Friday, June 29, 2007

Using Photos As Graphics In Marketing Your Business

More and more businesses are seeing the value of photography in marketing their business. Websites, html emails, business cards, banners. Scanners and other digital equipment is HOT! What do you need to know about the subject of photography to take advantage of photos in your business?

Many memorable moments would be lost and long forgotten without photography. The most important thing to photography is light. The camera is a precise instrument for capturing light. The word "camera" in Latin means room. The name camera comes from the first invention towards capturing the world on film, the camera obscura or dark room.

This invention came about in the 14th century and was used by such artists as Da Vinci and Michelangelo to more accurately draw their subjects onto paper. The invention of this box made way for more advancements in cameras and photography.

There are five essential items in cameras that make photography possible. They are exposure, refraction, plane of focus, angle of view and aperture. Exposure is the amount of time a camera lets film be exposed to light. Refraction is the bending of light through the lenses of a camera. Plane of focus is the area where light reforms an image in the film. Angle of view is the angle created on a lens when you take the two outermost points you can see through a lens and diverge them to the exact center of the lens. The angle created will be the angle at which the camera can take pictures at. Aperture is the amount of light a lens allows into the camera.

The camera obscura, as mentioned previously, was a large room with a small hole where light could pass through. The development of the camera obscura took two tracks. One of these led to the portable box device that was a drawing tool. In the 17th and 18th century, many artists were aided by the use of the camera obscura.

By the beginning of the 19th century, the camera obscura was ready with little or no modification to accept a sheet of light sensitive material to become the photographic camera. The other track became the camera obscura room, a combination of education and entertainment.

In the 19th century, with improved lenses that could cast larger and sharper images, the camera obscura flourished at the seaside and in areas of scenic beauty.

Of course now there are much more practical ways to take photographs. From the traditional 35mm cameras to the newest cellular phones equipped with digital cameras. Big ones, small ones, and anything else you can think of. There is a camera to fit your needs and lifestyle, or even your color preference. The world of photography has certainly grown a lot over the years. Taking into consideration your usage when purchasing is key to investing in the proper equipment.

About The Author
Valerie Sipple is the webmaster of:
http://www.rgphotography.com
a great resource for everything about photography.

Can It Get Any More Digital?

Everyone seems to be talking about digital photography because it’s fun, fast and less costly than we might think. It’s almost everywhere – in printed materials, in the news, and on the net. What makes digital photography a hit? One, digital takes the fear out of photography because it lets us take as many pictures as we want. Two, we can see right away if we got our desired image and delete the pictures we don’t like. Three, we can upload and share those pictures with our loved ones using a computer or a mobile phone anytime, anywhere. Four, digital costs less because we don’t need films and we don’t pay developing fees. Lastly, almost all people such as doctors, scientists, fire fighters, police officers, insurance agents, and real estate agents use digital photography in their work everyday.

In digital photography, Adobe Photoshop allows digital photographers, web and graphic designers to work more efficiently, explore new creative options, and produce the highest quality images for print, web and other media. Its software delivers a comprehensive toolset that helps users to meet any creative or production challenge. Its creative tools help graphic art professionals generate appealing visual effects and stay ahead of the competition. It is no doubt that it’s very significant to general users, web designers, and even, video editors.

The book, “ Enhancing Digital Photography with Adobe Photoshop” by Chris Orwig, will guide us through the workflow of getting our digital photos from our camera to a computer and then into our hands. We will learn about the basics of taking digital pictures, loading photos to our computer, and using Adobe Photoshop to adjust our images and printing and sharing our images. Truly, this is a great way for new users to get up to speed on digital photography and modify photos using this application. This full color book provides an approachable introduction to Photoshop Elements and offers tips and insights into the vital aspects of photo manipulation. The book will offer the clearest possible route to achieving great images with Photoshop Elements as illustrated with full color images.

Do you have a digital camera, a computer, a printer and an Internet connection? Then, you’re set to go digital. But remember, even with this technology, you still need the imaginative idea and the enthusiasm to be entertained. Indeed, “Enhancing Digital Photography with Adobe Photoshop” is expected to greatly increase the digital imaging skills and creativity of professional photographers, imaging professionals, and enthusiasts. With this book, you can work through the examples or branch out with your own Photoshop ideas. From here, welcome to the brave new world of digital photography!

About The Author
Nash Ville
For questions and comments about the Article you may contact The Postcard Printing Moderator at 888 888 4211 or visit http://www.mypostcardprinting.com


Cell Phone Cameras

A lot of myths exist regarding as to whether cell phone cameras are any good or not. The fact that people require to admit that these cameras are also digital cameras and they exhibit the same facilities irrespective of the fact that their sizes are much smaller and their functionalities are curtailed due to this particular reason. Hence some introspection needs to be done regarding the digital cameras and cell phones in their joint venture together in the technological world!

Looking back into the initial stages of development the availability of low-cost, low-power CMOS imaging modules helped to charge up the popular craze camera enabled cell phones in today's world that primitively began in Japan. That proved to be contagious for the rest of the world. From young students to even busy business people avidly annals photos of colleagues and whatever else passes in front of their phones. The popularity has touched sky high and the reason being the good quality that people seek at grass root level endeavors of photography. Americans have the urge to seek betterment in these areas also. They go about to seek cool new digital camera phones that all have VGA resolution 640 x 480 pixels. This is considered a safe bet that this phone is the most expensive model.

Much of a kind of ignorance exists apart from all this regarding the cell phones cameras and it crops from the fact that no benchmarks exist for objectively comparing picture quality in image sensors, camera modules, or end products. The helpless consumers thus have to rely upon advertisements to tell them much. Yet this is not a correct way to knowing a technical device. Considering the technological portion it can be said here that in the cell phone cameras some of the VGA handsets offer fairly good image quality. When you consider that the resolution comes from an imaging module that measures only 6 mm square, its actually pretty amazing quality. That square includes an imaging chip, a digital signal processor (DSP) that supports the VGA format, and a double lens that's packaged in a light-tight module. Finding room for this module is easy. Plus, power consumption is low because the imaging chip is CMOS.

Considering the further improvements in the cell phone camera technology it can be stated here that some cell phones have incorporated conventional CCD imaging units that are still used in most digital cameras today. These devices require high voltage and a bigger a battery. As a result, CMOS has taken over in VGA-resolution applications. It provides increasingly good image quality. All this discussion shows the various achievements in the technology. However it must be stated here that the cell phone cameras are really good but they are nothing compared to the actual digital cameras. The sole reason being that they are much larger and contain far more features. It must be admitted here that such comparison is irrelevant because they are definitely two separate areas of work in spite of the fact that they are both digital cameras. Yet they are diverse in 100% of all their aspects. Hence the comparison is irrelevant.

Considering all the important points discussed in the above lines regarding the various areas of the cell phone digital cameras it comes out to be something that is worth appreciation. Leaving aside all comparisons they cell phone cameras are digital cameras that are certainly good in their areas of applications and mass acceptance and popularity would some day make them as advanced as their pioneer professional digital cameras.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.


Digital Camera Interpolation Explained

In a device such as a digital camera it is very important to understand the very basic aspects of the device so as to properly operate it and give it the due respect it deserves. Such a topic is interpolation! These are accessories that help the digital camera to perform the technologically advanced features that it is capable of. In extreme explanatory and simple terms it can be summed up as that interpolation refers to software programs that can effectively enlarge image resolution beyond the actual resolution by adding extra pixels using complex mathematic calculations. Now, this is a feature that can be absolutely useful in providing a good success to a user.

Looking into the technical aspects it can be stated that interpolation is a technique where the spatial resolution of an image is increased from its original size to a higher or larger resolution. The spatial resolution of an image is simply its horizontal x vertical pixel count. For example 1600 x 1200. Again getting into further intricate details it can be stated that there are two techniques of interpolation commonly used, they are software and hardware. Again software interpolation can be performed on a digital image using a one of a number of image editing programs such as PhotoShop. This is often termed as resizing and is done with a computer, performed on an image file from a digital camera that already exists in a file format such as JPG. Hardware interpolation involves the resizing of an image, but it differs from software interpolation in that the image is resized algorithmically inside the camera during the image processing sequence and before the image has been saved as a JPG image file.

Also, it can be noted here that JPG is a compressed image file format. Whenever a file is saved as a JPG file, image data is lost in the compression process. Image data is thrown away in exchange for file-size efficiency. Software interpolation is a process performed after the JPG losses have been applied. Hardware interpolation occurs inside the camera prior to JPG compression and before JPG losses have been applied. The resulting hardware interpolated images are of superior quality to a comparable image interpolated in software.

These are basically the important points as discussed in the above lines regarding the digital camera interpolation. The explanation is worth for every user who can be a novice as well as an expert and thus uncovers another great feature of a digital camera, the process of interpolation.

About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.

Digital Camera Metering

Looking at the most intricate details of the digital camera as a technologically advanced device a lot of functions come into play. Such s a point is that of the digital camera metering. This discussion focuses towards that intention of understanding and knowing the details of the component. Basically speaking the metering system in a digital camera measures the amount of light in the scene and calculates the best-fit exposure value based on the metering mode explained below. Automatic exposure is a standard feature in all the digital cameras. All that is requires to be done is select the metering mode, point the camera and press the shutter release. Most of the time, this will result in a correct exposure. The detailed explanation and analysis of the entire process is as follows in the next lines of this discussion.

The metering method defines which information of the scene is used to calculate the exposure value and how it is determined. Metering modes depend on the camera and the brand, but are mostly variations of the following three types. Primarily, matrix or evaluative metering. This is probably the most complex metering mode, offering the best exposure in most circumstances. Essentially, the scene is split up into a matrix of metering zones, which are evaluated individually. The overall exposure is based on an algorithm specific to that camera, the details of which are closely guarded by the manufacturer. Often they are based on comparing the measurements to the exposure of typical scenes.

Next comes the center-weighted average metering. This is probably the most common metering method implemented in nearly every digital camera and the default for those digital cameras that don't offer metering mode selection. This method averages the exposure of the entire frame but gives extra weight to the center and is ideal for portraits. Another important is the spot or partial metering. The spot metering allows the user to meter the subject in the center of the frame or on some cameras at the selected AF point. Only a small area of the whole frame is metered and the exposure of the rest of the frame is ignored. This type of metering is useful for brightly backlit, macro, and moon shots.

Again a lot has been revealed and a lot remains to be done so, yet the rudimentary foundation of string fundamentals can be established via the lines of the above lines of this discussion. It is only hoped that the lines get their true respect from the readers of them and users of the digital camera to properly deliver the due respect that the digital camera metering technique deserves.

About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.

Photography captures a moment in time. It is a creative process as much as painting or writing and has the power to communicate the meaning of a scene

As more and more people are buying digital cameras and uploading their digital photos onto their PCs, people are starting to experiment with what things they can do to their photos to enhance them, cut out unwanted people from their photos, or take the people in their photos and place them on a different background. The enhancements you can carry out on your photos are endless. In this article I will give you a few tips on how to get the most out of Photoshop to take your photos to the next level.

If you don’t own a digital camera, do not worry. You can still use the following tips by scanning in your photos. Here the one thing to remember is to make sure that your dpi (dots per inch) is 300dpi for best results.

1. Lightening up dark photos

Open the photo you want to edit and select ‘Image’ from the main toolbar, then select ‘Adjustments’ followed by ‘Brightness/Contrast’. You can adjust these two settings until you are happy with the brightness of the photo.

2. Adding more colour to your photos

Some of your photos may seem dull, or maybe the opposite whereby it too much colour or redness. This can be adjusted by clicking on ‘Image’ from the main toolbar, then select ‘Adjustments’, followed by ‘Match Colour’. On this window you can increase and decrease the ‘Colour Intensity’ setting as required.

3. Removing the background from a digital photo

With this tool, you can cut around any object, background or person you would like to remove from the digital photo. From the ‘Tools’ panel on the screen select ‘Pen Tool’. With this tool, start on one side of the object you want to remove and click around the outline of it.

This is a delicate process, and the more accurate you are with the outline, the better your final image will be. Make sure you zoom into the image as this will increase your accuracy. Don’t be afraid to zoom in further than you think is necessary as this will only improve the quality of the final outcome.

The closer your clicks are, the more accurate the pen will draw around your outline. To draw around curves of your object, while holding the Ctrl key click on the line (between two clicks) which you can then adjust until you are happy with it. Once you have completely drawn around the whole object and you are back where you started, make sure your ends are joined together. Now right click on the image you just outlined and select “Make selection”, change the feather radius to 0 and click on OK.

4. Optimising your photos for the web.

Many people now want to send their digital photos through email or put them up on their own personal website where friends and family can view them. Images which have a size of more than 2MB take a long time to download especially with slow connections. Photoshop has an image optimise that reduces the file size considerably without losing any quality of the image which is noticeable to the eye. Open your image in Photoshop and choose ‘File’ from the main menu, then select ‘Save for Web’. A new window will open with some basic presets, select the file size you would like and save the document.

About The Author
Brad Bagherian is the founder and MD of elaborations Ltd (www.elaborations.co.uk). elaborations is a London based Design Company specialising in website design and development, graphic design and Internet marketing.

Do you want to know how to get a great digital photo from your camera?

For the most part your digital camera can take a good digital photo without you having to adjust a thing. Take the time to learn a little bit about the options you can adjust on your camera's exposure and the different modes your camera can use to enhance photo taking.

You will be able to take great digital images with no trouble. This will also enable you to understand when it's necessary to take your camera off auto-everything mode and take control of its features.

The facts about scene modes

Does your digital camera have a scene mode?

If so then lets explore how to make use of this feature. Scenes Modes are automatic settings on your camera that are customized for those certain scenes that may not come out quite as you expected if you were to use the camera's automatic settings. The scene modes can be a useful tool to taking great images even under problematic lighting situations.

Twilight Mode is almost a required setting if you're shooting outdoors at night and want the digital photo to reflect that. Basically, Twilight Mode will underexpose the scene in order to keep lights from being too bright. In turn, this will cause the darker colors and shadows in the night scenes to stay dark, and give the picture a classic "night" look. Since this mode often requires slow shutter speeds, it's a good idea to brace your camera against something before taking the picture, or even use a tripod.

twilight

Using Twilight Mode allowed the image to come out properly dark and night-like, though the 1/2 second shutter speed demands a tripod.

Landscape Mode

When shooting a landscape digital photo, most of what you're capturing is far in the distance. This mode will cause your lens to focus on those far away subjects, making sure that we don't have a nicely focused tree in the foreground and a blurry cathedral in the background. The best use for this mode is when you're looking at a sweeping landscape that extends far away from you, with no dominant subjects nearby.


In Landscape Mode, the picture remained sharp and in focus despite much of it being far away from the camera.

Portrait Mode

Now if your wife, mother, or close personal friend has agreed to let you take a nice image of them you most certainly want to get it right. With Portrait Mode, the emphasis is on your subject. The image will be captured at the lowest possible aperture, giving you the minimum depth of field. What we are getting here is the subject in focus and the background out of focus in order to give priority to your lovely wife or mom. Try stepping back a bit from your subject and zoom in slightly in order to avoid any wide angle distortions. Take a shot, check it out on the screen and then decide if you got it right or need to take another. The beauty of digital images eh?

portrait

The background is slightly blurry in this picture shot in Portrait Mode, emphasizing the subject.

Using Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority Shutter Priority Mode allows you to specify the shutter speed for your photo. The digital camera will then measure how much light is coming in, and adjust the aperture to get a properly exposed picture. Shutter Priority Mode may be most useful in situations at opposite ends of the spectrum - when you want a very slow shutter speed, and when you want the fastest shutter speed. Let's say you want to take a photo of moving water in medium light and you want to emphasize an object in the picture. If you slow the shutter speed down it will allow the object to be captured in full detail while letting the movement in the background blur out of focus.

shutter mode

Setting my shutter speed to 1/2 second in Shutter Priority Mode caused the motion of the water to blur around the rocks.

Apeture Priority

When you utilize the Aperture Priority Mode you now control how much of your picture is in focus in front of and behind your subject. When you set your aperture, the camera will take control of the shutter speed setting that will give you a well-exposed picture. Controlling the depth of field is the key to Aperture Priority Mode. When shooting a scene that demands sharp focus for everything in the picture, setting your camera to a high aperture (like F/16) will ensure sharp focus from front to back. On the other hand, when shooting in macro mode, or if you just want to keep a main subject while blurring the rest of the picture, setting a small aperture (like F/2.8) will give you the narrow depth of field that will emphasize one part of the picture.

ferns aperture

In Aperture-Priority mode, I selected the lowest possible aperture (f/2.1) to control the depth of field, so that only a small portion of the fern leaves were in focus. How to utilize Manual Exposure Manual exposure may be the most difficult thing to learn about your camera, but it is also the most powerful. Manual exposure can be used to your advantage if you first understand the way the camera's meter determines exposure. As an example, if you point the camera at a blank white wall and take the picture in auto mode, you'll notice that the wall looks greyish, definitely not the color it actually is. The light meter in your camera is changing what you're focusing on to a "middle gray", halfway between black and white. This makes sense most of the time since colors average out to that middle gray. But when shooting certain subjects that have a predominant amount of light or dark colors, using manual exposure will be the only way to get a properly-exposed picture.

In Program Mode, you can see that the camera's meter was thrown off by the white posterboard behind the hammer. By switching to Manual Exposure and decreasing the shutter speed until the posterboard was completely white, the digital photo came out well-exposed.

To photograph a very dark subject (like a black cat), your camera's meter will attempt to lighten it up, bringing it to middle gray. Therefore, you'll need to adjust the camera's exposure to make it darker by using a faster shutter speed or higher aperture than what your camera recommends. Since less light will be hitting the sensor, the picture will be darker and correctly exposed. The reverse process will work when shooting a very light subject (like a snow scene) - you will need to set a slower shutter speed or lower aperture in order to lighten up the picture. What's fantastic about digital cameras is that you are able to see your manual adjustments in real time on the LCD screen, and adjust accordingly in order to get a perfect exposure.

Wrapping Up

Can you take your fancy digital camera out of the box and use it everyday without knowing any of these controls? Yes of course you can. But if you want to make the best possible use of the great technology in your hands it is a good idea to spend some time getting to know your digital camera's various exposure modes and knowing when to use them will make you a better photographer. It's best to start with the preset scene modes and understand how they work before moving onto Priority Modes. When you're comfortable with these modes, it'll be time to set the dial to Manual, giving you complete control over your digital camera. With some practice, you will see your pictures improving greatly and your mastery of your camera will translate into knowing how to take great photos anytime and anywhere. The fantastic thing about digital cameras is that it costs you almost nothing to experiment and try things out while learning the various functions of your camera.

http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-photo.html


Digital cameras that give you the ability to make large high quality prints.

Do you want more than the ability to make scrapbook sized prints from your digital photos? Every digital camera on the market can produce images of good enough quality to create 4x5 prints if you use the highest quality resolution setting in the camera. However if you want to use your camera to create larger size 8x10 inch or larger then you need to have a camera with higher resolution CCD’s in the range of 4 mega pixels or better.

If you are using high end photo processing software such as Photoshop, or Fireworks you can create some really sharp, good looking images suitable for framing.

You can go for the full sized SLR style camera, favored by high end professionals, but there are many good cameras on the market that have 4 mega pixels or better and are much more affordable than the high end SLR cameras. Let’s take a look at some of the top choices on the market right now that range in price from $299 to $499.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10PP-S

First up on the list is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10PP-S which features a fast 12X zoom lens with a good feature set built into the camera. While the FZ10 has a user friendly design which provides good performance the image quality is only in the middle of the range for this level of camera. It features a slightly larger LCD screen than its prior model, the Lumix DMC-FZ1S.

The down side of the camera is the slightly lower image quality and its poor ability to auto-focus in dim lighting conditions.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10PP-S sells for $480

Buy the FZ10 here

Read the CNet Review of this camera for the full scoop

Canon PowerShot A80

Canon has a wide range of digital cameras to choose from in the consumer marketplace including one of the best choices in the digital SLR range of cameras, the Canon Rebel. Here we look at a more affordable option for consumers interested in quality, the Canon PowerShot A80.

The PowerShot 80

The good: Speedy and efficient; accepts accessory lenses. The bad: Small LCD; Memory compartment has a flimsy-feeling cover. The price: $299

A great mainstream camera for snapshooters who want room to grow creatively. Though it's not the cheapest of Canon's A-series PowerShot models, the 4-megapixel A80 delivers the best combination of features, image quality, performance and price that we've seen in any recent camera. The A80 improves on the A70 in almost every way while maintaining a great balance between snapshot ease and room-to-grow sophistication. Just don't let the many options scare you away..

Buy the Canon here Read the expanded review on Cnet here:

Canon PowerShot S410

Our next choice for you to consider is the Canon PowerShot S410 Editors' rating: 7.8 out of 10 The good: Small; low-shutter-lag Quick Shot mode; excellent image quality. The bad: Small viewfinder; few manual controls. The price: $399

This pocket camera offers few manual controls or special features but delivers solid image quality and performance. Although the Canon PowerShot S410 lacks the manual controls that serious photographers demand and some of its competitors offer, it has enough shooting options to please those in the point-and-click crowd who just want a good basic feature set and high-quality snapshots. This 4-megapixel PowerShot's major new feature is a Print & Share button for easier direct printing.. Buy the Canon PowerShot S410 here

Read the expanded review on Cnet here: Canon PowerShot S410

Nikon Coolpix 4300

Editors' rating: 7.8 out of 10 The good: Ergonomics; versatile battery options; accepts lens converters. The bad: No audio in video mode; many settings hidden in menus. The price: $350 The Nikon Coolpix 4300 warrants strong consideration by sophisticated snapshooters looking for high quality and versatility at a reasonable price. Easy operation, comfortable ergonomics, and excellent photo quality make the Nikon Coolpix 4300 an appealing buy. The camera offers more than simple point- and-shoot functionality. If you like to rely on your camera to take care of the basics but want the flexibility of fine-tuning your photos, the feature- rich Nikon Coolpix should be on your short list...

Buy the Nikon Coolpix 4300 here

Read the Cnet review here:

http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital.html

Camera Cell Phones -- More uses than you could have imagined

Camera cell phones are everywhere these days. Every providor is making you deals on getting one. You can't go anywhere without seeing someone snapping a shot with theirs. Ms Edwards gives some good ideas for getting the most out of yours.

I was shopping in the large superstore with my five-year-old daughter, perfectly unaware that in the next few minutes I would be living through every parent’s nightmare – in an instant my child would disappear from my side. She had been looking through the little dresses right beside me and, when I called her to go try one on, she was no where to be found. I loudly called out her name, trying to keep the panic from my voice, as I frantically looked all around.

I rushed to the front of the store to inform security and the first thing he asked me was, “What was she wearing?” Wearing? What was she wearing? We had dressed quickly that morning, looking forward to a Saturday spent shopping for clothes she would soon wear to kindergarten. Next Tuesday would be her very first day of school. In my panic I couldn’t remember what I had pulled from her closet that day. Was it her blue shorts set…no, she had worn that yesterday. I simply couldn’t remember.

As I fought back the tears of an anguished parent, I saw my precious little girl walking toward me, holding the hand of an alert clerk who had found her wandering toward the back of the store. When I asked her why she had left me, she innocently explained that she had seen someone who looked like her grandmother and she had simply followed her.

As I hugged her through my tears, I noticed that she was wearing her purple checked shirt and green shorts, and that I had braided her hair that morning before we left home. In my fear over not being able to find her, I had forgotten all those little details about her appearance. And, even worse, I had left my large purse at home with my other wallet that held my most current picture of her.

Later, as my husband and I were discussing what had happened, he mentioned one of his customers had told him the last time he had taken his four children to the theme park, he had lined them all up at the entrance and taken each one’s picture with his wife’s cell phone camera. That way if one of them became lost, he could instantly show security his child’s picture, complete with the very clothes they were wearing at the time they disappeared.

The day of my ordeal, my camera-equipped phone had been in my bag around my waist the entire time. It had never once occurred to me to snap my child’s picture in the parking lot as we walked toward the large store. Honestly, I hadn’t used the camera feature that much, and had purchased the phone more for some other features than the fact that it could take a picture.

Camera cell phones were first introduced in the US about two years ago. Since then, their popularity has skyrocketed. Industry officials estimate that 12% of all cell phones sold in 2003 were equipped with a camera and that figure is steadily increasing. The camera cell phone may well be the most popular electronic device this holiday season.

Concerns over picture quality are diminishing rapidly as the digital electronics in cell phone cameras become more and more advanced. One and two megapixel models are readily available and, according to an independent study released this past summer, pictures from these tiny cameras make “significantly better” 4” x 6” prints than those from both digital and traditional film “one-time-use” cameras.

Convenience of obtaining prints from cell phone cameras is still something of an issue, as it may be difficult to print from the camera itself. But as more consumers purchase and use the digital devices, manufacturers will no doubt fill that need with inexpensive, convenient and high-quality printing options.

You would think that a camera in a mobile phone wouldn’t be much different than having a small, stand-alone digital camera. In reality, however, the phone is always at your side while the camera may not be. And, the photo can be immediately transferred to anyone with the click of a button.

Phones are being used to document accident scenes, take pictures of car license plates and even potential attackers. Just last month a Nashville man was accosted by a man with a knife, later identified as James Robert Baker, who demanded money. The victim snapped the assailant's photo with his camera cell phone as the mugger made his escape. Police used the photos from the camera phone to broadcast an accurate description of Baker and his red GMC truck. A police officer stopped the truck and arrested Baker approximately 10 minutes later.

Camera phones are finding favor with small business owners who are using them for any number of uses that range from verifying that the correct repair part is ordered to documenting the satisfactory completion of a job. Real estate professionals can quickly inform prospective buyers of a hot property just on the market, insurance agents can speed accident and damage claims and contractors can quickly verify building details without leaving the construction site.

Recent developments in cell phone applications include using the camera as a bar code scanner enabling savvy shoppers to instantly download coupons, product information and perhaps even suggesting alternative locations where the item may be found at a better price.

Given the enormous popularity of camera phones, it is not surprising that there is even more exciting mobile technology on the horizon. Nokia has introduced a phone (Model 3650) that can take video clips as well as photos.

Since that incident with my daughter, it has become our morning ritual to snap a quick picture of her as we head out the door in the morning. I think she understands now that she is never to leave my side in a public place for any reason without permission, but children are apt to do the most unexpected things.

The next time you are shopping for a cell phone, you may wish to consider the many options available, and give an extra long look to the camera phone models. That camera cell phone that you thought was just a passing fad may be a much more practical purchase than you would have ever imagined.

About the author:
Elizabeth Edwards is a successful freelance writer, providing consumers with tips and helpful advice when purchasing camera cell phones, family cell phone plans and motorola cell phone accessories. Her numerous informative articles provide online shoppers with the tools to make smarter buying decisions. Read more about the latest in cell phone technology at Camera cell phones

Digital Cameras Go Disposable

Ritz Camera offers an affordable digital alternative.

Buying a digital camera doesn't have to be a big investment. This week, Ritz Camera Centers unveiled a single-use digital camera that will cost you only $11.

The Dakota Digital Single-Use Camera is available in select Ritz Camera and Wolf Camera retail stores in 14 U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

David Ritz, Chairman of Ritz Camera Centers, says the Dakota Digital is ideal "for anyone who wants an inexpensive, single-use camera and is interested in trying digital for the first time."

The camera could help users get past one of the biggest hurdles in digital photography: Despite its increasing popularity, less than 19 percent of digital pictures are printed because of the complexity, cost, and time requirements of home printing, according to the Photo Marketing Association.

"For $10.99, customers have an opportunity to try digital technology without investing in a pricey digital camera," says Ritz. (By comparison, a disposable film camera from Kodak or Fuji costs about $8, according to Ritz.)

The Basics

The Dakota Digital, which was developed by San Francisco-based Pure Digital Technologies, captures up to 25 snapshots and uses a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor. The camera has 12MB of internal memory, Simon Fleming-Wood, Pure Digital's vice president of marketing says. He could not disclose the camera's image resolution. In comparison, you can buy a standard 1-megapixel camera with an LCD from companies like HP and Kodak for under $100. Such cameras, however, will tend to be older models.

The camera runs on AA alkaline batteries (which are included) and features an automatic flash and a self timer. Although the camera has no LCD for viewing images, it does include a delete button. This means that unlike disposable film cameras, the Dakota Digital allows users to delete a bad photo--for example, when users know a subject has inadvertently moved or blinked. However, users can only delete the most recent photo.

Get the Picture

After capturing 25 pictures on the Dakota Digital, users return the camera to a Ritz or Wolf lab that has the equipment to process the images. The camera uses a proprietary image format (Pure Digital Imaging Platform) that works only with Pure Digital's machines. It cannot be connected to a PC to transfer photos.

Ritz/Wolf charges about $11 for processing 25 4-by-6 prints and a photo CD. By comparison, the company charges $14 for developing film (from a disposable camera or a standard roll of film) for the same quantity and size prints and a photo CD. Processing takes about an hour in either case but depends on the lab's workload.

On the photo CD, users have two viewing options: Small Photos, which shows a few thumbnails on screen, and Large Photo, which shows a single image on screen.

From the photo CD, users can rotate images and edit captions. The software allows shutterbugs to e-mail pictures, save them on the PC by automatically creating a folder on the Windows desktop called Photo CD, print photos, and create a slide show.

Once the prints have been developed, Ritz/Wolf returns the camera to Pure Digital for recycling. Much like the method for film disposables, Pure Digital refurbishes each camera for resale.


http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,111841-page,1/article.html



Plustek OpticFilm 7200i Film Scanner

The Bottom Line
The Plustek OpticFilm 7200i film scanner is ideal for those who have a collection of film images just sitting in a drawer. If you want to digitize your dozens or hundreds of old 35mm film and slide pictures, the PlusTek OpticFilm scanner provides amazing resolution at a reasonable price. Here is a review of the Plustek OpticFilm 7200i film scanner.

Pros
  • Impressive 7,200 dpi resolution
  • Costs less than $400
  • Removes defects, dust and scratches
Cons
  • Only for 35mm film and slide pictures (but you really want a dedicated film scanner)
  • Scanning is slow at highest resolution while using defect and dust removal
  • Cannot use defect removal on black and white film

Description

  • Preview speed of 5.6 seconds
  • Scan speed range of 36 seconds (3,600 dpi) to 68 seconds (7,200 dpi)
  • Uses USB 2.0 high speed connector
  • Bundled with SilverFast image editing software

Guide Review - Plustek OpticFilm 7200i Film Scanner

At this price level, there is hardly a scanner that can compete with the performance and capabilities of the Plustek OpticFilm 7200i. Just the 7,200 dpi resolution and the Infrared Smart Removal of Defects for dust scratches and other film issues make it rise above its counterparts in the under-$400 crowd.

Who Should Get the Plustek OpticFilm 7200i Scanner

  • Professional photographers or company offices who need high quality film scans with large image file sizes but have a limited budget.
  • Photography hobbyists who have a collection of film images they would like to preserve at a high quality level.

Who Should Not Get the Plustek OpticFilm 7200i Scanner

  • Professional photographers or companies who need to scan high volumes of film with dust removal capabilities, or who have a lot of other picture formats, such as medium format film, to scan.
  • Casual amateur photographers with a tight budget who simply want basic image scans and don't need large file sizes.

Scanning with the Plustek OpticFilm 7200i Scanner

This scanner is easy to use, and it has cartridges to hold either four slides or six film frames. The speed is impressive without high resolution and without defect removal, but slows dramatically with those features used. This is not an issue for lower volume scanning.

Quality of the Scanned Images

The great thing about this scan is that the images produced are dazzling. Unless you are a high level professional photographer, you will find few complaints about the image production from this film scanner. Images are crisp, and it does a fine job removing dust and scratches.

Bottom Line on the Plustek OpticFilm 7200i Film Scanner

In most situations, it will be hard to justify spending two times, three times, maybe even more for another high resolution film scanner. It produces great digital images, and that's the ultimate test.


http://cameras.about.com/od/photoprinterreviews/gr/plustekfilmscan.htm

Digital Photography Tips: Shooting Fireworks Pictures

Capture July 4th Festivities With Great Photos

Fireworks displays are certainly stunning and colorful. Capturing those moments with a camera is a challenge, though. Often times, you'll end up with shaky, blurry messes that hardly resemble what actually happened. This year, get stellar fireworks pictures.Watching fireworks go off on the 4th of July is always fun to do, but photographing them can sometimes be your biggest headache. Here are some digital photography tips for shooting fireworks pictures.
Use a tripod
I know, I know, I hate carrying those things around too. But when it comes to fireworks, you need them! They make a world of difference getting rid of camera shake, especially when using a long exposure time. Also, if you have a some sort of shutter remote, use it. Anything you have that will keep the camera still will improve your photos.

If you don't already have one, get some tips on "Choosing the Right Tripod for Your Digital Camera."
Find a spot
Finding an area where to set up is another major factor in how your pictures will turn out. Try to arrive early and scout the area out. If possible, see if you can find out where the fireworks will be launched. This information will give you idea of where you need to be. While looking for a good spot keep in mind to avoid obstructions and weather, especially wind. Remember that wind will blow the smoke somewhere, so try to keep it out of your photos.

Also, try to avoid where a lot of people might be joining you. I'm sure you don't want the backs of heads in your photos or someone bumping into or kicking your tripod while you're tying to work. Try to stay away from the street or city lights. They can possible cause lens flare in photos. Make sure you don' have anything sneaking into your photo. Tree branches are especially good at that "Where's Waldo" thing.
It's all in the timing
Exposure/shutter speed is something you need to stay on top of when shooting fireworks. Usually, 1 to 4 seconds is good depending on what you're trying to do with the photo. Anything shorter and you may not get the full effect or the full bloom of the fireworks and anything longer you may just end up with a washed out image. You can keep your shutter speeds down by compensating on the ISO. Try to stay in ISO 50 or ISO 100. If you go higher, you'll start to introduce film noise and grain into photographs.
Stay focused
Setting your focus to infinity or landscape mode is also advisable if you don't want to take the time to manually focus your pictures. If your camera is equipped, put the setting to fireworks mode.
See the light
Bring a small flashlight. This will save you from losing your temper while trying to fiddle with your camera in the dark.
Don't get flashed
Turn your flash off. If you're camera won't allow you to turn it off, use some tape to cover it.
Memory for memories
Bring your memory cards! You don't want to run out of memory before the grand finale. While you're grabbing the extra memory cards, you may want to grab extra batteries.
Quality is crucial
Use your highest quality setting on your camera.

With these tips, you won't just walk away from Independence Day with memories, but with memory cards packed with high-quality images.

http://cameras.about.com/od/cameratips/a/fireworks.htm

Top 7 Camera Bags for Digital Point-and-Shoot Cameras

It is important to protect your digital point-and-shoot camera from LCD scratches, dings and other general abuse. A great camera bag can do that. You don't want one that is too big and bulky, but you also need to be sure your camera fits. They can hold all the little extras, too, like batteries and memory cards. Here is a list of the top camera bags for digital point-and-shoot cameras. (Be sure you check the bag's dimensions to be certain your specific camera model will fit).

1. RoadWired Podzilla Camera Bag
Compact yet functional, this camera bag features more than 20 pockets and compartments in a tight 9"x9"x6" bag. It can be used to hold a digital camera or an SLR, with extra space for loads of memory cards, cords, a cell phone, batteries or whatever you can tuck in somewhere. All in all, a handy and attractive bag (coming in choices of five colors) that uses its available storage space well.
Buy Direct

2. Sumdex SlimPack Camera Case
This versatile little bag is great for shooting around town or even while traveling. You can wear it as a waistback or over your shoulder. It has a zippered and separate accessory pouch underneath for extras (and you won't need to worry about them rattling around or falling out when you get your camera in and out). It also has an extra pouch to hold a cellphone.
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3. Sumdex Double Horizontal Camera Pouch
This two-sided bag is especially appealing because you can store your camera in one side, and a wallet or cell phone in the other. It almost looks like a purse, made of a suede-like material and coming in four colors. This is a great bag for travel.
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4. Eagle Creek Padded Hip Case
This attractive hip camera case is well-padded and roomy. Use one pocket for your camera, and another for a CD player or mp3 player. The audio pocket has a handy headphone portal.
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5. Mountain Gear Focus II Camera Bag
This rugged and useful little bag will hold your camera in water-resistant fabric with a coated zipper. The fleece lining will protect the camera, and the outer and internal pockets are great for stashing little extras. It also includes the option of attaching it to your belt. This camera bag is ideal for outdoors excursions.
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6. Lowepro D-Res 20 AW
This bag is sturdy and copes well with bad weather. It isn't very large, but you can store your camera in the main compartment and batteries or memory cards in open pocket on the front. Wear it on your belt or over your shoulder.

7. Kiesel DC110 Pouch Style Camera Bag
There's nothing fancy about this bag, but it's cheap and functional. It will hold your camera, and there is a front pocket for extras. A velcro strap attaches it to your belt, or the shoulder strap can be used.

http://cameras.about.com/od/accessories/tp/pasbags.htm