Basics of Digital Photography Taking Your Picture Taking to Next Level

Glenn Wrighton Shared Learning of Chapel Hill Spring, 2019 Process Decisions in Creating Outstanding Digital Photographs

Select Best

Select Set Camera, Post Process Display Compose Subject Take Photo Image Image

• Individual • No Rules • Digital • Out of Cam- • Prints Preference • But Guide- Camera era Images • Web/Email Construction not Perfect • Great lines of Slideshows Subjects All What Makes • ISO, Shutter, • Key con- • Digital Photo Around Us Photos Aperture, cepts in post Frame Interesting etc. processing • Can Get • Note cards, Ideas from • Set Camera • Free/Low Calendars, Others for Situation Cost Coffee Cups Software • Videos of Photos

Basics of Digital Photography -2- Class Plan

• 6-10 Sessions of Lecture + Web Videos + Photo Sharing* – Camera Construction & Technology – Camera Operations – Composition and Making Photos Interesting – Tools for Post-Processing and What Post Processing Can Do – Displaying Your Photos

• May Use Joel Sartore “Art of Travel Photography”, 6 expert sessions.

• Photo Shoots – During Class at Southern Village – NC Botanical Gardens in the Spring? – Other?

* Photo Sharing at Lecture 2, Bring Your Camera to All Classes

Basics of Digital Photography -3- Introductions

• Name • Digital Camera(s) you Use, Model and Classification – Phone/Tablet [Fixed Lens] – Point & Shoot [3-5x Zoom Lens] – Super Zoom [>10x Zoom] – Enthusiast “Mirrorless” [Large Sensor, Interchangeable Lens System] – Enthusiast “DSLR” [Large Sensor, Interchangeable Lens System – Professional Full Frame “DSLR”, [Larger Sensor, Interchangeable Lens System] • Why You Are Interest in Photography & This Course

Basics of Digital Photography -4- Photo Sharing

• Students bring in ~5 selected photos on USB Thumb Drive (or on SD Card) – Can get 4-8 GB USB Thumb Drives at Best Buy, Walmart, etc, ~$10 – Transfer Pictures from Camera/SD Card to Thumb Drive – Photos can be on any Subject. Can be one’s you are Proud of or one’s you Want Advice on.

Link--How To Transfer Photos from Camera to Computer

• Or alternatively, post your photos at this location, also sent via Email or at the SL Website. – SL Photo Upload Site

• We’ll Review & Critique Pictures on Overhead Display using Post Processing Software to “Upgrade” Pictures as Needed

Basics of Digital Photography -5- Homework for 1/21/18

• Familiarize yourself with your manual. – Ideally, with camera in hand, learn key controls. – Know where to look later. • Bring your camera to all classes • Find 5 pictures you have taken which you like. Put them on thumb drive or load on . Be prepared to say why you like them.

Basics of Digital Photography -6- Camera Construction & Technology Digital & Film Camera Have Similar Construction

• Sensor + Memory Card Replaces Film • LCD Display Replaces Viewfinder • Lens can be adjusted for proper focus & magnification (Zoom) • Amount of Light Striking Film/Sensor Controlled by Aperture Opening Size and by Shutter Speed • Digital Processor enables variable sensor sensitivity, autofocus and many other features.

Basics of Digital Photography -8- Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera

Link--How a DSLR Works How a Digital Camera Is Made

Basics of Digital Photography -9- Lens Focal Length Relative to Sensor Size Controls Magnification

Camera Size goes with Sensor Size

Red Box is Smaller Sensor

Complex lenses At a fixed focal length Can be represented As a single convex lens. By using smaller sensors, you enable higher magnification with same focal length lens, or same magnification with smaller lenses. Basics of Digital Photography -10- Impact of Sensor Size on Image

• Full Frame Sensor Size= 24 x 36 mm • APS-C Sensor Size= 16 x 24 mm Crop Factor = 24/16=1.5

• So for image magnification, a 50 mm lens in an APS-C sensor camera 1.5 x 50= 75 is the same as a 75 mm Lens in a 75mm Full Frame Sensor Camera.

• When 50mm lens is used in an APS-C camera, it is sometimes called a 75 mm 35mm equivalent lens.

Basics of Digital Photography -11- Angle of View vs Focal Length (35mm Equivalent)

Wide Standard Angle

Moderate Telephoto Telephoto

Basics of Digital Photography -12- Smaller Sensors Enable Shorter Focal Length Lens and Smaller Cameras!

Wide Angle 25 mm 16.4 12.5 5.8 4.4 4.1* *33mm Standard 50 mm 32.9 25 11.6 8.9 Equivalent Mod Tele 100 mm 65.8 50 23.3 17.8 Basics of Digital Photography -13- At Only One Distance is Object Perfectly in Focus, Must Move Lens to Get Other Object in Focus

Out of Focus Object

By making Iris Diaphragm (Aperture) Smaller, the Zone of Uncertainty is reduced in Size Zone of Uncertainty Leading to Sharper Images for Causes Fuzziness of Out of Focus Object Out of Focus Object

Basics of Digital Photography -14- Smaller Aperture Gives Deep Depth of Field, but Also Reduces Amount of Light Entering Camera

• F-Stop Aperture Defined As Focal Length/Iris Diameter • Smaller Apertures values go with bigger openings • Amount of Light goes with opening area or square of Iris Diameter • To compensate for small aperture, shutter time (or sensitivity) is Shutter= 1/30 sec Shutter= 1/2000 sec increased to get Proper Exposure Link—DOF Calculator Basics of Digital Photography -15- DOF Calculator Exercise

Link—DOF Calculator

Sensor Type Camera Examples Lens Focal Length

1/3” Nikon CoolPix S30, Iphone 4.1mm-12mm, 4.1mm [Eq 30mm] 2/3” Canon SX260HS, SX730HS, SX710HS 4.3-170mm [Eq 24-960mm] 1” Nikon 1 J1, Sony RX100 10-130mm, Eq [30-390mm] Fixed & Interchangeable APS-C Nikon D3200, D3400, Canon T6, 12-400mm, Sony A6000 [Eq 18-600 mm] Interchangeable Lens Full Frame Canon 5D(Mark 3), Sony A7 12-400mm, [Eq 12-400mm] Interchangeable Lens Basics of Digital Photography -16- What is “Proper Exposure”?

• Where Sensor Sensitivity (ISO), Aperture and Shutter Speed are set so that – Visual Image has uniform light distribution across the frame – Image is not grossly over-exposed (too light) – Image is not grossly under-exposed (too dark)

– Ideally, all areas are well displayed. But sometimes that is not possible.

Link--Light and Exposure Basics of Digital Photography -17- What is “Proper Exposure”?

Basics of Digital Photography -18- Proper Exposure Determined By ISO Sensitivity 3 Settings (ISO, Shutter, Aperture) 100 200 400 +1 Stop = 2x light -1 Stop = 1/2 light 800 1600 3200 6400 Shutter F-Stop 1/15 2.0 1/30 2.8 1/60 4 1/125 5.6 1/250 8 1/500 11.0 1/1000 16 Link-Exposure Triangle Basics of Digital Photography -19- Multiple Ways to Get “Proper Exposure”

Original Low Noise Alternative Deep DOF Alternative

Exposure Settings Exposure Settings 1/160, f/8, 200 1/80, f/16, 400 Correctly Exposed Correctly Exposed

Link-Equivalent Exposure Basics of Digital Photography -20- Multiple Ways to Get “Proper Exposure”

Fixed ISO

Link-Equivalent Exposure Basics of Digital Photography -21- Multiple Ways to Get “Proper Exposure”

Link-Equivalent Exposure Basics of Digital Photography -22- Digital Camera Sensor Structure (Bayer Pattern)

• Red, Green or Blue color filters on top of each pixel position in Bayer Pattern above—more greens than red or blue. • Light intensity [Digital 12 bit] read at each pixel position • For red pixel location, green and blue intensities are estimated by averaging surrounding pixel intensities. Similarly for green and blue pixel locations. • Total pixel count typically 5-40 million, i.e. 5-40 Megapixel Sensors Link--How a Pixel Gets it Color

Basics of Digital Photography -23- Color Depth and Color Variations

• Human Eye Can Differentiate 2-10 Million Colors

• 8-Bit/channel or 24 Bit Color Depth = 2^24=17 Million Colors • JPEG files are 24 Bit Color Depth =17 Million Colors • Most Printers are 24 Bit Color Depth • Most LCD Monitors are 24 Bit Color Depth

• DSLR’s native or RAW Color Depth is 36-42 Bit, (12 or 14 bits/channel)= 2^36 or 2^42= 78 Billion or 4 Trillion Colors • 16-Bit/channel or 48 Bit Color Depth=281 Trillion Colors. 16 Bit files are used in advanced post-processing software.

Basics of Digital Photography -24- Color Intensity at Each Pixel Defines the Image

• Each Pixel has a digitized intensity for each color and for the total amount of light (Luminosity) • For JPEG there are 256 (2^8)Levels of Intensity (0 to 255) for each color • 0 (zero) is totally dark • 255 is totally light • Histograms are distribution of color or luminosity intensity for all pixels in image • Proper Exposures will typically have peaks in center of Histograms and few pixels at 0 or 255.

Basics of Digital Photography -25- Second Histogram Example*

Link—Using Histogram in Camera

* From FastStone Basics of Digital Photography -26- Digital Images Pixelated—Image Smoothed By Use of Many Pixels

• High Sensor Pixel Count Allows 6000 x 4000 Cropping and Large Prints Pixels • Need 300 pixels/inch for good (24 MP) Print, i.e. 8x10 needs 7.2 MP • Tradeoff—More Sensor Pixels implies smaller pixels [less light on pixel, more gain and there- fore more noise in image]

60 x 40 Pixels

Basics of Digital Photography -27- White Balance Setting

White balance (WB) is the process of removing un-realistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. • Proper camera WB takes into account the "color temperature" of a light source, i.e. the relative warmth or coolness of white light. • Different light sources have a different color temperature. One can set WB for specific light sources. • Normally, best approach is to use AWB (Auto White Balance).

Basics of Digital Photography -28- Human Eyes Have Much Higher Dynamic Range than Digital Cameras

• Dynamic range is the ratio of the maximum and minimum measurable light intensities (white and black, respectively). • A camera’s Low Dynamic Range is a problem if there are very large differences between light and dark areas of the scene. • Dynamic Range is improved with Larger Sensors and with low ISO Settings. • For minor DR issues, post- processing selected areas can be solution. Bigger issues require HDR processing. • Some cameras can take multiple photos and combine to make a HDR image.

Link--Understanding Dynamic Range Basics of Digital Photography -29- Post Processing HDR Can Be A Solution (Here 2 photos combined in PS Elements)

Basics of Digital Photography -30- Camera Processor Takes User Settings & Decisions and Creates Digital Image File

2. Runs Camera Mechanics 1. User Provides • Applies Settings, e.g. Aperture, Settings For Photo. ISO, Shutter Speed, WB, flash Some are Presets. • Auto Focuses Lens • User Engages Shutter

Camera 4. Creates RAW File Digital • RAW RGB Data • Meta Data (Key Settings) 3. Reads RGB Sensor Processor RGB Intensity 5. Creates JPEG File • Processed & Compressed RGB Data • Meta Data (Key Settings) 7. Image File to • Standard Suitable for Printing/Display LCD Display 6. Outputs Image File to Memory Card • JPEG, RAW or Both • Many Cameras only Output JPEG File

Basics of Digital Photography -31- JPEG Vs RAW Files

JPEG RAW • Industry Standard • Proprietary to Camera • Settings Applied, image Manufacturer data compressed and • Unaltered and complete averaged data • 8 Bit/Channel Data • 16 Bit/Channel Data • Small File Size determined • Large File Size by User Selected pixel proportional to native pixel count and quality level count of camera • Immediately Usable for • Must be Post-Processed to display or printing JPEG for display or • Can be Post-Processed printing • Maximum capability for Post-Processing Basics of Digital Photography -32- JPEG Vs RAW Files

JPEG RAW • Industry Standard • Proprietary to Camera • Settings Applied,For Best Final ManufacturerImages Compressed and averaged • Unaltered and complete • imageBuy Large data Memory Cards—They aredata Cheap • • 8Select Bit/Channel RAW File DataType and Plan on• 16Post Bit/Channel-Processing Image Data • • SmallIf RAW File not Sizeavailable, determined select JPEG • highestLarge File pixel Size count and by User Selected pixel proportional to native pixel countquality and level quality possible. Also plan oncount Post -ofProcessing camera Image • • ImmediatelyIf small files needed Usable, forreview manual• Must and be select Post JPEG-Processed file to displayparameters or printing desired JPEG for display or • Can be Post-Processed printing • Maximum capability for Post-Processing Basics of Digital Photography -33- Camera Type Comparison Phone Point & Super Enthusiast Enthusiast Pro Full Shoot Zoom Mirrorless DSLR Frame Sensor 1x 2-3x 2-3x 15-25x 25x 57x Size, Pixels 8 MP 10-16 MP 10-16 MP 16-24 MP 16-24 MP 24-36 MP Lens (35 33mm 25- 25- Interchangeable Interchangeable Interchangeable mm Equiv) 125mm 750mm 24-75mm 27-83mm 24-70mm Viewfinder LCD LCD LCD (EVF) LCD/EVF LCD/Mirror LCD/Mirror Price $200-600 $100-300 $200-500 $500-1200 $500-1200 $2000-5000 Weight 112g 200g 500g 500g 900g 1500g File Type JPEG JPEG JPEG (RAW) RAW/JPG RAW/JPG RAW/JPG Strengths Always Price, Wide Image Image Image with you, Portability Zoom quality, quality, quality, Good Good Creative Creative Creative Images Images Control Control Control Weakness Noise/DR Noise/DR Optical Price Portability Portability es No Zoom Quality Price Price Creative Noise/DR Control Basics of Digital Photography -34- Homework 1/28/19

• Put Your Camera in “Automatic” Exposure Mode • Set your file type to JPG, High Quality. But see how to set to RAW, if available. • Select a subject, and take photos from different positions or zoom, purposely trying to get sharp focus on the focal point or main subject. • Post 3-5 of these on the upload site or bring on a USB flash drive. Rename file with your initials at front of file name. Identify one you like the best. • SL Photo Upload Site

Basics of Digital Photography -35-