Aperture - The Amount of Light

Aperture is the opening in the lens that controls the AMOUNT of light that you allow to enter the camera. 

It is measured in a thing we call the F number.



As you decrease the size of the Aperture you increase the amount of the picture that is in focus. This is called Depth of field.

Watch the following video for a good explanation of how Aperture works. We'll began using different F Stops and doing Depth of Field exercises later in class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUbjkMm_v-A


Depth of Field is the amount of the image that is in sharp focus

Here is the a link that describes how and when to use Aperture Priority

Here's link that descibes how to take better pictures using Aperture Priority.

Use the Nikons to experiment with Depth of Field around the building. Take pictures with both Shallow and Deep Depth of Field. We'll post them next class.

AP Images Critique

Today you will choose a photo from AP Images to critique. Follow the example below to do your critique.

1. Copy the Image (or use the Snipping tool) to upload the photo to your blog.

2. Add the link from the AP site to your blog.

3. Paste the description of the photo from the AP site to your blog.
Description: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men pray ahead of the Jewish New Year at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray in Jerusalem's old city, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013. Israelis happily welcomed the Jewish New Year late Wednesday despite uncertainty and turmoil brewing on both its northern and southern borders. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

4. Answer the following:

• Who was the photographer?
• What country and city was the photo taken in?
• What event was photographed?
• Describe the event that was photographed.
• Why is the event newsworthy? Why is it important to us?

5. Write a Critique. Use the Critique Guide in the link above.

Shutter Speed Exercise - Post to your blog

In 3 correctly exposed (not underexposed or overexposed) capture an example of the following:

• Freezing Action
• Motion Blur
• Tracking 

Label each picture with the shutter speed and ISO you used. 


See the examples below.....

Freezing Action
Shutter Speed 1/1250 seconds
ISO 3200

Motion Blur
Shutter speed 1.6 seconds
ISO 100

Tracking
Shutter Speed 1/3 seconds
ISO 400

Shutter Speed - Capturing Motion

The next Fundamental of Exposure we will explore is Shutter Speed.

Shutter Speed is - The amount of TIME you let light into the camera.

Shutter Speed is measured in seconds or fractions of a second.

For example:

1" = 1 second

1/2 = 1 half second

1/125 = 1 one hundred twenty-fifth of a second

A Shutter Speed of 1 second is considered SLOW, and as it moves into fractions of a second, such as 1/125, the Shutter Speed is described as FAST.

By changing shutter speeds you not only control how long light enters the camera but also how motion is captured in your image. You can Freeze the movement of your subject, Show Motion Blur, or Track your subject.

Here is an example of how shutter speed shows motion blur or freezes action.

Use the Thumb dial to set the Shutter Speed. In the screen below, the Shutter Speed is set at 1/60, or one sixtieth of a second. 1/60 is basically a dividing line between slow and fast shutter speeds.

Follow this link for a description of how shutter speed works.

We will now have a hands-on practice session and I will demonstrate how to change the Shutter Speed on the Nikon DSLRs.

Next you will practice taking

Today we will use various shutter speeds to:
1. Freeze motion (fast shutter speed of 1/125 or higher)
2. Create a Motion Blur (Shutter speed around 1/15 or slower)
3. Tracking - Panning (Shutter Speed about 1/60)

ISO Excercise - Blog Post - Due Today

Last class we discussed ISO, what it means, and how to change the ISO settings on the camera.

Today we will explore how changing the ISO settings affects the pictures we take.

Today you will go out for 10-15 minutes and take the following pictures:

• Set the ISO to 100 and take 1 picture somewhere inside the building
• Set the ISO to 800 and take 1 picture somewhere inside the building
• Set the ISO to HI 02 and take 1 picture somewhere inside the building
• Set the ISO to 100 and take 1 picture outside
• Set the ISO to 800 and take 1 picture outside
• Set the ISO to HI 02 and take 1 picture outside

Upload each picture to a blog post titled "ISO Exercise" and label each picture according to ISO and location (inside or outside).

Answer the following questions.

What happens to the pictures with low ISO inside?
What happens with high ISO inside?
What happens with low ISO outside?
What happens with high ISO outside?

How does the medium (800) affect the pictures?

ISO - The Camera's Sensitivity to Light

ISO is  how sensitive the sensor in the camera is to light.

Low ISO = Low Sensitivity to Light
High ISO = High Sensitivity to Light

The ISO numbers double as they increase: 100 - 200 - 400 - 800, etc. Notice that this means each setting makes the camera twice as sensitive to light as the previous setting.

The ISO ranges from 100 to 3200 and above. There is also a "High 01" and High 02" setting.

Here are some links that go into greater detail about ISO.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography

http://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2014/02/19/what-is-iso-camera-sensitivity-settings-and-the-best-ways-to-use-them/

You should always try to use the LOWEST ISO POSSIBLE to obtain the best quality image.

The Basics of Exposure

Exposure is the action of letting a certain amount of light into the camera through the lens for a certain amount of time. The light then hits the camera sensor and the image is captured.

There are three basic elements to Exposure:
ISO - The Camera's sensitivity to light
Shutter Speed - The time (in seconds) that light is allowed into the camera
Aperture - How much light is allowed into the camera

We will learn about each of these elements of Exposure over the next few weeks.


Exposure Guide dot com
http://www.exposureguide.com/exposure.htm

Exposure Basics from Nikon
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/fue0dnl6/a-basic-look-at-the-basics-of-exposure.html