Photography for Beginner - Time

All photographer are time exposures of shorter or longer duration and each describes an individually distinct parcel of time. The photographer, by choosing the length of exposure, is capable of exploring moving subject in a variety of ways. By choosing long exposures moving objects will record as blurs. This effect is used to convey the impression or feeling of motion. Although describing the feeling of the subject in motion much of the information about the subject is sacrificed to effect. by selecting fast shutter speeds photographers can freeze movement. We can see the nature of an object in motion, at a particular moment in time, which the human eyes unable to isolate.

Fast shutter speed
By freezing thin slices of time, it is possible to explore the beauty of form in motion. A fast shutter speed may freeze a moving subject yet leave others still blurred. The ability to freeze subject matter is dependent on its speed and the angle of movement in relation to the camera. For subject matter traveling across the camera's field of view, relatively fast shutter speeds are required, compared to the shutter speeds required to freeze the same subject traveling towards or away from the camera.

Photographer: Björgvin Guðmundsson

Limitation
Wide apertures in combination with bright ambient light and/or a high ISO setting will allow the use of a fast shutter speed in order to freeze rapidly moving subject matter. Some telephoto and zoom lenses only open up to f4 of f5.6 . If used with a slow ISO setting there is usually insufficient light to use the fastest shutter speeds available on the camera.

Slow shutter speed
When shutter speed is slowed down, movement is no longer frozen but records as a streak. This is called 'movement blur'. By using shutter speeds slower than those normally recommended for use with the lens, movement blur can be created with relatively slow moving subject matter. Speeds of 1/30, 1/15, 1/8 and 1/4 seconds can be used to create blur with a standard lens. If these slow shutter speeds are used and the camera is on a tripod, the background will be sharp and the moving subject blurred. If the camera is panned successfully with the moving subject, the background will provide most of the blur in the form of a streaking effect in the direction of the pan.


Camera shake
Movement blur may also be picked up from camera movement as a result of small vibrations transmitted to the camera from the photographer's hand. This is called 'camera shake'. To avoid camera shake, a shutter speed roughly equal to the focal length of the lens is usually recommended, e.g. 1/30 second at 28mm, 1/60 second at 50mm and 1/125 second at 135mm. Many cameras give an audible signal when shutter speeds likely to give camera shake are being used. With careful bracing, slower speeds than those recommended can be used with great success. When using slow shutter speeds the photographer can rest elbows on a nearby solid surface, breathe gently and release the shutter with a gentle squeeze than a stabbing action.

Photography for Beginner - Light

Light is the photographer's medium. The word photography is derived from the ancient Greek words photos and graph meaning 'light writing'. In photography, shadows, reflections, patterns of light, even the light source itself may be come the main subject and solid objects may become incidental to the theme.

Creating atmosphere
Directional light from the side and/or from behind a subject can produce some of the most evocative and atmospheric photographs. Most snapshots by amateurs, however, are taken either outside when the sun is high or inside with a flash mounted on the camera. Both these situations give a very flat and even light that may be ideal for some color photography but for black and white photography it all too often produce gray, dull and unintersting photographs. Learning to control light and use creatively is an essential skill for a good photographer. When studying a photograph that ahas been well lit you need to make three important observations concerning the use of light:

1. What type or quality of light is being used?
2. Where is it coming from?
3. What effect does this light have upon the subject and background?

Exposure Compensation
When you take a light meter reading of a subject you are taking an average reading between the light and the dark tones you have framed. The meter reading is accurate when there is an even distribution of tones, or the dominant tone is neither dark nor light. It is very important that you 'compensate' or adjust the exposure when the framed area is influenced by a tone that is dark, light or very bright tone. The camera's meter will be influenced by this tone and indicate an exposure setting that will reduce the light reaching the film or image sensor. In this situations you have to override the meter and increase the exposure to avoid underexposing the subject. Most cameras take information for the light reading mainly from the center of the viewfinder.

Depth of field
You can increase or decrease the amount of light reaching the film of image sensor by moving one of two controls; by changing the shutter speed (the amount of time the shutter stay open) or by changing the f-stop (the size of the aperture through the lens).
If you change the aperture, the final appearance of the photograph can differ greatly. This will be the area of sharp focus in the scene, from the nearest point that is sharp to the farthest. The zone of acceptable sharp focus is described as the 'depth of field'.

• the widest apertures (f2, f4) give the least depth of field.
• the smallest apertures (f16, f22) give the greatest depth of field.
• the smaller the sensor, the greater the depth of field at the same aperture.

Shallow depth of field is created using the wider aperture settings of the lens. Subject matter behind and in front of the point of focus appears progressively out of focus. Due to the smaller sensors used in the prosumer digicams it is often difficult to achieve shallow depth of field unless you are working at the closest focusing distance of the lens, i.e. capturing an image using a prosumer camera using a small sensor will lead to greater depth of field than a DSLR using a lens set to the same aperture.

Maximum depth of field is created using the smaller aperture settings of the lens. The subject matter immediately in front of the lens and subject matter in the distance may appear acceptably sharp in the same image.

Sampel picture from www.photoshopsupport.com

Photography for Beginner - The Frame

From photographs, each of us can learn more about the world. Images not only inform us about the products we never knew we needed, the events, people and places too distant or remote for us to see with our own eyes, but also tell us more about the things we thought we already knew. Most of us are too preoccupied to stand and look at something for any great amount of time. We glance at some thing briefly and think we have seen it.

Our conditioning or desires often tell us what we have seen or would like to see. When we look at a photograph of something ordinary, however, it may show us the object, as we had never seen it before. With a little creative imagination and a little photographic technique, it is possible to release the extraordinary from the ordinary.

Choosing a subject
In order to photograph something that will be of interest to others, you must first remove the blinkers and photograph something that is of interest to you. Your first creative decision is an important one. What will you choose to photograph? Your first technical decision is how to frame it.

Composition
Framing the subject
A common mistake make by many amateur photographers is that they stand too far away from their subject matter, in a desire to include everything. Their photographs become busy, unstructured and cluttered with unwanted detail, which distracts from the primary subject matter. Subject matter can look unimportant and not worthy of closer attention and there is also a danger that the photographer will not have control over the composition.



Filling the frame
When the photographer moves closer, distracting background can be reduced or eliminated. There are less visual elements that have to be arranged and the photographer has mush more control over the composition. Many amateurs are afraid of chopping off the top of someone's head or missing out some detail that they feel important. Unless the photograph is to act as a factual record the need to include everything is unnecessary.

Subject placement
When the photographer has chosen a subject to photograph there is often the temptation especially for the untrained eye, to place the subject in the middle of the picture without considering the overall arrangement of shapes within the frame. If the focal point is placed in the center of the frame, the viewer's eye may not move around the whoke image and this often leads to a static and uninteresting composition. The photographer should think carefully where the main subject is placed within the image, only choosing the central location after much consideration.

The rule of third
Rules of composition have been formulated to aid designers create harmonious images which are pleasing to the eye. The most common of these rules are the 'golden section' and the 'rules of thirds'.

The trip journal

Now, everybody knows that Teluk Kemang is the best holiday spot for family and friends... But many did not know where to hang out or where go as soon as you're here.. Well.. don't worry.. there's a lot of resort and hotels where you can check in. Such as The Legend Beach resort, Corus Beach Resort and Bayu Beach Resort. Lookup in google and you'll find all the hotels and resorts that suites your budget...

The beach itself has spoken... this is a few spot that your family can hang out when you get there..

You won't get lost... there's many roadsigns showing where to stay here...

Where to eat... Thai cousine is my first choice.. but then... no reservation means no seats... nah... no worries... there a lot of place to eat also....

Such as this famous Bangi Kopitiam... Malaysian famous rock musician Kid own this business started from Bangi and now its in Teluk Kemang and believe me.. its all over Malaysia...

Don't eat me... hehehehh...

Some of the local kids catching crabs..

Old jetty..

Bundle of joy... heheheh... here's the place to spend money..

Shoe.. all brand..

RM10 for t-shirt... where else can you find this cheap...

Still can nego.. perghh.... really worth it...

its getting dark... and we're hungry...

My son... ready for his portrait shots... heheh

Now.. that's me... pic taken by my 2 and 1/2 years old son... heheh quite impressive..

My wife... also taken by my son... sorry for the low angle.. its his height... hehhehehe

Dawn @ Port Dickson

Today 24013009, me and family hang out at the beach Teluk Kemang... A beautiful white sand beach located only 5km from Port Dickson. Just looking at the sunset makes my heart felt calm. A nice place for holiday with family and also friends. So, come on here and lets enjoy the beautiful scenery with me...

[Wedding] Saiful + Ina 23012009 Puchong

Thanks to Razi from SelambaKreatif.blogspot.com for giving me the opportunity to photograph this lovely couple for their solemnization ceremony. More picture updated... feel free to contact me if ya'll interested to cherish your precious moments with AhzaDesign...

[Wedding] Azmi + Rozy 17012009 Kuantan

We went to Kuantan and shoot some great shots for this couple. Here's some snippets from Kuantan.

Dawn of a new ERA....

This is our new home.... new and improves photoblog... no more turning back....

[Wedding] Azmi + Rozy 10-11012009

Assalamualaikum and Good day... this is going to be the my new photoblog.. feel free to view, comment or contact me +6017-3744645 (ashadi.rashid@gmail.com) for any inquiry.

The new year begins with the first project.

Azmi and Rozy on 10 Jan and 11 Jan 2009.
Click on image for full size.

Azmi is a long friend of mine from the moment we step into KYPM (Kolej Yayasan Pelajaran MARA) Trolak. Then we've all been relocated to UNITEN and has been buddies for quite some time. Enjoy their picture coz i've enjoy capturing the glorious moments.