Photography Challenge #1

[LeslieinTN]

These challenges will be a way to get us using all those features on our cameras (whether they be digital or film) that mystify us! We will allow two weeks between each challenge for those with film cameras to allow for developing time. At the end of the two weeks we will post here to show what we've learned. I am by no means an expert (or even consider myself intermediate) but will be learning along the way too. ;) If there are questions, then feel free to post to the thread and we'll see if someone can provide the answer. Okay, let's get started!!

Our first challenge is something I've wanted to learn how to use for a long time now: aperture/f-stop. Here is an excerpt from the June/July 2006 issue of Scrapbook Answers:

Aperture/F-Stop refers to the size of the lens opening that lets light into the camera. The f-stop number is not the actual diameter of the lens opening, however. It's a ratio of the focal length to diameter. The smaller the aperture - for example, f/2.0 - the more light is allowed in. The larger the aperture - such as f/22 - the less light hits the lens. Smaller f-stops (4.0, 2.8, and 2.0, for example) allow a thin slice of a scene to be in focus. Larger f-stops (8.0, 11, 16) allow a wide portion of the scene to be in focus.

There may be more info in your camera manual. Right now I cannot locate mine so I'll be figuring this stuff out on my own, I guess! LOL Bri, would you be interested in having two things to work on for the two week period so you don't waste film or do you want to take time with each thing? I don't care since I'm digital. I just thought with the cost of film and developing, it may be best to post two things to work on during the two week period. LMK and I can post a "part B" to this challenge. :)

Deadline is Saturday, August 12. That allows people time to read and prepare for the start of these challenges. (I know there are going to be sooo many people participating!! LOL ;) )

[LeslieinTN]

***TIP*** Don't forget to keep a pad of paper and pen handy when taking photos and experimenting so you can see the results you get when you change the settings.

Example: photo #1 = f/3.0, photo #2 = f/4.0, photo #3 = f/7.5, etc.

[PamelaECU]

ok, I have NO idea what you just posted but I am up for a challenge...maybe :???: I'm digital but I think 1 challege will keep me busy for two weeks.

[LeslieinTN]

I tried out the aperture/f-stop setting on my camera this evening. Andrew was out in the sandbox so I told him to just keep playing and let me take photos. He will never look at me directly while I'm taking photos but when he saw me with a notebook and pencil and taking photos and writing things down, he became very interested! LOL He even would even look at me as I took photos since he found out mommy was doing it to learn more about her camera. When I told him I was done and thanked him, he began to follow me back toward the house and asked me what I had learned. I said I didn't know yet! ;) Anyway, on my camera I think the aperture/f-stop shows up as "F2.8" or whatever you have the setting on. Mine started at 2.8 automatically. I haven't even looked at the photos yet though. I also noticed as I was messing with the f-stop that there was another number you could change that went from like 1/8 to 1/60 and even turned to increments of 1" to 16" (is that inches?). I'm not exactly sure what that was but my photos I took with it set at 16" let in a LOT of light and you couldn't really see anything - the photo just looked like a white screen basically. I'll have to study what I have done later when the kids are in bed!

[BriannaL]

Ok, This sounds great. F-stop can make good photos great, so I really want to get this f-stop thing by then so I'll be able to use the lens to it's full potential.

I've got this great tutorial from a website a few months ago & it really explains the whole f-stop thing.

standard F-stop settings go like this:
f1.4
f1.8
f2.0
f2.8
f4.0
f5.6
f8.0
f11
f16
f22

each step up doubles the amount of light it allows to enter the camera. I'm very limited at the moment with how low I can go with my f-stop because my lens only go down to f4.0 & f5.6. I think I may get a 50mm f1.8 lens for my birthday....it's like $85 & I've heard lots of good stuff about it. We'll see......

I think I'm going to do photos next weekend when my parents come in to visit. Then they keep Little Man pre-occupied while I focus on my camera.

One callenge every 2 weeks is fine for me, it shouldn't be a problem. I take TONS of photos, so maybe this will help me develop them in a timely manner.

Bri

[LeslieinTN]

My f-stop settings went from 2.8 to 8.0. After I uploaded my photos to the computer, I am renaming them to the info I wrote as I took them. Example, my first photo I am naming "1 f2.8" and then I have "2 f3.2, 3 f4.0, etc" with the first number being the photo I took (first, second, third, fourth, etc) and of course the "f_._" being the f-stop setting for that photo.

Pamela, are you going to join in with us? A bunch of novice photographers (maybe I should speak for myself b/c Brianna is good) trying to learn a thing or two about their cameras. ;)

[LeslieinTN]

I found a good website that thoroughly explains aperture/f-stop: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/fototech/apershutter/aperture.htm

Here is an excerpt from it:
The MOSTconfusing part for any new photographer: JUST remember in photographic term: a BIG aperture is actually referring to a smaller number engraved on the aperture ring of the lens i.e. f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4.0 etc. while small apertures means bigger numbers i.e. f/22, f/16, f/11, f/8 etc. Once you have "overcome" such "mental block" in calculation, it should help you greatly understand and enjoy more in other sections to follow.

[PamelaECU]

I hope you guys aren't expecting alot from me..LOL I did find in my guide book that my camera has aperture wide f/2.7-f/5.2 ; Tele : f/4.6-f/8.7 BUT it doesn't say anything about manually adjusting them. I think I might have to sit this one out if I don't find anything in the online tutorials. :(

[PamelaECU]

Sorry guys, I will have to sit this one out but I can't wait to see your pictures. Maybe someday I will get a fancy camera. Well, one that will advance as technology advances. My camera doesn't have the manual adjustable f/stop but the newer models do.:neutral:

[LeslieinTN]

My camera isn't fancy, Pamela, but it does have the manual mode where I can adjust the settings. Maybe you can join in on the next challenge.

I think I'm going to take more photos trying out the f-stop feature. I thought I would set out some teacups and place them in different locations starting at like 3 feet away from me and then staggering them six inches away from that one. (Know what I'm talking about?) Then I can see how the ones in the "backgroun" appear as I change the f-stop setting. The ones at the higher setting should only have the closest in focus and the ones at the lower setting should have them all shown clearly if I'm understanding this right! Man, I feel like I'm in math or science class with learning these new things that are so foreign to me. LOL

[BriannaL]

I'm not going to see a whole lot of different in my photos either. While looking @ my lenses I've discovered their f-stop range is f4.0-f5.6. So it's not going to offer that much of a difference in my focus.

I also noticed while reading my tutorial that with my camera I'm going to have to learn f-stop & shutter speed together because if I don't set my shutter speed to accomidate my f-stop I'll get pictures that have improper lighting (because I'll be working with my camera in manual which means I'm setting everything).

By the way, I'm a beginner too. I'm far from being a "good" photographer. That's why I'm excited about these challenges.

Bri

[LeslieinTN]

Reminder: Deadline for this challenge is Saturday, August 12th.

[LeslieinTN]

BTT . . .

[LeslieinTN]

Brianna, I honestly intended on posting this on Saturday as I talked with you about. Sunday was too busy and today has been hectic - first day of school - I made three trips to Johnson City today between 7:30-1:30. Sooo I really plan on finishing up and posting my photos tomorrow! Wade is taking Elizabeth to school, Andrew is home with me tomorrow so I can do the extra picture taking I was wanting to do and upload it all. LMK when you can post!

[LeslieinTN]

Okay, I'm gonna post now. I am only posting two photos that I have stitched together. I took maybe 125 total while practicing and trying to figure this thing out. Not saying I HAVE figured it out! LOL When I took the pictures of my tea cups, I had them staggered about six inches away from each other in a pyramid shape. I found that I could not tell a difference in the aperture settings. I think they were too close (i.e., not enough depth behind them). I also took photos of a bouquet of flowers doing while changing the f-stop each time, still no change that I could detect. My f-stop ranges from 2.8 to 8.0. The example I'm uploading has two photos. The one on the left side has an aperture (or f-stop) of 3.2 and the one on the right side has an aperture (or f-stop) of 8.0.

[BriannaL]

So, I completely failed @ putting 100% effort into this ch1llenge. Honestly, I think I was a little discouraged because I thought my apperature setting could only be controlled from 4.0 - 5.6, but I think that depending on the lens setting (both have "ranges, 35-80mm & 75-300mm) I can actually gor from 4.0 - 32. I guess if I had just pout some effort into it, I would have figured it out MUCH sooner. I did get 2 pictures, & I couldn't believe the "blur" on the bg. I'll post them to the gallery.

Thanks for the challenge, I promise to put more effort into them next time Leslie.

Bri

[LeslieinTN]

Well, maybe we shouldn't have started with something as complicated. I know it probably takes professional photographers a while to conquer this thing! Anyway, we have enlightened ourselves a little on it, right??? LOL

Okay, Bri, are you going to post the next challenge for us??