April Digital Photography FAQ

PC World's monthly digital photography FAQ answers some of the most interesting questions submitted by readers. For April, some of the digital photography questions answered deal with photographing dark subjects in bright lighting conditions, recovering lost digital photos from defective memory cards, and blurring the background when shooting digital photos. Also addressed is the effect of airport screenings on your digital camera and how fading batteries can influence your digital photos.

PC World readers can submit their own digital photography questions and the most interesting questions are rounded up at the end of the month.

Read Full Article - Frequently Asked Digital Photography Questions for April

Pull out a Digital Camera for Great Garden Pictures

Spring is always a great time for digital photographers. The colors and unique weather conditions create wonderful digital photo opportunities.

With signs of spring in the air, gardeners are getting ready to pick up their trowels and digital cameras. Blossoms in bud, an insect on a flower and dewdrops on a petal are just some of the pictures that can be taken with a digital camera.

"You can just capture the extraordinary," said Kim Thiel, 29, of Appleton. Thiel enjoys taking close-ups and many angles of flowers to see something with a completely different perspective. And with the variety of cameras available, capturing that moment in nature is a relatively simple process.

Read Full Article - Pull out a Digital Camera for Great Garden Pictures

Digital photography: You press the button, they do the rest

Digital photography has progressed tremendously over the past decade. Amazing new technology lets cameras make good on an old promise, writes Lucy Davies.

The sensational success of George Eastman's 1887 Kodak camera was matched only by the slogan he came up with to advertise it: "You press the button, we do the rest."

Suddenly, his public believed they could handle what had always been a cumbersome, complicated and messy process - the preserve of professionals - and photography became a mass-market business.

Curiously, digital photography will never be quite as effortless as the film kind - there's too much temptation to tweak and adjust the photo. But today's leading camera manufacturers have been taking Eastman's approach on board, producing an abundance of devices loaded with features designed to make photography simpler and more fun.

Read Full Article - Digital photography: You press the button, they do the rest

Photographing Waterfalls

Top 4 Mistakes made when Photographing Waterfalls and How to Correct Them

by Jennifer Clarkson

Waterfalls often make great subjects of photos, but it's very easy to get a bad result if you're not paying attention when you click the button. Here are the top 4 mistakes photographers make, and the easy ways to improve your shots!

Mistake #1: Setting your camera to auto-select aperture and shutter speed
Metering is something that cameras generally do very well. They begin to fail, however, when you start to introduce very white or very black subjects in an image. The reason for this is because humans see in 16-stops, whereas cameras "see" no more than 5-stops. This means that images with high contrast are not correctly exposed when left to the camera's automatic settings , if you have a lot of white in your subject of focus, the camera tends to make it grey in the final image, and correspondingly underexposes the rest of the image. Similarly, if you have a lot of black in your image, the camera tends to make the black turn out grey in the final image, thus overexposing the rest of the image.

Mistake #2: Photographing Waterfalls on a sunny day
Sunny days in the forest may be nice for close-up studies, but adding sun to a waterfall landscape is not a good idea , the range of light and dark is so extreme that your compositions will be washed out or hidden in blackness. The best time to head out for a waterfall shoot is on an overcast day, with or without rain.

Mistake #3: Shooting Waterfalls without a polarizing filter
In a nutshell, polarizing filters cut the glare. Wet surfaces tend to reflect the sky colour, so you'll actually need the polarizing filter more for rainy days where the sky colour is grey than for sunny days. But we've already agreed you shouldn't photography waterfalls on sunny days Removing glare from an image allows you to see the colourful world underneath the glare, and no amount of Photoshopping after your shoot will fix it.

Mistake #4: Leaving your waterfall site without trying to slow the water motion on camera
Let's face it, it's fun to try to make those ethereal shots of rapids or waterfalls where the movement of the water looks like silk. Why walk away from a waterfall if the conditions are right for taking such a shot? To capture water motion, experiment with these techniques.

• ensure the sky is overcast
  
• decrease your ISO setting to as low as possible
  
• consider enabled auto-bracketing on your camera, if you have it, or setting the exposure to 2/3 of a stop
  
• set your camera up on a tripod and frame your waterfall in the viewfinder
  
• lower your shutter speed to 1/15th of a second or less
  
• take a shot and check the histogram
  
• play with slower shutter speeds and different exposure bracketing
  

Metering and Exposure for Waterfall Photography
The idea is to meter off the part of your composition that would be closest to medium grey, should the image be turned to greyscale. If your waterfall is surrounded by lush forest, try metering off nearby green leaves or grass , never off the waterfall, and never off anything in shade. If you're photographing at dawn or dusk, meter off the sky. This will make the waterfall appear white, and the shady areas appear black. It's really very simple!

In automatic mode:
First, learn how to "lock" your camera's exposure so as to trick it into getting the right exposure. Enable bracketing if you've got it. Point your camera at the green leaves or dusky sky, and lock your exposure. Re-focus your camera on the waterfall, and click the button , this should tell your camera to expose the scene how we see it, and not what its algorithms have told it to do.

In manual mode:
Set your exposure to 2/3 of a stop. Point your camera at a spot nearby the waterfall that is neither bright nor dark. Set your aperture and shutter speed to whatever you prefer (see Mistake #4). Now point your lens at the waterfall and frame the scene in your viewfinder. Click the button and voila , beautiful exposure!





Author: Jennifer Clarkson is a Canadian photographer living in Ottawa. For a more information on exposure, aperture, and depth of field, please visit her website at Jennifer Clarkson Photography

Article source: Articlecat.com

Digital SLR Photography

How To Take Stunning, Lively And Ravishing Pictures

by Connie Fillmore

Photography is digital SLR photography, at least to any self-respecting photographer. Suggest otherwise, and he is sure to give you a piece of his mind and proceed to praise the virtues of digital SLR photography.

Digital SLR photography uses a digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera that uses a movable mirror placed between the lens and the film to project the image on to a focusing screen.

Digital SLR photography churns out the most amazingly realistic photographs, in fact much better than the ones turned out by the conventional fixed lens cameras. But its prime appeal to photographers, both amateur and professional, is in the fact that he can work out a large amount of control over how his pictures end up as.

Digital SLR photography is all about customized photographs that are stunning to look at, to say the least. This is because the cameras come with extremely good lenses. This is why the discerning photographers are not miserly about getting a lens, frightfully expensive they may be.

However, digital SLR photography enthusiasts should never think that a swanky Nikon or a Canon is the passport to great photography. The apparatus notwithstanding, good photography depends a lot on the skills of the person brandishing the camera. The basics of digital SLR photography are not hard to pick up.

The first and foremost tip about digital SLR photography is to equip yourself with the nitty-gritty of lighting. If you are shooting outdoors during the day it is best to have the sun directly behind you. It is also essential that your subject also does not have to face the sun so that he has to squint. You should know that the best time to film landscapes, buildings and outdoor portraits is either dawn or the twilight hours.

If you want to impart the warmth of the rising or setting sun to your midday photo shoot, then a skylight or a warm filter is your key.

Tips to great digital SLR photography insist on maintaining control over the camera's flash property. To be precise, don't have your camera have the last word about where the flash should come on. Take the reins yourself and ensure that your photograph subjects are not lost in a maze of bright light.

Good photography, digital or analog, SLR or otherwise, is all about being able to use the filters right. You never know when that polarizer or the gradual filter or the skylight/UV filter might come to your rescue at times when the light situations are tricky.

The Macro Mode atop the camera just happens to be the most underrated and under-used feature. But unknown to many, this mode is great for taking enchanting close-ups of tiny objects.

Realistic and stunning digital photography is actually the norm with plethora of controls that come with modern day digital SLR cameras. And photography tips harp on tinkering with the controls to get a hang of the controls and the outcomes they produce.

Experimenting for instance, with really slow (30 seconds) extremely fast (1000th-8000th/second) shutter speeds can produce dramatic results. The ISO setting is another area for experimentation. In fact, high ISO values come in quite handy when you cannot use a flash in low light situations.

Get well up on your digital SLR photography tips and tricks and shoot at sight willingly.

Photography 101: The Truth About Pixels

Picture Elements
A pixel, short for picture element, is a single point in a digital photo. Usually represented as a dot or square, a pixel is the smallest single component of an image, and has its own color and brightness. A large number of these pixels make up the digital photo, and the more pixels that make up the image, the sharper it normally is. The resolution of a digital photo is a measure of the number of pixels that make it up. A megapixel is equal to one million pixels. More pixels allows a digital photo to be enlarged for viewing or printing without becoming grainy.

Megapixel War
In the world of digital photography, pixels are probably the most important specification for digital cameras, with manufacturers vying to produce higher resolution digital cameras. The first digital cameras had less than 1 megapixel resolution. Most of the digital cameras available today have at least 5 megapixels, while many of the latest digital cameras have 10 megapixel resolutions.

But whether or not you really need these high resolutions is questionable, with a 3 megapixel digital photo being enough to print a good quality 8" x 10" photo. Taking digital photos at higher resolutions also increases their storage size, thereby reducing the number of shots that can be stored on your memory card.

Digital Photo Printing Guide
The table below shows the quality of prints you can expect from a digital photo with a given resolution.

Megapixels	Good quality photos	Best quality photos
1 MP	5" x 7"	Wallet
2 MP	8" x 10"	4" x 6"
3 MP	8" x 10"	5" x 7"
4 MP	11" x 14"	5" x 7"
5 MP	11" x 14"	5" x 7"
6-7 MP	16" x 20"	8" x 10"
8 MP	17" x 22"	8" x 10"
10 MP	20" x 30"	11" x 14"

Digital Photo Storage Guide
The table below shows the typical storage size of a digital photo with a given resolution.

Megapixels	Typical Image Size
4 MP	~1.35 MB
5 MP	~1.73 MB
6 MP	~2.13 MB
8 MP	~3.20 MB

Therefore, it is important to understand the digital photo resolution you really need, and optimize it for your needs. Unless you are planning to enlarge an image above 8" x 10", a 3 megapixel resolution should be more than sufficient. But having a camera for situations where you will need a high resolution image is handy. The best time to decide on the image resolution is when taking the photo, and digital cameras today allow for easily changing the photo resolution.

Manipulating Your Digital Photographs

Editing digital photographs to achieve the end results you envision can be both a satisfying as well as frustrating experience. The different software and tools available may overwhelm the novice but with a little instruction and experience, manipulating you digital photographs can be a rewarding hobby.

by Jason Cox

Browsing through envelopes of prints fresh from the drug store and then tossing them into a picture drawing is not going to work anymore, thank heavens.

As you begin to develop a strategy for culling, editing, storing, organizing and most importantly enjoying the mountain of images you will soon face, keep in mind that the goal is to end up with an effective retrieval system, not just a storage system.

Never, ever edit your original images. Always work on copies. Archive the originals for safe keeping in their original format. Absolutely nothings gained by converting camera-fresh JPEGs to a lossless format until you begin editing them.

Most digital photographs deserve at least a trial pass through your photo editors auto-balance, instant fix or general enhancement feature.

If you are new to post-processing, you can begin to get a feel for what works and what does not by noting what adjustments your auto-balance made to the good, the bad and the ugly results. Even a suboptimal auto-balance result can be a good starting point for your manual adjustments.

Most digital cameras come with computer software to edit and to organize your images. These programs will assist you in correcting and manipulating the brightness, sharpness and color of your photos. The possibilities for image editing and manipulation are limitless once you become acquainted with the program.

With your software, you can crop the photos to remove unnecessary background images and focus on the subject of the picture itself. You can also adjust the contrast, brightness, and colors to make the photo more eye-catching and appealing. Removing red eye is also possible with these programs. Plus, you can enlarge or reduce your photos at the touch of a button.

If your camera did not come with a program, you will have to go buy one. We recommend Photoshop. Its the most widely used program out there and provides you with lots of options when working with your pictures.

Many experts say that you really should not stick to only the software that came with your camera. When there are so many different software programs out there, you owe it to yourself to play around with them and find one that will give you the effects you are looking for.

What specifically are we talking about? Well, the photo imaging software can help you make your pictures look wonderful and you will be proud to share them with friends and family! Consider the following:

First, cameras do not take square pictures, they take rectangular pictures. If you forgot to rotate the camera before snapping, its alright. Rotate the picture to the left or right by a 90 degree angle.

In the rush to take a picture, getting the camera perfectly level is not always possible. That adds up to a photo where the horizon is slightly askew. What you need in this case is to rotate the picture a degree at a time. This feature is probably somewhere in the Edit or Image menus. Look for an option to rotate the picture and enter a small value like 1 degree to the left or the right depending on which way you need to adjust.

We did say that cropping is a huge benefit with image software. When you took the picture of your daughter on the swing, once you view it on your computer, you realize that you did not zoom enough and theres more trees in the picture than your daughter.

Use the image editors cropping tool to cut away the unwanted part of the picture and isolate the subject.

In most programs, this tool is in the Tool menu and it might look like a picture frame. You will click on the image (after clicking on the Crop icon) and hold your cursor down as you draw inside the picture to get rid of the background and leave the subject intact.

If your photo is too dark, you can adjust the brightness to give it some life. Try using your image editors gamma control. This is a tool that is designed to brighten the darkest parts of the picture without over-exposing the parts that are already bright. You can usually find the gamma control in menus like Color or Image.

Using your cameras flash can sometimes cause dreaded red eye in your pictures. Many programs today have a one click correct of red eye. Look for red eye removal somewhere in the Effects menu.

If your program does not have this feature, try zooming in on the subjects face and using a coloring feature to match the color of their eyes. When you zoom back out, you probably will not be able to tell the difference - unless you painted brown eyed Suzy,s eyes blue!

You can also use image editing programs to add a caption to your photos. This is helpful if you want to identify the people in the picture, the location, or the date. Look for a text tool, which is often the letter A. When choosing a font, choose a fat one because skinny ones are often hard to read in a digital picture.

If you want to e-mail photos to someone, be considerate to the recipient by resizing it. If you attach a bunch of huge 3mp images to an e-mail message, you can bog down their inbox with a huge file. The message will take forever to send and receive.

The image editor will allow you to resize the picture - usually under the Image menu. 640 x 480 pixels is good for e-mailing. If your digital camera takes pictures at this size, you will not have to resize. Keep in mind too that some programs will automatically resize pictures that are being e-mailed - like Windows XP.

Most of your picture files are given a default name containing strange numbers and symbols. Rename your files when you go to save them so that they are easily identifiable. Renaming will also help you avoid over-writing any files when you download more pictures.

There are also some fun effects that can be found in software programs to make your photos more interesting. To add some spark to your digital photos, you may want to consider adding a stylistic border or edge around the photo. Instead of the traditional rectangular photo, artistic edges can make your pictures stand out from the rest. While many effects can be done with a lot of work with your digital photo editing software, some software packages can automate this process.

Play around with blurring and layering. The best part about working with imaging software is that theres always an Undo button if you do not like what you see. Clicking on Undo will take your picture back to where you were before you started editing.

Remember, though, we very strongly suggest that you manipulate only copies of your pictures instead of the originals. You do not want to take the chance of ruining the one copy you have of a cherished moment.

You can also use this software to make a picture look old. How do you do that? Here is a step by step process:

1. Find a photo that works. Do not take a photo of your family next to a modern skyscraper. Great effects can be created with photos of country landscapes or of historical structures, such as cannons or log cabins.
2. Give your colors a brownish tint. If you have a color balance tool, you can do this by turning your reds and yellows up at the expense of blues. Or, if your image software supports duotone, give your image a brownish tone.
   
3. Reduce your images brightness and/or intensity. You want your photograph old and weathered and such images should not look bright and sunny.
   
4. Choose an Add Noise filter, if you have one, to your image. Most software programs should have this option.
   
5. Use your photo softwares Dust and Scratch tool, if applicable.
   
6. For a truly weathered look, see if your photo software has a rain, snow, or fog filter. Apply a few touches to the photograph to make it seem like it has seen better days.
   

In fact, digital photography opens up a whole new world for your memory preservation. Consider scrapbooking to save your photos.

Article Source: http://www.artsymmetry.com

What Digital Camera to Buy?

Tips to Help You Decide

Digital cameras toady are available in a variety of different brands, sizes, colors, zooms, resolutions, and other features. There are so many features available in today's digital cameras that many first time buyers become overwhelmed and have no clue which digital camera to buy.

So what should a beginner digital photographer look for when buying their first digital camera?

In order to answer this question let us pose a few more questions:

What Kind Of Pictures Will You Be Taking?
This is an important first step in deciding what digital camera to buy. If you are planning on becoming a professional photographer and will be taking high quality shots to possibly sell, any old digital camera will not do. You will have to pay careful attention to the types of features you will need like resolution, megapixels, zooming, etc.

If you are a casual photographer and simply want a descent camera to share with friends and family then you may not need a bunch of fancy gadgets and features.

What Is Your Budget?
No matter what your needs and wants are as a photographer your finances will ultimately dictate what type of camera you can afford. Set a budget and stick to it.

What Resources Will You Need?
Depending on the digital camera that you purchase, you may need additional resources to use it to its full potential. If you plan on doing any photo editing or printing, you will need a computer and a printer that is compatible with your camera and software. The editing software is usually included with your digital camera but other devices like memory cards are usually not.

What Resolution Will You Require On Your Digital Camera?
Before you buy your first digital camera make sure you learn more about its capacity to produce high quality images. This is determined by the number of megapixels the camera has. The more pixels, the higher the resolution. This is important because you want your images to retain their quality when you enlarge them.

How Much Memory Will You Need?
You will need a memory card for your digital camera in order to store your pictures. When you buy a digital camera, make sure it has a card slot for external and additional memory. This allows you to change full memory cards conveniently while shooting your pictures.

What About The Look And Feel Of Your Camera?
Buy a camera that you are comfortable holding while taking pictures. So before you actually purchase your digital camera, make certain that you actually pick up and test each camera. Consider where the buttons are located and how they are spaced out and see also if you feel comfortable using the view finder. See how heavy it feels around your neck as well.

What about the battery life of your digital camera?
Digital cameras use up battery life rather quickly and batteries are not exactly cheap. Make sure you purchase a camera that uses rechargeable batteries, this way you can get multiple usage out of your batteries. Take also into consideration an AC adapter when you buy a digital camera. You can attach this to the camera when you are viewing your pictures or uploading them.

What about the LCD screen?
The LCD is a small screen usually located on the back of the camera. You can use the LCD screen instead of looking through the traditional tiny viewer. The LCD screen also enables you to preview pictures that you have already taken. There is a drawback to using an LCD screen however, as it does use up a lot of battery power.

Do you need any special features?
You should consider whether or not you will need any special features on your camera. This all depends on what type of pictures you plan on taking. If you want your camera to have good zooming capabilities, you can opt for those with optical zoom lenses. Other features such as remote control, tripods, etc. Can also be considered when you buy a digital camera. Be careful though. The more features you have on a digital camera, the more difficult it will be to figure out and use.

With this information I do hope you will be able to figure out what you need before you buy your digital camera. I feel the most important thing is to be patient. Take your time shopping and researching. Learn everything there is to know about the features of digital cameras and what you really need.

Once you narrow down your choices to a few different models, look for the best possible price. There are many different digital camera sellers online and off. But don't buy a digital camera from just anyone. Make sure the seller has a good customer service history as well as good prices. Best of luck in figuring out what digital camera to buy!

About the Author: Ralph Serpe is an avid digital photographer and artist.

When is a Tripod Really Necessary for Digital Cameras?

The average digital photographer owns a point and shoot digital camera. These cameras are capable of capturing great images and many even allow users to select an appropriate scene mode to make automatic exposure and shutter speed adjustments without the hassle of true manual controls. In some shooting situations however, adjusting the digital camera settings, automatic or otherwise, may not be all that is needed for a great shot.

In many instances a steady camera is necessary, especially when shutter speed is adjusted or minor movements can be accentuated. Simply put, a camera tripod becomes more of a necessity in special situations which the average user may encounter.

Night-time Shots
When shooting at dusk or at night, available natural lighting is obviously reduced. A flash is extremely limited in its range and is generally not a good tool to use in such situations. To get more light into the lens, the digital camera will adjust exposure and perhaps shutter speed when set to the Night setting. With a slower shutter speed comes the risk of introducing more digital camera shake which results in unwanted blurring. Using a tripod during shots taken with a digital camera set on the 'Night' setting reduces the inadvertent camera movement and improves picture quality.

Close up Shots
For those who wish to photograph objects, insects, or other items within just a few feet, the risk of blurring is also increased. Minor movements that might otherwise be imperceptible become much more evident in the resulting image. Again, using a tripod can help to reduce unwanted movement of the digital camera although care must also be taken to assure the subject and items in the background remain stationary as much as possible.

Self Portraits
Many point and shoot digital cameras allow the user to set the timer in order to allow them to include themselves in shots. This is a great feature but certainly getting a level and steady surface for the digital camera to rest on is critical for good quality image. Again, use of a tripod is the best bet. Aside from stability and a level surface, a tripod offers adjustable legs and a head that allows further movement to assure that framing is perfect for the shot.

Action Shots
Not all action shots require a tripod but if the user wishes to pan with the movement it certainly makes the task much easier. Panning without a tripod is certainly possible but requires some practice. Camcorders, even more than digital cameras, benefit from the use of a tripod in such instances.

Enlargements
Many digital photos may look good initially but when enlarged any imperfections can be accentuated. This is certainly true with any blurring. What is either imperceptible or minor in a 4x6 print may be a significant defect in an 8x10 enlargement.

Home photographers may have a great digital camera but a tripod is often a tool that turns mediocre pictures into the clear, outstanding images that draws the acclaim of friends and family.

by Christine Peppler

Digital Camera Accessories - Cover The Bases

By: Idan Lavi

There is no denying the fact that digital cameras haven taken the world by storm in the last decade. As technology continues to develop and pictures taken on them prove incredible, the amount of digital camera accessories to make your photos even better is really on the rise. Where only a few extras used to be available, digital camera enthusiasts are finding a whole host of choices these day. Some of these accessories are essentials, while others just make digital photography more convenient.

Must Haves

Extra Memory

With digital cameras offering such ease in shooting, those who want to take high-quality pictures find themselves tearing through memory cards rather quickly. These digital camera accessories are generally pretty affordable and are more than easy to carry. Typically the size of postage stamp or just slightly larger, extra memory cards can be used by anyone from the professional shooter to the amateur on vacation.

Spare Batteries

It might be hard to consider these as an accessory, but the fact is many who own these cameras do. While most digital camera batteries can last a long time, when they run out in the middle of a vacation or a particularly fun shoot, it can be really irritating. Having a spare set can really come in handy. It`s best to consider rechargeable spares to save on replacement costs down the road.

Weatherproof Camera Bag

When it comes to digital camera accessories, this one is a must have for anyone that intends to take their camera outside, ever. Providing protection from bad weather and drops alike, these accessories aren`t very expensive either and they can help store those extra batteries and memory cards, too.

Love To Haves

Lighting mechanisms

This particular class of digital camera accessory might almost fit into the must have list. While most digital cameras take very good pictures, there onboard flashes tend to leave a lot to be desired. There are all kind of lighting mechanisms that are available that can remedy this. Some are designed to work with specific cameras and others are standalones that can assist in any photography setting. These are great for anyone who wants to take spectacular shots to consider.

Tripods

When it comes to digital camera accessories, this is one any serious shooter might want to consider. These help take away the shake that`s involved in some settings and can really help create spectacular images.

Extra Lenses

Not all cameras will accept these digital camera accessories, but those that do can really benefit from zoom lenses. Providing a way to really turn a digital into an all-purpose camera, lenses should be considered by those who can use them.

When it comes to digital camera accessories, the options are becoming amazing. The above is just a small list of those available. While not everyone will need many digital camera accessories to take the pictures they want, it`s nice to know options are out there

Artistic Digital Photography

In time, photography experts have tried to revolutionize the ever growing popularity of the digital age. In fact, nowadays, many who consider themselves true photographers still prefer manual cameras with traditional film over the digital camera. Nevertheless, an increasing number of artists have perfectly realized that the new technology of today can also be used to create art in a new way in addition to some other practical purposes. This is a way that would not be available if not for our digital age.

Of course, artistic digital photography, like traditional photographic art, takes a special kind of camera. That is not to say that amateurs cannot create art with a standard point and shoot digital camera, but rather, that those who are serious about digital photography as an art form prefer a specific type of camera: the digital single-lens reflex or dSLR. A dSLR is really nothing more than a duplication of the traditional manual version, the SLR. It operates on the same principles, with one obvious difference: a SLR would have film; whereas a dSLR has what is called an image sensor called a CCD or CMOS.

But what makes dSLR's and SLR's different from other cameras in general? Well, a traditional camera makes use of an off axis viewfinder (mounted above or to the side of the actual image the lens "sees") that can distort the image you see and want to capture, creating what is called "parallax". With an SLR, this is remedied by using an internal prism to project the same image seen in the lens up and onto the viewfinder, by passing the parallax distortion that occurs in other cameras.

Since artists have generally preferred the accuracy of SLR's, the inception and growing adoption of their digital counterparts has made artistic digital photography spark from an ember to a roaring bonfire of popularity. Because of the manual functionality inherent in most models and the speed, a dSLR camera is preferred by many over a digital camera. Enough with the technical banter. Put simply, as digital cameras swiftly become faster and allow higher resolution, their following in the artistic world grows. In fact, at this point in time, digital cameras are even beginning to surpass their manual predecessors, something that some traditional photographers can scarcely believe to be true.

Of course, digital photography does have its downsides when compared to traditional film, but it also has its perks. The digital side actually has greater technological advantages than what many believe. With digital image filters, special processors and incredibly powerful computer based editing tools, an artist can truly make pixels come alive in a whole new way with digital photography. With traditional film, an artist must spend hours in a darkroom, processing film and mixing chemicals in order to turn out the print that they are looking for.

With digital film editing tools, the need for the complex development process is all but gone: a digital photographer need only upload his images to a computer and he is then free to edit them to his hearts content: complex processes such as cropping, light filters, rotating, highlighting, color spectrum adjustments, and layering can all be done with the click of a mouse.

Whether you are an amateur photographer who wants to make the most of their hobby or a professional artist who needs control, speed and accuracy as well as editing ability, artistic digital photography can turn simple images on an internal processor into stunning, compelling art. So what are you waiting for? Get that freedom and power from digital photography and start creating the art that you've always wanted.

About the Author: Tracy Hargraves is a photography and fine arts enthusiast. Tracy represents a group of professional portrait artists who create oil paintings from your photo, at Portrait Kingdom.

Getting The Correct Exposure in Wildlife Digital Photography

The exposure of a digital photograph is affected by the camera's aperture, shutter speed, sensor ISO rating, and of course the amount of light in the scene being photographed. An incorrect exposure will turn an otherwise well composed wildlife image into something mediocre and at worst completely ruin a shot.

All digital cameras have an automatic exposure setting, so it may seem that exposure is something that is best left up to the camera. It's certainly true that in some situations your camera's automatic exposure system will produce properly exposed shots, but there are also many situations where it will not.

Automatic exposure systems only tend to work well when a scene and the subject animal consist mainly of mid-tones. This is because automatic exposure averages out the exposure of the scene as a whole, achieving an overall exposure equivalent to if the scene was a uniform mid-tone grey. Since virtually no real world scenes consist of purely mid-tone grey, this can mean that your wildlife photos may end up incorrectly exposed if you rely purely on your camera's default exposure settings.

Scenes that consist of mainly very pale colours will come out underexposed (such as a pale animal in the snow) and scenes with very dark colours will come out overexposed. Furthermore, pale animals against dark backgrounds may be overexposed and dark animals against pale backgrounds may be underexposed. Animals with pied markings such as puffins or magpies will usually have their white areas overexposed. Therefore it is often necessary in wildlife photography to adjust your camera's default settings to correctly expose your shots.

Exposure Settings

Prosumer and DSLR cameras have three main light metering modes available:

• Multi-Segment or Matrix - this is a camera's default automatic exposure mode. This divides the image into a number of segments and averages out the exposure for the scene as a whole. This mode can work well for frame filling close-ups of animals and for wider shots of scenes consisting of mainly mid-tones, but as explained in the previous section, this mode will often produce incorrectly exposed images when the scene has significant areas of extreme light or dark.
  
• Spot Metering - in this mode the camera bases its exposure value on a single point in the image (usually the centre of the image, but this point can be adjusted on most cameras). This is a useful mode for wildlife photography as it often can enable you to achieve the correct exposure for the subject animal. Spot metering should however be used with care as the light readings can vary significantly depending on where you point the camera - it is best to choose a point on your subject that has a mid-tone.
  
• Centre-Weighted - like multi-segment metering this takes an average of the scene as a whole, but in this mode more importance is given to the centre of the image in the averaging process, meaning that the camera tries to ensure the centre of the image is correctly exposed. This is another good setting for wildlife photography that unlike spot metering is less sensitive to variations in scene brightness. As centre-weighted metering still uses as form of averaging it can still however produce incorrect exposure if the centre of the image contains extremes of light or dark.
  

If you find your camera's metering doesn't produce good results for a given scene (e.g. when your subject animal is very light of dark) you can use the manual EV Compensation (Exposure Value Compensation) setting on your camera to adjust the exposure it will use. For example, without EV compensation a spot-metered or centre-weighted picture of a white swan is likely to come out underexposed (as the camera tries to achieve a mid-tone grey for the swan's white plumage). By setting your camera to a positive EV Compensation (you may need to use a little trial and error to find the exact amount of compensation required) you'll be able to get a picture where the swan's plumage is exposed correctly.

Another trick you can use to get the correct exposure is to use the exposure bracketing function on your camera. In this mode the camera takes three shots at different exposure settings, one at the camera's recommended exposure, one slightly underexposed and one slightly overexposed, increasing the likelihood that one will be correctly exposed. It should be noted that as bracketing takes multiple exposures it is not particularly suitable for shooting animals in action since the animal is likely to move between exposures making each bracketed shot different, and unless you are very lucky, the best exposed shot might not be the shot with the animal in the best position.

Checking For Correct Exposure

You may be tempted to try and check the exposure of a picture after you have taken it by viewing it on your camera's screen. While this may give you rough idea, it is not very reliable as a screen's brightness can vary and the ambient lighting conditions can affect how an image appears on the screen. A far more reliable way of assessing exposure is to look at your camera's histogram. The histogram is a graph showing the distribution of tones from light to dark in an image. For most shots you want a bell shaped histogram with the majority of pixels towards the middle of the graph, although this does not necessarily hold true for pictures that have significant light or dark areas.

Another feature most cameras provide for checking exposure is an image playback mode where the massively overexposed parts of the image flash on screen. Massively overexposed means a region of an image is so overexposed that it has gone to pure white - this is referred to as clipped or burned out.

Overexposure to the point where significant portions of the image are clipped is something you should avoid at all costs in your digital photography. Once a portion of an image is clipped all information in that part of the image is lost - nothing can be done in tools like Photoshop to recover it. It should be noted here that it is fine to clip specular highlights, for example caused by the sun reflecting in the animal's eyes, but clipping large areas of detail should always be avoided.

The problems associated with clipping mean that it is generally safer to slightly underexpose a digital image than it is to overexpose it, as this will retain more detail in the highlights. Underexposed images can be corrected easily in tools like Photoshop, but if an image is significantly underexposed the corrected image will have an undesirable grainy texture called 'noise'. Slight overexposure can also be corrected in Photoshop but only when clipping hasn't occurred.

About the Author: Ben Juby is a wildlife photography enthusiast and freelance web developer. More wildlife photography tips and wildlife photography articles are available at his website.

Zen Photography - Being At One with Your Camera

Back in the summer of 1979, I met a man who automatically did everything that was manual with his photography. He set the film speed, shutter speed, and f-stop for every photograph he took. While this is not totally unheard of, as far as I could tell he never used a light meter. He was at a point in his life where he was so used to taking photographs that he could "feel" what was right for a given light situation.

We were out shooting in the California desert one day when the battery in my camera had died and I had forgotten to pack a spare. He noticed that I stopped taking pictures. Without lifting his eye from the viewfinder, he commented, "Go ahead, it’s about a plus two." I stared at him blankly. I had no idea what he meant.

Eventually, he stopped what he was doing and explained. I was shooting ASA speed film of 125, so that was also my starting shutter speed. When shooting totally manual the rule is simple: film speed = shutter speed + f-16. What he told me about "plus two" was that the rule is designed to give you an average reading for average light; since we were shooting in brighter than average light, I should increase the f-stops by two. So, my ideal exposure in that given light; was 125 shutter speed, with an f-stop of f-32.

I felt embarrassed to say, "But this lens doesn’t have an f-32, it only goes up to f-22."

He glanced at me briefly like he thought I was kidding, and then softly replied, "You have two settings don’t you?" I nodded my head, so he raised an eyebrow and said, "Then change the other one."

I took my shot at 250 shutter speed and f-22. It came out great and I was totally amazed. It took me some time to realize what he was doing. Basically, he was bracketing in his head. He had already taken so many thousands of shots, that he knew what the camera considered as an average light scene, and he adjusted up or down from there.

He was also aware enough to remember there are (at least) two major controls in every shot. I had gotten lazy; I was used to shooting in aperture mode, where I pick the f-stop and the camera does the rest. But as he pointed out, shutter speed and f-stops are like the clutch and gas petal in a car. They have to work together, to be effective.

So what does this have to do with today’s high tech digital world? Everything. If you are shooting a very light skinned person and you want your photo to be realistic, what should you do? Remember that your camera exposes for 18% gray (an average reading). You might want to give your subject more light than what the meter suggest.

On the other hand, say you are doing a very dramatic close-up of a flower, and part of what attracted you was the deep dramatic shadows of the existing light. If you just shoot with what your camera tells you, those shadows are going to seem flat. Why, because you are never going to get a true rich black in your picture, unless you adjust for it.

Some of today’s high end digitals are actually going back and adding more manual control, if you can imagine that. Some now have multiple metering modes. (A spot meter for example reads a much smaller area and thus gives you more creative options.) Some cameras that appear totally automatic include manual options, like auto bracketing. This gives you not only what the meter suggests, but other shots both brighter and darker than the original as well.

Remember the old adage that says; "If you always do, what you’ve always done, you will always get the same results you have always gotten before." Yes; cameras today are getting more complicated than in days gone by, but that difference needs to be embraced not feared. Take one day a week, and do nothing but experiment with a new feature (like auto bracketing) and see how much more your camera can do for you than you ever realized. Become one with your camera. Know what it wants to do, but more importantly . . . know how to get the results that you want it to do as well.

About the Author: Award winning photographer Tedric Garrison has 30 years experience in photography. As a Graphic Art Major, he has a unique perspective on the Elements of Design and how those elements relate to all aspects of photography. Today, he shares his wealth of knowledge with the world at Better Photo Tips.

Nature Photography: Five Tips for Great Wildlife Photos

Wildlife photography falls under the category of nature photography, and encompasses the photographing of animal subjects. Photographing wildlife can be one of the most challenging and rewarding fields of nature photography. With digital cameras creating such widespread interest in photography in general, new photographers all over the world are taking an interest in wildlife photography.

Many photography guides these days focus on the technical aspects of the camera, but good photography relies more on composition, lighting, and sensitivity to your subject. Therefore, you can improve your photography by thinking creatively, not technically.

Here are five tips for taking better wildlife photographs.

Wildlife Photography Tip #1

Get to the subject's eye level. Wildlife photos are most effective if they create an intimate connection between the subject and the viewer. The best way to do this is to take your photo at the subject's eye level. This way, your wildlife photo can create the illusion of sharing a moment inside the world of the subject, rather than from the outside looking in.

If, for example, your subject is low to the ground (like a lizard, frog, or even a pet), crouch or lie flat, getting as low as possible so you can take your photo at the subject's eye level.

Wildlife Photography Tip #2

It's All In The Eyes. The personal connection mentioned in tip #1 is really about eye contact, so it is important to get the eyes right. If the eyes in your wildlife photo are sharp and clear, the photo will probably work. If they are out of focus, lost in shadow, or if the subject blinks or turns its eyes away, the connection will be lost, and the photo will almost certainly fail.

You don't even need your whole subject to be in focus. Your animal could be mostly hidden by leaves, in shadow and out of focus. The picture could still work...as long as the eyes are open and captured sharply in the picture.

Wildlife Photography Tip #3

If The Background Doesn't Help, Get Rid Of It. Many wildlife photos are spoiled because the background is cluttered, distracting, ugly, or just plain inappropriate. For example, seagulls on a beach can be quite beautiful, but seagulls at the local rubbish tip is a different matter. Also, wildlife photos look far less natural if you can tell they were taken in a zoo. Apply this principle: "Anything that does not make my photo better, makes it worse."

This does not mean you can't take a good wildlife photo at the zoo, at the tip, or anywhere else for that matter. You just need to manage it. If your background is spoiling your shot, zoom right in on the subject to eliminate as much of the background as possible. By zooming in, you will also reduce the depth of field to a minimum, so any background that does appear in your photo will be out of focus and less distracting.

Wildlife Photography Tip #4

If Your Background Is Working For You, Use It Well. A wildlife photograph that captures the subject in a beautiful natural setting can be even more effective than a simple close-up. My photos of a kangaroo on the beach, for example, show the subject in an unexpected context, making a more interesting image than a close-up portrait style photo.

If you take your wildlife subject as part of a wider landscape, you need to consider all the techniques of composition that apply to landscape photography. Remember the rule of thirds (which may or may not help) and be careful to position your animal so that the subject and the background work together to make a more effective composition. In particular, try to position your wildlife subject so that it looks toward the centre of the picture, not towards the edge of the frame.

Wildlife Photography Tip #5

Capture your subject in the best possible light. Even the most perfectly composed wildlife photo can fail because of bad lighting. Losing your subject in the shadows, glare reflecting off shiny feathers, and shadows across the face of the subject are all simple mistakes that can ruin a photo.

There is no single rule for lighting in a wildlife photograph, but here are some suggestions. I often find the best results when the sky is lightly overcast with thin cloud. This produces light that is bright, but soft and even compared to full sunlight. Your subject will be well illuminated, but you avoid harsh contrast and heavy shadows that rob the image of important detail.

If the weather is sunny, try to take your photos early and late in the day when the sun is low. At these times the light is soft and warmly coloured. It is also easier to catch the full face of your subject in sunlight, rather than half-obscured by shadow.

So there you have my five tips for wildlife photography. I could cheat and add tip #6: take lots of photos. Animals move, blink, flap their wings, and generally find ways to frustrate the wildlife photographer. Don't forget, with digital photography it costs you nothing to keep snapping. So practice, persevere, and try out these tips...you could be taking better photos in no time.

About the Author: Andrew Goodall's collection can be found at his Nature's Image Photographyhttp://www.naturesimage.com.au Andrew's ebooks have helped thousands of beginners learn the art and skills of nature photography.

Seven common mistakes when taking Digital Photos

By: Ziv Haparnas

You have probably taken photos before just to find out later that they did not come out as expected. Although digital cameras are getting smarter there are still a lot of decisions that the photographer has to make. There are also many mistakes that the photographer can make. Here are seven common ones.

Many mistakes can ruin a photo. Here is a list of seven common ones. The first step to avoid these is to understand what they are and why they ruin a photo. The second step is to be aware of them when shooting your photos.

Out of focus: An out of focus photo looks blurry and has low contrast. Usually such a photo is useless and can not be corrected. Most digital cameras can automatically set the focus for you and in most cases they choose the right focus for the scene. Some scenes however are harder to focus on and can fool the cameras auto focus mechanism. If you are using an SLR camera you can make sure that the objects are in focus by looking through the viewfinder. Most cameras sound a short beep when the focus is locked and also display a green rectangle around the area that they focused on. Always make sure that this area is where the objects that you care about are. For example if there are two objects in the scene in different distances from the camera make sure that the camera focused on the object you want.

Blurry photos: Blurry photos are most likely the result of camera shakes. Learn how to hold your camera to minimize shaking: it should be held firmly with two hands and it should touch your face. If you are shooting photos using slow shutter speeds you should use a sturdy tripod to prevent shaking. If you can not guarantee that the camera will be stable for example if you are shooting while youre moving set the camera to shutter priority and choose a fast shutter speed (assuming of course that the light conditions allow such setting) for example setting the shutter speed to anything faster than 1/250 of a second will most likely guarantee a non blurry photo even if the camera shakes a bit.

Underexposed: Photos that are underexposed look dark and lack details. The reason for underexposed photos is setting the exposure too low. Although the camera can measure ambient light and make the exposure decisions for you it can be confused by more complicated scenes. For example if there is a very bright light source in the photo it can confuse the camera to believe that there is enough light in the scene for a low exposure setting. The result will be a photo that captures the bright area but darkens all the others. Usually you can assume that scenes that have extreme lighting gaps between different areas confuse the camera for example if a quarter of the photo is very bright and the rest is very dark the camera is likely to set the wrong exposure. In such cases you can manually correct the exposure.

Overexposed: Photos that are overexposed have blown out areas and sometimes are completely saturated and white. The reasons for overexposed photos are similar to underexposed ones. The camera makes an exposure decision that is incorrect due to complicated scene conditions. In such scenes you can manually correct the exposure.

Shaded objects: A good example of shaded objects is when taking a portrait photo in daylight. The camera measures enough ambient light to set a low exposure value. Although there is enough ambient light shades can appear on the object depending on the angle of the light source relative to the object. For example if the objects face is lit from the side the objects nose can create shades. Or maybe if the object is wearing a hat and is lit from above the hat can create shades on the objects face. The camera can not automatically correct such shades. By understanding what causes shades you can easily eliminate them by turning on the fill-in flash. Firing the fill-in flash (make sure that the object is within flash range) will remove the shades from the object.

Red eye: This is a very common phenomenon. When taking photos of people or animals using a flash in a dark environment the eyes have some red glow in them. There are a few things that you can do to prevent red-eyes: some cameras support a red eye reduction mode. In that mode the camera fires the flash a few times before taking the photo. Although this can help reducing red-eye it can also result in photos of people with their eyes closed (as they are blinded by the pre-flash their reflex is to close their eyes). Other ways to prevent red-eye is to use bounce flash (you can do that with special equipment or for example by pointing the flash to a white wall) and using more ambient light if possible (for example by turning on all the lights in the room). Some cameras include built-in image processing software that automatically removes red-eye from the photos or alternatively you can use many software packages on your home computer to accomplish the same.

Dark Silhouettes: When taking photos with a bright light source behind the object (for example when the sun is behind the object) the result will be a silhouette of the object. One example is taking a photo of someone on the beach against a sunset. The result will be a dark silhouette of the person with a good photo of the sunset background. This problem can be solved using a fill-in flash. The fill-in flash lights the object making sure that it is captured with all its details. Simply remember to use a fill-in flash when taking pictures of objects with a bright light source behind them. One limitation is that the objects must be within the flash range otherwise the flash is useless and they will appear as silhouettes in the photo.


Author: Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. You can find more information digital photo printing printing and photography in general on PrintRates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing

Article source: Articlecat.com

How Does the Camera Auto Focus Work and Why Sometimes It Fails?

By: Ziv Haparnas

How does auto-focus work?
All of us use it every time we click on the shutter button. Practically all modern cameras include some sort of an auto focus system. Thanks to the auto focus system we can enjoy an easier photography experience and can concentrate on composing the right photo and capturing the moment rather than on manually setting the focus.

Automatic focus though has its limitations. For example sometimes one might want to produce photos which are a bit fuzzy as an artistic expression. Also the auto focus implementation has its limitations and in some scenarios it might fail. One example is using a high end SLR camera with a passive auto focus system to take a picture of blue skies. In most cases the camera will move its motor back and forth and will eventually give up and fail to focus.

To better use the auto focus system it would help to understand high it actually works. Although implementations can vary we can divide them all into two categories: passive and active. Most pocket cameras use the cheaper passive method while high end professional cameras use either the active or a combination of both.

Passive auto focus:
Passive auto focus can be perceived as imitating how we set the focus manually. The camera defines one or more regions in the picture (usually they are marked as rectangles on the viewfinder or the LCD). The camera then analyzes the picture seen through those regions and calculates a Focus Level number. The camera then tries to move its lenses back and forth as it recalculates the Focus Level. The camera looks for a position where the Focus Level is the highest. For that point if the Focus Level is above a predefined threshold the camera would define this region of the photo as being in focus.

The Focus Level can be calculated in many ways. The common attribute of all calculations is figuring out how much Contrast is there in the photo. Although not in the scope of this article one way to calculate such a number is by running the photo through a high frequency filter , this is based on the fact that high contrast is associated with high frequencies.

Active auto focus:
Active auto focus works by measuring the distance between the camera and the object in the picture. Technically if you knew the exact distance to the object you are taking a picture of you could set the lens to the exact focus position. The active focus system shoots a beam of invisible light, usually infrared, at the object at the center of the picture and measures the distance to that object. Based on that distance the focus is set.

Combined auto focus:
Some high end cameras combine both systems. The camera will pick the right system for the specific scenario or will cross check and use both at the same time. The photographer can also decide manually to use one of the two options. For example when shooting blue skies the camera can try to use the active system and measure the distance. Since the distance is infinite the camera can set the focus and skip the passive focus. In other cases when the distance is not infinite the camera can use the active system to put the lens in approximately the right position and then use the passive system for fine tuning. In dark scenarios the camera can opt to use the active system since the passive one will not work.

So why doesn't the auto focus work all the time?
Even with all the electronics and computing power in the camera there will always be scenarios where the camera auto focus fails. Failure can be when the camera can not focus and the picture is fuzzy or sometimes when the picture is actually in focus but the camera "thinks" that it is not.

What causes such cases? The list is long but here are just a few examples:

• Taking low light pictures: The passive auto focus system needs to "see" the picture in order to work and in low light scenarios this is not possible. Some systems use a series of flashes to overcome this limitation but this solution fails many times. An active system can measure the distance to the object in such scenarios but will fail if the object is not in the center of the picture or if there are a few objects at different distances.
  
• Active systems can fail with objects that tend to absorb the infrared beam they are using. Some materials absorb infrared beams and will cause the active system to measure the wrong distance. In some scenarios other infrared sources such as candles and open flame fires can render the active system useless.
  
• Low contrast objects such as white walls or blue skies. The passive auto focus relies on the fact that the Focus Level changes significantly when moving the lens back and forth. This allows the camera to settle on the right focus position. The Focus Level of low contrast objects does not change much and fails the passive system.
  

Knowing how the auto focus system works helps a photographer understand why sometimes the camera can not focus. In such scenarios the photographer can look for other solutions. Sometimes the photographer will have to use the manual focus. In other cases focusing on another object in the picture that is in the same distance but easier to focus on and locking the focus on that object will solve the problem.

Author: Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. You can find more information digital photo printing printing and photography in general on PrintRates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing.

Article source: Articlecat.com

Photography Zoom Lens Characteristics

By: Jennifer Clarkson

When you own a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, you have the option of purchasing more than one lens for various purposes. This article explores some characteristics you should consider once you've decided on the type of zoom lens you plan to purchase, including Internal Focusing, Image Stabilization or Vibration Reduction, Constant vs Variable Aperture, Macro Focusing, Low-Dispersion Glass, Apochromatic Lenses, Aspherical Elements, Tripod Mounts for Long Lenses, Plastic vs Alloys, Size, Weight, and Price. For more information on the different types of photography zoom lens available, read this article.

Internal Focusing (IF)
The movement of the lens for focusing purposes is internal to the lens body, so no lens ring will cause the lens to twist out and interfere with the orientation of any filters. (Some filters, such as linear polarizers or graduated neutral-density filters require stationary positioning in order to deliver predictable results.) This internal movement also allows the lens weight to stay balanced, which helps the balancing of heavier lenses on a tripod. Image quality of newer IF lenses is slightly better than non-IF lenses due to technological advances made that correct some aberrations.

Image Stabilization (IS) or Vibration Reduction (VR)
Most types of lenses above come in two flavours: either with image stabilization, or without. Built-in stabilization allows you to get sharp hand-held images when lighting conditions are poor, or you're shooting from a moving vehicle. On the lenses that offer this capability, there is usually a switch that lets you turn the feature off, thus saving batteries when using a tripod. Beware the cost of these lenses, though: you can expect to pay 2-4 times as much for a lens with image stabilization than the same lens without.

Constant vs Variable Aperture
Variable aperture accounts for the majority of zoom lenses, and causes the maximum aperture to decrease as you zoom from wider focal lengths to telephoto focal lengths. The advantage of variable aperture zoom lenses is that they're cheaper to maufacture and are typically lighter and more compact than contact aperture lenses.

Constant aperture lenses provide a static maximum aperture regardless of the focal length you're zoomed to. This better enables you to achieve narrow depth of field so as to isolate your subject from your background. These lenses typically let more light in, which lets you shoot sharp photos in dimmer lighting conditions.

Macro Focusing
Macro lenses allow the camera to be very close to its subject and still focus sharply. Macro lenses are ideal for close-up shots of flowers, leaves or insects, and sometimes double as portrait lenses. They typically have a reproduction ratio of 1:4 or better, which means the image sensor will capture the subject at 1/4 its original size or larger.

Low-Dispersion Glass
Some lenses are made with high-quality glass specially manufactured to more accurately transmit the full visible colour spectrum, called low-dispersion glass. You may also hear of ED (extra-low dispersion), SLD (super-low dispersion) or UD (ultra-low dispersion), which really just means truer colours.

Apochromatic Lenses (APO)
Apochromatic lenses have high colour fidelity and sharpness and should be used by anyone obsessed with getting to the most accurate colours possible.

Aspherical Elements (ASP)
Aspherical lenses are made with a different curvature than traditional spherical lenses to correct for distortions at the edge of the image. They are particularly useful in wide-angle lenses where vignetting or distortion can be seen in the corners of the image.

Tripod Mounts for Long Lenses
Lenses that are bigger and heavier than your camera body should have a tripod mount built-in. By attaching the lens to the tripod instead of the camera, you will remove tension on the camera-to-lens mount joint, and you will improve tripod balancing in the field. In fact, without a tripod mount, some larger lenses will cause the tripod to topple, thus making tripod use impossible without a lens mount. It is possible to purchase a separate adapter bracket from some manufacturers if the lens itself does not have one.

Plastic Material vs Alloys
Plastic lenses built recently typically use high-tech materials that are very durable and much lighter than metal alloy lenses. So although it used to be said that plastic lenses are cheap and unreliable, that is no longer true today.

Size
Zoom and telephoto lenses are getting smaller and lighter each year. In general, the larger the focal length of the lens, the larger the lens will be physically.

Weight
The heaviness of a lens may be prohibitive to you, depending on your physical fitness level and how long you'll be away from home. Plastic lenses are quite durable and are definitely lighter than equivalent metal lenses, although ultra-lightweight metal alloys are reasonable as well.

Price
In general, no matter which lens you're looking at, prices vary dramatically based on lens quality. Professional lenses will cost you thousands of dollars, while a compact modest starter zoom lens will be only a hundred dollars. You'll pay extra for some of the characteristics discussed in this article, such as fast constant apertures, high quality glass, image stabilization, and quick auto-focus. Remember, though, that lens price is a large investment: lenses will long outlast your camera body, and is largely responsible for the quality of your images (much more so than the camera body itself)!


Author: Jennifer Clarkson is a Canadian photographer living in Ottawa. For more Photography Tips, or to view her Photo Gallery, please visit Jennifer Clarkson Photography.

Article source: Articlecat.com

Zoom Lenses for your SLR camera

By: Jennifer Clarkson

When you own a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, you have the option of purchasing more than one lens for various purposes. Zoom lenses and prime lenses are something that every SLR owner should have. Let's look at the definition for each.

Prime lenses are those with a fixed focal length, such that zoom is not possible. That means that if you wanted to have your subject appear larger in your frame, you would have to physically move your camera closer to the subject instead of zooming closer with the lens itself. Prime lenses are faster at focusing than zoom lenses, but are typically used for static scenes, such as macro photography or portrait photography.

Zoom lenses allow you to make your subject larger in the frame without physically moving your camera closer. This article explores the different types of zoom lenses out there and offers recommendations for what suits your style of photography - macro, landscape, wildlife, sports. We'll look at autofocusing zoom lenses and manual focus zoom lenses. Also check out this related article about Camera Lens Characteristics.

Autofocusing Zoom Lenses

1) Ultra Wide-Angle Zoom Lens

Typical focal lengths: some range between 17-35mm (e.g. 20-35mm, 17-28mm, 17-35mm)
Characteristics: The angle of view is quite wide, around 170 degrees from the camera. The depth of field is large, so foreground and background will be in sharp focus all at once.
Uses: landscape photography

2) Wide-Angle To Moderate Telephoto Zoom Lens
Typical focal lengths: some range between 24-105mm (e.g. 24-85mm, 28-105mm, 35-80mm)
Characteristics: Typically the first type of lens you purchase with your SLR. These lenses provide the range needed for most shooting situations, aside from specialty photography. Their weight is light, and their size is compact, so these are usually the easiest lenses to travel with when you only want to take one lens.
Uses: travel photography, landscape photography

3) Mid-Range Telephoto Zoom Lens
Typical focal lengths: some range between 50-300mm (e.g. 70-200mm)
Characteristics: These lenses are slightly larger than the category above, but are still fairly compact. They are better for photographers who typically want a telephoto shot from a distance. They best compliment a wide-angle zoom and a telephoto zoom together to cover most focal lengths.
Uses: wildlife photography

4) Telephoto Zoom Lens
Typical focal lengths: some range between 100-300mm (e.g. 70-200mm)
Characteristics: These lenses offer high magnification, allowing you to get up close to dangerous or distant subjects while keeping your distance. Depth of field can be small with these lenses, which allows you to isolate your subject from its background.
Uses: sports photography, wildlife photography

5) Big-Range Zoom Lens
Typical focal lengths: some range between 100-500mm (e.g. 35-350mm, 50-500mm)
Characteristics: These large and heavy lenses offer high quality images with subjects very far away. They are much more affordable than they used to be, but likely don't fit in an average camera bag, and are much heavier than your camera. They typically come with a tripod attachment, such that you can attach the lens to tripod instead of the camera body to achieve centre of balance.
Uses: wildlife photography


Manual Focus Zoom Lenses

6) Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens
Typical focal lengths: some range between 100-600mm (e.g. 400-600mm)
Characteristics: These large and heavy lenses offer high quality images with subjects even further away than big-range zoom lenses. They allow rapid manual focusing while tracking a subject.
Uses: wildlife photography


Author: Jennifer Clarkson is a Canadian photographer living in Ottawa. For more Photography Tips, or to view her Photo Gallery, please visit Jennifer Clarkson Photography.

Article source: Articlecat.com

Photography 101: External vs Built-in Flash

By: Jennifer Clarkson

External flashes, or accessory flashes, have several benefits over built-in, pop-up flashes seen on most cameras today. Power, the ability to change light source location relative to the lens, and additional features all make external flashes worth considering for the avid hobbyist.


Bulb Power
First, let's discuss power. Simply put, external flashes have much more power than built-in flashes. Think of how many times it took you to learn that your built-in flash's light fell short of the intended subject and lit only the near objects in your scene. The ability to throw light farther is measured by a flash's guide number, which used to be the only way to calculate exposure. Specifically, the correct aperture (for ISO 100) equals the guide number divided by the number of feet of the flash from the subject.


Metering with Flash
Modern external flashes allow exposure to be metered with TTL (through-the-lens) flash metering, which allows the unit to regulate the amount of light output in auto-exposure modes. The flash actually cuts off light when enough has been dispensed on the subject. Flash exposure compensation allows further fine-tuning whereby adjustments can be made to allow more or less light than the TTL metering suggests. Thus, today's external flashes only have a guide number for flash power comparisons. The guide number on a typical pop-up flash is fairly low - perhaps 40 - whereas the guide number on an external flash easily has a guide number upwards of 100 or 200. For comparison purposes, you need to understand that a guide number of 80 is four times (two stops) more powerful than 40.


Flash Proximity to Subject
External flash also allows you to distance the flash light source from the lens. This becomes very important for macro photography where pop-up flashes can actually cause shadows of the lens, based on its proximity to the large barrel. It is also more likely to cause red-eye in portrait shots, and means you cannot conveniently counteract another light source since the built-in flash is not moveable. With infrared or radio slaves, motion detectors or photo cell sensors, multiple flashes can be triggered remotely in sync, no matter how far away from the camera they are.


Fill Flash
Most accessory flashes have the ability to shoot at less than 100% power, so as to enable fill-flash in appropriate situations. Built-in flashes must be manually covered with a diffuse fabric in order to be successful at providing fill-light (e.g. brightening a flower, or combining fill-flash with slow shutter speed for fast-moving wildlife). Variable power in external flashes makes fine-tuning aperture or flash proximity to subject very easily. Some external flashes have infrared sensors that sense the distance to the subject automatically, thus synchronizing the camera to suggest a correct aperture and shutter speed.


Flash Heads
When it comes to physically setting up an external flash, most come with swivel and bounce heads, to allow more realistic and softer lighting effects by bouncing light from a white card or reflector above or to the side of the subject. These are things that a pop-up flash cannot do.

Zoom heads on external flashes allow for coverage adjustment when the flash is used in conjunction with a wide-angle or telephoto lens. The path of light covered by the flash will be modified to suit the angle of coverage by the lens. Ring flashes are a particular type of external flash that forms a ring around the barrel of the lens - they are best suited to macro or portrait photography where large lenses can get in the way of pop-up flashes and cause a shadow.

Dedicated Flashes
Dedicated flashes are external flashes built specifically to work with a particular camera's features and settings. Third party flash manufacturers such as Sigma design dedicated flashes for each of the major camera brands.

Author: Jennifer Clarkson is a Canadian photographer living in Ottawa. For more Photography Tips, or to view her Photo Gallery, please visit Jennifer Clarkson Photography.

Article source: Articlecat.com

Difference Between Film And Digital Photography

By: Ziv Haparnas

There are many differences between film and digital photography. To most amateur photographers they do not matter much. They prefer the convenience, ease of use and lower cost of digital cameras and are not going to revert to the film age. However understanding the differences can help taking even better photos and can also help when debating with friends about the future of film.

Following is a list of differences that are important to understand. The differences are listed in no particular order.

The sensor: The most obvious difference between film and digital is the sensor used to take the photo. With film cameras a film sensitive to light is placed behind the lens. When a photo is taken the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the film. The result is a photo "printed" on the film. To take a new photo the film has to be rolled and a fresh "clean" film is place behind the lens. With digital cameras a fixed electronic sensor (sometimes known as CCD) is situated behind the lens. The sensor is built from tiny light sensitive sensors each representing a pixel. When the shutter opens light hits the sensor and each pixel gets its "value". Put together all the pixels comprise one photo. To take a new photo the photo is saved on a digital media and the CCD is electronically emptied.

What does a different sensor mean? The main difference is in the Depth of Field. Since digital sensors are smaller in size than a 35mm film the depth of field will be much higher and in fact in most compact digital cameras almost infinite. The result is that blur backgrounds can not be created.

The cost of a photo: Photos taken with a digital camera literally cost nothing. The photos are kept in erasable memory and thus can always be discarded at no cost. Also the photos you would like to keep can be copied to digital media such as a computer's hard disk. With storage prices going down the cost of saving a photo on disk is practically zero. Film does cost money. With a film camera you have to pay for the roll of film, for developing the negative and for printing the photo. Every time you press the shutter button you spend money.


The capacity: With ever growing storage capacities digital cameras today can hold hundreds and sometimes thousands of photos on a single media. You can always have a few more in your pocket and changing is very fast. The result is that a digital camera has practically infinite capacity. You can shoot as many photos as you want and at the end of the day just dump them on your computer's disk. Film cameras' capacity is very limited. A roll of 36 photos can only hold 36 photos. After a roll is used changing to a new roll can take time and is not easy to do in scenarios such as darkness or a harsh environment. For that reason many professional journalists carry a few cameras on them and instead of changing rolls they turn and use another camera just so that they do not miss a shooting opportunity.


The feedback: One of the most important features of the digital camera is instant feedback. Almost all digital cameras include a small LCD screen. Once a photo is shot you can go back and watch it on that screen. The ability to see how the photo looks like results in better photos. If the photo is not good you can take another one. Being able to see the photos on the spot results in an educated decision how to fix a photo or how to better compose it. It takes a lot of the guessing away from photography. With film cameras there is no way to know how the photo on the film will look like when printed.


New shooting angles: Just a few days ago I took a great photo with my digital camera that I would have never taken with my film one. I shot a cat that was resting on little rock. I held the camera in my hand and positioned it down where it almost touched the ground and I started shooting. I probably took 50 or more photos. I immediately looked at the camera's LCD to review my photos and make sure they were focused and had the cat in them. The result was one great photo looking at the cat from the ground. I can not imagine myself just lying down on the dirty ground with a film camera looking through the viewfinder and perfecting that one shot.

With digital cameras you can actually take photos without having your eye glued to the viewfinder. Overhead shots where you raise the camera over your head are much easier to do since you can still see what the camera is shooting by just looking up at its LCD screen.


Correcting photos: With digital cameras photos can be corrected using photo editing software. Some correction abilities are built-in to the cameras but many more are available as software packages for your PC. With film cameras what you get is what you get. After the film is developed it is very hard to make any corrections. Usually if corrections are absolutely needed the negative or the printed photo will be scanned (i.e. converted to digital) corrected and then printed again (in a long and costly process).


Changing conditions: Every roll of film is designed for best results in a specific environment. For example there are indoor and outdoor films or films with different light sensitivity. If conditions change rapidly a film camera user will have to either shoot with the wrong film, change the roll (and usually lose photos that were not used in the current roll) or use another camera with a different film in it. The results of shooting with the wrong film can be distorted colors (reddish photos for example), a grainy photo and more.

With digital cameras the characteristics of the sensor can be changed instantly for each photo taken. With a click of a button the camera can be put in an indoor or outdoor mode, low light, night photography etc. Some cameras will automatically sense the scenario and set the sensor mode accordingly.


The myth of quality: While it is true that film photography has its advantages the claim for superior quality is no longer true. As digital camera evolved the quality of high end digital SLR cameras is superb and in many ways even better than film. When considering quality you should also consider the quality in terms of composition and the scenario caught in the photo. With digital cameras' high capacity, zero photo cost and instant adaptability to changing conditions photographers can produce better compositions and experiment more to get the best photo possible.


Longevity: We have also paged through old photo albums of our grandparents. The photo looked a a bit yellow, scratched and just plain "old". Storage of printed film photos or even negatives results in quality deterioration. Digital photos on the other hand never lose their quality. A digital photo will be identical today and 500 years from now. As long as we remember to refresh the digital media every now and then and to back it up our photos can literally list forever and not lose their quality.


Author: Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. You can find more information digital photo printing printing and photography in general on PrintRates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing

Article source: Articlecat.com