BEFORE



AFTER

Example of photo retouching and edit

ISO (International Organization for Standardization)

ISO, which is the abbreviation for International Organization for Standardization is an international organization composed of national standards bodies from over 75 countries. For example, ANSI (American National Standards Institute) is a member of ISO. ISO has defined a number of important computer standards, the most significant of which is perhaps OSI (Open Systems Interconnection), a standardized architecture for designing networks.

   When you do override your camera and choose a specific ISO you’ll notice that it impacts the aperture and shutter speed needed for a well exposed shot. For example – if you bumped your ISO up from 100 to 400 you’ll notice that you can shoot at higher shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures.

ISO at 200

ISO at 600

Shutter Speed

In photography and digital photography the shutter speed is the unit of measurement which determines how long shutter remains open as the picture is taken. The slower the shutter speed, the longer the exposure time. The shutter speed and aperture together control the total amount of light reaching the sensor. Shutter speed is measured in seconds, or in most cases fractions of seconds. The bigger the denominator the faster the speed (ie 1/1000 is much faster than 1/30). Mastery of how to manipulate the shutter speed on your camera can allow you to produce an image that conveys motion and freeze action amongst other abilities.

For more tips and tricks on how to manipulate shutter speed click on the link below
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-shutter-speed.htm


Here are a few examples of the shutter speed being manipulated:

APERTURE

   Aperture is the unit of measurement that defines the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken that can be adjusted to control the amount of light reaching the film or digital sensor. The size of the aperture is measured in F-stop. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers or f-stops. i.e. those little numbers engraved on the lens barrel like f22 (f/22),16 (f/16), f/11, f/8.0, f/5.6, f/4.0, f/2.8, f/2.0, f/1.8 etc.

   There's a simple, direct relationship between aperture and depth-of-field - the smaller the aperture, the more extensive the depth-of-field. So if you want to keep as much as possible sharp, you should set as small an aperture as possible - preferably f/16, or even f/22 if your lens offers it.
Depending on lighting conditions and your film stock, you may need to use a tripod or some other form of support at such small apertures, as the resulting long shutter speeds create a risk of camera-shake.

   If, however, you want to concentrate attention on just one part of the scene, and throw the rest out-of-focus, you should select a large aperture. Exactly how large this can be depends on the maximum aperture of the lens you're using. On a 50mm standard lens it will be f/1.7, f/1.8 or f/2, but on a standard zoom it will typically be f/3.5 or f/4.5.
For general picture-taking, when you want most of the picture to be in focus, you might want to set a middling aperture of around f/8 to f/11

Aperture at f/10

Aperture at f/5.0

Lighting

   The use of light in a photograph can be the deciding factor of whether that picture will be spectacular or terrible. When you use your camera to automatically chose aperture and shutter speed, what your camera is actually doing is using the built in light meter and measuring how much light is being reflected to the camera. But that doesn’t mean that’s all there is to it. You should also think about the angle of the light entering the frame, what kind of shadows you want, and whether you want to use fill-in-flash (using flash to light the subject if you have a really bright background). If you are shooting at night you can create all sorts of cool effects like lights in motion, pictures with moonlight, or silhouettes like the one shown here.

   For more on how to use light to achieve some amazing photography shots, clink on the link below
http://www.popphoto.com/gallery/top-10-photography-lighting-facts-you-should-know


Here is an example of using lighting in photography:

Cropping

   Often times the main subject of an image becomes lost in its background because of its size. By cropping the image, it essentially allows the removal of unwanted areas that distract from the main subject and can improve composition greatly. Successful cropping in photography can help to eliminate distracting parts of the photo and emphasize part of a photo more. You can achieve this by changing the orientation of the image from horizontal to vertical by turning your camera on its side in order to get a more compact feeling around the subject, going closer to the subject itself, or by using the zoom function on your camera to close in on the subject.

Here is an example of cropping in photography:



                                                                ORIGINAL PHOTO

CROPPED VERSION

Framing in Photography

   In photography, there are many objects that would make for perfect natural frames, such as trees, windows, archways, tunnels, doors and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition, you help to isolate the main subject from the outside world, which in turn acts as a border or frame for your subject. The frame directs the viewer’s attention to a particular subject or point of interest within the photograph. Frames also create perspective and show depth. The result is a more focused image which draws your eye naturally to the main point of interest.

   When trying to frame your composition you should be creative in what you use to frame your object. If possible use a symbolic object for framing your subject, something that has a meaning in relation to the subject. Always emphasize the subject, consider the depth of the shot and try as best to keep the camera's focusing and lighting sensors on the main subject. Sometimes it’s what you can’t see in an image that draws you into it as much as (if not more than) what you can see in the picture. Clever framing that leaves those viewing your image wondering a little or imagining what is behind your frame can be quite effective.


Here is an example of framing in photography: