12 rules to improve in 2011
12 rules to improve in 2011
There are many hints/tips that can improve anyone’s photographs. With the new year almost upon us, I thought that 12 rules for 12 months might be appropriate.
These rules are for the keen amateur, and I present my Rule of 12, which if you follow them through, I will guarantee you will get better photographs. And get more fun out of your photography.
The first is simply to shoot more images. Photography, like any sport, recreation or pursuit is something where the more you do it and practice it, the better you get. With today’s digital cameras and large capacity memory cards, there is no excuse for just taking one picture of that rose in your garden. Don’t take the same photo ten times, but take several from different angles, and see the differences. Shoot more pictures!
The one major fault in most amateur photographs is taking the shot from too far away. From now on, make the subject the “hero” and walk in several meters closer to make the subject fill the frame.
Focussing! With modern auto-focus cameras the most obvious focusing problem is where the subject is off-center. The magic eye doesn’t know this and focuses on the background, leaving your close-up subject soft and blurry. Focus on the subject and use the focus lock facility of your camera.
Tripods I have mentioned recently, but one of these will expand your picture taking no end. Camera shake becomes a thing of the past, and you will take more time to compose your shots.
Don’t be afraid to convert the images on your memory card into a CD, long before the card is full. It will keep your interest and enthusiasm going.
Keep your interest and pride in your work by making enlargements of your better photos this is very cheap and enlargements do make good presents at Xmas time too.
We all get lazy and it is too easy to end up just taking every picture in the horizontal (landscape) format. Make it a habit to always take at least two shots of each subject
With and without a polarizing filter
– one in the horizontal format and the other in the vertical. You can get some surprising results that way.
With color photography, which covers about 99.99 percent of most pictures, the one major factor to give your skies and seas and scenery some color oomph is the use of a polarizing filter. Get one and use it.
You will always miss some “classic” shots and regret it later, but you certainly will never get them if you don’t have a camera with you. With so many incredible photo opportunities in Australia, you should be photographically ready at all times!
With and without fill-in flash
To give your daytime shots some extra sparkle, use “fill-in” flash. Most new cameras have a little setting that will do this automatically for you – even with point and shooters. If you haven’t, then spend some time learning how to do it. It’s worth it when you see the results you get.
To give yourself the impetus to go out and take photos, develop a project and spend your leisure time building up the images. It can be flowers or fashion, cars or canaries, but fix on something and follow it through. It’s worth it, just for the fact that it makes you become an “enquiring” photographer.
Finally, at the end of every year, give the camera a birthday by buying it some new batteries. You won’t have a problem damaging the sensitive innards with neglected battery acid and the camera’s light metering system will work correctly every time. It’s cheap insurance.
Here is the list to cut out, laminate and put in the camera bag.
1. Take more shots
2. Walk several meters closer
3. Use the focus lock
4. Buy a tripod
5. Make CDs before the memory card is full
6. Make enlargements of your better prints
7. Use different formats
8. Use a polarizing filter
9. Carry your camera with you
10. Use the flash during the day
11. Develop a project
12. Change the batteries
I am wanting to buy a video camera that is easy to use, gives quality video and that doesn’t use tape. I want to video moving cars from the edge of the road. Also students within a classroom. What would you suggest? Don’t think price at this point. Just camera. I am an amateur, not much experience.
The Sony CX110 and Sony XR150
There are many video cameras to choose from. Some of the more popular and higher quality are the Sony CX110 and Sony XR150. These have full high definition video and can also take still photos. There are easy to use. The main difference is that the XR150 includes 120GB of memory allowing you to take around 15 hours of video whereas the CX110 is cheaper but you have to buy the memory on top of the camera price.