Connecting a Digital Camera and a Computer by USB Port

The USB (Universal Serial Bus) port is the all-purpose connection that is replacing the older serial, parallel, and PS/2 (mouse/keyboard) ports. The older alternatives haven't gone away completely yet, but USB is increasingly becoming the connection of choice for many computer devices, including digital cameras. The original USB 1.1 port has already been replaced by the faster USB 2.0 version now found on most new computers. Cameras and other peripherals will work with either type, although at a slower speed when connected to a USB 1.1 port.

USB connections are capable of moving data faster than the older serial and parallel connections. USB connections are also hot swappable, which means you can safely plug in and unplug USB cables without shutting down your computer. You can also expand the number of USB ports available by adding a hub (a small box containing multiple USB ports) or a device, such as a keyboard or monitor, that has extra USB ports built in. Then, you can plug your camera or other USB device in to the added ports, just as you can the USB ports on the back of your computer. Your USB hub may need a power adapter to run some equipment. Some gear works from the unadorned port, drawing power from your computer, but others require more juice.

Some older computers might not have USB ports built in. You can upgrade most of those computers with a relatively inexpensive add-in card to provide the needed USB ports. Another potential problem is that older versions of Windows (Windows 95 and Windows NT 4) or Mac OS (prior to Version 8.5) don't support USB. Upgrading to a newer operating system that does support USB is usually possible, but it's likely to be more expensive than a simple hardware upgrade.

The USB port is a small, flat, rectangular socket approximately 3/16 x 1/2 inch. You usually find at least two of them on the back of your computer, clearly marked with a special symbol. USB ports might also be available on the front of the computer, on a USB hub (like the one shown in Figure 1), or on a keyboard or other device that has a built-in hub.

Figure 1: USB hubs provide additional USB ports.

You can use any of these ports to connect your camera to the computer. Just follow these steps (with your computer turned on):

1. Plug one end of the cable into the USB port on your camera.

The USB connector is often hidden behind a small door on your camera. It's usually a squared-off, D-shaped socket, approximately 1/4 x 5/16 inch. If your camera includes a standard USB port, you can use a standard USB cable, which has a rectangular plug on one end and a square plug on the other. However, some cameras use a smaller mini-USB connection to save space. In that case, you need to use the special cable supplied with your camera.

2. Plug the other end of the cable into the USB port on your computer or USB hub.

3. Insert the camera manufacturer's disc into your computer if prompted to do so.

Windows automatically recognizes when a new device is added to a USB port. The first time you connect your camera to the computer, Windows might need to load drivers supplied by the camera manufacturer in order to access the camera.

4. Use the camera manufacturer's software (or other file-management software) to transfer image files from the camera to the computer.

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Composing a Digital Photo with the Rule of Thirds

The position of your subject matter within a picture is one of the most important decisions you make when composing a digital photo. Whether you can move the subject or objects around, change your position, or wait until everything moves to the right spot, you should constantly be aware of how your subject matter is arranged. Photographers often consciously or unconsciously follow a guideline called the Rule of Thirds. It's simply a way of dividing your picture horizontally and vertically into thirds. The best place to position important subject matter is often at one of the points located one-third of the way from the top, bottom, or sides of the frame.

Placing important objects at imaginary junction points

Follow these steps to compose your pictures effectively using the Rule of Thirds:

1. Divide the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically.

Above all, you want to avoid having your subject matter centered. By imagining the frame in thirds, you automatically begin thinking of those ideal, off-center positions.

2. Try to have important objects, particularly your center of interest, at one of the four intersections of the imaginary lines that divide the picture (see Figure 1).

Following this guideline typically arranges objects in a pleasing way.

3. Avoid having objects at the edge of a picture unless the part that isn't shown isn't important.

If you're taking a picture of a group of people, cropping out part of the building they're standing next to or pruning put half a tree that's not an important part of the composition is okay.

Figure 1: To divide your image into thirds, picture the imaginary lines shown on this image.

When to break the Rule of Thirds

Sometimes, you'll want to break the Rule of Thirds. There are almost as many exceptions to the rule as there are good reasons to apply it, which is why the rule should be considered only a guideline. Think of the Rule of Thirds as a lane marker on a highway. Sometimes you'll want to stay within the markers. Other times, like when you see an obstruction in the road, you'll want to wander outside the lines.

You might want to ignore the Rule of Thirds when:

• Your main subject matter is too large to fit comfortably at one of the imaginary intersection points. You might find that positioning an object at the "correct" location crops it at the top, bottom, or side. Move it a bit to another point in your composition if you need to see the whole thing.

• Centering the image would help illustrate a concept. Perhaps you want to show your subject surrounded on all sides by adversity or a threatening environment. Placing the subject at one of the intersection points implies motion or direction, as if the subject were about to flee the picture entirely. However, putting the center of interest in the very center of the picture gives the subject nowhere to hide.

• You want to show symmetry. Centering a symmetrically oriented subject that's located in a symmetrically oriented background can produce a harmonious, geometric pattern that is pleasing, even if it is a bit static. If the subject itself makes you think of motion, a square image can even boast a bit of "movement," as shown in Figure 2.

Some compositional guidelines

A photo composition creates an entire world for the viewer to explore. You won't want to destroy the illusion by calling attention to the rest of the universe outside the frame. Here's how to orient people and other objects in a picture:

• If your subjects are people, animals, statues, or anything that you think of as having a front end and back end, make sure they are either facing the camera or facing into the frame rather than out of it.

If a person seems to be looking out of a picture, rather than somewhere within it, viewers will spend more time wondering what the person is looking at than examining the actual person.

• If objects in the frame are moving or pointed in a particular direction, make sure they are heading into the frame rather than out of it.

A stationary automobile, a windmill, a palm tree bent over by a strong wind, anything with a sense of direction to it should be facing into the frame for the same reason that a person should be looking into it.

• Add extra space in front of any fast-moving object (such as a race car) so that the object has somewhere to go while remaining in the frame.

If an object is moving, having a little more space in the frame in front of it is best so that the viewer doesn't get the impression that it's on its way out of view. In Figure 2, for example, you wouldn't want to crop the image any more tightly on the left because you'd need to leave room for the speeding ball.

Figure 2: At left, the main subject is headed out of the frame. At right, she is headed into the frame, even if the ball is on its way out.

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Color-Correcting Digital Photos in Adobe Photoshop Elements

When you take a picture with your digital camera, the camera image sensor distributes the red, green, and blue pixels according to their brightness. An 8-bit image has 256 levels. Dark pixels are at the low end of the scale, while the brightest pixels are at the high end of the scale. In certain conditions, a digital camera may not distribute the pixels properly, and your image may be lacking pixels at the low end of the scale. If this happens, the shadow areas of your image are not well defined. If your image is lacking pixels at the high end of the scale, highlight areas will not be well defined. You can correct for any deficiencies in levels by applying the Auto Levels command. However, when you correct levels, you may notice that the image acquires a color cast. For example, after applying the Auto Levels command, the image may look bluish or reddish. You can correct this deficiency with the Auto Color or Color Cast commands. The following image is in need of color correction:

APPLY THE AUTO LEVELS COMMAND

To correct an image that is lacking contrast, or appears washed out, choose Enhance | Auto Levels. After invoking the command, Photoshop Elements examines the distribution of pixels and then redistributes them as needed to correct for any deficiencies. The following image shows the image from above after the Auto Levels command was applied. Due to the size of this illustration, you may not be able to see a color cast, and you may not notice a color cast when you preview your own images after applying the Auto Levels command. However, it's always a good idea to use the Auto Levels and Auto Color commands in succession. After you apply the command, you may still not notice a difference.

ADJUST IMAGE COLOR

You can also manually adjust the color of an image. Photoshop Elements has several commands for adjusting color, including the Color Variations command, which makes it possible for you to adjust color with several visual references.

1. Open the image that needs color adjustment.

2. Choose Enhance | Adjust Color | Color Variations to open the Color Variations dialog box. The following image shows a picture with a couple of variations adjustments applied. The left window shows the image before, and the right window shows a preview with adjustments applied.

   
   

3. Select the color range you want to adjust.
4. Drag the Amount slider to determine how much color adjustment is applied. If you only need subtle color adjustments, drag the slider toward the left. If you need to apply larger amounts of color adjustment, drag the slider toward the right.
5. Click one of the thumbnails to have the adjusted image match the variation. After you apply a variation, the thumbnails are adjusted accordingly. If desired, you can apply additional color variations to further change the image.
6. Click the Lighten or Darken variation to lighten or darken the tonal range you are adjusting.

7. Click the Saturation radio button if the saturation of the colors in your image needs to be adjusted, and then click the Less Saturation or More Saturation variation, as shown next.

   

8. After the image is adjusted as desired, click OK to apply the variations to your image.
   

   If the color cast isn't corrected by clicking the spot you thought would solve the problem, click another area in the image. Click as often as needed until the image looks good to you.

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Cleaning and Protecting Your Digital Camera's SLR Image Sensor

If you own a digital SLR and notice what looks like dust specks on your images, you may need to clean your camera's CMOS or CCD. You clean the camera image sensor by removing the lens and then using a menu command to flip up the mirror. While the mirror is locked in the upward position, use a gentle burst of air from a blower brush to dislodge any dust that may have accumulated on the image sensor when you changed lenses. Do not touch the image sensor with the blower brush. Never use a compressed air canister to clean the image sensor because compressed air canisters contain liquid propellants that will be blown onto the image sensor. If you foul the image sensor with a liquid, you'll have to take your camera to a camera store to professionally clean the image sensor. Refer to your camera manual for detailed instructions on cleaning your camera image sensor.

If you own a digital SLR, consider purchasing a skylight filter for each lens you own. The filters are relatively inexpensive and will protect the front lens element from damage. The skylight filter screws into the front of the lens as shown in this illustration:

When traveling in a car, always secure your camera. If you have to brake suddenly, and the camera is not secure, it will continue moving at the speed of the car until it strikes something solid like the dashboard, which can severely damage the sensitive circuitry in your camera. If you're traveling alone, place your camera bag in the passenger's seat and secure it with the seatbelt. If you own a point-and-shoot camera that you house in a small case, keep the camera in your glove box, or some other location in the car where it won't become airborne if you have to suddenly brake.

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Choosing the Right Shutter Speed for Your Digital Camera

The shutter speed determines how long the shutter remains open to record the scene. Shutter speeds are measured in fractions of a second or, when shooting a long exposure, in seconds. If you're shooting in dim conditions without a flash, you'll need a slow shutter speed such as 1/15 second. The rule of thumb for the slowest shutter speed at which you can handhold a camera is the reciprocal of the lens focal length. In other words, if you're shooting an image with a digital SLR using a 20mm lens, you'll need a tripod with any shutter speed slower than 1/20 second. You can, however, use a slow shutter speed to create artistic blurs such as the headlight patterns shown in the following illustration. Slow shutter speeds are also useful when photographing a stationary subject in dim lighting conditions. If you're photographing a subject with a slow shutter speed, your subject must remain perfectly still; otherwise, the image will be blurred. When you shoot at a high shutter speed such as 1/2000 second, you freeze action. To avoid blurry images when you're using a high-end digital camera with a zoom lens, you'll need to shoot with a faster shutter speed when you zoom in tight on a subject. When in doubt, a tripod will always ensure that the camera remains steady while you're taking the picture.

You use a slow shutter speed to record images in dim lighting without a flash.

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Choosing the Right Lens f-Stop for Your Digital Camera

The aperture setting is known as the f-stop. The lowest number f-stop lets the most amount of light reach the image sensor. The next f-stop lets half as much light reach the sensor and so on. You control depth of field with f-stops. When you choose a low f-stop such as f/2.8, more light reaches the image sensor and the depth of field is limited; objects behind your subject and in the foreground are blurry. A low f-stop is ideal for portraits. Notice how your attention is drawn to the model while the background is a colorful blur. When you choose a high f-stop number such as f/16, less light reaches the image sensor and more of your image is in focus, which is desirable when you're shooting a landscape, as shown in the following illustration. Notice how the entire image is sharp, from the tiny blades of grass in the sand to the art deco hotel in the distance.

A high f-stop increases the depth of field.

Capture Images Using Shutter Priority Mode

1. Turn the camera mode dial to the shutter priority icon. Many cameras use the abbreviation Tv for shutter priority mode.
2. Choose the desired shutter speed. Refer to your camera manual for the control that sets the shutter speed.
3. Compose and shoot the picture.

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Choosing the Right Lighting for Your Digital Photos

If you've ever looked at a photograph and been taken in by its beauty, you'll probably notice it has very warm tones. Those warm tones are best captured when you photograph your images in the morning or late afternoon. During the middle of the day, the sun shines down from overhead. The light is direct and harsh and doesn't cast flattering shadows. Unless you have a reason for including the sun in the picture, shoot with your back to the sun and try to avoid getting your shadow in the picture.

Shoot Images at the Right Time of Day

1. Shoot images in morning light to get images like the following image.

   

   Images photographed in the morning have warm tones.

2. Shoot images in the late afternoon to get images similar to the following image.

   

   Late afternoon sun is also ideal for taking pictures.

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Choosing Layer Blend Modes and Opacity for Your Digital Photos

You control the effect one layer has upon the underlying layer by choosing the desired opacity mode. Photoshop Elements has a large variety of opacity modes. The following list shows a few modes commonly used when working with digital images:

• Normal is the default blending mode that displays the pixels on the layer in their original form without blending pixels from the underlying layer.

  

• Multiply effectively darkens the layer by multiplying the pixels on the layer by the pixels on the underlying layer, as shown in the following image.

  

• Screen effectively lightens the layer, except where the pixels are pure black, as shown in the following image.

  

• Soft Light darkens or lightens the pixels depending on the underlying pixels. The effect is similar to shining a diffused light on the image, as shown next.

  

The overall effect of the blended layers depends on the opacity you choose for each layer. By default, the opacity for each layer is 100 percent. If you choose a lower value, more of the pixels on the underlying layer show through.

Select a Blending Mode

1. Select the layer whose blending mode you want to change.

2. Click the down arrow to the right of the currently selected blend mode to reveal the Blend Mode dropdown list.

   

3. Click the desired blend mode to apply it.

Vary Layer Opacity

1. Select the layer whose opacity you want to change.
2. Click the down arrow to the right of the current layer opacity (100 percent by default) to reveal the Opacity slider.

3. Click and drag the slider to change the layer opacity.

   

4. Release the slider when the desired opacity has been achieved. Alternatively, you can type a value in the Opacity text field.

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