Last Christmas, the most popular gift item was the digital camera. Now millions of people are switching from film and processing into the mysterious world of digital photography and are wondering... "Now What Do I Do?"
I attended a MAC Computer conference not long ago where I presented a number of digital photography eBooks that I publish. A mature woman in the audience asked: "I switched to digital thinking I would save a ton of money on film and processing but in the past year I have spent a small fortune on 20 flashcards."
It was difficult to keep my composure but the audience laughed at her expense. I explained to her that she was suppose to download her images from the flashcard to her computer, then erase the card so that she could take more pictures. I suggested that having one or two extra flashcards was certainly a good idea, especially if she was going on a trip and intended to take a lot of pictures.
The digital world has changed how we store and listen to music; how we design and print books; and how we now take pictures and turn them into works of art. Adapting to these new technologies can sometimes be overwhelming.
Jerry Rabow to the rescue. Jerry is a retired attorney with a passion for photography. I convinced Jerry that he needed to pass his great knowledge on to others, especially those just getting into digital photography. I convinced Jerry to write an eBook, and he took my advice and published Digital Photography Tutor which delivers just what the name promises: hands-on, interactive learning that is like having your personal Tutor at your side to explain how things work and show you how it is done. This uniquely enjoyable and effective learning experience will soon have you turning out fine digital photographs you thought only the pros could produce.
Jerry's Step-By-Step tutorials not only guide you through typical procedures, but his eBook also includes 60 narrated VIDEOS to show you the actual mouse moves. He also teaches you how to use Photoshop and Elements. For more information on becoming a better digital photographer visit: www.digitalphotographytutor.com or www.gmbooks.com
William Dorich has over 25 years in commercial printing and publishing experience. After authoring five of his own books on Balkan history he established his own publishng company, http://www.GMBooks.com in 1985. Since then he has designed, produced, and published over 120 titles including Witness to War: Images of the Persian Gulf War for the Los Angeles Times which won them a Pulitzer. His client list includes the Who's Who in American business.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Dorich
Thursday, November 1, 2007
How To Improve Your Digital SLR Camera Pictures?
Digital SLR cameras are amazing tools to expand your creativity and to document special moments. If your starting out and strive to improve your work master these five important tips. These tips deal with the relationship of shutter speed and focal length, achieving proper focus, stability, handling back lighting, and the effects of ISO and noise.
1) Understanding how the focal length of your lenses relates to the shutter speed you are shooting with.
If your shooting with a 50mm lenses the rule of thumb is that you can hand hold your camera with shutter speeds of 1/50th of a second and higher. With a 200mm lenses that is 1/200th of a second. With expensive image stabilization lenses you can hand hold a 200mmm at about 1/100th of a second maybe 1/60th of a second if you have steady hands. One trick I have used to squeeze an extra shutter speed stop while hand holding my camera is holding my breath and keeping my arm tight close to my chest. Knowing your lenses and remembering this simple tip should yield sharper results in your photos while hand holding your digital SLR camera.
2) Understanding the focus system in your camera
Practically every digital SLR camera focuses when you press the shutter button halfway down. Usually you will hear a beep and see a green or red square through the viewfinder. This is what the camera is focusing on. Then press the button the rest of the way down to take the picture. Understand that the computer inside the camera is looking at differences in image contrast and that difference is what is focusing the camera. Most digital SLR cameras also let you change the focus point manually to anywhere there is a predetermined point in the viewfinder. At a minimum you will get 9 points of focus up to 45 points of focus. It depends on the model and make of your digital SLR camera.
While executing my day-to-day shooting I always start with my focus point in the center of the viewfinder then I move it according to the subject I am shooting. It is easy to forget about where you set your focus point and then wonder why your photos are off focus or out of focus. So when you start a shoot the first place to check is where your focus point is and then center it, this should help you get more shots in focus.
3) Stability and when to use a tripod
If you are dealing with long exposures when shooting or if the shutter speed exceeds the focal length, then you need to use a tripod. All tripods are not the same. If in the studio a lightweight tripod can be used effectively if you weigh it down with sandbag or an alterative weighting device. When outdoors use a tripod on the heavier side is probably best, it also depending on weather condition. If there is a lot of wind you really need to secure the tripod with weight or some tripods even have a feature where you can spike them in the ground for more stability.
Any movement during a shot with a long exposure will almost always render that shot useless and that is why stability is so important. One of the newest advancements in camera technology is "image stabilization" in both lenses and camera bodies. This new technology is great and its best used if shooting with two hands on the camera and bracing your body against something. Still in some shooting situations there is still no replacement for a good weighted tripod.
4) How to handle strong back lighting
Back lighting subjects can be our enemy. Many people try to shoot a photo with a strong bright window light in the background, and then wonder why the shot did not come out. Why does this happen? The bright light from the window floods the lens, and your camera usually can not compensate for it. One way to combat this is to use a fill flash on your subject or use a large white fill card. Another option is to diffuse the strong window light and fill the subject with a white fill card. Do not be afraid of back lighting use it to your advantage, just remember you need to counteract a strong back light with a strong fill.
5) Understanding the effects of ISO in Digital SLR Cameras
Digital SLR cameras have some of the same characteristics as film SLR Cameras like interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, matrix metering, etc, but they do not handle ISO the same way. They are similar in that the relative ISO setting handles the light sensitivity that reaches the sensor or film. Where they differ is in the look they achieve in the final product. High ISO speeds on film have a certain film grain look to them that can be pleasing, but high ISO speeds on a digital SLR camera creates noise on the files and the look is not the same as film grain. In most situations noise is your enemy. If you want that film grain look, shoot your digital photos with the lowest possible ISO and then use Alien Skins Exposure® 2 plug in for Photoshop to achieve that film grain look.
In closing mastering these five tips will make your photography stronger, sharper, in focus and properly lit.
1) Understanding how the focal length of your lenses relates to the shutter speed you are shooting with.
If your shooting with a 50mm lenses the rule of thumb is that you can hand hold your camera with shutter speeds of 1/50th of a second and higher. With a 200mm lenses that is 1/200th of a second. With expensive image stabilization lenses you can hand hold a 200mmm at about 1/100th of a second maybe 1/60th of a second if you have steady hands. One trick I have used to squeeze an extra shutter speed stop while hand holding my camera is holding my breath and keeping my arm tight close to my chest. Knowing your lenses and remembering this simple tip should yield sharper results in your photos while hand holding your digital SLR camera.
2) Understanding the focus system in your camera
Practically every digital SLR camera focuses when you press the shutter button halfway down. Usually you will hear a beep and see a green or red square through the viewfinder. This is what the camera is focusing on. Then press the button the rest of the way down to take the picture. Understand that the computer inside the camera is looking at differences in image contrast and that difference is what is focusing the camera. Most digital SLR cameras also let you change the focus point manually to anywhere there is a predetermined point in the viewfinder. At a minimum you will get 9 points of focus up to 45 points of focus. It depends on the model and make of your digital SLR camera.
While executing my day-to-day shooting I always start with my focus point in the center of the viewfinder then I move it according to the subject I am shooting. It is easy to forget about where you set your focus point and then wonder why your photos are off focus or out of focus. So when you start a shoot the first place to check is where your focus point is and then center it, this should help you get more shots in focus.
3) Stability and when to use a tripod
If you are dealing with long exposures when shooting or if the shutter speed exceeds the focal length, then you need to use a tripod. All tripods are not the same. If in the studio a lightweight tripod can be used effectively if you weigh it down with sandbag or an alterative weighting device. When outdoors use a tripod on the heavier side is probably best, it also depending on weather condition. If there is a lot of wind you really need to secure the tripod with weight or some tripods even have a feature where you can spike them in the ground for more stability.
Any movement during a shot with a long exposure will almost always render that shot useless and that is why stability is so important. One of the newest advancements in camera technology is "image stabilization" in both lenses and camera bodies. This new technology is great and its best used if shooting with two hands on the camera and bracing your body against something. Still in some shooting situations there is still no replacement for a good weighted tripod.
4) How to handle strong back lighting
Back lighting subjects can be our enemy. Many people try to shoot a photo with a strong bright window light in the background, and then wonder why the shot did not come out. Why does this happen? The bright light from the window floods the lens, and your camera usually can not compensate for it. One way to combat this is to use a fill flash on your subject or use a large white fill card. Another option is to diffuse the strong window light and fill the subject with a white fill card. Do not be afraid of back lighting use it to your advantage, just remember you need to counteract a strong back light with a strong fill.
5) Understanding the effects of ISO in Digital SLR Cameras
Digital SLR cameras have some of the same characteristics as film SLR Cameras like interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, matrix metering, etc, but they do not handle ISO the same way. They are similar in that the relative ISO setting handles the light sensitivity that reaches the sensor or film. Where they differ is in the look they achieve in the final product. High ISO speeds on film have a certain film grain look to them that can be pleasing, but high ISO speeds on a digital SLR camera creates noise on the files and the look is not the same as film grain. In most situations noise is your enemy. If you want that film grain look, shoot your digital photos with the lowest possible ISO and then use Alien Skins Exposure® 2 plug in for Photoshop to achieve that film grain look.
In closing mastering these five tips will make your photography stronger, sharper, in focus and properly lit.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Karcich
Digital Cameras - Hold Onto Those Vacation Memories
Families go to vacation spots all over the world in search of a good time and the ability to "get away from it all," and they do their best to have a wonderful time. Parents need vacations to get rid of the stresses of work and kids need some time away from school. Vacations are also great ways to educate children about the world and its people. However, if you don't have a way to hold onto the precious memories that you and your family create during your vacations, those memories will fade fast.
You want to have a way to remember all of the things that happened, and a digital camera is the perfect way to make this happen. When the kids play with a dolphin for the first time, you want to be able to catch it all on camera, and with a digital camera, this is more than possible. Watching the fireworks at Disney is great too, but imagine if you can see them any day of the year by recording them. A digital camera is virtually priceless to a family that is out on vacation and wants to be sure to take the memories home with them.
There are many types of digital cameras available on the market today, and it can be very difficult to choose the one that is right for you. It is important that you consider all of the many aspects of digital cameras so you get the right model for you.
However, there is now a fantastic way to find the right digital camera for your family vacations. At TechSelector.com, you can now easily locate the perfect digital camera by answering a few simple questions on the website. Their advanced question and answer system will hook you up with the best digital camera for you in no time at all and have you prepared to bring your memories home.
TechSelector is a site designed with the intent of helping consumers research, select, and purchase new high-tech products. Our mission is to provide consumers with a free unbiased method of quickly and easily determining which high-tech products best fit their individual needs. For more information on digital cameras, please go to http://www.techselector.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Kirby
You want to have a way to remember all of the things that happened, and a digital camera is the perfect way to make this happen. When the kids play with a dolphin for the first time, you want to be able to catch it all on camera, and with a digital camera, this is more than possible. Watching the fireworks at Disney is great too, but imagine if you can see them any day of the year by recording them. A digital camera is virtually priceless to a family that is out on vacation and wants to be sure to take the memories home with them.
There are many types of digital cameras available on the market today, and it can be very difficult to choose the one that is right for you. It is important that you consider all of the many aspects of digital cameras so you get the right model for you.
However, there is now a fantastic way to find the right digital camera for your family vacations. At TechSelector.com, you can now easily locate the perfect digital camera by answering a few simple questions on the website. Their advanced question and answer system will hook you up with the best digital camera for you in no time at all and have you prepared to bring your memories home.
TechSelector is a site designed with the intent of helping consumers research, select, and purchase new high-tech products. Our mission is to provide consumers with a free unbiased method of quickly and easily determining which high-tech products best fit their individual needs. For more information on digital cameras, please go to http://www.techselector.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Kirby
In Defense of Digital Photography
The room is small, silent, damp and without light. The interior air is heavy and laden with chemicals, some of which could cause early death. The person inside receives no visitors. It is isolation.
Have I described a 19th century prison cell or a 21st century photographer’s darkroom ?
Those of us who have spent many hours in the agonizing yet captivating atmosphere of a photographic darkroom recognize the scene. We are compelled to witness --and direct-- the birth pangs of each of our graphic creations. Yet all of us know it is contrary to human nature to confine oneself to such isolation and environmental danger. Such is the allure of the muse.
This is serious stuff. We wonder how many present-day darkroom photographers are short-cutting their longevity by continuing to engage in this archaic working method. Are we subjecting ourselves to Alice-in-Wonderland dangers similar to those faced by the Mad Hatter? (A reflection of the hat makers of a couple of centuries ago, who used arsenic in the fashioning of their beaver skin hats and frequently were gradually poisoned as a result.)
To put this in perspective, if digital photography had been discovered first, and then film photography, would any of us have opted for the latter?
Today’s digital photography offers the promise of safe imaging, once the prices come down. (Only the very costly digital cameras currently produce the reproduction quality demanded by the printing industry. The $200- $800 digital cameras aren’t yet at that level. For now, film photography is still the medium of choice for publishing use.)
Digital photography gives to all of us the luxurious shooting style of Henri Cartier-Bresson, the renowned French photographer of the mid-century. He never stepped into a darkroom. “No, I have never done my own printing,” he told Charlie Rose in a recent interview. “Why should I spend my time in a darkroom when I could be out shooting?”
Most film photographers, because of the high cost of film and the processing delay, are conservative regards the number of pictures they shoot. However, as Cartier-Bresson is famous for saying, “I want to capture the precise moment.” Such moments escape the average photographer who is stingy with film.
Not so with digital photography. One shoots with a freedom to not only capture the “precise” moment, but to also self-educate and experiment. Digital “film” is cheap.
The world of digital photography is easy to enter. Medium-quality images, ease of processing , enhancing, and transmitting, are now available to the average photographer. Digital results are readily acceptable if your work is Web-based, or for buyers who only expect to use the image quarter-page size. At present, as you are reading this, the cost for serviceable digital is well within the budget of most.
Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and best-selling author of “Sell & ReSell Your Photos” and http://www.sellphotos.com has helped scores of photographers launch their careers. For access to great information on making money from pictures you like to take, and to receive this free report: “8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer,” visit http://www.sellphotos.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rohn_Engh
Have I described a 19th century prison cell or a 21st century photographer’s darkroom ?
Those of us who have spent many hours in the agonizing yet captivating atmosphere of a photographic darkroom recognize the scene. We are compelled to witness --and direct-- the birth pangs of each of our graphic creations. Yet all of us know it is contrary to human nature to confine oneself to such isolation and environmental danger. Such is the allure of the muse.
This is serious stuff. We wonder how many present-day darkroom photographers are short-cutting their longevity by continuing to engage in this archaic working method. Are we subjecting ourselves to Alice-in-Wonderland dangers similar to those faced by the Mad Hatter? (A reflection of the hat makers of a couple of centuries ago, who used arsenic in the fashioning of their beaver skin hats and frequently were gradually poisoned as a result.)
To put this in perspective, if digital photography had been discovered first, and then film photography, would any of us have opted for the latter?
Today’s digital photography offers the promise of safe imaging, once the prices come down. (Only the very costly digital cameras currently produce the reproduction quality demanded by the printing industry. The $200- $800 digital cameras aren’t yet at that level. For now, film photography is still the medium of choice for publishing use.)
Digital photography gives to all of us the luxurious shooting style of Henri Cartier-Bresson, the renowned French photographer of the mid-century. He never stepped into a darkroom. “No, I have never done my own printing,” he told Charlie Rose in a recent interview. “Why should I spend my time in a darkroom when I could be out shooting?”
Most film photographers, because of the high cost of film and the processing delay, are conservative regards the number of pictures they shoot. However, as Cartier-Bresson is famous for saying, “I want to capture the precise moment.” Such moments escape the average photographer who is stingy with film.
Not so with digital photography. One shoots with a freedom to not only capture the “precise” moment, but to also self-educate and experiment. Digital “film” is cheap.
The world of digital photography is easy to enter. Medium-quality images, ease of processing , enhancing, and transmitting, are now available to the average photographer. Digital results are readily acceptable if your work is Web-based, or for buyers who only expect to use the image quarter-page size. At present, as you are reading this, the cost for serviceable digital is well within the budget of most.
Rohn Engh, veteran stock photographer and best-selling author of “Sell & ReSell Your Photos” and http://www.sellphotos.com has helped scores of photographers launch their careers. For access to great information on making money from pictures you like to take, and to receive this free report: “8 Steps to Becoming a Published Photographer,” visit http://www.sellphotos.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rohn_Engh
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