Testing 1-2-3: Putting Your New Digital Camera through its Paces and Getting a Digital Photography Lesson at the Same Time! - Page 2
© Karin Rex
Now that you're armed (battery) and loaded (media) you're ready to have some fun and start shooting! Here's a possible game plan for getting the basics down:
- Snap 'em! Take your first picture (or two or ten or twenty)! Don't worry about being perfect - the great thing about a digital camera is that you can delete any pictures that are less than flattering.
- Zoom 'em! If your camera has a zoom, experiment with it. (There's nothing quite as cool as seeing your big toe up close and personal!)
- View 'em! Learn how to view the pictures you've taken on the camera's LCD monitor. The camera probably has one or more buttons that allow you to move backwards and forwards through the list of pictures.
- Trash 'em! Learn how to delete pictures. Usually a camera offers one or more ways to delete a single picture (either right after being taken or later when being viewed) and another way to delete all of the pictures on the media. Some cameras also offer a way to protect a picture from being accidentally deleted.
- Beam me up, Scotty! If you will be uploading pictures to a personal computer, why not try that now before you go any further? That way, you can rest assured that you have the know-how to save your future masterpieces. You manual will usually include step-by-step instructions for transferring pictures from your camera to your computer.
Be Menu Driven
Now that you have the basics down, it's time to get into the many fun features a digital camera has to offer - and that means diving into its menus. Becoming familiar with a camera's menus will improve both your photography and your creativity. Since every camera is different, trying to offer a specific game plan for exploration in this article is impractical. However, using your manual as a guide, you can systematically work your way through each of the camera's menus. You will be amazed at what you discover about your camera by doing this.
Some menus will focus on camera settings, such as the time, date, startup screen and shutter sound (my camera meows when I take a picture). Other menus will allow you to force the flash on or off, adjust color balance, or take pictures manually instead of automatically. Some cameras allow for different pictures modes, such as panoramics, stereo pictures, macro close-ups, or even short movies.
Best of all, if you are as absent from your family albums as I am, learn how to put yourself into the picture by using the self timer! You will never have to explain where you were again.
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