Photo News and Updates

Photography Know How Has Changed

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If you have been to Photography Know How before you probably have noticed that it has recently changed.

It has a new look and new format. You’ll still find all of the original free content with digital camera information, tips on buying digital cameras, and lots of info on taking better pictures. And there is more to come.

Part of maintaining a growing site is being able to keep it organized. This new format will help do this, allowing me more time to spend on adding valuable content.

Just click the content menu links on the right and you’ll set a list of all the topics in that category. Just choose the ones you are interested in. As new items are added to the site they will be listed in the Recent Articles section on the sidebar as well, so you can quickly find any new topics.

So welcome to the new look and I hope you enjoy it and find it easy to use. Thank you for visiting and come back often.

Here’s to better photography …

Al Hannigan

Al Hannigan

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Digital Camera Features

Digital Camera Features

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In addition to the full auto mode, many digital cameras have Image Zone Modes that are auto settings that give you more creative control over your photography.

There are times when you may want to choose a specific f-stop, use a faster or slower shutter speed or just have a little more control over the image than you would get when using the point and shoot, auto mode.

Perhaps you want to limit the depth of field so your subject stands out from a busy background, or you want to freeze some action and need the fastest shutter speed… all of these choices are possible when your camera has the image zone modes described below.

Learning what these features are, how they work and how they can apply to different kinds of photography will help you decide which of these options you may want to include when buying a digital camera.

Or if you already have these features on your camera, but were uncertain what they were for or how to use them, then the lessons below will explain them.

Take your photography to new levels of creativity and control by learning about these common features…


Lesson Category: Digital Camera Features

Using Aperture Priority Mode

Using Shutter Priority Mode

Using Portrait Mode

Using Landscape Mode

Stitch Assist Mode

Using Night Scene Mode

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Digital Photography Basics

Digital Camera Auto Mode

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Using the auto mode on a digital camera gives you a point and shoot camera that allows you to concentrate on the subject while the camera makes the necessary settings to give you a well exposed and properly focused image.

But like most automatic features, knowing how they function will help you keep the camera from getting fooled in those special situations that often yield the most dramatic photos…. such as back lighting, or when your main subject is off-center.

In this section we look at the four main components of the automatic mode … focus, exposure, white balance and flash.


Lesson Category: Digital Camera Auto Modes

How Auto Focus Works

How Auto Exposure Works

How Auto White Balance Works

How Auto Flash Works

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Photography Basics

Learn Photography Online

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Photography is all about visual expression… using a camera to freeze in time those moments that are soon gone forever.

In this section we will be exploring the “Visual Language of Photography”. Learning to use light, composition and more to communicate ideas and move from taking ‘ snapshots ‘ to creating exciting photographic images.

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Camera Buying

A Series of Tips on Buying Digital Cameras

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Shopping for a digital camera can be both fun and frustrating.  While it is fun to see all the exciting features and bells and whistles that are available, when it comes right down to choosing the right camera for you to buy … well, all those options can be frustrating and make your choice more difficult.

First, it is usually helpful to narrow down your choices. Price is often a good starting point … having a general price range in mind helps narrow your choices considerably, but still  can leave you way too many makes and models from which to make your final choice.

A look at the kind of photography you enjoy and how you’ll be using the camera most of the time is another good way to help narrow down the field. The articles listed below cover some of the choices you will need to make when deciding which digital camera to buy.

Step 1: How Will You Use Your Digital Camera?

How you plan to use your digital camera can influence what size camera is best and which features you may want.

Step 2: Resolution- How Many Megapixels Do You Need?

How do you decide how many megapixels you should get? Some tips to help you understand just what megapixels are and why they are important.

Step 3: Features- Which Features Do You Want?

Digital cameras offer many features that allow you to have more control over the photos you want to get. This article explains some of these features and what they do.

Overviews and Reviews of Popular Cameras

Once you have narrowed down your options,  the next step is reading up on the overviews and reviews of those cameras that might still be on your wish list. That task too can be extremely time consuming and not always really helpful. Many review sites are little more than “sales” pitches for the cameras they review.

While I may earn commissions on cameras listed on this site, I am not a reviewer, nor do I personally review the cameras featured in the review section. My purpose is mainly to sift through the multitude of information available for many of the most popular digital cameras available and present a summary of the best info I find.

The camera articles are designed to save you time by highlighting the main features of a specific model,  adding a few notes from some of the more reputable reviews I find on the camera and adding in my own 2 cents worth when appropriate.  I also provide you with links to the sites where I gathered the info, so you can read the full review and/or details of those cameras you’re most interested in.

Hope you find these suggestions useful when shopping for your next digital camera.

One more suggestion … even if you intend to purchase your camera online, it is still a good idea to go to a store and actually handle the camera you plan to buy.

You’re photography will be much more rewarding if you are comfortable with the camera you use.

Here’s to better photography …

Al Hannigan

Al Hannigan

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Camera Buying

How Will You Use Your Digital Camera?

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Buying a digital camera can be a lot of fun but it can also quickly get confusing. With so many makes and models to choose from, how do you decide which camera is the best one for you?

How Will You Use Your Digital Camera?

This is one of the most important questions you should ask yourself.

Knowing the kind of pictures you want to take can help you choose from the many types of digital cameras that are available.

The way you use your camera will help you decide the importance of size and weight, which features you need, how many megapixels to get and how much money you should expect to spend.

Let’s begin with size.

Even though digital cameras are pretty small and compact compared to most film cameras, there is still a wide selection of sizes and weights from ultra compact pocket sized cameras to the bulkier and heavier high end models.

Ultra Compact

Perhaps you’d like a camera you can stick in your pocket or purse so it’s always handy. Ultra Compact digital cameras are a great choice for photographers on the go. Even though they may not give you all of the manual controls larger models offer, these ultra compact cameras still provide you with quality pictures.

Ultra compacts range in price from as low as $100 to as high as $500. Even when price is a factor you will still find a wide selection of choices. Their features may include zoom lenses, 3.0 to 7.1 megapixels, and some even offer a movie mode with sound.

Point and Shoot Simplicity

Maybe you prefer simplicity … no manual controls, just a point and shoot camera that gives you great pictures with minimal effort. Again, you have some excellent cameras to choose from and many will offer both beginners and more advanced photographers a lot of useful options.

While generally a little bulkier than the ultra compacts, point and shoot cameras can still be very easy to carry around. They range in price from less than $100 to as high as $400 or more. If you want to eliminate a lot of the guesswork and still get quality pictures then point and shoot models could be a your best choice.

Intermediate- Both Auto and Advanced Features

Ok, let’s say you really like the appeal of a point and shoot camera, but you also want to be able to do more advanced photography. Intermediate or so called ‘prosumer’ cameras give you the largest range of makes and models from which to choose.

These intermediate level digital cameras have a fully automatic operation (point and shoot) but also offer many of the advanced control features found on professional level digital cameras.

These cameras will run a little higher in price ranging from around $200 to as much as $700 – $900 for the high end models. They are also heavier and bulkier than the more compact digitals.

For photographers who want a camera that will allow them to advance their photography to a more professional level this is a good choice.

Professional Digital SLR (DSLR)

The next level would be the professional DSLR models. These cameras are designed for advanced amateurs and professional photographers and range in price from just under $1000 to $20,000 or more. Naturally, these cameras offer very sophisticated features and give the photographer a high level of control over all functions of the camera.

If you want a camera that you will give you professional quality photos, and price is not a factor, then a DSLR is a good choice to consider. Where complete control over all aspects of your photography is required, these cameras offer you the very best that digital can provide.

For Selection and Price Go Where the Pro’s Shop


Narrowing your choices down using the above broad categories is a start, but still leaves you with a large selection of possibilities. So the next step will be to look at some of the other factors that will influence your choice of which digital camera to buy.

Go to Step 2 – How Many Megapixels Do You Need?

Here’s to better photography …

Al Hannigan

Al Hannigan

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Camera Buying

Resolution- How Many Megapixels Do You Need?

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When deciding which digital camera to buy you will need to consider how many megapixels you need. Resolution in a digital camera is measured in pixels. Let’s look at why this can be important in your choice of camera.

Resolution- How many megapixels do you need?

Pixel stands for picture element, and digital photos are made up of millions of these tiny pixels. The term megapixel (MP) simply means 1 million pixels. So 2 megapixels would be 2 million pixels, 3 MP’s would be 3 million and so on.

Your digital camera has an image sensor that is the digital equivilent to film. This sensor is made up of pixels.

When exposed to light each pixel records a small bit of data which is then processed and the result is a digital image.

The number of megapixels that your camera has tells you how many pixels the image sensor uses to create your image. Since detail in the image is relative to the number and size of each pixel, the more megapixels your camera has the more detail it is capable of recording.

Think of a pixel as a tiny dot. Your digital print is made up of millions of these tiny dots. The larger the print, the larger these dots become. At some point they won’t be sharp little dots, but more like fuzzy circles. Detail then becomes blurred.

You can see this yourself if you have an image editor on your computer that allows you to enlarge an image. Simply take a digital photo image and enlarge it as much as possible. You will see that it becomes more and more a blur. If the image came from a 2 mp camera it will show more blur at the lower magnification levels than an image from a 5 mp camera.

Megapixels and Print Sizes

Your main concern when deciding how many megapixels you need is the size of the prints you expect to make from your digital images and how important having good sharp and clear photos is to you. For a rule of thumb just remember that the more megapixels your camera has the larger the prints you can make.

If you only want snapshot size prints for the family album, and to email to friends and family, then you will be quite satisfied with a quality 2 or 3 mp camera. On the other hand if you want to be able to make a lot of large pictures that you can frame and display then you should try to get at least a 4 or 5 mp camera.

There’s one more thing consider when deciding how many megapixels to get. If you want to be able to crop your photos, using only a small section of the image for the final print, then you may want an extra megapixel or 2 even though you are only making album sized prints.

A 2 or 3 mp camera can produce some very good quality prints up to about 4×6 inches and even larger in some cases. But if you want to make 8×10 or larger sized prints or you do a lot of cropping, then you would get better results with a 4 or 5 mp camera.

This is extremely simplified and there are other factors that determine print quality besides how many megapixels your camera has, but the important thing to consider here is the size of the prints you want from your digital camera.

While it doesn’t hurt to have more megapixels, if you don’t need them you might be happier with a high quality 3 mp camera than a cheap 5 mp one. Also, for email and display on the web you have to reduce the resolution anyway, so fewer megapixels is not a disadvantage.

If you are shopping for an intermediate level camera and know you want at least 5 or 6 mp, then you should also learn about image sensors and lens quality, since they can be very important to the quality of the camera’s images.

Just having more megapixels doesn’t guarantee that a camera will produce better quality images than a camera with fewer megapixels. If high image quality is important to you, then the number of megapixels is only one factor to consider when choosing the best digital camera.

Go to Step 3 – Which Features Do You Want?

Here’s to better photography …

Al Hannigan

Al Hannigan

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