In Part II of Taking Better Photos, we are going to try to get a bit more in-depth, with taking better photos.
The light measurement systems built into cameras, are to help you avoid mistakes. They allow you to take pictures in wide ranges of light conditions, and produce accurate exposure. Huge differences are found in the operation of cameras with TTL (through-the-lens) metering, mainly between the automatic and manual cameras. With most SLR cameras, you usually have at least two options of automatic exposure, a priority system, and the ability of setting the exposure manually.
With the fully automatic metering, the camera will calculate the exposure, and automatically sets the aperture and shutter speeds. The operation of these cameras is quite simple. The downfall, you have no control of subject movement with shutter speed. A good example would be capturing the artistic "angel-hairs" of a waterfall compared to just a snapshot of the same waterfall.
Fully automatic cameras, are more suited to snapshots than to creative picture taking.
The systems using priority metering are much more flexible. You have the choice of setting shutter speed or aperture, and then the cameras system will set the other control for the correct exposure. This will give you the creative control, yet frees you from making the final exposure setting so you can concentrate on the subject your shooting. Also, if the light changes at the last second, the metering system will make the final adjustment for the shot.
Using Aperture Priority, in which you are in control of setting the f-stop, lets you have control over the depth-of-field. This is very useful when shooting landscapes, close-ups, and other shots requiring great depth-of-field. Here, you may also want to stop down, to control the background for the blur effect if shooting portraits.
This shot was taken mid day in the shade with f-stop of 2.8 for background blur. If shooting landscapes you would want to use a f-16 setting or higher as seen in this photo.
Using Shutter priority will give you more control of movement. Setting your shutter speed at a higher setting will give you the stop action shots your looking for. Also remember this, when using an IS lens (Image Stabilizer), this lens will NOT stop action in shots, its designed to remove camera shake only. When using faster shutter speeds you can expect shots like this one.
If its complete control you want, then going into manual mode is where to shoot. In manual mode, you control everything, and if wanted you can even over-ride the meter. This great flexibility and personal control can be useful for unusual lighting situations, and when you are wanting a particular effect on the outcome of your photo. You can really extend your photography range when shooting in manual.
The next question would be when to trust your meter, and when to over-ride it. Exposure always involves a creative decision and the meter's reading should be seen as a good starting point. If your shooting a subject with the sun to its back, the decision will be either to follow the meter, creating a reading for a bright background, making your subject underexposed, and your subject appears as a silhouette. If your wanting detail in your subject, then thats when you would over-ride the meters reading and adjust for detail in your subject. To achieve this, a good rule to follow is to move closer to your subject, and set the exposure for an important element such as a face (making sure the face fills the frame), then move back to your original position, and take the shot without changing exposure readings.
Once the fundamentals of setting exposure are understood, you can then forget about the old rule with always shooting with the sun behind you. Always remember to avoid strong light flaring directly into the lens, you can vary the camera's viewpoint in relation to the light, and achieve remarkable changes in appearance and mood of the photos you take. the main idea to remember is to try not only the direction of light, but also the quality of light, best suited for the subject.
Once you have learned to master the practical control of your camera, you can then concentrate on the creative techniques that lead to strong and interesting photos. You might also consider exploring the effects you can get just by something as simple as changing lenses, or my favorite, using filters to control color and reflections. Adding to your equipment can improve your results dramatically. A telephoto lens that lets you fill the frame with a single face will really add impact to a portrait. My favorite lens for portraiture is my telephoto lens. The photo below was shot for a Motorcycle Magazine submisson, the guidelines for the magazine was that they required shots taken with telephoto lens to soften background, and lens should be kept level with carburetor on motor.
But sophisticated equipment is not enough. Learning how to exploit viewpoint, framing and timing, how to deal with your backgrounds, and to emphasize colors and shapes are keys in successful picture-taking. Most of all, a photographer has to learn to select. A close-up of a flower can say more than a whole field of flowers. The first principle of creative photography is "Less is More".
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