Motion And Depth Of Field
There are distinct characteristics that are related to changes in aperture and shutter speed. Shutter speed controls the length of time the light has to strike the sensor consequently, it also controls the blurriness or lack of blurriness of the image. The less time light has to hit the sensor, the less time your subjects have to move around and become blurry. This can let you control things like freezing the motion of a fast-moving subject Figure 2.9 or intentionally blurring subjects to give...
How I Shoot A Closer Look At The Camera Settings I Use
The great thing about working with a dSLR camera is that I can always feel confident that some things will remain unchanged from camera to camera. For me, these are the Aperture Priority Av and Shutter Priority Tv shooting modes. Although I like to think of myself as a generalist in terms of my photography, I do tend to lean heavily on the landscape and urban photography genres. Working in these areas means that I am almost always going to be concerned with my depth of field. Whether it's...
Classic Black And White Portraits
There is something timeless about a black and white portrait. It eliminates the distraction of color and puts all the emphasis on the subject. To get great black and whites without having to resort to any image-processing software, set your picture style to Monochrome Figure 6.10 . You should know that the picture styles are automatically applied when shooting with the JPEG file format. If you are shooting in RAW, the picture that shows up on your rear LCD display will look black and white, but...
Bracketing Exposures
So what if you are doing everything right in terms of metering and mode selection, yet your images still sometimes come out too light or too dark There is a technique called bracketing that you can use, which will help you find the best exposure value for your scene by taking a normal exposure as well as one that is over- and underexposed. Having these differing exposure values will most often present you with one frame that just looks better than the others. I use the Bracketing function all...
Disabling The Flash
1. Press the Menu button and then scroll the Main dial to highlight the first shooting menu far left . 2. Scroll down to Flash control and press the Set button A . 3. Select Flash firing and press the Set button B . 4. Set the Flash firing option to Disable C . Release shutter without card Image review Hold Peripheral illumin. correct. Red-eye reduc, Disable Flash control
Formatting Your Memory Card
When you purchase any new SD card, you can pop it into your camera and start shooting right away and probably everything will work as it should. However, what you should do first is format the card in the camera. This process allows the camera to set up the card to record images from your camera. Just as a computer hard drive must be formatted, formatting your card ensures that it is properly initialized. The card may work in the camera without first being formatted, but chances of failure down...
Setting Up The Iso Expansion Feature
1. Press the Menu button and locate the Custom Functions screen A . 2. The ISO Expansion setting is located in the C. Fn I Exposure section. Highlight it and press Set. 3. Locate the ISO Expansion menu and change the setting from Off to On B . 4. Press the Menu button twice to exit, then press the ISO button to find the additional ISO settings of 6400 and H 12800 . PHGaglSHeiFfl' EES IS Custom Functions C.Fn j Copyright information Clear settings Firmware Ver. 1.0.6 r Fn T 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 10...
Where To Focus
Large landscape scenes are great fun to photograph, but they can present a problem where exactly do you focus when you want everything to be sharp Since our goal is to create a great landscape photo, we will need to concentrate on how to best create an image that is tack sharp, with a depth of field that renders great focus throughout the scene. I have already stressed the importance of a good tripod when shooting landscapes. The tripod lets you concentrate on the aperture portion of the...
Using The Clean Now Feature
1. Press the Menu button and use the Main dial to get to the second camera setup menu. 2. Use the down Cross key to highlight Sensor cleaning and then press the Set button A . 3. Use the right Cross key to select Clean now and press the Set button again B . 4. Press Set one more time to start the cleaning function. 5. To return to shooting mode, just lightly press the shutter release button. LCD brightness -, , , T , , , Date Time 04 25 '1013 05 LanguageQ English Sensor cleaning Live View...
The Multipleimage Panorama
The reason the previous method is sometimes referred to as a fake panorama is because it is made with a standard-size frame and then cropped down to a narrow perspective. To shoot a true panorama, you need to use either a special panorama camera that shoots a very wide frame, or the following method, which requires the combining of multiple frames. The multiple-image pano has gained in popularity in the past few years this is principally due to advances in image-processing software. Many...
Exposure
If you notice that your pictures are turning out a little lighter or darker than you wanted, highlight the Exposure setting. Each step that you move the index point will adjust the camera in 2 3-stop increments Figure 3.12 . Move it to the right for increased exposure brighter or to the left for decreased exposure darker . The camera will use a mix of Moving to the right uses a smaller aperture for greater depth of field. Moving to the right uses a smaller aperture for greater depth of field....
Setting Autoexposure Bracketing
1. Press the Q button and then move the cursor to the Exposure Compensation AEB setting icon A . 2. Press Set again to enter the compensation bracketing screen B . 3. Use the Main dial to set the amount of over- and underexposure that you desire C . 4. If you want the normal exposure to be a little over- or underexposed you can adjust that with your left right Cross keys. The camera will take the underexposed image first, then the normal image, then the overexposed image. Don't forget to take...
Choose The Right Lens
Choosing the correct lens can make a huge impact on your portraits. A wide-angle lens can distort features of your subject, which can lead to an unflattering portrait Figure 6.18 . Select a longer focal length if you will be close to your subject Figure 6.19 . left At this close distance, the 18mm lens is distorting the subject's face. right By zooming out to 70mm, I am able to remove the distortion for a much better photo. left At this close distance, the 18mm lens is distorting the subject's...
Turn On The Lights
When shooting indoors, another way to reduce red-eye, or just shorten the length of time that the reduction lamp needs to be shining into your subject's eyes, is to turn on a lot of lights. The brighter the ambient light levels, the smaller the subject's pupils will be. This will reduce the time necessary for the red-eye reduction lamp to shine. It will also allow you to take more candid pictures because your subjects won't be required to stare at the red-eye lamp while waiting for their pupils...
Closeup Mode
m Although most zoom lenses don't support true macro settings, that jp doesn't mean you can't shoot some great close-up photos. The key here is to use your camera-to-subject distance to fill the frame while still being able to achieve sharp focus. This means that you move yourself as close as possible to your subject while still being able to get a good sharp focus. Oftentimes, your lens will be marked with the minimum focusing distance. On my 18-55mm zoom it is .8 feet. To help get the best...
Partial Metering
1. Press the Set button on the back of the camera to activate the Quick Control screen. 2. Move the selection to the metering mode icon A . 3. Use the Main dial to scroll through the metering modes until you find the symbol for Partial metering mode. The names of the different modes will appear near the bottom of the screen. If you press the Set button a second time, you can see all of the available metering modes B . 4. Press the Set button to return to shooting mode.
Deleting Images
Deleting or erasing images is a fairly simple process that is covered on pages 171-172 of your manual. To quickly get you on your way, simply press the Image Review playback button and spin the Main dial until you find the picture that you want to delete. Then press the Trash button beneath the Cross keys, use the right Cross key to select Erase, and then press the Set button Figure 1.9 . Caution Once you have deleted an image, it is gone for good. Make sure you don't want it before you drop it...
Avoiding Lens Flare
Lens flare is one of the problems you will encounter when shooting in the bright sun. Lens flare will show itself as bright circles on the image Figure 10.6 . Often you will see multiple circles in a line leading from a very bright light source such as the sun. The flare is a result of the sun bouncing off the multiple pieces of optical glass in the lens and then being reflected back onto the sensor. Lens flare is especially frequent when using wide angle lenses due to the greater angle of...
Bracketing Your Exposures
In HDR, bracketing is the process of capturing a series of exposures at different stop intervals. You can bracket your exposures even if you aren't going to be using HDR. Sometimes this is helpful when you have a tricky lighting situation and you want to ensure that you have just the right exposure to capture the look you're after. You can bracket in increments as small as a third of a stop. This means that you can capture several images with very subtle exposure variances and then decide later...
Directing The Viewer A Word About Composition
As a photographer, it's your job to lead the viewer through your image. You accomplish this by utilizing the principles of composition, which is the arrangement of elements in the scene that draws the viewer's eye through your image and holds their attention. As the director of this viewing, you need to understand how people see, and then use that information to focus their attention on the most important elements in your image. There is a general order at which we look at elements in a...
Portrait Mode
One problem with Full Auto mode is that it has no idea what type of I1 subject you are photographing and, therefore, uses the same settings for each situation. Shooting portraits is a perfect example. Typically, when you are taking a photograph of someone, you want the emphasis of the picture to be on them, not necessarily on the stuff going on in the background. This is what Portrait mode is for. When you set your camera to this mode, you are telling the camera to select a larger aperture so...
Setting The Movie Quality
1. To change the quality of your video recording, start by turning the Mode dial to the Movie shooting position. 2. Press the Menu button and navigate to the first Movie Shooting tab. 3. Select the Movie record size option and press the Set button A . 4. Select the desired movie quality setting and press the Set button B . 5. Press the Menu button to return to Movie shooting mode. Hgsiggggg EE3E I Movie rec. size 1920x1080 r AFmode Live mode AF during 'i Disable ffSh utter AE lock button Remote...
Landscape Photography
TIPS, TOOLS, AND TECHNIQUES TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY There has always been something about shooting landscapes that has brought a sense of joy to my photography. It might have something to do with being outdoors and working at the mercy of Mother Nature. Maybe it's the way it challenges me to visualize the landscape and try to capture it with my camera. It truly is a celebration of light, composition, and the world we live in. In this chapter, we will explore some of...
Setting Up And Shooting With Live View And Face Detection Focusing
1. Press the Menu button and use the Main dial to highlight the second camera setup menu screen. Then highlight the Live View function settings option and press the Set button A . 2. Now highlight the Live View shoot option and enable it by pressing Set and then selecting Enable B . 3. Now move down to the AF mode setting at the bottom of the menu, press Set, and select Live Face mode. 4. Press the Menu button to exit the menu mode and get ready for shooting. 5. Activate the Live View function...
Using The Builtin Flash
There are going to be times when you have to turn to your camera's built-in flash to get the shot. The pop-up flash on the T2i is not extremely powerful, but with the camera's advanced metering system it does a pretty good job of lighting up the night or just filling in the shadows. If you are working in the Creative zone, you will have to turn the flash on for yourself. To do this, just press the pop-up flash button located on the front of the camera Figure 8.10 . Once the flash is up, it is...
Landscape Mode
EiiiiSk As you might have guessed, Landscape mode has been optimized for gp1 shooting landscape images. Particular emphasis is placed on the picture style, with the camera trying to boost the greens and blues in the image Figure 3.3 . This makes sense, since the typical landscape would be outdoors where grass, trees, and skies should look more colorful. This picture style also boosts the sharpness that is applied during processing. The camera also utilizes the lowest ISO settings possible in...
Turning On The Focus Assist Feature
1. Press the Menu button and then use the Main dial to get to the Custom Functions menu tab, highlight Custom Functions, and press the Set button A . Copyright information Clear settings Firmware Ver. 1.0.6 2. Use the left right Cross keys to get to the C. Fn. III Autofocus Drive AF-assist beam firing feature and press the Set button B . 3. If it is not enabled, highlight Enable and press the Set button. 4. To use it when working in the Creative zone, simply press the flash button to raise the...
Set Your Focus Point And Mode
The Canon focusing system is legendary for its speed and accuracy. The Artificial Intelligence AI focus modes will give you a ton of flexibility in your shooting. There is, however, one small problem that is inherent with any focusing system. No matter how intelligent it is, the camera is looking at all of the subjects in the scene and determining which is closest to the camera. It then uses this information to determine where the proper focus point should be. It has no way of knowing what your...
Setting Your Picture Style To Monochrome
1. Start by pressing the Menu button. 2. Use the Main dial to scroll to the second camera shooting menu second from the left . 3. Using the Cross keys, highlight the Picture Style setting and press the Set button A . 4. Use the down Cross key to highlight the Monochrome setting, and lock it in by pressing the Set button again B . Your camera will continue to shoot with the Monochrome picture style until you change it to another setting. fvgpEtlHIEIElRW mm Expo.comp. AEB . l.a. Auto Lighting...
Chapter Assignments 1
These assignments will have you shooting in the various Basic modes so that you can experience the advantages and disadvantages of using them in your daily photography. It's time to give up complete control and just concentrate on what you see in the viewfinder. Set your camera to Full Auto and practice shooting in a variety of conditions, both indoors and outside. Take notice of the camera settings when you are reviewing your pictures. Try using the One Shot focus to pick a focus and then...
Checking The Cameras Current Firmware Version Number
1. Rotate the Mode dial to select P or any of the other modes in the Creative zone . 2. Press the Menu button to display the menu. 3. Turn the Main dial to get to the third camera setup menu, and you will see the currently installed firmware version number at the bottom of the settings. If this version is not the latest one listed on the Canon website, follow the steps in the next section to load the latest version. FTI FT EilEfiEntail fmm Custom Funotions C.Fn Copyright information At the time...
Using The Ae Lock Feature
There will often be times when your subject is not in the center of the frame but you still want to use the Partial metering mode. So how can you get an accurate reading if the subject isn't in the center Try using the AE Auto Exposure Lock feature to hold the exposure setting while you recompose. AE Lock lets you use the exposure setting from any portion of the scene that you think is appropriate, and then lock that setting in regardless of how the scene looks when you recompose. An example of...
Using Shutter Priority Tv Mode To Stop Motion
In Chapter 4, you were introduced to the Creative zone's shooting modes. You'll remember that the mode that gives you ultimate control over shutter speed is Tv mode, where you are responsible for selecting the shutter speed while handing over the aperture selection to the camera. The ability to concentrate on just one exposure factor helps you quickly make changes on the fly while staying glued to your viewfinder and your subject. There are a couple of things to consider when using Tv mode,...
Stabilizing The Situation
If you purchased your camera with one of the new image stabilization IS lenses, you already own a great tool to squeeze two stops of exposure out of your camera when shooting without a tripod Figure 8.5 . Typically, the average person can handhold their camera down to about 1 60 of a second before blurriness results due to hand shake. As the length of the lens is increased or zoomed , the ability to handhold at slow shutter speeds 1 60 and slower and still get sharp images is further reduced....
Detect Faces With Live View
Face detection in digital cameras has been around for a few years, but it's still a new concept in the world of the dSLR. Your T2i has three different autofocus modes for Live View Quick, Live, and my personal favorite, Face Detection. These modes are different from the standard modes like One Shot, AI Servo, and AI Focus. Face Detection mode is probably the slowest of the Live View focusing modes, so I use it mostly when I am working with a tripod or my subjects are going to remain fairly...
VIDEO AND THE Ti
One of the reasons you probably purchased the T2i is its ability to capture video. Not just regular video, but high-definition video. As I discussed in the book's introduction, I am going to keep the focus of this book on the photography aspects of the camera but that doesn't mean I am going to simply ignore the video functions completely. In fact, I am dedicating a bonus chapter to some fun video tips. But I thought that I would at least cover the video basics here in Chapter 2 since we have...
Setting Up And Shooting With Fill Flash
1. Press the pop-up flash button to raise your pop-up flash into the ready position. 2. Press the Q button to activate the Quick Control screen. 3. Use the Cross keys to position the cursor over the Flash Compensation option. 4. Use the Main dial to select the desired amount of flash compensation. 5. Lightly press the shutter release button to exit the Quick Control screen. One problem that can quickly surface when using the on-camera flash is red-eye. Not to worry, though we will talk about...
Auto Lighting Optimizer
Did you know that your camera provides a function that can automatically make your pictures look better It's called Auto Lighting Optimizer. It works this way the camera evaluates the tones in your image and then lightens any areas that it believes are too dark or lacking in contrast Figures 10.11 and 10.12 . This optimization is applied automatically in the shooting modes of the Basic zone. Without the Auto Lighting Optimizer, the shadows are dark and contrasty. Without the Auto Lighting...
Shooting Long Exposures
We have covered some of the techniques for shooting in low light, so let's go through the process of capturing a night or low-light scene for maximum image quality Figure 8.9 . The first thing to consider is that in order to shoot in low light with a low ISO, you will need to use shutter speeds that are longer than you could possibly handhold longer than 1 15 of a second . This will require the use of a tripod or stable surface for you to place your camera on. For maximum quality, the ISO...
Focusing The Eyes Have It
It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and nothing could be truer when you are taking a photograph of someone Figure 6.9 . You could have the perfect composition and exposure, but if the eyes aren't sharp the entire image suffers. While there are many different focusing modes to choose from on your T2i, for portrait work you can't beat One Shot mode using a single focusing point. One Shot focusing will establish a single focus for the lens and then hold it until you take...
Using The Landscape Picture Style
When shooting landscapes, I always look for great color and contrast. This is one of the reasons that so many landscape shots are taken in the early morning or during sunset. The light is much more vibrant and colorful at these times of day and adds a sense of drama to an image. You can help boost this effect, especially in the less-than-golden hours of the day, by using the Landscape picture style Figure 7.10 . Just as in the Landscape mode found in the Basic zone, you can set up your...
Stop And Go With Ai Focus Af
If you are going to be changing between a moving target and one that is still, you should consider using the AI Focus mode. This mode mixes both the One Shot and AI Servo modes for shooting a subject that goes from stationary to moving without having to adjust your focus mode. When you have a stationary subject, simply place your selected focus point on your subject and the camera will focus on it. If your subject begins to move out of focus, the camera will switch to AI Servo mode and track...
The Tricks To Shooting Sports And More
Now that you have learned about the Creative zone, it's time to put your newfound knowledge to good use. Whether you are shooting the action at a professional sporting event or a child on a merry-go-round, you'll learn techniques that will help you bring out the best in your photography when your subject is in motion. The number one thing to know when trying to capture a moving target is that speed is king I'm not talking about how fast your subject is moving, but rather how fast your shutter...
Panning
Panning has been used for decades to capture the speed of a moving object as it moves across the frame. It doesn't work well for subjects that are moving toward or away from you. Panning is achieved by following your subject across your frame, moving your camera along with the subject, and using a slower-than-normal shutter speed so that the background and sometimes even a bit of the subject has a sideways blur but the main portion of your subject is sharp and blur-free. The key to a great...
Keeping Up With The Continuous Shooting Mode
Getting great focus is one thing, but capturing the best moment on the sensor can be difficult if you are shooting just one frame at a time. In the world of sports, and in life in general, things move pretty fast. If you blink, you might miss it. The same can be said for shooting in Single shooting drive mode. Fortunately, your T2i comes equipped with a Continuous shooting or burst mode that lets you capture a series of images at up to 3.7 frames a second. No, you can't actually capture .7...
Customizing Your My Menu Setting
1. Press the Menu button and select the tab with the star using the Cross keys. 2. Select My Menu settings and press Set A . 3. Highlight Register to My Menu and press Set B . I My Menu settings i H Register to My Menu Delete item items Delete all items Display from My Menu 4. Scroll through the available menu items, and when you highlight one that you want to add, press the Set button C . 5. When asked if you want to register the item, highlight OK and press Set D . 6. Continue adding the...
Keeping A Backup Battery
If I were to suggest just one accessory that you should buy for your camera, it would probably be a second battery. Nothing stinks more than being out in the field and having your camera die. Keeping a fully charged battery in your bag will always give you the confidence that you can keep on shooting without fail. Not only is this a great strategy to extend your shooting time, it also helps to lengthen the life of your batteries by alternating between them. No matter what the manufacturers say,...
Go Wide For Environmental Portraits
There will be times when your subject's environment is of great significance to the story you want to tell. This might mean using a smaller aperture to get more detail in the background or foreground. Once again, by using Av mode, you can set your aperture to a higher f-stop, such as f 8 or f 11, and include the important details of the scene that surrounds your subject. Using a wider-than-normal lens can also assist in getting more depth of field as well as showing the surrounding area. A...
Sports Mode
J jggjp While this is called Sports mode, you can use it for any moving subject gy that you are photographing. The mode is built on the principles of sports photography continuous focusing, large apertures, and fast shutter speeds Figure 3.5 . To handle these requirements, the camera sets the drive mode to Continuous shooting, the aperture to a very large opening, and the ISO to Auto. Overall, these are sound settings that will capture most moving subjects well. We will take an in-depth look at...
Flash Off Mode
Sometimes you will be in a situation where the light levels are low but 'HBP' you don't want to use the flash. It could be that you are shooting in a place that restricts flash photography, such as a museum or church, or it could be a situation where you want to take advantage of the available light, as when shooting candles on a birthday cake. This is where Flash Off mode comes into play. By keeping the flash from firing, you will be able to use just the available ambient light while the...