Since I am having so much fun taking photos around the area with my new digital camera, I thought I would share some ideas and techniques with you this week.
Before I start, though, I just have to mention yet again that computer viruses are a raging epidemic. A major segment of my consulting work these days is disinfecting people's computers. Almost always, these people do not have anti-virus software installed, or it is out of date. Please get a copy of Norton Anti-Virus at the local Wal-Mart, and install and use it properly. If you don't you are part of the problem in passing viruses on, just as much as if you wrote the virus yourself.
Having said that, back to photos. The biggest difference between digital and film photos (besides the obvious) is that in digital the camera becomes just another input device. The real work is done on your PC - in your "digital darkroom". In film cameras, you are very concerned about composing your image, light metering, use of filters, etc. None of these needs to be done with digital - it becomes more point-and-shoot. Let me illustrate a few examples.
Zooming: Most people taking traditional film photos do not have darkroom facilities. When they send their film off for processing, they are going to get back what they sent, in terms of zooming and composing the photo. Thus, it is worth some time when taking the shots to compose them properly.
With a digital camera and darkroom, the exact opposite situation exists. You should zoom out fairly wide for each shot, and don't waste a lot of time composing it in the viewfinder. In fact, most of the digital cameras today do not have through-the-lens viewfinders, and as such are probably not that accurate anyhow. Once you get the shot back in your digital darkroom, you can then use your photo editing program's crop tool to cut down the image to your liking. You lose a few pixels this way, but most modem digital cameras have enough to spare.
Zooming too close (or tight) is the single biggest mistake I see people making.
Another factor on zooming is that the aspect ratio (ratio of the width to the height of the photo) will vary, especially if you are trying to print photos of standard sizes (4x6, 5x7, etc.). The wider your shot to begin with, the better your opportunities to crop to a specific aspect ratio and still get everything you want in the print.
Contrast and Sharpness: The point many people new to digital photography don't know is that most of the sharpening done in a digital camera is done by the little computer inside the camera - i.e. it is algorithmic sharpening, rather than something done with the camera lens. This is OK, except that you may want to have more control over the sharpening process. For example, I took some shots of my granddaughter on our gravel driveway. The sharpening algorithm in the camera made each piece of gravel stand out - very artificial looking.
A better method is to set the camera (if possible) for minimum processing - both contrast and sharpening. Once you get the image into your computer, you can tweak these adjustments to your heart's content. You will not be "losing" anything by doing this.
Batteries: This is much more of an issue with digital cameras, which tend to eat up batteries quickly. First of all, you need to use high quality NiMH rechargeable batteries. Carry extra sets with you; you can buy small nylon/Velcro battery cases on the 'net. Next, you need to keep them charged. NiMH batteries are excellent, but their one drawback is that they do lose some charge just sitting on the shelf (about 1-2 percent per day). It's a good idea to charge all your battery sets before going on a long shoot.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport / Oak Island area. You can visit his website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail him at bsc@bobseidel.com).