by Richard Bramante

Created on: June 17, 2008

Doesn't make a difference if you are a beginner or a professional, to maximize the potential of your digital camera you must understand its operation. I know we are all the same when we get a new toy, that the temptation to just play exceeds the need to just read the manual that came with the camera. Many digital camera manufacturers already know this tendency and provide a quick start set of instructions to get you started as quickly as possible. However, to get the most from your camera does require a bit of reading and some study too.

Consequently, I recommend highly at attempting learning the nuances of your digital camera. This is especially true whereas white balance is concerned. This is a critical setting for digital cameras and if not set properly can cause a color cast over the entire photo. Most digital cameras have an auto setting but allow for setting white balance manually. To do this you may want to focus the camera on a gray card or an object that is mostly grayish while under the lighting conditions you are currently shooting in. A proper white balance setting will ensure that your color rendition is true and your colors will appear much more vibrant.

Digital cameras can be adjusted for aperture opening. Aperture deals with the amount of light the camera allows in. A quick frame of reference is the smaller the opening the less light will be allowed to reach the photo sensor but with an increase in the depth of field. This means that objects near and far would be in focus. This mode is best for landscapes but does require a good amount of available light. When shooting with less light the adjustments to aperture and shutter speed can compensate for the diminished light. A point to remember is that with a bigger aperture opening the less the depth of field so objects in front and behind your focus point may appear out of focus. You can decrease the shutter speed to compensate for aperture but I recommend not going below a sixtieth of a second to avoid blur caused by either camera or subject motion.

Many digital cameras come with a built in flash and in auto mode the flash will be enabled and used by the camera in certain lighting conditions. If you wish to shoot in low level light with out the flash firing then it must be disabled prior to taking the shot. If shooting in low light is something you may want to do often then it may well be worth the investment for the purchase of a tripod and a remote shutter trigger device if this feature is included with your camera.

Don't let the study part scare you. It is not like doing homework if you enjoy photography. This is where you read about the features of your camera and you attempt to use that feature in the composition of a photo. Don't be fearful. Shoot often and in as many ways as you can. Attempt to think creatively what may be possible to do with your digital camera. The beauty of digital photography is that there are no film or development costs. The results of your experimentation may be viewed as quickly as you can boot up your computer. I have become a digital photography convert and if you try it, so will you.

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