digital camera--how to improve images

[thesexecutioner]

i have a simple point-and-shoot camera (olympus fe-190) that i've come to realize doesn't take the best pictures in sunny areas. the sky never looks quite as blue, and everything seems a bit darker once uploaded.

is there anything i can do to fix this, short of buying a better camera?

there are lots of mode, but nothing for "bright outdoors" or anything along those lines.

 

[Zepper]

Many Digicams (even high end ones) have problems with bright scenes - try a lens hood. Get some copies of the Joy of Photography books. Get the earlier ones for general photography techniques and the new Joy of Digital Photography for digital specific tips. If your camera has 'thru the lens' metering, you could also try neutral density filters - finding something to hold the filters and lens hood onto your camera will be the fun part.

.bh.

 

[Phynaz]

Camera Courses

 

[pkme2]

I use a polarizing filter on my camera. It cuts glare and definitely improves color shots.

 

[bobbyz]

First thing I do with digicams is use only center focus point. You don't wantt he camera to decied where the focus should be. Use focus-recompose if you need to off center your subject.

Meter for the sky. In P&S you will see it on your LCD. Point your camera towards the sky a bit and you will see the blue sky. If not you can use some under-expsoure. For people pictures, I use flash all the time with my panasonic FX01, even outside.

 

[xgsound]

For software to sort/edit/print pictures, give Picasa (free from google) a try. There's even a tint blue for the sky under effects/ graduated tint/ pick blue and adjust feathering and placement. It's not a complicated edit tool, like Photo Elements, but it handles 98% of my needs. It's very easy to use.

Here's a review of your camera that may give you some advice on using the settings. http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/fe190.html


Jim

 

[Peter]

Same as the "upscaling DVD players" debate really. You cannot compute something into an image that isn't there to begin with.