When you hand over your camera and ask someone to snap your picture, the results aren't always what you expect. Sometimes you come out overexposed, underexposed, out-of-focus or your head is "chopped off."
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This picture of actress Kelly Packard and photographer Rick Sammon at the 2000 ESPN Great Outdoor Games turned out exactly how Sammon wanted the picture to look. That's because he gave the picture-taker specific composing, framing and focusing direction. Giving direction is important when you ask someone to take your picture with your camera. (AP Photo) |
Don't assume. The photographer might not know the first thing about picture-taking. Give clear directions on how you want the picture to look.
Think ahead. Set all the controls before you hand over your camera. Tell the photographer not to make any camera adjustments; just press the shutter-release button.
Focus carefully. On most point-and-shoot cameras, the focus zone is in the middle of the frame. If you and a friend are standing shoulder-to-shoulder for a head shot, the camera might focus on the background (the space between your heads) and the shot will be blurry. To alleviate this problem, the photographer should lock the focus on a person by gently pressing the shutter-release button while focusing on the subject, and then reframing the shot.
Don't crop. Tell the photographer to leave some room around the edges of the frame so they don't crop off feet, hands or the top of a head. That's necessary because most point-and-shoot cameras don't record the exact scene in the viewfinder.
Watch the background. A truck or person wandering into the background can ruin a picture. Suggest that the photographer wait until the shot is clear.
Don't shake. As simple as it sounds, it's very important to ask the photographer to hold the camera steady, especially in low-light situations. A slight jiggle might create a blurry picture.
Take a few shots. Professional photographers say that if a scene is worth a shot, it's worth a few shots. Have more than one picture taken just in case the photographer did not follow all your tips.
Say thanks. You've asked someone to do you a favor. So it's only right that you show your appreciation.
Finally, if you want to skip all these tips, pack a tripod and use a camera with a self-timer.
Digital cameras great for portraits
As the quality of digital cameras is going up, the price is coming down. That means more people are getting into the exciting world of digital photography. However, even though you can have a foolproof digital camera, it's still up to you to compose your picture carefully, make sure the lighting is just right, and press the shutter-release button at exactly the right moment.
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To ensure good expressions in your portraits, take several pictures. Also select a nice setting that will not detract from your main subjects. () |
If pixels (picture elements), megapixels (millions of pixels) and megabytes (millions of bytes of information) are new to you, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your digital camera:
Choose your camera carefully. Go for a 3.1 megapixel camera if you want to make great prints up to 11x14 inches, go for a 2.2 megapixel camera if you want to make 8x10-inch prints. If you only want to take pictures for a Web site or for e-mailing, a one megapixel camera is OK.
Charge! Digital cameras need batteries. Don't be caught with a dead battery. Before each photo session, make sure your battery is fully charged. If you will be outdoors for a while, take an extra battery, or two. And, to save power, use the camera's LCD screen sparingly.
Read all about it. Camera instruction manuals are packed with information on what your camera and software can and can't do. If you take the time to read that little booklet, you'll get a higher percentage of good pictures -- and you'll be able to navigate through the software easily.
Get memory for memories. Get a storage device with as much memory as you can afford. A 64MB (megabytes) card for most photo enthusiasts is recommended. When you run out of memory, you can't record your memories.
Think file size. Digital cameras let you take pictures at different quality settings. The higher the setting, the better the picture quality. High settings take up more memory (space) than lower settings. If you intend to make a print from a file, shoot at the highest setting. You can use lower settings when you intend only to e-mail photos or use them on a Web site.
Don't delete too fast. If you don't like the picture you see on the camera's LCD screen, you can delete it at the touch of a button. Be careful, however, about which pictures you delete. Once that button is pressed, your pictures are gone forever. In addition, many images can be fixed up and improved in your computer.
Download ASAP. After a photo session, I download my pictures to my computer's hard drive as soon as possible. After that, I can delete the pictures from my camera's memory card and free up space so I'm ready to shoot at a moment's notice.
Fix it up and have fun. Camera software and digital-imaging software lets you fix photos, even if they are slightly under- or overexposed, soft and off-colour. Some imaging software also lets you remove redeye and take out unwanted objects in a scene. Have fun with software. It can improve your images and your image as a picture taker.
Store files safely. Always store your pictures on a ZIP, JAZ, CD-R or DVD-R for safekeeping. After all, if your computer bombs, you might lose your precious pictures.
The beauty of reflections
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Photographing a subject and its reflection can produce an interesting and creative photograph. When there is no reflection, one can be created in the digital darkroom, as was the case with this image of an egret. (). |
You should start with an interesting subject. Landscapes look especially dramatic reflected in water. When composing your picture, consider how much of the subject's reflection you want in your picture. When shooting a mountain scene, you may not need the entire mountain reflected in the water. But if you are photographing an animal or person standing near the water's edge, you should include the entire reflection. You don't want to cut off the head.
You also need calm water so the reflection will be clear. Windless days are ideal for shooting reflections.
Reflections are often darker than their subjects, but a graduated filter will even out the contrast range. The filters are available in different densities and degrees of gradation. (If you are serious about landscape photography, you should have a set of graduated filters in your camera bag.)
Reflection shots have become so popular that several computer imaging programs let you create a reflection where there was none. You cut, paste, flip, blur and rotate your original to make a realistic-looking reflection image. You have to start out with a picture that looks natural when turned upside-down, so keep that in mind when you're shooting pictures.
Consider reflections if you want to create an artistic image. You can even start with a reflection in a puddle in front of your house. Viewers will appreciate the symmetry, beauty and creativity of the pictures.
Take dramatic photos at night
When it comes to taking dramatic pictures in a city, night-time is the right time. Lights cast beautiful highlights and shadows on buildings, cars, streets and people.
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This vintage DeSoto was photographed at night in Havana, Cuba. The photographer used a tripod, an essential accessory for nighttime photography, to steady his camera during a four-second exposure. (AP, Rick Sammon) |
The following guidelines can help you get good city pictures at night:
Use a tripod. Taking pictures in low light usually means using slow shutter speeds, so hand-holding your camera will result in blurry pictures. A tripod allows you to shoot shutter speeds of several minutes and still get sharp pictures.
Even when using a tripod, use a cable release or the camera's self-timer to trip the shutter. Otherwise, you might accidentally shake the camera when you press the shutter-release button.
Choose your film carefully. Some photographers like to use Tungsten film for night-time city shots because it provides natural-looking colour. I use daylight film, which produces a warmer picture.
If you use a tripod, you can use any film speed, including slow film for fine-grain pictures. If you want to hand-hold your camera, however, you will need ISO 400 or a faster film, and you'll have to hold your camera very steadily.
Go wide. To capture wide street scenes, you'll need a wide-angle lens or wide-angle zoom. I use a 17-35mm zoom, which is my favourite street lens for day or night.
Wide-angle lenses also reduce the chance of getting blurry pictures due to camera shake. Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, exaggerate camera shake.
Get a good exposure. When there is a lot of contrast in a scene, there is a chance of getting a poor exposure. For best results, take a close-up reading of a bright area of a scene and set your camera manually to that setting. That technique will avoid getting overexposed and washed out bright areas.
Play with long exposures. Long exposures are effective at night, especially when you have car tail-lights and head-lights streaking past you. Experiment to get the desired effect. Try five-second, 15-second, 30-second, 60-second and even longer exposures.
When taking pictures at night, remember what your mother told you when you were a kid: "Wear white at night." The bright colour will help drivers see you if you are taking pictures in or near the street. For added visibility, wear a jogger's reflective vest.
As always, have fun with your photography!
Convey your own feelings when taking pictures
Before turning my efforts to photography, I taught piano, specializing in jazz improvisation. (Many photographers, by the way -- including Ansel Adams and Gordon Parks -- were or are musicians. Many musicians, including Graham Nash, are also avid photographers.) Anyway, here's a condensed version of many conversations I had with my first-time piano students. You'll see why this conversation applies to photographers in just a minute.
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Photographed in a train station in Rajasthan, India, this sepia tone portrait of a porter illustrates the concepts: "The camera looks both ways; in revealing the subject, you are also revealing a part of yourself" and "The eyes are the windows to the soul." Obviously, the subject had an interaction with the photographer. () |
I'd reply, "It does not matter what notes you play, it's how you play them."
"Uh, OK. That really helps me," the student would say. "Now, do you think my solo would sound better on a Hammond B-3 organ or a Fender Rhodes electric piano or a Steinway baby grand piano?"
I would say, "Personally, I like the organ ... and the electric piano ... and the grand piano. But have you ever considered the accordion? Billy Joel uses it in some of his songs."
Getting a bit agitated at this point, the student would say, "Fine, you are a tremendous help! I'm not taking lessons from someone who can't give me recommendations on how to play. I'm outta here."
Smiling, hoping that I could keep the student, I would say, "Before you go, I'd like to give you some free advice: Don't think so technical, although technique is important. When you play, play with feeling. Play with passion. Above all, play for yourself."
Reactions to my comments varied, but one thing was constant: I kept all my students.
So, how does this story apply to photographers? I give the same advice to photo students when they want to talk tech -- f-stops, shutter speed, film speed, and so on. I say, "Don't think so technical, take pictures with feeling, take pictures with passion, and above all, take pictures for yourself."
On that note (pardon the pun), if you were to take a look at the work of some of today's top photographers (easily done by using a search engine and entering the photographer's name), I don't think your first thought would be about technique. Here is what I mean.
Lou Jones. The pictures in his book, Final Exposure, convey the feeling of his subjects, and the feeling he had when he took the pictures of men on death row. I don't think you'd look at Jones' pictures and say, "Wow! Lou really used a sharp lens."
Chris Rainier. Look at this master's pictures of the people of New Guinea, and I don't think you'll ask yourself what f-stop he used.
Darrell Gulin. Look in the eyes of the animals in his wildlife pictures and you'll see that this shooter has a passion for wildlife photography.
Steve McCurry. Take a look at the picture on the cover of his book, Portraits. Look at the woman's haunting eyes. What feeling do you get? Do you wonder, at first, what lens he used?
John Paul Capongiro. This photographer's images are pure fantasy, created from somewhere within this artist's mind's eye and brought to paper through the magic of the digital darkroom. Everyone looking at his images gets a different feeling, but no one will come away without some sort of feeling or impression.
So, a natural question at this point would be, "So, Rick, do all your people pictures (my specialty) create a feeling?"
"You bet," is my answer. "They create a feeling for me, because I follow the same advice I give my students: I shoot with feeling, I shoot with passion and, above all, I shoot for myself." Famed photographer Joel Meyerowitz puts this sentiment about taking pictures for yourself this way: "There is no audience as far as I am concerned. I am the audience," he says.
A final note in this homily: When looking through your camera's viewfinder, remember the expression, "The camera looks both ways; in revealing the subject, you are also revealing a part of yourself." If you do, you'll get much more personal pictures than you would if you just think about all that technical stuff.
Learn from others' mistakes
I recently returned from a 10-day photo tour to China. Thirty-three other photographers were on the trip, which they had anticipated for more than a year.
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You can avoid missing low-light pictures, like this portrait of an actor applying makeup at the Peking Opera, by being prepared with fast (ISO 400 and 800) film. () |
Interestingly, several of the novice photographers made the same mistakes -- mistakes that could easily have been avoided, mistakes that you can avoid by learning from theirs. Here's how they goofed.
They did not bring enough fast film. Travel brochures are filled with pictures taken on bright sunny days, but you can't always count on good weather. During our trip, the sky was overcast for about a week. In addition, we were often out shooting at dawn and dusk, when the light level was low.
Because they did not bring enough fast film (ISO 200, 400 or 800), several of the photographers missed some great photo opportunities. They were forced to use slow shutter speeds because they were using slow films (ISO 50 and 100), so some of their pictures turned out blurry. If they had fast film, they could have shot at a faster shutter speed, which would have resulted in sharper pictures.
Also, several of the photographers did not bring enough film -- at least of their favourite brand and speed. So, they had to buy film on site, some of which was not their first choice by brand or cost.
When you travel, be prepared with plenty of fast and slow film for low-light and bright-light situations.
Some left their tripod at home. Who wants to lug a tripod around on a trip? Photographers who want to use slow, fine-grain film when shooting in low-light situations, that's who.
Several of the photographers assumed they could borrow a tripod from their fellow photographers. However, tripods were a coveted item, because their owners were working hard to get some particular shot that called for a tripod.
So, if you are serious about maximizing your picture-taking opportunities onsite, lug that tripod. You'll be happy you did.
Some did not take enough pictures. In China, we had onsite processing. Several of the photographers were disappointed with some of their results -- an unflattering expression on a subject's face, a distracting background element, poor lighting, etc. If the photographers had simply taken more pictures from slightly different angles each time, they would have had great shots and not simply snapshots.
Remember that film (traditional and e-film) is often the least expensive part of a trip. Also note that professional photographers take thousands of pictures to get just a few good ones for publication.
Others forgot to clean their camera. When I was critiquing the photographers' slides and prints, I noticed a few scratches and marks on the images.
Most of this film damage could have been avoided if the photographers had cleaned their cameras each night before going to bed. Remember that a single piece of dirt or sand can scratch an entire roll of film. Keep it clean when it comes to your camera and you'll reduce the risk of film damage.
Several did not read the instructions. A few of the photographers were not completely familiar with their camera's capabilities and limitations, or even how they operated. Had they read their camera's instruction manual, they would have avoided missing once-in-a-lifetime pictures.
Taking pictures was not always so easy
It's a fact: It's never been easier to take pictures, thanks to megapixel digital cameras, Advanced Photo System cameras, automatic 35 mm cameras and excellent ISO 800 films.
Add to that, it's never been easier to print pictures at home, thanks to inkjet and bubble-jet printers. Today, even novice picture-takers and picture-makers can get great results.
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Professional photographers have many 'secrets.' One is that they only show their best images. This picture of two friends was one in a series of exposures, many of which did not capture the subjects' personalities. (AP/Rick Sammon) |
"We have inherited a very interesting and important project involving more than 450 nitrate negatives of Northern Cheyenne Native Americans," she writes.
"The photographer of this collection was a man by the name of Thomas B. Marquis, M.D. He customized his film size so the negatives varied in length and width. Dr. Marquis photographed the Northern Cheyenne Native Americans as they went through the transition to life on a Montana reservation in the early 1900s.
"Dr. Marquis came to know his subjects first as a physician, assigned to the reservation. After a few months, he quit his position. He then concentrated on photographing his subjects for the next five years. When he gained the trust of his subjects, Dr. Marquis began to interview them, and discovered that some of the older men had been present at Custer's Last Battle.
"Several of the photographer's pictures were published in his book, 'A Warrior Who Fought Custer.' His photographs include Cheyennes who gave their account of the famous battle. Many of his images are portraits of the Native Americans, wearing the white man's clothing or positioned near their new dwellings. Some of the photographs show the change from their traditions to the reservation life. The subjects' expressions are illustrative of their reactions to the changes.
"Getting back to the nitrate negatives, they were a challenge to print because they vary in large degrees of contrast from one to the other. Due to the flammability factor, it is crucial that we keep the exposure time accurate. The negatives are actually in fair condition, with what appears to be an egg white coating used as a medium for the nitrate solution. It is critical that the negatives are handled slowly and by the edges while placing them on a glass frame holder preferably with white cotton gloves. An air compressor with moisture and oil filters is recommended to expel dust. A bulb syringe can also be used. Camel hair brushes can actually scratch the fragile surfaces of the negatives.
"The nitrate negatives are printed, then the prints are copied with 4-by-5-inch black and white negative film, and are eventually scanned for digital storage.
"This project is, for our institution, the most conservative method of preserving the photo images knowing that the nitrate negatives are highly unstable no matter how carefully they are stored.
"These particular negatives came to us neatly wrapped in paper sleeves. At this time they don't show any extreme discoloration. The collection is definitely a project that holds a potential of high historical value and therefore has been a priority in our photography department."
So, the next time you pick up your camera or make a print, take a moment to think about all the technology and history that make picture-taking and picture-making easy -- and safe -- for you.
Sharp inkjet prints a few clicks away
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In the original print of this tiger photograph, you can see every whisker. That's because a photo-quality Inkjet printer and photo quality, glossy paper were used as well as sharpening tools in a photo software program. (). |
To achieve such an effect on an inkjet printer, enhance your slide, print or digital file with a computer imaging program's sharpening feature. Be careful, though, because it's possible to over-sharpen a picture, which makes its grain too prominent.
Accessories, called plug-ins, for imaging programs also help make clear inkjet prints. Nik Sharpener lets you sharpen pictures for specific sizes and viewing distances, and Genuine Fractals lets you make large prints from small files.
While you have your picture on the computer monitor, play with the contrast control. By exaggerating the difference between the light and dark areas, the picture looks sharper.
Remember that what you see on your computer monitor is not always an accurate representation of the print. The resolution on the monitor -- 72 dots per inch (dpi) for Macs and 96 dpi for PCs -- usually differs from the dpi on the printer. So keep practicing and make notes of the settings.
A photo-quality inkjet printer has a resolution of at least 2400 x 1200 dpi. Canon, Epson, Lexmark and Hewlett-Packard offer such printers. Plan to spend $500-$1,000 for a fast printer with excellent image quality. That said, if you have a good original picture and you use photo-quality inkjet paper, you may be pleased with printers in the $200-$250 price range.
Paper makes a real difference when it comes to making sharp inkjet prints. Look for heavyweight, high-gloss paper for long-lasting prints.
And speaking of long-lasting prints, check out the archival quality of the paper you are considering. After you have taken all the steps to make a sharp inkjet print, you want it to be around for a while.
Tips for making great photo T-shirts
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This proud dad is wearing his son's picture on a T-shirt that he and his young son made with an iron-on Inkjet transfer. Iron-on Inkjet transfers, which pass through Inkjet printers, are an easy and fun way to share your pictures. ()
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Photo T-shirts are an ideal way to show your pictures. If you haven't combined your photo, computer, printing and ironing skills to make a photo T-shirt, here are the basic steps.
Buy some iron-on transfers, available at computer and art supply stores, that are designed for an inkjet printer. Also pick up some white, 100 per cent cotton T-shirts. If you use a darker shirt, your picture will look too dark. If you use a polyester shirt, your picture may bleed on the material.
Select a picture and put it into a computer imaging program. Slightly increase the colour and contrast of your image, which is necessary because T-shirts absorb ink.
Select mirror image in your printer mode or flip horizontally in your imaging program. If you don't, your picture will be printed backward on the shirt.
Print the picture onto the iron-on transfer. Then preheat your iron to the hottest setting. Place the T-shirt on a pillowcase on a hard surface and use the hot iron to preheat the T-shirt.
Iron the picture onto the shirt for about two minutes, pressing hard, especially around the edges. Then carefully peel off the transfer from the shirt.
If you are not happy with the results -- poor colour contrast or a stuck transfer -- don't get discouraged. It's just back to the drawing board. Or, more accurately, the ironing board!
Desktop printer can make art-quality images
"I don't care if you make a print on a bathmat, just as long as it's a good print." That's what the late, legendary photographer Edward Weston said about print making -- many years before the invention of the inkjet and bubble jet printers.
(Hewlett Packard, Epson, Kodak and Lexmark offer inkjet printers. Canon offers bubble jet printers.)
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Wildlife photos, including this one of a lion taken in Tanzania, can be enhanced when printed on canvas or silk inkjet paper. Watercolour paper, available in art supply stores, also works well for wildlife pictures. (AP/Rick Sammon) |
Sure, image quality should be the photographer's main concern. However, the type of paper a photographer uses to make a print greatly affects the image -- especially when it comes to making prints at home with inkjet and bubble jet printers.
Most photographers who make at-home prints usually try to get the sharpest print possible. They use glossy photo paper to simulate photo lab prints. If they know what they are doing in the digital darkroom and have a high-end photo quality printer, their at-home prints may look as good as photo lab prints.
However, the more artistic image-maker uses different kinds of paper to create more artistic prints. For example, canvas inkjet and bubble jet paper is available that makes an image look as though it were printed on canvas. Canvas paper works especially well when digital painterly effects, such as watercolours and brush strokes, are applied to a picture.
Silk inkjet and bubble jet paper offers a nice result, too. A piece of silk paper imprinted with a picture can look like a beautiful silk handkerchief.
High-resolution inkjet and bubble jet photo paper (a step up from plain paper) is nice for making prints with a flat, matte finish. And because it's relatively inexpensive (less expensive than glossy, silk and canvas paper) it's also nice for making test prints while you are in the process of learning the art of print-making.
The aforementioned papers are especially designed for inkjet and bubble jet printers. But they are not the only materials you can put through your printer. For my own artistic images, I often use watercolour paper that I buy at an art supply store. With a ruler, I tear the 3x4-foot paper into 8x10- and 11x14-inch sheets. The rough edges from the tear give my prints even more of an artistic look.
I also make prints on artistic writing paper and note cards that I find at the local art store. I've made prints on ivory colour paper and even speckled paper. Again, prints on these art papers have a look that is far more creative than prints made on high-gloss paper.
Don't get me wrong; Im also one of those folks who use high-gloss paper for photo quality prints.
As you can see, I try lots of different materials through my printers -- although I never have, and never will, try to stick a bathmat in my machine. I don't recommend that.
Speaking of recommendations, most inkjet and bubble jet printer manufacturers don't mention printing on other than inkjet or bubble jet papers. That's because some papers may be too thick or too slick or too rough for the inkjet heads, which could damage the heads or printer. However, in the past five years I've had five different inkjet and bubble printers from three different manufacturers. In that time, I've used many different paper types and have never had a problem. I have, however, had lots of fun turning my "straight" photographs into more artistic images simply by using artist papers.
Computers make panoramas easy
Panoramas have been around since the early days of photography. Back then, photographers would paste, glue or tape together a series of pictures to make one large print.
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This picture of a country house is comprised of five individual pictures. The pictures were stitched together in a digital panorama program. The light rain effect also was added digitally. () |
Professional panorama cameras solve that problem, but they can really burst the bank account. One-time-use panorama cameras and Advanced Photo System (APS) cameras offer a panorama format, but the print is not true panorama. It is just an extra-wide print of the centre of the film frame.
The easiest way for consumers to get a panorama, even a complete 360-degree panorama, is with a digital camera and a computer-imaging program. Ulead's Cool 360 Panorama or the Photomerge mode in Adobe's new Photoshop Elements program let you make panorama prints and generate files for e-mailing.
Here are some basic guidelines for taking panorama pictures:
-- Mount your camera on a tripod and set your zoom to the wide-angle setting. Pan your camera and do a test-run to make sure the horizon line is level in all your pictures. Make sure your pictures overlap from 30 to 50 per cent.
-- Once you have taken all the pictures in your sequence, it is time to make your panorama print. Download your pictures into your computer and open the panorama program. In most cases, all you have to do is drag and drop each picture into the blending window and all your pictures are stitched into one image.
-- Sometimes programs give a prompt that says the task cannot be accomplished. When that happens, line up the pictures manually. Alignment is easy because when you lay one picture on top of another, you get a ghost image of one of the pictures.
Most consumer panorama programs only let you use low-resolution files, which is fine for prints up to 10 inches wide. However, if you make a wider print, it might look "noisy," which means fuzzy and grainy in photography lingo.
Digital technology solves this problem. A program called Genuine Fractals can take a low-resolution image and turn it into a high-resolution image.
Remember that even with digital-imaging programs, you need an interesting subject to make a good picture. And panorama photography is not just for landscapes -- use it if you can't get everything into a scene with your lens.
As always, remember my favourite saying: Cameras don't take pictures, people do.
Digital options keep growing
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The options for recording and storing pictures keep growing for digital photographers. Shown here (clockwise from top left): 700MB CD-R, 128MB Compact Flash card, 4.7GB DVD-R, 100MB ZIP disk, 8 MB Smart Media card, 340MB Micro Drive, and 2GB JAZ disk. () |
The answer to all those good questions is, simply, no. Digital pictures (digital files) look the same when they are recorded on different media. I did mention that it's important to download pictures from a camera to a hard drive as soon as possible. After they are loaded on the hard drive, pictures should be saved on a CD-R, DVD-R, JAZ or ZIP disk. I also mentioned to my friend that pictures could be opened at a later date without a loss in quality -- if saved in the TIFF, Genuine Fractals or Photoshop format (JPEG files lose quality when they are repeatedly opened).
I went on to explain that storage devices have a life -- as do prints. However, because digital imaging is still relatively new, tests thus far on how long digital images will last are inconclusive. Some experts say that the data on a CD-R and DVD-R will last 75-100 years, and that files on JAZ and ZIP drives might last a few years less.
In my opinion, I said, storage life isn't really relevant. That's because the aforementioned storage devices probably will not be around in the next century -- going the way of the 3.5-inch floppy disk, a storage device that used to be popular, but one that can't be used with some newer computers.
Not to worry, I said. The change in technology will not come overnight; there will be devices that let you transfer old images to new storage devices in the future. (You can still buy 3.5 disks and accessory 3.5 drives for new computers that fit into USB ports.)
One thing I stressed is storage capacity. All too often, people buy storage devices that don't hold enough pictures (don't have enough memory). I recommend going for the largest capacity memory device you can afford. After all, if you don't have enough memory, you might not be able to record all your memories.
In most cases, a 64MB memory card has enough storage capacity for a family vacation; at the high/best setting on a digital camera, you'd get around 64 pictures -- that's 1MB per picture. For serious picture-takers, I suggest a 128MB or 192MB in-camera storage device.
When it comes to storing pictures at home, CD-Rs, with 700MB of space, are practicable for those who want to store lots of pictures in one place. A DVD-R, with 4.7GB of space, will hold more pictures than you'd take while your child is growing up.
JAZ disks, with 2GB of space, will probably hold more pictures than you'd take in a year. Therefore, for most family digital photographers, I recommend a 100MB ZIP disk as a storage device -- using one disk a year to store family memories.
Happy shooting, and saving and storing your digital pictures.
Things to know when the light gets low
Parents and professional photographers often encounter challenging lighting situations. Perhaps the most common involve taking pictures indoors when the lights are low: at concerts and plays, in living rooms, during indoor soccer and basketball games, at dusk and so on.
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This jaguar was photographed in captivity at a zoo in Belize. Because the animal was in the shade and the light level was low, fast film was used. (AP Photo, Rick Sammon) |
Sounds familiar? If so, here are a few tips how to get good pictures, even in the dark.
Use fast film for natural light pictures. Today's consumer fast films - ISO 800 and 1000 - produce much better pictures than the fast films of just a few years ago. So don't be afraid of having too much grain in your pictures. These films are more sensitive to light than slower film, which means you can use them in low-light situations.
The faster the film, the lower the light level in which you can shoot. In many cases, ISO 800 or 1000 film will do the job. In very low-light situations, you may need ISO 1600 or even ISO 3200 film. For very important pictures, your best bet is to be prepared.
Turn up the light. When it's possible, turn on additional lights to increase the light level. You can also increase the amount of light illuminating your subject by asking him or her to stand closer to the main light source.
Select a fast lens. If you plan to do a lot of low-light photography and if you own an SLR, a fast lens is a great accessory. Fast lenses have wide apertures, such as f-1.4, f-2.8. They let more light into your camera than say a lens with a smaller f-stop, f-4.5 or f-5.6 are common maximum apertures on zoom lenses.
Steady as you shoot. Taking pictures in low light often means using relatively slow shutter speeds. A good general rule to follow is this: don't handhold a lens at a shutter speed slower than the focal length of the lens.
For example, use a shutter speed of 1-100th of a second or higher when using a 100 mm lens. No matter what shutter speed you use, hold your camera as steady as possible during exposure. Leaning against a wall or table or pole, or using a tripod, helps to steady your camera, too.
Activate your flash. When the light level is too low for a handheld or natural light picture, you'll need to use a flash. Flash pictures look more harsh than natural light pictures, but a harsh picture is better than no picture at all.
Fast film can come in handy for flash pictures, too. Because it is more sensitive to light than slower films, fast film can, in effect, extend the range of your in-camera or on-camera flash.
Use a flash extender. Professional wildlife photographers use a device called a flash extender to increase their working flash-to-subject distance. An extender fits over an accessory flash and basically increases the flash power.
So don't give up when the lights get low. Get out your camera and get ready to take great pictures.
Use a flash outdoors for better results
When amateur photographers ask me for my best photography tip, I often say, "Think flashy outdoor pictures." In other words, use your flash outdoors.
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A flash was used in broad daylight to fill in the dark shadow on this Moroccan man's face. The shadow was caused by the wide-brim hat he is wearing. () |
Remember that these are not strict rules. Although many camera manufacturers promote an automatic fill-in flash, some adjustments are often necessary for picture-perfect results. Usually, if you fill the frame with a subject, your fill-in flash will work perfectly. If you don't fill the frame, the flash will try to light up the background, which may cause an overexposed subject in the foreground.
If you use print film, you have a better chance of getting good daylight fill-in flash pictures. That's because print film is much more forgiving than slide film. Your exposure can be off and you'll still get a good picture.
Top-of-the-line flash units offer a variable flash-output control, which lets you fine-tune your flash to match the daylight. Using the flash-output control takes some practice, but you get great results. That's why every professional I know has one.
Low-end cameras, including one-time-use cameras, don't offer fill-in flash, but you can simulate the feature quite easily. All you have to do is take a flash picture and then, before the flash is fully recharged (indicated by a ready light), take your next picture.
Because the flash has not fully recharged, only a bit of light will be delivered. With some practice, the result can be a nice daylight fill-in flash picture.
So the next time you are taking pictures outdoors, think flashy pictures. That said, don't always use a flash for outdoor pictures. Sometimes, nothing beats a picture with natural light. Even if your subject is too dark or off-colour in the picture, you can correct it in the digital darkroom with a basic image-enhancement program.
Filters have gone from cameras to computers
Creative and correction filters have long been an important accessory for professional photographers. For example, pros have used filters to darken a blue or overcast sky, to add a soft touch to portraits, to correct the colour in poor lighting conditions, and to add a colour tint to a portfolio.
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Two weeks after this picture of two camels was taken in India, an in-computer digital graduated filter was used to darken the overexposed sky. The sunburst, too, was added afterward with a few clicks of a computer mouse. () |
Today, traditional filters are still popular. But filter use is no longer limited to the camera lens. Many of the effects created by traditional creative and correction filters, plus new innovative creative filters, can be used to enhance pictures at home in the comfort of the digital darkroom. Digital filters are available in what's called a plug-in for a digital imaging program.
Joe Farace, digital artist and author of Plug-in Smart, says digital filters are part of a software class called plug-ins. After installation in a digital enhancement program, they are plugged-into and become a functional part of it.
Once installed, a plug-in allows the program to accomplish something it couldn't normally do. Adobe Photoshop created the original plug-in standard, but compatible filters can be used in many other imaging programs including Adobe's PhotoDeluxe, Corel Photo-Paint and JASC's Paint Shop Pro.
Here is a look at just a few of the plug-ins for digital imaging programs.
Eye Candy. (www.alienskin.com). Effects include adding motion streaks, flames, smoke, shadows and even a melting effect to objects in a scene. You can also add a drip, chrome and cutout effect to a selected object or text.
Nik Color Efex Pro! (www.tech-nik.com). Dozens of user-controlled creative and correction filters are available in this program. You control the degree of the effect on picture. Filters include: graduated, colour tint and bicolour -- all in several colours. There are also several midnight filters, which make pictures look like they were taken at midnight, and a sunshine filter, which makes pictures taken on overcast days look like they were taken on sunny days.
PhotoGraphic Edges (www.autofx.com). Simple as it sounds, a creative edge can greatly enhance a picture. Edge filters, some of which look like torn paper, are available from rough to soft.
Photoshop (www.adobe.com). Adobe Photoshop offers one of the most extensive ranges of user-controlled filters. They include a wide range of artist brush, pen and pencil filters. Photoshop also offers a lighting direction filter that lets you control the direction of the lighting in a picture. There is also a lens flare filter that lets you add lens flare to a scene.
Test Strip (www.vividdetails.com). This plug-in creates the kind of test strips photographers have long produced in traditional darkrooms. What's more, it offers a metamorphosis feature that improves an image based on user's response to a series of side-by-side, on-screen comparison images that are generated from the original photograph.
No doubt digital filters, like traditional filters, are fun to use. However, like traditional filters, if you use any one of them too much, all your pictures will start to look alike. So, even though you may be awed at first by a particular effect, use it sparingly. Try as many filters as you can -- and have fun creating your own works of art.
Cameras need TLC
My wife, Susan, and I recently returned from a trip to India. During our 10-day jaunt we took pictures of people, palaces, forts, temples, mosques and mausoleums in eight cities. We photographed cityscapes and landscapes, including the magnificent sand dunes of Rajasthan. In effect, we followed National Geographic photographer Chris John's advice: "Photograph what you see, photograph what you feel."
Taking pictures, however, was only one part of our photo experience. Caring for our cameras, accessories and film was important, too. After all, if our gear was not in excellent shape, we might have missed or ruined one or several important pictures.
For those of you who may take a photography trip this year, here is a look at some of our TLC (tender, loving care) gear guidelines:
Camera bags. Look for two features in a bag: Protection for your gear and comfort for you. We travel with padded backpack and shoulder bags that fit under the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment. Both have built-in raincoats, plastic covers that pull out when needed.
We always travel with plastic sandwich bags for our cameras. The plastic bags protect our cameras from salt spray at the beach, sand in the desert and rain in the rain forest.
Camera system. Try to travel as light as possible, taking only the lenses and accessories you really need, and perhaps some backup gear. Too much gear can slow you down in the field. Basically, you want a wide-angle lens or zoom for landscapes and cityscapes, and a telephoto lens or telephoto zoom for people and wildlife photography.
A flash is important for interior and daylight fill-in flash pictures. And of course, you'll need power for your system, which means packing an extra battery or batteries.
Another important item in our system is our camera cleaning kit: lens cloth, soft cloth, fine-hair brush and lens cleaning fluid. We cleaned our cameras every night, because a single grain of sand or grit in the film chamber can scratch an entire roll of film.
I also carry a soft cloth in my pocket for wiping my lens from time to time. I picked it up at the local eyeglass store. (I never leave home without it.)
Honlapjaim jegyzéke. |
Tegyél a kedvenceidhez |
Gallery
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When photographing this sunset scene in Rajasthan, India, the camera was kept in a plastic sandwich bag with the lens protruding through the bag's opening. This prevented blowing sand from getting into the camera. (AP Photo, Rick Sammon) |
For those of you who may take a photography trip this year, here is a look at some of our TLC (tender, loving care) gear guidelines:
We always travel with plastic sandwich bags for our cameras. The plastic bags protect our cameras from salt spray at the beach, sand in the desert and rain in the rain forest.
A flash is important for interior and daylight fill-in flash pictures. And of course, you'll need power for your system, which means packing an extra battery or batteries.
Another important item in our system is our camera cleaning kit: lens cloth, soft cloth, fine-hair brush and lens cleaning fluid. We cleaned our cameras every night, because a single grain of sand or grit in the film chamber can scratch an entire roll of film.
I also carry a soft cloth in my pocket for wiping my lens from time to time. I picked it up at the local eyeglass store. (I never leave home without it.)
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E-mail: aebt@chello.hu
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