Olympus E-420 - Manual (Page 34)

34
EN
2
Shooting guides
k
Improving your shooting skills
Using exposure compensation
When shooting flowers against a background, select as
simple a background as possible to bring out the shape and
color of the flower. When shooting bright and whitish
flowers, adjust the exposure compensation to – (minus) so
that the flower stands out from the darker background.
Changing shooting mode
The proper shooting method when taking pictures of flowers differs
depending on whether you want to emphasize a single flower or
capture a field of flowers. To change the focus area, set the camera
to A (aperture priority shooting) mode and select the aperture
value.
• When you open the aperture (decrease the aperture value), the
camera focuses within a shorter range (with a shallow depth of
field), emphasizing the subject against a blurred background.
• When you close the aperture (increase the aperture value), the
camera focuses over a wider range (with more depth of field),
producing a picture with both the foreground and background in
focus.
You can use the preview function to confirm the changes in the
depth of field when the aperture is changed.
Using live view
When using a conventional digital single-lens reflex camera with interchangeable lens
system, it was necessary to wait until after taking the picture to check the results of the
exposure compensation and white balance settings. With the live view function of this
camera, however, you can use the monitor to display and check the subject you want to
capture.
Changing lenses
When the blooming flowers are few and sparse, take the picture using a telephoto lens. With
a telephoto lens, you take pictures in which subjects at different distances appear closer
together, giving the impression of a more densely blooming flower field. Using the telescopic
feature of the zoom lens also achieves the same effect, but it is easier to achieve this effect
when the focal length of the lens is longer, such as 150 mm or 200 mm, rather than 54 mm.
g“Aperture priority shooting” (P. 43), “Using live view” (P. 36), “Exposure
compensation” (P. 48), “Selecting the white balance” (P. 60)
s0016_e_00_0_unified.book Page 34 Monday, February 18, 2008 2:43 PM