If SLR’s, filters, tripods, depth of field just sound jargon to you, well, here we go - this is just for you.. For most of us, a camera is a device that is rectangular, and lo! at the click of a button your photograph is taken. Of course we have used the built-in flash and also know what a shutter, lens and aperture mean. In essence it is a point-and-shoot camera that most of us have. And with that we want to take good photographs. We try and take them, but fail many a time. With digital cameras, the kind of bad pictures is greatly reduced, but even then, there’s always something missing.. If this is your case, then read on ..
I. First for some common myths of picture-taking..
Myth 1: Cover everything ..
’’I want all of us and the scenary behind and the sky and the sun (and what not!)’’ The above is the philosophy behind most photographs commonly taken. Well, that is the number one reason why your snap doesn’t look that great. ’’Keep it simple!’’. A simple composition is the key to a good photograph. That is why there are different modes of photography - a portrait is only of people where the background is not important. A landscape should NOT have people but should only be a scenary. A photograph should have a meaning. If you can identify that, then thats very well begun!
Myth 2: Front lighting
Most of us feel that a bright light in front of the subject is the best. This is because we want to avoid silhouettes and shadows because of backlighting. But the secret to a great photograph is quite quite contrary to this. I have shot some good portraits with backlighting. To avoid the shadows, I have used the fill-in flash. The effect is that your subjects look more real and not unnaturally lit. Side-lighting is wonderful too and can cast some interesting shadows. By far, diffused lighting is the best. It does not cast any shadow and the photograph looks natural. That is what professional photographers use. Now that explains the numerous umbrella lights in the photo studio and the ambience in some good hotels where the light is diffused on the ceiling and never directly on the diners.
Myth 3: There’s nothing interesting to photograph!
You don’t have to know Ms. Universe or Mr. Prince charming or be in Switzerland to take photographs! Common everyday subjects can be interesting. I once photographed two goats - hardly an interesting subject but the black goats were perched in a brick counter against a brick wall. The contrast resulted in an amazing photograph.
Myth 4: Flash is for night only
That is a big myth. Flash is used wherever there is less light and that means even in the day and/or when you don’t want ugly shadows. Refer to the ’front lighting’ para for using flash in backlit photos.
II. From good pictures to great ones..
Beyond aesthetics, photography is actually an advanced science. You can explore a lot using some of the tools and modes mentioned below.
Zoom lens - 28 - 80 - 300mm and beyond
The composition of the photograph can be decided with the help of zoom lenses. The number in ’mm’ is the focal length of the lens. A wide-angle lens (28/35mm) has a short focal length and can capture more. So your 35mm point-and-shoot is ideal for those ’include-all’ snaps. Telephoto lenses (200/300mm) have longer focal length and are used to photograph distant objects which appear closer. For not-so-far objects the advantage of telephoto lens is that the object in focus appears clear and the background is blurred. This makes great portraits and close-up snaps. But to use zoom lenses you need a zoom camera which is also typically an SLR.
SLR camera - WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get!)
In a point-and-shoot camera, the lens is usually fixed and what you see in the view-finder will not exactly be captured on the film. In a single lens reflex (SLR) camera , there is a mirror between the shutter and the lens and this bounces the real image onto the viewfinder. The same is captured on the film. What it means in simple layman’s terms - a bulkier, costlier but more accurate camera which photographers love!
Manual modes - Slow shutter speed Vs fast , Large aperture Vs small, depth of field (jargons explained!)
These options are available in high-end cameras typically SLR’s. You can manually vary the shutter speed and/or aperture of the camera. A fast shutter speed freezes the moment clearly, so the photograph of a racing car will appear clearer than what is taken with a slow shutter speed as the object would have moved in the time you expose it. But both the effects are great. ’Depth of field’ is the area that is clearly in focus and will appear unblurred. Say you have a row of pillars to be photographed.. A high depth of field will make all the pillars clear. This can be accomplished by using a small aperture. A large aperture on the other hand, will allow more light and the object in focus alone will be clear. Hence the depth of field will be low. But the blurring effect in large apertures does look great.
Tripod and remote
They help reduce camera shake because of slow shutter speeds. There’s lots more to explore in photography. So get smitten by the shutter bug today..Happy clicking!