Use These Techniques & Methods To Take Better Photographs
October 16th, 2011 | Author: admin
After I purchased my first digital camera, complete with its small viewing screen, folk would often ask, “Can I see the picture?” Youngsters would ask me to take their picture, and then run over and ask to see it, then run back and ask me to take another!
It's good to have all that excitement, but were my pictures basically the best they could be?
Here are 7 tips that I have learned that have improved the standard of my photographs.
1. Always use the highest resolution setting. At the start , I had the resolution set to medium. That way I was able to take in the region of 100 pictures before having to download the memory card to my computer’s hard disk. That was fine for viewing on screen, but then one day I would have liked to do an 8×10 paper version, and the results were displeasing. Now I mostly use the highest resolution my cameras can provide. I've had to spend some money on more memory cards, although it was worth it.
2. Use a Tripod. Even the slightest movement of the camera can create a foggy image. Invest in a tripod. I've also revealed that when taking group shots, I'm more able to judge when to “click” if I'm looking directly at the group, rather than through the view finder.
3. Buy a Good Photo-Editing Programme. Maybe your camera came with Photoshop Elements, or similar. If not, go to your PC retailer and buy one. Not only are you able to fix blots (maybe Susan was having a bad zit day), but you can do more creative things too. Lately I mixed a photo of my grand-daughter with one of Dora-the-Explorer. Jasmine loved it.
4. Use the Lowest Compression Setting. As you use that fancy photo editing program, be careful of your compression setting. Most programs default to “jpeg” format, which saves space by selectively removing pixels, and recreating them next time you view the photograph. If you open, edit, and save a photograph numerous times, the over-all quality decreases. Try and do all of your revising in one pass, using the lowest compression, or use a format like “tiff”, which does not compress.
5. Get in Close. Do not waste pixels on excess background. Get in closer, either physically or with an optical zoom setting.
6. Good Things Come in Threes (or more). Considering the incremental costs of taking a photograph with an electronic camera (close to zero), you should take lots of shots. If the shot is available for more than a couple of seconds, take more that one exposure. I always tell the subjects of my pictures that I'm going to be taking at least 2 or 3 shots of them. A blink at the wrong time ruins the potential.
7. Read the Manual. In fact , read it several times. As if I should explain this one!
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Posted in Digital Photography | 
Tags: better photography, Digital Photography, take better photographs