There are a couple different classifications for camera lenses, and one way you can classify them is as either prime lenses or zoom lenses. The lens to the left (Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens) is a lovely and expensive example of a zoom lens.

So what exactly is a zoom lens?

Keep reading…

There are a couple different classifications for camera lenses, and one way you can classify them is as either prime lenses or zoom lenses. The lens to the left (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens) is an example of a prime lens.

So what is a prime lens?

Keep reading…

While the aspect ratio of a picture will tell you the specific ratio of its length to its height, there are some more general terms to describe the orientation of a picture. Most pictures will fit into one of two categories: landscape orientation and portrait orientation. Keep reading…

While the aspect ratio of a picture will tell you the specific ratio of its length to its height, there are some more general terms to describe the orientation of a picture. Most pictures will fit into one of two categories: landscape orientation and portrait orientation. Keep reading…

The “aspect ratio” of an image is the ratio of the length of the image to the width of the image.

Most dSLR cameras have an aspect ratio of 3 : 2.  The Canon t2i has a 3 : 2 aspect ratio. A full size jpeg image taken by the camera is 5,184 pixels x 3,456 pixels. The image is 1.5x as wide as it is tall, or in other words, there’s a 3 : 2 aspect ratio.

Some point and shoot (or compact) digital cameras have a slightly different aspect ratio.  The Nikon Coolpix L22, for example, has a 4 : 3 aspect ratio. A full size image is 4,000 x 3,000 pixels (12 megapixels).

Is one better than the other? Not really. But, you do need to take into account aspect ratio when you think about how you want to display your photos. Printing pictures, for example, demands specific aspect ratios. A standard 4 inch x 6 inch photograph has a 4 x 6 (or, equivalently, 2 x 3) aspect ratio. If you take an image with a Canon t2i, then the image is already in the right aspect ratio and you don’t need to do anything. If, however, you take the image with a Nikon Coolpix L22, the original image is in a slightly different aspect ratio.  You’ll need to crop the picture, cutting off some parts of it, so that it fits correctly onto the surface area of the photography.

This has some different applications for printing and for web viewing. So, we’ll take a look at each one individually…

An important concept to understand in lighting is the ambient light or ambient exposure.

The ambient light level is the amount of light that’s normally present in a setting. If you’re inside, the ambient light is probably provided by lamps or sunlight coming in through the window. If you’re outside in the daytime, the ambient light is probably the sun.

When you “expose for the ambient,” you’re taking a picture with the available level of light. You pick the right mix of camera settings – shutter speed, aperture, and ISO – that makes a reasonably well lit photo based on the light that is currently available to you.

This is particularly important to understand when you start working with external lights and flashes. Then, you’ve got the option of working with the ambient – i.e. exposing for the ambient and then adding some lights to fill in shadows – or overpowering the ambient – picking camera settings that underexpose the ambient and then light the whole scene with speedlights.