Tips to Take Wonderful Digital Pictures

You don’t need to be a professional to take beautiful pictures, even with your hand-held digital point-and-shoot camera. Here are some tips from the pros to make sure every picture you take is worthy of being displayed in your home.

Optimize Your Settings
Different settings on your camera will make your pictures look better by changing the shutter speed, turning the flash on or off and other adjustments. The settings are usually located on a turn wheel on the top of the camera, by the shutter release button. Each setting is signified by an image or icon that is similar on most cameras. Read the manual that comes with your camera for specific instructions.

• Landscape is usually indicated as a mountain icon and takes pictures where the foreground and background are in focus.
• Close-up mode takes very sharp pictures—but only when you’re very close to your subject. It’s usually indicated as a flower icon.
• If your subject is moving, use Sports mode, which is usually signified by a figure of a person running.
• A figure of a person next to a star is for Nighttime shooting. This increases the exposure time to let more light into the camera.
• Portrait mode highlights the subject and blurs what’s behind it. This is usually an icon of a person’s head.
• Automatic mode lets the camera decide what the best settings would be. This can be an image of a letter A or a green field.

Lights!
You need lighting for good pictures, but you can’t always control it. That’s why most digital cameras have white balance settings that will make your pictures look as good as possible for various lighting conditions. Settings will adjust for the following conditions:

• Incandescent—regular lamps can make things look yellow.
• Fluorescent—these lights give your subject a green hue.
• Sunlight—shooting outside can cause a white-yellow glow.
• Shade—partially-lit outdoor shots can sometimes look too yellow/orange.

Like everything else with a digital camera, trying different settings will give you a better understanding of what works. Take a series of pictures of the same thing with each different lighting setting. In no time, you’ll have a great idea of what each one does.

Set The Stage
Don’t get so caught up in the moment that you take a blurry shot. When shooting, hold your elbows in close to your side, take a breath and then take the picture. And if you can, stabilize yourself by leaning against a wall or railing.

Zoom With Your Feet
It’s common to see pictures where the background overwhelms what’s supposed to be the subject of the picture. Don’t be afraid to get closer to what you’re shooting. Fill your frame with what you want to see.

Highlight with Flash
Just because you’re taking a picture outside during the day doesn’t mean you don’t need a flash. Sometimes shadows fall over your subject, especially someone’s face. Use the fill flash setting, which isn’t quite as strong as regular flash, to eliminate these shadows.

Get Down On Their Level
Take pictures down on the level of pets and little kids. You’ll be able to see their facial expressions, and it’s a more interesting angle than you normally get looking down on them.

Have Them “Developed”
With all of the great shots you’re certain to get of your family and friends, you’ll want to share them with everyone who stops by your home. You can print digital pictures straight from the camera on a picture printer, or you can transfer them to a disk and have them printed at a store. And many pharmacy chains allow you to transfer your pictures through their websites and pick up the printed pictures in the stores.

Now you need to show off your new pics. Of course, picture frames are one way to do that. Another way is to create a collage of photographs. You can place this collage in a poster-sized frame, or underneath a sheet of glass on a coffee table.

To create a lovely and unique family memory with one of your favorite digital photos just pick up some sticky photo paper at your local office supply store and find an acrylic box with small drawers (make sure it doesn’t have drawer pulls). Print the family picture on the photo paper (you may want to blow it up a bit to fit the box). Next, place the box on top of the photo to align and trace the outline with a pencil. Cut to size and stick the photo on the front of the drawers. Using a sharp, thin blade cut along the drawer edges. You’ll end up with a functional and beautiful box with a special family touch.