With waterproof housings now available for many of the popular digital cameras, underwater photography is now a past-time available to many but what do you need to know about using an underwater digital camera?

Before taking underwater photographs there are two main considerations to plan for. One is the safety and integrity of the camera and the other is the difference in light, contrast and colour you’ll find under the sea.

Underwater Digital Camera Equipment

It is no longer necessary to invest in an amphibious camera to take photos underwater. Many point and shoot digital cameras and DSLR models can be protected by watertight housings which mean they can be safely used under water.

Be sure to always use a wrist strap when using your digital camera underwater. It is very easy to drop a camera underwater and very difficult to retrieve it.

You may want to invest in a large capacity SD or memory card for your digital camera for use underwater. You cannot switch cards over once the camera is encased in the waterproof housing and you will not want to ruin your dive experience by having to surface regularly just to reload the camera. Of course, you can instantly review the photographs you take using the LCD viewing screen and delete those which are not of an acceptable standard – this will mean your storage media is full of only the very best images.

In very shallow water your underwater digital camera should be capable of taking acceptable images but if you dive to any depth you’ll know how the water absorbs colour making everything take on a different hue. It is possible to compensate for this using camera settings, dependent on the model of digital camera you own. Some form of lighting will almost certainly be required be it flash or strobe.

Underwater Photography

Because the red and orange elements of natural light are absorbed by water it can be very difficult to capture colour-true images when taking photos underwater. This problem can be overcome by getting as close as possible to the subject of the photograph – without putting yourself in danger.

The use of the built in flash can provide the missing light components and improve the final colour of the images although it may startle the subjects of the photographs.

One of the enormous advantages digital photography has over film photography is the ability the photographer has to digitally alter images using computer programmes such as Photoshop. Colour balance can be restored and contrast improved to compensate for the difficult conditions underwater photography presents.

Using an underwater digital camera is fun and rewarding but never forget personal safety. Remain conscious of your location and surroundings and don’t let the distraction of the camera allow you to drift into unsafe areas. Don’t lose track of time – your air supply is as important as your camera. If you are diving in unknown waters or at depth ensure your dive buddy is camera free and paying attention to the dive considerations the photographer may have overlooked.

Taking the time to care for your digital camera has many paybacks:

- The camera will always be ready to capture the moment

- Your digital camera will last you for many years

- You’ll even be able to trade the camera in to upgrade to a more sophisticated model

Because of their compact size you can always have your digital camera with you to capture those photographic moments that might otherwise be missed. However, carrying an item of equipment around can subject it to daily knocks and bumps, wear and tear, that can reduce both the digital camera’s working life and value.

Cases

Most digital cameras are sold with a case. If this case is not robust (or not supplied) invest in a protective case that is padded and shock proof to offer protection from accidental drops. Make sure the case fits the camera. One that is too small could cause buttons to be pressed which will discharge the batteries. One that is too large will not be as effective in protecting the camera. The case needs to be snug, ideally made for the particular model of digital camera you own.

Lenses

The lens is probably the most important component in your digital camera and as such it requires special care. Keep fingers, sticky or otherwise, away from the lens and always clean the camera lens gently and carefully with a proper lens cleaning brush or cloth. It is important not to rub a dirty lens as this can cause scratches and damage which impairs the photograph quality. If your digital camera is supplied with a lens cover, use it. Many point and shoot cameras have built in lens cover mechanisms that close automatically when the camera is switched off, which makes life a little easier.

Temperature and Humidity

Avoid storing your camera in extremes of temperatures or anywhere damp. You may find little bags of silica gel in the original packaging for your digital camera – keep these and continue to use them. If you leave your camera in the car, do be sure not to expose it to direct sunlight for long periods. Even though there is no film to deteriorate, there are electronic components which will not improve for being overheated or exposed to moisture.

Storage

If your camera is to be stored for a long period, do remember to remove the batteries. The last thing you want is for the corrosive contents of a battery to leak out and ruin the mechanisms within your digital camera.

Also, be aware that any strong magnetic field can affect the SD or other memory cards used with your digital camera. Many pieces of standard household equipment create magnetic fields – even something as seemingly innocuous as hi-fi speakers – give some thought to where your store your camera and associated equipment.

Caring for your digital camera is not difficult nor need it be expensive. A robust case and a proper lens cleaning brush or cloth and fluid and a little thought is all that’s required.

Here is some quick advice for getting the best photos with a digital camera:

On The Beach

The problem with beach shots is a nice one and it is that there is often too much light which casts shadows in all the wrong places. Be sure the sun is behind the photographer. Also, the natural light is far more photograph friendly in the mid to late afternoon.

Avoid cutting the photograph in half by taking it with the horizon line smack bang in the middle of the image. You want the horizon line to be straight, but not straight across the middle. Think in thirds when composing your photographs.

Photographing Flowers

Flowers can be photographed from many different angles just be sure to select an interesting focal point and remember to think in thirds when arranging your composition. To get the best colour reproduction avoid photographing flowers in bright light – but dimmer lighting means longer exposure times and this can lead to camera wobble so try using a tripod or camera stand.

Taking Digital Photographs to Sell Your Stuff On EBay

It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words and on EBay it has been proven that listings with good photographs have more and higher bids.

Set up a mini studio by clearing an area and setting up a plain backdrop – a single colour sheet is fine for this. You want viewers to be totally focused on the lot for sale, not examining the contents of your living room.

Be aware of reflective surfaces revealing more of the photographer than he or she might expect, especially if flash is used.

Using Your Digital Camera to Photograph Fireworks

Capturing fireworks is tricky as you can never be entirely sure where the wind will take them or what their fuse length is.

Pick your location carefully – you do not want to disappear in a plume of firework smoke nor do you want your view of the sky obscured by overhanging branches or rooftops.

To get the best photos of fireworks select manual settings and use ISO settings of less than 200.

Observe the first few fireworks to see which part of the sky they illuminate so you know where to focus your digital camera. Open the shutter as soon as you hear the telltale shriek of a firework getting airborne and close it once the firework has exploded.

Because of the long exposure times do use a stand or tripod to avoid wobble.

Action Shots With a Digital Camera

To capture clear action shots you need to set a very fast shutter speed so this is another instance where selecting a manual mode may be more successful than leaving the camera to try to work things out for itself in auto.

Fast shutter speeds lead to low exposure times so lighting needs to be good. Zoom lenses restrict the amount of light entering the camera so can make the apparent light available even poorer. For this reason it is better to get as close as you can to the subject rather than use a zoom lens.

Select the highest ISO you have available to compensate for the low exposure times.

A handful of quick tips to getting the best photos with a digital camera in a variety of popular photographic situations – remember nothing replaces practice.

A few tips on how to take good pictures with a digital camera.

Make full use of the autofocus function that will certainly be built into your digital camera – no matter the model you select. Always begin by helping the camera focus on the subject of the photograph but then feel free to move the camera to also capture the background and total arrangement.

What does this mean?

The autofocus will try to bring whatever is in the centre of the viewfinder into focus. This is fine if that’s where the subject of your photograph is but it does not always make for an eye catching arrangement. Photographs are more interesting and attractive with the main subject placed off-centre with a pleasing background behind them.

Focus the camera on the actual subject before repositioning the camera to capture your overall arrangement.

Remember the primary photography rule – The Rule of Thirds.

What does this mean? Imagine looking through your viewfinder or at your LCD screen and having your view divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections, an imaginary grid placed over your intended image. Certain cameras actually can actually place this grid on the LCD screen to help.

By lining up key components of your photographic subject at the point where the gridlines intersect you create balance in your photographs and they will be more pleasing to view. Also, rather than placing your subject in the middle of the photograph, experiment with off setting to one side or the other, having your subject occupy one third of the photo and the remaining two thirds showing background detail.

What are you trying to achieve?

What does this mean? There are several questions you should always consider prior to capturing an image. What is the point of the photograph you are about to take. Are you capturing a subject or a moment in time? What is it about the composition that is most important to you? What overall effect are you trying to achieve? It’s an overused cliché but do begin with the end in mind.

Pay attention to the horizon.

What does this mean? While concentrating on the perfect composition in the foreground, make a final check of the horizon. It needs to be horizontal. It is possible to take photos that make a statement by having the horizon noticeably and deliberately off line but having a horizon that falls away to one side or the other can ruin an otherwise brilliant composition – and you will not always realise what it is that’s spoiling the photograph.

People and faces need to be seen in detail.

What does this mean? Get as much detail as you can into your viewfinder before taking the photo. Get as close as you can and, bearing in mind the other suggestions here, fill as much of the view as you can with something worth looking at. Don’t be afraid to crop shots once home and editing them on your computer. That’s what the crop function is for – to focus on what matters within an image.

You can read a lot about how to take good pictures with a digital camera but these tips should give you enough to get going and begin to practice. There is nothing like firsthand experience for learning and with a digital camera there is no film to consider.

Digital cameras can be broadly classified into two types DSLR or point and shoot and it can be hard to know which digital camera is best.

Technology is evolving all the time and what used to be significant differences between the two types of camera have now been eroded almost to the point where they are matters of preference.

In the simplest terms, the difference between DSLR and point and shoot digital cameras is one of quality and convenience. The DSLR camera still, arguably, produces higher quality shots. The point and shoot digital camera is undoubtedly convenient, quick and easy to use.

There is a slight misconception that it is the pixel figure which determines the quality of the shot and this is not strictly true. The quality of the photographs produced by a digital camera depends on the semiconductor that receives the light and processes that information. The larger this image sensor is, the more light it can process effectively. Because point and shoot cameras tend to be compact and considerably smaller than their DSLR cousins, the image sensor is small. It has to be that way. Selecting a point and click camera with a high pixel rating could be said to be a waste of money as the amount of pixels that can be properly handled is determined by the sensor.

On the other hand, a DSLR camera, with its larger body and casing can accommodate a much larger image sensor. This means that even with a lower pixel rating the images produced will be a better quality because more of those pixels have been processed.

The lesson here is, if you are looking for a digital camera to produce images of the highest quality look for a DSLR camera rather than a point and shoot camera. To keep within your budget don’t be afraid to accept a lower pixel rating provided you have a large image sensor.

Another strength of DSLR cameras is the fact that lenses can be interchanged depending on the type of photos being taken. It is true that some of the compact point and shoot cameras have built in zoom but this is not as flexible as being able to attach wide angled or telescopic lenses and even filters – all the technical apparatus associated with traditional film photography.

Point and shoot digital cameras are small, light and very portable. There’s no excuse for ever finding yourself without a camera when you have one of these. The level of automation offered by a point and shoot camera makes it very hard to take a bad photograph. If you have no particular desire to learn about photography but would still like to be able to take good photos a point and shoot camera is for you.

Only the main differences between the two types of digital camera have been covered here but if you want more technical data and information you will probably be happier with a DSLR camera anyway. DSLR or point and shoot is a personal choice – only you can decide which digital camera is best for you.

You may be worried about being able to use a digital camera, especially if your last camera was an Instamatic or Brownie!

In truth, the process of taking photographs with a digital camera is not so different from using a film camera. The main difference and this is their major benefit, is that the photos can be viewed as soon as they have been taken, only the good images need to be printed off and the embarrassing ones can be deleted immediately without need to waste money on processing and printing. Plus of course you can experiment to get the photo that you are looking for without having to worry about running out of film.

As you gain more experience and confidence with digital photography technology you will be able to make adjustments using image editing software. With this you can alter some of your less flattering or less technically correct photographs and thus only you know need what the original looked like.

The real beauty of using a digital camera is just how much is automated for you. The digital camera cannot yet organise the pose or arrange the composition but it will automatically compensate for poor lighting, it will auto-focus and they can even tell you when someone blinked!

Depending on the digital camera model you own you will have a number of settings that can be manually adjusted to inform the camera about the stylr of photograph you are looking for. There may be different settings for landscapes and portraits and a fast shutter setting for those speedy action shots. The different settings are usually indicated by small graphic icons. These icons should be intuitive, perhaps a mountain range for landscapes and a single flower or a person’s head for portraits.

Rather than being captured on film, photographs taken with a digital camera are stored on a memory card or on a memory chip within the camera. By purchasing spare memory cards you increase the memory capacity of your digital camera. It’s like carrying spare films. When your film was full you would rewind it, unload it and store it until you could drop it off to be processed. If you had no spare film that was the end of your photography for the day. With digital cameras once the memory card is full you simply replace it with a second card and rather than dropping the cards off for processing you just download the images to your computer once you are home.

 

When taking pictures with your digital camera you may be offered an option to change the resolution of the images. The resolution is the number of pixels that make up the digital photographs you take. A 12 MP (megapixel) camera will have 12000 pixels and a file size of up to 3 megabytes. What does this mean in the non-digital world?

The file size is an important consideration depending on the size of your memory card. If you know the approximate file size of the images your camera takes on its maximum resolution setting, you’ll know how many photos you can store or what size memory card you need for a photography project.

The more pixels there is in a photograph the more detailed the image. Images with a high pixel number can be enlarged and manipulated without loss of quality. You can select to shoot images at a lower resolution and they may well be perfect for what you need – just remember that whilst you can manipulate a 12 megapixel image to a 5 megapixel image you can’t do it the other way around. If the pixels aren’t captured they are not there.

Only you can weigh up the ideal compromise between pixel density (resolution) and storage space required – it’s a very personal matter that may even need to be considered each time you use your digital camera.

Learning how to use a digital camera is not as overwhelming as it may first seem – try it and be prepared to be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is.

All of the technology can cloud the issue, so here are some tips on what to consider when buying the best digital SLR camera for your needs.

Be absolutely clear about what purpose you are going to use the DSLR camera for. Obviously it’s for taking photos but what type of photographs and where? Don’t get carried away – be honest with yourself. There is little point in paying for additional functionality that you are unlikely to use, or even worse skipping a feature that turns out to be the one you really need.

Always think this through before looking at models to avoid confusing yourself with too many choices and options.

What do you own already? You may not know it but the lenses you bought for your film camera may well fit a new DSLR model. It’s worth checking out as this could represent quite a saving. Also, think about what memory cards you have for other devices, perhaps a point and shoot digital camera or a digital video camera. It makes sense to select a DSLR that makes use of the peripherals you already have.

Don’t get obsessed with the pixel count, also think about sensors. It is well worth accepting a lower pixel number or resolution if this gains you a larger sensor for your money.

Consider the size and weight of the camera. If you travel abroad a lot this can be critical with airlines becoming ever more scrooge like in their allocation of luggage allowances. DSLR cameras are larger than the point and shoot cameras but some are considerably larger and heavier too. It may not seem like an issue when standing in the camera department of your local store but this will matter when your shoulder is aching with the weight of your camera bag.

How about you as a photographer? What is your skill and interest level? It can be tempting to buy a cheaper, simpler DSLR camera in the beginning but could this be false economy if you are going to outgrow the camera in months? Whilst there may be a reasonably healthy market for trading second hand cameras it is still a way to lose money. Equally, perhaps you do not need to be tempted by the all singing and dancing top-of-the-range model where, in all probability, you will never get around to using even 10% of the inbuilt functionality. Be brutally honest about your aspirations.

Be clear about what you can afford. It is easy to overspend when shopping for a new DSLR camera, especially if you are a gadget-lover. Do your research before shopping. Be clear about what functionality you are willing to trade and what is non-negotiable. Remember you’ll need to have extra funds available for a decent camera bag, lenses and larger capacity memory cards. It’s not just the camera you have to budget for.

Remember, a camera is only as good as its lens and the traditional camera manufacturers still use the best lenses. It doesn’t matter how good the electronics are in a DSLR camera if the lens is sub standard. Buy the best lens you can afford.

Just a few pointers to consider when buying a digital SLR camera which will save you from making an expensive mistake.

To help you narrow your options when looking to pick a digital camera, remember that there are four main factors to be considered and measured against your needs as a photographer.

 

Resolution

The first piece of information you will be presented with will almost certainly be the resolution figure. The resolution figure is the number of pixels captured by the semiconductor sensor. It is estimated that, film captures the equivalent of a 20Mp image so photographers who produce very detailed photos rely upon film camera technology.

 

You will need to choose between a range of megapixel sizes varying from 1.3Mp to 10Mp and beyond.

 

If you intend to display your images, consider what size you will be presenting them as. If the 5″x7″ images that were the normal size used in the photo processing lab then a 1.3Mp camera will be all you need. However if you are likely to want to print off anything larger you’ll need a higher resolution camera.

 

You could of course play safe and simply opt for the highest resolution on offer – the downside of this of course is the cost of the camera and the storage capacity required to capture all these extra pixels at these highers resolutions. This also means a larger file size which may have an impact when it comes to sharing these images.

 

You will have to decide what the acceptable trade off is for the type of photography you expect to do. As you become a more experienced digital photography enthusiast you will quickly realise that most digital photographers have different cameras for different purposes.

 

Aperture

The aperture is the maximum open size of the lens. The larger the aperture, the more light can be collected, which in turn allows photos to be taken in poor lighting.

 

The lens aperture number will be offered to you as an f number but the numbers are not as you would expect – the smaller the number the larger the aperture.

 

The advantage of having a large aperture is that you can take photos in poor light without the need for flash and this is obviously an advantage if you are going to be doing a lot of your photography indoors.

 

Lens

There are two factors to consider with regard to the lens. One is the zoom range, the other is the quality.

A zoom lens changes the focal length or magnification capability of the camera. When capturing landscapes, panoramas and vistas a short focal length is best but if you want to capture the image of the brown bear from a safe distance you’ll need a telephoto lens with a long focal length.

 

When assessing these options ignore anything described as digital zoom this is of not use for quality images and thus not what you are interested in. The figures to concentrate on are the optical zoom options.

 

If you opt for one of the super zoom cameras consider how you are going to hold the camera still. To get the best images with such a camera you’ll need a camera stand or tripod. Some of the more expensive cameras do compensate for camera shake so a check for this facility would be necessary if these are your preferred cameras.

 

Lens quality is not something that can be assessed by numbers. Professional photographers only buy their cameras from camera companies as they know this is the best way to ensure good lens quality. Many ordinary electronics companies moved into the cameras market when digital cameras were launched and they simply do not pay the same attention to lens quality. If you want a quality lens buy a camera manufactured by a camera company. It is that simple.

 

Storage

Some manufacturers (Sony comes to mind) use their own storage media, which means your files are not easily transportable between devices. Others use either Compact Flash or SD (Secure Digital) cards.

It is worth investigating what other devices you have which make use of this portable storage media and perhaps stick to one type otherwise there is not a great deal to choose between them.

Hopefully this will give you enough guidance on how to pick a digital camera – all you need to do now is think about your needs as a photographer.

 

To improve your digital photography results it will help if you raise your understanding of a digital cameras inner workings so let’s explore some of the digital photography terms you are likely to encounter.

 

Digital Camera Sensor

This is the semi-conductor that light through the aperture is directed to. The sensor is made up of millions of pixels and these capture the light as photons. Once the digital camera shutter closes the processing begins. The number of photons is assessed with intensity levels measured and computations done to allow for the colour filters built into the camera. This all happens seemingly instantaneously.

 

The size and quality of the sensor and the colour filters determines the ultimate quality of the final images taken by the digital camera. Because of their larger overall size, DSLR cameras usually have a larger sensor which is why this type of camera tends to take better quality photographs.

 

Exposure

Exposure is basically the amount of light that is able to make contact with the camera sensor. There are three factors that combine to control exposure:

- The aperture is the area through which light can enter the camera

- The shutter speed controls how long the aperture is open

- The ISO speed controls the sensitivity of the sensor.

 

Each factor can be tweaked independently to produce many different permutations.

 

Camera Metering

This tends to be built into digital cameras (those who remember taking photographs with the more traditional film cameras may well recall carrying light meters with them and having to make manual adjustments to their camera set up to compensate for light quality) and it is the metering function that sets the aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed on a digital camera.

 

Camera Lenses

Point and shoot cameras have one lens although it may have some flexibility with a built in zoom function. DSLR cameras allow the removal and replacement of camera lenses which provides the photographer with a huge number of creative options when taking digital photographs. The difference between buying a digital camera from an electronics company as opposed to a camera manufacturer can be most distinguished in the quality of the lens. If you want the very best quality photographs select a camera manufactured by a camera company. It is that simple.

 

Camera Lens Filters

Used with DSLR cameras and used to reduce glare, add light filters and add options that are difficult to create through editing alone. Many filter options are built into the more expensive DSLR cameras. Filters can create some interesting effects and improve the quality of images.

 

Depth of Field

This is the term used to describe the distance range within the photograph which remains in focus. Complex calculations can be done to determine the depth of field but for most amateur photographers this is more information than they need.

 

Autofocus

Autofocus is the system built into a digital camera that will automatically adjust the lens of the camera to focus on the subject of the photograph and produce a clearly defined or sharp image. It takes the guesswork out of focusing on the subject of your photographs.

 

There is so much more to understanding digital cameras and digital photography – but this basic overview will demystify some of the most frequently encountered terms.

What is it that makes a digital camera work? How can this small device that uses no film capture such amazing images?

 

A digital camera looks just like a traditional film camera, it even appears to do the same thing – take photographs – but the technology within that little hand held device could not be more different.

Traditional photography with a film camera was very much a mechanical and chemical process. Cameras didn’t need a power source (although later models often added effort saving battery operated film winding mechanisms and lens drives) and images were captured by allowing light to land on a chemical coated film which was then treated with other chemicals to reveal the image.

 

A digital camera at first follow the same process by allowing light through an aperture but the light is focused on a semiconductor which records the images electronically.

 

The digital image captured is in a format that makes sense only to the electronics on board the camera. The electronics record the image as a whole load of tiny coloured dots – pixels – that fit together seamlessly to make up the complete image. Thus to clarify, the light waves are converted into a digital format.

 

The semiconductor that receives the light through the lens will be one of 2 types, either a CCD, a charge coupled device or a CMOS, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor. Both act to convert the received light into electrons – they turn light into electricity. The difference between the two semiconductors is a technical matter which is beyond the focus of this post but ultimately they produce the same end result. One point to note is that cameras with the CCD technology tend to use more power than CMOS, which of course means that the battery life is reduced.

 

In order to determine colours digital cameras use a colour filter array which separates the incoming light down into red, blue and green pixels and uses interpolation in order to make a mathematical guess about true colours. This is why where the expense comes with digital cameras, the more expensive the camera the more sophisticated this filtering process is and the better quality the resulting images.

 

The amount of light entering the camera is controlled by two mechanisms; the shutter speed and the aperture. As discussed previously, at this point there really is no difference between film cameras and digital cameras as far as these mechanisms are concerned.

 

Having decided what you want to photograph you aim your camera at the target subject. Depending on the camera there may be an autofocus mechanism which is often activated by depressing the the shutter button halfway until the lens is focused or there may be a zoom function allowing you get a close up shot of something in the distance.

 

Once the camera has focused the image the shutter button is depressed completely. There is a reassuring sound meant to represent a mechanical click built into most modern cameras, even though the process is not mechanical.

 

Whilst the shutter is open light streams into the camera and is focused on the CCD or CMOS. This is converted into an electrical charge and the internatl electronics process and interpolates what colour each pixel should be. These pixels are then displayed on the LCD for you to view and decide whether or not the photo is satisfactory or needs to be shot again.

The images are stored on a memory card or chip until such time as they are downloaded for permanent storage or deleted.

 

From the photographers point of view there is much about digital photography that is similar to film photography but in case you are ever asked ‘what makes a digital camera work?’ you now have a better idea.