Nifty Tricks For Your Digital Camera

Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:11PM EDT

See Comments (64)

I am unofficially one of the worst photographers on the planet. While I think my compositions are generally good, I always end up with blurry shots, shots that are underexposed, or stuff that's just plain ugly.

While I'm working on my basic technique, I'm learning some nifty new tricks thanks to the always-awesome Digital Photography School, which offers some ways to turn otherwise boring shots into something unique.

Some of my favorite ideas:

  • Focusing on something secondary in the photo, leaving the rest of the picture out of focus.
  • Shooting from the ground instead of eye level. (I have tried this on many occasions and it always makes for a more striking composition.)
  • The flipside: Shooting from up high, aiming down on the action.
  • Intentional graininess by changing ISO settings. Check out the picture of the two men in the fog on the link I've provided. It's really impressive.
  • Messing with the white balance. This changes the color tone of an image in strange, sometimes beautiful ways.
  • Long exposures. I've always wanted to do one of those star trail shots at night, where everything moves in a circle.

Give these tricks a shot this weekend and email me your greatest hits!

LINK: Adding Randomness to Your Photos 

Comments on Nifty Tricks For Your Digital Camera

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 6 Posted by bigjoe2hug on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    bigjoe2hug you don't have to be an expert. use paintshop pro. this will make you look like an expert.

  • 9 Posted by lndkean on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    I can't get to the other page for more nifty tricks for my digital camera. I followed your link but all I got was; this page could not be displayed. I am connected to the internet.

  • 10 Posted by kjnapier on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's "Nifty tricks", not "50 tricks"

  • 11 Posted by cnull on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    Some people are having trouble getting the link in the story to work. Here's a direct one: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/adding-randomness-to-your-photos/

  • 12 Posted by bradfordwayne on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    Photo shop is a great way to make your photos look like a pros. The tricks that you posted can be done on a higher end camera.

  • 14 Posted by deade37075 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Here is a link to some post processing I use. Copy and paste http://www.pbase.com/deadelvis/improve Long exposures are a snap with digital cameras that have scene settings for them...use a tripod! http://www.pbase.com/deadelvis/image/58668270 Happy Shooting

  • 15 Posted by fnnyfarm on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    where is the coffee filter on the ad?

  • 16 Posted by wild_card_96101 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    Nifty Tricks indeed! Depending on some digital cameras (lower priced ones) a person would not be able to zoom while snapping the picture, I know I can't, heres two different ways to get around that: 1. Let's say you want to take a picture of a car, but want the blur for a dramatic "action" shot. Use you viewfinder or screen and get ready, hold the "capture" button HALF-way down to focus on the car, as it's moving closer to you, pan along with it (your camera should move fluidly, straight and constant) snap the photo. The car should be clear and the background blurry, as if in motion. 2. Hold the camera steady or use a tripod, using the same car situation, hold the "capture" button HALF-way down BEFORE the car comes into view (this holds the background clear), as the car is getting close to you, snap the shot, this will make the car blurry as if speeding incredibly fast. (The best look for these types of "action-shots" is positioning yourself so that the moving object is coming toward you, not away.) Lets say you want to take a close up of a flower, but have the background blurry (most cameras have a setting for closeups, the symbol is usually a flower, called macro) Get close to the object of interest, hold the "capture" button HALF-way down (this keeps the center of focus on the flower) then back away slowly until the object is at desired size, snap the shot. For aged looking photos, use a nylon stocking and stretch it gently over the lens, take your picture. I love messing with my white balance. I was taking some portraits of a girl that had light colored hair and fair skin with a white background. I raised my white balance which in turn made the photo bright and her skin was glowing; it also made her hair and eyes stand out beautifully in the photo. When taking outside photos, I tend to lower my white balance to darken the photo. This makes the skys pop with a brilliant blue and makes grass look lushly green. When doing portraits, have the sun behind you to light the person with a natural light; or you can position the person so that the sun is behind them but off to the side so that it's not shining into your camera, this will give a nice effect on the face and makes the hair glow. Sometimes one side of the face will be darker when doing this. To light the other side of their face you can easily make a "light board" by taking some cardboard and covering it with crumpled then flattened foil. Direct the "light board" so that it catches the sun and shines on the darker side of the face. Don't worry it will look natural. If you have the sun shining towards you the subject will be dark, which works well if you are taking a landscape picture at sunset/sunrise; everything in the foreground will be dark and give a dramatic silhouette effect. If taking close-ups of a face don't position yourself so that the nose is the closest to the camera otherwise it will look horribly large.Hope some of this stuff helps! Student @ N.Y.I. of Photography :)

  • 17 Posted by batotahell on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've used this trick a lot and had great results. Go to a fireworks show with a tripod. Set your shutter to stay open as long as possible. Four seconds on my camera. When you know the firework is about to launch hit the button. When you view the picture you have the trail of the firework as it shoots into the air and the subsequent explosion. Play with it and have fun.

  • 18 Posted by cfandm@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Also if you have only digital zoom taking shots close do not get good results..Try using a magnifing glass in front of the lens to get a sharper focus without losing the quality...

  • 19 Posted by scubasteve4j on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hey Elvis, I believe the headline reads "Nifty Tricks..." not "FIFTY Tricks...".

  • 20 Posted by medullaboi on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    I like to take self pics the best way is to take the flash off when your in the bathroom..the light in there is good enough..

  • 21 Posted by wild_stallions01 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just a friendly note to elvis334 - the headline says "Nifty" tricks, not "Fifty" tricks. :) Great tips by the way! Thanks!

  • 22 Posted by cmcbrayer@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    Most of the time I do not use the flash on my digital camera....it is just not powerful enough. Here's a trick I just learned by accident though....when photographing stained glass in those beautiful cathedrals in Europe, use the red-eye flash. It yields vibrant colors!

  • 23 Posted by kln_walker on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    I linked to the site to see the trick using coffee filters and was disappointed that there is no mention of it.

  • 24 Posted by tylerjhoney on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    I like pics. (Pictures, not pickles or picks, thought! : )

  • 25 Posted by mikejones2727 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    Here's another good resource for some tips. http://www.mydigitalphotoclasses.com/digital-photography-tips.html

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.