The shutter is a mechanical device that controls the length of time that light is allowed to act on the film.
Most standard cameras allow us to use a range between 16 second and 1/1000 second. You might be wondering, why anyone would use a long shutter time of 16 seconds: I’ve used this and even longer shutter times when taken lowlight landscape images. I would always advise the use of a tripod with these long exposures time to avoid blur images.
Using a shutter speed of 1/125 second should safely avoid overall blur due to camera movement if you hold the camera by hand. Any longer shutter time should require a tripod.
Each time you open the shutter by one, we double the light, when we close down the light by one we half the light. Open the shutter at 1 second allows twice the light as that of a ½ second.
The shutter can also be used creatively when taking landscape images or sport images. If you want to add motion to your image a slow shutter speed can give an image an extra bit of sway. No more so than taking images of streams. Using a slow shutter speed when photographing water will cause the water to blur, resulting with the image expressing motion.
By contrast, a fast shutter speed of 1/250 would be used in shooting wildlife or where the subject that you’re shooting needs to be still and sharp. Most wildlife photographers would use a fast shutter speed.
By using the shutter and aperture together we control exposure. Both allow light to enter the camera: the shutter by time and the aperture by the size of the hole in the lens.
For example: you’re shooting a landscape scene; you get an exposure reading at f/11 at ¼ second. You know that by using f/11 that the entire image wont be sharp. You want to shoot at f/22, which is four times less light than f/11. You need to quadruple the light through time; each time you open the shutter by one you double the light, so open it by two stops and your exposure time will be 1 second. Your final exposure should read f/22 at 1 second.
At the best of times, calculating the correct exposure can be a difficult task, but with a few simple tips our images can produce eye-catching colours that we see all around us every day.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Aperture and f/stops:
The aperture is an opening in the centre of the lens through which light passes. The amount of light, which passes through an aperture, is indicated by f/stops. The lower the f/stop the more light that passes through the aperture. Opening up one full f/stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera. F/4 admits twice the light of f5.6.
By selecting a small or narrow aperture (f/16 or up), all or most of the scene will be reasonably sharp. This is ideal for landscape photography. By using a small aperture you increase the depth-of-field.
By selecting a large or wide aperture (f/5.6 or below) you decide which part of your image is sharp. This is ideal for taking pictures of wildlife, portraits, sport and small objects. By using a large aperture you decrease the depth-of-field
The smaller the f/number, the wider the aperture.
There is about twice the depth-of-field behind the point of focus as there is in front of it, using any aperture.
Now you know how to isolate your subject, so it’s time to put it to use. Set your camera to aperture-priority (AV) mode, and then select a large aperture (f/2 - f/5.6). By doing this the camera will select the shutter speed automatically. If you are shooting wildlife choose a low viewpoint to maximise the image, try putting the camera lens at eye-level with the subject.
While the above will help to isolate you subject, it’s only a start. Know your subject, especially when shooting wildlife. Don’t be fooled into thinking all elements of an image must be sharp to be considered a good photo.
By selecting a small or narrow aperture (f/16 or up), all or most of the scene will be reasonably sharp. This is ideal for landscape photography. By using a small aperture you increase the depth-of-field.
By selecting a large or wide aperture (f/5.6 or below) you decide which part of your image is sharp. This is ideal for taking pictures of wildlife, portraits, sport and small objects. By using a large aperture you decrease the depth-of-field
The smaller the f/number, the wider the aperture.
There is about twice the depth-of-field behind the point of focus as there is in front of it, using any aperture.
Now you know how to isolate your subject, so it’s time to put it to use. Set your camera to aperture-priority (AV) mode, and then select a large aperture (f/2 - f/5.6). By doing this the camera will select the shutter speed automatically. If you are shooting wildlife choose a low viewpoint to maximise the image, try putting the camera lens at eye-level with the subject.
While the above will help to isolate you subject, it’s only a start. Know your subject, especially when shooting wildlife. Don’t be fooled into thinking all elements of an image must be sharp to be considered a good photo.
Photography - Depth Of Field
Keep your images sharp by controlling the depth-of-field.
Depth-of -field can be best described as the distance from the front to back in any image that is in reasonably sharp focus. Any parts of an image that are outside of this should be blur and are outside the depth-of-field. There are a few ways to control depth-of-field: use a small aperture, focus on a point further away from your camera or use a lens with a short focal length.
Lets look at the tools that control depth-of-field.
Aperture and f/stops: The aperture is an opening in the centre of the lens through which light passes. The amount of light which passes through an aperture is indicated by f/stops. The lower the f/stop the more light that passes through the aperture. Opening up one full f/stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera. F/4 admits twice the light of f5.6.
By selecting a small or narrow aperture (f/16 or up), all or most of the scene will be reasonably sharp. This is ideal for landscape photography. By using a small aperture you increase the depth-of-field.
By selecting a large or wide aperture (f/5.6 or below) you decide which part of your image is sharp. This is ideal for taking pictures of wildlife, portraits, sport and small objects. By using a large aperture you decrease the depth-of-field. This means that only a small part of the image will be in focus.
The smaller the f/number, the wider the aperture.
There is about twice the depth-of-field behind the point of focus as there is in front of it, using any aperture.
Selective use of focusing also controls depth-of-field. If you focus on a point that is near the camera you will have a shallow or short depth-of-field. If you focus on a point that is far away from your camera the depth-of-field will be greater.
The focal length of your lens also controls the depth-of-field. A short focal lens in any setting will give a greater depth-of-field.
Having gained an understanding of depth-of-field, it is now time to be practical with it. If you are shooting a landscape scene you will want all areas of the scene to be sharp, so you will need a greater depth-of-field. Your camera’s aperture should have a setting of f/16 or greater which will leave the total scene sharp.
Wildlife and flower images require only parts of the image to be sharp. An aperture setting of f/4 will leave you with a narrow depth-of-field and a smaller area of sharpness.
Some lenses can be bought with a depth-of-field scale on them. These are very handy for landscape photography where you set the lens so that all parts of the image will be sharp.
Depth-of -field can be best described as the distance from the front to back in any image that is in reasonably sharp focus. Any parts of an image that are outside of this should be blur and are outside the depth-of-field. There are a few ways to control depth-of-field: use a small aperture, focus on a point further away from your camera or use a lens with a short focal length.
Lets look at the tools that control depth-of-field.
Aperture and f/stops: The aperture is an opening in the centre of the lens through which light passes. The amount of light which passes through an aperture is indicated by f/stops. The lower the f/stop the more light that passes through the aperture. Opening up one full f/stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera. F/4 admits twice the light of f5.6.
By selecting a small or narrow aperture (f/16 or up), all or most of the scene will be reasonably sharp. This is ideal for landscape photography. By using a small aperture you increase the depth-of-field.
By selecting a large or wide aperture (f/5.6 or below) you decide which part of your image is sharp. This is ideal for taking pictures of wildlife, portraits, sport and small objects. By using a large aperture you decrease the depth-of-field. This means that only a small part of the image will be in focus.
The smaller the f/number, the wider the aperture.
There is about twice the depth-of-field behind the point of focus as there is in front of it, using any aperture.
Selective use of focusing also controls depth-of-field. If you focus on a point that is near the camera you will have a shallow or short depth-of-field. If you focus on a point that is far away from your camera the depth-of-field will be greater.
The focal length of your lens also controls the depth-of-field. A short focal lens in any setting will give a greater depth-of-field.
Having gained an understanding of depth-of-field, it is now time to be practical with it. If you are shooting a landscape scene you will want all areas of the scene to be sharp, so you will need a greater depth-of-field. Your camera’s aperture should have a setting of f/16 or greater which will leave the total scene sharp.
Wildlife and flower images require only parts of the image to be sharp. An aperture setting of f/4 will leave you with a narrow depth-of-field and a smaller area of sharpness.
Some lenses can be bought with a depth-of-field scale on them. These are very handy for landscape photography where you set the lens so that all parts of the image will be sharp.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Sell Your Photography Prints
Selling your prints may seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach to the photography market your images could be sold all over the world. The following are tips to improve your photography business.
Many of us we are passionate about photography and would love to see our images selling to a wide audience, but like anyone setting up a business, we have to give it time, along with a massive push to get the business going.
Like anyone who starts up a business the first thing we must do is promote it properly. You can waste a lot of money advertising in local magazines and newspapers; the best way to show off your landscape images is through the following means - setting up a website, selling your work in local gift shops, and holding regular galleries.
Your own website: This is a very important way of promoting and selling your photography. Creating your own website should be at the top of your list of things to do. Your site is a portfolio of your best images. It should also contain information about you, and if possible feedback from different customers. Your own website should have a credit card facility for customers to buy your images.
Putting your images in local shops: If you have a good range of images from a selected area try to get local tourist and gift shops to sell them. Most gift shops are always looking for a new range of product and many will be delighted to deal with a local artist. All you have to do is frame four or five images and place them in one shop. If they sell put them in another, and so forth.
Don’t be afraid to put large format framed prints into gift stores. There are plenty of customers out there if your photography is up to standard. For tourist shops, mounted images will work better. People travelling a great distant will not want to buy framed pictures.
Local galleries: Contact your local art gallery and find out if its possible to show your work. Most galleries are glad to help, but will charge a fee on images sold. Make sure that you have plenty of promotional material ready so that people can contact you in the future. If the gallery goes well there are no reason why you can’t hold one in different areas each month.
Invite as many people as possible and try to get a local politician to open the gallery. This may get you free exposure in the local newspapers, and draws more attention to your work. If you do have a website advertise it well in the gallery. People may not buy through the gallery but may buy at a later date.
You can also place images on other online galleries. Online galleries will charge a fee but will open up your photography business to a larger audience.
There are many other ways to sell your prints but these are some of the best. Don’t be afraid to give it a go. The key to any business is good exposure and to get it as cheaply as possible. Landscape photographers must do the same as any other professional and run their business correctly.
Many of us we are passionate about photography and would love to see our images selling to a wide audience, but like anyone setting up a business, we have to give it time, along with a massive push to get the business going.
Like anyone who starts up a business the first thing we must do is promote it properly. You can waste a lot of money advertising in local magazines and newspapers; the best way to show off your landscape images is through the following means - setting up a website, selling your work in local gift shops, and holding regular galleries.
Your own website: This is a very important way of promoting and selling your photography. Creating your own website should be at the top of your list of things to do. Your site is a portfolio of your best images. It should also contain information about you, and if possible feedback from different customers. Your own website should have a credit card facility for customers to buy your images.
Putting your images in local shops: If you have a good range of images from a selected area try to get local tourist and gift shops to sell them. Most gift shops are always looking for a new range of product and many will be delighted to deal with a local artist. All you have to do is frame four or five images and place them in one shop. If they sell put them in another, and so forth.
Don’t be afraid to put large format framed prints into gift stores. There are plenty of customers out there if your photography is up to standard. For tourist shops, mounted images will work better. People travelling a great distant will not want to buy framed pictures.
Local galleries: Contact your local art gallery and find out if its possible to show your work. Most galleries are glad to help, but will charge a fee on images sold. Make sure that you have plenty of promotional material ready so that people can contact you in the future. If the gallery goes well there are no reason why you can’t hold one in different areas each month.
Invite as many people as possible and try to get a local politician to open the gallery. This may get you free exposure in the local newspapers, and draws more attention to your work. If you do have a website advertise it well in the gallery. People may not buy through the gallery but may buy at a later date.
You can also place images on other online galleries. Online galleries will charge a fee but will open up your photography business to a larger audience.
There are many other ways to sell your prints but these are some of the best. Don’t be afraid to give it a go. The key to any business is good exposure and to get it as cheaply as possible. Landscape photographers must do the same as any other professional and run their business correctly.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Publish your photography
There are thousands of companies seeking images to be published, understanding the market is the key to getting published.
Everywhere we look today we see great photographs being used to sell products - all of these images are well-exposed colourful shots that were taken by photographers from all corners of the globe. It does not matter where you live; if your images are good enough they will sell.
The market out there for freelance photographers is massive. Every day publishers and photo editors are on the lookout for new talent. Photography publishing companies will not care if you are a professional or amateur. If your photography is good enough they will pay you the going rate.
To sell your images to the magazine market or any other type of market, the first thing you must understand is the standard required. You must compare your images to the images that are published by that company. If your pictures are up to the standard you have a chance of being published. If they are not you must be your own hardest critic and try to improve.
The best way to understand what a publisher is looking for is to buy copies of their product. Once you have a copy, you must study all the images they use. Once you have compared your images to the shots that they have used, put together a portfolio of your best work and send this to the publishing company. Include a stamped addressed envelope so that the images can be returned to you.
Most publishers will have a set of guidelines for photographers on their website - I would strongly advise you to read these carefully before you send them your work.
When submitting photographs, make sure you give a detailed caption for each image, and if the photograph has people in it, make sure you have a photo release signed. Publishers will not use images of people without a proper photo release signed. If your image has private property the publisher may also request a signed release form.
The image caption does not need to be several pages, but you should at least have the location of the image, the date the picture was taken and any other information that you think may be useful.
Do not be afraid to submit your images if you think they are good enough - every photographer has to make a start and every photographer will get rejected now and again. No one will like receiving a rejection slip through the door, but this may happen from time to time.
Thousands of images are used online and the market is growing larger each year. If you are serious about selling your photography try to put an online portfolio together where people can see greater samples of your work.
If you are successful at selling your images to magazines and to all types of publishing companies, the chances are that with time you will accumulate thousands of great images. You will then need someone to handle and run this part of your business and to sell your pictures for you and you will need to find a stock photography agency that can handle all your sales and give you the time to take more images.
Everywhere we look today we see great photographs being used to sell products - all of these images are well-exposed colourful shots that were taken by photographers from all corners of the globe. It does not matter where you live; if your images are good enough they will sell.
The market out there for freelance photographers is massive. Every day publishers and photo editors are on the lookout for new talent. Photography publishing companies will not care if you are a professional or amateur. If your photography is good enough they will pay you the going rate.
To sell your images to the magazine market or any other type of market, the first thing you must understand is the standard required. You must compare your images to the images that are published by that company. If your pictures are up to the standard you have a chance of being published. If they are not you must be your own hardest critic and try to improve.
The best way to understand what a publisher is looking for is to buy copies of their product. Once you have a copy, you must study all the images they use. Once you have compared your images to the shots that they have used, put together a portfolio of your best work and send this to the publishing company. Include a stamped addressed envelope so that the images can be returned to you.
Most publishers will have a set of guidelines for photographers on their website - I would strongly advise you to read these carefully before you send them your work.
When submitting photographs, make sure you give a detailed caption for each image, and if the photograph has people in it, make sure you have a photo release signed. Publishers will not use images of people without a proper photo release signed. If your image has private property the publisher may also request a signed release form.
The image caption does not need to be several pages, but you should at least have the location of the image, the date the picture was taken and any other information that you think may be useful.
Do not be afraid to submit your images if you think they are good enough - every photographer has to make a start and every photographer will get rejected now and again. No one will like receiving a rejection slip through the door, but this may happen from time to time.
Thousands of images are used online and the market is growing larger each year. If you are serious about selling your photography try to put an online portfolio together where people can see greater samples of your work.
If you are successful at selling your images to magazines and to all types of publishing companies, the chances are that with time you will accumulate thousands of great images. You will then need someone to handle and run this part of your business and to sell your pictures for you and you will need to find a stock photography agency that can handle all your sales and give you the time to take more images.
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