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Underexposed (dark) photos |
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Why it happens
Underexposure simply means that not enough light made it into your camera, resulting in a dark photo.
Numerous things could make this happen:
- The lighting in the room is inadequate.
- You're standing too far away from your subject.
- Your shutter speed (how long the camera's shutter stays open) is too fast.
How to prevent it
- If you're taking pictures indoors, move near a window or bring a lamp or two into the room.
- Move closer to your subject.
- Manually adjust the shutter speed on your camera.
- Change exposure settings. HP digital cameras allow you to adjust the exposure of your photos from the main
Capture menu. For lighter photos, adjust exposure up; for darker photos, adjust down.
You are able to see what your image will look like as you adjust this setting.
- If you have an HP camera, turn on the
adaptive lighting
feature in your camera, which modifies the lighting to help prevent dark photos.
Fixing it after the photo has been taken
The HP adaptive lighting feature is also available in both
HP Photosmart Premier and
HP Photosmart Essential software,
so you can adjust the lighting of your pictures after the shoot. You may also use the Brightness
setting in HP Photosmart Premier.
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Red-eye |
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Why it happens
Red-eye is caused when light from your camera's flash reflects off the retina of your subject's eyes. It is a
very common problem that even pros face.
How to prevent it
There are a few proven strategies for avoiding red-eye:
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Turn off your camera's flash.
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If it's too dark to go without a flash, ask your subject to look toward the camera, but not directly
at the lens.
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By taking photos during the day, you'll most likely eliminate the need for a flash. If necessary, bring
in additional light sources.
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Stand farther away from your subject.
Fixing it after the photo has been taken
Both HP Photosmart Essential and HP Photosmart Premier software allow you to quickly remove red-eye from your
pictures. After you open the software, choose Red-eye from the Edit menu. Then, to correct the problem, place
the red-eye removal pencil over the area you want to fix, and click. Presto! No more red-eye.
Learn more about
removing red-eye from your photos.
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Blurry photos |
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Why it happens
Camera shake is the most common reason for blurred pictures. Even the slightest movement will cause unclear
photos. If your subject is moving, as in this photo, you'll also get fuzzy results. Lack of light is a third
problem, because it makes it difficult for your camera to focus.
How to prevent it
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Avoid shutter lag (the time between pressing the trigger and the camera taking the picture) by
pressing the trigger halfway down. When the right moment comes, press all the way down to instantly
capture the desired photo. This strategy is great when you're taking pictures of people (especially kids)
or animals who may move and then be still for a moment.
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Use a tripod or brace yourself against a stationary object to hold the camera still.
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When it's dark, use your HP camera's Night Scenery mode (which uses a long exposure and no flash) or
Night Portrait (which uses a flash and a long exposure) shooting mode. Because of the longer exposure
times, a tripod is a necessity with both of these modes.
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If your subject is moving, use the Action shooting mode on your HP camera. This setting automatically
optimizes your shutter speed to capture the action.
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Use HP Steady Photo Anti-Shake Mode where available. This setting helps limit both motion blur and camera motion.
Fixing it after the photo has been taken
There's not a lot you can do to fix a blurry photo, but HP Photosmart Premier software has a
Sharpen feature, which can help bring a bit more focus.
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Subject is too far away |
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Why it happens
When you're composing a picture using the LCD or the viewfinder, it's easy to make the mistake of trying to
fit too much into the photo, which leaves the photo lacking a focal point. Also, not using the zoom feature
can lead to similar results.
How to prevent it
This one's easy. Simply get closer to your subject or use the zoom feature on your digital camera.
As you're composing, ask yourself, "Does my subject fill the frame?"
Fixing it after the photo has been taken
Cropping, or removing unwanted parts of a photo, is a great way to "zoom in" on your subject. You can quickly
and easily crop your pictures with
HP Photosmart Essential software.
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Overexposed (bright) photos |
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Why it happens
Bright light, including daytime sunlight, can cause photos to have very light and very dark areas,
which is unpleasing to the eye. Also, high-contrast photos usually lack detail, so they tend to look washed out.
How to prevent it
Try one of the following methods to even out the lighting in your pictures:
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On sunny days, find a patch of shade to photograph your subjects.
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Use a flash, which will cast an even light over your subject.
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Take advantage of overcast days for photography. No shadows!
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If you have an HP camera, use the
adaptive lighting feature
in your camera. You'll achieve a better balance between light and dark areas, bringing details out of
shadows. As a result, your photos will look more like what your eye sees.
Fixing it after the photo has been taken
Use the HP adaptive lighting feature in either HP Photosmart Premier or Photosmart Essential software.
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Learn more |
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