With a digital camera, you can also take as many pictures as
you want without worrying about wasting film. You can look at
pictures right away and decide whether to keep them or delete
them. And, you can print only the images you want -- you don't
have to process whole rolls of film and then figure out where
to store all the pictures.
But digital cameras also have a few disadvantages. A film
camera can take a picture almost immediately when you press
the button. Digital cameras, on the other hand, can take a few
seconds, especially if they're making adjustments
automatically. They also require more light than traditional
cameras do. Sometimes, the abundant space on a memory card
encourages people to take so many pictures that they're not
sure what to do with them later.
By keeping a few tips in mind, it's easy to overcome the
disadvantages and get a lot out of your digital camera.
1. Control the light :
It is good to remember that a digital camera is a lot like
a film camera, but it uses a sensor and a memory card in place
of film. When you take a picture, a digital shutter opens and
exposes the sensor to light. The sensor reacts to the light,
and the memory card stores the resulting picture.
The light that hits the sensor determines virtually everything
about the picture. Your camera may be able make some
adjustments, but it has to work with the amount and type of
light that it receives. You can control how the light hits
the sensor with three settings:
* The focus adjusts the lens in relation to the sensor,
making sure that the light converges on the sensor's surface.
Most digital cameras have an automatic focus feature, but
a few focus manually and have interchangeable lenses.
* The aperture, measured in f-stops, determines how wide
the shutter opens. A wide opening lets in more light, and
a narrow opening lets in less. Higher f-stops mean that the
opening is smaller, and lower f-stops mean that it is larger.
The aperture determines the picture's depth of field, or how
much of the picture is in focus. At low f-stops, the
foreground of the picture will be in focus while the
background is out of focus. At high f-stops, objects in both
the foreground and background are in focus.
* The shutter speed determines how long the shutter is
open. The longer it's open, the more light will hit the
sensor. If you or your subject is moving while the shutter
is open, the image will be blurred.
2. Choose the best exposure :
On most cameras, you can manually adjust the aperture and
shutter speed. This can reduce the amount of time between
when you press the button and when the shutter opens. Most
cameras also have a fully automatic mode that adjusts the
settings, including the focus, for you. You can take lots
of good, clear pictures with this mode. Many cameras also
have several presets for capturing portraits, fast action
or outdoor scenes.
But automatic exposure might not be best for every situation,
so understanding f-stop, shutter speed and presets can make
a huge difference in how well your camera works for you.
Being able to set the exposure on your own will also let you
cut down the amount of time between when you press the button
and when the shutter opens. In other words, you can take the
picture you want before the moment passes. You can learn more
about setting exposure by taking several pictures of the same
scene using different settings and seeing how the finished
product changes.
3. Hold the camera steady and lock the focus :
Since digital cameras require more light than film cameras,
the shutter is often open longer. This can cause your pictures
to blur. Using a tripod or monopod can help you keep your
camera still.
Also, on most digital cameras, pressing the button halfway
will focus the camera. You can hold the button in this
position until you're ready to take the picture. This can
further reduce the time between when you press the button
and when the shutter opens. It can also let you keep the
camera in focus while re-framing the picture.
4. Use optical -- not digital -- zoom :
An optical zoom physically changes how far the lens is from
the sensor. Digital zoom, on the other hand, simply forces
the camera to create the picture from one portion of the
sensor rather than the whole thing. You can do the work of
a digital zoom yourself using image editing software, and you
can often do it better than your camera can.
5. Preserve the battery :
It's tempting to use the LCD screen as a viewfinder.
Sometimes, it's the only good way to see what you're taking
a picture of. But the LCD screen uses lots of battery power.
If possible, set your camera to preview pictures on the
screen after you take them but to keep it turned off the rest
of the time.
6. Delete unwanted pictures right away :
Unless you're quickly taking several pictures of the same
scene, look at your picture as soon as you take it. You'll
know right away if you need to take another. If you do, go
ahead and delete the one you don't like. If you wait to
review all your pictures and delete unwanted ones, your
camera will probably insert new pictures into the spaces the
deleted ones left. This can make it harder to sort and
organize your pictures later.
7. Maximize your storage space :
Most cameras come with a very small memory card.
Upgrade it to something larger, and keep the old one as
an emergency backup. You can fit more pictures onto your card
by lowering the resolution or increasing the compression that
the camera uses. Even if your camera has a high megapixel
rating, you can manually set it to take slightly lower-quality
pictures. You should still be able to make average-sized
prints with little to no loss of quality.
8. Transfer your pictures :
After taking pictures with your digital camera, the next step
is to transfer them from the memory card to your computer.
Depending on your camera, you either remove the card and place
it in a card reader, or you plug your camera directly into
your computer's USB or FireWire port. Some people wait until
the memory card is nearly full, but it's a good idea to go
ahead and copy your pictures soon after you take them. That
way, you won't lose your pictures if something happens to
your camera, and you can sort and share your pictures while
they're still fresh on your mind. You should also back your
pictures up onto CD-ROM or DVD-ROM regularly.
Many digital cameras come with software to help you manage
your pictures. Often, the program will show you thumbnails,
or miniature versions of your pictures, so you can quickly
navigate through your collection. You can use the program to
categorize your photos by date, subject matter or type. Many
programs also let you make basic image corrections, like
removing red eye. Or, you can use more advanced software,
like Adobe Photoshop, to completely change the look of your
pictures. See Digital Photography Basics for more details.
9. Know your print options :
You can print pictures at home on a photo printer, or you can
send them to a printing service. Both options have some pros
and cons. If you buy a printer, you can print your pictures
right away. Many printers are portable, so you can take them
with you on vacation and print photos as you go. But the cost
of the printer, ink and paper can add up -- in general, this
is an expensive way to print your photos.
Most of the time, using a professional printing service is
a more economical option. You can make standard-sized prints
for a few cents each and very large prints for a few dollars.
Typically, you sign up for a free account, upload the photos
you want to print, and place your order. Sometimes, you can
take CDs of images to an in-store kiosk and place your order
there.
Using a professional service is generally cheaper than buying
your own printer, and your prints will probably be better
quality. However, uploading the pictures can take time, since
you'll want to send full-sized, high-resolution pictures.
You'll also have to wait a few days for your prints to arrive.
10. Share your photos online :
If you're going to share your photos via e-mail, it's a good
idea to re-size them before you send them. Digital cameras
can create very large image files, and these files can take
a long time to download. To reduce the size of your pictures,
open them in your photo editing software. Make the files
smaller in one of two ways:
* Reduce the resolution, measured in dots per inch (DPI).
The minimum resolution for good-quality onscreen viewing is
72 DPI.
* Reduce the image size, measured in inches, centimeters
or pixels. A 3 by 5 inch (7.6 by 12.7 centimeter) picture
will travel well by e-mail but will still be big enough to
see.
Save the result as a new file, and keep your original
high-resolution image.
If you'd rather share your photos in an online gallery than
via e-mail, you can start an account on an image-sharing site
like Flickr, Fotki or Snapfish. Your camera's software may
also include automatic uploading options. Many of these
services are free, but some limit how many pictures you
can upload per month or how much disc space you can use.
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