Introduction
Welcome to the first part of my comprehensive guide to professional photography!
If you’re just starting out, this series is designed to give you a solid foundation in the key principles of photography.
When I began taking photography seriously, I scoured the internet for tutorials and tips but found mostly one-off advice.
What I needed was a broad overview, which I eventually built through courses and practice.
This guide aims to provide that overview, focusing on what I’ve learned and wish I’d known from the start.
Photography essentially boils down to two main principles: light and composition.
In this part, we’ll explore the foundation of all photography—light.
The Role of Light in Photography
The word “photography” comes from the Greek words ‘photo,’ meaning light, and ‘graph,’ meaning drawing. So, photographers “draw” with light. Light is energy composed of photon particles. Digital camera sensors absorb these photon particles and transform them into data, creating a digital representation of a moment in time.
Exposure – Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO
To take a photo, we need to control the amount of light hitting the camera sensor. This is done through three main settings:
- Aperture: The opening in the lens through which light enters.
- Shutter Speed: The amount of time the sensor is exposed to light.
- ISO: The sensitivity of the sensor to light.
Adjusting these settings is known as exposure. Proper exposure is crucial for capturing all the details in a scene.
Overexposure and Underexposure:
Overexposing an image means too much light, causing loss of detail in the highlights. Underexposing means too little light, causing loss of detail in the shadows. This loss of detail is known as clipping.
Types and Styles of Light
Light can be categorized as either natural or artificial, each with its characteristics. Additionally, light can be hard or soft, affecting the contrast and shadows in your photos.
- Natural Light: Comes from the sun.
- Artificial Light: Comes from man-made sources like lamps or flash units.
Hard light creates harsh, long shadows and high contrast, while soft light creates soft, short shadows and low contrast.
Why is there a need for exposure?
Just like our eyes, cameras have a limit to how much light they can handle at a time, known as dynamic range.
Proper exposure ensures that the camera captures the optimal amount of light information, allowing for better quality and more editable photos.
Practical Tips for Beginners
- Always Be Aware of Light: Pay constant attention to lighting conditions.
- Adjust Your Settings: Practice adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for different lighting scenarios.
- Avoid Clipping: Aim for proper exposure to capture all details.
TL;DR
Understanding light is the foundation of photography. Exposure, controlled by aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, determines how much light enters the camera. Clipping occurs (loss of detail) when images aren’t exposed properly. Different light sources (natural vs. artificial) and light qualities (hard vs. soft) affect image contrast and shadows. In the next post, we’ll explore shooting in manual mode.
Glossary
- Aperture: The lens opening through which light enters.
- Clipping: Loss of detail in highlights (whites) or shadows (blacks) due to improper exposure.
- Dynamic Range: The range of light levels a camera can capture, from dark shadows to bright highlights.
- Exposure: The amount of light hitting the camera sensor.
- ISO: Sensor sensitivity to light.
- Overexposure: Too much light, losing detail in highlights.
- Shutter Speed: Duration the camera sensor is exposed to light.
- Underexposure: Too little light, losing detail in shadows.
- Natural Light: Light from natural sources.
- Artificial Light: Light from man-made sources.
- Hard Light: Light creating harsh shadows and high contrast.
- Soft Light: Light creating soft shadows and low contrast.
Conclusion
Understanding light is fundamental to mastering photography.
Exposure, controlled by aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, is the key to capturing the right amount of light.
In the next part of our series, we’ll dive deeper into shooting in manual mode to give you full control over your photos.