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5 Tips For Using Your Digital Camera

By B.L. Hill

You finally have that new digital camera and now you want to get busy taking great photos. Can you use a digital camera the same way you used your film camera? In most instances, yes you can but there are some areas that are different and require a change of mindset to get the most out of your digital camera.

Regardless of whether you have a regular or an SLR digital camera, you can follow the tips below to get you started experimenting with your new digital camera and making use of some of the differences between film and digital photography.

1. Take lots of pictures.

With film cameras you were always wondering if you have enough exposures left on the roll and if you had another roll of film. With the digital camera, you can take lots of pictures and then immediately edit them to remove the ones you don't want. If you didn't get the shot you want, you can probably try again. This is especially useful taking group shots - someone almost always has their eyes closed. The two things that determine the number of photos you can take before downloading are the resolution (quality) and the amount of memory in your camera. You can buy memory cards that will increase the number of photos your camera can hold.

2. Don't always use the highest resolution.

Although you can print great 8x10's from the highest resolution, it eats up memory thereby limiting the number of photos you can store in your camera. When you think about it, how often are you going to be printing 8x10's. The option is always there when you need it but I recommend the vast majority of photos be taken using medium resolution. When you are experimenting with your new camera, use the lowest resolution to allow you to take the most shots until you have learned what you can do with each option on the digital camera.

3. Use the fill flash mode.

This useful feature allows you to take better pictures in strong sunlight where dark shadows can ruin a great shot. It can also be used in shadow where it lightens the whole image without the washed out look full flash can give. This is not the regular flash setting, it is usually called 'fill flash' and is less intense than the regular flash.

4. Use a polarizing filter when photographing the great outdoor.

A polarizing filter gives you more contrast and richer, warmer tones when taking outdoor photographs. A polarizing filter can be rotated to give the desired effect. If you have polarized sunglasses, try holding the sunglasses in front of your face and look through one of the lenses. Rotate the sunglasses and notice the difference in the tones and contrast of your surroundings. This is what you can achieve with a polarizing filter. If you don't have a filter, you can use your polarized sunglasses - just hold one of the lenses as close as possible to your camera lens. Oh - make sure your sunglasses are clean!

5. Get up close.

When taking photos of people, don't be afraid to get in close. Head and shoulder shots usually capture your subject more completely that a shot that includes the entire body. If you can't physically get close enough, you can use the zoom on your camera. If you have the choice of optical or digital zoom, use the optical as it will result in a better shot.

So, get out there and try some of these tips and see what a difference they can make in the quality of your photos.

B.L. Hill has been taking photographs with a variety of cameras for over 40 years. Learn more digital photography secrets here.

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Ansel Adams - Changing Photography Forever

By Diana Cooper

Ansel Adams, most widely known in the photography world for his immaculate and accurate view of nature, changed the way people looked at photography. Adams described himself in three ways: a photographer, lecturer, and writer. But in actuality, you can combine these three facets and call him a communicator.

Born in 1902, Adams photographic vision was born immediately as he spent his childhood growing up in the natural beauty of San Francisco, California. As a shy and lonesome boy, Adams typically took long walks in the still-wild reaches of the Golden Gate observing and enjoying the nature.

Ansel Adams' true passion for nature photography came from the Yosemite Sierra, where he spent substantial time at from 1916 until his death in 1984. Starting with the Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie that his parents gave him, Adams hiked, climbed, and explored the beauty of nature.

In 1930 Adams met photographer Paul Strand, whose images had a huge impact on Adams. It was his images that helped move Adams from a pictorial style in the 1920's to straight photography. Adams eventually would become straight photography's most articulate and masterful photographer.

What characterizes Adams' nature photography more than anything was his will to travel all around the country in pursuit of both the natural beauty he photographed and the audiences he required. People began to connect Ansel Adams' work with any topic of nature or the environment itself.

While Ansel Adams is most known for his breathtaking nature photography, he also produced spectacular black and white photography. Adams made black and white photography what it is today through several pieces of work he created. His black and white images helped induce an emotion of timeliness and freeze a particular moment. While many believe color adds to a picture, Adams showed that a black and white image can say just as much, if not more, than that of a colored image.

One image that stands out that he created in 1938 was "Half Dome, Merced River, Winter", one of Adams' most beloved photographs of Yosemite Valley. He took the photograph with an 8"x10" view camera from the Old Sentinel Bridge near the Yosemite Chapel. This picture sums up his style perfectly with the gorgeous mountains covered in snow, trees all in front of the mountains also covered in snow, and a river flowing in the middle of the picture.

There are few photographers that have been able to leave a lasting image on people like Ansel Adams. His love and desire for nature enable him to take breathtaking nature photographs. And his black and white photography has made it what it is today.

Nature and wildlife photography: http://www.dianasphotography.com and

http://www.cafepress.com/dianasphotos

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