Go Digital
by Teresa, The CuteKid™ Staff
I purchased my first digital camera about five years ago, since that time I
have upgraded twice (once because my husband destroyed the camera in a
motorcycle accident and once because I wanted a better camera). Since
owning a digital camera I would never go back to film.
Why every parent needs a digital camera?
Before owning a digital camera I would take pictures of my
son never knowing if I had actually caught the shot that I wanted. After
getting my pictures developed about half of them would end up
in the garbage. With a digital camera you can check to make sure that you
actually have a decent picture before putting the camera away. You can also
delete all those pictures that did not turn out and only print the ones that you want.
There are a variety of software options available and most cameras come with some type
of software. You can use the software to enlarge your picture, eliminate red-eye, or cut
out part of the picture that you don't want. More advance software options allow you to create panoramic
scenes, add borders and text, and other fun stuff.
With so many on-line printing sites you can upload your photos, purchase them,
and have them mailed to your home. There are also a number of printers that can
produce photo-quality pictures. Just make sure that you use photo paper if you
are printing your own pictures.
If you don't already own a digital camera now is the time to purchase one. Prices have
decreased dramatically and you can get a decent digital camera for less than $200.
What about a digital camcorder?
Until recently I did not own a digital camcorder. Although I am a photo fanatic I am also
very frugal (my husband calls me a cheapskate). I never bought a video camcorder, because they
were large, bulky, and there was no simple way to edit them. I had never bought a digital
camcorder because they were always too expensive. But thanks to E-bay I just bought a digital
camcorder for just over $100, regularly $300. The quality is not professional grade, but it is
good enough for home use.
Already I love my digital camcorder. I can take video of my kids, download it to my computer,
edit it, add background music, and then burn it to CD. You don't even need a DVD burner, since
most DVD players play VCD CD's and those can be created with a regular CD-Rom. All you need
are some CD-R disks and cases. CD-RW CD's are rewritable and since you don't want anyone
rewriting over your home movies I would stick with the CD-R disks.
We’ve already captured my son riding his dirt bike and our kids dancing in the living
room. Great moments that will now last forever.
One of the best things about digital camcorders is that I can easily create multiple
copies of home movies and send them to relatives. Since we only see grandparents a few
times a year this is a great way to keep them posted on my children's growth and activities.
If you haven't already I highly recommend going digital.
Read other related articles:
Using Props In Pictures
Get A Great School Picture
|
