How to Take Breathtaking Photos With the Panasonic Lumix ZS60

May 13, 2016COMtnMom
Wild stallion at the Little Bookcliff Wild Horse Refuge
Wild stallion spotted at Colorado’s Little Bookcliff Wild Horse Refuge.  Taken with Panasonic Lumix ZS60 and it’s impressive 30x zoom lens.

Photography is one of those things that I truly love, that I wish I were better at, and that I wish I had more time to pursue.   Capturing your travels and everyday life adventures helps you savor and relive those memories later on.  And as a blogger, I feel like having beautiful photos can do so much to complement the written word.

Sadly, I’ve had neither the time, nor the budget, to formally “get into” photography.

Happily, there’s the new Panasonic Lumix ZS60!

After receiving one of these amazing little point-and-shoot cameras at my recent TravelingMoms Disney Retreat, I’ve had the opportunity to try it out in a few settings.  I’m blown away by the breathtaking photos this little camera takes.

Disney Wishes fireworks captured by Panasonic Lumix ZS60
Disney Wishes fireworks, captured by Panasonic Lumix ZS60.

Impressive Features of the Panasonic Lumix ZS60

Just released this March 2016, the new Panasonic Lumix ZS60 is a powerful little camera.  All in a compact, easy to take with you device, you get features like:

  • 30x Ultra-zoom
  • 4K Ultra HD video recording, you’ll never miss the shot again! Record a 3 second spread (30 frames per second), then save whatever frame you want as a jpg file.
  • 4K Post Focus photo capture features
  • Lens-mounted control ring to adjust exposure, giving you DSLR-like control
  • Touch-enabled LCD to easily navigate or change settings
  • 18 Megapixel sensor for clear, high-resolution photos
  • WiFi mobile device connectivity via Panasonic Image App, to easily transfer photos from camera to phone.  MIND BLOWN. This is a game changer, as far as I’m concerned, and is one of my favorite things about the ZS60.

With the power of all those features supporting me, I’m thrilled with the beautiful shots I’ve been able to capture with it.

Panasonic Lumix ZS60 captures action shots with 4k video recording for 3 seconds
Love the 3-second/30 frames per second 4K recording that lets you select which shots to save as photos.
Panasonic Lumix ZS60 captures action shots at the pool with 3 second 4k video recording
How fun is this?!

How to Take Breathtaking Photos  ~ My Best Tips

I’m no expert, but I do get compliments on my photographs.  I’m guessing that having a passion for trying to capture the beautiful things my eye sees, and loving the artistic and creative aspect of photography must count for something.  I have a few tips I’d be happy to pass along on how you can take more breathtaking photos.

Giraffee grazing on the Savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Giraffe grazing on the Savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. We were *not* that close… this is thanks to the awesome zoom of the Lumix ZS60.
  1.  Watch your composition.  Use “the Rule of Thirds” for a more pleasing visual and artistic edge.  Rather than centering everything, experiment with placing your horizontal or vertical subject in the bottom 1/3, top 1/3, or side 1/3 of the photo frame.
  2. Try a new angle.  Get down on your knees and shoot from a different perspective.  Walk around your subject and analyze where it looks best to your eye.  Don’t just shoot from straight on, be creative.
  3. What’s in the background?  A random pole sticking out of your son’s head?  Find a different angle to take the shot without distracting interference in the background.  Clean or scenic backgrounds make a huge difference in gorgeous photos.
  4. Quality, not quantity.  Pointing and clicking a zillion times with the assumption that “surely one of those will turn out” isn’t a recipe for a great photo.  Put some thought into taking a quality shot, and you’ll be happier with the results.
  5. Take some extreme close-ups.  Because they’re cool!  Bonus tip I learned straight from the awesome photographer Rick Gerrity:  If you are using a camera like the Panasonic Lumix ZS60, you’ll get better results by standing 6 feet from your subject and zooming in, rather than holding the camera extremely close.
  6. Focus, people.  A blurry photo is an unattractive one.  Your equipment makes a difference here, but take a breath, keep yourself still, and hold your hand as steady as possible.  Give your camera  chance to adjust to what you are trying to focus on – that extra 2-3 seconds of effort makes a difference.  Also, a camera with a post-zoom feature can help you capture clear, multiple depth shots.
  7. Lighting is key.  If the lighting is poor, try moving your subject (if possible) to a better light.  The Lumix ZS60 lets you easily adjust exposure by turning the control ring for more/less light.  If it’s getting too dark outside, or you just can’t alter the back-lighting… well, run with that.  Take some dark silhouette shots.  These often turn out even cooler than your originally intended image.
  8. Zoom, zoom, zoom!  I’ve tried zooming with my iPhone, which is decent.  But let’s face it, typically when you zoom in all the way… you get a grainy photo.  Well, that’s NOT the case with the Lumix ZS60.  Its 30x zoom lens means just that, you can zoom in 30 times the distance and still get a crystal clear shot.  You will be amazed when you see the muddy cheek detail on that wild horse photo.
  9. Let Technology Help.   I used to think I’d need to invest in a huge fancy lens, and lug a giant camera around if I wanted to get serious about taking amazing photographs.  That’s part of why I’m so excited to have found a compact, easy to use camera like the Panasonic Lumix ZS60, which has been engineered to do amazing things in a very small package.
Ostrich pillars inside Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge
Ostrich pillars inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge frame a view of the savannah.

I’m thrilled with the new Panasonic Lumix ZS60 camera.  It’s highly portable, is a much more reasonable option for me, and fits perfectly with my lifestyle.  Whether it’s on my travels, or just camping and hiking in Colorado, I can’t wait for all the breathtaking photos I’ll be taking with it on future adventures.

How to Take Breathtaking Photos with a point and click camera

*o*     *o*     *o*

Disclosure: Consideration provided by brands mentioned in this post.

Comments (11)

  • Rust

    May 14, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Very informative! The things I learn with coffee ….

    I really do like the 1/3 rule, and your tips on using zoom are helpful.

    Thanks for a great article!

  • RONALD HOAGE

    June 19, 2017 at 10:33 pm

    Good Job.
    Glad that you took the time and enjoyed it.

    1. COMtnMom

      June 19, 2017 at 10:52 pm

      Thank you, Ronald! I wrote this a year ago, and have debated about getting a DSLR several times… but I keep using (and enjoying) this Lumix.

      Appreciate you dropping by 🙂

      ~Tami

  • Michael Guerin

    September 1, 2017 at 7:22 pm

    Have you done star photos? Just bought one of these cameras for upcoming blitz through Yellowstone, Teton and RMNP’s. Tips?

    1. COMtnMom

      September 6, 2017 at 7:16 pm

      Hi Michael,

      Sorry for the delay in response, but I wanted to get an answer for you directly from Rick Gerrity. He’s a professional photographer, and the consultant Panasonic uses for the Lumix camera.

      I have not personally tried star shots, but here’s what Rick said: “Use a tripod and go into the scene mode and there’s a setting for artistic nightscape.” He also attached a screen shot image… I will email that to you, in case it’s helpful.

      Thanks for swinging by my site. Have a WONDERFUL trip!!

      1. Michael Guerin

        September 6, 2017 at 8:42 pm

        Thank you. What the Panasonic Guy didn’t tell you was the only camera with capability for manual time exposures is the more expensive cousin to this one, the ZS100. But I’ll try his advice and see what happens thank you.

  • Dennis Andrews

    January 24, 2018 at 7:36 pm

    Hello Tami ☺
    I recently purchased my first Panasonic Lumix camera (ZS60) and did Google searched for helpful tips in using Lumix cameras. I enjoyed reading your tips and perusing your (ZS60) photographs. Impressive!

    Goodbye, Tami ☺

    1. COMtnMom

      March 28, 2018 at 8:18 pm

      Thank you so much, Dennis! I wish I knew more about the technical details of this camera, as I’ve received other questions that I’ve been unable to answer. I’m still learning myself!

      Appreciate you reading and commenting. 🙂
      Tami

  • Harry

    November 30, 2018 at 2:19 am

    Hi Tami

    I had an older Panasonic that a function I believe called night sky. It took great photo’s of stars.
    I have a ZS60 without that function. Do you have any idea how to take time exposures to do the same thing? Also, how can I get a clearly focused picture of a full moon?
    Thanks
    Harry

    1. COMtnMom

      December 5, 2018 at 9:54 pm

      Hi Harry,

      I’m sorry for my delay in response, this slipped through the cracks!

      Have you tried the Scene Guide Mode (“SCN” button) with it set to Artistic Nightscape?

      This 406 page ZS-60 online manual is pretty comprehensive. If you search “night” there are several comments/references that may give you some ideas?

      https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1060066/Panasonic-Lumix-Dmc-Zs100.html?page=90&term=night+&selected=4

      UPDATED: Note that for both the ZS100 and ZS60… not all functions it mentions are available on ZS60, but hopefully it still have useful info!

      Tami

      1. Harry

        December 22, 2018 at 2:39 am

        Hi Tami
        That worked. But for some reason I cannot get a clear focus of the full moon even in manual focus mode. Any thoughts?
        Thanks
        Harry

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Prev Post

Nasal Guard safe allergy blocking gel

Safe Non-Drug Allergy Relief from NasalGuard

May 11, 2016

Next Post

Best Summer Travel Destinations

2016 Best Summer Travel Destinations

May 17, 2016
%d bloggers like this: