Lesson No. 1, kid.

Get your fingers off the lens, kid.

Years ago I wrote a photography column for The London Free Press. One column encouraged readers to let their children use the family camera. Watch them carefully, I said, don't let them drop the thing. To prove that kids could be trusted, I borrowed a friend's five-year-old and headed off to a local park.

After breakfast can I take some pictures.

The little one did quite well. In fact, for years I used her picture of a number of swimming water birds to shame grad students at Western into applying themselves at photography.

My granddaughter is almost 32-months-old and I'm thinking it is time to hand her the camera. She agrees. We go for walks and she sees stuff that interests her. Pointing this stuff out, she tells me, "Get out the camera. That makes a picture!"

Rather than take orders from a toddler, I'm giving her the camera. Heck, she is always saying, "I want to do it myself." I've decided, "O.K. kid, do it yourself."

I say, you're never too young to learn to keep your fingers off the camera lens. That'll be lesson number one.

Be Prepared

The fast f/2.0 lens of my Canon SD90 comes through again.

Little Eloise has wonderful skin: Blemish free and a healthy, rosy hue.

Sitting in her car seat with her purple Teddy bear Violet, the lighting in our hallway entrance was perfect. It was soft but directional and clean. The colour temperature could not have been better. All that was needed was a catch light in her eyes.

I took a few shots in case she never did look up. I didn't want to come away with no picture at all. But, I was in luck, she glanced upwards and "Snap!" I had the picture.

Learn to watch the light illuminating your subject; Anticipate future action. Photographers are wise to apply the motto of the Boy Scouts: "Be prepared."

For want of a battery the photos were lost

All images shot with my Canon PowerShot SD90.

 Today I went with a friend to the Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge. The place has something on the order of 2000 butterflies and moths flitting about the exhibition hall. There are lots of picture opportunities.

With today's point and shoots, with their relatively fast lenses, both close-up and telephoto capabilities, taking pictures should be, forgive me, a snap. Unfortunately, my friend packed it in early. His battery died and he had not brought along his spare.

I know he has one. When he got his little point and shoot, I insisted he buy a spare battery and I encouraged him to carry it with him whenever he was out taking pictures.

Many folk think erroneously that taking pictures is hard. It isn't. Not anymore. Just being there is often enough, as long as you are there with a working camera. This means having at least two batteries: a fresh one in the camera and another in your pocket. For most of us, this will get us through a day's shooting.

And don't forget the card. I like my SD cards with lots of capacity --- 8 GB is my smallest card. I don't want my shooting grinding to halt because my SD card is full. For a bit more about the day and another image from the shoot, please check out London Daily Photo.

Shooting flower show beauties

Selective focus makes this orchid pop.

Recently I attended a flower show dedicated to orchids. The fellow I was with is an orchid enthusiast. On arrival he immediately set about trying to capture images of prize winning orchids. Watching him made me wince. He made shooting pictures of flowers look incredibly difficult. It isn't.

Most of today's digital point-and-shoots have a macro or flower setting. Many will shift to these settings automatically based on the distance at which the lens is focused. What could be easier?

My friend would choose a flower and then, using his motorized zoom, he'd try to frame his image. The zoom was jumpy. A touch of the control and the flowers exploded across his viewfinder: too large. Another touch, and the flowers receded into the distance: too small. He soon put his camera in his pocket.

The strong diagonals help this shot.

Augghhh! They are called point-and-shoot cameras for a reason. Our amateur photographer should have practised KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). He should have simply picked a focal length and set to work on the real problem at hand: capturing some nice shots of orchids.

I have said it before but I'm going to say it again. The most important book for you to read before setting off to shoot pictures is the instruction book that came with your camera. I doubt that my friend has ever sat down with that oh-so-important book and played with his camera. If he had, he would not have frustrated himself zooming the lens in and out.

So, how should he have approached the problem?

• First, pick a flower. Hey, this is a flower show. What could be easier.
• With the lens set to a 50mm equivalent setting, frame a shot.
• Watch the background. You cannot move the flower, so move the camera.
• If there is no way to eliminate all distractions, consider using a different focal length and trying again. Longer lens settings will minimize background clutter. As the lens moves into telephoto range, watch the focus. Make sure the camera is still able to focus sharply on the subject.
• Watch the light. If there is clean but diffuse sunlight pouring in a window, try and take advantage of this in order to keep the flower colours clean and vibrant.

If all of the above fails, choose another flower. Hey, it's a flower show. You have lots of choices. (Keep an eye open for all picture possibilities. The shot below shows an orchid inside a protective, stiff plastic container.)

The reflections add extra colour and interest to this image.

Watch for backlighting

Not the strongest example of backlighting but it works.

I have a soft spot in my heart for backlit images. When I worked at a newspaper and had to shoot a quick picture with punch, I often went with a strongly backlit image. Hiding the background light behind the subject would make this image pop. Composing the image with the light hidden will rim the head with almost glowing hair and dramatically separate the subject from the darker background.

Although the image is backlit, it is important for the photographer to still pay attention to the light falling on the subject from in front. All too often, I see backlit images that die on the page because one cannot make out anything other than the strong rim light. In most cases, a person should be easily recognized in a backlit picture. Faces shouldn't just fall into the deep shadows and be lost, unless you are trying for a dramatic, artsy image.

Fiona has lovely red hair and the warm back lighting not only created nice highlights but made her wayward curls easy to see and to appreciate. The soft light falling on Fiona's face is as important to the picture as the backlighting. Having all the light sources working together makes this image work.

And how did I figure out my exposure? I let my Canon PowerShot S90 do the work. (Although I knew the exposure would be weighted for the face. The camera was set for centre weighted exposures.)

Recognizing picture moments

I take a lot of photos of Fiona. She is just 29 months, a little young for a camera. I've given her my Canon S90 but she finds it difficult to frame an image while depressing the shutter button. She has the interest and I'm going to let her keep practising.

As important as it is to be able to handle the camera, it is just as important to know what stuff to shoot. What makes a picture? This is the question that every photographer must answer.

Fiona is getting there. She is developing "a photographer's eye." When she saw her first angel decorating a lawn at Christmas, she cried, "Gaga! Take a picture!" I did. And she checked my work. She knows how to activate the rear display screen and advance through the images stored in the camera. She's quite at ease making comments on my work.

The other day she was learning how to grate cheese. It was a first for her. First time stuff like this make a memorable moment --- a picture moment. "Take a picture!" she ordered, and then turned back to her work. She knows grating cheese makes a picture and not saying cheese and grinning at the lens.
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Things to consider when shooting kids:-

• Try and get down to the child's level
• In most case, do not shoot the tops of heads.
• Faces are important. Try and capture an emotion.
• It may be a still picture but often a little captured-action helps.
• Try and compose while shooting. Think final composition.
• Try for a moment captured and not a grin-for-the-camera shot.

Shooting news with less than the best

A newspaper quality shot of Ken Lewenza, national CAW president.

The other day I covered a rally in London, Ontario. I was writing a story for the Digital Journal and needed art to accompany my piece.

As a former newspaper photographer, I can appreciate the advantages offered by top-of-the-line equipment: No shutter lag, great motor drives and phenomenal image quality.

Unfortunately, the one disadvantage is price. No longer working for a newspaper, I can no longer afford the best. So, I shoot with a Fuji FinePix HS10 and a Canon PowerShot S90. I carry a spare set of batteries at all times for both cameras.

I have one other problem when I am out shooting news. I have a heart condition. Ideally, I would have liked to be on stage shooting with the local news folk but if I had a "spell" and I was on stage, it would be embarrassing and disruptive. I staked out a spot in front of the stage. And I did have a spell and was able to ease myself out of the crowd and find a seat to recover.

My small, shoulder case with two cameras and spare batteries is quite light. It is light even for me.

I think my shots from Saturday are proof that reporters can get usable shots using simple equipment. They may not get the images that a photographer would, the shutter lag alone is enough to prevent that, but they will get good, usable stuff.

One needs at least one overall crowd shot. One quick shot from the stage delivered.

A real strong selling point when it comes to my kit is the wonderful zoom lens on the Fuji FinePix HS10. It goes from a wide angle to super telephoto and it does it with a twist of the lens, rather than a push of a button. I much prefer the manual approach over the motorized one for setting the focal length of the lens.

I'd write more but you get the idea, I'm sure. If not, check through some of my older posts about these two cameras. If you write me, I'll reply or add to this post so that all can benefit.

Good shots are made at rallies using all focal lengths.