Tips & Tricks to better Digital
Snapshots
It is different to take a picture with a digital camera than with a film camera. I want
to present you tips to better digital photography, especially for snapshots:
Tip No. 7 (27 June 2000)
Concentrate on the "second snapshot".
For this tip you should have a digital camera, which can store a picture
quite fast. Sometimes people, especially children, expect the "shot".
They will hide, look away or they look angry. So just take a snapshot, but
immediatly after the shot you should take a second picture. This is very
often much nicer than the first one which you can delete. People does not
expect it. (There are digital cameras which can take series of
pictures automatically. Use this mode.) And remember: Concentrate in
taking the second picture fast and secretly. It works!
Tip 6
Have an "objective" view.
If you watch something or someone interesting, you are watching
subjective. As human beings, we see what we want to see. It means, you only notice the
main subject in the front, you will
not notice the background. You just do not notice the background in the
manner like it will be visible on the photo. After you have taken the
picture, you will have for
example notice an disturbing background on your photo. Just learn to get an objective view
during taking a picture with a digital camera! Use sometimes the display
while you take a picture in order to teach yourself. You will see your
motive just "flat" and notice more the whole area. After some
practice you will get a more objective view of the whole picture.
Tip No. 5
Crop your photos.
After taking a picture, you usually manipulate the file with a program like
Photoshop. The most important thing is to get rid of disturbing background.
Tip No. 4
Consider the best resolution before taking a picture.
Beginning in digital photography, someone can think it is always the best to use
the higest resolution, for most cameras are giving the choice of it. If you want to print
them out, you should prefer a higher or the highest resolution. If you take pictures only
for the monitor, you do not need to have the highest resolution. So you can save time
storing the picture and of course you can store more of them. In order to take quick
pictures this is sometimes important.
Tip No. 3
Take a snapshot secretly. You can show the picture still afterwards.
Yes, of course you will say. But it is not so easy to take a secret snapshot. The
main reason against it is the fact, that the other person might become angry. Yes - that
can happen. But there is an advantage with a digital camera: you can show the person, who
is angry, the photo with the LCD screen on the back of the camera. You can show even that
you can delete it.
Tip No. 2
Consider the time to store a picture.
The main difference between a digital and a film camera is the the time the
camera is ready for the next picture. It takes up to 2 till 5 seconds to record the
picture. Manufacturers are improving this and there are digital cameras who can take a
series of pictures. You have to wait till your digital camera has finished recording. You
should not put the camera down too quickly and do not try to take immediatly another
picture. It will not work till the first one is recorded.
Tip No. 1
Take as many pictures as you can.
Do not hesitate to take a picture. It does not cost any more to take one extra
picture. (You will not be spending any money on developing, remember!) This is a strengh
of a digital camera. Take many pictures or you will miss a good one.
Last Updated: Saturday, 05 August 2000
Copyright © 1999 by Martin Kurz |
