The Basics of Digital Photography

By Dana Reese

Poll #1 A poll will be displayed on your screen. Please select the appropriate responses You have 15 seconds

Do I Need Photographs of my Product? The answer is YES! Absolute necessity to have digital photographs to

market your product Brochures Web page Email Press release Juried shows Spotlight a new product Made In Alaska website

Poll #2 A poll will be displayed on your screen. Please select the appropriate responses You have 15 seconds

Advantages of Digital Cameras Save time Save money Memory cards hold large amounts of photos Easy to use programs for downloading photos Easy to use

Advantages of Digital Images More creative control

Use computer and photo-editing software to touch up and enhance pictures

Instant, easy, photo sharing E-mail Website Photo gallery

Digital Camera Terms Resolution Image Quality File Formats Media Storage Devices OPTICAL vs. DIGITAL ZOOM Exposure

Resolution Digital Pictures are made up of thousands of

pixels Pixels square “tiles” of color that make up all digital

images. 1 Megapixel (MP) = 1 Million Pixels More Pixels = Better Image Detail and Quality More Pixels = Higher Camera Price Most digital cameras allow you to change the

resolution setting

Selecting the Image Quality Good, Better, and Best These settings reflect the compression levels

of photos Compression refers to the amount of image

your camera collects when taking a photo Lower Compression = Large File Size High Compression = Small File Size

Selecting the Image Quality Best – Excellent Picture Quality, Large File

Sizes, and Prints (11x17) Better – Acceptable Picture Quality, Medium

File Sizes, Prints 8x10 and Smaller Good – Lowest Acceptable Quality, Good for

Online Usage, Prints 5x7 and 4x6

To maximize both the resolution and clarity of your

photos, set your camera on its highest resolution and Best

Image quality setting

File Formats JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group

Most Common Format Low Quality - Compressed File Ideal for Web and Email

TIFF – Tagged Image File Format High Quality – Uncompressed File Capable of Editing Intended for Printing

RAW Digital Negatives Not directly usable as an image, but has all of the

information needed to create an image

Media Storage Device Memory Stick CD DVD Measured in Megabytes (MB) & Gigabytes

(GB) Hard Disks

Memory Cards Size does matter Take as many pictures as needed; delete bad

pictures, keep the good ones Limited Storage

Higher resolution photos Takes up more storage space

Lower resolution photos Takes up less storage space

Memory CardsCapacity # of Photos (jpeg format)

128 MB 98

256 MB 196

512 MB 392

1 GB 784

2 GB 1,568

4 GB 3, 136

8 GB 6, 272

Digital Zoom vs. Optical Zoom Most Cameras come with both Optical Zoom

The lens changes focal length and magnification as it is zoomed.

Image quality is high throughout the zoom range. Digital Zoom

simply crops the image to a smaller size, then enlarges the cropped portion to fill the frame again

zoom results in a significant loss of quality

Exposure Image affected by shutter speed, aperture, and ISO

(sensitivity to light)

Programmed auto exposure Camera selects proper aperture and shutter speed Very Convenient

Built-in Flash Very Convenient Low Power Limited Range 10-20 ft range Prone to Red-eye

Flash Heads

External Flash More Power Good Range Up to 100’ Ability to Bounce Light Eliminates Red-eye More Features and Flexibility Hot Shoe

Tips for getting the most from on-camera flash Stay within the Flash Range Turn on Additional Lights Avoid Reflective Surfaces

Taking Great Digital Photos Know your camera Diffuser Close Up Stabilize Angles Lighting

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” This quote goes a long way but not if you

take a terrible photo Know your camera

Learning just a few of your digital camera features can help in achieving powerful and meaningful photos

Read your cameras manual! Read about the various features and play around

with them

Light Diffuser White-translucent fabric that is setup between

a light source and subject “softens” Light Diffusing the light source allows for greater

detail to be revealed Eliminates dark shadows and bright spots

caused by direct light

Light DiffuserCaptured without diffuser Captured with diffuser

Close Up – Zoom In Always get as close as possible to subject

Removes background clutter Zoom in Beware: some auto focus cameras have

limits on how close they will work Fill picture with the subject For small objects, use the camera’s Macro

Mode and a Tripod

Take Vertical Pictures Many subjects look better in a vertical picture Make a conscious effort to turn your camera

and take vertical pictures

Wasted Space

Use Auto Focus Center the subject Press Shutter Button halfway down Re-Frame your picture Finish by Pressing the Shutter Button all the

way down

Stabilize Tripods

Use for sharp images Eliminates shake Get a stiff tripod Great for close ups

Use a Plain Background A cluttered background is distracting Plain background will emphasize your subject Experiment with different color backgrounds Use sheets, towel, etc.

Control Your Flash Turn it off experiment with available light Know your flash range

Pictures taken beyond the maximum flash range will be to dark Check your manual

Light Great light makes great pictures Study the effects of light in your pictures Avoid strong over head lights that cast hard

shadows Use a diffuser between light source and

subject Diffuser spreads light over larger area of subject

Use natural light to your advantage

Light Manipulate the scene to create the effect you

want Move lights Move the subject

Purchase additional light Professional Photo Studio Light Kit –

3 Head lighting set, stand and light bulbs ($149.00) Wireless Flash ($360.00) ours ($50.00 Cheapest)

Angles Try different Angles

Move the subject Shoot your photo from different angles

Verify details in the display screen For close-ups with a digital camera, use the

display screen to compose the picture and then review it

If you think it could be better, you can delete the picture and retake it

Editing and Enhancing Digital Photos With picture-editing software, you can enhance your

pictures Recommend

Photoshop Element (less than $100 @ Costco) Photoshop Element

Resize Rotate Crop Adjust Lighting Adjust Contrast Work with Tiff files

Create Your Own Studio A simple setup outside or inside by a window

is all you need Create a plain background by draping a bath

towel or solid-color sheet over something, or tacking it to the wall

Smooth out any distracting folds Cheaper

Purchase Portable Lighting Studio

Sunpak EBOX Portable Mini Studio

•Less than $80.00

•Everything need to take professional studio-quality images

•Two 50 watt floor-standing lights

•Mini aluminum tripod with 3-way panhead

•Includes carrying case

Practice, Practice, Practice Experiment with lighting Experiment with different color backgrounds Experiment with different angles Have fun Read your manual Research online Take lots of pictures Create your own studio

Resources The Complete Guide to Digital Photography

Michael Freeman Digital Photography Bible Desktop Edition

Dan Simon The Joy of Digital Photography

Jeff Wignall The Complete Guide to Light and Lighting in Digital

Photography Michael Freeman

Digital Photography for Dummies Julie Adair King

Questions?

Made In Alaska Website Made In Alaska Permit Holders have the

opportunity to display one photo on the Made In Alaska website, along with your business information.

We Need Your Photos! Please email your photo to

dana@anchoragemarkets.com