HikeArizona.COM

I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on how to take better pics with just a standard digital camera. what settings should i use for getting better color in my photos? how do i get better lighting? etc. Im not looking to become a pro photographer or anything just want to come home with some pictures that look somewhat like what i see in person.

It's tough to beat automatic. What kind of camera are you using or are you always using your Blackberry?

A few tips:
1) Take pics with the sun @ your back
2) People pics rarely earn kudos on this site
3) Frame your shots. This can be difficult. Divide your frame into 3 horizontal and 3 vertical frames, and try to make each of the 9 frames interesting.
4) Try to have something substantial in the foreground on long-distance shots. For example, a tree or a rock in the foreground can greatly enhance a shot of mountains in the distance.
5) Keep posting pics on HikeArizona.COM!!!!

General Set-UP

Program mode (Canon)
10MP (+/-)
Fine or super fine
Auto focus
Auto ISO
Center weighted light
Daylight white ballance (Most conditions)
Vivid color
Dropped exposure -1/3 or -2/3 (Most conditions)


General Tips

Don't aim it into the sun...
Evaluate your conditions...
Morning and evening will always produce the best images...
Avoid highly contrasted scenes...
If what your wanting to photograph doesn't look good to you, it wont look any better to your camera...
Camera cost doesn't make up for inexperience...

most cameras have some simple settings at least, other than just "auto"
if you want to improve your specific camera's useage, or learn some simple skills that you can take to the next level (m4/3 or slr) then this free online "course" is just what you need.

I encourage everyone to start at the bottom of this link, and work your way through the 12-week course. You dont need 12 weeks tho, this stuff can all be crammed into a few trips out in the backcountry. some very, very good info that will surely take your photos to the next level.

( dead link removed )

@te-wa
Thanks for posting that link- looks like lots of great info.

http://www.hikearizona.com/article.php?ID=28

The most dramatic photos are often taken in early morning or late afternoon. Mid-day shots often look "flat" due to the lack of shadows. I just took a wonderful digital photography course at Prescott Community College, taught by a pro photographer. His #1 tip, right off the bat was to "take your camera off the automatic setting" and to never use it again!

@maxpower
I'm wondering who the photographer who taught the course was?

azpride wrote:I'm wondering who the photographer who taught the course was?

It was Keith Sagan. He has a website here: http://www.keithsagan.com/contact.html

Another thing worth noting in these days of digital cameras is corrective action that can easily be performed once you get your photos onto your computer. It won't change any of the most important things such as subject, composition, etc., but its amazing what some of the most basic photo editing software can do for some of the exposure or color settings of a photo. You don't need to spend hours in Photoshop either. Most cameras come with basic software that crops and removes red-eye. That software also usually has some kind of "automatic" tool that often greatly improves the look of a photo.

chumley wrote:That software also usually has some kind of "automatic" tool that often greatly improves the look of a photo.

You mean like this?

With a "Point and shoot" like a Coolpix, you can change the lighting by viewing something darker or lighter, then pressing the shutter halfway to 'lock' the setting, then move to the subject you want. This can work well if the sky is getting washed out (point to the deep blue sky, press halfway, then move to the subject) or if the foreground is too dark do to backlighting (point at the ground and lock, then move to the subject).

Just like the good ole film was processed, digital images all need some rudimentary "processing' - Primarily exposure adjustsment, contrast, saturation -- How & what much depends on your camera, how well you pay attention to lighting & exposure when you take your image. For someone looking to get "good" images - I have found Picasa ( Google ware & Free) is more than sufficient - I am sure there are better "freeware" out there....

Also, pay attention to composition; in the field the human eye can edit very effectively ( It does not see what it does not want to ...); on an image its all there for us to see.....

paulhubbard wrote:you can change the lighting by viewing something darker or lighter, then pressing the shutter halfway to 'lock' the setting, then move to the subject you want.

That's is a good shortcut trick for grabbing a quick shot on the move and it works at any predetermined exposure level.

wow guys thanks for all the replies already, I wasnt expecting to get many this quickly. Anyways, no im not always using my blackberry i just forgot my camera last trip i took. I'm usually using a fujifilm 12 megapixel but will probably be switching to a nikon coolpix 12 megapixel after christmas (I just bought one for my girlfriend for christmas so i am sure I will get plenty of use out of it as well.) ;) Thank you for all the tips, I will make sure to try them out on my next trip.

depending on the model, finepix makes the grade all day long for P&S.
want to upgrade to more features, the Canon sx200is (user control masterpiece) or the super good "auto" mode Lumix ZS7 are fun fun fun cameras.

I recently invested in a Nikon S8100 in hopes of upgrading from my Kodak Z812. I take home a lot of blurry pictures and was looking to stop that (plus I generally wanted a smaller camera), but the Nikon brings the same results. Can anyone tell me if it's the camera or a specific setting that can be changed? My amateur guess is that it's the camera. Any tips that I can take out into the field before returning the Nikon and going for different model? Possibly any tips on a good, preferably a relatively small point-and-shoot?

In regards to the attached photo, it seems like it's just focused on the rocks, giving the landscape some blur? Is it simply too much to ask for a fully clear photo with a small point-and-shoot?

@Patrick L Most P&S cameras offer numerous options for controlling the focus, including one that will let you pick out a spot and "freeze" the focus from that spot even if you shift the field of view (usually by holding the shutter button halfway down).