Source:www.jimippolito.com

Do we have any tennis players or fans out there? If so you've heard the expression "sweet spot."

This is an easy and fun way to improve the pictures you get from your digital camera.

Every camera, film or digital, with an adjustable aperture, has a lens opening setting that generally yields better pictures than the rest of the openings. This is referred to as the lens' "Sweet Spot," and it's very easy to determine which opening it is.

In order to take advantage of this trick you must have a camera with a "Manual" or "Aperture Priority" mode. If you don't have that type of camera read this anyway because chances are your next digital camera will have these options.

These "modes" are usually indicated by "A" and "M" respectively. Again, check your camera manual to learn how to access these modes, and how to change the "Aperture" which is the lens opening, and is also called an "F-Stop."

As you change the Aperture setting from large numbers to small more light is allowed to strike the digital light sensor. I know it's the opposite of what you would think. The lower the number the bigger the Aperture and consequently more light gets in. More light requires a faster shutter speed to avoid overexposure. That's why lenses with bigger openings are referred to as "Fast Lenses," in case you ever wondered.

I suggest using "Aperture Priority" mode if you have a choice because the shutter speed will be automatically set for you as you change the lens opening.

If you only have a Manual setting you will have to adjust the shutter speed after each aperture change to insure proper exposure. Your camera's meter will indicate when the setting is correct by use of indicator lights in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen. Read the manual!

Here's how to find your lens' sweet spot:

Pick a bright sunny day and choose a test subject with lots of detail and color. I recommend a brightly painted building or other sizable object. Try to do this when the sun is lower on the horizon, say between 2 and 3pm, and of course pick a subject that allows you to photograph it with the sun behind you.

Set your lens to the largest aperture (smallest number) and take a picture. Stay in the same spot and change the aperture to the next opening and take the same picture. Repeat this until you have taken the same photo at all aperture settings.

You may want to repeat this process with another or even several subjects.

Now download the photo files to your computer and compare them. The pictures will be similar but they will have subtle differences.

Choose the picture that is most pleasing and you have found your lens' sweet spot. You can determine which aperture was used by counting the pictures from the first shot, which was the biggest aperture to the last shot, the smallest aperture. Your sweet spot will no doubt be somewhere in between, it's never the biggest or smallest aperture.

When you take pictures try to use that aperture as often as possible. You won't always be able to use it but don't let that stop you from taking pictures, just use the sweet spot as often as possible.

Remember that even the best tennis players can't always hit the ball with their racquet's sweet spot but they do OK overall.

I took the above picture on the UNLV campus, in Las Vegas, about a month ago. It's the "Marjorie Barrick Natural History Museum" and I took the picture while sitting on a bench under the overhang.