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Sunday, August 3, 2008

Photography Tips - Purchasing a Camera

By Dan Feildman


When you are getting a camera the best thing you can do is price yourself accordingly. You should do this before you starting shopping online and in camera shops. Buying a digital camera is just like getting any other large item like a car. There more than few dozen brands of camera, and you must be careful not to get confused. Before you go buying a large high-end SLR camera, think about the smaller, yet more powerful camera. High-end cameras offer the best zoom, the most added features and more megapixels. Just because you have more megapixels doesn't mean you will have a great photo quality. Being new in cameras it wouldn't be the best idea to spend a huge amount of money on a high on camera. It would be a better option to look for cheaper, smaller, yet capable, small digital cameras that are quite a bit easier to hold and travel with. It is better learn the basics with electronic cameras and make sure you enjoy photography before spending extra money.

Some people don't really enjoy going on airplanes or helicopters, how do they take those spectacular aerial photos? Guess what you don't have to use planes or helicopters! Sometimes aerial shots on planes can sometimes get expensive unless you have a friend with a plane. Flying in a little plane around a city a couple of times can be quite frightening for some people. The little secret that few photographers know is: some "in-flight" photos are not actually taken from a plane. Quite the contrary, they are taken from a countryside or city vantage point. Being in the observation deck of a skyscraper will actually get you just about as high as a low flying plane would. Your photographs will look like aerial shots that were taken as you were flying around, but in fact you didn't even enter in any aircraft.

Autumn is an exciting time for travel and nature photographers, as it brings beautiful orange, brown, and red leaf colors. Sometimes people enjoy traveling during this time to be able to get the best photographs of the colors. Research is quite easy; the US has provided websites that are as up to date as the seasons are. If you want to get some fantastic pictures then you need to plan your trip well. In order to do that you must select a location you want to go to. The Appalachians and the Rockies are good places to go for great pictures. If you dont want to travel as far as the US then you should check your own countries agriculture database.

Fireworks are one of the most fun places to take as many photos as you can. Composition is one of the most important factors of getting a fireworks display on your camera. Before it even starts you need to find a good place to observe and take pictures. You should scout out an area that provides you a clear shot and won't get you in trouble. Going to a crowed baseball field may not be the best option if you don't have clear high seats. Streetlights are also a big no; they compete with the brilliance of the fireworks. Try to not intrude on private property and be safe where you go at night. Keep a really good eye out for a place that you will be able to see the fireworks and catch them on film clearly.

Sometimes taking photos at night is more difficult than it seems. Shooting photos at dusk may provide your camera with just enough light to take fantastic cityscape photos. The sky is decently dark at dusk, but not so dark to prevent some degree of sunlight entering your digital camera, making it easier to take hand-held photos that do not result all blurry due to 'camera-shake'. If you are looking for a superb nighttime photo, it would be better to consider taking your photos at dusk instead of in the pitch black of night. Dusk only lasts for an hour or so. Research your shot locations and time beforehand. Keep your eye on the weather in the location you selected and make sure its not raining the day you decide to go out.

When you are taking pictures of a parade it is best to not ruin time by trying to focus after every picture. It is best to shoot as many photos as possible during a parade, think about buying a focus lock. This keeps your shutter button held halfway down and don't completely release it after taking a photo. Or you might want to set your camera up for manual focus. This way, you can take several photos in succession, or use your camera's "drive" mode for multiple shots within a small range of time. This would enable you to take a bunch of photos without having to refocus for each shot and your digital camera should function much quicker. Though you may want to set up and refocus for certain special shots, other times you may have just as much fun continuously shooting as the action in a parade can happen very fast.

Take care when taking digital camera photographs on sunny days. When you are out taking pictures on hot, sunny days, you need to take care to not permanently damage your digital camera's lens. Photos of sunrises and sunsets are always fun to take and beautiful to view later, but pointing your lens directly at the sun may damage it. Focus your pictures slightly away from the sun to help prevent damage. Also, in between photos, turn off your digital camera and place a lens cap over your lens to protect it from too much light. A digital camera lens is in some way like your eye; too much direct sunlight may damage it. Take photos in spurts, and then protect your digital camera lens by covering it up.

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