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Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8: Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared ask © Copyright John Estru

Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

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Page 1: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group

17 December 2013

Lesson 8: Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared ask

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 2: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Programme19 September Exploring your camera

1 October You’ve taken some pictures now what? (Viewing pictures; filing on your computer)

15 October Printing & Composing a better picture (part 1)

29 October Camera modes/scenes & Composing a better picture (part 2)

5 November Simple editing to improve your pictures

19 November Understanding exposure

3 December Controlling exposure/focal length/perspective/composition for a better picture &

Taking Pictures of people

17 December Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared ask.© Copyright John Estruch

Page 3: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Last Time

• Taking pictures of people

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 4: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Beware posed picture

• It’s a record of the day

But• There is lots of

distracting background

• Its Dull !!!!!

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 5: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

What•Fill the frame•Blur the background•Highlight the subject•Less awkward look

How•Zoom (fill frame/ helps blur / not in subject’s face)•Use “portrait” setting or large aperture (blur background)•Don’t pose (he knew I was shooting but this is one of series walking down street.)•Use light to highlight subject

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 6: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Unconventional views

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 7: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Unconventional views

• Unusual angle• Looking away from

the camera• Looks natural• Fill the frame

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 8: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Capture the action

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 9: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Candid shots

• Long telephoto• And cropped

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 10: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

• Telephoto – camera is not in her face

• Background slightly blurred

• Use the light to highlight the subject

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 11: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Homework1. Go through your pictures:

a. Find some that you don’t think are so good. What could you have done differently to improve them?

b. Find some that are better. What was different? Why did they work?

2. Take some pictures of people between now and the next session. Bring some along.3. Select one photo you think is not good and one which is good. Bring to next

meeting or email to [email protected] by Monday 16th December

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 12: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

This Time – A recap• Exploring your camera• Modes and Scenes• Filing, editing and printing• Composition• Focal length and perspective• Exposure• Pulling it all together

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 13: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Types of CameraCompact

£30 - £400 Bridge

£200 - £500Digital SLR £300 - £6,000

+Lenses etc. £50 - £12,000 Mobile Phone

£0 - £200

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 14: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

“The best camera is…..

…..the one you have with you”

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 15: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

What’s on the camera

• Viewfinder/screen• Shutter release• Zoom

ViewfinderViewfinder

Screen

Screen

Screen

Shutter release ZoomShutter release

Zoom

Zoom

Shutter release

Shutter release

• Plus lots of other stuff• Menu • Flash• Macro• Play• Delete

• ISO• Timer • Exposure compensation• Video• Display

• etc.• etc.• etc.• etc.• etc. © Copyright John Estruch

Page 16: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Under the covers

• Memory Card• Battery• Connection sockets

Do you know where yours are?

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 17: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Memory cards

SD Card Micro SD Card(+ adapter)

Compact Flash

Memory Stick XD Card

• More likely, on a memory card.

• Pictures may be on the camera’s internal memory

Page 18: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

The easiest way to take Pictures“Point and Shoot”

Viewfinder(if you have one)

0) Use the Camera in AUTO mode

Screen

1) Frame the shot

Zoom

2) Press the button Shutter releasebutton

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 19: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

This Time – A recap• Exploring your camera• Modes and Scenes• Filing, editing and printing• Composition• Focal length and perspective• Exposure• Pulling it all together

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 20: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Cameras have lots of settingsBut not all cameras are the same:

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 21: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

“Point and shoot”Automatic Mode•You frame the picture & camera takes the picture according to the programme set up by manufacturer•Takes perfectly good pictures•Sometimes it’s possible to do better•Sometimes it’s just no good.

Programme Mode•In some cameras (e.g. my DSLR) this is “automatic” mode•In many cameras (modern compact cameras) there are many options under Programme Mode•The different options try to deal with situations when Auto doesn’t work

– most of the time

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 22: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Modes /scenes• Manufacturers give you options to take pictures that might not come out

perfectly in Auto Mode• Called “Mode” or “Scene” – varies between cameras but some common

ideas.• May deal with:

Close up Far away Moving Dark Bright

High Contrast

Indoors Sunlight Sunset Backlighting

Faces Panorama Special effects

…….. ……..

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 23: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Most Common ModesMacro/Close-Up - This mode used for taking close-up pictures.

Portrait - Camera will try to focus on the foreground and may blur the background.

Landscape - Camera will attempt to capture detail in both foreground and background.

Sports - Camera will try to freeze the motion in an action shot.

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 24: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Other Modes/ScenesAny 2 cameras (even if same manufacturer) will probably have different options

So you really need to look at your own camera and manual.

Page 25: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Or you can take control

Aperture Priority

Shutter Priority

Manual

We looked at these later onwhen we talked about exposure

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 26: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

This Time – A recap• Exploring your camera• Modes and Scenes• Filing, editing and printing• Composition• Focal length and perspective• Exposure• Pulling it all together

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 27: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

What do you want to do with your photos?

Print for an

album

Print for a

large frame

Display on a TV or digital photo frame

Keep safe in case of computer failure or fireFile / c

atalogue

to easily find

what you want

Correct / improve images

Create artistic

imagesShare with friends

and family via

World Wide WebIllustrate books,

brochures, websites….

Sell your imagesSelect & keep your better

pictures (“digital film” is

cheap so you can take

lots)

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 28: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

John’s filing system1. Group photos in your mind into

sets (e.g. a holiday, a party, a birthday, a visit, a photo shoot etc.)

2. Create new folder in year for each set. Name it according to month, add a letter to keep sets in order within the month and add a descriptive name e.g.

11b Kittens

Nov2nd set in month

Descriptive name

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 29: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Photo library & editing softwareView File /

CatalogueSimple Editing

Complex Editing

Cost

Windows Photo Viewer / Picture and Fax Viewer

Free

MS Office Photo Editor / Photo Manager Free

Windows (Live) Photo Gallery Free

Camera manufacturers software ? ? ? Free?

Picasa Free

Photoshop Elements £

Photoshop £££

Lightroom £© Copyright John Estruch

Page 30: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

John’s Software Recommendations

Software Strengths When do I use it

Windows Photo Gallery

Good for everyday editing to make simple improvements to your pictures

All the time to tidy up my pictures

Picasa Good for creating albums (different views of the same pictures without making copies).Easily links to on-line albums

Regularly to share pictures on a particular subject (e.g. U3A Digital Photography, U3A Walks)

Photoshop / Photoshop Elements

Good for complex editing Occasionally when I want to edit details or create artistic effects

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 31: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Photo editing

• Using Windows Photo Gallery to edit photos– Fixing “Red eye”– Straightening– Cropping– Adjusting exposure– Retouching

• Using Picasa to edit photos• A quick look at what Photoshop can do

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 32: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Options for printing Photos• Specialist photo-printer• Ink-jet printer• High Street shop• On-line print service

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 33: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Ink Jet Printers• Most modern “standard” ink-jet printers are

photo-printers (check before you buy)Manufacturers:•Epson•Canon•HP•Brother•Kodak•Lexmark•etc. etc. etc.

Types / sizes / prices:•A4 Photo printer £30 - £100•A4 all-in-one home printers £35- £300+•A3 Printers £60 - £500+•Print speed and resolution (dpi) affect price•Cost of Ink and Paper can be high

• A4 photo paper 5p – 50p• Ink 10p - ????? Per A4 page

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 34: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Printing at High Street Shop

Who•Jessops•Boots•Etc.

How does it work•Take in camera, card or disk•1hr services (20p- 35p for 6”x4”)•2-4 working days (5p- 30p for 6”x4”)

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 35: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

This Time – A recap• Exploring your camera• Modes and Scenes• Filing, editing and printing• Composition• Focal length and perspective• Exposure• Pulling it all together

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 36: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

What’s in the picture –avoid distractions

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 37: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

2. Avoid the middle/fill the frame

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 38: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

3. “The rule of thirds”

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 39: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

4. Frame the picture

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 40: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

5. Leading lines

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 41: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Composition Guidelines

1. Look at what is in the picture2. Avoid the middle / fill the frame3. The “rule of thirds”4. Frame the picture5. Leading lines

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 42: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

This Time – A recap• Exploring your camera• Modes and Scenes• Filing, editing and printing• Composition• Focal length and perspective• Exposure• Pulling it all together

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 43: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

18 mm1x

39 mm2x

100 mm5.5x

250 mm14x

Wide Angle Telephoto

SLRCompact

What’s focal length all about?

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 44: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Perspective(relative size of objects at different distances)

How can I make the bollards look

bigger?

Zoom…… …. Or get closer.

Relative sizes of bollard, car and road sign stay the same.

Bollard has got relatively much larger than sign and house.

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 45: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Perspective – what happens to parallel lines

45mm lens1 m distance

140mm lens3 m distance

• Wide angle and close to front bottle makes closer bottles appear relatively larger

• so parallel lines running along top and bottom of bottles come together quickly

• Long focal length and further from front bottle makes closer bottles appear relatively less difference in size

• so parallel lines running along top and bottom of bottles come together gradually © Copyright John Estruch

Page 46: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

What happens when I get closer?

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 47: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

This Time – A recap• Exploring your camera• Modes and Scenes• Filing, editing and printing• Composition• Focal length and perspective• Exposure• Pulling it all together

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 48: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Last Time -What affects Exposure

How sensitive is the film (or digital detector)

“Film Speed”

How much light is there on the subject “Lighting”

How big is the hole letting light into the

camera “Aperture”

For how long is the camera collecting light

“Shutter speed”4”

2”1”1/2”

1/250”1/125”1/60”

1/30”1/16”1/8”

1/4”

1/500”

ISO

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 49: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Summary (what have you got to tinker with)

Exposure

Brighter/DarkerDepth of field Motion / Still

ISO

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 50: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Consider zoom, perspective etc.• Focal length• Magnification• Angle of view• Perspective • Position• Depth of field• Distortion

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 51: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Lenses Focal Length (Zoom)

Distance from Subject

Magnifi-cationDepth of fieldAngle of view Perspective

ISO

Exposure “Composition”

Summary (what have you got to tinker with)

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 52: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Composition guidelines

1. Look at what is in the picture2. Avoid the middle / fill the frame3. The “rule of thirds”4. Frame the picture5. Leading lines

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 53: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Focal Length (Zoom)

Distance from Subject

Magnification

Angle of view

Perspective

Summary (how to take the perfect picture)

Brighter / Darker

Depth of field

Motion / Still

ISO

Things you change affect the picture

Leading Lines

Frame the picture

Avoid middle / fill frame

Rule of thirds

Avoid distractions

Guidelines help you decide what’s in the

picture

Just add creativity

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 54: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Photo Competition

3 pictures in each of 3 categories:1.People – portrait, group picture, action, candid etc.2.Places – buildings or landscapes3.Open – any subject you likeSend your 9 entries to [email protected] by Sunday 15th December (or arrange to deliver otherwise e.g. via cloud storage or deliver memory card to my house).

© Copyright John Estruch

Page 55: Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners’ Group 17 December 2013 Lesson 8:Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Have a Merry Christmas and A Happy new Year