Cheat sheet pocket card?

[hotmonkeyac]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has ever seen a little pocket card of general photography rules? Basically I've been reading Bryan Peterson's books and there are lots of good rules he defines. Such as:


Always use a tripod of your shutter speed is XXXX (some formula with your aperture - can't remember)
With larger apertures come faster shutter speeds
Where to take your meter readings from (for different types of lighting)
Shutter speeds for different situations (waterfalls, cars, etc)
....and so on and so forth. Basically what I'm looking for is like a "newbie's quick reference pocket guide" or something. Maybe even a website that has a bunch of beginner tips that I could print out and carry around. Anyone know of anything like this?

[matonanjin]

Shoot. shoot. Shoot. All of this will become 2nd nature after you have done it for a while. It will become intuitive. As an example you will just know that you need a fast shutter speed for sports.

[tonylong]

When I got my first DSLR I did something like that, just collected a few "things to remember" for myself and printed it out, stuck it in my camera bag along with my manual and quick reference guide for the camera.

It's not a bad idea, but truth be told I don't remember actually getting it out -- maybe once or twice, but that would be it:). Like the above, the more you shoot the more it becomes habit. Sure you'll occasionally forget to do something and kick yourself later, but hey that happens to everyone!

For a good reference, check out this sticky:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=414088

[mandt]

Someone had a sunny 16 rule pocket list that I remember coming across. It had a list of all the light conditions according to the Sunny 16 rule.

[Bill Roberts]

I can't remember seeing a pocket guide of basic rules. But honestly matonanjin is right, it really costs virtually nothing to shoot lots of frames with digital. But do take note of what works and what doesn't, and before you know it you'll be getting better and better.

You've no doubt heard the saying "practice makes perfect"... well, there's a lot of truth in it!

cheers

[tonylong]

Here's a cut-and-paste of the sunny 16 rundown (not sure who to credit):

Let's assume an F stop of f/8 and a ISO (film speed) of 400. Here's what these 10 light levels are and the shutter speed that would be needed.

A Sunny day outdoors — 1/2000 sec
A hazy bright day — 1/1000 sec
A bright cloudy day without shadows — 1/500 sec
An overcast day, or open shade on a sunny day — 1/250 sec
A heavily overcast day — 1/125 sec
Deep shade. The woods on an bright overcast day — 1/60 sec
Just before a thunderstorm or late on a heavily overcast day — 1/30 sec
A brightly lit store interior — 1/15th sec
A well lit stage or sports arena — 1/8th sec
A well lit home interior — 1/4 sec

[hotmonkeyac]

Here's a cut-and-paste of the sunny 16 rundown (not sure who to credit):

Let's assume an F stop of f/8 and a ISO (film speed) of 400. Here's what these 10 light levels are and the shutter speed that would be needed.

A Sunny day outdoors — 1/2000 sec
A hazy bright day — 1/1000 sec
A bright cloudy day without shadows — 1/500 sec
An overcast day, or open shade on a sunny day — 1/250 sec
A heavily overcast day — 1/125 sec
Deep shade. The woods on an bright overcast day — 1/60 sec
Just before a thunderstorm or late on a heavily overcast day — 1/30 sec
A brightly lit store interior — 1/15th sec
A well lit stage or sports arena — 1/8th sec
A well lit home interior — 1/4 sec

Very nice! More little info sheets like this would be awesome!

[chauncey]

Had one once, haven't used it since I got live view.

All I do is shoot manual like this...dial in SS that you need based on activity and light, add f/stop required and then adjust ISO as low as possible.

You have an advantage with live view in that it's now easy to expose to the right and/or keep that critter properly exposed. Now it's simple to adjust parameters and see real time effects.

[tonylong]

I should say that the above list applies mainly to still/scene/landscape types of shots -- no moving subject and a tripod when the shutter speeds get slow (it assumes f/8 at ISO 400).

The problem with doing something more comprehensive is that there are too many variables. Think #possible_shutter_speeds * #Possible_apertures * #possible_ISOs and you come up with a large number that represents the many varied possibility of scene/subject matter/conditions. Not a cheat sheet!

So, you want to learn how to ask yourself what shutter speed do you need for what you are shooting (action? wildlife? landscape?) then decide what aperture will get the depth of field you want or allow, say, a faster shutter speed, then adjust your ISO to obtain the right exposure.

With practice, you will think less of lists, more of getting the shot. The sunny 16 rule is one possible starting point, but it's still up to you to do the thinking.

[PhotosGuy]

So, you want to learn how to ask yourself what shutter speed do you need for what you are shooting (action? wildlife? landscape?) then decide what aperture will get the depth of field you want or allow, say, a faster shutter speed, then adjust your ISO to obtain the right exposure. It works for me: Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)