Basic Photography Course Lesson 2

Part 1 of 2

The 3 fundamentals of exposure

1. ISO - High /Low
2. Aperture - Big/Small
3. Shutter Speed - Fast/Slow

How the three variables affect one another?
ISO > Shutter Speed
Aperture > Depth of Field & Shutter Speed

ISO (Resulting in different shutter speed)
High ISO 1600 = Noise / Fast shutter speed ie.1/500s
Low ISO 200 = Good quality / Slow shutter speed ie. 1/4s

Aperture (Resulting in different shutter speed / background sharpness)
Big Aperture f3.5 = Fast shutter speed / Background blur
Small Aperture f22 = Slow shutter speed / Background sharp

Exposure Modes
Program (P) - You set ISO, Camera set Aperture & Shutter Speed
Aperture Priority (A)  - You set ISO & Aperture, Camera set Shutter Speed
Shutter Priority (S) - You set ISO & Shutter Speed, Camera set Aperture
Manual (M)  - You set ISO, Aperture & Shutter Speed                                        

Resolution and Compression
Subjected default : Large (12 mega pixel) and Fine (good quality, large file size ie. 3MB)

White Balance
*Auto - tries to give you white as white
*Tungsten - tries to neutralize the warm light cast from the tungsten bulb
*Fluorescent - tries to neutralize the green blue cast from the fluorescent tube
*Daylight - it enables you to capture the colour as what you see in front of you
*Cloudy and Shade - it makes the picture warmer

Composition Rule - The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a powerful compositional technique for making photos more interesting and dynamic. You can use the rule of thirds as a guide in the off-center placement of your subjects for making images that resonate with viewers.

Part 2 of 2

Good to know:
Aperture Priority - Control of Shutter Speed
*Set ISO 100, Aperture f22 or smaller  - Achieve the slowest possible shutter speed to give        blur moving water motion. (Use tripod or increase ISO)
*Set ISO 1600, Aperture f3.5 - Achieve the fastest possible shutter speed to freeze motion/action.
Aperture Priority - Control of Depth of Field
*Set ISO 1600, Aperture f22 or smaller - Big depth of field with shutter speed faster as compared to using ISO 100. Result is foreground and background clearer.
*Set ISO 100, Aperture f3.5 - Small depth of field, apply on a sunny day or with tripod, use low ISO for less noise. Result is foreground and background blur.

Note: Windy condition - *Sunny ISO 800 *Cloudy ISO1600 / Non-windy condition - *Sunny ISO 400 *Cloudy ISO 800

Metering Modes
Select Center-weighted. This measurement is based primarily on a center circle. Usually 60% of the center of the viewfinder.

Tips
For static subject  - any shutter speed
*Hand held - P mode, high ISO
*Tripod - P mode, low ISO
For moving subject - Fast (freeze) / Slow (blur)
*Freeze 1/500 or faster - A mode, high ISO 1600, big Aperture f3.5
*Panning 1/15 - S mode, low ISO 100 to 400
*Blur Waterfall 1" - A mode, low ISO 100, small Aperture f22
*Light trails 30" - A/M mode, low ISO 100, small Aperture f22
*Fireworks 4" - M mode, low ISO 200, small Aperture f11 (need tripod)