How to Get the Most from Your Point and Shoot Camera
Read the manual., Know the menus., Take photos when they don't matter., Learn how to choose the right "white balance" setting., RAW or JPEG?, Learn the 'standard' rules of composition., Fill the frame with your subject matter., Change your...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Read the manual.
Although many technophiles pride themselves on not having to read their manual, it will certainly improve your chances of getting a decent picture in every situation.
You also might be surprised at what your camera actually can do. -
Step 2: Know the menus.
Flip through your various options on your camera and look at the manual (again!?).
Having to stop to figure out how to do something when you need to do it is not fun
- not to mention an opportunity may be lost. , Photograph the same subject with different camera settings (vary ISO, "scene" selections, etc.) and then again under different conditions (light source types and intensities, etc.).
The results allow you learn what you can expect from your camera under various conditions and help minimize incorrectly exposed images. , Many cameras offer a selection of "WB" or white balance presets.
If set incorrectly, it can result in photos that have a blue tint (or other strange color) that wasn't present when the photo was taken.
Typical WB settings include auto, daylight, cloudy, fluorescent, etc.
The "auto" setting (if offered) is great place to start from; or whenever two or more different types of light is illuminating the subject., RAW formats are native to your camera ("NEF"
- Nikon, "CR2"
- Canon, etc.).
They are lossless and offer some great flexibility for correcting over / under exposure
- and much more
- than JPEG (.JPG).
Those benefits are present only if you edit the photos (in an image editor such as Lightroom, PhotoShop, Paintshop, Gimp, etc.) before saving as JPG.
Try shooting RAW if you're willing to / or already editing photos before publishing / posting
- then you do not even need to worry about WB settings as these settings can be changed "on the fly" in your image editor.
Also, all edits can be undone easily.
The benefits of RAW do not come without a cost however.
RAW files will be significantly larger than the JPG counterparts and will fill your memory card much quicker.
JPG files can be edited
- but there are limitations on just how much you can change and undoing edits can be a problem.
Experiment with both and decide for yourself., You need to learn the rules before you can stretch/break them.
As well as the rule of thirds also consider including close, medium and long distance elements to add interest
- single distance images can appear flat. , No, they don't want a picture of them in a long hall.
They want a picture of them while using the hall as a backdrop.
The difference here is taking a picture of everything and focusing your camera on your 'target'. , Shoot from down low, up high, etc..
Get on the floor with your camera...crawl around on the ground, etc.
Unusual perspectives generate interest. , Learn how to get around using the flash. , If you must use the flash, try to come up with a way of diffusing it. , Of course, even cameras with impressive optics will suffer if the lens is smudged, dirty or covered with dust particles (see smudge on lens in image above).
Inspect
- and clean
- optics with cleaners and non-abrasive tools and cloths that are designed for camera lenses.
The use of common household "glass cleaner and paper towels" can quickly remove special coatings on quality optics. , A sensor in "point & shoot" camera with 6 megapixels really won't provide a noticeably better picture than one with ~3 megapixels.
The tiny sensors in "P&S" cameras do not benefit much when they have more than 3 ~ 4 megapixels of resolution.
Money spent on quality optics will be noticed in photos, not when it is spent on increased megapixels., It will always result in reduced quality of your photograph. , -
Step 3: Take photos when they don't matter.
-
Step 4: Learn how to choose the right "white balance" setting.
-
Step 5: RAW or JPEG?
-
Step 6: Learn the 'standard' rules of composition.
-
Step 7: Fill the frame with your subject matter.
-
Step 8: Change your perspective.
-
Step 9: Avoid using the flash unless necessary.
-
Step 10: Diffuse the flash.
-
Step 11: Select cameras with a more powerful optical zoom value and don't consider "digital zoom" values.
-
Step 12: Don't get hung up on megapixels.
-
Step 13: Don't use the digital zoom.
-
Step 14: Finished.
Detailed Guide
Although many technophiles pride themselves on not having to read their manual, it will certainly improve your chances of getting a decent picture in every situation.
You also might be surprised at what your camera actually can do.
Flip through your various options on your camera and look at the manual (again!?).
Having to stop to figure out how to do something when you need to do it is not fun
- not to mention an opportunity may be lost. , Photograph the same subject with different camera settings (vary ISO, "scene" selections, etc.) and then again under different conditions (light source types and intensities, etc.).
The results allow you learn what you can expect from your camera under various conditions and help minimize incorrectly exposed images. , Many cameras offer a selection of "WB" or white balance presets.
If set incorrectly, it can result in photos that have a blue tint (or other strange color) that wasn't present when the photo was taken.
Typical WB settings include auto, daylight, cloudy, fluorescent, etc.
The "auto" setting (if offered) is great place to start from; or whenever two or more different types of light is illuminating the subject., RAW formats are native to your camera ("NEF"
- Nikon, "CR2"
- Canon, etc.).
They are lossless and offer some great flexibility for correcting over / under exposure
- and much more
- than JPEG (.JPG).
Those benefits are present only if you edit the photos (in an image editor such as Lightroom, PhotoShop, Paintshop, Gimp, etc.) before saving as JPG.
Try shooting RAW if you're willing to / or already editing photos before publishing / posting
- then you do not even need to worry about WB settings as these settings can be changed "on the fly" in your image editor.
Also, all edits can be undone easily.
The benefits of RAW do not come without a cost however.
RAW files will be significantly larger than the JPG counterparts and will fill your memory card much quicker.
JPG files can be edited
- but there are limitations on just how much you can change and undoing edits can be a problem.
Experiment with both and decide for yourself., You need to learn the rules before you can stretch/break them.
As well as the rule of thirds also consider including close, medium and long distance elements to add interest
- single distance images can appear flat. , No, they don't want a picture of them in a long hall.
They want a picture of them while using the hall as a backdrop.
The difference here is taking a picture of everything and focusing your camera on your 'target'. , Shoot from down low, up high, etc..
Get on the floor with your camera...crawl around on the ground, etc.
Unusual perspectives generate interest. , Learn how to get around using the flash. , If you must use the flash, try to come up with a way of diffusing it. , Of course, even cameras with impressive optics will suffer if the lens is smudged, dirty or covered with dust particles (see smudge on lens in image above).
Inspect
- and clean
- optics with cleaners and non-abrasive tools and cloths that are designed for camera lenses.
The use of common household "glass cleaner and paper towels" can quickly remove special coatings on quality optics. , A sensor in "point & shoot" camera with 6 megapixels really won't provide a noticeably better picture than one with ~3 megapixels.
The tiny sensors in "P&S" cameras do not benefit much when they have more than 3 ~ 4 megapixels of resolution.
Money spent on quality optics will be noticed in photos, not when it is spent on increased megapixels., It will always result in reduced quality of your photograph. ,
About the Author
Joan Price
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
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