Digital Photography: Bringing Your Photos To Life
Digital Photography: Bringing Your Photos To Life
Digital photography has created a generation of
photographers who are snapping away like never before. But
what are we doing with all these pictures?
With technology that allows you to take all the photos you
want at no cost, there is nothing stopping you from taking
many more photos than you would in the days of film. This
has been a great boost to the art of photography. People
are now happy to experiment without fear of wasting money.
As a result, they are becoming much more adventurous.
In the past, if a person did not know much about
photography, they would likely buy a point-and-shoot
compact camera. Now most compact cameras have manual
settings that allow almost the same flexibility as an SLR
camera. Ambitious beginners are even opting for digital SLR
cameras, knowing that they can learn as they go without
fear of paying for their mistakes.
But back to the question: with all this snap-happy activity
going on...what are we doing with all those photos?
Gone are the days when you had to get your photos developed
and printed to see your results. Now we have digital files
which can be viewed instantly, and revisited on our
computer screens at our leisure.
The problem is, in most cases that is as far as they ever
get.
By now you probably have thousands of photos on your
computer (and hopefully backed up somewhere). But who ever
sees them? Yourself, occasionally, and others perhaps, if
you ever get around to sending those emails you promised.
The truth is, if you don't print your photos and do
something with them, then they represent wasted energy.
Think of the reasons you took all those photos in the first
place...to recall precious memories and share them with
family and friends. Your intentions may have been good at
the time, but as long as those photos stay locked up where
nobody gets to enjoy them, they are an opportunity lost.
So here is my challenge to you. With the gift-giving season
still several months away, you could be trawling through
all those thousands of photos. Pick out some of the best
ones and get them printed. Then instead of doing your
gift-shopping at the chain stores this year - turn some of
those photos into personal gifts for the people who will
really enjoy them.
This need not be a project for the 'too hard basket' as
long as you don't leave it until the last minute. You don't
need to spend a fortune. If you want to frame some photos,
you should be able to pick up some ready-made frames the
right size and do the job yourself.
Framed photos can be costly if you are doing a lot of them,
and they can also be difficult and expensive to post. So
here is another thought: why not turn some of your best
photos into calendars?
Calendars are a great gift. You can turn not just one, but
twelve, of your best images into a gift with a real
personal touch. What's more, who doesn't need a calendar?
It is a gift you know will be appreciated and used. In
fact, do a good job and those people will be begging you to
make them another one next year!
It's easy to personalize a calendar. Printing your photos
is not costly, so you can print a different set of pictures
for each person. Then all you need to do is grab a blank
calendar and stick your photos in place. What could be
simpler. It's like being creative without doing any real
work!
To make your photos into gifts, all it takes is a little
forward-thinking. You can start now by looking back through
your image files to find your best pictures. There is still
plenty of time to get your photos printed, and have fun
seeing them transformed into something special.
I can tell you now...it's a lot more fun than joining the
queue at a department store two days before Christmas!
About the Author:
Andrew Goodall is a professional nature photographer,
teacher and gallery owner. He likes to encourage all
photography enthusiasts not just to become better
photographers, but to turn their images into something that
can be enjoyed by others. Andrew has designed the "Creative
Calendar" so that the hard work of making a calendar is
done for you. Find it at
http://www.naturesi