"Photography" 7th editions by London & Upton Flashcards
Chapters 2-5, 10-13, 15-17 (45 cards)
What is a camera shutter and what does it do/control? (pg 18)
A camera shutter is a mechanism within the camera that controls how the amount of light by the length of time it remains open.
Older cameras often use mechanical shutters with physical curtains that open and close, while modern digital cameras can utilize electronic shutters that electronically control the sensor’s exposure time
What does the term `stop’ mean in photography? (pg 18)
In photography, a stop is a unit that describes the change or difference between exposure values.
Adding one stop doubles your exposure, but subtracting one stop halves your exposure.
A stop multiplies or divides your exposure by two depending on whether you’re adding or subtracting light.
Reminder - multiplying by half is the same as dividing by two
What type of camera shutters are there and what are their advantages/disadvantages? (pg 19)
There are two types of camera shutters: Leaf shutters and focal plane shutters.
A leaf of between-the-lens shutter is generally located inside the lens itself. A leaf shutter is quieter than a focal-plane shutter and can be used with flash at any shutter speed. But since the leaf shutter has to open, stop, and then reverse direction to close again, most have top speeds of 1/500 second.
A focal-plane shutter is built into the camera and is located directly in front of the film. The shutter consists of two overlapping curtains that form an adjustable slit of window. When the shutter is released, the window moves across the film, exposing the film as it moves. At slow shutter speeds, one edge of the slit travels across the film until the film is uncovered, then the over edge of the slit travels in the same direction, recovering the film.
Interchangeable lenses for a camera with focal-plane shutter can be less expensive than those with leaf shutters. A focal-plane shutter has a few drawbacks. It may be used with flash at a relatively slow shutter speed, which can cause exisiting light as well as light from the flash reigster on the film. This leaves a “ghost” or second image in the picture.
The maximum speed at which the shutter will work with flash on a 35mm camera, called “sync” speed, may be as slow as 1/60 secon, but up to 1/250 second with some models. At a faster shutter speed than the camera’s recommended sync speed, the slit in the focal-plane shutter does not completely uncover the film at any one time, before the first part of the shutter is fully open, the second part starts to close, so the flash will only illuminate part of the film.
What is a basic rule about shutter speed and camera shake? (no page)
A basic rule regarding shutter speed and camera shake is that to avoid noticeable blur from camera shake when hand holding your camera, your shutter speed should be at least as fast as the focal length of your lens; meaning if you’re using a 50mm lens, your shutter speed should be 1/50th of a second or faster.
What is a camera aperture and what does it do/control? (pg 24)
The camera aperture is the adjustable opening through which light passes into the camera. The wider the opening, the more light can reach the camera sensor, which impacts both the exposure of a photo and depth of field by determining how much of the scene is in focus at any given time.
How are aperture sizes denoted? (pg 24)
Aperture is expressed in f-stops. The f-number is not the actual size of the aperture but has an inverse relationship to it:
aperture diameter = focal length (f) divided by f-number
This is why f-stops are written with a slash, as in f/1.4 and f/16 – they are actually fractions. It also explains why the lower the f-number is, the larger the aperture – the f-number is the denominator of the fraction, and 1/4 is bigger than 1/16.
Each increment on the standard f-stop scale halves the amount of light that reaches the sensor – f/4 lets through half as much light as f/2.8, f/5.6 half as much as f/4, and so on. Each of these steps, halving the amount of light each time or doubling it going the other way, is described as one stop of light. In turn, this is why the f-stop scale comprises the numbers it does, such as f/2.8 and f/5.6, instead of whole numbers, which would not correspond to whole stops of light.
The term “stop” comes from early cameras, the aperture was adjusted by individual metal “stop” plates that had holes of different diameters.
What does it mean a lens is fast or slow? (pg 24)
Lenses are often described as either fast or slow, based on their maximum aperture openings. Essentially, faster lenses are those with large maximum apertures, and those that cannot open up as much are referred to as slower lenses. Faster lenses allow you to shoot more easily in low light or at higher shutter speeds. They are also more expensive than slower lenses.
What does depth of field mean?
In simplest terms, depth of field is how much of your image is in focus. In more technical terms, depth of field refers to the distance between the nearest and farthest points in a photograph that appear acceptably sharp, essentially defining the area in front of and behind the focused subject that is considered to be in focus; it is primarily controlled by the camera’s aperture setting, with a wider aperture creating a shallower depth of field and a smaller aperture creating a larger depth of field.
What is the relationship between shutter speed and aperture? (pg 28)
Shutter speed and aperture have an inverse relationship, meaning that when one increases, the other must decrease to maintain the same level of light exposure in a photograph. When making an exposure in any given light condition, the larger, or more open, the aperture is, the faster the shutter speed needs to be. When you allow a large amount of light to pass through the lens, you need to cut it off more quickly for a proper exposure. Conversely, an aperture that is closed, or stopped down in that same light condition requires a slower shutter speed to create the exact same exposure.
What type of cameras are there (film or digital)? (pg 30-33)
Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras show you the scene directly through the lens. You can frame the subject exactly, and with some cameras you can see how much of the scene will be sharp. Most SLRs use 35mm film. These cameras work well with all lenses, from wide angle to supertelephoto. An exposure meter built into the camera measures the light passing through the lens, with the area being metered defined in the viewfinder. They are heavier and larger than a rangefinder camera that uses the same size film. It has more compnonents that may need repair and has a comparatively loud click during exposure.
Rangefinder/viewfinder cameras show you the scene through a small window (the viewfinder). These camreas have a viewfinder, plus a coupled rangefinder, that lets you focus the camera manually instead of only relying on automatic focus. Most use 35mm film. They are compact, lightweight, and fast handling. It has fewer moving parts during an image makes it easy to focus quickly, particularly at low light levels. It suffers from an inherent defect called parallax that prevents you from seeing exactly what the lens sees because the viewfinder is in a different position that the lens that exposes the negative.
View cameras have a direct, through-the-lens viewing and a large image on a viewing screen. It is the simplest and oldest basic design for a camera. These cameras are heavy, bulky, requires a tripod, and is slow to operate. The image projected on the ground glass is the back of the camera. Also, the image appears reversed and upside down on the viewing screen. However, what you see is exactly what will be on the negative so there can be no parallax error. Additionally, the camera parts are adjustable, and you can change the position of the lens and film relative to each other so that you can correct problems of focus or distortion. Each picture is exposed on a separate piece of film so you can give negatives individual development.
Twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras are quiet, reliable, and generally less expensive than other types of medium format cameras. Lenses are not interchangeable, and few models are manufactured anymore.
Point and shoot cameras, also called compact cameras, use 35mm film and are “auto-everything”. They are small, inexpensive, and easy to use.
Digital cameras do not use film to make images. They generate photographs by focusing a scene through a lens and the light rays excite a computer chip to capture a photograph onto a memory card in the camera. The resulting image can then be transferred to a computer for editing, printing, or distribution on the internet. Once you’ve taken the picture, you can view it on the LCD display, and immediately erase it if you don’t like it. Digital cameras that produce images comparable in quality to those made with film are more expensive than traditional cameras, and rapidly changing technology can make them obsolete relatively quickly.
Underwater cameras allow you to take pictures beneath the sea.
Panoramic cameras take wide views of a scene.
Instant cameras produce a print within a few seconds, if not instantly.
Stereo cameras take pictures at the same time through side by side lenses.
Why would you use a tripod? (pg 35)
A tripod is used to keep your camera completely still, which is crucial for achieving sharp images, especially in low light situations where slower shutter speeds are needed, or when taking long exposures, as it eliminates camera shake and allows for precise framing and composition; essentially, it provides stability for your camera, leading to better quality photos.
What is a photographic lens and what is it’s purpose? (pg 39)
A photographic lens is an optical component within a camera that is used to bring light to a fixed focal point. In a film camera, the lens sends the light to the film strip, while in a digital camera (like DSLRs or mirrorless cameras), the lens directs light to a digital sensor. The primary purpose of a lens is to gather light from a subject and project it onto the camera’s sensor, creating a focused image.
What type of lens are most photographic lenses? (pg 41)
Most modern photographic lenses are based on the convex lens, which is thicker in the middle than at the edges. A convex lens can collect a large number of light rays from a single point an object and refract, or bend, them towards each other so that they converge at a single point (called the focal point).
Basically, how does a lens work? (pg 41)
A lens works by bending light rays through refraction, which occurs when light passes from one medium to another with a different density, like from air into glass, causing the light to converge or diverge depending on the lens’s curvature, thus allowing it to focus light to create an image; essentially, a lens manipulates light rays to either bring them together at a focal point (convex lens) or spread them apart (concave lens) depending on its shape.
What is focal length? (pg 42)
Focal length is the distance (measured in millimeters) between the point of convergence of your lens and the sensor or film recording the image. The focal length of your film or digital camera lens dictates how much of the scene your camera will be able to capture.
What does it mean ‘normal lens’? (pg 44)
A “normal lens” in photography refers to a lens with a focal length that closely replicates the field of view seen by the human eye, essentially creating a perspective that appears “natural” to the viewer, with minimal distortion; on a full-frame camera, this is typically around a 50mm lens.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of a long focal length lens? (pg 46)
Advantages of a long focal length lens:
* Magnification: The primary benefit is the ability to bring distant subjects closer, ideal for wildlife photography, sports, and capturing details from a distance.
* Background compression: A long lens compresses the background, creating a more blurred and aesthetically pleasing effect, effectively isolating the subject.
* Discreet shooting: Allows you to stay further away from your subject, which can be beneficial in situations where getting too close might disturb wildlife or people.
Disadvantages of a long focal length lens:
* Narrow field of view: Due to the high magnification, only a small area of the scene is captured, limiting wide shots or group photos.
* Limited maneuverability: Can be difficult to frame your shot precisely, requiring more careful composition.
* Size and weight: Long focal length lenses are often bulky and heavy, making them cumbersome to carry for extended periods.
* Lower depth of field: Generally, a longer focal length results in a shallower depth of field, meaning less of the scene will be in focus at a given aperture.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of a short focal length lens? (pg 48)
Advantages of a short focal length lens:
* Wide field of view: Captures a large area of the scene, perfect for landscapes, architecture, and group photos.
* Can capture more of a scene in tight spaces: Allows you to get closer to a subject while still including a wider surrounding area.
* Depth of field: Generally has a larger depth of field, meaning more of the scene will be in focus at a given aperture.
Disadvantages of a short focal length lens:
* Distortion: Can significantly distort straight lines near the edges of the frame, making objects appear wider or taller than they actually are.
* Perspective exaggeration: Can make objects closer to the camera appear larger than objects farther away, which may not be desired in certain situations.
* Less magnification: Cannot zoom in on distant subjects as effectively as a long focal length lens.
What is a ‘Zoom’ lens? (pg 50)
A zoom lens is a camera lens that allows you to change the focal length, meaning you can “zoom in” or “zoom out” to capture a wider or closer view of a subject without physically moving the camera, unlike a prime lens which has a fixed focal length; essentially, it provides a range of focal lengths within one lens.
How do you determine the f-stop of a lens? (pg 58)
To determine a lens’s f-stop, you calculate it by dividing the focal length of the lens by the diameter of its aperture.
What is the definition (in this book) for perspective? (glossary)
The apparent size and depth of objects within an image.
Does focal length change or alter perspective? (pg 62)
No, changing the focal length of a lens does not directly change perspective; perspective is solely determined by the camera’s position relative to the subject, not by the focal length itself; therefore, to alter perspective, you need to move the camera closer or further from the subject, not just zoom in or out.
What is the difference between photomacrography and photomicrography? (glossary)
Photomacrography is close up photography that is life size or larger why photomicrography is photography taken trhough a compound microscope.
What are some of the challenges in macrophotography? (pg 66-67)
To get an accurate close up exposure, you first need to get an accurate light reading, but the small size of a close up subject can make metering difficult.
Placing bellows or extension tubes between the lens and the camera body moves the lens father from the film. The farther the lens extends, the dimmer the light that reaches the film, and the more you must increase the exposure so that the film will not be underexposed. However, the bellows or extension tubes may break the automatic coupling between lens and camera, so you have to manaully set exposures.
Very long exposures need to be increased even more, because of the need to compensate for reciprocity effect if the final shutter speed is longer than one second.
Blur can be caused by camera movement at a slow shutter speed. This can be mitigated by using an electronic flash.
