Athenscope (Summer 2006)
Cameras: The most common cameras belong to the small "format" category and use 35mm film. These are distinguished into "reflex," meaning those where you "see" through the lens (and allow lens changes) and those with a fixed lens, where aiming is done through a known "viewfinder." The latter are also known as "compact" due to their limited size and weight.
In the world of photography, money usually corresponds to quality. Therefore, the more expensive the camera, the better it is likely to be. However, this has no significant correlation with the artistic quality of the photographs and only a relative and minor correlation with their technical quality. As a rule, reflex cameras are more expensive than compacts, but there are some of the latter that exceed the former in quality and cost.
Lenses: The lens that most faithfully reproduces the vision of the human eye has an angle of view of about 45 degrees, is called "normal," and in the case of small format cameras is known as "fifty" due to its focal length of 50 millimeters. Any lens with a wider angle of view (and consequently shorter focal length) is called wide-angle (most commonly 35 and 28 millimeters) and any lens with a narrower angle of view (and longer focal length) is called telephoto (most commonly 90, 100, and 135 millimeters). Variable focal length lenses (and thus variable angle of view) are called zoom (most commonly 35-70, which often replaces the "normal" as the basic choice in cameras).
Film: Films are distinguished into positives (i.e., slides) and negatives. They are also distinguished into black and white and color. Color slides are also distinguished into those balanced for daylight or flash (Daylight) and those for artificial light (Tungsten).
The sensitivity of the film is measured in ASA (ISO is the synonymous indication on the box). The higher the ASA number, the more sensitive the film is to light. In fact, a film with twice the ASA number has twice the sensitivity. For example, a 400 ASA film is four times more sensitive than a 100 ASA film.
Sensitive films have larger grain, smaller contrast range ("contrast"), less sharpness, and a wider tolerance range for incorrect metering.
There is a black and white film that can be developed and printed in color photography machines, and that is Ilford's XP2.
Shutter speeds: The shutter speeds of the camera regulate how long the light will "hit" the film, thus affecting the "exposure" (dark or light photo), but also affect the clarity of the image, whether we want the subject clear or blurry, either because it moves or because the camera shakes.
Shutter speeds are expressed in fractions of a second. Each one differs from the next by a double or half amount of light (e.g., 1/250 of a second provides double the light of 1/500 of a second, differing by what is known as a stop). If you want to prevent the subject from appearing blurred, you should use the fastest speed (the larger number) allowed by the lighting.
Apertures: The lens apertures control the opening of the lens, i.e., how much light will "hit" the film, thus affecting the exposure (dark or light photo), but also affecting the depth of field, i.e., how much of the area of the photo, extending behind and in front of the subject, will appear clearly focused ("sharp").
Apertures differ from each other (as do shutter speeds) by one stop, meaning the larger (in number) lets in half the amount of light of the immediately preceding one and double that of the immediately following one.
Exposure: Metering is ensured by the light meter incorporated in every camera. The light meter will give us indications (the method varies from camera to camera) on the lighting to use, combining the pairs of shutter speeds and apertures. If we prefer a large depth of field (to have everything clear), we will favor closed apertures (large numbers e.g. 11 or 16) at the expense of speeds, which must then be slow, i.e., small numbers, to balance the lighting. If we prefer a still subject (in case of, for example, sports events), we will favor fast speeds (large numbers e.g. 500 or 1,000) at the expense of apertures, which must then be open, i.e., small numbers, to balance the lighting.
The camera's light meter must be informed of the film's sensitivity before giving an indication. This is done automatically if our camera has such capability (DX Coding), or manually by adjusting the ASA indicator on the camera.
Metering problems: a) The light meter can be deceived by incidental lighting, which without illuminating the subject affects the light meter's photocell, leading to an underexposed (greyish) photo. Common cases: Shooting indoors with a window behind, shooting against the sun, shooting with any light source behind the subject. Remedy: Increase exposure by about two stops (smaller aperture numbers and/or speeds), or meter without the influence of incidental light (e.g., turning the camera for metering on the floor).
b) The light meter is set for medium reflectivity surfaces. Any surface that is brighter or whiter fools it and leads to underexposed (greyish) photos. In front of surfaces like snow, white houses, the sea, sand, etc., we must increase the exposure by two stops (smaller aperture numbers and/or speeds), or meter from substitute and similarly lit surfaces, which do not show excessive whiteness.
Flash: The flash can be manual, automatic, or dedicated. Its power is measured by the Guide number (GN). This, along with the distance from the subject, determines the aperture we will use during shooting. If, for example, the GN is 20 and we are shooting something at a distance of 10 meters (with 100 ASA film), we will use an aperture of 2 (20/10=2). Our speed will always be the flash-sync speed of the camera, which is usually 60 (we can use slower) and does not affect the exposure, as the flash's brightness is faster than any photographic speed.
The automatic flash calculates the exposure itself, provided we set the camera to the sync speed, inform the flash of the film's ASA, and select one of the automatic apertures the flash has, placing it on the lens.
The dedicated flash adjusts everything itself in collaboration with the camera for which it is designed. Most built-in flashes on compact cameras are also dedicated.
Automation: Today's cameras offer many automations. Sometimes useful and sometimes excessive. If your camera is only automatic, it is best to forget everything and focus on composition and shooting. If you can intervene, consider the previous observations and either make all the settings yourself or "trick" the camera's automation as needed./p>
A common automation is autofocus. It suffices that the subject in the center is also what we want to focus on. Otherwise, we need to "lock" the focus on it and then reframe and take the photo.
The problem is that by "locking" we usually lock the exposure as well, while the ideal spot may not be the same for both functions.
Other automations concern exposure. In cases of problematic metering, we must know (depending on the camera) how to "trick" the automation. If there is no other way to intervene and the camera allows manual ASA setting (which is not always the case), we can change the ASA for one photo to also change the exposure. For instance, if we are photographing with 400 ASA film and want to add two stops of light (e.g., in front of a white church) it is enough to move the indicator to 100 ASA, thus giving a "wrong" command to the light meter that we supposedly have less sensitive film.
- Focus (net) carefully. Decide whether you want depth of field or not. Accordingly, select a closed aperture (i.e., large number) for great depth, or an open aperture (i.e., small number) for shallow depth.
- Apart from the aperture, the depth of field is affected by the lens (wide-angle=large depth, telephoto=shallow depth) and the distance from the focus point (close=shallow depth, far=great depth).
- If you want the whole photo to come out blurred (including the static parts), select a slow shutter speed (below 1/4 second). If you want everything to come out clear and motionless (including moving parts), select the fastest speed (large number) allowed by the lighting.
- Choose the aperture/shutter speed combination with primary concern for correct metering/exposure.
- Take into account the "incidental" lighting (usually from behind the subject, e.g., sunset, balcony door, spotlights, etc.) and increase the light by two levels (smaller numbers). Do the same when photographing very white or reflective surfaces (snow, sand, white churches, etc.).
- Μπορείτε να φωτομετράτε το έδαφος και να ακολουθείτε αυτήν την ένδειξη για την κανονική φωτογράφιση, γιατί έτσι αποκλείετε τον παρείσακτο φωτισμό, ενώ συνήθως το έδαφος (χώμα, άσφαλτος, παρκέ, χαλιά) έχει μέση αντανάκλαση, για την οποίαν είναι ρυθμισμένα τα φωτόμετρα όλων των μηχανών.
- You can meter the ground and follow this indication for normal photography, as this excludes incidental lighting, while the ground (soil, asphalt, parquet, carpet) usually has medium reflectance, for which the meters of all cameras are calibrated.
- If using negatives (color or black and white) when in doubt give more light (smaller numbers). If using slides, give less. If your camera has a built-in flash, use it almost always. This will "fill" the shadows.
- Do not try to reproduce exactly what you see, such as the grandeur of a landscape. Photography does not compete with reality. It creates a new one. A detail often conveys more than a whole, which will be incomplete anyway.
- The event of reality must give way to the photographic event - created by the photographer - for the photograph to have a reason to exist.
- The photographer must be able to make the insignificant significant. To impose a change in the order of values.
- A very attractive subject is an obstacle for the photographer, as they must surpass themselves to do something beyond the interesting subject. However, it is also a challenge.
- Do not spend too much time with your eye glued to the viewfinder. After all, until you see a photograph, you cannot judge a photograph. Better to be carried away by the rhythm of reality. Photography is done with the eye, not the viewfinder.
- Choose between black and white or color film. But do not shoot with both at the same time.
- Color photography provokes with its realism. Find a way to overcome it.
- Color photography uses colors where black and white uses shadows.
- If you have time, try to overexpose and underexpose. The results are often more interesting than the correct exposure.
- If you have the opportunity, make more shots from different angles. Do not consider your body height ideal. Bending your knees, or climbing somewhere, may yield a better result.
- If you see something interesting that will soon disappear, take the photo immediately without adjustments. It might turn out. And then, if there is time, adjust correctly and shoot again.
- Be careful with composition and the four corners of the frame. The photograph is not only the center. If the corners are interesting, then the center is likely to be too.
- Do not hesitate to shoot under any lighting conditions. The photos will turn out and may be interesting.
- Avoid the temptation to take photos to please the subject or someone else. For you, photography is not a profession, but a means of expression and joy.