#14 - Get a new perspective.

Look at that portrait of my three-month-old up there.

I did everything pretty much right. Didn’t use flash. Un-centred the shot. Background's a little distracting. But something else isn't right.

It’s boring.

Looks like just about every baby snapshot you’ve ever seen. It shows off my little one in all her glory, but it doesn’t make a family member stop and say “oooh.” And let’s face it. When it comes to your pictures, it’s alllllll about the great job you did.

What this shot needs is a little perspective – or at least a different perspective. Get up high. Get down low. Go in close. Get out wide. It’s amazing what happens when you move your camera around to grab a different angle. By moving around, you’ve got a better chance of seeing (and capturing) something you never saw (or captured) before.

Get original.

Our wee one’s been sitting in a Bumbo chair of late. I recomposed my original image with a few different shots that showed her off in a way that got a chuckle or a look of curiosity.

Stare into someone’s eyes.

Getting on par the eyeline of a subject makes for a powerful portrait. Nothing worse than snapping a shot of your small fry when you’re six feet tall and towering over them.

Think big.

Low angles exaggerate the entire shot and can make for a really cool look. These types of shots also help cluttered backgrounds look a little better.

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Bonus tips on Twitter.

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Step-by-Step - How to Un-Centre Your Photos.

Putting your subject in the centre of your photos? Your just centimetres from creating a better image. We’re learning about the power of un-centring your photos this week. Here’s all you need to do:

1.     Prep. Crack open your manual and see if you have the option of “gridlines” on your viewfinder. Turn ‘em on.

2.    Camera. Flip on your camera – don’t forget to use the P setting (and if possible, turn off the flash).

3.    Position. Look at your subject in the centre of your screen. Now, move the camera left so that the subject is in the left third of the screen.

4.    Click. Take your picture.  Now look at your results in the screen. Try everything again with your subject on the other side. Turn the camera around, and try it with the subject filling the top half (then the bottom half).

5.    Question. Is your shot blurry? That’s probably because your autofocus is trying to focus on the centre of the frame. Here’s a simple workaround. Centre your subject, push the shutter halfway down and hold it. Then recompose your image so that your subject is on the left or right and push the shutter all the way down.

Daily Examples + Conversation on Facebook.

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Bonus Tips on Twitter.

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Bonus - "I just bought a new camera. Now what do I do?"

Ooo. New technology. So much hope. So much shiny.

A few weeks back, we talked about the secrets to buying a brand new camera. Now that you’ve plunked down the cash and put one into your hands, you’re going to need to do a few things to make sure it takes the pretty, pretty pictures. Here’s my list of must-dos straight from the box:

Switch the Factory Settings

·      Autofocus – Centre (not Face Detection)

·      Continuous Autofocus – On

·      Digital Zoom – Off, Off, Off, Off, Off (you can do this in your software program)

·      File Size – Biggest one possible (if your camera supports “RAW,” use that)

·      Volume – Low (Nobody wants to hear the shutter at 100 decibels)

·      Custom Colour Settings – Off (most software will use the straight up image without your colour settings anyway)

·      Language – Finnish (Because I always wanted to learn a new language – I’m kidding)

Tinker with Shooting Settings

Your camera is full of helpful tools to get the shot just right. Here’s what you need to do in situations:

·      White Balance – If you’re outside, it’s Cloudy or Sunny. If you’re inside, match the balance to the type of light you’re using – or use Auto White Balance

·      Flash – Reduce it by 2/3 a stop if you have this setting

·      Gridlines – Always on

·      Histogram  -- On. You might not understand it right now, but it’s very helpful

Prime My Computer

·      Files – Pick one location for all your photo files

·      File Naming – Figure out a naming system

·      Computer – Upgrade if it’s time – processor, RAM and hard drive are musts

Get more insider information on buying your next computer, plus more insights from Frame One. Join us at the Intel Canada page on Facebook.

#13 - Go left (or right).

Better photos with your subject off centre.

Must. Resist. Temptation.

That little voice in your head is going to tell you to place the subject of you next photo smack dab in the centre of your screen. Don’t listen to it. After all, this is the same inner voice that told you to eat that sweet, sweet chocolate cake on your birthday.

In short, that voice is a liar.

One of the first things they teach you in photo school is that images are more powerful when you put your subject off the left or right of your photo. Snapping a landscape? Put that tree off to the left. Taking a portrait? Put your subject on the side.

Think of the screen on the back of your camera as a Tic Tac Toe grid – or if you’re old enough, the grid from the opening credits of "The Brady Bunch." The best spot to place the most important part of your subject (like the eyes in a portrait) is about a third in and a third down. Photographers call this the Rule of Thirds (the photo divided into three sections of three). You just need to know to stay away from the centre.

Turn on your grid.

Most cameras will help you do the work. Pull out the manual and you’ll discover that many screens come with built in gridelines. I keep these lines on at all times. They help me figure out where to place my subject and serve as a guide to make sure my shot is straight.

Try both sides.

Which side is better for your photo? Depends on the shot and the only way to find out is to try the shot out. Go left. Go right. Turn the camera vertical and try the top and bottom. No matter what you end up choosing, you’re going to end up with an infinitely better looking pic.

Step-by-Step

A little new territory for Frame One.

Every week, I publish a simple tip for making better memories with that great little point-and-shoot camera you already own. Starting this week, I’m going to take things a step further – I’m going to show you exactly how to get the shot I describe in the Wednesday post with a simple little step-by-step guide.

This week, we’re talking about ditching your on board flash. Want to get a great shot of your charming new beau? Here’s what you need to do:

1.  Prep. Grab your camera and a white surface of some sort – foamcore, a sheet, even a couple of sheets of paper work.
   
   
2. Set up. Open the blinds on a nearby window or screen door. Want to try it outside? Head into the shade beneath a tree.
   
   
3. Camera. Turn on the camera, set it to “P” and turn off the flash. Most cameras make it easy, offering a button that looks like a lightning bolt on it. Check your manual for exact settings.
    
4. Position your model. Make sure he, she or they are lit by the window. A good rule of thumb is to have them turn their body so that the body is on a bit of an angle – even if they turn the head to look straight into the camera.
   
   
5. Check the light. Do you like the way it looks? Does it blend nicely from light to dark? If you need a bit more light on the dark side of the face or body, grab your white surface (fomacore, sheet, etc.). Put the surface on the dark side of the model so it makes things a little brighter. Move it around to see what things look like. 
   
   
6. Click. Take the picture. The light should look and feel more natural and beautiful than what your flash offers. Is your subject blurry? There’s a reason for that. You need a little more light. Get a bit closer to the door/out of the shade and see if that does the trick.

That’s it! Have fun – and if you’re brave enough, post your finished pic on our Facebook page for congratulations.

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Bonus - "A few of my (photo) favourite things."

Me like light.

I broke up with my on board flash yesterday.

It wasn’t easy, but it was for the best. That thing was frying everything I saw.

Luckily I’ve got a few suitors waiting in the wings. When it comes to photography, I’m addicted to light. I’m fascinated by the ways photographers use light to set the mood, create a tone and take a better picture.

So it’s no wonder that my favourite things aren’t my cameras – they’re the things I use to light. Three simple things I love:

Clouds.

Big, dark, gray clouds are perfect for better portraits – and moody landscapes. They create nice, soft, flattering light for just about every situation. Too sunny out? Use a white sheet to filter the giant ball of fire and make your subject look super duper pretty.

My pop-up reflector.

Most camera shops sell these round, oval or triangular reflectors. They’re typically covered by white, gold and/or silver fabric and they bounce light back onto a subject. Don’t want to go that far? No problem. Pretty much any white/silver/gold surface works. A wall. Tinfoil. Even the inside of a book. Use this anytime you want to make the darks a whole lot lighter.

My portable flashes.

Advanced tip. Everything I don’t like about my onboard flash is solved by my portable flashes – like the Canon 580 EXII or the Nikon SB900. These put out a whole lot of light and I can use them in clever ways to get some brightness back into a scene (like bouncing it up into the ceiling for great birthday party pics). Want to learn more about lighting with flash? Try strobist.com’s Lighting 101 series. 

Ready to edit your photos faster than ever before? Get speed, performance and reliability from for laptop and desktop PCs with Intel Inside®.

 

#12 - Turn off your flash.

Boo (flash)                                             Yay (natural light)

Dear flash on the front of my point-and-shoot camera.

I hate you.

You rarely work the way I expect. You fire when there’s already enough light. You create evil looking red eyes in my subjects.

Things rarely look right when you're in the picture.

And so, I’m breaking up with you. I’d like to play the field a little more. I’d like to see more natural light. Try out a tripod. Maybe go on a date or two with a nice, big, external flash. I (and the people who read this blog) am turning you off for most situations. I’m opening my camera manual, figuring out how to toggle you on off (and importantly, back on). I’m making the leap.

When this idea won’t work.

Oh sure, we can still be friends. I know you’re a great pal whenever it’s dark in the room or outdoors at night. You can light up quick snapshots like nobody’s business. We can totally hang out then.

But if I’ve got a nice big window in a room, I’m going to open the blinds and let it flood the space. If I’m outside, I’m turning you off.

When this idea could work – if you want to try something cool.

I’m even going to try out no-flash photos in lower light situations just to see what happens. I know that some shots might be blurry when subjects move, so I’ll try to make that look nifty. I’m going to use my camera bag to hold my point-and-shoot steady when I take pictures of stars.

I’m ready to move on. Thanks for the memories.

Bonus - "My kids are bored. Can you help out?"

Weekends. March break. Whenever it’s cold outside.

I’m bored.

You hear it. I hear it (I’ve got six kids). And because you don’t want to go another round with Netflix or the PS3, you wonder – what else can I do that’s fun and interesting for all of us.

Pick up your camera.

Kids are brilliant natural photographers. They’re curious. They have a different perspective. They shoot first and ask questions later. Share a camera in a clever way and you’ll find that even the four-year-olds are having a blast.

All you need is a little ingenuity. Here are three projects that I’ve actually tried out, all with pretty decent success:

The ten-minute project

Think about what your child’s favourite thing is – trains, LEGO, animals – and make it the subject for a quickie photo shoot. Here’s the twist – make them the photographer. Just get them to point the camera and click. Want to show ‘em how to take better pictures? Try these two tips from the last few weeks.

The one-hour project

Every little one likes to play dress up in some way, shape or form. Drag out last year’s Hallowe’en costumes and create a cool looking scene. Ninja dojo. Princess castle. Crime scene. Have some fun decorating the area, then let your kids direct you as they take the photos. Notice how someone shorter than you sees the scene differently.

Want an extra hour of fun? Head to the computer and make a slide show out of your work.

The all day project

Give your kids a shooting challenge, and then head out to the zoo/museum/Science Centre for a photo safari. Encourage them to try different angles and (depending on the age) settings as they move through the day (no flash, wonky white balance and more). You’re encouraging creativity and experimentation here and the results can be spectacular.

Take this one up a notch by printing out your best pics at the end of the day. I’m a big fan of Costco’s lab when it comes to snapshots – either in store or online.

#11 - Think about the background.

The weird looking wall calling for attention behind your friend. The powerlines cluttering that landscape shot. The tablecloth behind the meal.

Backgrounds. You may not think of ‘em much, but they can make (or break) a great photo.

A good background helps any foreground look a little more fantastic. All you need to do is think about how you’re going to use it.  Three good ideas:

 

Simplify.

The easiest way to deal with the background is to make sure you shoot against a simple one – that’s one without too many patterns, colour, or mess. Get good at finding neutral backgrounds and your foregrounds will look sharper and smarter.

Pick a good looking one.

I like to take portraits and so I spend a lot of time driving around looking for really great backgrounds. Cinder block alls, great sunsets, fields with electrical towers – anything interesting can become a great looking background (look at this one in last week’s post – really nifty). Take a walk around your neighbourhood and make some mental notes of nifty looking backgrounds – there are lots to choose from.

Blur it out

Blurring the background – photographers call it “depth of field” – can make any image look even better. Best of all, it’s pretty easy to do. If you’re shooting on “P” (you’re shooting on “P” aren’t you?), just adjust the Aperture to the lowest number possible. Take a look in your manual to see how to adjust the settings. We’ll talk more about what Aperture is and how it works in another post. For now, just know that a lower number means more blurring in the background and a higher number means a shaper looking background.

Up next: it’s March break. The kids are bored. Restore sanity. Try out this great family friendly project.

#10 - The five things to take in your photo bag.

Your photo bag needs to go on a diet.

I can’t tell you how many times I hit the zoo with the kids and I see dad after dad, weighted down by a 40-pound backpack full of photo gear – just to get a snapshot of the little ones at the tiger cage. In fact, I used to be that guy (that's me four years ago up above -- note the superheavy sling bag over my shoulder).

When it comes to a good snapshot, you don’t need a monster sack full of stuff. To “catch the moment,” there’s only one important rule – catch the moment. If you’re bogged down by lenses and other photo gunk, you’re going to spend more time figuring out what you need than you are taking pictures.

And by then, your five year old will no longer be doing that cute thing he was just doing.

Yes, you want to travel with enough stuff to get the right shot – but when it comes to getting a good snapshot, you only need enough stuff to get you out of trouble. Here’s what to bring along:

A lightweight photo bag.

Bring something with two straps to share the load along both shoulders.

A mini tripod.

Very handy for low light photos and self-portraits. Go one better and invest in a bendy Gorillapod.

One extra memory card.
Because you forgot to empty the one in your camera.

A mini pack of Hnadiwipes.

For messy faces, sticky hands and touchups.

Your camera.

Make sure your camera strap is securely attached.

If you’re a little more advanced, you’re going to want an external flash, a small stack of index cards. We’ll cover off the whys and hows in another post.

Know what you don’t see on this list? An extra battery. Make sure your original battery is new(ish) and fully charged, and it’ll click along for a complete day.

And that’s it. If you know how to take a good photo with your little point and shoot, you won’t need to bring along everything you spotted in the camera store. Get out there, start shooting and have fun.

Bonus - "What do you use?"

“What do you use?”

This is the one question I hear more often than all the others. It’s a bit of a tricky one. I started my photo life wanting to take better shots of my kids. I had a great little Canon Powershot that I outgrew after a couple of years.

After that, things got a liiiiiiiittle out of control.

Just about the worst combination is “Gadget Lover” + “Guy” + “Photographer.” It means my basement is filled with all sorts of professional equipment. I make part of my living with pro-grade DSLRs, reflectors and lighting stands.

But when it comes to a day out with my family, I learned (the hard way) that schlepping around a 60-pound bag of gear just isn’t practical – no matter how many wheels the bag has on it. In those instances when I want to capture the family or a great vacation shot, I have a far more compact kit – the kind of kit you could expect anyone with a camera to have.

Knowing all of that, here’s what I use on an everyday basis…

Everyday Camera – Canon G11
SLR photos from a point-and-shoot body. This camera is as effective for the first time photographer as it is for a pro. It’s a little bigger than a pocket cam and the autofocus is slow, but it’s in my man bag at all times. I’m never without it.

SD Card – Lexar Pro 8 gig
I don’t have any great attachment to one particular brand of card over another – although I’ve been playing with the Eye Fi card of late (pretty cool, just not fully ready to commit just yet). The Lexar’s plenty fast for taking multiple shots.

Processing Program – Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Talked about this one at great length a few posts back. I use it in my pro life and in my personal life too – no need for me to learn two programs.

Computer – Macbook Air connected to 23" Viewsonic Monitor
My aging Macbook Pro bit the dust in January and I needed a replacement. I had been hoping to wait until the next generation with the new second generation Intel Core processors, but after spending 25 minutes getting my laptop to boot up on a photo job, I knew I had no choice. Still thinking about upgrading later this year.

There is one thing that this computer has that I’d recommend to anyone looking at a new system. Get one with a “SSD” hard drive. This is one of those new fangled hard drives that has no moving parts. It’s lightning fast and makes everything I do so, so, so, so much easier. You can get a SSD on just about any decent laptop or desktop system (all the Macbooks, or that sweet new Sony S Series laptop come to mind).

To give the Air a little more room, I use an external 23” monitor and an external 3-terrabyte drive (plus a 4-terrabyte backup). I’m showing the pro side of my life here. Most people don’t need this much hard drive space. Just make sure you get something with the latest connections – USB 3.0, SATA or (soon) Thunderbolt. Transfer times are a really big deal if you like your photos.

Backup – Time Machine + Mozy.com
Apple’s Time Machine is built right into the software and it’s easy to use – but I’m paranoid about losing data so I use an offsite solution too. Mozy.com has been pretty decent so far, but it takes months and months to do the first backup.

Store -- Everywhere
Where do I buy it all?  Depends. I like good service for stuff that needs good service – like the camera itself. That’s why I developed a decent relationship with the guys at my local Henry’s camera store. Canada Computers for specialty computer stuff. Future Shop and Best Buy when I need it right now. B+H and Midwest Photo when I need really specific pro photo gear.

Up next: the stuff you should pack in your camera bag

#9 - Watch out for distractions.

I have a terrible blind spot when it comes to taking pictures.

I have a bad habit of missing tiny details – like spaghetti sauce on the face of my friend’s daughter.

Ugh.

Little distractions can drive you nuts – like a weird shadow, something odd in the background or an out of place hair. I know that I can obsess over something small for months after I make a photo.

I’ve gotten a lot better at this over the years, thanks in part to a handful of checks and balances I’ve put in place. These days, there are fewer chocolate smudges on faces my final photo:

Look without your camera.
Look at your subject before you even lift your camera. Is the face clean for the portrait? Are telephone wires obscuring the landscape? Does the sunlight look weird on the building? No matter what you’re taking a picture of, ask a lot of questions.

Pack a clean up kit.

This one’s helpful when you’re taking portraits. Pack some wet wipes (for clean faces), a squeaky toy (to get attentions) and some Clean and Clear pads (to tone down shine), water and snacks (to keep rumbling stomachs quiet) and some clothes pins (to keep things in place). These will save your life.

Click a little more.
Why take one photo when you can shoot ten? Overcome blinking eyes and things moving through the background by taking more photos. I often take five or more photos of the same pose – just to make sure I got the right look. As you take more photos, you’ll get really good at spotting common distractions.

Take a breath.
Snap a few shots, then review your pics on the back of your camera. I have a checklist of things to look for (focus, light, pose, etc.) every time I look at the back of my camera.

Get a second set of eyes.
Having someone else look at the photos helps a whole lot. My girlfriend’s got eyes like a hawk when it comes to distractions. She’s amazing at spotting the things I don’t. Ask someone else to look at the photo – and tell them what kind of distractions to spot.

Up next: what’s on my distractions checklist.

Bonus - "How can I make my sledding pics look better?"

You want to know what happened.

Here’s the story. Took the boy to the local sledding grounds a few years back and brought along the camera for a day of laughs and fun. Click. He’s at the top of the hill. Click. He’s coming down the hill. Click. He’s in mid a…oh boy, he landed on his head. The bad news – a headache for Cabot and heart failure for dad. Good news – I had a good camera strap around my neck, so that when I instinctively dropped the camera to attend to the boy, it didn’t shatter in the snow.

Taking pics of whooshing toboggans can be a whole lot of fun, but there are a few real tricks to getting it juuuuuust right. Get out in the winter wonderland this weekend (if you’re on the east coast) and try these on for size…

Get the snow white.

Your camera has a habit of trying to make tones look nice and even. That means it’s going to make your shots danger to compensate for the blinding white snow. Everything will come out gray. Still shooting on P? Good for you. Get out the manual and figure out how to overexpose your picture so that everything looks nice and bright.

Pick a faster shutter speed.

I don’t recommend this one often, but until we get to the post on shutter speeds, I’m going to recommend searching out the “sports” setting on your camera. That will allow you to freeze the actio.

Go for the emotion.

We talked about getting close the other day – and this is a great chance to try out what you learned. Zoom in on faces and body language to show how your kids are enjoying the day. Nothing like a little frost on the eyelashes and rosy cheeks to create a memory.

Get in the way.

Move around and try different perspectives. Top of the hill. Midway down. On the back of your own sled chasing the kids down the hill (be careful with your camera).

 

Next up: taming the boogeyman of photography.

Hey! We ran a contest last week for a 4 Gig EyeFi Card – and our winner is Lynda Sinclair (Lynda, drop me a line here or on Twitter). Congratulations to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for our next contest - I’m going to give away an honest to goodness camera!

#8 - Get closer.

Here it is. The one thing that will make your next portrait, landscape or holiday snapshot a whole lot better.

Get closer.

Zoom in. Walk up. Scootch nearer. Whatever it takes, fill that frame with your subject. Too many picture takers stay too far away whatever they’re shooting. That distracts from the image. Your eye doesn’t know whether to look at the cute face your son is making or the miles of extra headroom around him. Getting close allows you to focus on the emotion and on the moment. There are technical reasons for this we’ll talk about in future blog posts, but for now do everything you can to get nice and tight on your subject.

A couple of pointers to help out…

A Little Bit Closer.

Think you’re close enough? Take one more medium step closer if you can (just watch out for that cliiiiiiiiiiiifffff). That extra push is often all you need to turn a good looking pic into a great looking one.

Cut off faces and places.

Don’t be afraid to crop out part of the face of a building to get the shot. Getting pieces of the image can often make what you’re zooming in on more powerful and interesting to look at. I got in nice and close on my daughter is the shot up above.

Turn off the digital zoom.

Your camera promised you 24x zooming capability. That’s a bit of a marketing whitewash. Most of that zoom is often something called “digital zoom.” That’s when your camera uses software to zoom in on your image instead of relying on the lens to do that. You’ll often get fuzzy, blurry shots when you zoom in all the way here. Turn this “feature” off for better pictures. And hey, if you decide you need the feature, know that you can accomplish the exact same thing in just about any digital editing program.

There will be a lot of times where wider is better, but for now get ready for the close up – you’ll gets instant oohs and ahhs.

Next up: what happens when you scoot in a few feet.

Plus we’ll be announcing the winner of the EyeFi 4 Gig card contest!

Bonus - "How do I take a really great family photo?"

They’re plotting against you.

Making faces. Chocolate on the new dress. Running around when the shutter clicks. Your kids are going to pull just about every trick in the book to make sure you can’t take that traditionally family photo.

Good for them.

Look. When it comes to that classic Sears portrait look, Sears and its ilk do about as good a job as anyone. So why replicate the forced grins, flat lighting and cookie cutter backdrops?

Step up to the next level and make your next family photo something to remember. To help you get there, try out these pointers:

Ask yourself one question.

What does my family love? Great photos come from great ideas – so start by thinking about a great idea. Are you all avid skiers? Then think about a fun shot on the slopes. Do you go to the movies a lot? Convince the theatre manager to let you in a few minutes early and snap away at the front row. Search online for inspiration. I like this one, this one and this one.

 

Think about what you’re going to do.

Plan it out – within reason. Close your eyes and see your final photo. Think about what appears in the frame (and what doesn’t). Consider what way the sun is pointing. Imagine what the faces look like in the photo. You might want to try a few sample photos at your location to see how it all works.

Get outsideish.

If you’re not a lighting freak (guilty), you’re going to depend on that ugly on camera flash – and you won’t be happy with the results. Get your family somewhere where there’s a lot of light – either outside or near a great big window in the house. Again, doing some test shots will give you a sense of what to expect.

Pack a bag.

You don’t need a sack full of equipment to make a good photo. You do need to cart along a few essentials: wet wipes for dirty faces, Clean and Clear pads for shiny foreheads, tape for any manner of things, extra batteries, your camera’s manual annnnnnnd a tripod. Don’t have a tripod? No problem. Improvise with something that’ll hold up your camera.

Don’t ask for the smile.

Here’s a million dollar secret for shooting your family (that never sounds right) – don’t get anyone to say cheese. Instead, talk to your subjects. Want ‘em to smile? Tell everyone an inside family joke or get everyone to make a funny face first. No matter what, just keep talking. Getting everyone to forget about the camera and just have a conversation is a big part of any great photograph.

Next up: the one thing that will make every one of your photos a whole lot better.

Last chance to win 4gig EyeFi Card. Post a burning photo question in the comments section at frameone.blogspot.com by midnight February 17 – and you’re entered into the draw.

#7 - "Feel" your autofocus.

Your camera is alive.

It has personality. It has quirks. And like any lasting relationship, you’re going to have to get to know those quirks – and how to deal with them – to take a good photo every time out.

The number one quirk you’re going to need to get to know is your autofocus system. Your manual gives you all sorts of technical insight into how your autofocus works, but the manual isn’t much help when you’re at the birthday party and your autofocus keeps hunting for your subject. It’s in focus. It’s out of focus. Oh wait, it’s in focus aga…annnnnd she blew all the candles out

Unless it’s super bright out, your autofocus can be fussy. I ran into this one myself over the weekend while taking snaps of my seven-week-old. I was taking her picture with a pretty hefty DSLR and even that autofocus refused to play along.. Luckily, I learned how to caress and cajole my autofocus into doing what I want.

If your manual’s not going to be a lot of help, your best move is to turn on your camera and get to know the autofocus with these tips:

Try it in a bunch of different situations.

Low light. Bright light. Close up. Flash on. Flash off. Your autofocus will do something different in just about every situation. The better you know what it’s probably going to do in a given moment, the better chance you have to compensate.

Pay attention.

Don’t just try out the autofocus, make some mental notes. Does it have a tougher time with different colours? With skin tones? In fluorescent light? Keep a mental catalogue on this stuff – or better yet, write it down so you remember.

Get good in low light.

Your autofocus will give you the biggest fits in low light. This is your chance to use your flash – some of them pre-flash to light up the scene and lock in the focus. Or you could try this great trick. Just before you’re about to take the picture, have someone hold a cell phone screen near your subject. Make sure the screen is lit up and the camera will instantly focus on the screen. Move the cell phone and you’ve got your shot.

Pick the corner.

Autofocus looks for contrasts. When I couldn’t get my camera to play along on the weekend, I focused on the area where her head met a giant yellow chair. The autofocus could tell the difference between her skin and the chair’s fabric. Find the area of contrast between your subject and the background and you can get many an autofocus to do thy bidding.

Next up: taking a fantabulous family photo.

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