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Nikon D40X Coolpix P5100 D300S F5 5700 Digital Camera Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) $2.63 Nikon D40X Coolpix P5100 D300S F5 5700 Digital Camera Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) .This Digital Camear Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) is for you to use to protects the interior from debris and dust when it’s not in use.Keeps the hot shoe clean, safe from scratches, and avoids moisture.FEATURES: Fits securely over the hot shoe of your Canon Nikon DSLRs and protect the interior from dust an… |
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Nikon Coolpix L120 P500 D7000 D3000 D90 Digital Camera Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) $5.79 Nikon Coolpix L120 P500 D7000 D3000 D90 Digital Camera Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) .This Digital Camear Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) is for you to use to protects the interior from debris and dust when it’s not in use.Keeps the hot shoe clean, safe from scratches, and avoids moisture.FEATURES: Fits securely over the hot shoe of your Canon Nikon DSLRs and protect the interior from dust a… |
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Nikon D3100 Coolpix L110 P7000 P100 D60 Digital Camera Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) $2.63 Nikon D3100 Coolpix L110 P7000 P100 D60 Digital Camera Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) .This Digital Camear Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover (Black) is for you to use to protects the interior from debris and dust when it’s not in use.Keeps the hot shoe clean, safe from scratches, and avoids moisture.FEATURES: Fits securely over the hot shoe of your Canon Nikon DSLRs and protect the interior from dust a… |
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Snap-on Rubber Coated Case for Apple® iPhone® 4 4S 4GS 4G AT&T / Verizon, Pink / Black $0.01 This snap-on rubber coated case keeps your Apple® iPhone® 4 AT&T / Verizon safe and protected in style.Snap on rubber coated case adds a splash of color and provides protection from scratches.Allows easy access to all buttons, controls and ports. Material: Hard plastic case with rubber coating.Type: Non-OEM / Aftermarket. Color: Pink / Black.Size: Perfect fit. Accessory ONLY, phone not included…. |
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Opteka SB-1 Mini Universal Studio Soft Box Flash Diffuser for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony, Sigma, & Other External Flash Units $9.95 A dramatic, eye catching photo can mean dramatic profits. Getting a well exposed photo is extremely important. Photographers often turn to a flash to help light the scene. The problem is that flash can cause harsh reflections or glare spots or create deep shadows that distract viewers. This little, portable universal external flash diffuser will prevent those problems when using a flash. Simply pu… |
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD – Black $349.95 New High Sensitivity CCD and F2.0 LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON LENS DMC-LX5 is fully re-designed in the lens, the CCD and the image processing engine together with other improvements and upgrades. The newly developed super bright F2.0 ultra wide angle 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens minimizes distortion for stunning, true-to-life images with outstanding resolution and detail. The 24mm wide angle of… |
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The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes $22.55 After spending more than thirty years behind the lens – working for National Geographic, Time, Life and Sports Illustrated – Joe McNally knows about light. He knows how to talk about it, shape it, color it, control it and direct it. Most importantly, he knows how to create it using small hot shoe flashes.In The Hot Shoe Diaries, Joe brings you behind the scenes to candidly share his lighting solut… |
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The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets from One of the World’s Top Shooters $28.98 THE FIRST BOOK WITH ONE FOOT ON THE COFFEE TABLE, AND ONE FOOT IN THECLASSROOMJoe McNally, one of the world’s top pro digital photographers, whose celebrated work has graced the pages of Sports Illustrated, Time, and National Geographic (to name a few), breaks new ground by doing something no photography book has ever doneâblending the rich, stunning images and elegant layout of a coffe… |
Basic Digital Photography: Getting the Light Source Right
Lighting is the single most critical factor in determining the quality of any photograph. Although with digital cameras you can edit after the fact, such features are limited and it is more effective to assure that you get the best exposure when taking the shot.
The amount of light on the image sensor, or exposure, is determined by the opening/closing of the aperture, the length of time that the shutter is open, and the amount of light present. For the purposes of this article, the discussion will be limited to working with and enhancing the light present for the shot.
When the light in a situation is not sufficient or when you want to create a different effect with highlights and shadows, an internal flash or external light source can be used. The happy news for the photography novice is that digital cameras have an auto flash feature in which the camera decides when lighting is insufficient and will activate the flash automatically.
One of the most important things to remember about using flash photography for the novice is that all cameras have a flash range. Beyond that range, generally no more than 14 to 15 feet, the flash is not effective. Flash is most often used when shooting indoors where there is generally less light.
One of the pitfalls of using flash when photographing people and animals however is the infamous “red eye” effect which is created when the light bounces off of the back of the retina of the subject. This can be reduced by having subjects avoid looking directly into the camera or using the “red eye reduction” mode. This mode simply emits a tiny flash prior to taking the picture to help the pupil contract prior to the full flash.
Glare is another common problem encountered when using flash photography but can easily be eliminated by being sure not to point the camera directly into any shiny object such as a mirror or glass. Most digital cameras allow the user to have control of the flash function giving them the ability to disable it for use in situations where flash is not allowed or the user is striving to achieve a particular look in the picture. It also allows the user to set the flash so that it is always on, allowing the flash to be used even when the camera senses adequate lighting.
Flash can be used to deal with some lighting related problems outdoors as well. Sunlight can create shadows and cause the subject to appear dark and difficult to discern with the brighter, sunlit area around them. One option is to pose your subject in the shade. Taking photographs in the shade often provides images with better/truer color definition, no shadows, and subjects free from squinting.
When in the sunlight, use of the flash can be particularly helpful in balancing the light and reducing shadows. The fill-flash mode can be useful in any situation where the subject will be darker than the surrounding background whether they are shaded by a hat, a tree, or simply their own facial features. However, fill-flash mode should be used only when the subject is within 6 feet. Beyond this distance full power mode will be necessary.
Use of an external or auxiliary flash can give the user the control necessary to adjust lighting and create special effects. Just as the intensity of a light source influences the exposure in a picture, the direction of the light source can change an image through shadows and highlights. A flash can be attached to a camera with either a “cold shoe” or a “hot shoe”. A cold shoe is merely a plastic shoe that allows the flash to be physically attached to the camera but does not have any contacts that allow the camera to communicate or coordinate the flash activity. With a hot shoe, users can attach a flash sync cord, allowing them to move the flash away from the camera and choose the direction of the lighting. In addition, a hot shoe attachment allows the flash to be controlled by the camera’s flash settings. With the external flash, there are various modes to control the flash function.
• The TTL setting allows the camera and flash to determine the best exposure based upon the focal length of the lens. This is possible when the camera and the flash are of the same brand.
• The Stroboscopic setting can produce multiple flashes within a single exposure to create special effects.
• The Manual setting allows the user to set the flash for full, half, or quarter power.
• The Auto setting allows the flash to determine the best exposure independently. This is used most often when the camera and flash are not of the same brand.
There are two primary types of lighting used in photography. A hard light is created from a single, bright source of light and it produces shadows, highlights and pronounced contrast in the resulting image. Soft light on the other hand is very diffuse, making highlights and shadows more subtle.
Hard light is preferable when detail and distinct color is desired, but soft light is best for a softer image. Light from a single source can be diffused in a number of ways. The flash can be covered with a thin material such as tissue or wax paper or it can be bounced off of another surface, such as the ceiling or a wall, rather than being shown directly onto the subject. Bouncing the light is obviously not effective outdoors and the distance of the reflecting structure should be no more than 6-8 feet. The color of the surface reflecting the light must also be considered. Any color on the surface is generally reflected onto the subject. For this reason, white is generally preferred although professionals use black to absorb light and darken shadows and shiny materials are used to harden the light.
As mentioned previously, the direction of lighting can also greatly influence the characteristics of a photograph. The use of an external flash gives the user the option of moving the light source in relation to the subject.
Front lighting is the most common. When wanting to emphasize the detail of the subject, front lighting is the best choice. However, it can create a rather harsh image with shadows in the background, muted colors in the foreground, and red eye. The use of fill flash and red eye reduction when using front lighting can help to alleviate some of the negative effects, while diffusing the light can reduce harshness.
Back lighting can produce a very dramatic photograph but, if too bright, can cause the subject to appear only as a silhouette unless the object is transparent. Reducing the brightness of the light source and using fill flash to brighten the shadowed areas can improve the quality of a picture with back lighting. Providing lighting from an angle rather than directly from the front or back can be beneficial in either of these lighting situations.
Lighting can also be directed from the side, the top, and from under the subject. Side lighting gives the user the most options as far as angle and the ability to create a wide variety of effects. Side lighting is optimal for creating texture and a sense of depth to a photograph.
For the novice photographer, experimentation is key. Whether diffusing light for softer images, using fill flash outdoors to eliminate shadows, or altering the direction of lighting to create special effects, creating unique, quality images requires practice.
About the Author
Christine Peppler shares information on home electronics products and home entertainment on her website at: http://www.homemedias.info
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