LENSES

Hello photo friends!

Today I will be blogging about the different kinds of lenses that are available on DSLR cameras.

Telephoto Zoom Lenses

A Telephoto Zoom Lens is one of the popular kinds of lenses. These range in capabilities, going from 200mm, 300mm, or even 400mm (if you have an extra $10,000 kicking around!)

These kinds of lenses help a photographer zoom in on a subject without having to physically move closer to a subject.  This can be great for a number of scenarios, like sports photography.

However, you should know that a longer focal length means that is more likely to shake, so if you don’t have a very steady hand you might want to invest in a tripod.  Thankfully, most of these some with built-in Image Stabilization, so you can still produce clear photos.

Macro Lenses

Macro Lenses were designed with the idea of shooting objects very close up.  While many cameras have a “macro” setting, a specific Macro lens will allow you to shoot beautiful images more up close.

Wide Angle Lenses

A Wide Angle Lens allow you to take wide shots with a wider perspective.  This kind of lens would be useful for capturing landscapes, and fitting a wide subject into a frame.

While this kind of lens does allow you to capture more of the scenery in the frame, it is important to be cautious because it can sometimes distort the image and curve out the edges.

Nikon Canada has a LOT of videos on their YouTube channel that will help you learn the ins and outs of lenses and digital photography.  For a great video on lenses, check out:

Happy shooting!

Steve

SAVING & FILE TYPES

Hello photo friends!

Today I thought I would write about the different kinds of saving methods that you can use when storing your pictures onto your computers.

There are three main files that are used to save photos:

JPEG, Camera Raw, and TIFF

JPEG

JPEG (or JPG) files are the most commonly used among photographers, and is the standard file on every camera.  If you were wondering, JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, after the organization that developed this saving format.  JPEG is commonly used because these photos have a smaller saving size than the others.  This way, you can save more photos and send them online a little easier than with other saving types.

However, one of the few drawback involved in using JPEG saving is that in order to save a smaller file, some of the image data is lost.  This process is known as Lossy Compression.  If you trim the file size down too much, the quality of the image can be greatly reduced.

You generally want to stick with a high-quality JPEG file to keep the image in tact.

Camera Raw

Camera Raw (or Raw) was created as an alternative to JPEG files.  JPEG files automatically produces some enhancements to your photos before recording the final image.  However, you must use special software called a Raw Converter to translate the sensor data into a photograph.  Camera Raw shoots straight from the sensor, without applying any post-capture processes.

Some photographers prefer this because Camera Raw files don’t undergo Lossy Compression.  Though it may be subtle, quality will not be lost.  These kinds of files allow for a little more depth and creative control, as you can specify what kind of characteristics you want in your photos, such as colour saturation, brightness and sharpness.  But this does come at a price (literally) – as most low-cost cameras don’t offer this setting, and you might need to buy a separate Raw converter program.  You also need to retouch the files in a photo editor, as you can’t take the Raw image straight from the camera to an online platform.

Camera Raw photos are also larger than JPEG photos, so you won’t be able to store as many photos as if you were saving with JPEG.

TIFF

TIFF (which stands for Tagged Image File Format) also saves images at the highest quality and doesn’t lose data, just like Camera Raw.  TIFF is best used when printing high-quality, professional photos.  However, this is the least commonly used method of saving.  The file sizes are much larger than JPEG files, and web-browsers and e-mail platforms can’t display TIFF photos.  If you want to save a TIFF file on the web, you would need to open the file and then save a copy of it in the JPEG format.

Happy shooting!

Steve

FLASH

Hello photo friends!

Today’s entry will be about using Flash in digital photography.

Virtually every modern camera you can buy today comes with a built-in flash.  The addition of this extra light can help to make your subjects more vibrant and visible.

There are a few different kinds of flash modes that might help you take better photos:

Fill Flash (or Force Flash)

This setting will initiate the flash in any situation, regardless of the type of lighting that is in your environment.  Even when you’re outside, using the flash on your camera can help to eliminate shadows and produce nicer photos.  The subject in the image below is outdoors, but the photo on the right used Fill Flash to create a better picture.

Slow-Sync Flash

Another cool flash trick that you can get more familiar with is the Slow-Sync Flash.  This kind of flash increases the exposure time that the camera usually sets for flashes.  The main benefit of this is to illuminate the background of a photo, as well as the subject.

However, since the shutter speed is now slower than normal, the Slow-Sync method can produce blurry images more easily.

But again, this can create for some interesting photos and neat visual effects!

If you find that your camera does not produce enough light with the flash that you have, you can always buy an External Flash to generate more light.  This will allow your subjects to be brighter, and less over-exposed than a built in flash.

Happy shooting! (and have fun flashing people! :])

Steve

WHITE BALANCE

Hello photo friends!

Today we will be looking at the White Balance feature on DSLR cameras.

If the colours of your photos seem to be out of whack, then there is likely a problem that’s relating to White Balance.  If you’re taking picture with less than ideal lighting, like in an office with fluorescent light, or outside on a very sunny or cloudy day, the subject could been seen in skewed colours that are less accurate to reality.

A digital camera breaks light down into three different colours: red, green and blue. When you mix different combinations of these colours, they create the full spectrum of colours that we see.  When the conditions for a photo are less than ideal, the camera sometimes sees more of one colour than another.  White Balancing tells the camera what combination of red, green and blue it should perceive as pure white in a certain situation.  This helps to produce a more accurate photo.

Many cameras handle the White Balance automatically, but there are benefits to adjusting it manually.  For instance, it doesn’t always remove unwanted colours.  You can shift into different White Balance modes that better prepare you for taking better pictures in the corresponding situations.  Below are a few of the modes that you might see on your camera:

Happy shooting!

Steve

METERING

Hello photo friends!

Today’s entry is about metering!

If you still feel a little shake-y about choosing what aperture and shutter speeds you should be choosing in a given situation, Metering is the tool for you.  Metering helps determine what the correct shutter speed and aperture should be based on the amount of that that is going into the camera.

There are three common Metering modes that are in digital cameras today:

Matrix Metering

Centre-Weighted Metering &

Spot Metering

When you look through the viewfinder to take a manual photo, you will see small rectangles that help indicate what the exposure level is in a given situation

If you take pictures in a bright place, the bars in the circles area in the photo above will move to the left (+) side.  This means that there’s too much light for the current exposure setting.

If you take pictures in a dark place, the bars in the circles area in the photo above will move to the right (-) side.  This means that there’s not enough light for the current exposure setting.

The goal is to make sure that the bars stay at zero, like in the photo above.  This will give you the best exposure for your photos.

Let’s get back to the different kinds of metering.  The first, Matrix Metering divides the image in the viewfinder up into an imaginary grid, kind of like the one below:

While in this mode, the camera will analyze the light on certain point on the grid, and then choose an exposure that captures both shadowed and brightly lit parts of the scene.

With Centre-Weighted Metering, the camera will measure light in the whole frame, but greater importance is paced on the centre of the image in the frame.  This mode is best for when you are capturing an image that is in the middle of your frame.

Finally, Spot Metering measures the light that is only in the centre of the frame. This is more idea for when the background is darker than the subject of a photo.

Happy shooting!

Steve

SHUTTER SPEED/EXPOSURE TIME

Hello photo friends!

Today I will be sharing some insight on Shutter Speed!  Shutter Speed controls how long the light is exposed to the camera.  This also known as Exposure Time.  Shutter Speed, along with Aperture and ISO, helps to form the exposure trifecta that allows for greater control over your images.

Shutter Speed is measured in seconds (or fractions of a second, depending on your subject). Here are some examples of how Shutter Speed is typically written:

• 1/60
• 1/250
• 1/500
• 1/1000
• 1/1250

Of course, these are just a few examples.  When shooting a fast moving subject, like the player(s) at a soccer game for example, it is a good idea to keep your Shutter Speed at 1/500 or higher.  This means that the shutter is not open for a very long time, only 1/500th of a second.  Shutter Speeds that are this high or fast will help to freeze moments that you want to capture.

There are also benefits to keeping your Shutter Speed open for longer periods of time too.  You can keep your Shutter Speed at 1 second or more.  When you do this, it is written with an inches mark ( ” ) like this:

• 1″
• 2″
• 3″
• 4″
• 5″

Leaving your shutter open for this long can give your photos some neat qualities.  For example, if your subject was a waterfall, you could slow your Shutter Speed to a few seconds to smooth out the water.  It gives your photos the illusion of movement, and making it look like you’re actually watching the water fall.  This trick can give you much more interesting photos.

Make sure to use Shutter Speeds appropriately!  If you mix up your Shutter Speeds, it can create some blurry photos.  However, exploring your Shutter Speeds can make for some more visually interesting (and cool) photos. For example, if you use a slow Shutter Speed to capture light, it can look like objects are moving, and create a visual illusion.

Happy shooting!

Steve

ISO

Hello photo friends!

Today I will be blogging about ISO!

ISO is one of the most important things to consider when taking photos on a DSLR.  ISO stands for “International Standards Organization” but you don’t really need to know that.  What you really need to know is that ISO refers to media speed (in digital photography) or film speed.  This measures sensitivity to light.  A lower number means that the camera is less sensitive to light.

Most DSLR cameras feature the smallest setting for media speed at 100.  This lowest setting is not very sensitive to light, and therefore requires more light for good photos.  This setting is ideal for daylight, or outdoor settings.

ISO settings usually doubles in numbers, as most DSLR ISO settings include 200, 400, 800 and 1600.

When you get up to the 1600 ISO setting, it becomes more sensitive to light, and can take good photos in low-light situations.

Some more advanced DSLR cameras will have higher ISO settings, but be careful! If you don’t use the proper ISO settings your photos might appear more grain-y than you had intended.

Happy shooting!

Steve

APERTURE

Hello photo friends!

Today I thought I would share what I have learned about Aperture.  Being able to control the aperture with a DSLR camera can help give you more control over the quality of the photos, but also help to control what the subject(s) in your photos will be.

At first glance, the concept may seem a little bit confusing, but I promise that it is very easy to understand.  Aperture is measured with “f-stops.”  In photography, this is written as “f/x,” where x is a certain number.

A high “f-stop” number means that the aperture is low, and the lens has a narrow opening.
A low “f-stop” number means that the aperture is high and the lens has a wide opening.

The lower the number, the wider the lenses in the camera will be.

Aperture helps to control the lenses in the camera, and the field of depth in your photos.  Generally, the low or small aperture is used to help create a a wide field of depth.  This is ideal for capturing scenery or landscapes.

The high or large aperture creates a shallow field of depth.  This is idea for capturing nearby objects or portraits of people.

Happy shooting!

Steve

Welcome to the world of DSLR photography

Hello readers!

If you’ve come across this page, I would like to welcome you to my introductory photography blog.  I recently purchased a Nikon D3200 DSLR camera (that I am very excited to use!)

This is a significant upgrade from the simple “point-and-shoot” cameras that I have been used to using in the past.  I have always wanted to take more interesting and professional photos, and with a 24.2 megapixel (MP) count, the quality of the images alone is a HUGE improvement.  This is something that I have always had an interest in, but I have come to realize that there is a lot more to learn than I had initially thought!

I have decided that in this blog I will learn how to use this nifty new gadget properly, and you can learn along with me!  In my posts I will cover the operating features of this DSLR camera that sets it apart from some of the non-DSLR cameras.  I will shed some light on how to better utilize these features, and this will help the both of us take better photographs!  If you happen to have a DSLR camera that is not a Nikon, there is no need to worry.  The topics that I will cover are not solely for Nikon users, and can be applied to any kind of DSLR camera.

So all you other DSLR enthusiasts can benefit from my blog too!  But if you’re anything like me and too impatient to wait, I encourage you to play around with your camera.  This will help you to become more familiar with how the camera handles.  It is always a lot of fun to take candid photos through trial and error too 🙂

Happy shooting!

Steve