How To

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. 

By Rick Sammon
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... Read more

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?

By DPMag
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? K.D., Via the Internet A) While there are... Read more

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.

By Michael Decker
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. Mark Johnson, Via the Internet A) Just put it in your right pocket, your right pocket, your right pocket, you’re getting... Read more
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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?

By DPMag
• Insecure About SDHC • A Reminder To Back Up ———– Insecure About SDHC 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.... Read more

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.

By Rick Sammon
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. In this column, I’ll share with you a few Photoshop Elements techniques for improving on Mother Nature’s... Read more

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? 

By Michael Decker
Q) I see all of those neat shots of waterfalls, where the water looks so strange. How can I do that?  Scott D., Rochester, NY A) What you’re seeing is water captured with a slow shutter speed. If you want to do that yourself, first you need to use a tripod, as the slow shutter speed requires a firmly supported camera. Because you’re... Read more

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.

By DPMag
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. Mark T., Via the Internet A) Sharpening should be one of the last things you do. How much sharpening you do will depend on your final image output size. Since you might be outputting... Read more

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?

By DPMag
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? Lou K., Santa Fe, New Mexico A) There are two choices for polarizing filters: linear and circular. Both achieve the same effect, and you’d be hard pressed to look at an image and tell... Read more

Make Your Best Prints Ever

One of the great joys resulting from the change to digital compared to shooting film is the ability to get great photo prints optimized for the subject and photographer. Everyone who used to try to get a good, custom print from a slide or negative knows what a challenge that used to be. There were multiple visits to the lab when an image didn’t print right and had to be reprinted. Or often, you’d just accept the print as is because it was “good enough,” and any changes weren’t worth the back-and-forth with the lab. You probably know what I’m talking about.

By DPMag
This Article Features Photo Zoom One of the great joys resulting from the change to digital compared to shooting film is the ability to get great photo prints optimized for the subject and photographer. Everyone who used to try to get a good, custom print from a slide or negative knows what a challenge that used to be. There were multiple... Read more

April 30, 2007 HelpLine

Q) What’s the best way to control noise when shooting? I recently took some photos of the Northern Lights and the results were very noisy.

By DPMag
Q) What’s the best way to control noise when shooting? I recently took some photos of the Northern Lights and the results were very noisy. Steven J., Via the Internet A) Headphones? (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) There are three ways to control noise when capturing images. The first is to use the lowest ISO setting you can. The ISO setting... Read more