Light is our primary source of energy for the universe. And it is the photographer’s chief resource to taking great photographs. The word “photography” derives from the Greek and means, literally, “light writing.”
Photography depends on light. Therefore, an understanding of light, what it is, how it behaves and how you can learn to use it, is essential to creating photos you can’t wait to show off.
Digital cameras use a light-sensitive chip rather than film to capture an image. The camera is designed to let light in through a hole (known as aperture) on to the sensor for a limited amount of time (this is called exposure). Digital cameras use “auto exposure” to take care of exposing the picture for you. But there are a few things about aperture and exposure that you should be aware of.
A digital camera will gather the same amount of light with a large aperture and a short exposure or with a small aperture and a long exposure, but the image won’t look the same. A wider aperture will reduce the “depth of field”, so that only objects at the focal point are in sharp focus. This is great for isolating a person from a busy background, but not so great for landscape photos, which require that everything be in focus.
Cheap cameras have a fixed aperture, so only exposure is affected by light. More expensive cameras offer “programmed exposure” modes, such as Landscape (narrower aperture, greater depth of field, longer exposure), Portrait (wider aperture, reduced depth of field, shorter exposure) and Sport (shortest exposure to freeze motion), while high-end cameras also offer full manual controls.
Even with a fully automatic camera, you can modify the exposure. Point the camera at the object you want correctly exposed and half-press the shutter button. Move the camera to compose your shot, and then squeeze the button fully to take the picture.
Many landscape photos turn out too dark because the exposure is overly influence by a bright sky. The trick is to lower the camera so that the light meter exposes more for the foreground area and then press the shutter button part way in order to lock in the exposure. Then re-compose the shot as before and press the shutter completely.
If you’re taking photographs outside during the day, keep the sun at your back. Avoid shooting into the sun as it will cause a lens flare and you will have a light streak going across your picture or other un-wanted effects. If you have people in your photograph, you don’t want them squinting in the photo either so try to place them in the shade.
The good news is that most digital cameras have fast lens apertures, which help them take good pictures in relatively low light. But no camera likes to take pictures in really low light without a flash. Additionally, most digital cameras have a built-in flash but flashes’ range is limited to 10-16 feet from the subject of your photo.
Taking a picture at night can be a difficult challenge. Night-time photography can produce some of the most dramatic images that you can create, and it can also be one of the more difficult types of photography to learn and master. There are a few things you can do. Increase your ISO setting to 800 or higher. This will allow more light into your camera. With night photography, you will also experience longer shutter speeds. If you are hand holding your camera, this can cause your photographs to come out blurry. To solve this problem you will want to use a tripod.
Don’t get too caught up in it, though. Play around with your camera’s settings and know how you’ll be able to achieve the best pictures at night. If your camera has automatic settings only, you may face some real challenges in your attempts at photography in the dark.
Whether photography is a hobby or just a casual interest, you’ll be well-served if you invest in a quality camera that allows for adjusting the basic settings.