Slideshows are an age-old photographic tradition. Digital cameras make it easier than ever to present your images to many people at once.
Most digicams have a “video out” capability that lets you connect your camera directly to a television for playback on a large screen. If your camera has this functionality, it most likely has a slideshow mode that allows you to choose images that are stored on the memory card and present them on the television in timed intervals. All you have to do is turn on the stereo for some background music and add a little witty commentary, and you’ll have a full-fledged multimedia presentation to share with others.
Another option is to use the software that comes with your camera to assemble slideshows on the computer, then either show them on the computer monitor or connect the computer to a television for big-screen presentations. Computer slideshows have the advantage of enabling you to add transitions and special effects to your presentations. They can also be saved and played long after the memory card has been erased and reused.
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There are a variety of ways to get photo-quality prints from your digital images. You can make them yourself with a printer at home, or have a photo finisher do the work for you.
Many camera stores offer photo finishing from digital images. Simply take in your memory card, order the prints, and pick them up the next day. This service is now available in most drugstore chains, too—instead of dropping off a roll of film while running your errands, you leave them your memory card instead.
You can also order prints through online services such as Shutterfly. You have to upload your pictures via the Internet to their facilities; they send you your prints back through the mail. If you don’t want to wait for the postal service, you can still place your print order via the Internet, then go directly to the camera shop or drugstore to pick up your prints, usually within 24 hours.
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A popular way to electronically share pictures these days is via online photo services that publish web page galleries of your images. Only a few years ago, setting up an online gallery was a cumbersome process requiring some knowledge of web page design. But easy-to-use online services such as Flickr have streamlined this process so that anyone with an Internet connection can publish photos.
In addition to sharing pictures, these services allow you to write short captions, add titles, and even include “tags” that serve as keywords allowing you to easily find specific types of photos, such as landscapes. Once you’ve uploaded your pictures to the online service, you can notify all of your friends and family via email. The advantage of this method is that you’re only sending them a text link to your photo web page, not actual images that they’ll need to download. Also, since the photos are on the service’s computer, they won’t take up your viewers’ valuable hard disk space.
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You could spend your entire lifetime studying how to make great landscape images. There are, however, a few key techniques that will improve your nature shots right away while you learn the subtleties of the craft. Keep these few tips (demonstrated in Figure below) in the back of your mind while shooting.
This image employs a few helpful landscape techniques. First, the horizon line is low in the frame, allowing for a “big sky.” There are dark tones at the top and bottom of the frame that lead the eye to the brighter tones in the middle third of the composition. The image was recorded in late afternoon, taking advantage of “magic light.” Finally, the picture was shot at high resolution, allowing for some cropping to fine-tune the composition.
1. Work with “magic light.”
Landscape pictures shot before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. look better, especially with digital cameras that have a hard time taming harsh midday sun.
2. Keep your compositions simple.
Clutter is the bane of powerful landscape imagery. Look for simple, powerful compositions, and skip the rest.
3. Don’t put the horizon line in the middle of the frame.
Landscapes become more powerful when the horizon line is in the lower or upper third of the composition. You can create a very dynamic composition by putting the horizon very low in the frame and letting sky dominate the scene.
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There are two ways to shoot items using tabletop photography: the hard way and the easy way. The hard way involves multiple studio lights, softboxes, umbrellas, and seamless backdrop paper. Professionals use this equipment to produce outstanding images for commercial advertising and high-end editorial work.
But if you just want a nice picture of your old 35mm camera to sell on eBay, you probably don’t want to set up an entire studio. So here’s the easy way:
- Find a window that you can set up a table next to. North-facing windows are great, but not necessary for this type of shooting. Cover the surface of the table with white paper, and if you can, create a white backdrop too. This will be your work area.
- Put your camera on a tripod (or another stable surface) and adjust it so it’s facing the item that you want to photograph on the table. Move both the subject and the camera to achieve the best lighting possible via the open window. Once everything is in place, make a tabletop reflector out of white cardboard, or cardboard (or another rigid material) covered with aluminum foil. Position the reflector opposite the light source (window) so it bounces light onto the shadowy side of the item.
- Set the white balance to Cloudy and put your camera on self-timer. Now trip the timer and stand back. After 10 seconds or so, the camera will take the shot for you to review. Continue refining your setup until you get the shot you want.
This simple setup can produce studio-like results with a fraction the cost or effort. Give it a try.
Your subjects are vulnerable to red eye in dimly lit rooms when their pupils are open wide. The effect is actually caused by the light from the flash bouncing off the retina and being reflected back into the picture-taking lens. Point-and-shoot cameras are notorious for causing red eye, because the flash is so close to the lens; this makes for a perfect alignment to catch the reflection from the retina.
Even though many cameras provide a setting to reduce red eye, they don’t always work well and actually can be irritating to both subject and photographer. Instead, try following these suggestions when shooting in low light:
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