Guide To Digital Photography

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.

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.

Millions of people have fallen in love with their digital camera; and for good reason. They are compact making them easy to tote along anywhere a person may wander, they are capable of producing images of outstanding quality which can easily be shared online with others anywhere in the world, and with digital storage, they are a space saving wonder. In addition, digital cameras allow users to save the expense of film and developing. But perhaps the greatest attraction of these cameras is the control they provide over the images one creates during the editing process.

Unfortunately, most of those who love digital cameras have also come to know their dark side; their thirst for power. From the first touch of the button to power a digital camera on, setting the focus, shutter speed, zooming, and providing a flash for image capture, to reviewing images taken and editing, these cameras are energy junkies.

The good news is that there are things that can be done to help to make it easier to live with power craving cameras and to curb their appetite. Certainly, having a camera with rechargeable batteries is by far the best option and charging the battery per manufacturer’s guidelines can help sustain optimal functioning. For the people who love their digital camera, there are also steps that can be taken in the way they use it to help reduce the rate of power consumption.

• When finished shooting, remove the batteries from the camera if it will not be used for another 2 or 3 weeks. This will prevent a trickling discharge that can occur when left in the camera.

• Use the on/off function appropriately. Certainly a digital camera should not be left on for any extended period of time as the energy is wasted. However, if another shot will be taken within a few minutes it is better to leave the camera on as it consumes a great deal of energy to power on/off. If the camera has a sleep mode, it is best to set the timer for that function to the shortest interval in case the user forgets to turn the camera off.

• Disable or don’t use features that aren’t needed. Zoom for instance uses a great deal of power. If the same result can easily be achieved by simply moving the subject or stepping closer, do that instead. Use of the flash function is also energy intensive. Flash should be used only when it will be effective. For instance, if lighting is already sufficient or the subject is out of flash range anyway, don’t use the flash function.

• When possible use the viewfinder to set up a shot as the LCD screen consumes a great deal of battery power. Use of the LCD screen can improve some shots such as in the case of close-up/macro photography but in most instances use of the viewfinder is sufficient. (Remember, photographers operated without LCD screens for most of the history of photography!)

• Use other power sources when appropriate. For instance use an AC adapter when downloading images and use the computer for review and image deletion rather than performing such functions directly on the camera.

• Do things manually when feasible. From powering the camera off to focusing; auto anything takes more power.

• Some experts indicate that some types of media storage consume more energy as well. For instance, Compact Flash is said to be a more energy conscious form of storage than MicroDrive Media.

Certainly, the many features offered on a digital camera are convenient and desirable. Users merely need to be aware of the tremendous demands placed on the camera battery by these same features. Understanding this allows a digital camera owner to make a choice between ease of use and conservation of the battery.

If ever you have seen a picture that is blurred, it is most probably because the camera was shaken while the picture was taken. With traditional photographic film cameras, it was evident only after the negatives and positives were made. However, with digital camera, the captured image can be seen immediately on the LCD screen, and if the image has shaken, then it can be discarded for a new shot.

Digital camera shakes are common with new users. This is primarily because, new users have not fully understood that the shutter-release button must not be pressed twice, but pressed two steps down. The first step locks the focus and exposure while the second step takes the photo. This pressing of the button has to be smooth, otherwise the digital camera shakes and a blurred picture is the result.

The shutter speed also plays an important role in blurring the picture. The shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter remains open to allow light to reach the digital camera sensor. It is measured in seconds or fractions of a second. An image is exposed by the combination of the lens aperture and the shutter speed. A slow shutter speed needs a small aperture (large F-stop number) to avoid over exposure. With a slow shutter speed below 1/60th of a second, over exposure is adequately controlled, but the digital camera is likely to vibrate more, giving a shaky picture.

A tripod is extremely useful to eliminate digital camera shakes. It is generally used by sports photographers who use long telephoto lens, as it helps in close-ups, landscape and panning shots, for timed exposures, for shooting at slow shutter speeds, and for taking photographs in low or dim light conditions. Shooting a fast moving subject, like athletes, or wildlife, tests the photographer`s skill and the equipment. In such cases, camera shakes are most likely to happen, and thus a monopod or a tripod is always used. Digital cameras mounted on tripods always tend to eliminate camera shakes and give sharp results.

A great feature in most high-end digital cameras available nowadays is image stabilization (IS). IS is an anti-shake and vibration reduction technology and is common in digital cameras with long telephoto zooms of 10X and 12X. With IS, sharp images can be obtained even if the camera shakes a little, a slow shutter speed is used, shooting is done in low light conditions, or a tripod is not used. IS was originally developed for video cameras. It is now available in interchangeable lens, consumer and professional digital cameras, which use optical image stabilization. Sports and wildlife photographers use a tripod and IS technology together to get the maximum sharpness of their photographs; however, many other photographers turn the IS feature off while using a tripod.

Digital camera shakes can be eliminated or minimized by the utilization of the above techniques. However, the fundamentals of taking a good shot prove to be most effective in avoiding camera shakes, in the absence of tripods, or IS technology.

The basics of good photography should be followed. You should hold the digital camera with both your hands. You should keep the legs apart with the knees slightly bent forward. Your elbows should be braced with your body and your body braced with some support, if possible. You should generally frame and compose the picture with the viewfinder and not the LCD screen. You should not jab but lightly press the shutter release button two steps down, and during that time, it would be beneficial to hold your breath to prevent any movement of the chest and hands. With this basic technique of good photography, you can be sure that your digital camera will not shake and no picture will be blurred.

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Someday there will be an ‘e-bay” of photography where consumers and businesses, designers and art directors, agencies and photo buyers will all go to find and license image for their disparate needs.  A student will look for images to complete a homework assignment…and an Art Director for a major ad agency will find an image for a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal.  The student might pay twenty-five cents while the Art Director might pay $10,000.00.  The popularity of an image, in conjunction with the use, will determine the price that will be paid.  The best photographers will make more money than they ever have before…and photographers who are sound business people will find a way to make good money too.  Those of us who are less creative, less diligent and less motivated will fall further and further behind.  I guess that is one thing that won’t really change in the business of stock photography!  Those who “get it” will thrive…as they always have while those who remain stuck in the past will slowly (or quickly) fade away.

As professional photographers who sell their images to the advertising, design and editorial communities, many of us have lost sight, or perhaps have never seen the tremendous buying power of the “consumer”.  My eyes were opened to that when I began to sell my Animal Antics images…pictures of  funny animals in anthropomorphic poses and situations, as greeting cards.  Sure, I only make a few cents per card…but when the public is buying over a hundred thousand cards a month those pennies can really add up!

Even with sales like that most people who I talk to about my greeting cards have never seen the cards for sale!  So I conclude that sales of a hundred thousand cards-a-month represents only a small fraction of the total possible number of sales.  The potential income from selling images to the public, to the consumer, is staggering.  Especially if you consider that images, for the most part, are a universal language.

So how do we, the photographers, tap into that market?  Well, obviously greeting cards portraying funny animal pictures is one way to do that.  But that really isn’t a very efficient way to do it.  The internet is the way to do it…but perhaps not yet.  That above mentioned “e-bay” for photographs…or some similar mechanism to marry the elements of consumer, photographs and transactions, needs to come in to place.  The need is there…I bet the technology is too…the rest is simply a matter of time…and preparation. 

For me that means having a website that is reasonably functional in getting my images in front of the public…and having content that the public wants.  That content can be anything from pictures that consumers can download and print (and that they WANT to download and print), to images they can license for their small business or images they can use to spice up their social networking site.  I am attempting to offer such content to the consumer by linking up with Café Press for products such as coffee mugs, calendars, handbags, T-shirts and the like…to ImageKind for fine art prints, to the various stock photo agencies that license my photographs for more traditional advertising and promotional uses.  Currently I use Blend Images for ethnic lifestyle and conceptual imagery, Getty Images for most of my conceptual and business images, Corbis also for concept images, and Kimball Stock for the licensing of my anthropomorphic animal pictures.  I also continue to sell greeting cards through the Portal brand that is published and distributed by the Marian Heath greeting card company.

Any investment counselor will tell you that the first thing to do in investing is to diversify.  That is of particular importance in time of uncertainty…and I think these times qualify for that label. As photographers we need to follow that same advice.  How do we diversify? For me that means a multi-pronged approach.  I diversify in my content, in my target market, and in my distribution.

I create images for the traditional advertising, design, corporate and editorial markets.  Within those markets I create lifestyle images, business images, and conceptual images.  Here I am diversifying the content within the category of traditional stock photography.  Next, I create images for the consumer…that is images that in them selves are or can be product.  That means everything from photo imprinted coffee mugs to photos for checks, photos for screensavers…you get the picture.  I also, once a year, take a trip specifically to shoot travel images.  Again…further diversification of my content.

To diversify my distribution I utilize both those traditional “powerhouse” stock photo agencies like Getty and Corbis, and niche agencies like Blend Images (for ethnically diverse lifestyle and business imagery) and Kimball Stock (for funny animal pictures).  Further diversification of my distribution is achieved by selling greeting cards through Marian Heath greeting cards and hiring a licensing agent to sell and distribute other “consumer” images for such wide-ranging applications as vet reminder cards, gift books and even figurines and picture frames! 

And finally, I have my website which I am fine-tuning as a vehicle to make my photographs available to anyone who might be interested in them, and in guiding them to the appropriate distributor for their needs.  I believe that those of us who establish such websites now and learn from that process, will have a huge head-start when that new paradigm lands on us…as it surely will!  When that wave hits I want to be experiencing the thrill of riding it rather than the pain of being crushed beneath it.

An electronics on-line discussion forum contains a story about an elderly woman who wanted a simple camera to take pictures of her grandchildren. When she received a digital camera for Christmas, she looked puzzled for a moment and then asked, “Where do you put in the film?” This humorous example demonstrates how the revolutionary technology of digital cameras may be mystifying for those who have difficulty grasping the concept of a “filmless” camera! For almost a century, photography enthusiasts sagely discussed such topics as 35mm film, light meters and F-stops; today, digital cameras have made such topics all but obsolete.

Howstuffworks.com contains an article by Gurevich, Karim, and Wilson that greatly simplifies an explanation of how digital cameras work. Very simply, they explain that CDs, mp3’s, and DVDs all share the same technology: they convert traditional analog “wave” data into digital data based upon “bits.” In so doing, this radical shift in technology has changed greatly – and forever – how we do things and what has become possible including digital “filmless” cameras. While film cameras depend upon chemical and mechanical processes, digital cameras contain a computer that records images electronically.

In 1994, Kodak and Apple developed and sold the first digital cameras. Today there are hundreds of models to choose from, depending upon the type of pictures you need, the complexity with which you’re comfortable, and what digital camera you can afford. For everyday use, most people prefer a “point and shoot” camera that isn’t complex, takes good quality pictures that can be loaded onto computers or printed for personal use and to send to friends, and is affordable. According to a number of consumer guides and customer reviews, the top ten digital cameras in the low, mid, and high price ranges are:

1. Nikon D300 (high)

2. Canon EOS 5D (high)

3. Canon EOS 40D (high)

4. HP Photosmart M547 (low, great value)

5. FujiFilm Finepix S700 (mid)

6. GE A730 (mid)

7. Nikon D200 (high)

8. Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xsi (high)

9. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 (mid)

10. Canon EOS 30D (high)

The point should be made that what constitutes a “great” digital camera is usually in the eye of the beholder. One person’s “top ten” list is almost certain to differ from another person’s. For example, a digital camera that is making devoted converts is the Casio Exilim series that sells in the mid-level price range, depending upon your digital camera photography needs. On the other end, Digital Camera.com rates the Pentax Optio E-10 as “the worst digital camera ever.”

With all these differing opinions, what’s the best way to buy the digital camera that’s right for you? If you simply want to take personal pictures, choose a digital camera that has at least three megapixels. This will give you good quality pictures at a very affordable price. Remember that the higher the number of megapixels, the better quality your pictures will be, but the digital camera you choose will be more complex and more expensive. Also consider the size and shape of the camera; is it easy for you to carry in your purse or pocket? Finally, be sure your digital camera has at least 256-512 megabites of space on its memory card so you won’t have to buy additional memory cards. Taking all these factors into consideration will help you enjoy capturing treasured memories for years to come.

Often it is not possible to capture the beauty of underwater life with normal camera, but thanks to underwater digital camera, now you can explore the marine life. An underwater camera is a special designed digital camera used for still and video photography to capture the amazing flora and fauna of marine life.
You can capture the still images of sea life or can shoot while scuba diving. Safely protected with waterproof casing, these digital cameras are designed to be fully submerged underwater and withstand any surrounding pressure. The smaller models of underwater cameras are normally ideal for up to two hundred feet to four hundred feet while the bigger digital cameras are made for deeper water regions.
As compared to film-based underwater cameras, the underwater digital cameras are much better since they don`t run out of film. Yon can also delete any bad shots or change to a lower resolution picture mode in low-light conditions. No more fuzzy backgrounds and edges as seen in film underwater cameras, with their wide-angle photography, underwater digital cameras delivers sharper images.
Available in all sizes, shapes and film format, many underwater digital cameras also come with viewfinder feature which helps in picture adjustment for photography. With some nice prints, the underground digital camera produces better images which are really helpful for amateur photographers.
However the underwater digital camera is not only meant for deep-sea divers. Many underwater digital cameras available today can also be used to take quality pictures on dry land in harsh climatic conditions like snowfall and severe rains. Adorned with multi-flash function, color correction filter and macro lens, the underwater digital camera offers superb image quality. Just like normal digital camera, this underwater digital camera also comes with 15MB of sufficient memory along with the storage, editing and manipulation software.
If you wonder which model of underwater digital camera to choose, what features to consider, then here is a briefly discussed guide on the features of some prominent underwater digital camera models.
Panasonic SDR-SW20:
This compact model is for those who want an easy-to-use and lightweight underwater digital camera. With 10x optical zoom and MPEG-2 format up to 10 Mbps, this is one of the best digital cameras available for video recording. However, with only 0.3MP 640×480 still imaging capability, the still imaging options are basically non-existent in this new model.
Pentax Optio W30:
One of the pioneers in underwater digital camera market, the current Optio W30 comes with 7MP with ISO1600 and 3x optical zoom image recording feature. Supported by both SD and SDHC, Videos in this underwater digital camera is of 640×480 in MOV QuickTime MJPEG format.
Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1:
This is the one of the best designed underwater digital cameras for up to 5feet depth of water. With 4GB card, and MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 at 640×480 powers, the Xacti E1 allows shooting with an approximate record time of over 5 hours. For still images, this digital camera offers a solid 5x optical zoom with a 6MP CCD at up to ISO1600 power. One special key feature of this underwater digital camera is the flip out view screen which saves you from the risk of bumping in with underwater objects while swimming around.
Olympus SW series:
At 10 Megapixels, ISO1600, and a 3.6x optical zoom feature, Olympus may also be one of the most well rounded underwater digital cameras. With an underwater depth up to 6.6 feet, this is the deepest water digital camera on the list.
Intova IC-700 7.0MP digital camera with underwater housing:
Available in an affordable price of around $300, this underwater digital camera features 7 megapixels, macro mode and an in-built flash that can reach up to five feet underwater.

Digital cameras are sophisticated gadgets with the ability to review photos on the spot after taking it, deleting the unwanted images and making photography a real fun. The main reason why people chose them is the convenience of use and remarkable performance. But when it comes to purchasing digital cameras, it can be a daunting task to get into the right track.
Whether it is for professional or personal use, it may be a long term investment. Any hasty decision may lead to frustrating results about its performance and your satisfaction. So here are some valuable tips that can guide you while purchasing these equipments.
Set a basic budget:
First of all you need to make a trade-off between the digital camera that you need and the price. It is better to think practically about the purchase as you will not be able to get the best in every aspect of its features. So, before visiting any store, on-line or off-line, you need to consider about the budget on how much money you want to spend. Spending a large amount does not necessarily assure you of quality products.
Count on your experience:
Your experience is something that can guide you properly in the field of selecting the digital camera. Basically, stay away of ending up in buying unnecessary gadgets. If you are a novice user , pick the equipment that is mostly automated. For instance, the digital zoom is an important part of your digital camera, so while purchasing it, ensure that the camera produces the correct picture and gives the center view of the image.
If you are an expert or professional user, you may need to purchase equipments that give more manual control over the features. Therefore, it is essential to decide the purpose of buying them. The bottom-line is that you should buy digital camera equipments that you can actually use.
Do not compromise with the features:
When you are buying photographic equipments, you should have some particular uses in you mind. So purchase the one that satisfies mostly the features you require for. Again, do not get tempted with trendy looks. Look carefully into the features and then select the right one for you. It is not true that expensive digital camera equipments always have all those necessary features you need.
Decide your requirements:
If you are not sure of what you want from your digital camera equipments, you may end up buying the wrong one. For instance, in case of outdoor photography, a fast shutter sped is essential for moving objects. For taking multiple pictures in quick succession, you should buy digital camera equipment with special features.
Gather prior knowledge:
Whenever purchasing you should remember to have a list of extras such as memory cards and batteries. Hence, you need to learn about different types of equipments and their usages. There can not be any better way of gathering information than browsing through the World Wide Web. You can find reviews of the same products and price comparisons, which will help you to make your decision.
Also, you need to compare the price-performance ratio, as none of the two can be ignored while purchasing high-end gadgets. The best products are the ones that have the best overall package. So, make a good purchase and enjoy the freedom in photography with your digital camera.

For the average person, digital cameras are the tool of choice to snap pictures of family and friends, to record special events, and to capture images of inspiring landscapes seen on vacations. However, for some, a love of nature, simple curiosity, or an interest in photography as a hobby guides them toward the world of close-up, or macro, photography. Close-up photography is simply a matter of taking pictures of small objects by getting very close and obtaining a magnified view. For anyone serious about macro photography an SLR camera is needed but for those interested in dabbling with their basic digital camera, a little experimentation can produce interesting close-up photographs.

Special “macro” lenses are recommended for the enthusiast but most digital cameras can accept small screw on “close-up” lenses which provide additional magnification. The digital cameras most consumers purchase are auto focus and merely require the push of a button to enter close or “macro” mode but the owner’s manual should be reviewed to discover the minimum focusing distance of the camera. When shooting at a distance of only inches there are a number of precautions to take to assure a high quality image.

1.) Focus: When photographing at close range/high magnification, images can be blurred by the slightest movements.

• If the digital camera has a feature for mirror lock-up, it should be activated as the mere movement of the mirror can blur the image taken.

• Use a tripod

• Because slight breezes can cause movement, it is easiest to shoot subjects indoors when possible to gain control over the environment. In addition, shooting inanimate objects can also be a good starting point for a novice as the subject of the picture will not be moving.

• Because of the close range, blurriness in all but a very small area of the picture frequently occurs. To get more area in focus, reduce the aperture and increase lighting. In some instances, increasing distance from the subject may be necessary.

• Be sure the subject is parallel to the lens as items which are perpendicular have portions which are further away and therefore tend to blur.

2.) Getting the view you want: What is seen through the viewfinder of the digital camera is different than what the lens sees. This is particularly evident when photographing at close range.

• Use the LCD instead of the viewfinder to see what is being photographed.

• Or, use the correction marks (lines) that can be seen through the viewfinder which approximate the border of the image being taken to visualize what the lens is truly seeing. Then adjust the shot as necessary.

3.) Lighting: True macro photography commonly makes use of specialized flash units but care should be taken when using the flash unit with a digital camera to avoid over exposure and to obtain a natural looking background. Beginners can try a couple of things to obtain the best outcome

• Diffuse the light by using very thin tissue in front of the flash

• Place plain poster board (biege or gray is often used) behind the subject if the background is blackened. This will lighten the background and if placed far enough away, blur to look more natural.

• Use natural diffuse light when possible. As in most photography, avoid direct, overhead sunlight.

Although basic digital cameras have limitations related to macro photography, beginners can certainly obtain images with a level of detail and beauty seldom seen with the naked eye when giving necessary attention to the special needs of close up photography.