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Professional photographers rely on the flash on their camera to capture the action at a wedding or other social event. They are probably not aware of the effect of their flash on the faces of their subject. Here is an analysis of the effect of
different distances between the flash head and the lens.

The proper position of the flash is directly over the lens. This will ensure that any shadows from the flash will occur behind the head and body and not to one side. Of course, when shooting square format like Hasselblad, the flash can be fixed in that one position. For shooting with a rectangular format like Bronica ETR or Canon DSLR, the flash must be mounted on a swinging bar so that the flash can be positioned over the lens in either a horizontal or vertical shot.

I have determined through many tests that the ideal distance of the flash head above the lens is twelve inches. There are many advantages to using this distance. First, the unavoidable reflections on the forehead, nose, cheeks and chin are conducive to making the subject look good. The forehead reflection is positioned higher on the forehead, almost into the hair line and much diminished in strength. This leaves the flat portion of the forehead reflection free and retaining the natural color of the skin.

The shape of the nose is determined by the fall off of light along the sides and the position of the reflection on the bridge of the nose. When the flash is positioned closer to the lens, the bridge or indentation receives no highlight but rather the bony lower part of the nose is emphasized. The tip of the nose also benefits from the twelve inch distance of the flash head by appearing smaller and less intense.

Cheek reflections are considered acceptable when they are centered on the upper portion of the cheek. With a lower positioned flash head, the reflection highlight the unattractive line of muscle from the cheek to the nose. The twelve inch flash position also enhances the cheek bones. Chin reflections lower down on the point of the chin are unattractive and make the chin look wet. Alternatively, the twelve inch flash position just places a small crescent shaped highlight under the lip. An added benefit also occurs in the form of a more defined chin line and the placement of some double chins in shadow.

Those terrible eye glass reflections are greatly minimized with the twelve inch flash. The flash highlight now appears near the top of the eye glass, completely avoiding the area of the iris and pupil. The eyes are the most important feature of the face and ugly flash reflections can wipe out the eyes completely. An added benefit is a slight darkening at the bottom of the picture, enhancing the composition with a natural fade out.

Remember that since most natural light comes from a position over the horizon the most natural flash lighting will do the same for the face. Don’t let convenience prevent you from capturing your flash subjects in the most attractive light.

Retired portrait and wedding photographer. Modestly, I was once awarded the title of Best Wedding Photographer in Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey.

Why is a 3 megapixel camera better than a 1 megapixel camera? It really depends on how you intend to reproduce the picture. The reason cameras produce pictures at 72 pixels per inch is that this format is standard in video uses such as television and DVD. So there is no noticeable difference in quality when viewing pictures on a TV or DVD. The difference appears when you are cropping and/or printing these pictures. If you are not familiar with the term cropping, I will explain it later. First, let’s talk about printing.

Even the most inexpensive of printers these days are capable of printing at 300 dots per inch (dpi). Most are capable of printing at 600 dpi and you can buy relatively affordable printers that print at 1200 dpi and above. You may have noticed that with cameras it’s called pixels per inch and with printers it is call dots per inch. The terms are hardware specific, but relate to the same principal. A printer prints a specific number of dots of ink per inch on the paper whereas a TV displays a specific number of pixels per inch on the screen. In either case, combining the dots or pixels creates the picture.

So how does this affect quality? If we’re printing a picture that has 72 pixels per inch from a 1-megapixel camera on 4×3 printer paper we’ve got a problem. (Here is where I have to crunch some numbers, so please bear with me.) Let’s figure it out. Four inches times 72 pixels (dots) per inch equals 288 pixels (dots) on the vertical line. Three inches times 72 pixels (dots) equals 216 pixels (dots) on the horizontal line. The total picture would have 288 times 216 or 62,208 pixels. That’s way short of one million.

So where did the other pixels go? If you’re printing this picture at a store or camera shop that has conversion capabilities, the machine that you are printing on actually crunches the picture down for you. The size of the picture taken by a 1-megapixel camera is approximately 16 inches x12 inches. (16×72=1152 and 12×72=864 and 864×1152=995,328 pixels). The machine makes this picture into a 4×3 by increasing the number of pixels per inch. The 4×3 picture is 1/4th the size of the 16×12 so there has to be four times as many pixels per inch to reduce this picture to 4×3. Four times seventy two equals two hundred eighty eight pixels (dots) per inch. With more pixels or dots per inch, the picture can be reproduced at a higher quality level making details sharper and more distinct. So a 1-megapixel camera can produce a reasonably good quality 4×3 inch picture on a 300 dpi printer. That’s what most amateur photographers get with their snapshot cameras. If you try to get larger pictures, then the picture quality begins to deteriorate. Part 2-2 will deal with larger prints.

Conclusion: If you have a printer with more than 300 dpi capabilities and all you want is 4×3 inch prints, then you are not using all your printer’s abilities. If you want prints larger than 4×3 inch, then you need a camera with a higher quality output capability. If all you want is 4×3 inch prints and video reproduction without cropping much, then a 1-megapixel camera and 300 dpi printer should serve you fine.

Note: Different printers produce different quality prints. Since this is a discussion of pixels and digital cameras, I do not get into choosing printers for the quality. Suffice it to say, if you have a reasonably good quality printer, then the information provided should work for you.

Note 2: There are ways to enlarge prints with lower dpi rates and size and still get quality results. This information will come in later discussions and is probably geared toward the more advanced photographers and digital dark room users.

Wayne Rockwell is a professional videographer at Legacy Pictures to Video and specializes in Video Montage creation and Photo Retouching.

You may not be thinking about a memory card for you new digital camera until you have filled the internal memory with a few images. That’s why purchasing an extra memory card or two is a good idea.

A memory card is like reusable film. When the card is filled to capacity, You must transfer the images to a computer. The memory card is then ready to be filled with your images again.

There are several ways to transfer your images to your computer. Possibly the most common is to use an USB-compatible cord connected to the camera and computer. Some computers have slots specially designed for several types of memory cards. To use a slot, remove the memory card from the camera and insert it into the slot. When the transfer is complete, return the memory card to the camera. A few cameras allow images to be transferred to your computer using wireless technology.

There are several types of memory cards available. Your camera will dictate which type you must use. Compact Flash, SmartMedia, SecureDigital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick and xD Picture cards are the most common. Memory cards are available with capacities ranging up to 2 gigabytes (GB).

After your images are transferred to you computer’s hard drive, don’t forget to back up your images to a separate storage device. As reliable as hard drives are, failures do occur. A second internal hard drive, an external hard drive, a Zip disk, CDs or DVDs is common back up devices. Web sites are available to store back up images for a small fee.

ISO wasn’t easy to change on early digital cameras.

First, here’s a quick definition: ISO stands for the International Standards Organization. What it really indicates is a digital sensor’s sensitivity to light.

A low ISO is less sensitive and a high ISO is very sensitive.

Further translated: a high ISO like 3200 means that the sensor can capture a clear photo, even in low-light conditions. A low ISO like 100 requires a lot of ambient light for clear shots.

So why is this setting so often ignored? It’s harder to sell the benefits of ISO (which is pretty confusing to anyone who is not a camera junkie) versus something simpler like speed (2 photos per second or 5 photos per second…which one’s faster?).

Well, I’m here today to try to illustrate the benefits of ISO. It is a prominent feature on all of the latest digital cameras, and is something that you should be aware of when you’re trying to take photos in available light.

Benefit #1 - Clear hand-held photos

Here’s the problem: you’re taking photos indoors on an overcast day. The only way that you can get a proper exposure is to slow down the shutter speed to 1/30 of a second.

The camera’s shutter needs to stay open 1/30 of a second to let in plenty of light. Unfortunately, the longer the shutter stays open, the more likely your photo will turn out blurry. The blur is caused by camera shake when you hold the camera in your hands.

While blur is sometimes desirable to illustrate motion, most ot the time it’s not the effect you want.

You really want to get a clear photograph, but there isn’t enough ambient light. You think you’re stuck with two options: use a flash, or attach the camera to a tripod so it’s stable.

But here comes ISO to offer up a third alternative: set your ISO to 800 or 1600.

This boosts the light sensitivity of the camera’s sensor, so you’re not forced to keep the shutter open so long. With a shutter speed of 1/125 or 1/250 you can now hold the camera in your hands and get perfectly clear available-light photographs.

Benefit #2 - Atmosphere

As you increase the ISO on your digital camera, you also increase the noise in the photograph. “Noise” is the appearance of dots and specks, typically in shadow areas of the image.

Digital camera manufacturers have gone to great lengths to minimize noise, even at high ISO settings. This is due to benefit #1 above.

But sometimes you might want that noise in your photograph. Let’s say you’re taking shots on a foggy day, and the mood of the scene could really use some noise, to give the photo an old-time look.

Boost the ISO as high as it will go (usually 3200) and that noise will appear in your photo. In black and white, it really adds to the atmosphere and the quality of the image.

Benefit #3 - Fast shutter speeds

One of the best uses of a really fast shutter speed is to freeze motion.

If you take a lot of photos of sporting events, you need to be using shutter speeds around 1/1000 of a second or faster. There are not many days where there is enough ambient light to use these super-fast shutter speeds.

The only way that you will be able to catch all the action is if you increase your ISO. If you don’t want noise in the photo, just increase the ISO enough to get the shutter speed you want. If ISO 400 will get the job done, then use that.

Summary

I hope that this brief introduction has opened your eyes to the usefulness of ISO settings on digital cameras.

I think that the ability to change ISO on the fly is one of the biggest advantages that digital cameras have over film.

With film you’d have to shoot an entire roll at one ISO setting before you could switch to another (or you had to have 2 cameras with different ISO films).

With digital you can change the ISO anytime, anywhere. It gives you complete flexibility and control over the photos that you take.

Changing the ISO setting does take some getting used to, and it’s still not easy to do on some digital camera models.

I am sure though that once you start using it, you’ll find yourself saying “Please, sir, may I have some more?”

Chris Roberts purchased his first digital SLR camera 3 years ago, and hasn’t looked back. He continues to learn and write about new and emerging digital SLRs to this day on his web sites, the Digital SLR Guide and the Digital SLR Guide Weblog

A digital camera comes so handy nowadays. Compared to using a traditional camera that uses film, taking with you a digital camera on your nature trips, tours, special occasions and formal gatherings is more convenient and fashionable too as most digital cameras come in sleek and smart modern designs. There are also lighter and easy to use compared to your old-fashioned camera.

If you do not have one yet, buying a digital camera instead of a conventional one would be a better option. Aside from the abovementioned advantages, buying a digital camera would provide you the following benefits:

1. You can take as many photos as you want as digital cameras have large storing capacity.

2. You don’t have to worry about buying film.

3. You can preview photos taken (provided there’s a preview LCD), delete unwanted pictures and take another one till you get the desired shot.

4. You have many options as to the resolution, quality and size of the photos.

5. You can connect it to your computer and easily transfer data stored in it.

6. You can edit the photos in the computer before printing.

7. You can select the photos you want o print out as well.

8. You can upgrade it so you can take and save more pictures in it.

9. You can use it to record sound and video as well.

10. You may directly connect it to a printer and print out photos without the need to transfer images to your pc.

After deciding to buy a digital camera, the next thing that might be bothering you now is how to buy the right digital camera. Buying a digital camera needs some careful analysis, too. Especially if you are not too familiar with the technical aspects of a digital camera, you would have to research and carefully understand what those pieces of information that you have gathered mean. Buying a digital camera starts with actually knowing what you really want. It is only upon knowing enough that you can make a better decision of which digital camera to buy.

There are several factors you need to consider in buying a digital camera. First and foremost is the resolution of the photos (the number of pixels in a photo); next is the memory. The resolution will determine the quality of the images so if you want high-quality photos buy only high resolution digital cameras. The memory on the other hand (expressed in MB) determines how many high-resolution or low-resolution images can be stored in your camera.

Taking into account the purpose for which you are buying digital camera would help you decide on thing more clearly. If you simply want a camera you can bring along anywhere anytime to capture wonderful moments and scenic views without the intention to display those photos, you can start with a digital camera with fewer features. As you master the art of photography, you can buy a more advanced kind of digital camera.

Of course, your budget is also very important. You cannot buy something that is way beyond your means. You may choose a digital camera with fewer features however it can be upgraded in the future. This will help you save money for the mean time without sacrificing the quality of the product.

Did you ever see an image where only a small part of it is sharp? Using the aperture ring correctly can maximise the artistic look of your image.

Not only does it determine the depth-of-field, it also has the power to direct the human eye.

The human eye is instinctively drawn towards noticeable points of an image. These are usually the sharpest and most important parts of an image. Using a wide aperture to limit the area of sharp focus can direct attention to the most important elements of your image and blur out any off-putting backgrounds.

This isn’t that hard to accomplish, and can be blissful if done correctly.

Lets start off with understanding depth-of-field, aperture and f/stops.

Depth-of -field: The distance from the front to back that is in reasonable sharp focus is called the depth-of-field. There are two ways of controlling depth-of-field: Use a small aperture or focus on a point farther away from your camera.

Aperture and f/stops: The aperture is an opening in the centre of the lens through which light passes. The amount of light, which passes through an aperture, is indicated by f/stops. The lower the f/stop the more light that passes through the aperture. Opening up one full f/stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera. F/4 admits twice the light of f5.6.

By selecting a small or narrow aperture (f/16 or up), all or most of the scene will be reasonably sharp. This is ideal for landscape photography. By using a small aperture you increase the depth-of-field.

By selecting a large or wide aperture (f/5.6 or below) you decide which part of your image is sharp. This is ideal for taking pictures of wildlife, portraits, sport and small objects. By using a large aperture you decrease the depth-of-field

The smaller the f/number, the wider the aperture.

There is about twice the depth-of-field behind the point of focus as there is in front of it, using any aperture.

Now you know how to isolate your subject, so it’s time to put it to use. Set your camera to aperture-priority (AV) mode, and then select a large aperture (f/2 - f/5.6). By doing this the camera will select the shutter speed automatically. If you are shooting wildlife choose a low viewpoint to maximise the image, try putting the camera lens at eye-level with the subject.

While the above will help to isolate you subject, it’s only a start. Know your subject, especially when shooting wildlife. Don’t be fooled into thinking all elements of an image must be sharp to be considered a good photo.

TJ Tierney. Irish landscape photographer. www.goldprints.com