The first 3 videos are on 1. Aperture 2. Shutter Speed 3. ISO.
Combination of Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO is called exposure which will allow you to take pictures in manual mode. If you are a beginner, you can set the ISO setting to auto and use the camera in semi automatic mode (Aperture or Shutter mode). In Aperture mode (A or Av) you choose the desire aperture and the camera will pick the shutter speed and ISO (auto ISO) for you. In Shutter mode (S or Tv) you choose the desire shutter speed and the camera will pick the Aperture and ISO (auto ISO) for you. Once you get the hang of using these settings you will be able to take pictures in full manual mode by selecting your own Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. If you find this difficult, ask questions on facebook fan page. Either myself or someone will try to help you. Taking picture in manual mode is not difficult. It only requires time and patience. Grab your camera and follow along. Add the video to favorite on YouTube in case you need to go over something again.
Jibran
P.S. Never quit!
Aperture Video Refresher: The bigger the aperture value, the smaller the opening of the lens (less light coming in) This is used when you're capturing landscape or large groups when you want bigger area to be in focus. Example: f/8, f/12, f/22 etc.
The smaller the aperture value, the bigger the opening of the lens (more light coming in) This is used in low light situation when you want more light coming in the lens. It is also used to to blur your background in portrait photography. Example: f/1.8, f/2.8, f/3.5 etc.
Out door practice Exercise: Switch your camera from Auto to A or Av. Make sure you have selected the AF-S (auto focus - single) so you can focus on a single subject. Pick the lowest numeric aperture value your lens offers. Example: f/2.8 or f/3.5 etc. If you are using a zoom lens then use the maximum zoom allowed. Make sure that there is a good distance between the subject and the background. A park is a good place with trees in the background for some color. Make sure you are close to your main subject. Make sure you focus on the eye if photographing a person. Simply click and pat yourself on the back. Do this outdoor when you have plenty of light. Try to avoid direct sunlight on your subject. Cloudy day will work to your advantage.
You can blow up the background by doing these 4 things. Pick a smaller aperture value (f/2.8 or less) Zoom in to your subject. Stay close to your subject and keep a good distance between the subject and the background. If you don’t have a zoom lens, you have nothing to worry about. Prime lenses normally give you better bokeh (out of focus area) so all you have to do is stay close to the subject and the rest is the same.
There will be multiple videos on Shutter Speed as you can do too many things by adjusting your shutter speed. Right now I only have one. Please be patient and I promise I'll cover other parts of shutter speed as well. This video gives you a general idea of how to freeze the motion if you're trying to take pictures of your kids.
Important Note: If you're trying to freeze the motion there are 3 types of motions you should be concerned with. 1. Motion going from left to right or right to left. 2. Subject coming towards you. 3. Motion going up or down. Use these guide lines to pick the shutter speed.
1. For motion going L/R or R/L use 1/250 sec shutter speed.
2. For subject coming towards you, use 1/250 sec shutter speed.
3. For motion going up or down, use 1/500 if not, 1/1000 sec to freeze the motion.
Don't be scared to set your own ISO. In the beginning when I was learning photography, I used to set ISO to auto ISO when shooting indoor and 9 out of 10 times the camera picked the wrong ISO. In future I'll do a video on how to use full manual control which will eliminate all the guessing game. Believe me it's not difficult.
Important Note: When shooting outdoor in plenty of light, picking the ISO is very easy. Select the lowest ISO setting your camera offers. It could be 50, 100 or 200. Remember, when there is plenty of light the sensor does not need any additional artificial light. ISO plays a huge role when you're shooting indoors in low light situation.
Full frame cameras (fx body) give you better ISO performance than a crop sensor (dx body) in low light. Example: Canon 5D markII 1Ds markIII or Nikon D700, D3s
The video above is EXTREMELY important to understand. Without knowing how to change your focal points you cannot focus on your desired subject/object.
The Rule of Thirds: You don't have to own a dslr or even a
point and shoot camera to follow this rule. You can follow this rule
even if the only camera you have is your cell phone camera. In future
I'll do another video on frame work which will talk about the correct
angles and height. You should always try to have variety in your shots.
When photography kids, try to get down to their level so the picture
looks more pleasing. When I photograph kids, I literally lay down on the
ground to get some of the shots. You also take some shots from the top.
While standing, get close to your subject or zoom in and ask the kid to
look up. Set the frame before you call the kid. As soon as the kid
looks up or smile, focus and click.
Important Note: You can break this rule if you want to center the subject but make sure you have filled your frame. If you center your subject without filling the frame, the picture will look empty.
Below is a video on different types of lenses like Prime vs. Zoom vs. Kit lens.
Below is a video on Exposure Compensation used in Aperture mode
Below is a video on Manual Exposure Mode. It's a must watch video because shooting in manual is not as scary as people think it is. If you still have questions, you can always find me on facebook.
Video below will teach you about different types of light metering mode used in your DSLR to calculate light. Without understanding these modes it will take you longer to get the correct exposure and you could miss some valuable shots.
An important video on White Balance.
A VERY important video on Minimum Shutter Speed. This will help you take sharper pictures.
Everything you need to learn about composition can be found in the video below. It's probably the best tutorial I've constructed.
Learn about different focusing modes on your DSLR. Most people are unaware of this. It's going to help you specially if you photograph kids that are running or sports.
Edit Kids Portraits in Adobe Lightroom
DSLR camera settings for Outdoor Shoots
The most neglected topic. The video below will tell you the basics of Focus Plane.
