Photo Tips for Beginners?

[hoppypooh]

We are going on a first time trip to DL in a few weeks and I really want our pictures to turn out their best.

So what are your best photo tips, suggestions, do's and don'ts etc. for beginners?

* Please note that I don't have a digital camera (just a medium quality point and shoot.)

Thanks all! :wave:

 

[Disnut]

Point and shoot everything several times if you have time. I wasn't used to my camera and did that and came out with some desent shots of things some blurry also but have fun doing it.

 

[barnum42]

Take your time to frame the photo, look all around the frame. Too often a new point and shoot type person will just be aware that what they want is in the frame and not clock that the subject is only taking up a small percentage of the photo and the rest is wasted space.

Remember - you can't illuminate fireworks with a flash bulb. In fact the range of your flash is only good for about twelve feet tops.

Read the manual that came with the camera. If there are any manual controls that may help you take night shots, the book will tell you. But you won't be able to hand hold it. Put it on a wall or trash can if you want to try night shots.

 

[FanofDinsey1981]

I would suggest looking into different speeds of film (kodak goes in incriments of 100, 200, etc). If you plan on taking pictures of still moments, 100 speed film is the best. for fast moving (such as the kids on a ride or the moving characters in a parade), use 400. I now use digital, but when I used film, I went in the middle with 200 speed film.

And I agree with everyone above, take two or three shots of everything, if you don't mind using a lot of film.

I would stop by a camera shop by your home, or any of them in the parks, see if they have any additional thoughts about taking pics!

 

[wannab@dis]

The best way to learn is taking a lot of pictures. That can get expensive with film.

Good book to read -- recommended by PhotoDave and it helped me a lot.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Remember - you can't illuminate fireworks with a flash bulb. In fact the range of your flash is only good for about twelve feet tops.

Depending on the speed of the film in your camera. Also remember that the faster the film the more grainy the picture.
For the average user a film speed of either 200 or 400 is ideal for most situations at WDW

 

[barnum42]

Depending on the speed of the film in your camera. Also remember that the faster the film the more grainy the picture.
For the average user a film speed of either 200 or 400 is ideal for most situations at WDW

It does not matter how high speed your film - you can't illuminate a firework using a flash. A firework is light, you can't make it brighter by throwing more light upon it .

The range of a flash is still only good for about a dozen feet. It will work beyond that, granted but to get a good shot it's not going to cut it. You need a longer exposure - not something the average user of a point and shoot wants to fuss with.

Essentially all I'm saying to the OP is if you want good point and shoot photos, don't waste film on fireworks, night shots or big interior shots using a flash. :wave:

 

[hoppypooh]

All of these tips are wonderful and much appreciated! :sohappy:

We did WDW for our wedding/honeymoon and I thought I was getting all these great pictures... but a lot of them turned out grainy and/or washed out. It was a shock and a disappointment. I thought higher speed film (Kodak 800) equalled better film. I am going to try practicing at home with 200 film and see if that works better. I am really hoping that I can get some better shots of DL.

And Barnum, your advice re: flash is well taken. I never realized that before and now understand why so many of my night shots didn't turn out.

 

[barnum42]

Higher speed film does not mean better. It just means it will work in lower light, but the sacrifice is that the photo will have more grain.

 

[hoppypooh]

Higher speed film does not mean better. It just means it will work in lower light, but the sacrifice is that the photo will have more grain.

Barnum - does that mean ALL the photos will have more grain or only the ones taken in low light?

 

[barnum42]

Barnum - does that mean ALL the photos will have more grain or only the ones taken in low light?

As Tac said, you'd probably only notice when enlarging them. For standard 6x4 prints you'd probably be OK. I used to use 400asa a lot, so I could hand hold a long zoom lens (not an issue with your point and shoot).

Another thing to try when taking photos is go for different angles. Just taking a shot on your knees can make it more interesting.

 

[mrtoad]

Just a couple more to add. During the day if your subject has the sun behind them use your flash to brighted their faces otherwise they will be dark. It might seem like it is nice and bright out but it is behind them so their faces do not benefit from the light.

Here are some examples.

I took this of my daughter this summer on Long Beach Island, NJ. The sun was not on her face but up and behind her. You can see it is a nice day but her face is all dark.

Now this one is taken right after and with the flash on.

This one I took this weekend of my aunt on a ferry in Maine with no flash.

This one right after with the flash.

As you can see it makes a world of difference.

If your camera has any manual control, try taking photos at night with a longer exposer (no flash) of places like Main Street, USA. You can get the buildings to be nice and bright and still and have blurry people and it looks kind of neat. Here is an example (I took hand held so if you have something to brace it with you would be better off):

Good luck.

Mike

 

[Bullredchaser]

Great examples MrToad.

 

[hoppypooh]

But you won't be able to hand hold it. Put it on a wall or trash can if you want to try night shots.

Why? What is the difference between a hand held night shot and one that is done from a wall or trash can?

Thanks!

 

[barnum42]

Why? What is the difference between a hand held night shot and one that is done from a wall or trash can?

Thanks!

It's all to do with shutter speed - how long the film / digital sensor is exposed to light through the lens. During the day there is lots of light, so generally the exposure will be less than, for example 1/60th of a second. This is fast enough that any movement of your hand holding the camera does not affect the photo.

However at night, the exposure could be for a couple of seconds. Any movement then will blur the image, hence the need for a solid surface.

If you have a zoom lens and manual control or can see the shutter speed, the general rule of thumb for how fast the shutter speed has to be in order to hand hold it is a match of how much you are zoomed (measured in mm) to the shutter speed. So if you are zoomed in to 200mm you need an exposure of at least 1/200th of a second to hand hold it. If you zoom out to 35mm then the exposure needs only a minimum of 1/35th of a second.