Discount digital cameras

Part I

Night photographs express a special something that cannot be
seen in normal daytime photography. Whether it is a photograph
of a moon and starlit sky over a windy deserted beach, the
excitement of a downtown cityscape when the lights go on, or
just a picture of you and some friends in front of a favorite
hangout, nighttime photos, when done right, are sure to attract
attention.

However, even for experienced photographers, nighttime
photography can be a tricky situation. Photos often look
unfocused, blurry, or lacking crucial details, and many may not
come out at all. There are some tricks, though, to taking
spectacular nighttime photos with your digital camera, tricks
that can be explained yet only completely learned through
practice.

This first part of a three-part series on nighttime photography
will cover tricks not necessarily related to digital camera
settings, but tricks nonetheless that can result in better
photographs or a more pleasing photo-taking experience.

* Although more expensive digital cameras do not necessarily
result in better photos, realize that the cheapest cameras may
not be capable of taking great photographs at night. It requires
more work, both on your’s and the camera’s part, to take
spectacular shots in very low-light situations. Though you don’t
have to spend over a thousand dollars for night photography,
don’t expect too much out of a sub-two hundred-dollar camera,
either.

* Especially if you are not completely familiar with your
camera’s settings to enhance nighttime photography, consider
first taking some photographs around dusk, when the sun has not
yet completely left the sky. Dusk photos can sometimes be even
more dramatic than those taken in the pitch-black sky, as the
added light helps illuminate details easily missed in a
completely dark environment Check your local newspaper where you
are shooting photographs or a website such as
http://www.weather.com for sunrise/sunset times, and be ready to
shoot around a 20-30 minute window for best results.

* Plan your photos before you shoot! While it is always a good
idea to study an area first, this is crucial if you are planning
on snapping photographs around dusk! You will not have much time
to plan, and if you spend five or ten minutes just getting a
perfect angle or framing the perfect shot, the overall lighting
will change as the sun slowly sets. And of course, remember when
composing your photos that the sun sets in the west.

* Be prepared for the environment. If you’re heading out by
yourself, especially in a semi-deserted wilderness area, always
carry a map so you remember how to get to your home, camp, or
hotel. Check the weather before you go and wear a poncho or coat
if necessary. Carry a flashlight, or, in the most extreme
environments, a flare, to help others find you if you become
lost. Also, bring along a WELL-CHARGED cell phone in case of
emergency! You’re taking photos at night to have fun and create
spectacular results. Be prepared for unexpected situations so
they don’t ruin your experience.

While the results can be outstanding, night photography presents
its own unique benefits and hazards. Not just any digital camera
will do; lower-end models may not have the capability of taking
spectacular shots. Timing is crucial, especially when taking
pictures in the brief time between dusk and total darkness. And,
the environment and weather can play havoc with your plans. By
purchasing the correct equipment, studying the subject area
before nighttime falls, and dealing with unexpected situations
with the correct nighttime gear, you can be better prepared to
take amazing nighttime photos.

About the author:
Copyright 2004 Andrew Malek.

Andrew Malek is the owner of the MalekTips computer and
technology help site at http://www.malektips.com. Visit his
digital camera page at
http://malektips.com/digital_cameras_help_and_tips.html for more
digital photography advice.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 30th, 2006 at 5:13 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Part II

Night photos can take on a somewhat magical quality you may find
lacking in normal daytime photography. Amazing night pictures
certainly can attract attention. As the sun goes down, however,
it becomes harder to capture images without the proper equipment
and techniques. Thus, as was mentioned in Part I of this series,
taking incredible nighttime photographs requires a lot of
planning.

When your digital camera receives less light, it cannot absorb
the surroundings as well in the resulting photographs. Some
pictures may turn out too dark. Others can be too blurry. Your
camera requires more time to absorb enough light to create an
effective picture, so any shaking of the device will result in
photographs lacking sharpness.

To compensate for the lack of lighting, here are several things
you can do with most middle and high-end digital cameras to get
the results you need. Part III of this series will continue with
even more expert ideas.

* You may think that professional photographers take a large
amount of time to set up a shot, perform complex calculations,
talk about all sorts of topics such as f-stops, shoot one
photograph that accurately represents their interpretation of a
particular scene, and then leave.

While most of this may be true, the last part - only taking one
photo - is far from it. Many, if not most, professional
photographers commonly take a multitude of shots for every
subject! Traditional photographers can go through rolls and
rolls of film on a single shoot, and digital photographers may
use gigabytes of memory.

Professionals know that no matter how well everything has been
factored in when setting up a shot, ’stuff happens’. It is
better to take time shooting a particular subject ten times and
get one outstanding photograph than to take one or two photos
that turn out blurry or dull.

Most photographers perform a trick called bracketing, where they
intentionally adjust their camera settings in small increments
in case their calculations were not precisely correct.

Heed this advice when taking photographs at night. If you have a
particular subject you want to reproduce in digital form, don’t
rely on taking ‘the one perfect shot’, but take several
photographs in case problems occur with the lighting, or lack
thereof.

Remember, you’re shooting digitally, which means you can later
throw out all the bad photos in your camera’s virtual ‘trash
can’, and no one ever needs to know! I can’t tell you how many
times I’ve done this, especially when taking late-night shots of
the Chicago cityscape in places I couldn’t bring a tripod. I may
shoot hundreds of shots and only keep a few dozen.

* If your digital camera has a special nighttime mode, study
your manual and learn how to enable this feature. Perhaps your
camera has a button or dial next to a graphic of a half-moon to
signify this setting. This works well for some late-night
situations.

* Forget about using the flash unless you purchase a
high-quality accessory flash unit. Flash shoots a burst of light
out of your camera and works most effectively when your subject
is within a few feet. If your subject is a long way away, your
small flash unit will never reach it effectively.

Nighttime photography requires a little extra work out of you
and your digital camera. To prevent against mistakes and
increase the chance of a spectacular shot, it may be necessary
to take the same picture multiple times, adjusting your camera
settings slightly to help ensure at least one picture will come
out well. The digital camera manual must be studied, as many
high-end cameras contain automatic features to help take better
photos. And, a natural tendency most people have to use flash
must be avoided. By heeding this advice, you can learn to take
spectacular nighttime photos.

Look forward to article III in this series in the near future!

Copyright 2005 Andrew Malek.

About the author:
Andrew Malek is the owner of the MalekTips computer and
technology help site at http://www.malektips.com . Visit his
digital camera page at http://malektips.com/camera/ for hundreds
of more digital photography tips.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006 at 9:21 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Part II

Night photos can take on a somewhat magical quality you may find
lacking in normal daytime photography. Amazing night pictures
certainly can attract attention. As the sun goes down, however,
it becomes harder to capture images without the proper equipment
and techniques. Thus, as was mentioned in Part I of this series,
taking incredible nighttime photographs requires a lot of
planning.

When your digital camera receives less light, it cannot absorb
the surroundings as well in the resulting photographs. Some
pictures may turn out too dark. Others can be too blurry. Your
camera requires more time to absorb enough light to create an
effective picture, so any shaking of the device will result in
photographs lacking sharpness.

To compensate for the lack of lighting, here are several things
you can do with most middle and high-end digital cameras to get
the results you need. Part III of this series will continue with
even more expert ideas.

* You may think that professional photographers take a large
amount of time to set up a shot, perform complex calculations,
talk about all sorts of topics such as f-stops, shoot one
photograph that accurately represents their interpretation of a
particular scene, and then leave.

While most of this may be true, the last part - only taking one
photo - is far from it. Many, if not most, professional
photographers commonly take a multitude of shots for every
subject! Traditional photographers can go through rolls and
rolls of film on a single shoot, and digital photographers may
use gigabytes of memory.

Professionals know that no matter how well everything has been
factored in when setting up a shot, ’stuff happens’. It is
better to take time shooting a particular subject ten times and
get one outstanding photograph than to take one or two photos
that turn out blurry or dull.

Most photographers perform a trick called bracketing, where they
intentionally adjust their camera settings in small increments
in case their calculations were not precisely correct.

Heed this advice when taking photographs at night. If you have a
particular subject you want to reproduce in digital form, don’t
rely on taking ‘the one perfect shot’, but take several
photographs in case problems occur with the lighting, or lack
thereof.

Remember, you’re shooting digitally, which means you can later
throw out all the bad photos in your camera’s virtual ‘trash
can’, and no one ever needs to know! I can’t tell you how many
times I’ve done this, especially when taking late-night shots of
the Chicago cityscape in places I couldn’t bring a tripod. I may
shoot hundreds of shots and only keep a few dozen.

* If your digital camera has a special nighttime mode, study
your manual and learn how to enable this feature. Perhaps your
camera has a button or dial next to a graphic of a half-moon to
signify this setting. This works well for some late-night
situations.

* Forget about using the flash unless you purchase a
high-quality accessory flash unit. Flash shoots a burst of light
out of your camera and works most effectively when your subject
is within a few feet. If your subject is a long way away, your
small flash unit will never reach it effectively.

Nighttime photography requires a little extra work out of you
and your digital camera. To prevent against mistakes and
increase the chance of a spectacular shot, it may be necessary
to take the same picture multiple times, adjusting your camera
settings slightly to help ensure at least one picture will come
out well. The digital camera manual must be studied, as many
high-end cameras contain automatic features to help take better
photos. And, a natural tendency most people have to use flash
must be avoided. By heeding this advice, you can learn to take
spectacular nighttime photos.

Look forward to article III in this series in the near future!

Copyright 2005 Andrew Malek.

About the author:
Andrew Malek is the owner of the MalekTips computer and
technology help site at http://www.malektips.com . Visit his
digital camera page at http://malektips.com/camera/ for hundreds
of more digital photography tips.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 11th, 2005 at 6:56 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.