Canon® EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D For Dummies®

Chapter 7. Putting It All Together

In This Chapter

• Reviewing the best all-around picture-taking settings

• Adjusting the camera for portrait photography

• Discovering the keys to super action shots

• Dialing in the right settings to capture landscapes and other scenic vistas

• Capturing close-up views of your subject

• Shooting through glass, capturing fireworks, and conquering other special challenges

Earlier chapters of this book break down each and every picture-taking feature on your Rebel XSi/450D, describing in detail how the various controls affect exposure, picture quality, focus, color, and the like. This chapter pulls all that information together to help you set up your camera for specific types of photography.

The first few pages offer a quick summary of critical picture-taking settings that should serve you well no matter what your subject. Following that, I offer my advice on which settings to use for portraits, action shots, landscapes, and close-ups. To wrap things up, the end of the chapter includes some miscellaneous tips for dealing with special shooting situations and subjects.

Keep in mind that although I present specific recommendations here, there are no hard and fast rules as to the "right way" to shoot a portrait, a landscape, or whatever. So don't be afraid to wander off on your own, tweaking this exposure setting or adjusting that focus control, to discover your own creative vision. Experimentation is part of the fun of photography, after all — and thanks to your camera ...