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SHORT GUIDE TO PHOTOGRAPHY
A SHORT GUIDE TO PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography can be a rewarding pursuit. It is a broad and disciplined field that can take years to
master. But the pleasure in making photographs and the joy of capturing a magical moment cannot
be compared. The guide is an introduction to some basic photographic principles.
The lens aperture controls not only expo-
sure, but also depth of field; the area
between the closest object in focus and
the furthest object in focus. The larger the
aperture value, the greater the depth of
field. The smaller the aperture value, the
shallower the depth of field. The required
shutter speed for the exposure increases
with the aperture value. Usually landscape
photographs use a large depth of field
(large aperture value) to keep the fore-
ground and background in focus, and por-
traits use a shallow depth of field (small
aperture value) to separate the subject
from the background.
Depth of field also changes with focal
length. The smaller the focal length, the
greater the depth of field; the longer the
focal length, the shallower the depth of
field.
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The shutter controls not only exposure, but also
the ability to stop motion. Fast shutter speeds are
used in sport photography to stop action. Slow
shutter speeds can be used to show the flow of
motion such as water cascading over a waterfall.
The use of a tripod is recommended with slow
shutter speeds.
The change in aperture and shutter speed is not apparent in the live image. Unlike film cameras,
test photographs can be taken and immediately viewed. For critical work, take a test photograph at
the set aperture or shutter speed and view the result in Quick View (p. 30). The image can be delet-
ed if not acceptable and another test image can be taken at a different setting.