I have decided that every once in a while, here on my blog, I will start trying to pass on some of the knowledge I have acquired in my time as a professional photographer.
If you know me personally, or have been out shooting with me, you probably know that I am pretty straight forward and quite the talker. Lol. I am going to try and shut my mouth off from nonsense more often and actually use it to pass on some useful information to those willing to learn a little. After all, that is what takes a talented photographer, and makes him a good one….someone who is willing to take what he has learned and give back to those willing to listen. That being said, you can consider this my first of many, blog post that will take you into the mind of a professional photographer. This may/may not be something that interests you. It may be a concept that some of my associates will frown upon. However, it will in fact be informative and help those interested in learning a little about photography, how to find a photographer, or just those who wonder….”How the hell did he take that shot?”
Photography Basics…
Everyone can be a decent photographer. It doesn’t take years of school to get a basic understanding of how the camera “Sees” your image. It only takes a little time getting to know your camera and some of its basic functions. All cameras are designed essentially the same. ALL of them. They are really just very simple machines that have been added to, not changed, over the years.
I know it can seem quite daunting, coming from the outside but I promise if you take the time to read on, you WILL be more camera smart because of it.
There are basically FOUR main factors that come into play with every camera. Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, and Light. There are some other factors as well, but if you understand these basics, you will understand EVERY camera ever made.
Shutter Speed – This is NOT the speed at which the shutter actuates, but how long it stays “Open”. For now, think of this as a faucet, we will use this analogy for later.
Aperture – This is how large or small your lens is capable of being open. Think of this as the diameter of a hose, large or small.
ISO – This is basically the sensitivity of your camera’s imaging device (EX: Film or Digital Sensor). This can be thought of as water pressure.
Light - This should be obvious. A photograph is made from the amount of light hitting a camera’s imaging device whether it be ambient or artificial lighting (IE: Your Camera’s Flash). Absolute no light is black, and can only become less black. Since light travels similarly to water, think of light as water.
You’re probably wondering why I chose a faucet, hose, water, and water pressure. Imagine you have two 5 gallon buckets that you are going to fill with water. The buckets will simulate your camera’s sensor capturing light. This light it converted into a photograph. In the days of film cameras, the “sensor” was a frame of film that was on a film roll. Getting back to the analogy…. set up (A) is a bucket that has a garden hose in it that is attached to a faucet. Set up (B) is a bucket that has a fire hose in it that is attached to a fire hydrant. Filling the buckets all the way = your image being correctly lit. The bucket not quite being full would be the same as your photo looking too dark. Overflowing the bucket, too bright of an image. If you were to turn on the faucet from set up (A), you would have to leave the faucet on for a set amount of time to fill the bucket. Filling up the bucket from set up (B), would obviously take less time, correct?
These four camera functions all work in a similar manner. If you decide you want to have the shutter open longer, you wouldn’t need as large of an aperture. And the opposite would be the same, faster shutter speed, larger aperture. It is all about balance. ISO is similar to water pressure. If both (A) and (B) set ups have higher water pressure = your sensor’s senstitivity is increased, resulting in a little bit of boost of light when needed.
Each mode on your camera such as, “Candlelight”, “Sports”, “Landscape”, really is just a preset shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. I will cover these modes in more detail in my next “Exposures” post.
That is basically it. Seems simple enough right? That is because it really is just that simple. All the buttons on your camera, switches, knobs, and whatnot are actually meant to make it easier for you to use your camera. Kind of funny, isn’t it? Depending on your camera, you may or may not have full control over these. The cheapest “Point and Shoots” have the least amount of control, giving you simple and automatic control over your device. The more advanced and expensive you go, the more control you have over the camera’s ability to manipulate the shutter, aperture, and ISO. Hence the reason professionals prefer SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras.
I hope that maybe you have a little more basic understanding of how a camera works. I plan on writing more of these in the future, so subscribe to my blog by clicking the “Subscribe” icon on the menu bar at the top of the page.
Thanks!
Jason =)
Credits:
Las Vegas Photographer
by mindiraser
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