Basic Digital Camera Shooting Techniques I

Simple composition tips guaranteed to make your shots look better

by Robin Nichols
Keep the composition simple!
Start by shooting on the level. With experience, you can learn to shoot at an angle to add
dramatic impact to the shot.
Always keep your eye on whats happening at the front and the back of the frame and NOT
just on the immediate subject.
If the background is 'messy' (like my office), move the subject against a plainer-looking
background. If this is not possible, use the zoom lens to frame distractions out of the shot.
If zoomed in, you might have to step back to keep the subject in the frame
Avoid telephone poles, wires, cables, litter and street rubbish. Use the zoom lens or physically move yourself to frame these
ugly distractions out of shot. Avoid taking pictures in bright sunshine. Always move your subject into the shade where theyll
be relaxed. So will you!
Make an effort to pose your subject, otherwise youll end up with the typical 'school photo' result; staring straight into the lens
and grinning like a prison inmate!
Candids, those shots we all love to take without actually talking or looking properly at the subject, almost always never work!

Clutter!
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Heres a tip: Always, always shoot with an uncluttered background so that you look at the subject, and not at the telephone
pole or McDonalds sign thats sticking out of the top of their heads!
Most pictures will come out fine with the camera set to 'P' or Program Mode rather than
the Auto everything mode.
For portraits, use the Portrait Mode (this helps make the background go a bit out of
focus) or set the camera to Aperture Priority mode (called A or Av) and manually choose a setting of about f4 or f5.6. This
keeps things sharp on the subject, but reasonably fuzzy everywhere else.
Poor Composition
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Clean Background
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Camera Settings
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Take care what you focus on!
For landscapes, or far-off subjects, use Landscape (or 'Mountain') mode. This locks focus into the distance and guarantees a
sharper-looking distant shot.
For all action shots, use the simple Sports Action mode, or for greater user control, Shutter Priority mode (called T or Tv).
Pick a shutter speed of about 1/500s to 'freeze' the action.
(Note: if you use these 'fast' shutter speeds, you might run out of llight! If this is the case, choose an ISO sensitivity
setting of 200 or 400 if theres not much light).
Dont shoot on Auto. This is an idiot-proof shooting mode. None of you are idiots!
First, switch to the P or Program Auto setting. This is also an automatic shooting mode, BUT in
this mode you can override its behaviour in order to make the resulting pictures look even better (ie.
lighter, darker, more contrasty, etc).
Use the optical viewfinder for normal shooting. It will give you a better idea of what you are getting in the shot because youll
not be put off by reflections, bright sun or falling off the pavement while struggling to get the viewing angle right.
Using the LCD for composing is not the best way - it's not stable and is prone to camera shake. Hold the camera to your
face and use the optical viewfinder.
When travelling, use the LCD screen only for close-ups (in the Macro mode) and for reviewing once back in the hotel.
Excessive use reduces battery life significantly.
Like many other instructors at BetterPhoto.com, Im in the envious position of combining one of my lifes
passions, photography, with my ob, photography and publishing. !nd, although Im normally in front of the
computer way too much for my liking these days, it remains one of the best obs in the world.
"riginally from the #$, Ive spent the past %& years living in Sydney, !ustralia, working initially as a rostrum
cameraman in the audio'visual business, then as freelance photographer. (ore recently, Ive worked )struggled* as
a freelance writer, then as a full'time maga+ine editor for eight years. ,or the past si- years, I have run my own
small publishing business, Better Digital, producing !ustralias largest'selling specialist digital photo publication.
)!s an interesting side note, Better .igital is not affiliated with BetterPhoto.com ' we simply have similar good
tastes when it comes to names/*
Program Mode
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0ith the launch of Better .igital, I have passionately pursued the goal of producing clear, well'illustrated
publications written in 1plain 2nglish1. I have continued to develop this plain'speaking style in another specialist
maga+ine devoted almost e-clusively to Photoshop, called Better Photoshop Techniques. 3ecently I added
Digital Photo ART to the list of publications. 4his deals more with proect'based techni5ues for the digital
enthusiast whose interests, those with a crafty bent wanting to do something more with their shots.
I have also written several books, including www.imaging, efficient photo preparation for the world wide we
)0atson 6uptill, ISB78 &'9%:&';9;;'<*, co'written with Philip !ndrews, Paint Shop Pro !" a guide to creating
professional images ),ocal Press=2lsevier Press, ISB78 &'%>&';?@A9'%*, and recently, Paint Shop Pro # for
Photographers, co'written with $en (c(ahon, ),ocal Press=2lsevier Press, ISB78 &'%>&';?A9?'<*.
0hen Im not out shooting, travelling, or writing for one of my publications, I teach digital photography/ In fact,
theres nothing I like better than showing newcomers how to fine'tune their shooting skills and how to get the best
from their gear. 4he beauty of digital photography, of course, is that students can appreciate their efforts almost
immediately, a fact that fuels greater e-ploration of the craft.
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3eferences 8 www.betterphoto.com