Six basics in digital photography, part 1 of 2

Having the best digital camera or the best lens are not the only tools for shooting great digital photos. There are people out there who use the most expensive gadgets but produce low quality shots. On the other hand, there are those with point-and-shoots; yet, their photos are pro-looking. That being said, all you really need is any type of camera, skill and a good eye for photography.

At this point, you should already know your camera, its parts and features. The next step is to know how to utilize them.

Shooting Mode

For most starters, choose the auto mode. As the name denotes, everything is set automatically depending on your shooting situation. At some point, you will be comfortable enough to switch to more advanced modes.

Image Resolution

Always shoot with the highest resolution that your camera can handle - large or raw. Isn't this one of the reasons why you bought an expensive camera - to get a better resolution than those cheap ones? Plus, shooting with high resolution will enable you to preserve a captured moment at its best format. If you decide to blow the picture up, you retain its quality. Do not worry about file size, like in emailing and network sharing, as it is always easy to reduce it (and not vice versa).

ISO Setting

ISO measures the light sensitivity of your camera's sensor. It can either be set automatically, like in auto mode, or manually. Shooting at the highest ISO is very good in low light situations and when flash is off. ISO 800 or higher, for instance, will enable the camera's sensor to be more sensitive to light; thus, resulting to better exposure. But there is a trade-off to this. The higher the ISO, the noisier or grainier the picture. So, it is important to know when to increase your ISO setting.

Choose higher ISO when there is limited light available and there is movement of the subject. Examples are indoor sports activities and dim-lit parties. Pump up your ISO inside art galleries, museums, churches and other no-flash zones. (Park your camera on a tripod to better aid you.) Other than these, set your ISO to 100 or 200.

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