July 2012 - The basic rules of modern photography..
1. Composition - remember the 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3 rule
2. Lighting - understand the early morning and lat evening lighting do wonders to photos
3. Practice with camera - understand as many switches/functions
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/13-lessons-to-teach-your-child-about-digital-photography
February 2011 - Digital Camera Image Size
The sensor size found in digital cameras generally determines the qualify of photo images when special technology/hardware tweaking is not used.
The 35mm film size is often used as baseline for judging camera imaging system. Somewhere, one research says, a 35mm film contains approximately 20-30 million pixels. When a compact digital camera utilize an image sensor size relatively small comparing to a 35mm film, but it is rated for more pixels count/image sensor size found in 35mm film. Um...
The FX, DX and 35mm film have image/sensor size of
35mm = 24x36 mm 20 million pixels steady/good pixel, or 12 million average or 4 million hand held.
FX = 24x36 mm
DX = 15.8 x 23.6mm (or 44% of 35mm FX)
Two factors shall be considered.
1 .The JPEG image can be highly compressed (other than RAW format), therefore the contrast ratio is greatly reduced, or the paper used print the image is also a limited contrast ratio - therefore the reduction of contrast ratio found in digital camera is not a big deal, unless it is overly compressed image has lower contrast ratio than the paper/screen can reproduce.
2. The pixel counts are not 1-1, often the images are interpolated. Any engineers use computation methods knows you can make more data point by averaging the surrounding data points. Therefore one should question whether the pixels are raw- pixel per pixel or interpolated pixels.
Shooting in low light condition expose this deficiency well.
# # #
P7000 - 1/1.7-in. type CCD; total pixels: approx. 10.39 million 28-200mm f/2.8
P100 - 1/2.3-in. CMOS; total pixels: approx. 10.6 million (26mm - 678mm)
L110 - 1/2.3-in. CCD; total pixels: approx. 12.39 million (28-420mm)
Today's digital camera takes high resolution (high pixel count) pictures; the image size and number of images (collectively) make the "post processing" a very challenge task.
Over the years, I developed my 7-Step of processing digital images.
1. Download everything from the memory card; protect the original and Call this set as "original copy"
2. Make a copy of “original copy” as a “working copy”.
▲ The processing will be working off this set, then I am free to delete or manipulate files in this set. If I really screwed up here, I can always go back to the "original copy" for the "original file" again.
3. From the working copy, delete obvious ones you don't want to keep. I will delete files without reservation on pictures that are out of focus, wrong subject matter, off colors, wrong lighting that can’t be fixed.. What’s left in t1his set - the pictures "worthy" of my time to "process"/"Photoshop".
4. Export the "working copy" set to a resolution of 1600dpi. Call this set "Project Backup Set".
▲ 1600 dpi is good enough for reproducing high quality 4x6 5x7 photographs. The purpose of this "project backup set" is to archive ALL your work without the bloated file size. For example; The original set of 2-3gb memory card are reduced to 250mb or so (1/10 of original size).
5. Using the "Working copy" - reduce the number of photo. The remaining photos shall be
▲ No repeat, no similar topics/subject matter
▲ Telling an interesting story or telling a longer version of the same story
6. "Photoshop" the final selection to my liking - by "adjusting color, lighting, contrast, highlights", "cropping photos". Save this "post processed set of photos as "Project Photos"
7. I will pick no more than 24-36 photos (a roll of film) from the "project photos", and I call it the "my coffee table book" - cream of the crop.
So, by the end, I will keep 3 folders/sets of photos:
a. A coffee table quality photos (no more than 36)
b. A project photos - adjusted/cropped - full resolution
c. A "project backup set - un-touched, but reduced resolution
I will let the software to tag my "project photos" folders, but not the "coffee table album, nor the
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