![\"terry](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Terry-Donnelly.jpg\")
<\/a>\nWith a wealth of experience, Terry Donnelly shoots professionally in top-flight sports, editorial, PR and portraiture, and regularly features in national and international news media. Find out more at www.terrydonnelly.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n Fundamentally, the aperture is a tool to let more light or less light into the camera. But of course, it\u2019s more than that. Like many pros, I tend to work at wider apertures for a variety of reasons. Yes, it keeps my shutter speed up and means I can shoot more easily when available light is low, but it also adds separation and emphasis on the subject.<\/p>\n Ultimately apertures such as f\/1.4 or f\/2 can bring a more cinematic look, which I love, but doing it successfully is about more than dialling in a number. Here are a few pointers.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Terry Donnelly. Though an aperture of f\/1.4 is used here, there\u2019s still plenty of context to the background<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Though I like to work at wider apertures, there are plenty of times I\u2019ll stop down to more middling f\/stops like f\/5.6 or f\/8. Longer focal lengths, like a 135mm or 200mm lens, can create a shallower depth of field, so smaller apertures can help keep both the whole of the subject in focus and improve background context. Stopping down is also important with groups.<\/p>\n If I\u2019m shooting a wedding party or a family, I want separation for the subjects, but everyone needs to be within the focal plane and remain in focus! There are also times where I want to push the shutter speed lower to show movement in the background, and smaller apertures will help with that.<\/p>\n Shooting with a very shallow depth of field is something people associate with a more refined and professional look. But be careful. Novices often go too far with background blur. If all you have is a completely soft background, images will lose context. I often shoot character and environmental portraits, so I want a background to be recognisable, even if it\u2019s out of focus.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Terry Donnelly. This portrait needed to show movement in the background, so the aperture was stopped down to f\/22<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Take care that you adjust the aperture for the size of the subject\u2019s head, too. I find that shifting to f\/1.8 or f\/2 for men helps to keep their larger features in focus. You can still work at very wide apertures but try to use shorter focal lengths or step away from the subject a bit. Completely blurred backdrops also mean images lose depth. To offset that, remember you can compose with out-of-focus foreground elements, too.<\/p>\n Using the wider apertures can be problematic in bright conditions like midday sun, where minimum ISO and highest shutter speeds can\u2019t give you correct exposure values. Historically, that was down to the limits of a camera\u2019s maximum shutter speed, typically 1\/8000sec. Using modern cameras with fast electronic shutters capable of exceeding that can solve the problem.<\/p>\n Fitting an ND filter to decrease the light intensity entering the camera will help, too. Flash power can also be a problem \u2013 there can be too much of it for wider apertures even at the lowest output, so either fit an ND filter to the camera or a diffuser to the light source. Alternatively, use lower-powered flash heads, or \u2013 like me \u2013 switch to LED lighting. My Rotolight NEO and AEOS lights can be set to low output and work brilliantly with wider apertures, plus \u2013 unlike flash \u2013 you can see exactly the effect you\u2019re getting before you shoot.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Terry Donnelly<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n As a Sony Alpha user, I know how beneficial shooting with a mirrorless camera can be in judging the effects of aperture. Obviously, it becomes second nature as you learn what works for you, but an EVF shows depth of field in a way that an optical viewfinder can\u2019t.<\/p>\n Remember, a DoF preview on a DSLR will progressively dim the brightness, but with an EVF, it\u2019s obvious, and you can see if you\u2019re getting enough subject sharpness or context in the background. Yes, you can shoot and chimp the screen, but that takes you out of the moment.<\/p>\n Street specialist Brian Lloyd Duckett says it\u2019s time to reevaluate how you use ISO and how working in Auto mode can free up your photography<\/p>\n Brian Lloyd Duckett<\/strong><\/p>\n Brian Lloyd Duckett is a pro street photographer and Fujifilm ambassador who runs workshops via streetsnappers.com. His latest book, 52 Assignments: Black & White Photography, is out in February, and he\u2019s also on YouTube @streetsnappers<\/p>\n I wish I had a pound for everyone I meet who thinks that high ISOs are the work of the devil. Many of us grew up with the mantra of \u2018use the lowest ISO possible,\u2019 but camera technology has moved on so much today that high ISOs are no longer a bad choice. In fact, I use them all the time to help me get sharper images.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Brian Lloyd Duckett. If you shoot street portraits, you\u2019ll probably want to open up the lens. For instance, this was shot at f\/1.2. On auto ISO, the setting will drop right down, to compensate<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n I\u2019m a documentary and street photographer and being completely flexible with my ISO is central to my way of working. So, my advice is to forget what you\u2019ve been taught and be a little more liberal with your ISO settings. Sure, it\u2019s maybe a new way of thinking, but once you accept it, you\u2019ll never look back.<\/p>\n Things are often moving fast on the streets and a high ISO allows me to work with a fast shutter speed. It\u2019s usually better to have a tiny \u2013 often imperceptible \u2013 amount of extra noise than a picture that\u2019s virtually unusable because it\u2019s blurred. I\u2019ll let my ISO go to 6400 for daytime shooting and 12,800 at night without any worry at all.<\/p>\n Then there are times when a little bit of noise from high ISO is a welcome thing. I\u2019m currently shooting a black & white documentary project, mostly in low light and which has a gritty, contrasty aesthetic; using high ISO is absolutely no problem and even adds to that.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Brian Lloyd Duckett. Shot at night, the high ISO setting of 3200 keeps this image sharp and the additional noise adds to the atmosphere<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n When you get confident in using your camera\u2019s higher ISOs, the Auto ISO option becomes a brilliant tool. I think of Auto ISO as my \u2018flexible friend\u2019. It simply adjusts itself to the level I need to get a perfect exposure, and when you think of it that way, why wouldn\u2019t you use it? It gives me so much flexibility that I use it for my street shooting and just about everything else.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a vital part of my \u2018set it and forget it\u2019 approach. With these settings you can forget about what\u2019s going on in the camera and can focus all your attention on what\u2019s happening around you, searching for subjects and ensuring you get the best possible composition. Working in aperture priority mode, my aperture is usually around f\/8, for a decent depth of field.<\/p>\n I set the ISO to Auto, then adjust the range in which it will work to 200-6400 for daytime shooting (or 400-12,800 for night shooting). Finally, I set the minimum shutter speed to 1\/200sec. Any exposure tweaks are quickly made with exposure compensation.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Brian Lloyd Duckett.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Of course, there are times when you don\u2019t want or need a high ISO, such as when you\u2019re shooting with a very wide aperture, when there\u2019s very strong light or when you need to keep the shutter speed low \u2013 for example, for a shot that needs motion blur. I shoot lots of street portraits and I tend to shoot wide open for a shallow depth of field.<\/p>\n In those cases, this usually means I can have a reasonably brisk shutter speed and can let the ISO fall. Setting the Auto ISO\u2019s parameters to include the lowest level means it always has that option to drop to if required.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Brian Lloyd Duckett.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n If, 40 years ago, you told photographers they could change the sensitivity of the film they were using without taking it out of the camera they would have bitten your hand off for the freedom it gives. And yet many photographers only half-accept this benefit and stick rigidly to manual ISO settings. ISO is only a tool that helps you work in dim or bright light, and in that way, I never let it compromise the aperture or shutter speed that I want to use, both of which are far more important to me.<\/p>\n Landscaper Alan Howe talks about the importance of shutter speed in scenic photography and how to keep longer exposures looking natural<\/p>\n Alan Howe<\/strong><\/p>\n Alan Howe is a semi-professional landscape photographer whose work has featured in magazines, calendars, and National Trust products. He provides landscape tuition and is an ambassador for Kase Filters. www.devonlandscapephotography.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n Picking the right shutter speed is a vital ingredient in any type of photograph and that includes landscaping, which is my passion. Primarily, of course, the \u2018right\u2019 shutter speed achieves an accurate exposure and leads to maximum image quality. But with modern cameras making exposure so easy \u2013 and especially when working in aperture priority which is what I mainly do \u2013 what people really notice is the secondary effect\u00a0of shutter speed:\u00a0how it renders movement.<\/p>\n For me, what\u2019s most important about that is how movement makes me feel about a scene. I\u2019m a fan of natural-looking landscapes and controlling shutter speed is a big part of that. Simple, subtle movement from slower speeds, and clear details is what I want, so here are some of the ways I go about it.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Alan Howe. The direction and distance of movement that a slow shutter speed records can make a big difference<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Extreme long exposures have their place, but often make scenes look unrealistic. In that way, I think super-slow speeds have become a bit of a clich\u00e9. Conversely, landscapes shot at settings like 1sec or 5secs, take on a calmer and more serene look while still seeming natural. For me, the vast majority of the time, this works better in telling the story of that location.<\/p>\n So, for instance if I want to show the sea on a stormy day, there\u2019s little point in using a speed of 20 or 30secs which will blur waves into a mist. Captured movement must have some direction and shape or the picture will lose its meaning.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Alan Howe. The image above and below: Shot at 0.6sec and 8 secs shutter speeds, the movement of the water looks very different<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Exposures need to be activated and timed for the speed and direction of what you\u2019re shooting. For instance, the usual benefit of flowing water is that it will lead the eye into the scene, so if you\u2019re at the coast, try to shoot a wave that\u2019s receding, rather than breaking. Slow water might need 5secs while faster motion could get the motion blur you want at 2secs.<\/p>\n And even at an identical shutter speed, no two waves will look the same, so experimentation with movement is key. The same goes for clouds, and though the shutter will pick up movement across the frame more effectively than motion into the scene, it\u2019s the latter that draws the viewer in. The focal length and how close you are to any movement also affects the shutter speed you need. Distant waves will need a longer speed than a stream that\u2019s right under your lens.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Alan Howe<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Though my preference is to shoot landscapes with exposure times of a few seconds, there are plenty of times that I\u2019ll quicken the exposure. A good example is if you want to stop water, like raindrops falling from a leaf, waves breaking over a jetty, or snow drifting in the air. In those cases, I\u2019ll bump up the ISO to get speeds like 1\/100sec or 1\/125sec.<\/p>\n Another time that I look for faster speeds is when using longer lenses. Just as for wildlife photographers, long focal lengths can show vibration and soften landscape details more so than when working at a wide angle, so if I\u2019m framing a lone tree or distant peak, I\u2019ll reach for faster speeds.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Alan Howe. Increase shutter speed for longer lenses or to stop movement in the frame<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n When it comes to controlling shutter speed, filters are the landscaper\u2019s friend. But because I want natural-looking scenes, I don\u2019t use stronger than a 3-stop ND to cut out light, and I\u2019ll take it off when the light is low enough. I use Kase Wolverine filters, including a polariser, which also cuts out about a stop of light, allowing those slower speeds.<\/p>\n\t\t Image: Alan Howe. Using a ND Filter to control shutter speed<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n Naturally I\u2019ll lower the ISO \u2013 down to 50 on my Nikon D610 if needed \u2013 but I don\u2019t like to close the aperture below f\/16, as sharpness suffers and every mote of dust on the sensor will become visible. Remember, too, that as a landscaper, part of the skill is to wait for the light to be right, so be prepared to get to a location early enough for the light to be less intense or wait for it to fall at the end of the day.<\/p>\n Further reading<\/strong><\/p>\n 20 ISO tips to boost your camera skills <\/a><\/p>\n What shutter speed should you be using when you haven’t got a tripod? <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\t\t\tWhen to go deeper<\/h3>\n
Take care in the shallows<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tKit for working with wide apertures<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tEVF makes it clearer<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\n
\nISO<\/h2>\n
<\/a>\n<\/a>\t\t\tAim high<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tThe \u2018set it and forget it\u2019 approach<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tWhen to go low<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tStop fearing ISO<\/h3>\n
\nShutter speed<\/h2>\n
<\/a>\n<\/a>\t\t\tWhen to go faster<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tJudge the movement<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tHow timing tells the story<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\t\t\tControlling the light<\/h3>\n
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