Learn Digital Photography .. 7 Tips For Shooting Great Digital Photos


by DanFeildman - Date: 2008-06-15 - Word Count: 894 Share This!

Many people find shooting a digital photo to be harder than expected. You might find that you have been taking digital photos since first introduced but have never quite captured that perfect shot you set out for. Nothing is as disappointing as missing that important event, such as your daughter's dance recital or even your anniversary trip to Italy. When that once in a lifetime moment is remembered with a horrible photo, the frustration can be overwhelming.

That bring us to the question of how do you exactly take a great photo? While there is a bit of trial and error involved, there is a simple answer. A great photo begins with you and then extends through the camera. Think about it, every shot begins in your mine, not the camera lens. A super photo can be captured by the most basic point-and-click camera just as easy as the most expensive SLR.

Read these tips on shooting digital photos and apply them the next time you have a chance. Before long, you'll be shooting photos like a pro!

1. Get to Know Your Camera You know how this story goes. You rush out and buy the latest and greatest gadget on the market only to take it home and rip it out of the packaging only to throw aside the instruction manual. Not a good idea with your digital camera. You owe it to yourself to take the time learning about your camera's features. Knowing how to control even what you may consider the basics, such as controlling the exposure or even the flash are always important. What you learn will prove to be priceless when actually taking your photos.

2. Controlling the Flash One of the most imperative things you need to be familiar with in digital photography is how to control the flash. Don't fall in to the habit of always relying on the built in automatic flash on your digital camera. In many instances, you might need to turn the flash off or on.

For example, when taking outdoor photos, it is sometimes good to turn on the flash to illuminate the subject, especially if he or she is in the shade. On the other hand, you can also choose to turn off the flash when taking indoor shots. Sometimes, using the flash indoors will result in unnatural skin color and harsh glare in your photos.

3. Using Macro Mode Most digital cameras now come equipped with a macro mode. This is an ideal setting for shooting close up photos of objects like insects or flowers. Depending on your model camera, it can have different symbols. My Canon PowerShot symbol is a flower. Turn your camera to macro mode and get as close as possible to your chosen subject. Make sure you allow the camera to focus correctly before depressing the shutter button completely.

4. Hold the Camera Level Holding the camera level is a basic rule in photography. As most digital cameras come with a LCD, you can make use of this to correctly frame your shots. Next time you're taking a photo, try to find the horizontal lines and use them as guides. One example would be to make use of the horizon while taking a photo of a sunset.

5. Using a Tripod I would recommend this to all photographers of any level. You will find camera tripods an invaluable tool in your photography cache. When do you need a tripod you might ask? It becomes useful when taking a shot in low-light conditions or when your subject includes fast moving objects. I use a tripod while taking pictures of city streets at night to capture all of the elements. You don't have to invest in the largest or heaviest tripod for personal use. Choose a tripod that is compact and easy to carry with you.

6. Experiment with the ISO Setting I have found the ISO setting in digital cameras very helpful. The ISO setting of a camera essentially controls the camera's sensitivity to light. Use a low ISO setting if you're taking a photo of a still object, like a flower. This allows for a longer shutter speed and creates a cleaner image. A higher ISO setting of about 400 would be appropriate while taking a photo of a moving subject such as a baby in a swing. Keep in mind that a higher ISO setting results in a faster shutter speed and needs less light

7. Have Enough Memory Capacity Just like you must have enough rolls of film when using traditional cameras, make sure you always have enough memory capacity in your digital camera. It's terrible to be on a holiday taking great photos and suddenly realizing you've no memory space left. Here are some general guidelines for digital camera storage.

2 megapixel cameras - have at least a 64MB card 3 megapixel camera - have at least a 128MB card 4 megapixel camera - have at least a 256MB card 5 megapixel camera and above - have at least a 512MB or 1GB card

Final Note I know that's quite a bit of information to throw out at you, but I hope I've been able to provide some good tips on shooting great digital photos. A great photo begins with a skilled and knowledgeable photographer no matter what features your camera might offer. Using the above tips in your photography will help you to be picture perfect every time.

Related Tags: digital photos, digital photography, digital cameras, best digital camera, learn digital photgraphy, digital camera ratings, which digital camara, digi

Looking into digital photography, ever want to start Learning Digital Photography? Get Great Advice on how to take Digital Photographs with This Free Report

Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: