By Alfred DeBat

Digital cameras offer photographers more choices for operating settings than film cameras. For best results, digital photographers should do their homework by studying the camera’s instruction book. Here are five settings that make for better photographs.

1. Flash Adjustment: Learn how to turn the flash on and off, even if the camera has an automatic flash mode. Sometimes flash will ruin a photo. It may be better to try a longer exposure in natural light. For example, if you use the flash when shooting through a glass window, the flash usually reflects back into the camera lens causing a flare. Ambient light can also capture a more natural look to your photography in most cases. Finally, see if there is a “Fill Flash” setting on your flash menu. If so, use the “Fill Flash” setting in bright sunlight to illuminate harsh shadows in portraits, which are caused by overhead sunlight. Remember, most built-in flash units can only operate at a maximum distance of about 10 feet to the subject.

2. ISO Setting: The ISO setting determines the camera’s sensitivity to light. For example, on a bright sunny day ISO 100 or ISO 200 is perfect for picture taking. Many cameras permit the ISO to be adjusted to 400, 800, and even 1600. These higher ISO settings are best used for cloudy days, low-light indoor picture taking, or nighttime photography, since they are the most sensitive to light. Usually a camera’s LCD menu allows you to select the right ISO for the job.

3. Erase Pictures: You have to be careful about erasing photos in the camera, but it can be done. First, learn how to erase just one photo at a time. This is useful when you snap a bad photo and you want to retake the picture without cluttering up your camera’s memory card with a bunch of poor images. Next, learn how to erase all the photos on the memory card, so that the card can be used again. Only do this after you’ve downloaded the images to your computer. And don’t get the two settings mixed up, or you can lose all the photos!

4. Image Size: Most digital cameras allow you to adjust the image size, which is the number of pixels used to make up the photo. The general rule is the larger you want to print a sharp photo, the more pixels you need. Therefore, if you want big prints, use the maximum image size. For example, on an 8-megapixel camera, the largest setting is 3,264-by-2,448 pixels. This can be adjusted downward several times, to 2,560-by-1,920, 1,600-by-1,200, or 640-by-480 pixels. Why would you want to do this? First, with a lower setting, more individual photos can be put on the card. Second, if you are only interested in viewing photos on-screen, monitors can’t use all the pixel information. Third, if you only want 4-by-6-inch snapshot prints, the 3,246-by-2,448-pixel setting takes up too much of the memory card’s “real estate” and some data has to be dumped anyway.

5. Image Quality: Also associated with image size is image quality. This is usually identified on the camera’s LCD menu as “Standard,” “Fine,” “Extra Fine,” and “TIFF.” Not all camera makers use the same words, but you get the idea. In addition to image size, image quality also affects the number of photos you can take on your memory card. For making the largest, sharpest prints, “TIFF” is the best setting, particularly when a high image size is selected. For snapshot-size prints, you can select one of the lower image quality settings. One way to find out what you want or need is to take some unimportant photos at different settings, to discover if you can see any difference. Then pick the lowest settings for the pictures you like best. Remember, this is for prints … almost everything looks great on a computer monitor.

Your camera manual will have a lot more information, and you should read it closely! If you are still having problems understanding how to adjust camera settings, take your camera and manual to a local photo retailer and ask a salesperson to explain the settings to you. They are the experts, and should be happy to help you, while also suggesting any camera accessories you may need.