A video on how to use Adobe Photoshop Elements to crop and size a photo before emailing it.

You crop images the same way in Photoshop as well as many image editing software programs.

Why crop and size a photo before you email it?

In the video below, the image was origianally over 8MB as a Jpeg file. This would take a long time for the person you are emailing to download. It would take even longer to send it. Nearly all the time, these images are only looked at on the computer. There is no need for a big file. Croping and resizing your photography before you email it is a nice thing for the people you are sending it to.

Why not just shoot a lower quality image setting?

I recommend that you always use the highest quality image setting your camera offers you. This way, you will be ready when that once in a life time image occurs (it happens a lot more than once in a lifetime). You can always make a photograph smaller but if you do not have the detail to begin with, you cannot make it larger. Keep your camera at the highest quality setting.

I made the video below to show both cropping the photograph and compressing it.

This is nearly the same in Photoshop as it is in Photoshop Elements. I am also using an early version of Elements. Later versions work the same way. The save for Web feature is somewhat unique to Adobe products. It is very convienient as it allows you to see the effect of compression as you try to make the image smaller.

In the following video I take an 8MB file and shrink it down to about 17k.

This makes it very fast to download. If you think someone might want get a print of the photo, let them know you can send a higher resolution version if they want to print it.

I hope you find the video useful.

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Have you ever had a ghost in your photo?

It looked like you had it in focus. You used a flash. Still, there seems to be an additional person in the picture?

Does it look like this?

It’s called ghosting.

It is nothing to call Ghostbusters Inc about. It’s just a double exposure. One exposure is made by the flash. The other is made from the ambient light.

Many modern cameras try to balance ambient light and flash to make a more natural looking photograph.

Sometimes, it is just too balanced and it does not turn out the way we want. If there is just enough light in the room to make an exposure but not enough to get a fast enough shutter speed, you will see pictures like the one above. I have made it a bit exaggerated so it is easy to see the problem here.

There is a sharp image.

In parts of the photo, there is also a blurry double of the image (the ghost). The ghost is blurry because of movement during the exposure. Sometimes this is subject movement. More often, it is camera movement. It can be hard to know exactly when it will strike. It often seems to happen during really important pictures.

There are two different ways to fix ghosting in photos and exorcise those ghosts from your photography.

• Reduce the blur in the photo.
• Reduce the exposure of the ghost till it disappears. Sometimes, this also reduces the blur too.

You can reduce the blur by using a wider lens.

Often the blur is because the shutter speed the camera balanced the ambient light with is too slow to hand hold. A wider lens (zoom out) will not blur as much as a telephoto lens (zoom in).

You can reduce the ghost blur by using a tripod.

Often, you are using the flash because a tripod is not convienient to use. The photograph below has the same shutter speed as the picture with the ghost in it. Notice that the ghost has disappeared.

You can reduce the ghost blur by using a shorter shutter speed.

Use the fastest shutter speed your flash will sych at. This will prevent the blur from camera movement during the exposure just like using a tripod. Using a faster shutter speed may also reduce the exposure of the ghost.

Reducing the exposure of the ghost will also work.

You can increase flash power and make the exposure using flash at higher shutter speeds and smaller aperatures. In the photo below, the exposure setting was raised and flash power was increased to compensate. The reduces the exposure from the ambient light. Notice that the wonderful warm incadencent lighting is gone from the image.

You can reduce the exposure of the ghost with a lower ISO setting.

This also reduces the ambient light in the photo.

Like I said, it can be hard to expect when ghosting will happen.

If you need to use flash, but there is a lot of light in the room, you may see ghosts. If you are zooming in or using a long lens with flash, that can increase the chance of ghosting. If you are using flash and high ISO settings for subjects that are not far away, ghosting can occur.

Checking your preview on your digital camera once in while in these situations can let you know if you need to change the way you are using your camera.

For some cameras, you will not be able to make any of the exposure changes. How to take sharp photosUse the wider part of your zoom and try to hold the camera as still as possible.

Don’t forget to have a good time and make the real memories the ones you remember no matter what the photos look like.

One last thing that will help you take a sharp photo is resolution.

Usually, we think only digital camera’s have resolution, but film has resolution too (some think that digital cameras are a revolution but we are just concerned with resolution right now). I am also going to tie film grain and digital noise into resolution, even though they are different from resolution because the end result in the real world is the same (less grain or noise will appear to be a higher resolution in many cases).

Resolution is the amount of information your camera records when you press the button. With a digital camera the light causes an electronic process in the camera. With a film camera the process is a chemical one. It is most easy to understand in digital terms. 

A six megapixel camera will produce a file of about 18 megabytes in Photoshop.

In a digital camera, the sensor chip is made up of little circuits that change when light hits them (to put it very, very simply so I can understand it). Each circuit records a speck or pixel of information about the light hitting it (again, this is a very simplified, inaccurate way of describing it but you get the picture). The number of pixels (basically dots) that make up the picture equal the resolution. The first digital cameras had a sensor with about 640×480 rows of pixels or dots. This equals about 307200 pixels or  about .3 megapixels (this was loudly proclaimed photo quality by the manufactures – a term they used for several generations of digital chips which still tends to give digital a bad name around some professionals). This is also typical of many mobile phone cameras today. The size of file this actually about 921600 pixels when you open with Photoshop in a computer. A six megapixel camera will produce a file of about 18 megabytes in Photoshop.

A good 35mm negative shows about 24 megabytes of information

By comparison, a good 35mm negative, when scanned into a computer, shows about 24 megabytes of information. You’ll find that a 6 megapixel camera will produce quality that is equal to a 35mm. This is why I recommend if you are looking for a digital camera you start looking at 6 megapixel cameras.

It is amazing how often that "once-in-a-lifetime" shot occurs

It is true that most people will never make anything larger than 4×6 or maybe 5×7 prints from their photos with maybe an occasional 8×10. A 2 megapixel camera will give an ok 8×10 and is just fine for 4×6′s. Why do I recommend a 6 megapixel camera if all you want are 4×6′s for your scrapbook?

Chances are, sooner or later, you will take a picture where you just cannot get close enough to the subject (maybe you don’t really feel like getting into the swamp for a close up of that alligator).

If you want to crop around that alligator you will actually be using a smaller number of those pixels. If our alligator takes up a quarter of the original picture, your 4×6 will already be more that equal to that 8×10 in actual information. What are the chances that photo will also be the one you really want to make 8×10 for the starting page of your vacation scrapbook? Because we view smaller photos more close up, you may not have as much detail when you crop as you would like (those sharp teeth may look more like dull white blobs up close). I can’t tell you how often I saw situations like this in the film processing business. It is amazing how often that "once-in-a-lifetime" shot occurs.

A 6 megapixel camera will provide a level of quality equal to 35mm

The standard in photo quality that most are used to has generally been the 35mm photograph. A 6 megapixel camera will provide that level of quality that we have become used to in terms of resolution. If you are really into photography one of the 8 megapixel cameras will make you happy for years.

What about grain and noise? Do they have an effect on resolution?

While a bit different than resolution, grain will make a difference in how much detail you see in a picture. Grain shows up as speckles in a photograph. It is very dependent of film speed. 100 – 200 ISO film speeds (or less) show very little grain. A 400 ISO film will show moderate grain. High speed films such as 800 ISO and higher show excessive grain. Again, at 4×6 size grain (even in high speed films) will not bother you much. As soon as you crop or enlarge those photos, that grain will become very apparent.

The film companies can charge a lot more for an 800 ISO film than a 100 ISO film

A few years ago, many film companies started to suggest higher speed films as do everything films (or even calling them "self adjusting" films – an extremely liberal use of the term – I won’t say dishonest, but….). While higher speed films do have an advantage when it comes to exposure latitude (the amount your camera can goof up the correct exposure) and stopping action (remember those high shutter speeds we wanted to eliminate movement), you may be sacrificing useful resolution for speed.

Not to mention. the film companies can charge a lot more for an 800 ISO film than a 100 ISO film.

I personally recommend not going above 400 ISO unless you are trying to shoot indoors without flash (and without a tripod). If you are looking for the absolute best photos you can take, and it is bright and sunny, use 100 ISO film. If your shooting fast subjects (sports like Grandpa in the Olympics mentioned above), or it is cloudy out, use ISO 400. Many point-and-shoot cameras are really designed for ISO 400 and if you need one film that will work in almost all situations use ISO 400.

What is noise anyway? (I don’t hear anything from my photos)

With digital cameras we have something that acts just like film grain only it’s called noise. Ever try to watch a television program on a channel that did not tune in good? Those little specks of color (the "snow") are noise. Noise is almost exactly like grain, the faster the ISO setting on the digital camera the more noise you get. For the moment, just like film, you’ll see little noise at ISO 100 -200.

Most consumer digital cameras lose out to film at ISO 400 and higher

This is where things change very drastically between digital and film. As I write this (early 2006), most consumer digital cameras lose out to film at ISO 400 and higher. In fact, combine a 400 ISO and a lower resolution camera or file setting (maybe 4 megapixel) and things will look more like that out of tune TV than a photo. This is very dependent on the camera. High quality new SLR cameras like the Canon D20, D30, 5D, and the 1D and 1Ds actually do better than film at higher ISOs. Typically the smaller chips used in point-and-shoot cameras are more sensitive to noise (even higher resolution models). While they are currently a little behind film (for the most part), I expect that within the next year we will see this change as the new cameras will improve on noise even at high ISO settings. Very soon I believe ISO settings will not matter at all as far as noise is concerned and will be an additional creative tool.

Always, always use the highest quality (jpeg) setting you have 

One other difference between digital and film is the quality setting on a digital camera. Always use the highest setting you have. Something that I can never figure out is why someone would spend hundreds of dollars more for the latest gigapixel camera and then use the lowest quality setting so they can fit more on a memory card. Buy a cheaper camera! (Sorry I feel like screaming.) Then spend the extra money on memory cards.

One last, minor factor on resolution is lens resolution and image size 

A lens also has a resolution or at least resolving power. A cheap plastic lens with simply not give you as much detail as a high quality lens from a top camera company will.

As we increased film resolution and began to use smaller formats the importance of having sharp lenses increased

In the early 1900′s camera lenses were no where near as sharp as current lenses. Photographers used larger sized film to help make up for this (along with the higher grain film had back then). The larger film formats would be less sensitive to lens imperfections. As we increased film resolution and began to use smaller formats the importance of having sharp lenses increased. Almost all digital cameras today use a sensor the size of an APS film format (about 1/3 the size of 35mm) or smaller. The only exceptions to this are very expensive professional level cameras.

This is something I have not seen mentioned in most digital photography discussions

What this smaller image size means is the quality of the lens is very important. It will actually have to be sharper than the lenses used for 35mm film cameras to produce the same level of detail. This is something I have not seen mentioned in most digital photography discussions. For the most part lenses today are extremely sharp but I suggest staying away from consumer electronic brands that so not have a reputation for optics, although many have lenses made by well known lens makers,like Zeiss.

Some manufacturers may do this to make their camera appear to make sharper pictures vs. a manufacturer that doesn’t sharpen as much but has a camera that produces more detail

Some digital cameras also tend to over sharpen the image when the camera is processing the image. This is something you won’t notice till you have an enlargement made and the halo around object is noticeable from over sharpening. Some manufacturers may do this to make their camera appear to make sharper photos vs. a manufacturer that doesn’t sharpen as much but has a camera that produces more detail. Some cameras will let you set the amount of sharpening done to a file. All digital photos will need to be sharpened at some point. It is usually best to go with moderate sharpening in camera and let the real sharpening be done as the photo is printed.

Here is the conclusion to this guide to taking sharp photos.

You had everything in focus.

You used a really good tripod and a remote release so the camera was rock steady. Still, your daughter looks like she has four eyes and three arms (and she doesn’t wear glasses). What happened? She moved. When it comes to subject movement, you will not have too many choices. You can use a faster shutter speed or get a slower subject. 

A sitting subject may look sharp as slow as 1/15th

You will find adults a bit easier to get to sit still than children or pets (at least sometimes). A sitting subject may look sharp as slow as 1/15th of a second. That same shutter speed will make even Grandpa look like an Olympic runner if he is walking.

 Obviously the faster the subject, the faster the shutter speed you will need

It will also make a difference what direction the subject is moving. If the subject is approaching or receding directly to or from the camera or traveling across the camera’s field of view. If Grandpa (as long as he was so kind to let us use him in the above paragraph we’ll use him a bit more- maybe he was an Olympic runner) is walking toward you, you won’t need as fast a shutter speed as if he is walking past you. Keep in mind that his arms and legs will be moving even faster than his whole body and may be blurry even though the rest of him is sharp. Obviously the faster the subject, the faster the shutter speed you will need.

 When there is any concern about subject movement, you always want to try for higher shutter speeds

For a slow person walking towards you (like good old Gramps) 1/30th to 1/60th of a second may be fast enough. A faster subject such as someone on a bicycle (or Grandpa in his Olympic days) will need a much faster shutter speed like 1/250th or 1/500th of a second. Something like a Formula 1 racing car will take speeds like 1/1000 of a second or faster. Unfortunately there are no exact numbers; it is something that takes a bit of trial and error, plus a camera (most likely an SLR of some sort) that will let you choose a shutter speed. When there is any concern about subject movement, you always want to try for higher shutter speeds.

 Again, you may not own a camera that lets you select the shutter speed.  You are then stuck with whatever speed the camera chooses. To make sure the camera chooses a fast shutter speed you can:

• Only take pictures when there is lots of light
• Use a faster ISO setting or film
• Wait until the subject stops moving
• Use the subject movement to tell the story

 How can you use a photo that is not completely sharp?

Some subjects actually look good with subject movement.

If you want to show the strength of the ocean as it crashes against the rocks you may want to use a high shutter speed to stop it sharp

Water, for instance, can look good if it is tack sharp stopped with a high shutter speed. If you want to show the strength of the ocean as it crashes against the rocks you may want to use a high shutter speed to stop it sharp.

A longer shutter speed will blur it and make it look soft and gentle

Water can also look great blurred. A longer shutter speed will blur it and make it look soft and gentle. This technique looks great for rivers and waterfalls. It depends on what kind of story you are trying to tell.

Panning is following a moving subject with the camera during the exposure

Another kind of blur that can tell a story is caused by a technique called panning. Panning is following a moving subject with the camera during the exposure. Just follow your moving subject with the camera (try to keep the same speed) and press the shutter button as it goes by. Make sure you continue to follow after you press the button (kinda like the follow through on your golf swing). This will cause the subject to look sharp and the background to blur. This is a great way to show motion and demonstrate the feeling of speed in a photo.

Panning whenever you think you may have lower light levels (an overcast day) will help you get a picture with a sharp subject. When done right; panning trades camera movement for subject movement in a way that makes a picture look sharper.

Next we’ll look at how important resoluton is to sharp photos and what is resolution anyway.

Camera movement can be hard to spot.

Usually, everything looks like it is in focus but nothing looks really sharp or you start to wonder if you need glasses (or new glasses and yours are only a month old). You spent all that money for that latest gigapixel camera, but honestly, it doesn’t seem to take pictures any sharper than the old one you gave to your spouse.

Worse, you cannot even tell which person was Julia Roberts in the photo you took when you ran into her at the supermarket (even worse, your insurance agent can’t tell if the picture is of the dent in your car or her’s).

Just taking a breath or the beat of your heart will cause enough movement to blur your photo

Even when we are standing still, our bodies have a tiny amount of movement to them. If you are really excited (like you just ran into Julia Roberts) that little movement is probably not even little.

As the shutter in your camera is open for a longer period of time, it becomes more sensitive to that tiny movement

Just taking a breath or the beat of your heart will cause enough movement to blur your photo in many situations (personally I’d rather have a beating heart than a sharp picture, given the most likely reason for no heart beat). Camera movement can be controlled two ways: faster shutter speeds or stabilizing the camera.

 Length of your lens will affect the amount of camera movement

A faster shutter speed will stop blur from camera movement (later we’ll talk about subject movement which is also helped by faster shutter speeds). Again, length of your lens will affect the amount of camera movement just like it does depth-of-field. A good rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed equal to the length of your lens. I prefer twice that speed for safety.

Most people can take sharp photographs with a 24mm wide angle lens at 1/60th of a second. Try to hand hold one of those huge, expensive 600mm lenses the sports photographers use, and you will need a shutter speed at least equal to 1/600th of a second, plus you will need a second mortgage and a good chiropractor. A safer speed might be 1/1000th of a second. The bad news again: if your not using a SLR or DSLR you may not be able to choose your shutter speed anyway because most of the cameras people buy choose the shutter speed for them just like it chooses the aperture.

 If you cannot set the shutter speed and you think you may have problems holding the camera steady enough to get a sharp picture, what should you do?

Lets look and steadying the camera.

Start by making sure when you hold it, you are holding it properly

Almost all cameras now are designed to be held in your right hand with your right index finger used to press the shutter button (sorry lefties). Brace your left elbow against your chest and use your left hand to hold the weight of the camera or cradle the lens. I have even seen a camera manual that suggested foot placement with a diagram (yes, those manuals do even show you how to hold the camera-were you already doing it right?). Just like an Olympic sharp shooter, you want to squeeze the shutter button when you take the picture. You can use a good solid wall or tree to brace the camera or brace it on any solid object you find usable.

Flash has a duration that is extremely short, acting like a very fast shutter speed

Your flash can also eliminate camera movement. Flash has a duration that is extremely short, acting like a very fast shutter speed. The only problem is that there are times you can’t or don’t want to use a flash (museums or that really dark church your daughter decided to get married in). Flash will also not help much if you are far from your subject.

A new technology that can help get rid of camera movement is image stabilization

Canon calls it IS, other manufacturers have different names. This technology moves lens elements to compensate for camera movement. Initially only available on those expensive lenses the sports photographers use, it is being included on many much more affordable lenses. It is even included now on some point and shoot cameras. This technology can allow you to shoot 2-3 shutter speed settings slower than you could hand hold without it. It still has limits and does add to the cost of the lens or camera.

A very inexpensive but very sturdy way to stabilize a camera is a bean bag.

You can mold the bean bag to a shape to hold the camera in many different positions. You can even make your own out of an old sock, (please wash it first) sown shut and filled with rice.

 The single most valuable accessory for your camera is a tripod

Perhaps the single most valuable accessory for your camera (if you are serious about taking great pictures) is a tripod. Because they need every photo to be as sharp as possible, you will almost never see a professional photographer without a tripod nearby. In fact, a good, sturdy tripod is a professional photographers best friend (it’s a lonely life).

Unfortunately, most tripods available in consumer electronic or discount stores will not do a good job of holding your camera still. You’ll find most photographers use a tripod by Gitzo or Manfrotto (formerly known as Bogen). While there are other good brands, these two seem to be the most trusted and popular. They are a bit more expensive than most of the flimsy, cheap models (sometimes flimsy, cheap models are sold expensively) but they are worth the extra cost since they actually do the job.

 A tripod that is convenient to use, is more likely to get used

Two disadvantages of a tripod are that they are heavy to carry and cumbersome to use. You can now get carbon-fiber tripods that are extremely light and still strong. Carbon-fiber tripods also cost more than the standard models but if you ever have to carry a tripod on a hike you’ll start thinking they are worth twice the cost. In the ease of use department, Manfrotto has the Neotec tripod with a pistol-grip head. The Neotec is extremely fast to set up and easy to use. A tripod that is convenient to use, is more likely to get used.

 When you use your tripod it is also important to remember, that for long exposures, the action of your finger pressing the shutter button will also cause camera movement.

When you purchase that tripod, order a remote release for your camera. Most cameras now use an electronic or an infrared remote. Just make sure it is for your make and model. If you do not have a remote release (or left it back home on the kitchen counter), you can use the camera’s self-timer. By the time the timer triggers the camera, any movement from pressing the shutter will have subsided. It will, however, take a really good sense of timing to get a photo of Junior sitting still using the timer. He probably will not sit still that long.

Junior not being able to sit still brings us to our next tip to taking sharp photos – Subject Movement

One main reason pictures turn out unsharp is because they are out of focus.

Seems simple enough? Well, there are several reasons this can happen, most of which have nothing to do with the camera being broken but all have to do with taking sharp photographs.

Too close the the subject

I have seen literally thousands of pictures ruined because of this one cause. A large portion of these are of newborn babies. Why? While we are trying to fill the frame with those tiny faces, we simply get too close to the subject to focus. Different cameras have different minimum focus distance (how close you can get).

The first step to fixing this problem is finding out how close your camera will focus.

For this we check that little book that came with your camera known as the instruction manual (you may see this theme repeated a lot here). You can usually find it (the distance – I can’t help you figure out where you left the manual) in the section that tells you how to focus the camera or listed in the camera specifications at the back of the manual.

After you know the distance, it can help to use a yardstick (or meter stick for those of you used to the metric system) or tape measure just to get a good idea how close that is and how it looks in your viewfinder. You can also use it to measure baby’s current height while it’s handy and you may want to write it down in your scrapbook next to baby’s picture. This has nothing to do with focus but you may appreciate it a few years from now. Anyway, it can be a little easier to know if your too close once you have a good idea what is too close.

Most, but not all, autofocus cameras will give you some kind of confirmation if it is focused or not or maybe if you are too close.

I know, now I tell you after you had to go search for a tape measure. Again, check your manual to find out.

The camera has focused on the wrong subject

A second reason pictures are out of focus (not sharp) is the camera has focused on the wrong subject. A common situation when this occurs is trying to take a picture of two people and there is a space in the middle between them.

Most cameras focus (or most reliably focus) on a spot in the center

Most cameras focus (or most reliably focus) on a spot in the center of the viewfinder (the little window you look through to “compose” you picture. If that spot happens to be a different distance than your subject (perhaps distant mountains), your subjects will be out of focus.

Lock focus by holding the shutter button halfway down

“So,” you say, “what’s the trick this time and do I need to look at that silly manual again?” Most cameras will let you lock the focus on a subject by holding the shutter button down halfway and recompose (fancy word for moving the camera) before pressing the button all the way to take the picture. And yes, you may want to check your manual and see what it says (besides they usually have a picture to demonstrate). Some cameras can sense if you have a subject not centered (maybe your friend is just too-way-out-of-line in which case this may not help). Maybe they use “the force”?

Some cameras have a mode that will force the camera to only focus at a farther distance

A very similar situation is when you try to take a picture through a fence or window and you have a sharp fence (or sharp reflection of you) and your subject (that million dollar horse in the field behind the fence) is not sharp. This can be a bit trickier of a situation. If you can use the recomposing method you are ok. If not, you may have to jump over the fence or break the window (I suggest to try opening it first-and don’t blame me if someone gets angry at you, I am not advocating vandalism just good photography). Some cameras have a mode that will force the camera to only focus at a farther distance. This may even make that fence magically disappear (you’ll need a magician to make the horse disappear-if you broke the window, maybe he could help you disappear). This is usually symbolized by a little picture of a mountain (but not always, sometimes the mountain picture means a wider depth-of-focus range which I’ll talk about in a second-don’t you wish we could all be more consistent with these symbols). This is definitely something you want to check that good old manual for!

One more note on recomposing. In most cases, the little changes in camera angle required to recompose will not make a difference in your focus distance. If you move too much though (step forward or backward) you may change the distance and move out of focus. It is important not to move too much when you do this.

Depth-of-field

A final focus related problem to sharp pictures is called depth-of-field. Depth-of-field refers to the total area that is in focus. This is a complicated subject that has to do with: focal length of the lens, aperture, focal distance and planet alignment (ok, planet alignment has nothing to do with it or with anything else for that matter, but focal distance does have a lot to do with physics, which is kinda like rocket science, which may have something to do with getting to planets). I’ll try to make some simple instructions.

Lens focal length refers to the length of the lens. Ok, what does that mean? Simply, a telephoto lens (or a zoom lens when you “zoom in”) has a long focal length and a wide angle lens (or a zoom lens “zoomed out”) has a short focal length. At long focal lengths, less area will be in focus

At long focal lengths, less area will be in focus. A good example of this is the lenses sports photographers use when they cannot be close to the action. The athlete or part of the athlete (lets say a close up of a baseball left fielder catching a game winning out) is in focus while the background is out of focus (fortunately we can’t see the overweight fan who is not wearing a shirt). At short focal lengths, larger areas can be in focus (allowing the photographer about to stepped on by a basketball player to have almost everything in focus (and a footprint on his forehead because everything looked so far away in the camera). If you want to have a subject close and a subject far away in focus a wide angle lens will help (in case you want that fence and the horse both in focus).

 Aperture has to do with the size of the opening of the lens. This is measured in something called f-stops and to confuse you more smaller f-stop numbers mean a larger opening and larger f-stop numbers mean a smaller hole. A larger f-stop (smaller number) will mean less is in focus. A smaller f-stop (larger number) will increase depth of field and more will be in focus. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you find this confusing), unless you have a SLR (single lens reflex) or DSLR (digital single lens reflex) you probably cannot adjust the aperture of your lens directly anyway.

 If there is lots of light your camera will choose a smaller f-stop and you will have more in focus.

What will affect the aperture is how much light is available. If there is lots of light your camera will choose a smaller f-stop and you will have more in focus. If there is not a lot of light (brightness-while technically 40 candles on your birthday cake is more light, it probably is still dim compared to the sun) less will be in focus.

 That pretty much covers how focus affects sharp pictures. Next we’ll look at how camera movement causes blurry pictures.

Every one wants to know how to take better photos

Probably one of the biggest reasons photos do not turn out like we want is because they are blurry or not as sharp as they could be. My goal with this guide is to give you advice on why this happens, and how to take sharp photos.

If you have been disappointed in results from your camera, it may not be the camera.

Just changing a few things in the way you use your camera, can make a huge difference in the quality of your digital photos or film photography and get you sharper photos. Even pro photographers need to keep these in mind when they take pictures or else they cannot rely on getting sharp photos to sell.

You may not need to run out and buy a new digital camera.

First, try a few of these techniques for sharp photos and see if they help. While a more expensive digital camera will have a higher resolution, if your 4×6 photos look unsharp with a 3 megapixel digital camera, they will look just as blurry with an 8 megapixel camera. You will see a difference with an 8×10 enlargement with more detail from a camera with a higher resolution.

If you try the techniques in this guide and still are not getting sharp photos, then it may be time for a new camera

There has been a great improvement in photographic technology over the past 20 years in lenses. It may be hard to accept but even better quality cameras and lenses are not a match for today’s computer designed lenses from Nikon and Canon. If you are still using a film camera you may want to think about buying a digital camera.

Most of these suggestions work the same for your digital camera as well as film but I will let you know if there is difference.

The main culprits are:

• Focus
• Camera movement
• Subject movement
• Resolution

A couple are closely related but I will try to tackle these reasons for blurry photos in order. First is focus.

Or, The Dark Side Of Digital Photography

Digital photography is the future, if not already the present of photography.

Of that, there is no doubt. However, there are some potential problems in digital photography that are often swept under the rug by the digital photo zealots.

This is not meant to be any kind of discouragement to anyone still considering going into digital photography.

I myself have not used a roll of film for any use in over two years. There is a good chance I may never use a roll of film again. It is important to be aware that there those out there that are always doom and gloom and just cannot accept the change. Do not listen to them.

If you know the potential problems with digital photography, you can better deal with them.

Some problems are being addressed by manufacturers and are being researched, these problems will eventually be fixed and digital photography my eventually outdo film in these cases. Other problems are unique to the way people currently look at digital photography and digital cameras. This type of problem will only be solved by individuals changing themselves.

Alright, ready for the 5 top problems with digital photos?

First, digital cameras do not have the dynamic range that the negative film you used to use, had.

What is dynamic range? Simply put, dynamic range is the difference between the brightest white with detail and the darkest black with detail. You are more likely to find heavy shadows or burnt out highlights. A digital photo at the beach could easily give you problems with a dark subject or an overly bright sky or sand. Digital photos with flash often have a washed out highlight on faces.

Is this terrible? It is not too bad. Many pros think of digital photography like shooting slide film which has a similar dynamic range. This is one of the problems that I am sure digital cameras will improve to the point it beats film.

Second, digital photos were presented as photo quality long before many would agree they were truly equal to film.

While a 2 megapixel camera will make great 4×6 photos, nearly anyone with decent eyesight can tell the difference between a good 35mm photo and a 2 megapixel camera at 8×10 size. Not only the lack of resolution will show but color transitions will also show some problems. A three or four megapixel camera will be much harder to see a difference but film would still provide a better picture.
Who would buy a 2 megapixel camera nowadays, you think? Well, people do buy them, but that is not the real point. I just recently heard a commercial exaggerating the ability of 4 megapixel cameras. Digital cameras now do provide film quality in detail and color gradation at the six megapixel range. Of course if you thought your Kodak Disc camera took great photos, go ahead and buy a two megapixel camera. If you are really trying to economize, you may be happy with a 5 megapixel camera but I would discourage anyone from purchasing anything with a resolution less that 5 megapixels.

Third, often digital photos are presented as more easy to fix than they really are.

There is the idea, that since it is digital, a bad photo can be fixed up in Photoshop later. Bad photography, fixed in Photoshop, is still bad photography. Movies and television often show computer fixes that just are not really possible or are very expensive and time consuming. Often, people see this science fiction and think it can be done, when the opposite is actually true. The JPEG format that most cameras save images in, does not allow corrections to be made to the file without a loss of quality occurring. Whenever you make changes to a digital file, at least a small bit of information is lost. The larger the changes made, the more information that is lost. Small changes may not make as much of a difference.
Combined with the lower dynamic range, many professionals have had to start being much more careful with exposure than they were with negative film.

There are two more problems with digital photography covered on page two.

Page Two of The Dark Side Of Digital Photography

By asking what kind of photographer are you, I mean what kind of photos do you intend to take

This is an important question to answer because it defines the type of digital camera you need to buy. You may also want to consider the near future. Do you see yourself changing what you photograph or how you use photography.

I’ve kind of divided this page into several categories of picture takers:

• The Casual-convenient Photo Taker
• The Family Historian
• The Soccer Mom (you do not have to be a mom to fit in this category)
• The Dedicated Hobbyist
• The Pro

Now, you may find that you sort of fit into more than one category. That’s alright. I hope I give you enough information to decide what digital camera will serve you best. If you are split too evenly, you may want to seriously consider more than one camera.

Lets look at the different categories

The Casual-convenient Photo Taker

What I am calling the Casual-convenient Photo Taker is just the average person. You just want to take pictures at a few special events each year and have one to use on vacation. Convenience is the major important factor.

The casual photographer does not want something big

The smaller the better. You are looking for the smaller point-and-shoot digital cameras. The trade off for size is fewer features. The main feature that suffers because of size the the range of the zoom. Other than that you’ll find manufacturers have managed to put plenty of features even in small packages.

Despite the limited range zoom on small digital cameras, you will probably enjoy the advantage of a small camera

You may even be able to fit it in a pocket. With a large memory card, you can enjoy being able to take photos all day on a vacation or all you can take at a party and still be able to hid it away when you just want to have a good time.

The Family Historian

The family historian is an important part of every family. This job may start at the birth of a new child or may be assigned to you by a parent later in life. Your job is to be the one that gets the photos at every family gathering or important event.

You may be a scrap booker

Not only taking the photos but in charge of archiving the family memories and labeling for all to find. Whenever something is going on, you have the camera. In fact, whenever something is going on, you are expected to have the camera.

The family historian may need a camera with a few more features than a casual picture taker

Look for a camera with a fairly good zoom range. If you can find one with the flash a bit farther from the lens, it will help reduce red-eye a bit. The ability to add an accessory flash to the camera is something to consider. The extra power an external flash can add can come in handy. The extra distance from the lens an external flash can add will really help reduce red eye even more.

Cameras in this category are a bit larger

They are typical point-and-shoot digital cameras. The larger zoom range will give you a bit more flexibility. Manufacturers have several special features you may want to look at. Some digital camera manufacturers have included image stability technology that will help you get sharper photos. Canon even has a model with an L lens, meaning it is extra sharp and has special coatings or lens elements they reserve for special, more expensive lenses.

There are some features you should look for in this category

Many cameras in this category may have a slightly larger rear screen than the the compact version could have. This is only an advantage if it does not have an optical viewfinder, but it is something to consider. I already mentioned external flash and zoom range. You may want to check for a remote release so you can get in the photo occasionally with the rest of the family. Some models come with an infrared remote.

Also check on the camera’s processor speed

While not a major importance of this category, you do not want to spend all your family event waiting to take another photo. Digital Cameras that process photos faster (or have a larger cache) will allow you to shoot another photo right after another without waiting long. Canon has starts including their newer processors that were developed for their digital single lens reflexes. They increase the speed at which you can take photos and also save battery power.

The Soccer Mom

You do not have to be a mom to fit this category

This category is separated from the family historian only by the need to photography sports or fast action fairly often. We talked about the convenience of a digital camera with a fast processor or cache for the family historian. For the soccer mom is is nearly a necessity. You will need a digital camera that will allow you to shoot several photos right after each other to cover action photos.

This category marks the extreme limit for any point-and-shoot digital camera

It is very hard to follow action with an electronic viewfinder. They tend to lag and just make it seem difficult to use with sports. Also, the limits of an attached lens come into play. While manufacturers now have point-and-shoot cameras with 12x zooms, at their highest zoom, most do not let enough light in to get the fast shutter speed needed to catch action. In addition, many digital point-and-shoot cameras that have optical viewfinders do not have the high range zooms.

The final problem with digital point-and-shoot cameras is lag

Lag is the amount of time between when you press the shutter button and the photo is actually exposed by the camera. While manufacturers have worked to reduce it, many digital cameras suffer from very noticeable lag. You may find it hard to catch action shots if your digital camera has much lag. Newer digital cameras are a bit better than older digital cameras. Those who bought digital cameras a few years ago often found lag was a real inconvenience. You may find that it is not too bad nowadays.

This category is where I suggest you start to look at a Digital Single Lens Reflex

In fact, the Digital Single Lens Reflexes (DLSR) now available act the most like the film cameras we are used to using. DSLR’s (of any price range) have many advantages over the digital point-and-shoot cameras.

DSLR’s correct many of the digital disadvantages found in digital point-and-shoot cameras

They have little or no lag. They have a larger cache, allowing you to shoot many photos right after each other without waiting for the camera to process. Their optical viewfinders are bright, clear, and are easy to see in daylight. In short, they act like film SLR’s.

Digital Single Lens Reflexes also have better image quality

DSLR’s usually have a bigger size (physical size, not resolution) image sensor that digital point-and-shoot cameras. This larger sensor means the pixels are not as close to each other as they are in smaller sensors. This helps reduce noise and digital artifacts compared to digital point-and-shoot cameras. Even at the same resolutions, a digital single lens reflex will produce a better photo than a point-and-shoot digital camera.

The Digital Single Lens Reflex does have two disadvantages

Size. DSLR’s tend to be a bit larger. Adding the lens will make it even bigger and heavier. The second disadvantage is cost. Digital Single Lens Reflexes tend to start in the price range at which most point-and-shoot cameras end. At the lower cost end of the spectrum is the Canon Digital Rebel XT. The original Digital Rebel was the first Digital Single Lens Reflex under $1000, a true landmark in digital photography. Nikon also has a competitor to the Digital Rebel Series.

The advantages of a Digital Single Lens Reflex for shooting any type of action will make it worth the extra weight and cost

By using a camera that is far more capable, you will enjoy your photos more. You will find yourself less frustrated.

The Dedicated Hobbyist

The dedicated hobbyist is the backbone of photography

The dedicated hobbyist may have dreams of becoming a professional photographer some day. Or maybe he or she may have some other interest that he or she wants to photograph often and finds that increasing photographic skills allows this other interest to be shared better. If photography is not a first love, it is at least a close second. My grandfather’s love for photography grew out of his love of trains and trying to photograph them.

Many professional photographers were once amateur photographers that just decided they wanted to try and make it professionally

In fact, I have met amateur photographers that new a lot more than some who claim to be professionals. Being an amateur is not something to be ashamed of. In fact, some amateur photographers produce photos that rival the best professionals. The only difference is that an amateur does not need to please anyone else but himself or herself. The professional does not have this option. He must constantly work to please the client.

If you are serious about photography you should look into a Digital Single Lens Reflex

The creativity a DSLR affords cannot be matched. You will find that whatever your photographic vision is, the DSLR is capable of doing it. The range of accessories will provide an endless way for you to test your limits as well as your credit card limits.

There is a bit of a price difference between the DSLR a dedicated hobbyist would most likely afford and what a professional would need

Since professional DSLR’s can cost over $8000 (and that’s without a lens) the amateur will be looking at the lower priced DSLR’s. There are many to choose from. You will find the Canon Digital Rebel and its competitors very capable of producing professional level, quality photos. A bit higher  in cost are the next range of DSLR’s like the Canon EOS 30D and it’s Nikon competitors. This level of DSLR is about equal in cost to a professional level film camera. While missing some of the highest performance features of the top level DSLR’s. they are still very popular with professionals.

If you are on a budget look at the high end point-and-shoot digital cameras or low end Digital Single Lens Reflexes

If you do not plan to photograph and sports or action photography (or at least not often) you may be happy with a high end point-and-shoot digital camera. If you plan on doing anything with a moving subject (bird watching) and you are on a budget look at a low end DSLR. An even more economical option would be finding a used Digital Rebel 300D maybe on eBay.

The Professional

If your already a professional you should not need to be reading this

The professional need to find the equipment that will provide the highest quality photos. You may want to consider a system compatible with one you already own. High end Digital Single Lens Reflexes (based on 35mm body size) provide photo quality equal to medium format film. Digital Cameras based on Medium Format cameras (often using a digital back on a film camera) provide quality of large format view cameras.

Expect to pay for it

Top of the line Digital Single Lens Reflexes like the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II (now it is the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III) can cost $8000. Medium format backs are even more with many systems running over $20,000. Not only  that, the professional needs to have a back-up in place the primary equipment fails. Now we are talking real money.

Many professionals use the mid-quality Digital Single Lens Reflexes

Especially for a back-up. The quality photo produced by a Canon EOS 30D is the same as an EOS 1D Mark II. It just will not be as durable or have all the same features. You may want a pro-level camera as your primary and a mid-level camera (like the newer Canon EOS 40D)as a backup.

Of course, there are times when I pays not to look like a professional

Keeping a point-and-shoot digital camera on hand can be handy. Sometimes a professional will draw unwanted attention just by having a pro camera. To avoid this attention, some photographers will resort to using a high end point-and-shoot digital camera. It is also nice to take on vacation.

I hope I’ve covered the different types of photographers well

Next we will look at what brand of camera. A subject that often will bring a heated discussion to a group of professional photographers or a group of dedicated hobbyists (or at least it used to).

What Brand of Digital Camera Should I Buy?

The Bare Minimum You Will Need To Have a Good Chance At Great Fireworks Photos

Because most cameras nowadays are automatic and do not have a manual mode, it is hard to get a good fireworks photo with them

Many do have a “city night” mode that may let you get some good firework shots.

The minimum you need to get fireworks photos:

• A camera with a “night city” mode or something similar. This mode setting on the camera will let the camera use longer shutter speeds that can be held by hand. You need this because many bursts of fireworks take over a second to happen. At the normal shutter speeds, all that will show up is scattered dots of light.
  This mode is usually a identified with a moon or star symbol. Most cameras with this mode also have a long exposure plus flash mode. Unless you want to try and take a picture of some friends with the fireworks behind them, you will not want the flash (your friends will probably want to watch the show anyway). Check your camera instructions to see if it has the mode and how to set it.
• You will also need a way to trigger the camera without causing it to shake. The best is a remote release. If your lucky, your camera has an infrared release that came with it or can be ordered. Most modern cameras cannot use the good old cheap mechanical releases. You may be able to make your own release. There is a cool book called Hacking Digital Cameras that shows how to use a television remote as an infrared release with some cameras or make an electronic release for cameras that use an electronic remote.
  If your camera does not have a release available or cannot use one you will need to rely on the self-timer. You will have to guess what the fireworks will look like when the timer triggers the camera.
  You may get away with using your finger to trigger the camera, but you will very likely cause some blurriness in the photo from the movement of your finger.
• You will also need something to hold the camera.
  Ideally a good strong photo tripod. Most likely if you have a tripod, it is a flimsy photo-video tripod from a consumer electronic department store. This will do. A bean bag may actually hold the camera more steady if you can find a solid object to rest it on. You can make one yourself and fill it with rice.

The main technique for this kind of camera is timing so the camera shutter is open while the fireworks are exploding

This will be the real trick. It will be even harder if you have to use a self timer. Your best chance will be at the end of the show when there are lots of firework going off at once. It will not be easy but you may get an ok picture.

For those that have camera with a manual mode with a bulb shutter setting, it is much easier to get a great shot. That is what we will discuss next.

Read about the best way to take fireworks photos