How to save digital photos

Once you’ve taken photos with your digital camera, you need to store them somewhere. You could always leave them on the memory card, but that would get rather expensive, so let’s explore a few other options.

1. Transfer your images onto your computer. Most cameras come with a wire to connect your camera to your computer, a CD with a downloading program and an instruction booklet. Transferring the images is fast and simple. Once they are on the computer, you can delete the images from your memory card and start taking more photos.

2. Burn your images onto a CD. If you have a CD burner on your computer, you can make photo discs to store or share with others. When it comes to pictures, it is often best to use a CD that can’t be written over. This will save the heartache of losing precious photos. Label the CD and store it where it can be gotten easily when you need to see your pictures.

3. Store your images on a public web site. There are many photo-hosting sites on the internet. Some charge for the service, but many are completely free. You have the choice to password-protect your images or share them with the world. This option helps if your computer should crash. Your pictures are safe.

4. Print your images and place them in a photo album. Many people still like turning the pages of a photo album and reviewing the memories. This also makes it possible for those without a computer to view your pictures.

5. Create a photo gift. There are places out there that will take your digital image and place in on shirts, mouse pads, cups, calendars and numerous other items. These make wonderful gifts and provide a way to keep a cherished picture near at all times.

These are just a few suggestions. Using your creativity, you will come up with many more ideas.

Tripods – An important Tool for Your Camera

We have all experienced blurry pictures at one time or the other. The blurriness of the picture is caused from moving the camera at the time the picture is snapped. Movement usually does not affect a picture taken in high shutter speeds because it takes the picture so fast that a small amount of movement is not noticeable, where as, slow shutter speeds on high zoom takes pictures at slower speeds and any movement can be detected by the camera.

When you are purchasing a camera, the recommendations are to pick a camera for grip, shutter button sensitivity and weight. This minimizes camera movements when holding the camera in your hands. When holding a light weight camera like the new digital cameras today, it is harder to control any extra movement while taking a picture, which infact causes blurry pictures. If you choose a heavier camera a lot of this movement can be avoided.

If you are taking pictures with high zoom, or a slow shutter speed you should not hold your camera in your hand. To take good quality pictures the camera needs to be sturdy. The platforms that most people use are a chair, a shelf, a table, a newsstand if taking pictures on a street. It is recommended that the platform to be used is a tripod. It is the most stable for your camera and also gives the photographer a professional look.

Tripods vary in features such as weight, height and price. You want to pick one that is very simple to use and easy to carry. This will make the tripod easier to carry along with you. You wouldn’t want to miss important shots because you refused to carry a bulky tripod. If you are using a tripod in a more stable environment like your studio; you may want to purchase a heavier tripod so that it can’t be turned over easily.

It is important to buy a one that extends to be as tall as you are. You want your photos to be taken at eye level. Portable tripods extend to about waist high. These types of tripods are handy when traveling because they are lighter and the tripod can be placed on a platform to take eye level pictures or set the tripod down and take your pictures from a lower level.

If you are out taking pictures and a stand for your camera is not available; you can always find something stable to set your camera on or lean against to give you stability, so that you won’t have blurry pictures. You can use things like a fence or fence post, a tree or tree limb, just whatever you can find. But the important thing when you are taking pictures is not to move your camera.

How To Select The Right Memory Cards For Digital Cameras

Does it matter what size memory card you use in you digital camera?

Yes and no. It doesn’t matter to your camera, but it will matter to you when you are on vacation and every shot captures a special moment in time until you run out of space. Now you must decide what memory is more important and risk missing the shot altogether as you waste time deleting other pictures.

When you buy your card consider how much you will use it. If you spend a lot of time taking pictures, take large format pictures, or travel a lot you will need a larger size card. If you only use the camera for family get togethers or at home a samller card may suit you just fine.

Each camera allows the user to choose the file size. The sizes vary from small low quality images to large high quality images. The Smaller images are great for online use and the larger formats are for images you plan to enlarge later. Most people use the large format as the standard because they want to be able to blow up the print later. No matter why you chose the size you choose the smaller the format the greater number of picture you can fit on the card.

Below is a basic idea of how many pictures you can fit on a flash memory card:

* 128MB card- can fit around 21-41 large format images, and around 100 small format images.

If you don’t plan to download your images very often this may not suit you.

* 256MB card can fit around 42-82 large format images, and around 200 small ones. This is a better beginning size for most consumers. You don’t have to download the images as often, and have a longer overall shooting ability for important milestones or events.

*1GB card can fit around 168 – 328 large format images, and nearly 800 small ones. If you will be away from home for a lengthy period of time, or won’t be able to download images this is the card for you. The card is more expensive, but will ensure you don’t miss any of those once in a lifetime shots.

If you budget is concern remember you can use several of the cheaper smaller cards and change them as they fill up. Choose the card or cards that work best for your personal needs and have fun.