Museums, aquariums and natural habitat parks provide opportunities for unusual shots. They also present some difficult challenges for the digital photographer, but nothing that can't be overcome with a little ingenuity. Often you'll discover that photography is allowed in some areas, but not in others. To avoid embarrassing confrontations, ask when you first enter the facility. Even when you're granted permission, you'll probably be told that you can't use a flash or set up a tripod. So here are a few tips to help you work around those constraints
Check your white balance: Chances are your images are displaying a noticeable reddish hue on your LCD monitor. Try using the Tungsten setting to improve the color balance. Some cameras allow you to set a custom color balance. You might want to give that a try if the presets don't provide the results you want.
Find a way to combat the low ambient light often found inside museums: Chances are the camera shake symbol is flashing on your LCD monitor, telling you that your pictures are going to be "soft" due to a slow shutter speed.
If your camera has a neck strap, you can use it to help you steady the shots. Pull the camera out from your body until the strap is taut. Use this resistance to steady your hands as you make the exposure. If one is available, you can also lean against a wall or pillar to help you combat camera shake.
The Built-In Flash Isn't Enough: Wander into a big city cathedral or an expansive art gallery, and the first thing you'll find is that the puny flash built into your digital camera isn't going to cut the mustard. With a maximum range of about 10 feet, the flash on your camera is designed to illuminate someone standing right in front of you--not a hundred-foot-high wall of stone and marble, 25 feet away. Luckily, many digital cameras come with external flash mounts--called shoes--that let you slide on beefier external flash units. These flash units can throw light 75 feet away, and are much better for illuminating scenes like this. As an alternative, you can get a slave flash that doesn't have to mount on the camera itself. You can hold it with a free hand or mount it on a tripod and it'll fire whenever the camera's flash fires. I recently reviewed a universal digital camera slave flash from Phoenix.
No Flash Photography: One of the most common stumbling blocks with shooting indoor tourist locations is that flash photography is often not allowed. There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, it's often discouraged to avoid disturbing other visitors. Second, flashing cameras are perceived as ruining the sanctity of the location. And finally, some historical sites want to minimize the damage that bright lights might cause to ancient materials. Whatever the reason, if you have to turn off your flash, make sure you know how before you get there. Most digital cameras allow you to completely disable the flash by cycling though its various settings until you reach an icon that has a slash through the flash symbol.
Try a Tripod: If you can't use a flash at all--but cameras are allowed--your best bet is to take pictures with a tripod. Even a small, lightweight tripod is enough to stabilize your camera for the long exposure you'll need. Without a flash, your camera's automatic exposure control will leave the camera's shutter open anywhere from 1 to 8 seconds, and that's far too long to hold a camera steady by hand.
Check your white balance: Chances are your images are displaying a noticeable reddish hue on your LCD monitor. Try using the Tungsten setting to improve the color balance. Some cameras allow you to set a custom color balance. You might want to give that a try if the presets don't provide the results you want.
Find a way to combat the low ambient light often found inside museums: Chances are the camera shake symbol is flashing on your LCD monitor, telling you that your pictures are going to be "soft" due to a slow shutter speed.
If your camera has a neck strap, you can use it to help you steady the shots. Pull the camera out from your body until the strap is taut. Use this resistance to steady your hands as you make the exposure. If one is available, you can also lean against a wall or pillar to help you combat camera shake.
The Built-In Flash Isn't Enough: Wander into a big city cathedral or an expansive art gallery, and the first thing you'll find is that the puny flash built into your digital camera isn't going to cut the mustard. With a maximum range of about 10 feet, the flash on your camera is designed to illuminate someone standing right in front of you--not a hundred-foot-high wall of stone and marble, 25 feet away. Luckily, many digital cameras come with external flash mounts--called shoes--that let you slide on beefier external flash units. These flash units can throw light 75 feet away, and are much better for illuminating scenes like this. As an alternative, you can get a slave flash that doesn't have to mount on the camera itself. You can hold it with a free hand or mount it on a tripod and it'll fire whenever the camera's flash fires. I recently reviewed a universal digital camera slave flash from Phoenix.
No Flash Photography: One of the most common stumbling blocks with shooting indoor tourist locations is that flash photography is often not allowed. There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, it's often discouraged to avoid disturbing other visitors. Second, flashing cameras are perceived as ruining the sanctity of the location. And finally, some historical sites want to minimize the damage that bright lights might cause to ancient materials. Whatever the reason, if you have to turn off your flash, make sure you know how before you get there. Most digital cameras allow you to completely disable the flash by cycling though its various settings until you reach an icon that has a slash through the flash symbol.
Try a Tripod: If you can't use a flash at all--but cameras are allowed--your best bet is to take pictures with a tripod. Even a small, lightweight tripod is enough to stabilize your camera for the long exposure you'll need. Without a flash, your camera's automatic exposure control will leave the camera's shutter open anywhere from 1 to 8 seconds, and that's far too long to hold a camera steady by hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment