Mike is the resident computer guy and Canon shooter. I've been doing photography since 1970 and I really like Macintosh computers because they are so easy to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are digital cameras better than film?

Over the years in photography, many new films and technologies have been touted as better than the old. After a few years most users realize that the newer items are just different, but not necessarily better than the old.

Images from a digital camera are different than film, just as Velvia is different from Fujicolor, but each has its strengths and weaknesses. Typically digital images have their own color balance compared to film and when made with an 8.0 megapixel sensor in a DSLR are as sharp as film. Where the differences with digital come into play is that you see the image instantly.

Are digital cameras easier to use than film.

In order to properly use any camera, a good knowledge of apertures, shutter speed, and exposure is needed. With digital cameras tighter control of exposure is needed because too much exposure burns out the highlights in your image. Your image detail disappears in the overexposed area. Since digital give instant feedback you can quickly make a better exposure. Many people believe that since digital images can be put into Photoshop they can be repaired. Remember that saying “Garbage in ... Garbage out”? It applies to digital images also.

How do I organize and keep my digital files?

Its so easy to shoot with a digital camera that users forget to stop and save their images. Many memory cards hold 200 or more images, its easy to forget. By having a lot of images and different events on your memory card, you run the risk of accidentally deleting the picture of a lifetime.

When you shoot an event like a birthday or your family vacation, you need to get into the habit of downloading those images to your computer as soon as possible. If you have a Mac this is easy because iPhoto allows you to set up a new album for each event. On Windows you navigate to the My Pictures folder and in that folder make a new folder named for your event. Download those images into this event folder. For safety's sake you should make a CD backup of these event images and put it into a PrintFile page for safe keeping.

Is there a difference between standard speed and high speed memory cards?

High speed memory cards use parts that reduce the time it takes to read and write images to the memory chips. If you have a Digital SLR camera, its more powerful computer chip can write to the card faster. This allows the camera to take more images without slowing down to wait for the card. In the digital point and shoot cameras the internal computer chip can't transfer images to the memory card as fast, so a high speed memory card will only help a little.

Why you want to have your digital images printed at a professional photo lab?

Many of our customers are buying digital cameras and seem quite happy with the results they are receiving with them. There is a growing problem with digital cameras in that no one is printing those special family images we all used to enjoy in albums. Many people are emailing their images to family members, but those images aren't high enough quality to make pictures. If those images are on someone's computer the chance of them being deleted is very high and there goes your family's history. What are we going to pass down to our children if the images are gone?

The are several compelling reasons to have your keeper images printed. Many of my customers ask me about using an inkjet printer to do their own printing at home and here is what I tell them.

Our photographic paper is archival, which means it will last close to a century. Most inkjet printers use dye based ink which has a lifespan of up to 30 years. This lifespan is only obtainable with the ink and paper sold by the printer manufacturer. Some of the more expensive inkjet printers use pigmented inks which have a longer lifespans, but again only on the manufacturer's paper.

A second reason for using us is that our talented staff professionally color corrects your images at no extra cost. Include a guide print that you like the colors on and we will try to match it. If you print your images on an inkjet at home, you end up doing your own color corrections and at about $2.75 per 8x10 inch print for ink and paper it isn't very cost effective.

The machine we use to print is calibrated so that the images we see on its monitor are the same color when they are printed. If you use an inkjet at home you will need to calibrate your monitor and use printer profiles to calibrate your printer. This allows the computer to print the same colors from the monitor to the printout. This calibration isn't easy on a Macintosh and impossible on a PC. If what I just wrote sounds too complex just drop off your files and let us help you.

So in closing, get those digital images printed and put them into an album for future family fun. We are glad to help you make prints any time.

Should I delete images one at a time off of my memory card?

Deleting images from a memory card removes the directory listing for that image, but the image still remains on the card. This is why with the proper software, images can be saved after they are deleted.
By deleting individual images on a regular basis you can cause the memory card's directory to become corrupted and unreadable. Its far better to keep all your images on the card until you download them to your computer. Then you can delete the images on your computer after viewing them on a larger screen. Once they are downloaded and then copied to a CD for a backup, reformat the memory card in your camera to clear the old images from the card.

Can images be restored from a reformatted memory card?

We have purchased special software that can find images on a memory card that have been deleted. When you delete an image only its directory listing is erased not the image. If you don't store anymore images on the card, we have a good chance of finding your deleted pictures.