Tips for good pics w/cheap digi cam?

[Crzyfrlss1]

I've played with all kinds of settings on my camera trying to get a real good picture.
Never happens.

I know lots of light is one thing, anything else?

Also, any good tips on resizing pics in Irfanview?

What kind of camera, make and model?  Does it have a full manual mode?  If I'm familiar with your camera of one like it, I may be able to help.  The 2 biggest keys to good pics with any camera is plenty of light and keeping the camera/subject still.  If you're totally camera illiterate I can help with the basics if you can follow.  Faster shutter speeds means less light & the picture could possibly be dark but there's less of a chance it will be blurred by movement.  Slower shutter speeds allow more light but also capture movement.  So I repeat, the more light and less movement you have the better chance of getting a good picture.  Now if you need to know how to make all this happen, ask away after letting me know how much you know about cameras and taking pics.

[Izzie45895]

The wider the aperature the less depth of field([f2.8 vs f8]. This gives you a very sharp pic of your gun(or whatever), kinda blurs the background, giving the eyes more focus on the gun(or whatever). The 'auto' setting usually kind of sucks. With plenty of light, you should be able to set your cam on 'aperature' setting and control the exposure that way. You must, however, make sure your shutter speed is high enough to take care of your 'shakes', or use a tripod.
Usually also, the single flash on the camera really sucks. Either invest in multiple light sources or try to take your pics outside. The warmth of late afternoon really adds to pics.
As a general rule, the wider the aperature, the less the depth of field(the part of the pic that's in focus). The higher or faster the shutter speed, the more the effect of camera shake(or the movement of the subject) is minimized. Use multiple light sources and adjust positioning of them to create the shadow effect you're looking for.
Make sure that your focusing is precise. Bad focus blurs the results.

With a digital camera you can afford to experiment. Take a hundred shots at different settings and all you have invested is time(and battery life). Pick and choose from the results. Very different from the old film camera days when you had to pay for film and processing!

I'm surely not an expert, but just some observations(I think).

Iz

[Crzyfrlss1]

Thanks for the tips so far guys.

My cam is an HP E317 5.0MP not the greatest thing in the world but it's main purpose is to just take pictures....lol
Aperture size is 3.5

Shakes are a bit of a problem for me as well and I don't have a tripod so thats out.

So far I've only experimented with EV compensate and light type settings, trouble is the camera won't remember the settings after I turn it off which kinda blows.
Guess I'll try shutter speed settings and see what happens.

Any suggestions for certain color backgrounds which make the camera work better?

[Izzie45895]

Yep, it doesn't appear that that cam has an aperature, speed, or manual mode. You'll need plenty of light. I'd suggest outdoor pictures with the sun at your back. You can get a reasonably steady tripod for $25-$30 bucks. Good luck!

Iz

[nmmike]

One thing you can do is go to a digital camera specific forum such as 'Digital Camera Resource Page'. There are many forums out there that you can find on 'Google'. Some forums, such as DCRP are aimed more at the basics.
 I have a Canon S3IS & I belong to a forum specific to the SxIS series of cameras. There are all levels of experience represented there so even the dummies like me can get help!
Hope this helps,
Mike

I too am a member of a forum that is specific to my camera and would suggest the same for anybody.  Although at a quick glance the site I prefer does not even have an HP forum, sorry.  Try out this link to help explain the various aspects of taking photos.  
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/Exposure/

[howie1a]

Don't use the flash if you don't use the flash you will not get hot spots , glare also if possible find the settings for the iso ( sensitive ) and set it for the highest setting this will help with the shaking and use 2 hands to hold the camera this 1 hand at arms length will not give you a good picture it's not possible  to hold a camera steady that way. take the pictures in good light either outside or with a good light source , you don't need a super camera to get good pictures .If you need to rest the camera against something to help keep it steady the same as you would with a rifle.