DISC SAFETY-

Although 8gb and larger cards are available, it is recommended that you use several 2-4gb discs to avoid losing a major portion, or all, of your photos due to disc damage, etc.
 
When travelling or going to an event (wedding, graduation etc), carry 3 or 4- 2gb cards in case one gets lost or damaged.  If you receive a card error and do not know why, the best course of action is to stop pressing any further buttons, remove the disc from the camera and store it in a safe place until you can take it to a service provider with data recovery software (such as Quality Cameras & Computers).  There is a good chance your data is recoverable.
 
Be wary when inserting, removing and passing discs between people as the static charge buildup between people can cause an electrical charge to damage the disc.  Rather, put the disc on a surface and have the other person pick it up.  Remember to discharge yourself as well before opening and removing the disc from the camera or picking up the disc from the surface.

f/STOP AND SHUTTER SPEED -

A common error in understanding the basics of photography is the misconception concerning the f/stop numbers.  It is perceived that the larger number would let in more light, when the inverse is the case.  For example, f/16 is commonly thought to let in more light than f/2.  Remember that the higher number (e.g f/16) is the smaller aperture (opening) and less light will pass through to the sensor/film.  However, this is balanced by keeping the shutter open longer.  Conversely, the lower number (e.g. f/2) has a larger aperture, which will allow for more light to pass through to the sensor/film.  This is also balanced by shortening the time the shutter is open.  This balancing act will produce a perfectly exposed photo.  By unbalancing these ratios, we create a photo that is under or over exposed - which is a topic for the next lesson.
 

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION -

When using your software program to crop and adjust your photos, make sure to pay attention to the resolution, or dpi, and ensure it is set to 300 for print quality.  Your photos, when cropped to, for e.g. 8x10" at 240dpi, will not fill the 8x10 frame from edge to edge.  Because the resolution is lower that 300, the picture will be smaller than an actual 8x10.  So, make sure you use 300dpi setting whenever you crop and want print quality.

COLOR ADJUSTMENTS -

It is important to remember that your prints may not look the same as they appeared on your computer monitor at home. There are several reasons for this.
    •    Your monitor may not be calibrated the same as the service provider's monitor.
    •    Your viewing environment may be different.  (Meaning the lighting in your home is not the same as the service provider's.)
    •    The printer being used will have its own printer profiles (language that the printer reads from the computer to read the colors).
    •    The printers have a 'gamut' or range of colors that can be reproduced and they may not coincide with the gamut of your screen, etc.
    •    The type of paper, or media, being used to print on will have its own effect on the output as well.
Keep these in mind when working with your service provider to produce the output you are looking to achieve.

THE BIGGEST SIZE -

If you are contemplating enlarging any of the photos you take, it is a good idea to use the highest quality and largest format your camera will allow.  Although it will take up more space on your disk, it will give you the largest file to work with from the beginning, and therefore, the more chance of a successful enlargement.