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Man using computer AEE 526 - Information Technologies in
Agricultural and Extension Education
Module 2:
Icon of filing cabinet drawer 		Digital Cameras and Photography Techniques (1.5 units)
Introduction:
Magnifying glass image
 		As an educator you will have a need to "capture" an image and use it in a presentation or publication. The primary method for "capturing" images today is through the use of a digital camera. The world has gone digital. Back when I was in the field I carried two cameras, one was a Polaraoid so I could take photos to get to the newspaper, The other camera was a 35 mm single lens reflex loaded with slide film so that I can print slides and then use the slides in my teaching after they were developed. Today, the digital camera servces both purposes. In this module we will learn more about the digital world with special attention on digital cameras.

Learning Objectives:
Icon of a signpost 		bullet List 10 advantages of digital photography
bullet Discuss the concept of pixels
bullet Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of 3 digital storage devices
bullet Describe features to look for in selecting a digital camera
bullet List and discuss five principles to follow in taking good digital photographs
bullet Operate a digital camera
 

Instructional
Activities:
Icon of a computer 		bullet Complete the interactive pretest on Digital Photography.
 
bullet Watch this short video introducing digital cameras.
 
bullet This short video discusses three advantages of digital photography.

bullet Just how many megapixels do you need your camera to take? We generally think more is better, but is it really better? The video explores that question. For another view on the megapixel question watch this video from a couple of years ago.

bullet Read all three pages of the Digital Camera Buyer's Guide.

bullet View this PowerPoint presentation on digital imaging.

bullet The Imaging Resources web site has a plethora of quality information. You should spend some time exploring this site to see what type of information is available. When you are ready to buy a digital camera you can read the review and compare prices here. This is a good site to bookmark.

bullet Another place with reviews and pricing information is http://www.cnet.com. They also provide a numerical rating of each camera for comparision purposes. They have both professional and consumer ratings. (Clue: the easiest way to find a specific review is to use the search function and search for the name and model of the camera)

bullet The previous two links are the work of professionals and are highly trusted sources. However, if you want to see what the average Joe on the street thinks about a specific camera (and a bunch of other stuff), check out the reviews at http://www.epinions.com/Digital_Cameras.

bullet Read about the Top 10 Digital Camera Mistakes.

bullet You need to be careful when you look at the zoom feature on cameras. There is a major difference between optical and digital zoom. This article explains the difference.

bullet This youtube video has some good advice on how to shoot good photos.

bullet If you want to take pictures of people, this video has some good information (even though it was aired on the Today show and is really about taking good photos for online dating, the before and after photos do illustrate some important points in photographing people.)

bullet You might want to try out the Digital Camera Advisor and see what it recommends for you.
Lagniappe:
Icon of a wrapped gift 		A Canadian Realtor has collected a bunch of bad real estates housing pictures. He can't believe Realtors take such bad pictures. His comments in this video collection of bad photographs will have you laughing.
Assignments:
Icon of note pad 		1. Get a digital camera and take a number of pictures. Pick out ten that you think are best and that illustrate the points presented in this module and insert them into a PowerPoint presentation and then mount that presentation to the web. Title the PowerPoint photos.ppt. But this assignment is really a little harder in that you have to include one example of each of the following:
  • A close up of a person
  • A close up of an object
  • A nature scene (outdoor shot)
  • An animal
  • A plant
  • A group of people
  • An image that could be used in your line of work
  • An action shot (the image is moving)
  • Your choice - 2 additional photos
NOTE: STUDENTS DID NOT GET GOOD GRADES ON THIS ASSIGNMENT LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY SUBMITTED PHOTOS THAT WERE FUZZY, BLURRY, TOO DARK, OUT OF FOCUS, POOR COMPOSITION, ETC. I WILL BE LOOKING FOR NEAR PROFESSIONAL QUALITY PHOTOGRAPHS.

2. Identify one video from www.youttube.com, www.expertvillage.com or other source that you believe would have been good to use with this lesson. Create a word document where you list the url and briefly describe the video. Save this file as photovideo.doc (or photovideo.docx)  and save to your www folder.                                                              


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