How to Take Digital Photos Outdoors

Taking digital photos outdoors. Automatic exposure works for most settings outdoors, but if your camera allows manual adjustment, overriding the automatic control helps in some lighting conditions.

Things You'll Need

• Photo Printer
• Photographic Print Papers
• Personal Computers
• Digital Camera Memory Cards
• Digital Cameras
• Image-editing Software

Instructions

1. Use automatic exposure for most outdoor scenes.

2. Override automatic exposure when the scene is much lighter or darker than middle gray.

3. Increase exposure to lighten a scene; decrease exposure to darken a scene.

4. Override automatic exposure when the sun is behind or on one side of the scene to be shot.

5. Override automatic exposure when light reflects off of bright sand or snow.

6. Experiment with overriding automatic exposure for high-contrast scenes.

7. Use a light meter to determine the appropriate aperture setting and shutter speed.

8. Adjust the aperture setting and shutter speed in small steps.

9. Shoot a picture and preview it to evaluate settings. Adjust as necessary and shoot again.

10. Try shooting from several angles; you can delete the worst choices on the spot.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid low-light situations when possible, or use a fill-in flash.

• Avoid direct sunlight or shooting directly into the sun.

• Avoid shooting harsh shadows.

• If your camera does not allow manual adjustments, you may be able to compensate with image-editing software.