Digital camera technique. New SLR camera - first settings

1/4 sec. and longer - you definitely need a tripod
1/8 - low light, need a tripod
1/15 - Cloudy. Most of the time you need a tripod.
1/30 - This is the slowest shutter speed for handheld photography.
1/60 - can be shot handheld, but without a telephoto lens
1/128 - walking person
1/250 - running
1/500 - cyclist
1/1000 and shorter - auto racing.

Why is the first number 3.5 and not 4? After all, the standard aperture values ​​​​are based on an increase or decrease in the illumination of an object by a factor of two (and in mathematics, by √ 2, i.e. 1.4142 times :)

f1; f1.4; f2; f2.8; f4; f5.6; f8; f11; f16; f22; f32.

However, the first aperture numbers on the lenses may not match the standard ones and be, for example, f3.5; or f1.8 - this is due to the design of the lens. Moving the aperture by one division also changes the shutter speed by one division (usually twice the shutter speed, but this can be adjusted by setting intermediate values ​​​​for greater accuracy). Thus, the same illumination is achieved.

Photography for beginners involves mastering shutter speed and aperture. Only very sharp and quick-tempered people do not own shutter speed, but the photographer is obliged - in any case! Setting the shutter speed and aperture is called exposure. Usually, for a certain lighting, these two values ​​\u200b\u200bare necessary to match, which is sometimes also called the exposure pair. The rules are:

The more you stop the aperture, the longer the shutter speed should be (by the same number of values), and vice versa. Photography Basics!

This rule works in order to get the same exposure (not change it for a shot in the same lighting). It turns out that the camera actually has 2 "identical" settings, and both do the same thing - dose the light. However, the effects of applying these settings are different and photographers are very actively using this. Sometimes the aperture is used not only to increase / decrease the amount of light, but also to control the depth of field. For example, like this:

As you can see, the figure in the foreground is in focus (in this case - for those who are unfamiliar with the noble game - it is the black king), and the background blur can be adjusted by aperture. What is focus, focus? Any encyclopedia will say the following (or something like this):

Focus (English: Focus) - the point at which a parallel beam of light rays passing through a single lens (or optical system) is collected after their refraction.

And what did the newcomer understand from this definition? What does it explain to him and how does it help the photographer in photography? Nothing and nothing. Let's be more clear.

Focus is the point at which the lens creates a clear image of the subject.
Focusing - adjusting the lens to such a distance to the object at which we see its image most clearly and sharply.

The aforementioned "setting", or aiming the lens, is performed either automatically - by half-pressing the "start" button, or manually. With a DSLR, manual focusing is achieved by rotating the focusing ring on the lens until the subject becomes especially clear in the viewfinder eyepiece. Then we have the term "object in focus", "focused", "focused", etc. What's going on in the background? The background - and this is what you saw behind the king in the left picture - can be "blurred", "unsharp", "out of focus", "out of focus", "out of focus", not clear, "cloudy", " blurry" - to your taste :) In a compact, it all comes down, as a rule, only to choosing some focus points in the on-screen menu (left, right, center, etc.), but in soap dishes there are none at all, one autofocus.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves - we'll get back to both focusing and talking about depth of field. Let's see another interesting effect that can be obtained by changing the aperture. When it is closed, luminous objects turn into ... stars - the more we close it, the longer and sharper the rays become. Interestingly, the number of rays often depends on the number of aperture blades, the more blades, the more rays. If the number of petals is even, for example 8, then there will be exactly the same number of rays.

By now, you've probably figured out for yourself that aperture and shutter speed are pretty powerful creative tools in the hands of a photographer. And, of course, a tripod! Opening the aperture to f / 2 (picture on the right) we get a very slow shutter speed of 1/6 sec., And if the aperture is covered to f / 13, and even at night, we get a much longer shutter speed (in this example 30 seconds!). Have you already guessed what will happen here in the absence of a tripod? That's right, everything will be smeared - in the dark they don’t click with their hands!
...If you haven't run away to shoot yet (or haven't fallen asleep), then you'll find out "how", "what", and "what for".

Always distinguish between the phrases "increase aperture" and "increase aperture value". Their meaning is exactly the opposite. With an aperture value of 2, its aperture is much larger than, for example, with a value of 8. In other words, you have opened (they also say "slightly opened") the aperture. But "cover" - it's just the opposite! At the same time, imagine the HOLE, and only then the numbers.

What is exposure and expopara

We already know exposition- this is the shutter speed and aperture necessary to obtain the right amount of light at a given sensor sensitivity (adjusted by the ISO settings.) Competent exposure is the key to the correct display of the image. And the shutter speed itself and the aperture in this bundle are called exposure para. Many beginners ask, "how do I know what aperture corresponds to the desired shutter speed." To answer them "depending on the lighting and your goals" means to answer nothing (although, the answer is the most correct!). If you want to learn more (and to learn the basics of photography), look here:

Better yet, experiment more and you'll figure it out for yourself. Well, whoever is completely lazy takes the camera, aims at the subject (in automatic mode), and looks at the display - what aperture corresponds to the desired shutter speed :) Believe me, it teaches better than any textbook! At the same time, it is not even necessary to take pictures, not pictures, but the camera itself can be taken to the exhibition !! :)

Most Helpful Experiment

So, the shutter speed is responsible for dosing the light in time and fighting the shake, the aperture for the amount of light and the depth of field. Let's start simple, i.e. from the world. By shortening the shutter speed (or decreasing the aperture), we make the picture darker, and by increasing the values, we make it brighter. I do not advise reading this 17 times in a row, it is better to pick up a camera and try it yourself - you will figure it out faster! Put the experience. Camera - in manual mode (M)! Without changing the aperture, take pictures with a slow shutter speed, for example, 1/2, 1/15, 1/60 s. etc. reviewing the result each time. The picture should become darker. For example, like this:

If you do this experiment without a tripod, shooting handheld, you will notice a decrease in blur (stirring) at short exposures, and an increase at long exposures. Then, without changing the shutter speed, experiment in a similar way with the aperture. The usefulness of this advice will replace you reading hundreds of sites on similar topics (including mine), many of which are more flaunting terminology than trying to explain anything. Therefore, the best photography tutorial is your own camera and your desire to learn how to take pictures properly.

And here is another example of using shutter speed to achieve "creative results". I put it in quotation marks, because "creative results" is a biased concept and everyone has their own.

Photo No. 1 was shot from a tripod, and a slow shutter speed (1/4 sec) was used just to achieve ... movement, or blur. As you can see, a fast-moving (relative to the camera) object is blurred, but as a result, we feel the speed of the departing train. Whether it's beautiful or not, everyone decides for himself. In picture No. 2, a fast shutter speed (1/227 sec) made it possible to "stop" (stop, freeze) a fast-moving bird in the frame. It's more technical than creative. A bird smeared across the clouds is unlikely to decorate the picture. Although, maybe someone will find it cool :)

How to avoid wiggling, we will continue to study. I have a rather strange photography tutorial, because once again I propose to achieve a blur effect (and for the benefit of the picture), and only then - options for dealing with it. I do it to show how shutter speed and aperture work together. This sweet couple does a good job of demonstrating the basics of photography for beginners. Wouldn't picture #1, taken in the subway, be suitable for this purpose? Let's go in order.

On the left we see a photo with a rather beautiful effect of a waterfall falling over the rocks. This jet blur effect is achieved with a slow shutter speed and a tripod. A shutter speed of 1/6 second was used here. Getting such a value in low light (as in the picture in the subway) is not a problem, but what if the lighting is more than enough? The problem is that the automatic camera will try to give a shorter shutter speed - to avoid blurring, and we need just the opposite! Here you should switch the camera to manual mode and hold down the aperture (there will be less light!) - and due to this, we calmly lengthen the shutter speed by the same number of steps (at the same time we will equalize the light). And it’s even easier to immediately set the desired shutter speed and aperture :)

You can do this both in manual mode, and in shutter priority mode, or aperture priority mode - as you see fit. For the waterfall, I had to stop down to f/16! to get a slow shutter speed of 1/6 sec. But if we deliberately use lubrication for artistic purposes, then what is a tripod for? It is needed so that only the streams of water are blurry, and the rest of the details of the landscape remain clear.

Now you understand why camera automation (even the most expensive one!) Can't always handle the shot? Yes, she just does not know what exactly you want to get in the picture! Clever technology tries to prevent blur and sets a short shutter speed, which is absolutely not suitable for this style of shooting! What about the conclusion? And the conclusion is simple:

the photographer takes it, not the camera.

This is also the basics of photography!
Great, but what if you have a soap dish and no manual settings? You can buy a DSLR, or you can wait for disgusting lighting, turn off the flash and shoot moving objects at a slow shutter speed from a tripod! As in that photo in the subway: in the subway there is bad light and you don’t need to wait! If you don’t need pictures in this style often, then you don’t have to buy an expensive camera at all :)
However, you should understand the difference - with a soap dish you expect bad lighting, and with a camera with manual settings you do it yourself, clamping the aperture to the extent that will give you the desired shutter speed.

You can safely skip the next 2 headings about focal length and noise. Of course, if you are fluent in this material, otherwise some parts of my Textbook will not be entirely clear. In general, the focal length of the lens refers to the basic concepts; what is EGF is also necessary to represent. Therefore, do not be too lazy to follow the links and come back. Do not be afraid, the link is not the removal of a person sentenced to forced settlement in a certain area (for example, in Siberia), but only a transition to the corresponding page of this site. Going back will be as easy as mindlessly clicking the shutter of a camera!

What is focal length

Since I have written a whole page about the focal length and EGF, I will not repeat myself, but whoever doesn’t know will master it here:
Focal length in 35 mm equivalent (EGF)
the rest read on. Whoever doesn’t know how to read yet, or forgot after passing the exam, learns the Russian alphabet. No tolerance, the site is only for those who know Russian! :)

So, by changing the focal length of the lens, you can zoom in or out on the subject of photography. But not everyone knows how you can use this to achieve quite interesting effects without any Photoshop. To do this, you need a zoom lens, i.e. a lens with a variable focal length and the ability to change it manually (as a rule, this is a zoom for DSLRs).

To obtain such photographs, we simply change the focal length by turning the corrugated ring on the lens, and this should be done at the moment when the camera shutter is open - i.e. right during the photo shoot. To have time to twist, you need a long exposure, so shooting from a tripod is desirable. I used slow shutter speeds (1 sec.) when shooting with flash. No one will tell you how to quickly turn the ring and what kind of endurance you need, because situations are different and the result can also be different - both successful and not very :-)

What is noise

How to avoid lubrication

What is a lubricant? Lubrication, he is a shake, this is a fuzzy, unsharp picture. Blurred, in short :) The whole picture is smeared on the left (handheld shooting, shutter speed 1/90 sec), on the right only a moving object - a girl, everything else is sharp (shooting from a tripod, shutter speed 1/4 sec).

1. 2.

So, let's start with the age-old Russian questions "who is to blame", and "what to do"! You should not think that this question is purely Russian, it concerns everyone, even blacks :) I advise those who like to make a fuss about tolerance to look for the new word "tolerance" in the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Ozhegov and Shvedova. There is no such thing as there is no such thing as the word "political correctness" :) As well as the words Afro-Frenchman, Afro-Chinese, or African-American - but there is a Negro. It never occurred to the compilers of the dictionary that reasonable people in the 21st century would come to the point where they would call things NOT THEIR names :) Moreover, even the well-known word African does not reflect the essence, it could be a white person born in Africa ... And Papuan and in Denmark Papuan :)

So what is "tolerance"? Any parrot from a newspaper page will repeat that this is tolerance for a different culture (religion, national tradition, etc.), but will not explain what exactly needs to be tolerated in a foreign culture and, most importantly, why. In addition, it’s hard to understand how a culture can be different, different - it either exists, or it, sorry, doesn’t exist :) In this regard, it’s better to turn to doctors for an explanation of the term, I assure you, you will be in shock: tolerance is a complete or partial absence of immune reactivity!! In other words, the loss of immunity to foreign influences... It won't cure many, but it will make them think... Therefore, we will not treat a sick society and return to blurry pictures. Let's choose a trace from the same dictionary. meaning: to lubricate - to deprive of clarity, certainty, sharpness. It is more suitable for photographers than "lubricate in the face" :)

So who's to blame? Lubrication occurs due to 4 main reasons:

Everything is clear with the first point. Above you have already seen a flying bird. But no one wants to be tolerant of a blurred bird in a photograph and treat it with tolerance :) Such "traditions" clearly lead to a flawed perception of the picture even at a primitive level, and of course, one cannot impose such a "photoculture" (just as one cannot tolerate some customs of an aboriginal cannibal from the glorious Mumbo-Yumbo tribe).
What to do?
The solution to the problem is to shorten the shutter speed, the shorter the better, if aperture allows. If not, then you can turn up the ISO if the noise is acceptable. Experienced photographers still use the movement of the camera - they quickly lead it after the bird so that it remains in the frame all the time and does not move (of course, relative to the lens, otherwise the unfortunate bird will fall; perhaps on your head). This photography technique is called "wiring photography". Below we see a quite worthy flying seagull at a shutter speed of 1/1500 sec. And indeed, why wouldn’t she fly at such a short shutter speed :)

Note that the background (trees) even at such a short shutter speed turned out to be slightly smeared. The effect emphasizes the movement of the bird well, but it turned out just due to shooting with wiring.

With the second case (trembling of hands), not everything is simple. Hand shaking is transmitted to the camera, but why are the hands shaking? The question is, of course, rhetorical! From muscle tension, from an uncomfortable grip, from fatigue, from old age, and even from a bad mood. Okay, so be it - I didn’t forget, I remember what you wanted to hear ... and from drinking too. Alas, my hands are always trembling :)
What to do?
Although everyone's hands shake differently, the advice is the same: live a healthy lifestyle, hold the camera correctly and press the button smoothly!

Point three: poor lighting. Why does bad lighting occur? For those who don't know, I'll reveal a terrible secret right now. And because the Earth rotates around its axis, and the day gives way to night :) And how many fanatics did not burn the people at the stake of the Inquisition, it still spins! Believers, read 7 times the 10 commandments of Christ before taking advantage of the terrible law on your rights adopted by unbelieving politicians. Pope, repent of the heresy of the unreasonable, who tortured thousands of people in the cellars of the Middle Ages, and so that the crunch of bones and screams do not darken the sleeping mind at night, buy glasses and read school textbooks in the morning. It really spins (and the sun shines)!

So, we found out the cause of poor lighting. Why does this cause lubrication? The camera shakes. Of course, you need to understand that, in fact, it is not the camera that is trembling, but again your hands. But it's not entirely your fault! In very poor lighting conditions (evening, night, cloudy), you need a long exposure time, for example, a second, two, sometimes more - and this makes even minimal hand trembling very noticeable. Neither a healthy lifestyle, nor an image stabilizer, nor the correct grip of the camera will save here. The worse the subject is lit, the more damned shake spoils your masterpiece.
What to do?
Radically, this misfortune is treated only by a tripod. And the invasion of hungry aborigines from the distant Mumbo-Yumbo will be cured only by a healthy migration policy and a strong state border! :) It is not clear how to improve the health of the country's demagogues, broadcasting "we do not have enough working hands" - and this in the presence of unemployment ... In addition, the cheap hands of semi-literate Tajiks come back to haunt the reduction of salaries and will be much more expensive than the scientists leaving the country. As a result, we buy tripods and cameras designed anywhere but in Russia.

Point four. At different focal lengths, the blur is also different: the longer the focus, the more blur. Who is guilty? Actually, this is also a hand shake. It is clear that it is necessary to shorten the shutter speed if there is no tripod, but it can be necessary to quickly determine what minimum shutter speed should be set for a certain focal length.
What to do?
If we take the degree of hand trembling as an approximately constant value (not beyond the scope of a sober life and extreme old age), then an approximate formula for determining shutter speed is calculated - the value of its denominator should be greater than the focal length of the lens. For non-full-frame DSLRs and compacts, we first calculate the EGF, then "try on" exposures to it.

For example, with a focal length of 30 mm in EGF, it is better not to shoot with a shutter speed longer than 1/30 second, but to shoot at 1/60, or even shorter. For a 100mm lens, use a shutter speed faster than 1/100, such as 1/128. Of course, if the subject is moving, then you should shorten it even more.

Of course, the definition of handshake is not amenable to precise measurement, and some individuals may go beyond the rule in one direction or another, but in most cases the rule still works quite well. It should be remembered that a full-frame camera (35 mm format camera) has a focal length and EGF equal to each other, so it is even easier to determine the shutter speed to combat shake.

It's worth adding that a tripod (the best image stabilizer!) What to do?

Firstly, drink less before shooting, secondly, hold the camera correctly, and thirdly, turn on the image stabilizer if you have it (it will not help in the case of a bird!). And then shorten the shutter speed, if not enough - use a flash, if the flash is not enough, or its use is undesirable, then lift up the ISO. Nothing helps? Buy a tripod!

But to attack - when you are in manual mode (other photography modes will be discussed below) set the shutter speed to be shorter, then less light will get in! And the picture in this case will become darker (underexposed, as photographers say). To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to increase the aperture of the diaphragm by the same order. For example, there are shutter speeds of 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/128 sec. etc. And there are apertures f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, etc. For example, we shortened the shutter speed by shifting it by 2 positions - from 1/15 to 1/60. The aperture opening in this case also needs to be increased by 2 positions, for example, from f / 8 to f / 4. As a result, the photo will receive exactly the same amount of light, but the possible blur at a short shutter speed will be less noticeable to the eye than at a long one. And we will get a high-quality (or at least not smeared) picture. Well, if, of course, the aperture of the lens allows (if you have f / 2.8 marking on your lens, then the aperture value f / 2, or, say, f / 1.4 will, of course, be unavailable, which means even faster shutter speeds are unavailable). In such cases, you should increase the ISO. Better let there be noise than a blurry picture!

Shooting modes

The essence of the main modes is reduced approximately to the following. I recommend reading only to those who have lost the instruction, or do not have it, but have a camera :)

Mode selection wheel.
The still image view mode is selected, a little higher is the green mode.

Clockwise: green mode, PSAM [discussed in the text above], SCENE (scene, or custom mode [discussed below]), movie shooting, SETUP (settings), quality ⁄ photo size, ISO (light sensitivity), WB (white balance) , view pictures.

Of course, the wheel may differ in different cameras (it simply doesn’t exist in inexpensive cameras), but everyone has a green mode and viewing pictures, even if there is no wheel :).

We often hear the following: if there is a green regime that "does everything by itself", then why do we need the rest? Yes, the machine will select the correct (but average!) shutter speed and aperture values. And here is a photo of a cyclist, being well exposed, it turns out to be blurry due to the slow shutter speed. The machine does not know what you want to shoot! Well, the autofocus does not know whether the cyclist is riding or standing, hence the erroneous shutter speed, but the function of detecting smiles in the frame will teach you to smile and laugh at failures! :)

In order to "tell" the camera what you need, there are just other modes, which, unlike green, are usually called creative, or manual. Of these, the most useful are "shutter priority" and "aperture priority", which are now available in many digital cameras. Now it's easy to avoid the mistake: suppose you need to quickly change the shutter speed, then in the "shutter priority" mode you make it shorter (for example, so that there is no blurring) - and then the corresponding aperture value is set by the camera's automaton. Similarly, you can quickly change the aperture. But even this was not enough for the producers. Some cameras have a "sensitivity priority" mode - you set the ISO - the camera selects the shutter speed and aperture ... and even "shutter speed and aperture priority" - the machine selects the sensitivity in response. Hmm... It remains only to complain about the lack of a red button: "make a masterpiece"...

In my opinion, only 2 modes are enough:
1) aperture priority (for quick setting and control of depth of field, shutter speed is also visible, which means it will be controlled by you), and
2) manual (for everything else).
Well, except that for beginners I would still leave the machine. Everything else is from the evil one :)

I will not go into detail about the so-called custom modes, such as "landscape", "portrait", "night landscape", "museum", "sport" and masses of similar ones that are in almost every cell. In any case, the essence of such modes comes down to an elementary combination of shutter speeds and apertures, because these modes are generally absent in professional cameras - as completely useless open the aperture instead of the "portrait" or "night landscape" mode (without a tripod), and, of course, turn off the flash when shooting in a museum ...

Depth of field

There are other effects of using the aperture, such as reducing or increasing the depth of field, and this is actively used by photographers to sharpen, for example, a landscape, or, conversely, to blur the background of portraits... Here is an example of a blurry or defocused background that did not hit into a shallow depth of field, or, as they say, a small depth of field (an acute infectious disease of the respiratory tract caused by a virus? no, Depth of Field):

In picture #1, the aperture is 2.9, which gives a depth of field of only a few centimeters, which is enough for the figure, but not for the background, which is 20 centimeters further away. As a result, the background did not fall into the small limit of the depth of field, and therefore blurry. In picture No. 2, the aperture is slightly covered (f4.4) because the depth of field is larger, but because the distance to the green is even greater, then it is still blurry. By the way, these pictures are a clear example that refutes the popular opinion, which is promoted with zeal in many forums - it is impossible to blur the background with a compact. Beware of connoisseurs who write a lot, but do not give examples in deed, i.e. with your pictures. Both photos were taken with a compact (Nikon Coolpix 5400), an old one (2003) and not even the most expensive in its class. Moreover, shot No. 2 was not shot at the maximum open aperture, i.e. Blurring is theoretically possible even more.

The following photo for the site was kindly provided to me by my friend Sergey Andreev. I don't want to shock anyone - this picture was taken not even with a compact, but ... with a mobile phone!

3.

As you can see, a mobile phone can also get a small depth of field. But it is very difficult to control the depth of field and make it predictable: such a camera does not have an aperture setting. Despite this, the fact remains that even a cell phone camera can blur the background!

These classic examples of the use of depth of field, however, should not be taken to mean that the compact is in no way inferior to the DSLR. Mounted on a mirror, a fast prime lens will make the bokeh (background blur) much deeper (if necessary!) And with a more beautiful pattern. It should be remembered that long-focus optics “washes” the background best. But even with a whale lens, a SLR camera has more options both in this regard and in terms of ease of control of the depth of field. Here are typical pictures with defocused backgrounds:

A little trick for those with a compact. Suitable, of course, for a SLR camera. If you want to shoot a portrait with a defocused background, then shoot so that the background is as far as possible from the face of the portrait :), and the face itself occupies as much of the frame as possible - then the background will be blurred more. In this case, the aperture should be as open as possible, and it is better to put the lens in the teleposition (because the sharpness is greater at a wide angle). If the DOF of your compact is too large for an apartment (the object does not fit in the frame!), Then, of course, you will have to buy a more spacious apartment, but personally I prefer to shoot on the street, or I use a SLR :)
For example, like this:

What does small depth of field and bokeh give? The ability to highlight the main subject and make the picture more voluminous. In this case, the hand that types these lines on the keyboard is highlighted :)

What determines the depth of the sharply depicted space.

With the same size of the matrices (and other things being equal), the depth of field depends on the following principles:

◆ if the f-number is larger (f8 is larger than f2, i.e. the aperture is smaller), then the depth of field is larger;
◆ if the distance to the subject is greater, then the depth of field is greater;
◆ if the focal length of the lens is longer, then the depth of field is smaller;

in other words:

The depth of field depends on the aperture and the distance to the subject. The larger the aperture hole and the closer the lens to the object, the smaller the depth of field. And it doesn’t matter if you stepped closer with your feet, or zoomed in on the object.

If the distance to the object (and the focal length) are unchanged, then only the aperture can change the depth of field.

It should be understood that the depth of field is very dependent on the size of the matrix, but since it is assumed that the photographer shoots with only one camera at a time (and does not shoot like a cowboy from 2 different-sized trunks at once!), Then we omit :) Let's say one thing: on a large matrix it is easier to get a smaller depth of field.
What is the result? The smaller the depth of field, the more the background will be blurred. If the depth of field is large (like with compacts), or the background is not far behind the subject (i.e. falls into the depth of field), then the background blur will not work - everything will be sharp, both the object and the background. And now everything is the same, but in a more accessible language:

If you want to blur the background behind the portrait a lot, then move closer (or zoom in) so that the face takes up most of the frame (it's even better to use a long lens), while opening the aperture as wide as possible. If you don't want to, then cover the aperture so that the background is not too cloudy :)

On the net you can find a lot of controversy on the topic "does the depth of field depend on the focal length." Some people think that it depends, others, of course, don't think so :) In general, democracy and freedom of speech are a very strange thing: some people will definitely call even an ordinary sheet of paper black if the majority thinks that it is white. And why? But because freedom and you can do whatever you want! :) By the way, the degree of idiocy of society is assessed by the inability to determine the border of the depth of field of what is permitted, and this embarrassment stems from a misunderstanding that unlimited freedoms are as bad as if they were completely clamped (like a diaphragm)! By the way, the foundations of photography (and not democracy) are based on the nature of light, the design of the lens and the common sense of the photographer :)

Since I was often asked the questions “why does another site say about the IPIG not so, but vice versa”, the author of these lines got tired of answering - “you are free to choose any resource” - and wrote a short article on the opinion:

If you are not interested, feel free to skip it. Photography for beginners does not provide for the involvement of the latter in theoretical disputes. As well as everyone else. The author only expressed his opinion about the "problem" - yielding to the wishes of the photo community. I hope the basics of photography don't suffer from this :)

I must warn beginners: do not make some kind of end in itself out of a small depth of field. First, blurring the background is not always appropriate. And secondly, a large depth of field is required no less often, and in macro photography it is simply necessary. Most often, sharpness "over the entire field" is required when shooting landscapes, so we should dwell on this topic in more detail. Those. We don't stop, we keep reading :)

How to shoot a landscape

For landscapes, the aperture, as a rule, is covered - so that everything is sharp, "from the navel to infinity", as is often the case with compact cameras - in landscapes there you can not cover the aperture at all :). A DSLR is harder to use (whatever they say in advertising!) - a fast lens can blur at the beginning of the panorama when focusing on distant objects. Blurring the near (or far) part of the picture in the landscape is not necessary at all. More precisely, it is not always necessary. That is why I advise you to cover the aperture even on a compact - to develop a habit called "correct photography".

This is what typical landscapes look like :)

Like in the following pictures.
Landscape #1: aperture down to f8, EGF 24mm. Landscape #2: aperture down to f8, EGF 36mm.

The focal length for landscapes is usually chosen less than the standard, this provides a wide angle - "more space will fit into the frame." A typical example of such a plan is photograph No. 1, where the widest (for this lens) angle was used. Of course, the landscape can be shot at a longer focus: it all depends on what you want to shoot, on the angle, on the ability to get closer. For example, I did not have such an opportunity - to "frame with my feet", photographing No. 2 - I would simply drown with the camera, and I would like to get a bigger parachutist, because he is an important "detail" of the landscape... :)

The photography tutorial does not pretend to be a more detailed presentation of the basics of landscape photography, so a separate photo page has been allocated for the latter. In general, I consider the landscape to be the easiest place for a beginner to start with. This page discusses not only the analysis of typical mistakes, but also landscape photography with a standard lens. All this is in the main menu of the site, but it's easier to click here:

Since the sensor is the heart and the processor is the brain, the lens is the soul of the camera. And the photographer just presses the button :) If you seriously think so, then it’s better to wait a little while buying a SLR camera, and at the same time remove this textbook from your bookmarks :) The landscape (like everything else!) You can just look with your eyes "during the match" and not bother with cameras, lenses, photosites and other photo nonsense :) And when you learn to look at the world around you from different angles, looking for the most advantageous one in your mind, you will easily understand whether you need a camera or not! Actually, this approach applies not only to the landscape and not only photography ...

Lenses with a focal length of 50 mm (standard in EGF) and above are best suited for shooting portraits, i.e. telephoto lenses. To separate the person from the background and make the background blurry, you need to use the “telephoto”. If you want a person to show off against a beautiful background and this background can be seen, then you don’t need to take a telephoto at all :) In this case, you can shoot with a standard lens, or simply reduce the focal length (if you have a zoom), and you can also hold down, if possible, diaphragm. The basics of photography assume that the photographer is still shooting, and not his camera! I won't get tired of repeating it :)

The Pentax 16-45 / f4 lens we reviewed earlier is more suitable for shooting landscapes (not because Pentax, but because it is wider than normal!), But portraits can also be shot with it. I deliberately give examples taken with this particular lens, since it resembles the standard lens that comes with the camera (it is usually called the "whale") - this is what beginners use at first. You should not think that they are offering you - "first learn to play the guitar without strings, and only then you will buy yourself a real fender ..." - I was often asked the questions "is it possible to take good portraits with a whale", "what can a whale do in macro" and the like, so I found it necessary to use a lens closer to the whale. Why not actually a whale? Yes, because I just don't have it :)

Since the aperture ratio of the 16-45 / 4 lens is relatively low (f4), in order to take a portrait, you need to open the aperture as much as possible. And, of course, set the lens to the maximum telephoto position - at a focal length of 45 mm, which is already quite suitable for a portrait - there will be less geometric distortion. Noticeable distortion may be acceptable for a landscape, but for a portrait it will be a clear defect. When photographing, focus should be on the eyes (or the eye closest to you), since the eyes are the most expressive part of the portrait, not without reason they are called the mirror of the soul. If the depth of field is very small, then even if the ears are "blurred" along with the nose, but the eyes are always in the zone of sharpness. This is the technical part.

But the creative part is a bit more complicated. Therefore, I have identified several well-known rules for constructing a composition, which even masters rarely allow themselves to be violated. The beginner should observe these rules rather than deny them; the contrary does not prove mastery. We will attribute the construction of the composition not only to the portrait, but also to any main subject of shooting.

An alien hand in the frame next to the face of the protagonist instantly turns a good photo into crap.
Nothing extra! Only significant objects should be left in the frame. These are the basics of photography, not just portrait photography.
It is better to shoot children from the height of their height, or even lower!
People should not be cut at random, even if you are a surgeon. It’s bad to chop off the feet with a frame, and when shooting in profile, cut off the face (leaving the back of the head). It's horrible! Also, you should not cut the human figure in half by the horizon line (or fence).
The person being portrayed must be allocated(depth of field, lighting, size and favorable location in the frame, the play of chiaroscuro, anything, but highlighted). This, in fact, applies to any subject of shooting.
The background should not be colorful and distract the viewer with incomprehensible objects. Throw out everything unnecessary from the background, blur it, destroy it, make it yourself - just leave all your attention to the portrait.
The main subject should not always be placed exactly in the middle of the frame.

A beginner will need the “rule of thirds”, often used in photography (dividing a frame into three equal parts); green marked semantic points, "attracting the eye." Let's believe the geometry of harmony! But... without undue fanaticism.)

In addition, the portrait should, if possible, express the essence of a person and his most expressive features that reveal his character. If this does not work out, then we can say that the portrait failed, but it can be done in another way - but a normal photo came out as a keepsake! Let's see a typical portrait of an ordinary Russian macho :)

Russian macho.
aperture open to f4, focal length (EGF) 67 mm.

0.

To get such a blurry background, you need to not only open the aperture as much as possible, but also shoot from a very close distance, so that the face occupies most of the frame. And the background here, of course, was made not sharp, not to show the background is not sharp (this is stupid!), but just the opposite, to emphasize the main subject :)

And this object, it should be noted, is very severe in appearance ... What a type! A sort of real Russian macho, a hero and a favorite of women, the horror of enemies :) However, the term macho has nothing to do with that "sexually heroic" image created by stupid Latin American TV shows, no less stupid American action movies, and diligently exaggerated by our (no less sucky ) by domestic television. Women, don't be fooled! In fact, a macho is a rude and cruel male who takes women by force (read rapes), and solves any issues with his fists and boots, in general, a kind of drunken village dork from whom hard work (or idleness?), Alas, did not make a man ... I beg your pardon, this type of character is completely inapplicable to this Russian guy, and he doesn’t look like that at all, just a photograph, as such, can express a lot - if you want :) I.e. expressively emphasize and highlight some elusive facial features. Can you guess now what it means to shoot a portrait correctly?

Now a little about photographing children. They say children are the flowers of life. Some argue that the flowers of life are hippies :) All this is fundamentally wrong, because flowers still need to be grown, and punks must be brought up ... And even if children do not grow up in our garden, you need to be able to photograph them. Guess what phrase will follow now? Yes, yes, how to photograph children correctly :)

In both shots, the aperture is open to f4, EGF 67 mm.

1. 2.

Children are very easy to photograph - they are spontaneous, natural, their smiles are not forced. It is very difficult to photograph children - they spin like tops all the time, suddenly turn their backs to the lens and, moreover, constantly slip out of the frame ... Imagine - they don’t even want to pose! And if this happens in a poorly lit room (and this almost always happens!), Then after a few blurry shots, you may already have a forced smile! Do anything, take out a toy for the children, make a face, tell a joke, catch their mood, but just don't force the child to seriously look directly into the lens for several minutes, promising that "a bird will fly out now." To be honest, it won’t fly out, I tried 17 times in a row - it’s useless :) It’s better to take a picture when the child is passionate about his own affairs, overwhelmed with emotions, and does not pay attention to you or to taking pictures ...

Who said you can't shoot portraits with a wide-angle lens? At a long focus, they can be removed with any lens, not just a fast portrait lens. No matter what you are photographing, you should always be able to use the lighting, even if you only have a built-in flash. It is believed that shooting with a flash in the forehead should be avoided, that for a portrait one should use soft, diffused light, use daylight, or an external flash pointed at the ceiling, or light reflectors ... All this is true, and even better to have your own photo studio with fashion models. Remember, this site is for beginners. Even in bright sunlight, turn on the flash to illuminate deep shadows on the face, especially backlighting. And, most importantly, look for interesting shooting angles. But if the lighting allows, then the flash should be turned off, because it really kills natural light and gives a flat image.

The flash built into the camera is, of course, weak, but you need to be able to use it.

When you see a lot of flashing flashes in the stands of a huge stadium, you should not assume that a massive spiritual development of the population has taken place in the country, and instead of sellers and peddlers of advertising garbage, many photographers have appeared :)

You should be aware that the flash built into the camera usually does not hit further than 3-5 meters. Therefore, it surprises genuinely: what are people going to highlight from the distance of the stands? In order not to be disappointed in humanity, and to find peace of mind, always tend to think about the simple forgetfulness of "photographers" to turn off automatic flash firing. Do not succumb to sclerosis - this leads to premature battery discharge :)

How to use flash? It is possible on the machine, but in advanced cameras it is possible to adjust the pulse power (- +). In order not to overexpose the face, reduce the power at close distances and, conversely, increase it if the object is located several meters away. Using this feature is especially useful when shooting against the oncoming light. Alas, in soap dishes, the flash is not adjustable, it can only be used in automatic mode, or turned off.

Shot No. 3 was taken in a dimly lit room, and here it is simply necessary to turn on the flash - the children are constantly on the move, hence the likelihood of blurring is too high. Of course, I opened the aperture to f4 to get the minimum depth of field, entrusted everything else to automation, and shot at ISO - 100. Actually, I always shoot at the minimum ISO, and only sometimes at a higher one :)

In both images, EGF = 67 mm. But different ISO, apertures and
different flash modes...

Shot #4 is especially noteworthy in terms of the use of flash. I had to take pictures late in the evening, without a tripod, and even on the aperture, clamped right up to 8 - and all because of my quirk to capture not only the girl, but also the background of the night landscape in the frame, and I wanted to get this background not completely blurry, which would have been inevitable with the aperture wide open and the background so removed. It is pointless to use a flash for this purpose straightforwardly - the face, of course, will be illuminated, but the landscape will not be visible - the flash will not reach it.

Therefore, the shooting was carried out in the mode of slow synchronization on the rear curtain. This is such a flash mode: the camera exposes the background for a long time at a slow shutter speed, and only at the very end quickly illuminates the background with a flash (in this case, the face). But in the end, the shutter speed was 8 seconds! I had to raise the ISO to 400 and get a much shorter shutter speed - "only" 2 seconds. Lubrication was still inevitable. What to do? The easiest way was not to be weird, open the aperture completely, set the flash to automatic, and take a normal picture at ISO - 100 and a shutter speed of 1/60 s. Just think, the background is not visible, we are not the background, but we are shooting a night portrait. By the way, pay attention, the focus there was not on the eye, but on the mustache :) - in the center of the frame - a typical mistake of beginners who took a DSLR in their hands for the first time. We will return to the correct focus later ...

But I was stubborn... and definitely wanted a night portrait with only night lights, but 2 sec. excerpts were an obstacle, and I did not want to raise the ISO even more. I advised the model to rest her elbow on a stone, thereby firmly fixing her chin, and not move, and the camera was no less firmly fixed in her hands, resting her elbows on another stone - it turned out something like a tripod ... In general, the girl managed to do everything right: hold on for 2 seconds without blinking, smile, and look quite natural at the same time. The exposure time itself was spent on exposing the background (and, in part, the foreground), and the flash at the end of the exposure clearly fixed our model just before the shutter closed.
I don’t presume to judge whether a good portrait came out, but the girl was definitely good ... In any case, I managed to do exactly what was intended, and not what could have come out :) And you should not look for ambiguities in my words - even if it says "how to shoot girls!":)

— Ha! So any fool will be able to take pictures! Give me an expensive professional camera with a set of top lenses, I'll give you more than that! - exclaim another newcomer and ... will be right. But he will be right not because he clicks, but because, perhaps, he has not seen bad photographs taken by no means with a soap dish with a plastic lens. And here is an example, enjoy:

So photo number 5. What can be said? You can talk for a long time about choosing a lens for your camera. To say that this picture is well exposed, focused, there is no movement, the white balance is not overwhelmed, there are no noises either. Everything is good yes? The feet are cut off, a drainpipe is sticking out of the head, and the background ... there are not enough words in Russian to express the absurdity of the background and the wretchedness of the plot. Yes, this is generally beyond good and evil :) No most expensive camera can save you from such mistakes - you can’t see the world like that - a girl in a stone trough with a drainpipe in her head - you can’t shoot like that! I am unbearably hurt and painfully ashamed of this picture (and, of course, for all the years I have lived :) Although ... after watching our television in the evening, such a photograph may seem like a masterpiece ....
But number 6 is a completely normal full-length portrait. Not Cartier-Bresson, of course, but at least a decent amateur shot as a keepsake. This is not a shame to give, only the date is not enough. Well, that's my opinion of course :)

The photo on the left looks already more pleasant than just a snapshot for memory. If you have not yet become stale in your soul in our completely crazy world, and if you have not yet clouded your mind in a society that is sometimes called secular, then Orthodox, then criminal, then a consumer society - and even democratic - then there is a chance that this unpretentious photo of a grandmother with granddaughter will not leave you indifferent. Their faces shine, from the picture it breathes warmth and peace. To do this, it is not necessary to use a camera with the function of face and smile recognition :) If the photographer is not able to recognize faces, then he needs to stop drinking, and if this does not help, stop taking a photo! In general, it is not difficult to remove this. Especially when the portrayed absolutely do not pay attention to the photographer and do not suspect that they are being filmed. If they were seated in front of the camera and forced to look into the lens, then all immediacy would disappear in the blink of an eye, it’s good if there are still forced smiles. And you know, for this photo, I don’t want to indicate at all what shutter speed and aperture were set, and whether noise is very noticeable. And even more so, there is no desire to discuss the type of matrix of the manufacturer, or the promotion of the brand :)

The photo on the right was taken with a compact camera. This is not even a portrait, and not a staging, but a purely reportage shot taken by a small compact with a swivel screen. You look down at the screen turned horizontally, and you shoot forward and slightly up from under the table! That's just a treacherous flash gives out, but I could not, in fact, turn off the puff in a poorly lit room! The most important thing is that the picture has already been taken! Think Russian macho again? no, but the type turned out to be also very colorful :)

We have already seen how to shoot portraits with a wide-angle zoom. And it would be dishonest not to give an example made by a classic lens from the Pentax line: this is a fast 50 / 1.4 lens. Of course, similar models can be found from other manufacturers (both expensive f1.4 and more affordable f1.7); and in general, fixes continue to successfully exist due to the best price / quality ratio and the best price / aperture ratio. This is expressed as follows:

With the same aperture, the optical distortion of a fixed lens is less, and with the same quality and aperture ratio, the zoom will be an order of magnitude more expensive. And even in a dream, the zoom will not be able to compete with fixes in aperture ratio greater than f2 / 8.

The only exceptions are the lenses of some top compacts, and the exception, as you know, only confirms the rule - such cameras are very expensive. And even in them, there are almost no fixed lenses: compact cameras are positioned for beginners, and the manufacturer does not want to explain to a beginner why a fix is ​​needed when there is a fast zoom. I'll try: a zoom lens has more distortion, but it's easier and cheaper to make it for a small sensor than for a large one :)

The appearance of fast zooms (and 2.8 is a very expensive zoom, often more expensive than the camera itself!) did not put an end to fifty dollars and other lenses with a fixed focal length in DSLRs. By the way, such a "fifty kopeck" on a camera with a crop factor of 1.5 confidently turns into a mini-telephoto with EGF = 75 mm. In general, this is a fairly good portrait. At the wide apertures that this lens can allow, soft focus photos look very good.

But here's the paradox. If portraits are advised to shoot on an open aperture, then for a fast portrait photographer, it can be advised quite the opposite: clamp the aperture by a couple of divisions!

Firstly, when it is closed, some optical distortions that are characteristic of open holes are minimized. Secondly, with the f1.4 hole wide open, the depth of field becomes so shallow that most of the face's muzzle will be out of focus at all, especially if you shoot a close-up portrait.

For example, the muzzle on the left was photographed at aperture 1.4 with focus on the right eye (hmm, the cat thinks that it is her left one!). And now the second eye is already out of focus. In principle, this is normal (even with a close-up), but if shutter speed allows, the aperture can be slightly covered here. By the way, for my part, the opinion of some animal about the location of the eyes is deeply alien to me ... so a cat has something else and its own vision of the world will appear :)

Every amateur photographer has a good hundred photos of pets (and, perhaps, more than one), so I don’t expect to surprise anyone: just think, a cat. But look all the same, what zero attention is paid to the crown of nature - man :) Yes, yes. The one who takes the picture. The fashion model didn't even turn her head!

This beast doesn't give a damn about someone's understanding of the world - it has its own and, moreover, is completely self-sufficient ... no, it doesn't hurt me! Think fashion model with a tail...

Returning to the lens, I will say that it is convenient to shoot with fast optics without a flash even in a dimly lit room. Here, the illumination made it possible to stop the aperture down to f2.

- How so!? - the amateur photographer asks, - you choose a lens because of its aperture, and then you reduce this very aperture by covering the aperture! This is some nonsense…

And this is not a question, it is very simply explained. In fact, you buy a lens not at all because of the powerful aperture, as many people think, but in order to make your photos look the way they were intended! And the more opportunities for this, the greater the lens aperture ...

In the photo on the left, the aperture was slightly clamped to f1.7 at ISO 400. This old "film" lens at wide apertures (even clamped to f1.7 is also quite open) makes the picture soft, which can be advantageous for portraits. Here it should be noted that the desire to make any photo sharp "as soon as possible", "to pimples on the skin", and even "to pain in the eyes" is common to many amateurs. A photograph with a “soft portrait” seems to them both soapy and cloudy, and worthy of all other photographic (and not so) words. By the way, it's wrong. What is good for a landscape (and even then not always!), For a portrait is just death. Compare this photo with those sharp faces taken with the above Pentax 16-45/f4. If you prefer such sharp portraits, then maybe the DSLR was bought too early, and you should shoot with a soap dish for a while?

A prime lens is good for everyone, but it should not be assumed that it does not have flaws. Everyone has flaws :)

The main disadvantage of a fixed focal length lens is the complete lack of zoom! Yes, yes, you understood everything correctly - you will have to run back and forth with your legs, legs, to take what you want to get in the picture into the frame of the frame :)

Horrible! And this is instead of standing still comfortably turning the corrugated zoom ring on the SLR lens, or pressing the zoom button on the compact :) In fact, the main drawback of the fix is ​​not this, and not even the lack of the ability to get close to the subject, or, conversely, move away. This problem is "easily" solved by a set of heavy lenses with different focal lengths and a light bag for them :) Or even a fashionable photo backpack :) But what to do when you need to immediately frame a fleeting moment? Here the zoom is beyond any competition.

Most likely, I will continue the topic "how to shoot landscapes and portraits", perhaps I will single out a portrait in a separate page like, for example, "landscape" and "macro photography". I perfectly understand that the topics are not completely (and even a third!) Not disclosed, but at least you have seen what and how can be shot with inexpensive lenses without the use of special studio lighting. In all examples, only the flash built into the camera was used (or not used!)

What is exposure metering

Not every digital camera has manual shutter and aperture settings, but believe me, everyone has automatic ones :) To determine the illumination of an object in the frame, the camera has an exposure metering system that first evaluates the degree of this illumination, and then sets the desired shutter speed itself and diaphragm. Proper metering is needed to obtain an image that displays the subject as we actually see it. This is automatically done by the metering system built into the camera - the exposure meter, which usually does a good job of this task.

One photographer told me that now it has become uninteresting to shoot, the camera in most cases does an excellent job with all the settings even on full auto, and a person only has to stupidly pull the trigger. They say that the spirit of creativity that was on the film is leaving, etc. etc. But what prevents the photographer from switching to manual mode and shooting the way he wants? Since my site is designed for beginners, not for gurus, I want to immediately give advice - try shooting with manual settings! And if it doesn’t work out, then when shooting on the machine, do not be lazy to compare your mental shutter speeds and apertures with those that the camera’s metering shows. This is useful! It both develops the spirit of creative experiment and teaches great. By the way, the automatic machine is far from useless, because sometimes you need to take a picture very quickly - it happens that there is no time to fiddle with the settings - the bird can fly away!

I advised a photographer friend of mine who yearns for film to throw away a digital camera and buy a mechanical film camera in order to forget the "creative crisis of digital" forever. For some reason, he looked at me very incredulously ... it is understandable: the crisis is not in digital or film, but only in his own brains! And this applies far not only to photography, but since philosophy, or politics (as, for example, with Mr. Medveputkin, in which there is no place for domestic photographic equipment, as well as other Russian goods) is not the topic of this article, let's return to metering and briefly describe its types.

Metering is necessary for the correct determination of the exposure pair - shutter speed and aperture, as well as for their control on the viewfinder or screen.

Controlling the shutter speed is necessary to avoid blurring, and the aperture is necessary to understand the depth of field estimation. This is the basics of photography!

In advanced cameras, there are 3 main types of automatic metering settings: matrix, center-weighted and spot. Let's start with the smallest :)

1. Spot metering. It allows you to measure the exposure only on a small area in the frame, roughly speaking at a large point, or in a small circle :) This is about 3% of the matrix area. Usually this is the center of the frame, but some cameras allow you to set this point in other places. Spot metering is used when there are large differences in the dynamic range of brightness; usually then you need to choose the lesser of the evils: insignificant details will go into overexposure / underexposure, but the correct measurement will be made according to the plot-important part of the object being shot.
2. Center-weighted metering. As the name implies, the measurement is made in the center - along the "spot" in the central part of the frame (about 12%), and pays much less attention to the "periphery", but pays :) It differs from the point one (except for the above) only by the size of the measured area - it much more. Center-weighted metering is used more often, for example, it is more convenient for them to shoot portraits.
3. Matrix metering. In this case, the measurement is made over the entire area of ​​the matrix, divided into many zones; then the measurement results are compared with the database for combinations of shutter speeds and apertures, then the best result is selected. Matrix metering is suitable for most scenes, it is he who is in the default settings - even in soap dishes, where there is no choice of settings at all.

In simple situations - where there is no large difference in brightness - all three types can give approximately the same result, but in complex situations, the estimates can be very different. Therefore, in addition to matrix metering, there is a spot and a central one. In addition, exposure metering can be done using specialized external gadgets ... ugh, devices such as a light meter or a flash meter :)

What you need to know about focus

If you shoot with a soap dish, then you do not need to know anything about focus! Who does not agree, read on :) Indeed, the machine itself will perfectly focus the soap box at infinity - everything will be sharp: as they say, from the navel - to the very horizon. This is both good and bad at the same time. Good - because everything will be in focus, bad - because you will not be able to highlight the main subject, while blurring the minor details of the background. As we know, the latter is especially easy for a SLR camera. But do not blindly believe those who claim that even housewives can easily take pictures with a DSLR on the machine. Here are a couple of shots with a SLR camera, which I let an inexperienced person shoot. Realizing that he was holding the camera for the first time, I set it to automatic. After clicking a couple of times, the man looked at the pictures and said: “why do we need such a large camera, a small soap box takes even clearer pictures.”
Let's zoom in and see what he didn't like:

1. 2.

We will not find fault with the poor composition of the frame of these shots and, even more so, with their artistic value. We will assume that this is an ordinary photo for memory, and here we are not talking about creative achievements, but about something completely different - about technical quality. The bottom line: wrong depth of field. In photo No. 1, the grass in the foreground is absolutely not the topic and only interferes with the perception of the picture. When photographing people close enough, it is still assumed that people are the main subject, which means that they must be well focused. But this is just not there, focusing on the background! That is why even an undemanding beginner noticed that "the soap box shoots more clearly." Is the SLR really worse? Let's figure it out.

By default, autofocus works in the center of the frame, so there is a focus miss in picture #1. But in fact, this is not the fault of the camera, but a mistake by the sniper of the photographer, who pointed the camera in the center - past both people. So even drunken policemen, now dressed in police uniforms, do not shoot :) By the way, for veterans of the Great Patriotic War, the word policeman and policeman is tantamount to the word traitor ...

What do we have in the photo? The background - the water and the opposite bank are depicted sharply, and the players in the middle ground are out of focus, even more out of focus is the grass, which is in the foreground. In photo #2, the camera focused, on the contrary, on the grass, and everything else was out of focus. The pictures have one similarity - the main characters did not get into focus! These real (and not staged) photos are the best way to show that the camera machine does not understand where it should aim! Especially if the photographer does not think about focusing, but just presses the buttons :) In this case, the SLR camera is really inferior to the soap dish, which gives a sharp shot from the foreground to the horizon (and even further!).
Returning to the topic of choosing a camera, I note the following:

If you do not want to study photography, fiddle with settings, think, read instructions and boring sites - buy the cheapest compact with one button and no manual control.

By the way, people who do not want to study anything are welcomed and demanded by the state in incredibly large quantities. I bought a DSLR, but it didn’t fit - it’s nonsense, I’ll buy a compact. A black soap dish does not match your image - we buy pink, and then green. Tired of furniture and an old camera - throw everything away and buy again! It is right. Saving your money, you are a bad citizen, because you do not contribute to the construction of a society with a developed grin of the mug of capitalism.

I bought a car - I didn’t like traffic jams, expensive gasoline and the lack of parking lots - I bought a motorcycle, they stole it - I bought another one, and when it turned out that it was hard to carry it to the 2nd floor, I bought a bicycle :) It's okay, we are building a consumer society and consumers, is not it? :) You know how nice it is to consume without thinking about the reasons for what is happening! :) No, well, at least a little bit... well, confess to yourself... Well, okay, read on. :)

But still - what to do if the main objects are located at the edges? If you have a more or less serious device, and there are manual settings, then you can set the focus location - after all, the machine does not know what exactly you want to shoot and what exactly should be in focus: the object is on the right, in the middle, or on the left ... Typical the error in this case is the aiming of the camera in the center. For example, as in picture #1.

1. 2.

We have already seen this. In image #1, the camera is focused in the center (i.e., in the background), and the cup and coffee jar are located to the left and right of the center, which is why they were out of focus, i.e. out of focus. But in picture No. 2, the focus is on the cup and we got what we wanted. The subjects of the shooting are highlighted, and the background, which is insignificant in this case, is blurred...

How to do it? If it is not possible to set the focus location, then you can use the "lock - focus" function, which is available in many cameras. In the first case, we aimed the camera at the center and pressing the shutter button immediately took a picture, which was a mistake. In the second case, we pointed the camera at the cup and pressed the shutter button, but not completely, but only halfway. At the same time, the camera focused (as you might guess on the cup). Then, without releasing the button (it’s important not to press it all the way down!), we aimed the camera at the center so that not only the cup, but also the coffee can fit into the frame, and only now we pressed the button all the way. The camera remembered the focus distance to the cup all this time. The picture is ready. Pictures with the "correct" focus will look more voluminous and artistically expressive.

By the way, the main object of shooting - in this case, a cup - has long been broken, but its picture continues to serve the beginners to comprehend the basics of photography. I now absorb kilograms of coffee, alas, with another cup, which has not yet earned the role of a fashion model :)

But how to shoot with a SLR camera near and far at the same time in focus? That's right, we clamp the diaphragm!

The closer the foreground is to us, the less we lose heart, but if we want everything abruptly, then we clamp more :)

In advanced cameras, there are other settings, for example, highlighting the focus area with a special frame, or focusing on an object by rotating the ring on the lens (manual focus). However, not everyone has such settings, but mainly in SLR cameras, and in some especially advanced digital compacts.

There is such a purely technical moment in photography as autofocus accuracy. Or, if you like, an autofocus miss :) He misses, hearty, even in expensive cameras, because he does not know human goals and desires - namely, what to focus on. Especially on such subjects as, for example, on the left (it is better to enlarge the picture). Thin twigs are sometimes a serious obstacle for a dull machine gun, even if the photographer tries to accurately take them into the crosshairs of the sight. But focusing happens either in the background, or on twigs, the camera buzzes, the lens moves back and forth, trying to aim at an unknown target. In more civilized versions, nothing will buzz, the focus will simply miss the background, but for whom it is easier. But it’s easier to turn off auto focus right away, since you can aim manually much faster and more accurately by rotating the ring on the lens in the “old-fashioned way” and controlling the depth of field by eye in the viewfinder.

By the way, in compact cameras there is almost no such problem, because the depth of field is too large for a compact. And at a distance of 1 - 2 meters, everything around him will be sharp, and a miss (if there was one) will not be noticeable to the eye. It is clear that this is not so much an advantage as a disadvantage: in this plot, the twigs play a leading role, it is important to highlight them - otherwise they will completely merge with the colorful background. And in general, the basics of photography say that highlighting the main subject of shooting is not only quite natural and not ugly, but even quite necessary.

Let us dwell in more detail on such a problem as autofocus speed. Autofocus in some types of reportage shooting will clearly show what the compact can and cannot do. The pages of this site have already mentioned autofocus speed, but without examples, which is not good, so here's a couple. So, what "not very" can compact:

Shutter speed 1/1500

1. 2.

And what is so impossible? With a short shutter speed, this is not a problem at all. However, the matter lies in the transience of the moment (picture No. 1). In the next moment, the take-off boat will plop into the water and in the frame it may already be turned over (picture No. 2), or it may even “fly out” of the frame. Because the digital compact in such a time simply will not have time to focus. That is, with a short shutter speed, the frame will come out, maybe even of high quality, but ... it will be a completely different frame! It is not difficult to remove this with a DSLR, especially if you have some skills. This is done when shooting "with wiring" (the camera is moved synchronously with the movement, constantly holding the object in the viewfinder), and the button is pressed at the right moment (in our case, during the takeoff of the scooter). And here the DSLR will show the shooting speed, but the compact will not. The compact has slow autofocus, shutter delay, and other annoyingly slow things.

The slowness of the compacts makes them unsuitable for such reporting. In addition, it is very difficult to shoot with a soap dish with wiring through the screen, and not through the viewfinder, which it simply does not have ... What can you do, such is the design feature. You can, of course, set continuous shooting if the camera allows it (and if not?), and here you may be lucky (or not lucky ...). You can manually set all the settings in advance (if you have them, of course) and focus in advance on the intended shooting point (if you know exactly where this point will be). By this we achieve that the compact thinks less, but alas, the preparations themselves take time - the frame can be missed! And therefore, all these tricks do not give any guarantee of the desired result. True, I mentioned earlier that a soap dish snatched from a shirt pocket can sometimes get ahead of a large SLR in reportage shooting. There is no contradiction here, it's just that this phrase refers to beginners, not reporters who always keep the camera ready - especially if they feel that the moment has come ...

And what kind of reportage shot can be made with a compact? Or at least this one:

white balance

White balance (WB) is sometimes referred to as the color temperature of ambient light. For example, they say: “the picture turns yellow”, “the blockage of the color to blue”, “the color is too cold”, etc., which you can read about in my photo dictionary. But it's easier and easier to show photos to understand the difference. In the second picture, the white balance is improved - in my opinion, of course. In this case, the look was based on the natural rendering of color, i.e. the one that was at the time of the photo.

Cold and warm white balance.

The white balance can be set both in the camera before shooting, and corrected after in a graphics editor. It is possible, but not necessary! A simple worldly truth says that they learn from mistakes. A wiser philosophy affirms a more sound idea: one should learn from the mistakes of others, so as not to correct one's own later. Absolutely true in every sense, not only in photography!

But I tell you: mistakes must be foreseen in order to avoid them at all :)

Indeed, it is better to set the white balance before shooting than to correct it later in editors, as a rule, with some loss of quality. Shooting in a RAW file (raw format), of course, makes it easier to edit the WB, but this is not always a panacea.

Alas, any method has its advantages and disadvantages, RAW is no exception. And if the preliminary setting of the WB reduces the efficiency of the photo shoot, then the "raw format" reduces the efficiency of prepress and the capacity of the memory card in addition :)

Therefore, you yourself must anticipate your own preferences for color in photography!

In addition, RAW is very limited (and even completely useless) in the case of obtaining details from cleanly knocked out highlights, and lighter shadow stretching leads to increased noise. This, of course, does not mean that the raw format should not be used. But it will help a lot only with the highest possible quality shooting, which I advise you to strive for. It is better to set the correct exposure and white balance right away - even when shooting in RAW.

Typical camera WB settings

There are also BB settings on the temperature scale. Here it’s a good idea to re-learn the instructions for the camera, while experimenting in its settings. By default, the camera shoots "on the machine", but the automation, as we know, does not always cope with the photographer's intention.

Experiment! Do you know the difference between belief in God and truth? Truth can be tested by scientific experiment, but the existence of God can never be tested. Experiment and you will be rewarded :)

Photo analysis

But once I deviated from this rule, here is an example dialogue:

You don't want to criticize, but at least say something...

— By sending the pictures, you yourself had to say at least something about them. What do you expect from the assessment, are you yourself satisfied with the landscape, or is something embarrassing in this photo? What did you shoot, what did you want to express and convey to the viewer? What, finally, were the shooting conditions, what shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length.

Well, okay, I decided to tell myself why torturing the girl. A photo is like a photo, you will not see anything special there. There is nothing to comment here. An ordinary river, an ordinary bank, an ordinary landscape. But still, what did the author want to depict, what visual means did he use? To begin with, I looked at the metadata of the image, and you can see these tools (or rather, tools) to the right of the photo.

Photo analysis

Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S7000
Sensor: 1/1.7 CCD
Lens: 35-210mm f/2.8-3.1

Snapshot options:
Focal length: 7.8mm (35mm EGF)
Aperture: f4.5
Shutter speed: 1/1000 s.
ISO: 200

Exposure metering: matrix
Lighting: daylight
Flash: off

Now I zoomed in and carefully examined the picture. I also advise you to increase it in any case.
In terms of purely technical quality, the complaints are as follows. The photo is normally exposed, but the focus is on the foreground (grass), so everything else is out of focus. Usually for landscapes they make a large depth of field (for this they cover the aperture). This is not done here (although a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec. made it possible to clamp the aperture much more than f4.5 - if I read the metadata of the image file correctly). But the light sensitivity cannot be reduced here: as the owner of the camera correctly corrected me, ISO-200 in this camera is minimal.

Further. This landscape has 3 plans: near (grass), middle (water with reflections of trees), and far (park). And for some reason, only the grass in front is in focus. In general, this is how a landscape is photographed when there is some main subject in the foreground. Here it could be a fisherman, or a moored boat with its bow pulled ashore. Then focusing on the foreground justified itself. But since the main subject is still missing (which is already a disadvantage), in this photo, not only the grass should attract the attention of the viewer. But the sharpness barely reaches the middle of the river, not reaching the park on the opposite bank.

In the picture (on the left side of the park) some kind of building is visible. Either a bus stop, or a painted house, or a barn - you can’t make out. Is this the intention of the author, or an object that accidentally fell into the frame? What and why is shown to the viewer, what thoughts or emotions should he have while watching? It’s not clear ... Upon further correspondence, it turned out that this is ... a swimming pool for walruses :)

However, such an unexpected turn could serve as an excellent plot for another season, and, of course, with the characters in the frame!

And what are the creative achievements of photography?

This photograph may be a documentary depiction of the area and have undeniable personal value for the author of the photograph.

All of the above comes from personal experience, understanding and taste. If criticism falls outside the scope of the generally accepted opinion, I beg your pardon ... It's easy to sit on the couch and zoom in on the monitor to look for flaws, and there, by the river, anyone could be confused. I express my gratitude to the author of the photo - Tatyana Parfyonova from Moscow - for the picture provided for educational purposes.

Do not send me dozens of highly artistic photographs from your albums. It is better to take one of them and look carefully, as if from the side. This is your photo, your idea and photography. What was the lighting and shooting conditions like? What would you like to portray? What happened? and was there a way to improve? You can perfectly learn to do the above analysis of pictures on your own.

Analysis and creative vision of the world are the foundations of photography. If this happens before you press the shutter button (and not after) - these are the foundations of an interesting photo!

What is an interesting photo? No one can tell you the exact wording. An interesting frame is an interesting frame.

There is also the concept of an interesting book, an interesting film, an interesting game, an interesting acquaintance. Moreover, out of 100 people, a certain number will certainly say that this film (photo, book) is interesting, others will argue the opposite, and the rest - that you can watch it once, but no more.

There are also photographs that are interesting and understandable only to a narrow circle of people. For example, a picture of friends that may be of interest only to them and no one else. There are photographs that simply copy the surrounding reality. This trouble can be leveled by the beauty of the depicted place. In addition, there are photographs that are interesting and understandable only to a narrow circle of connoisseurs. There are no clear and precise criteria for "interestingness". You can remember some pictures for the rest of your life, and forget a lot of others right after 2 seconds. viewing.

And yet there are things that make you think, or cause emotions. Here the majority will clearly distinguish whether it is interesting to him or not. Yes, yes, you understood me correctly, I'm not talking about nudity :) But it's easier for me to show a couple of pictures than to describe the essence of phenomena. Let's look at 2 examples. The following photographs show virtually the same thing: The Bronze Horseman is a monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg. Reminded for those who believe that this is a horseman on the attack. With sincere respect for the national culture :)

Photo The Bronze Horseman.

1. 2.

The technical quality of these images is about the same. They are well exposed, sharp enough, etc. But one of these photos looks more interesting, doesn't it? One of them depicts just a monument, and the other shows the connection of times. You noticed that I did not even indicate which one :)

Below we see two more photos, which show almost the same thing, even the same angle. But on one of them we see some dim glass figurine against a colorful, but completely incomprehensible background, and we wonder: what is depicted?

Two photos.

3. 4.

Yellow Elephant Rat? Subject photography? A sample of the products of the glass factory "Gus-Khrustalny"? Unfortunate self-portrait of the author? What is depicted and what they wanted to convey to the viewer in terms of meaning or genre is completely incomprehensible.

But in another photograph, the viewer, who, of course, is not devoid of a certain amount of imagination, can easily see the artist's entrance on stage in the rays of light - in front of the audience, frozen in the semi-darkness of the hall, waiting for his performance! And here it is superfluous to say what kind of photo we are talking about, since it is obvious.

Here are some more pictures from the Find 2 Differences series. They have nothing to do with the topic "how to take pictures right the first time", since we are talking about retouching, with the help of which possible defects in the image are eliminated (random dots, spots, pimples on the skin, freckles, etc.), and in this case you can see for yourself that & nbsp :-)

Lions and doves.

5. 6.

Read more about retouching in my photo dictionary. In advanced graphic editors (Photoshop, Gimp, etc.), such retouching (correcting an area in a digital image by filling it with textures from other areas) is most conveniently done with the "stamp" tool, after activating the cloning area with the "Alt" key in Photoshop (or " Ctrl" in Gimp) - unless other keys are specified). Who does not want to master the editor, can scrub the stains with a wet cloth with soap, and then call the pigeons and take pictures & nbsp :-)

However, I'm not sure that a set of brooms, buckets, rags and soap will be the best accessory for your camera. Imagine such a set in a photo store!

Which photo of pigeons is more interesting - the original or retouching - I will not suggest. In the end, they don’t argue about tastes & nbsp :-) Well, how can you, I’m not mocking, society has long been pushing through the fashion of an alternative view of art & nbsp :-)

The aperture here was set to f9.5 so that the lions did not blur at all with the background. Forget about it and about retouching too. See lions and doves, look for harmony in the world around you.

And the last couple. Here we see photos that photographers usually take for calendars with views of cities, memorable places, or architectural ensembles. And where usually beginners like to pose, so that later they can proudly write “Fedya was here”, which is highly not recommended, so as not to completely and irrevocably spoil the picture :)

Gatchina Palace.

7. 8.

The ability of a photographer (or camera?!) to set the desired shutter speed and aperture is completely insufficient to make a beautiful landscape look more advantageous. A different vantage point and an unexpected angle can turn the palace by the lake into a real art postcard! Did you notice that it doesn't say which photo looks more interesting here either? :)
Since I get a lot of emails, but no one has asked this question yet, let's consider that the photography textbook fulfills its modest role.

A direct continuation of this tutorial is the page

For those who have learned the basics of photography and have mastered this small tutorial, I advise you to visit the rest of the pages of the site (menu below), and if you have moved forward great, and my materials seem primitive (or they simply were not enough) - here are useful links to others -

If you have a desire, improve.

Yes, good luck with your photos!