Light and depth of field by Jakob Jelling

Light and depth of field by Jakob Jelling

By Jakob Jelling
http://www.snapjunky.com

With such a fantastic device as the digital camera for the recreation of magic in arts, a lot of care needs to be taken so as to maintain the perfection of the end product. This perfection is not only obtained by the artistic feeling of the photographer but also with the intricate knowledge of every minute aspect of the medium of creation of art (in this case the digital camera). And these minute aspects play a vast role in defining the ultimate perfection. The digital camera, light and depth of field are one such factor that would come into light in this subsequent discussion. Basically, the depth of field is a measurement of the acceptable sharpness. Yet this is very strictly a personal preference, and varies from person to person. Thus to be more formal, the depth of field can be defined as the area inside an image that demonstrates an ample sharpness that can be considered more or less in focus. So the depth of field is the range of distance, measured along the lens axis, as per which the image is caused to be sufficiently well and sharp in the photograph. The rest is as follows!

The depth of field defines the zone where all elements show clearly from foreground to background. Three factors control the depth of field in an image, they are the distance of the subject, the focal length, and the aperture used to capture the photograph. For people using compact digital cameras, one of the subjects of out of the ordinary interest is the depth of field because depth of field is more easily said than done to control with a compact digital camera than with earlier conventional analog film cameras. The minute imaging sensors of compact cameras need the use of short focal lengths, and this in sequence gives these compact digital cameras an extraordinarily long depth of field when compared to other cameras. Thereby, with intent obtaining a shallow depth of field is more complicated.

Considering a general acceptable fact, the depth of field decreases, as the image gets nearer to the camera. This means that as the focal point reaches closer to the lens, the achievable scope of the depth of field ebbs. On the other side, if the image is far enough distant from the camera, and for digital cameras, this must not be very far, the depth of field approaches out to infinity. Another important point to be noted is that the depth of field is proportional to the lens opening.

Having discussed the above important aspects of the light and depth of field of a digital camera, it is clear that the minute details make such great subjects whose knowledge becomes equally important for making appropriate use of the fantastic device, the digital camera! And the digital camera, light and depth of field comes out to be such important factors that can make all the difference if a photographer remains oblivious about this knowledge. A small factor thus can meal a big divergence!
About the Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.

How To Choose a Great Camera Phone by Syd Johnson

How To Choose a Great Camera Phone by Syd Johnson

List of Features
Camera phones are handy, and they offer the most features of any type of cell phone on the market. The list of features available on a camera phone is truly astounding for such a small product. Here is a sample list:

Internet access, better color resolution, improved sound quality, multi media messaging (MMS), zoom in/out, video recording capabilities (short clips, no movies), speaker phones, FM radio, MP3 playersand all the other capabilities you associate with great cell phones.

Every major cell phone manufacturer has a camera phone on the market. While some manufacturers say their camera phones are the latest and greatest, all camera phones have limitations when compared to regular cameras. If you have dreams of taking pictures on the fly and sending them over to Grandma's house, compare, compare, and then compare features again before you purchase your camera phone.

Picture Quality
Pictures on camera phones can be fuzzy, garbled or weird. Camera phones dont have the same capacity for clarity and space as your average Digital Camera. Check the specs on your phone to see resolution. On newer models, 640 X 480 pixels is the norm. In contrast, Digital Cameras are rated according to millions of pixels. Make sure you have enough space to store a few pictures. You should know how many pictures you can keep on your phone at any one time. Usually, around 30 small pictures are possible.

Charge
In the cell phone industry, every new feature seems to have a new charge. Be aware of the amount of time it takes to send a picture from your phone. Check your service agreement to see if the time it takes to send a picture via the web will be deducted from your minutes, or if a monthly fee is required to send pictures from your camera phone. Under the best plans, you pay a monthly fee to send unlimited amounts of pictures.

Lighting
Take pictures where there is lots of light. Some of the newer models have a built in flash and this makes a tremendous difference in the quality of the pictures.

Compatibility
Your camera phone must be compatible with your network. Check with your service provider if you are in the market for a new phone. If you are purchasing a camera phone with a cell phone plan, the web retailer should have some kind of comparison chart to show you which phones are recommended or supported by your network. Look for MMS capability. Multimedia Messaging is required to send photos out and to receive them from other cell phones.

Batteries
Flashes can suck the life out of your cell phone battery. The longer the talk time on your cell phone, the better it will be able to stand up to all of your camera phone extras.

To get the best value on a camera phone, purchase a brand that is known for having the best cell phones. If a company spent their time and research efforts on producing an excellent phone, they will do the same when it comes to making camera phones. As with other electronics, you get higher quality, better sound and better pictures as the price goes up.

However, great deals on camera phones can be found on the web. Know the facts about the capabilities of camera phones, decide how much you want spend and shop around. If youre on a budget, you can get a camera phone in the $50 to $150 price range if the phone is purchased with a service plan.

About the Author
This article may be freely distributed as long as there's an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.com
Syd Johnson
Editor

How to take Great Photos of your Child by Kelly Paal

How to take Great Photos of your Child by Kelly Paal

Children are naturally photogenic. Ive worked in studios and children are so easy to photograph. What I hear from parents is that they dont think that their kids are that easy to photograph. Thats only because they dont know some basic tips.

1. Young children especially infants take beautiful photos while they are asleep. Keep the light natural avoid flash if at all possible. Keep the image tight on the child and crop out distractions. For infants when theyre awake youre better off having another person in image, it gives the child someone to interact with and you can crop the shot to keep the other person out of the image or you can keep the adult and child in the photo.

2. Toddlers look best when they dont know that youre taking their photo. Candid shots are the way to go for this age group. Keep your camera handy and when they start doing something cute snap the photo quick. Remember your child doesnt have to be looking directly into the camera to take a great photo. Dont ever say to the toddler, Oh how cute, now look here. It wont happen.

3. Children ages 4 plus are really good at sitting for photos. But if youre going to dress them up make sure that they are comfortable and dont put them in some outfit they hate, it will show in the image. Crop tight on your subject, keep the light natural, and if youre using a toy to get their attention make sure that it makes them laugh and doesnt scare them. (I learned that lesson the hard way.)

4. Older children are really good at dressing up for photos. The hardest thing will be getting a natural smile from them. Say, cheese is a sure fire way to get a fake smile. Most of us learned young to smile automatically at that cue. Here you have to get silly. One time I was working with a young boy and his older sister. She was a natural smiler and loved being dressed up. He was not happy and kept pulling at his tie. His mother straightened it for the tenth time. I posed them and addressed the young boy I said, Now on the count of three I want you to say, I hate this tie! His sister smiled surprised at what I said, and he grinned. I took the photo. He then screamed, I hate this tie! Again both smiled wide and I took a second photo. The images turned out beautiful.

I hope these tips help you to take better photos of your child. With a little practice and a few tips youll see better family photos immediately.

If you have some specific questions please visit my Photography Forum at: http://kellypaalphotography.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php and post your question there.
About the Author
Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal
Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.