How to Choose A Computer For Video Editing

If you intend to capture and edit any of your video footage, a computer system is a must.  It can, however, be confusing for the beginner video enthusiast. Should you use a desktop or a laptop computer? How much processing power is needed? How much hard disk space is needed? There's a whole multitude of components in a computer - choosing the best components can be tough. Well, the way I'd approach this problem would be to consider your budget and video editing needs. Let's take a look at the various...

Top 5 Video Editing Software Programs For Video Hobbyists

If you're new to the digital video hobby, one of the things you'll very quickly realize is the need for a good video editing program. A video editing program allows you to add special effects to your otherwise boring video. You can add in things like titles, transactions, time lapse, audio and even use advanced techniques like chroma key to enhance your video production. Here are my top 5 recommendations for video editing programs that are suitable for video enthusiasts. Pick one of these programs and learn it well. Once you master...

Top 5 Free Video Editing Software Programs

There are many free video editing software programs available for download today, but not all of them are good. Many programs simply don't do what the manufacturers say that they will do, and others don't provide enough - or any support. Of course, most free software does not include the same level or quality of support that you would expect to find with software that you purchase commercially. While it is true that you get what you pay for, there really are some good free video editing software available out there. ...

Guidelines for Shooting Quality Videos

Have you ever had this experience? You grab your new digital camcorder (replete with the latest features) and happily shoot that wonderful family event or vacation. Only later do you realize that the video footage was too dark, or the video quality was terrible. Isn't that a terrible feeling? What makes it worse is that you can never re-shoot that video as the happy moments are now gone. The best way of avoiding these problems is to learn some basic video shooting skills. You need not learn complex cinematography or directorial skills,...

Digital still cameras

Introduction This tutorial covers principles of digital photography in general, but refers to these Canon cameras as examples: PowerShot G1, G5, Pro1, Rebel XT If you have a different camera, you'll find that the same functionality is present on your camera, though buttons and menus may be in places other than those shown here. Consult your owners' manual. About Digital Cameras Digital still cameras store photographs as digital bits on a memory card or tiny hard drive, as opposed...

Ten Tips to Better Video

So, you want to make your videos better, but you don't want to read every article on the camcorderinfo.com website. Well, improving your videos really isn't that hard, and if you follow just some of the advice in this article, you'll be well on your way to making them better. Here are ten tips for making your videos better: 1. Get a good Tripod, and Use It - The first step in improving your videos is stabilizing them. Your camcorder may have built-in image stabilization, but...

Camera

Introduction This tutorial is an overview of video cameras as they pertain to the newspaper industry. As newsrooms become more converged, investment in multimedia equipment is becoming a major factor in purchasing decisions. Since most print-based newsrooms have little experience in video technologies, this tutorial will help demystify some of the lingering questions regarding video camera equipment purchases. When purchasing video equipment, one must first break down all of...

Topaz Adjust 5 Review

Topaz Adjust just got better. Released today, the popular photo adjustment program was upgraded to include more powerful functionality and many new features. Many professional photographers have started using Topaz as a part of their post-processing for stunning yet subtle improvements. For the launch of this new version they are offering 30% off until November 30, just use the coupon code ADJUSTME at checkout: Topaz Adjust Can be Found Here Some of the new features found in Topaz...

Camera Exposure - Getting it right

As the sky was very bright, the only way to get a satisfactory exposure of the bird was to switch to manual. In photography, 'exposure' means the amount of light that falls onto the sensor of your digital camera. In modern cameras the exposure is usually set to automatic by default and, most of the time, it can be left there and will produce beautiful pictures. There are times though, when the camera lets us...

Photography Tips

Photography Tips Free photography tips to improve your photography. Hot tips on photography that make mastering digital cameras simple. Tips on lighting, exposure and composition technique and all aspects of photography. For those people who don't like to read a lot, here are my 'Top Ten Tips'. Most of these tips appear elsewhere, in the tutorials. But here they are, all in one place. 1 Selection Select only the best of your pictures to show to others and leave the rest in the drawer....

Shutter Speeds and Apertures

Depth of Field explained. Panning at slow shutter speeds. Blurred pictures. Selective focus. Blur the background. Tricks and tips for working with shutter speeds and apertures. Shutter Speed Although, as discussed in exposure, the shutter speeds and apertures are interchangeable as far as exposure is concerned, they each have their own unique effect on the picture. Let's take a look at shutter speeds first as their effect is easily understood. We'll look at...