Welcome to THE DAILY DIGI where we bring you a daily dose of digital scrapbooking! This is a great place to start if you are wondering about the site and what we do. You might be wondering what THE DIGI FILES are all about.  If you are looking for some tutorials or are new to digital scrapbooking check out our digital scrapbooking tutorials section. You can subscribe to our RSS feed and newsletter as well to stay up to date! Thanks for visiting!

Lightroom Fun (for Free!)

February 27th, 2010 Katie Posted in Check it Out!, Photography Class 25 Comments »

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I (Katie) have had my eye on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for about a year, but I wasn’t sure if I “needed” another program or if I wanted to spend that kind of money.  The program retails for $299 US dollars on the official Adobe website, so I’m sure you will understand my hesitation. I was planning to download a trial version (I love that Adobe lets you try before you buy), but then I found out about something even more exciting!

A contact of mine at the Adobe company emailed me this press release:

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta software for Macintosh and Windows, a public preview of new and improved functionality to be delivered in the next major release. Available as a free download on Adobe Labs, Lightroom 3 beta delivers a preview of new tools that will be in Lightroom 3, including more intuitive importing, unparalleled noise reduction and sharpening tools, enhanced slideshow capabilities and direct publishing to online photo sharing sites like Flickr. Adobe encourages photographers to test this early selection of new features and provide the product team with their feedback.

The beta is available as a free download to anyone on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Visit http://labs.adobe.com/downloads to learn more and download the beta. Feedback can be submitted on the Lightroom forums: http://forums.adobe.com/community/lightroom. Users also can connect with Adobe at www.facebook.com/lightroom or http://twitter.com/Lightroom, and can add the tag #AdobeLR3beta to tweets about the beta.

You can read the full press release here if you would like to know more about the beta version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.

What’s the catch?

This is a “beta” program which means it is still in development. Adobe is looking for meaningful customer feedback to help them make this version of Lightroom the best one yet. It’s not required for you to send your input, they just appreciate it. I was thrilled with the opportunity to try out this program that I’ve heard so much about – and to be able to do it for free!

A few things to know:

  • You will need an Adobe account to be able to download the beta version. It is free to create an account, and it’s a good idea to have one anyway if you own any of the Adobe products. You will be prompted to create an account if you don’t have one when you select which product you want to download at this link.
  • Setup is very easy, and as someone who has never used a Lightroom product, I was pleased with how easy it was to get started. You will need to import your photos into Lightroom and it did take quite awhile to import my photos the first time, but I have a lot of photos!
  • You can use Lightroom in several different ways: to organize photos in collections, add keywords, and to edit photos.
  • When you are done playing with your photos in Lightroom, you will need to export them to be able to use them in other programs. This is a simple as saving a file.

I decided to spend a few minutes playing around with the program presets (see drop down menu in image) and I used this silly photo of a Play-Doh creation hamburger and fries.

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With just a few quick clicks I was able to change the photo in several ways:

It went from this:

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to this…

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And you can change the look of each preset by customizing color, white balance, exposure, and other settings.

For TONS of great resources and tutorials for using Lightroom, be sure to bookmark the Adobe Lightroom learning centers page. Of course many digital scrapbooking shops and designers have some neat Lightroom presets for sale, so you might enjoy trying some of them out once you have tried out the Lightroom features.

Matt Kloskowski has a lot of great presets available for free on the Lightroom Killer Tips blog. He also includes instructions on how to install them (very easy!) Here are a few of my favorites:

Have fun playing in Lightroom – I know I will!

katie

Project 365 + other alternatives

January 9th, 2010 Katie Posted in Photography Class 39 Comments »

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Back when The Daily Digi opened it’s virtual doors in January of 2008, Janet posted about doing a photo-a-day project (also known as project 365). If you have made a daily photo resolution for this year, you will enjoy reviewing that same post for some ideas and I (Katie) have a few more to share as well.

What if you don’t want to take a photo every day, or can’t possibly think of what you would shoot on a daily basis? Well, I have plenty of other alternatives to inspire you also, so read on!

I completed a full year of taking daily pictures in 2008 and I’m very proud of myself for finishing a Project 365 (it was actually 366 that year because of leap year). I learned so much about myself as a photographer, and as a person by grabbing my camera each and every day to document the little details. I now have a very comprehensive photo essay of what our lives were like in the year 2008. Here’s a collection of the pictures I took in March of 2008:

Project 365 Quick.ish page by Something Blue Studios. Fonts are Fontologie Textura Traced and Calibri

The best thing I did while working on my photo-a-day project was to write a little bit about each picture when I uploaded them to my flickr account. I also used these photos on my blog throughout the year and included many details there. Now I have plenty of documentation to go with the pictures which makes for a complete story. I strongly suggest that you keep a blog or find an online place to share at least some of your Project 365 photos. It will keep you accountable and motivated throughout the year!

Why do Project 365?

  • It’s a great way to get in the habit of taking pictures on a daily basis.
  • You will improve as a photographer because you will be practicing every day.
  • The year will be documented in photos from beginning to end.

Tips and Ideas for Project 365 in 2010:

You are probably wondering if I continued doing the photo-a-day thing in 2009? I decided not to continue and I don’t plan to do it this year either. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a FANTASTIC challenge, but I just don’t think I could do it every year. It was a struggle many days and I felt like sometimes I just took pictures of boring things so I would have my photo of the day. The trick is definitely to stay fresh and find new perspectives and ideas, so be sure to the list of links above for some help.

I do believe that every photographer who wants to improve their skills should try doing the 365 at least once if they are up to it. I also think there are some other wonderful ways to grow and enjoy participating in regular challenges, especially using weekly and monthly themes to explore new frontiers.

This year my focus is going to be more on capturing the pictures I want to represent each month of the year. I also want to explore themes and techniques in new ways. I have found a lot of online resources that keep me excited and interested in photography (which keeps me excited and interested in scrapbooking also). These links will also come in handy for 365′ers since you will need a lot of ideas to take you through an entire year.

Weekly and Monthly Photo Projects

  • Photochallenge.org will have a new theme every 4 weeks. The goal is to take one picture per week
  • i HEART faces has a new theme posted each week on their blog
  • Beyond Megapixels is posting one theme challenge and one technique challenger per month
  • Simple Scrapper will be posting a monthly top ten project with a free template
  • Get It Scrapped will be posting a pdf idea sheet and sketch each month on their blog throughout 2010. Great for photo and/or scrapbooking ideas
  • Photo Friday posts a new photo prompt every Friday.
  • Digital Photography School posts weekly assignments in their community forums
  • Two Peas has a different photography challenge posted each week
  • Sony Backstage posts a different challenge each month.
  • The Lily Pad posts a new photography challenge every month
  • Little Dreamer Designs is hosting Project 52 challenges on their blog
  • O Scraps posts a different photography challenge each month in their forum.
  • Shabby Pickle posts a different challenge each month along with some photography tips.
  • 12/12 – via Cathy Zielske’s blog in 2008. Simply take 12 pictures on the 12th day of each month. Based on this now defunct blog, but the idea is still a great one!
  • Ali Edwards has a great series she calls “A Week in the Life” that you could do once a year, or even once a month.

Many of these sites allow you to submit your photos for feedback and/or community involvement, but of course you don’t have to do that. Simply follow along for inspiring ideas if that is more your style.

Be sure to grab your camera (it doesn’t have to be a fancy one) and get ready to shoot some amazing photos this year!

katie

P.S. Congratulations to Heather H who was randomly drawn from the comments left on yesterday’s post.  She won a $10 GC to Paislee Press!

Photographing Christmas

December 15th, 2009 admin Posted in Photography Class 15 Comments »

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Documenting Christmas — one  of the most amazing times of the year — is important.  Christmas is a time of family, food, and fun.  It is filled with decorations, traditions, and a sense of awe and wonder (and perhaps stress!)  Feeling the wonder is one thing…capturing it on {digital} film is another!  I want to share with you a few tips for photographing your Christmas.

MY FOUR MAIN TIPS:

1. Details, Details! Christmas is filled with so many little details that make the season SO BIG.  Don’t forget to include them in your photos.

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2. Don’t expect perfection: I know most of us are hoping for that “perfect” Christmas photo.  But the reality is, perfection is overrated.  Reality is priceless.

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3. Enjoy the day! The worst thing we can do as a mom-with-a-camera is to be so busy taking pictures that we miss ENJOYING the season with our family.  Last year, I bought a remote timer and set it up in our living room.  It took one picture every minute and it allowed me to be part of the special day.  Read more about the remote HERE.

4. Don’t feel like you have to scrap it all! Just because you take 600 pictures of Christmas, it does NOT mean that you have to scrap them all!  Find your favorites, capture the feel of the season, and then let it go. Read more about scrapping big events HERE.  As I was looking for photos for this post, I was tempted to go back and scrap some old pictures. And then I saw my layout for last years Christmas and I thought, “Nope.  That layout about captures it all.”

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And here are some holiday things that you should remember to photograph

DECORATIONS

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THE TREE

For this photo I used these settings (with the camera on a tripod!)

ISO 100          F22          SS: 20 seconds

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ORNAMENTS

New and old favorites

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CRAFTS

Any crafting you (or the kids!) have done

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FOOD

Food is such a big part of the holiday season!  Make sure you get pictures!

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THE PARTIES

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THE CONCERTS/PLAYS

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THE SPECIAL CHURCH PROGRAMS

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THE GIFTS

(and the wrapping of them!)

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THE FUN TREATS

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THE TRADITIONS

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And THE PARTS THAT MATTER MOST TO YOU

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Enjoy photographing your Christmas!

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You must have a great camera!

December 4th, 2009 Katie Posted in Photography Class 15 Comments »

Once upon a time a photographer was invited to have dinner at the home of a nice couple. During dinner the wife comments to the photographer “Your pictures are beautiful. You must have a great camera.” The photographer nods politely.

After finishing dinner the photographer comments to the wife “That was a fine meal. You must have some great pots!

The more I (Katie) learn about photography, the more I realize that there is a lot that goes into taking a picture. It is probably more accurate to say a good photographer “makes” a picture instead of “takes” a picture. Composition, lighting, focus, subject matter, are only a few of the subjects a photographer needs to consider. Being willing to put effort into getting the best shot is what really separates the pros from the amateurs.

I’m an amateur who is spending time and energy to improve my skills. I’ve taken classes and read many books about photography. I’ve slowly invested in new equipment such as a DSLR camera, a tripod, and even a new lens. It seems that the harder I work though, the more people compliment my camera. That is why I loved the little story about the pots!

Now I will readily admit that it is easier to cook a gourmet meal in a well equipped kitchen. With a nicer camera you can also make more adjustments that might result in a better picture. In both cooking and photography, you need to understand the recipe and have a willingness to work and be creative in order to yield the best results.

Here’s a fun little exercise – I have 3 cameras that I use:

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Nikon D40

Sony Cybershot 10.1 mega-pixels

(how did I take this picture you ask? With a very old digital camera that I no longer use. It is only 4 mega-pixels)

I decided to do an experiment. I thought it would be fun to compare the same shot from each of my three cameras. I set up a still life shot on my dining room table. I took a picture of the exact same subject, using the same lighting, while I was standing in the same position. I took each shot only seconds apart so there would be no difference other than the camera I used.

See if you can figure out which picture came from which camera. I’ll call this one experiment #1

I processed all 3 pictures the same way. I can see now that my angle was just a bit different on shot #2. Essentially, all 3 pictures are about the same but all of them were taken with different cameras. Care to venture any guesses? (I will reveal all at the end of the post.)

How about another set? Experiment #2

Which one is the iphone camera? The point and shoot Cybershot? The Nikon DSLR?

Ok, let’s do one last test: which one of these is the best shot? What camera did I use to get it? Experiment #3

Are you ready for the results? I want you to think about your answers before you scroll down to see what I reveal!

Answers:

Experiment #1

  1. the top photo was from my Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera
  2. the middle photo was from my iphone camera
  3. the 3rd photo was from my Nikon DSLR

Experiment #2

  1. the top photo was from my iphone camera
  2. the middle photo was from my Nikon DSLR
  3. the 3rd photo was from my Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera

Are you surprised so far? I have to admit I was! The lighting looks a lot warmer in the iphone pictures. I think a lot of the reason is because you have to hold an iphone differently than a camera to get a shot and I think that gave it a better angle for lighting. I also think there just might be a bit of a difference with that camera when it comes to color. However, the iphone pictures are the least sharp when you inspect them closer. They still look pretty good though for a camera phone! The results from the point and shoot and the DSLR are quite similar. When you really look at them up close, you can see that the DSLR pictures are a little clearer. Generally speaking, I would say that all 3 photos in each group are all good though. They could have all been bad pictures just as easily though. I put some thought into how to set them up.

Experiment #3 – This was a bit of a trick because all 3 pictures were taken with my Nikon DSLR. I did this to illustrate that it isn’t just the camera that takes a good picture. The first picture is carelessly composed. There are chairs and the bottom of a painting in the frame and the subject really should have been shot with a tighter crop. The second photo isn’t all that spectacular either. Nothing is really done to show off the subject. The 3rd photo does a lot more to show off the fun colors and sizes of the bowls. All 3 were taken at the same time, same circumstances, by the same photographer (me) and with the same camera.

While owning a fancy camera is nice, it isn’t a necessity if you want to take good pictures. Taking some time to learn about and practice your photography skills will give you a lot more control when it comes to “making” a picture. There are some great resources to help you along the way:

Be sure to check out the photography class posts here at The Daily Digi and remember to just have fun and try new things!

katie1

P.S. The Daily Digi is now on Facebook! We’d love to see who our fans are so come and join us! Also, be sure to check out this fun project that Steph teamed up with Cindy from Skip to My Lou on - a last minute printable advent calendar. So fun!

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