DSLR Camera Assignment

Amanda Neufeld
Handling Cameras:
-Having a steady hand when taking pictures is very important. Many cameras have
image stabilization however the more steadily you hold your camera, the sharper
the image. Hold the camera in different positions to keep it steady and see what
works best, support the camera at 3 points, lean or prop yourself on for example a
table, railing, or wall. Keep your elbows in close to your body, and support large
lenses with your palm.
-Tripods are usually recommended because they support your camera in the perfect
position so you get a clear great shot every time and only take seconds to set up.
Also when on a night setting where the shutter speed is slower, it could result in
unwanted blurring but the tripod reduces camera movement to get a better quality
shot. Tripods are especially recommended for close up shots, action/sport
photography, nature, sunrise/sunsets, when using a telephoto lens, and when you
need to creative or flexible.
-Body lean: when using a focal setting on a zoom or a long lens, use anything to
support yourself thats available. (Trees, lamp post, cars, or a wall) this will help you
steady the camera when you aim and take your picture. Place your legs a little bit
apart so youre balanced and if leaning in, place one foot ahead of the other.
- If you need to switch your camera to a portrait orientation then turn it over so the
shutter release sits at the top. When the one arm is on top taking the picture
making no body contact, use your other elbow to support the bottom part of the
camera so it stays steady. You could also purchase a battery grip to balance your
camera in the vertical position better.
-Large cameras are designed to be highly ergonomic: fitting the hand well and
controls positioned for easy use. Virtually all cameras are designed for right handed
people. Heavy SRL cameras are easier to hold if you use a wrist strap for the right
hand. Camera manufacturers check all the ergonomics before putting their cameras
on the market so they can be successful.

Picture Composition:
-The property of being symmetrical; especially:

correspondence in size, shape, and

relative position of parts on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane or
about a center or axis.
-Radial: A type of structure of an organism or part of an organism in which a vertical
cut through the axis in any of two or more planes produces two halves that are
mirror images of each other.
- Overlapping: when subjects within the picture are on about the same line of sight,
those objects closer to the camera viewpoint overlap more distant objects and
partially hide them.
-Rule of Thirds: aligning something with the guide lines and their intersection points,
placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the
image to flow from section to section.
-Framing: using other objects in your photo to frame the main object in the picture.
It brings more depth to a picture and focuses more on the main object.
-View finder: what the photographer looks through to compose, or to focus the
picture.
-Sequence: when one thing follows another in sequence in a photo.
-Shutter Lag: the delay between hitting the shutter and when the picture is actually
taken. Its commonly a problem when photographing a moving object or person.
- Metering: the way in which a camera determines the exposure.

Focusing and Depth:

-Depth of Field: the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene
that appears sharp in an image.
-ISO: measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. You would use a low ISO in
bright lights, and if you needed a faster shutter speed, raise the ISO.
-Lens Focusing: the clear and sharply defined condition of an image. The position of
a viewed object or the adjustment of an optical device necessary to produce a clear
image: in focus; out of focus.
-Panoramas: an unbroken view of the whole region surrounding an observer. (full
wide view of a large section).
- Close-ups/zoom/extreme zoom (macro): tightly frames a person or an object.
Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long

shots. Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene.
Moving in to a close-up or away from a close-up is a common type of zooming.
-F-Stop: The measurement of the aperture setting in a camera lens. The f-stop
setting determines how much light is allowed to enter the lens and pass through to
the film. It also determines how much in front of and behind the subject is in focus.