Hi there, I am very new to all this photography lark! I'v always taken photos of anything and everything, but always in auto mode or a simple scene selection. I had a nice camera bought for me for christmas, so now I am trying to master the art of the manual setting!
I am particularly interested in different depths of field, it's what I'm trying to get the hang of at the moment,....very much one step at a time.
So any help or information more than gladly accepted! You can be brutal! I can take it! ...I want to learn.
Thanks.
Search for Camera Settings Challenge 2015. Some very smart photographers on this site set up some challenges to help those of us who are learning how to use our cameras. They were very helpful to me.
Good question Jane, it is something which can confuse beginners so it is sensible to ask, but the simple answer is that the smaller the lens aperture, the greater the depth of field. EG: f/16 = great depth of field (a measure of sharpness from near to far) and f/1.8 or f/2 less so (sharp main subject standing out against a blurred background)
Just remember that the aperture also controls the amount of light passing though the lens, so the exposure has to be increased or decreased accordingly. A simple math algorithm will tell you exactly how much, but in these days of automatic metering you can safely allow the camera to do that for you if you set it of aperture priority.
I see you're already getting some excellent suggestions from some of the best around here! From my own experience (and I've never had classes or joined a camera club) I either ask someone how they achieved a photo if it's one I'd like to emulate, OR, try to do what you think will work, and ask for some help afterward. The "exif" information with your picture gives a lot of helpful information to those who know how to interpret it, and the rest they can gleen from your picture. You'll find this a most helpful community. Don't give up halfway through the year...that's when the real self-challenge starts to begin!
The best advice I'd give is just to play around with different aperture settings and find what you like. Changing the aperture (how wide open your lens is) will also change the shutter speed you need to get the correct exposure, so maybe use aperture priority mode to begin with (and just change aperture, letting the camera decide on the best shutter speed), then move on to manual when you're comfortable with that :)
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Good luck and welcome!
Good question Jane, it is something which can confuse beginners so it is sensible to ask, but the simple answer is that the smaller the lens aperture, the greater the depth of field. EG: f/16 = great depth of field (a measure of sharpness from near to far) and f/1.8 or f/2 less so (sharp main subject standing out against a blurred background)
Just remember that the aperture also controls the amount of light passing though the lens, so the exposure has to be increased or decreased accordingly. A simple math algorithm will tell you exactly how much, but in these days of automatic metering you can safely allow the camera to do that for you if you set it of aperture priority.
Good luck!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap7qnQHIuXI
And
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUO2FfHfCuk