Digital Camera Tips and Tricks

 

 

 

 

Digital Cameras are a wonderful
technology integration tool for the classroom. 
This in-service was not designed for technical
experts on digital photography, but to cover the key areas
that will affect the ability of the camera in creating images
that are useful to a teacher taking  pictures to enhance instruction.

    Class Syllabus

 

Basics of Digital Cameras

 
  Types of Digital Cameras
How a Digital Camera Works
Image Resolution      Digital Image Resolution
What is a Digital Photograph?

 Understanding Image Resolution

Mega-Pixel means MILLIONS of pixels that are measured within a section of a photo.

A photograph produced by a digital camera is a collection of tiny dots. Each dot is called a pixel. The image that you see is created out of millions of pixels.

You will need a mega-pixel camera in the following cases:

  • You want to make large prints of your photos
  • You want to create high resolution greeting cards
  • You want to print images in a magazine or newspaper

This table shows what image size is needed for different size prints:

Mega-pixels Print Size (inches)
2.0 4 x 6 [standard]
3.0 5 x 7
4.0 8 x 10
5.0 9 x 12
6.0 11 x 14
8.0 12 x 16

For Classroom use, you should change your resolution settings to 640x 480 (which is less than 1 mega-pixel) to save instructional time.  At this size you do not have to re-size a huge image and can take the photo immediately into word or powerpoint or a web page and use it.
Understanding Mega-pixels and Resolution
Fuji FinePix 410 (3.1 meg) Test Image      See the Full Image of a house

Olympus C60 (6.1 meg) Test Image          See the Full Image of a house
Fuji Finepix 410 (3.1 meg) Test MACRO image   See the Full Image of some money

Olympus C60 (6.1 meg) Test Super Macro Image       See the Full Image
PANORAMIC Image (Grand Canyon)   -Visit Panoramic Image Page

Photo reduced from 4.1 to 2 mega-pixel for web display

HOW ARE PICTURES SAVED?

Digital Cameras store images to memory. Some cameras have internal built-in memory and most models have a place to insert external memory or media cards (there are about 20 different types). 

Storage -How Many images will fit?  What size do you need?

Downloading Images from your camera

More on Image Storage

Media Card Basics

You can purchase a CARD READER that can read several different types of external camera media cards so it will work with different cameras.

 
How to save and share your digital images online with Yahoo

 

More on Batteries
Using a Flash on a Digital Camera

 

Compare Digital Cameras

Digital Camera Basics   (compare good and bad models)   
Photo Gallery to compare quality of cameras.
Digital Cameras Side by Side (compare different models)
Digital Camera Reviews (by manufacturer)
Digital or 35MM Cameras?
Other features of digital cameras
Choosing a Digital Camera
Online Feature Search- to find the camera you want
Compare Battery Life in Different Model Cameras

 

Image Editing Software
Image Editing (crop, rotate, re-size, change file type, add special effects and filters)

  IrfanView- A wonderful FREE graphics viewer and image editor.

   Vic's Manual on how to use IrfanView (18 pages) -Please wait for this to load.
  Picasa2-Free Image editing software from Google
  Microsoft Photo Story- Free download     movie clip-vacation
 Adobe Photoshop- The "Cadillac" of image editing software used by professionals.
 Image Blender- A low cost program that has many easy to use image effects in it.
 

 

Digital Cameras in the Classroom

Digital Camera Glossary
What to do with a Digital Camera in School
Classroom Applications for a Digital Camera
 Avoid Pixelation when working with images

What is Pixelation?   Zooming often causes Pixelation
Correcting RED EYE

Rotating and Cropping an Image
    Insert a digital Picture- (step by step handout)

  Insert a picture from the web
Using a digital Camera in the Classroom
Digital Photography and the K-12 Educator
How do I do that?
15 Elementary ideas for using a Digital Camera

 

Lessons using a digital camera

 Learning is all around us (a quick digital camera lesson)
All about me (elementary- but easily adjusted to different grades)
  Shapes, Colors, Textures (elementary)
1001 uses for a Digital Camera
A Digital Quilt
Digital Camera Lessons
Kodak Lessons with Digital Cameras
Teacher to Teacher Lesson ideas
HP online classes in Digital Photography
Digital Imaging Tutorial (Cornell University)

 

Digital Camera Resources

Digital Camera Web Resources

A History of Photography in America

Library of Congress- Print and Photo Reading Room
 
  Tips and Tricks of Digital Cameras and Scanners -From Project Participate

 

Vic's Pick for the classroom. 

The Sony Mavica stores pictures on a floppy disk that is easy to use and easy to share between teachers.  The less time you waste with camera settings and downloading images, the more instructional time you have with kids.

  Sony Mavica (FD200) Basic Tutorial

Using the Sony Mavica (FD83 or FD91)
    Insert a digital Picture- (step by step handout)

 
  Insert a picture from the web

 
Directory of Digital Camera Resources
Digital Photography Review- Online news, reviews and information

 
Digital Camera Manufacturers
Kodak Tips for good pictures

DIGITAL PHOTO GALLERIES

Brad Templeton Photos
Gianopolo's Photo Gallery