How To Take Photos - Aperture or F stop

Aperture or F stop
This is how big the hole in the lens is to let the light onto the sensor.  The bigger the F number the smaller the hole, the smaller the number the bigger the hole.

The F stop also has an impact on the Depth of Field [DOF] (or how much is in focus in front and behind your subject).  the Smaller the F stop (e.g. F2.8,F4) the smaller the DOF.  The bigger the F stop (e.g. F11) the longer the DOF, meaning more will be in focus around the subject.

So when taking photos, you will need to think about if you want the background in focus or not and set the F stop accordingly .

How To Take Photos - Shutter speed

Shutter Speed

When taking photos it is important to think about what sort of shot you want to get. Do you want a feeling of motion in the shot or do you want to stop the action?  Setting the shutter speed will decide on the outcome of your photo.

The Shutter Speed is how long the shutter will stay open for when taking a photo.  A fast shutter will freeze action (useful for horse jumping, sports, fountains etc), a slow shutter will blur motion (to get moody waterfalls, or traffic trails)

How To Take Photos - Tip 4: ISO

ISO

This is how sensitive the camera sensor is towards the light.  If you have an ISO 100 the sensor is very sensitive to light. An ISO 1600 means that the sensor is not so sensitive.

The higher the ISO though the more "noise" (that grainy effect) you will get in your photos

When you take photos, you should always use the lowest ISO you can.

How To Take Photos - Tip 3: The Exposure Triangle

The Exposure Triangle is a combination of three of the components of your camera.

The 3 elements, that form the Exposure Triangle are...
1. ISO
2. Shutter speed
3. Aperture

By understanding each components, you can affect the outcome of your pictures when you take photos.

 

I will explain more about these elements in the coming posts!

 

so click follow and stay tuned.......

How To Take Photos - Tip 2: Get down with your subject

When taking a photo of a pet or child, get down to their level.  Looking someone in the eye is as important in photography as it is in real life.

It will also give a better scale to the photograph and not make the subject look small.

How To Take Photos - Tip 1: Auto = Average

OK, the first tip I am going to throw out there for you is a basic one.

If you leave your camera in "Auto", the camera will pick the average exposure, average white balance, average ISO, average shutter speed, average ...... you get the idea.

You may well get a nice photo, but it will be an average photo!

To get a good, or even great photo you are going to have to take the camera out of "Auto" and learn how to use the different settings to get the best from your camera.

Remember - "Auto" = Average!

New blog for me means better photos for you

Hello,

This blog is designed to help people take better photos.

Having completed courses in photography and photoshop, I now want to give a little back to the world and help others get the most from thier cameras.

Over the next few weeks, months, years, I will post little tips, tricks and tutorials to help you take better photos and get that award winning picture!

Cheers for now!