GS-DC: iPhoto/Picasa/Windows Live Photo/Photoshop/Photoshop Elements

Review:

• ISO
• Histograms
• Image Stabilization
• Exposure Modes 

iPhoto

• Non-Destructive
• Simple layout, easy to find photos
• Easy to edit photos with filters and effects
• Easy to upload to photo-sharing sites
• Quick and easy file transfer from camera to computer
• Plenty of options for printing photo products (i.e. Books, cards, calendars, prints, etc.)
• Only works on Macs
• Not a lot of editing tools
• Doesn’t upload to enough third-party sites/programs
• Not enough features for more advanced photo editors
• Can add music
• Can do batch editing
• Hides files
• Faces
• Places

Picasa

• Easy to upload to other Google applications (Blogger, YouTube, Google Earth, etc.)
• Can create videos for YouTube
• Plenty of ready options for printing photos
• Can automatically pick up photos from designated folders
• Compatible with both PC and Mac
• Free
• Sometimes run slowly when finding photos throughout the computer
• Program interface is more cluttered than iPhoto’s
• Not enough features for more advanced photo editors
• Keeps files in original spot
• Face Tagging
• Place Tagging
• Privacy
• Embed Flash Slideshow

Windows Live Photo:

• Panorama stitch
• Vista + Windows 7

Photoshop:

•  Its abilities are almost limitless, but it is also difficult to learn and use. That said, learning the basics of photo manipulation — how to resize images, how to auto-correct exposure and contrast levels, and how to convert or save as file types — requires less time and effort.
• It was designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions, available online, and you can also download many free "actions," or prerecorded sequences of tools and keystrokes that format and edit images in predefined ways. Photoshop is compatible with Macs and PCs, and with a little work, it can be run on Linux systems. A resource hog, it requires a robust system to run on, with about a gigabyte of RAM at a minimum, and benefits considerably from even more RAM or an advanced video card.
• Advanced Website Development
• Control: If you like having control over every aspect of your image adjustments, you won’t find that in Elements. You’ll have to go to Photoshop CS5. Elements has good automatic tools for selection, touching up, filters and image adjustments, but Photoshop CS5 usually goes about five steps deeper in options for specific controls: the lighting controls, healing brush tools and cloning tools are vastly improved.
• Advanced Text Formatting: Photoshop Elements has basic text options but not enough to satisfy the serious typographer. Tracking (space between letters), typing along a path, full justification and other advanced formatting is not possible in Elements. However, there are some simple text effects like warping text in Elements that make it fun for the hobbyist.
• Offset Printing with CMYK: If you don’t know what CMYK is, chances are you won’t need it. CMYK or process color is basically a different color format for offset printing. Graphic designers need this when using images in page layout programs like InDesign or Quark Xpress. Today most printers can print digitally, so CMYK is not as important if you’re designing full color brochures or flyers as opposed to catalogs. 
• Layer Masks: If you’re creating web designs and graphics where you’re doing a lot of experimenting and cutouts, you’ll really appreciate layer masks. Elements has basic blending tools from one layer to another where you can blend two photos together, but nothing like Photoshop CS5’s masking power. In Elements, if you want to cut out a person from the background for instance, you can erase the photos you don’t want, but if you make a mistake or change your mind, there’s no going back. In Photoshop CS5 if you apply a layer mask first and then just paint in the mask, you can erase or show whatever you want at any time.  The way masks work is anything that is black is hidden and anything that is white is shown. You can even paint with different shades of black and it will affect the opacity of the layers. This gives you limitless possibilities.
• Compositing: One really cool feature of Photoshop CS5 is its compositing capabilities. If you have multiple photos that are roughly the same, like a series of family shots that were taken at the same time, you can have Photoshop CS5 automatically align the two pictures and then you can just delete the parts of one photo you don’t like. Facial expressions, vehicles, birds that fly through and ruin your scene, etc., are all removable.
• Custom Automation (Batches): Photoshop Elements has some great basic tools for processing multiple files at once. With Elements you can rename files, resize images, convert files, apply “Quick Fixes” and add watermarking or captions to multiple images at once. This covers about 90% of the batching tasks people use. However, you are limited with just these options. With Photoshop CS5, you can create your own automated “actions” to apply to anything you want. You simply start “recording” a series of actions you make to one file and then stop recording when you’re finished. Then you can apply those same steps to thousands of other images with the click of one button. Photoshop CS5 does the work for you. You could literally walk away, come back hours later and it would be done.

Photoshop Elements:

• everything but not... Photoshop
• great tools
• Photomerge group shot – combine the best photo of each person in group shots into a single photo. Great when you can’t get the whole family smiling in a single photo.
• Photomerge scene cleaner – Say you’ve taken a series of shots, but when your subjects looked their best, but a car was intruding in the background. You can wipe away that annoying car with this feature.
• Map Your Memories – like Picasa, in Elements you can tag your pictures with a location and view them on a map.
• Online Adobe Flash creations with great animated templates like maps.
• Create PDF – easily create a PDF of your Photo book for an easy format to email or save.
• Save for Web feature – Elements allows you to easily compress photos that you wish to upload to the web. This is a great feature in the full version of Photoshop, and it’s available in Elements now as well. Elements also allows you to convert files to many different photo formats.
• Can remove red-eye
• adjust colors, lighting, contrast, shadowing, and highlights
• create composites from multiple photographs

GS-DC: ISO, Histograms, Image Stabilization, and Exposure Modes

Review:

1. Formatting memory
2. Meta Data
3. Lenses
4. Focal Length - 35-110mm, for example
5. Aperture

What Is... ISO:

• ISO sensitivity (Auto; ISO 100, 200, 400, 800) expresses the speed of photographic negative materials (formerly expressed as ASA).

• In digital photography,  ISO denotes is how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor and therefore the possibility to take pictures in low-light situations.

• And, where you would have needed to physically change to a different roll of film if you wanted a different ISO speed, digital technology allows you to simply dial one in. In this way, you can record images taken at different ISO speeds on the same memory card.

ISO Speed & Exposure

• ISO speed affects the shutter speed / aperture combination
• Suppose your digital camera's light meter warns you there is not enough light to correctly expose a scene. You could use the on-board flash, but let's suppose again it's not allowed (like in a concert or indoors recital).
• You would then need to use a higher ISO. Set on "ISO Auto" mode, your digital camera will automatically select a higher ISO. Otherwise, you can manually select the next higher ISO and see if the increased sensitivity allows you to obtain a correctly exposed picture. If it does, you can now take a correctly exposed picture.
• Similarly, if you find the camera is using a shutter speed that is too slow (1/60 sec. and slower) to handhold the camera steady and shake-free (thus resulting in blurred pictures), and you cannot open up the aperture anymore, and you do not have a tripod or other means to hold the camera steady, and you want to capture the action, etc. etc. -- then you might select the next higher ISO which will then allow you to select a faster shutter speed.

ISO Speed & Noise

• However, all this increase in sensitivity does not come free. There is a price to pay with your image appearing more noisy.
• When you boost the sensitivity of your image sensor by selecting a higher ISO, the image sensor is now able to record a fainter light signal.  The increased sensitivity allows the image sensor to record more light signal and more noise
• An image sensor is usually calibrated so that it gives the best image quality (greatest Signal/Noise ratio) at its lowest possible ISO speed. For most consumer digital cameras, this value will be expressed as ISO 50, ISO 64 or ISO 100. A few digital cameras use ISO 200 as their lowest ISO speed.
• Just as with its film counterpart, an image sensor will exhibit "noise" (comparable to "graininess" in film) at the higher ISO speeds. Unlike film, where graininess can sometimes contribute to the mood of the image, noise produced by an image sensor is undesirable and appears as a motley of distracting colored dots on your image

Histograms:

• Most serious photo-editing programs let you use a histogram as a guide when editing your images. However, since most image corrections can be diagnosed by looking at a histogram, it helps to look at it while still in a position to reshoot the image. It's for this reason that many cameras let you display histograms on the monitor in playback mode or while reviewing an image you have just taken. A few cameras even let you see a histogram as you are composing an image.
• Evaluating Histograms
• Each pixel in an image can be set to any of 256 levels of brightness from pure black (0) to pure white (255) and a histogram graphs which of those levels of brightness are in the image and how they are distributed. The horizontal axis of a histogram represents the range of brightness from 0 (shadows) on the left to 255 (highlights) on the right. Think of it as a line with 256 spaces on which to stack pixels of the same brightness. Since these are the only values that can be captured by the camera, the horizontal line also represents the image's maximum potential tonal range or contrast. The vertical axis represents the number of pixels that have each of the 256 brightness values. The higher the line coming up from the horizontal axis, the more pixels there are at that level of brightness.

To read the histogram, you look at the distribution of pixels. Here are some things to look for.

• Many photos look best when there are some pixels at every position because these images are using the entire tonal range.
• In many images, pixels are grouped together and occupy only a part of the available tonal range. These images lack contrast because the difference between the brightest and darkest areas isn't as great as it could be. However, this can be fixed in your photo-editing program by using commands that spread the pixels so they cover the entire available tonal range. These controls allow you to adjust the shadow, midtone, and highlight areas independently without affecting the other areas of the image. This lets you lighten or darken selected areas of your images without loosing detail. The only pixels that can't be fixed in this way are those that have been "clipped" to pure white or black.

Highlight Warning

One thing you want to avoid is overexposing highlights so they become so bright, or "clipped", they loose details. To help you avoid this many cameras a highlight warning when you review your images. Overexposed areas of the image that have no detail blink or are outlined in color.

There are two kinds of histograms. Most cameras show one of the gray scale brightness levels. A few show display an RGB histogram showing the brightness of each of the three colors, red, green, and blue

Image Stabilization:


 When you move the camera during an exposure, especially at slow shutter speeds, when shooting close-ups, or using a long focal length lens, it causes blur in the image. To reduce this blur, some cameras have image stabilization systems. These systems use a sensor to recognize camera movement and then try to compensate using a variety of techniques. The process goes under a confusing variety of names including image stabilization, vibration reduction, and anti-shake. Manufacturers claim 2 to 3 stop increases before camera shake blurs an image. This means that if you can shoot safely at 1/60 without IS, you can shoot at 1/15 or even slower with it.

• Optical image stabilization works by moving a prism in the camera or an element in the lens to redirect the light path to compensate for the unintended movement. The camera moves one way, and the prism or lens element moves the other. This is the most effective method, but also the most expensive.
• Digital image stabilization shifts the image on the sensor to compensate for motion. When this technique is used, not all of the sensor's pixels can be used for the image. Some of those on the border have to be reserved for the shifting image projected by the lens. Another digital technique is to process the captured image to try to remove the blur.
• Pseudo image stabilization just increases the ISO so the camera can select a faster shutter speed.

When the camera has a fixed lens, it doesn't matter which approach is used. However, on cameras with interchangeable lenses it does matter. If the system resides within the camera body it will work with any lens, if it resides within the lens it only works with special lenses. When thinking about image stabilization, keep in mind that it's always been available in the form of a tripod, monopod, beanbag, or a flat surface on which to rest the camera. You can increase stability by using the self-timer or remote to reduce vibrations.


Exposure Modes - The Camera's Choices:


Digital cameras have various ways of controlling the aperture and shutter speed. All modes give equally good results in the vast majority of photographic situations. However, when you photograph in specific kinds of situations, each of these exposure modes may have certain advantages. Here are modes you may want to look for although it can be complicated by the way camera companies use different names for the same things.

• Automatic mode sets the shutter speed and aperture without your intervention. This mode allows you to shoot without paying attention to settings so you can concentrate on composition and focus.
• Scene modes, which go by a variety of names (Nikon calls them Multi auto programmed modes), have preselected settings for specific situations such as landscapes, portraits, night portraits, sports, and close-up photography. On some cameras the number of these settings has gotten a bit out of hand since there are so many you have to select them from a menu.
• Shutter-priority mode lets you choose the shutter speed you need to freeze or deliberately blur camera or subject movement and the camera automatically sets the aperture to give you a good exposure. You select this mode when the portrayal of motion is most important. For example, when photographing action scenes, such as those encountered by wildlife photographers, sports photographers, and photojournalists, shutter-priority mode might be best. It lets you be sure your shutter speed is fast enough to freeze the action or slow enough to blur it.
• Aperture-priority mode lets you select the aperture needed to obtain the depth of field you want and the exposure system automatically sets the shutter speed to give you a good exposure. You select this mode whenever depth of field is most important. To be sure everything is sharp, as in a landscape, select a small aperture. The same holds true for close-up photography where depth of field is a major concern. To throw the background out of focus so it's less distracting in a portrait, select a large aperture.
• Manual mode lets you select both the shutter speed and the aperture. You normally use this mode only when the other modes can't give you the results you want. Some cameras have a bulb setting in this mode that lets you capture time exposures such as light trails at night. In this mode the shutter remains open as long as you hold down the shutter button. If it's open for more than 1 second, noise in the form of randomly-spaced, brightly-colored pixels may appear in the photograph. To reduce noise at slow shutter speeds, turn on noise reduction if the camera has it.
• Custom settings mode on high-end cameras lets you store personal settings. If you use the same settings over and over again it may be worthwhile saving them for future use. Some cameras let you save one or more sets and then instantly access them at any time just by turning a mode dial. Storing your own settings is as simple as setting the camera the way you want it and then selecting the menu's command that assigns them to the custom setting.

GS-DC: Testing It Out and Buying/Using Lenses

Review:

1. When things go wrong...
2. Evaluating MegaPixels
3. Digital SLR's
4. RAW vs. JPEG

Physical Review:

1. How much power is left?
2. Turning the rear screen off/on
3. Changing AutoFocus Priority
4. Locking Focus (half button push)
5. Auto Exposure (over/under expose)
6. Locking Exposure (half button push)
7. Flash Settings - Always/When Necessary/Always Off
8. File format - RAW or JPEG
9. White Balance (JPEG only)

Remember to Format Your Memory:

• When you first buy a memory card or use it in a different camera you should format it. Every camera that accepts these cards has a Format command listed somewhere in it's menus. Formatting prepares the card for use in a camera and reformatting it when you change cameras just ensures the card will be accurately written to and read in that specific camera. You may also find that formatting a card that has developed problems will also fix it. Just be aware that the Format command will erase all of the images from the card.

Meta Data:

• Information about the image can be displayed on many cameras. This information, called EXIF information or 'meta data', is stored in the image file but not the image itself. It may include the date and time the picture was taken, shutter speed and aperture used, and a small thumbnail image. Many cameras will also display a histogram and highlight (overexposure) warning. Some cameras let you select how much information is displayed so you can display it all when reviewing images and turn it all off when giving a slide show. 
• See if you can find how to display a photo's meta data on your camera

Lenses:

• The focal length of the lens or the zoom range is always shown in mm. On fixed lens cameras the zoom range is often given as a multiplier. For example, 6.0-72.0mm is 12x (72 divided by 6).
• The maximum aperture determines how wide the lens will open. It's listed on the lens as a ratio such as 1:2.4 or 1:2.8-3.7. On most zoom lenses, two maximum apertures are given because the aperture changes as you zoom the lens in and out. However, some lenses don't change the aperture as you zoom them. A larger maximum aperture is better because it lets you use shallower depth of field, a faster shutter speed to freeze action, and increases the range of your flash. A lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4 is three stops faster than a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6. This means that instead of using a shutter speed of 1/15 you can use one of 1/125. The problem with lenses having large maximum apertures is that they are expensive, large, and heavy. 

• The size of filters or other accessories that can be screwed into the threads is shown as a diameter, often preceded with the symbol f as in f85mm.

Choosing Focal Length:

• The focal length of a lens has a huge impact on your images and is one of the most important tools in your creative tool box. On fixed lens cameras you change the focal length by zooming the lens. On SLRs you can do the same or change lenses. The various focal lengths you can use are referred to by synonyms that can be confusing at first.

• Wide-angle, short focal length, short lens and zoom out refer to the same thing lenses that capture a wide expanse of a scene.
• Telephoto, long focal length, long lens and zoom in refer to the same thing lenses that bring distant subjects closer.

• The focal length you choose is a creative choice because it has two effects on your images:

• Angle of view refers to how much of a scene the lens covers. Fisheye lenses, the widest available, can capture up to 180-degrees. As you zoom in or change lenses to increase the focal length, the field of view narrows and you can isolate small portions of the scene without moving closer to the subject.
• Magnification is related to the lens' angle of view. Since using a short focal length lens or zooming out includes a wide sweep of the scene, all of the objects in the scene are reduced to fit into the image.

• The impact of sensor size on focal length isn't limited to fixed lens cameras. Digital SLRs are often adapted from 35mm film cameras and use lenses designed to project an image circle large enough to cover a frame of 35mm film. When these lenses are used on a digital camera, the angle of view captured in the image depends on the size of the sensor placed within this image circle.

If your camera has a zoom ring on the lens, you can turn it during a slow exposure to streak lights.

Zoom Lenses:

• Most fixed lens cameras have a built-in zoom lens and zooms are also very popular with SLR users. These lenses are popular because they let you choose any focal length within the range the lens is designed for. Zoom comes in three varieties; optical, digital and cropping:

• An optical zoom actually changes the amount of the scene falling on the image sensor. Every pixel in the image contains unique data so the final photo is sharp and clear.
• A digital zoom, found on many fixed lens cameras, uses sleight of hand by taking a part of the image falling on the sensor and enlarging it to fill the sensor. It does this by adding new pixels to the image using interpolation. The interpolated image doesn't have as many unique pixels as one taken with an optical zoom so is inferior. In fact, you don't even need this zoom feature because you can get exactly the same effect just by cropping a normal image in a photo-editing program and then enlarging it.

Normal Lenses:

• A "normal lens" for a 35mm camera usually refers to a fixed focal length lens of 50mm or a zoom lens zoomed in a little from its widest angle. When using a lens of this focal length, the scene looks about the same as it does to the unaided eye. With a longer focal length, everything appears closer than it actually is. With a shorter focal length, everything looks farther away.

• A normal-focal-length (50mm) lens isn't necessarily the one photographers normally use. Many photographers prefer the wider angle of view and greater depth of field provided by a slightly shorter focal length.

Short Focal Lengths:

• Using a short focal length lens or zooming out gives you a wide-angle of view that lets you capture a wide expanse of a scene. This view is ideal for use in tight spaces, such as when photographing landscapes and in small rooms where you can't position the camera a great distance from the subject. A short lens also has great depth of field so it's good for street or action photographs. When responding to quickly unfolding scenes this depth of field lets you respond quickly without worrying about focus.

• Short lenses also let you focus very close to your subject, and the effect this can have on the perspective in your images can be dramatic. Objects very close to the camera loom much larger than those farther in the background. This distortion in the apparent size of objects can deliberately give emphasis and when carried to an extreme, give an unrealistic appearance to a scene.

Long Focal Lengths:

• A long focal length lens acts somewhat like a telescope in that it magnifies the image of your subject. This is especially useful when you can't get close to your subject— or don't want to. Long lenses are ideal for wildlife, portrait, and candid photography, whenever getting close to a subject might disturb it. The long focal length lets you keep your distance and still fill the viewfinder frame with the subject. Keeping at a distance eliminates the exaggerated perspective caused by working very close to a subject with a shorter focal length lens. It also helps relax your subjects if they get uneasy, as many people do, when a camera comes close. As the focal length of a lens increases, the depth of field gets shallower so you must focus more carefully. Also, a long lens visually compresses space, making objects in the scene appear closer together than they actually are. The primary drawback of a long lens is that most (but not all) such lenses have a smaller maximum aperture. This may force you to use a slower shutter speed. Also, since a long lens magnifies movement, just as it magnifies the subject, you may also have to use a tripod instead of hand-holding the camera. (They may also be heavier.)