EQUIPMENT
FILM | CAMERAS | CAMERA USE | LENSES | METERS | STROBES | LIGHT CONTROL | TRIPOD | FILTERS | OTHER
FILM
Choice of film and maintenance of film are among the most important considerations. The film you chose will determine the quality of image you are able to record. This may be based on the lighting conditions you will photograph, or more importantly, the Connotation of the image you wish to create. More on this can be found in
Film is sensitive to temperature, as well as light. Film exposed to high temperatures, especially over a long period, will show stress, including increased grain and increased density in negatives. There may also be a color shift, most commonly seen in Slide Film exposed to heat. Heat may increase sensitivity to light. As well, most airport x-ray machines are capable of fogging the film with light, or even severely overexposing the film to light, especially as the power of those machines is turned up. When traveling by air, it may be best to purchase film at your destination and process it before returning. If keeping film in a car during hot summer months it is best to keep it, tightly sealed, in a small insulated cooler.
CAMERAS
Cameras come in a variety of formats, essentially a range of film sizes they accept. The standard format is 35mm. It is the consumer Camera of choice. It can be used spontaneously or in controlled environment. Manufacturers have included everything, except a full studio light kit and crew, on the Camera. The meter selections and circuitry are vastly improved over the original 35mm SLRs that sold en masse in the 1970s. Many of the new functions are useful, but complicated, and many are useless to the photographer who knows how to use a Camera. Most 35mm Cameras have a built-in flash that works reasonably well at close range.
Larger formats have the ability to record higher quality images, when used in certain controlled conditions or under certain methodical processes. They are heavier and slower to use. Measuring light is often done with a separate Spot Meter or Flash Meter. The original image size produced by a Medium Format Camera is approximately threes times as large as that of a 35mm, making it able to render substantially more detail than 35mm. See
Larger formats, 4x5 and 8x10, are used in limited capacity, in fields such as Architectural and Landscape Photography.
Digital Cameras are being made to look and function like many 35mm Cameras, but their format is based on Digital File size. The concerns most associated with digital cameras include Interpolation effects and file size, or image resolution, limitations. Many of the Digital Cameras do not produce high enough resolution and image sharpness for use in print. The public largely does not understand that television and computer monitors are extremely low resolution when compared to Photographic Prints and even offset printed publications.
Digital Images do not change or deteriorate, as is the case in the generational steps of printing or copying traditional photography. See
Some drawbacks include the higher expense of storing and maintaining large quantities of Digital Files and the need to be an expert with software, such as PhotoShop and Fireworks, to prepare images for the production stage in print and electronic media. The greatest issues faced in Digital Imaging are Interpolation and calibration problems between many monitors and production systems.
We are still in the transitional phase where getting control of image quality and lighting is best with film, but the ability to produce publication-quality Digital Images comparable in size to Medium Format may become available and affordable soon.
CAMERA USE
The function of the Camera is the measurement of the light and steadiness of the image. The Camera contains the Shutter, which is responsible for timing the exposure. For more information about the Shutter, see Exposure, Shutter.
The function of the Lens is sharpness and Depth of Field. See Lenses below. The function of the Flash or Strobe is to provide light. See Strobes below.
Some Camera Modes, or operational methods, include:
Program or Automatic: The Camera determines the Shutter Speed and Aperture based on its internal Meter readings.
Manual or Manual Operation: The user determines the Shutter Speed and the Aperture based on light readings determined with a Flash Meter, Spot Meter or internal Camera Meter.
Shutter Priority: The user determines the Shutter Speed and the Camera determines the Aperture based on its internal Meter readings.
Aperture Priority: The user determines the Aperture and the Camera determines the Shutter Speed based on its internal Meter readings.
Shutter-related blur can be caused by Camera movement or subject motion. Camera movement can be caused by the subtle movement, breathing, or even the pulse, of the user. As you work over long periods of time, it can be increasingly difficult to hold the Camera steady. Additionally, the Shutter and Mirror, used to focus through the viewfinder, can cause Camera movement as they are moving parts inside the Camera Body. Camera movement can be reduced with use of a Tripod, as well as by using a faster Shutter Speed. See
Aperture-related blur can be caused by shallow Depth of Field or poor focus. You must focus more precisely with more shallow Depth of Field. See Lenses below.
LENSES
Wide Angle Lenses create an exaggerated relationship between near and far subjects. They are most typically used because of the ability to include more information in the background behind a main subject featured in the foreground. Wide Angle Lenses have a greater Depth of Field than Narrow Lenses, which are commonly called Long Lenses.
A Wide Angle Lens, such as 24mm or 28mm, is easier to stabilize as Camera movement or user movement will be less pronounced. A Wide Angle Lens produces greater Depth of Field, allowing near and far subjects to appear in focus when using a medium or small Aperture. It can actually be difficult to exaggerate the out-of-focus effect you may desire in the foreground or background of your pictures.
A Normal Lens, with a standard Lens Angle, is considered 50mm or 55mm. The angle of the lens is close to the normal way people see, with less distortion or exaggeration than a Wide Angle Lens, and less compression of size relationship than a Long Lens.
A Long Lens provides a narrow angle of view, creating compression of size relationship between objects. Long Lenses provide very shallow Depth of Field, making it very easy to select a short depth of sharp focus, allowing you to blur much of the background and foreground. Image quality may suffer greatly from increased magnification of camera movement and user movement.
A Zoom Lens allows you to change the angle of the Lens, by moving the optical elements in and out, thereby changing the Focal Length of the Lens. A typical Zoom Lens may change from wide to slightly longer than normal, 28mm to 80mm, or from slightly longer than normal to narrow, 80mm to 200mm. Users have often believed that Zoom Lenses produce unsharp results, due to the moving optical elements. It is usually the user moving the elements as the Shutter is released, or not steadily holding the camera, that causes the slight blur or lack of focus. Because the Aperture of a Zoom Lens, as well as many Long Lenses, often will not open wider than f5.6, the Shutter Speed may be too slow to "freeze" the subject or eliminate camera movement in low light conditions.
METERS
Most 35mm Cameras and some Medium Format Cameras contain Light Meters that measure reflected light. They are calibrated to determine an accurate exposure for a surface that reflects 18% of the light. The Camera User Guide will explain the "weighted" area of the frame, the area that determines the Meter Reading. Many Camera Light Meters make an accurate exposure when using a Dedicated Flash by metering Through the Lens (TTL). This feature is often tied to the range of focus. Many Camera Light Meters can compensate for the available Ambient Light that is present when making a Flash Exposure. If using independent Strobes to overcome the limitations of the On-Camera Flash, the Camera Light Meter will probably not be reliable.
A Spot Meter measures reflected light in a small area, such as a one degree spot. The user of a Spot Meter should be prepared to make decisions about the exposure as the Spot Meter can be used to measure a very precise area. The Meter will give a reading based on the surface of the subject reflecting 18% of the light. If the surface reflects more or less than 18%, the user must make adjustments to make well-controlled exposures. The Spot Meter is used most often by photographers who want to look at the range of light in a scene and make photographs in which they have enhanced or diminished the contrast in light and dark areas.
Other meters, such as a Flash Meter, measure direct light from the source, light that has not reflected from the surface being measured or to be exposed. The Flash Meter is usually held perpendicular to the Camera Lens in order to determine the amount of light being reflected at the Camera. The Flash Meter may also be used to determine the range from light to dark as created by a Strobe or Flash. This allows the photographer to consider a desired amount of over or underexposure.
STROBES AND CONTINUOUS LIGHTS
An On-Camera Flash Unit and a Studio Strobe operate much the same way. Energy is delivered from the battery or AC Power Source and stored in the Capacitors. The stored power can deliver a strong burst of intense light. Strobes are considered "efficient" light providers because they do not burn continuously, thereby reducing heat and energy loss. Flash Units, in which the output can be controlled manually, can be used off the camera, much the same as Studio Strobes. However, Studio Strobes will deliver more consistent light and faster recycle times (the time required to recharge the capacitor).
A Monolight is a self-contained Strobe or Flash Unit where the power storage is contained in the casing. A Strobe Light Kit usually contains a Power Unit with Capacitors that deliver energy to individual Flash Heads.
Continuous Lights, such as Quartz or Halogen Lights, can be used for photographic applications, and are necessary for Video Lighting. Where Strobes are generally balanced for Daylight Film, Continuous Light Sources may require color correction. Continuous Lights may also noticeably warm the surrounding environment.
LIGHT CONTROL DEVICES
Light Control Devices typically help us increase or decrease the size of a light source. They may also help diffuse light, direct light, reflect additional light or block additional reflected light.
Reflectors are most useful when there is a substantial amount of light to work with. White reflects a large percentage of light from a direct source, while silver may even reflect a slightly higher percentage of light while producing a cooler visible temperature of light. Gold produces a warmer visible temperature of light.
Light Control Devices may be used on a small scale as well. There are various bounces and diffusers manufactured for flash units. Bounces typically increase the size of the light source, while diffusers generally rely on other surfaces to bounce light, which leaves the flash in various directions.
Umbrellas and translucent fabric, most commonly used with a frame, increase the size of a light source, whether a strobe or continuously burning bulb. The increased size of the light source creates a longer transition from highlight to shadow. Umbrellas can be used with studio strobes and many consumer flash units. It is important to learn how the flash unit senses light and controls light output to determine if the flash can be bounced into an umbrella. Any manually-operated flash unit can be used with an umbrellas or translucent fabric.
Soft Boxes create the effects or larger light sources, such as translucent fabric on a frame, but with more directional control and little generation of ambient light.
Various cones, grids and snoots are used to direct the light from a strobe or continuously burning bulb. This reduces the effects of ambient light escaping the light source and reflecting from other surfaces.
Black cloth, fabric or other dark material can be used to subtract light from a subject by not allowing surfaces to be illuminated by extraneous sources.
All surfaces around the subject may be used as light control devices, or they may be detrimental to the photograph and reduced or eliminated. White ceilings may be great reflectors for creating extremely large light sources, whereas, dark walls may eliminate the positive effects of ambient light and render the specular highlights overly prominent with light transition to shadow.
TRIPOD
Use of a tripod is the best method to control and stabilize an image. It is effective for increasing depth of field and making long exposures. It can be especially helpful when using a fast light source, a flash or strobe, and combining slow or weak light sources, such as monitors, lamps or candles, which may require substantial increase in the exposure time.
With a threaded adapter (usually 1/4 - 20), a tripod can be a good light stand or reflector holder for field work.
FILTERS
Filters are used to change or affect the light that reaches the film. They also reduce the amount of light that reaches the film. If using an external meter, the filter density must be factored in making the exposure. If measuring light using the Camera, the Camera Light Meter will make adjusted readings for the filter. Confirm this by reading a Gray Card with and without the filter. Filter densities can vary, but some typical examples are listed below.
Polarizer, -2.5 Stops, improves contrast of some surfaces in hazy conditions, enhances or diminishes glare and reflections, can reduce specular highlights and darken blue sky.
Warming Filter 81a and 81b, -.5 and -1 Stops, can reduce blueness in daylight shadows or cloud cover, helps bring out warmer tones of many colors in daylight.
Neutral Density, -1, -2 or -3 Stops, blocks light with no enhancement (neutral) so that Aperture may be open more or Shutter Speed may be increased.
Yellow, Orange, Red, -.5 to -1.5 Stops, used to increase contrast in Black and White Photographs, Yellow having a minimal effect and red having an extreme effect.
Green, used to enhance greenery and separate shades of green (in Gray Tones) in Black and White Photographs.
Fluorescent to Daylight, FL-D, corrects for some fluorescent lights to expose properly for daylight film, but requires experimentation as many fluorescent lights now have different balances.
Sepia, makes scenes appear to have a sepia tone, can be used to rephotograph Black and White Prints using Color Film to make them appear to be sepia-toned.
OTHER
Gray Cards and Note Cards should be carried to make accurate exposure readings and keep notes in situations where the information may be useful in future photography endeavors.
A Compass can be helpful in determining how the early or late sun will affect a scene.
HIFC FIELD GUIDE | PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES | info@houstonculture.org
Updated Oct. 2001