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OK,

So I finally took the plunge and ordered a G2 (price was right and

all the reviews sound great). I've never used a digital camera

before, so even though I kind of understand the purpose of histograms

and white balance and all that, I've never actually put any of it

into practice and I haven't done much post-processing in the computer

either.

So any advice as to where to go - websites, books, etc. - for info to

get me started would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Jim

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Just set it on automatic and shoot lots and lots of pictures. Delete the ones you don't like, and save the others on your computer. After the first two or three thousand, go to the Luminous Landscape web site, and learn some of the technical garbage; until then, don't worry about it.
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Portrait Enhancement

http://www.photoepix.com/photoshop/

http://www.mediachance.com/digicam/cleanskin.htm (software)

Vignettes, Borders and Edges

http://www.espressographics.com/text/edges.html

http://members.aol.com/azpixels2/projects-edges.html

http://myjanee.home.insightbb.com/tutorials.htm

Gaussian Blur Overlays (Dream Filter)

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/gaussian.htm

Watercolor/Painting Effects

http://www.reallyusefulpage.com/50techniques/html/sample-tutorial.htm

http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/painted2/painted2.htm

http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/painted/painted.htm

http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/painted3/painted3.htm

Realistic Pencil & Pastel Sketches

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1006&message=2850428

One Water Color Technique

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1006&message=2835802

Another Water Color Technique

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1006&message=2852724

Blending Mode Definitions

http://www.rrcc-online.com/~lenm/16101blends.htm

Infrared Tutorial & Actions

http://www.caughtintimephotography.com/demo.html

http://www.cliffshade.com/dpfwiw/ir.htm

http://www.cocam.co.uk/CoCamWS/Infrared/INFRARED.HTM

http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html

http://www.pixelagogo.com/infrared.html#

http://www.fredmiranda.com/DI/index.html (action)

http://www.digitalfocus.net/downloads.htm (action)

http://www.photocollege.co.uk/stepbystep/sbsframe.html (channel mixer)

Digital Graduated Neutral Density Filter

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1006&message=1333399

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/blended_exposures.htm

Digital CC Filters

http://www.mediachance.com/digicam/filtersim.htm

Contrast Masking

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/contrast_masking.htm

Panorama Tools (Free Plug-In)

http://www.fh-furtwangen.de/~dersch/

A Digital Watermark Signature Tutorial

http://www.robin-beck.com/digital/watermarks/aps/aps.htm

Grain Aliasing (film scanner)

http://www.photoscientia.co.uk/Grain.htm

The High Bit Advantage (film scanner)

http://www.creativepro.com/story/news/7627.html?cprose=I20

Image Softening Technique

http://www.carolsteele.btinternet.co.uk/soft_focus/soft.htm

Unsharp Mask Quick Tips

http://www.lonestardigital.com/photoshop_quicktips.htm

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/smart_sharp.htm

http://www.bythom.com/sharpening.htm

http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/11242.html

Shooting the Moon (w/links to astrophotography and solar/lunar tables)

http://www.cliffshade.com/dpfwiw/moon.htm

RAW File Management Tips

http://www.kleptography.com/notes-workflow.htm

http://www.colorshots.com/cs101e/html/tipps_raw.html

A Few Scanning Tips

http://scantips.com/

Digital B&W Printing

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/digital_b&w.htm

http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/quadtone.html

http://inkjetgoodies.com/Piezography_Questions.html

PS Actions, Filters, Brushes, Plug-Ins, etc.

http://xchange.studio.adobe.com/axBrowseProduct.asp?p=2

http://www.deepspaceweb.com/download.php?op=viewdownload&cid=1

http://www.deepspaceweb.com/download.php?op=viewdownload&cid=2

http://www.deepspaceweb.com/download.php?op=viewdownload&cid=4

http://www.ephemeralvisions.com/... .../tutorial_lineless_brushes.html

http://www.teamphotoshop.com/photoshop/tutorials/ps_tut.php

Digital Photography FAQ (superb site!)

http://www.cs.duke.edu/~parr/photography/faq.html

Battery Info.

http://www.cliffshade.com/dpfwiw/batteries.htm

http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

PaintShop Pro Tutorials

http://the-internet-eye.com/HOWTO/PSP.htm

PS Elements Tutorials

http://www.arraich.com/elements/psE_intro.htm

http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/... .../photoshop-elements.html

http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshopelements/

http://www.adobe.co.uk/web/tips/phselcolorcor/main.html

Misc. PS Instruction & Tutorials (in no order)

http://www.arraich.com/intro.htm

http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/ (Links)

http://www.intelinfo.com/free_photoshop_training.html

http://www.carlvolk.com/photoshoptips.asp

http://www.jtgraphics.net/all_digital.htm

http://www.photoepix.com/

http://www.computer-darkroom.co.uk/

http://the-internet-eye.com/HOWTO/Photoshop.htm

http://www.davrodigital.co.uk/tutorials/how.htm

http://www.davrodigital.co.uk/tutorials/how2.htm

http://www.davrodigital.co.uk/menu/menu-htm/mainmenu.htm

http://www.espressographics.com/text/menuph5.html

http://members.aol.com/azpixels2/projects.html

http://www.webmasterbase.com/tutorials/Photoshop/

http://rainworld.com/psworkshop/

http://www.planetphotoshop.com/tutorials.html

http://www.phong.com/tutorials/

http://www.mccannas.com/pshop/photosh0.htm

http://www.deepspaceweb.com/sections.php

http://www.magicpixel.com.au/html/workwel.html

http://www.geocities.com/nessele/

http://myjanee.home.insightbb.com/tutorials.htm

Assorted Digital Imaging Sites

http://www.imaging-resource.com

http://www.steves-digicams.com

http://www.dp-now.com

http://www.dcviews.com

http://www.dpreview.com

http://www.cliffshade.com/dpfwiw/index.htm

http://www.robgalbraith.com

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/

http://www.ekdahl.org/digital.htm

http://www.megapixel.net/html/issueindex.html

http://www.outbackphoto.com/

http://www.a-digital-eye.com/

 

http://groups.google.com/... ....photo.digital&hl=en&safe=off&btn G=Google+Search&meta=site%3Dgroups

 

http://www.jtgraphics.net/all_digital.htm

Whew!!

Anyone else have some good stuff to share?

 

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Jim,

 

Don't know if Canon has anything similar; but shortly after I bought my Olympus digital I attend the "Olympus School of Digital Photography." It paid for itself.

 

It was a full-day session where the morning's subject matter was on digital photography -- Resolution, file formats, white balance, and all that cool stuff. The afternoon was divided between basics (e.g., depth of field) and printing ala' the Olympus dye sublimation printer and using their Camedia image editting software. I must confess that I found the afternoon to be a bit tedious.

 

The morning session was worth the price of admission. So, you might poke around to find Canon-sponsored or whomever's similar courseware. The other thing that I attended was the Epson Print Academy - I filed a book report on it that you can find in the Digital Darkroom Forum archives. This was a great companion session because it touched on all the salient points of getting a competent print.

 

Reading websites and books is great; however, I find sitting in a half- or full-day seminar to be very valuable. When starting out these sessions improve the overall accessibility of the books and websites.

 

Good luck.

 

-Nick

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I have said this over and over again, here and on other forums, that I have been involved with serious film photography since the 1950's and just started in with a digital camera...an Olympus C5050...but that doesn't matter...and qaulity digital camera will do a fine job.

 

The learning curve is steep, lots of new concepts, I bought "Digital Photography For Dummies" (which really helped!), and just set most everything in programmed mode but did turn off the default functions. I am using auto focus and auto exposure, I usually do not use flash inside or out, I have not adjusted such items as sharpness, saturation, and such, and I am using the top 1/4 resolution....really very simple...do keep your resolution high.

 

...And I am getting beautiful images. I have a $99 Epson 820 printer and started with 5x7 prints and I'm now making 8x10 prints, and they look like my Medium Format film images...REALLY! I am looking at getting an 11X14 printer.

 

I am also burning some CDs of special images and I want to send them to West Coast Imaging to have some large traditional photo paper prints made in 16X20 plus sizes.

 

My advice (and my digital expert level is not much more than 1+ on a scale of 10):

 

1. Use a camera with 4.0 or 5.O mega Pixels...don't go below 3.0.

 

2. At first, keep everything very simple and in "P" mode.

 

3. Be VERY patient with yourself and delete duds.

 

4. At first, take your digital camera card to Wal*Mart or such, and have them make prints/CDs for you, because...

 

5. The image editing and the printer software can make or break your printed image, and just add more confusion to the whole process...this is NOT like film.

 

6. My camera is an Olympus C5050 and the Camedia Master software produces beautiful prints. I also bought Photoshop 7 and can't get a decent sharp/detailed print from it...I need to study... So...

 

7. Keep it very simple and work step by step, and don't give up. Each bad print is a step up the ladder to success.

 

8. Ask for help here...most of use will be patient and very willing to help...ignore the jerks.

 

Digital is the way of the future of imaging so work on it.

 

The above photo: About two weeks ago I was faced with a wedding job in a very small and dark chapel. My Nikon N90s with 800 film would not handle the job without too much noise and grain, so, I said, "What the heck, I'll use my tiny digital!" I have never had such fine ceremony photos. I set the ISO to 400 and just took the shots in "P" mode. When I enlarge the above image, I can count the diamonds on her bracelet!

 

 

Sorry for this long response, but I think the key to this is: 1. Be patient, 2. take it step by step, 3. do some research (buy a book or two and ask questions here), and 4. Experiment with different functions when you feel you are ready.

 

Much success to you.<div>005Tej-13538284.JPG.cb4b0f1717d9a4a8de92261505036890.JPG</div>

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People learn in different ways. If you need to understand and digest everything before you try it, by all means, follow the various books, websites, etc. If you are one to just try every button to see what it does? Why not? It's free. Read the various forums because you could well come across your questions already asked. While this talks about scanning, it's all useful information that will apply to post-processing and printing. A good site!!

 

http://www.scantips.com/

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To everyone that responded - a thousand thank-you's - this is what makes Photo-Net great. There's always someone that's willing to help. Photography has been a hobby/passion for a number of years and this is just a new direction. Again, thank you for all the responses. Jim
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