Learn Your Camera’s Functions

Today’s Photo Tip: It doesn't matter if you are using your cellphone camera, your "on-the-go" point and shoot camera or a full-size SLR or Micro Four-Thirds digital camera, you need to take the time to study your cameras' functions and operation. Pull back the reins for just a minute; after making this kind of investment, it would be a shame not to take advantage of its full capabilities. The key to taking good pictures is to learn what your new camera is capable of. To accomplish this you must dedicate several days (that’s right, days not hours) to reading the manual, learning its features, buttons, levers, dials, menus, and settings, both auto and manual. Not only will this save you time and effort in the long run, but it will help to prevent you from relying on the cameras’ ‘auto’ functions, which though generally quite good, will severely limit your future picture taking abilities. Remember, “auto control” is the basic beginner mode, effectively turning your phone, SLR or Four-Thirds camera into nothing more than a simple point-and-shoot compact, with all the exposure settings taken care of. Unfortunately, because most stock camera user manuals are poorly written and do not adequately discuss the differences between or the benefits of various options and menu settings, you need to find and purchase a book that explains your camera and its functions in much greater detail. For example, I had dozens of unanswered questions until I found the following book for my Four-Thirds camera titled, The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2, The Unofficial Quintessential Guide. I can’t stress this enough – how finding a good book on your camera written by a knowledgeable professional photographer and then taking the time to slowly read it with your camera in hand, changing defaults, settings and making recommended changes as you go, will make all your future picture taking experiences much more rewarding. Believe it or not, the same was true for my cellphone camera. Until I found the page, 11 Camera Tips for Your Galaxy S4, on the Internet, I wasn't coming close to using all of its camera functions.
 
Once you have reviewed all of the available menu and button settings pertaining to such things as format (RAW vs JPEG), ISO, various exposure modes, metering modes, effects of shutter speed and aperture, focus modes and drive modes, start taking and reviewing pictures using various settings. Remember, in the digital world it doesn’t cost a dime to take hundreds of pictures that can then later be delete in an instant. In doing this, you will begin to see and understand the immediate effects that changing these settings will make. In addition, you will get practice in learning how to read the information on the camera’s LCD screen, use it to zoom in and check for sharpness or noise, and use a histogram to evaluate exposure.