Rules of thumb

 One disadvantage of digital cameras is that the sort of image one takes can vary so
from camera to camera—even from model to model. To make matters even more
complicated, the user may or may not be able to control such things as the size and 
resolution of the image. To make things even more complicated, the software you 
use to work with the photos you took may make decisions—and not always the
best ones—as to what size and resolution it assigns your image. The only set rule is
that you can get the best results by reading your camera manual so you can have
some control over your camera, and learning all you can about the software you 
use to edit your images, using the Help menu, and if needed, the built-in tutorials it may offer.

But there are some rules of thumb:

The higher the resolution (the more megapixels) of an image, the fewer will
fit on your memory card. If your camera saves images using a compressed format, 
in other words saving them as jpg files, then it will take between 1 and 2MB per image. 
Pictures taken in a lower resolution mode take up less space, allowing you to fit more 
onto a single memory card. So why not take lower resolution pictures and get more
on each card? If your camera is high enough resolution—2 megapixel or above—you
may be able to do just that. Or you may be able to set your camera to take smaller pictures.

 The better the image you start with, the better your finished image will look. 
Resampling down to the size and resolution you want will get you better results than just 
shooting a small low resolution picture. Why? Because on one hand you have a small, 
badly resolved picture. On the other you have used extremely sophisticated mathematical 
formulas to decide which information can be thrown away while preserving image quality. 
Compression works in a similar fashion.

It’s best if you do all your work on one image at one sitting. Why? If you open a jpg 
file, work on it, save and close it, unless you specify zero compression, then it will be
compressed again, and information will be thrown away, reducing the file size by one factor
and image quality by another based on the level of compression used. Open the file again
and save again, and you lose more quality. This adds up. Many image editing programs 
allow you to save in a lossless format specific to that program—and which may also log
a list of things you did to that picture, allowing you to later undo them.

Archive an unaltered copy of critical or favorite pictures. Accidents happen. You
might want to start all over again.

Learn to give pictures a name that will help you find them again. You’ve got one
hundred pictures in a folder, and they all have names like dpg000345 and dpg000212. 
Which ones are Granny? Which ones are your kids? Which ones don’t you want your kids
seeing? Keeping different kinds of pictures in separate folders can also help organize them.
The sheet on files and folders can help you understand this process.

 Every so often clean up the junk. Original versions, edited versions, versions saved as
jpgs or tiffs. Picture files can multiply like rabbits. If you have a CD RW, archive everything
there and just keep your favorites on your hard drive. Once again, well thought out folders 
can help you quickly and easily find your images later.

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