Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Point-and-shoot camera photography tips

I was afresh asked if I can address an commodity for point-and-shoot (or added specifically, anchored lens camera) users. I anticipate it's a abundant abstraction to do so. With the prices of entry-level agenda SLRs bottomward to batty levels, it is accessible for a abecedarian to anticipate that a professional-looking DSLR will actualize Bigger pictures outright, which is absolutely untrue.

Before we begin, you'll see me application the appellation "point-and-shoot" or "P&S" absolutely generally in this article. Technically speaking, it's not that authentic as any camera that has a affairs approach (that includes the highest-end DSLR's in the bazaar with their "Program" modes) can be advised as point-and-shoot. Anytime the camera's electronics actuate the acknowledgment for you, it's advised a point-and-shoot. For best people, however, the appellation P&S is angry up to any camera that doesn't accept changeable lenses. I don't appetite to accompany this trend, and I'll alarm those cameras as fixed-lens cameras (FLC's) instead. I'm not aggravating to reinvent the wheel, but if the appellation is inaccurate, why use it?

This photo was taken by a 2002 Canon PowerShot S40 with 4 megapixels. Lighting came from an blurred fiberglass roof from above. archetypal is my son.

While I do use a agenda SLR best of the time, I'm a big, big fan of application carriageable FLC point-and-shoots, agenda or film. The simpler the camera, the easier it is for me to operate, the added artistic you accept to be - not to acknowledgment you consistently accept the alibi of "hey! I was application a cheap, automatic camera!" (partial antic here).

Seriously, though, a DSLR will absolutely accomplish your photography better, no doubt. From the college resolution of the sensors, abundant faster acknowledgment times, Bigger auto-focus, appreciably Bigger lens, and all the Accessories you can add on to actualize college affection output, there isn't a agnosticism that a DSLR is Bigger ill-fitted than a fixed-lens agenda camera.

Let us point out some limitations with agenda FLC's first, and there are a few that you accept to consider.

Smaller sensors - A sensor is like a blur surface, that's area all the captured ablaze gets transferred assimilate a dent that collates all the admonition to anatomy a photograph angel file. The above the sensor, the added Able the sensor can abduction light. A baby FLC will accept a abundant abate sensor compared to alike the aboriginal of DSLR's. That concrete aberration compromises angel quality, babble handling, acknowledgment times, amid others. Fuji cameras are able-bodied accepted to accept larger-than-average sensors, but recently, their above sensors can't attempt with the business accomplishment of megapixel count. absolutely unfortunate. With the accessible Canon PowerShot G10 agenda camera, however, there assume to be a new administration on sensor development for FLC's, so it's a adequate assurance that we're affective abroad from the megapixel hype.
acknowledgment times - From bang lag (time aberration amid the moment you columnist the bang to the absolute moment a photo is captured) to auto-focus response, FLC's ache a added apathetic achievement than their SLR counterparts. Part of the acumen would be the bulk of appearance that engineers charge to charge into a tiny housing, the abate the camera, the abate the sensors and chips that activity the admonition bare to actualize a picture. In aerial accent environments, a Bigger camera usually can do things abundant faster than a abate camera.
Lens affection - Again, with admeasurement actuality the capital issue, the abate the lens, the harder it is to abduction abundant bulk of detail in photographs. This is abnormally accurate with lenses that can awning a advanced ambit of focal length. alike with committed SLR lenses, the greater the focal breadth coverage, the lower the inherent angel quality, this botheration is assorted on abate cameras.
Accessories limitation - best FLC's are sized abnormally from anniversary other, that aspect abandoned will force manufacturers to architecture proprietary Accessories like batteries specific alone to a accurate model. The bulk of affairs proprietary batteries are college and beneath adequate than application accepted AA batteries. While there are still a few AA-ready FLC's around, the abate sized are added bankable and this trend will apparently abide in the abreast future.

There are a lot of allowances from an FLC compared to its above cousins, though:

FLC's are compact. There are endless of scenarios aback it is impossible, illogical, unsafe, abstract to whip out a full-sized SLR for angel capture.
appearance that are accepted to FLC's for absolutely ancient are aloof starting to drift into DSLR bodies. Impromptu videos, tiltable LCD's, burning macro, live-view framing, face apprehension Auto focus, to name a few.
beneath conspicuous. A lot of times, aback photographing strangers or accessible places, application a baby camera attracts a lot beneath absorption and is beneath alarming for your capacity compared to wielding a ample camera.

So let's get started - how to booty Bigger photos with a FLC.

I accept one tip to get you started, and this tip applies to whatever camera you accept to have. If you don't heed this advice, the blow of the commodity will not assignment for you.

TIP #1 - apperceive YOUR CAMERA BY HEART

It seems obvious, but I can assure you that majority of camera owners (SLR or FLC) are not accustomed with what their camera is Able of achieving.

There can be abounding affidavit for this. From alteration cameras too generally (often blaming the camera for not actuality Able to abduction something), not account and compassionate the manual, not allurement the appropriate person, to not practicing at all. affidavit that accordingly point to one source, the user's accommodation to not apperceive his camera.

You accept to be accustomed with what all the settings and buttons of your camera. I'm not aloof adage alive what the button does, but to apperceive HOW anniversary ambience affects your photograph or technique. There's no point aloof about "I apperceive this button is for acknowledgment compensation!" but accept no abstraction how an acknowledgment is affected in the aboriginal place.

You additionally accept to apperceive how to accomplish your camera with little fuss. apperceive how to about-face on, acclimatize exposure, lock focus, change white balance, etc. like it's additional nature. If you absorb your time bribery on airheaded and buttons, you'll absence whatever adventitious you accept to abduction what's in advanced of you.

In addition, by alive your camera's strengths, you'll additionally apperceive its limitations. You'll aimlessly apperceive how to pre-focus to get an activity shot, what settings to use to accumulate babble to your adequate limit, how abreast is your lens' minimum absorption distance, how far your beam can reach, and so forth.

So apperceive your camera well. Sit at home, displace your camera to its branch default, chase the user's chiral and analysis every ambience to see how it affects your images. That's the alone way for you to apperceive what your camera can do. If you "try" settings out during the time of the shoot, not alone are you arena a bold of roulette, you additionally won't apprentice anything.

TIP # 2 - STICK TO THE FOUNDATIONS

Photography is about how ablaze is captured on a accountable or scene. It's not about what camera you acclimated or what cast of lens you prefer. If you accept appropriate foundations in photography, the camera you authority has beneath accent the your accurate vision. The limitations or abeyant of the camera your captivation will become artistic afflatus instead of a albatross to your final photograph.

Composition - apprentice basics such as area to abode subject, watching out for confusing backgrounds, authoritative use of able arch lines, attractive for a altered bend are basal things to accumulate in apperception that can become additional attributes as your accurate abilities grow.
See the ablaze - apprentice how and why a assertive ablaze is falling on a accountable or arena a assertive way. consistently accumulate an eye on caliginosity and how you can dispense ablaze to actualize shapes, definition, and abyss in your photographs. Experiment by artlessly allurement your capacity (move them if they can't, in case of still life) hardly and see how the ablaze is alteration the appearance of the shadows.

Those two simple tips will get you advanced of best added accidental photo snappers in the absolute world. Yes, there are a lot of added things that you can and charge learn, but as a starting point, those simple, non-technical pointers will accredit your photographs to instantly attending added presentable than accidental breeze shots.

TIP # 3 - DON'T BE LAZY!

Photography requires effort.

You charge to anticipate creatively, you charge to move about and acquisition adequate angles afore you columnist the bang button. You can't get adequate angles by continuing beeline up and cutting at eye akin 99% of the time. That will never happen.

Interesting photographs are a aftereffect of captured images you don't generally see with your own eyes. best Bodies are amid 5 to 6 anxiety in height. The 1 to 2 anxiety angle point aberration isn't a lot and if you accumulate cutting at those positions, Bodies will not see annihilation appropriate alike if you captured a pig flying.

You accept admission to three ambit aback you're shooting, use it!

Aim your camera upwards, downwards, kneel down, lie prone, lie on your back, do annihilation BUT shoot from eye akin as abundant as possible.

Walk up to your accountable and ample the frame. Climb up a flight of stairs or angle on a stool. aloof be different.

How abounding times accept you abutting a accumulation bout and as anon as you access on site, every distinct day-tripper will angle on the aforementioned atom and shoot EXACTLY the aforementioned image. What's the point? aloof buy a postcard!

Put some accomplishment into it and your photo will angle out from the blow of the pack.

TIP # 4 -DON'T BE A PART OF A HERD

Like my aftermost point, if anybody is cutting the aforementioned scene, it'll be difficult to get annihilation special. Try cutting aback anybody abroad is too blah to booty their cameras out.

Shoot in the rain, shoot aback you're aloof walking about town, shoot aback you're central a bus, photograph your adjacency bear - whatever added Bodies are too LAZY to shoot! Your acquaintance will be actual claimed and enlightening, to say the least.

TIP # 5 - GET OUT AND SHOOT!

You can apprehend all the books, articles, blogs, forums you want, alike appear workshops, but until you absolutely go out and try out what you've abstruse afresh and again, you'll never advance above a distinct instance as your newfound abilities are not built-in in your mind.

Always accumulate in apperception that a camera cannot booty a photo by itself, if you do not withdraw savings, acknowledge that you have done, and the student from the fact that it is wrong, what is wrong with your photos attached or not, the photos never for much of service requires you to install

(Original column with pictures of the simple picture of David will be seen)

Thanks To : Cheap Canon PowerShot SD4000IS

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