Friday, November 21, 2008

Digital enhancement

Digital Enhancement for Picture-Perfect Photo Prints
Digital photography is the latest trend in the photo industry. It is considered to be the easiest way to take a snapshot and enhance its overall features. Basically, digital photography is the art of taking pictures without the need for film. Because there's no film involved in the process of taking pictures, you can have the convenience of taking good shots and eliminating the bad ones. It offers the easiest way of capturing good images and converting them to interesting art pieces.
Indeed digital photography has come a long way ever since the digital cameras and computers were developed. The birth of digital cameras has produced tremendous conveniences in the world of photography where everyone with digital cameras can take a picture and upload it to the computer and share it with friends.
There are many digital photography services available now in the internet. There are several companies that cater services of this sort. Usually, they offer services such as digital imaging, image restoration, photo retouching, and photo editing and digital enhancement. Other digital imaging services are also offered to bring satisfaction to photo hobbyists.
More and more people are using digital cameras for the reason that it's easy to take picture and edit it according to what you want. Who would not want a picture-perfect shot? However, we have to accept the fact that when you take pictures you don't always achieve the best shot. This is where digital enhancement becomes useful.
What is digital enhancement? Digital enhancement is the answer to all image quality problems. It's the best way to improve your snapshot and make it look more attractive. With digital enhancement, you can easily increase the attractiveness of images by simply adjusting the brightness, contrast and sharpness of the image. You are also given the chance to enhance the color balance of the picture. Resizing the image and cropping it at the same time can also be done with ease.
There are many innovative ways on how to improve a snapshot. All of these are made possible because of digital technology. Anyone who's into photography can take advantage of the digital photography services that are being offered online. Digital prints are long-lasting compared to the traditional photos. They are fade-resistant and water-proof. Another great advantage of digital is that everything about editing and printing photos is accomplished with the help of do-it-yourself printers. Photo prints printed in this manner are proven to last long unlike the film-based photography.
Digital enhancement works in a way where you are given the opportunity to prepare your pictures and modify them to achieve the greatest image quality. You can do the photo enhancements using photo editing software or by utilizing the services of a professional digital photography firm. When you opt to use a photo editing software, the image is usually saved in jp or jpeg format. Then you can upload the image and send them to several websites that offer photo printing services.
Giving consideration to all these digital photography basics will bring you great options when it comes to taking pictures in its best form. Make the most of what digital technology has to offer. If you want to get quality pictures, you should utilize the digital editing and enhancement services that are available through some photo printers online. With these services at hand, picture-perfect shots are just within reach.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Choosing a Color Printer

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.

Digital Photography Lighting

Digital Photography Lighting for Picture-Perfect Photos
Digital photography can be maximized to its full potential once you have the perfect camera, the proper color and the perfect lighting. Even if you have with you the latest model of digital camera, your photos will not turn out great if you are not making use of the right strategies in getting them right.
Experts in digital photography have come to realize that the digital camera is only one of the things you need to have great pictures. There are also other factors to consider so that you will not be disappointed by the result. One of them is the digital photography lighting.
Have you ever seen digital photos that seem to blur and indistinguishable? There are a lot of cases like this. Even if you try and edit them using Photoshop or any other software, you cannot seem to get the desired lighting you want.
This is because you have not considered having the proper lighting when the photo was taken. You were thinking that the camera and its features will be able to do that for you. Yes it can. But they may not reach your expectations.
The secret to getting that perfect picture is to do it right the first time. By doing it right, it simply means that you need to think about how well or bad the lighting is in the process of taking the photo.
Below are some of the natural sources of digital photography lighting that will make your photos look terrific.
1. After sunrise and before sunset.
It is during these times that photography is at its peak. Meaning, photos turn out great when they are shoot after sunrise and before sunset. Why is this so?
This is because the orange color that appears in the sky during these times adds to the colors that your digital camera is capable. Most of the time, some photos appear dull and unrealistic when they are printed because of the representation of the colors when it is printed.
The color of the environment can add a sort of brightness to your photos. In addition, it will make it easy for you to edit them on your computer once you feel that you want to put in some combination in the natural setting of the picture.
2. Sunlight.
Sunlight is one form of lighting that is very effective once you know how to modify your shots. Keep in mind that you are not capable of altering the brightness of the sun or the shadows that it can create on your photos.
It is up for you to choose the best position wherein you can make the most of the light that is emitted by the sun. Work them to your advantage. Try on different angles and see if they look perfect once frozen.
You can also make the most of the drop shadows that is created by the sunlight. Just make sure that they will not blur your photo. Fro minor adjustments, you can just edit the photos straight from your computer.
Shooting digital photos is not only about having the most advanced digital camera. It is also about looking for strategies and techniques that will benefit your shots. Try to shoot your photos with the perfect lighting and you will see that you do not need to edit or add some more colors in them.

Digital Photography Tips

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 cardb. for 4 mega pixels – a 512 MB memory cardc. 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.”