Focus, Dial and (try to) Stay sane

Photography Beyond AUTO Mode

Goals

1. Q&A
1. What are we working with?
2. Theory
• (Very) brief history of photography
• Choose the right camera
• Clarify the key terms
• Settings - Shutter speed, ISO, White balance, etc.
• Depth of field, lens, aperture etc.
3. Practice
• The exposure triangle - Trial and error
• Few remarks on light and tools involved

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Q&A

• I keep using AUTO mode by default.
• I know what the semi-automatic modes are and when to use them.
• I’ve given up on trying to dial in all the settings in manual mode.
• I’ve heard about the exposure triangle.

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History of photography

Not today. ��If you’re interested, try reaching out to George Eastman Museum Youtube channel and look for “Photographic Processes Series”.��https://www.youtube.com/@GeorgeEastmanMuseum/playlists

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A salted paper print taken by Roger Fenton of his assistant and photographic wagon, 1855.

Let’s choose the right camera

Analog/Classical/Film Digital

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source

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What type of camera?!

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• Smartphone
• Compact cameras
• Bridge cameras / Ultrazooms
• DSLR cameras
• Mirrorless cameras (CSCs)
• Middle format cameras
• and the others…

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source

How much and what for?

• Consumer cameras / Smartphones 400-1000 €
• For everyday snapshots.
• Prosumer cameras / Smartphones 600-2 500 €
• advanced amateurs (bridge, high-end compact, mid-tier DSLR/mirrorless).
• Professional cameras 1700-2600-x €
• high-end DSLR, mirrorless, or medium format.
• Specialized $$$$$$$
• industrial, scientific, astrophotography, underwater rigs, surveillance, etc.

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The Curiosity rover camera developed by M. Ravine (2Mpx) 2004.

OK, got it… what is sensor size?

source

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How about those megapixels?

• “XY Megapixels” refers to the amount of pixels on the sensor -> sensor resolution.
• 24 MP = 6000 px *4000 px sensor
• Amount of megapixels (Mpx) CAN INFLUENCE sharpness of image.
• More Mpx -> higher potential for sharper image, but sharpness also depends on lens quality, focus, motion blur, diffraction etc.
• More Mpx -> larger file -> higher demands on data repositories
• Size of pixels matters - bigger pixel collects more light -> less noise

pixel size = sensor width (mm) / resolution width (pixels)

• Fullframe sensor (35*24 mm), with 24 MP (6000*4000 px) -> 35/6000 = 0,00583mm -> 6 µm/pixel
• Aps-c sensor (23,6*15,6 mm), with 24 MP (6000*4000 px) -> 23,6/6000 = 0,00393mm -> 4 µm/pixel
• Smartphone sensor (6,17*4,55 mm) with 24 MP (6000*4000 px) ->6,17/6000=0,0010mm -> 1 µm/pixel
• Do they matter and when?
• In digital world - not much unless we start zooming or aiming for sharpness
• (Ultra HD resolution equals to 8,3 Mpx)
• beware of “pixel peeping”
• When cropping the image, more Mpxs -> less quality lost
• When printing - amount of Mpx sets the upper limit for print size depending on DPI

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To wrap it up.

• Always mind the context, there are lots of resolutions:
• Sensor resolution -> Megapixels we talked about
• Sensor size -> FF, APS-C, Micro 4/3, Middle format
• Image resolution -> Size of image measured in pixel
• Display resolution -> Amount of pixels on your screen (1920*1080 etc.)
• Print resolution -> PPI vs DPI
• Pixels per inch - PPI decides how much information you send to the printer.
• Dots per inch - DPI decides how finely the printer can reproduce that information.

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Conclusion on body choice

Field archeology

“Ruggedness over luxury”

Mirrorless / Bridge camera / (Compact)

24 MP+, APS-C sensor

weather sealed, longer battery life/Lightweight

brand doesn’t matter

wide + normal lens, no need fo anything fancy

accessories such as raincover, proper case etc. is must

Don’t invest much.

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Lab

Mirrorless

24 MP+, FF sensor

Brand doesn’t matter

Aim for better EVF - your eyes matter

In-body image stabilization

Tethering support

Good heat management

Invest more money to Macro lens (60mm+), tripod, lights, backdrops, ladders and overall equipment of a lab

Try to set up a separate room for photolab

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So what does it take to make a good quality image?

• Technical factors
• Understanding how the camera works
• Right settings - White balance/Shutter speed/ISO/File type
• Choosing adequate depth of field -> aperture/lens choice
• Artistic factors
• Composition, Storytelling, Timing, Background Color and contrast, and much more
• Post processing
• Not today
• Patience

But let’s clarify terms first

• Body (lens later)
• Sensor
• Shutter
• Optical viewfinder + pentaprism mirror - case od DSLRs
• LCD display
• Lots of buttons and dials

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That camera had mirror but mine is mirrorless!

Settings - Shutter speed

• Shutter speed is the length of time a camera’s shutter stays open, allowing light to hit the sensor (or film).
• Longer shutter speed -> more light reaches the sensor -> brighter image.
• Shorter shutter speed -> less light reaches the sensor -> darker image.
• It is expressed in numbers corresponding to 1/x seconds.
• value of 125 therefore represents 1/125 s.
• value of 1000 represents 1/1000 s.
• Very slow shutter speed can result in blurred image
• Rule of thumb - Don’t use a shutter speed lower than the focal length of the lens.
• 50 mm lens -> not less than 1/50 s.
• 150 mm lens -> not less than 1/150 s.
• Mosty operated by dial near your thumb.

Did i set it up right?

• Trial and error - check the final image, adjust the setting if needed�
• Use an Exposure meter
• A built-in device that measures light and helps the user determine whether the resulting image will be too bright or too dark.
• Takes form of a scale
• In the viewfinder - it should be displayed on the bottom bar
• On the LCD it should be along the bottom bar or right side

Helping hand - Metering

• However exposure meter doesn’t measure light uniformly. Area of effect have to be set.
• Most of the cameras don’t have an assigned button to this -> Menu.
• Matrix / Evaluative Metering
• measures light across the entire frame.
• Uses algorithms to analyze different zones, considering highlights, shadows, and focus points.
• Good for general photography where even exposure is desired.
• Center-Weighted Metering
• Measures light mostly in the center of the frame, with less influence from the edges.
• Useful when your main subject is in the center and you want it exposed correctly.
• Spot Metering
• Measures light in a very small area, usually 1–5% of the frame, often linked to the focus point.
• Perfect for high-contrast scenes, like a face against a bright background.

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ISO

• Sensitivity of a camera sensor (or film) to light.
• Measured in values ranging from 64-12 800.
• Low ISO (50-200)
• Sensor is less sensitive to light -> requiring more light to expose correctly.
• Producing clean images with little noise
• High ISO (1600+)
• Sensor is more sensitive to light -> allowing you to shoot in darker conditions .
• Introducing more noise to the image.
• The term comes from the International Organization for Standardization, which standardized film and sensor sensitivity ratings.

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Image File format

• Raster file formats - pixel-based images
• JPEG /JPG - compressed, widely used
• PNG - lossless, supports transparency
• TIFF - high quality, professional use
• Raw formats - unprocessed sensor data
• .cr2 (canon), .nef (nikon), .arw (sony) etc.
• (Some manufacturers also offer smaller raw formats)
• Pros: full control in post processing
• Cons: large file size
• Rule of thumb: use raw file along with smaller JPEG making it ready to share

White Balance

• Different light sources (sunlight, tungsten, fluorescent) cast different color tones. Correct white balance prevents unwanted color casts.
• Goal is to adjusts the color temperature of your photo so whites appear white and colors look as perceived by the human eye.
• Measured in Kelvin (K)
• Raw files
• White balance can be freely adjusted after shooting without loss of quality.
• JPG/JPEG:
• White balance can only be adjusted to a limited extent; major changes may cause color shifts or loss of detail.

Incorrect color balance - the tones are too cold.

Incorrect color balance - the tones are too warm.

Correct white balance.

Camera drive modes

• Sets up how camera behaves when you push the shutter press
• Single Shot / Semi / S - takes one photo per shutter press
• Continuous L (low) or H (high)/ Burst - takes multiple photos in rapid succession; good for action or sports
• Self-Timer - delays shutter release (2s, 5s, 10s) for group shots or tripod use, also good for timelapse videos
• Silent / Quiet Mode / Q - reduces shutter noise; useful in quiet environments
• Mirror Up / Mup (if available) - minimizes vibration for sharper images when long shutter speed is used (astrophoto)

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Lens

• Optical component of camera
• Gathers and focuses light onto sensor to create image
• Key parameters
• Focal length - angle of view and perspective
• Aperture / f-number / f-stop - controls depth of field and limits light intake

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Mostly underrated investment, however imho it’s more important than body. “Invest in glass, not in bodies.”

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OK, which one?

• Multiple angles of how to judge the lens.
• Mount compatibility - lens bayonet type (Canon RF/EF, Nikon Z/F, Sony E etc.)
• There is a number of convertors in the market
• Lens type:
• Zoom lenses - Versatile, cover range of focal lengths, less need to move, but for higher cost
• Prime lenses - sharper, wider apertures, lighter at cost of fixed focal length
• Focal distance - Fisheye, Wide, Normal, Tele, Super-tele
• Specific use - Macro/Micro, Tilt-shift, Portrait, Fish-eye, 360°, Probe, etc.

What’s the focal length?

“Focal length is the distance (in millimeters) between a lens’s optical center and the camera’s sensor when the lens is focused at infinity”

• In practice it’s a number, measured in millimeters, that tells you three main things
• Angle of view - how much of a scene fits into a frame
• Smaller number - wider angle
• bigger number - narrower angle
• How subjects appear relative to each other based on distance
• Magnification - how large distant subjects appear in the frame

The longer the focal length, the more noticeable camera shake becomes. Rule of thumb: shutter speed ≥ 1 / focal length (e.g., 200 mm -> at least 1/200 s).

So which focal length is the right one? All of them?

Ultra Wide-Angle

10-24 mm (110°-84°)

Landscapes, architecture, interiors

Exaggerates depth; objects near lens appear very large

Curved lines near edges; strong perspective distortion

Wide-Angle

24-35mm (84°- 63°)

Landscapes, architecture, interiors, street photography, environmental portraits

Slight depth exaggeration; foreground prominent

Minor edge distortion

Standard / Normal

35-50 mm (63°-46°)

Everyday photography, portraits, lifestyle, natural perspective

Natural perspective similar to human eye

Minimal distortion

Telephoto

50-135 mm (46°-18°)

Portraits, headshots, sports, events

Compresses background; flattering for subjects

Almost no distortion

Individual artifacts!

Macro

50-200 mm (depends°)

Close ups for small subjects

Enlarges details, shallow depth of field

Close-focus distortion; extreme care needed with perspective

Small finds - coins, macroremains etc

Depth of field (DoF)

Depth of field (DoF) is the range of distance in a photo that appears acceptably sharp — in other words, how much of the scene in front of and behind the focus point is in focus.

• Aperture (f-number / f-stop)
• wider aperture (smaller f-number) - shallower DoF
• smaller aperture (larger f-number) - deeper DoF
• Focal length
• longer focal length - shallower DoF
• shorter focal length - deeper DoF
• Distance to subject
• focusing on closer subject - shallower DoF
• focusing on more distant subject - deeper DoF
• Sensor size
• larger sensors tend to produce shallower DoF at the same aperture

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Aperture

• Opening in camera lens that lets light pass through the camera to the sensor
• Basically works the same way as iris in humans eyes - controlling size of pupil
• Controls depth of field (DoF) by partially opening or closing
• expressed using f-numbers or f/stop
• Changed using aperture ring/one of the dials (index finger)/ or display
• Larger f-number (f/16, f/22)- deeper DoF - less light reaches the sensor
• Smaller f-number (f/1,4, f/2,8) - shallower DoF - more light reaches sensor
• Minimal and maximal aperture is defined by design of the lens

f-number = focal length​ / aperture diameter

Example - So for a 50 mm lens:�f/2 → opening is 25 mm (50/2)�f/4 → opening is 12.5 mm (50/4)�f/8 → opening is 6.25 mm (50/8)��That’s why we say “smaller f-number = bigger opening.”

Focus modes

• Manual Focus (MF) - you adjust focus yourself using focus ring
• Useful in low light, macro photography, or when precise focus is needed
• Can override autofocus on lenses that support it
• Autofocus (AF) - camera automatically focuses on the subject
• Single AF / One-Shot AF / AF- S - locks focus on a stationary subject or point
• Continuous AF / AI-Servo / AF-C - continuously adjusts focus for moving subjects or a selected point
• Automatic AF / AF-A - camera chooses between single or continuous depending on subject movement
• Focus Points & Modes:
• Single-point - focus on one selected point
• Dynamic / Zone - tracks subject movement within a group of points
• Face / Eye Detection - camera detects and focuses on human faces or eyes

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DoF practice

• If the DoF is not enough
• increase f-number
• step a little bit further from the subject
• Use lens with lower focal length
• Stack the photos

Andreas Hallgass, 27 image stack.

Camera modes

• They define the amount of control you have over the camera ergo how much camera software assists you
• Manual - everything on your own
• Aperture priority - you set up f-number and let the camera to do the rest
• Shutter priority - you set up shutter speed and let do the camera do the rest
• Auto - I’m a passenger…
• Program - still a passenger but I can override the settings and let camera adjust other parameters
• Scene modes - the green ones

Trial-error time! Aperture

1. Set the camera to MANUAL mode
2. Adjust white balance to match the condition in the room
3. Check the file type
4. Set the aperture to the following values. Adjust shutter speed and ISO as needed to make a well-exposed photo (not to dark, not too bright) of anything around you

f/2.8 (or the lowest possible)

f/8

f/16

Trial-error time! ISO

• Set the camera to MANUAL mode
• Adjust white balance to match the condition in the room
• Check the file type
• Set the ISO to the following values. Adjust shutter speed and aperture as needed to make a well-exposed photo (not to dark, not too bright) of anything around you

ISO 100 (or the lowest possible)

ISO 400

ISO 6400

Let there be light!

• A light source is any object or device that emits or reflects light, making it visible to the human eye or detectable by a camera.
• Sources
• Natural - you can’t turn it on and off
• sun, moon, stars, fire, bioluminescent organism, auroras, lava glow, lightning
• Artificial - you can turn them on and off
• Incandescent bulbs, Fluorescent lamps, LEDs, Neon lights, Flashlights, Projector, lasers etc
• for our needs
• continuous lights
• flashes /strobes

If there’s not enough light, bring your own.

Light 1.01

• Intensity / Brightness - how strong or weak the light is
• Direction - where the light is coming from relative to the subject; light-shade
• Quality / Hardness - affects the shadows, contrast and texture
• Hard light - sharp, well defined shadows, high contrast
• Soft light - gentle diffused shadows, low contrast
• Color / Temperature - the same as with white balance
• Distribution / spread - how evenly the light is distributed along the subject, refers to the size of light source

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Soft light / Hard light

• Hard light - created by (small) focused light source, pointed straight at the subject
• How to?
• take pictures at direct sunlight
• use bare flash or strobe - no softboxes, umbrellas or diffusers
• spotlight / snoots / reflectors / anything that concentrates light into beam
• Soft Light - created using diffusers or larger light sources
• How to?
• wait for clouds / use shade
• use softboxes / umbrellas
• Bounce the light - point the light against the wall
• use diffusion panels / scrims

Ok, so which one? Continuous or flashes?

Pricy tools? Yes...

… but no.

Sources

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/0353350380/curiosity-interview-with-malin-space-science-systems-mike-ravine

https://i.collage.com/image.php?quality=70&maxsize=700&format=webp&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.colesclassroom.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F04%2F1_GRID-Focal-Length-1_BLOG_final.jpg ke dni 23.11.2021

https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/5f/83/d2/5f83d2fa7826c8a02638012ad38def8c.jpg

https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-focus/

https://kurzfoto.cz/2019/10/01/jak-na-rozostrene-pozadi/ 30.11.2020

https://www.colesclassroom.com/focal-length-basics-every-photographer/

https://capturetheatlas.com/camera-sensor-size/

https://photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DoF-sketch.jpg 30.11.2020

https://fstoppers.com/education/do-you-know-maximum-acceptable-iso-value-your-camera-338275 30.11.2020

http://www.mommatography.com/blog-page//road-to-sharp-images-understanding-focus-area-modes-focus-points

https://onphotography.me/2019/02/17/the-myth-of-depth-of-field/ 1.12.2020

www.nikon.com – manuály

www.canon.con – manuály

Freeman, M. 2009: Perfektní expozice. Zoner press.

MC1 Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy – United States Navy ID 090626-N-0696M-060

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