coincidence. It’s planned. And

that’s because some colors seem to work
better together than others.

Scientists and artists have been studying

why this is for centuries. Which has led
to an invention known as the wheel. Not
the kind of wheel that gets you around, but
a Color Wheel.

Basically, how it works, is colors are

strategically placed along with a wheel and
then as you study it you get a sense of
how they work together. And how different
colors produce a variety of effects.

Effects like grabbing your attention,

changing the mood of your image, and other
things you may want to achieve with your
composition.

To truly master color in your photographic

compositions you need to take your
knowledge to the next level.
Color “D”eep “D”ive
This is what is going to happen once you
complete this section. Nikon D300 | ISO 1250 | f/4 | 1/250
 Red
The Color Wheel
When it comes to a Color Wheel there are several
different variations. As photographers, the one we want
to work with is one that corresponds to light since
light is our paint.

Here’s a photographer’s color wheel and it probably

looks different from the one you studied in art school.

So, the one we’re working with is much simpler with

fewer colors that correlate with the color of light.

Primary + Secondary Colors

Blue Green
Our color wheel is based on the three primary colors
of light;

red
green Magenta Yellow
blue

And if you’ve already delved into editing you may be

familiar with the RGB term, which is short for red,
green, and blue. These are known as Primary colors.

Getting the other three colors is achieved by mixing

two primary colors of light to get the secondary
colors;

yellow
magenta
cyan

These are known as Secondary colors.

Cyan
Complementary
Colors
When you use a primary color with
a secondary, which is opposite
on the color wheel, you get a
complementary color.

Using complementary colors

creates contrast.

A composition that uses contrast

makes the complementary colors
stand out more and can increase Symmetry
its effectiveness.

Opposite

Contrast
Intermediate &
Analogous Colors
This next color wheel has six
new colors and they’re known as
Intermediate colors. Intermediate
Colors that are intermediate are
created by combining primary and
secondary colors. These Intermediate
colors are more accurate to what you
see in the real world.

Even though we added some Intermediate

colors there’s still complementary
colors here as well.

Any colors that are opposite on

the color wheel are considered
complementary. Which as you now know
creates contrast.

Another cool characteristic of

Intermediate colors is that it provides
another aspect for your composition:
Analogous colors. Analogous
Analogous colors are groups of colors
that are next to each other on the
color wheel.

By using three analogous colors

together you create a sense of harmony
or consistency.
Intermediate
Color
For this image, I used a popular
complementary color technique
known in the movie industry as
the Orange and Teal effect.

If we look on our Intermediate

color wheel, you can see that
Orange and Teal is opposite of Original
each other.

Now for this image, I didn’t

apply the colors, of the light,
during capture of the image.

Instead, I introduced those

colors during the editing
process. Our subjects stand out
much more than prior to the edit.

The next time you’re at the

movies take a closer look at
the movie posters and study the
complementary colors used.

Orange + Teal
Analogous Color
In nature, you’ll often find
analogous colors.

Just like you learned about with

light, Nature offers us a vast,
unlimited palette of Hues.

Searching out these Analogous

colors can add depth and interest
to your compositions.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/3.2 | 1/400

The yellow and green hues are the

Analogous colors. The blue of the
bride-to-be offers contrast. Due to the
contrast our eyes naturally navigate to
the subjects.
B&W
Once upon a time, before digital,
photographers had an option to Nikon D300 | ISO 400 | f/4 | 1/250
shoot in either color or black
and white based on the film they Compared to the color version,
selected. the B&W image simplifies the tones
and our eyes are not distracted
The majority of today’s digital by all the colors.
cameras only shoot in color.

However, some do have the option

to shoot in B&W.

Plus, you can always convert a

color image to shades of grey
with your favorite editing
software.

When it comes to an image void

of color it can affect your
composition in one of three ways;
Attention, Simplicity, and Mood.
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/400

The B&W version gives a dark

moody feel.
Composition: Shapes

Fundamentals of Shapes
When you start to see shapes instead
of objects you will begin elevating
your photographic creativity and
skills.

But, what exactly is a shape in

photography?

Well, a shape is a two-dimensional

geometric form composed of lines.

Think of squares, triangles, and

circles, oh my; those are shapes and
they can affect your compositions.

In essence, Shapes are an element of

photography that you use to create an
image.

The shapes you decide to use will

have an impact on how your viewers
react to your image, even if they’re
not aware of it. Photo by Toa Heftiba Şinca

Based on their appearance, shapes can

have different meanings and can evoke
different emotions. All of which can
alter your composition.
 Types of Shapes

When it comes to shapes,

we can categorize them
into two categories:
Geometric and organic
shapes.

Geometric Shapes
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/320

Geometric shapes consist

of circles, triangles,
and squares. More complex
shapes include octagons,
semi-circles, stars, etc.

A Geometric shape, like a

building, is man-made.

The building consists

of multiple Geometric
shapes. How many do
you see?
Hard Geometric
Shapes
Shapes can also be considered
hard or soft and again each can
alter the composition and feel
of the image.

Soft Geometric
Shapes
A Soft Geometry Shape is not
as defined, like the top of
shrubbery.
Hard Shapes
So, you’ll find these types of
shapes more so in nature.

Organic Shapes

Organic Shapes
When it comes to Organic Shapes
they are curved and irregular
Soft Shapes
that appear in nature.
Photo by Skitterphoto
Shapes + Attention

Composition Shapes that you’re

familiar with tend to
catch your eye and
Let’s dig into five ways stand out.
that shapes can aid in the
construction of your composition. In this image, by
Gilly Topicha, the
round shape of
the pizza and the
individual triangle
peices stand out.

Stability
It is possible to create
the feeling of heaviness
or stability by
extending shapes across
the bottom of a frame.

However, shapes that

don’t touch the bottom
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/800 edge of the frame may
appear lighter.
Frames The rectangle shape
(of the door +
walls) “frames”
each subject
A shape that creates a frame
individually and
around a subject can peak your creates structure.
viewer’s attention and hold them.

There’s actually a photographic

technique you’re going to
discover soon that’s called
Framing and it’s based somewhat
on this.

Structure
If shapes are divided up into
distinct areas it can create a
sense of structure.

Nikon D200 | ISO 800 | f/4 | 1/80

Lines
The edge of shapes form lines
that can lead your viewer along
the perimeter of the shape.

This creates other qualities that

are characteristic of lines from
which they’re made.

Circles: Circles are made of

curved lines and they’re never-
ending. Which creates energy and
movement. Movement Dynamic

When used in your compositions Photo by Ludde Lorentz Photo by Jerome Dominici
your viewer’s eyes are constantly
keeping them engaged by leading
them around the image.

Squares + Rectangles: Give a

feeling of stability. Especially
when they’re large.

Triangles: The base of a

triangle also creates stability
when it’s upward facing. Downward
facing triangles on the other
hand create tension.

Triangles can also be dynamic and

add energy. There’s also more
complex shapes like polygons,
semi-circles, crosses or “t” Energy + Tension Stability
shapes, and more.
Photo by Thaï Ch. Hamelin
Composition: Form

Forms take a two-

dimensional shape or
For example, if you look
at a photo and the shapes
Using Form
element and creates the
illusion of a 3D shape.
inside, that shape is
2D. But, if you can hold
Effectively
that shape in your hand it
Knowing how to use Form in becomes 3D. One of the most difficult
photography will help you concepts to grasp is
elevate your photographic So, in photography, when creating a 3D form
skills that exceed the you use or create a Form when our final artwork,
average photograph. it gives the appearance as photographers, is
of being real or right in two-dimensional.
A Form is like a close front of you which evokes
cousin to Shapes. But, the feelings of presence. As a photographer, like
they are distinctly other artists working in
different. It’s here and now. You can 2D, we lack the ability to
touch or at least it looks physically create an object
So, a Form is an object like you can. in 3D.
as it exists in three
dimensions or in the real Another way to look at it So, you must rely on visual
world. is if you can get someone clues to make your images
to look at your photo and have that Form in your
Shapes are simply the make them believe they composition.
two-dimensional element can reach into the photo
of a form. Or, in other and touch it then you’ve
words, the shape within a captured the Form of that
photograph. subject.
Light
The best way to capture and
highlight form is to use light
to your advantage.

Or to paint with light in a way

to create that 3D effect or the
Form.

When light wraps around an

element it creates different
levels of intensity from the
highlights to the shadows.

The light coming from the side,

in the image to the right,
accentuates the facial features
by adding form.

This image becomes three-

dimensional when the light fades
from bright highlights to dark
shadows around the edges.
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/5.6 | 1/640
Angle
You can also create Form based on
the perspective you use and that
will change an element’s form.

Or at least in the eye of your

viewer.

Nikon Z6 | ISO 100 | f/22 | 1/60

Depth
Another way to create Form is to
create a sense of depth in your
image.

This can be achieved by arranging

multiple elements in relation to
others within a scene.

For example, if you place

elements on a different plane,
or at different points in the
scene, from the foreground to the
background, this will enhance the
illusion of three dimensions.
There are several
buildings behind the
couple and their
placement adds depth.

Each building also

has one side that
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/2.8 | 1/250 is brighter than
the other and this
enhances the Form.
Composition: Depth
The sign and stone
are on one layer...
Depth itself can improve your the foreground.
compositions.

In essence, Depth is all about how you

show space in your scene. When you take a
photo, you create a 2D representation of
1 Layer
the 3D world.

And even though the resulting image is
2D, your brain does a good job of reading The canoe (and
rack) are included
depth into the scene and can work out that
in the foreground.
the image has different layers. And that The background
suggests depth! consists of the
trees/sky.

Layers Add Depth

We use three different terms in photography
to describe the main layers in a
photograph.
2 Layers
Not all images will have all three or even
two of the layers. It all depends on how
you set up the shot and your subject. Guests are situated
in the foreground
and the background
Foreground: Anything that is closest to
consists of the
the viewer is part of the foreground. water + trees.

Background: Anything that is furthest from The couple are

the viewer is part of the background. in-between as the
middleground.

Middleground: Anything sandwiched

between the middle of the foreground and
background is the Middleground. 3 Layers
Depth for
Composition
There are 4 ways that Depth
can affect your composition:

Content
Engagement
Mood
Creative Choices

ll
 With a foreground
(couple),
middleground
(roadway/sign) and
background (trees/
building) we have
more depth and

Content
can include more
elements.

Depending on the depth of the

scene, you can fit more or less
content into your frame.

The more space you have the more Nikon D300 | ISO 800 | f/5.6 | 1/640
content you can squeeze into your
frame. Although you want to be
careful and not add too much
content.

Otherwise, your image will The building

restricts the
get too crowded and ruin the
space and dictates
composition if you do. how many elements
can be added.
Scenes that have less depth or
space will limit how much you can This limits the
“depth” in the
add.
image.

Nikon D300 | ISO 800 | f/4 | 1/500

Engaged 3 layers of
elements adds
depth.

It’s possible for depth to With the foreground

influence how much your viewer blurred you get
feels connected to or engaged a sense of being
where I stood when
with your scene. I created the
image.
This is due to how you see things
in the real world.

For example, when focused on a

subject, the background blurs out
as it does when you use a large
aperture.

When looking at a photo with a

shallow depth of field this gives
the feeling that it’s real.

That is, when you include enough

Depth to duplicate what your eyes
see naturally.

You can also give a viewer the

impression of being at the
location where you shot the
image. This is achieved by
blurring out the foreground.

And this allows the viewer to

visualize where you’re positioned
and will give the sensation Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/2.8 | 1/800
they’re standing at the same spot
where you shot the image.
 A large amount of
depth gives the
feeling of being
expansive.

Mood
Depth can also affect how a viewer
feels about a scene.

When you capture an image with

a lot of depth this gives the
impression of being wide open. Fuji S2 | ISO 400 | f/4 | 1/1500

And your eyes will gradually move

about the large space to explore
the elements of the scene. This image has
zero depth and
When you have a scene with little feels tight.
to no depth this gives the
feeling of being tight.

And this doesn’t give much room

for your eyes to navigate the
image since its all there in one
layer.

Nikon D500 | ISO 100 | f/5.6 | 1/200

 This image only
has a foreground
and little depth.

However, I was
able to create
some depth with a
shallow depth of
field.

Creative Choices If I had included

the trees behind
it that would have
added another
Depth can also expand your layer and more
creative choices when it comes depth.
time to decide on which Aperture
to use. Nikon D500 | ISO 100 | f/4 | 1/1000

The larger the scene or the

amount of depth gives you more
creative options to explore. By including the
tree branches in
the foreground
You can either choose a shallow (blurred) I’ve
depth of field or a larger one, expanded the depth
to show more elements in focus. of the image.
And the more Depth you have the
more you can experiment. With the
background (trees)
and middleground
(water) by
themesleves would
have reduced the
depth.

Nikon D300 | ISO 320 | f/8 | 1/1000

Things To Avoid
Adding Depth to your image is a
wonderful thing. But, there are
a few things you should be aware
of prior to pressing that shutter
release button.

For example, as you’re focusing

on a subject you may not be aware
of the layers behind them since
you’re concentrating on the
subject.

This might cause you to capture

something that is distracting to
the viewer.
One of these that I see a lot of
photographers make the mistake
of doing, is elements directly
behind someone’s head.
This gives the illusion that
something is growing out of them
and it’s not very appealing.
So, to avoid this, study the
layers behind your subject and
reposition them or yourself, if
you see something that is going
Nikon D300 | ISO 320 | f/8 | 1/1000
to cause an issue.
You should also be aware of any
foreground elements that might
get in the way or possibly use
them creatively and later on I’ll
share how to do that with the
Framing technique.
The foreground (stop
sign) and background are
competing with the main
subject; the couple in the
middle.
This image is too busy.
The only cure for this
image would have been a
very shallow D.O.F. with
a long lens. Which wasn’t
possible at this location.
Composition: Texture

When it comes to Textures in

photography, you’re capturing the
surface qualities of its 3D forms.

Imagine you’re at the beach and you run

your fingers through the sand. The feel
of it is the texture.

When it comes to photography you can’t

touch the sand in your photo.

But, you can see and decipher the

texture without having to physically
feel it.

This means you can describe what an

object is based on the texture you
capture.

Nikon D300 | ISO 320 | f/5.6 | 1/320

Texture & But, texture alone isn’t always the
answer. The texture has to have
Emotions something interesting about it to
grab someone’s attention.

For example, capturing the texture

Textures are an easy element
for portraying specific moods.
This is due to the words
you’ll use to describe the
texture being the same words
to describe the emotions it
carries.
of the side of your home probably
isn’t enough.
Characteristics to make texture
itself more interesting is how you
compose and use light to illuminate
the texture. The texture is
rough and rugged.

For example, if the texture is

rough it will suggest rough
emotions.

By themselves, textures can

be abstract or semi-abstract
images and they can be
powerful on their own.

Textures alone tend to work

well since they tell a
harmonious story.

Since nothing else is

distracting from the texture
your viewer is focused on one
thing… the texture.

This alone can grab your

viewer’s attention and they’ll
navigate around the image to Nikon D300 | ISO 320 | f/2.8 | 1/250
explore it.
Textures For
Although
texture isn’t
the primary
Composition element of
this landscape
there’s a
lot of it
In the majority of your images, throughout the
the texture isn’t going to be the scene.
main subject.

Especially when you capture

headshots of people.

The first thing they’ll notice is

the eyes and they’ll pay little
to no attention to the texture
of their skin.
Nikon D200 | ISO 200 | f/6.3 | 1/1000

Texture can still play a role

in the feeling it conveys even
though it’s not the primary
subject.

This is especially true for

landscape photos.

The texture of the

foliage contrasts
Nikon D500 | ISO 100 | f/8 | 1/400 with that of the
surrounding rock.
Composition: Reflections

Previously, we covered how certain

elements either reflect or absorb
light and how the smoother the
surface the more it will reflect.

So, Reflections are most common with

mirrors, water, puddles, windows,
and any other elements that are
reflecting more than absorbing.

They can be crisp and sharp or

they can be blurry and soft. And
reflections themselves can play an
important role in your compositions.

Including the area

around the mirror
adds to the story Nikon D200 | ISO 800 | f/3.5 | 1/160
and improves the
composition.
Context
Reflections can add context to
your image by showcasing elements
outside of the frame.

For example, for this image, I

captured the couple inside of a
building, through a window, that
is reflecting the elements outside
of the frame.

In this case, we can see the cars

and buildings that are on the
opposite side. So, this gives
us context or an idea of our
surroundings.

Complex
One of the problems when creating
context through reflections is
that they become more complex,
which could ruin your image.

In this case, the context makes

the image “almost” too busy. I
say almost becuase I believe the
reflections add to the story. Nikon D300 | ISO 400 | f/3.2 | 1/200
Interest Imagine the pond
was a field of
grass instead. It
wouldn’t be as
interesting as the
In landscape photography,
reflection.
capturing the background in a
body of water creates a more
interesting image compared to
the background itself with a
boring foreground.

Nikon D200 | ISO 100 | f/5.6 | 1/500

Pattern The reflection

creates a
repetition of
elements.
Reflections can also create
However, the
patterns or repetitions repetition is
within them. The result is unbalanced due to
an image that is balanced. the element on the
left side of the
frame that is not
Not only that but the overall
included in the
image may have more contrast, mirror.
will be more interesting, and
will captivate your audience.

Nikon D300 | ISO 1600 | f/4 | 1/50

Composition: Patterns & Repetition

Looking for a new fun way to spice

up your compositions?

Well, you might be interested in

adding some repetition or patterns
to your images.

As the word suggests, repetition is

simply an element that is repeated
throughout your composition. And
repetition used for a decorative
effect is a pattern.

Find’em

Luckily for you, repetition and

patterns can be found all around
you. You just need to look for them
and the more you practice the more
they’ll pop out.

You can find them in; textiles,

architecture, nature, and more.

Plus, patterns don’t have to be Nikon D100 | ISO 400 | f/3.5 | 1/500
symmetrical.

You can find irregular patterns

too. And they might do a better
job of captivating your viewer than
symmetrical patterns.
Patterns & When square and
rectangle windows
Compositions are the norm,
another shape tends
to get noticed
and a new pattern
Patterns can affect compositions emerges.
too!

Interest
Patterns are interesting in and
of themselves. They tend to stand
out and get noticed.
Photo by Soloman Soh

Flow
Patterns can also direct your The lines
viewer throughout your image. themselves create
a pattern and our
eyes naturally
follow them
throughout the
scene.
Composition: Motion

Hand-held to add
It’s time to explore the magic to the motion
efffect.
of Motion. It’s all around
you.

When motion occurs it’s bound

to capture your attention. And
I’d say more so than any other
compositional element. Think
about it.

If you’re sitting and watching

t.v. and your toddler or pet
comes running through do you
stop watching what’s on t.v.
and look at the movement
blurring past you? Most
likely.

The same effect can happen

when you add movement to your
images. And this can be both
frozen or blurred motion.

The motion itself is what

attract’s your attention.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/8

Motion + Attention
Compositions
Actual or implied movement
will grab your viewer’s
Motion can affect your attention.
compositions too.
Without the kicking motion,
from a groomsman, this Nikon D300 | ISO 800 | f/2.8 | 1/250
would be an ordinary image.

Direction
When a subject is moving
in a specific direction
your eyes will naturally
continue in that direction.
Photo by Tina Nord

Slow Shutter
Speeds
Using a slow shutter speed
accentuates the motion by
blurring the action.
Nikon D300 | ISO 400 | f/3.2 | 1/60
Composition: Expression

Someone’s expression can tell

you a lot about how that person
or persons are feeling at that
moment in time.

It can also give you an inside

clue to their personalities
too.

Oh, and let’s not forget about

pets. They can have expressions
too.

Expressions, are an important

role in your compositions.

Nikon D300 | ISO 400 | f/4 | 1/80 Fuji S2 | ISO 200 | f/8 | 1/60

They’re expressions tell you all My daughters expression gives you

you need to know about their an insight into how she’s feeling
personalities. at the moment.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/3.5 | 1/250

Tears of sadness, happiness or

relief? Tears are powerful for
telling the story of your image.
Composition: Pose

Poses all by themselves

are not that
interesting.

It’s when the pose is

different or unexpected
that it will grab your
viewer’s attention.

Pose creatively and

you’ll enhance your
compositions.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/1.4 | 1/1600

Their expressions and

fun “pose” adds to
the composition.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/400

How many times have you seen a

bride do a handstand? Not that
many if I had to guess.

This image stands out in a crowd

A candid moment of
of endless bridal portraits.
a traditional Greek
Wouldn’t you agree?
wedding event.

The “poses” of the

family, and best man,
give you context on
Nikon D200 | ISO 200 | f/4 | 1/1000 what’s happening at
that moment in time.
Composition: Shadows

Shadows are a byproduct of light and

the element being illuminated.

As the light hits an object the

side that is blocked from the light
casts a shadow in the shape of the
element.

Shadows can have some details

depending on the intensity of light
or it can be void of any.

Shadows +
Composition
Shadows are all around us and we
tend to take them for granted.

In photography, shadows can play an

important role in your compositions.

From telling a story, adding depth,

creating interest and more.

In fact, Shadows by themselves can

create a story as you can see from
the image to the right.
Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/5.6 | 1/640
Context
Shadows can give you a glimpse
into the time of day a photo
was created.

Long shadows are present later

in the day or early morning
when the sun is low to the
horizon.

Shadows can also tell you more

about your subjects if they’re
not completely visible.

For this image, the sun was

beginning to set and I placed
the couple in front of it.
Hence, the long shadow.

Although, I cropped out the

couple from below their waists
the shadows tell you where
they are in proximity to each
other.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4.5 | 1/800

Depth
Shadows can also add
depth to an image. This
is especially true when
the scene is tight (one
layer).

The long shadows create

depth (and context), in
this image, that wouldn’t
be present without them.

Nikon D300 | ISO 200 | f/4.5 | 1/160

Interest
Imagine this image
being captured on a
cloudy day.

It wouldn’t be as
interesting due to the
lack of shadows.

Photo by Jan van der Wolf