Photo Tip #90: Digital Photography Workflow Series Part #1: Using Your Camera Efficiently

 

Greetings Fellow Photographers!
Today I am starting a 3 part series on the basic workflow of turning the photos you take into prints and other fun products. The next two emails will talk about transferring pictures off your camera and printing them, but this email is all about using your camera efficiently. Whether you have a brand new camera or one you've been using for years, I recommend looking at the tips below to ensure you are using your camera to its full potential!

The Manual...Read It!
I know…I've been there…you pull out your camera's user manual and quickly say, "No thanks, I'll just play around until I get it right." But, I urge you to spend 20-30 minutes to read your camera's manual. You owe it to yourself (and your camera). After all, you didn't spend all that money to purchase something you don't know how to use, right? Pull out the manual, get comfortable, and read away. It might not be a page-turner, but I guarantee you will learn a few new tricks that you probably weren't aware of before. Keep your camera nearby so you can try some of the functionality as you read about it. If you really, truly do not want to read the manual (or you lost it), call the store that sold you the camera. Many stores will offer a free class on how to use the camera you bought from them.

Photo Quality
Most cameras will allow you to set the photo quality (jpeg quality) for the pictures you take. I recommend setting this to be the highest quality possible (full resolution, highest resolution, or something along those lines). These photos will take up more room on your memory card since the files will be larger, but you will be able to do more with them later (like edit, enlarge, or use on a photo product). If you do not wish to take up a lot of room on your memory card, you can lower the quality so the files are smaller, but I suggest going with the highest quality. Since most cameras are different, I cannot tell you exactly how to set the quality. But, I know where I would look if I were you: the manual!

Memory Cards
Memory cards are the most important accessory you can get for your camera. Without one, you can only take a few photos at a time, or less. These days, memory cards some in all kinds of sizes and prices. Some people will tell you to get a memory card with a lot of room, since it allows you to take more photos. But, I disagree. I think you should transfer your photos from your camera to your computer and online account often, so they are always stored safely, and so you don't forget about any of your amazing shots. So, I would get a 4 gigabyte memory card at most (maybe even 2 gigabytes), which will allow you to store a few hundred photos, but not so many that you never move them off your camera. Also, I recommend buying 2 cards, so you always have one for backup in case you lose or break the original.

A Few More Tidbits...
I strongly recommend disabling the date and time stamp on your photos. Yes, it is a cool feature to have the exact date and time printed on your photos, but if you ever want to use the photo on a calendar, card, photo book, poster, or another product like a mouse pad, the date and time cannot be removed, and it will appear on the photo product. Don't know how to disable the date and time stamp? You guessed it…read your manual! Also, make sure you always keep your camera in a protective case whenever you are not using it, and make sure your battery is fully charged before you head out on a shoot.

Thanks for everyone that shared their photos with me since the last email! I love seeing your photos, especially when my tips were able to help you get a great shot. Last time I talked about baby photography, and here are some of the excellent shots that were sent to me. I don't have enough room to show them all in this email, but I truly appreciate everyone who took the time to send me photos.

"This was all natural light. She was lying belly down on her changing table with a window to her right front (camera left). In the camera, it was quite dark since I had to use a fast shutter speed to prevent blur. But, I knew that I could use Photoshop to get the image I wanted. I upped the exposure quite a bit and then converted to BW."
–Steve

"Just two weeks after my son was home from the hospital, I set up a photo shoot in the natural light in my home. I propped him up on a Boppy with some favorite blankets underneath."
–Shawna

"I was in my kitchen and noticed that I had some great natural light from the window, so I propped up my baby in a Bumbo (a baby seat) on the table and clipped his baby blanket onto a chair behind him, and tada! I got this shot of him that I LOVE!"
–Missy

I know this isn’t a baby shot, but this is a great animal shot! Nice work, Michael!