How Equipment: Camera, Meter, Flash, Tripod Changed My Life for the Better

An Expert Guide to Equipment: Camera, Meter, Flash, and Tripod in 2022-23

Photography 101 Part 1

Photography 101

First part

Equipment: camera, meter, flash, tripod

This article is a simplified photography course aimed at new photographers who want to know where to start.

If you really want to learn photography, the first thing you need is a good, cheap and reliable camera. It is imperative, and I repeat, to be able to shoot in both fully manual and fully automatic focus modes. (That leaves almost any digital camera on the market right now, sorry.) To really learn photography, you have to understand the equipment. You'll learn how manipulating shutter speed, aperture and focus can have a dramatic effect on your photos. Meters If you have a camera that can work in full manual mode, you should have an internal meter that's appropriate for what you're doing. Whether it's a tripod, portrait work or landscape, you need one. Thankfully, you won't have to spend a lot of money here. Just something light and durable. Flash, you can buy a separate camera mounted flash, which is better if you can afford it. Consider what kind of photography you are doing. If you're going to be doing mostly nature and landscapes, you'll only need the fill flash that comes with most cameras today. If you plan to do portraits alone, consider a camera-mounted flash that has an adjustable angle.

Movie, movie speed must be right. Slow speeds (25 to 400) are for portrait and landscape photography. Fast shutter speeds (600 and up) for action shots and photojournalism purposes. So first you know what you are going to photograph and make sure you have the right film for the job.

Now that your camera is loaded with film, consider the shutter speed. Do you want motion blur, or freeze? If there is no shutter speed, what would be the shutter speed to expose the scene with natural light? 1/60th and below the bulb setting will cause too much motion blurFor example, if you want to simulate the fluidity of a liquid, a setting of 1/30th should work. (You'll need a tripod, though.) 1/125th is a common setting for most shots. Many cameras have the 125th setting marked in a different color to make it more obvious. If you want to freeze the action you need to start at 1/500th and work from there. The faster the speed, the faster the shutter speed needed to stop motion. Most cameras go down to 1/2000th of a second. If you're trying to use natural light in a scene, you'll want to determine the aperture and then see what shutter speed is needed to properly expose the scene for the available light. (Remember that sometimes there needs to be more light.)

Aperture, these are the set of numbers on your lens closest to the camera body. They can range from 1.8 to 22 and are called F-stops. These numbers determine how much light reaches the film inside your camera. Most internal meters will flash at the appropriate aperture for the shutter speed you set, or if the speed you set is correct for your f-stop speed. Both F-stop and shutter speed can be changed to better frame the scene. Consider that the faster the shutter speed, the more light is needed to properly expose the sceneIt makes sense if you think about it. If the shutter is not as open as a long, fast shutter speed, there is less light on the film, and therefore the scene must be brighter to properly expose. To learn, bracket your shots. Take the first shot at the aperture suggested by your meter, move up a stop, take a photo, down one, take another photo.

Flash, I personally like to shoot with natural light as much as possible and most of all I use fill flash. But if you're going to do portrait work, you'll probably be indoors a lot of the time and you'll need the occasional flash. For amateurs the flash units on top of most cameras today are great for basic work. You will need to read your manual on your specific flash unit to find out what it can and cannot do. Here are fully manual and fully automatic cameras that are great for amateurs. You can usually set it so that the camera meters and sets the flash output accordingly, and you can still control the shutter speed and aperture.

This week's assignment: make several rolls of 400 speed film, find a subject you can work with that doesn't move, and shoot a roll of film. Shoot a few rolls in the morning, afternoon and evening. Bracket each shot, taking notes on the time of day and lighting conditions and what your settings (aperture) were for each frame, keeping the film speed the same for the entire roll. Develop the film and examine the photographs. You should be able to see the difference in each frame. You repeat this process

If you really want to learn photography, the first thing you need is a good, cheap and reliable camera. If you are going to be doing mostly nature and landscapes, you will only need the fill flash that comes with most cameras today. So first you know what you are going to photograph and make sure you have the right film for the job. If you want to freeze the action you need to start at 1/500th and work from there. If you are trying to use natural light in a scene, you will want to determine the aperture and then see what shutter speed is needed to properly expose the scene for the available light.(Remember that sometimes there is not enough light). 

Most internal meters will flash at the appropriate aperture for the shutter speed you set, or if the speed you set is correct for your f-stop speed. Consider that the faster the shutter speed, the more light is needed to properly expose the scene makes sense if you think about it. If the shutter is not as open as a long, fast shutter speed, there is less light on the film, and therefore the scene must be brighter to properly expose. But if you are going to do portrait work, you will probably be indoors a lot of the time and you will need the occasional flash. You can usually set it so that the camera meters and sets the flash output accordingly, and you can still control the shutter speed and aperture.

Consider that the faster the shutter speed, the more light is needed to properly expose the sceneIt makes sense if you think about it. You can usually set it so that the camera meters and sets the flash output accordingly, and you can still control the shutter speed and aperture.If you are going to be doing mostly nature and landscapes, you will only need the fill flash that comes with most cameras today.If If you really want to learn photography, the first thing you need is a good, cheap and reliable camera. Most internal meters will flash at the appropriate aperture for the shutter speed you set, or if the speed you set is correct for your f-stop speed.

How To Best SOME TIPS FOR USING B&W FILM AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE RESULTS.

How To Make Your HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR USING B&W FILM AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE RESULTS

Sometimes it's hard to find but it's making a resurgent, black and white film. If you have never used this film, now is the time to try it. Here are some tips for using B&W film and what you can expect from the results.

1. Forget color. This is the hardest thing to do and the number one reason you won't get great results with B&W film.

2. Look at the contrast. Once you can ignore the color, look for contrast. You want your image to have a bit more contrast than a normal color image.

3. Consider shooting situations that are more formal. Black and white film gives such an image a wonderful timelessness and is perfect for formal situations.

4. Keep your photos simple. Black and white film makes it easy, so don't fight it. Keep the image simple by placing it close to your subject or placing your subject in front of a simple back drop.

5. Kids and pets look great on B&W film. Place a pet or child on a white background and you will be shocked by the beautiful results.

It is wonderful for portraits and formal events. After shooting a few rolls of B&W you'll find that you start to focus more on the composition of your images, because you don't have to worry about color. If you are learning photography, try using B&W film for a while, it will help you teach yourself good composition. Think light and dark, black and white, and good composition and you'll find that B&W film can be your whole new hobby.

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paul Kelly Paul is a freelance nature and landscape photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally.

Sometimes it's hard to find but it's making a resurgent, black and white film. If you have never used this film, now is the time to try it. Here are some tips for using B&W film and what you can expect from the results.1. This is the hardest thing to do and the number one reason you will not get great results with B&W film.2. You want your image to have a bit more contrast than a normal color image.3. Black and white film gives such an image a wonderful timelessness and is perfect for formal situations.4. Place a pet or child on a white background and you will be shocked by the beautiful results. After shooting a few rolls of B&W you will find that you start to focus more on the composition of your images, because you do not have to worry about color. If you are learning photography, try using B&W film for a while, it will help you teach yourself good composition. Think light and dark, black and white, and good composition and you will find that B&W film can be your whole new hobby.

Here are some tips for using B&W film and what you can expect from the results. Kids and pets look great on B&W film. This is the hardest thing to do and the number one reason you won't get great results with B&W film. Here are some tips for using B&W film and what you can expect from the results.1. If you are learning photography, try using B&W film for a while, it will help you teach yourself good composition. If you are learning photography, try using B&W film for a while, it will help you teach yourself good composition. This is the hardest thing to do and the number one reason you will not get great results with B&W film.2.

How To Improved Our USING FILM SPEED EFFECTIVELY

How To Make More USING FILM SPEED EFFECTIVELY

Use film speed effectively

So you have this cool new camera. Now more than ever you are standing in front of movie screenings. All you want to do is take some great family photos, but you don't know where to start. 

Film speed is a number that represents the film's sensitivity to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive it is to light, requiring less light to take a well-exposed photo. The number is also an indicator that you will receive from the negative. The higher the number, the more grain you'll see in the print when you magnify. The film speed becomes 25 to 1600 speed film.

25 to 200 Best for still life and portrait work, studio conditions where lighting is controlled. This camera mount is not film for indoor family shots with flash. You really need a perfect lighting setup to use this film effectively. 200 speed film is great for sunny outdoor conditions when you're trying to get a beautiful landscape shot. It delivers excellent details and color saturation.

400 is considered an all-purpose film. Most films labeled as all-purpose or general-purpose are actually 400-speed films. When in doubt use 400 speed film. However you are still using your camera mounted flash in room lighting conditions. Also good for outdoor conditions, giving you some flexibility in dark conditions and where you're trying to capture a moving subject.

The 800 to 1200 is designed to capture fast-moving subjects in all lighting conditions. People are running, playing ball etc. If you want to frame the action of a baseball game, this is what you want. This film speed can be used to capture fast-moving wildlife such as birds, but you'll see less detail if you zoom in to a size larger than 16 by 20.

Unless you're shooting a car or boat race, you probably won't need this much film. Don't use it for nature and landscape images as the lack of detail will be apparent in detail.

Most of the time you will only need 400 speed film for the original snapshots. But it doesn't hurt to use the other speed for special occasions, you'll see the difference.

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paul Kelly Paul is a freelance nature and landscape photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently he has started his business Kelly Paul Photography

How I Improved My TRAVEL AND SIGHTSEEING PHOTOGRAPHY 101

How We Improved Our TRAVEL AND SIGHTSEEING PHOTOGRAPHY 101

When you're driving through the mountains somewhere, and you see a car parked halfway down the road and someone swerving left with your Rebel 2000 camera to avoid a branch in the act of focusing If yes, then you have met me. I do this because, for me, a trip is not complete unless I preserve that beauty for posterity. I want to share some of the techniques that make nature photography such a wonderful artform - simple, yet elegant.

First of all, equipment. As cheap as disposable cameras suggest, get real. These cameras have rear lenses that I call "spam" lenses.  They perceive everything with the same vagueness and monotony. As long as you don't use blur for artistic effect, good photos are clear. Intensity comes from an adjustable lens. This can be a fixed lens or a zoom, but it needs to focus specifically for each photo. Fixed lenses are limited for scenic shots, where you may have to travel a long distance to frame the shot Zooms get my vote, although they often don't have wide apertures, which limits their capabilities in low-light situations.

Practically speaking, an SLR is the absolute best. They are lighter, and can be used with higher quality lenses. Film SLRs are less expensive, but have the limitations of film, which means you have to develop more of it. Digital SLRs are very expensive, so go with a film SLR or a high quality basic digital camera for the budget conscious. With digital, resolution is also an important factor, so check the specifications before buying.

OK, we have the camera, passions are running high, and it's great, but not great! Sometimes I find a spot that's so nice, I start shooting like crazy, only to be disappointed with the photos. What happened to passion? When you experience a place, there are sounds, smells and winds as well as the sights of that place. Needless to say, you can't photograph all of these elements, only the visuals. When we are overwhelmed by a sight to see, we are often overwhelmed by all of these elements.

So what to do now? View with your camera. The viewfinder doesn't lie (usually). Try to see what you see as the finished image. Most people take pictures freely, hoping somehow the shot will turn out great. If you're wondering how the pictures turned out when you were on your way to the drugstore, you're doing something wrong. The moment you click on the image, you should know exactly what you're getting. (With digital of course, that's not a trick!)

Now, I was a bit pretentious in saying that you can't capture all the elements of a scene. You can point them out. For starters, speed. Yes, even a still image has motion. There's a before, during, and after of your photo. In a mountain vista, you might find something that suggests motion, whether it's a tree branch swaying in the wind, or a river flowing through a valley below. They add a sense of speed.

Then there's the "rule of thirds". When you have the main object of the photo smack-dab in the middle, it's static and boring. Give it a third of a way in any direction, and you mean speed. In landscape photos, keep the horizon in the upper or lower third, not the middle.

Remember, when a person looks at a picture, his eyes move. You want to frame your picture to aid in that movement. If you find some lines in the scene, such as a horizon, cloud formation, forest path, etc., use them in interesting ways and with the rule of thirds to draw your viewer's eye into the image.

Avoid "summit syndrome". You go to the top of Mount Washington and shoot majestic vistas. Great picture comes out... boring! How? There is no point of view. Large scenes will be flat unless you have an object in the foreground to give them perspective, like a rock or tree. Then the eye really realizes how big the scene is. The people enjoying the scene are the real winners, as viewers can identify with their own emotions, giving the image a real impact.

cheese! Yes, you need to take family photos. It is necessary. But when you do this, make sure they show the location of the photo. Alternatively, you can also do this in your driveway. Find a way to tell a story in pictures, like little Sarah climbing the rocks near a waterfall.

Finally, any element of the image that appeals to more than just the visual senses will set it apart You can almost hear them saying the next line. If you photograph a garden, the viewer can smell the fragrance of the flowers. an accordion in the corner