Picture in Your Pocket - Make the Most of Your Compact Digital Camera

Compact digital cameras make photo snapping a breeze. Their small portable size means you can take them anywhere. Many also have unique features, such as waterproof capabilities in the Canon PowerShot D10, so you can capture photos where you've never taken them before. Others, such as the PowerShot G11 and PowerShot S90, offer high-image quality and full manual control in a convenient compact size. As such, even professional photographers complement their DSLRs with a high-end compact model to take advantage of the convenience they offer.

You can get some great quality shots with your compact digital camera if you know how to use it. Learn about your camera's various features as well as its limitations. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make the most of your compact camera:

Learn about your camera's functions - many compact digital cameras, including Canon's IXUS digital cameras, have a number of functions to shoot in different conditions. While you won't have as much control as with an SLR camera, you can still capture some great images in most environments. Certain modes will be ideal for taking night time photos as they let in more light. For portrait photography, Canon's Intelligent Auto Technology has Face Detection, Motion Detection and Noise Reduction technology to automatically adjust the camera to the optimum settings.

Steady hand - reduce blurry images by maintaining a steady hand when you take your shot. Set a wide stance for maximum stability and keep your elbows tucked in. Peer through the view finder as opposed to the screen, as having your arms too far away can make your images shakier. Exhaling as you finally press the shutter button can also help.

Use your environment - when it comes to digital compact cameras, you probably don't want to be carrying around bulky tripods and equipment, but that doesn't mean you don't have tools to help you take better photos. Resting your camera on a steady surface can help stabilise your images in the absence of a tripod. Shift your environment and subjects around to make the most of lighting - or even use a torch.

Shoot at a higher resolution - make the most of the megapixels on your compact digital camera. Today's portable models offer as many as 12 MP which is enough to rival many entry level SLR models. Make the most of this functionality and shoot at the highest resolution you can. In this way, even if you don't have exceptional optical zoom abilities, you can still used editing software to crop your shots after you've taken them.

Source : Ezinearticles