Category Archives: How To

Photo Composition Rules

November 3, 2014 Passy Leave a comment

Subject: Photo Composition

Like great Works of Art, the elements in a Photograph need to be arranged in a manner which is interesting and pleasing to the eye.

In addition, Photography is a two dimensional medium. Therefore we need to make use of the elements which are present in the photo to create a sense of depth and three dimensions.

Photos also need a main focal point, as well as leading our eyes on a journey through the picture.

Having these things makes for great photos, which are pleasing to the eye, and we call this “Composition”.

In this article we look at a set of rules which pertain to good composition.

These “Rules” are as follows:

1) Fill the Frame
2) Beware the Background
3) Avoid the Middle
4) The Thirds Rule
5) Leading Lines
6) Depth and Scale
7) Symmetry and Patterns
8) Viewpoint and Angles
9) Space to Move
10) Cropping Body Parts

These rules are not exhaustive, and there are other additional ways of making photos look great. These are discussed in the Videos and Reference Items at the end of this article.

The material which follows covers the main general rules of composition, and shows lots of practical photo examples.

Portrait Photography is a whole other world involving poses, background blurring, lighting angles, and using off camera flash. This material is not covered in our article.

Landscape Photography is another separate genre of work, involving the use of filters and long exposure times. This level of detail is not part of our article, but we hope to do a separate article on this another time.

Even with the above exclusions, the article which follows is still a very long one, and so take your time working through it.

At the end of the article there is a Quiz that contains several example photos for you to work through and make composition assessments on.

So let’s get started with our Top 10 Rules of Composition.

Fill the Frame

It is easy to take a picture which has lots of “empty” or non-important space in it.

With the high number of Megapixels on many digital cameras, this is not a problem, and we can “Crop” or Reframe the picture in Photoshop later on so that at least 60% of pour photo is filled with the main subject.

However, it is a good idea at the time of shooting, to zoom in if we can, and fill up the frame with the important subject material we want to capture.

Beware the Background

Sometimes a great picture is ruined by having a busy distracting background in it.

Other times there may be strange items in the background, which directly interfere with the main subject.

Often there are distractions in the background which are unavoidable.

We can use Photoshop to “Crop” (or Reframe) the picture, and then use additional tools to fix or even totally remove all distractions.

Remember: The background behind our subject can sometimes dramatically interfere with the final result.

Usually this is not good, so be careful!

Avoid the Middle

For beginner photographers, especially when using Auto Focus, the main subject of the photo ends up directly in the middle of the picture.

This creates a rather boring photo, and a better composition effect is to place the main subject off to the side in the photo.

Here is another example of an original shot being too centred in the Middle.

Because this was a large 24 megapixel photo, we were able to use cropping in Photoshop to change the composition and make a “new” improved picture.

In the “Thirds Rule”, (which we look at in detail in the next few sections), there are ways to compose our pictures which avoid having the main subject in the very centre.

There are always exceptions to every rule, and we often have a single person pose in a Landscape photo to supply a reference point for us to visualise the actual size of the vista.

We can also make somebody in a Group Photo the “centre of attention” by placing them directly in the middle of the picture.

Here are some more exceptions in some photos taken in New York City by Musician/Photographer: Nicholas Roy.

The Sunflower and the Newsagency are “Framed” by the rest of the picture, and well placed to be the centre of attention.

“Framing” is another Composition technique which works really well in photos like these.

The Thirds Rule

The “Rule of Thirds” is one of the cornerstone rules of composition, where we divide a picture into vertical and horizontal thirds.

This creates 9 rectangular areas divided by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines.

Because there are nine reactangular areas created, it is sometimes also called the “Rule of Nines”.

The idea is to position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect.

Doing this adds balance and interest to the picture. Some cameras even have an option to superimpose a rule of thirds grid over the LCD screen, so it can be referenced while setting up your picture.

In this first example, the Rule of Thirds has been followed “Religiously”, and we have placed key features so that they sit right on the thirds grid lines.

However, in the next example of cropping the same original photo, we have placed key items inside the boxes formed by the thirds grid.

Sometimes a better image is obtained by not placing key features directly onto the grid lines, but instead placing them inside the thirds boxes.

We can also use Diagonal Thirds for placing key features onto the grid lines.

Another aspect of the Thirds Rule is to place land/sea, sea / sky, and other key boundaries onto one of the horizontal thirds lines.

Here are some New York City Photos from Musician/Photographer: Nicholas Roy which use the thirds rule very well.

It is often important to have a balancing element, and not empty space, when we position our main subject off center into the left hand one third of a picture.

This is covered in the next section “Thirds Rule – Major and Minor”

Thirds Rule – Major and Minor

When we have a main subject, and other items around them, it is a good idea to use the Thirds Rule and place key minor objects on the thirds crossover points.

Here is another example of using Major and Minor within the Thirds Rule.

The Major and Minor items do not have to be directly on thirds Gridlines; they can be contained within thirds boxes.

In some cases we can apply this rule the other way around, and place the Major object onto the thirds gridlines.

Leading Lines

When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines. These can be curved lines, zig zag lines, or diagonal lines which lead us into the picture.

This gives the picture a three dimensional story to it, and makes us go on a “Journey” through the scene.

Leading lines are often used in Landscape and Nature photos to add interest to the pictures.

Here are some great examples of Leading Lines in photos taken by Musician/Photographer: Nicholas Roy in New York City.

Depth and Scale

Photography is a two-dimensional medium, which can make it difficult for us to convey the sense of depth that was present in the original scene.

We can create depth in a photo by including objects in the foreground, middle ground and background.

It is also a good idea to include people in Landscape and Nature files to act as a scale reference for the Picture.

Depth is often combined with Leading Lines when we compose Landscape Photos.

Symmetry and Patterns

Our eyes are trained from when we are babies to look for the face of our mother, which has a nose and eyes either side.

We are highly trained to look for symmetry, and for this reason we find it to be an attractive trait in photographs.

In Group Photos, especially Groups of Three, we can use people turned inwards as “Bookends” within the balanced Symmetry.

Also to preserve symmetry, put either the Tallest or Shortest person in the Middle, also place people with blonde or bright hair or bright clothes in the middle.

Use Symmetry and balance the left and right hand side of the Group, by placing brightly clothed, or blonde haired people in the middle of the photo.

We do this because blonde haired people reflect light more, and always come out much brighter in Flash Photos.

Finally for Groups of Two, we can make them mirror reflections, or make the man dominant and the woman submissive (even if this does sound sexist, it is classic portraiture composition – think of old style Hollywood Movie Posters like “Gone With The Wind”).

Also use Major / Minor with blonde brightly dressed person to the front and brunette or dark clothes slightly to the back.

Viewpoint and Shooting Angles

Different subjects look different if we shoot them from different angles rather than just straight on.

Shooting from above or below is one option, but we can also tilt the angle of the camera to create a different viewpoint.

When you shoot Groups of People, such as sports teams, it will be boring of all the photos are the same front-on straight line composition.

We need to mix it up a bit by using Angles, Interesting People Arrangements, and sometimes taking one or two steps sideways so that we are not directly front-on to the group.

When shooting sports, often the best place to shoot from is where the umpire or referee stands most of the time. This gives us the best viewpoint.

Eg. For Basketball shoot from behind the rim to the right, and have the rim in the shot. For tennis shoot from the middle of the court at the net.

For certain sports it is good to shoot at a particular angle (up or down).

For Mountain bikes, it is generally a good idea to get down as low as you can on the ground and shoot upwards, especially on jumps.

However when riders are going up a long hill, it is better to get at a vantage point up high at the side of the track and shoot downwards.

For athletic events, get down as low as you can to shoot upwards for high jump and long jump so that the jump height is emphasized.

Getting down low kneeling on one knee, a few meters down from the start or finish line, is a good viewpoint for shooting running races.

For People shots at parties, start front-on, then move one or two steps to the left or right, and then lift up your camera up and shoot from above looking down.

Shooting from above and off to the side gives great jawline emphasis which is a very flattering look.

Shooting with Flash from above also creates a shadow under the jawline, further enhancing this feature.

Here are some more photos where we have shot at a down angle, rather than front on.

NEVER SHOOT PEOPLE FROM BELOW OR ALLOW THEM TO LEAN BACK.

Shooting too low emphasizes the neck in a bad way, and loses all that nice jawline profile.

Basically if you can see a person’s nostrils at all, then you are shooting from too low down.

Straight up and down shots of people can become boring, and so tilt the camera while taking pictures to add angles and interest.

Camera Tilting is a good composition effect to use in music photos.

(The photos above are of “Kisstroyer” from Melbourne Australia. If you like Kiss music, then these guys will rock your socks off!)

Another use of Viewpoint is to get up high by lifting the camera, or using any available upstairs area when doing Dance Floor or very large Group Photos.

Space to Move

In certain types of Photos such as Music, Sports, Dance, and Theatre we do not “Fill the Frame”, and we do not follow “The Rule of Thirds”, because we need to leave space to move.

Having some space for the viewer to see where some action has come from, and where it is going to, is the main priority.

When we photograph performances it is a great idea to have some shots which include the audience, so we can see who the performance is going out to.

When photographing musicians we need to include all of their intruments, so we can imagine where their playing might be going to next on the instrument.

Cropping Body Parts

We often cannot include all of a person’s arms or legs, which is fine, as long as we do not cut off the arms or legs below the knees or elbows.

Eg. If we crop or frame a photo we must always “Cut Off” above the joints on the arms and legs.

It is best to take the shot wide and big enough to have the full body along with some space to move, and even have some extra background space we may not need.

There are plenty of Megapixels, and from a shot that is “too big”, we can easily crop out what we do not need from the background, and have all limbs fully intact.

In the example below, the top left shpot has the guy’s arms cut off below gthe limbs. Aslo shown to the right and underneath ways we could shoot or crop this photo to solve this problem.

The Golden Ratio

We did say at the start of this article that we would only be covering ten rules; however there is one final rule which is above all others.

This final rule is the “Golden Ratio” or “Golden Spiral”.

This rule is believed to be the Penultimate Composition Rule for Art, Photography, Facial Corrective Plastic Surgery, and Architecture.

The following three minute video does a great job of explaining the Golden Ratio of 1.618 called “phi”.

The “Golden Ratio” is famous throughout history in Architecture, Art, and Photography as shown in the video.

Watch this video before reading the material below.

If key elements in a Photo fall onto the Golden Spiral containing rectangles and squares with side lengths in the “Golden Ratio”, then this should theoretically form the most pleasing picture possible.

The Golden Ratio Spiral is not easy to picture whenever I am busy taking a photo, so what I did was check some of my favorite photos in Photoshop by overlaying a Golden Spiral from Wikimedia.

I had originally composed each of these photos using only the general composition rules like symmetry, thirds rule, major/minor, and so on.

To my surprise I found that these photos did in fact contain elements of the Golden Ratio.

The Golden Ratio is used a lot in Portrait Photography, but can be applied to Landscape Photography, Sports Photography, and People Pictures.

The highly used “Rule of Thirds” is in fact an extremely simplified version of The Golden Spiral and Ratio.

The “Fibonacci Spiral” looks just like the Golden Spiral, and it is a very close approximation to the “Golden Spiral”.

The two spirals are very similar to each other, so either can be used for analysing the composition of a photograph.

In fact the two spirals are often confused with each other because they are so similar.

If you want to delve into the mathematical details of the two Spirals, then check out the following web page:

Wikipedia article about the Mathematics of Spirals

Here is three minute video about the Golden Ratio in Photographs:

Finally, here is a PinInterest Board where I have posted a number of interesting Golden Ratio Photos:

Photos by Passy Golden Ratio on PinInterest

Composition Quiz

What follows are a series of Photos, and it is up to you to think about whether or not they follow any composition rules and look good.

If the photo does not look quite right, think about how it might be fixed to be a better looking photo.

Answers are provided immediately after each set of Photos, so scroll down slowly without looking ahead at the answer.

Have a look at these first two photos, and see what composition rules are present, or perhaps should be present to improve the photos.

Here are the Answers to these first two photos.

Picture A was actually a Birthday Party photo, and if the girl in the white dress was the “birthday girl” then it would be okay to have her as the dominant feature at the front.

However, it was not her birthday, and so she probably should have been arranged to be in the center of the group.

Here are the next photos in the Quiz which need to be considered, and their composition effectiveness assessed.

Here are the answers to the Photos.

Photo B is not actually all bad, it does have the right two thirds containing the brightly colored people with flowers, and the left one third having the plainly dressed person.

However, my personal take on the photo is that it would be better with “Bookending”.

The next two photos in the Quiz are these ones.

Here are the answers to the Photos: Photo A was quite okay, but Photo B stands out as having some serious issues.

Two more photos for checking are from the same “Doors of Perception” band shoot album, and are shown below.

Here are the answers to the Photos.

“The Doors of Perception” Band from Melbourne Australia are highly recommended to see for anyone who loves all the The Doors classics played to perfection.

The next two photographs were taken by Photographer/Musician Nicholas Roy in New York City.

Nicholas has a great eye for photography, and his post processing of pictures using Photoshop is very artistic and creative.

Here are the answers to the Photos.

These last two photos are also of New York City by Nicholas Roy.

There is a lot going on in these photos, and it might not be easy to see which Composition Rule(s) are making these pictures look so good.

Here are the answers to the Photos. We saved the best till last; and these two photos are great examples of The Golden Ratio creating eye catching pictures.

Videos About Photo Composition

The following ten minute video goes through a lot of the Photo Composition Rules we have covered in this article.

One of the key rules covered fdor example is that in portraits the eyes are the most important feature, and so should ensure they are on a thirds boundary.

This next twenty minute video has some interesting ideas about composition, especially for Group Shots and Family Photos.

Finally, here is a three minute music video which shows some really well composed photographs.

There are many other Composition videos available on YouTube, especially for the area of doing Portrait Photos.

We recommend regulary searching YouTube and watching these one or two of these types of videos as part of ongoing learning and study of Photography.

Videos About Portrait Photography

Here is a good five minute video about six basic composition rules for doing female portraits

Here is a one hour extensive lesson about Poses for Portraits, including the “Triangle Rule” and several others which we have not covered in this basic composition article.

Additional Reading

Here are some good articles on Composition which we found on the web while researching this article.

The first article is a basic summary of composition rules, including several that we have covered in this article.

10 Top Photography Composition Rules Article

Another excellent article on Composition is the following one.

Digital Camera World Composition Article

This next article covers 18 rules of Composition.

18 Composition Rules For Photos Article

The next article includes composition using the Golden Ratio.

Composition Article including The Golden Ratio

Here is an article that gives five quick easy composition rules.

Five Quick Easy Composition Rules

The next article shows some tips for Portrait Photography.

Composition Rules for Portrait Photography

Here is a link to Nicholas Roy’s Website (The guy who did the great New York City Photos contained in this article)

Nicholas Roy : Musician/Photographer Website

The following is a short article on the Golden Ratio and Golden Spiral by Photographer Jake Garn.

Jake Garn Golden Spiral and Rule of Thirds Article

How To Do Shutter Speed

October 25, 2014 Passy Leave a comment

Shutter Speed is one of the three key variables in Digital Photography. The other two are ISO Light Sensitivity and Aperture Light Levels.

We suggest that before going through this article on Shutter Speed, you go through our previous articles on Camera Settings, ISO and Aperture.

These lessons can be found at the following links:

How To Do Camera Settings

How To Do ISO Settings

How To Do Aperture Settings

Shutter Speed is mainly used for creating dramatic effects by either freezing action or blurring motion.

It is a good idea to read our previous articles listed above about Camera Settings before working through this Shutter Speed Article.

Understanding Shutter Speed is critically important to isolate items and have them crisply in focus without any motion blur occurring.

In normal conditions, such as outdoors in bright daylight, shutter speed is usually not a problem. We can simply set our camera to Auto Mode and its processor will calculate and use a shutter speed which gives good results.

However, in various other situations, we need to be critically aware of what needs to happen with Shutter Speed and how it affects our photos.

Shutter Speed, (also called “Exposure Time”), becomes critically important in situations outside of the norm, such as the following:

1) Fast Moving Sports Action

2) Dimly lit indoor areas such as Bars and Clubs

3) Night Time Photography

4) Theatre and Musical Performances

5) Indoor Photos using Flash

6) Indoors Photos where we do not use Flash

7) Photos where we want motion blur for fast moving objects

8) Bird and Wildlife Photography

9) Photographing Young Children

In this article we will show you what Shutter Speed is, what the speed numbers mean, and how to set shutter speeds to values which should produce great photos.

The article is a very long one, and so we recommend going through it several times, as well as watching the videos at the end of the article.

Definition of Shutter Speed

Every digital camera has a shutter which opens and closes quickly to let light through the lens to the image sensor. Think of the shutter as like being in a dark room during the daytime, and opening and closing a set of venetian blinds quickly to let a burst of light into the room.

Basically a camera shutter is like a curtain in front of the camera sensor that stays closed until the camera fires and goes “click click”.

When the camera fires, the shutter opens and fully exposes the camera sensor to the light that passes in through the lens.

After the sensor is done collecting the light, the shutter closes immediately, stopping any more light from hitting the sensor.

The button that fires the camera is called the “shutter” or “shutter button”, because it triggers the shutter to Open and Close.

The speed at which the shutter opens and closes is usually a fraction of a second, such as 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000.

The bigger the number in the bottom of the Fraction, the faster the shutter opens and closes.

A “Fast Shutter Speed” is needed for Sports to freeze the action. But a fast speed lets in less light, and so we need good lighting conditions.

A “Slow Shutter Speed” lets in more light (for indoor lighting conditions).

However this can result in blurring if people are moving.

Usually we cannot shoot at speeds lower than 1/60, because we will get camera shake as well as blurring of our photos.

Shutter Speed is not usually a problem if we are in bright sunlight, but for other situations speed is critically important.

Standard Shutter Speeds

“Shutter Speed” is measured in seconds or fractions of seconds:

1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/5000

Note that the bottoms of the fractions always double, except for the jumps between 1/8 and 1/15, and 1/60 and 1/125.

The jumping of 1/60 to 1/125, instead of 1/60 to 1/120, is deliberately designed that way so that the doubling pattern is simpler for the 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 end of the Range.

There is also the out of sequence jump between 1/8 and 1/15 for the same reason.

Note that the Speed is usually displayed as whole numbers on cameras, due to LCD and Viewfinder sizes.

Eg. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000.

Shutter Speed Geometric Progression

Typically, Shutter Speeds start from 1 to 1/60 (slow), and go up in in value following a “Geometric Progression” (with a Multiplying Factor of One Half).

Eg. Speed Sequence is: 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, then 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, then 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 etc.

As discussed previously, there are deliberate jumps in the sequence, (which do not follow a multiplying factor of 1/2).

These jumps are at 1/8 to 1/15, and 1/60 to 1/125, which keeps the shutter speed fractions at simple whole numbers.

So this means that the entire Sequence actually consists of three separate Geometric Progressions, with a Multiplying Factor of 1/2 in each of them.

The important consequence that photographers need to understand, is that each step between the numbers effectively halves the amount of light reaching the sensor.

Eg. If we give the shutter an open/close time which is twice as fast, we only let half as much light in.

Many modern Digital SLR cameras also have in between Shutter Speeds which can be dialled up and used.

For example in between 1/60 and 1/125, there might be speeds of 1/80, or 1/100, which are also available.

These in between values allow finer increments of speed increase and consequent light reduction.

Shutter Speed Guide

“Panning Blur” involves tracking the moving subject with the camera using multishot mode.

This creates motion blur in the background to give the viewer a sense of the speed.

Eg. For Panning Blur on a Runner in the Park, use speeds of 1/30, 1/60, or 1/100 so that the subject is captured, but the background is blurred.

The following video shows an example of how to do “Panning Blur”.

Fast Shutter Speeds for Sports

Capturing the action in Sports can be a trade off between freezing the action, and having enough light coming in through the shutter to get a good clear picture.

Outdoors in bright sunlight we are usually okay, and if we set our camera to “Sports” Mode, it will use a very fast speed like 1/2000 and get good clear shots.

However for Indoor Sports, even if the stadium appears to have good lighting, a Shutter Speed of 1/2000 will make our shots come out too dark.

We need to remember that our human eyes adjust extremely well to reduced lighting conditions, but cameras do not!

If in “Sports” or “Auto” mode, we take an indoor shot, and it comes out too dark, then we will not be able to use our camera in automatic mode.

In these situations we can do some basic mathematics and figure out that 1/2000 + 1/2000 = 2/2000 = 1/1000.

This means that if we reduce shutter speed from 1/2000 down to 1/1000 we will get twice as much light onto the camera’s sensor.

If we change 1/2000 to 1/500 we will get four times more light, and reducing 1/2000 down to 1/250 will give us 8 times more light.

We will need to put our camera into either “Manual” mode “M”, or “Shutter Priority” mode “S” to be able to make these changes.

The trade off will be that we might not freeze the action perfectly, but sometimes a slightly blurred ball can help show some fast movement in the photo, and so it is actually a good thing.

Using Multi Shot for Sports

For fast moving ball sports, especially tennis, a lot of shots will be unusable because the ball moves so fast it is often out of frame by the time the camera fires.

The solution to this issue is to make sure “Multi Shot” or “Rapid Fire” is turned on, so that several photos are quickly taken in a row, while the camera makes a machine gun type sound.

We can then pick the best photo from the multi shot sequence and use that one in our photo album.

Most cameras have a rapid shoot preset mode that can be dialled in, and/or they have “Sports” as one of their Scene Modes, and “Sports” mode will automatically turn multi shot on.

Multi Shot mode is also very useful to use at young Children’s Parties.

Kids move around a lot and are very easily distracted. It often takes several shots to get one where they are all sitting still and looking at the camera.

Shutter Speeds for Flash Photography

Photos of People need to be done at a shutter speed of 1/125 to 1/250 to ensure that all movement is frozen.

If we are indoors and we want to capture the indoor lighting background, (like at a Club or a Bar), then using 1/125 combined a High ISO of 800 to 1600 will usually do a good job of this.

The reason that it works, and the photo does not come out too bright, is because when we use Flash the camera basically takes two pictures and merges them.

Eg. The Flash freezes subjects that were initially dark.

The following two part video explains this concept, as well as setting Shutter Speed for Night Club Photos.

Here is the second part of the above video:

Very Slow Shutter Speeds

Some cameras also give you the option for very slow shutter speeds that are not fractions of seconds but are measured in full seconds.

Eg. 1 second, 10 seconds, 30 seconds etc.

These are usually used in very low light situations, and/or night time, to produce special effects, or for capturing a lot of movement in a shot.

In daylight, slow shutter speeds can be used to make seawater, rivers or waterfalls appear “milky” with blurred water, and many people find this effect visually pleasing.

However we also use to use an “ND Filter” over our lens to reduce the bright daylight coming in over such a long exposure time, so that the photos do not turn out way too bright.

Slow Shutter Speeds are also used to create an effect called “motion blur”, where moving objects appear blurred along the direction of the motion.

This effect is used quite a bit in advertisements for cars and motorcycles, where a sense of speed and motion is communicated to the viewer by intentionally blurring the moving wheels.

Slow Speeds also create interesting car light trails in night time city photos.

Some cameras also give you the option to shoot in ‘B’ (or ‘Bulb’) mode. Bulb mode lets you keep the shutter open for as long as you hold it down.

Bulb Mode can be used for getting photos of the Stars Moving Across the Night Sky.

The following video shows how to shoot car light motion at night.

Shutter Speed and Lens Size

Different Lenses are different sizes, and have various “Focal Lengths”, where Focal Length is basically the distance from the end of the lens to the sensor inside the camera body.

Longer focal lengths, (like when you zoom right to 200mm for a shot), have a reduced subject area, and are far more sensitive to camera shake.

If you have ever used Binoculars or a Telescope, you will know how hard it is to keep it steady when you have zoomed right in on a person or object.

To overcome the shake, we need to choose a faster shutter speed (unless we have very good image stabilization built into the lens, or our camera is mounted on a Tripod).

The ‘rule’ of thumb to use with focal length is to choose a shutter speed with a denominator that is larger than the focal length of the lens.

For example if we have a standard 50mmm or 55mm lens then 1/60th is probably ok. But if we have zoomed right in with a 200mm lens, we need to shoot at around 1/250 to be safe from shake blurring.

Shutter Speed and Lens Aperture

A Faster Shutter Speed will let us freeze the action, but will let less light into the camera.

In bright daylight sports this will probably not be a problem as there is plenty of bright light available.

For sunny outdoors, we can capture action sports using a cheap f3.5 to f5.6 Zoom Lens.

However for indoor sports, with less light, using a high / fast shutter speed to freeze the action can result in very dark pictures.

This is because we do not have enough light entering the camera when the shutter speed is higher than 1/250.

Increasing the ISO Light Sensitivity to lighten up the photo, will probably result in ugly dotty grainy effects on our photos.

The only solution is to get more light in using a wider aperture, and for this we need an expensive f2.8 lens.

This is why f2.8 zoom lenses, and f1.4 portrait lenses are called “Fast” Lenses.

It is because these lenses can supply enough light using their wide open apertures to allow us to use a high shutter speed of 1/500 to 1/1000.

f2.8 Fast Zoom lenses are very expensive: eg. $2500 to $15 000 to even $45 000.

These lenses can be used for both Indoor Sports and Outdoor sports and are usually White in Color, and can look like “Bazooka Guns” mounted on cameras.

The other great thing about expensive f2.8 zoom lenses is that they are great for shooting high quality clear videos indoors.

Shutter Speed ISO and Aperture

To get a great Photo, we need to manipulate the three key camera variables of Shutter Speed, ISO, and Aperture to values which are optimal for the given set of lighting conditions, and the speed at which subjects are moving.

Photography in bright sunlight conditions is not a problem, because there is an abundance of natural light to make great photos.

But Photography indoors without flash is always a trade off between these three variables.

The simultaneous manipulation of Speed, ISO, and Aperture is quite involved and is the subject of an entirely separate photography article at the following link:

How to Combine Exposure Settings

Videos About Shutter Speed

Here are some videos that cover everything we have discussed in this article and are well worth watching.

The following three minute video gives a basic explanation about Shutter Speed

This next eleven minute video fully explains shutter speed, and is well worth watching

Sony Video About Shutter Speed

Here is an excellent video all about Setting Shutter Speed on Sony Alpha Cameras.

References

Digital Photograpy School Shutter Speed Article

Photography Life Shutter Speed Article

How To Do Aperture

September 18, 2014 Passy Leave a comment

Aperture is one of the key variables in Digital Photography. The other two are ISO Light Sensitivity and Shutter Speed.

It is a good idea to read our previous article on “How To Do Camera Settings” before working through this Aperture Article.

You can access this article at the following link:

How To Do Camera Settings

An understanding of Aperture is critically important to isolate subjects in portraits and get full detail in Landscape pictures.

The Aperture Scale consists of a seemingly odd set of decimal and whole numbers, and getting your head around these values is not at all easy for Beginner Photographers.

In this article we examine Aperture in detail, and mathematically explain where the Aperture “f-numbers” come from. The mathematics might be challenging for some people, but do not worry too much about the detail if it is challenging for you.

The main thing we need to understand as Photographers is how the “f-stop” number values relate to the amount of light made available for our image, and how the background can be deliberately blurred using Aperture settings.

Definition of Aperture

Camera Aperture basically imitates the function of the human eye.

In dark conditions we require more light entering our eyes and camera, but in bright light we need far less light.

Our eyes adjust to these conditions using our “pupils”, (the central dark circles inside our eyes).

A camera mimics the action of our pupils using a setup that creates various size circles; and we call this camera function “Aperture”.

Using Camera Aperture Values

We go to detail about this later in this article, but just as a starter, here are a couple of examples where we use different sized Apertures, which mimic the function of the human eye.

Lens Aperture Values

The Aperture function is performed in the Lens of the camera, and not in the Digital Camera Body. (The “Lens” is the cylindrical barrel on the front of the camera, and the “Body” is the back part of the camera with all the buttons and dials on it.

Each lens we mount onto a DSLR camera has its own Aperture System, and as we will see later on, different sized lenses need to have their own particular Aperture systems.

Lens Apertures are specified using f Numbers which are called “f-stops”.

These numbers make little sense at all when we first look at them, as they are what seems to be some weird random collection of decimal and whole number values.

A first look at these strange f-numbers reveals that there are doubling patterns in the list of numbers from f1.4 to f22.

Another very confusing aspect of these f-numbers is that as they go up in value, the size of the circular Aperture openings actually goes down in value, and the cicular “Aperture” openings become progressively smaller.

In fact each circle becomes exactly half the size of the one before it.

This is indeed very confusing, as the smallest number 1.4 represents a large fully open camera lens letting in lots of light, but the largest number at f22 represents a tiny cicular opening in the lens which is not letting much light in.

Mathematical Patterns

The standard f-numbers are: 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22 .

We can always form the next number in the pattern by multiplying by 1.4, which is the square root of 2 as a rounded off decimal value.

1.4 x 1.4 = 1.96 = 2

2 x 1.4 = 2.8

2.8 x 1.4 = 3.92 = 4

4 x 1.4 = 5.6

5.6 x 1.4 = 7.84 = 8

and so on.

In the f-numbers we have a sequence of numbers, where we always multiply by a common value of 1.4 to generate the next number.

In mathematics this is called a “Geometric Sequence” or a “Geometric Progression”

The common multiplying value, in this case 1.4, is called the “Geometric Ratio”.

The 1.4 (Square Root of 2) value results because we are dealing with Circles when we are doing Apertures.

If we want to make a Circle twice as big, it turns out that we need to increase its Radius by a factor of Square Root of 2, which in decimal is 1.4.

So if you are wondering where the 1.4 multiplying factor comes from, it is all due to the way the area of circles is doubled.

The f-numbers sequence is set up so that in real terms the amount of light due to the circular opening halves as we move up through the f-numbers.

F-Stop Formula

We are nearly through the Mathematics of Aperture.

As a Photographer you do not need to memorise all this mathematics, you simply need to understand the consequences in relation to light entering your camera.

There is a Mathematical Formula for f-stop which relates the 1.4,2,2.8,4,5.6, etc values to the actual Aperture Circle Diameter, and the size of the Lens you are using.

Aperture is not just related to how wide we make our circular opening, (the “Diameter”), but it is also related to the size of the Lens we are using which is specified as the Lens “Focal Length”.

We will confine our discussion to fixed size lenses, called “Prime Lenses”, and talk about “Zoom” lenses later on.

A 28mm Lens is a short lens, which gives a very wide angle of viewing.

A 50mm or 55mm lens is a standard size which is supposed to be a lot like the angle of viewing, or field of vision that is in focus when we are looking at something with human eyes.

A 200mm lens is a “Telephoto” type lens which will make distant objects look a lot closer, just like a set of Binoculars would.

The 28mm lens with its wide view lets in the most light, and the 200mm long lens lets in the least light.

Thinks of it like being at the Beach.

If you were at the beach looking at the whole scene there would be lots of light from the sun, and its reflection on the water. This is what a 28mm lens gives you, a nice wide picture where you can see everything, and there is plenty of light.

If you were just looking at some children building a sand castle, then this is the type of view from a 50mm lens.

If you were using a 200mm lens to look at some guys fishing in a boat off the shore, then this is a zoomed in type situation, and you only get the light from the boat and people, and not lots of light like when you are looking at the whole beach scene.

This is the reason why we need to take “Focal Length” or lens size into account. To get the same f-stop amount of light, we actually need different sized circular openings on different sized lenses.

In the example shown below, the two lenses are set to the exact same f-stop, so that the exact same amount of light can reach the interanl camera sensor.

However, to get the exact same amount of light into the camera body, we need to use a much larger physical Aperture opening on the long 200mm lens.

Video About Aperture

By now you might be totally overwhelmed by all of this Mathematics, but do not worry about it, because the main thing you need to understand is that Aperture changes the circular lens opening to let in more light or less light.

If we adjust our current F-Number UP to the next F-Number we HALVE the light.

If we adjust our F-Number DOWN to the previous F-Number we DOUBLE the light.

We need to adjust the light to get a picture that is not overly bright and washed out, and not overly dim and too dark to see its contents.

The following 15 minute video explains what we have covered so far.

Some Final Mathematics

Here is one last set of Mathematical calculations to show how Aperture works for different sized lenses.

We will work backwards to find the actual mm diameters of the circlular openings we would need in two different lenses to get the same amount of light which would mean we had the same f-number or “f-stop” set on each of the lenses.

To find the Diameters required, we rearrange our previous f-stop formula as follows:

Once we have the diameter required, we can halve it to get the circle radius and then calculate the actual Area of the circular opening we would need in the lens to create given f-stop amounts of light.

These calculations are shown below:

The above calculations were obtained from an excellent article on Camera Mathematics from Mr Martin which can be viewed in full at the following link:

Mr Martin Mathematics of Photography Article

By examinng the results of the above calculations we can see the following patterns and results:

One Third F-Stops

Finally just to add another layer of complexity to everything, if you check the Aperture f-number values on your actual camera, it is likely that there will be more than just the standard values we have been discussing:

1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22

Your camera (thanks to the wonders of modern technology) will have the standard values, plus a whole lot of extra in between values.

These values allow you to change your Aperture light up or down by 1/3. This way you can open the Aperture up to 1 and 1/3, then to 1 and 2/3, and then up to Double the amount of light.

Your camera will possibly have this full set of one third f-stops, resulting in a sequence like this:

1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.5, 2.8, 3.2, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5.0, 5.6, 6.3, 7.1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22

Aperture Blades

Anyone who has ever tried to draw a perfect circle freehand knows exactly how hard it is to do.

It is also very difficult to mechanically make circles of different sizes, and often the Aperture openings are not actually circular, but might be Pentagons, octagons, or other multisided geometries.

The lens uses a series of adjustable “Aperture Blades” to make the best circles it can.

Basicially the more you pay, the more blades in the system, and the better the circles will be.

Two lenses sitting side by side might have drastically different prices, because one of them has a many blades quality system inside it.

If you have a cheap lens with not many blades, blurred lights in the background will not be round, and you may also get some slightly dark tinges in the four corners of your photos.

Aperture and Zoom Lenses

Most people have an adjustable zoom lens on their camera, which can do wide angle shots, through to zoomed in telephoto pictures.

As we saw previously, the field of vision narrows as we increase lens focal length, and so it is tricky for the Aperture system to continually adjust to different focal lengths as you zoom in and out.

This is why there are cheap and very expensive zoom lenses.

A Cheap Zoom Lens for $300 might only allow Apertures from f4 to f8 and the picture will darken as you zoom in.

An expensive f2.8 Zoom for $1500 to $15000 will allow you to use all Apertures no matter how far you are zoomed in or out.

Those giant white “bazooka” looking lenses you see at sports events can cost anywhere from $5000 to $25000 !

Aperture and Blurring

Well that is all the Mathematics and Technical stuff done with, and now we can talk about actually taking some photos!

A really nice side effect of using wide open Apertures is that we end up with our subject at the front of the picture crisply in focus, and the background we are not interested in all blurred out for us.

However, if we want to see our whole photo in clear focus, like on a landscape shot, we need to do the opposite and set a very narrow (high f-number) Aperture.

Group Shots and Blurring

However, with taking “Group Shots” of people we run into a problem.

If we use f1.4, or f2, or f2.8 to get nice background blurring, we will find that people in the back row of the group will be blurred out of focus.

To get the whole group in focus we typically need to use an Aperture of f4 or f5.6, which will make sure everybody in the group is in focus.

However, the background we are not interested in will also be in focus and clearly visible.

The way aorund this problem is to use Blurring Tools in Photoshop, as has been done below.

Aperture and Sunsets

Sunset Photos can also be interesting for setting up the Aperture correctly.

We might use a really narrow Aperture like for a landscape, and our image will be too dark; or we might use a wide open Aperture and have our photos turn out too bright and look like daylight.

The best Aperture to use is between f8 and f11, as shown below in these great photos taken by our friend Nicole Cooper.

The following page has thirty great tips for taking good sunset photos:

30 Tips for Taking Sunset Photos

Video About Aperture and People Shots

Finally here is a two part video totalling around 25 minutes all about how to set your Aperture when doing Night Club Photography, or really any Photos at Events like Birthdays, Baptisms, Parties, and so on.

Here Part 2 of the above Video.

Sony Video About Aperture

Here is an excellent video all about Setting Aperture on Sony Alpha Cameras.

References

Click the following links for more articles on the web about Aperture.

Digital Camera Mathematics

Very Technical Maths Explanation of Aperture

Mathematics of Aperture

How Aperture Blades Work

Mathematical Explanation of F-Stops

How To Photo Booth

August 30, 2014 Passy Leave a comment

“Photo Booth” has become more popular recently, and is a great way to get fun photos at formal events such as Weddings, 21st Birthday Parties, Engagemnent Parties, and so on.

In the olden days, and for some events, there is an actual closed curtained off Booth where the photos can be taken, but this is expensive to set up and takes up a lot of space at a party or venue.

Photos can also be immediately Printed out and glued into a Guest Book, and a message written next to them.

Other times, Photos are just taken out in the open, or in front of a Curtain or Backdrop of some kind.

Before the photos are taken, people “Dress Up” in either Cardboard Disguises held on sticks, along with Speech Bubbles; and/or in cheap fancy dress props.

Cardboard Props Only Photo Booth

Shown above is a photo of this type of Cardboard Props only “Photo Booth”.

The Cardboard Props and Speech Bubbles can be purchased Online, but often need to be assembled.

Attaching the flat cardboard props to the sticks can be best done using a hot glue gun, but if you do not have one, just use normal glue and meshed gaffa tape.

If we are printing out props from PDFs from the Internet, then we need to make the speech bubbles text reasonably large.

Eg. Enlarge the images on a colour photocopier first.

We then cut out a photocopied image roughly, and then glue it onto either the foam bottom of a meat tray, or the hard plastic cover of an old display book.

Once it is glued onto the backing, we then cut it out properly and attach it to the stick.

A great place to buy some pre-made Photo Booth props which are a good size are “TYPO” paper products shops in major shopping centres.

Curtain Background Photo Booth

In this type of Photo Booth we have people pose in front of a backdrop, such as a blue curtain as shown in the picture above.

Also note the use of a Blackboard Speech bubble. These can be purchased, or made out of plywood, and they are great for people to add their own Personal Messages.

For our curtain setup we purchased a premade blue curtain with large ring holes already in it, and we hang it on an aluminium tent poles frame lent up against a wall.

The frame is actually part of a cabin tent we own, and has adjustable leg height. We also run Gaffa tape along the pole insertion joins so they cannot pop undone.

It needs to be steadied with Gaffa Tape, and/or sand bags placed at the base around the legs.

Note that around 3 meters of wall space is required for the curtain, even though it is only around 2.5 meters wide.

For backgrounds it is important to use a non-reflective cloth background. If you use a plastic stick up background, or a Poster you have made, there is a significant risk that there will be falsh reflection off it which is impossible to remove in Photoshop later on.

Photo Booth Dress Up Props

These can be purchased at $2 Shops, Op Shops, Party Shops, and eBay. It takes a bit of shopping around to find the right ones.

The more colour the better, and Mexican Hats, Police Hats, and giant Fake Gold Rapper Bling are great items to have in your kit.

Hawaiian Flower dress ups are also very cheap on eBay and make for good fun.

For our Booth, we also obtained some toy guns and giant Mexican Gringo Moustaches at a Party Costume Shop.

A Fold up table and some boxes are also needed at the Party to put the props into. Shoe Boxes are good for storing props, because the removable lids can be used to display props in as well as the shoe box.

Something which is very important is to have the host of the Party give you a Money Deposit for the Props in case any go missing, as will sometimes be the case.

It is not so much the dollar value of the stolen props which is annoying, but the inconvenience and personal time running around to a number of shops to find replacements.

A good idea is to have some spare props in reserve at home, in case items go missing, and you have another function to do in the near future.

Chroma Key Photo Booth

Chroma Keying involves filming or taking pictures with a special bright Green or Blue cloth background which is non reflective.

The idea is to get a consistent background color that is not likely to be found in any skin tones, so Green and Blue are best.

Green is probably the best, because people do not wear any green clothing usually, and so the background can be easily removed in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Fireworks using the Magic Wand tool.

Our approach is not exactly professional, as we use a Blue Curtain, with fold/creases in it which is not professionally lit up, and not a uniform color because of the darker curtain folds.

The reason for us doing this is mainly Economy, as well as dual purpose functionality, where we can also use the blue curtain as a background for “Photo Frame” pictures like this one.

Note that it helps not to have people directly up against the curtain. Try and get them to stand around one meter or so forward of the curtain which minimises getting any blue glow onto them around their edges and hair.

The following video shows how to do Chroma Key background removal with a smooth green backdrop.

This video also demonstrates the use of “Photokey 5” Software for removing the Green background, and then inserting a different background.

“Photokey 5” software looks like it does a good job, but the same thing can be done with the Magic Wand and Eraser Tools in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Fireworks.

For our Background Removal, and Replacement, we use Adobe Fireworks, simply because we find it quicker and easier to use than Photoshop.

However, if you want to do the same thing in Photoshop, then here is a great three minute video (with some annoying dub step background music) on how to do this.

Removal of Blue Background Curtain

This is the original picture taken with the Blue Curtain Backdrop as it was straight out of the Camera.

We took this picture into Adobe Fireworks, and removed the background curtain and surrounds using the Magic Wand and the Eraser Tool, to create the following .PNG file clear background picture.

The next step was to create a new layer in Fireworks, and then File > Import onto this layer, a new background image, (in this case some Party Streamers).

We then made a separate Photo Frame in Fireworks, using the Criss Cross Gradient with a Texture added into it. This frame was then imported as a new layer into our composite picture.

Flattening all the layers, and saving it as a JPG file then resulted in this as our final Photo Booth Image:

Problems With Blue Items

Removing the Blue Background from the original of this image was a problem because of the Blue Police Cap, as well as the Blue hue in the dress.

The trick here was to first use the eraser tool to carefully rub out around the cap and the dress, so that the Magic wand would not be able to reach them and remove any of their blue colour.

We were then able to use the Magic Wand to remove the remaining blue and grey in the background, and add in the night city background which we purchased from “123RF” to make the completed picture shown previously.

Background Images

It is quite cheap to buy some medium sized stock images from companies such as “123RF”, “Dreamstime”, “Getty Images”, or “Istock”, and use these as your Background Images.

If you just grab some backgrounds from Google Images, there is always the risk that you should have paid for them, and there will be a resulting infringing on Copyright.

A person has taken the time to make the Background image, and so it is only fair that they should be paid something for it.

So if you are posting Photo Booth pictures to the web which contain background images, you should purchase these background images to make sure everything is legal.

Photo Booth Sample Pictures

To see a full Album of Photo Booth Pictures we did for a 21st Party, Click the following link:

Photo Booth Pictures Album

Videos About Chroma Keying

The following eleven ninute Video is all about Green Screen Tips and Setup.

For pictures taken using an unlit Green or Blue Curtain backdrop, Photoshop can be used to remove the Green or Blue background colour.

The way we did this for our photos was to use the Magic Wand to get rid of most of the blue, and then zoom in and use the Eraser tool to remove the dark parts in the curtain folds and so on.

HOWEVER:

If you want to be a perfectionist on the removal of the background colour, (and deal with background green or blue being behind the edges of long hair), then watch the following twenty minute video on how to do this in Photoshop.

The following video shows how to cheaply light a green screen with shop flourescents at placed at 45 degrees on the left and right.

And while we are looking at cutting setup costs, here is a Video on how to make an ultra cheap Green Screen using Green Poster Paper:

Rather than replacing the Green background image, we can change its color in Photoshop.

This is an interesting way to create a bit of variety in a set of Photo Booth pictures, and one we will definitely try out sometime.

Here is a video showing how to change the green color of the background to other colors using Hue and Saturation:

Hire Us for Photo Booth

Photos By Passy would be delighted to do a Photo Booth for you at your Party, Wedding, or Function.

We supply all the props and can make some great fun chroma keyed images for you to post on social media and anywhere else online.

Get in touch using the “Contact” link on our website.

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You can then receive notifications of new items and updates directly to your email address.

Go to the subscribe area on the left hand sidebar, (or down the bottom of the page if using a mobile phone), fill in your email address and then click the “Subscribe” button.

Enjoy,
Passy

How To

How To Do ISO Settings

August 11, 2014 Passy Leave a comment

ISO sets a Camera’s sensitivity to light.

Effectively it works like a Brightness Control on your camera, and you can turn it up higher if you are in a dark room, or in a shady forest.

However, if you are outdoors in Bright Sunlight, then you need to turn the ISO down to a low value, or else your photo will come out all white and washed out with too much brightness.

Camera ISO is one of the three Variables of Photography, the other two being Aperture and Shutter Speed.

Every photographer needs to understand ISO in order to get bright and clear pictures from their equipment.

Definition of ISO

ISO stands for International Standards Organization, but in Photography it refers to the sensitivity of the camera’s digital sensor to light.

Typical settings are ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, etc.

A higher number means that the sensor is more sensitive to light, and each time the number doubles, it is twice as sensitive as the previous ISO sensitivity.

ISO Geometric Progression

Typically, ISO numbers start from 50, 100 or 200, which is called the “Base ISO” of the Camera.

The values then go up in a “Geometric Progression” or a “Geometric Sequence” (Factor of Two, which results in Doubling).

This ISO sequence is: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 and etc.

The important thing to understand, is that each step between the numbers effectively doubles the sensitivity of the sensor.

ISO 800 is twice as more sensitive than ISO 400, while ISO 1600 is twice as more sensitive than ISO 800.

This makes ISO 1600 four times more sensitive to light than ISO 400,

and ISO 1600 sixteen times more sensitive to light than ISO 100, so on and so forth.

What does it mean when a sensor is sixteen times more sensitive to light?

It means that it needs sixteen times less time to capture an image, because there is 16 times more light.

Note that modern Digital Cameras also have in between ISO values which can be used.

EG. ISO values such as 1000 and 1250 which occur in between the standard ISO 800 and 1600 values.

The higher the number, the less light is needed to take a photo that is correctly exposed (not too dark or too light).

Typical ISO Values

In bright light (like the middle of a sunny day), you’ll normally use ISO 50 or ISO 100.

These lowest settings can be used because there is lots of light around.

However, in lower light, your camera needs some help.

There are two ways of doing this: Decrease the Shutter Speed or Increase the ISO Value.

Decrease Shutter Speed

With a slower shutter speed, the camera has more time to ‘take in’ the amount of light it needs.

Unfortunately with slower shutter speed, Images can become motion blurred.

Increase ISO Setting

Rather than decrease the shutter speed, we can increase the ISO.

This will increase the sensitivity of the camera which means you can get the same shot with less light entering the camera.

As a result the shutter speed can be set at a value which will avoid blurry images.

The side affect of increasing ISO to values past ISO 1600 on most Digital SLR Cameras, is fuzziness, with old style movie fuzzy dots, due to sensor signal “noise”.

What Causes Noise ?

Available ISO Range and Graininess is dependant on the Camera’s Sensor Size.

Digital SLRs have larger image sensors than “Point and Shoot” cameras with the same megapixel count, therefore they handle noise better.

DSLR cameras have physically large image sensors and this means that the photosites are larger on a digital SLR’s sensor.

This allows the photosites to collect more light, giving them a cleaner signal-to-noise ratio when there isn’t as much light.

As a result, smaller cameras with small sensors tend to have a lower ISO range (typically 100-400) and there is more noise in their pictures throughout their ISO range.

Using Flash to Help

Using Flash will enable indoors shots to be taken at lower ISO’s and therefore be clear without fuzzy noise in the images.

However, this often detracts from the realism or ambience of the sitution being photographed.

When we are using Flash for Indoor Photos of People, it is a good idea to actually keep the ISO High at around 800, 1000, or even 1250, so that we also have the background of the photo appearing as natural light, and not darkness.

Getting The Correct ISO

When we do not have bright natural daylight, we will probably have to increase the ISO so that we can get a sufficiently bright image.

However, higher ISO typically translates to a noisy or “grainy” image, and so as a general rule we should use the lowest ISO setting possible for our photos.

The general approach is to set up to the maximum ISO where our camera can take non-grainy pictures.

We then need to adjust the shutter speed to a slower setting, but not so slow that we get motion blurring.

We can also use a wide open aperture like F2.8 which will let more light into the lens.

Recommended ISO Values

Here are some ISO Tips from the Digital Trends Website:

– If your subject is moving and we are trying freeze the motion for a still, we may need a higher ISO setting to compensate for the high shutter speed, and to ensure that the image gets enough light.

– If we want to get a vintage aesthetic look, by adding a little bit of grain to our photos, then we should try bumping up the ISO.

– If we are using a tripod to stabilize our camera we can usually get away with a slower shutter speed, which in turn allows us to use a lower ISO.

– If we are shooting an image and don’t mind having a blurred background, we can increase the camera’s Aperture (thus allowing more light into the lens) and use a lower ISO.

– If we are shooting with artificial light by using a Flash we can use a lower ISO setting and get a very clear picture.

When To Increase ISO

We should always increase the ISO when there is not enough light for the camera to be able to quickly capture a clear image.

Eg. When shooting indoors without a flash, set the ISO to a higher number to be able to freeze motion and obtain a bright viewable image.

Other cases where you might want to increase ISO are when you need to get ultra-fast shots, like bird pictures or fast moving action sports.

However, when increasing the ISO, you need to watch out for the amount of fuzzy noise which is added to the image.

Situations where you might need to push ISO to higher settings include:

– Indoor Sports Events where players are moving fast and there is limited light available due to the fast shutter speed we are using to freeze the action.

– Musical Concerts and Theatre hows which are performed in low light and often have ‘no-flash’ rules.

– Art Galleries, Churches, and Museums, because they have rules against using a flash and of course being indoors it is not well lit.

– Birthday Parties where blowing out the candles in a dark room can produce a nice moody shot which would be ruined by a bright flash.

– You are taking Photos at a Party or Function and want to shoot unonbtrusively using a large zoom lens to capture natural candid pictures.

– You are taking a Photo in Low Light which is not going to be Enlarged or Printed, and so a small amount of graininess in the image will not matter.

Auto Settings

On many of the newer DSLRs, there is a setting for “Auto ISO”, which can help get better results in low-light environments.

The beauty of this setting, is that you can set the maximum ISO to a certain number, so when the ISO is automatically increased based on the amount of light, it does not cross the set barrier. So, if I want to limit the amount of grain in my pictures, I typically set the maximum ISO to 1600.

DSLR’s also have Auto “Scene Modes” which can be used, such as “Sports”, “Night Portrait”, “Landscape”, “Night Scene”, “Daylight Portrait”, “Food”, and so on.

These presets contain ISO values which are suitable for these situations.

Low Light Cameras

There are a number of cameras made especially for low light conditions, which also take good pictures in full daylight as well.

The best performing of these is the rather expensive retro styled Nikon DF, but there are also cheaper point and shoot cameras like the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 III and the Panasonic Lumix LX-7 which perform well in low light.

The Sony A7s is a remarkable camera, capable of extremely High ISO’s with images obtianed which are of good quality.

The following one and a half minute video shows how the A7s is able to turn darkness into daylight.

However this amazing camera does not come cheap, and has a current Australian Retail Price of around $2500 just for the camera body with no lenses.

For further information on the best cameras to use in low light situations, see the following aticle:

17 Best Cameras For Digital Low-Light Photography

Videos About ISO

This first video is seven minutes long, and shows examples about ISO Settings and Noise. It also shows the relationship between ISO and Shutter Speed.

The following five minute video discusses ISO values and the importance of buying a good F2.8 wide aperture lens for low light.

This next vidoe discusses using ISO in Night Club Photography, and includes real life examples. The video is in two parts:

Part 1:

Part 2:

This next five and a half minute video includes examples and shows how to do an “ISO Lens Cap Test” on your camera.

Finally for those who love all things super technical, here is a nine and a half minute video which goes into the technical details of how ISO actually works in a Digital Camera, and how at High ISO’s we get noise introduced into the electrical signal which is what causes blurry noise dots on low light photos.

ISO Settings – Summary

Most of the time in good lighting conditions, your camera’s Auto or Scene settings will deal with ISO correctly and nice clear bright photos will result.

However in Low Light situations, there are a number of things to be aware of regarding ISO. We have tried our best to cover these in this “How To” article.

All of this might be a bit of information overload at the moment, but by gradually working through all of our “How To” articles, and trying out different settings on your own camera, we are sure that you will become a much better photographer who is able to problem solve situations quickly when your photos are not turning out exactly how you would like them to.

Good Luck, and keep taking pictures!

Passy

References and Further Reading

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/136/iso-explained/

http://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings/

http://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography

http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/what-is-iso-camera-settings-explained/

http://www.facethelight.com/iso.php

http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/iso-explained.html#b

http://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings/

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/136/iso-explained/#sthash.XYWWXhv6.dpuf

http://www.facethelight.com/iso.php

http://www.adorama.com/alc/0012810/article/15-Low-Light-High-ISO-All-Stars

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PBP – Photos By Passy

Category Archives: How To

Photo Composition Rules

How To Do Shutter Speed

How To Photo Booth

How To Do ISO Settings

Music and Special Events Photography and Video