The Basics of Digital Photography

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The Basics of Digital Photography

• By Dana Reese

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Poll 1

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

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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

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Poll 2

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

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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

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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

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Digital Camera Terms

• Resolution
• Image Quality
• File Formats
• Media Storage Devices
• OPTICAL vs. DIGITAL ZOOM
• Exposure

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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

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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

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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

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To maximize both the resolution and clarity of
your photos, set your camera on its highest
resolution and Best Image quality setting
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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

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Media Storage Device

• Memory Stick
• CD
• DVD
• Measured in Megabytes (MB) Gigabytes (GB)
• Hard Disks

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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

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Memory Cards
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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

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Exposure

• Image affected by shutter speed, aperture, and
  ISO (sensitivity to light)
• Programmed auto exposure
• Camera selects proper aperture and shutter speed
• Very Convenient

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Built-in Flash

• Very Convenient
• Low Power
• Limited Range
• 10-20 ft range
• Prone to Red-eye

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Flash Heads

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

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Tips for getting the most from on-camera flash

• Stay within the Flash Range
• Turn on Additional Lights
• Avoid Reflective Surfaces

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Taking Great Digital Photos

• Know your camera
• Diffuser
• Close Up
• Stabilize
• Angles
• Lighting

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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

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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

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Light Diffuser

• Captured without diffuser

• Captured with diffuser

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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 cameras Macro Mode
  and a Tripod

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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
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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

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Stabilize

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

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Use a Plain Background

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

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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

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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

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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)

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Angles

• Try different Angles
• Move the subject
• Shoot your photo from different angles

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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

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Editing and Enhancing Digital Photos

• With picture-editing software, you can enhance
  your pictures
• Recommend
• Photoshop Element (less than 100 _at_ Costco)
• Photoshop Element
• Resize
• Rotate
• Crop
• Adjust Lighting
• Adjust Contrast
• Work with Tiff files

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Questions?
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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_at_anchoragemarkets.c
  om