We have considered much about what can be done even before you pick up the camera: Composition and creative thinking are essential tools for creating better pictures. Let us now look at getting the most from the camera itself.

In the first lesson we learned how to take control away from the camera to prevent it causing problems. We are now going to learn how to take control of the shots for ourselves.

Whenever we adjust settings in the camera we must be aware both of the the technical aspect and the creative element. The chart above offers a useful guide to the three settings that we will be looking at over the next two weeks.

Each of these can have a huge impact on your images, both in terms of allowing you to shoot under a wider variety of circumstances but also in the vast creative potential each element possess.

To begin with we will be looking at the most versatile of the three: Shutter Speed.

Introduction to PhotographyLesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

EXPOSURE & CREATIVE ELEMENTS SHUTTER SPEED

OVER EXPOSURE

APPEARANCE: Colours are washed out and the brightest points of the image have lost all details and turned purely white

CAUSE: Too much light

SOLUTION: Reduce the exposure byNarrowing the aperture

Reducing ISO SensativityShorter Shutter duration

UNDER EXPOSURE

APPEARANCE: The image is too dark, with many of the shadows being purely black and the rest of the image harder to see

CAUSE: Not enough light.

SOLUTION: Increase the exposure by:Opening the aperture

Increasing ISO SensativityLonger shutter duration

“Exposure” is the term used in photography to describe the correct amount of light being let in to illuminate a photograph. Exposure then is one of the most fundamental elements of a photograph: Before we can start getting creative we must first have a visible picture.

Exposure is controlled through a combination of three elements:• SHUTTER SPEED• APERTURE• ISO

Regardless of the camera you are using, from the most expensive dSLR to the simplest camera phone, these three elements will influence the shot.

In automatic mode the camera controls all three, concentrating entirely on exposure leaving the creative element up to luck. Compact cameras can take wonderful pictures, but we want to be sure it is us and not the camera doing it. Even on automatic the camera makes errors.

When we first take more creative control of our images we will find exposure problems occuring : In the semi-automatic modes the camera tries to help with exposure but it can only compensate so much. Many settings may cause problems and these errors will be more frequent.

Introduction to PhotographyLesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

EXPOSURE

In any automatic or semi automatic mode the camera is responsible for the exposure, either fully or by balancing out against our chosen creative element. In most circumstances the camera does a good job, however you may find on occasion the camera can struggle.

Exposure Compensation (sometimes called EV for short) is the way in which we can nudge the camera’s reading of exposure, making it slightly brighter or darker.

NOTE: EV should only be used when the camera is consistently making an error. By default it should be at 0.

Tutor’s Tips

Sunsets are a common example of when EV becomes important. The low angle of the sun often causes a problem with a bright sky and a very dark land. This can often lead to the sky being completely washed out.

Using the EV- you can correct for this, making the image slightly darker to preserve the detail of the sky

USING EVPress the EV button (seen above) which can be found on the body of any camera. When you hold it a grid should appear (see below) with an icon above the 0.

Introduction to Photography Lesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

EXPOSURE COMPENSATION

Shutter priority is commonly labelled as Tv or S on the mode dial. When we turn the mode dial to shutter priority we take full manual control of our shutter speed, with the camera still controlling aperture (and possibly ISO).

This opens up a wealth of creative possibilities while still allowing the camera to assist with exposure. Most cameras have a wide range of shutter speeds, usually from 1/4000s to 30s.

When considering them creatively we can break speeds down into two types: slow and fast shutter speeds

The shutter speed relates to how long the shutter stays open for, therefore how long light is let into the sensor. Shutter speed is the most versatile of the three elements of exposure and has the widest array of different settings. Most dSLRs and Compact Mirrorless cameras have the following range:

30s ---> 1/4000s

With such a wide range of settings available to us we need to know which to use. This depends heavily on two factors: the amount of light available and the creative element we wish to capture. In the case of shutter speed the element we are seeking to control is blur.

When we are discussing shutter speed what we are looking to capture is movement. However the shutter speed may not be enough. In the case of fast moving subjects they can move too fast for your camera to keep them in focus. We have two options for how focus can be acheived:

PREFOCUSING: Using the AF-S/ONE SHOT option you focus not on the subject itself but on where it will be, e.g at the finishing line of a race. It is then a matter of waiting and pressing the shutter when the subject comes to you.

TRACKING: Your camera will have a mode designed to track movement. This is known as the AF-C/AI SERVO mode. So long as the shutter remains half pressed the camera will track the movement of your subject.

Tutor’s Tip:

If you lose track of the subject in AF-C the camera will refocus on another subject. You must keep the subject in view at all times when focussing by moving the camera at the same speed to keep it in view. This is known as panning

Introduction to PhotographyLesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

SHUTTER PRIORITY

TRACKING MOVEMENT

When we are considering blur the first and most important kind is what is to be avoided: Camera shake. Every person has a natural tremor to their hand; the longer the shutter is open the more the camera picks up on this. It is for this reason that shorter shutter speeds will be better for avoiding camera shake. How short this should be can be decided by the general rule of camera shake:

SHUTTER SPEED SHORTER THAN 1/FOCAL LENGTHNo shake over 1/60s at 55mm

No shake over 1/250s at 200mm

Using shorter shutter speeds may prevent shake but in darker environments this can cause images to be underexposed. You may have to make the decision between a sharp and correctly exposed image.

However we want the best of both worlds, so we want to reduce shake and have enough light. Thus we need to reduce the actual shaking of the camera, which can be done in several ways:

Tutor’s Tip:

When deciding whether exposure or shake is more important remember the following: An underxposed image can be improved in post. A blurred image cannot.

Tripod

A tripod eliminates all shake as the hand is no longer involved. Tripods are excellent however they can be cumbersome to move and so are not suited for cramped environments or fast moving subjects

Image Stabilisation

Found in some lenses (Canon, Nikon) and some cameras (Pentax, Sony, Olympus) this technology counteracts camera shake. Its effects are not limitless but it can give the photographer the extra edge needed in low light situations

Good Camera Technique

Simply holding the camera in a more stable fashion can reduce shake. Be sure to take the weight of the camera fully and to have a good centre of gravity to reduce shake and swaying

Tutor’s Tip:

Camera shake can be very subtle, and may not be noticable until the image is enlarged in computer afterwards. If you have to break this rule zoom in on your playback menu and examine the image

Introduction to Photography Lesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

CAMERA SHAKE

In order for an image to be technically acceptable it must have something that is sharp, save only for the most abstract of photographic subjects. With camera shake under control we can ensure that the non-moving parts of our image are sharp, allowing us to be more creative when capturing movement.

Photography captures still images, thus by its very nature there is no movement in an image. We have to communicate this movement to the observer using visual clues, the most widely recognised of these being motion blur.

When a camera records an image over a longer exposure it captures a single photo but any objects moving through the image during this time will be blurred. How much they blur depends on the speed of the subject and the shutter speed used.

In general longer shutter speeds will produce more blur and shorter shutter speeds less. When trying to find the correct settings digital cameras allow us the luxury of trial and error, experimenting until we find the right setting.

Long Shutter SpeedWhen trying to communicate a sense of movement blur can be an excellent tool. It is instantly recognisable to any observer so serves as a useful visual shorthand. Obviously blur comes with a loss of detail in the subject so is best used when the environment communicates the subject’s nature (e.g cars blurred on a road) or where the blur actually creates a shape of its own (e.g a waterfall).

Introduction to PhotographyLesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

MOTION BLUR

Light Trails

Settings: Long shutter (10s or longer) Subject: Moving light source (e.g a moving car)

How to: Set your scene, ensuring that you can see a wider view than just the moving subject. Ensure that your camera is steady (tripod recommended) and fire the shutter when your subject moves.

Result: This will produce trails of light moving across the frame, adding interest to your photos.

Why: Simple blur. As the light source moves over the long exposure it will be recorded across the image, giving a trail which shows where the subject has moved.

Note: Subjects can blur so much as to become effectively invisible in an image. This can often result in light trails being shown when the subject is not.

Light Painting

Settings: Long shutter (4s or longer).

Subject: Handheld light source (torch, phone etc).

How to: Stand in front of the camera holding your light source then trigger the shutter (remove shutter release recommended). Draw a shape in mid air using your light source.

Result: A trail in the shape of your drawing will be formed in the image

Why: As before. The movement of the light source is recorded, allowing you to draw any object in mid-air and have it show up in the camera as the long exposure records all movement of the light.

Note: Be sure to keep moving and not shine the light on yourself. This way you will blur away and not be recorded, leaving only a clean view of the light.

Utilising these same basic principles of blur we can achieve some very interesting creative results. Many of these possess so much variety and interest that many photographers will specialise in these techniques alone

Introduction to Photography Lesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

LONG EXPOSURE

Blur or Sharp?The true wonder of photography comes in deciding which setting to use. So long as part of the image is sharp (i.e in focus and without camera shake) then which you use depends on your personal and artistic interpretation.

As each photographer develops their artistic style they will find themself becoming comfortable with reusing the same settings and instinctively knowing which settings to use.

CASE STUDY: THE HELICOPTER

A simple subject such as this toy helicopter offers us a lot of options in regards to what shutter speed to use.

The helicopter has many moving parts and how we choose to capture these affects the picture we get.

SHORT SHUTTER

Shutter speed: 1/4000s

Using this allows us to freeze the moment and capture the rapidly spinning blades as if they were not moving. This allows us to make out all the detail on them, even allowing us to read the safety warning written on each blade

LONG SHUTTER

Shutter speed: 1/8s

The blades move so fast as to spin several times over the length of the exposure. The uniform rotation creates a pleasing pattern causing the blades to blur together as a single object.

Introduction to PhotographyLesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

CREATIVE DECISIONS

As you make your shutter speed shorter you will gradually reduce the amount of blur. Eventually you will reach a point where no blur occurs, capturing a moving subject perfectly sharply. This is known as freezing the moment.

Freezing the moment is excellent for capturing things too fast for the eye to see, opening up entire worlds of unseen spectacle that exist between the ticking of the clock.

With experience you will learn to know which shutter speeds to use. However when setting out the following tips on freezing the moment can be helpful:

PERSON WALKING: 1/125sANIMAL RUNNING: 1/500s

FAST CAR DRIVING: 1/1000sWATER DROPLET: 1/4000s

Tutor’s Tip:

Be careful when freezing the moment: Removing blur removes a visual clue to show movement is taking place, so some subjects will look the same as if they are static. Try to use other visual clues (eg subject in mid air when jumping, unseen moments of a water droplet) to let your observer know the subject is in motion

Introduction to Photography Lesson 3

Dreghorn Photographywww.dreghorn-photography.co.uk

FREEZING THE MOMENT