What Can YOUR Camera Do?

Many of today’s digital cameras are multi-function; they do many things that were once not even dreamed of with traditional cameras. Even the cheapest, most basic

digital camera can take both still pictures and moving ones, so if your kids are having a great game of soccer you should be able to shoot that winning goal for posterity. If you are not experienced with cameras, it’s important to find out just what your camera can do.

When you go into a shop to buy a camera, make sure the salesman gives you a good demonstration of all the features in it. They are trained in camera usage – or should be - for this very purpose, and there is nothing like having an expert show you the ropes. Even if you buy from a generic store, the person behind the counter usually knows something about the products.

Many digital cameras can capture a video clip right to the capacity of your memory card, while others only go for thirty seconds. Some capture the sound as well, while others do not, so if you want sound be sure to pay attention to what you are buying. Some allow voice recording and also playback, which is a good feature if you want to record notes to go with your photographs. The camera will need to have a built in microphone to play back recordings.

Some cameras can play MP3 or other audio files; they also have earphones, which are great for music-lovers, but the quality of the photos is often poor. So if you are more shutterbug than music-lover, watch out for this. You will be able to resize, crop or copy images, or edit video clips before you download them to your computer with some cameras.

Digital camera makers have copied cell-phone technology to give us alarm clocks and international time display, a very handy feature if you go overseas for business or holidays. Even if you want to ring an overseas friend, this feature will enable you to find out what time it is over there. Your friend may not appreciate being woken at 2am.

If you are not sure what features your new camera has, you could take it to a specialty shop and ask. The salesman will no doubt hope to sell you a better one – and he may even succeed, but at least you’ll know what you’ve got. Some regions host short courses for digital photography and it could be worthwhile to attend one of these. Otherwise, you’ll be down to reading the book that came with it and experimenting on your own. At least the photos won’t cost you an arm and a leg!

Photography Jobs That You Can Get Into

It is not true that there is no money in photography. For those who are truly gifted, fame and fortune is easily achieved. In fact, there are a number of photographers who have reached the top of their field. There are actually a number of jobs that a photographer can get into. Pictures and visuals are important in most media and talented “lens” men are very much in demand in the market especially now with the age of multimedia.

Below are just some of the areas where photographers can get into and believe it, one can earn big bucks in each!

Magazine and newspaper photographer

Although it is more lucrative to do freelance photography, it is best for photographers who are ,just starting out to first establish contacts and build a name through magazines and newspapers. This is also the best place to earn experience in photography as you will encounter different kinds as well as interact with different kinds of people.

Newspaper photography is harder and more spontaneous compared to magazine photography, which is primarily shot in locations. When working for newspapers, one must be able to develop an eye for photos that will capture the readers attention as well as tell a story with its images.

Advertising agency

Another area where a photographer can get into is to work for an advertising agency where they will be conceptualizing ads for campaigns. One can start as a photographer and then gradually climb up through the ranks. One can even become an art director or if there is talent in conceptualizing, even a supervisor for overall operations.

Fashion shoots

A photographer can also work in fashion shoots. With much experience, they can even conceptualize a shoot and be its overall director. Most fashion houses hire photographers when coming up with a new collection for the season.

Event Photographer

Events like concerts and special occasions like weddings and debuts will require photographers who will document the event. Pictures are actually a large part of the preparation for the event and is almost as essential as the food.

Freelance photographer

Although it will be harder for photographers that are just new in the field to establish a career as a freelance photographer, there are a number of markets where they can contribute their work. For instance, most international agencies like UNICEF hire photographers to document their various projects in far-flung areas. There are also some who are hired to contribute generic photographs that will be used in newsletters and brochures.

Tips for Taking Candid Photos of Children

Candid photos of children can be lots of fun, not only to take, but also to look at in years to come. To get good candid shots, you will need to have your camera handy at all times and take lots of shots. Some may be no good, but if you have a digital camera this won’t matter; you can simply delete them. Don’t make a lot of fuss when you are taking candid shots, or the children will become self-conscious and may end up running away every time they see you trying to point and click.

Never show your really candid shots of children to others in front of the children, while laughing about them. They’ll hate it and refuse to pose in the future. Children have dignity too. If you make sure it’s fun for the children, they will enjoy it and be more co-operative. With older children, you can also point out the things you did to make the shot more special. This will get them interested and help train them to take good shots of their own.

Some posed shots will be necessary, but try to make them a little more creative than just standing in a straight line. How about posing two children on a tricycle? They will be having fun and concentrating on more than just posing for the shot. You would normally have the older child with his feet on the pedals and the younger one standing in the tray, but try reversing this. For starters, the younger child will be shortest and so should be in front. But reversing their positions in this way creates unusual expressions on their faces that are fun to catch on film

Remember to get up close and personal for great candid shots of kids. Also get down to their level to prevent distortion. When the pictures are of babies, making eye contact will aid in interaction and expression. You want to avoid that vague look that lots of babies have when there is no one to focus on. But if your want their expression to be one of absorption in a toy or some other thing that intrigues them, try and stay out of their focus. Wait until baby is entirely focused on the other object, then click.

If the baby is moving, follow the movement with your camera and gently squeeze the button rather than clicking sharply. This will help to prevent blurring the shot with camera shake. If you miss that great smile, it could be because of shutter lag. This is the time between when your finger began to squeeze the button and when the shutter finished moving.

How to Use the Aperture

The aperture on your camera is what controls the amount of light when taking a photograph. It is how wide the lens opens when you click that button. A large aperture will give you a photograph where the area of focus is small and the depth of field shallow. This is good for close-ups like portraits or close-up photographs of wildlife. The aperture setting should be from f2.8 to f5.6. Shallow depth of field will give clarity to the closest thing in your photo. (The smaller the f-number, the larger the aperture setting and thus, the more light let in).

A small aperture, on the other hand, is necessary for landscapes and distant shots, as it will give clarity in foreground and background details. The settings for small aperture would be between f16 to f32. For mid-range shots the in-between settings of f8 to f11 will give high clarity and detail, maximizing the sharpness of your lens. A small aperture will give a greater depth of field.

Depth of field can be explained as the distance between the closest thing in your photo and the furthest thing. If you have good depth of field, the details in your photo will be clear at both five feet and fifteen feet. Most digital cameras have a great depth of field, which is why it is hard to blur the background so the foreground is sharp and in contrast. Most cameras with an automatic depth of field cannot be set manually. If you want to take photographs that are very precise, you need a camera that allows manual adjustment.

If you want clarity of detail between 1 and 2 ½ meters, then use a 22mm lens and set to f8 and a bit less than 1 ½ meters. This means that the background will be suitably unsharp, throwing the foreground into relief. The larger the aperture number, the less time is required to take a photo. So if you want to photograph something that is moving, make sure your f-number is fairly large.

Correct exposure is determined by both shutter speed and aperture, but when you are shooting during times of low light such as dusk, you will need to adjust the aperture to let in as much light as possible. In bright conditions, the aperture should be set to a smaller f-number to prevent excessive light spoiling the picture.

Many people don’t worry their heads about such things as aperture, exposure and shutter speeds and if this is you and you’re happy with your photographs, that’s great. Otherwise, a little attention to details like this could improve the quality of your photographs a great deal.

What Are You Taking a Picture Of?

No matter what you are taking a picture of, there are tips and hints to guide you into improving it. Most people take photographs of their families, friends, pets, gardens and family celebrations. We like to record our lives for ourselves and for future generations. The days in which we had just one photo of grandpa sitting on a chair and grandma standing next to him – both wearing the most solemn expression - have gone, thank goodness! Let’s get into color, light, and happy smiles. Let’s catch granny cuddling the kids and grandad with a blob of birthday cake on his chin! Let’s leave a legacy for our great-grandchildren to enjoy. But let it be the best kind of photo that we can manage.

When taking photographs of animals or children, remember that they are a lot lower than where you are holding the camera, so get down to their level, otherwise their photo will look bigheaded. Kneeling to take a photo of a pet will bring its face into focus more sharply. Of course kneeling in front of your pet may also make him take a flying leap into your arms, but that’s a risk a photographer has to take.

You’ve seen those photographs of people sitting on something (the sofa, a rock, the ground) and their legs look huge? They are the ones everybody screams at. So what is the cause of this? It’s because when you take the photograph, the legs are in front, closer to the camera. You have unwittingly focused the camera on the legs instead of the faces. You may not have had the camera high enough.

Watch that sun! When taking photographs outdoors, the sun will cast a nasty, dark shady over a face. Use the flash, or stand the subject in the shade. If your subject is in the sun, it often makes them squint their eyes because the light is too bright. But if they wear a cap or hat, the shadow thrown by it will screen the face. That’s why it’s necessary to use a flash.

When taking photographs of that gorgeous rose in the garden, come up close to it. Digital cameras are wonderful for taking close-ups. You can be just a few centimetres away. Use the macro feature to achieve a sharp, clear photograph of flowers. For animals that you can’t get close enough to, use your zoom feature. Also lock the focus by half depressing the button and re-focusing on the animal. This will save you getting a sharp background and a blurry animal.

Take time to pose your subject. A group standing straight up and looking at the camera is a bit boring. Get some fun into it. Maybe they can all wear pink sunnies and sling their arms around each other. Perhaps they could group around an interesting tree – one or two could be up in the tree. Whatever picture you decide to take, work on it just that bit more to upgrade from ordinary to spectacular.

Action Photography

Of all the kinds and styles of photography being practiced today, sports photography is probably the most exciting—not to mention the most difficult—of all. Since this kind of photography involves so much speed and action, photographing the subjects or players would require more than the usual knack for good angles but also the strength to endure physical limitations during the shoot.

Sports photography usually include shots that are taken during the game or while the subjects are in their respective field. Aiming to “freeze” moments during the actual event, sports photographers should be equipped with the right photography equipment, trained with enduring tenacity, and fueled with an overwhelming desire to capture each moment and emotion at their best.

PHOTOGRAPHING DIFFERENT KINDS OF SPORTS

The best thing about sports photography is that the photographer can freeze a single moment that contains pure and raw emotion and share it with the public in print. If you’re into photography and quite interested in taking adrenaline-pumping shots, you should familiarize yourself with different kinds of sports first. Since each sport varies, the styles and techniques used in capturing and freezing each moment also vary.

If you are already in the field taking photos, it is a must that you have a brief background about the sport you are covering. Knowledge in the fundamentals of coaching style, sport rules, and players will help you identify their most interesting angles. It is also a must to identify your “safety” (a shot that is easy to shoot and can be published if you don’t get good photos all throughout).

Here are some basic sports photography guidelines fit for common sports:

1. Baseball. Most seasoned sports photographers would agree that baseball is one sport that is hardest to shoot because of its unpredictability. Make sure that you get your safety first before getting experimental shots.

2. Basketball. Unlike baseball, this is the easiest sport to shoot because you only have to focus on two subjects: the player who handles the ball and the net. But its simplicity limits you to different angles, so make sure you get plenty of shots to choose from.

3. Football. This is another easy sport to shoot but it is considered as the most equipment intense sports because it would require waiting for the perfect shot. Although it’s easy to get safeties, it’s still up to you to produce action shots that would be a stand up.

4. Soccer and Hockey. Because of the speed and sudden movements involved in these sports, auto focus cameras are recommended.

5. Volleyball. Although it is one of the rarely covered sports events, volleyball is also one of favorites because dramatic shots can be derived all throughout. Since moves in the sports are quite tricky, make sure that you turn your camera’s auto focus on.

6. Golf. It’s hard to shoot photos during the game due to the nature of the game itself. What you can do is to camp at one location and take shots as players pass by or use a cart to follow the individual players.

7. Track and Field. Though access can be limited, this is one sport that is fun to shoot because movements are predictable and easy to shoot. All you need is good timing.

8. Gymnastics and Figure Skating. One basic rule in these sports: NO FLASH. Since they involve individuals performing, the use of flash is restricted because it distracts the players. The major problem you’ll encounter is lighting but this can be solved once the venue is lit up.

9. Motorsports and Racing Events. These are fairly easy to photograph because you can get away with slower lenses. But since you’re far from the track, you need longer lenses for the shoot.

Lighting in Nature Photography

Lighting is one of the most important factors in taking photographs of natural subjects. Unlike with studio shots where you control the lights and the shadows, taking photos outside is a little bit more complicated. In addition to not being able to control your subject, you also have to take into consideration the elements especially the lighting.

Of course for the seasoned photographer, natural light is no longer a hindrance. In fact, most photographers use light to create great effects and put color into an otherwise drab picture. Hence there are photos that play up the shadows or those that capture the different colors of the sky. This is especially true with landscape shots or those that capture flowers and other objects in the environment.

Light can have a lot of sources. In the morning, there is the sunlight while in the evening, there is the moonlight. There is also what photographers call the natural light, which is not as direct as the two previously mentioned. One can use any of these sources of light. The trick is to know how to use it by angling the camera and the subject to achieve the exposure that you want.

This is often done by studying the effect of the light and its corresponding shadows to your subject. For instance, if you want a more dramatic effect, some photographers will use shadows as their main light instead of the natural light.

There are four main directions that photographers must learn in order to take advantage of the light outside. Overhead light for instance has high contrast and harsh shadows. This is achieved when the light is directly above the subject like when it is noontime. Using lights at the front will result with a flat shot.

This is usually seen with shots that use flash in the camera. Often, pictures shot in this direction will lack depth and dimension. Light at the back, on the other hand, may require an additional fill or reflector at the back to bring out the color of the subject. Often, with a light at the back, the shadows may ruin the photo.

Shooting with the light at the side is perhaps the most recommended when it comes to the direction as this will bring out the texture and the shape of the subject that one is using. For instance, with a light on the side, there will be parts that will be highlighted and parts that are not.

Into the World of Style and Photography

Fashion photography is ALWAYS in fashion. Although it is mainly dependent on commerce, fashion photography is now considered as an art. Unlike before where fashion photographers see the craft as a source of income, modern fashion photographers see themselves as artists who can invent and reinvent different photo shoot techniques and style.

BECOMING A FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER

If you are a budding photographer and has always been fascinated with fashion and photography, you may want to make fashion photography as an option.

Imagine yourself traveling the world and setting foot on exotic islands and historical sites, working and hanging out with famous, most creative, and talented people in the fashion industry, taking the photos of international super models to have them published in various fashion magazines, having your named renowned internationally, and to top it all, you are paid a huge sum of amount while enjoying these perks.

Today, where almost everybody can become a fashion photographer through the use of reliable digital cameras, soft wares, and other photo editing gadgets, more and more people photo and fashion enthusiasts are into the lucrative business of fashion photography.

But, how do you break in? Here are some of the things you may want to consider:

- Make up your mind and decide if you really want to be in the business.

- Don’t hesitate about potential clients and income because fashion photographers are always in demand.

- Choose where would you want to land on the business—either freelance, ones without an agent; freelance with an agent, employed by a retailer, employed by a publication either a magazine, a book publisher, a newspaper, and the like; employed by an established fashion house, employed by an advertising company, employed by a fashion or clothes manufacturer, employed by a direct-mail company or you would want to open up your own studio and get clients on your own.

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY CHECKLIST

So, you really want to become a fashion designer? After deciding what you really want to do and where would you want to land in the gigantic world of fashion industry, you should make a short reassessment of your skills, you work ethics and etiquette to become successful in the path you have chosen to take.

There is more to fashion, photography, and fashion photography than meets the eye. Bear in mind that the craft and the business are beyond the realms of taking good photos, models, clothes, and products. Also remember that being a fashion photographer is more than an average person who takes good pictures. Technical and artistic skills in photography are required. Additional skills in styling, natural knack for clothes, great artistic inclination in modeling and composition, and entrepreneurship spirit are also a must.

If you didn’t make it in the fashion photography scene yet, consider some options and career paths like working periodicals, ad agencies, department stores, fashion houses, modeling agencies, retailers, catalogues, galleries and in stock photography agencies while waiting for that big break. Experiences in these fields can hone your innate skills and may open up doors to greater opportunities.

More tips in becoming a fashion photographer, breaking into and succeeding as fashion photographer, starting a fashion photography business, starting a fashion photo studio, starting a glamour photo studio and even getting paid to take beautiful fashion pictures and travel the world in the internet. These sites also provide information, and pieces of advice and tips for those who are interested in entering the industry as well as for those who would want to enhance their knowledge in the craft.

Bridge Cameras

High-end, live-preview digital cameras are referred to as either bridge or prosumer digital cameras. While DSLR cameras operate on the same mechanical principles as the autofocus 35mm film single-lens reflex camera, the key difference is that a CCD or a CMOS image sensor takes the place of the film. This allows for creation of images in-camera without the need to chemically develop an image on actual film.

The major advantage over other digitals is the defining characteristic of an SLR: the light goes directly from the main lens, instead of reflecting from an off-axis viewfinder.

The advantage of seeing an exact copy of the image has been duplicated in the LCD displays of many of the digital compact cameras. However, the SLR retains the best quality of image due to its being in real time and more detailed.

LCD displays tend to have a time lag, causing the view to be clear, but not exactly what you are looking at. If something in the shot is moving, this movement will actually be viewed a second or two later. While bridge cameras are comparable in weight and size to the smaller dSLR they lack the mirror and reflex systems which are characteristics of dSLRs.

Referred to as "bridge" cameras because they hold a place between the digital consumer compacts and the dSLR's, prosumer identifies their high-end more advanced technology.

The lines between the two are not clear-cut -- the LPD category includes both the bridges and compact cameras. Mainly they both have live-preview on an electronic screen, which is their principle means of previewing an image before taking the photograph. There are also several nonessential characteristics applying to many of the bridge cameras, but not all of them.

For instance, there is the single fixed noninterchangeable lens and a CCD sensor, which is much smaller in the bridge cameras than in the dSLRs. A few of the new bridge cameras have defied these nonessential qualities and now have larger sensors of different types that are equal in size to those found in some of the dSLR cameras.

Bridge cameras still do not have interchangeable lenses; however, this may change in the not too distant future.

Counting Pixels

Smaller is not always better, especially when you are dealing with pixels.

Varying in size from one manufacturer to another and even from one camera to another, pixels are the little critters found on your imaging sensor, which are the components that record light on most digital cameras. It therefore makes sense that a larger pixel can record more light if they are larger.

Two sensors with the same number of pixels would be compared as follows: The one with the larger pixels would take a higher quality image than the sensor with the smaller pixels. Scientists have gone crazy reducing things to digital size; a smaller sensor with the same number of pixels would, of course, require smaller pixels.

The smaller sensor may be more efficient because of its size, but it won't usually produce the same quality images as the larger sensor with larger pixels will. Miniaturization isn't always the better way to go.

Digital single lens reflex cameras (SLRs) have a better quality of image than compact or point-and-shoot cameras because they have an imaging sensor close to the size of those found on a 35mm film camera. Even the high-end compact cameras costing up to $1,000.00 use a sensor about 1/1.8" or 5.5mm x 4.1mm. Even with a 3-, 4-, or even 5-megapixel sensor, they can't create photos comparable to the 3-megapixel SLR.

Because the technology is relatively new, many customers are confused by pixel numbers, and manufacturers aren't completely upfront when the talk about pixels either. A camera with 4.3 million pixels may only use 4 megapixels to actually record light information for the image. These are described as the "effective" pixels, and you have to look really hard to find where the manufacturer discusses these in your manual.

However, this is the number you want to use when deciding on the camera's pixel size. If a camera has 3.1 effective megapixels, yet is advertised as a 3.3-megapixel camera, it is still only a 3.1-megapixel camera.

The law requires that the effective pixel count be advertised along with the pixel count, but this isn't always true, so look for it in your cameras manual.

Digital Camera Formats

Simple diagrams, cartoon-type images, and shapes are best stored on GIF, or Graphic Interchange Format, because it is limited to 256 colors; these are actually the only things that are suited for this format. This format is still widely used for image animation effects because it supports animation. Lossless compression is another reason it is so effective on large areas that have a single color, and is very ineffective on images that are detailed.

BMP, or bitmapped format, is used in Microsoft Windows operating systems to handle graphics images. These files are not usually compressed, which results in large files.

The main advantage to BMP files is that they are simple and widely accepted in the Windows programs. They are not suitable for many of the other operating systems; the large size of these files makes them unsuitable for file transfers. Scanner images and desktop backgrounds are usually stored in BMP files.

Microsoft has introduced another format called WDP, for media print quality and lossless image compression. This is the image standard, as it has a specific applicability to print media. With the ability to handle a much large range of image types, it is similar to the TIFF format.

The X Window System used XPM format as its default picture format; it is very popular in the Linux world. Based on the string format, it is structured like the C programming language. Designed to be human-readable, is stored as uncompressed plain text, and the pictures may be over twice the size as uncompressed binary bitmap files. This format is usually unsupported by non-Unix software and operating systems.

A wavelet compression format used mostly by Geographic Information Systems is called MrSID, or Multiresolution Seamless Image Database format. It stores massive images of map software from satellites.

Additional Storage for Your Digital Camera

When planning the budget for your new digital camera, include the cost of an extra memory card. The cards that come with your camera aren't nearly enough memory to take the number of pictures you would like to take, so get a bigger card right off the bat.

A 3-megapixel camera should have at least a 256 MB card; a 4-megapixel camera needs at a minimum a 512 MB card. Any camera with 6 or more megapixels should have a 1 GB card. This will eliminate the possibility of ever missing a shot because your memory card is full, or even worse, having to choose which photo to delete because you have found one more that you just have to take!

Being able to shoot at your camera's highest resolution is another important reason to have a massive memory card. Spending money on a 6-megapixel digicam should also include shooting with all 6 megapixels!

Another thing to remember is to shoot at the camera's highest compression setting, too. Squeezing more images onto your memory card by shooting at a lower resolution and with lower quality compression settings will only cause regret later. You never know when you will shoot the next great photo. (Do you think the photographer left home that morning knowing he would photograph the nurse kissing the soldier? That photo turned out to be the most well-recognized photo taken at the end of the war!)

Don't chance missing a great shot with poor quality. Another thing to remember is that the lower the resolution of your photos, the smaller the print will have to be to remain clear. No posters can be made with a 640 x 480 resolution. Not exactly what you will want to display at your first gallery showing!

Playing with the Horizon Line

Digital cameras have one issue when taking landscapes that is difficult for many photographers to deal with -- the distortion that shows up on the LCD screen. Because of this, you end up with tilted sunsets, crooked landscapes, and towers that lean.

This is because digital cameras create distortion when trying to put a broad panorama onto a small LCD screen. While the trees may stand straight and tall when you look at them with the naked eye, on the LCD screen they tend to be leaning towards the middle! This can cause a lot of disorientation when taking photographs and result in the problems mentioned above.

Solving this problem is a lot simpler than it seems, however. Just look for the natural horizontal lines that are there and use them as a guide. Some of these natural lines could be:

* Where the sky meets the ocean

* A spot of the land that is level

* The place where the water meets the shore at a lake

* A road that cuts across the view

* The top of a building a barn, house, etc.

There is no cure all for this problem, but you can improve your work by keeping a few things in mind and experimenting with the camera.

Start with the awareness that you want to take pictures that are as level as possible. If you are having a hard time getting a picture straight, take several, adjusting the camera slightly each time. When you are ready to view them on the computer, one of them is sure to be right; just delete the others.

Practicing this will become more natural as you get more experience, and your level shots will increase with time. Remember that practice makes perfect, or nearly perfect, level horizon lines.

Comparing Film and Digital Cameras

Digital cameras have many advantages over traditional cameras. Some of these advantages are:

* After instantly reviewing the picture, it can be retaken if there is a problem. The photographer simply changes a few settings.

* Taking many shots of the same thing using different settings and angles can be done inexpensively, and you print only the best ones. This is too expensive to accomplish with film cameras.

* Those who want to take hundreds of photos for various uses without printing them can do this at minimal cost.

* Storing large quantities of digital media on the newer computers is much cheaper than film.

* No degradation occurs when copying images from one medium to another.

* You can view pictures on your computer without having to scan them first.

* With a consumer-grade printer and a computer, you can print your own photos.

* Film cameras of equal quality are often much larger than digital cameras.

* While it is necessary to change film after 24 to 36 shots, you can store hundreds of images on the same card in a digital camera.

* With many of the new cameras, you can view your photos on the television with an AV-out function that is included.

* It is easy and inexpensive to experiment with the settings on a digital camera. With a film camera, you could use up many rolls of film trying to learn to use it.

* Some printers can communicate directly with your camera, or its memory card; you don't need a computer to print your pictures.

* Digital cameras make it easy to add information to your pictures, such as time and date.

* Sharper images are now possible with digitals due to the anti-shake tools, making tripods nearly obsolete.

* A color darkroom is as close as your computer, and you can now avoid the very expensive photo labs.

Top 10 Embarrassing Childhood Photos

OK, so we all have them -- embarrassing photographs our folks took when we were four years old and still sucking our thumb. They show up at our wedding, when we bring a date home, and always when we really wish they wouldn't!

So, here are my top ten lists of embarrassing photo opportunities.

1. The Infamous Tub Shot

Everyone I know has the embarrassing bathtub photo shot. You're lathered in soap and your overly large seven-year-old head is covered in shampoo. This is always the number one most embarrassing photo that parents can take of their kids. They can up the ante by having one of your siblings in the tub with you.

2. Naked Shots

Stemming from the tub shot comes the buck-naked embarrassing photographs we all have from when we are kids. One of the best ones I ever saw was of an ornery four-year-old who refused to wear anything but his red cowboy boots. His future wife will laugh over that one when it shows up on the slideshow at their wedding.

3. The Blankie Shot

There is nothing wrong with having a blankie, but this photograph becomes extremely embarrassing when you are 10 years old and still wildly clinging to your blankie as you leave for the fifth grade!!

4. Nose-Picking Shots

Now, these nose-picking shots are always super-embarrassing photo opportunities. No child can make it through the first 12 years of life without picking its nose at some point. To get the most embarrassing photo, wait until they are really digging deep for a gold mine!

5. Pimple Shots

Not that pimples are funny, but they do make for a super-embarrassing photo opportunity! Nothing is worse than being all dressed up for your first homecoming dance and then realizing your pimples will be in the photo with you!

6. Braces Shots

There is just something so embarrassing about a photograph showcasing a mouthful of braces. Of course, as silver braces slowly disappear off the face of the earth, this simple and embarrassing photo opportunity is quickly disappearing.

7. Clothing Shots

Ok, so we may think we are at the height of fashion, but when you look back 20 years into the past at some clothing choices you or your parents made for you, they can be a awesomely embarrassing photograph! I have a terrible photo of me in brown bell-bottoms, a brown lion t-shirt, and some bright blue Pumas! Yikes. There is always the infamous I am wearing every piece of clothing I got for Christmas at once photo that shows up occasionally. Now that one is a great blackmail shot!

8. Hairdo Shots

Hairstyles change and quickly become one of the most embarrassing features of past photographs. Afros, puffy bangs, mullets, and more -- oh my!

9. Teeth shots

Who doesn't have a shot of them missing their two front teeth. These shots are not embarrassing in the least. The embarrassing photograph comes when one of your missing teeth has partially grown in or even grown in crooked! This awkward stage in everyone's life makes for some wonderful blackmail photos later in life!

10. Food Shots

My final most embarrassing photograph opportunity is the food shot all little kids have. Bowls of spaghetti turned upside down on the head are classics. You can't pass up the shot of the one-year-old sticking his face into the middle of his birthday cake, either!

Determining Lines, Inches, and Pixels

If we are aware of the size, density, and number of pixels on a sensor and recognize the other variables to a camera's resolution, are we better able to determine the quality of the images a camera can produce? The answer is a resounding no. Pixels are the units of measurement relating to the camera's resolution only, not the image resolution.

Raw camera resolution is shown in pixels, but image resolution is referred to in ppi, or pixels per inch; that is the number of pixels for every square inch of the photo. A 300 ppi image means there are 300 pixels on each square inch of the image.

Because sensors that are the same size can have a different number of pixels, measuring on the ppi scale is unrealistic. An 8" x 10" photo with a 300 ppi actually has more pixels than a 4" x 6" 300 ppi picture.

Another problem arises when you consider that printers are measured in dots per inch or dpi. Printers use dots of ink to print, not pixels, and different printers use different numbers of dots for each pixel in a picture. The higher the dpi, the higher the quality of the print will be.

Pixels are made of various colors, contrasts, and brightness values; therefore, the more dots of varying colors and quantities, the better the image will be.

Quality photographic prints will require a printer that can print a resolution between 240 and 360 ppi, since this is the resolution required to produce a photo-quality image at a normal viewing distance. What this tells us is that we need to be aware of not only the ppi of the camera, but also the dpi of our printer in order to come up with photographic quality prints.

History and Early Development of Digital Cameras

Using a mosaic photosensor, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory wrote a paper describing the concept of producing still pictures in digital format. This was proposed for onboard navigation information during missions to the planets that astronauts would later take.

Still photos would periodically be taken during the trip, and when the planet was actually approached, addition information would be provided for orbiting and landing assistance. These were the first design elements of the digital camera. A filmless analog camera was developed in 1972, but whether it was ever built is not known.

Steve Sasson, working for Eastman Kodak, was the first to record the attempted development of a digital camera. Weighing eight pounds and using a cassette tape, it recorded black-and-white images with a resolution of 0.01 mp. In December 1975 it took 23 seconds to capture its first image. Never intended for production, the prototype was still in existence in 2005 and was merely a technical exercise.

The first handheld digital device was actually an analog camera. Demonstrated in 1981, it was based on television technology and recorded a 2x2 floppy video disc. It was basically a video movie camera that took single frames, holding 50 images per disk. At the time, the quality of the prints was about equal to current television technology of that time.

At the 1984 Olympics, an analog camera was demonstrated for the consumer, printing the images in the newspaper. Widespread acceptance was held back by several factors, including a cost of up to $20,000.00, poor image quality in comparison to film, and a lack of consumer-priced printers.

A frame grabber was one of the items needed to print the photos, the cost of which was beyond that of the normal consumer. Later, several readers were created, allowing the disks to be viewed on screen, but they were never developed into a computer drive.

The Importance of Resolution and Compression

You can print a beautiful 8 x 10 quality print from and image recorded at 1127 x 1704 (4 megapixels) or larger. These photos are quite suitable for framing and display, or even for the cover of a well-known magazine. Being close to the action will even allow you to crop the image and still have quality resolution for a good-sized print.

However, if you want a picture the size of a credit card, use 640 x 480 resolutions, no posters, and not what you want on display at your first showing, but great for camera phones!

If you have a massive enough memory card, there is no reason to shoot at low resolution and chance missing a really great shot! It also allows you to show off your work in a very big way, which should always be a consideration.

When buying your camera, don't fall into the notion that more megapixels are necessarily better; all pixels are not created equal. When items go digital, everyone believes that smaller is better.

But think about this -- pixels used in digital camera sensors are used to record the light in your photos, so doesn't it make sense that larger pixels will record better light?

Carrying this on to its final conclusion, they would also create a better quality digital image. The ability to miniaturize items has led to scientists squeezing more pixels onto an imaging sensor, so they are smaller. What this means is that the sensor is smaller, but the number of pixels stays the same.

The small sensor may be more efficient due to the smaller size; this does not mean it will produce better photos, than larger pixels on a larger sensor. Check the size of the sensor when you are thinking about purchasing a new digital camera.

Integrating a Digital Camera

Many new devices have digital cameras integrated into them, mobile phones being the most well known of these. Even though it is common for these phones to be used as cameras, one of the problems with them is the poor quality of the photos. Photos taken with camera phones do not reproduce well as prints because of the low quality.

PDAs, or personal digital assistants, also frequently have cameras in them; they are small handheld electronic devices which may have some of the features of a computer, cell phone, music player or a camera. Again, the quality of the photos is poor, and they do not print up well.

Laptops may have cameras in them among other features. BlackBerry is a wireless handheld electronic device that supports email, mobile phone, and text messaging, and may have a camera and many other wireless information services. Many small electronic devices, especially communication devices, contain digital cameras.

Even some camcorders have digital cameras built into them. Due to limited storage space and emphasis on convenience instead of photo quality, most of them store their images in the compact JPEG file format.

A large variety of storage media supply the memory digital cameras require. These include:

* Flash memory, used in cheap cameras or when cameras are the secondary part of an electronic item, such as a cell phone. Flash memory can be erased and reprogrammed, and is normally used in memory cards.

* 3.5" floppy disks, which were used in the early digital cameras of the late 1990s.

* Video floppys, which were 2x2 inch floppy disks used in early analog cameras.

* Early professional cameras used PCMCIA hard drives; these have been discontinued.

* A 185 MB CD

Digital cameras need a lot of power, and they have become smaller and smaller in size. The problem is the ability to develop a battery that will fit into a small camera and still supply enough power to run the camera for an extended period of time.

Storage on Digital Cameras

The higher-end professional cameras may have microdrives; these are hard drives that are built in the form of a compact flash. With the use of an adapter, you can use SD cards in a compact flash device. Digital cameras may use a memory card or a flash memory card, which are solid-state electronic storage devices.

In October 1998, Sony introduced the removable flash memory card called the Memory Stick; this term is used to describe the entire family of memory sticks. While the original stored up to 128 MB of data, an 8 GB card is now available that holds two 128 MB banks. There is also a card specifically designed for high-definition stills and video cameras called the Memory Stick Pro-HG.

This form of storage has outlived all other types of digital storage devices, and it isn't known if this is due to the manufacturers continued support of the device, or because of the technology it contains as a storage format.

Gradually taking the place of the memory stick is the flash memory card SD/MMC. Originally they were limited to 2 GB of storage, but are now being replaced with 4 GB cards. A revision was made to the SD standard, which means that all cameras don't recognize the larger storage capacity of the 4 GB cards.

In addition, these cards are formatted in the FAT32 file format, and the older digital cameras use FAT16 format, which contains a 2 GB limit. Camera phones use a MiniSD Card, which is about half the size of the standard memory cards used by digital cameras.

Also available in camera phones is the MicroSD Card, which is about ¼ the size of those in digital cameras. An even smaller format was the XD-Picture Card developed in 2002. Smart Media, containing 128 MB of memory, at one time competed with the Compact Flash; it is now obsolete and was replaced by the xD picture card.

Can Film Cameras be Converted to Digital?

One of the first questions asked by professional photographers at the development of digital cameras was, "can we convert our film cameras to digital?" The resounding answer was "yes and no."

Most of the 35mm cameras can not be converted to digital; the cost would be too high, especially since lenses must evolve as well as the cameras. The only means of allowing this would be to remove the back of the camera and replace it with a specially built digital back.

While many of the early professional digital cameras were developed from 35mm film cameras, conversion meant that rather than a digital back, the body was actually added onto a large, bulky digital unit. This was often larger than the part that was actually the camera! These were not, however, after market conversions; they were actually built this way in a factory.

One development was the EFS-1. This was inserted into the camera in place of the film, giving the camera storage for 24 images and 1.3-megapixel resolution. These units were developed from about 1998 until 2001, when the company began developing a true digital back.

Included in the category of professional modular digital camera systems are some of the highest-end equipment costing up to $40,000.00. These cameras can be assembled from components and are seldom found in the hands of the normal consumer.

Developed for medium- to large-format film, they capture greater detail and therefore the prints can be enlarged more that your standard 35mm film. These cameras are normally found in studios and are used for commercial production; they are very large and seldom used for action or nature type photography.

The terms "digital back" or "film back" came from the ability to change the backs of these professional cameras to either digital or film use.

Change Brought About by Digital Photography

Two-megapixel cameras were offered for less than $100.00 in late 2002, with some one-megapixel cameras offered for under $60.00. Discount stores began offering development and processing of digital prints for their customers, offering actual chemical prints in an hour. This was in comparison with inkjet prints they could get from their computers.

These prints were about the same price as film prints, even though the different aspect ratio in digitals showed people that 4x6 digital print cropped some of the image. Some stores now offer prints with the exact same ratios as digital cameras record. The single-use digital camera was introduced in 2003 at a cost of only $11.00. This camera followed the same simple process as the disposable film cameras.

The purchaser would return the camera to the store; receive prints and a CD-ROM of their pictures. The store then refurbishes the camera and it is sold again. This was the major difference between the one-use digital camera and the disposable film camera.

There are now several of these one-use digitals on the market, most of which are identical in function and specifications to the original one-use put out in 2003. However, a few now have superior specifications and are more technologically advanced. These one-use digitals are for the most part less than $20.00 in the stores; this of course does not include the cost of processing the film.

The high demand for digital cameras has increased the number of customer complaints as manufacturers cut corners to maintain competitive prices, with some digital cameras having only a 90-day warranty necessary due to the short service life.

Due to the sharp drop in the price of 35mm cameras, many manufacturers have stopped producing them completely, with one major company dropping out of the camera business altogether.

Great Tips in Photographing People

Unlike taking photos of inanimate objects, photographing people can be more difficult as they are dynamic. They move. They can think for themselves. This is the reason why it is much harder for one to anticipate their moves and their expression. One needs to be always in his toes when capturing people. A great deal of experience is needed to be able to produce a great picture.

Know your equipment

This is one tip that you should not take for granted when photographing people. Remember that with people, you have to know every trick of the trade and every part of your equipment to keep up with their spontaneity.

There is no time to look for clasps and buttons when dealing with people. Everything must be instinctual and bullet-fast. In fact, one famous photographer even advised amateurs to know their equipment so well that they will be able to find the parts even with their eyes closed.

This can be achieved by constant practice. Start with people in your family. Another great training is taking photographs of people in events where everything is spontaneous. Try to capture their various expressions and their actions.

Focal lengths

In terms of the focal lengths that you will be using, it is best to use lengths from 28-105 mm., depending on the subject of the picture. Taking close-up photos are better with pictures that deal with people because this way you will be able to show through your photograph the expressions on their faces or the look in their eyes.

Capturing movement

One of the most fascinating subjects in photography is the human body in motion. With a good eye and instinct for taking photos, you will be able to capture a moment that will otherwise be lost in time. One problem with taking pictures of movements is the fact that there are cameras that are not able to capture them.

Too much movement will only result in blurred photos. It is best to either use a tripod to minimize the shakiness or use a camera where you can manually adjust the shutter speed.

Focusing

In focusing, it is best to aim for the eyes of people. This will add a glint of light in their eyes as well as ensure that the expression in the eyes is captured clearly. This is one of the most important part of photographing people as expressions convey a story in itself.

Tips for Taking Motion Shots

Motion shots come under three headings; stop, pan and blur. Each will give a different effect. Most people want the ‘stop’ kind where the motion of the subject is frozen in a millisecond of time. This is what you see in most sports photos. It is achieved by a very fast shutter speed that allows the picture to be etched on the film or sensor so quickly that they are, in effect, frozen in a moment of time. The faster shutter speed means that your ISO setting needs to be higher to allow in more light.

To ‘pan’ is to follow the motion with your camera, which will give a sharply focused subject, but a blurred surround. The effect here is similar to the above, as it stops the motion of the subject. Tracking the subject with your camera whilst keeping it steady is skill that takes much practice. To help, you could try using a tripod with a swivelling head. Background that is fairly plain works best for panning. Start with a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second to start and make sure nothing will obstruct your view as the subject moves.

Blurring is when you use a slow shutter speed so the subject is deliberately blurred, but the impression given is one of speed, which is the whole aim of the shot. If your camera is a point and click, it may also have a sports or action mode.

A good tip for shooting motion is to use the burst or servo mode on your camera. This will give you a series of shots taken in a burst, making it more likely to get that extra special shot. This is because there is but a fleeting chance to see when a great shot could be coming up and photograph it. It all happens faster than a speeding bullet. But if you shoot in burst mode your camera will be clicking away regardless. You’ll want a memory card with a large-capacity for this. If shutter lag is a problem with your camera, burst mode will improve your chances of a great shot.

If you want to get a scene where something is moving yet you also want the background to be clear - like a landscape with moving water, use a slow shutter speed and a tripod to prevent camera shake. This will give an unusual affect in that the water will be blurred to the extent that it looks like it’s been painted in.

Should You Always Use a Flash?

Since most cameras these days come with a flash that’s built-in and automatic it doesn’t occur to some amateur photographers that there are times when, although the light is dim, using a flash would simply spoil the photo. Sometimes a flash will create unwelcome shadows, make the subject blink or cause red-eye, though the latter can be remedied fairly easily with software. In some cases, flash is just too harsh, so what other alternatives are there?

Firstly, though you might not think so, flash can be good to use on a sunny day. This is because the brighter the sun, the deeper the shadows that it casts, are. Cameras do not like bright sun and deep shade in the same shot, it confuses them. But when we use flash indoors where the light is dull it often causes a shadow that we don’t want. One way to eliminate this is to use a diffuser of some kind. You can buy one that fits the camera, or try a piece of transparent tape over the lens.

A light reflector is another method of creating enough light so that you don’t need a flash. Those umbrellas that you see around commercial photographers are not just pretty props. They are light reflectors, sending the light provided by a strong lamp onto the subject in such a way as to prevent shadows while providing light. Light, moreover, that is not harsh enough to bleach out those details that need to be included for a great shot. Other light reflectors are white or light gray cardboard sheets or even white clothing. Light reflectors depend on other forms of artificial lighting such as strong or ambient lamps, fluorescent or incandescent lighting to reflect from, and these are readily available indoors.

Natural lighting can be used even though the photo is to be taken indoors. Moving closer to the window is often the simplest and most effective, though be sure the glass isn’t going to reflect into the shot. Sometimes you can simply shine a lamp on a wall nearby. This will act to reflect the light onto the subject without making shadows. Lamps are usually placed to the side of the camera and may be above it or below, depending on the height of the subject.

How much lighting you need also depends on how close you are to the subject. If you are quite close, you will need less than if you are across the room. If you do use flash, remember the subject should remove their glasses and not pose close to reflective surfaces.

The Most Embarrassing Childhood Photos

Why is it that parents always bring out the most embarrassing pictures of us when we least want or need to have them shown?

When you bring that special someone home for the first time, or all the guys come over for the big game, these are both prime times for your most embarrassing childhood photos!

Everyone has at least one bathtub shot; soap suds everywhere, with a yellow rubber ducky or a GI Joe or maybe a submarine, or -- even worse -- with your siblings lined up like a chorus line. Mine was an old tin bathtub in front of the wood stove; my hair was full of soap, and I looked a lot like a clown!

Then there are those terrible shots of you naked! Who in the world would want his future wife to see a picture of him in the all together chasing the dog around the back yard or, even worse, with the dog chasing him!

Kids will pick their noses, and if you wait until they are digging deep, you are sure to have ammunition for years to come. A picture of your child when she is playing in the mud, covered head to toe, is the best; a little in the mouth never hurts either!

Halloween costumes for a three-year-old can be great for embarrassment later in life. How many 15-year-old boys want their new friends to see them dressed like a chicken or frog?

Every kid thinks they are the height of fashion, but I have several pictures of me as a youngster, that I would much rather no one ever see. Bell bottoms were in, along with Nehru jackets, love beads, and flowers in the hair.

My mom has a picture of the three of us girls wearing our stripped tights, and ruffled hats that we got for Christmas. That is a great picture and believe me when I say that everyone I have ever brought home has seen that picture at one time or another! My favorite is of my grandson when he fell asleep in a plate of food at his fourth birthday. I love the picture, but I am sure there will come a day when he won't.

Starting a Photography Business

Proving you have something worth selling is the first step in starting any business. The challenge is to show your work, and let others know that your work is worth the money they will be spending on it.

Each of your photos will be different, and unlike a company that produces a specific product for marketing, you will be marketing a number of different products, your photographs. Your work can't really be described; therefore the only way to market it is to show it to people.

The challenge for you will be to put all of your focus on the expertise you have in your work, the ability you have to provide your customer with the photos that they want. You have to convince them that your work is the only work that will satisfy their needs where photography is concerned.

Whether it is for a wedding shoot, or photos of a remote tribe in Kilimanjaro, only you can convince them of this, and your work is the proof they have. Thousands of photographers are good, but that is only part of the equation. They come to the client with varying amounts of experience, talent, and ability.

Promoting your work takes more than just a belief that your work will speak for itself. You have to show them why only YOU will provide them with the look they want. You must sell yourself as the best and provide them with a reason that only you can provide.

These are the three things you will need to provide your prospective clients:

* A good portfolio will show the quality of your work. Traditionally, this was done in a book; now the Internet allows you to create a portfolio online that permits hundreds if not thousands of potential clients to view your work.

* Decide how you will let people know about your website. The site is only an advertisement; getting people to read it is the next step. With the hundreds of new sites out there, how do you get them interested in yours?

* Photo postcards sent to a target market are one way to let people know how to find you and give them an idea of the work you provide. For best results, send a few separate cards to the target market over a short period of time, about six weeks.

Tips for Taking Group Pictures

There are probably more group photographs taken than any other kind. Think of all the weddings and birthday parties, not to mention other gatherings and celebrations. So what can you do to make your group shot one that the subjects will be delighted with, rather than moaning that they blinked or had their head cut off? Here are some tips.

Give some thought to where you will pose the group ahead of time. There may be an old tree in the backyard or park that would make a fabulous background without intruding. See that the background is appropriate, eg, your daughter’s soccer team would look great posed at the sporting field, but may be a little weird on the beach. Make sure there are no odd things like telegraph poles, swing sets or rubbish bins in the background. Or anything else that may look as if it were growing out of someone’s head.

Take multiple shots quickly. Often people sub-consciously pose in a rather artificial manner for the first shot, but tend to relax after that and look more natural. If anyone is wearing glasses, tactfully suggest they remove them; otherwise the flash could reflect off the glass and ruin the shot. For the same reason, never pose people in front of a window.

Vary your shots by taking some of just head and shoulders, some up really close and some a bit further off. If there is a large group, it’s an idea to take a shot from the top of a ladder. This will allow you to get more people in and also to focus on heads rather than bodies. You may be lucky enough to have an elevated deck you can use for height. Pose the group on the grass below and shoot from the deck.

Of course, you will remember to have the short people in the front and tall ones behind. Some can kneel in front or sit on the grass, particularly children, who get bored with standing. Just be careful you don’t miss them when focusing. It’s easy enough to get so absorbed in getting the adults lined up correctly, you find that you’ve only managed to get the top of Junior’s head.

One more thing to remember in group photography is that the important people like the birthday girl or the bride and groom should be in the central position. And for sharp focus throughout, keep the group no more than about three rows deep. If it is more, use a narrow aperture.

Advantages of Digital Photography to the Professional

The professional photographer and the amateur photographer can find many advantages to digital photography. These include, but are not limited to:

* Without wasting storage space, the professional photographer can review, edit, and even remove a photo, while assessing composition and lighting.

* The versatility of management, including color and file, manipulation, and printing abilities, creates a much faster workflow than film cameras.

* It is much easier to modify and manipulate digital images than it is to modify negatives and prints.

* Special effects that are available on a digital camera can give much more dramatic results than film cameras.

* With the clear images provided by new digital cameras, tripods are a thing of the past in most instances. This is due to the anti-shake tools now available.

* Hundreds of images can be stored on your computer with a minimum of space allowing easy access for editing. It is much less expensive to store data on a computer than on rolls of film and negatives. In addition, the professional can take time to view them, saving only the best for use.

* Digital cameras are much more compact, allowing a freedom of movement when going on difficult shoots.

* Reviewing images and techniques are much easier as data can be stored directly on the photo, including; camera type, date and time, film speed, flash used, and shutter speed.

* Hundreds of photos can be taken without the need to constantly change film.

* Your home darkroom is now color, and editing your pictures is much less expensive. This eliminates the high cost of film processing and the added problems of storing rolls of file and negatives.

Manufacturers are now promoting the use of digital cameras to photojournalists by increasing the quality of cameras, by developing a quality of photograph that is comparable to 35mm models of the past.

Self Timers

OK, you are the designated creative historian in your family. How many times have you looked at all of the pictures in your family album only to find no pictures of you? Do you get a little nervous at handing your expensive new camera over to a stranger asking them to take a picture of you?

With the self timer feature on most digital cameras, you can now put yourself into the action along with everyone else in the family, without fearing someone you don't know will drop your camera.

So, set up your portable tripod (the one that fits in your back pocket), set the self timer, and get in the picture. Make sure the focusing sensor is aimed at the people in the group or you may end up with clear mountains and a fuzzy family. You may also want to turn on the flash, but be aware of that 10-foot flash limit on digital cameras and don't get too far away.

Self timers are great for other kinds of photography, too. You can make long exposures of the Northern Lights if you visit Alaska. Or, if you know of a great spot in the mountains that looks down on a highway at night, try getting one of the car lights at night.

Set up the tripod and secure your camera, and then trip the shutter using the self timer. This way you prevent jarring the camera while you do the long exposure. You can take pictures of waterfalls or a running stream that look like the water is standing still using the self timer on your camera.

Set up your tripod and aim it at a body of water, then use the timer to force the shutter to stay open for a second or two. It creates a soft, flowing effect in the water while all of the other items in the photo stay sharp and clear.

Tips for Photographing Wildlife

Wildlife shots are some of the most fascinating you can take. Each creature is an amazing miracle in itself, but to capture this on film and share the miracle with others is a wonderful experience. One thing about photographing wildlife is that it can’t be set up and posed. One can only sit patiently and wait in the hopes of getting that great shot. Of course, there are a few little things you can do to help.

If the wildlife is in your own backyard, you can place the appropriate food and water out to attract the wildlife. Keep it in the same place all the time so the animals get used to where it is. Only have one area of food/water; otherwise they’ll be sure to go to the other one just when you get set up. You can create a ‘hide’ from which to take the photos. It can be quite simple like a cushion behind a bush or large tub of flowers.

Practice all the time so that you are familiar with the workings of your camera. You don’t want to stop at the critical moment to read the instruction manual. Have all the necessary equipment at hand. If you must run indoors to get that special lens, the animal will probably not be there when you return.

Different wildlife will need different lenses. Tiny ones like bugs and mice will need a macro lens or macro setting on your digital. A 60mm lens is small enough that you can move quickly; 100mm is a bit big and heavy for fast movement, but has a good focal length if fast movement is not required.

If you are out in the wild with your camera, you’ll need a zoom or telephoto lens, then there will be no need to get dangerously close to the animals. Distance will reassure them that they don’t need to flee to safety, so you’ll get more pictures. Always be aware of safety precautions. Become familiar with the animals habits so that you are less likely to get any nasty surprises, and more likely to get good shots by knowing where to find them and what mood they might be in.

Wildlife reserves are great places to get animal shots. At least you know that there are animals there. Many are confined by moats so you don’t have to dodge squares of wire fencing. A zoo is also a good place to practice. Morning, evening and feed time are when the animals are more active. Always remember to take a waterproof bag for your camera and gear in case of sudden rain.

How Special Lenses Can Improve Your Photos

Many cameras are built to take special additional lenses that screw or snap on. If yours doesn’t, don’t worry; the lens it was made with will be a generic type that will do most jobs reasonably well. If you want to get into using extra lenses, there are several different types.

A wide-angle lens can be a useful addition to your camera, especially for landscape shots. It can reach out to each side and gather in lots more than your normal lens and indeed, even more than the human eye can see. It will be able to focus on foreground and background, ensuring clarity of detail all over, however, if there is to be a specific subject to keep the focus on wide-angle lenses are not the ones to use.

Zoom lenses have a wide range of applications, from landscape to portraiture, allowing the photographer to either increase or decrease magnification of the subject. Their only drawback is that they are not suited to conditions where the light is dim, due to their narrow aperture. Many cameras come with a zoom feature already installed, but digital zoom lenses are quite different to optical zoom lenses.

While an optical lens magnifies the image, the digital lens actually enlarges and crops the image in the viewfinder. This can result in a poor quality image due to the low resolution, compared to the optical lens. So if you are after a camera with a zoom feature, go for one with an optical zoom; you’ll get better quality pictures.

A telephoto lens is similar to the zoom lens in that it is used for enlargement of the photo, but it works differently. While a zoom lens magnifies the subject, a telephoto lens actually brings the subject ‘closer’; effectively reducing the distance between the subject and the camera. A telephoto lens will show greater detail than the human eye could detect at the same distance.

Cheaper cameras often have a fixed, focal length lens. They sometimes do the work of a wide-angle lens - though not always - but are better in low light conditions. Many newbies have found they learn the basics of photography composition more quickly with this sort of lens simply because they have to put more thought into getting a quality shot.

The macro lens – often a built-in feature with today’s digitals - is for close-ups without distortion. Originally, it was an extension lens for optical cameras.

The fish-eye lens was developed for work in astronomy. It can take the wide-angle of the sky needed by those who study the stars. Landscape photographers who like the distortion of the curve often use it.

Front of lens accessory is a clip-on tool that mimics a lens. It gives additional options for a camera not built to take an additional lens, but without the quality a real lens would give.

Photography Equipment

Photography is one of the most expensive hobbies that a person can get into. In addition to the camera, one will also have to buy films and spend for the developing. And as you become more enmeshed with the activity, you will probably be adding a list of different add ons for your camera or even buy special cameras that perform specific tasks.

One of the most common add-ons that professional and even amateur photographers spend their money on is the lens. This is one of the most basic parts of the camera and yet the most crucial. There are different kinds of lens that function according to the needs of the photographer.

Most cameras especially those that are used by professionals have the option to interchange or add lens. There are actually to main types, the fixed focal lenses, which are also called the prime lenses and the zoom, which is primarily used to alter the focal length and lets you take shots of objects that are really far away.

Wide angle lens, for instance, will allow you to take photos within short distances. This is ideal in photoshoots that are done with limited space. With a wide angle lens, the photographer need not walk backwards to be able to get the whole image. Telephoto lens, on the other hand, will allow you to narrow down the angle of view. This is also called the long focus lens because it allows one to take pictures in long distances. One kind is the short telephoto lens that are especially great with pictures from head and shoulders. This is why it is also called portrait lens.

Another kind of lens is the zoom lens, which come in different focal lengths. You should remember that there are zoom lens that can also function as a telephoto or wide-angle lens. This is why some photographers invest in good zoom lens instead of buying separate lens. In addition to the convenience in price, buying zoom lens will also lessen the equipment that you have to carry.

Other equipments that a photographer have to invest in are tripods and of course a good camera case that will protect it from all kinds of weather. Tripods are used to minimize the shakiness of the camera that will result in blurred or double images. For personal use, tripods are handy if the photographer also want to be included in the photo.

Compromises Made by Your Digital Camera

The means your camera uses to take images and translate them from the image sensor to the computer or printer may not be hindered by the compromises it makes during the process. You will only know this when the photos are being viewed at the time of transfer.

Storage is one of these compromises; digital images take a great deal of space for storage. They need to be managed in a way that ensures enough images can be stored before they need to be downloaded from the camera.

Cameras use different levels of compression to downsize the images for storing them in memory. JPEG is the most widely used standard, it removes information that can't be seen by the human eye anyway. The higher the level of compression, the more information is deleted.

At the higher compression setting, blocks start to appear in the images. This begins to degrade the image quality, making the resulting file size extremely small. If quality is the most important consideration, avoid JPEG compression.

The mid- to high-end digital cameras offer different forms of compression, which don't delete any information, by using mathematical algorithms. They compress the file and save it either in TIFF format or as RAW files, which contain only the information the sensor captured with no in camera processing.

Larger file sizes are the result of this lossless file compression format. However, the higher image quality and post processing flexibility makes up for the loss in image storage space.

Another compromise made in digital cameras is the in-camera processing; these create predefined results. Some cameras have sharpening filters which restore the contrast that is lost in edge details when the image goes through the various optical filters.

This process of sharpening in the camera reduces the ability to sharpen the image once it has been downloaded to the computer. Oversharpening can create unnatural and harsh edges and may even cause shifts in color.

Image Capture Methods for Digital Photography

There are three methods of capturing an image; the sensor, the hardware configuration, and the color filters are the bases for each of them. Each is used for a different type of photography.

* The Single-Shot Method: This refers to the number of times the sensor is exposed to light passing through the lens. These use either one CCD with a Bayer filter mosaic, or three separate image sensors, one each for red, green, and blue; each are exposed, via a beam splitter, to the image. This is the preferred method for taking action photos.

* Scanning: This moves the sensor across the focal plane like a desktop scanner. One of the preferred methods for commercial photography because it allows use of larger files and the resolution is better.

* Multishot: Here the sensor is exposed to the image with three or more openings of the lens aperture. This is another of the methods preferred by professionals for shooting still photos and for using large-format images.

o Using a single image sensor with three filters

o A single CCD with a Bayer filter which moves the location of the sensor

o A combination of the two with no Bayer filter

The subject matter will have a lot to do with the method used to take the picture; normally a moving subject should only be captured by a single-shot system.

Commercial photographers shooting stationary subjects and using large-format photographs prefer the higher fidelity, large file sizes, and resolution available with multi-shot and scanning backs.

Single-shot cameras have improved so much in recent years and, with RAW image file processing, have made CCD-based cameras prominent in commercial photography. In addition, these improvements have also affected the whole of digital photography. Another more common camera is the single-shot CMOS-based camera.

Night Photography Tips for Amateurs

Taking a photo is not as easy as focusing on the subject and then clicking the camera. It takes more than that. In fact, it takes a lot of intuition and a set of lessons. This is why amateurs in photography need not only experience but also lessons in techniques and of course in the basics.

One of the hardest thing to master is night photography, not only because the subject is hard to find but also because the shadows will make it more difficult for the amateur photographer to take a good shot. Below are some tips that any amateur photographer can use to master night photography.

Safety

The first thing of course that amateur photographers need to remember is to choose the location well. Remember that if you are going to do the shoot, you will have valuable equipment with you. There are places in the country especially in the cities that are very dangerous at night. Safety is paramount. If possible, do your explorations with one or two people as you cannot very well conduct your shoot in daylight or under artificial lights.

Spares

Another reminder is that batteries often run out easily in cold conditions, so it is best to carry an extra or if you have none, try to fully charge your batteries before going out of the house and proceeding with the shoot. You should also bring a good case for your camera as moisture during the night can easily permeate to your camera.

Other equipment

The best camera to use for night work is actually the one with the manual exposure settings, preferably an SLR (single lens reflex). Automatic cameras are not often recommended, as they are not powerful enough to fight the darkness. Another requirement is a sturdy tripod with a rubber leg to minimize slippage. A cable release is also needed as this will enable you to hold the shutter speed open.

Exposures

One important thing that an amateur must remember in conducting night photography is the fact that longer exposures are needed for black and white photos compared to ordinary lighting. Color film, on the other hand, will produce shifts in colors.

Use of flash

With insufficient light from the moon, most photographers will supplement the light with a hand-held flashes, a technique known as “painting with light.” Other more sophisticated ones may also use movie lights and torches as additional lights.

Downloading Pictures from Your Digital Camera

Downloading your pictures is as easy as one, two, and three:

* Load the software that came with your camera

* Follow the instructions

* Save the pictures to the computer

It can't get much easier than that! You usually run the software, then connect your camera by a USB or Fire Wire Cable from the camera to your computer. You may be able to use a card reader, or directly insert your media card into a printer; this can be exceptionally fast and exciting to watch as your photos are printed right before your eyes.

Saving the pictures to your computer is the next step; then you can send them to friends and family via emails, post them on the Internet, print them, or do anything else you can think of, the sky is the limit.

If you have your own business, digital photography can help you sell your product online with photos of what you have to offer. Many people make a healthy side income by selling items on websites on which their item can be bid.

One woman in a small Oregon town buys jewelry and statues at yard sales and secondhand stores, cleans the items up, and takes photos of them. She uses a digital camera and posts the photos on the website. The markup she makes is astonishing.

She told me of one instance where she purchased a pair of earrings for .50 at a second hand store and sold them for $149.00. She was astonished as she watched the bids on these earrings increase day after day for over a week, what a profit she made.

This is only one means of putting your camera to work for you. Use your imagination and come up with ideas of your own. Gifts made from digital photographs are always appreciated and can be a lot of fun, as you use your imagination. Children love to make scrapbooks, and digital photography was made for this craft.

Digital Image File Compression

Image file compression algorithms come in two types, lossy and lossless:

* Lossless compression reduces the file size with no loss to the quality of the image, even though the compression ratios may be weak. If an image is to be printed or the quality is more important than the file size, lossless algorithms are preferred.

* Lossy compression takes advantage of the limitations of the human eye and discards information that can't be seen. These algorithms allow for variable levels of compression, and as they are compressed, the file size is reduced. The more the file is compressed, the more the image deteriorates and becomes noticeable; this is called artifacting.

The JPEG software incorporates an algorithm Exif (Exchangeable image file) format used in most cameras. This is used to standardize and record the exchange of data between editing and viewing software and the digital camera. Recorded for individual images, the data includes:

* Time and date

* Shutter speed

* Camera settings

* Exposure

* Image size

* Name of camera

* Color information

* Compression

Using image editors to view the pictures, this information can then be displayed.

PNG, JPEG and GIF are the most common file formats used on the Internet. There are two main families of graphics: raster and vector.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image files are of the lossy format. Most digital cameras have the ability to save to a JPEG format (the DOS extension for JPEG is JPG). This format supports 8-bit per color RGB (red, green, and blue) for a 24-bit total, and it creates relatively small files.

In most situations, the compression doesn't distract from the image quality. However, JPEG files do degrade more as they are repeatedly saved, so it is best to store images in a lossless non-JPEG format.

How to Set Up a Basic Photography Studio

The most important feature of a basic photography studio is the lighting. How much you spend is up to you, but it’s not necessary to spend a fortune to get good portraits. An 800 Strobe light with sync cord such as the one sold by alienbees.com is sufficient for the main light. You will need a light stand of course, and they will advise you on this. Or you could use ordinary tungsten shop lights of 150 Watts. Two minor lights are needed apart from your main light; three in all.

Set one light on either side of the camera - shining on the subject of course. These should be your main light and the fill light. The other light should be above and behind the subject, so that the light is shining either on the back of the hair or on the wall behind. The light needs to be reflected onto the back of the subject. Have the lights as close to the subject as you can without it being uncomfortable. Lights are hot, so always be aware of safety precautions.

You can get a softbox and the fitting to attach it to the light, or you can make do with a 52 inch white umbrella – no, not the one belonging to Gran, but a shoot-thru. Adorama.com have one for under $75.00. Otherwise sheets of white cardboard or foam will do. Another trick for diffusing is to suspend some thin, white fabric in front of the light. You’ll need some clamps and gaffer tape, a horizontal rod and a couple of stands to hold it all up.

Apart from lighting, you’ll need a few props. Some chairs and a stool or two would be a good start. Not ordinary kitchen chairs. Have something that will look a bit classy in a photo. You could probably pick up something at a sale, but make sure it doesn’t look dumpy or have wide arms. If you have a family portrait to do, the arms will be in the way of posing the subjects close together. The stool is good for sitting shorter people or kids on in a group, if they would be too low otherwise.

Background is another thing that will make or break your photo. You don’t want an old brick wall or paint coming off in flakes. Set up a curtain rod and have several different kinds of curtains to pull across. If you are creative, you could paint some fun backgrounds, but keep it fairly simple, otherwise it will detract from the subject. Flooring is another necessary item, even if it’s just for looks. If you want to become a pro, don’t expect people to come back once they see a raw cement floor in a shed. Make it look attractive with a piece of carpet.

Last but not least – apart from your camera equipment, of course – is a light meter. It will save you valuable time if you can get a light reading quickly and know exactly what lens and settings you need on your camera. With this basic equipment you should be able to take some really good portraits.

File Formats for Digital Cameras

Digital photography uses three basic file formats.

* JPEG -- JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Export Group. It is the most common format used in digital cameras. This is a compressed file allowing more storage than other formats. JPEG changes an image into a thumbnail that is available immediately for viewing. This format is recognized universally by all software programs and the majority of digital cameras.

* RAW -- The RAW format is unprocessed data. This format is not recognized by all types of cameras or software like JPEG is. Using specific software, the data can be retrieved and developed. Only data that will be processed later using software can be stored in a RAW format.

* TIFF -- Short for Tagged Image File Format, these files take up more space because they are not compressed. Thumbnails can also be created for viewing on your camera. Better pictures are one of the advantages of the TIFF format, but there will be less storage. A 1.9 JPEG formatting camera can provide the same quality as the TIFF format.

Storage can be provided by media cards, which are miniature computer chips that store data until it can be processed into a photograph. Your digital camera's memory is the media card, which comes in different sizes to fit a wide range of cameras. The larger the card, the less it costs to store each print, and you can save more photos on a larger card. Organizing your prints is easily done on the smaller cards.

Media card formats change constantly and continue to evolve to fit smaller cameras. Most digital cameras come with a standard card that can be exchanged for a larger one or a different brand. In some instances the camera has an input for a media card, but do not come with one. You will be limited to the number of photos you can store if you store them only on the camera.