Many of us have got brand spanking new cameras for Christmas, and now the initial excitement is over, here comes the challenge. How on earth do we work it?
One of the basic things to master before you go any further are the auto-exposure settings on your camera.
These are the settings that allows you to take really good pictures according to the conditions without really having an in depth understanding what is going on inside the camera, and they include landscape mode, night mode, portrait mode and more.
To get you started, here are some descriptions about the standard modes that your camera is likely to have come with and a few tips on how to use them.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Portrait Mode?
If you have got your camera to take snaps of your family and friends then the portrait mode is going to come in the most handy. It will usually be represented with a head in your scene mode options. What this will do when you take the picture is open the aperture as wide as possible for the shot in order to narrow the depth of field. This means that the subject your camera is focused on will be sharp and anything in the background will be blurred, effectively isolating your subject and making them stand out.
Tip: In order to help your camera produce the most effective pictures on this setting, make your subject stand near you and make the background as far away and as simple as possible.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Night Portrait Mode?
The night portrait mode makes use of slow shutter speeds to allow maximum light into the shot, so it is necessary to use a tripod if you want to avoid camera shake issues. Red-eye reduction and flash as also enabled to illuminate your subject against the night scene backdrop.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Night Scene Mode?
In the night scene mode, the flash is forced off, so the only light coming into the shot is from the scene itself. It is therefore vital to ensure that the picture is as steady as possible as the shutter speeds will be slow. If you don’t have a tripod available, but you can place the camera on a steady ledge or table, then this might do the trick. Note that no matter how steady your camera during the shot, if you press and release the shutter button, this is likely to cause some camera shake, so you will need to use the timer facility where possible.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Fireworks Scene Mode?
Again a tripod is necessary for this type of shot as the shutter speeds are slow in order to capture the movement of the fireworks and also to ensure the shot is correctly exposed as there will only be a tiny amount of light coming in to your camera’s sensors.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Beach/Snow Mode?
The reason your camera has this mode is because a lot of light is reflected in these types of scenes. As such they can be easily under exposed by your camera’s auto setting as it tries to compensate for the amount of light. In order to ensure your beach and snow pictures are bright and clear rather than dull and muddy, this setting on your digital camera will adjust the white balance and exposure accordingly.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Landscape Mode?
In landscape photography, the camera is automatically set to focus into the distant. This is because in these wide scenery shots, your focus will be the background rather than a foreground object.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Macro Mode?
The macro mode is represented by a flower icon. In your camera’s macro mode, your cameras settings will adjust to allow you to focus on small object that are close to the lens, allowing you to capture them in great detail. Be aware that the depth of field is reduced in these types of shots, which means that you will only be able to focus on one specific part of the shot. You can use this creatively to your advantage and simply focus on the head of an insect to intentionally leave the rest of its body out of focus. Alternatively, if you focus somewhere in the middle, this will bring the back and foreground of the object you are shooting into focus. You are likely to need a tripod for macro shots. Look out for tripods with macro arms that allow you to move the camera until you are focused on the right area.
How Do I Use My Digital Camera’s Sports Mode?
This mode, which is denoted by a running man icon is for any fast moving shots. Pets and children would also fall in this category. Because the shutter speed is so fast in order to capture the action, you will need a lot of light in your shot, so make sure it is as bright as possible. If you can test out your area of focus, it is wise to do so.
It is a good idea to examine all of your scene modes and play with them to find out how they work. Use the information and the tips provided above, along with any information from your camera manual to ensure that you know how to use them when the time is right.
