The name says it all: point and shoot. But why just aim and fire when your pocket digital camera has multiple features? Whether your camera is a Nikon Coolpix S630, Canon Powershot SD990IS or a Fuji FinePix A150, there is so much more you can do with it. Here are nine tips for making the most of your digital camera.
Stop looking down
If the majority of your photos are of your grandchildren looking up at you, change your perspective. Get down on the ground and shoot photos from their point of view.
It will give your photo album some much-needed variety (and you may start to appreciate life from the angle of a toddler).
Move in
By default, most cameras expect the subject to be at least six feet away, but I encourage you to get closer to your family and friends. Turn on the macro feature and see just how precious that child’s face is.
Also, by filling the whole frame, you’ll have a higher-quality photo for your scrapbook.
On most cameras the macro mode is designated by a flower icon. This is the mode you will want to set your camera to for any garden photography.
Online tutorial: tinyurl.com/c9shpf
Memory is cheap
Film and processing used to be quite expensive, but these days, digital media memory is cheaper than a tank of gas. If your cat and dog have decided to take a nap together, don’t just fire off one frame, shoot multiple pictures to document the joy (or mayhem).
When taking a big family portrait, shoot multiple photos. A good rule of thumb is that for every five people in a group portrait, take at least two photos. (Also remember to use your self-timer so you can be in the photo.)
Turn on that flash
When you’re outdoors with bright sunshine, the point-and-shoot camera will often think you have enough daylight to make a nice photo, but if the sun is too high or in the wrong position, your subject will often be in an unflattering shadow.
Turn on the manual flash. It will fill in the dark shadows on faces without making the background too white or washed out.
Watch the background
The focus of your photo should be your subject, not the lamp coming out of the back of someone’s head.
Know your camera’s limits
Most cameras have an optical zoom and a digital zoom. Always ignore the digital zoom. The digital zoom digitally crops into your photo without improving the quality. If you see a bald eagle in the distance, just make peace with the fact that your point-and-shoot won’t capture it.
Remember the light
Pay attention to the light in your home and yard. Does your back yard get a nice sliver of light late in the day? Save that knowledge for when you want to make some photos of blooming flowers (and use that macro setting to get better detail).
Keep it steady
People often look at their photos and wonder how they got so out of focus, but often the images are just blurry because of camera shake. This is caused when you are shooting a longer exposure without a tripod. Without getting too technical, try not to go lower than 1/60th of a second without steadying your camera on a tripod or another stable object, such as a table.
Read the manual
Many people are happy to put their camera on “program” and shoot away, but the instruction manual will help you dig a little deeper and make the most of the settings. There are many sites out there that will charge you for a manual, but most camera companies let you download a new version.
Canon: tinyurl.com/hjrmk
Nikon: tinyurl.com/r9859l Fuji: fujifilm.com/support/manuals/
Olympus: tinyurl.com/f8v
Panasonic: service.us.panasonic.com/operman/
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