Digital Photography

Equipment

 

The Differences Between Consumer, Prosumer and Professional


Generally speaking there are three types of digital cameras, that being consumer, “prosumer” and professional.

In layman's terms you can think of each like this:

  • Consumer: Basic
  • Prosumer: Advanced (or “mid-grade”)
  • Professional: Expert

Consumer Digital Cameras

With digital cameras that are specifically designed to be basic, almost all functions are automatic or what's affectionately known as “nannied”. Very few if any features can be manually set.

Instead what you are presented with are “modes” of shooting, such as “Sunset”, “Sport”, “Landscape” and of course “Auto” for all-environment shooting.

The few functions that can be manually set are usually flash and “close” focus (indicated usually by a flower-looking icon).

It is very rare you will ever get manual focus ability on a consumer digital camera as that would be considered “difficult” by the camera manufacturers.
In addition you are only give one built-in camera lens. The lens cannot be switched out for another.

Prosumer Digital Cameras

The next level up from consumer is prosumer. This is a digital camera that is almost identical to consumer, save for the fact there are more features.

In most prosumer cameras you will get some manual focus ability. The reason I say “some” is because the range of focus is still limited because of the integrated camera lens that cannot be switched out on most models. In addition, the manual focus is usually controlled via means of a built-in menu rather than physically turning the lens in traditional fashion.

Most people will get the functionality and desired picture quality from a digital camera classified as prosumer.

When shopping for a prosumer digital camera, most web sites will openly use “prosumer” as the classification for being that “next step” above consumer/basic.

Professional Digital Cameras

All professional digital cameras usually have the following characteristics:

  • Full body with removable lens
  • Fully adjustable optical manual focus
  • All features can be set to manual or automatic

The components of a fully professional digital camera are separated purposely to allow the photographer (you) more options.

The body contains all the inner workings and electronic mechanisms.

The lens is the actual camera lens that attaches to the body.

Other items may be purposely separated such as the flash. You may notice a metal connecting rail on the top of the body for different types of flashes.

Typically, professional digital cameras are not user-friendly by design. They are meant for photographers that want absolute control over every aspect of their photos. While this may sound good at first, pro digital cameras are not “point and shoot” like consumer or prosumer cameras are. Granted, you can set up a pro setup to be “automatic”, but the point of having a fully professional setup is for more control (i.e. to set up things manually). If this is not what you need, consider prosumer before professional.

 

Common Terms and Phrases to Look For When Shopping for a Digital Camera


At first glance, some words/phrases used to describe features of a digital camera may be confusing. Here's a list that will get you up to speed.

Megapixel

See next section, “Explaining the Megapixel”.

SLR “Like”

SLR-Like digital cameras are prosumer and not true professional, however they feel like full-size SLR because of the body. This sounds like a detractor but it's not as long as you're aware what the term means. And what does it mean? It means you get a prosumer digital camera with an SLR-type body. This is handy for those that like bigger cameras that feel better in the hand without the hefty price tag of the full professional models.

Compact

Most digital cameras are compact-sized. This means they don't have full bodies and are very rectangular in appearance. You most likely already have one of these or have used one previously.

Ultra-Compact

Take a compact shape and make it ½ as thick – this is ultra-compact. “Razor thin” style; the kind you can fit in a shirt pocket easily.

DSLR

Digital SLR. This is usually pro-territory only. Usually very expensive. Full-bodied.

CCD

Charge-coupled device. In other words, the image sensor. It converts light into electrical energy which is then stored digitally to the camera's internal memory (or card if you have one installed).
Generally speaking, larger is better when concerning CCD. However bear in mind than ever with larger CCD if the lens isn't up to the task (in physical size) it doesn't make much difference.

LCD

The lighted screen behind the camera. Average size is 1.8” to 2.5” and greater. Bigger is better as long as the screen backlight can still be read in direct sunlight.

Macro focus range

The range of focus when close-up. There is “normal focus range” and the close-up shots are “macro focus range” territory. For example, if you wanted to shoot something that's less than 12 inches away, that's macro range.
Some digital cameras have a “tight” (i.e. more close-up) range while others will fail to focus if you get too close to shoot it.

 

Explaining the Megapixel

Megapixel defined literally is 1 million pixels. It is a term used to describe not only the number of pixels in an image but also to express the number of image sensor elements.

You can quickly find out what megapixel means by doing some quick math.

Multiply the maximum pixel with by height, then divide by 1 million.

Example: A 1600x1200 image. Multiply 1600 x 1200 and you get 1,920,000. Divide by 1 million and the result is 1.92. Round to the nearest whole number and the result is 2. This is a 2-megapixel digital camera.

Another example: A 3072x2304 image.

3072 x 2304 = 7,077,888

7,077,888 / 1,000,000 = 7.077888

7.077888 rounded to nearest whole number is 7.

The above would indicate a 7-megapixel digital camera.

Note: You may see tenths in some megalpixel ratings. For example, technically speaking 7,077,888 would round to 7.1 megapixels.

Generally speaking, the more megapixels you have, the better. However bear in mind that megapixels should not be the sole deciding factor when shopping for a digital camera.

IMPORTANT NOTE: On most descriptions for digital cameras, the numbers used for megapixel calculation is defined as resolution. This is where you get the width-x-height numbers to do your own personal calculations if desired.

 

Card Formats


The only thing you need to pay attention to as far as memory cards for digital cameras are concerned is whether it will physically fit in your camera or not.

There is absolutely no significant advantage from one card format to the next. All that matters is that it can physically be connected to the camera you have.

Question:
Why have a memory card at all?

Answer:

  1. The internal memory on most digital cameras is quite small; you may only get 25 to 50 shots at most. A memory card can hold hundreds (sometimes thousands) of shots at full resolution.
  2. A memory card can be physically removed and plugged into a media reader for photo retrieval. The internal memory of a digital camera cannot.
  3. You can purchase multiple memory cards for even more digital storage (i.e. more photos). The internal memory of a digital camera cannot be removed.

When shopping for a digital camera, the specifications will state up front what card format it uses. This is sometimes referred to as flash memory.

The formats are as follows (at the time of this writing):

  • Compact Flash (CF)
  • Memory Stick (MS)
  • Memory Stick Duo (MS Duo)
  • Memory Stick Micro (M2)
  • Memory Stick Pro (MS Pro)
  • Memory Stick Pro Duo (MS Pro Duo)
  • Micro SDHC
  • MicroSD
  • Mini SDHC
  • MiniSD
  • Multimedia Micro (MMC)
  • Multimedia Plus (MMC plus)
  • Multimedia Mobile (MMC mobile)
  • SD Duo (SD + USB)
  • SD Plus USB
  • SDHC Plus USB
  • Secure Digital (SD)
  • Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)
  • xD-Picture

To note: You do not need to memorize any of these. All you need to know is which one your digital camera uses. This will be stated on the package your digital camera comes in. In addition, web sites that sell digital cameras (such as BHphoto.com) will also state the card format.

Important tip: You may want to check to see if flash memory in your card format is readily available near where you live. You can visit your local department store, go to the camera section and see what's available for card formats. If your format is listed, you're in good shape. If it is not, see if it's available on-line. If you have difficulty finding your specific card format, you may want to consider another brand of digital camera.

Formats which are readily available almost anywhere:

  • CF
  • MicroSD / MiniSD
  • MMC
  • xD

Indoor vs. Outdoor Photography


When comparing indoor vs. outdoor, the factors to take into consideration are:

  • Color of light
  • Direction of light
  • Intensity of light

Color

Outdoor is “warm”, indoor is “cool”.

With outdoor light, the vast majority of the time you are using the sun as your light source. On a typical Spring day, the sun is obviously not white but rather golden colored. Only in rare situations is the sun white (usually Winter), but even then it is not absolutely white.

With indoor light, the color is “cool”. Blues and greens are the typical colors of indoor light. Compared to outdoor warm light, indoor is a stark contrast.

Direction

When outdoors, your light source direction is usually always from above (the sun). Since it is a literal impossibility to change the direction of the sun, you must either wait until a certain period of the day until the sun is in the right place, or use other means of “bouncing” the light (large white cards, walls, etc.)

When indoors you usually have complete control of where the light is coming from. Anything that can produce light is a light source and can usually be positioned. You also have the advantage of flash to compensate if your light source(s) aren't intense enough.

Intensity

When outdoors, the sun is obviously a very intense light source. This can work for or against you depending on what shot you want to take. More will be said in a moment on how to work with outdoor light.

When indoors, the largest problem faced is that your light source(s) are not intense enough. However, in most circumstances you can compensate with flash. But always remember that unless you have a fully equipped photography studio it's very unlikely you will have anything that can represent (figuratively) a light source even close to the power of the sun.

 

Working with Outdoor Light


The best way to begin this section is to give you examples of some bad shots.

Bad shot example 1:

Shooting human subjects with sun directly overhead (high noon)

There are several reasons why this shot will come out absolutely terrible.

  1. “Raccoon Eye” effect. The human subject(s) will have large shadows under their eyes when the sunlight is directly overhead. This is because all humans have eye sockets. When the light is directly overhead it casts horrible looking shadows directly on the face.
  2. “Glowing” shoulders. If the human subject is wearing anything light-colored or is showing bare shoulders (no matter what color of skin), they will appear to glow – and badly.
  3. “Squinty” eyes. At high noon the sun is at its brightest. Your human subject will be squinting. And it looks bad.

Bad shot example 2:

Shooting anything on the water
With the exception of a boat, anything shot on the water is almost guaranteed to come out looking bad. It takes lots of trial-and-error to get a decent looking water shot. Why? Because everything reflects off the water.

You will find yourself fighting with the camera constantly – especially if you don't have manual focus – if you try to shoot anything in or around water that has even the slightest waves (or even ripples).

To note: It is not impossible to shoot subjects or objects on water, but don't be surprised if it's not exactly what you expected. It takes practice.

Bad shot example 3:

Fire/Flames

Fire is also something that is extremely difficult to shoot, for the following reasons:

  • Fire is in itself is a light source.
  • It is a light source that isn't consistent whatsoever.
  • It constantly changes in shape and size.
  • It is completely unpredictable.
  • Your eye sees fire differently than the way a camera “sees” it.

There are more reasons, but you get the idea.

Even shooting something as simple as a candle flame can be very frustrating. There are aspects to the flame that, like a full-blown fire, change that you cannot control.

The best outdoor light is “Flat”

“Flat light” in layman's terms is light that is “even”. It's not too warm/hot, not too cool/cold. It is the type of light that casts minimal shadow and lights a subject evenly.

Concerning outdoor flat light, the best possible shooting conditions is an overcast day. This is not to be confused with rain clouds. Overcast simply means that the sunlight is diffused by overhead clouds. This diffusion makes sunlight much easier to work with.

It is very difficult to get a bad shot when you're shooting outdoors on an overcast day. In conditions such as those, everything looks better, photograph-wise. More concentration is placed on the subject in every shot and very little if anything light-wise is “out of place”, so to speak.

Typically, the ideal time for an overcast day is during the Spring season or near the end of the Summer season. Obviously this depends on where you are in the world, but more often than not those two times of the year will prove to provide the best shooting conditions.

Working With Indoor Light


Indoor light is completely different compared to outdoor.

Important note: The vast majority of digital cameras “prefer” outdoor light. The flash (should you have one) is designed to emulate outdoor light as well. When shooting photographs indoors, shots will not look the same as they do outdoors.

The best indoor light is Fluorescent

Digital cameras, much like camcorders, “like” fluorescent light. A lot. Like an outdoor overcast day, the light is diffused and is spread evenly. Your only “enemy” is that older fluorescent tubes may make some things look green, including human skin. This green will not be stark but rather subtle – however you may notice it. In addition, fluorescent lighting may not look natural.

If you are creating a photo studio in your own home, it's not suggested you stock it with fluorescent lights. Just because a digital camera “likes” them doesn't mean you should use them exclusively.

Also bear in mind that fluorescent tubes, while an adequate light source, sometimes will fall short in how much light they can project.

Incandescent light can cause hot spots

There may be times you notice that when using incandescent light, the subject may develop hot spots. The appearance of these hot spots look like circular blotches of light. This is due to the color of the light hitting the subject and the camera attempting to compensate for it.

In instances such as these, the light source is too close and/or too bright; you will need to find a way to make the light less intense.

What is a Frame?


The frame, simply put, is the area that a camera “sees”. It is whatever the lens can capture.

One common mistake made by many beginner photographers is that what you see is what the camera sees. This is not the case.

The single largest difference between a camera lens' view and your view is that you have peripheral vision; the camera lens does not.

You can easily simulate a camera lens' view by holding your hands in front of you and making a square with your thumbs and forefingers. This will create a box you can look through. While it's true the camera lens is round, the photo itself will be square or rectangular. When looking through your self-made box, this will give you a much more accurate representation of what the camera will shoot. Granted, it's not perfect but it is better than outright guessing.

How to properly place a human subject in a frame

Here will be described how to shoot a human subject that is standing. Your shot will consist of shooting the subject from the chest to the top of the head.

A classic mistake made by many beginner photographers is that they will place the subject's head at the very top of the frame. This is wrong because the focus of a human subject is the eyes. Does this mean you place the eyes in the center of the frame? No. You place the nose in the center of the frame. Doing this will place the subject properly in the middle of the frame.

Dependent on how close you are to the subject, the top of the head may be slightly “chopped off.” If this is the case, this is okay as the subject of your photo is not the person's hair.

Your goal is to place the human subject directly in the center of the frame. With the nose in center, the eyes are places properly slightly above the nose, the mouth near the bottom. This will create a natural look (most desired).

Explaining the “Nanny Modes” of a Digital Camera


“Nanny” modes are auto-settings on consumer and prosumer digital cameras. They are recognized by name such as “Sport”, “Fireworks”, “Sunset” and of course “Auto”.

The default shooting mode on all digital cameras is Auto. This is what makes a point-and-shoot camera truly point-and-shoot. The cameras makes its best guess and what would make a good shot, you point, press the shutter button and shoot; the camera does the rest in an effort to make the best shot.

Bear in mind these shooting modes are what the camera company (as in the company that made your camera) thinks are good camera settings for a particular environment. Sometimes these modes are correct but other times they make for horrible pictures. If you have taken photos using certain shooting modes that were in essence ideal for the environment but still came out horrible, it is not your fault. Remember, the camera is guessing based on a set of predefined settings. Those settings may not always be correct.

“Sport” is the best all-use shooting mode

All consumer/prosumer digital cameras come with a predefined shooting mode called “Sport.” This shooting mode is by far the best for all-around use (even better than “Auto” at times).

Pros to Sport mode are:

  • It is a “moving environment” shooting mode. This means it works even if the environment around you is moving (boat, car, etc.)
  • It typically has the best focus.
  • It is a true “shoot and don't worry about it” mode – more so that Auto.
  • It works indoor and outdoor without any fuss.
  • Works better for sunrise/sunset shots compared to actual predefined Sunset/Sunrise mode.
  • Cons to Sport mode:
  • Color may not look as vibrant compared to other shooting modes.
  • Virtually impossible to take night shots with.
  • May make water look too good and look like sculptured clay.

How to experiment with different shooting modes

The easiest way to experiment with the shooting modes of your consumer/prosumer camera is to shoot the same thing with each mode.

Yes, it's true, this could take some time as some cameras have as many as 31 different modes. However it is better to try them all. You may be surprised to find that some modes completely contradict what the camera “says” they are good for. For example, you might find “Baby” (for shooting photographs of an infant) may be perfect for landscape shooting. Or maybe “Landscape” is best for an indoor shot.

When testing your shooting modes, you should try them all with an indoor shot and and outdoor shot. Be willing to take horrible pictures on purpose. This is a learning process – and a good one because you will learn all the ins and outs of how your digital camera works under specific conditions.

Are shooting modes identical from make to make, model to model?

NO. Different cameras have different lenses and features. A “Landscape” mode for one particular camera may “act” very differently on another manufactured by a different company.

This is why it is important to test the shooting modes for your particular digital camera and learn what it can and cannot do as far as your personal tastes are concerned.

 

How to Take Panoramic Photos


A panoramic photo is a “super-wide” image. It can be done in two ways:

  1. Have a camera with dedicated lens that has the ability to take super-wide shots (very expensive).
  2. Composite (“stitch”) a shot together from different shots.

Being that most people won't want to spend the money for option 1, option 2 is more desirable.

The tools you will need to create a panorama is:

  1. A digital camera
  2. A good tripod
  3. Image editing software

Note on software: You can “stitch” together photos for a panorama using any image editing software, however, if you want software specifically made for that task, you may want to purchase software called Panorama Maker by Arcsoft at www.arcsoft.com.

Additional note: Some digital cameras have a built-in “stitch” feature specifically designed for creating panoramas. Check your digital camera first for this feature. If you have it you may not need any image editing software at all.

Before continuing, be aware that making a panorama is not easy. It is highly unlikely you will get it perfect on your first try. Shooting panoramas is something that takes time and effort, but the end result is well worth it.

To shoot a panorama, this is what you need to do:

  1. You must have a perfectly leveled tripod. Tripods that are decent have built-in levels on them (a small bubble in an enclosure following specific marked lines). Make sure your tripod has this else you run the risk of having “off” shots in your panorama.
  2. Start with the tallest area of the panorama. Doing this will set a proper focal range (especially if you're using any increment of zoom). Note: With a panorama you should leave “pad” around the photo. This means you should not zoom in tight but rather leave some space around the subject. This will make image editing later much easier as it will literally give you space to work with.
  3. Once you have determined the tallest part of the shot and focused appropriately, physically pan the camera to the left and start taking your photos left-to-right for “stitching” later.
  4. When taking your photos, give yourself plenty of overlap. At bare minimum, allow for at least 25% overlap from shot to shot.

Problems you may run into

If you have a “nannied” digital camera it will attempt to re-focus for every shot you take and possibly fire off a flash bulb on some of the shots (ruining them). If possible, turn auto-focus OFF and flash OFF.

If for whatever reason you absolutely cannot shut off the auto-focus, it may be possible to shoot the panorama “hot.” To do this, your tripod must be very sturdy and level and not allow for any vertical movement whatsoever. Take your panorama photos by focusing on the tallest portion of the panorama first, then hold the shutter button half-way but do not take the shot. Physically pan to the left while still holding the shutter. Take your first shot then only half-release the shutter so it does not re-focus again. Continue with the rest of your shots. If this doesn't work, “hot” focus the camera on the tallest portion again, then continually pan and get all your shots that way. Yes, this is a pain to do but these are your only options if you have a digital camera that absolutely does not allow for the auto-focus to be turned off.

You may notice significant color “shifts” between shots – especially if your camera is on the lower end of the scale, cost-wise. The best way to combat this is the same way you avoid the auto-focus problem, i.e. focus on the tallest portion of the shot, hard pan, shoot, repeat. This should keep the color correct across all shots. However if you run into the situation that no matter what you do the color is “messed up”, you can always grayscale (black/white) the image to “save” it. This is okay because it looks “artsy” and you can tell your friends you wanted it that way (instead of admitting the color got all messed up.)

Avoiding potentially disastrous panorama shooting situations

The key to getting a good panorama is to shoot an environment where nothing is moving. This is why most panoramas you see are of mountain ranges, fields and so on. Those environments have little to no movement.

But even in those environments there can be potential problems that will ruin the shot.

Clouds
Some clouds don't move much while others do. If you happen to be shooting on a day where the clouds are moving at a brisk pace, having so much as 10 seconds between shots may not match up later due to the fact the clouds have moved.

Sun
If the sun is on one side of the shot and not on the other, this can be a problem if your digital camera is “nannied” because the color will be completely different from one side to the other.

Clouds + Sun
The sun hits the clouds which create shadows. Or sometimes the sun is behind the clouds while other times it isn't. You must ensure that the clouds and sun look the same in each shot even if they're not in view for consistency's sake.

Moving water
Water that perpetually moves (such as ocean) that is within focal range is literally impossible to have looking correct in a panorama as it is different each time you shoot it. In addition the reflections from the sun will also be different each time.

Note: If the water is out of focal range (such as a distant bridge), the water will “fuzz” enough where you can take the shots and “get away” with it. However if the water is within focal range there's absolutely nothing you can do about the ever-changing nature of water concerning a panoramic photo.

 

ISO, What is It?


Concerning a digital camera, ISO denotes how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present.

General rule of thumb: The lower the light, the higher the ISO should be. You can consider ISO the “eye” of the camera. To let in more light, move the ISO number setting up. For less light, have the number setting down.

For example, if you're taking a photo outside on a bright sunny day, use a low ISO number setting. If on the other hand you were taking a photo of someone in a darkened room where the light is low and you don't want to use the flash, use a high ISO number setting.

Note: Digital cameras obviously do not use film. ISO settings come from the days of film cameras. What this means is that ISO concerning a digital camera is the ISO equivalent.

ISO is automatically set if your digital camera is set to any automatic shooting mode. However if you want to exert more control over your photos you may want to manually adjust this setting if your camera allows it (which most do even on the most inexpensive models.)

Manually adjusting ISO settings

This is done on a per-model basis. Some digital cameras allow for manual adjustment of settings while others do not.

Generally speaking, if your digital camera is 5-megapixel or higher capable, it most likely has the ability to have this setting adjusted manually.

As far as where to adjust this setting, on most digital cameras there is a “manual” shooting mode. This mode will usually allow you to set the ISO to 100, 200, 400, 800 or Auto. The lower number would be for bright-light situations, the higher for low-light situations.

If you are worried about whether manually adjusting ISO settings will “ruin” your digital camera, I can assure you it won't. The worst that can happen is either your photo will be all black, all white, or “spotlighted” where there are splotches of light everywhere. If this happens, re-adjust the setting appropriately. Also bear in mind that most view-screens on digital cameras will show before you shoot whether it will look any good or not when the ISO is adjusted manually.

 

Shutter Speed and F-stop, what are they?


These two terms can be easily confused but I will attempt to explain it as best I can.

Shutter speed: The measure of time of how long it takes for the shutter to open and shut. It is measured in thousandths of seconds (e.g. 1/1000 = one one-thousandth of a second).

F-stop: The amount of light “let in” to the camera during the time the shutter is open. If you wanted low-light, the f-stop is closed, i.e. small like a pinhole. For more like you would literally open it up wider.

How this applies in real-world use:

  • The longer the shutter is open, the longer the exposure.
  • The wider the f-stop is open, the more light is put to the photograph.

Does any of this apply to digital cameras?

On consumer and prosumer digital cameras, not really. And in some instances the answer is flat-out no. Consumer digital cameras usually have no option to adjust shutter speed or f-stop. Most prosumer cameras don't have these options either. Why? Because it normally requires a full-bodied camera with a lens that gives the photographer those type of options.

You will only require the use of manual shutter and f-stop adjustments in very specific situations where you absolutely have to have 100% control over the exposure of a shot. In addition, even with the most expensive digital camera, f-stop and shutter speed are still best applied to traditional film as the physical properties do come into play (in a large way) when adjusting settings of this type.

Focus “Trick” with Digital Cameras


A shot which is very easy to accomplish by using a simple focus “trick” is focusing, moving slightly, then taking the shot.

Example:



You will notice the left is in focus while the right is out of focus. How is this achieved?

It's very simple.

  1. Place your subject directly in the center of the frame.
  2. Focus but do not shoot.
  3. Physically move slightly to the left or right.
  4. Shoot.

The end result is what you see above. This can be done with any digital camera – even with the most inexpensive model!

It is the appearance of “selective” focus, a feature found on more expensive cameras. But you can replicate this easily just by focusing, physically moving, then taking the shot.

 

Two Facts About Image Editing Software and Software Available

  1. You do not need any paid software to edit photos and/or post them on the internet.
  2. Most paid software (if you decided to go that route) will have professional features that you will never use.

When most people think of image editing software, they think of a software title such as Adobe Photoshop. This software costs hundreds of dollars, takes a long time to learn and is far more than anyone not an digital image professional needs.

There are several software titles available on the internet that are 100% free to download and use.

I will mention two titles here and a few web sites to get you started.

GIMP

GIMP is an abbreviation for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is freely available from www.gimp.org for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. For Windows users specifically, GIMP is available for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Vista (and future versions of Windows once they are available).

GIMP is not an easy program to master, however it is powerful. Said honestly, you can do just about anything in GIMP that you can do in Photoshop.

The only major drawback is that GIMP is an image editor only. It will not organize your photos nor will it post any photos to the internet. It is literally only an editor – but a darn good one.

Picasa

Picasa is for all intents and purposes a true one-for-all when it comes to photos and the internet. It's very easy to use. It will organize your photos. It's very simple to edit photos with. Combined with a Picasa Web Album, you can post photos to the internet easily.

Picasa is freely available from picasa.google.com (no need for the WWW in front of that web address).

Flickr

Flickr is a web site, not an application. You can check out Flickr (pronounced “flicker”) at www.flickr.com. Although you don't get the editing power of Picasa or GIMP with your images, some people do prefer this method of sharing photos on the internet over Picasa.

Like Picasa, Flickr is free to register with and free to use.

Zooomr

Zooomr (yes with three o's and pronounced “zoomer”) is like Flickr in the fact that it's free but operates a bit differently. The web site is www.zooomr.com. You can post and share photos easily, but bear in mind that the Zooomr interface is slightly different compared to Flickr. Also bear in mind that Flickr and Zooomr are not the same company – they are different.

 

Some Basic Editing Techniques with Picasa


Here is a default view of some photos in Picasa:



If I double-click any image I see it in full view:



When in full view I have image editing options to the left. By default you will be on the “Basic Fixes” tab. Let's say I want to crop the image to a certain point in the photo. I click “Crop”, then “4 x 6”, then click and drag around the area I want to crop to, like this:



When I click “Apply”, the image is cropped and resized by Picasa easily – and still looks good!

To note, you can easily undo any edit in Picasa by clicking the “Undo” button at the middle-left of the screen.



Publishing to the Internet with Picasa

One of Picasa's most powerful features is the ability to post a photo to the internet easily with just a few clicks.



If you look at the bottom-middle of the previous screen shot, there is the option for “Web Album.” On click you will see this screen:


Signing up for Picasa is simple and easy. Once you choose your username and password, uploading is as simple as clicking “Web Album”, signing in, creating an album and uploading your photo. Once finished you can share your photos with friends.

To note: Your web address on Picasa will be http://picasaweb.google.com/your_user_name. This is the web address you would send to friends so they can see your photos.