Wiley Digital Travel Photography Digital Field Guide
Contents
1. and video camcorders If your camera has only an LCD with no optical finder option this may be the best investment you can make Beanbag Sometimes you need to steady your camera to shoot at a slow shutter speed under dim illu mination Other times you just want your camera to stay put as the self timer ticks off while you frantically run to get into the pic ture If you don t want to take a tri pod on your trip a soft beanbag like those your kids toss around at a school carnival may be the next best thing Plop the bag down ona suitable surface nestle your digital camera into the beanbag s embrace and then proceed to take your picture Just be sure to keep a lookout for dishonest folk who may cast a covetous eye on your beanbag and unattended camera Lens Hood One way to dramati cally improve the quality of your images when shooting images in the direction of the sun or other bright light is to mount a hood on your lens Most digital SLR camera lenses are furnished with a hood but you can usually find one to fit many intermediate point and shoot or advanced digital cameras too The hood reduces flare and improves the contrast of your pictures and serves as a modicum of protection should you accidentally swing your camera into an object Considerations for a New Camera The ideal camera for travel photography varies depending on who is doing the shooting Some travelers want the smallest camera poss2. the road with a smaller better more powerful more flexible device at a lower cost No matter what type of digital camera user you are veteran beginner or someone who hasn t dipped a toe into the digital waters yet and whether or not you re thinking about upgrading this chapter will help you 16 Part Becoming Familiar with Your Traveling Camera Digital Camera Categories Until recently most digital cameras could be neatly classified solely by the number of megapixels or resolution they offered because all the other useful features and prices often followed in lock step with the camera s resolution Today however you find cameras with around 6 megapixels ranging from simple point and shoot mod els to advanced SLRs with interchangeable lenses You can t tell the players without a program but you can discern their differ ences by their features and layouts Your digital camera will be one of these types Basic point and shoot models You frame the picture through a simple optical viewfinder or a small LCD screen press the shutter release and these cameras make all the other decisions for you Generally priced in the 100 200 range these basic 4 to 6 or more megapixel millions of pix els or picture elements models have a 3X zoom lens that may not be quite wide enough for photo graphing interesting buildings and monuments in tight quarters nor have enough telephoto magnifica tion to captu
3. with the pictures in image editing software even if it s just to crop the photos to remove extraneous subject matter or to remove red eye effects is part of the fun Some cameras do a better job than oth ers in giving you finished images that are ready to go They may even provide in camera fixes to improve exposure color and other aspects after the picture is taken Other cameras offer better sharper raw material that you can tweak to perfection in your favorite image editor Is photography a creative outlet for you You might be someone who wants little more than sharp clear pictures that accurately repre sent a memorable scene or experi ence Or you might see travel photography as a creative outlet and want special features such as extra long or extra wide zoom lenses sequence shooting or time lapse photography modes super close focusing and other options How many pictures do you take The economy of digital photogra phy makes it easy to take many more pictures than you might have had when you were paying for film and processing Even so some photographers tend to view the picture taking part of their trip as a sideline activity while others enjoy immersing themselves in capturing every possible scene and event in a photograph If you belong in the latter category pay special atten tion to how many pictures will fit on a single memory card and explore your options for stretching and augm
4. Exploring the Digital Camera K lmmThis Chapter Digital camera n categories he digital camera you own right now is probably the perfect tool to capture memories of your trip All you Gansiceashions fer may need are some accessories that can give you some extra New Camera capabilities or will make your photography a bit easier If that s the case you ll find some suggestions for equipping yourself in Chapter 2 and some accessorizing tips in Chapter 5 This chapter is aimed at familiarizing you with digital camera features that are most useful when taking travel and vacation pictures If you re thinking of upgrading to a newer or better camera you ll find some information on the various cate gories available today and what they have to offer Although it s a safe assumption that as readers of this book you already own the digital camera you ll be using on your travels it s still worth devoting a few pages to the ideal fea tures and capabilities you ll need After all a very special jour ney may prompt you to buy a new very special camera Or you might find that several members of your traveling party want their own digital cameras so they can capture their own memories For most of us a digital camera isn t a lifetime investment It s something we buy in the same way we purchase a computer as a tool that gives us the advantage of current technology but with the full expectation of replacing it somewhere down
5. cal flexi bility because the lens can be removed and replaced with another lens that is wider longer focuses closer or has the ability to shoot in lower light levels The dSLR also has faster performance with little of that frustrating lag that delays the actual picture taking once you press the shutter release button Digital SLRs cost around 700 to 1 300 add another 100 to 300 and up for a lens for the prosumer models and 1 300 to 5 000 or more for those suitable for advanced amateurs and profes sionals Resolution for dSLRs ranges from 6 to 16 megapixels 1 2 Digital SLR cameras feature inter changeable lenses excellent performance and lots of extra features 18 Part Becoming Familiar with Your Traveling Camera Working with what you have Even if you ve been using your camera for awhile it s a good idea to explore the typi cal features as they relate to travel photog raphy This section helps you refamiliarize yourself with your own camera from a travel photography perspective Resolution Resolution expresses the number of individual picture elements or pixels a camera can capture usually specified in megapixels The resolution deter mines the maximum size of the prints you can make from your dig ital camera s images or whether you can crop out a small section of an image and enlarge it If you re just going to make small prints of your travel pictures you don t need as many megapi
6. enting your camera s pic ture capacity Is your camera a long term investment The amount invested in a digital camera today can depend on whether you plan on buying a new model in a year when spiffy new features are avail able at an even more attractive price or whether you plan on using your current camera for two three or more years Unless you have unlimited funds to spend on a digital camera you might want to pay a little less for a camera you ll be using for only a few trips and a little more for a camera that you ll use over a longer term Do you want to share acces sories The accessories you pur chase for your digital camera may include memory cards external electronic flash units or in the case of digital SLR cameras lenses 24 Part Becoming Familiar with Your Traveling Camera which can add up to an expendi ture equal to the camera itself If you want to share these acces sories among several family mem bers or use the same accessories with the next camera you buy it s a good idea to stick to one camera vendor s line of compatible prod ucts That means fewer items to buy and when you re sharing fewer to carry along on your trip
7. hapter Is size important Travel books always advise you to pack light and the same goes for photo gear within limits If you truly want to carry only the minimum amount of photo equipment there are some tiny full featured cameras that are smaller than your passport and not much thicker Or you may want a camera with a longer zoom lens more powerful electronic flash interchangeable lenses or other features that call for a larger package Evaluate the importance of size and weight when choosing the best camera for your travels 1 6 Small digital cameras can fit in any pocket ready for use on a moment s notice Chapter 1 Exploring the Digital Camera 23 How will you be using your pic tures Some travelers make lots of standard sized 4 x 6 inch prints but few enlargements Others want to display their best work at large sizes as framed prints Many dis tribute their snapshots by e mail or display them in slide shows on their computer screens Your intended use for travel photos can impact your choice of a camera For example if you rarely make enlargements you don t need a camera with extra high resolution more megapixels Do you plan to edit your images Many folks like to use their photos just as they come from the camera with little or no manipulation in the computer Indeed these no fuss folks place a high premium on getting usable pictures right out of the camera Others find that playing
8. ible something that can be slipped in or out of a pocket on the spur of the moment to photograph an interesting monument or unexpected scenic wonder Others prefer a camera with maximum megapixels because the extra detail all that resolution supplies makes it possible to enlarge the very best shots to sizes suitable 22 Part Becoming Familiar with Your Traveling Camera for framing and display in a personal photo gallery or to crop out all but a tiny portion of the image creating a whole new photo graph from the contents of your original shot Or you might simply want a digital camera that has features that make sharing your pictures easier There are cameras that make e mailing photos back home as easy as connecting the camera to a computer in an Internet caf and pressing a few buttons Tip Because deciding on the ideal digital camera for travel can be j daunting it is a good idea if you can narrow the field a bit Or if you are just looking to upgrade and you want recommenda tions for specific models you can read the evaluations found on the most highly regarded Internet review sites such as www dpreview com or www cnet com To arrive at the ideal digital travel camera the first step is to decide exactly what you want to accomplish with your travel photog raphy This section explains some things to consider If any of the features listed are unfamiliar to you you ll find an explanation earlier in the c
9. mirror to present an image to you before exposure The mirror flips up to allow the image to continue to the sensor during exposure and then returns to its original position to restore your view in a literal blink of an eye Some cameras may have only a back panel LCD or may include the LCD plus an optical window or internal EVF With digi tal SLRs viewing is always through the optical viewfinder the back LCD is used only for reviewing photos Because so many travel photos are taken outdoors digital cameras with an LCD as their only viewfinder are often less desirable Performance Your camera s performance can be measured by how quickly it operates which can be crucial in travel photogra phy because you often don t have a lot of time to waste In some sit uations you need to take the pho tos you want and then move on In others you see a fleeting moment and want to capture it instantly without waiting Important per formance parameters can include how long you must wait after you turn on your camera before you can take a picture 3 seconds or more is probably too long in most travel settings and how quickly 1 3 A camera that has a large LCD on the back but no optical viewfinder is great for reviewing your photos but may be difficult to use in bright sunlight 20 Part Becoming Familiar with Your Traveling Camera you can take your next picture anything more than 2 or 3 sec onds will become fru
10. of the lens This gives you the ability to shoot close up or macro pictures The simplest digital cameras use a full time autofocus system to set the focus point for you More advanced cameras let you specify the zone within your picture frame to be used for focus or to focus manu ally Travel photos can vary from distant subjects to fine details so a good focus range and efficient aut ofocus system are desirable Exposure An autoexposure sys tem keeps your photos from being too light or too dark The system sets the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light the shutter speed and how much light is admitted through the lens the aperture or f stop Such exposure systems may use a complicated matrix of zones within your image area to determine ideal exposure or let you opt to measure exposure from a smaller area of your choice A good exposure system allows Chapter 1 Exploring the Digital Camera 19 you to expose your travel photos flexibly say to create a silhouette or other effect Viewing System Digital cameras have one of four kinds of viewfind ers an LCD that shows an image as currently captured by the sen sor an optical window you can use when the light is too bright to view the LCD on the back of the camera an electronic viewfinder EVF inside the camera that is similar to the back panel LCD but shielded from external light and a through the lens optical viewfinder found in dSLRs that uses a
11. re distant subjects The built in flash unit may be good for shots from 5 to about 11 feet Focusing is automatic with no options other than a close up mode Intermediate point and shoot cameras Most travel cameras sold today fall into this category with models having 5 to 7 megapixels and prices in the 200 400 range They appeal to casual and slightly more serious photographers who want sharp clear pictures and a bit of versatility in their cameras Zoom lenses range from 3X to 6X In addition to automatic focus and exposure there may even be a few manual settings These can include the ability to choose the shutter speed or lens opening exposure adjustment for photos taken facing the sun or full manual control Anyone who is not a dedicated photo buff can probably take any travel picture he or she cares to create with a camera of this sort Advanced point and shoot mod els More advanced models attract travelers who want more options and features Those with 400 600 can buy an 8 to 9 megapixel or more camera with a 6X to 12X or longer zoom magnification range more manual controls and interesting bonus features These cameras appeal to those who real ize they can take better and more interesting pictures with a digital camera that has more options Such cameras are stuffed with mul tifunction buttons and dials lots of modes dozens of menus and thick manuals You ll find goodies like time lapse pho
12. strating Fast exposure measurement and auto focus speedy electronic flash recy cling and quick storage of images to your memory card so you can keep taking many pictures in sequence are all important when you re in a hurry or sometimes even when you re not Flash Range Electronic flash needs little explanation The image of the tourist wandering around flashing a camera incessantly is one of the reasons why electronic flash is banned from so many venues Flash pictures rarely provide the best image of your subject in any case Even so there are times when flash is useful particularly to fill in dark shadows outdoors in full daylight For those times when you do need to use flash you ll want a flash that has enough power to illuminate your subject at a decent distance 12 feet at the minimum Generally the smaller the camera the more puny the output of its flash That s not because powerful flash tubes won t fit in tiny cameras The real reason is that an electronic flash uses a lot of power and small cameras usually have correspond ingly small batteries That s another reason why you should try to rely on flash as little as possible for your travel photos Naturally lit pictures are more natural and should be your first choice Simple enhancements to improve your travel hardware Here are some things you can do to upgrade the capabilities of your digital travel camera list five easy ways to impro
13. tography burst modes that can squeeze off six to 10 shots at 2 frames per second or faster and in camera editing image enhancing features These extra features can be very handy while traveling without a computer Photo enthusiast models These are sometimes called prosumer cameras and include non inter changeable lenses with generous zoom ratios often extending from true wide angle that s the equiva lent of 24mm for those of you familiar with 35mm camera lenses to ambitious telephoto up to the Chapter 1 Exploring the Digital Camera 17 1 1 An enthusiast camera may have both a large back panel LCD as well as an internal electronic viewfinder EVF equivalent of 300 360mm truly a long reach You can spend 600 to 1 000 for an 8 to 10 megapixel camera that probably has a large back panel LCD up to 2 5 inches and a second internal LCD called an electronic viewfinder or EVF that shows you almost exactly what the lens sees These are the cam eras that advanced amateur photog raphers favor because their lower cost frees up money to purchase extra accessories They are also the cameras that pros sometimes use on weekends for their personal pho tography or which they purchase as cheap extra cameras to supplement their good equipment Digital SLRs The digital SLR sin gle lens reflex is the camera of choice for serious photo hobbyists and professional photographers They offer unlimited opti
14. ve your travel photos here but there are more sug gestions in Chapter 5 Wide Angle Telephoto Attachments Point and shoot cameras don t have interchange able lenses but many of them can be fitted with wide angle and tele photo attachments that provide a broader or longer perspective These fasten to the front of the lens and may cost 100 or less If you don t own one of those super zoom 8X to 12X zoom cameras an attachment of this sort can be a good investment perhaps even postponing the need to replace your camera for a few years 1 4 This attachment fits on the front of a point and shoot camera s fixed lens and increases its wide angle perspective External Flash An external flash unit if your digital camera can use one digital SLRs and many advanced point and shoot cameras have the correct connectors while others can use a slave flash Chapter 1 Exploring the Digital Camera 21 that has its own triggering unit provides more power and lets you use creative techniques 1 5 An external flash can be attached to the camera or it can be removed and used while attached to the camera with a cord to allow lighting your subject from a different angle LCD Hood If you have difficulty viewing your back panel LCD under bright light a custom fitted hood can shield your viewfinder from ambient illumination Hoodman www hoodmanusa com has easy fasten hoods for most digital cam eras
15. xels 4 to 5 megapixels is plenty and being frugal with resolution allows your memory cards to hold more images before they fill up Lens The lens mounted on your digital camera determines the rela tive magnification of your image Most digital cameras use zoom lenses that can be adjusted to make the image larger or smaller so you can shoot different subjects without the need to get closer or back away This quality is usually described in terms of focal length expressed in millimeters and almost always given as the equiva lent focal length if the lens were mounted on a 35mm film camera Equivalent focal lengths of 35mm to 40mm or less are considered wide angle lenses those from 40mm to about 55mm are consid ered normal lenses and anything with a longer focal length is referred to as a telephoto Digital SLR single lens reflex cameras have the ability to substitute a dif ferent lens for the one mounted on the camera The range of your lens is important for travel photog raphy You frequently need to use a wide angle setting to take in all of a building or monument while a telephoto setting brings you closer to a distant subject Focus Another characteristic of the lens and the camera it is mounted on is the ability to focus sharply at a given distance All digital cam eras and their lenses can focus from a few feet to the horizon infinity but some can focus closer down to an inch or less from the front
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