So you just purchased your first DSLR camera, and now it’s time to learn how to use it. Here are a few essential digital photography tips that every aspiring shutterbug should know.

1. Hold your camera properly. In order to avoid shaky, blurry photographs, hold your camera with your left hand supporting the lens and your right hand around the body. For action photos, you might even want to use a tripod.
2. Use the rule of thirds. Imagine a grid of nine equal sections (three horizontally, three vertically). Place the most important focal points of the photograph, such as a person’s face or a house in the distance, in the places where the grids intersect. It is believed that these types of photos are the most appealing to the human eye.
3. Use linear shapes to direct the eye. To draw the viewer’s eye where you want it to look, place your subject between linear objects, such as at the end of a pier.
4. Switch up your perspective. Instead of always photographing your subject straight on, try shooting from above, below or at an angle to create visual interest.
5. Try the Sunny 16 rule. To shoot outdoors on a sunny day, set your camera at an aperture of f/16 and 1/100th of a second shutter speed to avoid over or underexposure.

Top 10 Digital Photography Tips [Exposure Guide]
Basics of Photography: Composition and Technique [Lifehacker]
How To Hold A Camera [About Home]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Alexis Fam Photography

When you go out for sushi, you expect a certain kind of experience, rife with minimal decor, a clean and modern presentation, and deliciously fresh flavors. Englewood’s Akai Lounge nails it, to the delight of local sushi lovers!

Start your meal with an order of succulent steamed shrimp dumplings, Prince Edward Island mussels sauteed in a sake butter sauce, or the beef negimaki. When it comes to sushi, the menu is extensive. The nigiri is expertly cut and presented, with beautifully fresh fish receiving the spotlight it deserves. In addition to the classics, Akai Lounge offers a number of innovative and unusual specialty rolls. The Bassterd Roll pairs spicy tuna with avocado and grilled Chilean sea bass, while the Devil’s Advocate is a monster with spicy yellowtail, shrimp, and cucumber topped with red and white tuna, chili sauce, and black tobiko. Akai Lounge also serves a number of cooked dishes and fusion items; try the lobster “pizza” for a unique treat!

Akai Lounge
11 N. Dean Street
Englewood, NJ 07631
(201) 541-0086
www.akailounge.com/englewood
www.yelp.com/biz/akai-lounge-englewood

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/zoeshuttleworth

Good-tasting Chinese cuisine is easy to find in Rutherford, at the Ruyi Kitchen. Located at the corner of Union and Santiago Avenues, Ruyi Kitchen is the place to go for classic cuisine to eat in or take out. The dining area is cozy and clean, a nice spot for lunch or a family dinner. This is what you should expect from a family owned and run business! All of your Chinese favorites are here, from the soups and appetizers to the fried rice, lo mein, entrees and diet selections. Everybody raves about the General Tzo’s chicken and the tofu, too! You can be sure that whether you stay or take your order home that everything will be made with the best ingredients, and to order.

Ruyi Kitchen
313 Union Avenue
Rutherford, NJ 07070
(201) 933-0727
www.yelp.com/biz/ruyi-kitchen-rutherford