Digital Photography: Take Photos and Print Them In a Snap

For thousands of years, man has been capturing images. Before the camera was invented, man captured images through drawings and paintings. Often, the images were based on the interpretations and skill of painters, so the resulting images were not always exact. Minneapolis photographer Bob Dale says "With the invention of the camera we are now able to capture life-like view of subjects through photographs and has been the basis of documenting our lives for the past 150 years. The camera was a very important invention."

Photographs (or photo for short) are images that are created as a result of light falling on photographic film or electronic imager such as a CCD or CMOS chip. Photography is the term used to refer to the process of making photographs. Of course, a camera is needed to create a photo.

Photos can be digital or non-digital. Film cameras produce non-digital photos. To print these photos, the film is processed in a dark room.

Digital photos are photos taken with a digital camera, which uses a memory card or some other storage device instead of film for storing pictures. Digital photos come in different graphic formats (e.g., TIFF, JPEG, RAW). Digital pictures can be printed straight from the digital camera or transferred to a computer that is connected to a printer (e.g., inkjet, laser or thermal).

When digital cameras entered the market, it paved the way for many people to get into photography. They made taking pictures easy; you can take literally thousands of photos without spending a lot of money on film. Pictures are stored electronically, and what's great is that you can print out the pictures you take yourself; you don't need to pay for your photos to be developed.

It's also very easy for anyone today to own a digital camera. For less than $100, you can have a digital camera that takes quality photos. With digital technology advancing at a rapid rate, companies are constantly introducing to the market digital cameras that have more features and are more powerful. "Our cell phones like the Apple Iphone will become our cameras and our viewing devices" says professional digital photographer Bob Dale.

It's a good idea to learn some of the basic methods and techniques of photo composition. But even if you're the point-and-click type of photographer, a quality digital camera can help you create some great looking shots.

Canon, Nikon and Fuji are three of the leading digital camera makers today. The Canon EOS series (Canon EOS 5D, Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 40D), Nikon D80 and Fuji S5 digital cameras are capable of taking high quality photos.

If you want a digital camera that takes quality photos, you can't go wrong with a Canon. The digital cameras in the Canon EOS series are setting the standard in digital photography. These are considered some of the best digital SLR cameras in the market today, perfect for both amateur and professional photographers.

Check out the digital cameras in the Canon EOS series. They're professional grade cameras capable of producing high quality digital pictures and they use Canon's 10.1 megapixel CMOS technology.

The Nikon D80 digital SLR camera is a highly-rated digital camera that is capable of taking photographs that are of professional quality. The Nikon D80 boasts of 10.2 megapixel CCD imaging sensor, a 2.5-inch LCD screen and several other features that will allow you to do a number of in-camera photo editing. The Nikon D80 costs between $700 and $900, which makes this digital camera the ideal choice for photography enthusiasts who either can't afford the more expensive, professional grade cameras or are first-time users of SLR cameras.

Planning on taking your photography hobby to the next level? If you are, invest in the Nikon D300; you can't go wrong with this top of the line digital SLR camera. Starting at $1,700, the Nikon D300 has a live viewing feature: you can preview your shots on the huge LCD screen.

The Fuji S5 is actually composed of several digital camera models. However, if you're still lacking the photography skills, you'll benefit from the Fuji S5 Pro digital camera because it comes with a number of auto-correcting features. Other features of this digital camera include: 12.3 megapixels CCD SR Pro technology, facial detection technology (for quick and easy zooming in on facial details), and 3 new film simulation modes for improved reproduction of natural skin tones. This feature-packed digital camera can be had for bout $1,500.

With digital cameras, it's extremely easy to print and share photos with others. You can seamlessly transfer your photos from your digital camera to your computer, e-mail those photos to people in your address book, and even upload them on FaceBook, Flickr, MySpace and other photo sharing websites that give you web space for your own online photo gallery.

You can create slide shows out of your digital photos, put them in CDs and mail them to your friends and loved ones. With digital photos, you can edit them prior to showing them to others. If you want to express your creativity, try combining your photos with stock photography.

Really, there's no limit in what you can do with your digital photos — all you need is your trusty digital camera, some stock photos, a good photo editing program and a dash of creativity. You can even do some minor editing right there in your camera, such as correcting lighting, flash tones and red eye), and hook up your digital camera to a photo printer and print out your photos immediately.

You can shoot and print your photos quickly and easily with digital photography. You don't need to mess with film or know how to process the photos yourself.