RISMEDIA, September 2, 2010—Whether on vacation or at family gatherings, you’re probably taking a lot of photos this summer. But are you getting the most out of your digital camera? Here are some common mistakes to avoid when you have family and friends over and the camera out of its case in the coming months:

Using flash when you shouldn’t. Flash can cause red-eye, wash out skin tones and flatten scenes that ought to have depth. To avoid using flash, shoot with the sun or other light source to your back or move your subject closer to a window or other source of light. Using a slower shutter speed can also let you shoot in natural light, providing the subject and camera both remain quite still. When all else fails, turn up the ISO setting, but only as much as absolutely necessary. Never use flash on a subject more than a few feet away, as at a sporting event. All you’ll get is a dim subject with a black background.

Trying to squeeze too many photos on the storage card. You can do this by lowering the resolution or increasing compression, but both will reduce the quality of larger prints you make later, such as anything that is 5×7 or larger. Memory cards are cheap, so it’s better to bring along extra storage and not compromise what may turn out to be lifetime memories.

Not bringing a spare battery. Even if you charged the battery the same morning, reviewing shots on the LCD and using flash can deplete it by late in the day. Exposure to cold can also reduce battery life. To be sure you don’t run out of gas just when some of your best photo ops present themselves, charge a spare and keep it on hand.

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