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  1. #1
    zmcgovern45's Avatar
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    <span style="font-size:24px;"><span>The Basics of Exposure
    `
    I get quite a few questions related to photography, so I figured it was worth doing a series of write ups related to photography as it will help many people with documenting their detailing jobs.
    `
    `
    <span>So you bought a DSLR, but you still leave it in AUTO mode? You are greatly limiting your own creativity and the camera`s abilities by simply resorting to Auto mode for your photos. `It may be a bit overwhelming at first, but photography is pretty straight forward... you just need some practice and patience!
    `
    `
    Photography is a big part of my life and is something I LOVE to use in my detailing work. `In fact, it makes my detailing work a lot more enjoyable. `
    `
    Photography is a great hobby for anyone to get in to, and it is something that you will find fun and interesting. `You will be able to incorporate it in just about anything you do if you would like.
    `
    It seems the majority of DSLR owners shoot in AUTO mode... this is the first thing that needs to change! `Many people expect miracles when purchasing a higher end DSLR, but in reality, there is much more to it than having a "nice camera". `
    `
    Learning how to control your images through understanding the basics of exposure is key to improving your images and making them look the way YOU want them to look and not how your camera thinks they should look. `Your camera can do a fantastic job estimating proper exposure under normal conditions, however in detailing, you are often taking pictures of areas that incorporate intense lighting on a dark surface and that can cause some serious issues in Auto mode... but we will get to that later.
    `
    `
    Before we even consider photographing anything specific, like cars, let`s talk about the 3 basic settings of exposure... these are the 3 main settings your camera is choosing for you when you have it in auto mode (there are many other settings to learn and explore in your camera, however these are the 3 that directly impact the <span>exposure of the image)... you may have heard of, or seen these settings on the camera before.... Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO.
    `
    `
    `
    <span style="font-size:18px;">Aperture - The aperture of your lens is essentially a circular opening inside of the lens that gets bigger and smaller in order to allow more or less light through the lens and onto the digital sensor. `You can think of it much like the iris in your eye. `This setting controls what is known as the `Depth of Field` (DOF for short). `As you may have guessed, this controls how much of your image is in focus... if you have a shallow depth of field, there will be a small amount of the image in focus and vice-versa. `Aperture values are measured in "f-stops", you may see aperture values displayed as f/5.6, for instance. `(I can explain the reasoning behind this if you are truly interested). `The aperture value has an inverse relationship to the amount of light that is entering your camera. `Smaller numbers (f/2 for example) allow more light into your camera as the aperture is opened more than a larger number (such as f/8).... now DOF is also affected by such variables as focal length of your lens and the distance from your camera to your subject, but we will not talk about that just yet as they are not too important in understanding the basics. `
    `
    Lenses with larger apertures (smaller numbers such as f/1.8, f/2.8) are typically more expensive and are more desirable because they allow much more light into the camera which makes them excel in low light situations. `The shallow DOF associated with these larger apertures is also desirable, as the out of focus (or blurry) background adds a nice touch to portraits and still life shots because they allow you to isolate your subject from the background.
    `
    Here are some examples that display different DOF`s. (click on the images to view them larger on Flickr... if you right click on the image in Flickr you can choose an even larger size to view)
    `

    New Puppy - Tucker by zmcgovern45, on Flickr
    ^This shot is one I took of my friend`s puppy. `Notice how his eyes are very sharp and in focus, but everything else immediately starts to fall out of focus. `This is due to the shallow DOF created by shooting at an aperture of f/3.2. `This is an excellent effect for shooting portraits because it draws the viewer right into the subjects eyes and does not distract them with objects in the background. `You`ll notice in most pictures I take of cars (full shots, not details) that the entire car and most of the background is in focus, this is because I use smaller apertures to ensure that the entire car is nice and sharp looking (typically around f/8-f/11).
    `

    Honeymoon by zmcgovern45, on Flickr
    ^Another example of shallow DOF. `This was shot at f/2. `Notice how the background is totally out of focus, eliminating any distractions from the scene and allowing the viewer to focus solely on the subject of the scene.
    `
    `
    `
    <span style="font-size:18px;">Shutter Speed - As suggested, this is how fast your shutter opens and closes. `A faster shutter speed allows <span>less light to reach your sensor than a slower shutter speed does. `The shutter speed controls the amount of motion blur in your images. `For instance, if you are shooting sports you will want to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action. `If you were to use a slow shutter speed while someone is running past you, their arms and legs and any other moving parts would look blurry. `You also need to consider that if you are using a slower shutter speed, your images may be blurry due to your hands shaking while holding the camera. `Many lenses/cameras try to compensate by utilizing vibration reduction (VR) technology, but you should still be aware of the possibility of introducing `camera shake` into your images. `If slow shutter speeds are necessary, a tripod is a crucial tool to avoid camera shake.
    `

    Chicago Invite 2012 by zmcgovern45, on Flickr
    ^This photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second, which is common for action shots. `You can see that the scene is completely frozen in time, no motion blur, which is what I was wanting for shooting sports. `
    `
    Often times for detailing shots in a dimly lit garage, I have my camera set on a tripod and use slower shutter speeds to allow for a decent amount of light to come in.
    `

    Honeymoon by zmcgovern45, on Flickr
    ^This photo was taken with a 30 second long shutter speed... so obviously a tripod was needed! `You can get some amazing images at night with a tripod. `This dock was completely pitch black. `You will notice how the water looks totally smooth even though there were constant waves crashing on the beach... the slower shutter speed allowed the movement of the ocean to blur together and looks totally smooth.
    `
    `
    `
    <span style="font-size:18px;">ISO - This is a bit different from the other 2 settings. `Aperture and Shutter speed are mechanical settings that control the way your camera functions in order to allow more or less light to reach your lens... ISO is a digital setting. `ISO is essentially the sensitivity of your sensor to light. `Let me explain... if you are outside in bright sunlight, there is more than enough available light for you to use just about any setting you want. `If you need a fast shutter speed, you need a good amount of ambient light because the quick shutter speed will not be exposing the sensor to light for very long. `If you are indoors with considerably less light, but need a quick shutter speed the first thing you would do is set your aperture setting to where you think you want it (depending on how much in focus area you want) and then see what your meter is reading... chances are it is telling you that your image will be underexposed. `So what can you do if your aperture is opened up (to allow as much light as possible) and your shutter speed is where you need it to be (to reduce motion blur caused by a moving subject), but you have no more light? `( ...you could add a flash, but let`s pretend that is not an option...) `Increasing your ISO makes your sensor more sensitive to the available light, therefore the dimly lit room is now more "bright" as far as your sensor is concerned. `There are some trade offs though... lower ISO produces cleaner images, while higher ISO produces grainier images. `I`m sure you have noticed that if you take photos indoors, some of them appear quite grainy if it is particularly dark... this is due to the fact that your camera automatically bumped up the ISO setting to compensate for the low light environment.
    `

    Our trip to Okoboji, IA by zmcgovern45, on Flickr
    ^This image was taken at a relatively high ISO setting of 2000. `The small image here looks very good, but if you click on the image to go to flickr, then right click and view at the original size, you will notice a good amount of noise. `This is the trade off you have to make in order to shoot in very low light. `Despite how bright it looks in the photo, this was taken in a very dimly lit room at a winery. `It was taken at a wide open aperture of f/1.8 also, to allow for the most light possible while still allowing me to freeze my subjects and eliminate motion blur with a shutter speed of 1/60 second (the slowest I felt comfortable using in order to maximize light).
    `
    `
    `
    <span style="font-size:24px;"><span>Summary
    `
    Aperture
    - Controls Depth of Field (DOF)
    - Smaller # = More Light = Shallower DOF (ie f/2.8 allows more light and has a smaller depth of field than f/8)


    `

    Shutter Speed
    -Faster Shutter Speed Freezes Motion
    - Slower Shutter Speed can cause motion blur if shooting a moving subject
    - Tripods are great for slower shutter speeds


    `

    ISO
    - Controls your sensor`s "sensitivity to light"
    - Higher ISO results in more grain (aka digital noise)
    - Always want to use the lowest ISO as possible to reduce noise


    `




    `

    `
    `
    `
    Alright... I know that was probably more than you were hoping to read right now, but PLEASE DON`T GET DISCOURAGED! `This will all become second nature to you soon enough, you just need to play around with the camera so you can see these changes for yourself.
    `
    There are several other modes in your camera that you need to learn to use. `Set a goal for yourself, don`t use Auto mode ever again!
    `
    Some "semi automatic" modes are known as: Aperture Priority Mode and Shutter Priority Mode. `These are FANTASTIC modes for having more control over your images!
    `
    Aperture priority mode allows you to set the aperture and ISO and allow the camera to choose the shutter speed that it thinks is best for a proper exposure.
    `
    Shutter priority works the same way except you are choosing the shutter speed rather than the aperture.
    `
    These modes are fantastic, however there is still much more that you can get by learning to use `Exposure Compensation` in these modes, or taking the full plunge and switching to full manual mode (which I recommend eventually).
    *I will do an article on these exposure modes in the future
    `
    `
    `
    <span style="font-size:14px;">I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU to get your camera out and just mess around with these settings to see what they do. `It also never hurts to read your manual
    `
    `
    I will eventually get around to doing several other threads similar to this that will help to cover other basics of learning photography.
    `
    `
    `
    -Zach

    Retired Professional Detailer

  2. #2
    The Old Grey Whistle Test togwt's Avatar
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    Thank you for taking the time to put this together and for posting...
    What gets overlooked too often is that one must be a student before becoming a teacher.

  3. #3
    Forza Auto Salon David Fermani's Avatar
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    Excellent work. Something everyone can benefit from!`
    Metro Detroit`s leader in cleaning, preserving & perfecting fine automobiles!

  4. #4

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    Awesome
    www.deep-gloss.com



    Deep Gloss Auto Salon / Fine Automobile Detailing - Metro Detroit`s Paint Correction Specialist



    For Discriminating Automobile Enthusiasts Who Demand The Best

  5. #5

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    Thank you for putting this information down! `It is a simple way to understand the common language. `I have already learned something! `Look forward to the next installment. `Going to play more with my Canon 7D this weekend!

  6. #6
    mikenap's Avatar
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    Great tutorial Zach! Bookmarked.`

  7. #7
    zmcgovern45's Avatar
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    Thanks for reading guys! Glad to help!

    Retired Professional Detailer

  8. #8

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    Great tutorial for any of those who are wishing to improve their business.


    `


    If I understand some things correctly, many of these theories can be applied to


    using even lower quality cameras.` I use to really look down upon cell phone


    photography and videography, but there is a web culture that is growing that


    features this "go anywhere" photography.` It is much harder without a tripod,


    but that is why monopods are having a resurgence.


    `


    It was this video that changed my view of iPhone videography.


    Edit:` I didn`t want to embed the entire video,


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=


    Put this video code after the link above: rZP0qKVJOlc


    `


    He shoots apple-quality videos with his phone.`


    `


    I am looking forward to the next 2 parts of your tutorials.


    I will also be pointing people twoards this, for a quick photography lesson.


    `


    Well Done Sir,


    `


    Thanks again!

  9. #9
    zmcgovern45's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bunkeroo26



    Great tutorial for any of those who are wishing to improve their business.


    `


    If I understand some things correctly, many of these theories can be applied to


    using even lower quality cameras.` I use to really look down upon cell phone


    photography and videography, but there is a web culture that is growing that


    features this "go anywhere" photography.` It is much harder without a tripod,


    but that is why monopods are having a resurgence.


    `


    It was this video that changed my view of iPhone videography.


    Edit:` I didn`t want to embed the entire video,


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=


    Put this video code after the link above: rZP0qKVJOlc


    `


    He shoots apple-quality videos with his phone.`


    `


    I am looking forward to the next 2 parts of your tutorials.


    I will also be pointing people twoards this, for a quick photography lesson.


    `


    Well Done Sir,


    `


    Thanks again!

    `


    The theory of exposure applies to ALL cameras - regardless of make, model, or format type. `Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO (<- though ISO is controlled by the film chosen when using a film camera) are all the major functions of altering your exposure by means of allowing more or less light to reach the sensor (or film).


    `


    Thanks for reading! `Hope you enjoy part 2 & 3 as well. `I have another article on Detailed Image about 50/50 shots and will have more photography related threads or articles in the future!

    Retired Professional Detailer

  10. #10

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    If you had to suggest the best first thing to buy if

    someone owns an basic camera, would it be a tripod,

    lighting, or a better camera?

  11. #11
    zmcgovern45's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bunkeroo26

    If you had to suggest the best first thing to buy if

    someone owns an basic camera, would it be a tripod,

    lighting, or a better camera?

    That is a difficult question... It depends on what you are photographing and what you feel your current limitations are with the gear you have.



    I think a tripod is absolutely crucial for detailing photography. I also think a camera with manual exposure settings and manual focus is critical for detailing photos... This is why a DSLR is often your best bet.

    Retired Professional Detailer

  12. #12
    Dellinger's Avatar
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    <blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">One of my biggest pet peeves is the reflection shots that are clearly not focused on the painted surface, but the objects that are being reflected. `To give most people the benefit of the doubt, I would say the simply do not know better and are just letting the camera focus where it thinks it is supposed to focus. `Understanding how auto focus works or simply using manual focus is key.


    `
    </blockquote>


    `


    Mr. McGovern,


    `


    Leading off, I would like to thank you for the articles on basic photography that you have written. `I have read them with great interest and they have, at the very least, oriented me on the basic manual settings.


    `


    I quoted you above because I am surely guilty of this... however, over the past month or so, I have been trying to take every single picture with manual settings. `I only resort to auto when I can `figure out` a proper setting to capture the defects. `And I can`t even start to do manual settings with a flash... so I usually take photos without flash.`


    `


    Back to your quote... so, if I am understanding you correctly... I should be using the manual settings to highlight the defect rather than the clarity of the entire picture? `


    `


    My camera is Canon SX 260 HS... which seems to struggle in low light situations. ` Anything above ISO 400 and the image gets grainy FAST. `My F-stop goes from 3.2- 8.0. `But in low light it will only get down to 4.0- 5.6... if I zoom in... it gets dramatically worse (which makes sense... I think.) `


    `


    Basically, according to the onboard meter... I`m always over-or-under exposing shots when trying to show defects. `Is this `normal`?


    `


    Actually... I don`t even know what the purpose of this reply is... that`s what is frustrating about photography... I don`t know even how to ask `the right` questions, lol. `I guess my biggest question is- If you were shooting with my camera vs. your camera... what would be the biggest differences in image quality?`


    `


    My local community college is loving me... I started with some online classes for web design so I could build my own... now, I gotta take some photography classes.


    `


    Thank you,


    -Gabe


    `


    (For readers now or in future... this reply is prompted by this post`http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/1...flection-shot/


    but is also relevant here.)
    Former Pro, Now Enthusiast

  13. #13
    zmcgovern45's Avatar
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    Hey, thanks for taking the time to read through my articles. `I`m glad you`ve found them helpful! `Photography is a huge hobby/passion of mine that I am still very much learning about, but I enjoy sharing what I have learned and am glad to be helping others learn to use their camera to the fullest extent.


    `


    `


    I am going to read through your comment and simply respond in order based on things that pop out to me....


    `


    `


    You mentioned not being able to successfully use flash in manual mode - this is most likely because (on most cameras) when you are in manual exposure mode, the flash is also in `manual mode`.... when you are in auto, or one of the semi-auto modes like aperture priority or shutter priority, the camera determines how much flash to use based on it`s meter readings (Nikon calls this TTL, or through the lens, flash metering). `If you`re camera uses manual flash in manual exposure mode, it will simply output the same amount of flash light for ever shot unless you manually change the flash power settings for each shot....... basically if you need to use a flash, you probably want to switch to one of the auto modes (unless you have a speedlight that makes it much easier to set the flash power manually).


    `


    `


    I believe you misunderstood my comment when I said "the reflection shots that are clearly not focused on the painted surface, but the objects that are being reflected". `This has nothing to do with the exposure mode. `This comment was strictly related to how the camera is focused in these types of shots. `Unless you set your camera to manual focus mode, it will auto focus for you (typically when you press the shutter button half way down). `Auto focus relies on contrast within the frame to determine point of focus. `When you are taking a shot of shiny paint, the auto focus will almost always focus on the reflection that is seen in the paint and not on the surface of the paint itself. `This makes the reflection look incredibly crisp and clear because the camera. `In reality, you should be focusing on the surface of the vehicle (ie on the orange peel/texture of the paint) rather than on the reflection itself to provide a true representation of the reflection in the paint. `I hope that makes some sense?


    `


    `


    Consider this shot... `this is the side of a Nissan GT-R. `The paint had a tremendous amount of orange peel in it (as you can see). `If I were to have had my camera in auto focus mode, it most likely would have focused on the fence in the reflection. `This would have made the surface of the paint seem slightly blurry and the fence would have been much clearer. `Instead, I used manual focus to make sure that I was focused on the orange peel which provided a realistic representation of what I was actually looking at with my eyes. `Note: `I use manual focus for 99% of my detailing shots to ensure accurate focusing as auto focus will struggle with these types of details.


    `





    `


    `


    `


    `


    All point and shoot cameras will struggle in low light compared to a DSLR. `The size of the sensor in the P&S is tiny which greatly limits its performance in these situations. `The fact that the sensor is tiny, yet the manufacturers try to cram as much resolution as possible into them makes the ISO performance suffer. `It does not surprise me that ISO400ish is about the limit of clean images for you.


    `


    P&S cameras will have a variable aperture lens, as you stated, so your max aperture will change as you zoom. `With a variable aperture lens, you are able to use a lower f-stop (more light) at wider focal lengths and the amount of light will go down as you zoom due to the change in f-stop (less light). Many `DSLR lenses are this way as well, as it is MUCH cheaper to make a lens without a fixed aperture.


    `


    **Are you using a tripod? `This is a must have piece of equipment IMO.


    `


    `


    `


    Your in-camera meter will rarely read right in the middle when you are photographing defects. `The meter assumes your scene is a perfect mixture of colors ranging from black to white. `If you are taking a photo of a black door with a bright white light, you can imagine that throws the whole system off. `If you look at the histogram, you will see spikes on both the left and right side indicating low tones (blacks) and bright tones (whites). `Use your meter as a guideline, but adjust as needed to produce the desired results. `


    `


    `


    There are MANY differences between your camera (P&S) and mine (DSLR)... some major ones are 1) the sensor size. `As I mentioned before, a DSLR has a significantly larger digital sensor which allows for much higher performance in low light (among other things)... 2) ability to change lenses. `3) ease of use for manual settings. `A DSLR is meant to be manipulated. `There are many more buttons and switches that make it much easier and quicker to change settings while a P&S caters to a market that is mostly using the auto mode and therefore most other settings must be revealed through extensive menus which makes it quite annoying! ``


    `


    Basically, if you`d like to take your photography hobby to the next level, a DSLR is mandatory equipment.


    `


    `


    Photography is very much a `practice makes perfect` sort of hobby. `There will always be questions, so please don`t hesitate to ask! `Hope that helps.


    `


    -Zach


    `

    Retired Professional Detailer

  14. #14
    Dellinger's Avatar
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    Mr. McGovern,


    `


    Please forgive my time lapse in responding.


    `


    I really appreciate the in-depth reply!


    `


    Your mentioning of the Auto Focus was `spot on`! `Playing around with my camera today... I totally get what you posted. `That`s why I couldn`t photograph the defects on a car I`m detailing... but your mentioning of this topic forced me to explore the `menu` (of options) on my camera and I found the Auto Focus and disabled it. `Then I could set the manual settings with manual zoom so the camera could `pick up` the defects.


    `


    I owe you a drink... or three!


    `


    In earnest, a BIG thank you!


    `


    EDIT: `I don`t have a tri-pod... but I can see where they are essential. `(The DSLR will have to wait a while until I get some steady business.)


    `


    -Gabe
    Former Pro, Now Enthusiast

 

 

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