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On-Line Web Site Production Workshop > Basic Photography

Basic Photography Session

This session included basic ideas about still image photography such as image composition, and light exposure issues. Modern cameras with zoom lenses and automatic exposure and focusing mechanisms can be used more effectively if these concepts are understood.

Part of the discussion centered around how to capture photographic images that represented a watershed location where restoration work might be done in the future, is currently being done, or was done in the past.

Related to image composition, it was generally agreed that, in addition to distant view shots to capture the essence of a scene, it was equally important to capture close detail shots as well. Detail images might include close up shots of grass, trees, water, stream bank, animals, construction work, etc.

Wide angle lenses and telephoto lenses can help capture larger or close up views. Also it is sometimes important to shoot in different directions in order to show a larger perspective of any particular site. Note that a discussion related to 360 degree panorama photography was also given later in the workshop.

When people are involved in a watershed restoration effort it is important to capture the work efforts of the group and also of individuals. Close up photos of tools and equipment being used can also be valuable. In addition, photos that are taken in sequence during a time sequence of a day, an hour, or even a few minutes when work is being done can sometimes be used to create an slide show or animated sequence to show the progress of a particular effort. Note that a discussion related to Basic Digital Video was also given later in the workshop.

Understanding exposure settings in the camera being used and how to compensate for shadows and overexposed areas during the capture of one image was also discussed. In general it was agreed that an underexposed digital image was easier to correct with image processing software than overexposed images. Note Digital Image Processing software capabilities were discussed later in the workshop.

Aspens in lava fields.

Lower Sevier River near Circleville.

Cameras that have LCD viewing screens that let a photographer see the image just after it has been captured are a great help in composing and exposing the image the way a person wants it. If it is not just right the person can adjust the camera and shoot one or several more shots.

Cameras that use film were addressed when the audience requested it. The main issues with film, even though the quality can be significantly higher, is that the costs are higher for film and processing and the images have to be transferred to a digital format for web use. This image transfer also adds to the cost.

A more in depth discussion was requested in each workshop related to the newer “digital cameras.” These provide a lot of advantages for shooting images which will eventually be placed on a web page. For a person who wants to purchase a new digital camera, there are many different issues that are important to understand. In summary, these issues are: Cost for the camera system, cost and size of the memory system which holds the images while they are in the camera, and image quality. Other issues included the ease of use or complexity of the camera for the intended use, and the potential long range or “archival” use of the images that are taken.

Generally, it was understood by participants that “you get what you pay for.” Lower cost cameras can create perfectly good pictures for many web sites being produced today. However, the lower quality original photograph will not be able to be printed as easily or in a large size on photographic print paper or in a magazine publication. More expensive cameras allow larger print sizes and higher quality as well. When you only have one picture that has to last well into the future it makes sense that it would be captured in the highest quality a person can afford.

An added cost for these cameras is the purchase of one or more additional “memory cards” to hold images as they are being shot. The card that comes with the camera typically will only hold a few high quality images before it is filled up. If a person is in the field for several hours or a whole day or longer they may need one or more much larger memory cards to hold all of the images they want to shoot. An alternative is to carry a laptop computer and download the images from the card each time it fills up. Generally this is not very convenient and it might add even more cost than extra memory cards. Fortunately the cost of memory cards for these cameras have come down in price from a few years ago.

Some digital cameras contain a lot of complicated features that may be hard to understand. Some of the higher cost cameras may even be used by professional photographers who expect these features. It is not necessary for a digital camera to have a lot of complex features to also capture higher quality images. A person should read reviews and try to handle a camera in person before purchasing. Furthermore, it is true that new models of digital cameras with higher quality and lower cost are becoming available every year. A high end digital camera that cost $1000 three years ago is today a mid range camera and might only cost $400. The new $1000 camera might capture images that are two or three times the quality of the first one. Given this fact, a person might choose a lower quality camera now and save for a much higher quality camera a few years later. The disadvantage to this is that any one image you might shoot now may never be possible to shoot again and you might wish the quality was higher sometime in the future.

The final topic related to basic photography discussed how the images can be transferred from the camera to a computer system, and how to organize or categorize the images for later use.

A brief discussion of how to transfer 35 mm slides to a digital format revealed several techniques including the following. Kodak produced a method called Photo CD, which allowed a company with a special Kodak francise to take as many as 100 slide images and transfer them into high quality digital images that would fit on a CD-ROM. Many graphics companies also provided a service to digitize various photographic prints, and slides. Affordable print scanners and slide scanners vary in quality, but offer many individual computer users the opportunity to digitize their own images from photographs. It is even possible to use a “slide” copier attachment that Nikon provides for the Cool Pix family of digital cameras to capture a 35 mm slide into a digital format.

Sevier River near Hanksville.

Red Canyon

If the captured digital image has been placed on a CD-ROM, floppy disk, removable media, or hard drive it is easy to transfer it to a computer. Digital cameras typically store the shots being taken on a physically very small sized memory card which is held inside the camera. Transferring the images to a computer can usually be done in one or more ways. Often there is a cable that comes with the camera that will attach to the computer via a USB or serial input/output port. This direct transfer proceeds at the speed of the type of port being used. Another, usually more efficient way to transfer the images is to remove the “memory card” from the camera and place it in a “card” reader that is of a similar type. Modern readers of this type may transfer the images via a USB or Firewire port which may be significantly faster than directly from the camera itself.

Finally, once a series of images has been transferred to a computer, especially from a digital camera, they have been given an ordered numerical name. For example, the first shot on that card may have the number 001, the second 002 and so on. Until you actually change the name and save it again every image will retain the numerical title given by the camera. Several “image viewing” programs will allow you to look at the images and save them with a different name if you desire. As you look at the images you may also want to start to organize single or groups of images by placing them in your choice of different categories. There are different media management programs that will help you organize images for later use. Apple Computer, for example provides a free program called iPhoto which, in addition to helping you organize your images, will also let you create photo albums and multimedia slide shows. A variety of similar programs for all personal computers are available. These vary from low cost consumer programs to higher cost professional media management programs.

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