September 2008 - The Parklander Magazine

LEARNING DIGITAL CAMERA SETTINGS
By Jay H. Guttveg
IIn the next few segments, we’ll learn some basic tips on how to best use a
point and shoot digital camera. Let’s begin by going over some of the basic
settings of the point and shoot camera. Learning these settings can seem
intimidating at first, however, once you’re familiar with them, it will open
up a world of better picture taking. For additional information on where
these settings can be found, review your manual.
The main principal when taking photographs is to let light in, or to expose
an image.There are two basic components to creating the exposure:
The Shutter: A mechanical opening and closing of the lens. The slower
the closing of the shutter, the more light comes in. The faster the closing
of the shutter, the less light comes in.
The Aperture: An adjustable opening in the shutter.The wider the opening,
the more light is let in.The smaller the opening the less light is let in.
The proper combinations of these two functions create the perfect exposure,
and there are numerous combinations available. We’ll save that discussion
for a future issue.
Flash: Most cameras have a “turn on the flash; turn off the flash” option or
one to automate the flash. Using flash inside will alleviate underexposure
(dark or yellow images); however, using flash outside is beneficial as well.
Outside, using flash in shaded areas or when the lighting gets dim will make
your subjects stand out from the darker backgrounds.
Exposure Modes:
Portrait Mode: Indicated by a person, it creates separation from the subject
to the background. It does this by blurring the background, which gives your
portraits more dimension and depth.
Landscape Mode:Indicated by a mountain, it keeps the foreground as sharp
as the background. This setting is best used outside, as the camera needs
more light to expose the image.
Sports Mode: Indicated by a runner, it is useful for those moments when the
subject is moving quickly, like soccer, lacrosse, or football.
Night Mode: Indicated by a half moon, it is used for time exposures where
the camera shutter stays open for a predetermined time. On this setting you
must use a tripod or the exposure will be blurry.
The main principal when
taking photographs, is to let
light in, or to expose an image.
Macro Mode: Indicated by a flower, it is used to take extreme close up shots,
like a butterfly, stamp, or a flower.
ISO
If your camera has an ISO setting, this setting was previously referred to as
the film speed. The lower the ISO number, the less light the camera requires
to take an exposure, and the higher the ISO number, the more light the
exposure requires. Okay, so simply put, if you are outside (bright light) set
your ISO to a lower number, like 100 and if you are inside (darker) set it to a
higher ISO, like 400.
Next month… learn about Shooting Modes, which include Manual
Settings, Auto Settings or Program Settings, Aperture Value Settings and
Shutter Speed Settings.
62 SEPTEMBER 2008