Learn from the expert
Tips for using the camera:
Get close:
The LUMIX camera is great for getting up close and personal. It is small enough not to scare people away. One thing I have noted as a professional photographer is that people love having their photograph taken. With such a small compact camera such as the LUMIX, I really do feel at ease getting close to my subject.
Manual:
The key is to just shot and shoot lots. The LUMIX camera has many features and reading the manual is not a chore but gives you a quick lesson in how to use it.
I hate reading manuals personally but it does save you missing that great shot.
Flash:
I tend to use the fill flash in out door situations a lot. Mainly because the very strong light we have in the Middle East. The flash punches in a bit of extra light to soften the strong shadows in direct sunlight (In peoples faces for example).
The digital playback feature makes any experimenting fun as you can see the results and delete if you have to.
Quick:
The fact that it is a digital camera and that the Auto and Simple modes are so effective means that I rarely miss a spontaneous and funny shot, It is a camera I can have on me at all times and within seconds I can have a nice shot.
Angles:
Why not experiment. I tend to spend a lot of time in either very high places or right down on the ground. Trying different angles can make a boring subject come to life.
White balance & Night Photography:
If you read the manual it will explain in which situations to use White balance.
I do it automatically and always use it. Light has different qualities. All on a different colour scale. On the LUMIX camera you can chose auto, daylight, fluorescent, and incandescent. You can also shoot in party mod at night which basically is a slower shutter speed so it absorbs the warm tungsten effects of for a example a restaurant at night and that combined with fill in flash will give a real mood to the shot.
Break the rules
One of the more imformative ways to learn about photography is to look at photos in magazines, on the web etc. Look where the light source is, how is it composed, what makes it a good photograph? Get in there, get a connection with your subject. Make the person reach out of the photograph. Children are great to photograph. Not self conscious, unpredictable.
Also remember there are no rules.
When I was asked to shot with the LUMIX camera I went outside my doorstep for a day. This is where I captured the best photographs. You don’t have to travel far to take a good photograph. Just look at things slightly different and shoot lots.
Katarina Premfors
Judge of the Lumix Photography Competition
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