point and shoot auto flash
Top Ten Photography Tips by Kodak
I can’t take credit for these tips. I found them on the Kodak site. They did such an excellent job of simplifying and showing examples so I decided to just guide you to the site. The top ten simple tips are:
1. Get down on their level
2. Use a plain background
3. Use flash outdoors
4. Move in close
5. Take some vertical shots
6. Lock the focus
7. Move it from the middle
8. Know your flash range
9. Watch the light
10. Be a picture director
Follow these few simple rules and you will look like a pro in no time.
Credit for this post and information goes to Kodak.
Photography Tip by Myrtle Beach Photography: Do you need a filter?
If you only buy one filter…
…make it a polarizing filter. This filter will protect your lens in addition to giving you a nice contrast to your images. This is the perfect beginner’s filter, and one that will have the best effect on your day to day photography. A polarizing lens will give your skies a vibrant blue tone, your green grass more contrast and give all your images a greater texture.
Who Wants to be a Photographer?
As many of you know, I own a photography studio, Myrtle Beach Photography, but I am not a professional photographer. I post tips that I have learned from owning a studio and seeking answers from my staff of brilliant professional photographers. I know there are many photography tips out there from professional photographers that are much more technical but I am trying to take this information and translate it for us “want to be photographers”.
I really would like to know how many of you want to be photographer?
For those of you who want to become professional photographers, what are some things that you would like to know?
It has been my experience, while working with many professional photographers, that they know how to take beautiful images but the business side is baffling to them. I guess I would really like to know if posting about the business side of running a photography studio would be of interest to you.
I will await your responses.
Holiday Photography Tips
| # 1 | Play Around When Composing Your Photograph Whether you are photographing holiday images or family and friends, try different compositions. Pay special attention to how you organize elements in each photo.Concepts when composing a shot:
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| # 2 | Family and Group Portraits The main thing that professional photographers do that most don’t is take tons of images. That is the trick. Take a large number of photos. Since there is always someone blinking or looking off to the side or facing another member of the group, having a large number of photos will give you the best chances of catching everyone looking their best.There is often a great deal of pressure when photographing groups so keep the experience as fun and friendly as possible, so they remember it in a positive light. |
| # 3 | Taking the Perfect Candid Shot Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot and delete later. If a child opening a gift – or playing with a gift for the first time – you know that, within a split second, the scene can change. There is often just a few brief moments when that “magic shot” appears.Be ready to go at a moment’s notice and keep that shutter clicking. Be assertive with your picture-taking. Be ready to press that shutter button at a moment’s notice. Either way, shoot quickly and shoot often. Don’t be shy – getting a great photo of the right moment is rewarding and well worth the extra effort. |
| # 4 | Don’t Always Use Flash IndoorsThe flash can be a real lifesaver, no doubt about it. This burst of artificial light can mean the difference between a decent photo and a totally blurry, unusable image.
If you are shooting indoors at night, try to flood the room where you are photographing with as much light as you can – turn on whatever lamps you have at hand. This will help reduce those harsh, flashed-out subjects, as well as other problems like red-eye. However, the light from flash units – especially from the tiny on-camera flash units found on most every camera – tend to produce harsh, flat, and cold light. This is rarely a complimentary way to illuminate your subject. Try using your hand to block some of that harsh lighting. If you are shooting indoors during the day, make your portraits with your subjects standing near a window or door instead of relying on the flash. Get between your subject and the window – in other words, don’t include the window in your composition, as this will throw off your exposure meter. |
| # 5 | If You Use Flash Outdoors Most people think that using flash is synonymous with photographing indoors at night – at a Christmas party for example.However, flash need not be relegated to indoor, night photography. Flash can be a big help when it comes to shooting outdoors during the day. Even in bright sunlight, forcing your flash to fire can often mean the difference between a so-so snapshot and an eye-grabbing masterpiece. The reason is that this kind of bright day flash will fill in the shadows and even out harsh contrasts. Try it out… next time you are photographing friends or children outdoors, turn your flash on and see if it works. |
| # 6 | Get Creative With Those Christmas Lights
Tired of the same old Christmas tree photos? If you want to try something new, set your camera to a slower shutter speed. Meaning, make the shutter open and close more slowly. Maybe try setting your camera on a stationary object like a table to steady it. When you hear the shutter open, move the camera to cause a blur of the lights. The idea here is to intentionally blur the colorful Christmas lights. |
| # 7 | Give the Gift of a Photograph Whether you are a last minute shopper or not, we have the perfect gift idea for you: a family photo.Parents and grandparents in particular love photos of the family and children as a holiday present.
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| # 8 | Be Prepared: Charge Batteries and Clear Cards The last thing you want to have happen is to get all set up for the family portrait or holiday photo to realize you forgot to charge the battery!In addition to making sure your batteries are charged (or you have replacements on hand), you will also want to make sure you have a place for your potential images to be recorded. Clear your memory card to free up space.
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To Flash or not to Flash
Fill Flash
The biggest misconception in outdoor photography is the use a flash. Most people know that if they are indoors, they use a flash. Most point and shoot camera flashes default to auto flash, meaning, if the camera detects there is not enough light for a good picture, the auto flash will kick-in, in low light. What most people don’t know is when you are outside and your camera is set to auto flash, it will automatically shut down your flash. This is perhaps when you need your flash the most. For example, you are out of the beach and it is 5pm, shadows are heavy and your subjects faces are shaded. This is where your fill flash can help. Go to your settings, override the auto flash(make sure that the flash icon does not have a line through the lightning bolt or flash symbol) and force your camera to flash. This will fill in the shadows (often cast by hats, glasses, noses etc) and light up the faces of your subjects. On the other hand, if your subjects look overexposed and washed out, you can’t decrease the flash strength try moving back a little from your subject and using your zoom to get a tighter framing as this will decrease the impact of the flash. Also remember, with most cameras, about 6 or 7 feet is a normal flash range. Experimenting is the key. Sample images above show the difference between an image outdoors with the flash on and the flash off.
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