1. Troubleshooting

2. Problem: People have white faces when I use flash.
Solutions:
Use the scenery mode on point and shoot cameras.
Use matrix-metering or face-recognition.
Use Forced Exposure Compensation (FEC) on SLRs.
Add more ambient light: open windows, doors, switch on all lights.

3. Problem: People have red eyes
Solutions:
Don’t use flash
Use off camera flash instead
Red-eye reduction pre-flash
Pre-flash sends out a burst of flashes before the picture is taken, which causes pupils to constrict and therefore reduces red-eye.
Let subject look at bright light source first.
Make subject look at camera, but not at lens.
Retouching.

4. Problem: The flash causes reflections
Solutions:
Take the photo at an oblique angle to the reflecting surface
Don’t use flash
Get close to the glass
Get the light source out of family of angles
i.e. Outside of diagram’s shaded area
Reflective Surface
Camera

5. Problem: Other reflections cause trouble
Solutions:
Put the lens against the glass
Move around to move reflective elements
Wear dark colours
Dim the lights on your side of the glass

6. Problem: The light is too harsh outdoors
Solutions:
Shoot in the morning or late afternoon
Shoot in the shadow
Use a diffuser
Use a reflector

7. Problem: Sunny pictures are too bright or dark
Solutions:
Point and Shoot: switch to beach or snow modes.
SLR or bridge: use exposure compensation
Use matrix metering.

8. The photographs are blurry
There are two different types of blur:
Motion blur
Focus blur

9. Problem: Motion blur Solutions:
Steady the camera (tripod, wall posture)
Use larger aperture for shorter exposure
i.e. f/2.8 instead of f/5.6 gives you three additional stops—1/400 instead of 1/50
Shutter speed shorter than 1/focal length
If you’re using 100mm as your focal length, your shutter speed should be shorter than 1/100
Use flash, increase ISO
Use image stabilization
Panning
Switch to Sports mode

10. Problem: Focus blur Solutions: Manual focus
Smaller aperture for more DOF
f/2.8 is very shallow; f/32 focused on more.
SLRs need contrast to focus
P&S confused by backlighting, smoke, snow, reflections
Don’t move after focus is locked
DO move with MF when shooting macro
Respect minimal focal distance

11. Problem: Buildings look like they are falling over
Solutions:
Get higher (stand on a ladder, or another rooftop if it’s a really high building)
Get further away from your subject to reduce distance distortion

12. Problem: My composition looks boring
Solution:
Get an unusual point of view
Use the rule of thirds
Use the ‘Golden Ratio’ (also known as Phi)—see diagram

13. Problem: My composition looks boring (continued)
Solutions:
Try portrait instead of landscape
Use natural framing
Include lead-in lines
Tilt your camera
Move around your subject until you find a better angle

14. Problem: The photo has too much noise
Solutions:
Reduce ISO
Activate noise reduction in camera
Use noise reduction software
Use exposure stacking
Use a camera with a bigger sensor (full frame 30-35x bigger than cameraphone)

15. Problem: I can’t zoom in enough
Solution:
Get a tele lens
Zoom with your feet, i.e. Walk; get closer to your subject
Crop your picture (on the computer)
DON’T use digital zoom. EVER.
Basically, it’s just cropping within the camera, and reducing quality more than cropping with a computer.

16. Problem: Not everyone fits into the photo
Solutions:
Rearrange people into rows
Have the rows at different heights (stairs, chairs, kneeling)
Move to a higher point of view.

17. Problem: My portraits look distorted
Solutions:
Avoid wide angle for portraits (unless for special effect)
Anything above 50mm is ideal
Make the subject turn their head slightly sideways
Watch out for people that stand close to the edge in wide-angle groupshots

18. Problem: My camera is slooooow
Solutions:
Most cameras have a ‘shutter lag’, or delay between when the shutter button is pushed and when the photo actually takes
Use pre-focusing and pre-metering by half-pressing the shutter button
Use an SLR where possible—the shutter lag is negligible.

19. Problem: My batteries die too soon
Solutions:
Protect them from the cold
Reduce screen brightness
Black out the display or use the viewfinder
Reduce review time.