Get more from your FREE WITH Practical Photography ESSENTIAL GUIDE Release the full potential of your camera ✔ Using focus points ✔ AI Servo explained ✔ Depth-of-field preview ✔ Metering mode tips ✔ Histogram advice ✔ Flash technique REVEALED: THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOUR CAMERA COULD DO
Contents Focusing ■ Focus points 6 ■ Focus modes 10 ■ Depth-of-field preview 14 Metering & assessment ■ Metering modes 18 ■ Exposure lock 22 ■ Colour settings 24 ■ Custom white balance 26 ■ Histogram 28 Flash This spider’s web was shot wide open (f/2.8) with the ISO at 800 because it was in shade. It was the versatilty of the D-SLR that made taking it pretty straightforward.
GET MORE FROM YOUR DIGITAL SLR Focusing Improve your chances of capturing pin-sharp photos and find out how to predict the effects of different apertures by mastering your camera’s focusing options. Here’s how...
Focusing Focus points CANON EOS 350D AF POINTS E ver wondered what the little squares are in your D-SLR’s viewfinder? These are known as focus points and allow the camera to focus on objects in different parts of the frame. The default setting on most cameras will use the centre focus point, which is fine if your main subject is in the middle of the picture. Most cameras also have a setting where all of the focus points are active and the camera automatically selects the one to use.
Focusing Focus point selection NIKON D2xs AF POINTS D ifferent cameras offer various numbers of focus points and ways of selecting them.
Focusing Focus modes A s well as selecting individual focus points, your D-SLR’s autofocus (AF) system also offers various focus modes. The two main settings are known as single shot and continuous (or Servo) focusing, and which setting you choose will depend on whether you’re shooting a static or moving subject.
Focusing Focus modes Continuous AF The continuous focus mode (also known as Servo) is usually used when either the subject or the camera is moving. In this mode the camera continuously adjusts the focus for as long as you half-press the shutter release so it can track movement. When you fully press the shutter release the camera will take the photograph regardless of whether the subject is in focus or not, so you need to take a little more care with this mode than the single shot option.
Focusing Depth-of-field preview T he image you see through your D-SLR’s viewfinder is shown using the lens’ maximum aperture (usually f/4 or f/5.6), so if you set a smaller aperture there’ll be more of the scene in focus than you see when you take the shot. This can mean that elements in the background or foreground that were FINAL IMAGE blurred (or even invisible) in the viewfinder become visible and distracting in your final shot.
GET MORE FROM YOUR DIGITAL SLR Metering & assessment There’s a metering mode for every occasion and feedback at the touch of a button. You just need to know which mode to use and when and how to read a D-SLR’s histogram.
Metering & assessment Metering modes A ll D-SLRs offer a range of metering modes for you to choose from, but what are the differences and when do you use them? All metering modes base the readings they give on midtones. Segment and centre-weighted systems take an average reading across the frame, and give you a setting based on the fact that most scenes contain a Metering modes range of tones that will average out to a midtone.
Metering & assessment Metering modes SPOT READING Spot-metering How we used spot-metering for this shot Although most D-SLRs’ multi-segment metering mode produces good results in most situations, it can still produce under or overexposed results when faced with light or dark scenes. In these situations you can switch to spotmetering mode for precise control over your metering and exposure. The key to using this mode is aiming the meter at an area that will give you a midtone in the final image.
Metering & assessment Fill the frame Exposure lock B oth multi-segment and centre-weighted metering modes will often give poor results when shooting a subject against a light or dark background. If the background is very bright the camera will underexpose, while a dark background will cause overexposure.
Metering & assessment Colour settings W hile D-SLR users who shoot RAW files have access to RAW conversion software that allows for all sorts of post-capture tweaks, those of you who still shoot JPEGs have fewer options when it comes to getting optimum results. However, if you want enhanced colours without so much as a tweak in Photoshop, all you have to do is use your D-SLR’s in-camera colour settings. Here are some of the most common and more effective options...
Metering & assessment CUSTOM WB Custom white balance W hen you’re working under difficult lighting conditions, such as artificial lighting or in heavy shade, your images can take on a strong colour cast. This is because ambient light is actually a different colour to direct sunlight. The naked eye will struggle to see this because the brain automatically compensates for this shift in colour, so objects always look the same colour no matter where you are.
Metering & assessment The perfect balance Histogram O ne of the biggest mistakes you can make when shooting with a digital camera is to overexpose your shots, as vital highlight detail may be lost. This happens because only a very precise range of tones can be recorded by the camera’s sensor, and if parts of the scene are too bright for the sensor using the exposure settings you’ve chosen, they will appear as pure white in the captured image – this is known as highlight clipping.
GET MORE FROM YOUR DIGITAL SLR Flash action Your D-SLR’s built-in pop-up flash is an often overlooked creative tool that can help to improve your portraits and action shots. Let’s take a closer look at its many uses...
Flash Perfect portraits For great results using flash you need to be in full control of the amount of light your camera produces. The secret to success is flash exposure compensation – perfectly exposed portraits in even the darkest of conditions. Flash compensation W ith the exception of the top professional cameras, all D-SLRs feature a built-in pop-up flash so it’s well worth learning a little something about this under used feature.
Flash Creative flash techniques H ow do pro photographers get stunning outdoor portraits without any shadows? How do they capture the evening sky and not just a black background? How do music snappers get those crazy ‹Slow sync light trails? The simple answer is creative use of flash. Let’s take a look at some of the basic flash techniques that will allow you to expand your outdoor photography in both bright sunshine and low light conditions.
GET MORE FROM YOUR DIGITAL SLR Extra settings It’s time to explore the outer reaches of your camera – create in-camera multiple exposures, get sharper images with mirror lock-up and review images on your television.
Extra settings Multiple exposures C ombining two or more exposures isn’t just a technique for those into manipulating their images in Photoshop. High-end D-SLRs allow you to shoot more than one image on a single frame using the multiple exposure function. Unlike combining images on your computer, this technique is far less predictable, and once you’ve taken the images you can’t do much to change the composition or how the images work together.
Extra settings Mirror lock-up E ven using the normal measures of attaching the camera to a tripod and firing the shutter by a remote release or selftimer, the movement of the mirror can be enough to cause some camera shake. To minimise this some D-SLRs offer a feature known as mirror lock-up. This flips up the mirror used to reflect the image into the viewfinder before you take the shot.
Extra settings There’s more... T hink we’ve exhausted the creative possibilities of your D-SLR? Think again. No matter how well you believe you know your way around your camera, there’s always another technical marvel waiting to assist you in your quest for brilliant pictures. Want to order prints straight from your camera? No problem. Fancy viewing your pictures on a huge TV screen? Easy. Let’s take a look at some of the options on offer...
