photos by richard

Dust is a big enemy of digital camera photos, as it can stick to the sensor and block light.

To avoid it ...

• turn the camera off when changing the lens as more dust is attracted to a sensor that has power

• always use the body cap for your camera when there is no lens on the camera
• when changing the lens, avoid holding the camera facing up; face down so there is less chance of something falling into the camera
• avoid changing a lens in windy conditions, especially if dusty out

Today's digital cameras use one of 2 types of image sensors.

CCD - Charge Coupled Devices

CMOS - Complementory Metal Oxide Semiconductor

It can be a bit confusing as CCD is a chip design, whereas CMOS is a reference to the manufacturing process. Both do the same thing; convert light into an electrical charge.

Continue Reading »

Do you want to share your photos online, but at the same time you are worried about what a stranger might do? There are many reasons for this, and I have run into a few of them. If you are on a fan site of some sort, you may want to show your concert photos, but you don’t want anyone taking them. This might sound silly, but there are good reasons why this might be a problem for you. If you are sharing photos of your children, you might want to be sure some weirdo isn’t saving them to their hard drive for Lord knows what.

Did you know that photo slideshows can help you protect those pictures? Continue Reading »

Photography icon Eastman Kodak Co. is ending its role as the official imaging sponsor of the Olympics after next year's Beijing Games.

The company, which is undergoing an arduous digital overhaul, cited a shift in marketing tactics for halting a relationship that dates back to the first modern games in Athens in 1896 when it ran advertisements in the program.

Continue Reading »

Earning high grades in the imaging school of hard knocks, the SanDisk Extreme® III line of flash memory cards has been named “favorite memory card” by professionals in Studio Photography magazine’s 2007 Readers’ Choice Awards. The announcement was made during PhotoPlus 2007 International Conference & Expo in New York City, where SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) is exhibiting through Saturday at Booth 1808 in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Continue Reading »

As a digital camera owner you probably use lots of battery "juice". If you are like me, you attempt to save money by investing in rechargeable batteries.

When you bring a new rechargeable battery home, it is not fully charged. Yet it sometimes is only in the charger for a short time, and the "ready" light goes on. As the recommendation is for a 12 hour charge, don't believe that little light. A new battery sometimes can fool a charger. If this happens, you need to remove the battery from the charger and then reinsert it. The charging cycle should begin again. This may happen several times during the first battery charge. Don't worry; it's perfectly normal.

Are you a magazine reader? Have you noticed that magazines are full of photographs?

When you see a photo that impresses you, clip it out and save it in a photo album. One of those albums that has the "magnetic" pages that you put photos under (or a similar product). Then, on a regular basis, study the photos you have collected. Ask yourself questions about them. Like,"What is it that I find attractive about this photo?"

Continue Reading »

Want to take better portraits? Here is a super simple tip. Look through magazines.

That's right! I said look through magazines. Look at all the ads that feature people. Which ones do like the most? (and I don't mean which model do you prefer!!!) Look especially at the use of shadow. Notice how one side of the face usually has the shadows? Gives the photo more depth or 3D look. When you use "on board" flash, you cannot get the right types of shadows.

Continue Reading »

The lens hood for my Canon EF 28-135mm IS lens retails for about $40. Why would I want such an expensive little piece of plastic?

A lens hood prevents stray light from entering the lens and helps to improve the image quality. A good lens hood can nearly eliminate flare caused by stray light from outside the angle of view. Lens flare can result in lower-contrast images or even annoying glowing spots in the photo.

Continue Reading »

ROT - To undergo decomposition, especially organic decomposition; decay.

ROT - In photography - Rule Of Thirds.

The rule of thirds has been used by artists through the centuries and is probably the most recognized rule of composition. The rule of thirds states that the frame can be divided into three vertical sections and three horizontal sections. Wherever the separating lines connect is an ideal spot for a subject or point of interest. By positioning your main subject at any of the four intersection points, you are giving your subject more emphasis than if it is right in the middle of the photo. The intersection points can also work if there is more than one main subject in a photo. Proponents of this technique claim that aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy, and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would. Most famous photographs and paintings have the rule of thirds applied to them in some way or another.

Continue Reading »