Photography Basics
You don't have to be an expert photographer to take great photos.
From camera phone basics to instructions on making the best of your
flash, here are some tips and articles to help familiarize yourself
with the fundamentals of photography so that you can create better
photo holiday cards and photo Christmas cards.
Tips
- When taking photos, pay careful attention to what appears in the background. For example, a portrait photo of your grandmother will lose its appeal if there is a tree or pole in the background sprouting from the top of her head! Eliminate distracting backgrounds by examining the details that will be captured in your digital photo.
- Do you know how to turn off your digital camera's flash? There is almost always a dedicated button for flash on the camera. Press it until you see the "flash off" icon on the camera's LCD screen. This icon differs on each camera model but it is usually represented by a lightning bolt crossed out by the universal "no" symbol.
- One of the most basic photo tips in composing an interesting photo is to position the main subject off center. Visualize a tic-tac-toe grid in your viewfinder. Instead of leaving your subject directly in the middle of that grid, move your digital camera to the left or right, or up or down so it appears at an intersection of the gridlines.
- What is your digital camera's flash range? For many cameras, it's only about 10 feet - if you take digital photos from farther away, they will come out too dark. Check your camera's manual to confirm. If you're not sure, stay within 10 feet of your subject when taking pictures.
- If you tend to be a little shaky when taking pictures, hold your breath right before snapping the photo - it will steady you. In addition, try positioning one of your shoulders towards your subject then brace your camera against it. Many digital cameras also have image stabilization functions that will help prevent blurry photos.
- Did you know that cold temperatures tend to sap the power from batteries? Having extra batteries handy is always helpful when you're taking photos, but it's especially important when you're shooting during cold weather.
- When taking photos with your camera phone, get as close to your subject as possible. Most phones don't have a powerful, quality zoom feature.
- Before taking photos with your camera phone, check the phone's picture quality feature and set it to the highest resolution available. A photo taken at a lower resolution might look fine when viewing it on your phone but once you view the photo on a computer screen, you'll see a difference in quality.
- How much memory is enough? There is no set amount of photos that a memory card will hold. Factors such as picture quality and the number of megapixels on your camera will have an affect. Here are general guidelines for cameras with 5 megapixels (the more megapixels and higher picture resolution, the less photos): 128MB=48 photos; 256MB=95 photos; 512MB=195 photos; 1GB=395 photos.
- Are the batteries in your digital camera constantly sucked dry? Taking pictures without the LCD screen on (if your camera has an optical viewfinder) or turning off the flash will conserve battery life.
- You've probably taken a perfect photo only to discover a little flash of light in the corner of the picture. This is called lens flare and it happens when sunlight directly hits the front of the camera lens, causing it to reflect. To avoid this, you can hold your hand over the camera or use a lens hood. (A lens hood will also protect your camera from raindrops.)
- Look at the front of your digital camera - do you see a little round lamp, perhaps near the flash? This is the AF Assist Lamp. It helps to lock the focus when taking photos in dim lighting, so try to avoid covering it with your finger.
- What is backlighting? This term refers to when light comes from the back of the subject. When there is backlighting, the subject will appear dark. In this case, you want to use your camera's flash. Check if your camera has a backlight compensation function that you can easily activate by pressing a menu button.
- When taking photos in macro mode (used when taking close-up pictures), set the digital camera's flash to forced OFF. The flash often blasts too much light onto the subject in this case. Instead, try to take advantage of natural light.
- Be prepared in case your property is unfortunately damaged by a natural disaster or fire. Taking photos of your possessions will save you money if you need to submit a reimbursement to your insurance company. Walk through every room of your residence, taking photos to document all of your valuable items.
- To focus attention on a single subject, take the photo vertically. A vertical composition will reduce the amount of distractions and unnecessary elements that appear in the background of the photo.
- Don't stand in the way of your kids opening their presents on Christmas morning! Check your digital camera's battery and memory card the night before. Being prepared on Christmas morning with a full battery and fresh memory card will prevent you from aggravating your kids while they wait for the camera to be ready.
- One important tip when you're trying to capture candid photos is to blend in and not be obvious. If your subjects realize that you're taking photos of them, their poses will become forced and unnatural. To avoid attention, hold your digital camera at your side and be prepared to shoot quickly when the opportunity arises.
- Whether you're going on a day trip or a longer vacation, be sure to pack spare batteries and memory cards for your digital camera (even if you don't think you'll need them!) Being prepared when you're on the road is better than running out of juice and missing great photos.
- One of the easiest photo tips to follow when taking photos with digital cameras is this: experiment! You can easily delete any digital photos that you don't like, so don't be afraid to try a weird angle or use one of the camera's many photo options.
- You know there's a great opportunity to take a particular photo, so you bring your camera up to your face and stand at the ready. The moment arrives and you take the photo, but then discover when reviewing it on your digital camera's LCD screen that you somehow missed what you intended to capture. Sounds like you were a victim of shutter lag! Shutter lag can delay your photo and cause you to miss that perfect action shot. Avoid it by first pressing the shutter button only halfway to prepare the shot, then press it the rest of the way to complete the shot.
- Did you know that you can set the caller ID on a cell phone to show a photo of the person calling? Check your cell phone's manual to see if a photo caller ID feature is available. If so, start taking photos of the contacts in your phone's address book for a new spin on caller ID.
- If you're taking photos of an object with lots of texture, try shooting in black and white. The absence of color will emphasize the texture of the item, creating a photo with more visual impact.
- Since cell phones are in use - or jostled around in purses and pockets - every day, the camera part of the phone is at a greater risk for dirt or damage. Use a soft cloth to clean the lens of dirt, dust, and fingerprints. When not in use, keep your camera phone in a protective case.
