Nikon Coolpix S600 Digital Camera Giveaway!
Honest, brand new in the box.
Only one requirement to enter the drawing…
Submit a photography/digital camera tip.
Yes, June is Digital Camera Trackers “Photography/Digital Camera Tip Month” and we’re looking for the best photography/digital camera tip. To help motivate you to submit your tip we’re giving away a brand new Nikon Coolpix S600 digital camera. (VERY cool camera)
We’ll draw the winner on Monday, June 30th.
There’s so many thing you can do with your photos and camera that nobody ever told you about. Take a few moments and write your tip below in our comments section.
We will choose the best tip from the entries.
**We have to limit to US shipping addresses, so Canadians you can enter if you live close enough to the border to pick it up in the US.
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always use a proper cloth when cleaning your camera lense
Hang on to your camera. I see so many people that drop their cameras becuase they need to get a carry bag for them or learn to hold on to them better is they do not want to put the camera in a bag.
When framing your photo in either the view finder or LCD screen, step back or zoom out a little bit (just a little bit, not too much!) to give yourself some room for cropping. If your shot is tight but a little off center or crooked, you won’t have any room to crop the photo once you rotate or re-center it. You’ll end up with better photos.
Be patient. So many people get frustrated when reviewing their pictures, because they snapped photos away that either all look the same or blurry. Remember: quality, not quantity!
The easiest way to correct crooked shots in Photoshop. 1. Select the “Ruler” tool; 2. Click and Drag along any horizontal line or vertical line you want the photo to be adjusted with. 3. Let go your mouse button and go to the Image menu > Rotate canvas > Arbitrary…; 4. A new window will open with the rotation angle already in place. All you need to do is to click the OK button and you are done.
Force a flash if the subject is backlit. Often a camera will not use a flash if there is sufficient light, but someones face will be dark in a situation like this.
Don’t let your kids take pictures at the zoo. The lions now have a perfectly good camera that I can’t get back.
Keep your mouth closed when taking a short video, it may be embarrassing what you hear at playback!
When photographing people, get up close.
Nothing is worse than a full length picture shot from too far away that doesn’t show the face well.
Think about lighting and angles — If your subject is on the larger side do not take his or her picture from a low angle. This will only make them look bigger. Try to elevate your position and have your subject point their chin up toward you.
Always clear the shot before you take it. You can have the perfect shot but if some can possibly walk through it then you lose that moment you were trying to capture.
Have you ever noticed that your shots sometimes have a cool, clammy feel to them? If so, you’re not alone. The default white balance setting for digital cameras is auto, which is fine for most snapshots, but tends to be a bit on the “cool” side.
When shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. That’s right, cloudy. Why? This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures.
If you don’t believe me, then do a test. Take a few outdoor shots with the white balance on auto, then take the same picture again with the setting on cloudy. Upload the images to your computer and look at them side by side. My guess is that you’ll like the warmer image better.
just used the best camera… anyways… the light and the angle is very important to create a beautiful photograph…
Its not always about the camera, its about the photogropher that uses the camera. stay still while taking a photograph. this is the number 1 step in a photo. you wouldnt want a blurry picture. set the camera to the correct setting. if its daytime and bright, shut the flash off. get the perfect angle/view. many cameras has 3x zoom. id preffer 5x zoom if your a distance from the objectperson you are photographing. make sure you get a wrist band to protect the camera from dropping. if you want a good quality picture, then set the quality option to fine. remember, a picture is worth more than 1,000 words!And a GOOD picture can be worth 100,000 dollers!
Avoid the most sunny hours, around noon, and shot your pictures just before sunset: full sunlight makes everything looking flat, whereas sunset gives nice colors and nice shade for better volume and plus…it is much more romantic !
Turn your flash toward the ceiling if you shot a portrait indoor. If your flash cannot move, like on most of compact and ultra-compact models, put a piece of tracing paper or white paper in front on it to soften the light.
A very simple trick for sharpening photos in Photoshop is to duplicate the layer, then go to filters. Click other, and go to high pass. Leave the setting of high pass at the setting 10.0. Now go back to your layer and change the blending mode to overlay.
You should see instant sharping. If the sharpening is too much adjust the opacity level until you have it where you want it.
A further refinement can be made by using the burn tool set at about 7 percent and set to shadows, to darken some of the edges that may have some blur.
Now is the time to check for noise, and use your favorite noise program to smooth out the image.
I often use the program mode to fire the flash in situations where the automatic mode will not fire the flash. If you’re under a picnic shelter w/bright sun and you’re shooting portraits, most likely the flash will not fire, and you’ll have a dark faces. If you can force the flash to fire, you will have a much better exposure. Anytime the subject has their back to a bright light source, fire the flash! It’s also good for later in the day, when it’s not quite dark enough for the automatic flash to fire. Use it as a fill in flash toward dusk. Makes much better portraits.
I am no camera expert, but I do know what types of pictures I enjoy viewing. My tip is to include people in your shots, not just scenery. It makes it far more interesting for your captive victims when you show them your vacation pictures if they recognize the subject standing beside yet another anonymous mountain.
When photographing children, always get on their level. You will be so pleased with your pictures!
Whenever you take any photo which includes image of a like or sea, keep water lines horizontal. Even a slight skew of half a degree will make the viewer feel uncomfortable with the picture. We normally take lot many pictures near lake or sea but we always forget this very simple rule and latter on we regret that and we can’t go back to that moment and click again. So make sure next time when you click photo to keep the horizon level.
What makes your photo worth looking at is light and composition. Paint with the light by using it sparsely, avoid using flashlight as much as possible. Then try to find an original angle for taking the photograph, not just the 1.70 m height right in front of the subject, but more left/right or high/low at various distances. You will find that the result has more expression
Take your time. Pick your shot. Just because we’re in a digital era with enormous amounts of storage at our disposal doesn’t mean it’s easiest and best to take a picture of anything and everything. Quantity doesn’t necessarily always increase your chances at producing a quality photo. Slow down. Smell the flowers. Watch the wind. Listen to your mind. Think about what you’re taking a picture of and why you think it would be a good photo.
Oh! Also – if you’re holding your camera and tend to shake like we all do while taking close up photos, try taking a deep breath and hold it in while you snap the shot. It will reduce your shaking.
If you really want to add some punch to your images, then get your hands on a polarizing filter. A polarizer is the one filter every photographer should have handy for landscapes and general outdoor shooting. By reducing glare and unwanted reflections, polarized shots have richer, more saturated colors, especially in the sky.
What’s that you say? Your digital camera can’t accommodate filters. Don’t despair. I’ve been using this trick for years with my point-and-shoot cameras. If you have a pair of quality sunglasses, then simply take them off and use them as your polarizing filter. Place the glasses as close to the camera lens as possible, then check their position in the LCD viewfinder to make sure you don’t have the rims in the shot.
If your camera doesn’t accept filters, then you can still achieve the effects of a polarizer by placing your sunglasses over the lens. Figure 2a is shot normally without any filtration. Figure 2b is shot during the same session, but with sunglasses placed over the lens. Notice the enhanced colors and deeper sky tones. (Canon PowerShot S200, Program mode). I hope it will help everyone.
I’m always changing the settings on my camera Which means that the next time I pick up the camera there’s a good chance it’s not set right.
So I decided to make a small card with a list of things I should check before taking pictures. Stuff like ISO, white balance, and vivid. (Kind of like a pre-flight checklist)
Then I took my card to Kinko’s and had it laminated. Next I punched a small hole in it and then used a clip to attach it to my camera case.
Now I automatically look at that card before I do anything!!!
Juxtaposition. Use contrast to enhance your photos. Contrast in texture, color, emotion, or idea can bring real life to a photo.
When photographing babies, don’t just go for the full body shots. Photograph with abandon and focus on their faces, hands, those little feet, toes, try shooting from behind. They truly are more than the sum of their little parts and you will have some memorable photos. Also, shoot in color. You can always switch to black and white on Photoshop or Picasa to try out a different effect.
Try to shoot your pictures early morning or late afternoon for best results. Lighting at these times of day by far make photos more interesting.
Take pictures just as the sun is setting. The rosy glow that the sunset gives off makes everyone look good!
I love the look of pictures with natural light (no flash).
Find a great spot in your house with a north facing window and use our Beautiful Sun to create that Perfect picture!
One of my favorite things to photograph is moving water. However, sometimes my pictures are too harsh if I’m photographing a large waterfall. My absolute favorite way to capture the water’s movement (which is what truly draws me to photographing this subject) is to force my cameras shutter to stay open for more than just a second. The best way to do this is to use your aperture priority setting (if your camera has one). Set it to f8 or f11 (I prefer f8). If you don’t have a tripod, you can hold it by hand, but any slight movement will blur the picture so it is imperative that you remain still. If you have a tripod, use it along with the self-timer; your picture will come out flawless! The water will seem like its moving in the picture and the rest of the scene will remain crisp. Also, if you don’t have a tripod, you can sit your camera down on a rock or something flat that will give the camera stability (and not to mention a very cool perspective). When doing that, use the self-timer. The closer the rock is to the water level, the more interesting the picture. I guarantee a wonderful shot if you try this tip!
Photograph something that you would not ordinarily photograph. Take things from your house and put them in different locations, in different lighting, and then focus on the intricacies of these objects that are often overlooked. For instance, the design of a teapot, or the shadow of a vase. Do some shots close up and from a number of angles. You will end up with a very different perspective on the beauty of the sometimes mundane, not to mention a new approach to photography. Good luck!
When photographing flat, square objects such as a painting on the wall…stand back about twice as far as you normally would and then zoom in to fit the painting. Leave a little room for cropping as well. Stepping back and zooming helps reduce the “fish eye” effect or curving of edges that occurs when shooting flat works.
Pictures look better on the the close up outdoors setting in very good light. It shows up better then a flash and makes you look like u have a very color and your skin looks soft and natural.
Make sure not to touch your camera while wearing DEET type insect repellant. It will eat away any non-metal parts and destroy your lens….lesson learned.
Shoot at ISO 200 and RAW whenever possible
To take great pictures of kids in motion (as they almost always are) you can slow your shutter speed down and then pan the camera with their movement. This will make the background look “moving” but the child will stay mostly in focus. It can take some practice, but when you start getting good shots they’ll turn out fabulous! Also, with kids and basically any subject, try to use natural lighting as much as possible. Flash can make colors look strange, but natural light can bring more depth to your pictures.
Do your pictures justice take a picture that complements the the object you are shooting. Its agrivating to see pictures that the photographer has not taken the time to clear any background problems or setting your camera up with the right lighting and angle. *Sometimes the hardest part is just taking a picture that the human eye can see clearly as beautiful but the camera shrinks it or distorts it making it ordinary*. “Thus the reason comliment the object you are shooting”. Take your time and know your camera. Practice, practice, practice.
Above all tips and advice…( in this day and age of endless digital pictures and not rolls of film ) “carry your camera(s) everywhere and take lots of pictures cause practice, practice, practice is the way to teach your eye to see and take better images. shoot what looks good to you…beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Don’t try too hard when taking photos of children! It often frustrates them as well as you. Also keep it simple so that the focus is on the subject rather than other distractions.
Never hesitate to take capture a moment and take a pic, live for the moment you not have tomorrow!
try taking pictures from different angles and different colors. you’ll be amazed how sometimes different views can be dramatic.
When taking pictures of people or places with people, don’t always tell them to smile at the camera. Sometimes the best picture of someone is the one they didn’t know was taken. For example, when taking a close up picture of a person, don’t let them know, because people always tense up and force a smile when they know its coming.
Always be aware of your surroundings, the lighting, the clouds, the locale, everything. Can’t tell you how many times a cloud ruins the halo effect you were looking for. Also, make sure whatever you’re shooting isn’t right next to or in front of something reflective, or you’ll have a nice big white spot in the middle of your photo.
My favorite tip is when you have a busy background that might be competing with the object/person you want to focus on, adjust the aperture to a smaller number and the background will blur (or fade, depending on the aperture number you select and the amount of light coming in). It creates some lovely shots!