5 of 16

Write now Article Tools

Getting the most out of your digital camera involves becoming familiar with your camera and learning to take the best photos with it in varying situations. Whether you are an experienced photographer or taking your first snapshots, improving your photography skills has never been easier than with a digital camera.

As with most technology, reading the manual and learning about your equipment is an important part of the process. This may seem obvious, but today's digital cameras make it easier than ever to simply take it out of the box and begin shooting. The truth is that you will probably end up with some pretty good photos that way. Two things that you must learn, however, are how to set the camera to its automatic setting and how to set the focus.

The automatic mode on most digital cameras will help you to capture a good photo under most conditions and the manual will tell you how to enter this mode. Auto focus on a digital camera involves depressing the shutter button half-way and here again the manual will give you more information specific to your camera. You could easily stop here and still enjoy having a digital camera. A little more study and a lot more photos, though, will help you get the most out of your purchase.

The cost of film and developing can make learning the art of photography with a film camera a very expensive proposition. Taking large numbers of photos with a digital camera costs you nothing unless you print them, and even then you will only print the ones you really want. Use this idea to your advantage and take LOTS of photos! While you do so, try changing the settings that you read about in the manual. If your camera has a manual setting, try switching between automatic and manual modes. Experiment with different shutter settings, aperture settings and exposures. Try framing your shots differently and changing angles. When you see a shot that you like, don't be afraid to take multiple shots. When you transfer the files to your computer and look through them, you may be amazed at how out of ten shots of the same subject, one or two end being much better than the rest.

There are really only a couple of things to avoid when using a digital camera, digital zoom and deleting photos on the camera. While a digital zoom will help you to compose a closer image of your subject, keep in mind that it is also reducing the resolution of the photo. And unless you really need space for more shots, wait until you have transferred the photos to your computer to decide which to delete. Unless a photo is obviously poorly framed or out of focus, it's a good idea to wait until you can look at a larger format of the images before getting rid of it permanently.

The final step to getting more out of your digital camera is taking a close look at the photos you've taken. Usually, software will be included with the camera that will enable you to browse through your photos and make minor adjustments. Look at them carefully and take note of what did and didn't work. Most likely you will be able to see exif information that will give you detail on what settings you were using when you took the photo. It won't take long to realize what settings get the best results in various situations.

You should also learn to use the software to make modifications to your photos. Changing color and intensity settings and cropping photos can often help you create a great photo from an average one. Just be sure to save a second copy of the photo when you alter it so that you always have the original. Once you're satisfied, you can either print it on your printer or send it to a photo processor for a print. What began with a shutter snap is now a memory thanks to you and your digital camera.

Learn more about this author, Eric Wolf.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to get the most out of a digital camera?
We want to hear your view. Write now!