PCs All-in-One For Dummies®, 5th Edition

Chapter 5. I'm Okay, You're a Digital Camera

In This Chapter

• Understanding digital camera technology

• Evaluating the advantages of digital photography

• Buying extras (besides your camera)

• Composing photographs for better results

• Organizing your images

• Downloading your images

• Using Windows Live Photo Gallery

I'll be the first to assure you that I'm no Ansel Adams, yet I've been capturing moments and memories on film for most of my life, and I've slowly worked my way into what most folks would deem semiprofessional photography. (I can shoot a decent portrait, I take on a commission from time to time, and I have a reasonably well-stuffed camera bag.)

Does that mean I'm loaded down with expensive 35mm cameras and a dozen different varieties of film? Definitely not! I've never been darkroom material, and film photography no longer excites me. These days, I work entirely with digital cameras, which don't use traditional film. Why digital? My entire portfolio of digital photos — which would easily fill up at least two dozen traditional bound photo albums — fits comfortably on two DVDs. I can display those photographs on practically any PC or print hard copies that are almost impossible to tell from film prints. I don't spend a dime on film processing, either — and when you take 10 to 20 images per day, that savings really adds up.

I spend this chapter introducing you to the world of digital photography. You discover how a digital camera works, why it's better in many respects than a film camera, and ...