Archive for November 12th, 2007
Mrs. Murfreesboro: Here’s ‘Digital Photo 101’ from frequent user
By JEANNE BRAGG
Murfreesboro Post, TN
Many friends have asked for help in getting those Halloween photos out of the digital camera and onto Christmas cards, so toady’s article is “Digital Photo 101.â€
This article will apply if you have a digital camera in good working order and don’t know how to get the photos out of your camera. Next week’s article when help publish your photos to your computer or a site on the Internet where you can make Christmas cards, mugs, calendars, etc. Please take note: these are not hints from an expert in the field; these are just notes from a person who works with LOTS of pictures.
When you buy a digital camera, it comes equipped with a removable memory device, in my case, a memory stick. Yours may have a secure digital (SD) card, a memory card, picture card, flash card … whatever. These miniscule devices will store the photos you take. These units come with your camera and have minimum storage, so if you plan to take lots of photos (i.e., of “an occasion,)†buy an additional device from almost any electronic or discount store (take your original memory device with you to ensure you buy the correct one). About one gigabyte of memory is enough for most casual users and will cost about $32 … a good long-term investment. If you have filled one up, you can revert to the other so having two is best.
Keep your memory units in a protected container in a designated place in your home (I use an old coin purse–you could use an old pill bottle, zip lock bag–) but protect this special memory device both in the house and in your pocket/purse because they are small and easy to misplace (how do you think I know this)?
When you are ready to take many photos, make sure the battery of your camera is fully charged (this is especially important on FIRST use). Once you have inserted your fully charged battery and your new memory device into your camera, you can shoot away.
After you have taken your photos and are ready to “print†them, you remove your memory device, put it in its protective spot and take it to almost any drugstore (and some discount stores). There you will find a kiosk where you will download the photos you want printed (the self use machines are right by the photo lab in every store).
Let notice be served; these kiosks are very popular (most stores now have two), so if you feel you will need help, try to go during a non-rush period for your sanity AND that of the clerks.
To begin, insert your memory device into the appropriate slot (i.e., memory stick, SD, etc.) in the kiosk and follow the prompts. But take note–the “old†memory sticks were longer than the new ones, and if yours gets swallowed up, ask the clerk to help you.
They have an adapter that will solve that problem.
Follow each prompt on the touch screen. The prompts will guide you through selecting the photos you want. Even if you make a mistake, the prompts are very forgiving. … Just push the “go back†button.
You can choose forgo the time-consuming task of editing photos and make an option of “print all pictures on card†button (in which case you get a print of every photos your have taken–double copies if you choose). Or you can be ambitious and follow guides for cropping photos, ordering different size prints per photo, eliminating red eye glare, lightening up darkened photos, etc. You have many options.
I have found the clerks at these photo labs to be immensely helpful. Ask if you need help.
You can also choose to eliminate prints you don’t like (just don’t put a check in the box), order multiples of those you do like (in varying sizes) (where it shows “1†type in “2â€) and order a CD of any or/all of photos you have chosen (usually for an additional $4 or so).
Be sure to order the CD and the index print. An index print is a thumbnail view of each photo you have selected and the CD stores the images you have chosen ON the CD in digital form. Again, designate a safe place at home for these. Photos on these CDs can then be transferred to your home computer, mailed to someone for use on THEIR computer, etc. Or you can file the CD away and take it to the store if you want reprints at a later date.
Once you finalized your selections, the machine will print out a copy of your order that you give to the clerk at the photo desk. In most cases, your prints will be available for pickup in one hour.
If you are happy with your photos, you will want to erase them from your memory de-vice, freeing up more space (you have them on CD). Follow the instructions in your camera’s manual for erasure.
Well, enough for today’s lesson. Next week we will work on sharing these photos via the Internet, printing them out at home, etc. TMI (too much information)? Hope not. Hope it helps.
ʻTil next week.
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November 12th, 2007
Taking the mystery out of digital photography
City Press, South Africa –
Jon Minster
THE beauty of the digital camera is that if a picture isn’t right, you simply delete and take another one. So don’t just put your camera on “autoâ€. Even relatively basic digital compact cameras can do amazing things these days. Whip out the user’s manual, experiment with your camera’s settings and go and take amazing holiday pictures!
1. Find your focus
Photography isn’t like hunting. Although both involve shooting, if you line up your subject through your lens as you would through the sight of a rifle, you’ll end up with dull pictures. Why? Subjects in the dead centre of the frame make for boring compositions.
The solution: Experiment! If you’re taking a picture of your niece in a field of Namaqualand daisies, fill the bottom two-thirds of the frame with flowers and position her in the top third.
The same goes for landscape shots. If the clouds are interesting, don’t be scared to fill the frame with sky, keeping only a sliver of land at the bottom.
Do the opposite if the sky is dull.
2. Stitch a panorama
In the old days people used to take a series of overlapping pictures of a beautiful view and glued the hard-copy pictures together later.
You can do the same with your digital images on your computer, except that modern software allows you to blur the joints so the whole thing looks like a single photograph.
Some cameras even have a built-in stitching function, which helps you to align and blend two or more photographs.
How? First take the pictures. A series of two or three pictures works best for a landscape.
Keep the horizon in the same place for each shot and swivel from your waist, making sure that the edges of the photos overlap.
Don’t shoot on auto – use the same exposure settings for each shot – that way your pictures will flow seamlessly into one another later.
3. Come a little closer
A tiny spider dangling from its web or dewdrops make as beautiful pictures as sweeping panoramas, and in the world of macro photography there’s no excuse about not having the best camera or lens – almost all compact digital cameras have macro capabilities to rival or even trump a professional kit that costs thousands of rands.
How? Find the macro button. It’s usually the one with a little flower symbol. By pressing it, you’re telling the camera’s auto focus system that your subject is going to be very close to the lens.
Next it’s up to you to get closer. Try not to stand back and zoom-in either, as this increases the chances of a blurry picture.
4. Create your own hazy waterfall
Look around next time you go for a walk, and you’ll see that everything moves: rivers flow; leaves scamper in the wind; cars drive past; clouds scud across the sky.
Point your camera anywhere and leave the shutter open for a little bit longer. Moving things will be blurred and stationary things will be perfectly in focus – you’ll be amazed at the result.
What is a long exposure? Most pictures are taken between 1/60 and 1/250 of a second. If you want a car weaving down a mountain pass to blur slightly, 1/40 of a second should do the trick.
If you want to blur a waterfall in a dark forest, you might require a shutter speed of about one second or longer.
Most cameras (except a very basic point-and-shoot) allow you to change the shutter speed.
Always remember that the longer the shutter is left open, the more prone you are to camera-shake, so anchor your camera on something stable (a picnic table, the bonnet of your car or a tripod) to stop the rest of the picture from blurring.
Moon and stars. Most cameras have a “night scene†function (usually a moon and stars symbol), which leaves the shutter open for longer so you can get light trails from moving cars at night or sparks flying off a campfire.
5. Get flash-wise
Learning to take control of your flash will greatly improve your photography. Your camera automatically switches on the flash when it’s dark, but there’s much more to flash photography.
When? Often a flash is most useful in very bright situations when you are photographing people, like a group photo taken at midday, when the harsh light from directly above or behind your subjects causes dark shadows.
By using a flash you can fill in these shadows with light, leaving everyone looking more natural.
Show off – Spice up your next sunset by turning on the flash. This will light up your subject in the foreground instead of silhouetting it. (This will only work for subjects within about 4m from the camera.)
This is an extract from a digital photography feature in the November 2007 issue of go! magazine, on sale now.
November 12th, 2007
Digital camera report: Olympus SP-560 UZ
By Arnold Zafra
TECH.BLORGE.com, Australia
The Olympus SP-560 UZ is an elegant, compact digital camera that is ideal for intermediate and advanced digital photography enthusiasts who are looking for a versatile and powerful point-and-shoot camera.
Priced at US$499 the SP-560 UZ boosts of superior optics, 18x optical zoom and lightweight and portability makes it a perfect camera for sports, outdoor and travel photography.
According to Olympus, the SP-560 UZ’s Dual Image Stabilization technology provides an effortless 2-in-1 anti-blur solution for crisp, clear images in any situation.
Key features include:
8.0 Megapixels, 1/2.35†CCD
Macro allows photography from 9.90cm-infinity (W)
18x optical zoom
Focal length 4.68 – 84.24 mm f2.8/4.5 (27 – 486 mm equivalent 35mm)
50/6400 ISO (sensitivity)
2.5†(6.4cm) LCD screen (230,000 pixels)
Takes xD-Picture Card
mottled black magnesium alloy body
365 grams without batteries and media card
Dimensions of 116mm x 78.5mm x 78mm (W x H x D)
18x Wide-Angle Zoom lets users capture more of the scene, Dual Image Stabilization eliminates blur and produces crisp and clear images
What the manufacturer says:
The world’s most complete compact camera, the SP-560 UZ is an elegant, compact digital camera that is ideal for intermediate and advanced digital photography fans who crave power and versatility. Its superior optics, 18x optical zoom and lightweight, portable design make it the perfect point-and-shoot camera for sports, outdoor and travel photography.
What punters are saying:
“All these things said, it’s the zoom range that will sell the camera. The lens performs well, it’s very handy to have a 27mm wide angle view with it, and all the other features, plus the nice build quality and attractive design, make this a cracking little camera with a very big zoom.â€- ePhotozine
“The SP-560 UZ is a mixed bag, containing features that are designed to help novice users take better pictures and controls to please photo enthusiasts. If you stay clear of the high sensitivity settings and fast frame rates and use a tripod and mid-range aperture at the longest zoom setting, it’s a pretty good performerâ€-Photo Review Australia
“For those of you who seek SLR-type manual controls with great optics and a superb auto mode then this camera are nearly impossible to beat.â€- Tim Can
Our comment:
The Olympus SP-560 digital camera is certainly geared for both photography enthusiasts and photography professionals who want quick shooting camera without too much manual effort. The SP-560 has 24 pre-set shooting modes that for a variety of shooting conditions. At the same time, its wide-angle and telephoto zoom capabilities makes it worth of the price that you have to pay for the SP-560.
Related:
Digital camera report: Olympus FE-300
Olympus announces E-3 Digital SLR camera
New 18x Zoom in the Olympus SP 550UZ
Digital camera report Nikon CoolPix 5100
Digital camera report: Canon Powershot SX100IS
Entry was posted on Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 1:10 am under Digital Camera, Point and Shoot. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
November 12th, 2007