Photography Advice from National Geographic

Do your family photos leave you flat? Improve your snapshots with 13 tips from National Geographic magazine's world-class photographers. And find inspiration in the amazing photos from The Complete National Geographic—a searchable DVD-ROM containing every issue from the 120-year history of the iconic magazine.

From The Complete National Geographic
Original Content | December 04, 2009

Photo: © Michael Nichols/National Geographic

Automatic Settings

Your camera also likely has several automatic scene options, with settings for various specific locations.

"Sports" has higher shutter speeds for fast-moving action shots.
"Night" allows long exposures for limited lighting.
The icon that looks like a mountain is for landscapes. This gives you the most in focus from foreground to background.
"Portrait" throws background out of focus.

About the photo: This October 2008 photo by Michael Nichols is of an African elephant in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve.