Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition

Chapter 3. How Do I…?Tips and Tricks for Shooting and Sharing

By now, you and your digital camera have become fast friends and are working together to make great images. But as with the art of cooking, and life, there's always more to learn.

This chapter is more conversational than the previous two. The earlier sections of the book were designed for quick reference—to use while standing on the battlefield of photography and trying to survive. (Question: "Should I turn the flash on or off for my daughter's outdoor birthday party?" Answer: Flash on.)

But now the discussion becomes more free flowing, like a conversation between two photographers trying to decide the best approach for a given situation. The topics in this chapter focus on both shooting and sharing pictures—after all, what good is a great shot if you can't show it to others?

So grab a fresh memory card and a charged set of batteries, and prepare for the next stage of your journey.

Shooting Tips and Tricks: How Do I…

How do I…? Those are the first three words in any photography question, aren't they? Most of the time you know what you want to do: capture that sunset, take a pretty portrait, preserve the memory of that monument. The trick is making the camera see your subject the way you do.

That's what you're going to learn here: the "how to" of photography. Not every situation is covered in this chapter, but if you master these techniques, there won't be too many pictures that get by your camera. And when your friends mutter ...