Useful photography definitions - part 2

Exposure/light metre: is a device which is used to measure the amount of light falling or being reflected by the subject

f-stop / f-number: is a sequence of numbers showing the relative apertures, from which the light travels through to the sensor/film. By changing the aperture it halves or doubles the light

Focal plane: is a point (plane) on which a sharp image is formed

Focal length: is the distance between the lens and the sharp image, when the lens is focused for infinity

Focus: is when an image is clear and sharp

Format/frame: is a term given by a camera for the picture area; i.e.. full frame, two thirds

Flare: is the unwanted light which is scattered or reflected within the lens causing the flare

ISO: is short for 'International Standard Organisation' - it is an indication of how sensitive the film or the sensor is to light

Jpeg: is a file format for compressed digital colour image

Kelvin (K): is the measurement of the colour temperature

Manual focus: the camera may not a function to auto-focus the lens, the user has to manually focus the lens by hand to get the image sharp

Noise: is similar to the term 'gain' used for films. Digital noise produces random scattered pixels all over the final image, usually red and blue pixels

Overexposure: is when the too much light has gone through the lens producing a washed out image

Perspective: to give an image the 3-dimensional depth and show distance

Programme/auto mode: is a fully automatic function on the camera where the camera selects the aperture and shutter according to the light and the camera's built-in programme

RAW: image produced by the camera which is unprocessed. A RAW file is uncompressed and are larger files than JPEG files

Rule of thirds: horizontal and vertical lines used to compose a subject placing the horizon on the top/bottom line

Selective focusing: using a shallow depth of field to focus sharply on a selected object in the scene where the other parts of the image are out of focus

Shutter: thin metal/plastic curtains that are at the back of the camera that allows light reaching the film/sensor

Shutter speed: is the length of time for how long the film/sensor is exposed to light

Shutter mode / shutter priority / TV: is a semi-automatic mode where you choose the shutter speed and the camera metre sets the appropriate aperture

Telephoto lens: a lens made to create relatively large images with a focal length shorter than an ordinary lens

TTL: is referred to 'Through the lens' camera reading, i.e. the exposure reading of the light measured by the lens and the flash

Underexposure: is when not enough light has gone through the lens to expose the image, the final image is dark.

Viewfinder: a preview window that allows the user to frame and focus the final image before taking the photograph

Wide angle lens: are lens with short focal length and are used to give a wide angle view

Zoom lens: is when the focal length of the lens is altered by zooming in and out, it is a lens which goes from wide angle to telephoto

Bhupinder Ghatahora ABIPP, ARPS, ASWPP

Ghatahora Photography

info@ghatahora.co.uk

www.ghatahora.co.uk

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Useful photohraphy definitions with examples of photographs part 1

Useful Photography definitions

Aperture: is the size of the hole in the lens which combined with the shutter speed, controls how much light gets into the camera.

Aperture mode / Aperture Priority: (AV) the mode that automatically calculates the shutter speed when you choose the aperture you want to use.

 Camera shake: is when the camera moves as you press the button, causing the image to be blurred.

Close-up / Macro: means close-up photography and is great to photographs of flowers, bugs, shells and other tiny objects.

Composition: arranging objects in the photographs that look pleasing. Also see Rule of Thirds.

  

Contrast: is the difference between the bright and the dark areas of the photo. High contrast image will show very dark and very light areas in the same photograph.

Normal Image (balanced contrast):

High Contrast Image:

Low Contrast Image:

  

Cropping: Cutting of the edges of your image, either by moving in closer to the subject or trimming the edges using photo editing software.

Uncropped Image:

Cropped Image:

Depth of field (DOF): shows the range of components in a scene, front to back that remain sharp. Shallow depth of field makes the objects sharp in the foreground only. Deep DOF makes everything in the image sharp from foreground to the background.

The image below is photographed using Shallow depth of field, using f5.6

The image below is photographed using Deep depth of field, using f16

Exposure: is the amount of light that is allowed to hit the camera sensor. Too much light results in Overexposed images, whereas too little light results in Underexposure of the image.

Correct Exposure:

Under Exposed Image:

Over Exposed Image:

Bhupinder Ghatahora

Ghatahora Photography

info@ghatahora.co.uk

www.ghatahora.co.uk

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Understand Your Camera Modes

In this article I will briefly explain the common camera modes associated with ‘Point & Shoot’ cameras and DSLRs. You may be aware that compact cameras have various pre-set modes (often known as ‘scenes’) and you may have wondered what these modes are use for.

The three most common modes which are often available on most advanced cameras are, Programme (fully automatic), Manual and Semi-Automatic modes (Shutter and Aperture control). Recent digital compact camera include these modes and several other scene selection modes, which are specifically designed for the subject being photographed, such as fireworks, beach, snow, parties, nightlife, etc.

The function of these modes is to create accurate and correctly exposed images. These modes are useful shortcuts for the novice photographer who may lack the full understanding on how to use Manual and Semi-Automatic modes. When a ‘scene’ mode is selected, the camera adjusts the aperture, shutter speed and ISO to calculate the right exposure. Selecting ‘scene’ mode often limits the user from making adjustments to the flash, white balance, ISO and other criteria as the camera adjusts these according to the subject.

When the correct ‘scene’ mode is selected to fit the subject being photographed, the results are often to acceptable standards, giving a balanced photograph.

Advanced photographers often use the Manual or Semi-Automatic modes because they provide better control on the final image. The photographer would envisage the image he or she would like to be created, and then adjust the camera settings accordingly.

Below is a brief summary of some of the common camera modes and examples of images taken using these modes.

(All the following photographs have been taken using a DSLR, but the same theory can be applied to any 'Point & Shoot' cameras.)

The flower symbol stands for Close-up or Macro which means taking photographs of subjects really close. Use this mode to photograph close-ups of flowers, jewellery, insects, dew drops, abstract patterns, etc. In this mode the built-in flash may be disabled to prevent an overexposed image, as your camera is really close to the subject.

The person & star symbol stands for Night Portrait or Night Photography. This mode uses a combination of flash and long exposure to pick the ambient (available) light in the background. Use this mode to take pictures of persons in low-light conditions. The use of a tripod is often recommended.

The face symbol stands for Portrait mode. The camera selects the widest aperture setting

to minimise depth-of-field in order to blur the background. Always remember to focus on your subject’s eyes for sharper portraits. In this setting, the flash will automatically activate the ‘red-eye’ reduction setting.

The mountain & cloud symbol stands for Landscape mode. Using this mode your camera will select the smallest aperture to maximise depth-of-field. Your image will be sharp both in the foreground and in the background. As the name suggests, use this mode to take landscape photographs.

The running person symbol stands for Sports mode, which is all about speed. Your camera will automatically choose the fastest shutter speed to capture the fast moving subject. In some cameras, the camera will enable continuous high-speed shooting; which means it will take photographs one after another continually. Use this mode to capture fast moving subjects or any kind of sport.

The 'A' symbol stands for Aperture mode (semi-automatic). In this mode you select your desired aperture and the camera will set the shutter speed to match the aperture settings. For example, if you change your aperture from f5.6 to f11, the camera will adjust the shutter speed automatically keeping the exposure the same. Use this mode to have more control on the depth-of -field.

The 'TV' or 'S' symbol stands for Shutter mode (semi-automatic). In this mode you select the shutter speed, and the camera will set the aperture accordingly. For example, if you change the shutter speed from 1/30 (slow) to 1/250 (fast) of a second, the aperture will change automatically. This will leave the exposure the same as the camera is matching your shutter settings. The shutter mode is used to capture movement or create a blur. I use shutter mode to photograph movement in water, trailing traffic lights or to freeze the action.

The 'M' symbol stands for Manual mode (fully manual). In this mode you have full control of your camera. You decide what aperture and shutter speed to use in order take a correctly exposed image. In this mode you can also override any of the camera settings, i.e. flash, ISO, exposure compensation and white balance. Choose this mode if you are fully confident about how the aperture and shutter work together to produce a correctly exposed image. I use this mode mostly for landscape, close-up portraits, snow and night photography, and even just experimenting with different exposures.

I hope this brief insight into camera mode assists you in taking better photographs.

Bhupinder Ghatahora

Ghatahora Photography

info@ghatahora.co.uk

www.ghatahora.co.uk

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