Kamera Klutz: Rules of Composition

Rule of Thirds

Leading Lines

Center of Interest


...

Kamera Klutz: Overcast is the Ultimate Diffuser

Clouds diffuse the harsh light of the bright sun. The colors are still true and vibrant but shadow contrasts and glare are minimized.

Kamera Klutz: Angles of Light

The direction and angle of light can influence the mood of a photograph.

Front lighting
Side lighting
Back lighting
Lighting from above
Lighting from below
Even lighting

Kamera Klutz: Autofocus

The digital camera, in autofocus mode, will capture sharp images within a certain distance from the lens. Objects in front or behind the focal area will be soft and blurry. The focal length and aperture contribute to create this effect. Charts are available to guide the photographer about the area of focus.

Higher f stops creat sharp focus in front and behind the subject. Lower f stops will blur the area in front and behind the subject.

Kamera Klutz: Focus Lock

Using focus lock, the photographer centers a subject..focuses... and then reframes a subject to take the photo.

Kamera Klutz: Into the Night

Kamera Klutz: Morning Sky

Kamera Klutz: Bracketing .3

Kamera Klutz: Bracketing .3

On the meter, 0 represents the default setting. To obtain a brighter image--increase the exposure. For a darker image--reduce the exposure. The digital camera uses auto exposure unless you set it to manually adjust the aperture and shutter speed. Even then, you can bracket and take a series of photos.

kamera Klutz: Bracketing .3

Kamera Klutz and Bracketing

Bracketing...
Bracketing allows the photographer to take 3-5 extra photos at different exposures. The Olympus provides the opportunity to set the bracketing at intervals:  .3     .7    or    1.0


These photos are bracketed at .3 which means the first photo is untouched the second is -.3 and the the third is +.3

Kamera Klutz and Color Changes during the Day

Predawn-- pink
Dawn-- crisp, golden light
Early Morning-- soft light
Midday-- harsh
Late Afternoon-- warm, golden
Dusk-- purple
Night--


Predawn-- landscapes and water
Dawn--
Early Morning--
Midday-- urban
Late Afternoon-- people and landscapes
Sunsets--
Dusk--
Night--

Kamera Klutz: Focal Length and Shutter Speed

A photographer can hand hold a shutter speed that approximates the focal length.

wide angle lens
30mm can be hand held for 1/30 second

normal lens
50mm can be hand held for 1/60 second

mild telephoto lens
100mm can be hand held for 1/125 second

long telephoto lens
200mm can be hand held for 1/250 second

Kamera Klutz: Exposure and Exposure Compensaion

Definitions...

underexposed; pictures are too dark
overexposed; pictures are too light


Exposure Compensation allows you to adjust the amount of light by changing the shutter speed or aperture.The setting appears on my camera as +3  +2  +1  0  -1  -2  -3

Usually you aim for 0 so that there is balance and this can be done using a gray card  and making the adjustment to achieve balance.

You can also use the sunny 16 rule and bracket.


or you can make adjustments based on the setting.....

+2   high contrast between light and dark areas

+1  side or back lit scenes such as the beach or snow

0    evenly lit scenes

-1  the background is darker than the subject

-2  the background is very dark and takes up alot of the image

Kamera Klutz: Color and Mood

Most people associate blue with coolness and reds or yellow with warmth. In truth,  red is the coldest color and blue is the hottest.

In photography, you may want to add a sense of warmth to a photo by adding a cool color such as yellow. Adding  a hot color like blue gives a sense of coolness to the photo.

Changing the mood can be done by tweaking the white balance setting. To add emotional warmth, choose a cooler light. Drop down a setting from daylight to fluorescent or tungsten. To create emotional coolness, choose a warmer light setting. Move up from daylight to cloudy.

Kamera Klutz and a New Kamera

Kamera Klutz and Examples of Reciprocity

The following exposures are the same:


f-8       1/125        100
f-5.6    1/250       100
f-8       1/250       200
f-11      1/250       400