Daily Photo Tips Archive

24.Jan.11After applying noise reduction, particularly over smooth areas of the photograph, it may be necessary to perform a 'spot check'. Noise reduction software can leave artifacts or ignore particularly large noise samples.

23.Jan.11Large shifts in white balance use up some of a photograph's effective dynamic range. Shifting a photograph's colour response far from native is similar to performing a colour correction in post-processing, and can clip highlight and shadow detail.

22.Jan.11Noise can be defined as a sampling of random errors in a measurement set. In photography, where a sensor measures light, noise can be seen as clumps of dots that appear in an otherwise clean image. All films and sensors produce noise at some level.

21.Jan.11Firewire connections can be found in some higher-end cameras. If you have a firewire connection on your computer as well (some computers do not), this can be a very fast way of downloading photographs to your computer.

20.Jan.11As a backup to data transfer cables while traveling, a USB-style card reader can be a good way to communicate data from your camera to a computer. If there are connection hassles, reading directly from the card may work better.

19.Jan.11Carrying your camera 'just in case' in rough environments can be hard on it. Very dirty, dusty, high impact or high vibration environments can destroy delicate equipment quickly. In these cases, you may want to only take the camera when you know you'll be making pictures.

18.Jan.11Lens vignetting algorithms can produce more apparent noise in the corners of a photo. To compensate for lens darkening in edges and corners, the algorithms lighten these areas, exaggerating any existing shadow noise.

17.Jan.11Oversized sensors can allow photography at different aspect ratios without reducing the resolution of the image. No single aspect ratio makes use of the entire sensor, but extra room is allowed to change ratios without cropping.

16.Jan.11Just being a learned photographer is a valuable skill. Many people own cameras without knowing how to use them: even if your photography career isn't going the way you like, realize that you have valuable, marketable, enviable skills.

15.Jan.11In photography, noise is most visible in shadows. This is because noise values in any photograph are relatively small, and will only appear when they are not overwhelmed by much larger (brighter) values in the signal from the sensor.

14.Jan.11Lenses that are prone to flare effectively limit the dynamic range of a photograph. Because lens flare prevents the sensor from recording true black, the photographer must correct the problem later. A better lens requires fewer corrections, and produces a final product with a higher bit depth.

13.Jan.11Digital sensors have 'noise character' just like films do. Different sensors will produce noise in different ways and at different levels. If you frequently use high ISO settings, be sure to check a camera's noise character before you commit to buying it.

12.Jan.11Being busy overwhelms the mind, particularly the creative part of the mind. Don't worry if hectic times make your photography suffer – when you get the chance, your creative juices will start to flow again!

11.Jan.11Truly waterproof surfaces will tend to hold water in beads or puddles. Different surfaces will 'hold' the water in different ways, giving the creative photographer endless opportunities to find fascinating patterns.

10.Jan.11Using built-in or USB card reading technology is sometimes faster than downloading directly from your camera via USB. Because the camera is primarily a small battery-powered device, its data transfer rate may be limited.