Here's some expert advice to help you get the most out of your digital camera and get better quality prints from Shutterfly.

• Setting up your digital camera
• Taking perfect pictures
• Alter settings with conditions
• Editing pictures

• Using native (default) vs. enhanced resolution: Use the camera's native image resolution -- usually but not always the maximum resolution provided. (Some cameras offer an "enhanced resolution" mode that generates larger files with little improvement in quality.)
  
  
• Setting JPEG compression (or image quality): When it comes to setting JPEG compression in an image-editing program, some confusion may arise from the terminology -- maximum compressions give minimum quality; minimum compression gives maximum quality. For the best quality prints, keep compression set to minimum for maximum quality, which equals larger file size. Some cameras support TIFF as well, which is not recommended as they increase the file size leading to longer file transfer times filling up your memory cards even more quickly.

• Transferring pictures without overwriting images: Be careful when transferring your images to your computer not to overwrite images you deposited there earlier, since some cameras don't increment file names continuously. Putting images into (new) named folders each time helps to keep them organized and avoids overwriting. Use the date the images were uploaded if no name seems appropriate.
  
  
• About action shots: In general, it is usually safe to assume that the digital camera is a "slow" device. (On average digital cameras have a film speed equivalent of about ASA 100, often times even slower.) This means that the shutter speed and aperture will be such that you need to pay particular attention to movement in the field of view, even in brightly lit scenes. If the aperture is stopped down to f/4 or more, this problem becomes worse. You may need to experiment a little to time your shots if you intend to take photographs of action scenes.

• Bright sun: In bright sunlight when photographing people, we recommend using fill flash mode. Since digicams have limited dynamic range, this helps smooth out color and tone contrast.
  
  
• Heavy clouds: In heavy cloud cover, change the white balance from auto mode to cloudy mode.
  
  
• Lighting: Avoid harsh and backlit lighting, since digital cameras have limited dynamic range. Use fill flash outdoors in backlit situations, and don't take pictures from sunlight looking into shadow unless the entire frame is in shadow.

Editing Pictures

• DON'T use browser tools to resize, crop, rotate your photos.
  
  
• DON'T rewrite the JPEG. This causes data loss and diminishes processing results.
  
  
• DO use the "Save As" option if you use an image editor. This will preserve the original data as it came from the camera.

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