Transcript Document
Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group Lesson 4: Camera Modes and Scenes & Composition Part 2
29 October 2013 © Copyright John Estruch
19 September 1 October 15 October 29 October 5 November 19 November 3 December 17 December Buxton & District
Programme
Digital Photography Beginners Exploring your camera You’ve taken some pictures now what? (Viewing pictures; filing on your computer) Printing & Composing a better picture (part 1) Camera modes/scenes & Composing a better picture (part 2) Simple editing to improve your pictures Understanding exposure Controlling exposure/focal length/perspective/composition for a better picture & Taking Pictures of people Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared ask.
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Last Time
Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners
• • Printing photos – What are the options for printing Photos – Explore the different options – Printing calendars, photo-books etc. Composition Part 1 © Copyright John Estruch
Buxton & District
Last Time Options for printing Photos
• • • • Specialist photo-printer Ink-jet printer High Street shop On-line print service
Digital Photography Beginners
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Buxton & District
Last Time
Digital Photography Beginners
Printing Calendars etc.
• • • • Most on-line services (and shops) have more advanced print services: Large framed prints Calendars Books Mugs etc.
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Last Time
Composition part 1 1. Look at what is in the picture 2. Avoid the middle / fill the frame 3. The “rule of thirds” 4. Frame the picture 5. Leading lines
Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners
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• • • •
Buxton & District
Homework
Digital Photography Beginners
Try printing at home (if you have a printer): Have a look at the on-line print services – Try uploading pictures to print (you don’t have to pay until the end – so you can just try) Think about Xmas presents.
Take some pictures, thinking about the composition – bring your favourites to the next session.
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• • How to improve my pictures.
Camera modes and scenes Composition part 2
Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners
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Cameras have lots of settings
But not all cameras are the same:
Digital Photography Beginners
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“Point and shoot”
Digital Photography Beginners
• Automatic Mode You frame the picture & camera takes the picture according to the programme set up by manufacturer • Takes perfectly good pictures – most of the time • Sometimes it’s possible to do better • Sometimes it’s just no good.
• • • Programme Mode In some cameras (e.g. my DSLR) this is “automatic” mode In many cameras (modern compact cameras) there are many options under Programme Mode The different options try to deal with situations when Auto doesn’t work © Copyright John Estruch
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Buxton & District
Modes /scenes
Digital Photography Beginners
Manufacturers give you options to take pictures that might not come out perfectly in Auto Mode Called “Mode” or “Scene” – varies between cameras but some common ideas.
May deal with: Close up High Contrast Faces Far away Indoors Panorama Moving Sunlight Special effects Dark Sunset ……..
Bright Backlighting ……..
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Most Common Modes
Macro/Close-Up -
This mode used for taking close-up pictures.
Digital Photography Beginners Landscape -
Camera will attempt to capture detail in both foreground and background.
Sports -
Camera will try to freeze the motion in an action shot .
Portrait -
Camera will try to focus on the foreground and may blur the background. © Copyright John Estruch
Buxton & District
Other Modes/Scenes
Digital Photography Beginners Any 2 cameras (even if same manufacturer) will probably have different options
So you really need to look at your own camera and manual.
Lets do it now ……..
Or you can take control
Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners Aperture Priority Shutter Priority Manual
More about these in a future session © Copyright John Estruch
This Time
• • How to improve my pictures.
Camera modes and scenes Composition part 2 – Zoom & Perspective
Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners
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Buxton & District
What’s focal length all about?
Digital Photography Beginners
SLR Compact 18 mm 1x Wide Angle 39 mm 2x 100 mm 5.5x
250 mm 14x Telephoto © Copyright John Estruch
Buxton & District
Homework 1- Zoom / Magnification
Digital Photography Beginners
1. Make sure you know how to change the focal length (zoom) on your camera.
2. Take a range of pictures of similar scenes at different focal lengths.
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ii.
Find out how to get the focal length information from the camera or on the PC when you have downloaded the picture How much bigger is an object if you double the focal length?
3. Find what is the closest distance you can focus on an object? How does it change as you zoom in and out?
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Perspective
(relative size of objects at different distances)
Digital Photography Beginners
How can I make the bollards look bigger?
Zoom…… Relative sizes of bollard, car and road sign stay the same.
…. Or get closer.
Bollard has got relatively much larger than sign and house.
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Buxton & District Perspective – what happens to parallel lines Digital Photography Beginners 45mm lens 1 m distance
• • Wide angle and close to front bottle makes closer bottles appear relatively larger so parallel lines running along top and bottom of bottles come together quickly
140mm lens 3 m distance
• • Long focal length and further from front bottle makes closer bottles appear relatively less difference in size so parallel lines running along top and bottom of bottles come together gradually © Copyright John Estruch
Buxton & District
What happens when I get closer?
Digital Photography Beginners
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Buxton & District Homework 2- Experiment with Perspective Digital Photography Beginners
1. Experiment with taking shots with different perspective of the same scene: i.
ii.
iii.
Take shots closer with wider angle then move back and take shots with longer focal length.
How do the relative sizes of foreground and background objects change?
How does this change the emphasis on the objects in the picture? (Composition?) 2. Take pictures looking along a street. Again take shots closer with wider angle lens and further back with longer focal length.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Find a line joining points of similar heights along the street (e.g. along the top of the buildings or joining 1 st floor windows).
Compare this to a line running along the foot of the buildings.
How does the angle between these lines compare if I move back to take the shot?
How does the angle compare if you stay in the same place and change the focal length?
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Simple editing to improve your pictures Buxton & District Digital Photography Beginners
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Buxton & District
Course notes
Digital Photography Beginners
I will put this presentation on the Buxton and District U3A website at : http://u3asites.org.uk/code/u3asite.php?site=179&page=25298 Or 1.
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Go to www.buxtonu3a.org.uk
Select “Groups” Select “Digital Photography: Beginners” Select “materials from previous sessions” from the links on right hand side of page © Copyright John Estruch