Parts and functions of a camera
- Lens
- Zoom
- Aperture
- Shutter speed
Photography - top tips
Photography is all about light. No expensive equipment is necessary to create excellent lighting effects. Use what you can find at home, even use a torch and piece of cloth will work.
Use flash to help you to create a sharp image. For outdoor portrait pictures, if you use the ‘flash on’ mode, the camera will first expose the background first, then add just enough light to illuminate your subject. It looks really professional!
A slow shutter speed can create wonderful effects - try it out on a city-scape at night and see what happens!
Try placing a pair of sunglasses in front of the lens when you take a picture. This has a polarising effect and results in an image with deeper, richer tones.
Experiment with light by taking pictures of a friend. Create different moods effects using a light or torch below, above, behind and in front of his or her face.
When taking pictures outdoors, try changing the 'white balance' setting from auto to cloudy. It warms up the mood and gives the image a richer feel.
Use the 'macro mode' to take highly-detailed close-up pictures.
Invest in a memory card with lots of storage space – that way, you’ll be able to take great high-resolution pictures and you’ll be less likely to miss a picture because the card is full.
Did you know…. that the old German term for photographer is Lichtbildner, meaning “Light-sculptor”?
