Part of what they are referring to is known as Depth of Field. You don’t have to have a fancy camera to achieve it either — before I had a DSLR, I was able to capture images with softer/blurred backgrounds with a point and shoot camera set in auto or macro modes. I will say its a bit easier with a DSLR, but it can be done with a P&S.

I’m not going to go into the technical aspects of how to achieve this other than explaining quickly in terms of DSLR/film SLR capabilities. But I will show you a variety images with different depths of field.

With a DSLR/Film SLR, when shooting in non-auto modes that is, you have control of three things: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. For purposes of today’s how to, aperture is the primary setting/function that you need to understand in order to achieve different ranges of depth of field (I’m skipping over the other two for another how to later on). High aperture (which is actually a low number, such as f/1.8 or f/2.0) allows for a shallow depth of field, where as a low aperture (a higher number, such as f/8, f/11, f/22) creates sharper backgrounds.

For portraits, I almost always use a ‘higher’ aperture unless I’m wanting to capture one of two things: (1) the setting around the subject or (2) really cool lens flare. By higher, usually I’m shooting anywhere from f/1.8 to f/3.5 depending on which lens in the arsenal I’m shooting with.

Here’s a few examples of shallow depth of field versus a deep depth of field. All of these were shot full manual … I’m including the settings, lenses, and the camera models for the curious.

ISO 250, 1/320 @ f/2 (Canon 135 mm f/2L on Canon 5D)

ISO 250, 1/320 @ f/2 (Canon 135 mm f/2L on Canon 5D)

These two above were shot at sunset … other than enhancement of color (or conversion to an artsy b/w), the depth of field is as it was SOOC (straight out of camera).

ISO 250, 1/320 @ f/4.5 (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 on Canon 5D)

ISO 250, 1/320 @ f/4.5 (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 on Canon 5D)

Note that you can somewhat tell what’s in the background of these two in comparison to the two portraits above. I did do an artsy edit to these, which added ‘grain’ to the image more than anything.

… and a few examples of a deep depth of field …

ISO 100, 1/250 @ f/4 (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 on Canon 40D)

ISO 100, 1/250 @ f/5.6 (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 on Canon 40D)

ISO 125, 1/250 @ f/10 (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 on Canon 5D) — this one was taken on a harsh sunny day in comparison to the other images pictured

ISO 400, 1/250 @ f/11 (Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 on Canon 40D)

Note on all of these that all the details, near and far are sharp/in focus compared to the first four pictured.

There are a great deal of websites and how to books out there that go much further into the technical aspects of this — just do a search for “depth of field”. For the P&S users out there, I’ll try to unearthen some p&s pics and share them on Friday if I have a few minutes to spare!

Next month I’ll cover the other ‘effect,’ bokeh …

Today we’re gonna talk about White Balance.

What’s white balance, you ask? Well … in the layman’s definition, it is when your images are too warm or too cool in temperature — or a color cast. People either look a bit too jaundiced or sickly/lacking oxygen due to the color temperature your camera is shooting in.

Last night — at a late enough hour that locating and procuring an assistant that would help me in better demonstrating this  – I went to plan B on how to explain how to set the White Balance on your point and shoot camera while in either Digital Macro or Digital Manual modes. Mine’s a Canon Powershot/ELPH, so the menus may very on most cameras, but the basic options should be there:

This is what mine looks like when you turn it on — for purposes of this example, pay attention to the color of the blurred woodgrain the camera is ‘focused’ on.

To get to the white balance menur, click the ‘func / set’ button to the right of the screen … then scroll down to what most likely is labeled ‘AWB’ (its typically the default function unless you or someone else has changed it!)

Auto White Balance — aka you’re letting the camera ‘think’ for you on this. Typically works best in all settings, but every once in a while it won’t. In this case, AWB shows the woodgrain at the actual color it really is.

Daylight — note how the blurred woodgrain is brighter/warmer. This setting you don’t want to use indoors … it has a bit of a yellow cast to it.

Cloudy — while not as warm as the Daylight setting, the blurred woodgrain is warmer than it actually is in person.

Tungsten — best for indoors due to the color temperature most lightbulbs put out. The blurred woodgrain is nearly identical in color tone to the AWB option. Don’t use this option outdoors, it’s too cool (color temperature-wise)  unless you just happen to be in a really snowy and bright/glare location.

Fluorescent — best for when you have fluorescent lighting to deal with. I’ve personally never used this option.

Fluorescent High — again note the orange color cast it gives the woodgrain.

Custom — when none of the other options display the color temperature accurately, this option allows you to set the white balance yourself. I’ve never used this function on a P&S (only the DSLR), but it works in the same way. Sometimes AWB and the other modes just don’t display it correctly and unless you have photo editing software to ‘fix’ the color cast, this is the best route to go if you’re wanting to use the image to gift to others, for your holiday cards, or to submit to a photo contest.

(This was my second DSLR — the one that replaced my Rebel XT — and all the accessories I bought along with it!)

Because most of us own digital, and not film, cameras nowdays, there’s two items that are absolutely critical: Batteries and Flash Memory Cards. Without them, forget capturing anything !

Most digital cameras come with a battery, usually a rechargeable one that comes with the coordinating charger, but a few cameras still require AA batteries. That’s where I recommend either the Energizer or Duracell lines of rechargeable batteries specially designed for electronics. I personally have used the Energizer line for my old trusty Sony Cybershot purchased wayyy back in 2003. In fact, I still alternate between the original set of Sony batteries (yes, they still hold a charge as well as they did brand new!) and the Energizer set I’ve had for at least three years. Yes, these batteries are a bit pricey, but worth every dime. I made the mistake of not buying a backup set before my first trip with that camera and was stopping off at a Wal Mart to buy some that first evening — a cheap no-name brand that didn’t hold a charge for half the time of either the Sony or the Energizer brands. While you’re at it, buy a backup set that comes with a power charger — these will charge them in half the time of the one that comes with the camera. 

For those of you whose cameras use a specific rechargeable battery, buy a second one for a backup. All of my DSLRs have two batteries apiece — the ones that came with the camera plus a backup I purchased. While I rarely have a need to swap out batteries during sessions, you never know when one can go bad. All but two of my six DSLR batteries are Canon brand, the other two were off brands I purchased at either B&H Photo Video or Adorama Camera. Both of the off brands hold a charge and last just as long as the name brand version. Just be sure you order the correct battery for your camera — while my three DSLRs use the same exact battery, the Rebel XT I used to own uses a different one, as well as many other lines within the same brand family.

Next up, Flash memory cards — depending on your camera type will determine which one you’ll need. Most DSLRs use the Compact Flash (CF) cards, although a few use the Secure Digital (SD) — and then some of the really high-end cameras have slots for both. Sony’s line of cameras tend to use their own memory ‘sticks’, although you can on some models get an adapter that will allow you to use an SD card.

When buying memory cards, I always stick with 4GB cards for my DSLRs. Why? Two reasons: (a) if one becomes corrupted or I lose it, I don’t lose even more images than I could otherwise and (b) one 4 GB card can be backed up to a single DVD, which usually holds about 4.7 GBs. For my point and shoot, I only have a 1 GB card, which is usually sufficient for what I use it for. I always recommend stocking up on a few cards. Yes, they’re expensive, but its better to have an extra one laying around in case one becomes corrupted, accidently gets left in your pockets and is washed (hasn’t happened to me yet, but has happened to some other photographers I know!), or if you lose one. I have stuck to the Sandisc line of CF — Extreme III and Extreme IV versions — and SD cards. I’ve never had one go bad to date *knock on wood* and can’t see changing brands when they’re compatible with my camera. Plus, once or twice a year, Sandisc puts out a rebate offer — I’ve gotten back $60-$80 each time (buying 3 at a time), which usually covers what I paid for 1-2 cards. Other brands I’ve heard fellow photographers rave about include Lexar, Delkin, and Hoodman.

The other item most don’t think about is a cleaning kit. While this might not be considered essential for point and shoot cameras, it is for a DSLR. These three kits– yes, I know I’m recommending Nikon — are good starter kits for keeping lenses and the camera sensors cleaned. I personally use a glasses cleaning kit I purchased at Wal Mart + one of their microfiber lens cloths; but you’d still need the first or third item linked for cleaning the sensor!

There are variety of other accessories, more specifically for DSLRs, that fall in the necessary and optional categories, and I’ll wrap up the Getting Started series on September 9th with them. Then I’ll start covering some basic photography info for those wanting to step outside the full auto mode.

Today we’re going to discuss the basics in purchasing a good starter DSLR camera.

In case you’re curious, DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. I’ll let you read here for the history on the SLR if you’re interested …

Before we get started, you need to know the major difference between the Point and Shoot Camera (aka P&S) and the DSLR: P&S’s have a built-in lens, DSLR’s do not.

Once you feel you’re ready to advance upward from the P&S to the DSLR, there’s four important things to take into consideration:
(1) They cost more than the P&S. You won’t find a DSLR for under $250 — if you do, beware! 
(2) Skip the kit lens if you can afford to; buy the camera body-only option. Invest in a good lens (or two) instead of the not so great kit lenses that’ll leave you in ‘lens lust’
(3) Once you upgrade to the DSLR, buying new lenses becomes a bit of an addiction (aka ‘lens lust’). Its like Lays potato chips, you can’t own just one (and yes, I’m speaking from experience!)
(4) There are more ‘accessories’ for DSLRs beyond lenses — the obvious (memory cards, batteries) and the not so obvious (flashes, tripods/monopods … and so on). I’ll cover just the camera bodies and lenses today, everything else I’ll cover in Part III.

Most folks think they need the best DSLR on the market — that’s not so! Just like I recommended on Part I with the P&S: know your budget, know what you plan to use the camera for, and buy what will meet your needs. Don’t spend $2000 or more on the camera body if you’re only taking snapshots of your family at home and traveling and sports games. Buy the consumer level DSLR instead, invest the difference in a quality lens or two instead — I constantly hear fellow photographers recommending this time and again.

When I bought my first DSLR in December 2005, I researched and took into consideration what I could afford at the time. I bought the Canon Digital Rebel XT (the newest Digital Rebel model out at the time) and the kit lens. Like I mentioned above, lens lust started quickly since my kit lens left me wanting to more than it was capable of (longer zoom, bokeh). In May 2006, I purchased two Tamron lenses next — not the greatest lenses, but they fit my budget at the time and served their purpose as well as they could. Fall of 2006, I wised up after I was talked into shooting Robby’s senior portraits and purchased a lens I saw recommended as a good starter lens for portraits. Since then, I’ve purchased … seven other lenses. Of the total 11 lens I’ve bought to date, I’ve sold off three of them online, my parents possess two of the first three that I started out with, Robby now possesses a third, and the remaining five are in my ‘arsenal.’  I’ve also since upgraded cameras three more times and passed on the XT to the parents so they would have a good starter camera. 

For starting out, however, the consumer models offered by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm FinePix Pro, Pentax, and Panasonic – Lumix are all great cameras. While I’m personally only familiar with Canon, I do have several photographer friends who use Nikon and have previously shared pros/cons regarding particular models. The other brands, I don’t personally know anyone who uses them, but I will go into something really interesting about Sony’s DSLR’s after I discuss my Canon and Nikon recommendations.

If you’re loyal to Canon, I highly recommend the Canon Digital Rebel XSi. It’s a newer model of my first DSLR and quite honestly, several features on it give my current camera lineup a bit of a run for their money. It currently (body only, no lens) retails for $579.95 at Amazon.com (plus free shipping!). The Canon Digital Rebel XS — which was actually released after the XSi — retails (body only, no lens) for $479 via Amazon’s Marketplace. Both of these cameras are great starter cameras — in fact, I seriously considered buying one to have as a backup last year (I upgraded instead to the one pictured, which is now my backup).

On the Nikon side of the universe, there are two models I would recommend based on photographer friends’ recommendations. For basic shooting, the Nikon D40 is a great camera to start out with (Amazon has the camera with the kit lens for $449). However, if you have the extra funds and want the ability to use the DSLR to video as well as shoot (goodbye to hauling the photo camera and video camera to all those sporting events!), go for the Nikon D90. Amanda — who assisted me with Tracy and Lexi’s sessions and photographed the profile image here on the site, uses this camera and absolutely loves it. The video quality is fantastic too. The body only, no lens currently retails at $949 at Amazon.

I also mentioned I’d briefly go into the Sony DSLR line. In May, Me Ra Koh — a spectacular photographer — mentioned on her blog about the new line of Sony cameras designed for women! Oh my goodness — all I can say is after reading that post, if I wasn’t hardcore Canon when it comes to DSLRs, I’d jump ship to the Sony line ASAP! Why? Simple — they’re user friendly, so if you don’t get the technical mumbo jumbo/jargon about ISO, apeture, and shutterspeed, there are ‘sliding scales’ that help you set it the way you want. Want a sharp focus on the subject and a fuzzy background (aka bokeh)? Just adjust the scale to the left. Want everything in focus and sharp? Adjust it to the right. Add in the option I personally like that is geared to females/moms — the camera body is offered in black, brown, or pink No more boring black camera! The Sony line is extremely affordable as well — for the rest of the details, here’s Me Ra Koh’s post about them.

As for lenses, the best basic lens, regardless of brand, is the 50mm. Its a fixed lens, meaning, you can’t zoom with it unless you walk closer to the subject you’re shooting. However, it is a spectacular lens, I’ve used it for portraits as well as for flowers, buildings, and animals. For a quite a while after I bought it, it rarely came off my camera! There are three versions of the 50mm lens out, but for everyday shooting, start with the 50 mm f/1.8 lens. It retails for $75-125 depending on brand (Canon or Nikkor (for Nikon).  If you’re wanting a bit sturdier lens and have the extra cash, upgrade to the 50 mm f/1.4 (the Canon version retails at Amazon for around $380 at present; the Nikkor version — there’s two f/1.4′s — ranges from $330 to $445).

The ‘best’ zoom lens in terms of basic needs + price I’ve found is actually the ‘kit lens’ on one of the professional level Canon DSLRs: the Canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (for the curious, IS stands for Image Stabilization, USM is Ultrasonic Motor). It retails for $400 on Amazon. I actually bought this as a ‘backup’ lens — while I rarely use it unless I need a longer zoom, Robby constantly has it on the camera when he’s photographing just about any subject. As for the Nikon equivalent, I asked Amanda for her suggestion and she recommended the Nikon 18-200 mm VR f/3.5-5.6 . While its a longer zoom than the Canon and quite a bit more expensive ($699 at Amazon), I’ve seen the images Amanda has captured with it — for your money’s worth, its definitely a great value.

There are plenty of other lenses on the market, but if you’re looking for something to cover your basic needs — one of these cameras and these two lenses (depending on brand), will just about cover what you’ll need starting out. In a future edition of How To Wednesday, I’ll go into specialty lenses.

While I cited Amazon’s prices in this entry due to time constraints in wrapping this post up on time, I always shop around for the best deal between three retailers: Amazon, B&H, and Adorama. For the second and third retailers, I use the former Live.com Cashback feature (now Bing.com) to not only find the best price, but to get a little extra cash back! I’ve also occasionally purchased camera related items from JR Computer World.

Additionally, there’s one other tip I now use before I purchase any lens I’m considering — I rent it first! My favorite lens rental companies are Zip Lens, Lens Pro to Go, and Borrow Lenses. In fact, I have a fisheye lens in my possession I’ve rented for Lens Pro to Go right now.  While I’m not seriously considering adding a fisheye lens to the ‘arsenal,’ I have the perfect opportunity to use it this weekend that I felt would make for a good trial run.

In two weeks, I’ll wrap up the Getting Started series with part III, where we’ll discuss memory cards, batteries, flashes, tripods/monopods, and camera cases/bags — aka all the stuff you don’t think about when you buy the camera!

So — if you have a question you want featured, email it to howto@christinamccall.com and it’ll appear in an upcoming post!

This week’s how-to will discuss what to basics to consider when buying a good basic camera, aka the “point and shoot.”

Most of those who’ve asked me for recommendations just want something pocket-sized that’ll take good pictures in any condition/situation but isn’t too complicated to use.

My recommendation? Since I upgraded my point and shoot last summer, its the Canon Powershot/Elph SD1100 IS (I have the brown version). I bought mine on sale at Best Buy, but it currently retails for around $250 at Amazon. Not only does this fit in my pocket of my jeans, hoodie, or jacket, it almost always stays in my purse. And it came in quite handy when I was rearended last September — I had my proof photographed even before the state troopers arrived on the scene. Quite a few of the travel images posted here over the past month were photographed with this camera. I usually just stick with the 1GB SD card and image size at “L” and quality at “fine” so I can print poster sized prints should I feel inclined (a 1GB card w/ the settings I use will capture 432 images — I’ll go into this more on part III).

This particular camera had two features that the other two ‘finalists’ I was considering didn’t have: manual mode and image stabilization (IS) — the latter being great for when you don’t have a steady surface to put it on. It did lack one feature I really wanted — the ability to capture images in RAW and not JPEG format (RAW are uncompressed images and special software is needed to edit and convert them whereas JPEG are compressed images that do not require special software to view/edit them).

However, I’m not brand loyal to the Canon line. I did a considerable amount of research and weighed the factors most important to me when I made my final decision. I previously owned two other digital point and shoots in the Sony Cybershot line. An old 2 mp one that I still use from time to time that documented my Vienna trip in 2003 and a 7 mp one that I just wasn’t as satisfied with like its predecessor (I’ve since sold it). When I narrowed down my top contenders, a Nikon, a Fujipix, and this one, I headed down to Best Buy since two of the three coincidentally were on sale that week. And in the end, I walked out with the Canon.

The three main factors you should consider in purchasing a digital camera:
(1) What is your budget? Can you afford to spend $250 or more for a ‘good’ point and shoot that’ll let you do a lot, or will the $100 Black Friday special more than suit what you’ll need? Just because you may have unlimited funds or want the newest camera on the market doesn’t mean you need it or will use it to its full potential. Buy the camera you will actually use, not the coolest or most tech savvy that will end up collecting dust.
(2) What do you plan to use it for? Do you really need a lot of fancy options? Or do you just want something to capture things on the go? Again, buy the camera that will meet your needs.
(3) How large do you plan to print the images? If you plan on printing nothing but 4x6s or sharing them online, don’t waste your money on the P&S with the largest amount of megapixels. 5-7 mp is sufficient for 4×6 prints and the web, don’t let the sales guys at Best Buy or elsewhere tell you differently. However, if you want to print LARGE (and by large, I don’t mean an 8×10 as the in-store photo printer enlargement options make us think is large, I mean 16×20 or larger that’ll take up a lot of wall space when displayed), do look at the 8 mp and up point and shoot camera models – or a lower level DSLR (which will be discussed in part II).

Beyond these three, the rest will interest the technical shooters who want to have some control with the camera:
(4) Zoom. Focus (excuse the pun) on optical zoom, not digital zoom functionality. The higher the optical zoom, the better.
(5) Shooting modes — the more might not be the merrier if you don’t know how to properly use them. I tend to stick to one of three modes: Digital Manual, Digital Macro, or Night Snapshot. Mine has several other modes, including underwater, but I’ve yet to bother with them.
(6) ISO — for ‘old school’ film shooters, you’ll recall that low ISO was for sunny outdoors and high ISO is for dim lighting /nighttime. Same thing with digital. My P&S goes up to 1600 ISO.
(7) Don’t want to buy photo editing software to get creative? Look for options to shoot in black & white, sepia, and negative to name a few. Just remember, if you photograph something in black & white, it can’t be converted to color later.

Need some help finding out more about other brands and cameras you may be interested in? My favorite resource for all things photography is Digital Photography School — they have an entire section dedicated to cameras with reader comments.

In the next edition of How To Wednesday (on August 5th), I’ll discuss what to look for in purchasing a DSLR — aka digital single lens reflex cameras — and the best ‘starting out’ lenses.