Instructions
First of all, never shoot alone or from one vantage point. To do this, you need to have a fast flash card with a good amount of memory and a battery or spare battery. Be sure to take multiple shots of the same object or event. Try to move around him as much as possible and shoot from different angles. Do you want to get an unusual shot? Lie down on the ground or climb higher - a non-standard angle will ensure success.
If your camera supports the ability to shoot in RAW format, be sure to use it. If the resulting images contain errors in exposure, white balance, etc., it will be very easy to correct them using special programs, and the frame will go to the photo album instead of the trash bin. In general, don't be afraid to use Photoshop. Cameras sometimes make mistakes and your photos don't turn out the way you intended. Photoshop will help you.
If you use automatic mode, that's fine. But try to learn how to set all the parameters manually. The machine still sometimes cannot do what it can do. Get to know your light sensitivity (ISO) settings. In sunny weather, when the subject is well lit, use a low ISO: 100-200. In gloomy weather or in winter you should set ISO 400. In the evening - 800 or higher. At high ISO values, digital noise appears, which spoils the frame.
White balance can be set to automatic. Cameras will detect it correctly in most cases. Difficulties may arise if the lighting is complex (for example, lamp light and sunlight). Essentially, this setting helps the colors in your photo appear correctly.
The shutter speed can be adjusted depending on what you want to achieve. If you want to freeze motion, set your shutter speed fast: 1/100 or even faster. Long exposures can produce very unusual results. Try it.
Today I will tell you about the basics of photography with a SLR camera, because sooner or later in the life of any amateur photographer there comes a time when, for self-development, he simply needs to acquire one SLR camera, and start taking really high-quality photos and get into this business professionally.
If you have recently purchased a DSLR camera or
Are you going to buy it, but you haven’t yet figured out very well how to use it, not only in automatic settings for beginners, right? to use its full potential.Now you will learn what such concepts as aperture, exposure time, ISO and various secrets of working with a DSLR camera with manual control settings mean, which in principle are also relevant for digital cameras, but at the end of the article we will also look at the types of lenses for DSLRs.
Photography Basics for Beginners
Before learning about the basics of photography, the most novice photographers need to understand the meaning of the concept of photography itself. After all, the word photography comes from two Greek words "Photo" which means "light" and words "Graphia" what does it mean "record" . It follows that photography is literally a recording of light or “recording with light.”
It immediately becomes clear that the key element of photography is light, Without light it is impossible to take a photograph as such. Therefore, to learn the basics of photography, beginners should look Special attention on the lighting level of the place in which you are going to photograph.
Choosing the right lighting can be called correct exposure in photography. Because by choosing the right light and exposure on a DSLR camera, you will get a perfectly lit photo. If you overexpose, your photo will be too light, and if you make it too low (underexposure), your photo will be too dark.
An example of an overexposed photograph: 
So, how do you properly expose a photo on a DSLR camera so that you get a photo that is not too dark and not too light? For this SLR cameras have a built-in exposure meter, which helps us correctly set the desired light intensity for photography.
When we look through the camera viewfinder, exposure meter has a scale from -2 to +2 and has a small dash that indicates? where it is now, it all looks something like this:
When the pointer is in the middle, does this mean? that the camera has detected that the photo's exposure is set correctly: not too light and not too dark.
But, if the pointer is on the right side, then this means that the photo will be too light and the exposure will be incorrect, and if the pointer is on the left, then the photo will be too dark.And accordingly, in order to set the correct exposure of the photo, you need to place this pointer exactly in the center, as shown in the picture, then the photo will turn out with the correct exposure, and the amount of light that you need will enter the lens of your camera.
But also, to understand, it is worth knowing that Proper exposure is a combination of many things and camera settings: ISO settings, exposure time, and aperture. Let's take a closer look at them so you understand what they are.
SLR Camera Aperture Basics
The aperture on a DSLR camera controls the amount of light entering the lens, and for convenience, it is usually denoted by the letter F and a number that indicates how wide the camera's aperture will be open.
Below you can see: 
You can see that the lower the aperture number, the wider it opens, and the more light enters the camera lens. And correspondingly, The higher the aperture number, the less light enters the lens.
This, of course, at first glance is quite confusing mathematics, but if you are not afraid to experiment, having already studied our basics mirror photography, take more photographs and don’t be afraid to explore new capabilities of your camera, then you will quickly get used to it and understand what’s what.
Exposure time and SLR camera
The exposure time of an SLR camera is the time for which the diaphragm ( which we talked about above) opens to let light onto the lens. This is sometimes simply referred to as the speed at which a photograph is taken.
Respectively, The longer the aperture remains open (low speed photography), the more light the camera lens will receive and the image will be brighter. And, the faster the photo is taken and the faster the camera shutter clicks, the less light will hit the lens, but you will be able to capture fast-moving objects more clearly.
Exposure speed (time) in addition to adjusting the amount of light, if you learn to use it correctly, can cause various interesting effects in the photo itself. For example, if you want to freeze a fast-moving object in motion, then you should set the aperture speed as fast as possible.
But if, on the contrary, you deliberately want a fast-moving object to be blurred, or as if moving a little, then you can specifically set the camera, as they say, “for a long exposure”, then the photograph can turn into a small movie.
This is, of course, a stage of not quite basic training in the basics of photography, this is already real photographic art and initial techniques and secrets when working with a camera at a professional level, because here you can create any images that simply do not exist in real life.
But you can also try this with your camera by setting it to a slow shutter speed and capturing a fast-moving object, like the car in this photo:
Exposure time 0.6 s On the contrary, the following photo shows how fast-moving objects can be clearly captured due to the camera's fast shutter response and low exposure time:
Exposure time 1/4000 second. ISO Basics for DSLR Cameras
Everyone has heard of the ISO parameter, but not everyone knows what it means, but ISO is the sensitivity level of the light sensor. The greater the sensitivity of this sensor, the more light the image will receive..Using ISO is especially important when the photographer is in low light conditions and has to further increase the sensitivity of his camera.
The ISO value depends on the model, price and manufacturer of your camera and usually between 80-16000, and on the most expensive and modern cameras and more than this value.
But, naturally, like everything else in life, you also have to pay for increasing photosensitivity by deteriorating other camera parameters, as is usually the case when high ISO The quality and sharpness of the image is slightly lost.
Example: 
Using autofocus is the most basic fundamentals of photography; for this, it is usually enough to press the shutter button on the camera halfway, and when the camera itself selects the optimal focus in its opinion, all you have to do is press the shutter button.
To focus in manual mode you will need to turn the ring on the camera lens until the object you are about to photograph is clearly visible.
Subject is out of focus 
Subject in focus and clearly visible Although sometimes you can deliberately leave some objects out of focus, this is a more complex shooting technique. See what the same object looks like both in focus and out of focus.
Depth of field (DOF what does it mean in English Depth of Field) This a parameter that determines how well objects that are in close proximity to the object or place we are looking at will be in focus this moment focused the camera.
Also, the depth of field parameter is highly dependent on the aperture settings you initially selected and set. For example, if the aperture is set to a very large opening of f/2.8, then the objects that will be located where we focus will be out of focus and will not look sharp or blurry.
Shot with low depth of field. And if you set the depth of field to f/11 or f/22, then the rest of the objects in such a photo will look quite sharp and clear, this is called a large depth of field.
High depth of field in photography Another factor that can affect depth of field is the distance of the camera from the subject you are shooting.. The closer you are, the shallower the depth of field will be for close objects, and vice versa, the further you are, the greater the depth of field will be and there will be practically no blurry objects in the frame.
Knowing this secret You'll be able to take photos from different depths of field with the same camera settings, just by moving closer or further away from your subject.
Focal length
To fully understand the basics of photography, a beginner should also know about focal length, which is usually measured in millimeters and differs different types and types of lenses.
For example, a very short focal length of a 10mm lens means that This lens has a very wide field of view, and will be able to photograph many objects or people even if the photographer is very close to them.Usually Such lenses are used to photograph landscapes, architecture, and large numbers of people, especially if it is not possible to move a considerable distance away from them.
Lenses with very long focal lengths, such as 400mm, can be used to photograph very distant subjects close-up, to which there is no physical opportunity or desire to come closer.
It can be sporting events where the photographer will be in the way, or even photographing wild animals in nature or surveillance. But such a lens will not be able to photograph objects that are located next to it. Therefore, initially the type of lens and lens to be purchased should be chosen by deciding in advance at what distance you want to shoot objects most often. 
Types of lenses for SLR cameras
There are 2 main types of lenses for SLR cameras, fixed lenses (often called primes) and zoom lenses.
Fixed lenses have only one possible focal length, for example the most common 50mm, which by the way approximately corresponds to normal human vision. But in general, today you can select and buy a fixed lens with almost any focal length.
There are also more versatile ZOOM lenses, which are more often used if you are not a big professional and do not want to buy and carry a bunch of expensive fixed lenses.
As an example, there is a 24mm-70mm lens. And accordingly, you can change the focal length for shooting to the one you need, in this range simply by turning the ring located on this lens. But here, again, you will have to sacrifice a little on the quality of the photographs, although for a non-professional this is not so important, and perhaps even unnoticeable. And if you want to understand in more detail.
Is it worth learning photography?
And here we will finish our story, I hope you understand how many factors need to be taken into account and how many settings to set on a DSLR camera to obtain a technically “ideal” picture.
And these are just the very basics of photography as a real art and the opportunity to earn big money from photography. Naturally, over time we will help you learn the art of photography and more special technical techniques on our portal, but you also need to develop, constantly practice and try new and more complex shooting techniques if you want to take really high-quality photographs.
And now, if you urgently need high-quality and inexpensive photographs for your websites and business, but you have not yet mastered working with digital camera at the right level. I can recommend it, where there are already millions of high-quality photos, which I myself use when I don’t have the time and desire to go and take photos for my articles myself.
Although I have my own full-time photographer and a separate camera, as practice shows, it’s actually easier and cheaper to buy very high-quality photographs from dozens of professionals who spent years creating them for pennies and do not save money on this, but save a lot of time.And if you haven’t decided to become a professional or you don’t have time for it yet, you can do it just for the soul, or really concentrate and devote a lot of time to self-development in the field of photography and start making money from photography and
And then we are already starting to write articles on teaching the basics of the art of photography, for example, and on making money on photo stocks, and if you are a businessman and need high-quality photographs today, then we have prepared for you a wonderful series of articles about that
This article is intended primarily for those who first came to the site with the desire to learn how to take photographs. It will act as a guide to the rest of the site’s materials, which you should pay attention to if you suddenly decide to “upgrade” your photography skills.
Before learning to take photographs, you need to decide for yourself - why do I need this and how deeply am I ready to dive into it? Probably everyone has seen a similar caricature of the diagram of human evolution:
Image from the Internet
Sometimes this picture draws a line between a photographer with a mobile phone and a photographer with a tripod and the caption “some people should stop here.”
The article you are reading has existed since 2008 and every couple of years it is thoroughly edited in accordance with current trends and trends in the field of photography - amateur and professional. Over the 10 years of its existence, this article has changed its content by almost 100%! This is due to the fact that we now live in a turning point, when photography has turned from being the preserve of professionals and enthusiasts into a universal hobby. And not even a hobby, but an integral part of everyday life. You probably already guess that we're talking about about mobile photography. On the one hand, this is very cool, but on the other...Photography, due to its mass appeal, ceases to be art. Every day, millions (if not billions) of the same type of photographs with flowers, cats, plates of food, selfies and other nonsense are uploaded to the Internet and, oddly enough, all this finds its viewer - “Instagram stars” gain millions of likes for blurry photos like “ me and my cat." Simply because their photos are understandable and close to the majority. Photographs of recognized masters have a much lower rating among the general public - they do not understand them. It’s about the same as comparing two types of music - pop and, say, jazz.
Let's return to the question once again - why do you want to learn photography? If you're doing it just because it's "fashionable" or "prestigious" - don't bother. This fashion will soon pass. If you really want to “rise above the hustle and bustle,” this article is for you!
A bit of boring theory
First of all, it is worth noting that photography consists of two inextricably linked parts - creative and technical.
The creative part comes from your imagination and vision of the plot. Its understanding comes with experience. This can also include photographic luck - the more experienced the photographer, the more often he is “lucky” with the subject and shooting conditions. When I started my creative journey, I looked at the works of advanced authors on photosight.ru and perceived them as some kind of magic. I recently reviewed the list of selected works and realized that there is no magic in them, just a lot of experience and a fair amount of luck :)
The technical part is a sequence of pressing buttons, selecting a mode, setting shooting parameters in order to realize a creative idea. Proportion can be creative and technical part may be different and depends only on your decision - what camera will you take pictures in, in what mode (auto or), in what format (), will you do it later or leave it as is?
Learning to photograph means learning to combine creative and technical part in optimal proportions. It is not at all necessary to photograph everything in manual mode (we will leave this to the adherents of the “old school”), it is enough to know the features of your camera and be able to use them in accordance with the shooting conditions. When we see a beautiful painting, it makes absolutely no difference to us how the artist held the brush, how he mixed the paints, or how high his easel was. It's the same in photography. The main thing is the result, and how it was obtained is completely indifferent to the viewer.
What is the best camera to buy for learning photography?
If you really want to learn photography, you need a camera, not a smartphone. It is highly desirable that this camera have interchangeable lenses. Smartphones are conceptually designed for automatic shooting, even if they have some manual settings. When trying to learn to take photographs using a smartphone, you will very quickly realize that you have hit the ceiling - there are not enough photographic capabilities for further development. The creative possibilities of any camera with interchangeable lenses are practically unlimited.
To learn photography, it is not at all necessary to purchase the most modern and expensive equipment. Nowadays, amateur technology has developed so much that it satisfies the requirements of not only amateurs, but also advanced photographers.
Now about the cameras themselves (more precisely, about the “carcasses”). There is no point in chasing the most modern models. They are expensive and usually do not have any great advantages over cameras of the previous model. The only thing that can encourage a reasonable person to overpay for newness is some radical updates, for example, a new generation matrix. In most other cases, innovations in photography have a very indirect relationship. For example, the number of focus sensors has increased by 5%, Wi-Fi control, a GPS sensor, and an ultra-high-resolution touch screen have been added. It makes no sense to pay 20% more for such innovations compared to the previous model. I don’t encourage you to buy “old stuff,” but I recommend taking a more sober approach to the choice between a new product and a previous generation camera. Prices for new products can be unreasonably high, while the number of truly useful innovations may not be so great.
Introducing Basic Camera Features
It is advisable to be patient and study the instructions for the camera. Unfortunately, it is not always written simply and clearly, however, this does not eliminate the need to study the location and purpose of the main controls. As a rule, there are not so many controls - a mode dial, one or two wheels for setting parameters, several function buttons, zoom controls, an autofocus and shutter button. It is also worth studying the main menu items in order to be able to configure such things as, image style. All this comes with experience, but over time there should not be a single incomprehensible item in the camera menu for you.
Getting to know the exhibition
The time has come to pick up the camera and try to depict something with it. First, turn on auto mode and try to take photographs in it. In most cases, the result will be quite normal, but sometimes the photos for some reason turn out to be too light or, conversely, too dark.
It's time to get acquainted with such a thing as. Exposure is the total light flux that the matrix captured during the shutter operation. The higher the exposure level, the brighter the photo appears. Photos that are too light are called overexposed, and photos that are too dark are called underexposed. You can adjust the exposure level manually, but this cannot be done in auto mode. To be able to "brighten up or down" you need to go into P (programmed exposure) mode.
Programmed Exposure Mode
This is the simplest “creative” mode, which combines the simplicity of the auto mode and at the same time allows you to introduce corrections into the operation of the machine - to make photos forcibly lighter or darker. This is done using exposure compensation. Exposure compensation is usually used when the scene is dominated by either light or dark objects. The automation works in such a way that it tries to bring the average exposure level of the image to 18% gray tone (the so-called “gray card”). Please note that when we take more of the bright sky into the frame, the ground appears darker in the photo. And vice versa, we take more land into the frame - the sky brightens, sometimes even turns white. Exposure compensation helps compensate for shadows and highlights moving beyond the boundaries of absolute black and absolute white.
Even in program exposure mode, you can adjust the white balance and control the flash. This mode is convenient because it requires a minimum technical knowledge, but at the same time it is able to provide much better results than a full automatic machine.
Also in program exposure mode you will get to know such a thing as bar chart. This is nothing more than a graph of the distribution of pixel brightness in the picture.
The left side of the histogram corresponds to shadows, the right side to highlights. If the histogram appears “clipped” on the left, there are black areas with lost color in the image. Accordingly, the “cropped” histogram on the right indicates the presence of light areas “knocked out” into whiteness. When adjusting exposure, the histogram shifts to the right or left, and the picture brightens or darkens, respectively. Your task is to learn to control the histogram and not let it unnecessarily creep beyond its allotted limits. In this case, the exposure of the photo will most likely be correct.
What is endurance?
No matter how good and convenient it is, it, alas, does not always allow us to get the result we expected. A striking example- shooting moving objects. Try going outside to photograph cars passing by. On a bright sunny day this will most likely work, but as soon as the sun goes behind a cloud, the cars will turn out slightly smeared. Moreover, the less light, the stronger this blur will be. Why does this happen?
The photo is exposed when the shutter opens. If fast moving objects get into the frame, then during the time the shutter is opened they have time to move and appear slightly blurry in the photo. The time for which the shutter opens is called endurance.
Shutter speed allows you to get the effect of “frozen motion” (example below), or, conversely, blur moving objects.
Shutter speed is displayed as a unit divided by a number, for example, 1/500 - this means that the shutter will open for 1/500 of a second. This is a fast enough shutter speed at which driving cars and walking pedestrians will be clear in the photo. The shorter the shutter speed, the more rapid movement can be frozen.
If you increase the shutter speed to, say, 1/125 of a second, pedestrians will still remain clear, but cars will be noticeably blurred. If the shutter speed is 1/50 or longer, the risk of getting blurry photos increases due to the photographer's hand shaking and it is recommended to use the camera on a tripod , or use an image stabilizer (if available).
Night photographs are taken with very long exposures of several seconds and even minutes. Here it is no longer possible to do without a tripod.
To be able to lock the shutter speed, the camera has a shutter priority mode. It is designated TV or S. In addition to a fixed shutter speed, it allows you to use exposure compensation. Shutter speed has a direct effect on the exposure level - the longer the shutter speed, the brighter the photo turns out.
What is a diaphragm?
Another mode that can be useful is aperture priority mode.
Diaphragm- this is the “pupil” of the lens, a hole of variable diameter. The narrower this diaphragm hole, the larger DOF- depth of sharply imaged space. Aperture is designated by a dimensionless number from the series 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, etc. In modern cameras you can choose intermediate values, for example, 3.5, 7.1, 13, etc.
The larger the aperture number, the greater the depth of field. A large depth of field is relevant when you need everything to be sharp - both the foreground and the background. Landscapes are usually shot with an aperture of 8 or larger.
A typical example of a photograph with a large depth of field is the zone of sharpness from the grass under your feet to infinity.
The point of a small depth of field is to focus the viewer's attention on the subject and blur all background objects. This technique is commonly used in . To blur the background in a portrait, open the aperture to 2.8, 2, sometimes even 1.4. At this stage, we come to the understanding that the 18-55 mm kit lens limits our creative possibilities, since at the “portrait” focal length of 55 mm it will not be possible to open the aperture wider than 5.6 - we begin to think about a fast prime (for example, 50mm 1.4) so that get a result like this:
Shallow DOF is a great way to shift the viewer's attention from the colorful background to the main subject.
To control aperture, you need to switch the control dial to aperture priority mode (AV or A). In this case, you tell the device what aperture you want to take pictures with, and it selects all the other parameters itself. Exposure compensation is also available in aperture priority mode.
The aperture has the opposite effect on the exposure level - the larger the aperture number, the darker the picture turns out (a pinched pupil lets in less light than an open one).
What is ISO sensitivity?
You've probably noticed that photos sometimes have ripples, grain, or, as it's also called, digital noise. The noise is especially pronounced in photographs taken in poor lighting. The presence/absence of ripples in photographs is determined by the following parameter: ISO sensitivity. This is the degree of sensitivity of the matrix to light. It is designated by dimensionless units - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, etc.
When shooting at minimum sensitivity (for example, ISO 100), the image quality is the best, but you have to shoot with a longer shutter speed. In good lighting, for example, outside during the day, this is not a problem. But if we go into a room in which there is much less light, then it will no longer be possible to shoot at the minimum sensitivity - the shutter speed will be, for example, 1/5 of a second and the risk is very high " wiggles", so called because of the trembling of the hands.
Here's an example photo taken at low ISO with a long shutter speed on a tripod:
Please note that the disturbance on the river was blurred in motion and it seemed that there was no ice on the river. But there is practically no noise in the photo.
To avoid shake in low light, you need to either increase the ISO sensitivity to reduce the shutter speed to at least 1/50 of a second, or continue shooting at minimum ISO and use . When shooting on a tripod with a long shutter speed, moving objects are very blurry. This is especially noticeable when night photography. ISO sensitivity has a direct impact on exposure levels. The higher the ISO number, the brighter the photo will be at a fixed shutter speed and aperture.
Below is an example of a photo taken at ISO6400 late in the evening outdoors without a tripod:
Even in web size it is noticeable that the photo is quite noisy. On the other hand, grain effect is often used as an artistic technique, giving a photo a "film" look.
The relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO
So, as you probably already guessed, the exposure level is influenced by three parameters - shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity. There is such a thing as “exposure step” or EV (Exposure Value). Each next step corresponds to an exposure 2 times greater than the previous one. These three parameters are interconnected.
- if we open the aperture by 1 step, the shutter speed is reduced by 1 step
- if we open the aperture by 1 step, the sensitivity decreases by one step
- if we reduce the shutter speed by 1 step, the ISO sensitivity increases by one step
Manual mode
In manual mode, the photographer has the ability to control. This is necessary when we need to firmly fix the exposure level and prevent the camera from acting on its own. For example, darken or brighten the foreground when there is more or less sky in the frame, respectively.
Convenient when shooting in the same conditions, for example, when walking around the city in sunny weather. I adjusted it once and had the same exposure level in all photos. The inconveniences in manual mode begin when you have to move between light and dark locations. If we go, for example, into a cafe from the street and shoot there on “street” settings, the photos will turn out too dark, since there is less light in the cafe.
Manual mode is indispensable when shooting panoramas and all thanks to the same property - maintaining a constant exposure level. When using autoexposure, the exposure level will greatly depend on the amount of light and dark objects. If we caught a large dark object in the frame, we got the sky illuminated. And vice versa, if the frame is dominated by light objects, the shadows fade into blackness. Gluing up such a panorama is a pain in the ass! So, to avoid this mistake, shoot panoramas in M mode, setting the exposure in advance in such a way that all fragments will be correctly exposed.
The result is that when gluing there will be no “steps” in brightness between frames, which are likely to appear when shooting in any other mode.
In general, many experienced photographers and photography teachers recommend using manual mode as the main one. They are right about something - when you shoot in manual mode, you have complete control over the shooting process. You can choose the most correct combination of settings for a given one from hundreds of options. The main thing is to know what you are doing and why. If there is no clear understanding of the principles of operation in manual mode, you can limit yourself to semi-automatic ones - 99.9% of viewers will not notice the difference :)
In reporting conditions, manual mode is also not particularly convenient, since you need to constantly adapt to changing shooting conditions. Many people do it cunningly - in mode M they fix the shutter speed and aperture, while “releasing” the ISO. Although the mode selector is set to M, shooting is far from being done in manual mode - the camera itself selects ISO sensitivity and flash power, and can change these parameters within enormous limits.
Zoom and focal length
This is a characteristic that determines the angle of the lens's field of view. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle the lens covers; the longer the focal length, the more similar in its effect it is to a spyglass.
Often the concept of “focal length” in everyday life is replaced by “zoom”. This is incorrect, since zoom is just a factor that changes the focal length. If the maximum focal length is divided by the minimum, we get the zoom factor.
Focal length is measured in millimeters. Nowadays, the term “equivalent focal length” is widely used; it is used for cameras with a crop factor, of which the majority are. Its purpose is to estimate the coverage angle of a specific lens/matrix combination and bring them to a full-frame equivalent. The formula is simple:
EFR = FR * Kf
FR is the actual focal length, CF (crop factor) is a coefficient showing how many times the matrix of this device is smaller than a full-frame one (36*24 mm).
Thus, the equivalent focal length of an 18-55 mm lens on a 1.5 crop would be 27-82 mm. Below is a sample list of focal length settings. I'll be writing in full frame equivalent. If you have a crop factor camera, simply divide these numbers by the crop factor to get the actual focal length you need to set on your lens.
- 24 mm or less- “wide angle”. The coverage angle allows you to capture a fairly large sector of space in the frame. This allows you to convey the depth of the frame and the distribution of plans well. 24mm is characterized by a pronounced perspective effect, which tends to distort the proportions of objects at the edges of the frame. Often it looks impressive.
It is better not to photograph group portraits at 24 mm, as people on the extreme end may end up with heads that are slightly elongated diagonally. Focal lengths of 24mm and shorter are good for landscapes with sky and water predominates.
- 35 mm- “short focus”. Also good for landscapes, as well as shooting people against the background of a landscape. The coverage angle is quite wide, but the perspective is less pronounced. At 35mm you can shoot portraits in full height, portraits in setting.
- 50 mm- “normal lens”. The focal length is mainly for taking pictures of people not very close-up. Single, group portrait, “street photography”. The perspective roughly corresponds to what we are used to seeing with our own eyes. You can photograph a landscape, but not every landscape - the angle of the field of view is no longer so large and does not allow you to convey depth and space.
- 85-100 mm- “portrait painter”. The 85-100mm lens is well suited for shooting waist-length and larger portraits with a predominantly vertical frame layout. The most interesting picture can be obtained fast lenses with a fixed focal length, for example, 85mm F:1.8. When shooting at an open aperture, the eighty-five lens blurs the background very well, thereby emphasizing the main subject. For other genres, an 85 mm lens, even if it is suitable, is a stretch. It is almost impossible to shoot landscapes with it; indoors, most of the interior is outside its field of vision.
- 135 mm- “close-up portraiture”. A focal length for close-up portraits in which the face takes up most of the frame. The so-called close-up portrait.
- 200 mm or more- “telephoto lens”. Allows you to take close-up shots of distant objects. A woodpecker on a tree trunk, a roe deer at a watering hole, a football player with a ball in the middle of the field. Not bad for taking close-up shots of small objects - for example, a flower in a flower bed. The perspective effect is practically absent. It is better not to use such lenses for portraits, as faces appear visually wider and flatter. Below is an example of a photograph taken at a focal length of 600 mm - there is virtually no perspective. Near and far objects on the same scale:
The focal (real!) distance, in addition to the scale of the image, affects the depth of field of the imaged space (together with the aperture). The longer the focal length, the smaller the depth of field, and accordingly, the background blur is stronger. This is another reason not to use a wide-angle lens for portraits if you want background blur. Here lies the answer and the question - why “” and smartphones do not blur the background in portraits well. Their actual focal length is several times shorter than that of SLR and system cameras (mirrorless).
Composition in photography
Now that we have generally understood the technical part, it's time to talk about such a thing as composition. In short, composition in photography is the relative arrangement and interaction of objects and light sources in the frame, thanks to which the photographic work looks harmonious and complete. There are quite a lot of rules, I will list the main ones, those that need to be learned first.
Light is your most important visual medium. Depending on the angle at which the light hits an object, it can look completely different. Black and white drawing - almost the only way convey volume in photographs. Frontal light (flash, the sun behind) hides the volume, objects look flat. If the light source is shifted slightly to the side, this is better; a play of light and shadow appears. Counter (back) light makes pictures contrasting and dramatic, but you must first learn how to work with such light.
Don't try to fit everything into the frame at the same time, photograph only the essence. When photographing something in the foreground, keep an eye on the background - there are often unwanted objects in it. Pillars, traffic lights, trash cans, and the like - all these unnecessary objects clog up the composition and distract attention, they are called “photo trash”.
Do not place the main subject in the center of the frame, move it slightly to the side. Leave more space in the frame in the direction where the main subject is “looking”. If possible, try different options and choose the best one.
“Zoom in” and “come closer” are not the same thing. Zoom increases the focal length of the lens, as a result of which the background is stretched and blurred - this is good for a portrait (within reasonable limits).
We take the portrait from the model’s eye level from a distance of at least 2 meters. Lack of scale by increasing the focal length (zoom zoom). If we photograph children, we don’t need to do it from our own height; we’ll get a portrait against the background of the floor, asphalt, or grass. Sit down!
Try not to take a portrait from a frontal angle (like a passport). Turning the model's face towards the main light source is always beneficial. You can try other angles. The main thing is light!
Make the most of natural light - it's more artistic and lively than flash lighting. Remember that a window is an excellent source of soft diffused lighting, almost a softbox. Using curtains and tulle, you can change the intensity of light and its softness. The closer the model is to the window, the more contrasting the lighting.
When shooting “in a crowd”, a high shooting point, when the camera is held on arms outstretched, is almost always advantageous. Some photographers even use a stepladder.
Try not to let the horizon line cut the frame into two equal halves. If there is more interest in the foreground, place the horizon at a level of approximately 2/3 from the bottom edge (ground - 2/3, sky - 1/3), if in the background - accordingly, at a level of 1/3 (ground - 1/3, sky - 2/3). This is also called the “rule of thirds”. If you can’t attach key objects to the “thirds”, place them symmetrically to each other relative to the center:
To process or not to process?
For many, this is a sore point - whether a photograph processed in Photoshop is considered “live” and “real”. In this opinion, people are divided into two camps - some are categorically against processing, others - for the fact that there is nothing wrong with processing photographs. My personal opinion about processing is this:
- Any photographer should have at least basic photo processing skills - correct the horizon, frame, cover up a speck of dust on the matrix, adjust the exposure level, white balance.
- Learn to take photographs in such a way that you don’t need to edit them later. This saves a lot of time!
- If the picture initially turned out well, think a hundred times before “improving” it somehow programmatically.
- Converting a photo to black and white, toning, graining, and using filters does not automatically make it artistic, but there is a chance of it slipping into bad taste.
- When processing a photo, you must know what you want to get. There is no need to do processing for the sake of processing.
- Explore the capabilities of the programs you use. There are probably functions that you don’t know about that will allow you to achieve results faster and better.
- Don't get carried away with color correction without a high-quality calibrated monitor. Just because an image looks good on your laptop screen doesn't mean it will look good on other screens or when printed.
- The edited photograph must be left to rest. Before publishing it and sending it to print, leave it for a couple of days, and then look at it with fresh eyes - it is quite possible that you will want to change a lot.
Conclusion
I hope you understand that you won’t be able to learn photography by reading one article. Yes, I, in fact, did not set such a goal - to “lay out” everything that I know in it. The purpose of the article is to briefly talk about the simple truths of photography, without going into subtleties and details, but simply to lift the veil. I tried to write in a concise and accessible language, but even so, the article turned out to be quite lengthy - and this is just the tip of the iceberg!
If you are interested in a deeper study of the topic, I can offer paid materials on photography. They are presented in the form e-books V PDF format. You can view their list and trial versions here -.
The ability to take decent photographs, although not a direct responsibility of a traveler, is still very desirable.
Nowadays, almost every active person has a SLR camera, but as I noticed, most use auto mode.
Perhaps someone thinks that there is no need for this at all, because auto mode and so produces good quality images, but the fact is that only direct control camera gives you a lot of possibilities.
Judging by my inquiries, people would like to use the device settings, but They think that learning photography is very difficult. My article today is intended to dispel this myth.
In this case, we are talking only about fairly high-level cameras, that is, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. The latter are a much more practical option for the traveler.
First, let's define what it actually is - a good camera on which it makes sense to use manual mode. At the core digital camera lies a photosensor called a matrix, onto which light passing through the lens is focused. In principle, a modern camera is no different from a film camera - the film has simply been replaced with a photo matrix.
So, the most important parameter in the quality of the camera itself is the size of the matrix. I don’t want to go into theory, all this can be read on specialized resources or Wikipedia, I will only note that the physically larger the matrix, the higher the signal-to-noise ratio, and, accordingly, the quality of the picture.
The standard in the consumer segment is considered to be the so-called full-frame matrices (also called full frame), their the size is identical to 35mm film.
Therefore, in photography, all matrix sizes smaller than 36x24 (full frame) are calculated using the crop factor. This crop factor essentially means how many times the sensor is smaller than a full-frame one.
For example, most DSLRs have a crop factor of ~1.5, which simply means that their sensor is one and a half times smaller than a full-frame one. I don’t want to touch on how the crop factor affects focal lengths yet, maybe we’ll talk about that another time.
In a conversation about high-quality cameras we can say that the lower limit of the matrix size is in the limit of the crop factor - 2. Anything that has a smaller matrix can be considered a point-and-shoot camera and is not considered in this article.
How many megapixels do you need?
One more note: for some reason it is believed that the number of megapixels in modern cameras is growing only under marketing pressure. Allegedly, on old low-pixel DSLRs the picture was much better.
This statement is nothing more than retrogradeness and longing for the “warm tube sound.” Increasing megapixels in DSLR cameras combined with new image processing algorithms only improves detail and reduces noise On the photo.
Let's proceed directly to shooting in manual mode. I know that many people associate such shooting with childhood memories, when, under the guidance of a parent, we measured the exposure level with a photo exposure meter and calculated the shutter speed depending on the required aperture. Friends, it’s the 21st century, everything has become much simpler.
Depth of field
Let's return to the camera. We don’t need fully manual mode M, so we turn on mode A. In this mode we control the aperture size, and the camera itself will select the shutter speed. It is very important to understand here that the aperture size determines the depth of field - one of the most important shooting parameters.
Most likely, you have seen more than once how photographers separate the main subject of a composition from the background by blurring. This is precisely the result of using a diaphragm. Remember, the wider we open the aperture, the more blurry it will be. the background.
And vice versa, if our composition is a landscape, and we need to sharpen everything that falls into the frame, we need to close the aperture. The numbers indicating the aperture value are in reverse order: that is, at 3.5 the aperture is open wider than at 8, and the depth of field will be shallower.
The second factor influencing depth of field is the focal length of the lens. The larger it is, the more the background is blurred. The wider the lens angle, the less blur.
The third is the distance from the lens to the object and from the object to the background.
That is, roughly speaking, portraits should be taken at a closer approach, with the aperture set to the lowest value (number). Here's an example. I want to shoot a girl in the city, separating her from other people with an out-of-focus background.
I turn the lens to the maximum (most often 18-55mm glass comes with SLR cameras), and I approach the girl with my feet so that she fits into the frame the way I need - full-length, waist-deep, just her face.
Thus, I make the distance between the camera and the subject minimal in this situation, which will allow you to blur the background well.
I set the aperture to the widest value (lowest number), most likely in your DSLR it will be 5.6. I take a photo and get a great portrait.
There are so-called portrait lenses. They are not zooms: as a rule, their focal length is 50mm, but they have a very wide open aperture - 1.4-1.8. The wider the aperture is opened, the more the background is blurred.
Advice: do not photograph people next to walls or large objects, ask them to move away so that there is at least five meters of free space behind them. This will give the photo “air” due to the contrast of the subject with the background.
Now, if you decide to shoot landscape or architecture, you just need to set the aperture smaller (the number is larger). Just don’t get carried away, for matrices with a crop factor of 1.5, at approximately aperture 10, the diffraction limit begins, at which the detail of the image begins to fall. Those who are interested in the nature of the phenomenon go to Google, the rest take my word for it that the aperture should not be set beyond 8.
Excerpt
Shutter priority mode S is used by photographers much less frequently, to solve specific creative problems. For example, we want to photograph a racing cyclist to convey his speed. We set the shutter speed longer (experimentally) and when a biker flies past, we follow him with the camera, pressing the shutter.
As a result, the person in the photo will be clear, but the background will be blurred in movement. It's called wire shooting. But I repeat, shutter priority is used very rarely, especially by amateur photographers. Therefore, 99% of the time the camera is set to aperture priority mode A.
It would seem that since the automatic machine selects the shutter speed itself, then we have nothing to monitor it, but unfortunately, this is not the case. The fact is that the less light there is on the street and the harder we press the diaphragm, the longer time shutter speed is needed for our frame to be exposed.
At long exposure your hands are not able to hold the camera absolutely still, and the picture comes out a little blurry. Photographers call it a wiggle.
To find out at what shutter speed there will be no movement, you need to look at the shutter speed offered by the camera and compare it with the focal length of the lens. For example, if you currently have a wide angle of 25mm, then the shutter speed should be no longer than 1/25(a larger number in the denominator means shorter, a smaller number means longer).
Thus, by increasing the focal length of the lens, the need for light also increases. In the same place as in the previous example, having turned the lens to 55mm, our minimum shutter speed will already be 1/50.
To combat camera movement, a stabilizer is installed in cameras, and this device allows you to at least halve the need for light. That is, using a stub, with a focal length of 55mm, it will be quite possible to photograph at a shutter speed of 1/25.
What should you do if, no matter how hard you try, you can’t get a fast enough shutter speed and the photos come out blurry? You can open the aperture slightly (just remember that this reduces the depth of field), you can rest your elbows on your stomach, you can put the camera on some object.
The stabilizer prevents blur due to hand shaking, but if there are moving objects (people, cars) in the frame, then long exposure they will be smudged.
But the easiest way is to increase light sensitivity. I deliberately do not touch upon the possibility of using the built-in flash, because the result will usually be disastrous. Avoid shooting with the built-in flash as much as possible.
Light sensitivity (ISO)
In order to shoot in low light conditions, the camera matrix is capable of working in high sensitivity mode. This means that when you increase ISO by one point, the light requirement is cut in half. If you can’t achieve the minimum shutter speed at which you can take a successful shot, increase the light sensitivity.
Unfortunately, the ISO limit is not infinite - as it increases, the number of digital noise, which eats up details in the shadows, shades of color, etc. Improving the light sensitivity of matrices is a subject of improvement modern cameras, and today it is already quite possible to shoot at ISO3200, with almost no loss in picture quality.
Lens sharpness
All photographers love sharpness. This parameter depends on the optical properties of the lens. More expensive glasses are not always sharper, because other factors determine the price: optics design, weight, dimensions, subjective assessments and, of course, the red stripe on the front lens. 🙂
We must remember that zoom lenses will almost always be less sharp overall than prime lenses. This is easily explained because with a zoom, the manufacturer has to combine too many variables, and for the lens to be sharp at all focal lengths, it must cost and weigh as much as a steam locomotive. Most often, zooms have the greatest blur at the edges: at the widest and farthest angles.
Another one important feature— each lens has its own sharpest aperture. This information is not advertised, but you can find it out by taking several test shots with different values. As a rule, the open aperture is the softest. Therefore, if you want to take a portrait in which every eyelash is visible, close the aperture a little, sacrificing a little background blur.
That's all the information you need to start photographing the way you need, and not the way the camera seems right. In my opinion, everything is very simple if you practice a little. I am sure that by taking a few thoughtful shots that you yourself will like, you don't want to go anymore to automatic mode.
I will only add that filming is only the first part of photography. It is imperative to process the pictures, otherwise you will end up with either a dull substance or cheerful photos that were affected by the camera’s automatic processing. Neither one nor the other is acceptable. If I get around to it, I’ll write a note about basic processing of photos in RAW format and finishing them in Photoshop.
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Often, beginners in photography have a question: where to start as a novice photographer? For those who are just about to study the art of photography, we have put together practical tips that will help a novice photographer learn the most important things. Having a good camera is half the battle, even less. And to be able to use it correctly is a whole science. Let's figure out what a novice photographer needs to know.
If you have seriously decided to take up photography, then we offer several recommendations for a successful start.
- Don't chase newfangled technology. A soap dish and a DSLR are two different things, there is no point in arguing. But don’t try to buy the coolest camera and think that the pictures will be of high quality. In skillful hands, even photographs taken on a point-and-shoot camera will look beautiful and mesmerizing. And, conversely, a good SLR camera in the hands of an inept photographer will not take spectacular pictures. Everything depends not on the pixels and other parameters of the camera, but on the ability to take photographs, see the frame, and set up the camera. For the first time, an ordinary SLR camera will be enough, or a used one. It is important to be careful here and not run into faulty equipment. Don't go shopping in search of a popular and fashionable camera; this can significantly empty your wallet and not lead to the desired effect. Spend this time learning the art of photography.
- Once you have purchased your camera, get to know it. Read the instructions carefully and understand the settings. Photos taken in Auto mode will not have the same effect as photos taken using manual settings. The camera should be your friend. It is important to know the settings inside and out so that you can always be on friendly terms with your friend.
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- Start learning from the basics. Take a course where the teacher will give you the necessary knowledge base and point you in the right direction. You will be able to ask a knowledgeable person questions that interest you. If you can't take courses, don't worry. Start studying the art of photography on your own by purchasing special literature or using the Internet. Don't be intimidated by the amount of information that seems overwhelming. Stick to the training plan and little by little you will achieve results.
- Practice. Remember how in the song “I always take a video camera with me”? Also in life. Take your camera with you and take pictures. The more you practice, the better. Learn to see the frame, build a composition, change settings and get used to the camera. This doesn’t mean that you should mindlessly photograph everything, but you shouldn’t leave the camera for too long. Let it be in action, and not gather dust on a shelf.
- Try to notice interesting things around you. Even if you don’t have a camera with you, learn to see good shot, think through the composition and understand how to build the light and what settings to use. The ability to notice interesting things around you will become a habit over time, which will certainly affect the quality of your photos.
- Don't stop learning. Study the photographs of other photographers who admire you, whose work you usually admire. Try to understand what is the secret of their success? What's special about their photographs? Try to take a similar photograph, it will not be copying, just one of the stages of learning. You won’t be able to take exactly the same shot, but you might discover something new for yourself.
- Don't stop taking photographs if you don't like your photos. Try to understand why the shot was unsuccessful, what was wrong? There is work on mistakes in any school or university, this is a normal process. No one can do everything perfectly the first time. We all make mistakes, learn, step on the same rake. The most persistent one reaches the end. Don't be discouraged if your photos aren't as beautiful as you'd like. Do you think famous photographers Does everything work with the first press of the camera button? You are deeply mistaken. Sometimes you have to take hundreds, or even thousands of frames in order to select the most beautiful 5-6 photos from them that will cause admiration. The profession of a photographer is labor, the ability to see a frame, take it, and process photographs. This is a creative process that requires concentration and diligence. Lazy photographers never succeed. They take mediocre photos and don't learn from their mistakes. Don't want to be counted among them? Then don’t be afraid to make mistakes and move forward, honing your skills.
- No need to worry about your camera. We advise you to start by buying a used camera that you can take with you everywhere, actively use, and not have to keep track of every scratch or crack. This is technology! Yes, she is your assistant photographer, but nothing more. This is not a child who needs constant supervision. Of course, you shouldn’t handle your camera carelessly, but you shouldn’t blow away dust particles either.
Let's look at the camera settings. What should you definitely pay attention to?
Manual shooting modes
M- manual mode;
A/AV- aperture priority, in this case the camera will set the shutter speed;
- Advice:
In the case when the shutter speed is 1/60 s, it is recommended to use a tripod.
S/TV- shutter priority, the camera will automatically set the aperture value, convenient to use when you need to capture movement in sharpness;
P- program, almost automatic shooting mode, suitable for the first exposure measurement.
Exposition
Exposition- the amount of light entering the camera matrix when the shutter is opened. Too much light - the frame is overexposed, too little - underexposed.
Diaphragm- a device in the lens that regulates the size of the circle by changing the amount of light passing through it. The higher the value, the more closed the aperture is, the less light enters the matrix. If you want to shoot a landscape, then use a closed aperture of f/8, then the entire space of the frame will be in sharpness. For portrait excellent option there will be an open aperture of f/1.4 - 3.5.
With the aperture wide open, shoot in spot focus mode.
Light meter- this is a scale on the camera screen, in the viewfinder. The exposure meter readings depend on its operating mode.
Matrix- measures a significant part of the frame, suitable for most types of shooting.
Spot metering- produced in the central square. Perfect for shooting in difficult lighting conditions, as well as for taking portraits.
Center-weighted- measures the amount of light throughout the frame, focusing on the central area. Necessary when you need to take a photograph of an object in the center of the frame.
White balance
White balance is the process of adjusting the colors of a photo depending on the light sources so that white objects do not take on warm or cool tones. All colors in a photo depend on the white balance setting. If you change lighting conditions, the white balance also needs to be adjusted again.
Take pictures in RAW format, this will allow you to change the white balance in processing programs.
It is impossible to tell everything for a beginning photographer. There is a lot of information, it is constantly updated, new equipment appears, and, accordingly, the possibilities of using the camera. We shared useful information for beginner photographers. If you feel a great desire to take photographs, don’t put it off until later! Maybe your hobby will turn into your life's work.
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