Digital Photography 101
Of all the industries forever changed by the rise of the internet and digital technology, the photo industry has probably been one of the most radically changed forever. Can you remember the last time you took a roll of film to the drug store for developing? Yeah, we can't either.
If you are still taking shots on that old film camera your dad gave you when you were 12, the same one he got as a graduation gift back in the day, then it's high time you moved into the 21st Century. There are so many cool things you can do with your images now, that it would be a shame to limit yourself.
The first thing you'll have to do is get a digital camera, and it's easy to get bogged down by so many choices. Thankfully, the makers of digital cameras have gotten most of the kinks out of their products, so you can buy pretty much any brand of camera and get excellent shots. Whether you choose a simple point and shoot or a more advanced SLR with changeable lenses depends on how much you want to use your camera and what you want to do with your images after you take them.
If all you'll ever want to print is the standard 4"x6" print with the occasional enlargement to 5"x7", then pretty much any camera with at least 3 megapixels will do. For 8"x10" or larger print, you will probably want to go with at least 8 megapixels or more. Beyond that, it just depends on the features you want. Checking out a digital camera review site should help you narrow down your choices.
Once you have the images on your camera, you'll want to get a simple photo editing program to really make the shots pop. Relatively inexpensive software programs like Image Doctor 2, ACDSee Photo Editor 4.0, or Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 make covering up mistakes like blurring and red-eye a cinch to fix, plus they'll allow you to tweak colors and contrasts to turn a simple snapshot into a work of art.
When you are ready to flaunt your snaps, you can upload them to any one of numerous photo hosting sites such as Flickr, PhotoBucket, or ShutterFly. These sites will help you set up collections of your best work to share with others, plus they also offer printing of your shots that's even more effortless than visiting the local drugstore.
Of course, if you want to exercise the maximum amount of control over the printing of you photos -- or simply want to save some cash in the long run -- you can select an ink jet printer that will allow you to print your photos without ever leaving your desk.
With Christmas coming up, you'll be happy to know that there's more you can do with your photos then simply make prints of them. A simple Google search will yield a plethora of potential gifts: professionally-bound photo books to showcase your portfolio or even document that trip to Hawaii you took over spring break; photo mugs with your mug printed right on them; personalized calendars with a different photo for every month; or cool little business cards that show off 100 of your very best shots. You can even make a digital slide show that can be embedded into your blog or Facebook profile.
Oh, and check this out... you can even get one of those snazzy digital photo frames that can be loaded with all your best photos and displayed on your desk or bedside table. Sweet!
Whatever you end up doing with your snapshots, be sure to back up the originals just in case your hard drive crashes someday. There are all kinds of storage devices that can hold all your photos in a small space, so safeguard them for future generations!
-Guest columnist E. Ott
If you are still taking shots on that old film camera your dad gave you when you were 12, the same one he got as a graduation gift back in the day, then it's high time you moved into the 21st Century. There are so many cool things you can do with your images now, that it would be a shame to limit yourself.
The first thing you'll have to do is get a digital camera, and it's easy to get bogged down by so many choices. Thankfully, the makers of digital cameras have gotten most of the kinks out of their products, so you can buy pretty much any brand of camera and get excellent shots. Whether you choose a simple point and shoot or a more advanced SLR with changeable lenses depends on how much you want to use your camera and what you want to do with your images after you take them.
If all you'll ever want to print is the standard 4"x6" print with the occasional enlargement to 5"x7", then pretty much any camera with at least 3 megapixels will do. For 8"x10" or larger print, you will probably want to go with at least 8 megapixels or more. Beyond that, it just depends on the features you want. Checking out a digital camera review site should help you narrow down your choices.
Once you have the images on your camera, you'll want to get a simple photo editing program to really make the shots pop. Relatively inexpensive software programs like Image Doctor 2, ACDSee Photo Editor 4.0, or Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 make covering up mistakes like blurring and red-eye a cinch to fix, plus they'll allow you to tweak colors and contrasts to turn a simple snapshot into a work of art.
When you are ready to flaunt your snaps, you can upload them to any one of numerous photo hosting sites such as Flickr, PhotoBucket, or ShutterFly. These sites will help you set up collections of your best work to share with others, plus they also offer printing of your shots that's even more effortless than visiting the local drugstore.
Of course, if you want to exercise the maximum amount of control over the printing of you photos -- or simply want to save some cash in the long run -- you can select an ink jet printer that will allow you to print your photos without ever leaving your desk.
With Christmas coming up, you'll be happy to know that there's more you can do with your photos then simply make prints of them. A simple Google search will yield a plethora of potential gifts: professionally-bound photo books to showcase your portfolio or even document that trip to Hawaii you took over spring break; photo mugs with your mug printed right on them; personalized calendars with a different photo for every month; or cool little business cards that show off 100 of your very best shots. You can even make a digital slide show that can be embedded into your blog or Facebook profile.
Oh, and check this out... you can even get one of those snazzy digital photo frames that can be loaded with all your best photos and displayed on your desk or bedside table. Sweet!
Whatever you end up doing with your snapshots, be sure to back up the originals just in case your hard drive crashes someday. There are all kinds of storage devices that can hold all your photos in a small space, so safeguard them for future generations!
-Guest columnist E. Ott
Labels: academic photo editing software, ACDSee, adobe, digital camera, digital photo frames, photography, printing photos, storage devices
posted by SignMyShirt at
7:00 AM
