How to Hone Camera Skills with a Point & Shoot
- 1). Set your camera to manual mode. Use the square in the middle of the display as a focus lock. That is, point the camera to an object, align it to the square and gently press the shutter until the object is focused correctly. Once locked, move the camera to another object nearby without letting go of the button. Notice that the camera will keep that focus until you let go of the button.
- 2). Point the camera towards the window. Notice how the camera changes the lighting in the room when it tries to focus on the outside. Lock the focus on the window. Take a picture without the flash.
- 3). Activate the manual flash. Focus on the window and let the surrounding room get dimmer. Take a picture. Notice how the flash lights up the room, while the camera keeps the natural focus and light outside the window.
- 4). Turn off the lights of the room, and focus on the window. Adjust the exposure time in your camera settings on the lowest number. Take a picture without the flash. Adjust the exposure time settings to the maximum. Take another picture. Compare both pictures, and play with middle settings. These are great for taking nighttime photography, when exposure time should be lengthy.
- 5). Turn on the lights of your room. Adjust the ISO to the maximum, and take a picture. Do that with other ISO settings. Try taking pictures first with no flash, then activate the flash. This will help you determine the differences in ISOs, so that you can correctly choose which one to use for any occasion.
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