Memory Considerations and Image Manipulation Software
Most digital cameras on the market today use removable memory cards or memory sticks for storing images. Not surprisingly, the more images the card is capable of storing, the more it costs. Recent drops in the price of digital memory cards have been quite encouraging for digital photographers, who had worried about the capacity of the cards versus price. This results in images and cameras that need cards with much greater memory capacity. The market average today is around $15–$20 for a 2 gigabyte memory card. Sony has a memory stick, which has a 2 gigabyte capacity; it retails for around $15.
As with batteries, having an extra memory card or memory stick is a very prudent idea. Don't think you could ever fill up a 2 gigabyte memory card? Don't be too sure. If you don't have the opportunity to upload your images to a computer and you are shooting at a very high resolution, you may easily find yourself wishing you had more storage capacity.
Also, consider the issue of backup. Just as film can get jammed or other unforeseen circumstances can throw a wrench in your plan, memory cards can occasionally malfunction. When this happens to you (although hopefully it never will), wouldn't it be nice to have that extra card to slip into the camera so you can continue shooting?
The ability to take a bad or mediocre photo and turn it into one you'd be proud to show to friends and family is a powerful tool to have at your disposal.
The image manipulation software currently on the market can do some absolutely amazing things. Although the learning curve can be pretty steep on programs such as Adobe PhotoShop Elements, it is well worth the investment of time and money for serious photographers. Even beginning photographers should consider using this technology; you can resize and straighten pictures and do basic color and contrast correction.
FIGURE 3-4 Sometimes it is amazing how much detail and contrast can be derived from an ordinary image.
Basic features on most image manipulation programs are:
Cropping tool
Image rotation
Red-eye removal tool
Brightness and contrast tool
Sharpen tool
Blur tool
Dodge and burn tool
Eraser tool
Type tool
Software programs commonly used by photographers include Adobe PhotoShop, Corel, Bibble, PhotoShop Elements, and PaintShop Pro. Free or inexpensive programs include Google's Picasa, the GIMP, and Paint.NET. Apple Aperture 1.5 and iPhoto are specifically designed for Mac users.
The more expensive programs have greatly expanded features that allow you to isolate areas to retouch, and extremely sophisticated tools for all sorts of image correction problems. There are even healing and cloning tools, which can transform how you think about photography. Some of these programs are downloadable from the Internet on a trial basis. Be advised that Adobe PhotoShop has excellent tools and is used by many pro photographers, but it comes with a hefty price tag of around $600. PhotoShop Elements is much more affordable at around $100. Beginners should download free or trial programs — it's a good way to take a test drive to see if the technology is right for you.
The good news is that most photographers will not necessarily need to buy any software. Your scanner probably came with some sort of image manipulation software, and it may even have come bundled with your printer. Many scanners come with a scaled-down version of Photoshop known as Photoshop LE (Limited Edition). Another bundled software is Picture Publisher from Micrographix. These programs will more than likely include all the functions most beginning photographers need.
Another Adobe product often bundled with scanners and printers is PhotoDeluxe, and with a little exploration you may find that it, too, has features you can use. Software such as Corel Draw also provide basic image editing. Some versions come with Corel Photopaint, a program that also provides much, if not all, of what most photographers need. One of the oldest, best-known free software (shareware) packages is Paint Shop Pro. It is a low-cost alternative to Photoshop for people who don't need all of Photoshop's features.
Digital Camera Enhancer (DCE) from Mediachance does a good job of noise reduction and color and tonal correction in digital images. It is available both as a free program and as a part of the Photo-Brush software, which is worth considering for its low price. Photo-Brush does not have the selection tools that make Photoshop essential for photographers, but it does have some other important features, particularly noise and dust-removal and retouching tools. The Gimp, another free program, runs on almost any computer platform, Mac or PC. It was designed to offer features similar to PhotoShop.
Picture Window is a free program designed by programmers who were photographers, with their specific needs in mind. If you like this program, the more expensive Pro version, which is still cheap compared to Photoshop, may be right for you.
