Photography
Photography Tips
- Take photos YOU like - first choose your subject(s)
- Learn all the basic functions of your camera - read your manual
- Take photos whenever possible - the more you take the better you will get
- Learn specific skills for certain conditions - some conditions (night, moving subjects, etc. ) are difficult to photograph, therefore you need to learn what to do for those situations
Basics of Photography
Choosing your first digital camera
I believe that good digital cameras (including SLR - single lens reflex) should have specific features for users moving beyond basic photography. Below is my list of recommended features when purchasing a digital camera.
Highly Recommended Features |
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Optional Features |
Image censor size >6 megapixels
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RAW mode for saving images
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PC flash sync cord terminal
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Auto Bracketing for exposure and/or white balance
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Manual shutter and aperture setting
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Depth-of-field preview button
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Dioptric viewfinder adjustment dial
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Types of Cameras
- Based on mechanisms
- SLR (single lens reflex)
- TLR (twin lens reflex)
- Rangefinder
- Based on film size
- 35mm, medium formats: 6X4.5 cm, 6X6 cm, 6X7 cm, etc.
- Based on digital sensor size
- 1 megapixels, 2, 3, ... much higher
- Based on sensor type
NOTE: Conversion factors of digital SLR cameras are usually 1X, 1.3X, 1.5X, and 1.6X (which means that other than 1X, all other conversion factors will render the focal length of the lens on DSLR longer than those of 35mm film cameras). The 50 mm lens on DSLR (with 1.5X conversion factor) would be 75mm lens. You may want a DSLR with conversion factor 1X, but 1X DSLR cameras can run as much as $6,999 for Canon EOS-1DS Mark II, 16.7 megapixel.
Types of Lens
- Super wide lens
- Wide lens
- Standard
- Long focus lens
- Macro lens
- Zoom lens
- Fisheye
Terminology
Basic photography terminology. Arranged in order of importance:
- Aperture: a re-sizable hole in the camera which controls the amount of light that passes through
- Shutter speed: a part that opens or closes the passage of light in the camera.
When it opens, it also can be timed accordingly (say 1/60 sec)
- Exposure: the total amount of light reaching to the light sensitive medium (film or digital sensor).
Combination of aperture size + shutter speed + ISO setting
- Depth-of-field: the amount of subject area where the relatively sharpness of the focus is achieved
- Red-eye reduction: a mechanism to reduce the flash light reflection from the eyes of the subject
- Exposure compensation: adding or subtracting exposure amount (why? - see my presentations)
- White balance: color balances the camera for the lights in your photographing environment
- Auto bracketing (White Balance): color balance bracketing
- Auto exposure bracketing (AEB): exposure amount bracketing
Powerpoint Presentations for Basic Photography
Email: info@jkimphotography.com • Telephone: 919-270-3516
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