Why would you ever want to turn off your flash? Most of us love the new digital cameras because they do all the thinking for us. Automation is a wonderful thing. But sometimes you need to think for yourself. Turning off your flash can enhance your creativity with your camera. Existing light situations offer some fantastic opportunities to great photographs. Your new little puppy sleeping in the warmth of a sunbeam makes for a beautiful photo that the harsh light of a flash would have destroyed. Your subject could be too far away that your flash is no longer effective. … Continue reading →

Knowing how far you can push the limits of your flash will allow you to take better inside and night time photos. I think every camera on the market today comes with a built in flash. Learning how to maximize the use of your flash will improve the quality of your photos. Check your camera manual. If you can’t find the manual I would suggest keeping your subject between 2-6 feet from the camera when using your flash. When your subject is closer than 2 feet you risk the chance of washing out your subject. Remember cameras typically try to … Continue reading →

One of the reasons I love my digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera is the lens options I have available to me. My camera came with a standard 18-55mm lens. I also purchased a high power 70-300mm zoom lens for added versatility. The standard 18-55mm lens is a great all around lens. I use it for most of my indoor and around the house candid shots. The short zoom range is very compatible with my flash during indoor use. I can easily use the 3x zoom across the room to get great family shots while not getting in my subjects … Continue reading →

ISO is the speed of negatives (used to be referred to as ASA). Digital cameras, however, don’t use film, so what is give is the ISO equivalent. So in digital cameras, the ISO number represents how sensitive the sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive it is. The ISO affects the shutter speed and aperture as well. Certain examples where you might need to use a higher ISO are situations where there isn’t enough light to expose a scene properly. Say your camera warns you that there isn’t enough light. You could use a flash, but … Continue reading →

We all WANT to take great pictures, but let’s face it, not everyone knows how. Some people are downright intimidated by cameras. They do seem rather complicated at first, don’t they? EVERYONE can take great photos. It doesn’t take a super charged top of the line all the bells and whistles camera to do it either. The key to taking great photos is composition, first and foremost, at least that’s my opinion. So you see a great photo. You know it’s a great photo. But do you know WHY it’s a great photo? Well, that’s kind of relative. In my … Continue reading →

Tah-dah! The end….we’re finally here. Today we’ll finish up with photography terms from Q to Z. Obviously these are not ALL of the terms out there. That would take up far too much room! I have just picked out the more important terms. Quartz Date-Digital clock that can print the date and/or time on the film or between frames. RAW- This is a file format, it isn’t really an acronym for anything. It is basically unprocessed data, and are often known as digital negatives. Resolution- The ability of the camera to detect and distinguish fine details. Rule of Thirds- This … Continue reading →

Megabyte (Mb)– A unit of computer memory. One megabyte is 1024 kilobytes. Mega pixel (mp)- One mega pixel is equal to one million pixels. “Mega pixel” is really more of a marketing term than anything else, since it is easier and sounds better to say that a camera has, say three mega pixels, than to say that the sensor records images that are 2160 by 1440 pixels. There is usually a difference between the total number of mega pixels and the effective mega pixels. It’s important to know that this is NOT the only factor in image quality. The size … Continue reading →

Today we will continue our Photography Glossary. Gamma– Gamma is a measure of contrast. The higher the gamma value, the more contrast the material (photographic material) will have. Ghost Images– These are bright spots of light that appear in the viewfinder or the final photograph. They usually take on the shape of the aperture. This tends to happen when the lens is pointed towards a bright light. Grain- Grain is tiny metallic silver deposits. Tht random nature of these deposits can lead to graininess. Graininess- Sand or granular appearance of a photo. This effect tends to be more pronounced with … Continue reading →

Today, we finish up with terms beginning with F, then we will continue on, to G and H and the rest of the alphabet! Flare- This is light, which does not form an image, but reaches the film. A well designed lens will help cut down on this, usually with surface coatings. You can reduce the effects of flare on your pictures by keeping your lenses clean, and using lens hoods to help shield the lens from harsh lighting sources outside the image area. Flare is usually unavoidable if you are shooting towards the sun or any other strong lights. … Continue reading →