Photography Tips | Cricklade Camera Club

On this page we will provide useful tips for photographers.

From our sponsor – Graham:

Getting the most out of your digital camera.

Using Aperture control or priority mode.

With this mode you begin to take control of your camera. You dictate what aperture you want to work at.

With the smaller compact cameras these modes are not always available whereas what we call Bridge Cameras, compact system cameras or Digital SLR’s will have them.

A or AV. Depending on the make of camera you have you will find this mode. It means Aperture. This allows you to choose the aperture at which you want to take the photograph and the camera will them automatically select a shutter speed that will ensure an accurate exposure.

What is the aperture? It is the part of the lens that is variable in size to allow light to travel through the lens and onto your camera sensor. It is not unlike the iris of our eye, in bright light the iris will close down to reduce the amount of light coming in and on a dull day or indoors it will open up to allow greater amounts of light in.

However, unlike the eye, it is not always an automatic adjustment, there are time when we need to control it. We can do that by using the aperture priority mode setting.

The aperture size is indicated by numbers that we call f stops such as f3.5, f8, f11, f16 etc. What does f stop mean? Simply put it means fraction. F16 is 1/16^th, f8 is 1/8^th f2 is ½ (half) etc. So f16 lets in 1/16^th of the light whereas f2 lets in half the light. However, we often refer to it a focal length and this helps us understand how much light is being allowed through the lens to the sensor. So, for example, if you have your zoom lens set at 50mm and the aperture at say f10 then this will enable you to work out the diameter of the aperture blades when you look through your camera. In this case at 50mm and f10 you simply divide 50mm by 10 – 50mm/10 and that tells you the size of the aperture in your lens will be 5mm. At 50mm and f2 it would be 50mm/2 = 25mm. This shows you then that f2 is much larger than f10 and as a consequence lets in significantly greater amounts of light.

Why would you want to change the aperture you might well be asking? The aperture not only allows in more or less light (it is rather like the iris of the eye and is fully adjustable) but it also has an impact on how the picture looks. In photography we talk about depth of field and this is all about how much or how little of our photograph appears to be in focus. You may have shots of a close up of a flower where only one section is sharp, and the rest is soft and off focus. Or you may see a landscape picture where the whole scene is sharp. This is as a result of using different apertures to control the depth of field. Apertures are shown in f-stops such f3.5, f4 etc through to maybe f16 and f22. A large aperture that lets in more light is a small number such as f3.5 whereas a small aperture that lets in less light is a large number such as f16. A small aperture will extend the depth of field and make more of the scene sharp whereas a large aperture will limit the depth of field and only part of the image will be sharp (the part where you set your point of focus).

Now to add to this the focal length of your lens (or amount of zoom) can enhance these effects. So, if you use the wide-angle aspect of your zoom such as 18mm together with a small aperture (f.16) you increase the effect of extending the depth of field. On the other hand if you extend your zoom to say 200mm (or as much a s you can) and use a large aperture you increase the effect of limiting your depth of field and this is particularly useful for subjects such as an outdoor portrait where you want the background out of focus and the face clear.

To ensure you have an image that looks right and with sharpness where you want it you must of course chose carefully your point of focus. For close up subjects such as flowers, chose the tip of the stamen or perhaps a section of the petal. For portraits always focus on the eyes and get them sharp. For landscapes it is different and as a rule of thumb chose your focus point roughly one third into the scene. For those who want to be more precise and technical then you need to work with the hyperfocal distance of your particular lens, and this will vary depending on the aperture you are using. It is possible to download a chart of hyperfocal distances from the web.

You will also need to bear in mind that the aperture works closely with the shutter speed to ensure a correct exposure. This means that as you change the aperture, the shutter speed will also change, for instance, let us say that your camera meter reading tells you that to obtain a correct exposure you need to set your camera to f5.6 aperture and 1/125^th second shutter speed. If you decide you want to work at f11 to extend the depth of field, it means you have moved your aperture by 2 stops. Your shutter speed will then automatically (in aperture priority mode) also need to move 2 stops to ensure a correct exposure is maintained – as the aperture is now smaller this requires the shutter speed to be slower, so it now moves to 1/30^th second.

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A guide to enhance your landscape photography.

Landscape photography, be it rural or urban, is first and foremost about observation. We need to consider the subject we are looking at, the best angle, the right composition, the use of light etc. I am giving you some guidance to help you with this below.

Firstly, have a clear idea of the scene you want to capture.
Consider what else might be appearing in the frame and ask does that compliment the image or is it a distraction. If it helps, leave it in, if not consider how you might exclude it from the frame – this might mean a slight change in your shooting position or a change of focal length by zooming in slightly tighter.
Look for content that adds a sense of scale to the image.
Are there elements in the frame that you could use as good foreground detail to add depth to the picture along with breaking up perhaps an otherwise empty space.
Can use some element to act as a lead in line to draw the viewer into the frame and towards the main subject. Fences, pathways, roads etc all help with this.
You do not have to over fill the frame, sometimes little can be best – consider what we call negative space.
Observe what is your main subject and ask yourself how you can position that in the frame along with secondary detail to create a good composition.
Construct your image if possible, with foreground detail, middle distance subjects and distant elements and use all to create interest to the final image and to tell a story.
Keep it simple.
Use plants, trees or architecture to frame your subject. With urban landscapes take full advantage of street architecture such as street lights, water features, flower displays etc. to enhance the image.
A vanishing point can draw the viewer through the frame to a simple end. In Pienza there is a great opportunity for this with a paved walkway alongside the church. This can also apply in the landscape looking along a road or pathway to a distant subject.
Shadows can add contrast and character to an image. Be careful in calculating your exposure and try to retain detail in both the shadows and the highlights. This gives you a greater chance of bringing out the best in image processing.
Think colour. Look for bright colours that might contrast with other areas of the composition.
In dull weather consider how the image might look in black and white. Even in good light some images look more interesting in black and white. Bear in mind you have no need to record the image in black and white as it is relatively easy to convert it later in processing – that way you have the best of both worlds – a colour and a monochrome image.
Use natural light and natural conditions such as the early morning light. From the grounds of the hotel it might be worth and early rise to capture the mist as it is sometimes seen laying in the valleys. The early morning light is something special.
In the urban landscape incorporate subjects such a colourful food displays or other subjects on display in various shops.
Look up, it will sometimes surprise you what you can observe especially in an urban landscape.
Try and combine the urban and rural landscapes to place the image in context.
Look for graphic shapes and patterns or interesting street architecture, you will see many items from the past fixed to walls around the streets.
Consider a topic of subject for the week. For instance, you will see many of the 3-wheeler Piaggio vehicles used by locals, some are brightly coloured or adapted for a variety of uses. Also consider Red Scooters such as Vespas (A typical Italian subject).
Observe people and be discreet, but you can capture some interesting shots. In previous years I have observed nuns sat with modern young ladies on the steps of the Dumo in Sienna and all on their mobile devices. Locals, many of whom have characterful faces, will often pose for you or allow you to photograph them if you ask.
Isolate your main subject using limited depth of field.
Where they are evident consider using reflections – from water or in glass.
The rule of thirds or Golden Mean can help in composition, but every rule is there to be broken if it allows you to create an interesting picture. Placing the main subject off centre will often help. Generally, avoid having the natural horizon dividing your image in half, try and place it in either the upper or lower third of the frame. Your camera may have a grid that will help if you use live view or your rear screen to compose your image.
Where is the best point at which to focus a landscape image to extend depth of field? The simple guide is to try and focus approximately 1/3 into the scene. For best results use the Hyperfocal distance – see charts supplied.
Filter such as a polarizing will reduce reflections, it will also saturate colours by polarizing our certain light waves and add a depth of colour to blue skies and green fields and enhance contrast with clouds and the blue sky. A Neutral density filter will enable you to use slow shutter speeds along with smaller apertures.
A tripod increases your opportunity of using small apertures as such apertures will result in a slower shutter speed which in turn could result in camera shake and a fuzzy image. If you do not have one the alternative is to increase your ISO setting to allow you to use faster shutter speeds with smaller apertures.
Ensure your camera batteries are fully charged before you set out in the morning.
Ignore the above and do your own thing! Photography is all about enjoyment and getting a picture that you like, irrespective of others liking it.
ASK – I am here to help. Nothing is too obvious or simple.

07733305519 consult@abbey-studios.co.uk