Totally "Camera Challenged" but I try so hard HELP!

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Hi all, let me first say I am just green with envy over all of your beautiful photography skills. I try so hard and I just can't set my camera to take decent pictures.  I got a Canon PowerShot SD1300 about 6 months ago.  I would love to be able to figure out the adjustments so I could take more detailed pictures of Hunter (oh and my kids to LOL) .  I can never seem to get a decent closeup or anything moving.  I messed around with the settings myself reading the manual and it didn't work out that well so I reset them back to the factory settings.  Does anyone have anything I might try to be able to get somewhere? I am thinking if I can get a little figured out I can start improving and understanding more. I take TONS of photos but none are great quality :-(

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Do you have a local college that does an online Photography course? You'd want to find one that allows you to ask lots of questions via email with an online instructor who will critique your work. That's how I learned Photoshop...the course was awesome, and I could do the work as I had time available. Our local community college also offers the same approach in basic and advanced Photography. These classes are usually pretty inexpensive.

[Linda and "Toby"]

Hi Denise! Hang in there! You'll be taking awesome photos in no time! The beauty of having a digital camera - especially one that's small enough to put in your pocket or purse - is that you can shoot to your heart's content, and not have to worry about how much it will cost to process them (as in the days of film). My advice is to shoot, shoot, shoot as often as you can, study them on your computer and then delete delete delete. Practice makes perfect, as they say. It may take 20 or 30 to get one good shot. (You'll be amazed at how "cropping" out distracting things on the sides of your subject can make an ordinary photo extraordinary!) Before long, you'll start getting more and more wonderful shots.

Here's a good tutorial on how to take better photos: http://www.hp.com/united-states/consumer/digital_photography/take_b...

Note: point and shoot digital cameras tend to have some "lag" time between when you push the shutter and when it actually snaps the photo as opposed to digital SLR's that respond instantly when you press the shutter. So, with a digital Elph - which is a great camera - you have to get in the habit of firing a burst of photos in anticipation of a moment happening, so that you can catch it (on the 2nd or 3rd shot) when it does. (Does that make sense?) And when you're shooting close to a subject be sure to switch it to Macro. :) Here's an old photo gallery of shots my son took several years ago with his 5 megapixel Digital Elph: http://www.mistabell.deviantart.com/gallery/ Check out those lightening shots he got! He said it was comical to be standing next to several professional photographers with their crazy-big lenses while he snapped away with his tiny little Canon digital Elph. But, I'll bet his turned out as good as - or even better than - theirs! (I'm glad I didn't find out he was shooting on a hill with a storm headed his way until AFTER he got home!!! Kids!!!)

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have a digital elph that is at least 4 years old. I think it's 6 megapixels.. I just used it this weekend for the first time in a while. It's nothing like my new camera for action but it did, and does, take great general photos and closeups. It is important to take lots of shots because you can be selective and throw lots away. There is nothing more convenient than taking this camera along.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

His pictures were amazing with that camera, wow! I opened the tutorial and I am going to read it now. I have my camera out and I am going to try to get closer photos of Hunter on the Macro setting, I never would have done that. Thank you for the great ideas, I am going to be snapping away the rest of the day and see what I get. Do you recomment a paticular photo editing program that is easy to use with good results?

[Diane Margetts]

Denise
As everyone is saying, it takes practice. It is not unusual to fire off 20--or for that matter 100--shots and get one or two of them that really work. But, you are on the right track because no matter if you are using a DSLR or point and shoot, it really helps to understand the basics of photography. The fundamentals of photography are in understanding the exposure triangle:

ISO – the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
Aperture – the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken
Shutter Speed – the amount of time that the shutter is open

Please check out my blog for lessons on these three elements. Also our recent monthy assignments took one of these elements each month for practice, practice, practice!
Here is a link to a Website that has tons of information and tips for beginners.
http://digital-photography-school.com/learning-exposure-in-digital-photography
Above all, don't get discourage!!! Photography is someting to be enjoyed. Try setting up an online album and store your photos by date. After a few months of practice, you can look back and realize how far you've come!!!
And BTW, Hunter's avatar pic is great!!!

[Steve Danforth]

Not sure if this is viewable or not. This is my first attempt shooting a macro. Not sure what species of butterfly, but it was sitting on a "Mexican Sunflower".

[F, Calla & Luca]

This is a lovely macro shot. "Catching" all of the butterfly's wings would be better, though. We all go through this.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

That is beautiful! The only macro setting on my camera that I have found is "digital macro" and everything I do comes out fuzzy :-( This is amazing!!

[Diane Margetts]

Very nice! Do use use a macro lens? I have a telephoto lens that has a macro setting -- I want to try it; haven't had time yet . . .

[Richard Crowe]

I have been a photographer for over 50-years and I am still learning. Achieving good imagery has a learning curve but, persons who start with digital imagery much more fortunate than those of us who began with film because:

1. Advantage of immediate feedback via the camera LCD and almost immediate feedback via a computer
2. Virtually free photography after the hardware is purchased. The digital photographer is free to take as many pictures as desired with not worry about the cost of those images.
3. Availability of feedback on various forums and help in the form of Internet tutorials.

That said, there are a few quick tips which can improve imagery.
1. Hold the camera with both hands. I know that many P&S digital cameras are very light and people are tempted to use a single hand to hold them but, a two hand hold will provide a far more steady grip. This steady grip will result in sharper imagery. http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/11/avoiding-shake-how-to-h...
2. Learn about the “Exposure Triangle” and how shutter speed, f/stop and ISO impact your imagery. http://digital-photography-school.com/learning-exposure-in-digital-photography
3. Get closer to your subject and then get even closer. Many photographs contain far too much area around a subject and far too little of the subject itself.
4. Watch the background as well as the subject. Cluttered backgrounds result in lousy images.
5. Get or buy a photo editing program. There are very few images that look great right out of the camera without manipulation in an editing program. Canon cameras come with a free editing program and probably other brands may also include a basic editing program. GIMP is a free editing program available on the web that is surprisingly sophisticated and powerful (http://www.gimp.org/ ). Photoshop Elements 8 is another editing program which is rather inexpensive. COSTCO has a $30 instant rebate reducing the cost to $50. I am awed at the power and ability of this program.
6. Learn the “Rule of Thirds” for photo composition. This rule can certainly be broken at times but, most often, it will result in good composition. http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

The above tips can be used with any camera – from the most sophisticated to the most simple and, except for the possible cost of Photoshop Elements 8, if you opt to go with that program, there is no cost involved.

As far as indoor pictures with flash are concerned, there is an added cost to provide the ability to get good flash pictures. IMO, you cannot really get really good flash pictures using the built-in flash on a camera. You are far better off with a flash which you can bounce. Unfortunately, many point and shoot cameras do not have the capability to add a flash which can be bounced. However, if your camera has a hotshoe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_shoe ) you can get an accessory flash which can be bounced.

It is not just the topline DSLR cameras that have hotshoes, many point and shoot type cameras also have hotshoe capability. I have an old Olympus 5050 Zoom camera which provides excellent imagery and can often be had used for less than a hundred dollars. http://catalog.ebay.com/Olympus-CAMEDIA-C-5050-Zoom-5-0-Megapixel-/... Many other cameras have hotshoe capability.

Each camera manufacturer sells flash units which allow you to bounce light and there are a multitude of inexpensive to very expensive units on the market today which will allow bounce flash. When you bounce flash, you never get red-eye (or blue eye on dogs) and your pictures look natural – not like deer in the headlights.
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Bounce-Flash-to-Improve-Your-Photography

Flash also works very well outside. Fill flash can reduce the shadows and give a more natural look to any image.
http://www.harrycutting.com/tutorials/fill-flash-photography.htm