Send us your photos!

January 28th, 2009

Send us your photos!

We would love to see photos of your group’s activities - kids using lathes and tools, showing the finished projects, fundraising events, etc.
If you’re a bit unsure of your photographic skills we have made a list of tips and resources to help you hone your skills.
There is information below about how to submit your photos. We look forward to seeing what your group is up to! 

Photo tips for taking better photos of your projects.

1. Make sure item to be photographed is clean, use a clean cloth to remove fingerprints, smudges, etc.

2. Make sure your camera lens is clean and free of dust and dirt, use cleaning cloth, like a cloth for glasses or a camera lens cloth

3. Get a good lighting setup - either outside using daylight, using bright indoor lights, or bounced off a ceiling or wall. Avoid shining bright lights directly at the project, this may cause a burned out images if the object is light colored or has a high shine to it..

4. Choose a background that is solid and not “busy”. You want your project to be the focus of attention. Pieces of felt are good for small projects. You also do not want a shiny background which will also detract.

5. If your digital camera has a macro mode, use it if the object is small or if you need a close up. It’s also handy if your camera has a manual focus option to focus correctly.

6. If possible use a tripod to help take blur free photos, or use a camera with built in image stabilization. You may need to increase your ISO (speed) setting, but be aware that this will increase noise, and may need editing out.

7. If necessary, use an image editing program to touch-up the photo or re-size it for emailing. Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Corel paint and many online services can help you with that.

Here are some suggestions for free and online Photo programs:
http://picasa.google.com/ - Picasa
http://www.gimp.org/
http://www.irfanview.com/ - IrfanView
http://www.splashup.com/

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PhotoPlus/default.asp
http://www.xnview.com/ download, PC only

http://freewarewiki.pbwiki.com/EditDigiPicture - Edit Digi Pictures
http://www.axiomx.com/picsizer.htm - PicSizer
http://bluefive.pair.com/pixresizer.htm - PIXresizer

How to send us your images, or links:
Please email the image to [email protected]. If we accept your image we will include your first name, last name, School or organization name, plus the city and state where you live. Please let us know  if you want us to include all that information when you send us the photos by email.
We will notify you if we decide to use your image(s).

Thanks for your help!

 


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