Photo service Shutterfly has launched a Web-based, interactive photography guide designed to help you capture the best photos, regardless of the equipment you are using. Aptly titled, “How To Take The Perfect Photo,” this hands-on guide offers advice on how to shoot common types of images using your choice of camera: DSLR, smartphone, or compact point-and-shoot (mirrorless cameras aren’t an option, but you can use the DSLR tips). After making a camera selection on the menu, you then select the type of photo you’re interesting in shooting. Photo type choices include portraits, selfies, bokeh, macro, action shots, close-up, wide-angle, food, candid, by the water, landscape, and panorama.
After making the camera and photo type selections, the guide will give you two or three detailed, yet brief, tips on how to best capture the image.
What’s great about this Shutterfly guide is its ease-of-use and versatility. You’ll be able to quickly navigate through the guide (as long as you know what camera and type of shot you want) and it offers a wealth of tips for many possible photo scenarios. For example, you’re in a restaurant and just received a stunning entrée – sounds like a great photo op. Using the “Perfect Photo” guide (or study and memorize these guides beforehand), you can set camera choice to “Smartphone” and photo type to “Food,” and then you’ll be advised to shoot your image from above and carefully choose your focal point by tapping the phone’s screen.
Or, maybe you’re going on a rafting trip with your compact point-and-shoot camera, and you could use a few pointers. The photo guide will advise you to protect your camera, use a zoom lens to keep your distance, and to consider purchasing an underwater camera (if you frequently shoot near water). The guide will even offer some choices for underwater cameras to buy.
Choose the camera and photo types, get some good advice, and take some interesting shots – it’s that simple. Of course, the tips are fairly rudimentary, as there are a lot more to taking great photos besides a few basic tips. But “How To Take The Perfect Photo” offers fundamental advice every new and intermediate photographer will find handy, and then move up from there.
In related news, CameraSim 3D will launch its interactive guide on how to shoot with a DSLR via a first-person 3D video game environment.
