Camera Techniques

CAMERA TECHNIQUES

Shot size-

Shot is how far away the camera is from the subject. There are six basic shot sizes…

Extreme close up-gets very close the subject and shows immense detail. It can be used to show emotion in the facial expressions of a person usually getting a close shot of maybe their eye or their mouth. This shot can be called intrusive and personal.

Close up-Often shows expression but no in as much detail as an extreme close up. This shot is often used to show an action such as someone brushing their hair. This shot is often described as personal.

Medium close up- this is half way between a mid-shot and close up. Therefore it often shows facial expression as well as body language.

Mid-Shot- this is usually framed from the waist up. They are usually used to capture body language.

Long shot- this allows the audience to see the subject in terms of its surroundings. It can show the subject size in proportion to the setting. It can also create an idea of what is happening in the shot as a whole.

Extreme long shot- the subject is still visible but the focus is on the surroundings.

Camera Angle-

The connection between the camera and the object being photographed gives the emotional information to the audience and helps their judgment about the character or object in the shot.

Birds Eye- is taken directly above an object and is normally uses to show something large scale such as a city.

Canted angle- this is taken when the camera is at a tilt. This can suggest madness or drama.

Eye level- this is used to show extreme detail. They make the shot personal and sometimes show emotion.

Low angle- this is used to show the subject as superior or intimidating.

High angle- This is used to make the subject appear small and inferior. This can create sympathy.

Undershot- The camera is positioned directly beneath the subject, looking up at it.

Shutter Speed-

Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter on the camera is open for. In film photography it is the amount of time the film is exposed to the scene that is being photographed and in digital photography it is the amount of time the image sensor sees the scene that is being captured.

Shutter speed is measured in seconds or fractions of seconds. The bigger the denominator, the faster the shutter speed. Usually anything alower that 1/60 will give you camera shake and so you will need to use a tripod.

To capture a lot of movement in an image you will usually use a very slow shutter speed and to freeze movement in an image you will use a fast shutter speed. Shutter speed is part of the exposure triangle and so when you change that you have to adjust the aperture and the ISO.

Depth of field-

The zone of sharpness in a picture is called depth of field. There are three factors which control depth of field-aperture, the focal length of the lens and the camera to subject difference. Changing these three elements allows you control over the depth of field in a picture. When most of the picture is sharp that means the depth of field in the picture is limited and so when there is just one focal point in the picture which is sharp that means there is a high depth of field in the picture.

 

Here a small aperture has been used to make sure that the stones in the foreground were as sharp as the ones in the distance. By using a wide angle lens with a small aperture the photographer has been able to create an extensive depth of field.

 

 

 

Here the depth of field has been limited to a specific zone. In the picture the stamen is sharp making the foreground and the background very soft.