Simple Tips For High Quality
Digital Photography
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY doesn’t automatically produce high quality pictures as many tend to believe. There is a common misconception that one can simply “point-and-shoot” and let technology do the rest. While today’s digital cameras do give the average person the capability to shoot an impressive image, there are a few things s/he should understand. This article will explain the following concepts as they pertain to digital photography: megapixels, compression, lighting, red-eye reduction, macro, and the use of a tripod.
Lighting:
Automatic Flash: The great majority of digital
cameras have the default setting of automatic flash. This means that the flash will go off if the
camera deems it necessary. This feature
is a good option most of the time, but not all of the time. Nonetheless, it will provide a descent
picture under most conditions.
Forced Flash: This feature is helpful when
there is a light behind the subject that causes the front of the subject to be
cast in shadow. This feature needs to be
employed because the same light will instruct the automatic flash no to go off.
Symbol for Forced Flash
Forced
Flash could have eliminated the shadows.
No Flash: This is a good option if the existing light is dim
and the subject is out of the range of the flash. Keeping the flash can cause the image to be
darker. When in this mode, it is
extremely important to keep the camera steady.
This is also appropriate when taking pictures of small lights with a
dark background (example: Christmas
trees, fire works). Keeping the flash on
can give the impression that the lights within the picture disappeared. This is also important when visiting places
where flash photography is prohibited.
Symbol for No Flash
Flash
in this picture would have caused the sparkler to lose its shine and it would
have showed an unwanted background
Natural Light:
Many times the best lighting
is natural light. When manipulated
correctly (by catching it at the right angle), it provides bright and vibrant
colors. Cloudy days can also provide
particularly good pictures. This light
produces soft, delicate pictures where the light seems to warp around the
subjects. Besides the shadow-less effect,
it also eliminates glare and squinting that tends to happen in bright sunlight.
Beautiful bright colors of a sunny Beautiful
soft colors of a
day cloudy
day
Twilight Mode:
Is to be used when there is a subject in a dark
place. It allows for a bright and clear
subject while keeping the dark surroundings.
The picture should be taken within the range of the flash.
Symbol for 
Twilight Mode
This
picture focuses on the This picture uses extra flash
the subject while the dark as
a light source and the
background quickly results are too much glare
disappears. and a faded background.
Red-Eye Reduction:
This phenomenon is caused by
the reflection of the flash on the retina.
This feature is used to reduce the red-eye effect by emitting more than
one flash. The effectiveness of this
feature will not be as effective if the subject is out of the range of the
flash or if the subject is not looking at the camera.
Symbol for Red-Eye 
Reduction
The
red-eye effect might
have been avoided by using
this feature.
Other Tips
Macro Pictures: This effect is used for extreme
close-ups. A picture can be taken as
close as 1.5” from the subject.
Symbol for Macro Pictures Example of
a Macro Picture
Tripod: Tripods greatly improve the quality of
pictures by eliminating any camera movement.
In the absence of one, the photographer can brace the camera against a
tree, rock, or any large stationary object.
Example of a picture using a
tripod.
Contributed by Jesus Vargas
Teacher, Calexico Unified