Re: Question from a beginner
My question is what setting is best for taking pictures at nighttime? I've been switching from auto, to nighttime, to landscape etc. For every one good shot I get, I get 5-6 bad ones. Am I doing something wrong?
Well if you're not getting the shot you want you're doing something wrong... The trick is figuring out what. Unfortunately there are no "ideal settings" that work all the time, you have to learn to use the tools at your disposal and how to apply them to the situation to get the shot you want. Personally I would use "A"perture Priorty mode but every situation is different. Also, if you don't know how to read/use Histograms do yourself a huuuge favor and take the five or ten minutes required to read this article:
Understanding Histograms and become an expert on the subject. Once you do, you'll start nailing the exposure you want in short order.
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Also, I'm looking into getting a really good Photo Editing Software, one where I can enhance pics and do all that other good stuff. Any suggestions?
Well, like my mechanic says, "How fast do you wanna go and how much money do you have?" I'd suggest Photoshop first and foremost but it be pricey; look into an academic license. After that I'd say Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop Elements. For free solutions look at
GIMP,
Picasa or
IRFanview (be sure to get the plug-ins from the same home page). I have, use and love Photoshop, but for free apps, IRFanview is hard to beat. I still use it for super-fast, quick and dirty edits because it's lighter and faster than Photoshop.
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