3 Common Photography Mistakes
Blurry photos, lens flare, red eye…we all see them in our pictures from time to time. Here are some helpful tips to prevent undesirable effects and take more consistent shots.
1. Blurry Photos
Especially in low-light situations, blurry photos can kill a shot for both amateurs and professionals alike. In cameras with auto-focus settings, make sure your camera is fully-focused before snapping the shutter. If shaky hands is the issue, try keeping a portable monopod or tripod available if possible. Or, my favorite trick, find a solid object near your vantage point to anchor your camera on. Cars, boulders, trees, edges of buildings have all served me well on my travels. In well-lit situations, use a faster ISO setting in your digital camera–the increased shutter speed usually means less shakes will be produced.
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Picture Naming Made Simple
If you’re like me, going out to take pictures means you you’ll probably come back with A LOT of pictures, and every one of them is named with some ridiculously long image number. Well, if you’re running Windows XP, there’s a quick fix that doesn’t require you to rename each file individually. Just highlight all the pictures you want to name, right click the first one and click rename. Type in the name you want and magically all the files are named the same and numbered sequentially.
Not All File Types Are Created Equal
When you first download your pictures from your digital camera, convert them to TIF or PNG files. You can save the original JPG so you know you have a copy, but don’t use this file format to edit pictures. Every time you edit a JPG file and resave, quality is lost (my computer even likes to give me warnings for some changes). Converting the file type prevents this problem. Many photographers also simply have their cameras shoot in RAW format instead of default JPG format. This gives you the image almost exactly as it was in the camera without alterations, and is better if you want to do a lot of editing. Most digital cameras have this option, just be aware that the files are much larger.
Don’t Let the Sun Ruin Your Perfect Shot
Want outdoor pictures with richer colors? Try using a polarizing filter. This will reduce glare and reflections, giving your shots improved quality. Can’t get a polarizing filter? Not a problem. Take a pair of quality sunglasses and place them in front of the lens, just be sure not to get the frames in the shot. It’s recommended when using a polarizing filter to position yourself so your subject is at a 90 degree angle from the sun.