Basic+ Photography Workshop Module

Basic + Photography

Workshop

An Informal Guide to Basic Digital

Photography

By

BASIC+ PHOTOGRAPHY

WORKSHOP

An Informal Guide to Basic Digital Photography

I INTRODUCTION

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his is an awkward thing for me to write because I am not sure whether I’m qualified enough to talk to you about Photography since I am still starting to learn about it myself. Or will I ever be comprehensive in my words because I haven’t written anything like this before. But just thinking about my experiences with people who share the same passion with me in this photographic journey, and how

unselfishly they share their own knowledge and experiences to me as I was just starting out, made me realize that I, too, have the same obligation to those who want to learn and pursue their inclination towards Photography. We all shall learn together and share with the others the fruits of this workshop.

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nd so, I welcome you all to my informal workshop on the Basics and Fundamentals of Digital Photography!

II SCOPE OF WORKS

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n this workshop, I intend to talk about just a simplified introduction to Digital Photography and focus more on the How’s and the Why’s of taking a good photograph. This workshop will include the following short courses:

A. Introduction to Digital Photography

B. Introduction to the Different Genres of Photography C. Introduction to Portraiture & Lighting

D. Better Composition and Framing

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ince it’s a time limited workshop, I will just focus on the more important topics and pointers, but will leave you links and/or related reading materials that you can

browse on your own.

III OBJECTIVE

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very endeavor, no matter how grand or mediocre they are, is pointless without a tangent objective. They will just end up a waste of time and efforts to your part. So in this “little” workshop of ours, my objective is not to make you all Professional Photographers (because I am not), but to instill in you the same passion and drive that I have towards Photography. By guiding you in exploring more of your

potentials and re-asserting your given talents, I wish to prepare you in your upcoming struggle in the World of Photography.

PART 1 : INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL

PHOTOGRAPHY

“Like all art, Photography is a discipline with its own set of accepted rules, methodology, and standards. Even a (a person who has) “natural ability” to draw needs to be trained in technique, style, and aesthetics.”

~ Ed Yap, imag magazine

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his is very true in every discipline of art like Painting, Architecture, Music and the likes. Nobody is a born Master of his craft. Everybody has to learn from the basic and fundamentals to hone their talent and create their own style. People who dwell too much on being smart, talented, or being pretty usually are the ones who easily get stuck halfway to their prime because they are not accustomed to working their craft when faced with hurdles and problems.

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hat is why seasoned photographers stay on top, not because they are famous, but because they have earned it. They have worked hard for their skills and still pore themselves on improving their craft. And this tenacity is what we all must learn from them. Step by step, we must accumulate knowledge and experience, and integrate them into our own mold.

A: UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAMERA

EXPOSURE

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ost digital cameras have one of the following standardized exposure modes: Auto ( ), Program (P), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), Manual (M) and Bulb (B) mode. Av, Tv, and M are often called "creative modes" or "auto exposure (AE) modes.“

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ach of these modes influences how aperture, ISO and shutter speed are chosen for a given exposure. Some modes attempt to pick all three values for you, whereas others let you specify one setting and the camera picks the other two (if possible). The following charts describe how each mode pertains to exposure:

Exposure Mode: How It Works

Auto [ ] Camera automatically selects all exposure settings.

Program (P) Camera automatically selects aperture & shutter speed; you can choose a corresponding ISO speed & exposure compensation. With some cameras, P can also act as a hybrid of the Av & Tvmodes.

Aperture Priority (Av or A)You specify the aperture & ISO; the camera's metering determines the corresponding shutter speed.

Shutter Priority (Tv or S)You specify the shutter speed & ISO; the camera's metering determines the corresponding aperture.

Manual (M)You specify the aperture, ISO and shutter speed -- regardless of whether these values lead to a correct exposure.

Bulb (B)Useful for exposures longer than 30 seconds. You specify the aperture and ISO; the shutter speed is determined by a remote release switch, or by the duration until you press the shutter button a second time.

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n addition, the camera may also have several pre-set modes; the most common include landscape, portrait, sports and night mode. The symbols used for each mode vary slightly from camera to camera, but will likely appear similar to those below:

Portrait

Camera tries to pick the lowest f-stop value possible for a given exposure. This ensures the shallowest possible depth of field.

Landscape

Camera tries to pick a high f-stop to ensure a large depth of field. Compact cameras also often set their focus distance to distant objects or infinity.

Sports/Action

Camera tries to achieve as fast a shutter speed as possible for a given exposure -- ideally 1/250 seconds or faster. In addition to using a low f-stop, the fast

shutter speed is usually achieved by increasing the ISO speed more than would otherwise be acceptable in portrait mode.

Night/Low-light

Camera permits shutter speeds which are longer than ordinarily allowed for hand-held shots, and increases the ISO speed to near its maximum available value. However, for some cameras this setting means that a flash is used for the foreground, and a long shutter speed and high ISO are used expose the

background. (Check your camera's instruction manual for any unique characteristics).

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owever, keep in mind that most of the above settings rely on the camera's metering system, in order to know what is a properly exposed image. For tricky subject matter, metering can often be fooled, so it's a good idea to also be aware of when it might go awry, and what you can do to compensate for such exposure errors (see section on exposure compensation within the camera metering tutorial).

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inally, some of the above modes may also control camera settings which are unrelated to exposure, although this varies from camera to camera. Such additional settings might include the autofocus points, metering mode and autofocus modes, amongst others.

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photograph's exposure determines how light or dark an image will appear when it's been captured by your camera. Believe it or not, this is determined by just three camera settings: aperture, ISO and shutter speed (the "exposure triangle"). Mastering their use is an essential part of developing an intuition for photography.

UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE

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chieving the correct exposure is a lot like collecting rain in a bucket. While the rate of rainfall is uncontrollable, three factors remain under your control: the bucket's width, the duration you leave it in the rain, and the quantity of rain you want to collect. You just need to ensure you don't collect too little

key is that there are many different combinations of width, time and quantity that will achieve this. For example, for the same quantity of water, you can get away with less time in the rain if you pick a bucket that's really wide. Alternatively, for the same duration left in the rain, a really narrow bucket can be used as long as you plan on getting by with less water.

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n photography, the exposure settings of aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed are analogous to the width, time and quantity discussed above. Furthermore, just as the rate of rainfall was beyond your control above, so too is natural light for a photographer.

EXPOSURE TRIANGLE: APERTURE , ISO ,

SHUTTER SPEED

Each setting controls exposure differently:

Aperture: controls the area over which light can enter your camera

Shutter speed: controls the duration of the exposure

ISO speed: controls the sensitivity of your camera's sensor to a given amount of light

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ne can therefore use many combinations of the above three settings to achieve the same exposure. The key, however, is knowing which trade-offs to make, since each setting also influences other image properties. For example, aperture affects depth of field, shutter speed affects motion blur and ISO speed affects image noise.

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he next few sections will describe how each setting is specified, what it looks like, and how a given camera exposure mode affects their combination.

SHUTTER SPEED

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camera's shutter determines when the camera sensor will be open or closed to incoming light from the camera lens. The shutter speed specifically refers to how long this light is permitted to enter the camera. "Shutter speed" and

"exposure time" refer to the same concept, where a faster shutter speed means a shorter exposure time.

By the Numbers. Shutter speed's influence on exposure is perhaps the simplest of the three camera settings: it correlates exactly 1:1 with the amount of light entering the camera. For example, when the exposure time doubles the amount

of light entering the camera doubles. It's also the setting that has the widest range of possibilities:

Shutter Speed: Typical Examples

1 - 30+ seconds - Specialty night and low-light photos on a tripod To add a silky look to flowing water

2 - 1/2 second - Landscape photos on a tripod for enhanced depth of field to add motion blur to the background of a moving subject

1/2 to 1/30 second - Carefully taken hand-held photos with stabilization

1/50 - 1/100 second - Typical hand-held photos without substantial zoom

1/250 - 1/500 second - To freeze everyday sports/action subject movement. Hand-held photos with substantial zoom (telephoto lens)

1/1000 - 1/4000 second - To freeze extremely fast, up-close subject motion

APERTURE SETTING

A camera's aperture setting controls the area over which light can pass through your camera lens. It is specified in terms an f-stop value, which can at times be counterintuitive, because the area of the opening increases as the f-stop

decreases. In photographer slang, the when someone says they are "stopping

down" or "opening up" their lens, they are referring to increasing and decreasing the f-stop value, respectively.

By the Numbers. Every time the f-stop value halves, the light-collecting area quadruples. There's a formula for this, but most photographers just memorize the f-stop numbers that correspond to each doubling/halving of light:

Aperture Setting Relative Light Example Shutter Speed

f/22 1X 16 seconds f/16 2X 8 seconds f/11 4X 4 seconds f/8.0 8X 2 seconds f/5.6 16X 1 second f/4.0 32X 1/2 second f/2.8 64X 1/4 second f/2.0 128X 1/8 second f/1.4 256X 1/15 second

The above aperture and shutter speed combinations all result in the same exposure.

Note: Shutter speed values are not always possible in increments of exactly double or half another shutter speed, but they're always close enough that the difference is negligible.

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he above f-stop numbers are all standard options in any camera, although most also allow finer adjustments, such as f/3.2 and f/6.3. The range of values may also vary from camera to camera (or lens to lens). For example, a compact camera might have an available range of f/2.8 to f/8.0, whereas a digital SLR camera might have a range of f/1.4 to f/32 with a portrait lens. A narrow aperture range usually isn't a big problem, but a greater range does provide for more creative flexibility.

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ow it appears. A camera's aperture setting is what determines a photo's

depth of field (the range of distance over which objects appear in sharp focus). Lower f-stop values correlate with a shallower depth of field:

Figure 2: AMOUNT OF LIGHT CONTROLLED BY THE APERTURE

EQUIVALENT EXPOSURE

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nce you finally understand the working of shutter speed and aperture, you will need to learn another tidbit of knowledge which will assist you in capturing great images with speed and precision. It’s called Equivalent Exposure, which can best be described through a diagram.

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et’s say that you have the perfect exposure for your lighting situation with your aperture at F8 and your shutter speed at 60.

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ut you wanted to stop the action, so you increase your shutter speed to 500. What this means is that you are letting less light into your camera. So to

compensate you need to open up your aperture to F2.

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ow you want to create a blurry motion shot, so we slow our shutter speed to

15 which would over expose our image now. Now to re compensate for adding more light, we need to shrink our aperture down to F16.

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o all these settings I’ve displayed is equivalent, meaning F8:60 is equal to F2:500 is equal to F16:15. They all display the same amount of exposure, but the look of the image will be different. Also notice how when I subtract 3 positions less light on the shutter speed, I add 3 positions more light on the aperture and vice versa. To imagine how this works, you need to picture balancing people on a seesaw, and that’s all there is to shutter speed and aperture.

Controlling camera exposure by setting your aperture and shutter speed is the first lesson a beginning photographer should learn. It is actually quite confusing in practice, but as you take more and more pictures you will become faster at setting your exposure. It’s almost like playing Dance Revolution for the first time, and looking foolish as you try to match the arrows with your feet. But as you become experienced, you will still look foolish, but at least now matching those arrows becomes second nature.

ISO SPEED

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he ISO speed determines how sensitive the camera is to incoming light. Similar to shutter speed, it also correlates 1:1 with how much the exposure increases or decreases. However, unlike aperture and shutter speed, a lower ISO speed is almost always desirable, since higher ISO speeds dramatically increase image noise. As a result, ISO speed is usually only increased from its minimum value if the desired aperture and shutter speed aren't otherwise obtainable.

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ommon ISO speeds include 100, 200, 400 and 800, although many cameras also permit lower or higher values. With compact cameras, an ISO speed in the range of 50-200 generally produces acceptably low image noise, whereas with digital SLR cameras, a range of 50-800 (or higher) is often acceptable.

CAMERA METERING & EXPOSURE

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nowing how your digital camera meters light is critical for achieving consistent and accurate exposures. Metering is the brains behind how your camera

determines the shutter speed and aperture, based on lighting conditions and ISO speed. Metering options often include partial, evaluative zone or matrix, center-weighted and spot metering. Each of these has subject lighting conditions for which they excel-- and for which they fail. Understanding these can improve one's photographic intuition for how a camera measures light.

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n order to accurately expose a greater range of subject lighting and reflectance combinations, most cameras feature several metering options. Each option works by assigning a weighting to different light regions; those with a higher weighting are considered more reliable, and thus contribute more to the final exposure calculation.

Examples of Metering Modes:

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ith spot metering, the camera will only measure a very small area of the scene (between 1-5% of the viewfinder area). This will typically be the very centre of the scene, but some cameras allow the user to select a different off-center spot, or to recompose by moving the camera after metering.

Spot metering

is very accurate and is not influenced by other areas in the frame. It is commonly used to shoot very high contrast scenes. For example, if the subject's back is being hit by the rising sun and the face is a lot darker than the bright halo around the subject's back and hairline (the subject is "backlit"), spot metering allows the photographer to measure the light bouncing off the subject's face and expose properly for that, instead of the much brighter light around the hairline. The area around the back and hairline will then become over-exposed. Spot metering is a method upon which the Zone System

depends.

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nother example of spot metering usage would be when photographing the moon. Due to the very dark nature of the scene, other metering methods tend to overexpose the moon. Spot metering will allow for more detail to be brought out in the moon while underexposing the rest of the scene.

2.CENTER-WEIGHTED

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n this system, the meter concentrates between 60 to 80 percent of the sensitivity towards the central part of the viewfinder. The balance is then "feathered" out towards the edges. Some cameras will allow the user to adjust the weight/balance of the central portion to the peripheral one. One advantage of this method is that it is less influenced by small areas that vary greatly in

brightness at the edges of the viewfinder; as many subjects are in the central part of the frame, consistent results can be obtained.

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AVERAGE or EVALUATIVE METERING

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n this metering mode the camera will use the light information coming from the entire scene and averages for the final exposure setting, giving no weighting to any particular portion of the metered area. This is an all-around metering mode suited for portraits and even backlit subjects. The camera sets the exposure automatically to suit the scene.

4.PARTIAL METERING

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his mode meters a larger area than spot metering (around 10-15% of the entire frame), and is generally used when very bright or very dark areas on the edges of the frame would otherwise influence the metering unduly. Like spot metering, some cameras can use variable points to take readings from, (in

general autofocus points), or have a fixed point in the centre of the viewfinder. Partial metering is found mostly on Canon cameras. This is most effective when the background is much brighter than the subject.

5.MULTI-ZONE METERING

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his mode is also called matrix, evaluative, honeycomb, segment metering, or esp (electro selective pattern) metering on some cameras. This metering mode was first introduced by the Nikon FA, where it was called Automatic Multi-Pattern metering. On a number of cameras this is the default/standard metering setting. Here the camera measures the light intensity in several points in the scene, and then combines the results to find the settings for the best exposure. How they are combined/calculated deviates from camera to camera. The actual number of zones used varies wildly, from several to over a thousand. However performance should not be concluded on the number of zones alone, or the layout

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any manufacturers are less than open about the exact calculations used to determine the exposure. A number of factors are taken into consideration, including the following: Autofocus (AF) point, distance to subject, areas in focus or out of focus, colors/hues of the scene, and backlighting. Multi-zone tends to bias its exposure towards the autofocus point being used (whilst taking into account other areas of the frame too), thus ensuring that the point of interest has been exposed for properly, (this often means the subject area being exposed for as a mid-tone). A database of many thousands of exposures is pre-stored in the camera, and the processor can use a selective pattern to determine what is being photographed.

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ome cameras allow the user to link or unlink the autofocus and metering, and allow the option of locking exposure once AF confirmation is achieved, AEL, (auto-exposure lock). Using manual focus, and on many compacts/bridge cameras, the AF point is not used as part of the exposure calculation, in such instances it is common for the metering to default to a central point in the viewfinder, using a pattern based on that area. There is considerable variation from different manufacturers as to how multi-zone metering is implemented, and even from the same maker in their model range, and how much "priority" is given to the AF point itself. Some "Scene" modes, such as sunset, sports, night

exposures etc, also often affect the calculations of this metering pattern.

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owever, some photographers may be uncomfortable with multi-zone metering. This tends to stem from a lack of clarity about "how" the camera reacts in certain situations. The design concept behind multi-zone is to reduce the need to use

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ome users have problems in wide-angle shots with high contrast, due to the large area which can vary greatly in brightness. It is important to understand that even in this situation, the focus point can be critical to the overall exposure.

WHEN TO USE PARTIAL & SPOT METERING

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artial and spot metering give the photographer far more control over the exposure than any of the other settings, but this also means that these is more difficult to use-- at least initially. They are useful when there is a relatively small object within your scene which you either need to be perfectly exposed, or know that it will provide the closest match to middle gray.

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ne of the most common applications of partial metering is a portrait of someone who is backlit. Metering off of their face can help avoid making the subject look like an under-exposed silhouette against the bright background. On the other hand, care should be taken as the shade of a person's skin may lead to inaccurate exposure if it is far from neutral gray reflectance-- but probably not as inaccurate as what would have been caused by the backlighting.

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pot metering is used less often because its metering area is very small and thus quite specific. This can be an advantage when you are unsure of your subject's reflectance and have a specially designed gray card (or other small object) to meter off of.

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pot and partial metering are also quite useful for performing creative exposures, and when the ambient lighting is unusual.

NOTES ON CENTER-WEIGHTED METERING

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t one time center-weighted metering was a very common default setting in cameras because it coped well with a bright sky above a darker landscape. Nowadays, it has more or less been surpassed in flexibility by evaluative and matrix, and in specificity by partial and spot metering. On the other hand, the results produced by center-weighted metering are very predictable, whereas matrix and evaluative metering modes have complicated algorithms which are harder to predict. For this reason some prefer to use it as the default metering mode.

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ny of the above metering modes can use a feature called exposure

compensation (EC). The metering calculation still works as normal, except the final settings are then compensated by the EC value. This allows for manual corrections if you observe a metering mode to be consistently under or over-exposing. Most cameras allow up to 2 stops of exposure compensation; each stop of exposure compensation provides either a doubling or halving of light compared to what the metering mode would have done otherwise. A setting of zero means no compensation will be applied (default).

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xposure compensation is ideal for correcting in-camera metering errors caused by the subject's reflectivity. No matter what metering mode is used, the in-camera light meter would always mistakenly under-expose a subject such as a white dove in a snowstorm. Photographs in the snow will always require around +1 exposure compensation, whereas a low-key image may require negative compensation.

PICTURE STYLES

STANDARD - The image is vivid and sharp.

PORTRAIT - For nice skin tones. The image looks slightly sharp.

LANDSCAPES - For vivid blues and greens, and very sharp images.

NEUTRAL - For natural colors and subdued images. This picture style assumes that you will do post-processing with a personal computer.

FAITHFUL - The image is dull and subdued. This picture style assumes that you will do post-processing with a personal computer.

MONOCHROME – For Black & White images. Can be used with built in color filters and tones.

B: UNDERSTANDING YOUR LENS

Focal Lengths

. Camera lenses can be broken down into three (3) broad groups: Wide Angle, Standard (normal) and Long-focus (telephoto). Focal lengths assigned to each lens group is dictated by the camera Format (film,or sensors in digital). The Focal Length of the lens is the measurement in millimeters of the distance from the optical center of a lens to the point at which its image is focused (located on the sensor or film if the subject, at infinity, is "in focus"). The camera lens projects part of the scene onto the film or sensor. The field of view (FOV) is determined by the angle of view from the lens out to the scene and can be

measured horizontally or vertically. Larger sensors or films have wider FOVs and can capture more of the scene (see full frame and cropped sensors below). The longer the image distance, the longer the lens (telephoto).The shorter that distance, the shorter its focal length, so thus the lens (wide angle).

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he focal length of standard lens is approximately equal to the length of the diagonal of the format's image size. For a 35mm film camera, the diagonal of the negative size measures 50mm, so a lens with 50-55mm focal length is considered standard, and an 80mm lens is a moderate telephoto. However, the diagonal of a 6x6cm negative measures approximately 80mm, so an 80mm lens is a standard in a medium-format camera. As the dimensions of the sensors used by digital cameras varies so much from model to model, the focal length is usually quoted as if for the 35mm film format.

Image Distance is equivalent to the Focal Length of the Lens.

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full-frame digital sensor is equivalent in size to a 35mm film frame, making this the standard focal length baseline that today’s lenses are measured against. A cropped sensor, 1.6 or 1.5, have smaller digital sensor and thus, smaller formats. You need to be aware that the focal lengths expressed on the lenses must be multiplied by a factor. That factor, the Focal Length Multiplier, depends on the image sensor size used (cropped factor). Of course, if the image sensor is full-frame, i.e. it is the same size as 35mm film, then the multiplier is 1, and the focal length of the lens is accurate. However, only a few DSLRs use a full-frame image sensor, with most using a smaller image sensor, usually APS size (or roughly half-frame).

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he effect that a smaller sensor has on a lens of a given focal length is called a crop factor or magnification factor. This is because a smaller sensor produces a similar effect to cropping a larger sensor, effectively magnifying the image. That's why you'll read that a focal length multiplier of, say, 1.6 needs to be applied to the focal length of the lens to obtain the true focal length. For Example, a 10mm wide angle that seems unbelievably short, but in “equivalent” terms, they’re much more akin to more familiar focal lengths, like a 17mm lens that is the equivalent to a 28mm lens in 35mm film format.

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o, suppose your dSLR has a Focal Length Multiplier of 1.6 and you use a 50mm lens with it, the actual focal length of the lens when used with your DSLR is 1.6 x 50mm = 80mm. This is both good and bad.

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he good news is that you can now get super telephoto focal lengths on your DSLR without buying costly and unwieldy dedicated lenses. For example, a 100-300mm zoom lens, with a focal length multiplier of 1.6, becomes approx. 160-480mm. The bad news is, of course, that super wide-angle lenses are equally affected and a 28mm lens becomes a 45mm lens. One solution is to buy a smaller focal length lens which, when factored up by 1.6, becomes equivalent to your desired lens. Say, a 10-22mm wide angle lens in cropped sensor DSLR, becomes 16-35mm in equivalent full frame sensor. A normal wide angle lens best fitted for landscape photography.

Angle of View

. Lenses have various classifications based on focal length and the field of view they provide. A wide-angle lens provides a much greater field of view, and is generally considered to be any lens 40mm or shorter (again, in full frame equivalent terms). A normal lens—on a full frame DSLR—is the distinction given to any lens that ranges roughly from 40mm to 65mm or so. These lenses are

“normal” because they provide an angle of view that approximates that of the human eye. Telephoto lenses on full-frame cameras usually are lenses longer than 70mm, and they range upwards of 300, 600 and even 1000mm. The longer the telephoto, the narrower the angle of view and the greater the magnifying power it provides. That’s why wildlife and sports photographers so often use 600mm and longer telephotos. Most amateur users, though, tend to top out around 300mm lenses for most uses.

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ome lenses are called prime lenses, which means, they have a fixed focal length. Other lenses are zoom lenses, so they can be adjusted across a range of focal lengths. Some zooms fit within a particular classification, such as wide-angle zoom, normal zoom or telephoto zoom. Many lenses actually zoom from wide to normal, or normal to telephoto. Extreme zoom lenses actually encompass all these qualities in a single lens—say a wide-angle 30mm lens that can zoom all the way to a 300mm telephoto. These extreme zoom lenses are prized for their portability since they offer such a wide range of focal lengths in a single package. The downside is that some extreme zooms are more prone to vignetting and chromatic aberrations when used with wide apertures and zoomed to the extremes.

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hotographers shopping for point-and-shoot or compact cameras often encounter zoom lens descriptors such as 2X, 3X or 10X. This isn’t actually a representation of

the precise focal length of a lens, but rather the zoom range that lens covers. A 2X lens, for example, doubles its focal length from its widest to its longest setting—as in a 35-70mm lens. A 3X zoom triples the focal length (like 35-105), and a 10X zoom multiplies it by a whopping factor of ten (as in a 35-350mm lens). The bigger the X factor, the larger the range of focal lengths covered by a lens. Remember though, just because two lenses offer 2X zooms doesn’t mean the lenses have the same focal length. For that, you’ll have to compare actual millimeter measurements in 35mm equivalent terms.

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he longer the focal length of a lens, the more difficult that lens will be to handhold. This is true not only because longer lenses tend to be physically longer and heavier than wide-angle lenses, but also because subtle vibrations and camera shakes are amplified dramatically when using a telephoto lens. A good rule of thumb is to use a minimum shutter speed equivalent to the focal length—for example, when handholding a 500mm telephoto lens, be sure to set the shutter speed no slower than 1/500th of a second. The benefit of new lenses today is the extra feature added by the manufacturers dedicated to counter this kind of problem. The Image

Stabilizer (IS) of Canon, the Vibration Reduction (VR) by Nikon, Optical Stabilizer (OS) by sigma, and others. They are extra motors inside the lens to counter camera shakes and other vibrations.

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ust take note, that, when shooting while the camera is mounted on a tripod, monopod or any other sturdy objects, make sure to turn off the IS/VR modes of your lens to stop it’s motor from moving or reacting. Using a tripod to avoid movements or camera shakes will be of no use if your lens is still vibrating on its own.

Magnification

.Some lens designations mean that even though the focal length may be the same, the lens won’t perform the same. A macro lens, for

instance, can focus extremely close, allowing for great magnification of small objects and fine details. One 100mm lens may be designated macro, while another is not. You’re bound to pay a premium for the added capabilities, but if making big photos of little objects is important to you, it’s well worth the investment.

Accessories and Adjustments

.Many photographers utilize special devices to change the effective focal length, or at least the performance, of a lens. Teleconverters are popular among wildlife photographers and those who want to double or triple their lens’ focal length (with a 2X or 3X teleconverter) without carrying an additional, and often quite expensive, supertelephoto lens. Extension tubes are a similar device, but rather than changing the lens’ effective focal length they simply change the focusing range—making a lens focus much closer and behave more like a macro lens would. Like macro lenses, extension tubes are used to allow close focusing are ideal for flower photography and other close-up uses.

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he downside with both extension tubes and teleconverters is that each requires a sacrifice in available maximum aperture—often as much as two full stops that turn

an ƒ/2 lens into an ƒ/5.6. It’s worth it, though, if you’re working at smaller apertures, with flash or if you simply need the close focusing or telephoto extension effect.

C: ELEMENTS OF A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH

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here are many ways to make your subject stand out in your photographs. You can use contrasting colors, textures, dimensions, change your point of view, or you can just simply separate it from the background with selective focusing. Selective focus is a process of carefully controlling the camera focus on your subject alone and completely ignoring or blurring the background. It's a creative manipulation of the Depth of Field in your photographs.

Depth of Field

, for those who are not yet familiar, is the focal zoning from the foreground to the background that indicates the sharpness of the subject(s) in your frame. It can be controlled with these three (3) factors, the aperture, the

distance of your camera to the subject and the focal length of the lens. Through the aperture control, using a bigger opening (f-stop, ex. f/1.2 - f/2.8) can create a "Shallow Depth of Field", wherein, only the object of your focus remains sharp, and the rest of the background is blurred. While using a smaller opening (ex.

f/8 - f/22) can result to a "Deep Depth of Field" wherein, the majority in the image from foreground to the background, is sharp.

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he distance between your camera and the subject can also determine your depth of field. If you stand closer to the subject, your focus will be concentrated more on it than the background, creating a shallow DoF. If you want a sharper image, move a little back from your subject to increase your DoF.

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ikewise, if you use a longer focal length, like telephotos and zooms (ex. 100mm

above), the area in your focus is "compressed", thus, isolating your subject from the

background. But it is not always the case, it still depends on your settings and distance of focus. Results may vary with different lens and focal lengths. For example, a small f-stop (f/11) on a 35-70mm zoom lens, set on 35mm and focused on a 9 feet distance, can result to a Deep DoF with a sharp image from 6-20ft. On the other hand, with the same f-stop and distance but focal length set to 70mm, the DoF is relatively shallower with only 8-11ft sharp image.

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nderstanding Depth of Field and mastering the control of it can really help you in creating great quality images. It's what determines the output or the look that you want in your photographs. It's also a useful means to direct the viewer's eyes in the flow that you want. So it's very important to maintain a separation of focus with your subject and the background. Needless to say, that you're subject must be easily

identified from the background through the difference in sharpness and focus. No matter how good a composition is, if the focus is off, then it's just a wasted shot.

M

ost of my photos, especially close-ups and macros, are done with selective focusing. It's what helps me create the mood that I wanted in my images. Even in my portraits and architectural photos, selective focusing is a great tool that creates emphasis and perspective on my every captures. Of course, it would be even better with the use of a good set of lens (fast lens with bigger aperture), and a creative viewpoint to capture that unique work of art

Y

ou can also use selective focusing in enhancing or isolating a portion of your subject. I normally use it to emphasize the eyes of the models in my portraits.

Creating a single directional flow for the viewers and captivating them, making them linger on my subject even more.

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ne great way to maximize the effect of focus and sharpness in your images is by understanding the Hyperfocal Distance of your lens. The hyperfocal distance is basically a point in which your focus and everything from that point to infinity will be sharp. Different lens, either prime or with varying focal lengths, have different corresponding hyperfocal distance. Mastering this can make outstanding landscapes with really sharp image all throughout the frame.

Hyperfocal focus distance

is basically the focus distance for any given camera, lens, and settings that maximizes the apparent focus distance while including infinity at the far end. Normally you carry a table of hyperfocal values with you and just set what it says as focus distance for the lens and aperture

settings you're using. Do so and everything from about half the hyperfocal distance to infinity is "in focus." Since a lens can only focus one distance at a time, hyperfocal focus depends upon the blur circle that is created by things in front or behind the focus distance to be small enough that we still detect it as a "point."

Here’s a simple formula in calculating the Hyperfocal Distance.

Focal length – This will, of course, be different for every image that you take. For my shot of Castlerigg Stone Circle I used my 24 to 105mm lens at its widest focal length i.e. 24mm. This value can be read off from the top of your lens barrel once you are happy with your composition. For fixed length lenses just use the fixed focal length of your prime lens.

Circle of confusion – All you need to know here is that this constant differs depending on the type of camera that you are using and is based on what is considered to be acceptable sharpness in an 8” x10” print seen at normal viewing distance. The most popular values are as follows:-

Digital SLR = 0.02

35mm format and digital SLR full-frame = 0.03 6x6cm format = 0.06

4x5in format = 0.15

F-stop – The optimum f-number for landscape photography is considered to be either f11 or f13. My preferred f-stop is f11 as I find that this gives you the maximum depth of field without any diffraction occurring.

Using the above formula, the hyperfocal distance for a sample shot with f/11 aperture on a 24mm focal length would calculated as

follows:-Therefore, the hyperfocal distance is approximately 1.8 metres.

Table 1 – Hyperfocal Distance Calculator for Digital SLR Cameras with a Focal Length Multiplier of 1.6

Table 2 – Hyperfocal Distance Calculator for 35mm and Full Frame Digital SLR Cameras with no Focal Length Multiplier

D: BETTER COMPOSITION & FRAMING

J

ust like any other form of visual arts like painting, architecture and even on film, photography also rely on a good composition or framing to better translate the thoughts of the author into the minds of the viewer or spectator. Composition in photography is a very broad subject, but nonetheless, still follows the same methods or rules as in any art to achieve a better quality. Elements such as light & shadows, colors, textures, shapes & forms, and even dimensions help us to create a better composition for our photographs.

Composition

is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole. In photography that thought is very important in taking good pictures. The following guidelines are just to be thought about though, it is not necessary to try to use them with every picture you take or there wouldn't be any creativity in your work. Once you learn these rules and strategies you will be more prepared to find great picture spots and opportunities.

F

or years, photographers followed and created a number of rules or ideals in their composition. Below are few samples of those rules. There would be a lot of

interpretations by different photographers on each of these rules. So it would still be best just to gather all versions that you can, and then derive from them your own. Here are from my own thoughts and works…

1. THE RULE OF THIRDS

The Rule of Thirds

has been used for centuries and is probably the most important of all the composition techniques. The Rule of Thirds means that the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections and therefore, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect makes an ideal location for the more important parts of your picture. By locating your main subject at one of the four intersections you give the

subject more emphasis than if it was right smack in the middle of the picture. This is also a good technique if you have more than one important subject, the intersections can still work even if there's a subject or more than one. The divisions can also be helpful in setting up a picture, they can for example, help you determine how much horizon you want. Most famous photographs or paintings in the world today have the rule of thirds applied to them in some

way.

A

s I have explained on my the workshops, the reason for having this rule is not just because of the positioning of your subject, but mostly on how the eye of the viewer should be directed in the photograph. There must be a single directionality for the flow.

I

t is you that should command that flow, in the way you would want the viewer’s eyes to travel along your image, and the way you would want to narrate your story.

2. FILL THE FRAME. SIMPLICITY

Simplicity

is the method of keeping the information in a photograph relatively simple. If your main subject is close, then your background should be very simple to avoid distractions. You should try to keep everything not important much less interesting than what's important in the frame. Especially avoid lines or objects that lead the eye away from the subject. Avoid also unnecessary clutter and focus on the important detail or accent of the subject.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO THE BACKGROUND

Re-examine your shot before pressing that trigger. Make sure no clutter or obstruction will hinder the viewer’s eyes from your subject. And most

important, for portraits, to avoid any object (ex branches or posts) to grow out of your subject.

This could have been a good portrait if not for the horns (trees) growing from her head.

Avoid unnecessary elements in your framing that may distract the viewer’s eye from your main subject.

4. LEADING LINES

Leading Lines

are used to lure the eye deeper into a picture or to an important subject. Straight, curved, parallel, or diagonal lines are all good at promoting interest. Good examples could be roads, rivers, streams, bridges, branches, or fences but there are endless things that could be used.

Perspective, is the illusion of depth guiding the eyes.

5. NATURAL FRAMES

Find a unique location that can frame your subject within the surrounding area.

6. LANDSCAPE Vs PORTRAIT

Shooting landscapes or seascapes doesn’t always have to be in horizontal format. Sometimes a scene is best captured in vertical to allow more range of element from the foreground to the background.

7. DEPTH OF FIELD & SELECTIVE FOCUS

You’ll be amazed on how the control of DoF (depth of field) can alter your capture of the subject from realistic to surrealistic, from boring to amazing. Just play around with your aperture and focus on part that you want to enhance or isolate.

Having a wider aperture (f1.2 – 4.0) creates a shallow DoF, resulting to limited detail on the focus (subject) and blurry or washed background. This in turn

creates a more dramatic and dreamy image.

8. SELECTIVE COLOR

This does not mean editing you photos in Photoshop, but creating or capturing them right in your composition. Just be on the lookout of

contrasting colors in your location, and frame your subject against opposing colors. Make sure your background colors will not over power your subject.

9. CONVEY FEELING & EMOTION

This can either be direct emotion that you can see or tell in your captures, or implied and unspoken but can be felt just by looking at it.

Direct

Indirect

10.

HAVE A STRONG FOCAL POINT

TO CATCH THE EYE

Here my main focus is the turbine on the right, and then the eyes are guided towards the smaller turbines and then ends at the house.

These dragon boats become the anchor of this image…that directs the eyes to the background of lights and buildings.

11.

ISOLATE THE SUBJECT

This can be done with either diffusing the background with shallow DoF… or placing your subject in strong contrast with the background.

Blurring the background through shallow Focus & Depth of Field

Placing the subject against a strong and contrasting background.

12.

USE SHUTTER SPEED TO CONVEY MOTION

This is commonly used in Sports & Panning shots, where we use faster shutter speeds to freeze the subject while the background is still caught in action.

13.

SILHOUETTING and 14. BACKLIGHTING

Backlighting or Silhouettes are dramatic images or juxtaposition of the subject(s) against a strong back light leaving only traces or figures of them. A simple trick of metering the light source for a normal exposure while leaving the subject(s) under-exposed.

In Landscapes, the “S” curve is used mainly to guide the eyes into a direction that the photographer wants them to see. While in Portraits, especially in female subjects, it is used to enhance not just the pose but the femininity of the model.

This is self explanatory; nothing can beat the drama or emotion that a black & white image can express.

For Old school film photographers, this is strictly followed and practiced… but now since the world is much more complicated and diverse, a lot of new photographers are exploring different angles and viewpoints in their captures. Thus, it becomes common for us to see angled horizon on a landscape or portrait images.

But to stick on the rule in point… horizon must be level in your photos especially in landscapes. It’s a bit distracting to the eyes to see a sloping sea front or mountain ranges. And maybe you can get away with it to shoot models in diagonal frames… but just don’t let the horizon get in the level of the model’s head or neck. It’s like cutting them with it.

Wrong Right

18. WAIT FOR THE RIGHT LIGHT

Since photography is known to be “the art of painting with light” it’s just natural that we treat the light as our main element in all our photographs. And having a perfect light is what all of us is trying to achieve.

It can be easily done when we are shooting with an artificial lights or flashes for model or products shoots… but when you’re into landscapes… waiting for the perfect time for a perfect light is what defines a great capture.

And it doesn’t have to be true only for

landscapes, even on an environmental Portrait like this one.

I took this shot on just the right time for the sun to light a portion of the man from a small opening on the roof. The smoke is a bonus from all the

19. COLOR CONTRAST | COLOR HARMONY

Blending of Colors is very easy in photography; all you have to do is find your subject a great background for contrast or harmony.

20. ADDING HUMOR

21. SHAPES & GEOMETRIC PATTERNS

Geometry is part of our lives… you have the whole world as your subject.

22. REVEALING TEXTURE

23. EMPHASIZING FORM

Forms are emphasized by playing the right shades and shadows… whether it is a cube or a box, a sphere or a ball, find the right angle and amount of light to enhance those shapes and forms.

24. SELECTING VIEWPOINT

Finding a good angle must not limit you to a common view point or focal source… sometimes an unexpected viewpoint can create wonders to your photos.

25. DEPTH & PERSPECTIVE

The depth and perspective of a photo is determined by the aperture that we use and the angle we choose.

26. BALANCE AND PROPORTION

As in any other faculty of Art, Photography also relies on some balance and proportion in creating an image… not solely for the technical, but also for the visual. The eyes that we guide with our photos must not “swerve” or be “derailed” in viewing the image.

27. DEFINING IMAGE PLANES

(foreground, middle ground and background)

This is where the rule of “S” and or “Triangle” applies… determining the planes to include in your image, starting from the foreground, then guiding your viewers eyes to the middle ground (in case of portraiture, the model or subject) and last to the background. Not only does the sharpness but also the amount of tones must be defined and recognizable to create a balanced capture. It is not an

appealing image to have all the planes in equal range of sharpness or tones. You must choose one as the main focus of the photo.

28. FOLLOW YOUR OWN RULE

E: HOW I TAKE MY PHOTOGRAPHS

THE SECRET FORMULA

. Just like any mathematician, Photographers have their own formula in “calculating” their shots. And most of the Lecturers or Mentors of Photography Classes that I have known have their own formulated key words to guide them in their lectures and in their photographs. To some it is

just a process, but to others it becomes their bible that drives them towards a perfect capture.

S

o for this workshop, I decided to make my own, based on the experience and the system that I have developed since I started taking photographs. This formula is just a word game of the common terms in photography including, but not limited to the rules and fundamentals of Photography.

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nd this is what I call my

S.E.C.R.E.T.S.

They are the ones that I first think about before pressing my shutter. They are my game plans.

S

-

Story or Concept

E

-

Environment

C

- Characters

R

-

Rules Applicable

E

-

Emphasis

T

- Time

S

-

Style

And for my portraiture, my basic requirements consist of these;

For the overall photo

C

- Concept

L

-

Lighting

E

- Exposure

A

- Angle

R

-

Re-examining the Shot

For the Subject or Model

F

-

Focus

A

- Attire

C

-

Colors & Textures

E

-

Expression

PART II: GENRES OF PHOTOGRAPHY

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here are many known genres in Photography. A lot if them existed since the beginning of this art, while others evolved naturally from the creative minds of photographers. With the evolution of photography and the cameras, from film to

digital, I would expect new developments of types and genres of photography in the near future.

The most common of these genres are: 1. Travel & Landscapes

2. Fashion & Portraiture 3. Nature (animals, wildlife) 4. Macro & Close Up

5. Architecture & Urbanscapes

6. Events (weddings, socials gatherings, concerts, etc.)

7. Sports & Action

8. Conceptual & Creative Art

9. Still Life (Food & Products)

10.Street Photography

11. Photojournalism & Photorealism

Other Types or Styles of Photography

1. Minimalism 2. Abstract 3. Black & White

4. HDR (High Dynamic Range) & DRI (Dynamic Range Imaging) 5. Strobe Photography

PART III : INTRODUCTION TO PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

I - IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN PORTRAITURE

A - LIGHTING

- SOURCES OF LIGHT

a. Natural or Ambient (Sun & Moon, Candles, Lighting Fixtures) b. Artificial (Flash, Strobes & Other Studio Lights)

- STYLE OF LIGHTING a. Broad Lighting b. Short Lighting c. Rembrandt Lighting d. Split Lighting

e. Butterfly Lighting (Hollywood) f. Vertical Axis Lighting

g. Rim Lighting

- TYPES OF PORTRAIT LIGHTS a. Main, Modeling or Key Light b. Fill Light c. Kick Light d. Rim Light e. Back Light f. Background Light g. Hair Light B - BACKGROUND - NATURAL - ARTIFICIAL C - OUTPUT | THEME - PORTFOLIO - CATALOGUE - COMMERCIAL - EDITORIAL - COUTURE D - MODEL | SUBJECT - SHAPE OF FACES - SKIN or COMPLEXION - DIMENSIONS

FUNDAMENTAL PORTRAIT

LIGHTING

Every portrait is a picture of someone, but not every picture of someone is a portrait. A portrait captures not just the physical likeness of a subject; it also captures his or her personality. A portrait tells us what kind of person the subject is. So, to

succeed in portraiture, you must go beyond the surface characteristics of a person and get inside.

[Excerpt from NY Institute of Photography]

However, the success of a portrait is equally dependent on lighting as on the subject itself. The manner in how the subject is lighted can actually set the mood of a

portrait. The best portrait lighting will simulate natural sunlight. This is because we are accustomed to seeing faces illuminated from above and to one side with shadows cast downward and on one side or the other.

Light coming from below eye level casts shadows upward and produces an unnatural, ghastly effect. Good portrait lighting shows off the subject to the best advantage, emphasizing the form and expressiveness of the facial features. When lighting appears pleasing and natural in a portrait, it produces prominent highlights on the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin with enough shadows to round out the facial features.

Lighting for a studio portrait normally requires at least two lights. One of these is the

main, modeling, or key light; the other is the fill or fill-in light.

Portrait Lighting is divided into various types of lightings. Some of these lightings are as follows: broad, short, butterfly, Rembrandt, split, vertical and rim. These names have been assigned because of the visual effects the lighting creates when it falls on the subject from a given direction. This visual effect is derived from the modeling light. Other light sources that may be added to the modeling light to enhance the subject are as follows:

5. BUTTERFLY LIGHTING (HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR)

6. VERTICAL AXIS LIGHTING

TYPE OF PORTRAIT LIGHTS

a. Main, Modeling or Key Light b. Fill Light

c. Kick Light d. Rim Light

e. Back or Rear Light f. Background Light g. Hair Light

A. MAIN LIGHT

The main light is often called the modeling light because it is used to model the face (or subject). The main light creates a three-dimensional effect by either emphasizing or de-emphasizing the curvature and characteristic features of the face with

highlights and shadows. The modeling light should always be the one dominant light source in a portrait because it controls the direction of the shadows. The direction of the main light establishes four basic portrait lightings. These basic lightings are as follows:

a. Three-Quarter Lighting, b. Side Lighting,

c. Frontlighting and d. Backlighting.

When reading other books on portrait lighting, you will often encounter other names depending on what the author wanted to call the lightings.

THREE-QUARTER LIGHTING

Broad and Short lighting are two types of three-quarter lighting, and they

are the types that you most often use for official portraits. The only difference between the two is the position of the main light and the way it illuminates the subject. Short lighting is used for people with a normal shaped face or people who have a wide face. When short lighting is used, the side of the subject’s face that is away from the camera is illuminated. This puts the side of the face towards the camera in shadow. By putting the side of the face towards the camera in shadow, you can provide a slimming effect

Broad lighting is useful for subjects with a narrow face. When broad lighting is used,

the side of the face towards the camera is illuminated, and the side of the face away from the camera is in shadow. This provides a widening or broadening effect of the face.

Main Light Distance

The power or intensity of the main light is not the determining factor for the distance the main light is placed from the subject. It is the visual effect the light has on the subject that determines this distance. When the main light is too high and close to the subject, there may be too much light falling on the forehead and not enough light falling on the lower part of the face. This effect can be improved by moving the main light farther away from the subject and placing it correctly. Highlights on the forehead, the upper cheeks, the chin, and along the bridge of the nose are created by the main light. These highlights give life, brilliance, and form to a portrait, and the quality of these highlights are controlled by the main light distance. To determine

the main light distance, start with the light about 4 feet from the subject and about 2 feet above the subject's eye level.

The light should be about a 45-degree angle to the lens axis. Observe the forehead highlight and move the light closer to the subject; as the light gets closer to the forehead, highlights spread out to a large, flat area and begin to wash out. Now, start moving the main light away from the subject. As you slowly move it back, you will find there is a point where the forehead highlight becomes relatively small and bright. When the light is moved back much further from this point, the highlight spreads and disappears. Between the point where the highlight is brightest and where it starts to disappear lies the range where the highlight still has character. This point is where you get the most pleasing effect. Once you have found the distance where the main light gives your desired effect, the distance should remain the same regardless of the direction you need to move the light. This main light distance should always be considered as the starting point of portrait

lighting.

Main Light Height

To determine the correct height for the main light, move the light directly in front of the subject while maintaining the distance determined for the forehead highlight. Raise or lower the light until the shadow cast by the nose is just long enough to touch the top edge of the upper lip. This is the height the main light should normally be no matter at what position you place it in an arc around the subject. When your subject is wearing a hat with a visor, the visor shadow should fall naturally across the face. Many photographers think the shadow cast by the visor should not shade the eyes. The shadow from the visor should shade the eyes, however, in a portrait, this shadow should not be so dark that shadow detail is lost and the eyes are hard to see. To prevent this shadow from being too dark, raise the main light to the desired height, and instead of aiming it down at an angle, aim it straight. This way the light is cast under the visor and prevents the shadow from becoming too dark Main Light Direction

By the time you have determined the main light distance and the height for a given subject, you should have a pretty fair idea of the direction you want the main light to come from. To establish the direction from which this light should come, move the main light in an arc, to the right or left, around the subject. Remember, while moving the main light, its established distance and height should be maintained. The shadow cast by the subject's nose is your key to main light direction. The light should be moved around until the shadow cast by the nose merges with the cheek shadow and leaves a small, triangular highlight on the cheek. When this is done, the main light is in position. Remember, the main light must always be the dominant, directional, shadow pattern forming light.

Once the main light has been established, the fill or fill-in light is added. This fill light is a secondary light and must not overpower the main light. Its purpose is to fill in and soften the shadow areas, making them lighter, and to provide shadow detail. The fill light is normally placed slightly above the subject's eye level, on the opposite side of the camera from the main light and near the camera lens axis. The fill-in light should be less intense than the main light and of softer quality. This light is often diffused even when the main light is not. By placing the fill light slightly above the subject's eye level, you can cast a shadow under the chin. This shadow separates the head from the neck. The chin shadow should be soft and unpronounced. The intensity of the fill-in light can be controlled by either adjusting the power setting of an electronic studio light set or adjusting the light-to-subject distance. The fill light can be moved in an arc to the side of the subject and away from the camera. The fill light must not produce conflicting shadows (shadows that point toward the main light).

Catch Light

There should be a small, bright reflection of the main light in the eyes of the subject. This is a catch light. The catch light adds life and brilliance to a portrait and gives the eyes sparkle. There should be only one catch light in each eye, and it should be high in the iris of the eye.

For broad lighting, the catch light should be approximately in the 11 o'clock position. The main light for short lighting should create a catch light at approximately the 1 o'clock position.

Lighting Ratio

The lighting ratio for portraits should usually be about 3:1 or 4:1…3:1 is about maximum for good color portraits.

C. BACKGROUND LIGHT

The third light in studio portrait lighting is the Background Light. A background light is usually placed on a low stand midway between the background and the subject. When adjusted correctly, the background light provides good tonal separation between subject and background. The intensity of the light falling on the background should not normally be greater than the intensity of the light from the main light falling on the subject's face. By increasing or

decreasing the intensity of the light on the background, you can control the tone or color reproduction of the background in the finished print. To reproduce the background color to its “true” color in a color print, it must receive the same amount of light as the subject's face. When taking portraits for use on a roster board, you want the tone and color of the background to be consistent.

When the backgrounds vary in color, the image does not appear uniform, and the attention of the viewer is distracted. When a background light is used, it is wise to position it before setting up any other light. It is easier to determine its effect without the interference of the main and fill light. The background light should be positioned

so the brightest area of the light illuminates the background directly behind the head and gradually falls off into the corners of the frame. When the background light is set in this manner, it separates the head from the body and draws the viewer’s attention to the subject's face.

D. HAIR LIGHT

Once the main, fill and background lighting is established, additional light may be added to the setup. One such light is a hair light. A hair light is usually a small lighting unit placed on a boom so it shines down from above and behind the subject. It is used to lighten the hair (or hat) and shoulders, add detail to the hair, and

separate the subject from the background, presenting the illusion of a third dimension.

The intensity of the hair light varies with the subject since it is dictated not only by the color of the person's hair (or hat) but also by the amount of sheen the hair has. The hair light is usually placed on the side of the subject opposite the main light and behind the subject. It should be used from an angle about 6 to 8 feet high and from a position close to the center of the subject area without the light stand or boom showing in the picture. Light from this unit should not be allowed to spill over onto the forehead or tip of the nose.

The hair light normally has a snoot attached so light from it does not strike the camera lens. Be sure the hair light is turned off when making any exposure

readings. This light does not affect your basic image exposure, but it could influence your meter.

Flexibility of Three-Quarter Lighting

Three-quarter lighting can be used with almost any type of face. It is flexible because once it is set, the subject can move his head from full face to profile and the lighting remains good at any point you choose to pose the sitter. The degree of flexibility is determined by the type of light used (spot or flood) and the size and type of reflector used.

SIDE LIGHTING

With side lighting, the face is lit more intensely on one side than the other. This type of lighting is well suited for young women that have smooth skin and regular facial features, or for men whose rugged character lines should be emphasized.