We’ll start this class by dipping a toe into the technical side of photography, beginning with a simple question: “What exactly is a camera, and what are its key components?” You may already know some of this, but covering it ensures we all share the same vocabulary.

In the strictest sense, a camera is just a device that captures light. It does so by focusing light onto a photosensitive surface. From this straightforward idea, we can see the three main parts of any camera.

A camera sensor captures light either through a chemical process (film) or an electronic one (digital). While they work differently, both can be seen as grids of tiny dots (pixels) that record light.

Three Key Sensor Qualities:

1. Resolution – The number of pixels in an image. More pixels mean finer details. A resolution of 5–6 megapixels is enough for screens, but higher resolutions are useful for printing and cropping.

• Printing: A good print requires 240–300 pixels per inch (dpi). A 6MP image (2000×3000 pixels) prints well at 8.3×12.5 inches at 240dpi.

• Cropping: Cutting parts of an image removes pixels, reducing resolution. Digital zoom (used in phones) is just cropping and can lower image quality.

2. Sensor Size – A bigger sensor improves image quality by allowing for:

• Better depth of field control

• Less noise in low light (better high ISO performance)

• A wider dynamic range (handling bright and dark areas better)

• Higher resolution or larger pixels

Bigger sensors (like those in DSLRs) generally produce better images than small ones (like phone cameras).

3. Sensor Quality – How well a sensor handles challenging lighting:

• Low light: Needs higher ISO with minimal noise.

• High contrast: Needs a good dynamic range to keep details in both bright and dark areas.

In general, a larger, high-quality sensor with good resolution will result in better images.

A lens is more than just a collection of glass and numbers it is the eye of a camera, shaping the way we see and capture the world. It bends and directs light, turning scattered rays into a clear, meaningful image. A great lens can create stunning depth, separate subjects from their background, and enhance details that might otherwise go unnoticed. It defines perspective, compresses or expands space, and influences the emotional tone of an image.

More than its specifications, a lens is a tool for storytelling. A wide-angle lens can immerse a viewer in a vast landscape, making them feel small within the scene, while a telephoto lens compresses distance, bringing distant elements together for dramatic effect. The aperture isn’t just a number it controls light and depth, shaping how a subject stands out against its surroundings. Even minor details, like how a lens handles flare or distortion, contribute to the character of an image.

Choosing a lens isn’t just about technical qualities; it’s about artistic intention. The best lens isn’t always the sharpest or most expensive—it’s the one that helps translate vision into reality. Whether it's capturing the fleeting expression of a portrait, the grandeur of a mountain range, or the intimacy of a quiet moment, a lens is the bridge between the photographer’s eye and the world they want to share.

Key Lens Features:

1. Focal Length – Determines zoom level and field of view, measured in millimeters (e.g., 24mm).

• A prime lens has a fixed focal length (e.g., 50mm).

• A zoom lens covers a range (e.g., 18-55mm).

• Compact cameras may list zoom as a multiplier (e.g., 8x).

• The field of view also depends on sensor size (crop factor).

2. Aperture (f-number) – Controls light entering the lens (e.g., f/2.8).

• Smaller f-number = larger aperture = more light.

• Larger f-number = smaller aperture = less light.

• A lens with a lower maximum f-number (e.g., f/2.8) performs better in low light.

3. Focusing System – Most lenses have autofocus motors and a manual focus ring.
   
   

4. Image Stabilization (IS/VR) – Reduces blur from hand movements by adjusting internal elements. This helps capture sharp images at slower shutter speeds. However, modern mirrorless cameras use sensor stabilization, making lens stabilization less essential.

A camera body is a light-sealed box that connects the lens to the sensor and controls the entire process. Modern digital cameras are essentially small computers with various features.  

Key Components of a Camera Body:  

1. Shutter – A curtain that opens to let light hit the sensor and closes after a set time (shutter speed). This can range from 30 seconds to 1/4000 of a second and affects exposure. Some cameras use an electronic shutter instead of a physical one.  

2. Light Meter – Measures light and adjusts exposure. Most modern cameras have advanced automatic metering that works well in most situations.  

3. Autofocus System – Detects focus and controls the lens motor. It uses either contrast detection or phase detection, both requiring sufficient light to function properly.  

4. Image Storage – In film cameras, this was a roll advance lever. In digital cameras, images are saved to a memory card. If shooting in JPEG, the camera processes the image before saving it.  

5. Viewfinder/Screen – Used to frame the shot.
Options include:  

   - Optical Viewfinder (DSLRs) – Shows a real-time view through the lens.  

   - Electronic Viewfinder (Mirrorless & Compact Cameras) – Displays a digital preview.  

   - LCD Screen – Found on most cameras and now highly usable for composing shots.  

Each of these components works together to capture and store an image, making the camera body a crucial part of photography.

What is focal length?

Put simply, focal length is what determines how “zoomed in” you are, also often called field of view (FOV). Focal length is an actual length, expressed in millimeters - it corresponds to the distance between the optical center of the lens and the film plane. The lower this number, the less zoomed in you are. You’ll hear photographers use the word “wide” to talk about this because you can see a large amount of the scene. Conversely, if the number is high, the angle will be “narrow,” and you will only see a small portion of what is in front of you. In this instance, you are zoomed in. Being extremely zoomed in is referred to as “telephoto.”  Some lenses, called “zoom lenses,” allow you to change your focal length. So-called “prime” lenses are fixed to one focal length. 

The choice of a focal length is the very first step in composing a photograph. Focal length determines framing, so in that way, it is one of the most important choices you make as a photographer - every other choice (exposure, depth of field, etc) are dependent on your decision in framing.

Going a bit deeper: Understanding Focal Length and Crop Factor

At its core, focal length determines your field of view (FOV). If you're not concerned with technical details, that's the key takeaway.

However, things get more complex when factoring in sensor size. The same focal length can produce different angles of view depending on the camera. For example, an 18mm lens on a medium format camera gives a wider view than on a compact camera.

This difference is due to the crop factor—a ratio comparing a camera's sensor size to the standard 35mm format. A smaller sensor results in a narrower angle of view. For instance, Nikon DX cameras have a 1.5x crop factor, meaning a 28mm lens on a DX camera gives the same view as a 42mm lens on an FX camera (28mm × 1.5).

Conversely, larger sensors require longer focal lengths for the same perspective. On a 4×5 large format camera, 150mm is a standard lens, whereas on a DSLR, it would be considered telephoto.

To simplify comparisons, lenses are often listed with a 35mm equivalent focal length, which translates different sensor sizes to a familiar reference.

When discussing focal lengths, be aware that the angle of view depends on the crop factor, which varies by camera. That’s why it helps to mention what gear you're using.

In practice, you might use a shorter focal length to emphasize depth and perspective or a longer one to compress space. Understanding this helps in composing better shots.

Fact or Fiction: Distortion and Compression

A common myth is that focal length itself causes distortion. You’ve probably seen comparisons showing exaggerated facial features at 18mm and more natural proportions at 80mm. But the real culprit isn’t the lens, it’s distance.

With an 18mm lens, the photographer must get very close to fill the frame, which exaggerates features like noses and foreheads. Step back far enough, and the proportions look normal. An 80mm lens, on the other hand, allows the photographer to stand farther away, avoiding this effect. The same principle applies to selfies—your arm just isn’t long enough to prevent distortion.

Compression, often mistaken as a lens effect, is actually a result of perspective. Longer focal lengths don’t physically change distances but make background elements appear closer to the subject. You’ve likely seen this demonstrated with a farmhouse in front of mountains—wide-angle shots make the mountains seem far away, while telephoto shots bring them forward, creating a “flattened” look. Photographers use this effect creatively to control depth and composition.

Focal Length Ranges

Now that you know more about focal length, let’s take a look at the different ranges usually found in lenses, and what their uses tend to be. Of course, there are many, many exceptions, but this is the “normal” use they were designed for. All focal lengths are given for 35mm sensor size (crop factor 1).

Ultra-Wide Angle (14-24mm): They are pretty specialized lenses as they will tend to exaggerate perspective to levels which can easily be disturbing. Our eyes are not used to such wide angles of view, and they will look unnatural, which can be used for artistic purposes. Landscape and architecture photographers love these focal lengths as they will create a lot of depth and emphasize perspective. These can make for cartoonish and fun portrait or action shots - seen sometimes in fashion and skateboard photography. Note that there are lenses even wider than this range, which create even more extreme and exaggerated perspectives.

Wide angle (24-35mm): Wide enough to show a lot of context, but not so wide that they look unnatural, they were used a lot by photojournalists. It is a good “default” focal range, which explains why most kit lenses include them (18-xx lenses on DX DSLRs, for instance).

Normal (40-75mm): What exact length a normal lens should be has been subject to a lot of debate, but it is estimated to be around 45mm. This is an angle of view which looks very natural and “inoffensive”, neither too wide nor too tele. It also corresponds more or less to the focal length we actually perceive (though due to peripheral vision, our eyes have an estimated 22mm focal). Street photographers love these lengths.

Mild tele (85-105mm): This is prime portrait category: long enough to isolate the face and create separation from the background (through shallow depth of field - more on this in another lesson) but short enough that you can still be within communicating distance from your subject.

Medium tele (120-300mm): Just like wide angle, this is a very prevalent focal length which can be used in most genres to isolate details and simplify compositions. For landscape work, remember about the “perspective flattening” effect.

Long and exotic tele (300-800mm): Those are specialized lenses for wildlife and sport photographers who need to get close to their subjects but can’t physically move. They are complex and very expensive lenses, and their angle of view is so narrow that it won’t be of much use to most photographers. Tripods and fat wallets are often required.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s enough to get you thinking consciously about your focal length choices. 

Two file types enter — one file type leaves (or…you know…raw+JPEG)

Introduction to image file types

You probably have already encountered the terms ‘JPEG’ (an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group) and ‘raw,’ in regards to file types. To really understand the difference between the two, we need to go back to the components of a camera. As you may remember, a digital sensor is a grid of photo-sensitive receptors. The result of an exposure is just a big bunch of numbers corresponding to the light level recorded at each pixel. This does not make a visible image. A number of steps are still required before an image can be viewed: obtaining color information for each pixel, applying white balance, adjusting contrast, sharpening, adjusting saturation, and possibly some other treatments.

There are two ways to perform this task. You can let your camera do it for you, with minimal input, resulting in a JPEG image file. Or, you can tell the camera to do as little as possible and perform each step yourself with dedicated software later on. This process requires a raw file.

So, what are raws and JPEGs, exactly?

JPEG has the advantage of simplicity. There is no need to spend additional time in front of a computer. In-camera processing has come a long way, and many skilled editors still use straight out of camera (SOOC) JPEG images as their final photo. Some camera manufacturers have become known for their SOOC images, notably Fujifilm and their film-replicating recipes. In some fields such as photojournalism and sports photography, JPEGs are commonplace for their speed of transfer and ability to rapidly push good looking images to editors for quick publication.

Raw files are more complex and will require additional effort from the photographer. There are, however, significant benefits - namely control over every aspect of the final image. Think of a raw file as all the ingredients to a sandwich laid out in front of you. It’s your job to cut the bread, assemble the meat and vegetables, and top it off with a sauce. The same principle applies to raw files. You have all the data there, and it’s up to you to make choices in exposure, white balance, contrast, color balance, sharpening, et cetera. 

Processing a raw file can feel daunting at first, but don’t stress over it too much at the moment. We have an entire unit about post processing coming up where we will learn how to turn raw files into the final image you’ve envisioned. For now, remember this key point: raw files give you more control over the final image. They also allow for more leeway in exposure at the time of shooting. 

You may be asking now - ‘why would I choose one over the other?’ There are some key points to acknowledge when choosing whether you’ll be working mostly in raw or JPEG. Most cameras allow you to record both simultaneously, as well. So, let’s look at the benefits of each.

Why choose JPEG?

As previously stated, there are a lot of instances in which JPEG is a great choice. Let’s look at some of the key benefits. While reading, think about how these benefits would present themselves in your personal shooting style and goals.

Smaller File Size: JPEG files are significantly smaller compared to Raw files. This is beneficial for saving storage space on memory cards and hard drives, and making it easier to manage and share a large number of images more quickly.

Ease of Sharing: JPEG is a universally supported format, making it easy to share images across different devices and online platforms without compatibility issues. It is widely accepted for web uploads and social media sharing. For photographers who are new to post-processing, JPEGs can be more approachable. The in-camera processing helps produce a polished image without the need for advanced editing skills or specialized software.

Simplified Editing and Faster Workflow: JPEG files require less post-processing compared to raw files. The in-camera processing applied to JPEGs, including color correction and compression, can save time in the editing process, especially for photographers who prefer a quick and efficient workflow.

In-Camera Adjustments: JPEG files allow photographers to apply various in-camera settings, such as white balance, sharpness, and color profiles. This can be advantageous for photographers who prefer to get the image “right” in-camera without extensive post-processing.

Continuous Shooting: The smaller file size of JPEGs allows for a greater number of continuous shots when using burst mode. This is particularly useful in fast-paced situations where capturing multiple frames per second is essential.

Why choose raw?

For many photographers, raw is the way to go. As we’ve already learned, raw files give us more latitude in our post processing. Let’s look at more key advantages to using raw. 

Higher Image Quality: raw files contain more data and information, preserving details and colors that may be lost in JPEG compression. This results in higher overall image quality, especially in situations with challenging lighting conditions.

Greater Dynamic Range: Raw files typically capture a broader dynamic range, allowing for better retention of details in both highlights and shadows. This is beneficial when photographing scenes with high contrast.

Non-Destructive Editing: Raw files allow for non-destructive editing, meaning adjustments can be made without permanently altering the original image data. This provides photographers with the freedom to experiment and refine their edits.

White Balance Adjustments: Raw files enable precise control over white balance during post-processing. Photographers can easily correct or fine-tune white balance settings without compromising image quality.

Adjustable Exposure: Raw files offer more latitude for exposure adjustments, allowing photographers to recover details in overexposed or underexposed areas. This flexibility is especially valuable in challenging lighting situations.

Flexible Color Correction: Raw files provide extensive control over color correction, allowing photographers to adjust hues, saturation, and color balance with greater precision. This is particularly useful for achieving accurate and consistent color representation.

More Editing Options: Photographers have more control over sharpening, noise reduction, tone and contrast, perspective, lens corrections, and much more.

Future-Proofing: Raw files contain all the original sensor data, making them more future-proof. As software and editing tools evolve, photographers can revisit raw files to take advantage of new processing capabilities without loss of image quality.

Customizable Compression: While JPEG files use lossy compression, raw files can be converted to various formats with different compression levels, allowing photographers to choose the most suitable file type for their specific needs.

Since raw files are not directly viewable, you will need software which can read and manipulate raw file types. We will go into more detail during our processing unit, but some popular options for software include:

• Adobe Lightroom (paid)

• Capture One (paid)

• ON1 Photo Raw (paid)

• DxO PhotoLab (paid)

• Affinity Photo (paid)

• RawTherapee (free)

• Filmulator (free)

• Darktable (free)

• Apple Photos (included in MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS)

• Brand Specific Software: your camera may have come with raw processing software specific to your brand such as Canon DPPS.

Introduction to digital workflow

Let's talk about (almost) everything that happens after you’ve hit the shutter and taken an image. This is what we call a workflow, which you can think of as a pipeline or a conveyor belt. Each step takes the result from the previous task and modifies the image, giving it to the next task in line. The whole process of organising your images and other multimedia files in something relatively organised bears the somewhat pompous name of digital asset management (DAM). You will have to pay attention to it sooner or later. The earlier you organise yourself, the easier and less time-consuming it will be.

Digital Workflow for Our Class

A well-structured workflow is essential for managing and organizing your images efficiently. This process ensures your files are safe, easy to find, and ready for editing.

Step 1: Capture Your Images

Use your DSLR camera to take high-quality photos.

Shoot in RAW, JPRG or RAW+JPEG format for maximum editing flexibility.

Keep track of your settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed) to understand how they affect your images.

Step 2: Offloading Your Photos

Remove the SD card from your camera and insert it into a card reader.

Create a dedicated folder in your Google Drive for your images (e.g., “Photography Class – 2025”).

Copy your photos from the SD card to this folder before deleting them from the card.

Step 3: Organizing Your Files

Rename files with a consistent format (e.g., “2025-02-PhotoAssignment-YourName”).

Use subfolders for different assignments or shoots.

Step 4: Editing & Post-Processing

Download your images to your editing software (Lightroom, Photoshop, or free alternatives like Darktable).

Make necessary adjustments to exposure, contrast, and composition.

Save edited versions in a separate folder while keeping the originals intact.

Step 5: Backup & Storage

Always keep your RAW files in Google Drive for safekeeping.

If possible, maintain a second backup on an external hard drive.

Organize your edited and final images for portfolio use.

By following this workflow, you'll develop good habits that keep your work organized, accessible, and protected.