Cameras

No matter how experienced you are as a photographer, learning new photography techniques can only improve your pictures. Taking a new approach to standard concepts such as lighting and exposure, or experimenting with an entirely new concept will add flavor and dynamism to what would ordinarily be a ?common? shot.

Techniques for Lighting and Exposure
When setting up a shot, note the amount and type of light that embraces the scene. If your subject is fully illuminated with direct light (from either the sun or a bulb), you should limit the amount of light that enters the camera?s lens to prevent the film from becoming overexposed, or turning out too bright. With a faster film speed, the film requires less time to capture the image with the given amount of light. (Experts recommend using faster film speed for brightly lit subjects).

Similarly, a photographer may use filters or a shading device to reduce the amount of light in the scene.

Poorly lit conditions require either additional lighting or a slower film speed. Such conditions include scenes lit with ambient lighting, such as the moon, or backlighting. In these scenes, the photographer has to decide whether he wishes the low light to be a part of the resulting picture?s mood or whether he wants to capture the subject as is.

If lighting is important to the shot, then the photographer should use a slower film speed. Slower film allows more light to enter the camera lens, preventing the picture from being underexposed and turning out too dark. Alternatively, the photographer may use lamps to more fully illuminate the subject.

Techniques for Composition
When composing a shot, professional photographers have some rules that aid them in properly framing their subject. The most common compositional technique is the rule of thirds, also known as the ?the rule of three.?

According to this rule, a camera?s frame can be divided into three equal horizontal spaces (with two horizontal lines) and three vertical spaces (with two vertical lines). These four imaginary lines intersect, forming a box in the center of the frame.

The photographer can center his subject within this central box or locate the subject at any one of the four theoretical corners.

Using this technique for composition, the photographer can add dimension to his shot. While more dynamic shots put the image at one of the corners (known as ?power points?), the blunt, hard-hitting shots frame the subject in the center.

Other Tips: Take Advantage of Camera Accessories!
Depending on your subject, a number of different camera accessories can enhance your photographs. If you?re taking nature or glamour shots, try using a tripod to make your shots steadier.

No matter what style of photography you?re practicing, you might experiment with a variety of camera lenses. Play around with a telephoto, wide angle, macro or fisheye lens.

The possibilities for photography experimentation are endless. The only way for you to truly improve your skill as a photographer is to seek out and experiment with new techniques.

Photographs can be lost due to catastrophic events, improper care and environmental damage. They can become faded, scratched or torn. Even stored photos may deteriorate over time. Restoring, preserving and digitizing old photographs can save them for future generations to enjoy.

Photographs capture our memories, as well as our histories. Old photographs are often passed from generation to generation, creating an informal family history.

Because of the importance of photographs to memory and history, restoring photographs has become important for many. However, although restoring photographs was once a tedious task, advances in photo technology and digital media make preserving photos a much easier process.

Restoring Old Photographs
With the advent of the personal computer, image editing software and hardware (such as scanners and specialized photo printers), restoring photographs has become easier. Even an amateur can create a professional looking restoration.

Depending on the type and extent of the damage of the photo, you may have to purchase photo-editing software with specialized features. Damage that tends to require additional software, like Adobe Photoshop Elements or Adobe Photoshop, includes:

• important pieces missing from a photo
• scratches in the photo
• tears
• water stains
• wrinkles in crucial places.

Most damage, however, can be fixed with a scanner, a printer and the basic software included with that hardware. Standard restoration needs include:

• brightness
• color correction
• contrast
• cropping unnecessary elements of the photo.

The following are the steps involved in restoring photographs:

• Place the old photograph on the scanner.
• Set the scanner?s settings (see your scanner?s guide for more information).
• Scan the photograph.
• Make corrections using the software.
• Save a digital copy of the photograph.
• Print a new, restored copy of the photograph.

Don?t be afraid to experiment. The beauty of digitization is that you can start over if you don?t like the outcome. With patience and practice, you?ll soon get amazing results.

Preserving New and Old Photos
Restoring your old photographs is the first step in preserving them. The next step involves preserving the originals so they don?t incur any more damage. Direct sunlight, adhesives, high humidity, insects and even photo albums can cause photos to fade or become damaged in many ways.

Experts recommend the following methods for preserving photos, both new and old:

• Arrange photographs on archival paper pages and mount them with archival photo corners. Insert these pages into clear Mylar pockets.
• Avoid storing old photographs in areas of high humidity where they can be affected by mold.
• Keep displayed photos out of direct sunlight.
• Place photos that you don?t plan to display in portfolio or storage boxes made from specialized archiving materials.
• Use clear plastic sleeves made of polyester or polypropylene to store the photos.

Storage and Retrieval
If you?ve ever downloaded photographs from you digital camera, you?ve probably noticed that each one has an identifying code that?s little help in identifying its content. Fortunately, changing the code to a title such as ?Tuscany, Summer 2006? is incredibly easy.

When restoring your old photos, you have a unique opportunity to catalog your pictures in a way that makes retrieval a breeze. Figure out how you want to store them. Will you be looking for dates, family groups, events, subjects or a combination of these?

Most types of software and online services for storing photographs include a feature that helps you sort them into albums. Again, picking thoughtful and descriptive titles will help your search through hundreds of old photographs for the exact one that you need.

A single photograph can be copied into several albums if it meets the criteria for various groupings.

Anticipate Disasters
Some restoration projects may require the services of an expert. Don?t hesitate to put delicate and important photos and documents in the hands of a restoration specialist and take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about restoration while you?re at it.

Meanwhile, make backup a habit. Copy your digitized photographs onto a CD or web site so that your photo archives aren?t lost in a hard drive crash.