Photography Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 06-05-2024

Controls on Your Nikon D5100 Digital CameraWith the D5100 digital camera, Nikon proves once again that you don't have to give an arm and a leg — or strain your back and neck — to enjoy dSLR photography. The D5100 addition to the Nikon family of dSLRs doesn't skimp on power or performance, offering a great set of features to help you take your photography to the next level. To help you get started using your D5100 camera, here's a handy reference to your camera's buttons and dials and automatic and advanced exposure modes.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-09-2023

Your T3i/600D is packed with so many features that it can be difficult to remember what each control does, especially if you're new to digital SLR photography. To help you sort everything out, this Cheat Sheet provides a quick-reference guide to the external controls and exposure modes on your camera. Print it out, tuck it in your camera bag, and get a head start on taking great shots!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-06-2023

Your Canon EOS R50 has so many features that it can be difficult to remember what each control does. To help you sort things out, this Cheat Sheet offers a handy reference to your camera's external controls and shooting modes. You can print out this guide and tuck it in your camera bag, or you can bookmark this page in the browser of your smartphone. Either way, you're getting a head start on taking great photographs!

Article / Updated 08-14-2023

Getting familiar with the concept of depth of field is one of the biggest steps you can take to taking better shots on your Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D. Not sure what depth of field means? Here’s a quick overview: Depth of field refers to the distance over which objects in a photograph appear acceptably sharp. With a shallow depth of field, the subject is sharp, but objects in front of and behind it appear blurry. The farther an object is from the subject, the blurrier it looks. With a large depth of field, the zone of sharp focus extends to include objects at a greater distance from your subject. Which arrangement works best depends on your creative vision and your subject. In portraits, for example, a classic technique is to use a shallow depth of field, as in the example shown below. But for landscapes, you might choose to use a large depth of field, as shown in the following image. Because the historical marker, lighthouse, and cottage are all sharp, they have equal visual weight in the scene. Again, though, which part of the scene appears blurry when you use a shallow depth of field depends on the spot at which you establish focus. Consider the lighthouse scene: Suppose you opted for a short depth of field and set focus on the lighthouse. In that case, both the historical marker in the foreground and the cottage in the background might be outside the zone of sharp focus. So how do you manipulate depth of field? You have three points of control: Aperture setting (f‐stop): The aperture is one of three main exposure settings on your Canon camera. Depth of field increases as you stop down the aperture (by choosing a higher f‐stop number). For shallow depth of field, open the aperture (by choosing a lower f‐stop number). This image offers an example. Notice that the tractor in the background is in much sharper focus in the first shot, taken at f/20, than in the second image, shot at f/2.8. Lens focal length: Focal length, which is measured in millimeters, determines what the lens “sees.” As you increase focal length, the angle of view narrows, objects appear larger in the frame, and—the important point in this discussion—depth of field decreases. Additionally, the spatial relationship of objects changes as you adjust focal length. For example, the next image compares the same scene shot at focal lengths of 138mm and 255mm. The aperture was set to f/22 for both examples. Whether you have any focal‐length flexibility depends on your lens. If you have a zoom lens, you can adjust the focal length by zooming in or out. If your lens offers only a single focal length—a prime lens in photo‐speak—scratch this means of manipulating depth of field (unless you want to change to a different prime lens, of course). Camera‐to‐subject distance: When you move the lens closer to your subject, depth of field decreases. This statement assumes that you don’t zoom in or out to reframe the picture, thereby changing the focal length. If you do, depth of field is affected by both the camera position and focal length. Together, these three factors determine the maximum and minimum depth of field that you can achieve, as follows: To produce the shallowest depth of field: Open the aperture as wide as possible (select the lowest f‐stop number), zoom in to the maximum focal length of your lens, and move as close as possible to your subject. To produce maximum depth of field: Stop down the aperture to the highest possible f‐stop setting, zoom out to the shortest focal length your lens offers, and move farther from your subject. Here are a few additional tips and tricks related to depth of field: Aperture‐priority autoexposure mode (Av) enables you to easily control depth of field while enjoying exposure assistance from the camera. In this mode, you rotate the Main dial to set the f‐stop, and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed to produce a good exposure. The range of available aperture settings depends on your lens. If you’re not up to Av mode, experiment with the Background Blur setting available when you shoot in Scene Intelligent Auto mode. You access it through the Creative Assist option. Just don’t expect miracles: The Background Blur feature doesn’t always deliver as much or as little blurring as you’d like. Some SCN modes also offer the Background Blur option. For greater background blurring, move the subject farther from the background. The extent to which background focus shifts as you adjust depth of field also is affected by the distance between the subject and the background. Depth-of-field preview: When you look through your viewfinder and press the shutter button halfway, you see only a partial indication of the depth of field that your current camera settings will produce. You can see the effect of focal length and the camera‐to‐subject distance, but because the aperture doesn’t actually stop down to your selected f‐stop until you take the picture, the viewfinder doesn’t show you how that setting will affect depth of field. By using the Depth‐of‐Field Preview button on your camera, however, you can do just that when you shoot in the advanced exposure modes. Almost hidden away on the front of your camera, the button is labeled below. To use this feature, press and hold the shutter button halfway and simultaneously press and hold the Depth‐of‐Field Preview button with a finger on your other hand. Depending on the selected f‐stop, the scene in the viewfinder may get darker. In Live View mode, the same thing happens in the monitor preview. Either way, this effect doesn’t mean that your picture will be darker; it’s just a function of how the preview works. Note that the preview doesn’t engage in P, Tv, or Av mode if the aperture and shutter speed aren’t adequate to expose the image properly. You have to solve the exposure issue before you can use the preview. To learn more about your Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D, check out our Cheat Sheet.

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

When you photograph a beautiful landscape or an animal, placement of the horizon line can make or break the image. If you place the horizon line in the center of the image, your viewer doesn’t know which part of the image is the most important. You make that decision when you visualize the resulting photograph in your mind’s eye. The placement of the horizon line is determined by which parts of the scene contain the visual information you think is the most important. Nature is often chaotic. When you travel through a lush forest or craggy mountains, there is no sense of order. Animals often exhibit the same random nature, although many of them do line up in artistic patterns when traveling or migrating. Humans, on the other hand, don’t relate well to chaos. We prefer some order in our lives and the way things are arranged. That’s why it’s important to have some sort of organization to your photograph, a path viewers can follow to make sense of nature’s chaos. If you use the Rule of Thirds, you know that you divide the scene into thirds vertically and horizontally. If the most important information is above the horizon, such as a scene with a beautiful cloudscape (see the figure), place the horizon in the lower third of the image. Conversely, if the most important information is below the horizon line, such as a scene with a still lake with wonderful reflections, place the horizon line in the upper third of the image. If you pay attention to placement of the horizon line, the viewer knows where to look.

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

When you photograph a scene with a wide-angle lens, you always get a larger depth of field than you would with a longer focal length. The figure shows an example of a scene photographed with a 24mm lens. There’s a wide variety of lenses out there, each suited for specific tasks. Lenses fall into the following categories: super wide-angle lenses that have a focal length from 10mm to 20mm wide-angle lenses that have a focal length from 20mm to 35mm normal lenses with a focal length of 50mm and that are close to the range of vision of the human eye short telephoto lenses with a focal length from 85mm to105mm long telephoto lenses that have a focal length of 150mm or greater A short focal length captures a wider view of what’s in front of the lens. A long focal length zooms in on your subject, capturing a narrow angle of view. Telephoto lenses are ideal for taking pictures of subjects you can’t get close to, such as birds and wildlife. Telephoto lenses are also great for capturing details of a scene. When you photograph a scene with a telephoto lens, you end up with a shallower depth of field than you would when photographing with a lens with a shorter focal length. Remember this when you photograph subjects like birds and animals. Another way to control your depth of field is to get closer to your subject with a telephoto lens, which brings your subject into clear focus. The combination of being close to your subject, shooting it with a telephoto or macro lens, and using a large aperture (small f-stop number) yields an extremely shallow depth of field. Notice that the butterfly’s head and antennae, and the flower are in focus, but the tips of the insect’s wings are not.

Video / Updated 08-08-2023

Photographing landscapes after dusk is not as easy as photographing during the day. Twilight offers low light, which means you’ll have to increase the ISO setting, and many cameras are extremely noisy at high ISO settings. Here are some tips for the aspiring twilight photographer: Scout your shooting location. Even if you know the place you plan to shoot like the back of your hand, the next time you shoot there, get into a twilight state of mind. Look at the features of the landscape and visualize what they’ll look like as silhouettes. If you think a tree will look good as a silhouette, use it as a focal point in one of your images. You also need to think of the background and make sure there are no large shapes that will compete with the object you’ve chosen as the focal point of your image. Visualize. As you check out a location that might be good for shooting at twilight, look for objects you can use to compose your images. Are there any strong lines that you can use to lead your viewer into the image? Remember that a diagonal line is more interesting than a vertical one. Also look for natural frames. Get your times right. If you plan to do a photo shoot beginning at dusk and into the twilight, know what time dusk begins. You can find this information online or by using an application like The Photographer’s Ephemeris. Leave plenty of time to get to your location and set up. An unexpected traffic jam when you have perfect conditions for photographing your desired subject is not good if you don’t have a fudge factor. If you do leave in plenty of time and run into a traffic jam, you can visualize, while you wait, the great pictures you’re going to get. Look for reflective surfaces. Clouds will reflect in bodies of water like lakes and rivers. If you have a still body of water, you have a mirror reflection of the sky and any objects on the horizon. Use a tripod. Your exposure times will be long. Cranking up the ISO in twilight will result in lots and lots of digital noise in the shadow areas of your image, which in many instances is the majority of the image. A long exposure time will increase noise as well, but not as bad as switching to an ISO high enough to hand-hold the camera. Another benefit of using a tripod is you can get the camera level. Lock the mirror. Before you fly into the twilight, make sure your camera mirror is in the upright and locked position. This applies only if you use a dSLR to take your pictures. When you take pictures at slow shutter speeds, the act of the mirror stopping transmits vibration to the camera, which results in an image that isn't as sharp as it could be. If your camera has the option to save custom settings, create a custom setting to lock up the mirror. Add other settings such as switching to the Aperture Priority mode. Use a cable release. A cable release enables you to open the shutter without touching the camera (which can cause vibration resulting in a blurry image). In lieu of a cable release, you can use the auto-timer to delay the release of the shutter. Carefully position the horizon line. Place the horizon line where it will draw the viewer’s attention to the most important objects in the photograph. Photographer David duChemin calls this “visual mass.” If the most interesting parts of your photograph are above the horizon line, place the horizon line in the lower third of the image. If the most important parts of your image are below the horizon line, place the horizon line in the upper third of the image.

Video / Updated 08-04-2023

In this video, Dummies author Julie Adair King tells you how you can get great family photos at home — even when your kids are being rowdy. Learn about choosing a good background and lighting the scene.

Video / Updated 08-04-2023

You might be surprised to learn that using your camera's flash outside is an important aspect of taking beautiful portraits of people. In this video, photographer and Dummies author Julie Adair King explains why, and she provides other valuable advice for shooting outdoor portraits.

Article / Updated 07-10-2023

It's great to have a map to the buttons and controls on your camera, but it's not a lot of help if you can't remember which button to press when (and why). So here's a quick recap of what you can do with each button. Note: This information concentrates on features available when you shoot in the P, Tv, Av, and M exposure modes. A few features also work in other modes. This Control . . . Performs These Functions Mode dial Sets the exposure mode, which determines how much control you have over picture settings. For the most control, choose P, Tv, Av, or M. Menu button Press to display and hide camera menus; rotate Main dial to cycle through menu pages. Info button During playback, Live View photography, and Movie shooting, changes the data display. During viewfinder photography, toggles between the normal information display and an electronic level. Live View/Movie record button Press to toggle Live View on and off. When the camera is in Movie mode, press to start and stop recording. Exposure Compensation button In P, Tv, and Av modes, press while rotating the Main dial to apply Exposure Compensation (adjusts image brightness). In M mode, press while rotating the Main dial to adjust the aperture setting. Q button Activates Quick Control mode, which provides fast access to shooting and playback settings. Press again to exit Quick Control mode. Set button/cross keys During viewfinder shooting, press to access the following settings: top key, White Balance; right key, AF Operation; bottom key, Picture Style; left key, Drive mode. When choosing options from menus and other screens, use the cross keys to highlight an option and then press Set to select that option. AF Area Selection button Press to display the AF Area Selection setting, which controls which autofocus point or zones the camera uses to set focusing distance. ISO button Press to display a screen where you can adjust the ISO setting, which determines how sensitive the camera is to light. DISP button During viewfinder photography, enables you to manually turn the monitor on and off. AE Lock/FE Lock/Index/Reduce button During shooting, press to lock autoexposure (AE) or to lock flash exposure (FE). During playback, press to cycle from single-image view to index (thumbnails) view. If the displayed image or live preview is magnified, press to reduce the magnification level. AF Point Selection/Magnify button During viewfinder photography, press to display the AF Area Selection screen. (You still must use the AF Area Selection button to change the setting.) In Playback mode, press to magnify the image on the monitor. In Live View or Movie mode, you also can magnify the display under certain circumstances. Wi-Fi button Press to display menu screen containing options for configuring wireless connections to a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Erase button While reviewing pictures, press to erase currently displayed or selected photos. Playback button Toggles picture playback on and off. Flash button Press to raise built-in flash in P, Tv, Av, and M modes. When the flash is up, press again to access flash-related menu settings. Depth-of-Field Preview button Press to temporarily set the aperture to the selected f-stop so you can see an approximation of depth of field in the viewfinder. Lens-release button Press to disengage the lens from the camera's lens mount so you can remove the lens.