The term pixels in digital photography simply comes from the words ‘picture elements’. Simply put, a pixel is the smallest aspect of a digital image, and each pixel has a certain brightness level and a certain color which is linked to the information that is collected by the camera’s image sensor. A colored photo that we see is a result of millions of pixels gathered together in an organized manner similar to a stitched tapestry which produces a picture with larger basic elements.

It follows that if a picture has a greater number of pixels, then you will have a better quality picture. It is particularly important to have a larger number of pixels if you are wanting to produce an enlargement. As you can imagine, the larger the picture, the further apart the pixels or dots will be. Generally speaking, when we speak of a higher resolution, we are saying that there are more pixels contained in the picture.

On the other hand, the term compression in digital photography refers to the fact that in most cases (except for RAW images) the digital camera compresses files by default so that it is possible to store more images in the camera’s memory. For instance, in the case of a JPEG image, the camera takes blocks of picture image, removing unnecessary information and retaining what is essential so that the picture can be reconstructed. So how much compression you select, has a big bearing on your picture quality. For instance, a low compression setting on your camera will give you better results than if you chose a high compression setting on your digital camera.

As always, I suggest that you experiment with these settings to educate yourself in regard to obtaining the best quality digital photos that you can from your particular camera.

To all budding digital photographers, I offer you one extremely basic tip which will save you being one of the many who have spoilt photos because they haven’t observed the following:

When taking a digital photo… SQUEEZE the shutter release, don’t jab it. It is especially important when shooting without flash in lower light situations because your camera shutter speed it slower and any camera movement will cause smearing of the image. You can imagine that if you were to jab the shutter release, you move your camera and voila; a disappointing digital image.

Wishing all readers a happy and safe holiday season, and as always, experiment with your digital camera as experience is a wonderful teacher.

Well, the other day, I heard of a really nifty and inexpensive gadget, a clip-on flash diffuser. How does it work, you may ask? If you have a camera which has a pop-up flash mounted on the top, then this little number will clip in front of it and produce a softer lighting effect for those important portrait snaps.

Should you be the proud owner of an SLR with an attachable flash gun, you may be aware of a similar clip-on flash diffuser device to suit your particular gun. They are quick to clip on and improve the lighting noticeably.

The only down side is that flash range may be significantly reduced, so they are only suitable for closer work.
Where might you obtain one of these wonderful clip-on flash diffusers, you may ask? Basically, any of the better camera stores or outlets catering for enthusiasts should stock a range of them or be able to order them in for your particular flash gun.

As always, enjoy this wonderful hobby of digital photography and never be afraid to experiment a little. Any mistakes we make will show us what not to do. Anyway, I mentioned this interesting device to you as it is a great little extra for your digital photography kit.