Beginners Photography eBook

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www.latitudegroup.com
S N A P S H O T
ThinkWorks
A BEGINNERS
guide to
photography

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Introduction 3
Choosing a camera 4
Phone cameras 7
Compact cameras 8
Bridge cameras 9
DSLR cameras 10
Context matters 11
Different types of lens 14
A quick guide to camera modes and functions 15
Exposure 16
Exposure triangle 17
Definitions 18
Camera modes 21
Tips for better mobile photography 23
Common Issues 24
Making the most of light 25
Other creative ideas 26
Contact us 27

Contents
Emma Rose
Graphic Designer
Latitude Digital Marketing
Author

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Introduction
Did you know that the majority of Latitude branding contains photography
from staff members? We took this decision to avoid the often clichéd
stock photography that is so prominent in B2B marketing. It was our way
of standing out from the crowd and letting some of our personality and
creativity shine through.
If you are thinking of going a similar direction, or you need some striking
imagery for your content/social media marketing it could be a good time to
brush up those photography skills! We’ve put together this ebook to help
get you started.
Happy snapping!

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Choosing a camera
Before you start snapping away you’ll need to choose a camera. The
following section will give you a basic overview of the sorts of cameras
available and the pros and cons of each.

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A photographer went to a socialite
party in New York. As he entered the
front door, the host said ‘I love your
pictures - they’re wonderful; you must
have a fantastic camera.’ He said
nothing until dinner was finished,
then; ‘That was a wonderful dinner;
you must have a terrific stove.’
-Sam Haskins-
“
“

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Phone Compact
Price Range:
£50 - £200
Price Range:
£100 - £300
Price Range:
£250 - £4,000
Price Range:
Depends on your contract
Bridge SLR
Everyone
Beginners Beginners Beginners
Hobbyists Hobbyists Hobbyists
Professionals
Everyone Everyone Everyone
There are four main types of
digital camera*
*Actually - there are more, but for the purposes of amateur photography,
there’s about four:
Choosing the right camera depends on skill level, budget and what you’ll
be using the photos for.

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• Lightweight
• In built flash
• Up to 16
mega pixels
• Photography apps
such as instagram
• iPhone
• Samsung Galaxy S
• Nokia Lumia
• HTC One
• LG G2
• You’ve nearly always got it
with you
• You can get inbuilt apps to
post process your photos
• Transfer to social media
outlets/emails etc at the
touch of a button
• There are external bolt ons
you can buy to enhance them
Portraits Landscapes Still Life
• They don’t cope well with
low light conditions
• You don’t have a lot of
controls over many settings
which limits your creativity
or experimentation
• Photos aren’t as good
quality as other cameras
can produce
Types of photos you can take
Pros Cons
General Specs
Examples
3 6
Phone Cameras
Fact Sheet
Taken on an iPhone

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• Lightweight
• In built flash
• Up to 16
mega pixels
• In built settings
and features
• Panasonic Lumix DMC
• Nikon COOLPIX
• Kodak easy share
• Samsung Smart Camera
• Canon Powershot
• Small and lightweight for
carrying around
• In built settings such as ‘face
recognition’ and ‘red eye
removal’
• Easy to use
• They don’t cope well with
low light conditions
• The lens quality isn’t as
good as SLR lenses which
produces a flatter looking
image
• You don’t gain a huge
amount over most smart
phones nowadays
Pros Cons
General Specs
Examples
3 6
Compact Cameras
Fact Sheet

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• In built flash
• Up to 20
mega pixels
• In built settings
and features
• Pentax X5
• Fujifilm FinePix
• Sony Cyber-shot
• GE X400
• Hiatchi Bridge
• Great for enthusiasts that
aren’t quite ready for an SLR
• More control over settings
than phones and compacts
• They produce great
quality images
Portraits Landscapes Still Life Sports/Action
• They can be the same price
as some entry level DSLRs
• Can’t change the lens
Pros Cons
General Specs
Examples
3 6
Bridge Cameras
Fact Sheet

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• Up to 30
mega pixels
• Changeable Lens
• Canon EOS 1100D
• Canon EOS 5D
• Nikon D3200
• Sony A7
• Extremely versatile and can
be used for many different
types of photography
• Professional quality images
• Can be adapted by
additional kit - for example
lenses and flashes
Portraits Landscapes Still Life Sports/Action Macro Nature
• They can be expensive
• They are heavy
Pros Cons
General Specs
Examples
3 6
DSLR Cameras
Fact Sheet

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Sports/Action Macro Nature
Context Matters
Ask yourself ‘what kind of pictures do I want to take?’. Some cameras
handle certain types of photo better than others. Here are the main
categories.

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Context Matters
Where the photos will be used will also play a key part in selecting the right
camera for the job too. For example photos you are taking for blogs won’t
need to be as high quality as large fine art prints you intend to sell.
Social Media
Print/Books
Blogs
Sell them
for money

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Landscapes Phone
SLR with
zoom lens
+
+
=
=
Nature
Social Media
Sell them
for money
Context Matters
Using the camera fact sheets, you can work out what the best camera
would be. For beginners, its often best to start with a camera phone or
a bridge camera and work up to a DSLR. If you want to sell your photos,
or use them in a professional setting a bridge camera or DSLR is advised
because you will achieve higher resolution photos with a wide range of
tones and richer colours.

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Different types of lens
Lenses are measured in mm. The lower the number, the wider the angle
will be. For example, with an 18mm lens you could stand quite close to a
something but still get a large amount in the frame of the photo - similar
to your peripheral vision. The higher the number the more narrow your
view will be - but the further away you can see. For example if you were
taking a picture of a bird on a tree 20ft away it would be best to use a
200-300mm lens, like a telescope.
Wide Angle
Special Effects Lenses
50 - 70mm 100 - 400mm
Normal
Tilt Shift Fish Eye
Telephoto18 - 50mm

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A Quick Guide to
Camera Modes
Functions

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EXPOSURE
“Correct exposure may be defined as
an exposure that achieves the effect
the photographer intended”
Exposure is the culmination of all the settings a photographer uses to
take a photograph. The term comes from film cameras, for example when
you took a photo you would ‘expose’ the film to light, and that would
allow you to create an image on the film. The amount of light you let into
the camera, the length of time you expose the film and the type of film you
use would all have an effect on how the finished photo would look. Settings
on digital cameras work in almost the same way, however you get instant
results so you can improve your photography quicker.

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EXPOSURE
TRIANGLE
Shutter Speed
ISOAperture
You may hear people talk about the ‘exposure triangle’, these (shutter
speed, aperture and ISO) are the three main factors that photographers
use to take a photo. It is at the intersection of these three elements that an
image’s exposure is worked out. Over the next chapter, I will explain these
settings and how to control them for the effect you want to achieve.

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DEFINITIONS
ISO
Aperture
SHUTTER SPEED
The measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
The size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken
The amount of time that the shutter is open

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Window metaphor
Imagine you are in a room with one window
that lets light in. The aperture would be the
size of the window to the room. The shutter
speed would be the time you left the shutters
of the window open and the ISO would be the
strength of the sunglasses you are wearing inside
the room. By altering any of these factors there
would be more or less light coming into the room
and effecting the exposure of the photograph.
If there is too much light, the photo will be ‘over
exposed’, it will look bright and flat and the
colours will be washed out. If it is underexposed,
the photo may be too dark

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Aperture shutter speed ISO
TOO large... TOO slow... TOO HIGH...
The key is too find a balance between the settings depending on the
scenario your are photographing as they all have down sides as shown
below.
If the aperture is too large, the background data will become lost, yet the
objects closer to the camera will be in perfect focus. If the shutter speed
is too slow, the photo will become blurry when there is the tiniest bit of
camera shake, and if the ISO is too high, the photo will become grainy.
Experiment in different lighting conditions to see how different settings
effect your photo.

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Camera modes
All DSLRs and most bridge cameras will have a number of camera modes to
choose from using the dial on the top of the camera. Here’s what they all
mean...
Full Auto
As the name suggests, this is a fully automatic
mode where the camera tries to figure out the
best settings for you. This can produce some
great results, however you may want to try
different effects and your camera isn’t psychic.
Portrait
The camera sets the aperture as wide as
possible the background blurs, but the subject
remains in focus. Some cameras also have
human face recognition to get the focus as
sharp as possible.
Landscape
The camera usually sets a small aperture value
to gain a greater depth of field - i.e keep as
many things in focus as possible, even if they are
in the distance.

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Sports
On sports mode your camera will usually set it
to take short bursts of photos so you don’t miss
the action. It will also set the ISO and shutter
speed as high as it can for the amount of light
Aperture Priority
In this mode you set the aperture and the ISO
and the camera will select the shutter speed for
you based on the amount of light. Particularly
good for close up work
Shutter Priority
In this mode you set the shutter speed and the
ISO and the camera will try and select the best
aperture for you based on the amount of light
available. This is good for action shots, providing
you have plenty of light
Manual
As the name suggests, use this mode when you
want full control over all the settings.
A/V
T/V
M

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Tips for better
mobile
photography

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Common Issues
Here are some of the common problems faced by mobile phone
photographers.
Camera shake
When the image
appears messy
with light streaks
Solution:
Use a tripod
in low light
situations, it will
allow you to use
a longer shutter
speed
Solution:
Try moving away
from the subject
if you are too
close. Also you
can make use
of your phones
in built focus
features
Solution:
Ask your subjects
to keep as still
as possible,
especially in low
light situations
Solution:
Always be
mindful of how
much light is
available, mobile
photos are best
when there is an
abundance of
natural light
Out of focus
When the subject
isn’t in focus
Motion blur
When you get
subjects blurred
across the image
Low light
When the image
appears grainy
and dark

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Making the most of light
Some of the best photos you can take on a mobile is where light it used to
maximum effect. Here are some experiments you can try.
Silhouettes
Shoot against the light for
dramatic pictures.
Reflections
Look out interesting
reflections in water,
mirrored objects,
windows etc
Shadows
Long shadows can make
a boring portrait really
interesting.

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Other creative ideas
Here are some other creative approaches you can use in your photography.
Lead the viewers eye
Compose your photo so that you lead the
viewer to a point in the photo.
Shoot from a low angle
Mobiles have wide angle lenses so shoot
from below looking up at your subject to
get a dramatic image.
Rule of thirds
When photographing people, make sure
their eyes are 1/3rd
down the image.
Focus on the hero
Focus on one subject and leave a large
amount of flat space around it for added
drama.

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Struggling to do it all your digital
marketing by yourself?
We can help.
Get in touch:
W: www.latitudegroup.com
E: hello@latitudegroup.com
UK: 08450 212223
Dubai: +971 4437 5737

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