What's the right size for a picture, you ask? Well, that depends on the photo.

Most monitors display pictures at 72 dpi (dots per inch). So, if you want the picture to be five inches wide (that's probably about the biggest you would want for an e-mail message), the picture would be 360 pixels wide (5 inches x 72 dpi = 360 pixels).

Pixel is short for "picture element" and it is the smallest unit of visual information used to build an image. If you have ever zoomed in on an image, pixels are those little squares you may see. The more pixels in an image, the better the resolution.

So, how do you get your pictures to be the right size? Well, you use your imaging software, of course! Most scanners and digital cameras come with some sort of imaging software that will allow you to resize an image.

To do so, open the picture in your imaging software and resize the image to your desired resolution. You can usually do this via an Image or Edit menu. Your menu style and commands may vary depending on your software.

Usually, you'll get a screen that allows you to input the image size in pixels. If there's a checkbox that allows you to constrain proportions, make sure that is checked as well (that ensures that when you change the height or width, the picture remains proportional).

That medicament cialis should do it! Since you've changed the picture size, you may want to save it under a different name. Use the Save As command under the File menu of your imaging software to do that.

This little tip comes in handy when you want to place a picture on your desktop or if you send it by e-mail. Now your friends won't have to wait forever to download a 10 MB picture file that is way too big when it could have been 10K and just the right size. Give it a try today!

As we all know, the speed of technology these days is lightning fast. It seems as if what you buy today becomes obsolete the next, which is why it’s important to update yourself on the newest features available for digital cameras before you think of upgrading or buying a new one. Here are some of the new features you should look out for before you zero in on any one digicam!

Pixels Don’t Really Rule

Unlike the days of yore when you couldn't fathom buying a camera above 3 megapixels, because the prices were outrageous, now you can! But then again, you need to ask yourself how high is too high? Should you go for a 5 megapixel or an 8? Experts will tell you that any 3.2 megapixel camera will give you crystal clear images that can be blown up to almost three feet. If you want to blow up your pictures even more, a 5 megapixel camera should do, because pixels are nothing more than an opportunity to blow up your picture size. Then again, if you use compact cameras that have small sensors, but offer many megapixels, there is a definite loss in picture quality. It gets even worse if you take images at a higher ISO level in low-light conditions. So, what I'm saying is, don't let megapixels be the only criteria for you to determine which camera to buy.

Zoom In

The zoom feature is largely ignored, but it's very important. With a zoom function, it saves you from having to crop things out of your pictures. Similarly, it saves you footwork, because you don’t have to move back and forth while taking a picture. Therefore, the higher the zoom, the more room for angling your shot. Most cameras come with a 3X zoom, but now, there are several cameras where the standard is a 4X zoom and they are available at the same price. So, I say go for it! If you love your zoom, there are super zoom lenses that can magnify up to 25 times and more. However, just remember to use the zoom lens only when the lighting is good. If you zoom in low-light conditions, your pictures could be under exposed. Some cameras even come with an optical zoom that stretches the maximum zoom range, without losing the picture quality.

Wide, Wide World

What was once the preserve of a professional photographer is now within the reach of an amateur photographer! There are several cameras that offer a great wide angle feature, without having to buy a stand-alone wide angle lens. This helps a great deal, because some wide angle lenses cost as much as a camera itself. Given a choice, go for at least a 28mm wide zoom. That size is great for group photography and shooting panorama pictures and landscapes.

Anti-blur Feature

This comes in handy particularly in low-light conditions and when you are taking pictures without a tripod or any stable platform. Essentially, this feature prevents blurring of images that result due to camera shake. Though most brands offer the image stabilization feature, it’s best to check them out before buying, because each brand has its own quality measure.

ISO Levels

The ISO level partly determines your level of success in low-light photography. The higher the ISO level, the better your photo will turn out, without the help of a flash. What it does is increase the sensitivity of the lens to the existing light and it captures as much detail. Of course, you should avoid using the highest ISO level, because it could lead to a lot of graininess in your pictures. Technically, cameras higher than 6 megapixels do not give better results with a higher ISO than those under the 6 megapixel range.

Ability to Detect Faces

This comes in handy particularly in group photos, where everyone is at a different distance from the camera lens. Traditional cameras aren’t able to detect all the faces in a picture and thereby, adjust their focal length to each. But now, manufacturers, like Canon, have pioneered face detection technology, which has led many more brands to provide the same. This helps in getting crystal clear images of all the faces in a picture and not just the person in the center of the frame. This feature controls the exposure to the lens and it synchronizes the flash accordingly for a more balanced output.

Red-eye Removal Feature

Photoshop should be your last resort when it comes to removing red-eye from your subject’s eyes during night shooting. Several cameras now come with a ready-made feature that avoids red-eye by throwing a pre-flash light at you so that your pupil constricts before the actual flash. While some cameras do it brilliantly, others do not. The best way to find out is to try flash photography of a person indoors and judge it for yourself.

Candle Light Mode

Look for additional scene modes not found in an ordinary digital camera. One of these is the "candle light" mode, which allows you to take pictures of anything where the lighting is nothing more than a candle light. This works well if you use a tripod and have to make do with limited lighting. All in all, it’s an effective mode.

In-Camera Panorama Picture Stitching

While most cameras have a panorama mode, they don’t allow you to stitch two pictures inside the camera itself. You have to do that in Photoshop later on. Well, not anymore! Newer cameras can stitch together two pictures taken in the "panorama" mode to give a seamless feel of a rectangular photo. It looks awesome and it saves you the bother of Photoshop!

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These are only a few of the extra features found in some of today’s digital cameras. I advise you to ask your vendor to show you extra features that most cameras don’t have and then be sure to test them before you buy.

Happy shopping!

Agreed, pictures taken with flash aren’t as great as those taken under natural light, but sunlight also brings harsh shadows with it. To precisely light up those dark shadows, flash is a must. That is particularly true of outdoor action photography, be it car racing, roller skating or jet skiing. With the help of your flash, you can compensate for those fast moving environments with some well exposed images. That is achieved by using both the light of the flash to fill out the shadows, as well as, the natural light in your picture's scene. And it doesn't stop there! With slower shutter speeds, you can create some fantastic effects.

Here are a few out-of-the-box ways to capture action with flash photography. Try them out today!

Sync Your Flash Slowly

First of all, you should start experimenting with your flash. Add a slower shutter speed (slow sync flash, as they call it) for shots that capture the movement of the scene in your viewfinder in its natural ambient light. This will not only freeze certain details, but also make your pictures look great. The more you try using this feature, the better you will get!

Pan Your Way During Exposure

In addition to the above mentioned tip, try panning along with your subject as they move by and you’ll capture some interesting effects. You can capture blurred backgrounds, but the main subject will be supremely in focus, but of course, frozen by the flash. That greatly helps when you are trying to capture candid moments of bungee jumpers, boxers and acrobats.

Zooming Helps Too

This is another cool technique that could heighten the drama in your action shots, while freezing your subject with your flash. Just try zooming your lens in or out during the exposure to get a sense of movement in the shot.

Experimenting Doesn’t Hurt

It’s great to be creative. If you’ve used all the previous tips with some measure of success, you are ready for this next technique. First though, you need to check if your camera allows you to get the flash off the camera (if you are using an external flash). Most cameras allow you to rotate the camera into portrait mode and keep the flash above the camera. Try some off camera flash techniques to lighten your subject as they travel by from different angles. Putting the flash on the top helps to eliminate shadows. You can compare your shots with cialis shelf life the landscape position (flash on top) and the portrait position (flash on sideways) for shadows. When taking pictures of a person, the portrait position is always the best to use.

And Finally…

If you have control over the output of your flash (some point-and-shoots and most flash gun units allow this), experiment with a variety of different levels of output. You probably won’t need a full flash burst, so be sure to pull it back a stop or two to get a more natural look.

I wish you the best of luck. Remember, flash is where the action is!

If you haven't noticed, we're in an age of all things being "ready made" and the same applies to digital photography. Pick any point and shoot camera or even a professional SLR camera and you will find pre-defined shooting modes that help you automatically adjust the camera’s focal length and exposure limits, depending on the picture you want to take. That could either be close ups, landscapes, night shooting or even dawn and dusk shooting. Or, even when shooting against a bright backdrop.

Most photographers, including professionals, are known to shoot in the Auto mode, while very few rarely shoot in the full manual mode. There’s no right or wrong answer to this, but below is an outline you can follow for what shooting modes can do to a specific kind of photography. Here we go!

For SLR and DSLR Cameras

Aperture Priority Mode (A or AV)

This mode is a semi-manual mode where you choose the aperture while your camera chooses other settings, such as the shutter speed, white balance and ISO. It is put in place to ensure a balanced exposure level, thereby avoiding either under-exposed or over-exposed photographs. This mode is particularly useful to control a stationary object where you don’t need to control the shutter speed. Choosing a larger aperture level means the lens will get smaller and it will let less light in. That means you’ll have a larger depth of field (more of the area in focus), but your camera will choose a faster shutter speed.

Shutter Priority Mode (S or TV)

With this one, you choose the shutter speed and the camera chooses the rest of the settings. You can use this mode when you want to control the shutter speed. For example, when photographing moving subjects, such as some sporting action, you might want to choose a faster shutter speed to freeze cialis ordering the motion. On the flip side, you might want to capture the movement as a blur of the subject, like a waterfall, and choose a slower shutter speed. You may also want to use a slower shutter speed in low light conditions to get a better picture.

Program Mode (P)

Some digital cameras have this priority mode, in addition to the auto mode. With the cameras that have both, the Program mode is similar to the Auto mode, but it gives you a little more control over some of the other features, including flash, white balance and ISO. Check your digital camera’s manual on how the Program mode differs from the Auto mode in your particular model.

Manual Mode

The name says it all. With this, you have complete control over all of the settings and you're least dependent on any auto function of the camera. You set the shutter speed, aperture level, ISO, white balance and flash. This mode gives you the flexibility to set your shots the way you want them to be. This mode is essentially used by those photographers who are either experts or are willing to error in order to learn. If you don’t belong to either of those types, it's best you stick to one or the other for better results.

For Point and Shoot Compact Cameras

Auto Mode

This is the mode used by most photographers. Although it works in most conditions, it’s really bad for indoor photography and some forms of outdoor photography as well. Indoors, a camera set on Auto would use the flash, blasting nearby subjects with light, while the background and subjects farther back are lost in darkness. If you master the various shooting modes, you could be using less and less of this mode, which is perfect for beginners, but not for those who are climbing up the learning ladder.

Sports Mode

Represented by an icon of a sprinter, this is perfect for taking pictures of moving objects. This mode is also good for shooting children or pets in action. This mode can give you higher shutter speeds to stop action, along with a smaller aperture so that more of the action will be in focus. Raising the shutter speed and narrowing the aperture both decrease the amount of light coming through the lens. Some cameras then raise the so-called ISO sensitivity to compensate, while others keep the ISO unchanged to minimize picture noise.

Portrait Mode

The Portrait mode is perfect for capturing solo subjects and taking passport photos. This mode sets a wide aperture of the lens so that the background behind your subject is softly focused. Here again, some cameras have modes within this mode, such as Portrait Right, if the subject is stationed on the right or Portrait Left. Similarly, there are sub-modes for Portrait Close-up, Portrait Couple (if there are two subjects) or Portrait Figure (if you want a waist upwards shot). However, with its deliberately shallow depth of field, this mode is not a good choice for group photos where members are at different distances from the lens. The Landscape Portrait mode or even just the Landscape mode would do better in that situation. Of course, there are some face detection features in some cameras, like Canon, that solve this problem, but it’s not found in most other cameras.

Landscape Mode

This is represented with an icon showing a picture of a mountain range. This mode narrows the aperture, so both the subject and background stay sharp, but might zoom out to a wide angle to fit more of the background in. This mode also works well if you want to just capture nature without any subject in the foreground. You could also use this mode to showcase the architectural wonders of a building. Plus, if you have two people standing in the foreground against a mountain backdrop, some cameras have sub-modes, like Group Right or Group Left, to help you with that as well.

Night Portrait

This mode is usually symbolized by a figure against a dark sky with a star. This mode fires the flash to illuminate a nearby subject and then holds the shutter open long enough for the background to be exposed. Scene modes for indoor photography typically turn the flash off to expose the whole scene equally. You can open the aperture to let more light in and turn on a stabilizing feature, given that longer shutter speeds are needed. For shooting after a sunset, night modes turn the flash off, hold the shutter open (use a tripod) and change the ISO sensitivity (not always raising it, as high ISO and long shutter speeds both commonly add noise to a picture).

Scene Modes

There are at least a dozen different scene modes in any average compact camera. Flower icons set the camera for close up shots and some cameras, like Nikons, also have macro close up features that allow you to take shots of buds, petals, bugs and insects in a way that will leave you bowled. The Night Landscape mode (represented by a Manhattan-like skyline at night with bright dots in the building and a crescent in the sky) allows you to take great shots of stationery objects, whether they're people, places or things during nighttime. But, remember to take the shot using a tripod, because it will expose the scene for a longer time. Any shake of the hand or camera could blur the picture.

Similarly, the fireworks, beach and underwater modes are self-explanatory. Without these modes, such bright scenes would look dingy, because the auto exposure system, made for scenes of average brightness, dims brilliant scenes. Sunset modes emphasize reds, while the autumn modes often emphasize both reds and yellows.

And Lastly…

All of these modes are meant to equip you with a basic knowledge of what you can do in each of the different scene modes. The best way to learn photography is intense practice. Don’t shy away from experimenting one bit. The best way to know the difference between auto and the other scene modes is to shoot the same subject in both the settings and note the shutter speed, ISO level and aperture. The difference will be dramatic in some cases. Tweaking the various functions of the camera can result in some fantastic results that even textbooks can't teach you. Go on and trial and error your way to better photography!

Happy clicking!

Photography