How to Protect Pictures and Video of your Family

Digital cameras continue to grow in popularity. It is becoming the norm for precious memories to exist exclusively in a digital format. The average person copies photos to their computer and saves them, but how many of those pictures are ever printed on photo paper? What happens when that computer eventually crashes?

Save your pictures onto a local hard disk drive. One method for sharing, organizing, and storing photos, which is becoming very popular are the online photo sites. They allow members to upload, organize, share, edit, and print pictures. The problem with these sites is that once the photograph is uploaded to them, the member will eventually have to pay that company each time photo prints are needed. That's fine as long as the company stays in business, as long as their quality remains intact, and as long as the member doesn't need pictures in an hour. These are several things to consider and should encourage everyone to at least keep backup copies of photos whether the online photo websites are used or not.

Store a copy of your pictures on a protected PC also. Saving pictures exclusively to the family computer that everyone uses is not very secure or reliable either. A computer that is used daily to connect to the Internet is exposed to many dangerous threats that can corrupt data and ultimately destroy, not only pictures and precious memories, but any hard work which is stored there. It's alright to save files and pictures to that computer, but precautions should be taken immediately to protect them.

Use a hardware firewall to protect the computer from the Internet. Firewalls are available at all electronic retail stores that sell computers and are easy to install and configure. Use a trusted antivirus program to monitor the computer for harmful viruses, Trojans, and worms. Install a spare hard disk drive into the computer and either manually copy important files to it or use a software backup utility to do it automatically.
An even better idea is to build a stand alone computer that is used exclusively for storing pictures, important file, and videos. Do not connect this computer to the Internet and be sure it is password-protected and logged-out when not in use. Install a DVD writer in this computer and make DVD backup copies of all important files and keep the DVD's stored in a locked box or filing cabinet in a temperature-controlled room. If this computer needs to be networked to the computer that uses the Internet, then it is possible to block Internet usage on the backup computer and still send files back and forth between the two.


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How to Take Pictures at a Nude Beach

Are you thinking of visiting a nude beach? You will probably want to take some pictures to remember the fun time you and your family had on the beach. Before you start snapping pictures, there are some things that you need to consider.

Visiting any beach in the world, you should always be respectful of other people. Almost everyone travels to the beach to relax and enjoy themselves. Nudists or naturists are no different. The last thing they want is to be harassed by someone who is up to no good. Think of it this way, how would you act on a beach where you and everyone else were fully-clothed? You should act no different on a nude beach. If your normal behavior is that of a complete sociopath, then you should not visit the nude beach, but instead go seek professional help or stay at home.

Be prepared for your beach trip by taking plenty of refreshments and snacks with you, as most nude beaches don't have public facilities nearby. Also take beach towels or bamboo mats and a first aid kit. If you take your camera, make sure it is well protected. Sand and water are the natural enemies of a digital camera. If you and your family are situated apart from other people on the beach, then nobody will be upset if you take photos of your family. If you are sitting in close proximity to other people, give them the opportunity to excuse themselves or ask permission before taking their picture.

If you show up at a nude beach with your family and are enjoying yourselves in the nude, you are friendly with the people around you and even get to know them; you will probably encounter less resistance when you ask to take a picture or two. If you show up to the nude beach as a single guy and you start just taking pictures of people without their consent, then you will probably not receive a warm welcome.

Think of it this way, how would you like for other people to treat your family? Would you like naked pictures of your wife and kids showing up on the Internet? Maybe it doesn't bother you, but for many people it does. Always treat people with kindness and respect and it will be returned tenfold. Enjoy your visit to the nude beach. Be sure to clean up after yourself. Help to make the naturist pastime less taboo by contributing to a positive atmosphere on the beach and by not causing trouble. When you look at the pictures that you took on your trip, you should remember each one fondly and be able to name every person in the picture.


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How to Remove Dust, Specks, and Blemishes from Photos Using Photoshop

When restoring old photographs using Photoshop, often dust, specks, and blemishes disfigure otherwise beautiful works of art. This article will explain a few easy methods for removing these imperfections.

Open your photograph using Adobe Photoshop. The tools used in this article should be available no matter which version of Photoshop is used. Find the problem area on the photograph with dusk and specks. Use the zoom tool to take a closer look at the area.

If the imperfection is small and also if the background is mostly a solid color with minimal texture, the smudge tool may be used to make a speck of dust or a blemish disappear.

Some areas of the photo may have too much texture or definition and the smudge tool will not work without leaving an obvious trail. For areas like these, use the lasso tool and copy portions of the background which look similar to what the area behind the blemish should look like. Copy a piece of the background and then paste and move it into place. Some rotation or scaling may need to be done to complete the edit.

For areas where you want to blend similar tones, while leaving the pixels intact, try using the "Clone Stamp Tool."  Select this tool and then left-click an area that you would like to clone and then release.  Hold ALT and left-click in a nearby area to apply the cloned pixels to that area.  This tool takes some getting used to, but the results are worth it.

Continue these methods until the picture is free of dust, specks, and blemishes. Zoom in close and inspect the photo for mistakes. Adjust contrast and color balance as needed.

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How to Make Objects Disappear from Photos Using Photoshop

Otherwise perfect photographs are often obstructed by unwanted objects or people. It is possible to hide these unwanted invaders from the naked eye forever!

Open the picture that requires editing. Study the image and determine which objects should be removed. Let's assume that the offending object is a person. Analyze the area all around that person. Are they casting shadows? Are they blocking a person or object that will be difficult to recreate? Assuming the background is not too "busy", it may not be difficult to remove the person from this picture.

Although it is tempting to use the smudge tool in Photoshop to just wipe background colors over this person, it would be very obvious to people viewing the photo that some edit has occurred. The intent of this article is to teach users how to wipe a person or object completely from existence without leaving evidence that they were ever present in the photo. Pick a point to start removing the person and zoom in close to that area using the "zoom tool."

Now, select the "lasso tool" from the tools menu and copy a small section of the background from just beside the person. To do this, click and hold the left mouse button down and drag the lasso around the portion of the background that you would like to select and copy. On the menu at the top, choose "Edit" and then "Copy" (you may also press Ctrl+C) This will save the selection to the clipboard. Now choose "Edit" again and then click "Paste." A copy of the selection will be added to the picture on a new layer. It may not be immediately visible as it is usually pasted directly on top of the original spot.

Select the "move tool" and click and hold the left mouse button anywhere inside the photo. As you move the mouse, you will see the small piece of pasted background begin to move around. Position this piece over the person in the area just beside where the selection was copied in a way that gives the background the appearance of a natural flow. Now, click "Layer" from the menu at the top and then select "flatten image." This will combine the layers that have been pasted with the background image. Repeat this step a few times, placing the pieces of background over different parts of the person. Be sure to pay attention to changes in the background. If there is a shadow or a change of color, you will need to follow this change closely so as not to draw attention to your edits. It may be necessary to rotate or change the size of the pasted item to make it blend well. These options are available under the "Edit" menu and then "Transform."

It may be necessary to create new portions of the background using existing pieces. Be creative. It becomes easier with practice to manipulate photos. Just remember to use the copy/paste method and minimal smudging. If the background has texture, it will look more natural to keep that texture intact.


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How to Permanently Delete Pictures and Files From Memory Cards

The increased popularity of digital cameras, due to their ease of use and convenience, has created a problem that many people overlook. There may be pictures and files created over time on the removable memory card that should not be shared with the rest of the world. Programs exist that allow the recovery of deleted picture files from memory cards. This article covers several ways to permanently remove the files and pictures from the memory card without damaging the card for further use.

Digital cameras provide a "delete" feature that will enable a user to remove pictures and files from a memory card. The problem is that these files are not actually removed from the memory card until the space is overwritten by another file. Using easy-to-find software that is available for free on the Internet, another user may be able to recover pictures or files that have not been overwritten. This is a great tool for those who accidentally delete a picture and want to recover it. This is a horrible thing for someone who lends their camera to another person with hidden pictures that they assume were gone forever.

Transfer all pictures from your memory card that you want to save into a folder on your PC. Once all of these files are "removed" from the card, format the card. This may be done by accessing your digital camera's settings. After formatting the card, switch the camera back to "picture taking" mode. Take pictures of the floor or the wall until the memory stick has been completely filled. Format the memory card again.

Perform a search on the Internet for picture recovery software. There are some free versions available that work very well. Try to recover the pictures that you deleted and see what happens. If you can recover them, then someone else can too. Don't assume that other people aren't curious and that they will not attempt to see your hidden picture files.

Another option is to format the memory card and then transfer as many files as possible from your PC back to the memory card and then format it again. The idea is to replace the important pictures and files with less important pictures and files that you do not mind people finding.

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