Intro
Here are some quick tips to help prepare for a photography session. Parts of this guide will include information that might seem obvious to you, however, they are still important and have been missed even by many professionals. First, we will go over essential equipment needed for your shoot. Following that, we will become acquainted with some terminology and their applications. After that, we will look over some things not to forget before your shoots. Finally, this guide will stress some important aspects to remember when shooting people as subjects.
Required Equipment
CameraWe know that the cook is more important the pan, but it is intuitive that the quality of the camera will reflect the image quality. For this intro photography class, we will be focusing on using a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera. DSLR cameras give you the ability to manually set the ISO (sensitivity of the image sensor), resolution, shutter speeds, f-stop capabilities and focus abilities.
LensesYour choice of lenses is as important as the choice of tires on a formula one car. Every type of shoot requires its own lens. At the beginning of your photography career this might not be as vital. Nevertheless, as you start to take more advanced photos, it is integral for creating the perfect mood of the picture.
21mm-35mm: Large angle. Excellent choice for landscapes. 35mm-70mm: Good for everyday uses and documentary-style photography. 70mm-135mm: Best for portrait photography 135mm-300mm+: Great for wildlife and sport photography Flash (Light Box)A external flash is a must in every photographer's tool box. Know that sometimes there is not enough light available, or the light is so excessively one directional that it must be counterfeited from a different angle to create an appropriately exposed subject. Remember that the built in flash on your camera should never be used, unless you want to create a a flat image that lacks dimension.
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Lens ApertureThe lens' aperture is located on the grip of your lens and starts with an F and is followed by a decimal number.
Reflector/DefuserBeing able to influence and control light is vital in photography. Reflectors and defusers are exactly the tools that do that. Reflectors come in different shapes, colors and sizes and are used to direct the light from a different angle on your subject. This creates a more uniform, soft lighting on the subject and can often be advantageous. Sunlight is the nightmare of every professional photographer and defusers are the cure for it. The main reason for this is that sunlight light's intensity over exposures, meaning that the subject is lit so excessively that detail is lost in the picture's resolution. Defusers capture the overexposing light and create a lovely soft light, not just perfect for your picture quality, but also good in preventing the squinting of your subject's eyes.
BatteriesConsider having extra sets of batteries, since running out of juice at a shoot can be disastrous.
AssistantHaving an assistant is not just a great remedy for boredom at a shoot, but can be an immense help with holding reflectors, defusers, flashes and running other little errands.
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