TOTW #2: Control key shortcuts; Camera Flash

Computer Tip: The Control Key

The Control key on your keyboard is actually quite useful. There are many keyboard shortcuts that utilize the Control key, and while many vary by the software you are using, but there are a few that work in most software. (The Mac uses the Command key instead of Control for the following commands.)

(Windows) Control +	(Mac) Command +	Action Taken
X	X	Cut selected text / image (to clipboard)
C	C	Copy (to clipboard)
V	V	Paste (from clipboard)
Z	Z	Undo last action
Y	(N/A)	Redo last action
N	N	Create new document
A	A	Select all of current document
O	O	Open document
S	S	Save document
Arrows	Option + Arrows	Move cursor forward or backward one word (Left / Right) or paragraph (Up / Down)
Home	Left Arrow	Move to the top of the current document
End	Right Arrow	Move to the end of the current document
(Alt + F4)	Q	Close Current Program
Backspace	(N/A)	Backspace over entire word

Then there are character formatting shortcuts as well on Windows:

Control +	Character Format
B	Bold
I	Italic
U	Underline

There you go! The less time you spend switching between your mouse and keyboard the more productive you'll be. Memorize a few of these keyboard commands and you'll get more done in less time.

Multimedia Tip: Using Camera Flash

I've always believed that natural light usually provides the best looking pictures. But sometimes it needs a little help. That's where the flash comes in.

In fact, I almost always use my flash on my camera, whether I'm taking pictures inside or outside, if there are any people or unwanted shadows in the image. And the reason is simple: to take control over my lighting. Anyone who attended/watched my photography class knows that "control of lighting is everything in photography." Don't just turn your flash on all of the time, though; it takes a while to get a feel for how and when. But here are a few guidelines to help get better pictures.

Whenever there is a large difference in the amount of light hitting your subject and their surroundings (for example, someone's face is in the shade but the background behind them is in the sun), turning on the flash to fill in the darker areas of the picture (i.e. your subject) is essential to capturing a usable image. Yet in the camera's default "automatic" setting cameras will leave the flash off in this situation. So turn on the flash to provide the extra lighting needed to brighten your subject to better match the lighting of the background.

Conversely, if you are taking a picture of a subject that is more than about 20 feet away, turning on the flash will do no good. In fact, it will usually result in a very dark image because the light from your flash just can't reach the subject; it dims as it gets farther from the camera. I always laugh when I see hundreds of camera flashes going off in sports stadiums, because 90+% of the time those pictures won't come out properly because the field is just too far away to reflect back any light from the flash. So when taking a picture of a distant subject, just turn off the flash whether it is night or day. The camera will then know to expose the image longer to record a brighter (and properly exposed) image. Of course, the "20 feet" rule varies based on the output capacity of your flash and the camera's ISO setting, but as a general rule, if your subject is 20 feet or more away, just turn off the flash. And if you are exposing a distant object at night, use a tripod to steady the camera.

If you are trying to capture both a dimly lit subject in the foreground and a distant background at night, you will need to find a mode on your camera that exposes the background properly, but turns on the flash as well. On SLR cameras the Aperture Priority (A or Av) setting usually does this; set to the appropriate aperture for the intended depth-of-field, turn on the flash, and fire away. On point-and-shoot cameras look for a night flash mode (an icon with a flash with the moon), but don't be too surprised if your camera doesn't have it; it isn't very common on inexpensive cameras.

Lastly (for this time), when taking portrait pictures, even outside, I like to turn on the flash to not only fill in any shadows, but also to create a little glint in my subject's eyes. Eyes are the window to the soul, and that glint helps to make them stand out more in the photograph.

If your camera has the ability to adjust how bright the flash is (many do), I recommend playing with it to get better control over lighting. Most of the time you will need to dial down the level of the flash (-1 or -2 EV) to avoid having your pictures look flat and washed out. Look for an icon with a flash symbol and +/- to find this function.