Well today with digital it seems we all have some way to take a picture whether it is with your cell phone, a simple point and shoot or an expensive digital single lens reflex (DSLR).  But just what is difference between these and what do we do with the images once we have them.

Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up the digital food chain, Cell Phones. What was once just something to make calls on has morph into a personal assistant. I don’t think I have seen a cell phone in the past few months that doesn’t have a built in camera. Go to any event and you will see many people holding up their phones (most of time in your field of view) for that one time shot. This is not to say that some of the phones don’t have some pretty good cameras. Plus once you have that image you can email or send it out right away. I have even used it when I travel and rent a car. Very handy for documenting any little scratch or dent on a rental car. Never had it happen yet but many attorneys recommend that if you are in an accident to use your phone to take a ton of photos for both the police and any claims later. The problem is many phones make it very hard to get them out of the phone and on to paper. Many times you end up emailing them to yourself or using special software from the phone maker with cords to attach it to the computer. The other drawback is most of these images are very low resolution so making a print can be challenge.

Your next choice is one of the many point and shoot cameras that go from $70 to $300. These are not a bad choice for busy people as they offer higher resolution images in a handy size for purses and pockets. Many will even offer some digital video recording capability so you can leave your video camera at home. When you are ready to make prints or send them in emails just pull the camera card out and put it either into a card reader like many found on today’s computers and laptops or take directly to a major store with an in-house lab. You can even upload them directly to labs on internet for high quality prints or a location near loved ones for them to pick up. Walmart, Target, and other stores offer this service. There is one thing to keep in mind, due to the cell phone camera s many of the low end point and shoots cameras are going away. This leads us to the last type of camera which are the DSLRs.

The Digital Single Lens Reflex or DSLR cameras look like the 35mm cameras from days of yore. Some look like what were called Range Finder Cameras with a fixed lens and some just like the 33mm film cameras where you can use many different types of lenses like a wide angle for landscape photography and telephotos or long lenses for objects or people far away. Most of these cameras offer high resolution images that make wonderful prints. Of course all of this means the price goes up for these models. I have seen prices starting at $600 and going up to $21,000 (yes that is not a misprint, $21,000 for a camera and that is without a lens). These cameras also offer many different camera modes for everything from fast moving sports, artful portraits,and close ups of flowers and insects. You also have more control over the camera so that inner artist can get the just the right type of image for the local camera contest or a large print for the living room.

Now if all of this seems a little much for just taking a picture or if you think you will just wait for next latest and greatest improvement in digital imaging all I can say is this. Think about the last time you were somewhere really beautiful, breath taking, or a once in a lifetime event and wish you had a camera. The best image is one that you can share and the best camera is one you have with you.

Jump ahead to the fifties and a studio owner and wedding photographer named Montie Zucker saw that so many wedding photographers were in the market and they were all doing the same thing. Standing the bridal party at the front of the church and snapping a few shots. He decided that since he had invested in studio lights and backgrounds why not take them to church and set up in an empty Sunday School room and shoot some really nice portraits of everyone and charge for more prints. Many wedding shooter pooh pooh this idea. Who is going pay upwards of few hundred dollars for these type of photos. [i]What Happen, the birth of classy posed wedding images at a premium price.[/i]

Following that there were a few jumps in wedding photography. Bill Stockwell’s Misty Wedding Images (Vaseline smeared on the lens filter. Double Exposures where brides and groom somehow ended up in a Brandy Sniffer. Rocky Gunn came along with a background in the Movies introduced location wedding images and of course the seventies with Journalistic and Storybook coverage.

In all this there were some standing back and saying that change is bad. However it was those who looked at this and adapted who moved the art forward. Is it any different now in this age of digital?

This will look like a green square or a green camera that turns any camera into a full auto point and shoot. No worrying about lighting or movement, just aim it and push the button. This is a very useful setting when you want to get an image no matter what else is happening.  However if you really want to have more control over the look of the image there are a few other settings that will give you that control but still are semi-automatic. Depending on what you are shooting the camera can give your artistic soul more than a quick snap shot.

All of these will be on the side of the dial with the little icons or Program Mode so you won’t have to worry about too much tech stuff. The Camera has these Program Modes set up to add more control over special camera settings for things like sharper images or even a blurry background for that special look.

First icon we will look at is the one that looks like a couple of mountains with a little circle over them. This is called the Landscape Mode which is a setting for taking those landscape shots of fields, meadows, mountains or the Grand Canyon. What happens when you turn the dial to this mode is the camera will think you want an image where everything is in focus. Those flowers in the foreground, that tree about thirty yards away and the mountains in the background. To do this the camera will give you an F stop or Aperture (in photography they are the same thing, just two different names) which allows for a large depth of field or area in focus. However to do this the camera will also slow down the shutter speed to allow more light to come in for a good exposure.  This is because the F stop is controlled by an iris inside of the lens that makes a small hole which gives you that great depth of field. It is the same thing that happens when your eye’s iris closes to a very small hole in bright light. This smaller hole means less light comes in so the camera will use a slower shutter speed or allows the shutter to stay open longer for more light to come in. A slower shutter speed also means there could be camera shake. This is why you will see other photographers out taking landscape photos using a tripod. The tripod gives a very sturdy surface so there is no camera shake. But if you don’t have a tripod handy a fence post or even a handy rock or car will work. Some photographers sometimes carry a small beanbag in their camera bag. Just place it on a rough surface and put the camera on top of it so there will be no camera movement.

Another handy mode is called the Sports or Action setting. It will look like somebody running or dashing along. It is used for images that have a lot of movement in them like soccer, baseball, or football. If you have tried to capture your kid using the Auto mode you know that sometimes the shots will be burry. This is because the Auto mode doesn’t care if the subject is moving only that you have a good exposure. Depending on how much light is out there the camera might think a slower shutter speed is needed for a good exposure. This Sport or Action mode makes the camera use a faster shutter speed and to change something else for the good exposure. The results are sharper action shots plus because of the faster shutter speed you are able to hold the camera and not worry about a tripod.

The last mode I will share with you is the one with the person’s head or Portrait Mode. One of the reasons we have cameras are so we can make pictures of those we love. What happens is sometimes when we take these pictures there is so much going on all around and behind them that we can’t see their faces clearly. This mode allows us to focus on the person but can make the background blurry so all the attention is on our subject. It does this with the F Stop but instead of a large depth of field it gives a very shallow depth of field or area of focus.

There is trick to make this work. You will need to fill the frame with your subject so you see them from just over their head to their belt buckle or bottom of the ribcage. It is best if you zoom your lens in to do this as it will make the background even blurrier. If you try to get whole person from the top of the head to their shoes then you may not see the blurry background effect.

So while there are many more settings on that dial these are just the few that will allow you get even better photos from your shiny, new digital camera. Our camera classes can show you what those other settings mean and how to get complete control over that new camera. See you there.

We started our road trip in Colorado waking up to a snowfall of six to eight inches. Climbing into the four wheel drive SUV we set off to New Mexico where we usually stay at a hotel in Albuquerque which is the halfway point in our travels. It took us three hours to drive the 100 miles to south Denver and another two hours to go the second 100 miles. A couple of hours later we were able to leave the state and drive into New Mexico.  We were relieved to see that Interstate 25 was clear even with this same storm moving into the state. Just some light snowflakes drifting down which did not even warrant us turning on the windshield wipers. Settled in our room my wife and daughter went out to get some dinner. I stayed in the room and turned on the TV for some background noise while I used the very slow internet.

While trying to catch up on important world events (Oh Garfield, will you never learn) I heard the TV screech an important news update. I looked up and saw local weather guy looking very worried and pointing at a cloud covered state map and talking about road closings. I went to the window and looked out expecting to see a blizzard. Nothing, no snow just some guy in a pair of shorts walking back to his room with a bucket of ice. I then go to another website about New Mexico Road Conditions (www.NMroadsandbaitshops.org) and see that the state is closing not just country roads but the interstates too. Interstate 40 was closed on both sides of Albuquerque along with I-25 too. Once again I go to the window and just see some kids walking their panting dog who needed a drink of water before getting back to their room. Still no snow???

My wife gets back with dinner and I tell her that they are closing the roads due to the heavy snow blowing in. She looks at me wondering if I fell out of bed again and hit my head. “There is no snow out there and the temp is only 40 degrees. Maybe something is happening in the east but it is clear skies out there.” Another News break comes on and the weatherman, now looking even more serious, (He has taken off his jacket and loosened his tie!) warning of heavy snow and more road closures. Of course this information is important enough to break into one of the twenty different CSI programs but not important enough to give us any real news. Just vague reports of snow hitting the ground and cars pulling off the road with drivers running away screaming into the night.

When the news comes on of course the top story is about the weather with special graphics about what they are now calling a Christmas Snowstorm. The news couple first throws it to the special action weather team out in the field. Reporters who drew the short straws are standing outside in parkas with a few snowflakes falling around them.

News Couple Female with the perky smile: “We first go to our Action Weather Snow bunny Buffy out on Interstate 40 and the Louisiana exit to the east of Albuquerque that is the only uphill section of road in the state.”

Buffy: “Thanks Alice, I am out here by the interstate where the state has closed the freeway due to a least nine snowflakes that have landed on the roadway and as per the official statement “They did not melt”. Local hotels are filling up with stranding motorists mostly mumbling “Are they all crazy in this state.” Back to you.”

News Couple Male looking very concerned by not smiling: “We will now check with our Action News Special Reports reporter Dave Manly on the west side with another report on this very important story. Dave just where are you right now?”

Dave Manly: “Thanks Bob, I am reporting from inside my home because the police have closed my driveway due to what looks like snow falling in front of the street light. Though it appears to be hitting the ground and becoming liquid.”

News Couple Male: “Sounds serious, stay safe Dave, we are all praying for you here at the station. Now over to our Action News Weather guy Barry Overkill.” (At this point the graphic comes on again but now there is more video of cars buried under snow with New York plates and polar bears wandering the frozen tundra. It is now being called The Blizzard of 2011.)

Barry: Thanks Bob, as you can see from the Doppler 2000 that a major snow storm has blown in from the north (Darn that Colorado) covering most of the state causing road closures and weather conditions much like the end of time. Now you might notice that over Albuquerque we do have (and I am not making this up) a Snow Hole over the city. This clear area is keeping the snow out of the city but it is really falling throughout the state. (To show this Snow Hole he holds up his hands around the empty spot over the city)

News Couple Female now understanding just how serious the lead story is and she is no longer smiling: “Well, we will just have to keep an eye on this weather thing. (Smiling again) So let’s go over and check on sports with Biff Gross.”

Biff Gross hoarding canned goods under his news desk: “What difference does it make, we are all going to die!!! Back to you Bob.”

News Couple Male now smiling from not paying attention to the sports guy: “Thanks Biff got to love those fighting New Mexico some kind of sport team. (Looking into the camera again not smiling) Now before we will go back to Barry Overkill in the Action Weather Center this just in. The state has cancelled all schools due to this serious snowstorm. Wait, I am getting something else from the Control room, schools were closed anyway due to the Christmas Holidays. Now I have just been handed this, the state has canceled Christmas because that was only thing left to close. Over to you Barry.”

Barry now with a three day growth of beard: “Thanks Bob, we just updated our Doppler 2000 radar to Super Doppler 8000 radar to get a better look at the Snow Hole over Albuquerque. As you see the sky over Albuquerque is still clear with no snowfall predicted for the city. We will be keeping on top this so keep your TV on all night just in case this Snow Hole (now trademarked) should close.”

My wife and I still could not believe all this having driven down from Colorado where six inches of snow is called a late spring thaw. We went to bed thinking that by morning it would all be melted and we should be able to continue our trip. Waking up and looking outside there is a very light dusting of snow on the parking lot with kids trying to make snowballs that don’t turn into a powdery mess when they toss them. I call my wife over to see but by the time she gets there it has melted.

We check the internet and see that sections of Interstate 40 are still closed just outside of Albuquerque going toward Arizona but there are open sections too. She suggests an alternate route that would meet up with the Interstate on the other side of the closing but I think a more southern route down Interstate 25 and then over on US 60 which goes into Phoenix would be better because 1. Being more southern it should be warmer IE clear and 2.The maps are showing that it was still open all the way. Heading south we are making good time on clear freeways when we come to the town of Belen, New Mexico. It has three exits and only closed off one of the exits with a cop car however they closed the whole town so you can’t go around and get back on the freeway south of the town. Cars are lining the streets just sitting there waiting for the freeway to open again. We can see the freeway and the road is clear except for a very small white section with areas of the blacktop showing through.

We turn around and head back up to take my wife’s suggestion of the workaround to join I-25. The road is open but does have a covering of snow on it. Just a few cars and trucks on it and we make it to the Interstate just fine. New Mexico drivers are still fearful of this white stuff so the freeway speed is about 20 miles a hour where in Colorado we would be using our winter driving skills and travel at 40 mph just like we do in Parking lots. We do make it out of the state, eventually and had a very nice Christmas with a quick trip back.

Driving back I did want to check the local news to see if there were any more reports of Snow Holes in the state. The only thing on the news was that due to the trauma of snowfall their Action Sports reporter Biff Gross has taken to roaming the news room with reams of paper stapled to his body and chewing on his leg for nourishment. Back to you Bob.

First a little background, in the days of yore when we were using Black and White film if we wanted a little more control over the contrast of the image we reached into our camera bags for some solid color lens filters. These filters would fit over the front of the lens and used with black and white film increased the contrast look by filtering out colors and making them more dark or lighter areas of the color landscape

With digital editing we can apply these filters to any images with the new Adjustment layer in newer versions cleverly called Black and White. A panel of sliders that cover not just the RGB colors but also CMY colors can give great control because they will increase or decrease these colors in the image. Changing the position of the slider from left to right will make these colors lighter or darker. In Photoshop we have even more control by clicking on the little hand with the arrow in the fingertip. This allows us to move over the image and by clicking and dragging left and right will lighten or darken the colors in that area so we don’t have to guess. Plus if the color is a combination of two colors both will adjusted as you watch both sliders move. If you like simplicity there are standard photo filters in a drop down menu so you can one click for custom looks. Filters like Red (great for landscapes) or Green (great for people). Another great feature is custom presets where if you come up with your own secret sauce of a black and white look and save it for one click apply.

Photoshop Elements users also have a special tool for Black and White but it is not an Adjustment layer but is found under the Enhance menu as Convert to Black and White. However before you go to this you should either make a copy of the file or add a copy of your Background layer to the image. Drag the image to the new layer icon (little square with the corner turned up) or the key board shortcut of Ctrl J (Command J for Mac). The Enhance feature works only on an image layer and if you don’t have a copy you will lose your color image. So make the copy then go to Enhance>Convert to Black and White.

The new panel will show both a before and after look. Plus you have a lot of presets like Portraits, Landscapes and even Newspaper. I have to say these settings are really good and that the Newspaper preset is good for those images that need to go to the local paper. Gives a very good contrast that reproduces well. It doesn’t have as many sliders as Photoshop but even just the RGB sliders do a good job of contrast control.

As with both adjustments being done on separate layers you can get that faded color look by reducing the opacity of the layer allowing the colors to start fade in. If you add a Layer Mask you can even paint in spot colors from the color image under the Black and White layer. This is a common effect used to death in wedding images and greeting cards.

If you have a single layer image skip down to step 2 after you added a copy image layer(Ctrl J or dragging the image layer to the new layer icon at the bottom of the layer pallet.)

1. A new image layer is needed for the effect to work well. If you are working with a lot of layers go to the top of the stack, click on the top layer then do this Keyboard shortcut of Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E (Mac Command + Shift + Option + E) which will create a merge image of all the layers on a new top layer.

2. Change the layer mode of the new image layer to Luminosity. This will protect the colors and allow for the controlling effect of the Sharpen/Defog. Do this before moving onto the UnSharp mask stage.

3. On a copyed/Merged layer image of the Background image go to Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask and enter what will seem to be higher than needed settings but it will make sense soon. Enter in settings like 100/25/1 and yes it will look oversharpen but that is OK.

4. Go to Edit>Fade (which will say Fade Unsharp mask. This command applies to any filter you just ran.) Here pull the slider to the left to fade the oversharpen effect to just what you need to the image. Luminosity will protect the colors and reduce any halo effect.

If you like this make it an Action for both Sharpen and Defog. Be sure to place a stop at the Fade Command so you can make adjustments.

Bonus Tip for CS4 and CS5 users…If you want to be able to go back at any time and readjust the sharpen settings use Smart Filters.

1. Change the copied/Merged layer to a Smart Object, Select the layer and go to the Layer Menu (Right Click on the Layer) and convert it a Smart Object.

2. Go to the Filters and do the High Settings. This will create a Smart Filter under your copied/Merged layer. Make sure at this point your C/M layer is in Luminosity mode and just fade the Opacity of the Layer to taste. You can always click on the Smart Filter layers at anytime and still change the settings. Plus if you want the Smart Filter comes with a Layer Mask so if you want to only have some parts of the image sharp and some not just paint with the Brush Tool and Black.

Let’s start with what is the most common way digital and some instructors tell us how to create a black and white image from a color digital image. A lot of these books will say to go to Image>Mode>Grayscale. This will not only change the image to black and white but change the color mode the image is in. Mode is important when you are trying to print since some printers can only print certain color modes like RGB or in the case of commercial printers CMYK. Some cannot print Grayscale and you will need to change it back to RGB which is the most common color mode. It will not change it back to color but this extra step can be a pain. Also to be honest this convergence is not the best look for black and white. It tends to make the image look a little flat and lacking contrast which is what makes a really good black and white image.

So we will not be using this as one of the ways of converting images. Plus while on the subject of converting images from color to black and white lets talk about cameras that offer the option of shooting in black and white. I tend to be of the camp to only shoot in color and change the images in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements rather than shoot them in camera as black and white for two reasons. One is as we get into more creative ways of converting images you will see why modifying the colors give better black and whites. Second as a portrait shooter for many years using film. It seemed that when I got creative and shot with black and white film someone would always want that same image in color too! Kind of hard to do when it is only in one format. This is true for some digital cameras too. For me it just easier and faster to shoot in color and have the option for different looks later.

So what is a better way to get black and white from color if we are not going to use Grayscale? In both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements there is an Adjustment layer for Gradient Map. By just having your foreground and background colors in plain old black and white this creates a better image. First click on the little black and white squares above the larger squares. This changes them to the default or pure black and white. Then go the Adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layer Pallet. It is the circle that half black and white. Click on the Gradient Map and you are done. This adjustment lays down a better tonal range giving much richer blacks and whites as they relate to the tones of the colors. Plus being an adjustment layer it is non destructive and does not change the color mode. You are still in the RGB color mode. And if a color image is requested you just turn off the adjustment layer.

Keep watching this series for more tips on other ways for making black and white images with more control over tones and even how to selective color images where you have something in color while the rest of the image remains black and white.

In today’s digital world x rays are not a problem with cameras or memory cards but we should be careful around magnetic sources just like with any electronic devises. And if you are traveling overseas be sure to have transformers that you can plug in for any of your devises like a camera battery or your laptop. Voltage varies per country so a trip to Radio Shack for a World Wide Power Converters is a good investment.

Flying around the US is becoming more and more like a second date or a police pat down. I do suggest that if you have a nice digital camera with extra lenses that this be one of your carryons. Having a nice camera inside of an unlocked suitcase is the stuff of nightmares. Many times when I fly I don’t even take it out of the camera bag but I do make sure that my camera case is the first bag I grab as it comes out to keep it close and make it less likely to walk off. I know of some photographers who have special travel bags for their camera gear that doesn’t shout CAMERA BAG, EXPENSIVE STUFF INSIDE. These bags look like regular bags or for women even handbags.

So let’s say you get to a major vacation spot or city and want to take some photos for fun or profit. Well I might suggest that you leave your tripod at home. Many cities and even national parks do not allow tripods for two reasons. One is that a camera tripod is the weapon of choice for terrorists. While I may be kidding about terrorists, many a photographer has been stopped by police saying that tripod is a public hazard or as a pro you will need to have a city permit (or a national park permit) to take any photos. If you do want to get a shot of Time Square or the Golden Gate Bridge you should do it hand held using a higher ISO setting so you can employ a faster shutter speed. There is a more clandestine way and that is a small tripod called the Gorilla Pod. This is a strange looking small twelve inch high tripod with legs that can wrap around light or sign posts and will fit inside most camera bags. It will allow you to fix your camera to some solid object for that rock solid platform. Now using lower shutter speeds for low light or night shooting is possible again.

If you do feel a tap on your shoulder from a cop or ranger do not panic. Yes as a citizen you are within your rights to photograph anything visible from a public area. If you want to sell these photos then you may have to check if it is copyrighted but being in the right is not the same as just saying so. You don’t want one of the memories of your vacation to be the five hours spent at the police station and then to find that your memory card with all your travel memories has been “accidently erased”. First do not let your ego speak about how great your photography is and how your art can not be contained. Remember the police office is probably tired and could care less. I suggest you act like a tourist and maybe even have a couple of really poor shots in camera that you can show him so he will feel it is better to chase you off than do the paperwork on you. Say you didn’t know you couldn’t do that and walk away. Sooner or later you can return and take the shot again. When all else fails remember the age old photographer’s mantra “It is better to ask forgiveness than permission”

First this filter will not work on Smart Objects. This is because it works directly on the layer image. Which is also why it is a good idea to make a copy of the image layer just in case. And because Liquify is a huge RAM or memory hog if you are finding that when you use it the whole system slows down or crashes you can work on small sections. Make a selection of the offending area like a love handle or if you want to enlarge “ahem” a certain part (come on you know what area I am talking about!)and copy to a new layer. Get enough of the surrounding area but not the whole image. Then go to Liquify filter and just this section will come up and the whole system will be much faster. When you are done you can just blend and flatten the section.

The other thing to keep in mind is that Liquify is a brush base filter. I suggest adjusting not only the brush size but the Pressure setting so you will have more control. Lower setting on Pressure will mean not so abrupt adjustments. Plus you can use the Alt key to Undo by holding down the key and brushing over the area again. Also under the Forward Warp tool (Very top with the finger pushing down) is the Reconstruction Tool which acts like an Undo tool but allows you to choose the look. I like the Smoothing Mode under the Reconstruct Options. Rounds off sharp edges.

You can also paint on a Mask or protective area that will not be affected by the brush.

For those times you do want to “ahem” enlarge areas try this. Make the brush larger than the “ahem” singular part and single click with the mouse. This will create a more natural look than dragging a brush over “ahem” them.

One trick is when you have a black and white image of a logo or text you really don’t have to spend a lot of time making selections and dropping out backgrounds. Place the Logo/Text on a new layer and change the Mode of the layer from Normal to Multiply. This drops out the white leaving just the black pixels. Now you can move or transform it on the image quickly.

This trick also works for images that are faded or overexposed. Copy the image layer to a new layer (Ctrl or Command J) or drag the background layer to the new layer icon (Little square with the corner turned up) . Change the Layer Mode to Multiply and the whole image becomes darker. Reduce the Opacity to taste.

You can also brighten images by do the same thing and changing the mode to Screen.