lesson
3
| Background
Controlling digital images and
the cameras that make them
Critical thinking is needed to create great yearbook images.
It beeps, flashes, calculates and focuses, but it cannot think.
Sophisticated digital cameras do some amazing things, but
they cannot make many of the critical decisions that produce
great yearbook photos.
It is the photographer, armed with a working knowledge of
basic photographic principles and techniques, who will take
command of those high-tech camera controls and create the
digital files that will bring the school year to life.
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6 | Photographers
Taking command of photographic equipment, whether it is a
fairly simple camera and flash or one loaded with sophisticated
electronics, begins when it is unpacked from the box or used
for the first time. Instruction manuals may not be the most
interesting reading, but they are the best way to gain important
information about the location and function of controls and
features. The next step is to spend some time practicing with
the equipment to become comfortable with its operation
before heading out for that first yearbook assignment.
lesson
3
Gaining control of digital photography also involves
understanding how images are produced and the limits of
digital image capture. Although the cameras and the camera
controls are similar, there are some important differences
between capturing the school year in digital image files and
capturing those same people and events on film.
Using a camera to capture images in digital files has the
advantage of avoiding the need to buy and carry rolls of
different types of film to cover yearbook assignments. Lightsensitive receptors on the digital camera’s image sensor
capture the light reflected off subjects and turn it into digital
information. The camera processes the information and creates
digital files that are usually stored on a memory card inside
the camera. That memory card can be reused and will record
accurately if handled carefully and only inserted or removed
from the camera when the power is turned off.
| Background
exposure in low-level available light, and the images have a
more limited tonal range.
Digital photographers do not need to be left in the dark
guessing how their images recorded. A unique feature of
digital cameras is the ability for immediate image playback.
When the playback control is activated, the captured images
can be viewed individually or in groups. Important information
about the camera settings and exposure are also available
in playback mode.
Because of the way digital images are made, photographers
using digital cameras will notice two other settings not found
on film cameras – image size and image quality. The ability
to adjust image size and image quality can have a significant
effect on the quality of the image. The first setting determines
the number of pixels that will be in the image. Image size
should be selected based on the largest size you want the
This method of capturing and processing images leads to
image quality determined by both the size of the image sensor
and the number of receptors, referred to in megapixels.
Photographers who are used
to shooting with film will also
notice that digital cameras may
have difficulty achieving proper
Observe all the action
Great yearbook photos require
a combination of applied photo
principles and creative vision.
The camera is a tool guided by
knowledge and initiative.
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6 | Photographers
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lesson
3
| Background
image to be when it is published in the yearbook. Larger
pixel dimensions will allow for larger publication size without
sacrificing image quality. The only disadvantage to large
image size settings is that fewer images can be stored on
the camera memory card.
The image quality setting determines the amount of compression
that will be applied to the digital file when it is processed by
the camera and moved to the storage card. It is always
Timing and position
Low-level and unusual available light situations can
present a challenge for digital image capture. Careful
exposure calculations and proper exposure control in
the camera are keys to getting photos that will look
good in the yearbook. In this instance, choosing this
angle and waiting for the heads to tilt up allowed for
well-lit faces.
wise to use the highest image quality setting possible when
making images for use in the yearbook. If the camera offers
TIFF and RAW settings, you should take time to study the
implications of these choices before using them.
The need to process the digital information immediately after a
picture is made can also lead to a pause in camera operation
before the shutter release can be pressed again. This means
that photographers need to pay special
attention to proper camera handling to
achieve sharp images. Using the left
hand to provide firm support under the
camera body and the lens and tucking
elbows close to the body are first step
sin avoiding camera movement during
exposure.
Lens focus also is a factor in getting
sharp images. Most digital cameras
used in yearbook photography feature
lenses that focus automatically. For
those systems to function properly,
it is important for the photographer
to understand which areas of the
viewfinder are targets for focusing.
It is also important to know how to
activate the focus lock when composing a subject outside
the focusing target area. There are some situations, such as
low light, where the automatic focus is too slow or simply not
accurate. In those situations, switch to manual focus mode
for quicker focusing and sharper images.
While proper camera handling and accurate focusing are keys
to image sharpness, it is camera exposure that will determine
whether digital images have the tones, detail and contrast that
will be needed for yearbook publication. There is no computer
software substitute for accurate camera exposure.
The camera light meter provides the guide to proper image
exposure. It measures the light reflected off a subject and either
sets the camera controls or indicates the control settings to
accurately capture detail and color. The accuracy of light meter
readings depends on the photographer’s ability to understand
its operation and place the subject to be metered precisely
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set
6 | Photographers
lesson
3
| Background
Understand your camera
Camera controls for image size, image quality and white
balance have an impact on resolution and color balance
of the final image.
in the viewfinder target area. This is another example where
reading the camera manual section on metering is helpful
in knowing how a specific metering system works, and how
to get accurate light readings off different types of subjects
under different lighting conditions.
Most cameras offer one, or a combination of three, approaches
to metering. Matrix or evaluative metering is a complex,
computer-driven calculation that works off zones mapped
out in the viewfinder. This system is useful for yearbook
photographers who rely on the camera to provide the lighting
and metering analysis of the scenes they are shooting. Average
or center-weighted metering is probably the most common
metering system. It places most of the metering emphasis on
whatever is in the center of the viewfinder and then averages
in the other light values in the scene. Spot metering allows
the photographer to place a small viewfinder target over
specific areas of the scene that need precise metering. The
most useful spot metering systems allow for movement of
the spot target around the viewfinder.
Even photographers who know how to operate their camera’s
light meter can end up with inaccurate exposure in some
lighting situations. All meters are programmed to indicate
exposure settings that will accurately record tones in scenes
of average brightness, but they are unable to provide correct
exposure settings if they are measuring the light reflected off
extremely bright or dark areas.
Since extremely bright light sources are the most likely to fool
the light meter, a useful tip is to avoid taking pictures from
an angle where bright light is directly behind the subject. If
that is not possible, an accurate reading can still be made
by moving close to the subject or using the zoom lens to fill
the viewfinder with the main subject and eliminate the bright
backlight. If the camera has automatic metering it is important
to lock in this close-up reading before moving back or zooming
back to the wider view of the subject.
The amount of light striking the subject is also an important
factor in accurate metering and adequate exposure.
Problems can arise when the light available for exposure is
not directly striking the important subjects in the photograph.
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6 | Photographers
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lesson
3
| Background
Photographers need to move around their subjects or wait for
them to change to a position that will provide enough light for
proper exposure of faces and other key subject areas.
The quality of light striking the subject is another factor in
exposure calculation and overall image quality. For example,
the harsh sunlight in the middle of the day produces photos
with harsh shadows and blown-out highlights that are less
pleasing and interesting than images made in the morning
or late afternoon. Most photographers soon discover that
a slightly overcast day actually provides better lighting for
photos than bright sun in the middle of a cloudless day.
There are two camera controls that determine how much light
enters the camera and strikes the digital sensor. One of those
controls, the aperture, is an adjustable opening in the lens.
The other control, the shutter, is either a curtain or simply
an on-off switch that determines how long light is allowed
to record on the sensor. Both controls are adjustable with
numbers representing aperture size (f-stop) and speed. With
aperture, the smaller numbers represent larger openings.
Shutter speed numbers are whole numbers that represent
fractions of a second.
In addition to their light-control function, aperture f-stops and
shutter speeds have a creative visual impact on images. The
aperture setting, for example, affects depth of field. When
a photographer focuses on a subject, that area will appear
sharp in the final image. Many photos, however, have additional
areas of the scene that also appear to be in focus. These
additional areas of sharpness are called the depth of field.
A smaller-sized aperture opening (larger f-stop number), will
produce greater depth of field. By selecting a small aperture,
several areas of the image will have equal sharpness. When
a larger aperture opening is selected, the main subject will
be sharper than other elements in the photo and will gain
emphasis.
Like the f-stop aperture setting, shutter speeds offer the
photographer creative control over how the subject will appear
in a final image. Dramatic sports photos, for example, that
freeze the emotions and action of competition are made by
photographers who have selected
faster shutter speeds. When slower
shutter speeds are used to shoot
moving subjects, the image becomes
blurred. The faster the subject moves,
the faster the shutter speed required
to stop the action.
Seeing is knowing
The viewfinders of modern cameras
contain loads of vital information.
Learning to read the viewfinder icons
and numbers is a key to achieving
accurate exposure and focus.
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6 | Photographers
lesson
3
Although shutter speed and aperture opening are powerful
creative controls, they can create problems for the photographer.
When the shutter speed goes below 60 or 30, for example,
there is a danger of image blur from the subject or camera
movement. Large aperture openings can lead to a lack of depth
of field necessary to retain sharpness in all the storytelling
areas of the image.
| Background
A better camera-setting choice for yearbook photography
is program mode. With this setting, the photographer can
select exposure combinations specific to different types of
subjects. In sports mode, for example, the camera will select
an f-stop/shutter speed combination that features a faster
shutter speed to stop action.
The exposure controls on most cameras
used for yearbook photography still offer
manual control of both the aperture and
shutter speed. The primary method of
exposure control, however, is either
an automatic or program setting. With
the camera’s meter reading as a guide,
the camera will select a combination
of aperture and shutter speed that will
properly expose the image sensor.
In automatic mode, the camera is
providing settings that simply provide
correct exposure. The settings do not
account for the type of subject, subject
movement or photographer creativity.
Controlling more than exposure
Aperture is represented by f-stop numbers. The lower
the number, the larger the opening. The size of the
opening also affects depth of field. The higher the
f-stop number, the greater the depth of field.
Selective focus
Larger aperture openings allow more light into the
camera and also produce shallow depth of field. This
creative control provides the photographer with the
opportunity to blur the foreground and background
to sharply define the center of interest.
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6 | Photographers
37
lesson
3
| Background
Intense speed
Panning creates a feeling of action by using a
slower shutter speed and moving the camera
in a smooth motion to follow the center of
interest.
Stop action
Faster shutter speeds allow the photographer to
freeze action and sharply capture moving objects
and body language.
For photographers seeking more control over their choices
of aperture and shutter speed, many cameras offer aperture
priority and shutter priority settings. With aperture priority, the
photographer makes an aperture selection based on subject
and creative vision. The camera meter and internal computer
does the work of matching it with the correct shutter speed to
yield accurate exposure. With shutter priority, the photographer
makes a shutter speed selection and the camera meter and
computer match it with the correct aperture.
The only danger in using these camera settings is the possibility
that a shutter speed or aperture might be selected that the
camera cannot match for accurate exposure. This type
of mismatch is usually indicated by some type of flashing
warning in the viewfinder. When that happens, the manually
adjusted control has to be changed until accurate exposure
is indicated by the camera.
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set
6 | Photographers
Sophisticated digital cameras do some amazing things,
but they cannot make many of the critical decisions that
produce great yearbook photos. Careful decisions made by
photographers, who understand how digital camera work and
how exposure is controlled, produce yearbook photos that
have the technical quality need for yearbook publication.