February 2010 Archive

Digital Cameras make the ultimate keep-sake preservers.  What I mean is that a digital photo is far superior to keeping traditional photos, little cluttery knick-knacks, or hundreds of little projects (though you should keep some of the kid’s “art”).

Just the other day, my son lost another tooth.  This was his second in five days which leaves a considerable gap on the right side of his mouth.  Well parents know that those toothless smiles are cute.

I snapped off several digital photos and I have a painless keep-sake.  I can store them on my computer forever, set it as my background, print it off, email to grandma….  The possibilities are endless.

Remember, Our Digital Photography eBook is at -  http://digitalphotographysecrets.weebly.com/

We all have pictures hanging on the wall or in our wallet where the photographer said, “Say cheese.” Sometimes it is painfully obvious in an over-acted, hyper-smile. Many are cute or adorable or handsome. There is definitely a time and place for looking at the camera and giving a heart-felt, warm smile.

How about candid shots though? How many times do we interrupt a child’s play or a couple’s conversation so they can say cheese? In that moment where the focus and joy of the activity is disrupted, a little magic is lost.

Capture the sheer abandon of a child lost in the fun of a fantasy game. Portray the happiness or interest of a couple lost in conversation. Photograph the natural wonder and excitement of someone inspecting the ocean or an animal at the zoo. A good candid photo encapsulates a whole range of emotions and unspoken thoughts in a way that a staged, pre-set portrait can not.

You can certainly keep the fixed and specific shots. People generally like to be aware when their picture is being taken. However, sprinkle in a healthy dose of “surprise” shots. You will capture a true and natural essence that is unparalleled in joy.

Our Photo eBook is Available at – http://digitalphotographysecrets.weebly.com/

After many months of writing, editing, proof-reading, and generally making sure it is just right, OUR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY EBOOK IS HERE!!!!!

Check it out and learn how you can even get it FREE.

http://digitalphotographysecrets.weebly.com/

After many months of writing, editing, proof-reading, and generally making sure it is just right, OUR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY EBOOK IS HERE!!!!!

Check it out and learn how you can even get it FREE.

http://digitalphotographysecrets.weebly.com/

Your Choice of Digital Photography Printing

Printing your shots into paper is the next important thing in digital photography. And the best photo shot will not be given justice if you have not used the proper printing equipments for it. To be able to do justice to the photos that you took digitally, a good printer will really make the prints come to life.

The existence of various types of digital camera paved the way for different types of printers to be developed. Manufacturers know that printing photos is way different from printing plain prints. That is why they are always coming up with printing abilities that would suit digital photo prints well.

Nowadays, there are a lot of ways to have digital photography printed. Each printing methods and techniques have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is best to know what these things so that you will know what to have and what to avoid when having your photos printed.

Here are some digital photography printing choices:

1. Photo store.

The old style of bringing your film to a photo store for developing is still practiced today. The only difference is that films are not anymore used. You just need to bring with you your digital camera and the photo shop will print your photos for you.

An advantage in using photo stores is that they are complete with highly advanced machines you might not have at home. In addition, they know a lot of tips and tricks to make your photos appear its best. Plus, the photo store has the capability to edit your photos if you feel that it does not suit your taste. You only have to give the specific instructions and they will do the rest.

The disadvantage with using photo stores is the waiting period. Even if it does not take as long as it does with films, you still need to wait sometime before your photos are printed. Another disadvantage is that the printing machine they are using may not be the type that you want your photos printed on. So it is better to be very clear about the printing equipment that you want them to use so that this problem will be prevented.

2. Home printer.

This is fast becoming one of the most popular methods of printing digital photos. More and more people are getting their own printers installed at home so that they can print their photos anytime they feel like it.

This way, you can edit your own photos and compile them in your own private collection before you start printing them out. You only have to make sure that you have the proper printer for your digital photos if you want them to turn out the way you expect them to be.

With home printers, you do not have to wait in line for your photos to be printed. All that is needed is for your camera to be plugged in directly to your computer. From there, you can print the photos in no time.

The only drawback in home printers is that you have no other choice of printing process to use. The printed copies will depend on the kind of printing that you use.

With digital photography printing, you definitely have a choice. Just choose the one that you think will give you the perfect photo with minimal hassles and headaches.

Today’s cameras make taking pictures a lot easier than the one’s of yesterday.  There is always room for improvement, however.  Use the following tips to help make your photos go from acceptable to great.
1. Always be aware of the background. You don’t want to find trees growing out of people’s heads or a passing vehicle to draw attention from your subject.  Sometimes moving your subject just a couple steps to either side can make all the difference.
2. Use available light. If your digital camera has an option to turn the flash off and it’s light enough outside to read a book then use the available light and turn the flash off. In general camera flashes are too harsh for human skin and make all of us look pale.  Indoors, where there isn’t enough daylight, place your subject by a window and use your fill flash feature.
3.  Aim your camera slightly down at the person’s face.  Also don’t shoot just face on to the person, try a little to the side, a three quarter view, so that you see more of their face. Remember camera higher looking down and a three quarter view, it will slim your subject.
4.   Remember your focus.  Get closer to your subject. Fill the frame with your subject and there will be no doubt as to what the picture is saying.
5. Never put your subject dead center.  Put your just slightly off center; not a lot just a little. When you’re shooting  groups of people, find the imaginary center line of your group and put that line just a bit off center in your view through your lens or screen.
Following these tips won’t turn you into an award-winning photographer today, but you will be on your way to better, more powerful photographs that others will comment on for years to come.

Taking Wedding Pictorials One Step Forward with Digital Photography

Cameras have always been present in times of events. They can really help people keep all of their treasured memories. Of course, during weddings/nuptials the ever-reliable cameras are surely present.

It is well known that weddings are one of the wonderful events in an individual’s life. Many people wait for the day they can have a sacred union with the one that they love. And in order for them to have at least a good memory of this great event, cameras are needed.

You know, it’s amazing how far our technology has come with regards to photography. Many devices or gadgets are now being introduced in order to help people treasure special moments in their everyday lives.

There are also new cameras that are being made especially to capture the most treasured times in our everyday lives. Among these devices are digital cameras. These devices are really great for capturing happy moments during events like weddings.

Since the introduction of digital cams, they have outsold film cameras. Thus, this makes digital wedding photography a more popular service than film photography. Why?

Well, this may be because digital photography can take wedding pictorials into new heights. Cameras used for digital photography provides a lot of new advantages to their users.

One of the major advantages of these digital cameras is that they let users skip the usual film separation process, which is among the most time-consuming processes in photography. So, removing one time-consuming process would mean getting results faster, right? And when living in a fast-phase society, quick results are a must!

Another advantage of digital wedding photography is that, even though it provides fast results, the quality of each printed photo is not sacrificed. This means that no matter how fast you get your pictures, the result is still beautiful.

Another advantage of digital wedding photography is that it provides customization options to its users. This would mean that a user can edit photos even before they are printed. You can change the size, brightness, contrast or sharpness of your photo. You can even add or remove some details on your photos.

Digital photography has also integrated with cellular phones. This means that you only need to bring a phone to take pictures during weddings. Nevertheless, it is a fact professional digital cameras can provide better results than the cameras of cellular phones. Most professional digital cams have 6 mega pixels while cellular phones usually have lower mega pixel.

But perhaps the greatest advantage of digital wedding photography is the availability of your photos to be reproduced over and over again without making any variations between the first printed photo and the last photo printed. Digital photography allows users to save their files on their computers, which would mean that they can be reproduced without wearing out any film, since it doesn’t need one.

But, no matter how great a technology is, it’s still not perfect. One of the major disadvantages of digital photography is that it is not ideal for 4-color printing. Why? Well this is because of the fact that there will always be a variation between the images you will see on your pc monitor and your 4 color printed photo.

Why? Well, computer monitors use RGB, right? Four color printing uses CMYK. RGB and CMYK have entirely different outputs. So, no matter what you do, the image on your monitor will never be the same as your 4 color photos, unless there are computer monitors that also use CMYK to produce colors for the images and texts.

Nevertheless, digital wedding photography is still better than film photography and that is also a fact. See for yourself.

Let’s Get Digital: SLR Photography Basics

Nowadays, according to psychologists, more and more people are getting visually inclined. In other words, most of us love to use our eyes!

In what ways do we use our eyes for?

We use our eyes to view things in our environment. However, through time, man has devised ways on how to preserve the things we see, whether these are beautiful or not, and one of which is by way of using cameras.

These days, the biggest sellers in the camera market are the so-called digital SLR cameras.

Just what is an SLR camera?

SLR is an acronym for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras were the tools made for and used by professional photographers. Cameras such as these, similarly, make use of mirror that reflects light entering the lens up into the eye piece or the viewfinder. Thus, a photographer can gauge how the image or picture will look like. Moreover, a SLR camera uses lenses that are interchangeable. Hence, this camera can be used for long distance telephoto photography or close-up macro photography.

A digital SLR or DSLR camera is dependent on lenses and mirror and their optical capabilities. However a DSLR camera uses light sensor chips and digital memory cards instead of films, basically a computerized version of the abovementioned camera.

The following summarizes the comparison between DSLR and point and shoot cameras (SLRs):

1.    DSLRs and SLRs use interchangeable lenses for better resolution.
2.    Any picture you take using SLRs and DSLRs is usually crisper, cleaner and fine upon reproduction.
3.    DSLRs have a higher speed when it comes to focusing and taking pictures
4.    DSLRs perform better at low lighting conditions by using ISO speeds. These cameras have lesser granularity.
5.    DSLRS provide more professional power over depth of field, light, and responsiveness.
6.    DSLRs provide a more immediate feedback as they use digital chips or light sensing CCDs that translate incoming light rays into digital pictures.
7.    DSLRs and SLRs cost more than point and shoot cameras.
8.    DSLRs and SLRs are usually heavier than some point and shoot models.

Some sample DSLR models are listed below:

Prosumer models:

•    Canon EOS 10D
•    Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
•    Nikon D50
•    Nikon D70s
•    Pentax *ist DS

Professional Models:

•    Canon EOS 1D Mark II
•    Canon EOS 20D
•    Fuji Finepix S3 Pro
•    Nikon D2x

Who actually wants DSLRs? Anyone wants to have crisper and clearer pictures—be it a hobbyist or a professional photographer can opt for a DSLR model. Anyone who will not bother carrying bigger cameras on trips in order to bring back topnotch photos can make use of DSLRs.

Like all electronic and computerized gadgets, digital models tend to get cheaper yet better over time. For sure, DSLRs will eventually migrate down to consumer cameras: ability to take bursts of 10 frames in a few seconds, quick response time, higher resolution image sensors, and accurate auto-focus, among others.

The only thing that will remain constant are the laws of optics—you will not get the same results from a finger-nail sized lens as with larger lenses used by professional users. Also the fact that people do not have enough money all the time remains the same through time.

If you plan to take photography as a profession, practice shooting some shots using prosumers models and consider budget and quality of lenses before you say, “Big Cheese”!

Digital Photography Tip #1: Don’t Assume that DigiCams Do All The Work!

Maybe you have heard something like this before: “The better the cameras, the better the photos.” In this effect, you might have thought of digital cameras. Many believe that these models are just a one-click away for great photos. Do you also believe on this?

Ponder on the following article and the appropriate answer will be revealed to you.

The rivalry between film cameras and digital cameras is relatively fresh. How come? Three mega pixels digital cameras have an array of choices for consumers, which is already comparable to a high quality point and shoot models. Nowadays, the same thing goes with five mega pixels digital models for excellent quality photographs. The thing is, quality photographs can be taken with ease using digital cameras.

Some of the main advantages to digital photography are:

•    pictures can be previewed immediately on the built-in LCD screen
•    costs of installing films are replaced with memory sticks or cards that are primarily reusable and can store thousands of pictures
•    the stored photographs can easily be shared by copying off the images and/or sharing the memory stick or card
•    images can easily be transformed into black and white and/or sepia and can also be cropped after the picture has been taken

However, photos under low light and taken using film and digital models are both susceptible to artifacts or granularity. Images taken by both cameras appear to be very similar can be further improved with the advent of software that can improve and manipulate the quality and details of images.

Furthermore, you can take lousy shots with the most expensive Nikon models and make great photos with the passé point and shoot cameras. It suffices to say that it is not the camera that solely makes great and even picture-perfect images. The man behind the camera can squeeze or miss a big time out of the gadget that he has.

The following presents a ten-point aid that will enable you to take photos like a pro using your digital cameras. Practice on these tips so you can maximize the expense of your gadget.

1. Those Tones Should Warm Up

Change your white balance setting from auto to cloudy when shooting sunny landscapes and outdoor portraits. This increases the yellow and red tones, thus resulting in warmer and richer pictures.

2.  Use a [Sunglass] Polarizer

A polarizer should always come in handy when taking those general outdoor shooting. Polarized shots have more saturated and richer colors because unwanted reflections and glare are minimized or even removed.

If your digital camera can not accommodate a polarizer, simply place a sunglass as close to the camera lens as possible making sure that the rims of the glass will not be taken along with the image. The effect of a polarizer can be maximized when the light source is perpendicular to the object.

3. Shining Outdoor Portraits

One of the most useful and amazing features of digital cameras is the flash on or fill flash mode. This feature allows you to take control when to use the flash. It simply goes on whenever you want it available. This helps in capturing great outdoor photographs.

The camera exposes for the background first then adds enough flash to illuminate the subject when you are using the flash on option. Wedding photographers have been using this technique for many years to create professional looking portraits where everything in the composition is simply excellent.

To come up with a more relaxed photograph, try putting the subject under the shade and use the flash to add illumination.

You can also practice on using rim lighting where the sun illuminates the hair of the subject from the side or the back.

However, you should not stand that far away when using the fill flash since most built-in models have a range of 10 feet or even less.

4. Macro Mode Frenzy

I am quite sure that you would want to look at the fine details of your surroundings but would not be willing to crouch down and lie on the ground with your belly.

In that case, you just have to look for the macro made or close up symbol, usually a flower icon, and get as close to an object as possible. Once the confirmation light signals you to shoot, just press the shutter down to record the portrait.

However, using the close up mode allows you to have a shallow depth so you can concentrate on the part of the subject that you want to emphasize and let the rest go soft.

5. Chaos of the Horizon Line

There are still photographers who become disoriented when lining up their shoots. In other words, once they look at their cameras monitor, images that are erect seem to be a little tilted or bowed inward.

The most appropriate way to take care of this matter is to take your best shot at a straight picture, then take another picture after repositioning the camera. Afterwards, you can delete the others once you feel you captured a perfectly aligned image.

Have You Read any Digital Photography Review Lately?

Do not miss digital photography reviews as something not worth your time. Contrary to what you may think, you will get a lot of relevant ideas from reading these reviews. In the end, they will help you a lot in your digital photography wants and needs.

Over the years, digital photography has taken over the world of picture-taking and snapshots. It is the very same reason why there are now a lot of real-life photos for people to enjoy.

The need to have photos taken digitally comes from the need to do away with films and other hassles brought about by shooting photos. Not only that, the expenses that used to pile up when buying films and having them developed is also erased.

To be able to keep up with the shift to digital photography, more and more digital cameras and printers have sprung. It seems that what seems to be the most advanced feature today will be outsmarted by another in a few months time. This is the reason why people are always on the lookout for digital photography reviews. This is where they get to read about the latest and where they get the option of what they should have next.

What are some of the reasons why people embraced digital photography so warmly?

1. No film required.

This is probably the primary reason people would rather buy digital cameras even if they cost as much as 5 times more than the conventional film camera. After the initial money spent, there would be no need to buy films over and over again so that they can take pictures.

Without films, you do not have to fear that they will run out any minute. This is especially if you have to take some shots only to find that you do not have film left. With digital cameras, you can take as many pictures as you want as long as your camera has a large memory.

Not only that, days of waiting for the pictures to be developed is definitely out of the question. You can print the photos yourself in the comfort of your home.

2. Easy to carry.

Digital photography cameras are lightweight and they are getting smaller and smaller every year. You can expect manufacturers to come up with additional features that will make photo taking much easier.

Now, you can do away with handbags to carry your camera anywhere. You also do not have to bring camera accessories anywhere you go because one digital camera is all you need to take great pictures all day.

3. Instant edit and delete.

Not satisfied with the way the photo was taken? No problem. All you have to do is edit them before you have them printed.

In addition, you have the capability of deleting unwanted shots even before they are printed. This certainly saves you time and resources since you get to choose the photos you want to have on your album. The initial amount of money you have paid for the digital camera is worth it once you realize the minimal expenses you need to pay in the developing and printing.

These are enough reasons why you should shift to digital photography. Not sure yet if you want one? Try reading digital photography reviews and be convinced.