Starting out? - all you need to know about photography

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Getting started is easy
That’s all for now… and plenty to be getting on with. Welcome to the world of creative photography. If you’re still struggling to take it all in, you really shouldn’t worry. Photography has now evolved to such an advanced technological state that the camera can do most things for you and you’ll always get a result – a result that you can learn from, develop and improve upon.

Take your time, use Program or the scenic exposure modes at first, use auto-focus, use auto-white-balance and shoot JPEGs. Just make sure you note what’s happening in the viewfinder readout, and when looking at your finished pictures, take time to check the ExIF (Exchange Image File) data tagged to the image file – it records all the technical details. You’ll soon begin to see what camera settings and photographic techniques bring out the best in different subjects.

You don’t need a computer either – just pop in to your local high street photo processor and slot your memory card into their in-store digital printer. Save the files to CD at the same. Or get yourself a direct-photo printer that has built-in slots to download your camera’s memory card, preferably one with a small LCD screen so you can preview your images. These printers even have simple software incorporated to eliminate red-eye, to zoom in, or to lighten and darken your prints. These printers are cheap, couldn’t be easier to use, and can turn out superb A4 enlargements to show-case your talent.

Good luck!
 
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Answers to the exposure setting question
The correct exposure indicated is 1/125sec at f/8 with ISO 100. In order to use a shutter speed of 1/500sec, you must either use a larger lens aperture, in this case f/4, or increase the ISO setting to 400. There is a third option of setting the lens to f/5.6 and sensor speed to ISO 200, which will also allow you to set the shutter speed at 1/500sec.

There are even more options available if you are prepared to push the ISO rating higher, to ISO 800 or 1600, but you run the risk of increasing noise that could degrade image quality. That will be okay for small prints, but will be more noticeable in larger prints. As always, the choice is yours.

In summary, the primary options as above are:
1/125sec at f/8, ISO 100
1/500sec at f/4, ISO 100
1/500sec at f/8, ISO 400
1/500sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

For an even faster shutter speed to freeze action, you could also set:
1/1000sec at f/8, ISO 800
1/2000sec at f/8, ISO 1600

All these settings will result in the same effective exposure, with the emphasis on a fast shutter speed. There are many more alternative combinations if you want to emphasise depth-of-field by setting the f/number, and then balancing the exposure with adjustments to shutter speed and sensor ISO.

All text Copyright Richard Hopkins, December 2005.
 
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Thanks for that. I haven't read it all yet but know it will be very useful for me. Currently getting to grips with spot metering and using a gray card!
 
thanks for this AB22, as someone who wants to try my hand at photography this is spot on.
 
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