Digital Photography

From photojournalism to family photos, digital photography is still photography.
Digital photography has become very popular because the digital camera has made photography very easy, accurate and convenient. With the ease of picking up a digital camera and getting a useable photograph, it is still important to learn how to use a digital camera and how to change the settings on the camera to get the best digital photography results. Regardless of camera type, the photograph is ultimately the most important thing.
Good photography is always about recognizing and responding to the subject, not about the computer. That means shooting the right way from the start, no matter what camera you use. Many things about digital cameras are identical to film cameras, a few things are slightly tweaked from film expectations, and a number of features are unique to digital photography. Some of the big differences can actually help you take better pictures than you ever did with a film camera.
For quality results from any camera, the basics of photography still apply no matter how an image is captured. A tripod is always important if slow shutter speeds are needed and big telephoto lenses are used. Fast shutter speeds remain a key way to stop action, and f-stops continue to affect depth of field. The important parts of a scene still need to have the focus centered on them, and dramatic light always helps make for dramatic photos.
• Get close. Check out your lens. See what it can do by stepping in closer and placing something in the foreground. What happens to the background? Is it fuzzy or sharp?
• Shoot a lot of pictures. Remember, it's digital, so you can!
• Low light will increase digital grain. Use a flash or other added light if grain could be a problem and must be kept to a minimum.
• Being perfectly still is the first step to making better pictures.
• The most common mistake people make is camera shake. When you move the camera inadvertently at the time you press the shutter, you risk the chance of blurring your image or reducing the sharpness of the image.
• A different vantage point can be refreshing when photographing kids and animals.
• White balance is more than a colour correction tool. Use it creatively to get the colors you want in your scene.
• The sensor sensitivity (commonly referred to as ISO) is simply a measure of the sensor's sensitivity to light. If you are setting the ISO manually, here is a basic guide: 100 ISO in bright, bright sunlight; 400 ISO on a dull, dreary day; 800 or 1600 ISO for indoors under floodlights; generally speaking, the higher the ISO, the lower the picture quality.
• Black-and-white photography has many possibilities with digital cameras. A scene can be shot directly in black and white with the camera or it can be captured in colour and later changed in the digital darkroom.
• Adjust your resolution selector to the “High” position for best results.
• To get accurate and sharp results from digital photography, you should click the photograph from as close as possible. If this is not possible, you should use the zoom feature that brings the subject closer to the camera.
• The red-eye reduction feature should be used with your flash if individuals are to be photographed in order to avoid the individual’s eyes turning red in the photograph.
• Consider taking the photograph from a different angle than just straight ahead.
• Always keep spare batteries with you, especially when you are traveling.
• Try to have one or two extra memory cards with you if you are going for a long trip.
• Digital cameras have a review feature that can show you the result of the picture that you have just taken. If you find that it is not up to your expectations, all that you have to do is to erase the one that you do not want and click another one.