For shooting techniques, please consult Canon A95.

I don't know what your photography knowledge is, so it's hard to answer. The use of light is actually very important, and the role of flash is also very important.

Question 1 Sometimes it's clear and sometimes it's vague. It must be related to your shooting angle and method. Practice hard. In addition, we can't be ideal and satisfied with every card, even photographers can't.

The second problem is that digital cameras are obviously inferior to traditional cameras in strong light, because the digital light capacity is very narrow. This has something to do with the camera structure. Even if your aperture and shutter are well matched, it is difficult to achieve a realistic effect. This is a common phenomenon.

The third question, I think you are right. Morning and afternoon are the best shooting time, whether it's flowers or people. So the shooting effect is good. The problem of setting at noon is actually very simple. You should keep the ISO as low as possible, and then you'd better use the aperture first, not the shutter first. When backlighting, flash forcibly, and then use the stage exposure, preferably a bigger stage in exposure value.

Due to my limited level, the above simple answers are for your reference.

Below I provide some articles about the use of flash for your reference.

Five flash modes make it easy to master DC flash.

Low-end digital cameras generally have three flash modes, namely, automatic flash, red eye removal and off flash. More advanced products also provide "forced flash" or even "slow flash" function. So, what's the difference? What are the points for attention when actually shooting?

Automatic flash

Generally, when the camera (using film) and the digital camera do not change any settings, the flash mode is preset in the "Auto Flash" mode. At this point, the camera will automatically determine whether the light of the shooting scene is sufficient. If it is insufficient, it will automatically turn on the flash when shooting to make up for the lack of light. For most of our shooting, the "auto flash" mode is enough.

Eliminate red eye

When taking portrait photos (especially in close range and dark environment), the phenomenon of "red eye" often appears. This is caused by the flash reflected from the retina of the eye. If you don't want people's or animals' eyes to have "red eye", you can use the "red eye elimination" mode of the digital camera, and let the flash flash once or several times before the main flash and shooting to adapt to people's pupils.

Turn off the flash (force no flash)

As the name implies, it is to force the digital camera to turn off the flash. No matter what the lighting conditions of the shooting environment are, no flash is allowed. This function is most suitable for shooting in places where flash is forbidden. For example, the author once used this function to shoot the Golden Buddha in the Wannian Temple in Emei Mountain and the Dragon Ball in the Forbidden City. In addition, through this function, you can create a natural shooting atmosphere at dusk or in low light.

Forced flash

That is, contrary to "turning off the flash", that is, whether in bright or weak light environment, you should turn on the flash to flash. Usually used to shoot people with their backs to the light source. Because when shooting a person, if the subject is in the backlight position (for example, shooting a person with his back to a bright window in a dark room), then the front of the subject will be in the shadow and can't see clearly. At this time, with this function, you can take a photo of the subject receiving uniform light within the effective coverage of the flash.

Slow synchronous flash

When taking pictures in dim light, if you use a flash and a high shutter speed, it is easy to cause the foreground subject to be too bright or even dazzling, while the background is still gloomy and it is impossible to distinguish the details. "Slow flash synchronization" will delay the release speed of digital camera shutter, use flash to illuminate the foreground, and cooperate with slow shutter (such as 1/5 seconds) to expose the weak light background. In this way, you can take photos with harmonious exposure before and after. The author's own practical experience is to shoot "Welcome Pine" on Huangshan Mountain in rainy and foggy days, and the effect is satisfactory. However, there are two points to note when using this function. First, when shooting in low light, using a slow shutter may lead to blurred photos because the photographer's hands are shaking. I suggest that you support the digital camera with a tripod dedicated to the camera to keep it stable. Secondly, when using flash to assist shooting, pay attention to the shooting distance within the effective coverage of flash. The built-in flash coverage of middle and low-end digital cameras is limited. In the words of photographers, its flash index is low (generally within 1~9 meters), but it has basically met the needs of ordinary shooting.

A flash can emit strong light in a short time. Therefore, the shutter must be opened at this time to achieve the purpose of exposing the negative. This requires the flash to "synchronize" with the shutter.

The commonly used flash synchronization methods are M, X and FP or F..m synchronization, which is suitable for most flash bubbles and leaf shutters, and the shutter speed can be as high as 1/500 seconds. X-type is set to synchronize the electronic flash with the blade or focal plane shutter. When using focal plane shutter and flash bulb, you need to use FP or F synchronization mode. When X-type synchronous blade shutter is used, the electronic flash can be synchronized with any shutter speed. Flash bubble takes 1/30 seconds.

Flash exposure is usually calculated by flash index. The flash index of electronic flash lamp depends on its luminous quantity, and the unit of luminous quantity is beam candle seconds (BCPS) or effective candle seconds (ECPS). The aperture value required for correct exposure can be obtained by the flash index and the following formula:

Flash index The distance from the flash to the subject (unit. Feet) = aperture value

For example, the flash index is 64, and the distance between the flash and the subject is 8 feet:

64/8 = 8 Aperture should be set to f/8.

Please note that the flash index in the above formula is calculated in feet. If it is changed to meters, it needs to be calculated by dividing the flash index by 3.28. Some electronic flashlights automatically control the flash. When using this flash, as long as an aperture is selected according to the sensitivity of the film within a certain distance, the flash will automatically control the flash duration to obtain the correct exposure without using the above formula for calculation.

Car flash

When the flash is installed directly or used close to the camera, the light is direct and stiff, and the modeling effect is poor. The back of the subject will cast a thick shadow, and the important shadow lines will be covered by black shadows. If it is a color film, the dark part will give people the feeling of color distortion.

In addition, there will be two problems with the flash on the plane, one is "red eye" and the other is reflection.

In some color photos taken with flash, the pupil of the subject appears red, because the flash is too close to the lens and the light is reflected by the vascular retina. The best solution is to keep the flash away from the lens. If you can't, you can also turn on all the indoor lights to improve the indoor brightness. In brighter light, the pupil will contract, thus reducing the red reflected light. Similarly, before shooting, the subject can also narrow his pupils by staring at bright places (such as indoor lights).

The reflection of the flash will also destroy the picture, so when shooting, avoid those bright reflective surfaces on the background, such as mirrors, windows and bright walls. When you can't avoid it, you can adjust the shooting position to make it form a certain angle with the reflective surface, or take off the flash and use it from another direction to reduce the reflective phenomenon. Glasses often cause strong reflection, and the solution is the same as above.

Off-board flash

Take the flash off the camera and keep it one arm or more away from the camera, which can improve the lighting effect of the flash. When the flash is above the side of the subject, the projection of the subject's back will fall out of the picture. Such light can also enhance the modeling effect and three-dimensional sense, so as to better show the real face of the object on the photo plane. When taking pictures in rainy and snowy weather, keep the flash away from the axis of the camera lens to avoid the damage of raindrops or snowflakes to the picture under direct light. When flashing in this way, the aperture value required for correct exposure can be directly obtained by dividing the flash index by the distance from the flash to the subject (not the distance from the camera to the subject).

Multi-lamp flash

The use of more than two flashlights can enhance the artistic appeal of photos, and the multi-lamp lighting effect in the studio can be obtained in any environment.

The flash used as the main light is often the flash located outside the camera, which is mainly used to emphasize the three-dimensional sense of the subject. Closer to the main body than the auxiliary flash. The auxiliary flash is installed on the camera (or camera position) to increase the illumination of the shadow part. The third flash is used to illuminate the background, or as a side light like a backlight.

At this time, the exposure mainly depends on the distance between the main light and the subject, and some adjustments are made with reference to the auxiliary light if necessary. Backlight does not affect the exposure of the subject. In the calculation, the aperture value is calculated by the flash index of the main and auxiliary lamps and their respective distances from the subject. If there are two or more aperture differences between them, they should be exposed at a smaller aperture (that is, the aperture of the main light). If the aperture difference is 1/2 to 1.5, you need to reduce the exposure of 1/2 on the basis of a smaller aperture. And if the two are equal, the exposure will be smaller by an aperture.

Sometimes, in order to shoot with a smaller aperture, several flashlights can be overlapped to illuminate a subject. The lighting distance and luminous quantity of each lamp shall be equal, and the aperture value shall be calculated according to the following formula:

Flash index

Aperture of overlapping illumination of two lamps = 1.4x- 1.

distance

Flash index

Aperture of overlapping illumination of four lamps = 2. Ox.

distance

For example, two flashlights, with a flash index of 400, are 36 feet apart. The calculation is as follows:

celebrity

Aperture = 1.4x-= f/ 15.4 or f/ 16.

36

In some occasions with large shooting range, several flashlights are used to illuminate different parts respectively. In this way, there is basically no overlapping lighting phenomenon. The key to correct exposure at this time is to make the distance from each lamp to the subject equal. The specific calculation method is the same as that of single lamp. The flash closest to the camera flashes synchronously with the shutter, while others rely on the sensor to flash. Of course, all the lights must be placed behind various scenes, not in front of the camera.

Outdoor auxiliary flash lamp

When shooting in sunlight, overhead light and backlight, the flash can be used as auxiliary light to reduce the light ratio. This is especially suitable for portrait photography, which can not only improve the lighting effect, but also help to express the vivid and natural facial expressions of the characters.

The amount of auxiliary light should be appropriate, and all shadows should not be knocked out, otherwise it will be unnatural. The distance data provided in the attached table 1 is based on the light ratio of 3: 1. To reduce the light ratio to 2: 1, just reduce the distance in the table by one third. If you want to rise to 5: 1, you only need to increase the distance by one third. Attached Table 2 lists various exposure value of auxiliary flash. Auxiliary flash, like forward flash, mainly depends on film sensitivity, shutter speed and aperture value. Under the condition of constant exposure, changing different combinations of speed and aperture can make you change the distance from the subject while maintaining the same light ratio. In the table, the reference exposure of smooth light is based on the reciprocal of film sensitivity and shutter speed, and the aperture is f/ 16.

Since the maximum synchronization speed of most focal plane shutters and electronic flashlights is 1/60 seconds (some can reach 1/250 seconds), it can be seen from the table that the distance range that can be successfully used as auxiliary flashlights is limited. If the blade shutter uses a high-light electronic flash, the effective distance above it will be much larger. For example, the flash emits 2800BCPS, and the light ratio is 3: 1. As can be seen from the table, you can choose different shutter speeds in the range of 6 to 24 feet. If the flashlight is covered with a white handkerchief, it can be used at half the distance of schedule 1.

The specific usage of the attached table is as follows:

1. According to the flash index of the flash used, find the corresponding column from the attached table 1.

2. Choose a suitable distance to the right.

3. Find the upward speed corresponding to this distance.

4. According to the above shutter speed and the sensitivity of the film used, find out the aperture value of correct exposure from Table 2.

5. According to the above speed, aperture and distance, use flash as auxiliary light to shoot.

The exposure of the auxiliary flash can also be determined without a timetable. The first method:

1. Use the exposure meter to measure the correct exposure of the object in the sun, and choose the shutter speed that can be synchronized with the flash (for example, the focal plane shutter is usually below 1/60s). According to this speed, find the aperture value from the exposure meter.

2. Find the flash index from the flash or film instructions.

3. The flash index divided by the aperture value is the distance between the flash and the subject at the light ratio of 2: 1.

4. If you want to change the light ratio, you can convert the above distances as follows: distance X 1.5= light ratio distance 3: 1, distance x 2.0- light ratio distance 5: 1. The light ratio of color film should be 2: 1 or 3:1; Black and white film is 3: 1 to 5: 1.

The second method:

1. Divide the flash index by the distance from the flash to the subject to get the required aperture value.

2. Reduce the aperture by one step, and the light ratio is 3:1; Take the second gear, and the light ratio is 5: 1.

3. Use the exposure meter to measure the exposure value in the sunlight at that time, and then find out the required shutter speed according to the selected aperture. If the speed can be synchronized with the flash, press this button. If not, properly change the distance between the lamp and the main body to obtain the required aperture and speed.

On-site lighting plus flash

When shooting indoors with a flash, the brightness of the flash often exceeds the brightness of the scene light, exposing the traces of artificial light, which is not conducive to the real atmosphere of the photo. In order to avoid this phenomenon, we can choose a lower shutter speed and add a medium gray filter in front of the flash (not in front of the lens) to reduce the light intensity. When the light intensity decreases, a larger aperture can be used. A larger aperture and a lower shutter speed can give the spotlight more time to illuminate the photosensitive film. So as to make the photos look more natural.

76. Techniques and settings for shooting night scenes

First, the characteristics of night photography

1, the subject is prominent and the theme is distinct.

Night photography, because the sky is dark, some unnecessary or even destructive scenes are covered by darkness, and the main part of the subject or scene is highlighted with appropriate lighting because of the need of shooting, giving people a vivid impression. For example, when shooting a construction site, it is difficult to avoid some messy deposits or dilapidated sheds in the daytime, but at night, most of these things are hidden in the dark, but the subject is easily highlighted by the light. It can be seen that night photography has the characteristics of prominent subject and distinct theme.

The author of this article has no pictures, and the picture author: Luo Degang)

2. Exaggerate the scenery and render the atmosphere

Night photography, because of its unique shooting method and tone processing technique, has the specialty of exaggerating scenery and rendering atmosphere. It can use light to create a tone, exaggerate the scenery, make them more prominent than the real scenery, and have a strong appeal. In addition, it can also use special shooting technology, make full use of the characteristics of the surrounding environment and render it reasonably, so that the atmosphere of the shooting scene is very strong.

For example, shooting the train station during the day, the picture is not lively, there are not many trains, and the atmosphere is not strong. If you shoot at night, you can use the method of multiple exposures to open the shutter every time the train comes, so that bright locomotive lights can stay on the picture, thus obtaining the busy effect of train operation.