Jan 4, 2008

Dummy tips for photographing fishies

Alright - I have seen way too many horrible photos today. If you want to photograph your fish with a digital camera and really only know how to use auto modes, here's what you do:

1. Turn off the flash - it'll reflect and your photo will be a big ball of light. Of course, without the flash, you might need to bring in some other lights.
2. Use the macro setting. It might be called close up or have a little tulip icon on the button.
3. Get really close to the tank or bowl or whatever, you can even put the lens right up against the glass.
4. Usually, you can push the shutter down half way and it'll focus and then all the way to take the photo. This is extremely useful with macros because if you're on an auto setting it very rarely focuses where you want it to.
5. Turn on the screen on your camera if you have one, it'll make this easier to do (and I will never, ever tell anyone who's actually trying to learn to use a camera properly to use the screen, just so you know).
6. Push the shutter down halfway like I said. On the screen there will usually be a box or something showing where you're focused. If it's not where you want it to be, move the camera until it is, still holding the shutter halfway down - you may also have to move it forward or backwards to actually get what you want in focus.
7. Push the shutter down all the way... and check how successful you were.

Is that simple enough?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do I have to point the lens at the fish? How do I put film in my digital camera?

Lauren said...

Lol. Everyone, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, who typically goes by the name of Malhavoc and is currently studying photography in college... and is exceptionally good at making me unable to stop giggling for about ten minutes.