Best Practises for Photographing Evening Events

As a photographer there may arise that important event that entails great photographs in a dimly lit environment, and often you may find this is the hardest type of atmosphere to capture. 

When using a digital camera is, of course, the ability to take shot after shot without wasting film, and with the cost of high capacity memory cards these days you can shoot almost infinitely (especially if you take time to delete the unsuccessful shots between sessions). The autofocus has also progressed in leaps and bounds over the past 10 years, with infrared focus assist being readily available on most mid-range bridge models. The autofocus assist beam can be an invaluable tool in evening photography, particularly in events where the subject is constantly moving making manual focus almost impossible due to time constraints.

Most digital cameras also now come equipped with a number of helpful settings especially for capturing images in low light, with increased ISO sensitivity and digital films speeds up to and beyond 12800. These high ISO settings will allow you to capture even the darkest of subjects, however what you gain in speed, you will ultimately pay for in image quality.

The first and foremost important tool for evening event photography is the good old tripod. You can eliminate almost all camera shake and blur that usually occurs in these sessions with the use of a tripod, meaning you can use a lower ISO for more professional and clear night photography. However, a tripod is often just too bulky to utilize in certain situations, such as at a concert. If you're deep in the crowd in front of the stage, you may find that a tripod is a definite no-no; there is nowhere to set it up and the writhing crowds will defeat the purpose of using it in the first place.

Almost all digital cameras now come with an automatic black and white setting, and you may find that if you have to use a high ISO to capture the image, black and white photographs will serve you well. Removing the color from the image also removes any signs of over saturation or over compensation when using a flash. This will result in moody yet stylized shots perfect again for dimly lit indoor musical concerts and the like.

When Using Flash Seems Obvious

It would seem that when discussing the daunting task of photography in low light settings, the obvious thing to do would be to increase the light available using flash, however this is a double edged sword. When faced with a concert setting, it all depends upon the stage lighting already equipped at the venue. If you’re at a larger concert and lucky enough to be close to the stage, you may find that the strong technical lighting will be enough to assist you with your shots. However, smaller, indoor venues may only use basic stage lighting, and this point you may want to consider using flash.

If using a high ISO it is advised that you keep away from using the flash, it will definitely expose the main subject of your photograph, but it will leave all background detail underexposed, totally taking away any ambience and atmosphere from your shots.

Experience and Practice is Key

The venue will have constantly changing light sources; the subject will most likely be on the move and with these changes comes a different photographic opportunity and setting almost every second. Overall, the skill of evening event photography is a skill you must learn through experience over time, as well as getting to know the limits and capabilities of your gear like the back of your hand. Joining in photography workshops with your specific camera can help this process along. Practice almost definitely makes perfect with this line of photography, and you should take every opportunity to hone your eye for the perfect dimly lit image until you know light source types and your camera’s capabilities innately.

MICROSOFT is 40 Years OLD !

It may seem difficult to believe but Microsoft is about to turn 40. Saturday will mark the 40th anniversary of when Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded the software giant in 1975.

In the letter, Gates praises CEO Satya Nadella, who he credits with making Microsoft "better positioned than ever to lead" as technology continues to advance. Gates also calls out Cortana, Skype Translator, and HoloLens as "a few of the many innovations that are on the way" under Nadella's leadership.

Microsoft no doubt set the goal of a computer on every desk and in every home. It was a bold idea and a lot of people thought that company was out of our minds to imagine it was possible. It is amazing to think about how far computing has come since then, and we can all be proud of the role Microsoft played in that revolution. We already live in a multi-platform world, and computing will become even more pervasive. We are nearing the point where computers and robots will be able to see, move, and interact naturally, unlocking many new applications and empowering people even more.

In the coming years, Microsoft has the opportunity to reach even more people and organizations around the world. Technology is still out of reach for many people, because it is complex or expensive, or they simply do not have access. So I hope you will think about what you can do to make the power of technology accessible to everyone, to connect people to each other, and make personal computing available everywhere even as the very notion of what a PC delivers makes its way into all devices.

Microsoft has accomplished a lot together during our first 40 years and empowered countless businesses and people to realize their full potential. But what matters most now is what we do next. Thank you for helping make Microsoft a fantastic company now and for decades to come.

For more information products on Microsoft, please check the below links:

 Spartan: The New Windows Browser

Windows 10 in Mobiles

Windows 10 : A Review

HOLO Lens from MICROSOFT

Tips To Brilliant Photography

Your holidays can provide endless opportunities for brilliant photography, regardless of which part of the world you've chosen to jet off to. In the first part of my two-part travel photography guide, I took you through the kit you should consider taking with you.

Now, I'm going to take you through some of the best tips you should keep in mind on vacation to help you come back with some glorious travel shots, instead of a boring bunch of holiday snaps.

Get to know your kit

Learning how to use your camera will not only help you get better, more creative shots, but will help you get those shots quicker, as you won't have to fiddle around with settings. Some of the most exciting travel shots can come and go in a split second, so whether you're capturing the running of the bulls in Pamplona or a snowboarder launching off a mogul in Switzerland, you'll need to learn to shoot quickly.

If you learn how to properly work your camera, you'll be able to quickly shoot when inspiration strikes.

Get out of automatic mode

Spend time with your camera in manual mode before you go away. Learn how to change shutter speed, aperture, ISO speeds and white balance, and experiment with what happens to your images when you change these settings. A good camera will be able to capture some great shots in auto mode, but when you want to get creative with long exposures, you'll need to take manual control of the settings. Learning how to use manual controls will allow you to get creative with slow shutter speeds.

Shoot in raw

If your camera has it (and most do), shoot in raw format. Yes, it creates bigger files, but memory cards are so cheap now that it's worth carrying an extra 32GB card with you. Raw shooting allows you to change white balance after your shot, and capture more details in the very bright and very dark areas, letting you tone down any blown-out skies or lighten some shadows in Photoshop. Shooting in raw allows you to fine tune settings like white balance after you've taken the shot. Although it's always best to get the shot right when you first take it, raw processing gives you much more flexibility to rescue a shot that's not quite right.

Do your research

Search for your location on Google and visit travel sites to find out more about where you're going. Not only will that help you make the most of your trip, you may find out about local events or particularly photogenic locations you may otherwise have missed.

You might also find out about photography restrictions that may land you in hot water -- as a general rule anywhere, avoid photographing government buildings, and if you're unsure, ask permission. Local events can provide a wealth of photography opportunities, such as this sea-swimming competition in the Italian town of Vernazza.Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Search for your destination on photography websites such as Flickr and 500px for inspiration on what to see. It's handy to get an idea of the shots other people have taken -- either to replicate them yourself, or to avoid taking the same generic shot the Internet has seen hundreds of times before.

Take time to compose

Good composition will make or break a photo, and unlike white balance or colour tone, poor composition cannot be fixed in post processing. The morning light bouncing off that rustic church won't count for much if you've accidentally chopped off the spire in your hurry to take the shot.

Play with angles

A generic shot of a popular spot can be transformed into an unusual and creative artwork simply by changing your angle. Take a moment to look at the scene before you shoot and don't be afraid to move around to get the best angles. Struggling with a beach scene? Walk further down the coast to find boats, nets or rocks that might add foreground interest. Shooting in the city? Get up a tall building for dramatic urban cityscapes. Even just kneeling down and shooting from below can make a difference.

Don't be afraid of the dark

Just because the sun has gone down, it doesn't mean your photography needs to stop. It's a great time to get creative with slow shutter shots. Long exposures blur motion, turning regular car headlights on a city street into creative, abstract light trails, streaking through the darkness. Use a narrow aperture -- f/12-f/20 -- and a long exposure to turn points of light into gorgeous star bursts.

A lack of natural light doesn't mean there's nothing to photograph. You'll need to secure your camera firmly in place -- with a tripod of course -- and if you're playing with exposures longer than a few seconds, you'll need to be careful about the breeze or people walking by adding any vibrations. If you want to do long exposures in the daytime, you'll need a dark neutral density filter -- such as the Big Stopper by Lee Filters -- to let you take minute-long exposures in the middle of the day.

Be a people person

It's often the people you meet as much as the places you see that makes travelling and exploring so interesting. People make fantastic subjects to photograph, whether they're wandering the streets, relaxing or hard at work.

Always ask permission before you take photos of strangers. Naturally, not everybody will want to be photographed so, out of politeness if nothing else, it's a good idea to ask the person's permission beforehand. It'll help if you do your research and learn a few key phrases of the local language to not only ask permission, but be able to understand the response. If they say no, it's important to respect that.

Set your alarm

The middle of the day may be the nicest time to wander around Tuscan streets, grab a hot chocolate on the mountainside or order a third cocktail on the beach, but the midday sun doesn't usually offer the best light for dramatic photographs.

Set your alarm early enough and you can catch a golden sunrise.

It's the early morning light, casting its long, golden shadows that will really make a place look its most beautiful. Setting your alarm for sunrise on holiday may seem like the worst thing in the world, but it's worth trying -- even just once -- to see what sort of shots you get. Scout out locations beforehand to make sure you don't waste the precious early hours trying to find somewhere to shoot.

Revisit the scene

When you stumble upon a particularly picturesque scene, don't just visit it the once. While a bay may look delightful in the daytime, it will look different again at night, with all the lights of nearby buildings stretching out across the water. If you know a great spot, do your best to come back to it to find out when it looks best.

Play with processing

Although you should always try to get the best shot you can when you first take it, some well-placed post processing can turn a good photo into a great one. If you're shooting raw files you'll need to process them anyway, so it's worth trying out a few of the sliders in Adobe Lightroom while you're at it.

With your raw files, the first thing you'll need to do is correct the white balance. Have a play with the colour temperature slider and see what tone suits best. Summer evening shots will benefit from a warmer colour tone, while chilly February city streets will look best with something a bit cooler.

Toning down the highlights can help keep a bright sky under control, while lifting the shadows will help make darker areas more visible, without affecting too much of the rest of the scene. It's important not to go overboard on this, as it can make your images look a little unnatural.

From that point on, have a play with your editor of choice and see what you like. There's no one right way to edit your shots -- no matter what anybody says -- it's all about what you prefer. Experiment with black and white or sepia processing, or use Web-based services like Fotor to create a collage of your shots to print and frame for your wall.

Do your own thing

Sure, rules such as "take the lens cap off before shooting" should always be followed, but never be afraid to try an unusual angle, play with your settings or experiment with new editing techniques in Lightroom. If everybody always followed the exact same format, everybody's photography would look the same. Use these rules as guidelines and play with angles, settings and editing as much as you want to find what works for you.

ROADRUNNER: Self Driving Car by DELPHI

A self-driving car created by Delphi Automotive, dubbed "Roadrunner," just completed a nearly 3,400-mile journey across the United States, marking the first coast-to-coast autonomous drive to go down in North America. Decked out with sensors and other advanced self-driving tech, the Roadrunner spent 99% of the nine-day trip in fully automated mode. It navigated through tricky conditions like traffic circles, construction zones, bridges, inclement weather and "aggressive drivers."

The road trip started in San Francisco and ended in New York City, crossing 15 states along the way. Delphi engineers gathered almost three terabytes of data from the car, information they plan to use in advancing automated driving technologies. While companies like Google and Mercedes-Benz are getting in on the self-driving car craze, Delphi's drive is the first coast-to-coast journey undertaken by an autonomous vehicle.

Check the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyqsrW16Ykc

Photography Kit That You Need

Whether you're jetting off to an exotic island, heading into snow-capped mountains or simply taking a long weekend away in the country, your holidays can provide brilliant opportunities for photography. Time is always limited, however, so you need to make proper use of it.

We'll take you through the essential kit you need to take with you on your travels, as well as some extras to consider if you want to return home with creative pieces of art, rather than just plain holiday snaps.

Get the right camera

A pro-level dSLR like a Canon EOS 6D can take incredible shots and has the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, but its hefty weight makes it a little too cumbersome for travelling. Many compact cameras, such as the Sony RX100, can take superb shots, and most will fit in your pocket, but they don't have the in-depth features and flexibility of higher end dSLRs.

Tripod

A tripod isn't essential for travel photography, but when the light goes and you need to slow the shutter speed in order to get a good exposure, you'll need to secure your camera on a tripod. You'll definitely need one if you want those nighttime shots overlooking a gorgeous bay, or to capture the stars over those snow-capped mountains. You'll need something more robust if you're taking a dSLR with a heavy lens attached. Look for tripods that are designed for travel (they should pack down small) and are made from lightweight materials like carbon fibre.

Bag

A dedicated photo bag should be high on your list -- after all, you don't want your fancy new kit getting knocked around and breaking, do you? A good bag will have compartments to keep your camera safe and secure, but will let you access it quickly. It's important too to find one that also has plenty of space to keep other items you'll need while out and about.

Crumpler's Proper Roady Half Photo Backpack, for example, gives easy access to camera storage in the bottom half of the bag -- room for a dSLR, plus two lenses -- with the top half providing room for carrying everything else. It's hard-wearing too and has a water-resistant coating, which is handy if you find yourself caught out in a sudden downpour or flurry of snow.

Extras

The kit list above is really the essential stuff you'll need to take with you. How much more you take with you will really depend on how seriously you take your photography. A spare battery (or even two or three) is definitely worth having in your bag. There's nothing worse than getting to a beautiful afternoon destination, only to find you exhausted your power in the morning. Keeping a spare in your bag will let you swap it out and keep on shooting into the evening.

If your goal is to capture stunning landscape vistas, filters called graduated neutral density filters are well worth considering. These will darken only the top half of photograph -- to help control an overly bright sky -- letting you capture an evenly exposed scene. Shop around for square filter sets that will allow you to use adapter rings for a variety of lens sizes.

If you want to experiment with long exposures then you'll benefit from solid neutral density filters. These will dim the light across the whole scene, allowing you to use longer shutter speeds without resulting in a photo that's completely washed out. The Big Stopper by Lee Filters is a superb filter, so dark it allows you take photos several seconds long -- or even longer -- in broad daylight. For capturing cloud trails streaking across the sky, it's worth checking out, although it doesn't come cheap.

Camera Shooting Modes

Everyone out there who leaves their camera set on full automatic, raise your hands. Automatic is great while you're learning your camera, and I frequently recommend it to people who want to step up to a dSLR but are too intimidated by all the settings on the camera. But like any crutch, ultimately you're better off without it. Here's some guidance about all those other modes you could be shooting in.

If you're frequently unhappy with your photos shot in Auto, it's time to substitute some of the camera's decisions with your own. Auto can only guess that you're shooting sports, but you know. Why leave it to chance? Choosing from these modes is the way you provide important information to the camera to help it make better decisions. Yes, it'd be nice if the camera could just take perfect pictures without any thought on your part, but most technology simply isn't that smart yet. I'll start with some basic terms, then move to the core shooting modes -- ones that have been around forever and that you really should try (if your camera has them) when you're ready to take control of your photography. If you're not ready for these, then jump below to Typical scene program modes andLess-common scene modes.

Basic terms and concepts

·         Shutter refers to the mechanical or electronic control that allows light to hit the sensor, and therefore is responsible for the duration of the exposure. A fast shutter speed (higher number) stops action and a slow shutter speed (lower number) shows motion; slow shutter speeds will show camera shake, as well. Aperture refers to the opening through which the light travels before it hits the sensor. A wide aperture (lower number) lets in more light and yields a blurrier background, while a narrow aperture (higher number) lets in less light and yields a sharper background.

·         Exposure compensation lets you increase or decrease the overall brightness of an image. The camera does this by automatically changing the shutter speed and aperture values. Exposure value is the absolute brightness of the image.

·         Metering is the process by which the camera measures the brightness of the scene. There are a variety of user-selectable metering methods that will make the camera choose different exposure values.

·         ISO sensitivity, sometimes just called "ISO," is a measure of how much light a sensor needs to produce a given exposure. As ISO sensitivity rises (less light needed to produce a given exposure), the signal-to-noise ratio drops, resulting in poorer photo quality. However, higher ISO sensitivities also allow you to use faster shutter speeds for a given amount of light.

Mode	Description	Uses	What you can control
Auto Auto without flash	In this mode, the camera makes all the decisions. You literally just point and shoot. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, to guess the appropriate settings the camera has to play the probabilities, which means in many cases it will choose suboptimal settings for any particular scene. It generally uses one, predetermined metering mode which isn't suitable for uneven lighting, and reflexively raises the sensitivity setting to a level at which you'll see noise or artifacts when it may not be necessary. Many cameras now offer so-called "Intelligent" auto modes, which are really just better-performing versions of this old standby.	Very few. But it should be OK outdoors in daylight. Avoid it in low light, for action, or backlit scenes; generally any time you don't have relatively stationary or slow-moving subjects in good, even light.	Generally, no shooting settings. Usually limited to basics like file size. Might let you set overall brightness via exposure compensation.
"Intelligent" Auto	Most point-and-shoot cameras that have come out over the past couple of years now incorporate improved auto modes that analyze the scene and decide which of a handful of preset scene program modes best match the environment. They also will frequently invoke features like face detection, to improve autofocus accuracy, and automatic exposure adjustment algorithms (like Nikon's D-Lighting and Canon's i-Contrast). These advanced auto modes almost always deliver better results than traditional Auto. Some cameras also offer the ability to adjust parameters like shutter speed and aperture with an "easy" interface; for instance, it will present you with a continuum between still and action, and as you slide along the continuum it increases the shutter speed behind the scenes.	Good for when you're in too much of a rush to select the correct mode yourself, or don't know which mode applies. Most suitable when a shot falls easily into one of the three or so basic scene types: people, landscapes, and object close-ups. Most cameras can distinguish between day and night, and some between adults and children or moving and stationary subjects.	Generally, no shooting settings. Usually limited to basics like file size. Might let you set overall brightness via exposure compensation.
Scene program	These are modes preprogrammed with settings for common shooting situations. For example, Portrait modes usually set the aperture as wide as possible (to throw the background out of focus), turn on face-detection autofocus and keep the ISO sensitivity as low as possible. Think of these as hinted automatic modes; by telling the camera what the scene type is, you're reducing the probability of the camera guessing incorrectly. Scene modes can be very useful, but tend to be underutilized by snapshooters.	If you repeatedly take the same type of photos, like indoor real-estate shots -- then choosing an appropriate preset can be very helpful. Also, if you're consistently unhappy with certain types of photos -- people, low light, winter or beach scenes, and so on -- then this is your next step.	Generally, no shooting settings. Usually limited to basics like file size and occasionally flash, although for some modes you can't even change those.
Movie	While cameras are increasingly providing a direct-access record button for shooting movies, some still require that you enter a special mode in order to capture video. The camera may have a Manual or Custom Movie mode in addition to or instead of plain Movie.	Necessary for shooting video.	Custom/Manual usually gives you control over the aperture, shutter speed, and/or ISO sensitivity during video capture. The upside is that it keeps you from confusing still settings with video settings; the downside is that it makes it a little clunkier when jumping between stills and video.
Program	Program mode is the thinking person's auto: the camera chooses the most important settings for you -- shutter speed and aperture -- and allows you to override all of the other defaults.	Program is the most general-purpose auto mode. It's better because you can set the ISO sensitivity (so you can control noise), use exposure compensation (to control overall scene brightness), and select metering (for difficult situations, such as a backlit subject).	Everything except shutter speed and aperture. Some cameras offer a Program shift mode, which allows you to adjust shutter speed and aperture in lockstep (in other words, change them while preserving the metering exposure value).
Shutter priority	In this mode, you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically calculates the appropriate aperture for a given exposure value.	When you need an exceptionally fast or slow shutter speed; for instance, capturing fast action, producing that "cottony" effect for running water, or taking long exposures of the night sky.	Everything except aperture.
Aperture priority	In this mode, you set the aperture and the camera automatically calculates the appropriate shutter speed for a given exposure value.	When you want to control how much of the background and foreground are in focus. This is especially useful for portrait and macro photography, when you want the subject in focus and the background blurred (wide apertures) or landscape and architecture shots, when you want everything sharp (narrow aperture).	Everything except shutter speed.
Manual	Here you can set shutter speed and aperture independently, shifting the exposure value. The camera usually tells you how far you are from the "correct" exposure. If you're wary of operating in manual mode but have some time to experiment, remember that you can use Program mode to see what the camera thinks the appropriate settings would be, then plug those into manual mode as a starting point.	When you want full creative control.	Complete control.
Bulb	A version of Manual mode in which the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the button, for very long exposures.	When you want full creative control in the dark.	Complete control.

Typical scene modes

These are general descriptions of the most common scene modes. Each manufacturer has its own variations, and may adjust parameters like metering, contrast, brightness and saturation as well. Furthermore, if the camera in question is a digital SLR, the scene modes can't control where in the lens zoom range the focal length is set or the state of the optical image stabilization.

Mode	Description	Uses
Portrait	The goal is usually to render the face(s) in focus against a blurred background. Generally sets the camera to a medium telephoto focal length with wide aperture (or simulated wide aperture). Recent models will usually invoke face detection for optimal focus, exposure and skin tones, as well as turn on flash and red-eye reduction. Watch out for portrait modes that smooth skin and perform other feats of blurring and distortion.	Daylight or well-lit shots of people or animals standing still.
Sports	This mode usually attempts to freeze fast-moving subjects. To do so, the camera will bump up the shutter speed as high as possible, which frequently requires raising the ISO sensitivity as well, so you may see increased image noise in this mode. More advanced models may also kick in continuous-shooting and some sort of focus tracking algorithm to keep a lock on the subject.	Daylight or well-lit sporting events, as well as kids and pets in action.
Landscape	This mode attempts to get as much of the scene in focus as possible, and will occasionally boost saturation on greens, blues, and reds to render photos that "pop." (Sometimes that's split off into a separate Foliage mode.) To achieve this, the camera will generally set the focal length to a relatively wide angle, the aperture fairly narrow, and the focus to infinity.	Daylight nature or cityscapes.
Macro, aka close-up	This is like a portrait mode for small objects; it produces the same effect of a sharp subject against a blurred background. To do so, it zooms the lens to the point at which it has the closest focusing capability. Occasionally, the camera can intelligently set the flash to prevent completely blowing out the subject.	Photographing small subjects.
Night, aka Night landscape	This mode is designed for shooting photos in low light, preserving detail in the dark areas without blowing out bright objects, like streetlights, and to get as much of the scene in focus, as you would with a landscape shot. The camera generally sets itself to a medium-to-high ISO sensitivity, with a relatively slow shutter speed, and turns flash off. As such, there'll be increased image noise and the possibility of camera shake.	Any night scene in which you don't have a central subject, like a person, that needs to be brighter than the rest of the shot.
Night Portrait	This differs from a regular night mode to compensate for a relatively close subject in the scene, such as a person or animal, that you want to be exposed brightly enough to stand out. Newer cameras will turn on face detection, and many cameras turn on the flash. Like Night mode, the camera generally raises the ISO sensitivity and lowers the shutter speed, but the overall shot is optimized for the subject.	Any night scene in which you have a central subject, like a person, that needs to be brighter than the rest of the shot.

Less-common scene modes

Beauty modes, which algorithmically retouch various skin tone and texture "problems" are the latest auto trend. Yes, manufacturers tend to add more scene modes in order to boast larger numbers in comparison charts, but modes like these tend to be chosen because they handle a scene that's an exception to the rules of an existing scene mode.

Mode	Description	Uses
Candlelight	This mode is a variation of Night Portrait, but usually without flash in order to preserve the ambiance of the light.	Any night or low-light scene in which you have a central subject, like a person, illuminated by an attractive, nonglobal light source, such as candles, lava lamps, stage lighting, and so on.
Sunset	A variation of Night Landscape, this mode assumes slightly more available light -- allowing for a lower ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speed -- plus bumps up the saturation.	For dawn or dusk shots where you want to emphasize the colors in the landscape, including bright foliage.
Food	This probably combines Macro and Night Portrait-type settings, sometimes accompanied by a boost in saturation to make the food look more attractive.	In addition to food, you can try it for many indoor close-ups.
Documents, aka Text	This is typically a black-and-white mode with extra contrast and sharpness applied, optimized for readability. Some variations on this mode also include some lens-distortion correction.	Anything you might otherwise have scanned or photocopied, like business cards and book pages, as well as signs with information you want to remember, like phone numbers.
Panorama	A mode that shoots photos intended to be combined into a single, very wide photo. It doesn't necessarily apply special settings, but at minimum usually has helper guidelines for you to align sequential shots to make it easier to stitch the photos together.	In addition to the traditional broad landscape or cityscape, try Panorama if your lens isn't wide-angle enough to capture the entire scene as you want it.
Fireworks	This is a variation of Night Landscape, but with a slower shutter speed to catch the trails of the fireworks. The camera might invoke image stabilization here.	Good when you're trying to get trails of moving lights in the dark, like a carnival ride at night.
Beach and Snow	Because a camera's automatic exposure is based on an average scene brightness, all-white shots will tend to look gray and low contrast. To compensate, you should always slightly overexpose them. This scene mode does that automatically. If it's a Snow-only mode, then it might also adjust the white balance to compensate for the fact that reflected snow looks bluish rather than white.	For any scene with a lot of white or light colors in it.
Backlight	Because a camera's automatic exposure is based on an average scene brightness, shots with a light source behind the subject will think there's more light than there is and produce a too-dark shot. This mode compensates for that, sometimes by turning on the flash.	Any shot where there's a lot of ambient light but the subject is in shadow.
Museum	This mode is optimized for indoor shooting without flash. The camera will likely set to a moderate ISO sensitivity and relatively slow shutter speed; it might turn on image stabilization	Good for any low-light photographs in which you don't want the harsh light of the flash.
3D	Unless the camera has dual lenses, this mode combines offset shots to produce a 3D effect when viewed with the appropriate hardware and/or software.	Right now, it's still in the gimmicky stage. 3D effect is best achieved in scenes where the subject is significantly in front of the background and the lens is set to a moderately wide angle.

How To Buy A CAMERA - Part 2

One Post was just not enough for this; here we discuss some finer details into buying a camera…

Read Part-1 Here

Image stabilization (IS):
This is what keeps your photos from displaying camera shake. There are two physical types: in-camera sensor shift and in-lens optical. While they perform similarly, optical IS seems to work a little better while shooting video, but sensor-shift means that for interchangeable-lens models you don't have to wait for the manufacturer to put IS in the lens and the lenses will likely cost less and be a little smaller. Cheaper cameras may have electronic IS, which uses a combination of fast shutter speed and higher ISO sensitivities to help with motion blur. Unfortunately, this increases image noise and is less effective in low lighting. EIS does make sense as a complement to physical stabilization, since it can respond faster when shooting video.

Battery life and type:
Most cameras use lithium ion rechargeable battery packs. While they offer greater battery life than readily available AA -size batteries, they are generally designed for a specific make or model of camera. There are models using AA batteries, but they're usually lower-end compacts and larger mega-zoom cameras. When buying a camera, check out how many shots its battery has been rated for, a specification that has been standardized by CIPA.

Burst/continuous shooting rate:
A measure of the number of frames per second a camera can capture, this spec can get quite confusing. Optimally, you want a high frame rate, at full resolution, with autofocus and auto-exposure, for a reasonable number of frames. In order to report a high frame rate, the most common spec, companies play fast and loose with the other variables; so, for example, they'll say the camera does 10 frames per second (fps) -- but that's for 10 frames (1 second) with exposure and autofocus fixed at the first frame, while the usable burst rate will be closer to 5fps.

Video:
For typical vacation videos or videos of the kids, you want 1080/30p -- "1080" refers to 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, also referred to as Full HD, while "30p" stands for 30fps progressive video. These days, you should stay away from 60i -- 60 fps interlaced -- as it has more visible artifacts than even 24p. If a camera offers a frame rate greater than 60fps, that lets you create slow-motion videos. As for codecs, the algorithms which compress and decompress the video, look for a real codec like H.264, AVCHD or XAVC, which are subsets of MPEG-4, rather than Motion JPEG. The actual video files have formats like MOV (QuickTime), AVI (Microsoft Audio/Video Interleave), MP4 and MTS (AVCHD). Video recording also has a bit rate, the amount of data it encodes per second of video; for this, higher is generally better. Because AVCHD is really a playback specification, it's a lot less flexible with respect to available bit rates than H.264 MPEG-4. We're also starting to see more support for 4K capture in cameras, though the best thing about these currently is that the extra processing power it requires means the cameras can usually support higher-bit-rate HD video.

Some Other Very Important Features:

GPS:
If you love knowing exactly where you were when you took a photo, you'll want a camera with a built-in GPS (global positioning system) receiver. Typically found in rugged or higher-end cameras (add-on receivers are also available for some ILC and dSLR cameras), the GPS receiver uses satellite positioning to tag your pictures with location data. This location data can be read by software as well as photo-sharing sites to map where the photos were taken. Depending on the camera's capabilities, the GPS may also be used to tag photos with landmark information, set the camera's clock to local time, and track your path on a map as you shoot or even help with basic navigation on foot. The biggest downside is that it will drain your battery faster as it has to be left on so it can continue to update your location. It also won't work indoors or, in rugged cameras, underwater. GPS will add to the cost of the camera, too.

One last note: Though some models state that they tag video with location information, the data is attached to the video as a separate file instead of being embedded as it is with photos. Generally this means the location information can only be viewed if the videos are played directly from the camera or with bundled software.

Wi-Fi:
The most popular use for Wi-Fi connectivity is wirelessly transferring photos and videos off the camera, but many models can back up straight to cloud services or networked computers as well as connect directly to a mobile device, so you can view, transfer and edit shots, and then upload to sharing sites over your device's mobile broadband. Sony has gone to the extreme and basically created cameras without LCDs -- the QX series -- that are designed to be operated over Wi-Fi. Some models use Wi-Fi to remotely control the camera, too, using your mobile device's display as a viewfinder. It can also be used to piggyback on your smartphone's GPS receiver for tagging photos with location data. What this means is you can get things your smartphone's camera can't offer (such as better photo and video quality, a zoom lens and more control) and still share on the go.