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Tips for Using a Point & Shoot Camera
exposed, and the background will be nearly black. We're at a
theater. Can't you tell from the background? That's me in the middle. The guy with the flat face and big
washed-out white areas of skin. Part of the problem here is that the camera was loaded with Fujichrome
Velvia, which is only ISO 50 and therefore doesn't capture much ambient light (i.e., the theater
background). [Despite this picture's myriad faults, I'm glad that I have it because it spruces up Travels
with Samantha, Chapter III.]
Virtually all point and shoot cameras allow you to control the on-camera flash. What you want to do
most of the time is press the leetle tiny buttons until the "no flash" symbol is displayed. The "no flash"
symbol is usually a lightning bolt with a circle around it and line through it. Now the camera will never
strobe the flash and will leave the shutter open long enough to capture enough ambient light to make an
exposure.
A good point and shoot camera will have a longest shutter speed of at least 1 second. You can probably
only hold the camera steady for 1/30th of a second. Your subjects may not hold still for a full second
either. So you must start looking for ways to keep the camera still and to complete the exposure in less
time. You can:
● look for some light. Move your subjects underneath whatever light sources are handy and see
how they look with your eyes.
● load higher-speed film. ISO 400 and ISO 800 color print films are the correct emulsions for
P&S photography. ISO 400 film can get the same picture in one quarter the amount of time as
ISO 100 film.
● steady the camera against a tree/rock/chair/whatever as you press the shutter release
● leave the camera on a tree/rock/chair/whatever and use the self-timer so that the jostling of
pressing the shutter release isn't reflected on film. I often use this technique for photographing
decorated ceilings in Europe. I just leave the camera on the floor, self-timer on, flash off.
● use a little plastic tripod, monopod, or some other purpose-built camera support
http://www.photo.net/learn/point-and-shoot-tips (3 of 35) [5/15/2002 7:15:46 PM]