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Most modern digital cameras come with a zoom lens that can take both wide angle and telephoto shots. This is extremely useful. However remember that when
camera is on its furthest telephoto setting, camera shake will become a problem. If you are taking a telephoto shot and camera chooses a slow to medium shutter speed, result might be blurred due to movement of your hands while taking exposure. Use a tripod - all wildlife photographers use them. They are a pain to carry but improve quality by orders of magnitude.
6 Fast Moving Subject Require a Fast Shutter Speed
The shutter is that part of camera which opens briefly to allow light to strike sensitive surface of detector to produce an image. Fast moving object require extremely short shutter speeds in order to capture a crisp sharp image. Slower shutter speeds will produce a blur as object moves. In general outdoor photography a shutter speed of 1/60th or 1/125th second will be acceptable. In contrast, shooting a formula one car in motion will require shutter speed of say 1/1000th of a second.
7 A little About Depth of Field
In days past, a photographer would measure level of light at a location with a light meter and then calculate best combination of shutter speed and aperture to correctly expose film. This is now done automatically by camera. Aperture is measure of how much light is passing through lens. The lens has an iris, which can be 'stopped down' to reduce amount of light passing through lens. A fully open lens will pass greatest amount of light - full aperture - but this also reduces 'depth of field'. The depth of field is band of distance over which subject is in focus. In 1 above, with full aperture either your girl friend or harbour is in focus - but not both. By 'stopping down' lens - reducing aperture - both can be brought into focus. But as a consequence amount of light passing through lens is reduced. The length of time which shutter is open will have to be increased to compensate.
8 When taking Landscapes Avoid Putting Horizon Across Centre of Image
Drawing picture horizon in middle of image simply looks naff. It divides picture in to two and fails to engage viewer. Best to concentrate on sky or foreground. Photograph a setting sun with red sky, or a rainbow with horizon low in picture. Or concentrate on landscape and place horizon high in picture.
9 Be Aware of Effects of Back Lighting
Let us go back to example given in Hint 1. Imagine that in picture of your girl friend in front of harbour, sun is setting, casting its golden rays across sea and reflecting on masts and other metal objects of harbour with white clouds illuminated red in dying rays of sun. An evocative and romantic shot. Taking shot with camera will result in a beautiful background but a black shadow of a girl friend! Now that might be appropriate should you have had a particularly bad day with her and it might correctly reflect mood. However using on camera flash to fill in darkness - to illuminate her face and show her features might be more appropriate on a better day!
