Lessons
Class Introduction
17:26 2Welcome to Photography
13:08 3Camera Types Overview
02:00 4Viewing Systems
28:43 5Viewing Systems Q&A
08:45 6Lens Systems
32:06 7Shutter Systems
13:17 8Shutter Speeds
10:47Choosing a Shutter Speed
31:30 10Shutter Speeds for Handholding
08:36 11Shutter Speed Pop Quiz
09:06 12Camera Settings
25:35 13General Camera Q&A
14:38 14Sensor Sizes: The Basics
15:33 15Sensor Sizes: Compared
19:10 16Pixels
20:13 17ISO
21:13 18Sensor Q&A
13:34 19Focal Length: Overview
11:09 20Focal Length: Angle of View
15:09 21Wide Angle Lenses
08:48 22Telephoto Lenses
25:23 23Angle of View Q&A
09:29 24Fish Eye Lenses
10:39 25Tilt & Shift Lenses
23:42 26Subject Zone
17:19 27Lens Speed
09:56 28Aperture Basics
08:46 29Depth of Field
21:49 30Aperture Pop Quiz
13:23 31Lens Quality
18:30 32Photo Equipment Life Cycle
03:57 33Light Meter Basics
09:25 34Histogram
15:25 35Histogram Pop Quiz and Q&A
10:58 36Dynamic Range
06:03 37Exposure Modes
15:58 38Manual Exposure
09:38 39Sunny 16 Rule
05:54 40Exposure Bracketing
10:18 41Exposure Values
27:21 42Exposure Pop Quiz
26:43 43Focus Overview
16:15 44Focusing Systems
05:15 45Autofocus Controls
11:56 46Focus Points
07:35 47Autofocusing on Subjects
20:19 48Manual Focus
07:52 49Digital Focusing Assistance
03:40 50Focus Options: DSLR and Mirrorless
04:58 51Shutter Speeds for Sharpness and DoF
05:20 52Depth of Field Pop Quiz
12:14 53Depth of Field Camera Features
04:54 54Lens Sharpness
09:58 55Camera Movement
05:20 56Handheld and Tripod Focusing
04:32 57Advanced Techniques
07:12 58Hyperfocal Distance
06:50 59Hyperfocal Quiz and Focusing Formula
04:36 60Micro adjust and AF Fine Tune
05:34 61Focus Stacking and Post Sharpening
06:00 62Focus Problem Pop Quiz
18:07 63The Gadget Bag: Camera Accessories
25:30 64The Gadget Bag: Lens Accessories
12:46 65The Gadget Bag: Neutral Density Filter
20:43 66The Gadget Bag: Lens Hood and Teleconverters
08:55 67The Gadget Bag: Lens Adapters
05:43 68The Gadget Bag: Lens Cleaning Supplies
04:34 69The Gadget Bag: Macro Lenses and Accessories
15:57 70The Gadget Bag: Flash and Lighting
05:08 71The Gadget Bag: Tripods and Accessories
18:50 72The Gadget Bag: Custom Cases
11:20 7310 Thoughts on Being a Photographer
07:37 74Direct Sunlight
25:04 75Indirect Sunlight
18:49 76Sunrise and Sunset
18:39 77Cloud Light
14:48 78Golden Hour
09:50 79Light Pop Quiz
07:53 80Light Management
14:00 81Artificial Light
13:56 82Speedlights
16:02 83Off-Camera Flash
27:38 84Advanced Flash Techniques
09:49 85Editing Overview
08:24 86Editing Set-up
08:06 87Importing Images
16:45 88Best Use of Files and Folders
20:54 89Culling
20:56 90Develop: Fixing in Lightroom
18:13 91Develop: Treating Your Images
10:53 92Develop: Optimizing in Lightroom
14:51 93Art of Editing Q&A
06:01 94Composition Overview
06:53 95Photographic Intrusions
10:10 96Mystery and Working the Scene
16:18 97Point of View
09:11 98Better Backgrounds
16:02 99Unique Perspective
11:02 100Angle of View
15:06 101Subject Placement
41:14 102Subject Placement Q&A
05:18 103Panorama
07:39 104Multishot Techniques
13:57 105Timelapse
16:13 106Human Vision vs The Camera
20:07 107Visual Perception
08:35 108Visual Balance Test
22:56 109Visual Drama
12:25 110Elements of Design
28:57 111The Photographic Process
12:28 112Working the Shot
27:38 113The Moment
04:42 114One Hour Photo - Colby Brown
1:04:32 115One Hour Photo - John Keatley
1:03:05 116One Hour Photo - Art Wolfe
59:01 117One Hour Photo - Rocco Ancora
1:01:20 118One Hour Photo - Mike Hagen
1:01:20 119One Hour Photo - Lisa Carney
1:00:52 120One Hour Photo - Ian Shive
1:08:00 121One Hour Photo - Sandra Coan
1:10:29 122One Hour Photo - Daniel Gregory
1:06:07 123One Hour Photo - Scott Robert Lim
1:05:41Lesson Info
Focus Points
Alright, let's move onto focusing points. Where we focus in the frame. Now, to start with, I'm talking about SLRs for the most part. There is a fair bit that applies to mirrorless cameras, but I will address mirrorless cameras specifically after this. The SLRs have specific points where you can focus. The first auto-focus camera I had, the first ones that came out, had one focusing point in the middle. And now, they just introduced a new one, I'm trying to remember the number, it's like 73 focusing points that they have. A number of the better ones have 50 to 60 focusing points on them. Oh wait, no, it's 173 focusing points. I think that's the newest Nikons that just came out. 173. Alright, so if you frame up your subject like this, and you have nine focusing points where these boxes are, your camera will not be able to focus. Because remember your camera has to be in focus, and there is nothing in here. There's no lines, no contrast, in which for your camera to focus. And so you need ...
to point it at something that has contrast. So there's some really good lines in this composition to focus on. The problem is, is that in this particular case, none of those lines match up with where those boxes are. So if you're not paying attention, you'll point your camera at this, and you'll think, well I should be able to focus on this. But if that's not where those boxes are, you're not gonna be able to focus. And so you have to be very precise about what is behind those brackets. And so do you think you can focus on this? Yes, we've got great lines in which to focus on that tree. Trunk is a perfect line in which to focus on. So that's a great element to choose as your focusing point. Alright, so you need something of contrast in there to focus on. Now, this would be the perfect thing to focus on, if you had a black and white cross like this. That would be the easiest thing to focus on. If it's in between, you can't focus on it. Now in some cases, there are horizontal line focus ... Horizontal focusing point lines, which will only pick up horizontal lines. And if you stick a vertical line through it, it won't do anything. And so this is one of those areas where you need to understand the focusing system on your camera. And it's different on virtually all of the SLRs out there. A lot of times the points above and below the middle point, are only vertical focus points. They'll only recognize a vertical line. And they won't recognize a horizontal line. If you were to tilt the camera 45 degrees, you could probably focus on that line, because it doesn't really care what that line really is. It's in relationship to the camera. Now virtually all cameras for the last 10 years or so, maybe 15 years or so, have had cross type focusing points in the middle, which means you can focus on horizontal lines, and you can focus on vertical lines, equally easily and well. And so what that means, is that for most all of us who have SLRs, the center focusing point is probably the most sensitive to different types of subject. And so that's why so many serious photographers use just the center focusing point on their camera. Alright, so. Cameras these days have more than one focusing point. The most basic of them will have somewhere around nine. Most of the basic ones actually today, are gonna have somewhere around 15, 19, or 20 focusing points. The more focusing points, the more options we have. So one of the options that they come set to, as you get them out of the box from the factory, is all bracket focus. So we have to think about this. If we have all brackets, in this case we're just very simplified, just doing nine points. And each one of these points is landing at something a different distance from the camera, what happens? And I'll just remind you, that when you focus your lens, you are focusing on exactly one point in space out in front of you. You can't focus at one foot, and two feet at the same time. It's one exact distance from the camera. You can have different depth ... You can have a variety of depth of field, but as far as the center of the focusing point, there's only one. And it can't choose nine, alright? And so the way that all of the systems have been programmed to work, is to focus on the middle, or excuse me, focusing on the closest focusing point. So in this example, you can see slightly over on the left, that's what it's focusing on. And so, it's not the back. It's not an average of them. It's whatever is focusing closest to you. Because, in general, we don't like things that are real close to the camera that are out of focus. And so if that's not what you want to focus on, you're gonna have to go in, and select an individual point on your own. And so you should know how to go into your camera, and select a single focusing point, so that you can choose some place else to focus. And you can select any one of the points. If you have 50 points in your camera, you will be able to select any one of those 50 points to focus on. But as I said, the center focusing point in every camera that I've seen, is the best and most sensitive. It's not that it's more accurate. In some cases it is. But it's, they're all accurate. It's just that it's the most sensitive to different light levels, and different lines as far as horizontal lines, and vertical lines. In many of the medium to higher end cameras, you will also have an option that I, just me, generically call a wide point. Sometimes called a group point, or a zone, there's a variety of names that it goes by, and what this is, is it's one point in the middle, and it's a bunch of surrounding points. It might be four, or nine, or 19 points. It varies from camera to camera. And, this can be very helpful for action photography, as we'll talk more about here in a moment. So on some of the fancier cameras, the all bracket focus will have 61 focusing points, and then the same thing is true. The camera wants to focus on whatever is closest to you. And that is usually the lights in your camera that light up. If you've ever wondered, why do certain boxes turn on, that's what the camera has chosen to focus on. Because it thinks that they're all equal distance, and they're the closest items to you, within the group of focusing points. And so you can choose more points, and you can choose exactly where they are, the more points you have, which is nice. And you'll often have a little bit better control over the wide point, as to whether it has five, or nine, or 12, or some other number of focusing points, and you'll be able to move those around, depending on the exact camera you have. Once again, this is mostly for the SLRs. A lot of this generically somewhat applies to mirrorless cameras. So, if you have an SLR camera, make sure that you can change from a single point, to an all-points focusing, and that you can figure out how to choose where those individual points are. Now, some of your cameras will have group points, some of them won't. So that's something you're gonna have to check into yourself. And they are sometimes called group, zone, dynamic area, point expansion, and for sports photography, they are very nice.
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Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
Love love all John Greengo classes! Wish to have had him decades ago with this info, but no internet then!! John is the greatest photography teacher I have seen out there, and I watch a lot of Creative Live classes and folks on YouTube too. John is so detailed and there are a ton of ah ha moments for me and I know lots of others. I think I own 4 John Greengo classes so far and want to add this one and Travel Photography!! I just drop everything to watch John on Creative Live. I wish sometime soon he would teach a Lightroom class and his knowledge on photography post editing.!!! That would probably take a LOT OF TIME but I know John would explain it soooooo good, like he does all his Photography classes!! Thank you Creative Live for having such a wonderful instructor with John Greengo!! Make more classes John, for just love them and soak it up! There is soooo much to learn and sometimes just so overwhelming. Is there anyway you might do a Motivation class!!?? Like do this button for this day, and try this technique for a week, or post this subject for this week, etc. Motivation and inspiration, and playing around with what you teach, needed so much and would be so fun.!! Just saying??? Awaiting gadgets class now, while waiting for lunch break to be over. All the filters and gadgets, oh my. Thank you thank you for all you teach John, You are truly a wonderful wonderful instructor and I would highly recommend folks listening and buying your classes.
Eve
I don't think that adjectives like beautiful, fantastic or excellent can describe the course and classes with John Greengo well enough. I've just bought my first camera and I am a total amateur but I fell in love with photography while watching the classes with John. It is fun, clear, understandable, entertaining, informative and and and. He is not only a fabulous photographer but a great teacher as well. Easy to follow, clear explanations and fantastic visuals. The only disadvantage I can list here that he is sooooo good that keeps me from going out to shoot as I am just glued to the screen. :-) Don't miss it and well worth the money invested! Thank you John!
Vlad Chiriacescu
Wow! John is THE best teacher I have ever had the pleasure of learning from, and this is the most comprehensive, eloquent and fun course I have ever taken (online or off). If you're even / / interested in photography, take this course as soon as possible! You might find out that taking great photos requires much more work than you're willing to invest, or you might get so excited learning from John that you'll start taking your camera with you EVERYWHERE. At the very least, you'll learn the fundamental inner workings and techniques that WILL help you get a better photo. Worried about the cost? Well, I've taken courses that are twice as expensive that offer less than maybe a tenth of the value. You'll be much better off investing in this course than a new camera or a new lens. I cannot reccomend John and this course enough!