Advanced Photography

"Why work through this session"

Vision and Purpose

• Before you even touch your camera dial, you need to know why you are pressing the shutter.

  • Create Art, Not Just Pictures: Photography is an art form that happens both in the camera and later on the computer. Your goal is to bring out the beauty in the world and show what makes your specific subject different from everything else.

  • Establish a Center of Interest: You must ask yourself what the image is actually about. Whether you are accentuating a subject's natural beauty or capturing a dynamic landscape, every decision should support your focal point.

  • Embrace Your Mistakes: Sometimes a blur on purpose or an accidental misalignment presents something entirely new and unique about your subject.

• The "How" – Technical Execution

• Once you have your vision, you need to execute it using the core elements of photography: YOU, TIME, and CAMERA.

  • 1. Master the Light

    • • ·       Natural light is the number one element in capturing an image. Observe how it falls on your subject before deciding if you need to manipulate it or use manufactured light.

  • 2. Control the Exposure Triangle

    • • ·       Aperture (f-stop): Find your lens's "sweet spot" to produce the sharpest photos possible; for many lenses, f/8 is great.

      • ·       Shutter Speed (SS): Watch your shutter speed at all times to avoid unwanted blur.

      • ·       ISO: Keep your ISO as low as possible to maintain image quality and reduce noise.

  • 3. Take Control with Manual Settings

    • • ·       Auto Exposure Lock (AEL): Do not let the camera make all the decisions. Use manual light metering by pointing your focus selector at the exact area you want properly exposed, lock that exposure in using the AEL button, and then recompose your shot.

      • ·       Exposure Compensation: Use this feature to manually dial in your exposure values (EV). This bridges the gap between what the camera automatically exposes and what your eyes actually see.

  • 4. Maximize Your File Quality

    • • ·       Shoot in RAW: Whenever possible, choose RAW over JPEG. RAW files are uncompressed and contain 4,096 brightness levels compared to a JPEG's 256. This gives you "exposure insurance," preserves the best possible quality, and allows for non-destructive editing when you sit down at your computer.

  • 5. Enhance with Hardware

    • • ·       Polarizer Filters: If you are shooting outdoors, use a polarizer to eliminate glare on water or glass and to dramatically deepen the colors in the sky.

      • ·       Stability: Maximize your sharpness by keeping the camera on a tripod and using a timer or remote shutter release.