A Short Course in Digital Photography: Chapter 1 - Notes

All cameras have 4 things in common:
1. An image forming lens
2. Light sensitive surface
3. Light-tight container
4. Exposure control

Camera's main function: to help you view, focus, and expose the scene

How does it work?

Viewfinder: Shows the frame/picture you're about to capture
Lens: brings object into/out of focus
Shutter: Dictates how long light is let into the sensor
Aperture: Dictates how much light/how intense the light is that is let into the sensor
Sensor: Converts light -> electrical signal (to be stored in SD/Memory Card)

Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO (ISO: Describes sensor's sensitivity to light) determine the correct exposure for pictures


How to take photos:
1. Set Basic Menu Options:
 - File type/Resolution
 - ISO speed
 - White Balance
2. Focus
3. Exposure: dependent on ISO setting
 - Shutter Speed
 - Aperture
Manual exposure setting: histogram and meter reading (in camera tests)
Automatic exposure:
 - full auto: sets aperture and shutter speed for you
- aperture priority: you set aperture, camera selects shutter speed
- shutter priority: you set shutter, camera selects aperture

Starter Tips:
1. Get closer
2. Try new angles
3. Look at background (and foreground) for distracting info

More info on Shutter Speed:
Fast = bigger denominator = sharp subject (when moving)
Slow = smaller denominator = blurry subject (when moving)
Freezing, blurring, panning

More info on Aperture:
Large = f/16: least light = more depth of field
Small = f/2: most light = less depth of field
each 'f-stop' = half as much light as the one before