Home

Digital Image2006 - Center

1. Photos that tell a story are always strongest even if they fail to meet some of the other criteria Does the lighting enhance the subject and message Like the composition lighting is a subject that is worthy of book length discus sions Light should be used to its maximum potential to reveal what s important in the image and to set the overall tone of the photo Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 204 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks In masterful hands lighting is used selectively to focus attention on specific areas of the subject while simultaneously de emphasizing less important areas to guide leading the eye through the composition and to establish the overall mood and tone of the image by taking advantage of the different temperatures colors of light Light is another design tool that can be used to enhance the overall mood and intent of the image and subject For example when taking a portrait of a man a strong unfiltered white side light may be appropriate because it emphasizes the man s rugged and angular features On the other hand a soft warm color diffused light is more appropriate for a portrait of a woman because it enhances her delicate features And of course there are few photographers who fail to take advantage of the superb colors of light during sunrises and sunsets When evaluating the lighting merits of a photo ask e Is the intensity and color of light appropriate f
2. nails File name box Displays the file name of a selected thumbnail Files of type menu Use this menu to change the types of image files to be displayed Thumbnails Small versions of your photos stored in the current folder OK Opens the selected thumbnails Cancel Closes the file browser without opening any photos Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 16 Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures To open pictures with the file browser File formats compatible with Digital Image Digital Image can open photo files in any of the following formats e Adobe Photoshop psd Enhanced Metafile 5 emf e EPS eps FlashPix fpx 6 e GIF gif Home Publishing 1 BY If opening pictures from a USB Mass Storage Class camera read your camera s documentation and make sure that you have installed the camera s software and drivers properly Make sure your camera is turned on and connected to your computer 2 On the File menu click Open Click the All Files tab In the Look in list click the drive folder or network location that contains the picture you want to open In the folder list locate and open the folder or location that contains the pictures Thumbnails of pictures in that folder appear in the right pane Select the picture you want to open To select multiple pictures press CTRL as you click the thumbnails Click OK php JPEG jpg Kodak Photo C
3. Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 75 These adjustments add greater contrast to the image by using a greater percent age of the 256 available tones Finally this picture could be improved by increasing the brightness in the rock which is in shadow To do this you can change the shape of the curve to make just the shadows of the picture brighter Click the diagonal line about one third of the way from the top to lock the highlights in place Then click about one third of the way from the bottom and drag it up to brighten the shadow and midtones The final image looks like this Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 76 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing To adjust levels using the Levels and Curves tool Onthe Touchup menu click Levels and Curves Drag the Black point slider to the right until the vertical shadows bar on the histogram meets the first vertical rise of the graph Drag the White point slider to the left until the vertical highlights bar on the histogram meets the first vertical rise of the graph If the midtones need adjustment do one of the following To lighten the midtones drag the curve up and to the left To darken the midtones drag the curve down and to the right To make lighting adjustments to a specific color channel click one of the thumbnails and then use the levels and curves controls to make adjust ments to t
4. Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digital Image Library 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digital Image Library Digital Image Library is a powerful tool that helps you organize find and archive your pictures and short videos Digital Image Library does not store or make a copy of your pictures and videos Instead it stores information about your pictures and videos including a thumbnail version of each picture so you can conveniently organize and find them on your computer Digital Image Library automatically tracks information about each picture and video you add to the library including the date the picture was taken file size image size and the folder where the picture is stored You can add labels such as rating keywords or captions to pictures and videos Tools like the Label Painter and the Preview pane make it easy to add labels to an entire collection of pictures at one time Using the information you provide about each picture Digital Image Library helps you locate your pictures and videos by using powerful filtering and grouping Even if you have many pictures taken over several years you can locate pictures that share the same keywords dates ratings and more Digital Image Library also makes it easy to archive your pictures and videos on CDs or other media and copy pictures to CD so you can share them Digital Image Library also allows you to make simple changes to multiple pictures at the same time
5. and you can adjust the settings for color management Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 102 Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures Choosing Photo Paper If you want your images to look like traditional photographs choose paper that is clearly labeled as photo paper Photo paper comes in a range of thickness and texture Paper weight ranges from ordinary office document weight to a fairly heavy watercolor paper If you choose a heavyweight paper check your printer s manual to make sure that your printer can handle it The quality of the image will be affected by the kind of paper stock you choose Asa rule you ll see the widest range of colors and get the deepest blacks from paper that has been specially coated to accept inkjet inks The range of colors appears to be widest on the whitest papers Glossy surfaces also create the illusion of deeper blacks However if you re going to display your prints glossy surfaces can cheapen the look of the work and surface glare can make the images more difficult to view Paper formulations also contribute greatly to resisting fading and color shifting If you re using fade resistant or archival inks look for coated acid free papers that are also advertised as fade resistant or archival Creating Long lasting Prints When buying supplies for your printer check which types of ink and paper are recommended by the manufacturer of your printer and find out about the ink
6. operating the controls might not be intuitive since many digital cameras controls must be accessed through menus on the LCD screen After you ve read the manual and understand how and when to use your camera s features go out and take a variety of pictures using the different set tings Take some pictures outdoors and indoors with the flash and without the flash with automatic settings and with manual settings As you take pictures take notes to record the settings used for each picture Later look at your photos and take note of both the settings that worked well and the settings that produced poor results Missing a great photo because you get hung up on technical issues is frustrating Spend time getting to know your gear and prepare for great photo opportunities Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 155 2 Nail the Exposure In a finished photo exposure is something that you usually only notice when it is wrong A perfect exposure is not something that jumps out at you but a problem exposure definitely stands out In an overexposed picture caused by too much light the shadow areas are light and the highlighted areas are almost entirely white In an underexposed picture too little light has been let into the camera creating a photo that lacks detail with filled in shadow areas and dull highlighted areas Special lighting situations can fool the built in light meter in y
7. re using a telephoto lens and need very fast shutter speeds Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 196 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Choose an aperture that helps convey the story you want to tell In this case the photographer didn t want the background to blur completely because it provided context for the photo As it begins to get dark your choice of f stop will be very limited with slow films or ISO settings such as ISO 100 or ISO 200 You ll need to use wide apertures f stops such as f 4 to get a fast shutter speed Otherwise your images will show some blur from camera shake or subject movement Switch to a fast ISO 800 film or setting however and your options increase Now you can select smaller apertures f stops such as f 8 or f 11 for greater depth of field The fast film or ISO setting allows you to use fast shutter speeds and reduce the risk of blurred images While many people prefer to use a semi automatic mode you might also want to experiment with Manual mode for greater creative control This picture was taken at 1 400 sec at f 5 6 using a zoom lens set to 17mm on a Nikon D1X digital camera Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 197 While the basic elements of exposure and using them together may seem like a lot to digest you may find it easier to concentrate on one aspect at a time for example aperture and experim
8. s lifespan rating Some six color printers use inks specially formulated for long life When printed on high quality heavyweight matte paper photos from these printers can last approximately 40 years before perceptible fading occurs Fade ratings are given as the amount of time before any color shift in the print can be seen by the naked eye The actual time it would take for the print to become unacceptably discolored would be several times that These ratings are based on indoor exhibition under glass in an atmosphere that is not chemically polluted Ozone is especially harmful to dye based printing inks Do not display these prints in rooms where oxygen tanks or electric air fresheners are used both produce high amounts of ozone Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures 103 Ordering Prints Order prints of your photos online and have the prints sent to you or your fam ily and friends You can also use your photos to create a variety of photo gifts To order prints and enlargements 1 On the File menu in Digital Image click Order Professional Prints 2 Your Web browser should display a photo printing page On the Web click Order Prints 3 Follow the directions on this Web site to place your order for photo prints The pictures will be uploaded to the photo printing site processed printed and mailed to your home Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 11
9. Digital Image automatically corrects the colors 3 If you are not satisfied with the results use the Source Lighting slider to fine tune the overall color tint of the picture 4 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 5 Basic Touchup 41 Fixing Red Eye Using your flash in low light situations can give your subjects red unnatural looking eyes The Fix Red Eye tool darkens the red spots in the eyes to reduce or eliminate the redness To fix red eye 1 2 On the Touchup menu click Fix Red Eye Use the pan and zoom controls to magnify your picture and focus on the red eyes in the photo Click the red part ofthe eyes You can click up to two eyes at once 4 Click Red eye Auto Fix The redness in the eyes is removed Ifnecessary you can use the Intensity of correction and Size of correc tion sliders to fine tune the effect or repeat steps 3 and 4 until the red is eliminated Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 42 Chapter 5 Basic Touchup Straightening a Picture If you took a photograph while unintentionally holding the camera at an angle the horizon or other straight lines will appear tilted This tilt can be a distrac tion in the picture but is easily fixed with the Straighten Picture tool The Straighten Picture tool rotates the picture to make the horizon level To make the horizon level the Straighten Picture tool rotates t
10. Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 247 Fall Photos Sharpen Your Eye for Color and Composition Limiting the number of colors and keeping the composition simple can help make fall photos more vibrant As fall inevitably creeps across the summer landscape it brings color changes vibrant enough to motivate even the most languid photo buffs into recording at least a few frames of nature s brilliant displays Yeah right you say yawning that s what we need yet more sweeping landscape pictures of red yellow and orange trees Granted anyone who s been through more than a few autumns knows that given the stunning show nature provides colorful postcard like landscape pictures are easy to take If you re thinking been there done that then it s time to think about fall as an opportunity to develop your eye for color and composition If you want fall images that resonate beyond the predictable landscape pictures then you ll have to get creative and use fall color in less predictable ways Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 248 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Look for details within the scene Color contrast To go beyond the obvious ho hum tree changed color picture learn to use color contrast to its maximum potential You can choose to use high or low color contrast but use both with intent High color contrast is achieved by using complementary colors in a compos
11. Off Ramp TM Silk Spiral Designs O G B Steve Lovi 2000 TWENTY FOUR CARROT INC Jennifer Blomgren Andrea Beloff O Dorothy Strait O Carmel Bartz The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners 0405 Part No X11 13931 Contents at a Glance Chapter 1 Installation N irritan 1 Chapter 2 Welcome to Digital Image Suite 2200000000222000000nnnnn nn 7 Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures 22 ss 2222200000000002 11 Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 2 s000200000000000002 23 Chapter 5 Basic Touchup 222224442444422220000000000nnnnnnBnnnnannnnnnnnnnnnnn nn ann 37 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing u2222020020000n0000nn0nnnnnn 51 Chapter 7 Batch Editing in the Mini Lab uuuuu222n2nnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 77 Chapter 8 Adding Edges Mats and Frames s02222220000000002 83 Chapter 9 Creating Projects csscccsssesssessssorssessssessssssseesensssorsssenseeess 87 Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures oooocccccconncccnncccncoonnnanennnnnons 93 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digital Image Library iii 105 Chapter 12 Taking Great PICtUIeS ooooccccccnncccconccccooncccnnancnnnrnanaannnnos 123 Chapter 13 Successful Scanning c oocccccccccnnncccnanncncnonncancancnnnonanannnnns 163 Chapter 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for Pictures ccmm
12. See Digital Image Library story telling with photography 203 stretching picture features 55 subjects selecting photography 211 sunlight 136 sunsets 253 T table of contents 116 temperature changes cameras and 228 temporary object links 56 texture sampling 70 TGA files 16 thumbnails objects 53 resizing 114 viewing options 115 Thumbnail pane grouping pictures 116 hiding showing items 116 view options 115 Preview pane 117 thumbnail slider 114 TIF files 16 96 tiles view 115 time archive intervals 119 monitor calibrations 178 shutter lags 148 viewing pictures by 113 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 276 Index tint adjustments 40 toolsets See color and saturation or exposure and lighting touchup tools 39 tracking information See Digital Image Library transferring files archiving 119 importing 13 transparency adapters 165 tripod substitutes 153 TWAIN 17 two dimensional scanning 165 U underexposure 137 ungrouping objects 57 unlocking objects 54 unprintable card areas 89 upgrading Digital Image 5 USB connectivity 170 USB Mass Storage Class devices 14 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual V vertical formats 251 video adapters 175 177 178 viewable area screen 176 viewing pictures by dates 113 folders 113 keywords 112 overview 112 thumbnails 115 viewing picture information 117 viewing thumbnails 115 virtual drives 14 Ww water glass analogy 138 weathe
13. To change the width of the text box select the text box and drag one of the side resize handles 4 To move the text box select it hover the mouse pointer over the edge of the text box until the move handle appears and then drag the move handle Once you ve added the text you can select the text to edit it You can also select the text and use the toolbar buttons to change formatting When text is selected the following tools are available on the toolbar for formatting The Font menu fonts lets you choose between 140 different The Font Size menu lets you choose font sizes from 8 to 620 points The Font Color button amp lets you choose from a standard palette of colors or choose a custom color The Bold button adds bold formatting to the text The Italic button 7 adds italic formatting to the text The Underline button Y underlines the text The Alignment button has menu choices for Left Right Center and Justify The Bullets and Numbers button lets you apply or cancel formatting for bulleted or numbered lists Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 32 Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics Accessing Help from the keyboard You can access the online Help system at any time by pressing F1 on the keyboard Help Resources There are multiple ways that you can learn more about using Digital Image In addition to this User s Manual there is the onli
14. To group objects 1 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace 2 Pressing CTRL click each thumbnail on the Stack until all of the objects are selected 3 On the Edit menu click Group 4 To cancel the group click the group on the Stack and then on the Edit menu click Ungroup Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 58 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing Flattening Objects Flattening objects is a permanent action If you will no longer need to edit objects individually you can flatten objects into a single object This allows you to work on the objects together and reduce the number of objects in your composite Also many editing tasks cannot be performed on a multiple selec tion But if you flatten the objects together they become a single object so you will be able to edit them together To flatten multiple objects 1 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace 2 Pressing CTRL click each thumbnail on the Stack 3 On the Edit menu click Flatten Selected Objects Automatic Flattening When working with objects that are multiple selected or grouped some editing tasks such as using advanced selection tools will automatically flatten the selected objects into a single object Digital Image will give you a warning message whenever two or more objects will need to be flattened to perform an editing function When you see a warning message about flattening you can click Cancel to pre
15. color settings 176 contrast 178 overview 175 preserving settings 179 resolution 175 RGB values 178 viewable area adjustments 176 selection tools Edge Finder 62 freehand 61 Magic Wand 63 marquee 60 object 55 overview 59 self timer features 153 sending prints or gifts 103 sensitivity camera setting 144 185 sepia tones 67 series photo 150 setting white balance 252 shadows 73 136 sharpening pictures 66 sharp prints 101 showing screen items 116 shrinking picture features 72 shrinking picture to show edge 85 shutter lag 148 shutter priority mode 143 shutter speeds 142 191 side lighting 249 single picture printing 99 size batches 121 Digital Image workspace 175 e mails 98 file compression 129 flattened PNG files 97 odd sized pictures mats for 86 picture cropping 43 picture features 55 prints 101 127 storage media 132 thumbnails 114 skewing picture features 72 skin touch ups 47 70 151 slides scanning 165 170 SLR single lens reflex cameras 137 smaller print sizes 101 small aperture 140 188 SmartMedia card 132 Smart Erase tool 45 smearing picture features 72 snapshots scanning 165 soft edge effect 85 special effects colors 67 filters 66 freehand 68 stamps 68 speeds scanner 171 Index 275 splotchy color 129 spots removing 46 Stack 53 stained glass filter 66 stamps painting with 68 static electricity 167 still life photography 213 stitch 152 storage media 13 132 storing information
16. jpg is the most common format for images since the files can be opened on practically any computer JPEG does not support layers Too much JPEG compression can reduce image quality but JPEG is a format that makes relatively small files that work well for most purposes especially for e mail and the Web To save a photo in a specific file format 1 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual On the File menu click Save As The Save As dialog box opens In the Save as type box click a file type Click Save Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures 97 Setting PNG Plus Options Only Digital Image can read individual objects saved in PNG Plus files How ever a PNG Plus file contains a flattened PNG version of the picture that can be read by many other programs including Internet Explorer By default Digital Image saves the flattened version of the picture at the same size as the original multi object picture But while this flattened version of the picture allows the file to be opened by other programs it does increase overall file size If you don t need to have a full size flattened version of the picture embedded in each PNG Plus file you can choose to save the flattened version of the picture at a smaller size Limiting the dimensions of the embedded file can decrease the overall file size To limit the size of the embedded flattened PNG file 1 On the Tools menu click Options 2 Click PNG Plus option
17. or shadow that is most important to the image overall e Natural skin tones e Cropping that enhances the composition An appropriate sharpening level This picture has many of the elements you look for when editing images a good tonal range vivid colors white whites black blacks and detail in the shadow areas The image correction process For those new to image editing the process of image correction generally follows a sequence of adjustments that build upon each other Following this sequence often makes subsequent steps easier to complete and it will help avoid time consuming mistakes that result in artificial looking pictures A simple example is sharpening In image editing software sharpening doesn t magically fix blurry focus Instead it makes existing focus appear sharper by increasing the contrast of adjacent pixels in areas where there are significant color changes such as the edges Sharpening sounds like a good starting point for image editing right Not so If you sharpen an image and then make other adjustments such as burning darkening an area or dodging lightening an area the subsequent editing can create unnatural looking edges and pronounced halo effects around objects in the picture Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 258 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Following a sequence or workflow in the digital darkroom not only helps you avoid time consuming mistakes
18. pictured below the horizontal axis represents the range from the darkest pixels shadows on the left to the lightest pixels highlights on the right For each point in the range along the horizontal axis the height of the graph represents the number of pixels at that degree of brightness The example below shows the histogram of a photo that has a concentration of pixels between the shadows and the midtones with very few pixels at the lighter end of the range An image with a histogram like this would look very dark and have poor contrast For most photos it s best to have a fairly even distribution across the tonal range so there is contrast between the light and dark areas The following histogram example has the tones much more evenly distributed Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 74 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing If you are not satisfied with the results of the automatic exposure adjustments you can use the manual controls in the Levels and Curves tool for more precise control This photo is a good candidate for using the Levels and Curves tool When you look at the histogram you can see that the graph falls off sharply on the right end of the range This means that there are no very light pixels in the photo By adjusting the white point you can broaden the tonal range to make the photo more dynamic This is accomplished by dragging the white point slider to the first vertical rise in the graph
19. sometimes you may want to edit two or more objects at the same time There are three methods to join objects so that you can edit them together From least perma nent to most permanent the three methods for combining objects are multiple selection grouping and flattening Multiple Selection Multiple selection links objects temporarily For example if you wanted to move three objects the same amount to the left you could select the objects and then drag them together on the canvas Then as soon as you select a different object to work on the multiple selected objects are no longer connected These three objects are a multiple selection so they can be edited as a set and then sepa rated later To select multiple objects 1 Make sure that the Stack is showing 2 Pressing CTRL click each thumbnail on the Stack until all of the objects are selected 3 To cancel the multiple selection click any single object in the Stack Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 57 Grouping Objects Grouping objects allows you to edit multiple objects and then maintain the grouped relationship while you do other tasks The grouping relationship is even preserved when you close a picture file saved in PNG Plus format Grouped objects can later be ungrouped and edited individually These three objects have been grouped as indicated by the Group icon at the bottom ofthe selection box
20. 34 Instructional Videos 22 2 2 See sea A Nei feet een Gaia E atadas 35 Techinical Support 34 s 3 deci hi eve ieee e i E th lien IR want A et 35 Chapter 5 Baslc Touch p sense eisen sunss sooseesadons aia EE ES esros 37 Adjusting Exposure and Lighting u sans nn Erin in asa 39 Correcting a Color Cat naar A a E 40 Fixing Red E O O 41 Straightening a Pt A listeeddeesosileeee 42 Cropping sre RAR ed Rt i ea ee he ee ar 43 Using thetule of thitdss u a ii iota desea ete caleba Reiner 43 Using Smart Erase ots o E E 45 Removing Spots and Blemishes cccccsccesecssceeeseceeeecesceeceseeeeeeceseecaeeseecaecseecseceaecaeeaeeeeseeeeeseseeeeees 46 Removing Wrinkles 0 oia 47 Adding Flash a A O ais es Saree Rowe 48 Reducine Backl OS 2228 2 Rs Ode Nee bested dea ote 49 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing ssssussonssnssnssnssnnsnunsnnssanssnrssnssunssnsnnessnssnnsnnssnnsnnssnnsnnnsnnsnansanssann 51 Understanding Obie a 80m 2er nenn ui a 53 Working with Composites cccccccccesessecsecssecseceseeseceseeseceeseeecesssesneseeeaceaeeeaseaeecaecaeeaecaaecaeenaeeeenaees 53 Locked Objects u 2a an ea En En eh ea ie 54 Selecting Objects with the Object Tool u2022u2ernenneenesnnnnnnnnennnennsnnnennnennennnen nennen nennen 55 Multiple Selection Grouping and Flattening Objects oooonocioninccnoninoniononononnconconcconcon cnn noco nono co nonnn narran 56 MultiplesS dt ee 56 Groupme Objects IA ld Nee
21. AR eg ea eds 57 Flattening Objects N bale dos bees este ehesten 58 A teats eed BRM ade hk nd a Be ee ees 58 Flattening Objects During Saving cccccececseceseeseceseeeceseesecesceseeceseceeceaeeeaeeaeecaecaaecaecaaeeaeenseeeensens 58 Using Selection Tools Rete a este eee da een ee ee 59 Fhe Marque lool us 54 30 E aae 60 The Freehand Tool A AA ed ones 61 TheEdge Elda A o dada 62 The Magie Wanda to aan E A lao desde en urls do E aos Ol 63 The Selection Brushy ii ck cee ha a aa se eRe Ree et E Ra 64 Editing and Copying Selected Areas u0usssssseessnssnennsnnnnnnnnnnennnennennnennennennenneennnnnnnnnnnnnennnn nennen 65 Copying Cutting and Pasting Selections 20440042040Bnennnnnsnnennnsnnnnnnenneennennennen nennen nennen 65 Filters 42 RE aan eo Sibirien Ra 66 Col FATS CES a o ee E os be 67 Paint Effects a aaa 68 Clone BUS id 70 Blending BA O O OS IO lao 71 Distortion Br a Pec ee E EE EA a A ren 72 Using the Levelsiand Curves Tool kann RR a RR Ae Chapter 7 Batch Editing in the Mini Lab suussnssonssussonssansnessonsnessnnssusssnsnnnsnnssnnsnnssnssnnssnnsnnssansnansannsnnne Chapter 8 Adding Edges Mats and Frames A este gis DR ae ee ar et eit essen ede Mats and EMS ar Ra RR er tds 86 Chapter 9 Creating Projects eseesusssussnsssnssnnsnnssnnsnnnsnnsnnnsnnsnnnssnsnanssnssnnssussnnssnesnnssnesnnsnnssnnsnnnsnnsnnnsnnsnanssnnnanns 87 Creating Photo Cards o a hence det chs
22. If you re using another image editing program try the Auto Color option From there you can make manual adjustments until the color is accurate In this photo the white balance was set to incandescent to match the light Minor color adjustments were made in Digital Image Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 235 If your image editing program offers Level or Curves adjustment tools and a brightness and contrast tool use the automatic or manual adjustments to adjust the brightness and contrast of the image Then use the cloning tool to delete small imperfections such as dust or use the cloning tool to eliminate unwanted or distracting objects from the image If you clone large sections be sure to resample or set a new starting position frequently as you work Frequent resampling gives the cloned area a more realistic look Next use the crop tool in your image editing program to crop the image You can crop to eliminate empty space or distracting objects in the image You may want to leave a little space around the object as a visual frame Before you begin the final step in the process be sure you check the guidelines ofthe auction site Many auction sites set a50 KB file size limit to ensure quick page viewing for visitors Depending on the image editing program you re using you can resize the image so the image file meets the file size require ments of the auction sit
23. Inc Gary Craig Georgia Rettmer and Kimberly Rinehart Great Arrow Graphics Jay P Morgan O Jeanine M Frazier EthnoGraphics O Jesus amp Margaret Flores EthnoGraphics Jim Z Zhang EthnoGraphics Joann Pecoraro EthnoGraphics O Joseph Polevoi EthnoGraphics O Karen Gutowsky O Kay Erickson EthnoGraphics O Keith Henry Brown EthnoGraphics O Kersti Wells O Kiki Oberstenfeld de Suarez O KOKO New York O Kristin Elliott O Kristin Nelson Tinker EthnoGraphics O Larry LaBonteO Laura Schuman O Leeann Lidz EthnoGraphics O Linda G Fisher EthnoGraphics O linneadesign com O Lisa R Foster EthnoGraphics O Liz Kahlenberg Bordow O Lorie L Clark EthnoGraphics O Madison Park Greetings O MARA ML O Marian Heath Greeting Cards O Maril Delly EthnoGraphics O Marisela Godoy EthnoGraphics O Mark Downey EthnoGraphics ME GRAPHICS Northern Exposure NRN Designs Corporation Painted Hearts amp Friends O Palm Press Inc Paula Doherty 2001 Advocate Art O Penny Laine Papers O Pinx A Card Co Inc O Rebecca Pavlenko O Red Farm Studio O Roobee O Sally Martin do Gastelum EthnoGraphics O Sandi Carpenter EthnoGraphics O Sara Schneidman O Snafu Designs O Socially Yours O Steve Haskamp O Steve Katz O Suzanne Tornquist EthnoGraphics O Xiaoxing Yu EthnoGraphics Bottman Design Inc O Chris Roberts Antieau Bottman Design Inc O Paris Bottman Fan Mail Greeting Card Co O Dona Rozanski LARKSPUR GRAPHICS O Andie Thrams
24. Insert the Digital Image CD into your disk drive The Installation Wizard begins automatically If the above procedure does not start the setup process you can start it manually To begin setup manually 1 Turn off any antivirus software that yov re using and close any programs that are running 2 Insert the Digital Image CD into your disk drive Click Start and then click Run 4 If your CD ROM drive is listed as letter D type d setup exe If your CD ROM drive has a letter other than D replace D with the correct letter when you type the path 5 Click OK The Installation Wizard begins W Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 4 Chapter 1 Installation Completing the Installation Wizard The Installation Wizard will show you a series of dialog boxes that provide setup status and some installation preference options For most users the default preferences will be appropriate Information about the different setup options is provided below Installation Folder Dialog Box The Installation Folder dialog box allows you to choose where the program will be installed on your computer To install the program to a folder other than the folder in the Installation folder box do one of the following e Type a different path in the Installation Folder box e Click Change select a folder in the Change Installation Folder dialog box and then click OK Note that some files will be installed to the Prog
25. The disadvantage of cropping is that it reduces the overall size and therefore the resolution of the image and limits how much you can enlarge the image for printing For this reason it is always best to do as much cropping as possible in the camera as you take the picture Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 264 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks This picture is cropped and featured the clone tool to remove background distractions For example if you crop out a third of an overall image the resulting image may not have a high enough resolution to print larger than 5 x 7 To order an 8 x 10 enlargement the image must be at least 1536 x 1024 pixels And it follows that to get a poster size enlargement it s a good idea to avoid cropping the original image at all 7 Size the image for printing e mail and the Web Assuming that by now you have a flawless version of a picture you can make copies of the final image and size each copy for the medium in which you want to print or display it The following table provides the minimum image dimensions needed for each print size available from MSN Photos Print size inches Min width pixels Min height pixels 4x6 800 600 5x7 1050 750 8x10 1536 1024 11x14 1750 1375 16 x 20 poster 2500 2000 18 x 24 poster 2500 2000 24 x 36 poster 2500 2000 30 x 40 poster 2500 2000 36 x 48 poster 2500 2000 Microsoft Digital Image Suite
26. This diagram identifies the main features of Mini Lab 12 El Gave EJ Saye 2 D Contras Auto Fix MO tpt Autd fix Rotate Clockwise Ly Rotate Churtercockyese Crop D Grightnelis and Contrast E fix Red ye Click a file ptam 2 Brint 3 4 pictures iting option ito Fix a The Open more files button opens the file browser to let you find more pictures to edit The editing options list shows all of the tasks available for batch editing File options let you save or print multiple photos 4 The Workspace in Mini Lab contains thumbnails of all of your opened pictures The Done button closes Mini Lab keeping the photos open and maintain ing the changes you have made The Cancel button closes Mini Lab undoing any unsaved changes Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 7 Batch Editing in Mini Lab 81 To open Mini Lab from Digital Image 1 On the Touchup menu click Batch Edit in Mini Lab To open Mini Lab from the Library 1 In the Thumbnail pane select the pictures you want to edit 2 On the Tasks menu click Batch Edit When the Mini Lab starts it automatically displays all pictures that were open in the program Select the pictures you want to edit and then click one or more editing tasks The changes are applied automatically but they are not saved unless you choose Save As in the Mini Lab or save your pictures in Digital Image after
27. User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 265 For use in e mail or on the Web The size you choose for images displayed on a computer screen is determined by the size settings and resolution of the monitors on which the image will be viewed unlike for images you are print ing It is important to make sure that the pixel dimensions of your image are no larger than absolutely necessary for comfortable viewing If you make a file larger than necessary you might experience slow download times or rejection by the receiving e mail server People can change the resolution of their monitors regardless of the size of their monitors However for best readability of text monitors most likely are set at a given resolution based on the size of the monitor For example monitors in the 12 inch to 14 inch range generally display 640 pixels horizontally and 480 vertically 640 x 480 Fifteen inch to 17 inch monitors are generally set to 800 x 600 pixels Nineteen inch monitors generally display 1024 x 768 pixels Larger monitors can display different numbers of pixels such as 1280 x 1024 pixels If you have a Web site and you size an image as 640 x 480 pixels the image will fill the screen of a 13 inch monitor Likewise it will fill the screen of a 15 inch monitor that is set at 640 x 480 however the pixels and therefore the image will appear to be larger on the 15 inch monitor than on the 13 inch monitor But ifthe 1
28. a flash added the extra light needed to make the faded colors pop in this picture But why risk life and camera gear to schlep down dark alleys Why not go to a park or nature preserve The difference between photographing in alleys and say ameadow or woodland is the unique juxtaposition of man and nature In alleys nature works on abandoned structures and objects to create photo opportunities that are far less predictable than you d get taking photographs in an arboretum or park More often than not however nature does not work alone in alleys For aspiring artists alley walls provide expansive and affordable canvases And predictably alleys have that underground appeal that nourishes the iconoclast s creative expression It s a sort of 21st century twist on Michelangelo s Sistine Chapel that today s impassioned artists spend quiet tireless predawn hours transform ing dingy brick walls into memorable and photogenic compositions And if you re fortunate enough to find an alley where nature artists and impassioned idealists have been very busy expressing themselves consider your detour to be a real find Location tips and notes Exercise caution and good judgment when entering alleys and other potentially unsafe locations If you choose to photograph the loca tion stay alert to activity around you and always have your mobile phone handy Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 244 Chapter 15 Digital Photogra
29. and scratch removal Some high end film scanners include automatic dust and scratch removal software This option can save a great deal of time later eliminating the need to fix most defects Film Scanners If you need to scan negatives or slides on a regular basis a film scanner is the best option for the sharpest high resolution results Film scanners generally have higher resolutions than flatbed scanners producing images at 2 000 or even 4 000 dpi Since slides and negatives are so much smaller than photo graphic prints it s crucial to be able to scan at a high resolution especially if you plan to make larger size prints from the scans If you scan a slide at low resolution you ll have relatively few pixels to work with limiting you to mak ing small prints of the scans If you don t have a scanner that accepts film you can pay a photo lab to scan your best negatives or slides onto a CD ROM Negatives and slides can be scanned to sizes suitable for making large high quality prints Paying for scan ning services can be expensive so if you have a lot of slides or negatives you ll save money by buying a suitable scanner Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 13 Successful Scanning 167 Preparing Pictures for Scanning The single biggest problem with scanning is poor scans caused by contami nants such as lint dust or other specks on your photos or flatbed scanner s glass plate Some of these p
30. as 20 25 32 40 50 64 80 100 125 160 200 250 320 400 and so on up to 6400 although not all of these ratings are currently in use An easy way to think about ISO is to know that ISO 200 film or the equivalent digital setting is twice as sensitive to light as the ISO 100 setting If you use ISO 200 the film or image sensor requires half as much light to make an exposure as ISO 100 film Photographers refer to film or ISO settings as being slow under ISO 200 fast ISO 400 to 800 and very fast over ISO 800 Films in the ISO 50 to 100 range are very slow or they are the least sensitive to light Hence they require a long exposure or a slow shutter speed to produce a well exposed image For example on a gray overcast day using ISO 50 film you may need to use a 1 8 sec shutter speed to photograph a landscape at f 16 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 186 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Examples of very fast film include those with an ISO of 1600 and 3200 Because these films and settings are very sensitive to light they require shorter exposure times or a faster shutter speed On the same overcast day you could switch to ISO 1600 film and take the same landscape picture at f 16 with a shutter speed of 1 250th sec Trivia The ISO numeric rating scale was established by the International Organization for Standardization which combined the older DIN ASA ANSI systems for international
31. attention on the boy watching the fountain Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 260 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks First try the automatic tonal adjustment In Digital Image click Levels Auto Fix or Exposure Auto Fix on the Touchup menu If the automatic adjustment isn t what you want then adjust the tonal levels manually in the Exposure and Lighting task by adjusting the sliders for Shadows Midtones and Highlights Tip Try the automatic levels and color adjustments first because they can save time in processing images If you don t like the results you can undo the changes and make the adjustments manually This original image was too dark overall Adjusting the tonal range brings out the details and makes a more acceptable image Another good starting point for tonal adjustment is to set the white point and black point Setting the white point maps the lightest pixels in the image to white and setting the black point maps the darkest pixels to black Digital Image adjusts the intermediate levels proportionally giving your picture a better tonal range In Digital Image you set the white point by clicking Exposure and Lighting on the Touchup menu Then click the white point dropper and click a place in the photo that is white Repeat the process with the black point slider If there is no white in the picture click the Exposure auto fix button 3 Adjust color balance In most image editing
32. automation just turn the camera on and press the shutter and the camera does the rest While this approach is quick and easy it isn t perfect in all situations As a photographer you can learn to fine tune the settings on your camera to gain greater control of the camera to get the best possible photo for each situation Because of the range of cameras available from basic point and shoot models to professional SLR single lens reflex cameras this chapter cannot cover specifics for all features available on all cameras But it will provide a foundation of photography concepts that are vital to taking consistently good photographs The first section of this chapter contains information specific to digital cameras concepts such as resolution and compression that don t have direct counterparts in film photography Later sections cover universal photography concepts that apply to both film and digital cameras 125 Opening photos from your digital camera For information about opening pictures from your camera in Digital Image see the digital camera section in the Opening and Importing Pictures chapter Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 126 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures About Digital Cameras If you re new to using digital cameras several camera features might seem foreign to you Some of these features such as digital zoom and compression do not exist with film cameras But it s important
33. balance and interest to your pictures 6 Find a Unique Perspective You can challenge yourself to take original pictures that convey unique per spectives Rather than just pressing your shutter button as soon as you have the urge to capture a scene take some time to assess your camera angle proximity to your subject and background elements You might transform your composi tion by taking one or more of the following simple steps e Get closer to your subject to show more detail and eliminate distractions in the background e Include just a portion of your subject in the frame e Take your original subject and place it in the background Find a new subject that adds context to the object in the background e Get lower to the ground and point the camera up toward your subject e Move to a higher location above your subject so you are pointing down when you take the photo For example if you are traveling your natural instinct might be to take straight forward pictures of local monuments But with this approach you might wind up with the same lackluster pictures taken by scores of other tourists before you And there would be a good chance that a nearby souvenir shop would sell superior professionally photographed prints and slides of the same monuments For that matter you could have just stayed home and ordered the professional photos from a catalog Use your imagination to compose some original creative photos that you won
34. balance the camera assumes the light est spot in the picture is white and adjusts the other colors accordingly Under most circumstances this automatic function should prevent an off color cast in your photos However in some lighting conditions the camera fails to correctly set the white balance If you re taking pictures indoors for example incandescent lights give offa yellowish or reddish glow This color is not really visible to the naked eye but often shows up in indoor pictures To counteract this problem most digital cameras have preprogrammed color balance settings that compensate for different kinds of light Typical settings include cloudy shaded incandescent flash fluorescent and sunny These settings compensate for the different colors of light likely to be present in those conditions and should produce pictures that require little or no color correction Read your camera s manual to find out about specific white balance settings it offers With film cameras there is no way the camera itself can compensate for dif ferent lighting conditions But there are two ways you can compensate for the colored light Use film designed for specific lighting situations Tungsten balanced films for example help to neutralize the color of tungsten or halogen illumination Use a filter on your camera lens For example if you re using day light balanced film but want to take pictures indoors you can use a blue colored fi
35. before the new installation begins Your pictures and projects will not be deleted Blocked downgrade If you have a Digital Image 2006 product installed you will not be able to automatically install a 2006 product with fewer features To install the version with fewer features you must first unin stall the version with more features Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 6 Chapter 1 Installation Reinstalling or Removing Digital Image If you are having problems running Digital Image reinstalling the program may help it to run better on your computer You should not attempt to remove Digital Image by deleting the program files from your hard disk Instead use the Digital Image Installation Wizard to properly uninstall the program To remove or reinstall Digital Image on Windows XP bb UN Log on to the computer as an administrator From the Windows Start menu click Control Panel Click Add or remove programs From the list of installed programs click the version of Digital Image you want to remove or reinstall Click Change Remove The Installation Wizard opens Follow the instructions on the screen To remove or reinstall Digital Image from Windows 98 Windows 2000 or Windows Millennium Edition 1 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual From the Windows Start menu point to Settings and then click Control Panel Click Add Remove Programs From the list of installed p
36. can t get close to such as a ship sailing in water far from the shore Use a zoom lens to get close up candid shots of people without seeming intrusive or conspicuous Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 132 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Memory Cards Disks and Sticks After the image sensor captures a picture in your digital camera the digital information is stored on removable media such as a CompactFlash xD Card Secure Digital card Memory Stick SmartMedia Microdrive floppy disk or CD R While you can still find digital cameras that store pictures on CD R or floppy disk such models are almost entirely overshadowed by cameras that use remov able memory cards Compared to removable memory floppy disks and CDs are slow bulky and limited in capacity Memory cards are small durable and have almost unlimited reusability And while higher capacity cards are always priced higher than lower capacity cards storage technology advancements invariably lower price barriers Buying additional storage media like these CompactFlash cards allows you to take many more photos in a single session The size of your storage media dictates how many picture you can store The media that is included with some cameras can only hold a few high resolution pictures This type of low capacity card can be impractical for situations such as traveling To give yourself more flexibility you might want to purchase additional rem
37. change the shut ter speed each time you change the aperture f stop Or you must change the aperture each time you change the shutter speed The light meter indicator in the viewfinder will remind you to adjust the settings appropriately In an Automatic mode the camera will take care of that step for you All in camera light meters read the amount of light reflected from the subject They use this information to calculate the necessary exposure depending on the ISO aperture size and the shutter speed If you change the aperture the cam era recalculates the amount of time needed for the exposure Change the shutter speed and the camera s meter determines what aperture f stop is required for a correct exposure In a manual operating mode you set both factors using guidance from the light meter You can try different apertures and shutter speed combinations to create different effects in your pictures Tip Many people prefer to use a semi automatic mode such as aperture prior ity mode This mode gives them creative control over depth of field and elimi nates the need to constantly make manual adjustments to the shutter speed In this mode you set the aperture f stop for the depth of field that you want and the camera automatically sets the appropriate shutter speed Note that in shut ter priority mode you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically set the appropriate aperture f stop In either mode the exposure always r
38. close ups 147 colors 221 compression 129 file formats 130 flash 134 226 focus 222 manual settings 137 opening pictures from 14 17 overview 126 panoramic 152 photography tips 154 220 portraits 151 removable media 132 repetitive patterns 227 resolution 127 225 self timers 153 sensitivity setting 144 185 zoom 131 Digital Image file formats supported 16 96 130 installing 3 Digital Image Library adding pictures 108 archiving pictures 119 editing information 117 editing pictures 120 folders 113 grouping pictures 116 keywords 110 112 labels 110 opening 107 overview 107 photo editors 120 Preview pane 117 printing pictures 100 Thumbnail pane 115 viewing pictures 112 113 digital photo card readers 14 digital zoom 131 display adapters 175 177 178 distortion brush 72 dpi dots per inch 168 drawing artwork effect 66 drivers 101 dust 46 166 DVDs importing to Digital Image Library 108 opening pictures from 14 dynamic range 170 E e mailed pictures 98 168 edge effects 85 Edge Finder 62 editing pictures blending 71 brightness 39 contrast 39 cropping 43 distorting 72 erasing 45 gradient colors 70 histograms 73 image editing programs 234 Mini Lab 79 121 opening 13 photo editor 120 red eye 41 textures 70 tint 40 touchup tools 39 workspace area 175 editing picture information 117 emboss filter 66 EMF files 16 enhanced resolution feature 131 enlargements ordering 103 enlarging picture fe
39. complementary colors next to each other they make each other appear brighter And because these colors are equal in value combining complementary colors creates strong color contrast Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 239 Bright dominant colors in this case red and blue not only create visual appeal they also create their own composition Given that color has strong appeal you might think that a photo with many strong colors would create a more powerful photograph That s not usually the case however A photograph with many strong colors can be distracting draw ing the viewer s eye from one color to the next Instead compose the photo so that one color dominates and then use the dominant color to help organize the photo and focus attention Related colors are next to each other on the color wheel the term analogous colors refers to a series of three or four adjacent colors Related and analogous colors create harmony and are often used to lend a sense of atmosphere Colors can set or enhance the mood or atmosphere of an image and make objects appear to advance or recede in the image Colors such as red orange yellow red violet and yellow green are warm and inviting and they come forward visually Conversely violet blue and green are cool colors and they tend to recede visually Color intensity can also complement the subject For instance pastel col
40. exiting the Mini Lab Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 8 Adding Edges Mats and Frames 8 Adding Edges Mats and Frames When you ve finished editing a photo you can add polishing touches by sur rounding it with an edge a border a mat or a frame Edge Effects Edge effects alter the outside edge of a photo For portrait photos try the soft edge effect To draw attention to photos that you post on a Web site try apply ing one of the highlighted edges The photo on the left has highlighted edges applied which work great for photos on the Web and in e mail The photo on the right has been enhanced with soft edges To add an edge effect 1 On the Stack click the layer to which you want to add the edge effect 2 On the Effects menu point to Edges and then click an edge effect or border 3 Ifavailable click a specific edge or border 4 Follow the instructions on the screen to customize the size or color of the edge or border 5 Click Done Shrinking a picture to show the edge effect Some edge effects appear only behind and outside the picture So if your picture reaches the edge ofthe canvas you might not be able to see the edge effect when you print it or save itto the Web To make sure you can see an edge you ve added make sure the object is not locked to the canvas and then the press the CTRL key while you drag in one of the photo s corner resize hand
41. feature can help reduce tint problems in your pictures Zooming in to find gray If there are no significant areas of neutral color in your photo use the zoom controls to magnify the picture on the screen When you zoom in you might be able to use a very small area of gray to reset the colors in the picture Chapter 5 Basic Touchup Correcting a Color Cast When you take photographs the source of the light can create a colored cast in the photo We tend to think of light being white but nearly every light source has its own unique color For example natural sunlight has a large component of blue while incandescent tungsten lights including most household light bulbs give off a reddish or yellowish cast When taking a photo you can compensate for these different colors of light by setting the white balance or by using special filters in front of the lens But if you end up with a cast in your pictures use the Color and Saturation tool to correct the balance of colors to make the lighting look more natural If you have already used the Levels auto fix tool the tint problems in the picture may already be corrected Use the Color and Saturation tool to make additional adjustments to the tint To adjust the color cast 1 On the Touchup menu click Color and Saturation 2 With the eyedropper click an area in the picture that should be gray or neutral in other words not too colorful too dark or too light
42. file format The default JPEG format is usually an excellent choice for scanned pictures Select a scanning method Most of the time you should choose Automatic Scan to get a high quality color picture Click Next Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 20 Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures Can this photo be printed To find out if a photo has enough resolution to print see the Selecting a Print Size section of the Saving and Printing Pictures chapter Opening a Photo Sent Through E mail Many friends and family members enjoy sending photos through e mail When you receive photos through e mail you can save them to your computer and then work on them with Digital Image Many photos sent through e mail are low resolution photos which are not suitable for large prints But low resolution photos may be fine for online viewing or printing at small sizes To open a photo sent through e mail Use your e mail program to save the photo to a folder on your computer Save the photo to a folder that will be easy for you to locate later such as the My Pictures folder In Digital Image click Open on the File menu The File Browser dialog box opens Click the All Files tab On the All Files tab browse to the folder containing the photo and then click the folder 5 Select the photo and then click Open Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 3 Openin
43. film or using color compensation filters For example if you take a picture under fluorescent lights and you neglect to set the white balance to fluorescent the picture will have an unattractive green cast If you take a picture under common household tungsten or other incandescent light the picture will have an equally unattractive yellow cast Indoor lighting isn t the only problem For example the picture on the left at the beginning of this article is an original picture with the white balance incor rectly set to shade when in fact the picture was taken in bright sunlight Next is the same image with the best color correction that could be achieved on the Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 222 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks computer While the second image is better it is still not a keeper The moral to this story is that if you don t set the white balance correctly it can be difficult to correct the color in the best of image editing programs How to avoid it Many cameras have white balance settings that cover the spectrum of different color temperatures If you don t already know learn how to set the white balance on your camera Usually the white balance setting is displayed on the LCD as part of the current exposure information You can change it using the camera menus for example under the recording menu or camera settings Once you know how to set the white balance the trick is
44. get higher resolution pictures that you can print in larger sizes However in some cases you might want to lower the resolution so that the files will be smaller This allows you to store more photos on the camera s storage media but you must sacrifice some quality for quantity Make sure to check your camera s manual to find out what resolution you will get from the photo quality settings on your camera Beware of settings that offer enhanced or interpolated resolution These features add extra pixels not found in the original photo to product a higher resolution picture but might reduce overall sharpness or quality Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 129 Compression You ve seen one way to reduce picture file size lower the picture resolution You can also reduce file size by having the camera compress the picture file as it saves the file to the camera s memory Compression consolidates similar information in the picture and discards some information With JPEG com pression for example series of similarly colored pixels are grouped together and considered to be the same color In the code that makes up the file the color information for these grouped pixels only has to be listed once instead of hundreds or even thousands of times This shortcut can reduce file size considerably Taken to extremes a picture in highly compressed JPEG format might be 95 percent smaller than the sam
45. in a cage and subjects that have little contrast with the background Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 224 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 3 Don t blow the details White areas in the image that have no detail are called blown highlights While this problem isn t confined to the digital camera arena it is more prevalent with digital images than with film Blown out highlights are most common in flash pictures where the photographer was too close to the subject But highlight blowout can happen with almost any well lit subject And just as with film images ifthe camera does not record detail in an area highlight or shadow no amount of image editing in this case burning in can put in detail that was never recorded Highlight blowout is evident on the upper area of the train in this picture How to avoid it Some cameras offer a playback mode that highlights blown out areas as flashing areas If your camera has this feature use it If you see that the image has blown out highlights retake it metering on the lightest area in the scene If your camera doesn t have this functionality make it a habit to meter on the lightest area of your primary subject for example a place where the light is striking a surface directly Then take the picture at the meter reading you get for that area Then take at least two more pictures decreasing the exposure in each one You can also combine multiple ex
46. is distributed or repeated throughout the entire frame Try to find an angle and framing that allows color repetition to become the unifying element in the composition Also remember to try vertical formats Because cameras are easier to hold in a horizontal position it s easy to overlook the possibilities offered by a vertical composition Last composition checklist Before you take the picture look at everything within the frame again Then ask yourself a series of questions e What more can you do to emphasize the textures lines and form of the subject For example if the day is overcast can you use a fill flash or an off camera side flash to enhance the texture and create depth e Is the frame filled Or is there dead space that will be distracting or competing elements that add nothing to the image Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 252 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Does what you see in the viewfinder communicate the message you want to share with viewers This series of questions should provide enough of a pause to keep you clear of the predictable fall photo rut A fill flash provided critical highlights in this picture Additional shooting and technical tips In addition to color and composition standard shooting tips apply Following are a few to keep in mind Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Pick the right film Choose a film that is known for reproducing r
47. is far more likely to capture and retain the viewer s interest The sunset photo here includes the activity of people enjoying the last moments of the day against the backdrop of the dramatic late day color To evaluate your own photos for a strong center of interest try asking yourself these questions Or show the picture to a friend and ask your friend to honestly answer the questions e When you look at the picture what is the first thing you see If you re evaluating your own image is what you see first the subject you had in mind for the photograph e What holds your eye the longest Do other elements in the image compete with the subject for attention e Do technical aspects such as light and the direction of light depth of field focus and so on add to or detract from the subject Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 200 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks ck Ra True wie ul IE n tot Wei mmn EF The activity of people on the piers adds interest beyond the colors of the sunset Is the image composed well In a strong photo there should be a sense of overall organization While entire books are written on composition at the most basic level composition is the process of establishing a sense of order for the elements within an image The lines in this image not only create organization but also lead the eye through the image Note Composition rules or guidelines are a helpful start
48. monitor the default setting may be 800 x 600 pixels Increasing the screen resolution increases the size of the Digital Image workspace Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 176 For more information For more information about changing display settings see your Windows documentation Adjusting your monitor s controls Refer to your monitor s documentation for instructions for adjusting the monitor s viewable area Chapter 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for Pictures To change the screen resolution on Windows XP 1 On the Tools menu in Digital Image click Display Settings 2 Under Sereen resolution move the slider to change the screen resolution and then click OK 3 If prompted restart your computer When you adjust the screen resolution you might notice that the viewable area becomes off center too narrow or too short To center or expand the viewable area on the screen use the monitor controls These controls are usually located on the front ofthe monitor directly below the screen The controls can adjust the width and height of the screen directly or on many models the controls open a graphical control screen with menu commands Setting Monitor Color Quality The monitor color quality setting affects the number of colors the monitor is capable of displaying When viewing pictures it s optimal to have a high color quality setting such as 24 or 32 bit color With a low color qua
49. of focus images In some otherwise hopeless images you can of course claim the result was intentional along the lines of flexing of your creative muscles How to avoid it Some newer digital cameras have image stabilization features to help overcome this problem If your camera has this feature be sure to use it If your camera doesn t have image stabilization features look for ways to steady the camera For example take pictures using the viewfinder instead of the LCD Placing the camera up to your eye and having your arms close to your body helps stabilize the camera You can also use a lightweight monopod or tripod or you can sit the camera on a solid surface to take pictures Remember that what looks sharp in the LCD may not be sharp when you see it at full size on the computer screen Many cameras allow you to zoom the image in the LCD Get in the habit of using the LCD zoom to confirm whether the focus is sharp Taking the time to zoom in the LCD image is impractical while you re taking a rapid sequence of pictures for example a child blowing out candles on a birthday cake For a quick sequence of pictures try using the burst or best of the series option if your camera offers it In addition keep in mind that virtually all autofocus systems have difficulty focusing on certain subjects These include smooth and continuous tone subjects finely patterned objects subjects with objects in front of them such as animals
50. of rationale Pm talking about Get the latest and highest megapixel camera and you ll get better pictures That reasoning may work for truly antiquated equipment but new gear won t fix how you take photographs Many photographers find that buying new gear makes the image quality spe cifically the resolution jump to astounding heights The kinds of images don t necessarily change though Despite spending a lot of money to get better pictures the pictures only improve if you get better at using your camera It sounds simplistic but in the rush for new and better technology it s a point easily overlooked So how can you improve Try this list of personal improvement techniques There s sure to be a few items on this list that will help you Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 216 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks You might strive to take better pictures at slower shutter speeds by holding your camera more effectively 1 Stop making the same stupid mistakes Identify the problem For example some photographers fall into the trap of consistently taking snapshots taking the obvious picture without exploring alternatives that could give the image more impact and interest Other patterns you might notice in your own picture collection e Badly exposed scenes caused by mixed lighting that combine extreme lighting very dark and very light areas in the scene e Pushing the limit on hand holding
51. on the floor Tip If you re using a digital camera take the meter reading on the highlights in the scene and take the picture using that exposure If you re using film take a meter reading on a shadow area and take the picture using that exposure Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 238 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks In this photo the photographer looked for light in an otherwise shaded scene At the last min ute the photographer saw the thin shaft of light falling across the musician s straw hat The direction of the light conveniently provided a subtle path leading to the musician s face 2 Look for color If you want to make a visual impact look for bold color and make it the primary element of your photo Further use color with intent in your photos All you need is a little background in color basics The three primary colors are red yellow and blue These are saturated domi nant colors that make a big visual statement A brilliant blue sky makes a great backdrop for pictures Secondary colors are green orange and violet Tertiary colors fall between the primary and secondary colors For example yellow orange falls between yellow and orange blue violet falls between blue and violet and so on To create eye stopping photos use complementary colors Complementary col ors are opposite each other in the color wheel such as red green blue orange and yellow violet When you place
52. photography area next to a window for small items or outside on an overcast day or in the shade If the area you re working in has natural light coming from one direction the oppo Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 232 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks site side of the item may be dark and lack detail You can bring a small lamp in to fill in the darker area An on camera flash can overexpose the subject obliterating details that a potential buyer would want to see You might be wondering about the on camera flash In most cases an on camera flash creates harsh shadows around the subject overexposes the details you want to show and creates distracting reflections as the light from the flash bounces back to the lens If possible use natural or household lights to light the object Ensure tack sharp focus The advantages of sharp focus are obvious yet many auction photos are blurry enough that it s hard to tell what the item really looks like To get tack sharp photos the most important thing to know is the focusing range of your camera Be sure to read your camera s manual to learn the focusing range and then stay within that range when you take photos If the range doesn t allow you to get close enough switch to the close up mode on the camera and then move in as close as the focusing range allows To ensure crisp focus stay within the focusing range of your camera Microsoft Digital Ima
53. red eye effect Fixing red eye with Digital Image If you end up with red eyes in your pictures Digital Image makes it very easy to remedy this problem For more information see the section about removing red eye in this book s Basic Touchup chapter Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 136 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Fill Flash You can use the fill flash setting to fill in deep shadow areas caused by bright overhead light or in a scene where the light is behind the subject In the left photo the strong backlighting creates a shadow that covers the subject s whole face For the photo on the right fill flash was used to counteract the backlighting and keep the shadows off the subject s face If your flash is using the automatic setting bright daylight can prevent it from firing Turn on the flash manually or if your camera has a fill flash setting turn it on If you see shadows on your subjects faces as you re composing the shot fill flash is a good idea An alternative to using the fill flash is moving to a different place where the light from the sun is diffuse and indirect which produces a softer more flatter ing portrait light Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 137 Using Your Camera s Manual Settings In today s camera marketplace the lines between manual and automatic cam eras have become blurred It used to be that
54. setting is at least 16 bit color How many colors do you need Some monitors allow you to adjust the color quality to 32 bit but that level might be higher than you need Digital Image and most other image editing programs convert 32 bit images to 24 bit color But with more than 16 million colors the 24 bit setting is adequate for most circumstances Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 178 Adjusting the video adapter Some video adapters allow you to make adjustments to brightness contrast and RGB values through the video adapter dialog box Let your ink dry before calibrating Some printer inks change color slightly during the drying process which can take as much as eight hours If this is the case with your printer let the print dry overnight before calibrating your monitor Chapter 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for Pictures Calibrating for Brightness Contrast and RGB Values When you adjust screen resolution and color quality you are telling your computer s video adapter how to send the signals to the monitor But to adjust brightness contrast and RGB red green and blue values you make the adjustments on the monitor itself using the monitor s controls These controls are usually located on the front of the monitor directly below the screen The monitor s controls can make adjustments directly or on many models the controls open a graphical control screen with menu command
55. that is a USB Mass Storage Class device A USB Mass Storage Class device works as a virtual drive letting you browse and open photos from the device as you would from a hard disk or floppy disk Although you can open pictures from a camera in this way you will probably prefer to use the Import Pictures feature Acard reader AUSB drive A photo CD or DVD e A floppy disk A network location Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures 15 This picture identifies the main features of the file browser AllFilestab Click the All Files tab to view the folder structure on your computer Click a folder to display its contents and subfolders The folder structure includes internal and external drives on your computer including disk drives card readers and USB Mass Storage Class digital cameras Digital Image Library tab Click the Digital Image Library tab to find any picture you have cataloged in the Library You can also use the Library s View By and Group By features to make it easier to find the pictures you want MSN Groups tab Click the MSN Groups tab to open pictures that you have stored on MSN Groups Look in box Displays the name of the current folder selected on the All Files tab View menu Use this menu to change the way the image files are displayed Thumbnail size slider Move the slider to change the size of the thumb
56. the camera at slower shutter speeds and or trying to rescue marginally sharp images on the computer If you have a tripod use it e Accidentally focusing to one side or the other of where the focus should have been Forgetting to take the camera out of macro mode so your pictures are routinely out of focus Solve the problem Do some research on how to solve problems such as mixed lighting and extreme lighting differences You might want to make a list of your problem patterns on an index card and put the index card on top of your camera in your camera bag Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 217 2 Compare your pictures to those you wish you d taken Compare work with other photos Here s something to try Go through a stack of magazines books or brochures and find pictures that look like the sort of pictures you like to take yourself Then compare them side by side Try new approaches The goal of this exercise is to determine ways to improve your approach to specific types of photographs Study the differences between your pictures and the professional photos looking for variations that might give you a more creative punch without copying someone else s methods 3 Wait a long time before you start taking pictures Understand why it s good to wait Taking a while to get to know your subject whether it is a location or a person almost always produces bett
57. the shot Taking Long Exposure Shots Another great use of the self timer is for exposures with a relatively slow shutter speed For speeds slower than 1 30 of a second there is a good chance the slight movements in your hands will cause blurriness in your picture Even if you have very steady hands the slight movement of your finger pressing the shutter button can create movement Using the self timer will eliminate this problem By setting the camera on a tripod or firm surface and using the timer your hands don t have to be anywhere near the camera while the shutter is open Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 154 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Ten Tips for Great Pictures The following 10 tips offer suggestions for developing your photography approach technique composition and habits If you are an inexperienced photographer some of these tips might be new ideas for you If you re a photography veteran these tips might be a good reminder of things you haven t heard in a while 1 Know Your Gear Having command of your equipment is an important aspect of enjoying and being successful with photography As you get to know your gear and gain confidence in a camera s capabilities the camera can become an extension of yourself When you have reached this level of competence you can concentrate more on the creative aspects of photography When you get anew camera read the manual With digital cameras especially
58. to remember to set it to match the light before you take a picture Alternatively you can set the white balance to automatic and let the camera calculate the temperature for you Set to automatic the camera will get it right more often than not Some cameras also offer manual white balance settings To manually set the white balance you point the camera at a white object that fills the entire frame and then take the picture The camera adjusts the color balance for the specific scene This is the most accurate method and the one to use when you need the assurance that colors will be accurately reproduced in the final image Note If you take pictures in RAW mode white balance settings can be set or adjusted after the fact using the manufacturer s RAW processing program 2 Focus is fuzzy Digital cameras perhaps even more than conventional cameras can produce images with less than tack sharp focus Because many digital cameras are very lightweight holding them steady can be tricky Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 223 In addition some digital cameras still have the bothersome problem of shutter lag the interval between the time you focus and press the shutter release button and the time the exposure is complete In that interval the subject can move or you can inadvertently move the camera thinking the exposure is complete either of which results in fuzzy out
59. to understand what these features do and when it s appropriate to use them Photo Quality A digital photograph is composed of tiny colored squares called pixels short for picture elements Like a mosaic the pixels blend together to form a picture Each digital picture consists of a set number of pixels ranging from a few thousand to millions When a digital camera takes a photo 1t creates a digital file that includes some number of pixels each with a precise color Pixels are not a set size so they can shrink or enlarge depending on the size at which the picture is printed or displayed When a photo is enlarged too much the individual pixels become visible making a jagged looking poor quality photo The original photo on the left was saved at high resolution and you can see sharp detail The photo on the right has been saved at such low resolution that you can see the individual pixels The number of pixels that make up a picture is the resolution Resolution and compression are key factors in determining the quality of a digital photo The following sections explain resolution and compression Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 127 Resolution Resolution is one of the main factors that determine picture quality since it is a measure of the total number of pixels that make up a photograph Resolution is sometimes expressed as the total number of pixels such as 3 megapixels 3 m
60. willing to look at it Yeah right you say but I m not Ansel Adams and I know nothing about editing pictures While digital image editing often mirrors traditional wet darkroom picture processing you don t have to have traditional darkroom experience to perform everything from minor fixes to minor miracles in a short time with digital images In many cases you can save pictures you would have otherwise thrown away That s many not all cases Regardless of the small miracles you can perform there will be some images that no amount of computer editing will fix Image editing software is good but alas far from perfect For example if the detail is blown out of highlight areas no amount of editing will put detail into those areas You can use a cloning tool to paint in detail from a similar area but the process is tricky tedious and the results can look artificial Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 256 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Tone and color adjustments made this image a standout for color and contrast If you follow good darkroom process and practices however you ll get more keepers than you think possible And what s more you can polish those excep tional images into a portfolio of personal best pictures that you ll be proud to share and print Before you start editing pictures The first two steps in image editing occur before you sit down
61. x To blur the background in this picture the aperture was opened up to f 2 8 Telephoto lenses have a narrow range of view and they compress perspective as shown in this photo What is shutter speed a How fast a camera takes a picture b How long the light is allowed to enter the camera c How fast light travels from the lens to the shutter Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 192 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Correct answer B Shutter speed controls how long the curtain in the camera stays open to let light from the lens strike the film or the digital image sensor The longer the shutter stays open the more light reaches the film at the aperture you set Shutter speeds are shown in fractions of a full second Common shutter speeds from slow to fast are Bulb the shutter stays open until you close it by releas ing the shutter release button 1 second 1 2 1 4 1 8 1 15 1 30 1 60 1 125 1 500 1 1000 and so on How to set the shutter speed On fully controllable and manual cameras you can set the shutter speed using a dial on the camera or by selecting it from a menu With single use and some compact cameras the camera automatically selects the shutter speed based on the available light and the mode you ve chosen If your camera offers several program modes for example a sports program mode it will select the fastest shutter speed based on the available light to freeze sub
62. 153 manual camera settings 137 overview 125 red eye 41 135 resolution 127 self timers 153 shadows 136 shutter speeds 142 191 storage media 132 story telling 203 tips 154 water glass analogy 138 white balance 145 zoom 131 PHP files 16 pictures archiving 119 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 274 Index color effects 67 editing 120 filter enhanced 66 formats supported 16 96 130 grouping 116 identifying 110 importing 13 opening 13 ordering prints and gifts 103 organizing 107 scanning 165 viewing 112 pixels cropping 43 histograms 73 interpolation 131 noise 144 overview 126 print sizes 101 resolution 127 168 scanning 166 playback mode 224 PNG files 16 PNG Plus files 58 96 portrait photography 85 151 positioning camera and subjects 154 precise editing blending 71 distorting 72 gradient color sampling 70 texture sampling 70 preserving monitor settings 179 preserving object groups 57 preserving object layers 58 previewing scanned images 172 printers color management 101 drivers 101 quality settings 101 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual printing pictures alignment on page 99 cropping 43 maximum sizes 127 multiple images 100 paper options 102 quality settings 101 resolution 127 single image 99 size 101 Digital Image 100 prints ordering 103 projects creating photo 89 proportional cropping 43 proportional resizing 55 PSD files 16 Q quality range
63. 3 to remove other wrinkles in the photo 5 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 48 Chapter 5 Basic Touchup Fine tuning the lighting If you need to make further adjustments after adding flash you can use the exposure and lighting tools Adding Flash In some lighting conditions such as when the sun is low in the sky behind your subject your subject will be very dark compared to the light in the background Ideally you could use your camera s flash for this situation illuminating your subject as you take the photo But if you forget to turn on your flash or if your subject is out of your flash s range your subject may come out too dark in the photo In this situation you can use the Add Flash feature to lighten the dark parts of your photo improving the exposure by imitating the light of a camera flash The Add Flash tool works by lightening the darkest pixels in your picture and also slightly increasing the contrast When the picture on the left was taken the boats were out of the flash s range so the whole foreground ended up in dark shadow The Add Flash tool was used in the picture on the right to lighten the foreground and bring out the detail To add flash to a picture 1 On the Touchup menu click Exposure and Lighting 2 Click Add Flash Every time you click the scene is brightened by a small amount 3 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Ch
64. 5 inch monitor is set at 1024 x 768 pixels the pixels that make up the image and therefore the image itself will appear smaller Today Web designers generally plan for a screen size of 800 x 600 pixels which works for most monitors To size an image for online display make a copy of the finished image and then change the size ofthe copied image to fit the screen Set a size that will display the image without crowding out the browser controls or the rest ofthe Web page elements For example to size a picture to fit one fourth of the total screen area ofa 13 inch monitor set to 640 x 480 pixels set the size at 320 pixels wide Also remember that older computer monitors have a resolution of only 72 dots per inch dpi while newer monitors have a resolution of 96 dpi So again a high resolution image does not necessarily mean a higher viewing quality on computer monitors To size images for e mail messages the same principles apply But remember that some e mail services set a maximum limit on the size of embedded or attached files The larger the picture the larger the file size As a general guideline you can size images between 325 and 400 pixels wide at medium to low compression to have an acceptably sharp image and size within an e mail message Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 266 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 8 Sharpen the image In many image editing programs sharpening increases the c
65. 5 to at least 1600 On a digital camera the ISO equivalent is usually set using one of the camera s electronic menus or submenus Some models set the ISO automatically select ing a higher ISO equivalent in low light for faster shutter speeds Pictures taken with a high ISO tend to exhibit noticeable grain as shown here What is aperture a The button you press to take the picture b The size of the lens opening that determines the amount of light that strikes the film or image sensor c A technical term that has always confused me even when it s been explained to me so I just ignore it Correct answer B The lens aperture or opening determines the amount of light that strikes the film or digital image sensor to make the image Either you or the camera s automatic system can control the size of the lens aperture by setting an f stop Changing the f stop increases or decreases the size of the lens opening Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 188 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Aperture is shown as f stop numbers such as f 2 8 f 4 f 5 6 f 8 and so on The smaller f numbers such as f 2 8 set the lens to a large opening that allows more light to enter the camera A large opening is often referred to as wide aperture A small opening is referred to as a narrow or small aperture and is indicated with large f numbers such as f 16 As you would expect a small aperture allows less li
66. 58 96 127 172 K keywords grouping pictures by 116 overview 110 viewing pictures by 112 Keyword Painter 111 Kodak Photo CD files 16 L landscapes 252 253 larger print sizes 101 large picture scanning 169 LCDs 161 lenses cold weather and 228 levels 73 levels and curves 73 library See Digital Image Library light side lighting 249 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual lighting 39 adjust levels tool 73 ambient 179 aperture 140 187 automatic exposure 138 backlighting 49 blown highlights 224 bracketing 139 160 colors 40 dark area adjustments 48 evaluating 203 exposure compensation 139 film speed 144 185 flash 134 226 incandescent 40 overview 137 photography tips 236 problems 39 redeye 41 135 room conditions 179 shutter speed 142 191 tips 157 193 224 white balance 40 145 221 light pixels 49 73 linking objects 56 locating pictures Digital Image Library 107 file browser 14 overview 13 TWAIN support 17 WIA support 17 locations selecting photography 211 locked objects 54 long exposure shots 153 lossless compression 129 loss prevention 119 low color quality settings 176 low contrast images 248 249 low quality printer settings 101 low resolution pictures 101 low resolution scanning 168 LZW compression 172 M Macintosh PICT files 16 macro pictures 253 shots 253 macro mode 147 Magic Wand 63 manual camera settings aperture 140 187 automatic exposure 138 exposure 137 exposure compe
67. 960 1 228 800 363 KB 4 x 6 1 2 megapixels 1600 x 1200 1 920 000 576 KB 5 x 7 1 9 megapixels 2 048 x 1 536 3 145 728 970 KB 8 x 10 3 1 megapixels 3008 x 2000 6 016 000 1 5 MB 11 x 14 6 megapixels Compression which is explained in the following section varies by camera so you might find different file size results Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 128 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Megapixel rating One of the main factors in the price of a digital camera is its megapixel rating The megapixel rating indicates the maximum number of pixels in millions that are captured by the camera s image sensor Instead of film a digital camera uses an image sensor usually a CCD charge coupled device or CMOS complementary metal oxide semiconductor chip to capture the visual information when you take a picture The image sensor on a simple low resolution camera might capture just over 76 000 pixels The image sensor on a high quality digital camera might capture more than 6 megapixels As you can imagine the 6 megapixel camera can produce very large high quality pictures with very large files The 76 000 pixel camera can capture a relatively small number of pixels so photo quality would be fair to poor even at small print sizes On many cameras you can set the resolution at which the image sensor captures the picture As a general rule always use the highest resolution pos sible you ll
68. A bright field of snow for example has so much bright light that the automatic exposure lowers the brightness until the snow looks gray To work around this shortcoming you can use exposure compensation Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 139 Exposure Compensation Some cameras have an exposure compensation feature that lets you manually Increasing y our override the automatic exposure setting Exposure compensation lets you adjust chances with the exposure with settings such as 2 1 1 and 2 A 1 setting for example bracketing tells the camera s automatic exposure system to make the middle tones brighter If you re not sure When taking a picture dominated by bright snow increasing the exposure with what the best the 1 setting might correct the light level for the snow filled scene Your actual exposure setting is try results will vary according to your camera and the brightness of the day bracketing Bracketing involves taking multiple photos of the same scene Start by using the automatic exposure and then use exposure compensation to take additional frames with increased and decreased exposure levels With a series of photos taken at different settings there is a good chance that one has perfect With bright snow in a scene setting your camera s exposure compensation exposure setting to 1 or 2 might help you to get the right exposure Microsoft Digital Im
69. D On your picture click the spot from which you want to copy This spot called the start position is marked with a cross hair while you paint 5 Move the circular pointer to the position you want to paint over 6 Drag the circular pointer to paint As you paint keep an eye on the cross hair so that you don t copy unwanted areas 7 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 71 Blending Brush The Blending Brush works similarly to the Clone Brush but can give you a more subtle smoother effect Like the Clone Brush you select an area to sample from But when the sampled area is applied to the new area the colors are blended in with the colors of the surrounding area The Blending Brush works very well for touching up skin For touching up skin the Blending Brush lets you cover up blemishes with colors and patterns from clear areas of skin 1 On the Stack click the object you want to touch up 2 On the Touchup menu click Blending Brush 3 4 On your picture click the spot from which you want to copy Click a brush size This spot called the start position is marked with a cross hair while you paint Move the circular pointer to the position where you want to paint with the blending brush Drag the circular pointer to paint As you paint keep an eye on the cross hair so that you don t copy unwanted areas Click Done Microsoft Di
70. D pcd PC Paintbrush pcx Picture It png php mix fpx e PNG png e RAW crw cr2 tif TIFF tif Targa tga Windows Bitmap omp Windows Metafile wmf Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures 17 Opening pictures from other cameras If your camera does not show up as a drive in the file browser it is probably designed to work using TWAIN or WIA support For many cameras Digital Image works with TWAIN and WIA and your camera s software so that you can open photos directly into Digital Image To open photos from a camera that uses WIA support 1 Make sure that you have installed all the drivers that came with your camera Connect your digital camera to your computer and then turn on the camera On the File menu click Import Pictures If more than one device appears in the dialog box click the one that represents your camera Click the pictures you want to import If you want to import more than one picture press CRTL as you click the pictures Click Next The pictures are copied to the My Pictures folder on your hard drive Using your camera s software Some digital cameras especially older models may not function as a virtual drive or be TWAIN or WIA compliant For these cameras use the software provided by the camera to download the photos to a folder on your computer Then open them with the file
71. E 139 ADOT UES ON 140 Shutter perdi riada 142 1SO Setting ot EqUivVltdti ea 144 Setting the White Balance ccccescecsecsseeseceseeseceseesecesessesesesseeneeseceneeseeeaeeseecsecsaecseceaeneeeeeserenseereaes 145 Using Automatic Modes on Your Camera uueesserseensesseenseennennennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnsnnnennnenneennen nennen nennen 146 Macro Mode wi e e ted nee 147 Acon ModE 2 O ETEA E E E IE EA E 148 Burst Mode da 150 Portrait Moden In nenne aa akt nto al dl o fa aa Pi 151 Panoramic Modena na Eh EHRE a on Erin 152 Using theSel Fimer 2 A anlagen nennen tad 153 Getting Yourself into a Picture ueeesesssessensenssnnseensensennnennenennennennennennnnnnnn nenn msn rra 153 Taking Long Exposure Shots anne diana teas 153 Ten Tips for Great Pictures a 154 NGN A O T 154 2 Na the EPOSU E unse A A A e in 155 3 Capture Moment inthe MV A RR ee ene 156 4 Look for the Lit iii ee 157 5 Follow the R le of Third een rein Ra 158 6 Find a Unique LA E A AEE E EN EEA EE 159 TABLE A A A AAA A ta 160 8 Analyze and Try AO A Rae a ng 161 9 Take Pactures Every Day iii 161 10 Show Your Pictures to Other People tii a 162 Chapter 13 SuccessTUlSCANNINO ciovocoaionoaconnn onnacano cono sonescesnssovossessenesdonssoesesvaposesdesess dunes svsseuasosvssoeas usv Ess SoS Ss 163 Types of Scanners ececc secs cece a ee i e E E O ki 165 Flatbed Scanners iii Renee ee cis une 165 Eilm Scanners anillo lira edel 166 Preparing P
72. In the Thumbnail pane select the pictures and videos that you want to copy to disc 2 Onthe Tasks menu click Burn a Sharing Disc 3 Follow the steps in the Burn Pictures Wizard to copy the selected items to CD Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library 119 Archiving Pictures and Videos One of Digital Image Library s most powerful features is the Archive Pictures and Videos Wizard Archiving your picture files can prevent the files from being lost in the event of problems or damage to your computer s hard drive If you have limited hard drive space archiving allows you to make more room on the hard drive by transferring pictures to CDs or other media Within Digital Image Library you can set up reminders to archive your pictures and videos You can set these reminders to occur on a regular basis such as every month or to occur after you have added a certain volume of picture files To set the archive reminder interval 1 On the Tools menu click Options 2 Click the Archive Settings tab 3 Under Display the archive reminder click a reminder setting You can begin the Archive Pictures and Videos Wizard by clicking Archive when you see the Archive Reminder Or start the wizard at any time by click ing the Archive button on the Digital Image Library toolbar Once the Archive Pictures and Videos Wizard begins you can choose from four arc
73. Keep it simple The fewer the elements in a photo the stronger the statement the image makes Simplicity also helps prevent the viewer s eye from being distracted To evaluate the composition of your images try asking these questions e Is there a sense of order and balance in the image that helps lead the eye through the composition e Are elements included that do not contribute to the subject of the image e Are elements excluded that if included would have enhanced the subject of the image e Do the depth of field focal length lens or zoom setting lighting angle and perspective enhance the composition Does the crop enhance the composition Is the focus crisp and is the exposure appropriate With the exception of photos that either intentionally show motion or are taken as soft focus images such as a portrait sharp focus is one of the first things that everyone notices about an image Going a step further the center of focus should be on the center of interest of the subject In other words if the picture is of a person the focus should be on the person s eyes The sharpest point of the picture should pinpoint what the photographer sees as the most important aspect of the image The exposure the combination of focal length lens or zoom setting aperture shutter speed and ISO should also enhance the intent of the photo For example in a scene of an old building did the photographer use exposure controls to
74. Microsoft Microsoft Digital Image 2006 User s F 3 du Manual Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Information in this document including URL and other Internet Web site references is subject to change without notice Unless otherwise noted the example companies organizations products domain names e mail addresses logos people places and events depicted herein are fictitious and no association with any real company organization product domain name e mail address logo person place or event is intended or should be inferred Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user Without limiting the rights under copyright no part ofthis document may be reproduced stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise or for any purpose without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation Microsoft may have patents patent applications trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents trademarks copyrights or other intellectual property 2005 Microsoft Corporation All rights reserved Microsoft Picture It and Windows are either registered trademar
75. Object tool mentioned above the other four selection tools are e Marquee tool e Freehand tool Edge Finder e Magic Wand e Selection Brush Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 60 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing Anti aliasing a The Marquee Tool selection Anti aliasing means that pixels on the edge of the selection can be partially selected The Marquee tool helps you select part of an object in the shape of a rect angle circle or other shape This tool is useful for cropping objects or pictures to a standard shape To make a selection with the Marquee tool This technique helps to 1 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace smooth the transition 2 On the Stack click the object of which you want to make a partial selec between the selection tion f and the surrounding 3 On the toolbar click the Marquee Tool button 1 area Anti aliasing is 4 If the Marquee Tool options palette is not visible in the workspace click useful when creating the Selection button on the toolbar composites 5 To keep the edges of the selection smooth select the Anti aliased check box on the Marquee Tool options palette 6 On the Marquee Tool options palette click a shape for the marquee E lection Feathering a ee i y i selection 7 To keep the marquee shape in a specific proportion click Shape propor tions on the Marquee Tool options palette and then enter a height and Like anti aliasing width m
76. On the Tools menu click Label Painter 2 If desired add a new label by right clicking where you want it to appear and clicking Create label To create a label that is not a child of another label right click on the category People Places Events or Keywords that you want to place it in 3 Click the label or labels you want apply to pictures The label s checkbox is filled to show that it is ready to be painted onto pictures and videos 4 Click the pictures you want to assign those labels to 5 To close the Label Painter click the close button on the Label Painter title bar Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 112 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library Finding Your Pictures Once you have added your pictures to Digital Image Library and added some labels to your pictures you can use the Library to quickly locate pictures or browse your photo collection by any criteria you choose The left pane of Digital Image Library is called the View By pane The View By pane allows you to filter the pictures displayed in the Thumbnail pane If you are viewing by date or by folder you can click the All Pictures and Videos View at the top ofthe View By pane so that all of your pictures appear in the Thumbnail pane Viewing by Label Viewing by labels is the most powerful way to use Digital Image and it might be the way you prefer to find and organize your pictures Use the View By pane
77. aed 89 Creating Caldas 2 ae ann nn Ian le eee EIN ID ees ea ete 91 Chapter 10 Saving and Printing PicturesS oocooomosmsmssmmssmsmsss 93 SA E A eset 8 a ee oe ees Nash aot E 95 Saving Multiple Version tias Wok ak sh wee lees REDET ees dian Ha tai 95 Choosing a File Format 2 2 oes ck net eee Le a en Ee ee ee de 96 Setting PNG Plus Options sneren ss ei add 97 Saving for E mail andthe Web tie Ree Re O N A 98 Printing Picture sists O EE ah eee Ne tee a teats 99 Printing Single Pictures daa dead 99 Printing Multiple Picture iii a iris 100 Selectine Print Quilt e dea do 101 Selecting a Pr aii 101 Choosing Photo Pay A ae eG 102 Creating Long lasting Prints adri ced 102 Ordering Pr A A A A N O 103 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digital Image Library sussoussnssnssonsnnssonsnonsonnnenne 105 Opening Digital Image Libra ds 107 Adding Pictures and Videos toDigital Image Libraty oononinnncinnnincninnnocncnnconconnconnonocononnnrnnrnnrrnn narran nono 108 Scanning for Pictures and VideOS ceccceccessessceseeseceseesecesceseeeeeeeeeaceseecaeeseecaeceaecsecseseeeeeserseseetenes 109 Adding babel 2 2 2 22 a 110 Finding YUCA e ad en lo e do do s 112 Viewing by La tiza 112 Viewing by Polder ii a ee o ad hi ae ee 113 Viewing by Date nod Lodo 113 Using the Thumbnail Slider ici aiii das 114 Showing Thum braid Data re a se es sgh etsaht eeelaescieshecestev sida 115 les WIC Wises ete A TONO 115 Thumbnai
78. age Suite User s Manual 140 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Program modes If your camera offers program modes for specific types of pictures such as portraits or action shots read your camera s manual to find out the aperture settings used forthose modes Aperture The aperture is the opening through which light passes to reach the film or in digital cameras the image sensor Aperture is measured by f number where a specific setting is called an f stop With f stops a low number such as f 4 represents a wider opening that lets in more light A small aperture such as 716 lets in significantly less light Some cameras have a fixed aperture that can t be adjusted If you re adjusting the aperture yourself a setting of 8 is a good place to start since it gives you a fairly wide zone of sharpness If your camera allows you to adjust the aperture use the settings to regulate the depth of field in your picture Depth of field refers to the zone in your photo that is in acceptably sharp focus A wide aperture gives you a shallow depth of field while a small aperture allows a very deep zone maybe even everything in the picture to be in focus Imagine pointing your camera down a set of railroad tracks which go all the way to the horizon With a wide aperture like 2 8 if you focus on a railroad tie a short distance away only a few of the other ties are in sharp focus With a narrow aperture like f 22 many
79. age correction doesn t go the way you want Note If you plan to use layers to make adjustments on your picture you ll prob ably want to save the image in the image editing program s native file format For example Digital Image uses the png file format Saving in the image edit ing program s format preserves the layers so you can make adjustments later Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 259 In this version the picture s visual impact is diminished by the wide angle view 2 Adjust the tonal range The tonal range of an image is the distribution from light to dark pixels within the image In an average exposure the tonal distribu tion will have a fairly even distribution of dark midtone and light pixels You adjust the tonal range of the picture to get the sharpest detail throughout the image Most image editing programs offer automatic and manual tonal level adjust ment tools Using the automatic option the program typically chooses the light est and darkest pixels and distributes the midtone pixels proportionally This is a generalized approach to tonal adjustment and it usually works best on images that have average tonal ranges However on overexposed or underexposed images automatic tonal correction can not only overdarken or overlighten pictures but it can also introduce unwanted color shifts or tints Cropping the picture focuses the viewer s
80. ags the burst mode still allows you to take many frames in a short time span The burst feature uses a buffer to temporarily hold the information from the image sensor After the maximum number of frames is stored in the buffer the camera processes each frame separately and sends them to the removable storage media If your camera has a burst mode feature you can use it to overcome the slow ness of the shutter lag When photographing a child for example 1t can be hard to get the child to pay attention for the few seconds that it takes to take the picture But with burst mode you might be able to shoot 10 frames within 10 seconds During those 10 seconds you can encourage the child to talk look at the camera and make different movements and expressions It s doubtful that all 10 exposures will turn out to be great pictures but you re much more likely to get at least one good shot than if you d just taken a single frame Another great use of the burst mode feature is to take an action sequence Create a series of pictures ofa golf swing a child riding a bike or a pet moving across the yard Then you can assemble the whole series in a slide show or mount the pictures together in a frame Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 151 Portrait Mode For portraits and candid shots using your camera s portrait mode is a convenient way to get good results Portrait mode is set to use a relativel
81. al Image Library window will open to help you add pictures and videos from folders other than the My Pictures and My Videos folders After the first use of the Library you use the same process to add additional pictures and videos to Digital Image Library To add pictures and videos from a folder on your computer 1 On Digital Image Library s File menu click Add Pictures and Videos to Library The Add Pictures and Videos to Library window opens The folders already cataloged in Digital Image Library are displayed 2 Click Browse 3 Navigate to the folder containing the items you want to add click the folder and then click OK 4 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library 109 Scanning for Pictures and Videos Digital Image Library can scan your computer s hard disk drive to locate items to add to Digital Image Library This feature is helpful if you have pictures and videos stored in multiple locations or if you don t remember where your pictures are stored The scanning process can take some time ifthere are many picture files on your computer To scan for pictures and videos on your computer 1 On Digital Image Library s File menu click Add Pictures and Videos to Library The Add Pictures and Videos to Library window opens The folders already cataloged in Digital Image Library are displayed 2 Click Scan 3 In the Be
82. al Photography Tips amp Tricks 4 Dodge and burn In traditional or wet darkrooms standard image finish ing includes darkening specific small areas of the image by increasing exposure burning in or lightening other small areas by reducing exposure dodging Burning in areas often reveals more detail or de emphasizes less important or distracting areas Conversely dodging can reveal details in overly dark shadow areas In Digital Image on the Touchup menu click Other Photo Repair and then click Dodge and Burn Brush Try using the Soft edge option and increase the Brightness level to lighten dodge deep shadows Use the same method but with an increased contrast level to darken burn in the lightest areas In this image dodging and burning minimized distracting reflections that appeared in the man s sunglasses Regardless of which tools you use it s a good idea to start with a low intensity setting and to choose a brush size that is smaller than the object you re working on Also know that you can always click Reset to immediately undo any changes you make 5 Correct flaws Scratches dust and lens flare are only a few ofthe many flaws you can fix in an electronic darkroom Some of these errors can be corrected automatically However if you re willing to take the time many such errors are better corrected by hand Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tr
83. ale of brightness values from pure white to black Dynamic range is indicated with a number from 0 to 4 with a larger number indicating a wider range A scanner with a wide dynamic range e Captures more detail in bright areas of an image e Differentiates between various shades of black e Creates less digital noise pixels with inaccurate color information in shadow areas If you want a scanner for digitizing prints a D range of 2 3 is adequate But if you plan to scan negatives you need a scanner with a range of at least 3 For the best results from slides consider a scanner with a D range of 3 4 or higher Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 13 Successful Scanning 171 4 Scan by the Batch If you re considering a dedicated film scanner check out models that allow you to load a batch of negatives instead of loading them one at a time Batch scan ning can save a lot oftime 5 Be Realistic About Scanning Speed When reviewing the specs for various scanners remember this The quoted scanning speeds are always optimistic and usually represent scanning at a low resolution or low image quality Expect much longer actual scan times espe cially for high quality pictures Use the specs only for comparison purposes Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 172 Chapter 13 Successful Scanning Lossless compression Digital Image can save files in TIFF format using a compression type called LZW wh
84. amae Seen 8 On the Marquee Tool options palette choose whether you want to make ZN a new selection add to the current selection or subtract from the edges But where anti current selection aliasing only aaa 9 Drag the marquee pointer diagonally across the area you want to select pixels directly on the 10 To adjust the selection shape click Adjust marquee on the Marquee selection border you i 4 Tool options palette resize or rotate the marquee shape and then click can feather a border of Done up to 250 pixels around A k B 11 To feather the selection to make it blend into the surrounding part of the the edge of the selected a e picture click Feather on the Marquee Tool options palette enter the y number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge and then click OK 12 To select the opposite area click Invert on the Marquee Tool options palette Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 61 The Freehand Tool The Freehand tool helps you select part of an object by drawing an irregu lar shape 1 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace 2 On the Stack click the object of which you want to make a partial selec tion 3 Click the Freehand Tool button on the toolbar 4 Ifthe Freehand Tool options palette is not showing click the Selection button on the toolbar 5 To keep the edges of the selection smooth select the Anti aliased
85. amera Care Tips For anyone who braves the frigid temperatures of winter to photograph some of Nature s spectacular winter scenes it pays to ensure that you have adequate protection for both you and your camera Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a winter photo session Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual The care and feeding of batteries Cold weather can shorten the life of batteries anywhere from a barely noticeable reduction in power to a sharply shorter life Lithium batteries and the rechargeable Ni MH cells last longest in cold temperatures Be sure to carry spare batteries and keep them warm by stowing them in an inside coat pocket If you opt to carry achemical warmer be aware that the warmers can reach tempera tures as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit far too high a temperature for virtually all film and camera gear Dress in layers Wear a roomy warm weather proof coat as the outer layer A roomy coat is a bonus because it allows you to tuck the camera inside your coat as you move from one location to another Wear gloves Besides keeping your fingers warm gloves will prevent your fingers from sticking to the camera lens or tripod legs in very cold temperatures You can layer a thin glove or glove liner under heavy mitts You might try wearing fingerless leather workout gloves as an inner glove in moderately cold conditions Also consider checking sporting goods stores for gloves that feature fold back finge
86. and ask yourself how you could express the scene from a new point of view Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 241 5 Do it with style If you slavishly follow all the rules and guidelines for making good pictures you will doubtless end up with lots of nice photos If however you want some thing that sets your photos apart from others you should find and fine tune your personal style Like your voice your photographic style will make your images immediately recognizable by those familiar with your work For anyone unfamiliar with your work your personal style will distinguish your images from those of other photographers While style admittedly is difficult to explain it is perhaps the one characteristic that ultimately pays the biggest dividends Developing a personal style is one of those things that is easier to write about than it is to create Style can be what you specialize in your characteristic approach to any subject an element that you include in virtually every image a guideline you consistently and successfully break a personal point of view humor juxtapositions a penchant for extreme simplicity a passion for a subject or a stylized darkroom treatment Each suggestion in this article could easily merit its own article However if you have limited time any of these ideas should provide a jump start to make noticeable and positive changes in your photo
87. aphic prints or other flat opaque objects into digital files Film scanners convert film negatives or 35mm slides into digital files Flatbed Scanners For general purpose scanning a flatbed scanner gives you the most flexibility You can scan virtually any two dimensional object photographic prints text documents kids crayon drawings even objects like leaves and feathers If you have a flatbed scanner you can buy a transparency adapter an accessory that allows you to scan slides negatives and transparencies Flatbed scanners with transparency adapters scan at lower resolutions than dedicated film scanners However flatbed scanners are usually adequate for occasional scanning of snapshots or amateur photos If you plan to scan only prints and other flat artwork a 1200 dpi dots per inch flatbed scanner should meet your needs More information about scanner resolution and dpi is avail able in the section later in this chapter titled Setting Resolution and Bit Depth 165 Scanning with Digital Image For information about using your scanner with Digital Image see the scanner section in the Opening and Importing Pictures chapter Quick multi page scanning Ifyou plan to scan multi page documents look for a scanner with an automatic document feeder ADF which can save you a lot of time on bigger scanning jobs Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 166 Chapter 13 Successful Scanning Automatic dust
88. apter 5 Basic Touchup 49 Reducing Backlighting Fine Severe In some photos the subject might be properly exposed but parts of the lighting problems background might be overexposed The Reduce Backlighting tool darkens the If the lighting problems lightest pixels minimizing the overexposure of the background in your pictures are too severe to be repaired by using Add Flash or Reduce Backlighting use the Levels and Curves tool to apply precise changes to the picture s shadows midtones and highlights The picture on the left lacks detail in the bright areas of the clouds diminishing the beauty of the sky In the picture on the right the Reduce Backlighting tool was applied which darkens the lighter pixels To reduce backlighting in a picture 1 On the Touchup menu click Exposure and Lighting 2 Click Reduce Backlighting Every time you click the scene is darkened by a small amount 3 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 6 Advanced Picture Editing 6 Advanced Picture Editing 5 After you have done general touch ups to your pictures you may want to use advanced editing tools for more precise editing or to apply special effects The selection tools and multiple object composites give you the power to edit very specific areas of your pictures You ll also be able to transform your pictures with filters color and edge effects and specialized editing brushes Under
89. ars or even fast moving children a camera s action mode helps keep your subject in focus The most significant characteristic of action mode is the faster shutter speed of at least 1 500 of a second which helps to freeze the action of your moving subject The action mode in most cameras also uses a wider aperture setting to offset the fast shutter speed and multipattern light metering which compen sates for overly bright and overly dark areas Action mode uses a fast shutter speed to freeze the action of a fast moving subject Digital cameras create a unique challenge for action photography the time lag between when you press the shutter button and the actual exposure With film cameras pressing the shutter button causes the shutter to open virtually simultaneously But some digital cameras are much slower and you might have to wait as long as a second before the picture is taken When photographing moving objects one second can seem like an eternity One way to compensate for the shutter lag is to anticipate your shot Imagine you are photographing a runner with a camera that has a lengthy shutter lag The shutter lag will not be highlighted on the camera s packaging but you can figure it out through your own experience First focus your camera on a spot that the runner will cross in about 10 seconds When the runner is approximately one second away from your target spot press the shutter button The exposure should occur ju
90. articles are barely visible before the scan but become noticeable spots in the final image You can remove these spots with Digital Image but eliminating the contaminants before scanning is much faster and more effective You should regularly clean a flatbed scanner s plate with an antistatic cloth which neutralizes static electricity that attracts tiny particles Dedicated film scanners are more complex and can be difficult to clean so follow the manufacturer s suggestions before you try cleaning the inside of a film scanner Make sure that your original image is also spotless You should clean prints slides and negatives with an antistatic brush which is specially treated to repel dust and dirt You can find antistatic products at a well stocked camera store or by searching the Web Antistatic accessories are far more effective at removing dust than other products are Cleaning with compressed air for example may remove all visible dust but leave behind small particles that might show up in the digital image Installing your scanner When you install a new scanner carefully follow the instructions that accompanied the device Usually you need to install the software before connectingthe scanner to the computer Also it s usually a good idea to restart your computer after installing the software even if the setup guide doesn t instruct you to Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 168 Chapter 13 Succ
91. at the computer Be sure to Learn your camera gear inside and out e Use your camera correctly when you take pictures Regardless of how much fun image editing is you don t want to spend time on the computer correcting something that could have been corrected when the picture was taken Make sure that you use your image editing time to perfect and polish good pictures rather than salvaging images discolored because the white balance ISO or mode was incorrectly set Another important point is to know where you re headed and why you re going there In other words what does a well corrected picture look like The follow ing list provides some of the basics for correcting photos Not every item in the list will apply to every picture and of course there will be exceptions in which many of the guidelines should be ignored Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 257 e Good contrast In black and white photos this usually means white whites and black blacks and a good tonal range of grays In a color photo that has no whites or blacks the goal is to have strong vibrant color in the darkest areas and bright vibrant color in the lightest areas e Vibrant or realistic colors with no excessive color casts caused by improper settings for white balance or not using a color correction filter on film e Detail in both the shadows and highlights or in the area either highlight
92. atch rename batch convert file format and batch resize These file management options save you time when you need to perform the same task on multiple files To begin batch file management 1 In the Thumbnail pane select the pictures you want to manage 2 On the File menu click one of the following Batch Rename Batch Convert File Format Batch Resize 3 Follow the instructions on the screen Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 12 Taking Great Pictures 12 Taking Great Pictures No matter how polished and creative you are as a photographer Digital Image is a valuable tool for helping you get the most out of your pictures With Digital Image features you can easily correct common photo problems such as red eye and overexposure And you can use features like filters and layers to create photos strikingly different from your originals Although Digital Image is a powerful photo editing program it s important to get the best photo you can at the time you take it Digital Image can do a lot to correct minor problems with the originals but certain problems such as severely blurred or underexposed photos cannot easily be fixed with computer software And if you can develop your photography skills to take higher quality photos you can spend your time doing creative photo editing with Digital Image rather than fixing avoidable mistakes Many cameras available today offer a high degree of
93. ation of the foreground increases the contrast to the warm colors of the sky Carry foul weather gear If you decide to shoot in changeable fall weather be sure to carry foul weather protection for you and your camera Be creative Try multiple exposure images turn the camera at an uncon ventional angle use a fast film or crank up the ISO on a digital camera and shoot in low light to create images with coarse grain or noise Then try adding a soft focus or warm up filter Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 254 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks The most important tip Before you go out think about what autumn means to you Knowing what you think how you feel is as important as the camera and gear you use and how much you know about photography Why What you think translates directly into what and how you take pictures And ultimately what you think is what will be the key that sets this series of fall photographs apart from yet more sweeping landscape pictures of red yellow and orange trees Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 255 Digital Image Editing 101 Careful correction can make the difference between an image being a throwaway or a keeper Taking the picture is half of the fun of photography The other half is in the digital darkroom getting that great finished image that you can t wait to show off to everyone who s
94. atures 72 EPS files 16 erasing picture features 45 evaluating photo quality 198 EV setting 160 expanding screen viewable area 176 exposure 39 bracketing 252 meter readings 253 multiple 253 exposures 48 137 155 193 201 exposure and lighting 39 exposure compensation 139 155 160 eye redness 41 135 F f stops 140 187 190 193 facial expressions 240 facial touch ups 47 70 151 fade resistant paper 102 file browser 14 file compression 129 file formats supported 16 96 130 file format conversions 121 file management options 121 file size 127 file transfers archiving 119 importing 13 fill flash 136 251 films 252 film cameras action shots 148 aperture 140 187 automatic exposure 138 automatic modes 146 burst mode 150 close ups 147 exposure 137 exposure compensation 139 ISO setting 144 185 overview 137 panoramic 152 photography tips 154 portraits 151 self timers 153 shutter speeds 142 191 white balance 145 film protection in cold weather 228 film scanners 166 film speeds 144 185 filter enhanced pictures 66 filtering lighting colors 40 filtering pictures by dates 113 folders 113 keywords 112 thumbnails 115 filters 252 Fix Red Eye tool 41 flags 117 flash 41 48 134 226 FlashPix files 16 flatbed scanners cleaning 167 opening pictures from 18 overview 165 flattened PNG files 97 flattening objects 58 flat opaque objects scanning 165 Index 271 Flipbook animations 150 floppy disks 14 132 f
95. away with Smart Erase makes it hard to tell that the distraction was ever there Smart Erase you can use the clone brush to clean up the background to make it look more natural Learn more about the clone brush in the Advanced Picture Editing chapter With the consistently patterned background in this picture Smart Erase was able to do a smooth job filling in the area over the distraction Since Smart Erase incorporates pixels from surrounding areas to fill in the area that has been removed the tool works best if the surrounding areas are consistently patterned To use Smart Erase 1 On the Touchup menu click Smart Erase 2 Trace around the area you want to fill releasing the pointer on the spot where you began tracing 3 Click Fill in 4 To fill in additional areas repeat steps 2 and 3 5 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 46 Chapter 5 Basic Touchup Removing Spots and Blemishes Whether you take portrait photographs or just informal snapshots you usually want to present your subjects in a flattering light Many photos of people can be enhanced by removing spots or blemishes from the original photo Using the Remove Spots or Blemishes tool you click the spot or blemish and the color from the surrounding pixels is used to paint over the discolored area This tool is also useful for removing isolated specks of dust from a scanned photo or removing any other spots that de
96. bject mood or look of the image Does the focal length or zoom setting enhance the subject and message Does the image have good overall contrast for the type image the photog rapher intended Does the color appear natural or does it help set the mood of the image e Ifthe image is in color would it be stronger in black and white The sharpest focus should be on the most important aspect of the subject For pictures of people the sharpest focus point should be on the subject s eyes Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 203 Does the photo tell a story Most often the difference between a picture you remember and one that you quickly forget depends on whether the photo tells a story As a viewer you want to see the story and this is one of the most important evaluation points to look for in a photo In strong photos the story is revealed at first glance and it is self contained In the best images the story evokes an emotional response from the viewer It s that emotional response that ultimately makes the image memorable Try asking these questions as you evaluate images to decide ifthe image tells a story Ata minimum does the photo make a statement that you can articulate e Does the photo elicit an emotion In other words can you relate to the subject or the situation What could be changed in the image to give it a stronger story or message
97. browser Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 18 Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures About TWAIN Troubleshooting tips for opening pictures from a camera and WIA e Your camera must be connected and turned on before you start the digital camera task or it will not appear in the list of cameras and drives TWAIN is interface software that allows communication between a camera and your computer Many digital cameras come with a TWAIN driver e If you ve connected your digital camera to your computer but can t see your pictures make sure the connections are secure the camera is turned on and the batteries are charged The camera might not start download ing if its batteries are low on charge Some cameras are equipped with an A C adapter that you can use instead of batteries If your camera does not appear in the list of cameras and drives or if you receive an error message when you click Download start your camera WIA is a newer interface software from the operating system Start menu that works similarly For more information about downloading photos using the software to TWAIN but often included with your camera consult your camera s manual provides more control over the device WIA is Opening pictures from a scanner compatible with TWAIN Digital Image supports two types of scanner formats TWAIN and WIA If your scanner doesn t use a TWAIN or WIA interface you need to use the software desi
98. but also ensures that you work with a copy of the image in as high a resolution as you can for as long as you can before mak ing the final edits such as cropping or resizing for printing Image correction process 1 Save and correct a copy of the original Adjust the tonal range Adjust the color balance Dodge and burn Correct flaws such as dust scratches and red eyes Crop the image NYDN WN Size the image for printing e mail and the Web 8 Sharpen the image 1 Save and correct a copy of the original Before editing an image always save a copy of the original file in a lossless file format such as Tagged Image File Format TIFF or tif and work on the copy Although you might have taken the image in JPEG format do not edit and continue to save the image in JPEG format JPEG files are small because they are compressed to save space on the memory card and on your computer s hard drive However during compression some of the image data is discarded If you re working on a JPEG image and you periodically save it as a JPEG as you work the image will be recompressed and bits of the image will be dis carded each time you save the file While you may not notice image degradation on the screen the more you save a JPEG the more its resolution will decline Also keep your untouched original images in whatever format you took or scanned them in a separate folder That way you can always go back to the original if im
99. c in the contents list click the topic title Using the index You can use the index when you are looking for information about a specific term or keyword To use the index 1 In the left pane of the Help window click the Index tab 2 In the Type in the keyword to find box type the word you want to find 3 In the results list select the word you want to find and then click Display Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 34 Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics Using the search You can use the search function to find all the topics in Help that contain a word or combination of words To use the search 1 2 In the left pane of the Help window click the Search tab In the Type in the keyword to find box type the word for which you want to search and then click List Topics Inthe Select topic to display list select the topic you want to view and then click Display Product Tour The Digital Image Tour uses pictures animations and text to demonstrate the most popular and useful features of the program To take the product tour 1 On the Help menu click Take a Tour The Tour opens displaying icons to represent different categories of features Click an icon A feature list appears on the left side of the window Click a feature Graphics and text appear that explain the feature Repeat steps 2 4 to learn about more features To close the Tour cl
100. camera doesn t permit you that much control or if you don t want to take the time to change the exposure settings another technique will give you results similar to bracketing To get a lighter exposure aim your camera at a darker portion of the subject and then press the shutter button partway down until you begin to feel a little resistance Next without releasing pressure on the shutter button reframe your photo to include what you want and then push the shutter button all the way down to take the photo This technique will only work if pressing the shutter button halfway down locks in the exposure so you might want to check your camera s manual to be sure You will also need to set the exposure on an object that is roughly the same distance away from the camera as the subject Otherwise your subject will not be in focus when you take the picture Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 161 8 Analyze and Try Again Photography takes practice And you will progress at a faster rate if some of your practice time is focused on developing specific skills One way to do that is to analyze your pictures and then take them again When you get a chance to look at your pictures on a computer or as prints you can assess their quality of composition lighting exposure and white balance Upon close inspection you might realize that you placed your subject too close to the center ofthe frame or
101. ccommodate interchangeable zoom lenses of different focal lengths Digital cameras might offer optical zoom or digital zoom An optical zoom feature uses the same principle as a zoom lens on a film camera the lens itself moves to change the focal length In any of the zoom positions the resulting resolution is the same A digital zoom feature does not move the lens Instead the software inside the camera crops the photo to make the subject appear closer Because the pixels are removed from the area that s cropped out the overall resolution is lower Many cameras offer a combination of optical and digital zoom For best results use only optical zoom Then if necessary use Digital Image to crop the photo to enlarge part of the scene Both digital zoom and enhanced resolution features use interpolation to add pixels to the original photo a process that increases the overall size or resolu tion Interpolation assigns colors to the added pixels based on the colors of the surrounding pixels While these features technically do increase the pixel count in a picture they do not achieve the same visual quality as a picture that has not been interpolated If your camera has digital zoom or enhanced resolution test it and make sure you like the results before you use it for important pictures For true zoom capability and highest image quality use optical zoom Expand your perspective Zoom lenses are great for capturing objects you
102. check box on the Freehand Tool options palette 6 On the Freehand Tool options palette click whether you want to make a new selection add to the current selection _ or subtract from the current selection Z 7 On the picture drag the pointer and then click the starting point to complete the selection 8 To feather the selection to make it blend into the surrounding part of the picture click Feather on the Freehand Tool options palette enter the number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge and then click OK 9 To select the opposite area click Invert on the Freehand Tool options palette Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 62 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing The Edge Finder The Edge Finder amp helps you select part of an object by tracing along well defined edges This tool is useful for cutting out or copying people or detailed items in a picture bh UN m 10 11 12 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace On the Stack click the object of which you want to make a partial selection Click the Edge Finder button 4 on the toolbar If the Edge Finder options palette is not showing click the Selection button on the toolbar To keep the edges of the selection smooth select the Anti aliased check box on the Edge Finder options palette On the Edge Finder options palette click whether you want to make a new selection add to the current se
103. click Done FwWN e Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 9 Creating Projects 9 Creating Projects A great way to present your pictures and share them with friends and family is to create photo projects Digital Image offers a range of designs that you can use to showcase your pictures Choose from greeting cards calendars business cards and more Creating Photo Cards Use your own photo to personalize a greeting card for a holiday a party invita tion or any other occasion To open a photo card design Open a photo and check to see that it appears on the Files palette On the File menu click Create a Project On the All Types of Designs page click Cards Click Photo Frame Cards Click a theme click a design and then click Open Follow the instructions on the screen To edit the inside pages on the View menu click Front of Card Inside of Card or Back of Card ADO Ga A UN Once your card project is open you can add your own text photos and clip art Since most printers cannot print to the edge of the page the purple margins on the edges of a card project represent the unprintable areas of the card Photo cards are either half fold cards which are larger cards printed on both sides of the paper or quarter fold cards which are smaller cards printed on only one side of the paper 89 Working with a multi page project When working with a project that has
104. d Picture Editing Locked Objects When you open any single object picture such as a picture you took with your digital camera the picture will by default be locked to its position on the canvas When an object is locked to the canvas the Lock icon is shown next to that object s thumbnail on the Stack This Lock icon indicates that you will not be able to drag the object around on the canvas To lock or unlock an object 1 Right click the object s thumbnail on the Stack 2 Click Lock or Unlock Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 55 Selecting Objects with the Object Tool The Object tool X allows you to select one or more whole objects at a time With the Object tool you can move resize and rotate selected objects by drag ging the object on the canvas or using the resize handles Each time you start Digital Image the Object tool will be selected by default You will be able to accomplish many different editing tasks by using the Object tool as your only selection tool Unlike the other selection tools the Object tool does not have an options palette To select an object with the Object tool 1 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace 2 Click the Object Tool button X on the toolbar 3 On the Stack click the object When an object is selected with the Object tool and not locked to the canvas object handles are displayed around the perimeter of th
105. d can be adjusted to let light into the camera for a longer or shorter amount oftime When determining the correct exposure for a picture both shutter speed and aperture must be considered in relation to each other An increase in shutter speed which lessens the time the film is exposed to light requires that you widen the aperture to let in more light Shutter speeds are measured in fractions of seconds In automatic mode many cameras will use a shutter speed of about 1 125 of a second For action photography a very fast shutter speed like 1 500 of a second can help to stop action and reduce blurring caused by movement of your subject The shutter speed determines whether you freeze the action or show motion blur On the other extreme you might set the shutter to stay open for four seconds or even more for low light night photography without a flash But shutter speeds slower than 1 30 of a second increase the likelihood that slight movements in your hand while you take the shot will cause a blurred photo To avoid camera shake mount your camera on a tripod or other firm surface for slow shutter speeds Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 143 To accommodate the low light of this twilight scene the camera was mounted on a tripod and set to a slow shutter speed Some cameras offer a shutter priority mode that sets the aperture automatically after you set the shutter speed Thi
106. der aspect ratio but not a wider angle On some digital cameras using the panoramic mode means that each photo has fewer pixels since the top and bottom are cropped so each panoramic shot takes up less space on your storage media Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 153 Using the Self Timer Creates Many digital cameras even inexpensive ones come with a self timer feature makeshift tripod Some self timers open the shutter after a preset amount of time such as 10 If you re outdoors try seconds others allow you to adjust the length of time before the shutter fires Either way this fairly simple feature is great for getting yourself into a photo and taking long exposure shots propping the camera on a rock or car roof Then fine tune the positioning by putting Getting Yourself into a Picture ne non To get yourself into a picture plan where you want to position yourself for the jacket or other object shot Then set up the camera by putting it on a tripod a table or any other flat that you can shape stable surface With your camera in position focus the camera on your subject to adjust the camera which should be close to the position where you will stand for the picture angle If your camera has autofocus press the shutter halfway down to focus press the self timer button and then press the shutter all the way down Then you ve got about 10 seconds to get yourself in position for
107. dingto 512 MB or even 1 GB of RAM Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 170 Chapter 13 Successful Scanning Five Tips for Buying the Right Scanner When buying a scanner consider these factors to find a model that suits your needs 1 Get the Best Resolution You Can A flatbed scanner s optical resolution the number of pixels that a scanner sees includes two numbers such as 1200 x 2400 dpi The first number is the most meaningful and the most useful when comparison shopping The first number indicates the number of lines the scanner can see vertically which is the highest resolution the scanner can achieve before interpolating generating extra pixels The higher the resolution the scanner can achieve before it interpolates the better the resulting scan 2 Look for USB Connections Most modern scanners offer USB Universal Serial Bus connectivity which makes them easier to connect to computers but not all USB ports are the same If your computer supports USB 2 0 you should consider using a USB 2 0 scan ner since it will transfer pictures to the computer many times faster than older USB 1 1 connections If your computer does not have a USB 2 0 port consider adding one this is inexpensive to do Some scanners also support FireWire IEEE 1394 connectivity which is faster than USB1 1 but requires a FireWire connection on your computer 3 Check the Dynamic Range Dynamic range or D range refers to a sc
108. duce a finer grain structure which is less noticeable Since digital cameras use an image sensor instead of film there is no way to actually change the film speed However many digital cameras provide the digital equivalent of an ISO Sometimes called the sensitivity setting this feature in effect allows you to change the ISO setting For example if you are in a low light situation you can switch from ISO 100 to ISO 400 With most digital cameras setting the digital equivalent of the ISO setting to a faster speed can introduce noise into the picture Similar to the graininess from high ISO film noise is pixels of random color that mar the picture Cameras vary widely so you should experiment with your digital camera s ISO settings and examine the results In low light situations consider turning off the flash and setting the camera to a faster ISO setting This might produce some noise in the picture But that result might be preferable to what you d get by taking the photo at slower ISO setting with the harsh lighting of the on camera flash Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 145 Setting the White Balance Surprisingly digital cameras do not automatically know what colors are your picture Instead your camera must figure out which color in a scene is white and use that information to color the rest of the picture This is called setting the white balance To calculate the white
109. e or you can use the option to save the image for the Web The latter option takes the guesswork out of the sizing process because it shows you as you work what the final file size will be for each of the size options If you re using Microsoft Digital Image just choose Save Special from the File menu then choose Save as a Web ready Picture Under Click a picture size choose an option that results in a file size that falls within the auction site s guidelines If you are not using Digital Image look for the Image Size or Resize command Storing auction photos A picture especially one for an online auction is certainly worth a thousand words If you re selling a closet full of items online you might quickly find that you have hundreds of photos to store and track Although MSN Photos does not offer photo hosting for online auction photos several other sites offer storage services For a list of sites that offer hosting services go to the auction site and search for a Help topic on submitting auction photos If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of overstuffed closets attics or garages consider how easy it is to sell the items on the auction sites With a little luck and some good pictures you can be only days away from clutter free closets and a few extra dollars Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 236 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks The Fast Track to Better Photos No time to study
110. e if you always view your pictures on the same monitor and print on the same printer But when you upload your pictures to a Web site for printing or if you send your pictures to be viewed or printed on other computers you might find that the colors are not accurate For greater color accuracy you might want to invest in specialized calibration instruments and color management software Available in camera shops and on the Web calibration tools help you get precise calibration for your monitor so you can generate pictures that look equally good on other systems Controlling Ambient Light After you ve gone through the trouble of calibrating your monitor you can also regulate the lighting in the room where you use your computer In different lighting situations the same picture on the same monitor might look very different Sunlight fluorescent light and incandescent light all affect how your eyes perceive the light coming from the monitor To achieve consistent results make sure that you have the same amount and type of ambient light in the room when you calibrate your monitor and use Digital Image to adjust your pictures for brightness contrast and color Preserving your settings If you share your computer with other people you might want cover your monitor s controls with tape to keep them in place after you ve calibrated the monitor Tape might help the settings from being unintentionally changed Just don t make it i
111. e photo in an uncompressed format Although compression does reduce file size it also reduces visual quality Slight to moderate compression might not noticeably reduce picture quality but high compression produces visible areas of splotchy color called artifacts Even with slight compression artifacts become more pronounced each time the photo is resaved and compression is applied The left photo has been saved with lossless compression so all of the image quality is retained The photo on the right was saved with heavy JPEG compression which is not loss less and the compression significantly reduced the image quality For important pictures that you want to print it s good practice to use little or no compression Or if your camera offers it you can take your photos in a format such as TIFF that offers lossless compression Lossless compression reduces file size but retains all of the photo quality once the photo is restored File size and picture quality Lowering resolution and increasing compression both reduce file size and picture quality Bearing this in mind you can use file size as a rough way to judge the overall visual quality Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 130 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures File Formats There are many file formats designed for digital pictures Digital Image can work with JPEG TIFF RAW and many other file formats If your camera allows you to choose file for
112. e selection Object handles are yellow circles that you drag to resize and rotate the object To move resize or rotate an object with the Object tool 1 Select the object with the Object tool as described above 2 If the selected thumbnail has the Lock icon displayed right click the thumbnail and then click Unlock 3 To move the selection hold the cursor over the object until the move handle P appears and then drag the object on the canvas 4 To resize the object proportionally hold the cursor over one of the corner object handles until the resize handle u appears and then drag the resize handle 5 To stretch the object hold the cursor over the top bottom or side object handles until the resize handle appears and then drag the resize handle 6 To rotate the object drag the rotate handle O that is attached to the top of the selection box Selecting an object allows you to edit it without affecting other objects on the canvas You can select an object by clicking it either on the canvas or on the Stack If you want to select a small object or one that is hidden behind other objects it is often easiest to select it on the Stack Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 56 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing Multiple Selection Grouping and Flattening Objects Digital Image allows you to create composites that contain many objects While objects are separate you can edit each one individually However
113. emains the same of equivalent These equivalent exposures give you control over the depth of field in your photo and the ability to freeze or blur motion For example choose a wide aperture and a fast shutter speed combination and the picture will have a shallow depth of field and motion will be frozen This is often an ideal setting for sports pictures With a small aperture and a slow shutter speed combination depth of field is increased but any subject motion will be shown as blurred in the image You can use this combination for creative effect or for pictures of Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 195 subjects that are not moving For sharp pictures at long shutter speeds mount the camera on a tripod Depending on your camera you can choose from among different exposure modes ranging from fully automatic to aperture and shutter speed priority modes a y 1 p In this picture an f 5 6 aperture allowed the shutter speed to be set at 1 500 sec Putting it all together When you combine film speed aperture shutter speed and the amount of light in a scene you have the essential elements of an exposure On a bright sunny day you can select from many different f stops and still get fast shutter speeds to prevent image blur There is little need to switch to a fast film for fast shutter speeds at small apertures A high ISO film is necessary only if you
114. emphasize the age of the structure and perhaps the starkness of the Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 202 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks surroundings To create this sense a photographer can choose a moderately wide angle lens or zoom setting use black and white mode or film choose a higher ISO or use a high ISO black and white film set a narrow aperture larger f stop number and choose a fast shutter speed depending of course on the light This combination would produce sharp detail visible grain or digital noise to enhance the sense of antiquity and increased depth of field to emphasize the sense of loneliness On the other hand if the image is a portrait of a person you might want to look for very different exposure settings for example a low ISO a wide aperture small f stop number and depending on the light a slower shutter speed In this case the portrait would be little or no grain or digital noise and the narrow depth of field would blur the background to emphasize the subject Of course a photographer might choose the opposite setting to achieve an entirely different look The question is whether the exposure settings were planned to enhance the image design Questions that can help you evaluate whether focus and exposure settings are appropriate for an image include e Is the sharpest point in the image on the subject of the photo Does the depth of field enhance the su
115. en click Stamps 2 Click a stamping style and then click a stamp 3 Click a stamp size and then apply the stamp by clicking on the picture 4 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 70 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing Cloning from a different layer When using the clone brush your starting point must be in the same object as where you want to paint To clone from one object to another first group the objects Clone Brush The Clone brush is a sophisticated editing tool that allows you to paint with a sample from another part of the image Unlike the Airbrush tool that paints in a solid color the Clone Brush allows you to paint gradations of color or varied textures The Clone Brush works very well when touching up a face or an area of skin For example you can paint over a blemish with an area of clear skin copied from another part of the face or body Similarly you can use the Clone Brush to cover up distractions in the background of your picture For example you could paint over power lines with a matching gradient of color sampled from a clear area of the sky The original picture on the left contained some trees in the lower right corner of the frame The Clone Brush was used to cover the trees with a sample from a clear area of the sky To use the Clone Brush On the Stack click the object you want to touch up On the Touchup menu click Clone Brush Click a brush size PFUN
116. ent by changing the f stop to achieve different effects Your camera will tell you what shutter speed to set or 1t will set it for you Keep a log or look at the information displayed with digital images to see how changing the aperture affects the final image Then move on to experiment with different shutter speeds If you have a digital camera it s the greatest single tool you can have to learn photography quickly and inexpensively Regardless of what type camera you have the more pictures you take the more you learn and the more you learn the better your pictures will be Using a wide angle lens helped increase depth of field in this photo Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 198 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks What Makes a Photo Good A Short Checklist for Evaluating Photo Quality What makes one or two pictures rise to the top in a stack of 20 30 or even 100 photos The answer despite what beginning photographers may imagine is not a secret known only to seasoned photographers and photo editors Nor is there a single element that makes a photo good Rather there is a not so secret checklist of criteria commonly used to evaluate images Having said this evaluation checklists vary by person and like other judging criteria there are always exceptions to the rules Furthermore the lines separat ing the criteria very often blur Photography is after all subjective Despite these disclaimers
117. er s Manual 270 Index black and white 67 blending 71 digital camera tips 221 gradient color sampling 70 Magic Wand 63 mats 86 monitor calibrations 178 monitor quality settings 176 photography tips 238 red eye 41 scanning 168 tint adjustments 40 white balance 40 145 221 color and saturation 145 color depth 168 color management printer 101 combining objects 56 CompactFlash card 132 compatibility automatic detection 13 composites 53 composition 43 200 checklist 251 techniques 251 compressed air 167 compressing files 129 172 contaminants glass plate 167 contrast ambient light 179 correcting 39 monitor adjustments 178 controls monitor 178 converting bit depth 168 converting file formats 121 copying original versions 95 copying picture features blending brush 71 clone brush 70 Edge Finder 62 copyrights 21 CorelDraw files 16 creativity evaluating 205 cropping pictures 43 60 curves 73 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual customizing picture viewing 112 cutting picture features 62 D D range 170 dark pixels 48 73 dates grouping pictures by 116 viewing pictures by 113 daylight 136 default color quality setting 177 default photo editor 120 depth of field 140 190 maximizing 253 reducing 251 detecting compatible media 13 device compatibility 13 Diffuse Glow filter 151 digital cameras action shots 148 automatic modes 146 battery life 133 blown highlights 224 burst mode 150
118. er photos than pointing and snapping a picture of the first subject that crosses the viewfinder Be patient When you go somewhere with the intent to take some pictures try walking around and watching the activity After a while you ll get a sense of the place and understand its story which should lead to better pictures With patience and a willingness to chat you might meet people who will allow you to access vantage points that you wouldn t have seen otherwise Instead of randomly taking pictures as you learn the scene or subject waiting can glve you a clear sense of where and what the best pictures are You might find that this technique allows you to concentrate on fewer locations and got better results in the process Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 218 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 4 Take pictures instinctively and quickly Training yourself to photograph quickly can help you get pictures like this one Point and click now Although this seems to contradict the previous guideline think of it as the complementary flip side of waiting to take pictures In any scene there are images that demand no hesitation Take pictures quickly Quick instinctive pictures are the best images for news and sports photographers but instinctive photography doesn t always come naturally To capture the spontaneous moments practice rapidly framing your picture and pressing the shutter release s
119. erm filter originates from the colored glass covers placed over a camera lens The first filters in digital imaging sought to mimic the results of these physical camera filters providing a slight shift in color or increasing the intensity of colors But the filters in Digital Image can create many other effects from sharpening an image to making the picture look like a painting or a mosaic Three different filters were used on the original picture upper left The Colored Pencil filter upper right the Watercolor filter lower left and the Film Grain filter lower right To apply a filter 1 On the Effects menu point to Filters and then click a filter Filters create a whole new look for your pictures Many filters make the image look less like a photograph and more like a drawing painting mosaic or other hand created artwork Filter enhanced pictures can become an attractive focal point of projects such as greeting cards and calendars Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 67 Color Effects You can give a picture a new look by applying a color effect Turn a favorite color picture into an instant classic by changing it to black and white Or apply the antique effect which ages your picture by giving it an old newspaper look You can even turn it into a photographic negative To turn a color picture to black and white antique or negative 1 On the Effec
120. essful Scanning Setting Resolution and Bit Depth When scanning a photo or other artwork consider what you want to do with the image file Just as you would when taking photos with a digital camera you ll need to weigh the benefits of image quality versus file size Resolution usually expressed in dpi dots per inch with scanners is the main factor to consider For superior images that will make large exhibition quality prints consider scanning at the highest dpi available However scanning large images at such a high resolution can make very large files which might be a concern if you lack sufficient random access memory RAM or hard disk space For scanning everyday prints that you do not plan to enlarge or crop you might want to set your scanner to scan at a lower resolution Scanning at 300 dpi should give adequate results for images that you want to print For images that you want to send in e mail or post to the Web 72 dpi is sufficient Just remember that if you plan to crop or enlarge you will need more pixels to work with so you should increase your scanning resolution accordingly Many scanners allow you to adjust the bit depth sometimes called color depth Bit depth is the range of colors the scanner is able to capture per pixel Scanner bit depths range anywhere from 24 bit on older models to 48 bit on some newer models A high bit depth ensures that the scanner captures the wide range of colors in your photos Se
121. ew picture appears on the canvas Once the photo is opened in Digital Image you can edit it as you would any other photo and save it to your computer Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER A Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics This chapter covers some of the fundamental aspects of Digital Image Suite Editor that you ll need to get started You ll find information on the Startup Window the work area basic image manipulation applying text and Help resources Startup Window The Startup Window is a quick launching point to your pictures Mini Lab projects the Library recently opened files and Help By default the Startup Window opens every time you start Digital Image After closing the Startup Window you can open it at any time from the main work area by clicking the Startup Window button in the Common Tasks list This diagram points out the main features of the Startup Window Open Import Digital Image Edit Multiple Create a Pictures Library Pictures Project Take a Tour Recent Files More Files Instructional Videos How to EJ Registdr Online 1 Open Click this button to open the file browser where you can open photos from your hard drive a network drive a digital photo card reader aCD or DVD or a floppy disk 2 Import Pictures Click this button to import one or more pictures from a digital camera scanner or other external
122. f light produces photos that closely match the way we remember seeing the scene That is part of the reason we respond to them with a positive sense of familiarity However colors photographed in the cooler light at twilight or in overcast conditions or in the warmer light of sunrise and sunset offer a new perspective on familiar colors and subjects and provide a more creative backdrop for pho tographs Overcast and after the rain conditions in particular produce richer more saturated colors For example red leaves photographed against a twilight backdrop instead of in daylight create a moody interpretation that suggests a sense of mystery or drama For interior pictures look for strong sources of natural light as from a window or a skylight The glow of light coming from one direction can illuminate your subject dramatically Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 158 Recomposing a photo with Digital Image After a picture has been transferred to your computer use the crop tool in Digital Image to change the composition By clipping away the edges of the picture you can reposition your subject to comply with the rule of thirds Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 5 Follow the Rule of Thirds When composing a photograph many beginning photographers always center their subject directly in the middle of the frame While this technique might be the easiest way to get the subject in focus with a point and shoo
123. f water cascading over a waterfall As a very general rule of thumb to stop motion set the shutter speed to 1 125 of a second or faster To show motion as a blur try 1 30 of a second or slower and be sure to mount the camera on a tripod Equivalent exposures Film or digital image sensors require a certain amount of light to make a good exposure As we ve seen two factors determine the amount of light that makes the exposure the size of the lens opening aperture or f stop and the shutter speed Set a wide aperture and you can use a fast shutter speed Enough light will reach the film or image sensor to expose the image But switch to a small aperture f stop and you must use a slower shutter speed to get a good exposure Many combinations of aperture f stop and shutter speed produce exactly the same exposure in other words the same amount of light will expose the image For example an exposure setting of f 22 at 1 4 second is equivalent to f 16 at 1 8 second f 11 at 1 15 f 8 at 1 30 of a second and so on That s because you are decreasing the amount of exposure time as you change to a larger aperture Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 194 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Although this picture was taken at midday the shaded area allowed the photographer to reduce the shutter speed enough to show the motion of the water as a blur If you use a fully manual camera or operating mode you must
124. faster the glass fills up The time that the tap is open represents the shutter speed leaving it open longer lets more water into the glass To fill the glass to exactly the right level the rate of flow must be set according to the time the tap is open The third factor ISO rating can be equated to the size of the water glass A smaller glass representing a faster ISO rating fills up more quickly than a larger glass representing a slow ISO Understanding automatic exposure As a photographer you will come across a wide range of lighting conditions and each condition requires that you adjust your camera to different exposure settings For example taking a photo on a beach on a sunny day calls for differ ent exposure settings than you would use on the same beach on a cloudy day For many conditions the camera s automatic exposure setting gives you good or even excellent results But for some situations the automatic exposure does not perform as well Automatic exposure assumes that the scene you are photographing has a few bright spots many midtones and a few dark areas As the camera s meter reads the available light in your scene 1t averages the light in the bright middle and dark areas and then calculates the exposure necessary to bring the average level to a tone of medium brightness called middle gray Automatic exposure does not work well if your scene is dominated by large sections of very light or very dark colors
125. feedback and ideas Or just ask around anyone with an eye for design com position and style can give you valuable feedback Even untrained friends and family will see elements in your photos that you might not have noticed Almost all feedback provides valuable insight and ideas Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 220 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Six Digital Photo Problems And how to avoid them Learning the peculiarities of a digital camera such as setting the white balance correctly can save lots of computer time when you try to correct an image later You finally got a digital camera You know that photographic nirvana is now within your grasp Now you have the power You can see and correct lousy pictures on the spot You can correct the flaws in your digital darkroom You smirk thinking that you ll never again pay for 36 weirdly tinted glossy prints from the local photo lab Never again will you slink out the door convinced that you are the world s only perpetual walking photographic failure But as images begin rolling off the digital camera and onto your computer s hard disk the reality fairy appears and nirvana s glow begins to fade Regard less of how you take pictures some images have stark white highlight areas On other images the focus lists somewhere to the right of crisp And on others it s clear that you have single handedly invented previously unknown categories of biza
126. g and Importing Pictures 21 Opening a Picture from a Web Page Watch for When you surf the Internet you may come across pictures that you would like copyrights to use in your projects Unless the Web site uses image protection you can cap Pictures you see ture these images and use them for your own projects Keep in mind though that even unprotected pictures may still have a copyright and you should have the permission of the Web site owner before saving and using pictures you find Also Web pictures are usually low resolution so they may not be suitable for printing But you could still use the images in a project to be viewed online on the Web may be copyrighted so be sure to read the site s legal information or get permission from the site s owner before you use an image To open a photo from a Web page 1 Make sure that both Digital Image and your Web browser are open and running on your computer A button for each program appears in the taskbar at the edge of your screen On the taskbar click the button for your Web browser program In your Web browser locate the Web page that contains the picture you want Right click the picture and then click Copy On the taskbar click the button for Digital Image On the Digital Image File menu click New WN ZN DO uu A Select a canvas size and then click Done A blank canvas opens in the workspace 8 On the Digital Image Edit menu click Paste The n
127. g the extent to which you will be able to enlarge the picture for printing This is why it s better to compose the picture as best you can when you take it rather than relying on heavy cropping later Cropping a picture allows you to eliminate distractions and improve the composition Cropping your picture to a specific proportion lets you control exactly where the picture will be cut Otherwise if your picture is not the same proportion as the print size some of the picture might be trimmed during printing to fit into the printable area ofthe page Using the rule of thirds When composing a photograph many beginning photographers tend to center their subject directly in the middle of the frame While this technique may be the easiest way to get the subject in focus with a point and shoot camera it is not always the most interesting way to present the subject Most advanced photographers follow the rule of thirds when composing the space inside a picture frame The rule of thirds is used throughout the graphic design world because it helps to create balance between the subject and the background When you compose a picture according to the rule of thirds you Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 44 Chapter 5 Basic Touchup mentally divide the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically imagine a tic tac toe grid and place the point of interest on one of the four spots where the lines intersect If the photo i
128. ge Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 233 Note Many companies offer accessory lenses for digital cameras If you often sell items especially small items such as stamps or coins you might want to invest in a close up accessory lens These lenses typically require an inexpen sive adapter ring that fits onto the camera s built in lens The most important point in getting crisp focus is to check the camera s in focus indicator Just because you pressed the shutter release half way down doesn t mean the picture is in focus Look for the in focus indication in the viewfinder before taking a picture Show color accurately If you re selling bone china you don t want a strange green or blue color tint in the photo To avoid unwanted color tints be sure you set the white balance on a digital camera to match the type of light If you re using film buy film that is balanced for the light you re in or use the appropriate color correction filter While you can make color corrections on the computer later it saves editing time if you use the correct camera settings film and filter Additional tips Here are a few other tips you might find helpful e Ifyou are using a digital camera check your pictures on the computer before you dismantle your studio This saves time if any photo needs to be retaken e If you re using a digital camera always meter for the lightest highlight area in the scene This means
129. ge of your flash Check your camera s manual to find out the recommended range for your flash Most on camera flashes are designed to illuminate a subject that is 10 to 15 feet from the camera If the flash is too close your subject might look too bright or washed out in the photo If you re too far away the flash won t provide enough light Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Using the Flash Learning to use the flash is one of the easiest ways to get better pictures both indoors and outdoors Especially when you re photographing people overpow ering light from the flash can ruin the shot often in ways that are difficult to correct with picture editing software Most cameras come equipped with a built in flash The flash might be programmed to go off automatically when the camera senses that the flash is needed But relying on the camera s judgment will not always give you the best results Built in flashes can create harsh shadows overexposed areas and unnatural looking light Read your camera s manual to learn what the recommended flash range is and to find out how to adjust different flash settings Three of the most common flash settings are outlined in the following sections Automatic Flash Contrary to what you might think you might be better off without your flash in many situations If you think the scene is too dark to take without a flash try increasing the ambient light by turning on lamps or o
130. ght to enter the camera To get a good exposure with a small aperture the amount of time the shutter stays open to let light into the camera must be increased Most cameras automatically adjust the shutter speed when they are set in program or semi automatic mode If you re taking pictures in manual mode or with a manual camera you set a longer shutter speed using a dial on the camera or an electronic menu Although taken with a narrow aperture f 11 the telephoto lens set to 200mm reduced the depth of field in this picture Learning the jargon Switching to a wider aperture is also referred to as opening up Switching to a narrow aperture is referred to as stopping down How to change the aperture On Single Lens Reflex SLR cameras you can change the aperture using the aperture ring on the lens or a command dial on the camera body that allows you to select an f stop Some compact cameras have a control that allows you to select an f stop using one of the camera s menus In scene modes such as portrait or landscape the camera automatically selects an aperture based on the available light and the mode Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 189 On cameras with interchangeable lenses you set the f stop using an aperture ring You can choose among a range of apertures You first select an f stop aper ture and then you set the correct shutter speed to get a good ex
131. ginning Picture Scan dialog box click OK The hard disk drive is scanned and the folders containing pictures are displayed 4 Clear the check box next to any folder you don t want to add 5 Click OK and then click Done Use Digital Image Library for your videos too If your digital camera can capture movies in addition to still pictures you can import store organize and view those movies right along with your pictures To view a video double click its thumbnail and it will play in the Library Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 110 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library Adding Labels Adding labels to your pictures and videos is one of the most powerful ways to organize and locate your pictures Labels are bits of information that you apply to your pictures information that helps to identify the pictures Labels do not change the appearance of your pictures in any way they are simply tiny bits of information that get stored in the Library and associated with your pictures and videos There are a number of labels available in the Library including the following Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual People Create People labels for friends and family then click that person s label to find all the pictures of that person Places Label your pictures with Places that help you instantly find photos you took last year in Hawaii or five years ago at the Grand Can
132. gital Image Suite User s Manual 12 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing Freeing up memory The distortion brush requires a lot of computer memory especially if you drag it across a wide area To speed up the processing of the effect try closing other applications you have running on your computer Distortion Brush The Distortion Brush lets you smear bulge shrink or erase part of the picture When touching up a picture you can use the Distortion Brush to diminish or accentuate certain features in the picture The Distortion Brush can be used to make some funny or whimsical images To use the Distortion Brush On the Stack click the object you want to touch up On the Effects menu click Distortion Brush Click an effect and then click a brush size Do one of the following e Click on the picture to distort inside the circular brush area Drag on the picture to distort a wider area 5 Click Done PFUND Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 73 Using the Levels and Curves Tool Lighting problems in some photos need more precise adjustment than can be achieved with any of the one click auto fix tools To achieve greater control you can use the Levels and Curves tool which includes a histogram The histogram is a visual representation of the photo s tonal range or the distribution of the pixels across the 256 degrees of brightness In the histogram
133. gned specifically for the make and model of your scanner Many scanner manufacturers provide free updates to their drivers on the Web but is only available on some computer operating systems To connect your scanner Install the software that came with your scanner Turn off your scanner and computer Attach the connector cable from your scanner to your computer Fwd re Turn on your scanner and computer Once the scanner is connected and recognized by your computer you re ready to scan Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures 19 To scan a photo with a flatbed TWAIN or WIA scanner 1 Connect your scanner to your computer and then turn on the scanner 2 Place your picture on the scanner 3 4 If more than one device appears in the dialog box click the one that On the File menu click Import Pictures represents your Scanner Depending upon the type of scanner you have you will either see the Scan Picture pane or the Import Pictures Wizard If you see the Scan Picture pane 1 2 3 Select your scanner from the list Choose the Automatic Scan option from Click a scanning method Click Scan If you see the Import Pictures Wizard 1 If you want to immediately open the scanned picture for editing click Open the picture for editing 2 Click Next Select a place on your hard drive where the scanned picture will be stored and specify a
134. graphs Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 242 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Photo Ops in the Most Unusual Places Alleys and other worthwhile detours Hidden from the incessant human need to clean up alleys provide surprising photo opportunities Are you bored going to the same places taking the same monotonous pictures If you are then it s time to swerve off the beaten path and explore some unlikely places and events that offer photo opportunities Weekends are a great time to take detours because detours often take you out ofthe mainstream crush and give you space to do some creative exploration and photography If you plan to detour at random be sure to pack your camera bag with a full complement of gear Often the lighting and space you have to work in will be as unconventional as the location At a minimum pack a speedlight a tripod or monopod and a full focal range of lenses Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 243 Alley art Beautiful things can happen in alleys Those narrow dark less traveled passageways provide a studio in which Nature finds asylum from the incessant human need to clean up And left to her own devices Nature often draws exquisite three dimensional vignettes on canvases woven by time Wherever Nature works undisturbed there are bound to be photo opportunities On an overcast day in a dim alley
135. hat channel Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER F Batch Editing in the Mini Lab Batch Editing in Mini Lab If you take pictures regularly it can become time consuming to perform basic editing to all of your pictures after you download them from your camera Mini Lab contains tools that can help you save time with routine editing that needs to be done to many or all of the photos in a batch If you have a high capacity storage medium in your camera you might have dozens or even hundreds of photos to download at once to your hard disk Some of these pictures may be excellent keepers that you will want to spend some time editing carefully later on But many of the photos only need a few quick edits changes such as rotation and resizing Opening each photo individually performing basic edits and then saving each one could take a lot of time Mini Lab lets you perform these routine editing tasks to many photos at once Mini Lab lets you select multiple photos to perform numerous tasks including e Color auto fix Exposure auto fix e Camera phone auto fix e Rotate e Resize e Print e Save as to save copies of the originals change file format and rename files Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 80 Chapter 7 Batch Editing in Mini Lab Mini Lab displays all of your open photos and includes a list of editing options that you can perform on multiple pictures
136. he basketball court sidelines the silhouette of a child playing on the slide or a boat floating lazily on the lake In the park and in public always ask permission before you photograph people and children even pets The park is a great place to find photo subjects Use your time in the park to work on techniques such as low light images panning images that show action and cutaway images This is also a good place to use a long lens or to switch to telephoto mode so that you can remain unobtrusive to the activity going on in the park Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 213 Still life Virtually anything you have around the house is fair game for a great still life photograph from cut crystal to old brooms to nuts and bolts Try pho tographing a wine glass a sandwich fruits and vegetables a piano keyboard musical instruments game tables or a meal on a platter Portray life on a miniature scale by photographing old dolls and toys Arrange the subjects as an artistic composition and then experiment with using window light a flash a flashlight or household lamps You ll find that every subject presents different challenges such as lighting composition and texture Real life Tell a story There is no more powerful use for a camera than for telling a story Photojournalists travel thousands of miles to tell stories of international import But you don t have to g
137. he picture on the canvas When rotated part of the picture overlaps the edge ofthe canvas and these areas would be removed during printing The rotation also creates empty areas at the corners ofthe canvas Fortunately these problems are solved by the Auto Crop feature which is part of the Straighten Picture tool After you straighten the picture Auto Crop trims the edges of the picture so that it becomes aligned with the canvas To straighten a picture with Auto Crop 1 On the Format menu point to Straighten Picture and then click Canvas 2 Identify a line in the picture that should be straight such as the horizon and then click one end of the line 3 Click the other end of the line The picture is automatically straightened 4 Make sure the Auto Crop check box is selected The area of the picture that will be cropped is shown in lightened color around the edges 5 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 5 Basic Touchup 43 Cropping Cropping is an easy way to improve the composition of a picture For example if your picture has distracting background elements along the top bottom or side you can crop away these parts ofthe background to focus the attention on the subject When you crop a picture you are removing pixels and therefore lowering the effective resolution although the dots per inch will stay the same If you crop a significant portion of the original you re limitin
138. hiving options e Pictures and videos never archived before and any modifications not archived Pictures and videos never archived before Pictures and videos selected when you entered the Archive Pictures and Videos Wizard e All pictures and videos in Digital Image Library The Archive Pictures and Videos Wizard will guide you through the archiving process allowing you to select an archive location archive friendly name and other options Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 120 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library Editing and File Management from Digital Image Library With its powerful organizational tools Digital Image Library is an easy way to locate pictures in your collection Once you have found the pictures you want to work with you can select those pictures for editing and file management Editing Pictures From Digital Image Library you can open pictures in a picture editing pro gram perform your editing tasks and then return to Digital Image Library To edit pictures 1 In the Thumbnail pane select the pictures you want to edit 2 On the Tasks menu click Edit The pictures open in the picture editing program 3 Edit and save the pictures 4 Close the picture editor Thumbnails in Digital Image Library will be updated to show your changes By default Digital Image Library will open the pictures to be edited in Digital Image But you can set D
139. ich and saturated colors If you prefer to use transparency film many pho tographers swear by Fujichrome Velvia for its sharpness and vivid color rendition Kodak Ektachrome E 100S is also a favorite When shooting with transparency film exposure latitude is tight so be sure to bracket your exposures If you shoot negative film many recommend Kodak Royal Gold and Kodak s VC rated negative films rated at ISO 50 or 100 Make adjustments for digital Choose a slow low ISO value to mini mize noise the appearance of grain and to ensure sharpness and color saturation Also always set the white balance to match the conditions For example if you re shooting in shade or overcast light set the white balance accordingly Take advantage of filters To eliminate reflections from water and glass saturate colors and cut through haze use a polarizing filter For land scapes with a bright sky and much darker terrain use a graduated density filter to bring the sky exposure closer to the exposure of the terrain Try an enhancing filter to increase the intensity of reds and yellows in a scene Enhancing filters unlike polarizing filters cause an overall warm color shift throughout the scene Try an 81A 81B or 81C warming filter to enhance warm fall colors and to counteract the blue tint of overcast or shaded lighting conditions Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 253 Provide depth scale and distance For landscape pictures
140. ich makes image files slightly smaller without losing any data Five Tips for Successful Scanning 1 Keep Your Scanner and Originals Clean Dust or lint on the scanner glass or on a photo will be picked up by the scanner An antistatic brush does a good job of clearing away even tiny particles that you can t see 2 Preview and Correct the Scan Scanner driver software generally allows you to adjust color contrast high lights shadows and other factors Most scanner programs offer an automatic enhancing feature that might improve brightness contrast and color balance Preview your scan after using that control If it seems perfect you might be ready for the final scan However think about cropping in the preview to scan only the part of the picture that you need This helps keep the digital file size to a minimum 3 Scan at a High Resolution Any scanner can be used for quickly digitizing photos into small low resolu tion files These are fine for online display or other Internet use High resolution scanners can produce much larger image files a valuable feature for making or ordering oversized prints 4 Choose the TIFF Format Save any scanned image in TIFF format as opposed to JPEG format JPEG format compresses files to a small digital footprint but you lose information every time you edit and resave a file The TIFF format does not discard any information and also supports more color data If you have limited hard d
141. ick Close Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 35 Instructional Videos Instructional Videos use animation and narration to show you how to use a variety of image editing features on your photos To watch an Instructional Video 1 On the Help menu click Instructional Videos The Help window opens to a topic about Instructional Videos 2 Click a video title link The Video player opens and the Video begins The Instructional Videos are accompanied by complete online tutorials that let you walk through the tasks at your own pace To open the online tutorial click the Written Tutorial button on the Video player Technical Support The type of Technical Support resources available vary based on where you live and how you obtained your Digital Image product To view Technical Support information 1 On the Help menu click About Digital Image Pro 2006 2 Click Tech Support Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 5 Basic Touchup 5 Basic Touchup Almost all pictures can be improved with basic touchup tools Digital Image Suite Editor s touchup tools can be used to correct common problems such as red eye crooked pictures lighting problems or similar distractions that can ruin a photo In many cases Digital Image helps you eliminate basic problems with just a few clicks Adjusting Exposure and Lighting When you take a photo
142. icks 263 The cluttered background is distracting It draws the viewer s attention away from the subject One of the best tools for fixing flaws by hand is the cloning tool It allows you to paint one part of the picture into another part of the picture or paint from one picture to another For example you can paint over unwanted elements such as light poles or add elements such as trees or people To use cloning on the Touchup menu click Clone brush Select the brush size you want and then click the starting area or the area you want to paint into another part of the picture Each time you want to begin using a different starting area make sure to click Set new start position Tip When you use a cloning tool take care to produce natural looking results Use short paint strokes and click a new starting position often When you repeat the same starting point multiple times within an image you are likely to create a very artificial looking pattern Other guidelines include matching the angle of light and the proportions for cloned and original objects In other words don t paint a shrub from a shad owed area into a bright area of the image and don t clone a foreground area into smaller background shrubbery Crop and size the image 6 Crop the image The advantage of cropping is that you can discard portions of the image that you don t want or that do not contribute to the image You can also center attention on the subject
143. ictures for CA kenn alas an sinn nenn 167 Setting Resolution and Bit Depth uusnseeseensensennsensennennennennnennennennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnen nennen nsennnen nennen 168 Scanning Large Pictures sie tia dit 169 Five Tips for Buying the Right Scanner enserseesserseenseenenneennsnnnnnnnnnnnnennsnnnennnenneonnen nennen nennnnennnn 170 1 Get th Best Resolution You Can ui ia essen ns 170 2 E00 amp for USB Connections a das 170 3 Check the Dynamic Rania ide 170 4 Scan by the Batch a A a o 171 5 Be Realistic About Scanning Speed oo cc cceeccssessecseceeceeceeeeeceseeeeceseeeeceseeeeecaeeesecaaeaecnaeeaeeneees 171 Five Tips for Successful Ca nd Inn n au 172 1 Keep Your Scanner and Originals Clean ccccescescesssesecesceccesceeeeseeeeeeceseecaeeseecsecaaecaeenseeaeeaees 172 2 Preyiew and C rrect theiScan raisi Rp eiii 172 3 Scanat a High Resolution ia 172 4 Choosethe TIRE Fortunata ada ds ed al et ee e g 172 5 Convert Large TIFF Files to JPEG ici diia 172 Chapter 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for PictureS ocooommmmmmsmmmsmsmsmsm ss 173 Setting Screen Resol acia 175 Setting Monitor Color Quality ion a E EE ER E ies 176 Calibrating for Brightness Contrast and RGB Values ooooncniconncnnoninoniononononnconconnconnon non noco non nnrononnn narran 178 Controlling Ambient A 179 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks scussrsonssansnssonsnesssnrsunssnsnnnssussnnsnnssnnsnnssnnsnn
144. igital Image Library to open a different photo editor To change the photo editor associated with Digital Image Library 1 On the Tools menu click Options 2 Click the General tab 3 Under Change picture editor do one of the following e Click Use Microsoft Digital Image 2006 Editor e Click Use a different picture editor and then locatethe picture editing program you want to use Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library 121 Editing in Mini Lab Mini Lab allows you to perform the most common editing tasks to multiple pictures at the same time Some of these tasks include e Color auto fix e Contrast auto fix e Rotate e Crop The Mini Lab you can access from Digital Image Library is the same Mini Lab you can access from Digital Image To batch edit pictures in Mini Lab 1 In the Thumbnail pane select the pictures you want to edit 2 On the Tasks menu click Batch Edit in Mini Lab Mini Lab opens with the selected pictures 3 For each batch editing task select the pictures you want to edit and then click an editing option 4 Click a file saving option You must save the files for the Mini Lab changes to be saved 5 Click Done Mini Lab closes and thumbnails in Digital Image Library will be updated to show your changes Batch File Management Digital Image Library has its own tools for batch file management These tools include b
145. il lion pixels or in pixel dimensions such as 1600 by 1200 pixels which equals 1 920 000 total pixels or 1 9 megapixels Resolution is important primarily because it determines how much you can enlarge a picture Everything else being equal a 3 megapixel picture and a 320 pixel x 240 pixel picture look the same in a wallet size print But if you enlarge those two pictures to 5 x 7 prints the quality of the 320 x 240 picture is very low you can see the individual pixels The 3 megapixel picture still looks sharp at the larger size since its pixels are still too small to be seen Resolution is also important because it determines file size High resolution pictures contain color information for many more pixels than low resolution pictures so the files for high resolution pictures can be significantly larger File size becomes an issue if you have limited storage on your camera or hard disk or if you need to send the picture through e mail The following chart gives an estimate of file size and maximum print size for various resolutions The chart lists file sizes for JPEG format which is a com mon but not the only format for pictures This is just a general guide to file sizes you might produce good printing results by using larger or smaller files Approx JPEG file size Dimensions Total pixels with slight compression Maximum print size 320 x 240 76 800 23 KB Web and e mail 640 x 480 307 200 91 KB Web and e mail 1280 x
146. ince the price for memory storage media is declining it makes sense to pick up an extra storage card as your budget allows Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 226 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Besides obliterating details you might like to maintain in the picture built in flash units also cause hot spots as shown in the area in front of the puppy that are time consuming and frustrating to fix 5 Flash causes hot spots The flash onboard or external can be either your best friend or your worst enemy The latter is most often the case But because a digital camera offers you unlimited free testing there is no longer any reason to worry about this problem How to avoid it First find the manual that came with the camera and look up the flash range the manufacturer recommends Then test the flash range to get a personal feel for the recommended distances Instead of subjecting your child or pet to the flash tests sit a household object like a pillow or a basket on a chair turn on the flash and then take test pictures standing at different distances from the subject If images are too light note how close you were to the subject and step back If the images have dark outer edges or flash fall off step in closer to the sub ject Also look for obvious hot spots and determine whether you need to dial down the flash unit s power if your camera offers this option or use a diffuser either home
147. include one or more elements that provide a sense of depth scale or distance This may be as simple as including a rock in the foreground or a pine cone next to a seasonal cluster of berries Maximize depth of field To maximize depth of field especially in landscape photographs choose the smallest aperture larger f number possible and focus one third of the way into the scene Make red work for you Red is a visually dominant color If you include red in a photograph use it with intention to enhance the composition and draw the viewer s eye Ifred is used unintentionally it will of course draw the viewer s eye from the focal point Know the message Know why you re taking a picture If you can verbal ize what s compelling about the scene chances are much better that you can communicate that message to the viewer Carry a card for quick backgrounds Carry a gray card or any neutral color card in your camera bag that you can use as a backdrop for macro pictures Meter with polarizing filters If you use a polarizing filter to enhance color be sure to take a meter reading from a midtone within the scene such as green foliage or grass Then use that meter reading as the expo sure for the picture This can help avoid possible overexposure due to the polarizer Add foreground elements When you take photographs in the warm light of sunrise or sunset try including shadowy foreground elements The contrast of the cooler bluish illumin
148. ing 85 bracketing 139 160 brightness See exposure and lighting correcting 39 73 dynamic range 170 monitor adjustments 178 brightness and contrast See exposure and lighting brushes blending 71 clone 70 distortion 72 freehand 68 rubber stamp effects 68 buffers 150 burst mode 150 c calendars 91 calibrating monitors 175 cameras action shots 148 automatic modes 146 battery life 133 burst modes 150 close up shots 147 compatibility 13 compression 129 digital 126 220 269 file formats 130 flash 134 manual settings 137 opening pictures from 14 17 overview 125 panoramic 152 photography tips 154 215 236 portraits 151 removable media 132 resolution 127 self timers 153 winter photo sessions 228 zoom 131 camera phone auto fix 79 candid shots 218 cards greeting 89 cataloging pictures See Digital Image Library CDs archiving pictures 119 importing to Digital Image Library 108 opening pictures from 14 recommendations 132 scanning images to 166 centering screen viewable area 176 circles 60 cleaning images 167 cleaning scanners 167 close up photography 147 cold temperature photo sessions 228 color 145 complementary 248 contrasts 248 emphasizing as focal point 251 enhancing filters 252 including red in photos 253 polarizing filters 252 primary 248 shooting single color subjects 249 colored casts 40 145 colored pencil filter 66 colors antique 67 applying color effects 67 Microsoft Digital Image Suite Us
149. ing point but they are useful only as long as they enhance the overall image As a quick review here are a few basic composition pointers e Fill the frame Filling the frame helps establish the center of interest and simultaneously it helps exclude competing background details You can fill the frame by moving closer to the subject or by using a longer focal length or zooming in Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 201 e Organize elements In composition the rule of thirds is often used to organize elements in a composition This rule is derived from the Golden Section or Golden Rectangle that divides a space such as a photographic frame into equal segments to create pleasing proportions In simple terms if you apply the rule of thirds in photography you simply imagine a tick tac toe pattern on the viewfinder Then when you place the subject of the photo at one of the intersection points the result is a pleasing sense of order e Control the background A non distracting background is a compo sitional tool to help bring attention to the subject of the photo You can control the background by moving your position or moving the subject to avoid background distractions and by using a wider aperture smaller f stop to blur the background It s a good practice to review the entire scene and when possible eliminate or rearrange as many distracting background elements
150. isk capacity you can transfer large TIFF files to a CD RW disc and then delete them from your computer 5 Convert Large TIFF Files to JPEG If you ve scanned a high resolution picture in TIFF format the file may be too large to upload to the Web in a reasonable amount of time Open the file in Digital Image and save it with slight compression The compressed copy may be small enough to upload quickly enough Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for Pictures 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for Pictures When working with digital photos on your computer you rely on the monitor to accurately display a photo s colors brightness and contrast But just how accu rate is your monitor Unless you have recently calibrated your monitor that is configured the monitor to display colors correctly it might not be displaying accurate colors Even though the monitor can display digital information it is ultimately an analog that is nondigital device and occasionally needs adjust ment If your monitor is not properly adjusted any changes you make could actually make a picture look worse when it s printed or displayed on a different monitor Imagine a monitor whose brightness level is too dim When you view a perfectly corrected picture on that monitor the brightness level appears too low You could use Digital Image or other software to manually adjust the pictures brightness to a le
151. ition By definition colors are complementary ifthey form gray when combined in equal amounts On a color wheel complementary colors are opposite each other So the primary colors of light red blue and green have complementary colors cyan yellow and magenta respectively Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 249 Using the complementary colors together creates images with striking contrast or pop This picture pops because it uses the complementary red cyan colors The same picture against green foliage in the background would have much lower contrast and would become one of those nice put it in the back of the drawer pictures On the other hand images with low color contrast use either a single color or colors in the same family in the composition Using low color or harmonizing contrast creatively and intentionally creates visually soothing tranquil images For example a macro image in which the frame is filled with a single fall blooming plant or berry is a low contrast image as is a frame filled with bil lowy grayish white fall clouds or distant multihued blue mountain ranges For low contrast images to be effective it s important to have a strong focal point in the composition and to look for or create tonal differences that provide depth and definition For example if you re shooting a single color subject create or emphasize tonal differences by
152. ity of a photo ask yourself Does the photo disclose more about the subject or show it in unexpected ways Does the photo relate visual elements in unusual and intriguing ways e Is the photo interesting and fresh A creative approach reveals the subject in uncommon ways Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 206 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks You now have some basic criteria for evaluating your work If an image is your best so far enjoy the image and your achievement Then go back in a month or two and evaluate the image against the six basic criteria again If it still passes the test frame it and hang it on the wall and then go out and take a better picture e Charlotte Lowrie Photo opportunities can pop up anytime and anywhere If you have your camera with you you can take advantage of scenes such as this Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 207 Photo Challenge Tell a Story Take a picture that s worth a thousand words The toughest challenge in photography is to tell a story in a single image Professional photographer Paul Liebhardt describes what makes pictures truly great According to Liebhardt if a picture doesn t have meaning if it doesn t tell a story the image is just another pretty picture And to tell a story you must know the subject well For Liebhardt this means spending time with the peop
153. ject motion On manual and some older cameras the shutter speed is set using a dial such as the one shown here When you increase or decrease the shutter speed by one full setting it doubles or halves the exposure For example twice as much light reaches the film at 1 30 sec as at 1 60 sec To assure correct exposure you need to change the aperture f stop as you change to a longer or faster shutter speed If you use program or automatic mode the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed Shutter speed affects your ability to get a sharp image in low light while hand holding the camera and to freeze motion or show motion as blurred in a picture Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 193 To freeze motion a faster shutter speed was used in this case 1 100 sec Hand holding limits As a guideline never hand hold a camera at a shutter speed slower than the inverse of the focal length of the lens For example if you re using a 125mm setting on a zoom lens you want a shutter speed of 1 125 sec or faster to ensure a sharp picture Another helpful rule is to never hand hold a camera at shutter speeds slower than 1 30 of a second Freezing or blurring subject motion Shutter speed determines whether you can freeze a moving subject or allow it to be blurred in the picture For example you may want to freeze a basketball player in mid air but show the motion o
154. knowing the commonly accepted evaluation criteria can give you a roadmap to getting better day to day photos and a guide for evaluating the final images By having a clear center of interest along with subordinate elements that compliment the subject the viewer knows immediately what the picture is about Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 199 Is there a clear center of interest In a strong photo the viewer can immediately identify the subject While this sounds like a no brainer a surprisingly high number of pictures fail to clearly identify the main subject Instead a complex montage of elements competes for the viewer s attention In a strong picture the subject should dominate the image and form the viewer s first impression If the subject is strong the viewer s eyes may move to explore other areas ofthe image but the eyes are drawn inevitably back to the subject Great examples of this point are pictures of sunsets an ageless and popular sub ject While the colors and cloud formations of a sunset are dramatic they are seldom enough to create a compelling image Beyond a quick though perhaps appreciative first glance most sunset photos are quickly forgotten And in large numbers they quickly become ho hummers However when the photographer adds an element that gives the sunset context and interest you have a sunset photo with impact and one that
155. ks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries This product contains images from PhotoDisc Getty Images Inc Dave Johnson Tony Chor Eric Hansen Tim Hedlund Charlotte Lowrie David Parlin and Tom Simmons This software is based in part on the work of the independent JPEG Group GIF decompression code copyright 1990 David Koblas Portions of graphic filter software used with the permission of Eastman Kodak Company Copyright O 1996 Eastman Kodak Company ImageStream Graphics amp Presentation Filters Copyright 1991 1996 ImageMark Software Labs Inc All Rights Reserved Graphic filters licensed from Access Softek Inc Copyright O 1996 Access Softek Inc This product contains Macromedia Flash Player software by Macromedia Inc Copyright O 1996 2002 Macromedia Inc All rights reserved Macromedia Flash and the Flash Player logo are trademarks of Macromedia Inc Portions of this product were created using LEADTOOLS Copyright 1991 2002 LEAD Technologies Inc All rights reserved O 2000 Gina B Designs Inc O Adjoa J Burrowes EthnoGraphics O Alice Briggs Illustration O Allport Editions O Amberley Greeting Card Company O Antoinette Simmons Hodges EthnoGraphics O Athena Hampton EthnoGraphics O Betty Biggs EthnoGraphics O Bonnie Zuponcic O Carla Golembe EthnoGraphics O Cathy L Schubert EthnoGraphics O Colors By Design O Emma Raley O Fish amp Webster O Fravessi Greetings
156. le and places he photographs You have to give the viewer something that he sees that makes him understand it all he explains Even little things no matter where they are can set the picture off Liebhardt says Photographs are a powerful way to tell a story Leslie Fratkin a professional photographer based in New York City echoes Liebhardt s sentiments For Fratkin telling the story has meant helping those who know the subject best tell their story Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 208 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks This picture is symbolic of the Seattle earthquake aftermath Fratkin felt so strongly about the stories told in the images taken by Sarajevo photographers during the Bosnian war that she committed five years to getting their stories told in images She created a book and exhibition in which the images taken by nine Sarajevo photographers tell the story of war from their intensely personal perspective The hardest part This challenge telling the story in a single picture isn t easy By compari son it makes perfecting the technical aspects of an image look like child s play This photo challenge has the potential for changing the way you see every image whether it s pictures of your children of your family of nature or of still life scenes Remember that the key is to convey the meaning to viewers to help them understand what you understand about the subject Lesson
157. lection button on the toolbar To select only similarly colored pixels that are connected to each other select the Contiguous check box Also selecting the Smooth Edges check box reduces the jaggedness of your selection On the Magic Wand options palette enter a value in the Tolerance box The Tolerance is the range of colors that will be included in the selection On the Magic Wand options palette click whether you want to make a new selection add to the current selection or subtract from the current selection On the picture click the color you want to select If the selection includes too much or too little of the area you want to select enter a different value in the Tolerance box and then make another selection To feather the selection to make it blend into the surrounding part of the picture click Feather on the Magic Wand options palette enter the number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge and then click OK To select the opposite area click Invert on the Magic Wand options palette Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 64 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing The Selection Brush The Selection Brush is a powerful tool for extending an existing selection by painting aA BwWN gt Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace On the Stack click the object in which you want to make a selection Use another tool to make a selection C
158. lection _ _ or subtract from the current selection 7 On the Edge Finder options palette enter a value in the Width box The Width is the number of pixels away from the pointer that the Edge Finder will try to detect an edge On the picture click points along the edge of the item you want to select As you trace make sure that the edge stays within the zone of the Edge Finder To close the selection area click the starting point To modify the selection click Adjust edges drag any point in the selec tion marked by a square and then click Done To feather the selection to make it blend into the surrounding part of the picture click Feather on the Edge Finder options palette enter the number of pixels that you want feathered around the edge and then click OK To select the opposite area click Invert on the Edge Finder options palette Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 63 The Magic Wand The Magic Wand lets you select parts of an object that are the same or similar colors The Magic Wand is useful for selecting a consistently colored area a blue sky for example without having to trace around it A U N eR 11 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace On the Stack click the object of which you want to make a partial selection Click the Magic Wand button 7 on the toolbar If the Magic Wand options palette is not showing click the Se
159. les This will shrink the photo proportionally on the canvas so that the border lies within the printable area Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 86 Chapter 8 Adding Edges Mats and Frames Choosing the right mat When choosing a mat consider the colors in your photo and the colors of your frame A mat should not overpower the subject of the photo Try selecting a soft colored mat that matches one of the photo s secondary colors Mats and Frames If you plan to put a photo in a traditional photo frame you can add a Digital Image mat to your photo before you print it Mats create an elegant effect and can also help to fit an oddly proportioned print to a standard size frame If you don t plan to mount a photo in a traditional frame but would like to print and display it use a Digital Image frame instead You can choose from a variety of frame themes to complement the subject of your photo You can even add both a mat and a frame to the same photo Digital Image has a wide variety of mats and frames to finish your favorite photos To add a mat or a frame Select the picture or object to which you want to add a mat or frame On the Effects menu point to Edges and then click Frames and Mats Click a theme click a design and then click Open Drag your photo from the Files palette into the frame or mat and then click Next 5 Move or resize the photo so that it fits within the frame and then
160. lick the Selection Brush button on the toolbar If the Selection Brush options palette is not showing click the Selection button on the toolbar On the Selection Brush options palette click to add to the current selection On the picture drag to paint your selection fine tuning and extending the existing selection Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 65 Editing and Copying Selected Areas Using the advanced selection tools helps you to isolate a very specific area of a picture for editing or copying For example if a picture has generally good lighting levels but a person s face in a picture is in dark shadows you can make a selection of just the face and then adjust the brightness and contrast only in the selected area And now that you can apply anti aliasing and feathering to the selection your edits to the selected area can look natural since the edited area will blend smoothly with the surrounding pixels Copying Cutting and Pasting Selections Advanced selection tools also allow you to cut out or copy part of an object to create anew object These techniques allow you to trim a hole in a picture or create a new object that can be pasted in the same picture or in a different picture To cut a hole in an object 1 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace 2 On the Stack click the object you want to cut a hole in 3 On the toolbar click a selectio
161. lity setting such as 8 bit 256 colors a monitor cannot display all of the colors found in most pictures Such a display setting badly renders a picture containing a section of gradient color such as a sky that becomes brighter toward the horizon The color transition from dark to light appears uneven and jagged because the monitor cannot display the fine varia tions in color A monitor with a low quality color setting cannot show the complete range of colors found in most photographs Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for Pictures 177 Increasing the color quality setting on your monitor can significantly improve the way pictures look on your screen As with the screen resolution color qual ity adjustments might be limited by your monitor type or video adapter To change the color settings on Windows 98 Windows Millennium Edition or Windows NT 4 0 1 On the Tools menu in Digital Image click Display Settings 2 Click the Settings tab 3 Under Colors click a color quality and then click OK 4 Ifprompted restart your computer To change the color settings in Windows XP 1 On the Tools menu in Digital Image click Display Settings 2 Click the Settings tab 3 Under Color quality click a color quality and then click OK 4 Ifprompted restart your computer Color quality in Windows XP If your computer is running Windows XP the default color quality
162. look Why are these photos dull One problem with these photos but certainly not the only problem is that they capture people out of their element without context or a story There are no interesting details in the background to draw in the viewer and the subject often looks impatient or uncomfortable When you are the photographer you can strive to capture people events and places that tell a story In addition to having your subject look natural and not posed details in front of the subject or in the background can stimulate the imagination to re create the story of the photo This photo captures the destruction of an earthquake just hours after the event Since the photo was taken before the rubble was cleared away the photographer was able to capture the many details of the scene that tell the story With enough of these details and a strong relationship between your subject and the other elements the photo can suggest ideas that are not even in the frame You can take the old clich A picture paints a thousand words and make it your goal to paint more than a thousand words with your photographs Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 157 4 Look for the Light Many ofthe best pictures are taken early in the morning late in the afternoon and at twilight At these times the lighting is most dramatic Many pictures are shot in bright or moderately bright sunlight This type o
163. ls Vina Hai mE a Meine aie aes 115 Thumbnails with Text Vi Win ses be os ets 115 Grouping Your Pictures 2 ne eE een ie RAIL EIRE II E Eea E tinc 116 Showing the Table of Contents iia 116 Using the Prim Panes O a 117 Burning Pictures to Disc id 118 Archiving Pictures and Videos i 119 Editing and File Management from Digitallmage Libraty o oooconcnnninonnnnccnonnoncnnononnnonncnr con conn ron nc nncn nos 120 Editing Pietre Sineo n n e rico dt ze 120 Editing in Mint ab ces es aaa sie RBB ses 121 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures sesssessessunssunsnnssnssnnesnnsnnsnunsnnsnnnsnnnssnssunssnssnnssussnnsnnssnnsnnssnnsnnnsnnssnnsannnann 123 About Digital CMT er Rn nn ne sad ed a ie eed des dais 126 Photo Quality a ern Bienen le a eo el ld ne e 126 File Formats A A ita 130 Using Zoom Features veia ic e dea EE Le e do et heen anne 131 Memory Cards Disks and StickKS ooooooononnnnnicnnnnnnccnocnonnonnconnonnocononnnnnnco nro nn nono nro n rn rr rn rn nennen 132 Battery Eile EN 133 Usine the Fa n Haie Sn ee a Ree as 134 Automatic Flash oi A dae ahah 134 Red Eye Reducti mFl sh n 2 en Bananen Cee E 135 Eill Rlash a e e dee NE ld el dde a As ll nal ee Dd DER MEP PEPER 136 Using Your Camera s Manual Settings ueneenseessersennsenseennennnnnnnnnsnnnnnnnnnnnnennsnnnennnennonnen nennen nennnonenn 137 l D A TONEN S KERA NTA A AE EEA ARE E A E cieies 137 Exposure Compensation sisena E E E od weed a IRE R
164. lter to absorb the overriding yellows and reds of the indoor incandescent lights Correcting tint in Digital Image If your picture has a colored cast from a light source correct the problem with the Color and Saturation tool Setting the white balance manually Some digital cameras offer manual white balance control This feature allows you to set the white balance by focusing on a pure white object such as a piece of paper and then locking down the white balance before you take the photo Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 146 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Using Automatic Modes on Your Camera Many of the automatic cameras sold today even some of the less expensive models have pre programmed modes that are designed for special situations Sometimes called program modes these modes automatically adjust your cam era to special settings designed specifically for things like macro photography action shots portraits panoramic mode or picture series If you re a beginning photographer who is not always confident enough to adjust your camera s manual settings use the automatic modes to help you take better pictures If your camera does not allow you to adjust settings manually the automatic modes might produce the most successful pictures in these situations The following sections describe the most common automatic modes available on many digital and film cameras Since the type and impleme
165. made or commercial on the flash unit Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 227 6 Eerie patterns emerge Moire pronounced mwah RAY is a pattern of wavy or rippled lines created when repetitive elements intersect You can see this effect by looking through two wire screens and then rotating one slightly You also can sometimes see a moire in newspaper photographs when the printer s halftone screen intersects at an angle that creates an eerie pattern The image sensors in most digital cameras are composed of a grid of light sen sitive cells When you photograph repetitive patterns bars stripes plaids and so on an interference pattern or moire can result In addition most autofocus systems do not perform well with repetitive subjects What to do The most important step is to be aware that this can happen when you take pictures of subjects that include repetitive patterns You can vary the focal length zoom in and out and vary your angle If you still get moire in the image try using the blur tool in your image editing program to lessen the moire Or try a descreening filter if your image editing program has one While these tips might not instantly transport you to digital photography nirvana chances are good that you ll be closer than you were before Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 228 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Winter C
166. manual cameras were 35mm SLR single lens reflex cameras with manual controls for focusing aperture shutter speed and film speed On the other end of the spectrum were fully automatic cameras with very limited controls possibly only a shutter button For serious camera users the manual SLR cameras were usually the best option since they offered so much control The creative process was not left to the automatic settings of a camera Automatic point and shoot cameras were good for novice photographers who didn t want to worry about setting the cam era controls Many automatic cameras could produce adequate or even excellent photos without requiring knowledge of advanced photography concepts While you can still find fully automatic and fully manual cameras many of today s cameras offer different modes for different degrees of automatic and manual control For example some SER film cameras let you switch to an auto matic mode where the camera determines everything from focusing to setting the aperture Many compact digital cameras are designed to be used primarily in automatic mode but also allow you to switch to program and manual modes to control exposure settings like shutter speed and aperture With digital cameras the adjustments that you make are often digital approxi mations of the equivalent function in film cameras as with shutter speed or ISO But the photographic result is the same The following sections provide an overvie
167. mats for your pictures you can decide which format to use based on your particular criteria photo quality file size or compatibility with other programs The JPEG format is the most common format for photos JPEG files are versa tile since they can accommodate over 16 million colors can be compressed and can be viewed on almost any computer and in any Web browser To reduce file size the JPEG format always uses compression although the degree of compression varies by camera Experiment with the compression settings on your camera to find a low compression setting that produces good or excellent results Because JPEG uses some compression every time a file is saved many photo purists prefer formats like TIFF over JPEG The TIFF format provides an extremely accurate recording of digital image data Some cameras can use a lossless compression method with TIFF But even with some compression TIFF files are much larger than JPEG files for pictures with the same resolution For example a single uncompressed 5 megapixel TIFF image is larger than 10 MB To work with pictures of that size you need a lot of memory on your computer and a high volume storage disk Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 131 Using Zoom Features A zoom lets you adjust the focal length of the lens making your subject appear closer to or farther from the camera Some cameras have built in adjustable zoom lenses others a
168. mmmm 173 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks oooccccccccncnccccnnnoc 181 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Installation eursosssorsosssorssnssnnssunsnnssnssnnssnssnnennnsnnsnunsnnsnnnsnnnsnnsnusssnsnnnsnnssnnsnnssnssnnssnnsnnssansnnnssnnsnnne 1 Starting SEU a at bado Dotes 3 Completing the Installation Wizard cccccesccecceseeseceseeecescesecesceseeeeeeseecaeeseecaecsaecaessaecaeceaeeaeseeeersneeereaes 4 Installation Folder Dialog Box c ecceescessesssesseeseesseesecacescecaeesaecsecsaecnecesessecseereeseseeseseeneesaeenneeeenaes 4 Installation Options Dialog Box ii ss 4 Special CIMA et e dr dedo o 5 Upgrading from a Different Digital Image Product 220nenseeneenseennernennennennnnnnen nennen 5 Reinstalling or Removing Digital Image uersenernenneeneennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nennen enormen nennen 6 Chapter 2 Welcome to Digital Image Suite uu sussonssossnssonsnessonsnessnnsnunssnennnsnnssnnsnnssnssnnssnnsnnsnansnansannnunns 7 What Youll Find in This Book iii ida 9 Other Helptul Resources tt il de 9 Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures cussussonssnssnssnnsnnssonsnnsssersunssensnnsnnsnnnsnnssnnsnnssnnennnsnnsnnnsnnnnanne 11 Imp rting Pictures A Pe 13 Launching the Import Pictures Wizard automatically scnsessessensensesesnnnennenensennneonsennsennensnn 13 Starting the Import Pictures Wizard manually eessenseesensenseenseennennennne
169. more than one page such as a greeting card the multi page palette appears on the bottom of the screen This palette lets you switch between pages in the project Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 90 Chapter 9 Creating Projects A favorite golfing photo was used to create this half fold card To change the fold style of a card 1 On the Format menu click Change Card Fold Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 9 Creating Projects 91 Creating Calendars Calendars are a great way to showcase your favorite photos Calendar projects are available in the following formats A one week calendar A one year calendar A one year calendar January These are the first three months of a 12 month calendar Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 92 Chapter 9 Creating Projects To create a calendar project Nn PWN na 8 On the File menu click Create a Project Click Calendars Click a calendar type Click a theme click a design and then click Open Set the start date for the calendar and then click Next Follow the instructions on the screen to add a photo to your calendar and then click Next Move or resize your photo on the calendar Use the corner resize handles to resize the photo proportionally Click Done When you create a 12 month calendar you can add different photos to each of the 12 month pages To complete a 12 mo
170. more of the ties are in focus even those quite a distance from your main focal point A wide aperture will give you a short depth of field as illustrated in the photo on the left where only the eagle is in focus The photo on the right was taken with a small aperture so almost everything is in focus Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 141 For portrait photography a wide aperture helps to limit the focus Your subject s face is clear and sharp but objects in the background are blurred But if you re taking a vacation photo of someone posing in front of a monument a narrow aperture might be in order With the narrow aperture both the person and the monument can be in focus in the same photo Of course adjusting the aperture also affects how much light is let into the camera But if a specific depth of field is important for your shot you might want to switch to manual mode set the aperture and then set the shutter speed to get the correct exposure level Some cameras also offer an aperture priority mode that automatically selects the correct shutter speed to produce the correct exposure for the aperture you select Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 142 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Shutter Speed In most cameras the shutter is the curtain in front of the film or image sensor that is retracted for a precise amount of time to let light into the camera Shutter spee
171. more time taking great pictures Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Index 12 month calendars 91 24 bit vs 32 bit color 177 A action photography 148 adding flash features 48 keywords 110 pictures to Digital Image Library 108 adjust levels See levels and curves adjust levels tool 73 Adobe Photoshop files 16 aging pictures with color effects 67 ambient light 179 antique effects 67 antistatic products 167 aperture 140 187 190 193 affecting depth of field 251 maximizing depth of field 253 reducing 251 aperture priority mode 141 archival paper and inks 102 Archive Pictures Wizard 119 archiving pictures 119 artifacts 129 artwork effect 66 aspect ratio 152 auction site photos 230 AutoCAD files 16 automatic bit depth conversions 168 automatic camera modes action 148 burst 150 macro 147 overview 146 panoramic 152 portrait 151 automatic Digital Image setup 3 automatic document feeders ADFs 165 automatic dust and scratch removal 166 automatic exposure 138 155 automatic flash 134 automatic media detections 13 automatic object flattening 58 auto fixes camera phone 79 B backing up pictures 119 backlighting 49 136 balancing colors 40 batch editing 79 121 batch file management 121 batch scanning 171 battery life 133 228 bit depth 168 black and white changing to 67 blemishes removing 46 blending brush 71 blown highlights 224 blue values 178 blurry See focus sharpening BMP files 16 borders add
172. mpossible to change them when you need to Decrease light for best results If you re working in a room with bright ambient light the picture on your monitor will seem to be less vivid and have less contrast especially on flat panel monitors or laptop computers Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks sl In this section we ve selected some of the best articles from the digital photography section of MSN Photos If you enjoy the articles here check MSN regularly for additional articles news about the latest gear and photo tips for seasonal photography and holidays Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 184 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks How Photo Savvy Are You Online Mini Course on Photography Basics Knowing the basics of photography is the key to getting the kind of pictures you want For a quick review of the basics take this quiz and test your photographic mettle When was the last time you found yourself in over your head during a discus sion about photography For most casual and occasional snapshooters the answer may be every time the subject of photography comes up Most people don t want to think about the technical details of making pictures until they begin tossing more images into the trash than they paste into the brag book This is when many people realize tha
173. n to open the file browser where you can open pictures from your hard drive a network drive a digital photo card reader a CD or DVD or a floppy disk Close Click this button to close the Startup Window and go to the main work area Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 27 Examining the Work Area Most of the picture editing tasks you perform in Digital Image will be in the main work area When you open Digital Image and close the Startup Window you see the main work area The picture below identifies the key elements of the Digital Image work area Editor oe Color and Saturation Eporre andino E Fie Psd Eve El 1 Menus Menus provide access to all of the Digital Image features The Help menu gives you access to the Help window the Instructional Videos and the Digital Image Tour 2 Toolbar The toolbar contains shortcut buttons for single click access to some of the most common commands To see the name of a toolbar button hover the mouse pointer over the button 3 Workspace Toolbar This toolbar contains buttons for the Common Tasks list Stack and Files palette You can create more room in the workspace by hiding any of these tools 4 Common Tasks list The Common Tasks list is an easy way to locate features This list provides convenient access to some of the most common tasks as well as single click access to the Mini Lab project selec
174. n tool and then select part of the object 4 On the Edit menu click Cut To copy and paste part of an object 1 Make sure that the Stack appears in the workspace 2 On the Stack click the object you want to copy part of 3 On the toolbar click a selection tool and then select part of the object 4 On the Edit menu click Copy The selection is copied to the clipboard 5 If you want to paste the selection onto a different picture open that picture so that it is on the canvas 6 On the Edit menu click Paste The selection becomes a new object on the Stack Note If you paste the selection onto the same picture that you copied it from the new object will be in the same position and may not look like a separate object But the new object will be visible on the Stack and you can use the object tool to move resize or rotate the new object Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 66 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing More filters more control On the Effects menu if you point to Filters and then click All Filters you will see the complete selection of filters available You can also change advanced options and control settings such as filter transparency and Pressure Using plug in filters In addition to over 200 standard filters in Digital Image you can also use Photoshop compatible plug in filters available from many third party companies at retail stores and on the Web Filters The t
175. ncludes a person or animal you can place the face on one of the four points looking toward the center of the scene If the photo includes the horizon it should run about one third from the top or one third from the bot tom depending on whether the terrain or the sky is the center of focus The cropped picture is a more interesting composition because it follows the rule of thirds To crop a picture using the rule of thirds On the Format menu point to Crop and then click Canvas Under Select a proportion click a proportion Select the Show guidelines for the rule of thirds check box Click a starting point on your photo and then drag the outline to the opposite corner of the area to be cropped The guidelines show the cropped area divided into thirds vertically and horizontally PON 5 Move and resize the cropped area so a focal point in the picture is positioned at one of the intersections of the guidelines 6 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 5 Basic Touchup 45 Using Smart Erase Using Smart Erase The Smart Erase tool helps you remove distractions from pictures Smart Erase with the clone can remove items such as telephone poles power lines or even strangers in the brush background In addition to removing the unwanted element Smart Erase fills If you don t get perfect in the area with colors and patterns from the surrounding areas In many cases gt results right
176. ne Help system the product Tour and Instructional Videos The following sections describe the types of information available Online Help Digital Image online Help is the most comprehensive of the Help resources It provides step by step instructions overviews troubleshooting topics technical support and the What s wrong with this picture diagnostic tool Help includes several ways to find information including a table of contents a keyword index and a full text search of all Help topics This diagram identifies the main features of the Help window 1 2 3 4 5 image Editor Hp Er Hide Back Options Micro oft Contents Index Search Favorites Digital Image Suite 2006 Editor 6 Und4rstanding Digital age 7 E gt Whda s wrong aith this qicture Work with color SO Honlto Digital Image orrors a variety ot ways to en your h ictures with color For example you can use color to amp diva and open pigs and vide emphasize different areas of a pictures distinguish k individual objects or shapes and change pictures from ouch up a picture color to black and white rop rotatle flip anli straighten Vork with objects and selection Ise adva iced selelition tools dust lighling fs light E Ise fiters Ise paint sffects Ise lines ind shapqs Vork withltext Work withledges arld borders Ise animation Ise clip aft from thd Gallery dit group of pictujes int pictufes lave and share piclu
177. ng in the hierarchy are people involved in interesting sports With some sports volleyball and baseball for instance it s hard to partici pate and take pictures simultaneously but the result can be exciting images The downside especially with slower paced sports such as golf is that pictures can be dull and predictably repetitive The rest of us in the group sink ignominiously to the bottom of the heap We re the ones who often drift aimlessly through the hallways in search of something interesting to photograph Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 212 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Give yourself an assignment One ofthe best ways to solve the dilemma of what to photograph is to give yourself an assignment For example photograph everyday objects and people from the perspective of a child Do some research for the assignment and find out how tall a three year old child is and then take pictures from that height and that mental and emotional viewpoint With every assignment work on techniques such as perspective depth of field and macro photography Experi ment with different shutter speeds and focal lengths Here are some more ideas for finding interesting and inspiring photography subjects People and things Public parks are ideal for photographing people and their playthings For example parks are a great place to get pictures of details on a bicycle sports equipment in a heap on t
178. ngs labels or other information Grouping by rating for example will separate all the one star pictures into one group the two star pictures into another group and so on To group your pictures 1 On the Group By menu above the Thumbnail pane click a grouping option Showing the Table of Contents You can open the table of contents which is hidden by default to list all ofthe groups currently in the Thumbnail pane The table of contents is located along the left of the Thumbnail pane To see the pictures of a particular set just click the group in the table of contents To show the table of contents 1 On the View menu click Table of Contents Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library 117 Using the Preview Pane The Preview pane located under the Thumbnail pane is a convenient way to view and edit information about a picture or pictures The Preview pane displays the information about the pictures selected in the Thumbnail pane You can click any of the fields except file size and image size in the Preview pane to edit the information To use the Preview pane 1 In the Thumbnail pane select the picture you want to preview To select multiple pictures press CTRL while you click the thumbnails Click one of the following fields File name will change the file name for all selected pictures If more than one picture i
179. nnnnnnnnnnnnennn nennen 14 Opening Pict res for Edit is 14 Wsing the ler Denen oe hes ed Mie ae eee 14 Opening pictures from Other cameras ccccecesecsecesseseceseeseceeceseceseeseeeeceeeeaseseecaeesaecaeceaecaeenseeasenaees 17 Troubleshooting tips for opening pictures from a camera uneesneseessensennsensenneensennennennennee nennen 18 Opening pictures from a scanner ueseessesseensessennsensennnensennnennennennenneenennnnnnnnnnnen sense a en a aea 18 Opening a Photo Sent Through E madl ooononcnccnonnnonnonnonnconcnnncnnonanonn non nono a nr corn nn narran ranas 20 Opening a Picture from a Web Page oooocociccnoccoccconconccononnnnononnnonnonanonn cnn nonn non nrnn non nran non nro nro nn nn rn rra nrrnrrnannrs 21 Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics cursorssorsnssorsonssnssnnssnnssnssnnsnnesnnsnnssnnsnnssnnsnnnsnnsnnnsansnansannsnnns 23 Startup WI A nn casa Teeside ee ees ae A 25 Examining the Work Area scienter enian aeee aeaa panara iere eei i aea Aan riae terash ioan aat inasi 27 Image Formatting enini ia ienie aa ita 29 Changing picture sizer ul dado E ada dd e E di do daa do hehehe un 29 O N a laser Nelli ee ee 31 Help Res urcesui an asien RL IS iisa 32 Online Help 2 22 aaa HU RR hans He ee ee i 32 Using the table of contents iii keniekime ala 33 Usine the and ex rig stasis de do 33 Using the Searchivcs i204 A span Cade sc ehe ee the ead Adee tie atte 34 Product Tours elek abend ann ltd
180. nsation 139 ISO setting 144 185 overview 137 shutter speeds 142 191 water glass analogy 138 white balance 145 manual Digital Image setup 3 manual Import Pictures Wizard starts 14 marquee tool 60 mats adding 86 maximizing depth offield 253 maximum print sizes 127 media storage 13 132 memory cards or sticks 132 225 memory considerations 168 meter reading 253 microdrives 132 Micrografx Designer files 16 middle gray 138 miniature storage cards 132 Mini Lab 79 121 MIX files 16 moire 227 monitors 24 bit vs 32 bit color 177 ambient light 179 brightness 178 calibrating 175 color quality settings 176 contrast 178 overview 175 preserving settings 179 resolution 175 RGB values 178 month viewing pictures by 113 mosaic effect 66 motion photography 148 moving picture features 55 MSN Photos Web site 103 multimedia cards 132 multiple keywords 111 objects edited 57 objects flattened 58 objects selected 56 pages scanned 165 pictures edited 79 121 pictures printed 100 pictures selected 117 pictures taken in succession 150 picture versions 95 multiple exposure 253 My Pictures folder 108 naming batches 121 naming pictures 110 natural facial expressions 240 natural light 40 negatives scanning 165 170 noise 144 252 253 number of pixels 127 0 objects combining 56 consistently colored areas 63 displaying separately 53 Edge Finder 62 flattening 58 freehand tool 61 grouping 57 handles 55 locked 54 marquee
181. nsnnsnansansnanne 181 How Photo Savvy Are Your ss Kara HR ee O E E 184 What Makes a Photo Good Puna Ba Ren eee dS 198 Photo Challenge Tella iaa 207 Weekend Photo ld 2 it A een een ete ea Beh tiles 211 Six Easy Ways to Improve Your Photography ccceccessesscesseescescecseeseeceecaeceeceseeseseseseeeeseeneeeaeeneeeeeeaes 215 Six Digital Photo Problemas e SNRs 220 Winter Camera Cate Pips c 25 s5 2 05 34 ER vcd dented lid 228 Tips for Online Auction Photos oi ee N A 230 The Fast Track to Better Photos iii d 236 Photo Ops in the Most Unusual Places 0 cccccccesscessesseeeeeesececeseescenseeeenseeeceseseecaeeeeecaeesaecsaeeaeenseeaeentens 242 Fall Photos Sharpen Your Eye for Color and Composition 2 2244224240422nenennsenseennenneennen nennen nennen 247 Digital Image Edition Tias 255 CHAPTER 1 Installation 1 Installation i Starting Setup To install Digital Image Suite 2006 you must be running Windows 98 Windows Millennium Edition Windows 2000 or Windows XP or later On Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems you must have administrative privileges For information regarding privileges please refer to the operating system Help On most computers Digital Image setup will begin automatically when you insert the Digital Image CD into your disk drive To begin automatic setup 1 Turn off any antivirus software that yov re using and close any programs that are running 2
182. ntation of auto matic modes vary for each camera read your camera s manual for availability and usage instructions Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 147 Macro Mode Most cameras in automatic mode have trouble focusing on objects that are less than 12 inches 30 centimeters away So when you re taking up close pictures for example capturing a special piece from your coin collection you need to set your camera to macro mode Macro mode adjusts the focal length to accom modate the unusually short distance to the subject Macro mode usually reduces aperture which widens the depth of field and increases the chances that the whole subject is in focus The camera s macro mode was used to capture the fine detail of the jewelry When using macro mode make sure to turn off the flash since the flash does not provide proper illumination at such close range Tripods are a good way to keep the camera steady for a close up shot If you don t have a tripod set the camera on a firm surface focus the picture and then activate the shutter with the self timer Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 148 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures When the lag is a drag Some digital cameras have a much shorter shutter lag than others You might want to consider this factor when buying your next camera Action Mode If you re photographing subjects such as athletes moving c
183. nth calendar bb uN Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Complete the instructions above to create a 12 month calendar Open the photos you want so that they appear in the Files palette Use the multi page palette to switch between pages in the project Drag photos from the Files palette into each of the 12 month pages CHAPTER 10 Saving and Printing Pictures 10 Saving and Printing Pictures Saving Pictures If you re like most people you can t stand to throw photos away even ifthey re imperfect You probably have a large box or two filled with envelopes of old negatives and photographic prints Keeping track of all of your old prints and negatives can be a formidable task Fortunately digital photography makes saving storing and organizing photos much easier However there are some important things you should know about saving your photos to make sure they Il be in good condition whenever you want to enjoy them Saving Multiple Versions Once you ve imported a photo from your camera to your computer and erased it from your camera your computer s hard disk contains the only copy of that photo This original version should be treated like a film negative You don t want to do anything to it that will alter the original content Except rotation to correct orientation or renaming the file the original version should be left alone When you want to edit a photo or add it to a project you sho
184. nting single images When using the single picture printing task one copy of the picture will print on the page and the picture will be centered on the paper To print a single picture Make sure your printer is turned on and connected to your computer On the File menu click Print Under Select a printer click the printer you want to use To specify printer settings click Change printer settings Select the number of copies and then select a print size Click an orientation and then click Print Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 100 Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures Printing from the Library Digital Image Library uses the same printing tools as Digital Image To start the print task use the Thumbnail pane to select the picture or pictures that you want to print Then on the File menu click Print Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Printing Multiple Pictures Digital Image has a wide variety of templates that allow you to print multiple pictures on a page You can print multiple copies of the same picture or multiple pictures together at the same time Printing on a multi photo sheet saves paper and is a convenient way to create prints to give to family and friends To print multiple photos on the same page gt iS TE 10 11 12 Make sure your printer is turned on and connected to your computer Open all the pictures that you want to
185. o import and open your pictures quickly To import pictures from your camera or removable media to your computer use the Import Pictures Wizard This wizard is designed to streamline the file transfer process allowing you to name the picture files and destination folder To open pictures for editing use the file browser The file browser displays thumbnails of all your pictures so you can quickly choose the ones you want Importing Pictures The Import Pictures Wizard is a convenient way to transfer pictures and video clips from your digital camera scanner flash memory card or some other storage location to your computer Launching the Import Pictures Wizard automatically Windows Millennium Edition and Windows XP can automatically detect compatible cameras and other photo media such as photo CDs This detection should occur when you e Connect a compatible camera to the computer and turn on the camera e Connect a compatible scanner to the computer and turn on the scanner e Connect a compatible card reader to the computer and insert media Insert a photo CD DVD or other storage media into a drive on the computer This automatic detection feature is only available on computers running Windows Millennium Edition or Windows XP To set Windows to launch the Import Pictures Wizard automatically 1 Connect your compatible camera scanner or other device to the com puter and then turn on the camera or device or Insert
186. o that far to tell the story of your life or the life of someone close to you For example one reader recently had a photo epiphany she decided to use her camera to tell the story of her aging mother Stories of life are close by and they are powerful compelling subjects for photographers of all skill levels Controlling depth of field and using selective focus can produce interesting images that convey information about the subject such as the remoteness of this cabin in the woods Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 214 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Childhood memories Recall the activities and symbols that were special to you during childhood and try re creating those memories photographically For example if you had a tree swing find a local tree swing and then photograph itin a way that evokes the emotions you recall feeling when you were a child Or go back to a familiar place from childhood and photograph it from your childhood perspective The hardest thing about making these images is infusing them with the emotion and meaning you want to express Choose a single subject and photograph it repeatedly to help develop your technique and personal style A word Pick a word and photograph it For example what does lonely look like photographically How would you photograph happiness sadness beauty energy imagination creativity hope or productivity Use the palette of light to help e
187. o you don t miss the picture To get really good quick images you will have to know the camera controls inside and out backward and forward A third trip to the same location was the charm The interesting lighting was the element that had been missing in earlier pictures Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 219 5 Take pictures again Be your own critic When you review your pictures look for ways to capture the image differently if you could do it over again If you have the chance go back to the same location and take the pictures again with different lighting or from a different vantage point or perspective Keep going back If the subject was worth photographing the first time chances are good that it s worth photographing again More importantly the more often you photograph the subject the more familiar you become with it and the better your images become 6 Get a second opinion Get input Ask friends family and co workers to review your pictures If you re lucky enough to know some other photographers discuss your images and different ways an image might be cropped for more impact or how a differ ent aperture would better convey the message Quick instinctive pictures can be powerful in their own way Decide whom to ask If you have friends who enjoy photography arrange a time when you can go through a stack of each other s photos and give honest
188. ocus sharpening 201 222 folders grouping pictures by 116 viewing pictures by 113 fold styles card 89 formats supported 16 96 130 format conversions 121 foul weather protection 253 FPX files 16 frames adding 86 freehand brush 68 freehand tool 61 G GIF files 16 glossy paper 102 gradient color sampling 70 graininess 144 graphical control screens 178 gray card 253 green values 178 greeting cards 89 grouping objects 57 grouping pictures 116 H half fold cards 89 hand created artwork effect 66 hard drive opening pictures from 14 hiding screen items 116 high color quality settings 176 high contrast images 248 high quality printer settings 101 highlighted edges 85 highlights 73 high resolution pictures 101 high resolution scanning 168 histograms 73 historical information See Digital Image Library holiday cards 89 Home Publishing files 16 hot spots 226 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 272 Index ideas discovering photography 211 identifying pictures 110 image editing programs 234 images high contrast 248 low contrast 248 249 multiple exposure 253 image cleaning tips 167 image sensors 128 144 193 importing pictures 13 108 incandescent lights 40 information picture See Digital Image Library ink drying time 178 Installation Wizard 4 installing Digital Image 3 interpolation 131 invitations personalized 89 irregular shapes 61 ISO setting 144 185 J JPEG files 16
189. ocus in front of and behind a subject For example a picture in which the background 1s a soft blur has shallow or little depth of field In another picture both foreground and background elements appear to be in focus has extensive depth of field Aperture is the main factor that affects depth of field In some situations you want extensive depth of field For example in a scenic picture choose a narrow aperture a large f stop number such as f 16 or f 22 so that much of the foreground and background will seem sharp in the picture For other situations you ll want shallow depth of field For example in a portrait where you want the background to be blurred choose a wider aperture or a smaller f stop number such as f 2 8 f 4 or f 5 6 The subject will be in sharp focus but the background will be soft and less distracting Tip Remember that large numbers enlarge and small numbers shrink In other words large f numbers such as f 22 enlarge the range of acceptably sharp focus Small f numbers such as f 4 shrink the range of acceptably sharp focus and help to blur the foreground and background When you choose a small aperture such as f 16 a longer shutter speed is required to ensure that enough light reaches the film or sensor for a correct exposure With slower shutter speeds camera shake or subject motion can result in blurred pictures If the shutter speed is slow use a tripod or switch to a faster film or ISO setting that allo
190. ok for these opportunities and take advantage of them when they come to you Some of the world s most memorable pictures were taken by amateur photographers who happened to be in the right place at the right time So to be ready to take that once in a lifetime shot know how to use your gear have your equipment handy and be on the lookout for great photo material A quick check with the LCD One of the benefits of digital photography is that you can get a look at your photos on the LCD preview screen right after you ve taken the shot This feature is great for a quick analysis of the photo s composition exposure and color tone Because the preview screen is so small however it often does not reveal problems with focus Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 162 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 10 Show Your Pictures to Other People Even when you are making great progress with your photography skills it s easy to overlook the shortcomings in your own work To continue improving your abilities show your photos to other people Getting others opinions is an invaluable learning experience Good pictures should be visually exciting to people eliciting a Wow this is great response If you find that people are not very excited by your photos ask them what they think is missing and what you could do to make them better You ll be surprised what some people like and do not like about your pictures Find o
191. ontrast of pixels around the edges of objects to increase the image definition or sharpness You must be very careful not to overdo sharpening Oversharpening produces a white or light colored halo along highly contrast ing edges resulting in a look that is harsh and unnatural Since tasks such as cloning objects into an image affect the edges in the final image sharpening is best done as a last step More important the original sharpness of an image is likely to diminish when the image is resized because the program has to guess at which pixels to add or delete So it s best to sharpen the image after all the retouching and scaling have been done NJ An unsharpened image Sharpening improves the image Also the results of sharpening can vary between printed images and screen display Experiment with your image editing program to see what amount of sharpening works best for printed images and on screen images If you are going to print or output the same image to different destinations make sure the sharpened image is a copy of the original that has been scaled to the final output size Remember never sharpen the original image How a histogram can help If your scanner or digital camera offers the option of viewing an image s histogram a snapshot of the tonal range of an image you can see whether the image has enough detail in a given area to make computer corrections The y or vertical axis of the histogram sh
192. or the subject e Is the light too harsh does it create too much contrast or is it too soft or too flat e Are all important aspects of the subject well lit or could the lighting be improved by using a flash fill flash reflector or auxiliary light Does the light help convey the overall message of the photo Ina color photo is the color balanced or corrected for the light tempera ture in other words the overall color should be natural looking And if it isn t does the color cast contribute to the photo The correct angle and quality of light can transform everyday scenes and objects into photo opportunities Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 205 Is the approach creative In broad terms you can define creative as an image that goes beyond predict able techniques and treatments In more specific terms the best creative images show subjects through the photographers eyes and perspective In other words the photographer reveals the subject in extraordinary ways ways that the viewer otherwise would not have seen Creative techniques and subjects can range from bringing abstract ideas into a visual form taking a concrete idea and making it abstract relating or associat ing unrelated concepts into a visual space or in short taking a fresh look at and lending the photographer s unique thinking and vision any subject When evaluating the creativ
193. ore effective if you choose a single color as the focal point Of course this approach requires more time and study amid the multitude of colors If the single color is not immediately obvious walk around the area for a while to study the colors and shapes Soon you ll be able to identify the most striking and interesting aspects of the scene that you can then use as the primary compositional element in the image Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 251 As you study a scene progressively focus on the smaller details Look for designs within the design These smaller designs or arrangements are micro cosms of the overall scene and they can provide endless photo opportunities As you walk around remember that when you emphasize color as a focal point the overall composition should be simple Find an area or subject where you can eliminate competing and distracting elements from the composition by zoom ing in and consequently compressing perspective reducing depth of field by choosing a wider aperture a smaller f number or changing your position The repetition of red in this photo helps unify the composition After you have a good sense ofthe composition you want experiment with different angles focal lengths and positions until you find the framing and perspective that is most effective Then as you settle on a final composition observe how the primary color
194. ors suggest tranquility bright colors suggest activity and dark shadowy colors suggest a somber tone As you probably know light at different times of the day has different tempera tures or colors For example the early evening hours produce a much warmer color of light 3 000 to 4 500 degrees Kelvin than midday sun 5 500 to 7 000 degrees Kelvin and artificial light a 100 watt incandescent bulb is 2 900 degrees Kelvin creates even different color variations You can use the color variations of light creatively to enhance your images Tip To get saturated details in foliage or in a rich blue sky and to help reduce bright highlights when photographing into the light use a polarizing filter To balance the bluish color found when taking pictures in open shade try using a warm up filter such as an 82A or B If you re shooting with a digital camera you ll get the best color by setting the white balance to match the light in the scene Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 240 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 3 Just don t say cheese If there is a universal photo convention it must be having photo subjects say cheese to get them to smile for a picture While smiling is a good thing to have subjects do for say a family portrait almost all adults and children past the age of crawling have perfected a cheesy camera smile that satisfies the photographer but that lists far to right of genuine If
195. ost versatile range to avoid changing lenses Transition the camera between temperature changes As Peter Burian recommends in The Joy of Winter Photography when you first go out doors allow your gear to cool down Once you re in the field Burian cau tions against taking cold photo equipment into a warm or humid vehicle or building for short periods If you do so condensation will form on the exterior of the camera and this moisture will freeze when you return outdoors he says When you must take cold photo equipment indoors keep it inside a camera bag with the zippers closed tight he adds In addition to these tips be sure to follow general safety precautions and that includes having the following Fully charged cell phone spare battery and car charger cord e Compass e Flashlight Bottled water e Map e Notepad and pens e Blankets in the car e Small tool set e Nonperishable snacks e Masking tape or duct tape e Identification passport drivers license as appropriate e Watch Winter offers some spectacular opportunities for photography that you can enjoy even more when you are prepared for the weather Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 230 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Tips for Online Auction Photos Photos for online auctions might not win photo contests but they should be winners in the eyes of potential buyers By following a few simple tips you can make your ph
196. ot have to be works of art But they do need to answer ques tions that a potential buyer might have Photos should show what the item looks like in accurate detail reflect the color and condition of the item and show the fine points such as handcrafted details or the interior of the item Sounds relatively easy right It can be easy with a little preparation and a few tips Here are four basic guidelines to follow Use simple uncluttered backgrounds To show off the item you re selling create a makeshift studio next to a window or outdoors on a table stand or chair The area you choose should provide enough room for you to work com fortably Clear any items from the area that will not be included in the photo Then use a cloth a roll of inexpensive craft paper or poster board for the base and backdrop If you photograph items outdoors try to set up the table and backgrounds in an area where there is little or no wind Then tape the paper to the edge of the table to avoid having gusts of wind turn over small items you re photographing A clean uncluttered background is easy to set up in a makeshift studio When you create the background choose colors that will show off the items you re photographing For example if you re photographing a crystal wine glass choose a background other than white Use even diffuse lighting The goal of lighting in this case 1s to provide soft even light on the subject Consider setting up your
197. oto prints is directly related to the number of pixels in the picture A high resolution picture contains a lot of detailed visual information and can be printed at larger sizes For example a picture whose dimensions are 2048 x 1536 pixels 3 1 megapixels would look good even when printed as large as 8 x 10 on most printers A low resolution picture has less detailed visual information and therefore can not be printed in larger sizes A picture with pixel dimensions of 1280 x 960 for example lacks the detail needed to fill an 8 x 10 print The result would be a grainy pixelated image But printing this picture at a smaller size such as 4 x 6 would give you a sharp detailed print Asa general rule try to print around 200 dots per inch dpi Take your picture s pixel dimensions and divide by 200 to see how large the print can be in inches Installing printer drivers When adding a new printer make sure that you install all the printer software and drivers If you re installing an older printer you may be able to find updated printer drivers on the manufacturer s Web site Turning on color management Check your printer s manual to see if it offers color management Color management can help your printer to produce colors that match the ones on your monitor If your printer offers color management click Change picture settings while performing the Print task Your printer s dialog box will open
198. otos stand out on cyberspace auction sites There is a hard to resist primal appeal to the idea of having a stranger pay real money for stuff that is stacked to the rafters in guest room closets attics or garages This appeal alone might explain the phenomenal growth of online auction sites in the past few years After all who hasn t whiled away a few hours browsing through other people s stuff at the cyberspace equivalent of the world s largest garage sale Whether you re buying or selling you know that pictures of the items will maximize their appeal Since potential buyers can t examine items providing a descriptive photo can make or break the sale Another reason to include photos is that many auction sites will allow you to advertise your item on additional areas of the auction site such as in the photo gallery You don t have to be a pro to take pictures of the items you want to sell In fact you don t even have to have a digital camera Just take pictures with your film camera and have the film scanned at a photo lab or scan them yourself With some smaller items you can place the items on a flatbed scanner to create the image While you don t have to be a pro to take the pictures it is a good idea to keep the following basic tips in mind as you take the pictures Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 231 Basic tips for taking pictures that sell Auction photos do n
199. our camera If you want to start with the camera s automatic exposure use exposure compen sation to fine tune the exposure The following list describes some common lighting problems and the recommended exposure compensation for each e Fora side lit subject Increase exposure by one half of a stop e Fora backlit subject Increase the exposure by one stop Or step in close and meter directly on the subject step back and recompose and then take the picture at the reading you took on the subject You can also switch to spot metering e Fora small dark subject against a bright background or any subject in a very bright scene Use exposure compensation of 1 to 3 or increase exposure by one to two stops for example from 8 to f 5 6 or f 4 5 Fora small light subject against a dark background Use exposure compensation of 1 or decrease exposure by one stop for example from f8 to fil Planning for the imperfect Learning to nail the exposure takes a lot of experience and no one gets it right with every shot If you suspect the lighting might make it difficult to get the correct exposure you can increase your chances of success by bracketing as explained in tip 7 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 156 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 3 Capture aMoment in the Story Consider driver s license and passport photos We think of these as uninterest ing and unrepresentative of how people usually
200. ovable storage media Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 133 Battery Life The best Compared to film cameras many digital cameras use batteries at a surprising rechargeable rate The LCD preview screen and the flash on the camera both put a heavy batteries drain on the batteries And unlike some manual film cameras digital cameras cannot function without batteries or an AC power adapter O SERIEN and nickel metal To maximize the amount oftime you can use your digital camera before the hydride NiMH batteries fail you can buy rechargeable batteries which last longer than dispos batteries both work able alkaline batteries Keep your spares charged so they ll be ready when you very well with cameras need them If you are running low on power and don t have a spare battery og E providing excellent conserve remaining power by trying the following power and convenience Turn off your LCD screen and compose through the viewfinder Turn off your flash so that it doesn t fire automatically Turn the flash on only when you need it e Wait until you re home to preview your photos Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 134 Upgrading your flash If your camera supports an external flash consider buying one especially if you take a lot of indoor photos of people An external flash will give you much more control and often better results The ran
201. ows the number of pixels assigned to any given brightness value The histogram shows shadow darkest pixels on the left midtones in the middle and highlight lightest pixels on the right The x horizontal axis shows the distribution of pixels from dark to light throughout the image Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 267 A high key or light image will have the highest level of pixels on the right A low key or dark image will concentrate pixels toward the left An average key image will have the highest values toward the middle of the histogram As you take pictures check the histogram to make sure that you have a large area of detail and good distribution across the range to make corrections later If your picture does not have a good tonal range you ll generally want to edit the image to distribute the tones as evenly as possible for the type of image you re working with Final advice By using these processes you should be well on your way to getting sparkling images that you ll be proud to share and print Keep in mind that you can overdo adjustments and make the final image look unnatural When making adjustments try to remember the original scene and then match your image to the colors and tonal range you remember The first pictures you correct will be the most time consuming but as you gain experience you ll find you spend less time at the computer and
202. pening the drapes On most digital cameras you can increase the ISO equivalent setting in effect making the image sensor more sensitive to the available light which allows you to take pictures in low light without a flash Many newer cameras offer low light modes and night flash settings that improve the quality of low light photos If your camera offers these options use them Otherwise always stay within the recommended range of the flash Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 135 Red Eye Reduction Flash One of the most common problems with flash photos of people and pets is red eye This problem is caused by a flash located very close to the camera lens The light from the flash reflects off the blood vessels in the subject s retina causing the pupils to look red This problem occurs frequently in low light situations when pupils are likely to be dilated There are several things you can do to help avoid red eyes in your photos e Increase the ambient light in the room Turning on lights and opening up the drapes reduces the size of your subjects pupils Use your camera s red eye reduction setting This feature fires preflash bursts that help reduce the dilation of the pupils before the exposure e Ifyou have an off camera flash move it away from the camera lens Then even if your subjects pupils are dilated the light comes from a different angle and reduces or eliminates the
203. phy Tips amp Tricks Shooting tips and notes Because the lighting is often poor in alleys and other out of the way locations use either your tripod or flash to ensure sharpness If you re using film choose a high speed film In fact this is the perfect time to try out some of the new 1600 ISO films Consider either using black and white film or switching to black and white mode on your digital camera Because the rusty gate provided enough context the picture could have a tighter framing to isolate the most interesting elements of this scene Think like a photo editor who wants to tell a story in three or four succinct images This means you ll want to look both for the detail and the overall context the scene provides Before you take the picture ask what you want the photo to tell viewers If the telling aspect of the scene is the contrast of the overall location with the art or object use a wider perspective that includes the surroundings in context Then look closely for arresting details that can complete the story for example a single broken door knob overgrown with vines a cat in the window or a stray discarded object that tells of former lives and activity Image editing suggestions Once you have your favorite images on the computer experiment with converting color images to black and white or sepia tone Some images seem to be made for this type of treatment Always make a copy of the original picture first and save i
204. posure The camera s light meter provides a signal in the viewfinder to indicate when you the correct shutter speed and aperture combination are selected In automatic modes a shiftable program or aperture priority semi automatic mode you select the f stop aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed to get the correct exposure Which aperture or f stop should you choose Your choice depends on two fac tors If you want to avoid blur from camera shake or subject motion you need to choose a wide aperture smaller f stop numbers so that you get the faster shutter speeds Likewise if you re using a telephoto long lens and hand hold ing the camera a wide aperture gives you a faster shutter speed that translates into sharper pictures The second consideration in choosing an aperture is to control the depth of field in your pictures For more on that topic go on to the next question Choosing a narrow aperture in this case f 10 and using a wide angle lens zoom lens set to 17mm on a digital camera created sharpness throughout this image Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 190 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks What is depth of field a A term that indicates how much of a scene will be in reasonably sharp focus b The size of the area is that s included within the scene c The focal length of the lens that you re using Correct answer A Depth of field is the zone of acceptably sharp f
205. posures on the computer to get a perfect exposure There will always be scenes in which the lighting differences are too great for both the light and dark areas ofthe image to be accurately exposed In those types of scenes try to change your position to lessen or eliminate the amount of very light area or very dark area included in the frame Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 225 For example if you re photographing a landscape scene that has a bright sky and a darker foreground tilt the camera up to have more sky in the frame or down to include more foreground depending on which area is your primary subject Then meter for the area that is your primary subject 4 Size does matter If you have a limited supply of memory cards and who doesn t you might choose to take pictures at the medium or low resolution setting on the camera and use high compression This tactic certainly allows you to store more pictures on a memory card but it doesn t guarantee that you ll be able to get the quality enlargements you might want from the images Although this picture was taken on a sunny day the photographer avoided blowing out the highlights by metering for the lightest areas How to avoid it You might want to set your camera on the highest resolution and to review pictures frequently as you work deleting pictures that you re absolutely certain you don t want Also s
206. print so that they are on the Files palette On the File menu click Print Under You can also click Print multiple pictures or on special paper Under Select a printer click a printer To specify printer settings click Change printer settings Select a category of page layout and then click an orientation Click a layout in the right pane and then click Next Drag pictures from the Files palette onto the layout Click an option for fitting the selected picture to the area and then click Next Preview the page layout and then enter the number of copies you want to print Click Print Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures 101 Selecting Print Quality Most desktop printers are capable of printing in a range of qualities from a low quality draft mode to a high quality setting that requires more time and uses more ink Printer settings for quality and color vary but you may be able to specify your paper type ink type dots per inch required and color management preferences Some printers have simplified printing options such as Good Better and Best Make sure to read your printer s manual to find out how to take advantage of these different settings To select print quality for your printer 1 On the File menu click Print 2 Click Change printer settings Your printer s dialog box opens 3 Adjust your printer s quality settings and then click OK Selecting a Print Size The quality of ph
207. programs making a single color adjustment will affect all of the colors in the image With a color wheel you can predict how a color adjustment will affect the other color in the picture Also you can increase the amount of a color by decreasing the amount of the opposite color on the color wheel and vice versa For example to decrease a reddish cast in a picture try increasing the amount of green To make the sky more blue decrease yellow its opposite color Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 261 Setting the white point was the starting point for making tonal corrections to this image Be sure to click the lightest white in the picture when you set the white point For general purposes remember that the opposite ofred is cyan green blue the opposite of green is magenta bright pink and the opposite of blue is yellow Typically very small adjustments can make a big difference Watch the picture to see how the adjustment is affecting the entire image as you work Depending on the image editing program that you use there can be one or many ways to adjust color balance In Digital Image the easiest way to change the overall color balance is by using Color and Saturation Tip The color and saturation tools are especially useful in restoring faded colors in old family photographs you ve scanned Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 262 Chapter 15 Digit
208. ram Files drive even if you choose to install the program to a different drive Installation Options Dialog Box The Installation Options dialog box allows you to choose between Typical installation and Full installation Typical installation takes up less space on your hard drive and is recom mended for most users With Typical installation you will have to insert the Digital Image CD in your CD ROM drive to use some of the projects and clip art while you are using the program Full installation copies all of the Digital Image projects and clip art to your hard drive so you will not have to reinsert a Digital Image CD while you are using the program Look under Description for the disk space required for this option Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 1 Installation 5 Special Circumstances Upgrading from a Different Digital Image Product If you already have a Digital Image product installed on your machine any one of several situations may occur when you try to install another Digital Image product e Previous versions If you have a Digital Image product previous to the 2006 edition already installed installing a 2006 product will make both programs available on your computer Upgrade from another 2006 product You can install a Digital Image 2006 product that has more features than a 2006 product already installed The version of Digital Image with fewer features will be unin stalled automatically
209. res fals bleshoot Pigital Im Manual hmer Support Inoose a roject Get started working with color Change to black and white JO IE 5 73 09009999999999999999 6 7 8 9 1 The Show Hide button Click this button to expand or collapse the left pane of the Help window 2 The Back button Click this button to go back to the last Help topic Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 33 3 The Options menu This menu has options to print a topic or to set options such as Internet Options where you can change the font size in the Help window The Content Pane Displays the current Help topic The Close button closes the Help window The Contents tab displays the Help table of contents The Index tab lets you find keywords in the index list The Search tab finds topics that contain words that you enter The Favorites tab lets you save topics for quick access later N 0 Du q To access online Help 1 On the Help menu click Digital Image Help Using the table of contents You can use the table of contents to locate information by subject The table of contents is a useful way to see all of the features available in each category of features To use the table of contents 1 In the left pane of the Help window click the Contents tab 2 To expand a book in the contents click the plus sign next to it 3 To display a topi
210. rograms click the version of Digital Image you want to remove or reinstall Click Add Remove The Installation Wizard opens Follow the instructions on the screen CHAPTER 2 Welcome to Digital Image Suite 2 Welcome to Digital Image Suite j Congratulations on your purchase of Microsoft Digital Image Suite The suite is composed of two programs Digital Image Suite Editor and Digital Image Suite Library Digital Image Suite Editor provides a unique combination of robust photo edit ing tools and professional quality photo projects While easy to use Digital Image Suite Editor offers powerful imaging technology that puts you in control of editing and enhancing your photos It provides advanced editing features such as selection tools Smart Erase and the blending brush to help you get professional editing results quickly and easily When you ve finished editing your photos it s a simple process to automatically stitch together a panorama from multiple pictures create prints or share your photos through e mail or a mobile device like a smartphone or PDA You can even use your photos in one of the professionally designed templates for letterhead business cards Web photo albums and more Digital Image Suite Library is a powerful tool for organizing finding and viewing your pictures You can use the program to locate your pictures using folders or by browsing labels flags and ratings You can view your pictures wi
211. rproofing camera gear 228 Web quality resolutions 98 168 weight ranges paper 102 Welcome to Digital Image Suite Library window 108 white balance 40 145 221 252 WIA 17 wide aperture 140 188 Windows Bitmap files 16 Windows Metafile files 16 winter photo sessions 228 wizards Archive Pictures 119 Import Pictures 13 Installation 4 workspace area 175 wrinkles removing 47 Y year viewing pictures by 113 Z zoom 131 229 zoom lens 251
212. rre color tints You become deeply depressed Okay maybe not deeply depressed but at least very frustrated You must get a grip The message the reality fairy is trying to get across is that digital cameras like their film counterparts present a unique a set of challenges and nirvana is after all elusive Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 221 The truth is that with a digital camera you do have more power over your images both when you take them and when you correct them But unless you want to spend long hours at the computer correcting problems it s prudent to modify some of your photography techniques for digital images Here are a few of the characteristic problems associated with digital cameras and tips on how to avoid them Getting to know the peculiarities of your digital camera is the key to getting the best digital images 1 Bizarre colors happen Too green too yellow or too blue images most often mean that you didn t set the white balance before you took the picture What you may still be asking is a white balance setting The white balance setting tells the camera the type specifically the color temperature of the light you re in In turn the camera looks at the setting you chose and adjusts colors so that white objects appear white in the final image White balance settings are the digital equivalent of choosing daylight versus tungsten
213. rtips Buy or make a weatherproof cover for your camera Winter weather conditions can range from fog rain and sleet to blowing snow Various companies including Domke make weatherproof covers for cameras They are large enough to accommodate the large SLRs and lenses and they have an opening for the lens with a pull tie to secure the cover If you don t want to invest in a ready made cover you can fashion one from a heavy gauge plastic freezer bag To secure the bag around the camera and lens you can use Velcro straps or rubber bands Between photography sessions protect and warm your camera by putting it inside your coat or gear bag If you have a lens hood use it in blowing sleet or snow to help protect the lens Protecting film In low humidity conditions around 45 percent relative humidity static electricity can build up on the camera s pressure plate and discharge when you advance the film Film can be streaked or fogged in these cases To avoid static electricity be sure to use single frame mode If your camera offers the option of switching from automatic to manual film advance switch to manual mode and then advance the film slowly Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 229 e Rely on a zoom lens In cold conditions you want to avoid handling icy cold lenses In extremely cold weather a metal lens case can stick to your fingers and a plastic lens case could potentially break Instead mount a zoom lens with the m
214. s 3 Click No Larger Than and then enter values to limit the width and height 4 Click OK and then click OK Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 98 Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures Avoid sending large photos in e mail Sending high resolution photos in e mail may cause problems for your recipients For example a single 5 megabyte MB high resolution image will take over 20 minutes to download on a 28 8 Kbps modem Also some e mail programs limit the size of attachments and may for example block e mail with attachments larger than 1 MB Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Saving for E mail and the Web Unlike photos for printing photos for e mail and the Web work best if they are relatively low resolution Low resolution photos such as one that is 440 x 330 pixels move faster through dial up modems and they are the right dimensions for viewing on most computer monitors To save a photo for e mail or the Web 1 On the File menu point to Save a Copy For and then click Save for E mail or Web Do one of the following e Click a picture size e Set maximum dimensions Click Save As The Save As dialog box opens 4 Click the folder to which you want to save the photo In the File name box type a file name and then click Save Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures 99 Printing Pictures Printing Single Pictures Digital Image has a simple process for pri
215. s If you get stuck check your monitor s manual for instructions for making these adjustments The simplest way to calibrate your monitor is to print photos and then adjust your monitor to match the prints To perform a simple monitor calibration 1 Make sure that there is no bright light or reflective glare on your monitor screen 2 Set your monitor s brightness and contrast controls at exactly the halfway point Do not reset these controls until specified in this procedure 3 Open a picture in Digital Image that s familiar to you preferably an image with skin tones and a large area of medium gray 4 Follow the instructions in your printer manual for printing a picture at the best quality If your printer allows choose RGB as the printing method 5 When the ink has thoroughly dried on the print place it next to the image on the monitor 6 Use the brightness contrast and RGB controls on your monitor to make the image on the monitor look as close to the print as possible Repeat this process each time you change printer settings printing inks paper type or printing resolution since all of these variables can affect your printing output Also note the changes for each combination of variables Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 14 Optimizing Your Monitor for Pictures 179 The simple monitor calibration described above assumes that the printer is calibrated correctly This assumption is fin
216. s printer 101 quarter fold cards 89 R RAM 168 ratings grouping by 116 real life photography 213 rechargeable batteries 133 rectangles 60 reducing photo size 129 red eye 41 135 red values 178 reinstalling Digital Image 6 reminders archive interval 119 removable media 132 removing blemishes 46 Digital Image 6 picture features 62 scanner dust and scratches 166 spots 46 wrinkles 47 renaming batches 121 reordering objects 53 repetitive patterns 227 resizing batches 121 Digital Image workspace 175 picture cropping 43 picture features 55 thumbnails 114 resolution adjusting 175 cropping 43 digital cameras 225 e mail quality 98 optimal 170 overview 127 168 print size 101 recommendations 172 scanners 165 Web quality 98 RGB values 178 room lighting conditions 179 rotating picture features 55 rubber stamp effects 68 rule of thirds 43 158 S safety precautions photography 228 sampling picture features blending brush 71 clone brush 70 saturation 145 saving pictures 95 scanners automatic enhancing 172 batching 171 bit depth 168 cleaning 167 dynamic range 170 film 166 flatbed 165 large pictures 169 multi page scanning 165 opening pictures from 18 optimizing performance 172 overview 165 preparing pictures for 167 previewing image 172 purchasing 170 resolution 168 170 speed 171 TIFF format 172 types 165 USB 170 scratch removal 166 screen settings ambient light 179 brightness 178 color adjustments 178
217. s such as stuffed animals to a scene 6 Instead of taking pictures right away look around get to know the place understand what s happening and look more closely at what you re seeing Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 210 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Waiting to find the story to understand the story is certain to frustrate anyone who is inherently impatient or anxious to get images in the canister or on the memory card quickly Your turn If you have trouble getting started start with your own story Take pictures that reflect you what you do what matters to you or what you want to be or do Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Weekend Photo Ideas What else is there to photograph JU Gs a AN Having trouble finding photo subjects Try borrowing flower arrangements from a friend or try some of the ideas in this article Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 211 When it comes to photos there s a pecking order in our group at the office Those with children especially young children are at the top of the photo pecking order Why you might ask The answer is that this group has live in photography subjects Next in the hierarchy are people with pets preferably docile pets trained or caged pets or pets with interesting personalities or habits in other words pets that give you half a chance to get a few good pictures On the third ru
218. s along the way Here are some of the things to consider about using a camera to tell a story 1 Most often what you see in front of you is a pretty picture but it isn t the story 2 To understand the story whether it s small large humorous or profound you have to contemplate research watch and talk but mostly listen Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 209 Children often present the best opportunities to tell visual stories 3 Every so often if you re persistent enough fate presents you with effort less story pictures To take advantage these opportunities you have to have a camera in your hands and you have to react quickly It is entirely possible to miss the picture if you re fumbling around 4 Unlike pretty pictures images that capture the essence of a subject can have technical flaws and still be keepers Though you might wish you had every technical detail correct it s okay ifthe image is less than perfect because it has the strength to stand on its own merit In other words being off by an f stop doesn t diminish the story 5 Make some rules for photographing stories For example many photogra phers consider it cheating to set up pictures by using unnatural props In other words if adding an object to a scene helps tell the story the object is only okay if it is part of the subject s natural context But it might not be okay to add prop
219. s can be useful if you re in a situation where shutter speed is more important than aperture like when you re photographing a subject in motion Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 144 ASA versus ISO If you have an older camera the film speed dial might be labeled ASA instead of ISO These film speed ratings are the same and the ratings are interchangeable Avoid sharpening pictures that have noise Do not use the sharpen feature in Digital Image on digital photos with noticeable noise sharpening accentuates the inaccurate pixels Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures ISO Setting or Equivalent When taking pictures on film you have the opportunity to select different types of film for specific uses Films are available in different speeds that are more sensitive or less sensitive to light The film speed is measured by ISO number A high speed film such as ISO 800 is ideal for low light situations or action photography since the film requires less light to properly expose the photo Slow speed films such as ISO 100 or ISO 200 are good for photographing in bright daylight since they require a lot of light If you plan on using the same roll of film for multiple settings and light levels ISO 400 film is a good compromise and does relatively well in most situations Faster films generally produce grainier pictures than lower speed films Some ofthe newer varieties of professional grade high speed films pro
220. s palette to the canvas Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 29 Image Formatting When you have a picture open on the canvas there are a number of ways to re size or re orient it Changing picture size When you open an image onto the canvas the on screen representation of the image is automatically sized so that it fills the workspace As a result a high resolution image such as 1600 x 1200 pixels will appear onscreen just the same size as a low resolution image that s only 640 x 480 pixels For this rea son viewing a picture on the canvas is not a reliable way of judging an image s actual resolution Whenever you resize an image consider these three factors e Image size which is the size of the printed image e Pixel dimensions which is how many colored dots pixels make up the picture e Resolution which is the density of the pixels in the picture The image size is the product of the pixel dimensions multiplied by the resolu tion For example if you have a picture made of 1200 x 1800 pixels and print it at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch it will print at a size of 4 x 6 Given this relationship if you change one of the three settings one of the other settings will also have to change to keep the relationship equal If you enlarged the picture in the previous example from 4 x 6 to 8 x 12 and you kept the pixel dimensions the same then the resolution would decrease from 300 pixels per inch
221. s selected the file names will be the base name that you enter followed by a sequential number Caption will apply the caption that you enter to all selected pictures replacing any previously associated captions Date taken will change the date taken field for all selected pictures which is useful if your camera recorded incorrect dates Ifthe selected pictures have more than one date taken this field will appear as Date Range Labels opens the Labels Editor to add new labels to the selected pictures existing labels will not be deleted Flags displays convenient labels that you can use as personal remind ers to edit email print or perform other actions on indicated pictures Rating assigns a new rating to each selected picture replacing any preexisting rating Showing the Preview pane The Preview pane can be hidden from view to make more room in the Thumbnail pane Ifthe Preview pane is hidden you can show it again by checking Preview Pane on the View menu Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 118 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library Burning Pictures to Disc Digital Image Library allows you to copy pictures and videos directly to CD so you can share them with other people or easily copy large quantities of images to another computer Your computer needs to have a CD RW drive in order to be able to burn pictures and videos to disc To burn pictures and videos to disc 1
222. st as the runner comes into your field of focus Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 149 Another way to photograph a moving subject is to pan your camera with the action While a stop action photo freezes everything in the photo panning your camera keeps your moving subject in focus but blurs the background For this effect you do not want to use the action mode because you do not want a fast shutter speed To accomplish this effect follow your moving subject in the viewfinder or LCD screen as it moves but pan the camera so that your subject remains in the same position in the frame Your result won t show the subject in as clear a focus as stop action but the blurred background helps to pronounce the speed and movement of your subject Since the camera panned with the subject the girl is in fairly sharp focus and the background is blurred This helps convey movement Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 150 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Showing the whole series Digital Image offers Flipbook animations as a creative way to present a series of pictures in sequence Burst Mode Burst mode is a feature that allows you to take a series of pictures in quick suc cession Many cameras include a burst mode that allows you to take a series of pictures in quick succession such as 3 frames per second for up to five seconds Even on digital cameras with slow shutter l
223. standing Objects For many advanced photo editing tasks you ll need to understand the concept of objects An object is a part of a picture that can be edited individually For example when you add text to a picture the text is a separate object from the background image When you edit the text say making the font color red the background picture remains unchanged because it is a separate object Working with Composites A picture that contains multiple objects is called a composite The Stack helps you work with composites by displaying each object separately Using the Stack you can easily select any object Make sure the Stack is showing in the workspace when you are working with composites To show the Stack 1 On the View menu click Stack On the Stack you ll see a thumbnail representation of each object in the composite The top thumbnail represents the object that is the top layer in the composite The bottom thumbnail represents the background object in the composite Thus the object that is lowest in the Stack may be at least partially obscured in the composite by the objects on top of it You can change the order of the objects in the composite by dragging thumb nails up and down the Stack For example dragging an object s thumbnail from the lowest position on the Stack to the top position will bring it to the foreground of the composite Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 54 Chapter 6 Advance
224. storage device 3 Digital Image Suite Library Click this button to open the Library where you can find and organize your pictures 4 Edit Multiple Pictures Click this button to open the Mini Lab The Mini Lab helps you perform routine editing tasks such as rotating resizing or adjusting colors on multiple pictures at the same time Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 26 Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 10 Create a Project Click this button to pick a project design You ll find a variety of projects such as calendars greeting cards and album pages designed to work with your photos Projects are organized by type and by theme Show on startup check box Select this check box to have the Startup Window open every time you start Digital Image Help links Click these links to go directly to resources that can help you get the most out of Digital Image and digital imaging Take a Tour launches the product Tour e Instructional Videos displays links to the different videos available e How to displays a collection of image editing lessons Online Photo Tips links you directly to the digital photography sec tion of the MSN Photos Web site e Register Online links you to the registration page of the Microsoft Web site Recent Files See thumbnails of the last four pictures that you have edited Click on one of the thumbnails to open that file More Files Click this butto
225. such as basic editing in the Mini Lab rename converting the file format and batch resize Opening Digital Image Library The Digital Image Library can be opened from the Windows Start menu or from the Digital Image Startup Window or File menu 107 Digital Image Library is just a catalog Remember that Digital Image does not copy your pictures elsewhere on your computer it simply creates a catalog of your pictures Don t delete the original pictures in the My Pictures folder or elsewhere thinking that your pictures are stored in Digital Image If you delete a picture from its original location on your computer it will be deleted from Digital Image Library as well Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 108 Adding Pictures from CDs or other removable media You can use Digital Image Library to catalog pictures located on CDs or other removable media To import these photos into the Library click the Import button on the toolbar to launch the Import Pictures Wizard Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library Adding Pictures and Videos to Digital Image Library Any pictures and videos you have in your My Pictures and My Videos fold ers and their subfolders are automatically added to Digital Image Library s database You can also add pictures and videos from other folders on your computer The first time that you open Digital Image Library the Welcome to Digit
226. t find anywhere else Capture some of the local color by photographing a lively food vendor stationed near the monument and the monument can be the back drop in your frame Or use the self timer to capture you and your companion sampling the local fare that you ve bought from the food vendor in front of the monument Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 160 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 7 Bracket The term bracket means to create exposures that are both lighter and darker than the camera or light meter indicates The idea is to second guess the purely mechanical exposure meter so that you get the right exposure If you re taking photos of a sunset a scenic vista or a plant you have the time to bracket With these subjects you re also likely to have a wider range of tones to record than your camera can handle especially if your subject is brightly lit So how do you bracket with an automatic camera Most digital cameras and many automatic cameras have an exposure compensation feature sometimes called the EV setting If you set the exposure compensation for 1 the shot is one stop underexposed darker than normal If you set the camera for 1 the shot is one stop overexposed lighter than normal So you can bracket by tak ing three pictures one each at the 1 0 and 1 settings Some cameras offer an automatic feature which takes a range of photos each with a different exposure setting Even if your
227. t camera it is not always the most interesting way to present the subject Most advanced photographers follow the rule of thirds when composing the space inside a picture frame The rule of thirds divides the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically and places the point of interest on one of the four spots where these dividing lines intersect The rule of thirds is used throughout the graphic design world because it helps to create balance between the subject and the background To apply the rule of thirds divide your scene into three sections horizontally and vertically Place the focal point of your photo on one of the intersections of the dividing lines Following the rule of thirds the bicycle in this photo lies on the points where the dividing lines intersect The top of the dock also roughly follows the horizontal line that runs one third down from the top of the frame Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures 159 If you have a person or animal in your picture you can place the subject s face on one ofthe four points looking toward the center of the scene Ifthe horizon is in a picture it should run about one third from the top or one third from the bottom depending on whether the terrain or the sky is the center of focus The rule of thirds is not an absolute law and there have been many great pic tures taken that don t abide by it But the rule can be a great way to add
228. t in a lossless format such as TIFF Edit the copy never on the original image In addition try splitting images into sections to emphasize depth or repetition of shape or pattern or to simulate a panoramic perspective Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 245 Relics and old stuff Cities and towns choose to keep old stuff in both predictable and unpredictable places For example old farm implements might be unceremoniously parked in parking lots or abandoned cars by the roadside Look for those places and think ofthem as opportunities to create photos reminiscent of bygone eras A predictably great place to find relics is in antique shops Abandoned farms run down gasoline stations and historical sites are usually good choices But always ask permission before you photograph in any store or on anyone s private property Strong side lighting from a nearby window created the warm atmosphere in this image Once you find the location spend a few minutes walking around thinking think about the time and place associated with the object who might have owned it and how the object was used what made it special or prized Then look for ways to translate your imaginings about the object into the image Antique stores often group objects from approximately the same period together Consider using nearby objects to convey a sense oftime and context Tips and notes The light
229. t the filter to display pictures taken in a particular year month or even a single day When you click a year month or date in the View By pane only pictures taken during that timeframe are displayed in the main viewing area To filter by date On the View By menu click Date Click a year to display the months within that year To display the days in a month click a month To display the pictures from a particular day click the day NN bh UY DN mr To view pictures from all dates click All Pictures View Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 114 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library Using the Thumbnail Slider The thumbnail slider in the upper right ofthe Thumbnail pane allows you to change the size of the thumbnails With larger thumbnails you must scroll more to see all your pictures but more detail is visible With smaller thumbnails you scan see more pictures at once I Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006 Library C Wocuments and Setringsidawojobi y Documents Wy Picturesimildlite Be f r vev Tess ode teo OG BYU mer Pron Gade ato awe 5 utes gesseng Friday Mowereber 17 2008 7 26 4M JPG 27 9 KB 475 x 637 Small You can adjust the size of the thumbnails in the Thumbnail Pane but don t forget that you can see a large thumbnail just by holding the mouse pointer over a picture To use the thumbnail slider 1 To increase the size of the th
230. t they need know at least the basics of cameras and photography to get consistently good pictures Maybe you had an introduction to photographic concepts at some point along the way but the fine points have faded over time Whichever camp you fall into now s a good time to see how photo savvy you are Just take the following quiz by matching the term to the correct definition Don t worry if you don t already know the fine points of exposure The answers give you the basic information and at the end of the quiz you ll learn how all of the elements combine to create good exposures and how you can use them creatively Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 185 What is ISO a An abbreviation for Industry Standard Optics that determine the resolu tion of your camera s lens b Iam clueless Should I care c It indicates how sensitive the film is to light Correct answer C ISO and ISO equivalent settings on digital cameras are numbers that indicate the film s or digital image sensor s sensitivity to light In other words the amount of light required to make an accurate exposure The higher the ISO number the more sensitive the film or sensor is to light or the less light will be needed to make a picture The ISO rating is encoded on film canisters Most film cameras automatically read the code and automatically set the ISO for you The ISO sequence runs
231. th the Library s full screen slideshow viewer and even copy pictures to CD What You ll Find in This Book The Digital Image Suite User s Manual introduces you to some important fea tures in Digital Image Suite how to get images into the program edit images add effects and borders create projects and print This book also provides an overview of some of the most important concepts of digital imaging You ll find practical information about using digital cameras and scanners and optimizing your monitor to work with photos The final section of this book offers a selection of articles on digital photogra phy with plenty of sound advice from professional photographers Other Helpful Resources This User s Manual is not an exhaustive resource for everything you can do in Digital Image Suite For step by step instructions about all of the program s features and projects check out the online Help system available from the Startup Window or the Help menu Or for a demonstration of some of Digital Image Suite s key features watch one of the Instructional Videos Digital photography is exciting and fun and Digital Image Suite makes it easy to get professional results We re confident that Digital Image Suite will be an enjoyable part of your digital imaging experience Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 3 Opening and Importing Pictures 3 Opening and Importing Pictures Digital Image makes it easy t
232. that incandescent lights caused an orange glow The next time you re taking pictures take this same photo again and make adjustments for the problems you encountered before When you look at the results of your second round of pictures you might find that you got excellent results or you might find that one of your adjustments disrupted something else in the photo Or maybe the different lighting condi tions of the different day made it more difficult to nail the exposure To continue the exercise photograph the same subject or scene on a regular basis You must always compensate for the differences in lighting each day but you can try new approaches to the composition Learning to photograph the same subject under different conditions or with a different approach gives you valuable experience and ideas when you encounter new situations 9 Take Pictures Every Day To become a talented and confident photographer make photography part of your daily routine Fortunately digital cameras have made it much more conve nient and inexpensive to take lots and lots of pictures Once you ve purchased your digital camera you can take as many photos as you want The only cost is for batteries and storage for your pictures The more you practice the more confident you ll become in your skills and in your equipment You ll also develop the habit of keeping your camera close by and having it ready for photo opportunities Train yourself to lo
233. the fine points of photography One or more of a few fast track ideas can net noticeable results in your photos In this example strong color can make a big visual impact If you re one ofthe millions of overscheduled overwrought people who loves photography but barely has time to read your mail much less time to read tomes of technical information on the fine points of photography take heart You can make an appreciable improvement in your photos with one or more simple techniques that don t require lots of reading or memorization The ideas in this article are abbreviated for easy use If you find a topic you particularly enjoy be sure to explore more on the subject in photography books magazines and of course on MSN Photos 1 Look for the light When the subject of light is brought up people expect to hear about the advan tages of taking pictures in the early morning or at sunset Those times of day typically offer stunning light However you can take good photographs at any time of the day because looking for the light means seeing unique composi tions that are created by the way light illuminates a scene and subject Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 237 Practice noticing how light can play on objects Light often creates patterns such as in this photo where the eye is lead to a vanishing point by the light canopy artificial lights and the lighter areas
234. the removable media into a drive or card slot on the computer 2 When Windows detects the picture files Windows will ask you what you want to do with the pictures 3 Click Import pictures to my computer using Microsoft Digital Image Import Wizard 4 Select the Always do the selected action check box Click OK 6 Click the device you want to use and then click OK u Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 14 Chapter 3 Opening and Importing Pictures Starting the Import Pictures Wizard manually If Windows does not automatically detect your device or other media you can start the Import Pictures Wizard manually To start the Import Pictures Wizard manually 1 Start Digital Image 2 On the File menu click Import Pictures 3 Click the device you want to use and then click OK or 1 Start Digital Image Suite Library 2 On the File menu click Import Pictures and Videos 3 Click the device you want to use and then click OK Opening Pictures for Editing With Digital Image you can open pictures for editing from a variety of sources including your computer storage media and most cameras and scanners Using the file browser You can use the file browser to locate your pictures and open them for editing The file browser can be used to open pictures from a large number of locations including the following The hard drive on a computer An external hard drive A digital camera
235. ther photographers in your community You can look at each others work and give feedback This kind of mutually beneficial arrangement also helps you to develop your critical eye While it s important to show your photos to others remember that you are the ultimate judge of your own work Photography is an art and as an artist you should establish your own voice and style You don t have to listen to every piece of advice and you might produce your best work by taking chances and following your own instincts That said photographs are made to be seen As you improve you photography skills showing off your photos can be the best part Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual CHAPTER 13 Successful Scanning 13 Successful Scanning A scanner is a useful tool for your digital photography projects A scanner generates a digital picture from any kind of flat object a document a photo pages from a book a leaf which you can then manipulate on your computer Even if you take all of your pictures in digital format scanners allow you to digitize things such as old photos pages from books negatives and slides Once scanned the digital pictures are rich raw material that can be edited incorporated into composites printed or posted on the Web Types of Scanners If you re thinking about buying a scanner consider the two primary types that are available for working with photographs Flatbed scanners convert photogr
236. to 150 pixels per inch When you resize a picture it is generally not a good idea to try to increase or decrease the pixel dimensions since this reduces image quality In most cases it s not necessary to adjust the image size since that can be handled automati cally during printing For high quality prints it s generally good to keep the pictures resolution at least 300 pixels per inch But depending on you printer model and the image quality you desire you may be satisfied with prints at only 150 pixels per inch For Web use 72 pixels per inch is usually considered sufficient Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 30 Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics To resize a picture 1 On the Format menu click Resize Image 2 Click one of the following to lock the setting Image size Pixel dimensions e Resolution 3 Enter amounts for the settings you want to change 4 Click Done Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 31 Applying Text You can add text to any picture and easily change the text font font color font size alignment and emphasis You start by adding a text box and then you edit the text in the box A text box is its own layer on the Stack To add text 1 On the Text menu click Insert Text A text box appears 2 Type your text As you add text the text box will automatically expand vertically to fit all of your text 3
237. to quickly find pictures with certain labels To view by label 1 On the View By menu click Label 3 Click the labels that represent the pictures you are trying to find Pictures with those labels appear in the Thumbnail pane 4 To deselect a label click the label to clear its check box To find pictures with no labels assigned click the Unassigned 6 To view all pictures regardless of labels click Folder on the View By menu and then click All Pictures View Nn Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library 113 Viewing by Folder Viewing by folder allows you to find your pictures based on where the pictures are stored on your computer Remember Digital Image Library does not actu ally store pictures it just remembers where they are located When viewing by folder the folders shown mimic the folder structure on your computer When you click a folder or drive in the View By pane only pictures in that folder and its subfolders are displayed in the Thumbnail pane To filter by folder 1 On the View By menu click Folder 2 In the folder structure click a folder or drive Pictures in that folder are displayed in the Thumbnail pane 3 To view pictures from all folders and removable media click All Pictures View Viewing by Date Viewing by date allows you to filter your pictures based the dates the pictures were taken You can se
238. tool 60 moving 55 multiple selected 56 overview 53 preserving layers 58 object tool 55 odd sized pictures mats for 86 one month calendars 91 one week calendars 91 online auction photos 230 online print and gift ordering 103 opaque objects scanning 165 opening pictures cameras 17 file browser 14 overview 13 photo editor 120 scanners 18 troubleshooting 18 TWAIN support 17 WIA support 17 optical zoom 131 ordering prints and gifts 103 organizing pictures See Digital Image Library outdoor photo sessions 211 215 228 outside edges photo 85 overcast conditions 250 251 252 overexposure 137 overriding automatic exposure setting 139 P painting artwork effect 66 painting pictures blending 71 distorting 72 freehand 68 gradient color sampling 70 rubber stamp effects 68 texture sampling 70 panorama 152 panoramic photography 152 panoramic stitch 152 Index 273 paper options 102 PCD files 16 PCX files 16 PC Paintbrush files 16 permanent object links 58 personalized cards 89 photographic prints scanning 165 photography basics 184 215 236 photography subjects and locations 211 photo card readers 14 photo editors 120 photo paper options 102 photo projects 89 photo quality aperture 140 187 automatic camera modes 146 automatic exposure 138 compression 129 evaluation checklist 198 exposure 137 155 193 exposure compensation 139 155 file formats 130 film speed 144 185 flash 134 lighting 193 long exposures
239. tor and the Startup Window All of the features found in the Common Tasks list as well as additional features are also available in the menus Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 28 Chapter 4 Digital Image Suite Editor Basics 10 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Workspace The gray area represents the workspace the area that the canvas sits within You can use the zoom controls to magnify or reduce the canvas so that it covers more or less of the workspace Selection Tools The selection tools allow you to isolate and work on a specific part of the picture The canvas The white area is called the canvas and it represents the printable area of the page When you open a picture the canvas is often not visible since it is covered entirely by the picture You can use the zoom controls to mag nify or reduce the canvas so that it covers more or less ofthe workspace Zoom controls The zoom controls magnify or reduce your photo so that you can see it in more or less detail Stack The Stack displays a thumbnail of each object in your picture You can rearrange the order of the objects by dragging thumbnails up or down within the Stack Files palette The Files palette displays a thumbnail of all of the currently open pictures You can switch your active picture by clicking a thumbnail in the Files palette You can also add a picture to the one you re working on by dragging the thumbnail from the File
240. tract from the photo With a few clicks of the Remove Spots or Blemishes tool the blemishes disappear from the picture To remove a spot or blemish On the Touchup menu click Remove Spots or Blemishes Zoom in on a spot or blemish To remove the spot or blemish click it Click Done bb uN a Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 5 Basic Touchup 47 Removing Wrinkles Removing curved As with removing spots and blemishes removing wrinkles is a good way wrinkles to enhance photos that contain close ups of people You can make skin look The Remove Wrinkles smoother by removing crow s feet around the eyes or other wrinkles on the wened face The Remove Wrinkles tool works by covering lines with the color of the surrounding pixels remove curved as well as straight wrinkles For curved wrinkles break the wrinkle into sections and correct just one section at a time This might give you better results than using a wider circle The Remove Wrinkles tool was used on the picture on the right eliminating wrinkles around the eyes to make a more flattering portrait To remove wrinkles 1 On the Touchup menu point to Other Photo Repair and then click Remove Wrinkles 2 Click a circle that corresponds to the size of the wrinkle you want to remove 3 Click the picture at one end of the wrinkle and then click at the other end of the wrinkle The wrinkle disappears 4 Repeat step
241. ts menu click one of the following Antique Black and White e Negative Note You can customize the exact appearance of your black and white picture using the Black and White Effects tool on the Effects menu Use this when you want to take the time to change the overall tone of your picture to give it a colored hue like Sepia only based on any color not just brown You can also fine tune the brightness and contrast of your black and white picture in this way Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 68 Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing Paint Effects With the Freehand paint brush you can choose from several painting tools Paint brush Airbrush Pencil Eraser Highlighter Chalk Use these tools to add new colors to a picture To use the Freehand paint brush PFUND On the Effects menu point to Paint Brush and then click Freehand Click a painting tool and then click a color Click a brush size and then paint by dragging on the picture Click Done You can paint with stamps to enliven your pictures with a rubber stamp effect Choose from a variety of stamp designs or make your own Paint with a single stamp design or use multiple stamps on the same picture You can choose from a wide variety of stamps to customize any picture Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 69 To paint with stamps 1 On the Effects menu point to Paint Brush and th
242. tting the bit depth higher than 24 bit may make image files larger than neces sary Most image editing programs including Digital Image cannot work with a bit depth higher than 24 bit If you scan an image at the 32 bit setting and then open it in Digital Image the photo is converted to 24 bit automatically The 24 bit level supports 16 7 million distinct colors which is usually more than adequate Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 13 Successful Scanning 169 Scanning Large Pictures Scanning a large picture at high resolution requires a lot of RAM or memory on your computer The larger a picture is the longer it takes to scan and the more memory your computer requires to open it If you are having trouble scanning a large picture try the following Scan at a lower resolution If you don t plan to crop or enlarge the image 300 dpi should be sufficient e Scan a smaller portion of the picture See your scanner s documentation for specifics on how to crop and scan only part of a picture e Close programs that you re not using to make more memory available for the scanning task Adding RAM for faster scans If you repeatedly have trouble scanning larger images you might want to consider adding more RAM to your computer At least 256 MB of RAM is recommended Adding RAM can be fairly inexpensive Depending on the configuration of your system you might be able to increase performance by upgra
243. uite User s Manual 152 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures Making Panoramas with Digital Image Even if your camera doesn t have a panorama feature you can make your own panoramas by shooting a series of overlapping pictures and automatically combining them using the Panoramic Stitch tool Panoramic Mode For landscapes large groups of people and other long horizontal shots a camera s panoramic mode helps you compose the picture without too much sky or ground in the photo Panoramic shots have a different aspect ratio than standard shots meaning the width of the frame is proportionally much greater than in a picture with a standard aspect ratio Some panoramic cameras take pictures with an aspect ratio of 4 11 four units tall by 11 units wide compared to the aspect ratio of 3 4 for standard shots on most digital cameras As with the shape of a movie theater screen versus a television screen the wider frame gives you some new creative territory when composing your photo Switching your camera to panoramic mode gives you new compositional possibilities True panoramic cameras use a wide angle lens to let you capture more width of the scene by staying in the same position Many cameras including digital cameras and APS cameras offer a panoramic mode without a wide angle lens Instead the panoramic effect is achieved by simply cropping off the top and bottom of the frame This type of panoramic shot does give you a wi
244. uld always save a copy ofthe original and work with the copy That way if you make some edit ing changes that you regret later you can always go back to the original make a new copy and start over To make a copy of a picture 1 Open the picture 2 On the File menu click Save As The Save As dialog box opens 3 Click the folder where you want to save the copy of the original 4 Inthe File name box enter a name for the copy 5 Click Save The Save As dialog box closes with the new copy of the picture open in the workspace 95 Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 96 Chapter 10 Saving and Printing Pictures Choosing a File Format Digital Image allows you to save photos in a number of image file formats You can determine the best format for saving your photos based on what you will use the photos for compatibility with other computers and file size To help you understand the difference between file formats here are some important characteristics of three common image formats Digital Image PNG Plus png saves the individual objects in your photo projects so you can edit them later PNG offers lossless compres sion but not all computers have the software to open PNG files TIFF tif is acommon format for cameras that produce lossless images TIFF does not support layers but is a good format for saving important photos although the files are relatively large and take up a lot of space JPEG
245. umbnails do one of the following Drag the slider to the right e Click the plus button 2 To decrease the size of the thumbnails do one of the following Drag the slider to the left e Click the minus button Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library 115 Showing Thumbnail Data There are three ways to view the thumbnails and their associated data in the Thumbnail pane Tiles View Along with the thumbnail the tiles view displays Caption Time and date taken File size Image size pixel dimensions File name Rating Thumbnails View The thumbnails view displays only the thumbnail with no data Thumbnails with Text View The Thumbnails with text view displays the thumbnail and the field that the pictures are arranged by To switch views in the Thumbnail pane 1 On the View menu click one of the following e Tiles Thumbnails Thumbnails with text Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 116 Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library Make a Photo Story The Library includes a powerful program for turning your pictures into compelling video slideshows complete with music captions and narration To make your own Photo Stories click Tasks and then click Create a Photo Story Grouping Your Pictures You can group the pictures in the Thumbnail pane according to date rati
246. use When you re using a fast film you or the camera can select fast shutter speeds that reduce the risk of a blurred image caused by subject motion This also allows you to make sharp pictures in low light situations while hand holding the camera During the short exposure time blur from movement does not have time to register in the image On manual and older film cameras you set the ISO using a ring or dial on the camera On digital cameras you can set the ISO equivalent setting using an electronic menu What are the tradeoffs of using a fast film or setting versus a slow film or setting The tradeoffs include reduced sharpness and detail less saturated color and increased grain Virtually all digicams have higher ISO settings too some set it automatically while others require you to set it In the case of digital cameras a high ISO equivalent setting provides greater sensitivity to light just as 1t does with film At ISO 400 and higher settings Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 187 image quality degrades especially by the increased signal noise which appears in pictures as digital grain The vast majority of newer film cameras automatically read the ISO code from the film cartridge so you don t have to set the film speed On older cameras the ISO is set by rotating a dial on the camera This dial generally offers the full range of common ISO numbers from 2
247. using side lighting and by playing up shadows Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 250 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Color and light Many typical fall photographs are taken in bright or moderately bright sunlight This type of light produces images that closely match the way we remember seeing the scene That is part ofthe reason we respond to them with a positive sense of familiarity However fall colors photographed in the cooler range of light at twilight or in overcast conditions or in the warmer light of sunrise and sunset offer a new perspective on familiar colors and subjects and provide a more creative back drop for photographs Overcast and post rain conditions in particular produce richer more saturated colors For example the same red leaves photographed against a twilight backdrop create a more moody interpretation that suggests a sense of mystery or drama e Fading afternoon light provides just enough frontal lighting for the leaves Color and composition Looking at the spectacular array of fall colors it s often difficult to isolate elements for a composition And that s where some fall pictures fail As a textbook rule using more than two bright colors in a composition creates visual confusion Okay so no one tipped off Mother Nature to this rule While grand panoramic pictures of colorful scenes may seem obligatory for fall photo collections images can be much m
248. vel that looks good to your eye But when you print that picture or send it to a friend to view on another computer the image appears too bright since your adjustments compensated for the inaccuracies of your monitor To avoid this problem you should adjust and calibrate your monitor so that it is accurate and optimized for viewing and printing pictures Setting Screen Resolution Screen resolution is the setting that determines the level of detail displayed on your monitor A screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels is usually the lowest resolution available But you can adjust screen resolution to show a higher level of detail When using Digital Image a higher screen resolution lets you see more of your photos in the workspace less of the screen is covered by elements like the Stack and the Files palette The best screen resolution for a computer system depends on the limitations of your monitor the capabilities of your video adapter and your personal prefer ence You can experiment with different screen resolutions to find the one that works best for you To change the screen resolution on Windows 98 Windows Millennium Edition or Windows NT 4 0 1 On the Tools menu in Digital Image click Display Settings 2 Click the Settings tab 3 Under Screen area move the slider to change the screen resolution and then click OK 4 Ifprompted restart your computer Expanding your workspace If you have an older or small
249. vent the objects from being flattened Flattening Objects During Saving When you save a composite picture in the PNG Plus file format each object is preserved separately When you open the file again you can edit each individual object However most file formats for images do not support multiple objects So if you save a picture in the JPEG format for example all the objects will be flattened into a single object Even if you open such a JPEG file in Digital Image you will not be able to edit objects individually Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 6 Advanced Picture Editing 59 Using Selection Tools Selection tools give you more control and more options for editing images They allow you to fix problems that exist in only part ofthe picture You can also use selection tools to create new objects that can be duplicated or pasted onto other pictures Selection tools help you to isolate any part of a larger picture which enables you to Turn part of a picture into a separate object e Apply filters or other effects to a limited area of a picture Duplicate part of an image within a picture e Combine parts from two or more pictures The selection tools are located on the toolbar next to the Selection options button There are five selection tools available and each one works well for a specific editing scenario Select the method that best fits your picture and your intended use In addition to the
250. w of the most important manual camera settings and concepts Exposure Exposure describes the amount of light that comes into your camera when you take a picture Setting the camera to the correct exposure is crucial to getting the proper tones and colors in your pictures Overexposure occurs when too much light has reached the image sensor or film in a film camera which decreases detail and causes the photo to look washed out Underexposure occurs when insufficient light has been let into the camera and the picture looks dim and murky Exposure is controlled by three factors the aperture the shutter speed and the ISO rating Aperture is the size of the opening that lets light into the camera Shutter speed is how long light is allowed into the camera ISO rating the film speed in a film camera is the sensor or film s sensitivity to light Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 138 Chapter 12 Taking Great Pictures The water glass analogy When taking a picture your goal is to achieve a perfect exposure To create the right exposure you need to understand the relationship between the three exposure factors aperture shutter speed and ISO rating Achieving perfect exposure can be compared to filling a glass completely without spilling any ofthe water For a perfect exposure the glass should become completely full with no water spilling over In this analogy the tap symbolizes the aperture the wider the tap is open the
251. with an automatic camera the camera s automatic exposure feature measures the available light and determines how much light is required to take the photo Sometimes the exposure meter s measurement is slightly too low or too high creating problems with the brightness and contrast in the photo Digital Image provides tools to fix the exposure and lighting To correct exposure and lighting 1 On the Touchup menu click Exposure Auto Fix 2 If you are not satisfied with the result try fixing the contrast On the Touchup menu click Contrast auto fix 3 If you are not satisfied with the results fine tune the settings On the Touchup menu click Exposure and Lighting 4 Adjust the sliders to manually correct the exposure in the picture 5 Click Done The picture on the left is both too dark and too low contrast The Contrast auto fix tool was ap plied to the version on the right correcting both the brightness and contrast levels 39 Making a copy to touch up Never edit your only copy of a picture Always make a copy or choose Save As to save the edited file with a different name If you aren t satisfied with the results you can always start again from the original Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 40 Setting the white balance ona digital camera Many digital cameras allow you to set the white balance for specific types of light such as sunlight incandescent and flash Using this
252. ws for faster shutter speeds If you want to freeze a moving subject you ll need to use a high ISO film While aperture is the most important factor that affects the range of acceptably sharp focus in a picture other factors also affect depth of field including e Camera to subject distance At any aperture f stop the further you are from a subject the greater the depth of field will be If you take a scenic photo of a distant mountain the foreground midground and background may all be in acceptably sharp focus If you take a head and shoulders portrait however only your subject will be in very sharp focus e Focal length of the lens In simple terms focal length determines how much of a scene the lens sees From the same position a wide angle lens sees more of the scene than a telephoto lens In addition a wide angle lens produces an extensive depth of field provided you are not extremely close to the subject In more technical terms a wide angle Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 191 lens or Zoom setting has a 110 degree angle of view while a telephoto lens may have only a 23 12 or even 4 degree narrow view ofthe scene Because a long or telephoto lens or zoom setting any lens or zoom setting over 50mm magnifies the subject the depth of field is shallow depending on the camera to subject distance so that often only the subject is in very sharp focus
253. xpress the word the golden quality of sunset the rich pastels of sunrise and the harsh flat light of mid day can all help characterize the word you re illustrating One just like that Find a picture from a book magazine or Web site that you wish you d taken and then try to re create the image This is another good way to learn about technique Try to duplicate the light the tone or the perspec tive whatever it is that makes the image appealing Then branch out and create a similar composition of your own Whether you re photographing mushrooms from the grocery store or a slice of life story simply taking pictures continually and consistently pays huge dividends not the least of which is to help you define your style and voice as a photographer Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks 215 Six Easy Ways to Improve Your Photography Fixing what new gear can t Spending time figuring out what it takes to get better pictures can make a noticeable difference in the quality of your photography In photography there are two basic kinds of stuff thinking stuff the way you take your photographs planning composing and photographing and gear stuff cameras and accessories While either kind of stuff can improve your photography most people like to think that new gear will be the magic bullet that turns ho hum pictures into blue ribbon winners You know the kind
254. y wide aperture creating a shallow depth of field With only your subject in focus objects in the background are less distracting and your subject dominates the frame With a shallow depth of field it s crucial that you get your subject in sharp focus If your depth of field is so short that you can t focus on every part of your subject at the same time focus on the subject s eyes and let hands and feet be in less focus For this portrait the Diffuse Glow filter was applied in Digital Image to soften the focus For successful portraits remember to fill the frame and use a medium tele photo lens around 105mm or zoomed about halfway between wide angle and maximum telephoto Keep the background very simple unless you are using objects in the background as context for your subject If you are taking pictures indoors an off camera flash or other light source works best Reduces wrinkles and blemishes The Diffuse Glow filter available in Digital Image works well when applied to portrait photographs The filter simulates the effect of using a soft diffusion filter on your camera softening the photo and minimizing your subject s wrinkles or blemishes Relaxing your subject An important aspect of portrait photography is to get your subject relaxed and comfortable for the pose Try using conversation or other pleasant distractions to get your subject s mind away from the camera Microsoft Digital Image S
255. yon Events Use these labels to identify pictures by activities or occasions such as birthday parties or vacations Keywords You can turn any word or phrase into a keyword making it easy to label pictures any way you like You re not limited to the people places events or keywords that come with Digital Image since you can add your own Ratings With a click you can rate your pictures on a scale of one to five This can make it easy to find your best pictures Flags These little icons help you mark certain pictures for special reasons You can add the To Print flag to pictures you want to print for a holiday greeting card for instance Chapter 11 Organizing and Finding Pictures in Digial Image Library 111 Don t forget that you can create your own labels to identify the subjects of your pictures and you can add multiple labels to each picture or add the same label to multiple pictures In addition labels can have hierarchy sometimes referred to as parent or child labels Imagine that you want to create labels to represent the members of your family You might want to create a subcategory in People called Family and then add one label for each family member to that group Your labels can have sublabels You can use this feature to help you organize your labels into logical groups The Label Painter is a fast way to add multiple labels to pictures in Digital Image Library Applying labels with the Label Painter 1
256. you photograph people try not to ask them to smile Instead photograph them with natural expressions Emphasizing natural of course means that you ll need to spend some time putting them at ease first Tip Natural expressions are fleeting If you re not prepared to shoot and you say wait don t move your subject may become self conscious trying to hold an expression or pose Instead just shoot whether you re ready or not and keep shooting as you make the necessary camera adjustments It s much easier to delete a bad digital picture or throw away a film print than it is to recapture spontaneity and keep the subject engaged 4 Avoid clich s Clich means a trite or overused expression or idea and in this case a been there seen that photo This means you have to ditch the I want to take a picture just like that mentality and break new visual ground both in the way you look at scenes and in the way you use your photo gear Take the obvious picture if you must but don t put the camera away It s often only with time and patience that you discover different ways to see the subject or scene Walk around think about how to put the scene or subject in a more meaningful or interesting visual context for the viewer of the photo Certainly your camera gear gives you a world of creative options for going beyond the obvious Develop your own clich meter If you see a picture and think this looks just like then look again
257. you should point the camera to the lightest area press the shutter release button halfway down and then note the exposure settings the f stop and shutter speed Then use that exposure setting to take the final picture Except in instances when you use a flash this technique helps avoid highlight areas that appear white with no vis ible detail in the final picture e To record small fine details mount the camera on a copy stand sold at photo stores or on a tripod and be sure to switch to macro mode Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 234 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks If you don t set the white balance appropriately on a digital camera or use film or a filter appropriate for the light the image might have an unnatural color tint This photo was taken under household light with the white balanc set to shade Image editing To edit the images in an image editing program begin by adjusting the overall tone and contrast If the image has an unwanted color tint you can correct it in any of several ways If you used a white backdrop setting the white point on the lightest area of the white background can sometimes correct the color instantly For example in Digital Image choose Adjust Tint from the Touchup menu Click an area in the picture that should be white and then click the lightest or brightest white area in the image Then click Done Or you can use the Tint Auto Fix option in Digital Image
258. you use to photograph antiques and relics can help convey the sense of antiquity and enhance the atmosphere you re trying to cre ate You will likely have three lighting choices flash natural light or available outdoor sunlight or indoor tungsten or fluorescent light If you re shooting indoors and you decide to use a flash be sure to use a bounce flash Direct flash almost always creates a harsh effect along with deep shad ows Also if you re shooting indoors natural window light if it is available is the best option Try to shoot using side light the light falls on the subject from one side If you choose to use available indoor light be sure you use your tripod to ensure sharpness In tungsten light the warm tint often helps create the atmosphere you want Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual 246 Chapter 15 Digital Photography Tips amp Tricks Outdoors consider using your flash to fill in shadow areas and avoid dull faded colors In almost every case you ll want to move in close to the subject to isolate it from its surroundings Try to frame the pictures carefully to avoid cropping later Whether you re photographing alley art or antiques veering off well traveled roads almost always provides nice rewards including honing your eye for unexpected photo opportunities and adding some unexpected and interesting photos to your collection Microsoft Digital Image Suite User s Manual Chapter 15

Digital Image2006 - Center

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents