Andrew Shu

GUIDELINES ON DESIGNING A LOGO

Andrew Shu · 1 October 2021 · Leave a Comment

Per usual practice in every business, having a business name and some sort of graphic identification is the primary endeavor to introduce the business to the public. Picking a business name is part of branding efforts, and designing a logo for the business is the next step after the business name. Although, there are some businesses that barely have a logo.

A logo might not be so essential for the business, and it is less critical than the business name, which can transform into a trademark, while the logo, from time to time, needs to evolve. Some designers may disagree with this premise; however, the business name is the identity, and the logo is the face. As the business name does not change, the logo evolves every certain period.

Almost never does a business change its name without affecting its commercial existence. When a business changes its name because of a merger, a change of ownership, or any other reason, it is considered a new entity. Changing the logo or rejuvenating it into a better form is a different case. Refer to the case of many — Shell, for one famous example.

Every few years, Shell evolves its logo but keeps the name/trademark — like a person who keeps their name, but whose face changes over time. a person who is keeping the name but the person’s face changes over time.

Shell Logo Evolution

Although a logo is not a real must, having one is not a bad idea. Just think of it as an analogy — talking with someone over the phone for many years, knowing the person’s name but not knowing the person’s face. Creating a logo for the business is like giving that person a face.

There are several types of logos — some say seven types, others say nine, and some say ten types of logos. There are monogram logos (lettermarks), wordmark logos (logotypes), pictorial marks, abstract logos, mascot logos, combination marks, emblems, logo symbols, etc. Regardless of the claims about how many types there are, what they are called might not be that important and is relative in nature — it’s just semantics. What’s important is how we design the logo from scratch and how we implement it in practice.

Designing a logo is not the same as painting a picture. The process of good logo design takes time and study. Some designers create logos in a mediocre or shallow way. A logo might look artistic and impressive to the casual eye at first glance, but it needs to survive much longer than its first day of existence. A logo becomes problematic for accurate reproduction when the original components are misplaced or no longer available.

Creating a good logo requires research and study — research into what category the business is in, whether there are corporate colors already in place, what competitors are using for their logos, etc. And study into what the logo should convey — the company culture, the messages it needs to communicate, and so on.

Pasadena City College Lancers logo with round outliners

Pasadena City College Lancers logo finalized

A logo can be extremely expensive or cost just as much as a burger. What makes a logo expensive is not the sketch but the process behind it. If you go to a website like Fiverr to get a $5 logo, you are very likely to end up with a mundane design. Although, on very rare occasions, a client might receive a great logo for paying peanuts. Refer to the case of Nike, where the logo was paid for at $35 in 1971 — which, in today’s conversion, is less than $300.

It is not always the case that expensive logos are good logos. Refer to the case of Symantec, with a rumor that the logo cost over $1 billion — but that was later debunked. The whole $1 billion budget was spent not only on the logo process but also on branding efforts and logo implementation. The VeriSign logo was embedded into the Symantec logotype, causing too many pixel components that made reproduction and scalability problematic. It happens again and again — expensive spending does not guarantee great logos. Consequently, cheap spending almost always results in mediocre outcomes.

Symantec logo

If we are talking about what to avoid in designing a logo, there could be too many to mention before we can come up with an idea of what a good logo is. Rather than confusing ourselves with the don’ts, let’s focus on the dos. Here, I list ten helpful guidelines for designing a good logo that can be standardized over a stretch of applications.

Simplicity. A good logo should carry simplicity instead of complex graphic elements and itty-bitty details. Imagine when a logo has too many detailed components and is complex but needs to be scaled down — every detail in the logo will merge and create clutter; the logo becomes messy. A good logo can be scaled down to less than one inch while still keeping its integrity.

Philosophy. A good logo carries a meaningful idea and messages of the entity. Although there are occurrences when designers just make things up once they finish designing a logo, only to justify what they’ve designed. Yet, it is better to keep in mind what ideas and messages we need to convey to anyone who gets a glimpse of the logo. When we start from that point, it becomes much clearer than when we go to the drawing board and start doodling without clear direction.

Solid color or contrast colors. No gradient colors, and no closely similar colors standing next to each other. Colors in a logo are eye-catching; however, there are numerous examples where beautiful logos are not necessarily good examples of standardizable logos. It is advisable that when designing a logo, we start with a black-and-white approach. The reason is that there are implementations that are “color-blind,” where colors might not be applicable. The perfect example of this argument is a black-and-white facsimile — yes, today we have color printers (laser or inkjet) with fax features, but still. One bad example of a logo is when a designer decides to use gradient colors, which creates problems for certain applications — embroidery, for example. Gradient colors and similar colors standing next to each other pose similar problems in application. Solid contrast colors are better; even in grayscale applications, the difference between colors remains conspicuous.

Versatility. Think about implementations when designing a logo. A good logo should be easy to adapt to any application and medium, whether the logo is applied on paper, fabric, metal, wood, plastic, etc. A complex logo with too many details or gradient colors will cause troublesome situations.

Memorable. As the second identity after the business name or trademark, a logo should be recognizable and stand out. Too many details and too much complexity make it hard to achieve this objective.

Long-lasting. Uniqueness is key — avoid following trends. A good logo should stand on its own and stand out from the crowd. Average designers tend to follow trends, causing the logo to have a very short lifespan. Avoid using commonly available fonts in the market when possible. Copyright claims are one issue.

Standardization. Consistency is a must across logo implementations. A logo may come in a few alternative forms — such as a full form and a stackable form — for certain applications where the full form would be too long for the medium. It is a luxury for a company to have a Graphic Standard Manual (GSM), or as other designers might call it, a Logo Application Manual. In principle, a graphic standard manual helps and guides how the logo should be applied. All information such as standard colors (complete with CMYK/RGB/HEX color instructions), scalable sizes, fonts, measurements, and the do’s and don’ts should be included. Why is a graphic standard manual considered a luxury? Because creating such a guideline requires a long process and study — in some cases, it costs more than the logo work itself.

Vector-based. Photoshop was not created for this type of design work, yet there are people creating logos using Photoshop — which is a no-no. Photoshop is not a vector-based application. If you are using Adobe CC, Illustrator is the perfect solution for logo design. There are a few other vector-based software options for this purpose, such as CorelDRAW, Vectr, Sketch, etc. There are also free vector-based design software available. Good logos are saved in vector-based file formats without losing their integrity.

Balance is not symmetry. Balance is optical — when we see a logo and feel that it’s tilting to one side, like the Pisa Tower. I don’t mean that a logo should always be straight up; what I mean by balance is that a logo should feel perceptibly balanced. This is a subjective matter and not always agreeable. For me, it’s painful to see a logo with too many elements on one side and a small, barely perceivable element on the other side, especially when scaled down.

Space. Creating a logo in a “canvas” does not mean we must fill all areas in the canvas. The sentiment that “more is merrier” does not work harmoniously with balance and simplicity. Especially when it comes to smaller logo sizes, as previously mentioned in point one — the logo can easily become cluttered and messy.

I have seen bad logos designed by designers who graduated from expensive and prestigious design colleges. Some of these designers just followed what the clients wanted without objection, while others simply do not understand the concept of designing a logo. Hopefully, this article is helpful in creating better logos.

MORE DEPTH WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSURE TRIANGLE

Andrew Shu · 16 August 2021 · Leave a Comment

In the previous article, “The Three Most Basics A Beginner Photographer Should Know”, there are graphics and explanations on Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Film Speed/ISO scale. In this article, I would like to share more depth about them. All three are represented by numbers. In the photography world, the interval from one number to another is called a “stop.” Either stop up (increment) or stop down (decrement) — for example, an Aperture of f/5.6 to f/4 is one stop up, and f/5.6 to f/8 is one stop down. The same applies to Shutter Speed and Film Speed/ISO. Shutter Speed from 1/125 to 1/250 is one stop up, and 1/125 to 1/60 is one stop down. For Film Speed/ISO, 200 to 100 is one stop down, and 200 to 400 is one stop up. Just to avoid confusion, “up” and “down” refer to the [amount, time, and sensitivity] of light going into the film plane [in film photography] or digital sensor [in digital photography], not the numbers themselves.

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There are terms in film photography: push and pull. The term “push” is used when taking pictures using ISO 400, but the camera is set to ISO 800, known as “push one stop.” The reverse situation is when ISO 400 is set as ISO 200, aka “pull one stop.”

Why did old-school photographers push or pull the Film Speed? A couple of reasons, from my experience: sometimes photographers, during an important moment, ran out of the preferred film stock. The only film stock available was ISO 400, while the shooting took place at a music concert where the light was low and inconsistent. The ideal ISO for that situation might have been ISO 1600. So, the photographer set (pushed) the ISO to 1600 in the camera while using ISO 400.

During development, the photographer or the lab developed the film for ISO 1600. The result: the film developed at ISO 1600 produces more noise, maybe a bit more than true ISO 1600. However, the result gave an artistic feeling — that’s another reason photographers sometimes pushed film.

Although in all three (Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Film Speed/ISO), if we look closely, each number to the second next number is exactly a doubled multiplication. In the most common lenses, the biggest aperture is f/1.4, which stands next to f/2, and the following number is f/2.8, which is exactly f/1.4 times two. The number f/2.8 stands next to f/4, and the next after f/4 is f/5.6, which is exactly f/2.8 times two. Do you get the idea?

manual-lens-with-aperture-settings — Manual Focus Lens

In digital photography, the Aperture has more increments and decrements than in film photography. Thanks to technological advancements, digital cameras (DSLRs) have increments up to 1/4 stop. Not only does the Aperture have more increments in stops, but Shutter Speed and Film Speed/ISO do as well. All of these offer more creative freedom to photographers to explore the making of stunning photos. Not all DSLRs are created equal; some have more capabilities than others. However, the basic principles are the same across the platform.In digital photography, the Aperture has more increments and decrements than in film photography. Thanks to technology advancements, digital cameras (DSLRs) have increments up to 1/4 stop. Not only the Aperture has more increments in stops, Shutter Speed and Film Speed/ISO have them as well. All offer more creative freedom to photographers to explore the making of stunning photos. Not all DSLRs is created equal, some have more capabilities beyond others, however, the basic principles are the same across the platform.

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CALIBRATING THE EXPOSURE READINGS

As I mentioned earlier, the three basics (Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Film Speed/ISO) must correspond in conjunction to achieve proper exposure. Before setting the Shutter Speed or Aperture, the Film Speed/ISO must be preset, and the White Balance must be assigned for a DSLR.

For example, when taking pictures outdoors in daylight, ISO 100 is advisable. White Balance can be set to either Auto White Balance (AWB) or Daylight. When using the Daylight setting, always remember to check it if the location changes—such as moving from indoors to outdoors, or in cloudy or nighttime conditions. Occasionally, I forget to change the White Balance when changing locations. Although I can correct it later when shooting in RAW using software such as Adobe Camera RAW or Adobe Lightroom, I usually set my White Balance to AWB. From my experience, Auto White Balance is not entirely accurate, but it is still preferable to setting it to Tungsten while shooting in daylight.

Note: RAW file acronyms include CRW or CR2 for Canon, NEF for Nikon, ARW for Sony, RAF for Fuji, etc.

White Balance settings in nearly all DSLR cameras are virtually similar, with minor variations: AWB (Auto White Balance), Daylight (5600K), Shadow/Shade (7000K), Cloudy (6000K), Tungsten (3200K), Fluorescent (4000K), Flash (5500K), and Custom White Balance (where you set your own reference point). By convention, Kelvin (K) is used to measure color temperature in photography. Daylight is typically between 5000K and 5600K, where white appears truly white.

As I mentioned in the article “The Three Most Basics A Beginner Photographer Should Know” film cameras do not have a white balance feature. In film photography, white balance is determined by the type of film used. Digital cameras, on the other hand, use image sensors similar to video cameras, and the white balance feature helps to balance colors and grayscale accurately.

While some may argue that white balance settings are less critical today—since modern photo software allows adjustments in post-processing—it remains a helpful tool. It’s also worth noting that Auto White Balance (AWB) can vary between camera brands, as each manufacturer uses slightly different algorithms to compensate for ambient light.

SHUTTER SPEED PRIORITY

Once the ISO and White Balance are set, I move on to choosing between Aperture or Shutter Speed, depending on what I want to shoot. For example, when photographing my kids outdoors and I want to ensure they are always in focus during their activities, I select Shutter Speed Priority (“Tv” on Canon cameras, “S” on Nikon, Sony, and others). Choosing Shutter Speed Priority guarantees that my shots maintain focus.

What Shutter Speed should I set? For most outdoor action, 1/125s usually suffices, but I increase the speed if my kids suddenly move like “Flash” or “Superman.”

It’s important to note that lens focal length affects the required Shutter Speed. The longer the focal length, the faster the Shutter Speed needed to prevent camera shake when shooting handheld. Unless using a tripod, the Shutter Speed should generally be no slower than the lens focal length. For example, with a 105mm lens, the minimum Shutter Speed should be 1/105s or faster. This guideline, known as the reciprocity rule between shutter speed and focal length, is widely practiced to maintain sharp handheld images.

After selecting Shutter Speed Priority, the Aperture automatically adjusts to achieve correct exposure. Conversely, in Aperture Priority, the Shutter Speed adjusts to maintain the proper exposure (Exposure Meter at “0”).

Let’s explore a hypothetical practice scenario using tables below to demonstrate how these settings interact:

Kodak products

When using Shutter Speed Priority (Tv), any change in the Shutter Speed automatically adjusts the Aperture to maintain proper exposure. For example:

Tv 1/125s → Aperture f/8
Tv 1/60s → Aperture f/11
Tv 1/250s → Aperture f/5.6

The same principle applies when using Aperture Priority (Av or A): changing the Aperture will automatically adjust the Shutter Speed to achieve the correct exposure.

Understanding this relationship is essential when learning Full Manual mode, where both Shutter Speed and Aperture are set manually. In manual mode, always keep an eye on the exposure meter (EXP) at “0”) to ensure the image is correctly exposed.

APERTURE PRIORITY

In Aperture Priority (Av or A), the Shutter Speed automatically adjusts to achieve proper exposure based on the chosen Aperture and the set ISO (Film Speed). The main reason for using Aperture Priority is to control depth of field and regulate how much light enters the camera to properly expose the image.

A larger aperture (smaller f-number) produces a shallow depth of field, making the subject stand out sharply against a blurred foreground and background.
A smaller aperture (larger f-number) increases the depth of field, keeping more of the scene in focus.

Prime lenses generally achieve wider maximum apertures than zoom lenses, giving photographers greater flexibility for shallow depth-of-field effects and low-light shooting.

aperture-1.8-shutter-speed-1/500 — Shallow depth of field

aperture-22-shutter-speed-0.3 — Deep depth of field

Setting Aperture Priority means switching the camera dial to “A” (or “Av” on some brands). When you adjust the Aperture to achieve your desired depth of field, the camera automatically changes the Shutter Speed to maintain proper exposure.

For example:

If the Aperture is set to f/5.6, the Shutter Speed might adjust to 1/60 sec.

If you open the Aperture by 2 stops to f/2.8, the Shutter Speed will automatically increase by 2 stops to 1/250 sec, keeping the exposure balanced.

FULLY MANUAL MODE

There was a time when I questioned why I should use full manual mode when I could just prioritize one setting. It’s true that full manual mode can slow you down compared to Aperture or Shutter Speed Priority, since you must control both settings yourself. For time-sensitive situations, like documenting an important event, priority modes are often more practical.

However, full manual mode gives you complete creative control. It prevents the camera from misreading subjects with unusual contrast or exposure, and it allows techniques like time-lapse photography. Some images simply cannot be captured properly without full manual control, especially when dealing with a drastic range of contrast or exposure.

Full manual mode allows a photographer to manage Aperture, Shutter Speed, Exposure Value, Depth of Field, Focal Point, Focus, and more. These advantages are not fully achievable with priority or Auto modes. Using priority modes is like taking the first steps toward mastery, while full manual mode is where true creative freedom begins—but it requires practice and experience.

THREE MOST BASICS A BEGINNER PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD KNOW

Andrew Shu · 17 July 2021 · Leave a Comment

When we purchase a decent or even a high-end camera that comes with a variety of features, using the “Auto” mode all the time is fubar. Knowing the basics is not a lifetime of learning — mastering photography is. Just like music, where the basics of seven notes create countless symphonies by employing the right combinations of notes, photography also has three basic elements. Using these three basics offers virtually unlimited possibilities for creating beautiful images.

Without further ado, the three photography basics that create the right exposure in an image are Aperture (F-stop), Shutter Speed, and Film Speed (ISO – International Organization for Standardization). For a brief clarification on the acronym “ISO,” it stands for the International Organization for Standardization, which established the standard to determine film speed in photography. Meanwhile, some countries use the term ASA (American Standards Association) or DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung)** — basically, they all refer to the same concept.

THREE BASICS

Before coming to an understanding of the correct combination of those three basics, it’s necessary to know the idea behind each one. A simple explanation of these three basics can be described as follows:

APERTURE

Aperture is the setting that determines the opening of the “window” formed by the aperture blades, allowing light to reach the film plane in film photography or the image sensor in digital photography. Some say, “photography is painting with light,” because without light, photography cannot be done. In other words, aperture controls how much light comes through.

SHUTTER SPEED

Shutter Speed is the setting that determines the duration for which light reaches the film plane or image sensor. In other words, shutter speed controls how long the light comes through.

In brief, Aperture refers to the quantity of light, and Shutter Speed refers to the duration of light.

FILM SPEED / ISO

The last of the three basics, Film Speed (ISO) determines how sensitive the film or digital sensor is to light. To understand film speed, we need to look back at film photography.

In film photography, the sensitivity of film to record an image depends on the emulsion coating on its surface. This coating allows the film to capture images. The method of coating defines the sensitivity of the film — whether it can record with less light or requires more light. In digital photography, the function of the emulsion coating is replaced by the image sensor.

Without going too deeply into the technical process of making film or a digital sensor — which is beyond the scope here — the practical purpose of these three basics is simple: they allow a photographer, through the camera, to produce a correctly exposed image.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF APERTURE?

Aperture affects brightness. A bigger aperture lets in more light, producing brighter images.

The numbering of aperture can be confusing for beginners. A bigger number (e.g., f/16) actually means a smaller opening in the lens diaphragm, letting in less light. Conversely, a smaller number (e.g., f/2.8) means a larger opening, allowing more light to pass through.

Aperture also affects depth of field, which is the span of the area in focus. A small aperture (big number) produces a larger depth of field, keeping more of the image in focus. A large aperture (small number) produces a shallower depth of field, isolating the subject from the background.

colorful-bowling-pins-toy — Image by Andrew Shu

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF SHUTTER SPEED?

Shutter Speed affects motion. A faster shutter freezes motion, while a slower shutter blurs it. When photographing motion, the right shutter speed is crucial to achieve the intended result. Sometimes, a slow shutter speed is used deliberately to blur motion for artistic or aesthetic reasons — for example, capturing the continuous taillights of cars at night, or a flowing river that looks like smooth velvet.

Certain types of photography require completely sharp moving subjects. Sports photography, children, or any moving objects demand a fast shutter speed to freeze the action.

Shutter Speed also interacts with Aperture. In low-light conditions, a slower shutter speed can compensate for a smaller aperture to achieve proper exposure. Alternatively, a larger aperture can compensate for a faster shutter speed under the same lighting conditions.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF FILM SPEED / ISO?

Film Speed (ISO) affects the graininess of images. Higher ISO settings produce coarser grain. A higher ISO allows photography in lower-light conditions but compromises image quality. ISO becomes the solution when Aperture and Shutter Speed alone cannot achieve proper exposure. In the “Knowing The Functions In Your Camera” article, some other limited options are shared that can be employed before ISO needs to take charge.

LIGHT METER IN CAMERA

Every SLR (single-lens reflex) camera — whether film, DSLR, or mirrorless — has a light meter to measure exposure. Its position in the viewfinder may vary (bottom, side, etc.), but the principle is the same. The light meter indicates the state of exposure: when the pointer is at zero, exposure is correct for the current Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO settings. If the pointer moves toward the minus, the image will be underexposed; toward the plus, it will be overexposed. To correct this, one of the three settings must be adjusted, keeping in mind that changing one affects the others.

Refer back to the effects of Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. Assuming the camera is in full manual mode: when the priority is set to Aperture, the Shutter Speed adjusts automatically to maintain correct exposure. When the priority is set to Shutter Speed, the Aperture adjusts automatically to follow the Shutter Speed changes.

So, before exploring more advanced techniques for combining the three basics, let’s get an SLR camera — film or digital — in hand.

BEFORE TAKING PICTURES

SETTING THE ISO

Firstly, set the ISO, keeping in mind the location where the shot will be taken. If there is enough light, or if the shots will be taken outdoors, set the ISO to 100.

NOTE: In digital SLR cameras, the range of settings for Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO is considerably wider than in film cameras. Aperture can be adjusted in 1/2, 1/3, or even 1/4 stops, and the same applies to Shutter Speed. ISO can range from 100 to over 100,000 in digital photography.

NOTE: Some creative techniques from film photography, such as push, pull, and cross-processing, are no longer commonly known among newer digital photographers. Some artistic aspects are missing in digital photography but are replaced with other advantages.

WHITE BALANCE

Film cameras do not have white balance adjustment because it is determined by the type of film used. Digital cameras, however, use image sensors, so a white balance feature is necessary. While white balance can always be corrected during post-processing in digital photography, it is recommended to set it before starting to shoot. If adjusting white balance feels complicated, just set it to AWB (Auto White Balance).

SHUTTER SPEED OR APERTURE PRIORITY?

Presumably, we are not shooting in full manual mode, where neither Aperture nor Shutter Speed has priority. Full manual mode allows the most creative control, but only for those with advanced knowledge and experience with the three basics.

Before choosing which to prioritize, consider the type of shots you plan to take. When depth of field is the most important factor — whether shallow or deep — Aperture should be the priority. Shutter Speed becomes the priority when capturing motion is more important, whether to freeze moving subjects or create motion blur.

NOTE: Most DSLRs, such as Sony and Nikon, use “A” on the dial for Aperture Priority and “S” for Shutter Speed Priority. Canon, however, uses “Av” for Aperture Priority and “Tv” for Shutter Speed Priority.

TAKING PICTURES

Indoor photography usually has more consistent lighting, while outdoor conditions change constantly. Clouds, shadows, reflections on subjects, and other factors make a photographer adjust the camera settings frequently. White Balance is usually a minor issue when using AWB (Auto White Balance), and ISO rarely needs to be changed under normal conditions. Whether using Aperture Priority or Shutter Speed Priority, adjustments often need to be made between shots.

Happy shooting!