Photography

If you like me, have ever sat back amazed looking over someone else’s photo gallery wondering, why can’t I take pictures like he or she does? How does the same scenery look better when my friend shoots it? This is for you.

Ever since I was a teen ager I was deeply intrigued by photography, I guess what drew my attention was the empowering role photography bestows upon the photographer, an immediate transformation from a photographer to a story teller.

Along my path to learning to take stunning photos, I have always compared and wondered why my photos looked somewhat bland and lack-luster, while my colleagues and friends would boast their exhilarating captures. I upgraded to a better camera, like I’m sure most of you have too. But that’s far from the solution. What you need is a camera that will allow for manual settings, and to learn how to use those settings. That’s it! No more, No less.

All you need to do now is, grab a hold of your camera, and tread bravely into the world of manual settings. Any camera that allows you to set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO manually would suffice.

When taking photos, the big secret to great looking pictures is lighting. In-effect when you set aperture, shutter speed and ISO, all you’re essentially doing is manipulating how much light you let into your camera through the lens, and for how long. I’ll now go on to explain to you what these things mean.

Aperture: Aperture is the size of the opening of the lens in your camera. The wider the
opening, the more light is allowed in. The narrower the opening, the less light is allowed in. Aperture is measured in f-number, the higher the f-number, the narrower the opening in your lens. A higher aperture is to be used in bright conditions, while a lower aperture would be used in low light.
Tip: Use a higher aperture when shooting landscapes, and a lower aperture when shooting portraits. This simple trick will help keep your subject in focus, and the background out of focus, and make for a really professional looking capture

Shutter speed: Shutter speed, alternatively, exposure time, is nothing more than the time
for which your lens stays open. Higher speeds are used in bright situations, or when shooting a moving object. Lower speeds allow for more light to enter since the lens stays open for a longer duration, thus this is preferable in low light settings.

ISO: ISO is basically your film speed, this setting manipulates the outcome in your
digital pictures as if it were changing the speed of the film if you were using a traditional film camera. A higher ISO setting will help in low light situations; however a very high ISO will leave you with a grainy capture.

Lastly, you don’t need an expensive camera to get good pictures; A low budget camera like the Canon A590IS will have you snapping up some great exposures! All you need is some practice. No picture is ever a mistake, its all part of a learning experience.
Happy clicking.

- Christopher Keve