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Photography for Kids!
EbertAbend_Children.indb 1EbertAbend_Children.indb 1 03.02.2011 13:04:1603.02.2011 13:04:16
Michael Ebert is a photographer and teacher of
photojournalism at the university in Magdeburg,
Germany. He formerly worked as a newspaper and
magazine photographer. He also prepares exhibits
of famous photographers’ work and has written
extensively about photography.
Sandra Abend studied art history with a focus on
photography and wrote her dissertation about
the photographs of Jeff Wall. She directs the
Kinderartothek of the Wilhelm-Fabry-Museum in
Hilden, Germany, and she teaches at the University
of Düsseldorf in Germany. Sandra and Michael have
been running photography workshops for children
for a number of years.
EbertAbend_Children.indb 2EbertAbend_Children.indb 2 03.02.2011 13:04:3903.02.2011 13:04:39
Photography for Kids!A Fun Guide to Digital Photography
Michael Ebert & Sandra Abend
EbertAbend_Children.indb 3EbertAbend_Children.indb 3 03.02.2011 13:04:4403.02.2011 13:04:44
Michael Ebert · Sandra Abend, [email protected]
Editor: Gerhard RossbachTranslator: David SchlesingerCopyeditor: Jeanne HansenLayout: Lilia BauerTypesetting: Petra StrauchCover design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.dePrinted in China
ISBN 978-1-933952-76-5
1st Edition© 2011 by Michael Ebert and Sandra AbendRocky Nook Inc.26 West Mission Street, Ste 3Santa Barbara, CA 93101www.rockynook.com
Library of Congress catalog application submitted
Distributed by O’Reilly Media1005 Gravenstein Highway NorthSebastopol, CA 95472
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information stora-ge and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations ap-pear in this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. They are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefi t of such companies: they are not intended to convey endorsement or other affi liation with this book.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
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Thanks to Anja, Anna, Antonia,
Charlotte, Felix, Javed, Kasandra, Lea,
Melina, Neele, Nele, Phillipp, Pia, Selin,
Talia, Tamar, Vicky, and the many other
children who helped us with this book.
Thanks also to Canon for technical
support.
Acknowledgments
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Table of Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
How it All Got Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
What Is a Camera? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The Eye of the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Now it’s Time to Get Started! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Look, Snap, See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
In Focus and Out of Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Light and Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
For Small Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
How Do We Transfer Pictures to a Computer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
A World Full of Subjects for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Take a Picture of Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Everyone Loves Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Four-Legged Roommates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Animals Are Everywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Around the World in an Afternoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Face to Face with Sharks and Squid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
People and Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
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Pictures without Color? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Black, White, and Delightful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Making Small Subjects Look Bigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Vacation: Tons of Time for Cool Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Not Everyone Likes to Be in Front of the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Taking a Vacation at Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Bring Your Camera along for a Swim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
There’s a Lot to Explore at the Edge of the Pool . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
A Sea of Moving Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
From Lofty Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
The Carnival at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Happy Birthday! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Pictures of Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Self-Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Self-Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
My Hometown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
What to Do with All of Your Cool Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
What Should I Keep? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
What Should I Delete? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Saving Pictures: Where and How . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Sharing Your Pictures with the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Your Pictures on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Printing Your Favorite Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Today’s Photo Book Is Yesterday’s Photo Album . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
The Ending Is Just the Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
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Foreword
What is it about taking pictures that
interests us so much? There are many
reasons people like photography. For
starters, it’s fun! It’s exciting to capture
snapshots of fascinating moments,
people, animals, places, and things. When
we grow older, we can look back at our
pictures to remember a great vacation or
a special first day of school. In some ways,
photographs become our memories; they
can bring the past back to life. Ask your
parents if they have old photos of your
great-grandparents from when they were
children. Taking photographs was a special
occasion for past generations. In the
picture on the right, you can see how
fascinated these children are by the
camera of American photographer
Frances Benjamin Johnston. She was a
pioneer of photography. This picture
was taken around 1900.
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Photographs are made with a device
that captures a real moment and portrays
something that actually happened (unless
the picture is changed afterwards on a
computer). A photo shows a brief moment
in life, like someone laughing, blowing out
birthday candles, or scoring the winning
goal in a soccer game.
Photos have lots of uses.
Advertisements use pictures to show
us what we can buy. Newspapers print
pictures so we can see what happens in
the world. Crime scenes are photographed
so the police can save clues. We can even
buy posters of our favorite movie stars to
hang on our walls. And most Internet sites
are filled with pictures.
A century has passed since this picture of a
school in Alaska was taken in 1910. Even though these
people are probably no longer living, the liveliness
of the children makes it seem like the photo was just
taken.
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Taking pictures today is easier than
it used to be. Modern cameras are so
technically advanced that everyone can
take good pictures. But we can take
better pictures if we know a little about
the technology of photography and
the composition of a photograph. We’ll
explore this throughout the book, and
you’ll find lots of ideas for exciting and
unusual pictures so you can have even
more fun.
What would become of stars without
the photographers who follow them on
the red carpet?
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Photographers today follow the action
everywhere, like here at a professional soccer
game.
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How it All Got Started
Photography hasn’t always been around.
It was invented in 1839 by a Frenchman
named Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre.
At first the process was complicated. It
took forever for a picture to be finished,
and early cameras were large and very
heavy. It goes without saying that there
weren’t any digital cameras or computers.
Photographers used glass plates that
had to be developed to make pictures.
This meant that there weren’t many
photographers, and the few people who
did take pictures were professionals. If
you wanted a photo of yourself you had
to go to a photography studio, and this
was a special occasion. This is why families
owned very few pictures.
Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre,
the inventor of the first camera.
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The invention of photography was a
real revolution. Before photography, the
only way to make pictures of the people
and things around us was to paint them.
After the resourceful American, George
Eastman, invented film in 1889, taking
photographs became easier and less
expensive. Soon more and more people
wanted to capture pictures of their world,
and photography became popular. Around
1900, people started printing pictures in
newspapers.
Film was used to take pictures until
the end of the last century. Affordable
digital cameras first became available
around 2000. Your parents can probably
remember taking their film to a store
to be developed. This took a while, and
sometimes you couldn’t see your finished
pictures for days. Today everything
is faster and easier. Technology and
computers allow us to avoid using film so
we can see our pictures immediately. It
also costs much less than before.
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Taking photographs used to be a special occasion.
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A Photo
A photo is created by light—sunlight, for
example, or the light of a lamp. Any object
that receives light also gives off light. This
is called reflection. Light-colored things,
like a white T-shirt, reflect much more light
than dark-colored things, like a pure black
cat. Reflected light can be absorbed and
saved. This is how we create exact copies
of the people or things we photograph.
Everything we capture appears as it did in
the exact moment the light was absorbed
and saved. The copy of the absorbed
light is called the captured image, and the
machine we use to capture the light is
called a camera.
On the back of your camera you can see the
Live View screen.
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Photos capture passing moments in life.
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What Is a Camera?
A camera is a tool to take pictures, of
course, but wouldn’t you like to know a
little bit more? A camera is really a simple
device. It’s basically nothing more than a
little box with a lens attached to the front.
The Eye of the Camera
The photographic lens is like the eye of
a camera. It’s made up of several small
lenses like the ones used in eyeglasses.
The lens “views” an image and sends
it to the sensor or chip, which is located
inside the camera body. The sensor
converts the image so the screen on the
back of the camera can show a live image
of what is in front of the camera’s lens.
The screen is sometimes called the display.
When you press the shutter-release
button, the image is captured and saved
This is a modern digital camera. You can see
its round lens in the center.
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as data on the memory card. The screen
displays the newly captured image for a
moment before a live image returns. This
lets you see if your photograph turned out
well.
Besides the lens, the shutter-release
button, and the display, there are several
other buttons and knobs that change the
way your camera takes pictures. We’d like
to explain the most important of those to
you now.
You can view all of the pictures you’ve already
taken on the camera’s display, which is found on
the back of the camera.
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Now it’s Time to Get Started!
Let’s start at the beginning. We’ll show
you how things work with our camera,
and since modern cameras are all similar,
you’ll be able to find the same settings on
your camera. You should also study your
instruction manual because that’s where
you’ll learn about all of your camera’s
functions in detail.
First, place your hand through the wrist
strap so you don’t accidentally drop your
valuable camera on the ground. Next, turn
your camera on with the on/off button,
which is sometimes called the power
button.
Now the lens will extend from the
camera body, and the screen on the back
will display a live image. The knob on
the top of the camera is used to switch
between the camera’s various automatic
settings. To start, let’s turn the knob to
the green option called auto. Sometimes
this selection is called automatic and other
times just A. Every now and then, the
automatic mode is indicated by a small
green camera icon .
The knob on the top of your camera controls
the different functions and modes of the camera.
You’ll get the best results with auto. Next to the
knob is the on/off button.
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When you use the auto setting, a small
computer in the camera makes all of
the important decisions for you, so your
pictures will almost always turn out well.
The auto mode lets you start taking
pictures right away, without any trouble.
When you’re ready to snap your first
photo, hold the camera very still—if you’re
unsteady, the image will be blurry. Press
the shutter-release button until you hear
a soft click, which means you’ve taken a
picture. The screen will show the image
you captured for just a few seconds. To
view the photo again, press the play
button . Now you can use the arrow
keys to scroll through all of the captured
images saved on the camera.
When you want to take more pictures,
switch back to the shooting mode. Some
cameras have a special switch for this,
but on ours you just press the play button
again. You can tell that you’re back in
shooting mode if the screen displays a live
image of what is directly in front of your
camera’s lens.
To take a picture, press the shutter-release
button all the way down. It’s important to hold
the camera very still.
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Today it’s easy to take fantastic photos.
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Now you’ve taken your first picture, and it’s
time to take a closer look at your camera.
There is a rocker switch in front of the
shutter-release button. If you move it to the
right, you can make objects that are far away
appear closer to you. When you do this, the
lens extends from the camera. If you press
the switch to the left, the images will become
smaller. You’ll be able to see more of what’s
in front of you because the lens retracts.
This function is called the zoom. You use
the zoom function to determine what’s in
your picture. A wide angle allows you
to take a picture of almost everything you
see. A picture with a tight angle is called a
telephotograph . This perspective allows
you to pinpoint a specific detail in your
picture, like someone’s face, for example.
Look, Snap, See
Zoom
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With the wide-angle lens setting, your
camera will capture a good deal of the scene.
With the zoom lens setting, your camera will
be able to capture more detail.
Left: With the wide-angle setting the lens will
be completely moved back into the camera body,
while with the zoom setting the lens will be fully
extended.
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Look, Snap, See
In Focus and Out of Focus
Your camera has another important setting:
the focus. We’ve all seen pictures that are
unclear, and we usually want to avoid taking
pictures that are out of focus. To make sure
that your picture will be clear and sharp,
you need to set the range of your camera’s
lens correctly. The range depends on the
distance between you and the subject you’d
like to photograph. Think about when you
use a magnifying glass. You can see the
object you’re investigating clearly only if
you hold the magnifying glass at the right
distance. Binoculars work the same way;
you need to adjust the focus to get a sharp
view of your subject. When you use a
camera, the lens is automatically set to the
correct range by the autofocus. Though the
autofocus is very good at setting the range
for the lens, it cannot determine the most
important subject in your picture.
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If you want to focus on your friend
Anna, for example, the camera doesn’t
know whether to focus on her or the
girl behind her. You have to make sure
the camera is focusing on the right
subject. To use the autofocus, press the
shutter-release button halfway down—
don’t press it all the way down or you’ll
take a picture. As you do this, you’ll
see the image come in to focus on the
camera’s screen. A little box will indicate
which object the autofocus has selected
as the focal point of the picture. As long
as you keep the shutter-release button
depressed halfway, the autofocus will stay
locked in on the same point.
Some cameras indicate that the focus is
set in different ways. Depending on your
camera model, the autofocus box may
stop blinking, may change color, or the
camera may beep to let you know that
the image is in focus. If you’re too close
to your subject, or if you’re trying to
photograph something that is only one
color, your camera might have a hard
time focusing correctly.
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Look, Snap, See
Light and Dark
You already know that photos are made with
light, which means the amount of light plays
a big role in how your picture will appear.
If it’s too dark or too light when you take
your picture, you won’t be able to recognize
anything in the photograph. Cameras have
a variety of automatic features that control
light, and they’ll usually help you take great
pictures. But every once in a while a photo
will turn out too dark or too light. When this
happens, you can use the simple brightness
correction feature . If you move the
indicator toward the plus sign, the picture
will become lighter. If you move it toward the
minus sign, it will become darker.
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Look, Snap, See
Movement
Sometimes pictures will be blurry even if
you use the focus feature correctly, and you
might wonder, “Why did that happen?”
Remember, a photo is an exposure of a
brief moment. When you press the shutter-
release button, a shutter opens to let light
shine on the sensor. When the light has
been absorbed and the picture has been
made, the shutter closes again. The whole
process lasts only a split second. The
amount of time that the shutter remains
open is called the exposure time. The length
of the exposure time depends mostly on
how bright it is. If there is a lot of light, like
on the beach, the exposure time is very
short, but if there isn’t much light, like in
a basement, the exposure time is longer.
When you take your pictures, you’ll be
able to hear the difference between a short
and a long exposure. After you press the
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shutter-release button, you’ll hear a soft
click, and a short moment later, you’ll hear
a second click. Everything that happens
between those two clicks is photographed,
and everything that moves during that
time will be blurry. This is called motion
blur. Moving animals and people, for
example, will be out of focus. Shaking the
camera during the exposure time will also
cause the picture to be blurry. We call this
problem camera shake.
Most of the time we want to take
pictures that are in focus, but sometimes
motion blur can create interesting and
vivid images. Give it a try! It can look
really cool when you track a moving object
during a long exposure. If you really want
to avoid motion blur or camera shake, the
camera’s built-in flash is there to help you.
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Look, Snap, See
Flash
There are a few switches and buttons near
the display, and one of them has a symbol
that looks like a small lightning bolt .
This button allows you to turn the built-in
flash on and off. The flash is actually just
a small, strong light bulb that illuminates
your subject just long enough for the
camera to capture an image. It’s just like
a flash of lightning that illuminates the
night sky for a brief moment. The flash
setting that you selected can be seen in
the display where you check the camera’s
other settings. There are usually a few
flash settings to choose from. An icon
that shows a person with a small star
indicates the night flash mode, which
gives off less light and has a longer
exposure time. You can use this setting to
create cool effects.
A lightning bolt with a slash through
it indicates that the flash is turned off,
which is something you’ll want to do from
time to time, because the flash’s harsh
light doesn’t always make interesting
pictures. It’s best to use natural lighting,
but if you have to use a flash, try the night
flash setting .
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Look, Snap, See
For Small Things
The setting with the small flower symbol
allows the lens to focus on objects that
are very close. This mode is called macro,
and you’ll need it when you want to focus
on small subjects, like a ladybug, at close
range. A flower symbol will appear on
the screen to indicate that you’re in macro
mode. When you feel like exploring the
world of small things, choose this option.
Just don’t forget to exit out of macro
mode when you’re finished, otherwise you
won’t be able to take pictures of normal-
sized, larger objects.
Now you know quite a bit about your
camera, and you’re able to take pictures
just like professional photographers. But
you might be wondering, “What am I
going to do with all these new pictures
that I’ve collected on my camera?”
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Underneath a small flap you’ll find the
battery and the memory card.
42
Look, Snap, See
How Do We Transfer Pictures to a Computer?
Sooner or later you’ll want to see what
your pictures look like on a screen that is
bigger than your camera’s small display,
and you may even want to print some of
your favorites. To do this you’ll need to
transfer your pictures from your camera to
your computer. This is easy to do. You’ve
probably seen someone else do this, but
be sure that someone who has experience
with computers is there to help you. The
camera will either need to be connected
to the computer with a cable or the
memory card inside the camera will need
to be removed and inserted into a card
reader. After this is done, you can save the
pictures onto your hard drive with just a
few clicks.
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You can connect your camera to your
computer with a USB cable, or you can remove
the memory card from the camera and insert it
into a USB card reader.
That’s all there is to it. You can use a
special program called a picture browser
to view your photos on your computer
monitor. There are several free picture
browsers on the Internet—like FastStone,
XnView, or Picasa—that you can download
for free. These programs will let you
organize your pictures easily.
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44
A World Full of Subjects for You
Now you know everything you need to
take amazing pictures. But what should
you photograph? In the next few sections
we’ll give you some suggestions so you
can discover the world through your
camera. You can, of course, take pictures
of anything you find interesting or
beautiful, but there are a few common
subjects that photographers love to
capture. Many photographers find people
to be the most interesting subject. One
reason for this might be that people are
always changing and doing new things,
and cameras allow us to capture these
changes.
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Many of us also like to take pictures
of beautiful landscapes, like mountains
or the ocean. Others like to photograph
small and large animals. In any case,
your pictures won’t always fall into
one category. If you take a picture of
someone in a green meadow in front
of a breathtaking mountain range, the
picture is just as much a portrait as it is
a landscape photo. And a picture of your
little sister holding a cute kitten in her
arms is a picture of both an animal and a
person. Don’t get caught up in the details;
just take pictures of everything that is
interesting to you.
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46
Here are a few extra tips for taking great
pictures, which are useful for all kinds of
photos:
• When you’re outside, the best light
for photography is in the morning and
evening. During the middle of the day
when the sun is high, the light isn’t all
that interesting. You can see the details
of your pictures best during morning
and evening when the sun is low in the
sky.
• Get up close when you’re taking a picture
of a person. You shouldn’t have to look at
a picture twice to recognize who’s in it.
• Don’t try to cram too much into your
pictures. Concentrate on the main
subject.
• Pay attention to the details in the
background of your picture. Plants and
other objects can be distracting if they’re
directly behind a person. It might look
like a flower is growing out of someone’s
head!
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Tip
48
Bring your camera with you whenever you can, not just in situations when it seems normal to have one. The more you have your camera handy, the more opportunities you’ll have to capture unusual events. If you happen to have a cell phone with a camera, it will also do in a pinch.
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50
Take a Picture of Me!
Your best memories are probably times
that you’ve spent with your friends. Life
would be boring without them. You can
count on friends when you need a hand,
and some friends will be with you forever.
Pictures are a great way to remember the
people who matter most to you. When
you’re older these pictures will be very
special. Events like basketball games or
piano recitals are great opportunities to
take pictures of your friends. You might
even be able to make new friends through
photography. The next time you have a
chance, ask someone nice if you may take
his or her picture and, who knows, it could
be the beginning of a long friendship!
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Tip
52
Take pictures of your best friends and hang them up in your room so you’ll always be reminded of them.
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54
Everyone Loves Animals
Animals are some of the best subjects
for great pictures. They have many
interesting qualities that fascinate us:
they are funny and sweet, exciting and
strange, and sometimes they are wild and
dangerous. Animal photographers travel
to the distant parts of our world to take
amazing pictures of animals that we see in
newspapers and books.
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There are a few things to keep in mind
when you’re taking pictures of animals.
Some animals are really dangerous, so
if you come across a lion or a crocodile,
keep a safe distance and use the zoom to
take a telephotograph . The same goes
for unfamiliar dogs, but fortunately most
animals are not that dangerous and not
that big. You don’t have to travel to Africa
to take pictures of animals; you can take
great pictures right here at home.
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56
Everyone Loves Animals
Four-Legged Roommates
Your first experience photographing
animals will probably involve your own
cat, guinea pig, or parakeet. If you don’t
have a pet, ask if you may take pictures of
a friend’s pet.
Cats are gifted acrobats. Try to catch
them jumping over a wall or climbing a
tree. Use your zoom so you can stand
at a distance to watch these little predators
hunt their prey. Cats are fascinating
indoors, too. You can watch them battle
with a ball of yarn or hunt a line of thread
for hours.
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As you take pictures, try shooting from
different vantage points: stand on a sturdy
chair to take pictures from above, or kneel
on the ground to take a picture at the level
of the animal’s eyes.
Dogs are also exciting subjects for the
camera. They’ll go to great lengths to
fetch a sock for their master; they might
leap into the air and perform breathtaking
stunts or even jump into a lake or a pond!
Back on land, they’ll shake vigorously, and
water droplets will fly everywhere. This is
a great opportunity for pictures and—if
it’s hot out—for cooling off. Just be careful
that your camera doesn’t get too wet.
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It’s a good idea to take lots of pictures
when photographing animals so you
can select the best ones later. Animals
have lots of energy, and they tend to
move around constantly, so many of
your pictures may be out of focus. Have a
friend help you when you take pictures of
animals. That way your friend can handle
the animals and you can stay focused on
your camera.
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No matter what your subject is, be sure
to try different perspectives. Take pictures of
animals from above, as with the goose and the
dog, and from below, as with the cat.
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Everyone Loves Animals
Animals Are Everywhere
Our four-legged roommates aren’t the
only animals we can photograph. You
can find animals all over: horses and
cows grazing in the pasture; ducks and
swans swimming on the pond; chipmunks
jumping back and forth in trees; pigeons
bathing in fountains; and colorful
butterflies resting on flowers. Animals
really are everywhere!
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Tip
62
Challenge yourself to take a picture of every animal you see for an entire day. You’ll be surprised by how many you find.
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64
Around the World in an Afternoon
If you go to the zoo, definitely remember
to bring your camera. It would be tough
to find a better place with so many great
opportunities for photographs. It’s like
you’re taking a quick trip around the
world—one minute you’re observing
African lions slumbering in the sun,
and the next minute you’re watching
arctic polar bears taking a swim. Turn
around again and you might see amusing
meerkats in a huddle just like a football
team or pink flamingoes standing on one
leg as still as statues while all the visitors
pass by. All of these scenes are begging
to be captured in a photograph. Modern
zoos use less and less fencing to enclose
their animals, so with a little luck and
creativity, your pictures will look like they
were taken in the wild.
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Use your telephoto zoom so you can
get rid of distracting objects in your picture’s
background. You can also use the telephoto
setting on your camera to capture a picture of a
crocodile’s eye or a tiger’s tooth.
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If you put your camera right up against an
animal’s enclosure and make sure to focus on your
subject, the fence will be blurry and won’t be too
distracting. (Always be sure not to break any zoo
rules and keep safety in mind!)
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Around the World in an Afternoon
Taking photographs in an aquarium can
be a real challenge because you’ll often
see your own reflection in the glass walls
of the tanks. But the underwater world is
really a treat to photograph. There’s no
other place where you can take pictures of
fish, sea snakes, jellyfish, and sharks. One
good trick is to get as close as you can to
the glass—so close that your lens touches
the tank. Be sure to turn off your flash so it
won’t be reflected or disturb other visitors.
After you give this a try, you’ll see that you
can take amazing pictures of the colorful
and mysterious world beneath the sea.
Face to Face with Sharks and Squid
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74
Around the World in an Afternoon
People and Animals
Sometimes the people who visit the zoo
are just as interesting as the animals that
live there. Use your camera to observe
little children pressing their faces flat up
against the animal enclosures. It’s also fun
to watch the animals react to the visitors.
Apes, for example, will sit still for a long
time, observing people outside their
habitats. If you’re able to take a picture
that shows a person beside an animal, the
results can be really funny—sometimes
the people start to resemble the animals,
and the animals start to look human.
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Tip
76
Some animals might have feeding times during your visit, or if you’re lucky, you may even get to give them a treat yourself. You shouldn’t pass up this great opportunity, even if you don’t think watching a rattlesnake devour a mouse is your cup of tea. Most animals eat calmly. It’s fascinating to watch elephants skillfully pick up carrots with their trunks.
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Pictures without Color?
The world is colorful: bananas are yellow,
grass is green, and fire trucks are red.
You’ve probably seen many photos (some
of them in this book) that are in black-
and-white, and you may have even seen
movies filmed in black-and-white. Why do
we have black-and-white pictures? Here’s
the simple answer: when photography
was invented, it wasn’t possible to take
pictures in color. When color photography
was invented, it was a time-consuming
and expensive process, so photographers
continued to take pictures in black-and-
white for a while. This is one reason
people think black-and-white pictures are
beautiful and why many modern cameras
can still take black-and-white pictures.
This picture works well in black-and-white
because the shapes and the composition are
what make this an appealing image.
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This picture wouldn’t
work well in black and
white. It would be boring
because color is it’s most
important feature.
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Pictures without Color?
Black, White, and Delightful
People like black-and-white pictures,
but that’s not the only reason we have
black-and-white photography. Sometimes
color takes away from what we’re trying
to show in a photograph. Interesting
patterns, textures, and shapes show up
better in black-and-white, and so do
objects that cast fascinating shadows.
In these cases, color isn’t essential to a
photograph, but other times it is. Use
color photography when you want to
capture the vivid details of a subject or
scene.
This picture doesn’t work well in
black-and-white, since color is its most
important feature.
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In this example the bold green background detracts from the subject,
therefore the image is stronger in black-and-white.
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Tip
82
Try this experiment: Take pictures of an object both in color and in black-and-white. Then compare the results and decide for yourself which looks better. Also take pictures of subjects that you think must be captured either with or without color. A bright red ball on a blue ocean wouldn’t look nearly as interesting in black-and-white.
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Making Small Subjects Look Bigger
What does the fabric of your jeans look
like? Do flower petals have small hairs?
What is reflected in a dewdrop? What
does a dragonfly’s wing look like? You can
capture all of these things in a photograph
with the macro setting . Macro mode
allows you to take photographs of small
objects so they look bigger. You’re already
familiar with the macro setting on your
camera, so when you want to discover
the world of small things, switch your
camera’s mode to the setting with a
little flower on it. You can zoom in on
anything, including small animals like
insects, but there is a limit to how close
you can get to your subjects.
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This minimum focus distance depends
on your camera, but you can easily tell
when you’ve reached it. If the camera can’t
automatically focus on your subject, you’re
too close to it. When this happens, move
away from your subject just far enough
so the autofocus indicator appears again.
If you experiment with this feature, you’ll
get the hang of it.
Try taking a closeup picture of a small
part of your favorite toy. You’ll know
exactly what you photographed—the
hood of a model car, a part of a Lego
block, or a flower on a doll’s T-shirt—but
other people will have to guess to figure
out what it is. The shapes and colors of
closeup pictures can result in beautiful and
interesting designs.
Insects are great subjects for the
macro mode, such as butterflies with their
beautiful markings or busy bees crawling
across flowers.
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You have to be fast to take a picture
of anything that flies. Fortunately, lots of
moths aren’t bothered by photographs,
and they’ll sit undisturbed so you can take
a whole series of pictures. Be careful any
time you take pictures of an insect that
can sting!
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Tip
90
The flash won’t be much help when you’re using macro mode. It’s too bright for objects that are right in front of your lens, so it won’t illuminate your subject properly. It’s important to be extra still when using macro mode because the closer you get to an object, the greater the risk that camera shake will ruin your photo.
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Vacation: Tons of Time for Cool Pictures
Imagine this: school is over and your bags
are already packed. It’s vacation time! You
don’t have to worry about schoolbooks
and homework for a while, and you’re
ready to take a trip with your family. Any
time you travel to a foreign place it’s
fun to observe new scenery, like great
beaches and palm trees, snow-covered
mountains, or green meadows as far as
the eye can see. In unfamiliar places there
are lots of new things to discover with
your camera: exotic markets with items
that you’ve never seen before, strange
animals and plants, and interesting
people with unusual clothes. These are all
perfect subjects that are just waiting to be
captured in a picture. So jump right in to
this new world and take pictures to your
heart’s content.
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Vacation: Tons of Time for Cool Pictures
Not Everyone Likes to Be in Front of the Camera
Be courteous when you take pictures of
people because it’s not polite to take
pictures of strangers in some countries.
Talk with your parents about the customs
of the place you’re visiting. If you’re
still not sure, it’s always better to ask
permission before you take a picture of
someone you don’t know. You can try to
communicate with gestures if you don’t
speak the local language. You’ll probably
find that most people don’t mind the
attention of your camera, and some may
even be flattered by it.
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Vacation: Tons of Time for Cool Pictures
Taking a Vacation at Home
Even if you spend your vacation at home,
you’ll have many great opportunities to take
pictures and explore the world around you,
like at a swimming pool or a museum. Many
museums don’t allow flash photography,
but you can usually take pictures if you turn
the flash off . This is to protect valuable
works of art that can be damaged by too
much exposure to light. Ask a security
officer or someone at the front desk if the
museum allows photography. Generally, you
won’t run into any problems taking pictures
in natural science museums, where dinosaur
skeletons and stuffed animals don’t mind
having their pictures taken. Summer camp
is another place to capture interesting and
meaningful pictures.
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During the summer, many youth centers
offer photography classes, where you
can pick up some more great information
about taking pictures.
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If you go on a trip, try to tell a story through
pictures. Start with pictures of your family
packing suitcases and loading up your car,
and include pictures showing your travel
route on a map or your car’s GPS. Try to
capture every stage of your vacation. Before
your trip, it might be a good idea to make
a list of pictures you’d like to take, like dad
carrying suitcases, mom sleeping in the
car, highway signs with the name of your
destination, your hotel room, and so on.
After you take the picture, you can cross it
off your list. Keep a watchful eye for subjects
that you hadn’t planned to photograph, like
a beautiful view at a rest stop.
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Bring Your Camera along for a Swim
Cameras can’t swim; they’ll break in the
water. Fortunately there are cameras
that are watertight so you can take them
into a pool or an ocean without any
problems. Dirt, rain, and mud can’t harm
these cameras either, so they’re perfect
for any outdoor adventure. If you don’t
want to spend a lot of money on this
kind of camera, you can find disposable
waterproof cameras at drug stores or
photo shops. These cameras use film,
which needs to be developed, but they’re
much less expensive than waterproof
digital cameras. As the name “disposable”
implies, you can only use these cameras
until the film is all used up.
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Taking pictures with a waterproof, one-time use film camera
can be a lot of fun and you can get really creative.
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Bring Your Camera along for a Swim
There’s a Lot to Explore at the Edge of the Pool
Even if you don’t have a waterproof camera,
the swimming pool is a great place to take
pictures. There might be a courageous
diver springing from the high-dive board,
or a bright air mattress floating in the blue
water. There are also exciting subjects
to discover and photograph near ponds
or at the beach, like small crabs or other
creatures that are washed up on the shore.
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Take underwater portraits of some of your friends and have others guess who is in each picture.
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A Sea of Moving Lights
Visiting a carnival can be a real treat for
your nose, ears, and eyes—the smells of
cotton candy, corndogs, and popcorn; the
frenzied sounds of music coming from
every direction; and the whirl of speeding
rides.
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A Sea of Moving Lights
From Lofty Heights
Pictures taken from above can be
interesting, and there’s no place better
than the Ferris wheel to get above
everything at a carnival. There you will
have many chances to take pictures
because your perspective will keep
changing as you climb higher and higher.
Just make sure that you’re not afraid
of heights! Also remember to wrap the
camera’s wrist strap tightly around your
wrist so you always have a good grip.
When you get to the highest point, you’ll
not only have a great view of the whole
carnival, you also might be able to see the
surrounding town.
Some Ferris wheels have carts that
allow you to turn and look in all directions
so you can take pictures of everything.
When you’re safely back on the ground,
you’ll know exactly where to find the
carousel, the bumper cars, and the
haunted house.
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A Sea of Moving Lights
The Carnival at Night
As soon as the sun goes down, crowds of
people start to swell, and the workers at
the carnival get busier and busier. When
it’s dark, the bright, flashing lights make
the amusement park glow like a sea of
many colors under the night sky. The
colors change constantly because of the
rhythmic, swirling rides that contrast with
the eager onlookers who wander slowly
through the park. Autumn is a good time
to visit amusement parks because the sun
goes down earlier in the day, and carnivals
are most exciting and beautiful at night.
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If you’d like to take a picture of a carousel at dusk, use the night flash setting to achieve special effects. The night flash is not as harsh as the normal flash, and the exposure time is longer. This will cause any moving lights in your picture to appear stretched and slightly blurred. Use this method to capture a roller coaster as it zooms by or whenever you want to capture movement in a photograph. In addition, if you move your camera slightly during the exposure time, the colors and images will be even more blurred. Give it a try!
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Happy Birthday!
Birthdays only come once a year, which
is definitely not often enough. That’s
probably why we take so many pictures
when we celebrate with all the special
people who come together: uncles, aunts,
friends, and neighbors. People are in
good spirits at birthday parties, there
are lots of presents—maybe even a new
camera—and there are many chances for
fun pictures. Of course, no picture is more
important than that of the birthday girl or
boy.
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If it’s your own birthday, look at the
section titled “Self-Portraits” (page 122)
for tips on taking pictures of yourself.
You can also photograph your guests as
they greet you at the door with presents.
The highlight of the party is blowing out
candles on the birthday cake, but don’t
forget to capture the table piled high
with gifts and the fun and games in the
backyard.
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When you’re invited to a birthday party, you can give your pictures from that day as a gift. Make an IOU that says: “This coupon is good for a photo album with the pictures that I take today at your birthday party.” Pictures are always a great gift idea. If you need a gift for your mom or dad, take a self-portrait, have a copy printed, and find a frame that fits. You’re all ready!
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Pictures of Me
You’ve been the subject of many
photographs in your lifetime. The earliest
pictures were probably ultrasound images
that a doctor made while your mother
was pregnant. And your parents probably
have many pictures of you as a baby
and pictures of you at other important
moments of your childhood. Most parents
love to use cameras to document the lives
of their children.
There are probably other pictures of
you on special occasions, like opening
presents by the Christmas tree, sitting with
friends in a circle around a birthday cake,
or playing in the sand at the beach with
your friends.
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Pictures of Me
Self-Portraits
Have you ever taken a picture of yourself?
The easiest way is to hold the camera in
your hands and point the lens back at
yourself. It’s important to make sure the
zoom is set to a wide angle because
the distance between you and the camera
is short, and you want to be able to see
as much as possible. Stretch your arm
out and press the shutter-release button.
You can hold the camera high or low,
depending on what type of picture you’d
like to take. Have some fun by changing
your facial expressions to create a series
of different emotions in your pictures, like
happiness, worry, surprise, and so on.
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Pictures of Me
Self-Timer
The self-timer on your camera is
another way to take self-portraits. This
setting causes the camera to pause for
a few seconds between when you press
the shutter-release button and when the
picture is actually snapped. To use this
feature, first turn the self-timer on. You
can usually set cameras to pause for five
or ten seconds before they capture a
photograph. When you’re ready, place the
camera on a flat and steady surface like
a bookshelf, table, or wall so the camera
won’t fall. Examine the live display to see
the scope of your picture and press the
shutter-release button when you’re ready.
Now you’ve got a few seconds to get into
place before the camera takes a picture.
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Sometimes you’ll get funny pictures
if you don’t quite manage to get into
place in time. The picture may have only
a forearm in it, or someone’s head may
be clipped off. The picture will turn out
perfectly if you figure out exactly where
you should be.
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Pictures of Me
Reflections
Mirrors are also helpful if you want to take
a picture of yourself. If there is more than
one mirror—in a hair salon or bathroom,
for example—you can have lots of fun
photographing reflections of reflections.
At the carnival you can use distorting
mirrors that make you appear larger or
smaller, wider or thinner to take pictures
of yourself. Everything that reflects light
can be an opportunity for a self-portrait:
windowpanes, puddles, shiny metal
surfaces, or even a doorknob. Don’t forget
to turn off the flash because it will also be
reflected, and it will drown out anything
else in the picture.
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Shadows can be portraits, too. The sun
sits very low in the sky during dusk at the
end of summer, which causes everything
in the open to cast a long shadow. Stand
with your back to the sun and check out
your body’s shadow. Move around to
create interesting shapes and take cool
pictures of what you see.
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It can be interesting to make a diary of self-portraits. Take a picture of yourself every day for a long time. Afterward, you’ll be able to see how you’ve changed from picture to picture.
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My Hometown
You probably know your hometown as
well as you know the back of your own
hand. Even if you’ve just moved to a new
place, you may have found interesting
sights on a discovery tour or by running
everyday errands with your family. If you
wander through your town, you are sure
to find lots of exciting things. Towns
change with every season. In spring, shop
windows have displays of colorful Easter
eggs, bunnies, and candy-filled baskets.
In summer, street cafés are open and full
of people. Mannequins in department
stores are dressed in tank tops, shorts,
and sandals, and ice cream cones are
everywhere. In autumn, the shops have
jack-o’-lanterns, spiders, and witches in
the windows for Halloween. And in winter,
towns put up Christmas trees with strands
of lights in public squares.
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It’s always exciting to see how people
live in your own city. Children press their
noses against shop windows to check
out the newest toys. Shoppers rest on
park benches with their bags full of new
clothes. A boy lets go of a balloon that
floats up to the sky just as you pass by. A
street merchant sells his wares to people
who pass him. Since the street is a public
place, you’re allowed to capture all of
these events with your camera.
You may want to make a photo story of
your adventure by collecting pictures that
relate to a theme you find interesting, like
a city festival or a farmers’ market. Record
everything you see with your camera.
You’re always allowed to take pictures in
the open, but if you’re inside a store, you
need permission from the shop owner.
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Find an interesting spot in your town—one that you walk by regularly—where people like to gather, like a fountain. Take a picture from the exact same spot every day for a whole week and then compare your pictures afterward to see how the spot changes from day to day.
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What to Do with All of Your Cool Pictures
Before deciding which pictures to keep
or delete, always look at them on a large
computer screen. After you’ve chosen the
ones you really like, you can erase the
others with the camera’s delete button .
It’s wise to take more than one picture
of your subject so you can try different
perspectives and so you can make sure
to get at least one good photo. Not every
picture will be worth saving, though; less
is more, as they say. If you tried to save all
of your pictures, your computer’s memory
would run out, and you’d lose track of the
pictures you like.
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Now it’s time to decide which pictures
you’d like to save. It’s not just a matter
of deciding which pictures turned out
the best; you also need to consider what
each picture means to you. Imagine you
were only able to take one picture of
your friend blowing out the candles on a
birthday cake, and unfortunately it turned
out blurry. You wouldn’t want to delete
this picture because it captures a moment
that you’d like to remember. So hold on to
it because it’s important to you, whether
it’s blurry or not. Out-of-focus pictures
can be exciting, especially if you’re
photographing something that moves.
What Should I Keep?
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If you’ve taken a series of ten portraits of your friend, and
she blinked in five of them, the choice is easy: erase the ones
with her eyes closed. Sometimes you will have photos that
are almost exact duplicates because you took one right after
the other. You can delete these unnecessary copies without
worrying.
What Should I Delete?
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Don’t delete pictures until after you’ve looked at them on your computer’s large screen. Sometimes pictures that first seem to be mistakes actually look really cool. Use your instincts to decide which pictures to save.
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What to Do with All of Your Cool Pictures
Saving Pictures: Where and How
It’s important that you save your pictures
in a way that allows you to easily find
them again. You shouldn’t just dump them
somewhere on your hard drive without
thinking about how to organize them. Open
the My Pictures folder on your computer
and create new subfolders for each year.
Within each year folder, create other folders
based on different themes or events. You
might have a folder named Yellowstone
Vacation, for example, or Jenny’s Birthday,
or Self-Portraits. Some people choose to
organize their pictures by month instead of
by theme. Choose the system that seems
easiest to you. No matter how you end up
saving your pictures, talk to your parents
about backing up your files, because if your
computer crashes, you’ll be really sad if you
lose all of your pictures.
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Your camera records the time and date of every picture that you take, and many computer programs allow you to search your pictures for this information. If you have trouble finding a picture from your birthday party, for example, search your files for pictures that were taken on that specific day. Make sure that the clock in your camera is set to the correct date and time. You can read about how to set the clock in the instruction manual for your camera.
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What to Do with All of Your Cool Pictures
Sharing Your Pictures with the World
Sharing your pictures is almost as fun as
taking them. It’s not possible to see all of
your friends every day, but with e-mail,
you can easily send your pictures to them.
Your friends in different states and your
friend across the street can receive and
view your pictures on their own computers
in just a matter of seconds. And if you
have a cell phone with a camera, it’s even
easier; just send a picture from your cell
phone directly to your friend’s cell phone.
This service can be expensive, though, so
check with your parents before using it.
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Tip
145
If you have friends who live far away, you could send them a picture once a week to show them what you’re up to.
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What to Do with All of Your Cool Pictures
Your Pictures on the Internet
You probably already know your way
around the Internet pretty well. There
are countless websites—like Picasa and
Flickr—that allow you to make a public
gallery of your pictures. It can be a lot
of fun to share your best pictures with
the world, but there are a few things to
consider before making your pictures
public.
After a picture is published on the
Internet, it can be difficult to delete it.
In addition, other people will be able
to download your pictures onto their
computers without you knowing it. Talk
it over with your parents to decide if you
really want to make your pictures public. If
there are other people in your pictures, be
sure to ask them what they think about it,
too.
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What to Do with All of Your Cool Pictures
Printing Your Favorite Pictures
If you view your pictures only on your
computer screen, you’re likely to get
bored. Sometimes it’s nice to hold your
favorite pictures in your hand or frame
them and hang them on the wall. You may
even want to carry a picture of a loved
one around with you. Printed pictures
also make good gifts. If your parents have
a good color printer and photo paper,
you can make your own prints at home,
but usually it’s less expensive to have a
store print pictures for you. Drug stores,
supermarkets, and photo stores have
special machines that will print pictures
on demand. You can also order pictures on
various websites. Have your parents help
you, and in just a few days you’ll get your
pictures in the mail.
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149
Have five of your favorite pictures printed so they are the same size. Then find frames that are also the right size, and make sure it allows you to change the pictures easily. Now you can hang up and change your favorite pictures whenever you like.
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What to Do with All of Your Cool Pictures
Today’s Photo Book Is Yesterday’s Photo Album
People used to put their pictures in photo
albums. Thanks to new technology, it’s
possible to make your own printed books
that look like this book. If you want to
have a book printed about your fun
adventures during summer vacation,
there’s no reason you can’t make that book
yourself. Everything can be made into a
book. With a little practice, you can use a
free computer program to create the book
yourself and then order prints of the book
from a website. As always, it’s a good idea
to find someone who has already made a
photo book to help you out.
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The Ending Is Just the Beginning
We’ve provided several exciting ideas
and suggestions for you, but this is just
the beginning. You’ll find countless other
opportunities to take great pictures, like
Halloween, cooking a big meal in the
kitchen, the town parade, or football
games at your local high school. Wherever
you go, you’ll find subjects to photograph,
so grab your camera and explore your
world. In no time at all you’ll find subjects
and themes that you love.
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Photography is one of the most
delightful ways to spend your time,
and with new technology you can take
amazing pictures with basic technical
awareness. It’s not possible to go into all
the details of your particular camera in
this book. As soon as you’re ready to dig
deeper into your camera’s functions and
your computer’s technology, look at the
instruction manual that came with your
camera. You’ll find valuable information
and answers to your questions. You can
also find many websites with useful
information and tips.
Staying excited about taking pictures
is what’s most important. Hopefully, by
reading about photography and looking
at amazing pictures like the ones in this
book, you will want to discover your own
world with your camera.
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Glossary
autofocus
The autofocus sets the range of the lens to the
correct distance so your pictures won’t be blurry.
autofocus indicator
When taking a picture, the autofocus indicator
identifies the object that is used to set the lens’s
range. On most cameras, the autofocus indicator
is a small green box that appears on the display.
If the picture is blurry, the focus indicator will
blink.
camera
A camera is a device we use to take pictures.
card reader
A card reader is a device that attaches to a
computer and can read your camera’s memory
card. It’s used to transfer pictures onto your
computer’s hard drive.
chip
See sensor.
display
The display is the screen on the back of the
camera. In shooting mode, the display shows
a live image of what the lens is pointed at. In
review mode, the display shows images that
have already been captured.
exposure time
The exposure time is the length of time it takes
for your camera to take a picture.
film
Before digital cameras and sensors were
invented, people used film to absorb light and
take pictures.
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flash
The flash is a small but powerful light that turns
on for a brief moment while the camera takes a
picture. It allows you to take photos when there
is not enough natural light.
hard drive
All files, including pictures, are saved on a
computer’s hard drive. A memory card serves the
same purpose in a camera.
lens
The lens is the eye of the camera. It’s made up
of many glass lenses similar to the lenses in
eyeglasses or microscopes.
macro
The macro setting allows you to get really close
to your subject and also allows you to make
small objects look large.
memory card
Pictures that you take with your camera are
saved to the memory card. There are different
types of memory cards, but the most common
ones are small SD cards. More than 1,000
pictures can fit on a single memory card,
depending on how large the pictures are.
motion blur
During a long exposure time, anything in front
of the camera that moves will cause blurring and
will be out of focus.
night flash
The night flash is a special flash mode. In
contrast to the normal flash, the night flash is
not as bright and has a longer exposure time.
If you need to use a flash, rely on this setting to
help you create beautiful pictures.
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Glossary
photo shoot
A photo shoot is a scheduled occasion for
a photographer to take several pictures of
someone. The term comes from advertising
photography.
photography studio
A photography studio is a workplace for
photographers. Photographers take, edit, and
sell pictures there.
picture angle
The picture angle determines the left and right
limits of a picture’s frame.
picture browser
A picture browser is a computer program
designed to display pictures on a computer
screen.
portrait
A portrait is a picture of a person that usually
shows their face. If you take a picture of yourself,
it’s called a “self-portrait.”
reflection
To reflect is to throw back light. Everything
reflects light to some degree. Light-colored
objects reflect more light, and dark-colored
objects reflect less light.
review mode
Review mode allows you to see what you’ve
already photographed. You can review all of your
pictures on the camera’s display.
self-timer
The self-timer makes it possible to delay the
moment when your camera takes a picture. If
you turn the self-timer on, a few seconds will
pass between when you press the shutter-release
button and when the camera snaps a picture.
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sensor
The sensor, or chip, absorbs images, which are
then saved on the memory card.
shooting mode
In shooting mode, you’ll see a live image on the
camera’s display that you can capture by pressing
the shutter-release button.
subject
The subject of a photograph is what you’re
trying to show in your picture. Anything can be a
subject: people, animals, or things.
telephotograph
A telephotograph is a picture with a tight angle.
It allows you to make your subject fill up more of
a picture’s frame. You might want someone’s face
to take up the whole picture, for example.
wide angle
A wide angle allows you to take a picture of
almost everything you can see. You would
use a wide angle to take a photo of all your
classmates, for example.
zoom
The zoom is a lens that allows you to determine
the boundaries of your picture’s frame.
Sometimes you’ll want to draw attention to
one specific detail, and sometimes you’ll want
to capture a larger area. Sometimes you’ll have
a subject that is big and close, and sometimes
you’ll have a subject that is small and distant.
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