Podcast: A is Not for Automatic—The Basics of Photography

12/02/2016

On this week’s episode, we return to our roots—and not just our photographic roots—but we return to our podcast’s original design of chatting about photography among B&H photographers and writers. We welcome back an original co-host of the podcast, Todd Vorenkamp, as we discuss the basics of photography—the control of light through aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity.

Yes, this episode could be considered a Photo 101 course, and for those who are new to photography (or new to manual control of your imaging) this episode should be very helpful. We walk through the core concepts of how to expose your images to get the look you want and try to clarify the sometimes confusing nomenclature and camera settings. We talk depth of field, diffraction, motion blur, digital noise, “Sunny 16,” and the necessary balance between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO that is required for proper exposure. Photo veterans should tune in, too, because our conversation is by photographers for photographers, and will provide insights and anecdotes that may even improve your skills.

Guest: Todd Vorenkamp

Shallow depth of field can be created by opening up your lens to its maximum aperture. John Harris

High ISO settings enable sharp imaging in low light but can also produce “noise,” apparent in the sky. John Harris

Even a shutter speed of less than 1 second can create blur or, in this case, a short light trail. John Harris

Utilizing a 30 second exposure with tripod, low ISO and a small (f/22) aperture, long light trails and intentional blur are created. An auto white balance setting facilitates the proper rendition of the many different color temperatures in this frame.Jason Tables

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Host: Allan Weitz
Senior Creative Producer: John Harris
Producer: Jason Tables
Executive Producer: Lawrence Neves