Story Photography: Digital Photo Class

... but digital cameras can help us become better shooters by providing instantaneous feedback. We no longer have to wait days to discover that we succeeded with, or screwed-up, an image. To help facilitate this process, this interactive class will show you a few simple techniques that will instantly improve your pictures.

Back Pocket Photo Expert -- Take It With You

The Digital Photography Pocket Guide gives you the tools and the knowledge to take the kind of pictures you've always wanted. Consider it your quick-reference photo mentor that explains each of the camera's components, shows you what they do, then helps you choose the right settings to accomplish your goal. When you want to ask an expert, "How can I get that picture?" simply pull this handy guide out of your camera bag or back pocket, and you'll find the answer quickly.

Digital Cameras Are Serious Photo Tools

Digital cameras now compete head to head with their film-based breathern and can easily produce photo-quality prints up to 8" x 10." Many digicams have extensive camera controls similar to those we're accustomed to using on our favorite 35mm SLRs.

Tip 1: "See" Before You Shoot

Our selective vision often ignores distracting background elements. Learn to see the entire frame before tripping the shutter.

Tip 2: Get Closer

We tend to stand too far back when shooting portraits. This is a waste of pixels. Get closer to your subject. Take a few shots, then get closer again. Your images will improve dramatically.

Tip 3: Use "Fill Flash" for Outdoor Portraits

Outdoor portraits with bright backgrounds seem fine to our eyes, but our camera's exposure meter tends to underexpose the subject. Use "fill flash" to balance the subject with the background and to eliminate unsightly facial shadows.

Tip 4: Slow Synchro Flash Captures the Mood

When you use the "auto flash" setting, most digital camera set the shutter speed to 1/60th of a second or faster. This is fine for portraiture in bright or average light, but when you're in a low light setting, such as an evening meal inside a restaurant, auto flash has a tendency to make everything black except the subject. Fortunately most cameras have another flash setting called "slow synchro," and it allows you to capture the mood of the environment as well as properly illuminate the subject.

Tip 5: Shoot at Your Camera's Highest Resolution

Don't be tempted by squeezing more pictures on to your memory card by shooting at a lower resolution -- it's false economy. Shooting at your camera's highest resolution enables you to make quality prints, and it extends the reach of your zoom lens. Check out the photo example to see how.

Part Two -- Processing Pictures

Adjust and Correct Your Image

By following these basic five steps, you can dramatically improve the appearance of your pictures:

Prepare Images to Send Via Email

One of the first things that new digital camera owners love to do is send a batch of images to family members or friends. As you may have already discovered yourself, the warmth of reception is inversely proportional to the size of the images that land in their inbox.

It's true, you should shoot at the highest resolution your camera offers, but before you share pictures with friends via email, reduce the file size by following these steps.

A Note About Archiving Pictures

The most important thing about "backing up" your pictures is that you do it. This has become much easier now that most computers come equipped with CDRW drives so you can "burn" your own discs. Simply group your pictures into "albums" that are 650MBs or less, then burn them on to CDs.

To help you retrieve your pictures later, consider investing in cataloging software. Often you can find very capable applications for $20 or less, and they will help you find which CD contains that image you're looking for.

Part Three -- Publishing Your Pictures

Uploading Your Pictures to the Server

Don't just dump all of your pictures into a single "images" folder on your web site. Plan for growth, and develop an image cataloging system that can accommodate your needs as your site grows.

Determining the Position of the Image on the Page

If you can, have an engaging image "above the fold" on the web page. Make sure images are in the same proximity as the text that is related to them. Position the picture so that the energy of the photo points back into the page rather than off to the side.

Write a Comprehensive Caption

The old journalism rule of thumb is that a photo caption should be self-explanatory. don't assume that your audience is going to read the article. This seems especially true on the Web.

Quality Check Your Work

Look at your pages on a variety of platforms with different browsers. Have an independent "sanity reader" proof your work.

Part Four -- Presenting Your Pictures Using QuickTime

LiveSlideShow Plus by Totally Hip Software

The advantage of using QuickTime to create your live presentations is that they are totally scalable and will play on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. LiveSlideShow Plus is a powerful but easy to use interface that gives you access to QuickTime's rich media layers.

Once you create your presentation in LiveSlideShow, you can export it as a QuickTime movie. But you can always go back to your LiveSlideShow project to make adjustments, then export a new version. This environment gives you total flexibility to continue to refine your work.

Part Five -- Displaying Pictures on Palm Devices

You Don't Need a PocketPC to Display Images on Your PDA

"Album To Go" is a free Palm-compatible application that allows you to easily convert, display, and catalog Jpegs on your Palm device. You can even play slide shows complete with transitions!

Interactive Digital Photo Class

Introduction

Many of Us Lack Confidence in Our Photography ...