ISO stands for 'International Organization for Standardization' and their film speed ratings are used to indicate the relative amount of light necessary to give a proper exposure. A normal film will be rated at ISO 100. A film rated at ISO 200 will give a proper exposure with only half the amount of light compared to the ISO 100 film, enabling you to shoot in lower light or with a smaller aperture or faster shutter speed. The ISO 200 film would be referred to as a 'faster' film. There are films available that range in speed from ISO 25 to ISO 1600.

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Although the shutter speeds and apertures are interchangeable as far as exposure is concerned, they each have their own unique effect on the picture. Let's take a look at shutter speeds first as their effect is easily understood. We'll look at apertures further down the page.

submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago

In photography, 'exposure' means the amount of light that falls onto the film, or CCD if you are using a digital camera. In modern cameras the exposure is usually set to automatic by default and, most of the time, it can be left there and will produce beautiful pictures. There are times though, when the lighting conditions are difficult or we want to produce a particular effect and it would be nice to understand what is going on 'under the hood'.

submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago

Selecting your viewpoint, the position from which you photograph the subject, is a very important part of composition and one that some people pay very little attention to. When taking a photo of a group of friends, how often do you move around the group looking for the best angle?

submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago

Filling the frame. What to leave out, what to put in and where to put it.

Tip - One of the easiest ways to improve your photography is with careful attention to framing. Look into the corners of the viewfinder to see what is there. Do you need all that background? Can you get closer to your subject or zoom in? Would the picture look better as an upright or landscape?

submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago

The rule of thirds is one of the most important rules of photographic composition. Landscape photographers are particularly fond of this one, but it works well for many types of subject. The rule of thirds simply says that, instead of placing the main focus of interest in the center of the frame, which makes for a very static composition, that you look to position it on an intersection of the thirds. That is to say one third up and one third in or two thirds up and one third in etc.

submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago

In our modern world of automatic cameras, which focus for us and adjust the exposure in an ever more perfect way (most of the time), the biggest difference between a good photograph and a mediocre one is the composition.

In every photograph we take, we can decide where the boundaries of that photo will be, called the cropping. We can also choose the viewpoint. If we are taking pictures of people or movable objects then, often, we also have the opportunity to arrange them into the shapes we want.

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The phenomenon known as camera shake is caused by movement of the camera (hence the name :-)), which becomes noticeable as blur when using a slow shutter speed. The resulting blur is not quite the same as the blur caused by incorrect focusing.
How can we tell the difference between blurred focus and camera shake?

submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago

Holding the camera properly is the best way to avoid or minimize the effects of camera shake. A good firm grip with the right hand and support from underneath means that, when you press the shutter release, movement of the camera will be minimized. This will enable you to shoot sharper pictures at slower shutter speeds.

submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago

Using a Tripod - this tutorial will go over:

* Things you can do with a tripod that you can't do without one
* What to look for when buying a tripod
* Tips for using your tripod


submitted: 5 years and 3788 days ago