Sure, digital cameras do all the work. Just push the shutter button and great pictures appear. The better the camera, the better the photos. Not entirely so.
The truth is that you can take wonderful photos with a point-and-shoot camera, or take bad shots with the most expensive SLR digital camera. It's not the camera that makes treasured images; it's actually the person taking the photos.
Here are some tips for both point-and-shoot and SLR digital cameras to help you take professional looking photographs…
White Balance Adjustment
Have you ever noticed that your shots sometimes have a "bluish" look to them? This is a common problem when taking outdoor photos. The "auto" white balance setting on most cameras will cause a below par snapshot.
Changing your white balance setting to "cloudy" will enhance your images resulting in "warmer" photos with richer reds and yellows.
Use Fill Flash Mode
Your digital camera's flash probably has various modes but the fill flash mode adds just enough flash to create professional looking portrait photos indoors and outdoors.
Most point-and-shot digital cameras with built-in flashes only have a range of 10 feet (or even less!), so make sure you don't stand too far away when using fill flash outdoors.
Use Close-Up Mode
Most of the photographs on our website are considered close-up/macro photos. Taking close-up/macro photos opens an entire new "mini world" to you and are plenty of fun to work on.
When taking pictures in the close-up/macro mode of your camera try to focus in on the most important aspect of your shot. You won't be disappointed.
The Rule of Thirds
Though it is a natural instinct to position your subject dead center in your viewfinder and take the shot. This leads to a very boring photo. Try imagining that your viewfinder is divided into six equal blocks (like a tic-tac-toe game) then line up your subject along either the left or right line and close to the lower or upper line. The results will surprise you.
Shoot at a Higher Resolution
Shoot your pictures in the highest resolution setting that your digital camera allows. A higher resolution will enable you to print larger copies of your gems as gifts and such. Memory cards have gone down dramatically lately and would be a great investment.
Turn your camera around
We always seem to take photos horzontally but a vertical shot could enhance your photo. Take the same shot both vertically and horizontally and keep the better shot. You never know what you'll find on the other side.