Take Better Digital Photos
By Debbie Ridpath Ohi, N2Arts Correspondent
Tips and tricks for taking better digital photos
 

igital cameras are fun and easy to use. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your camera and take better photos:

Use high resolution to take your photos.
Unless you’re absolutely positive that you will never want to print your photos, take your pictures at the highest resolution you can.  I used to take all my photos at low-res to save disk space. I kept finding much later, however, that I wanted to print the occasional photo and couldn’t, or at least not at decent quality. Now I always take my photos at high resolution, and save disk space by being ruthless about weeding out all but the best photos instead.

Know when to use the display viewfinder.

If you’re tired of photos of your friends and family covering their faces or trying to hide from your camera, learn to use the display to compose and focus your shots instead of always putting your eye up to the optical viewfinder; it’s easier to get more natural shots of people this way.  Be warned, however, that using the display will drain your batteries more quickly...yet another reason to always carry spare batteries.

You should also use the display viewfinder when taking photos in macro mode; you’ll get a more accurate idea of what the final photo will look like.

Use the “cloudy” setting as your default exposure.

The default white balance for most digital cameras is usually Auto (Automatic), which works fine but sometimes results in photographs with a cooler, somewhat washed-out tone. For photos taken in bright sunlight, experiment with using the “cloudy” setting instead of Auto; this will help add warm tones to your photograph (reds and yellows).

Your sunglasses can help enhance your photos.

If you have good quality sunglasses, you can use them as a polarizing filter, or to darken the scene when you want a longer exposure.

Place the glasses as close to lens as possible, but make sure the frame of your sunglasses isn’t showing in the viewfinder.

Take lots of photos.

Don’t forget that you aren’t paying for print processing. One secret to taking good digital photos is to take a LOT. You can always delete the ones you don’t like, and save the best.

Be aware of your lighting conditions.

In bright sunlight, harsh shadows can sometimes distort or hide your subject’s features. If light is behind your subject, use the flash on or flash fill mode, but remember that most cameras with built-in flash have a limited range, usually about 10 feet.

I usually like to opt for natural lighting whenever possible, which may mean turning off automatic flash mode and slightly increasing the exposure to compensate. In especially dim conditions, I use a tripod to avoid camera shake, or lean my camera arm against something solid.

Experiment.

Experiment with different camera settings, especially macro mode. Referring to the camera’s manual as often as necessary, try out each special feature at least once.

Experiment with different subjects and composition. Sometimes photos are more interesting when the subject isn’t right in the middle of the frame or even in focus.

Most importantly, have fun!

Readers are invited to post their digital photos in the N2Arts reader gallery.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi is a Toronto-based freelance writer and photographer who has several online comic strips and performs with the music group Urban Tapestry. Her Web site can be found at http://www.inkygirl.com.