All but the most basic of digital cameras offer a selection of metering modes, usually multi-pattern evaluative, centre-weighted and spot metering. Unfortunately, many photographers don't know how to take advantage of these 'advanced' settings and leave their cameras set on the default multi-pattern mode. While this mode works well for a wide range of subjects, there are times when spot metering can deliver much better exposures because of the greater precision it provides for controlling which parts of a subject are captured with full detail. ... [more]Digital photography has come a long way in the past decade. Cameras are offering higher resolution, better performance at high sensitivity settings and greatly reduced power consumption. More user-friendly functions (like live viewing) are being packed into ever smaller bodies and prices are now affordable to even cash-strapped buyers. But file formats are one of the few features that have not changed.
... [more]We're all familiar with panoramas shot with the camera held horizontally and created by stitching the short edges of each sequential picture together using a suitable software application. But have you ever considered what would happen if you turned the camera through 90 degrees and shot your panorama sequence in portrait format. ... [more]Summer weather brings people out onto the streets, parks, sports fields, beaches and other public places. Given the proliferation of digital cameras and camera phones, it's inevitable that lots of pictures will be taken. But few photographers understand what they can and cannot photograph and how they are entitled to use their pictures. In this feature we will provide some easily-understood guidelines. ... [more]Have you ever wondered whether you could get away with using a point-and-click camera for vacation photos? The answer is simple: you can make do with a decent point and click camera, as long as you choose it carefully, know the camera, understand its limitations and accept the image quality sacrifices you must make. ... [more]Clouds have been a popular subject with photographers since panchromatic film, made it possible to differentiate them from the sky in photographs. They still remain popular. The inclusion of interesting clouds can make a landscape shot and they are often worth photographing simply for the structural beauty they present. However, photographing clouds can present some problems for digital photographers.
... [more]For the first half of the 20th century, photographers had to gauge exposures without a light meter. It was common at the time for film packets to have a set of exposure guidelines printed inside them to help photographers obtain correctly exposed pictures under a range of typical lighting conditions. Many photographers still use these guidelines, especially for tricky lighting conditions, when difficult-to-meter subjects like large areas of snow or wedding groups containing white dresses and black suits can produce incorrect exposure readings. ... [more]Image stabilisation (aka 'anti-shake' or 'anti-blur') has become a key feature in many digital cameras, both digicams and DSLR models. It's easy to see why it's so popular with photographers; camera shake is a major cause of blurred shots. Three systems are currently popular. ... [more] |