Nikon® D3000: Digital Field Guide

Chapter 7. Real World Applications

This part of the book goes deeper into different types of photography and covers the settings that are used to capture specific scenarios. Although having a good eye helps, the key to capturing great images is to know which settings to use to achieve the desired results.

Some of things covered in the following sections include what shutter speeds to use, what metering modes work best for different situations, how to use the scene modes to your advantage as well as many other tips and techniques that I have learned and developed over the years.

Of course, in this limited space these sections aren't meant to be exhaustive and definitive, but they point you in the right direction.

Knowing which settings to use and how to work with light lets you get creative with your images.

Abstract Photography

For the most part, when you photograph something you are concerned with showing the subject clearly. When photographing a portrait, you try to represent the face or some revealing aspect of the person; when shooting a landscape, you try to show what's in the environment, be it trees, mountains, or a skyline. However, when shooting abstract photography, you are working with the idea of the subject, rather than an absolute subject. The subject is less important than the actual composition. When attempting abstract photography, you want to try to bring out the essence ...