The New You... Genius Photographer
Gone are the days when photography was viewed as an arduous and expensive hobby, or even a profession to master. The introduction of digital cameras has successfully broadened the spectrum of photography aficionados, with the affordability and convenience it has brought into the field. With the use of electronic devise to capture images in binary data, digital cameras allow the photographer a plethora of time and money saving alternatives, where he can view his photograph even before he prints it out, sort through the images to only save the appropriate ones and delete the rest and even upload the images directly onto his computer. This invariably allows the photographer a lot more freedom to experiment and explore, while also saving on the amount of time it would have cost him to scan individual pictures to his laptop. Present-day digital cameras also offer a multitude of image and lighting options to the user, letting him achieve what he once regarded as very difficult or even impossible.
To understand how a perfect image is captured, it is essential you discover how your digital camera functions first. Almost every digital camera is fitted with a Liquid Crystal Display which, simply put, is just another version of the viewfinder. However, it offers a lot more to you, as the user, where you can view your pictures, both before and after you capture it, so that you can gauge the effects for yourself and even take another picture if need be. Digital Photography also allows you to capture the finer nuances of your subject on account of the technology that goes into the making of the image. Your pictures are made of thousands of mega pixels which further break down into a million pixels or picture elements each. Also, the way you capture images with your digital camera is distinctly unlike how you would go about it with a regular film camera. Here, you need to use the Shutter Release Button which you first press to lock your exposure and focus preferences and then press again to capture the image. You will also want to watch out for the 'Camera Shake' which is responsible for hazy or even distorted images.
Most cameras are preset to the automatic ISO mode where the ISO adjusts itself in keeping with the light conditions of your surroundings. You can even create your signature effect by deciding to adjust the ISO for yourself. Should you choose to do so, bear in mind that the higher the brightness in the surroundings, the lower the ISO needs to be. The converse applies with dim lighting, where you need to set the ISO higher than you normally would. Many digital photographers are plagued by what is known as 'Noise' in the photographs. This means that their images have random speckles or pixels all over them, thus undermining the clarity of the photograph. To counter this, you can apply the noise reduction feature, but your photograph will not be as minutely detailed as you would want it to be. The larger the photograph, the more prominent the noise in it will be. Hence, a compressed image will not reveal any traces of noise.
If you prefer, your camera can self-adjust the flash settings to accommodate the light conditions. If you aren't too comfortable with the use of flash, you avoid it altogether and enhance the lighting in the room. You can even toggle between the external flash unit which you fix on your camera, and the in-built flash mechanism. A trick many seasoned photographers use is to tilt the flash device upwards so that the light is reflected off the walls and the ceiling on the subject of your image. This creates a more subdued effect while also ensuring adequate exposure. Backlighting is recommended only when you want to specifically create a silhouette. More a more dramatic effect, you can use the flash to first light up the background and then apply an additional fill-in flash to bring out the subject in the foreground.
To capture images of objects which are moving at a high speed, simply activate the 'Burst Mode' which lets you take multiple images of the object by just holding down the Shutter Release Button. You can also modulate the vibrancy of your image by adjusting the color intensity. Close ups can be hard to capture because the subject, very often shifts out of focus as you close in. here, you can enable the Macro mode which lets you capture the finer nuances of the subject without losing out on the resolution. For distant pictures, the Optical Zoom in the camera lens leads it to extend and retract to enlarge the image, in all its clarity.
For best results, you need to learn how to hold your camera in the correct manner. If your camera offers you only an LCD screen without a viewfinder, then you will be forced to hold the camera at an arm's length instead of near your face as you would have with a conventional viewfinder. This increases the chances of an unsteady hand and hence, an unclear image. So, the next time you decide to buy yourself a digital camera, this is one of the vital criteria you need to make a note of.
However, irrespective of how many pointers you may commit to memory or pages on in-depth analyses you master, the only way you can actually learn how to master your digital camera is by using it as often as you can. However, this is not to imply that you don't refer to the manual at all. In fact, this is just what you need to do refer to the complete, detailed manual and not just the Quick Start Guide. Though it may seem a daunting task to plough through all those pages, it is essential that you start with the guide, simply because it explains what your camera is capable of and hence allows you to determine what you can achieve. Also, it does help to keep referring to the guide even while you're practicing your photography skills to help to fine tune your expertise. You can even save the pictures you seem to have developed your technique on for reference, within the camera itself, or your computer. And every time you step out on a picnic or a hike, don't forget to carry your camera along. Its practical size ensures that you don't have to bother with bags of equipment, every time you set out on a foray into the world of photography. So go out there and capture your first master piece for all you know, there will be many more to follow.
To understand how a perfect image is captured, it is essential you discover how your digital camera functions first. Almost every digital camera is fitted with a Liquid Crystal Display which, simply put, is just another version of the viewfinder. However, it offers a lot more to you, as the user, where you can view your pictures, both before and after you capture it, so that you can gauge the effects for yourself and even take another picture if need be. Digital Photography also allows you to capture the finer nuances of your subject on account of the technology that goes into the making of the image. Your pictures are made of thousands of mega pixels which further break down into a million pixels or picture elements each. Also, the way you capture images with your digital camera is distinctly unlike how you would go about it with a regular film camera. Here, you need to use the Shutter Release Button which you first press to lock your exposure and focus preferences and then press again to capture the image. You will also want to watch out for the 'Camera Shake' which is responsible for hazy or even distorted images.
Most cameras are preset to the automatic ISO mode where the ISO adjusts itself in keeping with the light conditions of your surroundings. You can even create your signature effect by deciding to adjust the ISO for yourself. Should you choose to do so, bear in mind that the higher the brightness in the surroundings, the lower the ISO needs to be. The converse applies with dim lighting, where you need to set the ISO higher than you normally would. Many digital photographers are plagued by what is known as 'Noise' in the photographs. This means that their images have random speckles or pixels all over them, thus undermining the clarity of the photograph. To counter this, you can apply the noise reduction feature, but your photograph will not be as minutely detailed as you would want it to be. The larger the photograph, the more prominent the noise in it will be. Hence, a compressed image will not reveal any traces of noise.
If you prefer, your camera can self-adjust the flash settings to accommodate the light conditions. If you aren't too comfortable with the use of flash, you avoid it altogether and enhance the lighting in the room. You can even toggle between the external flash unit which you fix on your camera, and the in-built flash mechanism. A trick many seasoned photographers use is to tilt the flash device upwards so that the light is reflected off the walls and the ceiling on the subject of your image. This creates a more subdued effect while also ensuring adequate exposure. Backlighting is recommended only when you want to specifically create a silhouette. More a more dramatic effect, you can use the flash to first light up the background and then apply an additional fill-in flash to bring out the subject in the foreground.
To capture images of objects which are moving at a high speed, simply activate the 'Burst Mode' which lets you take multiple images of the object by just holding down the Shutter Release Button. You can also modulate the vibrancy of your image by adjusting the color intensity. Close ups can be hard to capture because the subject, very often shifts out of focus as you close in. here, you can enable the Macro mode which lets you capture the finer nuances of the subject without losing out on the resolution. For distant pictures, the Optical Zoom in the camera lens leads it to extend and retract to enlarge the image, in all its clarity.
For best results, you need to learn how to hold your camera in the correct manner. If your camera offers you only an LCD screen without a viewfinder, then you will be forced to hold the camera at an arm's length instead of near your face as you would have with a conventional viewfinder. This increases the chances of an unsteady hand and hence, an unclear image. So, the next time you decide to buy yourself a digital camera, this is one of the vital criteria you need to make a note of.
However, irrespective of how many pointers you may commit to memory or pages on in-depth analyses you master, the only way you can actually learn how to master your digital camera is by using it as often as you can. However, this is not to imply that you don't refer to the manual at all. In fact, this is just what you need to do refer to the complete, detailed manual and not just the Quick Start Guide. Though it may seem a daunting task to plough through all those pages, it is essential that you start with the guide, simply because it explains what your camera is capable of and hence allows you to determine what you can achieve. Also, it does help to keep referring to the guide even while you're practicing your photography skills to help to fine tune your expertise. You can even save the pictures you seem to have developed your technique on for reference, within the camera itself, or your computer. And every time you step out on a picnic or a hike, don't forget to carry your camera along. Its practical size ensures that you don't have to bother with bags of equipment, every time you set out on a foray into the world of photography. So go out there and capture your first master piece for all you know, there will be many more to follow.