ARTX230 Analog Photography—Exposure Cheat Sheet

Winter Quarter 2022, Kalamazoo College

Richard Koenig, Professor

Below are tips and hints that should help you get good results with the four scenarios I want you to photograph—frozen action, blurred action, shallow depth-of-field, and great depth-of-field.

General Notes/Reminders

Remember that there are equivalent exposures—in any given lighting situation, there are several combinations of shutter speed and aperture to give you the right amount of light. Your job is to pick the one combination that will give you the desired effect. Two of the effects are controlled from the shutter speed control (time effects—frozen and blurred action) and two from the aperture control (focus effects—shallow and great depth-of-field).

The basic rule to get you started here is to set the control that gives you the desired effect—then compensate with the other control until you make the camera happy. By this silly expression I mean that the meter is convinced this combination will give you the amount of light for a correct exposure. Depending on your camera, this indicator is a green light, a centered needle, etc.

Shutter Speed—Time Effects

Frozen Action

For this, I’d shoot outside on a sunny day—you won’t be able to do this inside or in the dark.

Set shutter speed for a very short time, say 500^th of a second

Compensate with the aperture till the camera is happy

Shoot your dog catching the Frisbee, or some such thing

Blurred Action

For this, I’d shoot indoors or wait till twilight—you won’t be able to do this in bright light.

Set shutter speed for a relatively long time duration, say one quarter of a second

Compensate with the aperture till the camera is happy

Shoot something falling, someone dancing, etc.

Put camera on a tripod or rest on a firm support, such as a table or desk

Aperture—Focus Effects

Shallow Depth-of-Field (critical, or narrow range of focus)

For this, again, I’d shoot indoors or wait till twilight—you won’t be able to do this in bright light.

Set your aperture as wide open as you can: f2.8 or f4 or f5.6 depending on your lens

Compensate with the shutter speed till the camera is happy

Shoot a scene where subjects are at varying depths to illustrate effect well

To further help the effect: get close and/or shoot with a longer focal length lens

Great Depth-of-Field (everything is in focus, from near to far)

For this, I’d be outside on a fairly bright day—though it’s not absolutely necessary.

Set aperture for a very small opening—say f16 or f22

Compensate with the shutter speed till the camera is happy

Shoot a scene where subjects are at varying depths to illustrate effect well

To further help the effect: shoot with a shorter focal length lens

Once again you might put camera on a tripod or rest on a firm support, such as a table or desk

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