[...].. .NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE amount of light, depending on whether the lens aperture is opened or closed The inverse relationship between the f/stop number and the amount of light entering the lens is confusing to many novices As the aperture is ‘stopped down,’ the numerical f/stop value increases and as the lens is ‘opened up,’ the numerical f/stop value... 1.25 Figure 1.26 23 NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE ● ● ● ● Figure 1.27 24 On the D40, D40X, D60, and the D80, insert a Secure Digital (SD) card into the memory card slot On the D300 and D3 insert a Compact Flash (CF) card Turn the camera’s power switch to the ‘On’ position In the camera’s menu, under the Setup Menu, choose the format memory card option and format the new card You should... subject, as the rest of the image is totally 8 CHAPTER 1 Figure 1.5 9 NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE Figure 1.6 10 CHAPTER 1 Figure 1.7 Figure 1.8 11 NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE Figure 1.9 Figure 1.10 12 CHAPTER 1 blurred and actually becomes a nice pleasing background In Figures 1.9 and 1.10, as the background becomes more distinct, the object in the foreground becomes... image (Figures 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4) 4 CHAPTER 1 Figure 1.2 5 NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE Figure 1.3 6 CHAPTER 1 Figure 1.4 7 NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE In the same way that different aperture settings affect the look and feel of a particular image, different shutter speeds can also produce various affects on the way a photograph is interpreted A really fast shutter... based on the existing light CHAPTER 1 Figure 1.28 ● ● ● Through the camera’s viewfinder, frame your shot by moving the camera, changing your position, or adjusting the zoom lens if you have one Lightly press the shutter release to lock the exposure and focus, and then press it the rest of the way to complete the image capture You can check the results in the LCD Although this is not necessarily the most... sensitive the sensor is, or less light is required to get a correct exposure Knowing this would lead us to ask why we wouldn’t opt for the higher ISO settings so as to maximize shutter speed and sharpness The hard fact is that it is a trade-off: the higher the ISO the more digital ‘noise’ produced and the longer it takes the camera to process the image and write it to the memory card Just as increasing the. .. makes the digital sensor more sensitive to light, it also increases the sensitivity to digital noise The newer generation of Nikon Digital SLR cameras have amazingly low noise, even at higher ISO settings, but images shot at ISO 100 are still noticeably cleaner, 17 NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE especially when you zoom in close and crop Compare Figures 1.7 and 1.8 These are crops of the. .. photographer Using the Program mode, or Full Auto mode, on your Nikon Digital SLR will almost always yield a technically correct photograph, but often the aperture chosen by the camera is counter-intuitive to the actual intent of you, the photographer, as an artist The two factors that determine depth of field are aperture and the focal length of the lens As we stop down the lens aperture we increase the depth... aperture allows through the lens The obvious implication for you as a photographer is that a wide-open aperture will place emphasis on the object or objects in focus, while rendering the out of focus areas of the image as part of the background When the aperture is stopped down all the way, all or nearly all of the subject area of the image will be in focus This means that the very same subject matter... As the f/stop numerical value increases, the amount of light decreases Depending on which way the aperture is adjusted, each f/stop setting either halves or doubles the amount of light entering the lens and reaching the sensor f/1.4 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/32 Shutter Speed Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the shutter remains open and allows light to enter and pass through the . represents either double or half the CHAPTER 1 The Basics NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE 4 amount of light, depending on whether the lens aperture is opened or closed. The inverse. 1.7 , notice how the object in the foreground is obviously the main subject, as the rest of the image is totally CHAPTER 1 9 Figure 1.5 NIKON DSLR: THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE 10 Figure. mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors,