Are You and Your Camera Best Friends.....

or just acquaintances? Are you on a first name basis or is it still, "Mr. Camera?" Do you find yourself sharing little secrets and inside jokes, or do you rarely talk about more than the weather?

If your answer to all of the above questions was "Is this Lady insane?", no one will blame you. However,if the answer was always the second choice, well then we may have the key to your photo trouble. All too often, we get a new camera, flip through the manual long enough to figure out where the battery goes, how to turn it on, and how to get the pictures out of it. Then the Manuel finds a place of honor somewhere in your house, that is most likely even a secret to YOU. Am I right? I am betting that for most of you, your manual is NOT nestled snugly in your camera bag, nor does it ever find itself tucked in bed with you for some bedtime reading.

Believe it or not, the manual that came with your camera is a wealth of information, and should be considered required reading. In my experience, most problems people are having with their camera can be solved, or at least bettered, by simply looking up the solution in the manual. I understand that to some people it is dry reading, and possibly over technical, but it really is the key to taking better photos.

It is impossible for me to tutor each and every one of you on how to get the best photos out of YOUR camera, since each camera has it's own capabilities. Each camera has it's own specialities, and challenges. Only by learning to use YOUR camera properly, will you know if YOUR camera will meet your needs or desires. It is a mistake to purchase a "better" camera, before fully understanding the one you have. How on earth can you possibly know what you WANT, if you don't know what you HAVE. For instance, when I upgraded to a DSLR from my Canon Prosumer Point and Shoot, I had reached it's full potential, and knew that I wanted a camera that could handle low light situations without the use of a flash, and with minimal noise. If you read that sentence, and got lost....you might not be ready for a DSLR. As I have said before, too many people rush to purchase a "fancy" camera before even understanding the functionality of one. Then find themselves just as frustrated as they were with their old Point and Shoot, if not more. Here they have spent big bucks....and still have the same problems. I know that would send me over the edge.

So, I am here to convince you, that before you dream of bigger and better, just spend some quality time with the one you have. Read the Manual. If you can't find it, request a new one. Read each section, then practice what you learned. If you do not practice...you will forget. Take it step by step, and learn all the settings, and figure out for yourself which settings you like for which type of photography. You may find that your problem is fixed through shooting in a different mode. You'll never know until you try. All digital cameras these days offer many different modes. Learn about them....and give them a go.

After all that,s ometimes we find ourselves stuck. We have a problem with our camera, and after much searching in the Manual we still can't solve it. A great resource I found online is called, dpreveiw.com. This website is wonderful for many reasons. You can read reviews of nearly all cameras out there, and do a side by side comparison of their features. However, the reason I am mentioning it here is the fact that each BRAND of camera has it's own Discussion Forum. These forums are soooooooooooo valuable. Tons of photographers come there each day to just plain old talk about their cameras. You can search for your specific problem, and you are likely to find many posts discussing the very thing you are interested in. If you don't find what you are looking for, simply start a new post asking for help. For example, if you have a Kodak, and you want to know if there is anything you can do about your camera taking so much time between shots, just go on the "Kodak forum" and ask about it. Be specific about which camera you have. I have found that the folks on there are very willing to help out. Don't be afraid to jump on there.

If you are serious about wanting to get the best pictures you can out of your camera, it should be your mission to learn it inside and out. You will never regret it. Knowledge is power.

Coming soon....we'll be discussing lighting, photography toddlers, and photo editing. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know. Thanks! Now what are you waiting for....go dust off your Manual. NOW GIT!

*** oh and don't forget I'm on Top Momma!


CLICK HERE!!!!! You know you want to. Click it a few times in fact. I get a referral each time you click the link, and a click each time you click on Sugar's sweet photo. Isn't that fun? I can't think of a single thing I should be doing today other than clicking. Can you? ***