Nowadays, almost all laptops have a built-in webcam. This is a very useful device, thanks to it you can communicate and record videos. And, of course, you can take photos. To do this, you can use the tools of the Windows operating system or install a special program.
It is necessary
Laptop with webcam
Instructions
Step 1
In any version of Windows there is a Paint application, it is located in the Standard menu. With it, you can take photos from your webcam, for this you need to select the "Get from Scanner or Camera" item in the "File" menu. Here you can process the resulting image, however, the capabilities of this editor in terms of photo processing are very scarce.
Step 2
To be able to edit the resulting photos and apply additional effects to photography, you need a special program. New laptops purchased from well-known manufacturers usually have a proprietary application already installed. If not, there are many free and paid webcam apps available for download online.
Step 3
One of the most popular programs in this area is WebcamMax. It can be downloaded from the developer's website, there is both a paid version and a free one. Installing the application does not take long and does not require any skills.
Step 4
The program looks like two windows: the left one shows the picture from the camera, everything that it sees is in real time. In the right window, you can choose how to edit and design videos and photos. To take a picture, you need to click on the leftmost button under the viewing window, it shows a camera. After that, a miniature image of the taken photo will appear in the same place under the window.
Step 5
To save it to the laptop hard drive, you need to double-click the left mouse button on the image. An additional window will open and show the photo. On the right there will be a menu in which you need to select the "Export" item. If you click on it, the explorer will open and offer to save the photo to a folder. If desired, the location where the photo will be saved can be changed to any convenient folder or flash drive.
Step 6
Now the photo is saved as a file, and it can be edited in any graphics editor (for example, "Adobe Photoshop"), posted on the Internet or sent by e-mail.
Step 7
Another popular webcam software that can take photos is "Webcam Surveyor". It's also easy to use and has a clean interface with a preview window and menus. Using the buttons under the viewing window, you can zoom in on the image using the digital zoom, adjust the image by changing the brightness, contrast, saturation and hue. There is also a button with which you can take a picture; a camera is drawn on it.
Step 8
In addition, this application can take a time-lapse photo: in the window "Program Options" you can set a timer, and the photo will be taken at a specified time, or a series of photos will be taken at a specified time interval. You can also add the date and time to the photo. The taken picture can be sent by e-mail without leaving the application.
Step 9
You can also use the "Webcam Plus!" Application to take photos with your webcam. It is very simple and contains a minimum of options. In the upper part of the program window there are buttons with which you can control the operation of the application, including the button with the image of the camera, by clicking on which you can take a picture. In addition to single photos, the program can take a series of images, as well as send the taken photos to the Internet. You can set up automatic publication of pictures on the network after a specified period of time, while superimposing the time, date of the picture, or any other text on the photo itself.
Step 10
CoffeeCup WebCam is another popular app. It is able to take single snapshots on a schedule and immediately send them to the Internet. Moreover, the program can recognize movement in the frame and take a photo, and if there is no movement, it can remain in standby mode. Here you can also superimpose on the photo custom text made in the selected font and color.
Step 11
This is not a complete list of various applications created for working with a webcam, including for working with photos. It remains to choose which one will be most convenient.
