| By :
Mark Etinger
Taking pictures is something that everyone loves to do. From high school parties to kosher weddings, documenting memories with film is a cultural phenomenon that won't soon disappear. But if you want to start getting more serious about the photos you capture, there are some things you should know. 1. Lighting: is extremely important. You don't want harsh lighting that will cause dramatic shadows. Instead, you want to aim for soft shadows and easy lighting. Avoid fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. Instead, use daylight bulbs which have a whiter light. Be careful about how you use your flash too, as this can wash out the subject and often the entire photograph. 2. A tripod allows you to use really slow shutter speed, which most hands cannot accommodate, due to unsteadiness. Shutter speed allows your camera to absorb light, which means a brighter photo. A slow shutter speed allows less light and a better photo. 3. The aperture is the diameter of the opening that allows light to enter. This is also a key factor in the lighting of the pictures that you take. 4. Film speed (ISO/ASA): Choosing a faster film speed is not always a good thing. It can make your photos look grainy and insensitive. Using a lower film speed usually produces better photographs. Keep in mind though, that by doing so, you are reducing the amount of light that can enter into your photo, which is why it is crucial to have good lighting to begin with. 5. Macro: This setting is perfect for close-ups of small items and other finery. 6. Light Meter: This feature will lend your photos an average look of gray - 18% to be precise - between black and white. This comes in handy when you're photographing a white on white or black on black picture. A zero reading will produce an average photo, but for white on white, you probably want to increase the amount of light in order to give resolution to your subject. 7. Steady as she goes: don't rush! The best pictures are taken with great patience. You can take a lot of pictures too, which is a huge benefit of digital photography. Photography is a game of odds, the more you shoot, the more chances you have of shooting a great photo. Deleting the bad ones in a series of photographs is easy and when you decide on the best one, remember what you did to shoot the winner. 8. Photoshop is great for editing photos and giving them a professional feel. This in itself is an emerging science, so if you want the best quality, you may want to read or experiment with this program to get a better sense of how it works. While it's fun to take your own photos, sometimes it's worth it to hire a professional. For example, if you want pictures of a kosher wedding, you may want to hire a Jewish wedding photographer to really heighten the quality of your photos. In other more casual settings, knowing a few important features about your camera can really improve the quality of your photos.
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