Olen Purtill - How To Love Your Point And Shoot Picture: Tips And Tricks Of Point And Shoot Camera

I'ma dyed-in-the-woolDSLR (DigitalSingle Lens Reflex)

Photographer, but I am becoming more and more drawn to the ease andconvenience of digital point and shoot cameras. Point-and-shoot cameras aremore than just "birthday party" cameras. I have used them for that purpose.These cameras are capable of processing light in a remarkable way. They area great choice for many shooting situations because of their DSLR-like pointand shoot features. This photograph was taken using a Canon PowerShotS110 point and shoot. It was lightly processed in Adobe Lightroom.

Canon PowerShot S110 f/8 1/2,000
This photograph was taken from the 33rd Floor of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit in November 2014.

The angle of the sun at this point in the year meant that the reflection fromthe Detroit River was intense, rich with natural contrast. A snow squall was approaching, misting and swirling in sky. This was shot in P mode with the PowerShot S110. I'll explain everything later. The slight underexposure madethe sky less opaque and enhanced the snow in the air. This is one my favouritephotographs, and almost I didn't take it. I was about to leave, but instead of looking out the window, I turned around and walked away. After a fewseconds, I returned to the building and pulled out my Canon PowerShot S110to take a few photos.
This is the advantage and convenience of having a small point-and-shoot.

It's impossible to predict when an opportunity for a photo will present itself,but you can rest assured that it won't stay around very long. It usually takesonly a few seconds.

The cover photo was taken using a Nikon Coolpix S3100, which I haveseen selling for as low as $20 on eBay.
Nikon Coolpix s3100 f/4.6 1 800

Many of the photographs in this book were shot with the Coolpix S3100.My original Nikon Coolpix S3100 broke so I bought a brand new Nikon CoolpixS3600 and a 16-meg memory card for less than 100 dollars. You don't have tobuy a fancy camera in order to create images that you are proud of.

This book is dominated by black-and-white street photography. AlthoughI started out as a portrait and color landscape photographer with a variety oflenses and DSLRs, I am now more interested in street photography. I startedby walking around Downtown Detroit in the morning, looking for photos.Street photography is not like a landscape. There's no set up time. Streetphotography is exciting because everything is always changing and moving.

This photo of Capitol Park is taken on the edge of downtown Detroit. Itwas not taken at night. To make it look like that, I used Adobe Lightroom. Thesame process can be done with the image processing tools in GIMP andPixelmator. You can burn, dodging, and adjust the curves settings. It's easy.

Nikon Coolpix 3100f3.2 1/125 The goal of this book is to teach you the basics of digital photography so that your point-and shoot digital camera can perform at its best.

Monochrome (black-and-white) is a classic technique in photography. Itis worth considering using it frequently. My Nikon 3600 has color options setto black and white. I like how it processes the images and can see exactly whatthe image will look like when I take it. Other cameras like the Canon S110 use RAW mode. Lightroom then decides what to do with it. You can experimentwith your camera to find the best setting for you. Your camera will become more personal the more you use it. That's why it is important. These camerasbecome your family, and you will form a relationship with them. Although Iown a few expensive DSLRs (one being a Canon 5D Mark III), I miss my Nikon3100.

Why not shoot and process images in monochrome instead? Color streetphotography doesn't seem nearly as effective to me as black and white. Thisis a comparison of Downtown Detroit's Spirit Of Detroit statue.

Canon PowerShot S110 f/5 1/1,125
The same shot is converted to black-and-white with some details.
Canon PowerShot S110 f/5 1/1,125

My opinion is that the black and white photo makes a bolder statement.Black and white photos have a timeless appeal. It's hard to find a greatphotographer who shot in color. Take a look at the work by Henri CartierBresson and Alfred Steiglitz. Diane Arbus, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, andmany others. There is not a single color photograph between them. Somecolor shots can work, however. The below photo of the chess player didn'tlook great in black and white, so I decided to keep the color version.

Nikon Coolpix s3100 f/3.8 1/320

Each shooting situation is unique. However, I believe you will gravitatetowards black and white when you are street shooting. Black and white havea raw power that can't be captured in color.

Cameras
Three point-and-shoots are used by me: a Canon PowerShot S110 and a Nikon Coolpix

S3600 and a Canon PowerShot G12. I found an old 2008 Canon PowerShotA590 in my closet, and have been playing with it. It doesn't really matterwhich brand you choose. Cameras are basically the same, so the informationin this guide should be applicable to all.

To my horror, my original Nikon Coolpix S3100 died late 2014. It wasreplaced with a Canon PowerShot S110, but I missed the Coolpix S3100enough to buy another Coolpix 3600. Concerning the Coolpix S3100: I carriedthis camera everywhere. I dug sand from the zoom lens in Mexico with a penknife, photographed in Detroit neighborhoods, where you could be in dangerif you stayed still for more than a minute, and took photos at kids' birthdayparties (but again, it is not a "birthday celebration" camera). There are manyother shooting situations.

The lens became less sharp as it was extended to full-width andeventually the on/off button stopped working. The camera was mine for four years. I have a long history with it. It wasn't something I used a lot, but I didntcare for it as much as I take care of my other point-and shoots. It was useful.This is the beauty of low-cost point-and-shoots. They are strong machines thatcan be used for many different purposes.

This is a shot of downtown Detroit, taken from Hart Plaza using the CanonPowerShot S110.
Canon PowerShot S110 f/8 1/1,250
The cityscape and the chess player are both color photos, but they are muted and more monochrome.

A point-and-shoot can do so much, even with very few settings and features. To give you an example, consider how some people can createstriking and substantial art with a simple pencil and copy paper. It takes a lotof practice and a little talent. Same goes for photography. This is a secret: themore you practice, you will become more skilled. You can improve yourphotography and create art by understanding some basic concepts and usinginexpensive or free tools.

Digital Single Lens Reflex is also known as DSLR. The single lens reflex isthe area where light enters the lens. A mirror bounces or reflects some of thislight into a viewfinder. The shutter release button is pressed to flip the mirror up. Light entering the lens falls onto an image sensor.