Getting Digital Pictures Just Right

A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question...

Question:

I have a Sony Cybershot DSC-P8. I basically point and shoot and don't know anything about the settings so i'm using automatic. I take a lot of pictures of my baby boy. Many close ups of his face, mostly in indoor light.

I like the lighting if I can turn off the flash, or use the SL flash setting, but if he moves at all, the pictures is blurry. Since he's 6 months old, most pictures with no flash or SL are blurry. :) If I leave the flash on automatic, the pictures are clear, but I hate the lighting. His face/skin will usually be too bright or reflecting the light, and there will be shadows behind him. It's hard to tell where he stops and his shadow begins.

I've found if I back away and then zoom to capture closeups, I get less glare on his face, but I still don't like the light balance.

Any ideas? I can't get much detailed info from the user manual.

-submitted by andibon


Answer:

Getting indoor pictures just right with a digital point-and-shoot camera can often be extremely difficult. Use the flash, and everything will get washed out or the light balance will be off. Don't use the flash, and the camera has to increase the exposure time, causing blurriness when subjects more or you slightly shake the camera. You could probably get better results by flipping the camera into manual mode and adjusting some of the various parameters, but as you discovered, it takes a degree in nuclear science to figure these different options out.

Fortunately for you, this is where photo software comes in real handy. The best thing you could do is shoot in auto mode, and adjust the image later using computer software.

In your particular situation, I'd turn the flash on shoot and images from a distance while zooming in with the camera's optical zoom (using digital zoom will add noise to the picture). The light balance won't be great, but at least you won't get the glare off the little guy's face. Glare is hard to fix after the fact, but light balance and color temperature is a snap using today's software.


Photo Editing Software

There are many different photo editing tools available, most of the better ones you'll have to pay for, but there are many free editing tools that do the basics just fine. The more advanced photo editing programs give you a wealth of options and features, but as a result end up being harder to use.

The defacto professional image editor is Adobe Photoshop. It does anything and everything with digital images, but unfortunately, it takes years to learn how to use it effectively. It's also mucho expensive. Adobe offers a slightly easier to use and scaled down version called Adobe Photoshop Elements. It's around 100 bucks, and should do everything you'll ever need.

Beyond Photoshop, there are literally hundreds of other pay applications you could check out, like Microsoft Digital Image, Ulead Photo Impact, ACDSee, and more.

If you want a free option, I'd suggest you check out Picasa2. Picasa wasn't free originally, but it's now owned by Google, they've made it free to the public. It doesn't do everything (though it has the best red-eye removal tool I've used to date), but it offers many simple automatic adjustments that make photo editing a breeze. It's also a pretty good organizer. The image above is the photo adjustment panel in Picasa2.

You could also check out GIMP for Windows, which is often called "the free Photoshop". It's an open source program that offers a lot of features, but is also more difficult to use.

Doing a simple Google search will reveal a world of freeware and pay photo editors that are available. You could also visit your local electronics store and browse their software section. You'll undoubtedly find several options to choose from.

Matt Whitlock - Editor, TechLore.com


Did You Know...

Ever noticed the lag beween when you press the shutter button on your compact digital camera to when it takes the shot? Read "Ask The Experts: Camera Delay" to find out why this happens.

Many digital cameras can be directly connected to your TV set to show a slideshow to friends and family. Read "How to use the TV's front convenience jacks" to learn how to quickly connect your camera to your TV.


While You're At It

Do you have tons of digital pictures scattered about your computer's hard drive? It's time to get organized! Read Ron Repking's article "Organizing my Digital Pictures" to learn how he cleaned up the clutter.

How many family shots do you have with one important piece missing... the one holding the camera?! Read "Use a Camera's Delay Timer to Include Yourself in the Picture Too" to learn how get the whole family into the picture.

 

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