Photography:Digital Camera Troubleshooting Guide

The following is a set of useful tips for troubleshooting your digital camera and/or an external flash unit you may have attached to it. First, look for the title which best describes the problem, then follow the steps below it...

POOR BUT RECOGNIZABLE PICTURE QUALITY

1. The batteries may need replacement. Some digital cameras continue to function when their battery power is low, but produce grainy photos with incorrect coloration. Make sure you aren't using Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries, which are generally not recommended for cameras.
2. For the best picture quality, make sure the camera is set to its highest resolution. This may have been adjusted by accident. The process for doing this varies greatly among different digital cameras. Keep in mind that fewer photos will fit in the camera's memory and it will probably take longer to transfer them to the computer, at a higher resolution.
3. Digital photography tends to be more prone to blurring (caused by slight movement of the camera while the photo is taken) than 35mm film, especially with very small or lightweight digital cameras. To remedy this, try using a tripod and/or the camera's timer, if it has one. Adjust the camera's shutter speed if possible.
4. If colors are too pale, using an image editing/viewing program (such as PictureWorks MediaCenter) to increase the Saturation level may be helpful. If the camera has produced colors which are entirely wrong (everything is in shades of black and purple, for example), you can turn the saturation all the way down so that it becomes a black & white photo.
5. The lens may need cleaning. Make sure you use a cleaning material which will not scratch the lens. If possible, refer to its manual for specific cleaning instructions.

CAMERA WILL NOT TRANSMIT IMAGES TO THE COMPUTER

1. Make sure the data transfer cable is securely connected to the computer and camera.
2. If the serial cable was connected to the computer while it was on, you may need to shut it down and turn it back on again. This does not apply to USB cables.
3. If you have the choice to use a serial cable or a USB cable, try switching to the cable type you haven't already tried. For example, I have an older digital camera which can use a USB cable in Windows 98, but only works with a serial cable in Windows XP.
4. Make sure the camera's auto power-off feature didn't turn it off before you tried to start downloading the photos. Most digital cameras will not activate this feature if they are connected with a USB cable, but some will when using a serial cable.
5. If possible, try using the digital camera with a different computer and/or a different camera with the same computer, to help determine which piece of equipment is problem's source.

THE CAMERA WILL NOT POWER ON AND/OR DOESN'T RESPOND

1. If it is attached to the computer with a cable, detach it and try turning it on again.
2. Try powering it through a USB cable or an AC adapter, if it has one. If this works, it probably needs new batteries, unless the battery compartment is corroded.
3. Replace the batteries. Try to avoid this if it has photos stored on it and is a camera which loses them when the batteries are removed. If the batteries were recently replaced, make sure they were inserted in the proper direction.
4. If the temperature is very hot or cold, try it in an area with a more normal temperature.
5. Some digital cameras have a feature which automatically turns them off after a second if the batteries are low. This allows them to retain enough power to store the photos and transfer them to the computer when necessary.

PHOTOS ARE SCRAMBLED OR AREN'T STORED ON THE CAMERA

1. On some digital cameras, photos currently stored on the camera may become scrambled or have multi-colored streaks across them if the batteries are replaced before they are downloaded.
2. Check the camera's LCD before taking each photo to make sure it has not run out of memory or activated its auto power-off feature.
3. Turn the camera off, power it on again, and try transferring the photographs again.

THE CAMERA'S EXTERNAL FLASH UNIT DOES NOT FIRE
1. Make sure the flash unit is correctly seated in the flash port (a.k.a. "hot shoe") or its sync cable is securely plugged into both the flash unit and the digital camera. Confirm that none of its settings have been accidentally adjusted (it might not fire if it is in "auto" or "computer" mode and it determines there is already enough lighting) and the batteries are fresh.
2. Press the flash unit's test button. Most flash units have one of these on back of them, below the other controls; it is usually a clear or red-colored button, occasionally having the "Ready" light built into it. If the flash fires, it is more likely to be a problem with the camera or the connection between the camera and flash.
3. Try testing the flash unit on a different camera to help determine the source of the problem. Basic 35mm cameras with "hot shoe" flash ports can be purchased rather inexpensively at eBay.com, thrift stores, and some yard sales. Some expensive model- or brand-specific flash units will not fit on these cameras, however.

If none of these steps solve the problem, there are a number of potential problems with the camera and/or computer which could be causing it; some possibilities include that the computer's serial or USB port card may not be properly installed, the camera driver or software might be incorrectly configured, the camera could be damaged, or the computer's operating system may be incompatible with the camera. While the problem could be expensive to fix, on the other hand it might still be as simple as changing a setting on the computer or camera. It is probably best to contact the digital camera manufacturer's technical support; check the camera itself, its instruction manual, the manufacturer's website, or the camera's original package for a telephone number.

evening sunlight

This photo is taken at the singapore lower peirce reservoir at the evening 7.pm to 7.30pm,i am using Nikon D70S camerawith 19-200mm Nikon lens to cupture this image.

Morning and Evening Sunlight-gohraymond (photographer)

This photo is taken at singapore garden,i am using Nikon Digital Camera D70S with Nikon 18-70mm lens to cupture,is the first time i buy my digital camera to test this photo,at early morning on december,gohraymond-photographer.

Fun,Morning and Evening Lighting Shots

Here’s a fun exercise; Take your camera (digital or conventional film) out to a place you like to photograph early in the morning just before the sun rises. continue taking photos of this site as the sun rises and casts its morning light! Notice the variations!
Now, use the same site, only take the pictures at sunset and continue until the sun is nearly gone! Again, notice the changes in lighting (colors, textures, and contrasts). This is a fun exercise and you will be surprised in the dynamic variations in lighting and contrast you will see from morning to night!
I recommend taking oh, say 200 or so photos for a good sampling of night and morning light. You may then wish to down load them into your favorite photo program for a few tweeks. I like using picasa and Corel Paint Shop Pro (includes RAW treatment capability). Corel allows numerous types of treatments including contrast, color, gamma, and many others. It’s fun just playing around within this program to see just what you can come up with! This program will also allow you to maximize your morning and evening lighting shots to achieve dynamic results.
These types of programs also allow filter adjustments that will change the mood and feel of your photography quite a bit! They will add a bit of pazaz to your morning and evening lighting subjects!
I also recommend that you take your telephoto and wide angle lenses along with you and your tripod for the opportunity to vary your lighting captures from a wide perspective to a zoomed in affect that can be quite nice! If your are lucky, you may capture a sun flair or a sunset behind a mountain or hill that is an all around eye catcher! Bringing your star filter, UV, polarizer, orange, smoke, sepia, and other filters can also add dynamic punch to your evening and morning lighting photos!
Printing those morning and evening lighting shots on your ink jet printer is now another adventure! Just think of all of those colors and hues that you can represent with your color printer!
Using photo inks, specialized papers (mats, rags, silks, and others) will also add another spectrum to your final product and can really punch it up! Bright yellows mixed with oranges and reds with a slight intermixing of pinks and white light really brings it all to life! This exercise can be a very rewarding experience and one worthy of doing! You’ll be surprised with the quality and overall rewarding experience this activity will bring you!
Fill up that camera bag with the goods and get ready for the night trek and early morning photo experiences to be had each and every day! Don’t forget your extra batteries and lens cleaners. Clear images are very rewarding; however, smudged and marked up images just don’t capture the moment!
Contributed by Dave Corn

The Basics of Selling Prints Online

People who don't want to take traditional photographs often decide to instead take art shots. These images are very artistic and quite fulfilling for the photographer to take. Most assume that art photography is only a hobby, and for some, it probably is best for it to be just a hobby. But you can make a lot of money when you sell prints online. In this article, we'll be going over the very basics of selling art prints online - you'll learn why to sell art prints online and tips for how to do it best. Should I Sell Art Prints Online? The answer to this is an unquestionable yes! You should sell prints online. But it's not enough for us to just tell you to sell prints online, so we'll tell you the reasons for doing it. Reason #1: In Demand Those who are looking for art prints used to find them by going to galleries or other places. Nowadays, they go online. They'll go to stock art print websites and browse through the many listings of photos. For them, it's a highly convenient way of finding the prints they need for their magazines, books, articles etc. Because of how well-used the internet is, and because of the demand for art prints, prints are quite in demand on the internet. Reason #2: Exposure When you put something online, you are exposing it to millions of people. These people can then choose to ignore what you've put up, or they can take an interest in it. Online stock photography sites are frequented by people who are looking for good stock photography, including art prints. By choosing to sell prints online, you're opening your products up to a huge base of people - people who may just buy the prints, if they're impressed by them. This is the kind of exposure you could get on the TV or in newspapers, but instead of paying for advertising, all you need to do is get your art prints online on a reputable stock photography site. Reason #3: Convenience Going through the process of submitting art prints to regular stock photography companies can be a bit tiresome - not to mention, time-consuming. What happens if the prints are reject? Then you've wasted your time. Wasted time translates to lost money. You don't want to do that, particularly if you're trying to make a living as a photographer. If you sell art prints online, you'll go through a very quick submission process that doesn't take up a lot of time. Reason #4: More Money Online stock photography web sites tend to offer the best profits to those who sell their photos there. That's because of the competitiveness of the stock photography market. You literally cannot be cheated by an online web site when it comes to the amount of money you make from each purchase made by customers. You'll make more money than you would by using conventional methods. This is a great reason for why to sell art prints online. Tips to Sell Art Prints Online 1. Unique Art Prints Sell. Those who are using art photos for their books and magazines want something that is unique. They don't want something that can basically be found in a hundred other places. When you take art photos, make sure they are original and are not like any other photos. That way, you'll be able to successfully sell art prints online because they are unique and people will want to buy them. 2. Quality. A huge mistake among photographers who have just begun to sell art prints online is that their photos aren't of a high quality. We're not talking artistically, but rather resolution-wise. Photographers take art photos with a lower end camera and it shows in the photo. People who use these images for books demand a high quality image. You must deliver by using a good quality camera to take your images. 3. Directions. To make the photo submission process easy, most stock photography web sites have submission guidelines. If the guidelines aren't followed, photos won't be accepted, no matter how good they are. A very important thing for those who wish to sell art prints online to do is to simply follow the directions. This will make it much more likely that your photos get posted and earn you money. If you follow the above tips, you should have no trouble at all in becoming successful when you sell art prints online. Good luck!
Author Resource:- Ron McNeil promotes software to sell photos online and to start your own site to sell art prints online and run your own stock photography software site powered by Web Scribble software located at http://www.webscribble.com/products/webstore/
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Seleting Photos Of Golf Tournaments

A certain type of golfer might play professionally but still might need photos to reach a certain level of inspiration during a golf game. Golfers like Tiger Woods might get a certain inspiration to play golf better by glancing at photographs of his beautiful wife occasionally. When charging for the lead scoring position in a golf game though, Tiger Woods might just glance for a while at a photograph of his newborn child to get all the inspiration he needs to win another title. Some amateur golfers get their inspiration to play golf in the same manner. They might be totally inspired by the way Tiger Woods plays golf and will study videos and photographs to learn the right stance that worked for Tiger on the course just a few weeks before. They might be inspired by the brand of golfing equipment that any professional golfer uses during a tournament and will be motivated enough to purchase a set of clubs that match. Selecting certain photos of golf tournaments that are held throughout the year could inspire some amateur golfers to play an amazing game of golf on any morning. The photos that offer stellar views of fairways with galleries of spectators migrating from one hole to another might put them in a dream state for a while as they fantasize that the professional golfer in the photo is actually them in real life. Other aspiring golfers might just visit the clubhouse and take photos of the trophy cases. Some dreams that center on professional golfing goals are vividly colored and suitable for real life situations. These dreams of greatness will most certainly be captured in many photo opportunities that are spaced out along the golf tournament trail. Some fans might ask a professional golfer to pose for a photograph after they have sunk a birdie on a difficult round of golf. These professional photo opportunities might seem glorious at the time but will still not present any daydreamer with a check at the end of the tournament he is viewing. The pleasing applause offered by the crowds in the gallery at every golf hole will be the only form of realism that some new golfers might be exposed when they are following an idol around during the day. The photos that picture the fan with the golf pro are the photos that will serve as a support system for the amateur that will make his daydreams of becoming the king of golf seem real. Some fans get so inspired from these treasured photos that they will often practice more and see their golf score improve dramatically over the course of a few weeks. The victory photographs taken at the 18th hole or at the clubhouse might allow the amateur golfer to dream some more about how great they will play the game of golf one day. Photos that allow amateur golfers to dream will always be surrounded by helpful commentaries of sports writers that might contain useful hints and tricks that will help them improve their golf game. An avid golfer in training will take any type of information they are given and use it to improve their skills each week.
Author Resource:- James Brown writes about 3balls Golf discounts, FogDog Sports coupon code and Golf Outlets online coupons
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