The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography

1/4 SEC. AT f/4.5, ISO 100, 28–135MM LENS AT 53MM

Senior Acquisitions Editor: Victoria Craven

Senior Development Editor: Alisa Palazzo

Designer: Areta Buk/Thumb Print

Senior Production Manager: Ellen Greene

Front cover photos by Jim Miotke

Cover design by Areta Buk/Thumb Print

First published in 2005 by Amphoto Books an imprint of Watson-Guptill Publications

Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York

www.crownpublishing.com

www.watsonguptill.com

Copyright © 2005 Jim Miotke

Drawings by Melody Hauf

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Miotke, Jim.

      The BetterPhoto guide to digital photography / Jim Miotke.

          p. cm.

      Includes index.

      eISBN: 978-0-8174-0018-7

   1. Photography—Digital techniques. 2. Digital cameras. I. Title.

      TR267.M85 2005

      775—dc22

                                                                   2005010989

All rights reserved.

rh_3.1_c0_r1

Also Available as an eBook:

BetterPhoto Basics

The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure

Available Spring 2011

The BetterPhoto Guide to Photographing Children

Available Spring 2011

The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Nature Photography

Available Spring 2011

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Also Available

Introduction

CHAPTER 1

Getting to Know Your Digital Camera

Your Particular Kind of Camera

Lens Options

The LCD Screen

EXIF: A Confusing Acronym for a Very Cool Feature

ASSIGNMENT Familiarize Yourself with Your Camera and Learn How to View EXIF Data

CHAPTER 2

Figuring Out What to Shoot

Previsualizing and Planning

Photographing What You Love

Take the Camera Everywhere

ASSIGNMENT Begin Gathering Ideas

CHAPTER 3

File Formats, Quality Settings & Resolution

Art as Ones and Zeros

JPEG

TIFF

Raw

Storage and Memory Card Options

Pixel Resolution

ASSIGNMENT Shoot JPEG, TIFF, and Raw

CHAPTER 4

Exposure

The Exposure Triangle

ASSIGNMENT Create Your Own Exposure Charts

ISO

ASSIGNMENT Learn about Noise

Shutter Speed

ASSIGNMENT Stop or Blur Action

Aperture

ASSIGNMENT Control Depth of Field

Exposure Problems

Using the Histogram

Changing Exposure Settings

Other Ways to Adjust Exposure: Lock, Compensate, or Recompose

ASSIGNMENT Change and Control Your Exposure

CHAPTER 5

Light

The Characteristics of Light

Time of Day

Understanding White Balance

White Balance Choices

Selecting an Everyday White Balance Setting

Saving White Balance for When You’re at Your Computer

ASSIGNMENT Shoot the Same Scene throughout the Day

CHAPTER 6

Composition, or What Goes Where

Will the Real Subject Please Stand Up?

Move Closer

The Truth about Digital Zooms

Getting Superclose: Macro Modes and Lenses

ASSIGNMENT Go Macro

The Rule of Thirds

Vertical vs. Horizontal

ASSIGNMENT Apply the Rule of Thirds to a Vertical Composition

Cropping in Camera vs. Cropping on the Computer

Telephoto Lenses: Good for Getting Close and More

Altering Your Point of View

ASSIGNMENT Get Down, Get Up, Get Wacky, Get Wild

Graphic Elements

Framing

ASSIGNMENT Make Use of Line, Shape, Pattern, and Framing

Glossary

Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide

The Very Least You Need to Know about Software

ASSIGNMENT Print an Image

Resources

Further Reading

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Index

Introduction

IN THE PIONEER DAYS of photography, photographers had to be part-time chemists. They mixed potions and caustic powders together themselves to make images appear on paper, glass, and metal. Then Kodak introduced the Brownie, with the slogan You press the button—we do the rest. Kodak was betting on the general shopper’s reluctance to become an at-home chemist. And, as history has shown us, the bet paid off.

We see the same pattern repeating itself today. When digital cameras first became popular, people filled them up with pictures and then struggled to figure out how to get these images off of the camera and printed on home printers. This required learning a lot more than just photography. So, many companies now provide services to help digital photographers turn their digital images into beautiful prints. For instance, they can insert their memory card into a kiosk at a local photo lab, order prints from stores like Costco or Wal-Mart, or upload their photos to online companies for print ordering via the Web.

This means that anyone who wants to put off learning about computers, software, and printers can leave these lessons for a future time, focusing instead on photographic techniques. For this reason, this book focuses on shooting techniques, rather than software techniques. We’re going to take things one step at a time and concentrate first on the art of taking great pictures.

This book is entirely about making great photos with your digital camera. It is not about altering images on your computer, and it is not about scanning your old film pictures into your computer. We are here to focus on what you need to know in order to make great photos. It’s true that you can do a lot to improve your photos by tweaking them on the computer. However, since most of us only have so much time in the day, this book avoids lengthy discussions of Photoshop and cuts right to the chase. I will discuss only those software techniques that you really need to know.

Likewise, this book will not discuss how to set up your computer, printer, or e-mail account; I fully understand that these are important concepts for most digital photographers, but they are beyond the scope of this book. I’ve kept the focus here on technique—on how to make better photos with a digital camera while out in the field.

If you are converting from film photography, you may recognize many of the topics that we explore. That’s because many aspects of exposure, composition, and lighting apply equally to both film and digital photography. All the same, digital photography introduces a few new quirks that we’ll discuss in detail. By presenting both the traditional principles of photography and these digital aspects, this book is the perfect starting point for any photographer, whether you’ve been shooting film for a while or you are just now getting into photography for the first time.

A QUICK LOOK AT EQUIPMENT

I’m assuming that you already own a digital camera. The real question is, What kind of digital camera do you own? There are a few major types:

COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERAS. I refer to these as digicams from time to time throughout the book, and less frequently as point-and-shoots. These cameras are very small and usually feature a zoom lens, the ability to creatively control aperture and shutter speed, as well as a few other fun features. However, what you see through the viewfinder of this type of camera often is not exactly what you will get in the final composition.

One of the great advantages of shooting digital is that, because there’s no expense on film and developing, you can shoot almost as much as you like. All you need to do is come prepared with plenty of memory-card storage. This freedom is truly one of the great benefits of shooting digitally. For example, as we walked down a village lane in the Cotswolds in England, my son discovered this interesting doorknocker. I was free to make countless images of him as he approached and played spontaneously with it. The entire time, I didn’t have to worry about wasting film and spending a fortune having my pictures developed.

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DIGITAL SINGLE-LENS-REFLEX (SLR) CAMERAS. These are bigger and bulkier than the compact cameras but much more flexible and powerful when it comes to getting creative with your photography. What you see through the viewfinder is what you get in the final image. This makes it easier for you to clearly see when the subject is in focus and when the scene is composed exactly the way you want it to be composed. These cameras are designed so that you can use a variety of lenses, giving you ultimate flexibility when it comes to image magnification. The fact that you can get extremely close to distant subjects with a particular lens is just one of the many benefits of an SLR. Furthermore, they do not suffer from shutter lag—the delay that some compact digicams have when the shutter button is pressed.

CELLULAR CAMERA PHONES AND LOW-END POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERAS. Although these fun kinds of digital cameras have been limited and low quality in the past, many manufacturers are beginning to add interesting features, such as zoom lenses and higher pixel resolutions. You may not be able to control some important settings when using these cameras, but you can, at the very least, apply my guidelines on composition, lighting, and subject selection.

Regardless of which kind of digital camera you use, this book will help you take better pictures. If you want to get especially creative, the camera should feature the ability to easily change aperture and shutter speed.

For most of my photographic work, I use a digital SLR—and I highly recommend it. With this kind of camera, you can take amazing photos with great ease and convenience. If I ever were to steer someone toward a compact digicam, the reason would be that the size of such a compact camera makes it much easier to carry around than a SLR. If the bulkiness factor keeps you from taking the camera with you everywhere you go, then by all means, get a smaller camera.

If you already have a compact digicam, don’t worry about it being too limited. Simply try the guidelines and techniques presented in this book and see how it goes. If you find that your camera does a great job, run with it. If you decide that you’d like more power and don’t mind the additional bulk, upgrade to a digital SLR. Today’s market offers several SLRs and price ranges to fit your budget.

We’ll discuss features that are nice to have in your camera in the first chapter, but for now, the most important functions are the ability to control aperture and shutter speed. This particular kind of creative control will take you a long way when it comes to capturing unique and beautiful images.

If you don’t already have a digital camera and are turning to this book for guidance in that arena, no problem. I can help you. Simply turn to the Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide at the back of this book.

Other than a good camera, all you need is a memory card and a tripod. With printing kioskspractically on every corner, you don’t even really need your own computer or software. As I mentioned earlier, you can simply take your camera or memory card to one of these kiosks to have your favorite photos printed.

A Note about the Images

I made all of the images in this book with a digital camera. I resisted the temptation to include scanned versions of my older slides because I wanted you to see firsthand that you can create excellent images digitally. And, to drive home that point, most of the images reflect the original in-camera composition; in other words, I didn’t crop them after I made them to improve the composition. Only a few images in the chapter on composition, and a few others that I designate as cropped in the caption, were trimmed after the fact.

What’s more, I made all of these images with an affordable digital camera. While most of the photos were created with a digital SLR, it was not an especially expensive camera. My point is that you too can create these kinds of images. Don’t allow yourself to think, Oh sure, he can do it because he has such an awesome camera. I can’t do that! While equipment is important, how you use the equipment you have is more important.

I SEE, I HEAR, I DO: LEARNING BY EXPERIENCE

The guidelines presented in this book come from practical experience. If I haven’t tested it out myself, I’ll tell you. Having said that, these guidelines are just my personal thoughts and opinions. To really learn these concepts and make up your own mind about each technique, I encourage readers to go out shooting. That’s why you’ll find, at the end of each section, an exciting photography assignment. For each principle that we explore, the corresponding assignment will help you make it your own.

There’s an old saying by Confucius that I just love:

I hear and I forget. I see and

I remember. I do and I understand.

Let this be our mantra while we learn digital photography. Take each assignment as an opportunity to overcome—once and for all—the fears, doubts, and confusions that you have about digital picture-taking. After you’ve completed each assignment, share the photos with your friends and family, and feel free to upload them to the BetterPhoto online discussions or contest (go to www.betterphoto.com). I look forward to seeing what you yourself create when you put these guidelines into practice.

I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to take up digital photography. There’s a reason why digital photography is quickly becoming America’s #1 hobby—taking digital pictures is fun! The new technology makes it easier to get more satisfying photos and to learn more efficiently from your mistakes. Two of the best features—that digital cameras give immediate feedback after every shot (via the LCD screen) and that they automatically record camera settings (via EXIF data, see this page)—are alone worth their weight in gold. These two features help the beginning digital photographer learn quickly and make many stunning photos in the process. And, as far as camera features are concerned, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So, let’s get to know your camera better and explore a few things that you’ll come to love more and more as you grow into an expert digital photographer.

A Dozen Quick Tips to Get You Going

Take the camera with you everywhere you go (see here)

Get and use a tripod (see here)

Get as much memory-card storage as you can afford (see here)

Use the LCD screen to proof your images immediately after you capture them (see here)

Learn how to view EXIF data and use it to improve (see here)

Use the raw format if you have the memory space and prefer full control over each image, though this may cause greater complication when processing your images on the computer (see here)

Use JPEG as your file format if you are limited on memory or feel overwhelmed enough as it is (see here)

Set your camera to a mode that gives you some degree of control and doesn’t make all the decisions for you (see here)

Move in close to fill the frame with your subject (see here)

Use the Rule of Thirds and turn to the vertical orientation from time to time (see here)

Shoot from unique points of view (see here)

Take note of the light illuminating your scene, and be sure to take advantage of the special light at the beginning and ending of each day (see here)

Getting to Know Your Digital Camera

AS DIGITAL CAMERAS become more affordable and of higher quality, countless people are turning to the thrilling hobby of photography. And, with so many people expressing an interest by investing their hard-earned dollars in a new digital camera, camera manufacturers are coming out with more and more models and an ever-expanding array of features. The sheer number of digital cameras on the market might make you feel so overwhelmed that you forget to learn what your particular digital camera can and cannot do. That’s why it’s important to get to know your digital camera features inside and out—without further delay. Don’t worry if you don’t understand what all of these camera features do or how they function. The first step is to understand what you have to work with.

To get some morning shots of Castlerigg, a stone circle in England’s beautiful Lake District, I woke up before dawn. My goal was to have both evening and morning photos for comparison and a study of the light. After making several images with a wide-angle lens that encompassed the entire scene, I noticed the mystical, low-lying tulle fog in the distant valley. I focused on just a few of the standing stones so that I could include more of the background, and used a graduated filter to add some color to the pale early-morning sky. The LCD screen helped me place the filter in exactly the right position.

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Your Particular Kind of Camera

THE ODDS ARE very likely that you either use a digital single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera, a compact digicam, or a cellular camera phone. As these are three very different kinds of cameras, it’s important for you understand the limitations and advantages of each type.

Digital SLR cameras tend to be big and bulky. The three digital SLR features that I most enjoy are: (1) the ability to use a variety of lens; (2) the advantage of a viewfinder that shows exactly what the camera sensor sees; and (3) the ease with which I can change aperture and shutter speed.

This is not to impugn those of you with compact digicams. In addition to usually being less expensive than SLRs, digicams are extremely easy to carry with you—fitting into your shirt pocket or purse. They streamline the picture-taking process by giving you everything you need in one small package and by offering a variety of automatic features. The highest quality digicams can create pictures that are just as good or better than images from some digital SLRs. Most importantly, because they’re much more compact, digicams tend to travel with their owners more often. That’s key—you need to bring your camera everywhere you go because … well … it tends to come in handy when taking pictures.

Cellular camera phones are extremely convenient and are great for those who simply want to have fun and share photos with friends and family. Instead of carrying around two items—a camera and a phone—you get to combine them into one ultracompact accessory. Camera phones have been limited in the past, but as the technology advances, the better models will feature more creative controls and functions.

Whichever digital camera you own, you need to become familiar with its features. So let’s take a look at the controls and functions that will most help you create the best digital photographs you can. To begin, first take the Camera Capabilities Questionnaire; it will give you a sense of how familiar (or unfamiliar) you are with your camera, while showing you what your camera can do.

This is a good example of the kind of image you can conceivably make with just about any camera. This photo is not as much about aperture, shutter speed, and other creative controls as it is about composition. When used in combination with the classic principles of composition, any camera can create eye-catching