ATLANTA — A blurry orange object, maybe a melted jelly bean, caught my eye. Next I could see what looked to be the top half of a human head. Finally there was a smear of yellow that had some resemblence to a flower.
It was hard not to watch the images appearing on the monitor. My friends had set up a slide show of digital photographs and it automatically — and endlessly — displayed on the screen in their den.
Apparently they were proud of the photos, but I couldn't imagine why.
Digital photography is now, of course, a fact. For the most part it's a good thing. You can take an unlimited number of pictures and delete those you don't like at the touch of a button. Every home now can have an electronic darkroom where you can enhance colors and, to a degree, correct mistakes.
But sometimes digital photography like putting an untrained driver behind the wheel of a Ferrari. The results often are messy.
Now that it's vacation time most of us will be using a digital camera — or, heaven forbid, a cell phone camera — to record high points of our trips. There are some things you should know that can improve your results.
Think before you shoot
Two factors work against casual digital snapshooters. One, using the new technology and features requires a bit of time spent with the manual and a basic understanding of the camera's settings. Here's a Web page that deciphers some of the settings that are unique to digital cameras: http://dpfwiw.com/advice.htm(number sign)settings.
Two, some digital photographers depend on dumb luck — snapping wildly and relying on the ability to take a lot of pictures quickly — rather than on photography's most important piece of equipment, the brain.
Find the right flash
Almost every digital camera has a built-in flash. It offers the ability to take photos almost anywhere. It also has the ability to ruin most pictures. The harsh direct light of a flash can turn a photo of friends and family into something that looks like an especially bad police mug shot.
Try to soften the light during night shots — sometimes even a piece of thin tissue paper over the flash can help. Also consider shooting without the flash.
On the other hand, using the camera's settings to force the flash to operate in strong sun can remove ugly shadows on your subjects' faces. Here's a Web site that offers the details: http://digital-photography-school.com/basic-blunders-flash
Handle with care
I still have a few professional film cameras. Every time I pick one up I'm impressed by how sturdy it is. We used to joke that you could use a Nikon F3 or F4 to drive nails.
It's not the same with digital cameras. In general they don't last as long, don't take knocks as well and can easily be ruined by water or sand. So treat your digital camera gently and use a carrying case.
Those of you who have expensive digital cameras may want to consider buying a second el cheapo digital. Use it for photos on the beach, or for times you'll be hiking in harsh terrain to protect your investment in that expensive camera.
Don't be in the dark about the darkroom
A great feature of digital photography is the ability to manipulate the photo after you've taken it. What a deal. No messy chemicals or fumbling around in the dark.
My favorite program for snapshooters is the excellent Adobe Elements (http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/). It has some of the features found in the pricy programs Adobe makes for professionals but is easy to use, and it's a bargain at $100.
There are also free photo editing programs. Here's one site's take on the best of the free ones: http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pixelbasedwin/tp/freephotoedw.htm
You've spent a bit of money for your digital camera. It's smart to spend a bit of time to make sure you truly get the picture.
Bill Husted writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: tecbud(at)bellsouth.net.