Challenge I - Aperture and Depth of Field

[Carly]

Thanks Rick! Manual is exactly what I want to learn, this forum is great

[Kym]

Thanks Rick! Manual is exactly what I want to learn, this forum is great

I think we need to differentiate between
a) Full Auto - the camera software does everything
b) Semi-Auto (or Semi-Manual) - Aperture Priority (Av or A) , Shutter Priority (Tv or S) where you manually set one thing and the camera adjusts the rest
c) Manual (or full Manual) - where you set everything

We know that most people use Av and then M when they need to. (Based on a site poll)
http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...ad.php?t=13627

Don't go rushing off to M unless you really need to.

Also think about using Exposure Compensation (Ev) with Av or Tv.
http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...ad.php?t=33981

[draco]

where does the P (Program AE ?) fall into? Full-auto or semi-auto? this is what I usually use

[Kym]

where does the P (Program AE ?) fall into? Full-auto or semi-auto? this is what I usually use

Effectively its Auto (at least in my case).

Don't make it a law - just a guideline to help thinking.

If you take control of one or more aspects of the exposure then its no longer fully auto, but nor fully manual.
I usually take control of 2/3 (Av and ISO) and let the camera sort the shutter (Tv).
I also make good use of the Ev and metering to fine tune.

[draco]

yeah, that's why I use the the P-mode, because I got control of everything (except shutter speed and aperture, since the camera still has a better judgement than me on these values).. but I guess I better start using Av more...

[Carly]

thanks cypheroz, yerp what i mean by manual, is anything that means i'm changing the settings away from a standard "point & shoot" auto everything mentality. (the more i learn about how to change the different settings and can use them effectively the better!) i think it will take awwwwwwwwwwwwhile though! For the moment, the "semi-manual" is more than enough

[Kym]

thanks cypheroz, yerp what i mean by manual, is anything that means i'm changing the settings away from a standard "point & shoot" auto everything mentality. (the more i learn about how to change the different settings and can use them effectively the better!) i think it will take awwwwwwwwwwwwhile though! For the moment, the "semi-manual" is more than enough

The NTP learning plan progression is as follows ...

1. Full auto (with fixed ISO of 100 or 200) while learning to hold your camera and compose shots
2. Aperture Priority (fixed ISO) while learning DoF
3. Shutter Priority (fixed ISO) while learning movement control
4. Changing ISO (100 thru 1600) using mainly Av while learning about sensitivity and noise
5. Full manual control of the exposure triangle (ISO, Aperture, Shutter)

The plan is structured to build knowledge and experience in bite size pieces - those who suggest just go fully manual without working through the above steps are saying in effect don't learn and understand the basics in discrete parts. Which is why we stomp on that sillyness.

Bottom line - it takes a while for people to absorb the theory and then apply it to their photography. We try to make it easy and sensible.

[brownie79]

OK, here are my shots. Not very exciting subject matter, but it does the job
f/5.6 shutter 1/10 iso 800

f/32 shutter 4 iso 800


The larger aperture allows more light in, therefore requiring shorter shutter opening. Also give a greater depth of field.

[AusBloke]

Still getting my head around all this but, I can see what everyone is talking about even if I don't fully understand it yet.

[ricktas]

So Ausbloke, what do you see as the difference in your photos created using the different apertures?

[AusBloke]

Well the obvious part I can see is the blurred background in pic1 and the sharp foreground. In pic2 I see the whole image is basically sharp focused.

[ricktas]

Well the obvious part I can see is the blurred background in pic1 and the sharp foreground. In pic2 I see the whole image is basically sharp focused.

Yep, so now if you wanted to apply this to a portrait, you would know which aperture to select to get your subject in focus and the background nicely blurred. Using aperture settings creatively lets you chose how your photo is going to appear.

[AusBloke]

Thanks mate, starting to get the gist of it now.

[Gemini2261]

Pic #1 F5.6
Pic #2 F29

# 2 is slightly brighter

[chrisbevan4]

I cropped the details of two images and put them into one file, and have also drawn a Yellow arrow where the different between the different apertures
is very obvious to me.

So a small aperture can be used to isolate a area and reduce/blur a background, and a large aperture show greater detail and include background details.

Looking at them now maybe I should of set the same shutter speed as well?

Would shutter speed have much impact ? I'll do the Shutter Speed challenge as well as that may give the answer

sized_aperature.JPG

[whizzbang]

Okay, So I have finally got around to doing this challenge. I have read and reread it!
I did the challenge twice as looking at the display screen while taking the pics, I couldn't really see the difference. Though, when uploaded to the big scree on my computer, you can really see what it happening.
1) f4.5 1/30
2) f29 1.3sec
3) f4 1/30 sec
4) f22 1/5 sec

So, for 1 most of the flowers/leaves were blured except for the main lily and gerbra.
2, all steams, leaves flowers are pretty much in focus.

For 3, Only really the closest corner of the book was in focus, and for 4 all of the book was in focus, and even the end of the table was in focus, which suprised me.

For the second shots of both series, I had to be extra careful to hold the camera still, as my first attempts were coming out fuzzy from 'camera shake'' (or just my unsteady hands lol)

Thus.... If I wanted to take a pic of something to highlight it, say a ring on someones hand for eg, I would use the smallest apperture, and it would bring attention to the ring and not the hand... Another example would be portraits- emphasising the person and not the background.

However, if I wanted to take a pic of someone with a nice scenery in the back ground, I would use the larger apperture.

If I had remembered this the other day when I was on holidays I would be laughing now!!!

I did also notice that changing the focal point of my camera changed the minumin apperture settings.


ALso, can someone else help me out here. In pics 2 and 4, on the top, there is marks in the pics, however they are not in pics 1 and 3. Is there some other part of the camera that needs to be cleaned?

Thanks for reading if you have got this far

[kiwi]

hmm, that looks unusual, not like sensor dust to me, it looks at though perhaps there lens is very dirty, either front, but more likely at the back

[whizzbang]

hmm, that looks unusual, not like sensor dust to me, it looks at though perhaps there lens is very dirty, either front, but more likely at the back

But wouldnt it be on all 4 pics, since I didnt cahnge the focal lengths between pics 1/2 (30mm) to 3/4 (25mm). All I changed was the app settings.

[kiwi]

not necessarily, the smaller the apperure the more obvious the issue

[ricktas]

As kiwi says, sensor dust will often not be visible at f3.5 etc, but as you get towards f22 etc, then it will become very evident.

You also comment about smaller aperture and largest aperture, but you have the idea the wrong way round. F22 is the smallest aperture and F3.5 is the larger. The smaller the f number the larger the actual aperture in your lens. Aperture being the opening in the lens that light can come through.