[Internet Brothers] Digital photography is quickly catching up with more traditional film processes, particularly for the instant gratification one can obtain with the new gadgets. In our Photo Tips section, Internet Brothers is trying to help newcomers to this medium with articles about starting out, photo editing, creating panoramas, and the like. What do you see as some of the advantages and disadvantages of the digital art vs. more traditional methods when used for web publishing?

[Heather Champ] I find the immediacy of digital photography very compelling. With traditional methods of photography you keep your fingers crossed until the film comes back from processing, but with a digital camera you can easily switch back and forth between "capture" and "view" settings to see your results. Larger storage enables photographers to snap more pictures, increasing the likelihood of a better shot. I typically take a number of images of the same subject, playing with the framing and distance from my subject matter.

Until recently, digital photography has been rather pricey. Colour printers and digital cameras with enough resolution to generate a decent print copy were beyond the reach of the average consumer. Mega pixel digital cameras have stepped toward addressing the resolution issue, and it is also now possible to purchase a very decent colour printer that can generate remarkable prints at reasonable prices.

My first digital camera was the Casio QV-10a. I purchased it in August 96 after seeing them on display at MacWorld in Boston. It's a great camera. Very versatile, though not in the mega pixel category. I particularly liked the macro/normal lens setting and the ability to swivel the lens 180 degrees. I replaced it earlier this year with a Panasonic Palm Cam that redefines the notion of small camera. The picture quality is a little less than I would hope for, but the sheer size (or lack thereof) makes it very easy to carry around for documentation purposes. I also have access to a Kodak DC200 with a 48meg flash disk that allows close to 200 mega pixel images. The flash disk fits into a PC card adapter and the whole thing easily slips into a PC card slot for simple transference. It's a very versatile camera with both a traditional viewfinder and LCD display.

When looking through the viewfinder of a 35mm or ASP camera, the eye is restricted to the framed image with the surrounding area matted out. Many digital cameras on today's market only have a LCD display. Framing an image through a LCD display requires a steady hand, some coordination, and can take some getting used to depending upon the image refresh rate. Sometimes the image captured isn't what you expected given the refresh rate, especially if either you or the subject is moving. Buy an 8 pack of batteries and experiment with taking a variety of images under different lighting conditions and types of subject matter. You'll be better able to determine the outcome if you have a good idea how your camera will behave.

Additionally, I find it's very hard to take a bad digital image. If you're disappointed with an image, try cropping. Horizontal images can become vertical and vice versa. You can also create "panoramic" images from any photo by severely cropping it so the ratio of vertical to horizontal is 1:3. I prefer the panoramic format, as it enables a more dynamic relationship between elements within the image frame. Many digital cameras come bundled with decent photo editing software. Save a copy of the original image, then experiment.

[IB] Can you tell us about a few of your current projects? We understand you're working on a Java based project with some folks in San Francisco. You do a lot of collaborative work, don't you?

[HC] While hchamp.com allows me the freedom of complete control, there are opportunities working within a team that I find far more enriching.

I've been working with the gurus at jGuru on developing a portal. JGuru.com utilizes Epicentric's state of the art portal technology. Epicentric enables members to customize a wide variety of content modules. Needless to say, it's been an interesting balancing act to determine the fulcrum between form and function for a very picky community.

I created a series of templates for The Doctor Will See You Now. It utilizes content from Cyberounds, a site I developed back in 1996 for InterMDnet while I was working at Design/Systems. I've also been working on a series of templates for LifeRanger, a network referral service that will launch early next year in a tri-state area.

In October I realized a dream by launching a database version of Jezebel's Mirror. I have a collection of 250+ images of myself, and in some instances others, taken in mirrors. I've photographed the majority in bathroom mirrors but there are some public locations as well. Jezebel's Mirror was selected as a Project Cool Sighting on October 6th, and MSN's Daily Diversion on November 25th. It's been interesting to see how people respond to the photographs. A number of folks have wrongly assumed the pictures are narcissistic. Jezebel's Mirror is a documentation of place and time. The photographs record both good and bad times, a few of my bizarre relationships, many of my girlfriends, and a surprising number of bad hair days.

Continue Heather Champ Interview

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"I find the immediacy of digital photography very compelling."

"You'll be better able to determine the outcome if you have a good idea how your camera will behave."