Snap happy

I will be using this space to show my progress and learning as I go through all topics relating to photography. I am NOT an expert but have spent many evenings attending classes and trying to figure out how to take my camera off auto.

If I get something wrong please email me and let me know, but try and do it nicely.

Along the way I will take photos to show what I am talking about and set small tasks. I would love if you could join in and show me how you are doing.

what’s above the green box?

July 12, 2012 in Snap happy | 2 comments

I am going to have an attempt at explaining the settings on the dial on a camera- as before I can only use my own Canon 400D as the basis for my explanation but am sure it can be related to other cameras too.

twopointfourchildren

A – this setting is still in automatic but I have included it as not many seem to know that it means automatic but with no flash.

B – P – Program. The camera sets aperture and shutter speed. You have control over the ISO white balance and flash. It works similar to the automatic green box setting but gives you a little but of control over the picture

C- TV – Shutter Priority. You set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture. This means you only have to try and get one part right as the camera will always set the reciprocal part according to your calculations.

D- AV- Aperture Priority this works in the opposite way to TV and sets the aperture and the camera uses the appropriate shutter speed.

E- M – Manual Mode. You set shutter speed and aperture. You have full control over all parts of the exposure, shutter speed, aperture and ISO. The camera will not choose any settings

To date I mainly use TV and AV rather than fully on manual as I often don’t have the time to set up the shot. If I am taking pictures of the children at play I often use auto to make sure I can capture the moment as they don’t wait to be posed!

A quick guide I follow is:

If the subject is moving use TV
If the subject is static use AV
If you need to get the photo use auto

I am going to set a task next and it will be photographs taken using automatic and preferably a couple with the flash enabled. Join up with me on Monday and show me the photos you have taken and what you think- I will also show you how to read the screen on the back showing you the details of the picture-this is useful as sometimes you can take a photo on auto and then using the exposure details that auto used try to replicate and improve on it on a manual setting.

Please let me know if you are interested in joining up and I will get a linky set up and a badge created. thanks

Tweet This Post

Tags: camera dial, cameras, photographs, photography, photography for beginners, photography for beginners by a beginner, settings, snap happy

White Balance

July 7, 2012 in Snap happy | No comments

White balance is how the camera will work to get true colours.

In different light conditions the colours in a photograph will show differently as all light has a colour attached to it. This can sometimes be disappointing when they don’t reflect what you see in front of you and your photograph of a white object ends up with a distinct blue tone. Most cameras are set to auto but have a few other options.

What you want is that whites will appear white rather than grey or a blue white etc.

There are two different types of lighting; natural and artificial I have listed some examples below

Artificial lightening Natural lighting

Halogen/strobe lights sunlight/moonlight

fluorescent lights northern lights

tungsten firelights -natural and not candles

laser lights lightening

White balances available in most cameras when taken off auto are as below:

Auto the camera sets the white balance, resulting in colours not being true

Sunlight the sun gives off an orange cast this will counter this

Cloudy when cloudy there is a blue tone to the photos

Shade again blue tones are in shade

Tungsten orange colours appear under this lightening

Fluorescent this lightening gives off blue tones

Flash again blue tones will be seen

Custom you can set your own balance using light metres etc.

In using the correct white balance for the conditions the camera will compensate for the colour of light and add in the colours needed to bring it back to showing a true reflection

The easiest way to test this is to take the same photograph while using all seven (exclude custom) white balances and see the difference in the photograph- make sure there is something white in the frame that you can judge the difference in tones.

we will revisit this showing the scale and what happens when white balance is adjusted

picture pinned from pinterest click for the link

I have taken 6 photos below all without flash and using the same ISO, shutter speed and aperture. By looking at the white page you can see how each setting changes the tone of the white.

twopointfourchildren