Taking Pictures of People – Idoors 1

Set the flash to flash off to bring out the atmosphere of a room
Close to windows where the light shines in, the light from the outside is brighter than the light inside. A picture taken in this type of setting will result in the subject appearing silhouetted. Using the flash illuminates the subject. However, there are times when this causes the picture to seem unnatural, with the subject appearing too bright or a deep shadow appearing in the background. In such cases, set the flash to flash off and adjust the brightness with the exposure compensation to take the picture.

Compare the effects of the flash on the feel of the picture

	Picture taken without flash		Picture taken using the flash		Exposure compensation at +2.0

Useful things to remember

• When taking pictures of people without the flash results in the subject’s face appearing dark, set the exposure compensation more towards the [+].
• You can try to adjust the white balance to [AUTO] or according to the type of lighting, or to take multiple pictures using various white balance settings.

Taking Pictures of People – Groups

Set [SCENE] to Landscape+Portrait
Leave the cameras settings to the [SCENE] mode and simply concentrate on the composition of the picture. One common mistake of pictures that include people and scenery is that the people are too far from the camera. When the people are too far, it’s difficult to recognize who is the person in the picture. By contrast, even if the people are close enough, if the background is too far, it’s difficult to understand the whole circumstances of the picture. To get a good balance between the people and the background, first position the camera in such a way that the background appears at a suitable size. Then let the people come in at an appropriate distance from the camera. Then you can change the balance between the people and the background by having them com closer to the camera. By zooming out (W) with the camera, you can make it easier to take a clear picture of both, the people and the background.

Common mistakes of pictures including people and scenery.

	Both, the people and background are too small		The people are the right size but the background is too far and too small		The people in the front hide the background

Useful things to remember

• When shooting a group picture, you can set the AF mode to [SPOT] to make it easier to focus exactly on the subject you want. When the camera is fixed to a tripod it is convenient to use [AREA], but with camera models that don’t have this function use the focus lock instead.
• When the camera is fixed to a tripod you can use the self-timer to avoid camera blur. You can also use the remote control with camera models that have this function.

Still Lifes 3 – Using the Macro mode

Let’s try taking pictures of pretty fashion accessories. Apart from wearing them, you can also take pictures of your favorite fashion accessories — a handmade necklace or that special ring you received as a present.

Use the Macro mode to take pictures of small objects
When taking pictures of small accessories, it is important to take an enlarged picture to really bring out their presence. Small objects will normally be out of focus if you bring the camera too close to them. Instead, you can use the macro function to get larger, in-focus pictures.
The subject will appear larger the closer you bring the camera; but if you get too close, the picture will be out of focus. With the macro function you can take pictures of small subjects getting closer than usual. When you use the Super Macro mode, you can get even closer. Using this function you can get not only pictures where your jewelry fills out the whole picture, but also magnify just one interesting part. So get creative and try different pictures.

Compare the difference between normal and macro shooting

	Normal shooting: Macro off		Super Macro shooting

Useful things to remember

• Depending on the model, when you set the camera to Super Macro mode, the picture may be out of focus at normal distances. For normal shooting turn off the macro function.
• In Super Macro mode the zoom will be at wide-angle. Note that in this zoom position subjects around the periphery of the screen may appear slightly distorted.
• Macro shooting allows you to take a close-up of the subject, but be careful since camera blur is more likely to occur.

Still Lifes 4 – Using the Macro mode

You may want to take and keep pictures of your favorite gadgets and fashion accessories. But, especially with small jewelry, it is difficult to get the right close-up picture using the zoom or even using the normal macro function. In such case, try using the Super Macro function.

Use the Super Macro mode to take pictures of small objects

With the Super Macro mode, you can get as close as a few centimeters to the subject but you cannot use the zoom or flash. Since camera blur is more likely to occur, stabilize the camera and use a desk lamp to illuminate the subject.
The macro mode is useful to take enlarged close-up pictures of small subjects. There are two types of macro – Macro and Super Macro mode. In macro mode you can use the zoom to adjust the magnification, but if the subject is too small it may not appear larger even with the zoom at telephoto. With the Super Macro mode, you can get as close as a few centimeters to the subject. Keep in mind that even very small movements of the camera will result in blur, so stabilize the camera.

An idea of the setting of the picture Minimal distance to the subject using Super Macro mode · µ 720SW, µ 770SW, µ 750 and similar cameras — 3 cm. · SP-550UZ — 1 cm.

Compare the difference between macro and Super Macro

	Zoom at telephoto in normal macro mode		Close-up using Super Macro mode

Useful things to remember

• The closer you get and the more you enlarge the subject, the more noticeable blur will be. Stabilize the camera by using a tripod.
• If after stabilizing the camera, you find you cannot focus precisely on the point you want, set the AF mode to [SPOT] or [AREA]. You can assure the camera will focus on an exact point by placing the AF target mark over it.
• If an unwanted shadow is falling over your subject, use a drawing paper or a similar white sheet of paper to reflect some of the light from the window onto your subject in order to reduce the shadow.

Still Lifes 5 – Using the SCENE mode

When taking pictures of objects in indoor exhibition halls, the use of the flash can be a nuisance. The operation sounds of the camera can be bothersome as well. In such cases, use the [SCENE] mode [MUSEUM] to take the pictures.

Avoid disturbing others — Use the [MUSEUM] mode
In this mode, the flash is set to flash off, and the operation sounds of the camera are muted. However, the ISO is not as high as in [INDOOR] or [AVAILABLE LIGHT] mode so be aware of camera blur.

Most museums and exhibition halls prohibit the use of cameras, but there are some exceptions. Even when you are allowed to take pictures, you do not want to disturb the people around you. You can turn off the flash and the camera’s operation sounds separately, but you can also do so at once by setting the [MUSEUM] mode. In this mode even when focus is achieved the camera will not beep, so remember to check if the AF confirmation mark on the monitor is lit.

An idea of the setting of the picture Indoor conditions: The only light source is the incandescent lamp or chandelier. Without the flash blur is more likely to occur.

Compare the effects of [MUSEUM] mode

	Picture taken in Program Auto (P) mode: The flash fired but did not reach far enough.		Picture taken in [MUSEUM] mode: The ISO sensitivity will be set higher without hurting the picture quality.

Useful things to remember

• In [MUSEUM] mode, the ISO will not be as high as in [INDOOR] or [AVAILABLE LIGHT] mode. If there is not enough light, you will need to stabilize the camera to avoid camera blur.
• With models that feature the image stabilizer function (CCD-shift image stabilization), such as the µ 750, this function can be effective for taking pictures in dimly lit places without affecting picture quality.

Cakes – Using the SCENE mode

Cakes and desserts on display at cafes or pastry shops can be gorgeous and pleasing to the eye no less than to the taste. However many people have experienced taking pictures of a cake that looks delicious only to end up with not so appetising pictures. If the picture is not right, even if you show it around, it will fail to convey the deliciousness of the food. Try using the [SCENE] modes.

Set [SCENE] to [CUISINE]
[CUISINE], one of the [SCENE] modes, is very convenient for taking pictures of cakes and desserts. Settings are adjusted to really bring out the colors of the food and macro mode is used automatically, so you can get close to the subject to take the picture. Thanks to the slightly stronger colors it is much easier to take mouth-watering pictures of food and cakes.

By setting the [SCENE] mode to [CUISINE] the macro mode and color scheme are automatically set. Try getting as close as possible to the food to take the picture. The flash is usually set to [AUTO] so don’t forget to set it to [ (Flash off)]. In most cases, when you take pictures of food using the built-in flash, the food will not appear very tasty in the picture. Also note that food will look more delicious in the picture if the picture is taken slightly brighter than in real life. Try getting a brighter picture by adjusting the exposure compensation towards the [+].

Compare the effects of the different shooting modes

Try using exposure compensation in addition to the [SCENE] mode [CUISINE]

Useful things to remember

• If you frame the picture so that a small part of the plate is left out of the picture instead of taking the whole full plate, the picture will be fancier and more attractive.
• If the cake or dessert is very small, it may not appear large enough in macro mode. Try using super macro mode. The flash is automatically set to flash off.
• When the flash is set to [ (Flash off)], blur is more likely to occur. Use a higher ISO sensitivity to avoid blur.

Still Lifes 1 – Using the SCENE mode

There are many occasions when you want to take still lifes, for example when shooting a picture for an auction site on the internet. Since it is a picture of a product, you want to take a picture that is as attractive and as close to reality as possible. When the picture is different from real life, the charm of the object may be lost in the picture. In most cases still life shots are taken indoors. You will need good lighting but if you use the camera’s built-in flash the shadows can be too hard and the results may not be so good.

Set [SCENE] to [AUCTION]
When you use the flash, the shadows can be too hard and the shape and color of the subject as well as its material texture may not come through very well. Try using a desktop lamp or a similar source of light to avoid hard shadows in the picture. In [AUCTION] mode 3 pictures are taken at different exposure levels. You can display them and select the picture you like best. The image size is automatically set to a smaller size, but it is sufficient for uploading to an internet auction site.

Compare the effects of different values of exposure compensation

From the left: exposure compensation at +0.3, +0.7 and +1.0

Useful things to remember

• Depending on the light source you use, the colors may not appear natural. Adjust the white balance to match the light source.
• If your camera model does not have the [AUCTION] mode, set the flash mode to flash off. If your camera has it, try setting the [DRIVE] mode to auto bracketing (BKT).
• Even using a light source, indoor light conditions are seldom as bright as when shooting outdoors. Stabilize the camera by using a tripod or other similar equipment.

Still Lifes 2 – Using Exposure Compensation

Everything is included in the frame resulting in an ordinary, featureless pictureFor table-top pictures, though it depends on the subject, you can get a lighter, fresher look by compensating the exposure towards the [+]. Take several shots compensating the exposure to get different brightness levels. In such cases, you can try using the auto bracketing function (BKT) if your camera has it.

Compare the effects of different exposure compensation values

	No exposure compensation		Exposure compensation at +0.7
	Exposure compensation at +1.3		Everything is included in the frame resulting in an ordinary, featureless picture