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1. Unit 57: Photography and Photographic Practice Terminology
P1, P2, M1, M2
Photographic
Terminology
DANIEL HOPKINS

2. The shutter speed is the length of time light is exposed to the cameras
sensor, allowing the image to be captured. The slower the shutter
speed, the longer the exposure time and the faster the shutter speed,
the shorter the exposure time. A fast shutter speed will effectively and
quickly take an image, meaning even fast moving objects such as cars,
flowing water and other moving things will appear stationary.
However, a slow shutter speed will mean that light is exposed to the
camera lens for longer and therefore takes a selected amount time to
capture the image. As the subject of the image may move during this
time, the resulting effect looks like the subject is in motion. This may
be to illustrate things that are fast such as flowing water and cars. The
shutter speed has a unique effect on my images. The fast shutter
speed quickly captured the coloured light bulbs, bold and clear.
However, the slow shutter speed meant my hands/arms wobbled
slightly while holding my camera, which will have constantly moved
the positions of the lights for the duration of the capture of the image.
Subsequently, the lights look like they are moving across the frame on
their own, creating a tangle of coloured lights.
Details for settings on the camera for the
above two image are on the following slide.
Shutter Speed

3. Shutter Speed
FAST SHUTTER SPEED SLOW SHUTTER SPEED
Camera: Nikon D3100
Exposure Time: 0.62 seconds
F-stop: f/7.1
ISO speed: ISO 3200
Camera: Nikon D3100
Exposure Time: 3 seconds
F-stop: f/7.1
ISO Speed: ISO 3200
The difference between these two images is very interesting and noticeable, with the only factor being the exposure time.
The shoot was at night and thus I put the ISO up to the high rating of 3200, to allow as much light into the image to make
it clearer. However, this did result in a moderate amount of noise. The images are of a small collection of coloured light
bulbs in a tree and on the first, quick shutter speed, I easily captured them bold and clear. In the next photograph, I used a
3 second shutter speed, which captured the image over a 2.4 second longer period of time than the first. As my hands
were unstable during the exposure, the lights were captured in multiple places as the camera moved, and therefore
appear to be in a state of movement.

4. In digital photography, the ISO measures the sensitivity of the image
censor. It’s various settings determine how much light is to be picked up
by the camera. A typical digital camera (using the example of the Nikon
camera I used to take the majority of my images) has ISO settings of 100,
200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200. Other cameras may have higher settings,
though it depends on the make and model of that individual camera.
The lower the ISO setting, the less sensitive the camera is to light, while
the higher the ISO setting, the more sensitive it is to light. As the ISO
becomes higher the image will lose quality and the grain won’t be of a
very good quality. The ISO will generally only be pushed to its higher
levels when the camera is being used indoors. This is because their will
be a lack of natural lighting and insufficient artificial lighting. Outdoor
photography ISO settings will generally be lower as lighting should
usually be sufficient. However, it would have to be adjusted at night and
if it was too bright/dark. A higher ISO will lead to a grainy quality as
mentioned above or ‘noise’. This is due to a higher ISO meaning a higher
sensitivity and the camera therefore being unable to capture the full
quality and content of the image. The effect the ISO has on the images is
clearly evident in the ones on the right: the higher the ISO the, the
brighter the image is and the lower the ISO, the darker the image is.
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F-stop: f/6.3
Exposure Time: 1/250 seconds
ISO: 400
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F-stop: f/8
Exposure Time: 1/250 seconds
ISO: 6400
ISO

5. ISO
Low ISO High ISO
Camera: NIKON D3100
F-stop: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 1/125
seconds
ISO: ISO-100
Camera: NIKON D3100
F-stop: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 1/125 seconds
ISO: ISO-400
Camera: NIKON D3100
F-stop: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 1/125
seconds
ISO: ISO-3200
Camera: NIKON D3100
F-stop: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 1/125 seconds
ISO: ISO-1600
The ISO has made an incredible difference when increased over a series of shots. The ISO was the only varying
factor for the shots, as the f-stop, exposure time and shutter speed all remained the same. As mentioned in
the definition in the previous slide, the ISO affects how sensitive the camera is to light and it is clearly evident
here. The less sensitive the images are to the light (lower ISO) the clearer the images are. However, as I
gradually upped the ISO, the camera becomes more sensitive to the light and its over-abundance results in
unclear images.

6. Rule of thirds
Rule of thirds is where you imagine a grid placed over the image you are taking, consisting of four lines (two
vertical, two horizontal) creating four equal blocks/squares. The theory is that if you place points of
interests on the intersecting points, the photograph will appear more balanced and the viewer will be able
to interact with it more naturally. Studies have also shown that people are more drawn to the intersecting
points of an image rather than the centre of the shot. The rule of thirds theory works well with this idea of
naturally interacting with an image. While taking a photograph you are supposed to visualize the grid, using
your mind to place it over the viewfinder or LCD display used to frame the shot. With this grid, the rule of
thirds identifies the four key areas of the image that should be considered as points of interest in the frame.
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F-stop: f/6.3
Exposure Time: 1/160 seconds
ISO: ISO-400
In the photograph on the left, the rule of
thirds gird has been placed over it,
revealing it’s intersecting points and key
areas. Three of the points align with the
subjects of the photograph, due to the
two animals positioning. The image looks
balanced yet unique, as one duck is
standing while the other is sitting. This
helps create a ‘photograph of two halves’
style image.

7. Examples of Rule of thirds
This photograph was taken in the college,
with lighting from above and surrounding
rooms. However, the light wasn’t fully on
the subject, hence the ISO.
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F-stop: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/125 seconds
ISO: ISO 3200
This photograph was taken in a forest
on a very overcast, grey day. This is why
I used the large ISO and f-stop.
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F-stop: f/16
Exposure Time: 1/100 seconds
ISO: ISO 6400
In the first image, the two key points of the photograph occupy the rule of third grid’s intersecting points. They are aligned
with the person on the left and the sign-text on the right. Though the image has two key areas of note, the effect of the rules
of third grid makes it look more balanced than cluttered. The second image features a small collection of flowers on the right
and plain greenery on the left. The flowers add balance and colour, contrasting well with the green. Their location matches
well with the rule of thirds grid and makes for an aesthetically pleasing image.

8. Aperture
& Depth
of Field
A camera can only focus its lens at a single point, but there will be an area
that stretches in front of and behind this focus point that still appears sharp.
This area of ‘sharpness’ is known as the depth of field. The distance can
change depending on the aperture settings and can be described as either
‘shallow’ (where only a narrow zone appears sharp) or ‘deep’ (where more of
the picture appears sharp). A shallow aperture image will only have certain
portion of it sharp, which would be preferable for pictures that are meant to
have a certain focal point. The opposite applies for a deep image, which will
be where the photographer wants a larger portion of the picture sharper and
clearer. The depth of field is determined by three factors – aperture size,
distance from the lens, and the focal length of the lens. The aperture size can
be chosen from the listed f/stop selections, like the ones below. An aperture
of f/1.4 is wide, while an aperture of f/8 is small. The former would offer
more depth of field while the latter wouldn’t. The distance the subject of the
image is from the camera lens can have a great impact on the depth of field,
as the shots could differ from long shots to close ups. An f/stop is ratio of the
lens's focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil.
The effect of the varying aperture on the two images at the side is very clear.
The first had a high aperture/ f stop and subsequently, much more of the
image is sharper, which is very good considering the various elements
featured in it. It helps create a more varied, aesthetic image. The second had
a lower aperture and therefore only a certain portion of the image is sharp-the
apple and the branch it is on. This creates a focal point for the
photograph.
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F/stop: f/16
Exposure time: 1/100 seconds.
ISO: 6400
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F/stop: f/ 5.6
Exposure time: 1/125 seconds.
ISO: 800

9. Aperture & Depth of Field
NARROW DEPTH OF FIELD WIDE DEPTH OF FIELD
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F/stop: f/16
Exposure time:1/100 seconds
ISO: 6400
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
F/stop: f/5.6
Exposure time: 1/125 seconds
ISO: 800
The difference between the two images here due to different aperture sizes (f/stops) is very noticeable. The image on the
left has a smaller f/stop and therefore a narrower depth of field. You can see the apple and leaves sharply and clearly, but
the background is a blur and cannot be made out. This effectively makes the apple the focal point of the image. The image
on the right has a higher f/stop and therefore a wider depth of field. The clarity in the photograph is very evenly distributed
and though the flowers are effectively the focal point, this is due to the fact they are the brightest subjects of the image.
Everything within the frame is generally of equal sharpness.

10. Manual
Exposure
Manual exposure mode is where you set the shutter speed, aperture,
ISO and some other functions on your camera. The camera may be
equipped with a monitor to suggest which values to set, although you
may use your own knowledge. Using manual exposure mode allows you
to tailor the settings of the camera to your needs and desires and means
that you can effectively craft various elements of the photograph as you
see fit. Having a camera in manual mode means that the photographer
has control over the photograph and means they can decide the look
and feel of the image.
On the right are some images which I shot in manual exposure mode.
The top is one from earlier in the PowerPoint, where I put on a 3 second
shutter speed while I was capturing an image of coloured light bulbs. As
my hand moved, the camera captured the lights in their various places. I
wouldn’t have been able to do this without a slow shutter speed, which
I was inspired to by similar images I saw during my research.
The second image was taken with an ISO of 3200, which allows for a
bright and clear image. I had previously taken the shot with an ISO of
800 but due to the lighting inside, it came up dark. By being in manual
exposure mode, I was able to change the ISO to make the image better
and the way I wanted it.
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
Exposure time:1/125
F/stop: f/5.6
ISO Speed: 3200