Getting Started With Digital Images ~~~~~~~~~~~ by John Boretos, MP, NIHCC

This is the first of mini-discussions to appear in “Cameraderie” on digital photography aimed at promoting a better understanding of the art of electronic imaging. Basic techniques and how they are used to achieve desirable results and/or improve images will be offered using Windows systems. One of the first issues to address is just how does digital photography differ from that of conventional film photography and are there compelling reasons to change. Both are equally challenging and satisfying; similar in many ways yet completely different in others. Traditional photographic techniques to create a print usually involves the use of a darkroom where work is done with the lights off and often requires long hours of standing over an enlarger, easel, developer trays, washers, dryers, and a host of chemicals. Digital photography involves working under normal office or home conditions. There is no prep time necessary. You can work as long as you want and stop at any point to resume exactly where you left off. There is little that can go wrong that is not repairable. Some applications can keep track of the last 20 or so operations that you perform. If you make a serious mistake, it is an easy matter to use the Undo feature taken from a desired point and start anew.

Digital manipulations allow an image to be expressive of what the maker wants to convey and encourages the free exercise of one’s imagination and creativity. In some cases an editing program can be used to "improve" an image or eliminate its flaws. In other cases it allows the artist to change the composition or emphasize an aspect of an image that originally may have been overlooked. Or to go completely off the deep end and conger up images that have never existed except in the Digital Artist’s mind. Creativity does not stop with the click of the shutter button. For any given image, it is just the beginning.

What software is needed? If cost is a consideration, there may be programs already on your computer that will allow you to do a number of interesting operations. For example, if you are equipped with Microsoft Office check to see if you also have Microsoft Photo Editor. If so, you are ready to work on photographs in a creative way. Also, Microsoft Paint is an application that almost always comes with computers. After exhausting everything these programs have to offer, if you feel you want even more sophisticated applications try Photoshop Elements or Picture Window which I have read are adequate for most work unless you will be doing highly creative level imaging. In that case go for Adobe Photoshop 7 (my choice).

Here is how they are priced:
Adobe Photoshop Element 2.0 $84.99 less $30 rebate from Amazon.com
Picture Window Pro 3.1 $89.95 + S&H from DigitalLightandColor.com
Adobe Photoshop 7.0 $503 free shipping from SoftwaremoreUSA.com
Student discounts apply to most of these items, if you are enrolled in courses. For example:
Elements goes for $53 and Photoshop 7 for $279.

What hardware is needed? Well, one should have a computer with as much memory as you can afford and preferably one with a CD Rom (reader). My suggested minimum systems requirement for Windows would be: Pentium 300 MHz, Windows 98, and 128 MB Ram. I use Windows XP with a 1.9 GHz computer having 512 MB Ram and a 20 GB hard drive. I also recommend a 19 inch CRT monitor with a resolution of 1600 X 1200. The latter goes for less than $300. Other devices are nice to have such as a scanner and printer but there are ways to operate without them. I will offer some inexpensive ways to deal with these subjects next month. Until then, E-mail me at [email protected] with any questions relating to digital photography and I will find answers and post them in this column.

~~~ Check out the Digital Image web site at www.geocities.com/jboretos ~~~