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Digital

Behind the Scenes (2006)

Suzanne Mooney

Myths:
Digital photography is easy Digital photos are complete once you import them to your computer from your camera You need an expensive camera to make good pictures A digital camera does everything for you

What you need to know:


Types of Digital Cameras Color and White Balance ISO sensitivity How your camera Light Meters What is a Histogram Exposure Compensation How to use Flash

Your Camera

Point and Shoot


automatic functions range of options &
models compact less expensive slower start-up slower shutter speeds smaller digital sensor smaller ISO range (needs more light) permanent lens

Digital SLR
based on film SLR cameras manual options higher megapixels larger digital sensor faster start-up higher shutter speeds interchangeable lenses range of models greater ISO range larger & more expensive

Interchangeable Lens (ILC)/ Mirrorless Camera

not based on film SLR cameras functionality closer to DSLRs smaller body faster than point-and-shoots sensor and price ranges bet ween point-and-shoot and DSLR variety of lens compatibility

Digital Sensor Size

1.5x 1.6x

Digital SLR

Nikon D40x

Canon T1i

White Balance
how your camera sees color in different kinds of light

COOL

AUTO

Incandescent

Fluorescent

Direct Sunlight

WARM Adjust WB to suit the

temperature of the light to make your colors accurate


Flash Cloudy

Shade

(shot under fluorescent lights with some sunlight)

ISO sensitivity
the sensitivity of the digital sensor to light higher ISO = more sensitive/more noise lower ISO = less sensitive/more detail

100 ISO

800 ISO

higher ISO = faster (allows faster shutter speeds) lower ISO = slower (allows wider apertures)

What to consider when choosing ISO:

Light Is the subject well lit? (lower ISO=more detail=wider aperture) Noise/Grain Do I want a grainy shot or not? (higher the ISO=noisier) Tripod Am I using a tripod? (allows for lower ISO/slower shutter speed) Moving Subject Is my subject moving? (higher ISO=faster shutter speed)

Metering
how your camera light meters

Metering
how your camera light meters

Histogram
a graph of the values in a photograph

DARK VALUES (shadows)

MIDDLE VALUES

LIGHT VALUES (highlights)

Histogram
a graph of the values in a photograph

when editing, move these handles to adjust the histogram (Levels in Ps)

Histogram
a graph of the values in a photograph

RGB Color Histogram

Red

Green

Blue

DARK VALUES (shadows)

MIDDLE VALUES

LIGHT VALUES (highlights)

/8 125
OVEREXPOSED
loss of details in highlights

/8 125
EDITED
adjust levels to restore shadows

/8 250
CORRECT EXPOSURE
no loss of values at either end of histogram

/8 400
UNDEREXPOSED
loss of details in shadows

/8 1000
UNDEREXPOSED
greater loss of details in shadows

/8 1000 /8 1000
EDITED
adjust levels to restore highlights

/8 125

/8 1000

OVEREXPOSED
edited to restore highlights

/8 250

UNDEREXPOSED
edited to restore shadows

CORRECT EXPOSURE

Exposure Compensation
quick exposure adjustments (BRACKETING)

Exposure is adjusted by pressing this button

while turning the Command Dial

+. . 0 . .CORRECT EXPOSURE

+. . 0 . .UNDEREXPOSED 2/3rds of a stop (-0.3EV)

PRESS

BUTTON & TURN DIAL

+. . 0 . .OVEREXPOSED 1 stop (+1 EV)

PRESS

BUTTON & TURN DIAL

+. . 0 . .originally exposed for SHADOWS (overexposed)

+. . 0 . .exposed for MIDDLE VALUES (-0.3 EV)

PRESS

BUTTON & TURN DIAL

Flash

Fill Flash
Using your flash to fill-in darker parts of a picture already lit by other light.

Indoors, fill-flash lets you see people's faces better Outdoors, fill flash lights-up faces so they aren't drowned in shadows. Fill flash puts highlights in people's eyes so they look alive. Fill flash lightens shadows and adds detail to darker areas, while preserving highlights. fill-flash works indoors as well as in direct sunlight. Some cameras have a specific fill-flash setting, others just use normal flash

No flash

Flash

flash, slow sync, f/8 at 1/30, shade WB

No flash

Flash

Rear-curtain sync
Normally the flash fires as the shutter opens (called front-curtain sync). In rear-curtain sync, the flash fires just before the shutter closes, freezing the final movement of your subject

Red Eye
Caused by the light source being too close to the lens

Red-eye-reduction sends out a pre-flash to dilate the pupil, reducing this reflection

Flash +Slow shutter speed Brighter background


1/80 sec. 1/2 sec.

Illuminate the background by lowering your shutter speed along with flash

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