Writing is something that has to be enjoyed. And with disposable cameras, we have indeed enjoyed writing all that we know about it. We wish you also enjoyed yourself.

Another Great disposable cameras Article
The Camera Obscura: What Does It Relate To?

The term camera obscura arises from time to time in the photoraphy arena. I remember the time I first heard the term but knew not what it was. By the second or third time someone mentioned it in passing, I just had to look it up and I'm glad I did. It won't help you take better pictures and you won't earn more money but will gain some knowledge that starts the knowledge drive and understanding of the principles of photography that much further.

If you don't know anything about the camera obscura, you will after this. Did you ever ask yourself why are photographic devices called cameras? They were called cameras because their direct ancestor is the camera obscura, an optical device functioning on the basis of a simple law of physics. Camera Obscura is the Latin for dark room. It is important to understand it is not an invented mechanical device; it works on a naturally occurring phenomenon. It is like a fire or rainbow.

To fully understand the concept, you can try this out: on a bright day, get into a very dark room (you can obtain the darkness by covering the window with an opaque, but thin material). Make a pinhole in the item that covers the window. If the hole is small enough, on the opposite wall you will see the world outside the window, in full color and motion and turned upside down. Your room is now a camera obscura.

Let's see what is the principle of the camera obscura .When the rays reflected from the bright objects outside (this is why you need to make the experiment on a bright day) pass through the pinhole they do not scatter. Instead, they cross and reform as an upside down image on the opposite wall, or on any flat surface held parallel to the hole.

The principles of the camera obscura have been known since antiquity. Its earliest mention was by the Chinese philosopher Mo-Ti in the 5th century BC. His experiment was similar to the one described above. He called the darkened room the "locked treasure room". Aristotle (3rd century BC) also understood the principle of the camera obscura. It has been claimed that the Islamic scientist Abu Ali Al-Hasan Ibn al-Haitham (also known as Al-Hazen) is the one who actually discovered it while carrying out some experiments in optics, in the early 11th century, Egypt.

In the 15th century Leonardo da Vinci described camera obscura in Codex Atlanticus. It appears that he was the first who discovered its potential as a drawing aid. In the 17th and 18th century artists such as Johannes Vermeer, Canaletto, Guardi and Paul Sandby were known for their incredible attention to detail. Therefore, it has been speculated that they made use of the camera obscura. If you've seen Girl with a Pearl Earring (a movie about how Vermeer created his masterpiece that gave the name of the film), you must remember that "magic box" that Griet finds in the artist's atelier and her surprise when he shows her the way it works.

The camera obscura used by artists was not the rudimentary one described in the beginning of the article. The image quality was improved by adding a convex lens into the aperture and a set of mirrors solved the problem of the upside down image.

Let's now understand how din this simple optical device turn into the photographic camera. The camera obscura managed to get an accurate image of the world outside; the only problem remained recording this image. Therefore, adding a sheet of light sensitive material to the little modified camera obscura was enough. This is the way photography was invented in the early 19th century.

Another use of the camera obscura was for entertainment; some camera obscura rooms have been built at the seaside or in areas of scenic beauty as tourist attractions. Some of them still survive. They are large chambers situated in high buildings. A live panorama of the outside is projected inside the room through a rotating lens. Some of you might ask yourselves what is the point of going into a dark room to look at the reflection of something you can see outside. The interesting thing in this kind of experience is not the view itself, but the feeling you get when you are just a spectator of the world that surrounds you.

Personally, I am absolutely fascinated by the camera obscura. There are many interesting things about it that I did not mention in this article. For instance, with its aid, you can experiment that light travels in time, with speed, and even calculate the speed of light. This was Al-Hazen's discovery. Another interesting thing is that the German astronomer Johannes Kepler used a camera obscura for his astronomical observations. And there is much more to find out about this magical device...

This article has been supplied courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy often writes and works closely with <strong>Profitable Photography Business</strong>. This site is dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources (some free) from <strong>Digital Photography Equipment</strong> If you seek further guides, helpful hints, articles and news, you can go to http://www.photography-business-tips.com which also has a Photographers Forum for exchange of views with other photographers.

About the Author

This article has been supplied courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy often writes and works closely with http://profitable-photography.com This site is dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources (some free) from http://photography-business-tips.com

Featured disposable cameras Items
The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2

The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2
Scott Kelby, author of the groundbreaking bestseller “The Digital Photography Book, Vol. 1” is back with an entirely new book that picks up right where Vol. 1 left off. It’s more of that “Ah ha—so that’s how they do it,” straight-to-the-point, skip the techno jargon; packed with stuff you can really use today, that made Vol. 1 the world’s bestselling book on digital photography.

In Volume 2, Scott adds entirely new chapters packed with Plain English tips on using flash, shooting close up photography, travel photography, shooting people, and even how to build a studio from scratch, where he demystifies the process so anyone can start taking pro-quality portraits today! Plus, he's got full chapters on his most requested topics, including loads of tips for landscape photographers, wedding photographers, and there's an entire chapter devoted to sharing some of the pro's secrets for making your photos look more professional, no matter what you're shooting.

This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: “If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, ‘When I use my flash, the background behind the person I’m shooting turns black. How do I fix that?’ I wouldn’t give you a lecture on flash ratios, or start a discussion on flash synchronization and rear curtain sync. I’d just say “Lower your shutter speed to 1/60 of a second. That should do it” Well, that’s what this book is all about: you and I out shooting where I answer questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I’ve learned just like I would with a friend—without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.”

Each page covers a single concept on how to make your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. If you’re tired of taking shots that look “okay,” and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, “Why don’t my shots look like that?” then this is the book for you.

This isn’t a book of theory—full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push, which setting to use, and when to use it. With nearly another 200 of the most closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade,” this book gets you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.



Customer Review: Short, sweet, and to the point

This book presents a wide variety of topics for achieving the results you want from your digital camera, point & shoot or DSLR. It is in a "just in time learning" format and helps you get the best shots possible. A great companion to Volume 1!

Customer Review: Great practical tips

Buy this book. A lot of real world practical tips. Scott, you did me a great service.

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
For serious amateur photographers who already shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here's the book to consult. More than seventy techniques, both popular and less-familiar approaches, are covered in detail, including advanced exposure, bounced flash and candlelight, infrared, multiple images, soft-focus effects, unusual vantage points, zooming, and other carefully chosen ways to enhance photographs. The A-Z format make sit easy for readers to find a specific technique, and each one is explained in jargon-free language. Top Tips for each technique help readers achieve superb results, even on the first attempt.

Customer Review: understanding but still lost

this book helps alot when it comes to the effects of exposure in photography. I'm still lost though. I can't seem to get my camera off the automatic setting yet. The book shows what happens at different settings it even gives examples of subtle changes. It clearly shows the results of changing the exposure settings and demonstrates alot of photos where the exposure is just OK but how to get the same photo to POP by adjusting exposure settings.

Customer Review: A little too basic

The book is good, it tells you how to properly expose for different scenarios and effects but its explained too much. Its aimed for begginers so it can be a little boring for the ones that already know the basics. The pictures in the book look old and I didnt like that. Overall its a good book for learning from scratch or maybe catch a few extra tips that you may not already know as an intermediate photographer.

Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
With a gorgeous widescreen display, the Garmin nüvi 660 GPS Personal Travel Assistant is your answer to the call of adventure. A sleek navigator and a keen travel assistant, the nüvi 660 is preloaded with highly detailed City Navigator NT road maps for the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. This map database features nearly six million points of interest (POIs), including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions, and the data is provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.This preloaded navigator brings all this fantastic map data to your fingertips with a super-bright, 4.3-inch widescreen display for improved map viewing, day or night. Use the touch screen interface to select destinations, look up POIs, and play your favorite MP3s and audio books. The display also helps you control hands-free calling, traffic alerts, and the FM transmitter, all from the screen of your personal travel assistant.

Which nüvi is Best for You?: Click here to see a quick, simple comparison of features for all Garmin nuvi GPS navigators

Wider screen lets you see more of what's around. Compare these actual size views of a 3-inch (diagonal) screen and a 4.3-inch diagonal widescreen

Widescreen -- See Better, See More
The widescreen format gives you 70% more actual screen area than a 3.5-inch screen. Primarily this translates into a better view of the area through which you are driving. This is especially useful in showing you what parks, restaurants, ATM, gas stations, etc. are nearby, or in letting you know whether a detour is a good idea. Also, the device itself is larger, meaning controls on the screen are more widely spaced and somewhat easier to push.

FM Transmitter -- Hear Better, Hear More
Instead of straining your ears to hear turn-by-turn directions or your favorite MP3s, you can enjoy wireless FM audio transmission via the nüvi 660's wireless FM transmitter. Tune your car's radio to the appropriate station and you'll hear all the nüvi's audio, including voice prompts, MP3s, audio books, and more, directly through your vehicle's stereo system. The nüvi 660 includes many "must-have" entertainment and travel tools, including digital music and audio book playback, JPEG picture viewer, currency converters, and more. All these great features make the nüvi 660 a complete Personal Travel Assistant.

First Rate Map Data
The nüvi 660 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty POI database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. Garmin gets its map data from NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping.

In addition, the nüvi 660 accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs

Important note about map updates: Due to our high volume of sales, almost every Garmin portable GPS navigator sold by Amazon.com will come with the most recent map version. If you ever do need a map update, you can purchase one from Amazon.com at our Garmin Store.

Hands-Free Calling
In more and more places, it is becoming illegal to use cell phones while driving without a hands-free kit. The nüvi 660's Bluetooth capability, microphone and speaker lets match it to any bluetooth-capable phone to make hands-free mobile phone calls. Simply dial the phone number with the nüvi's touch screen keypad to make a call on a compatible phone. To answer an incoming call, just tap the screen and speak into the built-in microphone. Making and taking calls on the road has never been easier, or safer. In addition, Garmin makes it a breeze to look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or even tap into your cell phone's call history log.

Integrated FM Traffic Receiver

Steer clear of traffic with an integrated FM traffic receiver designed to receive alerts from TMC Clear Channel about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time. In most areas, TMC Clear Channel traffic broadcasts are continuous — there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a "silent" FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions. A 3-month subscription to TMC Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network is included with purchase of this device. For more information on subscription fees, coverage in individual cities, and traffic data networks in the United Kingdom and Europe, check the Garmin website.

Easy To Use Interface
Garmin's interface is a key to their success and one of the things that makes their devices such a pleasure to use. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip.

Beyond Navigation

Browse your stored pictures with an easy-to-use JPEG viewer.

A handy MP3 player lets you play songs stored on SD memory cards.

nüvi 250W accepts custom points of interest (POIs). View larger.

Navigation is just the beginning. The nüvi 660 features travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, MP3 player, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map.

This device is compatible with optional content plug-ins available via SD card, such as the Garmin Travel Guides and Garmin SaversGuide provide detailed data for attractions and information on nearby merchants offering discounts, so you can customize nüvi for your travel needs

Garmin has also added the ability for customers to add custom points of interest (POI's) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras.

Trick Your GPS Ride

Custom vehicle icons let you ride in style, at least inside your GPS. See more icon options

All Garmin nüvis support configurable vehicle icons. These fun, customized car-shaped icons come in a variety of colors to add a personal touch to your vehicle's position on the map.

With this GPS system on board you'll be prepared to steer clear of traffic with the integrated FM TMC traffic receiver. The nüvi 770 is designed to receive alerts about traffic tie-ups and road construction that might lie ahead on your route. All you have to do is simply touch the screen to view traffic details and you'll be ready to detour around any problem area. And if you end up missing a turn, or you're forced into a detour that is not relayed through the traffic receiver, the nüvi's sophisticated automatic routing will get you back on track in no time.

What's in the Box
nüvi 660 GPS navigation system, preloaded City Navigator North, America NT data, vehicle suction cup mount, A/C charger, carrying case, FM traffic receiver/12-volt adapter with 3-month free trial subscription, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, sample language guide content (preloaded), sample travel guide, sample MP3s (preloaded), sample audio books (preloaded), owner's manual, and a quick reference guide.

Notes

• Optional software for language translation, detailed travel guides, and savings programs allow you to customize your nüvi to fit your travel needs
• The FM transmitter feature is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
• This nüvi comes with a free, three-month trial for MSN Direct services.
  
• Like most USB Mass Storage Devices, the nüvi is not compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me.

Which nüvi is Best for You?
Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.

	Screen Size inches (w x h)	Included Maps			Text-to-Speech (Directions in Real Street Names)	Traffic	Bluetooth	Media	FM Transmitter (audio through car stereo system)	Multi- Point Routing	Battery life (hours)
		Cont. U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico	AK and Canada	Europe
nüvi 200	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 200w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 250	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 250w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 260	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 260w	3.81 x 2.25							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 270	2.8 x 2.1							Photos			up to 5
nüvi 350	2.8 x 2.1					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 360	2.8 x 2.1					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 370	2.8 x 2.1					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 8
nüvi 650	3.81 x 2.25					FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 660	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 670	3.81 x 2.25					FM (receiver included)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 680	3.81 x 2.25					MSN (receiver included; 1-year free); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 7
nüvi 750	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 760	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 770	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 780	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver inc.; 3 months free) receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 5
nüvi 850	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 880	3.81 x 2.25					MSN-enhanced (receiver inc.; 3 months free); FM (with opt. receiver)		Photos, MP3s			up to 4
nüvi 5000	4.5 x 2.7					MSN-enhanced (with optional receiver); FM (with opt. receiver)					external battery only

Customer Review: GREAT GPS

This is my first GPS and has all the bells and whistles that was described. I am finding out more things about this every week. The only item that could be better is the self-sticking disc that is supposed to attach to to your dashboard for mounting the GPS there instead of the windshield. It did not stick. I would prefer mounting to dashboard instead of the windshield. It gets very hot from the sun.

Customer Review: NUVI 660

Great product and fine service from provider. GPS is amazing, even finding dirt roads sduring recent trip to Virginia. Highly recommendedGarmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series and StreetPilot I Series, C530, C550 and C580 GPS Navigators

Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series and StreetPilot I Series, C530, C550 and C580 GPS Navigators
This product is intended to be used as a portable dash mount for the nuvi series of units and the StreetPilot C5xx series.

Customer Review: very good product

This friction mount is very good. my dash is on quite a angle & in 1500 miles only had to push it back up in place 2 times.

Customer Review: dashboard mount

it is an excellant product well made and works great doesn't slip or slide on the dashboard very secure

disposable cameras in the news
Mary Holm: Christmas cheer closer to home

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:20:02 GMT
Q: I was interested in your article last week in regard to giving meaningful Christmas presents.

Independent, The (London) - What sort of freedom do you believe in?

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:00:00 GMT
July 9, 2008 -- In a lush patch of Yorkshire, something strange is happening. The quaint practice of a British by-election has thrown up a serious philosophical...

Disposable cameras at your wedding ? Why not go digital ?

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:18:08 -0700
We’ve all been to weddings where the bride and groom have bought a disposable camera and placed one on every table for the wedding guests to snap away capturing the wonderful day through the eyes of different people. It’s a fantastic idea, but is usually ruined by very poor end results. This is because disposable cameras get treated as disposable cameras, and you’re often left with really poor quality images that end up as disposable photographs. It’s a real shame, as who better to capture a


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