in Images and Color
Digital Photography: Take Your Best ShotWhen you decide it's time to take your own digital images, a good place to start is with still photography. With a relatively low investment, you can set yourself up to take non-motion, still images such as studio product shots. Let's review the basics of setting up a studio to capture digital still images. | |
Camera and accessories: tools and features | |
Must-Have Camera Features. Make sure your camera supports these basic requirements for shooting images for print.
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Ready For Your Close-Ups? Many of your still shots may be of subjects where you need to get a shot that's really close. Use a macro lens to keep close-up subjects in focus. The lens screws onto the camera body or main lens via universal threading found on higher quality cameras and lenses. In fact, both ends of these add-on filters/attachments are threaded, so you can add other items as needed. For example, add a halogen lamp and hood onto the macro lens for light that is brighter and softer than the built-in flash and is meant for use when shooting close-ups. |
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Filters Fantastic. With just a twist, you can attach lenses and filters, if your camera supports threaded attachments. While there are many filters available, start with polarizing and color filters to boost contrast and tonal range. Try to find filters with the same diameter as your camera's built-in lens or its optional lens converter; otherwise use a step-down ring to connect mismatched sizes, like the 58mm-55mm rings to the left. |
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Lighting Options. From soft boxes to barn doors, there is a light or light accessory for just about every situation. Lights, along with lenses, are the bulk of your non-computer investment in digital photography. The more you control the light, the better your images will be. Here are a few accessories to consider for starters. |
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Tripod & Barn-Doors. Another must-have, especially for doing product stills is a tripod. It makes all the difference in the world in capturing crisp, sharp images using longer exposures than is possible if you hold the camera. Finally, consider getting a set of barn-doors for your starter lights. They will really help you control and direct the light for your shoots. |
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Understanding megapixelsWhat does a megapixel measure? 'Megapixel' refers to the size of a camera's charge-coupled device (CCD), the part of the camera that is exposed to light to measure the pixels' color values. The size of a CCD is calculated by multiplying its width in pixels by its height in pixels. As of this writing, the Canon G7 camera, for example, has a CCD measuring just over 3,648 x 2,736 pixels. Multiply them, and you get around 9,980,000, hence a ten-megapixel camera. How do megapixels relate to print? If you plan to save your images at 300 DPI for commercial printing, divide 3,648 by 300 DPI (just over 12") and 2,736 by 300 DPI (just over 9"). With a good camera that captures sharp images, you may be able to enlarge originals another 25% to 50%. Based on this required resolution, a ten-megapixel camera can easily create a full-page 8.5" x 11" image for high-resolution print. Use this formula to calculate your camera's maximum image size. |
Digital photography glossary & reference
RESOURCES
ON-LINE
NEWS STAND
BOOK STORE
How to Do Everything With Your Digital Camera, by Dave Johnson.
LIGHTING
LENS
DIGITAL
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