Introduction.You finally have a digital camera, so now what? You have taken a number of photographs but they are not exactly what you were expecting.
You want the magic of digital. You want those great photographs shown to you in the advertisements.
There is no magic. With some work though you will be able to improve your photographs and have a great time doing it.Take control.First get familiar with your camera. Read the manuals that came with it and learn about all the features available. Try these few suggestions.
Forget the Auto mode
Try the different Manual and Semi-Manual modes
Use the different White Balances to see effects
Change the Shutter speed
Change the Aperture
Use the Flash (even in daylight) then turn it off
You are getting the idea now. Try every different setting available. Make notes about them and learn.What is one of the greatest advantages of digital photography? You can take a ton of pictures and it won’t cost you any extra money. This is a great learning tool. Use it to full advantage.View your photography as art.You are not just taking snap shots. You want to make photographs that can be framed and put on display. Keep these points in mind.
Use a tripod, monopod, or brace yourself to keep the camera perfectly steady
Take shots from different perspectives, down low, up high, off to one side
Shoot the complete subject
Shoot only parts of the subject
Look for patterns in the subject or in parts of it
Tilt the camera at different angles
Zoom in, Zoom out
Get up close
Move far away
If you have an SLR try different lenses
Go back at different times of the day, to see how the light changes
Focus on different areas of the shot
Shoot in colour, and in black and white
Use all the different camera settings you can on each subject
Learn and use your photo editing software
Take your time and have fun with it
If there are other people taking pictures of the same subject, take note of where they are shooting from and then try a different angle. Get the unique angle.What ever it is you want to shoot, walk around it first. See it from all possible angles and positions. Look at it from a distance and from close up.The more photographs you take the more you will learn and improve. The art of photography is like any other. Keep practicing and taking notes and you will show a steady improvement.Get help.One of the best ideas is to join a camera club or photography meet up group. You will be able to meet other photographers of all levels and trade ideas back and forth.
Join an online group where you can post photographs, for free. You will be able to get feed back on your photos, and to give feed back when you get more comfortable.
You will be able to view thousands of photographs from other people. This will give you some great ideas.On line groups also have forums where you can join in and get answers to any of your questions. You will find the forums a virtual treasure chest of information.Summary.View your photography as art and take control. Take lots of pictures using all of the tools and look for all the advice you can find.Post your pictures on line and invite friends and family and members of the photographic community to critique them.It is a nice feeling to have friends and family say that you take great pictures. However there is no greater incentive than to have someone you have never met look at your photos and tell you they are impressed.