ImageMaven Setting Up Your Digital Camera

No matter what type of digital camera you are using, all use the same standard set up options. File size, compression (aka quality), ISO, White Balance.
You need to know how the images will be used before you begin taking pictures. Is it for your reports, making 4x6 prints at the lab, web usage, or to mount on your wall?
Begin with the end in mind.

In the case of digital photography - size does indeed matter. There is no gain to shooting photos at full resolution 10MP in size, if you are only going to be importing them into an Excel report.
Size is really a description of the pixel dimensions of your file. Take out your camera, get to the size menu, and look at the size options. All cameras have them. You may see something small like 600x900 pixels or large like 2000x3000.

Size is really a description of the pixel dimensions of your file. Take out your camera, get to the size menu, and look at the size options. All cameras have them. You may see something small like 600x900 pixels or large like 2000x3000.

In the case of digital photography - size does indeed matter. There is no gain to shooting photos at full resolution 10MP in size, if you are only going to be importing them into an Excel report.
Size is really a description of the pixel dimensions of your file. Take out your camera, get to the size menu, and look at the size options. All cameras have them. You may see something small like 600x900 pixels or large like 2000x3000.

In the case of digital photography - size does indeed matter. There is no gain to shooting photos at full resolution 10MP in size, if you are only going to be importing them into an Excel report.
Size is really a description of the pixel dimensions of your file. Take out your camera, get to the size menu, and look at the size options. All cameras have them. You may see something small like 600x900 pixels or large like 2000x3000.
You will likely have to re-size your photos on your computer before importing them into your reports.

Related to file size is Quality - or Compression.
The reason jpg files are so small is that they are compressed. This type of compression is called “lossy” because data is “lost” - actually tossed out when compressed.
Compression occurs when saving files. So if you open up a jpg photo on your computer and re-save several times, you are actually tossing out data every time you do that. The result is an image with artifacts and weird textures throughout.

Related to file size is Quality - or Compression.
The reason jpg files are so small is that they are compressed. This type of compression is called “lossy” because data is “lost” - actually tossed out when compressed.
This loss of data is visible.
Compression occurs when saving files. So if you open up an image on your computer and re-save several times, you are actually tossing out data every time you do that. The result is an image with artifacts and weird textures throughout.

Cameras measure the colour of the light reflected from the scene, so sometimes it is necessary to alter your white balance. Instead of using AUTO, you may need to use a pres-set such as daylight, tungsten, flash, fluorescent, sunset.

The colour wheel represents the 6 basic colours of photography. Red, Green, Blue, and Cyan, Magenta, Yellow. Opposite colours neutralize each other. If an image is too red and you are using Auto White balance, it will “balance” it with Cyan, thus making the image “cooler” as a way of neutralizing it. Warm neutralizes cool.

If your image is too dark according to the histogram, you should “add” exposure. If it’s too bright then you should minus exposure. Keep in mind highlights are not recoverable on jpgs.
To add or subtract exposure, find your exposure compensation menu and dial in an appropriate amount of exposure correction.