Guide To Digital Photography

Gone are the days when you needed to hire a professional photographer to click pictures on festivals and family occasions like birthdays and weddings. With the digital camera you can click A-grade pictures and even video record events. There are no hassles of developing pictures and no need to wait for weeks to view them.

A digital still camera helps to obtain pictures in digital format. It has a rear LCD screen to view pictures that are taken and its quality is specified in megapixels. Photographs are transferred to a computer using USB. Another type of camera, compact digital cameras or digicams permits limited motion photography. They are easy to operate and focus and enable a larger depth of focus. They are great for taking pictures of landscapes and for casual use.

The camera sensor determines the resolution of the camera. It converts light into digital data and has done away with the role of film that is used in traditional cameras. The sensor collects light in a feature called buckets. Each bucket is a pixel and is turned into an RGB image where each pixel represents several colors. Cameras are in fact compared on the basis of pixels. While pictures are commonly transferred to PCs and cell phones using USB, infrared and Bluetooth are also gaining popularity as seamless methods.

Digital cameras are so popular that even mobile phones include a digital camera. Some these permit only still photography while others enable short video clips as well. Some laptops and PDAs contain integrated digital cameras and some camcorders also have one built into them. Unlike traditional cameras, digital cameras require memory to store data. Flash memory, floppy disks, and CDs are some storage devices.

Digital cameras require high powered batteries to power them for a significant length of time. Some batteries are intended for single use, while others are rechargeable. The rechargeable ones, however, cannot provide power to the camera for a very long time.

Modern digital cameras have made it possible even for the layman to take perfect pictures. This is because they contain features for red eye reduction, trimming, and monochrome, as well as anti-dust caps and vibrators. As some television ads show, you can record your child’s first steps or first words using a digital camera. With digital cameras you can also delete pictures that haven’t been clicked properly or in which you don’t look good. This is another plus over traditional cameras.

As an information technology specialist myself I find it constantly frustrating how I’m mislead or not informed by vendors and retailers about buying decisions I might make.  There are lots of PC buying guides available out there but they are either too specific about technology choices so they date very fast or do not help you meet your specific requirements.  They are often too high level and only explain the very simplest of specification details and the minute a sales rep or consultant gives you other options or explanations you are lost.  This guide is aimed at the novice to moderately experienced PC user.  If you are a guru or expert you should know most of this already.

As an example of how easy it is to be mislead a very well-known big leading PC brand was recently advertising its ‘xyz-wizbang’ PC with an amazing 12GB of memory, Extreme Intel Quad core processor and Quad graphics cards.  Sounds impressive huh!?  When I saw the low price I became suspicious.  When you click on the link for more details, then click on the options, then click on the technical specification, then read it very carefully and you find it only has 3GB of memory but is expandable to 12GB, has a standard Intel processor but has an option for the Extreme, and supports Quad graphics cards but comes with just one.  You can imagine without digging into the detail the price would have been quite seductive.

A favourite proverb of mine goes something like ‘Give a hungry man a fish and feed him for a day, give him the tools to fish and feed him for life’.  Well that about perfectly summarises the intention of this guide.  Given just a little more information you can adequately specify your own requirements, cross-examine vendors and retailers about their advertised machine specifications and reward yourself with a good quality PC that will last and do all that you want it to.  The added bonus to learning how to buy this way is that it wont date, the same concepts as I explain here have applied broadly since the mid 1980’s.  A lot of the understanding lies in demystifying the jargon and I will do a lot of that using simple terms.  Clearly more understanding is needed as I still get asked from time to time ‘What is the difference between 4GB RAM and 300GB of hard disk, and which do I need?’.  Hmmmm, if you are in this category you need to read this now….

The components of the PC

Before we can make decisions we need to know what everything in the PC does and how it does it.

·                     The CPU or Processor – The processor is the engine of your PC it executes instructions millions of times a second to get the work you want done finished.  Modern processors will have multiple cores and are known as Dual core (2 cores) or Quad core (4 cores, soon ‘Octa’ 8 core processors will be available) which makes them a bit like my wife i.e. capable of doing more than one thing at a time, or multi-task.So lets say I ask my computer to give me a million lottery numbers and it takes eight seconds to complete (it would actually finish in the blink of an eye).  With a Dual core this would only take four seconds as I could get one core to give me half a million numbers and the other to do the same, at the same time.  So on a Quad core using the same logic it would only take two seconds.  Breaking up tasks like this is called multi-threading.  So that’s the theory if you can break up a big task into multiple smaller tasks that can all be executed simultaneously then the more cores the better.  However there’s a catch.  Not all tasks can be broken up this way and not all software vendors write their programs this way so you need to make sure what you do is able to take advantage of it then you will know whether you should go for a Duo, a Quad or even an Octa core processor.The other factor that affects performance is the clock speed of the CPU expressed in GHz (cycles per second).  Most processors these days are somewhere between 1.8GHz and 3.3GHz.  All cores in a multi core CPU will be running at the same clock speed.  So if you see a manufacturer describe a PC as 12GHz, then what they are probably doing is multiplying the clock speed by the number of cores (4 cores by 3GHz).  Perhaps to make their PC’s look phenomenally faster than anyone else’s, who knows.  Clock speed is simpler than number of cores, a faster clock speed simply means faster execution times, period.  Therefore if you can’t get the benefit of more cores you should be able to get the benefit of higher GHz.

·                     The Memory (or RAM) – While the computer is on the memory is where the CPU stores its work in progress.  Computer memory is the fastest place the PC can store information so when its doing your work that is where it prefers to do it.  However if it runs out of available memory it will start storing things on your hard disk instead (known as Paging to Virtual memory) and this is when things slow down dramatically.  So make sure you don’t skimp on memory get more than enough of it, as much as you can afford.  Secondary to that is how fast it is in itself.  As a guide Windows Vista really eats the first 1GB so your minimum memory ought to be 2GB (DDR2) or 3GB (DDR3) for general light use, and 4GB (for DDR2) to 6GB (for DDR3) or more for demanding games or applications.Memory speed is measured in a combination of MHz, Type and Latency.  Its also important to remember that bandwidth is different to speed.  Imagine the memory bus is like a road.  A single lane road with cars travelling fast at say 70mph, each car will get to its destination quickly but there will only be so many cars you can fit on the road.  On the other hand a four-lane highway even if it’s slower at 55mph will get more cars to their destination in the same time period although all the cars individually will take longer to get there, this is akin to bandwidth.  None-the-less the two are interlinked as clearly a narrow road can match the bandwidth of a multi-lane highway if the cars are able to move fast enough.Different demanding tasks you might do on a computer demand bandwidth or speed, or a balance of both to work optimally.  The memory bus technology type used also influences bandwidth i.e. DDR, DDR2, DDR3 etc.  The DDR means Dual Data Rate and the number after it indicates how many parallel channels it uses to communicate.  Clearly the more channels it uses the more bandwidth it will have.  Therefore DDR2 has twice the bandwidth of DDR and DDR3 in turn 150% more bandwidth.  As a rough rule of thumb memory speed in MHz should double for each level of DDR as each has a latency penalty roughly double that of its predecessor.  So to get DDR2 memory as fast as DDR 400MHz, the DDR2 needs to be 800MHz, and because its dual channel you will get greatly increased bandwidth.  Think about this carefully because DDR3 1333MHz is not automatically better than DDR2 1100MHz for the reasons explained, its is often assumed the latest technology is better and it isn’t always the case.At the time of writing you ought to expect to be getting a new PC with DDR3 1333MHz to 1600MHz memory.  Or if it has DDR2 then 800MHz or more.  As far as latency is concerned it gets complicated to explain but if you are doing demanding work make sure its low latency memory.  For gaming and general work speed is more important than bandwidth for video encoding or other tasks that move a lot of data volume around bandwidth is the priority.

·                     The Hard disk (HDD or Storage) – The hard disk unlike memory is a slower but permanent store.  When your computer is switched off all your files remain there ready for when you switch it back on again.  For the vast majority of people the only thing of relevance is whether the store is big enough.  Mechanical hard disks are so cheap now you can get an awful lot more capacity than your ever likely to need for not a lot of money.  Typically a new PC should have at least 300GB of storage capacity.If you do a lot of photography, database or video work then the speed of the disk is important to you.  Four things affect hard disk speed 1) Its rotational speed (usually 7200 rpm, but up to 15000rpm), 2) How much data it stores per square of its surface (the platter), i.e. areal density, 3) the interface speed to the PC, it should now be SATA-II which can transfer data at up to 300MB/s, and 4) the speed at which the drive head can move across the surface (average seek time usually around 8ms).  The latter is usually the least important.A new technology that is quickly maturing is the Solid State Disk or SSD.  It has no moving parts and uses a special type of permanent memory (flash memory like USB sticks have) to store the computers data just like a hard drive.  It’s a complex topic in itself and a specialised area.  For the vast majority of people they are too expensive at present to offer much value and cheap SSD’s will only outperform a good hard drive in limited scenarios.

·                     The Graphics Card (or GPU, Graphics Processing Unit) – If you don’t play games, edit video, do 3D graphical modelling, CAD or design work you can skip this section as any modern graphics card should do.  That includes photographers as photographic work is still chiefly constrained by the CPU and not the graphics card.  The motivation for investing a lot of technology in graphics cards has been the demands of 3D graphics processing, in real-time.  This is so demanding there is now arguable more processing power in the GPU of high end cards than in the main processor of the PC.There are essentially two contenders in the field ATI and nVidia.  Both are excellent and offer very similar performance in terms of price-value.  They keep swapping the crown between each other as to who is the ultimate fastest at any one time.  Generally unless you need the best of the best the second or third card down from the top of the range should do all you need and will be considerably cheaper.  Graphics cards have their own dedicated processor at their heart known as the GPU.  The speed of this GPU is measured just like you main processor i.e. in terms of cores (streams) and MHz.   More cores and higher MHz generally make it faster.  There are architectural differences between the design of the ATI and nVidia GPU’s so you cannot reliably compare them core for core, MHz to MHz.  You need to look within the same vendor to do that kind of comparison.Almost all cards now support dual DVI (digital) monitor outputs so you can have two monitors attached simultaneously.  The other important thing that varies is the screen resolution they support you should expect a minimum of 1600×1200, the higher you go the more memory you will need on the card (as its acts as a frame buffer) and the more powerful the card will need to be to quickly render the larger screen size.Multiple graphics cards can now be installed using ATI Crossfire or nVidia SLI inter-GPU communications standards and interfaces.  It’s also possible to have two GPU’s on a single card in which case SLI or Crossfire will be running to link the two GPU’s on the one card.  Beware of this method of increasing your graphics performance as some applications and games are not designed to use it effectively and it doesn’t scale up linearly each card (or GPU) is likely to give you an additional 40-60% performance gain over the single card (or GPU).

·                     Windows 32 or 64-bit (or the Operating System) – this is all about memory.  Computers use the binary system of 1’s and 0’s to express numbers and the number of ones and zeros they use determines how big a number the computer can use.  Each memory location in the computer is referenced by a sequential number just like a street address for the postal service.  Having 32-bits enabled the computer to address up to 4GB of memory, you can add more but the computer just wont see it and that’s no longer enough.  So now the standard address is 64-bit and that means we can reference 2^64 memory locations, or, 17.2 billion gigabytes (or 16 exabytes)!  So it should be a while before we need to change that again.  Though most of the latest motherboards are accepting up to six sticks of RAM which has densities of up to 4GB per stick, so 24GB is the practical limit.

·                     Optical Drives (DVD, CD and Blu-ray) – Optical drives come in three flavours DVD Rewriter (DVD-RW), DVD/Blu-ray Reader (BD-R / DVD-R) and Blu-ray Rewriter (BD-RW).  They really speak for themselves Blu-ray is superior to DVD in two ways 1) it uses Blue laser light which records at a much higher density than a red DVD laser so they have a greater capacity at 50GB over a DVD at typically 8.5GB, 2) you can play Blu-ray movies on a Blu-ray Reader or Rewriter.  If you don’t care about either of those features you don’t need Blu-ray and can save yourself some money.  Generally only film aficionados or video editors make use of Blu-ray.

·                     Interfaces (connections to your PC for peripherals and accessories) – All modern PC’s should have interfaces supporting the following standards; Firewire (IEEE1394), USB2, eSATA and HD Multichannel Audio.  So expect this as a minimum.

·                     The Case – for your average PC it really doesn’t matter what you choose.  However, if you think you are likely to want to upgrade regularly then choose a standard size and construction and not a branded case.  Main brand cases are often deliberately designed to be throw away as they have no upgrade room, non-standard sizes or are very difficult to work on and remove outdated components.  Also make sure it has good cooling, front, rear and top fans ideally, and is quiet.  If you can afford it choose a aluminium tool-less case rather than pressed steel.  They generally look better and are far more easily upgradable.  Also make sure that some of the PC interfaces have sockets on the chassis i.e. USB2, Audio, Firewire (IEEE1394) and eSATA.

There are a lot of more advanced factors that affect performance that I will cover very briefly as a detailed explanation is beyond this article.  Please refer to my other articles for more information where I go into all of these in some depth (some justify having a whole article dedicated to them).

·                     Front Side Bus, HyperTransport (AMD) or Quick Path Interconnect (FSB or with Intel Core i7 QPI) – this is a communication channel (a ‘bus’) between memory and the processor.  Over the last decade it has steadily increased from 10’s of MHz to the last processor supporting it (the Core 2) hitting the technologies ceiling at officially 1600MHz (though with overclocking faster speeds where possible).  QPI speeds are currently 4800 to 6400GT/s.

·                     Overclocked – With the right competent and experienced vendor they are quite simply the fastest PC’s you can buy and usually represent very good value.

·                     SpeedStep (or EIST) – sounds sexy, but really isn’t.  It’s a technology that cuts down power consumption by the processor when utilisation is low.

·                     HyperThreading – allows the processor to create the illusion to Windows that it has more processors than it really does.  So a Quad core HyperThreaded processor would look like it had eight cores.  Its not quite as good as it sounds though as all the processor is doing is allowing the extra virtual cores to use bits of the processor that aren’t busy.  So if you are doing heavy work its highly like there aren’t any bits of the processor that aren’t busy and it wont be that useful at all.  In general use it gives about a 10-15% performance boost.  With heavy processor loads it actually gets in the way and can drop performance by 5% or so.

·                     Turbo – its creeping back into use again with Intel’s new Core i7 processors and it sort of works the opposite way around to SpeedStep.  It simply means if the processor is in high demand then the PC will boost its performance by raising the processors clock speed 200-300MHz.  Its usefulness is well overstated.

·                     RAID – is a disk controller technology that can both speed up disk transfer times and offer resilience should a drive fail.  Comes in different flavours RAID0 for performance, RAID1 for resilience and RAID5 or RAID10 for both resilience and speed. 

Conclusion

Now you are armed with all the tools to take any vendors and retailers to task over their inadequate or incorrect specifications and dubious sales tactics.  Get value for money and be firm about what your requirements are and what you expect for your money.  Make sure its up to date and neither over specified or under specified for your personal needs.  Above all, have fun and enjoy it…

A tough decision war happens to all who want to buy a digital camera, whether to buy a compact digital camera or an SLR digital camera. SLR is Digital Single-lens reflex camera, which is a standard tool for professional photographers. It provides the advantage of large, bright and accurate optical finder with large controls and fast operations.Among the digital cameras, the SLR camera is the best for you provided if you are a family oriented person having a serious appetite for photography. For capturing pictures during family vacations, birthdays and holidays, the SLR camera will be the best companion. Though the point shoot cameras have increased to higher mega pixels, the choice of serious photography hobbyists and photographers is SLR. The clear reason for the choice is that SLR has the capacity for producing artistic photographs. The main advantage and biggest difference that exit in the SLR is that there are more manual operations than the point-and-shoot cameras have. To get a perfect shot, your camera should be always in ready mode. SLR cameras offer instant start up and also minimum shutter lag. The point-and -shoot cameras have shutter lag of 2 or 3 seconds, which means you can miss a shot. The SLR camera’s shutter lag is less than a second and so you can get all the shots without miss. Another advantage is that the SLR cameras can accept interchangeable lenses. This helps you in getting best shots of sports and nature where you cannot go close for taking pictures. You can zoom the lens of SLR digital cameras and take close-ups. The other advantages are long battery life, high-speed continuous shooting, great image sensor and the ability to save RAW images.The disadvantage is its larger size and you cannot fit it in your bag or purse. Not only larger in size, but also heavier and not suitable for vacations. It’s also very expensive when compared with compact and subcompact digital cameras. The SLR prices can range between $1,000 and $10,000. The best portrayal of SLR is its speed, clarity and optical system. It can be easily mistaken for a point-shoot camera but it is entirely different in the way it is used and the delivered picture quality. In real meaning, this camera enables you to look at the picture precisely without any alteration of digital features within the camera.The digital SLR is built in such a manner that it enables to deliver high quality images. In a compact digital camera, the image that you see in the eyepiece or through LCD screen is generated digitally; but in SLR the image is sent by the lens and mirrors to viewfinder that reflects the images from one mirror to another. The digital SLR is versatile and that is why the image seen in an SLR is exact without any alteration. The interchangeable lenses allow you to utilize custom lens for a meticulous shot like Portrait, Landscape and Macro or Micro shots. Some lenses are even available for taking motion shots.The image sensors in SLR provide good picture quality and quick shoot and click capability with no time lag. Detachable lenses give more attraction for photographers in choosing SLR as their choice. If you are not comfortable with manual operations SLR cameras have automatic settings and this provides transitional steps in learning to use an SLR.

Searching for different products or variety, you love to shop for in each product is a lot easier and faster in online shopping. You can search a wide choice of product category in a short span of time like:

(1). Sony Cybershot Digital Camera – 8 MP – Model No: DSC W90

Features:

• Erase/Protect: Yes/Yes

• Media/Battery Indicator: Yes/Yes

• Memory Stick Pro Media Compatibility: Tested To Support Up To 8gb Memory Stick Duo

• Pro Media Capacity4; Does Not Support Access Control Security Function

• Color Mode(S): Black & White, Natural, Sepia, Vivid

• Red-eye Reduction: Yes (On/Off All Modes)

• Self Timer: Yes (10 Seconds, 2 Seconds, Off)

• Still Image Mode(S): Normal, Burst, Bracket Exposure

• White Balance: Automatic, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3

• Incandescent, Flash

Supplied Software:

• Windows: Picture Motion Browser Vers 2.0 + USB Driver

• Weight and Measurements Weight: 4.4 oz (124 g)

• Body: 5.5 oz. (155 g) including Battery and optional Memory Stick DUO Media

• Dimensions: 39/16″ x 25/16″ x 7/8″ (91 x 58 x 22.9 mm)

Accessories:

• NP-BG1 rechargeable battery BC-CSG battery

• Charger A/V and

• USB multi-connector cables

• Wrist strap

• Software CD-ROM

Warranty: 6 Months Sellers Warranty

(2). Olympus Digital Camera Model No: FE 15

Features:

• The FE-15, with its 2.8x optical zoom, proves that photography is fun

• With a no-nonsense one button, one function design and a 6.0 million pixel CCD, the FE-15 makes taking and printing even larger size photos a cinch

• Theres even an on-screen Help function included, to give easy-to-understand descriptions of camera settings

• Life could not be any easier! Once a shot has been taken you’ll want to show it off

• This can be done either on its large 6.4cm LCD screen, or by printing copies to pass around

• Prints can be made either at home, by connecting the cameras directly to a suitable printer (no fussing around with a PC needed here!), or at countless High Street photo labs

• Enjoy an easy-to-use “manual-free” design with the Built-in Help Guide

• Capture crisp shots with the fast shutter speed and high ISO of Digital Image Stabilization Mode

• Get in close with 3x optical zoom and a total of 12x zoom

• Take your best shots in every situation with 16 different shooting modes

• Enjoy the easy-print option, right from the back of the camera

• Compatible with common AA batteries and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries

• low price digital cameras

Wedding Photography: Making Memories More Alive for the Married Couples“1,2,3… Say Cheese!” One of the most common things we hear as we pose to have our photos taken. Needless to say, that every person makes sure that they have cameras with them on the most important events of their lives. Even as simple as your babies taking their first steps, you want to have it documented and captured. It does not only serve as an evidence but it is needed as every picture can represent achievements, happiness and most of all it makes memories more alive.Traditions to weddings and ImportanceJust as it is important to simple events, it is even more important to big occasions like the celebration of marriage. Yes, almost in every wedding celebration you will definitely be seeing bright lights flashing in all places where the couple is. It is already a tradition to have pre-wedding, during and post-wedding pictorials. Pre-wedding photos are usually done days before in places that can great sceneries. It can also cover photos, hours before the wedding as the bride undergoes a makeover and the as the groom gets ready on his own. Photos taken during and post-wedding are done on the same day. It is done spontaneously including the guests while making the bride and the groom the star in every photo.Wedding photography is always in this celebration. Some may hire a professional to do it while others settle to have one of their family members to do it on their own. Remember, time has evolved and technology has brought many changes. Manual cameras are out and digital cameras are in. Most of the professional photographers have the best cameras to allow you to have the greatest photos in all lighting conditions and they have great eye to take the best angles and focus of their subject. Any person will definitely be happy if they see a photo of themselves capturing their best forms. You can have this with the aid of these professionals. However, if one of your family members has talents in using digital camera, why not right? It will be an added bonus on your part because you can surely save money from it.If you ask, why do you need them? The answer is very simple. Ten, twenty or even 50 years from now if you are still alive, you will remember your wedding day. When this happens, you would want to look back at your precious memories and looking at the photos will make it more alive. Moreover, as you impart stories to your kids, you will be able to show them how wonderful your wedding was. The photos themselves are symbolic as they represent how a wonderful marriage life started with a simple love for each other.Wedding photography is one service that makes a simple photo look wonderful. Any couple will highly appreciate how photos are tweaked to make it more appealing to the eye. With the right tools and equipment, you will surely enjoy your wedding photos and without a doubt, you will be happier to display them on your rooms and your homes.SummaryYou can memories more alive in your wedding with the photographs. You should consider this one service on your wedding. It is one thing that you should make sure that you have on the wedding day.

We live on memories – memories of myriad events! And what can be the best way to capture all those events forever than using a decent digital camera? Digital cameras are being manufactured by a number of camera makers under different categories. But getting the best digital camera that your photographic requirements and budget can meet can be a painstaking experience as there is a large number of digicams available out there in the market.

 

Before buying a digital camera, you need to consider a number of aspects. The first and foremost question to ask is, ‘why you are buying the camera’, i.e., for what purpose (beginners, advanced, professional) you are going to buy it. Secondly, does your camera meet all the features that you have always been looking for to realize your photographic dream.

 

With the advent of the Internet things have become easy now to get end-to-end information about your desired digital camera. What’s more, digital camera reviews from experts and users can help you know the displayed products better before you making any commitment. Let’s see the popular digital camera trends that consumers follow while they shop for digital cameras.

 

Megapixels: The number of megapixels is a crucial factor as it ascertains the enlargement factor of the shots taken by the cam. 7 to 10 megapixels are good enough for home uses. For professional, 12-15 megapixel cameras work fine.

 

Optical Zoom: Optical zoom is one of the most crucial factors camera lovers look for in their desired product. 4 x optical zoom has been established standard for beginners, while 10 x + optical zoom feature is necessary for professionals.

 

Weight: People also consider the weigh of the camera while they go to buy the digicams. A light weight camera can be easily carried and it fits everywhere – be it in your hand or pocket.

 

Battery Life: As a trend people do consider this factor as well. Sufficient battery back-up can make lot difference in the selling proposition of the product.

 

Low Light Photography: This is another aspect where camera lovers think a lot before buying one for them.

 

Video Recording: Video recording is another feature that digicams can accomplish. People consider this feature as well while choosing their respective models.

 

Memory: Memory expansion facility is also considered essential.

 

Shutter Speed: Decent shutter speed is a vital feature that a digicam must have.

 

Budget: Budget also plays a big role in deciding the purchasing commitment of a digicam.

 

Brand name: Going after a brand has been a regular activity for maximum of us. Confronting comparative options at cheaper prices, the same compulsion of us starts to act as one of the greatest driving factors that lead to the state of confusion. Given the choice and comparative features, a brand standing on its reputations should be given the priority.

 

Since it’s the list of features and pricing that drive a decision in case of many of us, online search can be a very viable option.

Taking better photographs is a combination of proper technique, talent, and experience. Once you have shot your best work, you should consider sending your pics to a company that specializes in digital photo printing services, digital photo restoration, and 35 mm negative slide scanning, in order to obtain digital quality prints, even if a digital camera is not your preferred medium. Photo printing, restoration, and scanning services also give you the option of purchasing a CD of your photographs, which can be an invaluable backup resource in the event that your original files, film, or prints are lost or damaged.
Go in for the close up. One thing that photo restoration and 35 mm slide scanning services notice is that most people stand too far away from their subject, and since most photos are taken with digital cameras nowadays, this problem is becoming more prevalent. Before digital cameras, professional camera men used the term shoe leather zooms, when describing their photography techniques, meaning that if they wanted to zoom in on the subject, they just walked closer. Even if you are utilizing an antique camera, or a drug store disposable, you can improve your photographs, just by getting a little closer to your subject before taking the picture.
Use all of the space. It is important to focus on your subject, and less important to focus on the really pretty flower or interesting tree next to it. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised if you knew that amount of crowded shots that the average digital photo printing service company sees in a week, let alone a day. In other words, going along with the first tip, do not be afraid to get closer and make the subject, not the background, the focus of the picture. Take a look through the photo archives, particularly those of family portraits, and you will see that more often than not, the subject, or subjects was always the focal point of the shot, regardless of what was in the background.
Remember the rule of thirds. You should think of the viewfinder of your camera as being divided into three columns and three rows, and position your subject in a way that will cover as many of these blocks as possible. Often, the only real distinction between a professional photograph and an amateur one, according to digital photo restoration and slide scanning pros, is the placement and size of the photographs subject. At the risk of sounding redundant: do not be afraid to move in for that close up.

You’ve decided it’s time to buy a digital camera, but which one? The aisles are full of different brands with different features and a wide variety of prices to match. The task can be overwhelming. Following are the three most important things you can do to make the decision easier.:
Do your research. Talk to people who have digital cameras and ask them how they like theirs. What features do they use often and which ones are “just there”? Go online and visit sites that review different cameras and read what they have to say.
Next, decide how much money you are willing to spend on a camera. There is no sense going into debt over a camera unless it will be used as your major income source. Decide how often you will use the camera, what places you will be using it and who else will be using this particular camera. How much money can you reasonably spare? All these things will help you narrow your choices.
Evaluate your needs and experience level. Do you have experience or is this your very first camera? Do you have time to learn a lot of features or are you happy with a camera you can just point and click? Do you plan on growing in photography? If so, a digital SLR may be your choice so it can be added onto to grow with you.
Buying a digital camera doesn’t have to be a purchase full of stress. Do your homework and know what you are looking for, then stick with the decision. You are the best judge of what you need, trust yourself. Each of the above steps will narrow your choices considerably and make that final decision easier to make and you can enjoy discovering the wonders of photography with your new purchase.

Professional photographers know exactly what they’re looking for when they purchase a digital camera. Years of experience and fine tuning digital cameras every day makes the choice clear for them. For the rest of us, a new camera purchase can be a daunting experience. I know when I first got into digital cameras the technology seemed a little intimidating- but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a short guide with ten things to look for when, as an amateur photographer, you’re ready to replace that antique sitting on the top shelf of the closet.

1. Resolution – When digital cameras first came out, it was all about the megapixels. There was a wide variety of sizes (and prices) available- however, now most of even the smallest digital cameras are 5 megapixels, which is more than adequate for your typical 4×6 vacation photos and the occasional 8×10. The time to go larger is when you want to regularly create larger pictures- or you want to be able to zoom in on areas of specific detail and print those. The compromise you must make for those larger pictures is more space used on your memory card, so if you get a higher megapixel camera, make sure to pick some extra cards.

2. Exposure control – For most amateurs, aperture size and shutter speeds are a mystery. What should I use when? The manufacturers have addressed this with scene preset modes. Picking the correct mode allows you to select the proper settings of, for example, a close-up by simply clicking ‘Macro Mode’ instead of manually configuring the camera. If you’re interested in digital cameras as a hobby, manual configuration options are something you should look for.

3. Zooms –There are two types of zoom available, optical zoom and digital. The one you should really pay attention to is optical zoom- pictures using optical zoom are sharper. Also understand that when the camera is using the higher magnification settings, it will be more vulnerable to shaking, so you may want to pick up a tripod if you’ll be using that zoom most of the time.

4. Size – Take a little time to think about what you’re going to be using your camera for. There’s always a tradeoff between size and functionality- here’s a quick summary:

a. Ultra Compact – small, light pocket sized cameras. Some may have fewer features.

b.Compact- fit in a modest camera case, great for point and shoot pictures.

c. Advanced- more functionality here along with more size. Typically we see buttons for modes as opposed to menus (which saves having to navigate), better zooms, and they also accept accessories (lenses, filters, etc.)

d. Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) – Heavy and large, these offer the best functionality; typically professionals and serious photographers use them.

5. Weight – Hand in hand with size is camera weight. Generally speaking, more features equals more weight, so think carefully about what you really need. A small, light camera with fewer features is a better choice if you want to take it everywhere and get lots of pictures, as opposed to a heavy monster you dread having to lug and only use once in a while.

6. Batteries –Basically batteries come in two formats, proprietary battery packs, and then there are cameras that accept AA batteries. If you get a camera with the proprietary pack, it’s worth it to purchase another one as backup, because invariably you’ll want to take a picture and the battery will die. I recommend getting a camera that allows you to use AA batteries- if you need to buy a set in pinch you can, and you also have the flexibility of buying rechargeables and using them again and again.

7. Speed- When you are ready to purchase, be sure to check out the lag on button press. If you want to photograph things in motion (kids, pets, sports, etc) it can be very frustrating to try to snap that perfect picture and have the image captured 5 seconds later after the moment has passed. Some cameras offer continuous shutter mode, which allows you to snap pictures in sequence. For most amateurs 5 frames per second is adequate.

8. Manual Focus – part of the beauty of digital cameras is most of them take care of focusing for you. In some situations you may want the ability to manually focus to bring out detail.

9. Low Light Modes – Some cameras have auxiliary lights to help focus or even night vision mode. If you’re going to be taking pictures at night, it’s worth the money to add this to your checklist.

10. Accessories- Most people focus exclusively on the camera, and the accessories are an afterthought. Depending on where you buy your camera, you may be able to get a package deal that includes things you would have to buy anyway, like a case, memory cards, extra batteries and the like. If you buy your camera in a camera store don’t be afraid to negotiate, many will give you a better price or throw in extras like photography lessons.

When you buy a digital camera there’s no need to be intimidated, just do some research online and have an idea of what you want to do with your camera, create a list of important points, and then buy with confidence.