Photography - life with a click

A Digital Camera - The Bottom Line

2005-10-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

When digital cameras first hit the news, I thought, “Wow! Never to have to buy film again!” This much has remained true, but it took ten years for digital cameras to come up to the quality performed by film cameras. At first, the pixels were too few to enlarge to 3 by 5 much less an 8 by 10 with any quality. Today, pixels are not a problem and every feature adorning the film camera is now available on a digital camera.

I spent many months researching the available models and weighing the cost versus the features until I came up with a digital camera that pleased me. The camera is the Konica Minolta Dimage A200. While some functions are not as sophisticated as their film cousins, the advantages far outweigh its short comings.

In 2004 a decent SLR costs from $900 to $1500. I use an SLR as a comparison because they are the only type camera that shows exactly what the lens sees. The K/M A200 sells for about $600. Its 8 megapixels allows enlargements up to 13 by 19 inches with a sharpness equal to a fine 35mm photo from an SLR. The features I like best are the manual zoom ring (motorized zoom controls are slow and cumbersome), the stabilization chip (which produces sharp images even with slow shutter speeds) and the control over white balance (even custom balances). Another terrific advancement is the flip out rotating LCD viewer. Never again will I be held to an eye level view. With computer enhanced perspective control, all angles are possible.

To be fair, there are a couple of areas that can be improved, but can be lived with. One is the delay after pressing the button to take the picture while the camera focuses and sets aperture and speed. It’s only a tenth of a second, but you’d better get used to it or you will miss your shot. A remedy is to take a series of pictures and pick the best one. Another is inherent in all digital cameras and that is the artifacts that appear in the image at higher ISO settings. Artifacts are like the grain in fast film that appears like little dots in the picture. If you use the slower ISO settings like 50 or 100 ISO, then the artifacts are practically invisible. If ISO 200, 400, or 800 are needed to get the picture, then additional processing through PureImage or similar software will solve the problem nicely.

A word about the lens is in order. A zoom range of 28mm to 200mm (35mm equivalent) covers just about any focal length an advanced amateur could need. No other 8MP EVF (electronic view finder) has this wide an angle. The lens is custom made for a digital camera and is very sharp edge to edge. Only a very slight barrel distortion (1%) is visible at the 28mm focal length. Some software can correct this if perfection is demanded. You never have to worry about dust getting on the CCD sensor since the lens is not detachable. If wider or more telephoto effects are needed, there are accessory lenses that will make the wide end 50% wider and the telephoto twice as long. The A200 also has a 4x digital zoom but I recommend that this only be used as a last resort since the number of pixels are halved when you double the zoom. The auto focus works very quickly except in extreme low light. A manual focus is available with a nice auto 4x enlargement of the center for critical focusing.

No Compact Flash card is included in the package, so I bought a 512 80x CF card for $69.00. The 80x refers to the fact that it unloads to your computer in a jiffy and the 512 Megabytes allows 81 pictures of the extra fine quality JPEG that I always use. The pop up flash lights up subjects at 12 feet away at 100 ISO. For more versatility I bought the Vivitar DF 200 slave flash ($69.00) that works to 50 feet at night.

This camera is a joy to use and has everything I could ever want in the way of features. In the six months I have owned it, I have created dozens of 13 by 19 images for the two Digital Art Shows I have had. Viva la digital generation!

I have been a professional photographer for 36 years and retired for three.

-By Kenneth Hoffman

Photography – Your Undiscovered Skill

2005-10-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ask yourself the question; Are you the next undiscovered photographer? Anyone can take a photograph of course, but it’s that creative spark and seeing the unseen that makes a photographer stand out and be noticed.

Choose an area of photography that holds the strongest fascination to you. For me it was nature photography, but this is one of many areas including still life, portraits and wedding photography to name a few. Once you’ve chosen an area, try experimenting, taking shots on impulse, varying the viewpoint, altering the lighting, basically - try the untried. As one of my favourite sayings puts it, ‘Walk the un- walked path.’

Many people don’t posses the belief within them that they have what it takes to be a good photographer. Challenge that perception! It can be changed through exercising your skills and gaining experience. In the now digital age there has never been a better or more exciting time to take up photography. There has also never been a better chance to experiment with images. With the ability to view your taken photographs within seconds, you have the opportunities to better your shots instantly. Once you have mastered the basic techniques, photography can be a wholly satisfying and rewarding hobby. And who’s to say it will stop as a hobby? It could turn out to be your future profession!

My best advice would be, don’t stick to any rules! Free your mind and photograph what you want and how you want, have fun and be adventurous

Composing your photos like a pro is simple; just follow the basic rules.

2005-09-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Basic Photo Composition
By Mark Rigney

If you pay attention to some simple rules of photographic composition, rather than simply "pointing and shooting," you'll begin to notice a significant difference in your snapshots, even the ones you take of family events.

1) Remember, centered photos are boring. Pay attention the next time you're in a movie theater; nothing is ever centered. Follos the rule of thirds - mentally divide the frame into thirds both vertically and horizontally, and place the center of interest (usually your subject's eyes) on one of those 'third lines.'

2) Frame your pictures. If you're taking scenics of a distant lake or mountain, look for an interesting frame. This is no different from framing a photo on your wall. Your frame can be tree branches, rocks, or some other interesting foreground object.

3) When shooting portraits, use the longest zoom setting your camera will allow (without using the "digital zoom"). Also use the widest aperture (or the lowest f-stop number). This will throw the background into a nice soft focus, drawing your viewer's eyes right to your smiling subject.

4) Look for distractions in the frame. It's hard to learn to do this, because your brain naturally filters out the telephone pole growing out of Uncle Joe's head - but the photo printer won't. Look for objects which will draw your viewer's attention away from your desired center of interest.

Follow these four simple rules, and you'll begin to see a dramatic improvement in your photos!

Mark Rigney has been an entrepeneur and professional photographer for over two decades, and has worked in the film industry as well. Learn more about digital photography at http://digitalcamerapage.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Top 10 Advanced Digital Cameras

2005-09-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

If you’re an intermediate level digital photographer, you might be looking for a good advanced digital camera. I know it’s very tough to decide on which one to buy – given that these models usually cost a ton. A good advanced digital camera should be pretty rugged and also give you as much control over the photography process as possible. I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 advanced digital cameras that are selling like hotcakes in the market right now.

Canon EOS 20D

The Canon EOS-20D is one of the best digital cameras for the advanced user. With an 8.2 megapixel resolution and a bewildering range of manual modes, this digital SLR will deliver professional looking photos.

Canon PowerShot G6

The Canon PowerShot G6 has a 7.1 megapixel resolution, a 4x optical zoom, as well as a wide range of scene modes and manual controls. Even though it lacks a digital SLR body, the images shot with this camera are nothing short of outstanding. It’s also one of the cheapest advanced digital cameras out there.

Olympus C-7000

The Olympus C-7000 zoom offers a 7.1 megapixel resolution and 5x optical zoom. It also boasts 5 scene modes and full manual options. A very attractive buy, although the optional lenses are not allowed.

Nikon D70

The Nikon D70 is one of the best-selling entry level digital SLRs. It has a solid design, a bewildering range of options, powerful speed, as well as great photo quality. With its cheap price, this 6.1 megapixel SLR is one of the best value cameras for serious photographers looking to upgrade their camera.

Canon Digital Rebel

The 6.3 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel is a direct competitor to the Nikon D70. It targets photographers at the lower end of the advanced digital SLR market. Its low price, excellent image quality and speed give the Nikon D70 a run for its money.

Sony Cybershot Pro DSC-V3

The Sony Cybershot Pro DSC-V3 is a decent advanced camera which is light and easy to use. With its 7.2 megapixel resolution and 4x optical zoom, it’s a great buy. Do note the colors can be a bit poor in some shots.

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

The Canon EOS-1D Mark II is a new digital SLR aimed at professional photographers who want excellent customization options, great photo quality and impressive speed. This 8 megapixel camera is high on my list of recommendations.

Olympus C-8080

With its 8 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom, the Olympus C-8080 represents great value for those hunting for a digital SLR. While it doesn’t sell as well as the Canon and Nikon SLRs, I think Olympus comes up with pretty decent advanced cameras too.

Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2

The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 is a hot favorite amongst professionals. From a feature and function point of view, it’s one of the best digital SLRs I’ve seen. However, the build quality lacks that nice and heavy SLR feel.

Sony DSC-F828

Featuring a whopping 8 megapixel image resolution, the Sony DSC-F828 comes replete with a powerful 7X zoom lens and great camera optics. Very nice camera indeed.

Tips to better pictures Continued........

2005-08-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

Add movement
Add movement to a still photograph. A waterfall will look as if it is flowing if you use a tripod and an exposure of 1 to 2 seconds. You'll need a slow film and a small aperture if it's a bright day.
Taking a shot of a crowded street or children playing can also add interesting movement, if taken at a relatively slow speed. Experiment with exposure times of about 1/15 to 1/60 sec. Using a tripod means the surroundings will stay sharp, enhancing the feeling of movement.

Stop down
If you take a shot of a scene with extreme light contrasts, such as a snow-capped mountain between dark cliffs, the mountain is likely to look washed out or have even disappeared when the picture is printed. Compensate by reducing the aperture size by 1 to 2 F-stops. Elements that are too dark (underexposed) can be corrected with printing, but elements that are too light (overexposed) are lost forever.

Portraits
For close-up shots, use a lens with a focal length of about 100 mm to keep the face in its normal proportions. It also provides space between you and your model and is therefore less intrusive. Focus on the eyes, because this is where we normally look. Choose a wide aperture to reduce the depth of field and blur any disturbing background elements. Use a tripod and remote shutter release. In this way you can look directly at and talk to your model. This helps to put your model at ease and draw out his or her character.

Experiment
When using negative film and commercial printing, photographs are automatically corrected as far as possible to produce "normal" exposure and colour. However, this does not help if you are experimenting, or want to deliberately under or overexpose. To see true results, use transparency film. This cannot be automatically corrected during processing - you get what you shoot. If you use a digital camera you can check the result immediately and re-shoot until you get the effect you're looking for.

Tips to better pictures

2005-08-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Avoid camera shake
Hold the camera steady. Use both hands, rest your elbows on your chest and hold your breath as you release the shutter. Take advantage of a wall, post or any other means of steadying support. Use a tripod for shutter speeds of less than 1/60 sec. When using a lens with a long focal length, choose a shutter speed at least as fast as the focal length. For example if the focal length is 100 mm, set the shutter speed to at least 1/100 sec.

Composition
As a basic guide, use the "rule of thirds". Position points of interest or areas of colour a third of the way up, and/or along the frame. Putting a point of interest dead centre usually makes for a dull picture.
Use the frame of a doorway, arch, or trees to emphasize the main subject. Try and find a main point of interest, even in a landscape and exclude the unnecessary. Less is usually more. Try to lead the eye through the picture e.g. with a winding road leading to an interesting tree, mountain or building etc.

Use light
Light is the photographer's paint brush. For outdoor shots, the best light is found during the first two and last two hours of the day, when the sun strikes at a low angle. But some of the best shots are often taken as the sun breaks through a cloud sky, particularly just after a storm. If you're lucky and have the patience to wait, the sun may strike just the right spot in the scene to make a perfect picture. In outdoor portraits, avoid direct sunlight into the subject's eyes causing squinting. It's far better to use fill-in flash.

Fill the frame
People shots vary from close up head-shots to full-length. Whatever you choose, fill the frame with your subject, don't leave lots of space around them unless it adds information. A garden may be interesting if you're taking a portrait of a gardener, but otherwise concentrate on the subject and keep the picture uncluttered. This applies to all subjects, including still life, not just people.

Add scale
When taking a photograph, you are there, experiencing the surroundings. That memory will remain with you. But for the person who sees only the finished picture, it's difficult to judge scale. A towering cliff, a high waterfall or vast beach, for example, have no dimension unless seen against something of a recognizable size, such as a person or building. These elements add impact.

Give depth
Depth adds a three-dimensional feel to a flat picture. For example, branches of a tree in the foreground, a building in the middle ground and mountains in the background assist the eye by drawing it from one element to the next. A wide angle lens can extend this perspective, whilst a long focal-length can compress it.

2005-08-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

Its Me, Rene

Photography Terminology Continued......

2005-08-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Single-Lens-Reflex (SLR) Camera
Light entering the camera through the lens is reflected up by a mirror behind the lens onto a ground glass screen above. This screen is viewed through the viewfinder and a glass pentaprism which turns the image the correct way up. Other camera functions such as light metering and flash control also operate through the camera lens.

Zoom Lens
A lens which can be adjusted to a wide range of focal lengths without a change in focus, thus an alternative for a number of individual lenses of various focal lengths. A difficult type of lens to design and manufacture, but very useful for the photographer who likes to travel light.

Photography Terminology Continued......

2005-08-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Electronic flash
Designed to provide light where the lighting on the scene is insufficient. Electronic flash requires high voltage, usually obtained through batteries and a voltage-multiplying circuit which discharge a brief, intensive burst. Generally considered to have the same photographic effect as daylight. Modern flash units have multiple TTL exposure control functions and auto focus control.

F-numbers or F-stops
Numbers on the lens aperture ring and the camera's LCD (where applicable) that indicate the size of lens aperture. The lower the number the larger the aperture. As the scale rises, each number is multiplied by a factor of 1.4. Standard numbers are 1.0,1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32, etc., each change resulting in a doubling or halving of the amount of light transmitted by the lens to the film.

Film Speed
ISO stands for International Standards Organization and numbers such as ISO 100 or ISO 400 etc. give the sensitivity of film to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive or faster the film. Basically, the slower the film (low ISO No.) the sharper and clearer the photograph. Grainy effects can be achieved with fast films (high ISO No.).

Flash sync speed
Exposure time with a focal-plane shutter is measured from the moment the first curtain is released until the moment the second curtain is released. The instant the first curtain closes, the electrical contacts for X sync close and instantly fire the flash.

Focal Length
The distance from the film to the optical centre of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. Focal length on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimetres on the lens mount. On 35mm-format cameras, lenses with a focal length of 50mm are called normal or standard lenses. Lenses of 35mm or less are called wide angle lenses and lenses of 85mm or more are called telephoto lenses. Lenses which allow varying focal lengths without changing focus are called zoom lenses.

Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and transfer rays of light to form a sharp image on film, paper or a projection screen. In practical photography, compound lenses made of a number of elements of different types of glass are used. This enables the manufacturer to correct most of the faults (aberrations) found in simple lenses and provide images that are sharp across the whole picture.

Lens Speed
The largest aperture(smallest F-stop) at which a lens can be set. Fast lenses transmit more light and have larger openings than slow lenses. Determined by the maximum aperture in relation to focal length. Lens speed is relative: a 400 mm lens with a maximum aperture of F/3.5 is considered extremely fast, while a 28mm F/3.5 lens is considered to be quite slow.

Perspective
Perspective is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional scene. In photography this can be achieved by viewing 3-D objects from an angle rather than head-on. A photograph is also given perspective if there are objects in the foreground, middle distance and background, giving the whole scene "depth".

Photography Terminology

2005-08-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Aberration.
The inability of a lens to produce a true image, particularly at the edge of a photograph.
Usually, the more expensive the lens, the better its optical quality and the fewer aberrations.

Angle of View
The area of a scene that a lens can cover. The focal length of the lens determines the angle of view. A wide-angle (short-focal-length) lens includes more of a scene than a standard (normal-focal-length) lens or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. Angle of view is basically the angle at which light rays can pass through the lens to produce an image on the film.

Aperture
The aperture is the opening formed by the blades of the iris or diaphragm in the lens, through which light passes to expose the film. Aperture size is usually given in f-numbers, the larger the number, the smaller the opening. Aperture size together with shutter speed determine the amount of light falling on the film (exposure). The aperture is sometimes called the "stop".

Aspherical lens
A lens with a curved, non-spherical surface. Used to reduce aberrations and achieve a more compact lens size. With a spherical lens, rays travelling from the lens periphery create the image before the ideal focal point and give a blurred image centre. With an aspherical lens, even the rays travelling from the lens periphery converge at the ideal focal point, thus producing a sharp image.

Chromatic aberration
The inability of a lens to bring all light wavelengths (particularly red & blue) into the same plane of focus, thus causing overall blur. Usually found in regular large-aperture telephoto and super-telephoto lenses. Not improved by reducing aperture size. Can be corrected with low dispersion (ED, LD SD) glass.

Colour temperature
A method of expressing the colour content and quality of light and measured in Kelvin (K). "Photographic daylight" has a colour temperature of about 5500K. Photographic tungsten lights have colour temperatures of 3200K to 3400K depending on their construction.

Depth of Field
The distance between the nearest and furthest objects in a photograph that are considered to be acceptably sharp. Dependant on aperture, focal length and focused distance. The smaller the aperture, the wider the lens and the further the focused distance, giving a greater depth of field and vice versa.

Nikon camera

2004-12-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Nippon Kogaku, was formed 1917, by the merger of three small optical firms. They began with some 200 employees. They were actually an optical firm and not a camera manufacturer, therefore, their beginnings parallel those of Leitz and Zeiss. They began to produce a vast array of optical products such as microscopes, telescopes, transits, surveying equipment and optical measuring devices for industry and science. Sometime 1945/1946 it was decided that they should produce a camera of their own, but actual production of the camera did not begin until early 1948, which brings us to the first Nikon. 1959 Nikon began manufacturing 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) bodies and lenses. 1959-1972 Nikon F body. 1967-1975 Nikkormat FTN. 1971-1980 Nikon F2. 1977-1982 Nikon FM. 1978-1982 Nikon FE . 1979-1984 Nikon EM. 1988-1999 Nikon F4, F4S, and F4E. 1996 Nikon F5. 1998 Nikon F100, 1999-2001 Nikon D1 (digital, 2.7 megapixels), 2001 Nikon D1X (digital, 5.2 megapixels).

The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality. Nikon is the only major optical company in the world that still controls and manufactures every aspect of its glass-making business.

Welcome to the world of Rene's

2003-05-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Friend,

This is Rene, a lone wanderer on this planet Earth, and this is my home page where is I'll share my wandering experiences with you all.

First a few words about me,

My name is Rene David Waish, I born in Australia but afterwards moved to India, the native place of my dad's. Currently I live in Delhi with my brother Jimmy. I am a arts Student and I love to work on Web, that's why you are facing the ordeal of going through these words. My other hobbies include photography (My brother is a professional photographer so I pick Tips from him), Traveling, Listening to music, Reading, and writing my Blog. I love sports too as Tennis, Cricket, Pool and Tomb Raider ( the computer game). I fancy playing computer games, Specially games with having Female characters as lead thus my favorites are Tomb Raider and Resident evil.

I have been in India for last 1 and a half years, I simply love this country, never expected it to be so good when i was back in Oz. but its simply the best on this planet.

I love Indian food, although its too spicy, but the taste is good. As I said i love to travel so I toured this country too, so many places. I had been to Kerala, Darjeeling, Shimla, Jaipur Kota and some more places.

Ohh I think i have tortured you enough, but I'll keep updating these pages by the times. so keep visiting. and in case you want to communicate with me. IM me at rene_waish.

Thank you for reading all the crap I have written have a nice day.