Artificial Lighting In Digital Photography

Author — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:41:27 +0000

One of the things you have to thing about for making great images with a camera is lighting. Digital photography captures light in many of the same ways that a film camera does, only it uses pixels of light as opposed to making impressions on chemicals. Lighting in digital photography can get just as expensive as with traditional photography, so you need to think carefully. First, choose what sort of photographs you take. If you want to go professional, you need professional lighting digital photography equipment, too.

Reflective Metering

In measuring lighting, digital photography relies on the reflective metering way of grabbing and recording light. Light usually has to be bounced off of the subject for your digital camera to pick it up and then bounce off of mirrors inside the camera. This is why in digital photography, professionals and amateurs alike usually resort to using a light meter. This can throw light onto the subject.

Before you use light meters or flashes with your digital camera, you need to turn off the automatic mode and set it to manual. If you don’t have a manual setting on your camera, guess what? You’re out of luck and need a new camera.

Light Meters

Most digital cameras will already have a built-in light meter. Still, this might not be enough. You can tell when you look through the eyepiece. One good thing about lighting in digital photography is that what you see through your camera’s eyepiece is the exact same picture your camera will make. You often have to just cross your fingers and pray with film cameras.

Light meters are NOT flashes. Those are different pieces of equipment. Light meters record the amount of light reflecting off of your subject. This also sets off all of the flashes in the area. Yes, kids – don’t do this at home. Not unless your parents are filthy rich. A light meter is a very high-tech recording gizmo that looks like a cell phone. It tells you when to press the shutter.

You need to use that because your built-in light meter can’t handle a flash. So, it thinks that there’s a huge blinding light and will not let you take a picture. You need to set the light meter and the camera to the same shutter speed, ISO setting and aperture value. This puts them in sync.

Or, you could do what I do and chuck out digital photography altogether and stick with film cameras. It a lot easier, IF you’re not a professional photographer.

Is It Hard To Learn Digital Photography?

Author — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:40:22 +0000

It’s actually harder for a traditional film photographer to learn digital photography than it is for a complete novice who never touched a camera in his life. This is because someone who has used film cameras for years has two jobs ahead of him when trying to learn digital photography. Not only must he or she learn a whole new method of taking pictures – but they must forget a lot of what they already know.

No Simple Answer

You can’t force anyone to learn digital photography (not legally, anyway). This is a complicated process, even more so than a point and shoot film camera. It’s not enough to learn how to use the camera, how to set up a shot and how to use lighting, digital photography is also about knowing how to use your computer to “develop” your images.

It’s usually this part that really makes or breaks anyone wanting to learn digital photography. Not only do you have to figure out which Tab A goes into which Port B, you also have to learn a new software package. This writer has given up trying to learn digital photography and just sticks to a 35mm auto focus camera.

Of course, I don’t have the same motivation that other people have when they decide to learn digital photography. Let me rephrase that – I don’t have ANY motivation to learn digital photography. I have a busy enough life. Also, knowing me, once I figure out the shiny new toy – er, digital camera – I will go bankrupt playing with it.

It Takes Time

Digital photography is a skill just like any other. Because it is a skill, you just can’t get it overnight (and if you do, keep your mouth shut or very jealous people will want to stone you). Everyone learns at their own rate. Try to resist the temptation to compare your learning rate with others. Just because someone half your age figured out your digital camera in half the time you spent figuring out just how to turn it, does not mean that anything is wrong with you.

You might also be able to integrate film and digital photography. Get a program like Windows Paint or Photoshop and scan your current photographs into the program. Then, get silly and push buttons. Try different colors, textures and special effects. Making mistakes is the best way to learn – and you won’t have wasted any expensive film.

Photography » Lighting Digital Photography

Artificial Lighting In Digital Photography

Is It Hard To Learn Digital Photography?