Photography Tips
General Advice
PAGE 2
Setting Picture Size
George says that when shooting with a digital camera people tend to get tied up in the mega pixels. "If all you are going to do is e-mail photos you don't need a camera that is 10 or 12 megapixels," says George. "However, if you are going to have prints made up to size 8x10, you do want a camera that goes up to 5 mexapixels, which offers plenty of resolution."
Picking Film
All film has a number associated with it that indicates how sensitive that film is to light—the higher the number the more light sensitive the film is. Keep this guideline in mind when picking your film.
100 or 200 speed: Lower-speed films are ideal for shooting in sunny situations like at the beach or in the snow.
400: This all-purpose film is excellent for general picture taking in many situations.
800 or 1000: High-speed film captures light fast. Use this type of film for a cloudy day or low-light situations.
Pay attention to expiration dates! When film expires the quality of your photos will suffer. George suggests storing your film in the refrigerator or freezer. "Film doesn't age if it is frozen," says George. Be sure to bring the film out of the fridge an hour or two before shooting—the night before if it's been in the freezer—so it can come up to room temperature.
Camera Care
"Dust is the biggest enemy of digital cameras," says George. He suggests using canned air to keep your camera clean—and be sure to put your camera in a safe place when you are finished using it. An inexpensive camera bag will do the trick. At the end of every shoot, George breaks down his equipment and keeps it in a safe place so dust can't sneak in.
George says you should also avoid alcohol based cleaners or heavy solvents. Cameras have plastic components so you don't want to use anything that will damage the parts.
When using lens cleaner, avoid putting the cleaner directly on your camera. Instead, put the substance on a soft cloth and wipe down the lens. Otherwise, the liquid could seep into the body of your camera—and that could be disastrous.
Go to lesson 1
George says that when shooting with a digital camera people tend to get tied up in the mega pixels. "If all you are going to do is e-mail photos you don't need a camera that is 10 or 12 megapixels," says George. "However, if you are going to have prints made up to size 8x10, you do want a camera that goes up to 5 mexapixels, which offers plenty of resolution."
Picking Film
All film has a number associated with it that indicates how sensitive that film is to light—the higher the number the more light sensitive the film is. Keep this guideline in mind when picking your film.
100 or 200 speed: Lower-speed films are ideal for shooting in sunny situations like at the beach or in the snow.
400: This all-purpose film is excellent for general picture taking in many situations.
800 or 1000: High-speed film captures light fast. Use this type of film for a cloudy day or low-light situations.
Pay attention to expiration dates! When film expires the quality of your photos will suffer. George suggests storing your film in the refrigerator or freezer. "Film doesn't age if it is frozen," says George. Be sure to bring the film out of the fridge an hour or two before shooting—the night before if it's been in the freezer—so it can come up to room temperature.
Camera Care
"Dust is the biggest enemy of digital cameras," says George. He suggests using canned air to keep your camera clean—and be sure to put your camera in a safe place when you are finished using it. An inexpensive camera bag will do the trick. At the end of every shoot, George breaks down his equipment and keeps it in a safe place so dust can't sneak in.
George says you should also avoid alcohol based cleaners or heavy solvents. Cameras have plastic components so you don't want to use anything that will damage the parts.
When using lens cleaner, avoid putting the cleaner directly on your camera. Instead, put the substance on a soft cloth and wipe down the lens. Otherwise, the liquid could seep into the body of your camera—and that could be disastrous.
Go to lesson 1
NEXT STORY
