Camera settings demystified

How many times have you been unsure about how to set your camera for the present shooting conditions, or how to compose the picture?  Odds are there is a “rule of thumb” for that situation, and you may already know it, but just didn’t bring it to mind.  This week we’ll remind you of some of these “rules” (actually for the most part, they are suggestions) with the hope they will be of use later.  Some of these “rules” are:

The Sunny 16 Rule- Use this setting when you have bright sun and average reflective subjects.  Set the lens opening at f/16 and the shutter at the reciprocal of the ISO. ( that is 1/200 for an example)  If you’re at the beach or there is considerable snow, also try the same shutter setting with a lens opening of f/22.  On cloudy-bright days, use f/11 with the reciprocal of the ISO for shutter speed.

When Photographing the Moon, again set the shutter speed at 1/ISO,  and for a quarter moon set the lens opening at f/5.6.  The lens opening for a half moon is f/8 and f/11 for a full moon.

When Photographing a Sunset, meter the area just above the sun without including the sun in the view.  Stopping down 1 f-stop will make the scene look between a half to an hour later.

To Avoid Camera Shake when hand holding the camera, use a shutter speed which most closely matches the reciprocal of the millimeters of the lens you are using or faster.

To Make a Sharper Image when the camera is mounted on a tripod, turn the image stabilization off if the subject is not moving.

Use The Rule of Thirds to create a better composition. Imagine or place a grid of 2 equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines in your viewfinder that divide it into 3 equal spaces.  Place your center of interest on one of the vertical or horizontal lines or their intersection for a stronger composition.

This last one is not really a rule but rather an aspect ratio list. 1.33:1 is what most Digital cameras are.  1.5:1 is a 4 x 6 print.  1.4:1 is a 5 x 7 print.  1.25:1 is an 8 x 10 print (Which means part of the frame MUST be cropped to fill the 8 x 10). and 1.272:1 is 11 x 14 print.

Some of this information was sent to Van Wert Area Photography Club members by president Stuart Jewett.  Other information, and more, can be found at: www.blackcatphotoproducts.com/rules_of_thumb.html, or www.taphilo.com/Photo/phototips.shtml.

The Van Wert Area Photography Club’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Thursday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at 114 S. Race St. in Van Wert.  Visitors are always welcome.