Someone in your life still uses a rotten , ancient , item - and - shoot digital television camera . Maybe it ’s you . Maybe it ’s your mum . And at some point , on some vacation , or some holiday dinner party , you ’re going to get shoot with it — the digital equivalent of a FunSaver .
Do n’t just sit there ridiculing the misfortunate machine . If you help oneself it along , and give it every reward , it can potentially take an interesting and beautiful photograph . Here ’s how to tear it off with the most canonic equipment conceivable .
Basic rules
Charge it .
Your camera is useless if it does n’t cultivate . Small , bad cameras have pocket-sized , risky batteries . Be open-eyed about institutionalise . Get an excess battery . Turn it off between shots . Do n’t burn up your charge zooming in and out and redact on - filmdom — just squeeze off as many shots as you’re able to before it dies .
Put the light behind you .
Light sources should be crystalise your subject . The light should not be behind your subject or between you and you subject . This is not the proper clip to seek an artistic silhouette force .
Get a big SD wag and shoot a long ton .
Take the same photo multiple time . It ’s better to opt the good photo from several similar shot , rather than get stuck with one crappy exposure . Most tv camera have a uninterrupted shot mode . change state it on and fervency explosion . Remember , you’re able to always delete photograph . ( Even a pro shot an event will only use a tiny fraction of the barb . Sometimes ten percent are used ; sometimes it ’s as low as one percent . )
practice flash when it ’s bright outside .
On a brilliant sunny day , when the sun is direct overhead , use flash to illuminate the shadows that forge around people ’s eyes .
But do n’t practice the flash in the dark .
Chances are the twinkling on your dinky digital camera does n’t work very well , so you should avert using it unless you’re able to not get a unspoiled picture without it . Always endeavor to see if you could make a photo hail out without flash . Or at the very least bourgeon one with flash and one without so that you’re able to pick out later . Over the last few year , photographic camera have been come out with special low - light configurations — if you ca n’t find skilful luminosity for the photo , try that .
But decamp the other “ originative ” modes .
They suck and they front terrible so do n’t use them .
Hold steady .
Cheap cameras do n’t have very good range of a function stabilization . Hold your camera steady with both hand to obviate blur — especially in darker conditions with no news bulletin . If your shot are still coming out precarious , try arouse yourself against a fix objective like a bulwark , guidepost or board .
consider about composition for exactly one second .
You do not need to rewrite the rules of modern aesthetics . You just necessitate to verify that your pic tell the story you want to tell . Capture your subjects in their entirety . No miss limbs , no half edifice . Also , check that there ’s no distracting head or protruding objects in the background . try out multiple angles to see which one look best .
Bad camera photo ops
The bad photographic camera tends to emerge at predictable occasions . You know who will bring it , and you get laid when they will require to use it . Sure , you could be a jerk and severalise them they should get a better tv camera . Or you could judge to help Aunt Betty just get a decent gibe of the family with the bad old camera she already bought . Here ’s how to handle a few common scenarios :
Family exposure in a restaurant .
The shooter should run against a bulwark for bread and butter , and try taking the pic without photoflash . Watch out for backlighting from hopeful outdoor light , and render not to include isolated eubstance appendages from other patrons or the hold staff .
A picture of your Kyd in front of a giant Christian church .
Get gloomy so that both your issue and the elephantine bell towers are in the photo . verify the sun is behind you — or as behind you as potential . Watch out for hand tourer in the background . The same advice applies when beat in front of a wharf , palm tree diagram , statue , or giant star costumed Mickey Mouse .
Little conference action mechanism shot .
arrange your photographic camera to continuous or burst mode if you have it . Take lots and gobs of photos . If you only want one , take fifty . Rather than relying on the zoom , get as nigh to the action as possible . But watch for fetid balls .
Image viaCapt Kodak / Flickr
CamerasHow Topoint and shoots
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