Send me your pictures, here are a few tips on good picture taking.
TIPS
FOR TAKING BETTER PHOTOS
By
Read
the Owner’s Manual.
Can’t
say enough about knowing how to use the camera.
Play
with the Camera before using it for something important.
Your
pictures will look better if you know what you are doing!
Don’t
miss a great photo because you don’t understand the camera’s functions.
Shoot
at Maximum Resolution and Size.
You
can always make it the photo smaller but never bigger without quality loss.
Always
Wear the Camera Strap.
The strap is there for a reason. If the camera only came with a wrist strap, buy a neck strap. One fall to the ground could trash you new $$$ digital camera.
Keep
your Fingers under Control.
Make
sure your fingers and the strap are not in front of the lens or flash. That
beautiful scenery looks awful with a giant finger across it!
Be
Steady, Especially Indoors.
In
low light, at dusk or while indoors, you will need a tripod or learn how to hold
the camera steady to avoid blurry pictures. Try leaning against a wall or table,
or even sitting in a chair to steady yourself. Put the camera on a solid, flat
surface, such as a table or roof of a car. Use the self-timer to fire the
shutter, that way you finger pushing the shutter button won’t jar the camera.
Pay
attention to the Background.
Keep
the background clean and simple. Lookout for lamps, windows, ugly wall hangings,
and old cars that clutter your background. Move yourself or the subject to a
location with an appealing background.
How
does the Light Fall on the Subject?
Is
the light shining in your eyes or the subject’s eyes? Is there a reflection in
their glasses? Are there harsh shadows falling on the face of your subject? All
of this makes for ugly pictures.
Use
the Flash Outdoors.
Use
fill-flash outdoors to light the subject’s face and make them “pop” from
the background.
This
is especially important if they are wearing a hat or helmet.
Oftentimes
people photograph a scene, but what interests them is a single item within the
scene. Get close, zoom in, shoot tight! Shoot
vertical and horizontal.
Cold
weather absolutely kills battery life, so make sure your battery is fully
charged before going on a ride!
The
memory card is not a long-term storage solution. Photos stored on memory cards
can be corrupted. Make sure you transfer photos to a computer hard drive and
backup those up to a second hard drive or CD/DVD! The memory card should be
reformatted on a regular basis to guarantee consistent performance.
Keep
the camera warm, always carry your camera close to your body.
Consider
bringing an extra battery. Keep that in a warm place too.
Try
putting a hand warmer next to the camera in extreme cold.
Try
your best to keep the camera dry and snow free.
If
you need a weather-proof camera, a zip-lock bag works in a pinch. Put the camera
in the bag, hold the lens tight to the plastic bag and shoot away.
There
isn’t a “Best Camera,” but there are plenty of quality choices.
1) Brand names
cameras have the best optics and image sensors, not to mention the features you
want.
2) Does the
camera feel nice in your hands? Do your fingers cover the lens or flash? Is it
easy to operate the buttons?
3) If you know
that are going to need help learning how to use the camera, don’t buy it
online or at a discount store. Pay the extra $25 or $40 more at a camera store,
and have the peace of mind in knowing that you can go back there any time and
ask questions.
4) Camera
models are updated every 8 to 15 months. Often times last year’s model has 90%
of what the new one is offering at a substantial savings.
5) Most come
with zoom lenses and fill-in flash, but be sure before you buy. Digital zoom is
useless, optical zoom is the key to quality.
6) Study ahead
of time, don’t walk into a store and purchase on a whim. Do you want a
compact? How many Pixels? Is waterproof important?
Do you want the
lens to be protected when stored? What kind of batteries do you want to use,
rechargeable or disposable? Don’t buy useless features.
7)
As far as research goes, don’t take the advice of one source, especially if
that source is not in the photo business, like a PC magazine or a newspaper
article. Go to the specialty websites and read photo magazines for the best
advice.
8) Don’t get caught-up in the pixel hype. Anything over 5 pixels will serve you well.