Some tips on taking great photos with any camera
Some ideas and tips on the best ways to get good photos without an expensive camera. Includes subject matter, settings and what makes an interesting photo. Tips on how to get the best from your camera.
It may seem like you need an expensive camera and lots of different equipment, lenses and meters to take professional looking photos and this maybe the case on some occasions, but anyone can take good, interesting and well laid out photographs with a basic point and click camera, or even your mobile phone. Digital cameras mean that you can take hundreds of shots without them costing you anything at all, so it is really easy to practice and figure out what makes a good photo.
Careful composition
A good photograph has the main subject well placed in the frame; this does not always have to be right in the centre; you may want a person stood a little to the side in front of a pretty landscape or famous landmark. Include a foreground and a background in your photo to give it depth and interest and you can play around with the focus to blur the background slightly if the main subject is in the foreground. The classic fun photos of people appearing to be standing or leaning against something that is actually far away in the background are good practice and an enjoyable addition to a photo album; once you have a good range of photos you can use a service to create online photo books to keep as mementoes of your trip or occasion.
Use the light
The general advice for photo taking is to have the light behind you, but there are loads of fun ways to use light and create some good effects in your photos. If your camera has different settings for night, day and other light levels then try them out in a range of situations and see what you get. If the light is very low you will need a long exposure time and therefore a very steady hand; try balancing your camera on a flat surface if your photos are coming out blurry, or embrace the blur and come up with some new effects. Try taking silhouettes against a setting sun, or long exposure pictures of lights on water; you may end up with some really interesting results as well as some unexpected ones.
There is no need to have an expensive camera to get some great photos; just play around with whatever you have available; some of the best shots are candid photos and these don’t work too well if you have to change lenses or set the exposure all the time, so point, click and enjoy the results. You could end up with an album or online photo books full of great memories to look back on for many years to come.
Mary is a keen amateur photographer and despite owning a wide range of cameras she still enjoys her point and click digital camera for family outings and holidays; she finds it is a great way to get quick, candid shots.
