I've taken a gazillion pictures... Now what?
Digital cameras make it easier than ever to take great photos, but managing pictures is a struggle... We can help.
How do I get the pictures from my camera into my computer? How do I print pictures? How do I change the size of a picture? How do I email a picture to someone? With inexpensive high-quality digital cameras very common today, people are finding it super-easy to take great photos, but are often stumped when it comes to basic photo management. Granted the camera companies have made some things easier, like Kodak's easy-share camera/dock system that allows pictures to go straight from the camera to high-quality photo paper with pushbutton ease, and printer companies are making it easier by making photo printers that will print photos directly off of your camera's memory card. But when it comes to long term storage and cataloging of digital photos, a lot of people find themselves struggling to come up with an approach that works.
What are the symptoms? First things first, there's the connection from the camera to the computer. This doesn't always work right, and is usually the first barrier to success. Here are some typical symptoms that our customers report:
- I connect my camera to my computer and nothing happens.
- My computer sees my camera, but I don't know what to do next.
- My camera came with so many cables, I don't know what to use.
- My camera came with photo management software but the software can't find my camera.
- My computer has slots for memory cards, but I don't know how to use them.
- I can't find where my photos are being stored.
- I ran out of memory on my camera, how do I take more pictures?
- My camera gives me a memory card access error when I turn it on.
- Even though I use alkaline batteries, I can only take 10 or 12 flash pictures then the batteries run out.
What can be done about it? The digital camera, perhaps more than most modern gadgets, is very intuitive to use when it comes to snapping pictures, but is one of the least intuitive to use when it comes to capturing, storing, and managing your photos. There has never been a better time to curl up in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea and the user guide. Many of the issues mentioned above can be resolved and/or avoided by reading up on, and understanding how your camera works, particularly, how it stores photos, and how to move those photos from camera to computer.
About digital cameras and battery life... One of the most common problems people experience with digital cameras is short battery life. Although some cameras come with specialized battery packs that are rechargeable, a lot of digital cameras run on ordinary AA or AAA sized batteries. What many people find is that using disposable alkaline batteries, you can take about a dozen flash photos and then the batteries appear dead or take forever to "recharge" the flash. If you were to take the batteries out of the camera at that moment, they would probably be warm to the touch. If you were to wait an hour and use them again, you may get an additional few shots off before they would seem dead again. This is because the way digital cameras use batteries is not very compatible with the way alkaline batteries discharge. Disposable Lithium batteries on the other hand, are a better choice for this situation because they are designed for the way digital cameras use batteries, but they tend to be much more expensive, often costing double or more the price of alkalines (which most will agree, are already pretty darned expensive!), and of course, like alkalines and all disposable batteries, they also represent a hazard to the environment.
The best choice for digital cameras is a set of rechargeable batteries with a high mAh (milliAmpere/hour) rating of 1500 mAh or better. When choosing a rechargeable battery set, look for a high mAh rating, and look also for a smart charger. Also, plan ahead by having two sets of rechargeable batteries, so one set can always be charging while the other is in use. For more information on battery choices and for battery savings, Geek Housecalls recommends BatteriesPlus in Woburn. Click here for a BatteriesPlus 10% Internet savings coupon.
S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g your batteries Don't forget to bring your recharger and extra batteries when you go on a trip, but If you are in a situation where you need to take a lot of pictures and have only limited access to batteries, or no capability to recharge, here are some tips to get more pictures from the power you have:
- If your camera has an optical viewfinder option, turn of the LCD display and use the optical viewfinder instead. The LCD display is a huge consumer of power.
- If your camera doesn't have an optical viewfinder, see if you at least have the option of turning off or dimming the LCD backlight as this is another way to conserve power.
- If you are shooting outdoors or in bright light, turn off your flash (unless you need to highlight detail with the sun behind your subject, in which case you should force your flash or you'll end up with just a silhouette).
- If you will be going several minutes between shots, conserve power by shutting down in between (many cameras have power saver options that will do this automatically).
- Do not review pictures unless you have to. Again, using the LCD display is a huge battery drain.
- Keep your batteries cool (even refrigerate them, but do not freeze). Warm or hot batteries will discharge faster.
How can Geek Housecalls help?
Your geek will arrive prepared to help you with your digital camera. Because there are so many brands and models of digital cameras, and with new models being introduced, it seems, almost daily, your geek may not have specific experience with your particular brand or model of camera, however, all Geek Housecalls geeks have a solid understanding of digital camera technology in general. And your geek will have extensive hands-on experience installing, configuring, and troubleshooting digital cameras, and can help you with suggestions not only for how to get the most from your camera, but also with the trickier subject of moving, managing, printing and emailing your digital photos. There are usually a tremendous amount of options, and for many people, trying to learn everything at once can be overwhelming. As an alternative, your geek can work with you to develop a private tutoring program to help ease you into using your digital camera and managing your photos at a more sensible pace through a series of short customized learning sessions that are tailored to your needs and how you'd like to use your digital camera. Ask your geek about private tutoring, or click here to learn more about Geek Housecalls' private tutoring options.
In any case, you can count on Geek Housecalls to solve any digital camera problems you may be having as well as make suggestions for how to work with your digital camera in ways that makes it more of a pleasure and less of a hassle, so feel free to look over our shoulder and ask questions! We want to leave you not only with a working knowledge of digital camera basics, but also with a smile!
