By Melissa A. Popp
I'm always amazed at what my digital camera can do. I've had one for close to five months now, and I learn new things about it everyday. Lo and behold a few weeks ago I discovered I could take sepia tone pictures. Now, normally, I'd rather shoot film pictures in black and white, then, sepia tone them myself. There's just more fun going through the trial and error to get the perfect sepia tone picture to hang on your wall.
However, I'm an equal opportunity fan of digital cameras, and I've learned to give my Canon Powershot A85 a chance to prove it's wroth, because so far, it's by far superior to my point-and-shoot Nikon Zoom Touch 400. In fact, the latter is sitting out on the radiator cover basking in a thick layer of dust right about now, because since I bought the digital camera from Sears, it's all I've been using to take pictures, and it's gone with me everywhere.
While reading through the manual, I learned how to take sepia tone pictures with my digital camera, and I decided to go out for a day to shoot nothing but these types of pictures to compare them with some of my hand-made sepia tone portraits. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the Canon took sepia tone pictures, you can even adjust how darker or light you want the picture to be taken, and when the brown fuses with the picture, you can take it over and over again until you have the right shade for your fancy.
When in a photo studio where you are sepia toning a picture, many will tell you it's an unpleasant process. Truth be told, as much as I love it, one sniff of the chemicals is enough to get me wanting to give up. Nevertheless, I stick with it, because this is one of my favorite photo techniques. I've done the sepia tone process enough to be able to do it without the aid of a worksheet, tutorial or instructor by my side. That's how much I love it!
So, imagine to my surprise, how much I love it more now that I don't have to smell chemicals, clean up or mess up every again! I must have taken two hundred sepia tone pictures in that one day to see how well I could match the level of brown accuracy I wanted for each picture. I was, after a few hours, able to capture just the desired effect I wanted in several photos that I now proudly display on my online photo gallery and around my apartment.
When it comes to digital cameras, give every one a chance to prove its worth, because nine out of ten times, it will not only outdo your point-and-click, it will also outdo any developing process you want to run your photographs through for desired effects. Just take your camera outside, start taking pictures and read the manual! You'll be taken some of the most amazing pictures any film camera and developing process could produce in much less time.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Cameras in the Courtroom
By Melissa A. Popp
I'm not a fan of cameras in the courtroom. I just don't think cameras, any type, should be allowed to document legal affairs such as that. In my mind, with the hype of reality television and seeing how people go out of their way to be on such shows, it's only a matter of time before people begin to think they can put on a show in a courtroom during a trial. This is unacceptable and demeans the judicial process.
In most cases, only high profile trials are shown on television, usually on CourtTV, but clips are often showed on every news network at some point during the duration and deliberation. Scott Peterson's trial garnered enough attention, that while cameras weren't allowed in the courtroom, they were allowed outside when the guilty verdict was read so that most of America could witness both the shouts of happiness and tears of sadness at the decision.
Is this what America has come to?
Yes, Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering Laci Peterson, his wife, and his unborn child, Connor, but did that really justify having to watch people celebrating in the streets?
No.
Such matters as trials are between the plaintiff, defendant and the jury or judge. These are not matter for the public to speculate, form opinions on or even watch in delight as another person dies in what already is a tragedy to begin with, in my opinion. Whether or not Scott Peterson is guilty or going to death is irrelevant, it's the fact that because of television, people were able to witness the glee on stranger's faces as he was told he would die. This is just plain sick and disgusting, and America is much better than such prejudice and celebration in the time of mourning.
Cameras in the courtroom should be outlawed. In each specific case, a judge can decide whether or not to let media cover such trials from the courtroom itself. It's individual discretion, and in some cases, it has caused much controversy when cameras aren't allowed into such cases.
The Michael Jackson trial, which is currently in place, is one such case where the public outcry is so loud for cameras in the courtroom the judge ruled they would not be allowed. This is to protect both the sensitive nature of the trial, Michael Jackson's privacy and to keep the courtroom from becoming a circus, something Jackson himself attracts and encourages.
It's to the point that CourtTV themselves are taping their own daily "recaps" of the trial with actors and actresses hired on the spot to act as witnesses, Jackson and others involved during the day's proceedings. Such recaps have even garnered the attention of such shows as Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood who interview those playing in this make believe world for CourtTV on a daily basis.
When Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and mother of his children, took the stand, these entertainment shows followed her around for the day, interviewing her and taping her in make-up, because a child molestation trial is entertainment in this day and age.
Unfortunately, this is the society we live in today, where the camera has become culprit of turning courtrooms into shows for the whole world to see. I, for one, refuse to sit down and watch such shows or CourtTV, because it's just not worth investing emotion and energy into someone else's plight that's being nationally and internationally broadcast for everyone to weigh in on when it doesn't even matter to them at the end of their day.
I'm not a fan of cameras in the courtroom. I just don't think cameras, any type, should be allowed to document legal affairs such as that. In my mind, with the hype of reality television and seeing how people go out of their way to be on such shows, it's only a matter of time before people begin to think they can put on a show in a courtroom during a trial. This is unacceptable and demeans the judicial process.
In most cases, only high profile trials are shown on television, usually on CourtTV, but clips are often showed on every news network at some point during the duration and deliberation. Scott Peterson's trial garnered enough attention, that while cameras weren't allowed in the courtroom, they were allowed outside when the guilty verdict was read so that most of America could witness both the shouts of happiness and tears of sadness at the decision.
Is this what America has come to?
Yes, Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering Laci Peterson, his wife, and his unborn child, Connor, but did that really justify having to watch people celebrating in the streets?
No.
Such matters as trials are between the plaintiff, defendant and the jury or judge. These are not matter for the public to speculate, form opinions on or even watch in delight as another person dies in what already is a tragedy to begin with, in my opinion. Whether or not Scott Peterson is guilty or going to death is irrelevant, it's the fact that because of television, people were able to witness the glee on stranger's faces as he was told he would die. This is just plain sick and disgusting, and America is much better than such prejudice and celebration in the time of mourning.
Cameras in the courtroom should be outlawed. In each specific case, a judge can decide whether or not to let media cover such trials from the courtroom itself. It's individual discretion, and in some cases, it has caused much controversy when cameras aren't allowed into such cases.
The Michael Jackson trial, which is currently in place, is one such case where the public outcry is so loud for cameras in the courtroom the judge ruled they would not be allowed. This is to protect both the sensitive nature of the trial, Michael Jackson's privacy and to keep the courtroom from becoming a circus, something Jackson himself attracts and encourages.
It's to the point that CourtTV themselves are taping their own daily "recaps" of the trial with actors and actresses hired on the spot to act as witnesses, Jackson and others involved during the day's proceedings. Such recaps have even garnered the attention of such shows as Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood who interview those playing in this make believe world for CourtTV on a daily basis.
When Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and mother of his children, took the stand, these entertainment shows followed her around for the day, interviewing her and taping her in make-up, because a child molestation trial is entertainment in this day and age.
Unfortunately, this is the society we live in today, where the camera has become culprit of turning courtrooms into shows for the whole world to see. I, for one, refuse to sit down and watch such shows or CourtTV, because it's just not worth investing emotion and energy into someone else's plight that's being nationally and internationally broadcast for everyone to weigh in on when it doesn't even matter to them at the end of their day.
Weather Cams
By Melissa A. Popp
Weather cams are one of the neatest ideas in the history of mankind. Just think about it: It doesn't matter where in the world you live, you can bring every single type of weather condition into your home with a few clicks and searches on your computer. Live weather, as it's happening, in your home via a video feed through a digital camera or web camera.
More often than not, weather cams are being used even by professionals, to show time-lapse conditions or what's going on in your neck of the woods. You can even do a search on Google (www.google.com) for "weather cams" and a plethora of web sites will come up that will have you seeing rain in the Amazon, sandstorms in the Sahara and snow in the Andes within minutes.
Turn on your local news, and if you live near a big city, the weatherman will probably defer to a web cam during live feeds to show just how the weather has changed over the day. Sometimes they use them cameras to also showcase current conditions and give people a first hand look at what the weather is doing as it's happening. This can help people who might be watching television in a basement or other place where you can't look outside a chance to prepare for when they head outside for their day.
In many cases, these weather cams are also used for educational purposes. This can happen in two ways: Many college's meteorological majors will use weather cams to both predict and study weather patterns during a given day and elementary school children will learn about the weather in a general sense by viewing real conditions around the world.
In the first case, meteorological students will use web cams to help predict forecasts when they first begin to learn how to do so. They can study, online, a variety of different conditions from around the world and make predictions on all aspects of the weather as it's happening. This gives them real world experience while giving them the chance to work with new technology that they will no doubt be engaging in when they head out to predict the weather for real.
Then, in the second instance, where elementary students are given the chance to watch real weather conditions as opposed to videos or pictures of such conditions, they are able to actually see what it's like instead of just imagining what it's like. This subtle difference can mean a lot when it comes to the weather and its habit of being unpredictable.
Weather cams are even beginning to be used in weather balloons and other instances where they can monitor certain happenings, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, in ways that humans just can't do on their own. During flights to see the eye of hurricanes, planes will often equip themselves with video cameras and these types of weather cams to maintain a constant video feed as they take footage to help meteorologists determine important facts and predictions about its force, size and direction. One thing that makes a weather cam better than a video camera is that often a weather cam can tap directly into the internet whereas a video camera, if it's not hooked up to a computer on the internet, would have to be uploaded to the world wide web. This is an inefficient use of time, especially if a big hurricane is coming stateside, and data is needed immediately to plot a course.
As you can see, weather cams have a wide variety of uses. "Web cams" are no longer just for being voyeurs in someone's bedroom; they are impacting the weather in positive ways for millions of people around the world. Next time you watch the local news, see if your station has a weather cam, and if they do, enjoy not having to be out in those storm clouds!
Weather cams are one of the neatest ideas in the history of mankind. Just think about it: It doesn't matter where in the world you live, you can bring every single type of weather condition into your home with a few clicks and searches on your computer. Live weather, as it's happening, in your home via a video feed through a digital camera or web camera.
More often than not, weather cams are being used even by professionals, to show time-lapse conditions or what's going on in your neck of the woods. You can even do a search on Google (www.google.com) for "weather cams" and a plethora of web sites will come up that will have you seeing rain in the Amazon, sandstorms in the Sahara and snow in the Andes within minutes.
Turn on your local news, and if you live near a big city, the weatherman will probably defer to a web cam during live feeds to show just how the weather has changed over the day. Sometimes they use them cameras to also showcase current conditions and give people a first hand look at what the weather is doing as it's happening. This can help people who might be watching television in a basement or other place where you can't look outside a chance to prepare for when they head outside for their day.
In many cases, these weather cams are also used for educational purposes. This can happen in two ways: Many college's meteorological majors will use weather cams to both predict and study weather patterns during a given day and elementary school children will learn about the weather in a general sense by viewing real conditions around the world.
In the first case, meteorological students will use web cams to help predict forecasts when they first begin to learn how to do so. They can study, online, a variety of different conditions from around the world and make predictions on all aspects of the weather as it's happening. This gives them real world experience while giving them the chance to work with new technology that they will no doubt be engaging in when they head out to predict the weather for real.
Then, in the second instance, where elementary students are given the chance to watch real weather conditions as opposed to videos or pictures of such conditions, they are able to actually see what it's like instead of just imagining what it's like. This subtle difference can mean a lot when it comes to the weather and its habit of being unpredictable.
Weather cams are even beginning to be used in weather balloons and other instances where they can monitor certain happenings, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, in ways that humans just can't do on their own. During flights to see the eye of hurricanes, planes will often equip themselves with video cameras and these types of weather cams to maintain a constant video feed as they take footage to help meteorologists determine important facts and predictions about its force, size and direction. One thing that makes a weather cam better than a video camera is that often a weather cam can tap directly into the internet whereas a video camera, if it's not hooked up to a computer on the internet, would have to be uploaded to the world wide web. This is an inefficient use of time, especially if a big hurricane is coming stateside, and data is needed immediately to plot a course.
As you can see, weather cams have a wide variety of uses. "Web cams" are no longer just for being voyeurs in someone's bedroom; they are impacting the weather in positive ways for millions of people around the world. Next time you watch the local news, see if your station has a weather cam, and if they do, enjoy not having to be out in those storm clouds!
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Imagination and Inspiration for Photography
This is going to be a random article on my thoughts for inspirational places, ideas and creations for all of you photographers. I personally love photography and have found it to be a wonderful form of expression, beauty and life in general. I can honestly say that the world would be quite dreary and bland without the wonderful world of photography, as that is where a lot of our imaginations and thoughts rest. As they say... a picture says more than a thousand words, and I am quite sure that we can all agree on that statement. I have many different inspirations by photography, nature landscapes, old architectural building photography, animals, people and expressions, and still life elements such as a rose lying lifeless on top of piano keys. There are so many expressions and feelings that can be expressed in the world of photography. Two lovers posing with a soft kiss on the lips, a cat and a dog cuddling (perhaps meaning... maybe there can be peace after all?), a black and white photograph of a field on a rainy day with a rainbow broken out into the sky (maybe an English countryside?), all of these are inspirations. What would life be without inspiration? Let alone what would life be without photography? I personally used to take so many photographs of my animals, because they were just so darn cute and the camera loved them! I used to set my little beagle up in a pair of sunglasses and let him strike a Terminator pose. It was so cute, funny and charitable. Very sadly he passed away last summer, and I can only physically look at him by the preserved and saved pictures that I had taken of him. That is another reason why photography is extremely important. Maybe something you love will be there one day... and be gone the next, and the only thing that you will have to physically look at them by and smile, is by photography. Perhaps that is where the saying of a photograph is worth a million words comes into play. Taking pictures can be a form of meditation, especially if you happen to be a Freelance Photographer. I personally find inspiration and my own form of meditation within the realm of nature and its beauty. Nature gives expression. To me rain can represent creativity, deep emotions, mystery, eeriness, fantasy... while to many (and might I repeat many) people it represents sadness and gloom. Either way you can preserve a beautiful picture of the rain for someone to form their own imagination. I will make a long list of things that you can use to make your photographs come alive. Here are the items listed that you can feel free to use:
Candles, roses, piano's, rain, someone crying, lovers kissing, animals cuddling, animals individually, sunshine, the ocean, the moon, trees in the fall, a river frozen in the winter behind a cascade of frozen trees, ducks in a pond, zoo animals, a deserted and abandoned homestead, a sporting event such as; basketball, volleyball, track runner, swimmer, golfer, horseback riding, baseball, football, ballet, fishermen, sailing, water skiing, snow skiing/snowboarding, polar bears, seals, rain forests, Caribbean water, ice burg, ships, flowers, sunset against the mountains, an instrumentalist playing their instrument, an instrument without an owner such as a saxophone smothered in rose petals, cathedrals, churches, gothic architectural European buildings, farmland and the animals in it, castles, forests in the moonlight and stars.
There is a fun list to help you come up with creative photographs. Some of them are typical, but if you are a good photographer you can take an ordinary thing and mold it into something spectacular and amazing. You actually have to be kind of adventurous to be a photographer... willing to explore new things, new tastes and new styles. If you do your work will end up more recognized. If you limit yourself to one thing that is also great, because it allows you to form passion on that one thing that you are working with, and really turn it into something special and unique, though you may find something new to create a passion for if you keep an open mind. Either way, we all know that if you are going to be a good photographer, you need to portray an open mind as well as a lot of creativity. Photography is of expressions, style, uniqueness, words, stories, personal taste and inspiration. If you are a photographer for landscape (an extremely broad range for just one field), you may also want to incorporate animals or human expressions in that field as well. That way you can have a lot of options and things to work with, which will broaden your creativity and imagination (well it should anyway). If you are a photographer you also have to have a connection with what you are working with in order to really make it show, especially if you are trying to get a rise for emotion. Let us say that you are working with animals such as dogs. Before you just pose the animal, get it dressed up, or whatever you are going to do, be gentle with it and try to develop a connection with it, and you will be a lot more likely to get a stronger rise and emotion out of people. You can be a photographer that just snaps the camera and tells things how they are going to be, instead of working with them to help develop the natural state of emotion. A lot of photographers do not really ask what people are looking for in their photographs. Instead they demand what they want and tell them how it is. If you want a really truly beautiful picture the photographer should always be willing to work with things and try to set them in the best shape that they can be. Believe it or not, as wild as this may sound, music can help promote better photography. I listen to the relaxation station that plays Enya, piano and violin music, etc. and when I take my pictures I find a rise of inspiration that really helps me express what I'm looking for. Whether it is in my photography or whether it is in my writing, music can definitely tie in with excreting the emotions out of a photographer. This will also definitely help get the emotions that you are looking for, so you should at least give it a try if not anything. A true photographer will try to help bring out the inspiration of the picture by incorporating whatever needed (such as music in the background) to really help bring out the natural state of whatever kind of picture that they are taking. Photography is an art, and should be treated as an art full of creativity, imagination and other amazing elements that really make it stand out. One of my very favorite areas of photography is definitely landscape, so kudos to all of you landscape photographers out there! I find my best meditative state working at its best when I can look out my window and see the mountains captured in the glistening snow glowing under the moonlight and star shattered night sky. Or when it is daytime and the only view of the sky is pure gray skies with either a drizzle or heavy rainfall, when the grass glows a brilliant shade of green and everything looks fresh. These are the kind of things that you want to capture, are things that really inspire you and concoct up the deepest emotions. Remember to take the time out to really get a close bond and connection with the thing that you are working with to understand how things are supposed to naturally work. Sometimes things must be forced (but not by violent means). If you are going to imply that something need to done a specific way, then you need to do it in a gentle and appropriate manner (if you are working with animals for example). Photography is fun and amazing, and you can consider yourself to have a very lucky lifestyle if your passion is photography. I consider photography to be what I call "medicine for the soul," which to me is true, because that is the whole purpose and intent of photography. If you are a photographer just out to make money and snap the camera, you might want to consider finding a job that you will have a passion for, because photography is something that is very emotional, and for a lot of the time should not be taken lightly (if you are a true photographer). As I stated above, this is just a random e-mail, but I do hope that the list has encouraged you to stretch your imagination and photography to the next level. You should really enjoy what you are doing, because if photography is anything, it is nothing but amazing.
Candles, roses, piano's, rain, someone crying, lovers kissing, animals cuddling, animals individually, sunshine, the ocean, the moon, trees in the fall, a river frozen in the winter behind a cascade of frozen trees, ducks in a pond, zoo animals, a deserted and abandoned homestead, a sporting event such as; basketball, volleyball, track runner, swimmer, golfer, horseback riding, baseball, football, ballet, fishermen, sailing, water skiing, snow skiing/snowboarding, polar bears, seals, rain forests, Caribbean water, ice burg, ships, flowers, sunset against the mountains, an instrumentalist playing their instrument, an instrument without an owner such as a saxophone smothered in rose petals, cathedrals, churches, gothic architectural European buildings, farmland and the animals in it, castles, forests in the moonlight and stars.
There is a fun list to help you come up with creative photographs. Some of them are typical, but if you are a good photographer you can take an ordinary thing and mold it into something spectacular and amazing. You actually have to be kind of adventurous to be a photographer... willing to explore new things, new tastes and new styles. If you do your work will end up more recognized. If you limit yourself to one thing that is also great, because it allows you to form passion on that one thing that you are working with, and really turn it into something special and unique, though you may find something new to create a passion for if you keep an open mind. Either way, we all know that if you are going to be a good photographer, you need to portray an open mind as well as a lot of creativity. Photography is of expressions, style, uniqueness, words, stories, personal taste and inspiration. If you are a photographer for landscape (an extremely broad range for just one field), you may also want to incorporate animals or human expressions in that field as well. That way you can have a lot of options and things to work with, which will broaden your creativity and imagination (well it should anyway). If you are a photographer you also have to have a connection with what you are working with in order to really make it show, especially if you are trying to get a rise for emotion. Let us say that you are working with animals such as dogs. Before you just pose the animal, get it dressed up, or whatever you are going to do, be gentle with it and try to develop a connection with it, and you will be a lot more likely to get a stronger rise and emotion out of people. You can be a photographer that just snaps the camera and tells things how they are going to be, instead of working with them to help develop the natural state of emotion. A lot of photographers do not really ask what people are looking for in their photographs. Instead they demand what they want and tell them how it is. If you want a really truly beautiful picture the photographer should always be willing to work with things and try to set them in the best shape that they can be. Believe it or not, as wild as this may sound, music can help promote better photography. I listen to the relaxation station that plays Enya, piano and violin music, etc. and when I take my pictures I find a rise of inspiration that really helps me express what I'm looking for. Whether it is in my photography or whether it is in my writing, music can definitely tie in with excreting the emotions out of a photographer. This will also definitely help get the emotions that you are looking for, so you should at least give it a try if not anything. A true photographer will try to help bring out the inspiration of the picture by incorporating whatever needed (such as music in the background) to really help bring out the natural state of whatever kind of picture that they are taking. Photography is an art, and should be treated as an art full of creativity, imagination and other amazing elements that really make it stand out. One of my very favorite areas of photography is definitely landscape, so kudos to all of you landscape photographers out there! I find my best meditative state working at its best when I can look out my window and see the mountains captured in the glistening snow glowing under the moonlight and star shattered night sky. Or when it is daytime and the only view of the sky is pure gray skies with either a drizzle or heavy rainfall, when the grass glows a brilliant shade of green and everything looks fresh. These are the kind of things that you want to capture, are things that really inspire you and concoct up the deepest emotions. Remember to take the time out to really get a close bond and connection with the thing that you are working with to understand how things are supposed to naturally work. Sometimes things must be forced (but not by violent means). If you are going to imply that something need to done a specific way, then you need to do it in a gentle and appropriate manner (if you are working with animals for example). Photography is fun and amazing, and you can consider yourself to have a very lucky lifestyle if your passion is photography. I consider photography to be what I call "medicine for the soul," which to me is true, because that is the whole purpose and intent of photography. If you are a photographer just out to make money and snap the camera, you might want to consider finding a job that you will have a passion for, because photography is something that is very emotional, and for a lot of the time should not be taken lightly (if you are a true photographer). As I stated above, this is just a random e-mail, but I do hope that the list has encouraged you to stretch your imagination and photography to the next level. You should really enjoy what you are doing, because if photography is anything, it is nothing but amazing.
Learning to Use a Digital Camera
When digital cameras first came out, I was intrigued. At first they were too expensive for me to consider buying one just to take family photos, since I had several perfectly good 35mm ones. I had taken some instruction in using a digital camera at work, but they still seemed very mysterious and complex. In one of those day-after-Thanksgiving sales, a major retailer put a Kodak EasyShare digital camera on sale for a price I thought reasonable, and I bought one. I used it quite a bit, putting the photos on my laptop and sharing them with family members through email, but it always took me awhile cause I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't understand all the terms like megapixel, resolution, and such.
Shortly after I got my camera, I saw an ad for a part-time job using a digital camera to do inspections in Dallas. I answered the ad, immediately got a reply and was assigned an inspection to do. I went to a business, photographed some damaged cargo, filled out a report and then emailed the report and photos to someone in Missouri. After doing this job many times I began to finally understand how to use the camera effectively, how to change the resolution, how to put the reports and photos together in zip files, and how to arrange the photos in folders. The guy I worked for helped me over the phone with problems and I became much more confident with my camera. I photographed everything from huge rolls of cable in bright sunlight to expensive, wet shoes in the back corners of a truck. I was sad when the company went out of business and I no longer did inspections with my camera.
I dropped my first camera and cracked the lens, so I got another. By that time I realized I didn't need a high resolution camera to take photos to send online, so I bought a 2 megapixel one. I now have three cameras, one for business, a spare, and one for family photos that I might want to enlarge. I love taking digital photos, and even though I don't have the inspection job anymore, I take photos to accompany articles I write. I email photos to family members frequently, and I have a very large collection of digital photos both on my laptop and stored on memory cards. Digital photography is fun, and it became very easy after I got the hang of it. My granddaughter is so used to digital cameras and being able to immediately see the photo, when someone takes a photo of her with a 35mm she says, "I want to look." I now have a camera phone also, and although my phone does not take photos with a very high resolution, I've seen some of the newer that have more than 1.2 megapixels. Before long, mobile phones will have high resolution digital cameras included, and everyone will be able to take a good photo and email it immediately from the phone. I'm going to try to keep up with technology as it evolves, because I love taking photos.
Shortly after I got my camera, I saw an ad for a part-time job using a digital camera to do inspections in Dallas. I answered the ad, immediately got a reply and was assigned an inspection to do. I went to a business, photographed some damaged cargo, filled out a report and then emailed the report and photos to someone in Missouri. After doing this job many times I began to finally understand how to use the camera effectively, how to change the resolution, how to put the reports and photos together in zip files, and how to arrange the photos in folders. The guy I worked for helped me over the phone with problems and I became much more confident with my camera. I photographed everything from huge rolls of cable in bright sunlight to expensive, wet shoes in the back corners of a truck. I was sad when the company went out of business and I no longer did inspections with my camera.
I dropped my first camera and cracked the lens, so I got another. By that time I realized I didn't need a high resolution camera to take photos to send online, so I bought a 2 megapixel one. I now have three cameras, one for business, a spare, and one for family photos that I might want to enlarge. I love taking digital photos, and even though I don't have the inspection job anymore, I take photos to accompany articles I write. I email photos to family members frequently, and I have a very large collection of digital photos both on my laptop and stored on memory cards. Digital photography is fun, and it became very easy after I got the hang of it. My granddaughter is so used to digital cameras and being able to immediately see the photo, when someone takes a photo of her with a 35mm she says, "I want to look." I now have a camera phone also, and although my phone does not take photos with a very high resolution, I've seen some of the newer that have more than 1.2 megapixels. Before long, mobile phones will have high resolution digital cameras included, and everyone will be able to take a good photo and email it immediately from the phone. I'm going to try to keep up with technology as it evolves, because I love taking photos.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
A Few Tips for Your First Model Train
A Few Tips for Your First Model Train Set
By Melissa Martinez
First, when deciding what parts or kits to buy for your first model train, age is one of the biggest considerations. You must think before you buy! If you are buying the model train set or parts for yourself, then you can go to the shop (or online), browse the shelves or listings and make an informed decision for yourself. This is the easiest possibility.
But life is rarely that easy, right? Let’s say the model train is for a friend, or a family member. What if it is for a specific family member- say, a child? It is difficult to know what each child can handle, or what is appropriate. Though whole kits may give you an idea on the box of what to look for, if you are buying separate components this may not be the case.
A good rule of thumb- a child 8 years of age or older (if they are a patient child and will always have adult supervision) can handle the same size (scale) of train that that average adult can (obviously unsupervised). If the child is under the age of 8, then you must go for a bigger scale of train. This is because the larger the train (and therefore scale), the larger the parts of the train. Little hands won’t be able to handle the intricacies of small pieces and particularly a small track. Even with constant adult supervision, trying to give a five-year-old a small-scale train would be an exercise in futility at best. (see the list at the end of the article for the types of scales and their popularity).
You must also take space into consideration before you buy. Sure, that 12-year-old nephew of yours is smart, and can handle a nice, complex train. But perhaps his bedroom is tiny and he doesn’t have room for one with as much track as you are thinking of purchasing. You must ask yourself- is there anywhere else he can put it? Or anywhere at all that it might be able to go? Will his (or her) parents approve?
Of course, you also have to think about what type of train it is. Is this an outdoor train that is meant to circle the yard? In that case, bigger is likely better (depending on the size of the yard). Is this a train set that is highly detailed, such as an “Old West” scene, or a historical train track or site? Then you will not only need a large area to build it in, but a large area to display it in once it is finished (you certainly would not want your masterpiece to be mired to the garage, now would you?).
Ok, I know what you are thinking. With so many things to think about, how do I choose?
Luckily, I have compiled this list of sizes for you so that you can at least have an idea of what you are going to be looking for before you head into that hobby or craft shop, or before you start your online shopping. Hope this helps!
- 1:87 scale: This is by far the most popular of all of the scales of trains you can possibly find. This is fine for adults and children 8 and up, provided they always have adult supervision when they will put together. Eight is a bit border line, though. If you think a child around that age needs something a bit more juvenile, try on of these other scales listed. This scale is also known as the HO scale (pronounced like the two letters, H and O, not like the hoe gardening tool).
- 1:160: This is another popular scale. It is much smaller than the popular HO scale, but many model train enthusiasts still value this scale of train highly. It is known as an N scale, and is only recommended for adults. The pieces are really too small for children.
- 1:48: This scale is popular more in North American and the United States imparticular than in other areas. It is also known as the O scale.
- 1:64: Slightly larger than the O scale, this is a popular intermediate scale that is for older kids and adults. This is known as an “S” scale train.
- 1:220: This is also known as “Z” scale. This is one of the tiniest scales out there and is only recommended for experienced model trainers.
By Melissa Martinez
First, when deciding what parts or kits to buy for your first model train, age is one of the biggest considerations. You must think before you buy! If you are buying the model train set or parts for yourself, then you can go to the shop (or online), browse the shelves or listings and make an informed decision for yourself. This is the easiest possibility.
But life is rarely that easy, right? Let’s say the model train is for a friend, or a family member. What if it is for a specific family member- say, a child? It is difficult to know what each child can handle, or what is appropriate. Though whole kits may give you an idea on the box of what to look for, if you are buying separate components this may not be the case.
A good rule of thumb- a child 8 years of age or older (if they are a patient child and will always have adult supervision) can handle the same size (scale) of train that that average adult can (obviously unsupervised). If the child is under the age of 8, then you must go for a bigger scale of train. This is because the larger the train (and therefore scale), the larger the parts of the train. Little hands won’t be able to handle the intricacies of small pieces and particularly a small track. Even with constant adult supervision, trying to give a five-year-old a small-scale train would be an exercise in futility at best. (see the list at the end of the article for the types of scales and their popularity).
You must also take space into consideration before you buy. Sure, that 12-year-old nephew of yours is smart, and can handle a nice, complex train. But perhaps his bedroom is tiny and he doesn’t have room for one with as much track as you are thinking of purchasing. You must ask yourself- is there anywhere else he can put it? Or anywhere at all that it might be able to go? Will his (or her) parents approve?
Of course, you also have to think about what type of train it is. Is this an outdoor train that is meant to circle the yard? In that case, bigger is likely better (depending on the size of the yard). Is this a train set that is highly detailed, such as an “Old West” scene, or a historical train track or site? Then you will not only need a large area to build it in, but a large area to display it in once it is finished (you certainly would not want your masterpiece to be mired to the garage, now would you?).
Ok, I know what you are thinking. With so many things to think about, how do I choose?
Luckily, I have compiled this list of sizes for you so that you can at least have an idea of what you are going to be looking for before you head into that hobby or craft shop, or before you start your online shopping. Hope this helps!
- 1:87 scale: This is by far the most popular of all of the scales of trains you can possibly find. This is fine for adults and children 8 and up, provided they always have adult supervision when they will put together. Eight is a bit border line, though. If you think a child around that age needs something a bit more juvenile, try on of these other scales listed. This scale is also known as the HO scale (pronounced like the two letters, H and O, not like the hoe gardening tool).
- 1:160: This is another popular scale. It is much smaller than the popular HO scale, but many model train enthusiasts still value this scale of train highly. It is known as an N scale, and is only recommended for adults. The pieces are really too small for children.
- 1:48: This scale is popular more in North American and the United States imparticular than in other areas. It is also known as the O scale.
- 1:64: Slightly larger than the O scale, this is a popular intermediate scale that is for older kids and adults. This is known as an “S” scale train.
- 1:220: This is also known as “Z” scale. This is one of the tiniest scales out there and is only recommended for experienced model trainers.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The Ultimate Web Camera; Apple iSight
Written by James Fohl
Apple has really released some nice looking computers and computer accessories over the years. Take a look at their iPods and iBooks, and you will see exactly why Apple has so many companies that are constantly trying to copy their style.
Apple Computers Have Released Gadgets In Every Computer Category
Apple has pretty much placed itself into every aspect of the computer accessory world. They have made desktop computers, laptops, mp3 players, pretty much everything. While they have yet to produce a digital camera in recent years, they have been busy with perhaps the greatest webcam ever produced; the Apple iSight.
Following the wondrous white design of the iBook line of laptop computers and the iPod music players, the iSight is really (sorry for the bad pun) out of sight. Once you take one glance at the iSight you will quickly fall in love with it. Unfortunately if you do not own an Apple iBook or other Apple computer, the beauty of the iSight will quickly fade as it is situated near your plain old ugly computer case.
A Brief History Of The iSight
It was first introduced in 2003 at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference to much fanfare. Not only is it a web cam capable of taking 640 x 480 pictures, but it also contains a built-in microphone which renders the iSight the perfect tool for internet conferencing.
Initially the main purpose of the iSight was to go hand in hand with Apple’s iChat AV communication program, which allowed users to talk and see each other using the iSight webcam.
The Technological Aspect Of The iSight
The Apple iSight uses Firewire technology in order to combine the video, microphone, and power supply into one cable. The Apple iSight is supposed to be a product only usable with Apple computers, however drivers now exist that allow PC owners with an available Firewire port to utilize the camera in their Windows or Linux environment. Windows / Linux users should however be aware that while they can use the webcam, they can not access the built in microphone for a variety of reasons.
The Software Aspect Of Apple’s iSight
Several pieces of Mac OS X software utilize the iSight camera. As mentioned before, iChat AV uses the camera primarily as a means for conferencing over the internet. Over software applications, such as iMovie and iPhoto allow the user to grab images and movies from the camera to put into projects. A wide variety of games also exist in which allow the player to actually become a part of the game.
While literally hundreds upon hundreds of other webcams exist, the iSight is declared as simply one of the best by most computer magazines that have reviewed the project. While the iSight is definitely more expensive than most other webcams, it is in no way built cheaply, and really operates well in any condition imaginable.
A Conclusion To A Great Product
If you are looking for a webcam and have an Apple computer, then in all honesty the Apple iSight should be your only choice. If however you do not have an Apple computer and wish to use the camera on your Windows computer system, then you should go out and find another model considering the iSight is not exactly one hundred percent Window friendly.
Apple has really released some nice looking computers and computer accessories over the years. Take a look at their iPods and iBooks, and you will see exactly why Apple has so many companies that are constantly trying to copy their style.
Apple Computers Have Released Gadgets In Every Computer Category
Apple has pretty much placed itself into every aspect of the computer accessory world. They have made desktop computers, laptops, mp3 players, pretty much everything. While they have yet to produce a digital camera in recent years, they have been busy with perhaps the greatest webcam ever produced; the Apple iSight.
Following the wondrous white design of the iBook line of laptop computers and the iPod music players, the iSight is really (sorry for the bad pun) out of sight. Once you take one glance at the iSight you will quickly fall in love with it. Unfortunately if you do not own an Apple iBook or other Apple computer, the beauty of the iSight will quickly fade as it is situated near your plain old ugly computer case.
A Brief History Of The iSight
It was first introduced in 2003 at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference to much fanfare. Not only is it a web cam capable of taking 640 x 480 pictures, but it also contains a built-in microphone which renders the iSight the perfect tool for internet conferencing.
Initially the main purpose of the iSight was to go hand in hand with Apple’s iChat AV communication program, which allowed users to talk and see each other using the iSight webcam.
The Technological Aspect Of The iSight
The Apple iSight uses Firewire technology in order to combine the video, microphone, and power supply into one cable. The Apple iSight is supposed to be a product only usable with Apple computers, however drivers now exist that allow PC owners with an available Firewire port to utilize the camera in their Windows or Linux environment. Windows / Linux users should however be aware that while they can use the webcam, they can not access the built in microphone for a variety of reasons.
The Software Aspect Of Apple’s iSight
Several pieces of Mac OS X software utilize the iSight camera. As mentioned before, iChat AV uses the camera primarily as a means for conferencing over the internet. Over software applications, such as iMovie and iPhoto allow the user to grab images and movies from the camera to put into projects. A wide variety of games also exist in which allow the player to actually become a part of the game.
While literally hundreds upon hundreds of other webcams exist, the iSight is declared as simply one of the best by most computer magazines that have reviewed the project. While the iSight is definitely more expensive than most other webcams, it is in no way built cheaply, and really operates well in any condition imaginable.
A Conclusion To A Great Product
If you are looking for a webcam and have an Apple computer, then in all honesty the Apple iSight should be your only choice. If however you do not have an Apple computer and wish to use the camera on your Windows computer system, then you should go out and find another model considering the iSight is not exactly one hundred percent Window friendly.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Film Photography: For Better or Worse
My brother and his family recently returned from a vacation to Florida, so I went over to his house to look at photos from the trip. The pictures were all the typical shots you would expect to see from a vacation to the beach, Sea World, and Disney World. There were photographs of the kids splashing in the waves, of dolphins leaping into the air during a Sea World performance, and of the kids standing with some of the more popular Disney characters. In fact, there was nothing out of the ordinary about the pictures -- except that they were all perfect! Every single shot was in focus, the subjects were usually framed pretty well, and everyone was facing forward and smiling brightly. How does someone get all those perfect pictures from a vacation with children under ten years of age? That's not supposed to happen! Did my brother suddenly turn into a master photographer overnight?
The answer, of course, is that he has a digital camera. Because of the digital camera's preview feature, he can immediately examine the shot he took just seconds earlier. If he likes what he sees, he can keep it and move on. If he doesn't like the shot, he can delete it and try again. Even if my brother chooses to keep every image on the memory card, he can either use editing software to clean up some of the pictures prior to printing or he can simply choose not to print the ones that turned out to be less than satisfactory. As a result, the finished vacation album contains only perfect photographs. But is this necessarily a good thing?
In my opinion, it's not. Sure, digital cameras can save money in the long run because you don't have to print every single shot that you take. Digital cameras are also great for professional photographers who make a living from taking perfect pictures. But for family photos, I think a film camera is better than a digital camera in some ways.
When I look through photo albums from my childhood, I invariably come across pictures that are pretty flawed by today's standards. You know the kind I'm talking about. I either have my eyes closed, or my head is turned in the wrong direction. Or, what's worse, my head is cut out entirely and the picture just shows me from the neck down. Then there are the numerous shots of my dog's rear end because we couldn't get him to sit still long enough to snap a picture of his face. Or how about all the pictures where my brother is sneaking two fingers up behind my head in the classic bunny ears pose? No matter how many times my father warned him about the bunny ears, my brother always found a way to pull of his signature prank.
These days, I rarely see those kinds of pictures in family photo albums. I know that if my father had a digital camera back then, he would certainly delete the bunny ears photos and make us pose again and again until we got things just right. And that's the problem with digital photography. It can come off as being very stiff and staged, because it usually is. I miss the candid quality of my childhood photographs. My parents just brought out the camera, took pictures, developed them, and put them in albums. There was no previewing, no editing, and no deleting. We got exactly the pictures that we took, for better or worse.
Sure, the pictures from my childhood aren't perfect. But they have character and always call to mind a specific incident. How can I ever forget the time that my cousin Steve licked the frosting off the edge of my birthday cake before I blew out the candles when I have a picture showing the cake with a big bare spot on it? How can I ever forget the time that I cried on Christmas morning because Santa didn't bring the pony I wanted so badly when I have a picture showing my red, swollen eyes? I have a feeling that in this digital age, both of those pictures would have been touched up in Photoshop before being printed out. And then perhaps my memory of those incidents would not be so vivid.
I'm not saying we should all ditch our digital cameras and go back to shooting only with film. I love my digital camera and can't imagine doing that. All I'm saying is that we don't always need to strive for perfection in our photographs. Pictures should capture a moment in time and tell a story about that moment. I would rather have one candid, albeit blemished, moment than ten perfectly staged ones. Our lives aren't perfect, so why should our photos be?
The answer, of course, is that he has a digital camera. Because of the digital camera's preview feature, he can immediately examine the shot he took just seconds earlier. If he likes what he sees, he can keep it and move on. If he doesn't like the shot, he can delete it and try again. Even if my brother chooses to keep every image on the memory card, he can either use editing software to clean up some of the pictures prior to printing or he can simply choose not to print the ones that turned out to be less than satisfactory. As a result, the finished vacation album contains only perfect photographs. But is this necessarily a good thing?
In my opinion, it's not. Sure, digital cameras can save money in the long run because you don't have to print every single shot that you take. Digital cameras are also great for professional photographers who make a living from taking perfect pictures. But for family photos, I think a film camera is better than a digital camera in some ways.
When I look through photo albums from my childhood, I invariably come across pictures that are pretty flawed by today's standards. You know the kind I'm talking about. I either have my eyes closed, or my head is turned in the wrong direction. Or, what's worse, my head is cut out entirely and the picture just shows me from the neck down. Then there are the numerous shots of my dog's rear end because we couldn't get him to sit still long enough to snap a picture of his face. Or how about all the pictures where my brother is sneaking two fingers up behind my head in the classic bunny ears pose? No matter how many times my father warned him about the bunny ears, my brother always found a way to pull of his signature prank.
These days, I rarely see those kinds of pictures in family photo albums. I know that if my father had a digital camera back then, he would certainly delete the bunny ears photos and make us pose again and again until we got things just right. And that's the problem with digital photography. It can come off as being very stiff and staged, because it usually is. I miss the candid quality of my childhood photographs. My parents just brought out the camera, took pictures, developed them, and put them in albums. There was no previewing, no editing, and no deleting. We got exactly the pictures that we took, for better or worse.
Sure, the pictures from my childhood aren't perfect. But they have character and always call to mind a specific incident. How can I ever forget the time that my cousin Steve licked the frosting off the edge of my birthday cake before I blew out the candles when I have a picture showing the cake with a big bare spot on it? How can I ever forget the time that I cried on Christmas morning because Santa didn't bring the pony I wanted so badly when I have a picture showing my red, swollen eyes? I have a feeling that in this digital age, both of those pictures would have been touched up in Photoshop before being printed out. And then perhaps my memory of those incidents would not be so vivid.
I'm not saying we should all ditch our digital cameras and go back to shooting only with film. I love my digital camera and can't imagine doing that. All I'm saying is that we don't always need to strive for perfection in our photographs. Pictures should capture a moment in time and tell a story about that moment. I would rather have one candid, albeit blemished, moment than ten perfectly staged ones. Our lives aren't perfect, so why should our photos be?
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Benefits of a Polarizer
By Rae A. Costa
Regardless of your preference to shoot with film or digital, there should be one piece of equipment you shouldn't be without - a polarizing filter. Think of a polarizer as a pair of sunglasses for your camera. A polarizer modifies the amount of polarized light reflecting from your subject. If you primarily shoot outdoors, a polarizer should be the first filter you buy.
To get an idea of how a polarizer works, let's talk basic physics. Light rays travel in electromagnetic radiation - or better yet as 'waves'. When these waves hit a non-metallic surface, such as a rock or body of water, some of the light reflects back into the air. When this happens, the colors of your subject aren't as eye-popping and your photo ends up with a washed out look.
The crystals in a polarizing filter absorb the reflecting light waves allowing diffused light to be transmitted. This allows for better viewing of the subject without reflections and the colors are more vibrant.
There are two types of polarizing filters - circular and linear. Circular polarizers are the most common, because they work best on cameras with an auto focus system. They can also be used with manual camera operations as well. A linear polarizer however, won't work with an AF system. Because of the way a linear polarizer distributes light entering the camera's lens, the metering system can't get an accurate reading to ensure proper focus and exposure. Thus, a linear polarizer is better suited for manual systems.
Using a polarizer when shooting outdoor scenes can enhance your photos in a number of ways. Some of the benefits gained by using a polarizer are:
Eliminating reflections - Polarizers eliminate reflections on water surfaces, making water more see-through or transparent looking. What's underneath - rocks, fish, seaweed - becomes easier to see. Without a polarizer a beautiful ocean scene can become dominated by harsh reflections from the water's surface. Removing unwanted reflections can alter the mood of your scene and make the overall photo more pleasant.
Darkening blue skies - Polarizers deepen the color of blue sky. The maximum effect is achieved by shooting at right angles to the sun. This can be done by simply pointing your index finger at the sun and extending your thumb at a 90-degree angle to your finger. Line up you camera and take your shot.
Adding cloud contrast - Polarizers increase contrast in your photo by removing reflections. This allows clouds in an otherwise featureless sky to become more pronounced. This works well on partially overcast days. However, if the sky is completely cloudy, a polarizer won't work as well.
Intensify color saturation - Polarizers increase the color of just about any surface that's wet or shiny, such as leaves, rocks, flowers, and even feathers. Your subject will improve in color with just a turn of the polarizer.
The best way to determine the affect of your polarizer is to put it on your lens, look through the vewifinder, and turn the ring until you find the desired contrast. Take multiple shots of a scene with and without the polarizer and with it turned to varying degrees. Mark the picture with how it was taken and keep it on hand for reference. The only way to learn how your polarizer works is to take pictures.
Regardless of your preference to shoot with film or digital, there should be one piece of equipment you shouldn't be without - a polarizing filter. Think of a polarizer as a pair of sunglasses for your camera. A polarizer modifies the amount of polarized light reflecting from your subject. If you primarily shoot outdoors, a polarizer should be the first filter you buy.
To get an idea of how a polarizer works, let's talk basic physics. Light rays travel in electromagnetic radiation - or better yet as 'waves'. When these waves hit a non-metallic surface, such as a rock or body of water, some of the light reflects back into the air. When this happens, the colors of your subject aren't as eye-popping and your photo ends up with a washed out look.
The crystals in a polarizing filter absorb the reflecting light waves allowing diffused light to be transmitted. This allows for better viewing of the subject without reflections and the colors are more vibrant.
There are two types of polarizing filters - circular and linear. Circular polarizers are the most common, because they work best on cameras with an auto focus system. They can also be used with manual camera operations as well. A linear polarizer however, won't work with an AF system. Because of the way a linear polarizer distributes light entering the camera's lens, the metering system can't get an accurate reading to ensure proper focus and exposure. Thus, a linear polarizer is better suited for manual systems.
Using a polarizer when shooting outdoor scenes can enhance your photos in a number of ways. Some of the benefits gained by using a polarizer are:
Eliminating reflections - Polarizers eliminate reflections on water surfaces, making water more see-through or transparent looking. What's underneath - rocks, fish, seaweed - becomes easier to see. Without a polarizer a beautiful ocean scene can become dominated by harsh reflections from the water's surface. Removing unwanted reflections can alter the mood of your scene and make the overall photo more pleasant.
Darkening blue skies - Polarizers deepen the color of blue sky. The maximum effect is achieved by shooting at right angles to the sun. This can be done by simply pointing your index finger at the sun and extending your thumb at a 90-degree angle to your finger. Line up you camera and take your shot.
Adding cloud contrast - Polarizers increase contrast in your photo by removing reflections. This allows clouds in an otherwise featureless sky to become more pronounced. This works well on partially overcast days. However, if the sky is completely cloudy, a polarizer won't work as well.
Intensify color saturation - Polarizers increase the color of just about any surface that's wet or shiny, such as leaves, rocks, flowers, and even feathers. Your subject will improve in color with just a turn of the polarizer.
The best way to determine the affect of your polarizer is to put it on your lens, look through the vewifinder, and turn the ring until you find the desired contrast. Take multiple shots of a scene with and without the polarizer and with it turned to varying degrees. Mark the picture with how it was taken and keep it on hand for reference. The only way to learn how your polarizer works is to take pictures.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Choosing A Digital Camera
Digital cameras offer excellent picture quality, easy online image sharing, immediate picture viewing, and the benefit of being able to download images directly to your computer. Best of all you can enjoy these benefits without the need for costly film and developing. In spite of the benefits of owning a digital camera, it can be very difficult to choose one for the first time. If you are new to digital photography, it is easy to feel lost in a sea of pixels and memory. Here are a few suggestions when choosing your first digital camera.
There are many different types of digital cameras available on the market today. One way to narrow the choices is to decide how much you can afford to spend and eliminate any cameras that cost above that amount.
Consider resolution. Resolution is the number of pixels used to capture an image. Digital camera resolution is often discussed in terms of megapixels. A megapixel is one million pixels. A higher amount of megapixels translates into a higher resolution. Higher resolution generally means better picture quality.
In many advertisements for digital cameras, resolution is emphasized so much that it seems to be the most important feature. While resolution is very important, it is not by itself a reason to choose a camera. There are many other important features to consider, such as zoom capability, speed, and memory.
Stop to think about why you are buying a camera. What type of pictures do you plan to capture? Are you planning to take photographs of Junior to send via e-mail to Grandma? If your images will be used primarily for sharing via e-mail, on the web, or printing small snapshots, a 2-3-megapixel camera will certainly do the job. If you are planning to print larger photos, such as 8” X10” or larger or need to manually adjust focus and exposure, then a 4 to 5 megapixel camera will most likely do the trick. If you plan to print larger, professional looking prints or need to control many image options manually, you will need a high performance camera with a minimum of 6 megapixels.
Choose a camera with a 100 percent glass lens. Glass lenses give sharper images and are not as likely to get scratched as plastic lenses. Be sure to get an optical zoom lens. Digital zoom makes images appear blurry.
Next you need to consider memory. Most digital cameras are sold with some type of small capacity media card. You will generally need to buy an additional media card because the card your camera comes with is very likely to hold only a few pictures at a time. Memory stick, Compact, and SmartMedia are three commonly used brands of memory cards. Memory cards are lightweight and can typically be purchased for around $60 to $70 for 128 MB.
Choose a camera that has an LCD screen. An LCD screen will allow you to view your images on your digital camera. This will save you from hooking the camera up to your computer, downloading your images, and opening your image file only to discover your shot did not turn out the way you expected. With an LCD screen you can view your image right away on the digital camera and retake the picture immediately if you need to.
Be sure to look for any additional options you might need for your digital camera, such as manual setting adjustment capability, sound, video capture, timer, and battery indicator. Read online reviews of digital cameras to get good advice about the various brands of digital cameras on the market today. Take your time choosing, learn all you can, and last, but not least, enjoy your entry into the world of digital photography.
There are many different types of digital cameras available on the market today. One way to narrow the choices is to decide how much you can afford to spend and eliminate any cameras that cost above that amount.
Consider resolution. Resolution is the number of pixels used to capture an image. Digital camera resolution is often discussed in terms of megapixels. A megapixel is one million pixels. A higher amount of megapixels translates into a higher resolution. Higher resolution generally means better picture quality.
In many advertisements for digital cameras, resolution is emphasized so much that it seems to be the most important feature. While resolution is very important, it is not by itself a reason to choose a camera. There are many other important features to consider, such as zoom capability, speed, and memory.
Stop to think about why you are buying a camera. What type of pictures do you plan to capture? Are you planning to take photographs of Junior to send via e-mail to Grandma? If your images will be used primarily for sharing via e-mail, on the web, or printing small snapshots, a 2-3-megapixel camera will certainly do the job. If you are planning to print larger photos, such as 8” X10” or larger or need to manually adjust focus and exposure, then a 4 to 5 megapixel camera will most likely do the trick. If you plan to print larger, professional looking prints or need to control many image options manually, you will need a high performance camera with a minimum of 6 megapixels.
Choose a camera with a 100 percent glass lens. Glass lenses give sharper images and are not as likely to get scratched as plastic lenses. Be sure to get an optical zoom lens. Digital zoom makes images appear blurry.
Next you need to consider memory. Most digital cameras are sold with some type of small capacity media card. You will generally need to buy an additional media card because the card your camera comes with is very likely to hold only a few pictures at a time. Memory stick, Compact, and SmartMedia are three commonly used brands of memory cards. Memory cards are lightweight and can typically be purchased for around $60 to $70 for 128 MB.
Choose a camera that has an LCD screen. An LCD screen will allow you to view your images on your digital camera. This will save you from hooking the camera up to your computer, downloading your images, and opening your image file only to discover your shot did not turn out the way you expected. With an LCD screen you can view your image right away on the digital camera and retake the picture immediately if you need to.
Be sure to look for any additional options you might need for your digital camera, such as manual setting adjustment capability, sound, video capture, timer, and battery indicator. Read online reviews of digital cameras to get good advice about the various brands of digital cameras on the market today. Take your time choosing, learn all you can, and last, but not least, enjoy your entry into the world of digital photography.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Art photography: Blurry, on purpose
I'm an artist. I love color and design. I work with pens and pencils, paint and torn-paper collage, but cameras have always intimidated me.
Oh, I use cameras for family photos, travel pictures, and to illustrate my personal journals. I manipulate photos in my art, too. But, I still have a tendency to stare at the camera as if it's the engine in my car: I have the sense that it's powerful, but I have only a vague idea of how it works. And, that intimidates me.
Then, a friend--fiber artist Traci Bunkers--told me about nail polish pictures. Seriously. You take a disposable camera and paint the lens with a thick coating of clear nail polish. Put on enough that it is self-leveling. That's been the right amount for me, anyway.
Set the camera on a flat surface, lens up, where it's sheltered from dust and children's curious fingers. Let the lens dry for a few hours, or even overnight to be sure that it's good and hard.
Then, take photos with the camera. You'll use an entire roll of film before you'll know what the effects will be; it's kind of a mystery.
The distortions of the nail polish are intriguing. They blur in odd ways. Sometimes the sun hits the lens and the prism effect is breathtaking.
Sometimes, non-artists don't get it. They look at my photos and say, "Why didn't you just blur the pictures with your graphics program?"
I try to explain the serendipity of this technique, and the beauty of irregular distortions. For me, there's almost a poetry in this kind of picture-taking. I like it tremendously.
And, the pictures remind me of my childhood memories, in a way. They have that same slightly-blurry quality, and the colors seem more vivid than real life.
I like this so much that, after experimenting with disposables, I painted the lens of a "real" camera with clear nail polish. I'm very pleased with it. Somehow, the deliberate blurriness of the photos reduced my fear of picture-taking. It's turned it more into art.
It's difficult to put this into words, but if you're an artist, you probably know what I mean about the fun of this.
All it takes is a disposable camera, and the cheapest clear nail polish that you can find.
Try it for yourself, and see if the results delight you, too. In a way, this technique restores the mystery, anticipation, and excitement of waiting for the prints to be developed. And, that kind of connection with childhood enthusiasm is always a good thing.
Oh, I use cameras for family photos, travel pictures, and to illustrate my personal journals. I manipulate photos in my art, too. But, I still have a tendency to stare at the camera as if it's the engine in my car: I have the sense that it's powerful, but I have only a vague idea of how it works. And, that intimidates me.
Then, a friend--fiber artist Traci Bunkers--told me about nail polish pictures. Seriously. You take a disposable camera and paint the lens with a thick coating of clear nail polish. Put on enough that it is self-leveling. That's been the right amount for me, anyway.
Set the camera on a flat surface, lens up, where it's sheltered from dust and children's curious fingers. Let the lens dry for a few hours, or even overnight to be sure that it's good and hard.
Then, take photos with the camera. You'll use an entire roll of film before you'll know what the effects will be; it's kind of a mystery.
The distortions of the nail polish are intriguing. They blur in odd ways. Sometimes the sun hits the lens and the prism effect is breathtaking.
Sometimes, non-artists don't get it. They look at my photos and say, "Why didn't you just blur the pictures with your graphics program?"
I try to explain the serendipity of this technique, and the beauty of irregular distortions. For me, there's almost a poetry in this kind of picture-taking. I like it tremendously.
And, the pictures remind me of my childhood memories, in a way. They have that same slightly-blurry quality, and the colors seem more vivid than real life.
I like this so much that, after experimenting with disposables, I painted the lens of a "real" camera with clear nail polish. I'm very pleased with it. Somehow, the deliberate blurriness of the photos reduced my fear of picture-taking. It's turned it more into art.
It's difficult to put this into words, but if you're an artist, you probably know what I mean about the fun of this.
All it takes is a disposable camera, and the cheapest clear nail polish that you can find.
Try it for yourself, and see if the results delight you, too. In a way, this technique restores the mystery, anticipation, and excitement of waiting for the prints to be developed. And, that kind of connection with childhood enthusiasm is always a good thing.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Model Railroad Scale & Gauge
When beginning a model railroad, the enthusiast must first decide what kind of budget is in place for this endeavor. After that has been decided, the next question is what size the model layout will be. The size of the layout, in model railroad terms, is called scale and gauge. Briefly, scale is divided into 4 main groups (HO, N, O and S) and is actually the ratio of the model to the real thing. Gauge is distance between the rails. We will go more in depth beginning with Scale.
As stated before, scale implies a ‘scaled down’ version of the actual train. Using the scale identifiers: O scale (formerly known as ¼ inch scale) had a ratio of 1:48 with the real trains. HO scale is metric (3.5mm scale) and is 1:87.1. The S scale, exclusively from manufacturer American Flyer, falls between O and HO. N scale is at a remarkable 1:160, but that isn’t the smallest. The smallest is Z scale at a ratio of 1:220. When deciding on a scale, HO and N are the most popular, with a large selection of quality products available.
Gauge, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Gauge for model railroading, as well as real railroads, refers to the distance between rails. Normal real track gauge is 4 feet 8 ½ inches.
Later on when the enthusiast has more experience, terms like Proto87 and Finescale will be heard in reference to scale and gauge. These reference differences in track and wheel standards and practices but have very little effect on the beginning model railroader.
As stated before, scale implies a ‘scaled down’ version of the actual train. Using the scale identifiers: O scale (formerly known as ¼ inch scale) had a ratio of 1:48 with the real trains. HO scale is metric (3.5mm scale) and is 1:87.1. The S scale, exclusively from manufacturer American Flyer, falls between O and HO. N scale is at a remarkable 1:160, but that isn’t the smallest. The smallest is Z scale at a ratio of 1:220. When deciding on a scale, HO and N are the most popular, with a large selection of quality products available.
Gauge, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Gauge for model railroading, as well as real railroads, refers to the distance between rails. Normal real track gauge is 4 feet 8 ½ inches.
Later on when the enthusiast has more experience, terms like Proto87 and Finescale will be heard in reference to scale and gauge. These reference differences in track and wheel standards and practices but have very little effect on the beginning model railroader.
The Basics of Cameras
With the point and click of a camera, even the most inexperienced photographer has the ability to freeze a moment in time. It wasn’t always that easy, however. The history of the camera began with the culmination of two scientific discoveries, exposure to light and chemicals.
Sir John Herschel was the first to use the term photography in the 1830s and made it possible for early photographers to capture memories of family and friends and document history. In the 1800s, because of the cumbersome camera and the skills needed to understand the process of developing, getting your picture taken could be costly and would take up to eight hours to develop.
Fortunately, a century later photography became a much more accessible industry, and many people began to enjoy photography as a profession and as a hobby. For years camera enthusiasts had the opportunity to learn how to develop and enlarge pictures using a myriad of liquids, chemicals, and a dark room.
Like art, the photographer could learn to shape their images with varying degrees of exposure to light. While more people began to have the ability to take pictures, developing them still required the necessary tools and space.
For those who weren’t interested in creating their own dark room, picture takers relied on companies that specialized in developing to turn their rolls of film into index card-sized works of art. Now, with ever advancing technology the most inexperienced novice can enjoy the art of picture taking.
If simplicity is of most importance and you don’t want to spend a lot of money you can purchase a disposable camera. Disposables can be purchased at many convenience stores in a multitude of varieties. After you’ve taken your pictures, just turn the whole camera in to your favorite developing shop. For a small fee they will develop the pictures and throw away the rest.
If, however, you are tired of rolls of film and prefer to see your picture moments after you’ve taken it, then you will want to get a digital. Digital cameras allow photographers to download pictures onto a computer, making it relatively simple to print out, save as a screensaver or email to a friend. Advances in the field of photography have made it economically affordable and relatively simple to take a picture. So the next time you experience a moment you wish could last forever, just point and shoot.
Sir John Herschel was the first to use the term photography in the 1830s and made it possible for early photographers to capture memories of family and friends and document history. In the 1800s, because of the cumbersome camera and the skills needed to understand the process of developing, getting your picture taken could be costly and would take up to eight hours to develop.
Fortunately, a century later photography became a much more accessible industry, and many people began to enjoy photography as a profession and as a hobby. For years camera enthusiasts had the opportunity to learn how to develop and enlarge pictures using a myriad of liquids, chemicals, and a dark room.
Like art, the photographer could learn to shape their images with varying degrees of exposure to light. While more people began to have the ability to take pictures, developing them still required the necessary tools and space.
For those who weren’t interested in creating their own dark room, picture takers relied on companies that specialized in developing to turn their rolls of film into index card-sized works of art. Now, with ever advancing technology the most inexperienced novice can enjoy the art of picture taking.
If simplicity is of most importance and you don’t want to spend a lot of money you can purchase a disposable camera. Disposables can be purchased at many convenience stores in a multitude of varieties. After you’ve taken your pictures, just turn the whole camera in to your favorite developing shop. For a small fee they will develop the pictures and throw away the rest.
If, however, you are tired of rolls of film and prefer to see your picture moments after you’ve taken it, then you will want to get a digital. Digital cameras allow photographers to download pictures onto a computer, making it relatively simple to print out, save as a screensaver or email to a friend. Advances in the field of photography have made it economically affordable and relatively simple to take a picture. So the next time you experience a moment you wish could last forever, just point and shoot.
Through the Eyes of a Child - Children’s Photography
Many call photography the most democratic art. While the subjects of photographs may be open to interpretation, the camera lens is not. It is an unimpressionable artist’s tool, capturing merely what is placed in front of it.
This may be the main reason it is such a persuasive art form and why children seem to be more and more drawn to it. As the photography world and the technological world continue to find common ground, children and young teens are finding the once daunting and expensive world of cameras and photography more inviting.
Photography is being used more and more in classrooms and after school programs to educate children and to encourage them to express themselves. Photography can been used to strengthen literary skills, first by encouraging children to take pictures, and then asking them to write about what they have photographed.
Global and cultural awareness has also been improved through children’s photography. The idea of “pen pals” has taken on a whole new meaning, as pictures can be posted on the web and shared over the whole world.
Just learning how to use a camera is a lesson that spans different subjects. From the science of photo lenses and light optics to the artistry of composition and subject matter, photography is a tool that can be used in almost any classroom.
Once children have learned to take their own pictures, they are also more apt to understand what they are seeing when they look at other pictures. Subjects like history and social studies will only grow more poignant and rich as a child can appreciate a photograph from a different time period.
Parents can also use photography to encourage their children to learn about their family histories and backgrounds. Pictures that the children take of their family members, combined with older family heirloom pictures, make a great family tree and a wonderful project for a rainy afternoon.
There are even special cameras especially for children that will encourage them to take on photography as a hobby. There are disposable cameras with images of Barbie, The Simpsons, and Spider-Man. These are perfect for little children who are interested in cameras but may not be ready to handle a real one yet. There is also a Polaroid i-Zone Pocket Camera that includes a radio, which is always a fun detail.
Of course digital cameras are always great, as it is exciting for kids to see the picture they have just taken, and there is less pressure to only take “good pictures.” The ones that don’t come out well can be thrown away and replaced with pictures they prefer.
This may be the main reason it is such a persuasive art form and why children seem to be more and more drawn to it. As the photography world and the technological world continue to find common ground, children and young teens are finding the once daunting and expensive world of cameras and photography more inviting.
Photography is being used more and more in classrooms and after school programs to educate children and to encourage them to express themselves. Photography can been used to strengthen literary skills, first by encouraging children to take pictures, and then asking them to write about what they have photographed.
Global and cultural awareness has also been improved through children’s photography. The idea of “pen pals” has taken on a whole new meaning, as pictures can be posted on the web and shared over the whole world.
Just learning how to use a camera is a lesson that spans different subjects. From the science of photo lenses and light optics to the artistry of composition and subject matter, photography is a tool that can be used in almost any classroom.
Once children have learned to take their own pictures, they are also more apt to understand what they are seeing when they look at other pictures. Subjects like history and social studies will only grow more poignant and rich as a child can appreciate a photograph from a different time period.
Parents can also use photography to encourage their children to learn about their family histories and backgrounds. Pictures that the children take of their family members, combined with older family heirloom pictures, make a great family tree and a wonderful project for a rainy afternoon.
There are even special cameras especially for children that will encourage them to take on photography as a hobby. There are disposable cameras with images of Barbie, The Simpsons, and Spider-Man. These are perfect for little children who are interested in cameras but may not be ready to handle a real one yet. There is also a Polaroid i-Zone Pocket Camera that includes a radio, which is always a fun detail.
Of course digital cameras are always great, as it is exciting for kids to see the picture they have just taken, and there is less pressure to only take “good pictures.” The ones that don’t come out well can be thrown away and replaced with pictures they prefer.
Learning To Love Digital Camera Technology
The focus in photography worldwide seems to be more and more dependent on the digital camera and less and less on traditional film still photography. The transfer of photographers, both professional and amateur, has been difficult. The differences between digital and film photography are many (pictures recorded on memory as a file, the lack of developing or processing, etc.) but the similarities are also numerous and not as readily apparent. Photographers wishing to move to a digital format are only a few pieces of information away from making the jump.
Just like a regular film camera, a digital camera has a lens and a shutter. The lens, of course, makes the image presentable and will be what you are recording. Like a film camera, the shutter allows light in during the act of taking a picture. The difference here is that instead of exposing a frame of film where an image will be recorded, the shutter sends light and the image to a photoelectric cell or an array of image sensors. Each of these sensors is a charged-couple device (CCD) which converts the light into an electrical charge that can be ‘read.’ At its most basic, the digital camera takes the photo like a film camera replacing film with the sensor. The real difference is in how the information is read. This is done in ‘pixels.’ Each pixel stores a piece of information. When all the pixels are combined, they form the photo you have just taken. The more pixels your camera has, the better the quality of the photo. One million pixels are commonly referred to as a Megapixel. This is what commonly differentiates cameras. For example, a camera that has 4.2 Megapixels will have less resolution than a camera that has 6.1 Megapixels.
The information, i.e. your photo, is usually stored in one of two ways on your camera, either on the camera’s hard drive or on a memory card. The hard drive on the camera will store the photo until it can be uploaded to a computer through software specifically written for that camera. Or the photo can be printed directly from the camera with a camera photo printer. The other, and more versatile option, is the memory card. The images are stored on the card, which comes in varying degrees of memory, and that card can be transferred to another camera, a computer, a printer or any other device that accepts that type of memory card.
Digital cameras are fast becoming the photographer’s choice in any walk of life. They are often times less expensive than traditional cameras and, after getting used to the possibilities, require much less to use and in general maintenance.
Just like a regular film camera, a digital camera has a lens and a shutter. The lens, of course, makes the image presentable and will be what you are recording. Like a film camera, the shutter allows light in during the act of taking a picture. The difference here is that instead of exposing a frame of film where an image will be recorded, the shutter sends light and the image to a photoelectric cell or an array of image sensors. Each of these sensors is a charged-couple device (CCD) which converts the light into an electrical charge that can be ‘read.’ At its most basic, the digital camera takes the photo like a film camera replacing film with the sensor. The real difference is in how the information is read. This is done in ‘pixels.’ Each pixel stores a piece of information. When all the pixels are combined, they form the photo you have just taken. The more pixels your camera has, the better the quality of the photo. One million pixels are commonly referred to as a Megapixel. This is what commonly differentiates cameras. For example, a camera that has 4.2 Megapixels will have less resolution than a camera that has 6.1 Megapixels.
The information, i.e. your photo, is usually stored in one of two ways on your camera, either on the camera’s hard drive or on a memory card. The hard drive on the camera will store the photo until it can be uploaded to a computer through software specifically written for that camera. Or the photo can be printed directly from the camera with a camera photo printer. The other, and more versatile option, is the memory card. The images are stored on the card, which comes in varying degrees of memory, and that card can be transferred to another camera, a computer, a printer or any other device that accepts that type of memory card.
Digital cameras are fast becoming the photographer’s choice in any walk of life. They are often times less expensive than traditional cameras and, after getting used to the possibilities, require much less to use and in general maintenance.
A Scientist’s View of Cameras and Photography
Cameras and photography combine to facilitate the presentation and distribution of scientific information. With the aid of a camera, a scientist can use photography to document a discovery or to confirm the importance of a history-making find. Thanks to the internet, these photos can be rapidly transmitted to every person who has access to a computer. Any computer user whose interests cause him or her to click onto the Website where the new photos are displayed will be rewarded with a glimpse of the latest scientific find.”
A photograph can also help the scientist to illustrate the nature of the question that his or her research has answered. In Mid-March of 2005 scientific researchers applauded the discovery of why the Barringer Crater, located between Flagstaff and Winslow in Arizona, did not hold evidence that the surrounding white rock had been appreciably melted by the meteor’s impact.
With the aid of cameras, the scientists had taken photos of the Crater and had distributed these photos to the media. These photos documented the reason for the scientists’ doubts about an earlier estimation. That estimation had placed the meteor’s speed of impact at between 34,000 and 44,000 mph. Yet photographs of the Crater showed that the Crater was not particularly deep. Photos underscored why a new, computer-generated impact time held such importance.
Cameras and photography have become an indispensable part of much biomedical research. Pictures of cells and the microbes that infect those cells help scientists to explain the nature of the biological phenomenon that is under study. The first microbiologists, the first men to “see” a bacterium, had trouble convincing society that this microscopic creature could be a real danger to the public health.
Now in the 21st Century, one enterprising Californian has found a way to profit from the proliferation of scientific photographs. His business uses photos of bacteria, viruses and other life forms, photos that were obtained with the aid of a microscope and a camera. He takes the photos of these unusual creatures and uses the photos to fashion designs for scarves, ties and even men’s under shorts. He has named his product “Infectious Wearables.”
Although society remains concerned about new and unfamiliar viruses, and even though scientists continue to worry about resistance to antibiotics, the threat of the microbiological world has subsided. Cameras and photography expedited the waning of that threat.
A photograph can also help the scientist to illustrate the nature of the question that his or her research has answered. In Mid-March of 2005 scientific researchers applauded the discovery of why the Barringer Crater, located between Flagstaff and Winslow in Arizona, did not hold evidence that the surrounding white rock had been appreciably melted by the meteor’s impact.
With the aid of cameras, the scientists had taken photos of the Crater and had distributed these photos to the media. These photos documented the reason for the scientists’ doubts about an earlier estimation. That estimation had placed the meteor’s speed of impact at between 34,000 and 44,000 mph. Yet photographs of the Crater showed that the Crater was not particularly deep. Photos underscored why a new, computer-generated impact time held such importance.
Cameras and photography have become an indispensable part of much biomedical research. Pictures of cells and the microbes that infect those cells help scientists to explain the nature of the biological phenomenon that is under study. The first microbiologists, the first men to “see” a bacterium, had trouble convincing society that this microscopic creature could be a real danger to the public health.
Now in the 21st Century, one enterprising Californian has found a way to profit from the proliferation of scientific photographs. His business uses photos of bacteria, viruses and other life forms, photos that were obtained with the aid of a microscope and a camera. He takes the photos of these unusual creatures and uses the photos to fashion designs for scarves, ties and even men’s under shorts. He has named his product “Infectious Wearables.”
Although society remains concerned about new and unfamiliar viruses, and even though scientists continue to worry about resistance to antibiotics, the threat of the microbiological world has subsided. Cameras and photography expedited the waning of that threat.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Mobile Phone Cameras
The cameras have changed the life of many people, and many people have changed the camera: the size, structure, power, and almost everything that is related to the art of camera and photography! There are many changes and variations that one can see in the application of the cameras from infrared cameras to the webcams used in computers.
There is one another important application of the camera, which has been widely used by mobile companies to add a new feature in their products and, thus, gaining mass appeal for their products. The idea of providing the cameras in the mobile sets has worked wonderfully and the companies have reaped a rich dividend for that ploy!
Mobile phones with cameras have a high demand of customers and the sale of these mobile phone sets is high. Though the resolution and screen area of these cameras is small; they are still effective in clicking instantaneously the things that could have been missed otherwise! And due to the advanced technology, you can transfer these photos to your computer through the data cable, which can be attached to these cameras.
The mobile phones with cameras have a good promise and there is no chance that they will suffer any decline in their appeal in near or far future!
There is one another important application of the camera, which has been widely used by mobile companies to add a new feature in their products and, thus, gaining mass appeal for their products. The idea of providing the cameras in the mobile sets has worked wonderfully and the companies have reaped a rich dividend for that ploy!
Mobile phones with cameras have a high demand of customers and the sale of these mobile phone sets is high. Though the resolution and screen area of these cameras is small; they are still effective in clicking instantaneously the things that could have been missed otherwise! And due to the advanced technology, you can transfer these photos to your computer through the data cable, which can be attached to these cameras.
The mobile phones with cameras have a good promise and there is no chance that they will suffer any decline in their appeal in near or far future!
What Are Megapixles? Why Are They Important?
By Melissa Martinez
The digital camera boom is still in full swing. As the prices come down and make them more affordable, the amount actually being sold will go up. But the market is so flooded these days that it is hard for even a knowledgeable person to keep up and know what exactly is going on. But for a novice, it can be almost impossible.
One of the most important things that a fledgling digital camera buyer should know is about megapixels. Megapixels refer to a measurement of a camera’s resolution. Still confused? This means the clarity of the picture. If you have a camera with a high number of megapixels, not only will your pictures be clearer, but the size can be larger without sacrificing some of that resolution.
In other words, the higher the megapixels, the better-looking your pictures are going to be. This is why a camera with a higher megapixel rating are more expensive- they give you a higher quality of snapshots.
So should you just buy the camera with the highest amount of megapixels and be done with it? Not necessarily. The desired size of the pictures you take does play a roll. For instance- if you wish all your pictures to be 5x7 or smaller, a camera with 2 or 3 megapixels is perfectly OK. This will save you money and ensure that you are not buying a camera with wasted features that you will never use.
If you are looking for a higher-end camera or for pictures that measure up to 8x10, then a camera with a 4 or 5 megapixel rating is more of what you are looking for. The camera focus and picture clarity are still excellent at this rate, even for the larger size pictures.
That brings us to the cameras with the highest megapixel rating. The newest ones on the market are 6,7 and above. These will be pricey, but are well worth the investment if you need pictures bigger than an 8x10 or are using the camera for professional purposes. Some of these cameras have a resolution so good that some people can’t tell them from photos taken with a traditional camera (though a professional photographer would be able to tell).
Sure, megapixels are not the only important feature on a camera. Depending on your planned use, there are other features to look at like lenses, zoom ability, red-eye reduction, etc. But megapixels are definitely something you have to look at and make sure you understand in order to make an informed decision when jumping into the digital camera market.
The digital camera boom is still in full swing. As the prices come down and make them more affordable, the amount actually being sold will go up. But the market is so flooded these days that it is hard for even a knowledgeable person to keep up and know what exactly is going on. But for a novice, it can be almost impossible.
One of the most important things that a fledgling digital camera buyer should know is about megapixels. Megapixels refer to a measurement of a camera’s resolution. Still confused? This means the clarity of the picture. If you have a camera with a high number of megapixels, not only will your pictures be clearer, but the size can be larger without sacrificing some of that resolution.
In other words, the higher the megapixels, the better-looking your pictures are going to be. This is why a camera with a higher megapixel rating are more expensive- they give you a higher quality of snapshots.
So should you just buy the camera with the highest amount of megapixels and be done with it? Not necessarily. The desired size of the pictures you take does play a roll. For instance- if you wish all your pictures to be 5x7 or smaller, a camera with 2 or 3 megapixels is perfectly OK. This will save you money and ensure that you are not buying a camera with wasted features that you will never use.
If you are looking for a higher-end camera or for pictures that measure up to 8x10, then a camera with a 4 or 5 megapixel rating is more of what you are looking for. The camera focus and picture clarity are still excellent at this rate, even for the larger size pictures.
That brings us to the cameras with the highest megapixel rating. The newest ones on the market are 6,7 and above. These will be pricey, but are well worth the investment if you need pictures bigger than an 8x10 or are using the camera for professional purposes. Some of these cameras have a resolution so good that some people can’t tell them from photos taken with a traditional camera (though a professional photographer would be able to tell).
Sure, megapixels are not the only important feature on a camera. Depending on your planned use, there are other features to look at like lenses, zoom ability, red-eye reduction, etc. But megapixels are definitely something you have to look at and make sure you understand in order to make an informed decision when jumping into the digital camera market.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
The Camera Bag
By Mylea
The camera bag protects your investment in your photographic equipment. To provide the best protection of your equipment, use a metal case. When packing your case for a days shoot, never pack it to heavy, hauling around all that weight could cause damage to your back. Each piece packed carefully helps you to know where everything is. Carry smaller items in pouches and pockets attached to your person. Ideally, a case on rollers and that is waterproofed would be great.
When traveling by air you would want to consider buying a lead – lined travelers bag as it provides some protection for film against x-rays, though not 100%. An insulated film bag is used for carrying film but can also be used to store cameras in hot weather.
A correctly packed case can hold everything you need such as; different camera bodies, several lenses, at least on lighting meter, various filters. Do not forget cleaning products, lens hoods for when you change out lenses. Pack extra batteries, the last thing you want is for your battery to die in the middle of a shoot and not have an extra one. In order to separate equipment your case should be fitted with partitions held in place by Velcro or solid foam fitted to each item.
When working in crowded situations, a backpack type bag would probably be the way to go. Carrying your equipment with weight evenly distributed on your back leaves your hands free. Moving through crowds while taking pictures becomes easier.
Soft camera bags allow easy access and when packed properly, can protect your equipment well. When carried over the shoulder it also leaves the hands free to take pictures. In order to protect your lens in a soft bag use hard leather tubes to store them in.
Camera bags like your cameras are a personal choice, yet essential to the trade.
The camera bag protects your investment in your photographic equipment. To provide the best protection of your equipment, use a metal case. When packing your case for a days shoot, never pack it to heavy, hauling around all that weight could cause damage to your back. Each piece packed carefully helps you to know where everything is. Carry smaller items in pouches and pockets attached to your person. Ideally, a case on rollers and that is waterproofed would be great.
When traveling by air you would want to consider buying a lead – lined travelers bag as it provides some protection for film against x-rays, though not 100%. An insulated film bag is used for carrying film but can also be used to store cameras in hot weather.
A correctly packed case can hold everything you need such as; different camera bodies, several lenses, at least on lighting meter, various filters. Do not forget cleaning products, lens hoods for when you change out lenses. Pack extra batteries, the last thing you want is for your battery to die in the middle of a shoot and not have an extra one. In order to separate equipment your case should be fitted with partitions held in place by Velcro or solid foam fitted to each item.
When working in crowded situations, a backpack type bag would probably be the way to go. Carrying your equipment with weight evenly distributed on your back leaves your hands free. Moving through crowds while taking pictures becomes easier.
Soft camera bags allow easy access and when packed properly, can protect your equipment well. When carried over the shoulder it also leaves the hands free to take pictures. In order to protect your lens in a soft bag use hard leather tubes to store them in.
Camera bags like your cameras are a personal choice, yet essential to the trade.
Black & White filter usage
By Mylea
Ever looked at a breathtaking black & white photo and wondered, 'how'd they do that'? The talented photographer with darkroom experience can enhance his/her pictures in the darkroom, but this takes a lot of practice and skill to perfect. In walks the use of filters. Filters come in a variety of colors, each with it's own distinct function.
In black & white photography, there is just one basic rule you need to understand when using filters. Filters lighten their own colors and darkens opposite colors. As you become more experience you will get into knowing when to increase and decrease exposure to get your desired effect.
Filters are used to increase tonal separation of pictures especially in press reproductions. For example the picture of an orange against a blue background would appear similar in black & white creating no tonal separation. In order to correct this use a yellow filter, this will result in the orange being lighten and the background darkened. Yellow filters create a natural look for blue sky's, sunsets, water, green foliage, outdoor portraits with blue sky backdrops. If you want a darker effect in these photos switch to an orange filter. By doing so, your sky and water pictures will be darkened. There will be an increased contrast in your sunset photos and when photographing distant landscapes it decrease haze .
Photographing portraits in black & white can be enhanced greatly with the use of filters. If the appearance of skin is spotty you can improve the tone of the spots with an orange filter. For a smoother tone use a red filter, the use of a red filter also darkens the background making the subject more pronounced. A 29 red filter is the most dramatic filter for use with black & white film. If taking a picture of a blue sky it filters out the blue making the sky look almost black, yet it leaves the clouds fluffy white.
Other colored filters are green - produces very light foliage. Dark blue intensifies haze & fog giving your black & white photo a soft eerie look, it also lightens blue objects for details.
There are polarizing filters. These filters serve the purpose of controlling reflections and in black & white becomes a neutral density filter. Neutral density filters are used to darken an image by letting in less light. For example if your camera is loaded with a fast film for inside shooting and you happen on a can't miss shot outside in bright sun pop on a neutral density filter to darken photo.
The use of filters can dramatically improve your black & white photos or they can project the opposite a more subdued shot. Again the outcome is the personal preference of the photographer.
Ever looked at a breathtaking black & white photo and wondered, 'how'd they do that'? The talented photographer with darkroom experience can enhance his/her pictures in the darkroom, but this takes a lot of practice and skill to perfect. In walks the use of filters. Filters come in a variety of colors, each with it's own distinct function.
In black & white photography, there is just one basic rule you need to understand when using filters. Filters lighten their own colors and darkens opposite colors. As you become more experience you will get into knowing when to increase and decrease exposure to get your desired effect.
Filters are used to increase tonal separation of pictures especially in press reproductions. For example the picture of an orange against a blue background would appear similar in black & white creating no tonal separation. In order to correct this use a yellow filter, this will result in the orange being lighten and the background darkened. Yellow filters create a natural look for blue sky's, sunsets, water, green foliage, outdoor portraits with blue sky backdrops. If you want a darker effect in these photos switch to an orange filter. By doing so, your sky and water pictures will be darkened. There will be an increased contrast in your sunset photos and when photographing distant landscapes it decrease haze .
Photographing portraits in black & white can be enhanced greatly with the use of filters. If the appearance of skin is spotty you can improve the tone of the spots with an orange filter. For a smoother tone use a red filter, the use of a red filter also darkens the background making the subject more pronounced. A 29 red filter is the most dramatic filter for use with black & white film. If taking a picture of a blue sky it filters out the blue making the sky look almost black, yet it leaves the clouds fluffy white.
Other colored filters are green - produces very light foliage. Dark blue intensifies haze & fog giving your black & white photo a soft eerie look, it also lightens blue objects for details.
There are polarizing filters. These filters serve the purpose of controlling reflections and in black & white becomes a neutral density filter. Neutral density filters are used to darken an image by letting in less light. For example if your camera is loaded with a fast film for inside shooting and you happen on a can't miss shot outside in bright sun pop on a neutral density filter to darken photo.
The use of filters can dramatically improve your black & white photos or they can project the opposite a more subdued shot. Again the outcome is the personal preference of the photographer.
Wooden versus metal?
By DK Wilson
My son adores his wooden track, and because it’s now available in most supermarkets, and Ikea, they are easy to pick up.
My nephew, whose father is a ‘purist’ railway enthusiast, believes that my son won’t respect a metal set when he gets it and feels his son should only play with a traditional set.
It’s an argument that’s been raging for weeks now, and I thought I’d share some thoughts.
My son’s wooden track is worn, beaten and generally well out of shape…but is still playable with, generally fits together and can take being dismantled and reassembled several times a day if required. It provides endless fun for my son, doesn’t mean that he needs an adult to supervise, rewire, or help him reset points or anything else that gets stuck, bent or otherwise out of shape.
The trains too don’t need as much care – if he happens to chip or scratch the woodwork, all we do is repaint it – something he enjoys immensely as he can ‘design’ his own train sets. It doesn’t take much to do, and best of all, it can all be tossed in a box, and put away, without having to meticulously pack it up again.
On the other hand, he worships his papa’s metal set, and it’s true that he gets much more enjoyment out of the rare occasions he gets to play with that. But as for playing with a set of his own, I think that would have to wait.
The logistics and space required for just setting up the ‘metal’ track is huge – it’s quite intricate (in my opinion anyway) and takes quite a bit of wiggling, gentle coercing and sometimes slight bending to get it all to fit together. My son, being very young, gets frustrated and can’t help…so we either have to set it up before he arrives or hope he’ll wait patiently.
And once set up, because it’s an old set, he’s not allowed to touch it, just watch, which seems to take some of the fun out of it for him. So when he’s older, I’ll get him that metal set.
Which he can put away himself, with meticulous care.
For the moment though, I think his wooden set is ideal.
My son adores his wooden track, and because it’s now available in most supermarkets, and Ikea, they are easy to pick up.
My nephew, whose father is a ‘purist’ railway enthusiast, believes that my son won’t respect a metal set when he gets it and feels his son should only play with a traditional set.
It’s an argument that’s been raging for weeks now, and I thought I’d share some thoughts.
My son’s wooden track is worn, beaten and generally well out of shape…but is still playable with, generally fits together and can take being dismantled and reassembled several times a day if required. It provides endless fun for my son, doesn’t mean that he needs an adult to supervise, rewire, or help him reset points or anything else that gets stuck, bent or otherwise out of shape.
The trains too don’t need as much care – if he happens to chip or scratch the woodwork, all we do is repaint it – something he enjoys immensely as he can ‘design’ his own train sets. It doesn’t take much to do, and best of all, it can all be tossed in a box, and put away, without having to meticulously pack it up again.
On the other hand, he worships his papa’s metal set, and it’s true that he gets much more enjoyment out of the rare occasions he gets to play with that. But as for playing with a set of his own, I think that would have to wait.
The logistics and space required for just setting up the ‘metal’ track is huge – it’s quite intricate (in my opinion anyway) and takes quite a bit of wiggling, gentle coercing and sometimes slight bending to get it all to fit together. My son, being very young, gets frustrated and can’t help…so we either have to set it up before he arrives or hope he’ll wait patiently.
And once set up, because it’s an old set, he’s not allowed to touch it, just watch, which seems to take some of the fun out of it for him. So when he’s older, I’ll get him that metal set.
Which he can put away himself, with meticulous care.
For the moment though, I think his wooden set is ideal.
Monday, April 11, 2005
The Boom of Digital Cameras
Technology evolves everyday, and as it evolves, it captures the fascination of many who want to take part in the boom of its use. This trend can be seen in the use of digital cameras across the globe, where many used to the point-and-click of their traditional film camera to dictate how many pictures they could take at a given event, are now free from the confines of film to take hundreds or even thousands of pictures in one sitting. As the technology of digital cameras increases, so does the amount of people indulging in their use.
There are three types of digital camera divisions: Those who use them, those who won't use them and those who use them while still using their film cameras. Those who use them typically use them on an almost daily basis taking pictures of their life, their work of just their goings-on during the day. Then, those who won't use them are traditionalists who believe in the merit of film and the development process. Finally, those who use both enjoy the facets of digital camera technology while still maintaining a healthy hobby of film use and development. As digital cameras have become more popular, it's been shown that more people are apt at going completely digital as opposed to using both, but those who decide not to take part of the technology boom are also ad odds with those who have taken to digital pictures.
With any introduction to technology, there will always be those who oppose it, and who will vocally oppose it. However, for the most part, they stick to their ways and that's it, but with digital photography it's a bit different. As popularity booms, so do those who oppose it that convert to using it whether it be for their livelihood (as photojournalism turns digital, who can wait for a front page picture to be developed in a basement darkroom?) or for their pleasure (to showcase photos on a web site celebrating the birth of a new baby boy or girl). With digital cameras becoming the way to showcase digital photos, often that come out better than even their film predecessors, it's only a matter of time before the majority of camera owners owns a digital camera and throws out their old film camera as it gathers dust in the back of their closet.
Why has the digital camera become the norm of photography? Simple! Digital means better, brighter and more durable pictures. Digital cameras take crisper, clearer shots, and because you can store an almost infinite amount of pictures depending on your memory card and access to a computer, this means you can take the perfect shot even if it takes you 100 shots to get there. With a tradition camera, you have 24 to 26 chances, on average, to take the right picture, and even then, during the development process, there is the possibility that something went wrong and the picture will be unable to be developed. With a digital camera, you know right away whether or not there is something wrong with the picture, and you can correct it on the spot as opposed to going back later and reshooting or missing the opportunity of a lifetime to take the perfect picture.
Most of those investing in a camera nowadays will invest in a digital camera, because for a few extra dollars up front, they will save many when they stop buying film for their old point-and-shoot camera. Film alone can be expensive, and developing it in a store can drill a hole through your pocket. Now, with photo printers, every aspect of photography has gone digital, starting with the camera and ending with the development process. Since photo printers are the perfect compliment for a digital camera, this enables the picture taker to pick and choose just what gets print and how it gets printed, thus, this gives them full control over what to print out and hand out to friends, families and colleagues. When you take a roll of film in to your developer of choice, they have the finally approval over what can be printed based on what you turned in, and because of that, you may lose crucial shots if they aren't worth printing based on someone else's opinion.
Perhaps, if just digital cameras had been released and now their photo printer add-ons, maybe more people wouldn't have invested in them, but since digital photography has become a complete package, more people are willing to invest the hundreds of dollars in each in order to be able to take par of the digital camera revolution instead of being left behind still paying for undeveloped photos at outrageous prices.
There are three types of digital camera divisions: Those who use them, those who won't use them and those who use them while still using their film cameras. Those who use them typically use them on an almost daily basis taking pictures of their life, their work of just their goings-on during the day. Then, those who won't use them are traditionalists who believe in the merit of film and the development process. Finally, those who use both enjoy the facets of digital camera technology while still maintaining a healthy hobby of film use and development. As digital cameras have become more popular, it's been shown that more people are apt at going completely digital as opposed to using both, but those who decide not to take part of the technology boom are also ad odds with those who have taken to digital pictures.
With any introduction to technology, there will always be those who oppose it, and who will vocally oppose it. However, for the most part, they stick to their ways and that's it, but with digital photography it's a bit different. As popularity booms, so do those who oppose it that convert to using it whether it be for their livelihood (as photojournalism turns digital, who can wait for a front page picture to be developed in a basement darkroom?) or for their pleasure (to showcase photos on a web site celebrating the birth of a new baby boy or girl). With digital cameras becoming the way to showcase digital photos, often that come out better than even their film predecessors, it's only a matter of time before the majority of camera owners owns a digital camera and throws out their old film camera as it gathers dust in the back of their closet.
Why has the digital camera become the norm of photography? Simple! Digital means better, brighter and more durable pictures. Digital cameras take crisper, clearer shots, and because you can store an almost infinite amount of pictures depending on your memory card and access to a computer, this means you can take the perfect shot even if it takes you 100 shots to get there. With a tradition camera, you have 24 to 26 chances, on average, to take the right picture, and even then, during the development process, there is the possibility that something went wrong and the picture will be unable to be developed. With a digital camera, you know right away whether or not there is something wrong with the picture, and you can correct it on the spot as opposed to going back later and reshooting or missing the opportunity of a lifetime to take the perfect picture.
Most of those investing in a camera nowadays will invest in a digital camera, because for a few extra dollars up front, they will save many when they stop buying film for their old point-and-shoot camera. Film alone can be expensive, and developing it in a store can drill a hole through your pocket. Now, with photo printers, every aspect of photography has gone digital, starting with the camera and ending with the development process. Since photo printers are the perfect compliment for a digital camera, this enables the picture taker to pick and choose just what gets print and how it gets printed, thus, this gives them full control over what to print out and hand out to friends, families and colleagues. When you take a roll of film in to your developer of choice, they have the finally approval over what can be printed based on what you turned in, and because of that, you may lose crucial shots if they aren't worth printing based on someone else's opinion.
Perhaps, if just digital cameras had been released and now their photo printer add-ons, maybe more people wouldn't have invested in them, but since digital photography has become a complete package, more people are willing to invest the hundreds of dollars in each in order to be able to take par of the digital camera revolution instead of being left behind still paying for undeveloped photos at outrageous prices.
Photo Printing from Your PC
Now that everyone and their mother are investing in digital photography, doesn't it make sense to purchase a photo printer along with your new digital camera so that you can develop your own photos? Well, in this case, printing your own photos, as you no longer will have to wait one to 24 hours to have your photos developed at your local convenience store. You also will not longer have to pay seven to eight dollars for 32 pictures to be developed, knowing full well that 12 of them won't turn out no matter what miracles occur that day.
Photo printing from your personal computer, whether it be a desktop or laptop, a Macintosh or a Windows-based machine, has never been easier. Most printers come with the software, cables and even photo paper to get you started. Some companies, such as Hewlett Packard (www.hp.com) are packaging many of their popular digital cameras with photo printers in combination deals for half the price it would cost for both to be bought individually. This makes it very affordable for the average computer user who might spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year to buy film and develop their film locally; so, for spending maybe $500, you can save much more by doing it yourself and taking the leap into the wide world of digital cameras and printing only the photos you want to distribute for friends, family and colleagues.
Why should you opt to photo print from your computer? Well, first, you should realize that you don't have to invest in a digital camera in order to be able to print photos from your computer. This is a common myth among those who invest in photo printers, but nowadays, maybe places that develop rolls of films realize that many will print additional copies from their computers and they give you the option to get your pictures on a CD-Rom or over the internet. This way you can print from home and enjoy the picture in a compact and concise way that's not only easy to save but also easy to make your own copies without having to rush out the store to get for your needs.
Once you understand that you don't need to invest in a digital camera, and then you can find the right photo printer for your needs. If you are going to be printing most of your own photos as opposed to getting them printed by a developer, you'll want to invest in a high-quality and long-lasting photo printer. This way your photo printer won't run out of steam in the middle of printing, as many printers will eventually die of old age because of use, that's the primary reason you should invest in a long-term printer for photographs which will place more wear and tear on it than a conventional printer.
Photo printing begins when you get your photo printer and hook it up to your computer. From there, you'll want to install any necessary software and drivers as well as make sure it works. Once the software and drivers are installed, most programs will allow for a test printing making sure that it not only hooked up properly but is printing correctly with its toner cartridge. Many average computer users make the mistake of thinking that a printer is broken when all they need to do is change the toner or shake it to get it moving again. If your photo printer works fine, you're all set to begin printing your pictures, but if there is a problem, you'll want to contact the company's customer support and see what you can do on your own to fix it. Hopefully, you'll be able to fix it yourself, and if not, most will pay to have it shipped to and fro in order for technicians to have a look at and to repair it in good time.
It's always wise to invest in a warranty for a photo printer especially if you expect a long lifetime from it. This warranty will often cost a bit more, but it is well worth it if something does go wrong, which will happen from time-to-time. It's always wise to invest in a warranty on long-term projects, whether they are photography-related or computer-related, to aid you should something go wrong.
Finding the right printer for your needs is all about shopping around, comparing and contrasting, as well as realizing that it will cost a pretty penny. In the end, however, the investment will be well worth it as the printer will be capable of catering to all your photographic needs.
Photo printing from your personal computer, whether it be a desktop or laptop, a Macintosh or a Windows-based machine, has never been easier. Most printers come with the software, cables and even photo paper to get you started. Some companies, such as Hewlett Packard (www.hp.com) are packaging many of their popular digital cameras with photo printers in combination deals for half the price it would cost for both to be bought individually. This makes it very affordable for the average computer user who might spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year to buy film and develop their film locally; so, for spending maybe $500, you can save much more by doing it yourself and taking the leap into the wide world of digital cameras and printing only the photos you want to distribute for friends, family and colleagues.
Why should you opt to photo print from your computer? Well, first, you should realize that you don't have to invest in a digital camera in order to be able to print photos from your computer. This is a common myth among those who invest in photo printers, but nowadays, maybe places that develop rolls of films realize that many will print additional copies from their computers and they give you the option to get your pictures on a CD-Rom or over the internet. This way you can print from home and enjoy the picture in a compact and concise way that's not only easy to save but also easy to make your own copies without having to rush out the store to get for your needs.
Once you understand that you don't need to invest in a digital camera, and then you can find the right photo printer for your needs. If you are going to be printing most of your own photos as opposed to getting them printed by a developer, you'll want to invest in a high-quality and long-lasting photo printer. This way your photo printer won't run out of steam in the middle of printing, as many printers will eventually die of old age because of use, that's the primary reason you should invest in a long-term printer for photographs which will place more wear and tear on it than a conventional printer.
Photo printing begins when you get your photo printer and hook it up to your computer. From there, you'll want to install any necessary software and drivers as well as make sure it works. Once the software and drivers are installed, most programs will allow for a test printing making sure that it not only hooked up properly but is printing correctly with its toner cartridge. Many average computer users make the mistake of thinking that a printer is broken when all they need to do is change the toner or shake it to get it moving again. If your photo printer works fine, you're all set to begin printing your pictures, but if there is a problem, you'll want to contact the company's customer support and see what you can do on your own to fix it. Hopefully, you'll be able to fix it yourself, and if not, most will pay to have it shipped to and fro in order for technicians to have a look at and to repair it in good time.
It's always wise to invest in a warranty for a photo printer especially if you expect a long lifetime from it. This warranty will often cost a bit more, but it is well worth it if something does go wrong, which will happen from time-to-time. It's always wise to invest in a warranty on long-term projects, whether they are photography-related or computer-related, to aid you should something go wrong.
Finding the right printer for your needs is all about shopping around, comparing and contrasting, as well as realizing that it will cost a pretty penny. In the end, however, the investment will be well worth it as the printer will be capable of catering to all your photographic needs.
Modern Day Photographic Art
All great forms of art start somewhere. When it comes to photography, it started out with a simple camera that took pictures by flashing light in a large box and nowadays it's done with the advent of digital technology that allows for a plethora of pictures to be taken in a matter of seconds. This has not only give new life to the art of photography but it has launched it into its modern form: Capturing life as it happens, rather than capturing life as you see it standing still.
When photography began to be seen as a modern form of art, many photographers jumped at the chance to be shown in galleries across the United States. Since photographic art is highly subjective, many found themselves unable to capture the right style for the current trends. However, as more people began to appreciate photography and consider it indeed an art, the more photographers were able to go out into the field and take quality shots. While many are now done digitally, many of these artists still hold true to their film nature and develop their own pictures.
Developing one's own pictures in a darkroom allows for certain things to be done during development for effect. This can be darkening certain parts, lightening others or using pastel colors to enhance specific parts to stand out. While such effects can also be achieved by using a desktop graphic arts program, such as Adobe Photoshop (www.adobe.com) or Paint Shop Pro (www.jasc.com), there is something about them being done in the darkroom that still appeals to many photographers. Thus, they continue to use these seemingly "ancient" techniques to go about producing amazingly clear, crisp and beautiful pictures that hang in art galleries around the country.
For those that decide to upgrade from the old school film camera to the digital camera, and still attempt to be artists, they have a sharp learning curve to get under their belt in a relatively quick time. Now that desktop graphic programs are being used on a daily basis to enhance, animate and even change photographs taken by digital cameras, it's important that anybody going this route learn how to use such programs to the best of their advantage. Of course, you'll always have purists who don't want to manipulate their photographs, but many more will want to clear up or soft focus their picture with ease through some third-party program, if they can't already do it on their digital camera.
Many digital cameras allow for such dark room effects as black and white photos and sepia toned photos to be "shot" with various plug-ins that come as part of its package. Others allow for panoramic pictures to be shot, where the traditional film camera needs to be specially purchased in order to be able to take wide pictures. Other effects, such as soft focus, hard focus or even specific focuses can be included with the digital camera, which makes it very appealing to those artists who are feeding a passion and not a living. Many other effects can be added later, either by downloading plug-ins from the cameras web site or purchasing additional programs to be loaded onto the digital camera itself. This can be both useful and unnerving for someone who may be good at taking pictures but not so good with using their computer, and if this is the case, you can always call technical support or read manuals to walk you through the steps in order to use the latest techniques digitally as opposed to the old-fashioned dark room habits.
When you work a forty-hour a week job along with taking pictures most of your days, it is kind of hard to sit in a darkroom trying to achieve the right effects for your photographs in order to get them out into the public eye. Thus, the digital camera serves this purpose while catering to their individual photographic eye. It's the ideal solution for the artist on the run; nowadays, with most artists not making a living from their art, and only a small percentile making a decent living from it, no wonder many have turned to the digital camera to supplement their bread-and-butter job.
This is the evolution of the modern day photograph and its place in the art world. Soon, many artists fear digital pictures and art will overtake the more traditional by-hand methods, and if this is the case, everyone will want to begin to dive in and learn how to use a digital camera and graphic arts program on their computer. After all, who wants to be left behind when traditional art goes to the way of the dinosaur?
When photography began to be seen as a modern form of art, many photographers jumped at the chance to be shown in galleries across the United States. Since photographic art is highly subjective, many found themselves unable to capture the right style for the current trends. However, as more people began to appreciate photography and consider it indeed an art, the more photographers were able to go out into the field and take quality shots. While many are now done digitally, many of these artists still hold true to their film nature and develop their own pictures.
Developing one's own pictures in a darkroom allows for certain things to be done during development for effect. This can be darkening certain parts, lightening others or using pastel colors to enhance specific parts to stand out. While such effects can also be achieved by using a desktop graphic arts program, such as Adobe Photoshop (www.adobe.com) or Paint Shop Pro (www.jasc.com), there is something about them being done in the darkroom that still appeals to many photographers. Thus, they continue to use these seemingly "ancient" techniques to go about producing amazingly clear, crisp and beautiful pictures that hang in art galleries around the country.
For those that decide to upgrade from the old school film camera to the digital camera, and still attempt to be artists, they have a sharp learning curve to get under their belt in a relatively quick time. Now that desktop graphic programs are being used on a daily basis to enhance, animate and even change photographs taken by digital cameras, it's important that anybody going this route learn how to use such programs to the best of their advantage. Of course, you'll always have purists who don't want to manipulate their photographs, but many more will want to clear up or soft focus their picture with ease through some third-party program, if they can't already do it on their digital camera.
Many digital cameras allow for such dark room effects as black and white photos and sepia toned photos to be "shot" with various plug-ins that come as part of its package. Others allow for panoramic pictures to be shot, where the traditional film camera needs to be specially purchased in order to be able to take wide pictures. Other effects, such as soft focus, hard focus or even specific focuses can be included with the digital camera, which makes it very appealing to those artists who are feeding a passion and not a living. Many other effects can be added later, either by downloading plug-ins from the cameras web site or purchasing additional programs to be loaded onto the digital camera itself. This can be both useful and unnerving for someone who may be good at taking pictures but not so good with using their computer, and if this is the case, you can always call technical support or read manuals to walk you through the steps in order to use the latest techniques digitally as opposed to the old-fashioned dark room habits.
When you work a forty-hour a week job along with taking pictures most of your days, it is kind of hard to sit in a darkroom trying to achieve the right effects for your photographs in order to get them out into the public eye. Thus, the digital camera serves this purpose while catering to their individual photographic eye. It's the ideal solution for the artist on the run; nowadays, with most artists not making a living from their art, and only a small percentile making a decent living from it, no wonder many have turned to the digital camera to supplement their bread-and-butter job.
This is the evolution of the modern day photograph and its place in the art world. Soon, many artists fear digital pictures and art will overtake the more traditional by-hand methods, and if this is the case, everyone will want to begin to dive in and learn how to use a digital camera and graphic arts program on their computer. After all, who wants to be left behind when traditional art goes to the way of the dinosaur?
Lighting: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
When it comes to any type of photography, the most important aspect of taking a picture is the lighting behind it. Without the proper lighting, you might as well just put your camera down, turn on the television and enjoy a nice relaxing soap opera or talk show; the latter is just as much of a waste of time as taking a picture in improper lighter as the results are the same: They're both a waste of a perfectly good day.
When it comes to photographic lighting, there are three different types: The good, the bad and the ugly. Obviously, ugly lighting is the worst their can be and there's no way to salvage a picture if the lighting is that horrific. Bad lighting can be said to take a combination of good and ugly lighting, sometimes you can save the picture and other times you can, and it just all depends on what steps you take to try to better the picture either during development or digitally. Good lighting is what every photographer shoots for but doesn't always achieve; good lighting makes even a compromised subject stand out, regardless of the quality of the shot itself.
Let's start with good lighting. Good lighting is the ideal conditions to take the perfect picture with the lighting aid in the overall quality of the picture. This occurs when lighting is at an angle with the picture, not directly in view of the lens or behind the camera, thus, you let the lighting take over where the flash cannot. This is why you flash works sometimes and doesn't work other times. The flash is a tool used to facilitate a balance between the natural light in your picture and the lack of natural light; thus, when you avoid using the flash by setting up the perfect light shot, you are avoiding the overcompensation and potential damage a flash can do. Most cameras, even digital, do not have different levels of flash that go off, they have a standard flash, and as such, this can cause more harm than good to photographs if you aren't careful with your lighting. You always want to make sure that lighting is aiding a picture; this is the aim of good lighting.
Next, we move on to the opposite of good lighting: Ugly lighting. Ugly lighting is the worst form of lighting you can have involved with your pictures. This either means there isn't enough light which causes an extremely grainy and dark picture of too much light which produces a too-bright-for-stage spotlight blast on your subject; sometimes, this can even engulf the entire picture and if your drop of your film somewhere to be developed, will often be discarded so as not to waste your time. Luckily, with the advent of the digital camera, you can tell right away if there is too little or too much light, and you can take steps to correct it by taking another picture and adjusting the settings of the overall photo. When it comes to ugly lighting, sometimes you just can't do a thing to fix the quality and will have to give in and lose the shot for another day, because there is nothing you can do if your lighting is working against you to create a horrible picture.
Finally, we have bad lighting, which is by far much better than ugly lighting but only depending on who took the picture. What's meant by that? Well, if you are using a digital camera but don't notice that the lighting looks bad and load the pictures onto your computer, chances are you have a graphics art program that will aid you in trying to eliminate or add light to the picture. While this may not always work, sometimes, it's just what you need to enhance the balance of light in your picture and save what could very well be an excellent photo for your collection. However, if you have no knowledge of these types of programs, you may be out of luck for fixing the shot other than taking the picture again if you have the opportunity.
Lighting can both be an asset and a detriment. This is why it's important to understand the importance of the feature in the quality of your photos. Once you understand its importance and take care to make sure you are using the proper kind of lighting, always go for good lighting, even if you know it isn't possible. Keep in mind, semi-good lighting or average-good lighting are better than bad or ugly lighting any day of the week. As you get more practice taking pictures with different kinds of light, at different times of the day, you will become more proficient at being able to judge whether a picture will come out looking all right at the end of the day when developed, and you'll be able to take better pictures for your effort.
When it comes to photographic lighting, there are three different types: The good, the bad and the ugly. Obviously, ugly lighting is the worst their can be and there's no way to salvage a picture if the lighting is that horrific. Bad lighting can be said to take a combination of good and ugly lighting, sometimes you can save the picture and other times you can, and it just all depends on what steps you take to try to better the picture either during development or digitally. Good lighting is what every photographer shoots for but doesn't always achieve; good lighting makes even a compromised subject stand out, regardless of the quality of the shot itself.
Let's start with good lighting. Good lighting is the ideal conditions to take the perfect picture with the lighting aid in the overall quality of the picture. This occurs when lighting is at an angle with the picture, not directly in view of the lens or behind the camera, thus, you let the lighting take over where the flash cannot. This is why you flash works sometimes and doesn't work other times. The flash is a tool used to facilitate a balance between the natural light in your picture and the lack of natural light; thus, when you avoid using the flash by setting up the perfect light shot, you are avoiding the overcompensation and potential damage a flash can do. Most cameras, even digital, do not have different levels of flash that go off, they have a standard flash, and as such, this can cause more harm than good to photographs if you aren't careful with your lighting. You always want to make sure that lighting is aiding a picture; this is the aim of good lighting.
Next, we move on to the opposite of good lighting: Ugly lighting. Ugly lighting is the worst form of lighting you can have involved with your pictures. This either means there isn't enough light which causes an extremely grainy and dark picture of too much light which produces a too-bright-for-stage spotlight blast on your subject; sometimes, this can even engulf the entire picture and if your drop of your film somewhere to be developed, will often be discarded so as not to waste your time. Luckily, with the advent of the digital camera, you can tell right away if there is too little or too much light, and you can take steps to correct it by taking another picture and adjusting the settings of the overall photo. When it comes to ugly lighting, sometimes you just can't do a thing to fix the quality and will have to give in and lose the shot for another day, because there is nothing you can do if your lighting is working against you to create a horrible picture.
Finally, we have bad lighting, which is by far much better than ugly lighting but only depending on who took the picture. What's meant by that? Well, if you are using a digital camera but don't notice that the lighting looks bad and load the pictures onto your computer, chances are you have a graphics art program that will aid you in trying to eliminate or add light to the picture. While this may not always work, sometimes, it's just what you need to enhance the balance of light in your picture and save what could very well be an excellent photo for your collection. However, if you have no knowledge of these types of programs, you may be out of luck for fixing the shot other than taking the picture again if you have the opportunity.
Lighting can both be an asset and a detriment. This is why it's important to understand the importance of the feature in the quality of your photos. Once you understand its importance and take care to make sure you are using the proper kind of lighting, always go for good lighting, even if you know it isn't possible. Keep in mind, semi-good lighting or average-good lighting are better than bad or ugly lighting any day of the week. As you get more practice taking pictures with different kinds of light, at different times of the day, you will become more proficient at being able to judge whether a picture will come out looking all right at the end of the day when developed, and you'll be able to take better pictures for your effort.
Everyone Should Go to a Professional Photography Studio
Many people are afraid to go to a professional photography studio. They feel as if professionals are so far removed from their subjects, that they could never quite possibly catch the perfect expressions or the perfect mood for the individual, couple or family. Unfortunately, this couldn't be far from the truth, and every year, millions of people take their own pictures which may not always come out how they envisioned, when they could've gone to a professional studio and for a little extra been the proud owners of the perfect family picture, engagement photo or capture of their child's birth.
Professional photography studios cater to all types of situations, such as children, couples, families, graduations and many, many more. Most photo studios specialize in a general area, where they can take pictures for every occasion whereas others might focus on children and teenagers. Some even center on glamming up those that come in with clothes and make-up to give them the star treatment for a set of pictures they will never forget. Overall, professional studios are ready to give 110 percent for every customer that comes in to give them the greatest set of shots they will ever see in their life.
Most studios will follow guidelines as to how they go about their process, that way they can see as many customers as they can during the day while churning out quality photos. Most process start with the appointments. Some places will accept walk-ins whereas others will not; if this is a planned photo-taking session, you'll want to call ahead and see what works best for the studio. When in doubt, always schedule an appointment, as walk-ins usually have to wait longer because appointments will always be taken first, unless late, but who wants to risk that when getting dolled up for photos?
Once you've made the appointment, you'll want to prepare for them by getting together the look for the pictures. This means gathering clothes and packing a photo bag filled with touch-up make-up, hair brushes and any other important item that might help enhance the photo and experience. If you have small children, or babies, you might want to bring some of their favorite toys or a pacifier to calm their nerves if they begin to get anxious or nervous during the session. Most photographers that work with children are generally trained how to help them calm down, but the more you can help keep your child at ease, the easier it'll be to work as a team to get the best pictures you can possibly get from your photographer.
On the day of your appointment, you'll want to arrive about an hour early. This will give you the chance to not only meet-up with anybody who maybe meeting you at the studio, but it will also give you time to get dressed or do make-up. In some instances, depending on the flow of traffic of the day, you may even get to go in early which will free up your schedule later in the day. Depending on the studio, they will offer dressing rooms or a bathroom for you to get ready in for you to utilize. As soon as you get to the studio, sign in and let them know you've arrived, while some studios may ask you to pay a sitting fee, you can also take care of this at that time so you don't feel rushed closer to your appointment time. After all, you don't want to cut into your appointment time and have to cut your session short because another appointment is waiting to use a particular camera room.
After the session has occurred, you'll want to see your photos and you'll most likely have to come back as early as an hour later to see them which is well worth it. When you come back, feel free to bring everyone involved to pick and choose as the best photos are shown to you and your loved ones. You then can control just what looks best and what you want to purchase; in some instances, if you aren't happy, studios will offer a free or reduced-price re-shoot to help you get the best shots if your child was grumpy or dad just wouldn't stop with his goofy grin.
No matter what you do, you won't leave a professional photography studio unhappy, because if they truly are professionals, they will do their jobs to the best of their ability. You'll walk away with great pictures and be more than happy to come back during the year to get more pictures to commemorate birthdays, graduations, senior pictures and more.
Professional photography studios cater to all types of situations, such as children, couples, families, graduations and many, many more. Most photo studios specialize in a general area, where they can take pictures for every occasion whereas others might focus on children and teenagers. Some even center on glamming up those that come in with clothes and make-up to give them the star treatment for a set of pictures they will never forget. Overall, professional studios are ready to give 110 percent for every customer that comes in to give them the greatest set of shots they will ever see in their life.
Most studios will follow guidelines as to how they go about their process, that way they can see as many customers as they can during the day while churning out quality photos. Most process start with the appointments. Some places will accept walk-ins whereas others will not; if this is a planned photo-taking session, you'll want to call ahead and see what works best for the studio. When in doubt, always schedule an appointment, as walk-ins usually have to wait longer because appointments will always be taken first, unless late, but who wants to risk that when getting dolled up for photos?
Once you've made the appointment, you'll want to prepare for them by getting together the look for the pictures. This means gathering clothes and packing a photo bag filled with touch-up make-up, hair brushes and any other important item that might help enhance the photo and experience. If you have small children, or babies, you might want to bring some of their favorite toys or a pacifier to calm their nerves if they begin to get anxious or nervous during the session. Most photographers that work with children are generally trained how to help them calm down, but the more you can help keep your child at ease, the easier it'll be to work as a team to get the best pictures you can possibly get from your photographer.
On the day of your appointment, you'll want to arrive about an hour early. This will give you the chance to not only meet-up with anybody who maybe meeting you at the studio, but it will also give you time to get dressed or do make-up. In some instances, depending on the flow of traffic of the day, you may even get to go in early which will free up your schedule later in the day. Depending on the studio, they will offer dressing rooms or a bathroom for you to get ready in for you to utilize. As soon as you get to the studio, sign in and let them know you've arrived, while some studios may ask you to pay a sitting fee, you can also take care of this at that time so you don't feel rushed closer to your appointment time. After all, you don't want to cut into your appointment time and have to cut your session short because another appointment is waiting to use a particular camera room.
After the session has occurred, you'll want to see your photos and you'll most likely have to come back as early as an hour later to see them which is well worth it. When you come back, feel free to bring everyone involved to pick and choose as the best photos are shown to you and your loved ones. You then can control just what looks best and what you want to purchase; in some instances, if you aren't happy, studios will offer a free or reduced-price re-shoot to help you get the best shots if your child was grumpy or dad just wouldn't stop with his goofy grin.
No matter what you do, you won't leave a professional photography studio unhappy, because if they truly are professionals, they will do their jobs to the best of their ability. You'll walk away with great pictures and be more than happy to come back during the year to get more pictures to commemorate birthdays, graduations, senior pictures and more.
Darkroom Etiquette
Many photographers still opt to develop film in a darkroom, whether it is professionally or in a high school photography class for beginners. Since the darkroom is an integral part of the photography process for purists, it's important to understand some etiquette involved in not only developing film in a darkroom but also for simply taking a tour. The darkroom, arguably, can be considered one of the most important places a photographer will ever take a trip to during their career, and as such, is a sacred place of workmanship for these artists.
What is a darkroom? A darkroom is an enclosed space that uses very little, or special, lights to develop film. Since negatives cannot be exposed to everyday light, it's important that the room stays just as its suggests: Dark. Otherwise, photographs cannot be developed at all. So, as you can imagine, the darkroom is a place that not only must be well-organized but well-designed in order to prevent a negative from being exposed by light either purposely or accidentally. More often the latter occurs when someone, generally not knowing what they're doing, turns on a light or brings their negatives into the light when exiting the darkroom. It's these types of accidents that can cause many problems for photographers, and that's why with a few tips or tricks, even the most amateur photographer can avoid being a darkroom faux pas.
First and foremost, when you enter a darkroom for the first time, you will need to get used to the lack of light or very little light. For many, this can be daunting, especially if they are afraid of the dark or of enclosed spaces, because darkrooms encapsulate both in a way to utilize space and give a photographer their focus with their work. It may take more time to adjust to the pitch blackness of a darkroom, and if you know you will be spending many hours in one daily, it might be wise to condition yourself by allowing yourself for every one hour in the darkroom, two hours outside it or some smaller increment. This way you can get yourself used to the atmosphere without freaking yourself out and causing an accident for yourself or for your colleagues.
Second, once you get used to the lack of light in the darkroom, you'll want to learn how to work in the dark. Now, this will take some practice and will also require in the beginning an empty darkroom – so that you can turn on the lights – and learn how to use the various equipment and devices you will be working with during your time developing photos. This will also give you a time to learn where supplies, such as chemicals and paper, are stored during the development process. Learning the chemicals is an important matter, because you may need to add more chemicals to a given batch, and if you grab the wrong one, it could spell disaster for your pictures for days and even weeks during the cleaning of chemicals from the given containers.
Next, once you've mastered the different devices and understand the set-up of your darkroom, you'll want to actually begin working along with others to develop your pictures. Chances are you'll be sharing materials, stations, chemicals and other things will your colleagues and because of this, you'll want to make sure you take time and care to learn where everyone is while working in the darkroom. This will ensure that you don't bump into people while they're working on something sensitive, such as exposing their negatives to the photo light to develop them on paper before heading to the chemical mixtures to physically develop them. If you need something, but you can't get to it, because you don't want to ruin someone's progress, ask for help. Don't be shy to talk in the darkroom, as it will help you become familiar with not only the surroundings but also those you'll be working with in the close environment. This will make it more comfortable for everyone.
Finally, make sure you clean up after yourself. This is a common courtesy and allows for others who will work where you once did to be able to not only find things easily but also to get started as soon as possible so as not to waste a precious second searching for materials. You wouldn't want to come into the darkroom, have to make everyone put there stuff away, just to find your paper or film, now would you?
What is a darkroom? A darkroom is an enclosed space that uses very little, or special, lights to develop film. Since negatives cannot be exposed to everyday light, it's important that the room stays just as its suggests: Dark. Otherwise, photographs cannot be developed at all. So, as you can imagine, the darkroom is a place that not only must be well-organized but well-designed in order to prevent a negative from being exposed by light either purposely or accidentally. More often the latter occurs when someone, generally not knowing what they're doing, turns on a light or brings their negatives into the light when exiting the darkroom. It's these types of accidents that can cause many problems for photographers, and that's why with a few tips or tricks, even the most amateur photographer can avoid being a darkroom faux pas.
First and foremost, when you enter a darkroom for the first time, you will need to get used to the lack of light or very little light. For many, this can be daunting, especially if they are afraid of the dark or of enclosed spaces, because darkrooms encapsulate both in a way to utilize space and give a photographer their focus with their work. It may take more time to adjust to the pitch blackness of a darkroom, and if you know you will be spending many hours in one daily, it might be wise to condition yourself by allowing yourself for every one hour in the darkroom, two hours outside it or some smaller increment. This way you can get yourself used to the atmosphere without freaking yourself out and causing an accident for yourself or for your colleagues.
Second, once you get used to the lack of light in the darkroom, you'll want to learn how to work in the dark. Now, this will take some practice and will also require in the beginning an empty darkroom – so that you can turn on the lights – and learn how to use the various equipment and devices you will be working with during your time developing photos. This will also give you a time to learn where supplies, such as chemicals and paper, are stored during the development process. Learning the chemicals is an important matter, because you may need to add more chemicals to a given batch, and if you grab the wrong one, it could spell disaster for your pictures for days and even weeks during the cleaning of chemicals from the given containers.
Next, once you've mastered the different devices and understand the set-up of your darkroom, you'll want to actually begin working along with others to develop your pictures. Chances are you'll be sharing materials, stations, chemicals and other things will your colleagues and because of this, you'll want to make sure you take time and care to learn where everyone is while working in the darkroom. This will ensure that you don't bump into people while they're working on something sensitive, such as exposing their negatives to the photo light to develop them on paper before heading to the chemical mixtures to physically develop them. If you need something, but you can't get to it, because you don't want to ruin someone's progress, ask for help. Don't be shy to talk in the darkroom, as it will help you become familiar with not only the surroundings but also those you'll be working with in the close environment. This will make it more comfortable for everyone.
Finally, make sure you clean up after yourself. This is a common courtesy and allows for others who will work where you once did to be able to not only find things easily but also to get started as soon as possible so as not to waste a precious second searching for materials. You wouldn't want to come into the darkroom, have to make everyone put there stuff away, just to find your paper or film, now would you?
Commercial Photographic Media
The internet serves as a powerful tool for commercial photographic media, as with instant access to the world wide web comes instant access to pictures as they are happening all around the world. Internet users will see this most notably on news web sites, such as CNN (www.cnn.com) or the BBC (news.bbc.co.uk) where they often have breaking news photos to go with such events as Pope John Paul II's death or Prince Charles and Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding. Such events demand photographs to accompany it, and many will pay top dollar for photographs from such days and times, thus, the internet serves as a way to not only get these photos to the public but also for photographers to sell their photos that much quicker, which makes commercial photographic media one of the booming industries connected to the information superhighway.
There are two types of internet commercial photographic media: Individual picture sales and photographic databases. Photographic databases, such as Getty (creative.gettyimages.com) or Free Images (www.freeimages.co.uk), serve as a conglomerate of up-to-date pictures of everything imaginable, updated daily. They serve as either free or paid services that you credit, and use their pictures for newspapers, web sites and other avenues on the internet. For the most part, to get access to pictures without logos splashed across them, you will have to either subscribe to the service or pay-per-picture which could be costly for an individual. Many newspapers and other organizations have the option to pay-per-picture but if they truly like the service, they will subscribe if they expect to use many pictures from the database. These databases play home to thousands of photographers from around the world that provide pictures sometimes quid pro quo or for a fee per picture, depending on the picture, some can fetch upwards of one million dollars, though this is typically rare for the average photograph which brings in ten dollars to $25.
Individual pictures sales generally take place under the guide of freelance work. A photographer will submit pictures to internet databases, newspapers, magazines or other venues and then will be paid if the media decides to use the picture. This can be both a blessing and a curse, as much of the time the photographer will not be making much money while trying to break into the business as a freelancer. Since many media outlets take on full-time staff photographers, these freelancer's works might be put on the backburner when they can use a less than stellar shot from in-house so that they don't have to pay extra to use a photo. It all depends on the story, quality of photos and tenacity of the photographer in question. Some freelancers will eventually become staff for one or two of the avenues they are pursuing if they continue turning out quality product, and this is where individual picture sales can take a photographer.
When it comes to pictures in the media-obsessed world, the closer the better and this can be said the best about celebrity photographs. Paparazzi, those who take celebrity photographers, have a bad name in the industry, because many partake in bombardments and attacks on those they take photographs on all in the name of servicing the public. This has lead to celebrity photos becoming one of the most sought after type of photo on the market, and these photos can land the photographer upwards of $3 to $4 million each and sometimes even more depending on the circumstances and the celebrity. Thus, because of the shady tactics involved with some of these photographers, many celebrities are fighting back to having their picture – sometimes in compromising situations – splashed across the front pages of tabloids and magazines across the country, taken out of the public spotlight. Many will sue magazines that commit libel in conjunction with the pictures, and most of the time, celebrities will win the case. However, for the most part, photographers still chase the celebrities with the same fervor and dedication, even going so far as to cause celebrities to fear for not only their lives but their children's lives.
Unfortunately, this is the price they pay for being part of the media culture. Photography of this nature comes in all forms, whether it is heads of state or the latest pop star to win American Idol, nonetheless, photographic media won't be leaving our markets anytime soon. It's important to look at the impact of such media on sales, marketing and other financial relations before diving into the market itself either as someone purchasing pictures of taking pictures, because at the end of the day, photographic media is on the rise, and it's an expensive prospect to take part in if you aren't sure you want to hang in for the long run.
There are two types of internet commercial photographic media: Individual picture sales and photographic databases. Photographic databases, such as Getty (creative.gettyimages.com) or Free Images (www.freeimages.co.uk), serve as a conglomerate of up-to-date pictures of everything imaginable, updated daily. They serve as either free or paid services that you credit, and use their pictures for newspapers, web sites and other avenues on the internet. For the most part, to get access to pictures without logos splashed across them, you will have to either subscribe to the service or pay-per-picture which could be costly for an individual. Many newspapers and other organizations have the option to pay-per-picture but if they truly like the service, they will subscribe if they expect to use many pictures from the database. These databases play home to thousands of photographers from around the world that provide pictures sometimes quid pro quo or for a fee per picture, depending on the picture, some can fetch upwards of one million dollars, though this is typically rare for the average photograph which brings in ten dollars to $25.
Individual pictures sales generally take place under the guide of freelance work. A photographer will submit pictures to internet databases, newspapers, magazines or other venues and then will be paid if the media decides to use the picture. This can be both a blessing and a curse, as much of the time the photographer will not be making much money while trying to break into the business as a freelancer. Since many media outlets take on full-time staff photographers, these freelancer's works might be put on the backburner when they can use a less than stellar shot from in-house so that they don't have to pay extra to use a photo. It all depends on the story, quality of photos and tenacity of the photographer in question. Some freelancers will eventually become staff for one or two of the avenues they are pursuing if they continue turning out quality product, and this is where individual picture sales can take a photographer.
When it comes to pictures in the media-obsessed world, the closer the better and this can be said the best about celebrity photographs. Paparazzi, those who take celebrity photographers, have a bad name in the industry, because many partake in bombardments and attacks on those they take photographs on all in the name of servicing the public. This has lead to celebrity photos becoming one of the most sought after type of photo on the market, and these photos can land the photographer upwards of $3 to $4 million each and sometimes even more depending on the circumstances and the celebrity. Thus, because of the shady tactics involved with some of these photographers, many celebrities are fighting back to having their picture – sometimes in compromising situations – splashed across the front pages of tabloids and magazines across the country, taken out of the public spotlight. Many will sue magazines that commit libel in conjunction with the pictures, and most of the time, celebrities will win the case. However, for the most part, photographers still chase the celebrities with the same fervor and dedication, even going so far as to cause celebrities to fear for not only their lives but their children's lives.
Unfortunately, this is the price they pay for being part of the media culture. Photography of this nature comes in all forms, whether it is heads of state or the latest pop star to win American Idol, nonetheless, photographic media won't be leaving our markets anytime soon. It's important to look at the impact of such media on sales, marketing and other financial relations before diving into the market itself either as someone purchasing pictures of taking pictures, because at the end of the day, photographic media is on the rise, and it's an expensive prospect to take part in if you aren't sure you want to hang in for the long run.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Digital vs. Film
By Kat Yares
I love my digital camera, really I do. It's super handy to snap a picture, load it on to my hard drive and send it to others. Not to mention, if you don't like the shot, you've got a chance to 'do over'. With digital pictures, you can crop, you can tweak, and you can get rid of the dreaded 'red eye'.
But, there's nothing like holding a print in your hand, or thumbing through an old photo album. Recalling memories of a time long ago or maybe even yesterday. I watch my now grown children show off baby pictures to their friends and I realize just how important these print pictures are to them. Taken years before digital cameras ever came into being; the old photos bring joy and laughter to those who look at them.
Sure, I could print the digital pictures out. Go buy the paper, a special printer and color cartridges. Why? They are far more expensive than just having film developed at the local super center.
It's just not the same anyway. Half the fun of film, is not always knowing what you're getting. Did I cut off Aunt Martha's head; was the focus right for Nephew Tim's dunk shot on the court? Those are the pleasant surprises that come will film cameras.
Of course, me being me, I generally haul both the film camera and the digital to important events. Why not? This way I get two different views of the subject at hand. Sometimes one is better than the other is, sometimes not.
When I use black and white film, sometimes the shot is ten times more spectacular than the digital will ever be - I don't care how many mega pixels the camera has.
Do I love my digital camera? You bet I do. Yet, for those special memories, those things I really want to remember, those will be taken on film. If I feel I really have to have them available for online use, I can always scan, or pay extra at the super center for a cd-rom.
I love my digital camera, really I do. It's super handy to snap a picture, load it on to my hard drive and send it to others. Not to mention, if you don't like the shot, you've got a chance to 'do over'. With digital pictures, you can crop, you can tweak, and you can get rid of the dreaded 'red eye'.
But, there's nothing like holding a print in your hand, or thumbing through an old photo album. Recalling memories of a time long ago or maybe even yesterday. I watch my now grown children show off baby pictures to their friends and I realize just how important these print pictures are to them. Taken years before digital cameras ever came into being; the old photos bring joy and laughter to those who look at them.
Sure, I could print the digital pictures out. Go buy the paper, a special printer and color cartridges. Why? They are far more expensive than just having film developed at the local super center.
It's just not the same anyway. Half the fun of film, is not always knowing what you're getting. Did I cut off Aunt Martha's head; was the focus right for Nephew Tim's dunk shot on the court? Those are the pleasant surprises that come will film cameras.
Of course, me being me, I generally haul both the film camera and the digital to important events. Why not? This way I get two different views of the subject at hand. Sometimes one is better than the other is, sometimes not.
When I use black and white film, sometimes the shot is ten times more spectacular than the digital will ever be - I don't care how many mega pixels the camera has.
Do I love my digital camera? You bet I do. Yet, for those special memories, those things I really want to remember, those will be taken on film. If I feel I really have to have them available for online use, I can always scan, or pay extra at the super center for a cd-rom.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Photographing People & Animals
By Rae A. Costa
Outdoor photography encompasses a wide range of subjects. People and animals are just a couple of the choices we have when looking for subject matters. Our options are limitless if we keep an open mind and an open eye to our surroundings.
You don't have to travel to exotic locations to find interesting things to shoot. Your own city, neighborhood, and even backyard can yield a wide variety of subjects. With a little creativity, everyday subjects can be turned into great photo opportunities.
People
Most people buy a camera to take pictures of their family and friends. When taking pictures of people you should remember three things: camera position, lighting, and the pose of your subject(s).
People look the most natural when the shot is taken from around four to five feet away. If you move closer, the subject's features can become extended and look disproportionate. Further away and the subject appears flat. If you want a headshot, remain about four feet from your subject and use a zoom lens to tighten the shot.
Be sure the camera is at eye level with your subject. A common mistake when shooting pictures of children is the camera level is too high, causing the child to look small. Shooting from the subject's eye level is preferred, but you can be creative to enhance your subject. For example, if your subject has a weak chin, shoot from just below eye level to give a better perspective. Always focus on your subject's eyes.
Avoid harsh lighting, such as shooting with a flash or when the sun is directly overhead. This produces stark photos with dark shadows, causing your subject to appear unattractive. A bright flash can give your subject an unnatural skin tone. If you have to shoot during the noontime hour, have your subject turn away from the sun. Try to avoid using a flash if possible. If indoors, try to use natural lighting such as sunlight coming through a window.
Having your subject pose is entirely up to you. Some people prefer to take random shots of their subjects. This, however, can cause your pictures to have no sense of composure and look like amateur snapshots. This is quite common in spur of the moment pictures of people at parties, weddings, or other large gatherings. Photographing more than one person can be difficult. It requires patience and good communication skills to get those in your photo to cooperate.
Others, however, desire a more composed shot and will take the time to have their subjects pose. In group shots it's important to ensure everyone looks their best and no one is being blocked by someone else's head. Make sure their pose is natural and arrange the group in an attractive manner. Don't line them up in rows just so they'll all fit within the viewfinder.
Your pictures should have impact and not be merely a snapshot of people standing uncomfortably in front of the camera. Your pictures should tell a story.
Pets & Animals
Many pet owners consider their animals to be part of the family, so pets are another favorite subject matter. Photographing pets is similar to photographing people, so many of the how-to tips used in people photography can be applied to pet photography.
The biggest difference, however, is pets for the most part don't listen when given directions. So patience is strongly recommended when photographing animals. If the pet isn't yours, try to have its owner nearby to help keep the animal calm and cooperative.
The zoo is a popular location for photographing animals. Zoos offer a variety of animals in a small and controlled environment. There's nothing wrong with photographing animals in captivity as long as you don't try to pass off your shots as 'wildlife' photography. It's best to take your zoo shots during non-peak hours, which is usually when the zoo first opens and the crowds have yet to gather. Animals are most active during early morning and in late afternoon.
Find a spot that gives you a good and unobstructed view of the animal you want to photograph. Pay attention to the background, angle of the shot, and lighting when composing your photo. Be prepared to wait. Don't tap on the exhibit's glass, whistle, shout, or make abrupt movements to get the animal's attention. This not only stresses the animal, but disturbs those around you as well.
A common problem in most pictures is a distracting background. A simple solution is to see your scene in its totality and not get too focused on just the main subject. This goes for both people and animal photography. People can be repositioned to block out distractions. Since it's difficult to reposition an animal, you will have to pay particular attention to setting up the shot.
To avoid unwanted people, fences, or other distractions try using a zoom lens to crop out unwelcome elements. Try changing your angle and framing your shot differently until you find what looks best. When arriving at the animal's enclosure, compose several different shots. This will help when an unwanted distraction wanders into your picture. You won't waste time trying to decide where to move and you'll be able to get the next shot before the animal turns away.
Be patient. Have fun. And take lots and lots of pictures.
Outdoor photography encompasses a wide range of subjects. People and animals are just a couple of the choices we have when looking for subject matters. Our options are limitless if we keep an open mind and an open eye to our surroundings.
You don't have to travel to exotic locations to find interesting things to shoot. Your own city, neighborhood, and even backyard can yield a wide variety of subjects. With a little creativity, everyday subjects can be turned into great photo opportunities.
People
Most people buy a camera to take pictures of their family and friends. When taking pictures of people you should remember three things: camera position, lighting, and the pose of your subject(s).
People look the most natural when the shot is taken from around four to five feet away. If you move closer, the subject's features can become extended and look disproportionate. Further away and the subject appears flat. If you want a headshot, remain about four feet from your subject and use a zoom lens to tighten the shot.
Be sure the camera is at eye level with your subject. A common mistake when shooting pictures of children is the camera level is too high, causing the child to look small. Shooting from the subject's eye level is preferred, but you can be creative to enhance your subject. For example, if your subject has a weak chin, shoot from just below eye level to give a better perspective. Always focus on your subject's eyes.
Avoid harsh lighting, such as shooting with a flash or when the sun is directly overhead. This produces stark photos with dark shadows, causing your subject to appear unattractive. A bright flash can give your subject an unnatural skin tone. If you have to shoot during the noontime hour, have your subject turn away from the sun. Try to avoid using a flash if possible. If indoors, try to use natural lighting such as sunlight coming through a window.
Having your subject pose is entirely up to you. Some people prefer to take random shots of their subjects. This, however, can cause your pictures to have no sense of composure and look like amateur snapshots. This is quite common in spur of the moment pictures of people at parties, weddings, or other large gatherings. Photographing more than one person can be difficult. It requires patience and good communication skills to get those in your photo to cooperate.
Others, however, desire a more composed shot and will take the time to have their subjects pose. In group shots it's important to ensure everyone looks their best and no one is being blocked by someone else's head. Make sure their pose is natural and arrange the group in an attractive manner. Don't line them up in rows just so they'll all fit within the viewfinder.
Your pictures should have impact and not be merely a snapshot of people standing uncomfortably in front of the camera. Your pictures should tell a story.
Pets & Animals
Many pet owners consider their animals to be part of the family, so pets are another favorite subject matter. Photographing pets is similar to photographing people, so many of the how-to tips used in people photography can be applied to pet photography.
The biggest difference, however, is pets for the most part don't listen when given directions. So patience is strongly recommended when photographing animals. If the pet isn't yours, try to have its owner nearby to help keep the animal calm and cooperative.
The zoo is a popular location for photographing animals. Zoos offer a variety of animals in a small and controlled environment. There's nothing wrong with photographing animals in captivity as long as you don't try to pass off your shots as 'wildlife' photography. It's best to take your zoo shots during non-peak hours, which is usually when the zoo first opens and the crowds have yet to gather. Animals are most active during early morning and in late afternoon.
Find a spot that gives you a good and unobstructed view of the animal you want to photograph. Pay attention to the background, angle of the shot, and lighting when composing your photo. Be prepared to wait. Don't tap on the exhibit's glass, whistle, shout, or make abrupt movements to get the animal's attention. This not only stresses the animal, but disturbs those around you as well.
A common problem in most pictures is a distracting background. A simple solution is to see your scene in its totality and not get too focused on just the main subject. This goes for both people and animal photography. People can be repositioned to block out distractions. Since it's difficult to reposition an animal, you will have to pay particular attention to setting up the shot.
To avoid unwanted people, fences, or other distractions try using a zoom lens to crop out unwelcome elements. Try changing your angle and framing your shot differently until you find what looks best. When arriving at the animal's enclosure, compose several different shots. This will help when an unwanted distraction wanders into your picture. You won't waste time trying to decide where to move and you'll be able to get the next shot before the animal turns away.
Be patient. Have fun. And take lots and lots of pictures.
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