Canon 60D Vs T3i - How Do These Two Digital SLR Cameras Stack Up?

When you think about the Canon 60D vs T3i, you may ask if there are enough feature differences to substantiate the production of two digital SLRs in the mid-level DSLR market, especially when they are produced by the same company. It is definitely a gutsy move by Canon to release both these cameras. From outward appearances, they seem to be targeting the same group of buyers, entry-level and photo enthusiasts.

Upon further consideration, you will note that there are now three digital SLRs in the Canon stable with the same 18-megapixel image sensor, the third being the Canon 7D. What's up with this?

Suffice it to say that the 7D is in a whole other category in spite of the image sensor similarity. The 7D is more of a semi-pro to pro level camera, which is proven by the market and buyers that are attracted to it. We will shelve that discussion for another article and concentrate on the two cameras in question here.

The Canon Rebel T3i is a legitimate upgrade of the T2i in that it inherits or improves upon all the hardware and software in that model. However, there is quite a bit of controversy among pixel peepers about the legitimacy of the Canon 60D being called an "upgrade" because of the fact that it does not improve on all the hardware and software of the 50D.

Well, "it is what it is," as they say when something can't be explained. The "upgrade" question has nothing to do with how these two models compare to each other. In fact, it is a moot point when you consider the way buyers are scooping up these two cameras.

The question now at hand is, "Which one is right for you?"

While both use the exact same 18-megapixel sensor and Digic 4 processor, as well as having the same polycarbonate plastic material over a magnesium alloy frame for the body construction, there are a few differences that may be deal makers or breakers.

Let's take these changes in a kind of random order since there is no way of knowing which one will make the big difference for you.

Body construction - yes, the material is the same, but the Canon 60D is environmentally sealed while the Rebel is not.

Shutter speed - the T3i's fastest shutter is 1/4000 which is only half the speed of the other camera, plus it has a sync shutter speed for flash of 1/200 sec compared to 1/250 sec. These two shutter speed differences can be significant depending upon the lighting of a particular shot.

Continuous Shooting Rate - again the Rebel does not match up here at only 3.7 fps with a buffer of up to 34 JPEG images vs 5.3 fps with a buffer of 58 JPEGs. This is quite significant if you are shooting action shots.

Focus - Both models have a 9-point auto focus system, however the system is not the same. In the 60D all 9 points are cross-type auto focus points. Not so with the T2i in which only the center point is a cross-type focus point. This can make a big difference in the way each camera handles auto-focus.

Video - there is one thing that the Canon Rebel T3i has which the other camera does not. It is a digital zoom feature that allows 5x or 10x zooming while making movies. This means a 50mm lens can act like a 500mm lens without degrading the quality.

There are some other differences between these two digital SLR cameras, including differences in size and weight, viewfinder magnification, and battery life. Oh, and price. Price could also be a determining factor. It usually is.

So which camera is right for you in the Canon 60D vs T3i comparison? Would you be interested in a side-by-side-by-side comparison. You can find such a comparison at http://digital-photographic-resources.com/.

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Understanding Color Balance and Color Temperature in Digital Cameras!

Photography can be a very fun profession or a hobby but you have to understand many of the basics of photography and not let the camera do everything for you in the automatic mode or the program mode in what you think is goof-proof mode!

Light by its very nature is broken up into many wavelengths of color from the visible light spectrum to the infrared spectrum which you really can't see with the naked eye. Remember if you were fortunate enough in Junior High or High School, when the science teacher brought out a prism, and shined light through it and it projected on the wall the colors of the spectrum. We may have learned the colors as: ROYGBIV, Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet! Well, these are continuous colors that blend from one to another and go from warm to cool back to warm again.

In light bulbs of various kinds there are different colors that are given off. You tend to think that a white light is white but this is not so. White light whether in bulb or florescent or other form can have different colors or tints that are given off by the light itself. We don't notice this because our eyes are constantly making adjustments to the colors and how we perceive our surroundings. Our good old incandescent light bulbs generally give off a warm glow in the yellow - orange color range. A florescent light tube can give off cooler colors in the blue to blue-green to the blue-violet ranges. Some lighting in parking lots can have a green coloration. If you use an electronic flash unit on your camera they are generally balanced for fairly close to daylight but can appear cooler (bluer) if you are using them outside against natural daylight.

In our pre digital cameras of years ago, we had to correct for colorations of light depending on whether we were shooting in daylight (outdoors) cooler bluer lighting or in tungsten (indoor lighting) warmer, red-orange or yellow orange lighting. What we basically did the easy way was to buy the appropriate film for the type of shooting that we were doing in that particular session. If we were shooting outdoors we'd generally pick a daylight type film, whether it be a print film or a slide film, (you remember those little pieces of positive film that you'd project from a slide projector before we had digital projectors). Or we would buy tungsten film used for our indoor shooting session where the lighting indoors from a light bulb was generally red-orange or yellow orange. These choices of film generally helped us for average shooting situations.

Another method of color correcting and matching our lighting to a scene or setting was to use filters. Filters are pieces of plastic that are transparent (allowing light to pass through them, but in our case tinting the color of light to match our image or scene. Filters can be bought in sheets that you can cut and hold or attach to the front of your camera lens with the help of filter holders or you can but filters in various thread sizes to fit the front of your lens in varying sizes such as 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 65mm, 72mm, 77mm, etc...

If the scene you shot and the color looked too orange, you would neutralize the color by using a bluish to blue-violet filter and this would make your color look more natural or neutral. If the scene you shot was too bluish you'd generally use a orange filter to make the color more natural or neutral. And if you wanted to go for way out effects you might purposely use different colored filters to make an image warm or cool but that would effect the scene everywhere.

(Your probably asking well how does this info help me today?) Well today most good digital cameras have adjustments on them called white balance or (WB) These settings can be on the top or back of the camera or be found by entering the menu settings on the camera. On Canon cameras after you press menu and toggle through the first or second level of settings you will see (White Balance or (WB). Please check your camera manual depending on your brand of camera! You will usually see icons that are recognizable for Daylight (a sun), cloudy(a cloud), shade(a house with the side of it in shade), tungsten(a lightbulb symbol), florescent (a florescent light symbol), flash(a lightning bolt), etc... or the setting (automatic white balance).This will work ok in some situations but not in all situations. What you should do is first take shots under each lighting condition; in daylight, then use the daylight white balance and view the result on your lcd screen on the back of the camera, then change the white balance to the different settings to see what they will do to your daylight situation. Try going indoors under tungsten lighting then match the white balance setting to the lightbulb icon and take a picture and view your result on the lcd screen! Try changing to all different white balances and view your results.Like anything if you want to fix what you learn from these exercises in your mind, try to put things into your own vocabulary and understanding and perhaps take a memo pad with you and as you try different settings and make yourself a chart and say to yourself: in this lighting condition: ex: daylight, if I use the daylight white balance it will look normal, What will happen when I change to a different white balance? (write down the result)

The real main reason for white balancing is to make your images appear to be neutral (meaning not to warm and not too cool) (Just right). Also you don't want to have your newborn babies skin color to appear green unless he or she is a martian or purple or bluish). One of the other reasons for doing this is you cannot control how your images will view when you connect your camera to other peoples computers and upload images but if you get the color neutral in your camera and your computer you will have more consistency between your camera, computer monitor and eventually your printer as well.

CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE: Most good digital cameras also have a means of creating a custom white balance. Getting into more technical terms: colors can range from warm to cool depending on what is known as the color temperature using the symbol (K) or Kelvin. Warm color Red-Orange within the Visible lighting spectrum may start at 3,200K or 3,200 Kelvin all the way through blueish light 9,000 K or 9,000 (Kelvin) or beyond. Daylight in an outdoor scene might be 5,500K or (Kelvin) to 6,500K or Kelvin, a little close to the middle of the visible light spectrum.

You can buy from a good Photography store, a Kodak gray card. The grey card is 18% middle gray in reflectance and is neutral in color (not too warm and not too cool, right in the middle) and it is of a middle gray tonal value! You should aim your camera at the gray card, filling up the full image area of the frame by viewing the card through the view finder and taking a shot. Remember that when you take the shot of your gray card it must be in exactly the same lighting and position that your subject is in. Try to get a normal contrast reading of the card (a good exposure that looks like the gray card viewing it on your lcd screen). Then within most cameras go to the mode button and in the Area where you found your white balance settings before, look for a selection called custom white balance. If after you have taken the shot, press the custom white balance selection and look for the word set. Once you do this, this shot of your gray card becomes your color balance for every other shot that you take, ensuring a neutral color balance on the rest of your shots, (the shots should have a nice look to them not too warm and not too cool, like the porridge, jut right). Notice if your white areas look white without a color cast (not a tint of yellow or blue) and in the shadow areas, lets say in areas with black in them with no color cast or tint of yellow or blue). Remember that if you were doing these shots at sunset, you'll have warm light areas from the sun and blue or purple shadows. Try to do some of these color balance exercises perhaps between 10:00Am and 2:00 PM where the light may be a little more stable when starting until you get the hang of it!

Remember the color of light changes through out the day, especially as you are shooting before sunrise or coming up on sunset. The color of light generally changes as the sun goes down. The effect may be different depending on whether the light is bending (diffracting) around the clouds or its a clear cloudless day.

I would strongly urge you to look at your camera manual, for setting your custom white balance settings!

Remember that when you take the shot of your gray card it must be in exactly the same lighting and position that your subject is in. If you were shooting a persons face, take a white balance shot with the gray card in front of their face, set the white balance, then in your next shots shoot as usual...

Until we meet again...

I hope this article will be of help to you,

Daniel Johnson

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Understanding Your Camera's Exposure Settings

Breaking away from the automatic setting dependency does not need to be as daunting as it may initially appear. The key to developing an understanding how to take better photographs in the manual setting is to learn hoe to balance the exposure settings on your camera. Once you learn how the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings are interrelated, you will on your way to shooting full-time in manual mode.

Shutter Speed

The shutter speed setting you your camera dictates the level of detail you are able to capture on a single frame. Shutter speed is usually measured from 30 seconds to fractions of a second all the way up to 1000th of a second. It is necessary to have a fast shutter speed when taking photographs of moving objects, such as race cars and airplanes. A shot taken at 1/2500th of a second can clearly capture a helicopter rotor in mid flight. However, capture the same helicopter at a slower speed, let's say about 1/250th of a second an all you will capture is a blur. Many SLR cameras have an additional setting known as "bulb," which is indicated by the letter "B" on the shutter speed selector. Bulb mode allows the photographer to maintain an open shutter as long as the shutter release button is depressed (unless the batteries die first). This mode allows the photographer to use a shutter release remote or cable to capture long exposures, such as star trails or streaks of light from passing cars.

The shutter speed not only dictates the level of clarity for a moving object, but it also has a direct influence on the exposure. As the shutter speed is increased, the amount of light that is allowed to enter the film, or sensor, is decreased. During periods of increased light, this usually poses very little trouble for the photographer. However, as the available light decreases, the time needed to properly expose the shot increases. Oftentimes, a flash can compensate by increasing the amount of available light while the strobe simulates a stop in the action. Of course, since we are shooting in manual mode, we have a few options available to us, such as adjusting the aperture and increasing the ISO setting.

Aperture

The aperture setting on an SLR camera dictates the amount of light that is allowed to enter the camera. Technically, the aperture settings on a film camera and the aperture settings on a digital camera function identically. However, there are some differences. The aperture settings on a film camera refers to a physical device that operates similar to the way an iris controls the amount of light that is allowed to enter an eye. As the aperture (or iris) is opened, more light is allowed to enter the back of the lens (pupil) and strike the film (optic nerve). However, digital cameras do not have a physical device that operates in this manner, rather the aperture settings are controlled by a combination of the lens characteristics and the camera's ability to process the light.

The aperture settings are indicated by a series of numbers that refer the quantity of light entering a camera; these numbers are known as "f-stops." Generally, the aperture range is dictated by the quality of the lens. For instance, when shopping for an SLR lens, you may see two lenses of equal focal length, but different f-stops. The lens with the lower f-stop will normally be more expensive due to the enhanced light sensitivity.

The aperture settings allow more light to enter the camera as the f-stop numbers are decreased. Inversely, the amount of light entering the camera is decreased as the f-stop numbers are increased. We can use the aperture to compensate for changes made to the shutter speed. If the shutter speed is set to a high speed, then we can increase the aperture settings to allow more light to enter the camera. Likewise, we can decrease the amount of light by closing the aperture and reducing the shutter speed.

ISO

Before the days of digital photography, the term "film speed" was used interchangeably with the ISO grade of the film. As the ISO grade was increased, so was the film's sensitivity to light. The ability to increased the film sensitivity allowed a photographer to take photographs in low-light situations without dependency on axillary lighting, such as flash. Of course, there is always a trade-off when compensating for a shortfall. This light sensitivity trade-off came at the expense of an effect known as film grain, commonly referred to as "noise" in the digital world. Film noise, or grain, can be easily identified by specs of light, or red and blue dots scattered throughout the print.

Since digital cameras do not use film, the ISO refers to the sensor's sensitivity grade. As we increase the amount of ISO, the digital camera requires less light, which translates to having the ability to offset the aperture and shutter speed. For instance, if you want to take an action shot on an overcast day without setting the aperture wide-open, you can increase the ISO setting while maintaining a fast shutter speed. Most digital SLR cameras have advanced technology that compensates for noise which was a problem with earlier models.

There is a fine line between the relationship between shutter speed, aperture settings, and ISO sensitivity. However, with practice and experience with your camera, you will learn how to best work with the available light to produce professional shots every time. Although no two cameras operate identically, understanding the principle relationships will bring you to shooting like a professional in no time.

You'll learn even more with Proud Photography - one of the best online photography schools available today at http://www.proudphotography.com/

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Top Digital Cameras For Rugged Use

Outdoor activities present challenging situations not only for people but even for their photographic equipment. Fortunately, leading camera manufacturers have come up with more sturdy and advanced products fit for the adventurous and active people.

Whatever type of outdoor activity you're engaged in from hiking, backpacking and cycling to boating, surfing, snorkeling and diving, you now have a choice in the digital camera that you can get.

Waterproof and rugged cameras have advanced through the years. They've become sturdier and are able to handle rough treatment regardless of the environment you're in. They can be used even by small children who are keen on taking photos of themselves and other subjects in their young age.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 - This is a high end rugged camera and the fourth version of Panasonic. The latest feature of this digital camera is the GPS which means it can record the place where you took your shots and will even guide you on where you want to go.

This device is waterproof up to 40 feet below the sea. It can also endure shock at approximately 6.6 feet so you can be sure to still have a functioning camera despite the bumps and falls. This camera can also stand cold weather as its freezeproof up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and won't easily gather dust as well.

Olympus Tough-8010 - For those of you who are wondering if there is such a thing as a crushproof camera, the answer is yes. The Olympus Tough is it as it can withstand 220 pounds of pressure. It is also waterproof up to 33 feet underwater. In addition, this camera is freezeproof and dustproof.

In terms of memory, this brand provides 2GB of internal storage. It utilizes the SD or SDHC cars. Other features are a 2.7-inch LCD with a LED light that you can use even for underwater shooting and zoom lens.

Sony Cybershot DSC-TX5 - Sony has come up with a stylish and touchscreen digital camera that you can use even when submerged in water up to 10 feet deep. Unlike the regular sized LCD screens of other brands, Sony's rugged camera features a 3-inch screen and a 4X optical zoom. Despite its slim built, this Cybershot is able to withstand dust, water, shock and ice. This camera is only less than 0.75 inch thick but is sturdier than its predecessors. It can also endure shock as far as five feet.

On the memory aspect, this rugged Sony digital camera can accept the SD, SDHC and Memory Stick storage cards. In terms of video, this can shoot high definition video and has a Smile shutter.

Fujifilm FinePix XP10 - This is another rugged camera you can consider. It features high definition video recording, motion-tracking autofocus and the ability to tag photos on Facebook and YouTube.

This point and shoot camera boasts of a bigger touchscreen at 3.5 inches, zoom lens, facial recognition technology and sliding lens panel that switches the camera on or off. Those who love to share their photos online will love this model because of its ability to tag photos on the top social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube.

For information about digital cameras, visit 42photo.com, New York's legendary camera store in business for over 40 years.

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Understanding Your Camera's Function Wheel: What Do Those Letters and Symbols Mean?

What Do the Symbols on My Camera's Function Wheel Mean?

Camera manufacturers continue to invent new ways to make photography easier for us. One of these ways is to have a wheel of preset functions to dial in when we encounter varied photographic situations. For most people, they either don't fully understand what the wheel symbols mean or they simply misunderstand what they mean. Let's explore each of them so you can be more confident when using your camera and achieve the exact results you're looking for.

First, I'd like to give you a quick tutorial on the basics of an exposure. This remains the same for film as well as digital cameras. The physics of photography require two things to achieve a proper exposure. Yes, both. Not one or the other. The law of physics require they both to work in conjunction with one another.

The first is an aperture. An aperture can be explained as how large the hole is when it opens up to allow light into the camera. Think of it in the same way the human eye functions. Aperture sizes range from very small to very large. Large apertures are used in low light conditions to increase the amount of light coming into the camera. Conversely, small apertures are used to limit the amount of light coming into the camera. Apertures are expressed as "F", followed by a number. For example, F2.8, F4, F5.6, F8, F11, etc. The SMALLER the number the LARGER the hole. The LARGER number, the SMALLER the hole. This seems counter-intuitive but true.
The second is a shutter. Shutter speeds are explained as how long the aperture stays open. It is expressed in fractions of a second. For example, 1/1000 of a second, 1/500 of a second, 1/250 of a second all the way down to whole seconds, which are rarely ever used. The larger the number the faster it opens and closes. The smaller the number, the slower it opens and closes. The longer your shutter stays open, the more light will collect on your image. By the way, some cameras display these fractions with the denominator only (bottom number) such as 1000, 500, 250, etc. Some cameras display both the numerator and the denominator, such as 1/1000, 1/500, 1250, etc.

The functions below are taken from a Nikon Digital SLR camera. Even if you don't own a Nikon, many of these functions are very similar with most camera brands. I suggest you have your camera while reviewing these functions.

"S" -Represents "Shutter Priority", NOT "Sports" as some people assume. Shutter Priority means you control the speed of the shutter - how long the shutter stays open. While the shutter is open, it will record anything it sees. When you keep your eyes open, you see continuous movement of objects. If you open and close your eyes very fast, you'll tend to see a freeze frame of that object. Think of a strobe light in the dark. With a strobe, you don't see movement, only a collection of still images, even when the subject is moving. Therefore, if you use a slow shutter speed, you can get blurry images for this reason. However, when you use a fast shutter, you can stop action. Generally speaking, you would choose a fast shutter speed for sports, speeding cars, dancing, etc. If you don't want to freeze action, slow your shutter speed down and you may see the hem of a dancer's dress moving (or blurring) to communicate movement in your images. This function will allow you to control how much movement you see in an image. Flash can also freeze images under certain circumstances, but that's another lesson. The other function a slow shutter speed will offer is to pick up ambient light in the background when using flash. Have you ever taken a picture in a church but the background is so dark that no one knew where you were? Go to "S" and slow your shutter down. You'll find the background begins to develop on your image. Practice dialing in "S" and find an index finger or thumb wheel close by and watch the numbers change. Practice taking the same image with different shutter speeds and observe the differences. In this function, you control the shutter, but the camera will choose the corresponding aperture to achieve a proper exposure.
"A" - Represents "Aperture Priority", NOT "Automatic". This controls how large or small the aperture will be. Aperture controls how sharp or blurry a background will appear. If you're creating a portrait, you want the background to be somewhat blurry (or "soft") to draw attention to the subject matter. However, if you're visiting the Grand Canyon, you don't want blur you want the entire image, from the foreground to the background, to be sharp. In that case, you would select a smaller aperture of F11 or F22. The number of feet in focus is referred to as "Depth of Field". Dial your camera to "A" and practice changing the F-stops. Sometimes, you will not see the "F", but only the number following it. In this function, you control the aperture, but the camera will choose the corresponding shutter to achieve a proper exposure. Just a note to clarify that zooming out or in with a zoom lens can also increase or decrease depth of field respectively.
"M" - Represents "Manual" mode. Manual means the camera is handing over complete control of the exposure to you. This means you control the aperture AND shutter. This is a function that can be extremely dangerous for the average person and is usually reserved for professionals. The only way for you to receive information as to the proper exposure settings (aperture and shutter) for your lighting situation is to have a separate, hand-held meter, independent from your camera. This meter will display which shutter and aperture you need to use. Professionals can use this mode because they have a separate meter packed among their equipment.
Green Camera Symbol (Auto)- Represents "Automatic" mode. Automatic means the camera is in complete control of the exposure. It will choose whatever aperture and shutter it pleases and you're stuck with the results - good or bad. As you now know, handing complete control over to the camera is not always the best choice. If you know very little about photography but have still recorded some great images in "Automatic", the honest truth is you were probably lucky. It was a luck of the draw and you were pleased with the aperture and shutter speed the camera chose for you. The reason you're sometimes unhappy with your images is because you are unhappy with the settings your camera chose. This is why people who are serious about their photography must challenge themselves to understand and use other functions. By the way, "Automatic" also doesn't allow you to control your pop up flash unit. The camera will pop it up at any and all times it sees fit - even when you don't want it to. Basically, in this mode, the camera locks you out of all the camera's other function buttons.
"P" - Represents "Program" mode - think of it as Automatic Plus. Program means that the aperture and shutter are still on automatic, but you now have access to the camera's other function buttons such as ISO (the old ASA) "exposure compensation", "exposure lock", "auto-focus lock", and others that Automatic mode didn't allow.
A Circle with a Lightning Bolt Slashed - Dialing in this function tells the camera that you want to be on Automatic mode, but want to suppress the flash from firing. This is a great way to disable the flash when you want all your images to be exposed with only natural light.
Scene - "Scene" mode is a collection of several other conditions (baby, party, sunset, candlelight, beach/snow, silhouette, etc.) that are located in the menu. They placed the others in the menu because they couldn't fit them all on the wheel.
Lady in a Hat - This symbol represents "Portrait" mode. This will enlarge your aperture to soften your background to make your subject pop.
Mountain - This is "Landscape" mode. It will choose a smaller aperture to increase the range of what you'll see in focus. Do you remember the term? Depth of field. It will increase your depth of field so most everything in your image will be in focus. In landscape photography, everything in the scene needs to be sharply in focus.
Sport - The "Sport" mode will increase your shutter speed to freeze action so your son's arm is not as blurry when he swings his bat. If it's still not sharp, go to "S" and increase the speed.
Child - This function will speed up the shutter speed because children move quickly. This is similar to "Sport", however, "Sport" has a much higher shutter speed.
Macro - "Macro" makes adjustments for close up photography for flowers, details, etc.
Night - "Night" mode slows your shutter down to bring out the details of a dark background. Remember, once your shutter slows down, blurriness can result. This is limited if you use a flash on your subject and I suggest a tripod with any night photography.

Now that you understand your camera's function wheel, you will be more confident in your photography and achieve the exact results you're looking for!

Betsy Snow is a 17-year Photographic Artist who has won local, state and national awards for her work. In 2001, she earned the distinguished Florida Degree of Photographic Excellence. Betsy can be reached through http://www.betsysnow.com/

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Underwater Camera's Two Little Secrets - What to Buy and How to Take Beautiful Photos

You are ready for your desired holiday at the Maldives and want to capture every breathtaking moment. The first thing you should get is a waterproof camera. However, which model is the best option? Well, as in nearly every situation, the best solution boils down to your budget. You will find the ideal camera for a budget of $600 and an acceptable one for $200. So, first and foremost, decide how much you are prepared to spend for an underwater camera. In case you have little money left over after having paid for your vacation you might be pleased to realize that there are still incredibly cheap single use underwater cameras available. Nevertheless, keep in mind that these particular cameras still employ classic film, and when you shoot your photos don't expect to look in a LCD display, you'll have to use the classic viewfinder, which is not particularly comfortable when you put on a mask.

Instead, If you have more than a few bucks to invest, I highly recommend that you buy a digital underwater camera. These are generally strong devices, and many models can also take videos. Simply make a few searches through the web, and you'll be surprised how easy you can find very good models at reasonable prices.

Once you know how to choose your camera, perhaps you would like to know how to shoot some great photographs to show to friends and family back home. Well, I cannot really explain to you all the principles concerning photo composition, like the rule of the thirds, because this is not the scope of this article. And, to be honest, you can get plenty of articles very well written about this topic, and I would add nothing new. Nevertheless, there's something you should know about when taking photos underwater that you are less likely to find easily. As you probably know, colors below the water tend to turn blue and green. The reason for this is water absorbs long wavelength colors such as red and orange.

There are basically two factors influencing the colors of your subject; depth and distance. With regard to depth, the deeper you are and the more the subject turns blue and green. If you wish to avoid this problem, you need to stay where you see all the colors, because your waterproof camera will see them as well. Regarding the distance of the subject, the problem is the same as with depth. A rule of thumb used by professional people in this case is usually to be not more than 3 ft/1 m distant from the subject. My last tip; avoid utilizing the zoom as much as you can. If you follow the rule of the maximum distance you will not need it, and in any case a wide angle objective can catch more light and your photos will be stunning and vibrant.

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Portrait Mode for Canon Digital Cameras - The Rebel T3

Portrait Mode is a simple to operate exposure selection on our Canon EOS Rebel T3. Like the Green Zone, a Rebel T3 set to Portrait Mode will make almost all of the decisions for the photographer. In fact, other than the shutter button, none of the override buttons or dials will function with the camera set to this mode.

Portrait Mode is the choice anytime we are photographing stationary people. In this mode Canon digital cameras like the T3 will try to use the largest lens aperture that the light will allow. By using larger apertures the background behind the subject blurs which focuses attention on the person.

When using Portrait Mode remember to turn on red eye reduction for the camera's flash. With red eye reduction on the camera flash will fire several quick bursts before capturing the final image. These pre-flashes will cause the subject's pupils to constrict which is all that is required to reduce red eye.

When using Portrait Mode there are a few guidelines that can help achieve the best effect. First, place the subject no closer than 6 feet in front of the background. In fact, greater distance is even better. Position the Rebel T3 between six and ten feet from the subject which provides a comfortable working distance without using a lot of zoom. Finally, if the picture is of three or fewer people, be sure to shoot with the camera in vertical (portrait) orientation.

Portrait Mode can be used for more than just people! It works well for pet portraits too. Also, consider using this mode when shooting any subject that could benefit from an out of focus background. I have found it useful when I shoot products for online auctions too. Portrait Mode is as easy to use as pointing the camera at the subject and pressing the shutter button. This is one of the original Icon Modes developed by Canon digital cameras.

When you are ready to take more control over the camera you should begin to explore Aperture Priority (Av) Mode. Simply choose the Av mode setting and then select an aperture that is as wide as the light will allow.

In summary, select Portrait Mode for easy pictures of people. Position the subject at least six feet in front of the background and the camera six to ten feet from the subject. These distances will help blur out the background which will both add depth to the picture and focus attention on the subject. Last shoot groups of one to three people with the camera in vertical orientation.

Stu Eddins is blogger, instructor, merchandiser, and is generally in charge of a lot of things for Porter's Digital Cameras and Imaging. Visit their site at http://www.porters.com/. Years of experience over the counter and in classrooms have turned Stu into an evangelist for image preservation, capturing and sharing memories, and helping people understand digital cameras, digital camera lenses.

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