← Ask the mentor
Creative Hut Library
Every guide from Creative Hut Academy, grouped by what you want to learn.
Photography basics
How a camera sees
Start here: learner
How a Camera Forms an Image
Read the full guideHow does the human eye form an image?How does a camera copy the eye?What are the seven stages of image formation in a camera?Where does the eye and camera comparison break down?What does sensor size change?What is the difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera?What is computational photography?History and Evolution of Photography
Read the full guideHow did people first see an image of the world?Who made the first photograph and how was it fixed?How did photography become reproducible?How did photography reach everyone?How did colour photography develop?How did the camera body develop?How did digital photography begin?What changed with mirrorless cameras and computation?What are the eight eras of photography?Exposure and focus: photographer
Exposure Explained
Read the full guideWhat is exposure?What are underexposure, overexposure and correct exposure?What is the exposure triangle?What is a stop of light?How do I balance aperture, shutter speed and ISO for the same exposure?What are the automatic and scene modes?What are Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Program modes?What are Manual, Bulb and custom modes?Which exposure mode should I use?What is exposure compensation, and when do I use it?What is exposure bracketing?What is HDR photography, and how does bracketing help?How is exposure controlled in cinematography?What is aperture?
Read the full guideWhat is aperture, and what does it do?What is a diaphragm, and how does it work?What is the difference between absolute and relative aperture?How is the f-number written, and why does a bigger number mean a smaller opening?Why does each f-stop multiply by 1.4 and not by 2?What are full, half and third stops of aperture?What is effective aperture?What is lens speed, and what does maximum aperture mean?How do I set the aperture on my camera?What is the difference between an f-stop and a T-stop?Does a smaller aperture always make a sharper picture?How does aperture affect depth of field?How do cinematographers use aperture?What is shutter speed?
Read the full guideWhat is shutter speed, and what does it do?How does the shutter work, and what are the types of shutter?How is shutter speed written, and what do the numbers mean?What are full, half and third stops of shutter speed?How does shutter speed control exposure?How does shutter speed freeze or blur motion?Which shutter speed should I use for different subjects?What shutter speed is safe for handheld photos?What is image stabilisation, and what does 5-axis stabilisation mean?What is long exposure photography, and how do you do it?What is panning, and which shutter speed does it need?Why is there a flash sync speed, and what is rolling shutter?What is shutter angle, and which shutter speed should I use for video?Why do lights flicker on camera, and which shutter speed avoids it?How do shutter speed, aperture and ISO work together, and how do I set shutter speed?ISO Explained
Read the full guideWhat is ISO, and what does it do?What does ISO stand for, and where does it come from?How is the ISO scale written, and what is a stop of ISO?How does ISO change the brightness of a picture?What happens inside the camera when I raise ISO?What are base ISO, native ISO and extended ISO?What is noise, and what causes it?How can I reduce noise in my pictures?Which ISO should I use in different light?What is Auto ISO, and how do I set ISO on my camera?What is the highest ISO I should use?How do ISO, aperture and shutter speed work together?What is ISO in cinematography, and what are base ISO and exposure index?Reciprocity and Equivalent Exposure
Read the full guideWhat is the law of reciprocity in photography?What is equivalent exposure?How do I work out an equivalent exposure?Do equivalent exposures look the same?What is reciprocity failure?How do I correct a long exposure on film?Do digital cameras have reciprocity failure?How do ND filters use reciprocity?How can I practise reciprocity?The Sunny 16 Rule and Exposure Value
Read the full guideWhat is the Sunny 16 rule?How does Sunny 16 change with the weather?How do I use Sunny 16 with another ISO or shutter speed?What is exposure value (EV)?How do I read an EV chart?What EV numbers match common light?How does ISO change EV?How is Sunny 16 linked to EV 15?What is light value (LV)?What is the difference between EV 15 and +1 EV compensation?How can I practise Sunny 16 and EV?How Metering Works
Read the full guideWhat is metering in photography?What is the difference between reflected and incident light metering?How does a camera measure light?Why does my camera make snow look grey?What are the metering modes in a camera?How does matrix (evaluative) metering work?What is centre-weighted metering?When should I use spot or partial metering?How do I meter a backlit or high-contrast scene?How do I focus on one area and meter from another?How do I correct a wrong meter reading?How is light measured in cinematography?How can I practise metering?What is depth of field?
Read the full guideWhat is depth of field, and what does it do?What is the circle of confusion?What are the plane of focus and the near and far limits?What are the types of depth of field?What factors affect depth of field?How does aperture change depth of field?How does focal length change depth of field?How does subject distance change depth of field?How does sensor size change depth of field?Is the sharp zone really one third in front and two thirds behind?What is hyperfocal distance, and how do you use it?How do you calculate depth of field?How do photographers and cinematographers control depth of field?How Focus Works
Read the full guideWhat is focus?What are the types of focus in filmmaking?How does autofocus work?What are the focus modes?What are focus points and AF area modes?How do aperture and light affect autofocus?How do I focus by hand and lock focus?Where should I focus: hyperfocal distance and the one-third rule?Lenses and sensors: cinematographer
Focal Length Explained
Read the full guideWhat is focal length?What is angle of view?What is crop factor and how do I find the equivalent focal length?Does focal length change perspective?What are the standard focal length ranges?Should I use a prime lens or a zoom lens?Which focal length suits each kind of photography?Camera Sensor Explained
Read the full guideWhat is a camera sensor?How does one pixel work?What is the difference between a CCD and a CMOS sensor?How does a sensor see colour?Do bigger pixels and bigger sensors give better pictures?What are backside illumination, stacked sensors and rolling shutter?What happens to the signal after the sensor?Which sensor features matter for each kind of photography?How a Camera Lens Works
Read the full guideHow does a lens bend light?How did photographic lens design develop?Why does a lens have so many elements?What do lens coatings, filters and hoods do?How do focus motors and image stabilisation work?What is a lens mount and why does flange distance matter?How do I read lens markings and look after a lens?Which lens features matter for each kind of photography?Lens Distortion and Aberration
Read the full guideWhat are lens distortion and lens aberration?What are barrel, pincushion and moustache distortion?What is perspective distortion?What is chromatic aberration?What are spherical aberration, coma, astigmatism and field curvature?What is vignetting?How can you reduce distortion and aberration?What do ED, ASPH and APO on a lens mean?Colour: photographer and cinematographer
Colour Schemes and Harmonies
Read the full guideWhat is a colour scheme?What are monochromatic and analogous schemes?What are complementary and split complementary schemes?What are triadic and tetradic schemes?What are neutral colours and how do they work with a scheme?How do I find and build a scheme from a photograph?How do photographers and cinematographers use colour schemes?White Balance and Colour Temperature
Read the full guideWhy do my photos look orange or blue?What is colour temperature?What is white balance?What do the white balance presets do?How do I set a custom white balance?What about mixed light and creative white balance?How do cinematographers handle colour temperature?Colour Spaces: sRGB, Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB
Read the full guideWhat is a colour space?What is sRGB and when should I use it?What is Adobe RGB and who needs it?What is ProPhoto RGB?Does the camera colour space matter for RAW and JPEG?Where do I set the colour space on my camera?How is colour space different from white balance and picture styles?Which colour space should I choose, and what goes wrong with the wrong one?Picture Styles and Camera Calibration
Read the full guideWhat is a picture style, and what do makers call it?What does each camera maker call a picture style?What settings can I change in a picture style?What do the preset styles do?What does the Monochrome style offer?Can I make my own picture style?What are camera profiles and calibration?How do cinematographers use picture styles and flat looks?Visual literacy: composition
Golden Ratio
Read the full guideWhat is the golden ratio?What is the Fibonacci sequence?What are the golden rectangle and the golden spiral?What are the phi grid and the golden triangle?How do I use the golden ratio when I shoot?Is the golden ratio really more beautiful?How is the golden ratio used in logo design?Gestalt Principles
Read the full guideWhat is Gestalt psychology?What are figure and ground?What is the principle of proximity?What is the principle of similarity?What is the principle of continuity?What is the principle of closure?What is the principle of common fate?What are simplicity and the newer principles?How do I use the principles, and where do they fail?Rule of Space, Depth and Odds
Read the full guideWhat are positive and negative space?What is the rule of space?What are headroom, looking room and lead room?How do overlap and light and shadow create depth?How do placement and size show distance?How do value, focus and perspective add depth?What is the rule of odds, and does it work?What is a frame within a frame?What is filling the frame, and when should you break these guidelines?Semiotics
Read the full guideWhat is semiotics?What are signs, codes and culture?What did Saussure say about the sign?What did Peirce say about signs?What did Barthes add: denotation, connotation and myth?How do I read a photograph with semiotics?How does advertising use signs?What are the limits of semiotics?Image science and storage: researcher
Image File Formats
Read the full guideWhat is an image file format?What are compressed and uncompressed image files?What are the RAW formats of each camera company?What is DNG and Apple ProRAW?What are JPEG and JPG?What are PNG, GIF, TIFF and BMP?What are WebP, HEIF, HEIC and AVIF?What are the RAW formats in cinema cameras?Which format should you use?Storing and Backing Up Photos
Read the full guideWhat is the saving workflow?What kinds of storage are there?How should you name folders and files?What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?What is the difference between a backup and an archive?How does cloud storage work?How would you plan storage for a wedding shoot?Science of light
Understand the light
The Cycle of Light
Read the full guideHow does light change through the day?What are dawn, dusk and the three twilights?What is the light like at each time of day?How much light is there through a sunny day?How do the seasons change the light?How does weather change the light?What is the difference between continuous and flash light?Studio lighting
Shape the light
Portrait Lighting Patterns
Read the full guideWhat is a portrait lighting pattern?What is butterfly lighting?What is loop lighting?What is Rembrandt lighting?What is split lighting?What are broad and short lighting?What is clamshell lighting?What is badger lighting?How do you choose a pattern and avoid mistakes?Lighting Positions
Read the full guideWhat lights does a studio portrait use?What are the light positions round a subject?Where does the key light go?Where do you place the first light?How strong should the fill light be?What are the hair, rim and kicker lights?Why light the background?What mistakes spoil a lighting setup?One to Five Light Setups
Read the full guideHow many lights does a portrait need?What does a one-light setup look like?What does a second light add?What does a third light add?What is three-point lighting?What does a fourth light add?What does a fifth light add?Which setup should you choose?What mistakes spoil a multi-light setup?Studio Lights and Modifiers
Read the full guideWhat is a monolight?What do watt-seconds and power settings mean?How does a flash tube work, and what are recycle time and flash duration?What are the three kinds of light modifier?How do reflectors, snoots, grids and barn doors shape light?How do softboxes, umbrellas and beauty dishes differ?What do reflector cards and gels do?What stands, brackets and triggers does a studio need?Fashion photography
Pose, light and direct
Camera Settings and Lighting
Read the full guideWhat camera settings should you use for fashion in the studio?Which lens and camera height suit fashion photography?What camera settings work for fashion outdoors?Which lighting patterns matter in fashion?How does three-point lighting work for fashion?Which lighting setups do fashion photographers use most?Street and people
Photograph real life
Environmental Portrait
Read the full guideWhat is an environmental portrait?How do you choose the setting and props?Which lens should you use for an environmental portrait?How do you keep attention on the person, not the place?How do you balance flash with the room's own light?How do you direct someone in their own place?Photography genres
Explore the genres
Black and White Photography
Read the full guideWhy shoot in black and white?How does a colour become a grey?What do coloured filters do in black and white?Should I shoot monochrome in the camera or convert later?How do I control tone and contrast?What are toning and duotone?How do cinematographers shoot black and white?Architecture and Interior Photography
Read the full guideWhat is architectural and interior photography?What are the horizon line and eye level?What is one-point perspective?What is two-point perspective?What is three-point perspective?How do you fix converging verticals?Which lenses suit architecture and interiors?What are the best camera settings?How do you photograph interiors?How do light and timing affect architecture?What equipment suits amateur, advanced and professional work?Which camera settings suit this genre?Forensic Photography
Read the full guideWhat is forensic photography?What are establishing, mid-range and close-up photographs?How are scales used in evidence photographs?Why must the camera be perpendicular to the evidence?How do tripods, flash and oblique light help?What are alternate light sources and barrier filters?How does scene type change what is photographed?What records and ethics apply?Which camera settings suit this genre?Nature and wildlife
Photograph the wild
Start here
Mammals
Mammal Photography
Read the full guideWhat settings suit mammals?How do you focus and frame a mammal?How do you handle light and background?What angle and approach give the best pictures?How do you photograph from a safari vehicle?What are the ethics and rules for mammal photography?Which camera settings suit this genre?Birds
Bird Photography
Read the full guideWhich birds can you photograph in India, and how are they doing?What kit and shutter speed do bird photographs need?How do you focus on a moving bird?How do you handle light and background?How do you approach birds without disturbing them?What are the ethics and rules for bird photography?Which camera settings suit this genre?Birds of India
Read the full guideWhat types of birds will you meet in India?How many species are there, and how are they doing?When do migratory birds arrive and leave?Where can you photograph birds in Kerala?Where can you photograph birds in Tamil Nadu?What about Karnataka and the rest of India?How do you plan a birding trip?Insects, reptiles, amphibians and fish
Insect and Reptile Photography
Read the full guideWhat is macro photography?What are magnification and working distance?What macro gear do you need?What camera settings work for macro?How do you focus and keep the camera stable?How do you control light and background?How do you compose small subjects?How do you photograph insects?How do you photograph reptiles?What ethics and safety rules apply?How do you edit macro images?Amphibians of India
Read the full guideWhich amphibians live in India?How threatened are the amphibians of the Western Ghats?What threatens amphibians?How do you find and light amphibians?How do you photograph amphibians without harming them?How do you plan a monsoon shoot?Which camera settings suit this genre?Fish and Underwater Photography
Read the full guideWhy is underwater photography so difficult?How fast do light and colour disappear with depth?What is backscatter, and how far does flash reach?How do you photograph fish?Which camera angle gives the best fish picture?How do you set exposure with flash and look after the kit?Which camera settings suit this genre?Product, food and jewellery
Light what you sell
Product Photography
Read the full guideWhat is product photography, and what makes it hard?Which light sources can you use for product photography?How do the size and direction of the light change a product?Which backgrounds and light tents work for products?How should you set up the camera for product shots?Should you show a product in context or on a plain background?How do you get rid of reflections on a product?Glass, Metal and Liquids
Read the full guideWhy are shiny products lit differently?How do you light metal: bright or dark?What finishing touches help metal?What is bright-field (black-line) lighting for glass?What is dark-field (white-line) lighting for glass?How do you show the surface of glass and the true colour of a liquid?Architecture and interiors
Photograph buildings
Architecture and Interior Photography
Read the full guideWhat is architectural and interior photography?What are the horizon line and eye level?What is one-point perspective?What is two-point perspective?What is three-point perspective?How do you fix converging verticals?Which lenses suit architecture and interiors?What are the best camera settings?How do you photograph interiors?How do light and timing affect architecture?What equipment suits amateur, advanced and professional work?Which camera settings suit this genre?Perspective and Verticals
Read the full guideWhat is perspective in a photograph of a building?What are one, two and three-point perspective?Why do vertical lines converge, and how do you avoid it?How do shift and tilt-shift lenses work?How do you correct perspective in Lightroom or Photoshop?How do viewpoint and lens choice change the character of a building?Architectural Styles
Read the full guideWhy should a photographer know architectural styles?What is vernacular architecture, and what defines Keralam's traditional buildings?How do you photograph Indian temple architecture?What should you look for in Indo-Islamic and Mughal buildings?What are Indo-Saracenic, colonial and Art Deco buildings?How do you photograph modern and postmodern buildings?Interior Photography
Read the full guideWhat is interior photography?How do you read a room's existing light?Where should you place the camera, and which lens should you use?How do you light a room with flash?How do you handle windows and mixed colour temperatures?How do you balance flash with room lights and check the result?Journalism and photojournalism
Report the story
Journalism
Read the full guideWhat is journalism?Where do the words journalism and newspaper come from?How did the Indian press develop?Who counts as a journalist?What is the difference between a broadsheet and a tabloid?What principles does journalism follow?How does the press shape what we think about?What kinds of journalism are there?What laws and bodies govern the Indian press?How has journalism changed?Communication
Read the full guideWhat is communication?What are the parts of the communication process?What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication?What disturbs a message?Why does context matter?What are the levels of communication?How do you listen well?What is mass communication?Reporting and News Writing
Read the full guideWhat is reporting?What is news?What are the types of news?How does media and audience change the way you write?Where do reporters get news, and how is a newsroom organised?How is a news story structured?How do you write the lead?What writing styles does journalism use?What are press conferences and press releases?History of Photojournalism
Read the full guideHow did newspapers print pictures before photographs?Who were the first war photographers?How did photographs begin to change society?Which technologies changed news photography?How did picture magazines and the photo essay begin?What was the golden age of photojournalism?What are Magnum and the Pulitzer Prizes?Which landmark photographs changed public debate?How did Indian photojournalism develop?How did digital cameras and phones change photojournalism?What is the whole story in one view?Photojournalism
Read the full guideWhat is photojournalism?How did photojournalism begin?What is the story of Indian photojournalism?How do you plan and shoot a picture story?What are the major forms of photojournalism?What is the difference between a photo article and a photo essay?How do you write headlines, captions and cutlines?What ethics apply to photojournalism?What creative techniques can a photo essay use?Which camera settings suit this genre?Photojournalism Ethics
Read the full guideWhat is photographic truth?What is the difference between ethics and taste?What choices does a photographer face while shooting?Which ethical frameworks help with hard calls?How do you test a photograph before publishing?What does the Kevin Carter case teach?What do other cases show about publishing and harm?What editing and staging are acceptable?Why do credit and authorship matter in ethics?What do Indian norms say about news photographs?Photography Copyright Law in India
Read the full guideWhat is intellectual property?What does copyright protect, and what does it not?Who owns the copyright in a photograph?How long does copyright last?What are moral rights?What counts as infringement, and what is fair dealing?Where can you photograph, and where do you need permission?When do you need a model or property release?What should every photographer remember?Photographic storytelling
Shape the story
AI filmmaking
Direct the machine
AI Filmmaking Tools
Read the full articleWhat are AI filmmaking tools?The six stages, and the tools that serve each oneA tool list is only worth reading if someone finished a film with itWhat these tools still cannot doWhat the law now requires of an AI film in IndiaWhat does an AI filmmaking stack actually cost?Wedding photography
Cover the big day
Wedding Photography in India
Read the full guideWhat does wedding photography in India cover?Why must a wedding photographer know the rituals?What should you photograph at a Hindu wedding?What changes at a Keralam Hindu wedding?What should you photograph at a Keralam Christian wedding?What should you photograph at a Muslim wedding?How do you cover the reception and post-wedding?Wedding Camera Settings and Flash
Read the full guideWhich shutter speed should you use at a wedding?How do you choose the aperture for wedding portraits?Should you shoot RAW, and how do you set white balance and ISO?Which lenses do wedding photographers use?How do you use window light and shade at a wedding?How do you use flash at a wedding?Wedding Workflow and Album Design
Read the full guideWhat gear and spares should you carry to a wedding?Why do you need a contract and a plan?Should you work with an assistant or second shooter?How should you organise and back up wedding files?How do you cull and edit a wedding?How do you design a wedding album?Landscape, sea and sky
Read the light outdoors
Landscape Photography
Read the full guideWhat is landscape photography?What gear does a landscape photographer need?How do you get a good exposure?How does light shape a landscape?How do you compose a landscape?How do you scout a location?How should you process a landscape?Which themes can a landscape portfolio follow?What does the portfolio assignment ask for?Seascape Photography
Read the full guideWhat is seascape photography?When should you photograph the sea?Which shutter speed should you use for waves?How do neutral density filters help at the coast?When should you use a polariser or a graduated filter by the sea?How do you compose a seascape and stay safe?Copyright and permission. © 2026 Creative Hut Academy. To copy, republish, translate or adapt any part of a guide, including its diagrams, you need written permission. Ask through the contact page.
Citing a guide. If you quote or link to a guide, cite it. Each guide ends with a line that shows how. The books, standards and data sheets each guide lists are its sources and belong to their authors and publishers.
Found a mistake? Write to director@creativehut.org.