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ONE of the best
ways to make your holiday memories last is to use a
digital camera. But how can you get the most out of one,
and what do you do with your pictures once you've taken
them?
It's no surprise
that digital photography has become so popular. Cameras,
processing, printers, paper and cartridges are all
better value than ever.
Cameras have become
remarkably easy to use and the picture quality, with 2
and 3 megapixels as average, rivals that of conventional
film cameras.
There are many
advantages of going digital, apart from not having to
buy film. You can immediately see and share the
photograph you just took on the LCD screen on the back
of the camera. And you can take endless shots until you
get that perfect image - simply deleting unwanted
pictures as you go.
With digital
photography, every picture is a winner. Gone are the
days of shooting a whole roll of film only to find that
you've taken only the odd good shot. Now you can just
print out the best.
Digital photography
opens up a whole new world of possibilities for your
pictures - whether it's a 6x4in print to put in a photo
album, homemade greetings cards printed on an inkjet
printer or pictures to share online with friends and
family.
Getting the
pictures from your camera to your computer is child's
play. Simply install the software that comes with the
camera, connect it to the computer and your pictures are
a click away.
Then you can get a
concrete record of your memories by printing out your
digital images.
Depending on the
resolution of your digital camera, you can get beautiful
prints from 6x4in up to 20x16in, so you don't have to
give up your photo albums or scrapbooks. As for photo
labs, most are now able to make real photos from your
digital camera memory card, usually within an hour. To
find your nearest, log on to
www.prints-are-memories.com, where you'll find tips on
taking better pictures and it tells you where to get
them printed.
There are also many
online photo-processing services that take digital
camera files over the net and send prints in the post.
However, today's digital printers produce such great
prints that you could do all this yourself at home.
TIPS...
Set your camera to
the highest resolution and lowest compression
settings
Make a back-up -
you might lose information on your memory card or hard
drive. Save images until you have prints or CD-Rom
negatives
When burning a CD
of images, make sure it's worked before heading to a
lab
MYTHS...
Digital cameras are
expensive. They cost no more than film cameras
The software is
tricky to use. All cameras come with easy-to-use
software
Pictures are poor
quality. Millions of pixels mean great prints.
_________________
WIN A TRIP
TO TAIWAN
WE'RE giving one
lucky Mirror reader and a friend the once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to visit Taiwan.
Asia's undiscovered
gem, it's a melting pot of Chinese, Japanese, Aboriginal
and Western culture. Inspiring mountains, beautiful
lakes and idyllic beaches provide the perfect setting in
which to put your photographic skills to the test.
The prize includes
room-only accommodation in a three-star hotel in or
around Taipei, the bustling capital of Taiwan. Plus
there's return flights to Taiwan on China Airlines,
which offers daily services from 15 UK airports via
Amsterdam to Thailand, Taiwan and onwards to its
extensive Asian network. For more information, call 0207
436 9001 or visit http://www.china-airlines.com/.
For more information on Taiwan, visit http://www.taiwan.net.tw/
HOW TO
ENTER All you have to do to be in with a chance
of winning this great holiday, or a subscription to
Better Digital Photography, is answer the following
question:
Which website
features tips on taking better pictures and tells you
where to get them printed?
Call 0901
560 9663 with your answer. Calls cost
60p/minute and last approx two minutes. Lines open until
August 20, 2004.
TERMS AND
CONDITIONS
Entrants must be
aged 18 and over. Holiday must be taken by end of July
2005, and is subject to availability. There is no cash
alternative. Standard Daily Mirror rules apply.
PLUS
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION
UP to speed with
your digital photography? We have five free
subscriptions to Better Digital Photography
(www.betterdigital photography.com) up for grabs worth
£59.88 each. It's the easiest-to-follow guide around
with hundreds of tips, camera tests, a jargon-free
buyers' guide and the most interactive CD on the
market.
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