Photography Cheat Sheet for different occasions

When I want brighter images...

• DECREASE SHUTTER SPEED: this allows time for more light to reach your camera’s sensor

• DECREASE APERTURE: this gives you a wider lens opening, allowing in more light; this also gives you a shallow depth of field (DOF)

• INCREASE ISO: remember the flash light lover’s group? this invites more flash lights to your party, giving you more light

When I might want to do this...

• When I’m taking pictures on an overcast, gloomy day

• When I’m taking pictures of a black cat or dog

• When I’m taking pictures in the evening, in a room with low light

When I want to reduce the brightness, line on a sunny day...

• INCREASE SHUTTER SPEED: this prevents too much light from reaching your camera’s sensor

• INCREASE APERTURE: this creates a smaller lens opening, allowing in less light; I usually on increase up to an aperture of f/9, but sometimes I go higher when I’m outside based on how long I want the DOF to appear (how much of the background do I want in focus)

• DECREASE ISO: I shoot with an ISO of 200 and 400 regularly, only increasing it higher when I need more light

When I might want to do this...

• When I’m taking pictures on a bright sunny day (hint: don’t take portraits at noon)

• When the natural reflectors are providing too much light

• When I’m metering off a white object, like flowers.

Start simple. Get a toy, or an apple or anything else that stands still and start to take pictures of it. Move it around the house to experiment with different types of light. Then move outside, experiment again.

And remember the following:

1. Identify what you want to shoot

2. Compose your shot Compose your shot

3. Adjust your camera settings

4. Take your picture

5. Review