When you get your Dream Camera

By Christina VanGinkel

A friend of mine received her dream camera for Christmas. It has all the bells and whistles that a digital camera could have. Tons of presets, plus the availability to set things like the shutter speed and focus manually if the person using it so desires. It has a whopping 12 optic zoom and 8 mega pixels. Another friend of mine got what she considers her dream camera this year at Christmas too. It may have manual settings, but she does not think so. If it does, she would never use them anyway. The maximum zoom is three, whether that is optic or digital zoom, she is not sure about that either. It does have three mega pixels though; she said that is stamped on the outside of the camera face itself.

How two cameras, with such obvious differences, both be considered dream cameras is easy, really, as both of my friends will use their cameras for very different things. My first friend has grandiose plans for a vacation to rival all family vacations this upcoming summer, and wanted a camera to document every step of the trail. She wants the availability to zoom in on her kids as they climb among the rocks at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado, and to take beautiful shots from the top of Pikes Peak that she can print and hang on her wall as her own personal art collection. My other friend wants to be able to take quick snapshots of her crafts to sell on Ebay. She does not need a zoom lens or a high resolution, as she doubts that she will ever actually print a single photograph, though the salesperson who sold it to her husband, assured him that with three mega pixels, the camera would take pictures that are more than adequate for printing at a typical 4 x 6 inch size.

This actual scenario paint a very vivid picture of why it is so important to know what you intend, or intend not to do with your camera, especially if you are in the market for purchasing a new one. With a price range for your average new digital camera ranging from less than one hundred dollars, to well into the thousands, it is not hard to be caught up in the bells and whistles available when shopping. That is fine if you will use them, but not if the camera will mainly frustrate you with all those perks, especially if you never intend to use them in the first place.

Because of these very huge differences in the available cameras, I have another friend, ok; really, it is me, who is reluctant to part with my old camera even though I have a perfectly good new one with all the prerequisite bells and whistles of mega zoom lens and tons of mega pixels. I like my old basic camera for taking an occasional picture to email or post a pic online at Ebay or a website. I know my new camera is capable of doing the same things, but I am so comfortable with the old camera that I find myself often grabbing it if I know that is what the pictures are intended for.

Having more than one digital camera is not even very odd. When I asked a few friends who I know just got new cameras, if they already had a digital, and what they did with it, I was not surprised to hear that many of them, actually most of them, kept their old ones for the very same reasons I kept mine. This whole discussion came about when a friend asked me what I was doing with my old one, as she would like to buy it. I was going to say that I gave it my son, but she knows me well enough to know that he has my oldest digital already. I did consider selling it to her, but in the end, I just could not do it. Like a good friend, I know the ins and outs of it, and I will continue to use it. SO to all of you new camera owners who received your dream cameras this past holiday, but find yourself reluctant to part with your old camera, know that if nothing else, you are not alone, as I am keeping mine too. As my two-year-old grandson says, it's mine, and no, you cannot play with it!

Print Master 16, Fun with Photos

By Christina VanGinkel

My daughter has gotten into the habit of purchasing me ink for my hp photo smart printer whenever there is a gift-giving event, such as a birthday or this most recent Christmas. It is the perfect gift for me, as I love to print photos at home. She bought me the printer itself on my birthday last year, and I could not even start to guess how many packs of paper and cartridges of ink that I have gone through. When she gave me the ink Christmas Eve, I peeked in the gift bags she had placed the ink in, was thrilled as I always am to receive the ink from her, (our own little modern day tradition!) and set the ink aside.

Yesterday, as I was putting some things from Christmas away, straightening up, and generally replacing order to our small home, I took the ink out of the gift bags she gave me them in and was intrigued when I noticed that the one package said it had a free CD inside. It read that it was the Printmaster 16 / HP Holiday CD and HP Idea Booklet. Well, let me tell you that I had that package open as quick as can be, because if I like anything as much as getting more ink to print whatever pictures strike my fancy, it is getting a new software program to play with. As I sat down to install it, I had a small thought that it was probably a limited version of the title, or one that would only be active for thirty days, and then expire. No, and no again, as it was the full program with no restrictions, now how cool is that?

I have been using the program since yesterday and could not wait to play around in it again this morning. A full-fledged graphics program for the home user, it makes banners, brochures, business cards, calendars, certificates, note cards, regular cards, iron-on, labels, envelopes, cards, fax covers, post cards, assorted crafts, and I could hardly contain my excitant when I realized that it also made stickers! As a scrap booker, I am always looking for fresh ways to add to my layouts and photographs, and stickers are one of my favorite things. With all the included graphics that came with the program, this would be one more place for me to turn when I need just the perfect addition to a current project.

Another interesting feature of this program, the Print Master 16, is that it also has included sentiments for the fronts and insides of the cards that it helps you make. They are broken down into Humorous, Sentimental, Traditional, Contemporary, and Spiritual. From these headings, you can then choose the perfect saying for everything from a birthday to a Bat Mitzvah, or a retirement, to a wedding, and almost every other occasion you could think of.

The program also lets you use an image already stored on your computer, one of the included ones from the program, or even scan one direct. Once you have the graphic you want to work with, Print Master 16 gives you the tools to edit the photo in a variety of ways, including crop and orientation of the photo, adjust the color, adjust the brightness and focus, even fix flaws such as red eye, dust and scratches, pet eye, even shiny faces. Print Master 16 also included numerous photo effects that you can apply with ease to your photos such as embossed frosted sepia, and pastel. If you want to only apply one of these effects to a small portion of your photo, this program will also allow you to do that with their built in area effects tool. There are also numerous artistic stamps included, that you can apply right onto your photos for even more added fun with your pictures.

With all of these tools in one program, I have a feeling I will be suing this as much as some of my programs that I actually paid top dollar for. When I mentioned the included CD to my daughter late yesterday, she said she never even noticed it on the package, but I am sure glad that she bought it!

Choosing a Frame to Match the Picture

By Christina VanGinkel

Choosing a picture frame can be a relatively uncomplicated task. For instance, if you want to match the new frame to others that you already own, and they are not identical, just all along a similar style, or if the frame is to be placed on its own and it really does not have to match anything, just that it be something that you like. Buying a frame for a particular picture though, that needs to fit a specific size picture, and that lends something extra to the picture beyond just being a frame, can be hard to accomplish.

I have many framed photographs in my home, everything from snapshots to portraits, and I would say that each frame is stylish in its own right, but nothing fantastic. I love photos, have taken many of them myself, and gladly receive them as gifts from others. My daughter knows that nothing pleases me more than bestowing a new photograph upon me of my grandson! Yet I now realize that I have not given justice to a single one of them by means of putting any effort into picking out their frames.

As I struggled with a Christmas gift to give my brother this holiday season, something beyond the basic token gift that it seems we always exchange, my sister-in-law phoned with the sad news that they had to put down their Akita, who had been my brother's best friend through several surgeries, illnesses, and cross-country trips. My brother went nowhere without that dog, they were truly the best of friends. His favorite photo of her was taken in the mountains, with them sitting side by side, a lush carpet of green mountain grass in front and directly behind them, and a blue sky to rival the bluest the sky has ever been. My sister-in-law suggested that I get that picture framed for him, as it currently was not only, not in a frame; it was just tacked up on their fridge.

My initial response was what a perfect idea. I knew how much that dog meant to my brother, that she much more than just a dog. So my search began. In all honesty, I thought that I would be able to find the perfect frame at a small gift shop in a neighboring town, as they are known for their unique gifts, and I recalled seeing a complete shelf of frames the last time I was there. Sure enough, they had the shelf of frames, and several more scattered throughout the store, but not a single frame worked. While I did not have the actual print, I had a good copy. The colors were so vivid that a frame in a very neutral color would work, but none of them jumped out at me, as being anything special and special is what I was after. I found one that was a heavy glazed ceramic that did catch my eye, with a scattering of leaves pressed to make a lovely design, but done is a green that in no way matched the colors in the picture, plus that the leaf theme really was not a match either, I left it right where it was.

I ended up searching several more stores when I was about to give up and call my sister-in-law to tell her that I would be sending my normal routine gift to him, when I found it. A soft, smooth wood, that looked a bit battered, it was oversized so that it leant more depth to the picture right from the start, even though the picture was a basic 4" x 6" size. It had corner elements in close to where the picture opening was, and the whole thing was a slight burned red color. I would never have given the frame the time of day had it not been for the picture itself. They seemed to have been made for each other.

I now have a new task, and that is to give each of my photos, the justice they deserve, by reframing them with more thought than just their size. While I already have an eclectic collection of frames, I actually realized that a few frames already in my possession would look much better with different photos in them, so I have started my frame and photo transformation already.

Choose your frames with a bit of thought and care, and you will be pleasantly surprised at what a difference the right frame can make to an otherwise normal snapshot or portrait.

Photography Tips to Take your Photos that Extra Step

By Christina VanGinkel

Place your subject, such as a bouquet of flowers, an infant, a kitten all curled up in a ball, on top of, or directly next too, a smudge free piece of Plexiglas, which has been placed on the floor or other suitable work surface, with a black cloth beneath it. Experimentation with the placement of your subject in regards to the Plexiglas itself will provide you with plenty of different shots to choose. When I first read about this technique, the author suggested that other colors of fabric could be used, but that black would provide the optimum amount of reflection, which is the whole purpose of shooting the subject on the Plexiglas in the first place. When you are ready to take the picture, move around with the camera until you get the shot you want in the viewfinder, keeping in mind that the more above you are from the subject, the more of the reflection you will be able to capture in the lens.

Try out different shutter speeds on an active subject. Reading all the literature in the world will not provide you with as clear an explanation of how the different shutter speeds change the outlook of a subject in motion like some actual shots will. Notice how a fast shutter speed has the capability to seemingly stop the motion in its tracks, while lessening the shutter speed will still capture the subjects, but with a muted blur, sometimes leaving a part of the subject clear, sometimes only catching the blur of color, but no fine details, all dependant on the speed of the shutter itself.

Staging a shot with props, much in the same vein that professionals do, is a good way to take your photography from ho hum to spectacular. When choosing props, consider what mood or attitude you are trying to convey, but keep your options open if you end up with something very different, as that is sometimes the real fun of using props, the unexpected. Try not to choose props that are going to overshadow or take the limelight away of the photographs main subject matter. Do choose props that might end up conveying the unexpected, such as those props you might use with a child or even a pet. One of the grandest photos a friend of mine ended up with was when she placed her daughters Easter bonnet on the family dog. Her dog is a mutt, but resembles a hound with short legs and big floppy ears, and huge eyes. As soon as the hat was placed atop the dogs head, the dog plopped right down and instead of trying to tip the hat off to chew on it, more or less what was expected, the dog sat perfectly still and aimed her oversized eyes straight up as if to ask what in the world was up! The photo has gone on to be one of her family's all time favorite shots of a much beloved pet. Props can be simple items, such as flowers or a favorite toy, or more obscure items, such as cans of paint. My favorite photo of my youngest son uses this exact prop. We had a can of paint that had drips all over the sides, and when it was dry, we had the idea to prop him (he was all of about two months old) next to the can on top of a splattered paint sheet, and we handed him new paint brush. He grasped that brush as if he were a professional painter and he still smiles every time he walks past the portrait, and he is now thirteen years old!

Take snapshots of a subject over a span of time you have pre decided upon. A caterpillar's cocoon could have you taking a picture twice a day for the span of time it takes for it to open and release the butterfly from within. A child, who is going through some significant first, such as their first year of life, or their first year of school, could have you snapping a photo one a week, or once a month, to document the major first of your choice. Change this idea a round a bit, and take a photograph each year of your husband on the first day of football season, or your kids on a specific holiday, but always in the same spot, maybe a tree in your yard. After a few years, it will be fun to assemble shots such as these all into a single scrapbook or layout!

Using those Not So Good Photographs in your Scrapbook Layouts

By Christina VanGinkel

Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebrations often result in lots of photo opportunities. Even at celebrations, such as weddings, that may have a professional photographer there to capture the special moments, there are usually quite a few amateurs roaming around with cameras. At weddings, it is often popular to put out throw away cameras, so you never know who might be snapping away, from a young child in attendance who wants to try out the cameras, to the inebriated second cousin of the grooms. This of course, usually results in tons of photos, some good, a few exceptional even, and quite a majority that brings on the question of what was the person snapping the shutter thinking. Even among these photographs though, there are probably quite a few that can be saved for scrapbooking, and that is what is so great about scrapbooking in general, that even the worst photographs can often be salvaged into something.

Take all those shots of the partygoers for example, that have a head missing here, or a misplaced arm there, shots that do not show more than a face or two, and really have no defining moment caught. Dig out your larger paper punches and make a mosaic out of the faces in the crowd that are identifiable. This idea alone will use up many of the photographs that you thought were a waste. Put together on a page with names to match the faces, or even a few question marks, marking the big question of just who attended!

Similar shots that may have a bit more salvageable material in them than just a face or two, should be scanned into you computer so that you can crop the most interesting parts, turning them into new pictures, even though on their own, you may not think they have all that much noteworthy about them. Once you have assembled and cropped the best of the worst, use your photo imaging software to create a collage. The free program, Picasa2, offers this feature if what you have available does not. I used it to assemble an assortment of pictures that we snapped of my grandson at the County Fair a few months back. Some of them were side shots, or you could see the game he was playing, but not him, or the lights from a ride. I cropped each one to identify a moment from that afternoon and evening that on their own did not mean much, but when assembled back together into a collage, made a stunning backdrop for the one photo that I was able to capture that day that truly highlighted his experience of a first visit to a fair.

Some shots that would have been perfect, save for being terribly out of focus, just a big blur essentially, but maybe marking a special moment or time at the big affair, should be put through a graphic program's artistic filters. You might be pleasantly surprised that even though that blur is as bad as it is, once it has a colored pencil filter applied, or even a light charcoal, film grain, or even transformed into a watercolor, it may turn out to be the perfect photo for your next layout.

Maybe this is what I like so much about scrapbooking now that I think of it. I am not the greatest photographer by far, and I am often the one behind the lens when a snapshot is taken that is about as bad as they come, yet I still love to pour through these photographs on the smallest chance that there is a smidgen of an embellishment amongst the print. If I can find a use for some of the worst snapshots I have taken through the years, and turn them into things in a scrapbook layout that make others ooh and aah about the cool special effects I used, or to make them ask me how I ever thought to come up with a layout that incorporated all those peoples faces for example, it leaves me hope that many others, even those as un-artistic as I am, will also enjoy this hobby that has given new life to amateur photographers just like myself across the globe.

Photo Storage Tips

By Christina VanGinkel

Some photos turn out to be very special, when compared to others, though we often do not realize this until long after the photo was taken. Because of this small fact, it is of utmost importance to care for all of our photographs as if they were of the same high priority as those that mean the world to us. Dumping them in a cardboard box, or a plastic shoe saver is not only how not to store them, it can even be damaging to them. Photographs need to be stored in containers that are acid free, and free of several other harmful properties including peroxides and wood fibers. The easiest way to be sure they are in storage containers that will not harm them is to purchase those that are marked museum or archival save. This goes for all materials that they will be exposed to while they are in storage. Many old style magnetic albums are not safe for photos, and that is why many of the photos stored in albums such as these are now, some twenty to thirty years later already turning yellow and fading dramatically. If you have old photos stored in albums such as these, remove them immediately and move them to proper storage containers. If some are already damaged to the point that you feel they cannot be salvaged, try scanning them and reprinting. Many good software products are available that may be able to help you restore them to their former glory.

Temperature and humidity levels are also important to a photograph's health. Temperature is recommended to be no higher than 70 to 75 degrees, with a humidity level of no more than fifty. Some experts will even recommend a humidity level of no more than 30, especially for long-term storage. This is why museums have such strict guidelines for temperature and humidity levels, as these two things if left to their own devices, can quickly cause irreparable damage.

Handling photographs often can also be damaging to them, as the oils on our own hands can be strong enough to cause irreparable damage. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before handling. Negatives and slides are especially sensitive to oils found on the hands, and I have always been told it is practical to wear a simple pair of cotton gloves before handling, to keep them from deteriorating or becoming damaged.

Where you place your storage containers, can also have an adverse effect on your photos. Do not store them in a closet that has mothballs, or stack them in a basement or garage where they may be exposed to cleaning solvents, or other odorous materials. Be sure you do not hang framed pictures in direct sunlight either, as the sun can cause the ink in a photograph to break down drastically quicker than if the same photograph were hung out of the direct sunlight.

When storing photographs in a scrapbook album, be sure to use only acid free products, including all papers, embellishments, and adhesives, as anything that comes in contact with your photos that is not acid or lignin free, can cause damage.

Kodak EasyShare Z740

By Christina VanGinkel

In searching for a camera that had both a mega pixel rating of at least four, preferably five, and an optic zoom lens greater than 3 X, all for a price at less than $300, I thought that I would most likely come up empty handed. Maybe I would find a camera that boasted one feature or the other, but not both. I did not expect find a digital camera that had both, plus a lot more, and that is exactly what I found when I discovered the Kodak EasyShare Z740.

With 5.0 MP (mega pixels), it can capture photographs with enough quality to print them out at a stunning 20" x 30". More pixels translate into more options with your photo once you have snapped the shutter too. With that much information saved, you can crop a specific part of the picture with ease, and still have enough quality left to print. Add the KODAK RETINAR Aspheric All Glass 10X Optical Zoom Lens, and zooming in on subject that is far off, is not a problem, nor is close up photography. With both numerous automatic settings, and manual settings, getting the perfect picture is no longer a problem. Figuring out where you are going to hang all the stunning photographs you end up with might be though!

With 16 scene modes to choose from though, you may never have to use the manual settings, ever. They include:

Portrait
Sport
Children mode
Party mode
Beach mode
Flower mode
Fireworks mode
Snow mode
Backlight mode
Close-up
Night Portrait mode
Landscape mode
Night Landscape mode
Museum/Manner mode
Text mode
Self Portrait mode

The camera also has five built in color modes including:

High color
Natural color
Low color
Sepia
Black and white

Because the camera has the Kodak name, you also can be assured that it comes with their exclusive KODAK Color Science Image Processing Chip, to assure you of color as it were meant to be, not something that is going to need tons of tweaking to get it to look natural.

Viewing your future photos is both simple and an ease to do with the crisp, 1.8 in. (4.6 cm) high-resolution indoor/outdoor display. So crisp a screen display, you can even view it with ease in direct, bright sunlight. You can also review pictures as they were taken, or zoom in up to 8X to give you a look at any possible cropping you might want to do, all without having to download a single picture.

If not all of these features are enough to make you want to order on right now, also consider the fact that the Kodak EasyShare Z740 is capable of capturing up to 80 minutes of continuous video with audio. How long will depend on the size of the memory card you are using with the Kodak EasyShare Z740, but with prices on memory more affordable now than ever before, this will not even be an issue. In addition, because this camera is built around the Kodak EasyShare format, and comes complete with the EasyShare software, sharing your video and pictures with friends and family is truly as easy as ever. You can also add the optional docking station to this camera for one button download of media to your computer.

If you are looking for a full featured camera at a reasonable price, pick up the Kodak EasyShare Z740 today!

Close Up and Macro Photography

By Christina VanGinkel

When taking photographs, the average, non-professional photographer is usually very object-oriented. We zoom in on a particular subject, such as a person, or take a panoramic shot of some event that is taking place, say a parade, or a soccer game, and we shoot the complete scene. What many of us never do though, is to take a close-up shot of an object, or grouping of objects. Why we would want to, you might be wondering, when we already have tons of personal photos we do not know what to do with. Why would we want to take even more photos that might look interesting, but that do not have a true usefulness? Well, actually there are numerous reasons we might want to get some up close and personal shots of some otherwise everyday objects, with some very interesting ways to use them.

If you are looking for artwork to hang on the wall, something a bit beyond the average, or are a scrapbook artist that would like to use more of your own personal photography in your layouts, think of all those times you needed the perfect background paper and just could not seem to find the perfect paper. These are the ideal opportunities to use shots such as these. Background paper is one of the most interesting pieces of a layout, yet finding the perfect paper is not always easy to accomplish, even when there are literally hundreds of manufacturers. So personalized do many of us get with our scrapbook layouts, that finding the background we envision is like the proverbial needle in a haystack. So why not use the digital wonders we already own to shoot our own personal supply of background papers.

If you are sitting there saying that you are not any good at close-up photography, then look at some of the pictures you already have. Is there an element in one of them that captures what would have been the perfect close-up if you had thought of it when you took the original, for example, how about those sweet baby feet in the snapshot of your newborn? Just crop away the rest of the photo in your favorite photo editing software, and voila, the perfect close-up. This technique is simple, and can be applied to both old and new photos.

If you still are not finding the perfect picture for your needs, and your camera is capable, try what is referred to as macro photography, where the lens captures the texture of an item you have zoomed in to as close as you could. The texture of an item like leather, or the threads of a cotton or silk fabric in a color that is fab, will result in a picture that once framed, will be just as fab hanging on the wall. Experimentation is as much fun as the results.

So grab your camera and instruction book and teach yourself the basics of close up photography, or dig through your existing photographs for those, out in the open elements, which would be ideal for your needs, and dust off that editing software that you just had to have but rarely use. The results can be fun, and even more fun to discover.

Give a Kid a Camera This Holiday Season

By Christina VanGinkel

With the cost of digital cameras dropping fast, get a child in your life one for the upcoming holiday season, and be prepared to get back a great big thank you and some amazing photos too! While any camera, film or otherwise, is a nice gift, a digital just makes it so much easier and fun. No costs for developing film that did not turn out, as they can choose to only print those they want, or to just view them on the computer, and no hassle of dropping off and picking up film, as long as they have a computer and printer at home.

A kid with a digital camera is fun no matter which way you examine it. They are not intimidated by all the buttons; they just seem to be naturals. Surprisingly, most kids I know would be even more prone to reading the instructions than any adult I have ever met. Toss in a case and a cleaning kit, and you will be teaching them pride in ownership too, as once they see the amazing things they can do with their new possession, they will want to be sure to keep it in tiptop shape.

If you happen to have a child that is a bit on the shy, quiet side, a camera is a great way to get them to open up. It gives them a secure feeling to be behind the lens, and then when they share with you what they have taken photographs of; it will give you both stepping-stones to use for conversation building.

If you have a child that is more of an extrovert, a camera can also have a good influence. It will provide them with the opportunity to slow down, and if not, then you can be assured of some of the best action shots you will ever see, by a photographer you can say you know personally.

If the camera comes with the option of short bursts of video, as many of the digital cameras on the market today do, even lesser priced models, this will also provide them with an additional form of enjoyment. Though be warned that a child with the ability to take video will most likely use their closest relatives, including siblings and parents, as studies in the art of movie making.

An advantage of giving a child a digital camera as a gift this holiday season is the built in choices for gifts for upcoming holidays and birthdays. They will be in need of photo albums for many holidays to come, a camera gear bag, extra memory, photo-editing software, maybe a tripod. AS they grow with their camera, and mature, they may even be ready for their own photo printer, and eventually a more sophisticated camera if the hobby turns into a passion, as photography is apt to do when introduced to child young enough to take the time to enjoy it. Make this holiday season special for a child on your list, and surprise them with their very own digital camera, they will never forget it!

Disposable Cameras Can Save the Day

One of the best parts of going on vacation or spending a special day out with family or friends is taking photos that will preserve the great memories of the occasion for years and years to come.  Many years ago, you were basically out of luck if you forgot to bring your camera along for the trip.  These days, however, that's not the case at all.  All you have to do is purchase a disposable camera and you'll be able to snap as many photos as the camera can hold.

Many major camera manufacturers currently have disposable cameras on the market.  That means you can buy one from Kodak, Fujifilm, Konica, and Beverly Clark, just to name a few.  The quality of one disposable camera to the next across these different brands is pretty uniform.  The only noticeable differences show up when it comes time to choose between a few options, such as flash, film speed, and number of exposures.  So instead of just grabbing the first disposable camera that you see on the shelves, you should take a moment to consider the general lighting conditions that you will experience and read the labels so that you can select an appropriate model.

The actual prints from disposable cameras are of reasonable quality.  They are more or less what you would expect from a camera that doesn't have a zoom lens.  For the most parts, the pictures turn out well, but let's face it:  You're not going to get great contrast, vivid colors, or sharp focus from a disposable camera.  The point here is that disposables are a convenient short-term replacement for your regular camera.

Even though the pictures aren't of excellent quality, that doesn't mean you should steer clear of these products altogether.  In fact, because the print quality of disposable cameras is so reasonable, it is now popular to give these products away as party favors at occasions where you would definitely want to take pictures.  For example, if you go to a wedding reception these days, chances are you will find a disposable camera at each place setting, or at the very least, at each table.  This is also a common practice at proms and other formal events.  Disposable cameras make wonderful goody-bag items for more informal parties as well.

Disposable cameras are widely available at convenience stores, gas stations, drug stores, grocery stores, and pretty much anywhere else that you would be able to purchase rolls of film. They are also available at the gift shops of nearly every tourist attraction, theme park, zoo, or museum that you are likely to visit.  If you are planning on having a get-together and would like to include disposable cameras as party favors for your guests, you can also purchase them in multi-packs.  In fact, we offer several different types of multi-packs right here at CamerasAndCameras.com.  You can view them by clicking the "Disposable Cameras" link at the top of the page.

So the next time you forget to bring along your regular camera, there's no need to panic.  A disposable will get the job done for the day!