The Essential Guide to Basic Photography: Take Better Photos Today

Basic photography

The present age is digital age, generation is digital generation. In this era, a DSLR camera has become as essential a device as a mobile phone among the younger generation. From village to town, photography is being practiced very vigorously and even those who do not have a DSLR are getting involved in photography through mobile phones. Once upon a time photography was just a hobby in our country. Now the times have changed and many young people are becoming full-fledged professional photographers right from their education. Several private universities have photography courses; Under the Department of Television, Film and Photography of Dhaka University, graduation and post-graduation in photography are also being conducted. Moreover, various social media based groups organize basic photography courses and workshops. My today's talk on Basic Photography is for those who are completely new to photography. First of all, basic photography is not only for those who own a DSLR camera, but for anyone who loves to take pictures, be it with a DSLR camera or a mobile phone. If you know the basics you will definitely develop photographic skills, maybe you will also gain a reputation in photography.

Basic photography Concept. Photo by Andre Furtado, pexels.com

After working with photography for over a decade and realizing that there was a gap in the market for amateur photographers, I decided to write about it. I believe anyone can learn photography and understand the basics well even with limited experience. There are many articles on photography online. However, the subject of photography has to be studied in combination with physics, technical skills and creativity, so it is normal not to get it completely in a single text. I have tried to write about this topic seriously and my efforts will be successful only if the reader benefits.

Basic concepts of photography

Every creative learning, like academic learning, is difficult. Photography is a high level creative work. So I won't say that you can become a good photographer very easily and overnight, but if you acquire basic and advanced level knowledge and practice photography regularly, you can establish yourself as a good photographer. Knowledge, experience and creativity combine to make you a top-notch photographer. Learning photography was a daunting task in the era of film cameras, but today's digital photography is much easier. DSLR camera is not necessary to do photography now, photography can be done only if you have a mobile phone in your hand. Nowadays smartphone photography is very popular. However basically you need to learn photography and must know the basics. If you learn photography, this article will be worthwhile if you benefit from our article.

In writing Basic Photography, I will discuss the basic basics of photography, I will not discuss anything complicated for ease of understanding. Knowing the basics you can start practicing photography. But to become a good photographer you must acquire basic and advanced level knowledge. Moreover, one must know about camera settings, various photography techniques, Photoshop and Lightroom etc. Later I will also discuss step by step about digital photography subject including advanced photography, editing or photo editing and various thematic categories of photography. In basic photography exposure, exposure control parameters such as Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO and focus will be briefly discussed.

Exposure

Photography is meaningless without light. Light plays the most important role in photography. And in photography, the subject of light falling on the sensor of the camera is exposure. Exposure is the most important thing in basic photography. Exposure in a photograph is nothing more than the contrast between bright light and dark light. And the way to control this light is to control the exposure. If the amount of light on the sensor is more, it is called overexposed and if it is less, it is called underexposed. If the image is overexposed it will be whiter and if it is underexposed it will be darker. We can present a beautiful and perfect picture only by controlling this exposure. Three parameters are used for exposure control. These three parameters together are called Exposure Trianle (Exposure Triangle). We can create a beautiful and perfect exposure image only through the proper combination of exposure triangles. The exposure triangle parameters are Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO.

Exposure Triangle

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is one of the three most important controls in photography. To capture dramatic effects, such as freezing action or motion blur, you can adjust your camera's shutter speed. It is possible to control the amount of light entering the camera's sensor by adjusting the exposure time or the length of time the shutter is open. Shutter speed is a factor in photography that is basically a screen around the camera sensor that stays closed until the camera is turned on. Whenever a picture is taken the shutter opens so that all the light entering through the lens falls on the camera's image sensor. When the light sensor collects all the light it needs the shutter closes immediately and prevents any more light from entering. Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the shutter is open and allows light to enter the camera's sensor. In other words it is the time between each shot captured by your camera. This has some big effects on the visual style of your photos.

The camera's sensor is exposed when using long and slow shutter speeds. Motion blurring is the first noticeable effect. Slow shutter speeds will cause moving subjects to blur in the direction they are moving. There are many examples of this technique being used in car and motorcycle advertising. Using a very fast shutter speed allows you to freeze fast-moving subjects such as birds in flight or cars passing by.Although we cannot detect individual water droplets with the naked eye, when we look at photographs of water droplets taken at high shutter speeds, they are suspended in the air in sharp focus. . Another way to capture night shots of the Milky Way or other objects in low light is to use a slow shutter speed and a tripod. Photographers who specialize in landscapes may deliberately use a slower frame rate to blur the water of a river or waterfall while keeping everything else in focus. Depending on the camera specifications, it can range from one eight thousandth of a second (1/8000) to 30 seconds, and some cameras have an option called Bulbmood, which is used as an unlimited shutter speed.

Aperture

Aperture is the most important of the three parameters of photography. Aperture is the hole in the lens that allows light to enter the camera. Aperture determines how much light will enter the lens. The camera's aperture is opened or closed to control how much light enters the camera's sensor. A very simple example is a door or window in a closed room. If the door of a closed room is opened less, less light will enter, and if it is opened more, the room will be illuminated by more light. And the door of the lens is the aperture. Its value is measured with f-stop. This f-stop value is usually between f1.4 and f22 on most lenses. By changing the aperture, we can determine how much of the subject is in focus, which we call Depth of Field. Aperture can add a sense of depth to your photo, when adjusted to its focal length, aperture blurs the background of the shot, giving the impression that the subject is in sharp focus while the background is out of focus, just like our eyes see. Moreover it will give you a clear shot near the distant horizon.

ISO

It is an institution. The full name of the organization is International Organization for Standardization or ISO. In 1974 the two primary standards of the film industry, ASA and DIN, were combined into a set of standards known as ISO (later revised for both film and camera technology) and since then this unit has been known as the abbreviated ISO. Originally developed to measure film sensitivity, ISO is used as a standard by today's digital camera manufacturers to maintain the same light level as film. The higher the ISO number, the more light your camera can capture. A higher ISO setting makes the camera more light-sensitive. Camera ISO values ​​are usually between 100 and 12800.

Focus

Finding the focus point is a common difficulty when learning photography. Whether manual focus vs autofocus is better for your camera is up to you depending on the subject you are shooting. For example, manual focus is commonly used in macro and night photography. However, autofocus is fast and will make things easier in other types of photography, including sports and wildlife photography. Again in landscape photography you need to focus at a certain distance to achieve proper sharpness in all areas of the scene. Hyperfocal distance is one of the most essential concepts for landscape photography and understanding its operation is very important, I will discuss hyperfocal distance later in the advanced photography topic.

Conclusion

We learned about the exposure of Basic Photography. The parameters of the exposure triangle - Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO are three of the most important in photography. We can increase and decrease these three parameters according to our needs and get the correct exposure picture by combining them. In the next photography essay, I will discuss in detail about different types of cameras, such as DSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras, advanced photography - depth of field, white balance, metering mode, hyper focal distance, photography composition, etc. Apply basic knowledge and get out into photography today with a camera. In short - Fix ISO first. You can set 100 or 200 if there is enough light and up to 800 in low light. If your camera is a crop body, then if the ISO is more than 800, the image quality will be bad, but in the case of a full frame body, if the ISO is higher, there is not much problem. To take pictures of a still subject, the shutter speed can go up to a maximum of 1/30 second, more than that the picture may be damaged due to body vibration. In that case a tripod should be used. If the subject is moving then the shutter speed should be reduced. Aperture will determine how much area of ​​the image will be sharp. A larger aperture (from f/1.4 is all you need) if you want less sharp areas or background blur. A smaller aperture (from f/22 is all you need) if you want more sharp area. When I discuss depth of field in advanced photography, you will understand aperture better. Now adjust the ISO, Shutter Speed ​​and Aperture values ​​by reducing and increasing them, make the combination you need and take the picture with the perfect exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions about Basic Photography

1. What is aperture?

• Aperture refers to the adjustable opening in the lens that controls how much light enters the camera. Aperture also helps decide how much of your photo is sharp and in focus, which is called depth of field.

2. What is shutter speed?

• Shutter speed is defined as the duration during which the camera's shutter is open, permitting light to pass through and reach the camera's sensor, thus influencing the exposure and appearance of motion in captured images. Shutter speed dictates the manner in which movement is depicted and captured within your photographs, influencing whether subjects appear sharply frozen or exhibit a deliberate blur to convey a sense of motion.

3. What is ISO?

• ISO quantifies the degree of light sensitivity exhibited by your camera's sensor, influencing how effectively it captures light in varying lighting conditions. A higher ISO setting makes your camera more sensitive to light, which is useful in low-light conditions.

4. What is exposure?

• Exposure denotes the quantity of light that reaches the camera's sensor at the moment of capturing a photograph, a critical factor in determining the overall brightness and clarity of the image. It is controlled by adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings.

5. How does aperture affect my photos?

• Aperture controls the depth of field, which determines how much of your photo is in focus. A wider aperture, indicated by a lower f-number, results in a shallower depth of field, effectively blurring the background and accentuating the main subject within the photograph.

6. How does shutter speed affect my photos?

• Shutter speed plays a pivotal role in photography by controlling the duration of time the camera's shutter remains open, thereby affecting how motion is represented and captured in your photographs. A faster shutter speed effectively captures fast-moving subjects by freezing their motion, whereas a slower shutter speed allows for longer exposure times, which can result in a deliberate blurring effect known as motion blur.

7. What is white balance?

• White balance adjusts the colors in your photos to ensure that white objects appear white under different lighting conditions. It helps maintain natural colors in your images.

8. How can I improve my photography skills?

• Practice regularly, experiment with different settings, and learn from your photos. Understanding the basics of composition, lighting, and camera settings will help you capture better images.

9. What type of camera should I use for basic photography?

• A digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera or a mirrorless camera with manual controls is ideal for learning basic photography. However, even a smartphone with manual settings can be used effectively to practice and learn.

10. How do I learn more about photography?

• Consider taking photography courses or workshops, joining photography communities, reading books or online resources, and practicing consistently. Learning from experienced photographers and seeking constructive feedback can also be helpful.