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1500 questions
21
votes
6 answers
Why is depth of field affected by focal length?
As the focal length decreases, the depth of field increases as well. Why is this? I'm not so much interested in a physics lesson as I am interested in a simple, down-to-earth explanation.
Daniel T.
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21
votes
5 answers
What is mirror lockup and what is its primary function?
My SLR is equipped with the mirror lockup function. What does it do, and when would I employ such a feature?
Canon Gangsta
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21
votes
9 answers
How to carry film through airports?
I had a business trip with some free time in the evening, so I took my photo gear with me, but on the last moment, decided to leave my film camera at home because I did not want to ruin the film with X-ray scans in airports. I wasn't going to stay…
Imre
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21
votes
2 answers
Where does the DSC file name prefix come from?
Without having a real problem with this, why did Nikon (maybe others too?) chose this file name prefix?
Andrei Rînea
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21
votes
5 answers
How do I select all pixels that match an exact color value in Adobe Photoshop?
Is there any way to select all pixels on the current layer that match a specific color value exactly?
My first instinct is Select > Color Range..., but I cannot determine how to input a specific pixel color by value, without knowing ahead of time…
user4517
21
votes
8 answers
Can digital cameras sign images to prove authenticity?
Beyond the metadata/EXIF/IPTC (which can be easily altered), is it possible to prove that an image is authentic? If this is not possible, how does a photojournalist prove the authenticity of an original image?
Can digital cameras sign images to…
dpollitt
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21
votes
3 answers
Why is there a mechanical shutter in a digital camera?
I understand that in a camera the diameter of shutter opening — the aperture — controls how much light comes in, and this affects the resulting exposure.
But I don't understand why, in a digital camera, the shutter needs to close and open when…
William C
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21
votes
2 answers
How to get rid of clothing marks in nude photography?
Clothing marks are very annoying in nude/erotic photography and demand a lot of work to remove them in Photoshop.
How do you get rid of them before starting the session? Do you allow the model to be naked 15 minutes earlier of the session and then…
Andres
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21
votes
3 answers
Do different "Picture styles" affect RAW output?
I was reading again the manual of my camera (Canon 50D, but I am sure that each DSLR offer the same kind of functionality, albeit I don't know the exact names adopted) and noticed the issue of Picture styles which I had overlooked in my first…
Francesco
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21
votes
4 answers
How does a lens affect the saturation of a picture?
In many reviews people describe how a lens can affect the saturation of a picture, especially when it comes down to a comparison of two similar lenses, e.g. 50mm 1.8 vs. 50mm 1.4 or something like that and they point out that one lens is delivering…
Dr.Elch
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21
votes
1 answer
What is the function of the tint slider in Lightroom?
In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (c) there's a Temp slider which controls the color temperature of the photo. To the left it creates a blue, cold looking image. To the right, an orange, warm image.
This is easy to understand and easy to use.
But then…
Andres
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21
votes
3 answers
What does it mean for light to be soft or hard?
I've heard of "soft lighting" and "hard lighting". What do these mean? How can I control how soft a light is?
Evan Krall
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21
votes
5 answers
Maximum useful resolution for scanning 35mm film
I have no particular project in mind so I'm just asking in order to have a better understanding:
Let's say I'm an artist shooting pictures with a 35mm camera and my point would be to make really big prints for an exhibition (let's say 1m x 1,5m).
If…
Bachir Messaouri
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21
votes
4 answers
Can a laser pointer damage the sensor in a digital camera?
I once experimented with standing in a dark room and directing a laser pointer towards my digital camera with a long shutter speed while moving the two about. I made a few images that way; one was quite satisfying once the colours were altered in…
vanden
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21
votes
4 answers
How do I "focus and recompose" using spot metering?
I usually use the "[auto]focus and recompose" method for taking candid photographs. In situations where there is a high degree of contrast, I would like to use spot metering to correct expose for skin-tones. However, when I do this using the focus…
fmark
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