Learn Digital Photography as a Hobby or for Business

Photography is now booming as a hobby. In bookstores you see plenty of shelves filled with books and magazines on photography. Now that costly film is no longer needed, interest in photography has increased.

If you really want to enjoy photography to the fullest, then you must know more than pointing and shooting. While your first pictures may look great to you, it will soon become apparent that there is much to improve. You will discover the things that you cannot do. It is then that you will want to know more about photography.

It is advisable that you invest in a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. This is a type of camera where what you see is the actual image from the lens. A DLSR camera will also enable you to adjust the settings of the camera so that you can see how changes in the setting affect the image captured.

Once you have the basic equipment, you are ready to know more about photography. Here are some of the basic concepts, processes and terms you need to know.

Exposure controls

• ISO. This is a measure of the light sensitivity in film using cameras or the sensitivity of the digital camera sensors in the case of digital cameras. ISO stands for the International Standards Organization; this organization sets standards for many other items like quality standards. If you use film, the ISO is fixed with the kind of film that you buy. In digital cameras you can set the range of the ISO. 100 ISO is generally accepted as the normal setting.

• Aperture. Aperture is the diameter of the lens’ opening when the picture is taken. The larger the diameter, the more light can come in. The width of the aperture is measured in f-stops, which is expressed as fractions. Some of the factors that affect the decision of the aperture setting are the brightness of the lighting and the motion of the subject.

• Shutter speed. Shutter speed is the amount of time light is allowed to come through the lens during shooting. If a subject is in motion, there is a need for a higher shutter speed.

• White balance. White balance is the color of the lighting. It is almost impossible to get a perfectly balanced spectrum of colors, as there will always be too much of a certain color in the lighting. An example of this is the excessive amount of blue in the usual fluorescent lights. In digital cameras, there are usually built-in programs to adjust for the color of the lighting.

• Composition. This is the arrangement or alignment of visual elements according to artistic principles. It is in composition where the photographer can best express his or her artistic creativity.

• Image Editing. This is the digital manipulation of your images in Photoshop or similar software in order to improve or change the image to your liking.

Photography is an excellent hobby that one can possibly turn into a profitable venture.

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.