| Technical Hooey |
| Camera Settings Shutter Speed: The camera's shutter controls the length of time light is exposed to the film. On most SLR, or single lens reflex cameras, shutter speeds are set in what photographers call "stops." Common cameras have shutter speeds that progress in one-step stops: 30 seconds, 15 seconds, 8 seconds, 4 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second, 1/2 second, 1/4 of a second, 1/8th of a second, 1/15th of a second, 1/30th of a second, 1/60th of a second, 1/125th of a second, 1/250th of a second, 1/500th of a second, 1/1000th of a second, 1/2000th of a second, 1/4,000th of a second and 1/8,000th of a second. Fancier cameras used by professional photographers will have intermittent stops at 1/3 steps. Aperature setting: Manual camera lenses have a ring at the end that attaches to the camera which controls the lense's aperature. The aperature is what's referred to as an "Iris" eye and controls the amount of light being exposed to the film. Common aperature settings are: f/1.4, f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6, f/8.0, f/11.0, f/16.0, f/22.0 and f/32.0 Professional cameras, including new digital models, have the capability to control the aperature setting within the camera's computer and can be set at 1/3 stops instead of full stops. A lens is consider "fast" if it has a low number. The lower the number, the larger the aperature and the more light can be exposed to your film. The higher the number, the smaller the aperature and the less light exposed to your film. Your aperature controls the concept of Depth of Field. ISO: ISO refers to the film speed or film speed equivalent on a digital camera. What film speed you use depends on the lighting situation. The most common film speeds are 100, 200, 400 and 800. 100 is an outdoor film 200 is also an outdoor film, but can be used indoors in well lit rooms. 400 is a great film to use outside on cloudy days, but is also very versatile indoors 800 is generally reserved for darker rooms. It can be used outdoors, but you'll have to compensate with a fast shutter speed and tiny aperature. Diopters: Some manual cameras have a device inside the viewfinder called a diopter. If your camera is telling you your picture is in focus, but it looks fuzzy to you, adjust your diopter. Tri-pods: Tri-pods are three legged stands used for portrait photography, or photography of still objects in very low light situations. Ever wonder how photographers shoot fireworks? There's a tri-pod involved. Mono-Pods: Mono pods one legged stand that help photographers using longer lenses support the weight of the lens, without straining the camera. |
| You combine shutter speed, film speed and aperature setting to get the "perfect" exposure. Remember: Keep the sun behind you. What you really want to avoid is having the sun behind your subject. Unless, of course, you WANT to do that for a very specific purpose. |