Top 10 Photography tips

As you dive into digital photography, take comfort in the fact that others have gone before you. That doesn’t mean you won’t make a few mistakes. These tips can save you a lot of time and frustration:
1. Use a camera that helps you get the type of pictures you want. Think about how you want to use a digital camera before you buy a digital camera. If you want to make lots of 8×10 prints, you’ll need at least 3 mega pixels. If you want to take pictures of a family vacation at the beach, you’ll need a camera that has special flash options. Make a list of must-have features, then find a camera that can help you get there
2. Use a high-resolution file format. One way to squeeze more photos onto a memory card is to set the camera at a low resolution. That’s OK if all you want to do is email photos. If you want to make print, you’re in trouble. Keep the resolution turned up to its highest JPEG or TIFF setting. When a great photo comes along, you’ll be glad you did.
3. Always have extra batteries. Digital cameras need lots of power. Make sure that the batteries are fully charged, and have a backup battery, too. That way the camera is ready when you are.
4. Have enough memory cards. If you take a lot of pictures you need lots of memory. Buy the biggest memory card you can afford. Or have lots of smaller ones. You won’t worry about running out of memory when you need it most.
5. Turn off the camera before removing the memory card. When you take a picture, the digital camera writes the photo to a memory card. Taking the card out of the camera while it’s still being used can break the camera and destroy the photos. A good rule of thumb is to turn off the camera before taking the card out.
6. Learn your camera’s timing. Some cameras have something called “shutter lag.” It’s when there is millisecond delay between pressing the shutter and the camera taking the picture. If you use the camera enough, you learn the timing and don’t miss a shot.
7. Use the “continuous” mode for fast-action pictures. Every digital camera has a single-shot mode. It lets you take one picture at a time. This works fine when taking pictures of things that don’t move. But if you want to take fast-action pictures — like sports — you need to change the camera’s settings. If your camera has a “continuous” mode that lets you take several pictures right after another, use it. If not, turn off the LCD screen preview and the camera may work faster.
8. Create a digital workflow. Like a jigsaw puzzle, digital needs all the pieces to fit to make a picture. There are four parts to a digital workflow:
a. take a picture
b. transfer and organize photos
c. edit photos
d. print and share photos.
It sounds boring, but if you don’t do these in the right order, you’re asking for trouble. Following these four steps is what makes digital fun and easy.

2. Use a high-resolution file format. One way to squeeze more photos onto a memory card is to set the camera at a low resolution. That’s OK if all you want to do is email photos. If you want to make print, you’re in trouble. Keep the resolution turned up to its highest JPEG or TIFF setting. When a great photo comes along, you’ll be glad you did.
3. Always have extra batteries. Digital cameras need lots of power. Make sure that the batteries are fully charged, and have a backup battery, too. That way the camera is ready when you are.
4. Have enough memory cards. If you take a lot of pictures you need lots of memory. Buy the biggest memory card you can afford. Or have lots of smaller ones. You won’t worry about running out of memory when you need it most.
5. Turn off the camera before removing the memory card. When you take a picture, the digital camera writes the photo to a memory card. Taking the card out of the camera while it’s still being used can break the camera and destroy the photos. A good rule of thumb is to turn off the camera before taking the card out.
6. Learn your camera’s timing. Some cameras have something called “shutter lag.” It’s when there is millisecond delay between pressing the shutter and the camera taking the picture. If you use the camera enough, you learn the timing and don’t miss a shot.
7. Use the “continuous” mode for fast-action pictures. Every digital camera has a single-shot mode. It lets you take one picture at a time. This works fine when taking pictures of things that don’t move. But if you want to take fast-action pictures — like sports — you need to change the camera’s settings. If your camera has a “continuous” mode that lets you take several pictures right after another, use it. If not, turn off the LCD screen preview and the camera may work faster.
8. Create a digital workflow. Like a jigsaw puzzle, digital needs all the pieces to fit to make a picture. There are four parts to a digital workflow:
a. take a picture
b. transfer and organize photos
c. edit photos
d. print and share photos.
It sounds boring, but if you don’t do these in the right order, you’re asking for trouble. Following these four steps is what makes digital fun and easy.

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