Tom Clark - Digital Photography Composition For Dummies

In photography, having the right tools is often as important as both having a good eye and being in the right place at the right time. However, having too many tools can be overwhelming and can cloud your judgment. So start off by compiling a toolkit that covers the basics and gets you headed in the right direction. Through time you'll naturally acquire all the extras — and the expertise to use them.

Before heading out to photograph, always think about whether you can actually record light with the gear you've packed. Ask yourself whether you have the following essentials in your basic toolkit:

• A camera:Don't laugh — I'm sure some photographers have forgotten their cameras in the past.

" Lenses:Make sure you have the right lenses for the specific photos you want to capture.

• Compact memory cards:You need these cards to record the images. I have forgotten to take these to a shoot, and it was embarrassing. Without them, you can only pretend to take pictures.

• An artificial light source:You can choose from a battery-operated external flash, a strobe kit, and so on. Whether you need a light source depends on what you're shooting and what the lighting is going to be like. (For more about lighting, flip to Chapter 10.) For instance, if you're shooting indoors at nighttime, you'll probably want to bring a flash.

• A tripod:You never know when you'll end up in a low-light situation, or when you'll want to take multiple shots with your camera in one position. Bring your tripod to be prepared.

This list covers most situations and enables you to take photos (which is, after all, the whole point). But in order to pack the gear, you have to acquire it first. The following sections help guide you in the right direction.

When purchasing camera gear on the Internet, avoid online stores that don't appear trustworthy. They may offer a better deal, but you don't want to risk getting ripped off. In general, I shop at the B&H Web site (www. bhphoto video. com). The company carries pretty much everything and is trusted by most photographers.

When looking for a camera, consider what type of photographer you are and what you need in a camera. You have many cameras to choose from, and each is slightly or drastically different depending on how much you want to spend. Here are the most common camera levels to choose from:

The basic consumer level:This level offers the most variety and targets everyone, including children, artists, trendsetters, travelers, family portrait enthusiasts, memory makers, and Internet social networkers. Consumer-level cameras try to sell you on ideas like simplicity, looks, and convenience. The quality ranges from bad to decent, and the prices range from $200 to $1,200.

These cameras are great for snapshot photography and for the photographer who enjoys composing images but doesn't necessarily want to develop a deeper understanding of the process.

The semipro and hobby level:This level offers high-quality cameras that fit into a smaller range than consumer-level products and still include a variety of features and a high level of quality. Semiproand hobby-level cameras usually range from $1,200 to $3,500. You can create beautiful, high-quality images with these cameras, and you can choose from plenty of options that cover all types of photography.

Most photographers never need to upgrade from this level. The image quality is outstanding and useful in most artistic and commercial applications. I shoot exclusively with cameras from this level and have produced commercial images for major clients, including billboards and movie posters. If you're serious about photography and looking for a place to start, research the cameras in this level.

The professional level:This level offers a few options that are very specific and appeal to photographers who know exactly what they want based on their photography style. Professional cameras generally are $3,500, but they can easily cost you $7,000.

These cameras aren't necessary for beginners, but they can be beneficial to a photographer who shoots for specific clients and needs the highest quality available. If you shoot sports events and need the fastest camera on the market, or if you're an artist and want to produce the largest prints with the highest quality, this level of camera may be for you.

Before purchasing your camera, research to see what's available. Choose a specific brand and look at the different cameras that the company offers. Pay attention to what features are available in certain price ranges. When you find the price range that works best for your needs, compare the different brands that offer something at that price. Also read online reviews that other photographers have written and compare each brand to find out which will serve you and your photography style best.

After you find your camera body, you need at least one lens. Determine which focal length would best suit you and whether you need a zoom lens or a fixed lens. (I describe each of these lenses in the earlier section "Making the All-Important Lens Choice.")

A great general-use lens for beginners is a 28mm-135mm zoom lens. You can acquire more lenses over time, but if you can have only one lens right now, make it one that has a good range of focal lengths.

Each camera body is designed to work with lenses made from the same company, and you generally can't mix and match. For instance, Canon lenses aren't compatible with Nikon cameras (and vice versa). However, some companies make lenses that are compatible with those two brands. If you do the research and find out which lenses work with your camera, you may be able to save some cash. I recommend reading reviews from other photographers before buying anything, however.

Sure, a camera body and lens are important if you want to take photos, but unless you have something to store those digital photos on, you can only pretend to shoot. You need memory cards to record your images and download them to your computer. The size and shape of the card varies depending on the make of your camera. Check your owner's manual to be sure you purchase the proper card.

Memory cards come with different storage sizes and different speeds. Most photographers don't need to buy the biggest, fastest, and most expensive cards. I recommend starting out with a few 4 gigabyte (GB) cards that have a rating of at least 30 megabytes per second.

Having four 4GB cards as opposed to one 16GB card enables you to store images in multiple areas rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Imagine shooting all day and then realizing that the one card that contains all your images is lost or broken.

Sometimes the light you have in a scene isn't adequate for getting the exposure you want for your image. In this case, you need to have some sort of artificial light, such as an external flash or strobe. (You can find more information about lighting in Chapter 10.)

Your camera brand makes external flashes that are designed to work specifically with your camera. When you connect the flash to the camera, the two products communicate and automatically expose images. The camera adjusts its exposure settings and tells the flash how much light to produce in order for the scene to be properly exposed. This flash process is referred to as through-the-lens exposure analysis, or TTL. You can find out how to set your flash to TTL by reading the flash owner's manual.