Does this sound familiar? You buy the latest digital camera out there, come home, rip off the box, then proceed to fiddle with the device. You briefly flick through the hundred page camera manual and then never look at it again. Not a good idea! If you buy a digital camera, you owe it to yourself to understand its ins and outs. Learn how to control exposure, how to use different camera modes and how to use the flash. The knowledge you gain about the camera will be invaluable when you’re out in the field taking those special photos.

2. Learn to Control the Flash

One of the most important things you need to know about digital photography is to control the flash. Personally, I hate to rely on the automatic flash that comes with the digital camera. Depending on the situation, you need to switch off or switch on the flash.

For example, when taking outdoor photos, it is sometimes good to turn on the flash to illuminate the subject, especially if he or she is in the shade. On the other hand, you can also choose to turn off the flash when taking indoor shots. Sometimes, using the flash indoors will result in unnatural skin color and harsh glare in your photos.

3. Play with the Macro Mode

Almost all digital camera these days have a macro mode. This setting is ideal for taking close up shots of objects like flowers or insects. On my Canon PowerShot S500, it’s represented by a flower symbol. What you do is to pick a subject, turn on macro mode, then get as close to it as your camera will allow. Make sure you allow the camera to focus properly before depressing the shutter button fully.

4. Hold the Camera Level

A basic rule of photography is to hold the camera level. Since most digital cameras come with a LCD, you can use it to properly frame your shots. Next time you’re taking a shot, try to look for the horizontal lines and use them as guides. A good example is to make use of the horizon when you’re taking a photo of a sunset.

5. Use The Tripod

I recommend this tip to all budding photographers – camera tripods are an essential tool in your photography arsenal. When will you need a tripod? Well, it’s useful if you’re taking shots under low-light conditions or trying to capture fast moving objects. I like to use a tripod when taking night shots city streets, for example. Always try to look for a tripod that’s convenient to carry around. For personal use, you don’t need a huge one – just a simple compact one that’s easy to pack.

6. Play with the ISO Setting

I find the ISO setting in digital cameras very useful. The ISO setting of a essentially camera controls it’s sensitivity to light. If you’re taking a photo of a still object, like a flower, then always use a low ISO setting. It allows for a longer shutter speed and produces a cleaner image. If you’re shooting a moving object, like a baby playing with a toy, then a higher ISO setting of say 400 would be better. Do take note, however, that a higher ISO setting gives a faster shutter speed and requires less light. This will produce noiser photos.

7. Have Enough Memory Capacity

Just like you must have enough rolls of film when using traditional cameras, make sure you always have enough memory capacity in your digital camera. It’s terrible to be on a holiday taking great photos and suddenly realizing you’ve no memory space left. Here are some general guidelines for digital camera storage.

* 2 megapixel cameras – get at least a 64MB card
* 3 megapixel camera – get at least a 128MB card
* 4 megapixel camera – get at least a 256MB card
* 5 megapixel camera and above – get at least a 512MB or 1GB card

The key to successful night photography lies in a long exposure. We’re talking about exposures measured in seconds. When a long exposure is used, more light is allowed into the camera, allowing the details in your night photo to be captured.

The problem with using long exposures is that you may shake the camera, resulting in poor pictures. The way around this is to use a tripod. I prefer to install a tripod with a shutter-release cable to ensure that I don’t jolt the camera at all.

Tip 2: Take Control Shots

One problem with digital cameras is that there are always some pixels on the image sensor which are bad. When taking day photos, these defects are not discernible. However, they are pretty obvious in night photos. How do we correct these? Here’s a simple way – take a control shot, then use image editing to subtract out those bad pixels.

This is how it works. The next time you’re out to take night photos, go ahead and snap a picture of Scene A, as you normally would. Then, when it’s convenient, take a photo of the exact same Scene A again, but with the lens cap on.

Now you will have two images, one night shot and one control shot (with the hot pixels). Load them up in say, Paint Shop Pro. Switch to the control shot and select Edit and Copy from the menu. Next, switch to the night shot and paste the copied image as a new layer. Then, select the new layer and change the Blend Mode to Difference and click OK. You’ll get the correct night shot with the hot spots subtracted out.

Tip 3: Try to Capture Motion

With a long exposure, you have many creative options when it comes to photography. This includes capturing motion. For example, have you ever wondered how those professional photographers shoot pictures of trails of car lights as they zoom down the highway at night? It’s all due to long exposures. Try to keep this in mind the next time you’re taking a night photo – you don’t have to restrict yourself to still images.

Tip 4: Play with the Aperture

In addition to shutter speed (which determines exposure time), you can play around with the aperture size of your digital camera. There are two scenarios here. If you set a long exposure, try to use a small aperture to avoid overexposing any stationary lights. in the picture. On the other hand, if you set a short exposure, try using a larger aperture to avoid any motion in your shot.

Tip 5: How to Use the Flash

As a general rule, I turn the flash off when taking night photos. There are some exceptions though – one specific example I can think of is trying to shoot a subject in the foreground, with motion trails of car lights in the background. In this case, bring along an external flash unit and shine it on your subject manually. Set a long exposure, then have your subject wait until the picture is taken.

Tip 6: When to Take Night Photos

When’s the best time to take night photos? I usually like to take them during dusk when colors and details are easier to capture. I’d recommend that you do some research on the evening before the photo shoot. Decide on the location, then come back the next day to take the photo at dusk.

Always bring a tripod if you plan on shooting landscapes. Even if the day is sunny, you may need to use a small aperture to achieve a great depth of field. In such cases, you may be using a low shutter speed – which leads to camera shake if you can’t hold the camera stable in your hands. Hence the need for a tripod.
Tip 2: Cable Release

One good tip is to carry a cable release. Instead of using the timer function on the camera, use the cable release. This ensures that you can trigger the shutter at precisely the right timing. In turn, this leads to reduced camera shake and a more beautiful photo.

Tip 3: Use the Right Filters

Filters are important when taking landscape photos. There are different types of filters that I use – polarizers, neutral density filters and graduated neutral density filters.

Polarizers are useful for reducing glare from water and other reflective surfaces. These create a more well-balanced and beautiful picture.

Neutral density filters will stop a specified amount of light entering the camera. I tend to use these for shooting waterfalls on a sunny day.

Graduated neutral density filters are a slight variation of this – they are dark on top and clear on the bottom, creating a ‘gradual transition’ from the dark to clear area. These filters are good for blocking out bright parts of a scene (say the sky) to create a more evenly exposed picture.

Tip 4: Research the Landscape

One thing to do before taking landscape photos is to do some background research on the landscape. If you’re taking pictures of the Nigara Falls, or the Grand Canyon, try to do some background study on what the most scenic spots are.

It’s also good to check out the weather conditions of the place. Check up the papers – if the weather doesn’t look good, you may want to try shooting another day.

Tip 5: Lenses

For shooting landscape photos, it’s usually best to bring wide-angle lenses. I also bring along a telephoto lens in case I want to shot some creative, zoomed-in shots.

Tip 6: Composition

Another thing to remember is that composition rules are still important in landscape photos. Make sure you have something in the foreground, mid-ground and background.

Tip 7: Shoot at the Right Time

For landscape photography, one thing I realize is that you should avoid shooting during mid-day. There is a lot of harsh lighting and bad shadow effects during that period. Early morning or late afternoon tends to be best.

“I use high – end digital DSLR equipment (in analogue terminology this equates to professional 35mm SLR equipment), edit images using Photoshop CS4 and process these edited images at labs using Fuji Frontier machines.

I refuse to compromise on quality. I strive for excellence. Mediocrity has no place in what I do.

My client always comes first! My continued resolve is to provide complete client satisfaction.

I interact very well with clients and am sensitive to the needs of both the client and the material I work with. Whilst working with the model / bride / child, I ensure that the desired body language and facial expressions are captured. A technically good portrait with the wrong body language / facial expression does not qualify as a photograph at all! It is merely a snapshot.

I shoot on location, but delight in working in the controlled lighting environment of a photographic studio as well.

I travel extensively throughout the Republic, as well as to its neighbouring countries.”

Commissions thus far included clients such as Advertising Agency Tom, Dick & Harry (Jhb); De Beers Consolidated, Namaqualand Mines (all official functions, inclusive of photographing Mr Nicky Oppenheimer); Mpumalanga Tourism Authorities (three – tiered: popular tourist attractions such as Pilgrim’s Rest and gold panning, Sudwala Caves, various lodges, etc.  with up – and – coming Black professionals, such as Zwai Bala, Melanie from Metro FM, SABC 1 newsreader Nxolani Gwala, etc.), video footage aired on South African national television  breakfast show viz. Morning Live; Event Pics, Jhb (Standard Bank end – of – year function); Manganese Metal Company (end – of – year function); Marimba publicity shoot (South African folk band); CANSA’s woman – of – the – year function, Nelspruit with guests such as Mr Anton Rupert’s secretary at the event; numerous Matric Farewell functions; Portrait shoot of SA author Jayne Bauling; too many weddings to mention (one, though, being the wedding of identical twin – Jax Fisher – of the lead actress in the film, “Faith like Potatoes” , another a delightful Portuguese wedding in the Roman Catholic cathedral in Manzini, Zwaziland, while a third was of a British couple, complete with African dancers,  shot at Casa do Sol just outside Hazyview, Mpumalanga); interior shoot for the home decorating wholesalers Valencia in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.