buxton & district u3a digital photography beginners group 15 october 2013 lesson 3:printing...

Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners Group

15 October 2013

Lesson 3: Printing &Composition Part 1

© Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District

Digital Photography Beginners

Programme19 September Exploring your camera

1 October You’ve taken some pictures now what? (Viewing pictures; filing on your computer)

15 October Printing & Composing a better picture (part 1)

29 October Camera modes/scenes & Composing a better picture (part 2)

5 November Simple editing to improve your pictures

19 November Understanding exposure

3 December Controlling exposure/focal length/perspective/composition for a better picture &

Taking Pictures of people

17 December Everything you want to know about digital photography but never dared ask.© Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District


Last time• What do you want to do with your photos?• How is the picture stored?• Viewing your pictures.• Filing pictures on your computer.


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What do you want to do with your photos?

Print for an

album

Print for a

large frame

Display on a TV or digital photo frame

Keep safe in case of computer failure or fireFile / c

atalogue

to easily find

what you want

Correct / improve images

Create artistic

imagesShare with friends

and family via

World Wide WebIllustrate books,

brochures, websites….

Sell your imagesSelect & keep your better

pictures (“digital film” is

cheap so you can take

lots)


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Picture File FormatsBMP (Bitmap) • Uncompressed,

• Very Large

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

• Lossy compression (you can specify how much)• Can save lots of space• Very high compression degrades image• Repeated editing and resaving degrades image

RAW • Lossless compression• Large• Camera specific – so might not display in all systems• Retains some information lost in JPEG• Favoured by some professionals

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)

• Lossless compression (usually)• Large• Standard (but lots of flexibility) – so will usually display in any system

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

• Supports both lossy and lossless compression (works well with large uniformly coloured areas)• Can be very small• Mainly used for pictures for websites

Beginners: “Just use JPEG”© Copyright John Estruch

Buxton & District


John’s filing system1. Group photos in your mind into

sets (e.g. a holiday, a party, a birthday, a visit, a photo shoot etc.)

2. Create new folder in year for each set. Name it according to month, add a letter to keep sets in order within the month and add a descriptive name e.g.

11b Kittens

Nov2nd set in month

Descriptive name


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John’s Software Recommendations

Software Strengths When do I use it

Windows Photo Gallery

Good for everyday editing to make simple improvements to your pictures

All the time to tidy up my pictures

Picasa Good for creating albums (different views of the same pictures without making copies).Easily links to on-line albums

Regularly to share pictures on a particular subject (e.g. U3A Digital Photography, U3A Walks)

Photoshop / Photoshop Elements

Good for complex editing Occasionally when I want to edit details or create artistic effects


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Homework• Start to organise your photos (if you have not already done so):

– Upload pictures onto computer (if not already done s)– Find out where they are stored when uploaded– Decide how you want to organise your photos (windows folder structure)– Create the folders into which you will store you pictures– Start to move your pictures into the new folders– Note problems / questions for next time

• Explore photo library / photo editing software– Do you already have Windows Photo Gallery / Picasa / Photoshop / other ?– Decide if you will use any (or all) of them. (John will use Windows Photo Gallery for simple editing

later in the course)– If you want to use Windows Photo Gallery or Picasa but don’t have them on the PC then have a go

at downloading the software– Note problems / questions for next time


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This Time

• Printing photos– What are the options for printing Photos– Explore the different options– Printing calendars, photo-books etc.

• Composition Part 1


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Options for printing Photos• Specialist photo-printer• Ink-jet printer• High Street shop• On-line print service


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This Time




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Specialist Photo Printers• Compact• Connect camera or memory card (or phone?)• Control from printer (no need for PC)

Canon SELPHY CP900£70 from Amazon

Polaroid GL10 Bluetooth Digital Photo Printer (Zero Ink)£100 from Amazon

Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock Series 3£30 from Amazon


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Ink Jet Printers• Most modern “standard” ink-jet printers are

photo-printers (check before you buy)Manufacturers:•Epson•Canon•HP•Brother•Kodak•Lexmark•etc. etc. etc.

Types / sizes / prices:•A4 Photo printer £30 - £100•A4 all-in-one home printers £35- £300+•A3 Printers £60 - £500+•Print speed and resolution (dpi) affect price•Cost of Ink and Paper can be high

• A4 photo paper 5p – 50p• Ink 10p - ????? Per A4 page


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Printing at High Street Shop

Who•Jessops•Boots•Etc.

How does it work•Take in camera, card or disk•1hr services (20p- 35p for 6”x4”)•2-4 working days (5p- 30p for 6”x4”)


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Online print services

Who•Jessops•Boots•Photobox•Snapfish•Bonusprint•Truprint•Tesco •Asda• + many, many more

How does it work•Upload pictures•Select format •1-4 working days

How much does it cost?•Many “free” introductory offers•3p – 15p for 6”x4” •Shop around every time


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This Time




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Printing Calendars etc.Most on-line services (and shops) have more advanced print services:•Large framed prints•Calendars•Books•Mugs etc.….. Lets have a look


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This Time




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1. Look at what is in the picture

When I gave the bride a copy of this picture, she said:

“Why has my dad got a car aerial up his nose?”


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What’s in the picture –avoid distractions


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…2nd focus is not always a distraction


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2. Avoid the middle/fill the frame


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3. “The rule of thirds”


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4. Frame the picture


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5. Leading lines


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Frame the picture + leading lines


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Homework• Try printing at home (if you have a printer):• Have a look at the on-line print services – Try uploading pictures to print (you don’t have to pay

until the end – so you can just try)• Think about Xmas presents.• Take some pictures, thinking about the composition

– bring your favourites to the next session.


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Course notesI will put this presentation on the Buxton and District U3A website at :

http://u3asites.org.uk/code/u3asite.php?site=179&page=25298

Or

1.Go to www.buxtonu3a.org.uk2.Select “Groups”3.Select “Digital Photography: Beginners”4.Select “materials from previous sessions” from the links on right hand side of page


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Next Time

• Camera modes/scenes

• Composing a better picture (part 2)


buxton & district u3a digital photography beginners group 15 october 2013 lesson 3:printing...

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