Optical And Digital Zoom

More often or not, we'll see one of the main features of compact camera is the ZOOM range. Some compact cameras offer a simple 4x zoom, and some up to 12x zoom or more. Some even go to the extend of having 36x digital zoom. Without going to the showroom or a retail store to check out these cameras, how would you know the performance of them?

There are two types of zoom, Optical, and Digital zoom.

Optical Zoom

Let us focus our attention to Optical zoom. Optical zoom refers to the use of optics (lens) to zoom. The action is much like using a telescope, and there is little effect on the quality of the image when used.

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How To Open RAW Files On Your Computer

As mention in the previous post RAW vs JPEG, RAW is an excellent file format to use, but it does have it disadvantages, such as when viewing it on the computer.

There are many programs available in the market that can read and manage RAW files. I'll name a few common ones and list out their advantages and disadvantages. (Photoshop is not included because it can only read RAW files, but not manage them)

ACDSee Pro

http://www.acdsee.com/en/products/acdsee-pro-6

$49.99

 Advantages

- Easy to manage files - Just like browsing through windows explorer

- Quick view available
- Good photo editing functions included

- Native support for RAW files and many other file formats

Disadvantages

- Costly

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RAW vs JPEG

When it comes to photography, most people would recognize JPEG as the standard photo format. That is quite true, since most photos are shot and uploaded in JPEG.

Everyone is familiar with JPEG, but what is RAW? You've heard some professionals like to shoot in RAW. All DSLRs and some high end compact cameras have the option to shoot in RAW, but what are the advantages and disadvantages of shooting in either formats?

RAW	JPEG
Uncompressed file	Compressed file
Higher dynamic range	Lower dynamic range
Larger file size (3 to 5x of JPEG)	Smaller file size
Ability to set white balance to any value after photo taken	White balance fixed at the point of photo taken
Unprocessed by camera	Processed by camera
Lower contrast, higher noise, not as sharp	Higher contrast, lower noise, sharper image
Non destructive editing	Destructive editing
Requires special software to view or edit	Can be easily view and editing using common tools

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Playing With Sunset Colors

In this tutorial, we are about to discuss a topic some would call it as "Manipulating a Photo". I prefer to call it "Playing with Colors". Because I view photography as an art, and an absolute freedom of expression, so there is nothing wrong with beautifying a photo through playing with its colors.

I'll be using one of my recent photos as an example: Sunset @ Kota Kinabalu!

Here is the final photo for your reference:

And here is the original photo, straight out of Photomatix using the same techniques described in "The Basics of HDR":

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Depth of Field

Everyone loves the sharp subject and background blur look, and some people love the look so much, they buy a DSLR. Technically, it's called Depth of Field, which measures how much of a subject is in focus. However, not many people know how to get that awesome look. So here are some things that affect the depth of field for a photo:

1) Aperture
2) Focal length
3) Subject distance from background and camera



Aperture

The most straightforward setting to adjust the depth of field. A large aperture such as f/2 creates a shallow depth of field while a smaller aperture such as f/11 creates a deep depth of field. To read more about aperture, see my other post here.


Advantages
- Settings easy to change
- Faster shutter speed when large aperture is used

Disadvantages
- Large aperture lens are relatively more expensive
- Slower shutter speed when small aperture is used


Now for the technical stuff.

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HDR Post-Processing Tutorial

This tutorial will cover how to edit those HDR photos that you have taken as explained in the first tutorial "The Basics of HDR"

Every has their own different ways to process their HDR photos. For me, I edit my photos using Photomatix and then subsequently by Photoshop. I like my HDR effect to have less saturation and more details.

Today we are going to work on this sunset photo. This is a regular un-edited sunset photo taken using regular settings. Sunset? Not too visible.

 Our final product. A HDR sunset photo.

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Buying Body or Lens?

Whether or not, you own a DSLR or considering buying one, this is one of the things you must consider. Good body with a lousy lens or lousy body with a good lens? Let me take you through and help you make the decision.

Image Quality

If you're looking for image quality, then a good lens must be in your shopping list. Light itself is rather difficult to manage. Lenses often suffer from various forms of optical degradation, such as vignetting, barrel distortion, Chromatic Aberration, flare. You see, even the best and most expensive lens may not fully resolve these issues, but merely reduce the effects.

Let's bring out an example. I used 2 different lens on the same camera body to shoot the same subject. On the left is shot with a EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, selling for about $900 online. On the right is shot with a EF-S17-85mm lens, selling for about $660 online. Both pictures are shot with Canon EOS 7D.

My first impression is that the 15-85mm lens has a better contrast than the 17-85mm. Zooming in, you can clearly see the difference in sharpness. If you own a 18-55mm kit lens, the results are worse than the 17-85mm lens.

Comparing 15-85mm vs 17-85mm (click to enlarge)

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Dynamic Range

What is Dynamic Range?

Dynamic range in our everyday lives, is the difference between the darkest and the brightest part of our vision that we can see. Dynamic range is working in our everyday lives. For example, have you ever walked into a dark room, and found yourself temporary blinded by the dark for a short time? It's because the darkness of the room exceeds our dynamic range of eyes, and our pupils dilate (open up) to allow more light to pass through into our eyes, enabling us to see darker objects brighter, and brighter objects brighter as well. Comparing our eyes to camera sensors, our eyes have an amazingly wide dynamic range!

Dynamic range in photography is simply the difference between the darkest and brightest part of a photo. It is usually expressed in a graph such as the one below. Dynamic range gives us a clue to whether a photo is properly exposed.

How to read a Dynamic Range graph?

Dynamic Range graph, is more commonly referred to as "Histogram". On the extreme left of the graph, the "0" represents pure black, and on the extreme right of the graph, the "255" represents pure white. Anything that lies in the middle is a shade of grey somewhere between black and white. I'm going to keep this simple and talk about dynamic range on the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) channel only.

The amount of a specific shade of grey in the photo is represented by the height of the "Mountain" in the graph. A higher peak shows more shade of that grey in the picture.

I like to quote this example when explaining dynamic range.

1) Take a photo.
2) Convert that photo to greyscale (black & white).
3) Now each pixel in the photo is of a certain shade of grey (or it could be pure black or white, but mostly grey for sure)
4) Take each pixel and arrange it on the graph from pure black to pure white.
5) There you have it, a dynamic range graph!

How can Dynamic Range help in photography?

In photography, we generally want to have a correctly exposed picture. A correctly exposed picture should have a nice peak in the center.

However, do note that every photo is different and there is no perfect graph for dynamic range. Depending the the scene, the graph could have it's peak more towards the left or right, and still be correctly exposed. Or depending on the photographer's creativity, under or over exposing the photograph deliberately can make the picture look better.

Dynamic range of a very overexposed photo

Dynamic range of a very underexposed photo

Before you call the above dynamic range graphs "trash", they are actually part of a group of photos used to create a HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo.

Using HDR can drastically improve the dynamic range of photographs by combining the useable parts (those closer to the center) of the dynamic range to enhance the dynamic range of a correctly exposed photo.

Understanding Dynamic Range for use in Photoshop

This photo needs a little correction. The reason why the graph is skewed to the right is because of the very overexposed background. The subject is of the right exposure, but is lacking a little contrast, and the background is very overexposed. So how can we correct this problem? Now, here is a extremely simple cure for this problem. Navigate to the Levels menu by going to: "Image > Adjustments > Levels" (or CTRL + L). With the levels menu open, you have 3 options to get the right levels for your picture.

Photo edited using auto settings method.

1) Auto - Auto is a no brainer. Photoshop will decide for you what's best and then automatically determine the black and white point. However, it may not be accurate all the time, nor it can create any creative effects you want on the photo.

Photo edited using the level sliders method.

2) Level Sliders -You can manually adjust the white and black point by moving the sliders. Moving the black slider inwards gradually turns darker colors to pure black, and moving the white slider inwards gradually turns lighter colors to pure white. The grey slider in the center can go both ways and it can make greys darker or lighter depending on the direction it's slide towards.

Photo edited using the sample tool method. Sample tools circled in red

3) Sample tool - Consist of a black, grey, and white point sample tool. For example, using the black point sample tool, you can quickly and easily sample a spot on the picture that you want it to because pure black (0 on the dynamic range graph). Anything darker than the spot sampled will be pure black as well. I normally use this tool sparingly, and use it only if I find a known pure black object doesn't turn out pure black when shot on camera. Similarly, the white point sample tool samples a spot on the picture and turns it pure white.


Or if you wish, you can use a combination of 2 or more of the methods, such as using auto before manually adjusting the level sliders. Any method that makes a good photo is a good method. If you noticed little difference in the photos, that is normal. Changes like this are subtle, but after a series of other post-processing, the difference will show and people will be sure to notice it.

There are some other functions on photoshop that uses the dynamic range, but they are generally similar to the levels function. If you know levels, you shouldn't have any problems when you encounter a tool that has something that looks like a dynamic range graph on it. Good luck and have fun shooting!

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The Basics of HDR!

So why HDR?

A HDR photo offers a much higher dynamic range as compared to a regular photo. Take for example, a EOS 7D has a dynamic range of 11.7EV. HDR effectively increases this to 17.7EV, a 51% increase! But HDR doesn't come as easy as a flick of a button. Firstly, the settings have to be right, and then comes the post processing on the computer. With more people opting to do a HDR photo, new higher-end Canon camera bodies such as Canon EOS-1D X and 5D MkIII have HDR feature built right into it. I haven't been able to get my hands on a HDR compatible model, but reviews suggest that they are promising.

There are other reasons to why people do a HDR, but increased dynamic range is why most people do it. For me, I do it for the increased dynamic range, and the colors I can create on a HDR.

So why not HDR?

If HDR sounds so good, why not use it all the time? HDR is useful for still scenes such as landscape because if the subject or background moves, it does not align during post processing and cause ghosting (covered later). HDR pictures may not qualify in some photo contest because it may be considered as manipulated pictures under some T&C's.

How to create a HDR?

There are 2 parts to HDR: In-camera settings & Post processing.

In Camera

In camera, go to menu and look for Expo.comp./ AEB or anything other thing that look like this:

Click into AEB and turn the dial on the camera clockwise until 3 lighted strips can be seen below:

(Do not worry if your camera cannot reach +/- 3. Some cameras can only reach +/- 2.)

And you are good to go! I highly recommend a stable tripod when shooting HDR, and using the timer function on your camera to reduce all possibilities of camera shake. I also recommend shooting in RAW file format if possible, and turn off image stabilizer if your camera lens has one. (Some professionals claim that image stabilizer will degrade image quality when shooting on a tripod. Well, the thing is, you don't need image stabilizer if you're on a stable tripod anyway. For me, my landscape lens does not have image stabilizer anyway.)

Take a test image and check that there should be one underexposed photo (-3.0 EV), one correctly exposed photo (0 EV), and one overexposed photo (+3.0 EV). Once you see them, you're on the right track!


Post processing

In post processing, there are several software that can help you combine and process your HDR files. I use Photomatix to combine the pictures together before sending it over to Adobe Photoshop for more post editing. Photoshop allows you to combine HDR files as well, but I felt like it doesn't serve my needs as well, so I'll still go with Photomatix.

I shall not post too much screenshots on basic Photomatix functions because they can be found in the tutorial within the application.

1) Open photomatix
2) Click "Load Bracketed Photos" and load the 3 images shot at -3.0 EV, 0 EV, and +3.0 EV.
3) Accept the default settings and press OK.
(There is 1 checkbox to reduce noise and 1 to reduce chromatic aberrations left unchecked by default. I don't find these feature useful because it don't see a difference in it's noise reduction feature, and I prefer to correct chromatic aberrations later in Photoshop later for more accurate results.)
4) Skip the "Selective Deghosting" step by clicking OK.
(Ghosting occurs when subjects or objects in the photos differ between the images used to build HDR. It is rather tricky to deal with ghosting, because Photomatix does not resolve ghosting well.)
5) You are now presented with a horrible HDR picture. Don't worry. Things will change for the better. Save this image by going to "File -> Save image".
6) Click on the button "Tone Mapping / Fusion" and instantly, your photo looks much better now.

You can accept the default settings or choose one of the presets available, but they don't work well for good photos.

Now for the most important part of this tutorial! Playing with the sliders. We are not going to use all of the sliders. About 6 to 7 at most.

- Strength: You can adjust the slider keeping in mind not to destroy any colors that you would want to work on later. For example, pushing the slider to 100 will turn most of the sky to dark blue, almost grey, which is something we don't want to edit on. Be sure not to push the slider too low, or some parts of the photo will overexpose. I usually keep this slider between 60 to 80.

- Saturation: A little saturation may make the photo look great, but I don't like the saturation colors on Photomatix. So I will normally keep it default, or push it up a little to get the color to work on Photoshop later. I usually keep this slider below 60.

- Detail Contrast: I skipped Luminosity to be edited later. Although I like my photos nice and detailed, this slider creates too much noise in the image for the small amount of extra details it can bring out. The effect quite similar to using unsharp mask on Photoshop. I won't recommend, so use this sparingly.

- Lighting Adjustments: This slider increase the brightness of the light areas and decrease the brightness of the dark areas when pulled to the right, and vice versa. I usually keep this value low, between 0 to 3.

- Luminosity: If your photo turns out a little dark after Detail Contrast and Lighting Adjustments, you can adjust this slider to bring it back up to the correct brightness.

- Micro-smoothing: This slider smoothes out small details and reduce noise, but too much of it makes the photo look like it has less depth. I normally keep this low, between 0 to 4, as I can tackle the noise later in Photoshop.


I normally do not touch the rest of the sliders for a basic HDR.

When you're done, hit the "Process" button! Save the photo and you can bring it over to Photoshop for more editing! If your photo looks rather similar to the default, don't worry, because subtle differences goes a long way in photo editing.

There you have it! You have a HDR image! If you like this tutorial, don't forget to like and share it! In the next part of this tutorial, I will talk about editing the HDR photo on Photoshop, and how to make them "POP"!

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Photography Basics - Exposure / Aperture / Shutter Speed / ISO

Getting the right exposure

Getting the right exposure for a picture is like filling up a cup of water. In this example, think of photography as filling a cup of water to the right level. We can adjust the tap opening, the time collecting water, and the size of the cup, to achieve the right level of water in the cup.

Consider:
Aperture as a tap,
Shutter speed as the duration of time the cup is under the tap collecting water,
ISO as the cup, and light as water.

You want to fill your cup just right (right exposure), as too little water (underexposed), or too much water (overexposed) in your cup is not good.

.A smaller aperture has a small water flow, and a large aperture has a large water flow

The tap with the smaller aperture fills the cup slower as compared to the tap with a large aperture

 ISO is like the size of the cup. The smaller the cup, the faster it will fill up

What is aperture?
The definition of aperture is a opening in the lens, that light can travel through it. It is measure in f-number and we describe aperture by saying if it's large or small. A larger aperture will allow more light to enter the camera, and a smaller aperture will allow lesser light into the camera.

However, when being expressed as numbers and figures, a larger aperture would mean smaller f-number (e.g.: f/1.0, f/2.8) and a small aperture will mean a larger f-number (e.g.: f/20, f/22)

Aperture controls the amount of light that enters the camera and affects time taken to exposure the picture correctly, and depth of field (background blur).

 f/2.0

f/22

To achieve the background blur (also known as Bokeh), I set the lens at a large aperture of f/2.0. The properties of such a photo are: A fast shutter speed (1/6 seconds), and a really nice background blur. A large aperture is normally used during portrait and macro photography to bring out the subject from the background.

In the second photo, the background blur is not as visible, because a small aperture of f/22 is being used. The properties of such a photo are: A much slower shutter speed (15 seconds!), and an overall sharp photo. A small aperture is normally used during landscape photography to capture all the details of the landscape.



What is shutter speed?

Shutter speed (or exposure time) determines the amount of time, measured in seconds, that the sensor is exposed to light. Most of us would relate the shutter speed to the brightness of the photo, which is not wrong, provided the aperture and ISO settings are kept the same.

1/60 Seconds, f/1.8, ISO 100

1/10 Seconds, f/1.8, ISO 100

The 2 photos above show the effect of exposure on the photo under the same settings and light condition. Typically, a faster shutter speed (1/250 seconds and below) is used to freeze moving objects such as sports and flowing water. A slower shutter speed (1/2 seconds and above) is used to create a sense of motion in moving objects, and make water look silky.

Always getting blur pictures when shooting handheld? A good rule of thumb to get sharp pictures when shooting without a tripod is to use the formula: Shutter speed = 1/focal length. (for example, if focal length is 50mm, then minimum shutter speed should be 1/50 seconds)*

*This rule generally applies to lenses/camera without Image Stabilizer (IS) or Vibration Reduction (VR). Lenses/Camera with IS or VR can shoot at much slower shutter speeds than the rule of thumb recommended.



What is ISO?

ISO is actually a system that is used to measure the light sensitivity of sensors. A lower ISO means the sensor is less sensitive to light (lowering shutter speed), and a higher ISO means the sensor is more sensitive to light (increasing shutter speed).

An increase in ISO will give you a faster shutter speed. For every fold increase in ISO, the shutter speed is reduced by half (e.g.: A photo is taken at ISO 100, 1/10 seconds, if taken at ISO 200 will only take 1/20 seconds). So why are we not using maximum ISO every time we take a photo? Isn't faster always better?

 ISO 100, 1/6 Seconds, f/2.0

ISO 12800, 1/800 Seconds, f/2.0

Not quite. Because an increase in ISO will also bring about an increase in the grains (noise) in the photo. In the 2 photos above, the photo taken at ISO 12800 is clearly more grainy than the photo taken at ISO 100. Nobody loves grainy photos. We all want to capture that professional clean and sharp photo, right? Try shooting at the lowest ISO setting possible unless the shutter speed is too slow and pictures start to have unwanted motion blur.



Sum it up!

I hope that sums up the 3 fundamentals of photography; Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, and how it all work together to bring you the right exposure.

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