Photography Tips & Tricks
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Understanding exposure basics is crucial to making a great photograph. What is aperture? Invest some time to understand all the ingredients of exposure. Make sure you read the introduction to exposure first. Here we discuss aperture, and its effect on both exposure and depth of field.
The aperture is the opening in the lens that allows light through. Controlling how wide the opening is controls the amount of light that hits the sensor (or film). Just like with the other two ingredients of exposure, ISO and shutter speed, aperture is measured in increments of stops. In this case, we refer to them as f-stops.
Once again, a stop up or down will double or halve the amount of light hitting the film or sensor. Each aperture f-stop lets through half the light of the previous one. The standard f-stops are:
f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8. f/11, f16, f22
Illustration of the standard f-stops
Image source: http://wikipedia.org
To get the same exposure using an aperture of f/5.6 or f/8, we would have to compensate by varying one of the other ingredients of exposure: ISO or shutter speed. For example, if we open the aperture half as wide, we’d have to leave the shutter open twice as long to get an equivalent exposure.
Aperture affects more than just exposure. It also affects how much of the image is in focus. We call this depth of field.
Depth of field refers to how much of the image is in focus. When you lock focus on a particular subject, there will be some amount of material both in front of and behind it that is also sharp and in focus. After that, focus will drop off, and things that are further away from your focal point will appear "soft" and out of focus.
Large apertures (e.g., f2.8) result in very little of the image on either side of the focal point being in focus. Small apertures (e.g., f/22) result in a lot of the image on either side of the focal point also being in focus.
1/3 of the range of in-focus material falls in front of the point on which you focus your camera, and 2/3 falls behind it. Assuming that the closest point in the image is at the bottom, and the furthest point is at the top, this means that to achieve the greatest amount in focus, you should focus at a point 1/3 of the way up the picture space.
The range in focus spans 1/3 in front of the focal point
and 2/3 behind.
(Image is not to scale)
© Julie Waterhouse Photography
Be careful when using a DOF in the mid range. It has it’s use, however sometimes, when only part of the image is in focus, it can look accidental, like you "missed" getting the focus right. This is especially true for close-up photography, where I always recommend committing to a point of view: soft focus, or detail, but not in-between.
A shallow depth of field means very little is in focus. This is called selective focus. Using this technique draws attention to the part of the picture that is in focus. It can also be used to minimize a distracting background; i.e., if the background is blurred through shallow depth of field, it draws less attention.
Use a small f-stop value, like f/2.8, which corresponds to a wide aperture opening, to achieve shallow depth of field. A small f-stop number means a small amount in focus.
A large depth of field, where you have a lot in focus, is useful if you want to show a lot of detail.
Use a large f-stop value, like f/22, which corresponds to a small aperture opening, to achieve large depth of field. A large f-stop number means a large amount in focus.
 Lots of detail, with a deep depth of field. Taken with an aperture of f/22. © Julie Waterhouse Photography |
 Soft image, with shallow depth of field. Taken with an aperture of f/2. © Julie Waterhouse Photography |
For an equivalent total exposure, a fast shutter speed requires a larger aperture (i.e., a smaller f-stop number), whereas a slow shutter speed requires a smaller aperture (larger f-stop number).
Assume that each of the following should be an equivalent exposure. If you vary one of the three ingredients (ISO, shutter speed or aperture), you must vary another one to compensate. Test your understanding, and fill in the missing numbers.
ISO 200, f/8, 1/60s
ISO 400, f/8, 1/125s
ISO 200, f/11, 1/30s
ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/250s
ISO 100, f/8, 1/?s
ISO ?, f/8, 1/125s
ISO 200, f/?, 1/125s
Don’t peek below until you try it yourself!
Answers: 1/30s, ISO 400, f/5.6
I hope that’s given you a good aperture definition to answer the question "What is aperture?"
Next, review ISO or shutter speed.
Next, you may be interested in learning about composition.
This month brings another topic from those collected from readers of the Ultimate Photo Tips Facebook Page. This month’s challenge topic is …drum roll, please … "Rust!" A favorite subject among many photographers, rust can be found on old cars, metal doors, garbage cans, in junk yards, and myriad other places. The great thing about rust, is that you can find it almost anywhere! Get creative. Photographing rust is about finding interesting textures, colors, and lines.
Read the rules. One entry only each month per person, please!
Enter your super-amazing photos in our photo contests. The winning image will be featured on the Ultimate Photo Tips homepage for all of the following month.
See what other people are submitting, and vote for your favorite:
View other entries.
Rust Landscape
© Julie Waterhouse
Nature Decorates in Matching Colors
© Julie Waterhouse
The Colors of Rust
© Julie Waterhouse
In the Old Car Graveyard
© Julie Waterhouse
Wheel
© Julie Waterhouse
Found in the Forest
© Julie Waterhouse
Rusty Grille
© Julie Waterhouse
***C2_invitation_28701667***
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But do your pictures say the right thousand words? Let me help you take pictures you can be proud of by showing you some techniques to be a more effective story-teller with your images. Too often, we struggle to translate the way we feel when we view a scene into a final image that evokes those same feelings. This downloadable PDF eBook can help! Start improving your picture composition today.
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Some love from a reader:
“Hi. I am Salman. I am new to photography. I read your book “Story telling through visual design”. I want to congrat you on writing such a simple, precise yet well explanatory book. Your book has helped me a lot in gaining confidence in photography. Your efforts are well appreciated. If you ever find time, please have a look on my work where you might see a shadow of your book. Regards,” Salman Ali, Islamabad, Pakistan, salmanimam70@yahoo.com |
Have you ever felt let down that your photograph didn’t capture the way you felt when you saw the scene? It’s challenging to translate a complete sensory experience in 3D onto a flat image on the page. If you know a little bit about how our brains process visual information, then you can take advantage of that knowledge to create powerful images that you and your viewer will respond to. In this eBook, I share easy-to-implement tips that are based on the science of your brain. These tips will help you design your images deliberately in a way that gets your message across. No more clicking the shutter with your fingers crossed, and hoping that you get lucky! I will share picture composition tips and tricks that will fix the problems you’ve been experiencing.
Do you want to take better photographs? I want to help you to start taking pictures that will give you a sense of pride and accomplishment; pictures that will "wow" your friends, and that you’d be happy to hang on your wall. Learn from the informative content in this eBook, and be inspired by the beautiful and creative images.
What’s Inside?
Story-Telling through Visual Design is a 62-page, downloadable PDF eBook densely packed with useful information, helpful tips, and spectacular, full color images to inspire you to create better photographs.
Rules
I’m not a fan of blindly following rules; it stifles creativity. Rules do exist for a reason; the way our brains works means that the way you respond to an image is predictable. Understanding this allows you to follow or break rules in order to best tell your story.
Visual Design Elements
Learning picture composition is like learning a foreign language. First you must learn the vocabulary. Visual design elements are the vocabulary of photographs. They are the building blocks of your image. In this eBook, I discuss light, including color and tone, as well as lines and shapes. Everything is explained in the context of how it best tells your story.
Visual Design Principles
After learning the vocabulary of a language, you then learn the grammar. This allows you to describe relationships. In photography, there is a set of visual design principles that will guide you to the most effective arrangement of your visual design elements so that you get your message across. In this eBook, I discuss dominance, balance, visual weight, and the use of positive and negative space.
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To help you understand how the visual part of the brain works, I describe a few fascinating psychology experiments that provide evidence for the visual design principles that are presented. Take a peek at the inner workings of the mind!
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Are you ready to go beyond the rule of thirds when placing your subject? Learn how the position of your subject relative to the frame relates to the story you want to tell with your photograph.
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Hello, it’s Julie here from Ultimate Photo Tips, and I’m back with another Two Minute Tip about subject placement. I’m not just going to give you the party line about the rule of thirds. Instead, I want to talk about how the placement of your subject relative to the edges of the frame relates to the story you want to tell. It all comes down to telling a story in the end, so we want all the choices we make when creating an image to support our story, and not distract from it.
Okay, so you’ve probably heard that it’s not a good idea to place your subject in the centre of the frame, because it makes the image too static. I say, "that depends." "Static" has some negative connotations. What if I replaced it with "stable?" Consider the following image:
In this image, I’ve placed the subject dead centre. In this case, I think the image works. It works because my story is about that tree stump being solid and stable amidst the chaos of the rushing water. The subject placement echoes my theme.
Now let’s tackle that rule of thirds. It tells us to move our subject out of the centre, and into the thirds position, i.e., a third of the way in from the side, and a third of the way in from the top or bottom. That does make the image more dynamic, because it sets it off-balance. That can get the eye moving around more, which can be a good thing.
Now consider just how off-center you want to be. The thing is, the closer you place your subject to the edge of the frame, the more tension you create in the image. That’s because our brains are wired to give more attention to things at the edges. That holds double for placing your subject in a corner. Take a look at these next two photos.
In this first photo (above), the three horses are in the bottom third of the image, and slightly to the left.
In this next image (above), I’ve moved the horses much closer to the bottom left corner. This creates more tension, and I think it works in this image to emphasize the vast, empty space around the horses.
It’s always good to be in control of your subject placement, and make deliberate decisions that support your message. You do want to be careful not to inadvertently place a subject too close to the edge, or just touching the edge, because it will created an uncomfortable and undesirable tension. Take a look at this final pair of photos.
In this first image of a sparrow, the tail feathers are touching the frame, and slightly cut off at the left. This just makes you wish that they were all in, and the brain spends all its time and attention on those pesky tail feathers, instead of looking around the rest of the image.
Much better to get the whole bird in the frame, and give that tail a little space.
The moral of the story is to be deliberate with your subject placement, and choose a position that emphasizes stability, or tension, according to the story you want to tell.
That’s it for this week! If you’re looking for more tips, drop by ultimate-photo-tips.com, and sign up for my free newsletter while you’re there. Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time.
What is aperture priority mode? How do you use it? How does it work? Why would you want to choose this camera mode for shooting? Watch below to find out!
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Hi! It’s Julie here, from Ultimate Photo Tips. For today’s two minute tip, I want to talk about using "aperture priority mode" on your camera. It’s one of the semi-automatic modes that gives you some creative control, but also lets the camera do some of the heavy lifting for you. I’m going to talk about how to use the mode, how it works, and most importantly why you would want to use this mode.
First the how-to: If you are a Nikon user, then it’s very simple. On most Nikon DSLRs, just turn your mode dial to "A" — A for aperture It’s just as easy for Canon, only your setting is labelled "Av." For other than the big two brands, there will be something similar; just check the manual for your camera. Even some of the so-called point and shoot cameras will let you activate aperture priority mode. You might just have to dig through the menus a bit instead of getting access through one of the main dials.
Now, how it works: Once you’ve set the camera to use this mode, your main control dial will change – you guessed it! – the aperture. Now here’s the key part. You get to pick the aperture you want, and then your camera will choose a corresponding shutter speed to give you a correct exposure, based on the available lighting conditions. So you pick the aperture, and your camera picks a shutter speed.
Now the "why." Why shoot in this particular mode, as opposed to any other? I use aperture priority mode a lot — any time I’m photographing things that don’t move. If I’m photographing things that MOVE, then shutter speed is important to me because it determines how that motion will be rendered. But if I’m shooting something that doesn’t move, then my creative control comes from the depth of field. And depth of field is directly controlled by aperture. If I want a shallow depth of field, with not much in focus, then I choose a wide aperture. If I want lots of depth of field — lots in focus from front to back — then I choose a small aperture. So when my subject isn’t moving, then aperture priority mode fits the way I think through my shot. My priority is choosing the best depth of field to tell my story. I let the camera worry about getting the exposure right.
Now, you do need to pay attention to the shutter speed that the camera chooses for you; if it gets longer than about 1/60 second, you won’t be able to hand-hold without the camera shaking and creating blur. In that case, you need to consider putting your camera on a tripod to keep it steady.
That’s your two minute tip for today! If you like this video, please like it, tweet it and share it with your friends. For more great tips, be sure to visit ultimate-photo-tips.com and sign up for my newsletter, where I share tips, ideas and inspiration that I don’t share anywhere else!
Happy shooting, and see you next time.
Learn how to hold your camera properly to maximize your stability and reduce blur due to camera shake. Watch below for a quick but useful tip.
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Hi! Back with you again today, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips. I have a really quick tip for you today, and we’re going right back to basics. This one’s all about how to hold a camera. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, I’ve seen many people coming into my workshops, and holding their camera like this [demonstrates]. Notice my left hand, and how it’s sitting on top of my lens? When your hand is on top of the lens like that, you can inadvertently put pressure on top, and push down on the lens, causing the camera to move. Instead, what you want to do is place your hand under the lens to support it. This is a much more stable way to hold the camera.
Also notice that I’m keeping my arms close in to my body. This adds stability too, rather than having my arms out here [demonstrates]. If you’re standing, it’s best to place your feet a little apart so that you are good and solid. You could also lean up against a post or a wall to make sure your position is secure, and keep that camera from moving.
That’s it – I told you it would be quick today! Remember to share this video if you enjoyed it, and come on over to ultimate-photo-tips.com to join my mailing list for more great tips and ideas. See you next time!
Get a front row seat, as photographers Katherine Keates and Avi Cohen recount their experience photographing the dramatic phenomenon of the wildebeest crossing Kenya’s Mara River. Flying hooves, clouds of dust, and cameras clicking; this is safari photography at its best! Katherine and Avi also recommend what you should stock in your safari camera bag.
© Katherine Keates
The Crossing
Anxious repetitive chant like moans and explosive snorts reverberated through the African mid-day heat as restless hooves churned up clouds of reddish dust. An electric current of mounting tension and pending drama rippled through the air. We held our breath, cameras poised, in anticipation of the drama that was to unfold.
© Katherine Keates
Change of Mind
We had traveled for many miles over dusty trails of Kenya’s Masai Mara to reach this safari photography destination and to hopefully witness the most dramatic wildlife spectacle on earth. We had waited for hours in the blazing sun and furnace-like heat. The moment we had been anticipating was tangible yet illusive. When would they cross?
What we had journeyed so far to observe and photograph was the semi-annual crossing of the Mara River by the wildebeest, known as "Nyumbu Ya Montu" in Swahili and also referred to as the "Gnu". This event offers an unrivaled opportunity for safari photography. From the endless Serengeti Plains, over 1.4 million wildebeest, along with more than 200,000 zebras and gazelles, migrate clockwise over 1800 miles each year. They follow the rains in a constant search for fresh grass while being closely pursued by lions, cheetahs, wild-dogs and hyenas. These opportunistic predators patiently wait for the chance to strike on the weak, the young and the old.
An unrivaled opportunity for safari photography:
"From the endless Serengeti Plains, over 1.4 million wildebeest, along with more than 200,000 zebras and gazelles, migrate clockwise over 1800 miles each year."
After much careful and meticulous preparation, we had finally arrived. All we could hope for now was that luck and Mother Nature were on our side. From the crack of dawn, we had driven to and followed along the riverbanks. We observed thousands of wildebeest of all ages trudging along on their instinctual and endless pilgrimage in search of food and water. They arrived in long single columns from every direction forming slow moving tributaries of living creatures to gather at the river’s edge.
© Katherine Keates
Migration to the River
Not always can one predict where and when the crossing will take place simply by observing the flow of the gathering herd. All it would take is one or two gnus to spearhead a shift downriver to a more suitable crossing point. However, once there, the decision to cross could easily be reversed by a change of heart or the sight of a hungry crocodile along the shore. Then the entire entourage would once again change direction and the thousands would follow.
As we watched the herds gather along the riverbank, numbers built from both the flanks and the rear, pushing forward and creating a pressure cooker effect. Ground rumbling from stomping hooves, dust rising to obliterate all but the heads and horns, baying and calling of adults and calves all signaled the stampede about to occur.
All we needed to do was to be patient (an essential quality for safari photography!), because once the crowd becomes too congested and the oppressive heat unbearable, it only takes one brave wildebeest to take the first step into the water. We also knew that if the crossing place they chose was shallow, most of the herd would likely pass safely to the other side. However, if the water turned out to be deep, we might witness the water boiling with drowning wildebeest and slashing crocodiles. We could only wait.
© Avi Cohen
Leader of the Pack
Finally it happened! One tentative step from a bold individual and then, suddenly, without warning, the spontaneous and natural event took place. In the blink of an eye, the animals began to flow down the cliffs like water from an opened dam. Leaping and jumping, they entered the river, with only one mission in mind, to get to the other side … alive.
© Avi Cohen
The Jumping Duo
With hippos forming a blockade in the water to protect their young, the wildebeest were channeled into a restricted path of crossing. This slowed the head of the pack, causing a traffic-jam of panicked hefty animals clamoring and splashing over one another in a race for survival.
© Katherine Keates
Hippos on Guard
As the tension continued to mount and the pressure from behind increased, the more daring or desperate ones chose to either initiate new paths to the river or simply leap from mid-cliff to land on the backs of others. Once launched to mid-air we could easily see their oddly disproportionate physical design. Their box-like head sits on a muscular and heavily built front end followed by spindly legs and a slender hind.
With mud flying and water splashing, we watched and photographed successful crossers scramble up the bank on the other side. Thousands of exhausted wet-backed gnu were seen filling the horizon as they headed to greener pastures. Of the five thousand plus lucky wildebeest that crossed the Mara River before our eyes, not a single one was lost. That was a miracle, for often during these crossings, the opportunistic crocodiles get fed and many carcasses of not so lucky gnu can be seen floating down the river with the current.
© Avi Cohen
At the Edge of the River
Once the last straggler had safely crossed, we dropped to our seats in shear exhaustion. What had happened in the previous few minutes was photographic ecstasy — safari photography at its best. We had wanted to be prepared for any action at any minute. We had all our cameras prepared with lenses, extenders, and had charged batteries and flash cards close at hand. We each chose to have our back up bodies fitted with a different focal length lens in order to facilitate capturing both the wide scene and close ups without having to change lenses in mid action and also to avoid getting dust in the camera.
"Once the last straggler had safely crossed, we dropped to our seats in shear exhaustion. What had happened in the previous few minutes was photographic ecstasy — safari photography at its best."
With shutters blazing and expressions and expletives of "Oh my God", "I don’t believe my eyes", and other unmentionables, we shot like mad. We had zoomed, panned, and searched for the perfect composition while trying to take it all in with our eyes and our cameras.
As the dust gathered and rose in the turmoil, our auto focusing no longer functioned properly and manual focus became necessary. This meant steady hands in the heat of the moment. The use of bean-bag support became ever so critical. In a flurry of activity the interior of the Landrover had become a scene of flying objects, cameras, lenses, batteries, and flash cards. There was no time to waste. There was chaos inside and out.
© Katherine Keates
In the Dust
When it was all over, some of us wiping the tears from our eyes, we had a chance to reflect on what had just occurred. In twelve minutes of safari photography bliss, we watched over 5000 wildebeest cross the Mara River and each managed to shoot gigabytes of raw digital images in that short time. We knew our real work lay ahead of us back at the lodge with hours of editing, downloading and backups of these special images.
We headed back home while the wildebeest ambled off to graze the greener pastures of the Masai Mara as they have instinctually done for countless generations.
© Avi Cohen
After the Mara Crossing
We realized we had been fortunate enough to witness one of the world’s most dramatic nature stories, but one thing became incredibly clear. There is no beginning or end to the odyssey of Africa’s wildebeest, but rather the cyclical and never-ending search for sustenance. The only true beginning for the wildebeest is at the moment of birth.
© Avi Cohen
Leaping Forward
In each camera bag:
© Katherine Keates
Churning
Additional lenses and equipment (if you can manage it):
© Avi Cohen
At the Crossing Point (Close Up)
Electronic Accessories:
© Katherine Keates
Piling Up
Additional safari photography necessities:
Photographers for many years, Avi’s and Katherine’s love of photography has led them to explore many avenues in the art and craft of photography both at home and abroad.
As involved members of numerous photographic organizations, they enthusiastically support and encourage amateur photographers of all levels. These award-winning photographers have taught workshops, presented instructional programs and have led photographic excursions to Africa, Israel, Jordan, and South America in order to promote the art and sheer enjoyment of photography.
They encourage you to explore their unique perspectives of the world found in the images on their individual websites:
www.katherinekeatesphotography.com
© Avi Cohen
Diving Into the Water
If you enjoyed this safari photography adventure, you may want to read Africa Dance, another article by Katherine in which she explores Samburu tribal dances through a series of stunning, selective focus and long exposure photos.
Unplug from technology and find photo inspiration in Nature. Freelance photographer Katherine Keates brings us a motivating article that serves as a wake-up call to reconnect with our natural surroundings.
© Katherine Keates
© Katherine Keates
Cactus Close-up Detail
In a day and age of high definition vision, media overload, and entertainment and communication in the palm of the hand, we have become increasingly hard to please, over-stimulated, yet at the same time, incredibly lazy. Mea culpa.
What we seem to have forgotten in this hubbub is how to quieten down, look deeper within and, for goodness sake, open our eyes. There are great works of art by Mother Nature herself that we brush by, step on and simply ignore in our quest for the bigger and better. While focused on SMS, iPods and iPads, the world is not only passing us by, but we are at increased risk of getting run over by it.
So I ask you: Is there any hope left for being struck by unsolicited, unplugged inspiration?
Perhaps so. At least I believe it.
"…believe it or not, creative photo inspiration is not something you can pick up on eBay from your Blackberry."
The best news of all is that to be truly, creatively inspired does not require expensive equipment and gadgets, or exotic tours and classes that promise take-home ‘winning’ images. And, believe it or not, creative photo inspiration is not something you can pick up on eBay from your Blackberry. In fact, you come equipped with the required equipment from day one, and it is FREE. The real secret lies in a killer combination of the mass of gray matter churning between our ears and two amazing orbs on either side of our nose that, when trained and practiced, can hone in on some of the most magical beauty known to humankind.
© Katherine Keates
Wave-washed Sand, Thunder Beach, ON, Canada
We boast of how the world is getting smaller as we zoom in and out with Google Earth and how we find our way with GPS instead of orienteering with maps and compasses. Is this new small world really something to brag about? Isn’t it ironic, that when plugged in, our quest for photo inspiration dwindles exponentially? Can you still remember what happens when you pause, close in on your immediate surroundings, and allow yourself to feel the stirring within as Nature tells her incredible story? Perhaps this is the mysterious, exotic world we need to get to know or, in many cases, revisit.
© Katherine Keates
Point Lobos Rocks at Low Tide, CA, USA
In the quietened mind’s eye, the bark of a tree or cactus can become a provocative piece of art hanging in our planet’s great gallery. The grains of sand on a beach offer texture and depth to a wave-formed sculpture that people simply walk over. Moving water washes colour over rocks like freshly dumped cans of paint. The vignetted leafy textiles of a garden or forest plant stimulate curiosity and wonder. All of this, and more, is out there, just waiting for us. So, be brave and take this challenge. Absorb all you can in this overly technical world because it is there for the taking, and it is useful; but then…STOP. Just go unplugged and unblogged for awhile. Capture a feeling instead of a trophy. Let the magic in, fill your pores, and let it move you to inner creative greatness.
© Katherine Keates
White Sand Dune Close-up, South Africa
A photographer for many years, Katherine’s love of photography has led her to explore many avenues in the art and craft of photography. She has explored and photographed in places such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, France, Israel, Hawaii, Alaska, China, the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador and many North American national parks. She particularly loves to shoot on her home turf in Ontario, Canada.
She strives to present a unique vision and apply an artistic approach to all of her subjects. This national and international award-winning photographer has taught workshops and presented instructional programs. Her prints have been displayed in traditional and unique gallery situations, and in numerous exhibitions, and her work can be found on the walls of private homes and corporate offices.
She has participated on the speakers’ circuit for the Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs specializing in Audio Visual presentations and is a qualified international photographic judge. She is currently an active member and Vice President of the Toronto Focal Forum print makers group.
Katherine is also a freelance writer and has had numerous articles and images published in both local and international photographic publications such as BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Photo Life, Pets Magazine, Best of Photography, Local Colour and the CAPA Journal.
Katherine welcomes you to visit her website at:
www.katherinekeatesphotography.com
© Katherine Keates
Algonquin Park Autumn Reflection, ON, Canada
Next, you may want to read more articles from guest writers on learning digital photography.