Quote:
Originally Posted by Vassago
... I'd like to expand my skills in photography/camera setup, before doing magic with some software. I can't (or don't want to, to be honest) invest in Photoshop, but when it comes to my current needs Google's Picasa does wonders for me (just started using it yesterday!)
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What dcclark said is true--nearly all photos get post-processed. A P&S digital camera does it in camera for you--often applying sharpening and saturation increases in-camera to get a more pleasing image. The problem with this in-camera processing is that it's a one-size-fits-all solution, and uniform for every image, without regard to what the image actually needs done to it. By default, most dSLR manufacturers assume that you will want to do your own post-processing on an image-by-image basis, so the default settings in the camera are for a more neutral straight-from-the-sensor look. Most dSLR newbies are disappointed in how much less punch images will have straight out of camera, because they've never seen an unprocessed photo before.
If you just want to concentrate on shooting and not on post-processing skills, you can use the in-camera processing in your dSLR. The "Set Picture Control" menu will let you change the default processing to something closer to what you want, or create your own settings.
Often, when you get something that's flat, it'll be because you're shooting a scene with a dynamic range greater than that of the camera's. Shooting backlit scenes is one common way to do this (e.g., getting white instead of blue skies). Making sure the sun is at your back (or at least out of the shot) is one option to reduce the scene's dynamic range.