Your Choice of Digital Photography Printing

Printing your shots into paper is the next important thing in digital photography. And the best photo shot will not be given justice if you have not used the proper printing equipments for it. To be able to do justice to the photos that you took digitally, a good printer will really make the prints come to life.

The existence of various types of digital camera paved the way for different types of printers to be developed. Manufacturers know that printing photos is way different from printing plain prints. That is why they are always coming up with printing abilities that would suit digital photo prints well.

Nowadays, there are a lot of ways to have digital photography printed. Each printing methods and techniques have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is best to know what these things so that you will know what to have and what to avoid when having your photos printed.

Here are some digital photography printing choices:

1. Photo store.

The old style of bringing your film to a photo store for developing is still practiced today. The only difference is that films are not anymore used. You just need to bring with you your digital camera and the photo shop will print your photos for you.

An advantage in using photo stores is that they are complete with highly advanced machines you might not have at home. In addition, they know a lot of tips and tricks to make your photos appear its best. Plus, the photo store has the capability to edit your photos if you feel that it does not suit your taste. You only have to give the specific instructions and they will do the rest.

The disadvantage with using photo stores is the waiting period. Even if it does not take as long as it does with films, you still need to wait sometime before your photos are printed. Another disadvantage is that the printing machine they are using may not be the type that you want your photos printed on. So it is better to be very clear about the printing equipment that you want them to use so that this problem will be prevented.

2. Home printer.

This is fast becoming one of the most popular methods of printing digital photos. More and more people are getting their own printers installed at home so that they can print their photos anytime they feel like it.

This way, you can edit your own photos and compile them in your own private collection before you start printing them out. You only have to make sure that you have the proper printer for your digital photos if you want them to turn out the way you expect them to be.

With home printers, you do not have to wait in line for your photos to be printed. All that is needed is for your camera to be plugged in directly to your computer. From there, you can print the photos in no time.

The only drawback in home printers is that you have no other choice of printing process to use. The printed copies will depend on the kind of printing that you use.

With digital photography printing, you definitely have a choice. Just choose the one that you think will give you the perfect photo with minimal hassles and headaches.

Getting the Right Angles on Digital Nude Photography

It is inevitable to think of photography as a Visual art. Many believe that the only thing that can really limit an individual from taking an image and having the desired effects are one’s imagination and perception.

However, some of the captured images or portraits may not be acceptable to “all-knowing” critics and judges. The essence of photography is to meet your own personal criteria of value. The same sentiment goes with nudity.

Nudity is a form on art that is existent even during the time of the Greeks. Sculptures and paintings that were erected to depict various gods and goddesses can serve as concrete evidences. Not everyone else is as talented as these sculptors and painters but they, too, want to preserve the beauty in the lines and arch of nude bodies. They want to capture these fine details of the bodies using cameras.

How is nude photography done?

Nude photography can be done showing either half or the entirety of a body. In addition, this can be done in various locations and poses. The creativity of the photographer usually make people classify images to be either pornographic or not. Actually, there are no solid rules in classifying an image as pornographic or “safe” because an image is perceived by different viewers who have their own set of standards and ethical considerations.

A picture perfect nude photograph generally depends on three things: the camera, the model, and the location.

1. The Camera

Nowadays, people are hooked with using digital cameras particularly digital SLR or Single Lens Reflex cameras because of a number of advantages of using digital cameras:

o pictures can be previewed immediately on the built-in LCD screen o costs of installing films are replaced with memory sticks or cards that are primarily reusable and can store thousands of pictures o the stored photographs can easily be shared by copying off the images and/or sharing the memory stick or card o images can easily be transformed into black and white and/or sepia and can also be cropped after the picture has been taken

Novice photographers are advised to use traditional digital cameras or even digital SLRs because both of these models allow users to adjust the settings to get the right contrast and color. More importantly, these models enable users to shoot at different angles and try out the “trial and error” technique without worrying how the images will look when they are developed.

2. The Model

This person should be someone who is comfortable and open to the idea of being nude in front of the camera. Some photographers capture portraits of their models with clothes on before baring it all the way.

3. The Location

This aspect of nude photography is not at all hard to find as compared to the first two. Actually, photo shoots can occur anywhere such as in a park or at a beach or any other place where natural light is available to bring out the natural skin tone of the model

No one can take away the tingling effect of the sensuality upon seeing nude photographs captured artistically. In fact, nowadays, many make a lot of money out of mixing the art of photography with the erotic elements of nudity. Penthouse and Playboy alike hire a number of creative photographers to continue to live up to their customers’ attention, appreciation, and expectations.

Before you let your model bare it all, why don’t you ensure that you can really bare your creativity and talents with your cameras first?

Taking Wedding Pictorials One Step Forward with Digital Photography

Cameras have always been present in times of events. They can really help people keep all of their treasured memories. Of course, during weddings/nuptials the ever-reliable cameras are surely present.

It is well known that weddings are one of the wonderful events in an individual's life. Many people wait for the day they can have a sacred union with the one that they love. And in order for them to have at least a good memory of this great event, cameras are needed.

You know, it's amazing how far our technology has come with regards to photography. Many devices or gadgets are now being introduced in order to help people treasure special moments in their everyday lives.

There are also new cameras that are being made especially to capture the most treasured times in our everyday lives. Among these devices are digital cameras. These devices are really great for capturing happy moments during events like weddings.

Since the introduction of digital cams, they have outsold film cameras. Thus, this makes digital wedding photography a more popular service than film photography. Why?

Well, this may be because digital photography can take wedding pictorials into new heights. Cameras used for digital photography provides a lot of new advantages to their users.

One of the major advantages of these digital cameras is that they let users skip the usual film separation process, which is among the most time-consuming processes in photography. So, removing one time-consuming process would mean getting results faster, right? And when living in a fast-phase society, quick results are a must!

Another advantage of digital wedding photography is that, even though it provides fast results, the quality of each printed photo is not sacrificed. This means that no matter how fast you get your pictures, the result is still beautiful.

Another advantage of digital wedding photography is that it provides customization options to its users. This would mean that a user can edit photos even before they are printed. You can change the size, brightness, contrast or sharpness of your photo. You can even add or remove some details on your photos.

Digital photography has also integrated with cellular phones. This means that you only need to bring a phone to take pictures during weddings. Nevertheless, it is a fact professional digital cameras can provide better results than the cameras of cellular phones. Most professional digital cams have 6 mega pixels while cellular phones usually have lower mega pixel.

But perhaps the greatest advantage of digital wedding photography is the availability of your photos to be reproduced over and over again without making any variations between the first printed photo and the last photo printed. Digital photography allows users to save their files on their computers, which would mean that they can be reproduced without wearing out any film, since it doesn't need one.

But, no matter how great a technology is, it's still not perfect. One of the major disadvantages of digital photography is that it is not ideal for 4-color printing. Why? Well this is because of the fact that there will always be a variation between the images you will see on your pc monitor and your 4 color printed photo.

Why? Well, computer monitors use RGB, right? Four color printing uses CMYK. RGB and CMYK have entirely different outputs. So, no matter what you do, the image on your monitor will never be the same as your 4 color photos, unless there are computer monitors that also use CMYK to produce colors for the images and texts.

Nevertheless, digital wedding photography is still better than film photography and that is also a fact. See for yourself.

Let’s Get Digital: SLR Photography Basics

Nowadays, according to psychologists, more and more people are getting visually inclined. In other words, most of us love to use our eyes!

In what ways do we use our eyes for?

We use our eyes to view things in our environment. However, through time, man has devised ways on how to preserve the things we see, whether these are beautiful or not, and one of which is by way of using cameras.

These days, the biggest sellers in the camera market are the so-called digital SLR cameras.

Just what is an SLR camera?

SLR is an acronym for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras were the tools made for and used by professional photographers. Cameras such as these, similarly, make use of mirror that reflects light entering the lens up into the eye piece or the viewfinder. Thus, a photographer can gauge how the image or picture will look like. Moreover, a SLR camera uses lenses that are interchangeable. Hence, this camera can be used for long distance telephoto photography or close-up macro photography.

A digital SLR or DSLR camera is dependent on lenses and mirror and their optical capabilities. However a DSLR camera uses light sensor chips and digital memory cards instead of films, basically a computerized version of the abovementioned camera.

The following summarizes the comparison between DSLR and point and shoot cameras (SLRs):

1. DSLRs and SLRs use interchangeable lenses for better resolution. 2. Any picture you take using SLRs and DSLRs is usually crisper, cleaner and fine upon reproduction. 3. DSLRs have a higher speed when it comes to focusing and taking pictures 4. DSLRs perform better at low lighting conditions by using ISO speeds. These cameras have lesser granularity. 5. DSLRS provide more professional power over depth of field, light, and responsiveness. 6. DSLRs provide a more immediate feedback as they use digital chips or light sensing CCDs that translate incoming light rays into digital pictures. 7. DSLRs and SLRs cost more than point and shoot cameras. 8. DSLRs and SLRs are usually heavier than some point and shoot models.

Some sample DSLR models are listed below:

Prosumer models:

• Canon EOS 10D • Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT • Nikon D50 • Nikon D70s • Pentax *ist DS

Professional Models:

• Canon EOS 1D Mark II • Canon EOS 20D • Fuji Finepix S3 Pro • Nikon D2x

Who actually wants DSLRs? Anyone wants to have crisper and clearer pictures—be it a hobbyist or a professional photographer can opt for a DSLR model. Anyone who will not bother carrying bigger cameras on trips in order to bring back topnotch photos can make use of DSLRs.

Like all electronic and computerized gadgets, digital models tend to get cheaper yet better over time. For sure, DSLRs will eventually migrate down to consumer cameras: ability to take bursts of 10 frames in a few seconds, quick response time, higher resolution image sensors, and accurate auto-focus, among others.

The only thing that will remain constant are the laws of optics—you will not get the same results from a finger-nail sized lens as with larger lenses used by professional users. Also the fact that people do not have enough money all the time remains the same through time.

If you plan to take photography as a profession, practice shooting some shots using prosumers models and consider budget and quality of lenses before you say, “Big Cheese”!

Digital Photography Tip #1: Don’t Assume that DigiCams Do All The Work!

Maybe you have heard something like this before: “The better the cameras, the better the photos.” In this effect, you might have thought of digital cameras. Many believe that these models are just a one-click away for great photos. Do you also believe on this?

Ponder on the following article and the appropriate answer will be revealed to you.

The rivalry between film cameras and digital cameras is relatively fresh. How come? Three mega pixels digital cameras have an array of choices for consumers, which is already comparable to a high quality point and shoot models. Nowadays, the same thing goes with five mega pixels digital models for excellent quality photographs. The thing is, quality photographs can be taken with ease using digital cameras.

Some of the main advantages to digital photography are:

• pictures can be previewed immediately on the built-in LCD screen • costs of installing films are replaced with memory sticks or cards that are primarily reusable and can store thousands of pictures • the stored photographs can easily be shared by copying off the images and/or sharing the memory stick or card • images can easily be transformed into black and white and/or sepia and can also be cropped after the picture has been taken

However, photos under low light and taken using film and digital models are both susceptible to artifacts or granularity. Images taken by both cameras appear to be very similar can be further improved with the advent of software that can improve and manipulate the quality and details of images.

Furthermore, you can take lousy shots with the most expensive Nikon models and make great photos with the passé point and shoot cameras. It suffices to say that it is not the camera that solely makes great and even picture-perfect images. The man behind the camera can squeeze or miss a big time out of the gadget that he has.

The following presents a ten-point aid that will enable you to take photos like a pro using your digital cameras. Practice on these tips so you can maximize the expense of your gadget.

1. Those Tones Should Warm Up

Change your white balance setting from auto to cloudy when shooting sunny landscapes and outdoor portraits. This increases the yellow and red tones, thus resulting in warmer and richer pictures.

2. Use a [Sunglass] Polarizer

A polarizer should always come in handy when taking those general outdoor shooting. Polarized shots have more saturated and richer colors because unwanted reflections and glare are minimized or even removed.

If your digital camera can not accommodate a polarizer, simply place a sunglass as close to the camera lens as possible making sure that the rims of the glass will not be taken along with the image. The effect of a polarizer can be maximized when the light source is perpendicular to the object.

3. Shining Outdoor Portraits

One of the most useful and amazing features of digital cameras is the flash on or fill flash mode. This feature allows you to take control when to use the flash. It simply goes on whenever you want it available. This helps in capturing great outdoor photographs.

The camera exposes for the background first then adds enough flash to illuminate the subject when you are using the flash on option. Wedding photographers have been using this technique for many years to create professional looking portraits where everything in the composition is simply excellent.

To come up with a more relaxed photograph, try putting the subject under the shade and use the flash to add illumination.

You can also practice on using rim lighting where the sun illuminates the hair of the subject from the side or the back.

However, you should not stand that far away when using the fill flash since most built-in models have a range of 10 feet or even less.

4. Macro Mode Frenzy

I am quite sure that you would want to look at the fine details of your surroundings but would not be willing to crouch down and lie on the ground with your belly.

In that case, you just have to look for the macro made or close up symbol, usually a flower icon, and get as close to an object as possible. Once the confirmation light signals you to shoot, just press the shutter down to record the portrait.

However, using the close up mode allows you to have a shallow depth so you can concentrate on the part of the subject that you want to emphasize and let the rest go soft.

5. Chaos of the Horizon Line

There are still photographers who become disoriented when lining up their shoots. In other words, once they look at their cameras monitor, images that are erect seem to be a little tilted or bowed inward.

The most appropriate way to take care of this matter is to take your best shot at a straight picture, then take another picture after repositioning the camera. Afterwards, you can delete the others once you feel you captured a perfectly aligned image.

Also, just practice level framing your shots until you become acquainted with the process.

6. Massive Media Card

You have to have an extra memory card especially when you want more moments to preserve. The following suggestions should be considered before buying a memory card: a. for 3 mega pixels – a 256 MB memory card b. for 4 mega pixels – a 512 MB memory card c. for 6 mega pixels – 1 gigabyte memory card

Then you do not have to miss another shot because your card is full.

7. Not High Resolution All the Time

It is more advisable to squeeze more images by shooting a low quality and resolution settings than taking shots with a high resolution all the time. This way you can reserve a space and a 2272 x 1704 resolution on the next great image of the century and enough for the portrait to be printed on a 8” x 10” inch paper suitable for framing.

However, if you have enough memory (and you should), there is no reason to shoot at a lower resolution and risk missing the chance to display your work the big way.

8. Tolerate that Tripod

Tripods are “unnecessarily bulky” for some so seldom do people like to bring them around.

Nowadays, there is an ingenious way to settle the dilemma whether to bring a tripod around or to do without it. The UltraPod II™ developed by Pedco fits in your back pocket and holds your camera steady in various situations.

You can use the Velcro™ strap to attach your camera on a tree limb or an available pole. Its legs can be opened on any flat surface or even on a boulder.

Now, you can be a real photographer without carrying a heavy burden.

9. The Fun with Self Timer

Another under-used feature on almost every digital camera is the self timer. This function can be used to save the photographer for missing the picture by delaying the firing of the shutter up to 10 seconds.

You can attach your UltraPod™ to ensure that your camera will not be taken away that easily by some strangers. Of course, you need to aim at the subject and not at a distant background before setting up the timer. Also the depth of the subject should be checked too.

By using self timers, you can also avoid accidentally jarring the camera when you are interested in making long exposures of cars driving at dusk as you initiate the focus.

10. Slow Motions

Normally, you will use an exposure of one second or a bit longer to create the flowing effect of water. In this case, you have to look for waterfalls or streams that are under the shade.

One trick is to use a polarizer or your sunglasses to darken the scene and create a longer exposure. More so, this technique can also eliminate distractions from your portrait.

For a really good photographer, which implies using creativity and ingenuity, viewers often get curious and ask, “What sort of camera model do you have there?”

Would it be more humbling for them to hear that you are using a normal aim and shoot model?

Or you can simply say, “Model ME.”

Choose Your Own Photo Editing Software

Today a lot of people are using digital camera as a means to achieve better and quality photos. Yet sometimes we have to admit the fact that we really don't get the perfect image that we want. Because of the existence of the digital photography software, we can now have the ability to modify and edit the photos to get the perfect image we want.

To give you some examples, below is a list of the digital photography software you can use and are made available in the market.

Adjustment of graphics/photos

Infran View. With this software program you can alter the graphics at the same time crop and cut your graphics, produce slideshows and even enhance your graphics. All these features in one simple and free software program. This is also perfect for group processing.

Image Force. This is a free software program with editing and painting tools. This tool has an image editor and will let you transfer images from digital cameras and scanners. It is also best used for modifying, sending and printing you photos. Though this is a complicated program, you can be sure you'll have quality output.

Kodak EasyShare Freeware. This is widely used for modifying, sharing and even printing your photos. This is great for amateurs since it is easier to use.

PhotoFilter. This is a simple software program. Though it has limited features, it is elegant in a way that it has a user interface and lots of image adjustments buttons, effects and filters.

VCW Photo Editor. This free version of graphic editor provides lots of editing and painting features and tools such as, text tool, color replacement, gradients, editing in any scales, selections by region or color, special effects, etc. You can also upgrade to a higher version for a better features.

Picasa. This is a freeware from google. This software has the ability to share and edit all your photos saved on your PC. The good thing about this digital photography software is that it instantly sets all the images and then sorts them by album with date on each folder. This would help you recognize all the pictures. You simply drag and drop to organize your albums as well as to create labels on each album. Moreover, Picasa like other software has the ability to share and send your pictures through uploading them in your emails, and blogs.

Serif Photo Plus. This digital photography software includes features such as, editable text, image slicing, export optimizer, image maps, smart shapes, selection tools and other image enhancement tools. Its current version is now available for free online, but you can order a CD, with a shipping charge.

ADG Panorama Version 5.0. Like other software programs, Panorama also lets you share your photos easily and generate them quickly. It has added features that embed, edit and publish 360 degrees of interactive panoramic composition directly on the web. This software is internet dependent.

Picture Shark. This freeware allows you to "inscribe" visible text or logos on the photos. Additional features includes: The Wizard user interface; the capacity to of produce real watermarks; it also has a feather that create edges between the picture and the stamp, to make the image smarter; and its support any image format.

These are some few of the available digital photography software. As a digital photographer, you can always play with your image. Put some creativity and don't be afraid to explore. Practice and research more on the software program that you think would work best.

Choosing a Printer for Digital Photography

Although digital technology allows people to display and store their images using various media which are reputed to last for centuries, there's still something to be said for having an actual photograph in your hands. Displaying digital images using various types of high-tech equipment can be a bit expensive. Because of this, many people still prefer to showcase their digital images using the conventional picture frame. For this reason, many people like buying printers for digital photography.

Because of the demand for digital photography printers, many companies are scrambling to build products. Each company produces a different kind of digital photography printer and then goes all out in proclaiming it to be the best. Isn't it just frustrating? Imagine for a moment, that you were a person who wanted to buy a new digital photography printer. To make things easier for you, you decide to choose the best one available. So you go into the store and tell the person at the counter that you want the best digital photography printer available. And then you get hit by this question: what do you mean?

What, indeed, does the term "best" mean when you are selecting a digital photography printer? As with most of things in this life, the term "best" is relative. What's best for you may not be the best for somebody else. In order to minimize your confusion, here are some standards you should use:

1) Cost – many people actually try to choose the best digital photography printer based on the cost. Of course, most people will claim that quality is expensive. Hence, the most expensive thing on the store must have the highest quality. Others define "best" as being the cheapest. They believe that if they find the lowest-priced digital photography printer available, they would have found the best product for them.

It is important to remember, however, that companies often take customer psychology into account when they are pricing items. Some deliberately price items low in order to encourage sales. Others deliberately price items low in order to give buyers a sense of prestige.

2) Design – some people go by the looks when they are choosing a digital photography printer. Because of this, many companies today hire top-notch artists and designers. People want equipment that looks good. They want to buy a digital photography printer that lets them express themselves through its sleekness and overall appearance.

Design isn't all about looks. Design is also about function. Many companies today design their digital photography printers to be more appealing functionally to people. They often design digital photography printers to be compact in order to encourage people who, today, think that small is always better.

3) Features – nowadays, people want a digital photography printer that does everything. This is understandable; of course, since having such equipment means that you have to do less work. Many people today like to buy digital photography printers which only need human supervision once every century. Some of the digital photography printers available today are so packed with features that it is actually very surprising that they don't make lunch as well. Oh well, whatever floats your boat.

Just remember, however, that sometimes having fewer features can be an advantage. This is especially true if you are looking for a digital photography which can perform one function well. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.