| IntroductionModern cameras are highly automatic in | | | | are taking a telephoto shot and the camera chooses |
| operation. They have auto focus and auto exposure. | | | | a slow to medium shutter speed, the result might be |
| The camera will focus on the subject - often | | | | blurred due to the movement of your hands while |
| identified by a small circle or square at the centre of | | | | taking the exposure. Use a tripod - all wildlife |
| the viewfinder - and calculate an appropriate | | | | photographers use them. They are a pain to carry |
| exposure by detecting the level of reflected light - | | | | but improve quality by orders of magnitude.6 Fast |
| usually from the same spot. A slight pressure on the | | | | Moving Subject Require a Fast Shutter SpeedThe |
| shutter release will activate those two functions, | | | | shutter is that part of the camera which opens |
| without taking a picture. Further pressure on the | | | | briefly to allow light to strike the sensitive surface of |
| shutter release will result in a photo being taken.1 | | | | the detector to |
| Take care to Focus and Expose on the Subject of | | | | produce an image. Fast moving object require |
| the ImageImagine you are taking a picture of your | | | | extremely short shutter speeds in order to capture a |
| girl friend against the background of an interesting | | | | crisp sharp image. Slower |
| harbour. Your girl friend is six feet away while the | | | | shutter speeds will produce a blur as the object |
| harbour is around 50 feet away. You position your girl | | | | moves. |
| friend carefully - she is important to you - at one side | | | | In general outdoor photography a shutter speed of |
| of the picture with an interesting view of the harbour | | | | 1/60th or 1/125th second will be acceptable. In |
| in the distance. Now do you want to focus on the | | | | contrast, shooting a formula one car in motion will |
| harbour - or your girl friend? Position the square or | | | | require shutter speed of say 1/1000th of a second.7 |
| circle at the centre of the viewfinder over the spot | | | | A little About Depth of FieldIn days past, a |
| that you want to focus on and correctly expose - | | | | photographer would measure the level of light at a |
| take a slight pressure on the shutter release - and | | | | location with a light meter and then calculate the best |
| keep that pressure while you move the camera to | | | | |
| frame the image you want to take - then, and only | | | | combination of shutter speed and aperture to |
| then, push the shutter release fully down and take | | | | correctly expose the film. This is now done |
| the photo. If you want to have everything in focus - | | | | automatically by the camera. Aperture is the measure |
| then see 7 Depth of Field.2 Carefully Compose Your | | | | of how much light is passing through the lens. The |
| ShotBefore taking the picture take a careful last look | | | | lens has an iris, which can be 'stopped down' to |
| through the viewfinder. Check the composition, and | | | | reduce the amount of light passing through the lens. |
| particularly that heads nd feet are included, and that | | | | A fully open lens will pass the greatest amount of |
| all faces are visible in anything other the smallest of | | | | light - full aperture - but this also reduces the 'depth |
| groups. With the camera taking care of focus and | | | | of field'. The depth of field is the band of distance |
| exposure - you have the time to concentrate on | | | | over which the subject is in focus. In 1 above, with |
| getting the composition perfect. Photographic | | | | full aperture either your girl friend or the harbour is in |
| amputation of limbs is unforgivable!3 Set the Colour | | | | focus - but not both. By 'stopping down' the lens - |
| Balance Correctly on the CameraDigital cameras have | | | | reducing the aperture - both can be brought into |
| controls that allow the operator to set the nature of | | | | focus. But as a consequence the amount of light |
| the lighting illuminating the subject. In general they will | | | | passing through the lens is reduced. The length of |
| default to daylight, since shots are likely to be taken | | | | time which the shutter is open will have to be |
| outdoors. On this setting, pictures taken indoors | | | | increased to compensate.8 When taking Landscapes |
| under artificial tungsten lighting will look yellow - they | | | | Avoid Putting the Horizon Across the Centre of the |
| will have a yellow cast. Pictures taken under strip | | | | ImageDrawing the picture horizon in the middle of the |
| lighting will look green. Setting the camera | | | | image simply looks naff. It divides the picture in to |
| appropriately will produce consistent balanced | | | | two and fails to engage the viewer. Best to |
| photographs. Look in the camera manual to see how | | | | concentrate on the sky or the foreground. |
| to set the control - it is very easy. Flash guns | | | | Photograph a setting sun with red sky, or a rainbow |
| produce a light, which is very similar in colour | | | | with the horizon low in the picture. Or concentrate on |
| 'temperature' to that of daylight.4 Don't Expect Too | | | | the landscape and place the horizon high in the |
| Much from the On Camera FlashThe on camera flash | | | | picture.9 Be Aware of the Effects of Back |
| is designed for convenience when shooting a small | | | | LightingLet us go back to the example given in Hint 1. |
| group of people. It will not illuminate a hall. When | | | | Imagine that in the picture of your girl friend in front |
| watching public events on the television it is | | | | of the harbour, the sun is setting, casting its golden |
| somewhat surprising to see members of the | | | | rays across the sea and reflecting on the masts and |
| audience in the Albert hall take a pocket camera out | | | | other metal objects of the harbour |
| and shoot a picture with their flash. This is unlikely to | | | | with white clouds illuminated red in the dying rays of |
| be successful. Better to turn the sensitivity of the | | | | the sun. An evocative and romantic shot. Taking the |
| camera up - say to 800ASA - the 'film speed', or | | | | shot with the camera will result in a beautiful |
| sensitivity. This might produce a better result. Do not | | | | background but a black shadow of a girl friend! Now |
| confuse sensitivity of the camera with shutter speed. | | | | that might be appropriate should you have had a |
| They are different. An on camera flash will illuminate | | | | particularly bad day with her and it might correctly |
| only a short distance - as a guide pick up your cat | | | | reflect the mood. However using the on camera flash |
| firmly with two hands by the tail and swing it around | | | | to fill in the darkness - to illuminate her face and |
| at arms length - that is the sort of distance the flash | | | | show her features might be more appropriate on a |
| will illuminate!5 A Tripod is Essential for Long Distance | | | | better day!Christopher Thomas is both keen |
| ShotsMost modern digital cameras come with a zoom | | | | photographer and company director of Viewlink Ltd |
| lens that can take both wide angle and telephoto | | | | based in Amersham, Uk. The company focusses on |
| shots. This is extremely useful. However remember | | | | digital photo developing for both amateur and |
| that when the camera is on its furthest telephoto | | | | commercial photographers. |
| setting, camera shake will become a problem. If you | | | | |