Faux Farm Photography

September 22nd, 2008

I don’t profess to really know anything about photography except I really enjoy taking pictures. Then I  have them made into prints to enjoy and share with friends and family.
I think I fit into the vast majority of  people who are picture takers vs.

photographers. If you are a photographer, then there are blogs and sites out there that will make your lens cap sparkle like little stars and you know where to find them. Unfortunately, when I have gone to those sites my eyes glaze over and I go blind. Although, I must say I once read that the best way to understand  aperture is to remember that the higher the number the smaller the opening which is the direct opposite of dilation, yes, as in childbirth. That little photographer’s hint has always stayed with me, possibly because I had three children! And because I still have those children I just do not have the time to really learn about photography as an art form but, I still want to take pictures. That doesn’t make me a bad person.  Shallow perhaps but not bad.

I am going to give you the Faux Farm version of photography.

1. Purchase a camera that is easy to use, lightweight and takes great photos.
Duh!
If it is complicated, bulky, and heavy with so many options that you spend more time fiddling with the buttons – it is not the camera for you.
You want at least six mega pixels, (# of little dots of color per square inch) Too few of these dots, (less than four mega pixels) and your photos can look grainy. This is especially true if you intend to enlarge your photos.
And you want optical-not digital magnification. Again, this produces a sharper cleaner photo when you use the zoom function.

Bottom line: The Sony Cyberhost DSC-H10

It is a great little camera for under $300.00 and it will make you very happy. Plus you will love the macro feature for taking close-ups. Even if you think you won’t use this feature, you won’t be able to stop yourself.

You will be taking close up pictures of flowers and bugs once you see the fabulous results.

2. Purchase an extra battery and memory stick. I could say more but seriously just buy them and be done with it.  Ok, I will say more. Keep the battery charged and the memory stick clear. This means don’t use the memory stick as permanent storage. See item three on photo storage.  I number my cards and batteries with a Sharpie since they all look alike. That way I know which battery is charged and which card is full.

Bottom Line: Purchase an extra battery and memory card.

3. What do you do with all those photos.  Back in the day when film and developing were expensive, we were all pretty stingy about the number and subject matter of our photos.  Now with digital we are drunken sailors come ashore. We can’t take stop taking photos and we snap away at any thing that passes our fancy. Just by the law-of -averages, some of them are destined to be fantastic. Unfortunately, the majority of them are not.  Yet, we just can’t bring ourselves to delete them.  Here are some choices for photo storage.
Download them to a cd either at a photo store or at home. I like the photo store version because they give me a thumbnail index of my pictures.  Upload them to an online photo storage company like www.snapfish.com  or www.shutterfly.com to name a few. And the last choice is my  personal favorite because I am a control freak and like all my stuff close at hand. Purchase an external hard drive for your computer and store all your photos on it.

Bottom Line: You will take a lot of photos because with a digital camera you simply can’t help yourself. Trust me on that one. Please accept the fact that these photos will accumulate very quickly and overwhelm your computer. You need to decide how you are going to manage and store these photos.

4. Turn you great photos into a book.  http://www.shutterfly.com makes it easy to upload your photos, add text and produce a great looking photo book quickly and professionally.
You will be pleased as punch and your family will thoroughly enjoy it. Family reunions, birthday parties, vacations are stunning memories when compiled in a professionally bound book. They will also think you are a fabulous photographer and perception is everything!

Bottom Line: Do something fun with your photos. Don’t just have a pack of 4 x 6 pictures in a packet sitting around collecting lint in the bottom of your purse.
Make a  professional photo book.

5. Need to send out postcard reminders, save the date, or just have custom postcards for any darn reason you can think of. Well, www.instaprints.com   is a good site to use to turn your photos into postcards fast and cheap. Look for their special 100 – 4 x 6 postcards for $4.95 plus shipping.

Bottom Line: Utilize your photos for projects, business and social occasions. Get your
photos seen.

PS. I do have a lovely Canon Xti and I have all the fun lenses, tele-photo and wide angle etc… I have a great time using it when I have the time, when I have remembered to  take my backpack full of gear with me and when I can concentrate on photography.  That is usually Saturday mornings between 7 am – 9am.  My Sony stays in my purse so I am always ready to take that “shot of a lifetime photo” the other 6 days of the week.

Annie

Faux Photographer