How to get more from your point and shoot camera.

Great travel shots don't have to mean an expensive camera. If you have a 'point and shoot' you can still get great photographs. In fact there are many up sides to sticking with your compact point and shoot camera. When travelling the photographer has to think about weight and size of there equipment, using a compact camera rules this worry out! When out and about on your travels or holiday being able to quickly get to your camera is vital in capturing the 'moment'. Again using a compact camera makes this easy, it will fit in your pocket or top of your bag....perfect!! Most compacts these days have high mega pixels and picture quality, lots of settings to play with, a great flash, high quality lens, brilliant colour result ect ect. Love your compact camera, it will love you back and reward you with brilliant travel photographs.

Here are 7 tips to help you improve the photographs you get with your point and shoot............

Understand and use different settings..........

Be brave and stop using the auto setting on your camera. Most compact digital cameras come with at least a few creative settings so make the most of them.

A really simple but highly effective way to see instant results in your photographs is to change the ISO speed. ISO is the light sensitivity meter, speeds range from 80 to 1600 depending on the model of camera you have. Remember the lower the ISO number the slower the ISO. Here is a chart to help you selected the right ISO, experiment..........

Another way to improve you photographs is to learn how to turn the flash on and off. Turning the flash on or off is a really quick way to improve photography. Try using the flash when you are out in bright sunshine taking portraits, use the flash when you wouldn't normally and again turn it off when you would usually have it on.

Most point and shoot cameras these days come with many 'scene modes', they include close up, landscape, night portrait ect. Use the scene modes on your camera. These do some of the work for you but you have to select the right mode. If your are a bit confused as to what the settings do here is a guide to help you.

Have a look though your cameras manual as this really will help you get to grips with the settings of your camera. Why not even take your manual with you on your travels and really get to know your camera while working on the tan?

Photograph new angles and perspectives......

Because you are shooting with a compact camera it is easy for you to wave it about and get photographs from all sorts of angles! Don't just look straight ahead. I know this may sound obvious but this is one of the reasons why peoples photographs tend to look the same. Try getting down on your knees to bring your landscape shots to life.

For example when photographing beach sunsets trying lying on the floor to get some of the sand that is closet to you in the image. You can also do this with grass when your photographing fields. Even if you cant focus on the thing that is in the very front of the image this may also be an interesting effect.

If your hotel room is up high shoot from your window, if you have a lower floor room climb to the roof. This will give you a really good angle to photograph buildings and landscapes. Also you will be able to photograph the tops of peoples heads which can be really interesting. Being up high means that people are unaware that you are taking photographs which is good if you are a shy photographer.

Be creative when framing and remember the rule of thirds......

To get a much more interesting image try placing your subject off centre. When photographing a person place them off centre or when photographing a landscape place the horizon line at the top or the bottom of the frame. When experimenting with this remember the rule of thirds, avoid slicing the image in two by photographing the subject bang in the middle. This is simple but really brings photographs to life.

Look for a splash.....

Look for a splash of colour within a dull setting. This may be a fruit stall by the side of the road or people in brightly coloured cloths standing in front of a grey building. Matching colours in an image also bring a photograph to life. Photographing school children in their uniforms or beach life guards wearing matching colours is a good way to bring colours into your photograph. Also photographing groups of people at sunset will give them all the same golden glow which will bring your photograph to life.

Set up your family and friends......

When taking the holiday photographs of your friends and family think carefully about setting the photograph up. There are two ways to photograph your friends and family and I think a mixture of both is a good idea.

• First take there photos when they don't realise. Don't allow them to 'pose'. As a compact photographer you have the advantage here over photographers who have big SLRs because your camera is much more discrete! Its a good idea to walk ahead of people and shoot them walking towards you with an interesting background. These sort of shots are great reminders of great times when travling or on holiday.
• Second are the photographs where you ask people to pose. Think about the background and foreground. For example if you are setting up a portrait in a restaurant you may want to get the waiter to clean the table, or you may want the messy table as a reminder and to add more interest to your photograph. Getting people to look the same will help bring order to your photograph. This may mean asking men to put tops on or asking people to take hats off ect. My Grandpa has always said people should remove sunglasses when being photographed. Although if everyone in your photograph are wearing sunglasses it can add a good vibe and again bring order to your photograph. Remember try not to position people facing in the sun as squinting faces can be quite unflattering!

I would suggest thinking about what you want from your group photograph before asking people to pose. People can get tired of poseing quickly and grumpy faces arnt so good!

Steady your camera.......

Tripods are great for that amazing night time shot when your arm is not not steady enough. A massive advantage for you as a compact travel photographer is that you only need a tiny tripod to hold you camera, you are very lucky! Some tripods are even small enough to fit in your pocket. You can use your tripod for any long exposure shot where you are getting camera shake.

Tripod are also great for taking pictures of yourself using the timer on your camera. Get to know your self timer setting on your camera. I'm sure you will want images of yourself on your travels!

If you choose not to use a tripod there are also many rustic options......walls, chairs, tables, window frames, bags, cars, bikes, water bottles ect ect! Remember to check what ever you are using, you dont want your camera to fall off and break!

In some cases pressing the shutter button will cause the camera to shake. Its a good idea to you the self timer to give the camera time to sit still!!

Be ready for the moment......

As I said using a compact camera means very easy accessibility. Keep your camera close to you, your pocke, the top of your bag or better still poised and ready in your hand!

Make sure that your have the setting that is suitable for the situation and environment that you are in. Don't forget the ISO setting. When the moment comes alone that inspires you to take the photograph you don't want to be messing about with changing the settings.

Also this may sound obvious but make sure that there is sufficient life in your battery. There is nothing more annoying than going to take that perfect photograph and the 'change battery' sign popping up. Its also a really good idea to have a spare battery that is always charged and is always with you. Just in case! Remember that over charging the battery can lead to battery damage. Always read the small print on the battery do what it says in your manual. (if you don't have your manual look on-line)

Finally get to know your camera. When on holiday most people have a lot more time. Get to know your camera. Play around and have fun. Make sure that you have plenty of digital memory or film so you can take hundreds and hundreds of photographs. Use settings that you may not use normally, frame in a different way than usual and focus on the details of the larger picture, your camera will love it! Have fun being a travel photographer and have fun making lasting memories!

Abby x