Photo questions

Why won't a certian function don't seem to work on my camera? Remember, certain functions only work in certain modes. Most of the time, you need to be in "p" or program mode and not Auto mode, to change some adjustments on the camera.

Is this enough megapixels?- If it is over 6 megapixels you are in good shape. David Pouge of the New York Times did a test that showed that people can't tell the difference between and 5 and a 10 mega-pixel camera even when blow up life-size. Keep in mind what matters is the lens. Better lenses produce better pictures.

I'm at a wedding and I don't have time to learn the controls on my external flash what do I do? I recommend taking a quick test picture, If the flash is too strong, back up a few feet or tilt it up towards the ceiling. Remember, if you have to use photoshop later, it's easier to brighten a picture than to fix a washed out one. A small piece of tissure paper over the lens may work too. Remember that most cameras have a flash compensation control so you can also adjust the flash that way instead of the flash itself.

I want to take a picture of downtown at night, or the moon. what setting do I need? Position the camera on a ledge or use a tripod. Go to manual mode. Start with a one second exposure at f/6. Then change the exposure one click at a time and look at what you took. Keep taking pictures at a different exposure length, going higher or lower in order, until you get what you are looking for. You may find that a 10 second exposure works well, but you must have the camera totally still. You can experiment with your f/stop setting too. For the moon, start with 1/125 second exposure and f/6 or similar do the same thing. Film is cheap in the digital world