HOW TO GET YOUR PHOTOS RIGHT

HOW TO GET YOUR PHOTO SHOTS RIGHT

from the article "Common DSLR Photography Mistakes"
Use These Tips to Avoid Typical Errors DSLR Photographers Make

By Jo Plumridge, About.com Contributing Writer

One of the joys of digital photography is that you can take as many shots as you want, without worrying about the cost! Even so, it's frustrating to have to delete loads of shots. This article contains tips to help you to get the shot right the first time and avoid common DSLR photography mistakes.

* Keep your camera level. Use the tops and sides of your AF points in the viewfinder as references to line up buildings, so that the horizon is straight. Alternatively, you could invest in a small spirit level, which slides into the camera's hot shoe. A few cameras with Live View even come with a grid which can be displayed on the LCD screen to ensure things are straight.

* Get rid of distracting clutter. Before you press the shutter, remember to check that the image is free of distracting clutter. It's easy to become sidetracked by the beauty of a landscape and miss the fact that a car is parked in shot, or that a lamp post is seemingly growing out of a subject's head. Take a few minutes to scan your shot's background and move people around if necessary.

* Don't try to capture everything in one shot. A common mistake when starting out in photography is to try to cram everything you see into one shot. However, this can lead to cluttered photographs, where there's no real focus for the viewer. Instead, try to look for an interesting area or single person in your shot, and zoom in to focus on them. You'll end up with a far more powerful image this way.

* Be patient with landscapes. The difference between a good and bad landscape shot nearly always depends on the light. Cloudy days often make for better shots, as they add texture to the landscape. But you need to be patient and wait for the sun to peep out through the clouds, lighting the main points of your scene. Alternately, if you're faced with very dramatic lighting, you could consider investing in a graduated neutral density filter to allow for evenly-lit skies and foregrounds.

* Use a tripod for long exposures. It doesn't matter how steady your hands are -- you will end up with increasingly bad camera shakes as you use shutter speed at anything slower than 1/60th of a second. If you plan on shooting a lot of landscapes or running water, you'll need to consider investing in a tripod, or, at the very least, a pod.

* Remember the eyes in portraits. A good portrait always has pin-sharp eyes. Obviously the aperture you select will have a big influence on how much of your image is sharp, depending on the depth of field. But, as good as your DSLR is, it's best to give it a little help. You can either switch to manual focus or, if your eyesight isn't great, you can manually select an AF point which can be placed over the eyes to ensure sharpness.

* Keep an eye on the sun. Unless you want to create a silhouette, it's easiest to always shoot with the sun directly behind you. Using this technique, your DSLR will find it easy to produce well-exposed images. Once you've mastered this technique, you can start to work with side light and direct light using exposure compensation.

MY THOUGHTS

that's quite easy to understand. and to follow. i don't think i'll ever get back to using those big, heavy cameras. my hand just can't handle it. and i don't want to lug around a tripod all the time.