Photography basics
Camera shake or missed focus
Use edge patterns, focus planes and a controlled comparison to find out why a photograph looks soft.
28 articles
Photography basics
Understand focus, exposure and color before making the next photograph.
No machine-readable author provided. Ber'Zophus assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 2.5. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
Photography basics
Shutter speed and subject movement
Direction, distance and framing determine how short an exposure needs to be.
Photography basics
Aperture and depth of field
Aperture is only one part of deciding how much of a subject appears sharp.
Photography basics
ISO and image noise
ISO helps accommodate short exposures, but cannot replace light reaching the sensor.
Photography basics
Reading a histogram
A histogram describes the distribution of tones; it does not grade your photograph.
Photography basics
Exposure compensation
Use plus and minus to adjust the meter’s decision without abandoning automatic exposure.
Photography basics
Metering a backlit subject
A face in front of a bright window needs a deliberate metering priority.
Photography basics
Single and continuous autofocus
Focus mode and focus area solve different problems. Separating them prevents many unsuccessful attempts.
Photography basics
Choosing a focus point
Choose the detail that must be sharp and restrict the search when foreground objects interfere.
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Photography basics
Minimum focusing distance
Minimum focusing distance and working distance describe two different measurements.
Alexandru Panoiu from Bucharest, Romania · CC BY 2.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
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Photography basics
Focal length and perspective
Focal length selects framing; camera position changes the relative size of near and distant objects.
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derivative work: Bproctor (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
Photography basics
Sensor size and framing
Crop factor compares angles of view. It does not physically change the lens’s focal length.
Photography basics
Lens distortion
Curved lines, converging verticals and stretched edge subjects have different causes.
Javier Perez Montes · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
Photography basics
Diffraction at small apertures
Greater depth of field and the finest detail rendering are not always the same thing.
Photography basics
Motion blur as an effect
A long exposure can describe movement rather than merely record it as a mistake.
Vassia Atanassova - Spiritia · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
Photography basics
White balance and mixed light
One white-balance setting cannot always neutralize differently lit areas at the same time.
Igreja_Nossa_Senhora_de_Fatima_(JPEG-HDR).jpg: Axel Jacobs (Photographer)
derivative work: Hdruser (talk) · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
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Photography basics
Dynamic range
Dynamic range explains why bright windows and dark interiors can be difficult to fit into one exposure.
Wilfredor · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
Photography basics
RAW and JPEG capture
Choose capture format for editing, delivery and storage needs rather than a blanket quality judgement.
Photography basics
Image stabilization
Stabilization reduces camera movement, but its limits depend on the subject and your handling.
Photography basics
Tripod technique
A tripod supports the camera. Sharp long exposures also require a steady surface, head and release.
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Photography basics
Electronic shutter and banding
Stripes under LED light can result from the interaction between flicker and sensor readout.
Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
Photography basics
Rolling shutter distortion
A short exposure does not automatically eliminate geometric distortion from slow sensor readout.
Hustvedt · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
Photography basics
Flash sync and ambient light
Flash and available light make two contributions that you can assess separately.
Maximilian Schönherr · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
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Photography basics
Exposure bracketing
An exposure bracket is deliberate insurance or material for merging, not a substitute for inspecting the scene.
Photography basics
Manual focus with magnification
Magnified live view reveals small focus changes that disappear in the full composition.
Photography basics
Aspect ratios in composition
Aspect ratio determines how much space remains beside and above your subject.
Photography basics
Reading EXIF data
Capture data explains settings, but not every decision behind a photograph.
Photography basics
Cleaning a lens safely
Remove loose particles first and clean glass only as much as necessary.