So you recently bought a digital camera. Spent the right kind of money, got the right mega pixels (whatever that means) and all the fancy bells and whistles, why can’t you get a decent picture from the darn thing. The ads promise that you can turn it on and with a click of a button you will have the perfect picture. While that is all well and good, you should remember that 30-second television spots are not used to tell you that there are a few things you have to do before you can get that wonderful, perfectly exposed image. At Timbuktu Studios we have dedicated a whole class to teaching people about their new digital camera. Here are a few tips from us on how to get you closer to that perfect image.
1. Format your memory card. Most digital cameras come with a 512 mb memory card. First, buy a card with more memory. That being said, before you can start to use your card, you must format your card. This prepares your memory card to communicate properly with your particular camera. You will find the format function in your menu list on your camera. Simply put the card in the camera, hit menu, find format and follow the directions.
2. Change the image resolution. Most people put the image resolution to the smallest setting in order to get more pictures on their memory cards. Big Mistake! The smallest setting is not enough information to even get a 4×6 photograph. It is merely for web viewing which takes less information than needed for an actual photograph. Set your image quality to highest quality image or large jpeg depending on your cameras particular language. This will allow you to get great photographs at 4×6 all the way to 8×10.
3. Learn your White Balance settings. Different sources of light give off certain colorcasts and while your eyes don’t see it your camera does. So if you are photographing a scene under fluorescent lights your picture will have a green cast to it. Most digital cameras have preset settings so you don’t have to manually adjust for this, you can just pick a setting that corresponds to your lighting situation and you are ready to take your pictures.
These are just a few of the tips covered in Timbuktu Studios “I’ve got a New Digital Camera, Now What?” class.
If you would like to learn more please visit our website at www.t2learning.com or give us a call at 818-298-0822 for times and dates. From all of us here at Timbuktu Studios, Happy Photographing!”