Top Five Enhancements In-Camera For Better Looking Photos

When I first started, I had no idea where to begin.  I tried reading the camera manual to no avail.  Well, I fell asleep after a few pages!  Anyway, the issue is not laziness nor lack of interest.  But the way a camera manual is designed does not teach you how to apply those settings in real life.  Yes, it teaches you how to set it, adjust it, and tells you just a bit about what it controls.  But nothing about how you can apply it in your photography.  In fact, a lot of photography books and courses are designed that way, creating a longer learning curve for beginners.

So, I find myself shooting and mastering ISO, aperture, shutter speeds, white balance, but I still find myself producing ugly looking pictures, far from those I've seen pros do.  Well, of course, I can't compare myself to the pros, but even some friends of mine who shoot more have better looking photos directly out of their camera.  So this is what I found out, only after years of learning and trial and errors.

So you shoot in JPG or maybe you even attempt to shoot RAW with JPG.  You compare your shots with your friend's shots on his/her camera.  You find your photos much duller and you blame in on your LCD.  You download your photos to your computer, view them, and find them even worse than in your LCD.  You load your photos into Facebook anyway, and find that the color of your photo on Facebook differs from the color on your PC.  You get frustrated and you think about throwing away your DSLR ;-)

Well, here are my top 5 settings that I use to enhance my photos that come out directly from the camera.  Basically, the JPG files that you download to your PC. By the way, the terms are based on Nikon cameras.

1. Picture Control - I find my photos to be too dull.  It is a personal preference, but if you'd like your photo to look vibrant and vivid, like capturing the blue of the sky and the green of the grass, then set your Picture Control to Vivid.  Normally, for landscape, it is recommended to set to Vivid and for portraits, it is recommended to use Natural to keep the skin pinkish and natural.  I set my default to Vivid though for all my photos, including portraits and just adjust it for individual photos if needed.  I've rarely had to do it though.  So no more dull photos.
2. Noise Reduction for ISO - Set noise reduction to High.  When you shoot a high ISO ratings during the night for example, the photo gets grainier, sort of like dots or blotches that appear.  It is a normal behavior of High ISO.  So to me, I'd like to call it a "side effect."  Just like taking medication may be good for one condition, but causes side effects that are not so positive.  This is the case with ISO.  So there is  setting to use so that it auto corrects that side effect to a certain extent.
3. Noise Reduction for Long Exposure - some cameras may not have this setting, but if you have it, then you can also set noise reduction to ON.  If you shoot long exposures (shutter speed slower than a second for example), you let more light in, as a result, noise also increases.  Again, a side effect.  So this setting is also used to auto correct this side effect.
4. Active D-Lighting - this is a setting where you can set to Auto or High.  This is usual with those shots outdoor that has a very bright sky in the background then the land in front is too dark.  Setting Active D-Lighting will try to balance out the bright sky and dark land by adjusting the highlights and shadow.  Don't expect it to be a large adjustment, that will require a more complex process, but it does help in most situations.
5. Auto Distortion Control - Set this to yes.  If you notice that when you shoot a building or something with a straight edge, the photo comes out a bit distorted, meaning the straight edge or horizon for example comes out a bit rounded.  This is irritating and sometimes the distortion is too much that your photo no longer looks good.  This is a "defect" if you want to call it that, of the lens.  Because you are shooting through a glass or lens, just like a window on the bus for that matter, it will not be 100%.  This setting simply corrects this defect and you get photos that are close to perfect.

Note that these settings affect the JPG file only (not RAW) because what the camera does is capture a photo as is, save it in RAW without any adjustments then process the enhancements above and output to JPG. If you shoot in JPG only, the RAW file gets deleted by your camera.

For the most part, this is good enough for sharing with friends and family on social media or even the usual 3R, 4R or 5R prints as well as keeping memories of your travels on your personal archive.

My Cheat Sheet: ISO

This is my own cheat sheet for setting my ISO, something I created for my own use.  Generally, I'd use ISO 100-400 outdoors during the day and go ISO 1600 and above indoors or in the evenings outdoor, then fine-tune according to the actual conditions.

The biggest drawback of using high ISO ratings is noise.  Your photo turns out grainy starting at ISO 1600.  Some camera models do better than others in terms of noise reduction, but this is a general behavior.

ISO Setting	Conditions
100	Lots of Light, Sunny Day, Outdoors
	Evening – with tripod for long exposures
200	A Bit Cloudy, But Still Bright, Outdoors
400	Overcast, Outdoors
800	Bright, Indoors (Indoor places with Big Bright Lights like Chinese Restaurants, Hotel Ballroom, etc)
	Dawn or Dusk, Outdoors (after Sunrise or close to Sunset)
1600	Warm Lighting, Indoors (Well Lighted Restaurants & Rooms)
	Well Lighted, Evening, Outdoors – with no tripod
3200	Poor Light, Indoors (Restaurant Lounges)
	Poorly Lighted, Evening, Outdoors – with no tripod
6400	Very Poor Light, Indoors (Clubs, Shows)
	Poorly Lighted, Evening, Outdoors – with no tripod

 * Nikon D60 only has ISO settings to 1600 then HI is set to ISO 3200.  Some new models to day can even go ISO 12,800 or higher

During my practice, I've tried to fix my ISO first based on my guidelines then adjust my aperture and shutter speeds.  This meant that sometimes, I would reach the thresholds where I could no longer get the right exposure.  Let's say I set my ISO to 1600 because I'm in a room with poor lighting, get the aperture to go the widest my lens could do like F3.5 and then adjust my shutter speed.  To get the right exposure, I will need to push my shutter speed to open the longest therefore, the slower side, below 1 second for example.  As a result, my photo because I could not hold my hand steady or there is movement in my subject.

Basically, we just got to face it.  The conditions are sometimes just too complex for my camera equipment.  And this is one example of maximizing my equipment till the time I find it is no longer sufficient for the type of photos that I'd like to shoot.  Then, maybe I'll upgrade.  But there is always one challenge that plague us, the cost of upgrading.  In the meantime, I can still shoot comfortably as these conditions are rare for me, and on the other hand, I could try to be resourceful and find other workarounds.

It's great to learn this way as you force to practice with the limitations and you practice your problem solving by finding other ways to resolve these challenges.  For example, I could try to push my ISO to HI, 3200 in D60, and just do noise reduction in post processing.  For the issue of lack of steadiness, it could be addressed by using a tripod.  And the issue of the moving subject, I could probably add lighting to my subject among other solutions.  I could even try to capture that moment where the subject will pause for at least a second or two by practicing my anticipation skills.  There are a lot of information on the web as well so use it.

A Mix of Learning Methods For a Serious Hobbyist Photographer

When I started out with photography, I was actually intimated by formal classes or workshops.  Someone actually suggested this to me, when she learned that I was interested in photography.  But I like learning on my own and it's not new to me to learn things myself.  After all, there's a whole lot of information out there on the internet these days.  I also didn't feel the need to spent money for classes as this is just a hobby.

I never realized how those first workshops and classes actually boosted my learning.  Here are some reasons where I believe taking formal workshop and classes would be beneficial:

Well Directed Outline

• Despite the internet having so many information, the information may not be organized and conducive for learning.  It is often hard to know where to begin, which topics to choose or which to prioritize.  Everybody's interpretation of "beginner" is different.  And you end up with a spaghetti-like program.  On the other hand, the formal workshops and classes compiles the topics that I needed to start off as an amateur photographer and presents it in a sequence where I can follow through to advance my skill level.

Learn, Apply, Feedback

• Formal classes and workshops also allow me to quickly apply concepts to real life applications. I got to try the concepts out there and then and most importantly, I got feedback immediately and I learned on the spot.  I believe feedback is crucial.  Photography can't be learned through one-way information loading.  It is very difficult to get quality feedback from the internet, if at all any, and some could actually direct you off course.

Commitment/Focus

• Formal classes also forces me to focus on it either for a day or for a consecutive few days depending on which program I take.  I dedicate time for it from my day to day activities.  If I learn on my own, the tendency is to do short sessions whenever I'm free.  Thus, continuity is not achieved and this hinders learning efficiently.

So when I said it boosted my learning, it surely gave it a big push.  Then after doing these, I can always supplement with continuous self-learning.  For example, these days, I find those how-to articles in DPS quite helpful.  They are usually specific topics or answers to very detailed questions.  I subscribe to Facebook and I browse through them in my newsfeed.  I save the ones I'm interested in and go through them.  Sometimes, I also choose refreshers and some are actually questions that I would ask myself.

Then comes practice.  I rarely shoot other than when I'm travelling so that's also a challenge. I travel a couple of times a year, so it's still quite good.  But sometimes, time passes and it takes some warming up before I could shoot well again.  I've joined special interest photography trips as well over the last few years and that greatly helped not just to practice but also to get feedback from pros and improve.  It's like taking formal classes or workshops, but the focus is on shooting, critique and applying solutions/improvements, and not on concept learning.  I've even informally piggybacked on my niece's prenup shoot just to observe pros in action.

I think this particular combination of learning methods works well for me as a serious hobbyist photographer who do not necessarily shoot regularly but still wants to advance my skills.  And I go through the same cycle every year or so as I advance my skills in photography.

When I look back at my photos a few years back, I find myself critiquing my own photos and identifying areas where I could have done better.  And this is a good sign that I've at least achieve some positive progress and it feels good :-)

Challenge: Half-Baked Learning

Ok, so here I am, embarking on a journey to take my 1st shot with my new DSLR.  I got my camera just now, and super excited to start using it.  So I referred to the quick start manual, typically comes in a easy to read 1-2 pager leaflet with equipment like this.


I knew a little or two about electronics and I knew that the battery was the first thing to ensure it's charged, so I quickly glanced through the manual whether I needed to charge it first.  Some batteries come charged nowadays, but mine had to be charged.  I quickly set it up, then proceeded to finish reading the leaflet.  I inventoried the contents of the box and attached the strap to the camera.  Then I proceeded to set aside all the unnecessary plastic pouches and boxes.  I was eager to take my first shot, but had to wait for the battery to get charged.  I spent a little time exploring the camera buttons and tried to figure out what they are.  I could decipher half of them, but others felt alien.


I figured that I could not wing it, and had to read the users' manual.  Shoot!  I could not get away with it!  Ain't we all like that at times?  We want to do the short cut :-)  But handling a DSLR isn't as easy, and you will need to know your camera in and out, to be able to maximize it.  Remember the behavior that the point and shoot cameras affect us?  It urges us to be lazy, to not think and just click.  Well, I found myself being a bit lazy there.


Anyway, I can't do anything with the camera anyway, since I don't have power yet.  So, I decided to read the manual.  As I read through several pages, I start to be bored.  This is just so technical.  But I forced myself to go through it.  Then later, the manual refers to some menu on the camera.  I was eager to turn on the camera so that I can walk through while reading the manual.  I am a bit of a graphic person and I would like to see the real thing versus reading some words to describe it.  I still have no choice, so I skipped that section and went to the next one, which seemed more interesting and easier to read.  Oh well, after the first 3-4 chapters, which is less than halfway through the manual, I couldn't take it anymore.  I watched TV instead.


After a few hours, the battery is fully charged.  Finally!  So eager to start, I took out the battery from the charger and put it in my camera.  I turned on the power button, and there it is!  The screen shows a filter cleaning process is in progress.  Seconds after, the camera is ready, and I aimed at the photographs on the wall and took my first shot.  Well, not too bad, but it was too dark.  I turned the program to Auto, and took the shot.  Wasn't happy as well as I wanted a warmer color.  I knew that I had to adjust the white balance.  I tried to tinker with the settings but failed to do it.  I've never handled a digital SLR before, and neither have I tinkered with these settings on my point and shoot, so really no idea how to adjust the settings.  Ok, I admit I probably skipped that section in the manual.  So I had to go back to the manual to read that part.  I looked at the index page and went directly to the page that talks about white balance.


I took a couple more shots, and I now I couldn't get the lighting right.  I started with Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes, since it was easier.  I only had to adjust one setting.  So I peaked into the viewfinder and tried to find the middle ground by turning the dial for the shutter speed or aperture.  That part, I had at least read earlier.  Ok, not bad.


After a few shots, I was tired.  I figured that I had to do more reading, but it was late.  So I headed to bed.  The next day, I had to go to work, and when I got home, I was too tired to do any reading.  The day after was a Saturday, and I realized that I had run out of time to finish the manual.  I did a bit of reading the night before, and I focused on the basics.  I ignored the advanced settings like ISO, White Balance, etc, for now.


Saturday came, and I had to head out to do some sightseeing in Washington DC.  I haven't been back since the first time years ago, so it was nice to go around and explore.  I brought out my new camera hoping to get some shots.  The weather was great, so most of the shots were easy.  But after a few hours, clouds start to get darker and the rain came.  I found myself at the base of the Washington Monument waiting for my turn to get up to the top.  The rain stopped a bit, but the clouds were dark, so I took out my DSLR and tried to capture some shots, which I failed at.  I wasn't prepared to take these types of shots.  I did get some shots, but my lighting was not good.  I begin to feel frustrated.  I was finally able to go up top and got some good shots, but I wish I had a zoom lens.


Anyway, I just focused on enjoying my Saturday out in Washington, DC.  I went to see the White House as well, was able to get some average shots of the White House, and also of the squirrels running around the garden.  


Overall, my photos weren't that bad, given that it was my first time to use my new camera, and also that I wasn't able to read the manual in full.  But of course, it was opportunity wasted.  I could have gotten some good shots had I known how to use the camera. I knew what type of shots I wanted, but I just didn't how to work the camera to create those shots.  Oh well!


I'm sure we all had situations like that at one point or another.  Half-baked learning is such a waste.  You spent hours reading up, but really, this is time wasted, as nothing got absorbed.  I was lucky that I knew how to take pictures so I could wing a couple of things.  I probably got only 50% of my shots right, and none of them really stood out as great shots.


Learning requires commitment, nothing is easy, and you can't always take short cuts.  You see this when you were in school before, and you see this also in any type of learning that you do.  And even if you're doing something that you're extremely passionate about, you will need to find the motivate to push you ahead.  You will find excitement, but you will also find frustration and discouragement.  That's all part of the journey.  From time to time, I still do a bit of this half-baked learning, but now that I am aware of the consequences, I try to find inspiration so that I get excited about it again, and this really pushes my motivation level up.  Learning then becomes more interesting.

Challenge: How To Ask The Right Questions

I am one of those people who love details.  In choosing the camera model or lens to buy, I would usually go through a comparison and selection process.  I would gather all the features and put side by side, then I would identify then categorize these features into must haves or nice to haves based on my own requirements and preferences.  Call me OC (obsessive compulsive), but yes, this has helped me over the years to select the right thing for me, and I've never regret selecting it.  The internet has been a great resource.  And in today's world, you can also find great reviews from people who are in the same boat as you.  But be careful, cause not all reviews will match your situation.  So don't be too quick to just rely on a review, even the ones that appear in guides inside professional magazines or websites.  For me, I look at features first and foremost, then I only use the reviews to validate my choice.  My suggestion: don't be lazy.  It does pay off to do the research, and more importantly, be sure to be clear about your requirements and preferences.


On another instant, I've also used the internet, esp Google search to find and know more about a technique recommended by a critic.  For instance, one of the reviews to my photos suggested for me to review the "golden rule."  I encountered the Rule of Thirds before, but I wasn't really familiar with the Golden Rule.  Or another review suggested for me to do "focus stacking."  Although he explained that it refers to making the near and far in focus, I wasn't sure how to do it.  Apparently, I found out that it involves some post-shot processing.  There are so much resources out there, it's a shame not to use them.  And if you get stuck, then ask people for help.  At least they know that you've done your research first.  And even if you don't know where or what to search, that's one of the questions you can ask help for, rather than appearing lazy and just outright asking questions that could otherwise be answered easily somewhere else.


Then lastly, review the basics.  Even if you've been shooting for years, it's always good to go back to the basics and find clues to your questions.  A lot of times, I've managed to answer a question on my own, by simply going back and reviewing my user's manual, or basic photography book.


Don't get me wrong, a lot of people will be happy to help and answer your questions, especially in the forums, but when a question gets asked too many times, people get tired of it.  Helping yourself is essential, and you'll see, it will attract the right level of help from others too.