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By Connie Cartmell, ccartmell@mariettatimes.com
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If you print digital photos at home:
n Be sure when it comes time to print, you
copy in full resolution. Some programs are
set to automatically down-size files to make
them easier to send to friends and family.
n To print photos up to 8 x10, make sure you
set the picture resolution to at least 300
dpi.
n If you are not sure the image is
print-worthy, right-click the file and view
its Properties. File size is a good guide.
If it's 100 kilobytes, it won't print well
even at 4 x 6 size. If 400K, holds up at
even 8 x 10.
n Your digital images reside on your
computer as jpegs, a universal format. But
each time you edit a jpeg image and resave
it, a tiny bit of picture is lost and
eventually, quality will start to suffer.
Try to make changes (like red-eye) in one or
two sittings.
n Before you start each print job, check the
printer settings to make sure you've
selected the proper print size and type of
paper. For best results, use Canon ink and
paper with Canon printers etc.
n For longer lasting prints, use archival
paper. It will cost a buck a sheet or more,
but worth the investment for some shots.
Some companies suggest archival inks too,
but caution that colors may look a bit muted
by comparison.
n To save paper, print a few different
images on each letter-size sheet.
n Keep photo paper stored in a cool dark
place. Don't leave it sitting in the tray.
Exposure to sunlight and humidity will
degrade the paper, as well as the prints you
produce. Keep framed shots out of direct
sunlight.
n Ink tanks and cartridges are expensive, so
conserve. Normal or standard print quality
is fine for 4 x 6, even 5 x 7 prints. If you
select “high,” “best,” or “maximum dpi” the
printer will pump out more ink than
necessary. Use this for 8 x 10 or larger
prints.
n If you are doing a lot of photo printing
at home, you could purchase a dedicated
photo printer like the Sony DPP-EX5 (around
$200). These dye-sublimation printers are
small, compact, and easier to load. They use
heavier, slightly more durable paper, so the
prints may last longer than most ink-jet
prints, but they can't print anything larger
than 4 x 6.
Source: Techtime.com
Top 10 digital
photography tips
n Warm up those tones. The default balance
setting is auto, which is fine for most
snapshots, but tends to be on the "cool"
side. Switch from auto to "cloudy" outside.
It adds a warm filter, increasing reds and
yellows.
n Sunglasses polarizer. Add punch, add a
polarizing filter for landscapes and outdoor
shooting. Use your own polarized sunglass
lens in front of your camera lens.
n Outdoor portraits that shine. Take control
of the flash. Use flash or fill flash when
you want to, not when the camera deems it
appropriate. For example, subject in open
shade under a tree.
n Macro mode madness. Get close up and
personal, activate the close up mode on your
digital and explore the world in detail.
Usually a flower symbol, turn it on and get
close.
n Horizon line mayhem. Cockeyed sunsets,
lopsided landscapes, tilted towers mean
humans have a hard time holding the camera
level when using the LCD monitor. The answer
is try and try again until you level it off.
Practice framing shots.
n Massive media card. Factor in the purchase
of an additional memory card. You'll never
miss another shot because your memory card
is full.
n Go High Rez all the way. If you have
enough memory, there is no reason to shoot
at lower resolution and risk missing the
opportunity to show off your work in a big
way.
n Tolerable tripod. The UltraPod II by Pedco
is compact, versatile, ingenious that fits
in your back pocket. Save the pain of
lugging a big heavy tripod.
n Self timer fun. Interested in making long
exposures of cars driving over the Golden
Gate (or Williamstown) Bridge at dusk?
Secure your camera to your UltraPod II, trip
the shutter using the self timer. You
prevent accidental jarring.
n Slow motion water. Images created by
finding a nice composition with running
water, then forcing the camera’s shutter to
stay open for a second or two, creating a
soft, flowing effect of the water while
other elements in the scene stay sharp.
Source: Digital Photography Pocket Guide,
3rd Edition, Derrick Story.
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Christmas 2005 heralded a quantum leap
ahead for American consumers in the wonderful world of
home photography.
If you hadn’t noticed, or checked under your own
Christmas tree, the digital camera is king.
“For me, it’s mostly the convenience of a digital that I
like,” said Ray Ulmer, 59, of Marietta. "You can edit
your pictures and they are easy to e-mail. You can put
pictures on your computer and screen them."
It's projected that the digital avalanche will only
continue to gather steam and that by 2008, well over 100
million digital cameras will flood the planet.
In 2004, 63 million digital camera swere purchased
worldwide according to Lyra Research Products, of
Orlando, Fla. European markets are top users, the United
States, a close second, and Japan, surprisingly, is
third.
Ulmer is a veteran of the digital scene, but doesn’t
consider himself an expert. He has several years of
filmless picture-snapping under his belt. He's made most
of the usual mistakes, and learned some valuable
lessons.
“I’ve learned to download my pictures to a CD right
away,” he said.
But how about you?
If you are new to the game, a trembling novice, pushing
the right buttons on the camera may not be what you need
to be most worried about.
You’ve already successfully captured a thousand or so
pictures of the family grinning beside the tree,
mastered this prized piece of modern technology, but now
what?
“The first thing to do is to decide if you want to print
the pictures you've taken or store them to a CD,” said
Cynda O'Brien, owner with husband Phillip, of O'Brien’s
Photo Center and Sound Room, in the Frontier Shopping
Center.
O’Brien recommends downloading images from the camera as
soon as possible, either to a CD, computer, or printer.
It saves tears later.
“You need to empty your (memory) card and start over. If
you store pictures in the camera, you run the risk of a
‘zap’ that can happen (even with static electricity) and
it can erase everything you’ve got there.”
If you have no idea how to download the camera,
O’Brien's, or any good photography or camera store will
help out — without charge.
“We can do both for you,” she said of downloading to CDs
or printing your work.
For prints, there’s a charge.
The benefit of having a professional print your digital
pictures is quality and longevity.
Although the technology is steadily and rapidly
improving, most home printers are not equipped with the
caliber of ink, paper, and hardware to produce
long-lasting and sharp prints.
“I have a friend who photographed her daughter’s wedding
on digital several years ago and printed all the
photographs at home on her printer,” O’Brien said.
“Today they are gone, faded out. That’s my concern with
all the scrapbooking and printing done at home.”
Professionals use the same silver halide emulsion
process that has been used to develop film for
generations.
“My counter machine, which is pretty much instant, will
give you pictures that last up to 35 years," she said.
"The larger machine will give 85 years, but it takes a
little longer to process.”
Emerson Shimp, 62, of Marietta, doesn’t even try to
print his digitals at home anymore. After two years of
being “digital,” Shimp counts on a professional for the
finished product.
“I struggled with it at first,” he said. “I’m certainly
not an expert at digital photography. We like it because
we can take lots of pictures and sort out those we
want."
A trip to Germany proved the perfect occasion for
digital. Shimp said images could be reviewed immediately
and retaken if not good, or simply taken off the chip to
conserve space.
Shimp is now a converted digital man — off film for
good, he said.
“We actually display our pictures on the TV, then pick
three or four of the best ones and go to O'Brien’s and
print them,” Shimp said. “What little I know about it
(printing) you won’t get the same quality at home you
get at a print shop.”
In coming months, places like Rite-Aid plan to offer
disposable digital cameras and the capability to
download images from home computers, directly to the
store of choice for prints.
It’s another new and growing trend.
“Christmas was a digital year,” said Steve Cole, manager
of Rite-Aid in Marietta. “If you’re having trouble with
printing or downloading, just bring your camera in and
we'll do it for you.” |