LESSON 6: Different Equipment

This is going to be an introduction on the different sorts of equipment you may use or encounter as  photographer.

I'm going to keep it basic, but will go into detail on how some of these items are used in later lessons, such as lighting / studio / location photography.

I'll start with your camera body.  These can range from in introductory, beginner style SLR, to professional level, high end, high spec pieces of equipment.

In the bigger picture of things, they all do the same job, just some give you better quality than others.  Your choice of course, being what you are intending on using your camera for.

I'm a Nikon kind of girl, so I'm going to use a few of their equipment as examples.  There are a few other top branded names that will all have their equivalent model to each other.  Canon and Olympus are the two other popular, affordable, and easy accessible brands to choose from. 

Ok, so, your camera body.  They all have the same functions and programs, maybe the more professional level cameras will hold two memory cards and back up your work for you automatically, but realistically, they all operate the same way when taking a photograph.

I'll start with the entry level, Nikon D3100.  It's a camera you would go for if you know you have an interest in photography and want to start learning more about it.  You will also have the options there to expand your knowledge and try out a few different techniques or lenses.

The Nikon D3100

The D3100 is a nice simple camera with the minimum functions, arranged in a friendly way.  There's not a ton of buttons to scare you, lots of flashing lights or screens blinking numbers at you.
These level cameras can be purchased anything from £250 - £400 (depending on your brand and condition.)  Perfect for starting out.  Perfect for learning how to use the tool of the trade, yet still of the quality to use it as a working camera to make you some money and get your name out their in the professional field.


Next up is the Nikon D90.  A few steps up and more of an intermediate camera, it will have all the same functions as the entry level D3100, but shoot in higher quality, feature another screen, have more megapixels, give you more ISO options, continuous shooting modes to help you capture fast moving objects, maybe better image re-touch features built-in, faster auto-focus and no doubt a few more features too.

The Nikon D90

This sort of camera would set you back between £400-£750, again, depending on brand and condition.  There certainly wouldn't be a thing wrong starting out with this level of camera.  It still is simply designed and easy to use, but with the reassuring factor of not having to upgrade after a couple of years.  This camera gives you the foundations to learn AND the space to get yourself some top quality images worthy of a pro!
Ideal for the individual with a bit more cash to splash when pursuing photography, or the photography student looking to upgrade to something worthwhile that will have the ability to see them through work for a few years in the professional field.


Now we are onto what most of us dream about (well, I know I do!) - The Nikon D3x.  This camera body is of the high end, professional range of camera Nikon bring to us.  Perfect for the established photographer, working jobs that require the highest of quality, 7 days a week!

The Nikon D3x

This level of camera will offer twice the amount of megapixels you will get from an intermediate camera.  It will have a high spec, high speed processor, incredibly quick shutter speeds, no doubt give you more scope on ISO's too.  It will have a bigger battery to cope with it's functions AND keep youin business that bit longer.  It will only take top quality memory cards, no micro SD's here.  It will have the most up to date technology built in along with an extensive range of features available for pleasure, amusement and job!

A professional level camera like this one costs within the range of £2500-6000.  If you think that is frightening, I dare you to google Hasselblad cameras, it will scare you even more!  But, on that note, companies that produce digital SLR bodies always have a nice range to choose from depending on your level or how far you want to go with it.

All I can suggest is to do your research before buying a camera.  Get online and read some reviews.  Talk to photographers, see what they are using and why.  Go to somewhere that stocks it and ask to take a look at it.  Hold the camera and see how it feels to you.
Personally, I have used both Nikon and Canon in the past and have become a fan of Nikon as I like how the camera feels, how it is weighted and the general layout and designs of their functions.  I find them easy to use and doubt I would convert any time soon!

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That's enough about camera bodies, I'll give you a brief introduction to lenses now......

Your camera body that you are considering purchasing is of no use without a lens!  Most of these SLR's will have the option of a package deal with a standard lens you will get with it.  Maybe even a strap or a bag too if you are lucky!

If you are buying your gear separately, the world of lenses may seem a bit daunting, but it is quite simple really.

Lenses can either be manual or auto-focus.  You will find that most auto-focus lenses will give you a manual function also.  When starting out, auto-focus lenses are always the best option.  They work all round in every situation and don't leave you standing around like an idiot whilst to take forever to manually focus your subject....by the time you do that, the moment has gone.  We all know how important capturing the moment and working fast can be. 
So my advice is, go auto-focus.  This will give you a lot more fun when using your new camera.

Again, I'm going to use some Nikon products as an example. 

The standard lens that most companies choose to set you up with is a 18-55mm lens.

The Nikon 18-55mm lens -  a great all rounder

Example of an image taken with a 18-55mm

This type of lens is perfect for introducing someone to photography.  It is capable of zooming, but not to a great extent.  It gives you enough room to work with most situations though.  From landscapes to people and events.  The lens is sturdy, compact and will be useful in a variety of situations.
A lens like this you can pick up now for around £60-80 if you shop online.

I know from personal experience this was my first lens, and even though I have built up a collection of different glass (a term used for lenses by photographers) - I still find myself going back to this one for certain situations.  It's the perfect all rounder and will keep you busy with your camera no matter what the topic or event is, this lens will cover most.

 
Another nice lens to consider if you are doing a range of jobs with your photography is a portrait lens.  These give you lovely depth of field so your subject is in nice sharp focus and your background is blurred or soft.
I use a Nikon 50mm for these.  It's a tiny lens in the medium price range, but gives you really nice, crystal clear results.

The Nikon 50mm - great for portraits and depth of field

An example image taken with the 50mm lens

Another option you may want to consider, depending on your interests, could be a zoom lens.  If you like wildlife, sports, boats, planes, bands - anything that can be at a distance, a zoom lens is a great item to add to your kit.
I use the Nikon 70-300mm.  The only problem is, if something interesting happens up close, you will never catch the moment unless you can fit a quick lens change in.  Once you are on zoom, the only thing it will be good at, is capturing what is happening so many yards away.
Again, these are a medium priced lens, between £200-400.  A great investment though if you are thinking about working for your local press.  Covering events and sport is what these lenses are good for!

The Nikon 70-300mm - auto-focus

Taken with the 70-300mm lens from the back of the audience!

Another lens you may consider if you are into travel or architecture is a wide angle lens.  These will capture as much of the space you are in as possible, whilst not distorting any stright lines.
I would use one of these lenses a lot.  They are great for most situations, even when doing bar work and having to fit a large group of people into your image.
Only downside is, these lenses are pricey.  Anything over £600-1600 new, but thankfully if you shop around enough, you will find good lens companies such as Sigma or Tamaron selling similar lenses, with the same good build and image quality, just not with the brand name....but make your it fits the model of your camera first!

Nikon 12-24mm wide angle

Taken with the 12-24mm when in London recently

I'm only going to talk about two other lenses, as there are many more to choose from, I feel that these cover most situations you may find yourself in as a working photographer!


The next lens is a macro lens.  Medium price range £300-500, but a bit more specific depending on your use.
Macro lenses are wonderful for capturing object up close.  They eat up all the detail and are great in the studio or outdoors with objects that aren't on the move too quickly.
You will have encountered an image taken with a macro  lens if you have seen those common pictures of insects and plants, taken really close, you could almost count the hairs on the creature! 
They are good if you work with detailed subjects.  Even textiles or jewelry, they work wonders for capturing all the fine details people want to know about.
I don't find myself needing a macro lens, but i would like to add one to the collection eventually when it is required.  They are quite job specific and I think you would have to be big into nature photography or detailed studio work to get the most out of one of these lenses.

The Nikon 60mm Macro lens

An example of macro photography

Last but not least, lenses can add a bit of character to your images too.  Take the fisheye as an example.  Again, another medium priced lens at around £300-400, although you can pick adapters up to create this effect for around £40.  Be warned, it wont give you nice crisp results but they are good fun on nights out or to take the odd quirky image.  You can alternatively go mad and spend around £1000  on one of these lenses.
It acts in the similar way to the wide angle lens I talked about earlier, but this one will take in around 180 degrees whilst curving the edges of your image.
This is a lens I hope to add to my equipment next, depending again on your interests, I personally would love to create some nice sport images involving BMX or skateboarding.  These lenses are very popular within this type of sports photography.

Nikon Fisheye 16mm

Fisheye example, although the wall is curved, you can see how the image is too

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Since this lesson is getting rather info heavy, I'm going to show you only one more item of basic equipment that can be of great use to any photographer.

The first one, is a flash unit.  Although your SLR body will most likely have a flash built in, they are hard to control where the light falls and sometimes just are strong enough for the job in hand and can create horrible shadows depending on your subjects situation.

You have all seen them mounted on the top of cameras.  They look pretty cool and are commonly seen in the movies when the role of press photographer makes an apperance!

These are great to spill lots of light out in dimly light situations.  You can control the angle of your light, the way it faces and how strong / bright your flash is going to be.
Most of the expensive speedlights will have a lot of options to choose from and a lot of help built in to guide you on what settings to choose.

Controls and functions

I am currently using a basic speedlight, but I find it does the job for what I do.  Again, research and know what you are doing with your photography and where you intend on going with it and invest in the equipment that suits you.
Note that speedlights can also be used as portable flash units when out on location.  I'll cover this on another lesson about lighting in more detail - but they are a piece of equipment that can be varied in their use and function, so are great investment when you are finding plenty of used for them in your work.


That's quite enough for today!  There's plenty of gear for you to have a read about, you will find more than enough reviews and opinions online with any number of these.  Hope it has helped guide you into the world of products and choices you have with photography.  It is a world out there that can suits any ability and is accessible to anyone to take it as far or as little as they want.

Any questions just ask!
Have a great day guys!

LESSON 4: What do all the numbers mean?

This is a tutorial to eplain what all those numbers on your camera mean, what they do and how you can use them to your advantage. 
Hopefully by the end of this lesson they won't scare you and you will begin to use other settings other than the green auto option on your camera!


In this lesson I am going to teach you about 3 different elements.

1. Aperture
2. Shutter speed
3. ISO

Once you know what these are all about, it is a matter of trail and error before getting to know how to apply them to what you are doing.
I'm going to use my Nikon digital SLR for the camera to help show you what it's all about.

Why not turn your dial on top of your SLR to 'M' - Manual.  This gives you complete control over what your camera is doing.

Your camera is now an extension of you and what you want!  Rather than it controlling how your images turn out, you are the one to make all the decisions.

So with that, here we go!

PART 1: Aperuture
If you look at the screen on your SLR, there are usually two main sets of numbers.

Screen on my Nikon when using Manual settings

Your aperture number is the one labeled : F
As you can see, my aperture is set to: F5

Now, look at the circle diagram on the left of the screen.  The bit in the centre of it is in relation to your F number.

The diagram is showing me how wide the aperture ring is set too.  In this case, it is fully open, therefore, letting lots of light into your camera.

I changed the aperture by four stops.  Stops are what the F number can also be known as.  Your 'F Stop'
As you can see, changing to F stop from F5 to F8, the aperture ring has become smaller, letting less light in.

Aperture F8

Then again, I have gone to Fstop F22, and you can see by the diagram on the left of the screen, the hole is tiny, therefore, a very low amount of light is going to get through the lens.

F22

Understanding any of this?  I hope so, as once you get it, you will apply it all the time!

Another way to sum this up is to compare your cameras apeture to the pupil of your eye.

Think of the white circle in the center as the pupil of your eye

In a dark room or low light, your pupil will be big, as it needs to open up to let as much light into your eye to enable you to see.
 On a bright summers day, you pupil will be small to only let a small amount of light in as it is not that difficult to see in well lit situations.

So that's you aperture, it's your cameras pupil! You are now in control of it!

Here's a quick diagram with images to show how it effects your photographs.....

You can apply your changes depending on your lighting situation.  Night time, indoors, outdoors, gigs, low lighting situations etc. 
The darker it is, the wider your aperture should be.
The lighter the situation, the smaller it should be.

Simple as that!

Time for the next part.......


PART 2: Shutter speed

Here's the same image you saw earlier.....
Recognise you F stop? ;)

I hope you do!  Because it is now time to learn about that other scary number on the screen.  Your shutter speed.

Shutter speed here is 1/100 as seen on the screen

The number that looks like a fraction is what is known as your Shutter Speed.
This determins how long your shutter stays open for when you push the button to take a photograph.

Click!  You hardly think it matters, but shutter speed is part of the key to help you catch atmosphere and movement to your images.

Time to break it down, here we go.....

The longer your shutter is left open, the more information you will capture.
The quicker your shutter snaps, the less information you will capture.

Shutter speed can also be referred to as an 'exposure.'

• The term long exposure = shutter being left open a while
• The term short exposure = shutter opening and closing quickly

It's not that scary, trust me!
Example: Traffic at night - always a great example to explain this.

Here is a classic, 'long exposure' shot:

Long exposure to give you a light trail from the cars

Doesn't it look cool!?
It's easy to create if you know what your numbers are about.

The fractions simply relate to what fraction of a second your shutter will remain open for.

At the top  of this scale is 1/1000 of a second, which you can imagine, that is a fast shutter speed.

1/125 is a 125th of a second, which is a bit slower than the 1/1000 but still fast enough to capture and freeze an image without any blur.

1/2 is half a second. Doesn't sound like much, but if you try and take a picture whilst hand holding your camera, the shutter will be open long enough to capture you shaking!  You will end up with a blurry image of nothing very much.

Tripods are perhaps the most important tool for creating long exposures.

Imagine trying to hold your camera in the one place without even quivering during a 2 second shutter speed! It's not going to be easy or possible for that matter.

Take a quick look at this before I explain further:
http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/30-stunning-examples-of-long-exposure-photography

Notice how the stationary objects in these photographs aren't moving.  If you were to hold the camera freehand, you would be moving, therefore, the buildings would appear to be moving too.
The images on this link would have been created using a tripod and long exposure times.

Here's my own test to show you this :) Try it out if you get the chance

What you will need:
Camera
Tripod
A Wall
A laser pen

Set your camera up facing the wall.  Stand behind your camera and tripod with a laser pen.  Choose your shutter speed, hit your trigger and start writing!

Shutter speed: 1 second.  Aperture: F11

 Choose a word and attempt to write it when your shutter goes off.
Above I tried to write 'hi' but didn't get very far in one second, so changed it to a longer exposure......

Shutter speed: 4 seconds.  Aperture: F16

As you can see, using a 4 second shutter speed gave me enough time to write 'hi' onto the blind.

Notice how the F stop is different in each image?  This is because you have to remember that shutter speed effects how much light gets in too!
The longer it is, the more time light has to get in and vice versa.  So, you have to compensate by changing your aperture accordingling.

Here you can see how shutter speed can effect the amount of light in you image.

Because I had the shutter open for 4 seconds, I though I would close the aperture ring to balance out the light.

You can try a few things other than words, even give swirls a go......see how far you can get

Shutter speed: 1 second.  Aperture: F10

Shutter speed: 4 seconds.  Aperture F16

It's never a rule set in stone as to what F stop to use depending on your shuttter speed as every situation is different.
The only thing you can do is set something like this up yourself and have some fun with it!

 

 Here's a quick one with a longer exposure, you can see I have changed to F22 for it!

Shutter speed: 13 seconds.  Aperture: F22

So, hopefully from those two steps on aperture and shutter speed will help you understand what those numbers are all about and how you can apply them to your photography.

Last but not least, and usually the easiest to understand......


PART 3: ISO
ISO doesn't stand for anything in photography terms, it is short for International Organization for Standardization.  Nothing to do with photography, just a way to keep everything the same and to stop confusion.


Time for the famous image again...... Perhaps a bit blurry due to the webcam, but if you look at the right hand side of the screen you can see the number 100.  (under the lightbuld and above the AF-A)

It says ISO 100.  I happened to be set to 100 for this image as I was in the studio last night when using my camera and ISO 100 is a useful setting there.

Nikon screen - ISO 100

The best way to explain ISO is in terms of film.  When you buy a film for an old camera, they are more commonly available in ISO 200 or ISO 400.


This number is all about how sensitive your film is to light.  How fast it acts.  In digital cameras, it isn't film, it is a sensor, but the same ISO term is applied to keep things relevant.

ISO can range from: 100 - 200 - 400 - 800 - 1600 - 3200 - 6400

The further up the scale you go, the lower the image quality gets, but don't let this stop you from changing it if it's the only way to capture that image you want.

ISO 100: Lower sensitivity to light, meaning we usually have to expose for longer but we keep a higher quality image.

ISO 6400: Higher sensitivity to light, meaning we can use shorted exposure speeds to freeze movement in an image, but losing some quality at the same time.

Here's a quick example of ISO's I have taken to help explain.  Please excuse the silly cat toy as the subject, was close to hand at the time!

ISO Examples

The shutter speed and aperture remained the same throughout.

Shutter speed: 1/40

F5

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

You can see how much more light sensitive the ISO 3200 is in comparison to ISO 100.  3200 just soaks the light up whilst 100 acts a bit slower of the mark when absorbing the light.

So again, you have another option to help control your lighting.
ISO doesn't usually change as much as your shutter of aperture would in a situation.

For example, here is what I would find myself using depending on the job....

ISO 100 - In the studio using lighting to control my set up, helps create nice black backgrounds when needed as it is slow to responding to the light around the subject.

ISO 100 - used in studio

 ISO 200 - I find myself using this during bar/club event photography.  I use a flash and it is enough to light the peoples faces, yet 200 doesn't soak up much light on the background, so keep the image low on distracting objects or things going on behind the subject.

ISO 200 - Used with a flash and fisheye lens

ISO 400 - Everyday use.  It's in the middle and good for just snapping away when out and about during the day. (Please excuse these two lovely examples in this photograph, Ruth and Mel! - Both keen Lomographers, more on that in another post)

ISO 400 - Even, day to day lighting

ISO 800 - Used for gigs or photographing people in low lighting situations that I am too far away from to my flash to hit.  Usually the stage is well lit and ISO 800 responds well without loosing quality.

ISO 800 - used at live gigs or shows

ISO 1600 - Used for the gigs and very low lit situations that I have no other options to work around.  Working with camera hand-held means I can only keep the shutter open so long to let the most light possible in until it starts to go blurry and I shake!  This is when the 1600 or the 3200 ISO would be used, but I personally try to avoid it due to the image appearing grainy and restricting how big you can have your image printed without it lacking sharpness and quality.

ISO 1600 - A low lit set up, you can see that quality in lines and definition are low

So!  With that, I think that this lesson will keep you all busy for a while and get you out there with your camera and trying some new techniques :)


Any questions you may have, feel free to ask.  More lessons up soon, until then, check out my Facebook Photography page, all blog updates will be posted there......

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/pages/Suzi-Taylor-Photography/129523760461220 

Happy snapping!

New Camera bag....but what to choose!

So, I'm giving the lessons a break for a day or two and have decided to write about a bit of a dilemma.  I'm at that time in life (again) where a new camera bag is in order!  It's hardly a life changing decision or anything, but we all have been in those situation where what bag we have seems to hinder us more than help!

It's slinging your backpack off as quick as you can to get a lens to capture the moment.  Your down on the ground furiously digging through your bag until you find it.  Look up and your heart sinks.  Moment. OVER.

I currently only own one bag that's sole purpose in life, is for holding camera gear.  The rest of the time I make do with an old backpack I must have had since I was sixteen.

Old faithful - The Normal Backpack....perhaps a bit too old now

It's a laptop backpack, so has a bit of cushioning on it in some parts, but over time, it isn't great anymore.  The downside is, not having compartments for camera gear.  There's tons of pockets.  Great for pens, paper, wallet, drink, whatever.  But camera's and lenses tend to be wrapped up into scarfs and hoodies to be kept safe as they tumble about inside this bag.

As my equipment list has been growing, I've run out of room in my 'official' camera bag and had never been a fan of it from the start.  Hence using the backpack.
Here's the set up at the minute.   It just isn't practical for the future!

Current 'real' camera bag.  By LoPro

Rain cover included and straps are strong and comfortable

I founf this bag great a while ago when I was just starting out and didn't have that must equipment.  Now the list of gear has grown, I can manage to fit all of it in, but it is a push.  Never good and you will end up with a lens overboard with the cramped situation, and lets be honest, broken lenses are never fun.

My Gear (Winter 2012) :

Nikon D3100 Camera body

Nikon 50mm lens

Nikon 18-55mm lens

Nikon 12-24mm lens

Nikon 70-300mm lens

Speed light

x2 flash triggers

x2 flash receivers

x2 Nikon batteries

x4 AA rechargeable (for speedlight)

x4 AAA disposables (for flash triggers)

Business cards

Lose change

ID's

Contents of this little Camera bag (believe it or not!)

I have a few trips coming up and I'm hoping to gather some work for a project I hope to have exhibited in the future.
Time and money are both of the essence and I really need something that is easy to work with, comfortable to carry, protects my equipment, has enough room for what I need and has the options for easy arrangements and is compact enough for travel.

Hardly difficult to figure out, but ebay is a great place to find a few bargains or at least have a range of what you are looking for all under one roof.
The idea of a shoulder bag seems inviting after using a backpack for so long.  With that, the shopping began......

During the laborious browsing I found that you could buy inserts to put into your own backpack or shoulder bag.  They are priced around £20 and seem to be made of foam, waterproof material and have the velcro edges for you to customize what you need it for!

Everyones needs are different, everyone is doing different jobs and I'm not the first to say that it is best to have a few options to choose from to carry your equpiment in.

LoPro camera body compartment

I have nothing against the LoPro and it was a useful purchase at the time, but would strongly suggest that you think through where you will be taking your photography.  (both career wise, equipment wise and location wise.) As you can see, everything became a bit of a tight fit after a short time.

Velcro for choice of set up

Lenses, Camera body and speedlight

Triggers, remotes, spare batteries, extra memory cards

I.D, promo wristbands, pens, loose change

Business cards - Always important to take with you!

As I am lining up a trip to put together the work I hope to take to exhibition in the future.  You can find out more about the project on my website: http://www.suzitaylorphotography.com/ (Projects page)
I really want be be comfortable when working on location and have something convenient to work with when it comes to carrying equipment.

So, finally! After a few days debating the situation, I've decided to go for this one......

Here's a link to the bag in case it just so happens to be up your street or something you are looking for:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300625164527?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I'll be writing a few articles about preparation for my project and trip.  The Facebook page will be kept up to date each time there is a new post. Please feel free to check it out and click the 'Like' button to keep updated :)  

Suzi Taylor Photography - Facebook Page

Thanks guys!