Photo 101:

Basic Photography and

Composition
by Melvin Chua

Objectives
Learn the common terms and basic concepts in photography

Properties of light and how it affects composition

Frequently used rules of composition and how they are applied

What is
Photography?

It is recording light patterns onto a sensitive

medium through a timed exposure

Photography is the capture of light

Elements of Photography

Light
These elements
Photography
is about
are used
3 basic
to
elements
determine
Exposure
Medium

Time

Exposure
Exposure is the total quantity of light allowed to fall on the
light sensitive medium.
Proper exposure is achieved by balancing the 3 elements of
photography.

Exposure
Imbalance in exposure may result to Overexposed or
Underexposed photographs.

Underexposed

Overexposed

So how do we control the 3

elements to have a proper
exposure?

Light

Aperture
Aperture helps control the amount of light able to pass
through the lens and onto the sensor of the camera.

Medium

Time

Measuring Aperture
Aperture is measured in f-stops or aperture stop.

Higher the f-stop = Less light is allowed to pass

Lower the f-stop = More light is allowed to pass

Light

Shutter Speed

Medium

Shutter speed controls the

amount of time the light falls
on the medium.
Shutter speed is measured
in seconds.

Faster the shutter speed = Less light falls onto the medium
Slower the shutter speed = More light falls onto the medium

Time

Lets first establish the Aperture to

Shutter Speed relationship

The Water Bucket Analogy

More
Morewater
Light==
Less
Time
Fill Bucket
Less
Time
toto
Expose
Medium

Less
Lesswater
Light==
More
Amount
ofTime
water
toFill
fillBucket
theMedium
bucket =
More
Time
toto
Expose
Amount of light to get a proper exposure

ISO/ASA

Light

Medium

Time

ISO / ASA is a film convention that quantifies the

sensitivity of the film to light.
In digital photography, ISO controls the light sensitivity of the
camera sensor.

Higher ISO level= More sensitive medium is to light

Lower ISO level = Less sensitive medium is to light

Putting these 3 together

The Exposure Triangle

Aperture
Light

Elements of Photography
Medium
ISO

Exposure
Shutter
Speed
Time

Exposure Triangle
Describes the relationship between the aperture, shutter
speed and ISO.
Increasing or decreasing the value of one will directly affect
the exposure of an image.
Your desired exposure will always involve a combination of
these 3 values.

The Window Analogy

Aperture is the size of the
window. A larger window lets
more light in.
Shutter speed is the amount of
time the window is open. The
longer it is open, the more light
comes in.
ISO is how sensitive your eyes
are to the light coming in from
the window.
For example, wearing sunglasses
make our eyes less sensitive to
light (low ISO).

Loss or Gain of Light

f/16

Aperture

f/2.8

1/500 seconds

Shutter Speed

2 seconds

ISO 100

ISO

ISO 400

Less Light

More Light

Recap
What are the three elements of
photography?
What is exposure?

Recap
What controls the amount of light?
What controls the sensitivity of the
cameras sensor?
What controls exposure time?

Questions

Whats the difference

between a snapshot and a
photograph?
A snapshot is a picture taken without artistic intent.
A photograph is a well thought out image, involving artistry,
technical skills and composition.

Elements of Photography

Light
What is the most important element
in a composition?

Medium

Time

The quality of the light is more

important than the quantity of
the light.
- Jo Avila

Getting to know
Light has different properties we can leverage to make our
Light
photos more interesting
Diffused

Specular

Reflected

Refracted

Colored

Specular Light
Specular Lighting creates
defined or harsh shadows.

Adds strength to a photograph. Useful

when taking pictures of men or
powerful individuals.

Specular light comes from concentrated light sources such as

the sun, or an exposed flash bulb.

Diffused Light
Diffused Lighting creates soft, little or no visible shadows

Makes pictures feel softer,

very useful when taking
photos of women and children.

Diffused light comes from light sources with big surface areas
such as a window or a soft box.

Converting Specular to Diffused

Use a diffuser to scatter light effectively from a specular
light source.
A diffuser can be any material, from a simple cloth to a
soft box, as long as it can scatter light emitted by your
light source.

Diffuser
Samples

And sometimes, it pays to be

resourceful

Subject is farther from light source

= Hard shadows behind subject

An experiment on Shadows

Subject is closer to the light source

= Soft shadows behind subject

Recap
Whats the difference between a snapshot
and a photgraph?
Is sunlight specular or diffused?
When taking a babys portrait, what kind of
light is best used?
How do we convert specular light to diffused?

Questions

Other Properties of Light

Reflected Light
Reflections can be
used to provide
balance and symmetry
to an image.
Reflections can be
enhanced by using a
CPL Filter (Circular
Polarizer).

Refracted Light
Light can be refracted or
bent. You can use it to
add more depth to your
pictures.

Colored Light
Colors can be artificial...
Blues and Greens can make
pictures look cooler...

Colors can be natural...

Reds and Yellows can make
pictures look warmer...

Recap
What property of light can be used to bring
symmetry to a picture?
What property of light can be used to bring
more depth to a picture?

Questions

Improving Composition

Choose Your Focal Length

Focal Length is the distance between the lens and the
recording medium.
Measured in millimeters.

Longer focal length =

Closer and magnified
50 mm

Shorter focal length =

Wider and expansive
10 mm

Use Depth of Field

The zone of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind
your subject.

Use aperture and proper distance to control depth of field

The term Circle of Confusion or Bokeh describes the

amount of blur needed to render a part of the photo
as unsharp.

Aperture and DOF

low F-stop = less DOF

high F-stop = more DOF

Use low F-stop for portraits

Use f/8 to f/11 for general

photography
Use high F-stop for landscapes
f/1.8

f/16

Distance and DOF

Finger Focusing Example

The closer the subject, the less DOF.

The farther the subject, the more DOF.

Choose Your Shutter

Speed
Motion can be either frozen or captured.

Fast shutter speed freezes motion

Slow shutter speed captures motion

Choose Your ISO

High ISO settings are susceptible to image noise.

Noise is a random brightness or darkness of color information

in an image.

Lower ISO = Less noise

Use noise to your advantage!

Understanding your Subject

The physical properties of your subject, either
individual or relative to the environment.
Use these properties as foundations of a
great composition.
A photograph is a story about your subject.

Texture
Texture refers to the properties held and sensation
caused by the external surface of objects received
through the sense of touch.
It is revealed in a
photograph by variances
in tone, depth and
shape.

Wood and lightning are

popular examples.

Shape and Form

Both shape and form uses space to emphasize their outline.
Shape is 2-dimensional.
The object looks flat and
only has length and width.
Form is 3-dimensional. The
object looks like it has
length, width and depth.
Both CANNOT exist without the presence of space.

Pattern and Rhythm

Pattern refers to elements in a
photo that repeats itself in a
predictable manner. Usually
lines and shapes.

Rhythm refers to the

conjugation of elements in the
photo but in a non-uniform
way.

Contrast
Contrast is the
dissimilarity of colors
between two elements
in a picture, usually the
foreground/subject and
the background.

Variety
Variety is the mixture of
different elements in a
photo with similar
properties.

Scale
You can capture scale and size in a photo by placing
objects of different sizes beside each other.
One of the objects in the photo should generally be
familiar to your viewer.

Perspective
Perspective is the way how an element in the photo
appears to the eye produced by the position of the
photographer.
Perspective can also affect the size and scale of your
subject.

Seeing things differently

Subject appears larger.

Subject appears smaller.

Subject appears normal.

Worms Eye View

Humans Eye View

Birds Eye View

Can 2 of these properties

appear in the same
picture?

Exercise
texture
shape
form
pattern
rhythm
contrast
variety
scale
perspective
motion

Questions

Understanding the big picture

How do you make the entire photograph
more interesting? Here are some guidelines

Rule of Thirds
Divide up the view mentally into nine equal segments.
Put points of interest on the intersections of those lines.

Most landscape shots put the

horizon along one line.

Portrait shots stress attention on the

subjects eyes.

Balance
Balance between the weight of the elements in a picture.
Elements are like in a seesaw battle for attention.

Formal balance have equally

weighted elements.

Informal balance have elements of

unequal weight, but still manages to
both draw attention.

Symmetry
Symmetry creates 2 divisions in your image that are
identical to each other.
Mirror images are best examples.

Framing
Framing isolates the
subject by confining it
to a space within other
elements of the photo.
Imagine a picture frame within
your photograph.

Leading Lines
Use natural lines that lead viewers deeper to your photo
or pointing towards your subject.

Negative Space
Negative Space is defined as any empty
area in your photo that isolates your
subject.

Selective Focus
The use of Depth of
Field to isolate your
subject from the rest
of the photo.

Can 2 of these guidelines

appear in the same
picture?

Exercise
Rule of Thirds
Balance
Symmetry
Framing
Leading Lines
Negative Space
Selective Focus

The Last Rule

The Rule of Breaking the

Rules
Know the rules first before you break them!

Questions

Thank You

Credits
Photos by:
John Melvin Chua
Ryan Capulong
Joyce Paulo
Mary Rose Uy
Cocoy Lopez
Jonathan San Juan
Reyna Luto