Photo Tips

A couple of quick comments about "wow" photos that win. There are two types of "wow" photos.
The first is that kind that makes you say, "Wow, what a great capture". Image quality may not be
terrific, but someone with a camera was in the right place at the right time and caught it perfect.

The second makes you go "Wow, I wish I could take pictures like that" and usually refers to the
image quality more than the content of the photo. Nicely exposed, tack-sharp, or just overall
well-balanced photos shot at the correct settings look awesome, and we love them here.

Ideally, the picture of the day has both! But that is a difficult accomplishment, and so it happens
that on some days image quality wins and some days a marvelous capture wins. You can have a
$5000 digital SLR with a $3000 lens, but if some guy with a point-and-shoot is there when his
dog jumps into Aunt Martha's arms and causes her to fall overboard, guess who wins?

If you're not an experienced photographer, and you want to take better
photos from your boat, try these suggestions;

1) If you are in the market for a new camera, buy one that has Optical Image Stabilization
(OIS). OIS can eliminate much of the 'camera shake' that causes blurred pictures, and since
boats in the water rarely hold still, OIS can help your photos.

2) If you know how to manipulate your camera, use a fast shutter speed whenever possible. This is
most easily accomplished in "A" (aperture) mode at the fastest setting, which is the lowest "f"
number. If you are unsure how to do this, but your camera has "Scenes" mode, use the "Sports"
setting. It will give you faster shutter speeds and freeze the action so that you get less blur.

3) Under-expose a tad; set your exposure to -.3 or -.7 on bright, sunny days. That will cut some
of the blown-out whites on boats, or glare off the water.

4) CROOKED HORIZONS are probably the #1 mistake people make when taking boating photos.
The ocean NEVER runs uphill or downhill, nor does your local lake, so bad horizons are easily
noticed by viewers. Fortunately, this is easy to correct in almost any photo-editing program. Even
the totally free program Irfanview can level the horizon for you, with very little effort. Just be
sure to level your horizon before cropping the image, or it will end up smaller than you wanted it
to be.

5) PRE-FOCUS! The #2 mistake people make is to give the shutter a "full" snap when they take a
picture. Give it a half-push first, which pre-focuses your shot. It also allows you to look hard at
the picture and see if you have it framed correctly. If you like what you see, push the shutter the
rest of the way down and take your photo. You'll get better focus and fewer blurred shots if you
pre-focus every time.

6) Don't shoot in "Auto" mode. Use Program mode instead, or a Scene mode like Sports, if you do
not know how to use "A" mode. You will be surprised at the difference.

7) Take LOTS of pictures, and experiment with framing the shot and metering off the best part
of your subject. Digital is free! You can always toss the bad ones, and it doesn't cost you a penny.

8) Have lots of fun! Don't be discouraged if your photo does not win this month, just be sure to
bring your camera along the next time you get on the water and try again!

Good Luck!
Bill Lewis
boatingpotd.com