Point and Shoot? Not quite – A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Photography

Digital cameras have evolved in a way that they allow beginners to take pictures like a pro; pictures that they can really be proud of.  Point and shoot cameras for instance, are the types that have pre-set modes which allow the photographer to shoot at wide/small aperture, fast/slow shutter speed and shoot pictures at macro mode; camera settings which can impress even a pro.      

Buying a point and shoot camera can be a wise decision especially if you are new to photography.  It can be a good practice equipment if you plan to really go into digital photography or it can be a handy piece of camera if you just want to have something to use for documentation.      

However, before anyone goes literally pointing and shooting, there are a lot more to learn.  Point and shoot cameras are note quite what their name denotes.  

The first thing a beginner should learn about is the half press.  This feature allows the camera to lock on the focus and adjust settings like aperture.  On your part as the photographer, the half press allows you to observe subjects or the photographic composition from a temporary shot, thereby allowing you to adjust your position and distance.   

Rule of Thirds   

Anyone new to digital photography will just be tempted to take shots with the subject in the center.  But what a beginner should learn is this type of photographic composition is rather unbalanced (despite the subject’s center position) and awkward.  Real photographers don’t take shots this way.  They follow several photographic composition rules and one of the most famous is the Rule of Thirds.  This rule is based on the theory that an observer will focus more on four points (although not at the same time) in a picture formed by four intersecting lines.  A picture is actually placed in a grid by these four lines and the four intersecting points are said to be the points of interests.   

Point and shoot cameras help beginners in a way that it offers a viewing mode that have these grids on it (similar to the ones on the photo below).  All a beginner has to do is position the subject on a third of a screen, either horizontal or vertical.  This way, the photographer avoids the awkward centered subject and will be able to take a rather interesting picture, if not well-balanced.  The photo below is a good example of the rule of thirds.

Aperture    

Another important thing a beginner in digital photography needs to know about is aperture.  The word alone may already seem discouraging to some that it may cause beginners to abandon the idea of going into photography but it simply means the size of the opening that the lens has while taking a shot.   

The depth of field or focus of a photo is also determined by the aperture.  When the aperture is set in a large number (small aperture), the depth of field is wide or large; just like the photo on the left.  And when the aperture is set in a small number (large aperture), the depth of field is shallow or small; just like the photo on the right.  

Most point and shoot cameras don’t allow manually setting aperture.  However, it offers different modes in different aperture settings.  The landscape mode for instance, is set in a small aperture setting and will give you a sharp photo from end to end.  The portrait mode on the other hand, is set in a wide aperture setting.  It allows you to blur objects outside the focus area, thereby allowing the subject to stand out.  The photo of the angel statue on the upper right for instance, stands out from a colored picture.  A colorless subject would not have stood out in an all-color photo had it not been well focused.  In contrast, the photo on the left shows sharpness from end to end reflecting a larger focus.   

It can take a while for a beginner to master the portrait mode especially considering the limitations of a point and shoot camera.  But what it all really takes is experimenting with zoom and subject to background distances.  

Shutter Speed   

Aside from landscape and portrait modes, a point and shoot camera also offers settings in different shutter speeds: the length of time at which the shutter is open.    

Learning to set the shutter speed in digital photography is quite important so you will be able to shoot subjects in motion; subjects involved in a sport or a moving vehicle for instance.  If not, what you’ll get is a blurry photo.  A blur don’t just occur when things are out of the focus area, it can also occur when you take pictures of moving subjects in a mode set in a slow shutter speed.   

Usually, point and shoot cameras label the mode with a fast shutter speed as sports while those set in a slow shutter speed is usually the night mode.  Taking photos in a slow shutter speed requires a steady hand otherwise you’d get a picture showing a blur or what is properly called in digital photography as camera shake (when subject is not moving).  Using a tri-pod can sometimes be helpful.   However, using a slow shutter speed for moving subjects is not always bad.  You can actually get interesting shots with a little play of lights and blur.  The photo of smoke on the left for instance, was taken using a slow shutter speed. 

Right Photo: Treasure Island presentation in Las Vegas photo showing subjects in motion taken at a fast shutter speed.

Macro Setting    

Perhaps the most interesting feature of point and shoot cameras, macro setting, has been the favorite of many budding photographers especially those who pay close attention to detail and color.  This feature allows taking pictures at life size or at a distance closer to the subject without resulting into a blurred shot.  Most macro pictures are of insects and flowers where color and lines are amazingly clear considering how small these subjects are.

The macro setting is usually under the Cuisine Mode or sometimes in a different control button labeled with a flower.  Most point and shoot cameras have two different macro settings: one that allows taking pictures at a fixed distance of 3 inches and the other at a closest distance of 7 inches when zoomed out or 19 inches when zoomed in.   

The two photos below are both macros but one (left) is taken at a farther distance and the other (right) taken at a much closer distance.

Black and White and Sepia

Left Photo:  Flip flop in black and white setting 

Right Photo: Self-portrait of author in sepia setting   

One last thing that makes digital photography interesting and distinct from film photography is the post processing feature.  This allows a photographer to create copies of previously taken shots in black and white or sepia: modes which will interest photographers who like the outdated or vintage look.   

Word from the author:  I myself did not know what aperture or focus meant until six months ago when I received an Olympus digital camera for a gift.  I learned digital photography from the internet since the manual wasn’t much of a help.  My good friend Uriel Paleracio has also been kind enough to help me understand digital photography jargon and share a few tricks I can use to overcome the limitations of my point and shoot camera.  And, it was nice of him to lend me his pictures.   Photos by: Uriel Paleracio.  Copyrighted Material, Do not copy.