Digital Photography Tips: Part 1

Even though trip memories can last for a lifetime, we also recommend taking a camera with you on your adventure as another way to capture those special moments. Upon return home you can share pictures with your friends and family and make them jealous of the places you just visited, you can get them enlarged and frame them on your wall, or you can flip through them years from now and relive a part of the trip you might have otherwise forgotten. Below we have included some tips on how to take great photos with your digital camera.

1) Changing the ISO (International Standards Organization) Setting. This setting changes the sensitivity to light of the image sensor inside of it. The lower the number that you select (eg. 100 or 200) the less sensitive the sensor is to light and vice versa. A higher ISO setting means more grain in your pictures.

2) The Golden Rule of Composition is to keep the subject out of the centre. Use the Rule of Thirds when taking pictures.

3) Get in Close to your subject. Improve your people images by zooming in or getting close to your subject. Have fun with it. This is a good way to interact with the locals (if they don't mind their picture being taken). Smile and engage in conversation with them and then show them the photo after it is taken.

4) Fill the Frame. Move in close and think in two dimensions like the camera. We see in 3 dimensions and might not notice the tree coming out of someone's head.

5) The Quality of Light. Once you become aware of the quality of light in your scene you can become a fabulous photographer. Note the time of day, direction, colour, artificial or natural light, etc.

Happy photo taking,
Meghan