How can you take good photography with a normal digital camera?

April 24th, 2009 | Tags: , , , ,
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SarahSweet asked:


like nature photography? any tips?
thanks:)

  1. Andonikis
    April 27th, 2009 at 07:34
    Reply | Quote | #1

    Get close, full the frame, work on compositions

    a smal reflector can can handy to manipulate the light and fill shadows, find images you like on say flickr and ask people how they made them,

    be a sponge for knowledge

  2. AndyN
    April 28th, 2009 at 20:15
    Reply | Quote | #2

    I find taking pictures outside on a sunny day really helps.
    Although it’s winter right now over here ):

  3. PixdeeArtist
    April 29th, 2009 at 22:01
    Reply | Quote | #3

    Have to disagree about the sun. Some of my best photos have been taken when it is overcast. The sun can washout things too much or cause glare.

    Focus on making the composition interesting. Don’t put anything in the complete middle of the picture unless you are doing a closeup and filling the frame. Keep the horizon from hitting the center as well if you are taking a landscape photo. Look up “the rule of thirds” on the internet.

  4. Steve P
    April 30th, 2009 at 09:00
    Reply | Quote | #4

    I don’t know what you mean by a “normal” digital camera, but I will assume you mean the typical point and shoot pocket size digital.

    You can do some things to help, but to cut to the chase of it all, you can only get adequate photography with a camera such as that. Your question is like asking “how can I win a Grand Prix race with my Chevy Aveo”? Sorry, it just is not going to happen, you have an inferior tool for the job.

    A “normal” digital camera gives you very little control. It is by design made to try to get a photo without the operator having to think or know anything about photography. Photos can never be more than average at best.

    The number one thing you can do to help is KNOW your camera and all that it is capable of doing. Even the most basic point and shoots will usually have some form of exposure compensation. You can use this to your advantage in tricky lighting situations. You also need to understand composition. Good composition is needed no matter what camera you use. Study the entire scene and learn about the rule of thirds.

    Know how to use the flash properly, which means knowing when to turn it OFF and when to put it in fill flash mode.

    Use a tripod. Know how to use the self timer so you don’t cause blur by pressing the shutter release.

    Set the ISO to no higher than ISO 100. Small digital cameras have horrid electronic “noise” specks at higher ISO. Keep the ISO low and use the tripod for those long shutter exposures.

    Always shoot with the camera at it’s highest quality and largest size setting.

    Bottom line, you CAN get decent photos with those cameras, but like ANY camera that is used, the PHOTOGRAPHER and his knowledge and skill is what REALLY makes “good photography”.

    steve

  5. joedlh
    May 3rd, 2009 at 15:56
    Reply | Quote | #5

    Yes. The skill of the photographer is more important than the equipment. Give a 3 megapixel 5 year-old point-and-shoot to an accomplished photographer and you will get better results than a rube with multi-thousand dollar full-frame Nikon D700.

    Tips? Learn all you can from books and the Internet. Be super critical of your work. Learn from your mistakes.

  6. VoiceWithin
    May 5th, 2009 at 01:12
    Reply | Quote | #6

    Get close, and auto focus on one “depth” then move to your subject. If that made sense? Um… I took these pictures with a regular old digital camera. They’re not nature, but I think they’re better than just trigger happy junk. Hahaha…

    Answer mine? (The pics I’m talking about are linked in the question.)

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