Use Manual Controls on Point and Shoot
In my travels around the world I run into many amateur photographers, mainly using point-and-shoot cameras. As amateurs, most usually set their cameras on automatic at all times and in doing so, they miss out on some great photo opportunities.
I must admit that I leave my camera on automatic probably 90% of the time, but there are those times one must be ready to switch to manual controls to get those pictures that really stand out.
Locking focus and exposure can be accomplished very easily while still leaving one’s camera in the automatic mode, this is achieved by selecting the area of the picture one wants to focus on and the exposure area and holding down the shutter release button halfway. Keeping the button half depressed, frame the picture and take the photograph by depressing the shutter fully.
See the photograph of the class of lemonade in which I have selected focus on the glass, notice how it makes a picture stand out, or at least I think so.
Keep your camera handy at all times: I was walking through the grounds of my hotel in Waikiki and noticed this bride waiting to have a photograph taken by a professional. I swung
my camera around and took the photo within two or three seconds, it turned out very well.
On my main camera, macro is automatic and when one focuses at fairly close distance the camera automatically selects the macro mode: I find it very handy for photographing food on my travels.
The moral of the story is read your cameras instruction manual and learn how to work some of your cameras manual settings, you’re find you will take better pictures.
Just remember, it’s not the camera that takes good photographs, its the photographer.
