Camera
Handling I
Cameras, cameras, cameras...
Common Camera Types
Disposable – fixed focus
Automatic/digital auto – ‘Point-and-shoot’
Manual:
¡ Single Lens Reflex (SLR)/ Digital SLR
¡ Rangefinder
Camera Anatomy
Focusing lens
Aperture ring
Shutter
Film
Put very simply:
“In order to produce a good photograph,
we need the correct amount of light
to enter the camera and be focused
on the film.”
As a photographer you decide what
constitutes a ‘good’ photo, the ‘correct’
amount of light, and what subject should
be in focus.
Things you should know…
Exposure is governed by three things:
Film Speed
Shutter Speed
Aperture
Each of the above then affects:
Photograph Detail/Grain
Blurring of Subject
Depth of Field
The camera’s light-meter indicates the correct
exposure level
The Golden Rule
Exposure =
Shutter Speed × Aperture Size × Film
Speed
This rule is reciprocal –
changes in one component can
be balanced by changes in another
Why bother?
Shutter Speed
Refers to how long film is exposed to light coming
through lens
Dim or dark conditions require more time in order
for film to be exposed to enough light
Bright or flash-lit scenes require less time
Speeds range from > 1 sec to < 1/1000 sec
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed affects blurring
Blurring due to subject movement or due to camera
shake – unsteady hands
Times longer than ~1/60 sec often require tripod
Fast moving subjects and action shots require quick
shutter speeds
Shutter Speed
Right: The
same scene
taken with fast
(right) and
slow (far right)
Left: Slow
shutter speed,
so light
sources move
while photo is
taken and
leave a trail
Aperture
Aperture controls the amount of light passing
through the lens
Similar function to the iris of the eye
Dim or dark scenes may require a ‘fully open’
aperture
Aperture scale in weird numbers – due to area of
a circle calculation
Aperture
Aperture affects Depth of Field
Depth of Field – distance in front of and behind
subject, which is in focus, where other items are
also in acceptable focus
Small aperture – large depth of field
Wide aperture – small depth of field
Aperture
Aperture
Aperture
• There is also a more complicated
relationship between focal length of lens,
subject framing and depth of field
• Generally, short lenses have greater
depth of field than long lenses
• ‘Focus free’ cameras are designed to
have large depth of field
• See Camera Handling Part II for more
details on lenses
Film Speed
Refers to the sensitivity of the chemicals on the
film
Fast films require less light for a photo
They are typically more ‘grainy’
Speeds from 25 (slow) to 3200 ASA
Input film speed to the camera
Prior knowledge of subject a bonus
More on films in Camera Handling Part III
How it all comes together…
The camera has a built-in light
meter
By half pressing the shutter
release, light meter is
activated.
Be sure meter is reading light
from correct part of the frame
for photo that is not too over/
under exposed!
How it all comes together…
The amount of light detected by the meter is
compared to the amount required for film at the
given film speed
The camera indicates whether enough, too little or
too much light is present
The photographer adjusts the aperture and shutter
speed as desired
How it all comes together…
Aperture and shutter speed balance each other
Opening the aperture one ‘stop’ and halving the
shutter speed lets exactly the same amount of
light in
You can choose, for a given amount of light, how
much blurring of the subject or depth of field you
require
How it all comes together…
Standard shutter speeds go in
factors of 2: 1/125, 1/250,
1/500
Standard apertures go
in factors of √2
(area of circle = πr²):
f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8
Depth of field is often indicated
on the lens
Camera Types
Disposable cameras: short lense, small aperture,
large depth of field – no focusing
Automatic cameras: usually have auto focus, small
aperture, large depth of field
SLR cameras: fully adjustable
Camera Settings (SLR)
Full manual: you control the shutter & aperture
Aperture Priority: you set the aperture and the
camera adjusts the shutter speed
Time Priority: you set the shutter speed, the camera
adjusts the aperture
Can have manual or auto focus
Full automatic: camera adjusts everything!
Camera Presets (Auto, Digital, SLR)
Night shots: long exposure time
Sports: short exposure time
Portraits: large aperture
Landscapes: small aperture
Lighting types: see Part III
And finally…
Experiment with your camera!
Lots more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography
and tons of other photography websites
References
Wikipedia on Aperture
Wikipedia on Shutter Times
Wikipedia on Depth of Field
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