Like the digital audio world and other specialized fields, digital imaging has its own jargon and technical concepts to understand. You can accomplish a lot in iPhoto without having to know these things, but a solid foundation in imaging essentials will help you get more out of iPhoto, your digital camera, and other imaging hardware. There are two key points to take away from this little lesson. First, although iPhoto works beautifully with digital cameras, it can also accept images that you've scanned or received from a photofinisher. Second, the concept of resolution will arise again and again in your digital imaging endeavors. You'll want big, high-resolution images for good-quality prints, and small, low-resolution images for convenient emailing to friends and family. As described on page 167, you can use iPhoto to create low-resolution versions of your images. Where Digital Images Come From iPhoto can work with digital images from a variety of sources. Digital camera Digital cameras are more plentiful and capable than ever. The key factor that differentiates cameras is resolution: how many pixels of information they store in each image. Even inexpensive digital cameras now provide resolutions of between 4 and 6 megapixelsmore than enough to make large prints. Most digital cameras connect to the Mac's USB port. Images are usually stored on removable-media cards; you can also transfer images into iPhoto by connecting a media reader to the Mac and inserting the memory card into the reader (page 118). Scanner With a scanner, you can create digital images from photographs and other hard-copy originals. Scanners also connect via USB, although some high-end models connect via FireWire. Film scanners are a bit pricier, but can scan negatives and slides and deliver great image quality (page 206). Save your scanned images in JPEG format, and then add them to iPhoto by dragging their icons into the iPhoto window (page 119). For tips on getting high-quality scans, visit www.scantips.com.
In a digital camera, the image is focused by the lens (A) onto a sensor (B), where tiny, light-sensitive diodes called photosites convert photons into electrons. Those electrical values are converted into digital data and stored by a memory card or other medium (C), from which they can be transferred to a computer or printer. Compact Disc For an extra charge, most photofinishers will burn your images on a compact disc in Kodak Picture CD format. You get not only prints and negatives, but also a CD that you use with the Mac. To learn more about Picture CD, go to www.kodak.com and search for picture cd. Internet Many photofinishers also provide extra-cost Internet delivery options. After processing and scanning your film, they send you an email containing a Web address where you can view and download images. After downloading images, you can drag their icons into iPhoto's window.
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