After you get done taking pictures with your digital camera the next step is deciding what you want to do with all of your pictures. You probably will want to transfer them to your computer hard drive first and go from there. Depending on the type of camera you have, you will either remove the video card and place it in the reader, or you will plug your camera directly into your computer's Firewire or USB port.
Many digital cameras come with software to help you manage your pictures. Usually the program will show you mini versions of your pictures, so you can go through your collection and get them ready for printing out into full color pictures with your photo software. Many photo programs also let you make corrections to any of your images, like removing that demonic-looking red eye. Or, you can use other types of software, like Adobe Photoshop, to completely alter the appearance of your pictures. There are loads of options for sharing and showing off your pictures. You can print them out on photo quality paper and create beautiful photographs, upload them to an image sharing site, e-mail them, etc. The possibilities are nearly endless.
With today's technological advances in digital photography one can easily print high quality pictures at home on a photo printer, or you can send them to a digital photo printing service. Either option has it's good points and not so good points. If you decide to buy your own photo printer, you will be able to print your pictures very nearly as soon as you take them; And a lot of the new printers are portable so you can take it with you on vacation and print out your photos as you like. The down side is that even with the initial cost of the printer out of the way, replacement supplies of ink and paper can add up really quickly. Usually, this is an expensive way to print your photos, and unless money is not an issue, it can really break a budget.
Most of the time, having a professional digital photo printing service is the more economical way to go. You can make the basic standard-sized prints for pennies on the dollar and get the large prints for just a few bucks.
There are many places online where you can sign up for a free account, and upload the photos you want to print, and then place your order. Many department stores have an in-store kiosk where you can take a CD or your digital camera and place your order there and have them printed out right at the kiosk.
Using a professional digital photo printing service is more often the cheaper route. Much more inexpensive than buying your own printer, ink and paper replacements, and your prints will more likely be of a better quality. However, uploading the pictures you want to have printed will take time because you will have to send full-sized, high-resolution pictures. And it will take a few days for your prints to come in too.
If you'd rather share your photos in an online gallery there are lots of sites to choose from. You can start an account on an image-sharing site like Snapfish or Flickr. A lot of these sites offer free services, but some do limit the amount of pictures you can upload each month or the amount of disc space you can use. Some even offer the digital photo printing service for a small fee. |
