aperture

the aperture affects the depth of field. it is the opening of the lens through which light passes. a lower f stop gives more exposure because it represents the larger aperture. a higher f stop gives less exposure because they represent the smaller aperture.

the 4 key factors that affect aperture are:

- f stop (f2.8 or f22)

- focal length, the longer the lens, the shallower depth of field 

- focal distance between the camera and subject

- physical depth to see the effects of depth of field

the wider the aperture, the narrower depth of field

the focal length determines depth of field

wide angle lenses often create deep depth of field which leaves your image sharp and clear

telephoto lenses create a shallow depth of field

references:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/understanding-maximum-aperture.html

in this clip, the aperture is set at f2.8 with a 50mm lens. this lens gives a more natural look to your photo or video. a 50mm lens has a fixed focal length.

in this clip, the aperture is set at f8 with a standard lens. this lens produces images that are similar to the human eye. it helps focus attention on the subject/object rather than distracting the viewer with an unusually distorted image.

in this clip. the aperture is set at f22 with a wide angle lens. this lens allows you to fit more in the frame which is good when shooting landscapes. it has a wider angle of view than a normal lens. they also typically have much closer minimum focusing distances which enable you to shoot and view a lot more in tight spaces. 

shutter speed

shutter speed is the length of a time the camera shutter is open, exposing light onto the camera sensor. the shutter speed should be at 1/50 when recording at 24 or 25 frames per second. 

using a higher shutter speed means more light will be captured in your image. whereas using a lower shutter speed means less light will be captured so your image will be darker. 

shutter speed also can be used to prevent blur. motion blur occurs when using a low shutter speed and having a moving object/subject like when shooting sports. anything that moves when an image is being taken will blur when the shutter is open. to avoid blur, the shutter speed should match the speed of what you're shooting. 

references:

https://www.creativelive.com/photography-guides/what-is-shutter-speed

the shutter speed used here is 1/30. in this clip, it is clear that a low shutter speed was used as the fan is slightly blurred. using a low shutter speed of 1/30 means that it takes longer for the shutter to close, this allows more light to be exposed. because the fan is moving, the long shutter speed will create motion blur when the shutter is open. 

the shutter speed used here is 1/50. by using a slightly higher shutter speed in this clip, parts of the fan are more visible and clear to see than the last clip. there is only a slight motion blur as the shutter is open because the shutter speed isn't high enough for it to be completely clear.

the shutter speed used here is 1/250. this clip is the most clear because of the high shutter speed. there is no motion blur in the fan, allowing us to see it better. because of the high shutter speed, blur is prevented leaving the video to be sharp. 

how and why lighting affects camera techniques

There are different lighting techniques such as hard lighting, low-key lighting and warm lighting. How you use these types of light can drastically change the mood of your film. 

Hard lighting is mostly used to fake daylight. It is created by one single point light source which means the light rays are pointing towards the subject at the same angle. A hard edge is created on the shadow because all light is travelling from the same angle. Hard lighting is useful in film noir especially when the filmmaker wants to create a silhouette with a sharp edge. 

Soft lighting is created by a broad light source as light is being sent in from all different angles. A soft roll out of light is created when the edge of the object is hit from all different angles at once. A softer shadow is created on the subject or object. When wanting less shadows, soft lighting is used as well as when you want make a subject look better as the lighting is not harsh on the face. 

References:

Marine, J. (2013) Basic lighting lesson: Understanding hard light and soft light. Available at: http://nofilmschool.com/2013/03/basic-lighting-lesson-hard-soft-light (Accessed: 13 September 2016).