6 Steps to Success
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:40 am
S Shutter speed
A Aperture
F Focus
E Exposure
T Tripod
Y Your light
Shutter Speed.
Are you taking a picture of a moving object?
Yes - set your shutter speed to freeze the action OR you may wish to deliberately use a lower shutter speed to blur something to give the picture the impression of movement. This can be running water such as a stream or waterfall. It could be a bird in flight, a racing car or a galloping horse etc.
Aperture.
Perhaps the effect you are looking for is a sharp subject with a blurred background. For this effect you need a wide aperture setting. Confusingly in Photography a wider setting has a smaller \"F\" number so that F2.5 has a smaller depth of field (Not many things in focus) than a narrow setting such as F16. (Lots of things in Focus).
Perhaps you want everything in focus - such as a landscape shot.
Focus
Having chosen a suitable combination of Shutter speed and Aperture you must now concentrate on making sure the subject is in Focus. There will be a focus indicator in your view finder to help you.
Exposure
Your viewfinder will include an indicator to let you know if your settings will produce either an over expose, under exposed or correctly exposed picture. There are various ways to alter your settings to make sure you have a suitable exposure.
a. Use flash or other artificial lighting.
b. Alter the shutter speed
c. Alter the Aperture
d. Change the ISO
e. Use EV compensation
Tripod
Make sure you don't wobble that camera when pressing the shutter button. Use a tripod, lean on something or use faster settings. Use a remote release or the self timer to help avoid camera shake.
Your light (White Balance)
Lastly make sure you have selected the correct White Balance for your lighting source.
If you take pictures indoors without setting the white balance they will come out yellowy or orangey.
If you set your white balance to Tungsten and take a picture outdoors during the day the pictures will come out rather bluish.
A Aperture
F Focus
E Exposure
T Tripod
Y Your light
Shutter Speed.
Are you taking a picture of a moving object?
Yes - set your shutter speed to freeze the action OR you may wish to deliberately use a lower shutter speed to blur something to give the picture the impression of movement. This can be running water such as a stream or waterfall. It could be a bird in flight, a racing car or a galloping horse etc.
Aperture.
Perhaps the effect you are looking for is a sharp subject with a blurred background. For this effect you need a wide aperture setting. Confusingly in Photography a wider setting has a smaller \"F\" number so that F2.5 has a smaller depth of field (Not many things in focus) than a narrow setting such as F16. (Lots of things in Focus).
Perhaps you want everything in focus - such as a landscape shot.
Focus
Having chosen a suitable combination of Shutter speed and Aperture you must now concentrate on making sure the subject is in Focus. There will be a focus indicator in your view finder to help you.
Exposure
Your viewfinder will include an indicator to let you know if your settings will produce either an over expose, under exposed or correctly exposed picture. There are various ways to alter your settings to make sure you have a suitable exposure.
a. Use flash or other artificial lighting.
b. Alter the shutter speed
c. Alter the Aperture
d. Change the ISO
e. Use EV compensation
Tripod
Make sure you don't wobble that camera when pressing the shutter button. Use a tripod, lean on something or use faster settings. Use a remote release or the self timer to help avoid camera shake.
Your light (White Balance)
Lastly make sure you have selected the correct White Balance for your lighting source.
If you take pictures indoors without setting the white balance they will come out yellowy or orangey.
If you set your white balance to Tungsten and take a picture outdoors during the day the pictures will come out rather bluish.