The First thing you need to know ......
Let's determine the difference between a "Snapshot" and a Photographic Image: If you let the camera do all the work automatically, ( PHD - "Press here, Dummy | ) This is taking a photo. On the other hand, when you take control of how the camera sees the subject, this is making a photo - Being creative. So, if you really want to be creative with your digital camera, the first thing you need to know is: " Where is the "All-Reset" button?" When you find it, put it in the off position, and you can start being creative. This button, or control, if left on, automatically resets the camera to "auto" or "programme" each time you turn the camera on. Your camera is not just a point & shoot machine, but a very creative box of tricks, once you learn how. The next thing you need to do is to familiarise yourself with all the little controls your camera has- Read, and re-read your camera's instruction manual, until you know where everything is. Here are a few simple things you can do already:
- Go through the white balance options
- Go through the flash modes
- Set the macro mode on and off
- Set the resolution
- Go through the scene select items
When you can do these actions without fuss or fumbling, you are on the way to creativity.
Assignment 1 - If it's a bright sunny day outside take a shot of anyplace with camera in auto, (or programme) mode.
Then set your camera's White balance to sunlight and take another shot of the same subject.
Now set the white balance to cloudy, taking a third shot of the same subject. Compare the three and decide which you like the best.
Assignment 2 - If You are making a portrait between the hours of 10am-2pm on a bright and sunny day, take a photograph of a friend with the flash in off position. Get close, keeping just head and shoulders in the shot.
Now put flash in flash-on mode and take the portrait again. Note how the flash has filled in the shadows under the eyes and chin. If your flash is too powerful and flattens facial features, either place a piece of tissue over the flash window, or use a piece of white medical tape.
Assignment 3 Find a scene to photograph and using auto mode, take a shot. Take a second shot from the same position, but put your sunglasses lens in front of your camera lens. Note how the sky darkens and clouds become more prominent. Not too hard to be creative, eh?
Halfway Down (Focus & Exposure)
You will have noticed that there is a definite amount of time between pressing the shutter button and capturing a picture. This happens because the camera needs to wipe the last image from the memory card, automatically focus and set exposure. One way to overcome this problem, is to pre-focus on your subject, or something the same distance away, if you intend a candid shot, the press the shutter button halfway down. - This lets the camera pre-focus and pre-set exposure, then all you need to do is to press the shutter the rest of the way down to take your shot. While we are in the realms of exposure, here’s an experiment: Get a piece of white paper and a piece of black paper ( A4 sheets) take separate photo of each sheet, in the same lighting conditions, using the camera's meter on auto (Programme) setting - Surprise, Surprise! They both came out mid-grey. This is because the camera's meter averages out the scene, giving an average exposure for the scene at 18%grey. This is okay for the average scene, but if you are viewing a high contrast scene, you will lose detail in both the highlights and the shadows. If you use the spot meter on your subject, your subject will come out fine. Your camera will have a 5 stop exposure compensation facility in 0.5 increments:
( -2.0;-1.5; -1.0; -0.5; -0- + 0.5; +1.0; +1.5; +2.0) where zero is average 18% grey and -2 will give detail on black, and +2 will give detail on white - on a grey scale.
How much light is needed to make a photograph? That will be determined by the camera's built-in metering systems or by using a hand-held incident light meter which is used to measure the amount of light that is falling on the subject.
To aid in pre-visualising your finished photographic images I include a simplified "zone system" which you may find useful.
Tone Value
Meter Reading Appearance
1 Plus2 White with minimal detail
2 Plus1 Dried grass, bright-coloured flowers
3 0= Meter as read 18% grey - Green grass/Dry tarmac /tttarmactarmacadam
4 minus 1 Dark foliage
5 minus 2 Black with some detail
Let's determine the difference between a "Snapshot" and a Photographic Image: If you let the camera do all the work automatically, ( PHD - "Press here, Dummy | ) This is taking a photo. On the other hand, when you take control of how the camera sees the subject, this is making a photo - Being creative. So, if you really want to be creative with your digital camera, the first thing you need to know is: " Where is the "All-Reset" button?" When you find it, put it in the off position, and you can start being creative. This button, or control, if left on, automatically resets the camera to "auto" or "programme" each time you turn the camera on. Your camera is not just a point & shoot machine, but a very creative box of tricks, once you learn how. The next thing you need to do is to familiarise yourself with all the little controls your camera has- Read, and re-read your camera's instruction manual, until you know where everything is. Here are a few simple things you can do already:
- Go through the white balance options
- Go through the flash modes
- Set the macro mode on and off
- Set the resolution
- Go through the scene select items
When you can do these actions without fuss or fumbling, you are on the way to creativity.
Assignment 1 - If it's a bright sunny day outside take a shot of anyplace with camera in auto, (or programme) mode.
Then set your camera's White balance to sunlight and take another shot of the same subject.
Now set the white balance to cloudy, taking a third shot of the same subject. Compare the three and decide which you like the best.
Assignment 2 - If You are making a portrait between the hours of 10am-2pm on a bright and sunny day, take a photograph of a friend with the flash in off position. Get close, keeping just head and shoulders in the shot.
Now put flash in flash-on mode and take the portrait again. Note how the flash has filled in the shadows under the eyes and chin. If your flash is too powerful and flattens facial features, either place a piece of tissue over the flash window, or use a piece of white medical tape.
Assignment 3 Find a scene to photograph and using auto mode, take a shot. Take a second shot from the same position, but put your sunglasses lens in front of your camera lens. Note how the sky darkens and clouds become more prominent. Not too hard to be creative, eh?
Halfway Down (Focus & Exposure)
You will have noticed that there is a definite amount of time between pressing the shutter button and capturing a picture. This happens because the camera needs to wipe the last image from the memory card, automatically focus and set exposure. One way to overcome this problem, is to pre-focus on your subject, or something the same distance away, if you intend a candid shot, the press the shutter button halfway down. - This lets the camera pre-focus and pre-set exposure, then all you need to do is to press the shutter the rest of the way down to take your shot. While we are in the realms of exposure, here’s an experiment: Get a piece of white paper and a piece of black paper ( A4 sheets) take separate photo of each sheet, in the same lighting conditions, using the camera's meter on auto (Programme) setting - Surprise, Surprise! They both came out mid-grey. This is because the camera's meter averages out the scene, giving an average exposure for the scene at 18%grey. This is okay for the average scene, but if you are viewing a high contrast scene, you will lose detail in both the highlights and the shadows. If you use the spot meter on your subject, your subject will come out fine. Your camera will have a 5 stop exposure compensation facility in 0.5 increments:
( -2.0;-1.5; -1.0; -0.5; -0- + 0.5; +1.0; +1.5; +2.0) where zero is average 18% grey and -2 will give detail on black, and +2 will give detail on white - on a grey scale.
How much light is needed to make a photograph? That will be determined by the camera's built-in metering systems or by using a hand-held incident light meter which is used to measure the amount of light that is falling on the subject.
To aid in pre-visualising your finished photographic images I include a simplified "zone system" which you may find useful.
Tone Value
Meter Reading Appearance
1 Plus2 White with minimal detail
2 Plus1 Dried grass, bright-coloured flowers
3 0= Meter as read 18% grey - Green grass/Dry tarmac /tttarmactarmacadam
4 minus 1 Dark foliage
5 minus 2 Black with some detail
