A Short Guide To Photography - Minolta DiMAGE S414 Instruction Manual

A SHORT GUIDE TO PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography can be a rewarding pursuit. It is a broad and disciplined field that can take
years to master. But the pleasure in making photographs and the joy of capturing a
magical moment cannot be compared. This guide is an introduction to some basic
photographic principles.
The lens aperture controls not only exposure, but also depth of field; the area between
the closest and the furthest object in focus. The larger the aperture value, the greater the
depth of field and the longer the shutter speed needed to make the exposure. The
smaller the aperture value, the shallower the depth of field and the faster the shutter
speed needed to make the
exposure. Usually landscape
photographs use a large depth of
field (large aperture value) to keep
the foreground and background in
focus, and portraits use a shallow
depth of field (small aperture value)
to separate the subject from the
background.
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SHORT GUIDE TO PHOTOGRAPHY
Depth of field also changes with focal
length. The wide-angle position of the
lens has a large depth of field; the
telephoto position has a shallow depth
of field.
The shutter controls not only exposure,
but also the ability to stop motion. Fast
shutter speeds are used in sport
photography to stop action. Slow shutter
speeds can be used to show the flow of
motion such as water cascading over a
waterfall. The use of a tripod is
recommended with slow shutter speeds.
The change in aperture and shutter speed is not apparent in the live image. Unlike film
cameras, test photographs can be taken and immediately viewed. For critical work, take
a test photograph at the set aperture or shutter speed and view the result in Quick View.
The image can be deleted if not acceptable and another test image can be taken at a
different setting.
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