Monday, November 14, 2011

Maximize Your Accuracy When Employing SLR Cameras

By Luke Russel


Single Lens Reflex (SLR cameras) offer the photographer a more accurate view of what he is about to photograph. View finders on previous cameras did not allow this advantage. What the photographer saw was not what appeared in the final product.

Prior to the invention of digital cameras, photographs were produced on special film. The film was chemically processed in a darkroom resulting in a negative image. Positive images were cast onto specially treated photographic paper using a device that was known as an enlarger. The paper was exposed to light and was then dipped into a series of chemical baths. The end result was a positive image. Photographic paper may be either shiny or have a matte surface finish.

There were different sizes of camera film, mainly 35 mm or 120 mm. Larger sizes of film were available. In general, the smaller the format, the grainier the image turns out. Sharper pictures are produced on larger sizes of film. Camera film was also produced in different speeds.

Fast film came in handy for sports or other action shots. It enabled more rapid shutter speeds. Slower films were reserved for more stationary subject. Slow films are more prone to distortion due to shaking and so a tripod is recruited for these films. Color film has a high speed.

Another parameter that can be adjusted is the F-stop. This determines the diameter of the aperture of the shutter. A large F-stop had a small diameter, and vice versa. It determined the depth of field. A large F-stop of, say 22, had a small or shallow depth of field. This meant that everything in the picture was equally in focus. A small F-stop has a large depth of field. This meant that only part of the picture was in sharp focus and the rest was less focused.

It is a popular belief that color photographs are always better than those in black and white. This is not always true. Black and white photographs can be very artistic. Subjects that look good this way are outdoor landscapes or subjects with intriguing, repetitive patterns. Monochrome is particularly good when photographing shadows. A large format will give high resolution.

Photographing high fashion models or sports (football, surfing, water skiing, motor racing), where the subject is in constant motion, require a high F-stop and rapid shutter speeds using fast film produce the best results. As regards what format to use, 35 mm is more portable while larger formats will give high resolution.

A large format, tripod and long shutter speed are a good combination when the subject is motionless. An example of this is when you are shooting portraits in a studio, where the subject is capable of either sitting or standing still. With animals or children, who do not sit still for any length of time, you can still get away with a large format but you need faster film and a fast shutter speed if you want to avoid blurring due to movement. Taking photo of buildings look best with a large format, slow shutter speed and securing the camera to at tripod.




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