[1STLITE]

Hey ya'll! Does anyone know of a site or forum in which pro photographers are actualy willing to help not-so-pro photographers learn the trade (You know. like RetouchPro but for photographer - or even something half as great as this site)? Or, even better, anyone here willing to learn me a thing or two? lol I really need some help here, I just feel so lost. I can read and read til I am blue in the face, and aperture and film speed and shutter speed, if there is even a difference, ugh - I am clueless! It all swims around my brain like I have no file to put it in. I just want to increase my technical knowledge of photography - film and digital, even just a little bit. Thanks everybody!

Dawn

[mistermonday]

Hi Dawn, try http://www.photosig.com
A basic membership is free. You can post your work and get critiques or you can read all the critiques of others. There are some really seasoned pro's - digital and film users. Click on the User tab and look at the work of users like Wildphoto and Timecatcher and many others.
Regards, Murray

[shellby]

www.dpreview.com

www.ephotozine.co.uk

www.photographers.co.uk

[Cameraken]

Hi Dawn

See if this helps a little.

All this applies to film and digital

Film speed
When you buy a film it has a ISO (ASA,DIN) rating. This is the sensitivity of the emulsion (amount of silver). The camera meter needs to know this to give correct exposure readings. Most cameras and films are DX coded. This means that they can ‘talk’ to each other and set the film speed automatically. Many digital cameras also have a ISO setting which controls the sensitivity of the CCD in the same way.

Exposure.
This is the amount of light that hits the film or sensor. The amount of light is controlled by altering the shutter speed and/or the aperture.

Shutter speed.
This is (usually) a blind in the camera that exposes the film by exposing the film via a slit or gap between two blinds. The slit passes over the film at a constant rate to expose the film evenly. The bigger this slit is, the more light hits the film (or sensor)
So a shutter speed of 30th second would create a larger slit than a shutter speed of 1000th sec.

Aperture
The aperture is located in the lens. It works like the iris in the eye. This iris can be opened to let in more light or closed to let in less light. The aperture numbers (F Nos.) control the size of this aperture. F2.8 creates a large hole in the iris while f16 creates a small hole.

Exposure of the film is controlled by correctly setting the shutter speed and aperture combination.
On a bright day you may get a meter reading of 125th Second at f11
So the camera would be set at 125th on the shutter speed dial and f11 on the aperture.
However a faster shutter speed with a bigger aperture would give exactly the same exposure.
So
125th at f11 is exactly the same exposure as 60th at f22 which is exactly the same as 250th at f8.

Why would you want to alter these numbers?

Depth of field.
The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. So the aperture determines the amount of focus (most good cameras have a depth of field preview)
F22 will give more in focus than f2.8

However, as mentioned. f22 will require a longer exposure time than f2.8 So depending on the available light a tripod may be required to hold the camera still at f22

Conversely.
If taking pictures of fast moving objects then a fast shutter speed is required to ‘freeze’ the action. So. If the light is reading 125th at f5.6 then to freeze action the shutter speed could be moved up to 500th (2 stops) but the aperture would have to be moved down by the same 2 stops to keep the same exposure ie from f5.6 to f2.8.



Hope this helps. Any questions?

Ken.

[1STLITE]

Thank you all so much. I am loking in to the links. However...

Ken, I think I have found exactly what I need here -lol. Thank you so much. And yes if you do not mind I have a question or two.

As far as depth of field goes, is the depth the same when set to a specific number regardless of the other settings? Like will F2.8 blur past a certain distance regardless of everythign else? And if so where do I find these distances?

Also, do I need to get a light meter to tell me in the beginning what I should set the camera on? One to tell me it would be 125th at f5.6 etc.?

"If the light is reading 125th at f5.6 then to freeze action the shutter speed could be moved up to 500th (2 stops) but the aperture would have to be moved down by the same 2 stops to keep the same exposure ie from f5.6 to f2.8." - Is this 2 stops forumla always the same regardless of the light reading? Also, where does the film speed come into play with this? Now, mind you, my new digital is not an SLR, but it was the closest I felt I could get without selling a kidney. I do have a film SLR, without a flash. but anyways, the camera has ISO from 80 to 400, 400 almost pointless because of the noise, but I guess if push came to shove there is always neat image.

I coudl probably go on like this for days, pickign your brain. I will stop here and try to only pick one hemisphere at a time (if its okay with you that is).

Thanks so very much!

Dawn

[kstein]

http://www.morguefile.com/archive/cl...m.php?lesson=1

http://www.photovisionmagazine.com/articles/index.html

http://www.sederquist.com/photoweb.html

[imagepoint]

Here is a simple way of thinking about depth of field. Larger F-numbers gives and greater depth of field. F16 has more depth of field than f2.8
Shorter focal lengths give greater depth of field. Meaning a wide angle lens has a greater depth of field than a long (telephoto) lens.
Greater the subject distance gives greater depth of field, instance if you use a macro lens and focus on a subject a few inches away you might end up with less than half inch depth of field, where as is you shoot a subject 10 feet away you will end up with approximately 10 feet in back and in front of the subject. This will depend on the focal length of your lens and your f-stop. The bigger the lens the smaller the depth of field and the larger the f-stop the more depth of field.
Depth of field is greater behind the subject than in front.
The lens you shoot with in combination with your f-stop will determine how much depth of field you have. SLR lenses have markings that assist in giving you approximate depth of field.

On your second question, if your light meter reads 125 at f5.6 then 500 at f2.8 is the same exposure. The shutter speed increase to 1/500 allows less light than 1/125, in this case four times less light or two stops. F2.8 allows four times more light or two stops than f5.6. So choosing your f-stop and shutter speed depends on what you want to do creatively.
Now film speed work like an f-stop, if for instance your exposure is 1/125 f5.6 using ISO 100, then ISO 200 is 1/125 f8 ISO 400 is 1/125 f11.
In other words if you double the film speed you double the light of the film's sensitivety. So 200 is double of 100, one stop. 300 is half the increase of 200, 1/2 a stop.

[smiley guy]

Hi 1STLITE,

I enjoy photography as well and have been using my Canon Rebel 2000 film SLR for about 2 1/2 years now. The biggest thing I found that helped me initially was to get my head out of the users manual and photography books and magazines and start shooting. Shoot, shoot, shoot and then shoot some more. Take notes (mental or on paper) of what you are doing with various settings and learn from those. You have a digital camera so there is no excuse like film processing costs or film costs to stop you from shooting. The forums will help you with critiquing your results etc. but get out there and shoot.

Carry your camera with you everywhere and take pictures of things that interest you. Go back and shoot those same subjects with different lighting at a different time of day. Don't discount the various settings on your camera like you mentioned with 400ASA, just know when and how to use them. Don't bail on your film SLR either. Digital is not the be all and end all. It is great for what you want to do now which is learn how various things work with photography but keep working with the film camera to try things with that to see what is different/same better/worse. Film is not dead despite what you may read in the various media.

Enjoy photography and get out of it what you want to get out of it. Keep reading, don't get me wrong, but also get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot!!

[Cameraken]

Hi Dawn

is the depth the same when set to a specific number regardless of the other settings

With a fixed lens, Yes. But when using a zoom lens the depth of field would alter with the focal length. For example if your camera has a 35 – 105 zoom attached then a focal length of 35mm at f2.8 would give more depth of field than 105mm at f2.8.
(Other attachments may also alter this. Extension tubes, Close Up filters etc)

And if so where do I find these distances?

They are (usually) written on the lens itself on an SLR. There is a scale showing what will be in focus at a particular aperture. The camera may also have a ‘Depth of Field’ button/lever which shows what will be in focus. These figures are usually in the handbook as well. You will find tables on the net also,

do I need to get a light meter

The internal meter is the easiest as it reads directly through the lens, so it takes into account the zoom setting, ambient light and any filters automatically.
A separate hand held meter is more versatile. Incident light readings, Spot metering, Zoning. Etc. However a beginner could make more mistakes.

is this 2 stops forumla always the same regardless of the light reading

Yes. Lets say the ambient light is reading 125th at f5.6
Setting the camera to 125th at f8 would result in a dark picture
Setting the camera to 125th at f4 would result in a light picture
The relationship between shutter speed and aperture needs to be kept constant for the ambient light available.
So if you make the iris bigger (aperture f4) then more light would hit the film and overexpose the picture so you have to make the shutter speed faster to compensate. Changing the shutter speed to 250th (in this case) would give correct exposure.
One stop up on one needs one stop down on the other.

where does the film speed come into play with this

This is where film and digital can differ. With film, once you put a film in the camera then you set the ISO (ASA) and you don’t touch it again until the film is finished.
With digital you could alter the ISO (Sensitivity) for every shot. A digital camera meter would take these changes into account for you (like DX coding) However if using a hand held meter then make sure the same ISO is set on the meter.

if its okay with you that is

No Problem Dawn. Hope this helps.

Ken

[1STLITE]

Thank you Ken. I very greatly appreciate your time and effort in helping me learn this. I think this is going to take a bit of study to totally understand. Mind if I call on you again in the future?

THank you so much for your help.

Dawn

[Cameraken]

Hi Dawn

No Problem. Glad to help. Ask again if you have any more questions.

Ken.

[1STLITE]

Smiley Guy - I know what you are saying and this is exactly how I feel. Taking notes is a great idea. I am always taking pictures and take my camera with me everywhere I go. My camera bad has officially become my new purse - lol. It is just that I want to know more of why it all works and want to be able to know when I look at something I want to shoot, what settings the camera should be on to get the look I want. I have definitely been through alot of trial an error, but I think I will go get a little notebook to keep with my cam so I can take notes. Mental notes don't so much work for me - I will forget where I filed them or something - lol. THanks!

Dawn

[Kraellin]

dawn,

here's another little tip to help you convert all this 'theory' into real world, easier use. on any given day, just assign yourself a 'lesson'. on one day go out and just practice depth of field, for instance. take the same shot over and over at different f-stop settings and so on. on another, just work on composition. on another, just work on focus (one that is often missed, i'm afraid). take your notes and when done, go back to the 'classroom' and review all your images for that day. if you need more work after your review, just go back and do some more.

every time i bought a new piece of hardware, whether it was a new telephoto lens, or extension or macro or filter, i'd go out and put it through its paces. on some days i'd just use high speed film or just black and white. on others i'd just shoot interesting shading. and on others i'd just shoot certain types of images, flowers, landscapes and so on. i used to take pictures of the oddest things. i've got one old shot around here, using a macro lens, extension and reverse lens extension of a cigarette butt. quite odd looking close up

there is a lot more to cameras than most folks might imagine. you're doing the right thing by asking questions. putting those answers into practice is the 2nd stage. one can 'know' the theory but never produce a good shot. the trick is to know the camera and what makes a good shot and that comes with practice, practice, practice.

and the final tip is, on at least one of those days, do nothing but have fun even God rested on the 7th day (or so they tell me) and i'm guessing he spent it taking pictures of his work

craig

[CJ Swartz]

Dawn,

When we're starting something new, we have trouble knowing what the questions are, let alone the answers. Having a structure to start from will help you as you go out and practice your photography. You will learn from your practice faster if you know what you are practicing. As Craig suggested, working on one thing at a time helps you learn to see the differences -- you can practice using different shutter speeds and see the difference between "freezing action" and letting the moving object blur; you can use different aperature settings and see the differences in depth-of-field. But first you need to get comfortable with some of the vocabulary -- you don't know what your questions are until you know the words are to ask the question.

Here is a link to another excellent resource for you, and an excerpt from it to get you started. The webpage also has a link to an excellent set of lessons in pdf format with some practice questions to help you structure your learning -- don't worry, the answers are in the back of the book. Learning to use your camera is like learning photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or any other great tool -- it takes a lot of practice, but you enjoy even the beginning stages when you don't really understand what it does or how it works (using auto-levels in PShop, or Program mode on the camera, for example) . As you continue to learn more, you can control more of what the final result looks like, and if you continue it with passion, you can even leave the "rules" behind, and create what you want to see.

http://www.photos-of-the-year.com/exposure/

What is Exposure?
by JMSetzler

The Basic Elements of Exposure

Exposure, in photographic terms, is the process of capturing light with your camera to produce an image on film or a digital sensor. (Film and digital sensors will be referred to as film throughout this document unless specifically noted otherwise.) Your camera mechanically controls the incoming light and directs it to the film. The film is sensitive to the light and is exposed.

We can create a simple analogy of exposure in terms of filling a bucket with water. We can fill the bucket slowly with a small stream of water, or we can fill it quickly with a large stream. In either situation, it will take a combination of time and water flow to fill the bucket. The size of the bucket is also a consideration. A small bucket will fill more quickly than a large one.

Based on this brief analogy, we have three items to consider. We have water flow, the amount of time it takes to fill the bucket, and the size of the bucket. We can approach our Fill the Bucket project from several angles. We can choose to use a larger or smaller hose. We can choose to fill the bucket quickly or slowly. We can choose the size of the bucket we want to fill. Whichever approach or combination of approaches we choose, the result will be the same. We will put water in our bucket. We may fill it completely full, partially full, or let it overflow.

How do we relate this analogy to our camera?

Light is the water that flows through our hose.

Our camera's aperture is the hose. The camera's aperture is the device that controls the amount of light that is allowed into the lens. This aperture is adjustable. We can make it larger or smaller.

Our camera's shutter speed is the amount of time it takes to fill the bucket with water. The camera's shutter is the device that opens to allow the incoming light from the aperture to expose the film and create the image. The film's sensitivity or ISO number is the size of the bucket. Small buckets (more sensitive films) can be filled faster than large buckets (less sensitive films.)


The Four Elements

So, we have four elements of exposure: light, aperture, shutter speed, and film sensitivity. Each of these elements plays a distinct role in the process of creating a photograph. Each of these elements may be used in creative ways.

Light

Light is probably the most important element of exposure. In many cases, good and bad photos are only differentiated by the available light in the scene. Learning the difference between good and bad light is part of the overall experience of learning about photography. Light creates shadows, highlights textures, accents colors, creates moods and emotions, and a vast array of other enhancing effects in a photo. By the same token, light can also create harsh contrasts, bright spots, dark spots, glare, and other issues that are sometimes associated with poor photographs. Finding the good light is a skill that comes with experience and a lot of trial and error.

Aperture

Your camera's aperture controls the amount of light that is allowed into the lens. The aperture is an adjustable hole inside your lens that may be made larger or smaller to control the intensity of the available light. The aperture is also used to control depth of field. Depth of field will be discussed in detail as we explore exposure a little deeper.

Shutter Speed

The camera's shutter is the device that opens and closes for a specified amount of time to allow the light entering the lens to expose the film. The duration of the opening is determined by the amount of light entering the lens. The aperture and shutter work together to produce correct exposures.

Film Sensitivity (ISO)

Some films are more sensitive to light than others. The ISO rating of the film describes its sensitivity to light in numbers such as 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800. 200 speed film is twice as sensitive to light as 100 speed and four times more sensitive than 50 speed film. 200 speed film will expose twice as fast as 100 and four times faster than 50. Different speeds of film are used for various reasons that we will discuss soon. These four elements of exposure work together to produce a photograph. Light enters the camera through the aperture inside the lens. The shutter opens and then the film is exposed. In our quest to understand exposure, we must learn how each of these elements interacts with each other. We also must learn how to control each element to produce our desired result.


Note from the Author
This document was created as an educational tool. If you find this document useful, please support it by giving me feedback on it. This document may be distributed freely in an unmodified form. I encourage you to share this with your friends.

[1STLITE]

Thank you very much CJ and Craig! I like the diea of playing with one thing at a time. That will certainly help me keep things straight on camera and in my head - lol.

CJ - Thanks so much for that link! I am downloading the PDF of the full version. Great stuff!

Dawn