K.I.S.S.
(Keep It Simply Simple)

FOR A REALLY GREAT SHOT - A ONE OF A KIND
A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW.
TECHNIQUE, COMPOSITION AND AN ARTFUL EYE
ALL PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES.

BUT THE ONE THING THAT AFFECTS THE OVERALL IMAGE
MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS, YOU’LL FIND
IS EXPOSURE AND LIGHT - IT MUST BE JUST RIGHT
OR TO THE TRASH YOUR SLIDES WILL BEE-LINE.

A CAMERA YOU’RE TOLD WILL DO JUST GREAT
LEFT ON AUTOMATIC YOU’ll MISS NOT A SHOT.
BUT WE’RE HERE TO EXPLAIN THAT THE CAMERA’S TO BLAME
FOR THE TOO DARK OR TOO LIGHT SHOTS THAT YOU GOT.

WHAT YOU SELDOM LEARN ABOUT is the most important feature
For any photographer to know.
The metering systems within most cameras
Can only read medium tones.

They all have TTL, Reflective light meters
That limit their ability to see.
The whole world appears as a medium tone
If you let the camera determine what’s to be.

Cameras don’t see blacks
They don’t see whites.
They can’t see darks
And They can’t see lights.

So as you can see, without a little help
From the person behind the lens,
A camera left in an automatic mode
Creates pictures that’ll often make you cringe.

And on those occasions, while left on automatic
Some pictures come out just fine,
You probably were pointing at medium tones
Even the camera is correct 60ish% of the time.

LIFE IS OF COLORS AND COLORS HAVE TONES
AND KNOWING THEM IS A MUST.
FOR MEDIUM TONES THERE IS NOTHING TO KNOW
LEAVE THEM ALONE AND MAKE NOT A FUSS.

IF A TONE IS DARK TAKE AWAY A STOP (-)
OR THE CAMERA WILL MAKE IT TOO LIGHT.
IF THE TONE IS LIGHT JUST ADD A STOP (+)
THEN THE IMAGE WILL BE JUST RIGHT.

F STOPS CONTROL EXACTLY THOSE THINGS
THAT WILL BE IN OR OUT OF FOCUS.
IMAGES MUST BE SHARP, ESPECIALLY THE EYES,
WILDFLOWERS, FIELDS OR CROCUS.

THE MOVEMENT OF A CAT, HORSE OR BAT,
WATER, PEOPLE OR THE BREEZE
CAN EASILY BE STOPPED AND MADE CRISP AND SHARP
WITH A CONTROL CALLED SHUTTER SPEED.

TAKE FOR EXAMPLE A WATERFALL
CASCADING OVER STONES WITH A SPLASH.
TO KEEP THE WATER SHARP AND SUSPEND ITS ACTION
THE SHUTTER SPEED NEEDS BE RATHER FAST.

BUT TO CREATE THE SOFT LOOK OF A COTTONY CLOUD
THE ONE LESSON YOU MUST KNOW
IS TO LEAVE THE SHUTTER OPEN A WEE BIT LONGER
BY MAKING YOUR SHUTTER SPEED SLOW.

SO NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW TO CONTROL
DEPTH OF FIELD, MOTION AND LIGHT,
PRIORITIZING F STOPS AND SHUTTER SPEEDS AS NEEDED
SHOULD BE EASY TO GET JUST RIGHT.

IF YOUR MAIN SUBJECT MIGHT MOVE JUST AS YOU CLICK,
THEN SHUTTER SPEED’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PICK.
YOU MUST STOP THAT MOVEMENT FOR SURE
OR YOUR SUBJECT WILL BE A BIG BLURRRRR.

1/125 IS GOOD IF THE ACTION IS SORTA SLOW.
BUT 1/250 WILL STOP THINGS GOING FASTER.
1/500 ON UP FREEZES VERY FAST MOTION.
THE MOVEMENT YOU’LL SURELY CAPTURE.

FOR GOOD DEPTH IN SCENICS, WILDFLOWERS OR CLOSE-UPS
WHERE MOVEMENT IS NOT A CONCERN,
THE F STOP WOULD BE THE VERY BEST CHOICE.
IF IT’S NOT, A SAD LESSON YOU’LL LEARN.

F/STOPS ARE WEIRD, THEY SEEM ALL ASKEW
LARGE NUMBERS FOR LESS AND SMALL ONES FOR MORE
F/16 ALLOWS FOR LOTS TO BE IN FOCUS
WHILE VERY LITTLE WILL BE SHARP WITH F/4

EXPERIMENT A LOT, FILM IS CHEAP
WHEN CONSIDERING THE COST OF THE GEAR.
IF IN DOUBT TAKE A CHANCE - GO FOR THE SHOT
MAKE IT YOU NOT THE CAMERA IN CHARGE HERE.

IF YOU TAKE TIME TO COMPOSE, TO THINK AND SEE
THEN YOUR COMPOSITION JUST CAN’T MISS.
EMPHASIS YOUR SUBJECT AND AVOID CLUTTER
AND DON’T FORGET TO K.I.S.S.

© Bill and Linda Lane, Nature's Image

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