Tips for better pictures
At Commercial Digital Images, we specialize in product & architectural photography. We also have gathered experience in other areas of photography. Below are some general photo tips and links to our night, fireworks, waterfalls & sports photography pages which provide more detailed photographic information.
Here are some general photo tips:
1-Shoot more images than you will need, use your camera's burst or rapid fire mode to shoot 3 to 5 images at a time. After the event review all of the images on your computer (not the camera) sort out the good images & delete the bad. Example: if I only need 1 photo I'll shoot 5, I'll keep the best and delete the others. This is a little more work but you will end up with a nicer set of pictures.
2-Turn off the built-in flash on your camera, this requires a steady hand but, normally results in much nicer lighting.
3-Use a tripod, monopod or other camera support whenever possible, I use a tripod and a cable release over 95% of the time.
4- Just before taking a photo hold your breath & then gently squeeze the camera's shutter release button, this will result in sharper photos.
5-Buy the best lens for your camera system. The lens is the most important part of your camera. A bad lens is like looking thru a dirty window. Using the camera manufactures own line of lens will almost always product higher quality images, than after market lens.
6-Keep your lens clean by using a "Sky" or a "UV" filter. Keep a lens cap on when not in use. Clean off dust with a blower. Clean finger prints with a soft cloth only after removing the dust.
7-Read your camera's user manual!
8-Take notes on what worked well & what didn't. I have a notebook full of these, it is one of the most valuable photography tools I own.
9-What is the best camera? New camera models come out every month, here's some general direction. I prefer a D-SLR camera, because the lenses can be changed for different shooting situations, this type of camera normally will give the photographer more controls, faster more accurate focusing and more detailed photos.
I prefer these camera manufactures: Nikon for the quality of the lenses also the way the camera's controls are set-up, Cannon is the largest camera company, Olympus for the most features for the money. All of these will produce good quality images. A camera is just a tool, in the end it's more about the photographer's skill than the model of the camera.
10-How many megapixels are needed? Here are some general guidelines: A 3mp camera will make a very nice photo quality 4"x6" print. A 5mp camera will make a very nice photo quality 5"x7" print. A 6mp camera will make a very nice photo quality 8"x10" print. A 10mp camera will make a very nice photo quality 11"x14" print. A 12mp camera will make a very nice photo quality 16"x20" print. A 20mp camera will make a very nice photo quality 22"x28" print. I've printed 10mp camera files larger than 36"x48" with surprisingly good results.
So what camera do I use? I really enjoy using the the Nikon D2x (below). It is fast, the controls are well placed and easy to use, it feels good in my hands & the image quality is great! My favorite lens for in-studio work is a Nikon PC 85mm. It products tack sharp images & has a lots of manual controls. Over all the camera body and lens produce top quality professional images day-in and day-out.
I hope these tips &
guidelines help.
Feel free to email me with any questions from the link
below.
Kirk Schultz
Here is a link to a great site for
camera reviews - www.dpreview.com.
Here is a link to a very accurate site with reviews of
Nikon lens - www.naturfotograf.com,
Here is a link for buying & selling used photo
equipment - www.keh.com.