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Taking good pictures with a compact digital camera
Today, compact digital cameras are more capable of taking excellent pictures than ever before. With new technology built into compacts (you can find a great variety of digital camera reviews at a website we recommend, Digital Camera HQ), you no longer have to be a expert to take satisfying pictures. For a traveler, taking pictures while you see the world is important! Always keep a camera handy, as those pictures together with your diary will be your best reminders of your travels..
[Camera Formats]
Holding the Camera
There are a couple of thing to remember when you hold your camera.
First, hold the camera absolutely still when you are taking a picture. Camera
shake could result a photo being "out of focus" (blur image), this however
could be easily be avoided by pressing the shutter release button gently rather
than pressing down hard and therefore jerking the camera. Second, when holding
a camera, be sure that fingers are clear of the flash, lens and the auto focus
window. Third, make sure that camera sling does not obstruct the lens. You might
not notice that the sling has got in the way of the lens when looking through
the viewfinder as compacts, unlike SLR camera look at an image through its viewfinder
and does not show you what the lens see.
Using Flash Flash
can improve pictures outdoors, as well as indoors. Using flash outdoors will soften
shadows and brighten colors. The power of the flash, or the effective distant
at which it can correctly expose the film, varies greatly between camera models.
Check this out before making a purchase. If you already own a compact camera it
is always good to know its effective distant so as to avoid disappointing printout.
A typical flash distant is about 4 to 12 feets. Shooting At Night  If
you want to take a night shot say, London, Tower Bridge, use a fast film (ISO
1000, 1600 or 3200) and switch off the flash (remember flash does not work well
taking picture at night over long distant) You will need a firm support for the
the camera. Using a camera stand would give the best result. If your camera does
not have a "flash cancel" mode use your finger to cover over it.
Night
mode function
The more expensive compacts usually come with a
night mode function, you could save money on fast film, ISO 200 films work pretty
well with this function. Switch to the night mode, cancel the flash and get some
firm support, shutter speed is usually slow working on this mode so make sure
that you have a good support. [Using Tripods]
Filling
up the Viewfinder
 A
common fault of inexperienced photographers is that they do not fill the view
finder with the subject. The resulting pictures are therefore disappointing as
the subject fail to dominate the print. As a general rule, the closer you get
to the subject, the better your pictures will be. Make use of the zoom to fill
up the frame, if your camera does not come with one move towards the subject.
Taking Scenic Pictures  In
taking scenic pictures, light, perhaps is the most important ingredient. It transforms
a scene according to the season, time of the day and weather. For taking scenic
pictures, early morning and late afternoon would usually considered as the best
time to shoot these pictures as early morning and late afternoon sunlight give
a scene more contrast and form, however you should choose a faster film, given
light condition are low at these hours.
Taking Architecture  Like
taking scenic pictures, lighting is just as important when photographing buildings.
Take couple of minutes to make a reconnaissance of the site, try to access the
lighting conditions, and the best angle to shoot. As a general rule, strong crosslight
is considered the best light for photographing buildings as it bring out their
texture form. This type of light usually occurs in the middle of the morning or
afternoon.
Taking Pictures At Angle
Camera angles are also
important when taking shots. Most of us have the habit of holding the camera and
take pictures horizontally or vertically, but not many would have thought of taking
picture at an angle. By holding the camera at an angle , you could create some
very dramatic result. 
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