How I Use This Complicated Photography Stuff To Take Photos. Hi, and a very warm welcome to Episode 166 of the Photography Explained podcast. I'm your host, Rick, and in each episode, I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 27 minutes (ish), without the irrelevant details. I'm a professionally qualified photographer based in England with a lifetime of photographic experience, which I share with you in my podcast.
Here is the answery bit
I use all of these complicated things when I take photos – and in this episode, I will tell you how they help me.
- Aperture
- Shutter speed
- ISO
- Exposure triangle
- White balance
- Back-button focus
- Self-timer
- Depth of field
- Exposure compensation
- Auto exposure bracketing
- RAW files
- Memory cards
- DSLR Camera
- Wide angle lens
- Lens Hood
- Tripod
- Tripod Head
- Universal L Bracket
- Grey Card
- Camera batteries
- Memory Cards
OK – that was the answery bit.
I mentioned this complicated photography stuff in the last episode, Do I Really Need A Camera In 2023? Or Will My Phone Do Instead? under the heading "Complicated photography stuff I love and use".
OK – the list and the title have changed, but the point remains – these are 21 things I use every time I take a photo. Which, on the face of it, sounds a scary prospect. And while I think about it, this makes a much better title – 21 things I use every time I take a photo.
But don’t worry; I will put all these bits together and tell you how I make this lot work and how I use this stuff to get great pictures. Well, the best pictures that I can! Who am I to say that - great pictures?
First, I will go through this little lot quickly, one by one. This episode is going to be packed full of good stuff! Can’t wait!
1 Aperture
I use f/8 on my Canon 17-40mm lens, which gives me the sharpest images and the depth of field that I need. If I have something close in the foreground, I will change it to f/16. Usually, the subject matter is the building, so f/8 works a lot of the time, but then different subject matters can call for a bit more depth of field.
2 Shutter speed
I use AV Mode on my Canon 6D. I choose the aperture, and the camera chooses the shutter speed. My camera is on a tripod, and as I photograph buildings that are not moving, I am not bothered by the shutter speed.
The camera may select a fast or slow shutter speed, but it is all the same for me and what I do. See, the way I work, I don't have to worry about the different settings, leaving me to concentrate on what I am taking photos of.
3 ISO
I use ISO 100. This is the lowest native ISO on my Canon 6D. This gives me the highest quality. My camera is on a tripod, so I don’t need a higher ISO to get a faster shutter speed.
If I need to, I will go to ISO 200 or 400, but only further if I have to in order to prevent me from getting a blurry photo. No, use the lowest ISO you can for the best results.
4 Exposure triangle
I use the exposure triangle to get the exposure right in challenging lighting conditions. I will take a photo first using my default settings, and if there is a problem, change the camera settings to ensure that I get the best exposure possible.
5 White balance
I use auto white balance, including a grey card (see below) in the photo that I can use to select the correct white balance later in Lightroom. As I use RAW format, I can select the white balance in Lightroom.
6 Back-button focus
I use the AF-ON button on the back of my camera to focus. I have assigned this function to this button using the custom settings. So when I press the shutter release button, it meters but does not focus.
This is how I have worked for years, and while it may sound odd, it works for me.
7 Self-timer
I use the self-timer in my Canon 6D to take photos. I usually use the 10-second timer. I do this so I know that my camera is dead still on my tripod, to help me to get the sharpest images that I can. Use the shutter button, and there is a chance of camera movement, resulting in camera shake and blurry photos.
I used to have remote releases but got rid of them – the self-timer works for me. I sometimes use the 2-second self-timer, most often when lots is happening around me and I need to get set up and take the photos as quickly as possible.
8 Depth of field
The amount of a photo from front to back that is sharp. I want everything sharp in 99.9% of the photos that I take. f/8 at 17mm does this for me, and as I said before, f/16 comes into play if something is very close to me in the foreground.
9 Exposure compensation
I mentioned the exposure triangle earlier. Most of the time, what I do gives me the correct exposure. If it does not, or in challenging lighting conditions, I will have to tweak the exposure.
I do this in AV Mode using exposure compensation. I rotate the dial, and the shutter speed changes, giving me brighter or darker images. I have set my camera so that each time I rotate the dial on the back of my camera, it gives a ½ stop adjustment.
This is the quickest way to refine the exposure.
10 Auto exposure bracketing
I take three photos; the first is the correct exposure. The second two stops underexposed, and the third two stops overexposed.
I merge the three photos in Lightroom, giving me more lights and darks than I would get with a single photo.
This is not a bad thing to do, by the way – this is smart photography. I use the features in my camera to create the best work I can.
11 RAW files
I have the option of JPEG or RAW file format. These are image quality settings. With RAW photos, the camera is not doing any processing other than creating the image. With JPEG, there is processing done to every image. I do not want this – I want to do this myself.
There is a big difference between what you get using JPEG and RAW. I get the highest quality images with the maximum data by using RAW.
12 Memory cards
I use 16GB and 32GB memory cards. If I take loads of photos, I will split the photos over more than one card. For a holiday, I will use one memory card one day and then move on to a new card the next day.
I have a strict regime for card management and replace them every 2-3 years. I look after my memory cards and have never had a problem with a card. Tempting fate there, I know…..
13 DSLR Camera
I use a Canon 6D full-frame camera for my architectural, construction and real estate photography work. And for my landscape photography.
I have been using digital cameras since 2003 and the Canon 6D since 2014. It was a great camera when I bought it, and it is a great camera in 2023. I use AV Mode and manual mode when needed.
It has a full-fame camera sensor, which is the central feature of the camera. The image sensor gives me great-quality images. And this is my priority - great quality images. My aim with every photo I take is to get the best image quality I can, and full-frame sensors help me do just that.
And my viewfinder allows me to compose using the rule of thirds and other helpful stuff.
14 Wide-angle lens
I use the Canon 17-40mm f/4L zoom lens. This is a great lens, compact, super wide and gives excellent image quality. I use the 17mm focal length for most of my photos. And I use this lens for 95% of the photos that I take these days. And while I have a telephoto lens, I rarely use it.
Wide-angle lenses are a must for architectural and interior photography.
15 Lens Hood
I use the lens hood that came with my Canon 17-40mm lens. This gives me all the protection of that precious front lens element that I need. I do not use any kind of protective filter. In the past, I have used a uv filter, a protector filter, all sorts of things. But for many years now, I have just used the lens hood that comes with the lens.
I am not saying you should not use a protective filter, as I do not know how you work, how you take photos, and how careful you are. But I have not used one for years, and nothing bad has happened.
Tempting fate again, Rick……
16 Tripod
I take every photo that I can with my camera on a tripod. This helps me get the best composition and the sharpest, most technically correct photos possible.
Low light is not a problem for me; it just means I use longer shutter speeds. Nothing else changes. And long exposures and low ISOs allow me to get the details in the shadows with minimal noise.
17 Tripod Head
I use a geared head to get the exact composition I want, with horizontals and verticals all sorted in camera wherever possible.
18 Universal L Bracket
I use an L bracket, which allows me to switch from portrait to landscape orientation without moving my tripod head. This massive time saver allows me to go from landscape to portrait instantly.
I take photos in landscape mode as a default, but on every shoot, there are rooms that I can only capture in portrait mode, so I use this all the time.
And the L Bracket I have cost me about £25 10 years ago!
19 Grey Card
I place a grey card in the first photo and then take another photo without the grey card. I do this again whenever the light changes.
When processing the photos in Lightroom, I click on the grey card with the white balance eye dropper tool, and 99 times out of 100, that is white balance done.
20 Camera Batteries
I have 4 Canon batteries. I rotate them so they get used in turn. They are numbered 1-4. I make sure they are all charged before I go on a shoot.
They are stored in individual slots in my camera bag.
21 Camera bags
I have three camera bags at the moment. And I need a fourth bag, a very specific bag. There is no such thing as the perfect camera bag; I have different bags for different circumstances.
But the bags that I have do two things.
- They help me to get the photos that I need.
- They protect my gear.
I do not care what they look like. My bags are tools, just like any other piece of gear, into which I put the camera body, lenses and other stuff.
Right, that is what I do, not on a regular basis, but every time I take photos. Yes, I have been doing this for a long time, refining my workflows to help me get the best pictures I can every time.
Here is the talky bit
A better title for this episode would have been “21 things that I use every time I take a photo”. Or "21 things to help you to take great photos!"
The point I want to make here is that these all contribute to every photo I take. Each of these things contributes in its own way, some more than others, of course, but they all contribute to helping me to get
- The best composition
- The best exposure
- The sharpest photo
- The best photo
Every time.
It is this consistency that I am after. Getting these things the best I can every time I take a photo. Professional photographers work very hard on the consistency of their images.
Every time I take a photo, I try to get these three things the best I can. On every photo. And this is a nice way of focussing the mind.
And to me, having done this photography things for so long, these things are not complicated to me. This is the other point that I want to make here.
If you know what you are doing or need to do, practise these things, and you will improve. And this is what my podcast is all about. This is not a sales pitch; this is what I want my podcast to do.
I want to help you, dear listener, to understand what you need to understand and tell you what you need to know to get started in photography (new title alert) and to develop your photography.
It all starts with knowing what you need to do and then simply getting out there and doing it. And that is why I ask, every episode, for your questions, which I will answer. So, if you have a question, get in touch with me.
A quick word on my phone.
And I don’t do all this when I use my phone to take photos. No, I use my phone differently for different reasons, which is fine.
Talking of which - talky bit over.
What if I use my phone to take photos and not a camera?
You have a phone. You don’t have all that stuff. So, what are you missing out on? Well, a thought comes to me as I write this. Should the next episode not be “How Many Of The 21 Photography Things That I Use Can You Use When Taking Photos With A Phone?”
Well, it makes sense, right – why would you care about this if you only take photos with your phone? I mean, smartphone cameras (I hate that term, but I am trying to cover all bases!) are pretty amazing, but there is more to this. And you can get great photos with phones just as you can with dslr cameras. OK, that is the next episode sorted. I will also talk about how I take photos with my phone and how this might change.
Excellent – move on, Rick.
What if I use a film camera?
You have pretty much all of the above. Swap memory cards for camera film, get rid of a few other bits, and you are in the same boat.
Boat?
You have the same gear but none of the digital stuff. But you still have the fundamentals: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, camera, lens, and tripod. Film and digital photography are formed on the same principles - digital photography evolved from film photography, so they would have. And DSLR cameras evolved directly from SLR film cameras, let's not forget.
If we think about it, photography has not evolved that much – it is still based on the same things that it always was.
What do I do?
As well as a full-frame camera, I also use a micro-four thirds camera, which I use for my travel photography work. Work, right? That is my personal preference, being smaller, lighter and also a change from my Canon 6D.
I photograph buildings, nice places and buildings in nice places. Buildings are normally my main subject. And I have covered the rest already. So, I will move on; my podcast is not meant to be about me, is it, dear listener? Well, it is about my world of photography and how I can help you by teaching you the basics of photography, the good stuff you need to know.
And I have realised that I have never mentioned artificial light. I don't use external flash anymore; I never got on with it, to be honest. So natural lighting is what I use, be it the sun or the lights inside a building. No, using natural light makes sense, and it saves me from a whole heap of other stuff!
Some thoughts from the last episode
Photography Explained Podcast Episode 165 - Do I Really Need A Camera In 2023? Or Will My Phone Do Instead?
I should have said you can take photos in RAW using apps, and there are apps that allow you to adjust more stuff than just by using the default camera app. And that I can import a photo taken on my phone into Lightroom and spend as much time editing as I would a photo taken with my phone.
But I don’t do this.
Taking a photo with my phone is still not as good as taking a photo with my camera. It just isn’t.
But this might change with a new phone. Let’s see, eh?
Next episode
It was going to be about the gear that I use, but I have covered this, if quickly, in this episode. And then I thought I would do an episode titled “How I look after my camera gear”, but now I am doing the agonisingly badly titled “How Many Of The 21 Photography Things That I Use Can You Use When Taking Photos With A Phone?”
Ask me a question.
If you have a question you would like me to answer, the best way is to head over to the podcast website - photographyexplainedpodcast.com/start, where you can find out what to do. And feel free just to say hi. It would be lovely to hear from you.
I am done.
This episode was brought to you by, erm, a smoked cheese sandwich and a bag of cheese and onion crisps for a change, washed down with an ice-cold Coke Zero before I settled in my homemade, acoustically cushioned recording emporium.
I've been Rick McEvoy; thanks again very much for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast (it says here) and for giving me 27 ish minutes of your valuable time. I reckon this episode will be about 25 minutes long after I have edited out the mistakes and other bad stuff.
Take care, and stay safe.
Cheers from me, Rick
