The "Sun", the "Man", or the "Mountain"?

I remember being somewhere with someone, and they had a "point and shoot" (PAS) camera with them.  They wanted to know what was the best setting to capture their photograph.  "Should I use the Sun, the Man, or the Mountain?", they asked.

I had to giggle at the question, but the inquiry was sincere.  Just what do all of those little pictures on the dial mean?  Isn't it just easier to put it on "auto" or "program"?


Let's explore!  Using the above dial as a universal reference, let's start with the flash setting (the one on the bottom of the dial that looks like a lightning bolt arrow with a "no" slash through it).
Generally, PAS cameras will have 3 flash settings:
1.  Flash
2.  No flash
3.  Red Eye Reduction
Personally, I nearly always use a flash on the PAS cameras, even outdoors.  The little flashes on those cameras do a good job of filling in shadows in sunlight.


Remember that red-eye reduction mode will send out several pre-flash flashes which can cause children and animals to flinch or close their eyes.


Okay, let's move onto the "man with a star behind his shoulder".  Generally, this is a slow shutter speed that also uses flash.  This is a night-time setting which allows you to use a flash to light up your main subject, but keeps the shutter open to grab the background lights.  For example:

You will want to use a tripod for this one.  In the above picture, I wanted to capture the muti-colored laser patterns that were on the ceiling.  They would not show up with simple bounced flash, and it was too dark in there for simply using no flash at all.


The next setting we'll discuss is the "running man".  This is your "action" setting.  Even though PAS cameras pretty much do everything for you, they also need to know WHAT it is you're shooting.  If you read my last blog, you will know that you can get the same exposure in several different ways.  You can have a fast shutter speed and wide aperture, or a slow shutter speed with a small aperture.  Both will give you the same exposure, but the results will look different.
For action, we want the fast shutter speed.  This setting lets the camera know that you are more concerned with a fast shutter speed, and sets itself accordingly.

The "flower" setting tells the camera that you're trying to take a closeup of something, and adjust its focus for closer-up items:

The "mountain" setting tells the camera that you're taking a landscape photo, and it adjusts itself to focus on a far-away object, while maintaining some depth-of-field:

And finally, the "profile of a woman" setting tells the camera that you're taking a portrait.  This allows the camera to use a very wide aperture to blur the background so the subject in the portait is the emphasis:

You can get more from your little PAS camera if you let it work for you!  =)

Ready....aim....ACTION!

A friend of mine was asking how to get decent action shots with her old 35mm SLR.  Film cameras seem very different from the new digitals, but the basic fundamentals are exactly the same:  Balance shutter speed, ISO, and aperture, depending upon what you want to accomplish.


Remember, when you close down your aperture (like going from f/ 5.6 to maybe f/11) then you must compensate by slowing down the shutter speed (from like 1/250 to maybe 1/60).  It's like a see-saw.  If you let in less light in one area, you have to use the other to let that light back in.  The slower the shutter speed, the more light that can enter the camera.  The bigger the f/stop, the more light that can enter the camera.


F/stops are confusing to people because the BIG opening is a small number, and vice-versa.


Okay, with that in mind, we're going to look at what different shutter speeds and different apertures can do for a photograph.


Let's try some action-stopping settings.  Using a fast shutter speed will stop action, but you must be careful not to underexpose your image.  There are two things that will let you have a faster shutter speed:
1.  A large aperture (between 1.4 and 5.6)
and
2.  A higher ISO (or ASA in filmspeak)
If you're using film, you'll want to buy some faster speed film, like 400 or 1000.  Remember that the faster the film, the grainier the image.


Higher ISO/ASA lets you shoot in lower light.  They used to call it "fast" film, even though the film had NOTHING to do with stopping action.  It simply allowed a camera to use a faster shutter speed since less light was needed.


Okay, here is one action-stopping image:

Shutter speed:  1/1000

Aperture:  5.6

ISO:  400

Focal Length: 200mm

Sometimes you might want to actually SHOW the speed of something moving by using a slower shutter speed and panning the camera to follow the moving object.  This does a good job of showing the action in a picture:

I don't have the metadata that gives me the pic info for this one, but I'm estimating that the shutter speed was probably about 1/30th with an aperture to compensate.  Most likely the ISO was around 200.  Just be sure to PAN the camera with the moving subject or you'll simply end up with a blurry blob.


Once you get the hang of it, it's really pretty easy.  But there is one more thing that factors in here:
The longer the focal length, the higher your shutter speed must be to stop any action.  Remember that a lens that magnifies 200X will also magnify the movement.


Never have your shutter speed slower than your focal length.  For example, if you're using a 105mm lens, keep your shutter speed above 1/105 (on most cameras, the next step up would be 1/125).  This will need to be even HIGHER for stopping action.


The best and easiest way to get your action shots is to put your camera on "shutter priority".  (Usually marked as an "S" on your selection dial).  This forces the camera to shoot at a specific shutter speed and lets the camera choose the proper aperture to compensate.  

If you're using a DSLR, you can have the extra option of also letting the camera choose the best ISO to accomplish this.


If you're using a manual camera, open your aperture all the way, then adjust your shutter speed to the fastest setting allowable for the right exposure.


I hope this has been helpful!

Shooting under less-than-ideal conditions

Hello again!

I often get asked about lighting. Lighting can make or break a photograph. Two identical photographs taken under different lighting situations can create two separate moods.

In first semester photography, you basically learn two forms of light:

1 ambeint, or "available" light

and

2. Flash.

But sometimes, "available light" isn't, and flash is a no-no. Consider a dimly lit church where the preacher says "NO FLASH!"

In my line of work, it's unacceptable to say, "Gosh, well I guess I'll just go home".

These are the challenges that make you stretch and grow as a photographer, until one day you can meet these challenges with an affirmative "no problem!"....although sometimes we grumble under our breath just a little bit.

I rarely use packed-in lighthing during a church wedding. Not only because it can ruin the sanctity that many brides and grooms place on such a ceremony, but it also yanks away the very mood and emotion you were trying to capture.

Take this photo:

Had the photographer (well, that would be me) blasted them with frontal, artificial light, the mood of the photo wouldn't be the same. With ambeint light, the viewer is focused on the bride, and her gaze into her groom's eyes...no shadows, no red-eye, no hot spots.

"But it's dark in there!"

Yes, some churches can be dimly lit, which can present its own set of challenges. If you are serious about the business, invest in some faster glass (such as f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2.8 lenses). They are pricey, yet priceless in tight situations where you have no other option.

Invest in a monopod. Even an inexpensive monopod (just make sure it's rated for DSLR camera, as they're quite a bit heavier) will help immensely with stabilization and reduce the shutter speed at which you can feasibly utilize. No one wants blurry wedding photos! Remember to keep that shutter speed at or above your focal length.For example, if you are using a 200mm lens, make sure your shutter speed is no slower than 1/200 second. You can shoot a little bit slower if you use a tripod/monopod and your subject is stationary (like a wedding cake rather than people). But this is a good rule of thumb.

Also, don't forget to use the higher ISO settings! Some cameras have an "auto ISO" setting that will choose the best ISO for you, defaulting to the lowest necessary ISO for a properly exposed image. This setting is best if you may be toggling lighting situations, or mixing some flash images with ambient lighting images.

If strobes can be used, try getting them off of your hot shoe, or bouncing them off of ceilings, walls, or reflectors. If you have distance between you and your subject, you may want to light your subject closer-up, while you step back. You can achieve this with optic or radio slaves. Nikon offers a good Creative Lighting System (CLS) for their dedicated Speedlights. Have someone hold them, or put them on a tripod to light your subject while you shoot from a distance:

All in all, poorly lit situations shouldn't stop you from being your best. Monopods, tripods, fast lenses, high ISOs are all there to accomplish these feats.

Bring on the dungeons of the world! I'm ready to shoot!