| IntroductionModern cameras are highly | | | | shake will become a problem. If you are |
| automatic in operation. They have auto focus | | | | taking a telephoto shot and the camera |
| and auto exposure. The camera will focus on | | | | chooses a slow to medium shutter speed, the |
| the subject - often identified by a small | | | | result might be blurred due to the movement |
| circle or square at the centre of the | | | | of your hands while taking the exposure. Use |
| viewfinder - and calculate an appropriate | | | | a tripod - all wildlife photographers use |
| exposure by detecting the level of reflected | | | | them. They are a pain to carry but improve |
| light - usually from the same spot. A slight | | | | quality by orders of magnitude.6 Fast Moving |
| pressure on the shutter release will activate | | | | Subject Require a Fast Shutter SpeedThe |
| those two functions, without taking a | | | | shutter is that part of the camera which |
| picture. Further pressure on the shutter | | | | opens briefly to allow light to strike the |
| release will result in a photo being taken.1 | | | | sensitive surface of the detector to |
| Take care to Focus and Expose on the Subject | | | | |
| of the ImageImagine you are taking a picture | | | | produce an image. Fast moving object require |
| of your girl friend against the background of | | | | extremely short shutter speeds in order to |
| an interesting harbour. Your girl friend is | | | | capture a crisp sharp image. Slower |
| six feet away while the harbour is around 50 | | | | |
| feet away. You position your girl friend | | | | shutter speeds will produce a blur as the |
| carefully - she is important to you - at one | | | | object moves. |
| side of the picture with an interesting view | | | | |
| of the harbour in the distance. Now do you | | | | In general outdoor photography a shutter |
| want to focus on the harbour - or your girl | | | | speed of 1/60th or 1/125th second will be |
| friend? Position the square or circle at the | | | | acceptable. In contrast, shooting a formula |
| centre of the viewfinder over the spot that | | | | one car in motion will require shutter speed |
| you want to focus on and correctly expose - | | | | of say 1/1000th of a second.7 A little About |
| take a slight pressure on the shutter release | | | | Depth of FieldIn days past, a photographer |
| - and keep that pressure while you move the | | | | would measure the level of light at a |
| camera to frame the image you want to take - | | | | location with a light meter and then |
| then, and only then, push the shutter release | | | | calculate the best |
| fully down and take the photo. If you want to | | | | |
| have everything in focus - then see 7 Depth | | | | combination of shutter speed and aperture to |
| of Field.2 Carefully Compose Your ShotBefore | | | | correctly expose the film. This is now done |
| taking the picture take a careful last look | | | | automatically by the camera. Aperture is the |
| through the viewfinder. Check the | | | | measure of how much light is passing through |
| composition, and particularly that heads nd | | | | the lens. The lens has an iris, which can be |
| feet are included, and that all faces are | | | | 'stopped down' to reduce the amount of light |
| visible in anything other the smallest of | | | | passing through the lens. A fully open lens |
| groups. With the camera taking care of focus | | | | will pass the greatest amount of light - full |
| and exposure - you have the time to | | | | aperture - but this also reduces the 'depth |
| concentrate on getting the composition | | | | of field'. The depth of field is the band of |
| perfect. Photographic amputation of limbs is | | | | distance over which the subject is in focus. |
| unforgivable!3 Set the Colour Balance | | | | In 1 above, with full aperture either your |
| Correctly on the CameraDigital cameras have | | | | girl friend or the harbour is in |
| controls that allow the operator to set the | | | | |
| nature of the lighting illuminating the | | | | focus - but not both. By 'stopping down' the |
| subject. In general they will default to | | | | lens - reducing the aperture - both can be |
| daylight, since shots are likely to be taken | | | | brought into focus. But as a consequence the |
| outdoors. On this setting, pictures taken | | | | amount of light passing through the lens is |
| indoors under artificial tungsten lighting | | | | reduced. The length of time which the shutter |
| will look yellow - they will have a yellow | | | | is open will have to be increased to |
| cast. Pictures taken under strip lighting | | | | compensate.8 When taking Landscapes Avoid |
| will look green. Setting the camera | | | | Putting the Horizon Across the Centre of the |
| appropriately will produce consistent | | | | ImageDrawing the picture horizon in the |
| balanced photographs. Look in the camera | | | | middle of the image simply looks naff. It |
| manual to see how to set the control - it is | | | | divides the picture in to two and fails to |
| very easy. Flash guns produce a light, which | | | | engage the viewer. Best to concentrate on the |
| is very similar in colour 'temperature' to | | | | sky or the foreground. Photograph a setting |
| that of daylight.4 Don't Expect Too Much from | | | | sun with red sky, or a rainbow with the |
| the On Camera FlashThe on camera flash is | | | | horizon low in the picture. Or concentrate on |
| designed for convenience when shooting a | | | | the landscape and place the horizon high in |
| small group of people. It will not illuminate | | | | the picture.9 Be Aware of the Effects of Back |
| a hall. When | | | | LightingLet us go back to the example given |
| | | | in Hint 1. Imagine that in the picture of |
| watching public events on the television it | | | | your girl friend in front of the harbour, the |
| is somewhat surprising to see members of the | | | | sun is setting, casting its golden rays |
| audience in the Albert hall take a pocket | | | | across the sea and reflecting on the masts |
| camera out and shoot a picture with their | | | | and other metal objects of the harbour |
| flash. This is unlikely to be successful. | | | | |
| Better to turn the sensitivity of the camera | | | | with white clouds illuminated red in the |
| up - say to 800ASA - the 'film speed', or | | | | dying rays of the sun. An evocative and |
| sensitivity. This might produce a better | | | | romantic shot. Taking the shot with the |
| result. Do not confuse sensitivity of the | | | | camera will result in a beautiful background |
| camera with shutter speed. They are | | | | but a black shadow of a girl friend! Now that |
| different. An on camera flash will illuminate | | | | might be appropriate should you have had a |
| only a short distance - as a guide pick up | | | | particularly bad day with her and it might |
| your cat firmly with two hands by the tail | | | | correctly reflect the mood. However using the |
| and swing it around at arms length - that is | | | | on camera flash to fill in the darkness - to |
| the sort of distance the flash will | | | | illuminate her face and show her features |
| illuminate!5 A Tripod is Essential for Long | | | | might be more appropriate on a better |
| Distance ShotsMost modern digital cameras | | | | day!Christopher Thomas is both keen |
| come with a zoom lens that can take both wide | | | | photographer and company director of Viewlink |
| angle and telephoto shots. This is extremely | | | | Ltd based in Amersham, Uk. The company |
| useful. However remember that when the camera | | | | focusses on digital photo developing for both |
| is on its furthest telephoto setting, camera | | | | amateur and commercial photographers. |