Take Spectacular Nighttime Photos with your Digital Camera – Part I – Digital Cameras
Take Spectacular Nighttime Photos with your Digital Camera - Part I
Andrew Malek
Night photographs express a special something that cannot be seen in normal daytime photography. Whether it is a photograph of a moon and starlit sky over a windy deserted beach, the excitement of a downtown cityscape when the lights go on, or just a picture of you and some friends in front of a favorite hangout, nighttime photos, when done right, are sure to attract attention.
However, even for experienced photographers, nighttime photography can be a tricky situation. Photos often look unfocused, blurry, or lacking crucial details, and many may not come out at all. There are some tricks, though, to taking spectacular nighttime photos with your digital camera, tricks that can be explained yet only completely learned through practice.
This first part of a three-part series on nighttime photography will cover tricks not necessarily related to digital camera settings, but tricks nonetheless that can result in better photographs or a more pleasing photo-taking experience.
* Although more expensive digital cameras do not necessarily result in better photos, realize that the cheapest cameras may not be capable of taking great photographs at night. It requires more work, both on yours and the cameras part, to take spectacular shots in very low-light situations. Though you dont have to spend over a thousand dollars for night photography, dont expect too much out of a sub-two hundred-dollar camera, either.
* Especially if you are not completely familiar with your cameras settings to enhance nighttime photography, consider first taking some photographs around dusk, when the sun has not yet completely left the sky. Dusk photos can sometimes be even more dramatic than those taken in the pitch-black sky, as the added light helps illuminate details easily missed in a completely dark environment Check your local newspaper where you are shooting photographs or a website such as http://www.weather.com for sunrise/sunset times, and be ready to shoot around a 20-30 minute window for best results.
* Plan your photos before you shoot! While it is always a good idea to study an area first, this is crucial if you are planning on snapping photographs around dusk! You will not have much time to plan, and if you spend five or ten minutes just getting a perfect angle or framing the perfect shot, the overall lighting will change as the sun slowly sets. And of course, remember when composing your photos that the sun sets in the west.
* Be prepared for the environment. If youre heading out by yourself, especially in a semi-deserted wilderness area, always carry a map so you remember how to get to your home, camp, or hotel. Check the weather before you go and wear a poncho or coat if necessary. Carry a flashlight, or, in the most extreme environments, a flare, to help others find you if you become lost. Also, bring along a WELL-CHARGED cell phone in case of emergency! Youre taking photos at night to have fun and create spectacular results. Be prepared for unexpected situations so they dont ruin your experience.
While the results can be outstanding, night photography presents its own unique benefits and hazards. Not just any digital camera will do; lower-end models may not have the capability of taking spectacular shots. Timing is crucial, especially when taking pictures in the brief time between dusk and total darkness. And, the environment and weather can play havoc with your plans. By purchasing the correct equipment, studying the subject area before nighttime falls, and dealing with unexpected situations with the correct nighttime gear, you can be better prepared to take amazing nighttime photos.
About The Author
Andrew Malek is the owner of the MalekTips computer and technology help site at http://www.malektips.com. Visit his digital camera page at http://malektips.com/digital_cameras_help_and_tips.html for more digital photography advice.
Have You Read Your Digital Camera Manual – Digital Cameras
Have You Read Your Digital Camera Manual
Liz Beresford
Have you read the manual that came with your digital camera If not you are in good company, the majority of digital camera owners never get past the *Basic Operations* section.
If you didn*t read the manual why not Was it the obscure photographic terms The numerous cross references The complicated diagrams The myriad uses for each dial and button The convoluted English Maybe all of the above. The fact is that most digital camera manuals are neither user friendly nor written with beginners in mind. If you aren*t already familiar with photographic terms then White Balance, AE Lock, AF Illuminator, and so on, aren*t much help and it can seem like very hard work to figure it all out.
But if you haven*t read the manual you aren*t getting the most from your digital camera. Digital cameras are loaded with options that let you do really cool things. If all you do is point and shoot you are missing out on a whole lot of fun and some great photos.
We are visual learners, and we like our information in manageable chunks. When we are learning a new skill we learn more by seeing and doing than by reading. Don*t you find that you remember a name more easily if the owner is wearing a name badge when you are introduced Isn*t a map easier to follow than listed directions Did you learn to drive by reading about it Figuring out a digital camera is no different- we need to practice. Let*s go back to the manual and pick up from where you got stuck. In the first few pages of the manual there will be diagrams identifying each function. Don*t start there. It*s too much to learn all at once, and if you don*t know what it all means you won*t remember it. It*s much easier to learn each function as you need it. Try this: get your camera and the manual out. Choose a topic that you are unfamiliar with and learn about that one feature. It might be the basic operation or it may be something more advanced, such as white balance or aperture priority mode. The manual may not be very clear about what each feature does but you can check all the terms out here: http://www.digital-cameras-and-accessories.com/glossary.html
As you read the instructions in the manual explore the settings on your camera and try them out. Then stop and practice using this setting. Go and take some pictures around your home or neighbourhood. You don*t have to worry about wasting film any more, so you can snap happily away and then delete the duds. Only go on to the next topic when you feel that you have thoroughly absorbed the first.
This way you will get through all the features in a month at most. In good time to take some fabulous photos at Thanksgiving and Christmas!
That*s it! You are on your way to becoming an expert.
About The Author
Liz Beresford is a writer who owns and operates the web site Digital Cameras & Accessories. Its an information resource for those who are new to digital cameras and photography. If your camera manual is particularly obscure and you need more information you can find it there: http://www.digital-cameras-and-accessories.com/
Digital Camera Interpolation Explained – Recreation
Digital Camera Interpolation Explained
Jakob Jelling
In a device such as a digital camera it is very important to understand the very basic aspects of the device so as to properly operate it and give it the due respect it deserves. Such a topic is interpolation! These are accessories that help the digital camera to perform the technologically advanced features that it is capable of. In extreme explanatory and simple terms it can be summed up as that interpolation refers to software programs that can effectively enlarge image resolution beyond the actual resolution by adding extra pixels using complex mathematic calculations. Now, this is a feature that can be absolutely useful in providing a good success to a user.
Looking into the technical aspects it can be stated that interpolation is a technique where the spatial resolution of an image is increased from its original size to a higher or larger resolution. The spatial resolution of an image is simply its horizontal x vertical pixel count. For example 1600 x 1200. Again getting into further intricate details it can be stated that there are two techniques of interpolation commonly used, they are software and hardware. Again software interpolation can be performed on a digital image using a one of a number of image editing programs such as PhotoShop. This is often termed as resizing and is done with a computer, performed on an image file from a digital camera that already exists in a file format such as JPG. Hardware interpolation involves the resizing of an image, but it differs from software interpolation in that the image is resized algorithmically inside the camera during the image processing sequence and before the image has been saved as a JPG image file.
Also, it can be noted here that JPG is a compressed image file format. Whenever a file is saved as a JPG file, image data is lost in the compression process. Image data is thrown away in exchange for file-size efficiency. Software interpolation is a process performed after the JPG losses have been applied. Hardware interpolation occurs inside the camera prior to JPG compression and before JPG losses have been applied. The resulting hardware interpolated images are of superior quality to a comparable image interpolated in software.
These are basically the important points as discussed in the above lines regarding the digital camera interpolation. The explanation is worth for every user who can be a novice as well as an expert and thus uncovers another great feature of a digital camera, the process of interpolation.
About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.