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What do all of these picture have in common?

Believe it or not but they were all taken by me with my Kodak Easyshare Point and Shoot Camera. I love photography but without the funds to acquire a nice DSLR I have learned to make due with what I've got. I've found that with a lot of patience and a little editing a mid range camera can produce wonderful results and I would like to show you how.

Step 1: Turn off your flash

One of the main problems with PAS's (Point and shoot's) is that the flash is so harsh, leaving everybody with red-eye and giving everything this sharp shadow that really detracts from the photo. I suggest turning your flash off and trying your best to use natural lighting, it may take a little more time but the result is well worth it.

Step 2: Use Manual Mode

The automatic mode on most cameras is something to avoid. It is far better to learn about shutter speed and F-stops and ISO than to try to let your camera decide for you. In manual mode you have full control over most aspects of your photo. My camera, unfortunately, does not have manual focus even in Manual Mode so I have to make due with autofocus which can be quite frustrating but it is possible to get that shallow depth of field that DSLR's can pull of so easily

Step 3: Composition

When shooting with a PAS it is really important to focus on your composition and technique even it means doing things the hard way. Sometimes I will shoot one scene upwards of 30 times to get it just right; the way I see it in my head. Remember the rule of thirds, some camera's have an option that lays out a 3x3 grid on the display to aid with this technique.

Step 4: Editing

Editing your photos is almost if not as important as taking the photo. I don't like to go overboard on my pictures but I do like to boost the contrast and colors. Some people add a faux depth of field with a blurry gradient, I personally don't like doing that so none of my photos have had that effect added. Curves are your friend, learn to use them and they can become your best friend. If you don't feel inclined to learn how to use the settings in photoshop another option is photoshop actions.

Final Note

I hope you have found this article informative and you can look at your camera in a new light. Just get outside and experiment with your camera. Good Luck!