ok here's some questions from a complete duffer !
i'd like to use the manual settings more on my Fujifilm s1000fd
so when i put it in manual mode i can change shutterspeed aperture, it reads F6.4 and will go as low as F2.8 what does that mean and what do the changing values do ?
...l
Found this below to look further at depth of field which will be really important in helping to get the best out of photographing your models, in that once you're happy with how it works you'll be able to 'pull out' specific parts of a model if you want - throwing the background (and foreground in a really narrow depth of field) out of focus - so excluding any distracting elements such as unwanted background detail or prehaps just having a suggestion of a background without it being in focus - so pulling the eye away from the main subject. Of course, the whole thing is going to be much more managable on a tripod when going for slower shutter speeds or higher apertures (lower f-stop numbers). As a general rule anything below 1/60 shutter speed is going to need a tripod, although a steady hand (leaning against or resting on a wall / box /cushion etc) is doable. Stating the obvious - available light is, of course, going to greatly effect what combination(s) you can get.
Anyway, here we go...
1) Exposure -
As aperture sizes get smaller (numerically bigger!) from left to right shutter speeds getting larger - longer.
So, on the left is a combination of full aperture f1 and a short shutter speed of 1/000 second. At the far right you progress through to the smallest aperture f32 but with a shutter speed of 1 second.
EVERY single position on this diagram is the SAME exact exposure - in other words the amount of light landing on film or CCD (charge couple device) is identical. Relate this now to the choices you have to make when taking photographs.
With manual settings and using aperture or shutter priority options - the photographer has to decide where, along this set of combinations, he/she wants to make their choice, and know why.
2) Aperture vs Depth of Field -
An attempt to detail the relationship between apertures and focus:
The top portion of the above diagram in fact only repeats what we have seen above .. as a reminder of the inverse relationship between shutter speeds and apertures. Again, on this - each position is showing the exact same exposure but your choice of aperture is going to influence just how ''deep'' is the depth of field with close ups.
Look at the two smaller images in the diagram above - they pretty much tell it all - by showing two extremes. Consider trying to photograph your snubbie (see photos below used in these examples) from the muzzle end but you want the cylinder and even grips to be passably sharp.
The upper of the two shows a combination exposure of 1/000 second at f1 ... great for stopping movement and camera shake but is an extremely shallow depth of field. All you might get sharp is the muzzle and foresight!
Now consider the lower one, where you go to the other extreme and use a 1 second exposure - at f32! You see a considerable increase in the depth of field (zone of sharpness) such that maybe you will not only have the muzzle in sharp focus but also the cylinder. Remember - it will improve even more if you move back a bit and then crop the picture later to use just the main subject. Just to prove a point ....
look at the pics of the snubby gun taken with different settings (see photos below) .... it shows what is meant.
Now in fact f1 will not usually be found as such .. a ''fast'' lens of 50mm say on a 35mm camera would be ''fast''at about f1.4. Also, the majority of lenses do not stop down much smaller than f22. Note however, that lens aberations are most likely to show when wide open .... so a shot taken at f1.4 ("wide open") could display some loss of picture edge definition. At the other extreme too, f22 ("fully closed down"), there can also sometimes be problems with certain lighting conditions. If possible try and use in-between stops as much as practicable.
Fast shutter speed - large aperture -
Here, we have taken a shot of the gun muzzle at 1/100 sec and the aperture open at maximum - in this case f3.5. Remember, a large aperture is NOT conducive to good depth of field, but here perhaps, maybe we might imagine that we had to hand hold the camera and so reduce camera shake by having a faster shutter speed.
Note however, that whilst the muzzle is pretty clear and sharp ... the cylinder in the background is very out of focus, somewhat of a ''ghost'' presence. This might sometimes matter.
Slow shutter speed and small aperture -
Now, same gun, same camera position but we have reversed the priorities. We have a slow shutter speed of 1/10 sec and the smallest aperture the camera supports, which is f11. Perfectly feasable if a tripod is to hand.
Notice the difference! Once more, the muzzle is quite sharp but, now we are able to pick out more detail of the cylinder. Agreed, that is not totally sharp but considering the close-up nature of this shot, that is quite some improvement, and it might be required to show better detail sometimes like this.