There are many settings to discover if you want to take the strongest quality images, as you've seen through this whole photography settings chapter. All of these are great camera settings, but different types of photography require different camera settings, so feel free to use all of these as a general guide.
Become familiar with Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO, the three most important options, as these will have the greatest impact on your final image. It's critical to understand the basic camera switches and wheels and what they do, so surpass the theory and put them into action as it's the best way to understand them. Now off to the basic camera functions.
The depth of field of an image explains how much is in focus from front to back. The aperture and lens magnification both influence the depth of field. Portraits, for example, have traditionally used a shallow depth of field to blur the background. Landscapes, for example, typically use wider depth of field to ensure that the entire vista is in focus.
In aperture priority mode, you can set the aperture of the lens, and the camera will choose the appropriate shutter speed. This is useful if you want more control over your images' depth of field. Remember that F2.8 has a shallow depth of field and F16 has the majority of your image in focus. The only time I would suggest using AV Mode is when shooting day to night time-lapses.
Shutter priority is the inverse of aperture priority in that you set the shutter speed and the camera selects the appropriate aperture. This is ideal for sports or wildlife photography where shutter speeds must be controlled. Slow is 1/15th to 30th/sec, while fast is 1/500th/sec. Most digital SLR cameras have exposure times ranging from thirty seconds to about 1/8000th of a second. When shooting time-lapses, I strongly advise against using shutter priority mode.
Bulb mode is useful when you want complete control over your camera and want to regulate your shutter speed from an external source, or when you want to extend your exposure beyond thirty seconds.
You have complete command of the situation with manual mode. The camera's metering system will guide you, but you must manually set the shutter speed and aperture. For almost every situation, I would suggest shooting in manual mode.
When shooting a time-lapse, you should also consider framing and focal planes. When photographing subjects with multiple focal planes, you must decide which part of the image is most crucial. If you are uncertain what is most important, there are three alternatives: the first option is to purchase a system that can pull focus; the second is to manually focus; and the final option is to use hyper focus by selecting a focal point between the two topics and then halting down your lens. It is critical that if you choose a hyper focus, you do not select a subject that is incredibly close to your camera or one that is in the background, as almost everything will be out of focus if you select a point between the two.
You have control over how you want to capture space by adjusting the zoom/focal length of your lens. When you use a wider lens (one with a longer focal length), you capture a wider perspective, whereas when you use a longer lens, you compress space. Our eyes typically see a FOV of about 50mm. If your lens has IS or autofocus, turn them off.
Most DSLR processors aren't all that great. When I get a new camera, I usually turn off all internal computation before shooting with it and smooth up the image with computer software. When shooting with a Canon DSLR, you should disable a few settings, such as highlight tone priority and peripheral illumination correction. These possibilities may change based on your camera, so it is critical to go through your camera and do some research before heading out to shoot to get the most out of your camera.
Picture profiles serve several functions depending on whether you are shooting JPEG or RAW. When shooting JPEG, the picture profile is the look you bake into your image, whereas when shooting RAW, it is the temporary look you apply in camera.
My first piece of advice is to shoot in RAW format. If you must shoot JPEG, I recommend using a flatter profile with sharpness crafted in as desired.
You may be wondering why a flat profile is important. When you bake in color/contrast configurations into an image, you lose access to information that would have been accessible if you had shot flat. Imagine your sky is blown out, but you'd like to see some of the clouds that were present that day. It is not possible to recover a baked-in image style. You have a much better chance of recovering the clouds with a flat image, or if you under or overexpose your subject, you have a better chance of obtaining information that would otherwise be lost.
If you've ever wanted to record the dynamic nature of clouds floating by, or the rush and bustle of a downtown street on a busy midday, stars moving through the night sky, time-lapse can help you do so in expedited real-time videos. Time-lapse is a unique filming and video editor technique that alters the frame rate. The number of pictures or frames that show up in a second of video is referred to as the frame rate. Most videos have the same frame rate as well as playback speed. The data rate in a time-lapse video is stretched out much more: when replayed at normal speed, time appears to speed up.
Lens filters should not be confused with editing filters. Camera lens filters attach directly to your lens, improving image quality and protecting it from damage. Filters are classified into three types:
Even photographers with steady hands need to use a tripod from time to time. A good tripod will assist you in framing your shot and keeping the camera steady for clear images. Tripods are also essential for long exposure times.
You never know when the great shot will appear. So keep your camera close at hand with a camera strap. Invest in a few various possibilities so you can match your strap to your outfit. After all, the best accessory for a professional photographer is their camera!
Color correction cards can help transform gray shots into great shots. Use it to easily balance your colors for vivid photographs to get the perfect white balance every time.
An additional flash is a lighting device that can be attached directly to the body of your camera. When attempting to shoot in low-light conditions without access to a lighting kit, a flash is an excellent tool. You should use your external flash at events such as weddings, gatherings, and conferences.
If you prefer shooting in natural light, you should invest in a reflector or bounce. Reflectors lift natural light into shadows, resulting in a balanced image. They are less expensive than external flashes and are simple to use when shooting outside.
Invest in a light package that includes lamps, softboxes, extendable stands, and connectors for in-studio photography. Light kits provide the most control over lighting conditions, ensuring bright and centered portraits every time.
We finish this chapter with the other important camera equipment and we continue onto the next chapter to find out some interesting rules and principles of photography. Let’s dive deeper.