A-  Ultimately the most important aspect of a composition is the visual impact. Concentrate on the arrangement of the scene. A simple practice to remember is the "Rule of Thirds". Divide the frame into three squares on top, bottom, and sides. Choose any square to position the main subject. In regards to landscapes, place an interesting tree in the top right corner; yielding a high horizontal line. This plain composition will always create interest. Overall, a good classic composition has pleasing proportions, a balance between light and dark, between massive forms and open space or between light or muted colors.  To top off that great shot, let Hertner's professional lab print the finest photograph available in the Panhandle. 

A-  A VHS tape has a life expectancy of 10-15 years, while a DVD should last 99 years. VHS quality is reduced with each playing, as the coating on the tape cracks. Video quality will never deteriorate on a DVD. A VCR can damage a videotape rendering  portions of the tape lost or useless. Videotape transferors generally cost less but suffer in quality.  DVD's are the next generation technology with super audio and video quality. The image on a DVD as well as tape transferors. Come by and talk to one of our professionals. We can transfer all types of  movie film, both sound and silent, slides, pictures, digital files etc.

Q-  Digital cameras are equipped with optical zooms and digital zooms. What is the difference?

A-  The optical zoom is the " actual magnification" of the camera lens. (i.e. 3x) When using the optical zoom one is bringing the entire picture closer. All film cameras with zoom employ an optical zoom.  Digital cameras have the capacity to use both. A digital zoom magnifies only "portions" of the image, thus creating a "cropping effect". Don't be fooled into thinking a 20x digital zoom is a great feature. You can create the same image in your computer with the zoom tool. The major drawback of the digital zoom is the yielding of additional grain, decreasing the quality of the picture. Generally speaking digital zooms are a sales gimmick from the manufacturer. When purchasing, concentrate on the optical zoom to get the most for your money. Come by Hertner's for a demonstration of some the many digital cameras we stock. One of our professional staff will be happy to help.

Q-  My pictures of Christmas lights never look like what I saw. What's the trick?

A-  Controlling the shutter speed is the key. If you have a SLR (single lens reflex camera) or a "point-&-shoot" pocket camera with a "b" setting, set the shutter speed to "B". The "B" or bulb setting holds the shutter open for as long as you depress the shutter button, allowing the film to absorb more light. Use a slow film such as 100 or 200, stabilize the camera on a tripod, table, or a car hood if outdoors, compose and shoot, holding the shutter open for 1-2 sec. Taking a little extra time and following these simple steps will produce shots a professional would be proud of. Come by. Our professional staff would be happy to help.

Q-  Is it necessary to shoot black and white film if my intention is to hand color the photographs?

A-  No special film is required. As a matter of fact, color is more convenient because it is readily available, requires no unusual processing, and gives you a color guide for the hand done project. Black and white film will yield better detail and can be sepia toned. Sepia toning chemistry creates a light brown, antique shade and is applied to a custom print after processing. The warmth of the toning can produce, with certain subjects , a better , overall backdrop for hand coloring. 

Q-  I am trying to shoot my sons football practices with my digital camera and having trouble getting clear pictures.  The cameras works great otherwise.  Why?

A-   One drawback to using a digital camera is you always need plenty of light and slow moving subjects. Most digital cameras do not have a large enough memory buffer to allow the entire image to be written at once. When the buffer is full it waits to finish recording the image until the buffer is clear again. A "pixilated" or grainy image is created at this point. A film camera performs much better in action situations because the image is recorded immediately. Additionally, higher speed films (400-1600 ISO) absorb light extremely fast, creating wonderful stop-action photographs. Don't throw away your film camera yet. Digital and film cameras will co-exist.

Q-  I want to buy a new lens for my camera.   I do not understand the millimeters.  Can you explain?

A-  A person views at 50mm's. This is considered a "normal" distance. Any focal below that number starts to widen the area. Twenty-eight millimeters or less is considered a wide angle lens. As you go up in numbers, (85mm and higher) the view narrows and brings the subject closer. Determining the application mandatory in choosing the correct lens. Generally speaking, sports photography and portraits use 200mm or longer. Group pictures, landscapes, or all close up wide views are 28mm or shorter. Tamron makes a 28-200mm and 28-300mm lens that encompasses the entire focal length range. Come by and talk to one of our staff professionals. We are happy to help.

Q-  I  want a digital camera but am confused by the term pixels, resolution, compression and etc.   Please explain. 

A-  Pixels (picture elements) are the dots that make up the picture. The more pixels one has the larger the print can be. Resolution is the arrangement of those dots, rendering a sharp or grainy picture. The compression is the storage of that arrangement. When a digital picture is taken it is stored on the memory chip in the camera. TIFF is the name for an uncompressed file, meaning all pixels are present. JPEG is the name of the most common type of compression, meaning like pixels are removed in ordered that more pictures may be stored on the memory chip. Come by and visit with our professional staff. We are happy to help.

Q-  While on a recent ski trip my camera would only work indoors.  Could the cold effect the operation?

A-  Extreme cold (below freezing) will impair operation and occasionally lock a camera down. The problem originates with the camera batteries. Low temp actually freeze the inside of a battery, rendering  it useless until it is warmed up. When this happens remove the battery and put it inside your coat for a few minutes to raise the temp. Reinstall the battery and continue shooting. If this does not repair the problem, bring the camera in to one of our staff professionals. We will be happy to check it while you wait or you may leave the camera for repair.

Q-  Is there a way to shoot numerous pictures on a digital camera without purchasing several costly memory cards?

A-  An option always available is to record pictures at a lower resolution, allowing more pictures per card. The downside is those images are usually not suitable for printing. Internet use instead, is more feasible because of the quick download time of small files. Iomega has introduced its new FOTOSHOW. The unit is a very small, 250meg-zip drive that accommodates SmartMedia and Compact Flash cards. After a day of shooting, simply insert the memory card and download your pictures to the zip disk, which incidentally plugs into a computer for printing or TV for viewing. After deleting pictures from the memory card you are ready to shoot again, no additional cards needed. Come by and visit our digital dept. For the areas largest selection of digital accessories and cameras.