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--Take lots of pictures, memory is cheap, memories are priceless.
--Keep your camera available, photo opportunities don't wait
--When using a digital camera, always shoot in color, you can always convert it to black and white. *Video Slideshow
--One shot is never enough, take multiple shots of the same subject using different settings, angles, and framing
--When the sun goes down, do not put your camera away! Night time is as good a time as any to take pictures!
--To reduce blur when hand-holding the camera, the slowest shutter speed you should use is 1/60 second, faster if you are zoomed in, as this amplifies the effect of the shake. (I go with 1/250 when zoomed in 4x)
--When possible, use a low ISO to reduce grain. High ISO is OK when it's needed for action shots in low light.
--On most decent digital cameras, you can hold the shutter button down halfway, you will feel a little bit of a stop, this "meters" the scene, focuses, charges the flash, and chooses settings if applicable, so when you press the button down the rest of the way, it will take the picture instantly.
--Consider the rule of thirds, that is, when you are photographing something, offset the subject into a different third of the frame, horizontal or vertical, dont center the horizon, but rules were meant to be broken, if you think the scene would be right with the subject in the center or the horizon right in the middle, go for it. The rule of thirds gives the subject somewhere to "go" or "look."
--Invest in a tripod, this will allow for sweet night pictures, reduced blur in low shutter speed shots, and natural self portraits.
--If you don't have one, buy a good camera ASAP! Photo ops don't wait. (I've always been a fan of the Canon Powershot series)
--Make sure you have plenty of memory.
What to Look for in a Digital Camera:
---Price, don't kill yourself paying for it.
---Batteries: Choose a camera that you can buy replacements for, you wont always have a charger available so you'll want spare batteries no matter the capacity, proprietary LI-ION batteries may be rated for more pictures, but standard batteries, such as AAs can be purchased anywhere for a low price. Rechargeable NIMH AAs give the best of both worlds.
---Memory: be sure to have plenty, more than you think you need, pick a camera with a memory that's easy to use and affordable
---Size: Compact cameras may fit comfortably in your pocket, but often, they are not as comfortable to use as larger cameras. I like the size and feel of the Canon A-500 and higher series. Tiny cameras often lack features such as long shutter speeds, optical zoom, and optional accessories. Ultra-compact cameras often leave a significant hole in your monetary funds as well.
---Manual controls: get something with manual controls, you'll want to be able to adjust ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture size.
---Resolution: 3 Megapixel will produce decent 11x14 prints, 5 megapixel will produce decent 16x20 prints. Higher resolutions offer more freedom to crop.
---Brand name: In my not-so-humble opinion, the best brands are Canon and Nikon, accept nothing less.
---Zoom: Optical Zoom is all that matters. IGNORE COMPLETELY DIGITAL ZOOM! IT MEANS NOTHING! IT'S A SHAM, it simply increases the space between pixels and makes the picture grainy, I just disable digital zoom on my camera...
(no need to avoid buying a camera if it has digital zoom, just dont use it as a buying factor.)
---Video mode: Video from a digital camera is low quality as a rule, but it's nice to have.
//--Where to buy digital camera: JR.com and Overstock.com ...Typically, these stores offer MUCH lower prices than local stores.
Take Cool Night Pictures
You know how it goes, you see this beautiful cityscape and pull out your camera and snap a shot, and then try again and again because it just wont turn out, it looks something like this right?
That's obviously not your intent.
You want to take stunning night pictures, maybe the way it really looks, or maybe something even more stunning. Here's the equipment you need:
--Decent Digital Camera, with Adjustable Aperture and Shutter, such as the Canon A530
--Tripod
--A Scene, such as a cityscape, road, fireworks, building...anything really.
--Imagination, patience, a source of warmth
There are three settings that control the exposure to your "film" or picture.
1. ISO, this is the density of the film, lower ISO means it's got higher density, more dots per inch, this produces smoother, less grainy pictures, but takes longer to expose.
2. Shutter Speed: This is how long the picture is exposed.
3. Aperture: Also known as F-Stops, this is the size of the opening in the lens, smaller aperture lets less light in, and requires a higher ISO or lower shutter speed for a correct exposure, but smaller aperture also allows more of the scene to be in focus. This setting controls the depth of field.
For night photography, you have a lot of options, F8 at 5 seconds or more captures the scene as it really is, and lower apertures, such as F3.2 and 5 seconds or more brings the scene to life, illuminating it more and giving a nightscape a stunning glow to it. Also keep your ISO as low as possible to eliminate grain and get a higher quality photo. Basically you want to have the camera on a tripod and play with the various settings, I recommend you use full manual mode on your camera and experiment. Put the camera on self timer or use a remote to eliminate camera shake.
San Francisco, CA at night.
Shutter Speed: 15 Seconds
Aperture: F8
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
Public Transit in Petaluma CA, started exposure when light turned green, bus slowly accellerated.
Shutter Speed: 2.5 Seconds
Aperture: F8
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
Man Crossing Street, Panning shot, turned off LCD and kept him in part of the viewfinder by moving the camera with him. Glow on ground is reflections of the surroundings on wet pavement.
Shutter Speed: 4 Seconds
Aperture: F8
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
Shore Acres State Park Christmas lights near Coos Bay, Oregon
Shutter Speed: 1 Second
Aperture: F2.6
Camera: Canon A40
Shooting Mode: Stitch Assist (3 shots stitched together automatically using Canon Photostitch)
Golden Gate Bridge... April 22, 2005 at 7:05PM, yes it was dark out!
Shutter Speed: 3.2 Seconds
Aperture: F6.3
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
Independence Day Fireworks
Shutter Speed: 8 Seconds
Aperture: F8
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
Running around the Strobe (Firework)
Shutter Speed: 5 Seconds
Aperture: F8
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
My Car
Shutter Speed: 2.5 Seconds
Aperture: F3.2
ISO: 50
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
My Car in San Francisco
Shutter Speed: 13 Seconds
Aperture: F3.2
ISO: 50
Camera: Canon A510
Shooting Mode: Manual
I'll add more tips and pictures of how night scenes are supposed to look later.
Search for "Canon Powershot" on this website and pick out something for now, buy it, and get out the night you get the camera and have fun. Dont forget your tripod.
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