GETTING THE BEST DIGITAL PHOTOS
Digital cameras are appealing because they’re simple to use and they eliminate many photo processing steps. Digital cameras come in many shapes, sizes, qualities and price ranges. The least expensive ones are okay for publishing photos on the web, but they often don’t reproduce well on the printed page. Here are some tips to make sure you get the best quality when using a digital camera for your yearbook photos:
1) More resolution is better! Use the camera with the most megapixels (picture elements). The higher the number, the better the image. A 2.1 megapixel camera is recommended; a 3.1 megapixel is preferred.
NOTE: Beware of the word “interpolation.” This means the camera comes with software that adds pixels by guessing. This doesn’t work well and should be avoided.
2) Save photos at the highest resolution possible (“Fine” or “Superfine”). This setting won’t allow you to save as many pictures, but each image will be better quality. If the camera offers a choice of compression levels, choose a ratio of 10:1 or lower. (Higher compression reduces image quality.)
3) Limit long distance shots if possible. In digital photography, long distance views lose contrast.
4) Get closer. Close-up shots work well with digital cameras, so move in a bit more than you would with a standard 35mm camera, but avoid extreme close-ups.
5) Pay attention to light. Avoid strong contrasting light. Don’t shoot into the sun. When outside, use automatic flash. (This fills in facial features and allows the camera to adjust for lighting conditions.) When inside or in low light, always use your flash.
6) Remember the trigger delay (the time from when the trigger is pressed to when the image is stored). Action shots from digital cameras are often blurry. Remember this when photographing sports events. For snapshots, have subjects stay still longer than for a regular 35 mm camera.
7) Do all your photo manipulation (i.e., adjusting highlights and shadows) in Adobe PhotoShop – don’t use the software that came with the camera.
8) When saving images, save each as a TIFF file with a short, descriptive name, i.e., “JohnandBecky.tif.” Do not leave them as the default name (i.e., 001.jpg, 002.jpg, etc.) This can result in confusion and errors in your book. Save images in folders that relate to their activity or theme, i.e., “Fall Festival.”
The Ultimate Tip - Send us a sample!
With prior request,* we can analyze samples of your digital photography sent to us either e-mail (no more than one page per e-mail) or on floppy disk, CD, Jaz, Zip or Orb drives. Your samples can be any practice photos, not necessarily the ones you will use in your yearbook. We’ll evaluate their quality and offer customized pointers on how to achieve the best quality photography for your yearbook.
*(NOTE: Due to our hectic production schedules between January-June, we are able to offer this service only during the months of July-December. So please contact us early in the school year.)
Call: 1-800-247-1526 or
use our E-Mail form
