a pocket with some slr features (that I haven't really played with much)
it's a Nikon Coolpix 12.1

 

Great writeup Schu...Just a couple things I don't particularly agree with.

First is making sure your subject is level. I've found that sometimes by tilting the camera drastically you can get some very dynamic shots that feel like they are more active than they are.





Also, it's not always bad to have the sun behind your subject. If you can get the right angle and the right lighting, you can get some very dramatic shots.





Having some good photo editing software doesn't hurt either. I use Photoshop and it has some pretty powerful tools but there are some simple things anyone can do. One thing I like is to add just a little bit of what Photoshop calls the Layer Style "Inner Shadow". You can see it in the picture above and the two below. It adds just a little bit of shadow around the edge of the photo and gives it a bit of depth.





While I don't have an example handy, you can also make your sky look more dramatic by putting a gradient overlay of transparent to blue over the top of your photo and lightening it so it just adds more blue to the upper part of your sky. If you've ever watched the show "Top Gear" they do this often with filters for the same reason.

If you want to get more advanced, you can combine photos to get a more "realistic" shot. In the picture below the bike looked better when shot from a lower angle...but the dunes in the background would disapear behind in the dunes in the foreground. When the shot was taken while standing, the dunes in the background looked great but the bike didn't look so good. By putting the best part of both photos together and blending them so it looks seemless and natural takes time and a bit of practice but the finished shot will give a better representation of what the scene looked like in person.



Most of the time I'm just taking shots of my bike for documentation...if it ever got stolen I'd never have a problem proving what was on the bike at the time of the theft...but these shots were for marketing purposes of a venture a friend of mine and I started a couple years ago so I got a little more "fancy" with the shots. Need to do some more like this once I give this quad a little revamp. Also, the pictures here were taken with a HORRIBLY old 3.3 megapixel camera and they weren't even shot at that high of a resolution. Remember for web work the resolution doesn't have to be all that high to get a good shot. For print work, that's a different story.

 

My advice for the beginners who are looking for a better picture.

First and foremost... get out and shoot pictures. You will not know what works until you get out and do it.

If you a see a picture that you like, try to recreate it. Basically this falls into practice, practice and practice some more.

DSLR or Point-Shoot... I have tens of thousands invested in camera equipment and I can get fantastic results with a Point-Shoot camera. Get to know your equipment and it's limitations and what it is good at. Again.... practice, practice and practice more.

Do you see a theme yet? .... Get out and shoot! When you get something that you like and looks good. Recreate it.

 

For those that want more..... This is a short cut-n-paste from something I am writing for photographers in my HOG chapter. The assumption of my article is that you are moving away from Program mode on your digital camera and are starting to experiment with the Advanced modes of your camera.
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WHAT IS A CAMERA

In it’s simplest form, a camera is a light tight box with a hole in it.

The hole allows light to hit the image sensor inside the camera.

The electronics in the camera read each pixel and then stores that information on a storage device.

Simple, right?


Exposure Basics

Cameras have three basic features that help you control light so that you can get the proper exposure.

Those features are:
1. Aperture or also known as f/Stop
2. Shutter Speed
3. ISO (The sensors sensitivity to light)

Though each feature has a specific function as to how it controls light, all three features will always work together to determine your exposure. This is true no matter what condition you are shooting in, whether you are inside or outside, if you are using natural sunlight or if you are using a flash or any combination of the above.

All three features must be considered either by you or the camera as well as the affect of any one feature by itself.

 

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unless you're in New York, and then it would be yous

 

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I am not a photographer either, but I love taking pictures, and I take many... which is my advice. The greatest thing to ever happen to me was the digital camera. I can take hundreds of pictures with little fear of wasting money on developing poorly taken photos. When I take a picture, I never take just one if I can help it.

- I will start by taking the same picture from a couple of different angles.
- I will take the same picture, but slightly changing the centering of the image.
- Lastly, I will take the exact same picture using various settings for exposure.

The thing about a photo is that you almost never get a second chance.

I remember one time while out bird watching, I took about 100 photos of the exact same bird, trying to get the perfect picture. In the end, I was only able to use about 4. Here's one...



Here's a photo I took on the same day that was totally random...



... I was trying real hard to get a picture of the spider, but what I like about this photo is the colors and textures in the tiny pebbles of the sand. Some times, it is better to be lucky than good. Too, my camera has a really cool "macro mode" that allows me to take some real close ups, which is very cool.

Disclaimer: These photos were resized for the web and the quality is kind of poor as a result. I'm not real good with the software either. lol

 

The road less traveled.

 

Absolutely - it's called the Rule of Thirds.

Schu - you mentioned the qualities of the light at certain times of day. It's known as "magic hour" and it occurs in the hour just after dawn and just before sunset. In the right location things will look particularly luvverly in the light you get at those times.