Posted August 14th, 2008
by charlie reese
by Charlie Reese
Wireless Security Camera Beneficial For Quick Installation
One of the major benefits of installing a wireless security camera is the time saved by not having to run wires through the home or business. They can also be moved when the need arises, and can even be used for covert operations. Many times, the need may exist for a camera to be installed, but it will take some time and labor to run wires from the point of installation to the recorder or monitor, and the opportunity to catch a person conducting themselves in an illegal manner may be lost. By installing a wireless security camera, it can be done, usually in minutes, without the muss and fuss of wiring.
Essentially, there are two families of wireless security camera, one that operates on batteries and one that will require being connected to a power source. The wireless part comes in by not having to run a coaxial cable between the camera and a receiver connected to the video recorder. This save a lot of time as many times a power source can be located near the camera’s installation point.
For covert operations, a battery powered wireless security camera can be set up in a hidden location and the receiver connected to a laptop computer, hidden nearby. With the images recorded on the laptop, the evidence needed for prosecution will be available. They can also be used on a temporary basis such as when traveling and feel the need to know what is going on the ground outside the hotel room.
Frequency Changes Can Help Stop Intrusion
Like so many other wireless devices, there are going to be people that will try to intercept or block the signal from a wireless security camera. Many cameras utilize the technology that enables them to change the frequency on which the signal is broadcast to slow down, if not completely inhibit the ability to find and block the frequency.
The downside to using a wireless security camera that operates by battery is the need to change the batteries frequently. As past history has shown, the batteries never seem to go bad until there is an event during which the wireless security camera is really needed. However, with cameras that require an external power source, there is the loss of portability, exchanged for not having to worry about the battery life. It will be up to the individual which aspect is the most important when choosing between the two types of wireless security camera.
About the Author:
Charlie Reese just installed a
security camera into his old home. He earns to work with
camera material daily.
Tags: Cameras Posted in Cameras
Posted August 13th, 2008
by Dan Feildman
by Dan Feildman
When it comes time to print your digital photos, you have the choice between matte or glossy. The difference is simple, glossy photo prints have a shiny finish while matte prints have a softer, more subtle finish. The choice between the two is up to you with both finishes having pros and cons.
What chemicals are used when the digital photos are printed will determine what the resulting finish will look like. Again the difference is easy to tell. Glossy prints reflect light well, are shiny and are very animated in their color. Matte finish however does not reflect much light and colors tend to be more muted than lively.
There are pros and cons to choosing either matter or glossy digital photo prints. Here are some of them:
Glossy photo prints: Glossy photo prints are shiny and are more tempting to the eye. They look fancy and present a high quality feeling to the photo. Glossy photo prints have vibrant colors. Colors also look rich and deep on glossy photo prints. A disadvantage to glossy is that the ‘shiny’ finish can make viewing the photo in intense light difficult due to the light reflecting from the photo print blinding the viewer. Glossy paper is also more apt to draw dust and fingerprints making the photo dirty over time. Black and white photos do not work as well with a glossy finish as those with a matte finish.
Matte finish: Matte photo prints do not reflect light and are therefore easier to view in almost any light condition. Matte photo prints are also less likely to attract dust and fingerprints and are less likely to get dirty over time. Black and white matte photo prints look better than black and white glossy photo prints. Drawbacks of matte photo prints are that they do not have the fancy high quality look that glossy photo prints have. Colors in matte photo prints are less animated and less rich than on glossy photo prints.
How do you know which finish to choose? The answer depends on you and what your plans for your photos are. A general rule is that glossy is for color prints and matte is for black and white but there are exceptions. If you photos are going to be touched frequently, matte is the smartest choice unless you don’t mind cleaning your glossy prints every so often. Matte is also a better choice in the event that you want to enlarge a photo for the wall for example as a glossy finish would act as a large glossy and shiny light reflector.
Since the decision between glossy or matte is up to you, experiment with both if you have never tried before. Take some photos in both color and black and white and print them in both glossy and matte finishes to see what combinations you like best. By knowing what you like and what the end result will look like you can best choose in the future which one will work best for you.
Tags: Cameras Posted in Cameras
Posted August 12th, 2008
by David Peters
by David Peters
When people take digital images and put them on their computers, the pictures are generally not perfect. This is where enhancements come in, they will make it so your picture looks almost professional. One enhancement that is used often is the sharpness enhancement. The sharpness enhancement is extremely helpful. Basically it improves the quality on a fuzzy picture.
While almost every editor has a sharpness adjustment, most of them are not top notch in their results. The best ones incorporate internal algorithms to help enhance the photo. A blurry photos or one with fuzzy borders and lines can be greatly improved upon.
Another common tool used today is photograph resizing. What many people are not as familiar with is re-sampling, but what is the difference? Resizing is a term that refers to changing the pixels. Re-sampling uses an actual algorithm to fix the picture to appear not fuzzy, blurry, or blocked after being adjusted. When you resize a picture enlarging it, some of the pixels will be doubled.
When you resize an image reducing it, some of the pixels will be removed; this why some lines of the photo just vanish. Re-sampling on the other hand, uses algorithms to determine the new size of the pixels. While enlarging, color will be added as a result of interpolation. While reducing an image the actual pixels will be re-calculated. A quality image editor will consist of multiple algorithms for re-sampling and resizing options.
One of the most asked questions is how to convert photo files to get smaller pictures. This procedure is especially helpful if you want to send files via the internet. The two methods of achieving this are the lossless and the lossy formats. The image remains precisely the same as it originally was with the lossless format. Essentially different methods are applied to get a smaller but nearly untouched photo. The most common format for photo software is .png.
On the downside the image may still be larger than desired, but the image will be entirely unchanged. Lossy formats however will lose some information. The advantage in this format is that you can pick the size for the end result. Lossy format most common form is .jpg. This will generate small photos that can be uploaded easily. Both formats have their ups and downs. You have to decide if you want a smaller original or can you sacrifice some of the photograph to make it as small as you want.
Another important factor is viewing your images. Your photo viewer should be able to be customized, simple to use, come with photo enhancement tools, printable contact sheets, be able to manage EXIF data, suitable for managing photos and able to batch process images. Zoner Photo Studio is one such viewer that can provide all of these elements and is user friendly.
Some good photo viewers are Zoner Photo Studio which is quite user friendly and Photophilia which is very adjustable and able to batch process. Base what photo viewer you use from your computer skills comfort level. You can choose a viewer that is quick and easy or a more complex viewer that offers more functions. Some functions that are especially helpful are the slide show, batch processor, editor functions and zoom factor.
Tags: Photography Posted in Photography
Posted August 12th, 2008
by Shane Butler
Are all Film Cameras becoming Vintage Cameras?
I found this article on WalletPop.com in a series talking about the top 25 things vanishing from America.
It talks about the disappearance of the film camera.
I was surprised to find that some of the top camera manufacturers, like Nikon, have completely stopped making film cameras.
It seems like film cameras have a greater depth of color and more interesting depth of field.
I personally love using slide film for it’s rich tones and colors. Black and white film has a certain graininess to it that I think is part of what makes a black and white photo so great.
Will film cameras become extinct or will some camera makers continue to produce them? Also, how much will it cost to buy them if they continue making them?
Check out the rest of the article here.
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/07/17/top-25-things-vanishing-from-america-13-photos-made-from-fi/
Tags: black and white film, slide film, vintage camera Posted in Cameras, Film Photography
Posted August 9th, 2008
by Fabien Toulouse
by Fabian Toulouse
One of the largest challenges for photographers whether professional or amateur has always been lighting. Lighting leaves people confused about such issues as over-exposure with a flash or the existence of good available light. Certainly, with digital cameras that allow you to see the images you have captured, the results can be seen immediately, but correcting problems can still be difficult.
Lighting question can leave you scratching your head. In weak light do you use the flash on your camera and risk glaring light and ugly shadowing or do you buy a handheld flash with which to experiment? Do you have enough available light to forget the flash altogether? How do you get a white balance? What about light sources that color the scene unnaturally? What are the best ways to photograph night scenes like fireworks or cityscapes?
Photography lighting tips online can answer a wide array of questions for both amateurs and hopeful professionals. Engaging articles carefully explain various processes for taking artistic, creative pictures in all kinds of light settings. There is information not only on lighting questions, but on all sorts of topics such as photographing constantly moving animals, capturing the real essence of your human subjects, and creating appealing compositions.
If you are really interested in becoming a talented photographer, you might want to try taking a course or two online. There are some exceptional programs out there, and you may even choose to pursue photography as more than just a wonderful hobby. After all, all sorts of professions need photographers, from criminal investigation to real estate!
Even if you do not have professional aspirations, learning to be a skillful photographer is a worthy goal. It affords you the tools to create a gorgeous photographic record of the people and important (or even everyday) events of your life, and it provides a perfect outlet for that little bit of artist in all of us!
Tags: Photography Posted in Photography
Posted August 8th, 2008
by David Peters
by David Peters
Achieving the best photograph possible every time has become a reality thanks to digital technology. Even when you don’t capture the image you want with the camera, you can still create a perfect picture with digital photo editing. Many software programs are available that can salvage a photo that once would have been lost and make it spectacular.
Here is a list of some of the software types you can purchase for editing your digital photos:
Kodak EasyShare Freeware. This may be the most well known type of software it is easy to use with people who have just bought a new camera. My wife has this for her new Kodak digital camera.
Infran View – This program is available at no cost and is user friendly. With this specific software you can modify the tone of the graphic along with the way it is taken and crop to your specifications.
Image Force. This is another type of free editing software to edit your photos. This software has a tool that will let you transfer pictures from the digital camera to scanners. This software is also made for modifying your photos and enhancing the looks of the photos.
VCW Photo Editor. This other free editing software is just like other free editing software you can enhance looks and modify graphics on the photos which you are editing.
PhotoFilter – Don’t let this simple software program fool you. Although the features are limited compared to some, this program is well designed in its user interface and a variety of image adjustments buttons, effects, and filters.
Picture Shark – This is another free editing program that comes with all of the features as the others listed here but with the distinction of being able to write on your photograph. Adding captions, text and even an autograph to a photo can be done in a snap!
Picasa. This is a freeware from Google. This is most indeed the smart software. It will save your pictures according to size and your ability to name them. This will make it easy to locate the pictures when you need to edit them. You simply take the pictures that are saved on your computer and start editing them with Picasa by just dropping them in the editing area of the software.
Serif Photo Plus – This programs comes complete with many tools offered in other programs such as cropping, enhancing, slicing and many more.
ADG Panorama Version 5.0 – This software allows you to edit your photo from a complete 360 degree angle.
There are many kind of different editing software available for digital photos today. This list is considered to be some of the favorites in both features and ease of use. Try any one of these outwith a little practice your pictures with be perfect in no time.
Tags: Photography Posted in Photography
Posted August 7th, 2008
by David Peters
by David Peters
1. When working on a colour image, you can use the Paint Brush tool to selectively “paint away” colour to black and white. It can make one portion of your image really stand out. In the Paint Brush Options palette, change the blend mode to Colour, and paint away the colour
2. Press the Shift to add more to the selection, or press the Alt to take away from the selection when using your magic wand tool.
3. If you have a lot of images to display, use Photoshop’s image gallery to build a webpage of images that are thumbnailed for you. FILE > Automate > Web Images Gallery
4) To automatically select the entire text layer, double click on the ‘T’ on a Type layer in the Layers Palette.
There are at least two ways to switch between the choice of measurement units that Photoshop displays.
5) The first is to change them in your Preferences by going to the Photoshop menu under Preferences and selecting Units & Rulers (in Photoshop 7 under Mac OS 9, Preferences is found under the Edit menu). From here you can change the ruler units and click OK.
6. Option two is to open the Info Palette (go to the Window menu and choose Info) and click on the small triangle next to the cross in the lower left quadrant. This will bring up a menu that will permit you to change units.
7. To cycle through different screen modes, simply press the F key
8. By holding the Cmd/Ctrl key and clicking the mouse on that layer in the Layers palette, you can select only the pixels and not the transparency area of the layer
9) If you have a particular layer style that you use often you can have that style saved to be displayed in your layers palette. In the Blending Options, find “Save Style” located just under OK and Cancel. Name your style, save it and now notice how it will be found in the Styles palette. One note however, the style must be in its own layer.
10. Sometimes when you combine multiple images, there will be a bit of fringe around the edges of the composite images. Often you can hide this by going to Layers > Matting > Defringe. At the dialogue box, choose the default setting; it that doesn’t work, undo it, and try Defringe again at a setting of 2.
11) If you have too many layers, simply select the right layer by using the move tool (V). Right click the mouse over the layer and a drop down list will appear.
On the other hand, you can allocate your layers into layer sets. On the bottom of your layers palette, click the ‘create new layers set’ (looks like a folder), name the new layer set, and just drag the layers you like in that set. Highlight the set right click and choose copy to copy your sets with ease.
12. Press Shift-Command-M (Mac)/ Shift-Control-M (PC) to toggle between Photoshop and ImageReady.
13. Press Shift-Command-Option-S (Mac)/ Shift-Control-Alt-S (PC) to access the Save for Web dialogue rapidly,
14. Press Cmd/Ctrl J to duplicate your current layer.
15. To bring up the Extract dialogue box, press Command-Option-X (Mac)/ Control-Alt-X (PC). Within the Extract dialogue box, switch to the Extract Edge Highlighter tool by pressing the letter “b.”, the Fill tool by pressing the letter “k.”, and change the Edge Highlighter’s brush size by holding the ] key to make it larger and the [ to make it smaller.
Tags: Photography Posted in Photography
