Collecting data with your sensor: How to give yourself the best possible files when out in the field

 

 

When you are out in the field, are you a photographer or a data collector? Blake Rudis of f64 Academy considers himself both, perhaps tending more toward the latter. What does it mean to collect data using your camera?

When you capture an image using a digital camera, the sensor captures a lot of data. Light data, color data, etc., and then you can manipulate the data captured in the image file to create your final processed image. That doesn't mean you can collect data however you want with your camera, however, there are tradeoffs and sacrifices you necessarily make in certain situations. There's only so much a digital sensor can capture. How can you get the most of your own gear?

Experimentation is key. You need to become familiar with your own gear. For example, at what ISO can you still produce what you consider to be a usable final image? What does your histogram need to look like in the field for you to be able to salvage highlight detail or rescue shadow detail? Are there any shutter speeds where your camera might be more prone to some form of shutter shock? Are there certain colors your camera tends to struggle with? These are all important questions you need to answer with your own camera so you can better determine how to "collect data" out in the field and arm yourself with the best possible files.

(Via f64 Academy)