Arep MirzaPersonal archive 001
Notes / PhotographyTwelve visual references

Notes

Visual references for photography,
light, lenses, motion and color.

Exposure

Light / time / signal

01 / Light / depth

Aperture

An opening, a plane of focus. Hold the subject distance still.

Granite mountain ridge beneath a cloudy blue skyNear subject / distant background
Aperture / f-stop

f/1.4 · Shallow focus · More light

Depth illustration; brightness held constant. Actual depth also depends on distance and focal length.

02 / Time / movement

Shutter speed

The same movement. A different slice of time.

Shutter / seconds

1/60 s · Visible movement

Slow: longer trail. Fast: a frozen instant. Subject speed held constant.

03 / Signal / texture

ISO & noise

A closer look at signal, texture and available light.

Traffic light and roadside equipment in an urban settingDetail crop / illustrative sensor noise
Sensitivity / ISO

ISO 100 · Clean reference

A visual reference. Noise character and amount vary by camera, exposure and processing.

04 / Shadows / light

Histogram & exposure

Follow the light from shadow to highlight.

Harbour and offshore structures beneath a warm sunset skyRendered image / exposure approximation
Shadows / loadingHighlights / loading
Exposure compensation / EV

0 EV · Reference exposure

Histogram sampled from this photograph. Clipping refers to the rendered preview, not recoverable RAW data.

05 / Shadows / highlights

Dynamic range

Balance detail held in deep shadow and bright light.

Mount Kinabalu silhouetted beneath a warm sunset skyShadow / midtone / highlight reference
Capture exposure / EV
Shadow detailMore latitude
Highlight detailMore latitude
CaptureRecovery

0 EV · Balanced reference

Recovery is restrained and illustrative. Available RAW latitude depends on the capture and camera.

Lens & focus

View / distance / response

06 / Distance / frame

Focal length

One position. Four ways to frame it.

Traffic light and roadside equipment in an urban settingFixed viewpoint / full-frame illustration
Focal length / mm

24mm · Wide view · 74° horizontal

Illustrative crop, not recorded lens metadata. Perspective stays the same here; compression changes when camera position changes.

07 / Distance / focus

Depth of field

Aperture, focal length and distance shape the focus zone together.

Aperture
Focal length / mm
Subject distance

Moderate focus · Balanced zone · f/2.8 · 50mm · Medium subject

Conceptual range, not a depth-of-field calculator. Sensor size and viewing conditions also matter.

08 / Mode / area

Focus

Choose how focus responds, then decide where it may look.

Moving subject / universal focus reference
Focus mode
Focus area

AF-C · Follow · Zone area

09 / Sensor / field of view

Full frame & APS-C

The same lens. A smaller sensor records a narrower frame.

Traffic light and roadside equipment in an urban settingSame photograph / central crop reference
Sensor area
Lens / mm
FULL FRAMEAPS-C

Full frame · 35mm field of view

APS-C uses a smaller central sensor area. The lens remains 35mm; the field of view resembles about 52.5mm on full frame.

Light & color

Temperature / direction

10 / Temperature / tint

Color & white balance

A small shift can change the feeling of a frame.

Harbour and offshore structures beneath a warm sunset skyWhite balance / simulated adjustment
White balance / Kelvin

5200K · Reference balance · Tint 0

Same light: lower camera Kelvin cools the rendering; higher Kelvin warms it.

Color relationships

Opposite hues / quiet contrast

11 / Direction / form

Light direction

Move one light and watch shape, shadow and separation change.

One subject / one directional light
Light position

45° · Shape and separation

Frame

Ways of seeing

12 / Ways of seeing

Composition

Ways to look, rather than rules to follow.

Mount Kinabalu silhouetted beneath a warm sunset skyFraming references / illustrative overlays
Composition approach

Rule of Thirds · Explore the intersections