Photography fundamentals

Photography Fundamentals

This session covers the fundamentals of general photography - the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, ISO rating, depth of field, and exposure. This is the topic that frustrates most people who are interested in photography.

Fear not. Some fundamentals are meant to be mastered, others can merely be acknowledged as they pass and left to take care of themselves. I will help you successfully navigate this road.

We’ll use our cameras in M (Manual) and Av (Aperture Priority) modes for the duration of the session, though we will touch upon the operation of Shutter Priority and Program modes (for applicable cameras), so that you don’t miss the shot when you’re taking personal pictures away from sessions.

This topic is enormous, so we can be as basic or as complex as you prefer, always considering the length of time you’d like to spend. Some people prefer an overview, followed by closer study of whatever peaks their interest.

Further, don’t expect to absorb the entire topic in one session. If your plans involve multiple sessions, it may help to touch upon various aspects during the course of your sessions, while covering various other topics. Almost everything I teach stands upon various fundamentals, so the information will sink in eventually.

If you already have a good understanding how this stuff interacts and you just want to focus on taking pictures, I recommend the topic, Composition and Light.

Recommended equipment: Pretty much any camera, film or digital, old or new, that offers independent control of aperture and shutter speed and has a built-in light meter (or you can use a hand held meter). Fully manual capable cameras are the best equipment to use for learning the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, and exposure. DSLRs with a 2-3 inch screen on the back are great for this session due to the immediate feedback; I will always have one or two on-hand for session use.