Digital Photography Tips

  • Regardless of camera type, the photograph is ultimately the most important thing. From photojournalism to family photos, digital photography is still photography.
  • Good photography is always about recognizing and responding to the subject, not about the computer. That means shooting the right way from the start, no matter what camera you use.
  • Get close. Check out your lens. See what it can do by stepping in closer and placing something in the foreground. What happens to the background? Is it fuzzy or sharp?
  • Shoot a lot of pictures. Remember, it's digital, so you can!
  • Low light will increase digital grain. Use a flash or other added light if grain could be a problem and must be kept to a minimum.
  • Being perfectly still is the first step to making better pictures.
  • Get used to your camera and read the manual.
  • A different vantage point can be refreshing when photographing kids and animals.
  • Try different angles with a flash unit to eliminate unwanted shadows.
  • White balance is more than a color correction tool. Use it creatively to get the colors you want in your scene.
  • The sensor sensitivity (commonly referred to as ISO) is simply a measure of the sensor's sensitivity to light. If you are setting the ISO manually, here is a basic guide: 100 ISO in bright, bright sunlight; 400 ISO on a dull, dreary day; 800 or 1600 ISO for indoors under floodlights; generally speaking, the higher the ISO, the lower the picture quality.
  • Use camera modes other than Auto, try Shutter Priority (Tv) to stop action or Aperture Priority (Av) to adjust depth-of-field.
  • Practice, practice and practice.

by National Geographic