Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 4 i Creative Photography The Complete Manual

With only one or two exceptions, all current digital cameras have automatic focusing. The first autofocus systems were developed by Leica in the 1970s. The first autofocus compact camera, the Konica C35 AF, was introduced in 1977, and the first autofocus 35mm SLR, the Pentax ME-F, was launched in 1981. Since that time autofocus technology has improved immensely, and these days even the most basic modern AF systems are generally fast, accurate and reliable. Although we now rely on autofocus for the vast majority of photographs, anyone who has tried taking a photo in low light, with fast-moving subjects or using very long telephoto lenses will have noticed that sometimes even the best AF system can run into problems. We’ve all stood there with the lens whirring in and out…

All but the most basic budget compact cameras have a selection of shooting modes, usually chosen by a dial on the top or back of the camera Easy-to-use, mainly automatic cameras in the range will only have a few shooting modes, while the more sophisticated cameras such as the DSLR may have as many as a dozen, including manual exposure options and user-programmable special settings. As newer models appear in the range or older models are updated, the shooting modes available will be revised and possibly expanded. Shown on this spread are some of the most often used modes selected from the mode dial on the top of the camera and in some cases, from the menu screen on the back of the camera. Auto The camera will analyse the…

Good photography is equal parts creative flair, a good eye for composition and technical ability. There is no mystery to taking a good photo and we all have the ability to capture something cool, meaningful or just plain ‘wow’ if we have a good grasp of the fundamentals. Over the next few pages, take a look at the hints and tips provided. There is a lot of useful information that will hopefully take your creative skills in new directions. “There is no mystery to taking a good photo and we all have the ability to capture something cool, meaningful or just plain ‘wow’ if we have a good grasp of the fundamentals.”…

If you’re a keen photographer and always in a rush to get outdoors and go and shoot some distant landscape, bad weather can sometimes rear its ugly head and dampen your enthusiasm. Rather than packing your gear away, why not consider doing some indoor photography? This section contains some projects that explore just how creative you can be without the need for a professional studio or some very expensive studio equipment. It will even show you how you can turn your dining room into a temporary home studio when you want to go a little larger scale. “This section contains some projects that explore just how creative you can be without the need for a professional studio.”…

If you have ever shot a subject with a lens that has a very wide maximum aperture, you have no doubt noticed how the out-of-focus background has an aesthetic quality to it. Bright highlights are transformed into ‘orbs’ of light by this blurring effect. This blurred out quality is referred to as Bokeh, usually pronounced “boh-ka”, but the jury seems to be out on a final definitive pronunciation. The bright, soft, orbs of light are a by-product of the out-of-focus light being shaped by the aperture blades within your lens. If your lens has an 8 blade aperture configuration, then your bokeh shapes will be octagonal as well, although the shape will become less well defined as the aperture opens up to its maximum. It has been known for some…

Although there is no real right and wrong to shooting landscapes, there are a few tips that can elevate your shots and have them stand out against the general background noise of countless dull shots. First of all, take time to research your possible shooting destination if you have not been there before. Just Googling the location you want to shoot will call up all sorts of information. Most of it may be useless to you, but you can guarantee that there will be examples of other photographs taken there. The experiences of other photographers in this location will give you the heads-up as to whether it is an easy or difficult place to reach. There may be tips concerning local by-laws and the best nearby parking spots etc. There…

There is often a misconception among budding photographers that landscape photography is something of an easy option when deciding on a subject to capture. Sometimes it only takes a twenty minute drive to transport you from your local town and put you among the marvels and beauty of the natural world. While it is certainly true that the natural world is very accessible, it can be another thing altogether to create memorable landscape images. It isn’t just a case of arriving at a destination, firing up your DSLR and snapping away like a mad thing. The skills you may have that enable you to operate your camera are quite distinct from those that allow you to envision a beautifully composed image within the landscape you currently find yourself. Both are…

If you’ve ever taken a photo where most of the background was white snow, or bright white sand on a sunny beach, you’ve probably been disappointed by the results. That crisp, white snow comes out looking grey and murky, while your subjects come out looking very dark and under-exposed. There is a very good reason for this, and fortunately, it is very easy to correct. The problem lies with your camera’s light meter. It is designed to measure the light and set the exposure for an average scene and, under average conditions, it will normally do a very good job. This is because an average scene has an unusual property; it reflects approximately 18 per cent of the light falling on it, equivalent to a mid-tone grey. It doesn’t matter…

Thinking of getting your first digital camera, or maybe you are looking to upgrade that old point and shoot you usually take on holiday with you? For anyone looking to get a new camera, the choice available is actually quite overwhelming. With so much to choose from, the chances of picking the wrong type of camera for your needs are an all too likely probability and could end up being an expensive mistake. This section is here to outline the main types of cameras and accessories available and tell you a little about their main capabilities. Hopefully, these pages can help set you on the path to finding your perfect camera. “For anyone looking to get a new camera, the choice available is actually quite overwhelming.”…

Photography is built around some basic principles that a lot of casual photographers might not encounter if they shoot fully automatic with their cameras. In full auto, all the decision making is done by the camera and you are there only to push the shutter button to take the picture. As good as modern cameras are, they are not perfect and you may find that the shots you are trying to get don’t come out the way you expect. In this next section we will look at the core principles of photography in greater detail to help you understand the factors in play as you shoot. These main skills will help you get the shot you’re after. “In this next section we will look at the core principles of photography…

APERTURE AND DEPTH OF FIELD Of the three main controls common to nearly all cameras, shutter speed, focus and aperture, it is aperture adjustment that is the least well understood. This is because it not only helps to control exposure, but also affects something called Depth of Field. Understanding the effects of aperture size is a vital skill for any keen photographer. At least there’s nothing mysterious about the name. The aperture is literally a hole through which light passes after it enters the lens. The diameter of this hole can be altered, allowing a greater or smaller amount of light to pass through on its way to the sensor. In the early days of photography, aperture was adjusted by slotting cards with different sized holes cut in them into…

When you look at, for example, a sheet of white paper, your brain adjusts what you see so that it matches what you are expecting to see. However your digital camera doesn’t have any expectations, and the colour that it “sees” is the actual colour present in the scene. ‘White’ light visible to humans can actually vary in colour from reddish orange to greenishblue. This variation is usually described as a temperature range, with warm being the red end and cold at the blue end, and is usually measured in degrees Kelvin using a colour meter. Confusingly, the higher the colour temperature, the cooler the tone and vice versa. We perceive various shades of white light illuminating a scene as neutral, a clever trick performed by our brains to maintain…

“There are handle.” a few basics to be aware of, but it’s nothing that a photographer of any skill level can’t Taking photos of landscapes is one thing, but when you decide it’s time to get involved in portrait photography, it can seem quite a daunting prospect. You might imagine it requires armfuls of expensive equipment and lots of lighting gear. Don’t worry; there are a few simple things that you can try to see if portrait work is for you. Indoor natural light is certainly a great and easy way to dip your toe into the portrait world. There are a few basics to be aware of, but it’s nothing that a photographer of any skill level can’t handle. The camera For most applications, the camera can be anything…

“Of course, good exposure control is paramount to ensure you capture as much of the tonal range of the scene as possible.” Surely, we all love a sunset? A blazing red sunset is lovely to behold and can make for some great photos, if you know how to get the most from the fiery scene in front of you. Of course, good exposure control is paramount to ensure you capture as much of the tonal range of the scene as possible. Moreover, the scene itself requires a couple of things to make it a success from the point of view of composition. A clear sky does not necessarily make for a good sunset. Clouds are the perfect addition to reflect the light and create visual interest in the sky. Now…

When you think of capturing a photograph you would be forgiven for immediately thinking of a digital camera as the device of choice. For the most part that is true but there are alternative devices to cameras for capturing still life images. There is a whole genre of still life photography that uses a flatbed scanner as the capture device. It is often referred to as scanner photography, scanart or scanography. It can be quite a creative diversion from normal digital photography in that you have a completely different approach to how you compose and digitise the subject matter. If it’s raining outside and you have a scanner sitting idle in the corner of the office and a creative itch you need to scratch, this could be for you. “There…

“Black and white photography can be seen as your interpretation of what is real…” At the dawn of photography as we know it, when everything was fresh and new, your only choice back then was to shoot in black and white. Exposing images onto glass or metal plates gave way to the film and chemical process. It wasn’t until 1936 that Kodak gave the world colour photography. However, black and white didn’t die off like the black and white TV; in fact it positively flourished. Whichever way you look at it, colour distracts you from the heart of what should make a great photo. Things like texture, composition, form, lighting and good old storytelling can be swamped and made inconsequential by colour. It’s not to say that colour is an…

As your photography evolves, you will no doubt be trying out various types of subject matter and getting involved in photo shoots with people, animals, children and the like. You may also be working at larger events, functions, or even weddings, where you are herding people around and generally having to be in charge to get the shots required by your client. Having been in the thick of it, you can be forgiven for occasionally wanting something a little less wearisome. We can’t speak for all photographers, but now and again, we believe it is quite therapeutic to grab your gear, head out and photograph something for yourself, just for the sheer pleasure of it. No moving targets, no groups shots, no shouting to make yourself heard at a function,…

BASIC COMPOSITION The main difference between a well taken snapshot and a truly artistic photograph is simply a matter of composition. By changing the focal length, the angle and the position of the camera, the photographer can change the relative positions and sizes of objects in the frame to produce a more visually pleasing effect. Learning to do this is mostly a matter of practice and experimentation, but there are a number of simple tips and rules-of-thumb that can help you to take better pictures. The first and most important thing to remember is to take your time. Look at the scene in the viewfinder or on your monitor and try to see it not as simply a view but instead to imagine it as a finished print. Ask yourself…

Anyone who has owned a digital camera for a while will be familiar with the concept of image noise. It’s that grainy distortion that spoils pictures shot in low light conditions with high ISO settings. But what is image noise? Where does it come from, and what can be done to prevent it? All electronic devices generate noise. The background hiss of a radio, the sound of an overamplified electric guitar, or the interference on a badly-tuned television, all of these things are electronic noise, and so is the noise in seen in a digital photograph. This noise comes from a variety of sources. Some of it is generated by imperfections in the electronic components, or as a by-product of their normal operation. For instance, capacitors generate a small amount…

EXPOSURE AND METERING Under standing exposure and how it affects your photographs is probably the single most important technical skill you can learn in photography. It’s certainly the one that most people get wrong, and apart from camera shake, bad exposure probably ruins more photos than any other single cause. The main problem is over reliance on automatic metering. Most modern cameras, even relatively cheap compacts, have sophisticated built-in TTL multizone evaluative exposure meters that measure light levels at dozens, in some cases hundreds, of points within the frame, instantly comparing the results with a built-in library of exposure situations and automatically adjusting the shutter speed and aperture to deal with problems such as backlighting, close-ups or moving subjects. In most cases these automatic exposure systems are very good, and…

Have you arrived at a point where you wonder why your photos look more like simple snaps and not professional level masterpieces? There are a number of hints and tips we can pass on that can help you evolve as a photographer. Many of those tips cover shooting techniques, others may simply be advice about equipment and understanding a little more about your camera. You don’t have to use them all but pick out a few that work for you, develop them and make them a part of your creative photographic process and they will stand you in good stead as you progress your skills. “There are a number of hints and tips we can pass on that can help you evolve as a photographer.” 1 Choose the right camera…

It comes down to personal preference of course, but we would always recommend beginning your macro photography experience indoors. This type of photography does not require a lot of space. As long as you have your camera, lens, tripod, a tabletop and a light source, you are ready to begin. You’re in comfortable surroundings and you aren’t subject to the vagaries of the weather. You can concentrate on learning the craft and a cup of coffee isn’t far away either! To be honest, anything and everything is fair game for macro photography. A lot of macro work can be seen on picture sharing sites like Flickr. The insect world is a popular subject for macro photography, as is plant life. Browsing through our images may give you inspiration. We did…

Back in the day, it was always something of a cliche to shoot or paint a bowl of fruit as an indoor still life project. It doesn’t have to be that way, especially in the world of digital photography. Using fruit as your still life subject can be given a little twist with this easy to setup tabletop project. Rather than having a bunch of fruit in a bowl, how about something a little more creative? Sliced fruit pieces are a lovely, translucent material, in a range of great colours. All well and good, but what if you shine a strong light through them? Now things get interesting. Suddenly the fruit glows and internal shapes and structure are seen. This is not how you normally see fruit and it sounds…

Once you have mastered your camera and its many features, and delved deeper into the technical aspects of photography that can help you take better photos, the question invariably goes from ‘How do I shoot?’ to ‘What shall I shoot?’. Whether it’s some guidance on shooting landscapes, dabbling with long exposure photography or learning more about lighting equipment, there’s plenty to explore in these pages. If nothing else, our hope is that these photo projects will inspire you to get out there and learn more about this fascinating hobby. “If nothing else, our hope is that these photo projects will inspire you to get out there and learn more about this fascinating hobby.”…

Shooting the night sky is not just the reserve of astronomers and large telescopes. Although you are not going to be imaging deep-sky nebulae and planets in extreme close-up, there is still plenty of scope for any photographer to create memorable and creative images of the night sky. It is a fascinating subject and with care, you can produce some stunning images of the heavens with just a digital camera, a tripod, and perhaps a useful app on your phone. Your options include twilight images, and photos the sky long after the sun has set. Not only that, you also have some options to capture the stars in creative ways too. Have you ever wondered how you can capture the movement of the stars and turn the night sky into…

In normal practice our eyes see the world around us and we accept it for what it is. The sky is blue, grass is green, and so on. This is because our eyes can only see certain wavelengths of light. We are only sensitive to the so called ‘visible spectrum'. Every time you see a rainbow, you are witnessing this spectrum, broken down into the range of colours we are familiar with, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Red sits at the 700 nanometer (nm) wavelength, whilst violet is at the 390nm wavelength. We are going to show you how to capture the invisible world of the near-infrared, which can be found at the 720nm wavelength. The diagram opposite goes into a little more detail about the visible,…