When you’re out and about with your family this summer, you’regoing to want to take along your camera to capture the fun andimportant memories. And while digital cameras do allow you to take- and retake – photographs, your subjects won’t stand by patientlylong for do-overs.

Photography schools likeBrooks Institute will teach you that lighting is the most importantelement in composing a photograph. Sometimes natural light is idealto perfectly highlight the subjects in your photograph. But othertimes, you will need to manipulate the lighting to make it lightenfaces and subjects the way you want it to.

Signing up for photography classes will give you detailed knowledge on yourcamera, photograph composition, lighting techniques and so muchmore. Here are a few tips on lighting manipulation to help you withyour family photos this summer:

1. Filler flash may help – even outside. The flash on yourcamera will only illuminate items five to eight feet from thecamera, so it’s not going to do any good in a large room. But ifthe subject of your photograph is close, and is in any sort ofshadow, the flash can give additional light to help bring thesubject into better visibility. Be careful that you don’tover-flash the subject, which will result in a bright spot with therest of the photograph appearing very dark. Moving away from theobject, or changing the angle of the flash, will help prevent youfrom over lighting.

2. Light angles are extremely important. Take the sun forexample. When it’s closer to the horizon, the sun’s angle can causeextreme shadows. And if you’re taking pictures of people, thoseextreme shadows result in long noses and 1/2 of the face appearingdarker. Whereas at high noon, when the sun is directly overhead andvery bright, it can bleach out the coloring in your photographs.Unless you are specifically going for an extreme look in yourphotograph, having your lighting source at a gentle angle inrelation to the subject in your photograph is best.

3. When taking photos in a setting with limited light, holdsteady. You can adjust the aperture speed on your camera to stayopen longer and allow more light to infuse the photograph, but ifthe camera were to move at all during the time it’s taking thephoto, your image is going to be blurry. Use a tripod if possible.Or if you’re holding the camera, remember to hold your breath whenpressing the button to keep the camera from moving with yourbody.

If you discover this summer that you have an interest inphotography and want to capture more digitally than just yourchildren’s play at the park, consider looking into photography degrees through colleges like Brooks Institute. Aphotography degree can provide you with more hints and tricks tocapturing the perfect image every time.

Information in this article was provided by Brooks Institute.Contact Brooks Institute today if you’re interested in developingmarketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with anindustry-current degree program. (Brooks Institute cannot guaranteeemployment or salary.)