Your Digital Camera Needs Your HELP - No, Seriously!
If I could give you just ONE secret to improving your skill as a digital photographer, THIS IS IT! You MUST press the Trigger Button HALF WAY DOWN.
Recently, as I was giving my standard lecture about Taking Digital Pictures in one of my workshops, the following words just popped out of my mouth.
(It was what you might call an epiphany - a moment of sudden revelation or insight.
) "Think of it this way," I said.
"Until you press the trigger button half way down, your camera has absolutely no idea what you want it to do!" It's like if you pulled up to the ATM at your bank, looked directly at the machine and said "I want some money.
" Yes, the ATM machine is working.
Its little screens are illuminated, and it's little lights are flashing.
(And let's assume that you have a few bucks in your account!) But, believe me, the ATM did NOT see you coming, doesn't recognize your car, and it doesn't assume that you needed to take $30 out so you could scoot over to Mickey D's for a quick, nourishing lunch, then over to the grocery for a six pack and a dozen eggs.
And, in much the same way ...
Yes, you've turned the camera on, removed the lens cap, and pointed it in the general direction of whatever it is you want a picture of.
BUT- just like at the ATM - something else has to be done before the camera will deliver that hoped-for image.
The ATM needs information - your debit or credit card and your PIN.
And then you have to punch in the numbers so that it can deliver your much-needed cash.
Well, your digital camera needs critical information too.
And it CANNOT begin gathering that information UNTIL you press the trigger button half way down.
What information, you ask? For one thing, the camera needs to be activated so that its light meter can see how much light it has to work with.
For another, will you need to use the flash? If so, the battery has to charge the ballast before the flash will fire.
And another - the lens has to focus on the subject you're pointing at.
And so on ...
NONE of these things happens UNTIL YOU PRESS THE BUTTON HALF WAY DOWN! And, just in case you're wondering - This has to happen before EVERY shot!Because when you zoom in or out, change the direction in which you're pointing the camera, turn on a light, turn off a light, go outdoors, etc.
...
yeah, you guessed it: your camera doesn't know any of this stuff ...
UNTIL you press the button again - and, in effect, give it a chance to see what's changed, and make the proper adjustments.
This simple step - and nothing else! -lets your camera in on your secret - what it is you're about to take a picture of.
Hey, it's really just a dumb machine.
Give it a break!
Recently, as I was giving my standard lecture about Taking Digital Pictures in one of my workshops, the following words just popped out of my mouth.
(It was what you might call an epiphany - a moment of sudden revelation or insight.
) "Think of it this way," I said.
"Until you press the trigger button half way down, your camera has absolutely no idea what you want it to do!" It's like if you pulled up to the ATM at your bank, looked directly at the machine and said "I want some money.
" Yes, the ATM machine is working.
Its little screens are illuminated, and it's little lights are flashing.
(And let's assume that you have a few bucks in your account!) But, believe me, the ATM did NOT see you coming, doesn't recognize your car, and it doesn't assume that you needed to take $30 out so you could scoot over to Mickey D's for a quick, nourishing lunch, then over to the grocery for a six pack and a dozen eggs.
And, in much the same way ...
Yes, you've turned the camera on, removed the lens cap, and pointed it in the general direction of whatever it is you want a picture of.
BUT- just like at the ATM - something else has to be done before the camera will deliver that hoped-for image.
The ATM needs information - your debit or credit card and your PIN.
And then you have to punch in the numbers so that it can deliver your much-needed cash.
Well, your digital camera needs critical information too.
And it CANNOT begin gathering that information UNTIL you press the trigger button half way down.
What information, you ask? For one thing, the camera needs to be activated so that its light meter can see how much light it has to work with.
For another, will you need to use the flash? If so, the battery has to charge the ballast before the flash will fire.
And another - the lens has to focus on the subject you're pointing at.
And so on ...
NONE of these things happens UNTIL YOU PRESS THE BUTTON HALF WAY DOWN! And, just in case you're wondering - This has to happen before EVERY shot!Because when you zoom in or out, change the direction in which you're pointing the camera, turn on a light, turn off a light, go outdoors, etc.
...
yeah, you guessed it: your camera doesn't know any of this stuff ...
UNTIL you press the button again - and, in effect, give it a chance to see what's changed, and make the proper adjustments.
This simple step - and nothing else! -lets your camera in on your secret - what it is you're about to take a picture of.
Hey, it's really just a dumb machine.
Give it a break!
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