I love my camera…..I mean I really love it! And I also love talking about photography to anyone who will listen. Lately, I’ve been on a big kick trying to get my friends who own DLSR cameras and point and shoots with oodles of features to embrace the idea of moving beyond the green box or auto-mode.
Does this sound like you? Do you find you stay in the comfort of your auto setting? I know, it can seem daunting to turn that dial to the various settings (you may be wondering what do all those letters and icons mean anyway?). And it is true that you do get great photos using the auto mode. And yes, the manuals that came with your camera are a bit much to go through (and who has time to do that?), but there is so much more you can do with just a few tweaks.
You don’t have to learn how to shoot in manual right away….. you can work up to that. 😉 But you can capture some images that go from good to WOW…this is GREAT!! WIth just a simple twist of your camera’s dial.
Here is my big tip….the advice I give all of my friends or anyone who cares to listen, try the AV mode on a Canon or A mode on a Nikon. This is where you decide on the aperture and the camera picks the rest of the settings. I won’t get into all the details but basically if you are looking to create an image where your subject is in focus in the foreground and your background is all blurry (or has bokeh), you want to set your aperture or f/stop to as low as your camera lens will allow.
Here is an example of what a simple tweak of your aperture setting can achieve……notice the blurred background in the image on the right. My Polaroid camera really stands out and the flowers and plant in the background are blurred. Imagine doing that with photos of your kids or your favorite flowers in your garden. Great, huh?
Here is an example of a portrait photo taken with an f/stop at 2.8. I love the creamy background and how the little girl really pops.
If you would like to learn more about your camera as well as tips on composition, please contact me. I offer individual mentoring and group workshops. You can find details here.
In the meantime, go ahead and play around with your settings…..try adjusting your aperture and see what you capture. You may find that moving beyond the green box is not as difficult as you think. 🙂
