Are your precious photos safe?
Are you backing up your precious photos? our computers and removable storage media are full with experiences and precious moments. However electronic media is not safe. Hard disks crash and removable media fails.
Disasters can happen. Digital photo albums are vulnerable and if not backed up you lose thousands of photos and a lifetime of moments in just one hard disk crash.
What are backups? backups are just copies of our files that are put in a safe place. Example of such copies can be photos put on a DVD and placed at a friend’s house. The DVD could of course be placed in your own house but that would be less safe since in case of a disaster in your house you might lose both your computer and the backups.
A few years ago backups were hard to make. You practically had to be a computer guru to figure our those backup software. Today however backup was made easy using a number of software solution and online service. Below you can find two main options for backing up your photo albums: burning them to a DVD/CD or using an online backup service.
Backing up to a DVD/CD
Backing up to a DVD/CD is done by using a DVD/CD writer drive and software that can burn files on such media. Usually using such solutions requires more technical know-how. Backing up to a DVD/CD is a cheap solution. You can buy such writer drives and software for probably under a $100 and each DVD/CD media should cost in the cents. One such software that has been around for a while and used by many is from Roxio.
When backing up your photo albums to a DVD/CD please make sure that you put the DVD/CD in a safe place a good option would be somewhere out of your home maybe a family member, a neighbor you can trust or a friend. Another thing to remember with DVD/CD backup is that when you take new photos you should remember to refresh your backups. Ususally unless your photo album is very big the easiest way to do that is just to burn again you complete collection.
Backing up to an online backup service
As any other service backup found its way to the Internet too. A number of sites provide backup services today for everything from digital photo albums to your word documents. Those services usually charge a monthly fee in the $10 to $20 but some provide a more limited service for free. The idea behind the service is simple: instead of backing up to a DVD/CD you just upload your photos to a site and create copy there. The site stores the backups for you in a safe place far away from your computer. If a disaster happens and you need your files you can simple download them back from the site or ask them to send you a DVD/CD with the files (not all provide the latter option). A broadband connection is needed in order to use this option.
There are many advantages to using an online backup service. First they are usually very easy to use. Some provide software that you download and install on your computer. You then point to the folder where your photos reside and the software takes it from there. It will make sure new files are uploaded to the backup service and that your backup is always fresh.
Examples of sites that provide such service are: Streamload that starts with a basic FREE 10GB space (approx 10,000 photos at 2 megapixels) and Xdrive that starts from 5GB for $10 a month.
Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing
Mist or fog, like rain, has a certain charm and quality. Contrast changes and hues and shapes take on a subtle aspect. Almost everything looks better in the mist. Pictures will look mean and moody and sometimes have an added artistic look to them without you even trying. The brightness of the scene might fool your camera’s meter, but with some alterations to the exposure you are bound to get it right. And, of course, with digital, if you don’t like the result, just take it again with different settings and see if it’s any better. Look for areas where there is standing water as this will be where mist forms first and lingers longest.
Wind is unsettling. You can be buffeted wildly in some case and your equipment (especially a camera on a tripod) can be damaged. The movement created on trees and other objects can look dramatic but with longish shutter speeds you will get blur. This can be pleasing if you are trying to convey movement. Just be aware that you might need to experiment a little to get the result you are looking for.
Snow brings great opportunities but also added difficulties. The whiteness of the scene can markedly fool the camera and to get the right exposure you may have to compensate (overexpose) by 2 stops. Experimentation is the key. But look for objects and vegetation covered in snow and ice. Check for familiar objects with unfamiliar appearances. Falling snow can make dramatic shots and people will always be wrapped up warm which makes candids a must!
A good tip: have some plastic bags in your camera bag. These fold up small and are lightweight and easy to carry. They can be used to cover your camera and lens and to put down on the ground to protect your camera bag from water seepage. They are inexpensive, can be wiped and reused or simply thrown away and replaced. Using a lens hood will prevent water droplets collecting on your lens. It might be useful to carry a soft cloth or towel so you can periodically wipe your hands or your equipment.
Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com
Did you ever get back a fresh batch of film, only to be disappointed in finding out that you got back wash-out boring images.
The problem is that you didn’t expose your film properly.
Whether we use a digital or film camera, we need to be able to calculate exposure properly. But first, we need to understand how the aperture and the shutter work together. We also need to know how film handles light, and the relationship between film light sensitivity and f/stops.
Lets take a quick look at the main elements.
Aperture and f/stops: the aperture is an opening in the centre of the lens through which light passes. The amount of light which passes through an aperture is indicated by f/stops. The lower the f/stop the more light that passes through the aperture. Opening up one full f/stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera. F/4 admits twice the light of f5.6.
Shutter: the shutter is a mechanical device that controls the length of time that light is allowed to act on the film. Each time you open the shutter by one, we double the light, when we close down the light by one we half the light. Opening the shutter at 1 second allows twice the light as that of a second.
ISO (ASA): stands for International Standards Organisation. The initials are used for film speed which rates light sensitivity. A film with an ISO number 100 is twice as light sensitive as a film with an ISO of 50. The faster the film, the more sensitive it is to light.
Most digital SLR have ISO settings built in to them. If you are taking a low light image with a digital camera use a slow ISO rating of 200 or upwards.
Getting the perfect exposure isn’t easy, but there are several different ways of making it easier.
Using a light meter: there are two types of light meters,
1. Reflected-light meter (the same that is built into your camera) works by pointing the meter at your subject.
2. Incident-light meter: instead of pointing the meter at your subject, you stand beside the subject and point the meter at the camera. The light that falls on your subject will also fall on your meter.
The most common way is to use the meter built into your camera. All modern day cameras have a reflected-light meter built in to them. But don’t point the camera directly at your subject from 10 meters. This will more than likely underexpose your image. Take the exposure reading up-close, then return to the starting position and take your image.
It doesn’t matter which metering system we use, if we don’t point them in the right direction our images will return too dark or too bright. The key is to know where to point the meter.
When I take a landscape image I normally take five or six different readings. I take an incident-light reading with my light meter to record the foreground and a reflected-light reading of the sky.
If you are unsure take three or four images at different exposure settings. Don’t let a perfect picture moment pass by without recording it flawlessly.
TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If you are looking for more tips visit: Photo tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery: Pictures of Ireland
Have you already mastered the art of taking photos without ‘red-eye’ syndrome? Are there some pictures that you know you should have turned out a lot better than they did? It happens to all of us - even the expert photographers.
Here are five tips to help you move from beginner to master of digital photography, whether you’re using your cell phone or a point-and-shoot camera to snap shots.
Compose Carefully
One of the most basic digital photography tips is to pay attention to what’s in the frame of the viewfinder. Fill the frame. Nothing but blue sky, for instance, behind a single subject throws off the proportions of the photo and decreases interest. You can also turn the camera sideways to see if a vertical photo might have more impact than a horizontal shot of the same subject.
You can also try positioning your subject off to the side, rather than in the center of the photograph.
Take Great Close up Photos
Your digital camera has a “macro mode” - think of it as a super magnifying glass. An extreme close up of something like flower petals can bring out textures that you never knew existed, and will add excitement to your photos. Play with this feature, you will find dozens of ways to use it to enhance your pictures.
Buy a Tripod
Digital cameras are prone to blurry photographs if your hands shake even a little bit. Several companies manufacture light, portable, inexpensive versions. Digital photography tips like this can save you hours of frustration and preserve otherwise perfect shots.
Get Active
Take your shot from the top of a teeter-totter, off the side of the boat, or standing on your head. Thinking outside the box can really pay off in unexpected ways. You will truly get once in a lifetime shots by adding a bit of creativity to your thinking.
Take a Class
Are you still hungry for digital photography tips? There’s nothing like practice to improve your photography - except practice plus experience gained by learning from a pro. You can find photography classes online, at your local recreation centers, and community colleges.
Becoming an expert at digital photography takes time; you won’t become a professional photographer in your first week. Just keep trying new methods each time you use your camera, and before long, your friends and family will be admiring your newfound skills.
Gerri Stone publishes photography tips for beginners, and information for all types of photographers at Discover Photography.
If you’re like most people, you probably prefer to do as many things on your own as possible so that you don’t have to spend money paying for the services of someone else. This line of thinking works well for people who are capable of mowing their own lawn or for those who are good at fixing cars. But when it comes to the subject of digital photo printing, you’re probably not very likely to get a whole lot of quality pictures when editing and printing them by yourself. That is why it is best to seek digital lab photo printing professional help.
Stubborn people who refuse to dish out money for better quality pictures need only to think of this bit of information. While home printers are capable of turning digital photos into picture form, the cost of ink and paper will most likely exceed the costs of getting a professional to do them. So give yourself a break and let one of the many companies that specialize in digital photo printing do the work for you. These companies have digital photo lab professionals that can color correct balance and lighting on individual pictures as well as choose the best paper for your photos to be printed on that they will last for years to come. Finding them is easy too because many national chain stores have photo labs that handle digital printing needs and there are lots of websites offering these services as well.
Unlike paying a plumber to fix your toilet or hiring an interior decorator, digital photo printing professionals won’t leave you broke with their services. Most services, offer competitive rates usually in the range of 19 per print to 29 per print. On top of that, other incentives such as membership or bulk order discounts give customers even more of a chance to save money when using a digital lab printing professional. So next time you think of printing out those digital photos of your last vacation, think again because you’ll most likely be more satisfied if you seek out a professional service.
To view our list of recommended sources for digital photo printing online,
visit Recommended Sources For
Digital Photo Printing Online.
Your patience and money, that is.
The expected performance of digital camera batteries is often overlooked when shopping for a camera. Digital cameras are high drain devices so it’s important to know how many shots a fully charged battery will deliver. Having to frequently stop and change or recharge the batteries will definitely put a damper on a photo outing.
Digital Camera Battery Types
Digital cameras typically employ either a rechargeable battery pack or standard AAA’s. Most newer battery packs use lithium ion (Li-ion) battery technology. Specs vary but the better ones can be recharged in a couple of hours or less and will last through several hundred shots.
Many inexpensive digital cameras are powered by AAA batteries. This is extremely convenient since virtually every store sells these batteries. But even so called “super alkaline” batteries won’t last long, and replacing them quickly becomes an expensive proposition.
Time and Money Saving Battery Tips
If the camera uses AAA batteries, a wise investment is rechargeable batteries. Newer Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries are best. They are less prone to the so-called “memory effect” of older Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries. And they last longer per charge than throwaway alkaline batteries. Just make sure to get quality rechargeable batteries rated 1600 mAh or higher. They cost a little more but are well worth it in the long run. Also buy a good charger and at least one extra set of batteries.
With a battery pack, unlike AAA’s, you’re pretty much stuck with the battery designed for the camera. There may be higher powered upgrade options, but it’s critical to check the specs for expected life per charge as well as professional reviewer comments. Even with the best camera and battery pack, at least one fully charged back-up is recommended.
Regardless of the battery type, a little research before you buy will save time and money plus a lot of frustration, making your digital camera experience more enjoyable.
Digital cameras information from A to Z: camera types & features, how they work, accessories, photo printers, comparisons and more - plus digital photo processing tips and info at A-Z Digital Cameras.com, Your Complete A-Z Resource for Digital Cameras, Accessories and Information.
This article may be re-printed in its entirety, with no changes and this resource box included.
© 2005 A-Z Digital Cameras All rights reserved
As a photographer, some tasks would seem to be a pleasure to perform, but one such task was fraught with danger. One day I got a call from a good client who needed me to photograph a woman for a large pastel portrait. This artist possessed a great talent for capturing naturalness in a body pose, but admittedly felt less than secure drawing faces and expressions.
This thirty by forty-eight inch pastel portrait was to hang over her boyfriend’s bed to remind him of her love for him. His only request was that she appear in the nude!
On the day of the shoot, the artist and I waited in the living room/ studio for the subject to arrive. In walks the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Tall and willowy, her feminine curves were impossible to hide beneath her severe office clothes. A natural blonde with light brown eyes, her skin glowed with a California tan. After the introductions, I readied the camera and lights while the subject started to take off her clothes. Almost as an after thought, she brought out a photograph of an oil painting of a reclining nude painted by a classic artist in the sixteen hundreds. She pointed out that the skin of the model in the oil portrait shone with lustrous highlights and glowed as if rubbed in oil. This was the very effect that her boyfriend requested she duplicate.
I took the artist aside and discussed the problem. No filter I knew of could reproduce such an effect on her skin. The artist decided that I would have to cover the subject’s skin with baby oil to create the desired glow. Meanwhile, the subject had stretched out on the chaise lounge we had set up with patterned tapestry velour throws forming the background. The artist went to get the oil as I tried a few poses with the subject. When she returned, she handed me the baby oil with a smirk on her face, ready to burst out laughing if I even so much as raised an eyebrow. Somebody had to do it, so I started rubbing the oil on the nude’s body, not missing an inch of skin in the process. The artist hovered in the shadows, trying to look like the cool chaperone, but not meeting my eyes when I looked at her. The subject stoically remained silent as I bent to my task. Up one side and down the other, then flip her over and do the other side.
Finally, the oiling was done and, after thoroughly washing my hands, I proceeded to photograph the subject. Four weeks later, the finished pastel occupied a center spot on the artist’s wall, a hidden spotlight enhancing the glowing colors of the beautiful woman in the picture. Since no one was allowed to see the picture except for the subject and her boyfriend, I convinced the artist into allowing me to photograph the finished work for her portfolio. A few days later, the subject picked up the portrait, never to be seen again - except in my (unrequited) dreams.
No two days were alike in the portrait profession.