Writing Articles

Photography means ‘drawing with light’, and light is a critical element that separates a so-so photograph from a great one: how much, and where from.

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[B] How Much?[/B]
All but the oldest cameras contain a light meter that either offers you advice, or sets the camera for you to cope with the conditions you are shooting under. The meter may be set to consider the light at the centre of the scene, or more generally.
There are 3 basic controls for light – the aperture (the hole behind the lens where the light comes through) and the shutter speed, which are influenced by the light meter; and the ISO (sometimes ASA depending on the camera), which isn’t.
[B] Aperture[/B]
The width of the aperture, which is measured in ‘f-stops’ dictates how much light is coming in, and the smaller the number the greater the amount of light, so f1.8 is wide and f22 is narrow.
[B] Shutter Speed[/B]
The shutter speed controls how long the aperture is open. It’s like a tap- if it’s on full you get enough water faster than if it’s dribbling. This is measured in fractions of a second, and anything slower than 1/60th (which will show as 60) will cause camera shake unless you have a tripod or a steady pair of hands.
[B] ISO[/B]
The ISO setting dictates how sensitive the record you are making is to the light received. On a traditional camera this would be the type of film used and you would set the camera to recognise the film type, on a digital, it’s a setting buried in the menu. 100 is low sensitivity, 400 is high. If you are using film, the ISO affects contrast and ‘grain’- the higher the ISO the more contrast the resulting picture has, and the more visible the grain in the film.

If you set a point & shoot digital camera to manual these settings will be visible, but generally you can’t change them, apart from the ISO. On some cameras you can choose to lead with the shutter or the aperture in a semi automatic mode, or set both yourself, which is fine, if you have time to think about it- not great at a sporting event!

[B] When might the shutter speed matter?[/B]
Camera shake
On an overcast day, or indoors there is a risk of camera shake. You can use flash, or you can change your ISO setting to higher number. This means that the shutter can be open for a shorter period. Flash has its uses, but doesn’t always make beautiful pictures, especially indoors where it can create looming shadows behind your treasured grandchild.
Moving target
If the subject of your photo is moving you may end up with a blur. If you want to ‘freeze’ the action, you want as fast a shutter speed as you can manage- or flash.

[B]When might the aperture matter? [/B]
Focus
Are your pictures fuzzy?
However good the focussing on your camera, the aperture size also affects your focus! This is known as ‘depth of field’.
In poor light conditions or with a low ISO, when the aperture needs to be wide open, the amount of your picture that is in focus is limited. This might mean that your a portrait is only focussed at the tip of the nose, or a family group outside a tourist attraction gives you either the people in focus, or the attraction, not both. If you want every last pixel the entire length of that cathedral to be crisp, you need a large depth of field, and consequently a narrow aperture (22) for which you may need a bigger ISO (400).

[B]Where From?[/B]
In the days of black and white photography the direction and intensity of the light was all there was to create drama in a picture. Colour changes that, but lighting affects even the brightest scene and can change a good picture to a great one.
Traditionally we are told to have the sun at our back when taking pictures, and this certainly allows the scene to be well-lit, but can lead to a rather flat, ‘postcard’ image; and you run the risk that your shadow has a starring role in the picture.

[B]Atmosphere[/B]
Consider positioning yourself so that there is light from the side, or only ¾ behind you- the shadows cast by your subject make it stand out from the surroundings, if the light is from a limited source (a window or a lamp) you can get a very atmospheric result using a pool of light in an otherwise dark picture.
Early morning and late afternoon can provide dramatic long shadows and a rich quality of light, so don’t be scared to experiment.

[B]Back-lit Scenes[/B]
What if you can’t chose, and you are shooting straight into the sun? Sometimes that is exactly what you want- I have a great picture of my partner silhouetted against a sunset on a castle battlement, however if this isn’t the look you are going for, there are things you can do:
Use the setting on the camera that looks like a head with a star to one side. Depending on the light conditions, this will either produce fill in flash, or open the aperture a couple more stops to compensate.
You can also do either of these yourself manually if your camera allows it, but there are drawbacks to both options - the flash won’t be strong enough to illuminate a building for example, and opening the aperture can bleach out the sky to some extent, and of course, you lose some depth of field.
So decide what in the picture matters- the sky, or what’s on the ground? If you aren’t interested in what’s happening sky-wise, move your camera so that as little sky will be in your picture as possible- this will allow your automatic light metering to balance for the people/building/trees…

So you have your camera- you know what the light can do for you… time for action.