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Camera Basics
101
Getting Started With Your Digital Camera
4 Simple Tips To Help You Start Taking
Great Pictures
If the mere thought of taking a
digital photo makes you want to "shutter," have no fear. I used to be in your
shoes. If I was lucky I could push the button and get a decent picture, but if
you asked me what aperture size I was using I'd have been lost. Fortunately,
with the recent advancements in digital cameras, taking great pictures isn't
just for pros anymore. Here are a few simple tips that I've picked up along the
way that will help you take your photography to a whole new level.
1) Always Take Your Camera With You
If you can, always carry your camera with you. You may have all the equipment
one would ever need for a perfect photo, but you can't carry tripods, external
flashes, extra lenses and the like with you wherever you go; although you might
build a nice physique if you try. While I may take specific equipment with me
when I know I'll be taking pictures, I try to have a camera with me at all times
- just in case. You never know when you'll run across a gorgeous sunset; a
friend doing something you can't miss; or something your mom, boss, friend, or
guy you see on the street every day "just won't believe." Having a camera with
you all the time means you won't miss out on special moments and everyday
beauties. Plus, they make cameras that are perfect for this type of picture
taking. My friend has a camera that fits perfectly into an Altoid's box, so it
can go easily wherever she does. Personally, I'm a fan of the ultracompact
Casio Exilim EX-Z80
since it takes great pictures but still fits easily in my pocket. Don't
get me wrong, having a DSLR is great for the serious picture taker - it's just
not always convenient to take everywhere. Having a small camera in your
pocket is so much more convenient than lugging a bag everywhere, and it's
infinitely better than trying to take photos with your cell phone.
2) Take Your Pictures In
Quantity
Take lots of pictures, you can always delete the bad ones later, thus the beauty
of a digital camera. This allows you to experiment more than with film cameras
because you can see if something worked right away and do it differently if it
didn't. With film, you have to remember what technique or tip you used for each
shot when you get the roll back. And I personally think there are better things
to remember, like your wife or girlfriend's birthday (wink, wink). I like to
take short breaks on my photo outings so I can stop and delete pictures I don't
like or that I know aren't going to turn out, but if you don't have the time to
stop and scan through them all just bring along an extra memory card or a higher
capacity card and delete the bad shots later. Also, you will probably find that
if you keep taking lots of pictures all the time, you'll end up taking less that
need to be deleted the more you improve. Plus, even if you're not the best
photographer yet, the more pictures you take the more likely you are to "just
get lucky", but that doesn't mean you have to tell anyone you did.
Another benefit of being able to delete pictures right away is that, even if
you're not the best photographer (through no fault of your own, of course), you
can still produce quality pictures. I actually didn't start taking pictures
until I was in college. I had barely ever used a camera before and was all of a
sudden taking some wonderful pictures (if I do say so myself). Why, you ask? I
have a natural shake and about 9 out of every 10 pictures I take come out
blurry. With a film camera, taking pictures was generally a big waste of money.
However, with digital, I can simply delete the blurry pictures.
3) Take Pictures Of What Your Know
Be sure to take pictures of what you know. Things that seem familiar and boring
to you may be novel to others. Your neighbor's annoying yappy dog may make you
want to move out of state, but other people may find him endearing. You may pass
that rundown old building on your drive to work every morning, but most people
have never seen it and some people may actually want to. When we see something
every day, we stop seeing the beauty of it. Try finding that again. You may be
surprised with what you see in the pictures.
My best pictures are of the people, places and things I like. Sure, sometimes if
I see someone doing something interesting I'll snap a shot, but they never seem
to turn out as well as the candid pictures I take of my friends. My best shots
are of animals and clouds. Coincidentally, I am big fan of weather and I love
pretty much all animals. While any picture you take can be wonderful, when you
take a picture of something you care for it shows. That's probably because
you're enjoying yourself more while you're taking the picture.
4) Have Fun
Which brings me to my last and obviously most important point - HAVE FUN! If you
feel like it's a chore to grab your camera and go take pictures all the time,
perhaps photography isn't the hobby for you. Or maybe you just aren't taking the
right pictures. Whatever kind of pictures you take remember to always enjoy
yourself and your surroundings, because you're obviously in a great place or
with great people if you feel a picture is worth taking.
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