Choosing Lenses for your DSLR Camera

I've mentioned earlier if you're just getting started in photography, your kit lens is enough. Why? Because you don't know yet what kind of photography you're more interested into and the more often that you'll buy lenses or other equipments which you will not use for a long period of time. As you start learning photography there is gap between what you want to be; a portrait, landscape, commercial, band, editorial, sports or a wedding photographer. This gap will narrow as you start to learn more and progress being a photographer. There are variety of lenses to choose from; wide angle, zoom, telephoto, macro and prime lenses. Here are some guides on how to choose lenses for your DSLR camera:

1. What type of photography that you're more interested?

This is the most important question in choosing lenses. If you don't know the answer, spend more time shooting and learning. This will help you realize what type of photography you're more interested and keep you on the track. Also remember that you want to be a photographer not a lens collector and you should choose  the appropriate lenses for a certain type of photography. 

2. Focal Length

If you already know what type of photography you're into, the next consideration is the focal length for coverage of the scene. For landscape, architectural or group you may want to the focal length from 11mm - 35mm; for portraits you might consider shooting 50mm or more because you want to give space or distance to your client in shooting and avoid distortion or chromatic aberration. For sports, wildlife and bird photographers they use 200mm or more. While from macro varies 40mm, 60mm or 105mm which will allow you focusing as much as 6 inches to your subject like flowers, insects or smaller objects. There are also prime lenses (fixed focal length and aperture) which are lighter in construction than zoom lenses and offers sharper images.

3. Maximum Aperture

The aperture values on consumer zoom lenses varies; every time you change the range of focal length, the aperture change along. Again it falls on what type of photography you're into but also considers the stops of light it can add to your settings especially if you're shooting in low light conditions.

4. VR (Vibration Compensation), IS (Image Stabilization), VC (Vibration Compensation) or OS (Optical Stabilization)

If you have shaky hands and can't shoot steadily in lower shutter speed settings then you  should consider VR(Nikon), IS(Canon), OS (Sigma), VC(Tamron), it compensates the subtle movement of the camera so that you will not have blurry images.

5. Crop/ Full Frame Lenses
Do you have plans moving from crop to full frame DSLR camera? Then you should also consider investing to lenses which are compatible to full frame bodies. Crop lenses are not compatible to full frame bodies while full frame lenses works great for crop and full frame bodies.

6. Budget

Again, how much are willing to spend? If you're just an amateur not earning to compensate on what you're shooting then you should consider this as well. How about third party lenses? There are so many third party lenses and you should do a research about it. But you should keep in mind that you get what you paid for and it will not be as great as Nikon or Canon. Sometimes you'll read lot of positive comments from the users but it does not guarantee that you'll be happy using it.

7. Rent or Borrow from Friends

If you're unsure with lens that you're about to buy, the most inexpensive way is to rent or borrow from friends. In that way, you will have the freedom to choose before spending your money rather than buying the lens and selling it for a lower price if you're not using it anymore.

A little piece of advice, invest more on lenses than camera bodies. With so many advances in the DSLR camera industry, you'll find more camera bodies are coming out with cheaper prices. But with lenses, you'll see that it takes manufacturers years to replace it and the value doesn't go down that much.

Color Management

Getting consistent exposure with correct white balance, you may opt to print your images. But why my images are too dark, too light and it's not the same color from what I'm seeing on my monitor when I'm printing? Here's a video from another well-known photographer Karl Taylor on Monitor Color Calibration.

Monitor Color Calibration from Karl Taylor

After calibrating your monitor, you need to calibrate also your images. The image below which looks like a make-up or water coloring kit is a color checker passport which is used for color correcting your images. The tool creates a profile which you can use to achieve an accurate and consistent colors. Check out the video on how to use the color checker passport.

X-Rite Color Checker Passport

Using the Color Checker Passport from X-rite

The videos above are only the basic of color management, you may want to check other books, tutorials or references for an in-depth understanding.

sRGB and AdobeRGB

There are two main color spaces in digital photography; sRGB(IEC61966-2.1) and AdobeRGB. What's the difference and what should I use? Why my images seem to be different in Chrome, Internet Explorer or Safari? Here's a video of Peachpit presented by Matt Kloskowski to know better.

A video from Peachpit presented by Matt Kloskowski

If you're just beginning and haven't heard of this guy, he's the one you shouldn't miss when it comes to editing like Lightroom and Photoshop. To learn more about his tutorials you can visit http://lightroomkillertips.com/ and his work at http://www.mattkloskowski.com/. Just a reminder if you're shooting RAW, you can see that sRGB or Adobe RGB is not available in the color space option. Don't worry about it because all the information and data are already stored in the RAW format and you can choose what color space you will use in the editing stage.

Understanding RAW & JPEG

On your camera there is an option which you can choose the file format of the captured images, RAW (Canon CR2 - Canon RAW version 2 and Nikon NEF - Nikon Electornic Format), JPEG or even both. Here's a video from Mark Wallace for AdoramaTV, an in-depth explanation of RAW and JPEG files.

RAW vs. JPEG by Mark Wallace

In most cases, RAW offers flexibility to the shooters, in terms of exposure (2 stops overexposed and 2 stops underexposed), white balance, sharpening, etc. With affordable electronic storage space (memory card & hard drive) available in the market, file size will never be a problem. But will be bit expensive in terms of software to be used for editing. While JPEG offers portability which allows you to shoot thousand of  images without carrying dozens of memory card. RAW and JPEG have their advantages and disadvantages. Which is better? There is no definite answer to that question. But for beginners I would suggest to begin with JPEG, why? 

1. To focus more attention in shooting than sitting in the front of computer.

2. To understand what camera setting is required for a certain scenario.

3. To develop consistency/ instinct in shooting.

And just a piece of advice, if you're already shooting RAW there's no excuse to say that you'll make corrections (exposure and white balance) in the editing software when you can make them right away on the camera. 

Hold that Shutter-Release Button!

Before pressing the shutter-release button, there are questions that you might ask yourself:

1. What mode will I use? Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Program Mode?

2. Am I concerned more on the depth of field? Should it be shallow or deep? or Am I more concerned into the motion? Should I freeze or show the action?

3. What ISO should I use? Do I need to increase/ decrease my ISO to compensate my exposure?

4. What is my white balance settings? Is it a sunny day, cloudy or lights are affecting my images?

5. What's my autofocus mode? Should I use, AF-A, AF-C, AF-S or Manual Focus? What type of scenario am I shooting?

6. Should I use matrix/ evaluative, center-weighted or spot metering? Why would I use matrix/ evaluative, center-weighted or spot metering?

7. Am I shooting JPEG or RAW or both?

8. How will I frame my subject? Should it be portrait or landscape?

9. What lens should I use? 

10. If I'm gonna get exposure properly with certain settings, what are my exposure reciprocals?

11. Do I need a flash? Why and when do I need a flash?

12. Do I have a memory card installed? 

13. Is my subject in focus?

14. What's my meter reading? Is it overexposed or underexposed?

15. Will this image I'm going to capture can tell stories or is it going to be different from other photography enthusiasts, forum or groups?

With these questions running into your mind, it will help you decide what settings should you use and have a better understanding of your camera and scenes. It takes patience, practice and it's all worth it in the end.

Must-See Photography Websites

When it comes to photography websites, we all have our favorites. There are several sites which I visit regularly to read the latest reviews, tips, tutorials, articles and other stuffs related to photography. Here are some lists of sites which I highly recommend:

1. Digital Photography Philippines
2. Pinoy Photography
3. Digital Photography Review
4. Digital Photography School
5. DigitalRev
6. Naturfotograf
7. Fstoppers
8. Thom Hogan - Nikon Articles
9. Fred Miranda
10. Strobist - Learn to Light
11. Nikon Rumors
12.Canon Rumors
13. Cambridge in Colour
14. DIYPhotography

I know that there are more photography websites out there and I would appreciate if you'll share them by leaving a comment below. Thanks.

Composition

Photography is not just about pressing the shutter release button and capturing images. An image should be compelling and attract an interest of the viewer. Composition is one of the most critical aspects in photography; it can create drama, uniqueness and tell a thousand words on your image. There are several composition techniques that most photographers use that can help you to get better results. 

1. Rule of Thirds - imagine dividing your frame into thirds, horizontally and vertically. The intersection of the vertical and horizontal lines will be the placement of your subject. It creates a more natural balance in the eyes of the viewers.

Fig.1 Rule of Thirds

Fig.2 Rule of Thirds

2. Shapes and Patterns - shapes and patterns are everywhere which can add contrast to the images. Emphasizing these can create compelling images.

Fig. 1 Shapes and Patterns

Fig. 2 Shapes and Patterns

3. Color, Details and Texture - the color, details  and texture of the subject separates the background creating a point of interest. Imagine if you have almost the same color with the subject and background or the background has more contrast than the subject. Which will be more striking and where will be the point of interest for that scenario?

Fig.1 Color, Details and Subject

4. Frame the Subject - instead of avoiding trees and other natural elements, it can be used as a frame which can isolate the subject and draw the viewer's point of interest.

Fig. 1 Frame

Fig. 2 Frame

The above techniques are only guides which can improve the perspective of the images and worth considering. Others would say that there are rules in composition to create such images but these can broken. Experiment and think out of the box to find the best possible composition that you might create. It takes a lot of time and practice.

Choosing your DSLR Camera

With so many models of DSLR cameras out there in the market that are already in reach of average users, one question remains: What should I buy? And if you will be asking your friends or posting in forum sites you will just get yourself confused because there’s always a debate between Nikon and Canon users. It’s controversial when you talk about DSLR brands, people will defend what brand their using no matter what.

Most people don’t realize that camera brand doesn’t matter. These DSLR giants produce products with great reliability. The differences in terms of features will depend on models that you are comparing with and in terms of quality it will be relatively small.

How would I choose? Here are the factors that you should consider:

1.       Budget - How much I’m willing to spend on it? Prices may vary from Entry (Beginner), Mid-Range (Amateur) and Professional Level models. Camera bodies ranges from $500 up to $ 8,000.

2.       ISO Performance – ISO measures the light sensitivity. Higher ISO performer will produce less grainy images on less available light or darker situations. It means that you can shoot images in low light conditions by increasing your ISO with less noise and still get usable images. Some camera models will produce grains starting at ISO 400 while others are at ISO 800 or higher.

3.        Auto Focus – Sharper images are produced from precise focusing. The camera manufacturer includes the number of auto focus points in the description. The more auto focus points the camera has, the focus will be faster and accurate.

4.       Ergonomics – Most of DSLR cameras are designed to fit into the hands of the user and user friendly. It plays a vital role for the comfortable, efficient, precise and healthy use of a photographer. Buttons and knobs which can be easily adjusted without taking away your sight from the viewfinder. Some will suggest Nikon while others will suggest Canon. Again, be reminded that it’s your personal choice. Knowing your gear will help you navigate the buttons and knobs easily. It’s best to visit a camera store to have a grip of the camera, take pictures and decide which model that you should to buy.

5.       Megapixels/ Resolution – It’s often a myth when we talk about megapixels. The larger the images the better, right? It depends on what is your purpose but if you’re just a hobbyist and not planning to print a billboard size printout then why should you buy a higher resolution DSLR? A 12 megapixel DSLR can give you at least a print of 12” x 16” with details on it. Higher resolution also requires you to have higher capacity of memory cards and computer system in opening the images.

6.       Lenses – Most of the packages offer kit lens and it’s not beautiful lenses in the world. But it’s a great and affordable lens for the people who are just getting started with photography. You can take good pictures out of it without breaking your budget. A 18-55mm, 18-105 and 18-135mm usually ranges from $100 up to $250.

I know a lot of you still have questions about the gears and equipments especially for the lenses. We’ll talk about it later and I would suggest that you pay attention on the basic photography articles. Having a DSLR camera with lens attached on it will be enough as starting point for the next few months. Learn and shoot from it. Knowing more about photography will help you choose the right gear and equipment in the future. Photography is not about the best gears and equipments; it’s about how and what you can create out of it.
I hope that this guide will help you in choosing your camera. If you have comments or questions please let me know.