the power of light

key words: Exposure, iris, aperture, f stops, depth of field, shutter speed & iso

exposure=

the shutter speed controls the amount of lighting reaching your camera's sensor/film (determining how light or dark your pictures are)

iris =

an adjustable aperture which allows you to control how much light you want to allow through the camera lens

aperture =

the opening of the lens where the light passes through

f stops =

the measurement of the aperture for example f/2 or f/16

depth of field=

the area in sharp focus

larger aperture

smaller aperture

&

shallow depth of field

the lower the number the more light reaching your camera

&

greater depth of field

what aperture do I use?

PORTRAITS =

f/2.8

Often you see a blurred background with the subject sharp in focus achieved by a larger aperture which creates a shallow depth of field

shallow depth of field

LANDSCAPES =

F/8 - F/14

In landscape shots it's important to get both he foreground and background in focus which be achieved by a smaller aperture making a larger area in focus

greater depth of field

Foreground Blur =

f/2.8

When you are close to something in the foreground but want to focus on the background use a big aperture

shallow depth of field

find out more

shutter speed

shutter speed =

the length of time the camera sensor is exposed to light, how long the shutter is open

shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second

such as (1/1000, 1/30, 1/2)

if the shutter is left open for a long time this could over expose the image

slow shutter speed & moving subjects = motion blur

if the shutter speed is too quick = dark photo

learn more about shutter speed

iso

ISO =

a feature that will help you capture images in darker environments, brightening a darker image

however you should only raise your iso if you are unable to brighten the image through aperture and shutter speed.

too much iso = a lot of grain/noise

grainy!

watch this video to help you understand iso

white balance

A test for adjusting colour temperature so an image can look more natural/warmer/colder depending on the aim of the scene

Source: snapsapsnap.photos

Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin

lets see it in action:

Source: diyvideoeditor.com

how to do a white balance test:

Find something white like an A4 piece of paper
Photograph it
Go into settings and find White Balance (WB or AWB)
Scroll down to custom/choose WB or colour temperature
Set photo as reference for WB

Canon

Nikon

Source: Digital Photo Mentor

watch these videos on white balance

3 point lighting

soft light =

shadows dissolve

clear definition of shadows

hard light =

SHADOWS:

Creates depth, makes your subject 3D
Size of light source vs size of subject
Lighting object from close = small and soft shadows

Lighting from distance = solid and defined shadows
Sun is perfect hard light as even though it is faraway it gives perfect hard shadow
Silhouette: Window, Iris wide open, depth of field

BACKGROUND:

Dirty background? Use lights to over-expose the background for the appearance of a white background
Bring subject away from background, the further the better
Camera close to subject but further from background creates depth

setting up your lighting:

Setting up lights:

Pull all 3 legs out then stretch out till it starts going up
3 points of contact never 4 (the middle)
Lock points
Keep cables under for safety

Packing away lights:

Lock bottom
Bring top up
Watch your fingers!
Wrap cord in loose loop

Back light:

Normally same side as Fill Light
Placed behind subject sometimes off to one side directly behind or overhead
Used to create separation between subject and background so they don’t disappear into it
Adjust until you see a slight halo of light this makes the subject

Key light:

Main source of light
Brightest
Often in front and off to side to create dimension and depth
5 points; nose ears mouth forehead chin
Gives shape
Best to hit both eyes and little bit of cheek

FILL LIGHT:

Opposite side to Key Light
2nd source of light
Usually much dimmer than key light
Used to fill in any shadows created by key
This can be a reflector, balance card, wall anything to balance light on

see it in action:

top tips:

If you only have one source of light use a reflector to fill in and bounce the light
Move away from background
Two lights facing a white wall will create a blinding light, it will over expose the wall which can hide a dirty background
Darker skin works better with harder light
Hair colour changes with lighting
Using natural light? Think about cloudy day can interfere