Digital Photography: Point, Click and Print Quickly and Easily
Our fascination with capturing images started thousands of years ago. Prior to the invention of the camera, early man tried to capture images through paintings and drawings. The images, of course, weren’t exact mirrors of the subjects; they were mostly a reflection of the skills of the painter and his interpretation of his subject. Minneapolis photographer Bob Dale says “With the introduction of the camera, though, we can now capture our subjects in their exact likeness through photographs.”
Photos (or photographs) are images created when light falls on photographic film or electronic imager (e.g., CCD or CMOS chip). To create a photo, you would need a camera. Photography is the process of creating photographs.
Photos can be non-digital and digital. Non-digital photos are those that are produced using a camera that has film. The images in the film are then printed in photo paper, and this process is usually done in a dark room.
Digital photos are photos taken with a digital camera, which uses a memory card or some other storage device instead of film for storing pictures. Digital photos come in different graphic formats (e.g., TIFF, JPEG, RAW). Digital pictures can be printed straight from the digital camera or transferred to a computer that is connected to a printer (e.g., inkjet, laser or thermal).
With the introduction of digital cameras, photography has become something that anyone and everyone can engage in since digital cameras have made it possible for people to take hundreds or thousands of pictures and store them electronically. In addition, people can print photos themselves using their printer, unlike before when negatives had to be taken to a photo processing shop.
It’s also very easy for anyone today to own a digital camera. For less than $100, you can have a digital camera that takes quality photos. With digital technology advancing at a rapid rate, companies are constantly introducing to the market digital cameras that have more features and are more powerful. “Our cell phones like the Apple Iphone will become our cameras and our viewing devices” says professional digital photographer Bob Dale.
It’s a good idea to learn some of the basic methods and techniques of photo composition. But even if you’re the point-and-click type of photographer, a quality digital camera can help you create some great looking shots.
Canon, Nikon and Fuji are three of the top names in the digital camera market. If you want to be able to take great photos, you can accomplish just that by using any of these digital cameras: Canon EOS series (e.g., Canon EOS 5D, Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 40D), Nikon D80 and Fuji S5.
If you want a digital camera that takes quality photos, you can’t go wrong with a Canon. The digital cameras in the Canon EOS series are setting the standard in digital photography. These are considered some of the best digital SLR cameras in the market today, perfect for both amateur and professional photographers.
The digital cameras in the Canon EOS series are professional grade cameras capable of taking impressive digital photos. These cameras use Canon’s 10.1 megapixel CMOS technology. If you’re looking for a high-end digital camera, start with these digital cameras.
The Nikon D80 digital SLR camera is a highly-rated digital camera that is capable of taking photographs that are of professional quality. The Nikon D80 boasts of 10.2 megapixel CCD imaging sensor, a 2.5-inch LCD screen and several other features that will allow you to do a number of in-camera photo editing. The Nikon D80 costs between $700 and $900, which makes this digital camera the ideal choice for photography enthusiasts who either can’t afford the more expensive, professional grade cameras or are first-time users of SLR cameras.
If you’re thinking of becoming a professional photographer, the Nikon D300 is a very good investment. With a price tag that starts from $1,700, the Nikon D300 is a top of the line digital SLR camera that supports live viewing, which allows you to preview shots on the LCD screen; you won’t need to look through the viewfinder.
The Fuji S5 is actually composed of several digital camera models. However, if you’re still lacking the photography skills, you’ll benefit from the Fuji S5 Pro digital camera because it comes with a number of auto-correcting features. Other features of this digital camera include: 12.3 megapixels CCD SR Pro technology, facial detection technology (for quick and easy zooming in on facial details), and 3 new film simulation modes for improved reproduction of natural skin tones. This feature-packed digital camera can be had for bout $1,500.
It’s now easy to share photos with family and friends. Transfer the photos from your digital camera to your computer, and from your computer, you can e-mail the pictures or upload photos on photo sharing sites like Yahoo, FaceBook, MySpace, Flickr and many other sites that let you create an online photo gallery.
There are some inexpensive software that will let you create slide shows from your digital photos and save them in CDs to mail out to friends and families. You can even edit your photos before sharing them. There are photo editing software packages that will let you combine stock photography with your pictures to create effects that are uniquely yours.
With a digital camera, photo editing software, a few stock photos and a little bit of creativity, you’ll discover that you don’t have a limit for your photographic expressions. Some digital cameras allow for minor editing (e.g., correcting red eye, lighting and flesh tones), and there are small portable printers that allow for printing photos straight from the camera. Most of these photo printers have special photo effects like borders built in.
You can shoot and print your photos quickly and easily with digital photography. You don’t need to mess with film or know how to process the photos yourself.
