Photography Masterclass

Photography Masterclass
Your Complete Guide to Photography
Phil Ebiner
Sam Shimizu-Jones
William Carnahan
Alondra Belén Gerke

Copyright © 2019 by Video School Online Inc.
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Book content by Phil Ebiner, Sam Shimizu-Jones and William Carnahan

Book transcribed, converted and designed by Alondra Belén Gerke
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INDEX
PREFACE ..................................................................................................................... 7
CAMERA BASIC: HOW IT WORKS ........................................................................................ 7
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 7
How does a camera work?................................................................................................... 7
2. Exposure ............................................................................................................... 7
Intro to exposure ............................................................................................................... 7
What is exposure ..................................................................................................................... 7
Importance of light .................................................................................................................. 8
How to adjust exposure ........................................................................................................... 8
What is aperture ................................................................................................................ 9
How to adjust aperture ............................................................................................................ 9
Aperture and depth of field .................................................................................................... 10
The sweet spot ...................................................................................................................... 10
What is shutter speed ....................................................................................................... 11
Shutter speed and motion ..................................................................................................... 12
Distance and speed ............................................................................................................ 13
Relationship with aperture ...................................................................................................... 13
What is ISO ..................................................................................................................... 14
What is base ISO ................................................................................................................... 14
How ISO is measured .............................................................................................................15
Noise, unwanted effect ..........................................................................................................15
Relationship with shutter speed and aperture ..........................................................................15
The exposure triangle....................................................................................................... 16
Measuring stops of light ........................................................................................................ 16
Aperture ............................................................................................................................... 16
Shutter speed ....................................................................................................................... 16
ISO ........................................................................................................................................ 17
Bucket of water explanation ................................................................................................... 17
The exposure meter ......................................................................................................... 18
Is the light meter always right? .............................................................................................. 18
Metering modes (advanced lesson) .................................................................................... 18
Matrix metering .................................................................................................................... 18
Spot metering ....................................................................................................................... 18
Centre-weighted metering .................................................................................................... 18
Modes of exposure ........................................................................................................... 19
Auto mode............................................................................................................................ 19
Exposure modes.................................................................................................................... 19
Program mode (P) ............................................................................................................. 19
Aperture priority mode (Av) ................................................................................................ 19
Shutter priority mode (Tv) .................................................................................................. 19
Manual mode (M).............................................................................................................. 20
And ISO?.......................................................................................................................... 20
Other modes .................................................................................................................... 20
Exposure compensation (advanced lesson) ......................................................................... 20
How does it change the exposure? ......................................................................................... 20
Reading exposure with a histogram (advanced lesson) ......................................................... 21
Creative exposure: underexposing and overexposing ........................................................... 21
Overexposure ....................................................................................................................... 21
Underexposure ..................................................................................................................... 21
Correct exposure ................................................................................................................... 22
Using exposure creatively ...................................................................................................... 22
Exposure stops (advanced lesson) ...................................................................................... 22
Dynamic range (advanced Lesson) ..................................................................................... 23
Why dynamic range matters .................................................................................................. 23
HDR photography and bracketing (advanced lesson) ........................................................... 23
3. Composition ........................................................................................................ 24
What is composition......................................................................................................... 24
Visualization ......................................................................................................................... 24
Simplicity ............................................................................................................................. 25
The Rule of Thirds ............................................................................................................ 25
The golden ratio – Fibonacci spiral (pro tip) ......................................................................... 26
The mathematical explanation............................................................................................... 27
Applied to photography......................................................................................................... 27
Negative Space ............................................................................................................... 28
Leading Line ................................................................................................................... 29
Framing within frames........................................................................................................... 29
Balance and symmetry ..................................................................................................... 29
Other composition styles .................................................................................................. 30
Perspective and angles ..................................................................................................... 31
Backgrounds ................................................................................................................... 32
What does the background say? ............................................................................................. 32
Choosing backgrounds and backdrops ................................................................................... 32
Types of backgrounds ............................................................................................................ 33
Indoor/outdoor locations .................................................................................................... 33
Portable backgrounds......................................................................................................... 33
Muslin............................................................................................................................... 33
Canvas backdrops ............................................................................................................. 34
Floor drops ....................................................................................................................... 34
Vinyl ................................................................................................................................ 34
Seamless paper ................................................................................................................ 34
Other creative backgrounds ............................................................................................... 35
About colors ..........................................................................................................................35
Creating depth with layering (pro tip) ................................................................................. 35
Using shapes in compositions (pro tip) ............................................................................... 36
Shooting portraits with wide vs. telephoto sense (advanced lesson) ...................................... 36
4. Focus and depth of field ........................................................................................ 37
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 37
Understanding depth of field ............................................................................................ 37
Creative uses of depth of field ................................................................................................ 38
Sensor sizes and depth of field ............................................................................................... 39
Calculating depth of field ....................................................................................................... 39
What is bokeh (advanced lesson) ....................................................................................... 39
Troubles when shooting bokeh .............................................................................................. 41
Manual vs. auto focus ....................................................................................................... 41
Autofocus modes and focus points (advanced lesson) .......................................................... 42
Active or passive autofocus.................................................................................................... 42
Focus points.......................................................................................................................... 43
Focus modes ......................................................................................................................... 43
Single area AF/One shot AF ............................................................................................... 44
Continuous/ AI servo ......................................................................................................... 44
AF-A/AI Focus AF .............................................................................................................. 44
AF-F/Full servo.................................................................................................................. 44
AF area mode ................................................................................................................... 44
Group area AF .................................................................................................................. 44
Using autofocus .................................................................................................................... 45
Capturing motion in focus (advanced lesson) ...................................................................... 45
Focusing in low light (pro tip) ............................................................................................ 45
Back button focus (pro tip) ................................................................................................ 46
How to take sharp photos ................................................................................................. 47
Why it is blurry ...................................................................................................................... 48
How to set your camera ......................................................................................................... 48
What else could it be? ............................................................................................................ 49
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 50
Viewfinder focus (advanced lesson).................................................................................... 50
How do you know your diopter needs to be adjusted? ........................................................... 50
How do you adjust your diopter?......................................................................................... 50
Problems.......................................................................................................................... 51
5. Camera anatomy .................................................................................................. 52
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 52
Main features of most cameras .......................................................................................... 52
Camera scene modes (advanced lesson) ............................................................................. 53
Portrait mode ........................................................................................................................53
Macro mode ..........................................................................................................................53
Landscape mode ....................................................................................................................53
Sports mode ..........................................................................................................................53
Night mode ...........................................................................................................................53
Fireworks mode .................................................................................................................... 54
Beach and snow mode ........................................................................................................... 54
Panoramic mode ................................................................................................................... 54
Camera sensors ............................................................................................................... 54
Which one should I choose? ................................................................................................... 55
Micro four thirds camera........................................................................................................ 55
Micro 4/3 vs mirrorless ....................................................................................................... 56
Before buying ................................................................................................................... 56
Who should buy a micro 4/3 camera? .................................................................................. 56
Caring for the sensor .............................................................................................................. 57
Crop factor ...................................................................................................................... 57
How crop factor came about ................................................................................................... 57
What is crop factor ................................................................................................................ 58
Specific lens and system sizes ............................................................................................ 59
File types: RAW vs. JPEG .................................................................................................. 59
Which file format should be used? .......................................................................................... 60
Shooting in RAW ................................................................................................................... 61
Shooting in JPEG................................................................................................................... 61
Resolution and quality...................................................................................................... 61
Continuous and burst modes ............................................................................................. 62
DSLR vs. mirrorless cameras ............................................................................................. 62
DSLR .................................................................................................................................... 63
DSLR camera limitations ................................................................................................... 63
Mirrorless ............................................................................................................................. 65
Mirrorless camera advantages ........................................................................................... 65
Mirrorless camera limitations ............................................................................................. 68
DSLR and mirrorless camera comparition ............................................................................... 69
Buying into a system ..........................................................................................................70
Mirrorless vs. DSLR autofocus performance ..........................................................................70
Future innovation ..............................................................................................................70
6. White balance and color ........................................................................................ 71
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 71
What is white balance? ..................................................................................................... 71
Kelvin temperature scale .................................................................................................. 72
Auto white balance modes ................................................................................................ 73
Custom white balance (advanced lesson) ............................................................................ 74
Color profiles (advanced lesson)......................................................................................... 75
Light spectrum and color theory (advanced lesson).............................................................. 75
Creative colors................................................................................................................. 76
Complimentary colors ........................................................................................................... 76
Black and white photography ............................................................................................ 77
Black and white technics (pro tip) ........................................................................................... 78
7. Lighting and flash photography ............................................................................. 79
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 79
shooting in natural light ................................................................................................... 79
What is your goal with lighting? ............................................................................................. 79
Tips for shooting with natural light ......................................................................................... 80
Using natural light from a window .......................................................................................... 80
Shooting in artificial light ................................................................................................. 81
Shooting with your camera’s flash ..................................................................................... 81
Shooting with an external flash ......................................................................................... 81
Common misconception about flash ...................................................................................... 82
How do external flash work? .................................................................................................. 82
Flash exposure (FE) ............................................................................................................... 82
High speed flash photography ............................................................................................... 82
Shooting with a flash outdoors .......................................................................................... 83
Shooting with a lighting kit: 3-point lighting ....................................................................... 83
Creative lighting: silhouettes and the black light ................................................................. 84
Silhouettes ........................................................................................................................... 84
Back lighting ......................................................................................................................... 84
Off-camera flash ................................................................................................................... 84
Night time long exposure ...................................................................................................... 84
Capturing beautiful sunset photographs (pro tip) ................................................................ 85
Artistic flares (pro tip) ....................................................................................................... 86
Getting rid of glare in glasses (pro tip) ................................................................................ 87
low light photography ...................................................................................................... 87
Visible shade/difficult light ..................................................................................................... 88
Low light .............................................................................................................................. 88
Dark ..................................................................................................................................... 89
MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY ................................................................................................90

8. Mobile photography ............................................................................................. 90
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 90
Using a smartphone camera .............................................................................................. 90
Tips for better smartphone photos..................................................................................... 91
Low light with a smartphone ............................................................................................. 91
Mobile camera accessories ................................................................................................ 92
Portrait mode .................................................................................................................. 92
CAMERA EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................... 93

9. Equipment: cameras ............................................................................................. 93
Camera types .................................................................................................................. 93
DSLR cameras ...................................................................................................................... 93
Mirrorless cameras ................................................................................................................ 93
Point and shoot cameras ....................................................................................................... 93
Mobile and smartphone cameras ........................................................................................... 94
Know your options ................................................................................................................ 94
What is your budget? ....................................................................................................... 94
What makes a camera expensive? .......................................................................................... 94
How much can you spend on a camera?.................................................................................. 94
Which brand is best? ............................................................................................................. 95
What to look out for when buying used cameras ..................................................................... 95
Dead pixels ...................................................................................................................... 95
Shutter count ................................................................................................................... 95
Sensor ............................................................................................................................. 95
Body condition ................................................................................................................. 95
Lens mount ...................................................................................................................... 96
LCD screen ....................................................................................................................... 96
Autofocus ........................................................................................................................ 96
How and where to buy a camera ........................................................................................ 96
What is the best beginner camera? .................................................................................... 97
What is in a camera bag? .................................................................................................. 98
How to build a camera kit ................................................................................................. 99
What order should you buy everything?.................................................................................. 99
10. Equipment: lenses ............................................................................................ 100
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 100
Deeper dive into focal length........................................................................................... 100
Dive into aperture .......................................................................................................... 102
Metering modes (advanced tip)............................................................................................. 103
Primes vs. zooms ........................................................................................................... 103
Prime lenses ........................................................................................................................ 103
Advantages of prime lenses .............................................................................................. 104
Disadvantages of prime lens ............................................................................................. 104
Zoom lenses ........................................................................................................................ 105
Advantages of zoom lenses............................................................................................... 105
Disadvantages of zoom lenses .......................................................................................... 105
Subject matters ...................................................................................................................106
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................106
Building your lens set ..................................................................................................... 106
What lens should you buy?.................................................................................................... 107
Buying used camera lenses ...................................................................................................108
Testing the lens ...............................................................................................................109
Building your lens set over time ............................................................................................109
Lens Stabilization .......................................................................................................... 110
Chromatic aberration (pro tip) ......................................................................................... 110
Lens Filters ....................................................................................................................111
Ultraviolet filter.................................................................................................................... 112
Polarizer filter ...................................................................................................................... 112
Neutral density .................................................................................................................... 113
Other filters ......................................................................................................................... 113
Specialty lenses ............................................................................................................. 114
Macro lenses ........................................................................................................................ 114
Tilt shift lenses ..................................................................................................................... 114
Fisheye lenses ...................................................................................................................... 115
How to clean a camera lens ..............................................................................................115
11. Equipment: accessories ..................................................................................... 116
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 116
Memory cards................................................................................................................ 116
Types of memory cards, in detail ........................................................................................... 116
Memory Card Readers .......................................................................................................... 117
How much space do you need? ............................................................................................. 117
Batteries....................................................................................................................... 118
Stabilization.................................................................................................................. 118
Flashes and lights .......................................................................................................... 119
Camera bags ................................................................................................................. 120
Hard drives.................................................................................................................... 121
PHOTO SCENARIOS .................................................................................................... 122

12. Portrait photography ........................................................................................ 122
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 122
13. Long exposure photography .............................................................................. 124
What is it ...................................................................................................................... 124
Top tips .........................................................................................................................125
14. Landscape photography .................................................................................... 126
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 126
15. Product photography ........................................................................................ 127
Introduction ...................................................................................................................127
Top tips .........................................................................................................................127
16. Low light photography ...................................................................................... 129
What is it ...................................................................................................................... 129
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 129
17. Sport and action photography ........................................................................... 131
Top tips .........................................................................................................................131
Excellent subjects ...........................................................................................................132
18. Macro photography .......................................................................................... 133
what is it ........................................................................................................................133
top tips ..........................................................................................................................133
Excellent subjects ...........................................................................................................133
19. Street and architecture photography .................................................................. 134
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 134
Other ideas and techniques ............................................................................................. 134
20. Event and wedding photography ....................................................................... 136
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 136
21. Aerial and drone photography............................................................................ 138
Recommended equipment .............................................................................................. 138
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 139
22. Wildlife photography ........................................................................................ 141
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 141
23. Night photography ........................................................................................... 142
Top tips ........................................................................................................................ 142
Capturing cityscapes at night .......................................................................................... 142
24. time-lapse photography .................................................................................... 143
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 143
Timelapse settings ......................................................................................................... 143
Intervals .............................................................................................................................. 143
Exposure .............................................................................................................................144
PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS ........................................................................................... 145
25. Sharing your photos online ................................................................................ 145
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 145
Online platforms ............................................................................................................ 145
Instagram ..................................................................................................................... 147
Top tips ...............................................................................................................................148
Building an online presence............................................................................................. 149
26. Start a photography business ............................................................................ 150
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 150
Starting your business .................................................................................................... 150
Finding your first clients ..................................................................................................151
Payments and accounting ................................................................................................152
How much should you charge? .............................................................................................. 153
Contracts ............................................................................................................................. 154
Income and expenses tracking .............................................................................................. 154
27. stock photography ............................................................................................ 156
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 156
Selling on stock photo sites............................................................................................. 156
Selling your own photography ........................................................................................ 156
Understanding licensing ..................................................................................................157
28. Printing your photos ......................................................................................... 159
How to do it .................................................................................................................. 159
How big can you print your photos? ................................................................................. 159
Framing your photos ...................................................................................................... 160
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 161
PREFACE
You want to become a better photographer, right?
I’m guessing that is why you’ve downloaded this book, and we’re here to help. Whether you’re brand new to
photography with your first camera or a seasoned hobbyist, we hope to provide a complete understanding
of the art of photography.
Before you dive further, we want you to know that you can take amazing photos with any camera.
Smartphone, DSLR, mirrorless, point and shoot - whatever it is, you can take professional award-worthy
photos. We often hear new photographers struggling with decisions about equipment, thinking the tools
will make them a better photographer.
This is absolutely not true. A good photographer is confident capturing the scene and story in front of them
using any camera. It doesn’t matter the brand or the budget. Of course, we know that some cameras offer
different capabilities than others. Lenses come in different qualities. But at the end of the day, you can
capture great photos with whatever camera you currently have.
Believe that!
How to get the most out of this course?
This book is actually a written version of our popular Photography Masterclass, the best-selling online
photography course with hundreds of thousands of students around the world.
To get the most out of this book, it would be best to read it while taking the course. The course is a 20+ hour
premium video course geared towards anyone wanting a complete understanding of how to become a
better photographer.
You can enroll in the course on Udemy for the price of a few coffees. Or you can access the course as part
of our membership at Video School Online where you get over 75 premium courses, including dozens of
photography courses, for one low monthly cost. Become a member here.
Either way you enroll, along with the course and this book, you get access to our exclusive photography
group on Facebook with tens of thousands of other student photographers like you. In the group, you can
post photos to get personalized feedback, participate in challenges and competitions, ask questions during
our livestream Q&As, and much more! You’ll get information on how to join the group once you enroll in the
course.
If for some reason you want to skip the course, that’s fine too. This book stands alone in the lessons it
provides. It is broken down into sections on major topics like exposure, equipment, printing, etc. Though,
there may be some references to aspects of the course which will only make sense if enrolled.
Either way, we’re so happy that you’ve found this book, and we truly hope it helps you become a better and
more confident photographer!
Cheers,
Phil Ebiner and the Video School Online team

7
CAMERA BASIC: HOW IT WORKS

1. INTRODUCTION
HOW DOES A CAMERA WORK?
To start off this Photography Masterclass, you need to learn how does a camera work. This probably isn’t a
question you have thought about too much. With digital cameras, you just press a button and the picture
appears, right? We aren’t going to dive into a long history of photography, it is important to understand the
parts of the camera and how it actually works before moving on.
Nowadays, cameras are everywhere from the street corner to your pocket and while bigger more
professional cameras like DSLR or mirrorless may look quite different than a smartphone, they work very
similarly. At its core, photography is about capturing light.
The camera can tell if there is bright light or if

there is an absence of light. It can see colors too.
Light goes into the camera, through the lens,
which has an aperture inside, an opening that
lets light inside. The lights pass through the
camera shutter, which in many cameras opens
when you press the shutter release button to let
light in, and the light hits the camera’s sensor,
where it is digitized, captured and saved as an
image. While digital photographing is a lot
easier than photographing with film, the way
the cameras work is still similar.
2. EXPOSURE
INTRO TO EXPOSURE
WHAT IS EXPOSURE
Photography exposure can be defined as the amount of light that falls onto the camera's light-sensitive
surface. In any given scene, regardless if there is natural or artificial light being emitted, there is a measurable
amount of light that illuminates your subject, basically how bright or dark your image is. We call a photo that
is too dark, underexposed, a photo that is too bright is overexposed. A photo where the subject is not too
dark and not too bright, but it looks natural is properly exposed. The subject can be anything, from a person
to a mountain in the distance. Depending on your photo’s composition and your situation of the photo, not
everything will be properly exposed. Sometimes your background will be too bright or sometimes one side
of your photo will be too dark.
The important thing to remember with proper exposure is that it is up to the photographer as an artist, which
may want the photo to be a little dark or to be a little bright, that can create some interesting and creative
shots. As a beginner it is good to learn how to properly expose so that the viewer can easily see what is in
your photo.
8
IMPORTANCE OF LIGHT
Exposure, as just seen, depends on the amount of light that reaches the camera’s sensor. So, it is important
to understand how light, in general terms, works, to better understand how to master exposure.
This amount of light varies due to four basic factors: intensity, duration, distance between light source and
subject, and modifications to the light. This is not going to be a dissertation on light, but let's touch on some
basics and those four factors before talking about controlling exposure.
Light is fascinating in that it behaves with the properties of both waves of energy and particles. This wave-
particle duality affects the way light behaves inside and outside of a camera and lens. Let’s look at intensity,
duration, distance, and modification of the light:
• Intensity, the brightness of the light. A light source emits photons and, the more photons that are
emitted by a light source, or reflected by an object, the brighter it is. A brighter photograph is
created from a sensor or piece of film that has been hit by more photons than a darker photo. A
darker image was exposed to a lower number of photons than the brighter image.
• Duration. The sun is a constant light source, but you can escape the light by riding the Earth as it
rotates away from the sun, or by going inside! Artificial light can be turned on or off and some is
emitted in a short-duration flash. If you increase the amount of time that a given light is emitted
from a light source, you can increase the number of photons that are collected by the camera.
• Distance. Photography, unfortunately for some of us, involves mathematics. The closer to the light
source, the more photons you can capture with a camera. The farther away you are, the fewer
photons you can collect. Easy, right? Well, what if you double your distance from the light source?
There should be half the photons and half the light, correct? Nope. Thanks to something called the
Inverse Square Law, you get 1/4 of the light when you double the distance. Why? This is because we
are talking about area, not just distance. As light is emitted from most sources, it spreads (lasers are
an exception). So, a light bulb at 1’5m appears 4 times as bright as it was at 3m.
• Modifications. There are innumerable numbers of light modifiers that help control and shape
artificial and natural light. You cannot dim the sun, but the clouds certainly can. You can also have
your subject move into the shade—or you can create shade. Reflectors, diffusers, and gels are just
a sliver of the available tools you can use to modify light.
HOW TO ADJUST EXPOSURE

The goal in creating an exposure
is to allow a specific amount of
light into your camera and lens to
capture your subject in a way
that matches your artistic vision.
So, what you want to do is set up
your camera and lens to allow
the correct (for you) amount of
light into the system to create
the image you want. To control
this light, you have the ability to
adjust three separate settings
inside the camera: aperture,
shutter speed and ISO. With
most DRSL, mirrorless and point
and shoot cameras, and even mobile phones, you will be able to adjust these settings manually.
9
Aperture, shutter speed and ISO make up what is called

the exposure triangle. Each setting can make your
photo brighter or darker and changing one may affect
how you change the others. Furthermore, depending on
creative choices, you may want to open up aperture to
get a blurry background, or use a super-fast shutter
speed to capture a still motion, so, your other settings
will be compromise to properly exposed. Another thing
that dramatically changes how bright or dark our photos
might be is lighting. Photographing in bright sun light is
a lot different than photographing a candle lit scene. So,
properly exposing is a balance of the settings of the
exposure triangle and understanding how light works.
One way to simplify these adjustments is to compare the camera to certain elements of the human eye.
Aperture functions like the eye's iris that opens and constricts the diameter of its opening to limit the amount
of light allowed into the eye. Shutter speed is similar to blinking, except the eyelid is usually open when we
are awake. However, if you can imagine your eyelids opening momentarily to capture a single image before
closing, that is like a camera's shutter. And, finally, ISO is similar to the sensitivity of the rods and cones at
the back of the eye.
WHAT IS APERTURE
Aperture is the first part of the exposure triangle and the first part of your camera that controls how much
light enters and is captured. Inside your lens, there is a hole, which can go bigger or smaller, and this is the
aperture, which is sometimes called the iris, similar to the iris of the pupil of your eye.
If you make the aperture larger, more light is let in when the hole is bigger. This means that increasing the
size of your aperture will make your image brighter, decreasing will make it darker. So, when you are in a
darker location, like shooting inside a building, you might want to increase the size of your aperture to
expose properly. Think about that happens to your eye when you turn off the lights, your pupil gets really
big to let in more light, so that you can see. When you go outside, in the bright sun, your pupil will get smaller
to let in less light. So, depending on your situation, you can have a perfectly exposed imagen with different
aperture sizes.
HOW TO ADJUST APERTURE

A f-stop or f-number is a method of describing the size of the aperture in each lens. This f-stop scale goes
from F/1, F/1.4, F/2, F/2.8, to F4, etc. There are two potentially confusing things about this f-stop scale.
First, the smaller the f-number, the larger the

aperture, hence more light gets into the
camera, vice versa, the larger the f-number,
the smaller the aperture, meaning less light
gets in. So, a F/2.8 is a larger aperture and lets
in more light than a F/11. Second, not all
lenses are made equally. It takes a lot of
expensive engineering to make an aperture
that opens up really wide, something like f/1.4
or f/2. So, if you are using a kit lens, meaning the one that came with your camera, your aperture might not
open to these wider f-numbers. Similarly, if you’re using a mobile phone or a point-and-shoot camera, you
may not have these f-number or f-stop options.
10
APERTURE AND DEPTH OF FIELD

Your aperture also affects other things like depth of field (DoF), which is how much is in focus, what plane
of the vision is in focus. Is the entire scene in front of you in focus from three feet in front to 100 feet? Or is
just a sliver focus? Perhaps what is five to six feet in front of you is in focus but everything beyond that is
really blurry.
Aperture affects this in way that a wide-

open aperture has a shallower depth of
field, so a smaller slither of the scene is
focus. A smaller aperture has a deeper
depth of field. So, if you are shooting a
wide-open landscape and you want
everything in focus, you will want to
close down your aperture, making it
smaller. If you are shooting a portrait
and you want a blurry background, open up your aperture, make it wider.
If you are opening up your aperture, you are making your f-stop number smaller. If you are closing down your
aperture, you are making your f-stop numbers bigger. Basically, large apertures like f/1.4 give a very shallow
DoF, where only a small part of the image is in focus, and small ones like f/32 will give a very wide DoF where
nearly all of the image is sharp from front to back. This shallow depth of field is one of the things that can
make a not-so-great photo look more professional but not all cameras and not all lenses can open up to very
wide apertures.
THE SWEET SPOT

Not only does the aperture control the amount of light passing through the lens, it affects the angle of the
light rays as they transit the lens. To be clear, we are not talking about how the lenses are bending light, we
are talking about how light, when it passes by an object, is slightly bent by that object—in this example, the
blades of an aperture diaphragm. This bending of the light is called "diffraction" and is a characteristic of
light's wave properties.
When you constrict a lens's aperture diaphragm, you are bringing that diffraction closer to the center of the
image. Many photographers, when starting to understand aperture, think that the key to maximizing
sharpness is a small aperture because of the effect that aperture has on depth of field. However, because of
diffraction, this is not true. Although you are increasing your depth of field by constricting the aperture, you
are also increasing the amount of diffraction in the image and this causes the image to lose sharpness.
Additionally, even with modern manufacturing precision and computer design, there is no such thing as an
optically perfect lens. Because of imperfections in the glass and the way light behaves when it is bent, lenses
produce aberrations that have negative effects on an image.
When you open the aperture diaphragm to its maximum size, you allow the maximum amount of light into
the lens and, with it, the maximum number of aberrations. By "stopping the lens down", or reducing the size
of the aperture diaphragm, you reduce those aberrations and the sharpness of the image created by the lens
increases. However, as we discussed above, the downside is that as you make the aperture diaphragm
smaller, you will increase the diffraction as the smaller opening causes more bending of the light rays. The
middle ground, the region where the aberrations are reduced, and the diffraction is manageable, is known
as the lens's sweet spot —usually in the region between f/4 and f/11 depending on the design of the lens.
This sweet spot aperture is where you will get the maximum performance of the lens as far as sharpness and
reduced aberrations, as well as getting a middle-of-the-road depth of field.
So, in summary, aperture not only serves to control the amount of light passing through a lens, it also affects
the performance of a lens in terms of depth of field and sharpness.
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WHAT IS SHUTTER SPEED
Once light travels through the camera’s lens, through the aperture, it goes through your shutter, which is
like a curtain that is blocking your camera’s sensor from seeing the light. When pressing your camera’s
trigger release button or the shutter release button, the curtain opens up and closes quickly to let in light.
So, shutter speed is how fast that curtain opens or closes, thereby controlling how much light is let in.
But it didn’t always work like nowadays. The challenge of the mechanics of the shutter is in designing a
device that exposes the entire sensor or film plane to an equal number of photons so that exposure is
consistent through the image. Many people think that the shutter works like a miniature garage door. If you
can visualize a garage door opening and then closing in front of a photosensitive surface, you can see that
the problem with that design is that the bottom of the image will be exposed to more photons of light as it
is the first portion of the image to see light as the door begins to open and it is also the last part to be blocked
by the door as the door closes. Therefore, a photo taken with a shutter that functions like a door will have an
unbalanced exposure.
There have been several different designs of camera shutters over the years. The very first cameras had lens-
cap-type shutters where the lens was exposed to light by removing the cap and then, after a calculated
amount of time, the cover was placed back over the lens. Exposures back then took several minutes, and
even hours, so the relatively slow opening and closing of the "shutter" was not problematic.
At the inexpensive end of the spectrum, the simple leaf shutter appears on many disposable and point-and-
shoot cameras of yesterday. This is a mechanized version of the old lens cap "shutter" where a leaf, or two
leaves, are mechanically pulled aside to let light through an opening. They generally only operate at one
speed.
The leaf shutter, also known as a diaphragm shutter, functions very much like the aperture diaphragm of the
lens in that a group of metal blades is mechanically opened and closed in rapid fashion. Unlike the blades of
the aperture diaphragm that just constrict to a small opening, these blades close all the way until there is no
light coming through the shutter. The shutters are designed to open and close extremely fast so that the
center of the image does not see an appreciably greater amount of light than the edges. Because of their
design, leaf shutters work very well when synchronized with flash strobes but cannot operate at speeds as
fast as the shutter type that we will discuss next.
Almost all modern SLR and DSLR cameras employ

the focal-plane shutter. The focal-plane shutter
works more like a garage door, but with a second
door, called a curtain, that follows behind the first
curtain to close the image sensor or film off from
light after the first curtain opens. This two-curtain
design allows a balance of light across the sensor or
film so that exposure is even. This design allows for
extremely fast operation, up to 1/8000 of a second,
on today's SLR and DSLR cameras. However, focal-
plane shutters, due to their complexity and exotic
construction, are relatively expensive.
Like most things, the shutter has gone digital. Many modern digital cameras operate an electronic shutter
that simply powers the digital sensor on for a selected amount of time. Because there is no mechanical
function, electronic shutter speeds can be extremely fast. A global shutter turns the entire sensor on and off
at once, while a rolling shutter activates one row of pixels at a time across its width.
Both the focal-plane shutter and rolling electronic shutter, because of their design and function, can cause
interesting distortion through an image when there is fast motion across the picture plane.
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So, shutter speed means the length of time your camera shutter is open to let light in to your camera sensor,
or, in the case of the electronic shutter, the sensor is powered. In broad daylight, your camera only needs a
fraction of a second to capture the image and that is how shutter speed is represented, as a fraction. For
example: 1/30th of a second, 1/60th, 1/125th, 1/8000th… Most cameras can even leave the shutter open for
a longer time, such as 30 seconds. With many DSRL or mirrorless cameras you can shoot at custom shutter
speeds, much longer than that using the bulb (B) or time (T) functions of the camera, if it is equipped with a
specially built shutter release that includes a timer. The bulb function opens the shutter as long as the shutter
release is depressed. The time function opens at the first press and closes the shutter at the second press of
the shutter release.
A fast shutter speed can freeze motion – think of birds in flight, or athletes caught in a moment of action –
and a slow one will give a motion blur to anything moving. Think of those images of waterfalls where the
water is white and silky-smooth, or an image shot from a moving vehicle. You can get some great artistic
effects by experimenting with the shutter speed in other unusual ways.
Similar to aperture, there will be a dial that adjusts the shutter speed. By increasing the shutter speed, we
are letting in less light, so a slower shutter speed, lets in more light. Therefore, if you are shooting at night
or in low light, you’ll need to use a slow shutter speed – the shutter will stay open longer to allow as much
light as possible in to the sensor, so you don’t end up with an underexposed photograph. Aversely, if you are
shooting on a bright, sunny day, you’ll need to use a high shutter speed so as not to over-expose your image.
The shutter will open and close extremely quickly to limit the amount of light hitting the sensor.
A fast shutter speed is generally anything above 1/250th of a second, and should freeze movement, and a
slow shutter speed is anything under 1/30th of a second and will blur anything moving even slightly.
SHUTTER SPEED AND MOTION

If you are photographing a moving object, you will
need a faster shutter speed to freeze that action in
time. It depends on how fast the object is moving, so
you’ll need to play around to get it right. This can be
very effective for wildlife shots, or catching crucial
sporting moments, as it gives a real sense of drama
and action to the image.
There is an important rule to shutter speed that has to

do with motion blur. If you are doing a long exposure,
you will let the shutter open for a while, using a slow
shutter speed. If there is motion, it will create motion
blur but everything standing still will be perfectly sharp.
You might also get camera shake from a slower

shutter speed, it is that micro movement that is
captured while trying to hold your camera still.
For beginners, we recommend shooting with a
shutter speed faster than 1/80th or 1/100th to
prevent that camera shake. By practicing a lot, it
is possible to use 1/60th or even 1/30th without
getting that camera shake or at least you will
come to know what your own limit for hand-
holding your camera is. Using a tripod is an
alternative way to prevent camera shake with
shooting with a longer shutter speed.
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DISTANCE AND SPEED

The two biggest factors in how movement is "seen" by
the camera are: speed and distance.
If you stand on a sidewalk and stare straight ahead and

a car goes past you at 65 km per hour, a few feet in
front of you, it will go through your field of view in a
very short amount of time, probably a fraction of a
second. If you look out to the horizon and another car
going 40 miles per hour is passing you, 4 miles into the
distance, you will see that car, going the same speed as
the one before it, for a much longer amount of time.
The camera's limited field of view works the same way if the subject is moving or if the camera is moving. If
you have ever taken a photo of a distant object from a speeding vehicle, you have seen the same type of
effect in your image; the distant snow-capped mountain is clear and sharp, but the fences and fields and
guard railings next to the road are blurry from the motion. So, applying mathematics once again, we can
crunch numbers to help us get the shutter speed effects we want in our images. When you double the
distance from the camera to the moving subject, you will half its speed through the frame. Therefore, to get
the same blur, you can use half the shutter speed. Conversely, if your moving subject is the same distance
away each time you photograph it, but you double the speed of the subject, you will have to halve the speed
of your shutter to get the same amount of blur.
RELATIONSHIP WITH APERTURE

You learned how aperture can affect your image by
controlling the amount of light coming in to the camera–
now we’re adding shutter speed to the mix. Shutter
speed also controls how much light hits your camera
sensor, just like aperture. There is a direct relationship
between the f-stop you choose and the shutter speed
you’ll need to gain correct exposure.
Do you recall how if you put your camera on f/1.2, you’re

actually letting in far more light than you would at f/22?
A fast shutter speed lets in less light, and a slow shutter
speed lets in more light. Generally, the larger the
aperture (smaller f-number) the faster the shutter speed
needs to be.
For example – on a bright, sunny day at f/1.2 you’d choose

a very fast shutter speed in order to not completely blow
your image out and be left with just a bright, white
rectangle. At f/1.2, your camera’s aperture is as wide
open as it can go, thus is letting in lots of bright, sunshiny
light to the sensor already. If you choose a slow shutter
speed of, like 1/30th second, you’re flooding the sensor with even more light from the shutter. This overload
of light simply burns away your image, leaving your image horribly overexposed with no details left.
Oppositely, if you chose to shoot at f/22, your camera’s aperture is very small, only letting a tiny amount of
light through to the sensor. If you choose a fast shutter speed of 1/500th second, not enough light gets to
your sensor, resulting in a pitch-black image that is underexposed, and again has no details left in it.
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WHAT IS ISO
ISO stands for International Standards Organization and is the level of sensitivity of your camera to the light
that hits the sensor. So, the light travels through the aperture, through the shutter and then hits the sensor.
If you have ever photographed with film, you are familiar with the different numbers associated with a
package of film that you used to buy at the store. Kodak Gold 200, Fujifilm Velvia 50, Agfa APX 400, etc. The
numeral in the film's nomenclature referred to its speed, sometimes given as an ASA number, and the higher
the number, the more sensitive the film was to light. This sensitivity was a function of the size of the
photosensitive grains on the piece of film, as well as the characteristics of the different chemicals used to
create the film. There are different international standards applied to color negative film, black-and-white
negative film, and color slide film, but the numbering system remains constant. In order to adjust ISO, film
shooters have only the option of changing to a different speed film. Once loaded, the ISO is a constant for a
given roll of film.
When digital photography entered the fray, the ISO developed speed standards for digital sensors.
Thankfully, they assigned the same number system to the digital sensors as they did to the film standards.
If you never shot film, you probably are not concerned that the ISO is spoken in the same language, but for
those transitioning from film to digital, it is a welcome convenience. One huge game-changer of digital
photography is that, when it comes to ISO, you can virtually change the sensor's sensitivity while you are
shooting. ISO is now an electronic function of the camera and not a fixed value as it was with a particular roll
of film. So, with the turn of a dial or flick of a switch, you can change your camera sensor's ISO for each image.
ISO is basically a digital way of increasing or decreasing the exposure. Increasing the ISO makes it brighter
because it is more sensitive, while decreasing, makes it darker, less sensitive. As you increase your ISO, you
are doubling the sensitivity of your sensor. With digital sensors, when we adjust ISO, we are not changing
the size of the pixel, but we are increasing its sensitivity electronically by increasing the voltage to the sensor.
There are three types of ISO: native, amplified, and simulated. Native ISO is the ISO setting that does not
require the camera to increase the voltage to the sensor. The camera's native ISO is not usually published by
the manufacturer in the specifications for a given camera, but a quick Internet search may show you what
your particular camera's native ISO is—it is not always the lowest ISO available on the camera. Amplified
ISO is an ISO that requires an increase in voltage to the sensor to achieve. But increasing your ISO has some
drawn back, because you are digitally enhancing your image. Increasing too much can lead to digital
noise/grain in your image. The higher the ISO, the greater the noise. And, finally, simulated ISO is when the
camera uses a software algorithm to simulate even higher (or lower) ISOs. Regardless of whether the
increased ISO is amplified or simulated, you will see an increase in noise over the native ISO setting.
WHAT IS BASE ISO

Base ISO is typically the lowest ISO number of the
sensor on your camera that can produce the highest
quality image without adding noise to the picture.
Most modern cameras have a base of 100 so idlily you
should shoot at ISO 100 to get the highest quality
image (without noise) but some even start at 60.
However, it is not always possible to shoot at ISO 100
or the lowest level, specially, in a low-level lighting.
If you are shooting inside or at night, decreasing your

shutter speed and opening up your aperture might be
the first thing you want to do, but it might not be enough to get a properly exposed image, so in this situation
you might need to increase your ISO to just get a properly exposed image. You can also use a high ISO to get
that noisy, grainy effect as a more creative shoot.
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HOW ISO IS MEASURED

It’s important to know that ISO increases by the power of 2. The sequence goes: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600,
3200, 6400 etc. or even some cameras have it between. Some newer camera can go all the way up to the
millions. This means that each time you adjust your ISO upwards, you are doubling the sensitivity of your
sensor. ISO 200 makes your camera twice as sensitive to light as ISO 100, while ISO 400 makes it four times
more sensitive to light as ISO 100.
Because increasing ISO makes more light available to your sensor, it means you can shoot at faster shutter
speeds in low-light situations without the need for a tripod. In our opinion though, it’s always better to use a
tripod and shoot at slower shutter speeds than shoot handheld at a higher ISO and have a seriously grainy
image. You can get noise reduction software, or use the noise reduction in Lightroom or Photoshop, but you
have to use it sparingly, or you can end up with unwanted effects.
NOISE, UNWANTED EFFECT

Sometimes you have no choice but to
shoot at a high ISO – and that means
your images will have tiny, grainy little
specks and splotch of color. Different
cameras deal with noise differently.
Typically, with most DSLR camera, you
shouldn’t go past 1600 ISO. Some
cameras, specially some new mirrorless
cameras, can go higher with less noise,
but it is a general rule to follow, to know
that if you push it past that you will
probably end up with some digital noise
or grain. Some of the newest mirrorless
camera can practically shoot in the middle of the night. If you are going to make a habit of low-light shooting,
it is one of the best reasons to invest in a better camera that has a reputation for low noise levels at high
ISO’s, so you don’t have to use artificial lighting like flashes to expose.
How do you reduce the noise in your image, though? Most post-
processing software has some form of noise-reduction option. We
find Lightroom’s noise panel to be the easiest to work with, while
Photoshop’s one is quite complicated, and you need to know all the
terminology involved in noise reduction. Lightroom’s noise
reduction panel has two main sliders – luminance and color, as
there are two different types of noise associated with them.
Luminance is the one you want to be really sparing with, as too
much will certainly get rid of the noise in your images, but you’ll
end up making them look really soft and lacking definition. Color
noise is a little more forgiving, but again, don’t overdo it.
RELATIONSHIP WITH SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE

Because ISO affects the amount of light coming in to your camera, like shutter speed and aperture, changing
it has an effect on them, and hence your camera’s exposure.
For example, say you have your camera at ISO 100, shutter speed of 1/125ths of a second at f/5.6 and the
exposure is fine. If you increase your ISO to 200, your photo will now be overexposed, as your sensor
becomes twice as sensitive to the light coming in. You would have to increase your shutter speed, decrease
your aperture (larger f-number) or both to regain correct exposure at ISO 200.
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In the opposite scenario, say you have your camera at ISO 800, shutter speed 1/125ths of a second, aperture
at f/5.6, and it’s correctly exposed. If you then put your ISO down to 400, your image will be underexposed,
because you’ve reduced your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light by half through dropping the ISO. You
would have to reduce your shutter speed, open up your aperture (smaller f-number) or do both to gain
correct exposure again.
So, if you adjust one of the three – aperture, shutter speed or ISO – you will have a direct effect on your
exposure. As you become more used to using the three together, dialing in the correct settings for any given
lighting situation will become second nature to you, but it means getting your camera off auto or program
mode and in to fully manual to experiment.
THE EXPOSURE TRIANGLE
Put simply, aperture, ISO and shutter speed make up the three sides of the triangle. These three works
together to control the amount of light you need to create a properly exposed photograph. If one of these
three sides of the triangle changes, one or both others must also change to keep your exposure correct.
MEASURING STOPS OF LIGHT

In photography, a stop of light refers to the doubling or halving of the amount of light that makes an
exposure. If your image is underexposed, adding a stop of light to it will double the exposure and brighten
your image. If your image is overexposed, decreasing it by one stop (halving the light) will darken it.
It can be simpler to think of the full range of f-stops from f/1.4, f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6, f/8.0, f/11, f/16 f22 and
f/32. f/1.4 is the largest (brightest) aperture, and f/32 is the smallest (darkest) aperture. Each f-stop is one full
stop of light and changing up or down these will double or halve the light hitting your sensor. f/1.4 lets in
twice as much light than at f/2.0, and an amazing 512 times more light than f/32. It starts to get complicated
when you add in half-stops such as f/2.4 and f/13, and quarter stops like f/1.7 or f/20. Simply practice with
different f-stops and see what effect each one has on the exposure, rather than trying to memorize and do
complicated mental math to work it out. You will soon become familiar through practice with what each f-
number will do for your exposure, even when you change ISO and shutter speed.
APERTURE
Your camera’s aperture is the size of the hole in the lens that lets in light. The larger the hole, the more light
reaches your camera sensor. If you double the size of that opening, you now double the amount of light
coming in – that will increase the exposure by one full stop. For example, if you are at f/22, and you change
your f-stop to f/16, you have double the amount of light coming in than you had before. The other side of
the coin is if you were at f/22, and changed to f/32, you would halve the amount of light, and this would
decrease your exposure by one full stop.
SHUTTER SPEED
It’s simply the length of time light is hitting the sensor. As it’s measured in seconds and fractions of seconds,
it’s easier to grasp than f-stops. The lower your shutter speed, the more light you let in, and the higher it is,
the less light hits the sensor.
To double the amount of light, you simply need to double your exposure time. For example, if you change
from 1/60th of a second to 1/30th, you will add a full stop of light because your shutter is open for twice as
long. If you have your shutter speed at 1/60th a second and change it to 1/120th of a second, you have
decreased your light by one full stop as the shutter is open for half as long as it is at 1/60th second.
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ISO
The final side to the triangle is ISO. The easiest way to think of ISO is a measure of the sensitivity of the
sensor to light, but in scientific terms it’s a lot more complicated. The higher your ISO, the more sensitive to
light your sensor becomes, meaning it does not need to catch as much light to make a correct exposure. The
lower your ISO, the less sensitive to light the sensor is, and it needs to gather more light to make the correct
exposure.
As we discussed, doubling the ISO number is equal to a one stop increase in exposure. So, 100 ISO doubles
to 200 ISO, 200 to 400, 400 to 800 and so on. Halving your ISO will reduce your exposure by one stop.
BUCKET OF WATER EXPLANATION

Instead of thinking of light, think of rain filling a bucket
instead. The exposure equates to the total amount of
water collected. In this example, the exposure is one
gallon. Shutter speed will be the length of time the
bucket is left in the rain. The strength of the rain is our
aperture. A light shower would be a small aperture,
(like f/32) and a heavy downpour a large aperture (like
f/1.4.). The width of the bucket represents the ISO. All
buckets have to be one gallon to collect enough
‘exposure’, but a wide, shallow bucket (high ISO) can
hold the same as a tall, narrow one (low ISO).
There are too many different variables to this scenario, so we will fix our ISO to make it easier. If there are
two buckets of the same shape and size, we could put one out for a long time during a light shower, and the
other out for a short time in a downpour. Both would collect a gallon. However, if you put the bucket out for
a long time in a rainstorm, it would quickly fill up and overflow! This would over expose our image. Leaving
the bucket out for a short time in a rain shower would not fill up the bucket enough to collect a gallon. Our
image would be underexposed.
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THE EXPOSURE METER
The exposure meter tells you before taking the photo if it is going to be properly exposed. Typically, is goes
from negative three to positive three. Usually, there is a line or a dot that moves from left to right along this
scale. Depending on your composition, what you are looking at through your lens, and the settings and
lighting around you, this line will move around. A beginner’s goal is to get that line to the center for a
balanced exposure. If the line is on the left side of the 0 in the middle, then your photo might be slightly
underexposed, if the line is on the right, you may be overexposed.
The numbers of the scale signify how many stops of light

are under or over exposed, so using your knowledge of the
exposure triangle, you can change your camera settings to
move that line to the middle of the scale achieving a good proper exposure. If it is completely under or over
exposed, there will be a little arrow to the left or the right.
IS THE LIGHT METER ALWAYS RIGHT?

It is not always right, depending on how you want your photos to look. Sometimes you want your photo to
be a bit bright or maybe you want a photo mostly dark with just a single point of light. In these cases, the
camera’s light meter will tell that your photo is going to be over or underexposed. Just like many of the rules
of photography, using a camera’s light meter is only a tool, it’s up to you as the artist to use it to help you
take better photos.
METERING MODES (ADVANC ED LESSON)
Most cameras have three options for how the exposure or light meter works: spot metering, center weighted
metering and matrix or evaluative metering.
MATRIX METERING
It is the standard setting on most DSRL and mirrorless cameras. In this mode, the camera
reads the exposure from all areas of the frame. Based off the lighting of your frame, it will tell
you a balanced exposure for the entire scene. It might be the best option when running
around with your camera in different lighting situation.
SPOT METERING
The camera only evaluates the light around a single focus point. Typically, this will be the
center point of the frame, but it can also be moved around to any other part of the frame with
many different cameras. The camera will read the exposure of that specific point and tell if it
is exposed or not. Using the spot metering mode is good when photographing smaller subjects in a larger
frame that has a contrasting exposure, such as a bright moon in a dark sky or a dark animal in the middle of
a snowy field. The spot metering mode also changes depending on where you are focusing, if you are
focusing on something very close or very far, it will change the exposure reading.
CENTRE-WEIGHTED METERING
It reads the exposure of the center point of the frame and the surrounding, ignoring the
corners of the frame. It doesn’t take in account where you are focusing but just what is in the
center of the frame. It is great when your subjects will be in the center, like portraits.
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MODES OF EXPOSURE
Most digital cameras today have several types of camera modes that can be
used in various situations. These are usually on a wheel on the top of the camera,
which you turn to select a mode. Most point-and-shoot digital cameras just
have automatic modes, but DSLR’s have a selection of different ones.
AUTO MODE
This mode is actually green in most cameras, it will do everything for you. By
default, your camera will decide what ISO, what shutter and what f-stop to shoot with. It will also decide if it
needs a flash, if your camera has one built in. It is basically the button you need to use if you want to take
your camera straight out of the box and start shooting in any situation without thinking about a setting.
Using auto is great if you just want to clean overall exposed photographs. However, by using auto mode, you
will give up some control over the image, the camera will always expose to where the meter is telling it to,
sometimes using a higher ISO or dropping the shutter too low for a good shoot. So be very cautious.
EXPOSURE MODES
PASM is an acronym and it corresponds to the letters on the mode dial or the options for modes in your
camera menu. It stands for Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority and Manual.
PROGRAM MODE (P)

In this mode, your camera will select the optimal shutter and aperture for you based on the type of metering
you have selected. In program mode, you can quickly change either shutter or aperture and the camera will
adjust the other settings to expose properly. It is sort of a mix between aperture priority and shutter priority.
It is also a really good way to get used to exposure values and how the shutter and the aperture affect one
each other for optimal exposure. You can really see the exposure triangle in this mode.
APERTURE PRIORITY MODE (AV)

This mode allows you to pick your aperture and the camera decides the shutter for the optimal exposure
setting. It is used when you know exactly which f-stop you want to use, and you have no time to select your
shutter, like when you want a specific depth of field with a specific f-stop, but you don’t care about the
shutter speed, and because shutter speed ranges from 30 seconds up to 1/8000th second, -which will cover
most lighting conditions – the risk of under or over exposing is far less than with Tv mode.
SHUTTER PRIORITY MODE (TV)

Shutter priority mode lets you manually set the camera’s shutter speed, while it calculates the correct
aperture and for the lighting conditions. In bright light, the camera will make the aperture smaller, so that
there is less light coming in, and in darker conditions will open up the aperture to let more light in.
Using shutter priority mode can be useful if you are shooting something in motion, and you want to freeze
the action with a high shutter speed or want to get some motion blur by using a low shutter speed. There is
a risk of under or over-exposure when using this mode. If you set a high shutter speed and the ambient light
is insufficient, your camera can only open the aperture up to let more light in to the limit of its capabilities.
So, if your maximum aperture is f/2.8, and you’ve set a high shutter speed in poor light, you will get an
underexposed image.
In the flip side of this, if you use a low shutter speed on a bright, sunny day, your camera cannot go smaller
than minimum aperture, so too much light will be let in and over-expose your image. You don’t have any
control over aperture choice for depth of field in this mode, which is another downside. It normally uses Tv
as acronym for Time value or Sv for Shutter value, or just S or SP.
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MANUAL MODE (M)

This mode puts everything on the user, who selects both, the f-stop and the shutter for the exposure as well
as ISO and flash. This gives complete control over exposure letting you to decide all the settings. In this, you
can use your light meter to decide how you want to expose or you can pick yourself.
AND ISO?
You may be wondering why ISO is not mentioned controlled in any mode other than manual. That’s because
in most DSLR’s the ISO will not automatically change, regardless of what mode you’re using – you have to
set it manually even if you’re in program mode.
If you don’t want to be stopping to change ISO all the time, you can set the ‘auto ISO’ feature on your camera,
which will calculate how much ISO you will need for a given lighting situation. If you don’t have auto ISO,
then set it to the lowest ISO setting you have and increase it if you are shooting in a low light situation.
OTHER MODES
There are more modes, than just the main four. These are the custom modes, and usually cover portrait,
landscape, macro, sports etc. They are supposed to set your camera to the optimum parameters for each
different subject matter. Different brands of camera have different modes, but they are all just combinations
of the four main modes, with some other in-camera adjustments added, such as sharpening or changing the
saturation levels.
EXPOSURE COMPENSATION (ADVANCED LESSON)
When you are in manual

mode, you can increase or
decrease your exposure
whenever you’d like. For the
other modes, most cameras
have what is called exposure
compensation, which will
allow you to decide if you
want the exposure to be
over or under what your
camera believes is the
perfect exposure. This
allows you to pick a style
and shoot more creative shots in terms of exposure. What if you are shooting in auto and your photos are
always coming out too dark or too bright? Or maybe they’re perfectly balanced and you want it to be a bit
brighter or darker? That is why exposure compensation comes into play. You can find the exposure
compensation option at a little button at your camera with a plus or minus on it. You can press that button
to turn the dial to increase or decrease the setting. Some cameras have a separate dial for it altogether.
Adjusting this will make your photos brighter or darker.
HOW DOES IT CHANGE THE EXPOSURE?

The exposure compensation changes the exposure with the aperture, the shutter speed or the ISO,
depending on what automatic mode you are on in your camera. In aperture priority mode the exposure
compensation changes the shutter speed, in shutter priority, it changes the aperture, and in program mode,
it changes the shutter speed. In manual mode it does not make sense to use exposure compensation because
you can choose any of your settings to adjust your exposure.
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READING EXPOSURE WITH A HISTOGRAM (ADVANCED LESSON)
Using histograms will help you determinate the highlights and the shadows and basically a really good
exposure for your image. Most cameras will let you view a histogram after the fact and some cameras will
leave you a histogram while you are shooting. You can bring it up usually by pressing the info or display
button. The histogram shows you the actual exposure levels in graph form of every part of the frame. On the
left side of the histogram we’ll see our shadows and on the right side we’ll see our highlights. Up and down
will be the levels of exposure in the graph. You want to get a really nice and healthy exposure by having a
good medium fat graph in the middle between your shadows and your highlights. It can also include color
and tonal values, depending on your camera.
CREATIVE EXPOSURE: UNDEREXPOSING AND OVEREXPOSI NG
There is no such thing as right or wrong exposure. Photographers do it all the time. They take beautiful
images that are technically under or over-exposed, but that only makes them more pleasing to look at. The
key difference with these images to the too dark or too bright snapshots you see everywhere, is that they
are deliberately under or over-exposed to give an effect. The photographer knew what he or she wanted
before they took the image, and they changed their settings accordingly. Let’s see what underexposure and
overexposure mean.
OVEREXPOSURE
Simply put, it’s an image that’s brighter than it should be. Too much
light has been allowed in to the camera sensor, resulting in loss of detail
in the light areas, and no shadows to give contrast. If you turned your
camera’s highlight warning on when you took the image, it would be
flashing bright red on the LCD screen where all the highlights are blown
out. You can’t save blown highlights from a digital camera in post
processing. There is simply no detail left for your photo editing
software to recover.
UNDEREXPOSURE
Underexposure is the complete opposite. It’s when an image is so dark
you can’t see any detail in the shadow areas, just blackness. Too little
light has been let in to the camera sensor. If you turned your camera’s
shadow warning on, it would flash bright blue on the screen where your
shadows were completely black. It’s a loss of detail at the bottom end of
the spectrum, as opposed to loss of detail at the top end with
overexposure.
Technically, you can recover underexposed shadows in post processing

with your image editing software. The detail is still there in the image,
unlike with blown highlights in overexposure. There’s a fine line to tread,
though. Bring the shadows up too far in post, and your image just looks
wrong. It’s fair to say that trying to fix an accidentally underexposed
image in post won’t work if it’s too far gone.
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CORRECT EXPOSURE
Technically correct exposure is where the image looks right, neither too light nor too dark, and all the
highlights and shadows are visible – theoretically, anyway. It’s a photo that looks as close as it can to what
we see when we look at the same subject in real life.
It is actually impossible to capture a totally realistic image in terms of exposure. Even HDR techniques don’t
quite manage it, but they can come close if used properly. Our eyes are far better at seeing highlights and
shadows in a scene than a camera.
USING EXPOSURE CREATIVELY

Technically correct exposure is what your camera will mostly give
you if you have it on program or auto. If you have it on manual
mode, you get to experiment and choose the correct exposure –
for you. That’s the point; there is no correct or incorrect way to
expose an image, it’s a creative choice made by you, the
photographer, not the digital brain of the camera. Another
photographer may choose to expose the same image differently,
but it doesn’t mean that you or they are wrong.
You don’t need to start deliberately over or

underexposing all your work now just for the sake
of it, unless you want to, but a bit of thought before
you take your image is a good idea. How bright or
dark do you want parts of your image to be? Do you
want a silhouette of someone with a bright light
behind them? Give it a bit of thought and go for it.
Would you like your sunlight reflections on water
to sparkle like diamonds with blown highlights?
Experiment with different exposures that give you
the effects you want.
EXPOSURE STOPS (ADVANCED L ESSON)
A stop of light is a way to calculate light, how much is coming into the camera. Increasing by a stop of light,
you are doubling the amount of light that comes into the camera, when decreasing by a stop of light, you
are cutting the amount of light in half. For example: talking about f-stops, going from f-stop F/2 to f/2.8, you
are decreasing by one stop of light, meaning that it is cutting the main light in half. If you go for a shutter
speed from 1/30 to 1/15, you are doubling the amount of light because in shutter speed one stop of light
increase. If you go from 400 ISO to 200 ISO, you are reducing by one stop of light which is cutting them out
of light in half.
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DYNAMIC RANGE (ADVANCED LESSON)
The dynamic range is the ratio between the maximum and minimum measurable light intensities, the blacks
and the whites, the darks and the highlights. A low dynamic range photo is one where the entire photo is
relatively the same exposure. There aren’t many bright spots or dark spots, in other words, it isn’t very
contrast-y. A high dynamic range photo is one with very bright parts and very dark parts, so, it would be
called a high contrast photo.
Don’t confuse it with HDR photography, which also stands for high dynamic range photography, a technic
where you combine photos at multiple exposures of the same scene that results on a photo with good
exposure throughout.
Not all cameras are made even when it comes to dynamic range. It is something you may hear about when
comparing different camera models. Some cameras are better than others at capturing very bright and dark
exposure in the same photo. This typically has to do with having a better camera sensor. It also has to do
with the file type that you are shooting in. Shooting in RAW mode will give more information in both
highlight and dark parts of the photo, while shooting in JPEG mode won’t.
WHY DYNAMIC RANGE MATTERS

It is good because you have more control of how your image looks. It is also good because there are a lot of
situations where you need more dynamic range. Imagine yourself shooting a family photo, during the middle
of the day at a park with a lot of trees. Some areas of your frame may be in the shade, others may be super
bright, the sky might become completely overexposed, compared to your subject. In this case, having a
camera that can capture a high dynamic range is a good thing. Smartphones, point-and-shoot, and
consumer DSLR and mirrorless cameras won’t be as good at this as a higher end model.
HDR PHOTOGRAPHY AND BRACKETING (ADVANCED LESSON)
HDR photography is a technic in which you take multiple photos of the same scene at different exposures.
This works well when photographing a very contrast-y scene with lots of highlights and lots of shadows.
After combining the photos, you get an evenly exposed photo that can look stunning.
Many cameras have the HDR option, but bracketing can also be done manually. You should use a tripod to
make the composition the exact same, so you can lay them on top of each other later in post-production.
You should also take two or more photos, exposing the highlights and the shadows separately. In Lightroom,
for example, you can take each individual photo and basically layered them on top of each other, combining
them. So, the contrast-y individual photos are combined in one photo to have a complete balanced exposure.
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3. COMPOSITION
WHAT IS COMPOSITION
Composition is what is in your photos frame. You’ll learn some basic composition rules and styles that will
make your photos more creative and interesting to look at. You’ll also learn how to break these rules to get
even more creative shoots using things like symmetry and negative space. How you compose a subject in
your frame can dramatically change how viewers see your photo. Angle, perspective, size and position, all
these things help to tell the story of your photo.
When we choose our subject, we are choosing to capture a thing, a person, a sky, anything because it means
something to us. Composition is deeply personal, almost as personal as editing style because we view the
world based on our own experiences. Whether you want your photograph to simply document, to convey
emotion, or just to capture something “pretty”, there are many ways that photography is more than a happy
accident of being in the right place at the right time.
Composition is probably the easiest part about photography because it’s simply finding something you want
to take pictures of. Every time you make the decision to take a photograph you choose what to include and
what to focus on. Composition can be conscious, where you arrange and remove things to add to the
aesthetic of the image; or it can be subconscious, where your focus was only on the subject at the time and
the whole scene is your composition.
While it’s easy to understand, it’s not necessarily easy to implement. What the eye sees as being “perfect”,
the camera may reveal differently. The arrangement of objects and elements can bring together more than
one item, or it can make everything else meaningless save for the focus of the image. A successful
composition is one that evokes feeling or meaning to the viewer, not just one that looks good. Also, your
composition will change depending on the lens you are using.
Composition isn’t always about getting the ideal ratio, or the ideal color, or the ideal position. If you see
something that you are drawn to and want to capture it, then that is your composition. Practice is what
makes this easier, and over time you’ll be able to spot items you want removed or areas that are better suited
to work for your pictures. By spending more time visualizing the image before you shoot, you’ll also waste
less clicks on images you throw away and be more apt to get a “perfect” composition.
VISUALIZATION
Sometimes you’re walking past, and a scene catches your eye. There’s something about the scene that
makes sense and drives you to capture it. Before you even touch your camera, your mind has visualized what
the final photograph would look like. Visualization is more than just having the right image ready for you to
click though; it’s about deciding if you need to move anything, hide anything, alter the lighting or edit a
certain way, and how the post processing needs to look to make the image complete.
Many photographers skip this part, recognizing the capture as good, but figuring they can edit out
unnecessary items or adjust on the computer later. It’s actually much more critical than one might realize.
All artists visualize before they begin to create, and even abstracters have some idea or concept in mind.
Your images will improve if you take the time to look at your subject and the scene first before snapping.
Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Our viewpoint has
a massive impact on the composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the
shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at
ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.
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SIMPLICITY
Often keeping an image as simple as possible is what makes it punchy. Look at Amazon image listings – the
stark white background makes the product so much easier to focus on. If you’re a beginner, simple images
are an easy way to get the hang of composition, lines, and focusing. This is why it’s easier to take a good
image of the beach (simple horizon lines) compared to a forest (trees and branches at odd angles, less
contrast). Picking your subject and deciding how best to define it from the background so that you exclude
as much detail as possible is part of visualization.
See these two images? The

subject matter is the same,
but because the first image
is much simpler and uses
better balance it draws the
eye in to the subject more.
The second image has the
squash mixed in with all
colors jumbled, and while the basket still has good contrast to the background there’s just too much going
on to make it an image that the eye can immediately recognize. The first image has the same tone
throughout and the same color tone, so it looks more cohesive; and because the vegetables are sectioned
the eye processes along them without having to figure out which is which. There’s too much distraction in
the second image with different colors, lines, and no clear subject as such asides from the basket as a whole.
THE RULE OF THIRDS
As a beginner photographer, when someone ask you to take them a photo, if you are like most beginner
photographers, you will set the subject in the middle of the frame and snap a photo. Hopefully you’ve be
composed the image with enough head room, the space above the subject’s head and the top of the frame,
and you are not cutting off the top of their head. Also, hopefully you are not giving too much room above
the head with your subjects floating at the bottom of the frame.
Centering your subject is the natural thing to do but to create a more

balanced photo, that is more pleasing to the viewers eye, following the
rule of thirds can help. What these means is placing the subject of your
photo to the left or right of the center of the frame, more specifically, this
means, the photo is essentially cut up into 9 identically sized pieces
dividing it with four lines which intersect at 4 critical points, meaning
overlaying your frame with two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing
your subject near the intersection of these lines and points is what we
mean by the rule of thirds, they are thought to be the ideal location for key elements.
Placing the main focus of your photo in these

intersections, creates a pleasing balance that is
more natural for the viewer to look at. Studies
show that people’s eyes naturally go towards to
one of these intersection points automatically,
rather than to the center of an image, so placing
your subject there helps make a more balanced and
visually appealing image. Another use for the rule
of thirds is where to put the horizons, placing them
perfectly straight along the bottom or top line is a
good rule.
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It works equally well for portraiture too. If you are shooting close-ups, for instance, try placing the subject’s
eyes in of one of the places where the lines cross in the top third. Having the eyes above the line in the top
third of the frame also works. You can also place the eyes along one of the lines. So, by having the eyes in
the top third of the frame, it gives a pleasing balance to the image.
Check out this image which follows the rule of thirds. As you
can see, the vertical lines fall on the waterfall and through the
sunset/plateau – the two main elements. Then the horizontal
lines cross at the horizon and at the bottom of the waterfall,
with the cliff top and the rivers acting as leading lines with the
bright white of the waterfall contrasting against the shadow
behind. This image works in many ways to illustrate a perfect
natural composition because it has all the important elements
so far.
When it’s not possible to hit the rule of thirds in camera, photographers often crop in Lightroom or
Photoshop to make it look better. That’s why the crop tool in both of those programs has a thirds gridline
which superimposes across your image when you use it – so you can move your image around to find the
most pleasing crop. About cropping, often a photo will lack impact because the main subject is so small it
becomes lost among the clutter of its surroundings. By cropping tight around the subject, you eliminate the
background noise, ensuring the subject gets the viewer's undivided attention.
THE GOLDEN RATIO – FIBONACCI SPIRAL (PRO TIP)
As you begin to develop your skills as a photographer, understanding how to use your camera and lenses,
taking more and more photos, one thing will become very apparent, you like to compose your photos in a
certain way. And as you take more photos, you will experiment with compositions, figuring out your own
style and what compositions are most appealing to you.
While there are many tips on how to better compose photos, it is up to you as a photographer to use the
ones you want to, to choose how you want to compose the image. That being said, there are a few tips that
are worth mentioning and when getting started, are very useful to think about while taking photos. Whether
or not you use these tips however, is completely up to you.
The Rule of Thirds (RoT) is definitely one of the most

common concepts and many photographers starting off are
introduced to this, sometimes without even knowing it.
Many cameras today will have the option to display the grid
across your viewfinder or monitor and editing software will
many times display this when straightening or cropping your
image. The concept is fairly simple, line your subject(s) along
these lines, ideally placing the focus of your image at one of
the intersections.
Why you do this is to keep things from being dead center, having
more space in your image and really to get you to move your camera
around to see your options opposed to just putting your subjects
head right in the middle. It also helps with placement of your
horizon, keeping it straight and either a bit lower or higher in the
frame opposed to right in the middle.
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The slightly more complex tip/rule of composition is the Fibonacci Spiral that comes
from the Golden Ratio. This takes the composition a step further than the 9 pieces
and divides it up into up to 34 pieces. You might recall Fibonacci (Leonardo Bonacci,
Pisa, 1175-1250) from your math class, he was the one that found a common thread
between math and the natural world. Fibonacci patterns are often found in nature,
and the term has been called “divine composition” for this reason. Photos that use
this concept are more appealing to look at, using this tip will definitely help you produce more complex and
interesting images. The golden ratio can be used to
identify the main subject while still leading the viewer’s
eye through the entire image, the eye is drawn out of the
image and brought back in. Using the golden ratio as an
element of design is a great way to achieve a strong
composition in an organic way. Long story short, our
brain has to process everything our eyes see. The quicker
it can process something, the more pleasing it is. Any
image with this rule is processed faster by the brain, so it
sends a signal that such an image is aesthetically pleasing.
THE MATHEMATICAL EXPLANATION

The golden ratio is the number φ, written phi and
read as fi, with the value 1,618. It’s found by taking a
line (or sometimes another shape) and dividing it
into two parts. When a line or shape is divided into
two parts based on the golden ratio, it will be divided
in such a way that, if you divided the length of the
longest section by the length of the smallest section,
it would be equal to the original length of the shape
divided by the longest section. When you do all the
math, you’re left with a ratio of 1 to 1.618. If you keep dividing that shape based on this principle, you’ll end
up with a shape that looks like this:
You can arrive at the same shape by using the Fibonacci sequence, which is a set of numbers that’s found
by adding up the two previous numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 32, 34… (0+1 = 1, 1+1=2, 1+2=3…). The ratio
between each successive pair gets closer and closer to Phi as you progress through the series. When you take
any two of the sums next to each other and divide the larger by the smaller, you get a number very close to
the golden ratio (5+8=13; 8+13=21; 21/13=1,6253). If you create squares using those numbers to determine
the size, you will end up with the same spiral.
APPLIED TO PHOTOGRAPHY
Thankfully, you don’t have to understand the math behind the golden ratio in order to apply it to your
photography, you just have to become familiar with that spiral. If you place a point of interest on the smallest
part of the spiral, the eye will naturally flow through the rest of the image. So, imagine this shape is placed
over the image, and place your subject in the smallest part of the spiral.
The general idea is that while you are framing, you find your focal point and move around your image in a
more circular movement. This way, your viewers eye is almost always brought back to that main point in the
image. While this does not need to be exact in anyway, it’s a good rule of thumb for how to frame your image,
leaving some space to one side but within the space, have something that leads your viewers eyes to the one
key spot in your image. At the end of the day, this is really just a good exercise for your eye in creating a more
dynamic composition and using the whole frame to focus on your main subject. You can also flip or turn the
spiral, the direction isn’t important, it’s the shape and the distance between the loops that matters.
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There’s one other way to use the golden ratio to compose a photograph.
Instead of using the spiral, create a grid like in the rule of thirds, but one
that uses a 1:1.618 ratio, instead of dividing the frame into equal parts.
Just like in the rule of thirds, place your subject at one of the intersections
of these lines. This grid, called a Phi Grid, is similar to the rule of thirds,
but since it’s based on the golden ratio, the distances are a bit different.
The center sections are smaller than the outer sections.
Both the spiral and grid are good shapes to keep in mind as you compose your image. One may work better
for one type of image, while the other for another shot. For example, the grid tends to work well for
composing landscapes, while the spiral is often used for portraits, placing the subject’s eye in the smallest
part of the spiral.
Like the rule of thirds, the golden ratio is simply a compositional tool. The golden ratio as either a spiral or a
grid can help you to place the subject within the frame in the best way possible. While it’s based on
mathematical principles, you don’t have to understand the numbers behind it. Simply imagine that spiral or
grid shape is placed over your image and get to shooting.
To complicate things further, golden ratio lines can also be diagonal. The image
below shows how diagonal lines can make up the golden
ratio, and inside each set of lines, additional lines that
follow the golden ratio can be added. But keeping it
simple, these diagonals also give us the golden triangles.
In the phi grid, each rectangle can be made into smaller golden rectangles as well.
The simplest way to compose an image to apply the Fibonacci spiral is to visualize a small rectangle from
one corner of your frame then bisect it from corner to corner so that an imaginary line crosses your entire
frame diagonally. The line will cross over several focal points associated with the Fibonacci spiral within the
rectangle. From here you can envision a spiral leading out from your main focal point in a wide arc leading
out of the frame.
NEGATIVE SPACE
It is a compositional style which consist in photographing a

subject without a lot of distractions behind or around the subject.
The positive space is a lot less or smaller in frame and is taken up
by the subject. The photographers
could easily tilt down to see the
horizon or more scene, like
perhaps people buzzing around
underneath these or building but
they make a conscious decision to
leave that our of the frame. Using negative space can draw your attention to
the subject of your photo without having any other distraction. They can make
a subject feel small or perhaps even more significant. But negative space
doesn’t just mean photos with a completely blank background, a different kind
of background, like a forest, where the subject still stands out without too
much distraction.
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LEADING LINE
A photo is a visual journey, which means the eye should easily be

able to pass around the unimportant aspects of the image and
focus on what the photographer saw. This doesn’t mean
necessarily the focal point, but the part that the viewer pays
attention to most. Leading the eye uses lines created by
elements of the images to reach that destination. Leading lines
is another photographic composition style to draw your viewer’s
attention to the main subject of your images.
With leading lines, we are literally talking about lines that you see in your image,
typically starting from the front of the image and then progressing inside,
drawing the eye and the viewer into the scene. The way that you use these lines
is by arranging your composition, so the lines lead towards something that could
be to a subject or even just to the distant abyss.
There are many different types of line, straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc., and they can be anything,
it can be a paved road that draws your attention to something in the distance or it could be placing your
subject on the top of a mountain so all of the lines in that mountain range point towards your subject; it could
be the petals of a flower pointing to its center or just grass or shadows. In fact, any line that crosses the image
can be used to lead the eye. These lines create depth and connect what is distant to what’s in the foreground
of the photo. They can be manmade such as roads, fences, bridges, lamppost, doorways and windows; or
they can be natural like rivers, waves, trees, shadows or sun rise. Leading the eye can also be done using
light. Our eyes are naturally drawn to bright things so a bright object with a dark background creates the
ideal opportunity for the eye to pick our subject. While this isn’t always possible to do, you can modify the
composition by using a less cluttered background so that it stands out.
FRAMING WITHIN FRAMES

This could literally mean putting the subject in a window frame or
photographing something in the distance though the frame of a
window or door. It could also be using
natural lines in your image to create a
frame around your subject. With all of
this, the goal is to direct your viewer’s
attention to the subject to give them
more prominence.
BALANCE AND SYMMETRY
The brain loves symmetry, in fact, we’re drawn to it so much that we find
the most symmetrical faces more attractive just for being so. Photos have
something called visual weight. This means that each element within an
image can either be strong or weak, causing the eye to focus on, or ignore
the element. Some items simply hold more weight, like the brighter
contrasted subject above, because of good composition.
In terms of balance, it can mean level horizon and object that are visually balanced in the frame. Photos of
a building that is crooked is literally an unbalanced photo. With balance we also mean the size and number
of objects in your scene, is there one large subject on the right and a small subject on the left, are colors more
vibrant on both sides or just one… Here are a few things that may catch the eye more:
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• Reds. The eye has more receptors for the color red in it, so you’re naturally drawn to red colors.
• Large items. The bigger something is the more attention it commands.
• The eyes. When you’re looking at a person you are drawn to look at their eyes; the same applies for
animals. The eyes can also show direction, making you look at what they’re looking at.
• Bright/contrast areas. The brighter an item and the more contrast it has to the background the
more likely you are to focus on it. The same can be said for saturation: the more saturated a subject
is compared to the background the more the eye will focus on it.
You can achieve a balanced composition out the main subject's "visual
weight" by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.
But having a balanced photo is not necessarily the right thing to do, it just
creates a more visually peaceful image. Having tilted and crooked lines
and different sizes of objects can create a more dynamic image though,
perhaps to express some sort of meaning.
Balance also applies to having a degree of symmetry.

Images that have a decisive left/right divide and equal
weight on each part are perfectly balanced. Symmetry
is balance where the top and bottom or left and right
sides of the photo are visually similar or even identical.
This can be something in nature like trees or manmade
like a large building or reflections of a landscapes in the
water can create a symmetrical image on top and
bottom. This is a style that you may love or hate, and it
might depend on what and where you are shooting.
OTHER COMPOSITION STYLES
By side the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, leading lines, framing and symmetry, there are other styles than
can be used to make your photos more pleasant to the viewer’s eye.
Using diagonal lines create great movement. Finding a contrast between subject and background using
figure to ground is a good way to shoot too. Other way is to fill the frame, getting close to your subjects.
With centering the dominant eye in the center of the frame we get an interesting photo, creating the
impression of the eyes following the viewer. With patterns and repetitions, you will make an aesthetically
pleasing photograph, but it will get more captivating when the pattern is interrupted, introducing tension
and a focal point to the scene.
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PERSPECTIVE AND ANGLES
Using wide and telephoto lenses can give you a completely different type of composition. There are a few
key concepts that you will need to understand. One is the term focal length, which technically is the distance
in millimeters between your camera sensor and your lens’s optical center, where in the lens the light
converges to create a sharp image, when the camera is focused on a subject at infinity, way off in the
distance. The lower the focal length number, the wider will be the image, or the wider will be the lenses, the
higher the number, the more zoomed in, or telephoto you’ll be.
A zoom lens can shoot at multiple focal lengths, for example,

going from 24mm to 70mm. A prime lens is one that is fixed at
one specific focal length. In general, lenses that are less than
35mm are considered wide angle lenses. Anything more than
70mm can be considered telephoto. 70-300mm is considered a
medium telephoto and anything over 300mm is called super
telephoto. It doesn’t matter if it is a prime or zoom lens, this are
still considered telephoto lenses.
Choosing a wide lens is a great idea for photographing wide

expenses and landscapes. While telephoto lenses are great for
detail and close shoots. Even with a wide lens, though, you can
get very close to an object and get that close-up detailed shoot.
And similarly, you can use a telephoto shoot to get great
landscapes. But there will be a difference between the two close-
ups, one with the telephoto and one with a wide lens, and that is
perspective, another key concept.
Perspective is having nearby objects appear larger, while

distance objects, look smaller. This is natural when you are
looking out in the distance, whatever is far away will look
smaller than what is closer to you. But depending on the
type of lens you use, this can change. Using a wide-angle
lens, close-up subjects, are actually bigger and seem more
distant compared to the ones in the background, this
effect is called exaggerated perspective. A telephoto lens
has a compressed perspective, where objects look closer
together and the distance between them is harder to
distinguish. With the wide lens, everything in the
background is very small, which creates more distance to the subject. But in the telephoto shoot everything
is more compressed, and it looks a little bit bigger making the difference of sizes less extreme. Switching
between these lenses is more than getting a close shoot.
The last concept in this lesson is angle, not meaning in

the sense of how wide but of where you are shooting
from. Are you shooting standing up with the camera at
eye level? Are you crouch down shooting low to the
ground? Are you at the top of the building looking down?
Most beginner photographers take 99% of their photos
with the camera at eye level. A quick way to get more
creative shots is to change your position and angle, try to
see the world from a new angle and capture it, get down
low to the floor or get up high and shoot down.
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BACKGROUNDS
A big part of advanced photography is knowing how to capture your subjects in a great background and
getting that great background can often be a slight step to the side, crouching down a bit or blurring out the
background completely. If your photograph that you are taking is about your subject and not about the
background, the goal is to try to eliminate any distractions. That is why a background can make or break
your image. Put your subject in front of a super busy scene and it takes the focus off of your subject – not to
mention, it can sometimes create mergers. Your background should not have a bunch of distractions and
should help focus attention on your subject.
First, you must watch out if there are any bright spots or bright colors in the background that are distracting,
if so, move the subject or move yourself so they are not competing with the subject. Second, look if there
are any lines protruding from your subject. If you are photographing a person, search if there are any tree
brunches, power lines or anything else like that coming from behind the person’s head. Then, find out where
your horizon is. If you want the sky to be in your photo, make sure that it doesn’t cut through the head of the
subject. Drop down to get more of the sky and have the horizon lower or cut it out completely by getting up
a bit higher. This goes for horizontal lines like building too. Don’t have them go through your subject’s head,
that can be very distracting.
Next, create separation between the subject and background with space and focus. This could mean literally
having your subject walk further away from the background or, it could also mean, dropping your f-stop to
get a blurrier background, with a shallow depth of field. By blurring out the background, you can remove
distracting details to increase the literal focus on the subject. So, by using these rules you should be able to
capture less distracting images that truly focus on your subject.
WHAT DOES THE BACKGROUND SAY?

Also, be aware of what the background can say about your subject. If doing portraits, make sure the person
wears clothes that contrast with the background. For example, wearing brown or green in a forest might not
look good, wear something that stands out like red. Or perhaps you like the idea of your subject matching
the background and you want them to blend in, the choice is yours.
Lastly, different locations and textures can create different moods for your photo. A brick alleyway says
something different than a wood paneled wall, a bright beach says something different than an office
building. Those are examples of how a background can change the story of your photos.
CHOOSING BACKGROUNDS AND BACKDROPS

There are a few key factors when deciding on the right background/backdrop for your photo shoot:
• What are you shooting… a product or person? Shooting a product typically requires a crisp and
clean background to give all focus to the subject.
• What look and feel does your client want? Your client might be a corporate officer looking for a
timeless headshot where a canvas background would do the trick, or your client may want an edgy
image where a floor drop might work as a great background.
• What mood are you trying to convey? A plain black seamless paper or muslin would work for
something dark and moody. If you want to recreate a scene, a painted backdrop would be great.
• How much weight can you carry? Some backgrounds like canvas and vinyl can weight a lot
whereas muslin and a short roll of seamless can weigh very little.
• How much room do you have for a backdrop? While many backgrounds come in various sizes, if
you have a small 8-foot space to shoot, a 9-foot roll of seamless may not be ideal.
• What is your budget? While muslin and the support needed to set it up is very low cost, painted
canvas and some floor drops can cost up to a couple hundred dollars.
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TYPES OF BACKGROUNDS
There are several different types of backgrounds out there from outdoor or indoor location backgrounds to
plain seamless paper and everything in between. Here are a few general types of backgrounds and some of
the pros and cons to consider for using them.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR LOCATIONS
An indoor or outdoor location background can be a wonderful choice and can give context to editorial,
fashion and environmental portrait work, however, sometimes the background can be a bit busy and
distracting causing the need for some type of faux background. These backgrounds have as a pro that they
add context for the subject, but they are sometimes weather dependent, they can be busy or distracting
taking focus from the subject and with a bad composition there can be mergers, meaning overlapping
subjects.
PORTABLE BACKGROUNDS
Portable backgrounds can be a great choice as they are
versatile, convenient due to collapsibility and inexpensive.
You can use them in the studio or take them with you on
location. A 6-foot portable background can fold up into a circle
as small as 24 inches. They typically have a border so may not
be a great choice for a full-length shot, but they work perfectly
for headshots, portraits and three-quarter body shots.
As pros, they are easy to port with for travel and storage since
it folds small and can be used as a great rescue background.
Also, there are many beautiful colors and designs to choose
from. As contras, it can get scratched and damaged easily if
not taken care of properly and if you are small, it can be
difficult to fold up due to its long length and arm span needed.
MUSLIN
Muslin can be an excellent choice to shoot
with since it’s not reflective at all, folds as
small as you need and can be hung from a
portable background support and costs a
fraction of some of the other choices. This
all-cotton option is a classic choice for
these reasons. Imagine, before cameras,
how the old masters’ portrait paintings
sometimes had a drape of material in the
background. They knew it worked then.
We know it works now.
As pros, they are versatile, they can be

dyed in different colors, they can be
shaped or draped on anything, they are
light-weighted and can be washed. As
cons, they wrinkle easily and require a
steam iron.
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CANVAS BACKDROPS
Canvas backdrops come in a variety of sizes, colors and designs. They
are a good choice because they can be reused repeatedly but they
can also be a bit heavy to set up. You can use a canvas backdrop
multiple times without your image looking the same by changing up
your foreground elements and your subject’s wardrobe and
accessories. Canvas backdrops, however, can be one of the most
expensive choices but can be one of the most creative as well.
The pros are there are an endless variety of colors and designs, they
are easy to fold up and store and they give excellent creative
opportunities. But they are heavy and expensive.
FLOOR DROPS
Floor drops are often used together with back drops to recreate a scene.
They typically come in designs such as wood floors, brick walls, metal panels
or tile as shown below. A rubber floor drop also makes for a great backdrop
when going for a more edgy feel to an image. It’s simple enough to still keep
the focus on your subject.
They can add an edgy feel to the images, and they exist in a wide variety of
designs but, depending on the size, they can be a little heavier than other
options.
VINYL
Another classic and preferred choice for photographers is vinyl. It gets a great
reputation because it hangs flat whereas muslin tends to wrinkle easily and
seamless tends to crinkle and get dirty more easily. Vinyl is easy to clean and
takes up very little space to store as it can be stored straight up and down in a
corner.
They give a matte finish and don’t reflect a flash, so they give a consistent look
and feel when reusing but they are heavy, and it can be hard to find a storage,
travel, solution unless getting creative.
SEAMLESS PAPER
If you are looking a clean, crisp and simple background, seamless
is definitely the way to go. Savage seamless paper alone comes in
around 69 colors to choose from, making it an optimal choice if you
are looking for a specific color. Seamless paper requires a few
additional pieces for support than other backgrounds and these
different pieces can be pricey unless you put your kit together
yourself.
As pro we find that they have multitude of colors to choose from,

they are a straight color or shade of background, they are crisp and
clean, great for commercial imager and perfect for full length
images. But as contras, they cannot be cleaned and reused which means it can be costly since you have to
discard the seamless paper used on the floor with each use. They require a good deal of room in your space
width-wise since rolls come in 53” or 9 feet widths, length-wise as to keep the seamless your subject has to
step forward and height-wise to keep the top of the seamless from showing in your images your papers need
to rest high. In addition, rolls are heavy and require sturdy background support system.
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OTHER CREATIVE BACKGROUNDS

Some other great creative choices for backgrounds include materials such as wallpaper, sequin fabric and
designer art paper which makes for a great headshot background that you can get at your local art store,
among numerous other options.
ABOUT COLORS
It’s important that your background does not overwhelm your subject so be careful with the colors that you
choose. Crazy bold colors with patterns might work well for a Rockstar photo shoots, but you probably
wouldn’t shoot your grandmother in front of one of those background colors/designs.
Colors should also be complementary to your subject’s features and their wardrobe so that you don’t lose
your subject in a “same color” scheme. As mentioned previously, colors can also help effectuate a feeling or
emotion for the subject in the image, like a black background can dispel a mood of mystery and darkness
while white can instill purity and goodness.
As you put together your photo shoot, don’t forget that background as it can make or break your image.
Your background is a very important piece of your photo shoot puzzle, something that it will never be
without – so it’s important not only to choose creatively, but to choose wisely so that the focus stays on your
subject and not the background.
CREATING DEPTH WITH LAYERING (PRO TIP)
One of the most useful tips for taking more dynamic photos is having depth in your image. And to have
depth you need to have many layers that can be both in-front and behind your subject. One reason that
many people fall in love with the look produced by fast prime lenses is because they make everything behind
your image incredibly out of focus, creating a background layer that is less distracting and really focuses your
image on your subject. And while this is one way of layering, there is much more that can be done with
layering and creative ways to produce really stunning images.
At a basic level, you have three layers in a single photo. Your foreground,
which is the first layer(s) of your image, your subject, which is typically the
point that is in focus, and your background, everything behind your subject.
Now, that’s not to say you will always have all three, many times, you will
only have your subject and background, sometimes, just one layer with a
shallow depth of field that in its own way gives a certain amount of depth.
Or you will have many foreground and background layers. Regardless, by having a certain amount of space
between your subject the world around them, you add layers.
Backgrounds and foregrounds are key to really fill your frame with
interesting textures and colors that surround your subject. Depending
on your lens and your settings, these layers can be incredibly soft and
out of focus or clearer and part of your subject’s world. What is most
important when it comes to layering in your photos is to make sure you
use the other layers to surround your subject and to really draw the
attention to them. You want the other layers in some way to add to
the story you are telling in your image. Sometimes, this will mean placing objects in front of your subject
like a chain link fence or positioning yourself or your subject to separate them from the background. Adding
depth to your image will really help make your images more dynamic and have that more professional look
but make sure you pay attention to both your background and foreground, where does your subject best fit
into this space and from what angle will all your layers work together to create a great photo.
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USING SHAPES IN COMPOSITIONS (PRO TIP)
As photographers, we all spend a lot of time looking

through our viewfinders, trying to find the right frame,
lining up this and that and trying to find the best
composition possible. Most the time, this entails
looking at the shapes of things, their lines, how they
bend and turn and how they overlap with other shapes
that are in our frame. Most the time, the shapes we take
photos of are fairly complex, they have many angles
and are layered upon many other shapes but if you
turned each layer into a silhouette, we would typically
be able to tell what each shape is. Every now and then, we find very geometrical, even symmetrical shapes
like circles, triangles and squares while taking photos. Using all these various kinds of shapes and paying
attention to how they are layered upon each other and how they all fit in our frame can really help us become
better photographers and get more creative with our images.
Now one thing you will notice as you start focusing on shapes in your
frame is that having less in your frame is typically more. By keeping
it somewhat minimal, people can focus more on the specific thing
you are photographing. Also, you don’t always have to have the
shape in focus, sometimes, you can use it as a background or
foreground texture to then frame your subject in. All in all, the more
you look for shapes while taking photos, the more you will find things
to focus on and things to frame your subjects with.
SHOOTING PORTRAITS WITH WIDE VS. TELEPHOTO SENSE (ADVANCED LESSON)
Capturing a subject with a wide-angle lens allows you to tell a

broader story because that wider angle means you’ll include
more of the background in the picture. If you’re looking to
showcase a person in their element and how they interact with
their surroundings, this kind of lens is ideal.
The downfall of wide-angle lenses, however, occurs when you

use it to shoot up-close portraits of someone’s face, or head
shots. When you use a wide-angle lens, keep in mind it’s called
wide angle for a reason: it literally distorts the features of someone’s face to make them look wider. If you’re
looking to get more accurate and flattering facial proportions then you should consider shooting with a
telephoto lens.
Also, the wider aperture of the telephoto lens creates a greater depth of field, which blurs out the
background. This literally makes the subject the focus of the photo versus kit lenses with smaller aperture
settings that keep a lot more of the background in focus than not. The larger aperture of a telephoto lens
also allows more light to come through, which is beneficial in natural, low light scenarios.
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4. FOCUS AND DEPTH OF FIELD
INTRODUCTION
In this section you’ll learn all about focus and depth of field. These two concepts kind of go hand in hand and
can truly change the quality of your photos. You will learn that it is not just about what is in focus or even the
fact that is sharply in focus but also how it is in focus and what is not in focus.
UNDERSTANDING DEPTH OF FIELD
For many, when they hear the term depth of field, they think of a blurry background. Depth of field is the
zone in your photos that has acceptable sharpness, what is
appearing in focus. This zone varies from photo to photo, some
have a small zone known as a shallow depth of field, this means
only a sliver of the scene is in focus. Others have a large zone,
called a deep depth of field, this means more is in focus,
sometimes from just a few feet in front of the camera all the way
to hundreds of feet in the distance. Focal plane is the zone that
is sharp on the photo, it is the focus zone, what is behind and
what is in front of the subject is out of focus.
There are three things that affect your depth of field: aperture, the distance from the subject and the focal
length of your lens. Aperture is the hole inside your lens that allows light in. A larger aperture, the smaller f-
number, has a shallower depth of field, while a smaller aperture, a larger f-stop, has a deeper depth of field.
It might be easier to remember this by knowing that a smaller f-stop means less depth and a larger f-number
means more depth of field.
With distance, the closer your subject is to the camera, and the further it is from the background, the
shallower the depth of field is. Focal length also affects depth of field. The longer your lens is, the more
zoomed in you are, the shallower depth of field you’ll get when photographing from the same spot. By
zooming in, you are crushing the depth of field, the zone of focus. What might have been in focus, when
zoomed out with a wide lens, may not be in focus with a more telephoto or zoomed lens.
One thing that can make your photos look more professional is a blurrier background or having that shallow
depth of field. As we have seen, there are three ways of getting this effect: choosing a low f-number meaning
opening the aperture, moving the subject away of the background -if possible- or zooming in/using a
telephoto lens, maybe even getting closer to the subject with the camera.
Simply put, depth of field is the distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that look sharp.
Cameras can only focus very sharply at one point, but the transition from sharp to blurred is a gradual one.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to get your images super-sharp and thinking that anything less is no good,
there are many different definitions of acceptable sharpness, and they depend on different factors such as
the size you are viewing the image at, what you are viewing it on, and it’s got something to do with what’s
called the ‘circle of confusion’.
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In photography, the circle of confusion (CoC) is used to determine

the depth of field, the part of an image that is acceptably sharp. A
standard value of CoC is often associated with each image format,
but the most appropriate value depends on visual acuity, viewing
conditions, and the amount of enlargement. Your lens will focus
only subjects exactly on the focal plane to precise points (and
therefore sharp images) on the camera sensor.
Light coming from subjects either in front of or behind the focal

plane will be converging or diverging cones of light dissected by the
image sensor – and thus are recorded as fuzzy blurred circles, called circles of confusion. When the recorded
image is enlarged for display on a print or screen, the circles of confusion also become enlarged. Depth of
field limits are defined by when, after enlargement, the detrimental effects of circles of confusion upon
sharpness are evident.
Real lenses do not focus all rays perfectly, so that even at best focus, a point is imaged as a spot rather than
a point. The smallest such spot that a lens can produce is often referred to as the circle of least confusion.
When the circle of confusion cannot be seen by the human eye as a point, that area is considered out of the
depth of field or doesn’t have an acceptable sharpness.
Whether you shoot in RAW or JPEG can also influence the sharpness of your image straight out of camera.
RAW files don’t have the same sharpening applied to them in-camera as JPEG’s, so they are naturally softer.
You get to control how much sharpening is applied in post-processing with RAW files, rather than relying on
the camera to apply a one-size-fits-all sharpening filter like it does with JPEG’s.
CREATIVE USES OF DEPTH OF FIELD

The distance from your camera to your subject will affect your depth of field. The closer you are to your
subject, the smaller the depth of field. This means that if you are right up close to something or someone,
the area of the image that’s sharp is far less than if you were shooting the same thing from six feet away with
the same aperture.
If you use a macro lens, you’re extremely close to your small subject. Think
of photos of bees and other insects – they’re large in the frame because the
photographer used a macro lens to get in very close. The problem with this
is that it dramatically reduces the depth of field available.
A photo of a bee that only has one leg in focus would be no good, however
large in the frame it is. Macro photographers get around this by something
called ‘focus stacking.’ Keeping the same distance and focal length, they shoot all around the bee or flower
or whatever, changing the focusing point slightly each time, so that different parts of it are sharp. These
photos are then run through focus-stacking software, which stitches together all the sharp areas from all the
photos taken of that subject. The result is a bee or flower that is perfectly sharp and in focus from front to
back.
You don’t just have to focus on the

subject right in front of you to use
a shallow depth of field – it’s often
used creatively to pick out one
specific item in the middle of a line
to separate it from similar or
identical items. And don’t get
caught up in thinking that landscapes can only be shot with a wide depth of field, with everything sharp front
to back. Sometimes really beautiful landscape shots can be done creatively with shallow depth of field.
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SENSOR SIZES AND DEPTH OF FIELD

When it comes to depth of field, size does matter. A basic explanation is that cameras with smaller sensors
have a larger depth of field. The comparison has to be made carefully, though. If you take a full frame camera
and a crop sensor camera and put the same lenses on them with the same focal length and shot at the same
distance and aperture, you would find that full-frames with larger sensors have a shallower depth of field.
That is why portrait photographers tend to prefer full-frame cameras. They like a shallower depth of field in
their portraits than a crop-sensor camera at the same aperture and distance could give.
CALCULATING DEPTH OF FIELD

Some DSLR’s have a depth of field preview button. If you press this button down while looking through the
viewfinder, the camera will stop down the lens and let you see how your image is going to look. You can also
find depth of field calculator apps for your smartphone, and if you have live view on your camera, you can
preview how your depth of field will look. With a mirrorless camera, what you see through the digital
viewfinder or on the LCD is how the photo will actually look.
WHAT IS BOKEH (ADVANCED LESSON)
Bokeh comes from the Japanese word meaning blur or quality of

blur, used to describe the aesthetic or pleasing quality of the blur
in shallow depth of field images. Some people think of bokeh as
just the blurred-out background you see but it is more than that,
it is how that blurred out part of your image looks.
Depending on the lens, the blurred-out part will actually look

different, looking rounder or more jagged hexagonal in shape,
because it is determinate by the shape of the diaphragm blades,
meaning the aperture. The number of blades determines the
shape of the bokeh. A lens with fewer blades will create an
octagonal bokeh, while one with more blades will create a
smoother, more rounded bokeh. This can more easily be seen in
highlights like blurred out light bulbs. It’s up to you which you
prefer, but generally when people talk about “good” bokeh,
they’re referring to more rounded shapes. When you’re
shopping for a lens, you can usually count the number of blades. You can also see if “diaphragm blades” is a
listed feature. Look for lenses with more than eight blades for rounder shapes. You can also create or buy
different bokeh shapes by cutting a shape out of dark paper and covering the lens with it.
When people say: “how do you get more bokeh?” what they
are probably asking is how do we get a blurrier background.
So, for example, if your image has a background of a
blurred line of trees, that’s not bokeh. But if your image has
a blurred background of trees with fairy lights, that’s bokeh.
It’s a subtle distinction but an important one when you’re
distinguishing bokeh from other techniques.
Bokeh is not a quantitative concept, unlike lens aperture or

shutter speed, bokeh has no associated system of
measurement. What matters is the quality of the blur, not the amount. Accordingly, bokeh is a rather
subjective idea, one person’s opinion of “good” bokeh may not fall in line with another person’s opinion.
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Bokeh is a feature of a photograph,

not necessarily a feature of a lens.
Lenses do, however, possess certain
design characteristics that affect
how the bokeh is rendered in photo.
There are scenes that just sort of
lend themselves to producing
smooth, creamy bokeh even with
not-so-great lenses, while other
scenes, such as those with harsh
lighting or lots of specular highlights,
present a much greater challenge. It
is in situations like these where the
quality of the lens will have a more noticeable impact on the quality of the bokeh, but there is no such thing
as a perfect bokeh lens.
Which brings us back to the point of subjectivity. You probably have your own ideas of what constitutes good
bokeh, so it is important to understand how the lens you are using renders blur. It’s no different than knowing
at which apertures or focal lengths your lens vignettes; some photographers like vignetting and use it to
great artistic effect. Others hate it. There’s no right or wrong here.
The lens, of course, isn’t the only thing that plays a role in creating bokeh. What follows are some tips on
how to bring together a number of factors that will help you achieve the “best” possible bokeh in your shots.
1. Use a large aperture. To be more specific, use the largest aperture (smallest f-number) available
on your lens. A large aperture decreases depth of field, dramatically isolating focus on a narrow part
of your subject. Everything surrounding this focal point will be blurred, thus creating bokeh.
2. Use a fast lens. Lens speed refers to the maximum aperture (smallest f-number) of a lens; the larger
the maximum aperture, the faster the lens is considered to be (f/1.8 is faster than f/4), the more light
you can let in, the more you can decrease depth of field, the more likely your image is to exhibit
smooth, pleasing to the eye out of focus areas.
3. Go long. Zoom lenses are often criticized for not being up to par with the image quality of prime
lenses (though there are some notable exceptions), but if you have a zoom lens, use it to your
advantage. Zooming in on your subject will separate it from the rest of the scene and, depending
on your lens, should leave you with beautiful bokeh.
4. Move in. The closer you get to your subject, the blurrier the background will be. Every lens has a
minimum focusing distance (MFD); this is simply a measure of how close you can be to your subject
and still lock focus. The concept of getting in close to your subject while blurring the background is
maximized in macro lenses. Any lens can be used this way, however, though to considerably less
dramatic effect. And it’s probably not advisable for most portrait work.
5. Blades of glory. Some will insist that a lens with a greater number of rounded aperture blades will
produce better bokeh. Whether this is true depends on how narrowly one defines bokeh. Aperture
blades mainly impact the shape of out of focus specular highlights. The general quality of bokeh, as
far as the lens is concerned, rests much more upon optical design.
6. Don’t overcompensate. Trying to use bokeh to mask poor technique or uninspired composition
simply isn’t a good idea. Bokeh should be third or fourth in your thought process, after you’ve
chosen an interesting subject and established an effective composition, then you can give some
consideration to bokeh.
7. Use a small light source. Bokeh is created by small bit of light blurring. If your image doesn’t have
any small light sources, such as sunlight filtering through trees, Christmas lights, or even street
lights off in the distance, you won’t get any bokeh in your image. You can create the small light
source by setting up Christmas lights or candles in an indoor space, for example. The point is that
there has to be distinction between light and dark areas in the background of your image.
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TROUBLES WHEN SHOOTING BOKEH

If you’re having trouble achieving that hard-to-define,
pleasantly blurred quality, there are a few key things to check
and adjustment to make for better bokeh.
1. Your bokeh is too “crunchy”. Photographers often

refer to “crunchy” bokeh, which means angular instead
of blurred edges. First check if your aperture is wide
enough. Make sure it’s as wide as it can go and if that’s
not wide enough, you may need a different lens.
However, this could also be an issue with your lens not having enough blades or the wrong shape of
blades, in which case the solution is to invest in a new lens.
2. Your background isn’t blurry enough. Are you close enough to your subject? Check to make sure
you’re close enough to your subject. In order to capture good bokeh, you need to be very close, so
that the depth of field is shallow.
3. Your subject is too blurry. When your aperture is wide open, it’s important to keep your camera
steady. That’s because any movement can cause the entire image to blur, which is not bokeh, it’s
just an out of focus image. Remember, one of the elements of good bokeh is that the subject is in
crisp focus, while the background is blurred. You might need a tripod or other method of keeping
your camera very still when you’re trying to capture bokeh.
4. Your image is overexposed. Another potential issue is that the light may be too bright to shoot
with a wide aperture. The aperture of your camera determines how much light is let in, which means
shooting with a wide aperture in bright light can lead to an overexposed, or blown out, photo. A
solution for this is using a neutral density filter, which filters out some of the light. Another option
is waiting until later in the day, when the light isn’t as strong.
While this may seem complicated at first, capturing bokeh is surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it.
As with many photography techniques, the key to success is experimenting with your equipment and seeing
what works best for you.
MANUAL VS. AUTO FOCUS
Focus is adjusting the camera’s lens to focus on what is important in the scene. Most lenses will have a focus
ring that rotates and changes the focus from what is near to what is further away. Most cameras or lenses
will have an option for manual and auto focus. Auto focus works relatively good on most cameras and most
lenses and is one of the auto settings that is usually recommend using, especially when traveling, doing event
photography or even just snapping photos of kids. Auto focus will help take sharper photos more quickly
than doing it manually for most beginners.
Manual focus is great when you have more time to set up your shoot and you’re more particular about what
specific part of your frame is in focus, to make sure the focus is where you want it to be. Sometimes, if you
are in a darker environment, your camera’s auto focus won’t work as well so this would be a case for using
manual focus.
When photographing people, you want to focus on their eyes. When doing this remember that aperture
affects your depth of field as well, with a wide-open aperture, you can be photographing a person and have
their eyes in focus while their nose and ears are out of focus. Doing the opposite and having their nose or
their ears in focus, and their eyes blurry, would look off to the viewer, so always try to get sharp focus on
their eyes. If your photos aren’t sharp or aren’t focus on what you want them to be focused on, try increasing
your f-stop to get a deeper depth of field. It is also good when shooting landscapes where you will probably
want to use a larger f-stop, so more is in focus.
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AUTOFOCUS MODES AND FOCUS POINTS (ADVANCED LESSON)
Modern DSLR cameras have all sorts of modes and options for getting just the right picture. Almost all have
some in-body autofocus system which allows the photographer to simply shoot while the camera focuses.
Lenses also come with motors built inside to make the process even easier. Getting things focused is an
essential part of having a sharp, in focus image. Blurry and unfocused images rarely turn out looking good
and even converting to black and white (an old trick) can’t save them. If you can get your focusing correct,
then you’ll be more likely to have sharper and better images. Having “creative blur” is nothing more than an
excuse for poor focus when you’re not doing it on purpose. Autofocus often depends on the type and brand
of your camera, while most of the terms are the same the menu systems are not.
Digital photography is very forgiving because you can tell instantly if a shot is in focus and try it again if it’s
not. Back in the days of film a photographer had to manually turn the lens casing to adjust the elements
inside so that everything was in focus. Now you can press a button and the whole system whirrs together
until everything is focused and exposed for you.
Usually there is an option where your camera will always be searching and changing focus when pressing
halfway on the shutter button, what is helpful when tracking objects moving towards you or away from you.
There is an option that allows you to lock focus upon half-pressing the shutter button, so that if you reframe
the focus will stay the same. Some cameras, you can change the buttons on the back to be that button as
well if you don’t want it to be your shutter button.
ACTIVE OR PASSIVE AUTOFOCUS

There are two types of autofocus – active and passive. Active autofocus works by shooting a small red beam
onto your subject which bounced the light back, so the camera can figure out an estimate of the distance
between you and the subject. Once it has that number it automatically adjusts the lens to focus based on
that. It works well even in poor lighting but is limited to 15-20 feet. Passive autofocus works poorly in low
light while active autofocus will only work on subjects that are still and unmoving.
There are a few techniques to measure the distance. One of them is by using an ultrasonic sensor. Such a
sensor transmits an ultrasonic signal toward the object. When the signal hits the object, it bounces back and
some of its bounced energy is received back by the digital camera sensors. The digital camera measures the
time it took the signal to reach back the camera and since the speed of such an ultrasonic signal is known
the distance can be calculated. Other methods use infrared signals. Once the camera determined the
distance to the objects the focus can be set by calculating the exact position of the lenses and by moving the
lenses to that position.
Active autofocus has the advantage of working in complete darkness. Since the camera does not rely on
measurements done on the captured photo the camera sensors can calculate the distance to the object in
complete darkness and in focus high quality digital photos can be taken in scenarios where otherwise focus
would have been impossible.
Since the active autofocus method requires extra sensors it is more expensive to implement and is usually
found in higher end digital SLR cameras. Active autofocus can sometimes fail. The reasons can vary: some
objects tend to absorb the transmitted signal energy instead of bouncing it back while other objects actually
radiate similar signals (for example candles radiate infrared energy) and can confuse the digital camera
sensors. When the autofocus fails you can either try to focus on other objects in the same distance from the
digital camera, lock the focus and pan back to the original objects you wanted to capture, or you can revert
to old fashion manual focus.
Rather than using a red beam, passive autofocus uses special sensors inside the camera body to detect the
amount of contrast on the subject. It uses something called phase detection which looks for the sharpest part
of what it can focus on. If there isn’t enough contrast, then the camera will continue to focus until it finds it.
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The problem with this is that any time you don’t have a lot of contrast (for example, poor lighting) the camera
can try and focus ad infinitem and still not get a grip on the subject.
Some speed lights also have an AF Assist function which allows the light to be used in place of the beam by
lighting the subject better so the camera can see the contrast. It still uses the same passive autofocus and is
not a beam itself.
Most DSLR cameras can use both active and passive autofocus and while contrast detection is more accurate
than phase detection it can be quite slow. Most high-end cameras combine the two effortlessly so that they
use contrast in low-light shooting and phase detection when the light is good. There are some models which
include the phase detection points on the sensor for better accuracy since you know what your camera is
focusing on.
FOCUS POINTS
If you look inside your viewfinder, you’ll see little dots or squares in a pattern on the glass. They are focal
points, little points in your frame that the camera uses to choose what is in focus, allowing you to change
where in your frame the camera automatically focuses. These may vary by brand and level for different types
of focusing systems with the entry-level ones having simpler and less points which have only minimal
adjustment options. A pro level camera may have 20-50 different focusing points which can be configured
in a variety of different ways. More usually means that the camera will be better at autofocusing, being
quicker, but it does not mean you can’t get perfectly sharp images with a cheaper camera. These are all part
of phase detection and are used to detect contrast. The number of focusing points is extremely significant
because it relates to your camera’s ability to track a subject in motion, and which areas of the image can be
in focus at the same time.
There are different types of focus points – vertical and cross-type. The sensors for both are different which
is why having numerous focal points is important to create a sharp image. Vertical sensors are only able to
detect contrast in a one-dimensional, vertical line while cross sensors are able to use both vertical and
horizontal lines and are two dimensional. Obviously cross-type sensors are much more accurate so having a
greater number of cross -type sensors means better focus. It’s important to look at just how many of these
AF points there are, especially if you plan on shooting motion like sport or wildlife images.
With most DSLR and mirrorless cameras, when using autofocus mode, you press on the shutter hallway,
you’ll hear a beep, and some autofocus points will light up on your screen, searching for contrasting lines. By
default, the camera is using all those points at the same time, each point is trying to find something to focus
and usual the first point that finds something wins, the camera will focus on that specific point. Most cameras
allow to change which focus points are being used. In general, there may be a mode where you can select
the center point, that way the camera will focus on whatever is in the middle of your frame. Other times, you
can choose different zones, like the left or right side of the frame or even being able to move the zone exactly
to where you want it to be. Some cameras even have face detection now where automatically will try to
focus on any faces in the frame, sometimes represented with a yellow box.
FOCUS MODES
Most cameras have different focusing modes which are helpful for beginners or specific situations. When
using autofocus for a still subject generally you will half press the shutter to acquire focus then take the
picture and if it doesn’t work repeat the process again. With sport or in motion images you haven’t got time
to do that, so you need a focusing system that is continuously moving with your subject. DSLRs generally
have built-in settings to do this. There are four autofocus modes found in DSLRs.
Changing focusing modes is usually done through the Info or Menu screen while more high-end cameras
have a dedicated switch or button which changes modes. There will also be an option to Manual focus either
on the body or on the lens as well.
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SINGLE AREA AF/ONE SHOT AF

This is the most straightforward type of focus, you pick the point, half press the shutter, and the camera
focuses. If you or the subject moves, you will have to repeat this even if you do not let go of the shutter
button. The focus is locked and remains, so which may stop your camera from taking the picture if the focus
is lost. Some cameras have an option in AFS mode to ignore this setting and release the shutter anyway. If
you have a speed light that has AF assist, then it needs to be in the same mode and also has to have an AF
assist red beam to work properly. This is best for low light situations.
CONTINUOUS/ AI SERVO
Continuous focus is the opposite of this. Once you half press the shutter the camera continues to follow your
subject and maintains focus as the subject moves. It’s entirely automatic and readjusts as necessary as long
as you continue holding that shutter or autofocus button. It can also be used for tracking multiple focus
points. Most photographers shoot in this mode and only change as needed.
AF-A/AI FOCUS AF
This is a hybrid mode that isn’t found on all cameras and it switches between continuous and single area
focus. The way this works is that the sensor detects either a stationary or in motion subject and switches
accordingly. This is the default mode on lower end DSLRs and it mostly for beginners who aren’t yet
comfortable switching modes.
AF-F/FULL SERVO
This is a newer mode that is specifically for video and live view. It automatically tracks movement and keeps
focus during video. It’s too slow for most fast subjects but will work for most users who want to record video
with a DSLR.
AF AREA MODE
Some DSLRs also have AFA mode which allows the user to choose a specific area in the viewfinder where
the camera should focus. There are several different types of area mode focusing.
• Single point area focusing means that the camera only uses one of the focus points and will only
use that one even if you move the camera. This is best for landscapes.
• Dynamic auto focus means that the camera still uses the single point, but it can also track subject
motion, so it can automatically switch to a nearby focusing point as it tracks the subject. There is
usually no indication inside the viewfinder that the focus has changed. This is better for fast moving
subjects and on higher end systems you can specify more than one point to track (up to 50 in some
cameras). However, if your subject moves away from the selected focusing points the camera will
no longer be able to focus anymore.
• Auto Area auto focus is essentially a point-and-shoot version where the camera automatically
picks the best focal point and while user operation is simple the mode itself is so complicated that
with a good sensor it can track different skin tones in a face. If you’re using auto area you can half
press the shutter and then use back button focusing to retail those focal points or release and half
press again and the camera will pick a different location to focus on.
AFA modes can be combined with other focus modes and may also have specific features like face detection,
wide area, and tracking subjects. These are all camera specific and even brand specific.
GROUP AREA AF
This works like the AF-s mode, but the camera can pick 5 or more focal points to track a subject and is great
for narrowing in focus or for smaller, erratic, subjects with more consistency. All focus points are activated
simultaneously while the camera tries to find the point with the best contrast.
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USING AUTOFOCUS
Generally, photographers will tell you that the more experienced use manual focus only, but their settings
in the camera still rely on much of the information the autofocus system provides, even if they are manually
adjusting the lens. Here is a cheat sheet of what to use for various situations:
Situation AF mode AF area Custom Custom
Dynamic AF or Dynamic AF AF-C Priority

Outdoor Sports AF-C
Group Area AF 21/51 points Release & Focus
AF-S Priority AF-C Priority
People Outdoors AF-C, AF-S or F-A Single Point AF
Focus Release & Focus
AF-S Priority
People Indoors AF-S Single Point AF
Focus
Group Area AF or Dynamic Area AF-C Priority
Birds in Flight AF-C
Dynamic AF 9/21 points Release & Focus
AF-S Priority
Landscapes AF-S Single Point AF
Focus
CAPTURING MOTION IN FOCUS (ADVANCED LESSON)
The best way is to set the camera in shutter speed priority and select the speed
we think will make a great photo where the action is frozen. If we want a blurry
background, with a slower shutter and trying to match the motion of the subject
moving, so that it is in sync with the photographer so to freeze the motion and
having a blurry background to add motion. It is better the lowest the shutter
speed, making the background cooler.
FOCUSING IN LOW LIGHT (P RO TIP)
Getting that clean,

crisp focus is hard enough during the day let
alone at night when your camera seems to just be
trying to find anything at all to focus on. The
camera needs to be able to see in order to focus
and if it can’t tell the difference between your
subject and the background, it is likely to just
keep rotating back and forth. Now there are a
few work arounds, and everyone has their
technique that works for them. The first, and sort
of most obvious, is to add more light, either using
a flash or moving a light closer. Now, this might of course defeat the ‘look’ you are going for but just had to
say it.
First of all, let’s talk settings. Using a higher ISO but not so high that it is going to add a bunch of digital noise
to your image is important. For most cameras today, this is around 6400 ISO. From there, using a fast lens,
something like f/2.8 is good but f/1.4 is quadruple the amount of light. That being said, you are also making
your depth of field incredibly shallow and thus harder to get focus. Lastly, picking the right shutter speed,
anything below 1/60th can lead to some motion blur from unsteady hands or anything moving in your frame,
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which can be misinterpreted as being out of focus. Once you know what settings you are using, how do you
get it in focus?
One of the easier options is to use a flashlight like the one on your phone, illuminate your subject so your
camera can get focus, turn off the flashlight and snap the photo. Now this might require an assistant
depending how far away your subject is or having your subject point the light at themselves. This can be a
problem of course if your subject is moving or if you aren’t using a tripod. Moving even an inch when
shooting with a lens faster than f/2.8 can mean losing focus. It is also a great time to use back button focusing.
Another trick, which to be honest is more of a skill, is to switch over to manual focus. While it does take a bit
more time and can strain your eye a bit, with time, it’ll become second nature. Use the focus magnifier option
on your camera to zoom in when manually focusing, move way too close and slowly turn your focus farther
away, eventually you will hit a spot that seems to be in focus and then go just a bit past it, make sure it won’t
get any more in focus and then pull the focus back until it looks crispy again and take the photo. Sometimes
manual focus is even quicker than messing with all these settings and having to change them between shots.
Many landscape and architecture shooters only use manual for this reason.
Some cameras also offer ‘peaking’ when using the back LCD-screen which adds little dots to whatever is in
focus. This can be useful at times but sometimes misleading with low light or extremely shallow depths of
field so be sure to test your camera to see how accurate it is.
Some external flashes and even cameras will have something called Focus Assist which shoots out a bright
light or a red, infrared light grid to help your camera focus. While the white light can be bit bothersome for
your subject, the red-light wont blind them at least and calls less attention to you as a photographer. Some
external flashes and cameras will require you to use the Focus Assist only when using the flash but some,
typically higher end ones will allow you to use it both with or without the flash. You can of course just block
the flash by putting something over it but make sure you fully cover it cause just a little light spilling out can
ruin your image or be a great creative mistake! This can also be an issue if you are trying to be sneaky because
the infrared or burst of light will definitely catch your subject’s attention.
But now, just focusing on using the options your camera offers you about focusing, start with using the
center focus point will often give you the best chance of getting clean and sharp focus. Make use of the AF
assist on your speed light if you have it for the same reason. Try to find a focal point that has good, sharp
contrast rather than a plain object and create more contrast by adding lights or improving the light. You can
also use live view contrast detect or manual focus, if necessary, to get things perfect.
All in all, focusing in low light is a tricky thing and really dependent on the situation. Try learning manual
focus, using a flashlight to help your cameras autofocus or invest in an external flash that allows you to use
the focus assist and not the flash. All will help you hone your skills as a photographer and with some practice,
you’ll be nailing focus with minimal light in no time.
BACK BUTTON FOCUS (PRO TIP)
As we start to use our cameras, one of the first things we all learn
is that when using autofocus, you softly press down on the
shutter-release button, our camera will get focus and then we
press it all the way down to take the photo. For many of us, that
is how we use auto-focus and never think twice about it. Back
button focusing however, can be an incredibly useful tool for
photographers and most cameras today will either have or enable
you to assign a button on the back of your camera to focus. But
why would you want to do this? What’s the benefit of having a
separate button to focus with?
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One of the most useful uses of the back button to focus we have found is when wanting to get a more
interesting frame, maybe with a lot of negative space and the camera focuses on the sky opposed to the
subject. Now of course you can work around this in a number of ways, moving your focus point or just doing
the half press on the shutter button and then reframing but the second you take the photo, you have to
adjust your frame again. By using the back button, I can get my focus, continue to hold my back button,
adjust my frame, take a photo, adjust again, take another photo, over and over again, all without losing focus.
Another really great use of this is when using continuous autofocus. The ability to have your camera
continuing to focus is incredibly useful when shooting sports or any fast-moving subject but if each time to
go to press the shutter-release button the camera has to focus again, you increase the chance you will miss
the focus. By using the back button, you can continuously hold focus even while snapping photos.
Either way, what the back button focusing enables you to do is separate the focusing from the physical act
of taking the photo. It gives you time to get focus, adjust your frame, take a photo and still have the same
focus without having to focus again. There are many scenarios where back button focusing is superior to the
traditional shutter half-press:
• Shooting a portrait with a subject that is only making minor adjustments to their pose between
photos. You want to take a rapid succession of shots and don't want the AF system to choose a
different focus point each time.
• Fast-moving action, kids or sports photos, as seen before. Using the back button to focus will help
reduce the lag time between half-pressing and fully pressing the shutter button to take the shot.
• Situations where the AF system can get confused with what to focus on. For example, shooting
through a busy foreground like a net or a gate, it's easy for your DSLR to want to focus on that rather
than what's behind it. With back button focus you can choose to keep the focus locked on the
background, even if you recompose the photo.
• When you need tack-sharp images. Half-pressing and holding the shutter button to lock focus
shifts the weight balance in your hand. Simply pressing the shutter button down fully to take the
photo reduces the effect of hand and camera shake in photos.
Depending on your camera model, back button either needs to be turned on in the menus and you then
assign the function to a dedicated button, or it is already active by default. Unfortunately, some entry-level
models may not have the ability to use back button focus. If in doubt, check the manual. The most important
thing you need to know about setting up back button focus: you must turn on the continuous AF mode (AF-
C) on your DSLR for it to work on Nikon models. You don't have to shoot on the equivalent mode on Canon
models, called AI Servo, but it will make it easier.
HOW TO TAKE SHARP PHOTOS
The most noticeable thing about any photo is

the focus. Focus can make or break an image,
and whether it’s a beautifully blurred
background or a tack-sharp macro focus matter.
Many photographers when they’re learning feel
that a photo which is slightly “off” may be good
enough, while most pros will throw out those
that are even minutely off. Sharp photos are
essential to be a good photographer.
There are lots of things which can stop an image

being sharp. Blurred photos are disappointing, especially when they “seem” sharp on a smaller screen. Here’s
some things which can help get your focus on point every time.
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WHY IT IS BLURRY
1. The number one reason that your image isn’t sharp is because your shutter speed isn’t fast enough.
This could be a speed to counteract movement or hand shake.
2. Poor Focus. Especially if you’re using an autofocus, having the focus point on the eye or center of
the subject is a minimum but it can still be off enough that the image just doesn’t seem sharp.
3. Sometimes the subject moved, it happens, unless you’re shooting fast enough that it doesn’t
matter. Sometimes you move, again it happens.
4. Poor lens quality can also stop you getting sharp photos. Not only that, but lenses may need
calibration, cleaning, or internal elements may have come out of line causing the camera to think
it’s in focus when it’s really not.
5. An ISO which is too high can also affect the detail in an image. High ISO causes noise which can
remove detail or make it hard to see the focus. This could also be a post processing issue where
you’ve added grain or noise.
HOW TO SET YOUR CAMERA

1. The first part of seeing your camera is to set it at the
lowest Base value. Lower ISO generally produces higher
quality images with more sharpness. ISO relates to
sensor sensitivity and the higher the ISO the more noise
you’re going to see.
2. If you’re not sure of 1. set your camera to auto ISO. This
will also allow you to set the maximum sensitivity to
around 1600 and a shutter speed of 1/100. This forces the
camera to limit the sensitivity based on how much light is available. When there is not enough light
for the picture to expose above 1/100 the camera will automatically increase the ISO. The exception
for this is if you have shaky hands, and you can increase this to 1/200 or 1/250 to compensate. For
older DSLR cameras this may still be too much so stick to 800 and below.
3. When holding your camera there is only so long you can adjust the shutter speed before you simply
will have shake. Similarly, for extremely long exposures camera shake, even when done with a
tripod may still cause a loss of sharpness. There’s no set “rule” for holding, and this will also change
based on the sensor for your camera to figure out your “minimum” shutter speed to still hand hold
for sharp photos. A simple rule is that the longer the focal length, the faster the shutter speed to
still get crisp images. With Nikon cameras you can multiply the focal length by 1.5 to get a good
number while Canon can be done with a multiplication of 1.6. For example:
• for a 50mm with a Nikon crop sensor – 50mm x1.5 = 1/75
• For a 50mm with a Canon crop sensor – 50mm x1.6 = 1/80
• For a 100mm with a Canon crop sensor – 100mm x1.6 = 1/160
• For a 150mm with a Canon crop sensor – 150mm x 1.6 = 1/240
4. Aperture priority mode is something many beginners skip, but by setting the aperture to the
lowest number in low light you can make the camera automatically adjust for proper exposure. By
using the lowest possible number for your subject you’ll have a faster exposure.
5. In the menu, find the metering setting and set it to Evaluative for Canon or Matrix for Nikon so it
takes into account all sources of light.
6. Half pressing your shutter will kick on the autofocus. You’ll see the shutter speed (preferably 1/100
or more) and be able to see which focal point your camera is focusing on as well as the other settings
in the viewfinder or on the screen. By taking an exploratory image with these you can see if anything
needs adjusting and if it’s below that magic 1/100 number you can adjust accordingly.
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7. Learn your focusing system. If you’re

manual focusing even having slightly
soft eyesight will mean what your lens
sees and what your eye sees don’t
match up. Your camera focus is key to
sharp images so knowing what the AF
settings are, where your focal point is in
camera and where you’d like it to be
counts. If your subject isn’t in focus but
something else is then that is what your
camera is focusing on and should be
adjusted accordingly. The center focal
point is usually the most accurate and if
you’re having trouble focusing it may be because there is distortion towards the side of your lens.
Autofocus works by metering the contrast in the focal area. If you’re focusing on a very white wall
it’s hard to get your camera to focus, while any object in front of a stark white background will be
easier to focus on. Find the area with the most contrast and use that to focus on.
It’s okay to focus multiple times until you’re happy. You can also use the LCD screen and live view if
it’s easier to “see” what the camera sees rather than looking through a small viewfinder.
8. Enabling a feature called vibration reduction, found on newer lenses, can also minimize shake. This
technology helps to shoot at lower light and slower shutter speeds, even as far down as 1/50 and
still get sharp photos.
9. Use a prime lens with a wider aperture. Lenses with wide apertures are better for lower light so
you’ve got less chance of having to use a slower shutter because of this. Prime lenses in the past
have been thought to be superior but these days there’s not a lot of difference. A prime lens has a
limited focal range and shallow depth of field so it’s easier to get a sharp subject and a nicely blurred
background. A good fast prime, like a 35mm f/1.8 or a 50mm f/1.4 makes low-light photos a breeze.
10. Focusing on the eyes is a trick most photographers use. When shooting a live subject, it’s the eyes
which we’re drawn to, so that if the eye is out of focus, we see the image as out of focus as well.
11. Most cameras have a burst mode. This is where your camera will take multiple images in rapid
succession, giving you a greater chance of snapping one that is sharp. 3 to 5 shots will help freeze
motion at just “the right” moment so that you’ll have enough in focus to make the image work.
WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE?

1. Sometimes you just need a tripod. There are situations where no matter how hard you try you will
not be able to get sharp images without camera shake unless you’re no longer holding the camera.
A cable release is also essential if you’re doing especially long exposures. You can also lean against
walls or use furniture to steady yourself.
2. Clean your lens. Fingers, dirt, dust, and all sorts of stuff can make an image fuzzy. In older lenses
you may even see fogging and mold! A greasy element will cause inaccurate focusing and poor
contrast.
3. Sometimes it’s not you, it’s your subject. Even working with everything right your subject may
move, causing motion blur. In this case, 1/100 is a minimal number. If you’re trying to get partial blur
having the subject only move one part of their body while freezing the rest will have the right effect.
You can also set your camera to shutter priority mode which will adjust other settings while letting
you set the shutter to the fastest acceptable speed.
4. Try taking another picture. Sometimes it’s something as simple as breathing wrong or even your
heart rate at very low speeds. Using the proper stance for hand holding, with one foot in front and
your camera braced up like a rifle can help shakier pictures and so can exhaling while pressing the
shutter.
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CONCLUSION
Sharp images are almost entirely about getting the settings right in camera. Your shutter speed is the
primary number to watch simply because when it gets too low it’s simply impossible to hand hold the camera
and not get blur. Then, there’s times when it’s just not your fault – someone moves, you move, just keep
shooting.
Sharp photos are an essential key to good photography, just as important as exposure. Many situations are
unique which is why familiarity with your camera’s settings will make the difference to getting photos sharp.
And don’t forget that magic 1/100 number!
VIEWFINDER FOCUS (ADVANCED LESSON)
If you are ever in a situation where your pictures are coming out sharp but you’re looking through your
viewfinder and it appears blurry, this might be because your viewfinder may be out of focus itself, this is
called the diopter. Not all eyes are created equal. For those without “normal” 20/20 vision, this may be a
problem when you look through a camera’s viewfinder—either optical or electronic. Your view into the
camera might be blurry even when the camera’s lens is in focus. Because of this, your camera’s viewfinder
likely has a diopter adjustment. The option to adjust your viewfinders focus helps you adjust the focus to
your own eye, it allows you to customize the viewfinder so that you can see a clear, focused image inside the
viewfinder without using eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct your vision.
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR DIOPTER NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED?

The only way to tell if your diopter is accurately adjusted for your eyes is to look around the viewfinder
symbology (grid, exposure information, focus points, digital data, etc.) and see if that is in focus. If the
numbers, letters, and grid of your viewfinder are tack sharp and the image is not, the camera is out of focus
or the autofocus is not working. If both the accurately “focused” image and the symbology are out of focus,
you need to adjust your diopter.
HOW DO YOU ADJUST YOUR DIOPTER?

Different viewfinders have different adjustments, but
there is likely a small wheel or slide near the viewfinder
(sometimes labeled with a + and -) that allows you to adjust
the view. Rotating this doesn’t affect the focus of your
image but just how your eye sees through the viewfinder.
There are different techniques for adjusting the diopter,
but this is one that should work well:
1. Mount the camera. If you can, put the camera on

a tripod and point it toward a bright scene with
sharp straight edges and a fair amount of
contrast, something that the camera focus on easily.
2. Focus the camera. If it is an autofocus camera, activate the autofocus. If you have a manual focus
camera, attempt to focus the image (using electronic focus indicators, if available).
a. Autofocus camera. Are both the viewfinder image and symbology blurry to your eye?
Then you need to adjust the diopter. Rotate the wheel until everything is sharp.
b. Manual focus camera. If the symbology is not sharp, you’ll need to adjust the diopter. Only
then can you achieve accurate manual focus (unless you have electronic focus aids). Once
the symbology is sharp following a diopter adjustment, adjust the manual focus as needed
to ensure you can get the image in focus.
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When adjusting a camera diopter (or a diopter on a set of binoculars, for instance) you should adjust the
diopter to make the image sharp and keep adjusting until it goes back out of focus. Then, work back toward
focus and stop. The reason to turn or slide past the focus is to ensure that you have made the adjustment far
enough and not ended up short of true focus. Truth be told, if you are confident in your cameras autofocus,
you can likely do a quick and accurate diopter adjustment in the field by just looking at the viewfinder
symbology and adjusting the wheel or slide until it is sharp.
PROBLEMS
If the camera is out of focus, you see a blurry image in the viewfinder. Then you either focus the camera using
autofocus or manual focus and everything is sharp; but is it? What if you didn’t manually focus accurately?
Or, worse, what if the autofocus is inoperative or erroneous?
If your camera’s viewfinder gives you sharp viewfinder symbology, but a blurry image, there are likely
problems with the camera lens. If the image and symbology are crystal clear, but the image is slightly out of
focus, you likely have a minor autofocus error. Verify this by switching to manual focus and see if you can
achieve clear manual focus.
Depending on the camera’s diopter adjustment design, the wheel or slide can easily get knocked out of
position. So, if you peer into a blurry viewfinder, don’t panic—it might just be your diopter.
If your eyesight is such that a diopter adjustment cannot help you get a clear image in the viewfinder, some
cameras can accommodate more extreme adjustment with add-on diopter accessories. Also, some cameras
do not include diopter adjustments and the accessories exist to provide the same function as the adjustment
dials and slides.
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5. CAMERA ANATOMY
INTRODUCTION
In this section we are going to go over everything that is physically on your camera as well as internal and
digital aspects such as scene modes, file types, what your camera sensor is and how it works, resolution and
different burst and shoot modes. At the very essence of it all, the camera is just a box with a hole that allows
light to come in and land on a sensitive object like film or a digital sensor.
MAIN FEATURES OF MOST CAMERAS
We will go over the main camera buttons and features of a typical camera. We are not going to in depth
because every camera is very different, so we will see a general layout and buttons for what you might see
on your specific camera.
Typically, in the front of the DSLR camera, you will

find a button to switch out the lens around the
base of the lens. Also, in the front, on the right side
of the camera, is where you will probably find the
shutter release button along with maybe the dial
to change aperture setting or some other type of
setting. Also, in the right, really within shot of your
front index finger, you will be able to turn off and
on your camera on most cameras. There will be
too a dial where you can change settings in the
type of shooting mode you want to be in. Moving
over the top, this is typically where you will see a
hot shoe mount for an external flash or a video shotgun recording microphone. You will also see an internal
flash on some cameras and there will be also a button on the left side which when push will pop up the flash.
On the back of the camera is where you will find your viewfinder on a DSLR or electric viewfinder on a
mirrorless camera and a screen. Some cameras have articulating screens where you can spin around but
most cameras will have a screen that is fixed to the back, so you will be able to see the photos that you’ve
taken. Also, you will see more buttons for dials for changing settings. You will sometimes see another
spinning dial back where you can change more settings. You will also find your menu buttons, info buttons
and a play button or a trash can button to review photos.
Typically, on camera right, you will find where you put your memory cards, a lot of times it is just a door that
you can open, and you will see a slot for the memory card. A lot of times there will be a logo or symbol on
how actually put your memory card in. On some cameras, you will see dual slots and other cameras you will
see compact flash slots but a lot of cameras that we will be talking about are using SD cards.
On the bottom of the camera is typically where you find your battery mount. Some cameras also house your
SD card inside the battery mount, so if you can’t find it check inside there. Also, you will find on the bottom
a hole for a tripod, where you are going to fix your tripod plate to on the camera.
On the camera left side is typically where you will see all the ports for your camera, like USB ports, HDMI
ports or microphone ports, depending on your camera. Also, on the top of the camera are your lens strap
holders, in some cameras it is sort of built-in, but it is where you would slide your lens strap in.
When taking a look at a mirrorless camera we will see how similar it is, you can see both cameras have
shutters on the top and the right, the both have dials up here on the front and they both have lens release
buttons on the front as well. Some will have a lot of dials up top to change settings. The back is very similar
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too, it has buttons again to change different settings as a screen, some fixed, some not. Again, like the DSLR,
on the right side is the SD cards slots and again on the bottom you can see the battery door and a screw for
tripod. On the left and right side, there have the strap holders too. Basically, a lot of things are the similar
and the same. Every camera is different, but you can see how similar they are even between DSLR and
mirrorless cameras.
CAMERA SCENE MODES (ADVANCED LESSON)
On many cameras, you will be able to select a specific type of scene setting. Each one of these settings
changes the internal camera settings and exposure to archive the best results for each situation. The way
you change these modes is different for every camera, sometimes it is a physical dial, often it is in the menu,
but usually they are represented by small visual icons that looks similar to the action you are trying to shoot.
PORTRAIT MODE
This mode selects a decently open f-stop to archive less depth of field and exposes for
medium to close subjects. Ideal for shutting people in lots of light. Sometimes certain
cameras will pop out the onboard flash to fill the shadows in a darker situation. It is great for
shutting portraits. It is like using auto-mode but a specific one.
MACRO MODE
It selects a mid-range aperture so more can be in focus and meter exposure for the whole
image. The camera expects you’ll to be pretty close to whatever you’re taking so it will try to
expose for the entire frame.
LANDSCAPE MODE
The camera will be ready to focus far and set to a high f-stop in order to get more things in
focus and an overall exposure for a large wide area.
SPORTS MODE
In this mode the camera will tend to pick a faster shutter speed, so it can freeze the action.
This works great when shooting kids and pets as well. It will need a bright area to really
function well since it is picking a fast shutter and won’t let a lot of light in.
NIGHT MODE
This setting usually selects a high ISO and a slow shutter to get as much light in as possible
for the night scenes.
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FIREWORKS MODE
This sets both the aperture and shutter to the best results for shutting fireworks. Some cameras will adjust
the ISO for this setting as well, so be conscious it is not too high.
BEACH AND SNOW MODE

Knowing that these situations are brighter than normal, the camera will select a fast shutter speed and close
the f-stop and sometimes select a very low ISO to make sure things will not be too blur out or too bright.
PANORAMIC MODE
This setting will allow the camera to do a swipe across taking multiple photos of a panoramic scene and then
stitch them together in the camera. Sometimes this mode only just changes the way you are shooting but it
doesn’t necessarily change the way of exposing so it must be done manually.
CAMERA SENSORS
The camera sensor is where all the magic happens. The sensor is where the light hits the photosensitive
pixels to create and save our images. Each camera has a different size and type of sensor.
The surface of the camera’s sensor is made up of a thousand of photo sites1. When light hits each one of
these photo sites, a filter determinate what color the light is, other photo sites talk to each other and in a
flash work with the CPU in the camera to determinate what color each photo site should be and how light or
dark it is based on the settings you have chosen for exposing, then we have a saved image.
All camera’s sensors aren’t made equally. Different cameras will have different sizes:
• Full frame (36mm x 24mm). A

full frame camera means a
sensor is the size of a 35mm
frame. 35mm being the size of
most common sizes film used in
film photography back in the
day, this is going to be the
biggest and most expensive
sensor size in the prosumer
camera world.
• Cropped or APS-C. This sensor
is a bit smaller than the full
frame and is used in a lot of smaller DSLR and mirrorless cameras. It tends to be a little bit cheaper
and generally has less megapixels then a full frame camera.
• Micro four thirds. This is a bit smaller than the APS-C size sensor and is common in companies like
Olympus and Panasonic.
• One inch (1”) or one third sensors are very small and are normally found in point and shoot cameras
and cellphones.
There is also a relationship between sensor size and focal length. An easy way to understand this is with a
small sensor, such is a cropped sensor, it is literally cropping the image which result in a more telephoto or a
zoomed in shoot.
1 An individual light-sensitive element in a digital image sensor.
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WHICH ONE SHOULD I CHOOSE?

Typically, full frame sensors are used by most professional photographers the reason being that the size of
the sensor itself allows for better performance in low light. The larger the sensor, the easier it is for it to
collect light. It also helps with the depth of field. The aesthetic of your subject in focus and lots of
backgrounds out of focus is archived better with a larger sensor. Finally, if you are planning on printing large
photos or cropping in, the larger full frame sensor will allow you to do that more easily without a lot of loss
in quality because they use more pixels.
An APS-C sensor is typically cheaper, smaller and light-weight which is why most photographers will choose
to use it. It will still produce excellent images although the megapixel is a bit lower. Crop sensors are great
for travel and will allow your camera to be smaller, making all the components smaller and easier to care.
The smaller the sensor gets the lower quality and ability to capture in low light will be. This is one of the
biggest throwbacks using point-and-shoot and smartphones. Although as technology gets better and better,
smartphone sensors have gotten better as well.
MICRO FOUR THIRDS CAMERA

Pretty much everyone can
recognize a DSLR. They’ve been
around for decades now. Micro
Four Thirds (MFT) is yet another
hybrid in the competition between
consumer level and semi/pro and
it’s making a lot of amateurs think
twice before shelling out for
expensive mirrorless cameras or
hefting around a clunky DSLR. And
there’s a new debate amongst the
pros, whether the micro four thirds
camera can compete with the crop sensor and full sensor cameras on the market. With a bigger sensor, you
generally have a higher quality image, more dynamic range, and a bigger selection of lenses.
The first thing you’ll notice about a 4/3 camera is that the body is tiny because it doesn’t use a mirror system,
it’s very much designed in the compact style of a point and shoot which makes it very light and small. It has
most of the same features of a DSLR, like a hot shoe and manual mode too. If you’ve worked with a DSLR all
day then it feels like you’re holding a brick by the end of it, making the mirrorless design a welcome respite.
To continue with the small theme, the lenses are also lighter because they don’t have to be able to produce
quite such a large image as that of a DSLR sensor (remember these are not meant for pros but are easily
enough for the average consumer). The lack of a mirror inside means the camera makes significantly less
noise, something that baby photographers and wildlife photographers will be especially interested in.
There’s no clap noise to scare a bug or skittish animal away and your baby subject won’t hear a thing.
These are the “new thing” which means two things – first you’re getting cutting edge technology so that you
can even watch your photo expose and stop when you think you’ve got it right. Second, it’s going to cost
you. New means expensive and these haven’t yet settled on a price because the market is still being
determined so you may pay as much as a DSLR or a bit less.
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These are much more portable than your typical DSLR and it’s not just because of the body. The lenses have
longer focal lengths in smaller housing so a 100mm is more like a 200mm on a DSLR with a full frame sensor.
This means that not only are you able to carry less but you’re carrying smaller and lighter lenses.
MICRO 4/3 VS MIRRORLESS

Here’s the thing, a micro is technically a mirrorless. It’s a trick question in a way, but a mirrorless camera is
not necessarily a micro 4/3. It all has to do with the sensor size. Mirrorless cameras can have full frame sensors,
crop sensors or micro four thirds sensors. The MFT sensors are capable of shooting amazing photos, but
many would say they’re still behind the APS-C and Full Format ones in terms of quality.
The autofocusing systems however, are a huge issue. While the new 4/3 cameras are promising to have
better autofocus it still can’t beat a mirrorless DSLR or a regular one. If you’re not great at manual focusing
or you need to snap quickly you may be disappointed. In fact, for casual photographers who prefer the
autofocus option this should be a no-brainer, especially at the cost when you may get better focus on a point
and shoot if you don’t want to carry a DSLR. Simply put, it’s too soft for a serious photographer.
Another issue is post production. The dynamic range on a full frame or crop frame DSLR or mirrorless is
greater than on a 4/3, and while that is something which the everyday enthusiast probably won’t too worried
about, if I have to spend an extra 10 minutes in Photoshop fixing something that could have been done right
in camera I’m not going to be impressed.
There’s also a big quality vs quantity issue. The quantity of lenses and attachments just isn’t there yet in the
MFT market and the quality of the build just isn’t up to the bulk of a DSLR. I know a metal housed DSLR can
take a good beating, especially if it’s been weatherproofed. Looking at any micro 4/3 camera, especially with
a giant lens attached, looks like an accident waiting to happen. An expensive accident. As far as the lenses
go, whether you choose mirrorless or standard DSLRs have a huge array of lenses and attachments. If you’re
a gadget and gizmo photographer, you’ll be very limited – there’s not even a good telephoto lens available
yet and no wide-angle lenses at all which is extremely limiting for the micro 4/3.
BEFORE BUYING
If you’re not yet convinced that the lighter and smaller body might not necessarily be a good thing here’s a
few things that your Micro 4/3 is also going to be missing. There’s no optical viewfinder at all. The same is
true of any mirrorless camera because that’s not how mirrorless works. The latest EVFs are amazing quality,
and some people love them. But it’s worth testing it out before swapping your traditional viewfinder for an
electric one.
As with any purchase you have to take into account what sort of photographer you are. If you do a lot of
night photography, then think very carefully before buying. The lack of a good dynamic range may really
hurt you in the long run. While it’s probably ok for night snaps out and about there’s no way you’re going to
successfully get astrophotography with the sensors and lenses available. If you’re doing any type of pro
photography where time is equal money, then that extra 10 minutes editing mentioned above multiplied by
4-500 images suddenly means a lot of extra editing. It might be better hanging onto your DSLR for now.
WHO SHOULD BUY A MICRO 4/3 CAMERA?

The micro 4/3 will be an acceptable/great thing. If you’re a photographer who wants a second camera this is
ideal. Traveling or going somewhere you don’t want to risk your bulky and expensive DSLR? Perfect! Hands
getting tired after an extremely long day and you don’t want to shell out for a mirrorless DSLR just yet?
Perfect. A micro 4/3 camera is still a nice camera but since it’s just shy of what the current DSLR line up is
capable of it’s not worth switching your horses yet.
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Another reason why it’s worth holding off is that the technology is relatively new. Mirrorless is very obviously
the future when it comes to DSLR photography but consider the fact that it has taken 80+ years to develop
mirror technology and mirrorless has been around less than 5 it’s very early days. Don’t doubt we will see
more of the mirrorless tech becoming mainstream and whether that’s as a micro 4/3 or not is yet to be seen.
Take the Sony Ar7-III. This is at the time of this post, one of the newest in full frame mirrorless tech and is
already a fair step up from its predecessor. The popularity of the model means that Sony technology is
getting a big influx of money, money which can then be put towards innovations to woo additional
customers over. While micro 4/3 sensors aren’t nearly at the level of the AR7-III, the concept is the same, as
they gain in popularity more gadgets will be available, and the technology will improve.
CARING FOR THE SENSOR

It is important to be very careful with your sensor. If you damage or scratch your sensor in any way, it can be
very costly to repair and can potentially ruin your entire camera. It is not recommended cleaning your sensor
yourself unless you’ve been trained and practiced on some dummy sensor. You will want to make sure you
keep your port cap on the camera at all time when there is no lens on it and to do not have it open to the air.
Any bit of hair, dust, lint or moisture that lands on your sensor can affect your image and potentially damage
it. It is good to get your camera’s sensor cleaned every now and then by a professional if you do shoot a lot
or before a bit shoot. If you do run into an emergency and you see a bit of dust or air in your camera, the best
save practice is to blow across the lens port, never at it. If you can use compress can of air or a hand blower
it will be better, if you do use your breath from your mouth you will run the risk of a moisture spot coming
out and landing on your sensor.
CROP FACTOR
You may have come across the term ‘crop factor’ before, but not been too sure what it means, or even why
it’s important. In this article, we’ll attempt to explain the differences that full-frame or crop sensors make to
your images. If you’re looking to buy a new camera, the crop factor matters, because it will affect how your
images look. So, before you go and splash a lot of cash on a new camera, it will serve you well to learn a little
bit about the different types of sensors out there.
HOW CROP FACTOR CAME ABOUT

Before digital sensors were invented, 35mm film cameras were a benchmark because of their popularity and
market appeal. If you used a fixed lens on a SLR film camera, such as a 50mm, you knew exactly how your
image would look in the field of view and the final image. This made understanding different lenses and focal
lengths easy, because there were no cropped digital sensors to muddy the waters. What you saw was what
you got, even if you used the same lens on different 35mm cameras – it was standardized.
With the invention of digital cameras, things changed. Manufacturers of the new DSLR’s discovered that
making digital sensor sizes that matched 35mm film just wasn’t practical due to costs and technology
challenges. This meant that they started producing DSLR’s with smaller sensors. In order for customers who
had already bought an SLR film camera system to be able to simply replace the film camera bodies with
digital ones, but keep the same lenses they had invested in, meant keeping the same mounts and lenses as
the film camera bodies.
However, the former 35mm film SLR customers using the same lenses on a crop sensor digital camera
quickly found out that there were problems with this. The field of view was smaller than they would have got
using the same lens on an SLR, and the resulting images appeared narrower, because the corners of the
image frame were being cropped off by the new, smaller digital sensors.
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The camera manufacturers eventually designed a new, full-frame digital sensor, but they still manufacture
crop frame DSLR’s too. These tend to be cheaper than a full-frame digital camera. Full-frame DSLR’s now
have the same physical size of sensor as a 35mm film camera, but crop sensors are smaller, and just to
confuse matters, different manufacturers use different sizes of crop sensors.
If you take a photo like the 10 x 8 in image above and

cut it out so that it’s now 8 x 6, this is the difference
in field of view and final image size you would get
with a full-frame (larger), and a crop sensor (smaller).
However, the sensor resolution can also play a part
in this, by making the image appear more magnified,
so it’s not as straightforward as it sounds!
WHAT IS CROP FACTOR

Understood the difference sensor size makes to an
image, there’s something else to add to the
equation, though, and that’s the crop factor itself.
This is what the camera manufacturers came up with
to make it easier for photographers to understand what the field of view through a particular lens will look
like on a crop sensor camera compared to a full-frame or 35mm camera. Crop factor is basically an equation
that calculates the ratio of the sensor size to 35mm or full frame cameras. You take the provided crop factor
number, multiply it with the focal length of the lens, and you end up with the equivalent focal length relative
to 35mm or full frame DSLR’s.
To those of us who hate math, this is a horrifying prospect, but it’s actually not that hard when you have your
crop factor number, the focal length of your lens and a calculator. If you want to make life difficult for yourself,
you can work out your camera’s crop factor using math and calculating the diagonal of the crop sensor. It’s
an equation based on the Pythagorean Theorem, apparently. For those of us who like an easy life, it can be
quicker and simpler just to look up a table of common crop factors and equivalent focal lengths, like this one:
1.3x 1.5x 1.6x 2.0x
10mm 13mm 15mm 16mm 20mm
17mm 22.1mm 25.5mm 27.2mm 34mm
28mm 36.4mm 42mm 44.8mm 56mm
35mm 45.5mm 52.5mm 56mm 70mm
50mm 65mm 75mm 80mm 10mm
105mm 136.5mm 157.5mm 168mm 210mm
135mm 175.5mm 202.5mm 216mm 270mm
200mm 260mm 300mm 320mm 400mm
400mm 520mm 600mm 640mm 800mm
600mm 780mm 90mm 960mm 1200mm
The top line shows different sized sensors, and the left-hand column down shows different focal lengths
used on a 35mm or full-frame camera. As you can see, if you use a 400mm focal length on a 2.0x crop sensor,
you will actually get a focal length of 800mm. It’s just not as simple as that, though, and this is where it can
get confusing for some photographers. The focal length of a lens never changes, regardless of the camera
sensor size. So, when you look at the table above, it may seem like a smaller sensor transforms your lens into
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one with a longer focal length – it doesn’t. What actually happens is that the smaller sensor crops out a lot
of the image that you would get to keep with a full-frame sensor, and it appears magnified.
SPECIFIC LENS AND SYSTEM SIZES

Camera manufacturers quickly learned that there were advantages to producing crop sensors. They meant
they could make smaller, more lightweight lenses, allowing for more compact cameras to be produced.
DSLR lenses are often made specifically for crop sensor cameras these days, and they often won’t work if
you try to use them on a full-frame camera. The different systems have different abbreviations that are in
the names of the lenses that are made for crop sensors, to make it easier for buyers to know that they are
buying a lens for a crop sensor camera. Here’s a few of the system names from popular lens manufacturers
for several different crop sensor camera systems.
Canon EF-S, EF-M Samsung NX
Nikon DX Sony/Minolta DT, E
Tamron Di II Tokina DX
Pentax DA Sigma DC, DN
FILE TYPES: RAW VS. JPEG
When a digital camera takes a photo, it will save it as a digital file. You can change the type of file your camera
saves in your camera’s settings. But what do those file types actually mean? And what are the advantages
and disadvantages to each of them? Most systems will either save the photos as a JPEG or a RAW image.
A RAW file of an image is not an actual photograph, as a JPEG is. The image you see as a preview on the back
of your camera is simply a preview of the information held in the RAW file. The RAW file itself is all the
information captured by the camera’s sensor, and it is not processed and compressed by the camera.
RAW images will be just what it sounds like. They are raw, and they will preserve the native settings of the
images, they won’t be compressed, or downsized, or processed by any other setting in the camera, it will be
the full resolution the sensor in the camera can produce without any lost or change in information. Because
of this, RAW files come out looking somewhat dark and flat, with less contrast and less saturation, so they
need to be processed using your camera’s RAW conversion software, or an image processing app like Adobe
Camera RAW, and/or Lightroom. But you will have the maximum amount of information to change and edit
as you see fit.
The beauty of RAW files is this ability to process them how you want them to look, not how the pre-set JPEG
process on your camera decides how they will look. You have many more pixels and much more detail to
play with. You get to apply the amount of sharpening, contrast, color, etc. that you like, and you can adjust
the shadows and highlights with RAW files because of the uncompressed information contained in the file.
You can’t do this with JPEG’s, because all that tonal range detail has been cut out and discarded.
Canon RAW files are “. cr2 files while Nikon RAW files are “. nef. Some cameras offer different sizes of RAW
images. This doesn’t affect the quality or the compression but the resolution of your image, the pixel width
and the height.
Unlike RAW images, JPEG is a standard file type that most camera systems have. Shooting JPEG images will
be the default of most cameras. A JPEG image is compressed and smaller in size than a RAW image. It is also
more universal file type that can be read by most computers, phones and applications. JPEG pics will tend
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to be processed a bit. How they are processed depends on your camera brand and model, but basically the
camera adds blacks, contrast, noise reduction, saturation and sharpening according to a pre-set formula,
and then renders the file to a compressed JPEG, which can be used or printed straight away. They are the
images that are ready to go right out the camera.
Because JPEG files are compressed into much smaller file sizes than RAW, they are considered a ‘lossy’ file
format. This means that much of the detail and information in the image is removed, and once it’s gone, it’s
gone. You can’t get it back. You may have heard photographers discussing the ‘dynamic range’ in RAW vs
JPEG. Simply put, dynamic range is the amount of tonal detail in the darkest shadow to the brightest
highlight. Because JPEG’s are compressed, much of that detail is irretrievably lost, whereas in RAW files, it
is all kept.
You may even have different option for how much JPEG images are compressed and what resolution you
want to. This is usually represented in your menu by L, M and S. Where L is the best quality, M is the middle
while S is the lowest: large, medium, small. There might even be two options: the one with a curved symbol
is a higher quality and less compressed then the step icon.
WHICH FILE FORMAT SHOULD BE USED?

So far, you’ve discovered that JPEG’s lose lots of important tonal details when they’re compressed, and RAW
files keep them all. You’re probably thinking that it’s a no-brainer – RAW is clearly superior for image quality,
so why would you shoot in JPEG at all?
A lot of people will try to tell you that modern JPEG’s are the same quality as RAW files, and that the
argument that RAW is superior only applied back in the early days of digital cameras. But the image quality
is simply not comparable, even with modern large JPEG’s, and if you need to keep a lot of tonal detail in your
work, you should always shoot RAW.
There are pros and contras to shooting either of these formats but as a rule, shooting in RAW will get you
the most out of your camera and photos. It is the preferred method for professional photographers because
of just that, they get the most out of their camera. Most cameras will allow you to record in both formats.
The benefit of doing this, is so that you can quickly use the JPEG versions for reviewing or sharing online.
The same time, you will have the RAW version for archival purposes and editing later on. It all depends on
what you are shooting, and what you want to use the images for. Let’s see a few scenarios below about
where to use RAW, JPEG or a mixture, so you can see that there’s room for both formats.
• Quick continuous burst shooting. If you need to capture live action sports or fast-moving subjects
with heavy use of continuous burst shooting, you should use large JPEG. The reason for this is
because if you shoot continuous bursts using RAW format, your camera will struggle to buffer and
keep up. This means your camera will stop shooting to enable it to catch up with the buffered
images and transfer them to your memory card. In this scenario, the camera usually stops just when
you can see shot after brilliant shot that you’re missing!
If you shoot JPEG, you’ll also get a lot more shots in before your camera stops to buffer, because
they are much smaller files than RAW. They also take up much less space on your memory card, so
you won’t have to stop shooting to change cards so often.
• Shooting for Internet use. If you need images solely for using on the internet (such as advertising
something for sale, social media, etc.) or for location scouting, use JPEG. Because it’s not necessary
to have massively detailed images for such uses, there’s no point in shooting RAW and spending
the extra time processing the images, when you can simply shoot and upload.
• Shooting for quick display. If you need to have images ready quickly for display, such as if you need
to send samples of a shoot to a client, you should set your camera to shoot in both RAW and JPEG
at the same time. That way you have the flexibility of the RAW files for post-processing, and the
ability to immediately send the shoot images through to the client.
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• Fashion or portrait shoots. These are RAW format every time, as you need the extra tonal details,
and the ability to manipulate them in post processing. You may set your camera to shoot small
JPEGs at the same time, so I can send them immediately to the client, but the actual shoot will
always be in RAW.
SHOOTING IN RAW
We will always be shooting in RAW if we can. A RAW image is flatter and
ready for post editing while a JPEG image is already processed. When
you shoot in RAW, you have to be prepared to edit the photos to make
them the best they can be. You will always need to make sure that you
have enough cards, RAW images will take the maximum number of
pixels and information your camera is capable of. So, having a small size
data cart may not be enough. Make sure to check how many photos you
can get out of your SD card, or whatever card you have, in RAW mode, before deciding to shoot RAW or
buying a new bigger card. You can do this by putting your card in your camera, switching your file type over
to RAW and checking the photo number on your screen. When shooting RAW you will have to make sure
your computer or post editing software will be able to read your specific type of camera RAW. Each camera
system has a different type of RAW file type.
SHOOTING IN JPEG
It is good to save space, time and editing and/or posting things quickly
over your phone. When shooting in JPEG, you won’t have as much room
to adjust exposure settings in post-production, so it is good to keep an
eye on the histogram. You want to make sure it is a full histogram and
even between lights and darks. Make sure you are happy with your
white balance and the picture settings but keep an eye on your image
because you won’t have as much room to make changes later in post
like you would with a RAW photo. Use JPEG to shoot a lot of photos at once because they are smaller, and
your camera has less to process. You can use JPEG to shoot more frames per second and get that perfect
shot. Especially in sports, if you want to shoot a lot of photos at once and your camera processor may not be
as high or professional, use JPEG to shoot quickly.
RESOLUTION AND QUALITY
Resolution is the amount of information, or pixels, that your camera captures. In the photography role, this
is measured in megapixels. Your camera sensor is made up of many megapixels. The sensor is a certain
number of pixels wide and tall, which will be the resolution of the photos it can capture. One megapixel is
one million pixels. A pixel is a tiny square that makes up the light, color and information of your photograph.
It is created by the photo lights of your sensor.
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A 24MP camera would produce an image that has roughly 24 million pixels. It measures the width and the
height of its image and multiplies it. So, a 24MP camera, could shoot up to an image size of 6.000 x 4.000
megapixels. The more megapixels there are, the
more detail and quality is in your photo. Your
image will be the size of your megapixels when
using the full resolution, the camera has. As you
crop in digitally or if you zoom in when printing,
you’ll start to lose those pixels, seeing less and
less detail as you crop in or zoom in. The higher
your pixels count, the more you will be able to
zoom in without losing the quality and the bigger
the physical print you can make without seeing
the pixels.
12 to 24 MP cameras are pretty much going to be

the standard for most cameras today and will be the most photographers really need. Printing a decent size
photo or sharing them digitally will still look great within this size resolutions. There comes a point where
too many megapixels become a waste of space. If you consider that to make a high-quality 8×10 print, you
really only need just over 7MP. If you have 21MP’s, you can take a photo and create a sharp crop of 8×10. An
immense number of megapixels is really only needed when the photographer will be cropping greatly or
creating large advertise message prints. A fun exercise to help determinate the size of your image is to
compare the resolution of your photo with the resolution of your HDTV. Most standard HDTV have a
resolution of 1920x1080, meaning 2.073.600 pixels, which is 2.1MP.
CONTINUOUS AND BURST MODES
Burst mode, sometimes referred to as continuous shooting, means taking a burst of photos at once. This is
usually measured in frames per second (FPS). On most cameras, you can select how many photos you want
to capture in a burst. You can set continuous high or low. The burst mode is useful when shooting events and
group photos to make sure to get captured a great shot, without closed eyes, for example. Using high frame
per second is good for sports or high action scenes.
Once you decide you want to shoot in bursts or continuous mode, you need to make sure you have a fast-
enough memory card, some cards can’t process the information as fast as your camera can. When your
camera takes a photo, it sends that photo through his CPU processor buffering before it is saved to your card.
Most edit card will have numbers one it, letting you know how fast they are, such as 95MB/s. Newer cards
can go as fast as 300 megabytes per second or 560 megabytes per second or higher. If you use anything
below that, like 45MB/s, you may slow down your camera and run into some pausing while the camera
buffers it in burst mode.
DSLR VS. MIRRORLESS CAMERAS
In this lesson, you’ll learn the difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera, two of the most popular
options for professional and amateur photographers on the market today.
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DSLR
DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. It’s a
1. Lens digital camera that has a built-in mirror (the
2. Reflex mirror
3. Shutter reflex part of the acronym) so the image you see
4. Image sensor bounces up to the viewfinder. When you look
5. Focusing Screen through a DSLR viewfinder, eyepiece, on the
6. Condenser lens
back of the camera, whatever you see is passed
7. Pentaprism
8. Eyepiece or through the lens attached to the camera, which
Viewfinder means that you could be looking at exactly what
you are going to capture. Light from the scene
you are attempting to capture passes through the lens into a reflex
mirror (2) that sits at a 45-degree angle inside the camera chamber, which then forwards the light vertically
to an optical element called a pentaprism (7). The pentaprism then converts the vertical light to horizontal
by redirecting the light through two separate mirrors, right into the viewfinder (8).
When you take a picture, the reflex mirror (2) swings upwards, blocking the vertical pathway and letting the
light directly through. Then, the shutter (3) opens and the light reaches the image sensor (4). The shutter (3)
remains open for as long as needed for the image sensor (4) to record the image, then the shutter closes and
the reflex mirror (2) drops back to the 45-degree angle to continue redirecting the light into the viewfinder.
Obviously, the process doesn’t stop there. Next, a lot of complicated image processing happens on the
camera. The camera processor takes the information from the image sensor, converts it into an appropriate
format, then writes it into a memory card. The whole process takes very little time and some professional
DSLRs can do this 11+ times in one second!
If you take off your lens on the DSLR, you can see the mirror and the shutter opening when pressing the
shutter button. You can see that there is a mirror right there, you don’t actually see the sensor at all, you just
see the mirror reflecting through up into the viewfinder.
Although single lens reflex cameras have been available in various shapes and forms since the 19th century
with film as the recording medium, the first commercial digital SLR with an image sensor appeared in 1991.
Compared to point-and-shoot and phone cameras, DSLR cameras typically use interchangeable lenses.
DSLR CAMERA LIMITATIONS

Due to the mirror dependency of DSLRs for through the lens (TTL) viewing, they have these limitations:
1. Size and bulk. The reflex system needs space for both mirror and prism, which means DSLRs will
always have a wider camera body and a protruding top. It also means the viewfinder must be fixed
in the same spot on every DSLR, in-line with the optical axis and digital sensor. Basically, there is no
other place to put it. As a result, most DSLRs have somewhat similar exterior look.
2. Weight. Large size and bulk also translate to more weight. While most entry-level DSLRs have
plastic bodies and internal components to make them lighter, the minimum height and depth issue
to house the pentamirror translates to lots of wasted space that needs to be covered.
3. Complex mirror and shutter design. Every actuation requires the mirror to move up and down to
let the light pass through directly onto the sensor. This alone creates a number of issues:
a. Mirror slap. DSLR cameras produce quite a bit of noise thanks to the shutter mechanism
coming up and down each time an image is captured. This mirror slap not only results in
noise, but also in camera shake. Although manufacturers have been coming up with
creative ways to reduce noise by slowing down the mirror movement, it is still quite audible.
Camera shake can also become an issue when shooting at long focal lengths and slow
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shutter speeds. Once again, DSLR manufacturers had to come up with features like “mirror
lock-up” and “exposure delay” to allow mirror to be lifted, then exposure taken after a set
delay, all to reduce mirror-induced vibrations.
b. Frame speed limitation. While the modern mirror and shutter mechanisms are very
impressive, they are limited by the physical speed at which the mirror flips up and down.
For example, when the Nikon D4 fires at 11 frames per second, the mirror literally goes up
and down 11 times within each second, with the shutter opening and closing in between!
It has to be a perfect synchronization of both the mirror and the shutter in order for it all to
work. Now imagine this process at 15-20 times per second, that’s practically physically
impossible to achieve.
c. Expensive to build and support. The mirror mechanism is very complex and consists of
dozens of different parts. Because of that, it is expensive to build and provide technical
support if anything goes wrong. Disassembling a DSLR and replacing internal components
can be very time consuming for a service center.
4. No live preview via OVF. When looking through an optical viewfinder (OVF), it is impossible to see
what the final image is actually going to look like. You have to look at the camera meter (which can
be fooled in some situations) or the LCD in live view mode and adjust the exposure accordingly.
5. Secondary mirror and phase detection accuracy. You might already know that all DSLR cameras
with phase detection autofocus system require a secondary mirror. In short, part of the light that
reaches the mirror ends up on the smaller secondary mirror that sits at a different angle than the
primary mirror. The purpose of the secondary mirror is to pass the incoming light to phase detection
sensors that are located on the bottom of the chamber. The problem with the secondary mirror, is
that it has to be positioned at a perfect angle and distance for phase detection to work accurately.
If there is even a slight deviation, it will result in missed focus. And even worse, the phase detection
sensors and the secondary mirror have to stay perfectly parallel to each other. If they don’t, some
autofocus points might be accurate, while others will constantly miss focus.
6. Phase detection and lens calibration issues. The problem with the traditional DSLR phase
detection system not only lies with the secondary mirror alignment issues, but also requires lenses
to be properly calibrated. It becomes a two-way game. Precise focus requires perfect angle and
distance of the secondary mirror to the phase detection sensors and requires a properly calibrated
lens to the body. If you had AF accuracy problems with your lenses in the past, you might have had
experience sending your gear to the manufacturer. Very often, support techs will ask the lens in
question to be sent together with the camera body. If you wondered why before, now you have the
answer, there are basically two places where things could potentially go wrong. If the technician
adjusts your lens to their standard camera environment and your camera is slightly off, your issues
might get even worse after such tuning. That’s why it is best to calibrate both the camera and the
lens to resolve those discrepancies.
7. Price. Although manufacturers have gotten much more efficient over the years in terms of DSLR
production, assembling the mirror mechanism is no easy task. Lots of moving components mean
high precision assembly systems, the need for lubrication in areas where metal components rub
against each other, etc. In turn, this all results in increased manufacturing costs. And it does not
stop there, if anything goes wrong with the mirror mechanism, the manufacturer must repair or
even potentially replace it, which is a very labor-intensive task.
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MIRRORLESS
A mirrorless camera is just that, it has no mirror mechanism. The
full name for these cameras is a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens
Camera (MILC). When you take off the lens, this camera will
expose the sensor in its full glory, nothing is blocking it at all. In
contrast, a mirrorless camera is much simpler mechanically – light
passes through the lens (1) directly onto the image sensor (4) and
the optical viewfinder is replaced with an electronic viewfinder (9)
that replicates the image sensor. Mirrorless cameras typically
have electronic viewfinders (EVF), since light is no longer
reflected on to an optical viewfinder of the type, we are all used
to on our cameras (OVF). Which means the viewfinder is an
electronic display, a tiny little screen inside the eyepiece allowing
you to see everything the sensor is actually seeing, including, for
most cameras, the exposure, like LCD do too. In normal
operation, the mechanical camera shutter (3) stays open and is
only typically utilized at the end of exposure. Due to lack of both
mirror and pentaprism, the flange distance (which is the distance between the lens mount and the image
sensor) on mirrorless cameras can be shortened significantly, as the illustration above shows. Because of
this, most mirrorless camera bodies are thinner and lighter compared to DSLRs, but they can have full frame
sensors and the interchangeable lenses of DSLR’s.
MIRRORLESS CAMERA ADVANTAGES

With the rise of cameras without a mirror, most manufacturers have already realized that traditional DSLR
systems are not going to be the driving force of camera sales in the future. It makes sense from the cost
standpoint alone, but if we really look at the current innovation, where are we at with DSLRs? With each
iteration of DSLRs, it seems like we are getting closer and closer to hit the wall of innovation. Autofocus
performance and accuracy have already pretty much hit the wall. Processors are fast enough to crank lots of
FPS and 4K video. Just to keep the word out and sales going, camera manufacturers have been resorting to
just re-branding the same camera under a new model name. What else is there to add? More in-camera
editing options? Specific features for different types of photography? Those are all great bells and whistles,
but are they innovations that will truly drive future sales?
Mirrorless cameras open up huge opportunities for innovation in the future and solve many of the problems
of traditional DSLRs. Let’s go through each point above and discuss additional benefits of mirrorless cameras:
1. Smaller size/bulk and lighter weight. Removing the mirror and the pentaprism frees up a lot of
space. This means that mirrorless cameras can be designed to be smaller, less bulky and lighter
compared to DSLRs. With a shorter flange distance, the physical size of both the camera and the
lens is reduced. This is especially true for APS-C size sensors (full-frame is tougher to address). No
more wasted space, no need for extra ruggedness to give a feel of a bigger camera. In short,
mirrorless cameras can be made noticeably lighter than DSLRs. The rise of smartphones as compact
cameras has taught us a very important lesson, convenience, small size and light weight can
potentially overpower quality. The point-and-shoot sales are practically dead, because most people
find their smartphones to be “good enough” for those snapshot moments. All smartphone
manufacturers are currently pressing hard on camera features, because they want people to think
that they are not just getting a phone, but also a great camera in a single compact package. And
judging from the sales figures so far, it is clearly working, more and more people are embracing
smartphones and leaving their older compact cameras behind. Simply put, smaller size and lighter
weight in electronics win in today’s economy. We can observe the same trend in many other
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gadgets, thinner and lighter TVs, tablets instead of laptops, etc. Hence, people will naturally
gravitate towards lighter and more compact, especially if quality is not compromised significantly.
2. No mirror mechanism. No more mirror flipping up and down means a lot of good things:
a. Less noise. No more mirror slap, just the click of the shutter mechanism is all you hear
from the camera.
b. Less camera-shake. The only physical component in the mirrorless camera that can cause
vibrations is the camera shutter. And even then, it is possible to use electronic front curtain
shutter (EFCS), or even disable the shutter completely and shoot with electronic shutter to
completely get rid of camera shake from the shutter mechanism. On a DSLR, you need to
go into the menu and choose the ‘mirror lock-up’ option before you take your shot, and
then remember to put it back down afterwards.
c. Easier to clean. If dust ends up on the sensor, cleaning mirrorless cameras is easier than
DSLRs. You do not need a fully charged battery to lock up the mirror in most cameras, the
sensor is exposed once you dismount the lens (some cameras with in-body image
stabilization should have their stabilization mechanism locked via camera menu to prevent
movement and damage). In addition, most mirrorless cameras do not have an opening
under the mirror to house a phase detection sensor and other components, so there is very
little chance for dust to circulate after the chamber and sensor are fully cleaned.
d. Cheaper to build and support. Less moving parts translate to lower cost of manufacturing
and support for the manufacturer.
e. Potentially very fast FPS Speed. Having no mirror means that the capture rate (FPS) does
not have to be limited by the mirror speed. This means that mirrorless cameras could
potentially capture images at much faster frame rates than 10-12 FPS we see today, with
much less noise and viewfinder blackout.
3. Live preview (WYSIWYG). With mirrorless, you can get a live preview of what you are about to
capture, basically “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG). If you messed up white balance,
saturation or contrast, you will see it in live preview, whether in the EVF or the LCD.
4. No phase detection/secondary mirror alignment issues. Now that many of the modern mirrorless
cameras are shipping with hybrid autofocus systems that utilize both phase and contrast detection
autofocus, you do not have to worry about the alignment of phase detection and secondary mirror.
On several new generation mirrorless cameras, the phase detection sensors are located on the
actual sensor, which means that phase detection will never have to be calibrated for distance, since
it sits on the same plane as the sensor that captures the image.
5. Price. Producing mirrorless cameras is potentially cheaper than producing DSLRs. As of today,
most mirrorless camera manufacturers charge heavy premiums for their camera systems, because
their overall costs are high, and the volume is not there yet. While the actual manufacturing costs
are lower than DSLRs, companies have to spend plenty of R&D money on improving particular
camera features, autofocus performance and other technologies like EVF. Overtime, mirrorless
camera prices will come down.
6. Electronic viewfinder. It is the biggest strength of mirrorless cameras and the present and future
innovation with it. Without a doubt, an EVF has huge advantages over OVF. While the current
implementation of EVF might not be as robust and responsive as it should be, it is just a matter of
time before manufacturers fix that. Let’s go over some of the key benefits of EVF over OVF:
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a. Information overlay. With OVF, you never get to see more than some basic grids. There
is some static information presented in the viewfinder, but it is mostly fixed and cannot be
easily changed. With EVF, you can get any information you want displayed right inside the
viewfinder, from live exposure data to histograms. Different warnings could be added,
such as a warning for a potentially blurry shot.
b. Live preview. The same live preview on the LCD can be shown inside the EVF.
c. Image review. Another key feature that you will never get in an OVF is image review. How
cool is it to see the image that you have just captured right inside the viewfinder? With
OVF, you are forced to look at the LCD screen, which is a big pain in bright conditions.
People end up buying specialized loupes just to be able to see their LCD screen in daylight!
With EVF, you never have to worry about this, since you can use the viewfinder for
reviewing images instead.
d. Focus peaking. A very useful feature that allows one to see what areas of the frame are in
focus. Basically, you can nail focus when performing manual focus without having to rely
on your eyes. The area that is in focus gets painted with an overlay color of your choice and
you can stop exactly where you want it to be. You cannot do this with an OVF in a DSLR.
e. No more viewfinder coverage issues. With OVF, you typically get something like 95%
viewfinder coverage, especially on lower-end DSLR models. This basically means that
what you see in the viewfinder is about 5% smaller than what the camera will capture. With
EVF, you no longer have this problem, because it will always be 100% viewfinder coverage,
since what you see in the EVF is what the sensor will capture.
f. Much brighter display. If the light conditions are poor, you cannot really see much through
an OVF. Focusing with OVF in low light is also difficult, because you cannot really tell if the
subject is in focus until you take the picture. With EVF, brightness levels can be
“normalized”, so that you can see everything as if it was daylight. Some noise might be
present, but it is still way better than trying to guess when looking through an OVF.
g. Digital zoom. If you have used a live view mode on your DSLR before, you know how
helpful zooming in on a subject can be. With most modern DSLRs, you can zoom in to 100%
and really nail focus. With mirrorless cameras, this feature can be built right into the
viewfinder! So, imagine manually focusing with a lens, then zooming in to 100% right
inside the viewfinder before you take a picture. Pretty much every mirrorless camera can
do this. It goes without saying that an OVF would never be able to zoom like that.
h. Face/eye tracking. Now we are moving to the coolest part of the EVF technology. Because
the EVF shows what actually happens on the sensor, additional technologies for data
analysis can be utilized to do very cool things, like face and even eye tracking! You may
have seen face tracking on smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras, but if you take it a
step further, you could have the camera automatically focus on the nearest eye of the
person that you are photographing. Many camera manufacturers are already doing this
very efficiently on their mirrorless cameras.
i. Potentially unlimited focus points. As you already know, most DSLR cameras have a
limited number of focus points that are distributed mostly around the center of the frame.
While it works out in most situations, what do you do if you need to move the focus point
to an extreme border of the frame? The only option is to focus and recompose, but that
might not be always desirable, since you are also shifting the plane of focus. In addition,
anything away from the center focus point is typically inaccurate and could result in “focus
hunting”, where the camera struggles with AF acquisition and goes back and forth
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continuously. With mirrorless cameras and phase detection sensors placed directly on the
imaging sensor, this limitation is lifted. Contrast-detection has already been possible
anywhere on the imaging sensor, but now most new mirrorless cameras have also added
the ability to focus via on-sensor phase detection, with focus points distributed over most
of the sensor, all the way to the extreme borders.
j. Subject tracking and other future data analysis. If things like face and eye tracking are
possible with mirrorless cameras, you can only imagine what camera manufacturers will
be able to do in the future. Imaging having a complex tracking system that intelligently
combines sensor data with autofocus and uses it to track a given object, or subject in the
frame, something already possible on many mirrorless systems. Even top of the line DSLR
cameras today have challenges with full subject tracking. If you have tried photographing
birds in flight with a DSLR, tracking can get challenging, especially when the bird moves
out of the focus point area, or when the light conditions are less than ideal. If data is
analyzed at pixel-level and there is no real autofocus area to concentrate on, subject
tracking can potentially get very advanced and sophisticated with mirrorless cameras.
k. Eye damage. When looking through a viewfinder, one has to be extremely careful about
photographing extremely bright sources of light (such as the sun), especially with long
focal length lenses. With EVF, the image is projected through the sensor and there is no
harm to your eyes.
MIRRORLESS CAMERA LIMITATIONS

We’ve gone over the many advantages of mirrorless cameras over DSLRs. Now let’s talk about some of their
current limitations:
1. EVF lag. Some of the current EVF implementations are not particularly responsive, resulting in
considerable lag. While this is certainly a nuisance compared to OVF at the moment, it is a matter
of time before this lag is eliminated. The latest EVFs are already much better than what they used
to be before. But as EVF technologies evolve, the lag issue will be resolved completely.
2. Continuous autofocus/subject tracking. While contrast detection has already reached very
impressive levels on mirrorless cameras, they are still relatively weak in continuous autofocus
performance and subject tracking compared to phase detection AF. However, with the rise of
hybrid autofocus systems and their continuous development (where both contrast and phase
detection are used together), we have already seen mirrorless cameras with incredible continuous
autofocus capabilities. Soon enough mirrorless cameras will fully catch up and surpass DSLR
cameras in AF performance.
3. Battery life. Another disadvantage of mirrorless cameras at the moment. Providing power to LCD
and EVF continuously takes a toll on battery life, which is why most mirrorless cameras are rated at
about 300 shots per battery charge. DSLRs are much more power efficient in comparison, typically
in 800+ shot range per charge. While it is not a huge problem for typical camera use, it could be an
issue for someone who travels and has very little access to power. Still, that the battery issue is also
something that may significantly improve in the future (and we have already seen much better
battery life on the third iteration of Sony A7-series cameras). Batteries will be more powerful and
power-hungry LCD/EVF screens will be replaced with other more efficient technologies.
4. Red dot patterns. Due to the very short flange distance, most mirrorless cameras suffer from a red
dot pattern issue, which becomes clearly visible when shot with the sun in the frame at small
apertures. Basically, light rays bounce back and forth between the sensor and the rear lens element,
creating grid patterns of red (and sometimes other colors) in images. Unfortunately, there is no way
around this limitation on all mirrorless cameras with a short flange distance.
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5. Strong EVF contrast. Many EVFs designed today have very strong, boosted contrast, similar to
what we see on our TVs. As a result, you see a lot of blacks and whites, but very little shades of gray.
While one could look at the histogram overlay in EVF, it is still a nuisance. Manufacturers will have
to find ways to make EVFs display images more naturally.
As you can see, the list is rather short, and we expect it to get even shorter within the next few years. All of
the above issues may be addressable, and they might get better with each iteration of mirrorless cameras.
In summary, DSLRs simply have no way to compete with mirrorless in the future. It simply does not make
sense for manufacturers to continue investing into making DSLRs better, when the technology advantage
is clearly with mirrorless.
DSLR AND MIRRORLESS CAMERA COMPARITION

When compared to mirrorless cameras, DSLRs by design have some inherent limitations. Part of it has to do
with the fact that SLR cameras were initially developed for film. When digital evolved, it was treated just like
film and was housed in the same mechanical body. Aside from the circuitry required for digital sensor and
other electronics, new digital film media and the back LCD, the rest of the components pretty much stayed
the same. The same mechanical mirror, the same pentaprism/optical viewfinder, the same phase detection
system for autofocus operation.
While new technological advances eventually led to extending of features of these cameras (in-camera
editing, HDR, GPS, Wi-Fi, etc.), DSLRs continued to stay bulky for a few reasons. First, the mirror inside DSLR
cameras had to be the same in size as the digital sensor, taking up plenty of space. Second, the pentaprism
also had to match the size of the mirror, making the top part of DSLRs bulky. Lastly, manufacturers wanted
to keep existing lenses compatible with digital cameras, so that the transition from film to digital was not
too costly or too limiting for the consumer. This meant that manufacturers also had to keep the flange
distance (the distance between the camera mount and the film/sensor plane) the same between the two
formats. Although smaller APS-C/DX sensors and lenses seemed like a great way to reduce the size of DSLR
systems, the flange distance/compatibility concerns left them fairly large and heavy physically. 35mm
eventually came back with modern full-frame digital sensors, so the mirror and pentaprism sizes again went
back to what they were in film days. On one hand, keeping the flange distance the same allowed for
maximum compatibility when mounting lenses between film, APS-C and full-frame DSLRs, without the
need to re-design and re-market lenses for each format. On the other hand, DSLRs simply could not go
beyond their minimum size requirements and the presence of the mirror is what continues to make them so
much more complex to build and support.
Having or not a mirror is the main physical difference of the DSLR and mirrorless cameras, but this changes
a lot of things for both systems but in general terms two main things:
1. Using a mirror allows the DSLR to have an optical view of the action in real time, which means you
see the light that is coming into the lens, but you don’t see the actual exposure that will be captured
by your camera based on the camera’s settings. On mirrorless camera, they are able to give you a
preview of what your exposure is in the electronic viewfinder (EVF), in the eyepiece as well as the
screen on the back. Today, most DSLR will let you preview the exposure on the back of the screen,
but you still have to move the mirror to do that, rendering the optical eyepiece useless.
2. Mirrorless cameras will tend to be smaller since there is no need for the whole reflexive mirror
system, which means there is space for less buttons, making most of the controls menu based and
digital on most mirrorless cameras. Size affects everything. Because of the smaller camera size,
batteries tend to be smaller, mirrorless cameras will chew through batteries quicker because their
sensor is constantly on, along with either the back screen or the EVF. Currently the cost of mirrorless
cameras with the same quality settings as a DSLR will be a bit pricier but those prices are coming
down and get everyday more similar.
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BUYING INTO A SYSTEM

When we look at the sales data from the past few years, things look pretty confusing, if mirrorless is the
future, why do DSLRs still dominate the sales charts globally? There are several reasons for this. First, it takes
a while to influence the potential buyer with the message “newer and bigger are not always better”. The
word “mirrorless” is relatively new and educating people about its advantages is taking time. Second, people
generally resist switching systems due to existing investments. If one already owns a bunch of lenses and
accessories, they avoid going through the hassle of selling everything and re-acquiring gear. It is an
expensive process both in terms of gear expenditures (selling used gear, especially cameras and accessories,
generally does not yield much money to reinvest in an equivalent system from another manufacturer) and
time to learn and adapt to new tools. And lastly, before making the move, photographers often assess the
camera system as a whole and put deep thoughts into what pros and cons they will have to go through when
buying into a new system. Some of the mirrorless systems haven’t fully matured yet and they might have a
relatively limited selection of lenses. The same goes for specific accessories that might exist for DSLRs, but
not yet for mirrorless cameras.
However, things are changing fast. If a couple of years back mirrorless systems had a small selection of lenses,
today that list has grown tremendously, covering many photography needs. The biggest holes to fill are still
in specialized lenses like tilt/shift and super telephotos, but that will be coming soon, especially once
mirrorless catches up in the autofocus department.
MIRRORLESS VS. DSLR AUTOFOCUS PERFORMANCE

Speaking of which, if a couple of years back one could laugh at how bad autofocus was on mirrorless cameras,
things are changing rapidly today, in favor of mirrorless. For portrait photography, many mirrorless systems
have already surpassed DSLRs in AF performance and accuracy, thanks to specific features such as eye
tracking. Cameras like the Sony A9 have already demonstrated that mirrorless can even compete with
DSLRs for shooting fast action. It is a matter of time before we see very complex AF implementations that
DSLRs will not be able to compete with. For example, some cameras are already capable of recording images
before and after the shutter is released, to avoid taking pictures of subjects with their eyes closed, and we
have already seen cameras taking a picture at the moment the subject smiles. You cannot have such
advanced intelligence on DSLRs, not until light continuously reaches some kind of imaging sensor. Tracking
subjects gets easier with advanced analysis of the scene and the camera can even potentially predict subject
movement and its direction.
FUTURE INNOVATION
If we compare DSLRs to mirrorless cameras in terms of technological advancements, it is clear that DSLRs
do not deliver as much innovation anymore. We can perhaps get better resolution, better video features,
better AF modules and perhaps more built-in features like Wi-Fi and GPS, but that’s not enough to truly
excite the younger generation of photographers. Mirrorless cameras will continue to provide many more
features to be excited about, because possibilities are truly endless. A lot can be done with EVFs and
autofocus systems alone, thanks to advancements in display technologies and on-sensor data analysis.
But, are we there yet? While mirrorless is definitely advancing fast, there are some real issues that still need
to be addressed. Better battery life, more reliable autofocus systems (particularly for shooting fast and
unpredictable action), larger buffer, better lens choices (especially super telephoto and tilt-shift lenses) and
improved EVFs are all areas of improvement for mirrorless cameras. The gaps are still there, but they are
closing fast. Within the next few years, we should see camera manufacturers offer mirrorless options that
can truly compete with modern DSLRs in every way.
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6. WHITE BALANCE AND COLOR
INTRODUCTION
In this section we will be going over how the camera sees colors, what white balance is and how use it to add
different moods to your photos. We will dive a bit deeper into the light spectrum, which is all the light we as
humans are able to see, how to read the Kelvin temperature chart and, ultimately, how better understanding
these elements of light, will help make you a better photographer.
WHAT IS WHITE BALANCE?
Photography is more or less the art of capturing light. When you think about it, every day there are many
different kinds of light that we all see. Whether it is light from the sun, light in your house, the light off your
computer or phone, these are all different kinds of light being produced in many different ways. The
important difference between these various kinds of light for us as photographers is the exposure or
brightness and the temperature of light which is measured in Kelvins.
At the most basic level, white balance is telling your camera, or having your camera select automatically,
what is true white in your image, meaning based on what kind of light is in your frame that a white wall
should look white or the clouds in the sky should look white. It is the base for how the rest of the colors in
your image will look and can get fairly complex when you have multiple kinds of light in one image. So, White
balancing your camera to the ‘color’ of the light you are shooting means adjusting the colors so that they
look more natural to the human eye.
Most auto white balance (AWB) systems have gotten extremely accurate but understanding what your
camera is doing when white balancing is important because it can lead to some really cool creative choices.
That being said, people that do a lot of post-editing on the computer or phone can change the white balance
and color tints after they’ve already taken the photos.
At the most basic levels, when white balance isn’t set correctly, the
image either looks too warm or almost orange or it appears too cool,
almost blue in some areas. So, with your white balance settings, you’ll
be able to make a warmer or cooler photo, adding your own sort of style
to it. But adding a color tint to your
photo in post-production can also
change the feeling or mood. A warm tint with more yellows and oranges
can feel happier or more like summer time than a photograph that is
slightly bluer or cooler. By adjusting white balance to read the light in
different ways, you can give a warmer or cooler tint to your photo.
Ultimately, white balance affects the colors in your image. Color is greatly affected by having the correct
white balance. This might seem simple, but colors are what can make your photos incredible dynamic, like
a person wearing red in a winter wonderland, or a yellow umbrella in a sea of grey or having someone
wearing camo cloths in a forest or all-white in a snowstorm. All these examples show how powerful color can
be for a photographer.
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KELVIN TEMPERATURE SCALE
We are going to dive a bit deeper into

the science of light and what it is that
your camera is doing when you adjust
the white balance. To understand this
however, you need to first understand
what kelvins are. The Kelvin
temperature scale was the brainchild
of Belfast-born British inventor and
scientist William Thomson — also
known as Lord Kelvin – in 1848. It is
one of the three best-known scales
used to measure temperature, along with Fahrenheit and Celsius. Each unit on this scale, called a Kelvin
rather than a degree, is equal to a degree on the Celsius scale. For this reason, just the K, not the degree
symbol, is used when reporting temperatures in Kelvin. There are no negative numbers on the Kelvin scale,
as the lowest number is 0K. During his research, Kelvin heated a block of carbon, progressing from a dim red
light, increasing to a brighter yellow as the temperature increased and ultimately a bright blue-white glow
at the highest temperatures.
All light sources have a specific measurement on the color temperature scale, known as Kelvin scale, which
ranges from around 1000 Kelvin to 10.000 Kelvins. Not all light sources have an equal color temperature. If
you think of bright light like normal daylight, or studio lights, they tend to have a temperature around 5.500K,
which is about halfway up the scale. A candle flame has a warmer, redder light, and is about 1.850-1.930K.
At the other end of the scale is pure blue sky from a north-facing source. This comes in at 10.000K. It’s easier
to think of the scale as going from dark, warm orange at the lower end to bright, cold blue at the higher end.
Our brain automatically adjusts to these changes in color temperature. If you looked at a white piece of paper
under a fluorescent light, then took it outside in the sun, you’d still see a white piece of paper. A camera
doesn’t have that ability, which is why we need to tell it what color temperature the light is so that it can
accurately adjust the colors to show true white – regardless of whether you’re shooting in candlelight or in
bright blue daylight. Yes, you can choose auto white balance mode on your camera, but sometimes it’s not
good at judging the color temperature and that is when you end up with a horrible blue or orange cast to
your images.
To see the differences on the Kelvin scale through the camera, we will have to select K in the menu where
we can find the white balance settings, since it is the manual white balance mode. Then, we can choose in
which Kelvin number we want to shoot. When increasing this kelvin number, the camera understands that
the light in the frame is cooler, therefore the photo becomes warmer. When decreasing, it understands it is
cooler and it will make the photo warmer. Basically, by choosing one or other number, you are telling the
camera what temperature the light is and how it should be read. But you have to be careful and don’t go pass
the setting for the light type you’re using, because you could make your photo too warm or too cold.
This is kind of a cool way you can adjust your Kelvins and really fine-tune what you want your white balance
to be. Maybe you don’t want your image to be fully perfectly natural-looking, maybe you want it to be a little
bluer or a little orange, you can adjust these Kelvin numbers to get that exact look that you’re trying to get.
This might seem like just a bunch of random numbers, but by understanding Kelvins can make you better
understand what you are doing when you or your camera sets the white balance. You’ll be a better
photographer if you can quickly see the lighting in your frame and know what the white balance setting
should be and how to play with it do add a more creative tint or look to your image. Also, by knowing what
your camera is registering as true white, you will be able to better understand how the rest of the colors in
the image will come out. This is very important when you start mixing light sources in an image.
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Nevertheless, you could just change your white balance in post-processing – if you shoot in RAW format.
You can change the white balance to any that you like best in Lightroom, because a RAW image stays
unprocessed by the camera, and any settings it applies are for reference only, they do not affect the actual
image.
One of the advantages of shooting RAW files is that you can apply different white balance settings to the
image to see which give the most natural, or most attractive, results. The original RAW file remains
unchanged. All the work is done on copies of the RAW file, which means that you can return to the RAW file
and try again if the initial results are not what you want.
If you shoot JPEG’s, however, you can’t change it in post. You can try, but you won’t like the results. So, you’ll
have to learn to white balance for any given lighting situation. Although shooting in RAW format almost
exclusively, always set your white balance before a shoot. It just saves time in post-processing, and you can
see the colors rendered accurately as you shoot on your LCD or tethered PC screen.
AUTO WHITE BALANCE MODES
Now that you understand what white balance actually is and the differences between light temperatures,
how do you get your camera to read the light properly? Today, most cameras are incredibly accurate with
their automatic white balance modes. Many cameras will have preset white balance modes, that are
basically just setting it to read light in different Kelvin temperatures. By shifting through these settings, you
can see how your camera reads the light differently. These modes are made for common lighting conditions,
so, the camera will adjust the color balance based on the average temperatures of the Kelvin scale. The goal
of each is to neutralize the color temperature back to 'daylight' balance.
• Auto white balance (AWB) has advanced greatly in

reliability, and it should set the color temperature
correctly in all but the most complicated lighting
situations. It works by evaluating the scene and deciding
the most appropriate white point in it. The setting works
reasonably well if the color temperature of the ambient
light is between 3,000-7,000K. However, if there is an
abundance of one color in the image, or if there is no actual
white for the meter to use as a reference, the system can
be fooled, resulting in an image with a color cast.
• Daylight/Sunny is used in 'normal' lighting conditions, in
bright sunshine. It will balance for a color temperature of
around 5,200K, which is actually very slightly cooler than
noon sunlight. However, it is very rare that you will
actually be shooting at noon and so this setting will work
best for the greatest part of the day.
• Cloudy can be used on an overcast day to warm up the
color tone but also at sunset or twilight. This sets a color
temperature of around 6,000K. It is best used on days
when the sun is behind the clouds, creating a very even
and diffuse light.
• Shade is similar to the 'cloudy' preset and either can be
used to fine-tune the color balance if one does not get it quite right. Although we perceive shaded
areas to be colder, the color temperature is actually higher (bluer), usually around 7,000K. This
setting is most suited to areas of light shade rather than very heavy shadow.
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• Flash is also designed to add warmth to the colors when

using a flash. For use with either a built-in flash or an
external Speedlite. Flash is a very white light with a color
temperature around 6,000K.
• Tungsten can be used indoors under incandescent light
when the auto white balance has not removed the yellow
or orange cast completely. The first of the artificial
lighting settings, this assumes a color temperature of
around 3,200K and is suitable for most tungsten lamps that normally emit a yellow light.
• Fluorescent is useful in businesses that use fluorescent light when the auto white balance does not
remove the blue or green cast completely. The second artificial light setting is set for around 4000K,
the approximate color temperature of fluorescent lights.
The problem with fluorescent lights is that there are six
types, each with a different color temperature. They also
emit an interrupted spectrum with peaks over quite a
wide range. To complicate things further, they also
change over time, gradually altering the color
temperature of light they emit.
• PC-1, PC-2 and PC-3. These allow you to save the three
white balance settings that you regularly use. This is useful if you do a lot of studio photography,
for example, and always use the same lights. It enables you to save the color temperature of those
lights, so you do not have to color balance each time. However, initially the settings need to be
made on the camera via a computer using supplied software, at least in Canon cameras.
With all these options, it is possible to obtain a completely neutral tone in most shooting situations. However,
is this always best? Consider a fairground where there is a diverse mix of light sources − tungsten giving a
yellow glow, fluorescent adding some green, not to mention all the neon lights. If you were to balance all the
light sources present, the result could end up looking very clinical and fail to convey the fun, warmth and
atmosphere of the show. So, do not always assume neutral is best − be a little creative and see what happens.
CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE (ADVANCED LESSON)
We’ve gone over the preset white balance’s modes on your camera, also you can select the actual Kelvin
number by using the K symbol on your camera, but there is another setting for white balance called custom
white balance. Basically, that means you’ll take a situation you’re in and you can custom to that very specific
photo, situation or lighting setup you’re in. This is going to be very different on every camera, some cameras
use a reference photo taken before, other point to a section and balance to that square, but the main thing
is that this will be so precise as far as custom balance goes.
It is mostly used in a studio setting or a setting that is going to be consistent the entire time, not in situation
where things are changing constantly like events, weddings or traveling. But if you have a consistent lighting
setup, it is a great way to be very precise about your white custom balance.
It’s not hard, and it doesn’t take long. You can buy a special white balance card, or you can use
a piece of white paper. Simply put the paper in the scene you’re photographing in the light
you’re using and fill the viewfinder with the paper so that nothing else shows. You may need
to put your lens on to manual focus to do this, as your autofocus will struggle to find something to focus on
in all that white, but most lenses have a switch on the side which allows you to go back and forth between
the two. Take a couple of images, then go into your custom white balance menu on your camera. It will ask
you which of the suitable images you want to use to set white balance. Choose one, set it, and your images
will come out looking good whether you’re in tungsten lighting or outside on a cloudy day.
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COLOR PROFILES (ADVANCED LESSON)
Picture styles or picture profiles are different ways that your camera reads contrast, saturation and sharpness.
Some cameras will also have color tones. What you’re effectively doing with these different picture profiles
are adjusting how saturated your picture looks, how contrast-y it is and how sharp it is. This is all being
processed within the camera. So, if you’re shooting RAW, this won’t end up being in your end up photo, but
if you are shooting JPEG this will be part of the that is taken. Let’s see the main differences on these profiles:
• Auto. The camera will select the best fit for the situation, what it thinks will look the best.
• Standard. It is meant for sort of just the most general look.
• Portrait. This is ideal for people, it makes the skin look a little bit smoother, nothing too contrasting
or too sharp, it should be a little bit more flattering.
• Landscape. It is going to be a little bit sharper, it is going to be a little bit more saturated.
• Neutral. It is meant for editing, it takes down the saturation making a little bit less contrast-y,
maybe making the image look a little bit flatter in terms of color and sharpness.
• Monochrome. This basically takes out all the saturation and enables you to shoot in black and white.
Depending on the camera you have, there might be other options in there or maybe you don’t have some of
these but typically portrait, landscape, neutral or some sort of flat is going to be part of these picture profiles.
They are just a way for you to customize the look of your camera. Within many cameras there’s also going
to be typically around three different customizable scene settings and within these you can choose what
saturation, what contrasts, what sharpness you prefer for your images.
LIGHT SPECTRUM AND COLOR THEORY (ADVANCED LESSON)
Colors are very small part of a huge spectrum known as the electromagnetic spectrum. It ranges from
gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet, to visible light, infrared, microwave, radar, radio, broadcast waves… There
are all sorts of waves in there, there is a lot to that whole spectrum but for us as photographers, we will just
be talking about a tiny little sliver in the middle called visible light.
Visible light is the light that we as humans are

capable to see. The visible light spectrum
goes from violet and cooler colors to warmer
colors, eventually up to red. Within this visible
light spectrum are all the possible colors we as humans are capable to see and all the colors that we are
photographing. Understanding this isn’t going to change your ability to take great photos but it will help you
understand why some photographs seem to evoke some emotions from you or might seem more dynamic.
The more we pay attention to what colors are in our frame, the more dynamic images we can capture.
Here are a few things to understand about colors that will make your photos better:
• Hue, it refers to the position of a color on the color

wheel. Each of which represent a certain spectrum
of light. There are many kinds of blue, for example,
light, dark, vibrant, pale, but blue refers to the hue
which can change in style.
• Saturation, is the relative strength or weakness of a
color, how much those colors stand out or how
pulled-back they are.
• Value, is the lightness or darkness of a color.
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CREATIVE COLORS
There is a lot of science behind where color come from and how we manipulate them as photographers. How
we use colors in our own frame however is one of the ways we make truly stunning images. This is an
incredibly difficult thing to do well and takes a lot of time to learn. While you can adjust colors after the fact
on your computer, it is necessary to know how to set up shoots and getting the colors right in camera directly.
First, let’s talk about what colors work well

together and what colors create dynamic
contrast. There are colors that when added
together actually make the other colors in
the color wheel. Most commonly, this is a
combination of red, green and blue, or
RGB. CMY is also a more common color
palette which is cyan, magenta and yellow.
Blue and red make purple and cyan and yellow make green. This can all get a bit complicated because
technology is both, new and old, produce these colors in a number of ways. What’s most important for us is
to understand what colors complement each other and which colors create dynamic contrast.
COMPLIMENTARY COLORS
Complimentary colors are colors that are opposite one another
on the color wheel and create a contrast similar to that of black
and white, for example red and green. You can see that images
using mostly that two colors create some stunning results
because of the contrast between the colors. When you have a
blue background and one thing that is yellow, it really stands out.
If you have a green subject in a sea of blue, it almost blends in, it
is more so part of the scene opposed to contrasting and standing
out. Typically, all cooler colors or all warmer colors, will blend
together but by adding a little coolness to a lot of warm colors or
vice versa can cause an image to become more dynamic.
At the same time, maybe you want to create more of a mood with your image and have all the colors kind of
mashing together. Typically, cooler images will be more peaceful and calming while warmer colors will be
more energizing. Also, most colors will really pop when surrounding by white which is why it is fun taking
photos out in the snow. Dark backgrounds will typically blend in better with cooler colors while warmer
colors will stand out from them.
While some of this might seem like common knowledge, what is tricky is finding a location, knowing the
color palette, and then placing a subject in that frame and really coming up with the look of the image before
you go and take the photo.
However, you want to approach it, playing with the colors in your frame is a huge part of being a
photographer and can really set you apart from the rest. It can also in a way define your style, do you prefer
warmer colors? Do you prefer cooler colors? Do you prefer only having two colors? Or do you like having the
whole rainbow in there? There is no right answer and that is the fun of it.
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BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY
Black and white photography is now as easy as

just dropping the saturation in post-production
or popping on a filter. But, to take great black
and white pictures is good to understand what
colors and exposures make a great black and
white photo in the first place.
For a long time, when film was the more

common medium for taking photos, you had to
choose between color and black and white film.
The benefit of black and white film was that it was much easier to develop yourself in a darkroom and overall
less expensive due to the chemicals you needed and many other things. It was also a loved style of shooting
by many photographers to do portraits and landscapes. The idea being that you are less distracted by the
colors and really just look at the details of the faces or landscapes.
Today, some camera manufactures allow you to select a mode in which you can shoot in black and white.
Some newer digital cameras even only shoot in black and white. This may see pointless to you since you can
simply import a photo and bring down the saturation to get a black and white photo. But what you are
missing here is that there is a lot more that goes into how that black and white image looks.
When it comes to editing black and white the only difference is that there is no color. Contras, highlights,
shadows, white level, black level… all still apply, and what you will find is that something like an overexposed
sky or a color starting to look unnatural doesn’t matter as much. You then begin looking more at the textures
and contrasts much more closely, really paying attention to the lighting. You can also go much more extreme
with some of your settings to really make the image dynamic and have lots of contrasts.
Of course, having colors might make an image pop more, maybe see more exciting, but black and white has
a special characteristic to it that makes you focus more on what is in the image than just enjoying the pretty
colors. There is a lot that can be made with black and white photography, by not having to pay attention to
color palettes and just on what you are seeing, makes a big difference.
But it is not always the best option. In some images color is needed to draw the attention to something, for
example something red in a white background, because it makes our subject stand out. On the black and
white version, you lose that focus point and the viewer might be looking around the image, being less
focused on it.
While taking photos in black and white, focus on the texture,

line, shape, tonal contrast, simple composition and the lighting,
not just if everything is exposed or not, but what parts of the
image are exposed, what is dark, what is bright, pay attention to
the full of light in the background, what are the textures of the
image. When starting to edit it, you will be able to make those
shadows much darker and those highlights much brighter than
if shooting in color where they might start to look strange. Noise
is still an issue in black and white photography but is much more
forgivable and can look much nicer than grainy color photos.
It is highly recommended every now and then switching your

photos over to black and white and playing with the setting in
there. You’ll be surprised by how different black and white
photos can look when you start adjusting things on your
computer.
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BLACK AND WHITE TECHNICS (PRO TIP)

Taking photos with the intention of turning them monochrome or black and white after the fact is a tricky
thing to learn. Over the years, the more photos you take though, the more you will notice what makes a
great monochrome photo. Starting off though, while editing photos maybe the colors just aren’t working,
or the highlights and shadows are too extreme to look how you’d like them to. If you ever find yourself in
this position, try pulling that saturation all the way down. It’s amazing what you start to notice without the
distraction of all of those colors.
For the most part, when you begin thinking about taking black and white photos, things are very similar to
when taking color photos. You want to have good composition and lighting, but you no longer need to be
thinking about framing out that annoying orange sign in the background. Instead, you need to think about
how the lighting is falling on everything inside your frame, what are going to be your highlights and what are
your shadows. What is the contrast throughout the image going to look like without all these colors?
Remember that darker colors will become your blacks and lighter colors will be your highlights.
This is where black and white photography really shines and is great for photographers to learn with. You
begin focusing on the lighting of everything in your frame. You pay attention to how it falls on your subject’s
face and the scenery around them. You also begin focusing on textures and the lines throughout the frame.
Really, it’s all about contrast when shooting in monochrome.
Another thing to remember is that when editing in

monochrome, it’s not just about bringing down the saturation.
You still need to adjust your highlights and shadows, white
point and black point. Even adjusting the white balance and
color saturations will still affect your image and can really help
you create better contrast throughout your image.
The favorite aspect of black and white photography for many

people is that they are really looking at the smaller details of an
image. What can look like a more basic photo of someone
sitting in a park, suddenly has a sense of nostalgia to it, a new
feeling that when color simply isn’t there. Starting off though,
it is recommend just copying some of your images, editing one
in color and then the other in black and white. Notice how you
approach both, what changes in your edits and ultimately how
different the two photos feel.
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7. LIGHTING AND FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Lighting is so incredibly important to photography, mostly because

light is actually what we are capturing with our cameras. When we
take a photo, we are exposing light sensitive material to light. In the
old days, with non-digital cameras, this was done by exposing film to
light. Nowadays, we are capturing that light with our camera’s digital
sensor, we are, in essence, recording the information of light at a
particular moment time and place. So, if you work past all that technical jargon it comes down to the practice
of taking light and recording it, so that we can reference it in the future, a photograph.
Light is a big deal to photography and there are many things about
light that we have to consider: the intensity, the quality, and the how
and where it falls. In this section we are going to look at soft light
versus hard light, natural light versus artificial light and what an
onboard flash will do for you versus an off-camera flash. Then we will
look at what hot lights are and how to take some steps in creating
some creative looks with all sorts of different types of lights.
SHOOTING IN NATURAL LIGHT
Shooting in natural light is the easiest, fasters and best thing you can do as a beginner. Shooting in natural
light means you’re basically using any light that is happening naturally in your scene. More often than not,
that means light coming from the sun and it is something that changes how you shoot during different times
of the day but just because you can’t control the sun, doesn’t mean you can’t control how to use the light
coming from the sun: soft, hard, minimal, blown out… the options are endless.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL WITH LIGHTING?

With every photo you take, you have to think about what the lighting you want to archive or what the goal
with your lighting is. We can use lighting to properly expose a subject or we can use it to highlight specific
areas of your composition.
The pros of using natural light include its ease and simplicity. It is free to use and always available, unless
shooting at night. Some people even prefer the look and style of using natural light versus flash photography
too. Right away, using natural light will keep you focus on the moment and what you are shooting. You don’t
have to purchase or carry any other lighting gear, you don’t have to deal with lighting settings or charge
batteries. This are things that take you away from composing a beautiful image. The more gear you have,
the more variables there are, the more problems and unexpected issues can occur. Often, journalistic event
photography will rely heavily on natural light. By getting your settings correct, using your light meter in the
camera to expose for faces, you can make sure to capture those specific moments.
Natural light will look different depending on the weather. With a lot of clouds, the light will be softer and
create fewer harsh shadows compered to standing outside in the middle of a sunny day directly under the
sun.
Shooting in the early morning light or near sunset will allow results in softer light that has a beautiful warm
glow to it. The time of the day often referred to as golden hour and is the perfect time to shoot if you are
trying to make your photos look magical. It is a good idea to shoot a lot of headshots and/or modeling shots
during this time, the sun is lower and creates a wonderful flare. Still, you need to keep exposing for their
faces and let the sun flare over expose a little to create that look, or, you can set your camera to expose for
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the sun allowing for a more silhouetted look when shooting a person or letting a sunset photo create a
gradient over the clouds.
Watch how we expose for the sun versus exposing for the beach and the sky in the photos bellow. You can
tell that the photo is completely different when we expose for either the sky in the sunset or just the beach
in the foreground. It is two completely different photos based on what lighting we are exposing for.
TIPS FOR SHOOTING WITH NATURAL LIGHT

Let’s see three different
ways to position a person
based on the sun. When
having the sun right in the
face of our subject, you
have to shoot pretty close
to avoid your shadow
casting on the subject. When shooting in the shade, not in direct bright daylight, so your photos will come
out nice, with even soft light, not as harsh like bright direct sun light. Comparing with the first one, where
the light is just blowing out in front of his face, it is much more lit, there are harsh shadows, the background
is a little bit nicer but in the second one it is nice, even, cool, light.
The third way is to have the sun hit the back of the subject instead of the face. This way, the eyes of the
subject can be open, and he will have a rim light behind him. There will be a nice flare coming into our camera
as well. The bummer part is that the background is a little bit blown out where the sun is, and he is a little
shaded. But we can control that by using a flexfill or bounce card to get a better lighting by bouncing the
light where we want it to fill up the shadows of the faces. The best option is to use the white side because it
creates a more natural light, more subtle and soft, while by using the gold side we get a warmer look. We
can also use the flexfill to create a shadow when having the sun in the face to diffuse the light, so the faces
is in a shadow, but the background is bright and has direct lighting.
USING NATURAL LIGHT FROM A WINDOW

Often you might want to take a portrait of someone and don’t have the light that you need. A really cool way
to do this in a really soft artistic way is finding a window with a lot of soft light coming through it, nothing
where the sun’s breaking through but just some bouncing off the street from outside. It is a really good use
of natural daylight.
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SHOOTING IN ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
If you don’t want to use natural light and want more control of your lighting, you will want to use artificial
lights. There are two types of artificial light. One is found lighting, the artificial light that is created by lights
around you: your house lights, a streetlight or any other man-made light bulb. The other is the light created
from a flash, a strobe or a hot light.
Using the artificial light around you can be very easy. The first step is to balance your camera’s white balance
setting to that specific type of light. Or if you want a cool or warm tint, then changing your white balance.
Often, in office spaces you will have really gross looking florescent lights in the ceilings. They work great for
lighting a whole room, but it gives people these heavy shadows that are just not very flattering because the
lights coming from directly above. Other times you will be in someone’s house or room and there are room
lights or lamps around. Usually, the best thing to do in these situations is to diffuse the light, meaning
breaking it up from being such a harsh, hard light with something soft, like a curtain, a sheet, a lampshade
or just turn them off or position them wherever you are shooting to take advantage of them. It is interesting
to try different types of diffusion with different materials.
SHOOTING WITH YOUR CAMERA’S FLASH
Flashes can be a hard thing to master but can really save you in some dark situations. Most cameras have a
flash built into the camera that can be turned on or off or set to auto mode, which is not recommended.
Some would only use a flash if there is no other way to expose properly in that lighting situation. That means,
there is not enough natural or artificial light and even by increasing the ISO, the camera just can’t see into
the dark enough, without compromising the quality of the image.
The best way to shoot with flash is to diffuse it or it usually is too harsh and doesn’t make a pretty result. A
naked flash is generally a very hard harsh light. Similar to the naked sun, it creates a hard shadow and is
really intense. By diffusing a hard light, we are softening the light and dispersing the light rise, creating less.
SHOOTING WITH AN EXTERNAL FLASH
An external flash is a flash that is not built into your

camera. Most of the latest flash units are given the
acronym E-TTL which means “Evaluative-Through-
The-Lens” operation. There are several other ways to
use these newest flashes including manual operation
where you decide how much flash it should put out.
The external flash gives you more control in both,
positioning the flash and intensity, or brightness. It
will also allow you to change the direction of the
flash. Bouncing the flash’s light off the ceiling or in a wall near you to create softer light is great. It is a good
idea to point the flash to the ceiling to light the entire room instead of the subject itself. You can also use
specific diffusers to bounce or diffuse your flash, giving you more control of the quality of light. It is important
to know which shutter speed is the correct when using the external flash, which is the flash sync speed.
There are certain modeling shoots that we use harder flashes on but usually from an external power source,
powerful flashes strobe that can move away from the camera. Using an external off the top of your camera
will allow for some real creative control. It will also allow your photo look more dynamic than just lighting
from right above the lens. Taking the flash off the camera opens up an entirely new world. You can use a
wireless remote or cable to set up your flash somewhere else to create a more dynamic look.
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COMMON MISCONCEPTION ABOUT FLASH

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the very common misconception: flash output is determined by
how bright the flash gets when you fire a unit. That is not correct. Flash output is determined by the amount
of time or duration the flash unit emits light from the strobe unit. So, what determines the duration of the
flash? That is a complicated algorithm but in simple terms, it is the combination of your aperture, shutter
speed and amount of light needed as determined by your camera.
If it is being used outdoors as a fill light, the duration is measured in milliseconds. If it is being used in very
dark conditions, the duration will still be in milliseconds but much longer than fill light. So, let us make sure
you understand this… the amount of brightness a flash unit puts out stays constant. What determines you
getting the correct exposure is the duration of that flash.
HOW DO EXTERNAL FLASH WORK?

The latest offerings of flash units that mount on your hot-shoe are ingenious devices. They are as automatic
as one would ever think could be developed. In fact, if you are accustomed to point and shoot cameras, using
one of these flashes on your hot-shoe is as easy as pushing shutter release. What happens is an amazing
technological achievement. When you have the unit turned on to take a photo and press the shutter release,
the flash puts out a pre-flash to the subject you are focused on and sends that information back to the
camera. The camera processes the pre-flash data then fires again to take the picture. Mind you, the subjects
are totally unaware that there were two flashes firing in their eyes, a pre-flash and then the main flash. All
this happens in what is measured not in milliseconds, but in microseconds!
In the pre-flash, the flash unit and camera are working together to determine the ambient light, measured
by the sensor in the camera. The sensor compares the ambient light values with the light reflected by the
subject. Canon’s E-TTL II even measures the distance to the main subject and that also becomes part of the
evaluation taking place. The pre-flash determines how much flash duration will be needed, sends that
information to the camera and you are the recipient of a perfectly exposed subject and background. We
have purposely typed the last words boldly since we will talk about that later.
FLASH EXPOSURE (FE)

FE lock is simply obtaining a proper flash exposure, pushing the right button to lock in that exposure. You
then have about 16 seconds to recompose and take the shot thereby guaranteeing the exposure you set and
not have the camera reset a new exposure ruining your shot.
On Canon units, the FE lock is the asterisk button (*) directly below the display screen on top of the camera.
To make this work, use the partial metering mode (or spot metering mode) over the subject where you want
to lock the flash output then press the asterisk (*) button. The speedlight will pre-flash that area and lock
that exposure into memory. I might caution you that you have 16 seconds to then recompose and take the
shot. If you find you need more time just press the (*) again and again until you feel comfortable with the
composition. Each time you press the (*) button the unit will fire another pre-flash. Incidentally, this also
works with the built-in flash unit on all Canon DSLR’s!
HIGH SPEED FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY

As you probably know, most DSLR’s (and most any kind of SLR, digital or not) have a maximum flash sync
speed. It is generally in the area of 1/200 shutter speed. Very few have lower, some slightly higher. This sync
speed is the maximum your hot shoe flash will sync and provide you with properly exposed images. But there
is a method to override the limits. On Canon units, it is in the “custom functions”. Once you have discovered
how to override the max sync speed in your manual, you need to look at the back of your flash unit and you
will find a mode called FP sync or just FP. On Canon units, it is a little lightning icon followed by the letter H.
When you slide the switch or otherwise get it to this mode, a little lightning icon will appear in the viewfinder.
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SHOOTING WITH A FLASH OUTDOORS
Using your flash isn’t just for indoor use. You can
even use it outside to add light to your scene or
film. The key here is to have a flash powerful
enough to match the same exposure in the
background. Often onboard flashes on cameras
won’t necessarily be powerful enough when
fighting backlit daylight. But try to use your flash
to fill in shadows created by the sun, so that subject
and background are both well exposed. This is kind
of a good way to make an HDR photo but using our flash as opposed to bracketing or changing or f-stop.
Use the flash to fill out a shady subject when the background is bright. It is an easy way to do and it is a
specific style. You may get a too harsh look when just using directly the flash, try these ways to change that:
1. Bring the power of the flash down.

2. Use your diffuser straight up to get a softer light but adjust the power of the flash to get it right too.
3. Use a remote flash. It is a good option to get a more dynamic and contrast-y light.
You may have heard the phrase drag the shutter, meaning using a slow shutter speed to allow more ambient
light to enter the lens. Keep in mind, however, that if you drag the shutter and there is a lot of ambient light
on your subject, it will affect them if they are moving but you will maintain the sky in some shots.
SHOOTING WITH A LIGHTING KIT: 3 -POINT LIGHTING
When we talk about shooting with hot lights, we mean lights on stands
that are always on. We call them hot lights because they get hot. Often,
hot lights are used mostly in video because you need the consistent light.
They can be great for photo shoots when photographing multiple
subjects or it can be great for fashion and portrait photography when you
want to see how you are modeling the light in real time. Unlike the flash
and the strobe, that can only be seen when taking the photo, with hot
lights you can adjust the shape and light however you see fit as you see
the light.
Let’s take a look at lighting subjects with a couple of light panels at a

studio and what you can do to change the mood and adjust your settings
with the light in hand. 3-point lighting is a basic lighting setup common in
portrait lighting. A key light, a fill light or motivated light and a backlight
are the elements of this lighting. The key light is the main light, the key
to light our subject. The subject will be lit from one side only with a little
bit of shadow on his right side and the background will be a little dim.
When turning on the fill light, it will fill out some of the shadows created
by the key light, making the image more flattering, with clean light on the
subject. By adding the back light, there will be a little separation on the
back, and it will be a bit more dynamic, it lights up the back of the
subject’s heads. When turning off the key light, maintaining the other two,
the fill light turns to a sort of key light and there is still a back light getting
more dynamic and having a really cool light. Using just the back light, the
face of the subject is full of shadows, but it is possible to see what the back light does. It is a good way to
create a silhouette. As you can see, using hot lights gives you a ton of control and you can adjust things in
real time very quickly.
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CREATIVE LIGHTING: SILHOUETTES AND THE BLACK LIGHT
Up until now, we have just been using different lighting technics to see our subjects, to expose them properly,
to become better photographer. You can use lighting to your advantage and creating some more creative
images. In this lesson, we will learn about silhouettes, back lighting, flash positioning and night time long
exposures.
SILHOUETTES
To get a silhouette, you need to position your
subject between you and the light source.
Then you expose to the light source. This
makes your subject underexposed and when
the light is bright enough the subject will be
silhouette. You can make a silhouette more
dramatic in post editing as well by increasing
the contrast and decreasing the exposure of
your subject.
BACK LIGHTING
Some photographers use it in portraits mostly.
Outdoors this is very useful when having to deal
with the sun. A back light separates the subject
from the background and adds a nice glowing
hallow around your subject. Something to be
cation about when shooting a back light, is
getting that light to hit your lens. A good time to
use it, is in afternoons to get a bit of magic to the
shoots.
OFF-CAMERA FLASH
When you have a remote off-camera flash, you can
put your flash almost anywhere. This opens you up to
unlimited amount of creativity and building your light
with your flash. Try positioning the flash to highlight
some areas of your scene or subject, parts that you
want to draw the attention of the viewer to.
NIGHT TIME LONG EXPOSURE

You can really get creative and create light streaks
using flashlights or headlamps. What happens is
the camera has long exposure, because it is so
dark it doesn’t capture anything except the light
source itself. If you move the light during the
exposure, the camera will capture that exact
movement. This is always super fun to do. You will
need a tripod and the ability to have a long
exposure and a small flash light.
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CAPTURING BEAUTIFUL SUNSET PHOTOGRAPHS (PRO TIP)
In the age of Instagram and social media, it seems like

the ‘sunset’ photo is one of the most popular and
commonly shared photos out there. The number of
photos of sunsets we see is astounding and yet, every
now and then there is that one sunset photo that
catches you by surprise. Why don’t all the other ones
look like that? There are many reasons and we wanted
to walk you through a few tricks on how to take truly
stunning sunset photos. Also, just to note, while using
the light from the sunset is always a great tool for a
photographer, we are going to focus on actually
photographing the setting sun.
Now one of the more obvious things to consider when taking a sunset shot is location. You should find unique
locations that will at least fill part of your frame. Also, you have to make sure that where you are taking the
photo from is facing where the sun is going to be setting. Ideally, you find somewhere that will add to the
sunset, maybe with silhouetted foreground elements or by having scenery that is also being illuminated by
the setting sun. Now, once you are at that location, how do you make sure that your capture its beauty.
First and foremost, play with your exposure settings, don’t shoot auto! Play with white balance, shady or
cloudy settings will give make it nice and golden, AWB will turn it white and not golden which might be a
look you like but typically, you will want to have that nice golden look. From there, if you are shooting the
actual setting sun, it's probably far off in the distance. Because of this, if you have any foreground elements,
you will probably want to stop down your f-stop, so more is in focus and you don't have incredibly blurry
silhouettes in your frame. When pointing at the sun, you should have plenty of light so don't be afraid to
bring down that ISO and make the shutter speed faster. One tip too is to have your ISO around 800 and a
faster shutter so once the sun sets, if you want to keep taking photos as it gets darker, you just need to adjust
your shutter speed.
Silhouettes are always a great thing to place in your frame and can really add to the beauty of the setting
sun. While looking out over a vast landscape or ocean is always beautiful, placing a subject in the frame or
moving to have something between you and the setting sun can tell more of a story and help make your
photo more interesting. Another thing to consider is how you compose your sunset. If there are a lot of
clouds in the sky, typically they will add great texture and colors to your photo, so placing the horizon lower
in frame is a good idea to show off the epicness of the colors. Other times, if you are on a cliff or using a
drone, placing the horizon higher in the frame reveals everything the setting sunlight is hitting.
Now if you are having issues getting everything in your frame to expose correctly, you can bracket expose
or use HDR. Bracketing essentially means taking multiple exposures and placing them on top of each other
in a software like Adobe Photoshop. One shot should be exposed for the shadows in the frame and the other
shot exposed for the highlights in your frame. Then, when you layer them, you get the most from the
highlights and shadows of each image. This does require a tripod, so the photos have the exact same framing
and a bit of post-editing knowledge to blend the images together and make it look natural. While this can
lead to some truly stunning images, don’t feel like you won’t get great images by not doing this. Most of
these photos were taken straight out of camera.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to not just taking a photo of the setting sun but instead, the
surroundings and using that beautiful golden hour lighting as part of your image. It is also a great excuse to
spend the end of your day outside, watching the sun go down but don’t forget to put more than just the
setting sun in your frame. Use your surroundings and everything that that beautiful golden hour lighting is
touching. Also, remember that by the time you are ready to go, it’ll be getting dark and probably a bit cooler
so be prepared and bring a flashlight if you have a long walk back to your car or house.
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ARTISTIC FLARES (PRO TIP)
Adding a well-placed flare to your

photo can take an ordinary photo
and really make it magical,
adding a dreamlike, sometimes
ethereal look to your photo. But
this can be a tricky thing to
achieve, especially to do it well.
At the very simplest level, a flare
occurs when a direct, hard light
source hits the glass of your
camera’s lens. Flares vary in look
depending on the intensity of the
light, from what direction that
light comes from and your lens.
The intensity and direction of the light will give you a flare. One of the most common flares, which as you
start taking more and more photos you are bound to see, is when taking photos with the sun in your frame
or just outside of your frame. Typically, a flare will show up as a little green dot floating around your frame.
Now, this isn’t the kind of flare we are trying to achieve but this is a flare.
An easier way to see this is to take a flashlight or light on your phone and hold it around the edge of your
lens. Now as you move the light around your lens, moving it closer or farther, you can see the flare change.
Now using a flashlight will give you one kind of flare and a specific color of flare and can be a fun thing to
play with.
The other important factor here is the

lens. Every lens will give you a different
looking flare, some will have much more
defined lines while others will have multi-
colored rainbows. One reason people
love old vintage glass is because of how
they flare, they have more texture and
more interesting flares. Also, make sure
to have your aperture wide open, ideally
with a lens that is f1.4 to maximize the
size of the flare so you don’t have just a
small dot floating around your frame.
Beyond all this though, how do we
achieve that beautiful flare?
Most commonly, we want to take that sunset photos with a beautiful golden flare framing our subject. The
easiest way to achieve this is to backlight your subject with the sun as its setting, placing them between you
and the sun. Ideally have the sun just above them or to the side but you will need the sun fairly low on the
horizon to really get the best effect. From there, move around, play with the position of the sun while also
paying attention to where your subject is and how the flare frames them. You want to draw attention to your
subject and not have the flare be overly distracting.
Flares are a great way to make your photos stand out and really add that dreamlike quality to them. The
most important thing is to practice taking them, being set up in the right location to get both the
composition you want and the sun in the right place to get the best flare possible.
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GETTING RID OF GLARE IN GLASSES (PR O TIP)
As a photographer, we run into all sorts of little things that end up having
a huge impact on our end product. Glare in glasses is definitely one of
those that maybe you don’t notice at first and then you realize that you
can see yourself in every photo you took. Or maybe you do notice and
end up spending a bunch of time trying to reposition your subject just
right, so the glare goes away. Either way, it is a process and so we
wanted to share a few tips of how to reduce or entirely get rid of any
glare.
Because there are a lot of variables here like kinds of glasses, what
equipment you are using, what the lighting is like, there is no one
solution. Set up your frame, place your subject and figure out from
where the glare is coming from. You can do this by shielding the glasses
with your hand and slowly moving it around until the glare is gone. From
there, you have a few options.
The easiest is to slightly tilt the glasses on your subject, just a little bit so it doesn’t look funny but gets rid of
the glare. It will feel kind of awkward to them so make sure you don’t do it too much and reassure them that
it looks natural after you’ve taken a few photos.
Another trick is to physically move them until the glare is gone, typically this will be from the sun or lights
nearby so try placing them either with the light behind them or in a spot that the lights are blocked from
directly hitting their glasses. If you can’t do this or are trying to shoot in a specific location, you can ask them
to move their head slightly, either to the side, up or down until the glare is gone.
LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography is all about lighting, and sometimes the lack of light

is what makes a photo interesting. Capturing a photo that requires
darkness can be a problem, especially if you’re used to trying to
get as much light in the lens as possible. Indoors can be the bane
of the photographer, where you’re dying to catch the light, but
using a flash will ruin it and it’s too dark to hand hold. Whether
you’ve got no way to improve the lighting, or whether your camera
just can’t see what you see in the dark there are ways to deal with
low-light environments that mean you’ll still get the exposure you want.
How dark is dark? Identifying your level of lighting is the first step to understanding how you can fix the
problem. There’s a huge range of light which you might encounter but for clarity let’s divide “low light” into
the three most common categories you’re likely to come across.
• Dark, aka night, total lack of light or only bright objects are visible.
• Low light, indoors or after sunset during the terminator zone where you can still see but the light
is definitely fading and no longer daytime.
• Visible shade, it may be full daylight but there’s not enough light or the lighting is a combination
of very bright and very dark where your exposure is going to be difficult. Shadows, under
canopies, alleys, and under trees in full sun fall into this category.
You’ve probably come across any number of difficult lighting situations dealing with darkness and shadow
but it’s still plausible to take good images in all the above situations using the exposure triangle correctly.
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VISIBLE SHADE/DIFFICULT LIGHT

Our eyes see a much broader dynamic range than the camera
sensor, so while we might look at something as having “plenty of
light” the camera sees something different. If you’ve ever tried to
take a shot under a tree or in shadow hoping to avoid midday glare,
only for it to come out blurry it’s likely that your camera tried to
compensate for the poor light by slowing the shutter to the point
where the speed wasn’t good for handheld. There are two things
you’re going to find when taking a visible shade image – either high
noise or blur depending on how your camera compensates.
• Increase shutter. The shutter speed determines just how long the sensor is exposed to light. The
slower your shutter speed the more likely you are to experience blur. Anything less than 1/100 when
you are hand holding is risking blur and while you might be able to get away with as low as 1/50 if
you’ve got some sort of support and the right lens, you’re probably better off compromising on the
exposure triangle and using a faster shutter to stop the risk of blur at all. For full daylight you’re
likely to be using 1/200 or 1/250 shutter speed so increasing your exposure to 1/100 or higher will fix
blur as long as you compromise elsewhere.
• Decrease aperture. Increasing the shutter speed alone will not get you a better exposure. You’ll
have less blur, but you’ll also likely have a dark underexposed image. Unless you have a fast lens
lowering your aperture will help counteract this. The smaller the aperture the more light will pass
into the sensor still allowing you to get the same amount of light for less shutter opening time. You
can change to aperture priority mode to over-ride your camera’s tendency to increase ISO and lower
shutter speed and put it to the lowest aperture possible then move up until you get the right
exposure.
• Faster lens. The lowest aperture you’re going to have is going to depend on how fast your lens is.
Most consumer grade lenses, especially zoom lenses, stop around f/3-5 while professional lenses
will go to f/2.8 and some prime lenses will go as low as f/1.2. Decreasing the aperture will double the
speed of your shutter while still letting in the same amount of light, as long as you have a lens that
allows this.
• Increasing ISO. If you’ve already decreased the aperture and increased the shutter speed, then the
only part of the exposure triangle left to adjust is the ISO. The ISO is how sensitive the sensor is to
light. For each stop you increase the ISO you’ll double the exposure and double how fast the shutter
speed is. While the math isn’t exact it’s enough to understand how that works. The issue with
doubling the ISO means that you’re risking noise. Most cameras can acceptably take pictures up to
ISO 800 or even ISO 3200 without having noise issues but at the highest ISO levels of 32,000-51,200
you may have an image that’s so noisy that it’s unusable.
LOW LIGHT
Low light is the most complex of all situations because you want to use the available light, but you’ll quickly
max out your aperture. Using the same steps as above you may still have blurry images, so you have to
compromise further or get creative.
• Increase ISO more. As mentioned before, like aperture there becomes a point where you just can’t
increase the ISO more. The higher levels mean significant noise, and this can’t always be filtered
out in post processing, so your choice is either to stack images (something that is impossible if hand
holding) or to try something else.
• Stand closer. If you can get closer to your light source, you’ll have more usable light. This is
especially important for indoors. Standing a subject near a window or door that lets in light from
outside can create enough light that your camera can function with a fast shutter. You may still
need a flash to fill light but that’s a different matter.
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• Stabilize and technique. Proper hand

holding technique will go a long way to
getting your images clear. Your camera
should be held similarly to a rifle with your
arms close to your body and supported.
Exhaling as you gently press the shutter can
release some of the shake from pressing it,
and if all else fails support yourself or brace
yourself against a solid object. Leaning
against a wall, a tree, a door, or table can help
add precious time to your shutter speed.
• Underexpose. If you can’t get the ISO to a reasonable level the option is to simply underexpose. By
underexposing to some extent, you can still bump up the exposure in post processing without
reaching the level of noise you would by using the on-board ISO. Negatively exposing by 1 to 1.5
stops risks losing detail but you may also be able to recover it.
• Autofocus. Especially when it gets very dark, your autofocus likely can’t figure out what you want
to see. Autofocus almost exclusively relies on contrast and in a dark image there’s very little so it
will try and find the brightest thing it can or simply choose the center. Turning your auto focus to
single point or continuous can help re-acquire the right point though in many cases you won’t be
able to “see” where you’re focusing.
• Full frame. Full frame sensors perform better in low light situations. They’re expensive and the
sensors do have a higher dynamic range so in a situation where a crop sensor would have to have a
tripod an fx sensor (35mm) may still be handheld.
DARK
Full darkness is almost impossible to shoot handheld. The exception is when you are in dull darkness but the
area you are in is brightly lit, giving enough light for the camera to expose.
• Use a tripod. Almost entirely

you will have to have the
camera sitting on something to
stabilize it. A sturdy tripod is
essential if you’re shooting at
night. Slow shutter speed and
even slight vibration in full
darkness can cause blur and
vibration. A timer or shutter
release cable is also important
as it will stop your camera shaking from your hand pressing/releasing the shutter. While a remote
control can work just as well, you may end up having to be in the frame to set it.
• Add light. Using light and a slow exposure will do one of two things – create motion when you move
the light or light up the subject alone without the background. Adding light can also work for a
double exposure where you expose a brightly lit subject then combine the image with a correctly
exposed dark background.
• Manual focus. If all else fails, you can also try adding manual focus. Autofocus just doesn’t work in
full darkness and adding vibration assist will only go so far in this case. Illuminate the subject and
focus the camera before removing the illumination and exposing. If you’re still not familiar with
the exposure triangle, this is your greatest weapon for correct exposure. The key is getting the
shutter speed fast enough to expose without blur, but you’re going to compromise aperture or
ISO and knowing which will make all the difference.
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MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY
8. MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Smartphone photography has come a long way since they were

invented. There is no faster way to take a photo and share it than
from the same device you use to view social media. In today’s
smartphones, we see a wide range of really advanced sensors, lenses
and in some cases portrait mode and settings that mimic the shallow
depth of field of more expensive cameras. When you combine the
advancement in some of these phone cameras, the post apps on
them and the ability to share instantly, the camera phone is a force
to be reckoned with, when comparing them to other cameras. New
to a lot of phones is the portrait mode. Your phone is able to
distinguish between subject and background creating that shallow
depth of field look. It does that by using the wide lens and the
telephoto lens and blurring the background in the processing.
Smartphone photography is always changing an endless.
USING A SMARTPHONE CAMERA
Every smartphone is different. The first thing you have to understand about your phone is that it is not a full-
blown DSLR. Chances are it will be under 16 MP, it is automatically a mirrorless camera and most phones are
married to the lens that is built in as a default. Let’s go over some capabilities and non-capabilities of your
smartphone cameras:
• Camera size. It is small, you will be able to carry it with you anywhere, and most places that don’t
allow you to bring in a large camera will allow you to bring in your phone.
• The lens. It is always going to be a fixed lens by default. You can buy extra lens attachment but
usually what you have on your phone is what you got to work with. Don’t try to think you will be
able to shoot wildlife from 5,5m away.
• Sensors and technology. While phones have advanced a lot, you are still limited to the technology
in your phone. Some older phones will have smaller megapixels while some of the new fancy phones
will have upwards of twelve megapixels. Which is plenty enough to print a decent size of photo. But
not all pixels are created equally. A twelve-megapixel photo from your smartphone may not be as
good as a twelve-megapixel photo from your DSLR, depending of the size and quality of the sensor.
This is one of the most limiting factors of smartphones.
• Exposure. To set your exposure on your cameras phone, you simply tap where you want the
exposure to be and in some you can move the brightness up and down as you look at the screen. It
is pretty much auto, you won’t need to select an ISO, a f-stop or a shutter. This is great for quick
snapshots or someone who doesn’t want to deal with all those manual controls, but you lose a bit
of artistic control when you are married to what the phone decides is the correct way to expose.
• Low light. Most phones are not the best at shooting in low light, they cannot do a long exposure on
bomb up the sensitivity like a DSLR or a mirrorless camera.
• Post editing. You can take a photo with your smartphone, edit it in an app and post it all within two
minutes. You can’t do this with a camera, without sending it to the computer or to a phone to share.
Editing in an app as never been easier, it is one of the best things about a smartphone.
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TIPS FOR BETTER SMARTPHONE PHOTOS
We will cover tips for getting better shots with your smartphone focusing in composition, depth of field,
exposure and even photographing at night:
• Look for good compositions. Because you are limited in how you manually adjust your settings, to
be creative in terms of exposure, great smartphone photography is mostly about finding great
subjects and composing them beautifully. It is just about using what you learnt about composition
applying it to the smartphone photography. One way to help you do this is the grid mode, it brings
up a grid overly on the screen that spits your camera in nine different squares, but you can choose
other grids too. It basically gives you a symmetrical grip across the screen to help you compose the
shoot in a pleasant manner.
• Creating a shallow depth of field. Using portrait mode or focusing in something in the foreground.
This one will throw the background out of focus. This shallow depth of field look will often make
your photo look more professional and artistic. It is something you can do very quickly to make it
look like you are shooting on a higher profile camera that just your phone. Even if you don’t have
portrait mode, you can get shallow depth of field by moving closer to your subject and trying to put
as much space between the subject and the background.
• Pay attention to the sky. When shooting skies, the smartphones tend to lose highlights much
faster than the shadows, and that can make your picture look blown out or have less appealing
aesthetic. Try exposing the sky just a little darker than the phone would do automatically.
• Exposing at night. The best way is searching for apps specialized in this function and getting a
tripod to hold it still. Take your time setting up the shot and playing around with these apps and the
production value of a shot will go up for sure.
LOW LIGHT WITH A SMARTPHONE
Shooting in low light with a smartphone is not always easy. There are several ways to do it that utilize some
of the same tips:
• Just use what you got. The newest smartphones are pretty good at seeing in the dark, they do slow
the shooter down a little and tend to hike up the sensitivity a bit. But it is worth the shoot. If you do
this, then you should try locking it off on a tripod or setting it up against something, so it doesn’t
move as much. The less handheld you can do, the more still your phone will be.
• Using the flash on your phone. The flash on your phone can be very powerful and sometimes a
little too harsh. It really only works for something that is less than 5 to 8 feet (1’5m/2’4m) away from
your phone but it can be a quick way to light your subject. You might also experiment with diffusing
it, making it a bit softer and less hard on your subject or the background.
• Find light. Maybe easier said than done sometimes but by finding artificial light we can use it to our
advantage. So, hunt for a street lamp or a desk lamp or anything to help fill up the dark areas,
smartphones aren’t always great in dark so anything you can use will really be helpful.
• Use a long exposure app. It is even better because it allows to control the shutter a little bit better.
Combine this with a tripod and you will get as much light in your sensor as it is possible for your
smartphone, coming out with some really good stuff.
• Using the flash. It is a little aggressive. The further you move away, the less effect will the flash
have. Using flash in complete darkness, it is a full-blown flash and doesn’t look that good.
• Creative light. A great idea is using another phone as an external flash to light the person in a
certain way, moving it around.
• Using a tripod. It helps when shutting motion at night because your phone is slowing down a bit,
but you will need a little adapter that will allow you to screw it into the tripod.
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MOBILE CAMERA ACCESSORIES
The lens on your smartphone is great but they are a few options out there for getting more out of it.
You can buy a third-party device that allows you to attach an external lens to the front of your camera. This
will allow your camera endless possibilities as far as glass goes. You can attach a wide adaptor to get those
epic shoots, a macro lens to get some closer up shoots, a telephoto to zoom in far away, or just some more
glass to help create that depth of field look on your smartphone camera.
You can also go big and get an attachment that allow you use a Zeiss exolens, and in fact even add a sensor
too that connects to your phone and just uses it as a screen. Basically, you’re buying a camera with a lens
and you can use your phone as the computer that attaches to that lens.
For low light and the occasional group shoot that you need to be in, you can get a small tripod that can even
fit in your pocket. This small tripod scrap on your phone from all sides keeping it stable in place.
There are so many different options when it comes to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi mini printers. These small
printers will instantly print photos you shoot and edit from your phone. You can get a variety of different
paper as well, from polaroid style to stickers, this can really be fun while you are on the go or just at home.
Shutter buttons are small Bluetooth devices that let you activate your shutter from an external device.
These are great when you are trying to take a picture of yourself or when you are attempting to do longer
exposure and want to avoid moving the camera or maybe you just can’t reach the shutter button on your
camera. You can also consider handy having a selfie stick which sometimes have a shutter too.
Time-lapse rotator or spinner simply grab on your phone and spins it very slowly allowing to make this really
cool time-lapses, super fun and creative.
PORTRAIT MODE
The portrait mode works also for normal

photography, it takes the foreground that is in
focus and isolates it against the background and
then throws the background out of focus optically,
creating that shallow depth of field look that
makes things look ever so professional. It does this
by using his dual lenses, a telephoto lens with a
wide lens. They work together to isolates the
foreground and background, send information to
its computer and combines the photos to make
one perfect image. You can still see some small
imperfections if you zoom in on these photos. But for the most parts it’s pretty amazing.
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CAMERA EQUIPMENT
9. EQUIPMENT: CAMERAS
In the end of the day, a camera is just a box with a hole on it, it is just a tool, you are the artist, and you can
take amazing photos with any camera. It starts to get a little complicated nowadays since there are so many
different types of boxes and all the bells and whistles that come on the outside of that box. Every person is
going to have their own way of interacting with their camera and they own definition of what a great camera
is, along with what great photography is to them. This has a huge effect on what kind of camera is right for
them. There is no perfect standard hero camera that will fit every person needs and aesthetics. Every person
is different, and every photographer is different. There will be presented different camera bodies and
options to you so that you can make the right decision for what you need as an artist and as photographer.
The absolute best camera in the world is the one that you have chosen to have with you.
CAMERA TYPES
In this lesson you will learn about the common types of cameras on the market today. We will break down
the cameras in four different types: DSLR, mirrorless, point and shoot and smartphones.
DSLR CAMERAS
DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex, as we already know. They are
named after their film predecessor SLR which were Single Lens Reflex
camera that shot on non-digital film. The single lens means they use only
one lens to capture and see the image. The reflex is the moving mirror
(shutter) inside the camera that allows light, image, to go the lens, hit and
bounce its way up to the viewfinder. When you press the shutter down, the
mirror moves, reflex, and then allows the shutter to hit the digital sensor or
the film. DSLR are often bigger than other camera bodies because of all
those components. They have more buttons and are heavier than other cameras.
MIRRORLESS CAMERAS
These cameras tend to be a bit smaller, mostly because they don’t have the
mirror system the DSLRs have. It is just a lens and then the sensor. Although
the cameras are a bit smaller and weigh less, some of them are still full frame
sensors, meaning the quality of the image captured is very similar and
sometimes better than the DSLR. Often, because they are so small, we see
a lack of buttons on some of the newer ones. With fewer buttons and dials
on the body, most of the options will be selected and changed in the menu
system. You also find a small electronic viewfinder in the replacement of the
optical viewfinder from DSLR.
POINT AND SHOOT CAM ERAS

These cameras are also mirrorless but are even smaller. They usually lack
viewfinder and often have a fixed lens on it, these means you can’t swap out
lenses to change your angle, aperture or options or things like that. You just
hold them up, look to the screen in the back, point and shoot. These are
usually cheaper and have lot of automatically functionality on them.
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MOBILE AND SMARTPHONE CAMERAS

Mobile camera is that camera that is built into your phone or tablet device. These come in all different shapes
and sizes. Every modern phone pretty much has a different camera from the other, with many having fun
facing cameras, great for selfies.
KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

Within each different type of camera, there are many options. From the sensor sizing and types of lens
mounts, there are endless different combinations and systems you can dive into. Something to keep in mind
is that cameras tend to get updated every year or two. It is a fast-moving technology that is always changing.
You may not always be able to keep up with the latest and greatest, but the important thing is that you have
a camera that allows you to take the photos you want to take. Better than having a camera with you than be
waiting to what is coming out next.
WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET?
When talking about different camera types, the cost can greatly vary. You can have a smartphone for a
hundred dollars, or you can buy a medium format digital Hasselblad for over $10.000. So, what are you
paying for? Why are some cameras more expensive and why would you want to pay more for a
camera like that?
WHAT MAKES A CAMERA EXPENSIVE?

In photography, price tends to go up for a more sensitive bigger sensor, the speed of the camera,
how fast it can take and process photos, pixel count, also known as resolution, ability to shoot videos
and that videos quality and the lens system. Most full frame DSLR are going to be the most expensive
cameras you will see on the prosumer market, while smaller point-and-shoot will be the cheapest. In
the mid-range, you will find smaller crop sensor DSLR and crop sensor mirrorless cameras. But you
also see some crop sensor mirrorless for the same price as a full frame DSLR. It really varies. You
may see an advanced point-and-shoot camera more expensive than a cropped frame DSLR. You
have to look a bit deeper than the sticker price on that type of camera to see really what is best for
your budget and the type of photography you are doing. Therefore, most cameras sail persons will
ask you for your budget before they tell you what kind of camera you are going to get into.
HOW MUCH CAN YOU SPEND ON A CAMERA?

Once you have an idea of how much money you can spend on a camera body, you then have to
start thinking about lenses. A lot of cameras will come with a kit lens that is typically a zoom lens with
a mediocre aperture, it will not be the best lens money can buy but it will be great for basic lens to
start with and while you are learning it’s a really good lens. Aside from lenses, you will start to think
about accessories and other purchases, and things that can get a bit pricy. Basically, include things
like flashes, stabilization, battery packs and more.
If you have a very small budget, you may consider buying a used camera, they will be cheaper and
are a great option for just getting started. You can then spend that extra money you have on investing
in a better lens that suits your type of photography that you are in to. If you have a larger budget test
and handle as many camera systems as you can. If you star spending lots of cash on a camera with
some lenses, you are going to start committing to a system with specific lenses and accessories.
You will want to make sure it works for you as a photographer and what you are shooting before you
start spending a ton of money on one system. You can always sell your camera body when you are
ready to upgrade but keep your lenses and accessories. Lenses will outlast the technology of the
camera body.
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WHICH BRAND IS BEST?

Up until now we haven’t mentioned or
recommended different camera brands
and the truth is that there is no one perfect
brand. It is up to you to decide which
camera feels more natural and what
works for you that is why we highly
recommend going to a camera shop, putting it in your hands and feeling it out, see what it feels like,
go thought the menus and see if it is easy for you to understand. Even if you purchase the camera
online, it is great to test it out before you buy it.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING USED CAMERAS
DEAD PIXELS
It can be a real help to use your laptop or PC to determine if there are any faults with the images you take on
the camera you propose to buy. Check for dead pixels in an image. Dead pixels are damaged pixels, and
there’s no way of fixing them.
To find out if the camera has any, take some photos with the camera, RAW format if you can, and at the
lowest ISO setting it has. Take several photos with different colors and patterns in, then check at 100% on a
computer screen. Dead pixels are always in the same place in the image and will usually show up as a
different colored spot. Older cameras often have a few dead pixels, so it’s not a huge deal, but if there are
more than a few, you should be wary, as there could be a problem with the sensor.
SHUTTER COUNT
Shutter count is the number of times the camera has taken an image. As you can imagine, the shutter
mechanism gets used thousands of times over the life of a camera, so the higher the number of the shutter
count, the more wear and tear it has had on it. Camera manufacturers rate their cameras for hundreds of
thousands of shots over its lifetime, but you don’t know if it will make it that far.
Check the expected life of the shutter on the camera you are looking at, and then check how many shots it
has actually taken. You can find out this information by looking at a RAW format photo you have taken with
it, and opening it in PhotoME, which is a free tool for finding information in an image – including the shutter
count. You can also upload a JPEG photo to websites that will tell you the shutter count of the camera that
took it, like www.camerashuttercount.com. The price of a used camera should reflect how high the shutter
count is. The higher the count, the cheaper the camera.
SENSOR
It’s normal for cameras to have a bit of dust in the sensor chamber, but not huge amounts. Check the sensor
chamber. If it is really dusty and horrible-looking, chances are you’ll end up paying for a professional sensor
clean sooner rather than later. This should be considered in the price you negotiate with the seller.
BODY CONDITION
You can generally tell if a camera has been carefully looked after and handled by the amount of scratches,
dents and rubber peeling off you can see. However, most light scratches are merely cosmetic and have no
bearing on the mechanics of the camera, so you can discount them. If there are any dents or deep scratches,
it could be a sign that the camera has been dropped at some point. Yes, cameras are made to be tough, but
we wouldn’t take a chance on one that had been dropped, unless it was very, very cheap. You don’t know
what internal damage the impact could have caused. Sometimes the rubber on the grip or the back of the
camera can start to come off through wear or being continually used in damp conditions. This can be fixed
pretty cheaply, or you can even do it yourself.
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LENS MOUNT
This should be clean and in good condition, with no dents or damage. Check by putting a lens on and see
how it fits and feels. It shouldn’t move around or feel insecure.
LCD SCREEN
If it’s heavily scratched, you may need to replace it, and that doesn’t come cheap. Make sure it’s in good
condition and shows an image accurately.
AUTOFOCUS
A quick way to check that your camera doesn’t have any issues with this by putting a lens on and using AF
several times on different things. Check the resulting images at 100 % on your computer. Then take the same
images using the live view option. Put them on your computer too and compare the two sets. You should
see straight away if there are any glaring differences. Also, if the AF has trouble focusing quickly in good
light, be wary of it.
HOW AND WHERE TO BUY A CAMERA
There are two schools of thought when it comes to buy a camera: either
online or in person. If you buy from a local camera shop, you can handle the
camera and play with the lenses and accessories in person. When you buy
online, you have endless options of finding a good deal but might be going
into your purchase blind without ever having felt the camera in your hands.
Buying in person does not mean that you haven’t done your research online,
it is best to take time to read reviews online, review all the features for the
camera you are interested in and come up with some questions so that you
VS can ask in person. When you go into the store, you can then ask all your
questions to the sales person. Often, they love to answer questions in hope
to sell you a camera.
More questions and concerns may come up in conversation as well and they
may be able to show you features you didn’t know about. On top of all the
one-to-one knowledge you can get from being in a store, you can also feel
each camera and lens in your hands and the weight. The camera is a tool you
use with your hands, so you want to make sure it fits right. Some camera stores will let you rent cameras, so
you can take them out for a test run before buying it.
You can also rent cameras online (www.borrowlenses.com) to see what fits you best. Buying online can be a
bit less time consuming but you may not get the one-to-one support necessary to answer all your questions.
Some of the websites we recommend to purchase cameras and equipment include www.bhphotovideo.com ,
www.adorama.com, www.keh.com. Amazon and eBay are also good places to look but you will want to look
into the details of the exact model you are buying.
Some cameras sold online are what we call grey market products. These cameras may be complete fakes
that look similar to the real deal, often they are actual cameras, built by the cameras company but they may
be import models that don’t meet all the specifications of the camera dealer. They won’t include warranties
or be able to be repaired by the camera manufacture if damaged, so be cautious.
It is up to you to do your due diligence and make sure whatever camera you buy from whoever is in working
conditions, that’s why you pay a premium when buying a camera direct from a company or one of its dealers
and often it might be worth it.
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WHAT IS THE BEST BEGINNER CAMERA?
There are many factors when thinking about the best beginner camera. As a strait quick answer: a small
crop-sensor DSLR or a small mirrorless camera are going to be the best places to start for most people’s
budgets. Things to consider are how much do you think you will be spending on lenses and growing as a
photographer. If you are set on using your camera as a professional, investing in a DSLR or large mirrorless
cameras will be important for the long run. You will be able to grow with the camera as you learn, and you
won’t be stilted by any other shortcomings of the camera. But if you don’t have that kind of budget, starting
with a cheaper DSLR or mirrorless and then upgrading the camera body later is probably your best bet.
When it comes to prices for the best entry level camera, any camera between $300 - $1.000 will be very
similar in terms of quality of photo. In Canon entry line you will see the rebel series such as the T3I, T4I, T5I,
T6 or T7. These are the north American names for these series of cameras. Outside of the US, these might
be called 550D, 650D, 750D… Nikon entry levels includes the D3300, D3400, D3500, D5300, D5500, D5600…
Sony’s A line is a good mirrorless beginner camera, these include the A5000, A6000, A6300, A6500 and a lot
more. Fujifilm XA3, X-T10, X-T20 are also great mirrorless beginning cameras. Panasonic Lumix makes the
G7, G85 and the FS1000, all great entry-level mirrorless cameras and the list could go on and will go on. Next
year or next week for that matter, there could be additional models added to this list, so please take it to
heart that any camera between $300 and $1000 is a great beginner camera. The higher the model number,
usually means the more options or increased quality, so if you can swing it, go ahead with the higher number.
If you have a budget of higher than a $1000, you can start to look at the basic full frame DSLR and semi-
professional mirrorless camera. Each camera brand will have a camera in the next tier. Unfortunately, it is
not possible to tell you which brand and which model camera you should buy. But we will tell what the best
camera for us is at the time and why we use it.
➢ Will. My first digital camera was a Nikon D70. I remember at the time it was a big deal and I
loved it. It was a wonderful beginner camera for me personally because I knew that I wanted
to get into photography. I was also shooting for my school newspaper and it took the Nikon
lenses that I had from my own film cameras from high school. So, for me a D70, at the time
around $1.000, was perfect. Now I’m a professional photographer and I use a Fujifilm X-T2, is
a mirrorless camera that has all the dials at the outside which is great for a beginner. The
smaller brother of the camera is the Fuji X-T20, almost half the price, contains the same
sensor, although it has a slower FPS and is not water sealed, it is a great camera for beginners.
The reason I use the X-T2 now is because a lot of the accessories and lenses are cheaper than
the Nikons, it is also smaller for traveling, which I do a lot, and it is lighter in weight for
traveling and for shooting events and weddings. For caring a camera for 10 hours a day, it
feels much better to have one of these around my shoulders then having a giant DSLR.
➢ Sam. My first digital camera was the Nikon D80, which was actually a hand-me-down for my
father. I was getting into photography and doing a lot of video stuff and he wanted to buy a
new camera, so I was lucky enough to just take his camera which also came with the 18 to
200mm lens that I loved learning how to use and shoot photos with. Today, I shoot with a
Sony A7R III, which I just recently picked up I’m still really putting it through its paces, but it is
a great camera for me so far. I really like the Sony line because I do a lot of photo and video
work, they are just really the best for me. For a long time though, I was shooting on the Nikon
D800, this camera was tried and true for a very long time, but I’ve since moved to the
mirrorless system.
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➢ Phil. My first digital camera was the Canon 7D, which was a great camera at the time because
it had the video feature as well and for me that was really important. I wanted a camera that
can shoot both, photos and video. That are the types of things you have to keep in mind when
purchasing your camera. Do you want to be able to shoot video as well? Different cameras
will be able to do that at different qualities. So, I really loved that camera and used it a lot.
Each camera is different for each of us, we all have different needs and use it in a different way. So, the
camera is really specific to you and what you are going to do with it.
WHAT IS IN A CAMERA BAG?
Each type of shooting needs different setups so there is a wide variety of equipment you may need or not
need. Let’s see what is in our bags to get an idea of different needs.
a. In Will’s wedding bag

1. 2x camera (1 with vertical grip)
2. 70-200 zoom lens (2.8)
3. 24-70 zoom (2.8)
4. 85mm 1.4 portrait lens
5. 35mm 2.0
6. flash and remote system
7. SD card holder with 4x 64GB SD
8. 4x batteries and charger
9. rain cover for backpack
10. dual camera harness
b. In Sam’s travel bag

1. camera body with vertical grip
2. 35mm 1.2 with close focus adapter
3. super wide 15mm f4.5
4. 65mm f2
5. 16-35 f2.8 zoom
6. 4x batteries and charger
7. 2x 128GB SD cards
8. GoPro Hero 6
9. GNARBOX
c. In Phil’s portrait shoot bag

1. camera body
2. 24-70 zoom
3. 50mm f1.8
4. internal flash diffuser/bounce
5. tablet (for client visualization)
6. 1x 128GB SD card
7. 1x extra battery
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HOW TO BUILD A CAMERA KIT
Now that you know a bit about buying a camera, let’s talk about the next things you may want to purchase.
Building out your first camera kit is always so much fun.
WHAT ORDER SHOULD YOU BUY EVERYTHING?

Start with the camera body. Obviously, you can’t go anywhere without the camera first. Often, when you
buy a camera, the store or online store will throw in a kit lens, memory card, bags, cleaning tools… if you can
get advantage of this stuff, it will always come in handily later. If your camera comes with a kit lens, often
something like an 18 to 55mm, or middle-range zoom, that has an aperture that opens up to probably and
F/4, this kit will be fine to get started with.
Then you only need to make sure you have enough memory, an appropriately sized SD card for the camera
for the amount that you will be shooting. Next is batteries. Most cameras often come with one battery. You’ll
want at least one extra, sometimes two extras, if you are traveling or starting to use your camera on jobs.
This way you keep one battery in the camera and one charging, or when you go out into the field, you’ll have
some backups for when your batteries dies.
If you didn’t get a bag with your first purchase, it may be time to start thinking about that. Bags can be
underrated but it is a great way to keep your stuff together once you start collecting all your accessories.
Depending on the type of photography you will be doing, you may need some other things. If you are
shooting landscape photography, night photography or long exposures, you want a tripod. Photo tripods
are fairly inexpensive, so they recommend getting one just in case.
If you are shooting portraits and photos of people, it might be time to look into getting a better lens than
the kit lens. Ideally you want something that can open up to a wider aperture, perfect for lower light
situations, and also getting that beautiful shallow depth of field. Most brands have a standard zoom lens
around 24 to 70 that opens up to around a F/2.8, that would be great. If you are interested in getting a prime
lens, look into a 23mm, 35mm or 50mm prime lens for your camera brand. The nifty fifty lens (50mm) is one
of the most recommend lenses as there are inexpensive options for most camera brands and these can open
up to an aperture of even a 1.4. It is a great walk-around lens for your camera.
From here, it is really up to you. Start to accessorize, maybe find a strap you really like, thing about
alternative lenses, start looking into basic filters, start looking into other photographers whose style you like
and see what they use to shoot.
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10. EQUIPMENT: LENSES
INTRODUCTION
Now that we have a better understanding of what

kinds of cameras are out there and a lot of the basic
functions of your camera. Let’s talk about those
big pieces of glass attached to the front of them
and make all our photography possible: the lens.
Lenses are crucial to photography, because they

control how light reaches the camera sensor or film
plane. They affect the look of your photos in
several ways and ultimately, they can be
considered as important, if not more important,
than the camera body you use.
In this section, we are going to cover all things related to lenses. Why people pay so much money for certain
lenses? And why other lenses can be great quality but not crazy expensive? We will talk about f-stops, which
are also known as iris or aperture, what focal lengths are and how they affect your image, why would ever
want to buy a lens that cannot zoom, the best lenses to start off with, and how do you grow your lens set
over time, filters for your lenses, creative lenses like fisheye and tilt shifts, what lenses are best for different
types of photography and more.
There is so much that goes into lenses and having a better understanding of them will greatly help you grow
as a photographer and help you make better decisions when it comes to purchasing or renting them.
DEEPER DIVE INTO FOCAL LENGTH
To begin our discussion about lenses, there are two key ways that we as photographers use to describe what
type of lenses we are talking about, whether it be to describe what lenses are in out kit or what lens we use
to get that shot. The first, which we will cover in this lesson, is focal length, something we briefly mentioned
in the composition section.
Focal length is one of the key elements of how we as photographers specify what lens we are talking about,
especially when we referring to our personal kits. When talking about a 50mm prime lens, we just call it my
fifty, or a 24 to 70mm zoom lens is my 24 to 70. These are all various focal lengths of lenses, the latter being
a zoom lens which has a range of focal length.
The numbers of the focal length represent the measurement of the

distance between where the light rays are entering the lens converge
to make a clear sharp image from that point to the camera’s sensor.
It is a complex idea to understand at first and ultimately knowing the
difference of how lenses affect our photography is more useful than
knowing how these lenses work. But, because we all want to become
better photographers, let’s try to understand what is going on here.
Take your camera and point it on a subject, everything you see through your viewfinder or on the screen, is
light entering your lens and hitting your camera sensor. In the diagram, you can see those light rays entering
through the lens and converging. From there, the light continues to the film or digital sensor inside your
camera. It is the same way your own eye works actually. This distance from where the light is converging to
your sensor, that is the focal length.
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Field of view (FoV) will be mentioned in this lesson a few times too. It
refers to how much you can see through your camera depending on
which lens you are using. The 50mm is considered the middle focal
length of lenses, this is because the 50mm has no distortion and is more
or less equivalent to how the human eye sees the world.
As the numbers of the focal length get smaller, we get into wide-angle
lenses, what this means is that a wide-angle lens field of view or what
you are able to see with them, becomes greater. You can see more when
using a 35mm instead of a fifty but there is no change to the image
overall look. When we get down to 24mm and below, you can really
start to see the difference.
Wide-angle lenses allow you to see much, much more

from the same location. These lenses can start
stretching the image adding distortions sometimes
because they are greatly expanding what you were
able to see. Where wide-angle lenses start to get kind
of funky and sometimes pretty incredible is when you
get wider than 24mm. From the 50 to the 24mm, most
lenses remain relatively sharp in image quality,
without getting crazy expensive, but when you start to
get wider than 24mm, you will start to see distortion in
the corners and edges, things become sharper and
prices increases for pro level wide-angle lenses.
This distortion happens because the glass of the lens itself is bent or extremely curved. It is pretty incredible
what really expensive wide-angle lenses are able to do but at the same time, it doesn’t mean you need to go
out and spend a bunch of money to get one of them. Some people use the distortion of cheaper wide-angle
lenses as a creative style or take a step further by using a fisheye lens, but we will talk about that later.
Let’s now jump to the other end of the focal length

spectrum, which are numbered greater than 50mm, also
known as telephoto lenses. Where wide-angle lens
reveals more of increasing your field of view, telephoto
lenses narrow your field of view but allow you to see
things farther away in greater detail. As you increase
your focal length, or go up in numbers, not only can you
see farther away objects closer up, but you will also
notice that your photos start to have a shallower depth
of field. Where the wide-angle lenses enable you to
capture many things in a single image, a telephoto lens will enable you to really focus on a single subject.
Now, similar to wide-angle lenses, the prices of ultra-telephoto lenses can get crazy, especially when getting
up to 400mm and above. Typically, what you will start to notice when using more economical telephoto
lenses is that they won’t be quite as sharp or crisp looking.
Now that we understand the difference between a wide-angle and a telephoto lens, let’s talk more about
depth of field. It is ultimately how much is in focus or clear in your image. Typically, telephoto lenses achieve
a shallower depth of field much easier. Whereas wide-angle lenses will have more in focus or larger depth of
field. This is the reason that people love 85mm or above lenses for portraits, because the backgrounds have
this beautiful look to them. Although there are recommended lenses for various type of photography, it is
best to find a focal length or lens that you enjoy for the type of work you are doing. There are no rules in
photography that aren’t meant to be tested or broken.
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DIVE INTO APERTURE
In this lesson, we will dive deeper into f-stops and lens options. By now you know that the two most
important things that affect the overall look of your photo are the focal length and the depth of field, which
relates to the aperture.
First and foremost, let’s review the

mechanics of it all. When a lens is wide
open, it means that within the lens, the
aperture of the lens is fully open, allowing
in the maxim amount of light possible.
Now, as we close down or make the
aperture smaller, we are reducing the
amount of light allowed into it. This
control of lights is measured in f-stops,
numbers that you will use every time you
pick up your camera and set your
exposure. The lower the f-stop number,
the more light is being allowed in. With
each larger number, the amount of light allowed intro your camera is cut in half. So, when you are set to f/4
and go to f/5.6, you effectively cut the light coming in by half. Now, if you move from f/8 to f/5.6, you have
doubled the amount of light that is entering your camera. You will also see that some lenses are f/3.5 and
this is considered a half stop, meaning halfway between 2.8 and f/4.
Another term you might hear photographers saying, when someone asks how fast a lens is, they are
referring to the f-stop when the lens is wide open or the smallest f-stop number. So, a fast lens would be one
that opens up to something like f/1.4 or f/2, a slow lens might only open up to an f/4.
Beyond the control of light, the f-stop also makes a huge difference in the overall look of your image.
Remember from earlier that the wider open you are, the shallower the depth of field there is, the closer down
you are, the deeper the depth of field and the more that will be in focus. Due to this, some people love
shooting with a 24mm f/1.4 because you get really great wide-angle images but still that shallow depth of
field. Additionally, some people taking photos that are on the telephoto lens prefer to close down to f/8
because more will be in focus and will be easier to get a clear shot. If you are shooting on a 200mm at a f/2.8
it can be really tricky to get a really nice in focus image if things are moving around.
Another thing to remember with this is that all depends on how close your subject is, the closer they are, the
shallower the depth of field, and the father away they are, the more that will be in focus.
Now as you look around for lenses to purchase, you will notice that the ones that are f/1.4 are typically more
expensive and ones that are higher than f/1.4 like f/2 or f/4 for example are much more economical. This is
because the mechanics of building and f/1.4 lens is more difficult than one with a smaller aperture. You will
also see on some zoom lenses, meaning lenses with multiple focal lengths, the aperture will range from f/3.5
to f/5.6 for example. This means, as you zoom your lens in, moving from wider focal lengths to more
telephoto focal lengths, the f-stop will reduce from 3.5 to 5.6, effectively reducing the amount of light
allowed to enter when you are at more telephoto focal length. This is again because the mechanics of having
a non-variable aperture is more expensive to make.
One thing to know is that as you get into ultra-telephoto lenses, meaning 200mm and above, you will rarely
see anything below an f/4, this isn’t because they are lacking in quality, but rather because there is so much
glass in them that they require much lighter to expose properly. Also, if you remember how shallow the
depth of field was at f/2.8, there really isn’t any need to go any lower because it would be near impossible to
focus on anything.
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METERING MODES (ADVANCED TIP)

Another important note is that outside of super high-end lenses the sharpest and best performance of lens
will be around f/4 or f/5.6 and in terms of sharpness, we are not talking about being in focus but the quality
the focus. So, shooting at f/4 will look sharper than shooting at f/1.4, even if the focus is perfect. This is by
no means to say that you never want to shoot at f/1.4, it is just that the clearest image will come when
shooting around f/4.
When you go out to purchase a lens, keep in mind that they will get more expensive as an aperture becomes
faster and that not necessarily mean you need to go and buy the fastest lens you can find, you just need to
purchase the right lens for what you are trying to do.
PRIMES VS. ZOOMS
Most photographers will tell you that the lenses are more important
than the camera. Good glass, and the right glass, can make or break
pictures. Lenses that are 40 years old can outperform brand new ones
when used right because of the quality of the glass. Lenses work by
VS focusing a series of glass plates inside so that light (and the image) is
reflected into the sensor a certain way. As camera sensors become
more sensitive it’s become less about getting this 100% right.
Prime lenses have always produced sharper images which is why pros gravitated away from zoom lenses,
the quality was always just shy enough that primes won for tack sharp images. This hasn’t changed, but with
the improvement in technology more photographers are willing to consider zoom lenses for their
convenience. Even third-party companies like Tamron and Sigma are producing lenses that outperform the
big names in zoom and are almost matching in prime quality for a fraction of the cost.
Despite this, there are significant differences between the two lenses and how they work which may be the
deal-breaker when choosing new glass. So, now that you understand the key specs for lenses, focal length
and f-stops, it is time to talk about zooms and primes.
PRIME LENSES
Primes or fixed focal length lenses are lenses that are just one focal length. Prime lenses have a fixed focal
length which means that the viewing angle cannot change unless the photographer moves. The focus can
be adjusted but the frame of the image cannot. The only way to enlarge your focal point is by moving closer
or further away from it. A 50mm prime or a 35mm prime are just that, a 50mm lens or 35mm lens. There are
many different focal lengths and some of them also have extra features like fish eye or telephoto because of
the type of glass inside. These lenses come in a wide range of sizes and while they are typically more compact,
lighter and faster than zooms, some are as heavy and big as other zoom lenses and although it might seem
like a zoom would be the better option since you get multiple focal lengths, prime lenses are preferred by
many professional photographers. Typically offering better image quality, bokeh and overall performance.
You can find relatively cheap prime lenses that have amazing quality.
Prime lenses sometimes have the option to set aperture, for example f/1.4-1,8, f/1.6-5.3 etc. You can shoot
using any aperture setting with a prime lens as this won’t affect the focal length and you’ll still have the same
framing. The issue here is that the f-stop number may also depend on the camera sensor size and are not
necessarily an accurate description. For example, a 50mm prime lens on a crop sensor camera is actually the
view of a 75mm prime lens on a full frame sensor. While the focal length and aperture may be the same, the
sensor of the camera interprets this differently.
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ADVANTAGES OF PRIME LENSES

Each type of lens has its use which is why there are advantages to both. For prime lenses there are several
reasons users may prefer them over a zoom lens.
1. Cost. Prime lenses are usually cheaper than zoom lenses, with the cheapest costing less than $100
for most brands. Even if you buy multiple primes to cover the focal range of a basic zoom lens you
will still end up paying less overall. This means that compromising by buying cheap zoom lenses
isn’t worth the money when you can buy several good quality primes and cover the exact same
range, though the downside is the inconvenience of having multiple lenses.
2. Image quality. You can get better prime glass than zoom lenses simply because there isn’t as many
moving parts. Because of the fixed focal length, the glass inside has to be extremely precise. While
this precision means sharp images newer zoom lenses can match this, the problem is that they cost
an awful lot more. Unless you’re buying top of the line zoom lenses you will never get the same
tack-sharp images that a prime can achieve.
3. Size. Primes are usually much smaller and lighter because they don’t need as many components.
The motor design is much simpler, so it can be made smaller, and even if there’s no motor in the
prime lens there’s simply less “stuff” in there. Size matters for many reasons, you only have to see
how popular mirrorless systems are. The heavier the lens and the camera the harder it is to hold still
for long periods and the less you want to have to carry it around. The only issue with this is that by
the time you add several prime lenses you’re still carrying significant weight.
4. Ease of use. Having only one focus ring, and often only one aperture, means that the learning curve
for a prime lens is much easier. There are also many that believe having to physically move to adjust
the focal point also teaches you better framing, however, it can also be limiting since you cannot
see how the image would look with a wider or narrower depth of focus. A zoom lens allows you to
pick the perfect framing without moving or adjusting any setting other than the focal length.
5. Aperture. The wider aperture also means that low light situations are much easier to capture
without getting blur. Prime lenses can go below f/2.8 which even the fastest professional zoom lens
struggles to reach. At f/1.4 you’re getting double the amount of light by using a prime lens. Most
fixed prime lenses have a wide, fast aperture. This means that you’ll get better light and a shallower
depth of field. This creates the bokeh or blurred background with only the subject in focus that
many create artificially in post processing. It’s why the 50mm prime lens is often the next step for
those who have bought kit lenses having smaller apertures and cheap optics.
DISADVANTAGES OF PRIME LENS

If prime lenses were perfect no one
would carry anything else. There are
situations when a prime lens simply
can’t do the job of a zoom.
A prime lens having a fixed focus

means that you have to move or
swap lenses to get the right framing.
It can also mean having to spend the
time in post-production to do that if
you can’t make it in camera. By
adding time you’re also limiting your
ability to capture split second shots.
You may miss a shot or damage your
camera in haste trying to change lenses. There’s also a chance that dirt and dust can get in while you’re
changing lenses. Another inconvenience is that you’ll have to carry many lenses to make one zoom lens. This
means carrying a bag, and more weight than necessary.
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ZOOM LENSES
Zoom lenses or just zooms are lenses that have a range of focal lengths. Unlike a prime lens, by turning the
focal ring you can make the subject bigger or smaller and change what is viewable within the frame without
moving yourself. The object can be zoomed in bigger or zoomed out smaller just by spinning the ring inwards
or outwards to refocus the internal glass within the zoom lens. Zoom lenses are typically larger and heavier.
The term zoom lens and telephoto lens are semi-interchangeable. A telephoto lens means one that has a
longer than normal focal length, but it does not mean that it has a variable focal length. It’s common for
people to refer to a long focal length zoom lens as a telephoto lens, and while this is true, it’s also possible
to have a telephoto lens which is a prime.
A zoom lens has two focal lengths listed on it to show the maximum and minimum range, like 70-300mm.
This means the lens can have a focal length of any number between those. Most consumer grade zoom
lenses also have an adjustable aperture, though it is limited at the maximum focal length. Most professional
zoom lenses, however, have a limited maximum aperture for the whole focal range, for example 18-200mm
f/3/5 compared to a professional 70-200mm f/2.8. At best, they open up to around f/2.8. The more
economical zooms will be f/4 or f/3.5 through 5.6. Their quality can be very good but typically not as good as
primes. More economical zooms will have worse quality than more economical primes typically. Most
common zoom lengths, at a pro level at least, are 16 to 35mm, 24 to 70mm, 24 to 105mm and 70 to 200mm.
There are many combinations of zoom lens and you can’t measure quality based off of zoom range.
Zooms are great because they give you plenty of options when it comes to composition, standing from one
spot. This is especially great for travel photographers and when out and about with your camera not knowing
exactly what you will be shooting.
ADVANTAGES OF ZOOM LENSES

Zoom lenses do have their merits. Despite being bulkier, heavier, and often more expensive there’s simply a
convenience to not having to carry multiple lenses or swap them when you want to change focal length.
1. Versatility. The simple fact is that a zoom lens is several prime lenses in one package. One zoom
lens can do the job of several. This means you can go from a wide scene to a telephoto image in a
fraction of a second, while changing lenses would take a minute or two and very likely cause you to
miss the capture. For some types of photography, you simply can’t afford to risk losing that minute.
2. Stabilization. All the large brands now have image stabilization, either in their lenses or in their
bodies. Thanks to this you don’t have to worry about the minor shake from the elements focusing
or camera shake from pressing the shutter. Image stabilization counters everything at the slower
speeds so that you can still get sharp images. There are a few prime lenses that have stabilization
technology, but the technology is moving into the sensors and bodies rather than lenses, so this
may soon be obsolete.
3. Convenience. Zoom lenses are more portable because you only need one zoom lens. By not having
to carry multiple lenses you don’t have to have a big bag and can even get away without one. Less
weight is better on your back, and you’ll also be doing your camera a favor by not swapping lenses
constantly. This means less opportunity for dirt and dust to get into the camera and less getting on
to the sensor (and mirror if you have one).
DISADVANTAGES OF ZOOM LENSES

A quality zoom lens can perform just as well as multiple primes, the issue is the cost. Unless you’re buying
top quality zoom glass, you’re not going to get images that are of the same quality as a prime lens can offer.
The cost is simply prohibitive for the average photographer while buying several prime lenses over time is a
lot easier on your wallet.
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SUBJECT MATTERS
If you’re questioning your next lens purchase, then it’s probably because you’re moving up from a kit lens or
looking to expand what you’ve already got. The biggest thing is going to be your subject matter. For most
portrait photographers a prime lens is a much more suitable investment, while a landscape photographer
may also be best served by a wide angle prime.
• Landscapes. Wide-angle lenses are an essential part of shooting landscapes. While there are a few
limited wide-angle zooms they are not common. They also might not suit every situation, but the
wide-angle allows more emphasis on the subject – a wide landscape which fills the view rather than
a central figure. A standard prime lens is suited for more “true to life” images and focusing on
foreground elements. A zoom lens on the other hand allows you to bring elements of the landscape
closer without having to physically get closer, a real advantage if it would be impossible to do so.
• Portraits. Most portrait photographers will tell you the majority of their work uses prime lenses.
Portraits are an art, posed, and not rushed which means there’s plenty of time to change lenses to
get the right frame as long as the image is sharp. There are almost no instances of portraiture where
a zoom lens wins. Even for things like wedding photography, where you may be looking at split
second images the speed of a prime lens wins.
• Travel. When it comes to traveling, you’re often taking once in a lifetime or split-second images
that you don’t have time to worry about swapping lenses or you don’t know the area well enough
to get close for the right framing. A large zoom lens and a DSLR camera stick out though, and if
you’re worried about theft a smaller prime lens is much less inconspicuous. Travel, like landscapes,
depends a lot on your expected subject matter. A city experience will likely have less need for a
wide-angle prime lens, but a small zoom lens will add versatility compared to taking multiple primes.
• Video. Most cinematographers prefer prime lenses. This is partially because they’re cheaper, and
while most videographers can only dream of a $100k zoom lens for cinematography, budget still
rules on most film sets. Much of this comes down to the type of film being shot and the look that
you’re going for.
Primes are used much on film today, while before they were the only choice. The advantages of
shooting video with a prime are the same as for stills – cost, portability, sharpness, and fast
apertures. Many high-quality zoom lenses are just as good as primes these days, and when you take
into account most film budgets then a quality zoom lens may be worth more, easier to shoot with,
and more versatile than several primes.
CONCLUSION
Both, zoom and prime lenses, have their advantages, and most of it comes down to what you’re shooting,
your preferences, and your budget. There isn’t a real answer to the question whether prime or zoom lenses
are better because there are advantages to each. While zoom lenses used to be inferior, if you’ve got the
money to spend on them a high-quality zoom can easily outperform a cheap prime.
BUILDING YOUR LENS SET
Now when it comes to building your own kit, money does play a big role in this because lenses aren’t cheap.
One thing we want you to know is that while cameras are important, you can always upgrade your camera
body later on. But ideally you can keep using the same lenses regardless of what camera you get. This is why
people typically become loyal to only shooting Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, etc. It is because even as they
upgrade their cameras, they are able to keep using the same lenses. You can buy adapters that allow you to
put a Canon lens on a Sony camera for example, but that extra piece of equipment is typically pretty
cumbersome, and the adapters greatly slow down your cameras autofocus and take away from any weather
sealing you might have.
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WHAT LENS SHOULD YOU BUY?

So, assuming you have a camera in mind, what lens do you get? A zoom with a big range is a good place to
start and typically the most economical will be the kit lens which the manufacturer will offer at a good price
with the camera. As you progress as a photographer though you will outgrow this lens and realize that there
is much better quality out there. Getting a wide-angle lens and something that is more telephoto is usually
the next step, you want to be able to cover a range of focal lengths with your kit. So, if your kit lens is an 18
to 55, you might want a telephoto lens that is something like a 70 to 200. You might also want a wide-angle
that is somewhere around 10 to 24.
But just because you have a zoom that covers a particular focal length, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think
about getting a prime lens as well. For example, the 50mm is a great prime lens to start out with for any
photographer. If you want a decent all-around workhorse, you can’t go wrong with the 24-70 f/2.8 or 24-105.
From there, it depends on what kind of photography you want to do.
• If you are passionate about portraits, get a prime lens somewhere between 50mm to 135mm.
• If you are traveling, a zoom lens might be the most practical, because you can just bring that one
lens. While traveling, a discreet prime lens like a 35mm, get some of the best images because it is
smaller, and people don’t seem to be as bothered by it. If it is a f/1.2, it will allow you to get great
images in low light which a zoom couldn’t. Plus, it is easier to pack and carry around.
• For landscapes, you will definitely want a wide-angle lens to capture large wide-open landscapes,
wider than 35mm. Try to use a telephoto lens too, so you will get those detail shots as well.
• For street photography, undoubtedly a compact prime lens is the way to go but focal length is
dependent on your style, if you want to get up close and personal, a wide-angle is better for that,
but if you want to stay farther away, a telephoto lens is best.
• For nature photography, you might realize you want an even more telephoto lens, more than 300
or 400mm to get that right shot of the bird or animal far, far off in the distance.
There are photographers who feel an intense need to cover every focal length possible, and if that’s you and
you want that versatility there’s nothing wrong with it. There are also people who don’t mind overlapping
focal lengths a bit and a wide range of lenses do overlap (especially if you’ve got different brands). Missing
out on a few focal lengths, or having a small gap isn’t going to make a big difference. Simply moving a few
feet will fix that. For someone who wants a huge range of coverage they may want to buy: 14-24mm, 24-
70mm, 70-200/300mm, 200-400mm. These lens set is more than enough to cover every situation. These are
all zoom lenses and will add up both in weight and price. For someone who doesn’t mind overlap a 16-35mm,
24-120mm, and 70-200mm is a suitable lens kit.
Some photographers also prefer to use a specific type of lens. For example, a wide-angle lens isn’t necessary
for landscape photography though it does often give better perspective. Some photographers simply don’t
like them, and rather than just buying a lens set with a cheap wide angle which may have lots of distortion
they would prefer to wait until they can afford quality glass to get a good one. Preference is also about
priorities. If your priority is getting the hang of focusing and using your camera then the lens set that comes
with most beginner bodies is suitable enough, the real question is when you want to move on.
In terms of quality, cheap doesn’t mean good, and expensive doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get
better lenses. Some old lenses have great glass and can be picked up for a fraction of the cost of the newest
versions. However, quality may mean extra features like weather sealing, metal casing, smoother focusing,
and better glass quality or coatings. Quality can also relate to the images produced. Good glass = good
images, and especially when buying third party lenses the lack of coatings can lead to chromatic aberration
and images that just aren’t as sharp as the more expensive brand versions.
While it goes without saying you need compatibility with whatever body you have, many third-party brands
like Tamron and Sigma provide just as good quality at lower costs. What your budget is doesn’t matter so
much as getting the right items since you can always trade up later.
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All lenses have internal elements that move, if you’re buying a manual lens that means you have the ability
to adjust these to get a sharp image. For beginners an autofocus lens is one less thing to think about as the
lens can take the guess out of focusing.
Just like focal length, an adjustable aperture allows for low light photography and shallow depth of field.
While most lenses have an adjustable aperture some cheaper versions and lens set kit lenses don’t bother
with it. This is also something as a beginner that might be skipped if money is the most important part.
If you can, one of the best things recommend is to rent lenses. There are many good companies out there
where you can rent every lens imaginable for short and long periods. This is the perfect way of figuring out
your lens set without having to buy and return equipment you don’t like. This may end up costing more in
the long term, but it will broaden your options until you can narrow down what you actually want to own.
As you can see, there are a lot of decisions to make when it comes to building your lens kit. Start slowly,
experiment, see what types of photography you like and go from there. A lens set isn’t easy to figure out,
especially when you’re not experienced enough to know what you’re going to need. Your first lens set isn’t
likely to be the one you stay with, and even if it takes two or three buys to get lenses, you’ll eventually figure
out what works for you and what doesn’t. Even if you’re a bit off you can always fix it in post-production.
BUYING USED CAMERA LENSES

The savings you can make on buying used lenses is the most obvious (and some will say the most important)
factor. This is certainly true, especially as you can buy more lenses for your money than if you were buying a
single new one. There are other good reasons, though, such as if you have decided to switch camera brand
systems, or you want to try a different system out.
You can pick up a decent used camera body and lenses for a different system for a lot less than if you bought
them new. Older lenses will of course be cheaper than their newer generation counterparts, but even the
newer ones will cost significantly less than they would new.
As with buying used camera bodies, there are many reasons to be wary when buying second-hand gear.
There are scammers around who will try and rip you off, so you really need to buy your second-hand gear
from a trusted source.
You also need to be able to test the lens properly before you agree to buy it, as there is no way you can tell
if the optics are defective until you’ve tried it on your camera. If the seller refuses to let you test it, or becomes
defensive about it, walk away. It’s best if you ask them up front if you can test it before you even go to see
them. Although most of the sellers have good intentions, lenses have lots of delicate parts, and however
carefully they’re packed, they could sustain unseen damage from rough handling during shipping, when
buying online.
When you go to look at a potential new lens, you should have a good look at the condition it’s in, both inside
and outside, before you do any tests. So, look out for these things:
1. Is it scratched and dented? Small, cosmetic scratches and wear shouldn’t be a problem, especially
if it’s a pro spec lens, but if it’s carrying some major dents and nicks then that is an indicator that it’s
been handled less than gently, and it may have some problems lurking inside. We wouldn’t buy such
a lens, but if you really want it, make sure that you give it a really thorough testing on your camera.
2. Aperture blades. Inspect the aperture blades with the lens off the camera. Check the front and back
of the lens to make sure they appear normal, and that there are no small nicks missing from them.
3. Check any switches and buttons on the lens, such as the AF/MF switch, to make sure they work
and don’t get stuck.
4. Filter threads. Take a filter with you that will fit on the lens and see if it screws on and unscrews
smoothly. If it’s cross-threaded, and you have difficulty putting on or removing the filter, you’ll have
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to make a judgement call on whether this is a deal breaker for you. If you use filters a lot in your
photography, a cross-threaded filter can quickly become a real pain to constantly deal with.
5. Handle the zoom and focus rings on the lens. The zoom ring should never be really loose and offer
no resistance at all and check both rings by turning them through their entire scale. Be wary of any
physical damage to either ring.
6. Give it a gentle shake. That way you can tell if it sounds like something could be seriously loose
inside. If you think there is, then walk away unless you’re prepared to pay a professional to fix the
lens somewhere down the line when it breaks.
7. Look inside. Shine a flashlight through the lens, and you should be able to see any scratches and
dust, or worse still, fungus or mold. There will always be a few dust specks in a lens, but large
amounts of dust or dirt are a big no.
8. Check the lens coating and condition of the glass. If there are scratches on the glass, or damage
to the lens coating, don’t buy it.
TESTING THE LENS

1. Put it on your camera, set it to aperture priority mode, and take some shots. If you don’t get a
picture, or if the quality is terrible, then you’ll know immediately that it’s a dud.
2. Check the autofocus if the lens has it. Focus on a close object, take a shot, then focus on a distant
subject and take another shot.
a. If you are testing a zoom lens, go through all the focal lengths to check the autofocus
works on each of them.
b. If the lens has image stabilization, turn it on by the switch on the side of the lens, and take
some shots while hand-holding the camera to make sure that the stabilization works.
3. Sharpness test. Do your research on the lens before you go to see it. Find out which apertures and
focal lengths it performs best and worst at. You can discover this from the many reviews of specific
lenses on the internet. Then test the lens you’re thinking of buying by shooting at these apertures
and focal lengths, and carefully examining the results to see if it’s still as sharp at these settings as
when it was new.
4. Check the autofocus accuracy. Focus on a subject with the AF on, and see how sharp it appears.
Then do the same with live view on and compare the two shots. If it’s way off on the AF shot, then
you have problems.
BUILDING YOUR LENS SET OVER TIME

A lens set is expensive. Photographers often
spend thousands on a single lens so it’s no
wonder people often prefer to build things up
over time. It’s quite likely you’ll outgrow your
first lens set or buy something you just don’t like.
After owning some lenses for a while, you may
find you rarely use them.
The best part about lenses is that they’re often

an investment. You won’t get all your money
back, but you can get some of it back, and that
simply goes towards a different lens that will
work. There is nothing wrong with switching out
your entire lens set, and there’s nothing wrong
with continuing to use the same lens you started
with. If it’s working for you then there’s no need
to buy new unless you want a technology upgrade.
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LENS STABILIZATION
Depending on the camera manufacturer,

image stabilization might have a different
name. It is, for longer telephoto lenses,
within the camera it is helping keep the
glass steady and even some cameras
nowadays have this built into their sensor.
All what it is doing is helping you get a
steadier shot and any little movements
from your hands, it reduces that, so you have a steadier shot throughout. This is something that can typically
cost a little bit more for lenses, but it is of great benefit if you are using those longer telephoto zoom lenses.
Specifically, if you are trying to get into sports or wildlife photography, it is highly recommend investing a
little bit more money into a lens that offers image stabilization of some sort. If you do decide to get one of
these lenses or you have already purchased one, typically, on the side of your lens, you will find a on and off
switch, what this enables is that when you turn it on, the image stabilization will be on and you will be able
to notice the difference, you turn it off and instantaneously you should notice a big difference. One thing to
know, if you do have it on, it will use up a lot more battery life from your camera.
CHROMATIC ABERRATION (PRO TIP)
Chromatic aberration or color fringing is a common issue that people have

when using fast primes or more economical lenses. Typically, you will notice
it when shooting in high contrast settings and can be fairly subtle at times
but incredibly annoying. It can also make your image look slightly soft and
have slight colored edges around things in your photo. There are two causes
of chromatic aberration but for the most part what is happening is that as
the light passes through the lens, due to poor optical performance, the light
is dispersed unevenly, and all the colors don’t land
on the sensor or film plane correctly.
The two kinds of chromatic aberrations are

longitudinal and lateral. Longitudinal chromatic
aberrations occur most often in fast primes
lenses, even higher end ones, when wide open.
Camera technology is constantly improving
though, and some cameras have built-in systems
to reduce the chromatic aberrations that occur
with lenses. Additionally, you’re able to remove this kind of aberration by either stopping down to a slower
f-stop or can remove them in Lightroom or other editing software.
Lateral chromatic aberration is a bit harder to get rid of and typically occurs in lower quality, more
economical lenses. It occurs because as the light move through the lens, some wavelengths of colors focus
on different parts of the focal plane that the majority of other colors. It mainly occurs in the edges of the
frame, not in the middle and can only be removed in a post-editing software like Lightroom. While some
might not notice this when looking on their camera, it will be much more noticeable when looking on your
computer or when printing.
At the end of the day, chromatic aberrations can lessen the quality of your images overall look and be
frustrating as a photographer. While knowing the science behind it is interesting, knowing how to fix it is far
more important. It’s another reason to invest more in your lenses than your camera.
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LENS FILTERS
Back in the days of film filters were sometimes the only way to get a certain “effect”. They could do amazing
things like make stars from any light source, soften the image, or turn it a variety of different colors. Today,
most of the job of filters is done in camera, but filters are not only still relevant, they’re a marvelous “trick”
that some photographers haven’t bothered getting to know. They can be indispensable in some situations
or they can just be there to protect your lens from dirt or scratches.
Filters are, at a basic level, a piece of glass or plastic that we typically place in front of our lens, either with an
adapter or by screwing it into the front. Often, they improve our images while shooting so we don’t need to
edit them in post. This enables us to make certain colors pop more, reflections disappear, darken only parts
of our frame and much more. Filters are a bit like glasses for your lens. They can help the camera “see” better
in intense light, reduce glare, reduce the amount of light, and enhance colors, or change colors. Sometimes
filters aren’t helpful, like wearing sunglasses at night. So, it’s not just about using the filter but about using
the right filter and knowing when to remove it. Essentially a filter is a piece of coated or colored glass inside
a frame, and they can cost anywhere from a few dollars into the hundreds.
The type of photography you do tends to dictate whether you need filters or not. Landscape, architecture,
and weather photographers rely heavily on them, while those capturing street photography or animals rarely
need them. Many tools in post processing programs mimic filters so there are plenty who question any need
at all, but there are types of filters which just can’t be copied on the computer.
Filters are usually made of either glass or resin, and the quality of glass and whether it is coated or not makes
a big difference in the image. Glass filters are better quality but are easier to break, especially when they are
square or rectangular which is why many of those use resin instead. There are also some made of polyester
and polycarbonate which are thinner and more scratch resistant respectively.
There are four main types of lens filters, with the most common being those which screw onto the end of
the lens. They come in a variety of sizes to match those lenses and have different ways of mounting onto the
lens. The exception is gel filters which don’t mount to the camera at all and mount onto studio lighting to
create colored lighting effects.
• Circular screw-on filters. This is the most common type of filter, and often the cheapest. These
thread directly into the threads on the end of the lens and have a corresponding size to the lens, for
example 52mm, 72mm etc. The most common are HV, Haze, CPL, ND and color filters. It is possible
to put more than one filter on at a time, but the thickness may cause vignetting, and other styles
may have to be removed again before capping the lens.
• Square filters. They are less common, but these are usually mounted to a square holder on the lens
threads. These are usually 3×3 or 4×4 for larger cameras and can be stacked, though this impacts
image quality just like stacking circular filters.
• Rectangular filters. They are like square filters but a different shape. Graduated ND filters don’t
work well in a circular size, so this is often the more popular choice for landscape photographers
since there’s more room for adjustment.
• Drop in filters. They are used for longer lenses or super wide angle and are used inside the lens
between it and the body rather than on the front of the lens. These do not have as much variety as
the other types.
Unless you want to buy multiple filters you’ll also need step up/down rings. These act as a converter so that
your filter can fit on different lens sizes, you can stack these but there’s a large chance of vignetting even by
using a single one. They are available in all shapes and sizes and can often be found in a kit that varies from
X-Xmm sizes.
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One thing to know about filters is that you need to make sure they
will fit onto the front of your lens. The filter size in millimeters
needs to match the size of your lens. It is important not to confuse
this with the focal length of your lens but rather the diameter of
the lens, which can be found written on the end of most lenses
with the O with a little slash through it. You can buy adapters if
your filter is any larger than the front of your lens but not if your
lens is larger than the filter.
There are many types of filters, as we will see now, but to start out, definitely purchase UV filters to protect
each of your lenses, then move on to purchasing other filters if you want to get more creative.
ULTRAVIOLET FILTER
The filter that most of us will use initially is the UV filter. The UV filter
or ultraviolet filters are most commonly known as a way to
protecting your lens from dust, smudges, scratchers and whatever
else could potentially damage your lens. The concept is that instead
of risking something damaging the front piece of your expensive
lens, it damages the hundred-dollar filter instead. Beyond that, UV filters shouldn’t have any effect on your
actual image. So, they are generally used for protecting the front glass of your lens. While they used to help
keep out unwanted sun rays, ultraviolet light, which could damage film elements, DSLRs now have a UV/IR
filter built in so there’s no longer a need for them.
In terms of filter brands, we recommend Tiffen, B&W or Hoya filters. If you’re buying a clear filter, look for
one that has multi-resistant coating. This helps keep the image clear and stops reflections and ghosts from
poorer quality glass. Not all photographers like using clear lenses, and you should avoid stacking these as
there is a high chance of vignetting with more than one.
POLARIZER FILTER
The second most common filter would be the polarizer.
There are two types of polarizing filters you’ll come across,
circular (CPL) and linear. Linear filters are not suitable for
DSLR cameras because they can cause false readings on
the metering, while a circular version adds a second glass
element that creates a diffusion between the two.
The element can be turned in a CPL so that when they are

aligned the colors are more saturated, reflections are
muted, and the image is better contrasted no matter how your camera is tilted, or the light enters. Polarizing
filters are also good at removing haze and are essential for landscape photographers to get those extremely
blue skies, consider all the light that bounces off the sky, you can help reduce this making the skies seem
bluer. Typically, you can use these to take out reflections in glass or on large bodies of water. They reduce
the light entering your lens so make sure there is plenty of light when you are using them.
The issue with a polarizing filter is that you do have to adjust it for each situation. The maximum effect is at
90 degrees to the sun and usually the filter is marked on the threads showing the direction of
increased/decreased effect. The maximum polarization effect is often too strong and can cause the sky to
become almost black. A polarizing filter should not be used on wide angle lenses because it creates a dark
distortion in part of the sky because of the way the lens works. When using a polarizing filter, you’ll lose
about 2 stops which can affect your shutter speed, and because they are thicker than other filters, they are
also more likely to cause vignetting.
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NEUTRAL DENSITY
Neutral density (ND) filters are another fairly common
filter. These filters also act like sunglasses for your lens,
they reduce the amount of light coming in so that your
shutter speed can be increased, and your exposure time
decreased without having to change lighting, so they
are great for long exposure photography during the day.
ND filters come in a variety of stops to darken different
amounts based on the situation, they move in a scale of
0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1,5, 1.8… all the way to 5.0. With each
increase of 0.3 equals to one stop of light. For example, if you’re photographing moving water like a river you
may have a good daylight ISO of 100, a shutter speed of 1/2000 and an f/2.8 aperture, and this will give you
good exposure but not the blurring for a great image. Even adjusting the stops to f22 won’t affect the shutter
speed enough to get motion blur so by adding an 8 stop ND filter the shutter speed can be dropped to 2
seconds without having to drop the aperture down too much and lose image quality.
With ND filters you are able to shoot with a slow shutter even if there is a lot of light out. This results in a cool
motion blur effect, great for photographing water, moving clouds and other motion during the day. You can
also get variable ND filters that have a range of darkness all in one filter, you just spin them, and the image
gets darker. If shooting in aperture priority or anything by using this filter it is not going to affect your image
because the camera will adjust the shutter as need be. So, we have to use manual mode. These filters are
great if you want to use a slower shutter speed during the day and be able to long exposure. They are good
when you want to use really specific settings of ISO, shutter speed and f-stop to just change the map light
that is able to come into your lens. A good option is the ND 10 “big stopper”, made by Lee filters.
Neutral density filters can also come in a graduated type

(GND) where one half of the filter is clear. Since most
images have different sky/foreground requirements a
graduated ND allows for only part of the image to be
stopped down. These always come in a rectangular
shape, but this allows you to stack multiple filters
without dealing with alignment, but it can add
vignetting, especially with focal lengths less than 35mm.
GND filters also come in hard edge variety where the
horizon line has a very strong and contrasted ND to
darken the sky while leaving the foreground light, such as in this image. This only work when the horizon is
straight and a soft edge GND provides a much less severe line and is more flexible for the horizon line.
There are also now reverse GND filters which have a dark and hard horizon line which gradually softens.
These are designed for sunsets where the sun may be very bright, but the sky is not which will leave you with
a choice to overexpose the sun to get the sky or underexpose the sky. These allow for a more balanced result
where both can be stopped differently simultaneously.
OTHER FILTERS
• Creative filters. These filters are great for preventing the need or desire to do a lot of post-
processing on your images in the editing room.
• Gradient filters. Gradient filters are basically half normal glass and half filter. There are a number
of types of gradients, but they are most commonly used for photos with sky in them. The top half
would typically filter the sky either darkening it or changing the color and the bottom would remain
unaffected. With this you can have more balanced exposure if the lower half or your image is in the
shade and the top half is much brighter.
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• Color correction. Color correction filters actually change colors in your image either tinting the
entire image or making certain colors pop more. These are used to fool the camera’s white balance
into giving a warm or cool exposure. There are two different types of color filters though, others can
add color so that only that color is visible (though these were more used for film and aren’t really
necessary with post processing now). These aren’t used as much because modern DSLRs can adjust
all this “in camera” without need for filters. These are especially great with nature or landscape
photos, when you want blues or greens to pop more.
• Cross screen/star. Another fun filter would be the cross screen or star filter. There are pretty
straightforward, they transform any light source into a star shape. There are varying types of these
and can have various looks to them.
• Close up. They are more of a lens than a filter, they’re the poor man’s macro lens which attaches to
another lens for macro images. These do tend to give poor quality images and they’re not very
useful overall as they won’t really create enough of a focal difference to get a real macro effect.
SPECIALTY LENSES
In this lesson, you will learn about specialty lenses like macro, tilt shift and fisheye lenses. These lenses, each
have a unique look to them and are great for photographers who have a specific project or style of
photography. If you think you are interested in using them, rent one and lean how to use it first.
MACRO LENSES
The word macro is used in a number of ways
generally meaning large, but for our purpose, it is
the idea of making something very small seem
largen than life. A macro lens enables you to do this
by allowing you to focus extremely close to an
object. Seeing every little detail and then when
printing or viewing on your screen, the object seems
huge. Macro photography is really the art of detail,
almost like looking at things under a microscope.
The tricky part of macro photography is that because you are so close to your subject, the depth of field is
incredibly small. Every photo is very detailed and most macro photography and lenses have the ability to
focus up close, but they are also normal lenses, so really, they have dual purpose.
TILT SHIFT LENSES

These lenses are really something incredible. On one side, they have marking that
are the tilt and the shift of the lens. The shift allows you to move the lens side-to-
side, helping reduce distortion in wide-angle lenses. The tilt allows you to actually
angle the lens in different ways to change where your plane of focus is. This is
creating a sliver of focus across your lens which has been popularized on Instagram
with the tilt shift effect.
These lenses also get that
awesome miniature world
look when shooting from far away and up above.
These lenses are a favorite of architecture
photographers because you can eliminate any
distortion that you would get from a typical wide-
angle lens and also an awesome way to get very unique
images of cityscapes or places with lots of people.
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FISHEYE LENSES
Lastly, we have fisheye lenses which have become
slightly less popular in recent days but still serve a
purpose and are definitely a favorite of some concept
photographers. These are extreme wide-angle lenses
typically around 10mm or even wider and have crazy
distortion to them curving on every edge to give a
circular look to the image. They allow you to get
incredibly close up while still seeing a lot and are way
less expensive than some high-end ultra-wide-angle
lens that doesn’t have any distortion. A nice thing about these is that you can always crop in afterwards or
use a software to slightly correct the distortion if you want to. They are great for crowded places where you
want to be able to see as much as possible or if you just want to creatively, use that curved look. They are
typically a bit slower though you will rarely find them any faster than f/2.8.
HOW TO CLEAN A CAMERA LENS
Cleaning the lens, meaning the glass of the front of the lens and the back of the lens, is something usually
done before a big shoot or a job. Even the smallest little spot could mess up your photos. You could fix it in
post, but it is really good practice to get in the practice of just cleaning your glass.
To start, use a blower, you can squeeze it and it will blow air out, usually it has a plastic tip, so it does not hurt
the glass. It is the best thing to start with if you are just trying to get dust off. You want to minimize the
amount you’re physically touching the glass. It is also preferred over compressed air which can sometimes
be too harsh, it is bigger to carry around, you have to rebuy it every time and it creates some moisture if you
are angling incorrectly. Start by just blowing across the glass to see if you can knock off any dust particles.
The next thing that we need is a microfiber cloth which comes in a lot of cleaning kits and it is specialty cloth
that is really for glass or your phone or any screens. It works well on lenses, nothing will come off it, you won’t
see any fibers. You will do circles lightly doing some little spins. Then, use some lens cleaner solution. Do not
spray directly onto the lens but onto the cloth itself so it is moist, and you will do the same thing, rotate
clockwise. Then, with the dry part of the cloth, dry it off, pick up any other loose change on there. If there
are still something on it, blow it off.
Sometimes there are some tine little speck that get caught between sort of the glass and the housing of it.
For clean it, you will use a lens cleaning pen, pushing it out or twisting it out and you will find little tiny fibers
to get there without hurting your lens.
Don’t forget there is glass at the back of your lens. Take your lens off and protect your sensor with your port
cap to not leave it open so that no dust can get in there. To clean the sensor, you should have a professional
do. With the back glass, just do the same thing: blow, use the dry cloth side, then the wet side, the dry again,
blow and use the lens cleaning pen.
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11. EQUIPMENT: ACCESSORIES
INTRODUCTION
This section is all about accessories for your camera kit, we will go over everything from memory cards to
batteries chargers, tripods, flashes, camera bags and hard drives. It might sound like a lot of basic stuff but
after we go through all of this, you will have a better understanding of what the difference is between all the
options and what stuff you actually need. A lot of this stuff will actually come with your camera and some of
it will be nice to have, might not be completely necessary when for starting off though.
MEMORY CARDS
Memory cards are the digital storage device that your camera saves each
photo to. They come in different shapes, sizes and speeds. Depending on
your camera, you are probably shooting on SD (Secure Digital) cards,
maybe CF (Compact Flash) cards and less likely but possibly micro SD
cards. There are many types of memory cards but as long as you know what
works with your camera, that is all that really matters. You will also find
different kinds of SD cards like SDHC (Secure Digital High-Capacity) or SDXC (Secure Digital Extended
Capacity). All will come in varying storage capacities from 2GB all the way up 256GB and beyond. Gigabytes
stands for a unit of measurement that each card is capable of storing, so, the bigger the number, the more
it can hold. SDHC and SDXC offer more storage and are most commonly recommended to photographer
who will need much more space than someone using an SD card to store smaller files like documents. Check
your camera’s user manual and see what kind of memory card slot it has and if there’s a recommended speed.
Speeds of cards are typically by class. Class 4 memory card will write out 4 megabytes per second, whereas
a class 10 card will write at 10MG/second. You need to make sure your camera can utilize all the speed your
card can deliver, consult your instruction manual for the fastest card speed supported. There are also UHS I
and UHS II, which are ultra-high speed. At the very least, use class 10 but if you’re going to be taking photos
at RAW and for burst mode, use UHS I or II.
TYPES OF MEMORY CARDS , IN DETAIL

• SD (Secure Digital) Memory Cards. SD cards are by far the most common type
of memory card. They are compatible with the majority of digital cameras.
• SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) Memory Cards. These are SD memory
cards but with a higher capacity. Original SD cards only went up to 2GB, so SDHC
was invented with a maximum capacity of 32GB. They are identical in shape and
size, but they are different media types. Though your camera may fit a SDHC, be
careful because if the camera was made before SDHC came along it may not recognize it.
• SDXC (Secure Digital ‘Xtra Capacity’) Memory Cards. These are SD cards but with a much higher
capacity and faster processing speeds. These have a maximum capacity of 2TB. Similar to SDHC, in
that an SDXC fits in a normal SD slot – but your camera may not be able to recognize this newer
technology, so always check in advance. Computers also need to be able to read the exFAT
filesystem to be compatible with SDXC.
• CompactFlash (CF) Memory Cards. CompactFlash cards offer very high
storage capacities and fast processing times. They were first introduced
by Sandisk in 1994 and were widely used, but now they are usually only
found in the most advanced DSLRs. Last year Canon chose CompactFlash
as the recording media for use in its new lineup of professional high
definition video cameras.
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• Micro SD Memory cards. Micro SD cards were initially a popular

method of storing images in mobile phones. In actual size they are
the smallest commercially available memory card at 15×11×1mm
but can store up to 2GB of information. The micro SDHC versions
are able to store much larger files from 4GB-32GB. Micro SD cards
are now more commonly seen in GPS systems and MP3 players,
however a small number of digital cameras (recent Samsung
compact models) are also compatible with them.
• xD Picture Memory Cards. xD Picture cards (standing for ‘eXtreme Digital’) are a Fujifilm format
used in some (older) Fuji and Olympus cameras, although these brands are now routinely
compatible with more standard SD/SDHC technology.
• Memory Stick Duo Memory Cards. Memory stick duo was launched, and is still used, by Sony
digital cameras. Most Sony cameras are now also compatible with SD cards.
• MultiMedia Cards (MMC). Multimedia cards have the same physical appearance as SD cards, but
just without the access lock. They are used as an alternative to SD and will fit most compatible
cameras, although transfer rates are lower.
• UHS-II. UHS-II standard SDHC/SDXC cards were recently released by Sandisk and aim to offer
quicker transfer rates, increasing write speeds up to 250MB/s or faster. The Sandisk Extreme Pro
cards match up with the sheer amount of data streaming through the camera’s buffer when
shooting lots of RAW files or high-quality HD movies.
• CFast 2.0 Standard. In 2012, the CompactFlash Association announced the CFast 2.0 Standard,
promising to read and write speeds of more than double what was then the current standard. In
September 2013, SanDisk released the first CFast 2.0 card, billed as the world’s fastest memory card,
promising read speeds of up to 450MB/s and write speeds of up to 350MB/s.
MEMORY CARD READERS

You’ll need a memory card reader to transfer photos to your computer if you don’t fancy lugging around a
USB cable for every one of your devices. You’ll be able to get a card reader for each of the above types of
memory cards and some come with built in memory and can also function as a USB flash drive. But check
the device you’re loading your photos to, some come with built-in memory card slots. If you’re using more
than one memory card regularly it will probably be worth investing in a multi-card reader, which accept
multiple types of memory cards and brands. The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot device is perfectly cut
out for the job.
HOW MUCH SPACE DO YOU NEED?

The other thing to consider is the amount of space that you need, 32, 64, 128 GB… Many photographers like
being able to go on trips and know that they will have enough memory space to last entire trip and when
they only shoot uncompressed RAW images, they will need a few 128 GB cards. Some photographers like
swapping memory cards often to prevent losing all of your images from a corrupt card. If you are shooting
JPEG, 128 GB is going to go a very long way and might be overkill but if you can afford it, why not have the
extra space? Starting off, 32 GB or 64 GB is probably fine. A 32-gigabyte card can hold over 4000 22-
megapixel JPEG photos but only 410 22megapixel uncompressed RAW photos. So, this really comes down
to what your need is. Get something a bit bigger than you might think you need and then another smaller
one just as a backup if you fill up that larger memory card.
Memory cards hold all your photos, so it is a good idea to invest in better quality once. Sand Disk is a good
brand but Kingston, Samsung and Lexar both make excellent cards as well. They are fairly robust little cards
and typically live in your camera but having a case for them is a good idea. Pelican SD card case is a great
choose, they will be save even if it drops from a moving car or into a puddle of water.
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BATTERIES
Most of the cameras you buy will come with at least one battery. While
working or traveling, have at least three batteries, one to be charging, on
in your camera and one at the ready in your pocket. If you are just getting
started, two is probably fine. Also, if you are only shooting photos, one
battery will last you very long time. Well the batteries that are made from
the actual camera manufacturer, might be more expensive, they always
last longer than the other third-party brands.
When it comes to chargers, you will probably only need that one charger that came with your camera. If you
want an additional charger to help charge your batteries more quickly, buy the Watson dual charger which
has adapters for several different kinds of batteries. It also allows you to charge two batteries at once.
Vertical grips are a great addition to any professional photographer’s kit,

they plug into your camera’s battery compartment and allow you to use
multiple batteries at once. They also work as a separate grip for your hand
more easily shoot vertical photos. With many mirrorless cameras today, not
only our battery life is getting shorter, but they are also so small they don’t
fit comfortably in the hand. A vertical grip solves both these issues by adding
a bit more mass to the camera and also holding multiple batteries inside it. With some cameras, it also allows
you to actually shoot more frames per second in various burst modes.
STABILIZATION
Depending on the kind of photography that you are going to be doing, a tripod or a monopod might be a
great addition to your kit, even essential for certain types of photography like long exposure.
Tripod come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and finding the right one for you can be slightly
overwhelming because there are so many kinds and options. For the most part, finding
something that can support the weight of your camera combined with your heaviest lens is
what matters most. That being said, there are typically two parts of a tripod, the base or the
legs and then the tripod head. On the most basic tripods, the head will come connected to the
tripod. The tripods with a removable head, allows you to swap out or upgrade either the legs
or head. Regardless, what the tripod provides is a stable base and the ability to leave your
camera in one spot and really compose the exact frame that you want without having to hold it there in place.
Some things to consider as you look around at tripods is how tall can they get, how heavy are they, how
small do they get when they fold up. Tripods will range from fairly reasonable prices between $25 to $100 to
crazy expensive carbon-fiber versions that are over $300. Some are better for traveling since they are lighter
and more compact while others are better for studio work because they are a bit taller. If you need it for
taking photos of a model, we recommend getting something that can get up to at least 6 or 7 feet high (1,8
– 2,1m), so you have the option of looking somewhat downwards at your subject.
There are two most common types of tripod heads, the ball head and the three-way head. Ball heads are
typically lighter and quicker to use, really move the camera into any angle or position and then lock it into
place. They can be used for any type of photography, but they are especially well suited to still life and macro
photography when the camera needs to be held at strange angles. However, they can be a pain to use for
landscapes when you want to tip the camera up or down but keep the horizon level in the frame. This is when
three-way tripod heads are useful as the camera can be moved around three planes individually. The other
type, fluid heads, are more common for videographers.
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The gorillapod is another cool accessory. It is basically a tripod with legs that can move
into any position. It is really compact and very versatile, great for attaching to specific
places like a chair, a tree branch or railing. For backpacking or traveling it works great
because it is so compact, but it is also not necessary all the time. Sometimes a backpack
or book is perfect for propping your camera up.
Lastly, we have mono pots which are basically one-legged tripods, so they can’t stand
up by themselves, but they do provide support and stabilization. They are typically used
when you need to be mobile but have a really big telephoto lens that if you are hanging
around all day, starts to get really heavy or if your lens is just too large to shoot handheld.
You will see this with sports photographers and their huge lenses. They are good if you
want something to rest your camera on as you move around and are a bit more compact
since they only have one leg and are fairly light.
In terms of brands, Manfrotto is definitely one of the most common brands out there and highly rated but
there are plenty of other companies out there making quality products like Ravelli, Zomei, Fancier, Benro
and Gitzo. Do some research first, seeing what makes sense for your budget and going from there. A decent
tripod should last you a very long time but some of the cheaper plastic ones will start to fall apart if you are
using them every day. So, consider investing in something that will last maybe a bit longer if you plan on
taking your photography to the next level.
FLASHES AND LIGHTS
Another very useful but not 100% necessary tool for everyone is
the flash. There are a few kinds of flashes out there and a number
of ways to use them. At the most basic level is an onboard flash
that come built into some cameras. Then there are external
flashes that you can attach to the cameras hot shoe mount, the
mail on top of your camera. Also, the strobe systems are an
option that pro photographers use in the field or in the studio.
External flashes are a step up from on-board flashes, these typically fit in your camera’s hot shoe mount and
need to be sync with your camera. Each manufacturer makes their own external flash for their cameras.
Typically, the more economical choices will have less features than the higher end ones. What these are
capable of are also dependent on what camera you are using. Some cameras are able to sync to multiple
flashes and don’t even need to be attached to your camera, so, you are able to get really creative by placing
these flashes all around you, as we have mentioned earlier.
The more economical external flashes will be in a locked position and the more expensive once will enable
you to tilt and rotate them. If you are going to invest in an external flash, get one that can rotate until and
ideally one that has various flash intensities. You will also find that there are many different kinds of
diffusions for external flashes. There is not one best option, everyone has their own preference but in general
people don’t want to blind their subjects and find a way of diffusing the flash.
So, who really needs an external flash? Event photographers, for example need and external flash because
they need to make sure that they always get the shot and sometimes the lighting won’t be ideal for them.
This is great for wedding photographers or concert photographers.
Lastly, the concept of strobe lights is similar to an external flash but instead of the flash being attached to
your camera, you can place them wherever you want. Lighting is a huge part of photography and learning
to use flashes can really help you take your photography to the next level. External flashes are a great thing
to learn.
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CAMERA BAGS
There are all sorts out there and really, no one

best bag. It comes down to what your needs are
and how you are going to use it. Also, how much
gear you are carrying with you or need to carry.
Do you need to worry about heavy rain or snow,
sand or dust? Are you walking around public
places and maybe want something a little bit
more low-key that doesn’t stand out? Are you
going to be traveling long distances and need
something that will be comfortable after many
miles? Do you want a backpack that can hold your
clothes and other gear? A day pack for going out during the day or just a satchel that is easy to throw of your
shoulder? There are great bags for all of these occasions and the technology is always improving.
There are also hard cases which are typically a bit more rugged but not quite as
easy to carry around. These are great for ultimate protection when traveling with
or storing your camera equipment. Pelican cases are really great cases, their
military-grade waterproof, dustproof, everything-proof cases will guarantee the
safety of your camera and your gear. They are a bit bulky and heavier than other
cases, but your equipment will be safe. Storm cases is another brand worth
checking out that are equally as durable.
In terms of backpacks, F-stop and Shimoda backpacks are two good

brands. They are made for adventures, people going on hikes with
their camera gear and need something that has good support. Their
feature internal storage pouches of various sizes and can really hold
a lot of gear very safely. They are a bit more heavy-duty and can
easily be used to travel with them or just take them on a day hike.
Think Tank, Domke, Tenba and Lowepro are all great bag makers and makes so
many different kinds of bags, from backpacks, to little pouches, to satchels. Go
into any camera store and if you can try to mount yourself. Think Tank
shapeshifter 2.0 is a good option, it can hold a ton of gear safely and has many
built in pouches, which are great for the ultimate organizer.
Domke and Tenba are great satchel makers which are really accessible and
great if shooting weddings or anything where you want to quickly and easily
access a spare lens or other accessories. Another thing you can do is use little
pouches that can carry your camera lens, maybe a few accessories and then
put that inside a normal backpacker back. This has a benefit of people not
knowing that he is carrying a camera inside and is a lot
more low-key.
Lastly, there are holsters like the high-end leather ones, made by Holdfast or fabric
ones that keep your camera’s accessible at all time. These are great for event
photographers who need to have multiple cameras or lenses at the ready.
As you can see, there are many options out there. The most important thing is to
have at least one bag that organizes all your gear in one place. Then, depending on
your style of shooting, having another bag that makes going out on a photo
adventure easier than ever.
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HARD DRIVES
Organization is very important for photographers, so it is important to have a good place to store all of your
photos. It is recommended to use an external hard drive and creating a filing system that works for you, so
in five years you can go back and easily find that one trip or that one photo. We also recommend having a
spare backup drive to be extra-careful. Cloud storage is also a great option for your edited photos as hard
drives can break and you don’t want to lose your work.
One issue we have dealt with hard drives is that as technology changes, so do the plugs that connect to your
hard drives to the computer, so you may need to update your external hard drives every few years. Luckily,
hard drives are getting more affordable. At one time a one terabyte hard drive was extremely expensive but
today getting a four-terabyte drive won’t break the bank. It is recommended to get two drives at least two
terabytes space, one to edit off of and use normally and another that just sits in a safe place and has
everything on it backed up.
Now, in terms of some of the more

technical stuff, there are the older more
common hard disk drives and the newer
solid-state hard drives. Solid-state drives
are amazing because there are no moving
pieces, so they are more durable and
typically much smaller but also way more expensive. Disk drives are more common and much cheaper. They
work just as well but you need to be a bit more careful with them since they do have a moving piece inside
of them. If you damage that disk, it can be very expensive to repair and sometimes you are unable to retrieve
all the data from that disk.
Additionally, you will see some disk drives that are 5400 rpm and others that are 7200 rpm. These are
basically how fast the drives are able to operate. The last thing to mention here is that various types of plugs
that they use. These are constantly and very frustratingly changing and there isn’t much we can do about it.
A reliable external solid-state or hard drive is critical when you start amassing a large collection of digital
photos. These are a lifesaver when you need a way to transfer large folders, back-up image catalogs, or
simply clear up some room on your computer. WD’s line of Elements Portable Hard Drives come in a range
of sizes from 500GB through 2TB, with compatibility for both USB 3.0 and 2.0. If you plan on lugging it
around with you, you may instead want to check out LaCie’s Rugged line. Those recognizable orange hard
drives also range from 500GB through 2TB, with an external solid-state drive available in 250GB. All LaCie
drives hold up against drops, moisture, and dust contamination. They can also be password-protected in
case one goes missing.
At the end of the day, the more you spend on a hard drive, the faster and compact they will be. So, when it
comes to hard drives, it is really important to always have two of them, one to backup all your photos and
another to work off of. You need to take care of them and make sure that you don’t bounce them around
too much because at the end of the day, these are carrying all of your photos.
So, when it comes to storage, hard drives are definitely the best option because they are there, you have
them physically in your possession. A lot of people do use cloud storage but if you are shooting RAW photos
or JPEG large photos over time it will take a really long time to upload all those photos to the cloud or if you
want to retrieve them to download them again. It is nice though to use cloud storage to upload edited photos
or maybe your select photos that you know that you’re going to want to keep for a long time. This way, if
your hard drives do get damaged, you will have them in the cloud still.
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PHOTO SCENARIOS
12. PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TIPS
1. Shoot at golden hour. Start by

picking the right day time to shoot.
30-60 minutes before sunset is the
best time to start. It provides soft,
warm light without creating harsh
shadows (like a bright sun overhead
would). Use the sunlight as a
backlight instead of having your
subject with the sun in their eyes. To
be able to expose them properly,
use the sun to create a nice glow
from behind, creating a beautiful
halo effect. If you are shooting in
the middle of the day, put your
subject in the shade. Be aware of
how bright your background is too.
Ideally, most of your composition is
at a similar exposure. So, if your
subject is standing underneath the
shade of a tree, your background
should also be a bit shaded to
prevent complete overexposure.
2. Exposure. With portraits, the most
important part of the image is your
subject’s face. And traditionally, the
eye is drawn to the brightest part of
the image. So, composing your
photo so that the subject’s face is a brighter part of the image can help make it pop. Get creative
with your exposure! Some great portraits are underexposed, silhouetted, or slightly overexposed.
3. Change up your compositions. Of course, you’ll want to get a standard medium and close up but
while you’re out shooting, make sure you get some wide shots. Also, do extreme close-ups as well
as some extreme wide shoots with a lot of negative space, get creative with your compositions to
have more options. Place your subject in your frame using the rule of thirds, rather than centering
your subject directly in the middle of the frame, less pleasing to the eye.
4. Clean up your background. First pay attention to what is going on. Make sure there is nothing
sticking out from your subject’s head and next get a shallower depth of field. When choosing your
background remember two things:
a. Pick a background that isn’t too distracting.
b. Make sure your subject stands out from the background.
5. Depth of field. A shallow depth of field, meaning a photo of your subject with a blurry background,
is one of the best ways to take your mediocre photo to a wow-this-is-fantastic photo. Remember,
the best ways to get a blurry background are:
a. Decrease your f-stop, meaning open up your background.
b. Step back and zoom in to your subject.
c. Move your subject further away from the background.
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6. Color. Pay attention to all of the colors in your composition. In particular see if there are any super
bright colors that will distract the viewer. Keep in mind that the viewer’s attention should be on the
subject, not the background. Also, ask your subject to wear colors that match their style. If you’re
really prepared, know ahead of time where you’re going to be shooting so that you can ask your
subject to wear something that contrasts with the background (for example, wearing a bright
yellow or red dress when shooting in the greens and browns of a forest).
7. Prepare some poses. Use our posing guide to have a number of poses up your photography sleeve.
Having this visual guide to shot, your subjects can help them understand what you’re trying to
capture. Most people will feel a little uncomfortable taking portraits. Do your best to make them
feel as comfortable as possible. Make sure to chat with them while you set them up. Tell them jokes.
Make them laugh. While shooting, take photos while smiling, but also without a huge smile. If they
laugh, keep snapping photos. Changing your subjects face can really change the photo immensely.
Try some serious facial expressions too. You don’t always have to go for the smile. This can often
result in some more interesting photos.
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13. LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY
WHAT IS IT
Long-exposure, time-exposure, or
slow-shutter photography involves
using a long-duration shutter speed
to sharply capture the stationary
elements of images while blurring,
smearing, or obscuring the moving
elements. It captures one element
that conventional photography
does not: an extended period of
time. The paths of bright moving
objects become clearly visible:
clouds form broad bands, vehicle
lights draw bright streaks, stars
leave trails in the sky, and water
waves appear smooth. Only bright
objects leave visible trails, whereas dark objects usually disappear. Boats in long exposures disappear during
daytime but draw bright trails from their lights at night.
In night photography, long-exposure is often used, where the lack of light forces longer exposures, if
maximum quality is to be retained. Increasing ISO sensitivity allows for shorter exposures, but substantially
decreases image quality through reduced dynamic range and higher noise. By leaving the camera's shutter
open for an extended period of
time, more light is absorbed,
creating an exposure that
captures the entire dynamic
range of the digital camera
sensor or film. If the camera is
stationary for the entire period
of time that the shutter is
open, a very vibrant and clear
photograph can be produced.
When doing this kind of
photography, use a red head
lamp, it won’t affect your night
vision like white would.
Long exposures are easiest to accomplish in low-light conditions but can be done in brighter light using ND
filters or specially designed cameras. When using a dense ND filter your camera's auto focus will not be able
to function. It is best to compose and focus without the filter. Then once you are happy with the composition,
switch to manual focus and put the ND filter back on.
You can do light painting too. In this technique, a scene is kept very dark and the photographer or an
assistant takes a light source—it can be small penlight—and moves it about in patterns. The light source can
be turned off between strokes. Often, stationary objects in the scene are illuminated by briefly turning on
studio lights, by one or more flashes from a strobe light, or by increasing the aperture.
But it exists also another use for long exposure: solargraphy. It is a technique in which a fixed pinhole camera
is used to expose photographic paper for an extremely long amount of time (sometimes half a year). It is
most often used to show the path of the Sun across the sky. In this method, the camera is securely fixed in a
position which won't be disturbed.
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TOP TIPS
1. Use a tripod. You can’t shoot them properly by hand, any little motion can ruin your photo.
2. Purchase a remote shutter release. This allows you to do two things. You don’t have to touch your
camera body itself to snap the photo, preventing subtle motion blur. It also allows you to do custom
long exposures for any length of time using the bulb mode. The best way to use it is with a calculator
to know the exact exposure you need, tell it your f-stop and the stops of light you are cutting down
with the ND filter, it will tell you the value needed to archive the exposure.
3. Frame up first. Before you perfect your exposure, crank up the ISO and use a shorter shutter speed
so you can get your framing just right. This is better than testing multiple minute or longer
exposures than needing to fix your framing.
4. Look for motion. It is key to better photos. This could be anything, from light of a car driving by,
clouds, flowing through the air or water flowing down a water fall.
5. Use ND filters. You can’t decrease your shutter too much during a sunny day without over exposing
your photo. Therefore, you’ll need neutral density filters to cut down the light entering your lens.
Screw-on filters or ones that drop-in front of your lens can both work. They come in a variable style
that comes in multiple ND settings or individual ND strengths that can be stacked.
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14. LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TIPS
1. Increase your depth of field. With landscape

photos you’ll typically want more to be in
focus. Crank up the f-stop to make sure you
get as much in focus as possible.
2. Find a focal point. While landscape
photography might mean just capturing a
wide-open view, the best landscape photos
have some sort of subject. It doesn’t even have
to be something natural, it could be a
cityscape, or a particular building or even just
a tree. While out shooting look for something
specific to capture, rather than just capturing
everything in sight.
If you take notice, however, you will find that
many professionally photographed landscape
images are much more about interesting light
or moodiness than they are about subject
matter. A photo taken in your backyard of a
back-lit blade of grass in the soft morning light
is going to be more captivating than a photo
of the Grand Canyon snapped at noon. Jay Maisel refers to this quality as light, gesture, and color.
For him, good images have two of those features working for it, and incredible images have all three.
Notice that subject isn’t relevant in his formula.
3. Choose the right lens. If you don’t have a wide lens like something between 11 to 35mm, you will
want one for landscape photography. A wide lens is crucial for capturing the entire view in front of
you. At the same time, bring a telephoto lens, that allows you to capture closer up shots of specific
landscapes.
4. Go at the right time. Shooting at golden hour will create more contrast and interesting shadows
going across the landscape. It is worth getting up super early to catch the sunrise, to capture this
beautiful lighting.
5. Straighten your horizons. Of course, you can fix this in post but the less work you have in editing,
the better. So, make sure your horizons are straight across and also pay attention to where they are
in your frame. Do you want to add the very bottom of the frame with the sky, creating a shot with
lots of negative space? Or is there enough interesting landscape to put the horizon up higher?
6. Add a polarizer. Use this filter to make your skies pop, they bring out more of the blues and the
colors, giving also reflections.
7. Visit the place you want to shoot several times. The value of photographing familiar landscapes
repeatedly is really important. When you visit the same location during different weather, time of
day or lighting, you can easily identify what is a special moment for that scene. In photographing
an area many times over, setting up a working composition in a short amount of time and capturing
that fleeting special moment offers a better chance at a successful image.
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15. PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
We are going to talk about

shooting an actual product.
There are two different types
of ways of shooting product
photography. There is the
type where it is on a backdrop
and you’re shooting the actual
product itself and there is also
lifestyle product photography,
which is out in the field seeing
the product being used and
work. You can use all your
other photography skills to
kind of shoot outdoors and go shoot in action and seeing this out in the world. We are going to concentrate
on sort of a DIY way to shoot the product itself on a nice clean backdrop. This is great for using in an e-
commerce, on websites, if you are shooting even food or any type of product that you need to showcase to
either sell or sort of show in a magazine or anything like that. It is also a really cool way to start making
money with your photography.
TOP TIPS
1. Use a paper roll to create a sweep. Use a cheap paper roll or poster board to create a really nice-
looking professional backdrop.
2. Use a tripod. This will help with a lot of different things. For one it will let you shoot with a higher
f-stop, that means stopping down to like an 11 or even an 8 or 16, getting more in focus so your
product looks great and that way let you have a longer shutter exposure on your tripod and don’t
get that handshake. It will also let you compose your shot effortlessly and it will be consistent if you
are shooting multiple products over one. Really the tripod is fantastic and a must-have for product
photography.
3. Control your light. Control your light with bounce cards or negative fill. So, use a white poster
board or a black one that will help you control contrast and control the look on your product. Just
play around with what you have and find a look you feel comfortable with, no matter if its clean and
bright or moody and with a lot of contrast.
4. Pay attention to the product. Make sure it is far enough away from the background, it is in the
center where all your light is, it is clean, and it looks pristine. You can fix up some stuff on photoshop
but the more time you spend on set making sure your product looks good, the easier time you will
have later.
5. Increase production value with a reflection. Make your product look even more professional and
a higher production value by creating a reflection under the product. You are going to use some
plexiglass, glass or a mirror to create this really cool reflection from below that will really add a lot
of production value to your DIY project. When using plexiglass, a white cardboard works well, but
with a black poster board underneath you’ll create a really cool black mirror effect. In post, you can
make the line created with this method disappear for a better look.
6. Edit your photos. Make them look as professional as possible. Clean up the background, clean
up any spots, make your product look clean, bring up the whites, crush the blacks a little bit, add
contrast… Just make it look as professional as you can.
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7. Create a guideline. Once you have the process down to a fine art, make sure you take the time to
create clear shooting, brand, and editing guidelines so you can maintain consistency as your
business grows. Make sure you document all the minor things, including things like the distance
between the camera and product, angles, and lighting setup. Keep in mind that your product photos
are basically brand ambassadors, and maintaining consistency is crucial. Create a technical guide
and a template in your photo editing software that will help you maintain consistent size and scale.
Go a step further and create a style guide for your in-context snaps too. Make sure you include:
a. Color Palette
b. Saturation
c. Focal Length
d. Shadows
e. Composition
f. Location and context
g. Consistency
Share your guide with everyone involved in your product shoots and post a copy in your in-house
studio for quick reference. Having an image guide will not only save you money in the long run, but
also save you lots of time as you won’t have to repeat the training processes. Instead, you can focus
on more profitable tasks, such as growing your business.
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16. LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
WHAT IS IT
Low light photography is not necessarily

just night photography. There could be
different amounts of light coming from
various sources and whatever is less
than daytime light outside, is considered
as low light. indoors photography
without much ambient light as well as
the light that is barely visible to our eyes
at night, is also low light. We have seen
this before, but just to quickly
remember, we distinguish three levels
of low light and some tips to getting
properly exposed photos in each one:
• Visible. In daylight, shadow areas behind building, for instance, or under large trees or bridges.
o Shoot at higher shutter speeds. It will avoid motion blur or camera shake.
o Set aperture to the lowest number.
o Use a fast lens.
o Use image stabilization (when having it).
o Increase your ISO.
• Low light. After sunset, when you can still see everything clearly, but you can tell that it is getting
dark, or when being indoors.
o Open up your aperture, increase your ISO.
o Position your subject closer to the light source.
o Stabilize yourself.
o Push your ISO to a higher number, if possible.
o Be careful about autofocus.
o Use a larger sensor camera.
o Use a tripod or monopod.
• Dark. At night, when you can only see the brightest objects.
o Use a tripod
o Use a flashlight for light painting.
o Use manual focus.
TOP TIPS
1. Know how high your ISO can go. Test your camera to see how much grain and digital noise your
photos have with a higher ISO. This way you will know what ISO you can go up to when you’re in a
low light situation. Take photos in different ISO, import them and look how they look like, so you
will know how high you are willing to go and what is too much digital noise for you. No need to say
that bigger the sensitivity of the ISO, the faster you’ll be able to shoot or the more time you will win
to let more light in.
2. Know how low you can push your shutter speed. Try it out to know when you start to get motion
blur. Being able to hold your camera steady in low shutter speeds will allow you to expose properly
in low light. If you can’t, you’ll need to compensate with a higher ISO.
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3. Shoot ‘wide open’. Drop your f-stop to let more light in and invest in a fast lens, one that opens up
to something like and F1.4 or F2 so you can get as much light in as possible but do not forget to have
an eye on how much depth of field you want in your photo. It is really about playing around with the
exposure triangle to figure out the best combination for you at that moment.
4. Use manual focus. Often in low light, your camera won’t be able to automatically focus properly,
plus it might be shining a distracting red light on the subject to try to read the focus. Practice your
manual focus to be able to do so quickly when auto doesn’t work well.
5. Use stabilization. Especially if you aren’t shooting a scene that has motion, using a tripod, a
monopod or just setting your camera down, allows you to decrease your shutter speed to expose
properly.
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17. SPORT AND ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TIPS
1. Learn about what you’ll

shoot. When shooting
sports, it’s important
you do a short research
on the sport you will be
taking photos of, so you
are able to anticipate the
actions of your subjects.
Pay attention to the play
ways of them too, the
more information you
have, the better you’ll be
prepared and the more
options you’ll have to get a great shoot.
2. Use a ‘long’ lens. You’ll probably want a telephoto lens that extends past 100 millimeters,
something like 200 or even 300, so you can get close-up shots and medium shots from across the
field or across the court. Keeping it tight and seeing the details of the action will result in better
shots than your typical wide lens.
3. Use the back-button focus. As we have seen before, using the back-button focus will allow you to
autofocus more easily, maintaining the focus constantly while shooting, and having it separate of
the shutter to minimize mistakes.
4. Increase your shutter speed. To capture sharp details, you’ll need to boost your shutter speed.
Depending on what the action is you’re photographing, it might require a faster shutter. That is why
you need to make sure you do some test shots.
5. Take lots of photos. Use burst or continuous mode to rapidly capture multiple photos at once. This
gives you options in case the subject looks awkward or isn’t in the perfect position. Remember that
the number of frames the camera takes per second varies from camera to camera, so, if you are
going to be shooting sports or other actions, you’re going to want to look into getting a camera that
has a higher frames per second rate. Oftentimes, some cameras have vertical grips for your
batteries that will let you boost up the amount the frames per second since it adds more power to
distribute evenly.
6. Position yourself properly. Scope out the location when you get there. If you won’t be able to move
around during the event, try to get a spot close to the action. Also, shooting from near eye level of
the athlete, usually results in better photos, instead of just looking down at them.
7. Capture their faces. Most times capturing the athletes face, will result in a better photo than one
from their back, so this might mean working your way around the field or wherever you are shooting
so you can capture their faces in action. They personalize and humanize the image, they connect
the viewer to the moment and draw them in. Do not forget telling a story, it will level up your photos,
so keep it in mind.
8. Shuttering, or camera panning, get creative. If you try to move with your subject and use a slower
shutter speed, meaning being timed with your subject, getting it sharp, but having a little blurry
background, so you would match the movement with your camera. But don’t get frustrated, it is a
difficult shoot to make, so keep practicing. Remember that in some occasion you can calculate the
distances your subject will be moving by, just to get it sharp easier or faster than by trying.
Another trick you can try is using your flash. This way, when your flash goes off, it freezes the motion
of your subject in your frame because it gives you more light. But you won’t be able to use burst
mode, most surely, so be patience.
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EXCELLENT SUBJECTS
It is easy for beginners to get frustrated with action photography, especially when they want to skip the
practices makes perfect part and don’t shoot easier subjects first to learn how photograph action first. Some
great subjects to capture and practice with are:
• Jumping people or animals. The easiest subjects to start with because they can repeat the same
shot over and over again, mostly at least.
• Ocean waves. Another you can shoot repeatedly with no pressure, but you may want to involve
other subjects once you have mastered the waves shoots which is more complicated.
• High-energy sports. They are a great choice to practice since they you have tons of opportunities
to get a great shoot through the course of a game.
• Birds. They can be either easy or hard to photograph depending on their movement, but you will
practice your patience for sure.
• Flying insects. You can start with macro slow-moving insects, continuing with one about to fly off
and then shooting flying ones.
• Sand, dust, powder. This can billow up into the air to add great movement to your images. The
cloud produced gives the impression of moment because it shows a path of action and it separates
the subjects from the rest of the frame.
• Snow powder. It also highlights action and make really stunning shoots with more movement.
• Water drops. It is not the best to try when having no patience because you might need to shoot
hundred images to get one ok.
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18. MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
WHAT IS IT
Basically, it means photographing small items to make

them look larger than life-size. Technically, macro
photography has to do with the size of the subject
being captured compared to the actual size of your
sensor on your camera. This means the object, such as
a flower petal, is actually larger on the sensor when it’s
captured than in real life. The closer you can get to
your subject, the larger it will be compared to your
sensor. So macro photography does require specific
lenses that can focus up close.
TOP TIPS
1. Use a macro lens. It should say macro on the

side of the lens, and you’ll need to rotate the focus ring to that macro setting. If you don’t have a
macro lens, you can use extension tube adapters to add glass onto your lens, which allows you to
focus closer to the subject. A 50 to 60mm lens is a fine for general macro photography but a 100mm
lens will give you more options when photographing from a further distance, perhaps necessary
when shooting things like insects.
2. Choose a point of focus. Manually adjust your focus to make sure your focus is exactly where you
want it. When photographing such small objects even focusing a millimeter forwards or backwards,
can make a huge difference.
3. Use a flash. Because you are focal plane is so narrow, you’ll want to increase your f-stop and deepen
that plane as much as possible. To compensate, you may need to use a flash to add light.
4. Use a tripod. Use it to make sure you can perfect your composition when photographing something
that is static or a still life. For some things you might need to be handheld like photographing a
butterfly or something that’s moving. When shooting moving objects handheld make sure you use
a faster shutter speed like 1 /50 or faster.
EXCELLENT SUBJECTS
To familiarize yourself and practice, it helps to choose interesting subjects. Some especially beautiful are:
• Flowers. It is a popular subject so it is quite hard to find a unique angle or perspective that is
different from the rest but using macro photography can give you that uniqueness. It helps to bring
out its vibrant color and graceful shape. But keep the background plain or omitted so there are no
distractions to appreciate the flower’s details.
• Water drops. Either a still or a moving water drop will be a perfect subject to photograph, but it
takes practice. You can use the drops as a complement of another subject too, they add interest
while keeping the composition still simple.
• Insects, spiders and snails. They are top subjects for macro photography. There are million types,
and each has unique details that will be revealed with a macro shoot.
• Food. It is a good subject to start with and experiment with different techniques. To make your
subject pop, try to get a good amount of background blur.
• Household objects. A quick look around your home can turn up a handful of cool objects for close-
ups. You can make dozens of eye-catching photos, even if it is just to practice.
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19. STREET AND ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TIPS
1. Be aware of your surroundings. Make sure you are always aware of your gear and the people
around you. Use a camera strap to discourage thieves from grabbing your gear and running away
with it.
2. Stick to one focal length. Street photography is all about creativity. Sometimes limiting your
options such as using a prime lens or sticking to one focal length on your zoom, can push you to get
even more creative as a photographer.
3. Choose your own street portrait style. There are two basic styles of getting street portraits. One
is just to be quick and perhaps sneaky, photographing subject without asking them. The other is to
get their permission first. Both ways take practice and you’ll need to get used to either being
obtrusive to people or going up and asking for permission. It really comes down on how you feel
about doing one thing or the other, on what your ethical standards are, but this is something you
need to think about by yourself.
4. Look at the lines. For architecture photos, lines are everything. Look for interesting lines, anything
from curvy or straight, balanced or crooked.
5. Tell a story. While it is fun to go out and capture the textures and still life scenes of the world, as a
photographer, you are a storyteller. Try to tell a story with what you’re capturing, even if it takes a
series of photos.
6. Use a polarizer. It is great to take out reflections of the building from other things around them,
making the building look a little cleaner. But do not always eliminate reflections, they can be a great
thing to play with and get some really creative shoots.
7. Inspire yourself. A go way to get closer to street photography is by inspire yourself or freeing your
imagination. For example, what some movies and pay attention on the way to film the camera had,
study other street photographers’ projects or read a book to get you thinking more creatively,
especially in the storytelling way or by giving you a new perspective.
OTHER IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES
• Play with silhouettes and

shadows. These are classic
elements in street
photography. They are
mysterious and interesting
but also familiar and
commonplace. It is a great
way too to disguise the
identities of your subjects.
• Capture the environment.
Not only the people are
important in street
photography, but also their
surrounding environment.
Including people in architectural photos or vice versa, including architecture and other surroundings
in your street photos, will provide you with more context and depth, giving your images more power.
• Frame your subject. It is used to guide the viewers’ attention to the main subject, as explained
before. It is like putting a frame around your subject to make it stand out. It does not have to be a
four-sided box but anything that helps you highlight it.
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• Use juxtaposition. It is referred to when two subjects are close to each other, so the viewer
naturally compares them. You can really have fun with this technique since you have to find a
comparison worth photographing and then wait for both subjects to be positioned just right. But
take care of what sense you want to give it, some people use it to misrepresent people or mock the
culture photographed, but you can always create some humorous and interesting juxtapositions
without mockery.
• Find symmetry. This will give your images a sense of organization and harmony in the middle of a
chaotic city.
• Experiment with motion blur. Since cities are always active, you will always see movement on the
roads and sidewalks. Instead of freezing their movement, try making some lower shutter speed
shoot to have the motion blur we explained above, so you will get the energy of the city.
• Empathize with individual people. The majority of street photos captured are genuine moments,
expressions and emotions and precisely, this authenticity makes it so compelling. But, as seen
before, you will need to work on taking shots without being noticed. Beside this, when you truly
empathize with your subject, you get the most meaningful candid shots. You need to step in their
world and see what they are seeing, only when you deepen your understanding of their situation,
you will be able to capture the real image.
• Watch social interactions. Emotions come mostly out when interacting with people. Observing
the people around you and their interactions, you will be able to capture a wide range of emotions.
Think about it as a story waiting to be photographed.
• Look for unique scenes and situations. When nothing is working, simply look for something
unusual. Don’t worry, they happen every day in a city. Just by walking around for a while, you will
find something interesting to capture. If you prefer something more planned, search for local events
and peculiar city sights, then plan our photos walk around these. At least, you will get a good place
to start with.
• Search for horizons. They can be very fascinating and make intriguing images. You can use the
buildings to get more lines in your photo, which is a great technique to capture appealing scenes,
as we have mentioned.
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20. EVENT AND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TIPS
1. Be prepared. Especially for events like

weddings, you will have one chance to
capture the moment, you can’t have
them pause and redo the vows, so do
everything you can to be prepared: visit
the site beforehand, get there early, talk
to the coordinator or event organizer,
and also talk to you client to know what
they’re expecting. A great way to
improve your photos is by getting to
know the couple that you are capturing
a little bit, just grab a coffee with them,
get to understand who they are. It will
definitely give you a sense of style and a
sense of how the actual wedding day
will go. It will also allow you to know
how big the event or wedding will be,
which will help you decide with gear you
will feel more comfortable with or what
you will actually need. Even sometimes
you won’t be able to move around as
much as you would like to, so you be
prepared for it too, bring a longer lens
with you and maybe even a tripod. In
addition, prepare your gear, clean it up
and check out everything is working
perfectly and is ready to go.
2. Have the tools you need. You don’t need to over complicate your shoot with too much equipment,
just make sure you have the simple thing covered, like fresh memory cards, extra batteries, and one
to two lenses that you will need for the entire day. Mostly, you will need a fast-enough camera
which you feel comfortable with, a correct selected lens that matches what you really will be
needing for that specific event, and the general accessories you may need. A great way to be
prepared for any situation is taking with you two cameras with different lenses and carry them with
straps, so you can easily switch them and use as convenience. And it is a great way to have a backup
camera too, in case anything happens to one of them.
3. Be aware and courteous of your surroundings. No one likes a photographer that draws attention
to themselves and people typically will be courteous and more out of your way to let you get your
shot, so go ahead and take your photos and then calmly and quietly, move out of the way so
everyone can enjoy the event.
4. Be quick. No one at the party want to wait or you to take multiple photos and adjust your settings
to get the right shot. Make sure to take some quick test shots whenever you get into a new lighting
situation, like going from outside to an indoor reception. This way, when you do ask to take
someone’s photos, you’ll only have to do so once. Try to know what you want to capture, maybe
plan with or without the main subjects, prepare your settings, talk with the coordinator to get all
the right photos quickly, especially the groups of people ones, maybe ask him/her to help you out
organizing that, etc. The more you prepare everything beforehand, the quicker you will be able to
work and the better the people around you will feel. Don’t forget shooting in burst mode when
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taking group photos to really make sure everyone is looking correct, or even with one subject
portraits, you really might want to get at least one good shoot of everything.
5. Capture the details. Capture what the
setting looks like, get wide shots of the
venue as well as close-ups of any details,
such as table centerpieces. Especially in
weddings, people spend so much time
thinking and preparing every detail, that
they cannot be missing in the photo-book.
The best time to shoot these details is while
people are preparing themselves and getting
ready for the ceremony. You may want to
prepare a shot list to be more efficient, but
remember you can do it with everything, not
necessarily only with the details, it will really
help you. For these subjects, having a macro
lens, is crucial too.
6. Bring a flash. Event photography is one of
the only times we recommend bringing a
flash. Especially for corporate events where
you will be photographing people, you will
want to get them exposed properly. Just
make sure you know how to use the flash
correctly and bounce it off a nearby wall or
the ceiling, so it is not flashing harshly in their
face. At most events, there’s not enough light to expose how we would like to, so make sure you
don’t forget it.
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21. AERIAL AND DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
In terms of drones, there are several companies making drones from all price ranges that have cameras built
into them. It is amazing compared to ten, even five, years ago. The accessibility to take aerial photos is way
cheaper and way more accessible now. So, we are really living in a great time where we can go, get a drone,
and easily fly it. And that is one of the cool things about drones now, even just five after the first drones really
came on the market for consumers is that they are easier to fly than ever.
Specifically, we recommend the DJI brand.

They are the main brand of professional drones
out there. And they have continued to
revolutionize this market. They have several
models at different price tiers that will
hopefully allow you to get a drone in the future.
They have four main drones: Spark, Mavic,
Phantom and Inspire, and then they also have
some other systems where you can put a full
DSLR or professional camera on it. Most of us
are going to be using one of their drones that has the camera that’s built in, like the Spark, the Mavic or the
Phantom. The Inspire is a tear up and that’s between $2.000 and $3.000. One of the cool things about that
drone is that you can actually operate the camera via a second remote, meaning on person can be flying and
the other person can be manning the remote. The camera and the drone we use is the Phantom 4 pro. They
are all kinds of different models and depending on what package you get, you might get a remote that has
a screen on it, built in, or you may have to use a tablet or your own mobile device as the remote-control
viewer. The camera built in the remote is one of the best things that has come to drones, since it is almost a
little annoying to have to connect your phone every time and waste your phone’s battery. Now it is all built
in and the screen is super high resolution, it is very bright, good for being out in the field, it is super easy to
see it even on a bright sunny day.
In terms of the differences between a model like the Phantom 4 and one of the lower tier models like the
Mavic and the Spark, there are a few main differences.
• The camera. With the Panthom 4 pro, you get a 20-megapixel camera, while the Spark and the
Mavic, the current models, have a 12-megapixel camera. Which is still an amazing camera that will
allow you to take amazing photos, but it doesn’t have the quality of the Phantom and they won’t
have that dynamic range, the ability to capture the darks and the highlights as well as something
like the Phantom.
• The battery. The Phantom pro also has a longer flight time, so per battery it has about 30 minutes
of flight time. The other models have between 15 and 20 minutes typically a flight time. It is not a
big deal if you purchase multiple batteries, but it is nice to have that extra bit of flight time, so you
don’t have to be constantly swapping out batteries and paying for extra batteries.
• Obstacle avoidance. With the Phantom 4 pro you get this feature which is awesome since it makes
it easier than ever to fly. If you get too close to something, it’s going to warn you and eventually it’s
going to stop. That way it is more difficult, but not impossible, to fly it into a tree.
• The stability. With the Panthom 4 pro and the Inspire you get more stability, your shots are going
to be a little bit more steady which makes more sense and is more important for video which all of
these cameras have the capability of doing but with something like the Spark and the Mavic, if it’s
a really windy day you’re going to be a little but more wobbly and shaky and you might not even
want to test the waters or test the air anyways and fly in a windier day. But with the Phantom pro,
you will be comfortable going out to the beach on a windy day and it was still very steady.
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• The video. All of these cameras do come with the video option, you can shoot amazing video in
the air with these drones, you will get a really high quality 4K video in slow motion and it is as
smooth as butter.
In terms of other brands that you can check out, GoPro is really the only other brand that we would
recommend right now. They make the Karma which is a cool sort of really compact drone that fits in a small
bag. With any of these drones you can buy backpacks that sort of you can fit them in and haul them around.
Definitely, the Phantom pro is not as compact as something like the other ones.
TOP TIPS
1. Remember your basic settings and

rules. This is still photography at its
core, it is just shooting photos at a
different angle and from a different
perspective. Remember you want to
expose properly, you want to
compose a nice image, use your rules
like the rule of thirds, level, horizon
and leading lines and shapes, which is
really big with aerial photography
because you’re so far up in the sky
that you’ll see lots of cool new shapes
and lines that you can capture but
most importantly, tell a story, pick a
subject.
2. Choose the right location. You want
to make sure that it’s safe, make sure
that you’re allowed legally and
technically to fly your drones in that
area, make sure you aren’t harassing
anyone, etc. You have to follow the
laws. Mainly, just finding a location
that is safe so that you don’t have to
worry about any of those things and
you can focus on your photography,
composing that subject in a way that
looks great. Also, finding a location without too many distractions, this can be hard when you’re
flying up in the sky because your looking down at the earth and there’s lots of stuff going on,
especially in busy places like cities, so it might be good to go to a location that is a little bit more
simple and finding a subject that doesn’t have as many distractions, so that in those photos, the
viewer is really drawn to whatever your subject is.
Do some research, try to find a place that is both legal and safe to fly and also something that has
potential for some sort of cool photos. You can look through the internet, use, for example, Google
Maps, or www.knowbefoeyoufly.org and www.dji.com/flysafe/geo-map, all three are great pages
to find a great place. Actually, in the second one, you will get a little bit more information, about
warning zones or places where you should not really fly. In Google Maps you can find easily parks
and using satellite mode is also a great idea to really see where the green areas are, unless you are
trying to take some architectural photography or cityscapes, of course. You may also be interested
in use the 3D aerial look, which is similar to fly with the drone around. You can also use the street
view to select places where actually stand and fly the drone.
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3. Be prepared. This means having

your batteries charged, making
sure your equipment all works,
having an extra battery, having
extra propellers in case you do
have a minor accident or if one of
your tellers isn’t working. It is
always good to have backups of
both the batteries and the
propellers. You want to make
sure that you know how to fly
the drone, practice it, go
practice it in a big open field
before you go out and shoot in a
busy street, you don’t want to
get into any trouble or hurt anyone.
4. Have a flight plan. Estimate the flight times, estimate how long it’s going to take for you to get up
into the sky and take your photo. It is a little hard to know exactly where your composition might
be from down on the ground but it’s a good idea to have your photo in mind, so as soon as you get
up in the air, you can take that photo and not waste any time because these drone batteries don’t
last that long.
5. Look for symmetry and patterns. With drone photography, this is one of the compositional rules
or techniques that we like to use, especially from up in the sky, you can see some cool patterns made
by the landscapes of our beautiful earth. With symmetry, both with the landscape, with buildings,
any man-made objects, look for those two things to take some great interesting photos.
6. Look for shadows. If you are shooting at golden hour the shadows are going to be longer and a
little more dramatic and especially if your landscape has some sort of difference in height, if you’re
shooting buildings or if you’re shooting mountains or hillsides or cliffs or anything, you’ll get some
cool shadows and that will result in really neat photos.
7. Follow the rules. Follow the rules
and regulations of wherever you
live. The rules are different in every
country, in every city, in every state
and so you are required, you are
responsible for making sure that you
are being a law-abiding citizen.
Drones, while they are fun, they’re a
toy, they are a tool, they are also
dangerous, and they can seriously
hurt people or property if you don’t
know how to use them or if you just
have a freak accident. Make sure that if you need a commercial license you get that, if you don’t
need one, make sure that whatever you’re doing doesn’t require any sort of license, make sure that
you practice. Some of the common rules right now, which might change in the future, are:
• You can’t fly above 400 feet
• You have to fly in your sightline, you must be able to see the drone at all times
• You can’t fly within 5 miles of an airport without their permission
• You can’t take photographs of people or their property without their permission
These are just a few things to keep in mind, of course these things change, and they might be
different where you live, so it’s up to you to make sure that you follow the rules.
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22. WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TIPS
1. Research your location before you go. Do

a bit of research to find out what animals
and plants you might see. Know what time
of day and what time of year is best to
capture that specific wildlife and capture
the best shot.
2. Be patience. As much as you can plan
ahead of time, be prepared to be patience.
While you might not have two months like
some professional photographers to sit in
the wild, it might take hours or multiple
trips to get the shoot you want. The more time you invest with your subject, the better you can get
to know it and the better shoots you will get because you start to get to know it, you will be able to
anticipate its movements and get really appealing photos.
3. Use your automatic modes. Aperture priority is a good mode for wildlife photography because
you’ll need enough depth of field to capture an animal in the distance and make sure it’s in focus.
At the same time, if the subject is moving quickly, you’ll need a faster shutter speed to reduce any
motion blur. Do some test shots to make sure using aperture priority mode won’t decrease your
shutter too much. If it does, increase your ISO to compensate and proper expose.
4. Use burst mode. Snapping multiple shoots in a short amount of time is great for moving animals.
This way you can make sure to get the perfect shoot and not lose a great image.
5. Get down low. Crouching down and getting eye level with the animal will create a more dynamic
shoot. Also, you can capture more of the details of the landscape including lots of foreground
elements that can creatively frame your subject. Try to capture the character of your subjects, their
personalities, but don’t forget to show where they live too.
6. Be safe and respectful. When out in the wild, being safe is more important than getting the right
shoot. This means being prepared with food, water, first-aid kit and any gear you need to be safe.
It also means not pushing the limit going too far near the cliff’s edge, dealing with harsh weather
and things like that. And, of course, be respectful to the environment and the animals you’re trying
to photograph, never try to feed them and keep your distance not to scare them. Leave the place
cleaner than you found it. Remember not to make eye contact with the animals and approach
slowly to prevent them from feeling fear or hostility, they may think you want to attack them, or
you will scare them. In short terms, do not disrupt the native habitat of the animals you are
photographing, try to be as respectful as you can. You can never know how the animals will react,
some may attack or if they have little babies, they may leave them abandoned, that is why a
telephoto lens can help you to get close shoot without being actually close.
7. Use the correct lens. Obviously, you will need a telephoto lens since you can’t get that close to your
subjects, at least a 300mm but for shy or more dangerous animals, you will need a 400mm or a
600mm. But these lenses are quite heavy and not fun to play around with if you don’t have for
example a car to lean it on or a tripod, which you will have to carry around too. That is why it is
sometimes convenient to use a teleconverter, it is much smaller and lighter even though your image
resolution will not be quite as good, your shoulders and your back will thank you for the change.
Remember, the longer the lens is, the more susceptible will your camera be to movement, any
slightly motion can cause blur, so try to use the fastest shutter speed usable. Anyway, some wildlife
photographers actually prefer crop sensor cameras because with them they get a little more focal
range, needing a shorter lens. In fact, some full frame bodies have a crop sensor mode for that
reason. You might want to use a wide-angle lens too, just to show the environment and allow your
viewers to sense where your subjects actually live.
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23. NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TIPS
1. Shoot in RAW. Make sure you’re capturing as much

information as possible by shooting in RAW and not just
in JPEG.
2. Use a tripod. Stabilization is a great piece of equipment
to bring on your night photography shoots. It will allow
you to shoot at longer shutter speeds instead of having
to try to do so with your hands.
3. Increase your depth of field. Increase that f-stop. It
might seem counterintuitive as you want to let more
light in but when you’re photographing buildings and
cityscapes at night, you’ll want a deeper depth of field.
4. Bring a flash light. Changing your settings on the back
of your camera can be really hard when you don’t see
what you’re doing. Bring your phones or a flashlight so
you can see what you’re trying to change.
5. Be careful of high ISO. With night photography, you will
have lots of darker areas in your frame, these dark spots
are where digital noise or grain will be most visible. As
we have said before, know your camera and how hard you can push it.
6. Banding. When shooting under fluorescent lights, you may see ‘banding’ across your image
because of the refresh rate or the flicker of the light, which the human eye can’t see but your camera
can when being at a higher shutter speed. The solution is to bring down your shutter speed and
bring your f-stop up.
CAPTURING CITYSCAPES AT NIGHT
1. Shoot in aperture priority. With it we can usually keep our ISO low, maintaining an optimal
aperture and extend our shutter speeds to compensate the low light, all to get a cleaner and sharper
image.
2. Bracket exposure. Use it to overcome scenes of strong contrast. Cities have an extremely wide
dynamic range since there is a lot of artificial lighting, having large differences between bright and
dark areas. For now, our cameras are not capable of capturing so much contrast. Take multiple
exposures of the same scene to get the whole image properly exposed. You can combine the
images in post editing or maybe your camera has a bracketing option, check it out. To blend the
exposures in post, use the luminosity mask.
3. Use manual focus. It will always produce a sharper image than using autofocus, especially in night
photography since the camera struggles finding something to focus on. Also, use in the live view
the zoom to make sure the focus is sharp and correct everywhere.
4. Capture light trails. This will produce a beautiful dimension to your frame. Remember, you just
have to get everything that is still sharp and lower your shutter speed, getting a clean image with
some light trails from the moving objects in the scene. To make it pop more, shoot one first image
just to get everything sharp, then take several photos with trails and layer them in post.
5. Shoot through glass. Most times the best views come from tall buildings which observatories are
surrounded by glass, often dirty and reflecting the interior lights, causing flares and softening our
images. To prevent it, place the lens as close as possible to the glass and encase it with a dark fabric.
For not getting the dirt on our image, the best way is to use a larger aperture.
6. Get to shooting locations early. Most photographers get to the best spots early so you should.
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24. TIME-LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
When we talk about time-lapse, we’re talking about creating a time-lapse through video, meaning taking a
series of photos over a defined amount of time and then create a video from those photos. Film and video
have been around for some time and basically it is just a series of photographs. Most things on TVs and
movies are actually shot at what we call frames per second. Which means a frame is one photo, 24 frames
per second or what movies are at and most TV shows and stuff like that are 30 frames per second, that means
30 photos are playing in front of your eyes a second to create a video.
The equipment you need will vary depending on the type of camera you have. Some cameras have an
internal velometer that does the time-laps ‘in camera’. You will be able to set it to take as many photos as
you want for as long as you want. But some cameras won’t necessarily have that capability internally. You
will need to get what is called an intervalometer, which will plug straight into your camera and will let you
set exactly how many photos and stuff you want to take on it. You will also need a tripod or something to
stabilize your camera because it is going to be sitting in the same exact spot for a very long time to create
that look.
TIMELAPSE SETTINGS
INTERVALS
Basically, we want to decide how many photos we need to take and how often we need to take them. It really
depends on what your action is. It can vary from a very quick action to a very long action. You have to decide
what is going to work out for you. A way to do that is to sort of work backwards, making sure your video is
going to potentially hit 30 frames per second. Knowing that, you are going to decide how long do we want
our video to be. If you want your video to be two minutes, calculate how many photos it would take to be
inside two minutes at doing 30 frames per second. So, two minutes are two times 60 seconds, meaning 120
second of 30 frames per second, 3.600 photos.
Now that you have decided this, you need to

decide how often are you going to shoot a photo.
If the action is a shorter amount of time, you are
going to need to take more photos to show more
detail, meaning taking photos more often and
with less space in between them. If it is something
that’s over a long amount of time, like a sunset or
a cityscape or a fast-growing ivy, something that
takes a long time to do, you probably want to be shooting with more space in between each photo, meaning
taking a photo every minute or five or ten minutes. Take a look at the chart above of average time it takes
to shoot a time lapse for specific situations. It is a great list to base your sense of time off of.
As soon as you start doing this, you’ll really star to get the concept of how long you want to use each photo
to show. Obviously, the more photos you take and the less time between the photos, the more detail you
have but that also means thing might be moving slower. If you are taking pictures of clouds and you’re taking
a picture every second, those clouds are going to move a little bit slower because you’re seeing every single
precise moment. Whereas if your take a photos every ten seconds, the clouds start to move a little bit more
and it will move faster. Remember to keep you focus manual, so it stays consistent, with auto, your camera
might search for other focus subjects, changing and ruining the time-lapse.
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EXPOSURE
It also depends on what you are shooting. Ideally, you probably want to be shooting something that has an
exposure that stays consistent throughout the entire time. Since you are on a tripod and you are locked off,
you can afford to be actually a little bit slower of a shutter than normal. We recommend that because you’re
having moving objects and it’s going to turn into a video. It adds a little bit like motion blur to help it smooth
out photo to photo as we’re going on, you will get a more ‘cinematic’ and filmlike look. Typically, shoot
anywhere below 1/25, but don’t go down into like 15th of a second or anything like that for something that is
quick action because it’ll keep your camera open for a long time and sometimes your camera need time to
buffer those photos if it’s taking a longer exposure. In that sense, aim out 125, 100 or 60 of a second on the
shutter.
Depending on what you are shooting, if you are in a controlled environment and if it’s something short,
nothing more than like 15 or 20 minutes, try and keep your exposure consistent throughout the entire time.
Take a test shot and make sure that it works right. But, if you are shooting something like a landscape where
the sun is moving and you’re going to go into night and in the dark, pick a specific ISO and put everything
else in auto. The cool thing about that is as everything changes; the auto exposure will just create whatever
setting it needs for that photo. Otherwise, it’s going to be crazy bright or crazy dark when the exposure
changes. In resume:
• Controlled environment: you’re able to just pick your exposure, test is, make sure it works.
• Non controlled and changing longer environment: set it to auto and let If go as time goes on.
Remember to check that you have enough card space and battery, or you got to plug your camera into a wall
if you’re going to be doing it long enough. Keep in mind that you’re limited to what your SD card says
however many photos you can take and the battery.
In post-editing there are a few steps you have to do with your photos. Basically, you’ve got to import them,
edit them, put them into your video editor, put that together and make it look good in terms of the timing,
sizing and positioning.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS
25. SHARING YOUR PHOTOS ONLINE
INTRODUCTION
Now that you have learned how to take great photos, let’s talk about putting them out there and sharing
them with the world. This can be a bit daunting and there is really no one best way to do it. It all comes down
to sharing your style and your voice with the world and there are a few ways to do that. Some of you might
prefer to only be sharing with friends and people you know personally, being a bit more personal with your
posts and social media. Others might want to share all your amazing photos and tell stories with them, to
raise awareness about certain things. Whatever it is, we want to talk about where you share your work and
how to build a portfolio that will best represent you. From social media to your own website, we are going
to dive deep into creating an online presence as a photographer.
One thing to keep in mind is that being active on social media can be a full-time job. In while platforms like
Instagram have helped to get a lot of people noticed, there are other ways of becoming a professional
photographer. At the end of the day, having your photos out there publicly for people to see and find is what
matters. A place where you can send people to see your work from a specific project, but then start clicking
through all the other work. Also, choosing a stylistic approach to how you want to present your photos and
work is very important. We encourage you to see what other people share online, what they are creating and
how they are approaching their work. Being inspired by other people’s work is one of the best ways to
motivate you to take more photos or try new things with your photography.
ONLINE PLATFORMS
When it comes to online

platforms for photographers,
there are lot of options. There
is a slight difference between
having a place to share your
entire portfolio and building a
social media presence. While
some people use their social media platform as their portfolio, we think it is best to also have a place where
you have your entire photography portfolio, a place where you don’t just post one of your favorite photos
from the weekend but all the best ones to really show off your work.
To start, let’s talk about social media and the one that stands above the rest: Instagram. It has completely
changed how photographers share their work and get recognized. Remember though, you don’t necessarily
need a big Instagram following to be working as a photographer. But it is becoming a more popular way of
companies and brands finding photographers to work with. They like the idea that if you have an online
presence, that while you are taking photos or when you eventually post them, that not only are they getting
good photos but also have a huge new audience.
Also, a great thing about Instagram is that you can share to multiple other social media platforms lie Twitter
or Facebook instantly when posting to your Instagram. One downside is that because you compress your
photos to fit their platform, when you share on these other sites, you can lose a bit of quality and most the
time it’s better to upload to those sites separately. Another limitation with Instagram is that you are really
only posting one, maybe a few photos, from a single photo shoot. While it gives people a taste of your style,
typically they will ask to see your portfolio or more of your work.
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There are other online photography communities people use to share their work and get inspired by other
people’s work, some of them are:
• 500px. It is super easy to use and offers a lot if you are willing to pay for the membership. At a basic
level, 500px allows you to upload photos directly from your computer, or connect to it with your
Instagram, Dropbox, Flickr and several other online platforms, where you might have photos stored.
You can select multiple and then upload them instantly. Once you do that, you can add descriptions,
technical information about the photo, tag it so other people can find it and then you can share it.
It is super easy ant that’s really just the beginning.
From there, you can also make either public or private galleries that can either be your own photos
or also include other people’s photos that you find while looking around at other pages. Once you
start looking around, you will see how many other creatives and incredibly talented people are on
there. Being an active member is key, commenting on people’s work, liking their photos, sharing
your own work of course is huge.
There are various groups you can join based on what camera you use or types of photography that
you are into. Again, actively commenting and liking people’s photos will help you get more people
to seeing your work. Another great thing you can do through 500px is actually allow people to
purchase your photos. It is a great feature because if you find something you really enjoy, you can
support that photographer, or if someone really enjoys one of your photos, they can purchase it and
support you.
Then, 500px goes even a bit further. They allow you to automatically take the photos you’ve
uploaded to your profile and create an online portfolio, a professional-looking website that you can
share with clients. They have quite a few really nice-looking layouts and you can customize your
portfolio quite a bit. A lot of this does require a subscription, they do offer discounts from time to
time, but it is worth looking into if you’re starting to get more work as a photographer.
• Flickr. It is run through Yahoo and has been around for quite some time, going through a few
updates. It offers a lot of the same things as 500px when it comes to sharing your work and
discovering other people’s work. Flickr boasts that it is almost certainly the best online photo
management and sharing application in the world. We are not sure which is the best, but Flickr is
definitely a popular choice and a great way to share multiple photos with friends and family,
allowing them to make comments on all of them.
You can also really easily search the massive database of all the photos on there by keywords, color,
find people associated with certain keywords… and also find various groups that match your search.
One thing I found surprising while looking around was the community on there, all the various
groups and how active people were. Many people use it not only just to share photos, but to talk
with other photographers, hear how they achieved a certain look or promote their own work to get
feedback on it.
• Behance. It is similar to 500px, a great and easy way to make an online portfolio and connect with
other creatives. It is connected to Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, if you don’t use that, not sure it
makes sense to use it. There are also lot of other types of creatives on there, like graphic designers
and animators, since it’s connected to the entire Creative Cloud Suite.
It’s incredible to see what kind of stuff people are creating with that program. But, if you are looking
for purely photography, Behance might not be the right choice for you. If you use Adobe Creative
Cloud Suite, you can make professional quality portfolios and easily share them with clients.
• Pinterest. You might not initially relate it with photography because people use Pinterest for a
number of reasons, when you log in, you will see that you are basically scrolling through thousands
and thousands of photos. This isn’t going to give the same sort of community engagement, but it is
a great place to find inspiring images and share your own creativity that might inspire someone else.
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INSTAGRAM
This can be helpful not only in sharing your creativity but also be a useful way for brands and companies to
find you and maybe even hire you for work. One thing to understand, is that people who have a serious
Instagram following work hard for it, connecting with their followers, sharing things that their audience
wants to hear and see. But let’s start simple and build from there.
At the most basic level, Instagram is about sharing what you’re up to through posts and intsa-stories in which
your videos and photos will only last for 24 hours. The instastory is a powerful tool that enables you to share
quick thoughts or funny moments with your audience. While taking great photos is important, putting
yourself out there and sharing things that match your style and online presence, will really help viewers
connect with you on a more personal level. It is a great way to share things that maybe aren’t quite at the
caliber that you would post but still something you think is worth sharing. It’s also a great way to bring your
viewer along for the ride and see what you go through to get the shot.
Some people like doing selfies and talking to the camera, others prefer to keep the video pointed outward
and others, to share images with text over them. Regardless of how you want to share these, the main thing
is that you build a story and really progress in what you are sharing so your viewers want to click to see what
happens next. Also, when people respond to these stories, it’s always good to interact with those that share
interest or compliment your work.
Now, when it comes to your actual post, there are a few things to keep in mind. You want to build a style
that you are going to stick with at least for some period of time. Staying consistent is difficult but over time
it will really pay off and people will come to your page because they like your style. It is not to say that you
shouldn’t try new things with your photography, but people will start following you because they like what
you’ve been posting and if you radically switch this up, they might not enjoy it as much, or they will love it.
There really is no one answer here, but consistency does help. Also, if you want to be a travel photographer,
for example, or animal photographer, maybe a sports or portrait photographer, focus on that one area. Try
to mainly share photos in that area, push yourself to consistently have new photos of that one type of
photography. This way when someone is looking for great portrait or sports photographer, they will think
about you first.
Outside of what you post, what you write is equally as important, it is your voice. What do you want to say
and how do you want your presence to be online? Do you want to be funny and witty and have captions for
each of your posts? Maybe you want to get really deep and share in-depth length captions that provoke
conversations. Maybe you just want to keep it short and simple, so people focus on your image and not the
text underneath. Whatever it is, try to make tour caption feel like they are really coming from you and have
your style behind them. Again, you can always switch this up and if you really want, you can always write
that lengthy heartfelt post every now and then that puts it all out there and then get back to normal types
of captions.
Hash-tagging, geotagging and tagging people or companies that are either in your photo or their associated
with your photos, are all very important tools for getting more eyes on your photos. Hash-tagging is
essentially tagging your photos with various keywords, so if you hashtag sunset, when someone searches
sunsets, there’re more likely to find your photo. Hashtags like #TBT (throwback Thursday) have become
synonymous with Instagram posts you see on Thursdays and that enables you to post older photos and show
people a bit of your past, even if only a week old. We highly recommend looking up trending or popular
hashtags that might fit your posts, because these more popular hashtags will have a lot more eyes on them
and more people are likely to see your post this way. You can also put your hashtags on a comment
underneath your post, this way, people won’t necessarily see all the hashtags you write and focus on the
caption itself.
Geotagging is also important and can be used in a few ways. Some people like to share where they are
posting from and other people like to share the location of where the photo was taken. There really isn’t a
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correct way of doing this, just depends on you. Some people will geotag thing like earth when posting a more
heartfelt post, or the White House when getting political. At the end of the day, this is just another way for
people to find your photos, when they search that location, they will see all the photos that are tagged there.
In the same way, tagging people that are in the photo or people that might be associated with the post, is a
good way to get people to see your photos. This way, when people are on their profile and look at images
that that person is tagged in, they will see your photo. Some people prefer not to tag anyone in their photos,
but, again, this is personal preference.
Beyond all this, when first getting started, try posting at least a few times a week. It is good to be posting
consistently so that people can see your work. But we would highly recommend not posting more than once
a day. If you plan out what photos you want to post in advance, that can make it all a bit easier during the
week and help you get more creative with your posts. At the same time, you want to make it seem as if each
photo, each post, that’s what you’re currently doing. You can try and take photos and write captions that
match upcoming holidays or major events, so they match the current popular themes.
Overall, social media is a tricky thing and finding your voice can take some time. Some people get it right
away and other people struggle just to write one caption. Try not to overthink it too much and just post
things that match who you are and what you find entertaining. Also, following people that inspire you and
have an online presence that you admire is a helpful way to see how they approach posting in caption writing.
TOP TIPS
1. It is not your portfolio. Use it as a journal or just to show your latest work, post images you wouldn’t
put in your portfolio. It can be your business card as anyone can quickly check it out. Use it in a less
formal way, show behind-the-scenes shots and things that are not to found in your website.
2. Keep your bio neat and tidy. Visitors will firstly see your username and bio. Do not forget to write
in there your email and location, to be easily addressed to.
3. Hashtag correctly. Do not use overloaded hashtags with millions of images, yours won’t be found
there and most likely you’ll get spam. Try not to use hashtags with more than 250.000 entries
expect if they are specific. Use specific hashtags of a community you are a part of, or one filled with
good images. Put them at the end of your post and try to limit yourself to 15.
4. Stay consistent. As mentioned before, when building an audience, the majority expect you to
continue posting the same kind of images. Create your own style and mood that will engage your
viewers. Remember, when someone visits your page, they will most likely follow you because of the
last 9 post you have published, it is the storefront, so take care of it.
5. Square or not square. You will see you have different options when posting your images.
a. Square images. It is the default way and does not make the people think seeing the work
of a photographer, but the thumbnail is the same as the big view.
b. Vertical images. They take up the most space of the user’s screen, but they are more
difficult to compose since they have a slightly different aspect ratio than the camera files,
so they will be slightly cropped. You would get the highest resolution with lot of details and
really big, but you cannot control how the thumbnail will be cropped.
c. Horizontal images. Classical, photographer-like, they are a bit smaller than the other, but
they keep the landscape ratio, but, again, you cannot control the thumbnail crop.
d. With a white border. They era the strongest photographer indicator. You control the
viewing process since you clearly show the image as you really want to, artist-like, since
you understand the importance of the ratio as well as the need of empty space. It will look
more professional and the viewer does not need to click the thumbnail to see the complete
version, but you might not get shared in other pages as much since they usually repost
photos without the white borders.
6. Control the timing. Do it regularly, find a pattern and stick to it. When you break it, you will see a
weaker impact. But do not post too often, since your images will stay on top of your profile longer
and reach out more people.
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7. Reply politely. People will appreciate it and may engage more with you or start following you
because they will feel that you care and consider them more than just likes or comments
underneath your photos. It is also a great way to get in-touch with possible clients in a more informal
way. Use emojis to get closer, they actually increase your chances to get noticed.
8. Use the chances you get. Many companies, brands and agencies search in Instagram for new
talented. The bigger you grow in this media; the more jobs offer you may get. The good thing about
it, is that will hire you because of your style, getting more freedom while working. As an influencer,
you have this chance to connect with bigger brands, use it.
9. Keep it simple. Write your caption not too long as a general rule since people won’t read it. But do
not hesitate to write a bit, indicate the location, give it a bit of context.
10. Have fun. At the end, it is almost the most important part. Enjoy what you are doing, publish what
you want, share what you want. Do not invest too much time and effort in it and do not act too
professional or you may end up boring your follower. Use it to get feedback and get to know people,
maybe make friends, not just clients. Use it to push yourself to keep consistency.
BUILDING AN ONLINE PRESENCE

• Have your own website, your landing page
• Create social media profiles everywhere but focus on one or two
• Keep your online portfolio and website up on date
• Share your work at least once a week or few times a week
• Share in social media what you’re up to
• Be a part of the communities, be social and engaged
• Be consistent
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26. START A PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS
INTRODUCTION
One of the coolest things about knowing

how to take great photos is that people
will pay you for it. They have never been
more popular in today’s culture. With the
advent of social media, photography is
everywhere, profile pictures, events and
sharing your life visually has really blown
up. You can get paid to shoot anywhere in
the world and by all different types of
people, on a personal level or even for a
corporation. We will touch briefly on the
beginning steps to be getting paid with
your photo skills. Keep in mind that
sometimes this can be a very long road. It took at least a year for most professionals that we know to be
making a decent living. It combines all the hardships of a freelancer, a business owner and an artist, all in
one. But it also has its perks, it’s well worth it if you’re willing to put in the hard work and learn as you go.
STARTING YOUR BUSINESS
First and foremost, you need to talk to your tax person and find out about the tax laws that apply to you and
find out what the best option for you in starting a business is. Every person is different, and every
city/state/country is different. You need to look into setting up a corporation which removes the liability from
your personal assets. You will typically need a DBA (doing business as) under your name so you can do
business and accept payments under your business name or you may just want to use your name as a self-
proprietor, if that is the best option for your life situation then go with that one.
Once you decide to start a photography business, you will want to choose your name. you basically have two
options: using your own name or coming up with something completely different. Using your name is always
an option for most business types. This is great if you imagine being the main photographer in your business
and running for a long time. If you imagine hiring other photographers or building out your brand in the
future, you might consider choosing a name that’s not specific to you. When you do thing in a name, it is
important to see if the website URL is available, to do so, use a website like www.namecheap.com and prove
if the domain name is usable. If it is not, you can add words like photography or photo to the end of the URL
to see if it’s free. We recommend trying to purchase a .com website because those are the most memorable
and most popular. It also has the best Searching Engine Optimization for web searches when people are
looking to hire a photographer.
Depending on what kind of photography you’re doing, you want to set up your website accordingly. You will
want to showcase the best photos you have for your type of photography. If it is portraits, you will want to
show the best ones, if it’s events and weddings, chances are you will want to show your best but also show
some collections from one or two of those events.
The key thing is to put on your website aside from your portfolio is contact information and an about page
with more information about you, the business, locations and what type of service you provide. That is what
kind of photography you do and perhaps maybe a little of pricing packages, but it’s not totally necessary.
Including prices can sometimes scare potential clients away and it’s always nice to start a conversation via
your contact form or email before jumping into prices.
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You will also want to link to any social media accounts that you’ve been actively using. Speaking of, you may
want to check out and see if social media accounts are available for your business name before locking down
your website. It is better if all your accounts use the same name so people can easily find you. Social media
is very important to the modern world of business photographers especially photo specific platforms like
Instagram. It is basically free advertising. We highly recommend using it specifically when starting a business.
In recap: choose a name, set up an official business in your city of state and then build out your web presence
including social media.
FINDING YOUR FIRST CLIENTS
To have a successful business, you need clients, you need people to

shoot for. This can seem like a daunting task when first starting out, it
will take a while to really get going. When thinking about getting
clients, you will always be hunting for them even in a year or two when
you’re really successful, you’ll always be looking for new clients. Over
time, it will get easier as word of mouth spreads but in the beginning,
you may feel like you’re spending half of your time doing photography
work and the other half of the time just trying to find work.
A huge source of clients comes from word of mouth, that means friends of friends of friends, things like that.
Where should you start? With your friends, your family. Start taking photos for your friends and family for
free or minimal pay if you can. Maybe you are already doing this, use it to start building your website and
your social media. Assuming your shoots went well, and you got your friends, your new clients, what they
wanted, ask them to recommend you to anyone else that may need a photographer, this is how we start out.
You will be surprised at how many people just your friends and your family can reach, your network will start
building, have them post one of their photos on social media and you’ve got free instant advertising to a vast
network. This is a great way to build your portfolio as well, if you don’t have one. Your friends and family will
love having you take photos for them.
And how do we continue on from there? Referrals. Word of mouth is always going to be the fastest and
easiest way to get new clients. It will continue to build on itself year after year, month after month. To keep
building your clients list, you’ll have to take the same plan of word of mouth to new clients and social media
as well. Every time you get a new client from a friend of a friend and deliver photos to them, ask them to tell
their co-worker, tell their friends, tell their family, ask them to post your photos and tag you on their social
media. Even if it’s a business social media account, the more exposure you get from the friends of the friends
of the clients and the networks, the better.
Take your own social media to the next level. Start developing your social media presence, tag your current
clients in every Instagram post you have them in. Also look for photographer Instagram accounts and tag
them, if your photos are good enough, they will pick up your photo and repost it, getting you even more
exposure. Again, tagging is free advertising on social media. You can also start tagging companies with
styles you want to be shooting. The key is to get noticed. If there is a company out there that you could see
yourself shooting for like an outdoor company, go shoot photos that that company would like and tag them.
You never know who is hunting around for your Instagram and looking for their next photographer.
Try joining a business group. They are usually made up of local professionals like lawyers, realtors, CPAs,
wedding vendors, event vendors, and they meet normally once a week to help refer clients to each other. It
is a nice way to feel accountable as a group and helping each other out in a community. These groups are
sometimes put on by local communities or organizations or city clubs and there are tons of private ones you
can look into online for a specific area. They are really made up of local vendors and local business owners to
create a nice cool community.
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Make sure you set up a business profile on Google and Yelp. These are great ways for local people to find
your business. If you’re in a specific industry like wedding photography, set up an account on sites like
http://www.weddingwire.com/ or http://www.theknot.com/, on sites like these brides and grooms are
constantly looking for different vendors and you’ll be surprised at how many people might find you just by
having an account set up with a few reviews. Make sure that after any shoot you ask for a review, don’t expect
your clients to go out of their way to find your business on all these sites and leave a review, follow up with
them or even give a discount if they leave a review.
Take your time to look at online job boards. Searching on sites like www.craigslist.org or www.indeed.com
can actually be a great way to start out. While you won’t find the highest paying clients, it might be a way to
get your foot in the door and build your portfolio. You’ll find individuals as well as business wanting to hire
freelancers for professional work on both of these sites. Online freelance websites like www.upwork.com
can be another great resource.
Those are some ways to start building your client list. The best way to think about it is that it’s going to take
time and the best piece of advice is that a year is a good projection for meeting someone to turning them
into a client. Keep that in mind and keep working at it.
PAYMENTS AND ACCOUNTING
As your photography business grows,

you need to be set up to track
everything monetarily. Every city,
state and country are different. Make
sure you consult a tax person or a
lawyer before setting up or taking any
legal steps to creating your own
business. You want them to advise
you on the best way for you to handle
your money in the area that you’re in
and your specific life situation.
Clarified that, there are some basic
practices on setting prices, presenting
them and tracking money and
expenses for photography business. Here is a basic process for how a business transaction will work in your
photography business.
1. Client asks for job pricing. They will ask for a photo and a price.
2. Photographer provides quote. You make a contract and ask for deposit.
3. Client agrees, signs contract, pays deposit.
4. Photographer does the job. Photograph, edit, deliver photo.
5. Client pays remaining balance.
Every business handles things differently. You have to decide how you want to receive your money and when.
For example, wedding photography, you should take a deposit and then the rest of the money would need
to be paid on the wedding day before the photo delivery. For corporate jobs, invoice the client when the final
photos are delivered. It is really up to you, on how you want to handle it. The important thing is that you
consider deposits, contracts and start to keep track of every single thing. There are free and paid accounting
applications that can help like Quickbooks, Xero or Wave, they have templates and automated processes for
sending and receiving invoices, tracking payments and more. While using an excel sheet can be a great way
to start out, time is worth it to spend a little bit of money to properly track everything as you grow your
business.
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HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU CHARGE?

There is really no correct rate to start at. This is a ton to do with your experience, what you’re shooting and
what people are charging in your area along with your cost of running a business. For instance, if you’re just
starting out, $100 for a headshot is a good place to start. As you grow over the years, you can start to increase
that as you go along. If you’re living in Los Angeles, most photographers will charge between $150/$200. In
order to be competitive, you will need to either charge less or the same amount. But if you are living in a
more rural area or someone with a lower cost of living, you might charge less. Do some competitive research
to see that other photographers ae charging in your specific area and then set your prices according to that.
You can even do some stealth research if other photographers don’t have their prices publicly displayed and
pretend to be a client to get more information. For you, try at least to have a minimum price in your website
to optimize your time.
Another good way to set your prices is to understand what your hourly rate is. How much will you charge an
hour to shoot? How much will you charge an hour to edit what you shoot? This will depend on where you
live, your expenses and lifestyle. Also understand that if you’re a full-time freelancer, you’re paying your own
health insurance, your own equipment and other non-tangible items. That will probably make your hourly
rate a bit higher than that of a typical full-time salary position. In Los Angeles, starting at $50 an hour to
shoot and $25 dollars an hour to edit, is a good standard rate to start with. As you feel like your clients can
afford more and the quality of what you’re shooting is coming along, you can start to charge more. Keep in
mind thought that many clients won’t want to pay an hourly rate, they’d rather have one payment for an
entire project. But by knowing your hourly rate and estimating how long the project will take you, you can
better set your prices per project. For example, if your hourly rate is $50 and you know that a headshot shoot
and edit will take you three hours, you might start by charging $150 for a headshot.
At some point, you may want to jump into your freelance business full time. Understanding your monthly
expenses, can help you predict the viability of your business and your ability to do that. Sit down and figure
out what your overhead cost are and adjust your prices to the number of gigs to that. If it costs about $500
a month to run your photography business, say website, hosting the site for your photos, insurance, monthly
payments for that new laptop… then you need to clear $500 a month just to keep thing running smoothly.
Now, if you set your prices to 4100 an hour for shooting, that means you just need to spend five hours a
month shooting. Hopefully you’re spending more than that shooting, so you’re paying yourself and putting
some money back into your business. A general rule that we have started with, with our businesses, was
always putting 25% or each paycheck back into de photography company itself. This allows you to invest
better in equipment, things like advertising and having a rainy-day fund in case business slows down a bit.
By understanding these numbers, you can also estimate your annual salary, your take-home pay. For
example, if you’re charging $100 an hour and work 20 hours in a month, you would be making $2.000, 25%
goes back into the business, a certain percentage of that goes to taxes, leaving you with about a $1.000 in
take-home pay. Now that’s only $12.000 in a year which for many isn’t a full-time income that matches your
standard of living but that’s also only working 20 hours per month. Hopefully, you’re working at least 20
hours per week, meaning you’re taking home almost $50.000 and if you’re working full-time hours, this
would be a take-home pay of almost six figures.
It is not common for freelance photographers to be working forty hours a week but as you grow your
business, you can charge more for projects or you can do specific photography work that pays more. It is not
uncommon to charge between $3.000 and $4.000 for a wedding shoot, which might average out one day of
shooting, one day of editing and one day of miscellaneous prep work. You might be able to have a thriving
business by shooting two weddings per month or 24 wedding per year. This will take time to build up to
those numbers. You will not hit this groundbreaking, get-rich-quick numbers right away. It’s going to take a
lot of time, patience and work to reach a successful salary. It’s going to test your personal life spending and
a balance of creative, freelance and business ownership. As a photographer, you are the owner, boss,
marketing, accounting, advertising, assistant, HR and artist, all in one.
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CONTRACTS
Whenever you do a project, it is essential to have a contract signed by you and the client. To prevent
cancellations, ask for a non-refundable deposit for a third of the full price to hold the date of shooting. You
then work that into the contract and only hold the date if they’re able to pay and sign the contract. You are
conducting a service, a business, and you need even if small, a contract to protect your investments of time
and effort. We recommend consulting a lawyer to help you write an official contract. Some things to include
on a contract are:
• Deposit and date of shooting

• Full agreed cost of everything
• Due date of final payment
• Penalty for late payment, if any
• Extra cost for shoot additions
• Names and contact info
• Location of shoot
• Deliverables, how many photos and in which format
• Delivery date
• Photo ownership of raw format
• Cancellation policy
• Signatures by both parties
It is a lot of business to think about, but at the end of the day, you’re doing it because you love to take photos
for yourself and for other people. Try to put as much business as you can away, so that you can focus on
being a great photographer. But also try to keep in mind what your value as a photographer is.
One thing to be prepared for is being in a situation, where the client changes the scope of the project while
you’re shooting. Perhaps you were booked to shoot a wedding for 8 hours and someone ask you to do a little
bit extra shooting or they asked you to do a little bit more editing. It is a good idea to explain before the
shoot date what the cost of any added time is, whether it’s an extra 10 minutes or an extra hour, so that on
the day of the project, you can remind them if it comes up. It’s funny that you have to think about this, but it
always comes up. Being prepared on what to say and being strong in saying is crucial. You have invested a
lot of time into your business and education, your skills and time are worth it, don’t do more than you need
to for free, it will suck time away from your business and your personal well-being.
INCOME AND EXPENSES TRACKING

You will have to keep records of everything for
tax purposes anyway, including both, income
and expenses. You want to keep receipts from
equipment purchases and anything you spend
money on related to your business. You’ll also
want to devise a way to track invoices and client
contacts. It’s also a good idea to track hours
spent working on each project and how much
money you’re making to determinate if projects
are sustainable for your business. All of this will
help you figure out how your business is doing
after a year and will allow you to make financial decisions in the future. You can star out by doing this for
free using spreadsheets. On Google Drive you can use Google sheets and that is a great way to star for
something small. An app like Evernote is great for taking photos of receipts and being able to access them
online. No detail is too much if you ever need to go back and find things you will be happier you did it at the
time of each transaction. Take as many details down as you can.
155
For invoicing you can use word processors like Google Docs or even the one that comes with your computer.
The main thing about invoicing is to make sure they are numbered and accurate. You can use those numbers
to attach to your income spreadsheets, so you have a master reference.
It may come to a point where you need something a little more robust for all this financial tracking. The
absolute best way to do this is using a program like Quickbooks or Xero. Wave (www.waveapps.com) is a
free alternative with many of the same options as well. It might be a great idea too, to create a bank account
specifically for your photography business and hook up your financial tracking app to it. You can do that with
Quickbooks as well as create invoices, it tracks expenses for you straight from your bank account and holds
all your clients contact information. It also comes with an app for your smart phone, so you can track monthly
expenses and see your income versus expenses in a variety of different ways on the go. It really takes a lot of
stress out of the accounting, although it requires a bit of time to get set up, it is well worth it at the end of
every year.
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27. STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
Stock photography is a way for you to make money with the skills that you have learned with this course. It’s
easier than ever to sell your photos with hundreds of stock photo sites that take care of all the payment
processing for you. In this section, you’ll learn which sites we recommend trying out first. You’ll also learn
how to sell photos on your own without a stock photography site and you’ll learn how licensing works. We
can’t guarantee that you’ll make money this way but it’s something you can try for fun and if it starts to take
off, focus more attention to it to build up a nice passive income stream.
SELLING ON STOCK PHOTO SITES
The way it works is you’ll need to sign up for an account on their website. Sometimes you have to fill out a
form with your information, about you or your business, including payment options for how you can get paid.
Then, it’s as simple as uploading and submitting your photos. They typically go through an approval process
and it isn’t surprising if most of your photos won’t be approved as there are just so many online nowadays.
It is a good idea to pick a specific niche to specialize in or try to find an area where there is a lack of photos
out there. Think like a marketer, the people who will most likely be buying your images and take photos that
fulfill that type of need. Think about photographing specific ideas, like events, sporting activities or seasonal
trends. These things tend to be in higher demand than general photos like of flowers or abstract photos. The
royalty percentage or how much you make from each photo on each site is different, so you’ll want to
definitely check out the terms for each site. Here are the top sites to contribute to:
• Alamy • Fotolia
• Shutterstock • 123RF
• Adobestock • Dreamstime
• Getty Images • Pond5
There are others out there, but these are great ones to start with. The great thing is for most of these sites,
you can upload the same image across all of them.
SELLING YOUR OWN PHOTOGRAPHY
Selling stock photos is great if you don’t want to deal with promoting, transactions and any customer service.
But because the stock photo industry is super competitive, at this point, selling photos on your own might
be a better option.
First, you will need a website to be able to sell photos online and there are a few options for doing this. You
can use a tool like www.smugmug.com or www.visualsociety.com to create a photography website and sell
directly from there. These platforms are built for photographers and include all of the tools you would need
to share your work. Shopify is another ecommerce platform, not specific to photographers. They do have
specific themes and options that make selling photos online super easy. You could use a custom website
built with a popular web building tool like WordPress or Squarespace and then add plugins, themes or tools
to sell photos through that site. For WordPress you can use a plug-in like Sell Media or WooCommerce to
sell from your own website.
157
Lastly, you don’t necessarily need your own website to sell photos, use a tool like www.gumroad.com to
upload and sell any type of digital products such as photos. You can start for free and the page takes a
percentage of every sale. They also have a plugin that you can use on a WordPress website to sell directly
from your own website. It is a cost-effective way to get started. Some of these other tools, you’ll have to pay
for it to get started.
Hosting and having a tool to sell photos is just a part of the equation. An even bigger and perhaps more
important thing to do is drive traffic to your website. Using the tips from previous lectures about sharing
your photos online and starting a photography business can help you get that initial traffic. This can take
years to really get up to speed, so be patient and consistent. If you have a passion for photography, just ty
doing this for fun before really focusing on making money from it.
UNDERSTANDING LICENSING
Whether you sell photos through a stock photo site or through your own website, what you are basically
doing is giving someone the right to use your photos. This is called a license and the license explains how the
photos can be used. First, let’s see a few key terms that you should understand:
• Royalty Free. Often people think that this means that anyone can use the photo for anything they
want without paying for it. That is actually not true. It means that once it’s purchased and once
you’ve purchased that license, you can use it multiple times without paying again for continued use
of the image.
• Fair Use. Basically, if you are using the photo for something that is non-profit and usually
educational or research based, it’s fair to use the photo without paying for it. Every situation is
different though, so it’s always best to ask the photographer for permission first. With any type of
legality, we recommend talking to a lawyer before using any photo without getting that permission.
• Creative Commons. There are a few different types of Creative Commons licenses but basically
you are giving the rights to someone to use that photo without giving them the actual copyright.
Some Creative Commons licenses require attribution, meaning the user has to credit you wherever
they use it.
• Public Domain/Creative Commons CCO. This is what people think of as Royalty Free. This means
the image is completely free to use and you don’t need to ask permission for it however you use it.
When selling your own photos, it will typically be a Royalty Free or Creative Commons license that you give.
There are also options when selling these licenses. Different stock sites work differently. Here are a couple
examples of different types of licenses you might find on a site:
a) the ability to use a photo for a non-commercial project, meaning any project that you aren’t
selling or making money from
b) the ability to use a photo for a commercial product that is only digitally available
c) the ability to use a photo and something that is printed but only up to 250.000 items, for
example, for a magazine but only if it is printed fewer than 250.000 times
You can see that it can get quite confusing for you as the photographer and the purchaser. Here are a few
things that might change how you license a photo.
1. Is it a commercial or non-commercial work? Charging more for a commercial one is standard.

2. Digital vs print. Will there be a limit in the print or a limit in the number of digital downloads?
3. Merchandising use. Will the photo itself be the primary value of the item for sale? For example, are
they using your photo on a t-shit that they’re selling?
4. Use in stock templates. Will your photo be a part of any sort of template available for sale or
download? Such as a PowerPoint template or a motion graphics project.
158
Now that you understand different types of licenses, let’s see how you give someone a license when they
purchase a photo. It is as simple as explaining what the license is and how a user can use your photo on your
website. When they purchase a stock photo, send that license to them. It is important to create a license that
works for you and your business. Have it written out in detail, so that you don’t get into any legal issues in
the future. Remember, talk to a lawyer before setting up your own licenses and selling your photos to make
sure everything is good to go. This is also a reason why selling photos on a stock photography site is easier,
because they take care of all of this for you, but, of course, you’re balancing being in a market with thousands
of other photographers and competing with them or selling your own site, which might be a little bit easier.
159
28. PRINTING YOUR PHOTOS
HOW TO DO IT
Printing your photos is pretty

easy. Once you are done
editing, you’ll want to crop
your photo to the appropriate
size and export the biggest
best quality JPEG you can.
Each printer, either online or
in store, has different sizes
they can print, but here are
some typical sizes you might
see in at least the most
common areas:
4x6 8,5 x 11 18 x 24
5x7 11 x 14 20 x 24
8 x 10 16 x 20 24 x 36
The 4x6 and 5x7 sizes are usually the most typical ones, you might see them on your desk or from a one-hour
photo lab back in a day. The 8x10 and 8,5x11 ones make great gifts for people when framed and are usually
a good price point for size and cost. Once you have decided your size and exported your JPEG, you are ready
to take it to a print shop or upload it online. If you upload your photo online, they will walk you through
choices and cropping on their website. They will also have recommended color space and settings to export
your photo.
There are two processes to printing. Your print will either go through a dry process similar to your household
printer, but through a printer made for photos using ink or through a wet process which uses light-sensitive
paper to print and runs the print through a chemical process.
The biggest choice you have to make is going to be the type of paper. The two most common types of paper
are glossy and matte. Glossy has a little bit more of a shine to it and is a bit cheaper. It’s what most mass
printing places are going to be using. Places like Costco and a one-hour photo lab will use this type of paper
as their default one. Matte is a bit higher quality and allows less shine to it. It’s best if you can use it when
put it under glass, holding its quality longer. Other places can even print on metal. Usually it is more contrast-
y and has this metal shimmer to it. It looks great with certain photos but not everything. They can also print
on canvas which increases the artistic aesthetic. A lot of places online and stores will also mount it for you in
a wood frame.
HOW BIG CAN YOU PRINT YOUR PHOTOS?
The ability to print a large photo depends on a lot of thing coming out of your camera’s pixel count. You also
have to consider the distance of viewing of the photo along with a few other factors. Let’s go down the list
of things to consider when thinking about how large you can print your photo.
• PPI, DPI and pixels. A lot of printing houses will consider 300 dpi the standard for high quality print.
Dpi stand for dots per inch. You can also call it ppi which mean pixels per inch. When you export a
JPEG from your computer, the highest-level JPEG will usually land around 300 dpi. The most
common formula to figure out the best quality in size vs megapixels is diving your pixel count in one
direction by the dpi. Meaning, if your camera takes a photo that is 6.000 x 4.200 in pixel size, that is
approximately 24 MP, divide each number by 300 dpi, so you can print a photo up to 20 x 14 inches
without losing any quality. You can actually print even larger depending on some other factors.
160
• Paper quality matters. The paper types affect the quality as well. The smoother the quality of the
paper, the more detail you need to make the image look clear. Adversely, the rougher the material,
the less detail from pixel you need to make it look clear. Glossy and metallic paper would be on the
end of a smoother material, matte is in the middle and then canvas would be on the rougher end.
• Distance of viewing. When you get really close to your TV you can start to see all the little pixels
and you lose detail and perspective. The concept is the same when it comes to prints and sizes. If
you print a very large print and stand very close to it, you will be able to see the imperfections. It is
basically how billboards are able to be so big and hold lots of quality, you’re viewing it from very far
away. The most common viewing distance for an 8 x 10 photo is about two feet, to be the best-
looking quality. So, taking this calculation you can infer that the bigger the print, the farther you
can step away and hold quality.
• Where is the photo displayer? You have to think about where and how your photo will be displayed.
Is it in a hallway where people will be close to it? You may need more quality in pixels or make a
smaller print. Or is it being displayed in a lobby of a hotel where people won’t be able to get that
close to it?
FRAMING YOUR PHOTOS
Another cost of printing but very worth it is framing your photo. There are two thing that you have to decide
when framing your photo. What kind of frame and to add a mat or not? There are many types of frames in
all shapes, colors and sizes. Decide what kind of frame style you want, what kind of color suits your photo
and where it will hang. A solid black frame can never go wrong since black colors will always make your photo
pop against it and it won’t distract from your photo either. You can also go white or you can use a fun crazy
color to maybe match the neutral walls you’re going to hang it on. The possibilities are endless. You’ll want
to see if you can pick a color and style that will compliment your photograph and its surroundings when you
hang it. You want to avoid any color or design that takes away from the art inside the frame.
Often, professional photos have a mat around the photo. This creates a finer art look and can raise the away
from the glass and/or the background. You have the same options as you do with the frame colors and style.
You also have to take in account the size. If you have a 5 x 7 photo, you’ll have to look for a mat that can hold
a 5 x 7 photo and then it’s the correct size for the frame you want on the outside. Typically, you will find a
mat that has a 5 x 7 hole for the photo, but it fits an 8 x 10 frame.
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CONCLUSION
We hope that by now you feel a lot more confident in your photography journey with help from this book.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this book, and perhaps take our Photography Masterclass
along with it.
Our core belief is that you can take amazing photographs no matter what camera you use. Hopefully that
came through while reading, and that you’re more confident capturing images with your camera than ever
before.
If you want to continue your photography education, we have a number of more advanced courses that dive
into different photography styles, editing applications, the business of photography and more!
Find our courses at http://www.photographyandfriends.com/, along with courses on video, design,

business and more!
Regards,
Phil Ebiner and the Video School Online team

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Your Complete Guide to Photography

Alondra Belén Gerke

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Book content by Phil Ebiner, Sam Shimizu-Jones and William Carnahan

MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY ................................................................................................90

CAMERA EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................... 93

PHOTO SCENARIOS .................................................................................................... 122

CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 161

How to get the most out of this course?

Phil Ebiner and the Video School Online team

CAMERA BASIC: HOW IT WORKS

HOW DOES A CAMERA WORK?

The camera can tell if there is bright light or if

HOW TO ADJUST EXPOSURE

Aperture, shutter speed and ISO make up what is called

HOW TO ADJUST APERTURE

First, the smaller the f-number, the larger the

APERTURE AND DEPTH OF FIELD

Aperture affects this in way that a wide-

THE SWEET SPOT

WHAT IS SHUTTER SPEED

Almost all modern SLR and DSLR cameras employ

SHUTTER SPEED AND MOTION

There is an important rule to shutter speed that has to

You might also get camera shake from a slower

DISTANCE AND SPEED

If you stand on a sidewalk and stare straight ahead and

RELATIONSHIP WITH APERTURE

Do you recall how if you put your camera on f/1.2, you’re

For example – on a bright, sunny day at f/1.2 you’d choose

WHAT IS BASE ISO

If you are shooting inside or at night, decreasing your

HOW ISO IS MEASURED

NOISE, UNWANTED EFFECT

RELATIONSHIP WITH SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE

THE EXPOSURE TRIANGLE

MEASURING STOPS OF LIGHT

BUCKET OF WATER EXPLANATION

THE EXPOSURE METER

The numbers of the scale signify how many stops of light

IS THE LIGHT METER ALWAYS RIGHT?

METERING MODES (ADVANC ED LESSON)

PROGRAM MODE (P)

APERTURE PRIORITY MODE (AV)

SHUTTER PRIORITY MODE (TV)

MANUAL MODE (M)

EXPOSURE COMPENSATION (ADVANCED LESSON)

When you are in manual

HOW DOES IT CHANGE THE EXPOSURE?

READING EXPOSURE WITH A HISTOGRAM (ADVANCED LESSON)

CREATIVE EXPOSURE: UNDEREXPOSING AND OVEREXPOSI NG

Technically, you can recover underexposed shadows in post processing

USING EXPOSURE CREATIVELY

You don’t need to start deliberately over or

EXPOSURE STOPS (ADVANCED L ESSON)

DYNAMIC RANGE (ADVANCED LESSON)

WHY DYNAMIC RANGE MATTERS

HDR PHOTOGRAPHY AND BRACKETING (ADVANCED LESSON)

See these two images? The

THE RULE OF THIRDS

Centering your subject is the natural thing to do but to create a more

Placing the main focus of your photo in these