Basic+ Photography Workshop Module

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Basic + PhotographyWorkshop

An Informal Guide to Basic Digital

Photography

By

Roe G. Empleo

Basic Photography Workshop ModuleRoe G. Empleo

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BASIC+ PHOTOGRAPHYWORKSHOP

An Informal Guide to Basic Digital Photography

I INTRODUCTION

This is an awkward thing for me to write because I am not sure whether Imqualified enough to talk to you about Photography since I am still starting to learnabout it myself. Or will I ever be comprehensive in my words because I haventwritten anything like this before. But just thinking about my experiences with peoplewho share the same passion with me in this photographic journey, and how

unselfishly they share their own knowledge and experiences to me as I was juststarting out, made me realize that I, too, have the same obligation to those whowant to learn and pursue their inclination towards Photography. We all shall learntogether and share with the others the fruits of this workshop.

And so, I welcome you all to my informal workshop on the Basics andFundamentals of Digital Photography!

II SCOPE OF WORKS

In this workshop, I intend to talk about just a simplified introduction to DigitalPhotography and focus more on the Hows and the Whys of taking a goodphotograph. This workshop will include the following short courses:

A. Introduction to Digital PhotographyB. Introduction to the Different Genres of PhotographyC. Introduction to Portraiture & LightingD. Better Composition and Framing

Since its a time limited workshop, I will just focus on the more important topics andpointers, but will leave you links and/or related reading materials that you canbrowse on your own.

III OBJECTIVE

Every endeavor, no matter how grand or mediocre they are, is pointless without atangent objective. They will just end up a waste of time and efforts to your part. Soin this little workshop of ours, my objective is not to make you all Professional

Photographers (because I am not), but to instill in you the same passion and drivethat I have towards Photography. By guiding you in exploring more of your


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potentials and re-asserting your given talents, I wish to prepare you in yourupcoming struggle in the World of Photography.

PART 1 : INTRODUCTION TO DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY

Like all art, Photography is a discipline with its own set of accepted rules,methodology, and standards. Even a (a person who has) natural ability todraw needs to be trained in technique, style, and aesthetics. ~ Ed Yap, imag magazine

This is very true in every discipline of art like Painting, Architecture, Music and thelikes. Nobody is a born Master of his craft. Everybody has to learn from the basicand fundamentals to hone their talent and create their own style. People who dwell

too much on being smart, talented, or being pretty usually are the ones who easilyget stuck halfway to their prime because they are not accustomed to working theircraft when faced with hurdles and problems.

That is why seasoned photographers stay on top, not because they are famous,but because they have earned it. They have worked hard for their skills and still porethemselves on improving their craft. And this tenacity is what we all must learn fromthem. Step by step, we must accumulate knowledge and experience, and integratethem into our own mold.


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A: UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAMERA

EXPOSURE

Most digital cameras have one of the following standardized exposure modes:Auto ( ), Program (P), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), Manual (M)and Bulb (B) mode. Av, Tv, and M are often called "creative modes" or "autoexposure (AE) modes.

Each of these modes influences how aperture, ISO and shutter speed arechosen for a given exposure. Some modes attempt to pick all three values foryou, whereas others let you specify one setting and the camera picks the othertwo (if possible). The following charts describe how each mode pertains toexposure:

Exposure Mode: How It Works

Auto [ ] Camera automatically selects all exposure settings.

Program (P) Camera automatically selects aperture & shutter speed; you canchoose a corresponding ISO speed & exposure compensation. With somecameras, P can also act as a hybrid of the Av & Tv modes.

Aperture Priority (Av or A)You specify the aperture & ISO; the camera'smetering determines the corresponding shutter speed.

Shutter Priority (Tv or S)You specify the shutter speed & ISO; the camera'smetering determines the corresponding aperture.

Manual (M)You specify the aperture, ISO and shutter speed -- regardless ofwhether these values lead to a correct exposure.

Bulb (B)Useful for exposures longer than 30 seconds. You specify the apertureand ISO; the shutter speed is determined by a remote release switch, or by theduration until you press the shutter button a second time.

In addition, the camera may also have several pre-set modes; the most commoninclude landscape, portrait, sports and night mode. The symbols used for eachmode vary slightly from camera to camera, but will likely appear similar to thosebelow:


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PortraitCamera tries to pick the lowest f-stop value possible for a given exposure. Thisensures the shallowest possible depth of field.

Landscape

Camera tries to pick a high f-stop to ensure a large depth of field. Compactcameras also often set their focus distance to distant objects or infinity.

Sports/ActionCamera tries to achieve as fast a shutter speed as possible for a given exposure-- ideally 1/250 seconds or faster. In addition to using a low f-stop, the fastshutter speed is usually achieved by increasing the ISO speed more than wouldotherwise be acceptable in portrait mode.

Night/Low-lightCamera permits shutter speeds which are longer than ordinarily allowed for

hand-held shots, and increases the ISO speed to near its maximum availablevalue. However, for some cameras this setting means that a flash is used for theforeground, and a long shutter speed and high ISO are used expose thebackground. (Check your camera's instruction manual for any unique characteristics).

However, keep in mind that most of the above settings rely on the camera'smetering system, in order to know what is a properly exposed image. For trickysubject matter, metering can often be fooled, so it's a good idea to also be awareof when it might go awry, and what you can do to compensate for such exposureerrors (see section on exposure compensation within the camera metering

tutorial).

Finally, some of the above modes may also control camera settings which areunrelated to exposure, although this varies from camera to camera. Suchadditional settings might include the autofocus points, metering mode andautofocus modes, amongst others.

A photograph's exposure determines how light or dark an image will appearwhen it's been captured by your camera. Believe it or not, this is determined by

just three camera settings: aperture, ISO and shutter speed (the "exposuretriangle"). Mastering their use is an essential part of developing an intuition forphotography.

UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE

Achieving the correct exposure is a lot like collecting rain in a bucket. While therate of rainfall is uncontrollable, three factors remain under your control: thebucket's width, the duration you leave it in the rain, and the quantity of rain you

want to collect. You just need to ensure you don't collect too little("underexposed"), but that you also don't collect too much ("overexposed"). The


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key is that there are many different combinations of width, time and quantity thatwill achieve this. For example, for the same quantity of water, you can get awaywith less time in the rain if you pick a bucket that's really wide. Alternatively, forthe same duration left in the rain, a really narrow bucket can be used as long asyou plan on getting by with less water.

In photography, the exposure settings of aperture, shutter speed and ISO speedare analogous to the width, time and quantity discussed above. Furthermore, justas the rate of rainfall was beyond your control above, so too is natural light for aphotographer.

EXPOSURE TRIANGLE: APERTURE , ISO ,SHUTTER SPEED

Each setting controls exposure differently:

Aperture: controls the area over which light can enter your cameraShutter speed: controls the duration of the exposureISO speed: controls the sensitivity of your camera's sensor to a given amount oflight

One can therefore use many combinations of the above three settings toachieve the same exposure. The key, however, is knowing which trade-offs to

make, since each setting also influences other image properties. For example,aperture affects depth of field, shutter speed affects motion blur and ISO speedaffects image noise.

The next few sections will describe how each setting is specified, what it lookslike, and how a given camera exposure mode affects their combination.

SHUTTER SPEED

A camera's shutter determines when the camera sensor will be open or closedto incoming light from the camera lens. The shutter speed specifically refers tohow long this light is permitted to enter the camera. "Shutter speed" and"exposure time" refer to the same concept, where a faster shutter speed meansa shorter exposure time.

By the Numbers. Shutter speed's influence on exposure is perhaps the simplest

of the three camera settings: it correlates exactly 1:1 with the amount of lightentering the camera. For example, when the exposure time doubles the amount


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of light entering the camera doubles. It's also the setting that has the widestrange of possibilities:

Shutter Speed: Typical Examples

1 - 30+ seconds - Specialty night and low-light photos on a tripod To add a silkylook to flowing water

2 - 1/2 second - Landscape photos on a tripod for enhanced depth of field toadd motion blur to the background of a moving subject

1/2 to 1/30 second - Carefully taken hand-held photos with stabilization

1/50 - 1/100 second - Typical hand-held photos without substantial zoom

1/250 - 1/500 second - To freeze everyday sports/action subject movement.Hand-held photos with substantial zoom (telephoto lens)

1/1000 - 1/4000 second - To freeze extremely fast, up-close subject motion

APERTURE SETTING

A camera's aperture setting controls the area over which light can pass throughyourcamera lens. It is specified in terms an f-stop value, which can at times becounterintuitive, because the area of the opening increases as the f-stopdecreases. In photographer slang, the when someone says they are "stoppingdown" or "opening up" their lens, they are referring to increasing and decreasingthe f-stop value, respectively.

By the Numbers. Every time the f-stop value halves, the light-collecting areaquadruples. There's a formula for this, but most photographers just memorizethe f-stop numbers that correspond to each doubling/halving of light:

Aperture Setting Relative Light Example Shutter Speedf/22 1X 16 seconds

f/16 2X 8 secondsf/11 4X 4 secondsf/8.0 8X 2 secondsf/5.6 16X 1 secondf/4.0 32X 1/2 secondf/2.8 64X 1/4 secondf/2.0 128X 1/8 secondf/1.4 256X 1/15 second

The above aperture and shutter speed combinations all result in the sameexposure.


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Note: Shutter speed values are not always possible in increments of exactlydouble or half another shutter speed, but they're always close enough that thedifference is negligible.

The above f-stop numbers are all standard options in any camera, although

most also allow finer adjustments, such as f/3.2 and f/6.3. The range of valuesmay also vary from camera to camera (or lens to lens). For example, a compactcamera might have an available range of f/2.8 to f/8.0, whereas a digital SLRcamera might have a range of f/1.4 to f/32 with a portrait lens. A narrow aperturerange usually isn't a big problem, but a greater range does provide for morecreative flexibility.

How it appears. A camera's aperturesetting is what determines a photo's

depth of field (the range of distance overwhich objects appear in sharp focus).Lower f-stop values correlate with ashallower depth of field:

Figure 1:APERTURE AS THE IRIS OF THE LENS


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Figure 2:AMOUNT OF LIGHT CONTROLLED BY THE APERTURE

EQUIVALENT EXPOSURE

Once you finally understand the working of shutter speed and aperture, you willneed to learn another tidbit of knowledge which will assist you in capturing greatimages with speed and precision. Its called Equivalent Exposure, which canbest be described through a diagram.

Lets say that you have the perfect exposure for your lighting situation with youraperture at F8 and your shutter speed at 60.

But you wanted to stop the action, so you increase your shutter speed to 500.What this means is that you are letting less light into your camera. So tocompensate you need to open up your aperture to F2.

Now you want to create a blurry motion shot, so we slow our shutter speed to15 which would over expose our image now. Now to re compensate for addingmore light, we need to shrink our aperture down to F16.

So all these settings Ive displayed is equivalent, meaning F8:60 is equal toF2:500 is equal to F16:15. They all display the same amount of exposure, butthe look of the image will be different. Also notice how when I subtract 3positions less light on the shutter speed, I add 3 positions more light on theaperture and vice versa. To imagine how this works, you need to picturebalancing people on a seesaw, and thats all there is to shutter speed andaperture.

CONCLUSION


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Controlling camera exposure by setting your aperture and shutter speed is thefirst lesson a beginning photographer should learn. It is actually quite confusingin practice, but as you take more and more pictures you will become faster atsetting your exposure. Its almost like playing Dance Revolution for the first time,and looking foolish as you try to match the arrows with your feet. But as you

become experienced, you will still look foolish, but at least now matching thosearrows becomes second nature.

ISO SPEED

The ISO speed determines how sensitive the camera is to incoming light.Similar to shutter speed, it also correlates 1:1 with how much the exposureincreases or decreases. However, unlike aperture and shutter speed, a lowerISO speed is almost always desirable, since higher ISO speeds dramatically

increase image noise. As a result, ISO speed is usually only increased from itsminimum value if the desired aperture and shutter speed aren't otherwiseobtainable.

Common ISO speeds include 100, 200, 400 and 800, although many camerasalso permit lower or higher values. With compact cameras, an ISO speed in therange of 50-200 generally produces acceptably low image noise, whereas withdigital SLR cameras, a range of 50-800 (or higher) is often acceptable.

CAMERA METERING & EXPOSURE

Knowing how your digital camera meters light is critical for achieving consistentand accurate exposures. Metering is the brains behind how your cameradetermines the shutter speed and aperture, based on lighting conditions and ISOspeed. Metering options often include partial, evaluative zone or matrix, center-weighted and spot metering. Each of these has subject lighting conditions forwhich they excel-- and for which they fail. Understanding these can improveone's photographic intuition for how a camera measures light.

In order to accurately expose a greater range of subject lighting and reflectancecombinations, most cameras feature several metering options. Each optionworks by assigning a weighting to different light regions; those with a higherweighting are considered more reliable, and thus contribute more to the finalexposure calculation.

Examples of Metering Modes:

1.SPOT METERING


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With spot metering, the camera will only measure a very small area of thescene (between 1-5% of the viewfinder area). This will typically be the verycentre of the scene, but some cameras allow the user to select a different off-center spot, or to recompose by moving the camera after metering.

Spot metering is very accurate and is not influenced by other areas inthe frame. It is commonly used to shoot very high contrast scenes. For example,if the subject's back is being hit by the rising sun and the face is a lot darker thanthe bright halo around the subject's back and hairline (the subject is "backlit"),spot metering allows the photographer to measure the light bouncing off thesubject's face and expose properly for that, instead of the much brighter lightaround the hairline. The area around the back and hairline will then becomeover-exposed. Spot metering is a method upon which the Zone Systemdepends.

Another example of spot metering usage would be when photographing themoon. Due to the very dark nature of the scene, other metering methods tend tooverexpose the moon. Spot metering will allow for more detail to be brought outin the moon while underexposing the rest of the scene.

2.CENTER-WEIGHTED

In this system, the meter concentrates between 60 to 80 percent of thesensitivity towards the central part of the viewfinder. The balance is then"feathered" out towards the edges. Some cameras will allow the user to adjustthe weight/balance of the central portion to the peripheral one. One advantage ofthis method is that it is less influenced by small areas that vary greatly inbrightness at the edges of the viewfinder; as many subjects are in the centralpart of the frame, consistent results can be obtained.

3. AVERAGE or EVALUATIVE METERING

In this metering mode the camera will use the light information coming from theentire scene and averages for the final exposure setting, giving no weighting toany particular portion of the metered area. This is an all-around metering modesuited for portraits and even backlit subjects. The camera sets the exposureautomatically to suit the scene.

4.PARTIAL METERING

This mode meters a larger area than spot metering (around 10-15% of theentire frame), and is generally used when very bright or very dark areas on the

edges of the frame would otherwise influence the metering unduly. Like spotmetering, some cameras can use variable points to take readings from, (in


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general autofocus points), or have a fixed point in the centre of the viewfinder.Partial metering is found mostly on Canon cameras. This is most effective whenthe background is much brighter than the subject.

5.MULTI-ZONE METERING

This mode is also called matrix, evaluative, honeycomb, segmentmetering,oresp (electro selective pattern) metering on some cameras. This meteringmode was first introduced by the Nikon FA, where it was called Automatic Multi-Pattern metering. On a number of cameras this is the default/standard meteringsetting. Here the camera measures the light intensity in several points in thescene, and then combines the results to find the settings for the best exposure.How they are combined/calculated deviates from camera to camera. The actual

number ofzones used varies wildly, from several to over a thousand. Howeverperformance should not be concluded on the number of zones alone, or thelayout

Many manufacturers are less than open about the exact calculations used todetermine the exposure. A number of factors are taken into consideration,including the following:Autofocus (AF) point, distance to subject, areas in focusor out of focus, colors/hues of the scene, and backlighting. Multi-zone tends tobias its exposure towards the autofocus point being used (whilst taking intoaccount other areas of the frame too), thus ensuring that the point of interest hasbeen exposed for properly, (this often means the subject area being exposed foras a mid-tone). A database of many thousands of exposures is pre-stored in thecamera, and the processor can use a selective pattern to determine what isbeing photographed.

Some cameras allow the user to link or unlink the autofocus and metering, andallow the option of locking exposure once AF confirmation is achieved,AEL,(auto-exposure lock). Using manual focus, and on many compacts/bridgecameras, the AF point is not used as part of the exposure calculation, in suchinstances it is common for the metering to default to a central point in theviewfinder, using a pattern based on that area. There is considerable variationfrom different manufacturers as to how multi-zone metering is implemented, andeven from the same maker in their model range, and how much "priority" is givento the AF point itself. Some "Scene" modes, such as sunset, sports, nightexposures etc, also often affect the calculations of this metering pattern.

However, some photographers may be uncomfortable with multi-zone metering.This tends to stem from a lack of clarity about "how" the camera reacts in certainsituations. The design concept behind multi-zone is to reduce the need to useexposure compensation.


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Some users have problems in wide-angle shots with high contrast, due to thelarge area which can vary greatly in brightness. It is important to understand thateven in this situation, the focus point can be critical to the overall exposure.

WHEN TO USE PARTIAL & SPOT METERING

Partial and spot metering give the photographer far more control over theexposure than any of the other settings, but this also means that these is moredifficult to use-- at least initially. They are useful when there is a relatively smallobject within your scene which you either need to be perfectly exposed, or knowthat it will provide the closest match to middle gray.

One of the most common applications ofpartial metering is a portrait ofsomeone who is backlit. Metering off of their face can help avoid making thesubject look like an under-exposed silhouette against the bright background. Onthe other hand, care should be taken as the shade of a person's skin may lead toinaccurate exposure if it is far from neutral gray reflectance-- but probably not asinaccurate as what would have been caused by the backlighting.

Spot metering is used less often because its metering area is very small andthus quite specific. This can be an advantage when you are unsure of yoursubject's reflectance and have a specially designed gray card (or other smallobject) to meter off of.

Spot and partial metering are also quite useful for performing creativeexposures, and when the ambient lighting is unusual.

NOTES ON CENTER-WEIGHTED METERING

At one time center-weighted metering was a very common default setting incameras because it coped well with a bright sky above a darker landscape.Nowadays, it has more or less been surpassed in flexibility by evaluative andmatrix, and in specificity by partial and spot metering. On the other hand, theresults produced by center-weighted metering are very predictable, whereasmatrix and evaluative metering modes have complicated algorithms which areharder to predict. For this reason some prefer to use it as the default meteringmode.

EXPOSURE COMPENSATION


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Any of the above metering modes can use a feature called exposurecompensation (EC). The metering calculation still works as normal, except thefinal settings are then compensatedby the EC value. This allows for manualcorrections if you observe a metering mode to be consistently under or over-

exposing. Most cameras allow up to 2 stops of exposure compensation; eachstop of exposure compensation provides either a doubling or halving of lightcompared to what the metering mode would have done otherwise. A setting ofzero means no compensation will be applied (default).

Exposure compensation is ideal for correcting in-camera metering errorscaused by the subject's reflectivity. No matter what metering mode is used, thein-camera light meter would always mistakenly under-expose a subject such asa white dove in a snowstorm. Photographs in the snow will always requirearound +1 exposure compensation, whereas a low-key imagemay require

negative compensation.

PICTURE STYLES

STANDARD - The image is vivid and sharp.

PORTRAIT - For nice skin tones. The image looks slightly sharp.

LANDSCAPES - For vivid blues and greens, and very sharp images.

NEUTRAL - For natural colors and subdued images. This picture style assumesthat you will do post-processing with a personal computer.


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FAITHFUL - The image is dull and subdued. This picture style assumes that youwill do post-processing with a personal computer.

MONOCHROME For Black & White images. Can be used with built in color filtersand tones.

B: UNDERSTANDING YOUR LENS

Focal Lengths. Camera lenses can be broken down into three (3) broadgroups: Wide Angle, Standard (normal) and Long-focus (telephoto). Focal lengthsassigned to each lens group is dictated by the camera Format (film,or sensors in

digital). The Focal Length of the lens is the measurement in millimeters of thedistance from the optical center of a lens to the point at which its image is focused(located on the sensor or film if the subject, at infinity, is "in focus"). The cameralens projects part of the scene onto the film orsensor. The field of view (FOV) isdetermined by the angle of view from the lens out to the scene and can bemeasured horizontally or vertically. Larger sensors or films have wider FOVs andcan capture more of the scene (see full frame and cropped sensors below).Thelonger the image distance, the longer the lens (telephoto).The shorter that distance,the shorter its focal length, so thus the lens (wide angle).

The focal length of standard lens is approximately equal to the length of thediagonal of the format's image size. For a 35mm film camera, the diagonalof thenegative size measures 50mm, so a lens with 50-55mm focal length is consideredstandard, and an 80mm lens is a moderate telephoto. However, the diagonal of a6x6cm negative measures approximately 80mm, so an 80mm lens is a standard in amedium-format camera. As the dimensions of the sensors used by digital camerasvaries so much from model to model, the focal length is usually quoted as if for the35mm film format.


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Image Distance is equivalent to the Focal Length of the Lens.

A full-frame digital sensor is equivalent in size to a 35mm film frame, making thisthe standard focal length baseline that todays lenses are measured against. Acropped sensor, 1.6 or 1.5, have smaller digital sensor and thus, smaller formats.You need to be aware that the focal lengths expressed on the lenses must bemultiplied by a factor. That factor, the Focal Length Multiplier, depends on theimage sensor size used (cropped factor). Of course, if the image sensor is full-frame, i.e. it is the same size as 35mm film, then the multiplier is 1, and the focal

length of the lens is accurate. However, only a few DSLRs use a full-frame imagesensor, with most using a smaller image sensor, usually APS size (or roughly half-frame).

The effect that a smaller sensor has on a lens of a given focal length is called acrop factor or magnification factor. This is because a smaller sensor produces asimilar effect to cropping a larger sensor, effectively magnifying the image. That'swhy you'll read that a focal length multiplier of, say, 1.6 needs to be applied to thefocal length of the lens to obtain the true focal length. For Example, a 10mm wideangle that seems unbelievably short, but in equivalent terms, theyre much more

akin to more familiar focal lengths, like a 17mm lens that is the equivalent to a28mm lens in 35mm film format.

So, suppose your dSLR has a Focal Length Multiplier of 1.6 and you use a 50mmlens with it, the actual focal length of the lens when used with your DSLR is 1.6 x50mm = 80mm. This is both good and bad.

The good news is that you can now get super telephoto focal lengths on yourDSLR without buying costly and unwieldy dedicated lenses. For example, a 100-300mm zoom lens, with a focal length multiplier of 1.6, becomes approx. 160-

480mm. The bad news is, of course, that super wide-angle lenses are equallyaffected and a 28mm lens becomes a 45mm lens. One solution is to buy a smallerfocal length lens which, when factored up by 1.6, becomes equivalent to yourdesired lens. Say, a 10-22mm wide angle lens in cropped sensor DSLR, becomes16-35mm in equivalent full frame sensor. A normal wide angle lens best fitted forlandscape photography.

Angle of View. Lenses have various classifications based on focal lengthand the field of view they provide. A wide-angle lens provides a much greater field ofview, and is generally considered to be any lens 40mm or shorter (again, in full

frame equivalent terms). A normal lenson a full frame DSLRis the distinctiongiven to any lens that ranges roughly from 40mm to 65mm or so. These lenses are


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normal because they provide an angle of view that approximates that of the humaneye. Telephoto lenses on full-frame cameras usually are lenses longer than 70mm,and they range upwards of 300, 600 and even 1000mm. The longer the telephoto,the narrower the angle of view and the greater the magnifying power it provides.Thats why wildlife and sports photographers so often use 600mm and longer

telephotos. Most amateur users, though, tend to top out around 300mm lenses formost uses.

Some lenses are called prime lenses, which means, they have a fixed focal length.Other lenses are zoom lenses, so they can be adjusted across a range of focallengths. Some zooms fit within a particular classification, such as wide-angle zoom,normal zoom or telephoto zoom. Many lenses actually zoom from wide to normal, ornormal to telephoto. Extreme zoom lenses actually encompass all these qualities ina single lenssay a wide-angle 30mm lens that can zoom all the way to a 300mmtelephoto. These extreme zoom lenses are prized for their portability since they offersuch a wide range of focal lengths in a single package. The downside is that someextreme zooms are more prone to vignetting and chromatic aberrations when usedwith wide apertures and zoomed to the extremes.

Photographers shopping for point-and-shoot or compact cameras often encounter

zoom lens descriptors such as 2X, 3X or 10X. This isnt actually a representation of


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the precise focal length of a lens, but rather the zoom range that lens covers. A 2Xlens, for example, doubles its focal length from its widest to its longest settingas ina 35-70mm lens. A 3X zoom triples the focal length (like 35-105), and a 10X zoommultiplies it by a whopping factor of ten (as in a 35-350mm lens). The bigger the Xfactor, the larger the range of focal lengths covered by a lens. Remember though,

just because two lenses offer 2X zooms doesnt mean the lenses have the samefocal length. For that, youll have to compare actual millimeter measurements in35mm equivalent terms.

The longer the focal length of a lens, the more difficult that lens will be to handhold.This is true not only because longer lenses tend to be physically longer and heavierthan wide-angle lenses, but also because subtle vibrations and camera shakes areamplified dramatically when using a telephoto lens. A good rule of thumb is to usea minimum shutter speed equivalent to the focal lengthfor example, whenhandholding a 500mm telephoto lens, be sure to set the shutter speed no slowerthan 1/500th of a second. The benefit of new lenses today is the extra feature added

by the manufacturers dedicated to counter this kind of problem. The ImageStabilizer (IS) of Canon, the Vibration Reduction (VR) by Nikon, Optical Stabilizer(OS) by sigma, and others. They are extra motors inside the lens to counter camerashakes and other vibrations.

Just take note, that, when shooting while the camera is mounted on a tripod,monopod or any other sturdy objects, make sure to turn offthe IS/VR modes ofyour lens to stop its motor from moving or reacting. Using a tripod to avoidmovements or camera shakes will be of no use if your lens is still vibrating on itsown.

Magnification.Some lens designations mean that even though the focallength may be the same, the lens wont perform the same. A macro lens, forinstance, can focus extremely close, allowing for great magnification of small objectsand fine details. One 100mm lens may be designated macro, while another is not.Youre bound to pay a premium for the added capabilities, but if making big photosof little objects is important to you, its well worth the investment.

Accessories and Adjustments.Many photographers utilizespecial devices to change the effective focal length, or at least the performance, of alens. Teleconverters are popular among wildlife photographers and those whowant to double or triple their lens focal length (with a 2X or 3X teleconverter) withoutcarrying an additional, and often quite expensive, supertelephoto lens. Extensiontubes are a similar device, but rather than changing the lens effective focal lengththey simply change the focusing rangemaking a lens focus much closer andbehave more like a macro lens would. Like macro lenses, extension tubes are usedto allow close focusing are ideal for flower photography and other close-up uses.

The downside with both extension tubes and teleconverters is that each requires asacrifice in available maximum apertureoften as much as two full stops that turn


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an /2 lens into an /5.6. Its worth it, though, if youre working at smaller apertures,with flash or if you simply need the close focusing or telephoto extension effect.

C: ELEMENTS OF A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH

There are many ways to make your subject stand out in your photographs. You canuse contrasting colors, textures, dimensions, change yourpoint of view, or youcan just simply separate it from the background with selective focusing. Selectivefocus is a process of carefully controlling the camera focus on your subject aloneand completely ignoring or blurring the background. It's a creative manipulation of

the Depth of Field in your photographs.

Depth of Field, for those who are not yet familiar, is the focal zoning fromthe foreground to the background that indicates the sharpness of the subject(s) inyour frame. It can be controlled with these three (3) factors, the aperture, thedistance of your camera to the subject and the focal length of the lens.Through the aperture control, using a bigger opening (f-stop, ex. f/1.2 - f/2.8) cancreate a "Shallow Depth of Field", wherein, only the object of your focus remains

sharp, and the rest of the background is blurred. While using a smaller opening (ex.


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f/8 - f/22) can result to a "Deep Depth of Field" wherein, the majority in the imagefrom foreground to the background, is sharp.

The distance between your camera and the subject can also determine your depthof field. If you stand closer to the subject, your focus will be concentrated more on itthan the background, creating a shallow DoF. If you want a sharper image, move alittle back from your subject to increase your DoF.

Likewise, if you use a longer focal length, like telephotos and zooms (ex. 100mmabove), the area in your focus is "compressed", thus, isolating your subject from thebackground. But it is not always the case, it still depends on your settings anddistance of focus. Results may vary with different lens and focal lengths. Forexample, a small f-stop (f/11) on a 35-70mm zoom lens, set on 35mm and focusedon a 9 feet distance, can result to a Deep DoF with a sharp image from 6-20ft. Onthe other hand, with the same f-stop and distance but focal length set to 70mm, theDoF is relatively shallower with only 8-11ft sharp image.

Understanding Depth of Field and mastering the control of it can really help you increating great quality images. It's what determines the output or the look that youwant in your photographs. It's also a useful means to direct the viewer's eyes in the

flow that you want. So it's very important to maintain a separation of focus with yoursubject and the background. Needless to say, that you're subject must be easily


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identified from the background through the difference in sharpness and focus. Nomatter how good a composition is, if the focus is off, then it's just a wasted shot.

Most of my photos, especially close-ups and macros, are done with selective

focusing. It's what helps me create the mood that I wanted in my images. Even inmy portraits and architectural photos, selective focusing is a great tool that createsemphasis and perspective on my every captures. Of course, it would be even betterwith the use of a good set of lens (fast lens with bigger aperture), and a creativeviewpoint to capture that unique work of art


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You can also use selective focusing in enhancing or isolating a portion of yoursubject. I normally use it to emphasize the eyes of the models in my portraits.Creating a single directional flow for the viewers and captivating them, making them

linger on my subject even more.

One great way to maximize the effect of focus and sharpness in your images is byunderstanding the Hyperfocal Distanceof your lens. The hyperfocal distance isbasically a point in which your focus and everything from that point to infinity will besharp. Different lens, either prime or with varying focal lengths, have differentcorresponding hyperfocal distance. Mastering this can make outstanding

landscapes with really sharp image all throughout the frame.


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Hyperfocal focus distance is basically the focus distance forany given camera, lens, and settings that maximizes the apparent focus distancewhile including infinity at the far end. Normally you carry a table of hyperfocal valueswith you and just set what it says as focus distance for the lens and aperture

settings you're using. Do so and everything from about half the hyperfocal distanceto infinity is "in focus." Since a lens can only focus one distance at a time, hyperfocalfocus depends upon the blur circle that is created by things in front or behind thefocus distance to be small enough that we still detect it as a "point."

Heres a simple formula in calculating the Hyperfocal Distance.

Focal length This will, of course, be different for every image that you take. For myshot of Castlerigg Stone Circle I used my 24 to 105mm lens at its widest focal lengthi.e. 24mm. This value can be read off from the top of your lens barrel once you arehappy with your composition. For fixed length lenses just use the fixed focal lengthof your prime lens.

Circle of confusion All you need to know here is that this constant differsdepending on the type of camera that you are using and is based on what isconsidered to be acceptable sharpness in an 8 x10 print seen at normal viewingdistance. The most popular values are as follows:-

Digital SLR = 0.0235mm format and digital SLR full-frame = 0.036x6cm format = 0.064x5in format = 0.15

F-stop The optimum f-number for landscape photography is considered to beeither f11 or f13. My preferred f-stop is f11 as I find that this gives you the maximumdepth of field without any diffraction occurring.

Using the above formula, the hyperfocal distance for a sample shot with f/11aperture on a 24mm focal length would calculated as follows:-

Therefore, the hyperfocal distance is approximately 1.8 metres.

Table 1 Hyperfocal Distance Calculator for Digital SLR Cameras with a FocalLength Multiplier of 1.6


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Table 2 Hyperfocal Distance Calculator for 35mm and Full Frame Digital SLRCameras with no Focal Length Multiplier


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D: BETTER COMPOSITION & FRAMING

Just like any other form of visual arts like painting, architecture and even on film,photography also rely on a good composition or framing to better translate thethoughts of the author into the minds of the viewer or spectator. Composition inphotography is a very broad subject, but nonetheless, still follows the same methodsor rules as in any art to achieve a better quality. Elements such as light & shadows,colors, textures, shapes & forms, and even dimensions help us to create a better

composition for our photographs.

Composition is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole. Inphotography that thought is very important in taking good pictures. The followingguidelines are just to be thought about though, it is not necessary to try to use themwith every picture you take or there wouldn't be any creativity in your work. Onceyou learn these rules and strategies you will be more prepared to find great picturespots and opportunities.

For years, photographers followed and created a number of rules or ideals in theircomposition. Below are few samples of those rules. There would be a lot ofinterpretations by different photographers on each of these rules. So it would still bebest just to gather all versions that you can, and then derive from them your own.

Here are from my own thoughts and works

1. THE RULE OF THIRDS

The Rule of Thirds has been used for centuries and is probably themost important of all the composition techniques. The Rule of Thirds meansthat the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three verticalsections and therefore, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersectmakes an ideal location for the more important parts of your picture. Bylocating your main subject at one of the four intersections you give thesubject more emphasis than if it was right smack in the middle of the picture.This is also a good technique if you have more than one important subject,the intersections can still work even if there's a subject or more than one. Thedivisions can also be helpful in setting up a picture, they can for example,

help you determine how much horizon you want. Most famous photographsor paintings in the world today have the rule of thirds applied to them in some


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way.

As I have explained on my the workshops, the reason for having this rule isnot just because of the positioning of your subject, but mostly on how the eye

of the viewer should be directed in the photograph. There must be a singledirectionality for the flow.

It is you that should command that flow, in the way you would want theviewers eyes to travel along your image, and the way you would want tonarrate your story.


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2. FILL THE FRAME. SIMPLICITY

Simplicity is the method of keeping the information in a photographrelatively simple. If your main subject is close, then your background shouldbe very simple to avoid distractions. You should try to keep everything notimportant much less interesting than what's important in the frame. Especiallyavoid lines or objects that lead the eye away from the subject. Avoid alsounnecessary clutter and focus on the important detail or accent of thesubject.


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3. PAY ATTENTION TO THE BACKGROUNDRe-examine your shot before pressing that trigger. Make sure no clutter orobstruction will hinder the viewers eyes from your subject. And mostimportant, for portraits, to avoid any object (ex branches or posts) to grow outof your subject.

This could have been a good portrait ifnot for the horns (trees) growing from herhead.


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Avoid unnecessary elements in your framing that may distract the viewers eye from your

main subject.4. LEADING LINES

Leading Lines are used to lure the eye deeper into a picture or to animportant subject. Straight, curved, parallel, or diagonal lines are all good atpromoting interest. Good examples could be roads, rivers, streams, bridges,branches, or fences but there are endless things that could be used.

Perspective, is the illusion of depth guiding the eyes.


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5. NATURAL FRAMES

Find a unique location that can frame your subject within the surroundingarea.


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6. LANDSCAPE Vs PORTRAITShooting landscapes or seascapes doesnt always have to be in horizontalformat. Sometimes a scene is best captured in vertical to allow more range ofelement from the foreground to the background.


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7. DEPTH OF FIELD & SELECTIVE FOCUS

Youll be amazed on how the control of DoF (depth of field) can alter yourcapture of the subject from realistic to surrealistic, from boring to amazing.Just play around with your aperture and focus on part that you want toenhance or isolate.


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Having a wider aperture (f1.2 4.0) creates a shallow DoF, resulting to limiteddetail on the focus (subject) and blurry or washed background. This in turncreates a more dramatic and dreamy image.

8. SELECTIVE COLOR

This does not mean editing you photos in Photoshop, but creating orcapturing them right in your composition. Just be on the lookout ofcontrasting colors in your location, and frame your subject against opposing

colors. Make sure your background colors will not over power your subject.


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9. CONVEY FEELING & EMOTION

This can either be direct emotion that you can see or tell in your captures, orimplied and unspoken but can be felt just by looking at it.


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Direct

Indirect

10. HAVE A STRONG FOCAL POINTTO CATCH THE EYE

This doesnt need an explanation.


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Here my main focus is the turbine on the right, and then the eyes are guidedtowards the smaller turbines and then ends at the house.

These dragon boats become the anchor of this imagethat directs the eyesto the background of lights and buildings.

11. ISOLATE THE SUBJECT

This can be done with either diffusing the background with shallow DoFor placing your subject in strong contrast with the background.


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Blurring the background through shallow Focus & Depth of Field

Placing the subject against a strong and contrasting background.

12. USE SHUTTER SPEED TO CONVEY MOTION

This is commonly used in Sports & Panning shots, where we use faster shutterspeeds to freeze the subject while the background is still caught in action.


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13. SILHOUETTING and 14. BACKLIGHTING

Backlighting or Silhouettes are dramatic images or juxtaposition of the subject(s)against a strong back light leaving only traces or figures of them. A simple trickof metering the light source for a normal exposure while leaving the subject(s)

under-exposed.

15. THE S CURVES


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In Landscapes, the S curve is used mainly to guide the eyes into a directionthat the photographer wants them to see. While in Portraits, especially in femalesubjects, it is used to enhance not just the pose but the femininity of the model.

16. BLACK & WHITE


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This is self explanatory; nothing can beat the drama or emotion that a black &white image can express.

17. KEEP YOUR HORIZON LEVEL


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For Old school film photographers, this is strictly followed and practiced butnow since the world is much more complicated and diverse, a lot of newphotographers are exploring different angles and viewpoints in their captures.Thus, it becomes common for us to see angled horizon on a landscape or

portrait images.

But to stick on the rule in point horizon must be level in your photos especiallyin landscapes. Its a bit distracting to the eyes to see a sloping sea front ormountain ranges. And maybe you can get away with it to shoot models indiagonal frames but just dont let the horizon get in the level of the modelshead or neck. Its like cutting them with it.

Wrong Right

18. WAIT FOR THE RIGHT LIGHT

Since photography is known to be the art of painting with light its just naturalthat we treat the light as our main element in all our photographs. And having aperfect light is what all of us is trying to achieve.

It can be easily done when we are shooting with an artificial lights or flashes formodel or products shoots but when youre into landscapes waiting for theperfect time for a perfect light is what defines a great capture.


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And it doesnt have to be true only forlandscapes, even on an environmental Portraitlike this one.

I took this shot on just the right time for the sun tolight a portion of the man from a small opening onthe roof. The smoke is a bonus from all the

cooking.


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19. COLOR CONTRAST | COLOR HARMONY

Blending of Colors is very easy in photography; all you have to do is find your

subject a great background for contrast or harmony.

20. ADDING HUMOR

You can never go wrong with a photo that tickles a bone or two.


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21. SHAPES & GEOMETRIC PATTERNS

Geometry is part of our lives you have the whole world as your subject.

22. REVEALING TEXTURE

Textures and patterns help define the lights and shadows of our photos.


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23. EMPHASIZING FORM

Forms are emphasized by playing the right shades and shadows whether it isa cube or a box, a sphere or a ball, find the right angle and amount of light toenhance those shapes and forms.

24. SELECTING VIEWPOINT

Finding a good angle must not limit you to a common view point or focalsource sometimes an unexpected viewpoint can create wonders to yourphotos.


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25. DEPTH & PERSPECTIVE

The depth and perspective of a photo is determined by the aperture that we useand the angle we choose.


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26. BALANCE AND PROPORTION

As in any other faculty of Art, Photography also relies on some balance andproportion in creating an image not solely for the technical, but also for thevisual. The eyes that we guide with our photos must not swerve or be derailedin viewing the image.


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27. DEFINING IMAGE PLANES(foreground, middle ground and background)

This is where the rule of S and or Triangle applies determining the planesto include in your image, starting from the foreground, then guiding your viewerseyes to the middle ground (in case of portraiture, the model or subject) and last

to the background. Not only does the sharpness but also the amount of tonesmust be defined and recognizable to create a balanced capture. It is not an


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appealing image to have all the planes in equal range of sharpness or tones.You must choose one as the main focus of the photo.

28. FOLLOW YOUR OWN RULE

E: HOW I TAKE MY PHOTOGRAPHS

THE SECRET FORMULA.Just like any mathematician, Photographershave their own formula in calculating their shots. And most of the Lecturers orMentors of Photography Classes that I have known have their own formulated

key words to guide them in their lectures and in their photographs. To some it is


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just a process, but to others it becomes their bible that drives them towards aperfect capture.

So for this workshop, I decided to make my own, based on the experience and

the system that I have developed since I started taking photographs. Thisformula is just a word game of the common terms in photography including, butnot limited to the rules and fundamentals of Photography.

And this is what I call my S.E.C.R.E.T.S.They are the ones that I first think about before pressing my shutter. They aremy game plans.

S - Story or ConceptE - Environment

C - CharactersR - Rules ApplicableE - EmphasisT - TimeS - Style

And for my portraiture, my basic requirements consist of these;

For the overall photo

C - ConceptL - LightingE - ExposureA - AngleR - Re-examining the Shot

For the Subject or Model

F - FocusA - AttireC - Colors & TexturesE - Expression

PART II: GENRES OF PHOTOGRAPHY

There are many known genres in Photography. A lot if them existed since the

beginning of this art, while others evolved naturally from the creative minds ofphotographers. With the evolution of photography and the cameras, from film to


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digital, I would expect new developments of types and genres of photography in thenear future.

The most common of these genres are:

1. Travel & Landscapes2. Fashion & Portraiture3. Nature (animals, wildlife)4. Macro & Close Up5. Architecture & Urbanscapes6. Events (weddings, socials gatherings, concerts, etc.)7. Sports & Action8. Conceptual & Creative Art9. Still Life (Food & Products)10. Street Photography11.Photojournalism & Photorealism

Other Types or Styles of Photography

1. Minimalism2. Abstract3. Black & White4. HDR (High Dynamic Range) & DRI (Dynamic Range Imaging)5. Strobe Photography

PART III : INTRODUCTION TO PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

I - IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN PORTRAITURE

A - LIGHTING


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- SOURCES OF LIGHTa. Natural or Ambient (Sun & Moon, Candles, Lighting Fixtures)b. Artificial (Flash, Strobes & Other Studio Lights)

- STYLE OF LIGHTING

a. Broad Lightingb. Short Lightingc. Rembrandt Lightingd. Split Lightinge. Butterfly Lighting (Hollywood)f. Vertical Axis Lightingg. Rim Lighting

- TYPES OF PORTRAIT LIGHTSa. Main, Modeling or Key Lightb. Fill Lightc. Kick Light

d. Rim Lighte. Back Lightf. Background Lightg. Hair Light

B - BACKGROUND

- NATURAL- ARTIFICIAL

C - OUTPUT | THEME

- PORTFOLIO- CATALOGUE- COMMERCIAL- EDITORIAL- COUTURE

D - MODEL | SUBJECT

- SHAPE OF FACES- SKIN orCOMPLEXION

- DIMENSIONS

FUNDAMENTAL PORTRAITLIGHTING

Every portrait is a picture of someone, but not every picture of someone is a portrait.A portrait captures not just the physical likeness of a subject; it also captures his orher personality. A portrait tells us what kind of person the subject is. So, to

succeed in portraiture, you must go beyond the surface characteristics of a personand get inside.


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[Excerpt from NY Institute of Photography]

However, the success of a portrait is equally dependent on lighting as on the subjectitself. The manner in how the subject is lighted can actually set the mood of aportrait. The best portrait lighting will simulate natural sunlight. This is because we

are accustomed to seeing faces illuminated from above and to one side withshadows cast downward and on one side or the other.

Light coming from below eye level casts shadows upward and produces anunnatural, ghastly effect. Good portrait lighting shows off the subject to the bestadvantage, emphasizing the form and expressiveness of the facial features. Whenlighting appears pleasing and natural in a portrait, it produces prominent highlightson the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin with enough shadows to round out thefacial features.

Lighting for a studio portrait normally requires at least two lights. One of these is the

main, modeling, orkey light; the other is the fillorfill-in light.

Portrait Lighting is divided into various types of lightings. Some of these lightings areas follows: broad, short, butterfly, Rembrandt, split, vertical and rim. These nameshave been assigned because of the visual effects the lighting creates when it fallson the subject from a given direction. This visual effect is derived from the modelinglight. Other light sources that may be added to the modeling light to enhance thesubject are as follows:

TYPES OF LIGHTING


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1. BROAD LIGHTING


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2. SHORT LIGHTING


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3. REMBRANDT LIGHTING


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4. SPLIT LIGHTING


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5. BUTTERFLY LIGHTING (HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR)

Butterfly Lighting is often used when making portraits of women.


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6. VERTICAL AXIS LIGHTING

TYPE OF PORTRAIT LIGHTS

a. Main, Modeling or Key Lightb. Fill Lightc. Kick Lightd. Rim Lighte. Back or Rear Light

f. Background Lightg. Hair Light


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A. MAIN LIGHT

The main light is often called the modeling light because it is used to model the face(or subject). The main light creates a three-dimensional effect by either emphasizing

or de-emphasizing the curvature and characteristic features of the face withhighlights and shadows. The modeling light should always be the one dominant lightsource in a portrait because it controls the direction of the shadows. The direction ofthe main light establishes four basic portrait lightings. These basic lightings are asfollows:

a. Three-Quarter Lighting,b. Side Lighting,c. Frontlighting andd. Backlighting.

When reading other books on portrait lighting, you will often encounter othernames depending on what the author wanted to call the lightings.

THREE-QUARTER LIGHTING

Broad and Short lighting are two types of three-quarter lighting, and theyare the types that you most often use for official portraits. The only differencebetween the two is the position of the main light and the way it illuminates thesubject. Shortlightingis used for people with a normal shaped face or people who

have a wide face. When short lighting is used, the side of the subjects face that isaway from the camera is illuminated. This puts the side of the face towards thecamera in shadow. By putting the side of the face towards the camera in shadow,you can provide a slimming effect

Broad lightingis useful for subjects with a narrow face. When broad lighting is used,the side of the face towards the camera is illuminated, and the side of the face awayfrom the camera is in shadow. This provides a widening or broadening effect of theface.

Main Light Distance

The power or intensity of the main light is not the determining factor for the distancethe main light is placed from the subject. It is the visual effect the light has on thesubject that determines this distance. When the main light is too high and close tothe subject, there may be too much light falling on the forehead and not enough lightfalling on the lower part of the face. This effect can be improved by moving the mainlight farther away from the subject and placing it correctly. Highlights on theforehead, the upper cheeks, the chin, and along the bridge of the nose are createdby the main light. These highlights give life, brilliance, and form to a portrait, and the

quality of these highlights are controlled by the main light distance. To determine


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the main light distance, start with the light about 4 feet from the subject and about 2feet above the subject's eye level.

The light should be about a 45-degree angle to the lens axis. Observe the foreheadhighlight and move the light closer to the subject; as the light gets closer to the

forehead, highlights spread out to a large, flat area and begin to wash out. Now,start moving the main light away from the subject. As you slowly move it back, youwill find there is a point where the forehead highlight becomes relatively smalland bright. When the light is moved back much further from this point, the highlightspreads and disappears. Between the point where the highlight is brightest andwhere it starts to disappear lies the range where the highlight still has character.This point is where you get the most pleasing effect. Once you have found thedistance where the main light gives your desired effect, the distance shouldremain the same regardless of the direction you need to move the light. This main

light distance should always be considered as the starting point of portraitlighting.

Main Light Height

To determine the correct height for the main light, move the light directly in front ofthe subject while maintaining the distance determined for the forehead highlight.Raise or lower the light until the shadow cast by the nose is just long enough totouch the top edge of the upper lip. This is the height the main light should normallybe no matter at what position you place it in an arc around the subject. When yoursubject is wearing a hat with a visor, the visor shadow should fall naturally acrossthe face. Many photographers think the shadow cast by the visor should not shadethe eyes. The shadow from the visor should shade the eyes, however, in a portrait,this shadow should not be so dark that shadow detail is lost and the eyes are hardto see. To prevent this shadow from being too dark, raise the main light to thedesired height, and instead of aiming it down at an angle, aim it straight. This waythe light is cast under the visor and prevents the shadow from becoming too dark

Main Light Direction

By the time you have determined the main light distance and the height for a givensubject, you should have a pretty fair idea of the direction you want the main light tocome from. To establish the direction from which this light should come, move

the main light in an arc, to the right or left, around the subject. Remember, whilemoving the main light, its established distance and height should be maintained.The shadow cast by the subject's nose is your key to main light direction. The lightshould be moved around until the shadow cast by the nose merges with the cheekshadow and leaves a small, triangular highlight on the cheek. When this is done,

the main light is in position. Remember, the main light must always be the dominant,directional, shadow pattern forming light.

B. FILL LIGHT


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so the brightest area of the light illuminates the background directly behind the headand gradually falls off into the corners of the frame. When the background light is setin this manner, it separates the head from the body and draws the viewers attentionto the subject's face.

D. HAIR LIGHT

Once the main, fill and background lighting is established, additional light maybe added to the setup. One such light is a hair light. A hair light is usually a smalllighting unit placed on a boom so it shines down from above and behind the subject.It is used to lighten the hair (or hat) and shoulders, add detail to the hair, andseparate the subject from the background, presenting the illusion of a thirddimension.

The intensity of the hair light varies with the subject since it is dictated not only by

the color of the person's hair (or hat) but also by the amount of sheen the hair has.

The hair light is usually placed on the side of the subject opposite the main lightand behind the subject. It should be used from an angle about 6 to 8 feet high

and from a position close to the center of the subject area without the light stand orboom showing in the picture. Light from this unit should not be allowed to spill overonto the forehead or tip of the nose.

The hair light normally has a snoot attached so light from it does not strike thecamera lens. Be sure the hair light is turned off when making any exposurereadings. This light does not affect your basic image exposure, but it could influenceyour meter.

Flexibility of Three-Quarter Lighting

Three-quarter lighting can be used with almost any type of face. It is flexiblebecause once it is set, the subject can move his head from full face to profile andthe lighting remains good at any point you choose to pose the sitter. The degree offlexibility is determined by the type of light used (spot or flood) and the size and typeof reflector used.

SIDE LIGHTING

With side lighting, the face is lit more intensely on one side than the other. This typeof lighting is well suited for young women that have smooth skin and regular facial

features, or for men whose rugged character lines should be emphasized.


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RIM LIGHTING

Rim lighting is often used when making profile portraits. Rim lighting is the sameas backlighting, where the subject is lighted from behind causing the facial features

of the profile to be highlighted.

Some suggestions to use when taking profile portraits are as follows:

- In a profile portrait, when a person looks straight ahead, only thewhites of the eyes are seen by the camera. This causes anundesirable effect. Instead have the eyes cheat-turn the eyesslightly toward the camera, without turning the head, to showenough of the iris so the eye can be seen as an eye, not a whiteball.

- Have the subject's head tipped back slightly. This separates the

chin from the far shoulder, gives a better neckline, and reducesthe appearance of a double chin.

- Allow more space on the side of the picture toward which the eyesare looking. This allows the subject to look beyond the frame.

CORRECTIVE TECHNIQUES

The primary goal in portrait photography is to present the subject in a favorable andflattering manner. Your most difficult problem is combining the pose, lighting,and camera viewpoint to show your subject to best advantage. Because thephotogenic qualities of each person's face vary, certain corrective techniquesin posing, lighting, and camera heights can be used to help depict the subject

favorably and improve the quality of the portrait. Changing the camera viewpoint,combined with proper lighting and pose, can create amazing alterations in the

pictured appearance of any face.

PROBLEM TREATMENT

Fat, Round Face Shoot three-quarter view, light side of face away fromcamera Use three-quarter or side lighting

Thin Face Shoot front, full face Use low three-quarter or sidelighting

Wide Forehead Use low-camera viewpoint Tilt chin upward

Narrow Forehead Use high-camera viewpoint

Baldness Use low-camera viewpoint Little or no hair light Blendhead with background

Eyes Close Together Shoot three-quarter pose

Eyes Far Apart Shoot three-quarter pose

Small Eyes Shoot three-quarter pose Use three-quarter lighting sothe eyes are in shadow

Large or Protruding Eyes Use high three-quarter lighting Lower eyes slightly

Deep Set Eyes Low-camera viewpoint Use front lighting to keep eyes outof shadow


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Uneven Eyes Turn head toward one side so natural perspectiveeliminates uneven appearance

Bags Under Eyes Use makeup. Use front lighting

Crossed- eyed orDefective Eyes

Turn head so bad eye is away from camera. Light side offace toward camera to place other eye in shadow

Glasses Use high front, three-quarter, or side lighting toeliminate reflections Raise the temple piece up slightly toangle lenses down lilt head downward Shoot full-facepose to prevent lenses from splitting cheek line Useindirect diffused lighting

High Cheeks Use low front or side lighting

Wide Cheeks Shoot three-quarter pose

Small Ears Turn head so camera sees only one ear Place exposedear in shadow

Large Ears Turn head so camera sees only one ear Place exposedear in shadow

Protruding Ears Turn head so camera sees only one ear Place exposed

ear in shadow Shield light from exposed ear Blend earinto background

Long Nose Use low-camera viewpoint Use three-quarter or sidelighting Apply dark makeup to tip of nose

Short Nose Use high-camera viewpoint Use frontlighting

Hooked Nose Shoot from a low-camera viewpoint Shoot front, fullface

Crooked Nose Shoot from the side to which it curves Turn head untilhighlight along ridge of nose appears straight

Broad Nose Pose head away from a front view

Narrow Mouth Use lip color to extend lip line Turn head to one side so

makeup is not apparent Position modeling light high tocast shadows at ends of lips

Wide Mouth Pose head in three-quarter view

Uneven Mouth Pose head in three-quarter view

Protruding Lips Use low-modeling light to eliminate shadow under lips

Thin Lips Fill out with lip color

Bad Teeth Do not have subject smile

Buck Teeth Subject may smile slightly Use full, front pose

Long Chin Use high-camera viewpoint

Documents

Basic+ Photography Workshop Module