July 16, 2007 HelpLine
Q) My new lens came with a weird-looking lens shade. When do I use it? I’m told I should use it to avoid flair with the sun. Is that the only time?
How To
July 9, 2007 HelpLine
Q) I feel kind of silly asking this question, so I thought I would send you an e-mail and plead that you keep my last name out of it. Someone recently talked to me about a video tripod. Isn’t a tripod a tripod? I suppose there’s something to do with weight with some of those bigger video cameras, but some are pretty lightweight, too. So my “stupid” question: Is there such a thing as a “video” tripod?
July 2, 2007 HelpLine
Q) I’m shooting RAW and my friends tell me to ignore white balance because I can fix it on the computer. Is that right?
July/August 2007 HelpLine
Capturing Fireworks
Q) I thought I’d try to experiment with taking pictures during the 4th of July fireworks displays this year. A friend thought I should use film to do this. I’m thinking that I should be able to use my digital SLR. Who’s right? And what’s the best way of photographing the fireworks display?
The Details
One of the differences between a good photograph and a great one is how we handle the details. Check out this image of a beautiful Kuna woman who I photographed at the San Blas Hotel in the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of 365 islands that lies off the Atlantic coast of Panama. Compare it to the second and third photographs in this column, and you’ll see that it has stronger colors and more contrast. I’ll show you how to easily create a similar effect using Adobe Photoshop Elements. Of course, you can get to the same place using Adobe Photoshop.
June 18, 2007 HelpLine
Q) Since I’ve been using my digital SLR, I’m getting more and more worried about dust. I’ve noticed some of the newer cameras have some sort of dust-removal feature. I’m not able to get one of the newer cameras right now. What’s the best way to avoid getting dust in the camera?
June 11, 2007 HelpLine
Q) I know this isn’t a highly technical question, but the situation drives me crazy. When I take the lens cap off my camera, I never can remember where I put it. Any suggestions you could make would be sooooo helpful.
June 2007 HelpLine
Q) I’m going on the trip of a lifetime in a few months and I was looking to stock up on memory cards so I don’t have to bring my laptop with me. With prices coming down and card sizes going up, I thought I’d have an easy decision. When I got to the store, I became confused. There used to be just one flavor of SD; now there’s SDHC. Should I try out the new cards?
Fire In The Sky
We all love watching sunsets, looking at pictures of sunsets and, of course, photographing sunsets! The warm colors—deep shades of red, orange and yellow—evoke feelings of peace and tranquility and a sense of awe at nature’s wonders.
May 29, 2007 HelpLine
Q) I see all of those neat shots of waterfalls, where the water looks so strange. How can I do that?
May 14, 2007 HelpLine
Q) At what point during image editing should I be sharpening? I’ve experimented with doing it while processing in Adobe Camera Raw, but I’m just not sure.
May 7, 2007 HelpLine
Q) I know you’ve answered this in the past, I but can’t seem to find my issue. I want to get a polarizer for my camera. Which type should I get?
