Easy Basic Photography

     That Point and Shoot Camera Will Do Just Fine!

    I have had people tell me that I take good pictures. Then someone would chime in with a statement like "yeah,
    because he has that really good camera". They would be referring to my Digital Single Lens Reflex camera. In
    reality there is very little truth to  that statement!      
    
    A good photo is pleasing because it is usually composed and exposed properly. And much more than that, it
    is interesting to the viewer.

    If  you can't take a good photo with a point and shoot camera, then you probably can't take a good picture  
    with a fancy single lens reflex camera. So today, I want to dispel they myth about having to buy a
    higher end camera to capture great images.   

    The average person uses their camera to take family pictures, holiday and vacation pictures, and           
    occasional events like parades or weddings. In fact, the average person knows very little about pixels,     
    exposure, and resolution. As long as the image is in focus and interesting, the picture is just fine.

    A point and shoot camera is probably all the casual photographer needs. The technology in these cameras
    has come so far that they can outperform some of the digital single lens reflex cameras
    of years past.

    All point and shoot cameras come with auto focus, automatic exposure settings, and most come with optical
    zoom. A camera with only four megapixels can produce sharp images to be reproduced
    as a print. There are cameras under $100 dollars that come with 10 megapixels. That is probably
    much more resolution than the average person needs.

    Most come with a totally automatic shooting mode so you don't have to think about anything except turning it
    on and pressing the shutter. The vast majority of the images will be OK. I say they will be
    OK because the effectiveness of the final image will depend on who is taking the picture. If a head
    is cut  off or a tree limb seems to be growing out of the subjects head, its not the cameras fault. It is because
    the photographer didn't take time to check the image in the viewfinder thoroughly before pressing the shutter.

    There are some drawbacks to the point and shoot camera. For instance, you can't change lenses,
    you can't use off the camera flash lighting, and creative options are limited. But who cares about
    that? The camera is not designed for "professional" settings.

    However, even "professional photographers" tend to carry around these type cameras when they
    are not planning on shooting a specialty scene or event. They keep it with them "just in case"
    something interesting comes up.

    In closing, if you are  a beginner thinking about buying a camera for your everyday use, buy the point and
    shoot. You  can always upgrade to a digital single lens reflex when you feel that you have advanced to a point
    where you want total creative control over your images. For now, just strive to take the best pictures with the
    compact  model. You will know when and if you need a more versatile model.