Taking the Picture

by Magnus Geijer

Now you've got your new digital camera. It's got great optics, lots of memory and more megapixels than you can shake a stick at. That means your pictures should automatically all be brilliant from now on, right? Unfortunately, no. The basic rules of photography still apply, but a better camera gives you a better chance of your pictures coming out looking like they did in the viewfinder. So, besides the camera, what can you do to make sure your pictures come out their best?

The first thing to consider is how you hold your camera. In theory, you should never take a picture without a tripod, as using a tripod is the only surefire way to avoid motion blur. However, since you can't always lug one of those around, you'll need to have some backup solutions for holding the camera completely still. The best way to do this is to not trust your hands. Find a door or a wall to lean against, set the camera on a ledge, or even on the ground, if angles allow. Holding the camera to your face and looking through the viewfinder window rather than holding it away from you and looking at the digital display can help as well. Using the timer rather than the trigger is another way to minimize vibration. The trigger should be squeezed slowly and gently. The harder and more suddenly you press, the more you will move the camera, making the picture fuzzy, and even off-center. Remember, however, that there is often a small difference between what shows in a viewfinder and what a digital camera actually captures. This difference is typically small enough not to be noticeable on anything but close-ups, but it can be confusing.

The second most important thing is lighting. The best lighting for almost any picture is outside on a bright but overcast day. When natural light is not an option, regular light bulbs will usually give a softer and more flattering light than florescent lights. A good camera can take a picture even in near darkness without using the flash. This is good for mood lighting, which can make a picture something special, but for this a tripod or other stable surface to put the camera on is an absolute must, not to mention a picture subject that’s as still as the camera. Nearly all cameras come with a built-in flash, but even on the high-end models, this flash is little more than an emergency solution. Many newer model digital cameras now come with a connector for an external, more powerful flash, but even the bigger, external flashes should be seen as a secondary solution to natural light.

When taking pictures of people, there are a few additional considerations to keep in mind, and there are a couple of photographer secrets that can help give you that professional look to your portraits. Most people like to look slimmer than they are in their pictures. This isn't always easy to achieve, which is why you've heard that the camera adds twenty pounds. Keeping a few basic rules in mind, you can get away from that. First, angles are important. Gain some height on your subject, either by sitting them down or by climbing up on something yourself. Taking pictures slightly from above has a slimming effect, whereas taking them from below will do the opposite. Secondly, turn your subject's body away from the camera about thirty degrees, while still facing the camera. This will slim down their body profile without making it obvious what you're doing. Keep the light soft and the camera on a tripod. Sharp lights give sharp shadows, which add years as well as pounds to a picture.

For group pictures, placing and posing is something that typically comes with practice, but there are some basic layouts that will bring visual interest as well as order to a group shot. Each dot signifies a face. For more than five people, either use rows, or start with a triangle and build out in layers.

Last but not least, don't forget this is a digital camera. The cost per picture is $0. Don't take one picture per pose. Don't take two, either. Take five, ten or even more, depending on the patience of your subjects. With small children, you have a certain time window and when that's over, it's over, but with adults or non-human subjects, go ahead and click away. There's a lottery in taking the perfect picture, and every shot is a ticket.