How to take Great Photos of Your Pet

We all love our animals. They do such funny, adorable, and cute things. But somehow when that camera comes out they run and hide or they just seem to always be pointed away from the camera when you push the button. Well here are some tips to help you have a better chance at getting great photos of your pet.

1. Don’t wake your pet out of deep sleep and attempt to coerce him into performing for the camera. It won’t happen. Try to take photos of your pet during their routine playtime.

2. If there is enough daylight to take photos then turn the flash off. My cat has learned to close his eyes just before the flash goes off. He learned that little trick quick too! Many times a camera flash is just too bright for them, that’s why they point away from you when they know that you’re taking photos.

3. Don’t try to get them looking into the camera. If there is someone around who can play with your pet just get a shot of them playing with someone else. You can have the photo with the person and the pet or get close to crop the person out of the shot.

4. If your pet always runs away from you every time you pull the camera out try leaving the camera sit out where it can be seen. Take photos of other things in the home and try turning the flash off.

5. Be prepared to grab your camera and take photos when your pet is ready, read “doing something cute.” I’ve been able to get some of the best photos of my cat when he’s just doing something on his own.

Remember don’t put pressure on your animal to perform for the camera. Think more on the lines of catch them in their natural habitat. Our pets want to make us happy and you can easily confuse them by pressuring them to look good for the camera. Also be prepared to take a whole lot of bad photos for that one really good one.

About The Author

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal

Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.

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Lowepro Apex 10AW Digital Camera Pouch - Black?
List Price: ?17.00
Amazon Price: ?12.48
Used Price: ?7.99
Customer Review: Good things come in small packages! A tiny outdoor case.
I got one of these for my Canon Ixus 860 and it fits nice and snugly! (its much smaller than it looks in the photo, check out the dimensions). The belt clip at the back works well with a double velcro fastening so you can take it off without undoing your belt, yet its very secure. Unlike the leather Canon ‘purse’ cases, this is ideal for active outdoor use, it even has its own waterproof ‘kagoul’ cover that you can pull out from the back. It also has a little compartment for SD cards and will even take a spare battery too! Highly recommended.

Power Battery for Nikon Coolpix S6, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Removing a Textured Pattern from a Scanned Photo - 5 Minute Digital Fix

One of the most common problems when dealing with scanned photographs as part of a digital restoration activity is that after scanning, the digital image appears to have a textured pattern to it.

This is often caused by the fact that the photograph in question has been printed on textured photographic paper.

This article will show you how to remove the un-desirable pattern effect without significantly loosing any of the important image detail.

The problematic photo may well be an old black and white, sepia, or even a more modern colour photograph.

(I remember Kodak introducing their “Silk finish” prints many years ago printed on a silky sheen textured paper!).

The example image on our web-site is an old black and white wedding photograph that has been printed on a textured paper.

If you look closely at the white cornice behind the bride and groom you can clearly see that the textured pattern of the photographic paper has been faithfully re-produced during the scanning of the photo.

Before we commence any major restoration work we would like to remove as much of the un-desirable textured pattern as is possible.

Step 1

Open the image up in Adobe Photoshop and the first step is to create a duplicate (copy) layer of the original image by selecting Layer-> Duplicate Layer .. and give the new layer an appropriate name.

Zoom in close enough to get an appreciation of how severe the textured pattern is, but keep some picture detail visible (especially people’s faces) so that you can easily judge how well the texture removal is proceeding without loosing too much important picture detail.

Step 2

With the duplicate layer active apply a Gaussian Blur by selecting Filter->Blur->Gaussian Blur …

A pop-up option box will allow you to set the amount of Gaussian blur to apply to the image.

I generally start with a Radius = 1.5 and work up from there, constantly looking at the image to see the affect as I increase the blur radius.

Anything over a Radius = 5.0 will usually be far too harsh, so in the example on the web-site the required outcome is to “minimise” the texture pattern effect without compromising the important detail in the photo.

For our web-site example image I found I was able to set Radius = 3.5 without any significant loss of detail.

The example image is starting to “soften”, but the textured pattern has clearly diminished.

Step 3

Zooming out to have a look at the complete photo reveals that the un-desirable textured pattern has all but vanished with only minor softening of the important image detail.

Each photo you work on will have to be judged on its own merits when determining the amount of blur to apply.

But all is not lost on retaining that important image detail!!

Step 4

Remember … the Gaussian blur has been applied to the duplicate layer we created at the start of the exercise.

The original image, complete with texture, is sitting under the duplicate layer.

By using Photoshop’s Layer Blending Modes and Layer Opacity we can produce an image made up of a combination of both layers with some of the detail from the lower original layer showing through.

Again, each photo will be judged on its own merits and the setting I finalised on for our example image on the web-site may not be the same as you will find most suitable for your own images.

Try experimenting with the different blending modes and layer opacity settings.

I finally settled on a blending mode of “Luminosity” and Opacity of 85% for the Gaussian Blur layer.

Step 5

To finalise the image I then “flattened” the two layers into a single image layer by selecting Layer->Flatten Image.

Step 6

I then checked the tonal range of our combined layered image using the Levels command by selecting Image->Adjustment->Levels … and fine tuned the black, white and grey points.

Step 7

And last but not least, we can still bring a little bit more “sharpness” out of the image by finally applying a small amount of Unsharp Mask by selecting Filter->Sharpen->Unsharp Mask …

Experimenting with the various settings, I was able to settle upon Amount = 185%; Radius = 2.5 pixels; and Threshold = 50 levels.

And there you have it … the removal of an un-desirable textured pattern without significantly sacrificing important image detail.

If you find the steps being taken are a little hard to understand in this text based article, you can click on the link at the end of this article to see the same method explained on our website with the aid of example graphical images.

? Gary Wilkinson 2005 - All Rights Reserved

You can see this method complete with example images at Removing a textured pattern from a scanned photo

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are retained as-is.

Gary Wilkinson is a photographer, photographic restorer and the owner of a photographic retail business. He is also the publisher of the http://www.restoring-photos-made-easy.com website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.
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Samsung S630 Digital Camera - Silver (6.0MP, 3x Optical Zoom) 2.5″ LCD
6.0 mega pixels, 3x optical zoom The Samsung S630 is a high resolution digital camera that is equipped with a true-colour filtered 6.0 mega-pixel CCD. You can use Samsung S630 to produce even better images and take detailed photos for printing up to poster size. In addition, the Samsung S630 has a 3x optical and 5x digital zoom giving 15x total zoom when combined. The ASR technology prevents the degradation of image clarity and colour common to flash photography. With ASR the effects of camera shake are reduced in lower light conditions. You can even take well exposed, sharper pictures in low light without using a flash at all. It guarantees brighter and more natural pictures.
Amazon Price: ?49.99
Customer Review: It will do the job for me
I’m not a great picture taker, but I’d read the reviews and this camera suited my budget and the purpose I bought it for. Another reviewer has commented on the skin tones and I’d have to agree with him. I’m African-Caribbean and quite dark but the picture result made me darker and my friend’s husband, also A-C looked even darker! Admittedly the pictures were taken indoors, but I did use the flash. Fortunately Adobe Photoshop helped to brighten us up a bit, but I had to laugh when I initially saw the photos. I bought rechargeable batteries at the same time but forgot to put in a memory card I already had so could only take a small number of pictures, about 16 I think, but that was enough for me. Entry-level camera for practice and ease of use then upgrade to something better later on. I will. Rechargeable batteries are a must.
Customer Review: Not a good Christmas present
This camera looks good, and has all the functions that you would expect from a digital camera of its price. However, the camera used up the Duracell alkaline AA batteries that were supplied with it in 2 hours, and another pair of the same batteries in another two hours. Because of this I assumed that mine was a faulty unit, but the replacement (which Amazon.co.uk supplied very quickly indeed) drained its new batteries in its first hour of use. I can’t see how this product (as supplied) could be of any use at all, and I would not recommend anybody purchasing one. I am now looking for a digital camera with similar specifications but good battery life.

Pentax Optio A30 Digital Compact Camera [10MP, 3x optical]
Amazon Price: ?172.58
Customer Review: Pentax does it again
I was a little wary after reading some of the reviews on here but as I’ve owned at least five Pentax’s in the past, I decided to upgrade my compact anyway. Although I think the picture quality doesn’t match my *ist DS SLR (I wouldn’t really expect it to) it’s still good. I have recharged my battery for the weekend purely because of the negative reviews but it lasted a long weekend in Northern Ireland and two weeks of mostly being switched off and was still showing full bars when I checked it last night. Easy to use, good looking, nice big screen and although the same height & width of my old compact, the slimness is much more pocket friendly. Looks like the old Optio 430 will join my other old cameras, gathering dust.
Customer Review: Pentax A30 Optio
I’ve had this camera for a couple of weeks now and recently used it on a holiday. I cannot understand the couple of negative reviews that certain others have given this. These are my opinions: 1) Great picture quality. 2) Very fast start up time 3) Screen is not any more susceptible to scratching than anything else I’ve seen that has a screen. Try taking care of your nigh on ?200 camera! 4) I found the battery life to be excellent. I only needed to charge the camera once in a week. Perhaps other users are taking longer videos with it and draining the battery? 5) Very easy to use - menus are sensible and straight forward Overall I’m very happy with this camera and wouldn’t consider swapping it.

Canon DC201 Digital DVD Camcorder (35x Optical Zoom, 2.7″ Widescreen Colour LCD)
DC201 CAMCORDER 30XOPT.ZOOM UK

Customer Review: Excellent Camera for a Fantastic Price
I bought this camera recently with the arrival of our first child to be able to record general bits and pieces as all new dad’s do!

For the cost I wasn’t expecting a great deal but I’ve been really surprised at how easy and well this camcorder performs.

For someone who just wants to take general video of ’stuff’ you really can’t do much better than this for the price, a friend of mine was a bit dismissive of it however he’s a professional and spends more on his kit than most people do their houses but for the price he had to conceed it certainly does the job!

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You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Read more..

Customer Review: Caveat Emptor
Whether this product is great or rubbish I have no idea. It was purchased from Pixmania (a non-UK company) via the Amazon marketplace. It arrived poorly packaged but on time. It showed clear signs of having been used - opened box, crumpled packaging, loose items etc. All of the instructions were in French and German but then again they would be - the item was an NV-GS230EF not the NV-GS230EB as advertised - never intended for the UK market. Pixmania insist that their own website makes it clear that the instructions are not in English (indeed if you look hard enough at their massive site you will find this somewhere). I remember buying it through Amazon though, where there is no such mention of non-english documentation. Certainly, there was no mention of second hand goods on either website. Pixmania insist (on their national rate phoneline) that they do not sell second-hand goods but offer no rational explanation as to why the product had clearly been used despite the transit box being sealed. Do I keep it and find out whether it works once I’ve found a download site for the instructions? Do I pay to have it sent back to Pixmania and hope for a refund? Perhaps Pixmania will collect it at their expense and make more effort to let buyers know they are buying goods never intended for the UK market.(!). I’m sure this product is great but I’m going to have to wait to find out. The service has definitely NOT being worth the small savings - buy from the UK or USA !!
Read more..

Technical DataStorage Floppy Drive / TypeNoneTechnical DataDisplay (Projector) / TypeLCD displayTechnical DataDisplay (Projector) / Diagonal Sizein1.5Technical DataDisplay (Projector) / TechnologyTFT active matrixTechnical DataVideo Input / TypeCamcorderTechnical DataVideo Input / Digital Video FormatMPEG-4Technical DataAudio Input / TypeMicrophoneTechnical DataDimensions & Weight / Widthcm3.6Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Depthcm7.2Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Heightcm8.6Technical DataVideo Input / Still Image FormatJPEGTechnical DataOptical Sensor / Optical Sensor TypeCMOSTechnical DataViewfinder / Viewfinder TypeNoneTechnical DataHeader / Product LineAiptek Pocket DVTechnical DataHeader / ModelT100 LETechnical DataHeader / ManufacturerAIPTEKTechnical DataVideo Input / Digital Zoom4Technical DataHeader / Packaged Quantity1Technical DataLens System / TypeLensTechnical DataLens System / Lens ApertureF/3.0Technical DataLens System / Min Focal Lengthmm8.3Technical DataCamera Flash / TypeBuilt-inflashTechnical DataVideo Input / Special EffectsClassic FilmTechnical DataVideo Input / Shooting ModesDigital photo modeTechnical DataDisplay (Projector) / Display Form FactorFoldingTechnical DataBattery / Battery Form FactorStandard form factorTechnical DataBattery / Supported Battery Form FactorAATechnical DataOptical Sensor / Sensor QtyCMOS1Technical DataOptical Sensor / Camcorder Sensor ResolutionMpix3
Amazon Price: ?66.87
Customer Review: Simple and great value for money
Wasnt expecting much…I now use it all the time. Easy to use, records straight onto an SD card which then plays back in reasonable quality on my TV and my Windows Media Player. Takes both still pictures and video with ease. I probably use this more than my main camcorder as I do alot of You Tube clips and post them online. This is perfect the that!!
Read more..

The DCR-TRV270 is an ideal entry-level Digital8 camcorder equipped with a powerful zoom lens. The 37mm diameter lens features a 20X optical zoom that is not only capable of capturing a brighter image but is able to zoom in from a substantial distance with
Used Price: ?139.00
Customer Review: sony
sony have done it again, this is a high quality camcorder at a very affordable price, i found it very easy to use i would almost say fool proof, its not as compact as the dv’s but is well made and does have that air of quality about it, lets face it its a cheap camcorder and therefore has to cover the basics which it does extremely well, but i personally feel that it offers a value for money that is hard to beat. So i give it 5 stars why?, well its not the best camcorder out there but it doesn’t try to be it trys and succeeds to be the best affordable mid range camera that there in my opinion is. This was a great first camcorder for me, note you should look around for tapes since they can be quite pricy, but have a look because i found some very cheap ones that were of a high quality.
Customer Review: go anywhere else, but for the price this is excellent
THIS CAMCOERDER IS GREAT FOR THE PRICE AND FOR ITS CONTENTS, FIRST OF ALL U CAN LINK IT TO YOUR PC AND EDIT IMAGES BUT U CAN ALSO USE DIGITAL 8 TAPES, I KNOW THERE NOT AS GOOD AS MINI DV OR AN ACTUAL DVD DISC BUT FOR THE PRICE YOU CANT GRUMBLE OVER IT. IT HAS ALSO GOT 20 OPTICAL ZOON AND FOE THE PRICE IS EXCELLENT.
Read more..

Sony DCR-DVD109 Handycam DVD Camcorder with 2.5” LCD screen
DVD HANDYCAM 8CM DVD-R/RW DVD+RW 1/6 800K PIXEL CCD NS

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Power Battery for Samsung L700, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

JVC GRD200 Digital Camcorder

Power Battery for Sony DCR-PC120E, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Toshiba Cam-ILEO - Camcorder with digital player / voice rec
Customer Review: Very Nice To Look At But Very Bad Quality
we thought we would buy a camera for our 2 week holiday to tenerife and bought this. The picture is great if you are zoomed in x4 other than that it is appaling even in ‘high quality’ mode making most of our holiday memoirs unwatchable. this camera would not even be suitable as a play thing for teenagers. dont buy its a waste of time and money!
Customer Review: Multi task camera/camcorder
We were very suprised at how good the value for money was with this camcorder. It has many features and good quality. Came with tripod , av adaptor (so no buying thousands of battery)and lots of other accessories. Very light and handy . We would recommend this camcorder if you want quality on a budget!

Removing Spot Scratches in Your Treasured Photos - 5 Minute Digital Fix

Probably one of the most common problems you will be faced with in doing any type of digital photo restoration work will be to do with spot scratches on your old photos.

When we first look at those old black and white or early colour photos they often have small scratch marks and spots on them from being stored incorrectly.

These small spot scratches are easily perceived by your eye when you are looking at the photo, detracting from the overall subject matter.

Here is a very easy quick fix using Adobe Photoshop’s History Brush tool.

Our example “before” image on our web-site has numerous small spot scratches on the old sepia toned photograph.

The basic removal method described here can quickly and effortlessly bring those scratched photos back to (almost) their former glory using the History Brush Tool found in Photoshop.

This basic technique works extremely well for those types of images that have spot scratches in areas of the photo that do not contain a lot of detail.

As you can see in our example image on the web-site, the spots tend to be primarily on the background of the photo, making it ideal for this correction method.

Step - 1

Having opened up the image in Photoshop we will first apply the Dust and Scratches filter by selecting Filter->Noise->Dust & Scratches …

Set the Threshold to between 1 and 4 (I generally start with 1) and then increase the Radius until you see the spot scratches disappear.

Our example image on the web-site finally made the largest spot scratch on the left hand side of the photo disappear at a Threshold of 3 and Radius of 10.

All well and good but our image is now totally blurred!! Not really what we wanted to see is it?

This is where the History Brush tool comes into play.

Step - 2

Open up the History Palette by selecting Window->History if you cannot see the window already open.

We are going to create a “Snapshot” of the current state of the image in question by clicking on what looks like a little image of a camera at the bottom of the History Palette window (see the red arrow on the web-site image).

After clicking you will notice that the History Palette now shows an extra image icon called “Snapshot 1″.

This is a snapshot of the image that includes the effect of apply the Dust & Scratches Filter in Step 1.

Now click on the little square box to the left of Snapshot 1.

You will see a little “brush” icon appear which is now telling us that the “Snapshot 1″ image will be used as our “source” when we paint with the History Brush.

Remember … this snapshot image actually has none of the spot scratches on it because we made them disappear by applying the Dust & Scratches filter in Step 1.

Step - 3

Make the original (un-touched) history snapshot active by clicking on it (in the case of our example image this is “Restore-Before-Image.jpg”).

Select the History Brush from the main toolbar (this has the same icon as the little “brush” icon that appeared in the History Palette window).

We are now ready to “paint away” those spot scratches!!

Step - 4

I’m going to zoom in on the largest scratch on the left hand side of the photo to show you how we use the History Brush.

We selected the History Brush in Step 3.

Select an appropriate brush size and soft edges.

We now need to decide how to apply the brush to the scratches in question.

You will notice that the scratches in our example image are “lighter” than the surrounding image.

Step - 5

We need to paint “darker” pixels and as such we set the History Brush Mode: to “Darken” (Top Menu Bar option when you have the History Brush as the active tool).

This has the effect of “telling the History Brush” to only replace pixels on the original image with pixels from our snapshot if the snapshot pixel is darker.

Start to paint over the scratches and see what happens.

The scratches start to miraculously disappear as you paint over them.

They are being replaced with the underlying snapshot image pixels you created in Step 1.

The benefit of using this techniques is that you have complete control over which parts of the original image you “paint over” so as not to blur important details of the image had you just applied a Dust & Scratches filter to the whole image.

Now what if your scratches are darker than the surrounding image, I hear you ask?

Easy!! … just use a History Brush Mode: of “Lighten” instead of “Darken”.

You can experiment with all of the History Brush options - Mode, Opacity and Flow until you get the desired result.

The resulting “After” image has had all of the spot scratches removed easily without compromising on the photographic detail of the image.

And there you have it!!Less than five minutes of digital image manipulation to remove those unwanted spot scratches.

If you find the steps taking are a little hard to understand in this text based article, you can click on the link at the end of this article to see the same method explained on our website with the aid of example graphical images.

? Gary Wilkinson 2005 - All Rights Reserved

You can see this removal method complete with example images at Basic removal of Spot Scratches in Photos

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are retained as-is.

Gary Wilkinson is a photographer, photographic restorer and the owner of a photographic retail business.

He is also the publisher of the http://www.restoring-photos-made-easy.com website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.
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i-nique - Digital Camera case - “Dude Bag”! MED- (Blue) for Canon Ixus (700 750 800 850 900 950 950is TX1 960 IS / 860 IS)
So your an amateur photographer, and need a reasonably price bag that going to make you “look good?, and take better pictures… perhaps not!The dude bag (can be a dudette bag as well.. hence the pink colour!)is the perfect entry level photo bag for digital cameras on the market. So who needs a big bag anyway that?s going to take up serious luggage space on your holiday, to fit all the paraphernalia that you don?t really need! So keep it small and compact, get rid of the tag along nonsense that just gets in the way. Clip it onto your belt buckle so it does not even get classed as hand luggage when you check in for that long awaited holiday!

Inov8 NB 1L Replacement Digital Camera Battery for Canon
Genuine UK product, Brand New, Retail packaging, Full UK Warranty. Authorised Inov8 Retailer.
Amazon Price: ?6.97

Optimize Your Photos for the Web

It doesn’t matter if your emailing photos of your grandson or putting images of your latest product on your online store. Too many people don’t consider optimizing their photos for the web. We’ve all been on too many web pages where it seemed that the photos would never load, and sometimes they didn’t. So here are some steps to make sure that your photos show up on your site.

1. Always have a back up original format copy of your image. Never alter the original. Believe me you will regret it.

2. Crop to size. Make sure that you crop out any extra information that isn’t needed. Remember the larger the photo the longer it takes to load or send.

3. Resize to reduce pixels. There should be an option to resize according to pixels. You’re going to want the largest size to be no more than 250 pixels or you can reduce the dpi to no more than 96.

4.Reduce the color palette. Many images have millions of colors so the first thing that you need to do is reduce the colors to 256. You will lose some depth with this.

5. Save the file in a standard format. JPEG is the most common for photos and you can compress the image with a JPEG for further reduction in file size. It’s not unusual to see GIF or PNG as well.

Remember that with a 56k connection a 150k file will take 20 seconds to load. If you’re creating a web page every photo that you add will add to the time it takes to download all of the images. If you keep the images small in size the smaller resolution will not be as obvious.

About The Author

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal

Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.

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The Cyber-shot N2 - offering 10.1 effective Megapixels with high sensitivity for reduced blur, a large 3.0 inch Clear Photo LCD Plus screen with touch-screen operation, and a ZEISS 3x Optical Zoom.
Used Price: ?225.00
Customer Review: From an amatuer point of view
I bought this camera around 8 months a go from Amazon and I have to say that initially I absolutely loved the device. You certainly can tell the difference in the quality of the images compared to my previous five cameras (which were all Casio or Canon) and the touch screen display is very easy to use and handy! The one thing that let the camera down for me was the unreliability of the device. Several of my friends and family have the same model and on occassions the retractable lence would jam, the camera would not switch on (despite charged) or failure messages would come on screen. I must add this was an occassional problem for us all but was a little frustrating if you want to get a quick snap. I am a novice with cameras and just like a model that looks good, produces good quality photographs and is simple to use. This camera does all those things and should satisfy the needs of most. However, don’t buy just because its a Sony as I feel that you could meet the same criteria with another big branded name for less.
Customer Review: The only compact digital you’ll ever need.
An outstanding unit, beautifully crafted and easy to use. It’s tough, lightweight, good looking, with a fairly common sense set-up for a camera with such a massive range of functions. To answer the reviewer below who says that the picture quality isn’t that much better than her old 6mp camera. Well, it is, it just probably isn’t that easy to see until you start blowing pictures up to A4 and above. The human eye isn’t going to be able to distinguish between 6mp and 10mp on a computer screen! Then again, define quality? If you’re a recreational photographer who only prints 6×4s or views pictures on computer, then a 5 / 6 / 7.2 MP camera will do you fine…… Someone else said that pictures look grainy at ISO1600. I should hope they are! (For those amateur photographers, ISO is the sensitivity setting of the sensor - the higher the ISO, the more sensitive the sensor; hence a lower level of light is needed for the exposure. This is useful at twilight or indoor photos where you don’t have the luxury of a tripod. The downside is that you get increased levels of `noise’ - like static `snow’ on a poorly tuned TV set.) Every camera will suffer from this at high ISOs and for a compact like this to offer such a setting is a bonus in itself. Besides, any decent photo-editing software can help you remove noise with minimal effort. Indeed, in low light conditions, the Sony deals with exposure much better than my big Nikon DSLR. It’s just perfect for pictures inside churches, on caf? terraces at night etc At the end of the day, a high ISO sounds good, but you’ll rarely, if ever, use it. If you’re a strictly holiday photographer, you’ll find this camera utterly perfect, even on fully automatic. I’m not a great believer in massive amounts of creative options on a compact digital, because if you’re a semi-serious photographer who’ll use them, you’ll probably have a DSLR anyway. However, the Sony boasts a comprehensive range of features (program modes, fully manual settings) for every conceivable situation. It is a bit of a faff setting those parameters though, but don’t worry, you’ll rarely need them - automatic is great on this unit. “Camera must be steady for shots with no flash?” Well, yeah, in low light conditions, that’s a given. Show me one that doesn’t need to be steady with no flash!! In fact, show me one that doesn’t need to be steady full stop! In daylight, there’s no problem with the Sony - colours are superbly rendered and images are pin-sharp. I take the point that Sony products do tend to have enhanced colour saturation (my TV and laptops both do), but the Zeiss lens here is technically brilliant I love this little camera - for recreational photography, I tend to leave the SLR at home and slip this Sony into my pocket and snap away. (Even if I do have the SLR, I slip this into my pocket anyway, as it’s a great backup, and it’s far easier for other people to use when you ask them to snap you!) If you take it out for a day on holiday, though, I’d recommend you invest in a spare battery - the Sony’s is good for about two hours on and off shooting - charging time from empty to full is about 3 hours. Large memory cards will slow the operation down little, but that’s life. Personally, I keep a 2GB card in all the time - that’ll hold about 500 pictures at high resolution, which is more than enough for anyone at any one time (unless you shoot lots of video). In short, this ground breaking 10.1MP from Sony is coming down in price - it’s already about 50GBP cheaper than when I bought mine nine months ago. Don’t be tempted with the massive MP sensors now - unless you’re going to print posters, you’ll never see the difference between that and a 10.1MP camera. Having said that, for most people a 6 - 7.2MP would be fine, but the sheer quality, ease of use and range of options on the N2 make it a winner every time. Can’t fault it.
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Amazon Price: ?179.99
Used Price: ?142.30
Continue …

Canon MD101 Digital MiniDV Camcorder (35x Optical Zoom, 2.7″ Widescreen Colour LCD)
MD101 CAMCORDER 30X OPT.ZOOM 2.7 LCD UK

Customer Review: Great for amateur film makers or ordinary home use
I have used this camera for just over a month now, and it has proved to be a versatile camcorder for various tasks.

Out of the box it does what you’d expect it to, it records in the more modern standard of 16:9 (widescreen), however this can be easily switched to the older 4:3 option.

The picture quality is far better than older mini dv camcorders I have owned in the past, and doesn’t look bad on large High definition tv’s as some camcorders can now look blurry on them not using a high def format.

The sound on the built in microphone is average. It’s fine for noisy atmospheres but in normal and quieter places camera noises like the tape mechanism are clearly heard. Unlike many cheaper camcorders, Canon have provided a 3.5mm jack microphone plug, one of the most useful things they could have included.

This opens the option up to using a boom microphone or clip (lapel) microphone. This of course cuts out the camcorder noises, providing a much more professional appearing video. The camcorder lacks a camera shoe however for adding a clip on boom microphone, meaning you will need other means of holding your microphone.

This camera has various clever little features like the built in lense cover that can be slid up and down without having to have a separate lense cap which often go missing. The joystick used to navigate the menus on screen is easy to use, and the menu screens themselves are clean and simple to use. The more automatic “P” mode and the “M” manual mode have been replaced with an “Easy” mode and more manual like “P” mode. These modes work well but it would have been nice to see a dedicated manual mode as well.

The 30x optical zoom is acceptable by today’s standards and works well, however rival models often have more zoom, but without a tripod you wouldn’t want to be using all the zoom avaliable. The camera is light weight but with a good balance, and has a very slick appearance. Canon’s “DIGIC DV” technology appears to help these single CCD camcorders to make colours more vibrant. The camcorder has the standard AV and firewire connections, and of course the tripod screw connection at the bottom of the camcorder.

Battery power on this camcorder is usually over an hour to an hour and a half. A spare battery is something I’d recommend to have, these can be obtained in most shops or cheaply on-line.

The screen is large enough at 2.7inches and is visible in daylight, however for situations where screen glare my be a problem, the colour screen view finder is very useful.

Overall this camcorder is a good all rounder, the microphone input been a key feature, along with other innovative features. The built in microphone is average/poor and a separate microphone should be used when ever possible.

Hope this has helped you,

Dale.

Customer Review: Might be a dodgy batch
Read the earlier reviews about problems with hearing the motor whirr whilst using the built in microphone. Fore armed I tried using 3 different mikes as a test before recording my only public presentation in five years, but when I plugged in the mike, no sound was recorded at all.

Spoke to Canon who said to send it back, and Amazon were very good and immediately replaced it on the day before the presentation. Unfortunately plugging in a mike stopped this one recording too. Checked the manual again (just plug in mike and go) but it should have worked.

Had to record the talk with a buzzing motor and this one is going back as well.

Good picture, easy to use - poor sound no matter what I tried.

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JVC GR-D340EK Mini DV Digital Camcorder
Used Price: ?125.00
Customer Review: Do not buy JVC products - your wasting your money
We purchased this unit in summer 2006 from Amazon, no problems there. The reason for this purchase was because our previous JVC unit GR-D70EK(at that time was only 2 years old) developed a major fault and was unuseable. Put it down to hard labour it endured from us and we were about to go on holiday and needed a working camcorder, so we bought a new one. Big mistake buying JVC again. The Pro’s This camcorder is great for filming and taking pictures (it could do with higher mega pixels to be honest) but we got we paid for and this camcorder did everything we wanted. Its lightweight dinky and nice to look at. The Zoom is great and sound quality very good. The Con’s No matter what we do you can not download the footage or pictures onto our pc which was the primary reason for us buying this camcorder. Firstly a fire wire is not supplied with the camera and the instructions are very cagey about pointing this out. Once purchased and installed, we followed the instructions carefully and began our first editing session with no apparant problems. Until we decided to the carry out further editing sessions and our pc would not recognise the camcorder. Ran diagnostics test on pc, no problems, purchased another fire wire in case that was damaged, nothing. So we looked on JVC technical website to get some advice and found that there was a product recall on our first camcorder beacuse of the major fault we had already experienced. We reported this to JVC and they agreed to repair the first camcorder. We mentioned the problems editing with the newer camcorder and they agreed to investigate this also. Both cameras were sent away for inspection and repair. We received both back and whilst the older camcorders major fault has been rectified and we could use the unit again, the newer camera still did not respond to the DV fire wire. The moral of the story don’t do what we did and purchase two camcorders from JVC. Do your research on user forums. We didn’t when we purchased these units and came unstuck. Looked on leading traders websites to see the going rate for these used camcorders, they are not selling. They can not be given away. We have lost over ?600. Not happy
Customer Review: A delight to use
When my Sony Camcorder ended its life I thought it would be difficult to replace and yet at half the price this item proves to be a more than adequate replacement and it’s half the size and weight too. The manual for any camcorder is frightening - so much complex detail - will I ever learn? No bother with this camcorder - just switch to auto and nothing could be simpler to use and get great results from. Before ending up with this item I bought a Canon model which was about ?[...] dearer. I returned this unit since the picture quality was awful and at that stage I thought that might be the best the mini-DV format could provide. No way - this JVC Camcorder gives excellent quality and it quickly adapts to changing lighting conditions. Flicking away from “Auto” to “Manual” there are a wide variety of features you can use to get top quality shots in more difficult circumstances. Taking them one at a time they are easy enough to master. Ths snapshot feature is a bit disappointing since it does not operate in the 16:9 format mode. Surely everyone has a widescreen TV these days. My only other criticism is the cost of replacement batteries - close to ?[...] - a bit of a rip off I think. I tried a supposedly replacement battery at a much cheaper price off Ebay - it looked the same but kept coming up with the message “communication error” when used. It had to go back. The battery supplied gives about 75 minutes of use and recharges in about 90 minutes so it is not too much of a problem not having a spare. I used Pinnacle software to download, edit and produce DVD discs in formats to suit PC and DV player. Great results were achieved with very little bother and I am no computer wiz kid. This unit may not suit the pro but for mere mortals, like me, it is about as good as I want and I am called a “Grumpy Old Man” by my darling wife.

Power Battery for Sony Cybershot DSC-T1, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Panasonic VDR-D220EB9S Digital DVD Camcorder (32 x Optical, Multiformat) 2.7″ LCD
Amazon Price: ?239.99
Customer Review: Good camera - if you can view the pictures
As a novice to DVD camcorders, I obviously didn’t research the right things. This camera is easy to use, BUT if you record in Video Recording format (VR) which is the only way you can use the built in software to edit your film, then the results can’t be viewed on your computer unless you have Power DVD, aren’t compatible with Windows Movie Maker, and can’t be viewed on most DVD players. It took me two days of trawling through web forums to work this out, as the instruction book only says “can be played on compatible…” without being at all specific. If you record in video format, you can watch on your DVD player, or on your computer, but can’t edit in the camera, and the files are still not compatible with Windows Movie Maker. So - I will need to buy software to convert, edit and then burn back to DVD. I’m currently looking at AVS - any advice would be welcome.

Sony AC-V700A AC adaptor and charger for L-series and F100-series type batteries, camcorders and digital still cameras
Intelligent display accurately displays charging time left and remaining battery life in minutesQuick charge for last minute recordingsCompatible Batteries: L Series F100 SeriesPower: AC 110-240 V 50 Hz / 60 HzSuitable for charging from mains power supply
Amazon Price: ?100.87

Canon DC230 Digital DVD Camcorder (35x Optical Zoom, 2.7″ Widescreen Colour LCD)
? Powerful Canon 35x optical zoom lens (1000x digital zoom)? True widescreen with wide 2.7″ LCD and 0.27″ 16:9 colour EVF? 1.07 Megapixel CCD and DIGIC DV II image processor delivers superior results? From Standby mode, you can be ready to start shooting instantly with a single press of the Quick Start button? An Electronic Image Stabilizer (EIS) cuts out camera shake, most noticeable at the upper range of the zoom? Transfer photos to a computer via a USB 2.0 connection? 10 Seconds self-timer? Photo Capture with 9-point AiAF to mini SD card, with PictBridge share technology? Night Mode LED & Wireless Remote Control? Contoured design with easy operation with joystick for navigation of smart features and rear button access? Support for Dual Layer DVDs, offering greater recording capacity of up to 108 minutes? 1 year warranty? Dimensions: (WxHxD) 54×90x128mm? Weight: 405g

Customer Review: GOOD BUY
I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I bought this as this was my 1st camcorder. However, I am delighted with the purchase. I am more of a stills photographer, but wanted this to take on holiday with. Great quality movies and very easy to use. Comes with a handy remote control unit. So far I have found the battery life to be pretty good. I would certainly recommend this one. I got it next day delivery too as an Amazon Prime customer.

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Power Battery for Samsung SB-L110, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Power Battery for Casio Exilim EX-Z70, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Power Battery for Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Power Battery for Panasonic CGA-DU07, LiIon, Li-Ion, Lithium Ion Technology, 100% fits, properly matching, Batteries, Camcorder, Video, Digital Camera
You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Getting Your Photos Ready for Sharing

One of the main reasons people buy digital cameras is so they can share their photos with others. Even if you are just going to print your photos for yourself, you will want them to look their best. Here are some tips on getting your images ready for sharing or printing.

1. ORGANIZE YOUR PHOTOS

Delete the ones you don’t like or those that are near duplicates of others. No sense in clogging up your hard drive or CDs with junk. Use a good photo management software program like ACDSEE 7, Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 or Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 5 to view, organize and name your images. These programs also let you batch rename so you can give more descriptive file names to a group of photos at the same time. You can add key words and tags to make finding your photos easier. Be detailed in your photo descriptions, not just “John and Laurie.” You’ll probably have hundreds of photos of your kids and it will be harder to find the one you’re looking for. Better to say “John and Laurie waterskiing on Lake Powell, May 2004.”

2. BACK UP YOUR ORIGINALS

Mistakes can happen. It is a good idea to back up all your images to a CD before you start editing or changing them. That way you always have the original to go back to if you accidentally save over an image or made changes to a photo that you later decide you don’t like. CDs hold lots of photos, making it cheap insurance.

3. ROTATE IMAGES

Trying to look at a sideways photo is annoying. Use your photo management or editing software to rotate photos as needed. And if you have any images that are a little crooked, you can fix that using your editing software. Most photo editors have an automatic “straighten” function, or you can manually rotate the image a few degrees to straighten the horizon line.

4. REMOVE RED-EYE

Even with your digital camera’s auto red-eye reduction function, your subject’s eyes may still have red-eye. Use your photo editing software to remove it. Zoom in on the eyes and it will be easier for you to correct the red-eye. I’ve tried a number of red-eye correction tools and find that the one that comes with ACDSEE 7’s photo editor is among the best. It zeros in just on the red eye and doesn’t darken the surrounding eye area like some other software does.

5. CROP YOUR PHOTOS

Crop out unnecessary or distracting backgrounds and focus in on your subject. Most photo editing programs will keep the aspect ratio, so when you draw a box around the area you want to focus on it will crop it as 4×6 or whatever you have specified. That way you won’t end up with an odd size photo. Kodak EasyShare Gallery also has a very good cropping tool for maintaining the proper print size. It comes with its free photo editor.

6. ADJUST LIGHTING AND CONTRAST

Some of your photos may have come out washed out or too dark. You can automatically adjust the color, brightness and contrast of your photos. The better programs like Photoshop Album 2.0, Jasc and ACDSEE also have tools for making manual adjustments for fine-tuning. Be careful not to overdo it, though, or your picture could come out grainy.

7. PREPARE TO SHARE

There are a number of ways to share your images. Several programs, like Roxio Photo Suite 7, ACDSEE7, Photoshop Album and Paint Shop Photo Album allow you to create digital photo albums or slide shows, complete with music, transitions and captions. You can burn them to CD or resize and optimize for emailing directly from the program.

Online photo services such as PhotoWorks, Shutterfly, Snapfish and Kodak EasyShare Gallery also let you share your photos on line, for free. You simply upload your images to their server into your own photo albums and add captions if you wish. Then email your friends with a link to your albums. With most of the online services your photos stay on their servers as long as you have an account with them, for free. Signing up for an account is free, you only pay for photos you choose to purchase.

For hardcore photo sharers, there are also dedicated photo sharing applications such as PiXPO v1.5.0, which lets you share photos right off your hard drive. This is a peer to peer software application that allows you to connect directly with your friends and family to share and view pictures online with no uploads. Unlike traditional photo sharing services, you have unlimited storage and you don’t have to upload your photos to a distant server or wait for friends to log onto some photo sharing site. The application is easy to install and use and it’s inexpensive, around $30. PC Magazine rated it an Editor’s Choice in their January 3, 2005 issue.

Valerie Goettsch publishes the digital photography website http://www.digitalphotos101.com featuring reviews of photo editing and album software and digital photo printing services.
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Sony DSCS800 Digital Camera (8.1MP, 6 x Optical Zoom) 2.5″ LCD
Amazon Price: ?119.99
Used Price: ?101.99
Customer Review: Very good afforadable camera
This has been my first digital camera and I don’t know how easy other cameras are but this one is very simple. I quickly leared all the functions and how to operate the camera. I baught this camera depite the other reviews saying how bulky in size it was but when I got it it seeamed average size. Its only quite big while taking photos because the lens comes out. I found the 6 digital zoom quite handy. You can also video record with sound. not sure for how long. Its 8.1 mega pixels makes the photos look very high quality the only problem is they take so long to email because the photos are quite large in size but you can reduce the quality if you would like to. Its got other feautres such as if you take a photo of the sea to make the sea look a strong blue colour. Also to take photos in low light areas with out using a flash. The batteries last a very long time and it comes with a battery charger
Customer Review: Chunky, but easy to use, monkey camera
The camera is very good, easy to use and takes great pictures, but a bit chunky (more than the amazon picture leads you to believe) Do not buy the Sony LCS-CST Soft Carrying Case For Slim Cybershot with the camera, as recommended by Amazon, as it is too small for the camera.

Samsung Digimax i6 Black Digital Camera with PMP, MP3 & 2.4″ LCD (6MP, 3 x Optical Zoom)
The Samsung Digimax i6 is the camera that fits with your lifestyle. Good camera capabilities, a unique wave shaped design & powerful media player capabilities mean a comprehensive all-round performance. The ASR technology employed by your Samsung Digital Camera prevents the degradation of image clarity and colour common to flash Photography. With ASR the effects of camera shake are reduced in lower light conditions. You can even take well exposed, sharper Pictures in low light without using a flash at all. It guarantees brighter and more natural pictures.
Amazon Price: ?89.99
Used Price: ?80.00
Customer Review: Great Camera
camera arrived with extremely quick postage i think it was two days since i ordered it! the camera runs on rechargeable batterys which last for ages. picture quality is excellent and photos are stored on a SD card very large screen great optical zoom can play mp3 music and video files aswell
Customer Review: Very happy!
I was very impressed with the camera. I take it just about everywhere! not only does it look smart it takes fantastic pictures too!! Well priced!

Canon PowerShot A570 IS Digital Camera With Image Stabilizer - Silver (7.1MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 2.5″ LCD
Ideal for creative photographers the PowerShot A570 IS gives you complete control. Find the perfect shot with a 4x optical zoom with Image Stabilization and DIGIC III with Face Detection Technology. Image Resolution: 7.1 Megapixels Lens Construction: TBC Digital Zoom: 4x Digital zoom Optical Zoom: 4x Optical zoom Maximum f/number f/2.6 - f5.5 Movie Mode: Yes Internal Memory: N/A Memory Card Compatibility: SD / SDHC / MMC LCD Size: 2.5 TFT Screen Power Options: 2 z AA Alkaline or NIMH Batteries Interface: USB 2.0 Highspeed Pictbridge Enabled: Yes Box Contents: NB4300 Batteries USB Cable Warranty: 1 years warranty
List Price: ?183.13
Amazon Price: ?118.47
Customer Review: smart little camera!
I bought the canon A570 as an update from the sony w70. WOW! Its a lot better than any other camera i’ve ever had! (canon are one of the best)! There is quite a lot on the powershot range too. But the main thing about this smart little camera is the image quality which is high! You will capture those moments of high quality photographs. Reccomended!
Customer Review: Great Value
Bought this to replace an old Powershot A70. Much lighter and quite a bit smaller (uses only 2 AA cells instead of 4), with very good image quality. Fits nicely in the hand (I like the grip on this camera). Noise levels at ISO 100 are very good, although as expected noise gets quite noticeable at ISO 400 and above if looking at full magnification on a monitor, but overall excellent for the price. Lots of manual control if you need it. Goes snugly in a Lowepro Apex 20AW belt pouch (especially if the orange divider in the pouch is removed).

Travel and Scenic Photography 101

When you’re driving through the mountains somewhere, and you notice a car parked half off the road and some guy leaning to the left to avoid a branch with his Rebel 2000 camera in the act of focusing, you’ve met me. I do this because, to me, a trip isn’t fulfilling unless I’ve preserved that beauty for posterity. I’d like to share some of the techniques that make scenic photography such a wonderful artform - simple, yet elegant.

First off, equipment. As much as the cheapo disposable camera beckons, get real. These cameras have fisheye lenses which I call “spam” lenses. They cram everything in, with equal blurriness and boringness. Good photos are sharp, unless you use blur for artistic effect. Sharp comes from an adjustable lens. It can be a fixed lens or a zoom, but it must focus specially for each picture. Fixed lenses are limiting for scenic pictures, where to frame the shot you may need to move long distances. Imagine using a fixed lens on the Washington Monument, when you’re half a block away! Zooms get my vote, even though they often don’t have as wide an aperture, which limits their capabilities in low light situations.

Practically speaking, an SLR is the absolute best. They are lightweight, and can be used with top quality lenses. Film SLRs tend to be less expensive, but have the limitations of film, meaning you have to get it developed and so forth. Digital SLRs are VERY expensive, so for the budget conscious either go with a film SLR or a high quality basic digital camera. With digital, resolution is also a critical factor, so look at the specs before you buy.

OK, we’ve got the camera, emotions are running high, and that’s great, but not too great! Sometimes I find a spot that is so wonderful, I start shooting like a madman, only to be disappointed by the pictures. What happened? Emotions. When you experience a place, there are sounds, aromas and breezes as well as the visuals of the spot. Needless to say, you can’t photograph all of these elements, only the visual. When overwhelmed by the spectacle of a scenic hotspot, we are often overwhelmed by all of these elements.

So what to do? Look through your camera. The viewfinder does not lie (usually). Try to see what you are looking at as the finished picture. Most people perfunctorily take pictures, hoping that somehow the shot will come out great. If you wonder how the pictures came out when you are on the way to the drug store to get them, you’re doing something wrong. At the moment you click the pic, you should know exactly what you will get. (Of course with digital, that’s not a trick!).

Now, I was a tad dishonest in saying that you can’t capture all of the elements of a scene. You can hint at them. For starters, motion. Yes, even in a still picture, there is motion. Something happened before, during and after your picture. In a mountain vista scene, you may find something that hints at motion, whether it be a branch of a tree that has been swaying in the breeze, or a river flowing through the valley below. These add a sense of motion.

Then there’s the “rule of thirds.” When you place the main object of the picture smack-dab in the middle, it is static and boring. Place it one third of the way from either side, and you IMPLY motion. Put the horizon in a landscape photo a third of the way up or down, not across the middle.

Remember, when a person looks at a picture, their eyes move. You want to frame your photo to help that movement. If you can find some lines in the scene, such as a skyline, cloud formation, path through the forest, etcetera, use it interestingly, and with the rule of thirds to draw your viewer’s eyes into the picture.

Avoid “summit syndrome.” You get to the top of Mount Washington and shoot the majestic vista. Great. The pictures come out … boring! How? No PERSPECTIVE. Big vistas will be flat unless you have an object in the foreground, such as a rock or a tree, to give them perspective. Then the eye really grasps how big this scene is. People enjoying the view is a real winner, because the viewer may identify with their emotions, giving the image real impact.

Cheese! Yes, you do have to take the family photos. It’s obligatory. But when you do, make sure that they show the LOCATION of the photo. Otherwise, you might as well do it on your driveway. Frame the scene in context, with landmarks as part of the picture. Find a way to tell as story in the picture, such as little Sara climbing up the rocks by the waterfall.

Finally, any element in the picture that hints at more senses than just the visual will make it remarkable. Actor headshots for example, tell a story about the subject. You can almost hear them saying their next lines. If you photograph a garden, the viewer may experience the aroma of the flowers. A tourist street with an accordion player on the corner may have your amazed friends whistling “Dixie.”

In summation, picture taking on travel is recording the experience in a satisfying way. Use motion, perspective, sensory, storytelling and so forth, to bring your photos to life. Oh, and needless to say, make your job easy and go to great places! See you at the overlook!

Seth Lutnick is a photographer, composer, and performer. He has taken thousands of scenic photos, recorded two albums of original music, and appeared on stage, TV and film. Visit his website - www.getitdone.biz - for more detailed plans on photography, music, health and education, and extensive product links for the resources to fulfill your goals.

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Lowepro Apex 5AW Digital Camera Pouch - Black?
List Price: ?16.00
Amazon Price: ?11.48
Customer Review: The Business!
I had a Lowepro case for my old Camera and it was good - but this one is even better! I sell these often with Cameras and it makes people laugh when I demonstrate the waterproof cover for it that folds out from a flap on the bottom. It is sturdy, rugged and my ixus 70 sits snugly in it with room for cards and additional batteries. If black isn’t your colour it is also available in blue.
Customer Review: Little Black (and Grey) Bag
I don’t normally write reviews but I was so impressed with the ingenuity of this little case that I felt it deserved something to recommend it on Amazon. I got this for my new Canon Ixus 70, and it fits it completely snugly with room for the memory card, a spare battery and A N Other small accessory. There is even a pull-out waterproof cover tucked into a section at the back. It feels very sturdy, and is so soft inside, there is no danger of your camera getting scratched. If you don’t fancy a leather case, and want a younger, more casual look this has to be the case for you!

Sony DSC- T20 S CEH Digital Camera (8.1MP)
Cyber-shot T20S - Ultra stylish and slim camera finished in silver aluminium, with 8.1 effective megapixels, HD output, double anti-blurand face detection technologies, ZEISS 3x optical zoom lens and 2.5-inch Clear Photo LCD plus screen.
Used Price: ?123.99
Customer Review: Bang on!
I’ve only had my T20 for a little while, but compared to many of the other camera’s I’d owned down the line, this easily beats most of them “hand’s down!” The picutre quality is very good, with a fairly good sized screen. The vibrancy in the colour also wins it. The choices in facility is also good. Its also small and will fit into the smallest of pockets. A great all-rounder, and I can easily recommend this camera to anyone.
Customer Review: TOTALY DISAPPOINTED
I HAD PREVIOUSLY KONICA-MINOLTA DIMAGE-50 BUT LOST IT FEW MONTHS AGO, THAT CAMERA WAS 3 YEARS OLD AND ONLY 5MP BUT HAS MUCH BETTER QUALITY AND SPESCIFICATION THAN THIS CAMERA.I BOUGHT SONY T20 RECENTLY. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE SUCH A POOR QUALITY FROM SONY. I WILL DEFINITLY NOT RECOMMENDED IT TO ANY ONE AND I HOPE THAT THE NEW ARRIVAL FROM SONY THE T200 WHICH I HOPE TO BUY SOON WILL BE BETTER QUALITY THAN THIS ONE.