The New Photographer

Again: Large and Small Apertures

2005-12-30T13:59:00.000+08:00

Large Apertures

At the largest aperture, a maximum amount of light can pass through the aperture to reach the image sensor. This therefore allows for a fast shutter speed, good for freezing action, at the same time minimising the effect of camera shake (caused by instability.) Resulting pictures are usually not blurred.

A large aperture also provides a shallow DOF. This isolates your subjects nicely, but focusing solely on it, while blurring the background.

Small Apertures

Converse to using large apertures, small apertures are good to work with when you desire a slow shutter speed. While fast shutter speeds freezes action, slow shutter speeds allows for more action, depicting motion.

Small apertures provides a greater DOF. A greater DOF is good for taking landscape pictures, where it is desirable to have the foreground, as well as the background to be in sharp focus.

What f2.7 - f3.5/f8 mean?

2005-12-30T13:47:00.000+08:00

F-stop numbers represent the size of the aperture. The bigger the f-stop number, the smaller the aperture. Conversely, the smaller the f-stop number, the wider the aperture.

Indicators like f2.7 - f3.5/f8 refers to the range of openings of which a zoom lens can operate within.

In this case, read the indicator as f2.7 - f8 when the camera is most zoomed out (Wide-angle.) Read the indicator as f3.5 - f8 when the camera is most zoomed in (Telephoto.) That is what f2.7 - f3.5/f8 means.

(I still can't figure out something. In this case, f2.7 is at it's wide-angle, because a larger aperture size give rise to a wider viewer range? While at f3.5 is at it's telephoto, because a smaller aperture size means a smaller viewer range?)

SNT #2: Depth-of-Field (DOF) #2

2005-12-30T11:53:00.000+08:00

The aperture size isn't all that has an effect on the DOF. The distance between the camera and the subject also has an influence on the DOF.

Simply, the greater the distance between the camera and the subject, the greater the DOF. Conversely, the smaller the distance between the camera and the subject, the smaller the DOF.

Therefore we can expect the DOF of macro shots to be shallow (e.g. just the legs of an insect,) while DOF of shots as far as the horizon to be greater.

(Related: DOF #1)

File Magazine.com

2005-12-29T10:19:00.000+08:00

Have you already heard of this great site yet?

File Magazine hosts an excellent display of side-stream photography. The site publishes photos that treat subjects in unexpected ways.

My favourite from the site: High Speed Photography. Have fun!

(Image from File Magazine)

SNT #4: Fill-In Flash

2005-12-29T00:31:00.000+08:00

I lug my trusty Canon IXUS v3 with me every where. It's forever in my bag. I take snaps indoors restaurants, in lecture halls during lectures, in my kitchen, of food, and of friends when outdoors. Problem is, for outdoor shots, my subjects usually appear as a silhouette against a brightly lit background. A useful technique to counter the problem, is to employ the use of fill-in flash.

So what is it that causes the camera to under expose the foreground subject, which results in the silhouette effect? Like the human eye, the camera, when 'seeing' a brightly lit light, will 'squint.' For humans, the pupils are constricted to allow less light into the eye, while for cameras, the aperture size is adjusted smaller. As the aperture closes, less light enters the image sensor, causing the foreground to appear darker than the background.

Fill-in flash is used to soften dark areas in the foreground, against a brightly lit background. When shooting under fill-in flash mode, the camera is forced to flash a short burst of light while the shutter opens, illuminating the foreground when the photo is taken. This eliminates the silhouette effect, bringing life to the subject.

Also try, as far as possible, always to take shots that has natural lighting shining on your subject's front.

SNT #3: What is "35mm Equivalent?"

2005-12-28T22:30:00.000+08:00

I guess you've heard of this amazing online photo community/application called flickr. With the plentiful of various interest groups, the amount of fun one can get from just viewing the millions and millions of photos is never ending! Having spent quite an amount of time on flickr myself, I often come across things like "38 mm to 115 mm equivalent focal length" or "Focal length 7mm" which just leaves me dumbfounded. What do these terms actually mean?

This is what I've learnt today:

35mm is actually the width of the film (called 135-format) used by "35mm cameras". Most photographers are used to the focal length talk of the 35mm cameras.

The focal length is the distance between the aperture, and the image sensor. For all 35mm cameras, the focal lengths are all the same; Because only 1 type of film is used (the 35mm one.)

However for digital cameras, not all focal lengths are the same. Digital cameras use digital image sensors, like CCD or CMOS. And their sizes, are often smaller than 135-format film, can vary from different manufacturers and even models of the same brand. Therefore, for each particular digital camera, they can have their own specific focal length.

Now, at a certain focal length, say 25mm, the 35mm camera can take shot (of this apple) from a certain field of view, say 45 degrees.

As the digital camera's CCD or CMOS image sensors are of a different size with the 35mm camera's image sensor, to obtain a similar field of view of the apple, 45 degrees, the focal length of the digital camera will be different. In this case, the focal length of the digital camera is 20mm.

In short, there is a "35mm equivalent" because of the many different sizes of the image sensors of digital cameras, it is more convenient to express focal lengths in terms of "35mm equivalent" for easy comparison of cameras from different manufacturers.

Phew! What a long post! Happy Holidays!

Composing Your Photos #2

2005-12-24T19:39:00.000+08:00

5. When photographing moving subjects (like a fast car,) leave space in front of the direction it is travelling, so that it does not appear as it is leaving the photo.

6. Although horizons and vertical skyscrapers should be off-center, be sure to make sure that the lines aren't tilted!

7. Keep the backgrounds as simple as possible. Cluttered backgrounds distract the audience from the main subject. As far as possible, choose backgrounds with homogeneous colours.

SNT #2: Depth-of-Field (DOF)

2005-12-20T19:19:00.000+08:00

DOF refers to distance within wherein the subjects are focused, i.e. how much of a photo is sharp in front and in back of where you focus on the main subject. If most of the photo is in focus, the DOF is high. If most of the photo (background) is blurry, with only the subject focused, the DOF is low. DOF is primarily controlled by aperture size, though DOF effects can be achieved by using photo editing software, or simply by placing a focused subject far away from its background.

F-stop numbers depict the size of the aperture.

Larger aperture sizes are represented by smaller f-stop numbers, and consequently a lower/shallower DOF.

For example:
SMALLER f-stop number (f2.8) = LARGER aperture = SHALLOWER DOF
BIGGER f-stop number (f22) = SMALLER aperture = GREATER DOF

Even more direct:
Small f-stop number (f2.8) = Shallower DOF
Bigger f-stop number (f22) = Greater DOF

(Only the subject is focused, with the rest blurry. Photo with low DOF)

How Many Megapixels Do I Need? #2

2005-12-18T17:39:00.000+08:00

Megapixels. Sure, I know what resolutions they give me, but how do they translate into print sizes? Sometimes, we have limited memory left in our cards, and have to decide if it will be okay to drop from the highest image resolution, while still getting a decent print. I found a nice graphical diagram to help me with it, so here's it:

(Source: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/morefun/megapixels.mspx, or visit Related #1.)

4 Straight Forward Ways to Save on Battery Power

2005-12-14T10:05:00.000+08:00

1. Don't use flash unless necessary. The strong burst of light that comes on when you hit on the shutter-release that takes up load of power from the battery. Instead try to position your subjects to face as much natural lighting as possible.

2. Don't use LCD if you can. The vibrant LCD display is a power drainer. The brighter and more colourful the screen, the more power required. Instead, try taking your shots using the optical viewfinder. If your camera only has a LCD viewfinder, power off your camera in between shots.

3. Avoid accessing the memory card. Stuffs you do like reviewing photos straight after a shot, or deleting photos on the fly, requires frequent access to the memory card. More power is consumed than necessary each time you access the memory card. Instead, try to review and delete photos only at the end of the day.

4. Drain your rechargeables totally before recharging. Batteries that are ran flat before recharging produce better performance and have a longer lifespan.

Of course, it helps to bring an extra battery pack along! (Or borrow from your friends!)

Focusing Off-Centre - Exposure/Focus Lock

2005-12-12T09:39:00.000+08:00

As preached, it is often less boring to compose frames with subjects that are off-centre. However some automatic cameras only focus subjects which are in the middle, which may pose as a problem for our off-centred subjects.

One way to counter this, is to exploit the 'Exposure/Focus Lock' feature found in most cameras. Most cameras employ a 2 step shutter-release button. Depress with slight pressure on the shutter-release button, and the camera will be focused on the subject in the centre, when more pressure is applied, the shutter goes off and the shot is taken.

The trick then, is to compose your subject first, in the centre of the frame. Slightly depress the shutter-release button to focus on the subject, then move the subject off-centre (probably at one of the thirds,) while the button is depressed. This ensures that your subject is focused properly, and yet well placed in the frame. Finally, depress on the button fully to finish the shot.

With exposure locked on the lamppost. Everything is unexposed.

The same shot, with exposure locked centre of the frame

Having said that, not all cameras have the same way of activating the Exposure/Focus Lock. They may also appear as Exposure Lock and Focus Lock separately in some cameras. However, by and large the Exposure and Focus Locks do come together.

There you go! I found this tip to be really useful most of the time. Hope it'll be useful for you too.

Composing Your Photos #1

2005-11-30T18:08:00.000+08:00

Some points to take note while composing your photos:

1. Make your subject appear big, filling up the frame. Because this is more likely to catch the attention of your audience than when the subject is tiny-ly inconspicuous. Never assume that the audience will have the patience to figure what your photo is about.

2. Look out for 'leading lines' in your viewfinder. Try to exploit lines that come from the sides of the photo to 'lead' the eye to your subject in the frame. For example using the walls of Great Wall of China to lead the eye to the mountain ranges.

3. Again, use the "Rule of Thirds". Pick the intersection of any of the 4 corners of the tic-tac-toe grid to place your main subject.

4. For shooting landscape photos, avoid placing the horizon dead center. Instead vary between putting the horizon line 1/3 from the bottom, or 1/3 from the top, depending on what you want to capture.

(Placing the horizon line 1/3 from the bottom to emphasize the clouds)

Camera Resolutions - Worth Upgrading?

2005-11-28T16:09:00.000+08:00

A while ago I was deliberating if I should change from my IXUS v3 to a IXUS 400. I didn't really quite know if it's worth to pay more for a new camera just to get that extra 1 megapixel of resolution. Then I chanced upon this little information that helped me decide if I should give the new camera a go, so here it is:

Resolution upgrades and if they make sense:

* 2 -> 3 megapixels - 1,225,728 more pixels - 64% increase (Average)
* 2 -> 4 megapixels - 1,951,488 more pixels - 102% increase (Good)
* 2 -> 5 megapixels - 3,118,848 more pixels - 162% increase (Very good)

* 3 -> 4 megapixels - 725,760 more pixels - 23% increase (Not worth it)
* 3 -> 5 megapixels - 1,893,120 more pixels - 60% increase (Average)

* 4 -> 5 megapixels - 1,167,360 more pixels - 30% increase (Not worth it)

Seems like it's only good to upgrade if it's 2 megapixels and above, so it was a no-go for IXUS 400. Now if only I can get my hands on a Canon Powershot S2 IS ... =)

(Source: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong5/)

How Many Megapixels Do I Need? #1

2005-11-25T01:00:00.000+08:00

Megapixels. Sure, I know what resolutions they give me, but how do they translate into print sizes? Sometimes, we have limited memory left in our cards, and have to decide if it will be okay to drop from the highest image resolution, while still getting a decent print. Do allow me to recommend some resolutions, in a form of a table which I've collated over time:

Megapixels	Resolution	Max. Print Size
2	1600 x 1200	4" x 6"
3	2048 x 1536	5" x 7"
4	2272 x 1704	6" x 9"
5	2560 x 1920	8" x 10"
6	2816 x 2112	11" x 14"
8	3264 x 2468	16" x 20"

This is not to say that you cannot have 16" x 20" prints from your 2 megapixel camera. You can still, just that the prints may appear visibly pixelated.

More megapixels does not necessarily mean better prints too. This is because while printers do a good job scaling up smaller photos to print, some modern printers do not scale down photos well. Scaled down prints may have jagged edges. Try to keep within the recommended range. Take this information with a pinch of salt.

The quality of the prints is also dependant on the printer. Printers that can print more dots per inch (dpi) tend to produce better quality prints. The recommended range to print is between 200 dpi to 300 dpi. In comparison, 300 dpi prints are good enough to be viewed close up, while 150 dpi is good for as close as one arms length.

SNT #1: Shutter Priority & Aperture Priority

2005-11-19T18:50:00.000+08:00

Shutter priorty (Tv) is an exposure mode on a camera that lets you select the desired shutter speed, leaving the electronic processor in the camera to calculate the aperture for proper exposure. The aperture is adjusted automatically when the amount of light changes or when the shutter duration is changed. Shutter priorty is usually used to achieved the blurring water effect on rivers and waterfalls using longer shutter speeds, or to freeze subjects in action scenes using short shutter speeds.

Aperture priority (Av) lets you select the aperture and the camera automatically selects the shutter speed. The aperture is an opening in the lense that allows light into the camera sensor, and is varied by changing the size of the opening. Aperture priority mode is used when you want to control depth-of-field (DOF).

Taking Pictures With Cameraphones

2005-11-16T16:24:00.000+08:00

Yes yes, cameraphones take sucky low quality pictures, lack zoom capabilities and show nothing of a good photographer. But we can never deny that they are great fun! We use them everywhere - snapping our food on plates, candid portrait shots with friends, and even cute shots of your new baby! Here's some pointers to make the best of your cameraphone shots:

1. Take lots of photos (at the highest resolution) - Because you never know how it will look like on your computer screen or when it's printed out. It's hard to determine whether the photo is of good quality usually by just looking at your cameraphone's coloured screen. By default, set your camera to take shots at the highest resolution, unless you are sure that you will not catch those once-in-a-lifetime moments - and live to regret it. If you haven't already got a cameraphone, try to get one with at least 1 megapixel, and at least 256 MB memory card.

2. Take close shots - Because usually your subject may end up as a tiny little item in your view finder due to the low resolution, and inability to optically zoom in. Therefore, fill your viewfinder with the subject, showing just enough details to create an impact. As a general rule, have the subject about one or two feet apart from the camera. However be careful when going too close to take macro shots as there may be distortion due to poor macro ability of the cameraphones.

3. Keep your hand still - Cameraphones usually lack image stabilisation technology, and therefore will more often make or break a good shot. Try to lean your cameraphone against a stable surface (for example the top headrest of a chair.) If you have to use freehand, try this: Take a deep breath, let out 1/3 of the air, and hold your breath while attempting to take your shot. Depress on slowly.

4. NO Digital Zoom - Digital zooms are in effect software enlargements on the pixels, which does no justice to the clarity and sharpness to the photo, and in fact adds distortion to it. In fact, digital zoom effects can be achieved by use of most computer photo editing software. What we should be using here is Optical Zoom, where the image enlargement is achieved by adjusting the position of the camera zoom lenses. Sad to say, you have to achieve optical zooms by moving closer to the subject. See point 2.

5. Take subjects that are well lit - Cameraphones perform very badly under low light conditions. Take care to place your subjects under adequate lighting, or not to place them in the foreground against a brightly lit background, which may cause the 'silhouette' effect. Try moving your subject so that the light shines directly at them, and not behind or on top of them. At low light conditions, take more shots, and decide which one to keep after viewing on the computer.

6. Use a plain background - More often then not, the colours on a shot taken with a cameraphone will appear less vibrant and bright as compared to a normal digital camera. A shot with a plentiful of dull colours looks messy. Therefore to draw the attention to your intended subject, try to use a plain background to eliminate other distracting elements in the background.

7. Vary your shot angles - Because your cameraphone is usually smaller than a normal camera, you can twist and snug your camera in small corners and take shots at different angles. Put your creativity to work by taking shots diagonally or straight up from down. Besides, portrait shots taken from above usually makes a person thinner, and cuter.

8. Place your subjects off-center - Most photographers will tell you that photos with centered subjects are boring. Instead, try to place your subjects about a third from either side of the frame. This gives an interesting perspective of space on the background of the subject too. For starters, you can try using the "Rule of Thirds" to help you compose the picture. Mentally divide the viewfinder to 9 equal squares, and place your subject at the intersection of the horizontal 1/3 and the vertical 1/3.

Hope these tips will work for you. Have fun!

About The New Photographer

2005-01-01T22:03:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone, and thank you for visiting this site.

I'm a fair-weathered-photography enthusiast, who enjoys photography, as well as learning about it. I spend sometime in a week surfing the net and other media looking for ways to improve my skills and knowledge.

Those that I have learnt, I try to blog them down to serve as a quick reference for myself in the future. These blog entries, are written to the best of my knowledge, at my own interpretation. For all I know, I may have got certain concepts or terms wrong, and therefore I invite anyone to come forth to point out my mistake so that I (as well as other readers who chance upon the site) to learn from it.

To help me keep track of technical terms, I've classified them under SNT #, which is short for "Something New Today." So far that's the only form of categorisation I have.

For referenced entries, I take no credit for the marvellous content/images churned, and therefore I always create backlinks to the original source. For all other entries and images by me, I'd appreciate a link back if you do, in one way or another, use them.

I'm open to exchange website/blog links on my blog. For that, please feel free to drop me a mail and see how we can work things out.

Having said that, I am by no means an expert photographer. I'm just sharing what I've learnt in a form of a blog. I hope you all will enjoy the site. Have fun snapping!

I Hope You Like It

2005-01-01T13:42:00.000+08:00

Hey, thanks for coming to this page. Hope you've what you've seen on this blog so far. If is something that you think isn't quite right or just doesnt make it as you see, please drop me a mail so that I can work things out.

I've had a keen interest in photography after I was enlisted into National Service. When I got my first salary package, I spent it all on a Canon IXUS v3. It is a 3 megapixel, 2x optical zoom snap-and-shoot camera. My v3 was a superb camera. I was proud to bring it along where I went, not only because of its stylish looks, but also because the photos that it takes just beat its competitors hands down!

It's been a few years since I've got my v3, and I've had a great time with it. I've had fun experimenting with numerous photoblogs I've created, posted up photos on flickr and met up with a whole new community of friends. Photography is just fun!

Unfortunately, my v3 is now almost dying. The lenses cover gaps do not close properly; the battery goes easily flat in less than 40 flash shots; the optical viewfinder is fogged up; the casing has been heavily abused by scratches (thanks to my friends.)

I've been saving up for a new camera ... Hopefully to get a Canon 350D, or a Canon Powershot S2 IS, to get really started on some serious photography. I really hope you like what you're seeing on this site. And I hope you too have just a dollar to spare!