Photography Drills Part 2

We are continuing on with part two of our Photography Drills article. If you didn't read the first article about shutter speed and aperture take a moment to read it and sharpen your photography skills. So we pick up where we left off with ISO.

ISO drill. Your camera's sensor sensitivity is referred to as ISO (International Standards Organization). The more sensitive you make it to light the less time, or amount of light, it needs to make a picture. This allows you to use a faster shutter speed or a larger depth of field. The trade off is that the higher your ISO is the more 'noise' will appear on your images. In case you are wondering what ‘noise’ is, that is what we are hoping to demonstrate by doing this drill.

Start with your ISO at the lowest setting you have (100 on most cameras). Take photos progressively increasing your ISO between each photo (100, 200, 320, 400, etc.). You'll notice that your photos are becoming increasingly brighter, so to get the full effect of the drill it would be best to have the same exposure for each photo. The easiest way to do this is to set your camera on A (aperture priority, as always if you're not familiar with this term consult your camera manual).

Next, put the images on your computer and determine at which ISO you start to notice when the 'noise' from the ISO starts to detract from the quality of your picture. Some cameras will produce a fair amount of noise at ISO 400 while other crop-sensor bodies will do just fine at ISO 800 (full-frame cameras are the ISO ninjas).

Note that camera body and lens combinations, and conditions will produce varied results, so for extra credit complete the drill again using different lenses and lighting conditions and evaluate your results.

Flash drill. As I said in my last article shutter speed, aperture, and ISO are traditionally the three settings that comprise the way light hits your camera sensor, but since flash can heavily influence your results as well, I decided to throw it in here also.

Your camera will have an in-house flash and most cameras are compatible with a flash that fits on a mount as well. 'Fill flash' is generally used to create a more flattering and contrasting result for your pictures but since you are adding light to your subject this tool can also be used poorly and ruin an otherwise good photo.

To get the full effect of this drill choose a subject with a similar color to someone’s skin tone (even better ask someone to model for you), since this is where flash photography will come in handy for most photographers starting out. After you've selected your subject begin taking photos at your lowest manual flash setting and progressively increase the amount of flash you use until the amount of light on the subject becomes so bright that you start to lose detail. This may only be able to be determined by viewing the photos on your computer but the information may also be obtained by using your camera's histogram.

Since each model camera is different with regards to how you adjust your flash settings I won’t get into that here. Once again I encourage you to learn your own camera inside and out, practice, and share your knowledge with others.

Photography Drills 1 of 2

Traditionally there are three main elements that contribute to the image that is recorded on your camera's sensor, shutter speed, aperture (F- stop), and ISO (film/sensor sensitivity). In this article I will go over drills that you can do for these three settings while adding a fourth very useful function of your camera, flash.

1) Shutter speed drill. As you know if you have spent time reading your camera's manual, the shutter speed is the amount of time that light is recorded on your camera's sensor by flipping up the mirror and opening the shutter blades covering the sensor. Now that you know how shutter speed works it's time to practice your first drill.

Choose a stationary subject and progressively take photos at a slower and slower shutter speed, starting at 1/200, until it is evident that you are not able to hold still enough to take a good quality photo (probably somewhere between 1/125 and 1/60, unless you are a ninja). Your photos will get brighter and brighter so decrease your ISO or use a smaller aperture as you shoot.

Next put your photos on your computer and review them to determine how slow of a shutter speed you can have and still take a good picture. This will help you in low light situations, when you are trying not to increase your ISO or you cannot open up your aperture any more. Note that the longer focal length you use (i.e. 200mm vs. 18mm) the more difficult it will become to take pictures at the same shutter speed with a shorter focal length. That is a good secondary drill to practice in order to illustrate this point.

2) Aperture drill. Look down the barrel of your lens and you will see an opening that can be adjusted to let more or less light in depending on what your situation calls for. If you want to see this in action step your aperture to f10 and look down the barrel as you take a photo to see the aperture setting work.

Now for the drill. Find a brick wall, tile floor, or a fence with posts rather close together. 'Open" your aperture as wide as it goes (i.e. f3.5 as opposed to f10). This will create a 'narrow depth of field' that will demonstrate how your camera works to get subjects into focus. Stand next to the wall/fence/floor as it extends out in front of you. Take a picture attempting to focus on a point about ten feet in front of you (I say 'attempting' because depending on your autofocus setting this may be easier or more difficult). Take a number of photos progressively 'stopping down' (closing your aperture i.e. 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.6, 6.3 etc.) to let less light in but also increase your depth of field.

As you review your photos on your computer notice how as you 'stopped down' even though you remained focused on the same point more and more of the area in front and behind your specific focus point was in focus. This can be used to create very artsy photos using the blurred look or landscape photos with a great deal of the picture in focus.

Stay tuned to our next article where we will complete the trifecta+1, ISO and Flash drills.

Photography - Where to begin?

Maybe you just bought a digital camera, or you have been seeing your friends taking amazing photos and you would like to learn how to be a better photographer. Where to begin? This article is aimed at equipping you with the necessary tools to get you on your way to becoming a better photographer. As I said in my last article (The Art of Photography), I always give the same three pieces of advice to individuals looking to improve their photography skills, read your camera manual, watch podcasts/videos, and take photos regularly. Let's break each of those down.

1) Read your manual. Cover to cover. Your camera is a tool and the better you know your tool the more it can do for you. Specifically, know the different autofocus and single point settings, the self timer and burst photo settings, what white balance is, learn about the in house flash, how to use the histogram, image quality and size, what metering and bracketing is, where to adjust shutter speed, ISO, and aperture, and where you can view those setting. That should keep you busy for a while. As you read have your camera with you so that you can practice what you are learning.

2) Watch videos. People have spent years becoming great photographers and some of them have how created videos so that we can benefit from all that they have learned and take great photos too. Search iTunes for my favorite podcasts Photo Tips and The Art of Photography. If you’re looking for something a little more entertaining but still informative check out Jared Polin of Fro Knows Photo. Again, as you watch have your camera with you so that you can pause the video and practice what you are learning.

3) Practice. I've spent thousands of days shooting and there is always something new that I learn or something that I need to improve on. Set high standards for your photos but remember to appreciate what you have been able to do. The tendency for new digital photographers is to take hundreds of photos an hour since after all, it’s digital and all you have to do is delete the pictures you don’t like. However we would do well to emulate the film photographers in this regard. Take you time to practice metering and composing your photos knowing that if you develop good habits to begin with you will always be able to rapid fire high quality photos when you need to.

4) Network. I’m going to throw a fourth tip out there. Networking with other photographers can be an invaluable resource. Not only can they teach you everything you could learn from your manual or videos but they can also provide the motivation for you to get out and try new styles of photography and gain experience. These people can challenge you, inspire, and be your built in marketing agency.

So there is your starting point on your road map to photographic success. Our next article will feature a few drills that you can do to hone your skills and see what you have learned.

The Art of Photography

  The beauty and value of photography is undisputed in our culture today. We take cameras with us everywhere we go, photographs are sold for millions of dollars, and we consider our most precious photos priceless. Everyone knows the ability photography has to capture memories and emotion but many people have not taken full advantage of this art because they art intimidated by its technology and it’s seemingly complex nature. My goal in this article is to dispel that myth, enhance your appreciation for photography, and help you to develop skills as a photographer.

  I’ve never been a very techy person but when I decided that I wanted to become a sports photography I dove head first into studying photography and how the camera works. To new photographer or those looking to polish their craft my three recommendations are always the same. Watch the most highly rated podcasts on the photographic subject of your choice, take photos as often as you can, and read your camera manual from cover to cover.

  Watching the videos will make the complex gadgetry in your manual simpler by teaching you camera basics and focusing on one or two subjects at a time. Additionally, I’ve always found that people learn best what they are interested in. So as you watch podcast subjects that you are interested in practice the skills they are teaching you will see your knowledge and skills increase incidentally.

  The three podcasts I started with are: The Art of Photography, Photo Tips, and Photography101.

  Photography is a great skill to have for those aspiring to be self employed or pick up some jobs on the side but also very rewarding to have day to day hanging out with friends and family. I had a good friend tell me recently that though she is not a photographer she loves photography since her sister and myself are photographers she always has great photos of what ever she’s doing from goofing around with her newborn niece to backpacking in Yosemite. Also, it was with this friend that I recently went to a wedding and when I got there I found out that the photographer had hurt his back and our friend desperately needed someone to step in. Fortunately I had all of my equipment with me and everything worked out perfectly.

  So I highly encourage you to hone your skills as a photographer by shooting regularly and increasing your knowledge of this art and if nothing else stay tuned for future blog articles that will be geared towards taking the beginner by the hand and developing them to the point where they are ready to start shooting paid gigs.

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