Rick Cline Photography - Digital Photo News and Information

News and Information

Drag boat racing archives open for business!

Rick Cline Photography is proud to announce our drag boat archives is open for business. We have thousands of color and black and white images captured from 1981 to 1997 on hand. Many have never been viewed, printed or published. NDBA, IHBA, NJBA, APBA and even some USDBA. Each and every photo order will be custom printed at a professional photo lab, produced from the original 35mm color slide or negative film. Our files are so large it is impossible to post them all here. All of our photographs are copyrighted by Rick Cline Photography. We will research your photo request for a small $20 fee. The charges will be applied to your photo purchase order.

Do it yourself digital photos, a big mistake

With the introduction of digital cameras came thousands of people who now considered themselves "photographers." With each passing day more businesses are turning their efforts to unskilled employees or friends, for money saving do-it-yourself digital photos using a newly purchased camera. But instead of professional quality photos they are soon previewing dozens of poorly framed, out-of-focus, and improperly exposed images. The results are almost always a disappointment and a complete waste of time and resources. It can be a very expensive experiment in attempting to save money.

Above: consumer 9 MP camera

In most cases the solution is just a simple phone call to a knowledgeable professional photographer. When you hire a skilled pro, you're not just getting a person who uses an expensive camera and lighting equipment. A professional has the ability and artistic eye to properly frame and light your subject matter in the best possible manner. Through years of hands-on experience they know how to use and blend f-stops, shutter speeds (ISOs) and to bring the lighting, exposure, colors and depth of field into perfection. Remember, the images you chose to show and market your company's products or services is a reflection on the company itself. Poor quality photographs are not going to bring the same marketing results one would get from professional images.

Lighting can make or break your results

The most important variable in today's photography is not whether or not you use film or digital, its proper "lighting" that still remains at the top of the list. Lighting can make or break an image and amateurs frequently lack the know-how and proper equipment to achieve the best quality results. The light issue becomes most important with an indoor or studio-type atmosphere. While a single or on-camera flash can sometimes help an outside photographic setting, inside it yields poor and often harsh effects. Ask a professional photographer and they'll tell you, good quality photographs are the result of proper or excellent lighting. Indoor, skilled use of the correct lighting equipment can make the difference between outstanding and unfavorable images. Professional lighting equipment can cost thousands of dollars. Knowing how to use these tools and create the best possible photographs takes talent and expertise derived from years of experience.

Above: professional softbox lighting

Camera lenses often an overlooked factor

Another valuable note on do-it-yourself photos comes from the glass or camera lens. Consumer point-and-shoot cameras are inexpensive and while their photos appear nice, they lack the high-end optics found on professional grade equipment. As a result you will discover a world of difference in the final image quality or output. Point-and-shoot cameras do not have the capability of being changed, one lens for every task. A professional camera can be used with many different lenses, depending on the situation. Complicating matters just a little further, the quality of lens used with a professional camera can also effect the final results. If you want a professional photographic image for your company or business, hire a pro who uses professional grade equipment and lenses.

Above: professional camera lens

Not all megapixels are created equal

Every year, camera manufacturers bring out their latest models touting an ever increasing number of pixels. In theory, the greater the number of pixels, the higher resolution the image. While the number of megapixels (MP) is still important, it is vital to understand not all megapixels are created equal. In the early years of digital photography it was assumed by most that a 5 MP camera was superior to a 3 MP unit, but this is not the case. The size and price of a camera is, in great part, is determined by the size and quality of the digital sensor. Smaller sensors used in most point-and-shoot cameras is about 1/15 the size of those used in the typical DSLR cameras. Cramming the same number of pixels into a smaller sensor means smaller pixels. The smaller pixels just can't absorb the same amount of light (and photo data) as the larger pixels so you end up with noise (graininess) in your enlarged photographs, particularly when taken under low light conditions. This also translates into a poorer quality image. Depending on the manufacturer, size and shape of megapixels are very different, and size matters. There is no way to compare two cameras solely based on the number of megapixels. As an example, Canon's "EOS-1D" a professional 4.1 MP camera has pixels 12 times larger than the pixels on Canon's 4 MP "G2" consumer camera. This of course makes a big difference in image quality, that few if any camera store salesman will mention. To keep the price down, manufacturers use lesser quality sensors in their consumer-grade cameras, as apposed in the professional units. To get great color and detail in each photo, you need to capture as much light as possible from the scene, and do so with a sized larger sensor. Each sensor can only hold a fixed amount of light and process that into digital data. A larger sensor means a greater space to capture light; more light means more data; more data means you get a clearer, sharper photograph that can be enlarged without losing image quality. Therefore, the size and quality of the sensor is often more important than the number of MP.

Above: small sample comparison of the many digital camera sensor sizes

Doubling the megapixels

Six plus six does not equal twelve

Many believe a 12 megapixel (MP) digital camera produces an image twice the size of a 6 megapixel in terms of pixel dimensions. They assume if you double the megapixel number you will have twice the image resolution—not true! To achieve an increase in image size that the common person would consider twice the MP's, one must increase the megapixel count by four times, not two. You need to double the sensor surface area. As an example jumping from a 6 MP camera to a 12 MP results is an increase in image size only 50 percent larger, as the dimensions of the image increase by only half. The gain in image size from a 6 MP to an 8 MP camera is just 16 percent. Jumping from 8 MP to 12 MP is only 25 percent.

Typical pixel dimensions:

6 megapixel camera - 3008 X 2000

12 megapixel camera - 4288 X 2848

Doubling the MP dimensions:

3.25 MP - 2160 X 1440

12.0 MP - 4288 X 2848

Understanding digital photography

Digital photography is a form of photography that uses an array of light-sensitive sensors to capture the image as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film. The captured photo is then stored as a digital or electronic file ready for digital processing (color correction, sizing, and cropping), viewing or printing. Until the advent of this technology, photographs were made by exposing light sensitive photographic film that used time consuming chemical processing to develop the image. By contrast, digital images can be instantly displayed, printed, stored, manipulated, transmitted, and archived using digital and computer techniques, without chemical processing. Since the introduction of modern digital photography, the use of film is has become a thing of the past.

The quality of a digital image is a composite of various factors, many of which are similar to those of film cameras. Pixel count (typically listed in megapixels [MP] millions of pixels) is only one of the major factors. Digital camera manufacturers advertise this figure because consumers can use it to easily compare camera capabilities. It is not, however, the major factor in evaluating a digital camera for most applications. The processing system inside the camera that turns the raw data into a color-balanced and pleasing photograph is usually more critical. Read above "Not all megapixels are created equal." Resolution in pixels is not the only measure of image quality. A larger sensor with the same number of pixels generally produces a better image than a smaller one. One of the most important differences is an improvement in image noise, formerly called "grain" in film. This is one of the advantages of digital SLR cameras, which have larger sensors than simpler cameras of the same resolution.

Free digital photography services

Rick Cline Photography has launched a new program for Non-Profit Organizations. We understand that non-profit company's frequently do not have the budget nor funds to pay for much-needed professional photography. In an effort to help these organizations, we will do what we can to free-up time and offer our services to your company at no charge. If you own or operate a non-profit business and are located in our general area or vicinity, please fee free to give us a call. We will do what we can to answer your needs.

Call today and lets get started on your next project!

Riverside, California

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