Posted by BenGsKe on December 28, 2009 ·
By Russ Juskalian
Mix and Match Inexpensive adapter rings from China allow you to attach compatible off-brand manual-focus lenses to a new digital camera. Luis Bruno
One of the key features of digital SLR cameras is the ability to change lenses to get a wide range of shots, from ultra-zooms to super-close-ups. And now DSLR owners no longer need to spend a bundle on high-end lenses to take advantage [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 24, 2009 ·
by Quintin Lake
Most SLRs cope remarkably well with freezing temperatures. I’ve had no problem using Canon EOS SLR cameras below zero for weeks on end, often down to -20°C and in extreme down to -30°C. This article is for those trying to keep such a camera going under expedition conditions, such as an icecap crossing or mountaineering expedition in the arctic: ie no power sockets, adverse weather, [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 22, 2009 ·
by Wayne Turner
Have you ever been in the position where your shutter finger is just itching to take some photos? You look outside and the weather is overcast and the sun is nowhere to be found. Take heart you don’t always need the sun. Here’s why.
I was always lead to believe that if there was no sun, then there wasn’t an opportunity for good photography. So during the winter months and overcast [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 20, 2009 ·
by Mark Eden
Understanding how different lighting affects an image is half the work of creating better photos. This article aims to give a brief overview of the different types of light you might encounter as a photographer and how to use them to your advantage.
Direct light
Looking through the family photo album the other day, I noticed a recurring theme; photo after photo of us squinting into the [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 19, 2009 ·
by Peter Phun
In the eleventh hour, your best friend who’s getting married is in tears.
The professional she hired to photograph her wedding bailed. You happen to have a digital SLR and all of a sudden you’re it. Here’s my survival guide for you.
In the eleventh hour, your best friend who’s getting married is in tears.
The professional she hired to photograph her wedding bailed. You happen [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 18, 2009 ·
by Alistair Scott.
When I started using a camera autofocus was something out of science fiction. I mean … it would never work in real life, would it? Apart from anything else, how could it know what you wanted to focus on?
Now fiction has become fact, and pretty well every camera has AF as standard. It works, and works well. But it doesn’t always work perfectly. It can pick up the wrong thing [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 17, 2009 ·
by Peter Phun
If you’re the typical digital photographer, you have to wonder if there is a faster way to learn how to use your camera. The owner’s manual is written by a technical writer often not a practicing photographer.
Follow these step-by-step, using your manual as a guide and you should be taking pictures in no time.
Take some pictures on automatic, program, aperture or shutter priority
Download [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 17, 2009 ·
by Gene Rodman
How is an exposure made and what does the camera do to make sure an image is recorded? There are two parts involved in exposing film or a digital sensor to light. One is the intensity of the light and the other is the length of time the light is allowed to strike the film or sensor. Exposure= intensity x time. Above the door in my photography class was this sign: E=IxT. Some students [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 13, 2009 ·
by: John Huegel
Before you start editing, make sure that you have a good image work flow. This means saving originals in a separate place to prevent you from damaging or destroying the original image. And get familiar with your program’s UNDO capability – usually the Ctrl-Z key is a shortcut to undo the most recent image change. Don’t forget SaveAs, which allows you to save a copy of the [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 13, 2009 ·
by: Andrew Goodall
Creative photography is a mix of many ingredients; art and technology, skill and patience, cold mechanical know-how and individual flair.
As a beginner, wouldn’t it be nice if the whole thing could be explained with a simple set of rules that were easy to understand. Surely someone could just tell you what aperture to use in a given situation, or how to structure a composition [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 12, 2009 ·
by: Peter Phun
As you are entering the world of digital photography, it is important to pause for a little consideration ahead of time make sure you can accomplish your goals. Start thinking from the point where you go out into the field; all the way to where you start printing or sharing your work.
Ask yourself these questions:
Will your present computer run Adobe’s Photoshop?
I’m going to assume [...]
Posted by BenGsKe on December 11, 2009 ·
by:Darren Rowse
One of the common problems that many new digital (and film) photographers have is ‘camera shake’ where images seem blurry – usually because the camera was not held still enough while the shutter was depressed. This is especially common in shots taken in low light situations where the shutter is open for longer periods of time. Even the smallest movement of the camera can cause [...]
Posted by BenGske on December 1, 2009 ·
By Fredrik Silverglimth
Exposure
There are 3 parts of exposure that you should understand. The following examples ought to illustrate how these 3 components of exposure interact with one another.
Example 1
You take a photograph with the following settings: ƒ/8, 1/250s and ISO 100
But let’s say you want to freeze the object more, which requires a faster shutter speed, you can either change the [...]
Posted by BenGske on November 27, 2009 ·
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been writing a series of posts on elements that digital photographers need to learn about in order to get out of Auto mode and learn how to manually set the exposure of their shots. I’ve largely focussed upon three elements of the ‘exposure triangle‘ – ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture. I’ve previously written about the first two and today would like [...]
Posted by BenGske on November 26, 2009 ·
Automatic Mode
I suspect no one will need any introduction to this mode (as it seems most digital camera owners use it). Auto mode tells your camera to use it’s best judgement to select shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, focus and flash to take the best shot that it can. With some cameras auto mode lets you override flash or change it to red eye reduction. This mode will give you nice results [...]
Posted by BenGske on November 26, 2009 ·
Semi Automatic Modes
Aperture Priority Mode (A or AV)
This mode is really a semi-automatic (or semi-manual) mode where you choose the aperture and where your camera chooses the other settings (shutter speed, white balance, ISO etc) so as to ensure you have a well balanced exposure. Aperture priority mode is useful when you’re looking to control the depth of field in a shot (usually a stationary object [...]
Posted by BenGske on November 25, 2009 ·
What is ISO?
In traditional (film) photography ISO (or ASA) was the indication of how sensitive a film was to light. It was measured in numbers (you’ve probably seen them on films – 100, 200, 400, 800 etc). The lower the number the lower the sensitivity of the film and the finer the grain in the shots you’re taking.
In Digital Photography ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. The [...]
Posted by BenGske on November 23, 2009 ·
There are several different ‘modes’ on your camera that determine the level of automation which your camera will provide. These modes are generally adjusted by a dial located on top of your camera, and may range from fully manual, meaning you have control over every single aspect of the shot, to fully automatic, meaning the camera will control everything for you based on the current conditions.
There [...]