Free Digital Photography Backgrounds

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Digital Photography - What's So Great About It?

I admit it - I've been slow to embrace the digital photography phenomenon. As a hobbyist, I have two film cameras, an old manual focus Nikon and a newer autofocus Canon Rebel, and I resisted the temptation to indulge in a digital camera up until recently, even though each of my children had them for years now. But recently my father gave me his mid-priced Olympus (he didn't like the menus), and I've been giving it a try. And, to my surprise, I even like it.
My favorite thing about the camera is pretty obvious - no film. My father gave me two (bless him) substantial memory cards, and I just don't run out of film. I don't pay to develop photos that I don't really want now that I've seen them (I don't pay to develop photos period), and since I can actually see how they look on the spot, I can delete bad shots to save the space for more. Taking lots of shots helps me improve, and improves the chances of a better than average photograph as well, and now it's free. My camera has settings on it that allow me to pretend I have film - I can set film speed and worry about aperture/shutter speed combinations just like with my other cameras, so I can still use what I already know about photography, which I really like. And I love not having to wait to see how the pictures came out.
The other really cool thing about digital photography is photo editing. I haven't invested in Photoshop yet, but I have my eye on the Elements program for next year. I just use Google's free Picasa and sometimes my PhotoDeluxe editor (came free with my scanner), and even then I can do an incredible amount of really exciting things with my pictures. The best is being able to correct poor exposures (I admit, I often don't notice backlighting). With a couple of adjustments, what would have been a throwaway photo can become a keeper! I remove red-eye easily, sharpen focus, adjust contrast, warm up colors, and remove excessive unwanted tint (such as from lamplight). Cropping is my favorite - those lucky few who have their own darkroom crop their photos routinely, but us regular folks used to have to take what we got - no longer! We can pick and choose, and glory in removing unwanted background, excess sky - we can even remove most of the shot and make it a close-up. Resizing is a snap - want some wallets? No sweat. 8x10, 5x7, some oddball size - just a simple selection will do it. And don't forget special effects. Depending on the editor, you can turn your photo into a painting, add glow, filters, neon - your imagination can go wild!
When you have your masterpiece ready to go, you can print it on photo paper at home, or you can send it out for processing. Through Picasa, you can click and send it to a processor via the internet, and get your professionally printed photos in the mail - but only the ones you have decided you want. You can upload your photos to a web page, email them, use them in a blog or on MySpace - they are easy to share.
So, as you can see, I am a digital photography convert. There is so much fun in having this kind of control over your work that it has actually rejuvenated my love of photography. If you haven't already converted too, think about it. It really is a blast.

About the Author

Interested in learning more about digital photography? Then try visiting DigitalPhotography4All.com where you can get real information for regular folks, and lots of ideas to improve your own digital photography.

Photoshop High Key Photography Background Technique


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Free Digital Photography

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Where can I find a free program like Microsoft Photostory?

I teach an intro to digital photography course that relies on the students ability to use this discontinued free software. I need other software that is free to download, and simple enough for students with very basic computer skills. Any other free downloadable software would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Windows Movie Maker and Windows Photo Story are the only free software for photo slide shows. Take a look at the options below:

Nero PhotoShow is one of the best slideshow software available. You can download a free trial.
http://www.usnero.photoshow.com/

Ulead cd and dvd picture show 4 is also highly recommended.
http://www.ulead.com/dps/runme.htm

Roxio's PhotoSuite would be another alternative, however Roxio does not match Nero's popularity.
http://www.roxio.com/enu/store/photo.html

Gadget Guy - Canon 40d software


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Free Digital Photography Backgrounds

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Learn Digital Photography - Using Colour For Fantastic Photos

Colour is more important to our worlds than we think and is often taken for granted. Although monochrome photos are great, there is more to colour photography than we think. A few techniques learnt will add a dramatic dimension to your images.

As with all photography you must always think before you shoot an image. Take the time to ponder the scene and work out what works in the composition. Look at what colours are available and where they are, how much colour to include and how to use it. By applying a few simple techniques you images will be admired and result in great satisfaction for you.

1. Using a single colour

This is a great technique for a bold photograph. By isolating a colour or at the very least making it the dominating colour you create images that are bold and dramatic. Key to this is finding objects or scenes that have just one colour yet make an effective composition. Get in closer to the subjects isolating from their surroundings and making the colour the focal point.

2. Watch the light

When shooting in colour just a subtle light change can result in a very different image. A sudden change in cloud cover will enrich the colours and make them appear more saturated. When shooting in the morning or evening they will look warmer and when the sun is higher they will look cooler. Shooting in bright shade will also make them look richer. So always be aware of the light quality and get to know which times in the day give you the best results.

3. Colour saturation

This is how rich or deep the colours appear to be. Well saturated colours appear bright and make really colourful images, which is what you want to achieve on most occasions. To do this in camera is quite simple but you need to be careful not to overdo it. By using your aperture compensation usually denoted by the Ev setting on you camera, you can very slightly underexpose the photo by a third to half a stop. This will increase your saturation. Too much though will make the final image dark and muddy. With digital photography you can also adjust the saturation using the slider in Photoshop.

4. Contrasting colours

By getting to know your colour wheel and where the various colours are situated you will see that colours opposite each other are contrasting. When you create a colourful photo, look for colours that are next to each other in the scene that contrast. Be careful that one doesn't dominate the other so shoot in strong light. You want the colours to capture the attention like a bright red subject on a bright green background.

5. Complimentary colours

These colours make each other look good. They lie alongside each other on the colour wheel and in a way harmonize. This type of image is very easy on the eye as you will see in a green scene with a strong yellow subject. Try finding different shades of the same colour which is basically the dominant colour mixing with the colour next to it.

6. Colours that clash

These should never be used together, or so the rules say. But, we all like to break the rules so try it out and see if it works. On some occasions they will and a stunning image may result. Experimenting will always bring surprises so don't be afraid to try.

The world of colour is a top source of fantastic images and if you use it as you learn digital photography you will create great images. Don't be afraid to try new ideas. Break out of the traditional mould and find out what works for you.

Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free by clicking here: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/ To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding click here - http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm

Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.

About the Author


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Free Digital Photography

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What websites offer free enhancement/editing tools for digital photography? (besides dumpr.net)?

I am looking for websites similar to Bighugelabs.com and Dumpr.net that I can use for digital photographs.

These are more similar to Photoshop, but picnik.com and gimp.org are free programs that you can use to enhance and edit your digital photos.

Cropped! - How to Take Better Photos (Free Video)


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