Ron's Photography Notes (1 Viewer)

[JohnRice]

Yes, that is exactly it. The problem is, manufacturers would like to pretend this is not the case and most people either believe it is the case or simply don't understand there even is this limitation.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Started shooting with my Nikon d90 today.


Used Aperture Priority Mode despite the fact
that I had no idea what I was doing.


Shooting with my 18-55 lens...


Shot a picture of a green apple on a bush

at very close range.


I did notice that anything I shot at the F5-9

looked pretty sharp. Once I went up to F22

the picture was blurred. I think the blur was

caused by delayed shutter speed and shaking

while I waited for the shutter to complete.


Let me see if I have this figured out correctly...


At the lowest number settings (say F4) you

can take great portrait shots and things that

are up close. The aperture is wide open letting

in the most light and the speed of the shutter

is super fast. At the highest setting, you can

take great landscape shots. The aperture is

more closed and less light comes in which

slows down the shutter speed.


It SEEMS, if I have this correct, that if I

shoot in the lowest number F setting (dial

all the way to the right) the foreground

will be in focus while the background is

blurred. Super fast shutter speed. As I

slowly move up the F settings [COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)](turning [/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]the dial left),[/COLOR] the background comes more

into focus. If I go all the way up on the F

settings I am slowing down the shutter speed

but it gives me more focus in deep depth.

At that high F setting I think a tripod is needed.


Did I get it right?


I really am going to have to take a film class.

You guys really did a great job explaining
aperture but one, it's still hard to wrap my
head around (even despite Sam's faucet explanation)

and two, it doesn't help that you have to
reverse the aperture numbers. The higher

numbers are actually the lower settings.


One thing I picked up from a YouTube video

is that using a low number (like F4) is great

for tight shots that put the subject in focus

and background out of focus. However for

grander landscape shots a higher number

(like F22) will keep the entire landscape

from front to back all in focus. The problem

with higher numbers is that the shutter speed

slows down.

Still not quite sure if I am understanding all

of this. If what I put in RED above is correct

then actually I do know a lot more than I am

giving myself credit for. Nevertheless, I am

having fun with the camera. Taking outstanding

photos. Shooting in RAW. Next step is to get

a speedlight as I am not particularly happy with

what the built-in flash does for my subjects.

 

[JohnRice]

That is more or less it, though things aren't quite that simple, of course. Changing one thing effects another and focal length, subject distance and light level all can change everything.


Ron, you REALLY should just find a copy of The Joy of Photography on Amazon Marketplace. A couple afternoons reading it will help immensely. Film or digital, the number are all the same, pretty much. The principles are all exactly the same. It's so much better than guessing.

 

[Brett_B]

Ron,


Being a newbie as well, I do believe that what you said in "RED" is correct. It is my assumption that you can increase the shutter speed when shooting in a higher f-stop by increasing the ISO.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Wow. I realize, as John Rice put it, there
are other factors involved, but if what I wrote

in bold red is correct then I pretty much learned

something pretty cool today and I feel very

confident to take pictures in Aperture Priority

for the next few weeks.


My friend does a classic car meet once a

month. I do his website and shoot pictures

for it. Most of the stuff I did on my old point-and-shoot

Canon.


I think I feel confident enough to use the 18-55

lens, shoot in Aperture Priority and as long as I

am doing close shots of the vehicles, I will shoot

in the lower F-Stop range. If I want to blur out a

background I will go to the lowest setting. If I want

everything in focus perhaps F10-F14.


Hopefully I am figuring the above out correctly as well.


I just need to get this part down and then I can

move on to Shutter Priority and learn about manipulating

ISO and so forth.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Something else I just learned.


When looking through the viewfinder there

are various focus markers. Press the shutter

down halfway and they light up indicating where

the camera is going to focus.


However, a lot of times, I want to recompose

the shot and I can't seem to focus where I want.


It seems the solution is to place a marker on

the object/person you wish to focus, press the

shutter halfway to make certain that focal point

lights up -- THEN KEEP THE SHUTTER HALFWAY
PRESSED and recompose the shot. The original

subject matter will still be in focus even though you

moved the camera.


Am I right on this?

 

[JohnRice]

Like I say Ron, that is mostly it. However, if you use a large aperture (small no.) and move close to the car, the entire car will not be in focus. Just the spot where you focus.


Not quite that simple...

 

[Ronald Epstein]

John,


What would you suggest for taking a photo with

a 18-55 lens at a car meet where I can get the

entire vehicle crisply in focus?

 

[JohnRice]

Ron, again, it isn't that simple. You really need to develop the experience because these decisions can only be made on the spot.


Still, I would say you need to be at about F/8 or greater (as in an f number of 8 or more). Since you are shooting an object and I presume you want it to fill the frame, it really doesn't matter what the focal length is. The target aperture would be the same. That will probably mess with the "shorter focal lengths have more depth of field" people. Once again, it isn't that simple. Maybe that should be engraved on my gravestone.


Get the book.


So, you are essentially being paid? Where do I send my consulting invoices? I mean, my education cost about $75K, so it seems only fair.


I was trying to be encouraging, but on another hand, what you have learned today is somewhat equivalent to someone learning that when they turn the volume knob to the right on their new receiver, the numbers get smaller, but it gets louder. You're barely at the tip of the iceberg.


Get the book.

 

[JohnRice]

As someone already pointed out, f stops are actually fractions, just with the "1/" understood. that is why they seem to be backward. f/8 is actually f 1/8. 1/8 is larger than 1/22, therefore f/8 is larger and transmits more light than f/22.


Photography is more logical than it seems.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Ron:


If I may...as someone who has a super-elementary knowledge of these things (these other guys know more in their little finger than I'll ever know)...


I just used to keep the aperture open enough to be sure the shutter was fast enough that I wouldn't have any motion problems in my images. If you've got enough light coming into your camera, the shutter will take care of the rest. Using a reasonably fast ISO will help with this, too. You can "cheat" this way as you're learning because the quality of the camera and lenses will make the pictures look great.

Once you get used to having your settings where things are looking good to you...start experimenting then. Don't stress at the outset.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

... although at some point lens diffraction becomes an issue if you dial the aperture down too small. Generally speaking, you probably shouldn't need to dial the aperture down to f/22 or smaller unless you're doing something specific that requires it.



Ron,


In a way, the whole (technical) act of photography is basically running your own little science experiment w/ the camera (and whatever else). I mean we take all that for granted now, but I'm sure that's precisely what it's like back in the day when photography was first born. And although many things are automated (more or less) now, it's still important to at least understand how everything works even if you don't usually shoot full manual (and need to choose a particular film for particular shoot, do film darkroom work, etc. etc.).


In the earliest days of color photography, you'd even need to make 3 shots essentially one for each color channel to be combined later -- and that's actually more or less how most of today's digital cameras work (behind the scenes) too, and to get the absolute best results, it helps to understand this...



Anyway, what Mike added just now would probably help in a practical sense. And as you try different things -- and learn both from a good book and from experience -- you'll figure out what makes sense to do in each given situation.


Me? Personally, I usually prefer to go the other way and start w/ a larger aperture and then dial it down as I find the need (for greater DoF, etc). But that's just me.


And although you can bump up the ISO some on a DSLR, I find that in cases where you'd actually want/need the large DoF (and thus choose a smaller aperture w/ correspondingly slower shutter speed), you probably usually won't want to bump it up all that much -- I'd say probably no higher than ISO 400 or so. And if you're shooting during the "golden hour" (or the like), you'll be struggling to get handholdable shutter speeds while keeping the ISO low enough (to not degrade PQ noticeably). That's why a good tripod would really be needed as you get more serious about photography.


_Man_

 

[Douglas Monce]

Ron,


Also be aware that a relatively inexpensive zoom lens may not hold sharp focus clear to the edges of the frame at a very wide aperture, say f2.


For example, you maybe putting an object that you want in focus toward the top of the image, but at f2 that part of the frame may not focus sharply no matter what you do. In that situation you would want to bring your shutter speed down, and your f-stop up to something above say 5.6. The flaw in the lens will still be there, but it won't be as obvious. Only when you get into very high end zoom lenses or prime lenses, do you get very crisp focus across the frame even at low f-stops. I use a rather inexpensive 50mm f1.8 prime lens for portraits. It is razor sharp even at f1.8.


Doug

 

[Thomas Newton]

Quote: Originally Posted by JohnRice Still, I would say you need to be at about F/8 or greater (as in an f number of 8 or more). Since you are shooting an object and I presume you want it to fill the frame, it really doesn't matter what the focal length is. The target aperture would be the same. That will probably mess with the "shorter focal lengths have more depth of field" people. Once again, it isn't that simple. Maybe that should be engraved on my gravestone.
I presume this is because opposite effects are more or less canceling each other out. 1. Say you use the most extreme wide-angle lens setting (18mm). The shorter focal length will provide greater depth of field. But to fill the frame with the car, you will have to walk closer to the car. The part of the subject you want in clear focus will now be wider (in percentage terms) relative to the actual focus point. So you have more depth of field ... but you also need the extra, just to "stay even". 2. Say you use the most extreme telephoto lens setting (55mm). To fill the frame with the car, and not chop off the car's edges, you will have to back away from the car. The increased distance means that the part of the car that you want in clear focus will be narrower (in percentage terms) relative to the actual focus point. But the higher focal length means that you will have less depth of field. Again, one thing will balance another. There will be a difference in the photos you get from these two methods. Perspective depends on camera-subject distance – and that distance was shorter for scenario #1 than for scenario #2. If you want a photo that emphasizes one corner or side of a car, get in close, and select a wide-angle setting, so that you can get everything in. If you want a more natural (but perhaps less dramatic) picture of the whole car, stand back a bit, and use a normal or telephoto setting to compensate for the increased distance.

 

[Will_B]

As long as filters have been mentioned (and thank you for the white balance info guys, I did not know that sensors were preset to daylight), Ron should probably buy a Polarizing filter before he takes those car photos, shouldn't he? Especially if the cars are displayed outdoors and are waxed to perfection. The reflections will be a bear unless he buys a polarizing filter. Yes?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

As always, I appreciate the advice given here....


Let me clarify something so that nobody feels

(joking or not) that the advice being given here

is for any monetary gain...

So, you are essentially being paid? Where do I send my consulting invoices?

Absolutely not. All my services from taking pictures

to designing the webpage for the car meet are voluntary.

I'm doing it for two good friends who have no knowledge

of computers or putting together a website. In return I

have a fun day looking at and learning about classic cars.


I don't charge my friends money to do things for them
nor am I professional enough to feel comfortable charging

anyone else.

Get the book.

I have Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson on order.

The reason I don't have it yet is because a new 3rd edition

is coming out tomorrow. So, it was a book that had to be

preordered. In the meantime, I have been reading loads of

PDF books and websites on Aperture Priority, but unfortunately,

I am still getting a limited perspective from everything I am

reading.

So, I am not using this forum to get a free photography course. I am spending a few hours each day looking through material and picking up the camera to experiment. Thanks to everyone for continuing to answer my questions.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Originally Posted by Will_B

As long as filters have been mentioned (and thank you for the white balance info guys, I did not know that sensors were preset to daylight), Ron should probably buy a Polarizing filter before he takes those car photos, shouldn't he? Especially if the cars are displayed outdoors and are waxed to perfection. The reflections will be a bear unless he buys a polarizing filter. Yes?

While a circular polarizer (CPL) may help in that situation, I do not think Ron is ready to use such an item yet. He is still trying to figure out the basics of photography. Let's not make things even more complicated for him right now.


Regarding focus points, Ron, your camera should have a few different auto focus modes. In the Canon world, there are One-Shot and AI Servo modes (there is a third called AI Focus, but it is mostly useless). Anyway, One-Shot will light up your focus point(s) when you half press the shutter button and lock focus until you completely press the shutter. AI Servo will continually adjust the focus to try to keep a moving object in focus. Generally, you will use One-Shot for most of your photos (anything stationary), and only use AI Servo (or whatever Nikon calls it) only for action shots.


You should also be able to select different focus points with your camera. I will usually use just the center focus point, which is usually the most accurate one. I will select one of the other focus points only when I want something on the edge of the frame to be in the sharpest focus and I do not think the "half press and recompose" technique will work well -- usually when I am trying for a narrow depth of focus and need to be more precise.

When you are first learning, the "half press the shutter and recompose" method is probably where you want to start, just so you have one less thing to worry about -- in this case, choosing a focus point. It is a technique you will continue to use as you advance in your skills. You will just need to eventually understand when you can use this technique and when you need to get more precise by selecting an "off-center" focus point. That comes with experience, just as deciding which aperture or shutter speed setting is appropriate for a given situation.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein ). So it's supposed to be something enjoyed.


That's why I advised to start with some safe settings and then start to experiment off those for a little why before trying to get "too professional" about the whole thing. Have fun!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Originally Posted by Scott Merryfield

Regarding focus points, Ron, your camera should have a few different auto focus modes. In the Canon world, there are One-Shot and AI Servo modes (there is a third called AI Focus, but it is mostly useless). Anyway, One-Shot will light up your focus point(s) when you half press the shutter button and lock focus until you completely press the shutter. AI Servo will continually adjust the focus to try to keep a moving object in focus. Generally, you will use One-Shot for most of your photos (anything stationary), and only use AI Servo (or whatever Nikon calls it) only for action shots.

Ron,


There should be an "AF" mode button on the top panel (next to the top LCD) toward the rear right corner of the camera (as shown in the top pic here):


http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/page7.asp


Use that to take your camera out of the AF-A mode, which does auto focus point selection. You probably want to switch it to AF-S mode (for single-servo AF or one-shot AF in Canon lingo) -- don't confuse that w/ AF-S lens type. That's probably what you want most of the time. For continuous focusing (for tracking/shooting action and such), you'd switch it to AF-C mode -- and there are apparently additional settings buried in the custom menus as you later find need to fine tune your AF usage.


Also, if you've locked the AF point selection, you will need to unlock it to change AF point. That would be the little "L" dial-like switch on the back panel to the right of the main LCD (as shown in the top pic here):


http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/page8.asp



_Man_

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Use that to take your camera out of the AF-A mode

Funny. The Mastering Nikon D90 book suggested to keep

it in AF-A mode. What is the advantage of switching to AF-S?