How To Edit Photos Easy Ways To Enhance Your Photos

Some people are just pro's at taking great pictures. But most people just take average pictures. If you are one of them, you can edit photos in very easy ways and improve them dramatically.

Sure, you can have a good or great digital camera, adjust the settings as you are supposed to, and even produce a good picture. But sometimes it just doesn't look quite as good as it could.

And even if it does look pretty good...pretty darn good...I would venture to say that with some simple photo editing, your picture can be great.

Here are the main types ways to edit photos which can greatly improve your images:

1. Saturation
2. Lightness and Darkness
3. Sharpening

Do you have to do all of them? Maybe. And maybe not. You can try each one to see if it enhances your image or not.

Saturation

This adjustment will make colors more vivid. How about making the sky in your landscape just a bit bluer and the grass a bit greener?

Most photo editing programs will adjust, or saturate, all elements in the photo. However, some of the more sophisticated ones will let you select areas to manipulate while leaving the rest of the picture alone. It all depends on which software you are using.

Be careful not to over do it, as your goal is to enhance it while still keeping it real looking. Saturate just a little bit at a time, and increase it if you feel it could use some more. You can always reverse your editing.

Brightness and Contrast

Sometimes a picture might come out too dark. By using this adjustment, you can lighten it up and make it brighter. Likewise, there are some images that need to darkened, or toned down. These manipulations can make a big difference in the quality of the photo. By adjusting the contrast, you can make a photo softer or more vivid.

Sharpening

This is something I try to be careful with. If you over sharpen, things can start to look jagged. In addition, sometimes a softer look can be very nice. You can sharpen slightly to see if this improves the image or not.

When editing, I like to use software that let you see the before and after images side by side. This helps in judging whether the picture is improved with each subsequent edit.

There are many free photo editing software programs that will work and be simple to use. If you want to really get involved in photo editing, you might also try one of the more sophisticated programs. They offer many more types of photo manipulations.

Some have a steep learning curve if you want to learn the more intricate manipulations. However, most of them let you start out in a simple way. If you find one that you feel you might like, see if they have a trial period so that you can try it out. Once again, many photo editing programs are free.

If you want to consider additional types of photo editing, here are a few you will find in most programs:

1. Cropping
2. Red-eye Removal
3. Resizing
4. Sepia
5. Highlights and Shadows - more sophisticated software
6. Exposure - more sophisticated software Some people are just pro's at taking great pictures. But most people just take average pictures. If you are one of them, you can edit photos in very easy ways and improve them dramatically.

Sure, you can have a good or great digital camera, adjust the settings as you are supposed to, and even produce a good picture. But sometimes it just doesn't look quite as good as it could.

And even if it does look pretty good...pretty darn good...I would venture to say that with some simple photo editing, your picture can be great.

Here are the main types ways to edit photos which can greatly improve your images:

1. Saturation
2. Lightness and Darkness
3. Sharpening

Do you have to do all of them? Maybe. And maybe not. You can try each one to see if it enhances your image or not.

Saturation

This adjustment will make colors more vivid. How about making the sky in your landscape just a bit bluer and the grass a bit greener?

Most photo editing programs will adjust, or saturate, all elements in the photo. However, some of the more sophisticated ones will let you select areas to manipulate while leaving the rest of the picture alone. It all depends on which software you are using.

Be careful not to over do it, as your goal is to enhance it while still keeping it real looking. Saturate just a little bit at a time, and increase it if you feel it could use some more. You can always reverse your editing.

Brightness and Contrast

Sometimes a picture might come out too dark. By using this adjustment, you can lighten it up and make it brighter. Likewise, there are some images that need to darkened, or toned down. These manipulations can make a big difference in the quality of the photo. By adjusting the contrast, you can make a photo softer or more vivid.

Sharpening

This is something I try to be careful with. If you over sharpen, things can start to look jagged. In addition, sometimes a softer look can be very nice. You can sharpen slightly to see if this improves the image or not.

When editing, I like to use software that let you see the before and after images side by side. This helps in judging whether the picture is improved with each subsequent edit.

There are many free photo editing software programs that will work and be simple to use. If you want to really get involved in photo editing, you might also try one of the more sophisticated programs. They offer many more types of photo manipulations.

Some have a steep learning curve if you want to learn the more intricate manipulations. However, most of them let you start out in a simple way. If you find one that you feel you might like, see if they have a trial period so that you can try it out. Once again, many photo editing programs are free.

If you want to consider additional types of photo editing, here are a few you will find in most programs:

1. Cropping
2. Red-eye Removal
3. Resizing
4. Sepia
5. Highlights and Shadows - more sophisticated software
6. Exposure - more sophisticated software



November 4, 2009
By Susan Schlenger
Susan Schlenger is a professional landscape designer and has been working with digital photography online for 10 years. You can read more about editing digital photos at http://www.digital-photos-online.com/edit-photos.html.


Picture Editor

The Magic of Digital Photography

Digital photography is helping to revolutionize the way we view our pictures and the way we are able to capture the most breathtaking images.

Digital photography is becoming more affordable every year, and the technology to make fabulous photos is well within the reach of the average consumer.

Digital Photography is more than just using a digital camera; it also entails some post processing in an image editing software to the image you captured with your digital camera. Digital Photography is a process where pictures are taken to a computer disk or memory card rather than film.

Digital photography is one of the late 20th century s most innovative technologies. Digital photography is a radically different kind of photography, because the photographer can finally see what the film sees.

You waste nothing; there's no film required, and because you only print the pictures you need, digital photography is cost effective and environmentally friendly.

First of all, the general claim about digital photography is that it makes photography easier; and that's wrong already. And this is where it is getting interesting because, basically, the argument is that digital photography is better because you don't have to wait. Although the resolution of digital photos is not nearly as high as photos produced from film, digital photography is ideal when you need instant, low-resolution pictures.

For many people, the biggest advantage of digital photography is that it eliminates the need for picture processing. Almost all of the cost of digital photography is capital cost, meaning that the cost is for the equipment needed to store and copy the images, and once purchased requires virtually no further expense outlay. Lastly, digital photography is the future, there's no getting around that, and the sooner you start shooting digitally, the better equipped you'll be to evaluate and handle new technology as it comes out. After all, digital photography is just another tool of modernization showing the advancement of photography in an ever-changing world.

The age of digital photography is here and here to stay. With more than 64 million digital cameras sold last year alone, digital photography is more popular than ever. Once of the best of the long list of advantages of digital photography is the immediate ability to view the scene through the digital cameras LCD screen.

For me, digital photography is also the greatest gift ever and the best thing since sliced bread.

For more on digital photography visit

www.jacksworldshop.com/TheCameraAuction

Steve Harris



November 3, 2009
By Steve Harris

Digital Photography

Top Must Haves From Your Wedding Videographer

So…. You’ve been proposed to huh? Congratulations! Making sure that your wedding day is just as wonderful and gorgeous as you've always dreamed can be a challenge. But with lots of planning and organization, its gets done. So what about preserving all these memories that you, for so long, combined together to make such a wonderful day? Why, you get a Wedding Videographer of course! However, if you choose the wrong Videographer, your day may be less than ideal, and you may not be happy with the video that your Videographer makes for you. So here are some suggestions on how to find the right Videographer for your Wedding day!

First, do you like the Videographers work? Make sure that you look at a rather good collection of the Videographers Videos. Now days Videographers have a lot of there Videos online to watch. See what their style is and if it either fits your style, or if they are able to create a style that personalized for you and your spouse! The videos you will watch will probably symbolize the best of the Videographers work. They usually put their best up online. So, after watching the videos, how does it look? Are they pleasant to look at? And what about the type of cameras they use? Are they brilliant in color and how good is their knowledge in lighting and making sure it looks cinematic? Does the lighting and the color look good to you? Is the Videographers style what you are looking for? Most of my clients are usually looking for a very Hollywood-Cinematic style that is cool but sweet and beautiful at the same time. Make sure your Videographer is capable of this! If you don't like the Videographers work, there is no need to consider them further.

Second, do you like the Videographers character and mannerisms? Is the Videographer certain of their self and easy going or are they scared and seem awkward? These are very important questions to ask because it will tell you if your Videographers is will to get those awesome crazy shots or if they are just willing to be normal. And who wants normal at their Wedding? No way! You want different, crazy, and beautiful! Make sure your Videographer has the personality to do this! Remember, the Videographer will be with you all day long, interacting with you, and all your family and guests, so you want to make sure they are someone you want around all day! A lot of times Videographers cannot met up with you personally because of the demanding schedules they have. Filming all day on the weekends and then editing all day and night during the week. So make sure you talk to them on the phone before the Wedding day and email them throughout your engagement so you can get a good idea of what they are like. Most people in the Wedding Industry love what they do! So really you shouldn’t find a mean Videographer, but sometimes you never know. So, make sure you at least have a conference call with them.

Third, does your Videographger have the practice and understanding to anticipate all the excellent things that will happen on your wedding day, and the knowledge and experience to deal with the bad things that could happen as well? An experienced Videographer will have videoed enough weddings to be able to anticipate and to capture special moments during your Wedding day and the all the very important details that may easily be missed by an unprofessional or inexperienced Wedding Videographer. An experienced Videographer also knows the things that could go wrong at a Wedding and will sometimes be able to foresee and expect them and will also have the knowledge and understanding on how to deal with them, with even sometimes not letting the Bride and Groom as well as the guests even knowing that something went wrong. So that’s very important. Experience.

And lastly, does your Videographer offer you the right value? This doesn’t just mean price but value with significance as well. If your Videographer doesn't have all of the above personality traits or characteristics, it may not matter what their prices are. If the Videographer has everything mentioned above, that's a big part of the value they offer you. Please make sure your Videographer will provide the most beautiful creative video you’ve ever seen!

And now that you have all this good information to go off of you can now relax and feel confident the love, special moments and important details of your wedding day will be captured in beautiful images for a lifetime of memories. Congratulations once again!



October 29, 2009
By Juhlin Youlein
AZ wedding videographer http://www.memoriesputtomusic.com

Videographer

Why Digital Photo Printing Is More Economical Than Traditional Photo Processing

As digital photo printing becomes more common, many people have been inspired to give it a try, using online photo sharing sites. As a result, these consumers are finding that it is much more economical to go digital, even if they have to buy a new camera at first. There are many reasons that digital photo printing is more cost effective than the old methods. Let’s take a look at the top two reasons why this is the case.

1. No printing bad photos. Have you ever ordered prints and paid for them, only to find out that 90% of them were unusable? This is a very common problem with traditional photo processing and unless you are developing them yourself, in your own darkroom, chances are this has happened to you more than once.

When you have the ability to look at your images before sending them off to be processed, you can weed out any bad pictures ahead of time. That means you’ll only be paying for the photos you can actually use and this can save quite a bit of money over time, especially if you frequently have film developed.

You also have the ability to take that image, before you send it off for digital photo printing, and edit any way that you like. This is becoming increasingly popular and many consumers are discovering their artistic sides as a result. Editing a picture on your computer is very easy and there are plenty of different software applications out there that are either free or very low cost.

2. Restoration is free. If you have ever lost photographs or had them damaged you know how frustrating it is. This is particularly true if you don’t have the negatives. Typically, you’ll need to pay a special service to restore the photo for you and this can take several thousand dollars, depending on how much work needs to be done.

When you’re using digital photo printing, you’ll always have a back up copy right on hand, both on your own computer and through the service you are using. This gives consumers peace of mind and makes it much easier to store hundreds of photographs without taking up any space.

In addition to these savings, if you happen to lose a photograph, you can simply find it again on your computer. Otherwise, you’d need to locate the negatives to the original photo, go through them to find the one that you want, and then finally take the negatives in to have them redeveloped. This is costly both in terms of sticker price and in the amount of time it can take to track down your negatives.

There are many other reasons why digital photo printing is much more economical than traditional photo processing. The best way to get started is to get a good quality digital camera and find a good online photo sharing site. Once you have that, you’ll be able to start saving money on your photo processing costs right away.



October 28, 2009
By CJ Thomas
CJ Thomas writes for a variety of websites, including Hoorray (http://www.hoorray.com), a photo sharing site that offers the quickest and easiest way to build a free online photo album, as well as free online photo storage.

Printing Photo

Camera Accessories

Your digital camera performs better when it is well accessorized. You need to invest in some good equipment to get a steady performance out of your digital camera. A fine digital camera costs a good amount and you can’t think of upgrading each time a new model arrives in the market. You can get your camera accessorized to boast its performance and also give you long term utility. The basic accessories include camera tripods, batteries, bags and memory cards.

The camera tripod is the most basic accessory for your digital camera. Whether you are a professional photographer or it is your hobby the tripod provides stability to your camera and prevents the unnecessary shake while capturing images. Most tripods are foldable and can be easily carried around. Some are even flexible in nature and are apt for point-and-shoot digital cameras. The tripods provide the flexibility to shoot from different angles and get a steady shot each time.

Digital cameras are coupled with memory cards. Most of them have a limit on the card carrying capacity. If you are on a trip you could consider carrying an extra memory card for storing all your images. This way you don’t have to worry about space in your digital camera and can shoot all that you like.

It is always handy to carry a remote shutter release. This will help you click shots remotely and avoid the shake. This is a great tool for taking night shots, when you are required to have long exposures. This will give you enough stability and are also useful for self-portraits and group photographs. You also need to carry around a lens blower to blow off the sticky dust particles from the lens without putting up your fingerprints or dirt from a wiping cloth.

You need to carry around extra camera batteries or camera charger to keep your camera functional. They are affordable accessories and can be used vice-a-versa for keeping your digital camera charged up. Lastly you need a sturdy camera bag to keep your camera safely and even have enough space for your accessories. A camera bag comes in varied forms; the most popular one is the backpack style. Make sure that the bag has enough padding to provide good protection to your digital camera. You can buy camera accessories from retail outlets or can even shop for them online at popular shopping websites. These websites will offer great discounts and offers on your purchases. To know more visit: http://www.naaptol.com

October 26, 2009
By Pooja Lapasia
Pooja Lapasia is a well known writer and has written many articles covering different topics. She suggests to visit- http://www.naaptol.com/buy-online/WO-shopping-deals-best-W11O/cameras/camera_accessories.html to buy all camera accessories

Camera Accessories

Digital Camera Repair Problem #2 - Broken Lens

Digital camera lens repair is as common as LCD repair, but it's #2 on my list because it's harder to repair and there are so many different types of lens problems whereas a broken LCD is a broken LCD no matter how you look at it.

Here are some basic tips to avoid breaking your lens:

- Do not leave the batteries in your camera in the camera bag. The power button can be pressed accidentally causing the lens to extend and get jammed because it cannot open properly inside the bag.
- Try not to drop the camera with the lens extended.
- Don't ever pull or twist on a lens that is not working 100% properly, you will just break it.

I would have to write a book to fully explain lens problems fully (hmm.. maybe a good idea!) so I will try and keep it simple and informative.

The lens is made up of many different parts... Let's start with the several pieces of glass referred to as the lens elements.

The outer lens element is prone to being scratched and scuffed, and usually has a special coating on it that you DO NOT want to clean off with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), or Windex or something similar. It's not the end of the world, and don't worry about it if it's missing. Just keep the lens clean (why are there fingerprints on your lens anyway??) and scratch free.

The inner-most lens element is responsible for the fine focus and resides directly in front of the CCD. When you press the shutter button half way down to focus, this part moves forwards and backwards till it's in the correct position and your image is in focus. You won't be messing with this part of the lens... unless you feel like removing the lens from the camera and then tearing down the lens to get at it's 'guts'. It's kinda fun the first time, but uh... I wish you luck getting it back together properly. The tearing apart stuff is fun, the putting it back together is a drag!

The lens has two small motors with their own gears that connect to the two main parts of the lens. The larger motor drives the lens barrel in and out when zooming. The smaller motor drives the fine focus element mentioned above and controls the focus. If you get ONE GRAIN of sand in these gears, they will jam and the lens will "error out" as we like to say. Open it up and clean it out if you like, but it's not easy. Typically the main motor of the lens has 5-6 different gears that must be set and aligned properly to function. But hey, your lens is already jammed, why not see how it works, right?

Then there is the CCD, "charge-coupled device" which translates the light that enters the lens into a digital signal that the camera can record.

There was a very large CCD recall by Sony over the past few years that covers many manufacturers and not just Sony, as Sony provided the CCDs to many others for their cameras. The defective CCD's cause the camera to take solid black photos, or purple/pink "dripping paint" photos, or they have repeating white horizontal or verticle lines on the images. If your camera does this, call the manufacturer and tell them you want a repair under the CCD recall no matter how old your camera is! IF it's on the list, you might get your camera repaired for free.

Got spots on your images that get bigger and smaller as you zoom in and out? Most likely there is a spec of dust on your CCD. You will need to remove the lens and then remove the CCD from the back of the lens and clean it off. Don't lose the gasket that goes around the CCD, don't get any other dirt inside the lens and don't leave any fingerprints! Tall order I know, sorry, I'm demanding. =)

Let's see... what else? Your lens is part way out, stuck at an angle becuase the camera was dropped while turned on. Now please read that carefully; the lens must be stuck part way out or all the way out, and one section of the lens MUST be stuck at an angle. The lens must not move freely at all for this section to apply, and you may follow this advice AT YOUR OWN RISK. The following repair trick works, but I am not repsonsible for your actions or anything you do to your camera.

Ok, it's stuck at an angle. Hold the camera with the angled part of the lens resting against the edge of a table, and the rest of the camera hanging over the side. Do not place the camera facing down with the "Canon Zoom Lens..." chrome ring section flat on the table. The rounded edge of the lens must be what makes contact here. Now... here is the tricky part... press the angled part of the lens back into alignment by pushing down on the lens on the edge of the table. Put your fingers on the LENS below the angled part to support it and press firmly but still gently (how do I do that? I don't know.. you just do it) and the lens will either POP!! back into place and work perfectly or it won't budge and no harm will be done, -OR- one of the "guide pins" that run inside a small track in the lens barrel will break off and you have just destroyed the lens.

I told you it was at your own risk!! Camera repair is fun... right?

Ok, how are we feeling about lenses? I think we have covered most of the basic problems, and I hope this helps you to get your camera repaired more quickly and cheaply!



October 23, 2009
By Thomas Drayton
I own a digital camera repair and parts business in the St. Paul MN area: http://www.darntoothysam.com

Lens Cleaning

Video Editing Creating a Montage Or a Commercial

You have just watched your favourite TV program or TV commercial or video and the 30 second or 3 minute production was done flawlessly without any errors or glitches. The term montage comes from the world cinema and is a production of consecutive images all brought together to create one motion picture. It is essentially a form of communication that is used in video and film. However, to truly create a proper montage or video requires several factors.

The first factor is having the proper equipment to video record a particular event. That is coupled with the elements of the environment and ability of the individual recording the video. Secondly software is required to exclude components of the video that are deemed "unnecessary". Thirdly reviewing what was omitted is important to oversee anything that might need removing from the video that was missed the first time around. Finally, piecing everything together is what gets the final production in order to be viewed.

Videos can be used in many different platforms some of them include television, vacation videos, wedding videos, birthday videos, family events, baptism videos, prom nights, graduation videos, bar mitzvah videos, communions, confirmation, baby shower videos, wedding shower videos and engagement parties to name a few.

A commercial, movie, wedding video all follow the same principle all mentioned above. In keeping with the theme of wedding videos it is important to get a wedding videography professional to create your video masterpiece for your wedding party. There are many wedding videographers within the Greater Toronto Area to choose from. It is important that you get the right one to make your wedding video, baptism video, prom night video, baby shower video, and bar mitzvah video.

The same can be said for music videos. Music videos require the same fundamentals as wedding videos, movies and television commercials. The video begins with raw footage of the artist being recorded singing and dancing. Once that segment is completed the video editing process begins. The same essentials that is applied to video editing a wedding video is used when editing a 5-minute music video.

The same can be said about a 30 second Television commercial. All the values of editing a montage, video commercial, wedding video, baptism videos to mention a few are best done by videography professionals. A videography professional has the capability of blending two separate frames and bridging them into cohesive video.

So in conclusion, video editing requires a lot of skill, expertise, resources and imagination. The resources include software, video cameras, mounts and stands, proper lighting and creativity. If you are ready to have your special event be it wedding, baptism, prom night, and much much more be sure to choose videography professional who can consolidate all the magical moments into a beautiful montage for you to enjoy and cherish the rest of your life. Thankfully the Greater Toronto Area has an abundance of videography professionals to choose from. So make the right decision and happy viewings!



October 22, 2009
By Rafi Michael
http://www.videobabylon.ca/Commercial-Video-Photography.html Toronto Video Productionswe specialize in individually tailored Weddings Commercial Video Production Services , Videos and DVD's, offering an experienced, highly professional and affordable service. for more infohttp://www.videobabylon.ca/Commercial-Video-Photography.html Toronto Bussniss Commercial Video Production

Video Editing