I'm Confused

[shp]

This has been bugging me for the past week, perhaps longer.

In my book, it says that if I'm to increase the aperture, I should decrease the exposure. Right, I tried doing that, but to be honest, I was never really good with fractions nor decimals. I actually nearly flunked math every year ever since I was in the seventh grade.

Here's an example:

I set my aperture to, let's say, f5.0. It's normally at f3.2. The exposure is normally at 1/125. Should it go down, as 1/100, or up, as 1/250? I don't understand how fractions work.

[Saknika]

It needs to go down. As the aperture increases from f/3.2 to f/5.0, the hole, or pupil, of the camera is getting smaller, meaning less light is getting in. So to compensate, you need to slow down the shutter speed, going from 1/125 down to 1/100.

[Mirrazh]

Saknika is right. However, once you have a camera, you don't really think about things like that. If I have an exposure meter in my camera, I usually rely on that and set my aperture & shutter speed according to the circumstances (sports, portraits, etc) and further adjust the exposure according to the circumstances (snow, black cat, etc).

[shp]

OK. Would I have to change the ISO, too, when I change these two around? It's usually at 64, but would change to either 100 or 400.

[Saknika]

ISO is a whole different thing. Depending on the ISO, you can have either a fast exposure, or a slow one. ISO simply determines light sensitivity. So, at ISO64 you might have to be at f/3.0 with a shutter of 1/125. But at ISO100, it'd be more like f/3.0 at 1/250 or something to that nature. This is because ISO100 is more sensitive to light than ISO64, and needs less exposure time.

Generally though, if you have plenty of light, ISO100 it usable. When you're talking twilight, ISO400 is more necessary. And after dark when you're doing long exposure, that takes experimentation. I still use ISO100 though, but that's my camera.

Every camera is different, and each ISO behaves differently on each camera.

Remember though, the higher the ISO you choose, the more chance that noise will appear in your images.

[shp]

Okay, so just for future references:

ISO64 is good in the morning and late afternoon when there's not too much light.

ISO100 is better in the daytime when there's more light.

And lastly, ISO400 is best at night when it's darker.

Should I write that down in my notes so I would remember?

So far, what I've learned in here is:

If I wanted to increase the aperture from F5.0 while the initial exposure is at possibly 1/250, I should then lower the exposure down to around 1/125. I've just started going down one by one, ex: I lower the aperture once, then I increase the exposure once. I have OCD so I'm kind of like pattern-obsessed, too.

I'm trying not to get confused. Here's my review. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

1) The aperture is the camera's eye. The lower it goes, the more focused the image (this one, I'm not sure about all of a sudden). If it's decreased, the exposure should increase, and the same goes for the other way around.

2) The exposure is the amount of light that is let in, also known as shutter speed. The lower the exposure, the less light that is let in (again, confused. I'm still a little woozy from the sleep-drug they gave me before the surgery).

3) Red eyes are the result of when the flash is reversed in a person's eyes, affecting the light and turning them red instead of the natural color that they should be. The best way to fix this is to either have an off-camera flash or, since I can't afford one right now, have the person look at the edge of the camera's lens instead of directly at the glass or flash. I tried that the other day and my eyes didn't go red.

4) A tripod helps to keep the camera from shaking when pictures are taken.

5. Bracketing exposure isn't a good way as it would not allow the flash, but it can be useful for beginners to experiment with it. Now I have a question for this, and I'm sorry this is getting very long, but I want to learn as much as I can, and I did read that if I learn things too quickly I may as well forget them just as quickly, too, but here's the question. My camera will go from -1.0, to -0.7, -0.3, 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1.0. How do I use this to my advantage, or is it more of a disadvantage?

6) Adobe is the top digital image manipulation, but would cost me an arm and leg! lol I will have to save up for it, and once I'm good with just taking pictures and start selling them on stock photo-websites, I may have some money coming in.

7) Running a website where people would have to register to view the whole gallery instead of just previews is a good way to make money, but! Would it discourage people to walk away?

8) Stock photography is a good way to make money, though it wouldn't be easy nor quick! RF = Royalty Free/RM = Rights Managed. RF, people can pay to use as many of the image without having to pay for each one that they use, while in RM, the photographer can explain what they can do with their pictures and how much they would have to pay for each. I would prefer RF for now, just until I improve much better. Then on to RM.

Okay, I think that's way too much and I'm starting to feel that I may be going off topic, but well, the title does say "I'm Confused", so in a way it's still on topic, lol! That's enough for now.

PS: Saknika, that Fiery-Dreams link isn't working anymore. I tried checking it out but apparently they are shut down or something.

[ScottWood]

I honestly don't know how to respond to your posts. In one post you say that you don't understand the very basic tenants of photography, and then out of the blue you are talking about selling stock online.

I just don't get it.

[Saknika]

You have it backwards on the ISO a bit. 64 is less sensitive to light, and so you'd want to use it in the daylight when there is more available. You have it correct for 400 though, in theory. You'd have to test it out and see, because not all cameras perform the same at certain ISOs.

For instance, with a Mamiya that has a digital leaf back (this is a medium format camera I used a couple years ago), ISO 400 was the highest you could go, and it was all noise. You avoided it like the bubonic plague.

On the Canon Rebel xT however, ISO400 is default and works beautifully.

So do a test. That's really the only way to know for sure.

---

Exposure is composed of both aperture and shutter speed, so you have some of your terminology wrong.

f=aperture
fractions=shutter

The aperture is the camera's eye, and it acts like a pupil. The higher the number, the smaller the hole. The smaller the hole, the more of the image that's in focus. However, the smaller that hole the harder it is to get light to the sensor, and thus you need a longer shutter speed to compensate.

The shutter speed is how long you let the light in. The lower the speed, the longer you let light in, and thus the more light that reaches the sensor.

---

Yes to the red eyes (though I had never heard of the head-turn thing, but it makes sense), and yes to the tripod.

---

Adobe is the top digital imaging programs out there right now for photography. Many argue for graphic design as well, but as with any program, it is all preference.

---

Most people will pass such a website by and pass it off as pornography probably.

---

Stock photography can either pay you well or rip you off. Generally, it's better to license then to sell an image, because you will make more in the end and you retain your copyright. If you're not going into it with a lawyer having looked over a contract, chances are it will never pay you enough to be worth it in the end.

Stock photography has its own standards as well, and businesses that are honestly going to use another's work are looking only for the best of the best, high res images.

---

You've got a lot of goals, which is good, but make sure you learn first. It doesn't do much good to have regrets later on.

[shp]

lol! Sorry, Scottwood. I tend to get random sometimes. My apologies. =)

--------

I will have to test out the ISO at different times during the day. I haven't had a chance to see a picture done at IS0400, but if it should be used at night, then I don't think I would have a problem erasing out the noise, as I'm sure most of the picture would be dark, if not black.

-------

I meant to have their eyes look at the edge. Sorry for confusing you. =) But yeah, a turn of the head would help, too. I've noticed that for some reason side portraits are sometimes better than straight portraits, if the lighting's done right.

-------

Yes, and I don't want people thinking I'm a pornographer... If that's even a word, lol.

-------

Yeah, I'm not yet ready for stock photography, nor would I be for a long while, even if I improve. I would hate to see someone else use my own photograph and claim they took it themselves, and the only way I could prove that I was the one who took it is if I keep the original and the date I've taken it.

Yes, it's good to have a lot of goals and to work toward them instead of just rushing at them. If I ever end up needing some more help I will start a new thread. I don't want to be annoying by continously posting in here with various questions. =(

As for the stock photo- situation, I know that photos should be high-rez and that they have to be sharp. They would also have to be a considerable size. I actually have an account on the 123RF website but they want my ID. *hides his license*

[Mirrazh]

It also depends on the face shape of your model. Some people look great straight on, others...don't. You really just have to go with your gut and play around a little.

As for ISO, just go out with your camera, fix the aperture and shutter speed, and just play with the ISO, you'll understand it quickly after that.

On paper, all of this sounds confusing, that's why you just need to get your feet wet and learn from experience.

Also, don't start photography considering the money. Do it for your own personal reasons.