Posts Tagged photography
The megapixel myth : Take great Digital Photos
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 10th, 2009 by Instructor
Skimboarder shot on 6MP camera
One of the most frequent questions to settle before coming to Digital Photography and Photoshop I is: what kind of digital camera should I choose? The answer depends on your objectives and comfort with camera technology. If you are a hobbyist, you’ll probably focus your attention on DSLRs: those traditional-looking cameras that accept different lenses and provide an optical viewfinder through which to compose your shots. The pocket point-and-shoot alternative is generally more travel-friendly and affordable, although there is considerable overlap in the latter regard among high end point-and-shoots and entry-level DSLRs.
One measuring stick commonly employed when comparing models is the number of effective megapixels (MP) of the image sensor. All things being equal, it would seem reasonable that a 12 megapixel camera would resolve an image twice as well as a 6 megapixel model but, in fact, the comparison depends on additional variables. If the optical precision of the 12MP camera is not commensurate with the power of the sensor, actual improvement over the 6MP camera may be nominal. Even though the greater number of pixels will yield a larger croppable area, insufficient sharpness can render the results a wash. The smaller the size of the pixels and, therefore, the greater their density, the greater potenital for stray data, known as noise, and poor detail in low-light shooting situations. The image of the skimboarder was shot with an older 6MP camera yet reporoduced sharp enough to earn a full page spot for July in the 2009 Tidelines calendar. In this case, the quality of the lens was more important than the number of pixels.
For detailed side-by-side comparisons and actual image samples, I recommend dpreview.com Regardless of the form factor you choose, consider investing in a camera that shoots images in the RAW format. While Photoshop CS4 can employ many of the same enhancements on JPEG images, you’ll truly enjoy the full power of the application with images shot in RAW.
Learn more about Digital Photography and Photoshop 1 class or register now.
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Film Camp for Kids. Cool stop motion video made between film projects at summer camp!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 10th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Kids learn how to make a movie at summer camp!
This is a project the Digital Media Adventures film class (movie making and special effects) made in between movie projects this past summer at DMA summer camp in Michigan. Somehow they managed to shoot these hundreds of photos and stitch them together in Final Cut Pro as a fun project in between the two other short films they made in one week! This is truly a great film camp experience for kids.
Learn more about DMA’s Film and Computer Camps for Kids
Film Camp. Watch a Stop Motion Movie made at DMA Summer Camp with Skittles!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 9th, 2009 by Philip Harding
See what teens made at Digital Media Academy film camp this summer in Chicago!
This video was made by shooting hundreds of individual JPEG photos and piecing/editing them together in Final Cut Pro. This was made during DMA Film Camp in Chicago this past summer in the Teen Film Editing and Filmmaking Course. Learn how to make a movie like this at a DMA course this summer!
Digital Photography at Stanford University
Digital Media Academy News + Events | February 14th, 2009 by dzody
A few summers back, a friend and I took Digital Media Academy classes at Stanford University. She did Final Cut Pro and I took Digital Photography. It was a fantastic week that we still talk about and wish we could do again. We were fortunate that year, because we received a grant to pay for our tuition. We stayed in one of the dorms on campus and ate at the cafeteria. For a couple of older gals, this was a flashback to our youth.
This is one of my favorite pieces from that summer. I use it for my avatar in different places.
The digital photography class was perfect for me, as I teach the yearbook class at an inner city high school and this year started teaching the multimedia class. I have my students take hundreds of photos, just like our instructor required, and they only get to keep a limited number. I use the portfolio of photos we got at the end of the class from all the students’ weekly work to show my students what they can do with their photos. I also point out that some of these photos are mine, and that I too was a student while doing the work. It helps my students to know that I understand what they are going through when they are out there taking pictures.
Digital Media Academy is a great experience for young and old. I was in a class with people of all ages, and we were all learning together not only from the instructor, who was superb, but also from each other. The daily show and tell was one of our favorites!
