Contents

Beginner’s Guide to Digital Photography

Introduction p. 1 External Flash p. 21

File Types p. 22
Chapter I: Fundamentals of Photography RAW p. 22
Brief History of Photography p. 2 JPEG p. 22
Introduction to Digital Photography p. 3 TIFF p. 23
Digital Camera p. 4
dSLR p. 4
Digital Rangefinder p. 5 Chapter III: Capturing an Image, Hands-on
Coincident Rangefinder p. 5 Basics
Digital Point and Shoot p. 6 Composition p. 24
Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Elements of Composition
Photography Pattern p. 25
Advantages of Digital Photography p. 7 Symmetry p. 26
Disadvantages of Digital Photography p. 9 Texture p. 27
Depth of Field p. 28
Lines p.29
Chapter II: The Camera- Components and Law of Thirds p. 30
Concepts Camera Shake p. 31
Lens p. 11 Red-Eye p. 32
Focal Length p. 11 Lighting p. 32
Lens Types p. 12 Under Exposure p. 32
Telephoto p. 13 Over Exposure p. 32
Wide-Angle p. 14 Digital Noise p. 34
Zoom p. 14
Prime p. 15
Aperture p. 15 Chapter IV: Exposure Modes
F-Stop p. 16 Automatic Mode p. 36
Depth of Field p. 17 Manual Mode p. 36
Shutter p. 18 Program Mode p. 36
Shutter Speed p. 18 Aperture Mode p. 36
Image Sensor p. 19 Shutter Mode p. 37
CCD p. 20 Scene Mode p. 37
CMOS p. 20
Memory Cards p. 21
 Portrait p. 37
Landscape p. 37
Close-up p. 37
Sports p. 38
Twilight p. 38
Night Mode p. 38
Black and White, Sepia p. 38
Panoramic p. 38

Chapter V: General Tips in Digital Photography

Lighting p. 39
Importance of Natural Light p. 39
Best Time of Day to Take Photos p. 40
Disable Flash Indoors p. 41
Disable Flash in Low Light p. 42
Use Flash to Balance Bright Light p. 43
Get Closer to the Subject p.44
Crop Your Photo p. 45
Choose Better Backgrounds p. 46
Pick Proper Orientation p. 47
Use Point of View p. 47
Frame your Subject p. 48
Experiment with Abstract Photography p.49
Holding your DSLR p.50

Chapter VI: Post Production

The Digital Workflow p.51
Step 1 Capturing the Image p.52
Step 2 Storing the Photo p.52
Color Depth p.54
Step 3 Cataloging the Image Files p.55
Step 4 Editing the Photo p.56
Step 5 Sharing p.57
Step 6 Archiving and Backing Up the Photograph p.57

Wrapping Up p.58

References p.59
Introduction
If you enjoy traditional photography and are still fairly
new to digital media, this section is for you. In this ebook you
will find basic information about the types, components, and
concepts as well as the pros and cons of using your digital
camera.

People take photos for numerous reasons. Some take pictures for
scientific reason while others shoot to document the events of the world.
Some take pictures for a live advertising and many do it for sheer enjoyment
and artistry.

This chapter covers:

Brief History of Photography

(p. 2)

Introduction to Digital Photography

(p. 3)

Digital Cameras
(p. 4)

Advantages and Disadvantages of

Digital Photography
(p. 7)
 Brief History of Photography
CHAPTER

I
Long before photography was discovered, artist used a cameras dark
chamber or obscuras in Italian. Light would enter the chamber through a
small opening called a pinhole and the light would then project an image of
the scene onto the opposite wall. At first, large rooms were specially
designed to exhibit this “magical” phenomenon; but in the 16th century,
Italian artists compressed the size of the chamber to a portable box,
replaced the pinhole with a lens, added a mirror to invert the image, and a
translucent glass panel to display it. They manually traced the projected
image by hand. Henry Fox Talbot as well as others had the idea to capture
and reproduce the image directly and this led to the birth of photography.
Despite the drastic changes in technology over the years, the dark box and
the lens still form the foundation of modern photography.
 CHAPTER I Introduction to Digital Photography
Fundamentals
of Traditional film photography uses a chemical process to expose and
capture images. The camera lens and body allow a prescribed amount of
Photography
light to come into contact with the film, which is basically a sheet of plastic
that has been coated with a light sensitive chemical compound. Once the
film is sufficiently exposed to light an invisible picture is formed. When the
film is developed, other chemicals are applied and the image then becomes
perceptible forming a negative image which then can be enlarged and
printed on photographic paper.

In digital photography the film is replaced with a light sensitive

electronic device known as an image sensor. These sensors are made up of
millions of photoelectric devices that convert light into an electrical signal.
The two most common types of image sensors used in digital cameras are
CCD (charge coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-
semiconductor) sensors.

The strength of the electrical signal depends upon the amount of the
light that exposes the image sensor. These electrical signals are then
processed through a series of complex electronic circuits and finally stored
in some type of internal or external flash memory in a standard image file
format such as a JPEG file. (JPEG = Joint Photographic Experts Group). When
processed by a computer, these files produce an image which is able to be
printed on photographic paper.

Just as camera film is available in different sizes so are digital image

sensors. The smaller sensors found in cell phone cameras and small point
and shoot cameras generally produces lower quality images than a larger
sensor that would be found in a digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera.
 Digital Camera
CHAPTER I
Fundamentals
In its most basic form, a digital camera is a photographic device
of consisting of a lightproof box with a lens at one end, and a digital image
Photography sensor at the other in place of the traditional film plane. Advances in digital
photography are fast providing a wide spectrum of features and options
that can be challenging for the new digital photographer to master.

There are two basic types of digital cameras: digital single-lens reflex
(DSLR) and digital rangefinder.

Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR)

This camera is named for the reflexing mirror that allows you to frame
the image through the lens prior to capturing the image. As light passes
through the DSLR camera’s lens, it falls onto a reflexing mirror and then
passes through a prism to the viewfinder. The viewfinder image corresponds
to the actual image area. When the picture is taken the mirror reflexes,
moves up and out of the way, allowing the open shutter to expose the
digital image sensor, which captures the image. Most features on a DSLR are
adjustable, allowing for greater control over the captured image. Most DSLR
cameras also allow the use of interchangeable lenses, meaning you can
swap lenses of different focal lengths on the same camera body.
 Digital Rangefinder
CHAPTER I
There are two classes of digital rangefinder cameras: coincident
Fundamentals
rangefinder and point-and-shoot.
of
Photography Coincident Rangefinder

Unlike DLSR cameras, the coincident rangefinder does not offer the
photographer with the capability to view the subject through the lens.

Instead, the coincident rangefinder employs a mirror or prism that uses

triangulation to join the images seen through the viewfinder and a
secondary window to bring the subject into focus. The photographer sees
two images; one on top of the other in the viewfinder. The image is not in
focus until there is a single image. When using the DSLRs, most features in a
coincident rangefinder are changeable. This allows for maximum control
over the captured image. An advantage of using a coincident rangefinder
over a DSLR is that the absence of a rotating, or reflexing, mirror
significantly reduces camera shake. Camera shake is due to unstable hand
movement or the vibration of the rotating mirror found in a DSLR, and can
cause blurring of the image.
 Digital Point-and-Shoot
CHAPTER I This is a lightweight digital camera, appropriately named after the two
Fundamentals steps required for the photographer to capture an image. Basically, point-
and-shoot cameras require pointing the camera and taking the picture
of
without manually adjusting settings such as the aperture, shutter speed,
Photography focus, and other settings that professional photographers usually set on
more sophisticated cameras. Of course, some point-and-shoot digital
cameras do include flexible aperture and shutter settings. Point-and-shoot
digital cameras are normally light and small, have built-in automatic flash,
require no adjusting of focus, and most often include an LCD display that
allows you to view the image through the lens in real time via the digital
image sensor. Most manufacturers of point-and-shoot cameras separate the
viewfinder from the lens assembly to simplify the mechanism and achieve a
compact size. The lens, aperture, and shutter are one assembly,
permanently fixed from the camera itself.

Because rangefinder cameras separate the optical path between the

viewfinder and the lens assembly, optical compression and frame indicators
(guidelines) are used to approximate the image’s frame. This approximation
often causes subtle differences between what the photographer sees in the
viewfinder and what is captured in the image. This is especially noticeable
when the subject is close to the camera.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Photography
Why precisely are digital cameras so popular today? Is there some sort
CHAPTER I of rocket science involved, which makes digital cameras superior over roll
Fundamentals film cameras? Are they really a “good thing” to all enthusiast or they do
of have some drawbacks too? Let us look at some of the advantages and
Photography disadvantages of digital cameras with respect to photography.

Advantages of Digital Photography

First, the good news- There are several advantages of digital

photography and they are appropriate to everyone from amateur
photographers to professional photographers. Here's why:

 Eliminates Film and Film Processing- This is probably the most

significant of all its advantages. You do not have to spend your time and
energy in developing the roll of film in a dark room. Using a digital camera,
means that you can take pictures without paying for film or wondering
which type of film to buy, in fact, you will never have to buy film again.

 Large Photo Storage- Digital cameras can easily store up to 10,000

photos, depending on the size of the memory card and the quality of
pictures you are taking. This completely outweighs the storage capacity of
traditional roll film cameras.

 Operating Speed- In case of earlier cameras, one always had to

“wind” the film after clicking a photograph. This led to a certain amount of
 time delay and inconvenience to the user. With digital cameras, no such
activity is required. You simply point and shoot.

CHAPTER I
Fundamentals  Face Detection- High-end digital cameras have been thoroughly
designed for face detection through the camera lens. Minimizing the
of instances of getting all those blurry faces and red-eye photographs!
Photography
 Motion Detection- These days, high-end digital cameras also
come equipped with inbuilt motion detection features which adjust moving
images and thus, avoiding blurriness. This becomes particularly helpful
when taking pictures of moving objects; like a car race or a soccer game in
progress.

 Night Modes- Taking pictures in dark or dim-lit surroundings has

become much easier, thanks to special night mode features that are usually
available in today's digital cameras.

 Easy Image Editing- Digital images can be edited with ease. Image
editing software are easily and widely available and they allow you to tweak
the photograph as per your preference.

 Viewfinder and Preview Screens- Digital cameras have viewing

screens on the camera body which allow you to view the image as soon as
you have clicked it. If you do not like it, you can simply delete it giving you
back the storage space intended for better shots.

 Video Recording Capability- Today, most digital cameras come

fully equipped with built-in video recording features. So if you come across
something that you would prefer to record rather than to click, you can
simply do it using the same camera.

 Get Green- It is environmentally sound. No processing chemicals

to wash down sewers. The massive amount of water and electricity used to
process film are no longer needed. Also, you won't need to worry about
recycling those little plastic film containers.

 Wiser Choice- Digital cameras are extremely cost-effective,

adaptable, and offer total VFM (value for money). Besides, they are
 continuously being upgraded with new features, thanks to constant
technological advances.

Disadvantages of Digital Photography

CHAPTER I Now, the bad news- There are some downsides to digital
photography. It is not yet perfect and we are all still paying for the
Fundamentals manufacturers' research and development costs. Here are some of the cons:
of
Photography  Memory Card Problems- All the photographs, video clips, etc., are
stored on a memory card. In certain rare cases, the memory card can
become corrupt or can develop other issues which can result in permanent
loss of data.

 Higher Initial Cost- High-end, fully-loaded digital cameras tend to

be a little bit pricey as compared to roll film cameras.

 Battery Consumption- Battery consumption depletes more

quickly in digital cameras. This makes it necessary to keep a few extra
batteries in hand, especially during extensive photo sessions.

 Image Resolution- 35mm film has an image resolution that is

roughly equivalent to a 25 megapixel full frame sensor. While digital image
sensors continue to improve and digital cameras get better every day in
general, film images still wins when it comes to resolution and quality.

 Range- Film has a higher superior dynamic range than digital

cameras. This means that film can capture a wider range of tonal quality.
This is a huge factor in overall image quality because it means it is harder to
overexpose an image using film. Film typically can produce different shades
of white which helps prevent overexposure of highlights. This means that
film has the advantage when it comes to capturing shades of light especially
at sunrise or sunset.

 Shutter lag- Digital cameras, especially the less expensive models

are prone to have shutter lag which is the delay in time from when you
press the shutter button and the time the image is captured.
  Multiple Exposures- It is difficult if not impossible to do double or
multiple exposures on a digital camera. Plus digital cameras are more prone
to noise on really long exposures.

The Camera - Components and Concepts

CHAPTER

II

In this chapter you will find the basic components of a Digital SLR Camera.

 Lens (p. 11)

 Aperture (p. 15)
 Shutter (p. 18)
 Digital image sensor (p. 19)
 Memory cards (p. 24), External flash (p. 21)
CHAPTER II Lens
The Camera The lens is a sequence of complicated elements mostly made of glass, built
Components to deflect and focus the light from the subject to the image sensor of a
and digital camera.

Concepts
Aside from composing the image through your viewfinder, the first contact
you have with the light from your subject is through the lens of your
camera.

Focal Length

This is defined as the

distance of the image sensor from
the camera lens that converges
light. This distance determines the
magnification capability of the lens
when focusing on a scene. The
longer the focal length your
camera has, the more it can magnify the subject.

Lens Types

There are several kinds of lenses

available to the market but the most
basic of these lenses are Telephoto,
Wide Angle, Zoom and Prime. They
perform the same basic function of the
lens: to reflect light from the subject and
projects it to the image sensor of the
camera or the film. The difference
among them is the way they transmit
and refract light to the image sensor.
CHAPTER II Telephoto Lens

The Camera
Components
and
Concepts

Telephoto lenses are used to significantly magnify a subject at great

distances. A telephoto lens has a long focal distance, meaning that objects
closer to the camera will appear slightly out of focus but objects at long
range will be clear and precise.

Typically used by photographers with an interest in sports, nature and

landscapes, telephoto lenses allow the photographer to get the shot they
want without having to be anywhere near the “action”. Although the area of
coverage is limited with a telephoto lens, it allows photographers to “zoom
in” on the subject they desire.

Higher aperture settings allow the photographer to “zoom” into the

background, middle regions and even the foreground, allowing for the
sharper image shot they really want. However, using a smaller aperture
allows the photographer to combine the three focal lengths to provide a
photograph with a more “human eye” quality, combining in sharp contrast,
all areas leading up to the main object.
 Wide-Angle
CHAPTER II
The Camera Wide-angle lenses use only a
short focal length allowing
Components
photographers to concentrate the
and shot on the main subject but while
Concepts still get the surrounding area in
focus as well. The image plane is
larger than the focal length with
traditional wide-angle lenses, but modern digital cameras have changed that
notion. Lens multiplying factors provided by image sensors on modern
DSLRs vary, so you should check the specifications on your camera. For
instance, if your camera carries a 28mm sensor you will need a lens with a
focal length of 28mm or less if you truly want that “wide-angle’ shot to
come out right.

Zoom

A zoom lens is the type of lens

which possesses the mechanical ability
to alter its focal length. It is also known
as an optical zoom lens. Zoom lenses
can provide variable focal lengths to the
photographer, making it a productive
professional tool. It can alter its focal
length from wide angle to standard and
from there to zoom. The zoom lenses
are helpful for the photographers as
they do not need to hold and alter multiple lenses while working on a
project or shooting. The zoom lenses always need extra glass elements to
precisely focus light at variable focal lengths. The manufacturers must keep
in mind that to achieve an image of best quality, light should pass through
the least number of glass elements. It should also be noted that the f-stops
might not always be absolutely precise due to the movement between the
focal lengths. To encounter this, a lot of manufacturers provide several
 minimum aperture values when the lens moves from shorter to longer focal
CHAPTER II
lengths. This certainly helps to attain a higher level of precision with
The Camera apertures as it makes a lens slower at longer focal lengths.
Components
and
Concepts

Prime

The focal length of a prime lens is

unalterable. It is also termed as a fixed lens due
to this characteristic. Prime lenses are generally
manufactured with wider maximum apertures
and the lens speed is faster as a result of that. In
darker conditions, wider apertures really come in
handy as they can provide brighter pictures.
Besides, one possesses more control over the depth of field while he/she is
using the wider apertures. Portrait photographers are the main users of the
prime lenses.

Aperture

The opening in the lens that permits light to pass through is called
aperture. The aperture is the opening formed by a system of metal leaves in
the lens that open up and close down to control the volume of light passing
through the lens. It is the lens's equivalent of the iris of our eye. The
combination of the opening of aperture and the shutter speed determines
the exposure of the image or photo. More light will pass through the lens
with higher or wider aperture, which is measured by f-stops, and each f-stop
represent the amount of light admitted from the lens.
CHAPTER II
The Camera
Components
and
Concepts

If we look on a camera specification it says:

Lens: 35-105mm f-3.5-f8

The "f-3.5-f8" is called the F-stop or the maximum aperture of the

lens. This figure is derived from dividing the focal length of the lens by the
aperture opening of the lens.

A larger aperture size is represented with smaller number hence f2.8

is larger f-stop than f5.6. The standardized F-stop number runs as follows:
f1.4, f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32, f45, f64.

Each number admits half the light to the previous F-stop.

CHAPTER II Depth of Field
The Camera Depth of Field (DoF) is the distance between the nearest and farthest
Components objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph and is
and determined by a combination of the opening of the aperture and the focal
length of the lens. A small aperture setting results in greater depth of field.
Concepts

Controlling depth of field is one of the earliest ways of a photographer

to compose an image. By limiting the depth of field of the subject, the
photographer can turn the attention of the viewer on the subject in focus.
Usually, restraining the depth of field of an image helps eliminate confusion
in the background. Conversely, when shooting a landscape, you would like
the image to have greater depth of field. Limiting the depth of field to the
foreground would not make viable sense to a landscape or panoramic
image.
CHAPTER II Telephoto lenses (with long focal lengths) tend to have shallow focus
when the aperture is opened all the way, limiting the depth of field of an
The Camera
image. Wide-angle lenses (with short focal lengths) tend to create images
Components with great depth of field regardless of the aperture setting.
and
Concepts Shutter
The shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined
period of time, for the purpose of exposing photographic film or a light-
sensitive electronic sensor to light to capture a permanent image of a scene.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed refers to the length of time the shutter is open or the
activation of the digital image sensor. The exposure of the photo is
produced entirely by the combination of shutter speed and the aperture.
Shutter speeds are shown as fractions of a second, such as 1/8 or 1/250.
Shutter speed increments are comparable to aperture settings, as each
incremental setting either halves or doubles the time of the previous setup.
For example, 1/60 of a second is half as much exposure time as 1/30 of a
second, and about twice as much as 1/125 of a second.

Photographers often use shutter speed settings to convey or freeze a

motion. A moving subject, such as fast moving vehicle, tends to blur when
captured with a slow shutter speed like 1/8. On the other hand, a fast
shutter speed, such as 1/1000, appears to freeze the movements of falling
rain or snow.
CHAPTER II Image Sensors
The Camera
Components There are two kinds of digital image sensors generally used: a
charge-coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide
and
semiconductor (CMOS).
Concepts

Figure on left basically shows the method of digitizing the image or photo. Figure on right are examples
of Digital Image Sensors found on Digital Cameras.

Bayer Pattern. A Bayer filter mosaic is a color filter array (CFA) for
arranging RGB color filters on a square grid of photo-sensors. Its particular
arrangement of color filters is used in most single-chip digital image
sensors used in digital cameras, camcorders, and scanners to create a
color image. The filter pattern is 50% green, 25% red and 25% blue, hence
is also called RGBG, GRGB, or RGGB. It is named after its inventor, Bryce E.
Bayer of Eastman Kodak.
 Charged-Coupled Device - CCD
CHAPTER II
The Camera CCD sensors were initially developed for video cameras. CCD sensors
record the image pixel by pixel and row by row. The voltage information
Components
from each element in the row is passed on prior to descending to the next
and row and only one row is active at a time. It does not convert the voltage
Concepts information into digital but to accomplish the feat, another circuitry is
added to the camera to digitize the voltage information prior to
transferring the data to the storage medium like SD Cards.

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor - CMOS

CMOS sensors are capable of recording the entire image provided by

the light-sensitive elements in parallel all at once, resulting in a higher rate
of data transfer to the storage medium. Additional circuitry is added to
each individual element to convert the voltage information to digital data.
A small colored micro lens is fixed on each element to increase its ability to
read the color of light. Advances have been made in recent years in the
sensitivity and speed of CMOS sensors, making them the most common
type of digital image sensor found in most Digital Cameras.
CHAPTER II Memory Cards
The Camera
Components
and
Concepts

After the digital image sensor has processed the image, the camera
will undergo a series of adjustments to optimize the image. Many of these
adjustments are based on shooting settings customized by the
photographer before taking the shot, such as the ISO setting. After image
processing, the camera stores the digital information in a file, which varies
depending on the camera’s manufacturer. However, the camera’s RAW
file contains the digital image data before it has been converted to a
common standardized file type, such as JPEG or TIFF.

External Flash
There are certain photographic situations that need the additional
light provided by an external flash. Many consumer DSLR models have
built-in flashes but the proximity to the lens and the lack of flash exposure
control prevent their use in advanced situations. External flashes provide
professional-level control over flash exposure. This allows for fine-tuned
fill flash (low-intensity flash that illuminates the subject against a bright
background so the subject does not appear in silhouette) and the
prevention of overexposed subjects in close-quarter situations.
CHAPTER II Understanding File Types
The Camera It’s important to understand the differences between image file
Components types. RAW, JPEG, and TIFF file types are described below.
and RAW
Concepts
A camera’s RAW file is an unconverted, bit-for-bit digital image
recorded by the camera when the image is captured. Along with the pixels
in the image, the RAW file also contains data about how the image was
shot, such as the time of day, the exposure settings, and the camera and
lens type. This information is also known as metadata. RAW refers to the
state of the image file before it has been converted to a common format,
such as JPEG or TIFF. Because most photography applications previously
could not process RAW files, RAW files had to be converted before they
could be used in image processing software.

JPEG

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a popular image file

format that lets you create highly compressed image files. The amount of
compression used can be set, less compression results in a higher-quality
image. When you shoot JPEG images, your camera converts the RAW
image file into an 8-bit JPEG file (with 8 bits per color channel) prior to
saving it to the memory card. In order to accomplish this, the camera has
to compress the image, losing image data in the process. JPEG images are
commonly used for online viewing.

TIFF

TIFF (Tag Image File Format) is a widely used bitmapped graphics file
format capable of storing 8 or 16 bits per color channel. Like JPEG files,
 TIFF files are converted from RAW files. If your camera does not have an
CHAPTER II
option to shoot TIFF files, you can shoot RAW files and then convert them
The Camera to TIFF files using third-party software. TIFF files can have greater bit
Components depths than JPEG files, allowing them to retain more color information. In
and addition, TIFF files can use lossless compression, meaning that although
Concepts the file gets a little smaller, no information is lost, thus, the end result
produces greater image quality. For these reasons, printing is commonly
done from TIFF files.
CHAPTER Capturing an Image : Hands-on Basics

III
The act of taking a photo looks incredibly simple. It is just point,
click, done- who could get those simple steps wrong? And yet, when we
look at photographs from Facebook albums of friends or on your
computer’s photo library, we often see exactly how the seemingly simple
photographic process can be got badly wrong. Photo subjects chopped
down to the middle, offset exposures, red-eyes, blurred foreground and
background, etc.

If you want to choose photography as a profession, or even a hobby,

then you have to realize that there us a lot that needs to be corrected
from common practice before you can actually take a quality image.

This Chapter Includes:

Composition

Composition
Photo composition is very important as it helps to set the mood for
the shot and from there, it tells the story for itself. It can also bring up an
emotional response from the viewer. Let the viewfinder be your eyes but
keep the composition fixed on your mind while taking the shot, and from
constant correct practice, composition will become part of your nature
when taking the shots.
CHAPTER III 5 Basic Elements of Composition
Capturing
1. Pattern
Image

These patterns are all around us if we learn to see them,

emphasizing and highlighting these patterns can lead to striking shots.
CHAPTER III 2. Symmetry
Capturing
Image

Depending upon the scene – symmetry can be something to go for –

or to avoid completely.

A symmetrical shot with strong composition and a good point of

interest can lead to a striking image – but without the strong point of
interest it can be a little predictable.
CHAPTER III 3. Texture
Capturing
Image

Images are two dimensional thing yet with the clever use of ‘texture’
they can come alive and become almost three dimensional.

Texture particularly comes into play when light hits objects at

interesting angles.
CHAPTER III 4. Depth of Field
Capturing
Image

The depth of field that you select when taking an image will
drastically impact the composition of an image.

It can isolate a subject from its background and foreground (when

using a shallow depth of field) or it can put the same subject in context by
revealing it’s surrounds with a larger depth of field.
CHAPTER III 5. Lines
Capturing
Image

Lines can be powerful elements in an image.

They have the power to draw the eye to key focal points in a shot
and to impact the ‘feel’ of an image greatly.
CHAPTER III Law of Thirds
Capturing If you mentally divide your viewfinder in three horizontal and three
Image vertical sections, you will get the focal points. The focal points are the
areas or spots where the viewer eyes will normally drawn to when looking
on a picture.

Look at the viewfinder as presented in the picture above, yellow

lines marks the imaginary lines and the red dots are the focal points. The
Law of Thirds is a simple technique that assure your subject are located in
frames in a pleasing manner.

Below are some images that best explain the composition and
the Law of Thirds. From these examples, you will have an idea on how to
position your subject on your viewfinder.
CHAPTER III Camera Shake
Capturing
Image

Keeping the camera steady is another problem that amateur

photographers usually commit. A simple fact is that a camera shutter is
never as fast as the human eye when it comes to capturing a scene, and if
your hands are unstable when you are taking a photo, you will end up with
a blurry image and miss an ‘artistic’ moment worth taking.

You can minimize or completely eliminate camera shake by using a

tripod or by increasing the shutter speed to a setting higher than the focal
length. For example, if you’re shooting at a focal length equivalent to 100
mm, you should set your shutter speed to 1/100 of a second or faster. The
digital image sensor will save and capture the image before additional
information from the passing light and lens movement can be registered.

Or by proper positioning your body while holding the camera greatly

reduces camera shake and by doing so, with proper pose while taking
photos, you demonstrate a high level of photography similar to
professionals. (More of camera handling in Chapter 5.)
CHAPTER III Red-Eye
Capturing
Image

Red-eye is the phenomenon where people have glowing red eyes in

photographs. This is caused by the close proximity of the flash, especially
built-in flash, to the camera lens, which causes light from the subject to be
reflected directly back at the camera. When it is dim, the iris of the eye
enlarges to let more light in, and when the flash goes off from the camera,
the light reflects on the iris causing this error. People with blue eyes are
more susceptible to red-eye because they have less pigment to absorb the
light. Although most digital cameras have a red-eye reduction or removal
feature, one can correct the error by using photo software like Photoshop.

Lighting
Under-Exposure

One of the most common mistakes when taking a photo is that it

turns out too dim. This error is known as under-exposure. This happens
when the subject is indoors or when natural light is not present.

Make use of artificial light or use a fill-in flash to correct this

problem. By moving the subject to the source of the light may prevent
under-exposed images.

Over-Exposure

Over exposure is the direct opposite of under exposure. This means

the photo is too bright that typical colors will look washed out and the
CHAPTER III highlights will be often faded or completely white. Unlike when the photo
is under-exposed, correcting over-exposed photo will heavily rely on the
Capturing
camera you are using. Powerful flash, shutter speeds, ISO settings are
Image some of the key features of the camera that prevent this phenomenon.

Note: Under and over exposure is not always a bad thing. Artistic
shots sometimes call for under exposed or over exposed output. Examples
are shown below.
CHAPTER III DDigital Noise
Capturing
Image

Digital noise is the washed out (or polka dots) effect in photos with
long exposures or high ISO settings in low-light conditions. Many
photographers consider digital noise to be the digital equivalent for film
grain, an effect most visible in photos under low-light situations. Although
the causes are the same, the effects are slightly different. Some
photographers deliberately shoot images with enhanced grain for creative
effect. However, digital noise degrades the image because of the irregular
bright pixels within solid colors, and lacks the artistic qualities of enlarged
film texture.
CHAPTER Exposure Modes
It is pretty important to understand your camera’s exposure mode

IV to get the most out of your digital camera for your photography. Although
the names of these modes differ from one manufacturer to another, the
basic concepts are the same. Each mode or setting will control the
aperture, the shutter speed, and the ISO using various presets providing
best possible results in a number of different shooting and lighting
conditions.

This Chapter includes:

 Automatic Mode p. 36
 Manual Mode p. 36
 Program Mode p. 36
 Aperture Mode p. 36
 Shutter Mode p. 37
 Scene Mode p. 37
CHAPTER IV Automatic Mode
Exposure Or sometimes called Full Auto, from the name itself, the Auto Mode
Modes will use the readings received by the camera’s built-in light meter
automatically adjusting the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings for
each shot. In this mode, the camera let the user take photo without
worrying about the settings and it allows the user to concentrate on the
composition of the image. The camera’s AI will auto detect the light
condition and will use of flash whenever possible unless the flash is
manually disabled by the user.

Manual Mode
The opposite of Automatic Mode, in this setting, the user has to
manually set the aperture, the shutter speed, and the ISO setting for each
shot. The need of thorough understanding of the basic principle about
taking a photo is necessary for a user to produce a good exposure.

Program Mode
A combination of Automatic and Manual modes that allowed the
user to select from paired aperture and shutter speeds combination that
provides control about the depth of field, motion control, and exposure
settings.

Aperture Mode
Also called Aperture Priority Mode, this setting allows the user to
change the aperture while the camera adjusts the shutter speed
accordingly. Used mostly for shooting landscape, portrait or close-up
photos. Some cameras use an “A” icon instead of “Av”.
CHAPTER IV Shutter Mode
Exposure Also called Shutter Priority mode, this setting allows the user to
Modes change the shutter speed while the camera adjusts the aperture
accordingly. Use this mode when portrayal of motion is at the most
important like when covering for sports, wildlife, journalism, and action
scenes. Some cameras use an "S" icon instead of "Tv".

Scene Mode
Scene Mode works like Automatic Mode, but each mode pulls on a
library of settings intended for specific conditions.

Portrait Mode

Portrait sets the camera for a lower depth of field making the foreground (the
subject) in sharp focus. To max out the effect, zoom in on the subject and make sure
that there is enough distance between the foreground and the background. Use a
telephoto to easily fill the viewfinder with the subject. (Icon on the left.)

Landscape Mode

Landscape Mode sets the camera for the maximum depth of field, so
it produces sharp foreground and background image as possible. Remember that in
this mode, the camera is set to use lower shutter speed so you may want to support
the camera using a tripod. This setting is best with short focal length lens, a
telephoto, and usually flash is not necessarily used. (Icon on the left.)

Close Up

Use this mode of extreme close up shots. (Icon on the left.)

CHAPTE Sports

R IV
Exposure
Modes
 Ideally used in sports or taking photo of fast moving objects. Long
focal length lens is the ideal choice for taking this kind of photo. Most
digital cameras and DSLR have auto focus, so you can focus on the subject
even when the subject is moving. The camera is set to have the maximum shutter
speed as possible. (Icon on the left.)

Twilight Mode

Also called Night Portrait mode, it is designed for taking photos of

people or other subjects when at twilight, night or dawn. In this mode, the
camera is set to have the flash active and very slow shutter speed. The shutter will
remain open even after the flash so you may want to support the camera or let the
subject to pause for a while, about a couple of seconds, after the flash fired off. (Icon
on the left.)

Night Mode

Also called Night Landscape mode, in this mode the camera is set to have the
flash disabled and will use a very slow shutter speed to capture the image of a
landscape or cityscape in the light of dawn, dusk or night. Slow shutter speed will
definitely be used so you may want to support your camera with a tripod.
If you plan to shoot with a foreground subject, use Twilight mode instead.
(Icon on the left.)

Black and White, Sepia

This mode is used to capture grayscale images. In this mode, the

image is given a reddish brown tone to mimic old prints.

Panoramic

Also called stitch-assist, this mode helps you align a series of images together
forming a wide image output. (Icon on the left.)
 General Tips in Digital Photography
Lighting
CHAPTER
Lighting is one of the most important elements of any photo, and

V
understanding the color, direction, quantity, and quality of the light you
use is one of the best ways to improve your photos. This will show you
how to use lighting to your advantage—and give you some helpful rules
for when and when not to use your camera's flash.

The Importance of Natural Light

Photos taken using natural light (as opposed to artificial lights or

flash) are more realistic and pleasing to the eye:


Subtle textures are preserved.

You'll get soft, diffused light and natural-looking shadows.

Your photo subjects can open their eyes and will be
"squint-free."

Pay attention to the direction of the light. Pose your
 subject to allow diffused daylight to fall on the front or
side of their face and not behind (which can cause facial
CHAPTER V features to be in shadow).

General Tips The Best Time of Day to Take Photos

In
Digital
Photography

The "magic hours" for photographers are in the early evening or

early morning.


This is when natural light is soft and abundant.

You escape both the harshness of the midday sunshine and
the difficulties of shooting at night.

Taking photos during these times can make a huge
difference in the quality of your pictures, particularly when
you are photographing people.
 CHAPTER V
General Tips
In
Digital
Disable your flash indoors
Photography

Your camera's flash is a powerful tool—sometimes too powerful.

And it's often overused.


As a rule, don't use your flash indoors. It mutes color and
casts stark, deep shadows (especially unflattering for
portraits). Any subject you photograph with your flash
from a close distance will look pale and one-dimensional.

Using flash indoors leads to red-eye, which is caused when
the flash hits the back of the eye and reflects back into the
camera lens.

Sometimes red-eye is unavoidable.
CHAPTER V
General Tips
In
Digital
Photography

Disable your flash in low light


Low-light conditions require you to disable your flash. This
is the only way you can catch all the rich color and detail of
a nighttime scene. (Note that you will need a tripod to
keep your camera steady for this kind of shot.)

Of course, there are exceptions to most every rule.
Although grey skies lend themselves to great midday
photos, go ahead and try using your camera's flash on
cloudy days. It may brighten up people's faces and make
them stand out. But be sure to also take a picture without
the flash, because the soft light of overcast days
sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.
 Here are some basic techniques for capturing breathtaking photos
when you don't have much light to work with:
CHAPTER V

General Tips Use a tripod Long exposures require you to hold your
In camera perfectly still to avoid blurring. A tripod really
Digital helps. If you can’t get your hands on one, you can try
Photography bracing yourself against a stationary object like a tree or a
wall.

Bring in the light. Provide as much natural light as possible
by opening curtains and blinds.

Take advantage of indirect light. Use ambient lighting from
lamps, overhead lights, or candles. The extra light will also
help reduce red-eye.

Use your flash to balance bright light

It sounds counterintuitive, but when taking pictures on sunny days,

turn your flash on. It can help bring details out of the shadows.
 
If the sun is overhead, using the camera's flash can lighten
CHAPTER V harsh face shadows.
General Tips 
If the sun is only hitting one side of your subject's face,
In using flash can reduce the shadow effect.
Digital 
Photography If your subject is slightly shadowed but backlit by bright
sunlight, using your flash equals out the light in front of
your subject with the light behind for a balanced shot.

Because your camera decides whether or not to use the flash based
on the total amount of light available, on a sunny day your camera would
not fire the flash if it were on automatic. That’s when you have to do the
thinking for your camera and force your flash to fire.

Just like a flash can mute colors in dark conditions, the midday sun
can have the same effect for photos outdoors, casting deep shadows and
reducing detail. Here are some ways to take better photos in harsh
sunlight:


Seek shade. Under or around trees, shrubs or buildings are
the easiest places to find respite from the midday sun.

Avoid bright window light. Placing your subject in front of a
bright window will leave them underexposed against the
sunlight shining in.

Know your camera's flash range. For most cameras, the
 maximum flash range is five to ten feet. Pictures taken
CHAPTER V beyond that range will be too dark.

General Tips
Scout your next photo shoot. If all else fails, use the sunny
In afternoon as a time to scout locations for your next
Digital "golden hour" shots.
Photography
Get closer to your subject

The simplest
technique for getting
better photos: Get closer
to your subject.

Before you take the

shot, ask yourself, “Can I
get closer?” If the answer
is yes, then you should.

Fill your camera’s frame with your subject; this adds intimacy and
power to your photos, drawing the viewer in even more.

Crop your photo

 You won’t always get that perfect shot to begin with. Keeping the
CHAPTER V rule-of-thirds in mind; try cropping your photo after you’ve shot it,
either in your camera or with photo-editing software.
General Tips
In Cropping ensures that your photo has a clear focal point to draw
Digital in a viewer’s eye.

Photography Cropping is an easy way to fix photos where the main subject is
overshadowed by distracting elements and background “noise.”
 Choose better photo backgrounds

CHAPTER V
General Tips
In
Digital
Photography

Be sure the background of your photo doesn’t interfere with your

subject and take attention away from the focal points.

Avoid distracting elements in the background, such as bystanders

or a multi-colored wall or background.

Find a solid-color background. When you are photographing

people indoors look for a solid color background. When shooting
outdoors an expanse of blue sky or even a swath of green grass can
better showcase your subject.

Notice patterns. While simple backgrounds are best for subjects

with busy patterns, conversely, simple patterns look best set against a
detailed background.
 Pick the proper orientation

Your camera produces a rectangular image. This gives you two

CHAPTER V distinct orientations to work with—vertical or horizontal.
General Tips
Often, your subject will lend itself to one orientation or the
In other. For example, a horizontal orientation is not ideal for tall objects.
Digital On the other hand, vertical orientation might not lend itself best to a
Photography wide shot.

Sometimes it’s not so obvious which orientation to choose. One

sure way to know is simply to take your photo both ways and decide
which looks best.

Use point of view

Break from the habit of

shooting everything from eye level.

Experiment with high- and

low-angle shots that show both
scale and perspective. You can kneel
down to capture subjects near the
ground or photograph subjects
above you.

Consider creating a photo

display in your home that shows one
subject from several different
angles.
 Frame your subject

CHAPTER V
General Tips
In
Digital
Photography

Framing is what draws the viewer’s eye to the main subject.

Creative ways to frame your subject are everywhere!

Take advantage of naturally occurring “frames”—or physical

structures and patterns, like a footpath or a fence.

Overhanging tree branches, a doorway, or an arch can give a

picture the depth it needs to make it more than just another snapshot.

Don’t forget, you can also use the foreground elements to frame
your subject.
Experiment with abstract photography

A fun way to learn more about basic photo composition is to

zoom in on abstract details. The purpose is to make a work of art
rather than show the object in a realistic way.

Focus on texture, perspective, and color.

Fill your frame with a fantastic pattern (like ripples in a pond, or

the checkerboard of a modern glass building).

Abstract images are an ideal opportunity to experiment with

black-and-white photography.
 CHAPTER V Holding your DSLR
General Tips
In
Digital
Photography

Blur is caused by the movement of either the subject or the camera.

Subject movement is something we really can't control, although adjusting
the shutter speed can give us some control over how subject movement is
captured. Camera movement, however, is something we can control.
Holding the camera properly is the best way to avoid a blurry picture.

You need to hold the camera as steady as possible. Hold the

camera's handgrip in your right hand and cradle the camera body or lens
with your left. Keep your elbows propped lightly against your torso for
support and place one foot half a pace ahead of the other to keep your
upper body stable. This is a steadier position than holding the camera
away from your face.
CHAPTER Chapter VI – Post Production – Digital Workflow
Capturing a photo is just the first step in a multi-level process

VI called digital workflow. Every photographer follows a specific process

or tasks in order for them to produce a printed material or photograph.
It may differ from one photographer to another but these tasks
includes transferring pictures from their camera; saving, cataloging,
organizing, and ranking them; then editing, publishing, and archiving
them. Many of these steps are provided to us by the software that
comes with digital camera when we buy them. Some programs and
software are available in the market that caters to one or all of the
process in digital workflow. With advent of modern photography, a
single program can handle all the post-production needs of an amateur
or professional photographer. Examples of these programs are Apple’s
Aperture and Adobe Lightroom.

The Digital Workflow

CHAPTER VI
Post Step 1. Capturing the Image
Production
&
Digital
Workflow

This is step is the very basic process that includes setting up the
correct parameters of your camera prior taking pictures. This step includes
composing your image, checking camera (device) and environmental
condition, choosing image size, adjusting color balance, exposure, depth of
field, and other camera adjustments.

Step 2. Storing the Image

 After capturing the image, you usually transfer them to a more
CHAPTER VI
stable and safer storage device like computer or other similar medium.
Post Latest Image management software allows you to choose your saving
Production method via online, offline, or portable storage options.
& First thing you need to consider during this phase is how you want
Digital your photo to be processed. On your camera settings, you can choose
Workflow whether you want your photo to be upfront jpeg format or RAW.

All of digital camera offers you to take photo as jpeg, the format
mostly used for e-mail, online posting, and sharing in general. This format
is low-to-medium quality. With the highest compression rate, this file
formats are small and can easily be transferred through the internet and
other devices like phones, laptops, etc.

RAW file, on the other hand, are mostly available on dSLRs. They do
boast of the highest quality in digital file format. These files are so large
that 1 raw file is roughly equivalent to 10-100 jpeg photos of the same
dimension. The advantage of shooting RAW file is you have the option to
further edit or enhance the photo without losing its quality. This is the file
needed by professional photographers because they usually want the
finest original file they can manipulate to produce the desired output.

TIFF file format are just like RAW files, like RAW, they are pretty
large in size. This format is the most used by photo editors because it has a
very good image quality and not as large as RAW files. TIFF is also known
as lossless compression format, meaning it has all the qualities of the RAW
file.
 Color Depth
CHAPTER VI
Post Understanding color depth is quite complex, to simplify the term,
Production color depth is the number of colors that can be produced in a pixel. To
calculate the number of colors that can be displayed, you raise the number
&
2 to the power of the number of bits used.
Digital
Workflow The table below will summarize the facts about color depth between
JPEG format and RAW format.

These colors are not exactly displayed by monitors, screens, printers,

or any other devices. But they are very important when editing and
adjusting the images to attain their final form.
 Step 3. Cataloging The Image Files
CHAPTER VI
Post
Production
&
Digital
Workflow

In this stage, it allows you to organize the file based on a number of

criteria. The metadata on the image is collected and presented in a tabular
format for more organize collection of data and/or images.

Commercial software allows you to organize the photos according to

some criteria or factors of the image. Good examples of these are Adobe
Lightroom and DeepMeta for istockphotos.
 Step 4. Editing the photo

The advantage of digital photography over the traditional film

photography lies in your capability to further improve the quality of the
photo by editing. You may improve an image by eliminating or minimizing
the flaws, adjusting its tone, contrast, brightness, and sharpness. In this
stage you can manipulate the photo based on the need or purpose. You
can make it smaller or bigger, crop it or introduce to some effects and
special exposures.
 Step 5. Sharing
CHAPTER VI
Post
Production
&
In this stage, you photo can now be printed or posted (online) and
Digital basically can be distributed to everyone you wish.
Workflow

Step 6. Archiving and Backing up the Photograph

One of the best advantages of digital photography over film is you

can archive the photo without losing its quality. Back-up and archiving are
two different things. When we use the term back up it is having a
duplicate copy of what is original while archiving is storing or keeping the
file in long periods. It may be practical to use an external hard drive
dedicated to photos when archiving or use a dedicated online backup tool
or website that offer such services.
 Resources:
http://nikonusa.com/

http://silverlight.co.uk/

http://www.apple.com/

http://aggregate.org/

http://practicalphotographytips.com/

http://www.HP.com/

http://nikonians.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Digital Photography – Steve Greenberg

Complete Digital Photography Third Edition – Ben Long

The Textbook of Digital Photography Second Edition – Dennis P. Curtin