Digital Imaging

Digital Imaging From Start To Finish

Have you ever wanted to take a picture of a man on the surface of the moon? You don't need to sign up for a lunar tour to do that. What you need is a camera, creativity and imagination. Digital imaging is a step-by-step process involving choosing your subject, taking a picture, transferring it from camera to computer, and editing it with imaging software. This article will give you a guide to the whole imaging process by using the example of making a digital image of a man on the moon.

The process begins with taking a picture using a camera. To create a fantastic digital image of a man on the moon, find a man - any man - to be your man on the moon. The man can be anyone from your next door neighbor to your great grand uncle. Find someone who fits your mind's description of the man on the moon. Whether he's handsome or homely, it's up to you. Just be sure you'd like to take his picture.

Taking your subject's picture is the next step. Here's where professional digital photography techniques can really help. You should ensure that your photograph has the right exposure by tweaking your camera settings. You should also stand your subject against a background that can easily be erased later on when you start editing. You can choose a plain white backdrop or a bright yellow one, as long as it doesn't have the same shade as any of the colors that your model is currently wearing. Make sure, too, to set the right image resolution so that you may resize the picture later on without problems. Be warned, though, that high-resolution files can take forever to upload.

Uploading or transferring your digital photograph to the computer is next. You have various options here. You may use Bluetooth and infrared to transfer the picture to your computer. You may also transfer the image to your computer through a USB cable. Finally, you may have your picture printed then scan the photograph to transfer the image to the computer; this is the least preferable method of picture upload for image editing purposes.

After uploading the picture, you should now digitally enhance and edit your image. For the background, look for one of NASA's pictures of the moon's surface - you can upload such an image from a sci-fi magazines or download one from the internet. Then, take your model's picture and cut out the background using photo editing software. Once you're finished, copy the picture of the man (minus the original background) and simply paste it as a new layer above the picture of the moon's surface. Tweak the pictures a bit, change the photo's brightness, blur some lines, make the colors blend, and adjust the settings to your heart's content. Don't forget to save it, print it if you like… and voila! You now have a picture of a man on the moon.

All you need to create larger-than-life images is a bit of imagination, a few professional digital photography tricks and good, easy-to-use digital imaging software. The first step is always the hardest. Your first few tries might look a little rough around the edges, but with time and more practice in digital photography, you'll learn how to make better digital images.