0% found this document useful (0 votes)
66 views308 pages

The Comprehensive Digital Photography Course - The Beginner's Guide To Getting Creative

The Comprehensive Digital Photography Course

Uploaded by

lbeac.th
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
66 views308 pages

The Comprehensive Digital Photography Course - The Beginner's Guide To Getting Creative

The Comprehensive Digital Photography Course

Uploaded by

lbeac.th
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 308

THE COMPREHENSIVE

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE


The Beginner’s Guide to Getting Creative with Photography and Taking
Beautiful Pictures

ERIC ANDERSON
Copyright

All rights reserved. No section of this book or any part therein may be
distributed, reproduced or stored in a retrieval system in whatsoever manner
or by any means, including photocopying, recording or any other forms of
transmission without the express written consent of the publisher, except as
permitted under section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act.
Copyright © 2020 Eric Anderson
MY OTHER BOOKS

1. The Complete Digital Photography Book


2. Mastering Digital Photography
3. Nikon D90
4. Mastering Digital Cameras
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Copyright
MY OTHER BOOKS
PART 1: BASICS OF IMAGE DESIGN
CHAPTER 1
THE LIGHT
Why is Light so Important for Photography?
The Effect of Light
Direct Light and Reflected Light
Photography is Painting with Light
Light is not the Same as Flash
Light Has a Color or the Function of White Balance
Strong Reflections Affect the Color of the Light
Light from Highly Concentrated To Diffuse
Atmospheric Landscapes
The Direction of Light
Incident
The Camera Flash and Flash Units
Natural Light, Available Light
Back Light
Grazing Light
Special Lighting Situations
Outdoor Portrait and Object Photography
CHAPTER 2
THE COLOR
Color is a Defining Design Element in Color Photos
Less Is Often More
Moods and the Automatic White Balance
Exact Color Rendering
Monochrome Color Photos
Simplicity of Colors
Vineyards in Autumn
Foreground Colors and Background Colors
Yellow is Also one of the Foreground Colors
CHAPTER 3
IMAGE SECTION
Enhance the Effect of an Image with the Image Detail
The Effect of Diagonals
The Middle is Not Always Correct
The Golden Ratio and the Aspect Ratio 4/3
The 4: 3 Image Axes
The Golden Cut
Balance in Image Design
Specify the Image Section Later
Image Statement and Image Section
Image Sections Never With the Original
Choosing the Right Format
Find the Image Section
Image Section Using a Practical Example
Find the Image Section
Angle of View and Recording Location
CHAPTER 4
DEPTH OF FIELD
The Depth of Field and the Level of Focus
Depth of Field and Size of the Sensor Surface
The Advantage of the Larger Format
Controlling Depth of Field
The aperture
The Focus Level
With The Choice of the Focus Level Influence the Focus
The Focal Length
Portrait Lenses
CHAPTER 5
FOCAL LENGTH
Use the Focal Length of a Lens as a Design Tool
What is the Focal Length?
The Focal Length of the Lens has Several Properties
The APS Sensor and the Angle of View
Portraits and the APS Sensor
The Depth of Field and the APS Sensor
Format Factor
Exposure Time and Telephoto Lenses
Use the Different Focal Lengths for the Image Design
The properties of the Focal Lengths Depend on the Angle of View
Use the Focal Length for the Design
Portrait Lens
Characteristics of the Different Focal Lengths
Wide Angle Lenses
Depth Graduation
Depth of Field
Angle of View Rejuvenation
Falling Lines
Barrel Distortion
The Standard Focal Length
Best Sharpness and Light Intensity
Sharpness and Depth of Field
Use the Advantages of the Standard Focal Length for Image Design
Telephoto Lenses
The Optical Properties of Telephoto Lenses
Depth of Field
Distortion
Angle of View rejuvenation
Light Intensity
Exposure Time
Distant Objects
Portraits
Shallow Depth of Field Means Being Careful
Focal Length and Distance Setting
CHAPTER 6
EXPOSURE TIME
Exposure Time as the Basic Camera Setting for Sharp Photos
Keep the Camera Still
Breathing Rhythm
The Camera
The Lens Used or the Zoom Level Set
Photos from a Vehicle or Plane
Long Exposure from a Tripod with SLR Cameras
Mirror Lock-Up
Remote Release
Image Stabilizer
The Exposure Time as a Creative Design Element
Freeze Movements
Freeze Movements in the Studio
Make Movements Visible
Blurred Background
Light Trails at Night

PART 2: AREAS OF PHOTOGRAPHY


CHAPTER 7
PORTRAIT AND ACT
The Lighting for Portrait and Nude Photography
Eyes and Mouth in Portrait Photo
General Rules for Portrait Photos
Facial Expression and Posture
The Photographer as a Director
Motivate the Model
Unsure In Front of the Camera
Nude Photography with Amateur Photo Models
The Difference, the Professional Photo Model
The Face as a Determining Image Factor
Mastery of Depth of Field
Nude Photography Detached From the Portrait
Atmospheric or with a Neutral Background?
The Search for the Right Environment
Railway Facilities and Old Factory Premises
The Right Light for a Portrait
Light That You Should Definitely Avoid
Light Forms
The Right Focal Length for Portrait and Nude Photography
The Right Exposure
Steady Light
Flash System
Background Cardboard
Stage Molton
Width and Distance
One Model, Many Faces
CHAPTER 8
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Recording Location Often Decides
Strong Contrasts in Landscape Photos
The Image Division in the Landscape Photo
There Are No Magic Recipes for Landscape Photos
The Optimal Exposure
CHAPTER 9
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Animals In Front Of the Camera
Photographing Wildlife
Photographing Wildlife in Parks
Pets In Front Of the Camera
CHAPTER 10
ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Falling Lines
Compensate Falling Lines Later
Overall Sharpness
Depth of Field
Architectural Photography Indoors
The Light in Architectural Photography
Perfect Architectural Photos
Architectural Photos and the Right
CHAPTER 11
OBJECT PHOTOGRAPHY
Reflective Surfaces
What Lighting Do You need for Object Photography?
Sensitivity to Light, a Significant Advantage of Digital Photography
The Minimum Requirements for Object Photography
Buying a Flash System?
Special Lighting Devices in Object Photography
The Light Tent
The Light Table
The Makeshift Shooting Table
Watches and Jewelry
Soft Backlit Photos
CHAPTER 12
PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHY
Basics for the Preparation of Panoramic Pictures
Exposure
Specific Examples of Panoramic Images
The Next Steps after Assembling the Panorama Picture
What You Have to Pay Attention to When Using a Tripod
People or Animals in the Panorama Photo
Portrait or Landscape Format?
Partial Panoramas
360 ° Panoramic Photos
Embed the Panorama Picture in a Website
PART 3: PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES
CHAPTER 13
UNDERSTAND THE CAMERA
Similarities with the Human Eye
The Regulation of the Amount of Light
The Automatic Focus
The Focal Length or the Angle of View
The Main Differences Between the Human Eye and a Camera
Regulation of the Amount of Light
High-Contrast Situations or Image Motifs
Distance Setting or Autofocus
Automatic Functions and Motif Programs
CHAPTER 14
CAMERA SETTINGS
The Main Camera Settings
How to Get the Focus Where You Want It
The Two Basic Settings of the Autofocus
Continuous Autofocus Adjustment
Autofocus Problem
Measuring Methods and Measuring Fields
The Integral Measurement
The Measurement Emphasized In the Middle
The Spot Metering
Alternative to Spot Metering
ISO Sensitivity
White Balance
What Does White Balance Actually Mean?
Storage Format for Photos
JPEG Quality Levels
Different Raw Data Formats
Color Space
CHAPTER 15
THE RIGHT EXPOSURE
Exposure Setting With the Automatic Functions of the Camera
The Different Programs
Fully automatic, Selector Wheel P
Automatic Timer, Aperture Preselection, AV Dial
The Automatic Shutter, Time Delay, TV Dial
Make Movements Visible or Freeze
ISO Preselection, Automatic Shutter and Aperture
Why ISO Code?
The Measuring Ranges
Integral Measurement
The Center-Weighted Measurement
The Spot Measurement
Automatic Functions Occasionally Also a Little Problem
Set the Correct Exposure Manually
The Sensor Sensitivity
ISO Setting and Manual Exposure
Small Test for ISO Automatic
The ISO Values
What is ISO Value?
Priorities or Compromises
Light Sensitivity Is the Basis for the Correct Exposure Setting
The Regulation of the Amount of Light
Full Aperture Steps
Relationship between Aperture and Exposure Time
Optimal Exposure
How to Get the Optimal Exposure
A Simple Way to Find the Optimal Exposure
A Major Advantage of Digital Photography
CHAPTER 16
THE WHITE BALANCE
The Color of Light and Its Measurement
The Function of White Balance
Presets for White Balance
The Manual White Balance
Manual White Balance Not Possible
Color Moods and White Balance
Artificial Light and White Balance
Absolutely Correct Images for Printing
No Rule without Exception
The White Balance and Indirect Flash
The White Balance and the Raw Data Format
The Different Raw Data Formats
The Way Out Of the Jungle of Raw Data Formats
Software for the Archiving and Processing Of Raw Data Formats
CHAPTER 17
THE CAMERA
Minimum Requirements for a Digital Camera
Cameras Suitable For Creative Photography
Mirrorless System Cameras
Aps Sensor, Full Frame or Even the Digital Medium Format?
APS Sensor
Disadvantages of the APS Sensor
Advantages of the APS Sensor
The Full Format
Digital Medium Format Cameras
APS Sensor or Full Frame
Further Selection Criteria When Buying a Camera
The Casing, the Body
The Material of the Case
The Quality of the Closure
Casing Protection against Dust and Splash Water
The Display
The Mirror Mechanism
Mirror Lock-up
Image Stabilizer
The Sensor Sensitivity (ISO settings)
The Pixel Madness
The Autofocus and the Measuring Fields
Exposure Programs
Types of Cameras
Cameras with a Built-In Lens
Pocket Cameras
Bridge Cameras
Mirrorless System Cameras
Digital SLR Cameras
CHAPTER 18
LENSES
Kit Lens, Yes or No?
The Focal Length Range Of Zoom Lenses
Two Zoom Lenses for the Most Important Focal Length Range
Three Zoom Lenses for a Larger Focal Length Range
Important Selection Criteria for Lenses
Light Intensity
Sharpness Performance
Does it Always Have to Be the Best?
Lens Material
Can You Still Rely on Brand Names?
Used Lenses
Basic Properties When Buying Used Lenses
Further Restrictions When Using Older Lenses
Autofocus on Older Lenses
Older Zoom Lenses
Sliding Zoom Lenses
Modern Zoom Lenses
Prime Lenses
Old Wide Angle Lenses
Buying Used Lenses on eBay
Commercial Dealers on eBay
Commercial Traders Who Disguise Themselves as Private Individuals
Used Lenses from the Stationary Photo Trade
Lenses and the APS Sensor
Special Lenses
Shift Lenses
Tilt Lenses
Tilt/Shift Lenses
Macro Lenses
Extremely Strong Telephoto Lenses
Fisheye Lenses
CHAPTER 19
FILTER
Which Filters are Still Recommended Today?
White Balance Filter
Skylight Filter
UV Filter
Polarizing Filter
What Does a Polarization Filter Do?
What Do You Need the Polarizing Filter for?
The Two Types of Polarizing Filters
The Linear Polarization Filter
How Do You Use a Polarization Filter?
Use the Polarizing Filter Deliberately To Intensify Reflections
Autofocus and Polarization Filter
Can I Use a Linear Polarizing Filter on the Digital Camera?
Recognizing a Circular Polarizing Filter
Infrared Filter
Effect Filter
Graduated Filters
More Color Correction Filters
Gray Filter
Soft Focus
Alternative to the Soft Focus Filter
CHAPTER 20
THE HOME STUDIO
Minimum Requirements for a Home Studio
First the Simplest, the Background
Paper Background
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Paper Background
Endless Background Made of Stage Molton
The Lighting
What Do You Need At Least?
Color Temperature of the Light
Minimum Required Light Intensity
Comfortable Handling
Halogen Lights from the Hardware Store
Video Lights
Studio Lamps
Flash Systems
Robustness and Longevity
Maintenance of a Flash System
Procurement of Spare Parts
The Components of a Flash System
Different Reflectors and Soft Boxes
The Slit Closure and Flash Systems
Comparison of Lamps And Flash Systems
Daylight Lamps
Other Accessories for a Home Studio
The Cost of a Home Studio
CONCLUSION
APPENDIX
Frequently Asked Questions
INDEX
PART 1: BASICS OF IMAGE DESIGN

Photography is not simply an image of reality, it has never been, but like the
painting in its statement, it depends on many influences, which you as a
photographer usually have in your hand as well as the painter with the brush
has in hand.
The most important thing when taking pictures is light. Photography and
painting have a lot in common. Photography is painting with light.

The light and the appropriate exposure are the most important design
elements of photography. The two flowers above were both photographed
against the light. In the upper photo, almost total backlight from the afternoon
sun, the camera was almost in line with the sun, while in the lower photo, the
camera focused on the flowers at approximately right angles to the sun. By
the way, the background in the photo above is white! Outside wall of a house,
which was already in the shade. In the upper area, a window formed the
background of this photo. It appears black in relation to the white wall. The
short exposure makes the flowers shine. In the lower photo of the flowers, the
bed is the background.
The selected image section is another important element of the image design,
that's what the next chapter is about.
The Image Detail Determines the Effect of a Photo
The image section is just as important, except perhaps in panorama
photography, where the attractive location is more important. With the right
image section, you can significantly increase the effect of a photo.
Image Detail, Diagonals, Dynamics and the Golden Ratio
The selected focal length not only determines the image section, i.e. from a
lot of background with a wide-angle lens to very little background with a
telephoto lens, but also has a significant design function due to its specific
optical properties. This is the topic of the next chapter.
The Focal Length of the Lens as a Design Tool
Focal lengths have absolute properties, especially depth of field and
properties that depend on the angle of view. The size of the angle of view of a
focal length depends on the size of the sensor or the film format.
Cameras with APS sensors use the actual properties of a certain focal length
on the one hand, and on the other hand, because their sensors only have 2
thirds of the area of a full-frame camera, they have a smaller usable angle of
view. Because apart from the few lenses that were specially developed for the
APS format are used on cameras with APS sensor lenses for the full format,
which corresponds to the analog model 35mm format. A separate chapter is
therefore assigned to this problem. The smaller picture angle does not change
the optical properties of the lenses used.
Although zoom lenses are constructed differently from fixed focal lengths,
most of the statements made in the focal lengths chapter apply to both zoom
lenses and fixed focal lengths. However, good focal lengths are still superior
to a zoom lens in terms of imaging performance and light intensity.
Wide angle lenses pull everything far apart, a narrow river suddenly appears
like a huge body of water, tends to be barrel-shaped distortions and
everything is oversized in the foreground. Short focal lengths have an
enormous depth of field, which is why they are always in demand when it
comes to the largest possible area the depth of field goes.
Telephoto lenses have the opposite effect, shortening the angle of view
considerably but not distorting it and pushing the background and foreground
together. With increasing focal length, telephoto lenses have an increasingly
shallow depth of field, which is why they are also the ideal lenses for
portraits.
In between, the standard lens with 50 mm focal length stands for the 35 mm
format corresponding to the full digital format. With this focal length,
maximum light intensities and the best sharpness are achieved. In terms of its
optical properties (depth of field, distortion), the normal lens is closer to
wide-angle lenses than to telephoto lenses.
Apparently, this focal length also corresponds to our perception, but this only
applies to the depth gradation (size of objects in the foreground in relation to
objects in the background). Because we have a viewing angle of
approximately 180 °, but we only see about 7% of it with full focus. So there
is no agreement with our own perception with regard to the angle of view of a
normal lens.
The absolute optical properties of the focal lengths, like the properties that
depend on the angle of view, are essential design elements in photography.
Understand the focal length and use it for image creation
An essential property of the focal length is the depth of field, which is an
independent element of photographic image design. Together with the focus
level (which was focused on), it becomes an important element of image
design.
Use Depth of Field and Sharpness Level for the Image Design
The depth of field and the selected level of sharpness should not be
underestimated for the image effect.

What Does that Mean?


Depending on the chosen aperture, each lens has an area in which everything
is clearly shown. What is in front of and behind this area is becoming
increasingly blurred. The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field
and vice versa, the lowest depth of field has a lens with an open aperture.
The depth of field is an absolute property of the actual focal length. The
depth of field is therefore initially dependent on the selected actual focal
length and within this focal length on the aperture.
The depth of field is an important element of image design but can only be
used with a sufficiently large sensor. Because of the short focal lengths for
small sensors, the depth of field for cameras with small sensors as well as for
strong wide-angle lenses for the full format extends over the entire image
area and can only be used for design purposes if exactly that is desired.
By choosing the level of focus and the appropriate focal length and aperture,
you can significantly influence the depth of field of an image. The depth of
field is regulated via the set focal length and the aperture. The appropriate
exposure time is required for the set aperture. The right exposure is about
photographic technology, while the next chapter is about the representation of
movements by choosing the appropriate exposure time.
Exposure Time and Aperture
The combination of time and aperture not only regulates the amount of light
that hits the sensor or film, but also the overall focus and the depth of field
are regulated by the choice of the aperture and by the choice of the exposure
time, like a movement in the image is pictured.
The aperture and depth of field are dealt with in the depth of field chapter.
The exposure time is about movements. Movements can be frozen by a short
exposure time or on the contrary, made visible by a slightly longer exposure
time because the movement frozen by a photo is not always desirable.
Colors naturally play a very important role in image design. It's not just about
warm or cool color moods, colorful or on the contrary, monochrome photos,
but also about foregoing colors in black and white photos.

Use Colors Deliberately


If we arrange pictures ourselves, for example, in the studio, we can of course,
deliberately plan colors before taking a picture. But we can also influence
many things when shooting outdoors. We can also use colors as a design
element in subsequent image processing.
The Overall Sharpness
Another important design element in photography is overall sharpness. Apart
from a few special tasks, a photo always needs a sharp area that the eye can
hold onto when looking at it. This should also be the most important part of
the photo.
But a lens does not draw equally sharp across all aperture levels. A 35 mm
lens achieves its highest focus performance at apertures between 8 and 11. If
you close the aperture beyond this range, you increase the depth of field, i.e.
the area of spatial depth over which the focus extends, but with a slight loss
at the same time the overall sharpness. Physically, the lower sharpness for
very small apertures is due to the light diffraction at the small aperture. A
lens has its lowest sharpness when the aperture is opened. These are basic
things that you can use for yourself in any camera where you have an
influence on these important image design elements in addition to the
automatic.
There is no separate chapter on overall sharpness. Maximum sharpness in the
sharpness level and the selected range of depth of field is required in product
photography, architectural photography and some other areas of photography.
For maximum sharpness, the quality and size of the sensor and the quality of
the lens (properties that cannot be changed for a combination of camera and
lens) as well as the selected focal length, aperture and sensor sensitivity play
a major role. You can only influence these latter parameters if you cannot use
a different camera or lens instead.
The best focus is achieved by high-quality normal lenses (fixed focal lengths)
with a medium aperture. This imaging performance has never been achieved
by any zoom lens, however expensive.
With the sensor, not only the image resolution, i.e. the number of pixels plays
a significant role in the resolution (sharp representation) of even the finest
structures, but also the sensor size and only for newer sensors with very high
resolutions, the absence of a low-pass filter. With a comparable number of
pixels, a larger sensor draws much sharper than a smaller sensor. A sensor
can only develop its full focus with its native sensitivity. Deviating ISO
settings lead to a more or less clear loss of sharpness.
However, the overall sharpness is less important for the image design than for
the technical quality of a photo. Therefore, no separate sections within the
image design.
CHAPTER 1

THE LIGHT

Why is Light so Important for Photography?


Because it is light that falls through the lens onto the sensor or film.

The Effect of Light


Light sets the scene and influences the mood. It is not without reason that
many people feel tired and sad in winter. Then there is less daylight and the
body releases more melatonin - a hormone that makes you sleepy. In spring,
when the sun shines more often, melatonin production is inhibited and you
feel fitter and happier. There are now daylight lamps whose light spectrum is
very similar to that of sunlight. Their light should have the same effect as
sunlight and is used, for example, in the workplace, but can also be helpful in
photography. The lighting technician has an important job at concerts, theater
performances and other comparable events. The event only becomes an
experience through spotlights, lighting effects and optimal lighting. Light and
sound have to interact and support the action on stage. Film production is like
photography: the right light ensures beautiful shots. That is why shooting and
photo shoots are held outdoors at certain times when the light is particularly
beneficial, for example in the "blue hour" - a special coloring of the sky at
dawn.

Direct Light and Reflected Light


Either direct light when we photograph a light source like the sun, a torch or
fireworks or reflected light.

Photography is Painting with Light

Light is not the Same as Flash


Depending on the light source, light has its own color. Light can be strongly
directed or diffuse, as we know it from a heavily overcast sky, light can strike
the object head-on, so the camera flash makes it more or less from the side or
even as backlight behind the object.
We can consciously include light in the design, by no means only in studio
photography, where the control of light is the be-all and end-all of the work.
First of all about the color of light:

Light Has a Color or the Function of White Balance


Pure white light is almost never seen as natural light. That is why digital
cameras have a white balance that automatically detects the deviations of
light from pure white, be it incandescent light with a high proportion of red,
candlelight with a much higher proportion of red or vice versa and the light in
a snow-covered landscape with a cloudy sky and an extremely high
proportion of blue should compensate. Because it is not so easy with
automatic detection, there are various pre-settings for white balance and for
high-quality cameras, manual white balance.
On the one hand, white balance is part of light because it is about the color of
light, on the other hand it is so extensive of its own material that a separate
chapter is dedicated to it in the digital photography book within photo
technology: white balance

Strong Reflections Affect the Color of the Light


Not only the light source, but also the surfaces reflecting the light such as
snow or a meadow have a strong influence from the colors in a photo. A
portrait on a green meadow can shift the light overall to green. However,
green is a very disadvantageous color for a portrait, green as a
complementary color to red extremely emphasizes skin impurities. This
cannot even be removed above the Kelvin value, either by placing a lightly
tinted filter in the complementary color on the camera beforehand, which
filters out the high proportion of green in the reflected light or by working in
an image processing program to achieve the same. In general, the better the
picture, the better the result in the image editing program.
Even the best image editing program can no longer produce image
information that is already missing during the recording. The only thing you
can then do with a lot of fine work is to try to iron out at least the grossest
mistakes.
The same applies in the high mountains, where the UV component in the
light is particularly high and snow in the shadow areas also reflects extremely
strongly blue. However, you can easily get this out again using the controller
for the color temperature of the light because the color temperature of the
light is about red and blue components. Provided, of course, that it was saved
in raw data format and not as JPEG.

The determination of the color temperature, which was also inevitable for the
demanding amateur in the past because errors in the recording could not be
corrected afterwards in the slide film, is almost a thing of the past with digital
photography, at least to emphasize it again when you look at it basically only
saves in raw data format and only occasionally uses this function for cameras
that save both in raw data format and simultaneously as JPEG. Saving it as a
JPEG has at least the advantage that you can then view the images on your
computer without a program that can read raw data. There is not much more
than JPEG format as storage format. It is a disaster for post-processing.
I use this function always, for example, when I'm visiting friends, my friends
don't have Photoshop or Adobe Bridge. The images are also saved in raw
data format for subsequent editing at home. The JPEGs are deleted at home.
The simultaneous saving in both formats is also useful if you take photos of
models and then want to give the models the photos that have not yet been
edited. Pay attention not only to the light color itself, but also to reflection
surfaces such as snow or a green meadow, which can change the colors in the
picture considerably.

Light from Highly Concentrated To Diffuse

There is strongly concentrated light in the blazing midday sun or in the studio
when using a spotlight. Highly focused light is rather undesirable for most
shooting situations. In the studio, the spotlight is practically never used as the
main light, but rather to set gloss effects on a model's hair.
The more the light is focused, the more it hits an object, the harder the
shadows. Especially since a digital camera does not reach the contrast range
of a fine-grain slide film and the lights appear even more worn out and the
shadows even deeper. So, if possible, do not take pictures in the blazing
midday sun. The light in the morning or afternoon is much softer.
The opposite light is in light fog:

Contours can hardly be recognized, colors are strongly dampened:


However, a rather diffuse light is preferable for portraits. Of course, there are
exceptions; the previous black and white portrait was taken in the late
afternoon in the blazing sun. The shadow areas are still sufficiently drawn
through so that they are not just black. And without any rework in Photoshop.
The photo was taken many years ago with a 6x6 SLR camera. The optimal
light for most shooting situations is slightly diffuse, at least a soft light.

Atmospheric Landscapes
But the most atmospheric landscapes are often created in a slightly cloudy
sky with moving clouds. Here, it is the contrast between the areas darkened
by the shadow of the clouds and the glow of the areas directly illuminated by
the sun that can turn a normal landscape photo into a special picture.
Instead of moving clouds, as in these photos, it can simply be forest and
clearing that set the tone.

The Direction of Light


Incident
The most disadvantageous is light that strikes the object head-on, for example
from the flash unit on the camera. A face appears extremely flat because the
contours of the face blur in the light.

The Camera Flash and Flash Units


Both the camera's own flash and a plug-on flash unit deliver the unfavorable
direct incident light. With a flash on the camera, you destroy every
atmosphere. The camera flash or the more powerful flash unit can only be
used in reportage photography and for souvenir photos. With a clip-on flash
unit, you can at least add some drawing to a picture if as you may have seen
in photo reporters, you do not put it on the accessory shoe of the camera, but
instead with an accessory rail slightly offset to the side of the camera connect
to the camera. That is still not the yellow of the egg, it remains a horrible
light, but it is still better than the flash directly above the lens that illuminates
a model's eyes.

Natural Light, Available Light


Natural light and therefore atmosphere
Photos that should have an effect beyond the memory value- you don’t open
it with a flash or right next to the camera but best with the naturally available
light. Sometimes, however, this is not so easy. The photo, which was taken,
was only possible with a very bright lens. And even then, many photos had to
be sorted out because the shortest possible exposure time of 1/90 second was
still too long for fast movements. But the photos that remain show something
of the atmosphere that would have been destroyed if a flash had been used.
Natural light during the day is completely problem-free, although even in
these situations some pocket cameras want to switch the flash. When I walk
around most times, I keep seeing tourists taking pictures. For some, the
camera actually fires a flash; these photos are probably massively
underexposed. It is actually logical that the small camera flash cannot
illuminate a huge lock several hundred meters away.
Natural light with poor lighting conditions, at dusk or in an interior, naturally
requires either relatively long exposure times or high ISO values. But a
lighting situation like the photo above could only be created with relatively
great effort using artificial lighting. However, it is precisely these lighting
situations that lead to particularly attractive photos.
Direct incident light from the direction of the camera, especially through the
camera flash or a flash unit, should be avoided as far as possible. You
shouldn't have the sun in your back either; it's almost as bad as a camera
flash. The light should always be slightly offset to the side by the
photographer. However, the more offset to the side, the more the areas of
shadow need to be brightened. If necessary, even the camera flash is suitable
as a fill-in lamp. However, it is better to use reflective tapes that can be used
in a very targeted manner.
Even in the studio, you rarely make do with the light of even an extremely
soft main light from the Hazylight or a large softbox, but use another, weaker
flash unit to brighten the shadows or instead use reflective tape or
polystyrene panels. How different the same motif comes with different light
can be seen in these two photos of a fruit bowl.

Back Light
Backlighting poses special challenges for the photographer as well as the
technology. Backlight comes in principle from any angle behind the object.
Backlighting emphasizes the outer contours.
Automatic camera control is usually overwhelmed with backlighting. Either
in the middle of the measurement, the exposure is adjusted to the object, but
the sky outshines it, so that even the contours in the overexposed area
dissolve or vice versa, the automatic exposure control captures the bright sky
and the object disappears in the deep shadow, only its contours are clear.
If you do not have a manual exposure meter available, then it is best to use
spot metering and measure different parts of the image individually. Then
choose an average value from the exposure values determined in this way and
try it out.
You can as well take some test photos with different exposure settings as in
the example above and feel your way towards the optimal result. Finally, the
display allows immediate control and subsequent correction of the exposure.
You can also take a series of exposures with at least three photos each, which
deviate from the optimal value up and down in a full aperture setting. With
the HDR function of Photoshop or a specialized computer program, you can
then have these images offset against each other and thus often get an
impressive result.

Grazing Light
Sidelight lets something light up properly. This does not only apply to the
blossom in the picture above, it also applies in particular to architecture,
where you can really bring out the beauty of a facade with grazing light.

Grazing light is light that comes from almost 90 degrees from the side. This
situation occurs in nature in the early evening when the sun is already close
above the horizon and the object is at an almost 90 degrees angle to the sun.
Contours are highlighted with grazing light. It can be demonstrated
particularly clearly with these photos.
The facade of the building gets all the evening grazing light particularly
good. For comparison, a picture taken in the afternoon, then the light comes
to a certain extent from the side, but the grazing light is only available shortly
before sunset. Grazing light emphasizes contours particularly vividly. The
afternoon photo below would look even more boring compared to the photo
above if it hadn't been spiced up in Photoshop.
Grazing light is also important for documenting, for example, accident
damage, damage to a building facade and many other documentation,
because the grazing light only really shows the damage. The camera flash is
often fatal, with such photos can one the real one damage at best
foreshadows, really immediately understandable for every viewer without
further explanation, photos of for example, body damage, dents in a body and
the like are usually only possible through the targeted use of grazing light.
I have a lot of experience with photographic documentation for experts and
as evidence in court. The more impressively a damage is demonstrated in a
photo, the greater the likelihood that the judges will follow their own
reasoning and classify the damage as significant as you do.
Special Lighting Situations

The castle below, which is of course one of the favorite photo motifs, comes
best in the evening light, which as a light grazing light with its high red
component literally lights up the sandstone walls.
During the day, the castle looks rather boring from a distance, the local
sandstone almost merges in color with the forested background and the castle
can hardly be seen. A direct comparison: The photo above was not post-
processed in Photoshop, but in order to be able to see anything of the lock
against the background with which it almost merges, the color dynamics of
the raw data file in Adobe Bridge have already been increased by 20%. Next,
you see this picture again with a post-processing in Photoshop, which
highlights the castle a little, even if the effect of the evening light cannot be
achieved with any sophisticated tricks in Photoshop.
During the post-processing, the dark parts in the image were selected via
Selection> Color range> Depths, provided with a soft edge of 80 pixels, the
selection was duplicated with "Layer as copy" on a new layer, with the
original layer with "multiply negatively" and 50% opacity charged. This
level was duplicated again and offset with "soft light" also with 50% opacity
with the second level. As a result, the castle and the trees in the foreground
come into their own with the bright foliage of spring. But you can fool
around with this photo as much as you want, but it won't be a good photo. It
is simply not the right light for the castle. The photo taken from the opposite
side of the castle just before sunset is quite different.
In the photos taken during the day, the contrast in Photoshop has been
increased considerably to make the lock visible at all against the background.

Outdoor Portrait and Object Photography


You will rarely find the optimal light, especially if appointments have been
made with photo models or you have an appointment to photograph a car. In
such a case, it is good if you have one or two assistants to help you out with
the help of reflective walls.
Reflection walls are readily available for purchase, when not needed they can
be folded into a small package. There are attachments for lamp tripods with
which you can fix a reflex wall to the lamp tripod. Works without assistants
who hold the tripod, but only when there is almost no wind.
You can also build reflection walls yourself. Take a 3-5 mm (depending on
size) thick plywood sheet and a silver foil that is coated on the back with
adhesive. A tripod thread can also be attached to the plywood panel and
connected to the ball head of the camera tripod. A styrofoam plate without
silver foil is sufficient for particularly soft light (outdoor: watch out for
wind). With reflection walls, you can not only lighten shadows, but also
direct light where you need it.
In professional photography, portable, battery-operated flash systems are also
used outdoors, but this is an effort that overwhelms an amateur both
financially and in terms of personnel.
CHAPTER 2

THE COLOR

Color is a Defining Design Element in Color Photos


Color photos that are simply colorful are rarely perceived as good because
color is not just an ingredient for a photo, but an essential design element for
a color photo. Autumn colors are of course colorful and can also be in a
photo.

Less Is Often More


This also applies to the colors in a photo. Few, dominating colors up to the
monochrome image lead to homogeneous photos without confusion. For
some photos, it is better to forego the color entirely and instead convert it to
grayscale images, i.e. black and white photos.

In the photo above, there are too many colors for my taste. The blue at the
bottom right is particularly annoying. The eyes, whose blue is intensified by
the neighboring blue at the bottom right, are almost aggressive.
In black and white, here with a sepia tint, the disturbing colors disappear. The
aggressive effect of the colored original has disappeared; nothing distracts the
gaze from the face, which suddenly appears more melancholic.

Colors reflect moods. Cool colors appear distant, warm colors homely. With
rare exceptions, photos become effective if only one color dominates the
picture. It doesn't have to be completely monochrome.

Moods and the Automatic White Balance


The automatic white balance of a digital camera is helpful for many
photographic tasks because the deviations in the color of light from pure
white are more or less recognized and corrected.
However, when it comes to replaying moods, it is better to deactivate it and
manually set an appropriate value. Landscape photos and many other motifs
are also about the lighting moods. However, the automatic white balance
eliminates the lighting moods that conjure up daylight through its natural
deviations from pure white. It makes a difference whether a landscape is
bathed in warm or cool light.
The photo above has an emphatically cool color mood. This topic also applies
to anyone who generally saves in raw data format, because the separate
storage of the color channels enables subsequent correction without any
problems. Color moods are often an essential element of the image statement
in landscape photographs.

Exact Color Rendering


The opposite is the case for photographic tasks that involve exact color
reproduction. These are tasks that a photo amateur rarely, if ever, has to deal
with. This task exists in product photography and especially in the color of
company logos. The automatic white balance does not help; in this case the
camera must be adjusted to the light color with manual white balance and a
standardized gray card. If printing is about extreme accuracy, a standardized
color wedge is photographed at the edge of the photo, which the printer needs
for precise adjustment.
For publications on the web, it does not have to be so precise because every
monitor displays colors, brightness levels and contrasts differently anyway.
Even 2 just calibrated monitors next to each other display colors slightly
differently.

Monochrome Color Photos


Monochrome in the strictest sense means that there is only one color in the
photo with different brightness levels. You don't usually see it that narrow in
photography. But one color should at least dominate with tints to the
neighboring colors. An old master of monochrome color photos is the
American photographer Pete Turner, who was one of the role models of
many photographers 50 years ago and still takes excellent photos.

Deliberate color falsifications are also permitted for monochrome color


photos, as in this photo that was taken on an autumnal afternoon on a beach. I
found the original blue boring; with a hint of turquoise the photo looks much
stronger.

In this photo, the colors are original, a dream in pink.


Simplicity of Colors
Simplicity of color goes in a similar direction to monochrome pictures. It's
not necessarily a single color with its gradations like in strictly monochrome
photos, but it's also not colorful. Both monochrome photos and these photos
need the color, they would lose their effectiveness in black and white.
The main attraction of these photos is that a single color dominates the
picture with its fine gradations.

This also applies to the following photo, which was taken with a slightly
longer exposure time from a TEE that was traveling at approximately 160
km/h. The trees directly on the embankment provide the colored wiping
effect; the trees on the horizon are completely sharp.
Vineyards in Autumn
The fascinating autumn colors of the vineyards, which range from yellow to
red depending on the grape variety, are not simply colorful. The structure of
the lines creates an additional visual appeal.

Foreground Colors and Background Colors


The colors in the picture have an essential function for the picture statement.
Strong red as in the photo above not only pushes itself strongly into the
foreground, but also looks aggressive as a large area.

This photo of tulips that have almost faded is certainly not a work of art, but
shows the depth gradation through the red foreground and the blue that runs
in the depths of the photo.
By choosing the right colors, you can extremely stagger images in depth. Red
is a typical foreground color, blue is a typical background color. This effect
was often used for church windows in Gothic style, the red foreground stands
out plastically from the background and the window no longer appears two-
dimensional, but three-dimensional, but this effect is already quite clear in the
photo above, the peony stands out clearly from the background.
Green is also a background color, red has a particularly plastic effect on dark
blue-green, because here it is not only the foreground and background colors
that lead to the plastic effect, but also the complementary colors that
significantly enhance the effect.

Yellow is Also one of the Foreground Colors


The photo of the rose was taken immediately after a heavy downpour with a
completely overcast sky. Even with this diffuse light, the correct exposure to
the rose was enough to only hint at the leaves, especially since the
background is a dark brown border around the balcony. When correctly
exposed to an object as bright as this rose in the foreground, the dark brown
background becomes deep black.
Yellow can be both a warm color like the rose photo above and a cool color
like the bearded iris photo below. Yellow is a not unproblematic color in the
screen display because even slight deviations in the screen setting can
misrepresent yellow, either with a green tint (cool) or a red tint (warm).
Use foreground colors and background colors specifically for the image
design
When designing baroque parks, the properties of color as foreground and
background colors were also often used. In the main axis of the park, beds
with red and yellow blooming perennials and annuals were planted in the
foreground, trees with blue-green foliage, for example the blue spruce, were
used in the background. This optically resulted in a much larger park and thus
a much longer axis than it actually was. So you can add depth to your photos.
CHAPTER 3

IMAGE SECTION

Enhance the Effect of an Image with the Image Detail


With the selection of the image section, you push the image of important
parts to their final correct position, omit unnecessary parts and at the same
time reinforce essential elements of the image design. When it comes to
cropping, photography and painting have a lot in common.

By choosing the right image section, we not only leave out superfluous parts
of the image and limit ourselves to the essentials, but can also influence two
other important influencing options for the effect of an image, namely the
diagonals in the image as well as the dynamics. By making the image the
most important, move part out of the middle.

The Effect of Diagonals


Since we read from left to right in Western culture and also capture an image
from left to right, a diagonal that rises from left to right is a diagonal that we
perceive to be ascending. Conversely, we see a diagonal that falls from left to
right as a falling diagonal.
This alone can significantly enhance image statements or even completely
disrupt them with the wrong diagonals. In case of doubt, you have to flip an
image horizontally in an image editing program to get the right diagonal.
No ascending diagonal fits a melancholic facial expression and conversely,
dynamics are underlined with an ascending diagonal.

Take the two photos of the Bugatti as an example. In the photo above, there is
a clear ascending diagonal. The car seems to be driving towards us, even
though it is stationary.
In contrast, the same Bugatti photographed slightly from above and from the
other side. This time, a falling diagonal and thus the rather static effect. A
still beautiful object and car, but the tremendous dynamic of the shape is
somewhat lost due to the falling diagonal.
There are two diagonals in the photo below. The falling diagonal from hand
to face automatically leads the eye to the face. This, in turn, is on a rising
diagonal with the rest of the body. The viewer's gaze always follows the
direction of the eyes, i.e. the outstretched hand or something behind it, but
always returns to the face.

The Middle is Not Always Correct


Slightly offset from the center often increases the dynamic of an image.
Ideally, we are approaching the golden ratio or the 4: 3 ratio that is also used
in the artistic representation. The golden ratio is familiar to almost everyone.
The 4: 3 ratio, which is used at least as often in painting, is hardly popular,
although it is also of great importance for image design.
In principle, both design guidelines mean that the most important element
should lie on one of the coordinates of either the golden ratio or the 4: 3
division ratio. The question arises when the picture is taken, which element in
a motif is the most important element.
In the subsequent photo, the detail of the picture was chosen so that the right
and the top axis of the golden section run between the two flowers on which
the focus is placed and both flowers have approximately the same weight. A
slightly different image section leads to a clearer effect. In this detail, the two
axes of the golden section intersect exactly in the front flower dominating the
image.

In a portrait, there are often three elements that are almost equally important,
namely both eyes and the mouth. In the case of a larger building, there is
often no important element at all within the motif, since it is the entire
building.

The Golden Ratio and the Aspect Ratio 4/3


The golden ratio and the aspect ratio 4/3 are the two most important division
ratios examined using an existing photo. A photo taken in negative format
6x6 cm many years ago serves as a template, in which I searched for the most
effective image detail. 6x6 is a square format and therefore only the rough
template for the later picture. Anyone who photographs with this format is
aware that a section must always be selected afterwards in order to get to
landscape or portrait format.
In this photo, the entire lower quarter is immediately distracting. Especially
since the arms and the chrome strip of the body of the picture are divided in
half, with the lower quarter only disturbing. The selected image section was
quickly found. Since, besides the lower area in the original picture, the cut
window on the left behind the model bothers me and I didn't want to cut off
my hands, I only had to remove something from the top to determine the final
image section.
Furthermore, in a way to further play with the photo, a black and white layer
with 62% opacity was placed over the picture. (Actually, it’s just to know
how the photo would look in black and white. Image editing is often just
playful curiosity).

The 4: 3 Image Axes


The number 7 is the symbol of perfection in many cultures. Its division into 3
and 4 is also common in many cultures. In Christianity, this division has a
very special meaning, the 3 stands for the Holy Trinity, the 4 for the four
elements. This is why this image division is possibly much more widespread
in Christian culture than the golden ratio.

The red crosshair is the middle, the yellow crosshair is the upper left 4: 3
axis. Of the 4 coordinates, only the two axes that are essential for the face
were drawn in, so that there is only one intersection instead of the possible 4
intersections.
In this intuitively chosen image section, the nose root lies almost exactly on
the left 4: 3 axis. The nostril plays an important role when I look for an
effective image detail in a portrait in which both eyes are approximately
equally important elements.
However, the 4: 3 coordinates play almost no role in the horizontal image
division or maybe they do, because exactly at the intersection of the two
coordinates is the border between face and hair. Another border between hair
and shoulder is almost exactly in the middle.
I was quite surprised by these proportions when I drew in the coordinates,
since I hadn't planned it, I was simply looking for the most effective image
detail.

The Golden Cut


The next surprise came when the coordinates for the golden ratio were
plotted. Red center, orange golden section with the width and height of the
photo.

These division ratios result from the mathematical definition of the golden
ratio. 0.382 + 0.618 = 1, i.e. the entire width or height of a photo. With these
division ratios, the coordinates for the golden ratio can be quickly determined
without cumbersome calculations. The total width multiplied by 0.618 results
in the vertical axis. (You can of course also take 0.382 times instead). The
same calculation for the horizontal axis with the image height. Only the two
coordinates of the golden section which are important for the face, were
drawn.
The right eye, which is more emphasized by the photo, lies exactly on the
vertical coordinate of the golden section. The mouth, actually the most
important single element in the photo, lies on the horizontal axis of the
golden section. Perhaps this creates the strong connection between the right
eye and the mouth in this detail of the picture, which is not present in the
original, where the eyes and the mouth are isolated picture elements.
The consequence of the aesthetic principles for the composition of the
picture
First of all, we should be aware that while photography and painting have a
lot in common, they also have striking differences. A painted picture can be
planned from the start according to the aesthetic principles. In photography,
at least in the most important areas of photography for amateurs, the total
arrangement of a photo is rather the exception.

In professional photography, however, precise planning is the rule in many


areas. This area of professional photography is generally called still life. This
includes almost all product, food and advertising photos that are taken
without models in the studio. Many photos with models, especially photos for
which hand models are hired, are also planned meticulously and have already
been outlined by the advertising agency.
But outside the professional world of commercial photography, photography
essentially consists of visually capturing a situation and translating it into a
photo. And, of course, the selection of the image section when taking photos,
as long as they are not panoramic photos.
The most important thing when choosing the image section is, except in a
few exceptional cases, not to place the most important motif in the middle.
Without aids, however, at least one beginner will be able to take the aesthetic
proportions into account at the very beginning, at most. But if you often look
for the most effective image section in existing photos like the example
above, you quickly develop an eye for aesthetic proportions.
At the beginning, you can perhaps use software that shows the coordinates or
superimposed guidelines in the viewfinder of the camera to find the most
effective image section and composition, but best do not make yourself
dependent on such crutches and instead try to develop an eye for the most
effective image detail. Then, in reverse, it can even happen that an intuitively
chosen image section, as in the example above, corresponds to the aesthetic
principles. But then you did not make yourself slavishly dependent on
aesthetic principles, which often raise more questions than answer anyway
(what is the most important element in a picture?). But develop your own
style and a look that quickly becomes the most effective without tools Image
section captured. Computer programs do not help us much anyway with the
actual photography and thus with the choice of the subject and the image
section.
A recommended software for determining the golden ratio and other
proportions is Golden Ratio. In contrast to many other programs for the
golden section, the image section can be changed as desired, the coordinates
always go with it. The golden ratio is now also integrated in Lightroom.

Balance in Image Design


The most important part of the picture should dominate the picture. Apart
from rare exceptional cases, an image should not be simply divided by the
horizon or strong light and shadow effects in the middle.
The photo of a landscape, in which the horizon forms a clear dividing line
between the landscape with houses and the sky, often appears extremely
bland and boring, especially when the horizon is still pretty much in the
center of the picture. On the other hand, if a church tower, trees, mountains or
buildings soar into the sky and thus connect earth and sky beyond the
horizon, the photo also has an effect.

This snapshot, taken during a traffic light stop, is alive due to its staggered
highs. With many photos, I leave out the sky altogether if it does not itself
have an essential image statement. But in the photo above, it would be
indispensable because the gradation of the heights with the right amount of
sky above gives the photo a certain charm beyond the snapshot. It also means
experimenting with different parts of the picture and especially the proportion
of the sky in the picture until you have found the right solution.

Specify the Image Section Later


Feel free to dare your photos afterwards with various image sections. The
very bright front area of the stream has been left out of this section and the
image statement changes significantly. In addition to the subsequent image
detail, the original photo looks almost flat, too obvious, despite the magical
backlighting it is almost factual compared to the subsequent image detail,
which brings poetry and something mysterious into the photo.

Original
The two photos clearly show how a telephoto lens narrows the angle and
reduces the spacing in the depth graduation. From the beginning of the
picture below until the canal, garden loses itself in the darkness of the photo
(it makes, no longer visible, a sharp curve to the right, the course of the
stream can still be guessed if one observes the just indicated white bridge on
the right in the background) it several hundred meters. This is not even
foreseeable in the photos, one thinks that the bridge is at most 50-60m away.
The narrowing of the stream in angle of view is also very moderate with the
Tele. With a shorter focal length, the stream would taper to a narrow line in
the background. Focal length 200 mm, because of the crop factor corresponds
to the angle of view of an apparent focal length of 300 mm in full 35 mm
format.
If you are working with an image editing program that has a cropping tool
similar to Photoshop, you can already see the greatly changed effect by
darkening all parts of the image outside the section while you are looking for
the right section.
A neutral, black background has an advantage for changing the image section
afterwards, which no other background provides. If you have placed the
photo model in the wrong corner or too far in the middle when taking
pictures, it is very difficult to correct it later, except for a completely
monochrome background, which is usually only achieved with deep black.
But with a black background, I only have to roughly remove the model in the
picture, create a new background layer in the same black and can move the
model to any position in the picture on this black background. With fast
sequences of pictures in action photography, it can happen that you don't get
the right image section straight away.

Image Statement and Image Section


Another example of different image statements by the choice of the image
section.

The photo above was taken during winter: Two sections from the photo with
different picture statements.
Here, the walker approaches something. This is clear from the goal as well as
from its placement in the photo. The longer route is still ahead of him.

Instead, the stroller walks out of the picture with an undetermined


destination. One could point more into the photo because the houses are
already behind him. But that's not the point here. There are fundamentally
different picture statements due to the choice of the bid section.

Image Sections Never With the Original


If you experiment with different image sections, you will never work with the
original file, but a copy. Practically, every editing program allows you to save
this file under a new file name immediately after calling up an image file,
then continue working with the copy. So you will never regret working with
image sections and tools on the image.
Because of other tools, every image editing program that works with layers
also allows setting layers that have the great advantage over direct
manipulation that you can change the opacity afterwards or that the
manipulation can be completely undone by deleting the setting layer. More
on this in the chapter on image editing.

Choosing the Right Format


We usually use portrait or landscape format to print a photo. It is almost
impossible to make generally valid statements about choosing the right
format. A portrait is usually better in portrait format, but there are also many
exceptions.
The square format, which ambitious photographers and professionals know
from analog photography and other 6x6 cameras, is rarely a good format for a
publication. With the 6x6, it is the raw format, in this case the appropriate
image section for portrait or landscape format should only be selected later.
Pay attention to the desired format when recording. Otherwise, of course, it
depends on the layout in which format a photo is required. Occasionally, you
need photos in the so-called towel format, i.e. as a horizontal stripe for
example for the logo of a website or as a vertical stripe for example for an
advertisement in a print media. If you intend to take photos for special
purposes, then you should consider the later format selection when taking
pictures, otherwise you would inevitably have to cut away important parts
afterwards.

Find the Image Section


Ultimately, it is always experimenting, even when taking pictures, especially
in post-processing. General rules such as the golden ratio and diagonals in the
image are very useful, especially as long as you have not yet developed an
eye for the most effective image section, but in the end it is about developing
a sure eye that you can use at the latest when post processing select the detail
of a photo that underlines the intended image statement.
Apart from technical photos, for example in an instruction manual, photos
should always be accessible to the viewer without any explanation. Because
just like painting, a photo is also a means of communication that does not
communicate verbally but visually with the viewer. So it has a statement that
can be reinforced or weakened by the image section.
For example, if you want to portray a person as unpleasant as possible, you
tend to take pictures from below, that is, with a few exceptions, a perspective
that does not necessarily make someone appear likeable. But these tricks of
reportage photography, with which political opponents are often depicted, are
of less interest here.
The basic picture statement should be made when taking pictures, not only
when the final picture section is selected. Nevertheless, I just experienced it
again when I went through picture folders in order to examine previously
neglected photos to see whether they could still be good with a much smaller
image section. You often only discover afterwards which treasures in
previously neglected photos are hidden. For example, whole-body shots that
were just boring as they are, but with a facial expression and a light guide,
which led to a fantastic portrait when you looked closer.
In order to be able to judge a photo on whether a significantly smaller image
section might still lead to the desired result, I simply use the Photoshop
navigator, with which I can zoom in and roughly determine the image section
using different zoom levels and shifting the section. By zooming in, I can not
only judge the sharpness because when you take a closer look, some photos
no longer look as sharp as would be necessary to compose the image, but I
can also immediately see whether they are worth it.

Image Section Using a Practical Example


The Photoshop CS6 crop tool can show the golden ratio as a guide. As in the
original, in which the golden section lay almost exactly on the right eye
without any auxiliary lines, I also oriented myself towards the right eye of the
model in the finally selected image section. Not much remains of the original,
it was simply too much fur and too little face.
The image section that has been determined is transferred to the photo by
double-clicking. The photo has not yet been reworked, blemishes and the
shiny nose are still a nuisance.

Find the Image Section


The final image section, however, I use the cropping tool, unless the original
aspect ratio must be maintained. Of course, I don't slavishly stick to the
original aspect ratio of the original photo, but choose the most effective
image detail. Sometimes the image section is found within a few seconds,
sometimes there are so many options that you select four or five different
image sections, each of which has a striking effect and you do not really
know which one you choose now, as far as you must decide and sometimes
you find that despite good sharpness and lighting, the photo simply has no
image and deletes the photo.
Only by constantly examining existing photos for an effective image section
will you gradually become independent of general rules such as the golden
ratio and find the optimal image section. Photographing is not only true for
the direction of light or recognizing special lighting situations, it is especially
true for the image section; it is also a school of seeing.

Angle of View and Recording Location


The subject of image detail does not begin with the zoom level or the choice
of the focal length for a motif, but with the choice of location and angle of
view beforehand. This photo was taken from an angle that could only be
realized with technical aids, namely photographed practically directly above
the floor.
CHAPTER 4

DEPTH OF FIELD

The Depth of Field and the Level of Focus


In this chapter, the two common names are used equally side by side. Depth
of field is the correct name, but depth of field is the common name for the
area that is still in focus in front of and behind the actual focus level, i.e. what
the camera was focused on.
The depth of field depends on both the aperture set and the focal length. In
addition, therefore, the chapter focal length for image design as well as the
technical considerations on aperture, depth of field and focal length in the
FAQ. The larger the sensor or the film format of a camera, the more precisely
you can use the depth of field as a design tool.

Depth of Field and Size of the Sensor Surface


The depth of field depends on the size of the sensor and thus, the focal length
of the lens for a certain angle of view. The smaller the sensor, the smaller the
focal length for a certain angle of view. The smaller the focal length, the
greater the depth of field. This is already known from analog photography,
the depth of field is much larger with a small picture than with a medium
format camera and again significantly larger than with a large format camera.
Why do professionals prefer to use medium format and even prefer large
format for very demanding tasks? The larger the format, the better the overall
sharpness, the resolution of even the finest color gradients and of course, the
control options for depth of field that this chapter deals with.
In contrast, the small format has the advantage of greater manageability. The
best way to control the depth of field is with a large-format camera built on
the principle of an optical bench. With a large format camera, you can even
use the golden ratio rule to run the focus plane diagonally through the image
or restrict it to a single small area.
The Advantage of the Larger Format
But now back to the digital camera. Commercially available pocket cameras
have a very small sensor, which in the cheaper models is not even the size of
the fingernail of a little finger. The common sensor sizes are shown in the
purchase advice cameras. Digital full-frame cameras have the same sensor
size as an analog 35mm camera. That is why they are also called full-frame
cameras because the sensor has the same size as a 35 mm camera, namely 24
x 36 mm. The usual sensor format of digital SLR cameras in the consumer
class is about two thirds the size of the full format and is sufficient to
influence the depth of field.

In this graphic, you can perhaps understand the dependence of the focal
length on the sensor size. The image angle in this example is 69 °, which
corresponds to a light wide-angle lens and remains the same for all sensor
sizes. The larger the sensor, the greater the focal length (the distance from the
optical center to the sensor) for this angle of view. The lens is of course much
too large in relation to the sensor formats and would be a very fast lens even
for the large sensor.
Since short focal lengths have a very large depth of field regardless of the
angle of view, it may also be understandable why digital cameras with small
sensors still have a very large depth of field even in the telephoto range and
draw everything sharply from front to back.
In the case of very large recording formats in analog medium format and
especially large format photography, focal lengths are already required for
the exemplary angle of view of a wide-angle lens, which correspond to a
telephoto lens on a digital full-format camera and the depth of field is
correspondingly small.
The tiny sensor format of the pocket cameras and cell phones requires short
focal lengths, even in the telephoto range of the lens, and therefore an
enormous depth of field that extends to infinite distances, even for portrait
distances, i.e. a face and the background are equally sharp.
In creative photography, however, it is extremely important to emphasize the
most important part with its sharpness. You can only work effectively with
depth of field and depth of focus on cameras that have a sufficiently large
sensor and therefore, no longer draw from 1 m to infinitely sharp, as is the
case with small sensors.
The best way to control the depth of field is to use an SLR camera. Many
SLR cameras offer a dimmer button, with which you can precisely control the
depth of field for the set aperture (dimming in contrast to the open aperture
with which you can look through the viewfinder) before taking the picture.
The dimmer button is required to assess the depth of field for the aperture set.
If you look through the viewfinder or at cameras where the subject is instead
aimed at via the display, you will always see the image with the aperture
open, i.e. with the least sharpness and depth of field that the lens offers. The
aperture button closes the aperture to the preset value and you can see the
subject with the actual focus and depth of field. This of course, also makes
the viewfinder image much darker. For this reason, the aperture is normally
open, because with aperture 22, for example, the viewfinder image would be
so dark that almost nothing can be seen on it.
You have to know that the depth of field of the photo will not correspond to
what you see in the viewfinder, unless you are shooting with the aperture
open, if you want to use the depth of field for design purposes. Otherwise, the
photo would be a random result and not exactly wanted. However, the image
design is about mastering the individual factors that lead to a good photo as
much as possible and not leaving it to chance.

Controlling Depth of Field


The aperture
The focal length and the aperture influence the depth of field. When the
aperture is completely open, both the depth of field and the overall focus of
the lens are the lowest. The further you close the aperture, the greater the
depth of field. At the same time, the overall sharpness increases.
The further you close the diaphragm, the smaller the opening through which
the light has to pass. If the aperture is closed beyond the optimal value, which
for most lenses lies between aperture 8 and aperture 11, the small aperture
opening already shows signs of diffraction, which lead to a decrease in the
overall sharpness.
The influence of the aperture is very clear with the following photos, which
were taken with the same exposure, the same focus level at 35 mm focal
length, but different aperture values for this demonstration:

Aperture 4
Aperture 5.6

Aperture 8
Aperture 11
If you want to consistently use the depth of the archipelago by choosing the
aperture, you have several options. You can use the aperture priority
(automatic timer), in this case, the camera selects the associated exposure
time and sensor sensitivity (ISO value) independently, you can also fix the
ISO value beforehand, then the automatic timer only chooses the appropriate
exposure time or you make all settings in manual mode itself.
If you close the aperture by a full step as in the image examples above, you
have to double the exposure time for each full aperture step so that the
exposure remains the same. Since many digital cameras offer finer gradations
than the full aperture, you should memorize the full aperture, otherwise, you
just can't see through:
2.8 4 5.6 8th 11 16 22
32 64 128
Apertures smaller than aperture 22 generally do not exist in full-format
cameras; the apertures from aperture 32 are used in medium format and large
format photography.
The Focus Level
The depth of field is not only influenced by the aperture, but also by the
choice of the level of focus. So what the lens was focused on. The following
photos clearly show this using the tape measure as an example:

Focus level far forward with the aperture open


The focus level in this photo is about 12 cm on the tape measure. It can be
clearly seen that the depth of focus decreases much faster in the front than in
the back.

In this photo, the focus is practically directly on the tape measure. The blur
increases dramatically towards the front.
In this portrait, the level of the sheep is wrong, namely on the costume
jewelry on the wrist. If the photo was taken for a client who is concerned
with fashion jewelry, the focus would be spot on. The depth of field is pretty
shallow with an 80mm lens with an open aperture, so you have to be careful
where the maximum focus should go.
The autofocus can easily lead to incorrect focusing because the autofocus is
based on contrast edges in the middle of the image. The contrast edges in
costume jewelry are much more pronounced than in the mouth, where the
focus level should be, so the autofocus adjusts to the stronger contrast edges -
another example of not blindly relying on the automatic functions of the
camera.

With The Choice of the Focus Level Influence the Focus


As can be seen very clearly on these two photos of Chinese tea bowls, the
choice of focus level has a considerable influence on the image statement.
In the first image, the automatic focus would also focus, the focus is on the
front tea bowl.

In the second picture, it lies on the tea bowl on the right and it creates an
entirely different picture impression.

The Focal Length


The larger the focal length of a lens, the smaller its depth of field. This
applies regardless of the angle of view of the lens. Conversely, which in this
case is one hundred percent correct, the smaller the focal length of a lens, the
greater the depth of field.
A bright older telephoto lens with 135 mm focal length; the distance is set to
3 m, which is the orange number on the red line with the dot. The white digits
above are in feet. On the right and left of the red line, you can see three
different aperture values. The lines on the distance setting show the area that
is still sharply drawn with the respective aperture.
To see clearly, with an open aperture, this area is only a few centimeters, with
aperture 22, the smallest aperture of this lens; it is about 30 cm to the front
and 40 cm to the rear. So you can control the depth of field very sensitively
by choosing the aperture. You will only find this information on lenses with
fixed focal lengths.
What is also good to see, the shorter the distance, the smaller the depth of
field. The distances between the distance information are getting bigger,
while the distances between the aperture information do not change.
But only with a distance of almost 30 m is this lens and the smallest aperture
a depth of field to infinity. With the aperture open, the depth of field is still
very small, even at this distance. That is why I love these lenses in creative
photography because I have very good control over what should be in focus
on the photo in addition to the actual picture object.
In digital photography, this means that pocket cameras and cell phones have
an extremely high depth of field with which one can only work creatively in
the area of macro photography. Because in the entire normal imaging range,
this also applies to portraits in general, these lenses draw everything sharply
from front to back.
How big the influence of the focal length on the depth of field can be seen in
the next photo. This time, an older bright lens with 50 mm focal length set to
3 m distance. As you can see, the area that is sharply drawn extends far
beyond the telephoto lens. Incidentally, on one of the still common digital
SLR cameras with a sensor surface reduced by a third compared to the full
format, this lens already has an angle of view that corresponds to a light
telephoto lens with a focal length of 75 mm.
However, this does not change the optical properties of the lens, since only a
section of the entire image angle is projected onto the sensor, which
corresponds to the angle of view of a telephoto lens, does not in any way
change the optical properties, it is and remains a normal focal length and does
not suddenly become a telephoto lens due to the incompletely used angle of
view. This is particularly noticeable in the depth of field.

From a distance of 3 m, the depth of field with aperture 22 extends to infinity


and at the front up to 1.6 m. With short focal lengths, i.e. wide-angle lenses,
an extremely large depth of field can also be achieved with a digital SLR
camera with a large sensor. However, this is usually only desirable for
landscape shots.
With long focal lengths, i.e. telephoto lenses, you can control the depth of
field in a targeted manner and thus place the focus precisely in the area in
which you want it. You don't necessarily have to work with the aperture
open. The photos of the red-haired model) in the castle park, which are
shown here by way of example, were all taken with an aperture of eight, but
with a telephoto lens. As a result, a very high overall sharpness is achieved in
the sharpness level, i.e. in the area of the face and hair, at the same time a
small depth of field in order to be able to lift Denise off the background.
The dependence of the depth of field on the distance to the object
The closer you are to an object and the lens focuses on it, the lower the depth
of field. In macro photography, the depth of field is only a few millimeters.
Conversely, the further you are from an object, the greater the depth of field.

Portrait Lenses
Especially for portraits, there is a light telephoto lens with an 80 mm focal
length in the 35 mm area. This focal length has the advantage that everything
that is close to the camera is no longer oversized, i.e. to emphasize a nose like
a huge mountain over the rest of the face, as would be the case even with the
normal focal length of 50 mm. Another advantage is that; the depth of field
already decreases significantly compared to a lens with a shorter focal length.
The same naturally applies to zoom lenses, although these are technically
completely different from lenses with fixed focal lengths. Compared to even
stronger telephoto lenses, which register even less and whose depth of field is
even less, typical portrait lenses have the advantage that they can also be used
in the studio because you don't need a huge distance to the model to even put
your face on it to get. There are also special versions of the portrait lens with
a built-in, adjustable blur, which was particularly popular in the 1970s and
1980s when David Hamilton's photos were very fashionable.
However, the photo below was not taken with such a lens, but with a normal
zoom lens, which was initially fogged on the front lens due to the extreme
cold and therefore, automatically softened. A similar effect can be achieved,
albeit hardly controllable, by breathing on the front lens and releasing it at the
moment when the right soft focus effect is achieved.
To summarize the depth of field, it can be influenced by the size of the
sensor, so here the digital SLR camera has a clear advantage over a pocket
camera, the focal length, the aperture and the focus level.
CHAPTER 5

FOCAL LENGTH

Use the Focal Length of a Lens as a Design Tool


The different focal lengths are not simply used to take pictures of a whole
panorama with a wide-angle lens or something far away, for example, a
single building, with a telephoto lens from a fixed location.

The focal length of a lens can be used as a direct design tool. The beginner
usually doesn't understand anything more than that you can change the image
section with a zoom lens. But apart from the fact that you can zoom into a
subject (focal length is extended) or zoom out (focal length is shortened) to
make it larger or smaller, the different focal lengths have certain optical
properties that can be used for image composition.
The selected focal length from wide-angle to telephoto has a significant
impact on the depth of field, angle of view distortions and spatial depth
grading. The focal length is one of the specific photo-technical means of
image design.
For image design in photography, there are both photo-technical aspects,
such as the focal lengths discussed here, the aperture, which is important for
the design of the depth of field and the overall focus, and the exposure time,
which is important for the representation of movements, as well as general
design rules, such as colors, image detail with the special features of the
diagonals and the golden ratio, which are not specific to photography. Light
occupies a central position since it is both a basic photo-technical condition
and an important means of design.
The focal length is probably the most difficult area of photographic imaging
for a beginner because the different focal lengths bring both absolute
properties that are independent of the angle of view of the focal length and
properties that relate to the angle of view of the lens. But now step by step.

What is the Focal Length?


Here, it is only briefly explained, because it is explained in more detail in the
FAQ. The focal length is the distance between the real (e.g. with a
magnifying lens) or arithmetic optical center of a lens and the projection
surface (in photography, therefore, the sensor or film), which is required to
infinitely precisely adjust the focal point to the projection surface when
setting the distance lay.

The focal length is given in millimeters. It therefore denotes this arithmetical


distance, which, to make matters worse, does not even have to have anything
to do with the length of the lens and the distance of the lens from the sensor
plane. Because everyone who uses a zoom lens knows that the lens does not
suddenly become shorter because you set a shorter focal length.
Before zoom lenses and wide-angle lenses, the focal length of which is
shorter than the distance between the lens and the sensor plane were
developed, the entire optical structure, i.e. the distance between the aperture
within the lens and the film plane, actually corresponded to the focal length
of the lens.
But that was a long time ago, the length of a lens no longer has much to do
with the angle of view determined by the focal length. The angle of view is
variable with a zoom lens, without which the overall length of the lens would
change significantly except in the strong telephoto range. In the case of a
zoom lens, the lens groups are instead shifted towards one another within the
lens, as a result of which the image angle and thus the computed focal length
change.

The Focal Length of the Lens has Several Properties


The best-known property is the angle of view of a lens, which is defined by
the focal length for a specific sensor or film format. So whether it is a wide-
angle lens, a standard lens or a telephoto lens.
The image angle specifies other important properties, namely possible
distortions caused by the lens and the depth gradation in space, i.e. whether
the background is shown larger or smaller in relation to the foreground. This
is discussed in more detail below in the properties of the different focal
lengths.
In addition, the different focal lengths have an absolute property that is
independent of the angle of view. This absolute property can be represented
in a simple sentence:

Short focal length - great depth of field.


Long focal length - shallow depth of field.
This is not easy to understand at first, because you finally learned that a short
focal length stands for a wide-angle lens and a long focal length for a
telephoto lens. So why are certain properties of the different focal lengths
independent of the angle of view, i.e. regardless of whether it is a wide-angle
lens or a telephoto lens?
In the era of analog photography, it was still relatively easy, more precisely;
it appeared relatively easy because in the amateur sector, there was actually
only one image format, the 35 mm format based on the 35 mm cinema film.
Photographers who worked with the more demanding medium formats (4.5 x
6; 6 x 6; 6 x 7; 6 x 9), which are based on the roll film or even worked in
large format with sheet film, knew that an essential property of the different
focal lengths, namely the depth of field, regardless of the angle of view. After
all, medium format cameras and even more so large format cameras need
much longer focal lengths for a picture angle that corresponds to the 35 mm
image.
But the average amateur photographer who was traveling with a 35 mm
camera practically set the angle of view and optical properties of a lens or for
a zoom lens, the set focal length, which of course, was true in relation to the
35mm format.
Since the development of digital photography with its sensor sizes that are
independent of a given film format and therefore many different sensor sizes
from the tiny sensor of a cell phone to the digital medium format, the optical
properties of a focal length and their angle of view can no longer be equated.
The optical properties are absolute and refer to the actual focal length of a
lens. But the focal length for a certain angle of view depends on the size of
the sensor. The larger the sensor, the greater the focal length for the same
angle of view.
For sensors that are significantly smaller than the APS format, which is used
as APS-A, B or C in most digital SLR cameras below the full format, the
focal length for a certain angle of view is much shorter than for cameras with
APS or full format sensor,
However, conscious work with the depth of field requires at least 50 mm
actual focal length. With shorter real focal lengths, the depth of field is so
great that it extends over a very wide range even with the aperture open. At
focal lengths below 20 mm, the depth of field extends from front to back
even with the aperture open. The two graphics below show the image angles
for 2 sensor sizes for the same focal length.

― Focal length 18 mm
― Full frame sensor
(24 x 36 mm)

Image angle 1000


― Pocket sensor camera
(7.2 x 5.3)
Image angle 27 o

Two different sensor sizes with the same focal length 18 mm are shown here
as examples. One is a sensor in full format with 24 x 36 mm and the typical
sensor size of a somewhat better pocket or bridge camera with 7.2 x 5.3 mm.
On the full-frame camera, 18 mm is already an extreme wide-angle lens, with
the smaller sensor; the same focal length becomes a light telephoto lens.

― Focal length 35 mm
― Full frame sensor
(24 x 36 mm)

Image angle 630

― Pocket sensor camera


(7.2 x 5.3)
Image angle 14 o

The second graphic shows the same thing with a 35 mm focal length. For the
full format, this focal length would be a moderate wide angle. On the smaller
sensor, it becomes a strong telephoto lens, the focal length of which is the
equivalent of approximately 180 mm.
With the smaller sensor, even in the strong telephoto range, you still have a
wide-angle lens with regard to its depth of field. However, since the focal
length and depth of field are inseparable, the properties of the different focal
lengths are discussed in more detail.

The APS Sensor and the Angle of View


This section is particularly important if you have a digital camera with an
APS sensor. Since the APS sensor is smaller than the full frame, most lenses
that are used in cameras with an APS sensor have been developed for the 35
mm format (corresponds to the full digital format), so an APS sensor only
uses two thirds of the picture angle in the full frame used.
Therefore, the focal length must be extended by 50% for a picture angle
comparable to the full frame. So a 35 mm lens with an APS sensor becomes a
stronger telephoto lens with an apparent focal length of 150 mm. The same
applies of course to all other focal lengths, a 200 mm lens becomes a 300 mm
lens, so it becomes a much stronger telephoto, it also applies in the wide-
angle range, of course, a strong wide-angle lens with 18 mm focal length
becomes a medium-sized wide-angle lens with the APS sensor with 27 mm
focal length.
However, this only relates to the angle of view that is not fully used in
relation to the full format, not to the optical properties of a lens. The optical
properties remain the same. This applies in particular to the depth of field,
spatial depth gradation, angle taper and possible distortions, the latter,
especially with strong wide-angle lenses. It follows that cameras with APS
sensors in the wide-angle range have fundamental disadvantages compared to
full format because you can't really use the wide-angle range of a lens.
In the telephoto range, on the other hand, the APS sensor even has
advantages over the full format, because you have a 50% longer apparent
focal length without the disadvantages of an actually 50% longer focal
length, namely lower light intensity, less depth of field and blurring in the
edge area. Finally, the smaller sensor does not even detect the edge area.

Portraits and the APS Sensor


A common misconception arises from the misunderstanding of focal length
conversion. Finally, the focal length conversion only leads to a smaller angle
of view but not to changed optical properties of the lens used. The optical
properties, especially the depth of field, depend on the actual focal length. In
terms of its optical properties, a bright 50 mm lens remains a 50 mm lens
with all the advantages and disadvantages of this focal length, even with a
camera with an APS sensor. Because 80 mm focal length is considered a
typical portrait focal length, 50 mm fixed focal lengths are often used as a
portrait lens on an APS sensor, because the conversion ultimately turns it into
a 75 mm lens. But that is a mistake.
There are good reasons why the standard focal length 50mm is not popular
for portraits and instead a light telephoto with 80 mm focal length developed
into a typical portrait lens. The smaller angle of view compared to the
standard focal length is only one of these reasons and at the same time, the
least important. A portrait lens is about depth of field and avoiding distortion.
Because both in terms of depth of field and distortion, the standard focal
length 50 mm is much closer to a wide-angle lens than to a light telephoto.
These good reasons speak very clearly against a 50 mm lens as a portrait lens
on an APS sensor. The 75 mm apparent focal length by conversion only
refers to the angle of view used to only 2/3. The typical portrait lens has
several advantages over an even stronger telephoto lens: better light intensity,
excellent overall sharpness, lighter and unproblematic with exposure times
longer than 1/125 sec.
Good portraits with a camera with APS sensor require real and not converted
portrait focal lengths. Because of the smaller angle of view compared to the
full frame for which these lenses were finally developed, the APS sensor has
the disadvantage of a larger required distance from the model, which can be
difficult in the small home studio because it was the required minimum
distance to the model that made the 80 mm lens the standard portrait lens.
I occasionally use a very fast lens with a 135 mm focal length for outdoor
portraits. Since I also have a camera with APS sensor, it becomes a strong
telephoto with an apparent focal length of 202.5 mm with regard to the angle
of view. As long as portraits remain, this focal length is easy to use, but if
you want to get the model completely on the picture, you need a good 10 m
distance, which does not make communication easier. That is one of the
reasons why 80 mm and not much stronger telephoto lenses with an even
shallower depth of field have established themselves as portrait focal lengths.

The Depth of Field and the APS Sensor


Information that is made both on Wikipedia and on the websites of camera
manufacturers can cause misunderstandings. Because there it says that the
depth of field of a lens would behave differently on an APS sensor than on a
camera with a full-frame sensor. It also means that for comparable photos, the
aperture would have to be closed one full step compared to the full-frame
sensor.
But this information only refers to the bokeh. Bokeh is the representation of
blurring in a photo. In fact, the smaller viewing angle changes the bokeh and
becomes a bit coarser than on a camera with a full-frame sensor. The actual
range of depth of field, i.e. how far in front and behind the focus plane a lens
still sharpens depending on the selected aperture, does not change.
Basic definitions for the following chapters: Focal lengths and
image design
All focal lengths refer to the 35 mm format or the same size digital full
format. If you have a camera with a sensor that is smaller or larger than the
full digital format, you have to convert the focal lengths in relation to the
angle of view. A good conversion table can be found in the next page.
Since the conversion only relates to the angle of view and not to the absolute
optical properties of a certain focal length, statements about the depth of field
only apply to the full format.
However, all other information resulting from the angle of view applies
analogously for each sensor size. With the exception of the APS sensor,
because in addition to the few lenses that have now definitely been developed
for the APS format, lenses with a APS sensor that have been developed for
the 35 mm format are used so that the original optical properties remain the
same and in it if the actual focal length is not decisive, but the actual focal
length.

Format Factor
Exposure Time and Telephoto Lenses
The converted focal length is important for setting the exposure times. There
is a rule of thumb for this, which relates exclusively to the actually used angle
of view and not to the actual focal length. The rule of thumb is that you
should not use a longer exposure time than half the focal length.
This rule of thumb refers to the focal lengths of 35 mm lenses. For cameras
with a smaller or larger sensor, the focal length must be converted in order to
use the rule of thumb because this rule of thumb is not about the absolute
properties of a focal length, but about the angle of view. The smaller the
angle of view, the more even the slightest vibrations of the camera becomes
noticeable as blurring. This can be avoided with sufficiently short exposure
times.
Many bridge cameras and mirrorless system cameras have two different focal
lengths on the lens, the actual focal length and the focal lengths converted to
the 35 mm format. The actual focal length is important for the optical
properties of the lens, for example, the depth of field, the focal length
converted for the 35 mm format denotes the angle of view of the lens in order
to be able to use the rule of thumb.
This means that with a focal length converted to 35 mm format, for example,
200 mm, the longest exposure time, which still leads to sharp photos with a
free hand, is 1/100 seconds or for cameras with the previously used full
gradations, 1/125 seconds. In the case of the widely used zoom lenses with a
focal length of 80-200 mm, in the case of an APS sensor and a focal length of
200 mm, this means the shortest possible exposure time of 1/150 seconds or
for cameras with full exposure time levels, the next shorter exposure time, i.e.
1/250 seconds because the conversion gives an apparent focal length of 300
mm.
A tripod should be used for all longer focal lengths. By the way, the rule of
thumb only applies to someone who has a steady hand and whose camera is
well in hand. Otherwise, you should choose an even shorter exposure time for
safety reasons.
With an image stabilizer, significantly longer exposure times can be achieved
without the photo becoming blurred due to motion blur (camera shake). But
especially in the field of stronger telephoto lenses, even with an image
stabilizer, you should heed the rule of thumb to avoid experiencing bitter
disappointment. It's best to try it out yourself because the longest possible
exposure time for a telephoto lens depends of course on the calm of your own
hands.
But now finally to the image design with the different focal lengths, again, all
the information given here refers to the full digital format or the analog
model, the 35 mm format. The peculiarities of other sensor formats, in
particular, the problems with the APS sensor, are no longer discussed
afterwards.

Use the Different Focal Lengths for the Image Design


The two basic rules:
Short focal lengths have a very large picture angle, while long focal lengths
have a very small picture angle. (This rule depends on the sensor size of a
camera. Comparability always only with apparent focal lengths converted to
the full format).
Short focal lengths have a very large depth of field, while long focal lengths
have a very small depth of field. The second rule applies regardless of the
actual angle of view; it is the absolute property of a focal length.

The properties of the Focal Lengths Depend on the Angle of


View
With binoculars, everyone can understand why you need shorter exposure
times than with other lenses. The stronger the binoculars, the stronger and
faster the picture trembles. This has something to do with the small angle of
view, in which even the slightest vibrations are clearly noticeable. A very
short exposure time is faster than the vibration; you get sharp photos. Of
course, you also need a lot of light for this, so it is better to use a good tripod
at long focal lengths (including converted long focal lengths).
Of course, the transitions between wide angle lens and telephoto are fluid.
Absolute statements could at most be made about the two extremes at the end
of the scale. With its optical properties, the so-called normal focal length (50
mm standard lens) is closer to a wide-angle lens than to a light telephoto lens.

Use the Focal Length for the Design


Foreground - background
Do you want a lot of background and as sharp as possible? Then you take a
short focal length and a small aperture. You would like to take a picture of an
object, for example, a portrait, to fill the format. With wide angle, you get a
lot of background on the photo, which is also as sharp as the object in the
foreground. Would you like to take a portrait and the background should not
interfere? Then you take a long focal length and a larger aperture.
Due to the narrow angle of view of the telephoto lens, only a small part of the
background is shown in the foreground with the same size of the object,
which becomes increasingly blurred with increasing distance from the most
important object.
Example Photos with 3 Different Focal Lengths
The head of the demo model is approximately the same size in all 3 photos. A
fashion doll is very well suited for such exercises because it patiently does
everything. All 3 photos are with the same exposure setting (aperture 6.5 at
1/125 seconds) - brightening up the exercise model with the flash system.

Focal length 28 mm, picture angle corresponds to 42 mm in full format.


Focal length 80 mm, image angle corresponds to 120 mm in full format.

Focal length 180 mm, image angle corresponds to 270 mm in full format.
Let's stick to the exemplary portrait. The large depth of field of the wide-
angle lens does not already lift the face in the foreground from the
background due to the contrast between sharpness and blur, rather the face in
the foreground becomes an equal part of the entire photo. The view is not so
much drawn or distracted by the face that it is actually about, but by the white
house in the background on the right.
Also desirable for reports, the events in the background, for example the
destruction caused by war or natural forces, should be clearly on the picture.
Rather the exception in portrait photography. Because it is often confusing
for the viewer of a photo if the important object in the foreground is as sharp
as the background. The eye wanders back and forth helplessly in the photo
and finds no resting point. You shouldn't take portraits like this.
Since a lot of the background comes into the photo with the wide-angle lens,
the objects in the background become very small in relation to the foreground
and appear to be very far away. It looks much better in this example with 80
mm focal length, but the background still distracts from the face.
A beautiful portrait can only be created with such a troubled background with
a much stronger telephoto lens, because nothing will distract the viewer's
gaze from the face. Due to the narrow angle of view of the telephoto lens,
objects in the background become very large and at the same time appear to
be much closer to the foreground, the distances in the depth graduation are
significantly shortened.
With the 3 image examples above, you should not pay attention to the
converted apparent focal length, but the actual focal length. This is especially
true for the top photo with a 28 mm focal length. Because these examples are
not about the angle of view through conversion (this only makes the image
section smaller than with full format), but about depth of field and depth
gradation. Neither has anything to do with the conversion, but with the actual
focal length.

Portrait Lens
A typical portrait lens with a focal length of approximately 80 mm is not
often used for portraits because of the smaller angle of view compared to a
normal lens, but because of the depth of field, which is already significantly
lower than that of a normal lens. On the other hand, the focal length is not yet
so large that you need a distance of several meters for a format-filling portrait
and you would therefore need a rather large studio.

Characteristics of the Different Focal Lengths


Wide Angle Lenses
Wide-angle lenses, as the name suggests, have an enlarged angle of view
compared to the standard focal length of 50 mm. The smaller the focal length,
the larger the angle of view up to 180 ° for a fisheye lens.

Depth Graduation
The larger picture angle means that the distances in the depth graduation
between the individual picture objects increase considerably. For example,
the pretty narrow Neckar, when photographing an old town and castle from
the opposite bank of the Neckar, can look like a broad river with a strong
wide-angle lens. The castle seems far from the shore and the old town, but in
fact it is located on a natural terrace with slopes that slope steeply to the old
town, just above the old town.
The larger angle of view and the staggering in depth also means that
everything that is in the foreground is displayed oversized. So the rather
narrow Neckar suddenly becomes an ocean. For this reason, unless you want
exactly that as an effect, wide-angle lenses are generally forbidden in portrait
and nude photography, because a nose would be enlarged very
disadvantageously, for example.
With wide-angle lenses, however, you can photograph a sports car
particularly dynamically if you choose the angle of view so that the grille and
bonnet appear particularly bulky (diagonally from the front and the camera
lower than the bumper). So the optical properties of short focal lengths can be
used very specifically for image formation.

Depth of Field
Wide-angle lenses have a large depth of field. Extreme wide-angle lenses
with angles of view above 100 ° therefore do not even have a distance setting
anymore, they always draw everything sharply from back to front- the
smaller the focal length, the greater the depth of focus.

Angle of View Rejuvenation


The larger the angle of view, the greater the focal length taper. This is
particularly noticeable in the case of roads, rivers and similar image
components that extend from front to back.

Angle of view taper with 18mm focal length


The way back becomes much narrower. They are very wide in the foreground
and become a narrow line in the background. This is due to the large picture
angle. As the distance increases, more and more background is added to the
photo and accordingly, with increasing distance, everything is displayed. This
also creates the falling lines.

Falling Lines
The larger the angle of view and thus the shorter the focal length, the more
noticeable lines are noticeable because falling lines are actually only a special
case of angle view rejuvenation. If the camera is oriented obliquely upwards,
more and more background is added to the photo with increasing distance,
the actual image motif has to make room for this background in the photo to a
certain extent and therefore becomes narrower with increasing distance from
the camera location. Falling lines can be largely avoided with a shift lens.

Barrel Distortion
The stronger a wide-angle lens is, the more pronounced barrel distortions
become. This is one of the reasons why you don't take wide-angle lenses for
portrait and nude.
The Standard Focal Length
The standard focal length of 50 mm is said to correspond to our perception,
as the camera industry has suggested for decades. The fact that 50 mm focal
length became the standard focal length has technical reasons, which are due
in particular to the minimum required depth for a 35mm SLR camera. I don't
want to go into these technical reasons any further, if you are interested, there
is a lot in the FAQ and in the chapter: Focal Length. In fact, we have a
completely different visual perception. We have a field of view of
approximately 180 °, but only 7% of it is sharp.

Zoom lens with 53 mm focal length


With regard to the optical properties, the standard focal length, but on the
APS sensor with an angle of view that corresponds to a lens with a 79 mm
focal length. The polarizing filter was used in this photo.
We don't normally notice that much ourselves because our eyes are
constantly in motion and even when we are concentrating on the screen, for
example, our eyes keep scanning the surrounding area.
A 50 mm lens therefore, certainly does not correspond to our own visual
perception. Based on the 7% that we actually perceive concentrated from our
entire very large field of view, the angle of view of a 50 mm lens is much too
large, which corresponds more to a medium telephoto lens, based on our
entire field of view the angle of view is clearly too small.
Nevertheless, focal lengths around 50 mm have something in common with
our own visual perception, namely the size relationships in the depth grading.
So if you value the fact that the proportions of the depth gradation are not
distorted by a photo, you are well served with the standard focal length.
Incidentally, the development of the 50 mm focal length as the standard focal
length over half a century has also meant that the most powerful lenses have
been developed for this focal length, in terms of both light intensity and
sharpness.

Best Sharpness and Light Intensity


A good, bright standard lens is still far superior to any zoom lens in this focal
length range. The standard focal length as a fixed focal length is the optimal
lens when it comes to maximum sharpness.
However, this only applies to fixed focal lengths, not to zoom lenses, which
have become the standard. Due to the completely different technical
structure, statements for fixed focal lengths only apply to a very limited
extent to the same focal length range of a zoom lens.

Sharpness and Depth of Field


Focus and depth of field are often understood to be the same, although the
depth of field is only the area that is still sharply drawn in front of and behind
the actual plane of focus, i.e. what the lens was focused on. But how sharply
something is drawn in the focus plane depends on the focus performance of
the lens and not on its depth of field. The focus is one of the main differences
between high-quality and cheap lenses, while the depth of field (i.e. how far
the focus extends) depends almost exclusively on the focal length and the
aperture set, regardless of whether it is a cheap or particularly high-quality
lens.
The depth of field can never be better than the best possible focus
performance of a lens. The assessment of sharpness is about the sharpness in
the plane of focus, i.e. what the lens was focused on. A 35 mm lens has the
maximum sharpness at medium apertures (aperture values between 8 and
11).
By further closing the aperture to aperture 16 or even 22, the depth of field is
expanded (i.e. the area in front of and behind the focus level), but the actual
focus decreases at the same time because the small aperture opening causes
diffraction effects of the light leading to a decrease in sharpness. This shows
particularly clearly that overall sharpness and depth of field are not the same.
With very small apertures, the sharpness does not increase compared to the
optimal aperture, on the contrary, the sharpness is lower, but this lower
sharpness is extended over a larger depth range.

Use the Advantages of the Standard Focal Length for Image


Design
The standard focal length, in particular as a fixed focal length, can bring out
its special advantages, namely, focus performance and depth grading that
corresponds to our own perception in all photographic areas that involve at
least one of these two quality features.
As a particularly bright standard fixed focal length in addition in all
photographic situations in which we need a particularly bright lens and image
angle and depth of field are of secondary importance.
The standard focal length is ideal, for example, for subjects such as the photo
of an old bridge with the castle in the background. With such a subject, the
depth of field is more than sufficient, even with a medium aperture, to
achieve a continuous sharpness over the entire depth range of the subject, the
overall focus is excellent (the latter is, as already mentioned, primarily
dependent on the quality of the lens) and both the proportions and the
distances in the depth grading largely correspond to our perception.
A significantly longer focal length, i.e. a telephoto lens, would, even if one
could realize a larger distance for the same image section, misrepresent the
size relationships and the spacing of the depth gradation in relation to our
own perception and would therefore be similarly unnatural for the viewer
with such a motif act like a wide angle lens. In addition, a significantly longer
focal length would not have the required depth of field, even with a strong
aperture.
In the studio, especially in a smaller studio, the standard focal length can also
be used for photos, because the distance to the model will be large enough to
depict objects in the foreground, for example, the nose, no more than what is
too large would be the case with a portrait-filling portrait in spite of the depth
graduation that actually corresponds largely to our perception. Because in the
close-up range, including portraits, it turns out that the standard focal length,
in terms of its optical properties, belongs more to the wide-angle lenses than
to the telephoto lenses. It is not exactly in the middle, but, as the technical
reasons for the development of the 50 mm focal length as the standard show,
is more in the wide-angle range.

Telephoto Lenses
One speaks of a telephoto lens with focal lengths from approximately 80 mm.
Telephoto lenses have a much smaller angle of view than a standard lens. The
picture angle of a standard lens with 50 mm focal length is 40 °, the picture
angle of a telephoto lens ranges from about 25 ° to the extreme telephoto
range with less than 2 °. The gradation between a telephoto lens and a
standard lens is of course, only when using fixed focal lengths with a zoom
lens focal length and thus, the angle of view is continuously changed.

The Optical Properties of Telephoto Lenses


The longer the focal length, the stronger the typical optical properties of long
focal lengths, which we can consciously use for image design. One of the
typical properties of telephoto lenses is the increasingly shallower the depth
of field as the focal length increases.

Depth of Field
Depth of field is a property that depends on the absolute focal length of a lens
and not on the angle of view used. If you use lenses on a digital SLR camera
with a sensor smaller than the full format, which were developed for the
35mm format or full size, the actual focal length is decisive for the optical
properties of the lens and not the focal length converted with the crop factor.
Another important property of telephoto lenses is the spatial depth grading.
The stronger a telephoto lens, the more the foreground and the background
are spatially pushed together and the objects in the background become larger
in relation to the objects in the foreground.
Since telephoto lenses correspond to binoculars, details become visible in the
photos that we cannot see with the naked eye. This is important if there are
disturbing objects in the background, which is naturally, sharply defined
when the distance is set, such as a distant power line that we cannot see with
the naked eye because of its great distance.

Distortion
In contrast to a wide angle lens, telephoto lenses are practically non-existent.
Therefore, they are not only used for portraits, but for all motifs where
distortion is not desired and from which one can step back far enough to still
be able to photograph them in full format despite the longer focal length,
preferably if the shallow depth of field of the telephoto lens is still sufficient
for the subject.
Angle of View rejuvenation
The larger the angle of view, the stronger the angle of view taper and vice
versa, this now applies to telephoto lenses, the smaller the angle of view, the
less the perspective taper.

Light Intensity
The longer the focal length becomes, the lower the light intensity of the lens.
Light telephoto lenses up to about 100 mm focal length can almost match the
standard lens in terms of light intensity, medium telephoto lenses up to about
150 mm focal length can still score with a high light intensity with high-
quality construction, but at the latest with focal lengths from 250 mm
upwards, the light intensity decreases significantly , that also applies to zoom
lenses.
This becomes particularly clear in the extreme telephoto range. Telephoto
lenses with a focal length of more than 500 mm rarely achieve a better light
intensity than aperture eight. At the same time, this means that the sharpness
can only be increased minimally by stopping down compared to the lowest
sharpness when the aperture is open.

Exposure Time
As already mentioned in the previous table, a rule of thumb applies to
telephoto lenses, the longest possible exposure time should be at least half the
focal length. So, converted focal length eg 200 mm, longest possible
exposure time 1/125 seconds, focal length 500 mm longest possible exposure
time 1/250 seconds. If the light is sufficient, better set shorter exposure times.
In this case, the converted focal length applies, not the actual focal length of
the lens because this rule of thumb is about the angle of view. Even this rule
of thumb can still lead to blurred photos, i.e. shorter exposure times (focal
length or even twice the focal length than the longest possible exposure time),
or better use a stable tripod. Because even the smallest vibrations lead to
clearly visible blurs with the small angle of view.
Sufficient light is of course required for short exposure times. If the light is
not sufficient, you have to set a higher ISO value and accept the resulting
image noise. With extreme telephoto lenses and if the subject allows it, i.e.
not especially with shy wild animals, you should even work with the mirror
lock-up to avoid any camera shake. By the way, this should only be
mentioned in passing, you should switch off an image stabilizer when the
camera is placed on a tripod. Image stabilizer and tripods do not get along
very well and can lead to undesirable results.

Distant Objects
Of course, telephoto lenses are also the best when it comes to being able to
photograph distant objects to fill the format. That's what they were originally
developed for. Whether it is a photo of castle, taken from an opposite
mountain or shy animals in the wild, strong telephoto lenses are ideal.
Even for such motifs, even the smaller sensor of a digital SLR camera in the
consumer class can be of advantage over the full format because the focal
length is extended by 50% without losing the light intensity.
Of course, this only applies to the angle of view, but this is mainly when you
want to take pictures of distant objects. Because you not only gain a 50%
longer focal length, but you also eliminate another problem, namely the
typical edge blurring, which is actually always more or less strong except for
very high-quality lenses. Conversely, the full format is the format of choice if
you want to take full advantage of the wide-angle range because in this case,
the focal length extension by 50% is very disruptive.

Portraits
Focal lengths in the range between 75 and 120 mm are predestined for
portrait photography. This now refers specifically to the actual and not to the
converted focal length. With these focal lengths, you still have a good light
intensity, excellent sharpness with a medium aperture, at least if the lens is
good, and a much smaller depth of field than with shorter focal lengths. So
you can photograph a model in all its beauty and still stand out from the
background due to the contrast between sharpness and blur.
The further advantage of these typical portrait focal lengths is that they can
also be used in smaller studios in contrast to even longer focal lengths,
because you don't need a huge distance to the model to even get your face
completely on it.
For portraits, I like to use an older fixed focal length with a focal length of
135 mm, but in my almost 80 m² studio, I also have enough space to get the
necessary distance. The advantage of this lens is that it is very bright and has
excellent sharpness, but also the typically shallow depth of field of this focal
length, which leads to optimal portraits.

Shallow Depth of Field Means Being Careful


However, the shallow depth of field is occasionally a disadvantage. Because,
especially with the aperture open, when the depth of field reaches the
minimum, a very careful focus on the most important part of the image is
required, usually the face.
In such situations, be careful with autofocus. As long as individual measuring
fields were not activated, the autofocus would look for strong contrast edges
in the center of the picture, so it would focus on the dress and not on the face.

Focal Length and Distance Setting


Finally, one of the most difficult aspects of the focal length, a focal length is
always specified infinitely with the distance setting. Of course, the image
does not have to be infinitely far away, it just has to be out of focus on a
closer object. Where the infinity setting of a lens begins depends on the angle
of view. The smaller the angle of view and thus the longer the focal length,
the further away an object must be in order to be sharply drawn with the
infinity setting without taking the depth of field into account. With a 50 mm
lens, everything that is more than 15 m away is already infinitely far away,
with a lens with 135 mm focal length it is more than 30 m.
The focal length is extended as soon as the focus is on a closer object
manually or via autofocus. Otherwise, the focal point would be behind the
sensor level and the photo would be out of focus.
Extending the focal length by focusing on a closer subject does not change
the angle of view or the light intensity of the lens, but does change the range
of the depth of field. The closer the camera is to the focus of the subject that
is in focus because the focal length becomes longer, the smaller the depth of
field becomes.
In the macro position, the focal length can be extended significantly so that
photos up to 1: 2 scales are possible at a distance of approximately 1 m. The
1: 2 scale refers to the negative format for which this lens was developed, i.e.
35 mm or digital full format with 24x36 mm.

Especially in the macro position, the autofocus has to struggle with the
slightest movements because the depth of field is only a few millimeters. The
bee is constantly moving, the flower does not keep still, except when there is
no wind and the photographer is not frozen to the salt column. A tripod
would still be counterproductive, because before this is even halfway set, the
bee is already in another bloom. For this photos, only the middle measuring
point for the autofocus was activated, the exposure was set manually.
Lenses not only have an infinity setting but also a close-up limit that must not
be undercut for sharp photos. Only with macro lenses can this limit be
exceeded without further aids.
With intermediate rings or a bellows device, the focal length of each lens can
be significantly extended for close-ups, but with simultaneous loss of light.
The exposure must be adjusted accordingly. Even with close-up lenses that
are screwed onto the lens like a filter, the focal length for the close-up range
is apparently extended; the latter without loss of light but with a loss in the
quality of the optical system.
CHAPTER 6

EXPOSURE TIME

The exposure time is an essential design element when it comes to the


representation of movements. Movements can be frozen with a short
exposure time or made visible with a slightly longer exposure time.
The exposure time is one of the 3 settings on your camera that are required
for the desired exposure or determined by the automatic. Like the focal length
used and the aperture setting, it is both an essential element of photographic
technology and image design.
All digital SLR cameras and the slightly better digital cameras allow either
the complete manual setting of the exposure (dial M) and thus also the
exposure time or the semi-automatic with preselection of the exposure time
(dial Tv). With the preselection of the exposure time, also referred to as
automatic aperture, the automatic exposure control of the camera determines
the associated aperture setting and unless you have set a fixed value in the
menu, the light sensitivity of the sensor (the ISO value) for the camera correct
exposure determined and set.
Since the exposure time is an essential element of the exposure control, it
cannot be set arbitrarily, but only in the context of the other two settings,
aperture and ISO, which are important for the exposure, depending on the
available light.
If the light is not sufficient for short exposure times, even with an open
aperture and a high ISO value, you have to choose an exposure time that is
still possible with the available light, unless you use a flash instead. You are
only really free to choose the exposure time when there is enough light.
There is a separate chapter in the digital photo course on the interaction and
the interdependency of the 3 exposure elements time, aperture and ISO
setting: the correct exposure.

Exposure Time as the Basic Camera Setting for Sharp Photos


If you choose an exposure time that is longer than you can hold the camera
still without a stable tripod under the camera, the photos will be blurred. The
minimum exposure time in order not to blur photos depends on the rest of
your hands, the camera and the lens used or the zoom level set.

Keep the Camera Still


The most important thing to keep a camera steady is that the photographer is
stable. It is best to take photos with your legs strapped to support yourself as
well as possible. It is even better if you can lean somewhere. Instead, you can
also support the camera somewhere.
If you want to take pictures from a lower position than the stand, you should
not kneel with both legs or crouch, but only bring one leg to the knee or
crouch position and support it with the other leg. Otherwise, it will be
difficult to keep the upper body still. The upper body should not rock back
and forth because even focusing with autofocus becomes problematic.
If you can't support yourself or the camera anywhere, you shouldn't use the
display to take pictures, but the viewfinder because this supports the camera
on the face and makes it easier to keep calm.
The weight of the camera also plays an important role in keeping a camera
steady. Light pocket, bridge and mirrorless system cameras are more difficult
to hold still, even when looking through the optical or digital viewfinder and
thus the camera supported on the face than a solid SLR camera, which, due to
its weight, does not cause the hands to tremble so easily.

Breathing Rhythm
Breathing is very important, especially with slightly longer exposure times
that can just be managed without a tripod. If you are still wheezing because
of a previous effort, you should first wait until you get a calm breathing
rhythm. The same goes for any stress you just had. Adrenaline is the opposite
of calm. Only when you breathe calmly again, put the camera to your eye and
press the trigger when you have just exhaled. Monopods that are also a
walking stick have proven themselves on strenuous hikes or mountain tours.

The Camera
Of course, the camera itself also plays an important role for non-blurred
photos. A heavy but not too heavy camera is easier to hold still than a
lightweight. If you aim at the subject with the viewfinder, you can control
longer exposure times without a tripod than when using the display.
Most importantly, your camera is in your hand. You can only try this out
before making a purchase decision, ideally, if you have several cameras for
comparison. Our hands are not standard size. A camera for delicate women's
hands will not do well in large men's hands and vice versa. The camera
should be comfortable and safe to hold in both portrait and landscape format.

The Lens Used or the Zoom Level Set


Finally, the most important thing about sharp photos without blurring: the
focal length or the angle of view of the lens. Lenses or focal length ranges
from wide angles to normal lenses are unproblematic. Without an image
stabilizer, these focal lengths (zoom areas) allow exposure times of up to 1/30
seconds with a single-lens reflex and 1/60 seconds with all cameras where the
camera is aiming at the display with a reasonably steady hand.
But as soon as the telephoto area is used, the exposure times have to be
significantly shorter if you want sharp photos. Because, the smaller the angle
of view, the more even the slightest vibrations of the camera become
noticeable as blurring. Therefore, there is an important rule of thumb: The
exposure time should not be longer than half the focal length in fractions of a
second.
This rule refers to the focal lengths of 35 mm cameras or their digital
successor, full format of the same size. For smaller or larger sensors, the focal
length must be converted using the crop factor (format factor) so that the rule
can be applied.
Example: focal length 200 mm on a full frame camera. The exposure time
should not be longer than 1/100 seconds. The same lens on a camera with
APS sensor, then the longest possible exposure time is 1/150 seconds because
the focal length must be multiplied by the crop factor (1.5 for the APS
sensor), which leads to a converted focal length of 300 mm. With the format
factor in the previous chapter, you can look up the conversion factor for all
common sensor sizes.

Photos from a Vehicle or Plane


Virtually every vehicle has more or less strong vibrations that are transmitted
to the camera. These vibrations are extreme in a helicopter, but the vibrations
are also clearly perceptible in an ICE traveling at top speed. In such a case, if
you want still reasonably sharp photos, you need extremely short exposure
times. 1/1000 seconds or shorter, provided the light is sufficient for such
short exposure times.
In a reasonably quiet plane, the exposure time should be 1/250 seconds or
better even shorter. With a car, it depends. A Rolls Royce drives with less
vibration than an old small car. The road, the road surface and the profile of
the tires naturally also play a role in the shocks and vibrations that are
transmitted to the camera. Therefore, you cannot make any generally valid
statements. It is best to keep the exposure time as short as possible due to the
lighting conditions.

Long Exposure from a Tripod with SLR Cameras


Even if the camera is on a first-class tripod with a tripod head that is just as
good when there is no wind, the issue is vibrations. Because the mirror only
folds up when the shutter button is pressed, thereby shaking the camera.
Already, with exposure times of 1/8 seconds and even more, so with even
longer exposure times, one notices with cheaper SLR cameras for the photo
amateurs (consumer class) the shock caused by slight blurring, which is
particularly noticeable with street lamps and similar lights because they are
no longer sharp delimited but slightly blurred.
With high-quality cameras with first-class precision mechanics, the mirror is
braked so softly that the slight vibrations, which of course also exist for
cameras in this price range, only become noticeable with exposure times of
half a second or longer.

Mirror Lock-Up
If you want to safely avoid vibrations caused by the flip-up mirror, the mirror
must have been flipped up before the shutter was released. This process is
referred to photographically as mirror activation. Perhaps you are looking in
vain for the mirror trigger in your operating instructions. This does not
necessarily mean that your camera has no such function. It is then only
labeled differently. With Pentax, it is a special setting of the self-timer that
folds up the mirror when the shutter is pressed but does not open the shutter
until 2 seconds later. In some other cameras, it is called a mirror lock or lock.
It is only important that the mirror is not folded up for long exposures until
the shutter releases.

Remote Release
For long exposures, keep your hands away from the camera while the shutter
is open. There are remote triggers for this, because the pressure on the trigger
would shake the camera even slightly if it were concreted. Even the best
tripod cannot prevent the shock from being pressed by the trigger.
For the slightly better cameras, there is the dial setting "B". The B comes
from Ball, the previously used mechanical remote release. With the "B"
setting, the shutter is opened the first time the remote control is pressed and
remains open until the remote control is pressed a second time.
When using a remote release, the camera usually has to be prepared for this.
Either you will find the Remote Shutter setting under the settings for the
shutter, with which you can also make the various settings for the self-timer
or a little more complicated in the menu. For photos outside the usual areas of
application, you should always prepare yourself with the camera operating
instructions at home, otherwise, you will sometimes even look in vain for the
menu items for camera settings on site. Operating manuals are not necessarily
written in an understandable way. It is often easier to briefly research the
internet by specifying the camera model and the problem solution you are
looking for.

Image Stabilizer
With some cameras, an image stabilizer is already built into the camera, with
other manufacturers, there are lenses with built-in image stabilizers instead.
The image stabilizer enables up to three times longer exposure times by hand.
Example: Without an image stabilizer, the 1/30 seconds would be the longest
possible exposure time that can still be achieved without blurring. In
principle, 1/4 seconds is possible with the image stabilizer (1/15 seconds first
stage, 1/8 seconds second stage, 1/4 seconds third stage). In principle,
because you don't need very steady hands for such a long exposure time
without a tripod, but either yourself or that support the camera somewhere.
The image stabilizer must be switched off when the camera is placed on a
tripod. Tripods and image stabilizers are not compatible. This completes the
photo-technical requirements for longer exposure times.

The Exposure Time as a Creative Design Element


By choosing the appropriate exposure time, movements can be frozen or
made visible.

Freeze Movements
Movements can be frozen with the appropriate exposure time. The exposure
time must be short enough according to the speed and direction of the
movement to be able to freeze it statically. Movements that take place across
the image (camera location) require significantly shorter exposure times than
movements that approach the camera or move away from it.
For a leisurely stroller who approaches the camera, a 1/30 seconds exposure
time is usually sufficient, for a jet fighter photographed with a strong
telephoto format, even a thousandth of a second is still too long, because in
the thousandth of a second, he puts on Mach1 still 27 cm back.
For butterflies in flight, especially for a hummingbird, you also need
extremely short exposure times if the wings are not just supposed to be a
wiping effect. For short exposure times, you need a lot of light even with the
aperture open, unless you accept image noise and set high ISO values.

Freeze Movements in the Studio


If you work with a studio flash system, the flash duration and not the set
exposure time plays the decisive role. At the speeds that a person can reach in
front of the camera, even with violent arm or leg movements, the flash
duration of a studio flash system is short enough.
If you photograph with studio lamps instead, you will hardly be able to
achieve exposure times shorter than 1/125 seconds. Even with several
professional film lights, which can already be far too long for fast movements
across the image. The advantage of studio lamps, especially in action
photography, is the constantly available light, you do not have to wait for the
flash system to recharge.
Make Movements Visible
It is not always desirable for a movement to be frozen by a photo. Flowing
water looks more natural when it is photographed with exposure times of
1/30 seconds or even longer. Of course, there are also exceptions to this rule
if water drops are to shine like glittering pearls in the backlight. A dancer in a
spinning motion with a flying dress can also look better if the movement is
visible through the dress.
There are no rigid rules for image composition, which also applies to
exposure times. It always depends on the intended image message. Only if
you left all the settings to the fully automatic mode of the camera, at least
with regard to the important photo-technical design elements, exposure time
and aperture could no longer be said of a desired image statement, because
then it would be more of a coincidence what comes out.
The same applies to the exposure times required to make movements visible
as to freezing movements. It depends on the direction and speed of the
movement, how long the exposure time must be at least in order to make the
movement visible through the wiping effect.
Especially when it comes to deliberate motion blurring, you have to
experiment a little, because only with running water can you give the tip,
expose 1/30 seconds or even a little longer if you have the camera on a tripod
or with an image stabilizer for longer exposure times than the 1/30, still get
out of hand without blurring.
In contrast to the past, when experimenting was much more difficult because
you first had to wait for the developed film and make notes of each photo in
order to be able to later understand what you had set, experimenting with a
digital camera has now become child's play, because you can immediately
see on the display how a setting works. You don't have to make a note of
anything anymore, because all camera settings are saved in the Exif data of a
photo. That's why you have the courage to experiment!

Blurred Background
If you want to photograph a car, motorcycle or other object moving across
the picture with a blurred, blurred background, then you need to pull the
camera with you before releasing the shutter. This often works much better
than a static, frozen movement on which the background is completely sharp
and gives the impression of high speed due to the blurred background.
How long the exposure time must be for a blurred background depends on the
speed. On a country road with speeds around 100 km/h exposure times exist
between 1/30 and 1/100 seconds, depending on how badly the background
should be blurred.
Exposure times are much shorter on the straight of a formula 1 racetrack.
Medium telephoto lenses with focal lengths between 100 mm and 150 mm
are well suited. This way, you stay far enough from the road and still get the
vehicle full format.
This technique has to be practiced with different exposure times, it is
important that the camera follows the movement of the vehicle before the
shutter release button is pressed fully and the camera is pulled along evenly
during the exposure.
For the first exercises, you look for a dirt road, a driveway or a similar
camera location with an unobstructed view of the street. When you see a car
coming, you take a look at it with the camera, follow the movement and
finally press the trigger. Particularly great shots of motorcycles take in a
curve if you can stand a little lower than the road.

Light Trails at Night


Long exposure times are also required for this, at least 2-3 seconds, it may
also be longer. The photo below was taken with an aperture of 16 at ISO 100
and an exposure time of 5 seconds. Incidentally, there are just 2 cars with
their light trails. As always with long exposures, mirror pre-release and
remote release.
Since the camera has to stand on a tripod for such photos anyway, first take a
test photo with the exposure values determined by the camera and correct the
exposure settings for the next photo according to your taste. After all, that's
one of the key benefits of digital photography, instant control on the display
and no expensive film wasted.
PART 2: AREAS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CHAPTER 7

PORTRAIT AND ACT

Portrait and nude photography are among the most attractive tasks in
photography. The challenge is not only the beauty of a face and the human
body, but also the diverse expressions of both facial expressions and body
language. The photographic challenge encompasses all areas of image
design.
Most importantly, of course, the lighting also for portrait and nude
photography- there are practically no limits to your imagination. Image detail,
exposure and depth of field, diagonals and dynamics are equally important.
Just like the colors, of course or black and white instead.
The design tools of photography play an even greater role in portrait and
nude photography than in technically very demanding object photography
because with the design means, the mood of a picture is clearly emphasized.
The design tools, which are often only carried out retrospectively in a good
image editing program, include contrast, color saturation, possibly soft
drawing and of course, the final image section.

The Lighting for Portrait and Nude Photography


The lighting is intended to underline the mood of the picture. All variants are
possible, from low-key photography emphasizing the contours to high-
resolution photography that almost resolves the contours.
In the studio in particular, of course, we have complete control over the
lighting. Outside where we rely on natural light, you can also help out with
the light, either with enormous effort using a mobile flash system or with
reflective foils or reflective boards.
The lighting is not only subject to fashion influences, but is also determined
by practical handling. In a professional studio, where for example, mainly
fashion photography is made for department store catalogs, the lighting must
be sufficiently flexible, but on the other hand, it must allow for quick shoots
without major changes. The more or less 08/15 photos that result from this
should not be a role model for a discerning amateur who wants to take
outstanding portrait and nude photos.
In contrast to the professional photographer, who has to photograph an entire
catalog within a very tight time, on the one hand, amateurs have much more
time for photos and on the other hand, only rarely the financial resources for
the hobby photography that a professional naturally invests.
If so, then photos from demanding publications should serve as a model. To
guide the light in the studio, you need at least a sufficiently strong light
source, either a studio spotlight with at least 1000 W or a flash system. Three
differently strong light sources are optimal. The third is often unnecessary; it
is mainly used for lighting effects on the background.
One light source is defined as the main light, the other light sources should
either lighten shadows, of course, you have to be significantly weaker than
the main light or the second light source should set highlights in the hair of a
model, for example, then it must either be more or more directed than the
main light. The exposure is adjusted to the main light, the other light sources
have to be subordinate. They must not be too strong or too weak in
proportion.
A too strong light source for highlights would not only set highlights but
would also result in overexposed, worn-out lights in which there is no more
drawing. Apart from special lighting effects that are used, especially in
artistic nude photography, the lighting in the studio should actually simulate
the natural light outside, actually make it more perfect than would be possible
outside. Outside, we only have one strong light source during the day, the
sun.
The optimal light outside for portraits is the sun in the afternoon when a light
cloud curtain provides softer light. If the sky is completely overcast, the light
may be too soft, the opposite situation occurs at midday in the blazing sun,
which would result in very hard drop shadows, as well as a light coming
vertically from above, which is not exactly advantageous for photos.
This also results in the optimal lighting in the studio. The main light is either
a Hazylight, a softbox or a light source with a screen, depending on the
desired light characteristics either a reflex screen or a transmitted light screen.

Eyes and Mouth in Portrait Photo


Our moods and feelings are more or less clearly reflected in our face. Our
moods and feelings are most clearly expressed through the eyes and mouth.
The interaction of the statement of the eyes and mouth only brings photos to
life. What is a matter of course for comic artists, applies even more to good
photos.

General Rules for Portrait Photos


The following rules also have numerous exceptions. At best, they can be a
guideline that can be used to avoid bad portraits.

Facial Expression and Posture


In the portrait, the face dominates and in the further also the entire body, as
far as can be seen in the picture, including the posture. Overall, it has to be
coherent. A good seller pays attention to the body signals, which often show
him much more clearly than verbal statements, what his potential customer
responds to, what he is actually interested in and what leaves him rather cold.
The photographer should already pay attention to body language three times.
In addition to the eyes and mouth, it makes a decisive decision as to whether
a picture is perceived as real or as real and alive.
An artificial laughter with blunt eyes and a cramped posture simply doesn't
go together. The eyes shine in a real laugh and the body is completely
relaxed. Especially when we laugh, we no longer have our bodies under
control. Poses are often required in professional photography, but a model
has to master this perfectly because otherwise, you can see at first glance that
the photo is posed.
Just as a good actor feels into a role in order to be able to portray it
convincingly, a model who wants to portray poses in a real way must also
feel himself in the pose. A good photographer can help the model. But a
fundamental problem of a pose remains, even with a very good professional
photo model. If a pose has to be held because the photographer wants to
experiment with different lighting settings, then even with the best model, it
will become stiff and thus clearly set.
It is better as far as the photographic task allows, if a model goes into a pose
and the trigger is activated at exactly the right moment. Then it stays alive.
And instead of staying in it, the model poses again when multiple shots with
different settings are needed.
Almost all people tend to put on a camera face in front of a camera. Be it that
they smile or grin as soon as they look at a camera, be it that they stare at the
camera or make any faces. There are only a few people who remain natural in
the face of a camera and do not take any pose.
This is the real art of people photography with amateur models, the initial
difficulties of a model, which I call the confirmation hour, because most
models also have their hands folded in their laps, to bring a model to life in
front of the camera, real feelings need to be shown and ideally the camera
becomes a friend that you can trust unconditionally.
On the other hand, this is the talent that a successful photo model needs. You
can only learn and train this to a very limited extent. Without talent, you can
limit yourself to any technique, as is often the case with professional
photographers who take technically perfect, but also lifeless photos. Only
with mastery of technology and talent can something arise that goes beyond
everyday life and the moment.

The Photographer as a Director


If you want your model to laugh, then you really have to make her laugh and
not just a fake keep smiling smile. The same applies to any other facial
expression desired. You will rarely have a real actress in front of the camera,
who can feel yourself into almost any role you want and thus also present
convincingly. Your work in motivating the model is an essential aspect of
good portraits and nude photos.
How you do it is ultimately up to you; after all, how is it an essential part and
expression of your own personality, which is reflected in your photos. But
never try to rape a model to a specific expression. The result would be a
disaster in many ways, not only in relation to the pictures but also in relation
to your relationship with the photo model and whether you would feel good
about it remains to be seen. Music can also play an important role in creating
a suitable atmosphere.
Depending on how that or the models are at the moment and what is desired
on your part, music can make a big difference. If someone is completely over
the top, then calm music can bring the desired calm. Conversely, you can get
a model that is completely closed and absorbed in itself with lively music
from its snail shell.

Motivate the Model


Give your model real feedback. You are not just the man or woman behind
the camera, you are the designer. But in contrast to a static object, you have
to deal with real people in portrait and nude photography who do not just
want to be left to their own devices but also have confirmation of what is
right and what is wrong.
I turned the reels a few times for fun and let models take pictures of me. But
if nothing comes from the model that has suddenly slipped into the role of
photographer, then you quickly become helpless and don't really know what
to do in front of the camera.
Therefore, give your model confirmation again and again, force an
expression and an attitude that you like about the model and lead it gently or
strictly, depending on your own personality, out of an unhappy expression.
Be aware that your photo model or models are not just will less objects. With
praise for God's sake, do not be frugal and reluctant to criticize.
Digital photography has made something possible that was previously
completely unthinkable. Namely, to go through the photos with the model
and to practice maneuver criticism during a shooting break. This way, the
model can see for herself how she is doing particularly well and what is not
so good for her.
In analog photography, it was only the photographer who had to recognize
what was good and what was not when he was taking the picture. Because
even if the photographer developed the pictures himself, it was simply
impossible, except with Polaroid photos, to have the first picture results
during a shooting break.
This is an invaluable advantage of digital photography and often contributes
significantly to the motivation of the model when he or she is pleasantly
surprised at the particularly successful photos.
When a situation is completely stuck, it is best to put the camera down for a
few minutes and take a coffee break (it can of course, also be sparkling wine
or another drink). You can then easily clarify with one another why it is so
difficult.
Unsure In Front of the Camera
The uncertainty in front of the camera can be recognized by the fact that the
person in front of the camera does not really know what to do with their
hands as well as the fact that the model looks rigidly into the camera and
waits tensely for a bird to fly out of it. Then your direction is particularly in
demand. Help your model relax. You can also have a photo model dance in
front of the camera and it relaxes automatically. It is important that your
model notices that she is being photographed; the click of the trigger is
confirmation for a model that she likes the photographer.

Nude Photography with Amateur Photo Models


If a woman is naked or only partially clothed in front of the camera for the
first time, she is particularly unsafe, unsure whether the photographer likes
her body at all and of course, also unsure about the man behind the camera.
There is hardly a woman who thinks she is absolutely beautiful. Younger
women, in particular, compare themselves again and again with beauty ideals
and find themselves more or less unattractive even in view of the ideal. Show
your model its uniqueness and special beauty. Confirm them again and again,
especially with the photos that highlight this beauty.

The Difference, the Professional Photo Model


Even if a professional model should also compare herself to some ideal, at
least you won't feel it. Real photo models know their particular strengths and
reveal them.
A professional photo model is not afraid of the camera, no matter who is
behind it, but blooms in the atmosphere of the studio as well as outside when
the camera of a good photographer is pointed at her. A professional photo
model also knows about her best sides and which side of the face best suits
the desired expression. With an amateur photo model, you first have to find
out.

The Face as a Determining Image Factor


Only very few portraits in which the entire background is completely sharp
are convincing. The portrait is ultimately intended to lift the individual out of
the crowd. This applies to photography as well as painting.

Mastery of Depth of Field


In portrait photography, mastery of depth of field is a crucial factor for good
results. Pocket cameras and cell phones which due to their small sensor and
the resulting small focal length from 1 m to infinity, draw everything
uniformly sharply, are unsuitable for portrait photography unless you are
photographing your model against a neutral background.
With a lot of skill and effort, just like in a film studio, you can create a
suitable atmosphere as a background for a portrait. But even in film, playing
with depth of field and the level of focus is an essential factor for the image
statement despite or perhaps because of the enormous effort to create an
atmospheric background.

Nude Photography Detached From the Portrait


There are countless examples in art and photography on which the face of a
nude model is not shown or can no longer be recognized. Sometimes the
body becomes a sculpture, sometimes it is an erotic attraction. Allusions are
often much more erotic than direct pointing.

Atmospheric or with a Neutral Background?


The neutral background is much easier to create than an atmospherically
dense environment for your photos. In the simplest cases, a plain color wall is
sufficient for the neutral background, for example, the wall of your living
room. With a little more effort, you can either buy stage molton or colored
background cardboard, both of which can simply be repacked when not
required. The solid color background also eliminates some depth of field
problems, especially if you use black stage Molton which almost completely
absorbs the light.

The Search for the Right Environment


For the atmospheric background, you either need the right furniture in your
apartment or your studio and enough space to get the necessary distance to
take pictures or you search for suitable locations, including the necessary
permits.
Railway Facilities and Old Factory Premises
Old railway systems and factory premises are popular backgrounds for
extravagant portraits and nudes. In both cases, however, the systems are
privately owned, in one case owned by the Federal Railways and in the other
case, there is certainly any owner whose approval you need to be able to take
photos.
If it is still acceptable for a coincidence that you do not get the necessary
permits, you will take revenge at the latest if you want to publish the photos
without these permits. If you do not get the permits even then, you risk
expensive warnings and processes.

The Right Light for a Portrait


In principle, you can create any lighting situation in the studio, regardless of
our viewing habits and the natural light outside. But especially for portraits
with a lively appearance, a light that corresponds to the optimal situation
outside is actually desirable. Do not confuse this with the enormous effort in
lighting technology for table top photography. In order to put products in the
most advantageous light possible, completely different lighting techniques
are required than when photographing models. You will also find it difficult
to place a model on a light table or in a light tent.
The optimal situation outside is the afternoon sun, in front of which there is a
thin cloud curtain. This results in a soft light on the one hand, but on the other
hand, it still has enough direction to form with a slight shade. With uniform
illumination, shapes can only be recognized by different colors or brightness
values, while shaded areas make shapes visible even with the same colors and
brightness values.
On the other hand, shadows should not become too deep either. Direct, hard
light from above or from the side needs a second light source or reflective
surfaces to brighten the shadows. The afternoon sun, of course, has a lot of
power and would create extreme contrasts in an image without any additional
aids, either something is exposed or it is in the deep shadow.
In the studio, highly directed light is actually only used to set highlights or for
lighting effects on the background. In the ideal case, the studio lighting
approaches the afternoon sun with a lightly overcast sky. That means a
strong, softly radiating main light source and reflective walls or a weaker
lamp to lighten shadows.
Just as the sun does not shine from the side but diagonally from above, the
main light in the studio should also come from diagonally from above. And
just as there are increasingly more and less strongly illuminated areas except
for fog, the liveliness in an image should also result from the light
distribution, among other things. Totally deep shadows are usually
undesirable and a completely shadow-free illumination as in the fog is
usually also undesirable.
The world-famous photographer David Hamilton did not aim dozens of soft
boxes at his models from all sides, but either worked with natural light or
created a light situation in the studio that corresponds to natural light. It is
precisely this soft naturalness that makes his photos the best of erotic
photography so far after more than 30 years. This lighting situation is cheap
with the usual ones, flash systems and large soft boxes cannot be produced.
A softbox with a diameter of significantly more than 1 m can only be placed
diagonally from the front above the model with great effort or to simulate
light backlighting also diagonally from above, slightly behind the model.
Because you need either a professional solution, that would be a column
tripod with a cantilever arm or a boom stand instead, but this is quite
expensive if it should be useful. The very large soft boxes can only be placed
on the side of the model. For an elevated position, they cannot be tilted
enough with a column tripod. They are only suitable as brighteners.
How do you do that with the light in a professional photo studio?
Of course, a whole range of different reflectors are available for the flash
system in a professional photo studio, from the huge softbox, focus light
shapers to spotlights. And of course, not all are used at the same time but
depending on the task.
The flexibility of the light guide depends on the tasks that the photographer
mainly has to solve. Despite sufficient flexibility in the lighting, this studio is
practically fixed to the standard situations. The flexibility results from the
fact that only a selection of the permanently installed soft boxes is put into
operation at the same time. Incidentally, these high-performance,
permanently installed softboxes as was previously the case with the
Hazylight, come at an angle from above.
The more different the tasks that a photographer has to solve for his clients,
the more flexible is the lighting in the studio. Nevertheless, many tasks are
solved with a single soft main light and polystyrene reflective panels.
The fashion has changed somewhat over the years, if you used to prefer the
Hazylight or surface lights from other manufacturers with its flat, completely
uniform soft lighting and great flexibility thanks to the inclination in all
directions, it is now the Beautylight or the Softbox that deliver the main light.
In contrast to the Hazylight, the softbox is more emphasized in the lighting.
However, if it is not already permanently installed in a scaffold, it is more
cumbersome to use than the Hazylight. In a studio, a compromise comes into
play, namely a Hazylight, which is not equipped with the original flash head,
but with a normal flash head, which like the softbox, provides central
lighting.
This solution would also not be feasible for families with their own space for
the studio. In a 80m² studio/seminar room/living room, I can slide the column
stand with the Hazy into a corner where it doesn't bother me. That would not
be possible in a small city apartment.
By the way, professionals laugh at the ideas that some amateur have about
the planned studio. A soft, sufficiently strong main light and polystyrene
panels as reflex walls are sufficient for portraits. Instead of polystyrene
panels, you can also use foldable reflex walls with a suitable tripod, which
costs a little more, but is also more flexible and requires almost no space
when not required.

Light That You Should Definitely Avoid


Light that you should avoid is mixed light from light sources of different
color temperatures, e.g. daylight and artificial light. You should also avoid
very hard light.

Light Forms
Differences in brightness let us recognize shapes first; otherwise, we would
only perceive colored areas. The art of guiding light in the studio as well as
outdoors with reflective foils is among other things, shaping the light and
letting it light up a little without making the differences in brightness too
great. If highlights are overexposed because they are too strong in relation to
the main light, then instead of attractive light guidance, you only have white,
overexposed areas without tracing in the image.
Either you lower the power of the second light responsible for the highlights
or you take a half to one aperture more, then the highlights are no longer
worn out, but the overall impression becomes darker. The latter can be
corrected much more easily in retrospect than blown out lights because you
won't be able to add a drawing to a part of the picture that has been eaten out.
A thin layer of sweat on the skin makes it even more difficult to handle
highlights because then the skin in these areas shines particularly strongly.
Either change the lighting or take a break from shooting so that the model can
freshen up in the bathroom. The elegant case of fabrics in sophisticated
dresses needs some shade, otherwise, we won't notice it. Avoid overly
directed light, drop shadows and confused shadows in both portrait and nude
photography.

The Right Focal Length for Portrait and Nude Photography


Wide-angle lenses are unsuitable for portrait and nude photography. A wide-
angle lens not only records very strongly but also displays everything that is
in the foreground in an oversized size. This may occasionally apply to desired
effects. But the model is definitely not happy about a huge nose.
Optimal is a light telephoto lens with 80-105 mm focal length, again like all
other focal lengths in relation to the 35 mm format. Not only do you avoid
the distortion of shorter focal lengths, but at the same time, you have the
reduced depth of field of the longer focal length, which the photo model
advantageously focuses on the blurred background.
Background Cardboard or Stage Molton as an endless Background

The Right Exposure


In the case of monochrome backgrounds, the automatic exposure control
usually causes problems. If there are strong contrast differences between the
foreground (the model) and the background, the automatic exposure control
will still provide reasonably reliable results for the center-weighted
measurement or spot measurement. This only applies to continuous light,
because you need a flash exposure meter anyway for a flash system.
Steady Light
The greater the proportion of background in the image, the greater the
problem for exposure metering, but not the background should be correctly
exposed, but your model. This is especially true with a black background,
which should ultimately only be a black area in the background. The
automatic exposure control would try to expose the black background with
integral exposure metering correctly, then the model in the foreground would
be completely overexposed. Conversely, this also applies to a light
background. What is important is the model and not the background.
The lighting situations in the studio do not change all the time. You place the
lamps or flash heads in one position for a series of photos and your model has
a certain area in which she can move. The smaller the studio, the stronger the
light, the smaller this area, of course.
Find the right exposure with a few sample photos and apply this value
manually. You can take photos by occasionally checking the exposure on the
display until you change the lighting situation. The new exposure value must
then be determined again. Of course, in this case, you also have to manually
adjust the sensitivity of the sensor. If you need very short exposure times,
then use an ISO setting in which no sensitive image noise occurs.
If you do not want to do without the automatic in any case, then at least
choose the measurement emphasized in the middle, then your model must of
course also be in the middle, which is mostly not desired for reasons of
optimal dynamics in a picture.

Flash System
With a flash system, you either need a manual flash exposure meter or you
feel for the correct aperture value in all standard situations as well as for the
correct setting of the flash system (full output or reduced output, depending
on your flash unit). You should approach it as a dry exercise and not only
when a model is in front of the camera.
With a flash system, you can only influence the exposure on the camera via
the aperture and the ISO value, but not through the exposure time. Because
even if your camera offers several exposure times for flash synchronization,
the flash has a much shorter duration than the shortest exposure time that is
possible for flash synchronization.
The flash duration of a flash system is between 1/100 and 1/2500 seconds
depending on the manufacturer, model and setting. The camera shutter must
already be fully open when the flashes fire. With very powerful flash
systems, you have to reduce the output enormously in the small studio
because otherwise, even with the smallest aperture, everything would be
completely overexposed.
As an example: 1500 watt seconds of power, normal reflector, exposure at a
distance of 2 m and ISO 100 with aperture 64. Only that we have no aperture
64 with a digital SLR camera. With most lenses for the 35 mm format and
thus also digital SLR cameras, aperture 22 is the end, the shutter cannot be
closed any further. In order to be able to work with aperture 22, the flash
head must be reduced by 2 aperture steps in this case. For the optimal
sharpness of the lens at aperture 11, the power must be reduced by 4 aperture
steps. The situation is different when the flash head sits in a hazard light or
softbox with 1500 watt seconds. They swallow some light. The larger the
softbox, the stronger the flash head must be.
With small, low-power flash systems, you quickly reach the limits of what is
possible. The reasonable lowest limit is 300 watt seconds per flash head.
Everything that delivers even less power is actually intended for the passport
photo studio.

Background Cardboard
Background cardboard comes in three different widths, 1.35 m, 2.72 m and
3.55 m. The narrowest width is just enough for portraits, but the camera has
to stand on a tripod, which does not exactly ensure vivid portraits. This is the
typical equipment for a passport photo studio. At 2.72 m, you are on the safe
side for most shooting situations. The largest selection of colors is available
for the two standard widths of 1.35 m and 2.72.
Background cardboard does not cost the world, a roll with a width of 2.72 m
and a length of 11 m costs between $70 and $90 plus transport costs,
depending on the provider. For a background box, you need a sensible
suspension. Background cardboard is relatively sensitive to dirt and tearing
from the side. The latter can be prevented with a little effort by hemming it
on all edges with parcel tape.
Background cardboard and sharp-edged heels of women's shoes are not
compatible at all. You immediately have holes in the background cardboard.
Therefore, if the model is not being photographed from head to toe anyway,
take off your shoes before stepping on the background cardboard. With holes
through shoes in the front area of the background carton, you will consume a
penalty roll very quickly. And after the first photos, you have to touch up in
Photoshop because then the first holes are already in the background
cardboard.

Stage Molton
Stage molton in the heavy quality that you need when it comes to an endless
background on which the photo model is standing, has a width of 3 m and is
available in different colors. The prices are around $15 for the running meter,
you need at least 5 m. What is too much in width can be gathered on one side.
As a black background, there is nothing better than stage molton, because
stage molton absorbs the light almost completely in contrast to a matt
background cardboard. Stage molton is not the first choice for light colors,
because stage molton can almost never be suspended completely smooth and
the folds in the fabric cast shadows that can be clearly seen in the photo.
Stage molton can easily be temporarily or permanently installed on an
existing curtain rod. It can be easily kept clean with a vacuum cleaner.

Width and Distance


Your model needs to be at a distance from the background, otherwise, it
practically merges with the background. Another disadvantage of short
distances can be seen in the adjacent picture, namely shadows on the wall. So
your model needs distance, ideally from 1.50 to 2 m from the background.
This means that in small rooms, at least whole-body photographs and nude
photography are hardly possible.
Because for a portrait, you need a focal length of at least 80 mm, you should
never go underneath for portraits, 1 m from the model. Then there is the
distance of at least 1.50 m from the wall. The more of the body you want on
it, the greater the distance to the model, of course. Nude and whole-body
photographs, therefore, require a room depth of at least 5 m. Otherwise, you
would have to make lazy compromises, either by reaching for the wide-angle
lens or by placing the model far too close against the background.

One Model, Many Faces


Everyone has at least two completely different faces. Perhaps you have
already noticed that no one has a symmetrical face. Our two parts are
reflected in the face because each of us has a female and a male part, the
majority of which is of course, gender-specific. And just as we combine the
two in different weightings, we also have two different sides.
The diversity of us humans is reflected in our faces, which always arise from
the interaction of the apparent opposites. Depending on which side you
photograph or emphasize with the light, your model appears very different.
CHAPTER 8

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Landscape photography lives to a large extent from light. Of course, you


cannot influence this light and so it is important to have the right moment
when the natural light emphasizes the magic of the landscape.

Especially with landscape photos, it is important to experiment with the


different focal length levels with a zoom lens until you have found the right
image section or to use the right lens for fixed focal lengths.
The photo above would be rather boring without the wispy clouds and the
almost dramatic sky. I would not have done it without this special light,
because I have this landscape in front of me all day. Subsequent image
processing: increase of contrast, selection of the sky over selection/color
range/lights with a soft edge of 30 pixels, copy of the selection as a new
layer, which was multiplied by 60% opacity with the original layer. This
increases the effect of the clouds.

The Recording Location Often Decides


Landscape photography lives next to the light and the right section of the
location.

It is often only a few steps that enable the correct image section. The photo
above is rather factual. The photo below is completely different from the
same field. I just had to walk a few steps to take the photo below.

Landscape photos require high overall sharpness. Ideally, you take landscape
photos with aperture 8 or 11. With these apertures, the overall sharpness is
strongest with most lenses. Landscape photos usually have no problems with
depth of field, almost regardless of the lens used because mostly the distance
for landscape photos is set to infinite anyway.

Strong Contrasts in Landscape Photos


Landscape photos that are not taken when the sky is overcast almost always
have large areas with strong lights and areas with deep shadows.

In a good image editing program, you can still bring life to these areas by
selecting/lights or using selection/depths by darkening the lights and
brightening the depths, but if you should have a tripod with you, then make
an exposure series with at least one aperture difference each, whereby you
should not change the aperture value, but instead the exposure time.
Otherwise, you would have photos with different overall sharpness and depth
of field, which are then difficult to compare with each other.
Landscape photos do not necessarily need the sky, sometimes it is beneficial
to have the sky completely out of the picture. This can also be done
afterwards by selecting the image section. But try to find the right image
section as soon as possible, because with every enlargement you will later
lose pixels.

The Image Division in the Landscape Photo


In landscape photos with the sky on them, the image distribution in the
horizontal image axis plays a very important role. Most photos in which the
horizon is pretty much in the middle and also completely flat, look dead
boring. Especially when taking pictures of the landscape with a large
proportion of the sky, you should either aim for the golden ratio in the
vertical division or a more or less 4: 3 division in the landscape and sky.
The photo above doesn't look boring, though the horizon is pretty much in the
middle. It is simply because there is not only a gradation of heights in the
picture through the river bank, the trees in the foreground and the mountains
in the background, but that the valley opens almost exactly in the gap
between the trees. This creates the connection between heaven and earth,
which is often so important in landscape photography.

There Are No Magic Recipes for Landscape Photos

Otherwise, there are no magic recipes for good landscape photos. The image
section naturally plays a major role. When we are outside, we finally have a
360 ° landscape around us. The art of landscape photography is among other
things, to choose the most effective image section from it. This also includes
the optimal dynamics in a photo. If the chapel were in the middle, the photo
would be pretty boring.
The same applies to landscape photography as to all other areas of
photography, it is not simply a matter of souvenir photos, but of a beautiful
landscape bathed in a spectacularly beautiful light. That also means being
patient until the right light is there. In contrast to studio photography, we
cannot influence the light of a landscape shot.
Just like any other form of photography, landscape photography thrives on
the division of the image, on the dynamics enhanced by the golden ratio or
another aspect ratio, on diagonals in the image and an exposure that conveys
exactly the impression that you want to convey with the photo. If you want
something to light up, then it is important that there are darker areas of the
image that enhance the glow.
In addition, it is first of all necessary to compensate for the weaknesses of a
digital camera in image processing. Not only the significantly lower contrast
range compared to the human eye, but also the other weaknesses. Subsequent
sharpening of the image is often in vogue. Nik Sharpener, a classic among
Photoshop plugins, works better than with Photoshop plug-ins, with which
one can not only fine-tune the resharpening in its newer versions but with the
brushes can even limit the effect to individual parts of the picture.
Some digital cameras exaggerate the colors and even pale colors become
almost kitschy bright colors, other cameras turn the colors to be too pale, but
this can be easily and sensitively corrected afterwards, even lighter than the
opposite too bright colors.
Especially in landscape photography, the polarization filter often plays a
major role. When I am on the go, the polarizing filter is already screwed on to
all lenses and is ready for immediate use. Then all you have to do is find the
correct turning position. The latter is of course, pure experimentation.
Especially in spring and autumn, when either the fresh leaves of the trees
shine or the autumn leaves shimmer in all possible colors, a light that
emphasizes this play of colors and lights also plays a very important role in
outstanding photos. On the other hand, the peace of a landscape can be
enormously emphasized by the even light of the overcast sky.
Ground fog that clears here and there can result in particularly attractive
motifs for landscape photography. In landscape photography, it is even more
important than with all other photographic subjects that you simply develop
an eye with which you can recognize and implement the special in light and
landscape.

In contrast to many other areas of photography which require a more or less


high level of technical knowledge, you hardly need this in landscape
photography as long as you note that the contrast range of the human eye is a
multiple of the contrast range of the sensor. Wherever shadows are so deep in
a photo that it is simply black all over, we can still see the details in the
shadows when we look at a landscape. Just as conversely, we see the light
clouds in the sky and perceive the sky itself as blue and not as white as is
often the case in landscape and architecture photography when parts of the
sky come into the picture.

The Optimal Exposure


Therefore, try a good compromise in exposure, with the most important parts
being correctly exposed or if possible, take a series of exposures from the
tripod and then process the images in an image processing program. A series
of exposures is particularly recommended if you take photos in the mountains
and your photos show both the valleys and the sky. Otherwise, there can be
bitter disappointments when the valleys are only deep black and the sky
which was so wonderfully marked on that day is instead only white and even
outshines the contours of the mountains.
Exposure series and the largely automated calculation in the image
processing are one of the very great advantages of digital photography
compared to its predecessor, analog photography, in which one could do that,
but only with an enormous effort in the darkroom.
CHAPTER 9

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

Animals In Front Of the Camera


There are two fundamentally different methods of photographing animals.
The one method that I prefer is animals in their natural surroundings -
photographing the surroundings just as aesthetically as one photographs a
landscape or a model.

The other method is the more zoological, to photograph animals as precisely


as possible and to achieve the spectacular not so much by the image
composition, but the photographing of behaviors of wild animals which are
difficult to observe. Both methods require a telephoto lens.
Photographing Wildlife
Wild animals, apart from a few insects, are usually very shy. To get them in
front of the camera well, you need a strong telephoto lens. Also, you usually
need a lot of patience to get a shy animal in front of your lens and three times
if you want to take spectacularly beautiful photos.
In addition to areas that are mostly free of large predators, you also need
sufficient knowledge of the wildlife in the region in which you want to take
photos and in countries where dangerous predators live in the forests, you
should never travel without an expert guide.
The standard zoom lens, which is often bought in the kit with the camera, is
only suitable for wild animals to a minimal extent or not at all due to its lack
of telephoto properties. Even with a 200 mm telephoto lens that has an
apparent focal length of 300 mm on a camera with an APS sensor because of
the 2/3 used angle of view and the resulting focal length extension of almost
50%, you will rarely see a shy wild animal get close enough to be able to take
a picture of it, even to some extent in a format.
A compromise is the purchase of a zoom lens up to 200 mm and an additional
teleconverter that doubles the focal length. Compromise because with a
converter, neither the image quality nor the light intensity of a real 400 mm
lens is achieved, but much cheaper. If wildlife photography becomes your
hobby, you will hardly be able to avoid powerful telephoto lenses.

Photographing Wildlife in Parks


In a park, the animals are on the one hand in their almost natural habitat and
completely free, on the other hand, they are not nearly as shy as in the wild.
In such a park, you can take incredibly beautiful photos of animals.

Pets In Front Of the Camera


On the one hand, pets are much easier to photograph than animals in the wild,
because you have them around you all the time and the animals more or less
obey your instructions. On the other hand, you need the right light for
exceptionally beautiful photos of animals just like in any other area of
photography.
Flash is unsuitable, especially since an animal is also frightened by it. In
addition, a camera flash brings out enough brightness, but a beautiful light
from a flash directly on the camera is definitely not.
But in your apartment, you rarely have the background and the light that is
necessary for extraordinarily beautiful photos. Mostly only photos that are
very nice as souvenir photos succeed here, but nothing that would pull a
stranger from the chair.
CHAPTER 10

ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Architectural photography, along with object photography is one of the most


technically demanding areas of photography because architectural
photography is about mastering the technology.
Architectural photography can be documented, i.e. photograph a building
solo or in its surroundings in such a way that for example, as a prospective
buyer, you can get an impression of the object; instead, it can interpret
architecture photographically. While documentary architectural photography
is above all a technical challenge, the photographic interpretation of a
building is both a technical and a design challenge.
In both cases, it is a matter of avoiding falling lines or which is also possible
in the photographic interpretation of high-rise buildings. On the contrary, to
emphasize them, it is about the angle of view and when using wide-angle
lenses, also about more or less pronounced barrel-shaped distortions.
While falling lines, as long as they are not too massive, can be compensated
for later as well as barrel-shaped distortions with a good image editing
program, the wrongly chosen angle of view is final and can no longer be
corrected even with the best image editing program.
This means not only in documentary architectural photography but also in the
photographic interpretation of architecture that ideally, before you even take
the first photos, you walk around a building to look at it from different
distances and angles. The latter of course, actually applies to all photographic
tasks, even portraits.

Falling Lines
First of all, avoid falling lines. Falling lines always occur when the camera is
not aligned completely parallel to the object plane. In architecture
photography, this is the rule when you stand in front of a building and have to
point the camera upwards so that you cannot just take pictures of the ground
floor.
How strong the falling lines are depending largely on the focal length used.
The shorter the focal length, the stronger the wide angle, the greater the
distortion, especially the falling lines.

From this simple illustration, you may be able to see how falling lines are
created. The distance of the building from the camera increases continuously
upwards. The farther away a vertical edge is from the camera, the more it is
inclined inwards, especially with wide-angle lenses, because after all, with
increasing distance, more and more sky or a neighboring building comes
along with it. This effect occurs with all focal lengths, but it is particularly
strong with wide-angle lenses. In other words, the further you can step back
from the object, i.e. the building and the longer the focal length for a format-
filling photo can become, the less falling lines are noticeable in the image.
The only way to avoid falling lines with a normal digital camera and a normal
lens is to have your shooting location exactly half the height of the building.
For example, you can take a picture from the window of an opposite building.
You will normally see a building from the street, take pictures from exactly
the same situation as described above, which necessarily leads to falling
lines, which become stronger, the smaller the focal length and the larger the
angle of view.
Panoramic freedom only applies if you take photos from the street. In a
judgment, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that photography from an
opposite building should be assessed as well as photography with any tools
that can be used to detach yourself from the normal angle of view of the
street. So at least in the commercial sector, not without the permission of the
architect or in this case, the artist, insofar as there is still copyright.
Avoiding falling lines when shooting is only possible with shift lenses, which
are wide-angle lenses where the lens can be swiveled slightly out of the
optical axis or with a large format camera.

Here's how to do it with a large format camera. When shooting, the film and
lens levels are aligned parallel to the object, instead of swiveling the camera
upwards, only the lens level is pushed up so that the building is finally
completely captured. Here is an excerpt from this illustration, which may
make the principle a little clearer. In order to compensate for lateral
distortion, the lens plane and film plane can also be swiveled sideways.
Due to the parallel alignment of the film plane and the lens plane to the
subject, the beam path inside the camera is reversed, the beam path outside
the camera lengthened or shortened. The result is that all parts of the building
for the film level are equidistant.
A shift lens works on the same principle, which was shown here using a large
format camera as an example. The camera with the shift lens is aligned
absolutely parallel to the front of the building on the tripod, i.e. generally
vertically. The upward angle is achieved by moving the shift lens out of its
optical axis.
Shift lenses are very expensive, for the occasional use in architectural
photography, the purchase should hardly be worthwhile. However, there are
also sensible alternatives to purchase, you can borrow shift/tilt lenses.
However, this only makes sense together with a full-frame camera, because
the smaller APS sensor has an apparent focal length that is 50% longer so
that the wide-angle shift lens cannot really be used. The matching full-frame
camera can of course, also be borrowed from these companies. Even well-
known professional photographers in my circle of acquaintances do not buy
these lenses themselves but borrow them from one of these companies if
necessary.
Only photographers who specialize in architectural photography have the
appropriate equipment. If you need the equipment practically every day, the
purchase is of course cheaper than renting it.
There is another alternative to purchasing a real shift/tilt lens, namely a
tilt/shift adapter, which is available for digital SLR cameras from Canon,
Nikon and Pentax. It makes sense not to use the wide-angle lenses developed
for these cameras on this adapter, but rather the Pentax lenses developed for
the small analog medium format 4.5 x 6 cm.
Because the image circle of a normal 35 mm wide-angle lens is too small to
be able to shift or tilt and there would be vignetting. With the significantly
larger image circle of the medium format lenses, however, it is not a problem.
Corresponding adapters are available.
Since the topic has already been addressed with the tilt/shift lenses in this
context, let's briefly explain the tilt function. With the tilt function, you can
also apply the golden ratio rule to a digital SLR camera, which was
previously only possible with large format cameras. In principle, this is also
an area of application for architectural photography, for example, when it
comes to sharply imaging an elongated wall or a high church tower at an
angle to the camera from front to back. On the other hand, since wide-angle
lenses have a very large depth of field, this area of application in
architectural photography is more useful for large-format cameras since the
depth of field is relatively small even in the wide-angle range.

Compensate Falling Lines Later


Photoshop can be used to straighten photos with falling lines using the crop
tool and the "distort view" option. However, this often leads to a compression
of the photo, not to mention the loss of quality due to the recalculation. You
can correct the compression afterwards by having the image calculated with
new image sizes.
To do this, before you enter the new image size, remove the checkmark next
to "Preserve proportions" and give the image a new image height that
compensates for the compression effect. This leads to a new image
calculation with a further loss of quality. So it's nothing more than a
makeshift that is better than nothing. The care taken during the recording
cannot simply be restored.
Basically, regardless of whether you take your photos with a film in the
camera or with a sensor, the better the original, the more carefully you have
prepared your photo, the better the final result and the less work in an image
editing program.

Overall Sharpness
Especially in architectural photography, the highest possible overall
sharpness is important. It is not so much the number of pixels that is
responsible for the sharpness, but rather the size of the sensor and the quality
of the lens. The larger the sensor and the better the lens, the better the overall
sharpness in the image. Of course, there is a clear difference between a sensor
as was common in the early days of digital SLR cameras with 6-8 megapixels
and a sensor with 16, 20 or even 50 megapixels, which you can only see
when the original image is displayed at least one hundred percent the
significantly reduced representation for the web, it plays a negligible role.
A 35 mm lens achieves its highest imaging performance at an aperture of
eight to eleven, making them the ideal apertures for architectural
photography. If the aperture is stopped down even more due to the depth of
field, there is already a loss of overall sharpness at aperture 16 due to the
diffraction of light at the then very small aperture. Especially in the area of
architectural photography, you should generally not choose the fully
automatic mode of the camera, but either expose it completely manually or at
least work with the aperture preselection.
The sensor achieves its maximum sharpness only with its native sensitivity. If
you already have a tripod with you for architectural photos, you should
specify the ISO value even in poor lighting conditions and not leave it to the
automatic system because higher ISO values not only lead to more or less
perceptible image noise, but also to a slight loss of sharpness.
A clear increase in sharpness is achieved with current, high-quality digital
SLR cameras by not using the low-pass filter. The waiver is only possible
because resolutions of 16 megapixels and more have now been achieved. The
low pass filter was indispensable at lower resolutions to avoid moire.
Since there is usually no movement in the picture with architectural photos,
you should also use the mirror lock-up for exposure times longer than 1/30
second and use a remote shutter release to avoid any vibration of the camera
during the recording.

Depth of Field
You don't usually have to worry about depth of field in architectural
photography because you are often so far away from the object anyway, for
example, a complete building that you set the distance to infinite.

Architectural Photography Indoors


This task is even more demanding than taking pictures of buildings from the
outside. Because usually, you have even less space and very rarely get the
ideal location to get everything you want on the picture, even with a strong
wide-angle lens.
If there are still windows in the picture, you have significant contrast
differences between inside and outside, which you can only master with a
series of exposures and HDR photography or alternatively with a flash
system. It becomes even more difficult if you have to do a combination of
partial panorama photos to get as much of the interior as possible and do the
HDR photography.
To do this, you should first combine all photos with the same exposure level
to form a partial panorama, before you then create the HDR photo from the at
least three panorama photos with different exposure levels.

The Light in Architectural Photography


Of course, light not only plays a role in night shots but also during the day. If
you have the opportunity to take photos with the optimal lighting conditions
for the object because you are either longer on site or the object is nearby,
you should first find out which lighting conditions are optimal for the object.
Experienced architects even adapt architecture to the prevailing lighting
conditions. In a region where there are mostly cloudy skies, a good architect
will not design a building that only expresses its beauty when it is illuminated
by the sun.
So it is best to look at a building that you want to photograph in different
lighting conditions, you can do it after all, digital photos, unlike their analog
predecessors, don't cost anything anymore, of course, you can also take
photos right away. Especially when the sun is important for an architectural
object, the time of day also plays a significant role. It makes a big difference
whether a facade lies in the shade or is illuminated by the sun. Even a north-
facing facade gets direct sunlight in the summer in the evening.
The shadow of neighboring buildings also plays a significant role, so you
should choose the time of day so that shadows from neighboring buildings or
trees do not interfere. This does not necessarily have to be at noon, because
light coming vertically from above is rarely the optimal light for photos. A
structured facade requires grazing light, which only makes structures clear
through its shadow cast.
In architectural photography as well as landscape photography, you are
dependent on the available light. If you have the time and the opportunity to
wait for the right light to drive to the targeted architectural object, then you
should use it. A completely different situation is naturally given when
traveling if you are only there for a day or even a few hours. Then you can
often no longer take pictures as souvenirs.
Of course, light also plays a very important role in interior design. After all, a
good architect will take the lighting conditions on site into account when
planning, so that the lighting in the room is good throughout the day if
possible. Nevertheless, the lighting conditions are of course, dependent on the
time of day as well as cloudy or sunny weather and can make a room appear
very different. This is especially true after dark for artificial light, which in
addition to its mere function of being sufficiently bright, is itself an essential
design element.

Perfect Architectural Photos


Perfect architectural photos are still a domain of the large format camera
based on the principle of the optical bench. The large format camera with the
digital back or the classic sheet film for the most demanding tasks has not yet
had its day.
But wherever the highest quality is not important, you can certainly take the
photos with a normal digital camera, from which an architectural photo then
appears, at least at first glance, to appear perfect in an image editing program.
The more carefully you do this, the better your results will be.

Architectural Photos and the Right


When it comes to architectural photos, be sure to observe the freedom of
panorama. If you take architectural photos from a private property or even
inside the building, then either obtain the necessary permits beforehand. For
reasons of evidence, these should be in writing or find out about restrictions
on photography from public buildings and parks.
Photos of buildings are protected by two legal statutes, namely the copyright
of the architect, if not already statute-barred and the right to privacy. The so-
called panorama freedom only offsets both. If a property owner determines
that photography on his property and in his building is strictly prohibited
without permission, you must observe such a photography ban even if the
photos should never be published.
CHAPTER 11

OBJECT PHOTOGRAPHY

Object photography is the most technically demanding area of studio


photography. Just like architectural photography, object photography can be
documentary, that is, transfer a three-dimensional object as precisely as
possible into the two dimensions of a photo or instead arrange objects and
interpret them photographically using lighting and angle of view.
In both cases, the focus is on the lighting, the exposure and the focus. For the
seemingly simple photos of any objects for example, a camera in the
brochures of manufacturers and dealers, it was often necessary to tinker for
hours with experienced professional photographers.
So much in advance to photograph objects perfectly, which is also known as
table top photography for smaller objects because they are placed on a
shooting table, is something different than taking a photo for an eBay
auction.
Because of this puzzling work, especially in the field of object photography,
photographers are also in the craft guild and not freelance artists because it
requires a lot of experience and despite the experience, trying for hours to
take perfect photos of objects in every respect.
Object photography is about the best possible illumination and of course, the
right exposure. The objects must be staged in such a way that they appear
interesting and appealing to the viewer. It can only be about the artistic aspect
of creating a great photo. But object photography also has a very practical use
in that, objects are photographed that are to be sold. These can be individual
items but also mass products.
In online shops, pictures have an important function. After all, nobody wants
to buy something unseen. Accordingly, the products must be photographed
professionally. For example, if a company sells high-quality promotional
gifts, the value must also be recognizable in the pictures. Depending on the
material, surface and similar factors, different objects pose challenges for the
photographer, which he has to deal with individually, but more on that later.
Object photography is always demanding and requires a lot of know-how,
although, lighting and camera location also play a very important role in the
image result. After all, the whole thing should look appetizing and interesting
at the same time. You need a lot of patience for object photography. It is the
exact opposite of a snapshot.
For example, to be able to take a picture of a cell phone in such a way that the
screen content is correctly exposed and does not appear in Photoshop
afterwards, you will have to try it for a long time. Because of course, the
lighting must not be too strong. On the other hand, it must not be so weak
that you would need longer exposure times because with this cell phone, the
current screen content is a screen saver with moving fish. If the exposure
time is too long, the fish become blurred because they continue to move
during the exposure.
For this reason, there are almost no photos of objects with self-illuminating
elements, such as the screen of a cell phone, in which the screen content
would not have been inserted with Photoshop. It is actually much faster than
experimenting with lighting for hours.
What applies to the screen content can also apply to illuminated displays, for
example of a dashboard or for dimly lit signal lamps. It is of course, much
easier to do a separate exposure for this and to insert it later with Photoshop.
The matt glossy surface and the brand name under the screen will present
additional challenges. Depending on the incidence of light, it comes very
differently.
Another problem is the sharpness curve, especially with such small objects
because the closer you go, the smaller the depth of field. In the front area, the
sharpness already will decrease massively. A client would certainly not have
taken such photo because the company lettering is almost no longer
recognizable. Since the blur in the front area hardly plays a role.
With a tilt/shift lens, one could better control the course of sharpness by
tilting such an object. However, this also shows the effort that professional
photographers have to make in order to perfectly photograph such a simple,
everyday object like a cell phone.
Professional object photography has always been a domain of the large
format camera because it can largely influence both the focus and possible
angle distortions. With a professional flash system, this actually will make it
easier to set up the lighting, because from the soft light of a 1 mx 1 m large
Hazylight to the extremely strongly directed light of a spotlight, all variants
are available through different reflectors and additional screens.
The limitation actually is because the more options you have, the greater the
challenges because in principle, you would have the opportunity to take
really perfect photos. But then you spend hours and hours exploring the
interplay of the light shapers and shading to avoid unwanted reflections.
I know why I prefer to take portraits, I rarely have the patience to work for
hours. If a cell phone with a largely matt surface is already a challenge,
especially reflective surfaces such as a high-gloss lacquer or a glass.

Reflective Surfaces
Reflective surfaces such as glass, place the highest demands on lighting, after
all, the whole studio or room should not be reflected in the glass. This photo
of a glass reflects the whole room or home studio at the time. The Chinese
blackboards on the left side of the studio are reflected twice in the glass.
Reflections on glossy surfaces always occur when the studio or the room in
which the photos are taken has reflective surfaces nearby. Therefore, the
large professional rental studios and film studios are often several 100 m² in
size, so you can avoid that there is reflected scattered light in the picture.
But what to do if you don't have such a large space for photos? Go outside?
Outside, you already have the lighting under control three times and outside
everything is uniformly bright, so the entire street will be reflected in the
glass or the high-gloss varnish. But of course you could set up the whole
thing somewhere outside at night, where you have a power connection and it
is otherwise completely pitch dark, also nothing nearby that could reflect.
In the studio, however, you have to find out where the reflection comes from
and then try to eliminate the source. In the next photo, it worked much better.

A black background was set up against the main light, close to the small
coffee table on which the glass for the photo was located and in which the
base is reflected in the glass plate.
If you look closely, you can see in the reflection both the round background
and surprisingly narrow the black stage molten on the rear wall and otherwise
the white walls of the room. The photo is therefore, still far from a perfect
photo from a glass. But compared to the first photo, it is an enormous
improvement which was simply achieved by placing a black background
close to the glass.

In that photo, many unwanted reflections are already dampened by the orange
juice in the glass, although hardly any changes have been made to the
lighting in relation to the photo above. Now you can see the dust on the glass.
Glasses are mirrors all around. Especially with glasses, watches and jewelry,
not only the light sources play a significant role but also the shading of
unwanted reflections. To do this, you can place small matt black boards (e.g.
black cardboard) around the glass or jewelry, so that you gradually eliminate
all unwanted reflections. There are no panaceas for this, as in many areas of
photography, patient experimentation is the order of the day.
If you have a little patience, digital photography invites you to experiment.
Because you can see the result immediately on the display and especially in
the studio, you can either connect the camera directly to a PC and even
control it via the PC or at least look at the pictures on the PC immediately
after a series of photos with slightly different settings.
This makes it easy to find out which effect affects which setting. On the large
screen, you can see the small details that you cannot see on the display. But
especially in the field of object photography, it is often tiny little things such
as a little dust on the glass or an undesirable reflex that impair the effect of a
photo.
At the latest on the screen, you will also notice fingerprints or light soiling,
which is particularly unpleasant for reflecting or illuminated objects.

This photo was taken with the same lighting as the two photos of the glasses.
So with just one lamp which shines as an almost backlight at an
approximately 45 ° angle from behind on the object, the reflection was
created by the glass plate of the coffee table on which this Chinese tea bowl
made of wafer-thin porcelain stood. The better the preparation for object
photography, the better the results.

What Lighting Do You need for Object Photography?


When photographing objects, you rarely need to pay attention to short
exposure times, at least when using a tripod. The lighting therefore does not
have to be as strong as it would be for the photography of people or animals
that ultimately also move.
Flexible lighting is important because sometimes you need rather hard,
strongly directed light to set highlights, while other times you need a soft
light. You can also use both in combination. But you don't have to buy an
expensive, professional studio flash system just because you want to
experiment with object photography. If you find that object photography is
fun, you can gradually get the necessary equipment for better photos.

Sensitivity to Light, a Significant Advantage of Digital


Photography
Digital photography has a decisive advantage over analog photography which
also plays a role in the minimum of lighting equipment for object
photography. Even in the basic setting, the sensors of digital cameras are
significantly more light-sensitive than film material with high resolution.
Here's a quick comparison:
Most digital SLR cameras have a sensor with its native sensitivity of ISO
100. Color films with ISO 100 already have a fairly coarse grain, which you
would see with small-format photos at low magnifications.
Standard color films have a sensitivity to light of ISO 50, especially fine-
grain color films which would have the same resolution as a full-frame sensor
with approximately 12 megapixels, have an even lower sensitivity to light of
only ISO 25. These are already two f-stops compared to the lowest sensitivity
of the sensor. One stop corresponds to a doubling or halving of the amount of
light.
Because of the low sensitivity of fine-grained color films, studio flash
systems had to be extremely powerful in the analog age. These powerful flash
systems, except for very large objects such as a truck, have now practically
become obsolete. You would have to work with gray filters in order to be
able to take pictures with a powerful flash system and a digital camera
because with large format cameras, there are also much smaller apertures.
In the meantime, considerably less light can be used because of the
significantly increased sensitivity to light compared to a color film. But it is
still not possible without light. It just doesn't have to be as strong as in analog
times.

The Minimum Requirements for Object Photography


The light should be strong enough to enable relatively short exposure times
despite the tripod. The desk lamp is not exactly the optimal lighting. The light
should have a balanced color composition.
Either as pure white light with a color temperature of 5500 ° Kelvin as is the
case with flash systems or as incandescent light with a color temperature of
2800 ° Kelvin for light bulbs and halogen lamps. The previously used photo
lamps with 3200 ° Kelvin have long since had their day.
For these two color temperatures, there are presets for the white balance of a
digital camera, namely flash or incandescent light. Because of the balanced
color composition of light, energy-saving lamps are completely unsuitable
because there is no red in their color spectrum. Even if it is applied to the
glass as a filter as is the case with so-called warm light tubes, there is still no
natural color spectrum.
As a result, all lighting devices designed for amateur photographers with so-
called daylight lamps are ultimately a deception of the buyers because these
lighting devices simply have nothing to do with the color composition of
daylight.
More or less severe color distortions are therefore unavoidable. Some of them
can be corrected later with a good image editing program, but information
that is already missing in the photo because certain colors are not properly
exposed due to the color composition of the light can no longer be produced
even with the best image editing.
To what extent LED lights have a balanced color spectrum, I cannot say. It
would have to be pretty strong LED lights anyway to be able to take pictures
with it. But then they have the disadvantage of a highly directed light source,
so they emit a fairly hard light.
Most studio photos in the digital photo course were created with minimal
equipment. Two studio spotlights, each with 1500 watts of halogen, which
were just strong enough to be able to take portraits with them. I had used
these studio spotlights with fairly strong signs of wear, but working, bought
from a studio for commercials.
The older, analog studio photos had to make do with much less light because
back then photo lamps with 500 or 1000 W were common, which do not
come close to the light output of an equally strong halogen lamp.
Both light sources used before purchasing the flash system have in common
that they have a balanced color spectrum. In analog times, an artificial light
film that was matched to the then usual photo lamps with 3200 ° Kelvin was
used. In the digital age with the white balance settings of a camera,
incandescent light was set.
It follows that if you cannot or do not want to buy a flash system, at least
halogen headlights should be purchased. As video lights, you can buy them
cheaply on eBay, but they have a very hard light. Because of the high heat
development, it is not possible as with a flash system to simply place a film
or screen in front of it to create a softer light. You have to keep a fairly large
distance so that the diffuser is not charred or even ignited. Also, these lamps
should never be left on for more than 10 minutes at a time. Otherwise, the
heat can be so strong that even the casing of the lamp deforms.
If artificial light sources are used with the exception of the flash system,
mixed light must be avoided. So take pictures either only after sunset or in a
darkened room with the exception of the flash system, because the flash
system is at least in one room significantly stronger than the light from
outside and also has daylight character.

Buying a Flash System?


A good flash system is of course the optimum for studio photography,
whether it is object photography, portraits or interior design. However, the
performance of the flash system must be matched to the intended task. Small,
mobile flash systems with a generator integrated in the flash head are
sufficient for object photography as long as you don't want to take a picture
of a truck.
They also provide enough light for portraits, but it can be too weak for nudes
and whole body shots because soft light also swallows light. You need a lot
more power for a softbox than for a normal reflector. If you are considering
the purchase of a flash system, then you should not save at the wrong end.
So strong enough to be able to take portraits and especially from a brand
manufacturer, a good flash system is very durable and can stay up to 30 years
and older even with daily use in a professional photo studio.
However, it can only do this if it can be serviced accordingly. A flash tube
has no eternal life, neither do the Elcos. It must therefore be guaranteed that
the consumables of a flash system can still be replaced after years and that the
flash system does not have to be disposed of because an Elco has been used
up. In this context, a warning that Walimex sells flash systems from China,
but it is not a brand with a spare parts guarantee.
Many other brands are less than two years old. Probably also to avoid
warranty claims, many cheap brands come and go. If a used flash system is
offered on eBay, through which you can no longer find the manufacturer's
website on the web, keep your hands off. At the latest, when a small spare
part even if it is just a ridiculous resistance breaks down, you no longer have
a flash system, but electronic waste.

Special Lighting Devices in Object Photography


The Light Tent
For special purposes, for example, to avoid unwanted reflections in a glass or
to get the softest possible light, a light tent can be advantageous. Light tents
are readily available for purchase. But if you only rarely take photos for
which a light tent might be the better solution, then the purchase will hardly
be worth it. You can also build a makeshift light tent yourself. You only need
tracing paper or a color-neutral white fabric that is not too thick and thus lets
enough light through.
Either you build a simple frame over which the fabric is hung, of course, the
material of the frame should not shine or even reflect or you simply hang the
light tent from the ceiling or a tripod with a cantilever arm.

The Light Table


In professional photography, the shooting table, the surface of which consists
of a color-neutral, translucent material, is the rule for table top photography.
A shooting table can be used quite universally; you can also use it as a light
table. The latter is particularly useful when you want to subsequently remove
an object from the background, because thanks to the lighting from below
and from the back, there are no annoying shadows.
A professional recording table will hardly be suitable for photo amateurs who
do not set up their own studio space because a professional recording table is
a good 1 m wide and at least one and a half meters long. In the case of a
recording table, the support surface is pulled upwards in an arc. This means
that the entire surface can be illuminated completely evenly from below and
behind with two flash heads. In a professional studio for advertising
photography, the shooting table, including the dedicated flash system has its
permanent place.

The Makeshift Shooting Table


You can buy folding tables together. However, since I have never worked
with this typical amateur studio equipment, I cannot judge whether this is a
recommendable solution. In addition, the purchase is only worthwhile if you
will be working with it frequently. A makeshift photo table can easily be built
yourself without much effort. You need a glass plate which can be a glass
table, for example, a support for the plate, unless it is already a glass table
and tracing paper that you can buy in 1 m wide rolls from specialist dealers.
Better than a glass plate would be plexiglass which is even more color neutral
than glass. Ideally, of course, plexiglass which is milky on one side.
The transparent paper is pulled backwards in a slight curve and somehow
attached so that it hangs smoothly. Now, only the lighting needs to be set up,
a light source from below and a light source from behind. The object lying on
it can of course also be illuminated.
What I describe here as makeshift solutions is almost the rule in everyday
professional life. Again and again, you need a solution that you don't have on
hand and that cannot be rented easily. That is why many photographers are
good craftsmen, especially in the field of object photography, to quickly
create a makeshift solution for themselves.

Watches and Jewelry


Watches and jewelry are one of the major challenges for lighting because the
shine should be in the right places, but unwanted reflections should be
avoided at the same time. Even the smallest nuances in changing the angle to
the light cause extreme differences.

Soft Backlit Photos


You do not need a sinfully expensive system for this either, again transparent
paper and even illumination from behind are sufficient. Transparent paper is
available from the roll, with widths of about 1 m.
CHAPTER 12

PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHY

Panoramic photos in the narrower sense are 360 ° panoramic images. So you
place the camera on a tripod in a suitable place and take enough partially
overlapping photos to then assemble a panorama photo. Every image
processing program with which the panorama photo is later to be combined
needs something in each individual partial photo, which also occurs in the
next partial photo in order to be able to recognize how the panoramic photo
must be composed.
But partial panorama images that do not offer a 360 ° panoramic view are
also panoramic photos. You will probably use the latter much more
frequently, namely whenever you want to add more to the picture than would
be possible even with a strong wide-angle lens. In this way, you can also
avoid the strong distortions caused by a strong wide-angle lens.
Panoramic photography requires careful preparation. After all, the individual
photos should later be put together seamlessly with a suitable program to
form an overall picture, which one must not see because it consists of several
individual pictures. So there must be no abrupt transitions, perceptible
differences in exposure, different levels of sharpness or anything else
disturbing in the panorama photo that will be put together later.

Basics for the Preparation of Panoramic Pictures


The more carefully you take the photos for the later panorama picture, the
easier it will be for you to edit the pictures afterwards. Five additional
minutes that you put into careful preparation will save you several hours of
post-processing.
Exposure
With panoramic photos, you have to pay careful attention to the balanced
exposure of each individual photo, from which the entire panorama will later
be assembled. Very different exposures are almost poison for a panorama
photo. Especially in extreme lighting situations, you should switch off the
automatic completely and manually determine the exposure for each
individual partial photo, whereby you should not move too far from the
average value for the entire panorama. So first measure all around with the
light meter to determine the contrast differences and calculate an average
value.
If you use the automatic camera, you should definitely switch to aperture
priority and take all photos with the same aperture. Strong sunshine leads to
massive contrasts in the panorama picture that will be put together later,
especially with 360 ° panoramas, because apart from the sun shining
vertically from above, a situation that only exists at midday at the equator,
you always have areas in the image that lie in deep shadow and other areas
that are illuminated by the sun.
It is easier to do with a lightly cloudy sky because you have the same light
everywhere, but then the highlights are missing in the picture. The more
inclined the sun is especially in the early morning and towards evening, the
more difficult the lighting situation in a 360 ° panorama photo.

Specific Examples of Panoramic Images


Using the following example of a 180 ° partial panorama, I will show you
how to do it. A sunny day shortly after Easter, an unusually clear view from a
small castle - in itself, the exposure would not have been a problem if I had
not placed great value on the neighboring Palatinate Forest also being
included in the picture.
I chose a correct exposure of the darkest part and thus a slight overexposure
of the other parts of the picture because I had switched off the automatic and
had chosen aperture eight at a sixtieth of a second.
Here is the first picture for the later panorama photo:
The seventh image for the later panorama would definitely be overexposed as
a single image and pretty much meaningless:
The slightly cloudy sky caused additional strong differences in brightness in
the image. Since experience has shown that slightly overexposed parts of the
image can later be more easily adjusted in an image editing program than
underexposed parts of the image which are then often only pure black, so I
decided on this compromise.
Since I didn't have a tripod with me, the 22 individual pictures were taken in
portrait format with a zoom lens with a focal length of 45 mm. Of course, I
could have worked with the largest possible wide-angle focal length of this
lens instead, 28 mm and would have used significantly fewer individual
photos, but I found the immediate vicinity in front of the castle less attractive
and therefore chose a slightly longer focal length.
When opening the raw data files, I set a uniform color temperature for all
images because the automatic white balance determined slightly different
color temperatures. Next, the 22 individual images were combined into a
panorama in Photoshop.
To do this, go to File, Automate and select Photomerge from the window
that opens. A dialog box will open: check mark cylindrical. If all files are
already open in Photoshop, then simply click on the Add open files button,
otherwise click on Browse. If you use raw data files, you can use them
directly for the panorama. If you have previously set the color temperature
uniformly for all photos, there is no problem. Then confirm your selection
with an OK and the calculation begins.
Photomerge is extraordinarily hungry for resources, but with the usual
configuration of a PC with 8 GB or more RAM, this is no longer a problem.
A few years ago, when my PC at that time only had 3 GB of working
memory, the working memory was sometimes not sufficient and after a few
minutes, the program simply stopped.

The Next Steps after Assembling the Panorama Picture


First of all, there are many parts of the image that protrude upwards and
downwards which are cropped with the cropping tool. This is the
disadvantage of freehand shots for a later partial panorama, 100 percent you
will hardly be able to stay in a precise horizontal line. If you were to use a
tripod that was aligned exactly vertically, you would of course, not have to
cut anything above or below. Then, after saving the entire panorama with all
layers, the image is reduced to the background layer.

As expected, the original panorama picture was quite pale and only correctly
exposed on the right side with the forest, otherwise slightly overexposed.
However, the color of the sky is uniform across the entire image.
In the next step, the entire bright area of the sky was selected via
selection/color range/lights, provided with a soft edge of 80 pixels, a new
layer was created with the selection from the context menu "Layer as copy"
and with 100% opacity with the original multiplied level. The difference in
the sky can be seen clearly, even the brightest parts of the landscape show
significantly more drawing.

In this step, the contrast was increased by copying the background layer and
calculating it against the original layer using soft light. But there is still far
too little drawing in the bright areas on the left. This is fixed in the last step.
In the original background layer, a new selection is created again via the
color range, this time selection "Depths" and then the selection reversed.
Again a soft edge with 80 pixels which is multiplied again by the background
layer.

A partial panorama has emerged from meaningless individual photos, which


gives the impression of the expanse on this beautiful spring day.

What You Have to Pay Attention to When Using a Tripod


As far as you use the tripod, it is not enough for a 360 ° panorama photo to
simply place the camera on the tripod, to align it absolutely vertically and
then to take the partial photos, you actually need a special tripod head with
which you can bring the front lens of the camera exactly into the axis of
rotation of the tripod. The stronger the wide-angle lens that you use for the
basic photos, i.e. the more that comes from the surrounding floor onto the
picture, the more important it is not just to put the camera on the tripod, but
to pay attention to the optical axis. The tripod screw is not in the front under
the front lens of the camera but in the casing of the camera. So the camera
must be reset on the tripod opposite the front lens.
There are also special tripod heads for panoramic photography, but they are
quite expensive and their purchase is only worthwhile for a photographer
who lives, among other things, from panoramic photos. You can also help
yourself differently.
As photo accessories, there are tripod rails, among other things, which are
actually intended to attach a flash unit to the side of the camera. In principle,
such a rail is also suitable for panorama photography. I will do it differently, I
have a tripod with a pivotable cross arm, on which I put the camera and
adjust the cross arm so that the optical axis of the front lens lies exactly above
the tripod axis.
Make sure that the camera is firmly seated on the tripod. Especially with
lightweight tripods with a quick release plate developed for amateurs, the
quick release plate must be absolutely firmly connected to the camera and the
camera must not move a millimeter on it. With these tripods, this is often
easier said than done.

People or Animals in the Panorama Photo


Objects, i.e. people, animals or vehicles which move in the entire area of the
later panorama photo, make it particularly difficult to assemble the partial
photos into a uniform panorama. Because in one photo these picture objects
are still in place A, in the next photo they have already moved a bit further,
how is an image editing program supposed to put it together correctly? So
make sure that moving objects are only on one part of the photo if possible
and do not move through the image by being on two or three partial photos.
In the meantime, a special camera for panoramic photos has been developed
that takes all the photos at the same time, so moving objects in the image no
longer play a role. But you are unlikely to buy this expensive special camera
to take a panoramic photo.
Portrait or Landscape Format?
Actually, there is no question, you should generally use the portrait format if
you want to put as much as possible on the later panorama picture, as well as
the shortest possible focal length, which does not yet lead to strong
distortions in the picture.

Partial Panoramas
You do not necessarily need a tripod for a partial panorama, although the
tripod is always an advantage in the preparation of both panoramic photos
and HDR photos. These examples were all taken without a tripod. When I
took the photos, I was by no means sure that I would ever make a panorama
photo out of them.

360 ° Panoramic Photos


For a 360 ° panorama photo, you should always use a tripod, if possible with
a tripod head as already described above, with which you can align the front
lens of the camera exactly over the axis of rotation of the tripod. Switch the
camera automatic off completely, also the automatic focusing.
Determine the optimal exposure setting using either an exposure meter or a
few sample photos and manually focus the lens on the important parts.
Switch off the automatic exposure control and use either the manual exposure
setting or the aperture priority. With this setting, you take all the photos for
the panorama image that will later be assembled from them.
However, this only applies to cloudy skies, sunlight and differently
illuminated areas in the picture. Of course, you have to adjust the exposure to
the actual lighting conditions for each sub-picture, but on the other hand do
not deviate too much from the average value, because otherwise the sky
would have very different colors and brightness values.
You can still adjust strong contrast differences in the image in Photoshop or
another good image editing program, whereby the adjustment may only be
made after the panorama image has been composed.

Embed the Panorama Picture in a Website


The still valid HTML does not allow the direct integration of multimedia files
into a website. This should change with HTML 5, but it will take a long time
before at least 90% of the browsers used by your website visitors can
interpret HTML 5 without errors. The ever-old problem of backward
compatibility that massively hinders new developments.
Nevertheless, multimedia content is integrated into websites. For this, you
need either Javascript or Java. In principle, panorama photos can be inserted
into a website in two different ways, either as a flash film or in Apple
Quicktime format. Because of the much more widespread use of the Flash
plugin, I decided to use Flash.
The insertion of a panorama photo is largely automatic if the panorama photo
has already been prepared with the appropriate software. There are now a
whole series of more or less good solutions which usually also include
publishing on a website and produce both the HTML code and all the
necessary control files.
Here I describe it with the PanoramaStudio Pro program. The actual
panorama was already created in Photoshop, the software I only needed for
publication on the website.
After opening the program, you specify the location of the panorama photo
and make the necessary settings. This includes in particular, the angle of view
of the entire panorama photo. If it is not a 360 ° panorama, you can only
estimate it roughly enough. For example, 180 °.
The program then begins to work and then stores all the files in a folder you
have specified. First of all, of course, the panorama photo itself which I prefer
to use in the original editing by Photoshop and an HTML file that contains all
the information for the integration of the panorama photo. Two other files are
mandatory, which are also created by the program. Firstly, the flash film,
which contains the basic control options for the panoramic photo and a
second file with which all important parameters are communicated to the
flash film.
You can insert the HTML code in the appropriate place on the website if you
store all other files in the main folder of the website. However, if you use
your own picture folder to improve the clarity in the main folder of the
website, extensive path adjustments must be made, both in the HTML code
and in the XML file. Otherwise, the panorama photo will not work.
PanoramaStudio Pro is paid shareware, however, the control software
panoStudioViewer.swf is expressly released for use on private non-
commercial websites, likewise the corresponding XML file.
Here is an example of the content of the XML file:
<? xml version = "1.0" encoding = "ISO-8859-1"?>
<Panorama studio viewer>
<Panorama>
<File> Graphics / panoramic photography / Rheinebene.jpg </ file>
<Mintilt> -19.39 </ mintilt>
<Maxtilt> 19:39 </ maxtilt>
<Minpan> 0:00 </ minpan>
<Maxpan> 180.00 </ maxpan>
<Pan> 90.00 </ pan>
<Tilt> 0:00 </ tilt>
<HFOV> 58.18 </ HFOV>
<Spherical> false </ spherical>
<LoadString> Loading </ loadString>
<Title> Rheinebene </ title>
<Quality> 3 </ quality>
<Autoplay>
</ Autoplay>
<Toolbar>
<Showtoolbar> true </ showtoolbar>
<Show fullscreen button> true </ show fullscreen button>
</ Toolbar>
<Long> en </ long>
</ Panorama>
</ Panorama studio viewer>
Although the panorama image is in the same directory as the XML file and
the panoStudioViewer.swf, the full path to the image must be specified.
<Maxpan> 180.00 </ maxpan>
The angle of view of the entire panorama photo is specified here. In this case,
180 °, whereby only the number and not the symbol for degrees is given. As a
rule, you do not need to change anything in the other settings. Unless it is a
spherical panorama photo, then between the two brackets <spherical> false
</spherical> there must be a "true" instead of the "false".
Here is the required HTML source code with the customized paths:
<div align = "center">
<object classid = "CLSID: D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"
codebase =
"http://active.macromedia.com/flash9/cabs/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0"
name = "Rhine level" width = "520" height = "400" id = "Rhine level ">
<param name = "movie" value = "graphics / panorama photography /
panoStudioViewer.swf" />
<param name = "allowScriptAccess" value = "always" />
<param name = "allowNetworking" value = "all" />
<param name = "allowFullScreen" value = "true" />
<param name = "FlashVars" value = "graphics / panorama
photography / pano = Rheinebene.xml" />
<embed src = "graphics / panorama photography /
panoStudioViewer.swf" width = "520" height = "400"
type = "application / x-shockwave-flash" name = "Rhine level"
allowScriptAccess = "always" allowNetworking = "all" allowFullScreen
= "true"
FlashVars = "pano = Graphics / panoramic photography /
Rheinebene.xml"
pluginspage = "http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">
</ Embed>
</ Object>
</ Div>
If your panorama photo is not large enough for high screen resolutions, then
you should enter the value false instead of the value true for <param name
= "allowFullScreen" value = "true" />. You also have to change it here:
allowFullScreen = "true"
Large panorama photos with a sufficiently large resolution are quite large
files. This panorama image has 1764 KB with a height of 1100 pixels and a
width of 4908 pixels.
Attention, if you choose Flash instead of Quicktime, in this Flash version, the
edge length of a single image edge is limited to 8000 pixels. Even with one
more pixel and it no longer works.
If you want to insert several panorama photos on one website, you only need
the panoStudioViewer.swf file once on your web server. However, a separate
XML file must be created for each panorama photo.
PART 3: PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES

Understand the Three Basic Settings of a Camera


Distance setting (autofocus or manual), exposure time and aperture are the 3
basic camera settings, which are either automatically determined and set by
the camera or manually by the photographer. One should understand these
attitudes at least in the basics. Compared to the human eye, it becomes easy
to understand the relationships.
The Main Camera Settings
Even if you basically only take pictures with the automatic mode and
possibly motif programs (e.g. the flower symbol for close-ups), some camera
settings have to be adapted to the respective shooting situation.
The more setting options your camera offers, the more important it is to at
least know and be able to use the basic setting options. One of the most
important setting options is the autofocus, for which there are 2
fundamentally different setting options and for many cameras, various mixed
forms of the two basic settings. The light sensitivity of the sensor (ISO
setting) and the white balance cannot always be left to the automatic and
occasionally, you have to intervene yourself.
The exposure metering method must also be adapted to the shooting
situation. The default setting is the integral measuring method which fails
with high-contrast subjects. Knowing which camera setting you need for
which motif is the first step to taking good photos. The chapter on camera
settings is very extensive. For a quick overview, everything essential is
highlighted in bold letters.
The Right Exposure
This chapter is about a very important subject in photography, namely
exposure. Everything is clearly explained, from the automatic program in
which the camera makes all the settings itself, through the automatic shutter
and aperture to manual exposure.
Likewise, the three different measurement methods for exposure metering are
presented and also explained to a beginner in a way that is easy to
understand. The chapter on manual exposure clearly shows the relationships
between sensor sensitivity and the amount of light that is regulated by
exposure time and the set aperture.
The White Balance
The white balance, with which the deviation of the light from the pure white
is compensated either fully automatically based on presets that the camera
offers or completely manually, is also part of the photo technique. The white
balance prevents color casts that could otherwise result.
Lenses
Ever since the SLR camera came into being in the 1950s, the Leica
rangefinder camera, just like before, was the first camera in the world to use
the 35 mm film developed for cinema, better known as 35 mm format. For
photography, SLR cameras and rangefinder cameras use a variety of different
lenses.
Which lens for what, is the kit lens enough that you often have a digital SLR
camera with you for your photographic needs or do you need additional
lenses and if so, which ones? What should you pay special attention to when
buying a used lens?
Filter
Even with the best image editing program, you can only work with image
information that is already included in the photo. You can influence image
details not only via ISO setting, time and aperture, the selection of the focal
plane and depth of field and the correct focal length, but also via filters that
are screwed onto the lens before the picture is taken.
Which filters are still needed in the age of digital image processing and what
are these filters used for? These questions are answered in the Filters section.
Cameras
The choice of the right camera for your needs is crucial for the later photos.
This chapter deals with the basic differences between pocket cameras and
SLR cameras as well as the important size of the sensor, the ISO sensitivity
of your camera and other criteria that are essential for the daily use of the
camera and are important for your purchase decision.
CHAPTER 13

UNDERSTAND THE CAMERA

An analog camera without automatic functions only has three setting options:
exposure time, aperture and distance setting. Exposure time and aperture
must be set to match the film material used, which corresponds to a manually
selected ISO sensitivity of the camera.
Incidentally, if lenses from a time before the development of the automatic
functions are used on a digital SLR camera, we have the same situation. All
three parameters that are important for the image result must be determined
manually and set manually.
The comparison with the human eyes is perhaps the clearest illustration of
what is important when taking pictures. Because a camera has many
similarities to the human eye, the human eye and the camera differ in some
essential points.

Similarities with the Human Eye


The Regulation of the Amount of Light
Just as the human eye has a pupil to regulate the amount of light entering it, a
camera or more precisely the lens has the aperture. Because both the camera
and the human eye have to regulate the amount of light in order to see or take
pictures properly. With the human eye, this usually happens so quickly that
we don't even notice it. For example, we are walking in the evening and the
pupils are wide open. A car comes towards us and we are blinded. The eye
only needs a fraction of a second to adjust to the changed situation and to
make the pupil smaller.
The aperture of a camera has the same function as a pupil. The incident light
quantity is regulated by opening or closing the cover. The amount of light is
also regulated by the exposure time. At first, there seems to be no
correspondence with the human eye. But this superficial impression is
somewhat misleading. The human eye or more precisely the brain which
processes the information transmitted by the optic nerves, cannot process
more than about 20 impressions per second. This corresponds to an exposure
time, only that it is fixed in contrast to the adjustable exposure time of a
camera because there is another commonality between a camera and the
human eye when it comes to regulating the amount of light. Both have a
defined sensitivity to which the amount of light must be adjusted.
This sensitivity can be trained in the human eye so that we can see better on a
glacier, for example, in the dark or vice versa and in the camera, the signal
from the sensor can be electronically amplified, thus achieving a higher
sensitivity.
The amount of light in the human eye is essentially regulated by the size of
the pupil, in the case of a camera both by the size of the aperture
corresponding to a pupil and by the exposure time.
There is a well known example of the mandatory regulation of the amount of
light in the human eye. A world famous pop musician at the time went blind
because he was watching the sunrise on an LSD trip. Nothing would have
happened without LSD but with LSD, the pupils open to the maximum and
do not close again even when there is too much light. The result, the retina
burned. Incidentally, this can also happen if you want to observe the sun or
the moon with a telescope. Without a gray filter in front of the eyepiece, we
would go blind; the pupil cannot shrink so much in order to reduce this
enormous amount of light to a level that is healthy for the eyes. These
situations also exist with the camera if, for example, you use a strong studio
flash system and even the smallest aperture (in the case of 35 mm lenses
usually aperture 22) still lets too much light through. There are color-neutral
gray filters for this.
In the case of cameras, the sensitivity can also be regulated, either for a
digital camera using the ISO values or for an analog camera using the film
material, which can be purchased in different sensitivities.

The Automatic Focus


Here too, there is a correspondence between the autofocus of a camera and
the human eye. Every optical system works with focal lengths and a focal
point in which the maximum sharpness is achieved. This also applies to the
human eye. In the human eye, it is the curvature of the lens that can be
changed at lightning speed and thus provides a sharp image on the back of
the eye.
With the camera, it is the distance setting that projects the focal point for
what is really to be focused precisely onto the film or sensor level. In the
human eye, unless we see very consciously, we perceive this lightning-fast
adjustment hardly. For example, we first look at the screen, the writing is
razor-sharp. Then we look out the window and everything we see outside is
razor sharp. In between, we fix something in the room that is in front of the
window and see it razor-sharp. Then maybe we light a cigarette and see this
close-up process in razor-sharp detail. We do not even notice that the
background outside is not as sharp anymore. After all, our focus at the
moment is on the object we are fixing.
The curvature of the lens of the human eye achieves the same as with the
distance setting of the camera, regardless of whether it is done manually or
by autofocus. Of course, what is said here only applies if there is no
ametropia, i.e. myopia or farsightedness. Ametropia can be corrected with
glasses or contact lenses or minimized with special eye training. However,
this is not the subject of this digital photography book.

The Focal Length or the Angle of View


Although the human eye does not have different focal lengths, our two eyes
together have an angle of view of approximately 180 °, which corresponds to
a fisheye lens, but our perception does correspond to different focal lengths
for a camera.
Only a more or less small area is selected from the total amount of optical
information that reaches the human eye with this huge angle of view because
only about 7% of the entire human field of vision is perceived in full
sharpness. Most of the time, we do not even notice this consciously because
even when looking at a landscape, our attention never focuses on the whole
landscape, instead, our gaze constantly wanders around the landscape in
order to finally take a closer look at a single object.
This would correspond to a light telephoto lens with a focal length of about
100 mm, with which the landscape is scanned. The only difference is that the
human eye still maintains the full nearly 180 ° field of view, while the
telephoto lens limits the angle of view to the narrower area in which the eye
can see and everything around it no longer exists. So far there is no technical
equivalent for our actual visual perception.
The human eye sees the size ratios in the depth grading, i.e. how big we
perceive an object in the foreground compared to more distant objects, for
example, according to the so-called normal focal length, in the 35mm format
these are lenses with a focal length of 45-50 mm. Shorter focal lengths make
the foreground much larger in relation to the background. Conversely, longer
focal lengths make the background much larger in relation to the foreground.

The Main Differences Between the Human Eye and a Camera


The human eyes and the brain are in constant, reciprocal communication.
This is the main difference to the camera, from which everything else
follows. Because through this communication, our eyes know what is
important to us right now, what we want to focus on and what is of secondary
importance to us at the moment, so what can be largely excluded from
perception.
First of all, we have to teach a camera specifically for each motif, what is
really important to us with a picture motif. Even an automatic function can
relieve us of this to a very limited extent. The camera cannot know what we
want. We have to teach the camera this through the various setting options
for each image motif.

Regulation of the Amount of Light


Strictly speaking, the human eye has only one corrective for the amount of
light, namely the size of the pupil. Even if the brain can usually not process
more than 20 image impressions per second, which is why we perceive the
individual images of a film as motion, the eye still perceives everything
continuously, so it knows no exposure time. In this respect, the human eye is
more like the display of a pocket, bridge or mirrorless system camera and not
the photo taken with one of these cameras, because with the photo, a
temporal section of the incoming information is cut out over the exposure
time. This is important not only to freeze motion but also to regulate the
amount of light that is actually needed for a photo. For a photo, the amount of
light is regulated both via the aperture and the exposure time. Both together,
dose the amount of light that strikes the film or the sensor.
If the exposure time is shortened, the aperture must be opened for the same
amount of light and conversely, the exposure time is extended, the aperture
must be reduced accordingly. The human eye does it all automatically. The
automatic exposure of a camera also does it automatically if you either set a
different exposure time or a different aperture with the time or aperture
preselection.
With the exposure time, you determine whether and how movements in the
image are recognizable or frozen, with the aperture you regulate both the
overall sharpness in the image and the depth of field, i.e. how far in front and
behind the actual plane of focus something is still sharply drawn.

High-Contrast Situations or Image Motifs


The human eye has a much larger contrast range than the best sensor or film.
For example, if we stay in a shady interior and perceive the sunlit landscape
outside through the windows, we can see everything correctly, both inside
and outside. If we were to take a picture in the same situation, then either
everything inside the room would be so underexposed that it is practically
only black, but the landscape outside would be correctly exposed or vice
versa, everything inside the room would be correctly exposed, then
everything would be done the windows are so massively overexposed that it
essentially only appears as a white area in the photo.
But not only that, through constant communication with the brain, the human
eye also knows what is important to us and automatically regulates the
amount of light for the most important thing via the size of the pupil, even in
an extremely high-contrast situation, even the enormous range of contrast of
the human Eye would be overused.

Distance Setting or Autofocus


Because the human brain constantly communicates with the eyes, the eyes
naturally know what to focus on. This is, of course, a very significant
difference to the camera, which only knows when the individual measuring
points have been activated that the maximum sharpness should be there.
Otherwise, the autofocus will consider what is in the center of the picture to
be essential.
In addition, all people and animals that have two eyes have a built-in
rangefinder due to the lateral displacement of the eyes. This is important for
people and animals, for example, to be able to assess dangers with regard to
their distance, their direction and speed of movement. Direction of
movement, the danger moves away or it approaches us and speed, every
driver knows this both with regard to their own car and oncoming vehicles.
The last paragraph has nothing to do with digital SLR cameras but explains
why we humans, like all other mammals, can estimate distances at lightning
speed and thus adjust the focus.
The principle of distance measurement using two optics (parallax) offset to
one side is not only used in many measuring instruments but also in a famous
camera, the Leica. The Leica is a rangefinder camera just like the human eye.
The exact distance is determined by the intersection of the two images. But
by the way, the autofocus of a digital camera works on a different principle.

Automatic Functions and Motif Programs


Various automatic functions and even more motif programs try to more or
less guess what the photographer thinks is important within a picture motif.
With pocket cameras, for example, the floral motif is known as a setting
option. This tells the camera that you want to take a close-up. Since many
pocket cameras do not have a manual distance setting, you need these motif
programs to be able to tell the camera at least halfway what you actually
want.
Computer technology in cameras makes it increasingly possible to tell the
camera what you want to do for a photo by choosing a program item. It is
clear that this cannot be done with the same precision and speed as the
cooperation between the brain and the eyes. This could only change if at
some point it was possible to control a camera directly including the camera
feedback as well as our eyes through the brain.
In this respect, all automatic functions and especially the motif programs are
nothing more than an attempt to approximate our own perception through
computer technology. For example, there are now cameras with facial
recognition, which may even make sense for photos of people if the person's
face is recognized, regardless of where it is within the image and both the
distance and the exposure are adjusted accordingly. Of course, this fails at the
same time that there is more than one face in the picture. Our brains and
therefore our eyes know exactly which face is important, but how should the
camera know?
This is how it works with most automatic functions and motif programs.
What we want and what the computer understands in the camera can be in
between. That is why it is so important to know and understand at least the
three basic technical possibilities for influencing an intended image result.
These basic possibilities to influence a planned photo technically with cheap
pocket cameras should be understood, they are just as important for good
photos as the basics of image design and thus the choice of camera location
and viewing angle and the image section.
CHAPTER 14

CAMERA SETTINGS

The Main Camera Settings


The more setting options your camera offers, the more carefully you have to
check before taking a photo whether the settings from the last shoot still fit.
This is particularly true, of course, if you activated individual measuring
fields for previous photos and did not immediately undo them afterwards.
It is almost reminiscent of the control of a pilot who has to carefully check all
the functions of the aircraft before starting the engines. In the case of an
airplane, its life and the lives of its passengers depend on it. While it is by no
means so dramatic with a camera, checking the camera settings in advance
decides about good or corrupt photos.
Since I did not know the many setting options from my previous analog
camera, it often happened to me at the beginning that the settings from the
previous shoot were still active, especially if I had previously photographed
with artificial light in the studio. Since the white balance was still set on the
studio lamps and the photos had a massive blue cast (no leg break when
saved in raw data format) or even the highest ISO value from previous night
shots (these photos were unusable due to the image noise and had to be
deleted) and the like. Therefore, after every manual intervention, return to the
factory settings or your personal standard settings.
But now to the most important camera settings:
Autofocus Camera Settings That Have To Be Adjusted Again And Again

Metering
ISO sensitivity
White balance
Camera Settings, Which Are Usually Only Made Once

Storage format for photos


Color space
A setting is particularly important even if you always take pictures in the
automatic mode of the camera, namely, the autofocus.

How to Get the Focus Where You Want It


Autofocus with continuous focus for moving objects or with fixed focus by
pressing the shutter release button halfway for static objects. There are two
fundamentally different settings for the autofocus, plus various mixed forms,
depending on the manufacturer and camera model. It would surely go too far
if all camera-specific setting options were dealt with, each manufacturer has a
wealth of its own settings, depending on the model. That's why I only go into
the two basic settings, not the mixed forms.

The Two Basic Settings of the Autofocus


The autofocus can either be set so that the measured value is maintained
when the shutter button is pressed halfway or instead, it continuously follows
the subject, meaning that measured values are not stored temporarily.
Intermediate storage of the focus with the shutter button pressed
halfway
The setting with the intermediate storage should be the norm for most
cameras, i.e. the factory setting. This setting is useful for all motifs that are
static, i.e. do not move. Together with either a measurement emphasized in
the middle or your own selection of measuring points, this setting allows you
to aim at the image of the most important subject, to save the setting by
gently pressing the shutter button and then to choose the final image section
at your leisure. Since the focus remains unchanged, it does not matter where
the most important subject which has been focused is pushed towards the
final selected image section. However, this setting would be fundamentally
wrong for subjects that move and would cause many disappointments due to
blurred images.

Continuous Autofocus Adjustment


The continuous setting of the autofocus must be selected for all subjects that
move. With this setting, nothing is cached; the sharpness is constantly
updated instead. This is the right attitude for all motifs that move. However,
this setting is not suitable for a subject that is initially aimed at with the preset
measuring fields, i.e. in the middle of the image, so that the camera can be
swiveled a little vertically or to the side to select the final image section. With
this setting, you also have to be aware that as long as you do not select the
measuring fields manually, the focus is always on what is in the center of the
picture.
If you don't just snap photos but design them, you will rarely put the most
important motif in the center of the picture. This means that you either have
to select the measuring fields individually before the photo, you practically
have the photo in your head before you even capture the subject with the
camera and have enough time to select the measuring fields before the photo
or else choose a larger section than the final one, so that you can later slide
the most important motif out of the middle when editing the picture.
I cannot go into the peculiarities of different camera models here, that would
go far beyond the scope of this book. For Canon's top model alone, more than
half a dozen different autofocus settings are available.
A beginner is certainly overwhelmed by this, even someone who has
mastered digital photography from FF has to carefully familiarize himself
with the special features of the settings so that they can be used without much
thought when it matters.

Autofocus Problem
The autofocus works on a similar principle as the slice range finder for high-
quality cameras. Both cannot focus on a surface but require edges in the
image motif to focus. So much for the commonality.

Now the unpleasant differences between a sectional image rangefinder and


the autofocus:
With the sectional image rangefinder, the photographer looks for an edge in
the subject (which can even be individual hair) that is as far away as the main
subject to which the focus should be set. With a manually set lens, this setting
is retained even if the camera is panned for the final image section.
The autofocus searches for the edge of the image itself with one of its many
measuring fields. This often means that the focus level does not get where it
should go. If a lens with a shallow depth of field (long focal length or open
aperture) is used, the disappointment when later viewing the photos on the
computer is great if the actual subject is out of focus.
The only way to avoid disappointment is to use the autofocus in its non-
continuous setting like a sectional image rangefinder and to focus an edge of
the subject first in the center of the picture, then press the shutter release
button halfway and only then calmly final image section searches.
The problem with digital SLR cameras is firstly the small viewfinder image,
which does not allow an accurate assessment of the sharpness and secondly,
the lack of a sectional image rangefinder or at least a micro prism ring, which
would enable a targeted adjustment even with the small viewfinder image.
Only top-class digital SLR cameras offer the exchange of the viewfinder
lenses and thus also the cross-section rangefinder or micro prism ring. Then
the focus is of course, done manually.
Even a display only helps if you zoom in a lot on the photo, ideally for a
100% display. Otherwise, blurring cannot be seen on the display. As helpful
as the display is for the immediate control of the exposure setting, it is of
little use except for the strong zooming in to control the sharpness. Slight
motion blurring due to a too long exposure time for a telephoto lens without a
tripod cannot be recognized on the display without entering. You only
experience this disappointment at home.
Without immediate control by strongly zooming in on the photo just taken,
the display is actually more of a delusion in terms of sharpness because on
the small display, you think the photo would have been successful.

Measuring Methods and Measuring Fields


The integral measurement captures the entire image, the center-weighted
measurement places the focus in the middle and the spot measurement
activates only one of the many measuring fields for the exposure
measurement. Integral measurement for low-contrast motifs, Center-
weighted, if the subject in the center of the picture is to be properly exposed
with not too strong differences in brightness from the background, Spot
measurement with large contrasts in the image and only the original motif
should be correctly exposed.
The Integral Measurement
The factory setting of a digital camera is usually the integral measurement.
The measuring fields are evenly distributed over the entire sensor surface, an
average value is calculated for the exposure measurement. This setting is
suitable for all subjects that do not have large contrast differences, for
example, for a landscape with an overcast sky.
The setting is unsuitable for very high-contrast subjects, especially if the
subject itself has a strong light/dark contrast to the background, because with
these subjects, it is not a question of the correct exposure of the background
but of the correct exposure of the actual subject. Therefore, a different
measuring method is used for high-contrast subjects:

The Measurement Emphasized In the Middle


All measurement fields are active in the center-weighted measurement as
well as in the integral measurement, but the correct exposure is calculated
with the focus of the measurement fields in the middle.
This method is suitable in principle for all motifs that have relatively strong
contrast differences, in which you still want to achieve a balanced exposure
that still includes the surroundings of the most important motif. However, this
method is not suitable for relatively small objects in the foreground that need
to be properly exposed, but for which a strongly contrasting background
predominates. There is spot metering for this.

The Spot Metering


With spot metering, the exposure setting is carried out with a single
measuring field, which can be selected individually in the menu of the
camera. This is the best method of exposure metering for very high-contrast
subjects.
I still don't use it. Before I take a photo, I find it much too cumbersome to
first dig through the menu to activate measuring points (afterwards you
shouldn't forget to undo the setting), there is a much faster method.

Alternative to Spot Metering


With time preselection or aperture preselection, whichever is more important
to me, I first take a test photo with the automatic and then adjust the exposure
manually for the desired result. Finally, as long as you hold it in your own
body shadow, you can judge quite well on the display whether the actual
motif is too bright or too dark. With a little experience that you can get pretty
quickly with this method, you know at the latest after the third test photo with
manually adjusted settings how the exposure is optimally adjusted. This is
actually much faster than activating measuring fields. It also has the
advantage that I am not slavishly bound to the set measuring field for image
composition. After all, the manually set exposure is also correct if I
ultimately choose a completely different image section.
The immediate control on the display and thus the possibility to adjust the
exposure as desired is ultimately one of the greatest advantages of digital
photography compared to its analog predecessor. This creates freedom that
was previously unthinkable because in the past, you only saw the result of
incorrect exposure when the photos were developed. Then almost nothing
could be corrected.
Of course, this is only possible with the test photos and the approach to the
correct exposure for subjects that are not over in the next moment. But that
should only be the case with the fewest motifs for which one would otherwise
have to activate spot metering (which ultimately also takes time). Often, you
can even simply memorize the most important exposure settings and adapt
them to the changed situation at lightning speed.
In the 1970s, people often stood on stage with well-known artists or took
photos at happenings. Of course, that was only possible because they
basically do not use flash. Otherwise, they would never have been let on
stage.
You don't have time to ask the light meter for advice every time. Instead, I
first measured the most important lighting situations with the light meter and
remembered the settings.

ISO Sensitivity
You need the manual ISO setting when it comes to the highest quality, poor
lighting conditions require a higher value than that specified by the automatic
system or the exposure setting is carried out manually.
With the ISO setting, you determine the light sensitivity of the sensor.
Anyone who has photographed in analog times knows that a film always has
a very specific sensitivity to light, this also applies to the sensor of a digital
camera.
All ISO settings that are above or below the real light sensitivity of the sensor
are achieved electronically and lead to more or less noticeable quality losses.
The image noise at very high ISO values is already known to many.
If you use your camera with the preset factory settings, the ISO setting is
made automatically. For this, the manufacturer chooses an area that still
works without massive image noise. The size of this area depends on your
camera. In this case, the camera selects the ISO value itself, depending on the
available light. The less light, the higher the ISO value.
You have to switch this automatic off if you either need a higher ISO value in
very poor lighting conditions, for example at night or inside a building and
accept the image noise that increases with higher ISO values or if you set the
exposure manually.
With some camera models, the automatic adjustment of the light sensitivity
of the sensor is automatically switched off as soon as you turn the dial to the
M position, with all other cameras; you have to remember this yourself. You
can easily find out yourself how your camera behaves.
Set your camera to fully automatic (dial P). Set the ISO setting to AUTO in
the menu. Now turn the dial to M. Then go back to setting the ISO value. Is
AUTO still there? Then you definitely have to set the ISO value yourself or is
there now an ISO value specified? Then adapt it to your needs or leave it in
the basic setting (usually ISO 100) if the light is sufficient.
My camera is always manually set to ISO 100, the actual light sensitivity of
this sensor. This is how I achieve the maximum quality. The setting is only
changed temporarily if the available light is insufficient.

White Balance
The manual white balance must always be done when the automatic white
balance leads to wrong colors, either with one of the presets of your camera
or completely manually. The white balance is usually done automatically,
which usually works well. Manual intervention is rarely required. Now and
then, you have to adjust the white balance manually. Most cameras offer
various presets for this, which more or less fit. For example, incandescent
light, daylight, cloudy sky and a few more. You can also manually adjust the
white balance on all slightly better cameras.
For many camera models, the white balance is just as easy to reach as the
ISO settings and is not hidden somewhere in the menu because these are
basic and important recording settings. Especially if the photos are not saved
as a raw data file (in this case the white balance can also be carried out
retrospectively) but as a JPEG, the white balance for light sources whose
light color differs greatly from pure white must either be done with one of the
presets or manually, if the automatic fails. The automatic function fails,
especially when there is a larger, apparently white surface in the subject,
which the camera interprets as pure white, even though it is a tinted white.

What Does White Balance Actually Mean?


Actually, there is no really pure white light as natural light, every natural
light has more or less its own color, i.e. a deviation from pure white.
Reflected or direct light reaches the sensor or film through the lens. Both the
sensor and a daylight film are matched to light in pure white (5500 ° Kelvin,
red, blue and green each have a third share). Of course, any deviation in the
light color also ensures a more or less strong color cast in the image.
Outside, when the sun is shining, the deviations are largely tolerable, daylight
with an overcast sky fluctuates between about 4000 ° and 6500 ° Kelvin. This
means either a deviation in the red-yellow area of the color spectrum (color
temperature less than 5500 ° Kelvin) or the blue area of the color spectrum
(color temperature higher than 5500 ° Kelvin). The deviations known to any
(amateur) photographer who is still used to slide film from analog times are
tolerable insofar as they can reflect the mood with a slight red or blue tinge. If
as in product photography, the highest color accuracy is important, the
slightest deviation cannot be tolerated and previously had to be corrected
with appropriate compensation filters and with digital cameras with a careful
white balance.
Daylight can have very large fluctuations in the color of the light. If the sky is
cloudy or in shadow areas, the light is tinted very blue, which is why the
white balance cloudy sky is preset at around 8,000 ° Kelvin. Exactly which
values are taken from your camera with this default setting depends on the
manufacturer and model of the camera.
The deviations in artificial light are even more extreme. The default setting
for light bulbs in most digital cameras is 2800 ° Kelvin. But very few light
bulbs have exactly this color temperature. The lower the color temperature,
the more even small deviations of 100-200 ° Kelvin become noticeable. Skin
tones in particular, for example, a portrait, are massively falsified. Even a
relatively small deviation into the blue area makes a face look pale, the
reverse deviation into the red area creates a drunk nose.
Newer light sources such as energy saving lamps or LEDs cause even bigger
problems. In fluorescent tubes and energy-saving lamps, the red component
is completely absent in the light. Some lamp manufacturers try to compensate
for this with so-called warm light tubes by evaporating the missing red as a
filter on the glass of the tubes. With energy-saving lamps, true-color photos
are almost impossible. White balance is not very useful either. Only in a good
image editing program can you try to compensate for the worst mistakes.
When taking pictures of illuminated buildings at night, there may also be
significant deviations from the automatic white balance of the camera. The
different light sources that are used for larger buildings have significant
deviations depending on whether, for example, a mercury vapor lamp
(deviation in blue), a sodium vapor lamp (massive deviation in yellow) or
another illuminant is used as the default light bulb.
We humans usually do not notice these deviations at all because when the
brain processes the information it receives from the eye, it remembers what it
should look like automatically. One tries to incorporate this memory
possibility of the brain as well as possible into the software for the white
balance. This is why the white balance of a digital camera usually works even
if there is not a single white or neutral gray area for comparison in the entire
image. But of course, the color cast immediately catches our eye in a photo
with color casts. That is why white balance is so important.
Since the white balance can rarely be satisfactorily achieved with the on-
board means of the camera in extreme lighting situations, in particular,
artificial light, it is very important to generally save photos in raw data
format. In contrast to JPEG, the 4 color channels red, green, green and blue
are not already added together in the raw data format but saved separately for
each color channel. This makes it easy to compensate for white balance
errors.
However, if your camera does not provide for saving in the raw data format
but only allows it to be saved as a JPEG, you can hardly change anything
afterwards and have to do a white balance as good as possible already when
recording, which brings us to the next important camera shot:

Storage Format for Photos


If your camera offers the raw data format for storing photos, you should
generally make use of it. Virtually, every digital camera offers storage as a
JPEG. This compression format originally developed for the web is no more
than a makeshift for storing photos. After all, JPEG was not developed as a
format for further processing or printing, but vice versa as the last editing
step for publication on the web.
Nevertheless, the first digital cameras could usually only be saved in JPEG
format. The raw data formats of the camera manufacturers were developed
later and are unfortunately still not available with cheap pocket cameras.
The JPEG was developed specifically for the screen display on websites. It
was able to prevail over other formats with the same task because even at
relatively high compression levels, quality losses can only be noticed by a
trained eye and small file sizes can be achieved without clearly visible quality
losses, which was particularly important in the early days of the internet with
slow analog modems.
The JPEG was never intended for further processing or permanent storage of
photos. Simply because even if an image is saved as a JPEG without a
compression factor, compression is already taking place, so with every
further processing step and saving again, a photo is further compressed. After
multiple processing and then saving, even the untrained eye will notice the
quality losses.
In the early days of digital photography, the JPEG was still justified; the
memory cards at that time were outrageously expensive and had very little
storage capacity. If you had already offered storage in raw data format at that
time, you would not have been able to save more than 5-6 photos on one of
the then usual memory cards. But these arguments for saving as JPEG have
long been outdated. So there is actually no reason at all to save photos as
JPEG. This applies at least if your camera offers storage in a raw data format.
The raw data format is the best way to save photos. The 4 color channels are
saved separately in raw data format and only later added together with an
image processing program to form the final photo. That is why you can then
develop photos in raw data format. In addition, photos in raw data format are
not compressed, so all image information is still contained in the image file.
Whether or not it is compressed in the raw data format depends on the
camera manufacturer and the raw data format it has developed.
With suitable software such as the free Gimp, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe
Lightroom, you therefore have a variety of options for influencing the raw
data file, which also have the advantage of being reversible at any time.
Therefore, if your camera offers storage as a raw data file, you should always
make use of it.
Some cameras also offer simultaneous storage in both formats, i.e. raw data
format and JPEG. This is useful from time to time. For example, if you want
to give a model the photos that have not yet been edited on a storage medium
(CD, USB stick) after a shoot. However, this also requires a little more
storage space and time to save the photos.

JPEG Quality Levels


Digital cameras actually offer completely different levels of quality for the
storage of JPEGs. This option also dates back to the early days of digital
photography, when memory cards were extremely expensive and only had a
small storage capacity. Choosing poorer quality allowed more photos to be
placed on a memory card. At best, this was acceptable for souvenir photos
from a vacation.

Different Raw Data Formats


Each camera manufacturer has developed its own raw data format. In
addition to their own raw data format, some camera manufacturers offer
saving in the DNG format developed by Adobe. Like almost all formats
developed by Adobe for the graphics industry, including photography, DNG
has long established itself as the industry standard and is as future-proof as
PDF, for example.
If your camera such as Pentax offers the option to save as a DNG, you should
make use of it. If your camera does not offer this option, you can
subsequently convert your photos into the internationally used DNG format
using software that is available free of charge.

Color Space
Some camera models offer multiple settings for the color space. The two
most important settings are Adobe RBG and sRBG. Adobe RBG is the
industry standard that can be processed by any newer image editing program,
even if it is not from Adobe. This color space can also be easily converted for
the usual CMYK model in printing.
sRBG is the standard used for the web. If your camera offers Adobe RBG,
you should make use of it, even if you later want to publish the photos on a
website that is preset to sRBG, because any slightly better image editing
program can also save edited photos in the sRBG color space. There
are differences between the two models, particularly in terms of contrast.
CHAPTER 15

THE RIGHT EXPOSURE

Exposure Setting With the Automatic Functions of the Camera


Automatic exposure part 1

The Different Programs


Apart from motif programs, a digital SLR camera and most other digital
cameras offer three or four different settings for automatic exposure control,
depending on the model.

Fully automatic, Selector Wheel P


All three parameters for the correct exposure are set automatically. The fully
automatic system tries to compromise between the different requirements for
a successful photo. The exposure time should be short enough to be able to
photograph the photo by hand without blurring, the aperture should be closed
far enough to achieve the greatest possible sharpness and depth of field and
the ISO value should enable the highest possible quality, so not be set
significantly above the actual sensitivity of the sensor.
As is the case with automatic compromises, it is more a matter of chance
whether the result is what the photo was supposed to be. That is why digital
SLR cameras and many other digital cameras offer two and in some models,
three additional automatic functions for exposure control.

Automatic Timer, Aperture Preselection, AV Dial


With the automatic timer, the appropriate exposure time and the appropriate
ISO value are automatically determined and set for a manually set aperture.
This function is always required when the priority of the aperture setting
applies. So, when it comes to either the overall sharpness or the depth of field
or both in a photo, the common lenses for the full format and the APS sensor
achieve maximum sharpness at aperture values between 8 and 11. If the
aperture is opened further, both the sharpness itself, i.e. the overall sharpness,
and the depth of field decrease.
If the aperture is closed beyond aperture 11 instead, the area over which the
depth of field extends is widened while the actual sharpness decreases again.
The latter is due to the light diffraction at the small aperture. More about the
image design with the aperture in the chapter: depth of field.

The Automatic Shutter, Time Delay, TV Dial


With this automatic setting, the exposure time is specified manually, the
appropriate ISO value and the associated aperture setting are set
automatically by the camera. This setting is always important when the
priority of a certain exposure time applies. A certain exposure time may be
required in many photographic situations.
You don't have a tripod with you and the light is no longer that special or you
take photos inside a building, then the exposure time must be short enough
not to blur the image. Without an image stabilizer and with focal lengths
between the wide angle and a maximum of 60 mm, the 1/30 second is the
longest possible exposure time for good results, provided you have a steady
hand.
For longer focal lengths, the rule of thumb applies that the exposure time
should not be longer than half the focal length converted to the 35 mm
format, because this is about the angle of view. The smaller the angle of
view, the more the slightest vibrations of the camera become noticeable
during the recording and the photos become blurred. Therefore, with longer
focal lengths, either a stable tripod or shorter exposure times is applied.

Make Movements Visible or Freeze


If you want to make a movement visible as such, then the exposure time must
be long enough according to the movement and the direction of movement
(across the image or instead towards the camera or away from the camera) so
that it does not freeze. This applies, for example, to running water. More on
this in the section image composition with the exposure time.
If you want to freeze a movement instead, the exposure time must be short
enough to be able to freeze the movement. How short, of course, depends on
the speed and direction of the movement.
If you are in a vehicle or aircraft, the exposure time must also be short
enough to be able to eliminate vibrations that are transmitted to the camera.
For an aircraft, the lowest limit is 1/250 for focal lengths up to about 80 mm.
For stronger telephoto lenses, the exposure time must be significantly shorter.
So, there are a number of good reasons to work with the time delay. The third
automatic function is only available on some cameras, namely the ISO
preselection.

ISO Preselection, Automatic Shutter and Aperture


Some cameras now have the ISO preselection for the automatic functions; in
this case, the time and aperture are left to the automatic. The extent to which
this makes sense as a separate automatic function, remains to be seen,
because even without its own automatic function, the ISO value can be set
manually on many cameras.
With a fixed ISO value, one of the 3 automatic exposure methods or manual
exposure can be used. With rare exceptions, the ISO value on my cameras is
generally fixed to the actual light sensitivity of the sensor.

Why ISO Code?


Prioritizing the sensitivity of the sensor can be useful if the maximum
sharpness performance of the sensor is required. This is only the case with
the actual sensor sensitivity, all ISO values above and below are achieved
electronically and lead to a deterioration in quality, in particular to image
noise, which is clearly perceptible at higher ISO values.
ISO pre-selection even if the priority of the shortest possible exposure time
applies, especially for night shots. In addition to the automatically selectable
ISO values, many digital SLR cameras offer an extended sensitivity range of
the sensor, which can only be adjusted manually due to the strong image
noise. You should only use this if you would otherwise not be able to take
photos due to insufficient light
Automatic exposure part 2

The Measuring Ranges


There are basically three different options for exposure metering that can be
set with a digital camera, whereby spot metering is usually only available
with high-quality cameras.

Integral Measurement
The integral measurement is factory-set for most cameras. With these
cameras, it is the standard measurement of the exposure situation. For the
integral measurement, all measuring points distributed over the sensor are
treated equally and an average value is calculated from the different exposure
values. This measurement method is really only suitable for low-contrast
subjects. Landscape photos, for example, are relatively poor in contrast when
the sky is overcast and are therefore suitable for integral measurement.
However, when the sun is shining and there are also distinct image areas in
the deep shadow, the integral measurement is not the yellow of the egg,
because taking the shadow areas into account would lead to overexposure of
the sunlit areas. The larger the areas in the deep shadow, the more the bright
areas of the image are overexposed with this measurement method.
This measurement method is also completely unsuitable if the actual image
motif, for example, a portrait or a flower is in front of a relatively darker or
lighter background, because in this case too, the integral measurement would
determine an average value, which extremely leads to nothing is properly
exposed at all. The flower would be much too light on a dark background and
the background itself would still be too dark. Conversely, on a light
background, the flower would be far too dark.
After all, the camera cannot know what is really important to us with this
subject and simply makes an average calculation. However, since the
background of these motifs usually takes up a much larger area, it is much
more important for the automatic average calculation than the actual image
motif. Because this is the case, there are other measurement methods.

The Center-Weighted Measurement


In contrast to the integral measurement, the measurement fields in the middle
are taken into account more than the measurement fields in the outer area of
the sensor. The extent to which the center-weighted measurement distributes
the weighting of the measuring points unfortunately depends on the camera
model, which is why no generally valid statements can be made.
In general, however, center-weighted measurement is the better measurement
method, except for very low-contrast subjects. Even with low-contrast motifs,
you can actually work well with them, because these motifs are also not
significantly darker or lighter outdoors than in the middle of the image.
Some camera manufacturers are now taking this into account and have preset
the center-weighted measurement at the factory and no longer the integral
measurement method as before. With a few exceptions, you can therefore set
the center-weighted measurement as the standard for your own camera.
However, the actual image motif must also be pretty much in the middle.
Nevertheless, this is seldom desirable for reasons of dynamic image design,
because if you want to achieve optimal effect through image design, you
place the most important motif either on one of the axes of the golden ratio or
on one of the axes in a 4/3 ratio.
But most cameras offer help here by first aiming at the actual subject with the
camera in the center, so that the exposure setting and autofocus for the image
motif are adopted, then pressing the shutter button halfway, the slight
pressure point can be felt well and only then the actual picture motif is
correctly placed in the photo.
Because with the shutter button pressed halfway, the exposure setting is
saved, but the autofocus setting only if the autofocus has been set
accordingly. But this is about the exposure setting. With the measurement
method emphasized in the middle, you are almost always on the safe side.

The Spot Measurement


Only one measuring field is activated for spot measurement. With high-
quality cameras, this measuring field can be selected in the menu. With low-
quality cameras, the measuring field in the middle is automatically activated
as soon as you select the spot measurement.
With spot metering, you can select specific image areas. This is important
when it comes to exposing just a small detail within a motif correctly.
Otherwise, you can proceed with spot measurement for non-moving objects
as well as with the center-weighted measurement, aim at the motif in the
center or with the selected measuring point, in order to then select the final
image section with the shutter button pressed halfway. This brings us to the
actual problem of spot metering.
Before you can take a photo, you first have to rummage through the camera
menu to make the appropriate settings, so not the best method for quick
snapshots. The next problem is, unless you have the image composition in
your head beforehand and can choose a measuring field other than the one in
the middle, the image motif must be static if the exposure values are to be
saved for another image section with the shutter button pressed halfway. If
only the center measuring point can be selected for spot measurement and
you want to photograph a motif in motion, you have to capture a significantly
larger image section than actually intended in order to determine the final
image section later in digital image processing because the actual picture
motif exactly in the middle is not very dynamic.

Automatic Functions Occasionally Also a Little Problem


A general problem of the many automatic functions with which some
amateur cameras are now overloaded, it takes a lot of time to select the
correct automatic settings before you can press the shutter button. You need
this time beforehand with these overloaded cameras to work through a
manual, often comprising several 100 pages so that when it comes to
photography, you can later find the corresponding functions without having
to search too long.
That's why I only use automatic functions if they are at least equivalent to the
manual setting or for situations in which you don't have the time to make any
settings manually because the event would be over in the next moment. For
all photos where I have a little more time, I prefer total control of the
exposure setting to get exactly the desired result.

Set the Correct Exposure Manually


You have three options for regulating the correct exposure:

Exposure time
Aperture
Sensor sensitivity (ISO values)
All 3 settings are interdependent. Exposure time and aperture regulate the
amount of light, the ISO value the light sensitivity of the sensor. In
combination, they result in the right exposure. If one of the 3 values is
changed manually, this affects the exposure if one of the other two settings is
not adjusted at the same time.

The Sensor Sensitivity


The light sensitivity of the sensor is the basis for regulating the amount of
light with time and aperture. Sensor sensitivity corresponds to film sensitivity
in analog photography. But while a film has a defined sensitivity to light and
you have to change the film if you need a different sensitivity to light, the
sensor sensitivity can be adjusted.
In fact, sensor sensitivity cannot be changed any more than a film's sensitivity
to light. Each sensor has a native light sensitivity, which is specified in ISO.
Any deviating light sensitivity, i.e. every higher or lower ISO value that can
be set on a camera, does not change the light sensitivity of the sensor but is
achieved by electronic amplification or attenuation of the sensor signal.
Any other than the sensor's native sensitivity to light leads to a deterioration
in quality. This is important if you want to use the maximum performance of
the sensor, especially with regard to sharpness and image noise.
In a certain tolerance range, at least the image noise can be reduced by the
camera to such an extent that it does not attract attention. Unfortunately, this
does not apply to the imaging performance of the sensor with regard to its
sharpness. A higher or lower sensitivity to light not only leads to an image
noise that is barely perceptible at first, but also always to a loss of sharpness.
How large the tolerance range depends on the respective camera model. With
most digital single-lens reflex cameras, whose sensor has a native light
sensitivity of ISO 100, the tolerance range is not larger than 2-3 aperture
steps, i.e. up to ISO 400 or ISO 800. A few cameras go much further and
have a tolerance range of ISO 3200 or even about it.
How large the tolerance range of your camera is can usually be answered
easily without looking at the operating instructions or the technical data,
because in the camera menu, there are two different selections for the ISO
value. On the one hand, the values that are set when the light sensitivity is
set automatically are used by the camera and on the other hand the additional
values that can only be set manually.
The ISO settings that can be selected by the automatic exposure control are
within the tolerance range, the additional settings should only be used if the
priority is a short exposure time and the light is insufficient for lower ISO
settings. This brings us to the next important topic.

ISO Setting and Manual Exposure


I occasionally get desperate emails because the exposure doesn't change even
after switching to manual exposure. When I received such an email for the
first time, I was puzzled. Only a clarifying telephone call with the sender
brought the solution. There are obviously camera models in which the dial
setting "M" does not lead to real manual exposure, but to an ISO automatic.
The photographer sets the time and aperture manually; the ISO value
appropriate for this is selected automatically. Of course, you cannot take
pictures with exposure values other than those specified by the camera. So
deliberately something lighter or darker is not possible.
The solution was quickly found, however, with these camera models, before
switching to manual exposure with the dial, you have to switch off the
automatic ISO function in the camera menu and select an ISO value yourself.

Small Test for ISO Automatic


You can easily find out for yourself how your own camera behaves with a
small test. Set the camera to any automatic function and activate the ISO
automatic in the camera menu, if not already set up anyway. Then set the dial
to M and then look in the camera menu to see whether the ISO automatic is
still active. If so, you have to switch off the automatic ISO for manual
exposure and manually select an ISO value.

The ISO Values


The ISO values are an internationally standardized specification for the light
sensitivity of film material or sensors. Based on a widespread actual light
sensitivity of the sensor of ISO 100, the further ISO values result from
doubling: ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200 etc.
Every doubling of the ISO value corresponds to a doubling of the light
sensitivity or to put it photographically, an aperture stop. The row can of
course be expanded as desired by further doubling or down by halving the
previous value. Some camera models have now reached ISO 51,200 and offer
a tolerance range without excessive image noise up to ISO 3200 or even
more.
All light sensitivities that go beyond the tolerance range and are achieved by
electronically amplifying the image signal expand the possibilities of
photography, for example, in the observation of animals at dusk, but are not
debatable in creative photography due to the high image noise and the lack of
sharpness.
In most digital cameras, the tolerance range ends at ISO 400 or ISO 800.
Within this range, photos with these cameras do not yet have any image noise
that is too disturbing.

What is ISO Value?


When it comes to maximum quality, as far as the light is sufficient, the
sensor's actual light sensitivity is the ISO value; which actually answers the
question, ISO values that deviate from the actual light sensitivity upwards or
downwards only if other settings, especially a short exposure time have top
priority.

Priorities or Compromises
Photography is always about priorities. I purposely say priorities and not
compromises because when considering which settings to make on the
camera, it is always a question of which of these settings have priority and
which properties have to take priority over this priority because every change
of a setting affects all other properties of the photo.

Light Sensitivity Is the Basis for the Correct Exposure Setting


The photosensitivity of the sensor is the basis for the correct exposure setting,
just as in analog photography; the photosensitivity of the film used is the
basis for the exposure settings because the amount of light that is regulated
with exposure time and aperture is adjusted to the light sensitivity of the
sensor.

The Regulation of the Amount of Light


The amount of light is regulated via exposure time and aperture. The aperture
regulates how much light the lens lets through and the exposure time and how
long this light hits the sensor. If you have determined a correct exposure
manually or the automatic exposure control and then change one of the two
values, then the other value must also be changed so that the exposure
remains the same.
If the shutter is closed by one full step, the exposure time must be doubled.
Conversely, if the shutter is opened by a full step, the exposure time must be
halved so that the amount of light remains the same in both cases.
This is actually quite easy to understand, but it becomes difficult with the full
aperture steps on a modern digital camera because smaller aperture steps can
now be set in thirds or tenths of a step.

Full Aperture Steps


Therefore, you have to memorize the full aperture steps for better or worse.
Otherwise, you would be puzzled, for example, what the next full step is
from f / 6.5. Aperture 6.5 is a third aperture. The series usually starts at f / 2.8
and ends on a digital single lens reflex camera with 35 mm lenses with f / 22.
Aperture 2.8 is not possible with many zoom lenses because they are not
sufficiently bright. While particularly bright 50 mm standard lenses, which
are also colloquially known as light giants, offer significantly larger
apertures, for example, aperture levels 2, 1.7, 1.5, 1.2.
The above aperture values denote the maximum aperture of a lens; in this
case one also speaks of an open aperture.
The aperture is gradually closed by one full step with the following aperture
values:

Aperture 2.8
Aperture 4
Aperture 5.6
Aperture 8
Aperture 11
Aperture 16
Aperture 22
The smallest aperture is usually aperture 22 for 35 mm lenses. Since lens 16
for lenses for the 35 mm format already shows diffraction phenomena that
significantly impair the sharpness of the lens, even smaller apertures make no
sense for lenses for the 35 mm format. In medium format and large format
photography, there are even smaller apertures (aperture 32, 64, 128) due to
the larger focal lengths for a comparable image angle because the number
with which an aperture is set is the divisor in a fractional calculation. The
actual focal length is the denominator, the aperture of the divider. The set
aperture thus denotes the opening of the aperture in relation to the focal
length used (not the converted one).

Relationship between Aperture and Exposure Time


A full aperture step corresponds to doubling or halving the exposure time,
depending on whether you close or open the aperture. Because that is the
case, you will have to memorize them, unless you are using an older lens,
because older lenses can only be set with full aperture settings.
Once you understand the relationship between full aperture settings and
exposure time, it is easy to use the manual exposure setting. Although, digital
SLR cameras now also offer thirds or even tenths of the aperture setting, the
doubling or halving of the exposure times is logical, while a full aperture
level is not easily deduced from the logic. The latter must therefore be
memorized.

Optimal Exposure
The optimal exposure is not necessarily the right exposure. As already
explained with the automatic functions, it depends on the measuring method,
what is understood as the correct exposure. Mostly it is about the optimal
exposure. However, the optimal exposure depends largely on the subject, the
background and our personal ideas.
If you want to make something shine, exposure is often a little bit scarcer
because a motif in bright colors, for example, a flower, shines particularly
well against a darker background when the picture is tinted a bit darker
overall.
In artistic nude photography too, exposure is often deliberately short
(lowkey). Conversely, in highkey photography, an image is intentionally
made a little lighter than it would correspond to the correct exposure.
Photography is not an exact science in the creative field but depends on the
ideas and preferences of the photographer. This is another reason why there is
no correct exposure for the image design, but instead an optimal exposure. Of
course, this depends optimally on both the motif and the intended image
statement.
Photography is not an image of reality, but the representation of reality from
the photographer's perspective and what is important to him. Whenever the
automatic functions either do not lead to the desired result or finer automatic
functions such as spot metering are relatively difficult to use, the exposure is
instead set manually.

How to Get the Optimal Exposure


There are different ways of optimal exposure. You can as is still essential in
professional photography with large format cameras, measure the motif with
a good hand-held exposure meter, i.e. make both the brightest and the darkest
areas of the image and in addition, the middle image areas and an average
calculation with a weighting on the actual subject, thanks to digital
technology, it can also be much easier.

A Simple Way to Find the Optimal Exposure


The method with which I can get the optimal exposure for the desired image
statement as quickly as possible leaves some professionals who are used to
the exact procedure described above standing on end.
First, the subject is photographed with a time delay or aperture, whichever is
more important to me. The result is examined on the display and the exposure
is switched to manual.
Since I generally work with fixed ISO settings, I no longer need to take the
ISO values into account for the following steps. The selected aperture or
exposure time, depending on whether I took the first test photo with aperture
or time delay, is retained. Only the other value is changed, i.e. the exposure
time for a given aperture or the aperture for a given exposure time. If the
subject was too dark, the exposure is gradually increased until I am satisfied
with the result. Conversely, if it was too bright, which is usually the case, the
exposure is adjusted more narrowly.
If you have some experience with this procedure, the test photo is enough to
be able to optimally adjust the exposure afterwards. Otherwise, you need 3-4
test photos until the correct setting for the optimal exposure has been found.
It only becomes difficult if you want to change both the exposure time and
the aperture compared to the test photo. Because then you have to change two
interdependent values and calculate accordingly.
A beginner is usually overwhelmed with this, but if you go step by step, it's
not a big problem. First, the value is determined and set that leads to the
optimal exposure. So you have a suitable time/aperture pairing. Now, you can
either change the exposure time or the aperture and adjust the other value
accordingly. If you proceed step by step in full aperture steps, it is not as easy
to calculate as with massive changes.
If the shutter is closed by a full step, the exposure time must be doubled. If
the shutter is opened by a full step instead, the exposure time is halved. The
opposite is the case if you want to set a different exposure time. If the
aperture is already fully open due to the lighting conditions and you still want
a shorter exposure time, the aperture can of course no longer be adjusted. In
this case, the ISO value is doubled per halving the exposure time.

A Major Advantage of Digital Photography


One of the priceless advantages of digital photography is that you can
immediately check a photo on the display. In the past not only did you need a
lot of technical knowledge to be able to take really good photos, you also
needed a lot of experience with your own equipment, including the current
batch of film material used, in order not to experience unpleasant surprises
after the film was developed.
In order to achieve good results with manual settings, thanks to the display,
you no longer need the technical knowledge and experience that was
inevitable in analog times. It has become much easier to take photos that look
exactly as you had imagined. Because the result can be checked immediately
on the display and the exposure adjusted manually until the photo is finally
exposed exactly as you wanted it. However, it is still not possible to
understand the relationship between the three exposure control options,
namely exposure time, aperture and sensor sensitivity.
From my analog times, I still have a high-quality exposure meter, which is
now only used to demonstrate the dependence of the three parameters
exposure time, aperture and light sensitivity. However, this is not entirely
true because at the same time, it is a high-quality flash exposure meter and
therefore a good help when working with the flash system in the studio or on
location, although, you can occasionally adjust the exposure to your taste
after the first test photo even in the studio.
CHAPTER 16

THE WHITE BALANCE

Especially beginners in digital photography have heard of white balance at


best, but do not know what it is there for. The white balance compensates for
deviations in light from pure white, either automatically or manually, because
there is practically no light in pure white outside in nature. However,
daylight, when the sky is not overcast is quite close to pure white.
The light that comes from the sun during the day is actually almost pure
white. But before we perceive it, it first has to pass through the atmosphere of
our earth, where its color can be changed by dust and other particles in the
air. There are strong deviations due to the atmosphere, especially when the
sun is low, which can be perceived particularly as dawn and dusk.
There is light in pure white if the three primary colors, according to the RBG
color model, red, green and blue, each have exactly the same proportion in
the color spectrum of light, i.e. one third each.

The Color of Light and Its Measurement


The natural color of the light is measured in degrees Kelvin. Originally, the
Kelvin definition was based on the color of glowing iron. Because the more
you heat iron, the more its color changes from a dark red glow to white. The
original definition of the color temperature, according to Kelvin Graden,
makes it clear to an absolute layperson what the real issue is rather than the
physical definition that is now used because everyone has seen pictures of
red-hot iron. When iron is heated enough to start glowing, it emits light itself.
The principle of the light bulb is based on this effect, even if it is not iron in
the light bulb, but another metal that is heated by electricity in this case and
therefore emits light.
If iron is heated to 5500 ° C, it emits light in pure white. Since the original
definition of the color temperature in degrees Kelvin is based on glowing
iron, the measurement of the color temperature in degrees Kelvin is also
somewhat understandable. There are two words in the term, color and
temperature. According to the original definition, the Kelvin value
corresponded to the light color of the glowing iron at a temperature in
degrees Celsius. Thus, the temperature of the glowing iron measured in
degrees Celsius and the color temperature of the light, measured in degrees
Kelvin, were identical.
It is also understandable why light with a high proportion of red, for example
from a light bulb, has a lower Kelvin value than for example, daylight and
light that has a higher proportion of blue such as daylight with an overcast
sky, also has a higher Kelvin value than 5500 ° Kelvin, the color of pure
white light. Once these basics are understood, you can also understand the
white balance of the camera and if necessary, manipulate it manually.

The Function of White Balance


Both sensors in a digital camera and normal color films for an analog camera
are calibrated for light in pure white, i.e. for a color temperature of 5500 °
Kelvin. Deviations in light from pure white had to be compensated for in
analog photography with correction filters, in digital photography this was
compensated for by white balance. In white-collar photography, white
balance has been around for a long time, namely, if you have ordered prints
of your film from the photo trade. These prints were already made in the
1960s with machines that like a digital camera, automatically adjusted the
white balance. Only with the slide film was a color cast final and therefore
had to be corrected with correction filters when the picture was taken.
The white balance is usually done automatically. Of course, this can only be
completely correct if somewhere in the image, there is either a sufficiently
large area in pure white or neutral gray with 25% gray content for a
measurement. Only then can the camera use this area to make an exact
correction of the color temperature on its own.
In fact, there are only a few photos that contain enough large areas in either
pure white or neutral gray for an exact comparison, which is why an exact
white balance due to the automatic is almost impossible. It is particularly
difficult for the automatic system if there are white areas in the photo, but not
in a more or less pure white, but in a tinted white. Because then the camera
interprets the tinted white as pure white and thus falsifies the colors.
That is why automatic white balance has its natural limits. Nevertheless, the
automatic white balance works quite well, because due to the programming
of the camera's own software for white balance, white or gray areas are not
absolutely necessary in order to be able to carry out a reasonably accurate
white balance.

Presets for White Balance


Of course, the camera manufacturers themselves know about the limits of
white balance and offer various presets for white balance. The default settings
can only be reached via a menu item, either in the actual camera menu or for
cameras that offer easily accessible manual settings with a special button.
Of course, the scope of the presets also depends on the camera model. What
is usually at least there is daylight (5500 ° Kelvin), flash (also 5500 ° Kelvin),
incandescent light (usually 2800 ° Kelvin) and cloudy sky (depending on the
camera model, a setting between 11000 ° and 16000 ° Kelvin). Some camera
models offer even finer presets.
You should already deal with these default settings if you don't want to leave
everything to the automatic and can experience bitter disappointments as a
result because color casts are almost final in a JPEG as they used to be with
slide films. Only if a photo has not been saved as a JPEG, but in the raw data
format can color casts be easily removed afterwards.
However, when it comes to maximum accuracy, the presets are only of
limited use. The latter is not only about the color of a company logo (for
example, the savings banks have even protected the red of their lettering with
a design) that is on a photo, but also, for example, with skin tones. For this,
higher quality cameras not only offer presets, but also a manual white
balance.

The Manual White Balance


If a camera enables manual white balance beyond the default settings, there is
a separate menu item for this. You can then either photograph a surface that
is illuminated by the light source in question, filling the format on the basis of
which the white balance is carried out and stored until you either make
another white balance or reset to automatic or you can alternatively separate
one another put the folded tempo handkerchief in front of the front lens of the
camera (for example with a rubber ring or one hand) and point the camera at
the light source. However, even a tempo handkerchief is not pure white, it is
only approximately white.
It is more precise with a standardized gray card. These cards can be bought in
the accessories trade for little money. On the one hand, they are gray with a
gray content of 25%. On the other hand, they are pure white.
If you don't have a standardized gray card at hand, you can also use a sheet of
white paper with the same problems as with the tempo handkerchief. Paper is
almost never really pure white, but mostly slightly tinted.
Newer digital cameras in the semi-professional and professional range offer a
very precise white balance by numerically entering the previously measured
color temperature of the light. Of course, this requires a measuring device
with which the color temperature of the light can be determined exactly.
However, the color temperature of the light source can only be determined
precisely if the light source can be targeted directly or if the color
temperature of the type of light used for monuments or buildings illuminated
at night is known because each light source has its own color temperature,
whereby the sodium vapor lamps still frequently used for illuminating public
buildings not only have a fairly high proportion of red in the light, but also a
large proportion of yellow. The latter cannot be filtered out using the color
temperature control. This can only be done retrospectively with a suitable
image processing program if the photo has been saved in raw data format.
Because only in the raw data format are the three primary colors stored
separately and their proportions can be easily adjusted later.

Manual White Balance Not Possible


For an accurate manual white balance, you must either be able to aim the
light source directly with the camera or the measuring device or alternatively,
let the light source shines directly on a standardized gray card.
Often enough, especially when buildings or monuments are illuminated at
night, you can neither point the light source directly nor have a gray card
illuminated. That would not be a problem if there were only one type of lamp
for illuminating large buildings. But from the sodium vapor lamp with a very
high proportion of yellow in the light to the mercury vapor lamp whose color
spectrum almost corresponds to daylight, there is a whole wealth of lamp
types with a very different color characteristic.
In such a case, the only help is to generally save the photos in raw data
format and then to find the correct color temperature when editing the image.
For example, with the help of Wikipedia where you can find precise
information on the color temperature and the color spectrum of the light
source for every common type of lamp used to illuminate buildings.

Color Moods and White Balance


Occasionally, especially for photos outside with a special light, a white
balance is not desirable because the atmospheric mood created by daylight
deviating from pure white is often what you want to maintain, especially
when taking pictures of the landscape. It makes a difference whether a
landscape looks cool due to the cold light of an overcast sky or conversely, is
bathed in a warm light by a low-lying sun. If you want to maintain this
atmospheric mood in the photo, you should set the white balance of the
camera to daylight and not leave it to the automatic. Because the automatic
would try a white balance which would not even have a clue of the often
magical lighting mood in the photo.

Artificial Light and White Balance


It depends on the light source, whether a white balance, even a manual one,
works at all. Because white balance is mainly about red or blue components
in the light, but not about the components of the third basic color, green. For
example, yellow is created from red and green.
Incandescent lamps have a high proportion of red in the light, but since the
tungsten filaments which usually produce the light in a light bulb are very
similar in their light characteristics to the glowing iron, a color-correct photo
can be created with a Kelvin value matched to the incandescent lamp.
However, the situation is quite different for artificial light sources such as
fluorescent tubes and energy-saving lamps whose red component in the light
is negligible. The light color of a fluorescent tube is also determined by the
fill gas used. Fluorescent tubes, in which a red filter is not vapor-deposited as
is the case with so-called warm fluorescent tubes, therefore also have an
extremely cold light characteristic that some people cannot tolerate well.
Although the light from a fluorescent tube or an energy-saving lamp is
supposed to have daylight character, it does not have this daylight character
because of the lack of red in the light. In daylight, the three primary colors
are present in almost equal amounts in the light. I don't know if and to what
extent LEDs have a natural light composition.
The problem with artificial light sources that unlike a normal light bulb, do
not produce their light in a similar way to glowing iron is that colors are
either completely absent or are present, the latter for example with sodium
vapor lamps which are used to illuminate many public buildings. Sodium
vapor lamps have a very high yellow content.
Anything that differs significantly from the characteristics of glowing iron as
a light color, either because colors are missing or as is the case with sodium
vapor lamps, naturally also changes the colors of the objects that are
illuminated with them. It leads to more or less massive color casts in the
image which can only be removed with great precision even from a raw data
file.
Therefore, when using artificial light, you should only use illuminants whose
color composition is natural as far as possible (for a building illuminated at
night, of course, you don't have this option). So either light bulbs, halogen
bulbs or the flash. When it comes to absolutely color-correct shots, even the
color temperature of a studio flash system has to be checked from time to
time, since the flash pistons yellow with age.

Absolutely Correct Images for Printing


When it comes to prepress, extreme precision is particularly important when
it comes to the color of packaging, company logos, etc. It is not even enough
to manually adjust the white balance with a color temperature measuring
device or to compensate for it in analog photography with a correction filter,
but a standardized card with a color wedge and a gray wedge should also be
photographed at the edge of the image, where it can later be cut away, which
can later be used to precisely adjust the printing press.
However, this is only necessary in prepress. This effort can be saved with
photos that are taken from the start only for the screen display because even
three just calibrated screens next to each other show slightly different colors.
Massive deviations arise especially in green tones for which our eyes are
particularly sensitive. Certainly monitors that you have absolutely no
influence on, i.e. the monitors and smartphones et cetera that are used to view
a website.
Nevertheless, the white balance should of course be carried out as precisely
as possible because deviations can increase with the deviations due to
incorrect screen settings.

No Rule without Exception


I know advertising agencies and photographers who know their client's
screen settings exactly and who set up their presentations for these often
incorrect screen settings so that they look good on this screen. While a color-
correct picture on this screen would look cruel because of its incorrect
setting. Of course, one can be of a divided opinion about such a procedure
because it is actually the lack of courage of the photographer or the
advertising agency to make the customer aware of the wrong screen settings.
I definitely don't do it that way.

The White Balance and Indirect Flash


With indirect flashing, i.e. when you point the flash unit against a wall or the
ceiling, the default flash for white balance which is automatically set with a
fully automatic rod flash unit that matches the camera of course, no longer
works properly. Because which wall or ceiling is really pure white? Even if,
according to the paint manufacturer, a purely white paint was originally used
and applied thick enough so that the surface no longer shines through, a white
ceiling or wall visibly yellows, especially in a room where people smoke.
But every reflective surface changes the color of light. Of course, what still
can be accepted as souvenir photos of family celebrations etc. cannot be
accepted if the color reproduction is as accurate as possible.

The White Balance and the Raw Data Format


Only with a very precise preparation of a photo can you actually take photos
in which a subsequent correction of the color temperature is no longer
necessary. In other words, a procedure that was indispensable in professional
analog photography.
But most photos are taken without precise preparation. Who has a color
temperature measuring device or at least a standardized gray card with them?
In all of these cases, it is of course useful if the color temperature can be
quickly and easily adjusted during image processing.
However, this is only possible if the photo has been saved in raw data format.
If it was saved as a JPEG instead, a subsequent correction of the color
temperature is almost impossible. In the raw data format, the 4 color channels
(red, blue, and two green) are stored separately and their proportions can
therefore be easily corrected in their respective proportions using a suitable
image processing program often referred to as a RAW converter. By the way,
twice green because of the special sensitivity of the human eye to green
tones.
If the file is saved as a JPEG instead, the three primary colors (four color
channels) are added together for the final image and can no longer be
corrected in their respective proportions. For this reason, photos should only
be saved in the raw data format.

The Different Raw Data Formats


Each camera manufacturer has developed its own raw data format and is
constantly developing it further. That is why there are dozens of different raw
data formats from the same camera manufacturer that are not compatible with
each other. Images saved in these formats can therefore only be opened and
edited as long as this raw data format is still supported by image processing
software. The camera's own raw data formats are therefore not considered
future-proof. At the latest, a few years after the camera manufacturer has
given up this raw data format or even discontinued camera production, there
will no longer be any image processing software that supports this raw data
format.
There are raw data formats that save a photo uncompressed, there are also
raw data formats that perform a compression before saving, similar to a
JPEG. Of course, there is always a slight loss of quality associated with
compression. In view of the current storage capacities of common memory
cards, compression is actually completely unnecessary just like saving as
JPEG only to save memory card space.

The Way Out Of the Jungle of Raw Data Formats


The way out is a raw data format that is considered future-proof. At the
moment, this only applies to a raw data format, namely the DNG format
developed by Adobe, which just like formats previously developed by Adobe
such as PDF has long since become the industry standard.
There are camera manufacturers, for example, Leica, Casio, Ricoh, Samsung
and Pentax, who offer saving in either the manufacturer-specific raw data
format or the DNG format. All other raw data files can be easily converted to
DNG format using a free DNG converter.

Software for the Archiving and Processing Of Raw Data


Formats
It's no wonder that Adobe's leading program which is also used by many
professional photographers was developed by Adobe: Adobe Lightroom. As
this program was developed and is being developed together with leading
photographers, it is adapted to the actual needs of photographers who often
have to view, sort and edit hundreds of pictures after a shoot.
However, there is also a good open source alternative to Adobe Lightroom,
namely the free Lightzone which was originally developed commercially as a
competitor to Lightroom and has been available and has been developed with
an open source license for several years. Before you spend $ 12.89 a month
on the license for Adobe Lightroom, you should at least take a look at
Lightzone.
RAW converters are of course also available from other software companies,
but due to lack of personal experience, I cannot make any recommendations.
A very good RAW converter has been part of the first CS generation of
Adobe Photoshop with Adobe Bridge. But for most hobby photographers and
even many professionals, Photoshop is simply too complicated and of course
not exactly cheap.
An open source alternative to Photoshop is GIMP, which however, never
tempted me to switch even though it's free. Unfortunately, you can still tell
GIMP that it was developed by programmers without the direct collaboration
with photographers and that you have to follow its philosophy in order to be
able to cope with it.
CHAPTER 17

THE CAMERA

Minimum Requirements for a Digital Camera


Digital cameras that can do more than just take souvenir photos should meet
certain minimum requirements. For this reason, this chapter does not deal
with devices that can also be used for photography such as a cell phone or an
iPhone. Pocket, Bridge and all other cameras with small sensors are also
unsuitable for creative photography because the small sensors cannot be used
creatively for an essential element of image design, namely the depth of field.

Cameras Suitable For Creative Photography


Creative photography starts with an APS sensor. The full format and of
course, the digital medium format which is unaffordable for most amateurs,
offer even more options than cameras with APS sensors but are also
correspondingly more expensive. First of all, the common sensor sizes.
Sensors that are significantly smaller than the APS sensor still have focal
lengths even in the area of strong telephoto lenses which correspond to a
wide-angle lens in full format or the analog model 35mm format. The short
focal lengths even in the area of strong telephoto lenses mean that the depth
of field for cameras with a small sensor cannot be regulated practically
through the entire focal length range, because it already extends from front to
infinity with the aperture open. The depth of field is not dependent on the
angle of view but on the actual focal length of a lens. More on this in the
chapter: Focal length.
Therefore, if you want more than just taking a picture, you should pay
attention to a sufficiently large sensor when buying a camera. This is the only
way to actually have the full range of photographic image design available.
The pocket camera has the advantage that you can have it with you at all
times, but it is not suitable for much more than souvenir photos. For a single-
lens reflex camera with 2-3 interchangeable lenses to cover the most
important focal length ranges, you need a good photo bag or a photo
backpack which of course, you don't always have with you.

Mirrorless System Cameras


Of course, the space requirement also applies to mirrorless system cameras if
you actually use them as a system camera with multiple lenses. Mirrorless
system cameras are only possible with digital technology. The advantages for
the industry are obvious because the mirror mechanism is the most
mechanically complex part of an SLR camera. If you save them, you can of
course offer a camera much cheaper. A disadvantage of many mirrorless
system cameras is that the sensor is much too small.
Since no one has yet succeeded in overthrowing the physical laws of optics,
the sensor size or for analog cameras, the film format is still the measure of
all things for creative photography. This applies to both the regulation of the
depth of field and the absolute sharpness of the sensor.
Therefore, mirrorless system cameras are only a serious alternative to a
digital SLR camera if the sensor is large enough, i.e. corresponds to at least
one APS sensor. Smaller sensors can then be replaced like a real SLR
camera, but the creative possibilities that are only available with a sufficiently
large sensor remain closed.
By the way, what many owners of a mirrorless system camera are not clear
about is that the viewfinder is not an optical viewfinder analogous to a single-
lens reflex camera, but is only a way of seeing the display without disturbing
extraneous light. So it is a camera with lifeview both on the outer display and
through the viewfinder.

Aps Sensor, Full Frame or Even the Digital Medium Format?


Of course, this question does not only depend on the planned budget for the
purchase of a camera but also of the respective advantages and disadvantages
of the sensor formats.

APS Sensor
The APS sensor is the rule in the class of SLR cameras for amateurs. The
APS sensor is still used in many semi-professional cameras. The APS sensor
has some disadvantages compared to the full format but also advantages.

Disadvantages of the APS Sensor


The main disadvantage of the APS sensor results from the conversion of the
focal lengths. Because, apart from a few lenses that have been specially
developed for the APS sensor, SLR cameras with APS sensor lenses are used
for the 35mm format or the exactly the same size digital full format.
Due to the smaller area of the APS sensor, only two thirds of the angle of
view of the 35mm lenses are used. Therefore, you have to extend the focal
length by 50% compared to the focal length specified on a lens in order to get
the same angle of view that this lens would have on the full frame. However,
the conversion only relates to the angle of view, not to the optical properties
of a lens. The latter are independent of whether the angle of view is fully used
by the sensor or only two thirds. Therefore, the focal length converted to the
full format is also called the apparent focal length.
This is often misunderstood because the conversion of the focal length only
relates to the angle of view actually used. The angle of view is not used 100%
as in full format but only two thirds. This corresponds practically to an
enlarged section. However, the physical properties of the lens remain the
same even if only a small section of it can actually be used. However, the
conversion of the focal length is not necessary for lenses that were specially
developed for the APS sensor. This is especially true for some newer kit
lenses.
The most serious disadvantage of the APS sensor is noticeable because of the
conversion of the angle of view for wide-angle lenses that were not specially
developed for the APS sensor. Wide-angle lenses developed for the APS
sensor have a larger image angle than 35mm lenses with the same focal
length.
This is not easy to understand for a beginner. Not three times that lenses
developed for the APS sensor have a different angle of view than lenses for
the full format, although both lenses can be used on cameras with an APS
sensor.
For someone who is only now getting into digital design photography, it is
certainly not easy to understand that there are two fundamentally different
types of lenses for the APS sensor, namely the lenses that were developed for
the full format or the analog predecessor 35 mm format and whose focal
length must be extended by 50% for a comparable angle of view and on the
other hand, lenses that have been specially developed for the APS sensor
whose focal length does not have to be converted for a frame angle
comparable to the full frame.

Advantages of the APS Sensor


First of all, that should be the most important advantage for most amateur
photographers, cameras with APS sensors cost significantly less to buy than a
full-frame camera with the same features.
For photographers who like to work in the extreme telephoto range, the APS
sensor offers a clear advantage over the full frame. Because, the angle used
by two thirds extends the telephoto range by 50% without the disadvantages
that would otherwise have to be accepted with telephoto lenses that are 50%
stronger, namely lower light intensity, very shallow depth of field and high
acquisition costs.
Another advantage of the APS sensor also results from the fact that only two
thirds of the image angle is used, namely the avoidance of edge blurring
which is more or less pronounced in almost all lenses. Because the edge area
of the lenses developed for the 35 mm format is not even detected by the
smaller APS sensor.

The Full Format


The full format has many advantages over an APS sensor and only a few
disadvantages. The first advantage already results from the sensor size which
is 50% larger than an APS sensor and thus also enables significantly better
quality. The next advantage is that all lenses developed for the 35 mm format
can be used on a full-frame camera without conversion with the same optical
properties. This applies in particular to wide-angle lenses that can be used
with their actual angle of view on a full-frame camera and thus also open up
the extreme wide-angle range up to the fisheye lens.
Conversely, the smaller APS sensor has the edge in strong telephoto lenses,
because here the smaller angle of view used has a positive effect. The only
real disadvantage of the full format is the price which is significantly higher
than the price of the cameras with the APS sensor.

Digital Medium Format Cameras


From my own experience, I cannot say anything about it because I have
never photographed with such a camera. The body is already far beyond my
financial means and all lenses would have to be procured which of course are
also significantly more expensive than lenses for the 35 mm format.
With some digital medium format cameras such as the PENTAX 645, the
lenses that were developed for the analog predecessor of the same name can
still be used. The question I can't answer is whether these lenses are good
enough for a 51.4 megapixel sensor. Since the sensor is significantly smaller
than 4.5 x 6 cm as with its analog predecessor, the apparent focal length
would be significantly longer and the image angle would therefore be
significantly smaller.
In relation to the analog medium format, the difference between the 35 mm
format and the digital medium format is not nearly as big. Depending on the
manufacturer, the digital medium format is between 1.4 and 1.8 times larger
than the digital full format.
The analog predecessor, for example, the digital Pentax 645 was not seen as a
true medium format but was considered the small medium format that was
designed for amateurs. Nevertheless, the negative format of the analog
predecessor and thus the viewfinder image was more than three times the size
of the 35 mm format. A large viewfinder image has many advantages, both
for assessing sharpness and for composing images. On a sufficiently large
viewfinder image, it is not easy to overlook distracting details, for example, a
disturbing socket in the background when taking a full-length picture.
In this regard, the digital medium format is still far from the analog
predecessor. On the other hand, with 50 megapixels, a sufficiently large
sensor achieves a resolution that was only possible with large format
cameras. This makes it ideal for prepress when it comes to enlargements that
in analog times only brought the desired quality with a large format camera.
As an alternative, there are also digital backs for the professional, analog
medium format cameras which of course are not exactly cheap, current digital
backs in the format 6 × 6 or 6 × 7 cm cost around $10,000. This means that
you can continue to use your professional medium format equipment as in the
past in analog times.
Apart from the comfortable, large viewfinder, the analog medium format was
indispensable when it came to much better quality than possible with 35 mm
cameras. Because even the best color film is nowhere near the resolution of a
current camera with APS sensor. Certainly not the resolutions that are
possible with full-size digital full-format cameras or digital medium format.
Color films with the highest possible resolution, which was possible with
film material, were also not particularly sensitive to light in relation to a
sensor. A standard color film had ISO 50, the maximum that there was a
special development without the grain coarse was ISO 200. Films with more
than ISO 100 could also be bought for 35 mm cameras, but it was not
recommended, the coarse grain was already whole normal prints cannot be
overlooked. At that time, that was also a domain of analog medium format
cameras, which were more tolerant with a more than four times larger
negative format for highly sensitive films. But all of these arguments for
medium format no longer apply in the digital age. What remains as an
argument for the digital medium format is an outstanding quality, which is
rarely needed even in the professional field.
I know well-known professionals who borrow high-resolution cameras when
needed and otherwise work in full digital format as well as photographers in
the province who already want to use their equipment to prove to the
customer that they are professionals and although the digital full-format
camera already does the quality required by the customer far exceeds but still
go to the customer with a digital medium format camera because it may also
be expected from the clients.
Ultimately, this means that even demanding amateurs cannot even get close
to the quality of a full-frame camera of the upper class, let alone the quality
of a digital medium-format camera. Ultimately, the only selling point if you
can easily afford it is that the viewfinder image is 1.4-1.8 times larger than
the full digital format, which is certainly more comfortable to use than a
smaller viewfinder image.

APS Sensor or Full Frame


What already applies to analog photography also applies physically to digital
photography: the larger the sensor or film format, the less quality loss there is
in enlargements.
The usual application areas of an amateur photographer are however, usually
exceeded with an APS sensor, because with the now standard resolutions of
16 megapixels and more, even enlargements beyond A3 are no longer a
problem. 6 megapixels were more than sufficient for the screen display. For
most amateur photographers, the resolution is no longer an argument for the
full frame.
The full format has its undisputed advantages as a true successor to the 35
mm format when using all lenses that were developed for the 35 mm format.
In this respect, especially for photographers who prefer the wide-angle range,
even the higher purchase price of a full-format camera can be worthwhile,
because it means that all lenses for the 35 mm format can be used without
restrictions, i.e. lenses can also be purchased used.
In principle, this also applies to the APS sensor, but there with the restriction
that the wide-angle range can only be fully exploited with lenses specially
developed for the APS sensor. The APS sensor has an advantage in the field
of strong telephoto lenses.
The question does not even arise on a small budget, because full-frame
cameras are significantly more expensive than digital cameras with the APS
sensor. By the way, if you don't exactly need the latest model, then it's worth
buying the previous model. The out-of-date camera models are offered with
full guarantee for a fraction of the original price, for example at eBay
retailers. This often has even another advantage because there is now enough
experience on the internet about the previous model to not make a bad
purchase.
This means that for most amateurs, APS sensor or full frame are already
better than the quality actually required. If you prefer the wide-angle area and
do not just want to take pictures with the lenses specially developed for the
APS sensor, you are better served with the full-frame camera, if you prefer
the telephoto area, you have the advantage with the APS sensor.
Even if the qualitative expectations of even demanding amateurs, unless you
are a technology freak, are already exceeded by current models with APS
sensors, you still need at least the sensor format of the APS sensor if you
want to use the depth of field creatively.

Further Selection Criteria When Buying a Camera


After the decision in principle for APS sensor or full format and single-lens
reflex or mirrorless system camera has been made, there are further important
selection criteria for the purchase of a camera.

The Casing, the Body


The most important requirement for a body is that it fits comfortably in the
hand in both portrait and landscape format. You have to try this in the shop
yourself, not everyone is suitable for every hand size. If you don't have a
good grip on the camera, it will be difficult to keep the camera still for the
photo.

The Material of the Case


Cameras made entirely of plastic are cheap, disposable items. At least the
heavily used parts of a camera should be made of solid metal, i.e. at least the
lens mount and tripod thread. It is of course better if the entire casing is made
of a magnesium alloy.

The Quality of the Closure


Cameras made for amateurs are not nearly as robust as cameras for the
professional sector. An essential criterion is the guaranteed release of the
lock. Cameras for the amateur and semi-professional sector only guarantee
50,000 releases. That sounds like a lot at first, but it is only a lot for someone
who deals with their camera as much as in the analog times when every
single photo still costs money.
If a professional works with models, then because the photos themselves
don't cost anything anymore, 1,000 photos for an afternoon are nothing
special. I don't take that many photos when I work with a model, but between
300 and 500 photos in one afternoon are also with me. If I did this every day
with a camera that only guarantees 50,000 releases, the camera would be
ready for the scrap in just under four months. In everyday professional life,
such a camera would not survive for two months.
Cameras for the professional sector guarantee at least 2 million releases, of
course, they also cost more. For someone who is likely to take a lot of photos,
the additional edition is definitely worth it. Especially since the guarantee of
50,000 releases does not mean that the shutter still works to the end with the
same accuracy with which it worked at the beginning. Because, of course, the
slot closure is also subject to wear, which leads to inaccuracies long before
the end of its service life. However, inaccurate shutter speeds mean that the
exposure becomes a random result.
If you save at the wrong end, you end up paying massively. What applies to
the quality of the shutter also applies to all other mechanical loads on a
camera. This does not mean that I would generally advise against a camera
that only guarantees a resolution of 50,000. My Pentax guarantees only
50,000 trips. However, photography is more of a hobby for me and shoots
with models are quite rare, especially since I am quite demanding when it
comes to models in front of the camera. I rarely hold the camera more than
two to three times a month. The guaranteed 50,000 trips are always sufficient
for a long service life.
It is therefore only a quality criterion for someone who wants to work with a
camera more or less daily and does not want to impose any restrictions on the
number of photos. For me, as with all other criteria, it was essentially a
question of having a camera in mind when purchasing it. If you really want to
take a lot of pictures and don't want to buy a new camera every few months,
you should pay attention to the number of guaranteed releases.

Casing Protection against Dust and Splash Water


This is also an important criterion if you don't just want to work with the
camera in the studio. The everyday photo, especially outdoors, is often quite
rough. A well-sealed housing also protects the camera from salty air on the
coast.

The Display
With a camera with an optical viewfinder, the display is not as important as
with a mirrorless system camera. However, it is still important to check the
exposure immediately after taking the picture. The focus can only be checked
if you look into it Picture zooms in. Therefore, it applies to the display that it
should be large enough and should not reflect if possible. It should also be
easy to use by easily zooming in on a photo and moving the crop.
A fold-out display like some newer models like the video cameras is helpful
if the camera also offers Lifeview and you can take photos for which you
would otherwise need an angle finder. For example, photos from floor level
or over the heads of others. Sighting on the display also has serious
disadvantages in bright ambient light. If the sun hits the display directly, you
won't see anything at all on the display.
Practically, all cameras now meet the minimum criteria for a display.
However, there are still big differences in the operation, because you can tell
whether a camera was developed together with practitioners or only by
engineers.

The Mirror Mechanism


Especially when it comes to mirror mechanics, high-quality cameras differ
from amateur models. The mirror mechanism has always been a decisive
factor in the price of a camera. The mirror is only folded up immediately
before the picture is taken, after the trigger has been actuated, in order to
clear the light path for the sensor. In order for this movement to take place
both quickly and smoothly so as not to shake the camera unnecessarily, very
complex precision engineering has to be constructed. Good precision
engineering has always had its price. In relation to electronic components
which used to be very expensive, good precision engineering has now
become even more expensive.

Mirror Lock-up
A single-lens reflex camera, with which you also want to take pictures at
dusk and at night, must be equipped with a mirror lock-up because even with
long exposures, the smallest vibrations of the camera are noticeable as
blurring. That is why good SLR cameras offer mirror lock-up.
With the mirror trigger, the mirror is folded up a few seconds before the
picture is taken or manually, so that the camera no longer shakes at the
moment of the picture. Some cameras have a mirror lock-up which is named
differently. If the mirror can be fixed or locked beforehand or if the self-timer
can be set up before the picture is taken, the mirror is also triggered.

Image Stabilizer
An image stabilizer has undisputed advantages in all situations in which a
short exposure time or a tripod would actually be required. With the image
stabilizer, the exposure time can be extended by up to 3 aperture stops
without the photos being blurred. Thanks to the image stabilizer, exposure
times up to a quarter of a second are possible for me. I rarely carry a tripod
with me.
Anyone who likes to take photos in the telephoto area will also be grateful for
an image stabilizer because the small angle of view requires short exposure
times in order not to blur the photos. A three times longer exposure time,
thanks to a good image stabilizer significantly extends the use of even strong
telephoto lenses even in poor lighting conditions.
If the image stabilizer is already built into the camera, you don't have to buy
expensive lenses with a built-in image stabilizer. In addition, you can also use
older lenses from the analog times with a camera with built-in image
stabilizer and still have the image stabilizer available. The image stabilizer
should be easy to switch off because it is not compatible with the camera on
the tripod.

The Sensor Sensitivity (ISO settings)


There are only two manufacturers of sensors on the world market that all
camera manufacturers use. Analogous to the computer industry, where there
are only two manufacturers for important components of a PC, whose CPU or
graphics chip (GPU) are installed in all computers or graphics cards, either
from one or the other manufacturer.
That is why cameras, regardless of the camera manufacturer, have similar
properties with regard to the sensor used. With regard to the sensor used, the
camera manufacturers essentially differ in the software with which the signal
from the sensor is processed and stored by the camera.
A sensor has a very specific sensitivity to light, how high it is depends on
which sensor is installed in a camera. All ISO settings that can be selected
above or below the native sensor sensitivity are achieved by electronic
amplification or attenuation of the image signal from the sensor. Every
electronic intervention in the image signal leads to more or less severe quality
losses.
Of course, camera manufacturers have been researching this topic since the
beginning of digital photography and have always found better solutions to at
least get a grip on image noise and expand the tolerance range without
excessive image noise.
Especially if you often want to take pictures even in poor light or with strong
telephoto lenses, the latter because of their low light intensity and the
required short exposure times, the size of the tolerance range for still sharp
images without too disturbing image noise plays a significant role.
So it's not about the maximum sensor sensitivity which is now above ISO
50,000 in some camera models, but the area that still allows acceptable
photos with good sharpness and without annoying image noise. It is best to
search through various photo forums in which there is plenty of experience
with digital cameras.

The Pixel Madness


How many pixels do you need? 6 megapixels were sufficient for photos in
screen resolution. With the current resolutions, printouts in larger formats
than A3 can be mastered with a full-frame camera. With the Pentax with APS
sensor, the resolution is sufficient even for poster designs. What goes beyond
that doesn't really matter for an amateur photographer.
So it is pretty irrelevant whether a current camera model has 16, 20 or even
50 megapixels. Most amateurs will probably never notice this difference in
practical use. Extremely high resolutions are not even required for most tasks
in professional photography.
If you want to use extreme resolutions of up to 50 megapixels, you also need
lenses that can at least keep up. Then you can quickly get a price for minimal
equipment of $10,000 and more.
By the way, with sensors that are significantly smaller than an APS sensor,
you hardly notice any additional pixels in terms of quality. The size of the
sensor is much more important for resolution and sharpness than the number
of pixels distributed on the sensor.

The Autofocus and the Measuring Fields


Autofocus has always been a problem. In analog times, autofocus was made
possible with relatively complex optical and precision engineering methods
and if it was to work reasonably reliably, was also quite expensive.
Of course, digital photography offered to solve the problem of autofocus
digitally because it was possible to save time-consuming optical-precision
mechanical solutions from earlier times. To date, however, this has not really
succeeded. The digital autofocus is based on contrast edges in a motif. Even
if the autofocus works correctly, this does not necessarily mean that the focus
is on the most important subject but instead on any contrast edge that happens
to be in the area of one of the measuring fields.
The autofocus must be fast and if possible, should be limited to individual,
selectable measuring fields that are clearly displayed in the viewfinder.
Otherwise, it is practically a coincidence, especially with moving objects that
the lens is focused on. The normal autofocus which takes all measuring
fields into account, has particular problems with motifs in which strong
contrast edges, for example, branches are already present in the foreground.
Because it is pure coincidence which of these contrast edges is currently in
the area of one of the measuring fields. But this is exactly what is in focus.
Without specifically selectable measuring fields, it is also almost impossible
to focus on an object that is moving towards or away from the camera, for
example, a model who is supposed to move towards the camera against a
troubled background.
The two basic types of autofocus, namely either continuously following the
image motif or saved as a fixed value with the shutter button pressed
halfway, are practically mastered by every digital camera. In addition, some
cameras have a whole range of setting options that represent a mixture of the
two basic types.
Obviously, there are always camera models that have massive problems with
the autofocus. Therefore, before deciding on a camera, you should use the
keyword autofocus and the model name of the camera to search for
experiences with this camera model and autofocus on the internet. Even
camera models from the renowned camera manufacturer Canon can have
such problems.
At Pentax, it was recognized a few years ago that autofocus does not always
deliver the desired results and has drawn consequences from this. Lenses that
have been developed since this discovery have a reasonably sized ring for
manual distance setting as was the case more than 20 years ago. However, the
user alone does not take any sharp photos because the viewfinder image of
digital SLR cameras is far too small for manual focusing. In order to be able
to judge exactly what was in focus, the viewfinder image would have to be
considerably larger.
The cameras with interchangeable viewfinder lenses can be retrofitted with
the necessary technical help for manual focusing. As usual from the past,
viewfinder panes can be installed with a sectional image rangefinder and a
surrounding micro prism ring. In addition, there are viewfinder magnifiers
that can be placed on the viewfinder and that significantly enlarge the
viewfinder image.
The layover rangefinder is very helpful if there are any edges in the motif, for
example, the eyes of a model, the micro prism ring allows precise focusing if
there are no edges in the actual motif that you can aim for with the layover
rangefinder.
Because even for a properly functioning autofocus, the same applies in
principle as for all other automatic functions of a camera, at the latest when
you reach the limits of the automatic functions, you have to switch off the
automatic as before and set it manually. This should then be supported as
well as possible. But especially when focusing, this is almost impossible
without appropriate technical aids such as a sectional image rangefinder due
to the small viewfinder image.
For me, therefore, my first digital SLR camera was a huge change, since I
was a 6 x 6 cm viewfinder image with a micro prism ring from my analog
medium format camera which was almost as large as the entire viewfinder
image of my digital SLR camera and also a fold-out finder magnifier used,
with which an exact and fast distance adjustment was child's play.

Exposure Programs
For an amateur, motivational programs may help. It remains to be seen
whether they really help because like any software, even a motif program
requires a certain amount of familiarization in order to be able to use it
successfully.
Regardless of the motif programs, all cameras above cheap pocket cameras
offer at least two different measuring methods and in addition to the fully
automatic exposure control and the automatic shutter.
It seems to me much more important whether all automatic functions can be
deactivated without long searches in the camera menu in order to be able to
control the settings manually. Because sooner or later, you will want to
manually intervene in the exposure for better image results or night shots.
Then that should also be possible without any problems.
In this area, many bridge cameras and some mirrorless system cameras are
almost a disaster because if manual adjustments are possible at all, they are
only discovered after a long search in the camera menu.

Types of Cameras
There are cameras with a built-in lens and system cameras. The sensor size is
essential for creative photography because only with a sufficiently large
sensor can the important design element be influenced (depth of field).

Cameras with a Built-In Lens


This category includes pocket cameras, bridge cameras and if not a camera,
cell phones and other devices with which you can take pictures, among other
things.

Pocket Cameras
These cameras are good if you always want to have a camera with you and
you want more options than a cell phone can offer. A pocket camera is
completely sufficient for simple documentation and souvenir photos for
motifs with balanced contrast ratios or with the aid of the built-in flash.
However, you shouldn't expect more than that because firstly, the sensor is
too small for creative photography which is why the important image design
element cannot be used for depth of field and secondly, the manual
intervention in exposure and focusing are usually not possible sufficient to be
able to work creatively.

Bridge Cameras
A bridge camera offers a lot more options than a pocket camera but still has
certain limitations compared to a system camera. Bridge cameras are
available with sensors of different sizes. A bridge camera with a very small
sensor usually has a much better lens than a pocket camera and extends in the
telephoto range for some models to the extreme telephoto range which would
correspond to a very strong telephoto lens with a focal length of more than
500 mm for a 35 mm lens.
Nevertheless, the sensor size of the bridge camera also plays a decisive role
in the image design with the depth of field. In addition, the sensor size also
plays an important role for the image resolution and the maximum sensor
sensitivity without disturbing image noise.
Bridge cameras with sensors that are hardly larger than the sensor of a pocket
camera are closer in terms of image design and take pictures in poor light
without flash than a pocket camera and a system camera. However, there are
also bridge cameras with APS sensors or at least sensors that are only slightly
smaller than an APS sensor. With these bridge cameras, you can already
work creatively with certain restrictions, while a bridge camera with a very
small sensor is actually just a slightly better pocket camera.
System Cameras, Cameras with Interchangeable Lenses
The sensor size also plays a decisive role in the design options and image
quality of the system camera.

Mirrorless System Cameras


Thanks to the lack of mechanically very complex mirror mechanics,
mirrorless system cameras with an otherwise comparable quality can be
significantly cheaper than an SLR camera. The extent to which a mirrorless
system camera can keep up with an SLR camera depends firstly on the size of
the sensor and secondly on the manual setting options in particular, in
addition, of course, the scope of the available system.
A major disadvantage of a mirrorless system camera is that it does not have
an optical viewfinder. This means that all system options for different
viewfinders are missing, which is a matter of course for high-quality SLR
cameras. Because no matter whether you look through the viewfinder or at
the rear display of a mirrorless system camera, you only ever see the display
image that has already been processed electronically.
Whether a mirrorless system camera otherwise deserves the name system
camera depends largely on the actually available system. This in turn depends
on the size of the sensor. A comprehensive system is available for cameras
with an APS or full-frame sensor and a lens bayonet that is compatible with
the common lenses from Canon, Nikon or Pentax.
Mirrorless system cameras with a smaller than the APS sensor can only use
the existing systems to a very limited extent even with a corresponding lens
bayonet. The limitation arises particularly in the wide-angle range. The
smaller a sensor is, the smaller the actual image section that can be used with
a lens developed for the 35 mm format (full digital format). This means that
the apparent focal length of small sensors is considerably larger than that
stated on the lens. This in turn means that even a strong wide-angle lens on a
mirrorless system camera with a significantly smaller than the APS sensor is
no longer a strong wide-angle lens, but depending on the sensor size, has an
apparent focal length that corresponds more to a normal lens or even a
telephoto lens for very small sensors.
That is why the following applies to mirrorless system cameras in general,
unless the camera manufacturer has developed a comprehensive system for
this model that can only be spoken of as a system camera if it is a sensor in
APS or full format and one of them major brand manufacturers of digital
SLR cameras compatible lens mount.

Digital SLR Cameras


A single lens reflex camera with an APS sensor or even better a full-frame
sensor offers the most extensive options in terms of design. This is especially
true if it comes from a camera manufacturer who has already developed a
comprehensive system for professional photographers in analog times.
Nevertheless, there are of course, massive differences in quality with SLR
cameras. These can be seen not only in the easily comparable technical
values such as the number of pixels but also in the service life of the slot
lock and mirror mechanism, the quality of the casing and a well-thought-out
operation.
Professional digital SLR cameras have to be robust, easy (manual) to operate
and mature, especially when it comes to autofocus and exposure settings.
Professional digital SLR cameras are generally full-frame cameras.
Semi-professional SLR cameras differ from SLR cameras designed for
professional use in particular in the life and quality of the mechanical parts
and increasingly also in the number of pixels. Semi-professional SLR
cameras are available both with APS sensor and with a sensor in full format.
Digital SLR cameras for the so-called consumer market generally have the
smaller APS sensor compared to the full format, which corresponds to two
thirds of the sensor area of the full format. They differ from professional
cameras with a full-frame sensor and semi-professional cameras with an APS
sensor in a number of ways:

Only 50,000 trips guaranteed.


Viewfinder lenses are not interchangeable.
Casing often made of plastic.
Motif programs (Motif programs are intended for beginners and can
therefore only be found in cameras that are produced for amateurs).
Manual setting options are often not very well thought out.
Fewer measuring fields than in the professional area.
Autofocus is often unsatisfactory.
Hard mirror mechanism which can lead to blurring due to blurring
even with exposure times that can still be handled by hand.
With regard to the scope of the available system, with the exception of the
viewfinder panes, there is no difference between digital SLR cameras from
brand manufacturers. All lenses from a brand manufacturer can be used on all
cameras with the same lens mount, regardless of whether they are
professional, semi-professional or amateur cameras.
In summary, before you buy a camera, you should first be clear about
whether you want to do more with the camera as souvenir photos of holidays
and family celebrations. In principle, a pocket camera is sufficient for this.
If you want more than that especially if you want to gradually grow into
creative photography, the sensor size is the most important quality criterion,
i.e. at least one APS sensor. If you want to work mainly in the wide-angle
area, the full-frame camera is the optimum, especially since there is a huge
selection of high-quality lenses.
Otherwise, the possible financial framework plays a very important role.
However, even with a very limited budget, one should pay more attention to
the quality of the body. If the current model of the desired camera is still too
expensive, the previous model may be an alternative to a current camera one
class lower.
You don't necessarily have to buy new lenses if the budget is limited, you
should rather look for a good camera with APS sensor or in full format
because for both formats, there is an abundance of good used lenses as well
as lenses from third-party manufacturers which are often clear and cheaper
than the lenses of the camera manufacturer.
After corresponding experiences with participants of my practice photo
courses, I can only urgently recommend APS sensor or full format; all
smaller sensors quickly reach their limits. To have a camera with you on the
go, a pocket camera is enough which would not be a problem if it is damaged
or stolen.
Good photos require a minimum of equipment which of course, you don't
have to carry around with you. That, among other things, differentiates
between taking pictures and taking pictures quickly.
CHAPTER 18

LENSES

There is a huge range of lenses for digital SLR cameras. The beginner is
usually overwhelmed and often enough buys a zoom lens with a large focal
length range that extends from the strong, wide angle to the strong telephoto
range. However, this is not the best choice, so this is about lenses. Before you
buy a lens, you should look for test reports and user experiences on the
internet. There are a number of internet forums that deal with digital cameras
and lenses. When purchasing the camera, the question arises whether you
should buy the camera with the kit lens or better without the kit lens.

Kit Lens, Yes or No?


Kit lenses rightly have a reputation for not being particularly useful.
However, there are now exceptions to this. Some camera manufacturers offer
two different kit lenses, a cheap and a high quality. You can safely do
without the cheap kit lens, even if you should have your first photographic
experience with it, it will soon lie around unused in the closet or only bring a
fraction of the purchase costs back in via eBay, if there is still a buyer for it.
If there are two different kit lenses to choose from, a cheap and a high-quality
one, then you should buy the high-quality version, provided you will use this
focal length range. The additional edition is definitely worth it, because the
high-quality version is a good and light all-round lens in the wide-angle range
up to the standard focal length. Even someone who plans to photograph
animals in the wild and will therefore need a strong telephoto lens will
occasionally also take photos in the focal length range of a kit lens.
The advantage of a good kit lens is the purchase price together with the
camera. Good kit lenses can also be bought separately. However, they are
then significantly more expensive than when buying the camera plus kit lens
kit.
The focal length range of a kit lens is reasonable because physically, even the
standard focal length is still the wide-angle range. Thus, the kit lens covers
the entire focal length range from the strong wide angle to the moderate wide
angle of a normal lens. Because only one focal length range is covered, good
kit lenses can deliver good quality despite a low price.

The Focal Length Range Of Zoom Lenses


Compared to a fixed focal length, a zoom lens is always a compromise. The
fixed focal length is calculated exactly for this focal length and can therefore
achieve the maximum image quality. But zoom lenses have been consistently
developed in recent decades. The best zoom lenses can almost keep up with a
high quality prime lens. However, this only if the focal length range is kept
relatively narrow, i.e. does not extend from the strong wide-angle range to the
stronger telephoto range.
The wide-angle range places completely different demands on the
construction of a lens than the telephoto range, which based on the focal
lengths of 35 mm lenses, begins at a focal length of about 80 mm.
If you combine both in one lens, you have to make physical compromises
that come at the expense of imaging quality. That's why 2-3 zoom lenses for a
good image quality are significantly better than a single so-called travel
zoom, which has the only advantage when traveling that you don't have to
take any other lenses with you. With the image quality of a travel zoom, you
can clearly see that compromises had to be made for this large focal length
range.

Two Zoom Lenses for the Most Important Focal Length Range
With two zoom lenses, one can cover the entire focal length range from the
moderate wide angle to the medium-strong telephoto range without having to
compromise on image quality. That would be for example, a focal length
range from 28 mm to about 80-110 mm for the moderate wide-angle and
telephoto range as well as another zoom lens for the pronounced telephoto
range which starts at around 80 mm and ranges up to 200 or 300 mm focal
length depending on the lens.

Three Zoom Lenses for a Larger Focal Length Range


If you want to expand the wide-angle range, you should purchase your own
zoom lens, vice versa, if you want to develop an even stronger telephoto
range. If you want to cover the entire focal length range from strong wide-
angle to strong telephoto with zoom lenses, the best way to do this is with 4
different zoom lenses that only overlap slightly in their focal length range.
There are almost no zoom lenses for both the extreme wide-angle range and
the extreme telephoto range which are still the areas that are reserved for
prime lenses. Zoom lenses are still a compromise compared to a fixed focal
length but one that is now pretty well mastered in moderate areas.

Important Selection Criteria for Lenses


Light Intensity
What does light intensity mean? This is already well explained in the FAQ.
Therefore only briefly here, it is the specification of the maximum aperture
for a certain focal length. The better the light intensity of a zoom lens over
the entire focal length range, the better the focus performance of the lens,
probably because ultimately, the overall quality of the lens is decisive and not
just the light intensity.
Every lens should have a good focus even with the aperture open. The
aperture can be significantly increased by stopping down on f / 8 to 11.
Stopping down even more at aperture 16 or 22 does not result in a gain in
sharpness but on the contrary, in a loss of sharpness. Only the range of the
depth of field is expanded by stopping down to aperture 16 or 22. The loss of
sharpness is caused by the diffraction of light at the small aperture.
The difference between the open aperture and the average aperture values is
largely responsible for the maximum sharpness at medium aperture values.
The more aperture steps between the open aperture and aperture 8, the more
the sharpness of the lens can be increased by stopping down.
If for example, a zoom lens has a light intensity between 3.5 and 5.6
depending on the focal length set, the difference to aperture 8 in the focal
length ranges at which the lower light intensity of 5.6 is just reached is only
one aperture level. With such a lens, the focus performance can only be
improved insignificantly by stopping down compared to the open aperture.
A zoom lens that instead has a light intensity of 2.8 - 4 over its entire focal
length range and draws very sharply even with the aperture open is much
sharper with a medium aperture than a lens with the properties described
above. A zoom lens that offers a high light intensity of 2.8 for example, from
the medium wide angle to the telephoto range is of course even better but
also significantly more expensive.
Apart from the sharpness, the light intensity is of course, also important if
you still need short exposure times in poor light conditions because in poor
light conditions, it depends on how far you can open the aperture.
Fixed focal lengths often have significantly higher light intensities than zoom
lenses. This also shows that a zoom lens compared to a fixed focal length is
still a compromise that cannot really achieve the properties of a fixed focal
length.

Sharpness Performance
There are good and there are bad lenses. Accordingly, there are also lenses
with excellent sharpness and lenses that only achieve moderate sharpness at
medium aperture levels. The sharpness of a lens is becoming increasingly
important in digital photography.
In analog times and the early days of digital photography, film was the
weakest link in the 35 mm format and sensor in the digital camera. Every
reasonably good lens had a much better imaging performance than it could be
processed by the 35 mm film or sensor.
With the high resolutions of current sensors with 50 megapixels already
achieved with a full-frame camera, the relationship is reversed. Suddenly, the
lens becomes the weakest link in the chain. There are only a few, really high-
quality lenses that can keep up with the high resolution and show no
weaknesses even on such a camera.
Therefore, especially if you want to buy a full-frame camera with more than
20 megapixels, you have to include the range of available, high-quality lenses
for the preferred focal length range in the purchase decision; otherwise, the
whole thing will be disappointing. But also with digital SLR cameras with
lower resolution, for example, 16 megapixels with a camera with APS sensor,
the focus performance plays a significant role.
Basically, it applies to all lenses that they should have a very good focus even
with the aperture open which can be increased significantly with regard to the
overall focus as well as the depth of field by stopping down.

Does it Always Have to Be the Best?


Definitely no! The resolutions of current camera models even with the
smaller APS sensor are already better than the resolution of films in analog
medium format. But even in analog times, the 35mm format was rightly the
standard format for amateurs, journalists and sports photographers. The
quality of the analog 35 mm cameras which does not match the quality of a
current digital SLR camera was usually better than required.
An even higher quality that can be achieved with the analog medium format
is only possible in the analog range with large format cameras. However, due
to the high costs alone, this format was only used exceptionally if for
example, the quality of an analog medium format camera was not sufficient
even for huge posters.
Some current digital full-format cameras are already entering analog large-
format photography with their resolution. In other words, in quality areas that
are rarely needed even in the professional field.
This raises the question of whether you can ever approach this high quality
and with it, the further question of whether you are willing to spend a
multiple of a quality that you probably can never exaggerate, which would
more than fully meet your quality requirements. Of course, you can splurge
with expensive camera equipment. After all, a Porsche makes more than a
mid-size car. But apart from splurge, the question remains.
In my circle of friends, there are both world-famous photographers and
typical advertising photos of provincial photographers. The world-famous
photographers in my circle of friends take pictures with the digital full format
and do not even have a digital medium format camera. If such a camera is
required for an exception, you can also borrow it.
Conversely, in addition to the digital full-format camera that is mainly used,
the provincial photographers mostly have a digital medium-format camera
with which one goes to the customer or is used when the customer is taking
pictures. The digital medium format camera is therefore only needed to prove
that you are a professional. World-famous photographers do not need this
proof.
The technical values alone do not take photos; the photos are still taken by
the photographer. There are many areas for example, also in hi-fi systems,
where quality differences can be measured with fine measuring devices
which we would not notice at all without these measuring devices. So it
doesn't have to be the best, but something that at least meets your
requirements.

Lens Material
You can no longer expect a good lens to be made entirely of solid metal.
Plastic has long established itself in the middle price segment, at least for the
outer area that you can touch. Of course, with a good lens, the lenses are still
made of high-quality optical glasses, at least the bayonet made of metal. So
far, there are no plastics that can compete with high-quality optical glass with
their optical properties.

Can You Still Rely on Brand Names?


Unfortunately, no longer! Until digital photography became a mass
phenomenon, brand names actually stood for a certain quality. This still
applies in their respective original segment. However, companies that have
not built cameras for good reason in analog times have now jumped on the
bandwagon of digital photography.
These companies simply lack the know-how built up over decades by
companies that have built up a good name in the camera sector or with lenses
due to their quality. These companies make up for this by working with
world-class companies such as Leitz (Leica) or Zeiss on the lens assembly.
Only that these lenses produced for the mass market still have the brand
name, but not the quality of what the brand name actually stands for. And a
camera manufacturer who actually has no idea about cameras cannot make up
for the lack of know-how through this collaboration. The brand name, even
from well-known camera manufacturers with decades of know-how, does not
generally stand for high quality.
A pocket camera is simply not a sophisticated full-frame digital camera, no
matter who makes it. A digital SLR camera for the amateur market doesn't
get any better because the same manufacturer also makes outstanding top
models for professionals. Just as a VW Polo would not really benefit from the
top brands of the VW group Bentley, Lamborghini or Bugatti. These are two
worlds, the same applies to cameras.
However, one can assume that know-how can only be incorporated into the
development of a digital camera if this know-how is available in the company
at all. On the other hand, you have to be aware that especially in the mass
market for amateurs, it is not the developers and engineers who are in charge
but business economists which is why you cannot conclude from top models
of the consistent quality of the big brands.

Used Lenses
Interchangeable lenses for cameras have been around for more than 50 years.
The range of used lenses is correspondingly huge. Of course, the question
arises whether you can also buy used lenses? Of course you can, but with
certain restrictions.
Canon and Nikon have developed new types of connectors for digital SLR
cameras that do not allow the direct use of older lenses developed for analog
35 mm cameras. If at all, then only with a special adapter. This also applies to
Olympus to a limited extent.
Older lenses can only be used without restriction with Pentax cameras,
provided they have the K-mount that has been used since 1975. Pentax is the
only camera manufacturer that has received full backward compatibility.

Basic Properties When Buying Used Lenses


A good lens can get very old but because lenses were not completely sealed
in the past, mold (fungus) and dust deposits can form in one lens. A specialist
can repair both, the only question then is whether cleaning is still worthwhile.
If you buy a used lens on eBay, have the seller assure you in writing before
purchasing, unless the item description already states that the lens is free of
fungus and dust deposits.

Further Restrictions When Using Older Lenses


Various automatic functions have only been developed over the past few
decades. Very old lenses are completely mechanical and apart from the
mechanical spring aperture, have no communication facilities with the
camera. The first automatic function that was developed for 35 mm lenses
was the setting of the aperture no longer on the lens but by the camera. That
was essential for the development of cameras with integrated automatic
exposure control.
It was only many years later that lenses were also equipped with autofocus
which is controlled electrically or mechanically by the camera. Older lenses
that do not have the necessary contacts cannot be retrofitted with them. So
they are either completely manual to operate or at least do not have an
autofocus. Depending on the camera manufacturer, lenses with autofocus
have only been available since the 1980s.

Autofocus on Older Lenses


The development of autofocus is far from over on the camera side as well as
on the lenses. For this reason, you have to accept at least the speed with
which a lens is focused by the camera in older lenses that are already
equipped with autofocus.

Older Zoom Lenses


In the early days of developing zoom lenses, many technical and physical
problems were not really under control. This is especially true for zoom
lenses in the wide-angle range with focal lengths shorter than 50 mm. That is
why zoom lenses were considered a lazy compromise at the time. The
development of zoom lenses is far from complete which also means that
older zoom lenses do not necessarily achieve the imaging performance of
current models over the entire focal length range.
On the other hand, the essential developments of zoom lenses were made
over 20 years ago, so that at least zoom lenses of the past 20 years are almost
equivalent in their imaging performance to a current, good lens.

Sliding Zoom Lenses


Such a lens is usually only suitable for a collector's display case. Because the
sliding mechanism wears out fairly quickly, but then you can no longer really
work with the lens as soon as it is tilted up or down from the horizontal
position. These early zoom lenses usually don't have good imaging
performance either.

Modern Zoom Lenses


Even with a modern zoom lens, the focal length adjustment can wear out. A
focal length adjustment that is still working properly should be carefully
tested before buying a used lens. If you cannot test it prematurely like at an
eBay auction, you should have the seller assures you of this in writing.

Prime Lenses
The development of prime lenses has actually been completed for decades.
Even lenses that are more than 30 years old are apart from the lack of
automatic functions, practically equivalent to modern lenses with a fixed
focal length. Sometimes even higher quality, because in recent decades,
lenses with high light intensity have rarely been developed. Already in the
1970s, there were legendary lenses with the almost unimaginable light
intensity of 1: 1.2. Since these lenses were not exactly mass-produced at that
time, you will hardly be able to purchase them used.

Old Wide Angle Lenses


For the development of wide-angle lenses, similar technical and physical
problems as in the development of zoom lenses had to be overcome. This has
not yet been achieved with the earliest specimens. Older wide-angle lenses
often have an outrageous sharpness when the aperture is open.
Before you decide to buy an older wide-angle lens, it is definitely worthwhile
to google it, because a light intensity of 2.8 is of no use if you have to fade
down to 8 or even more for sharp photos. There are reviews of almost every
lens on the internet.

Buying Used Lenses on eBay


Buying used lenses from private individuals on eBay is in principle quite
risky. Because whether the description is really correct can only be found out
after a purchase contract has already been concluded and the lens can be
tested for the first time after receipt.
First of all, the description has to be read really carefully, occasionally there
is a serious shortcoming in a half sentence that is easily overlooked. If the
description indicates that it is a flawless item, you are still not on the safe side
when buying from a private person. The transport risk is transferred to the
buyer when buying from a private person as soon as a package has been
delivered by the seller. In principle, this is not really important when insured
shipping is selected, but it is not you as the buyer who is the contractual
partner when shipping the parcel but the seller. The only option that you as a
buyer have when you receive a package is to check the package for external
damage in the presence of the parcel carrier and to refuse receipt if the
packaging already shows signs of damage. Even in this case, the transport
company is not liable, it is only liable if the goods were packed in accordance
with the transport conditions. So it's best not to take any risk and refuse to
accept it.
The problem with buying from a private person is that you have to prove that
any possible damage did not only occur during the transport or with you but
had already existed beforehand. This proof should only be possible without
problems if the fungus is clearly recognizable because that cannot have arisen
within a few days.
Of this problem, eBay grants a fairly comprehensive buyer protection when
paying via PayPal. With PayPal payment, you do not have to provide any
proof at all, it is enough to open a case on eBay. You even get a return slip
from eBay with PayPal payment and get the money credited as soon as the
package has returned to the seller. You should therefore insist on Paypal
payment for technical devices and all items that can be damaged during
transport due to defective packaging.
If the purchase price plus shipping cost is paid via another payment method
instead, e.g. bank transfer, you are dependent on the seller's goodwill, both in
terms of acceptance of the damage and repayment, if you are not a lawyer
and an expert to prove the damage want to turn on.

Commercial Dealers on eBay


Most commercial traders offer PayPal and thus buyer protection on their
own. In addition, unlike a private individual, they cannot exclude the legal
guarantee for used items. But that's exactly why you have to read the
description very carefully. If a defect is mentioned in the description,
however hidden, the defect is considered accepted and does not trigger any
warranty claims. However, you still have the 14-day right of withdrawal.

Commercial Traders Who Disguise Themselves as Private


Individuals
These are the worst dealers. Because by disguising yourself as a private
person, you want to avoid both the right of withdrawal and the guarantee and
usually only offer bank transfer as a payment method.
Such retailers are not at all difficult to recognize because most of the time
they already have hundreds, sometimes even several thousand reviews for the
same product category. However, if there is no amicable settlement, you
would first have to conduct a process before the actual process, in which you
can prove that it is a commercial dealer.

Used Lenses from the Stationary Photo Trade


This is the path with the least risk for the buyer. Even the photo trade cannot
exclude the guarantee and already checks a lens or camera for perfect
function when purchasing. However, it is usually the most expensive way to
buy a used item.

Lenses and the APS Sensor


The APS sensor is something very special because cameras with APS sensor
can use lenses for the 35 mm or full-size digital format but with a third
smaller angle of view with unchanged optical properties of the lens with its
original focal length.
At the same time, there are lenses that have been specially developed for the
APS sensor. These lenses have a wider field of view than lenses of the same
focal length for full digital format. This is particularly noticeable in the wide-
angle range. On the other hand, these lenses can no longer be used if you
should switch to full digital format at some point.

Special Lenses
In principle, all lenses that have only been developed for very special tasks
are called special lenses.

Shift Lenses
These lenses were primarily developed for architectural photography. They
are also occasionally used in product photography. With these lenses, you can
slide the lens out of the optical axis and thereby avoid falling lines in
architectural photography or even intensify it for special effects. This opens
up areas of photography for 35 mm cameras and digital SLR cameras that
were previously reserved for large format cameras. This also applies to the
next lens type, the tilt lenses.

Tilt Lenses
A tilt lens can be tilted in relation to the optical axis. This means, for
example, that golden ratio rule can also be used with a digital SLR camera.

Tilt/Shift Lenses
Tilt/Shift lenses are a combination of a shift lens and a tilt lens. The optical
axis can be moved as well as tilted.
All three lens types are very expensive and are practically never used outside
of architecture and product photography. If you have the right camera, you
can borrow these lenses from specialist retailers. Depending on the Foto-Rent
provider, these lenses are either only for Canon or only for Nikon.
There are companies that have developed tilt/shift adapters instead. It is
advisable not to connect 35 mm lenses to this adapter, instead they are
available for lenses of analog medium format cameras because this is the only
way to ensure with an adapter that the image circle is large enough to prevent
vignetting in the photo even with heavy tilting or shifting.
Macro Lenses
You need macro lenses if you want to take close-up pictures of a flower, for
example. With a macro lens, you can of course not only take close-up
pictures, they are also high-quality, normal zoom lenses or prime lenses.
Macro lenses are available both as wide-angle lenses and as telephoto lenses.
Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of a
telephoto lens as a macro lens is that you do not have to move a small object
on the skin but can keep a larger distance. This is an undeniable advantage in
studio photography too because you can illuminate the object as usual. For a
wide-angle macro lens, you need a ring flash instead.

Extremely Strong Telephoto Lenses


The very strong telephoto lenses which were developed for photographing
shy wild animals are available in two different versions. As a normal, very
long built telephoto lens with relatively low light intensity or with even larger
focal lengths as a mirror telescope. In both cases, a stable tripod is essential.
Not only because of the weight of these lenses but also because even the
slightest camera shake with the small viewing angle would lead to strong
blurring. The tripod thread is directly on the lens in order to be able to
balance camera with lens well.
In the extreme telephoto range, there are only prime lenses. Mirror telescopes
have a higher light intensity than a telephoto lens of the same strength but the
exposure can only be regulated via the exposure time. Mirror telescopes have
no aperture setting.

Fisheye Lenses
Fisheye lenses are the exact opposite of extremely powerful telephoto lenses.
A fisheye lens has an angle of view of 180 ° or even a little more. Fisheye
lenses have an extreme barrel distortion; all straight lines in the photo become
an arc.
A fisheye lens only makes sense on a full-frame camera because the 50%
longer apparent focal length on a camera with APS sensor would only have a
very strong wide-angle lens with extreme distortion but no 180 ° angle of
view. By the way, if you want to try it out, you can also borrow fisheye
lenses from specialist retailers.
CHAPTER 19

FILTER

Countless filters have been developed for analog photography, especially


black and white photos. With an orange filter for example, you can
significantly increase the contrast between clouds and the sky. Of course,
only to be used in black and white photography, otherwise, the entire image
would get an orange color cast.

Which Filters are Still Recommended Today?


Most of the filters from black and white photography were no longer up-to-
date for color photos because these filters were used, among other things, to
compensate for weaknesses in the imaging of the two common types of black
and white film or to affect contrasts. In color photography, the same filters
would have given massive color casts.
Filters that were still used in color photography are the Skylight filter, the UV
filter and the polarization filter, mostly called polarizing filters. In addition,
filters to compensate for the color temperature of the light which are available
in different strengths as a red filter from R1 to R12 and as a blue filter from
B1 to B12. Of all these filters, only the polarization filter is actually of
interest today.
White Balance Filter
Filters for white balance are no longer required in digital photography if you
either do the white balance of the camera before taking the picture which is
rarely successful enough or generally only save it in raw data format and then
adjust the color temperature with a suitable image processing program.
Because when saving in raw data format, the 4 color channels red, 2x green
and blue are saved separately. Thanks to the separate storage, the proportion
of color channels in the photo can be subsequently adjusted.
Practically, every camera that allows saving in raw data comes with a simple
image processing software when purchasing, with which raw data files can be
subsequently adjusted. The optimum for developing raw data files is the
Adobe Bridge which is part of Photoshop.
However, if you can only save in JPEG format, you still have to handle the
white balance very carefully because removing a color cast from a JPEG can
become a Sisyphean task. But even the simplest digital cameras usually
already offer some presets such as daylight (5500 ° Kelvin), cloudy sky or
shadow (depending on the camera 7,000-15,000 ° Kelvin), incandescent light
(2800 ° Kelvin) and some more.
In artificial light, a deviation of 100 ° Kelvin from the correct value already
plays a very important role. With 200 ° Kelvin too little, a face already turns
pale and vice versa, with 200 ° Kelvin too much, it becomes a drunk nose. In
object photography and prepress, correct color settings are also important.
But today, you no longer need filters for this; you do this with the white
balance of the camera and the final fine adjustment in the raw data file.
Anyone who used to take photographs with negative film did not have to be
so careful with white balance because color casts in printshops were fully
automatically compensated for in prints at the end of the 1960s.
Only those who used a slide film had to very carefully determine the color
temperature of the light and correct a deviation from the sensitization of the
film with blue or red filters. Daylight film is sensitized to 5500 ° Kelvin,
artificial light film to 3200 ° Kelvin. Because on the slide film, a color cast
was final.
What applies to the slide film still applies today to a somewhat lesser extent
for saving in JPEG format because in this format, the color cast is almost
final. Only experts in image processing can subsequently completely correct
a color cast from a JPEG. Nevertheless, you no longer need filters today, just
a digital camera that offers reliable white balance.

Skylight Filter
Skylight filters have had their day since the invention of digital photography.
The light pink filter was used to compensate for a bluish cast in cloudy skies,
many amateur photographers kept it on the lens as lens protection. However,
this has never been recommended because even high-quality filters do not
have the optical qualities of a good lens and therefore reduce the image
quality. Today, this is done using white balance. There is no longer a need for
the skylight filter in digital photography.

UV Filter
UV filters have also had their day for several years. This in turn has nothing
to do with digital photography but rather with the development of
remuneration for lenses that filter out the high UV content of light, especially
in the high mountains from the start.

Polarizing Filter
Polarization filters are the only filters that also play an important role in
digital photography. You can't even polarize the light afterwards in
Photoshop.

What Does a Polarization Filter Do?


Light vibrates in all levels. A polarization filter only allows a single vibration
level of light to pass through. Of course, this also leads to a more or less
strong darkening, depending on how much light vibrates in the other planes
that are absorbed with a polarizing filter, up to two thirds of the light can be
blocked out. But don't worry, these are no more than two stops.

What Do You Need the Polarizing Filter for?


Unwanted reflections on non-metallic (more precisely, electrically non-
conductive surfaces) can be largely or completely absorbed depending on the
angle of incidence of the light on the reflecting surface.
With polarization filters, you can largely dissolve haze in the distance. Of
course, you can't use it to conjure up any fog but you can largely get through
the typical haze which is almost always distant in summer, especially in
warm regions.
Colors can be intensified with polarization filters, especially the blue tones of
the sky, since the light coming from the sky also contains reflections from
dust particles, some of which are linearly polarized. Since this in turn also
depends on the angular relationships of the light path and the properties of the
atmosphere, it can happen that parts of the sky are seen more intensely and
darker blue than others.

The Two Types of Polarizing Filters


The Linear Polarization Filter
Originally, only linear polarization filters were used but with the increasing
use of exposure and distance measurement by the lens, the linear polarizing
filters could no longer be used in some camera models. The light is polarized
in a single vibration plane, so unwanted reflections on non-metallic surfaces
can be eliminated.
The Circular Polarizing Filter
With the increasing advent of exposure metering and autofocus through the
lens, linear polarization filters could no longer be used with most common
cameras.
The circular polarization filter was developed so that polarization filters can
still be used despite the automatic exposure control and autofocus. A second
filter behind the actual, still linear polarizing filter brings the light into a
circular motion.
The autofocus works properly again and the exposure measurement through
the lens only perceives the darkening through the polarizing filter, without
being disturbed in its function. For many modern cameras with internal
measurement and autofocus, you can only use circular polarizing filters,
unless you set both the exposure time with the required extension factor and
the distance manually.
If polarization filters are firmly attached in front of the sensors as is common
in many camera models for a more precise measurement, each except the
neutral 180 ° and 360 ° rotary position of a linear polarizing filter would
block out more or less light up to total darkening, depending on the rotary
position of the polarizer lens attached in relation to the polarizing filters in
front of the sensors because the polarizing filters in front of the sensors only
allow one vibration level of light to pass through.
However, if this level of vibration is more or less blocked out by a linear pole
filter in front of the front lens, depending on the rotary position of the
polarizing filter in relation to the polarizing filter in front of the sensors in
extreme cases, the sensors will no longer receive any light with a 90 ° rotary
position. But even the slightest darkening due to the mutually influencing
polarizing filters leads to incorrect measured values.
However, since the light inside the camera is rotated again by the second
filter behind the still circular polarizing filter, the two polarizing filters no
longer block the light from one another, since the lens oscillates within the
optical system with the polarization filter and camera in front again in all
levels. The actual purpose of a polarizing filter was nevertheless achieved
because it is ultimately a question of allowing only one vibration level of the
incoming light to pass through.

How Do You Use a Polarization Filter?


The polarizing filter is placed in front of the lens and while looking through
the viewfinder, turn the filter until the desired effect is achieved. The
extension factor of the exposure should actually be correctly captured by the
exposure measurement through the lens. If this is not the case, you can finally
check the result on the display immediately after taking the picture, you have
to correct the exposure manually. Sometimes a photo becomes a little too
dark due to the polarizing filter. In this case, make a note of the time/aperture
combination and switch the camera to manual exposure. Then open the
aperture by one step or increase the exposure time to twice. Then it should
actually work.

Use the Polarizing Filter Deliberately To Intensify Reflections


With the polarizing filter, reflections in particular on glass cannot only be
more or less eliminated with a curved glass surface, of course only ever in a
certain area of the glass surface. With the polarizing filter, reflections can
also be precisely measured to the extent where you want it.

Autofocus and Polarization Filter


Most lenses focus by rotating the front lens. Any refocusing of the camera
would also rotate the polarization filter. Therefore, when using a polarization
filter, switch the camera's autofocus off and set the distance manually or
switch to autofocus mode, in which the distance setting is saved when the
shutter button is pressed halfway, only then is the polarizing filter turned into
the correct position. This is not necessary for landscape photos with the
distance setting infinite because in this case, the camera will not be refocused
if you pan the camera slightly.

Can I Use a Linear Polarizing Filter on the Digital Camera?


In principle, yes, but then neither the automatic exposure metering nor the
autofocus will work reliably. However, this depends on the measuring
technology used. With Pentax cameras, both exposure measurement and
distance setting work smoothly with linear polarizing filters. Some other
camera manufacturers use a different measurement technique that does not
work with a linear polarizing filter.
Even if you don't have a handheld exposure meter, you can still determine the
correct exposure. First, measure the exposure as usual without polarizing
filters with the camera, remember this value and switch to manual exposure.
Then place the polarizing filter in front of the lens and extend the exposure
time by 150% because this is the normal loss of light through a polarizing
filter or to put it in photographically correct terms, the average lengthening
factor for a polarizing filter is 1.5.
They measure an exposure time of 1/250 second at f / 5.6 without a
polarizing filter. After switching the camera to manual exposure, take an
exposure time of 1/90 second with the aperture unchanged. Normally the
exposure time should be correct but the photo is still underexposed or
overexposed, correct the exposure time until it is correct.
Because the 1.5-fold extension does not necessarily apply, the extension
factor depends firstly on the polarization filter and secondly on the rotational
position of the filter. The extension factor may well be three times.
Recognizing a Circular Polarizing Filter
With a very simple test, you can determine whether you have a linear or a
circular polarizing filter as long as it is not already on the filter. If there is
nothing there, it is almost always a linear polarizing filter. Circular polarizing
filters usually also have a circular outside on the metal frame.
Hold the polarizing filter with the back against a TFT monitor. Turn the
polarizing filter. If it is a circular polarizing filter, the colors on the monitor
will change slightly but the brightness values remain the same. If it is instead
a linear polarizing filter and you turn the filter, no more light is transmitted in
two positions of the filter, each time it is in a 90 ° position to the polarized
light of the monitor, the polarizing filter is black.
The same happens if you hold a circular polarizing filter the wrong way
round to the monitor, namely with the front to the monitor. With a linear
polarizing filter, it does not matter whether you hold it with the front or the
back to the monitor, there is always no light through in two positions of the
filter. The light from a TFT monitor is also polarized.

Infrared Filter
In digital photography too, photography with invisible infrared light has lost
none of its charms. An infrared filter largely blocks out the visible light. Most
infrared filters generally block out visible light with less than 720 nm. Only
the much longer-wave infrared radiation is not absorbed by these filters.
Instead of visible light, use an infrared filter in front of the camera to
photograph the infrared wave spectrum of light that we cannot perceive with
our eyes. This type of photography is also known as false color photography.
Before buying an infrared filter, however, pay attention to the technical data
of your camera because some digital cameras have an inverted infrared filter
installed in front of the sensor which generally filters out the infrared part of
the wave spectrum. You cannot take infrared photos with such a camera.
However, there are many instructions on the web for removing the reversed
infrared filter from the camera. I don't know if you can guess because there is
a reason why the engineers put an inverted infrared filter in front of the
sensor.
When using infrared filters, make sure that the autofocus of the camera is no
longer working reliably because the distance setting must be slightly
corrected for infrared filters. Most older lenses have a second focus point for
infrared photography.

Effect Filter
In analog amateur photography, effect filters still played a certain role
because only with extreme darkroom work could you conjure up all the
effects that are already possible today with a simple image editing program
such as the free Irfan View. I personally have never been a big fan of
showmanship, although it would be a lot easier in Photoshop today.
Photoshop has thousands of effect filters, many of which are free and most of
them completely superfluous, unless you enjoy turning bad photos into
temporary eye-catchers through some strange effects.
Effect filters are completely unnecessary, thanks to countless plugins which
were originally all developed for Photoshop but which also work with many
other image editing programs.

Graduated Filters
Some digital photography websites still recommend using gradient filters, for
example, to enhance the blue of the sky. When working with filters, be aware
that the image information that has been corrupted by a filter is finally in the
file and therefore in your photo. If you subsequently find that you have
exaggerated, the photo can no longer be saved.
Instead of gradient filters, it is better to use a settings layer in Photoshop.
With a setting level, you can later overlay any course over an image and
adjust its opacity as desired. In this way, you do not permanently spoil your
image but can delete the settings levels later or adjust their opacity as you
wish, just as you can change the course itself. When it comes to the intense
blue of the sky, the polarizing filter is the better solution anyway. Of course,
you shouldn't overdo it.

More Color Correction Filters


The many correction filters that were developed for analog photography have
not yet had their day. Because how do you get a green stitch from a face
afterwards because the model was sitting on a green meadow? Especially
since green also extremely emphasizes skin impurities. With a light filter in
the complementary color, you can avoid color casts in the image from the
outset.

Gray Filter
You will rarely need a gray filter once. These filters in neutral gray reduce
the incident light without changing colors or contrasts. Gray filters come in
different densities. This allows the amount of light to be reduced by one or
more aperture steps.
In natural light situations, you will rarely need a gray filter, even if you want
to take pictures with the aperture open in bright sunshine to have the shallow
depth of field, you can shorten the exposure time accordingly. You can only
achieve this with a gray filter if you want to have a relatively long exposure
time in very bright light to make movement visible and at the same time,
reduce the depth of field by opening the aperture.
I occasionally use the gray filter in cooperation with the flash system when I
want to open the aperture further because of the depth of field than would be
possible even with the flash system's output reduced to a minimum.
Gray filters are also available as variable gray filters. In principle, however,
these are not gray filters but 2 polar filters placed one behind the other. The
front, rotatable polarizing filter only allows one vibration level of light to
pass through which with the polarizing filter placed behind it, depending on
the rotational position of the front polarizing filter, allows less and less light
to pass through. Since high-quality polarizing filters are very expensive, a
high-quality variable gray filter is also very expensive. After all, 2 high-
quality polarizing filters are required. We cannot recommend this type of
gray filter with a clear conscience because after all it is only a matter of
reducing the amount of light without any color and contrast influences and
not polarizing the light. This solution can be made significantly cheaper by
placing two polarizing filters, one behind the other on the lens and varying
the rotational position of the two filters relative to one another.
With 2-3 gray filters of different densities, you are better served. This is still
cheaper than a good variable gray filter. Even traders are of the opinion,
although they would earn more with the variable filters.
Soft Focus
Do you still need them? After all, you can also use Photoshop or similarly
good image editing programs such as the free Gimp to blur an image
afterwards with all the finesse that a sophisticated image editing program and
various plugins offer. For example, you can deliberately blur only individual
areas of a photo.
But the soft focus in front of the lens also affects the lights. If you want to do
that occasionally, you can experiment with the blur. However, one should be
clear that the deliberate blurring caused by a superior blur can no longer be
corrected. So only use it if you really want it.
How strong the blurring effect is, depends on the aperture used. The wider
the aperture is opened, the more the filter softens. With very small apertures
(aperture 11 or even more closed), the soft focus is hardly noticeable.
Instead, you can also buy a lens with a built-in, variable soft focus. With
these lenses too, soft focus is only possible with apertures between the open
aperture and aperture 5.6. If the aperture is closed further, the blur is canceled
again.

Alternative to the Soft Focus Filter


In the 1970s, when David Hamilton's photos were in vogue, there was a lot of
experimentation with blurring. At that time, the above-mentioned lenses with
built-in variable soft focus were also developed.
An alternative which is always possible is to simply breathe on the front lens
and press the trigger when exactly the right amount of softness has been
achieved by the evaporation of the breath. In dry heat, you have to be quick
with this method. The breath evaporates very quickly and unevenly. I used
this method to take portrait and nude photos in analog times.
Another alternative is to put a women's stocking in front of the front lens. Of
course, this also leads to color distortions, depending on the color of the
stocking material. I suspect that David Hamilton has worked with this
method several times because many of his photos tend to be a bit brownish.
There are filter film holders for this method which can be screwed in front of
the lens just like a filter. Instead of the filter foil, a piece of fabric is clamped
into the holder. If you take a white nylon stocking, the overall photo is drawn
into white and the lights are more resolved than with darker fabrics which can
look very good, if you take a blue stocking, you get a very cool color. With
neutral gray or even black nylon stockings, the colors remain unadulterated
but this also swallows some light. You can of course also experiment with
other translucent materials such as packaging films.
Warning, you can always see with the aperture open through the viewfinder,
regardless of which aperture was finally set for the photo manually or
determined by the automatic system. However, any smaller than the open
aperture eliminates part of this soft focus. If automatic exposure adjustment,
then always aperture selection and either open aperture or for less blur than
you see through the viewfinder, aperture 4 or 5.6.
CHAPTER 20

THE HOME STUDIO

Some don't just want to take pictures outdoors but want to be independent of
the weather, light outside and set up their own small studio.

Minimum Requirements for a Home Studio


It depends on what you want to take pictures of and how often you will take
pictures in the studio. If you only want to occasionally photograph smaller
objects for eBay auctions, minimal equipment is sufficient. To take pictures
of people, it has to be a bit more extensive and if you want to take pictures of
people in motion, the effort has to be even greater. In any case, you need
neutral backgrounds and at least adequate lighting adapted to the respective
purpose.

First the Simplest, the Background


The most flexible solution is provided by foldable reflex walls which have a
black background on the inside and a white background on the other side.
Actually, the interior of the reflex walls is not intended as a background but
serves as a white surface for subtle lightening and as a black surface for
shading. If necessary, however, it can be used as a neutral background for
smaller objects and exceptionally for a portrait.
Better is an endless background which is of course, not endless but when
skillfully used, appears like an endless area of color in the image. There are
endless backgrounds made of paper or stage molton.
Paper Background
The standard width for a continuous paper background is 2.72 m. 11 m are on
the roll. In the standard width, there is the largest selection of background
colors. Moreover, these backgrounds are relatively inexpensive. For larger
studios, there are paper backgrounds with a width of 3.55 m.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Paper Background


As long as there are no wrinkles in the paper, it is the ideal background for all
colors except black. As a black background, it is only suitable if you also
want lighting effects on the background, i.e. from deep black to a dark gray.
In contrast to stage molton, the light is not almost completely absorbed by a
paper background. However, a black paper background still reflects enough
light to only appear really black where almost no light falls on it.
For a continuous background made of paper, you need a roll-off device and a
suitable suspension. The roll-off device should definitely also have a roll-off
brake; otherwise, the paper will continue to roll itself off which can also be
prevented with a strong clamp.
A paper background does not have a long lifespan. At the latest when a
model with shoes on the background is for the first time, holes form very
quickly in the background. Hence, the great length of 11 m because you have
to cut something off every now and then. In addition, a paper background
tears easily on the sides. However, you can prevent that by wrapping the
background with a packet of adhesive tape on both sides. The background
must hang absolutely, otherwise, you cannot roll it up properly afterwards.
You also have to be aware that the endless background of paper with its
width of 2.72 m must be kept somewhere if the space that has been
temporarily converted into a studio is to be used as normal again. But this
applies in general to the entire studio equipment of a hobby photographer, it
must also be easy to stow away when not in use.

Endless Background Made of Stage Molton


Stage molton has some advantages over the paper background but also some
serious disadvantages. Stage molton can only be rolled out somewhat
smoothly on a carpet. With an almost 80 m² living room which can also be a
photo studio and seminar room for photography practice, with such light
setting and an almost completely black background, very attractive photos
can be taken.
Stage molton is quite insensitive to sharp heels, can be easily kept clean with
a vacuum cleaner and absorbs the light much more strongly than a paper
background as a black background.
In contrast to a paper background, it is almost impossible to hang stage
molton completely wrinkle-free. Therefore, it can actually only be
recommended for black backgrounds where the shadows are no longer
noticeable due to the drapery.
Originally, the black stage molton which I use quite often was provided with
a loop for the smoothest possible suspension, through which I could put a
stable curtain rod. I had the loop sewn into the fabric in a sewing workshop.
This combined with two inconspicuous hooks in the ceiling and a collapsible
curtain rod ensured a largely wrinkle-free suspension and required little space
in a cabinet when not needed.
In the meantime, the stage molton has been glued to an aluminum tube such
as is used for the reinforcement of paper background and can therefore be
unrolled just like a paper background. However, this is not without its
problems because it is almost impossible, unless you work together when
rolling up in pairs to roll up the fabric smoothly.
As a standard, stage molton has a width of 3 m in the heavy quality (300 g /
m²) required for an endless background on which a model can walk. If you
want to use it on the same roll-off device with a paper background at the
same time, it must be shortened to the same width (2.72 m). To calculate the
required length, take the room height, at least 1 m distance of the model from
the background and at least 1 m in front of the model. With a normal room
height, this leads to a required length of at least 5 m.
Because of the wrinkling which can be seen in the photo even with relatively
scarce exposure, all colors except black are unsuitable as an endless
background. The folds that are still visible in the photo can be eliminated
with a few mouse clicks. You select the depths, take a rather tight soft edge
(in a 16 megapixel photo a soft edge between 2 and 10 pixels) and then make
the depths darker. In Photoshop, by changing the selection to a new layer
which is calculated in multiply mode with the original layer. Before doing
this, all of the selected depths that do not affect the stage molton must be
removed from the selection, in particular, for example, the black hair of a
model.

The Lighting
The question of the right lighting is almost more difficult to answer than the
question of the right background.

What Do You Need At Least?


A main light and at least one other light or reflective panel (e.g. polystyrene)
for brightening shadow areas. In addition, there may be other lamps or
flashing lights that set lighting accents.
Color temperature, light intensity, comfortable handling

Color Temperature of the Light


In the age of digital photography and the ability to save photos in raw data
format, the color temperature of light no longer has the great importance it
had in analog times.
With a few exceptions, light always has its own color. Balanced lighting
contains the three basic colors but in different compositions. Purely white
light such as that from a flash system has a color temperature of 5500 °
Kelvin and consists of one third each of the three basic colors red, green and
blue.
Artificial light has a significantly lower proportion of blue but a significantly
higher proportion of red. As long as the proportion of the three primary
colors of a light source is concerned, you can already carry out the white
balance with a default setting for the white balance or subsequently using the
color temperature controller in a good image editing program. The
subsequent change is only possible if the photos are saved in raw data format.
It becomes difficult with light sources such as energy-saving lamps, in whose
color spectrum, the red is missing. This leads to color falsifications during the
recording which can hardly be rectified afterwards. Mixed light should also
be avoided, for example, daylight and artificial light at the same time.
Halogen lamps such as those used in video lights or as modeling lights in a
flash system, have a color temperature of approximately 2800 ° Kelvin; the
incandescent light setting of a digital camera is suitable for this.

Minimum Required Light Intensity


The minimum required light intensity depends on the size of the object as
well as whether it is moving or static. Static objects do not need nearly as
much light as a human or animal in front of the camera. If you like to work
with action photography, you not only need a lot of light for short exposure
times but also light that is quickly available again.
Comfortable Handling
Comfortable handling plays a role at the latest when you have to change the
lighting. But not only when working in the studio but also when transporting,
assembling and dismantling the lighting system. Comfortable handling plays
a significant role especially if you do not plan a room exclusively as a studio
from the start but also have to stow all the equipment after a shoot.
The more complex it is to assemble and store the system again, the less often
you will use it. A compact flash system including the tripods can be easily
stowed away. Soft boxes are problematic. In principle, these can also be
dismantled again but whether it is a well-thought-out system that can be
dismantled and reassembled quickly and easily or a system that once you
have managed to build a softbox from the many bars because of this
experience you never take apart again, makes the big difference, probably
also in the price.

Halogen Lights from the Hardware Store


Even halogen lamps from the hardware store are sufficient for the
photography of objects. In principle, because the light from these lamps is
very hard, a soft light can only be obtained by a white screen in front or
indirect lighting, in which the spotlight is directed, for example, at the white
wall or white ceiling. But a lot of light is lost.

Video Lights
The next level is video lights. Video lights also have a very hard light but a
significantly higher luminous efficacy than lamps from the hardware store. A
video light has 500W, 1000 W, 1250 W or twice 500 - 1250 W. At least the
older video lights which are available in abundance on eBay, have a normal
photo tripod thread and no device for attaching reflex or transmitted light
screens. You have to build any makeshift solutions yourself as shown in this
image example.
Video lights develop extreme heat and should never be used for longer than
about 10 minutes. Otherwise, there is a risk that the plastic casing of the
lamps will deform. Therefore, make sure that there is sufficient distance from
flammable materials.

Studio Lamps
The pronounced studio lamps are actually not made for photos but for
professional videos, film and television studios. Therefore, they are new and
accordingly expensive. But occasionally, studio lamps are offered on eBay
and with a little luck, you can make a bargain. The really powerful studio
spotlights used in film and television can no longer be operated on a domestic
electrical system. That is why television stations have their own generators
on flatbed trucks so that they can generate the electricity they need on site.
Studio spotlights are a compromise in photography. Headlights that can still
be operated on a domestic network have too little light output for faster
model movements. Even with relatively high ISO values (ISO 400, ISO
800), exposure times shorter than 1/125 second can rarely be achieved. The
advantage over a good studio flash system is the purchase price itself
compared to flash systems also offered on eBay. The other advantage is the
constantly available light with which you can even use the serial image
function of your digital camera.

Flash Systems
If you only take photos and not shoot videos at the same time, a flash system
is of course best served, since you have neither problems with the domestic
power grid nor problems with the color temperature of the light.
Since a good flash system is also quite expensive when used, I have only
gradually bought my flash system since 2011. Until then, I got along with the
studio headlights but it was just the shoot with the young a model, which
ultimately led me to purchase a flash system. Because many photos that were
taken during this shoot had to be deleted due to motion blur. When buying a
flash system, there are some criteria that basically apply to all flash systems,
regardless of the intended use.
Robustness and Longevity
Flash systems are simply too expensive to dispose of after just a few years.
Flash systems from brand manufacturers for equipping professional studios
still do their job even after 40 years. If you save at the wrong end here, you
quickly pay more than a good flash system. In everyday studio life, especially
when models are photographed, a flash system is not necessarily the same as
a raw egg. So it also has to be robust like everything that is used in everyday
studio life.

Maintenance of a Flash System


A flash system needs a minimum of maintenance. Flash systems should be
switched on and flashed at least once a month. Otherwise, the Elcos can dry
out and must be replaced. All flash systems are sensitive to overheating. How
sensitive, depends on the design of the flash system. Compact flash systems
are significantly more sensitive than a flash system with a separate generator.
Flash heads in which no electronics are installed, are completely insensitive
to overheating, more modern flash heads with an electronic interior do not
forgive overheating.
Although separate generators do not have the thermal problems of a compact
flash system with generators built into the flash head due to their
construction, they can also overheat. Overheating protection is installed in a
good, professional flash system which switches the flash system off if there is
a risk of overheating.
Overheating problems are particularly common with fast flash sequences in
action photography. At the latest after 4-5 releases, you should take a short
break with a compact flash system so that the flash system can cool down
again. With a separate generator, you can also make 20 trips in quick
succession before giving the generator a break.
Flash systems designed for the amateur market, usually lack overheating
protection, although this component costs less than $4. This is done on
purpose; after all, you want to be able to sell replacements. With these
systems, you have to make sure that the flash system does not overheat.
Otherwise, the Elcos may explode. Then the entire flash head is usually over.
If a good flash system is carefully maintained, it can become 40 years and
older even in everyday professional life with almost daily shootings in which
more than 1000 photos are often taken.

Procurement of Spare Parts


Spare parts should still be available after 10 years. However, this is only
guaranteed with a few brand manufacturers. Brand manufacturers still
provide spare parts and service even for 40-year-old flash systems and old
and new devices are compatible with each other with minor restrictions.
Flash tubes and capacitors are consumables with a limited lifespan. Both
must be obtained from the manufacturer, they are not compatible with other
manufacturers. If the manufacturer no longer exists, the system is ready for
the scrap. Of course, the modeling lamps are also consumables but they are
standardized and therefore, independent of the manufacturer.
You can safely buy used flash systems from these companies which are still
in order. Before you decide to buy a flash system, first research the name of
the manufacturer on the internet. If it is a new, largely unknown brand,
extreme caution is required. For amateur photographers, new companies keep
popping up which often shut down for another 1-2 years. These companies
shut down at the latest when warranty claims accumulate. If something
breaks afterwards, you can throw away your flash system.
As with watches, there are brands that are only sold on eBay. That is
certainly cheaper Chinese scrap which will probably not even survive the
guarantee period. Only that warranty claims cannot be made because the
company no longer exists.
Walimex, a company that sells mainly Chinese-made items, doesn't exactly
have a good reputation for warranty claims. From this company, you can buy
a tripod for lamps, for example, without hesitation, since it doesn't have to be
an expensive branded item. Accessories, Especially Various Reflectors
and Soft Boxes
Just as every camera manufacturer has developed its own bayonet for
interchangeable lenses, the reflectors and soft boxes from the various
manufacturers are not compatible with one another. Accessories companies
offer adapters or their own accessories.
In order to get an overview, it is important to inform yourself about the
equipment which existing cameras can be used with which lenses or which
adapter is necessary. Depending on how extensive the purchase of good
camera accessories is, including the battery, memory cards, filters, tripods
and flashes, it is all the more important to think about their use and intended
use.

The Components of a Flash System


A flash system consists of at least two flash heads. Each strobe light consists
of a strobe head, the strobe tube in the strobe head, a modeling lamp (halogen
bulb), a tripod for each strobe head, reflectors or soft boxes and cables.
Basically, smaller mobile systems and larger professional systems differ in
whether the flash generator is installed in the flash head or is a separate,
central control unit.

A mobile flash system with 300-500 watt seconds per flash head should be
sufficient for most home studio applications. You don't always need that
much power, but firstly it is good to have some reserve and secondly, the
flash heads do not overheat so quickly if you can mainly work with reduced
power.
However, apart from a few professional solutions, compact flash systems are
not intended for action photography because with short flash sequences, they
can overheat very quickly so quickly that the capacitors explode and thereby
destroy the entire flash head. Separate flash generators are better but they also
cost significantly more.
This is a flash generator. It is the Pulso 2 with 1600 watt seconds which can
be synchronously distributed to a maximum of four flash heads. The flash
generator has its fixed place on the base of the column tripod for the
Hazylight. However, it is light enough to be able to take it with you to a
photo opportunity when needed.
You see the large column tripod with the Hazylight and the Pulso 2 against a
background of black stage molton. The scene is not only illuminated by the
Hazylight but also by a flash head with a BeautyLight reflector and another
flash head which sits in a stepped lens headlight, usually referred to as a
spotlight. The spotlight also illuminates the flash generator.
Since I mainly do portrait photography, the flash generator is set to minimum
output despite the fact that there are currently three connected flash heads to
which the power is distributed. Otherwise, I would have to close the aperture
too far.
If I were to photograph a large organ in a church instead, of course, I
shouldn't be reducing performance. In addition to the normal reflectors which
are now rarely used, I also have the Hazylight, a beauty dish and the spotlight
available.
The flash is controlled by the camera via cable, radio remote control or (only
conditionally recommended) an infrared flash that controls the photocells of
the individual components.
I can only recommend infrared flash conditionally for the following reason:
the photocell of the receiver (regardless of whether it is a central generator or
compact flash units) must be in the radiation angle of the infrared flash unit.
At best, bright backgrounds could still be sufficient to reach the photocell
through their reflection.
If your digital camera does not have an accessory shoe for attaching external
flash units, you can only trigger a flash system via the camera flash. Please
note that most digital cameras with built-in flash units emit a short pre-flash
to measure and avoid red eyes. The pre-flash would trigger the flash system
but then the shutter is still closed. When the shutter opens, the flash from the
external flash system has already extinguished, the photo would be drastically
underexposed. As far as your camera offers the possibility to switch off the
pre-flash in the settings, you should definitely do this if you want to trigger
the flash system via the camera flash.

Different Reflectors and Soft Boxes


There are many different reflectors and light shapers for flash heads, from
narrow spots to huge octagon soft boxes to light shapers. Provided that the
flash output is sufficient for a large softbox, a softbox produces a very soft
light as the main light source for portraits and many other applications.
In addition to its special light characteristics, the arbitrary swiveling of a
Hazylight is a significant advantage compared to a softbox. A softbox can be
swiveled upwards in the vertical but only downwards as far as it does not hit
the lamp stand. Practically, any lighting situation can be created with a
Hazylight.
The second flash unit should also provide a soft light; it only serves to lighten
shadows. Because almost never you will let the main light come from the
same direction as the camera. Instead of a small softbox, you can also use a
beauty dish which is easier to handle, offers a relatively soft light and is also
easier to store. The softbox only offers real advantages if it is significantly
larger than a large reflector and thus provides an even softer light. There are
also various shades, both as golden, silver or white reflex shades or white
translucent shades with which you can change the light characteristics. All
other reflectors, honeycomb attachments, etc. are only needed for special
lighting effects.
If you work with a model and the model should not sit stiffly in a chair, your
lighting system must be able to illuminate an area of at least 1 m², better 2-3
m² without changing the lighting.
With the table top photography, you can safely neglect the flash aftermath,
work with models, things look quite different. Flash sequences longer than 2
seconds are not acceptable in this area. Otherwise, you will often miss the
best moments and facial expressions because the flash has not yet recharged.
In action photography, the flash follow-up time and the readiness of the
camera to shoot should match as closely as possible, so if possible, a flash of
follow-up time at full power of less than half a second. Shorter flash times are
then available with reduced output.

The Slit Closure and Flash Systems


If the flash heads of a flash system are not fired absolutely synchronously and
at the same time a relatively short exposure time is set for the flash
synchronization, there may be problems in connection with a slot shutter.
Non-synchronous resolution can occur if in particular, in a compact flash
system, only one flash head is triggered via cable or radio and the other flash
heads are triggered via a photocell as a slave. This also applies if several
separate generators are to be ignited at the same time.
Typical analog cameras for studio photography have a slit lock that can be
deactivated because a lens with a central shutter is in principle the better
partner for a flash system.

Comparison of Lamps And Flash Systems


Overall, the advantages of a flash system, at least a good flash system
compared to studio lamps, outweigh but the price difference is also very clear
even when purchasing used equipment. If you rarely use your home studio, it
is usually not worth buying a good flash system. You should stay away from
cheap flash systems anyway. It is not for nothing that these devices are
offered in heaps because the previous owners are not at all satisfied with
them.
However, you should also be aware that flash systems deliver a lot of light
but movements are always frozen because a flash shines for significantly less
than five hundredths of a second. This is usually desirable but not always.
The flash duration can only be set with professional flash systems of the
upper class. With such a system, full photos would also be possible because
the setting range extends from 1/30 to 1/2000 seconds.

Daylight Lamps
There are real daylight lamps that are increasingly used in television studios
and concert halls. These lamps actually have the same color spectrum as
daylight and despite their very cool character compared to incandescent light,
are perceived as pleasant. Our brains are calibrated for daylight. But the
alleged daylight lamps offered by eBay and typical mail order dealers for the
equipment of photo amateurs simply have nothing in common with daylight.
These are large-area energy-saving lamps. Energy-saving lamps have a cool
light character because the color spectrum completely lacks red. This light
has a similarly cool character to daylight but the lack of red does not produce
daylight, instead it creates color distortions. These alleged daylight flash light
are misleading consumers; therefore, my very clear advice, stay away.

Other Accessories for a Home Studio


In addition to the lighting device and backgrounds, it is above all tripods that
you need for the lighting device and if it is so weak that it usually takes
longer exposure times than 1/30 second, for the camera.
Flash Light Meter
In principle, a flash exposure meter is required for a flash system. You can
also buy a used one but now these devices are more expensive than a mid-
range digital SLR camera. The earlier handheld exposure meters of the upper
class, for example, the Lunasix and Profisix models, can be switched from
permanent light measurement to flash light measurement and cost between
$40 and $170 on eBay.
The flash exposure meter is not absolutely necessary. Because in the age of
digital photography, it is just as easy to find the right exposure with a few test
photos. Of course, this is best done before a shoot with a model. Since there
can be considerable deviations between the display on the camera and the
monitor display on the computer, if you do not have a reliable flash exposure
meter, the monitor should at least be calibrated to a certain extent so that it is
neither too dark nor too bright and the display representation can be
compared with the monitor.
With slightly better digital SLR cameras, the brightness of the display can be
adjusted. If you don't do this, there can be nasty surprises, for example, a
whole shoot with underexposed photos. I speak from experience.
Unfortunately, I have already experienced that. Only because of this
experience did I adjust the display brightness to the monitor.
What Else Do You Need?
In addition to this basic equipment, you don't really need anything for a photo
studio. Actually, this means that you can of course put a lot of money into a
photo studio, for example, with a ceiling rail system for the flash heads, for
example, for an electrical background suspension, etc.
If you need a column tripod for a Hazylight, for example, you will have a
hard time with used equipment because typical photo studios have a height of
at least 3.50 m and column tripods are correspondingly high.
Accessories
If portrait or nude photography should become the main hobby, you
gradually acquire suitable accessories and possibly also a pool of out-of-the-
ordinary clothes. Many women react extremely irritated when their clothes
are used on a model for a shoot. You can save yourself this hassle by
carefully keeping clothing and accessories separate for shootings.
Recording Table and Light Tent
This is dealt with in the chapter object photography. The purchase is certainly
not worth it for occasional needs. There are good makeshift solutions.

The Cost of a Home Studio


You can set up a small home studio with very little effort if you gradually
acquire everything used except for the backgrounds. Backgrounds are not
particularly expensive. Occasionally, backgrounds are also offered but
because of the transport, this is only worthwhile if you don't have to drive too
far.
You get video lights so cheap on eBay that going to the hardware store is not
worth it for significantly worse site lights. Tripods can also be used almost
without hesitation. This basic equipment would only cost a few hundred
dollars. The higher the demands, the more expensive it becomes. If you
orient yourself at professional studios, you can quickly spend $20,000 and
more and is far from over. There is almost no upper limit for the studio
equipment.
Studio equipment is much more about durability and quality than a digital
SLR camera. The development of digital cameras is still progressing so
quickly that 3-4 year old cameras are technically completely out of date. It is
different with the studio equipment, since the essential developments have
long been completed and for this reason, longevity is an essential factor for
planning your own home studio. So you'd better start with less, but good
quality that you can buy second-hand than to make the apparent bargain
which quickly turns out to be cheap junk.
If you gradually expand the equipment as far as you discover studio
photography as a hobby, you also know much more what you still need and
what you have to pay attention to.
Incidentally, brand manufacturers have long discovered the amateur market
for themselves. This then leads to strange excesses such as the compact flash
systems of a renowned manufacturer which were designed for professionals
and once for amateurs. The series designed for amateurs, lacks an important
component that does not even cost $4 and prevents overheating of a flash
head. As a result, if you are not careful, the capacitors will explode and a new
purchase is due.
You are therefore on the safe side, even with renowned brand manufacturers,
only with the devices designed for the professional market. No brand
manufacturer in this market can afford poor quality or poor service.
CONCLUSION

Digital technology has reached high levels of quality and the electronic
storage of medical information is more common every day. The quick access
and easy handling of this information make a digital archive of patient
images necessary for the daily medical practice of the plastic surgeon. This
technology has been used for many years. However, the high costs of
photographic equipment until now limited the use of this type of
photography. Today, ideal digital photographic equipment is cheaper and
computers offer hard drives capable of storing and organizing hundreds of
thousands of photos.
In Plastic Surgery, the most used digital equipment continues to be compact
digital cameras. With the decrease in costs in the last 10 years of advanced
cameras, such as SLRs, it is very important that plastic surgeons take the big
step and invest in equipment of higher quality and versatility for their
consultations.
We need a basic knowledge of photography to obtain optimal images and
digitally standardize the evolution of the patient through the taking of
photographs. By acquiring good photographic equipment and installing a
suitable studio, we obtain not only a superior quality of the images we take,
but also the patient will notice the seriousness, quality of care and service that
the doctor will be providing.
APPENDIX

Frequently Asked Questions


What does light intensity mean?
The light intensity of a lens indicates the maximum inner diameter of the lens
in relation to its focal length.
For example, if a fairly bright lens is offered with the following information:
50 mm 2.0, then this means that the inner lens aperture is half the focal
length, i.e. a maximum of 25 mm in diameter with the aperture open.
An extremely bright 50 mm lens with a maximum aperture of 1.2 has an
inner diameter of almost 42 mm. Because fast lenses require extreme effort,
especially if they should already have at least a satisfactory focus even with
the aperture open, they are extremely expensive.
It was and is usual for a focal length around 50 mm light intensity around 2.8.
With zoom lenses, the light intensity is usually significantly lower, except for
the very expensive representatives of their type and also not consistent for the
entire focal length range.
The larger the maximum diameter, the more light reaches the sensor or film
when the aperture is open. So you can still take pictures with relatively little
light and reasonably short exposure times.
However, there are difficult physical limits to be overcome for the maximum
diameter of a lens and thus for its light intensity. Because the larger the
aperture, the less clear the picture becomes.
Luminous lenses are ideal if they are absolutely sharp when the aperture is
open but at the same time have a relatively shallow depth of field. Because
then you can use the light intensity of the lens not only specifically in poor
lighting situations but also for all photos where a shallow depth of field is
expressly desired.
The relationship between light intensity and sharpness can perhaps also be
imagined with the following example: Take a completely light-tight box with
a white inner wall on the back and make a small hole in the front. This is how
the first cameras were made. The smaller the opening, the sharper the
projected image on the back wall of the box. At the same time, with an
increasingly smaller opening, less and less light passes through the small
hole. Despite the sophisticated lens technology, nothing has ever changed on
this fundamental problem. If the hole becomes too large, you only get a
completely blurred projection of lights and shadows on the white back wall.
What does open aperture mean?
When the aperture is fully open, i.e., the set aperture value is the smallest
number that the lens offers, one speaks of an open aperture.
For zoom lenses, this value can vary depending on the focal length set. The
light intensity of a zoom lens is only the same across the entire focal length
range with only a few lenses. If for example, the information about a zoom
lens reads 80-200 mm/3.5-5.6, then the 80-200 mm stand for the focal length
range of the lens, 3.5-5.6 describe the different light intensities and thus also
the maximum aperture depending on the selected focal length.
If there were just 2.8 instead, you would have a high-performance lens with a
light intensity of 2.8 across the entire focal length range. Such lenses exist but
they are very expensive.
When the aperture is open, the sharpness of the lens is lowest both in relation
to the overall sharpness and the depth of focus. You can take advantage of
this in terms of design if you only want to sharply depict the actual image
object, for example, in the case of a portrait or a single flower.
In bad light, regardless of the design options, the open aperture is often the
only way to achieve exposure times that you can control just as freely without
a photo, so without a tripod.
What does an aperture do?
With the aperture, the light beam is influenced by the lens. The larger the
aperture, the more light comes through the lens onto the sensor or film, the
smaller the aperture gets, the less light gets through the lens.
Together with the exposure time, the aperture controls the amount of light
with which the film or sensor is exposed. But that's just one of the functions
of an aperture. Both the overall focus of a lens and the depth of field are
influenced via the aperture.
If the aperture is fully open, i.e., corresponds to the light intensity of the lens,
the imaging performance of a lens is the lowest. Most lenses achieve the
highest imaging performance with a medium aperture, that is, aperture values
in the range of 8-11.
If the aperture is closed even further, the overall sharpness decreases again
but the depth of focus increases. The light diffraction causes the decrease in
the overall sharpness at the increasingly smaller aperture.
However, this information only applies to the 35 mm format, the larger the
negative format or the sensor surface, the more you can reduce the aperture
without causing light diffraction which reduces the overall sharpness again.
With a medium format camera, you can also take pictures at aperture 16
without light diffraction.
What do the numbers mean with which an aperture is denoted?
The aperture value indicates the aperture of the aperture in relation to the
focal length as a divisor in a fraction. The focal length is the denominator, the
aperture of the dividers and the result of the diameter of the aperture. The
easiest way to explain this is with lenses with fixed focal lengths. Let's take a
lens with a 100 mm focal length as an example. If it were a fast and thus also
expensive lens, then it would perhaps have a value of 2 as the light intensity
and maximum aperture. This means that with the maximum aperture of the
aperture, corresponds to the inside diameter of the lens through which the
light falls, the simple calculation, 100 by 2, i.e. focal length of the lens
divided by the value of the aperture. This results in an inside diameter of 50
mm.
At aperture eight, the calculation looks like this: 100 divided by 8, this gives
12.5, so the diameter of the aperture is still 12.5 mm. The larger the number
that is set as the aperture value, the larger the divisor in the fractional
calculation and thus the smaller the diameter of the aperture through which
the light must pass. For example, it may be understandable why more light
passes through the lens, the smaller the number that is set as the aperture
value.
What is ISO?
The ISO value indicates the light sensitivity of the sensor. The lowest
sensitivity to light in common digital cameras is 50 ISO. The maximum that
is currently reached is over 50,000 ISO. Every doubling of the ISO value
doubles the sensitivity to light. That is why the usual grades are ISO 100,
200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200. Only a few digital SLR cameras go further: ISO
6400, 12800, 25600, 51200.
A doubling of the light sensitivity corresponds to a full aperture step or a
halving of the exposure time. Only a few cameras with a very high-quality
sensor enable ISO values of 800 or more without visible image noise.
Therefore, when it comes to the highest quality of a photo, always set the
lowest sensitivity for which the sensor is optimized. The technical data in the
operating instructions shows which one is. It is not always the slightest
sensitivity that is offered in the menu because in order to be able to take
pictures even with extreme brightness for example, a strong flash system,
some digital cameras offer lower ISO values than the actual light sensitivity
of the sensor. However, every deviation of the ISO value from the sensor's
native light sensitivity is achieved electronically and leads to measurable,
clearly visible quality deviations in terms of sharpness and image noise in the
case of larger deviations.
Of course, this recommendation can only apply if the lighting conditions play
a role, i.e., if the available light is sufficient for the low ISO value with a
sufficiently short exposure time. For this very reason, there was and still is
film material with different sensitivities, just as there are different setting
options for ISO sensitivity for digital cameras.
And just as in the analog world, a higher sensitivity was usually bought with
a more or less visible loss of quality, so it is with digital cameras where high
sensitivity also goes hand in hand with a loss of quality.
Incidentally, ISO and ASA designate one and the same, both are an
internationally used standard that has developed from the American ASA
standard. The A at ASA stands for America, the I at ISO for international.
What does depth of field mean?
The depth of field describes the area in front of and behind the actual plane of
focus which is still sharply drawn. A lens is set to a certain distance; this
setting is the plane of focus. The area that is sharply drawn before and after it
depends on the focal length used and the aperture set.
The influence of the focal length on the depth of field
Basically, the shorter the focal length, the greater the depth of field. Since a
small sensor such as the sensor of a pocket camera works with very short
focal lengths, the depth of field of a pocket camera is also very large.
The larger the recording format, the lower the depth of field because a much
larger focal length is required for the same viewing angle. For this reason, the
depth of field of a digital SLR camera in full format is already significantly
less than that of cameras with a significantly smaller sensor.
Short focal lengths, i.e., wide-angle lenses or the corresponding settings with
a zoom lens have a very large depth of field, long focal lengths as with a
strong telephoto lens have a very small depth of field which in extreme cases
is only a few centimeters.
The influence of the aperture on the depth of field
The smaller the aperture, the smaller the opening through which the light has
to pass, the greater the depth of field. The depth of field is the smallest when
the aperture is open. This also applies in principle to all lenses and cameras.
The aperture can be used to influence how far the depth of field should go for
the selected focal length.
If you want to take photos with a digital SLR camera as you might be used to
from the previous pocket camera, i.e. everything is sharp from front to back,
then you have to use a wide-angle lens and set a small aperture. By the way,
this is also possible with the aperture selector (automatic timer). On the
contrary, if you want to take a portrait with only the face in focus, use a
telephoto lens with a large aperture.
The range of depth of field
The depth of field decreases towards the front much faster than towards the
rear. You have to know this if you want a very specific area to be razor-sharp.
Therefore, in case of doubt, set the distance a little shorter than absolutely
necessary in order to really get the area in front of the object.
How can you determine the depth of field beforehand?
It's easy when you use a prime lens. For lenses with a fixed focal length, the
range of depth of field is displayed for every set distance and aperture. If you
use a zoom lens instead, nothing will be shown, so you have to experiment or
gain some experience.
The view through the viewfinder is not really helpful either because as long
as you don't press the shutter button, the aperture is always fully open. That
makes sense, otherwise, the viewfinder image would be much too dark. The
aperture is only closed at the preset value at the moment of recording.
What is total sharpness?
At first glance, depth of field and overall sharpness seem to mean the same
thing, namely how sharp a photo is. But that's not true. Overall sharpness is
the maximum sharpness that is in a photo. So how sharp are hair or other fine
details drawn and how well are fine color gradients resolved?
In contrast to the depth of field which can be extended to the maximum by
continuously closing the aperture, the maximum focus performance of a lens
is not achieved with a very small aperture but with a medium aperture. In the
field of conventional digital SLR cameras, the maximum sharpness is
achieved with aperture values between eight and eleven. If you open the
diaphragm up to the open diaphragm, the sharpness will decrease as well as
vice versa if you close the diaphragm beyond this optimal value.
It is not easy to understand that the focus performance decreases with even
smaller aperture values, although the depth of field increases at the same
time. The reason is simply that when the aperture is smaller than the
optimum, the light at the small aperture is diffracted and the sharpness
therefore, decreases again. This results in maximum sharpness with a
medium aperture, maximum depth of field with the smallest aperture.
Focal length, what is it actually?
The focal length is the distance from the arithmetic center of the lens to the
focal point with the infinity distance setting. If the object is closer than with
the infinity setting of a lens, the focal length must be extended to get the focal
point on the projection surface.
The easiest way to explain this is with a magnifying lens since it consists of
only one lens. If you want to use a magnifying lens as a burning lens, you
have to experiment with the distance to the paper until it is really just a
sharply defined point, the focal point. This distance is the focal length of the
magnifying lens.
The focal length is given in mm. With older lenses, the measurement unit cm
which was previously used equally is sometimes used instead. In order to
enable comparability with different sensor or film formats, the focal length of
a lens is often given in relation to the small picture format with 24 x 36 mm
which corresponds to the full digital format.
Focal length and depth of field
The focal length of a lens has an absolute property in terms of depth of field.

Short focal lengths: great depth of field.


Long focal lengths: shallow depth of field.
This property has nothing to do with whether a lens is a telephoto or wide-
angle lens but is directly dependent on the actual focal length. The telephoto
setting of a digital camera with a very small sensor corresponds in terms of
the real focal length to a wide-angle lens on a full-frame camera. If you
compare a full-format (small picture) camera with a large-format camera with
a negative format of 18x24 cm, you get the same picture.
The focal length of the strong telephoto lens of the full-format camera
corresponds to a white-angle lens of the large-format camera. Since the depth
of field is an absolute property of the focal length, the depth of field of a
strong telephoto lens of a pocket camera or other digital cameras with a
similarly small sensor corresponds to a strong wide-angle lens on a full-frame
camera, i.e. it extends over a very large area.
However, the wide-angle lens of a large-format camera corresponds to a
strong telephoto lens of a full-frame camera with regard to its focal length
and thus depth of field and is just as small. This knowledge is important for
the purchase decision when buying a camera or if you have several cameras
with sensors of different sizes, for example, a digital SLR with APS or full-
format sensor and a smartphone with a tiny sensor.
Crop factor
The focal length for different sensor or film formats is converted using the
crop factor which refers to the 35 mm format that is widespread in analog
times. A digital full-frame camera logically has a crop factor 1, since the
sensor area is exactly the same size as a 35 mm negative. A digital SLR
camera in the widely used APS format with a little more than 23 x 15 mm
(the digits behind the decimal point differ slightly depending on the camera
manufacturer) has a crop factor of 1.5 which means that the focal length of a
lens is multiplied by 1.5 in order to achieve a picture angle comparable to the
full format.
A 50 mm lens on a full-frame camera becomes a 75 mm lens (but only in
relation to the angle of view) on a digital SLR camera in the consumer class
with an APS sensor. In fact, the 50 mm lens, of course, remains a 50 mm lens
which is particularly noticeable in terms of light intensity and depth of field.
Focal length depending on the distance setting
If you set a shorter distance than the infinity setting of a lens, the entire light
gray area (the inner tube) including the lenses inside the lens (dark gray) is
pushed forward because otherwise, the focal point with the result of blurred
photos lies behind the sensor level. This means that any distance shorter than
the infinity setting of a lens requires a longer focal length than the one
specified on the lens. Since the depth of field becomes smaller with
increasing focal length, it is also understandable why the depth of field in the
close-up range is significantly smaller than for objects further away.
However, changing the focal length with the distance setting does not change
the angle of view of a lens. A different nominal focal length only changes the
angle of view.
Why do you need the different file formats for photos?
Virtually, every digital camera offers JPEG as a storage format. Cameras in
the upscale sector also offer saving as a raw format or more rarely as a TIF.
Some cameras can also save photos in multiple formats at the same time.
Advantages and disadvantages of the individual file formats
JPEG
JPEG is the common file format for on-screen display, especially for photos
on the web. Its advantage, relatively small file sizes and the possibility of
compression to reduce the file size even more. However, this is not possible
without loss of quality.
This brings us to the first decisive disadvantage, at least as the storage format
of the camera. This is not about publishing on a website after all processing
steps have already been done. Because JPEG was actually only developed for
this.
The first loss of quality occurs when you save it in the camera. If the photo is
opened in an image processing program and saved again after processing, the
next compression with a further loss of quality will still occur even if no
compression level is selected. The renewed loss of quality can only be
avoided if the photo is no longer saved as a JPEG after editing but either as a
TIF or Photoshop file (PSD). Compared to a raw data file, the JPEG format
has other serious disadvantages. The image information is final, unlike in a
raw data file.
JPEG should therefore be avoided if your camera also offers other options for
saving photos. There is only one exception, if the camera offers to save both
in raw data format and as JPEG at the same time.
I occasionally make use of this when I am either visiting friends who do not
have an image processing program installed on their computer which can
read raw data or to be able to give the unprocessed photos to a model after a
shoot. Then the JPEGs are deleted, I no longer need them. Further processing
takes place on the basis of the raw data file.
Raw data file
In contrast to JPEG, TIF, PSD and other file formats for photos, the 4 color
channels red, 2xgreen and blue are stored separately in a raw data file and
have not yet been mixed together. Of course, this increases the file size
compared to the JPEG but it is the prerequisite for meaningful post-
processing. In addition, there is no compression, so there is no loss of quality
due to the saving. This statement is not absolute but depends on the
manufacturer's specific raw data format. Because of the 4 separate color
channels, the color temperature (white balance) can be changed later without
any problems. In a JPEG, this would only be possible with extreme effort.
Many other parameters can also be changed directly in the raw data file
without any loss of quality.
Except for the fact that older versions of Windows cannot display raw data
files and the raw data file takes up significantly more space, there are no
disadvantages. In view of the fact that memory cards for cameras have
become very inexpensive, the file size should no longer play a role. There is a
disadvantage that can be avoided by some camera manufacturers. Each
camera manufacturer has developed its own file format for raw data. As the
manufacturer depends, these file formats are not necessarily future-proof.
Adobe has also developed a file format for raw data, DNG, which is the
worldwide standard and therefore, like the PDF also developed by Adobe,
has long been considered a future-proof standard.
Pentax and some other camera manufacturers offer saving either in their own
raw data format or as DNG. All other camera-specific raw data formats can
be converted to DNG with converters without loss of quality.
Saving it as a raw data file is the ultimate if your camera offers it. Only after
all processing steps have been carried out in an image processing program,
including the image size for the intended publication, can an image be saved
as a JPEG for the web because only for this purpose was this format
originally created.
TIF
TIF is also a storage format for photos and graphics. Some digital cameras
should, I have heard at least once, offer to save the photos as a TIF. In
contrast to JPEG, TIF is lossless and therefore, you should definitely have a
camera that offers TIF but not raw data for storing photos over JPEG. This
format actually plays a role in prepress or as a cross-platform software-
independent file format for high-quality graphics and photos.
Because it is the only cross-platform and software-independent file format
that can also save several levels, in this respect, it is almost on a par with
Photoshop's own PSD file format. But in the actual digital photography, it
does not matter at first, unless as I said, you have a camera that allows you to
save the photos as a TIF.
Fundamentals for understanding the different display of screen and
printout
The pixels on a monitor are square. This means that everything that does not
have a dividing line to the next object exactly vertically or horizontally must
be represented in the form of a staircase. If you enlarge a photo extremely on
the monitor, you can see both the individual pixels and the steps.
That is one of the fundamental problems of computer graphics and digital
photography. Because with a sufficiently large enlargement or strong
compression, the steps become visible.
In printing, just like in an analog film, there are no stairs but instead pixels. In
film material, these pixels are called grain. As a result, there are no stairs if
something does not run exactly horizontally or vertically through a picture.
Analog film material is actually the more suitable one for prepress because it
works on the same principle as printing. However, thanks to the very high
resolution of current digital cameras, this only plays a role at extreme
magnifications.
There is another difference between the two different color models
Any color can be represented with the three primary colors. However, there
are two fundamentally different color models, the additive color model RBG
and the subtractive color model CMYK.
RBG, the additive color model is used in monitor display by digital cameras
and inkjet printers. This means that the three colors red, green and blue are
superimposed in different brightness levels which results in the subjective
color impression.
The subtractive CMYK color model used in professional printing instead
subtracts the colors from each other. This is why this color model also has
three other primary colors, namely cyan, magenta and yellow. However,
since black cannot be represented with these three colors, black is another
color in this color model.
A good image editing program can of course, convert any photo and graphic
from one color model to another but that doesn't change the fact that no
monitor can display CMYK absolutely correctly. After all, it is a completely
different color model than the RBG of the monitor. This makes it very
difficult to prepare a photo for printing if you can't do a test print. Especially
when it comes to shades of green, there are drastic differences between the
display of the monitor and the printout.
In addition, depending on your personal monitor setting of course, an image
in print will often appear significantly darker than on the monitor. This can
only be avoided to some extent by calibrating the monitor which has to be
repeated at least annually and is not exactly cheap. Not every monitor is
suitable for calibration.
A photo amateur who orders a poster online for example, should take this to
heart, otherwise, the poster can be a bitter disappointment. One can judge to
some extent how the photo will come from the print shop if one has the
opportunity to print the image in advance on a laser color printer because
these printers also work with the CMYK color model.
INDEX

A
analog photography 54, 59, 76, 117, 135, 157, 204, 207, 213, 218, 219, 228, 256, 264
angle of view 2, 3, 4, 51, 57, 59, 61, 68, 69, 74, 75, 76, 79, 80, 81, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91,
92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 104, 138, 140, 142, 150, 173, 174, 181, 182, 199, 223, 224, 225, 226,
232, 253, 255, 294, 295
aperture 4, 5, 6, 20, 59, 61, 62, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 81, 87, 88, 95, 96, 98, 99,
100, 102, 107, 108, 109, 123, 125, 131, 146, 164, 165, 172, 176, 177, 179, 180, 183, 189, 191, 198,
199, 200, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 223, 232, 244, 245, 246, 249, 251, 255, 260, 261, 264,
265, 266, 279, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293
APS format 2, 76, 81, 294
APS sensor 2, 78, 79, 80, 81, 85, 93, 104, 138, 144, 199, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229,
233, 234, 237, 238, 239, 240, 246, 253, 255, 294
APS sensors 2, 79, 223, 225, 229, 237
architectural photography 6, 140, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 150, 253
Architectural photography 140
artificial light 122, 148, 159, 186, 194, 195, 217, 257, 258, 271
autofocus 67, 100, 101, 103, 176, 181, 183, 184, 187, 188, 189, 202, 234, 235, 239, 249, 250,
259, 261, 263

B
background 2, 3, 25, 26, 35, 36, 37, 51, 52, 61, 70, 75, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92, 95, 97, 99, 109, 114,
119, 120, 121, 123, 124, 126, 127, 132, 139, 154, 161, 168, 169, 181, 182, 190, 201, 209, 227, 234,
267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 279, 284
Backlighting 19
barrel distortions 93
binoculars 87, 97

C
camera flash 10, 16, 18, 23, 139, 279
camera shutter 125
color channels 30, 195, 196, 219, 257, 296
color temperature 11, 12, 158, 168, 193, 194, 212, 213, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 257, 258,
271, 274, 296
complementary color 11, 264
contrast motifs 190, 202
cropping tool 51, 56, 168

D
depth gradation 3, 35, 75, 79, 90, 94, 96
depth of field 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 59, 60, 61, 62, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81,
85, 86, 89, 90, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100, 101, 113, 119, 123, 131, 145, 146, 147, 151, 177, 183,
189, 198, 199, 222, 223, 225, 229, 236, 237, 245, 246, 264, 288, 289, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295
design elements 1, 4, 6, 108
diffuse light 14, 36
digital camera 13, 29, 60, 78, 108, 133, 142, 149, 157, 158, 180, 184, 190, 192, 195, 201, 207,
213, 235, 246, 248, 258, 271, 274, 279, 293, 295
digital SLR cameras 60, 69, 76, 102, 125, 145, 146, 157, 184, 189, 198, 200, 208, 235, 238,
239, 242, 246, 249, 253, 284, 290, 292

E
exposure time 5, 17, 33, 64, 74, 84, 85, 87, 98, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 125,
131, 151, 176, 177, 179, 180, 182, 183, 189, 198, 199, 200, 205, 206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 232, 255,
260, 261, 264, 281, 289, 290

F
falling diagonal 39, 40
falling lines 92, 140, 141, 142, 145, 253
flash synchronization 125, 281
flash unit 16, 18, 19, 125, 170, 218, 279, 280
focal length 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 51, 57, 59, 60, 62, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81,
84, 85, 86, 87, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104, 119, 123, 127, 129, 138,
141, 142, 144, 167, 171, 177, 182, 189, 199, 208, 223, 224, 225, 226, 237, 238, 242, 243, 244, 245,
246, 250, 251, 253, 255, 287, 288, 289, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295
foreground 3, 26, 34, 35, 36, 37, 75, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 96, 97, 123, 124, 132, 182, 190, 234

G
golden ratio 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 54, 56, 57, 60, 74, 132, 133, 145, 202, 253
grazing light 21, 22, 23, 25, 148

H
Hazylight 19, 115, 122, 152, 277, 279, 280, 284

I
image editing program 11, 39, 51, 54, 113, 131, 140, 146, 149, 158, 167, 171, 172, 177, 194,
197, 263, 265, 271, 298
image section 2, 38, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 48, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 73, 90, 96, 113, 129, 130, 131,
133, 185, 188, 189, 191, 203, 238
image stabilizer 85, 99, 104, 106, 107, 108, 199, 232
incandescent light 11, 158, 159, 193, 214, 257, 271, 283
ISO sensitivity 178, 179, 187, 290
ISO value 64, 98, 102, 125, 146, 186, 192, 198, 199, 200, 204, 205, 206, 210, 290
L
landscape photography 132, 133, 134, 135, 148
light spectrum 8
lighting effects 9, 114, 121, 269, 280

M
manual white balance 11, 30, 193, 214, 215, 216
Maximum sharpness 6

N
natural light 11, 114, 120, 121, 128, 193, 217, 264

O
Object photography 150, 151
overall sharpness 6, 7, 59, 62, 70, 80, 95, 131, 146, 183, 199, 288, 289, 292

P
photographic subjects 134
Photography and painting 1
Photoshop plugins 134
polarizing filter 93, 134, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264

R
reportage photography 16, 55

S
shift lens 92, 144, 152, 254
shutter release button 109, 187, 189
souvenir photos 16, 133, 139, 197, 219, 222, 223, 237, 240
spotlights 9, 121, 158, 273, 274

T
Telephoto lenses 3, 96, 98
tripod 27, 85, 87, 98, 99, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, 121, 122, 125, 131, 135,
144, 146, 156, 158, 160, 163, 167, 168, 170, 171, 189, 199, 229, 232, 254, 272, 276, 277, 279, 284,
288

W
Wide angle lenses 3
wide-angle lenses 3, 5, 70, 75, 79, 91, 93, 96, 140, 141, 142, 145, 225, 226, 251, 254, 291
Z
zoom lens 3, 6, 71, 73, 75, 76, 94, 97, 129, 138, 167, 242, 243, 244, 245, 250, 288, 291, 292
zoom lenses 2, 71, 75, 85, 94, 98, 208, 243, 244, 245, 250, 251, 254, 287, 288

You might also like