what is a digital photograph
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
1/73
WHAT IS A DIGITALWHAT IS A DIGITAL
PHOTOGRAPH?PHOTOGRAPH?Digital photographs are made up of hundreds of thousands
or millions of tiny squares called picture elements-or just
pixels
Here you see a portrait of Amelia Earhart done entirely in
jelly beans. Think of each jelly bean as a pixel and it's
easy to see how dots can form image
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
2/73
Image sizeImage size
The quality of a digital image, whether printed or
displayed on a screen, depends in part on the number
of pixels used to create the image (sometimes referred
to as resolution). More pixels add detail and sharpen
edges.
The photo of the face
(right) looks normal, but
when the eye is enlarged
too much (left) the pixels
begin to show. Each pixel
is a small square made up
of a single color.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
3/73
Image SizeImage Size
The size of a photograph is specified in one of two
ways-by its dimensions in pixels or by the total number
of pixels it contains. For example, the same image can
be said to have 1800 x 1600 pixels (where "x" is
pronounced "by" as in "1800 by 1600"), or to contain
2.88-million pixels (1800 multiplied by 1600).
r1
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
4/73
Slide 3
r1 raj, 3/20/2006
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
5/73
WHY GO DIGITAL?WHY GO DIGITAL?
Going digital saves you money in the long run by not buying rollsGoing digital saves you money in the long run by not buying rollsand rolls of film and paying for development.and rolls of film and paying for development.
It saves you time because you don't have to make two trips to theIt saves you time because you don't have to make two trips to thestore to drop off and then pick up your pictures.store to drop off and then pick up your pictures.
Digital cameras instantly show you how your pictures look so you'llDigital cameras instantly show you how your pictures look so you'll
no longer have those disappointments a day or two later when yourno longer have those disappointments a day or two later when yourfilm is developed.film is developed.
You can view images before they are printed and if you don't likeYou can view images before they are printed and if you don't likewhat you see, edit them to perfection or delete them.what you see, edit them to perfection or delete them.
Digital photography doesn't use the toxic chemicals that often endDigital photography doesn't use the toxic chemicals that often endup flowing down the drain and into our streams, rivers, and lakes.up flowing down the drain and into our streams, rivers, and lakes.
No more waiting to finish a roll before having it processed. (OrNo more waiting to finish a roll before having it processed. (Orwasting unexposed film when you can't wait.)wasting unexposed film when you can't wait.)
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
6/73
The three steps of digitalThe three steps of digital
photographyphotography
Digital still cameras capture photographs in a digital format. Film cameras capture photographs on slides, negatives, or
prints which you can then scan to convert them to digital
photographs.
Video cameras capture images in a video format. You can then
use a frame grabber to isolate out individual frames and save
them as still images. Digital video cameras sometimes are able to capture still
images just like a digital still. You can also use a video-editing
card to extract still images from the digital video.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
7/73
Shutter
Lens
Aperture
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
8/73
What is SLRWhat is SLR SLR stands forSLR stands for Single Lens RefluxSingle Lens Reflux
The cross-section (side-view) of the optical components of an SLR shows how
the light passes through the lens assembly (1), is reflected by the mirror(2)
and is projected on the matte focusing screen (5). Via a condensing lens (6)and internal reflections in the roof pent prism (7) the image appears in the
eyepiece (8). When an image is taken, the mirror moves in the direction of the
arrow, the focal plane shutter(3) opens, and the image is projected onto the
film orsensor(4) in exactly the same manner as on the focusing screen.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
9/73
TYPES OF DIGITAL CAMERASTYPES OF DIGITAL CAMERAS
Point and shoot
camerasProsumer cameras Professional cameras
resolutions up to 3 or
4 million pixels, you
can get great prints up
to 8 x 10 or so.
5 to 6 million pixels
through-the-lens (TTL)
focusing and creative
controls. This is one of the
fastest growing categories
prints up to about 8 x 10 in
size.
6 and 12 million pixels
designed for the film
versions
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
10/73
image sensorsimage sensorscharge-coupled devices(CCDs)
This photo shows the pixels
on an image sensor greatly
enlarged
The CCD shifts one whole row
at a time into the readout
register. The readout register
then shifts one pixel at a time
to the output amplifier.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
11/73
Aspect ratiosAspect ratios
Image Width x height Aspect RatioImage Width x height Aspect Ratio
35 mm film 36 x 24 mm 1.5035 mm film 36 x 24 mm 1.50Display monitor 1024 x 768 1.33Display monitor 1024 x 768 1.33
Digital camera 1600 x 1200 1.33Digital camera 1600 x 1200 1.33
Photo paper 4 x 6 inches 1.50Photo paper 4 x 6 inches 1.50
Photo paper 8 x 10 inches 1.25Photo paper 8 x 10 inches 1.25
Stationary 8.5 x 11 1.29Stationary 8.5 x 11 1.29HDTV 16 x 9 1.80HDTV 16 x 9 1.80
Image sensors have different aspect ratios-the ratio of image height to
width. The ratio of a square is 1:1(equal width and height) and that of
35mm film is 1.5:1(1.5 times wider than it is high). Most image sensorsfall in between these extremes.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
12/73
End of Part 1End of Part 1
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
13/73
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
14/73
IMAGE COMPRESSION & FILEIMAGE COMPRESSION & FILE
FORMATSFORMATSDuring compression, data that is duplicated or that has no value is
eliminated or saved in a shorter form, greatly reducing a files size. For
example, if large areas of the sky are the same shade of blue, only the
value for one pixel needs to be saved along with the locations of the
other pixels with the same color. When the image is then edited ordisplayed, the compression process is reversed.
Two Compression
types are there
lossless lossy Lossless compression
uncompresse an image so its
quality matches the original
sourcenothing is lost
This process degrades images to
some degree and the more they're
compressed, the more degraded
they become
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
15/73
File FormatsFile Formats
JPEGJPEG Joint Photographic Experts GroupJoint Photographic Experts GroupA JPEG image is stored using lossy compression and you can vary the amount of
compression. This allows you to choose between lower compression and higher
image quality or greater compression and poorer quality
Most
Compression
Least
Compression
JPEG 2000 is a new version ofJPEG It uses wavelet compression instead of the old Discrete Cosine
Transformation (DCT) to give a higher compression (20% better) and better image quality with fewer artifacts
(image flaws). Wavelet technology also allows an image to be "streamed." A low resolution image appears
quickly and then is gradually "filled in" with more detail.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
16/73
TIFFTIFF(Tag Image File Format)(Tag Image File Format)LOSSLESS FILE FORMAT
the format has been revised to TIFF/EP (Tag Image File
FormatElectronic Photography). TIFF/EP may be
stored by the camera in uncompressed form, or using
JPEG compression. TIFF/EP image files are oftenstored in a "read-only" fashion to prevent accidental
loss of important information contained within the file.
This is why you sometimes cant delete them once they
are on your computer without first turning off the files
read-only attribute.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
17/73
PNGPNG (Portable Network Graphics )(Portable Network Graphics )
lossless format designed to replace GIF, It is a universal format that is recognizedlossless format designed to replace GIF, It is a universal format that is recognized
by the World Wide Web consortium, and supported by all recent web browsers.by the World Wide Web consortium, and supported by all recent web browsers.
Here is how PNG differs from the other widely used digital image formats.Here is how PNG differs from the other widely used digital image formats.
Stores Transparency informationStores Transparency information
PNG images are lossless so retain their qualityPNG images are lossless so retain their quality
JPEG
PNG
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
18/73
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
19/73
Your choice of lens depends in part on what you plan to do with
the camera. Wide-angle lenses are best for photographing
buildings, landscapes, interiors, and street photography.
Telephoto lenses are best for portraits and many naturescenes. Normal lenses are a compromise.
With a wide-angle lens you get a lot of coverage and a lot of depth of field. Also
focusing isn't as critical because the lens has great depth of field. Long lenses let
you isolate out details from a scene but have shallow depth of field which makes
focusing more critical. Also, because long lenses magnify more, they are harder to
handhold and still get sharp images. The slightest movement causes blur.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
20/73
Digital cameras use the same relationships as other cameras
to determine wide-angle, normal, and telephoto lenses.
However, the focal lengths are much shorter because solid-
state image sensors are much smaller than the smallest film.For example, while 35mm has an area of 36 x 24 mm, a 2/3-
inch image sensor is only 8.8 by 6.6 mm and many sensors
are even smaller.
Here are the sizes of 1/3-inch, 1/2-inch, and 2/3-inch image
sensors would look against the background of a frame of
35mm film.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
21/73
Lens NormalsLens Normals
Since 35-millimeter film has an image area measuring 24-by-36mm, its
diagonal is 43 mm-not quite 50 mm. The 50mm lens has become thenormal lens because there is some latitude in characterizing a lens as
normal and it's more a range than an exact number.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
22/73
Focal length comparisonsFocal length comparisons
To make digital camera focal lengths more comprehensible to
photographers familiar with 35mm cameras, you'll often see references
to lens focal lengths such as:
The 7mm figure is the actual focal length of the lens in the digital
camera. It gives the same angle of view as a 50mm lens does on a
35mm camera.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
23/73
End of part 2End of part 2
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
24/73
Zoom LensZoom Lens
Many digital cameras come with zoom lenses that let you change
the focal length of the lens on the fly. The range of focal lengths a
zoom lens covers is usually specified by its magnification
A 3X zoom lens will enlarge or reduce the subject in an image by
three times depending on which way it's zoomed over its full range.
The equivalent range when used on a 35 mm camera is also usually
given, for example, "38mm ~ 114mm."
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
25/73
Zoom lenses come in two varieties; optical and digital zooms. An
optical zoom lens actually changes the amount of the scene
falling on the image sensor. Every pixel in the image containsunique data so the final photo is sharp and clear.
A digital zoom lens uses sleight of hand by taking a part of the
normal image falling on the sensor and then saving that part as is,
or enlarging it to fill the sensor. It does this by adding new pixels
to the image using interpolation. The interpolated image doesn't
have as many unique pixels as one taken with an optical zoom so
is inferior
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
26/73
By turning the zoom ring during an exposure, you can
get special effects.
Here the camera was rested on a railing and the shutter speed
set to 2 seconds. After pressing the shutter button, zoom ring
was turned to get streaks of light to the picture.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
27/73
In this picture the camera was mounted on a tripod so the
streaks form much straighter lines. The camera was set to
shutter-priority and an exposure of one second was
selected. Flash was turned on to freeze and the zoom ring
was turned with the shutter still open.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
28/73
Here the same procedure was used as above, but the
camera was handheld so the lines are not straight but
wiggly.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
29/73
Macro mode and macro lensesMacro mode and macro lenses
Many digital camera lenses have a macro mode. These lenses actlike any other lens until you switch them to macro mode. In this
mode you can get very close to objects so they are greatly
enlarged in the image.
The trade-off is that depth of field, the area that's sharp fromforeground to background is very shallow.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
30/73
The Canon P-E65 Macro lens is the firstmacro photo lens designed for a high
magnification greater than 1x without
additional accessories. It can capture
images up to 5x life size.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
31/73
Interchangeable lenses and lensInterchangeable lenses and lens
accessoriesaccessories
Lens converters
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
32/73
FiltersFilters
UV (Ultra Violet)UV (Ultra Violet)
NDND (Neutral Density)(Neutral Density)
GND (Graduated Neutral Density)GND (Graduated Neutral Density)PolarizingPolarizing
IR (Infra Red)IR (Infra Red)
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
33/73
UV FilterUV Filter
UV,UV, skylightskylight andand hazehaze filters all block ultraviolet (UV) lightfilters all block ultraviolet (UV) lightto varying degrees.to varying degrees.
The filter blocking the shorter wavelength UVThe filter blocking the shorter wavelength UV--B (320B (320--280280nm) and UVnm) and UV--C (10C (10--280 nm) bands while letting a good280 nm) bands while letting a good
bit of the UVbit of the UV--A (320A (320--400 nm) through.400 nm) through. HazeHaze andand skylightskylight filters are UV variants that often carryfilters are UV variants that often carry
a tint. Haze filters block more UVa tint. Haze filters block more UV--A than regular UVA than regular UVfilters but also take a bite out of visible blue.filters but also take a bite out of visible blue.
UV and skylight filters generally require no exposureUV and skylight filters generally require no exposurecompensation, but haze filters may need a smallcompensation, but haze filters may need a smallcorrection. Since uniform coverage of the entire field ofcorrection. Since uniform coverage of the entire field ofview is usually the intent, round UV filters make perfectview is usually the intent, round UV filters make perfectsense. your UV filter also serves as asense. your UV filter also serves as a lens protectorlens protector,,
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
34/73
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
35/73
Neutral Density FiltersNeutral Density Filters
The main purpose of usingThe main purpose of usingneutral density (neutral density (i.e.i.e., ND) filters, ND) filtersis to reduce the amount of lightis to reduce the amount of lightthat can pass through the lens.that can pass through the lens.
As a result, if a shutter speedAs a result, if a shutter speed
is kept the same, after addingis kept the same, after addinga neutral density filter, a largera neutral density filter, a largeraperture must be used toaperture must be used toobtain the same exposure.obtain the same exposure.Similarly, if an aperture is keptSimilarly, if an aperture is keptthe same, after adding athe same, after adding aneutral density filter, a slowerneutral density filter, a slower
shutter speed must be used toshutter speed must be used toobtain the same exposure.obtain the same exposure.This can be seen in theThis can be seen in thefollowing diagramfollowing diagram
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
36/73
All ND filters are gray inAll ND filters are gray in
color. The deeper thecolor. The deeper the
color, the stronger thecolor, the stronger the
effect (effect (i.e.i.e., reducing more, reducing more
light). The followinglight). The following
shows Nikon's ND4shows Nikon's ND4
(front) and ND8 (rear)(front) and ND8 (rear)
filters. From the shadows,filters. From the shadows,
it is clear that a ND8it is clear that a ND8blocks more light than ablocks more light than a
ND4 does.ND4 does.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
37/73
Reducing the intensity of light meansReducing the intensity of light means
we can either use a slower shutterwe can either use a slower shutterspeed or a larger aperture. A slowerspeed or a larger aperture. A slowershutter speed can cause movingshutter speed can cause movingobjects blurred (objects blurred (i.e.i.e., motion blur), motion blur)
which creates a sense of motion.which creates a sense of motion.
No ND
Filter
ND Filter 4No ND 8
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
38/73
AA graduated neutral densitygraduated neutral densityfilterfilter, also known as a, also known as a graduatedgraduatedND filterND filter,, split neutral densitysplit neutral densityfilterfilter, or just a, or just a graduated filtergraduated filter, is, isanan optical filteroptical filterthat has a variablethat has a variablelight transmission.light transmission.
Typically half of the filter is ofTypically half of the filter is ofneutral densityneutral density which transitions,which transitions,either hardly or softly, into theeither hardly or softly, into theother half which is clear.other half which is clear.
It is used to bring an overlyIt is used to bring an overly--brightbrightpart of a scene into thepart of a scene into the dynamicdynamicrangerange of film or sensor. Forof film or sensor. Forexample, it can be used to darkenexample, it can be used to darkena bright sky so that both the skya bright sky so that both the skyand subject can be properlyand subject can be properlyexposed.exposed.
SoftEdged
Hard
Edged
GRADUATED NEUTRAL DENSITYFILTER
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
39/73
Effect of GND FilterEffect of GND Filter
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
40/73
PolarizerPolarizer
Polarizer affects the output of cameraPolarizer affects the output of cameraby splitting the light entering intoby splitting the light entering intocamera in two and thus filtering thecamera in two and thus filtering theinput light by removing unwanted lightsinput light by removing unwanted lights
Polarizers can greatly enhancePolarizers can greatly enhanceoutdoor images by increasing contrastoutdoor images by increasing contrastand color saturation, eliminatingand color saturation, eliminating
reflections from glass and other nonreflections from glass and other non--metallic surfaces, and darkening bluemetallic surfaces, and darkening bluesky.sky.
For maximum polarization, theFor maximum polarization, theincoming light must have an incidentincoming light must have an incidentangle of 30 degree, and the camera isangle of 30 degree, and the camera isaimed at the subject at an angle of 30aimed at the subject at an angle of 30degree from the other sidedegree from the other side
Polarizer has two rings one to attachPolarizer has two rings one to attachto camera and other to rotate to getto camera and other to rotate to geteffecteffect
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
41/73
Polarizer and effectsPolarizer and effects
No
Polarization MediumPolarization
MaximumPolarization
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
42/73
End of part 3End of part 3
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
43/73
Maximum apertureMaximum aperture
To get a perfect picture you want just the right amount of
light to strike the image sensor. If there is too much light, you
need to decrease it. If there is too little, you need to increase
it.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
44/73
Aperture settings are called f-stops and each f-stop lets in
half as much light as the next larger opening and twice as
much light as the next smaller opening. From the largestpossible opening on down to the smallest, the f-stops are f/1,
f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32, f/45
Notice that as the f-stop number gets larger (f/8 to f/11, for
example), the aperture size gets smaller. This may be
easier to remember if you think of the f-number as a
fraction: 1/11 is less than 1/8, just as the size of the f/11
lens opening is smaller that the size of the f/8 opening.
All di it l i f ll t ti ti j t
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
45/73
Automatic controlsAutomatic controls
Most digital cameras come with lots of builtMost digital cameras come with lots of built--in automation.in automation.
Auto exposure calculates the correct exposure for theAuto exposure calculates the correct exposure for thescene.scene.
Automatic focus brings the center of interest into sharpAutomatic focus brings the center of interest into sharpfocus.focus.
White balance adjusts the colors in the image to matchWhite balance adjusts the colors in the image to match
the source of light illuminating the scene.the source of light illuminating the scene. Autoflash fires automatically if there isn't enough light.Autoflash fires automatically if there isn't enough light.
Autoadvance prepares the camera for the next photo.Autoadvance prepares the camera for the next photo.
All digital cameras give you fully automatic operation so you can just
point and shoot to take pictures. These automatic systems are great
in the vast majority of situations and even the pros use them a lot of
the time. However, for more creative control you need to be able to
override the auto settings. In this section we look at how you
override the automatic settings and why you would want to do so.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
46/73
Some scenes photograph perfectly with everything setSome scenes photograph perfectly with everything set
to automatic.to automatic.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
47/73
Auto exposureAuto exposure
the amount of light that reaches the image sensor-
determines how light or dark the resulting photograph will
be.
Fully automatic selects both the aperture and shutter speed.
Aperture priority lets you select the aperture (to control depth of
field) and the camera then selects the best matching shutter speed
for a good exposure.
Shutter priority lets you select the shutter speed (to control
motion) and the camera then selects the best matching aperturefor a good exposure.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
48/73
How auto exposure worksHow auto exposure works
To measure the light reflecting from the scene, a camera uses a
built in light meter. Most read the entire image area but give
more emphasis to the bottom part of the scene because this
reduces the possibility that the bright sky will cause the picture
to be underexposed. They also emphasize the center of the
image area on the assumption that there is where you haveplaced the major subject. This is called a center
weighted system.
Some cameras let you select a small area of the scene
and meter it directly using a spot meter. In this mode,only the part of the scene in the very center of the
viewfinder is metered. Everything else is ignored.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
49/73
Most cameras would make a scene like this too
dark. To capture it the way it looked, you need to
use exposure compensation.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
50/73
+2+10-1-2
Many cameras also have an auto exposure bracketing(AEB)
command that takes a series of photos for you with the
exposure changed slightly between each. This gives you aseries of pictures from which you can choose the best one.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
51/73
End of part 3End of part 3
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
52/73
Exposure controlAlthough exposure compensation lets you lighten or darken
pictures, it still keeps the camera in automatic exposure
mode. To really get creative, you need to get out of this mode
so you and not the camera select the shutter speed and
aperture. Being able to choose these two settings lets you
control how motion and depth of field are portrayed in your
images.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
53/73
Shutter speeds
A fast shutter speed can freeze a hummingbird in flight.
However, it would have take an even faster shutter speed to
freeze the wings.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
54/73
AperturesApertures
Being able to control aperture lets you control depth of field-the area from foreground to background that's sharp in the
image. This lets you either throw the background out of focus
or keep both it and the foreground sharp.
A small aperture gives you
greater depth of field.A large aperture lets you throw
the background out of focus.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
55/73
HistogramsHistogramsMany cameras now display a histogram and overexposed highlights indicator thatshows what areas are so overexposed they have gone pure white without any
detail.
let you evaluate the distribution of tones
The horizontal axis represents the range of brightness from 0(shadows) on the left to 255(highlights) on
the right. Think of it as a line with 256 spaces on which to stack pixels of the same brightness. Since these
are the only values that can be captured by the camera, the horizontal line also represents the camera's
maximum potential dynamic range.The vertical axis represents the number of pixels that have each one of the 256 brightness values. The
higher the line coming up from the horizontal axis, the more pixels there are at that level of brightness.
To read the histogram, you look at the distribution of pixels. An image that uses
the entire dynamic range of the camera will have a reasonable number of pixels
at every level of brightness. An image that has low contrast will have the pixels
clumped together and have a narrower dynamic range.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
56/73
FocusFocus
When you focus a camera, only one plane in front of you can be in the
sharpest focus-called the plane of critical focus. As you move back or
forward from that plane, objects get increasingly less sharp. Up to a
point, they are "acceptably sharp" and don't look soft or out of focus.
However, a point is finally reached where they do. The area in front of
and in back of the plane of critical focus where things look acceptably
sharp is called "depth-of-field." Digital cameras come with one of three
kinds of focus, fixed, auto, or manual.
Cameras with fixed focus are preset to keep things sharp
within a specified range, perhaps 6 feet to infinity. There is
no way for you to adjust the focus. This type of focus is
found only on the least expensive cameras.
Auto focus usually uses a small spot in the exact center of the
scene to automatically focus the camera's lens. This works fine
when there is something in the exact center of the scene that you
want to be sharply focused. If there isn't, or if you want to blur
that part of the scene, autofocus can't do it for you
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
57/73
Manual focusManual focus
With adjustable, or manual focus you can pick the part of
the scene that will be in sharpest focus while using theaperture setting to determine what is sharp and what is soft
in the foreground and background
Manual focus allowed to focus on thehand in this image. A large aperturekept the depth-of-field shallow so thebackground is out of focus.
With just a slight shift in focus, the headhas been made sharp and the hand in
the foreground soft.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
58/73
Movable focus areaMovable focus area
Not too long ago cameras always focused on the subject in the
center of the viewfinder. Since many good images have off-
center subjects
Recently, cameras have introduced focus systems with a number of focus areas, or even
a movable area. If there are a number of focus areas, the camera will automatically select
the one covering the part of the scene closest to the camera. If you'd prefer that another
area be used you can manually select it. If the focus area is movable, you press a jog dial
to position it where you want it. On some cameras, you can also link spot metering to the
focus area so you meter and focus on the same part of the scene. This is an ideal way to
focus, and in some cases set exposure
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
59/73
Exposure and focus lockExposure and focus lock
When using auto exposure and auto focus, some cameras let
you point at one part of the scene and press the shutter button
halfway down to lock in exposure and focus settings. Then, stillholding down the shutter button to keep the settings locked in,
you can point the camera anywhere to recompose the picture.
Pressing the shutter button the rest of the way takes the picture
using the locked in settings.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
60/73
White balanceWhite balanceNot all whites are the same because they can be tinged with other colors.Even a pure white object changes color when the light on it changes.
Daylight is a cold clear light but add some heavy overcast or step into the
shade and everything acquires a bluish tint. In a room lit with incandescent
light bulbs, the light has a warm orange glow to it, while under fluorescent
fixtures colors take on a yellow/greenish tint.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
61/73
This setting adjusts the relative brightness of the red, green, and blue
components so that the brightest object in the image appears white.
Adjusting the white part of the scene ensures that all of the other colors
are also recorded more accurately. Although all cameras automatically set
white balance, some let you override the automatic setting. Some camerasallow you to manually set white balance by aiming the camera at a white
surface and pressing a white balance button. Other cameras give you a
choice of white balances. For example, you should be able to choose
among white balance for sunny, incandescent, fluorescent, cloudy, and
flash light.
daylight Incandescent Florescent
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
62/73
FlashFlashFlash photography has come a long way since the 19thcentury when a photographer had to ignite a tray filled with
gunpowder to illuminate a scene. The automatic flash unit
built into a digital camera uses a permanent electronic tube
that emits a short, intense burst of light.
Let's take a look at these flash units and some alternatives that
give even better results.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
63/73
Flash rangeFlash range
A flash's power determines what its useful range is. Subjects within that
range can be correctly exposed. Those at greater distances will be too
dark. Manufacturers sometimes specify a flash's power as a guide
number. The higher the guide number, the greater the flash's useful
range. Because guide numbers change when the sensor speed changes
or lens focal lengths change, most manufacturers will instead tell youtheir flash's maximum range. When they state this range, they assume
the flash is fully charged and the lens aperture is wide open.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
64/73
Flash modesFlash modesOn fully automatic cameras, the flash fires automaticallywhenever the light is too dim to take a photo by natural light.
On more sophisticated cameras, there are various flash
modes you can choose from for more creative effects.
Auto mode fires the flash whenever there is too little light for a good exposure or when
the main subject is backlit.
Red-eye reduction mode fires a first short burst to close the subjects irises before the
main flash and picture are taken.
Fill flash (forced) mode is used when there is enough natural light to take a picture but you want
to fill in shadows. This mode is useful in bright sunlight when the subject is back or side lit.
Flash off mode is used when the light is low enough to trigger the flash but you'd rather
use a long exposure to capture it in natural light.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
65/73
Flash modesFlash modesFill flash with external flash mode fires the auto flash even when an external flash isattached
External flash only mode turns off the autoflash when an external flash is attached
Night scene mode correctly exposes the foreground subject without
underexposing the background.
Slow sync fires a short burst of flash in the middle of a longer exposure to
freeze objects while still allowing them to blur. This setting also lets you leave
the shutter open long enough to lighten the background. The shutter speed
determines the exposure of the background while the flash determines the
exposure of the foreground subject.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
66/73
Fill flashFill flash
One of the best uses of built-in flash units is to fill in
dark shadows when photographing people or other
subjects in bright sun. Without flash, shadow areas can
be so dark in the image that they show little or no detail.
If the shadow covers a large part of the subject, the
effect can be distracting and unattractive. You canlighten such shadows by using flash to "fill" the
shadows to lighten them.
Without fill flash With fill flash
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
67/73
Freezing actionFreezing action
The burst of flash from an electronic flash unit is much faster than
the fastest shutter speed-as short a period of time as 1/50,000th of a
second. This short, intense burst of light can freeze action and make
moving subjects look like they are frozen in action.
The subject here is in air but looks frozen because of flash burst
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
68/73
How bright the light is when it reaches a subject depends on the inversesquare law that describes the relationship between a subject's distance
from the flash and how much light will fall upon it. If the distance is
doubled, only one quarter the amount of light will reach the subject. This
is because the light emitted by the flash expands as it moves farther
from the camera. The same amount of light is spread over a larger area
so subjects farther from the flash receive less light than objects closer toit.
Flash And distance
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
69/73
RedRed--eye reductioneye reduction
When photographing people, you'll often see images with what's called red
eye. The light from a flash has entered through the subject's pupil and
reflected off the retina at the back of the eye and then back out to the
camera. Since the retina is full of thin blood vessels, it takes on a red color.
Some flash units have a red-eye reduction mode. These work by firing a
separate red-eye reduction lamp, or a series of short flash bursts from themain flash to close the iris a little before firing the actual flash used to take
the picture.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
70/73
Some Sony digital cameras have a pop-up flash that separates
the flash from the axis of the lens. This will substantially reduce
redeye.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
71/73
External flash unitsExternal flash units
Built-in flash is convenient to use because every place you and your
camera go, it goes. However, these built-in flash units don't have much
range and you can't position the flash away from the camera to eliminate
red eye. Pictures taken with these units also have a characteristic flat
shadow less lighting that minimizes surface textures and volumes. They
can't be rotated to bounce flash off a wall or ceiling to soften the lighting.
Head on Head-on
and side
bounce
Head-on
and top
bounce
Top
bounce
only
Side
bounce
only
B di i l ff fB di i l ff f
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
72/73
Better digital cameras offer one ofBetter digital cameras offer one of
two ways to attach another flash:two ways to attach another flash:
A hot shoe on top of the camera lets you mount a separate flash unit.
Not only does this secure the flash to the camera, it also provides the
necessary electrical connections between them.
A sync connector lets you connect a separate flash using a sync cord,basically a small cable. This synch cord makes the same electrical
connection that the hot shoe does but lets you take the flash off camera.
-
8/8/2019 What is a Digital Photograph
73/73
Slave flash
Slave flash units are physically separate flashes
that are fired by the burst of flash from thecamera's built-in flash unit. Since many digital
cameras fire the flash twice for each picture (the
first is to set white balance and perhaps focus),
these units have to be adjustable so they fire
when the camera's second flash goes off.
Ring flash
Ring flash units fit around the lens and fire a circle of light on thesubject. These units are ideal for close-ups of small objects suchas stamps, coins, and objects in nature. They are also widely usedin medicine and dentistry. Because ring light is so flat (shadowless), some units allow you to fire just one side or the other so theflash casts shadows that show surface modeling in the subject.