There seems to be a lot of confusion among digital camera neophytes about the differences between RAW, JPEG, and TIFF files.

This article is intended to be a very basic guide to these file types and how they are related in a typical digital camera.

Because of the digital camera industry’s relative youth, each camera maker has developed its own RAW formats. And as camera sensors improve, manufacturers change their formats accordingly, usually creating a new format for each new camera model, with the result that, as of mid-2005, there are more than 100 different RAW formats in existence

RAW data
When a digital camera makes an exposure, the imaging chip (whether it’s CCD or CMOS) records the amount of light that has hit each pixel, or photo site, which is recorded as a voltage level. The camera’s analog-to-digital circuitry then changes this analog voltage signal into a digital representation. Depending on the camera’s circuitry, either 12 or 14 bits of data are recorded.

Incidentally, if the camera records 12 bits of data then each pixel can handle 4 096 brightness levels (2^12), and if 14 bits, then each pixel can it can record 16,384 different brightness levels (2^14). (To my knowledge no current imaging chip records a true 16 bits worth of data).
What happens after you’ve taken the photograph now depends on whether you have the camera set to save images to the memory card as

RAW files or JPEGs.
If you’ve saved the file in RAW mode, when it is subsequently converted and saved to a TIFF or PSD format file, it can be exported in 16-bit mode, which means the 12 or 14 bits recorded by the camera are then spread over the full 16-bit workspace. If you’ve saved the file in-camera as a JPEG than it is converted by the camera’s software to 8-bit mode and you will only ever have 256 brightness levels to work with.

A second advantage of shooting a RAW file is that you can also perform the conversion to an 8-bit or 16-bit TIFF file. TIFF files are larger than JPEG files, but they retain the full quality of the image. They can be compressed or uncompressed, but the compression scheme is lossless, meaning that although the file gets smaller, no information is lost.

Lossless compression is a tricky concept, but an example should make it clear. Take this string of digits:
14745296533333659762888888356789

Now let’s see a way to store this string that doesn’t lose any digits, but still takes up less space:
1474529653[5]6597628[6]356789

Here the string “33333” has been replaced by “3[5]”— meaning a string of 5 3s, and the string “888888” has been replaced by “8[6]”—meaning a string of 6 8s. You’ve stored the same data, but the compressed version takes up less space. This is similar (but not identical) to the way lossless TIFF compression is done.

Professional photographers and other creative professionals are moving to RAW camera workflows because of the outstanding creative control they get over digital images However, clients and publishers have difficulty working with disparate RAW file formats and nobody can be sure that today’s RAW formats will be supported ten years from now.

Final thoughts
There are professionals who shoot in RAW and there are professionals who shoot in JPEG, and both do wonderful work. The decision to shoot in one or the other is a matter of preference, time, space, and desire or need to have the extra flexibility of RAW format. I personally take the extra time to work with RAW, as I think the extra image quality is worth it as you can see from the images accompanying this article.
The two images accompanying this article were taken with a Nikon D2Xs, moments apart, without any adjustments made to exposure settings (shutter speed, aperture, etc).  The photo on the left (1) was taken with the camera set on RAW format.  The photo on the right (2) was taken with the camera set on JPEG format.  As you can see, (1)  is much more eye pleasing and is a more accurate representation of the object.   

We are living in a time where ‘Digital cameras’ are everywhere. Gone are the days when a camera was a camera, a MP3 player was an MP3 player, a phone was a phone...

These days, digital cameras are found in a variety of other gadgets, including cell phones. In fact, camera phones are one of the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market and with the improvements in the quality of what is being offered in some phones (higher megapixels, better lenses, high capacity storage) many believe that they are beginning to win market share away from the low end offerings of many digital camera manufacturers.

Following are a few tips to help camera phone owners to get the most from their cameras:

Light up the subjects
The better lit your subject is the clearer your image is likely to be. If possible, shoot outside or turn on lights when shooting inside. Be aware that different lights impact the color in your images differently. Experiment with White Balance to correct this. Some cameras come with a built in flash or light - this can really lift a shot and add clarity to it, even if you’re shooting outside. If your camera doesn’t have a flash or light you should avoid shooting into bright lights as you’ll end up with subjects that are silhouetted.

Closer is better
One of the most common mistakes with camera phone images is that their subject ends up being a tiny, unrecognizable object in the distance. Camera phone images tend to be smallish due to low resolution - so fill up your view finder with your subject to save having to zoom in on the subject when editing it later (which decreases quality even more). Having said this, getting too close on some model camera phones creates distortion, giving either a fisheye effect or a lack of focus due to poor macro ability.

Steady and still
As with all digital photography, the steadier your phone is when taking your shot the clearer your image will be. This is especially important in low light situations where the camera will use longer shutter speeds. I always try to lean my camera phone/hand against a solid object (like a tree, wall, ledge) when taking shots. Keep in mind that many camera phones also suffer from ’shutter lag’ (ie the second or two between when you press the shutter and when the camera takes the shot). This means you need to hold the camera still a little longer to ensure it doesn’t take a shot as you’re lowering it away from the subject.

Try not to use the digital zoom
As tempting as it might be to zoom in on your subject when taking your picture (if you have a zoom feature on your camera phone), it will actually decrease the quality of your shot. Plus you can always edit your shot later using photo editing software on your computer. Some camera phones are beginning to hit the market with ‘optical zooms’ - these are fine to use, as they don’t enlarge your subject by enlarging pixels.

Mistakes are valuable
Remember that the quality of your cell phone screen will not be as good as your computer’s screen. If possible, hang onto your shots until you can get them to your home computer. You might just find that they look better on a good quality monitor. You may also find that even ‘mistakes’ and blurred shots can actually be quite useable.

Final thought
Unfortunately many of the pictures being taken with camera phones are poor in quality. This might be partially due to lower quality cameras but it is also often a result of poor photographic technique. Hopefully these tips will help you improve your quality.   

When I started out taking digital photos at night, boy, did I have problems! The issue is that many digital cameras do not perform very well under low-light conditions. To take good night photos, there are some tricks you need to remember - so here are a few of them.

Use Long Exposures
The key to successful night photography lies in a long exposure. We're talking about exposures measured in seconds. When a long exposure is used, more light is allowed into the camera, allowing the details in your night photo to be captured.

The problem with using long exposures is that you may shake the camera, resulting in poor pictures. The way around this is to use a tripod. I prefer to install a tripod with a shutter-release cable to ensure that I don't jolt the camera at all.

Play with the Aperture
In addition to shutter speed (which determines exposure time), you can play around with the aperture size of your digital camera. There are two scenarios here. If you set a long exposure, try to use a small aperture to avoid overexposing any stationary lights in the picture. On the other hand, if you set a short exposure, try using a larger aperture to avoid any motion in your shot.

Try to capture motion
With a long exposure, you have many creative options when it comes to photography. This includes capturing motion. For example, have you ever wondered how those professional photographers shoot pictures of trails of car lights as they zoom down the highway at night? It's all due to long exposures. Try to keep this in mind the next time you're taking a night photo - you don't have to restrict yourself to still image

How to use the flash
As a general rule, I turn the flash off when taking night photos. There are some exceptions though - one specific example I can think of is trying to shoot a subject in the foreground, with motion trails of car lights in the background. In this case, bring along an external flash unit and shine it on your subject manually. Set a long exposure, then have your subject wait until the picture is taken.

When to take night photos
When's the best time to take night photos? I usually like to take them during dusk when colors and details are easier to capture. I'd recommend that you do some research on the evening before the photo shoot. Decide on the location, then come back the next day to take the photo at dusk.

Final thoughts
Hopefully, this article has taught you some tips on taking better night photos. The important concept to remember is that a long exposure is needed for good night photos. This means you need to keep your digital camera really, really still. Once you understand that, the quality of your night photos will definitely improve.

Most digital cameras, even the consumer point-and-shoot models, have a tremendous amount of functionality built into them. By applying a little ingenuity and creativity, you can take shots that will make viewers ask, "So what kind of camera do you have?"

Photography as an art has never been more exciting or enjoyable. Todays photography enthusiast has many styles, topics, and tools open to them. Plus, the blending of digital with print makes the craft of taking photos very versatile. While it is true that taking photos is as simple as running out and grabbing a cheap five dollar camera, taking good photos has never been easy. So lets explore some quick ideas that can help you take photos that you will be happy to send home.

One subject

In addition to getting one subject, in your photos, you will want to make the background of the photo as simple as possible. Busy, distracting backgrounds pull the attention away from the central theme of your photo. The subject of your photo is absolutely the most important element, and anything that detracts from the subject can ruin your shot.

Get closer

Get a little closer, don't be shy. One of the biggest mistakes most beginning photographers make is shooting from too far away. They leave too much distance between themselves and their subjects. Instead, get up close and personal. Fill up as much of the camera frame, with your subject, as you can. You can always reshape, trim, and resize a good quality shot. But you can't continue to blow up a distant subject and hope that it will come into focus. It just won't happen.

Center of the frame

You want to take your subject out of the exact center of the frame. You do this by using the rule of thirds. Imagine having a camera lens split into 9 equal sized boxes, 3 across and 3 down (like having a tic-tac-toe game printed right on your camera lens). Where those "tic-tac-toe" lines cross, should become the focusing point of your subject, when you are arranging to take your photo.

Focus your shot

Determine what the main subject of the photo will be, and catch that image. Try and find the one key subject, person, or event that accurately portrays the feeling you are trying to capture.

Based on this tip, every time you compose a shot, the main subject of your photo should be located primarily on one of these "third" lines.

Final Thoughts

These are just four very basic tips and strategies to help improve your photos. As you know, photography skills can always be improved. In fact, most professional photographers exhibit a lif

The digital revolution has made great strides in photography. digitally recorded images have replaced film to record the scenes. today's user friendly cameras adjust setting for you and capture your composition as an analog image and then convert it to digital information so it can be transferred onto the storage medium.

You've heard this before: Digital cameras do all the work. You just push the button and great pictures magically appear. The better the camera, the better the photos. Isn't that right? Heck no!

The truth is that you can make great photos with a simple consumer point-and-shoot camera, or take lousy shots with the most expensive Nikon. It's not the camera that makes beautiful images; it's the photographer. With a little knowledge and a willingness to make an adjustment here and there, you can squeeze big time photos out of the smallest digital camera.

Image Size

Resolution is the number of pixels in a liner inch (ppi). Because an image is made up of pixels, the more pixels per inch, the higher the resolution, and therefore better image quality. A 4"x6" image at 72 ppi (internet pictures are at 72 ppi has pixel dimensions of 1200x1800 more pixels=more definition.

One of the quality factors for a digital camera is the number of megapixels it is capable of handling, simply put more pixels=more definition. As an example, a 2.0 megapixel camera is capable of producing a printable 4x6 image at the recommended ppi, and a 5.0 megapixel camera can create a printable 6x9 image at 300ppi.

Warm up those tones

Have you ever noticed that your shots sometimes have a cool, clammy feel to them? If so, you're not alone. The default white balance setting for digital cameras is auto, which is fine for most snapshots, but tends to be a bit on the "cool" side.

When shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. That's right, cloudy. Why? This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures.

Outdoor Portraits

One of the great hidden features on digital cameras is the fill flash or flash on mode. By taking control of the flash so it goes on when you want it to, not when the camera deems it appropriate, you've just taken an important step toward capturing great outdoor portraits.

In flash on mode, the camera exposes for the background first, then adds just enough flash to illuminate your portrait subject. The result is a professional looking picture where everything in the composition looks good. Wedding photographers have been using this technique for years.

High rez all the way

One of the most important reasons for packing a massive memory card is to enable you to shoot at your camera's highest resolution. If you paid a premium price for a 6 megapixel digicam, then get your money's worth and shoot at 6 megapixels. And while you're at it, shoot at your camera's highest quality compression setting too.

Final thoughts

Most digital cameras, even the consumer point-and-shoot models, have a tremendous amount of functionality built into them. By applying a little ingenuity and creativity, you can take shots that will make viewers ask, "So what kind of camera do you have?