Botanical Photography      
Introduction

The purpose of this tutorial is to show you the basics of photography for a primitive 35 mm camera (35 mm refers to the size of the film).

Modern cameras have a plethora of automatic functions which determine the camera settings for photographs. However, there may be conditions that befuddle automatic cameras. It is a good idea to understand the basic functions of a simple camera so that you can understand and override automated actions. Many automatic cameras have a manual mode which allows you to set the shutter speed and other parameters. Some automatic cameras have controls which allow you to alter exposure factors which regulate way in which the light meter responds to the subject. This empowers you to make lighter or darker pictures.

Modern cameras have highly complex electronics. These are designed to take photos in the park on Sunday afternoon rather than in a rainforest or the arctic tundra. Exposure to humid conditions can damage electrical circuits and destroy your camera. I have had my fancy camera repaired three times to no avail. Salt water is the greatest threat to standard cameras. Even a little bit of salt can render your lens useless! It is possible to obtain cameras that are designed for hostile environments but these are costly.  The camera I will use in this tutorial was purchased over ten years ago. It has been on many forays under extreme conditions and still works perfectly.

Digital cameras produce images that approach the quality of film. I have limited experience with these. They capture the subject digitally so that you can download images into computers. There are positive and negative features of digital camera which can restrict their use.