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BOOT CAMP 263 (18/02/03)
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TOP TIPS 3
In part three of this
short series on digital photography we’re looking at some simple techniques to
help you get the most out of a digital still camera. For the most part a compact
digital still camera (DSCs) works just like a normal film camera; you frame the
shot, press the shutter button and hope the electronic minions inside the camera
get the focus and exposure settings just right.
The big difference with a
DSC is that you don’t have to wait for the film to be processed to find out if
the picture was okay, you can check it right away using the built-in LCD screen
on the back. Usually you don’t have to do anything on most models a preview
automatically appears on the screen for a few seconds after each shot. The LCD
screens fitted to most cameras are too small to make accurate judgements about
colour balance and exposure but it will show if you cut everyone’s head’s off or
you need to use the flash.
Newcomers to digital
photography often take a while to get used to the fact that there’s no need to
worry about wasting film. It’s a natural enough instinct, every time you press
the shutter button on a film camera there’s the thought in the back of your mind
that you’re going to have to pay to have this picture developed, no matter how
it turns out and it’s one less frame on the film, that you might need later for
something really worthwhile.
With a digital camera if
you don’t like the look of a picture take it again, in fact take several from
different angles and experiment with the exposure settings or presets. The more
you take the better the chance of ending up with that once in a lifetime
picture. Why not try a few unusual angles? Hold the camera overhead, or down
low, maybe tilt it a few degrees or pan the camera to follow a moving object, to
blur the background and give an impression of speed. The point is it costs
nothing but your time and a little effort, so go nuts! You can always erase the
duff shots to free up space on your memory card. The only time you need to
practice economy with a DSC is when you are running low on memory, or power and
you don’t have a spare memory card or battery to hand, so don’t get caught
short.
Many DSCs have impressive
sounding ‘digital’ zooms. These are quite different from the optical zoom lens
on the front of the camera, which has no significant impact on picture quality.
Digital zooms on the other hand work by electronically enlarging the image and
have a big effect on quality so avoid using them whenever possible. If you want
people or objects to appear larger in the frame use the optical zoom, or get
closer!
The optical viewfinders on
some compact DSCs can be quite basic, on cheaper models they may not be linked
to the zoom lens, so you’re never quite sure what’s in the frame, especially on
close-ups. It’s not a problem. Simply use the LCD screen to compose the shot.
This effectively turns it into a SLR type camera, where what you see on the
viewing screen is the actual image coming through the lens. The only point to
watch out for is that the LCD screen and backlight consume a lot of power and
will drain the battery in double-quick time, so use it
sparingly.
Virtually all compact
digital still cameras have resolution and compression settings that let you
trade off picture quality against the number of images you can store on a memory
card. It’s not worth compromising; set your camera to the highest possible
quality, even if you’re only taking pictures for an undemanding application,
like illustrating a web page. You can always reduce the resolution when the
image file is transferred to a PC but you can’t retrospectively put back lost
detail. If memory capacity is a problem get a bigger card. Remember, you paid
for a camera with a multi-megapixel image sensor so it makes sense to use it!
This tip we’ve covered
before built it’s worth repeating. On most digital cameras there’s a delay,
sometimes up to a second, between pressing the shutter button and the picture
being taken and that is enough to spoil a shot. This is almost always caused by
a time lag in the camera’s auto focus system. You can eliminate this delay by
switching the AF system off or pre-focusing, which brings us to our last
tip.
RTFM or read the flipping
manual (or words to that effect…). Don’t just assume that you will intuitively
know how to use all of the features on your new digital still camera. Whilst it
is true that on most models you can take pictures in full auto mode without
consulting the instructions, there are bound to be lots of additional facilities
-- buried away on menu screens -- that to help you to take even better
photographs when conditions are less than ideal. Get to know your camera’s
manual focus and exposure controls even if they’re just simple presets for
indoors or outdoors or natural and artificial light. The flash facility is also
likely to have several options, such as ‘Fill-In’ or ‘Red-Eye’ reduction and
become familiar with secondary functions, like the self-timer. Don’t wait until
you’ve assembled a group of friends to try and figure out how to use
it!
Next week – Part 4,
printing and paper
JARGON
FILTER
FILL IN
FLASH
Using flash to lighten
shadows or highlight details when the ambient lighting comes from the side or
behind, making the overall image look overly dark
RED
EYE
Devilish-looking red eyes,
caused by the small distance separating the flashgun and the lens on most
compact cameras; the blood rich retinas in the subjects eyes reflect the light
straight back to the camera lens
SLR
Single Lens Reflex, type
of camera where the image on the viewfinder comes through the main lens via a
mirror and prism so you see the exact image that will be recorded
TIP OF THE
WEEK
One of the best ways to
improve the quality of your pictures is to use a tripod. Camera shake is
difficult to avoid but it can be a particular problem on digital cameras. In
general they are not as good as film cameras when it comes to shooting in low
light, resulting in longer exposure times, which means the camera has to be held
still for longer. Lugging a full size tripod around with you can be a pain but
there are plenty of alternatives, including mini tabletop tripods that fit in
your pocket and compact folding monopods.
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