Function Friday: White Balance

Want to take better photos? Who doesn't?

Sometimes we find that our images have color casts that we don't understand, that are distracting.

By learning a little bit about light, and how your camera works you can make a simple adjustment and have a HUGE impact on your natural light images.

White Balance (WB) 

simply refers to the camera mode that allows you to control how your camera sees the color temperature of light. 

By selecting the correct mode - your camera can correct setting White - back to White and saving you countless hours of photo editing and stress! 

If you haven't already - you can print these Keycards and keep them in your camera bag for quick reference!

<Get the first set here>

<Get the second set here>

This double use Key Card lists both the different WB modes and WHEN you want to use them along with a kelvin guide to the color temp / type of light. 

Your most natural light, is during midday - or when you are using flash or strobe lights. 

However, as a photographer you get to choose when utilizing your natural light environment adds to your images - and when it needs to be corrected out. 

This cutie was taken in the shade during the morning and you can see the blue behind her while blurred should be cement (grey) Personally I choose NOT to correct this with WB because it really makes her eyes pop. 

Where in this image I selected to utilise my WB to remove the cool blue tone because I felt it made her look too pale and it seemed to fight her personal style.

WB is absolutly your friend if you are doing portait work - but another BIG place to use it is product photography. If you are an online retailer doing your own images - this is a tip you want to use! 

Function Friday: Composistion

Composition (in photographic terms) refers to the placement or arrangement of the elements in your image.

Fill the Frame with your subject.

By utilizing a few basic rules of composition and combining them with some basic camera knowlage you can create stunning images.  On our third keycard reminder sheet that you can download directly from the Indie A-list you will find quick reminders for some of the most popular techniques.

If you haven't already - you can print these Keycards and keep them in your camera bag for quick reference!

<Get the first set here>

<Get the second set here>

For today's lesson - I have added some additional images in order to provide a visual for utilizing those rules!

Frame your subject

By using Dad's hands, not only do you provide prospective and scale - showcasing how small this 4.5lb baby is, but you keep the attention on her. 

Precious.

Everyday snap

Change perspective.

Changing up the pose - certainly adds a lot to this image, but so does shooting at a slight angle down towards the subject rather than straight on. 

(Vertetip: there are also a lot of leading lines in the brick pattern bringing your eye towards the subjects face)

While below I created lines with the pose rather than background.

Leading Lines.

Pattern/ symmetry

Patterns can be found in lines of trees, flowers, any repeating pattern... even on the background of a product image. It simply adds interest and balance to the image. 

Taller subject (shoot vertically)

Wider subject shoot horizontally.

When I teach this, people always cringe thinking I am referring to the size of a person... but in truth - you have to take into account the pose - and how much of the surrounding area you want to be a part of your vision for the image.

Our last - and one of my most favorite is the rule of thirds. Fill two thirds of the space with either your subject - or with empty space - either option works.

Rule of thirds (lines provided for visual of the rule)

Function Friday: Flash modes

What is the biggest contributing factor to your images?

LIGHT!

What is your biggest resource for adding light to your photographs? 

The Flash!

Regardless of your camera type, you have the ability to utilize different flash options.

The first step is to understand WHAT those options are:

The above graphic is part of a collection of Keycards

and keep inside your camera bag for quick reference.

<Get the first set here>

<Get the second set here>

Accessing your Flash Function

First, you will need to be in your P mode to command your flash. A / Auto / or the green square mode won't always let you control your flash!

 (For more info about the difference between Program and Auto check this out!)

Now, like with the other function buttons, typically you cycle through the different options by

1. Hitting the flash button over and over changing (or cycling through) the icon on your user display.

2. Using the arrows on your camera back (Cross keys) to select the icon from a menu display

3. Hold the button and spin a command dial (for Bridge or DSLRS)

Understanding the Basics

Much of photography is making choices. Knowing when your flash will help, and when it will hurt your images is HUGE!

First - your camera flash has a "sweet spot" too close and your subject will be over exposed (ghost like face) to far away and they will be underexposed (in the shadows, where the flash doesn't reach)

As a general rule when you use a flash that is built into your camera you want to stand about 6 feet away from your subject. This can be affected by your zoom range, and how light or dark your room is - be sure to play with your flash and get a feel for different situations. 

The biggest part of this to understand is if you are shooting a performance on stage...

like ballet, your flash wont help. You will be too far away for it to do anything more than light the backs of the heads of the other parents. 

Second - There is NOTHING wrong with using your flash outside! When you are taking images of people, it works as a "fill flash" and reduces shadows across their face. 

This is why you see professional portrait photographers using flash equipment outside! 

It provides even, and consistent light for the best exposure.

For additional information on additional flash options for point and shoot cameras

For additional information on strobe flash options

For additional information on Red Eye reduction

Function Friday: Camera Icons

Sometimes the best place to start is at the beginning. 

I recently made up some awesome Keycards for readers of the Indie Alist blog to be able to download, print and carry in their camera bags!

<Get the first set here>

<Get the second set here>

I wanted to offer MY readers - a bit more information on what those cards offer. 

SO.... I will be taking 1 of the cards each week and adding a bit more depth to the content it offers!

The idea behind these cards was to offer a quick reference and reminder to basic camera functions and photography techniques so that you can build your "bag of tricks"!

First up we will be talking about Camera Modes and Common Camera Icons:

 Camera Icons are typically placed on common buttons, menu or display screen so that you can adjust your camera easily (or any camera that you happen to pick up) 

P, A, S, M = Camera operation modes - are typically on a dial you turn it in order to select. 

There is also one I didn't mention "auto" or a camera icon (sometimes green, or a green square depending on manufacture) regardless of the image the selection is the same FULL AUTO = it wont even let you override the flash. DON'T use this option! For many camera's it also limits the menu you can see - so if your looking for a function like WB - you wont find it if your camera is set to this mode!

Even if you are just starting out in photography- you ARE smarter than the camera! 

Camera's can be tricked - shoot in Program so that you can make simple overrides like popping up your flash when your subject is standing in front of a window!

This is a great exsample - the camera will see the light outside the window and think you have enough for a good exposure - however... the grass outside isn't your subject! In order to see our friends here - I popped the flash for a quick capture.

For additional information about your

Point and Shoot cameras (and entry level SLR's)

All consumer level cameras have "scene" modes - these are additional "preset" functions where the camera manufacture has selected the best combination of ISO, Shutter speed, Aperture, WB, and / or flash function for the common situation you are shooting.

For example a Fireworks setting would command the flash off, typically have a fast ISO (chip sensitivity) and a slow shutter. Which means you will want to have your camera on a tripod to reduce camera shake. (use a tripod for slow shutter times unless you want blurry images!)

Scene modes are a great way for someone without a lot of "technical" knowlage to be creative and experience better results in photography! Simply pick the icon that matches with your situation!

There can litterally be 100's of scene modes! While some are on a mode dial on top of your camera others may be found by pushing a button and cycling through a list, or it could be inside a menu.

You may need to look in your camera manual to find where they all are in yours!

I suggest photo coping the page that lists them all out - and adding it to your Keycards!

The Crypto Crud

It's malicious, a virus designed to prey on the one thing people hold so near,
and yet are typically so horrifically undereducated about protecting.
Have you heard?
 Are you at risk?

The newest in a round of computer viruses is making it's way around in cyberspace. This one comes to you via email and is usually embedded into an attachment that you download and open. The ultimate goal of this infection is to hold your computer
 ransom and encrypt your files until you pay the fee to have it removed and the files decrypted. 

The reason this newest virus is making the news... the type of file it is targeting..

Your Images.

 

After the system becomes infected, the CryptoLocker Virus will immediately start popping up on the computer.  If this happens, the best course of action is to remove it immediately.  The longer it stays on the system, the more difficult it becomes to remove and the more damage it can do to the system.

The easiest way not to fall prey to such a virus is to not open attachments that you are unsure of. Even if the email comes from a known account... if it is just a web link, or an attachment with a generic greeting... you should CALL your friend and verify that they sent it to you first!  
Be smart, use some common sense when your dealing with anything online! 

You wouldn't walk down the street waving around a million dollars in cash right?

There are a few additional steps you can take to protect yourself! 

Not just from this newest threat but for all the others that will come after it.

Thankfully many security and virus checker programs are already coming out with updates in order to find and remove this virus. If you don't already have something like...

Kaspersky

(What I use, and have had great luck with as a anti-virus, internet security program)

or

Hitman Pro 

(which is a secondary line of defense, that I also use.) 

I suggest you look into a virus / malware security program that would best suit your needs. 

While I use these two... there are several options out there and I suggest you do your research in selecting your own.

If you're online, on a computer or any device that also contains important documents or images you want to protect that you make sure you install some sort of virus and malware protections. 

Yes. DEVICE. Even your smartphone or tablets could be suspepable to viruses and malware.

The second step I suggest would be to BACK UP your images regularly.

Back them up to a removeable harddrive, a NAS, the cloud... Disks, USB....

I suggest at least 3 different options. 

I personally drop our family images onto disks and keep a copy in our fire/waterproof safe along with a copy that is sent to Grandma, so we have one complete set "off site" so to speak.

I also use BACKBLAZE

which is a cloud based backup system that copies your ENTIRE system, as many hard drives as you want, for roughtly $5 a month. You can set it to run at night, so you have a continuous cloud backup. 

I personally like Backblaze over other cloud backup systems because you can download a whole drive, or 1 file. You can also order a drive or USB of your backup to be shipped to you if your entire computer crashes. Many people find sites such as Dropbox, or even their Google Drive account a suitable option for an online storage option for documents and image storage.

It's peace of mind. 

I also, backup all Images (personal and professional) to a removable hard drive weekly as well as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) which is basically several Hard Drives that are connected to my network. It backups any changes, or new files each night.

I don't believe that this is the first, nor will it be the last virus that will seek to attack at the heartstrings of your family... those things that everyone holds most precious... your family.

Your memories. 

I can not begin to tell you how many clients and friends I have heard crying and devastated that their images have been lost... either from computer crashes, virus, or (eek) a lost phone.With the release of this newest virus it's a good time to remind each of you how easily digital files can be lost.

However, if you take a little time... spend a minor amount of money you can safegaurd yourself!

The MagMod

Every now and then Kickstarter provides my family with a new toy. This time, I was lucky enough to have this little gem picked up for me as part of a gift. Introducing the MagMod.

When I first looked at it I thought... well that looks fun... but I don't know how often I would really bust that out to use.... and then I put it on my flash.

See, the first odd piece with the square cut out stretches to fit over your speed light. It has magnets in it that you can then literally SLAP on the honeycomb filter... or multiple honeycomb filters. This image shows the filter being held by the magnet - but not properly placed for use. (just to clarify)

Here is how it looks attached.

Now... there are times when I want to use my flash, but I don't want that harsh "flash" look... and this is a great option to break up that light. I haven't had a chance to test it on portraits but I think it would be a solid option. the part that has me dancing... like really moving and grooving and bouncing in my seat...  gel options.

While I don't use gel's in my photography as a general rule, it has mostly been due to a complete hatred of the thin plastic sheets and that they get torn or bent too easily. 

WHALLLLAH! Introducing hard plastic, easy to pop in and out gels that fit over my speed light! Slap on... slap off! It's MAGIC I tell you MAGIC! (Okay, really it's ingenuous... not magic but I LOVE it!)

Now the kit that I got came with 2 honey combs, and a variety of gels... red, yellow, blue, there's like 6 or 8 of them. you simply stretch the plastic away from the gel that is inside to pop one out and the other in. They are nice and flat and store easily in a pocket of my camera bag. Why oh why am I head over heals in love with this? Because, it means that I can use my speed light as my back-light, and be a little more creative and custom on backgrounds for clients.

Taking an image like this....

Which is perfectly acceptable... (and an amazing product made by Dragon Flight Dreams)

and make it a bit more special... like this.

In an instant.

As for new cool must have toys, I give this one two big thumbs up for my use. Is it a product everyone needs... of course not! That's what makes it FUN! 

Selective Focus

I'm not talking the selective focus you use when your trying desperatly to read the last 20 pages of your book when your child is chatting you up about barbie's latest fashions... I'm talking... Photography!

Selective focus is a technique used in photography. You focus n a specific part of a subject that you want to highlight or emphasize, and you let the rest of the image fall into a the blur of the background. This is the effect created by a shallow depth of field.

Did I lose you already?

It's really simple... all those images where you see one part in focus, and everything else blurred... the photographer has used their aperture control to create that effect.

There are three things that go into creating images like this. The First... is your F-stop ( Known more commonly these days as your Aperture setting)

Aperture Control: The A mode on your camera, or part of what you control in full manual. Aperture is like the iris of your eye it opens wider or closes tighter to control HOW MUCH light gets into your image. The more light, the LARGER the aperture (the smaller the number)  

Aperture controls the "depth of field" think of this as a field of flowers. Do you want the one an arms length away to be just as clear and sharp as the ones twenty feet away? This would be done with a small aperture (Big number like f/22). If you want to highlight one of those flowers that is an arms length away and let the rest fall to blur then you use a large aperture (Small number like F/2)


2. Focal Length: There is a lot of tech and science that can be learned about this, as well as a lot of differences in the types of lens. However, what you NEED to know for this lesson is the Focal length refers to the wide angle, or telephoto number of you lens. When you say I have a 28mm lens, or a 18-55mm those numbers are the "focal length" of your lens. 

A lens of a shorter focal length will create a greater depth of field than one of a longer focal length... so opt for a 28mm over an 85mm (if you have a more "all purpose" lens like an 18-55 - keep the lens in the 18mm position, this will allow you the largest aperture setting as well)


2. Distance: The closer you are to your subject, the less depth of field that will be generated.

This is a great sample of blurring out a busy pattern in order to draw your eye to the beads on the lanyard. You can see the smallest of them in the loop clearly, as well as the cute bee and bugs. While leaving the foreground and background to blur out.The further away your background is the more blur you will achieve.


There are a lot of moments in photography where you will want to utilize this technique. The most common are...

Macro or Product Photography. 
Like the two examples I have given above, I have used this as a powerful way to draw the viewers attention to a very specific part of the image - my main focus of the subject matter.

Portraiture.
You can use this to create a general feel of mood in your image, putting the emphasis on your subjects face (or in animal photography the eye, specifically)

Fixed lenses (the ones with only one focal length number such as 28mm) are widely known to have large apertures (like 2.0 or 1.8) in order to specifically create these types of effects! Does that mean that if you don't have a manual camera or a lens like this that you can not achieve the same greatness...

Of course not!

You will find even on point and shoot cameras the ability to select a Flower mode (macro), a portrait mode (the shape of a head) at the very least... many camera's these days have even more to choose from that specifically adjust your camera's aperture setting to create this effect. Those "preset" modes are simply programmed combinations of aperture and shutter settings to achieve a specific effect. You will get a lot more use out of your point and shoot camera if you learn a few basic ones like these!

Happy shooting!

What's in the Studio, Friday?

Some days I find a fantastic new friend in the studio... some day's its an old one. Here is a behind the scenes peek at both that I had visiting this week!

 This is Ano (on-yo), our cat. She took on the job of photo assistant by claiming a spot under my worktable in the studio while I was working this week. In case your wondering... this is her "If you would stop dancing, I could get some sleep." cat face. This photo is fantastic proof that a 1.8 lens is your friend when all the lights in the room are off except one small model light, and your subject is under the table not on it.

This is Genie. She became a new studio employee this week helping out CONSIDERABLY acting as our resident model. My child didn't think it was "proper" to leave her naked when she was done working, so she found something out of the dress up bin for her. If the sparkles don't do you in the chimes will.

Don't forget next week were starting the Feb Photo challenge and the first week will be all about "Inspire" I can't wait!!!

Join me!

I've heard your comments! So YES! Here it is, this is the list of the words I will be continuing with in Feb for my monthly photo challenge! If you want to join along I would love to see what they inspire from you!

Now, I am a realist! So, I choose to do my PAD challenge a bit different! You get ONE word for the week... and the challenge for me comes from how to represent that word in 5 different ways. (For me a week is M-F... but feel free to include weekends in your personal challenge!

I also include not only the image, but the thoughts on that image, along with a photography tip... or  'how-to' information with each of my images! So you get to learn a little bit along the way!

Retrospect

ret·ro·spect [re-truh-spekt]

1.contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc.

Example: in retrospect, in looking back on past events; upon reflection: It was, in retrospect, the happiest day of her life.

 There are moments in everyone's life that you hold close to your heart. Big events are easily remembered and often captured in film or digital such as weddings, births, graduations... and even vacations. Many of us forget to capture smaller moments, everyday moments. Even moments on those days we would rather forget. 

This happens to be an image from one of those days. It was a day in October, and we were vacationing in San Diego. We had a brilliant trip, and this is my mom taking my then one year old to step foot in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. It wasn't a planned shoot, we were just walking on the beach enjoying life. I think this image really captures the moment. When I look back to that day and reflect on this image I remember how peaceful that time with my family was. 

VERTETIP: Change your perspective. This image wouldn't be nearly as cool to me if it was a full body. By keeping it limited to feet I feel that it gives a more unique feel and captures more of the simplicity and discovery of that moment.   

Top 5 PAD Success Tips

5 Keys to Success for your PAD (Photo a Day) Project

With the New Year fast approaching it's time to start thinking if you will be participating in monthly or yearly photo projects! Personally, I think that's a lot of work! However, I think I want to try to do some projects on the blog this year! I would love to think it will turn into a Year long project, but for now I am going to commit to a January project! It should be fun and I would love you all to join me and share your images along with me!

With that being said, I have been looking into different projects and ideas and I came across several tips for being successful and getting the most out of your own Photo Projects.

1. Always Have Your Camera With You 

It comes down to this, you can't take a photo if you don't have a camera! This is something I think I will need to be better at, I don't carry my Pro camera around all the time, and honestly I think my phone camera is just crummy! Not to say that you shouldn't use your camera phone for these images... in fact I think that's the easiest way to undertake a daily project! It's easy to upload, easy to edit and you always have it close! If your like me and choose not to use a phone camera - then you will have to think about how your going to take the time to accomplish the daily task.

2. Experiment! Get out of your BOX!

©Verte Photography 2013

Bust out of your comfort zone and take a chance! I do a ton of portrait and product work, but I am the first to tell you that I don't consider my landscape work to be up to par on most occasions and I absolutely don't have the patients for nature work. To me, I don't want to sit and wait for my subjects! However, I know that if I never TRY I will never get better!!! The above shot is a great example. I have the technical knowledge, and equipment to create the soft flow and peaceful feeling that I get when I am sitting in the mountains of Colorado. I just don't tend to take the time to push myself to do it. So that's a goal! Get out, try something new and push yourself beyond your personal standard! 

3. Plan Ahead, Write Down Ideas or Work from a Preplanned list.

Each month I am invited to participate in one type of photo project or another. Sometimes these are combined with blog inspired posts... here's an image now write about it... or here is your topic... go shoot something about that. I find the idea of someone doing the leg work for me very appealing! Give me a direction so I don't have to come up with a new idea each day, perfect. For my life that works best for me.

 Working off of something that is planned, makes it less of a daily task! Perhaps that's a bit of a cheat. However, I think it still accomplishes the goal:To improve your photography or to inspire you to shoot more.  I don't write a post and kick it out the same day .... EVER. Why would I do that for photography?

Even when shooting I work off a shoot list, and I plan my day or studio time according to the projects I have. It's not only helpful... it's TIME SAVING! I can sit down and write for a day and post for up to 2 weeks depending on the types of posts I am writing. Why wouldn't you approach the Photo a Day projects differently? Be smart and plan ahead!

4. Add Notes to Your Photos

Not only do I find that viewers and readers enjoy it when you share antidotes about your daily images, but they can learn a lot when you add your own notes to them! Plus when you add the image data that is collected from your camera  - YOU learn and remember what worked!  You can look back on this later to refresh your memory or to see how far you’ve come. It's a priceless bit to add to your image for your readers and for yourself! When you write up notes for your PAD - think about sharing why you choose that image, how you took it, and what you found worked or didn't work if you took many shots to get it "just right".

5. Create a new Habit, and have FUN!

 

©VertePhotography 2013

I've heard it takes 21 days to 'train yourself' to have a new habit. Make sure to have fun during your year long photo project. The moment it becomes work the more challenging completing a Photo365 / Photo A Day project becomes. Getting into a rhythm can help a great deal in lowering the perceived level of effort to get your daily photos in. Knowing that you have time dedicated to get your photo(s) in takes a lot of stress out of the process. If you’re the more spontaneous type then pad your schedule to add time either daily or weekly to stop and explore with your camera.

Just get out there share your life and enjoy the journey!!!

Shopping For A Photographer?

Are you looking for a new camera for the holidays?

Have a photographer on your list this season?

I have you covered!

The first question I always ask when someone comes to me for advice on what camera to purchase is...

What KIND of camera do you want?

Do you know the differences between them?

I always suggest you get a camera that not only fits your current needs but allows you to continue to learn slightly more then you think you will. So let me first talk to you about some basic camera differences.

First, Phones. Phones are not Cameras. Ipads are not camera's. They can be great tools, some work well in a pinch, and some even have decent enough mp's to make up for the poor quality lens, some even have flashes. However...  I strongly feel that they are not "camera's" for the sake of what I am going to be teaching and talking about. They don't have the same functions, quality, or  standards. So most of what I teach wont make sense if your using your phone or other device.

Starting the line up are Standard "pocket" point and shoots. These are small, compact camera's. Every camera manufacture makes some style of Point and Shoot.

Compact digital camera's for our purposes will be any camera with a retractable lens, this lens will come back in to the body of the camera, it is not removable. This creates the nice, small, lightweight camera that can be tucked into a purse or pocket. Let's be clear, it is great starting camera and as such has all your basic modes, and important needs are covered, such as flash, zoom, and megapixels.You will find these cameras from any reputable manufacture will range from $80 on up. Depending on features, lenses, and other options. (By the way, if your interested my top picks for this category would be cameras made by Panasonic, Fuji, Nikon, Canon, Pentax not in any order, and those are not the only ones out there.. but I find these companies tend to put out a good product for most your needs at this level.)

Here are some important details to keep in mind
1. Not all flashes are created equal.
2. Not all batteries are the same, or even "good" to use for photography.
3. The size of a CCD chip (what replaced the "film" and is the capture device on digital cameras) is MUCH smaller then on DSLR's, meaning the quality of detail wont be the same even with the same "size" of megapixel. 12mp on a compact camera is NOT the same as a 12 mp on a DSLR.
4. It is no longer a megapixel race. Any camera these days has enough for you to print and share your images with out the "digital" look.
5. Digital zoom, is NOT a feature you want to shop for or use. Ever.

VERTE TIP some of these camera's are water-proof, some weather-proof, some are impact resistant... etc... it is important if you will be using this as a travel, or "family" camera that you check out some of these options, and the warranties as they do vary. Personally, I like the rugged water proofing cameras for travel, beach and everyday wear. I would NEVER take my pro camera to the pool and let my kid take photos... where the waterproof one I wouldn't be worried about.

Its all about peace of mind.

Second on our list of types of digital cameras would be what I term the "Advanced" or "growing" P&S (point and shoot). Sometimes these are called "Bridge" camera's. This style of camera typically has a lens that remains out, in some way. It is larger and has some sort of Aperture, Shutter and/or Manual modes.

This kind of camera is still very lightweight, but in addition to the different modes of operation they often have a pop up flash and sometimes the ability to attach a flash or work with additional strobes or off camera flashes. Some of these cameras allow for lens modifiers, or possibly let you change your lens. They are not considered DSLR's because they dont have an optical viewfinder, or in some cases a viewfinder at all. If you have a viewfinder it is still a digital display. This is a great option for someone who doesn't know a lot about photography, doesn't want to invest a TON of money, but needs some options and ability to grow say perhaps someone looking to document a new family, do kid sports, vacations, or even some basic blog or homemade shop photography. You can find them from $200 on up again depending on features.

That brings us to our last style, which is the DSLR. This style is typically FULLY functional, interchangeable lens, flash options, full manual modes etc. These also "typically" have optical viewfinders, although many allow you for live shooting while using the back LCD screen as well. The important part for our needs is that you would have the ability to pick the lens, add flash or stobes, and have full control over your manual modes.

As we go forward, it's important for you to know what level your camera is. So if you don't know which category you fit into please drop me a message or comment below and let me know your make and model (you can always find that on the front of your camera). There are less and less clear lines in separation between these styles, so please don't feel bad asking!

Also, as a disclaimer - yes I used all Nikon images, yes I shoot Nikon. NO I don't think this is the "right" camera for you in every case. It is simply what I had available because I do shoot one, I like the product and the company. Like I said earlier, there are a lot of really good companies and products out there. It will depend greatly on what your needs are, for you to find the "right" camera for you!

Tuesday Tip: Understanding Lens Terms

Wow are there a lot of different types of Lenses! I thought I could break down some terms for you so as you grow with your camera's you will have a better understanding of each and how it applies to you!

Now fair enough most lens don't come with coffee inside them... but I couldn't resist sharing this with you! I LOVE THIS!

Now... lets get started...

WIDE ANGLE LENS:  Basically if you look directly ahead of yourself, and hold your arms out to the edges of your vision (without moving your eyes... that was what the film standard was considered to be 50mm. As you move your arms out wider, it was considered to be "wide angle" showing more in your image then your eye would see. This is shown in the above image as the light blue and 15mm landscape.

Now with digital these numbers may mean different things due to the different size sensors and how your lens work with those sensor sizes... I know... can't make anything easy can they!? For our purposes today tho, we are going to work off of "standards" where 50mm is what your eye sees.

TELEPHOTO LENS:  If you move your arms in closer together, it is "telephoto" bringing a section of your field of view in closer to you. The closer your arms are the less field of view, but the closer things appear, and the higher number you would need to accomplish this such as the Green line above shown as a 400mm.

ZOOM LENS:  Also referred to as a Variable Focal Length Lens. When you look through it, you can change the magnification. Examples: 18-55mm, 24-70mm. This doesn't mean it has a great telephoto, simply that it changes. It's a very loose term, typically applied to point and shoot camera's with a 3x  or 16x "zoom".

Point and Shoot owners get to do some math to figure out what that all means - basically the higher the X (magnification) the more telephoto you have. If you want to figure out how much, simply take the wide angle number of your lens such as 38mm (a standard) and times it by your zoom number... for example: 38mm x 10x zoom = 380mm telephoto

FISHEYE LENS: A wide-angle lens that takes a hemispherical image. It produces a distorted image, convex in appearance, and covers a broad area of view by doing so. Focal lengths typically range from 16mm and lower. Examples: 8mm, 10mm. 

FAST LENS:  A lens that has a large aperture which allows you to take photos in low lighting without a flash. When someone is talking about "fast" lens they are talking about the "F-stop" ability of that lens, basically the maximum aperture on that lens such as: 50mm f1.4
As you will learn with Aperture settings the smaller the number of the F  the more light is is able to gather, the "faster" it is. The LARGER the number the less light that can be gathered the "slower" it is.

STANDARD LENS:  Also referred to as a normal lens. This would be considered to be the lens that gives you about the same perspective as normal vision. Nothing would appear any closer (or further away) than you would see it with your normal vision. This focal length will change depending on which type of camera that you use. If using a 35mm film camera, a 50mm lens would be considered as the normal or STANDARD lens, When using a digital camera, the magnification or crop factor must be considered when determining a normal lens.  (Again, Standard and Normal is simply the mm number of what is equivalent on your camera to what your eye sees when you look straight ahead.)

PRIME LENS:  Any lens with a fixed focal length. When you look through it, you can't change the magnification. Examples: 28mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm. Also referred to as a Fixed Focal Length Lens. Yes,  a 50mm lens is a "standard" as well as a PRIME lens...


MACRO LENS:  A lens that allows you to focus much closer to the subject (than a non-macro lens). Examples: 50mm 2.5 macro, 60mm 2.8 macro, 100mm 2.8 macro. Not all Macro lens are Prime lens, it is just as common to have a 28-70 macro, where you have to "lock in" the macro function when you want to use it. This simply is telling you that the lens has the ability to focus closer on a subject then others for the same range.


PORTRAIT LENS:  A lens that gives the best perspective for taking portraits. This will vary depending on the camera that you're using. Typically you will find an 85mm prime lens, while some photographers prefer not to shoot with prime lens, and opt for something with better range like an 28-120mm. It is pretty subjective, tho most professional photographers agree staying within that 28 - 85mm range is common.


While this doesn't cover all the differences of lens types... it does give you a good overview of the different classifications of lens!

Happy Shooting!

Tuesday Tip: Shutter Control

What does that "S" mode stand for?

Shutter Priority. It is a great function for situations where you want to control the shutter speed, but let your camera handle the rest of the settings. Almost ALL DSLR cameras, and many Point and Shoot or Bridge camera's have some form of "S" mode. Typically this is found on the dial next to your P, A, and M.

I have talked about some other modes to use to control your shutter, but we haven't really dived into "S".

So, what is Shutter Speed.

Simple. It is the speed at which your shutter opens and closes.

Perhaps the better question to start with is What is a Shutter?

Remember you old school film camera, the film went in the back and there was the "soft spot" in the middle that you never wanted to put your fingers in... and most of you did anyways. This is your shutter... here is what it looks like close up.

The shutter sits between your lens, and your film... or your sensor chip these days. It moves out of the way opening to expose the sensor to your scene and thus creating your image. How long that shutter stays open has a direct effect on exposure of your image. I like to think of the shutter as the eyelid of your camera... if the aperture is the iris that moves larger or smaller to allow more or less light in, the shutter controls HOW LONG the light comes in... and the sensor would be the brain capturing the image. As we know from previous lessons 3 things control your exposure. (How MUCH light, How LONG your sensor is allowed to see that light, and How SENSITIVE your sensor is to that light)

So, why would you want to control the amount of time your camera sees a scene? 
Have you ever taken an image of someone waving? Was their hand blurry or clear? This has everything to do with your shutter speed.

TIP: Shutter speed is measured in seconds – or in most cases fractions of seconds. The bigger the denominator the faster the speed (ie 1/1000 is much faster than 1/100).

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/shutter-speed#ixzz2Wqwcner0

A shutter speed of 1/100th of a second is better for shooting HIGH speed, such as action, sports, waving hands... because it stops the action.. it is open for such a small amount of time that it appears you have frozen the movement.Where if you take the same image with a shutter speed of 1/100 it could still appear blurry.

Shutter Priority setting 1/100

 Here is my fan this morning... as you can tell the blades are moving along at a pretty good clip, seeing as how its already above 80 and its not quite 7am yet.

Note: The yellow is due to not using a flash. The light available from the ceiling fan is simply producing the yellow light, I choose not to WB or adjust anything else so we would have a baseline image as we move forward.

Shutter Priority setting 1/1000

Now it looks like the fan is turned off, right? It's not! My shutter simple opened and closed so fast that it "froze" that action.

So when would you use Shutter Priority?

When you want to stop action... such as sports, cars moving, babies moving, birds in flight, butterfly or humming bird wings... these are all calling out for a high shutter speed.


When you want to SHOW movement. Crazy idea, right? But think about it... what is the most beautiful image of a waterfall? The one where its all blending together and looks magically smooth... That's done by blurring the motion, leaving the shutter open for a longer amount of time. What about shooting your holiday photos? What if you want to show that the hummingbird was really flying when you took the image? You want it to be clear, but the wings to show motion. It helps to tell your story.

Now, this is where things get tricky... the longer you leave the shutter open the more things can go wrong for you. Even if you can hold your hands steady, you might pick up what is called motion blur or camera shake, from you breathing or moving the camera ever so slightly. The solution. TRIPOD or MONOPOD. If you plan on doing long shutter photography, like night skys, lighting or even holiday lights, putting your camera on a steady surface and not touching it is your friend!

With the 4th of July coming up.... I bet you know why this was on my mind! FIREWORKS, Baby! Controlling your shutter means you can show the movement in the fall! But remember, a TRIPOD needs to be used so you don't blur the image by holding your camera!

Happy 4th and Happy Shooting!!!!