In no particular order, here are a few of the things I've learned from my first bunch of reading and practice. And of course there are a few cute faces and minor stories in there as well.
How to use the built-in macro close-up feature
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| The right way: Every loop of this (going threadbare) terrycloth is visible. |
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| The right way: See the molding seam along the side of the pencil pig? |
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| The right way: Readable names! |
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| And the wrong way: There's definitely a limit to how clear a close-up can be with a point-and-shoot. |
Why white balance is important
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| Failure to adjust to fluorescent lighting: No, I do not feed my family blue onions and purple sausage. |
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| Color is true here, as taken with the "daylight" auto white balance setting. |
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| Color is washed out here, as taken with the "cloudy day" auto white balance setting. Unexpected result as both photos were taken on a cloudy day. |
How to cheat limited point-and-shoot adjustment options
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| Poor afternoon light and unbalanced shadows in the background make Boy 1 look seasick. Or maybe listing. | | |
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| A black-and-white setting disguises both in this case. |
Why it's wise to use fill flash even in good lighting
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| This bathroom (yes, that's a toilet in the background) is by far the brightest lit room in our house. But you'd never know it in these pictures. Unfortunately, fill flash and the quick shutter sports/action setting can't be turned on at the same time on my point-and-shoot. You can catch the fleeting expressions, or you can capture good color by lighting shots well. But not both. |
Auto-focus notes
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| My manual explains that auto-focus assumes that your subject is at the center of the photo. |
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| ...which is why I can't count on getting a fun, slightly artsy off-center shot that looks good. |
Where other automated features may fail
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| Even the best auto-focus can't prevent a joke-loving subject from making a sudden movement at precisely the moment the shutter falls. Fact. |
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| Digital zoom: I haven't seen it work well yet. But this photo ( a church event) shows that the far end of optical zoom doesn't produce clear photos, either. Also, the limited range of auto flash is evident. Believe it or not, this shot was taken in a very brightly lit room, surrounded by unshaded windows, on an intensely sunshiny day--and the flash did go off. Amateur skills and limited equipment combine here to create...nothing discernible. |
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| Believe it or not, this is from the same event, same location. It's not a good photo, but it does show just how much better color and light come out when the zoom isn't used. |
A study of feet
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| Boy 1 |
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| Boy 2 |
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| Girlie. Oops--once again this shows the limit of my optical zoom. |
And a random assortment of the best of the rest
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| Dignified cat |
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| "Yes, I will pose for you." |
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| Handsome Boy 2 |
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| Handsome Dada |
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| Corn is looking good (so far) despite insects chewing on them. |
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| Sometimes the close-up works almost TOO well. Yes, my toes are callused and my polish is chipped! |
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| Love this one! One of the water-spouting sculptures at our local splash park, on a pretty blue-sky day. |
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