A Few More Animals...

from my trip to the Detroit Zoo this past summer.

Fading Light

Went for a walk the other night with my boys and the hubby. Been trying to soak up as much of the nice weather that MI has been having. I shot these three images in less than a half hour and loved the way they fit together. I hope everyone else enjoys this too.

Sun-drenched and beautiful

Sun-drenched and beautiful. These stargazer lilies are my favorite flower all together. This is the flower that was abundant at my Great Aunt Mary's funeral. Of course, they were fake but I brought home four of them and made a wreath with them. This wreath is hung by my front door so I see it every time I go out my door. My Aunt Mary was truly a great woman. She is my Granny's oldest sister. Shortly after my granny was born, their mother became very ill. They are not really sure what she died from but it is believed that she had cancer (this was the conclusion of Aunt Mary years later after caring for her mother-in-law in the last stages of cancer.) Now my granny really has no real recollections of her mother. She died when my granny was about two years old. My Aunt Mary was essentially my granny's mother. Aunt Mary was twelve years older than my granny. Aunt Mary was a very special lady to me because in my mind I don't know that my granny would have survived had Aunt Mary not taken on that role, seeing as how their mother was in and out of the hospital and not well during the time that she had with my granny. I loved every moment that I spent with my Aunt Mary and have wonderful memories of her telling stories about antics of my granny. I also loved to hear her tell the story of when she left the family to marry Uncle Lee, another great person in my life. Both of these people are sorely missed by all of the family but they are well remembered.

Wow, I had no idea that was in me. Not at all what I had planned to post about but obviously it needed saying. Maybe next time I'll write about how my granny tried to chop off my Great Aunt Vivian's nose. Got ya wondering now, don't I?

Daisy Fleabane

Daisy Fleabane

Okay I am trying to convince myself it is not really cold outside. I am not ready for the cold. My hormones have returned to normal, I am now freezing and it isn't even near to being the coldest weather that we will see in my neck of the woods. The last two winters haven't been to bad. I haven't been to cold. But they also came just after giving birth to my children. I was hoping that I wouldn't go back to the freezing feeling that I have always had. My house is set at 74 degrees and I am still cold. The only reason my temperature is set this high is because of my boys. Their room is the farthest from the furnace and hence it stays colder than the rest of the house. Since neither of the sleeps with covers yet the only way to ensure they are warm is to keep the heat a little higher than I would like. I definitely am not looking forward to my heating bills this winter. Have a pleasant Wednesday.

Flowers - finishing up

Here are some of the flower images that were overlooked over the last few months of posting. I really am pushing this warm thoughts thing. So far, it is not working. Some of these images have similar ones posted already but these are other pictures that I like just as well.

Rose 1

I'm back sort of. I have some images to share over the next few days of my granny's roses. I took these images just over a month ago and have played around with them a bit to come up with something that I like. My plan is to frame each image and hang them together in a grouping for her.

Rose 2

Rose 3

Rose 4

I'm Back

I am back up and running. I have quite a few pictures to share. I have been taking pictures when I have had the opportunity but have only just had time to sort through and edit and get the ones I like ready for everyone to see. So some of these images are from the beginning of spring. I hope to post more regularly now that the extra events in my life have slowed down. Here's hoping.

Glimpses of Blue

So the other day, well Mother's Day to be exact, we were walking through the preserve and I'm admiring the beautiful color of this tree's blossoms. What would I see land in the tree? None other than a gorgeous Blue Jay who looks even more striking in the tree. Sure enough I get the camera aimed at him and focused and just before I can snap the picture...


He flies away.

Baltimore Beauty

My first sighting of a Baltimore Oriole and I got him captured in pictures. I followed this guy around the tree for a good fifteen minutes. I loved the contrast of the orange with the light pink blossoms.

Shimmering Satin

My bargain flowers that we bought the other day. We splurged and bought cut flowers, two half dozen bundles for $1.49 a piece. They were so pretty, I couldn't resist. And for $3.00 I was able to beautify my home for a brief time period. I still look at the grocery store every now and then to see if there are any more bargains like this to be found.

They were Framed

Monarchs

I am still here. In the process of looking for a house and still no internet at home. House hunting is. a. chore. Hoping to find something soon but not going to settle for just anything. I was reading through some of my favorite blogs and was happy to see that many of my favorites are lax like me (makes my time trying to catch up go much easier.) Thanks to those of you who have commented and to those who have not. I miss my blogging friends and hope to be caught up with you all soon.

Purple Irises

Floating Reflections

Bee Hunting Again

I honestly enjoy the difficulty in trying to photograph a bee. They rarely hold still long enough to do this hence the thrill of the final image. I am hoping to get some more closer images this coming year.




Also I have added a sidebar list of some of my favorite places to visit in my neck of the woods.

How do you like them flowers?

Sorry I haven't been posting much. I have been working on my photography blog/website for my business that I am trying to get up and running.

I hope you like the flowers.

Have a wonderful weekend.

They're a Bloomin

These images are actually from last July but things are definitely in full bloom here in Mid-Michigan. I am finally starting to find a routine that works for me but I know this will change, I have toddler boys but they will be in school soon enough and I will have lots of time on my hands, so for now I am enjoying the time that I have with them and that is another reason why I have been so infrequent with my postings. Thanks to all those who still are following and reading, you are part of why I do this.

Bleeding Heart

We took one of my nieces and a nephew with us to the zoo the other day. The flowers were really starting to bloom. I don't know why I'm always drawn to this flower but it is among my favorites.

 The past two weeks this image seems to be very fitting of. We have been put through the emotional roller coaster. On June 14th we celebrated the graduation of my niece from high school. June 15th brought sorrow to the family with the passing of my husbands grandmother, she was 89. June 17th, I had a fun photo shoot with the kids in the mud. Later that evening, I learned of the passing of a dear family friend, she was 82. June 19th we had a graduation open house for my niece. The 20th and 21st were spent at the funeral home for Grandma. The funeral was on the 21st. I didn't have much time to rest as I had to get shopping done for a family reunion with my mom's family that took place this past Saturday. In the meantime between shopping trips I learned of two high school friends who both lost their mothers this past week. Saturday was an enjoyable day with the family. Sunday I suffered from a terrible migraine. Today I had a wonderful 9month old to shoot pictures of followed by the funeral for our family friend. So needless to say, I am really hoping and praying for a peaceful few days to get caught up on the things I have to do and maybe work on a few things that I'd like to do.

Tips from a Pro: The Right Lens Makes All the Difference

Superwide-angle lenses practically force you to create wacky images, simply by letting you cram so many elements into the picture. It can be a blast to use them to distort perspective. But there are times when superwides are absolutely the right tool for the job. London-based photographer Richard Bradbury turned immediately to his Canon EF 17–40mm f/4L when the Guinness Book of World Records called on him to depict both the world’s largest dog, Gibson the Great Dane, and the world’s smallest, Boo Boo the Chihuahua, in the same frame.

Because both record holders were American dogs, Bradbury wanted the meeting place to be iconically American in nature. He considered the Grand Canyon, New York City, and Washington D.C., among other venues. “We liked the White House because it’s serious, and we quite liked the idea of a serious location for such a fun record,” he says.

However, the real White House would have been impractical, given the potential crowds and other complications. The next best venue? The “White House” state capitol building in Sacramento, CA.

Although the shoot took place outside under natural sunlight, Bradbury used a three-light setup. He placed a softbox on a boom overhead and above the camera, with two backlights coming in from either side at about 45 degrees. The softbox was about five feet off the ground and aimed almost straight down to provide a soft frontlight and catchlight in the dogs’ eyes.

The two dogs were brought in once everything was ready, their respective owners directing them into position. Even though Bradbury only needed one shot, the session took almost two hours.

“When shooting wide-angle in close, the slightest movement from the dogs can change the perspective quite considerably,” Bradbury says. “My shots frame to frame are quite different from each other, but you’ve got to respond to [your subjects]. You keep repositioning and eventually you get enough shots to make it right. There are a lot of throw-outs with animal photos.”

As for the dogs, they had no notion of their relative sizes.”Boo Boo clearly thought she was six feet tall,” Bradbury says. “She wasn’t taking any messing around from Gibson. She held her ground and just looked up as if to say, ‘If you want to come down here, buddy, you’re in for trouble.’”

10 Tips for the New Digital SLR Photographer

                                                 

 

 

 

That said here is my list of 10 tips you might want to explore if you are new to the hobby.

1. ISO, ISO, ISO. In real estate it’s location, location, location. With an SLR it’s ISO, ISO, ISO. I can’t begin to tell you how many new photographers I’ve met who have no idea what an ISO is. It’s perhaps the single most important technical thing to know about your new SLR. Technically ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization and in the old days of film it had to do with film speed. But without getting very technical here, if you are shooting in the dark or a poorly lit room or at night, you can dramatically improve your photos by bumping up your ISO setting. Most digital cameras these days go to 1600.
When you see those blurry shaky photos that people take at night without a flash what is going on here is that the camera lens is being opened on an automatic setting too long to avoid the movement of your hand which produces the blur. By increasing your ISO setting you will be able to shorten the amount of time the lens is open and thus get a less blurry photo due to the ever so slight movement that naturally takes place in your hand when you shoot. I’m not going to go into the differences between ISO, noise at higher ISO settings etc. Experiment around with the speeds yourself but make *sure* you know how to change your ISO setting and make sure that you understand that it will make a world of difference to the photos you are shooting in low light situations by increasing it.

2. When dealing with low light situations that are still blurry at high ISO settings, find something to brace the camera on. You can set it on a table, chair, bar, etc. You can hold it tight against a light or telephone pole or wall. You can lay on the ground and set it there. Find something for stability. This will dramatically improve your ability to steady the camera in a low light situation.

3. Don’t cheap out on a tripod. Cheap tripods are like cheap umbrellas. They will inevitably break and you will be back buying another one. Further, they won’t work right, won’t get your camera at the right angle, will shake in the wind when it’s blowing, etc. Tripods are one of those areas where you truly do get what you pay for. Especially if you are going to be shooting at night budget for a quality tripod that can last you for years. Personally I use a Manfrotto. Manfrotto makes some of the finest tripods in the world. Spend the extra money and buy a good tripod or you will regret it. It should have a ball head and for everyday use be somewhat light and hopefully fit in your back pack. You may want a more sturdy industrious larger tripod for the car, but a basic smaller one for a backpack of good quality is money well spent.

4. It’s all about the glass. I’m continuously amazed at folks that will spend $3,000 on a digital SLR and then keep the low level stock lens that they bought with it and never do anything else from there. Personally I think you’d be better off buying a cheaper SLR but with a few good core lenses to use. The difference in shots using better lenses is dramatic. At a bare minimum find someplace that rents lenses and go rent one for a day, you’ll be surprised at the difference over the stock lens that came with your camera. With Canon their L Series lenses are amazing – you will not go wrong with any Canon L Series lens. Whether zoom telephoto, macro, wide angle, prime (fixed focal length), all will make dramatically different photos come out of your camera. Experiment with lenses and make sure that a fair portion of your camera budget is dedicated to at least one if not two quality lenses. My favorite lens for basic out and about shooting these days is the 135 prime L series, but most would prefer the flexibility of a range of distances over the fixed focal rate primes.

5. Join Flickr. Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Something happens when you start sharing your artistic photographs with the rest of the world. It’s hard to say why or how it happens but it gives you a tremendous amount of emotional support and genuine satisfaction to see like minded camera geeks sharing their work and appreciating yours. Even with one or two close flickr friends you will find that flickr provides motivation for you to continue shooting. And best thing of all Flickr is free or very modestly priced at (a well worth) $25 a year if you want a Pro account with more bandwidth. You can join other photo sharing sites too if you want. I also have my photos at Webshots, Zooomr, Riya, Vizrea and a few other places, but it is the social network of Flickr that makes the most difference.
Flickr will also give you a lot of great ideas and ways to shoot that others are using today. For more on how to use Flickr you might want to check out this review I wrote yesterday on Richard Giles’ new book, How to Use Flickr, The Digital Photography Revolution. I’ve also published two other top 10 lists on Flickr, The Top 10 Ways to Get Attention on Flickr and the Top 10 Ways to find great photos on Flickr.

6. Know your rights. Nowhere are rights more misunderstood than with photographers today. Can you take photos of strangers on the street. Yes. Can you take photos of buildings from the street even after security guards tell you not to? Yes. Can you shoot into an open door from the street into a bar? Yes. Know your rights and stick up for them. This not only helps you but it helps other photographers. For a
great primer on your rights as a photographer check out Bert Krage’s excellent .pdf called “The Photographer’s Right”

7. Shoot in RAW. Even if you shoot in JPG a lot too, shoot in RAW. I really only shoot in RAW for my art shots. RAW files are large, cumbersome and difficult to work with. They take up a lot of space on your hard drive. But being able to make modifications to the exposure, contrast and temperature (white balance, think are your whites whitish blue or whitish yellow) before really processing the photo makes a *huge* difference. Shoot in RAW and then learn how to do the production necessary with your photo processing app to do the minor modifications necessary to make your photo the best that it can be. I still shoot in JPG a lot of the time when I’m doing family snapshot stuff and don’t want to be bothered with the extra time it takes to process but for my art stuff it’s all RAW.

8. Photoshop, Photoshop, Photoshop. Whether buying the low end version of Photoshop Elements for $75 or the more professional CS2 version for $600, buy Photoshop and use it. Do *not* listen to the naysayer that will tell you that you are not a purist if you edit your photos. Almost every digital photo can be improved by editing it. Simple things like bumping contrast, altering saturation, sharpness, selective color, etc. all can make a world of difference. Buy Photoshop and use it to process every artistic type image you do. If you really, really can’t afford Photoshop or want something else for a laptop on the go or something, also take a look at Google’s Picasa. It’s pretty good for free software. Not as good as Photoshop, but you can’t argue with the price and it does do a lot of the basics nicely.

9. Take lots and lots and lots of photos when you shoot. Feel free to throw out the vast majority of the shots you shoot. When you see something you like to shoot, shoot 6 shots of the exact same thing. Some will be bad and you can pick the very best one and throw out the rest. I throw out most of the photos I take. I also have about 60,000 photos that I’ve yet to process that need more consideration on a hard drive I’ve named Scratch sorted by date. I shoot like crazy. On a typical outing I can easily fill two memory cards. And while I’m on the second card I’m transferring the photos off of the first card to my laptop to free up more space. Others disagree with me and a photographer I admire a lot Tim Gasperak was telling me recently about this discipline process thing of only being allowed to take a single photo a day in order to better focus and understand your composition and photography in a thoughtful way. There is probably something to that and as an expert it may have merit, but as an amateur shoot away.
You should never come back from a shooting outing with any room left on your card. Shoot, shoot, shoot and shoot. You’ll be surprised at the gems that you come back with.

10. Change your perspective. Whenever you think you have your shot framed and captured take your shot and consider different perspectives. Can you get down on the ground (or simply set your camera on the ground and shoot from there standing up) and get a better perspective. Look up. Is there someplace higher you can get. What about closer, further back. Turn around. What’s behind you? Are you missing something great? Look everywhere at once. Keep your eyes open for different ways to take the same shot. Tilt the camera, take a vertical, a horizontal, a diagonal. Crop out the sky. Crop out all of the land but a thin small strip at the bottom. Play with your perspective on a shot and take several different versions of the same thing.
There is this Chinese Restaurant in San Francisco called All Seasons. It’s not a favorite of mine but I’ve been a time or two. One day I went to lunch there and walking up the stairs just decided to look directly above me for some reason. There were these amazing umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Had I not looked up I would have missed them. This shot in turn has become my most favorited and popular shot on Flickr. If I hadn’t turned my head and looked straight up at the ceiling I never would have gotten the shot.
Are you shooting at night and using a manual shutter speed for long exposure shots. Try it at 2 seconds, try it at 10 seconds, try it at 30 seconds. Shoot the same shot in many different ways.
And finally, have fun. Digital photography is a great hobby and can be loads of fun but make sure that you don’t get so serious about it that it stops being fun for you. It’s a wonderful way to be creative and to express yourself. Buy your kids, spouse, partner, brother, sister, mom, dad, friend cameras like my parents bought mine. Teach them to shoot as well. Photography is a wonderful hobby full of ways for you and them to be creative. Oh and by the way when buying all this gear (did I mention this hobby can be expensive?) resist the temptation to buy the cheapest discount gear online. Take my advice and check out my bad experience in the past in this department. Personally I like and would recommend B & H Photo for all of your online purchases but their are certainly many other reputable dealers as well.
Update: In the article I mentioned that Flickr is a wonderful place to get advice and share your love of photography with other like-minded photogeeks. In addition to my 10 tips are some more that you may want to consider that I solicited from the members of Flickr’s largest group Flickr Central.
Jeff Clow adds: “Might I also add that they should learn how to use the manual settings as opposed to just the auto focus – since manual settings are intimidating intially but become second nature when one understands how important shutter speed and aperture are to crafting good shots.
I think another important item for newcomers to learn is the steps necessary to access the great features like auto bracketing and remote shutter release that almost all DSLRs have built in to their menus. Once a person becomes adept at those, the world of photography opens up even more broadly – and not surprisingly, better photos become much more the norm.”

carpe icthus adds: “Cheap advice for beginners? In addition to the basic zooms for the range you need, pick up a 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.7. Every line has one, they’re very cheap, you will instantly be able to do things with low-light and depth-of-field that you cannot do with a bridge camera, and practicing zooming with your feet will teach you a lot about composition.
Also, if you find yourself doing a lot of flash photography, picking up a flash that can bounce its flash angle (and, better still, rotate) will improve your photography immensely. For most, the basic such flash in their line-up is more than enough, as long as it takes advantage of their camera’s metering. SB-600 for Nikon, 430EX for Canon, etc.
Also, an addition to the ISO item is to address the common newbie mistake of thinking it is better to underexpose while shooting at a lower ISO then exposing properly at a higher ISO. It’s not; always try to get the right exposure if at all possible. In particular, your images’ color will thank you for it.”
Morven adds: “One tip I got a long time ago and never forgot: carry your camera as much as you can. Great subject matter, great photographic moments, don’t just occur when you’re hunting for them. Sometimes
they just happen totally randomly. Not an SLR tip, but a general tip; in fact, it’s one of the best arguments for also owning a point-and-shoot. Even shots with a crap camera can be good, and they certainly beat the shot you didn’t take because you didn’t bring the camera with you.
Another: be cold and be ruthless when selecting shots. One of the secrets of many master photographers is simply that they take so damn many photographs and then cull ruthlessly. Garry Winogrand died with almost half a million photos he’d not even looked at yet. He deliberately didn’t look at his photographs until he’d forgotten the circumstances of taking them, so that he wouldn’t be influenced by good memories of the circumstances into favoring a poor photo. You don’t have to be that extreme, but try and divorce your emotions about the subject matter and the circumstances of the photo-shoot from your judgment of the resulting photographs. Attempt to see them as a stranger. Sometimes the most fun days out photographing produce no good shots at all, and sometimes an awful day with a subject you hate produces a winning photo.
Don’t wear good clothes. Sometimes the best shots are found by lying in the dirt or climbing up things. By the same logic, buy a camera bag that can absorb the inevitable knocks your equipment will get when you’re doing that.”
monkeyc.net adds: “Dont fall into the trap of thinking that the more expensive the camera you buy is the better your shots will be – buying a professional SLR for your first camera is pointless, it wont make you a better photographer but it will make you a poorer one – start with an SLR you are comfortable with and can use and wil use – the entry level models from Canon and Nikon are excellent but there is a lot of value in the offerings from other companies – Pentax in particular make some excellent price competitive DSLR’s that have the added advantage of being able to use a massive range of lenses and as theyre almost the ubiquitous student choice Pentax gear is readily available second hand meaning you can get some cheap lenses at a good price.
A pro camera wont make you a pro photographer no matter what that guy at the camera store tells you.
And my second advice is the most important – 3 things every photographer needs to know and understand. Depth of Field, Arpeture and Composition – theyre not hard to learn but they are essentials of taking good photgraphs – pick up one of the many handbooks on 35mm photography – you can get them cheaply normally and the principles are the same and learn what they mean – once you have these basics down pat your photography will take off – you will be amazed how much difference understanding them will make to your work.”
Proggie adds: “If you don’t want to carry a tripod, get (or make) a beanbag camera support, to support the SLR on surfaces where you may not be able to normally place your SLR. These may not work as well with larger lenses though. But they work well for me as supports when I hold the SLR on a railing, or rock.
Check your image in the viewfinder by zooming in to make sure it’s sharp. Often when zoomed out the viewfinder will make you think that a soft or out of focus photo looks good, but when you download it to your computer you’ll discover that it’s not that great. Check the histogram in the preview as well (though I’m still learning how to interpret it correctly).”
f8125 adds: “Take a photo with every mode and setting. Even if you don’t use all the functions all the time, knowledge is power and with technical fluency, your creative juices will have no bounds.
Get a a good sized memory card or 2 (at least 1 GB), running out space during a shoot is depressing.”
est0al adds: “A good habit for any beginner (I am still struggling with this one though) in my opinion is to not be shy to shoot anywhere.
If you get out your gear in a crowded place just ignore the interested or just plain weird looks of passers-by. In the past I have missed some nice opportunities just because they occured in a setting in which taking out a camera seemed awkward. Oh yeah, and always take along enough spare batteries and memory cards. Also, it pays off to check your gear before you set out I nearly went bananas the other day when I I had checked the status of my batteries before leaving the house but when on site I realized that I had left my CF in the card reader at home… Luckily I had my backup cam (an A620) with me.”
leecullivan adds: Take your camera with you everywhere you go, work, dinner, church, hairdresser… I took my camera to work yesterday and took the latest in my stream which I am happy with. I also took it to dinner last night and got a couple of great shots of a friends kid which I’m sure they will be pleased with.
Learn what Depth of Field is and how to effectively use it.”

 

How to Take Better Photographs

Many people think they'll improve their photography by buying a spiffy new camera. The truth is, in photography, technique is much more important than equipment. And taking good pictures is something anyone can do with any camera, if you practice enough and avoid some common mistakes.

     1. Read the camera's manual, and learn what each control, switch, button, and menu itemdoes.At the very least you should know how to turn the flash on, off, and auto, how to zoom in and out, and how to use  the shutter button. Some cameras come with a printed beginners manual but also offer a larger manual for  free on the manufacturer's website

Nero Trigger

Lightning, Time Lapse, Sound, Laser Trigger, High Speed Photography
www.nerotrigger.com

 . 

2. Set the camera's resolution to take high quality photos at the highest resolution possible. Low-resolution images are more difficult to digitally alter later on; it also means that you can't crop as enthusiastically as you could with a higher-resolution version (and still end up with something printable). If you have a small memory card, get a bigger one; if you don't want to or can't afford to buy a new one, then use the "fine" quality setting, if your camera has one, with a smaller resolution.
3. 
   
   Start off with setting your camera to one of its automatic modes, if you have a choice. Most useful is "Program" or "P" mode on digital SLRs. Ignore advice to the contrary which suggests that you operate your camera fully manually; the advances in the last fifty years in automatic focusing and metering have not happened for nothing. If your photos come out poorly focused or poorly exposed, then start operating certain functions manually.
4. 
   
   Take your camera everywhere. When you have your camera with you all the time, you will start to see the world differently; you will look for and find opportunities to take great photographs. And, of course, you will end up taking more photographs; and the more you take, the better a photographer you will become.^[1] Furthermore, if you're taking photographs of your friends and family, they will get used to you having your camera with you all the time. Thus, they will feel less awkward or intimidated when you get your camera out; this will lead to more natural-looking, less "posed" photographs. Also, remember to bring batteries or charge it if you are using a digital camera.
5. 
   
   Get outside. Motivate yourself to get out and take photographs in natural light. Take several normal 'point and shoot' pictures to get a feel for the lighting at different times of the day and night. Go outside at all times of day, especially those times when anybody with any sense is sleeping, eating, or watching television; lighting at these times is often dramatic and unusual to many people precisely because they never get to see it!
6. 
   
   

   Keep the lens clear of caps, thumbs, straps and other obstructions.
   Keep the lens clear of caps, thumbs, straps and other obstructions. It's basic, yes, but it can ruin a photograph completely. This is less of a problem with modern live-preview digital cameras, and even less of a problem with an SLR camera. But people still make these mistakes from time to time.
7. 
   
   

   The white balance dramatically alters the tone of a picture; these four photos were taken at the Auto, Daylight, Cloudy (or Shade) and Tungsten settings.
   Set your white balance. Put simply, the human eye automatically compensates for different kinds of lighting; white looks white to us in almost any kind of lighting. A digital camera compensates for this by shifting the colors certain ways. For example, under tungsten (incandescent) lighting, it will shift the colours towards blue to compensate for the redness of this kind of lighting. The white balance is one of the most critical, and most underused, settings on modern cameras. Learn how to set it, and what the various settings mean. If you're not under artificial light, the "Shade" (or "Cloudy") setting is a good bet in most circumstances; it makes for very warm-looking colors. If it comes out too red, it's very easy to correct it in software later on. "Auto", the default for most cameras, sometimes does a good job, but also sometimes results in colours which are a little too cold.^[2]
8. 
   
   

   Your camera's ISO speed number stands for the sensitivity of the digital sensor. Slower ISO speeds result in less noisy pictures -- even on a digital SLR; but this is especially important on a point-and-shoot camera.
   Set a slower ISO speed, if circumstances permit. This is less of an issue with digital SLR cameras, but especially important for point-and-shoot digital cameras (which, usually, have tiny sensors which are more prone to noise). A slower ISO speed (lower number) makes for less noisy photographs; however, it forces you to use slower shutter speeds as well, which restricts your ability to photograph moving subjects, for example. For still subjects in good light (or still subjects in low light, too, if you're using a tripod and remote release), use the very slowest ISO speed that you have.
9. 
   
   Compose your shot thoughtfully. Frame the photo in your mind before framing it in the viewfinder. Consider the following rules, but especially the last one:
   
   
   • 

     Use the Rule of Thirds, where the primary points of interest in your scene sits along "third" lines.
     Use the Rule of Thirds, where the primary points of interest in your scene sits along "third" lines. Try not to let any horizon or other lines "cut the picture in half."^[3]
   • Get rid of distracting backgrounds and clutter. If this means you and your friend have to move a little so that a tree does not appear to be growing out of her head, then do so. If glare is coming off the windows of the house across the street, change your angle a bit to avoid it. If you're taking vacation photographs, take a moment to get your family to put down all the junk they may be carrying around with them and to remove backpacks or hip packs as well. Keep that mess well out of the frame of the picture, and you will end up with much nicer, less cluttered photos. If you can blur the background in a portrait, then do so. And so on.
10. 
    
    

    Distractions in the background can add valuable context to a photo.
    Ignore the advice above. Regard the above as laws, which work much of the time but are always subject to judicious interpretation -- and not as absolute rules. Too close an adherence to them will lead to boring photographs. For example, clutter and sharply focused backgrounds can add context, contrast and colour; perfect symmetry in a shot can be dramatic, and so on. Every rule can and should be broken for artistic effect, from time to time. This is how many stunning photographs are made.
11. 
    
    

    Fill the frame with your subject.
    Fill the frame with your subject. Don't be afraid to get closer to your subject. On the other hand, if you're using a digital camera with plenty of megapixels to spare, you can crop it later in software.
12. 
    
    Try an interesting angle. Instead of shooting the object straight on, try looking down to the object, or crouching and looking up. Pick an angle that shows maximum color and minimum shadow. To make things appear longer or taller, a low angle can help. If you want a bold photo, it is best to be even with the object. You may also want to make the object look smaller or make it look like you're hovering over; to get the effect you should put the camera above the object. An uncommon angle makes for a more interesting shot.
13. Focus. Poor focusing is one of the most common ways that photographs are ruined.^[4] Use the automatic focus of your camera, if you have it; usually, this is done by half-pressing the shutter button. Use the "macro" mode of your camera for very close-up shots. Don't focus manually unless your auto-focus is having issues; as with metering, automatic focus usually does a far better job of focusing than you can.
14. 
    
    Keep still. A lot of people are surprised at how blurry their pictures come out when going for a close-up, or taking the shot from a distance. To minimize blurring: If you're using a full-sized camera with a zoom lens, hold the camera body (finger on the shutter button) with one hand, and steady the lens by cupping your other hand under it. Keep your elbows close to your body, and use this position to brace yourself firmly. If your camera or lens has image stabilisation features, use them (this is called IS on Canon gear, and VR, for Vibration Reduction, on Nikon equipment).
15. 
    
    

    A tripod is a good bet for low-light shots which require long exposures.
    Consider using a tripod. If your hands are naturally shaky, or if you're using very large (and slow) telephoto lenses, or if you're trying to take photographs in low light, or if you need to take several identical shots in a row (such as with HDR photography), or if you're taking panoramic photos, then using a tripod is probably a good idea. For very long exposures (more than a second or so), a cable release (for older film cameras) or a remote control is a good idea; you can use the self-timer feature of your camera if you don't have one of these.
16. Consider not using a tripod, especially if you don't already have one. A tripod infringes on your ability to move around, and to rapidly change the framing of your shot. It's also more weight to carry around, which is a disincentive to getting out and taking photographs in the first place. As a general rule,^[5] you only need a tripod if your shutter speed is equal to or slower than the reciprocal of your focal length.^[6] If you can avoid using a tripod by using faster ISO speeds (and, consequently, faster shutter speeds), or by using image stabilisation features of your camera, or by simply moving to somewhere with better lighting, then do that.
17. 
    
    If you are in a situation where it would be nice to use a tripod, but you don't have a tripod at the time, try one or more of the following to reduce camera shake:
    • Turn on image stabilization on your camera (only some digital cameras have this) or lens (generally only some expensive lenses have this).
    • Zoom out (or substitute a wider lens) and get closer. This will de-magnify the effect of a small change in the direction of the camera, and generally increase your maximum aperture for a shorter exposure.
    • Hold the camera at two points away from its center, such as the handle near the shutter button and the opposite corner, or toward the end of the lens. (Do not hold a delicate collapsible lens such as on a point-and-shoot, or obstruct something that the camera will try to move on its own such as a focusing ring, or obstruct the view from the front of the lens.) This will decrease the angle which the camera moves for a given distance your hands wobble.
    • Squeeze the shutter slowly, steadily, and gently, and do not stop until momentarily after the picture has taken. Try putting your index finger over the top of the camera, and squeezing the shutter button with the second joint of the finger for a steadier motion (you're pushing on the top of the camera all along).
    • Brace the camera against something (or your hand against something if you're concerned about scratching it), and/or brace your arms against your body or sit down and brace them against your knees.
    • Prop the camera on something (perhaps its bag or its strap) and use the self-timer to avoid shake from pushing on the button if the thing it is propped on is soft. This often involves a small chance that the camera will fall over so check that it does not have far to fall, and generally avoid it with a very expensive camera or one with accessories such as a flash that could break or rip off parts of the camera. If you anticipate doing this much, you could bring along a beanbag, which would work well for it. Purpose-built "beanbags" are available, bags of dried beans are cheap and the contents can be eaten when they begin to wear through or get upgraded.
18. 
    
    Relax when you push the shutter button. Also, try not to hold the camera up for too long; this will cause your hands and arms to be shakier. Practice bringing the camera up to your eye, focusing and metering, and taking the shot in one swift, smooth action.
19. 
    
    Avoid red eye. Red-eye is caused when your eyes dilate in lower lighting. When your pupils are big, the flash actually lights up the blood vessels on the back wall of your eyeball, which is why it looks red. If you must use a flash in poor light, try to get the person to not look directly at the camera, or consider using a "bounce flash". Aiming your flash above the heads of your subjects, especially if the walls surrounding are light, will keep red-eye out. If you don't have a separate flash gun which is adjustable in this way, use the red-eye reduction feature of your camera if available - it flashes a couple of times before opening the shutter, which causes your subject's pupils to contract, thus minimizing red-eye. Better yet, don't take photographs which require a flash to be used; find somewhere with better lighting.
20. 
    
    

    Filling dark shadows in your photographs is a good use of your flash.
    Use your flash judiciously, and don't use it when you don't have to. A flash in poor light can often cause ugly-looking reflections, or make the subject of your photo appear "washed out"; the latter is especially true of people photos. On the other hand, a flash is very useful for filling in shadows; to eliminate the "raccoon eye" effect in bright midday light, for example (if you have a flash sync speed^[7] fast enough). If you can avoid using a flash by going outside, or steadying the camera (allowing you to use a slower shutter speed without blur), or setting a faster ISO speed (allowing faster shutter speeds), then do that.
    • If you do not intend the flash to be the primary light source in the picture, set it up to give correct exposure at an aperture a stop or so wider than that which is otherwise correct and which you actually use for the exposure (which depends on the ambient light intensity and the shutter speed, which cannot be above the flash-sync speed). This can be done by choosing a specific stop with a manual or thyristor flash, or by using "flash exposure compensation" with a fancy modern camera.
21. Go through your photos and look for the best ones. Look for what makes the best photos and continue using the methods that got the best shots. Don't be afraid to throw away or delete photos, either. Be brutal about it; if it doesn't strike you as a particularly pleasing shot, then ditch it. If you, like most people, are shooting on a digital camera, then it would not have cost you anything but your time. Before you delete them, remember you can learn a lot from your worst photos; discover why they don't look good, then don't do that.
22. 
    
    Practice, practice, and practice. Take lots and lots of photos -- aim to fill your memory card, (or to use up as much film as you can afford to have developed, but don't mess with film until you can get decent pictures frequently with a simple digital camera: until then, you need to make many more glaring mistakes to learn from, and it's nice to make them for free and find out immediately, when you can figure out exactly what you did and why under the current circumstances it is wrong). The more pictures you take, the better you'll get, and the more you (and everyone) will like your pictures. Shoot from new or different angles, and find new subjects to take pictures of, and keep at it; you can make even the most boring, everyday thing look amazing if you're creative enough about photographing it. Get to know your camera's limitations, too; how well it performs in different kinds of lighting, how well auto-focus performs at various distances, how well it handles moving subjects, and so on.