Many people seem to feel that the only setting on a digital camera is the “Auto” setting and that everything else is just so much technical stuff they don’t need to bother about. While this will generally produce good photos, there will be times when faded colors, shadows and reflections, among other things can ruin what would otherwise be a great picture. Taking control of your digital camera is not hard and if you follow these basic digital photography techniques you will have begun to realize the true potential of your camera.
A common problem with digital cameras is having colors that look faded or lack warmth – this is caused by the white balance auto setting. When the white balance is on auto the camera automatically adjusts the color balance to create what the software installed in it says are the best color tones and when taking pictures in bright sunlight this can mean that the camera thinks that rich colors are over saturation and compensates. If you find this problem, change the setting from “Auto” to “Cloudy” – this will change the white balance setting and the camera will record deeper colors and richer tones.
Outdoor photography with varying degrees of light in the frame can result in images that are lacking in sharpness – using a polarizing filter will compensate for this and allow for much greater sharpness in your photos. Try using a polarizing filter and you will find that the color definition is sharper and there is more saturation in the colors – take the same image with and without the filter and see the difference. Try and ensure that the sun is over your shoulder as the polarizing effect of the filter is greatest when the light is falling directly on the subject.
Dark shadows entering an otherwise bright outdoor photo are another common problem and a solution to this is to use the flash. While using a flash in sunlight is not something that sounds logical, it will help to reduce the dark patches caused by the shadows. Most cameras will not allow the flash to fire if there is adequate light over the whole metering area, so the problem of overexposure is not something you need worry about. And if your camera does not have automatic flash compensation, you should still try to use the flash outdoors as an experiment and once you see where it can be used to reduce the effect of dark shadows, you will find yourself using it more and more.
