Photo Safe Storage Boxes
November 11, 2009
Now that you have taken the time to print your pictures, where are you going to keep them? Photo safe storage boxes are the simple and perfect solution. Photo storage boxes not only can hold large quantities of pictures but do it in a quick, an organized manner.
Quality Does Matter
Since you invested time and money into printing out your pictures, you should take the time to buy quality storage boxes. These boxes do not have to be expensive but remember this is an investment. Photo storage cases that are designed to preserve your photos for years to come can fall into two main categories, archival storage boxes and acid free storage boxes. Archival storage boxes are built very durable with a very tight fitting lid. These boxes are designed to hold your photos for a long time by protecting them from light, pollution and other harmful items. Archival storage boxes are usually treated so that they neutralize any acid that the photo might come into contact with in the box. Acid free storage boxes are like the name states, the materials they are made from are free from acid. Acid free storage boxes might not have the same barriers that archival storage boxes but will protect your photos for years to come. For paper to be considered acid free, the acidity of the paper should be 7 or higher on the pH scale. Either of these boxes will not protect your photos as well if you store certain kinds of items with your photos. Paper and photo negatives are two items that should not be stored with your photos. Photos should not be stored in manila envelopes, shoe boxes, file photos or plastic baggies. Make sure the storage boxes are acid free, lignin and PVC free. All of these will ruin your photos, you will not see it over night, but they will cause your photos to deteriorate.
Size
Archival and acid free boxes come in different sizes. You need to consider what size pictures you are storing. You should be able to find boxes that will hold small 3×5 photos, medium size photos on up to much larger photos. You also need to consider if you will be storing any pictures that are mounted and or matted. These added features will increase your picture size, and you might need to purchase a larger box.
After you go out and purchase your storage boxes, chip away at those photos that you have stored in a temporary home or still in the computer. Design your filing system to fit your need, whether it is by months or occasions. This way you have made sure that you will have these memories to share with generations to come.
Create Colorful Photo Calendar Gifts
October 27, 2009
Do you want to recapture the past year’s highlights? When you create a photo calendar gift you can share your family’s highlights with the ones you love. Are you afraid that you are not crafty enough or have the time to dedicate to a project? Do not worry merchandisers have something to offer for everyone.
Upload to a website
Type in ‘where can I create a photo calendar’ in your search engine you are over whelmed with the number of responses. The different websites allow you to upload your own photos to arrange your own personal calendar. Most can be created with three basic steps. First, pick the theme and style of the calendar you want. Some websites let you choose wall, desk, poster or magnet calendars. The second step would be to upload the photos you will use in the design. Depending on the design of your calendar, and the website, you can put up to four pictures in the design for one month. At certain websites, you can also personalize the important days of the month by placing a picture in that space. You can create a more personalized calendar by placing a caption in for that month. The third step is to preview and finalize your calendar. Once the calendar or calendars have been printed they will be shipped to your door. Pricing and shipping vary; make sure to check out several different websites that you trust.
Do-it-yourself blank calendars
If you go into most mass retailers, you can find the blank do-it-yourself wall calendars. There are even websites that offer this option. Some of the larger wall calendars have a 12 x 12 blank space that need to be filled every month. This gives you the option of creating a scrapbook page design for each month or you could simply place more than one picture in that layout. Yes, a scrapbook page design can be time consuming but it does not have to be hard. You can now purchase scrapbook kits, sold separately, that have everything you need to design pages. Scrapbook pages definitely personalize each picture and demonstrate that you spent time on the present. After the year is done, the recipient can place the scrapbook pages into an album to keep for years to come.
No matter which route you go, family and friends will have a memorable gift from you. The best part of giving a photo gift is the memories. Every month you will able to remember a special part of your family’s life.
Lens For the Canon Rebel Camera Series
October 7, 2009
With over 60 lenses for the Canon Rebel Camera series, it is difficult to know where to start. Canon currently offers 27 lenses with Optical Imaging stabilization. The Canon EOS digital SLR cameras do not provide Image Stabilization in the camera itself. Optical Imaging stabilization is a prominent feature in preventing what is commonly known as camera shakes. While Canon does provide professional Image Stabilization lenses ranging in thousands of dollars, rest assured that there is quality IS lenses that are affordable to the general public. The lenses in this article are just a few of the Image Stabilizing lenses that Canon offers. The Image Stabilizing lenses are designed to work with Canon EOS series.
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens
The EF-S 55-250mm lens is an affordable, lightweight lens that is an excellent choice as your first or second lens for the amateur or beginning photographer. This telephoto lens is an excellent everyday lens which allows you to take pictures from a distance. This lens offers the ability to take portraits from a standard distance or for sports and wildlife with the zoom. For the retail price of around $200, this lens has beaten the expectation around the photography world.
EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
The EF-S 18-135mm lens is one of the newest lenses to the Canon line up. This lens has a retail release date of September 2009. The lens is a wide-angle zoom lens with telephoto abilities. Depending on the subject of your picture, you can use this lens for a wide-angle landscape, daytime sports, and everyday pictures. Light enough to carry around every day, it weighs about one pound. The suggested retail price of this lens is $500.
EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM Lens
The EF-S 17-85mm lens is another easy walk around everyday use lens. Canon has a suggested retail price for the lens of $600. This wide-angle lens offers a 5x zoom range making it ideal as an everyday walk around camera. The lens covers most of the focal lengths that are used in general photography without having to change the lenses. If you choose to hold your camera, rather than setting up a tripod this lens is worth further investigation.
All the lenses included in this article all are considered everyday walk around lens. The lenses have price points for the general consumer. These lenses are priced to be obtainable, so amateurs or beginning photographers can take their picture taking ability to the next level.
Canon Rebel Camera Settings
September 30, 2009
The Canon Rebel series has a variety of camera settings. The basic zone, which has full auto mode and 6 scene modes, is a great section of the camera controls everything needed for the picture. The creative zone offers 5 different settings in which the photographer controls the parameters of the camera. This article will discuss the 6 scene modes, Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Scene and Flash Off that are in the basic zone.
Portrait mode
Portrait mode is useful when you want the subject to stand out from the background. The background will be blurred to help make for a better image of the subject. It is necessary to have the subject centered in the frame. The further the distance the subject is from the background the more blurred the background becomes. This mode softens the appearance of the human subject as noticed on the hair and flesh tones versus when taken in the full auto mode.
Landscape mode
Ideal for taking pictures of wide scenery or night scenes this mode keeps everything in the view finder in focus. The blues and greens are sharper in this mode then in the full auto mode. The built in flash is disabled in this mode.
Close-Up mode
A close-Up mode allows the photographer to take pictures of the image close up. Depending on your camera and your camera lens, you will be able to focus on the image a few inches away to a few feet away. This does not enlarge the image so if you are looking to enlarge the image a macro lens will be needed. Most cameras built in flashes become disabled in this mode since you are so close to the subject that it could create dark spots on the picture.
Sports mode
To catch the fast action of sports or kids playing this mode uses the fastest shutter speed to freeze the images. It is also important in this mode to have your subject in the center of the frame, so it will be in focus. The built in flash is also disabled in sports mode, but the continuous shooting mode can be used.
Night Scene
Night Scene mode is useful when taking pictures of your subject in ample light while the background is lit enough to provide its detail. This mode can be used indoors, for example, during the birthday cake lighting at a celebration. The built in flash will flash if needed in this condition.
Flash Off
Flash Off or sometimes called disabling flash is often used when you are not allowed to use a flash. A museum is a prime example where a flash might be prohibited. The Flash Off mode can also be used when you want candlelight effect in your pictures. Camera shakes tend to be a problem in low light situations so make sure to prepare for this.
All of these settings can be useful in taking your photographs to the next level.
Camera Lenses for Canon Rebel XSi
September 29, 2009
The Canon Rebel XSi camera is compatible with all lenses in the Canon line. Canon has over 60 EF and EF-S lenses that you can use with the XSi. This provides a variety of potential opportunities to expand your picture taking ability. A few lenses for your consideration are Image Stabilizer lenses in EF 18-200mm, EF-S 17-85mm and EF-S 18-55mm. The image stabilizing feature helps compensate for movement of the camera which will result in blurry pictures. The Rebel series does not have Image Stabilizing in the body of the camera so having it in the lens is a helpful feature.
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
The EF-S 18-55mm can be purchased in the Canon Rebel XSi kit, or it is sold separately. When purchased with the kit the 3x optical zoom lens is a win win situation. You receive a basic lens that is a perfect starter lens without the cost that is associated with lenses. The EF-S 18-55mm range is very commonly used. The lens is a delightful basic lens that can be used to shoot portraits and landscapes. This is a relatively inexpensive lens costing around $100.00.
EF-S 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS USM Standard zoom
Weighing in at less than one pound, this lens is another great general purpose lens with an optical zoom range of 5x. The wide angle of this lens allows for the photographer to be close to the subject but still able to obtain the whole subject. The 17-85mm is an excellent choice when upgrading from the 18-55mm lens. The USM in the name stands for Ultrasonic Motor that allows the lens to auto focus quicker than a standard lens. The lens is for general photography and travel. This lens retails starting at over $400.00.
EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
This lens is has the flexibility to allow you to be taking pictures of the landscape. Then zoom in on something else that has caught your eye without changing lens. The lens has a 11.1x super zoom range making it enjoyable to take pictures when you need to be at a distance, like a sporting event. The 18-200mm is not equipped with an USM. Canon uses Image Stabilization on the lenses to compensate for the lack there of in the body of the camera. Image Stabilization (IS) can be turned on by a flip of a switch to counter act the camera shakes that are noticeable with longer focuses. This lens retails for over $500.00.
The three lenses discussed in this article are among some of the most commonly used of the Canon 60 lenses. The lenses all have their advantages, and help you to make the most of your camera.
Buy the Canon XTi Camera
September 23, 2009
Should you buy the Canon XTi camera? The Canon XTi is a 10.1 megapixel EOS digital SLR camera. Canon has built upon the solid foundation of the Rebel XT. This entry-level SLR has features from the XT and high-end cameras.
XTI vs XT
The XTI and XT look essentially the same from some angles. The XTI does have at larger LCD screen. The XTI’s screen is 2.5 inches as opposed to the 1.8 inches of the XT. Canon has increased to a 9 point autofocus from the XT’s 7 point autofocus. The XT uses a smaller independent LCD screen to display shooting information. The XTi displays the information on the large 2.5 inch LCD screen. One noticeable difference is from the 8.0 Megapixels of the XT to the 10.1 megapixels of the XTi. EOS Integrated Cleaning System New to the Canon XTi is the EOS integrated cleaning system with a self-cleaning sensor. The cleaning system uses an ultrasonic vibration to shake the dust of the sensor. If the dust is in not shaken off, then you can take a picture of a white wall. The camera then picks up the dust imprint and stores the information. When you transfer you picture from your camera to the computer to edit you can then the included software to delete the dust.
Picture Style
The Canon offers 6 preset Picture Styles and three additional styles you can customize to the way you take your pictures. The six preset styles are Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, and Monchrome. You can also set these to your liking or keep them at the factory default. You can adjust the color saturation and sharpness of the picture.
Software
The Rebel XTi comes with software to bridge your computer and camera. You receive a program for Mac called ImageBrowser and the Zoombrowser for the PC. This software allows for you to view and edit your pictures on the computer. The EOS Utility Program is designed to download pictures from you camera through the USB cable. The application can also remotely control your camera from the computer when it is still plug in with USB cable. Make all your settings on the computer screen to take the picture you would like. The picture is saved directly to your computer instead of the compact flash. The final software included is the Digital Photo Professional in which you can edit RAW pictures. RAW pictures are the images that are not processed by the camera’s sensor. This is also where you can access the dust cleaner part of the editing. Just press a button to remove the dust from the picture.
The Canon Rebel has excellent features that will not overwhelm the beginner or amateur photographer. The SLR camera is relatively lightweight that weighs about one and half pounds with the lens that is offered in the camera kit.
Good Canon Rebel Camera Flash At A Great Price
September 16, 2009
A good Canon Rebel Camera Flash is the Speedlite 270EX. The Speedlite 270EX is the newest for the Canon Rebel Flash line up. Introduced in 2009 the retailed suggested price is $160.00. This makes it one of the lowest price Canon Rebel flashes and a nice addition for your Canon Rebel EOS camera.
Characteristics
The first item you notice when looking at the Speedlite 270EX is its size. The flash is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. There are two main reasons to explain the smaller size. The first is that the flash needs to be controlled from the camera. This limits what functions you can use on the flash if you do not have a newer camera that supports this feature. If your camera does support the flash control system, you must go through the menus to set up the flash. This is time-consuming versus using a flip switch on the flash. The only switch on the flash on the Speedlite 270EX is the on/off switch. The second reason is that the flash is powered by two AA batteries instead of 4 which are used in most Speedlites. The foot of the horseshoe flash is metal, instead of plastic, with a slide-locking mechanism. A delightful feature on this compact flash is the ability to tilt the head at 60, 75 and 90 degrees. The tilt is accomplished by pulling the head forward. This also changes the coverage from a 28mm focal length to 50mm.
Flash Firing System
The Speedlite 270EX uses an intermittent flash firing system for the autofocus to work. If you are familiar with other Speedlites, you know that in other models they have a red light that is used to assist the autofocus when light levels are low. The red light either projects lines for autofocusing in low light or a single point coverage as on the small Speedlites. The flash firing system on the Speedlite 270EX covers all focus points when used with the EOS cameras. A drawback to this system is that it delivers bright flashes of light that your subject may find irritating.
The Speedlite 270EX works wonderfully with the newer EOS cameras that allow you to control the flash from the screen. A tremendous draw for the beginner or amateur photographer is the price and size. This flash delivers flexibility and a stronger flash then the standard built in flash. This flash is also helpful in low-light situations.
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