Digital Photography

Polaroid PhotoMAX PDC 1100

Lens: 6.7mm (equivalent to a 43mm lens on a 35mm camera)
Aperture - f2.8/8.0
Shutter speed - 1/30 - 1/700 second
ISO - 100
EV compensation - Automatic or manual settings: +4 to -4
1 megapixel
Digital Zoom (2x)
1.8'' Active Matrix TFT monitor/viewfinder
White balance - Automatic
Autofocus with 2 lens settings: Normal (12" - infinity) & Macro (6 - 12")
4mg memory card - maximum 128 MB
color or b & w
flash range of 3' - 10'
10 second self-timer
Tripod mountable
4 AA alkaline batteries or AC adapter
USB or Serial connection

Image quality settings:
1152 x 854 (super & high compression)

1024 x 768 (medium compression)
640 x 480 (low compression)

Focusing Distance
Auto Focus (2 feet to infinity)
Macro (8 inches to 2 feet)
1m (3 feet)
2m (7 feet)
5m (16 feet)
Infinity (more than 16 feet)

I use my camera mainly for posting photos online.
I would like to learn how to make good prints.
for example - if I want a nice 5 x 7 print,
what settings do I have to use [for my camera] before I take the photo.
Is there an equation? A rule of thumb?

I like the colors in this photo, but it could have been more interesting
if taken from a higher angle? The background is somewhat distracting.

I like the light and shadows in this photo. I used the Macro setting.

While taking the above photo ... I spied a frog!

And he tried to hide ...

Now I notice that the frog all but disappears in the first froggy foto,
and he is much easier to pick out in the second photo.
I'm sure there is a lesson to be learned here ...

The background was much too busy in the first frog photo.
Maybe if I had used the Zoom setting along with the Macro setting,
I could have zeroed in more on the frog.

I have learned a lot this week just by reminding myself of the available options and settings for my camera. I tend to use the Auto Focus setting most of the time - its easy and I don't have to be concerned about light and distance so much.
The downfall of this option is it takes time for the camera to adjust before I'm able to completely press down the shutter button. Many folks lose their smiles in that period of time. :-o