By Decio Fernandes
Many people that have just started taking photographs have no knowledge that, when taking pictures of snow, the properties in their cameras are set to counterbalance the abundance in light that is reflected in the snow. Because of that, snow is captured as gray or blue instead of white. Fortunately, there are two solutions for this simple problem that frequently happen in the winter. You can change the setting to "beach" or "snow" mode and the camera will self-adapt to the bright light and fix the issue. The other solution is to manually manipulate the camera to recognize the snow as it should, while observing the effects through the LCD screen.
At the same time it is not easy photographing snow because of all the bright light, once you realize what you can do to overcome that problem, you are instantly blessed with breathtaking and exclusive images that you cannot obtain in any other season. There is usually such a striking difference in colors that make winter pictures unique and extremely attractive.
Whenever taking photos outside, photographers are usually confronted by some difficulties. One of them is when the picture ends up being too dark because the camera tries to compensate for the intensity of light. In this case, most people use the flash to help with the lighting. You can also choose the "action" mode to make sure that any moving subject is captured precisely.
There is such a wide variety of photographs that can be seen in winter photography. All the contrast and textures of nature are simply infinite.
Take your photos to the next level! To learn more tips visit Digital Photography Tips
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Photo Restoration
By Julievive Empasis
Photo Restoration is very useful now a days, several walk-in establishments in malls offer this service in order to restore weather-beaten photographs into the same condition it was first taken. With the help of technology, digital photo restoration is made possible and restoring old photos is far more convenient compared to its non-digital counterpart.
All photo restoration and retouching work is done by hand through the use an photo editing software. Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw and GIMP are usually the software that are typically used for photo restoration. Blemishes are removed from the photograph manually, by intricately painting or cloning over the damaged area. Tears, scratches, and creases can be repaired through the same procedure. Unwanted color casts are removed by altering the images contrast or sharpness in an attempt to restore some of the contrast range or detail that is believed to be in the original image. Skin tone and texture can be improved, and facial features can be enhanced as well.
There's a lot of service provider for photo restoration that can provide the customers with the highest quality. The usual work flow these establishments undertake are
(a.) scanning a photograph (b.) performing the restoration or retouching using the photo editing software, and (c.) printing out the photograph that now looks all shiny and new.
Photo restoration existed long before the digital world. Although digital photo restoration is quite popular, traditional photo restoration, is to some extent, performed by skilled traditional photo specialists in their darkrooms today. Their tools include artist brushes, retouching dyes, fixers, toners and other chemicals, mixing pallets, baths, enlargers, film tanks and other darkroom equipment. They do retouching by hand with artist brushes and dyes, and they use enlargers for adding and subtracting exposure to prints like dodging and burning, and filters for adjusting contrast.
LazyMask ( http://www.lazymask.com) - Clipping Path, Image Masking, Photoshop Masking, Image Clipping, Image Outlining in Photoshop
Photo Restoration is very useful now a days, several walk-in establishments in malls offer this service in order to restore weather-beaten photographs into the same condition it was first taken. With the help of technology, digital photo restoration is made possible and restoring old photos is far more convenient compared to its non-digital counterpart.
All photo restoration and retouching work is done by hand through the use an photo editing software. Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw and GIMP are usually the software that are typically used for photo restoration. Blemishes are removed from the photograph manually, by intricately painting or cloning over the damaged area. Tears, scratches, and creases can be repaired through the same procedure. Unwanted color casts are removed by altering the images contrast or sharpness in an attempt to restore some of the contrast range or detail that is believed to be in the original image. Skin tone and texture can be improved, and facial features can be enhanced as well.
There's a lot of service provider for photo restoration that can provide the customers with the highest quality. The usual work flow these establishments undertake are
(a.) scanning a photograph (b.) performing the restoration or retouching using the photo editing software, and (c.) printing out the photograph that now looks all shiny and new.
Photo restoration existed long before the digital world. Although digital photo restoration is quite popular, traditional photo restoration, is to some extent, performed by skilled traditional photo specialists in their darkrooms today. Their tools include artist brushes, retouching dyes, fixers, toners and other chemicals, mixing pallets, baths, enlargers, film tanks and other darkroom equipment. They do retouching by hand with artist brushes and dyes, and they use enlargers for adding and subtracting exposure to prints like dodging and burning, and filters for adjusting contrast.
LazyMask ( http://www.lazymask.com) - Clipping Path, Image Masking, Photoshop Masking, Image Clipping, Image Outlining in Photoshop
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Get Paid to Take Pictures - How to Make Money Online As a Photographer
By Ricky Lim
Do you know you can get paid to take pictures online? Digital cameras and their low cost have made photography a popular hobby. No longer do you neAed expensive equipment and many years experience to make money taking photos.
If you are interested to get paid to take photos, here is some basic information you should take note.
Investing in Camera Equipment
The right photography equipment can bring out the best pictures even if you are an amateur. Try to get a bigger resolution digital camera, preferably those with 5 megapixel and above.
You should base your camera on the price alone. Look for the best value digital camera and deals that most electronic stores have from time to time. Besides a digital camera, you also need a photo editing software and a computer. Most digital cameras do bundle with a suite of photo editing software as well.
Have a Photo Portfolio
In order to show potential customers some proof of their photography expertise, you will need to take some sample photographs and references as well. Put it online on your website or on a free blog such as blogger so you can refer potential clients to check out your photo portfolio.
Market Your Business
Learning how to sell your photographs isn't that difficult actually. Look for online classified where you can post your ad. You can also visit online photography forums where sometimes photographer jobs are available.
You can also sell your photos to online stock photography websites. Some will offer to pay a one time fee for your photos while others are sold on a per commission basis. That is when a customer pay for your photo posted on such sites, you get a commission, typically about 60 to 70 percent.
You can also visit webmaster forums where there is always a constant need of photos for their websites.
You can get also get paid a lot more for your photos if you can find a magazine photographer job. These typically pay a lot more for each photo.
If you want to learn how to get paid to take pictures, I recommend Brian Moore Camera Dollars. Click here to learn more about how to get paid to take pictures online with the Camera Dollar system.
Do you know you can get paid to take pictures online? Digital cameras and their low cost have made photography a popular hobby. No longer do you neAed expensive equipment and many years experience to make money taking photos.
If you are interested to get paid to take photos, here is some basic information you should take note.
Investing in Camera Equipment
The right photography equipment can bring out the best pictures even if you are an amateur. Try to get a bigger resolution digital camera, preferably those with 5 megapixel and above.
You should base your camera on the price alone. Look for the best value digital camera and deals that most electronic stores have from time to time. Besides a digital camera, you also need a photo editing software and a computer. Most digital cameras do bundle with a suite of photo editing software as well.
Have a Photo Portfolio
In order to show potential customers some proof of their photography expertise, you will need to take some sample photographs and references as well. Put it online on your website or on a free blog such as blogger so you can refer potential clients to check out your photo portfolio.
Market Your Business
Learning how to sell your photographs isn't that difficult actually. Look for online classified where you can post your ad. You can also visit online photography forums where sometimes photographer jobs are available.
You can also sell your photos to online stock photography websites. Some will offer to pay a one time fee for your photos while others are sold on a per commission basis. That is when a customer pay for your photo posted on such sites, you get a commission, typically about 60 to 70 percent.
You can also visit webmaster forums where there is always a constant need of photos for their websites.
You can get also get paid a lot more for your photos if you can find a magazine photographer job. These typically pay a lot more for each photo.
If you want to learn how to get paid to take pictures, I recommend Brian Moore Camera Dollars. Click here to learn more about how to get paid to take pictures online with the Camera Dollar system.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Photography With Natural Light
By Richard Haan
Being a good photographer, you will find that the weather can be to your advantage as well as a disadvantage. While it is impossible to control the weather, you may not have ideal conditions all the time for your shots, however you can make the most of what conditions you have. So no matter if it is sunny, rainy or even cloudy, you can still use the landscape to create beautiful shots.
There are really two ideal hours of the day that photographers just love to shot. The first of these two occurs right after sunrise and the other is, you guest it, just before sunset, and are generally longer during the summer and shorter during the winter. You may be wondering why these two hours are the ideal hours for shooting, during the early morning and late afternoon the sun is positioned for dramatic lighting, but will not create harsh shadows or blazes of light, especially when it comes to taking pictures of people.
There are three possible problems that can occur with shooting pictures of people in the late morning. The first, your subject is trying not to squint in the direct sunlight, this can cause a poor shots. Second, your subject can turn out to dark with them standing with the sun behind them this will cause a silhouette effect. Third, your subjects face and features can look distorted if they are standing with the sun at their side, which will create awkward shadows. These three possibilities can and will make for poor shots.
During the noon time hours, all the shadows will be disappear, which then will give your photos a flat appearance.
This is why shooting just after sunrise and just before sunset, will provide just the right kind of lighting and shadows, which in turn makes for a beautiful photographic opportunity because of the breath taking natural colors the sky has to offer.
Take advantage of cloudy or overcast days, for these will give you great shots as well.
More outdoor wedding pictures are taken on cloudy days, than bright sunny days. The reason being is the photographer is taking advantage of the earth's natural filter, the clouds. I am not referring to a heavy cloudy day, but rather a mild overcast day. The clouds will diffuse the bright light so that your subject is illuminated with natural filtered light, and the shadows are gone. You may still need a flash if the clouds are too heavy, but if this is the case than the possible solution is to also shoot in black and white.
Believe it or not you can still get great shots even on rainy days. The rain can add an interesting element to the image and you will still get a great shot. Extra care is needed on rainy days as not to let your equipment lay on the wet ground, and additional person will be needed on these days of shooting. The use of an umbrella and a water proof case will be very helpful as well. Thunder and lightning and rain make for great pictures, but caution is need when taking these shots as well.
So Use Nature To Your Advantage, and Happy Shooting.
My name is Richard Haan, I am the owner of http://www.rmhdigitalcameras.com
Being a good photographer, you will find that the weather can be to your advantage as well as a disadvantage. While it is impossible to control the weather, you may not have ideal conditions all the time for your shots, however you can make the most of what conditions you have. So no matter if it is sunny, rainy or even cloudy, you can still use the landscape to create beautiful shots.
There are really two ideal hours of the day that photographers just love to shot. The first of these two occurs right after sunrise and the other is, you guest it, just before sunset, and are generally longer during the summer and shorter during the winter. You may be wondering why these two hours are the ideal hours for shooting, during the early morning and late afternoon the sun is positioned for dramatic lighting, but will not create harsh shadows or blazes of light, especially when it comes to taking pictures of people.
There are three possible problems that can occur with shooting pictures of people in the late morning. The first, your subject is trying not to squint in the direct sunlight, this can cause a poor shots. Second, your subject can turn out to dark with them standing with the sun behind them this will cause a silhouette effect. Third, your subjects face and features can look distorted if they are standing with the sun at their side, which will create awkward shadows. These three possibilities can and will make for poor shots.
During the noon time hours, all the shadows will be disappear, which then will give your photos a flat appearance.
This is why shooting just after sunrise and just before sunset, will provide just the right kind of lighting and shadows, which in turn makes for a beautiful photographic opportunity because of the breath taking natural colors the sky has to offer.
Take advantage of cloudy or overcast days, for these will give you great shots as well.
More outdoor wedding pictures are taken on cloudy days, than bright sunny days. The reason being is the photographer is taking advantage of the earth's natural filter, the clouds. I am not referring to a heavy cloudy day, but rather a mild overcast day. The clouds will diffuse the bright light so that your subject is illuminated with natural filtered light, and the shadows are gone. You may still need a flash if the clouds are too heavy, but if this is the case than the possible solution is to also shoot in black and white.
Believe it or not you can still get great shots even on rainy days. The rain can add an interesting element to the image and you will still get a great shot. Extra care is needed on rainy days as not to let your equipment lay on the wet ground, and additional person will be needed on these days of shooting. The use of an umbrella and a water proof case will be very helpful as well. Thunder and lightning and rain make for great pictures, but caution is need when taking these shots as well.
So Use Nature To Your Advantage, and Happy Shooting.
My name is Richard Haan, I am the owner of http://www.rmhdigitalcameras.com
Monday, December 22, 2008
How to Use Photoshop to Remove Red Eye
By Rodrigo Manguba
This is a problem that occurs ever too often. You've taken some great shots of your new baby and want to show them off, but the red eye on them disappoints you greatly. Something from a scary movie your precious child looks like a demon .This problem is often called "red eye". The flash reflects off of the retina at the rear of the eye, causing red eye.
Low light causes the eye's iris to grow, providing for more area that could become red in photos. The flash, unfortunately, is required mostly during low light conditions.
Thanks to the emergence of digital pictures, red eye is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. Digicams don't need the same internal mechanics or space for film as do their counterparts, meaning they can continue to shrink in size. It implies that the flash and the lens are pretty close to each other.In most new point-and-shoot digicams, the flash sits right over the lens.
Here's the issue. A flash which is closer to the lens enters the iris directly and reflects straight back, causing red eye. Most digicams have a built-in feature, causing a flash immediately before exposure, which is designed to reduce red eye.
This makes the iris shrink for the actual image. Sadly, this function almost never completely removes red eye from pictures. Most point-and-shoot digicams don't have a method allowing the photographer to add a second flash; as a result, red eye has to be fixed after the fact.
Are you worried about Photoshop being too complicated that would not prove to be easy to master? Do not be. Adobe Photoshop is so simple to master that a person with zero experience could easily learn to fix red eye in very little time. This is where Photoshop grows useful. With Photoshop, even the worst case of red eye can be corrected.
Rodrigo Manguba is a professional Photographer and specializes in portrait and wedding photography. He maintains a blog about Photography Tips & Techniques. http://www.cameraviewpoint.com/
This is a problem that occurs ever too often. You've taken some great shots of your new baby and want to show them off, but the red eye on them disappoints you greatly. Something from a scary movie your precious child looks like a demon .This problem is often called "red eye". The flash reflects off of the retina at the rear of the eye, causing red eye.
Low light causes the eye's iris to grow, providing for more area that could become red in photos. The flash, unfortunately, is required mostly during low light conditions.
Thanks to the emergence of digital pictures, red eye is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. Digicams don't need the same internal mechanics or space for film as do their counterparts, meaning they can continue to shrink in size. It implies that the flash and the lens are pretty close to each other.In most new point-and-shoot digicams, the flash sits right over the lens.
Here's the issue. A flash which is closer to the lens enters the iris directly and reflects straight back, causing red eye. Most digicams have a built-in feature, causing a flash immediately before exposure, which is designed to reduce red eye.
This makes the iris shrink for the actual image. Sadly, this function almost never completely removes red eye from pictures. Most point-and-shoot digicams don't have a method allowing the photographer to add a second flash; as a result, red eye has to be fixed after the fact.
Are you worried about Photoshop being too complicated that would not prove to be easy to master? Do not be. Adobe Photoshop is so simple to master that a person with zero experience could easily learn to fix red eye in very little time. This is where Photoshop grows useful. With Photoshop, even the worst case of red eye can be corrected.
Rodrigo Manguba is a professional Photographer and specializes in portrait and wedding photography. He maintains a blog about Photography Tips & Techniques. http://www.cameraviewpoint.com/
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Photo Filters - What They Are, and How They're Used
By Wendy Addams
A photo filter is basically a camera accessory which allows the photographer to better control the outcome of their photos. Some filters create only subtle effects while others can completely change the way a photo looks. The downside to using filters is that if the filter is scratched or dirty, it will reflect on the image. So if you are going to be using filters on your camera, make sure they are always clean and free from scratches.
There are numerous types of photo filters available:
-Clear Filters are completely transparent and do not affect the outcome of the photo. They are mainly used to protect the camera lens.
-UV Filters are used to reduce the haze caused by certain types of light
-Color Correction filters are used to better balance the colors that are captured in photos. These are not as common since digital photography has become popular, since digital cameras generally balance colors automatically within the camera itself.
-Color Subtraction filters are used to block a certain color from a photo, but leaving the rest of the colors intact
-Contrast Enhancement filters are normally used in black and white photography to adjust the contrast of the photo. For instance, if you were taking a photo of the sky in black and white and you wanted to enhance contrast, you may use a yellow or orange filter which would brighten the clouds, and cause the sky behind them to seem darker.
-Polarizing filters can be used to darken skies that are too bright, and can even reduce reflected sunlight. These filters are also used to minimize reflections such as those from windows.
-Neutral Density filters are commonly used to reduce light. This is particularly handy when using longer exposure times.
-Diffusion Filters are used to give a softer appearance of a photo and are often used in portraits.
Filters are usually made from glass, resin, polyester, polycarbonate, and sometimes acetate. They come in all sizes and varieties, only a few of which I described above. Using filters can add a lot of variety to your photography, and create some effects that would not otherwise be possible.
Wendy Addams has enjoyed photography for many years and has learned a lot along the way. Please visit http://www.pic-tips.com for more photography information and to learn some tips and tricks.
A photo filter is basically a camera accessory which allows the photographer to better control the outcome of their photos. Some filters create only subtle effects while others can completely change the way a photo looks. The downside to using filters is that if the filter is scratched or dirty, it will reflect on the image. So if you are going to be using filters on your camera, make sure they are always clean and free from scratches.
There are numerous types of photo filters available:
-Clear Filters are completely transparent and do not affect the outcome of the photo. They are mainly used to protect the camera lens.
-UV Filters are used to reduce the haze caused by certain types of light
-Color Correction filters are used to better balance the colors that are captured in photos. These are not as common since digital photography has become popular, since digital cameras generally balance colors automatically within the camera itself.
-Color Subtraction filters are used to block a certain color from a photo, but leaving the rest of the colors intact
-Contrast Enhancement filters are normally used in black and white photography to adjust the contrast of the photo. For instance, if you were taking a photo of the sky in black and white and you wanted to enhance contrast, you may use a yellow or orange filter which would brighten the clouds, and cause the sky behind them to seem darker.
-Polarizing filters can be used to darken skies that are too bright, and can even reduce reflected sunlight. These filters are also used to minimize reflections such as those from windows.
-Neutral Density filters are commonly used to reduce light. This is particularly handy when using longer exposure times.
-Diffusion Filters are used to give a softer appearance of a photo and are often used in portraits.
Filters are usually made from glass, resin, polyester, polycarbonate, and sometimes acetate. They come in all sizes and varieties, only a few of which I described above. Using filters can add a lot of variety to your photography, and create some effects that would not otherwise be possible.
Wendy Addams has enjoyed photography for many years and has learned a lot along the way. Please visit http://www.pic-tips.com for more photography information and to learn some tips and tricks.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Photoshop is a Must Have Software Package
By Debbie Ray
I consider myself to be a pretty serious photographer, who learned about film speed, focal length, exposure value and shutter speeds the "old fashioned way" by using an old adjustable film camera and a handheld light meter that was handed down to me by my dad.
Many of my prize photos were printed in a makeshift darkroom and hung to dry on temporary lines set up in a small bathroom. So my technical and aesthetic training in photography and darkroom skills was solid and strong, right from the beginning.
Over the years, I watched the photography scene change quickly from conventional film use to an instantaneous digital format. My first experience with a digital camera had me hooked. And then I discovered Photoshop, a software package that essentially replaced all my darkroom equipment and chemicals with computer-based film processing, enlarging and special effects. There was no turning back for me.
Photoshop CS4 or Photoshop Elements 7 (the newest versions) are definitely must-have software packages for both the amateur and professional photographer. Created and distributed by Adobe, the Photoshop software helps turns ordinary digital photographs into exceptional masterpieces. It acts as a virtual darkroom on your computer, providing countless combinations of settings, manipulations, filters and effects in a highly sophisticated package.
Photoshop Elements 7 is an excellent choice to get started. It's the top-selling software for enhancing photos and making memorable photographic creations that will last a lifetime and be part of your family's pictorial history for years to come. It is a must-have companion for any digital photography enthusiast. Bring your digital photos into Photoshop and you will have them come out with a brightness and a clarity that you never thought possible.
Photoshop also allows you to scan old photographs and fix up any imperfections. The sophisticated tools that are built into the software can actually help eliminate cracks and lines in old photos, perk up colors, brighten the lighting and contrast and make corrections in just a few moments.
Photoshop has a myriad of tools that will help you sort and arrange photos on your computer so they are easily retrievable. Although there may be a steep learning curve for some people, there are several useful tutorials and many user groups available online that can help. If you're a photographer - even a casual photographer, then you need Photoshop to help turn your photos into masterpieces!
Curious about learning Photoshop yourself? Get Photoshop now at a great price - what are you waiting for?
I consider myself to be a pretty serious photographer, who learned about film speed, focal length, exposure value and shutter speeds the "old fashioned way" by using an old adjustable film camera and a handheld light meter that was handed down to me by my dad.
Many of my prize photos were printed in a makeshift darkroom and hung to dry on temporary lines set up in a small bathroom. So my technical and aesthetic training in photography and darkroom skills was solid and strong, right from the beginning.
Over the years, I watched the photography scene change quickly from conventional film use to an instantaneous digital format. My first experience with a digital camera had me hooked. And then I discovered Photoshop, a software package that essentially replaced all my darkroom equipment and chemicals with computer-based film processing, enlarging and special effects. There was no turning back for me.
Photoshop CS4 or Photoshop Elements 7 (the newest versions) are definitely must-have software packages for both the amateur and professional photographer. Created and distributed by Adobe, the Photoshop software helps turns ordinary digital photographs into exceptional masterpieces. It acts as a virtual darkroom on your computer, providing countless combinations of settings, manipulations, filters and effects in a highly sophisticated package.
Photoshop Elements 7 is an excellent choice to get started. It's the top-selling software for enhancing photos and making memorable photographic creations that will last a lifetime and be part of your family's pictorial history for years to come. It is a must-have companion for any digital photography enthusiast. Bring your digital photos into Photoshop and you will have them come out with a brightness and a clarity that you never thought possible.
Photoshop also allows you to scan old photographs and fix up any imperfections. The sophisticated tools that are built into the software can actually help eliminate cracks and lines in old photos, perk up colors, brighten the lighting and contrast and make corrections in just a few moments.
Photoshop has a myriad of tools that will help you sort and arrange photos on your computer so they are easily retrievable. Although there may be a steep learning curve for some people, there are several useful tutorials and many user groups available online that can help. If you're a photographer - even a casual photographer, then you need Photoshop to help turn your photos into masterpieces!
Curious about learning Photoshop yourself? Get Photoshop now at a great price - what are you waiting for?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Dynamic Photography is Exciting
By Mary Sutton
Some of the best pictures are described as being dynamic. Photography is always open to interpretation. But photos that are lively will always get attention. Taking pictures that have moving subjects is difficult but not impossible. If you are interested in taking this kind of photo then there are certain subjects that are better than others. You could take photographs of sportsmen and women in action. Most of us are sports crazy and love looking at these kinds of pictures. This kind of action pic shows up all sorts of muscular and facial expressions that are one in a million. The chance of getting the same or similar photo of a specific sports personality is almost impossible. Of course, if you are a parent or grandparent shooting at your pride and joy's school sport's day it's just as memorable.
Dynamic photography is really what you make of it. There are people who are interested in cars and planes. They have gained the skill of taking photographs of moving cars and planes. The results can be absolutely awesome. We've all seen those glorious pictures of planes moving against a bright blue sky. Who doesn't enjoy looking at a picture of a very red, very fast sports car moving at breakneck speed on a winding road? These pictures are truly unforgettable and have a spirit of freedom and excitement.
Another moving subject that is becoming very popular is the steam engine. Did you know there are people who travel all around the world to see these metal giants? Photographing these machines from the past is a natural evolvement driven by a hobby. Photos could show a fast moving engine with the steam streaming behind. Or a one that is puffing hazy steam like a dragon in the early morning light. The opportunities for dynamic photography are endless. All you need is your digital camera and your imagination.
Mary Sutton is the director of the popular blog ThePhotographyClass.Com. She is an expert on digital photography and her blog contains stacks of information on things likeAnsel Adams' photography and much more.
Some of the best pictures are described as being dynamic. Photography is always open to interpretation. But photos that are lively will always get attention. Taking pictures that have moving subjects is difficult but not impossible. If you are interested in taking this kind of photo then there are certain subjects that are better than others. You could take photographs of sportsmen and women in action. Most of us are sports crazy and love looking at these kinds of pictures. This kind of action pic shows up all sorts of muscular and facial expressions that are one in a million. The chance of getting the same or similar photo of a specific sports personality is almost impossible. Of course, if you are a parent or grandparent shooting at your pride and joy's school sport's day it's just as memorable.
Dynamic photography is really what you make of it. There are people who are interested in cars and planes. They have gained the skill of taking photographs of moving cars and planes. The results can be absolutely awesome. We've all seen those glorious pictures of planes moving against a bright blue sky. Who doesn't enjoy looking at a picture of a very red, very fast sports car moving at breakneck speed on a winding road? These pictures are truly unforgettable and have a spirit of freedom and excitement.
Another moving subject that is becoming very popular is the steam engine. Did you know there are people who travel all around the world to see these metal giants? Photographing these machines from the past is a natural evolvement driven by a hobby. Photos could show a fast moving engine with the steam streaming behind. Or a one that is puffing hazy steam like a dragon in the early morning light. The opportunities for dynamic photography are endless. All you need is your digital camera and your imagination.
Mary Sutton is the director of the popular blog ThePhotographyClass.Com. She is an expert on digital photography and her blog contains stacks of information on things likeAnsel Adams' photography and much more.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Studio Lighting Or Lounge Illuminations
By John P Wood
I started off with a couple of 500 cool light soft boxes and reflector but found I was limited on the speed and often produced perfectly focussed but blurred shots - I had thought that models would stand still, but the girls i was shooting wanted to jump around!
So i progress on to an umbrella with and SB800, a SB600 and a couple of old Vivitars on remotes which all work great usually! The flash umbrella certainly stopped the motion but sent light everywhere and I struggled to light the background separately.
I found using the D300 menu to control the flashes was cumbersome and now use the Commander unit which sits on the hotshoe and is much quicker to use.
So to to stop sending light everywhere, I now I have a soft box attachment for the SB800 and find i can control the direction of the light a lot better.
I liked the umbrella when shooting teenagers who wanted to bop around. It seemed to light them pretty well no matter what angle they were at, combined with a flash, high up behind them.
I have also added a pringles tube covered in black tape as a snoot, and foam cards to act as flags.
With all this kit I have enough to experiment with and am constantly learning. It is beginning to amaze me just how tilting a light this way or that really affects how the photographs look. I have read a lot but doing it in practise is where i am learning what i read.
What I would really like now is a room big enough to use the equipment!
I am not sure at what stage I would need to progress to studio lighting, I have not hit any limits in my lounge so far.
John P Wood
Wedding and Portrait Photographer - Ascot, Berks, UK
WebSite: John Wood Photography
I started off with a couple of 500 cool light soft boxes and reflector but found I was limited on the speed and often produced perfectly focussed but blurred shots - I had thought that models would stand still, but the girls i was shooting wanted to jump around!
So i progress on to an umbrella with and SB800, a SB600 and a couple of old Vivitars on remotes which all work great usually! The flash umbrella certainly stopped the motion but sent light everywhere and I struggled to light the background separately.
I found using the D300 menu to control the flashes was cumbersome and now use the Commander unit which sits on the hotshoe and is much quicker to use.
So to to stop sending light everywhere, I now I have a soft box attachment for the SB800 and find i can control the direction of the light a lot better.
I liked the umbrella when shooting teenagers who wanted to bop around. It seemed to light them pretty well no matter what angle they were at, combined with a flash, high up behind them.
I have also added a pringles tube covered in black tape as a snoot, and foam cards to act as flags.
With all this kit I have enough to experiment with and am constantly learning. It is beginning to amaze me just how tilting a light this way or that really affects how the photographs look. I have read a lot but doing it in practise is where i am learning what i read.
What I would really like now is a room big enough to use the equipment!
I am not sure at what stage I would need to progress to studio lighting, I have not hit any limits in my lounge so far.
John P Wood
Wedding and Portrait Photographer - Ascot, Berks, UK
WebSite: John Wood Photography
Monday, December 8, 2008
Macro, Micro and Close Up Photography - Are They All the Same?
By Shereena Vysakh
Macro simply means big, micro means small now are they both the same thing ? In fact yes the two words point to the same realm of photography. Even close up photography is the same thing. That is getting small things to fill up the whole photograph. Now the scale of working is what differentiates them.
Macro and Micro are used interchangeably for the realm of photography which aim at getting the object that is in the photograph to be the same size as the sensor. That is on a aps-c canon sensor the object would be of an area of 22.2x14.8mm. Let me get the idea a bit more clear, here we are talking about the sensor and not the photo. The sensor which is 22.2x14.8 (in our example) will be capturing a macro when the image falling on the sensor is of an area that is also 22.2mm x 14.8 mm. If you want to get an idea of what this size would be take a piece of paper draw a rectangle that is 22.2mm long and 14.8mm wide. Now cut along the rectangle to produce a paper with a hole. Now you are taking macro's when you are capturing the area of the rectangle in the whole photograph, now we are talking in terms of photograph and not the sensor.
Why the two words macro and micro?
This came out from the convention used by major brands. Nikon and some other brands use the word micro with lens that are true macro lens and Canon and many other brands use the word macro on lens that are true macro's(1:1 or more). For convenience from now on we will use the word macro.
Canon Macro 100mm F2.8
Canon Macro 100mm F2.8
Nikkor 60mm Micro
Nikkor 60mm Micro
The above images show a Macro model from Canon and a Micro model from Nikon.
So is macro only 1:1?
No, technically macro is 1:1 or more that is it can be 1:1 or 2:1 or 3:1 and so on. Usually we refer to anything above 2:1 as super macro photography.
3:1 super macro of a flower
3:1 super macro of a flower
Then what are close ups ?
Magnified photo or photos that are not 1:1 but have high magnification ratios are called close up photos. Also some photographers refer to portraits as close ups. That is not part of the discussion on this article. Using diopters to achieve macro like effects on non macro lens can also be referred to as macro photography, but using reversed lens or bellows are actual macros and not close ups. Some diopters or close up filters do allow 1:1 macros but most are not 1:1 and thus this group of photographs also fall into close ups.
Point and Shoots and macro
Many point and shoot camera have the so called macro mode. These are actually close ups , most p&s(point and shoot) cameras have tiny sensors and their lens systems are made to be cheap than to be performers. So essentially it is impossible to achieve 1:! on a point and shoot or even a bridge. The reason being that the optics are not good enough and the sensor is too small. Even those cameras that can focus at distances less than 1 cm are not taking macros. So putting it simply P&S have close up modes and not macro modes. They call it macro because it resemble , a very vague resembles at that, to a macro.
Also point and shoot cameras have a lot of mega pixels cramped onto a tiny sensor thus the quality of each pixel is very low compared to a sensor in a DSLR. Therefore the results that one can expect from the P&S's so called macro mode is limited. This mode is good for the starting hobbyist who is not yet into wasting his whole salary on photographic equipment.
Is there anything else called Micro photography?
Yes there is a realm of photography that attaches a camera to a microscope and then photographs of what is being seen in the viewfinder is taken. This is widely used in making textbooks and the like. There are some artists who make brilliant photographs using this technique.
So next time your friend says his new point and shoot camera has Macro photography you know that he is talking about close up photography. Also when you see an image of an insect with brilliant details you can understand that it is a macro or a super macro photograph.
Remember reading only gives you ideas going out and clicking pictures will make your pictures better.
Visit the Link: http://www.randomequations.com/2008/11/18/macromicro-and-close-up-photography-are-they-all-the-same/
Shereena Vysakh is a Pro Photography Hobbiest Blogging at http://RandomEquations.com
Macro simply means big, micro means small now are they both the same thing ? In fact yes the two words point to the same realm of photography. Even close up photography is the same thing. That is getting small things to fill up the whole photograph. Now the scale of working is what differentiates them.
Macro and Micro are used interchangeably for the realm of photography which aim at getting the object that is in the photograph to be the same size as the sensor. That is on a aps-c canon sensor the object would be of an area of 22.2x14.8mm. Let me get the idea a bit more clear, here we are talking about the sensor and not the photo. The sensor which is 22.2x14.8 (in our example) will be capturing a macro when the image falling on the sensor is of an area that is also 22.2mm x 14.8 mm. If you want to get an idea of what this size would be take a piece of paper draw a rectangle that is 22.2mm long and 14.8mm wide. Now cut along the rectangle to produce a paper with a hole. Now you are taking macro's when you are capturing the area of the rectangle in the whole photograph, now we are talking in terms of photograph and not the sensor.
Why the two words macro and micro?
This came out from the convention used by major brands. Nikon and some other brands use the word micro with lens that are true macro lens and Canon and many other brands use the word macro on lens that are true macro's(1:1 or more). For convenience from now on we will use the word macro.
Canon Macro 100mm F2.8
Canon Macro 100mm F2.8
Nikkor 60mm Micro
Nikkor 60mm Micro
The above images show a Macro model from Canon and a Micro model from Nikon.
So is macro only 1:1?
No, technically macro is 1:1 or more that is it can be 1:1 or 2:1 or 3:1 and so on. Usually we refer to anything above 2:1 as super macro photography.
3:1 super macro of a flower
3:1 super macro of a flower
Then what are close ups ?
Magnified photo or photos that are not 1:1 but have high magnification ratios are called close up photos. Also some photographers refer to portraits as close ups. That is not part of the discussion on this article. Using diopters to achieve macro like effects on non macro lens can also be referred to as macro photography, but using reversed lens or bellows are actual macros and not close ups. Some diopters or close up filters do allow 1:1 macros but most are not 1:1 and thus this group of photographs also fall into close ups.
Point and Shoots and macro
Many point and shoot camera have the so called macro mode. These are actually close ups , most p&s(point and shoot) cameras have tiny sensors and their lens systems are made to be cheap than to be performers. So essentially it is impossible to achieve 1:! on a point and shoot or even a bridge. The reason being that the optics are not good enough and the sensor is too small. Even those cameras that can focus at distances less than 1 cm are not taking macros. So putting it simply P&S have close up modes and not macro modes. They call it macro because it resemble , a very vague resembles at that, to a macro.
Also point and shoot cameras have a lot of mega pixels cramped onto a tiny sensor thus the quality of each pixel is very low compared to a sensor in a DSLR. Therefore the results that one can expect from the P&S's so called macro mode is limited. This mode is good for the starting hobbyist who is not yet into wasting his whole salary on photographic equipment.
Is there anything else called Micro photography?
Yes there is a realm of photography that attaches a camera to a microscope and then photographs of what is being seen in the viewfinder is taken. This is widely used in making textbooks and the like. There are some artists who make brilliant photographs using this technique.
So next time your friend says his new point and shoot camera has Macro photography you know that he is talking about close up photography. Also when you see an image of an insect with brilliant details you can understand that it is a macro or a super macro photograph.
Remember reading only gives you ideas going out and clicking pictures will make your pictures better.
Visit the Link: http://www.randomequations.com/2008/11/18/macromicro-and-close-up-photography-are-they-all-the-same/
Shereena Vysakh is a Pro Photography Hobbiest Blogging at http://RandomEquations.com
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Career Choices Using Photography and the Skills Needed to Succeed
By John Huegel
There are many different jobs which involve photography, including:
-Portrait/studio/wedding - focusing on images of people and selling images to families and individuals
-Sports - action photos, from childrens' leagues up to professional and olympic levels
-Commercial/product photography - every ad has images taken by someone. Jewelry, food, automotive, and fashion photography are some examples.
-Artistic/landscape - scenic or artistically oriented images, often sold as artwork, postcards or tourist items
-Architectural - photos of buildings and other constructed items
-Forensic - used in police/detective work. Crime scene and related photography.
-Journalism - un-staged real-life images for newspaper and magazines
-School/event - school pictures, sports teams, church and other groups where high volume is typical.
-Stock photography - images taken that other people will buy and use for advertising and other purposes
There other other specialties such as astrophtography and microphotography.
Frequently Asked Questions about careers in Photography
1) What skills do I need to be successful as a photographer?
-Conceptual- the ability to understand your clients' needs and communicate with them
-Technical - the ability to identify, configure and use camera, lighting, and props to make images
-Editing - the ability to process captured images and edit them to meet the customers' needs
-Marketing - the ability to get your name out and to connect you and your business to your potential customer base
-Selling - the ability to earn money from your profession. Includes pricing, negotiating, meeting with customers, producing their final products
-Managing - Taking care of the day-to-day needs of a business or professional, including buying things, paying bills, covering insurance, taxes, permits, etc.
-Leading - Building and or working in a business environment where you need to create visions, define goals and actions, and implement them to grow the business
-Serving - Contacting and growing your customer base, measuring customer satisfaction, resolving customer issues.
You can see that only the Technical and Editing skills fall into traditional Photography/Computer skills. However, because photography involves a high degree of interpersonal communication and subjective needs of the customer base, you need to develop and posses good people skills - listening, documenting, creativity, follow-through, etc.
2) What education do I need to be successful in photography?
You will need to learn or be taught the technical aspects of photography - lighting, composition, camera science, image editing and production. Some people can learn this as they go. Others pursue a special degree or certificate from certain schools, or you can get a 4-year degree in arts/photography from a university. To be very well prepared, you should consider a minor in business or marketing or a minor in your chosen specialty field such as criminal justice, sports or journalism. This will give you an edge over any candidates who do not have this education.
3) What type of experience is required?
To be employable, you need to demonstrate competence in not just the technical areas of photography, but also the soft skills. I recommend building and growing a portfolio of your own images to show your technical and artistic development and skills. A demonstrated track record in any service industry (food service, retail, etc.) will demonstrate that you can work with people and satisfy their needs. Using your photo skills in volunteer areas will also grow your skills and breadth of experience.
You can often get work as a "second shooter" or assistant to professionals in your town. Your ability to take on the dirty work and learn on the job will increase your odds of success in finding entry level work.
4) What are the job duties of a photographer?
They vary highly from the job areas and the size of the business, but these are the general duties:
- Prepare marketing plans to advertise and promote your products and services
- Interact with customers on proposals to secure the job
- Prepare for photo sessions - logistics/planning, coordinating equipment, props, models, permits, etc.
- Conduct the photo session
- Edit and backup the images
- Publish and/or make the images available for customer review
- Interact with customers to develop the images into their ideal products
- Transact the sale and collect the payment
- Manage the business accounts - keep the office running
5) What is the outlook for this type of career?
There are good jobs in all of these areas. The development of high quality digital cameras has given the average person the ability to create very good images at a reasonable cost, but the professional photographer will have the training, talent, tools and motivation to make better images. Price pressure will continue to force professionals to be more cost effective.
John Huegel is a photographer in the Erie, Pennsylvania area who specializes in Seniors, Dance Studio, Families and other groups. He is active in many charitable and volunteer activities in the Erie area. His work can be seen at http://jhphotomusic.com
There are many different jobs which involve photography, including:
-Portrait/studio/wedding - focusing on images of people and selling images to families and individuals
-Sports - action photos, from childrens' leagues up to professional and olympic levels
-Commercial/product photography - every ad has images taken by someone. Jewelry, food, automotive, and fashion photography are some examples.
-Artistic/landscape - scenic or artistically oriented images, often sold as artwork, postcards or tourist items
-Architectural - photos of buildings and other constructed items
-Forensic - used in police/detective work. Crime scene and related photography.
-Journalism - un-staged real-life images for newspaper and magazines
-School/event - school pictures, sports teams, church and other groups where high volume is typical.
-Stock photography - images taken that other people will buy and use for advertising and other purposes
There other other specialties such as astrophtography and microphotography.
Frequently Asked Questions about careers in Photography
1) What skills do I need to be successful as a photographer?
-Conceptual- the ability to understand your clients' needs and communicate with them
-Technical - the ability to identify, configure and use camera, lighting, and props to make images
-Editing - the ability to process captured images and edit them to meet the customers' needs
-Marketing - the ability to get your name out and to connect you and your business to your potential customer base
-Selling - the ability to earn money from your profession. Includes pricing, negotiating, meeting with customers, producing their final products
-Managing - Taking care of the day-to-day needs of a business or professional, including buying things, paying bills, covering insurance, taxes, permits, etc.
-Leading - Building and or working in a business environment where you need to create visions, define goals and actions, and implement them to grow the business
-Serving - Contacting and growing your customer base, measuring customer satisfaction, resolving customer issues.
You can see that only the Technical and Editing skills fall into traditional Photography/Computer skills. However, because photography involves a high degree of interpersonal communication and subjective needs of the customer base, you need to develop and posses good people skills - listening, documenting, creativity, follow-through, etc.
2) What education do I need to be successful in photography?
You will need to learn or be taught the technical aspects of photography - lighting, composition, camera science, image editing and production. Some people can learn this as they go. Others pursue a special degree or certificate from certain schools, or you can get a 4-year degree in arts/photography from a university. To be very well prepared, you should consider a minor in business or marketing or a minor in your chosen specialty field such as criminal justice, sports or journalism. This will give you an edge over any candidates who do not have this education.
3) What type of experience is required?
To be employable, you need to demonstrate competence in not just the technical areas of photography, but also the soft skills. I recommend building and growing a portfolio of your own images to show your technical and artistic development and skills. A demonstrated track record in any service industry (food service, retail, etc.) will demonstrate that you can work with people and satisfy their needs. Using your photo skills in volunteer areas will also grow your skills and breadth of experience.
You can often get work as a "second shooter" or assistant to professionals in your town. Your ability to take on the dirty work and learn on the job will increase your odds of success in finding entry level work.
4) What are the job duties of a photographer?
They vary highly from the job areas and the size of the business, but these are the general duties:
- Prepare marketing plans to advertise and promote your products and services
- Interact with customers on proposals to secure the job
- Prepare for photo sessions - logistics/planning, coordinating equipment, props, models, permits, etc.
- Conduct the photo session
- Edit and backup the images
- Publish and/or make the images available for customer review
- Interact with customers to develop the images into their ideal products
- Transact the sale and collect the payment
- Manage the business accounts - keep the office running
5) What is the outlook for this type of career?
There are good jobs in all of these areas. The development of high quality digital cameras has given the average person the ability to create very good images at a reasonable cost, but the professional photographer will have the training, talent, tools and motivation to make better images. Price pressure will continue to force professionals to be more cost effective.
John Huegel is a photographer in the Erie, Pennsylvania area who specializes in Seniors, Dance Studio, Families and other groups. He is active in many charitable and volunteer activities in the Erie area. His work can be seen at http://jhphotomusic.com
Friday, December 5, 2008
How to Edit Photos - Easy Ways to Enhance Your Photos
By Susan Schlenger
Some people are just pro's at taking great pictures. But most people just take average pictures. If you are one of them, you can edit photos in very easy ways and improve them dramatically.
Sure, you can have a good or great digital camera, adjust the settings as you are supposed to, and even produce a good picture. But sometimes it just doesn't look quite as good as it could.
And even if it does look pretty good...pretty darn good...I would venture to say that with some simple photo editing, your picture can be great.
Here are the main types ways to edit photos which can greatly improve your images:
1. Saturation
2. Lightness and Darkness
3. Sharpening
Do you have to do all of them? Maybe. And maybe not. You can try each one to see if it enhances your image or not.
Saturation
This adjustment will make colors more vivid. How about making the sky in your landscape just a bit bluer and the grass a bit greener?
Most photo editing programs will adjust, or saturate, all elements in the photo. However, some of the more sophisticated ones will let you select areas to manipulate while leaving the rest of the picture alone. It all depends on which software you are using.
Be careful not to over do it, as your goal is to enhance it while still keeping it real looking. Saturate just a little bit at a time, and increase it if you feel it could use some more. You can always reverse your editing.
Brightness and Contrast
Sometimes a picture might come out too dark. By using this adjustment, you can lighten it up and make it brighter. Likewise, there are some images that need to darkened, or toned down. These manipulations can make a big difference in the quality of the photo. By adjusting the contrast, you can make a photo softer or more vivid.
Sharpening
This is something I try to be careful with. If you over sharpen, things can start to look jagged. In addition, sometimes a softer look can be very nice. You can sharpen slightly to see if this improves the image or not.
When editing, I like to use software that let you see the before and after images side by side. This helps in judging whether the picture is improved with each subsequent edit.
There are many free photo editing software programs that will work and be simple to use. If you want to really get involved in photo editing, you might also try one of the more sophisticated programs. They offer many more types of photo manipulations.
Some have a steep learning curve if you want to learn the more intricate manipulations. However, most of them let you start out in a simple way. If you find one that you feel you might like, see if they have a trial period so that you can try it out. Once again, many photo editing programs are free.
If you want to consider additional types of photo editing, here are a few you will find in most programs:
* Cropping
* Red-eye Removal
* Resizing
* Sepia
* Highlights and Shadows - more sophisticated software
* Exposure - more sophisticated software
Susan Schlenger is a professional landscape designer and has been working with digital photography online for 10 years. You can read more about editing digital photos at Edit Photos.
Some people are just pro's at taking great pictures. But most people just take average pictures. If you are one of them, you can edit photos in very easy ways and improve them dramatically.
Sure, you can have a good or great digital camera, adjust the settings as you are supposed to, and even produce a good picture. But sometimes it just doesn't look quite as good as it could.
And even if it does look pretty good...pretty darn good...I would venture to say that with some simple photo editing, your picture can be great.
Here are the main types ways to edit photos which can greatly improve your images:
1. Saturation
2. Lightness and Darkness
3. Sharpening
Do you have to do all of them? Maybe. And maybe not. You can try each one to see if it enhances your image or not.
Saturation
This adjustment will make colors more vivid. How about making the sky in your landscape just a bit bluer and the grass a bit greener?
Most photo editing programs will adjust, or saturate, all elements in the photo. However, some of the more sophisticated ones will let you select areas to manipulate while leaving the rest of the picture alone. It all depends on which software you are using.
Be careful not to over do it, as your goal is to enhance it while still keeping it real looking. Saturate just a little bit at a time, and increase it if you feel it could use some more. You can always reverse your editing.
Brightness and Contrast
Sometimes a picture might come out too dark. By using this adjustment, you can lighten it up and make it brighter. Likewise, there are some images that need to darkened, or toned down. These manipulations can make a big difference in the quality of the photo. By adjusting the contrast, you can make a photo softer or more vivid.
Sharpening
This is something I try to be careful with. If you over sharpen, things can start to look jagged. In addition, sometimes a softer look can be very nice. You can sharpen slightly to see if this improves the image or not.
When editing, I like to use software that let you see the before and after images side by side. This helps in judging whether the picture is improved with each subsequent edit.
There are many free photo editing software programs that will work and be simple to use. If you want to really get involved in photo editing, you might also try one of the more sophisticated programs. They offer many more types of photo manipulations.
Some have a steep learning curve if you want to learn the more intricate manipulations. However, most of them let you start out in a simple way. If you find one that you feel you might like, see if they have a trial period so that you can try it out. Once again, many photo editing programs are free.
If you want to consider additional types of photo editing, here are a few you will find in most programs:
* Cropping
* Red-eye Removal
* Resizing
* Sepia
* Highlights and Shadows - more sophisticated software
* Exposure - more sophisticated software
Susan Schlenger is a professional landscape designer and has been working with digital photography online for 10 years. You can read more about editing digital photos at Edit Photos.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Face it - Tips on Having an Awesome Headshot
By Lynn M. Scheurell
We humans think in pictures. And your profile photo, or headshot, captures your essence so anyone who sees it can see your story in a moment. A good headshot will illuminate your inner light, show your personality and give a peek into your life. In a professional context, this is vital to activate sharing your innate message with the world (who you are) as well as create a connection point with your potential and current clients.
A long time ago, in another land far away, I was a Glamour Shots photographer - yes, it's true. And now, by using the ancient art of Chinese face reading with my clients, I have seen A LOT of profile photos! Without further ado, here are a few tips from what I have seen that can make all the difference in you having an awesome headshot.
1. No distractions! If you are in a social environment, or a friend casually snaps your photo while the guy in the background is reaching for a soda, or you're in front of an art exhibit, you are competing with your environment for a good headshot. Let the background be neutral to really show YOU off!
2. No lopping off friends! I see it time and time again... people are hanging with their friends, arm in arm, and they like how they look, so they simply chop off anyone else in the picture. Not only is that not healthy energetically, it's a disservice to you because people are relating to you relating to that person in the photo vs. the person looking at your headshot. That is two completely different relationships, obviously... if you're looking to attract business, don't use a shot where you're hangin' with your homies!
3. No body shots! A headshot on a web page is already small, so if you decide to use that photo of yourself dressed up in full, you are taking valuable "real estate" away from your headshot. Your head ends up being smaller than a postage stamp, and it's really not enough for people to get the feel of your energy. A headshot is just that... a HEADshot!
4. Good lighting! If your headshot has funny shadows, harsh lighting (which will age you), you're squinty in the sun, or your face is looming in from a dark background (as in, your picture being taken at a social club), it's not working for you. Natural lighting is great, or a professional photographer will know how to use light to complement your features. It's all about the lighting!!!
5. The eyes are the windows to the soul! This is the connection place between you and the person seeing your headshot - this is how you engage people when you're not there. If you are friendly, approachable, and/or playful, it's likely people will want to connect with you. Eye contact shows whether you are open to relationship in some manner or if you are closed for business. If you're doing a stare-down, not looking at the camera, or wearing sunglasses, you're not giving your people the opportunity to engage with your light. Eye contact is a key to your emotional being and is just as important in a headshot as it is in person.
6. Creativity wins! If you want to do a profile shot with a quick look at the camera, or catch yourself in the middle of a good laugh, or want to wear something that is "you", do it! A picture paints a thousand words... and in business, your headshot can attract you thousands of dollars. Your headshot shows what is important to you, so capture your personality in the moment. Let your headshot reflect who you are - after all, that's who people want to know.
7. Supermodels are out! A good headshot isn't about being glammed up to the point where people in your world wouldn't recognize you. This is about you being you, comfortable in your skin and inviting people to come play (and do business) with you. There is no need to glob on the make-up or wear clothes that you wouldn't normally wear. It's vital that you be your natural self that happens to be getting a picture taken because THAT is the most attractive quality you have - YOU!
It doesn't take much to have a great headshot - a little attention to detail, some decent lighting, allowing your personality to shine through and you've got great face! So get out there and share those baby blues and pearly whites with the world - we're waiting for you!!!
Lynn Scheurell, Creative Catalyst, works with soul-driven entrepreneurs to create a livelihood from their true purpose. This type of business development requires extreme personal clarity in combination with innovation and active implementation of proven business practices. Download a free report to learn "The Seven Deadly Mistakes That Keep Soul-Driven Business Owners from Making Money" at http://www.mycreativecatalyst.com
We humans think in pictures. And your profile photo, or headshot, captures your essence so anyone who sees it can see your story in a moment. A good headshot will illuminate your inner light, show your personality and give a peek into your life. In a professional context, this is vital to activate sharing your innate message with the world (who you are) as well as create a connection point with your potential and current clients.
A long time ago, in another land far away, I was a Glamour Shots photographer - yes, it's true. And now, by using the ancient art of Chinese face reading with my clients, I have seen A LOT of profile photos! Without further ado, here are a few tips from what I have seen that can make all the difference in you having an awesome headshot.
1. No distractions! If you are in a social environment, or a friend casually snaps your photo while the guy in the background is reaching for a soda, or you're in front of an art exhibit, you are competing with your environment for a good headshot. Let the background be neutral to really show YOU off!
2. No lopping off friends! I see it time and time again... people are hanging with their friends, arm in arm, and they like how they look, so they simply chop off anyone else in the picture. Not only is that not healthy energetically, it's a disservice to you because people are relating to you relating to that person in the photo vs. the person looking at your headshot. That is two completely different relationships, obviously... if you're looking to attract business, don't use a shot where you're hangin' with your homies!
3. No body shots! A headshot on a web page is already small, so if you decide to use that photo of yourself dressed up in full, you are taking valuable "real estate" away from your headshot. Your head ends up being smaller than a postage stamp, and it's really not enough for people to get the feel of your energy. A headshot is just that... a HEADshot!
4. Good lighting! If your headshot has funny shadows, harsh lighting (which will age you), you're squinty in the sun, or your face is looming in from a dark background (as in, your picture being taken at a social club), it's not working for you. Natural lighting is great, or a professional photographer will know how to use light to complement your features. It's all about the lighting!!!
5. The eyes are the windows to the soul! This is the connection place between you and the person seeing your headshot - this is how you engage people when you're not there. If you are friendly, approachable, and/or playful, it's likely people will want to connect with you. Eye contact shows whether you are open to relationship in some manner or if you are closed for business. If you're doing a stare-down, not looking at the camera, or wearing sunglasses, you're not giving your people the opportunity to engage with your light. Eye contact is a key to your emotional being and is just as important in a headshot as it is in person.
6. Creativity wins! If you want to do a profile shot with a quick look at the camera, or catch yourself in the middle of a good laugh, or want to wear something that is "you", do it! A picture paints a thousand words... and in business, your headshot can attract you thousands of dollars. Your headshot shows what is important to you, so capture your personality in the moment. Let your headshot reflect who you are - after all, that's who people want to know.
7. Supermodels are out! A good headshot isn't about being glammed up to the point where people in your world wouldn't recognize you. This is about you being you, comfortable in your skin and inviting people to come play (and do business) with you. There is no need to glob on the make-up or wear clothes that you wouldn't normally wear. It's vital that you be your natural self that happens to be getting a picture taken because THAT is the most attractive quality you have - YOU!
It doesn't take much to have a great headshot - a little attention to detail, some decent lighting, allowing your personality to shine through and you've got great face! So get out there and share those baby blues and pearly whites with the world - we're waiting for you!!!
Lynn Scheurell, Creative Catalyst, works with soul-driven entrepreneurs to create a livelihood from their true purpose. This type of business development requires extreme personal clarity in combination with innovation and active implementation of proven business practices. Download a free report to learn "The Seven Deadly Mistakes That Keep Soul-Driven Business Owners from Making Money" at http://www.mycreativecatalyst.com
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Lowest Price Digital Camera - How to Get It
By Marcus Roundout
These days, the digital camera has become the more popular choice for those seeking to make a brand new camera purchase. Lower prices over the past few years have enabled camera buffs of all ages and abilities to indulge in purchasing a digital camera. Without the need to constantly purchases a stock of film and then pay again for the developing, digital cameras have led to people being able to practice their art of photography to their hearts content without in becoming a financial burden. If you are on a budget, simply seek the lowest price. Digital camera technology enables the absolute beginner to snap a perfect shot following little instruction.
The variety available when seeking a new camera is rapidly increasing. Whether you search for the brand Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Casio, Kodak, Sony, Fuji or Panasonic, all these digital cameras can be obtained in both store sales and online for the lowest price. Digital camera purchasing may now offer a few too many choices rather than too few.
Sometimes the style of camera model may be the clincher when selecting a digital camera, even when searching only for a camera of the lowest price. Digital camera shape, color, size, or function can all play a part in the purchase decision, but sometimes the look alone can make the final decision. Perhaps you are looking for a sleek black compact model, or maybe a silver feature-filled style of camera fits your purpose better. You may alternatively prefer a red or green modern design.
Some of the features you may be concerned with include the zoom and megapixel counts. Zoom comes in both optical and digital zoon, and frequently a combination of the two is offered. The megapixel count may be of importance to you, the better models of digital camera having the higher rating if you have a choice between models of the lowest price. Digital camera features also include various sizes of on-screen display. If you want to ensure the optimum photograph before taking it, a larger display screen will offer extra detail.
Some purchasers of the lowest price digital camera may make their choice based on the battery. There are two main styles of battery, the easily inserted and often rechargeable AA size regular camera battery and the smaller watch-like batteries made from materials such as lithium-ion. These also are rechargeable, and some camera packages offer a free recharger among their contents. Cheap priced battery chargers for digital camera batteries are also purchasable from most camera stores, both online and off.
The higher classed models available on the market often come with a variety of detachable lenses. These may add to the zoom capacity, or simple alter the photographic image. Some lenses allow for fisheye shots, others cater for distortions or microscopic imaging. These tend to appeal most to the camera buff seeking something new in their images, or the expert, professional photographer who needs to cover a wide range of options for their occupational use of the digital camera.
Some of the more expensive brands and styles of digital camera can still be purchased at a lower rate during sales and other opportunities to buy at the lowest price. Digital camera sales increase at sales time accordingly. However, this can also happen when a camera store sells off former stock to make way for new models, at which time many fantastic bargains are obtainable, allowing for purchasers to buy a better model with their money than they expected.
If you are simply searching for an everyday digital camera at a great price, many of the features will be irrelevant and you simply need to ensure that all necessary items are included to save further purchases later on. The essentials generally include batteries, a battery recharger, a camera case, and a memory card or USB attachment, the latter two enabling you to transfer your pictures from camera to computer or printed photograph. These complete camera packages can be located online or in sale for the lowest price. Digital camera use is now within everyone's budget.
If you want to find the best source for the Lowest Price Digital Camera, then your search has ended.
You will also find thousands and thousands of the lowest priced consumer electronics at Consumer Home Electronics
These days, the digital camera has become the more popular choice for those seeking to make a brand new camera purchase. Lower prices over the past few years have enabled camera buffs of all ages and abilities to indulge in purchasing a digital camera. Without the need to constantly purchases a stock of film and then pay again for the developing, digital cameras have led to people being able to practice their art of photography to their hearts content without in becoming a financial burden. If you are on a budget, simply seek the lowest price. Digital camera technology enables the absolute beginner to snap a perfect shot following little instruction.
The variety available when seeking a new camera is rapidly increasing. Whether you search for the brand Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Casio, Kodak, Sony, Fuji or Panasonic, all these digital cameras can be obtained in both store sales and online for the lowest price. Digital camera purchasing may now offer a few too many choices rather than too few.
Sometimes the style of camera model may be the clincher when selecting a digital camera, even when searching only for a camera of the lowest price. Digital camera shape, color, size, or function can all play a part in the purchase decision, but sometimes the look alone can make the final decision. Perhaps you are looking for a sleek black compact model, or maybe a silver feature-filled style of camera fits your purpose better. You may alternatively prefer a red or green modern design.
Some of the features you may be concerned with include the zoom and megapixel counts. Zoom comes in both optical and digital zoon, and frequently a combination of the two is offered. The megapixel count may be of importance to you, the better models of digital camera having the higher rating if you have a choice between models of the lowest price. Digital camera features also include various sizes of on-screen display. If you want to ensure the optimum photograph before taking it, a larger display screen will offer extra detail.
Some purchasers of the lowest price digital camera may make their choice based on the battery. There are two main styles of battery, the easily inserted and often rechargeable AA size regular camera battery and the smaller watch-like batteries made from materials such as lithium-ion. These also are rechargeable, and some camera packages offer a free recharger among their contents. Cheap priced battery chargers for digital camera batteries are also purchasable from most camera stores, both online and off.
The higher classed models available on the market often come with a variety of detachable lenses. These may add to the zoom capacity, or simple alter the photographic image. Some lenses allow for fisheye shots, others cater for distortions or microscopic imaging. These tend to appeal most to the camera buff seeking something new in their images, or the expert, professional photographer who needs to cover a wide range of options for their occupational use of the digital camera.
Some of the more expensive brands and styles of digital camera can still be purchased at a lower rate during sales and other opportunities to buy at the lowest price. Digital camera sales increase at sales time accordingly. However, this can also happen when a camera store sells off former stock to make way for new models, at which time many fantastic bargains are obtainable, allowing for purchasers to buy a better model with their money than they expected.
If you are simply searching for an everyday digital camera at a great price, many of the features will be irrelevant and you simply need to ensure that all necessary items are included to save further purchases later on. The essentials generally include batteries, a battery recharger, a camera case, and a memory card or USB attachment, the latter two enabling you to transfer your pictures from camera to computer or printed photograph. These complete camera packages can be located online or in sale for the lowest price. Digital camera use is now within everyone's budget.
If you want to find the best source for the Lowest Price Digital Camera, then your search has ended.
You will also find thousands and thousands of the lowest priced consumer electronics at Consumer Home Electronics
Monday, December 1, 2008
Digital Photography Tips - What's Wrong With This Picture? Part I
By Martin Hurley
What's wrong with this picture? Hey, what's wrong with your pictures? Look, I've got news for you if you're a photographer trying to sell your photos online. There's some things you really NEED to do in order to sell more photos. So read this article. It's about to give you a few digital photography tips on how to tweak your photos just right so that buyers absolutely love them...
Firstly, if you've already been shooting some pictures, I want you to take a good hard look at them. Then I want you to visit some of the top stock photo websites and see what type of images are popular. Keep your mind open to ideas here. The stock photo world is HUGE... And there's always a need for good 'art photography' as there is for travel, close up, people, animal photography, etc.
Now as you observe some of the more popular stock photographs, you'll see that the photographer not only captures a stunning image, but often there's a lot of 'use-able space' in the image. What I mean is that, more often than not, a good stock photo is composed of not only a beautiful image, but also enough space so that a photo buyer, or art director, can add some specific text or a headline to the image.
In fact, try this. Go to Cnn.com or Time.com and look at the photo based advertisements that run on these sites. See how a lot of the photo advertising uses words (headline or text, inside the photo) to explain the story further? The photo gets your attention... and the words 'pull' you in. So, when you go to shoot stock photos, not only do you want to capture a great image, but you want to leave some 'space' in there so your photo is attractive for advertisers too!
Thus you discover that many of the good stock photos have a careful composition to them. Think about the photo buyer for a minute. Think about how your photo can help 'sell' or promote their product. Are you creating photos with enough space or room to move? Study this stuff. It's one photography tip you can take to the bank, believe me!
Martin Hurley's http://photomarketeers.com site will show you how to sell your photos online, how to set up a profitable photo website and how to easily get marketing your photography. Download a free guide to creating a stunning WordPress blog and uncover amazing digital photography tips while you're at it!
(c) Martin Hurley 2008
What's wrong with this picture? Hey, what's wrong with your pictures? Look, I've got news for you if you're a photographer trying to sell your photos online. There's some things you really NEED to do in order to sell more photos. So read this article. It's about to give you a few digital photography tips on how to tweak your photos just right so that buyers absolutely love them...
Firstly, if you've already been shooting some pictures, I want you to take a good hard look at them. Then I want you to visit some of the top stock photo websites and see what type of images are popular. Keep your mind open to ideas here. The stock photo world is HUGE... And there's always a need for good 'art photography' as there is for travel, close up, people, animal photography, etc.
Now as you observe some of the more popular stock photographs, you'll see that the photographer not only captures a stunning image, but often there's a lot of 'use-able space' in the image. What I mean is that, more often than not, a good stock photo is composed of not only a beautiful image, but also enough space so that a photo buyer, or art director, can add some specific text or a headline to the image.
In fact, try this. Go to Cnn.com or Time.com and look at the photo based advertisements that run on these sites. See how a lot of the photo advertising uses words (headline or text, inside the photo) to explain the story further? The photo gets your attention... and the words 'pull' you in. So, when you go to shoot stock photos, not only do you want to capture a great image, but you want to leave some 'space' in there so your photo is attractive for advertisers too!
Thus you discover that many of the good stock photos have a careful composition to them. Think about the photo buyer for a minute. Think about how your photo can help 'sell' or promote their product. Are you creating photos with enough space or room to move? Study this stuff. It's one photography tip you can take to the bank, believe me!
Martin Hurley's http://photomarketeers.com site will show you how to sell your photos online, how to set up a profitable photo website and how to easily get marketing your photography. Download a free guide to creating a stunning WordPress blog and uncover amazing digital photography tips while you're at it!
(c) Martin Hurley 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Capture Xmas on Your Great Digital Camera
By Jennifer Quirk
If you're wondering what present you should ask for this Christmas you may want to consider one of the up to date digital cameras on the market at the moment. They're all small enough and light enough to comfortably fit into a bag and in most cases a pocket, come in a variety of colours and look very shiny and glamorous.
With large colour screens showing you exactly what your photograph will look like once it's taken you can take the perfect picture. The qualities of the screens are impressive and brightly coloured, and in some cases even touch sensitive. With novice friendly software such as a "face finder" (seeks out the faces of all within frame to ensure focus) and "auto filter" (the camera will automatically choose the best lighting filter and flash to obtain the best photograph) you'll struggle to not have some great quality pictures.
With technology in tiny computer chips and memory now readily available these dainty cameras can store huge chunks of data in the form of photographs and video meaning your little camera can double as a quality camcorder.
There are lots of features to help you get a professional photograph effortlessly such as automatic shutter times and options to affect the steadiness of the camera for taking photographs while you're on the move. You'll even be able to do some editing using your cameras menus, such as removing red eyes, adding clip art and colour tones.
So if you're in need of an updated camera a trendy but packed with a punch digital camera could be the perfect solution for you. They come in a long range of prices so there should be something to suit most, and with the technology always improving you'll be guaranteed quality even in the low end models. You'll certainly have no excuse for not having picture perfect memories of this year's adventures during the Christmas party!
Why not get a Canon Digital Camera for xmas? Both Sony Digital Camera and Panasonic Digital Camera have all the latest features.
If you're wondering what present you should ask for this Christmas you may want to consider one of the up to date digital cameras on the market at the moment. They're all small enough and light enough to comfortably fit into a bag and in most cases a pocket, come in a variety of colours and look very shiny and glamorous.
With large colour screens showing you exactly what your photograph will look like once it's taken you can take the perfect picture. The qualities of the screens are impressive and brightly coloured, and in some cases even touch sensitive. With novice friendly software such as a "face finder" (seeks out the faces of all within frame to ensure focus) and "auto filter" (the camera will automatically choose the best lighting filter and flash to obtain the best photograph) you'll struggle to not have some great quality pictures.
With technology in tiny computer chips and memory now readily available these dainty cameras can store huge chunks of data in the form of photographs and video meaning your little camera can double as a quality camcorder.
There are lots of features to help you get a professional photograph effortlessly such as automatic shutter times and options to affect the steadiness of the camera for taking photographs while you're on the move. You'll even be able to do some editing using your cameras menus, such as removing red eyes, adding clip art and colour tones.
So if you're in need of an updated camera a trendy but packed with a punch digital camera could be the perfect solution for you. They come in a long range of prices so there should be something to suit most, and with the technology always improving you'll be guaranteed quality even in the low end models. You'll certainly have no excuse for not having picture perfect memories of this year's adventures during the Christmas party!
Why not get a Canon Digital Camera for xmas? Both Sony Digital Camera and Panasonic Digital Camera have all the latest features.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Video Production Lighting Basics
By Lorraine Grula
For many novice video producers, lighting causes lots of worry and seems very complicated. Lighting for video production CAN be complicated, but it certainly doesn't HAVE to be.
I specialize in making video as easy as possible while still maintaining a professional look. I can sum up everything you need to know about lighting in just three bullet points:
1. Direct Light = Harsh
2. Diffused Light = Soft
3. What DIRECTION is the light coming from?
If you learn the meaning of these three concepts, I promise your lighting efforts will improve tremendously.
We'll start with the first two points. They are related.
Light comes in two forms, direct and diffused. Direct light is harsh and scary looking while diffused light is soft and flattering to the face.
If you remember elementary school physics, light rays always travel in a straight line. Imagine yourself outside at night with a flashlight. You can see the entire beam of light and it is straight. If you want to illuminate an object, you have to shine the flashlight directly on it. This is an example of direct light It travels in one direction, straight as an arrow.
Diffused light is when the straight light beams hit something reflective and then bounce off it. They bounce in straight lines but usually there are so many straight lines bouncing around that the effect is to have light rays bouncing around every-which-way.
A standard, incandescent light bulb is painted white on the inside in order to diffuse the light The light beams hit the white paint and bounce.
Another prime example of direct and diffused light is to think about being outside on a cloudy day or a sunny day. On a bright, sunny day you have direct light There are lots of deep shadows and the shadows have distinct edges.
On a cloudy day, the clouds diffuse the light If it's cloudy enough, there will not be any shadows at all. Since the light is bouncing around every-which-way, any potential shadow is filled in by the bouncing light and eliminated.
Generally speaking, you want DIFFUSED light in video production. Unless you are doing a monster movie, diffused light will look best.
Most of the gadgets that come in a professional light kit exist for the sole purpose of diffusing the light If you do not have a professional lighting kit, you can achieved a diffused effect by pointing your light toward the ceiling or wall and bouncing it. Do not point it at the on-camera talent. They will thank you for it. Not only will it make them look better, but it will keep them from squinting and being dreadfully uncomfortable.
Now let's talk about the third bullet point. What DIRECTION is the light coming from?
Is the source of light in front of your on-camera person? Behind them? To the side? Behind? What direction the light is coming from will have a huge impact on how it looks.
Generally speaking, you want the light source to be in front of, or to the side, of your on-camera talent. You do NOT want it behind them unless you are trying to hide their identity. Light coming from behind will create a silhouette. Video producers usually reserve that technique for sleazebags who want to remain anonymous.
This is a mistake I see frequently. People will stand right in front of the window thinking that the light coming from the window will add enough light to make their shot look good. It probably would, IF the on-camera person stands so the light falls on their face and not on their back.
There you have it, the basics of lighting for video production.
Lorraine Grula has been a well-respected award winning video professional for over twenty-five years. (Yeah, that makes her kind of old.) Lorraine has done virtually every kind of video production imaginable and now shares her expertise on the web. Her blog, http://www.VideoProductionTips.com is full of free information and video tutorials.
For many novice video producers, lighting causes lots of worry and seems very complicated. Lighting for video production CAN be complicated, but it certainly doesn't HAVE to be.
I specialize in making video as easy as possible while still maintaining a professional look. I can sum up everything you need to know about lighting in just three bullet points:
1. Direct Light = Harsh
2. Diffused Light = Soft
3. What DIRECTION is the light coming from?
If you learn the meaning of these three concepts, I promise your lighting efforts will improve tremendously.
We'll start with the first two points. They are related.
Light comes in two forms, direct and diffused. Direct light is harsh and scary looking while diffused light is soft and flattering to the face.
If you remember elementary school physics, light rays always travel in a straight line. Imagine yourself outside at night with a flashlight. You can see the entire beam of light and it is straight. If you want to illuminate an object, you have to shine the flashlight directly on it. This is an example of direct light It travels in one direction, straight as an arrow.
Diffused light is when the straight light beams hit something reflective and then bounce off it. They bounce in straight lines but usually there are so many straight lines bouncing around that the effect is to have light rays bouncing around every-which-way.
A standard, incandescent light bulb is painted white on the inside in order to diffuse the light The light beams hit the white paint and bounce.
Another prime example of direct and diffused light is to think about being outside on a cloudy day or a sunny day. On a bright, sunny day you have direct light There are lots of deep shadows and the shadows have distinct edges.
On a cloudy day, the clouds diffuse the light If it's cloudy enough, there will not be any shadows at all. Since the light is bouncing around every-which-way, any potential shadow is filled in by the bouncing light and eliminated.
Generally speaking, you want DIFFUSED light in video production. Unless you are doing a monster movie, diffused light will look best.
Most of the gadgets that come in a professional light kit exist for the sole purpose of diffusing the light If you do not have a professional lighting kit, you can achieved a diffused effect by pointing your light toward the ceiling or wall and bouncing it. Do not point it at the on-camera talent. They will thank you for it. Not only will it make them look better, but it will keep them from squinting and being dreadfully uncomfortable.
Now let's talk about the third bullet point. What DIRECTION is the light coming from?
Is the source of light in front of your on-camera person? Behind them? To the side? Behind? What direction the light is coming from will have a huge impact on how it looks.
Generally speaking, you want the light source to be in front of, or to the side, of your on-camera talent. You do NOT want it behind them unless you are trying to hide their identity. Light coming from behind will create a silhouette. Video producers usually reserve that technique for sleazebags who want to remain anonymous.
This is a mistake I see frequently. People will stand right in front of the window thinking that the light coming from the window will add enough light to make their shot look good. It probably would, IF the on-camera person stands so the light falls on their face and not on their back.
There you have it, the basics of lighting for video production.
Lorraine Grula has been a well-respected award winning video professional for over twenty-five years. (Yeah, that makes her kind of old.) Lorraine has done virtually every kind of video production imaginable and now shares her expertise on the web. Her blog, http://www.VideoProductionTips.com is full of free information and video tutorials.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
10 Affordable Gift Ideas For Photographers
By Kevin Downs
While photography equipment is known for being pricey, there are some great gift ideas for individuals who want to buy a nice gift for a photographer without breaking the bank. We have compiled a list of items to make your shopping as easy as possible.
1. Magazine Subscription - Outdoor Photographer is just one of the many photography magazines available, but is a good choice if the photographer enjoys taking picture of nature and landscape. The magazine offers gear reviews, tips for improving your knowledge in both photography and post processing, and provides insight on locations and workshops available. Retail $19.99
2. External Hard Drives - Too many photographers depend on their notebook or desktop to store their files. Not only does this slow down the computer, but it also prevents them from accessing the files if the hard drive fails. An external hard drive will allow you to work faster while providing you with a peace of mind knowing your files are safer. Retail Price $99-$250
3. Flashpoint 42-Inch 5 in 1 Collapsible Disk Reflector - This product is great for adding fill light to your subjects and contains translucent, white, silver, black, and soft gold. This product is easy to breakdown and carry in the field. Retail Price $45
4. Photography Books- There are some great books on photography available at reasonable prices. Pick books that relate to type of photography they enjoy. Also find out if they use Photoshop or another photo editor and see what books are available. John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide should be on the bookshelf of every nature photographer. Retail Price $17-$25
5. Digital Photo Frame - The prices have dropped substantially recently without a decrease in quality. We have not found it worth the extra price in most cases to purchase the wireless frame as opposed to one that accepts memory cards or a USB slot. Retail Price $99-$150
6. Memory Cards - It seems every year larger and faster memory cards or available at a fraction of the cost of last year's models. Most photographers always want to upgrade their memory cards for both size and speed. This will require you knowing what kind of memory card their camera utilizes. Retail Price $29-59
7. Photomatix - This software is used to produce High Dynamic Range photography. You can now capture high contract scenes without blowing out the highlights. While there are other programs that do this, Photomatix is the best we have tested to date. Retail Price $99
8. Filters - While most photographers have circular polarizer and ND Grad Filters, some do not carry warming filters or special effect filters. Cokin offers some affordable specialty filters for warming, cooling, and sunsets. It is also important to include a carrying case to prevent the filters from scratches and damage. The Cokin holder isn't necessary as you can simply hold the filter over the lens to achieve the effect you desire.($29-49)
9. Photography Vest - I went through several photography cases before finally settling for a photography vest. It was actually a gift from a friend of mine that is a photographer. I am more efficient now since I can easily have everything organized and accessible. No more forgetting to put something in your camera bag.
10. Subscription to photo.net - While this site is free, a paid membership allows members unlimited gallery uploads, additional photo critique request, a personal imagePRO website, and a favorite image gallery. It is a great way to show off your work and get advice on your pictures. Retail Price $25
Kevin Downs
http://timeoutdoors.blogspot.com/
http://hiking411.blogspot.com/
While photography equipment is known for being pricey, there are some great gift ideas for individuals who want to buy a nice gift for a photographer without breaking the bank. We have compiled a list of items to make your shopping as easy as possible.
1. Magazine Subscription - Outdoor Photographer is just one of the many photography magazines available, but is a good choice if the photographer enjoys taking picture of nature and landscape. The magazine offers gear reviews, tips for improving your knowledge in both photography and post processing, and provides insight on locations and workshops available. Retail $19.99
2. External Hard Drives - Too many photographers depend on their notebook or desktop to store their files. Not only does this slow down the computer, but it also prevents them from accessing the files if the hard drive fails. An external hard drive will allow you to work faster while providing you with a peace of mind knowing your files are safer. Retail Price $99-$250
3. Flashpoint 42-Inch 5 in 1 Collapsible Disk Reflector - This product is great for adding fill light to your subjects and contains translucent, white, silver, black, and soft gold. This product is easy to breakdown and carry in the field. Retail Price $45
4. Photography Books- There are some great books on photography available at reasonable prices. Pick books that relate to type of photography they enjoy. Also find out if they use Photoshop or another photo editor and see what books are available. John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide should be on the bookshelf of every nature photographer. Retail Price $17-$25
5. Digital Photo Frame - The prices have dropped substantially recently without a decrease in quality. We have not found it worth the extra price in most cases to purchase the wireless frame as opposed to one that accepts memory cards or a USB slot. Retail Price $99-$150
6. Memory Cards - It seems every year larger and faster memory cards or available at a fraction of the cost of last year's models. Most photographers always want to upgrade their memory cards for both size and speed. This will require you knowing what kind of memory card their camera utilizes. Retail Price $29-59
7. Photomatix - This software is used to produce High Dynamic Range photography. You can now capture high contract scenes without blowing out the highlights. While there are other programs that do this, Photomatix is the best we have tested to date. Retail Price $99
8. Filters - While most photographers have circular polarizer and ND Grad Filters, some do not carry warming filters or special effect filters. Cokin offers some affordable specialty filters for warming, cooling, and sunsets. It is also important to include a carrying case to prevent the filters from scratches and damage. The Cokin holder isn't necessary as you can simply hold the filter over the lens to achieve the effect you desire.($29-49)
9. Photography Vest - I went through several photography cases before finally settling for a photography vest. It was actually a gift from a friend of mine that is a photographer. I am more efficient now since I can easily have everything organized and accessible. No more forgetting to put something in your camera bag.
10. Subscription to photo.net - While this site is free, a paid membership allows members unlimited gallery uploads, additional photo critique request, a personal imagePRO website, and a favorite image gallery. It is a great way to show off your work and get advice on your pictures. Retail Price $25
Kevin Downs
http://timeoutdoors.blogspot.com/
http://hiking411.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Basics on Digital Photography and Photo Editing
By David Urmann
Digital photography has a number of benefits over film photography. For one, images produced by digital cameras can be viewed right away and can be uploaded, edited, emailed, and reproduced immediately. Digital photography encourages trial-and-error because there is no need for a film.
Megapixel grading measures the image quality. Digital cameras that have high megapixels can capture bigger images with greater details. These images look sharper when printed.
How to Shoot Quality Pictures
Shooting with a digital camera is just like using a film camera. A digital camera only differs by producing digital photos instead of retrieving them from films.
Simple approaches for beginners:
• Start with auto focus. Simply press the shutter button at once. Manual focus is for more advanced users. Pushing the shutter halfway first to focus on the image, then full press to shoot.
• Flash should only be applied when extremely needed. Natural light is best. Use external flash if really necessary.
• Maximize the viewfinder. Using the viewfinder in place of the LCD monitor helps conserve batteries.
• Moderate image quality. Large uncondensed images appear impressive but cause system lag. Large images are unnecessary when not to be printed large-scale.
• Lower the quality settings if taking action shots.
How to Use Photo Editing Software
A number of editing software packages is available in the market. Buying high-end digital cameras usually come with these packages.
The photo editing software can crop, edit, merge, and alter the color balance of digital images. Experiment on the many tools of the editing software.
Here are some tips in editing digital images:
A. Always save the original, unedited digital photograph as a separate file prior to editing. This will permit you to experiment with various textures and treatments on the image as much as you can without the risk of deleting the unedited one.
B. Modify color contrast and color concentration. This produces a sharper image. If your unedited image appears pale, intensifying the saturation grades and modifying color levels.
C. Crop and rotate images. Cropping centers an image, or deletes undesirable objects.
There is seemingly unlimited possibilities you can do with your image if you study the editing software extensively. You can rotate images at an angle, give it a sepia look, a crumpled look or wet look. Digital photography and photo editing go hand in hand.
For more information on Teach Yourself Visually and Teach Yourself Tips please visit our website.
Digital photography has a number of benefits over film photography. For one, images produced by digital cameras can be viewed right away and can be uploaded, edited, emailed, and reproduced immediately. Digital photography encourages trial-and-error because there is no need for a film.
Megapixel grading measures the image quality. Digital cameras that have high megapixels can capture bigger images with greater details. These images look sharper when printed.
How to Shoot Quality Pictures
Shooting with a digital camera is just like using a film camera. A digital camera only differs by producing digital photos instead of retrieving them from films.
Simple approaches for beginners:
• Start with auto focus. Simply press the shutter button at once. Manual focus is for more advanced users. Pushing the shutter halfway first to focus on the image, then full press to shoot.
• Flash should only be applied when extremely needed. Natural light is best. Use external flash if really necessary.
• Maximize the viewfinder. Using the viewfinder in place of the LCD monitor helps conserve batteries.
• Moderate image quality. Large uncondensed images appear impressive but cause system lag. Large images are unnecessary when not to be printed large-scale.
• Lower the quality settings if taking action shots.
How to Use Photo Editing Software
A number of editing software packages is available in the market. Buying high-end digital cameras usually come with these packages.
The photo editing software can crop, edit, merge, and alter the color balance of digital images. Experiment on the many tools of the editing software.
Here are some tips in editing digital images:
A. Always save the original, unedited digital photograph as a separate file prior to editing. This will permit you to experiment with various textures and treatments on the image as much as you can without the risk of deleting the unedited one.
B. Modify color contrast and color concentration. This produces a sharper image. If your unedited image appears pale, intensifying the saturation grades and modifying color levels.
C. Crop and rotate images. Cropping centers an image, or deletes undesirable objects.
There is seemingly unlimited possibilities you can do with your image if you study the editing software extensively. You can rotate images at an angle, give it a sepia look, a crumpled look or wet look. Digital photography and photo editing go hand in hand.
For more information on Teach Yourself Visually and Teach Yourself Tips please visit our website.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Small Business Investment Ideas - Becoming a Portrait Photographer
By Richard Blaine
The best small business investment ideas focus on buying things that will not only work for your business but that you'll be able to enjoy as well. If you're able to do something for a living that you are really passionate about, it won't even feel like work and you'll have a much higher possibility of success.
One idea that's worked for a friend of mine is becoming a portrait photographer. He started out by investing in a top of the line camera. He took his time and did his research to ensure that he was really getting the best camera for his needs. Once he had picked out and purchased his camera, he took a small class at a local camera studio. He was sure to focus on a class with a small teacher-to-instructor ratio so that he could get help in the specific area he was looking for.
After taking his class he felt very confident that he knew how to use his camera and that he had the basics down on how to take portraits. All he needed was a portfolio. He started out by offering free sittings for his friends and family. He was then able to use their shots in his portfolio to show to new clients. When he was first looking for clients, he offered his sitting fee free of charge. His clients only had to pay for each picture they wanted to purchase. This helped them to feel comfortable that even if he didn't do a great job, they wouldn't be out any money.
He did a great job though, and now his portrait taking company has really taken off. By focusing his small business investment on a camera that he really loves, he's made a great living for himself.
If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.
Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program. Quickest-way-to-make-money-on-earth.com
The best small business investment ideas focus on buying things that will not only work for your business but that you'll be able to enjoy as well. If you're able to do something for a living that you are really passionate about, it won't even feel like work and you'll have a much higher possibility of success.
One idea that's worked for a friend of mine is becoming a portrait photographer. He started out by investing in a top of the line camera. He took his time and did his research to ensure that he was really getting the best camera for his needs. Once he had picked out and purchased his camera, he took a small class at a local camera studio. He was sure to focus on a class with a small teacher-to-instructor ratio so that he could get help in the specific area he was looking for.
After taking his class he felt very confident that he knew how to use his camera and that he had the basics down on how to take portraits. All he needed was a portfolio. He started out by offering free sittings for his friends and family. He was then able to use their shots in his portfolio to show to new clients. When he was first looking for clients, he offered his sitting fee free of charge. His clients only had to pay for each picture they wanted to purchase. This helped them to feel comfortable that even if he didn't do a great job, they wouldn't be out any money.
He did a great job though, and now his portrait taking company has really taken off. By focusing his small business investment on a camera that he really loves, he's made a great living for himself.
If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.
Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program. Quickest-way-to-make-money-on-earth.com
Thursday, November 20, 2008
A Picture's Worth a 1000 Words, a Smile is Worth a Fortune
By Samuel Austin
Picture prices at all of the photography stores are ridiculous. You have to pretty much take out a loan to be able to afford pictures of your children. A lot of people are forced to go without memories of their children because they can't spend that kind of money on the pictures. I have a friend, that was always a self proclaimed photographer. She was good, she was constantly shooting at friends weddings and giving them her pictures as gifts. Between the weddings and taking pictures of nature she was content.
It wasn't until one days she saw a woman with two small children, standing outside a photo place crying that the business aspect of photography came to her. Unable to walk away from the sad woman, she asked her what was wrong, the woman told her that all she wanted was pictures of her kid but there was no way she could pay those prices. My friend immediately took the chance to make the woman smile again. She did an outside photo shoot for the woman and gave her the pictures for free. Seeing the woman smile is what put the business plan in motion.
Three months later, my friend had her own studio, she did pictures at one third the cost of all the competition. Now everyone had the option of having family pictures taken. The first year, the business was open my friend made enough money to pay her old salary six times over. Making money with you hobby is incredibly rewarding.
If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.
Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program. Quickest-way-to-make-money-on-earth.com
Picture prices at all of the photography stores are ridiculous. You have to pretty much take out a loan to be able to afford pictures of your children. A lot of people are forced to go without memories of their children because they can't spend that kind of money on the pictures. I have a friend, that was always a self proclaimed photographer. She was good, she was constantly shooting at friends weddings and giving them her pictures as gifts. Between the weddings and taking pictures of nature she was content.
It wasn't until one days she saw a woman with two small children, standing outside a photo place crying that the business aspect of photography came to her. Unable to walk away from the sad woman, she asked her what was wrong, the woman told her that all she wanted was pictures of her kid but there was no way she could pay those prices. My friend immediately took the chance to make the woman smile again. She did an outside photo shoot for the woman and gave her the pictures for free. Seeing the woman smile is what put the business plan in motion.
Three months later, my friend had her own studio, she did pictures at one third the cost of all the competition. Now everyone had the option of having family pictures taken. The first year, the business was open my friend made enough money to pay her old salary six times over. Making money with you hobby is incredibly rewarding.
If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.
Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program. Quickest-way-to-make-money-on-earth.com
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Engagement Session
By Michelle Noel
Ahhhh the engagement session.
To sum it up this should be a time of the two of you enjoying each other in a fun and relaxed setting. Your photographer should know a few prime locations to shoot an exceptional engagement session.
As an Orange County and Los Angeles wedding photographer, I have shot many weddings around Southern California. There is a feel and an expectation and/or an anticipation to what would or should take place in the timeline of photojournalistic photography within the wedding atmosphere. The engagement session however has a different feel. There is no need to fight the clock, or gather the families together, or make certain that a particular formality was not missed. The engagement session is different. It is relaxed, it is fun, it is natural. The bride and groom to be should be spontaneous, playful and even a little intimate. This makes for a quality photo session. By the way, be prepared to get your clothes wet. Engagement sessions in Orange County and Los Angeles are commonly (although not always) done coastal at the beach which certainly makes for a pleasant natural backdrop.
As for the benefits of the engagement session here they are. Many couples tend to use the photos for save the date cards or gifts for the family. They can also be used for the guest book at the wedding and of course the pictures look quite nice on the wall or table in your home.
Quite possibly even more importantly than these, the engagement session allows you to test drive your photographer. THIS IS HUGE! It is so important that you are comfortable with your wedding photographer. I love doing engagement sessions for this reason. It allows both the bride, groom and myself as a professional wedding photographer to meet and be comfortable with each other. This should put the couple at ease when it is game day. Finally, It also gives the couple a chance to view the work of the wedding photographer before hand.
The engagement session serves more than one purpose and really is a fun time for the both of you. I highly recommend it.
Until Again,
- Michelle Noel
Michelle Noel Photography provides wedding photography in Orange County, wedding photography in Los Angeles, and throughout Southern California.
© Michelle Noel. You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included with link. Michelle Noel is a a 6 year veteran wedding photgrapher in Orange County California and can be found online at http://www.michellenoelphoto.com
Michelle has experience in all formats and styles of wedding photography and frequently write about weddings and wedding photography on her blog at http://www.ocwedding-photographer.com
Ahhhh the engagement session.
To sum it up this should be a time of the two of you enjoying each other in a fun and relaxed setting. Your photographer should know a few prime locations to shoot an exceptional engagement session.
As an Orange County and Los Angeles wedding photographer, I have shot many weddings around Southern California. There is a feel and an expectation and/or an anticipation to what would or should take place in the timeline of photojournalistic photography within the wedding atmosphere. The engagement session however has a different feel. There is no need to fight the clock, or gather the families together, or make certain that a particular formality was not missed. The engagement session is different. It is relaxed, it is fun, it is natural. The bride and groom to be should be spontaneous, playful and even a little intimate. This makes for a quality photo session. By the way, be prepared to get your clothes wet. Engagement sessions in Orange County and Los Angeles are commonly (although not always) done coastal at the beach which certainly makes for a pleasant natural backdrop.
As for the benefits of the engagement session here they are. Many couples tend to use the photos for save the date cards or gifts for the family. They can also be used for the guest book at the wedding and of course the pictures look quite nice on the wall or table in your home.
Quite possibly even more importantly than these, the engagement session allows you to test drive your photographer. THIS IS HUGE! It is so important that you are comfortable with your wedding photographer. I love doing engagement sessions for this reason. It allows both the bride, groom and myself as a professional wedding photographer to meet and be comfortable with each other. This should put the couple at ease when it is game day. Finally, It also gives the couple a chance to view the work of the wedding photographer before hand.
The engagement session serves more than one purpose and really is a fun time for the both of you. I highly recommend it.
Until Again,
- Michelle Noel
Michelle Noel Photography provides wedding photography in Orange County, wedding photography in Los Angeles, and throughout Southern California.
© Michelle Noel. You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included with link. Michelle Noel is a a 6 year veteran wedding photgrapher in Orange County California and can be found online at http://www.michellenoelphoto.com
Michelle has experience in all formats and styles of wedding photography and frequently write about weddings and wedding photography on her blog at http://www.ocwedding-photographer.com
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Food Photography Brings Food to Life
By Chuck R Stewart
I was given the opportunity by a client of mine to work with a photographer who specialize in photographing food. Initially I thought the couple of days we had planned together would suffer for excitement. I was wrong when I found myself fascinated by how hard it is to make food look good enough to want a consumer to purchase it and how much difference a quality photograph can name in providing mouth watering spectacle.
My visit was to Cooke Studio, managed by commercial photographer Colin Cooke, who specializes in food photography. Interested parties can find a series of commercial, editorial, and still life portfolios on the website for a general sample of the studio's work. It certainly takes talent to be a commercial photographer, but even more to make food photography look so good. Cooke Studio has had such high profile clients like Häagen-Daas, Dove, Healthy Choice, Ecco Domani, Dannon, and Renaissance.
As a commercial photographer, Colin Cooke has had to use the typical tools of the trade - lighting, angles, real and digital enhancements that every commercial photographer needs to know. Food photography is much like shooting a still life, except a commercial photographer has two goals: the first is to make each final product a work of art. The second is to sell the item. For food photography, this means that a commercial photographer must make the food look as edible and mouth-watering as possible. Of course, in this instance, food photography is different from most other kinds of commercial photography because its subjects tend to go bad. As a result, a commercial food photographer has to either take a great picture quickly or have many of the commercial items on hand. Or a professional food photographer can delve into his bag of tricks.
One of the tricks within food photography, aside from the usual photography tools, includes using a brush to spread vegetable oil or glycerin on the commercial item to create shine. Some commercial photographers in the food photography industry make steam come off meals that are supposed to be hot - one of the methods is to warm wet cotton balls in the microwave and put the steaming cotton balls behind the bowl or plate. Sometimes photographed ice cream is not ice cream at all, but colored mashed potatoes to give it that just-scooped look that won't melt. In place of whipped cream, shaving cream is used. For any sort of liquid shot, like pouring liquid into ripples, some commercial photographers will use a thicker substance that pours more slowly so that it can be photographed more easily. Meat in food photos are usually partially cooked in order to prevent them from drying out and shrinking - instead, they stay plump. PVA often replaces milk in a shot of cereal because soggy cereal does not look appetizing. The ice cubes you see in food advertising are usually plastic with a little bit of water sprayed on for that sheen. Even fruit gets the star treatment - some food photographers enhance a strawberry's color with lipstick.
All very interesting ways to avoid the pitfalls of food photography or to enhance the photography experience. In the end, the subterfuge yields tasty results.
Colin Cooke at Cooke Studio is prepared for any food photography challenge, whether it's M&Ms or shrimp or forks rolled in a ball, chocolate literally dripping from a chocolate bar, glistening fruits and vegetables, a glass of wine or two, or freshly scooped ice cream.
Chuck R Stewart recently spent time with a commercial photography expert whose area of expertise is that of a food photographer.
I was given the opportunity by a client of mine to work with a photographer who specialize in photographing food. Initially I thought the couple of days we had planned together would suffer for excitement. I was wrong when I found myself fascinated by how hard it is to make food look good enough to want a consumer to purchase it and how much difference a quality photograph can name in providing mouth watering spectacle.
My visit was to Cooke Studio, managed by commercial photographer Colin Cooke, who specializes in food photography. Interested parties can find a series of commercial, editorial, and still life portfolios on the website for a general sample of the studio's work. It certainly takes talent to be a commercial photographer, but even more to make food photography look so good. Cooke Studio has had such high profile clients like Häagen-Daas, Dove, Healthy Choice, Ecco Domani, Dannon, and Renaissance.
As a commercial photographer, Colin Cooke has had to use the typical tools of the trade - lighting, angles, real and digital enhancements that every commercial photographer needs to know. Food photography is much like shooting a still life, except a commercial photographer has two goals: the first is to make each final product a work of art. The second is to sell the item. For food photography, this means that a commercial photographer must make the food look as edible and mouth-watering as possible. Of course, in this instance, food photography is different from most other kinds of commercial photography because its subjects tend to go bad. As a result, a commercial food photographer has to either take a great picture quickly or have many of the commercial items on hand. Or a professional food photographer can delve into his bag of tricks.
One of the tricks within food photography, aside from the usual photography tools, includes using a brush to spread vegetable oil or glycerin on the commercial item to create shine. Some commercial photographers in the food photography industry make steam come off meals that are supposed to be hot - one of the methods is to warm wet cotton balls in the microwave and put the steaming cotton balls behind the bowl or plate. Sometimes photographed ice cream is not ice cream at all, but colored mashed potatoes to give it that just-scooped look that won't melt. In place of whipped cream, shaving cream is used. For any sort of liquid shot, like pouring liquid into ripples, some commercial photographers will use a thicker substance that pours more slowly so that it can be photographed more easily. Meat in food photos are usually partially cooked in order to prevent them from drying out and shrinking - instead, they stay plump. PVA often replaces milk in a shot of cereal because soggy cereal does not look appetizing. The ice cubes you see in food advertising are usually plastic with a little bit of water sprayed on for that sheen. Even fruit gets the star treatment - some food photographers enhance a strawberry's color with lipstick.
All very interesting ways to avoid the pitfalls of food photography or to enhance the photography experience. In the end, the subterfuge yields tasty results.
Colin Cooke at Cooke Studio is prepared for any food photography challenge, whether it's M&Ms or shrimp or forks rolled in a ball, chocolate literally dripping from a chocolate bar, glistening fruits and vegetables, a glass of wine or two, or freshly scooped ice cream.
Chuck R Stewart recently spent time with a commercial photography expert whose area of expertise is that of a food photographer.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Can Anyone Become a Freelance Photographer?
By Michael J Kryzer
Anyone can become a freelance photographer. But you will need to have a good digital camera, the skills to take very good photographs, and a strong determination to work hard in order to build up a successful freelance photography business.
If you decide to work as a freelance digital photographer you will get to be your own boss and will spend your time taking and selling digital photos - both online and offline. Sometimes you might work on assignment for large organizations or even for popular magazines. You might even get some all expenses paid trips. Freelance photography is certainly never a boring career choice.
If you don't already have good photography skills then you can still acquire the knowledge and skills required to be a good photographer.
You will probably need to read some good photography books, or study further at web sites that cover professional photography techniques. And you should consider taking a photography class in your local area. Many community colleges offer digital photography courses at very reasonable rates.
Don't forget that nothing is better for improving your photography than actually getting out there, taking some photos, experimenting with different camera and composition techniques, and gaining valuable experience shooting behind the camera lens.
These days, thanks to the World Wide Web, there are so many freelance digital photography opportunities that are predominantly digital and online. You can take your pictures with a digital camera and then upload your photos directly to the Internet where you can sell them!
To find out more about how to sell your photos visit CameraCareer. We have a great Freelance Photography FAQ and you can learn exactly how to get started as a freelance photographer. http://www.CameraCareer.com
Anyone can become a freelance photographer. But you will need to have a good digital camera, the skills to take very good photographs, and a strong determination to work hard in order to build up a successful freelance photography business.
If you decide to work as a freelance digital photographer you will get to be your own boss and will spend your time taking and selling digital photos - both online and offline. Sometimes you might work on assignment for large organizations or even for popular magazines. You might even get some all expenses paid trips. Freelance photography is certainly never a boring career choice.
If you don't already have good photography skills then you can still acquire the knowledge and skills required to be a good photographer.
You will probably need to read some good photography books, or study further at web sites that cover professional photography techniques. And you should consider taking a photography class in your local area. Many community colleges offer digital photography courses at very reasonable rates.
Don't forget that nothing is better for improving your photography than actually getting out there, taking some photos, experimenting with different camera and composition techniques, and gaining valuable experience shooting behind the camera lens.
These days, thanks to the World Wide Web, there are so many freelance digital photography opportunities that are predominantly digital and online. You can take your pictures with a digital camera and then upload your photos directly to the Internet where you can sell them!
To find out more about how to sell your photos visit CameraCareer. We have a great Freelance Photography FAQ and you can learn exactly how to get started as a freelance photographer. http://www.CameraCareer.com
Friday, November 14, 2008
Keeping Your Free Online Photo Storage Organized
By MJ Johnston
One of the great things about free online photo storage is that you can arrange your photos however you'd like. This lets you have photo albums online where you can share your images with friends and family in just a few simple clicks. The question is, will your photo album meaningful to them? Many people just throw their pictures together without much thought in the arrangement. You don't want to make the mistake of taking away from that family vacation, or the funny thing your cat did the other day. There's certain tricks to making your album presentable and meaningful not only to you but anyone who views it.
Tell a Story
If you're using a free online photo storage site and you want to share the photos that represent events of your life you should tell a story. You don't even need words. Pictures of your events will tell the story for you simply by arranging them in just the right way. Free online photo storage sites have basic tools to let you rearrange your images and occasionally edit them so that even if a person doesn't know the story, they'll understand just from your album.
The best way to tell a story with your images is to put the pictures in the order that they happened. Leave out images that don't relate or have flaws to them such as blurry images. The pictures that do relate to the story should flow well together. If you're telling a story about a beach, perhaps a picture of the beach itself as the first picture in the album and a different picture of the same beach at the end of the album would work as an beginning and a good closing.
Passion for Your Free Online Photo Storage
Not passion for the photo storage itself, but rather the images you want to share with everyone else. If you share pictures that don't mean anything to you, there's a good chance they won't mean much to anyone else either. When you tell a story with your pictures that you aren't passionate about then you won't put the effort into making the story stand out. Don't save or share your pictures just because you took them. Make sure any pictures you keep are pictures you actually enjoy, especially if you want to share them with others.
You don't just have to share your great holidays either. Any story that stands out in your life can mean something to others. Free online photo storage has room for thousands of pictures which means you can share as much as you'd like. Tell people about the time when your cat tried to jump out the closed window with the images of the event. Let your friends know how hard you worked on their awesome birthday cake with pictures of the entire process. Tell any story you want because you won't have to worry about not having the space to do it with free online photo storage.
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Free-printable-calendars.org, a photo site that offers advice on the quickest and easiest way to create a free online photo calendar.
One of the great things about free online photo storage is that you can arrange your photos however you'd like. This lets you have photo albums online where you can share your images with friends and family in just a few simple clicks. The question is, will your photo album meaningful to them? Many people just throw their pictures together without much thought in the arrangement. You don't want to make the mistake of taking away from that family vacation, or the funny thing your cat did the other day. There's certain tricks to making your album presentable and meaningful not only to you but anyone who views it.
Tell a Story
If you're using a free online photo storage site and you want to share the photos that represent events of your life you should tell a story. You don't even need words. Pictures of your events will tell the story for you simply by arranging them in just the right way. Free online photo storage sites have basic tools to let you rearrange your images and occasionally edit them so that even if a person doesn't know the story, they'll understand just from your album.
The best way to tell a story with your images is to put the pictures in the order that they happened. Leave out images that don't relate or have flaws to them such as blurry images. The pictures that do relate to the story should flow well together. If you're telling a story about a beach, perhaps a picture of the beach itself as the first picture in the album and a different picture of the same beach at the end of the album would work as an beginning and a good closing.
Passion for Your Free Online Photo Storage
Not passion for the photo storage itself, but rather the images you want to share with everyone else. If you share pictures that don't mean anything to you, there's a good chance they won't mean much to anyone else either. When you tell a story with your pictures that you aren't passionate about then you won't put the effort into making the story stand out. Don't save or share your pictures just because you took them. Make sure any pictures you keep are pictures you actually enjoy, especially if you want to share them with others.
You don't just have to share your great holidays either. Any story that stands out in your life can mean something to others. Free online photo storage has room for thousands of pictures which means you can share as much as you'd like. Tell people about the time when your cat tried to jump out the closed window with the images of the event. Let your friends know how hard you worked on their awesome birthday cake with pictures of the entire process. Tell any story you want because you won't have to worry about not having the space to do it with free online photo storage.
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Free-printable-calendars.org, a photo site that offers advice on the quickest and easiest way to create a free online photo calendar.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Education and the Online Photo Album
By MJ Johnston
Modern technology has allowed us to embark on a world education never before dreamed of. Years ago, if one had the desire to educate the world about endangered species, global warming, and a host of other problems that plague our planet, he or she was required to first write a book and then seek a publisher. Once the book is published it can take years for sales to reach an adequate number of people. However, the advent of the online photo album has revolutionized the world of education.
Teachers and students alike will appreciate the innovative tools available through free online photo album forums. A vast percentage of people in the United States are considered visual learners. That said, an online photo album can be considered an excellent education tool. What's better, a teacher can construct an online photo album at home in her free time and later used as a tool in the classroom.
For example, if a class is studying history, social studies, science, even math, Norman photo album can be displayed via projector screen hooked to a laptop to provide students with powerful visual aids to accompany any lesson. This technique could be extremely beneficial for students who have difficulty with with retaining information after it's been merely read.
Unfortunately, in the United States today the literacy rating is not as high as we hope for. For this reason, many teachers of administrators have had to turn to creative means for educating the classroom. What could be more creative and utilizing a free online photo album to promote and educate today's youth.
On one photo albums can also be used in other areas of the education system. Free online photo albums are a great way to promote school activities and extracurriculars like football games, drama and theater recitals, and even upcoming teacher administration meetings. Schools can link their homepage to a specific online photo album to promote school spirit and student unity.
Remember, online photo albums aren't just for standard education. This technology can be used in a variety of technical schools as well as continuing education programs. Many cities and towns offer adult education in a variety of different subjects. The use of a free online photo album may be the perfect way to engage students in this atmosphere. Aside from being visually pleasing, online photo albums are a great way to address the class that would otherwise contain boring content.
Consider promoting natural childbirth, a real estate program, even HVAC courses, through the use of free online photo albums. Provide links to your photo album in any site and even on hard copy flyers that you put in the mail. Get the word out about you were educational event, or any school related activity, with the simple addition of an online photo album to your educational repertoire.
If you're part of the education system, and you've never considered the use of an online photo album in your curriculum, or elsewhere within your school system, there's no time like the present. Consider promoting this idea to the other faculty your school and be sure and let the budget committee know that most online photo albums are completely free of charge!
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Hoorray, a photo sharing site that offers the quickest and easiest way to create photo greeting cards and a digital photo album.
Modern technology has allowed us to embark on a world education never before dreamed of. Years ago, if one had the desire to educate the world about endangered species, global warming, and a host of other problems that plague our planet, he or she was required to first write a book and then seek a publisher. Once the book is published it can take years for sales to reach an adequate number of people. However, the advent of the online photo album has revolutionized the world of education.
Teachers and students alike will appreciate the innovative tools available through free online photo album forums. A vast percentage of people in the United States are considered visual learners. That said, an online photo album can be considered an excellent education tool. What's better, a teacher can construct an online photo album at home in her free time and later used as a tool in the classroom.
For example, if a class is studying history, social studies, science, even math, Norman photo album can be displayed via projector screen hooked to a laptop to provide students with powerful visual aids to accompany any lesson. This technique could be extremely beneficial for students who have difficulty with with retaining information after it's been merely read.
Unfortunately, in the United States today the literacy rating is not as high as we hope for. For this reason, many teachers of administrators have had to turn to creative means for educating the classroom. What could be more creative and utilizing a free online photo album to promote and educate today's youth.
On one photo albums can also be used in other areas of the education system. Free online photo albums are a great way to promote school activities and extracurriculars like football games, drama and theater recitals, and even upcoming teacher administration meetings. Schools can link their homepage to a specific online photo album to promote school spirit and student unity.
Remember, online photo albums aren't just for standard education. This technology can be used in a variety of technical schools as well as continuing education programs. Many cities and towns offer adult education in a variety of different subjects. The use of a free online photo album may be the perfect way to engage students in this atmosphere. Aside from being visually pleasing, online photo albums are a great way to address the class that would otherwise contain boring content.
Consider promoting natural childbirth, a real estate program, even HVAC courses, through the use of free online photo albums. Provide links to your photo album in any site and even on hard copy flyers that you put in the mail. Get the word out about you were educational event, or any school related activity, with the simple addition of an online photo album to your educational repertoire.
If you're part of the education system, and you've never considered the use of an online photo album in your curriculum, or elsewhere within your school system, there's no time like the present. Consider promoting this idea to the other faculty your school and be sure and let the budget committee know that most online photo albums are completely free of charge!
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Hoorray, a photo sharing site that offers the quickest and easiest way to create photo greeting cards and a digital photo album.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wildlife Photography
By Peter Gitundu
Those of us who love watching wild animals have a tendency to capture them in photos and this in itself is a great form of art that forms a large part of our picture collections. The photos are a good thing to use on post cards that we send to people when we want to send season or greeting cards.
Wildlife photography is the name given to this art that refers to taking photo shoots of real and live animals in the wild or in game parks. In a way, it connects us with and brings us closer to nature in a way that can only be termed as mysterious. With the invention of the modern-day digital cameras, it is actually easier and more fascinating to capture the wild animals in pictures.
Wildlife photography may not be as easy as this extract may seem to put it. It requires extra caution especially when dealing with large carnivores. You do not want to end up being the center of the photos as journalists take your photos as they report that you were killed by these fierce animals as you did your photo shoots. You will need good skills too if you are to produce quality work. Though necessary, good skills combined with good equipment will ensure success in your photo shooting.
There is so much opportunity in wildlife photography for capturing some very good pictures. Do not get upset when you lose a god shoot because the animals will never stand still waiting for you to take pictures. In any case you are an intruder to you and they may just want to speed you off. Patience pays.
Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Photography. For More Information on Wildlife photography, Visit His Site at WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY You Can Also Post Your Views About Wildlife photography On My Blog Here WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Those of us who love watching wild animals have a tendency to capture them in photos and this in itself is a great form of art that forms a large part of our picture collections. The photos are a good thing to use on post cards that we send to people when we want to send season or greeting cards.
Wildlife photography is the name given to this art that refers to taking photo shoots of real and live animals in the wild or in game parks. In a way, it connects us with and brings us closer to nature in a way that can only be termed as mysterious. With the invention of the modern-day digital cameras, it is actually easier and more fascinating to capture the wild animals in pictures.
Wildlife photography may not be as easy as this extract may seem to put it. It requires extra caution especially when dealing with large carnivores. You do not want to end up being the center of the photos as journalists take your photos as they report that you were killed by these fierce animals as you did your photo shoots. You will need good skills too if you are to produce quality work. Though necessary, good skills combined with good equipment will ensure success in your photo shooting.
There is so much opportunity in wildlife photography for capturing some very good pictures. Do not get upset when you lose a god shoot because the animals will never stand still waiting for you to take pictures. In any case you are an intruder to you and they may just want to speed you off. Patience pays.
Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Photography. For More Information on Wildlife photography, Visit His Site at WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY You Can Also Post Your Views About Wildlife photography On My Blog Here WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Monday, November 10, 2008
Bring That Camera Outside, and See What Can Happen!
By Georgia Woodward
Do you enjoy taking pictures? Do you long for more time to get outside and enjoy nature? Are you a priority in your life? Can you imagine including one hour each week to do something as self-indulgent as making an appointment with nature? It involves stepping out of your day to day routine, and experiencing living in the moment. Pick a season, bring a camera, and focus on one aspect of nature that you find interesting, exciting or peaks your imagination. I take myself to the beach on a regular basis. Why? No matter what the season, the ocean offers a timeless display of simplicity, and movement at it's best. The rhythm of the waves lapping at the shore; the tides moving in and out make a beautiful spectacle of themselves in every season.
In the winter, the ocean is moved and kicked up by the wind, and currents. There are white caps on the tips of the waves, and the sand is pristine and hardly touched by human encounters. Fragments of shells, and driftwood arrange themselves in no particular display around the shoreline.
Get out of your car, get out of your routine, and by all means get out of the every day. Push yourself into the beauty, and single momentary experience of nature.
It could be a walk in the woods, or a stroll on the beach. It could be a walk around your city block. There you might find a bit of a tree in a golden striation of change; peaking through the concrete trying to be noticed, waiting for you to come and snap that once in a lifetime photo. Every moment of every day invites us to switch up our routine, and walk into a different possibility. There is a handiwork of color and creation just outside our doorsteps. It could be only a short drive away. Even man-made creations co-mingled with nature offers something striking for us to see. The silhouette of a bridge casting it's structure by linking one shore to another. By zooming in on the specific image, whether it be the sun setting, or the contrast of the sky. It can be a truly amazing sight. It could be a butterfly alighting on a flower, or a woodpecker gracing your bird feeder in your own backyard. You might be the one person lucky enough to capture that image, at just the right hour, of a just the right day.
Do you need help with a writing assignment or task? I am a freelance writer who can be found at http://www.awriterslifenow.com
Do you enjoy taking pictures? Do you long for more time to get outside and enjoy nature? Are you a priority in your life? Can you imagine including one hour each week to do something as self-indulgent as making an appointment with nature? It involves stepping out of your day to day routine, and experiencing living in the moment. Pick a season, bring a camera, and focus on one aspect of nature that you find interesting, exciting or peaks your imagination. I take myself to the beach on a regular basis. Why? No matter what the season, the ocean offers a timeless display of simplicity, and movement at it's best. The rhythm of the waves lapping at the shore; the tides moving in and out make a beautiful spectacle of themselves in every season.
In the winter, the ocean is moved and kicked up by the wind, and currents. There are white caps on the tips of the waves, and the sand is pristine and hardly touched by human encounters. Fragments of shells, and driftwood arrange themselves in no particular display around the shoreline.
Get out of your car, get out of your routine, and by all means get out of the every day. Push yourself into the beauty, and single momentary experience of nature.
It could be a walk in the woods, or a stroll on the beach. It could be a walk around your city block. There you might find a bit of a tree in a golden striation of change; peaking through the concrete trying to be noticed, waiting for you to come and snap that once in a lifetime photo. Every moment of every day invites us to switch up our routine, and walk into a different possibility. There is a handiwork of color and creation just outside our doorsteps. It could be only a short drive away. Even man-made creations co-mingled with nature offers something striking for us to see. The silhouette of a bridge casting it's structure by linking one shore to another. By zooming in on the specific image, whether it be the sun setting, or the contrast of the sky. It can be a truly amazing sight. It could be a butterfly alighting on a flower, or a woodpecker gracing your bird feeder in your own backyard. You might be the one person lucky enough to capture that image, at just the right hour, of a just the right day.
Do you need help with a writing assignment or task? I am a freelance writer who can be found at http://www.awriterslifenow.com
Friday, November 7, 2008
How to Get Good Perspective and Depth of Field With a Digital Camera
By Alex Don
Out of the many features that a digital camera comes with, one that we particularly take into account is the power and quality of the lens. However, not everyone understands what is it that can be achieved by using a lens to its best. The difference between telephoto and wide angle lenses is not just about magnification. To use your lenses in the best way possible, you need to know how the influence perspective and depth of field.
It is common knowledge that a telephoto lens enlarges all the objects in the photo. However, when you use the telephoto lens, you also reduce depth of field by removing the background. This is a good way to eliminate any source of distraction from the subject. There are two results of using a telephoto lens: you minimize the amount of background by narrowing the field and you get a small depth of field, ensuring that the background is out of focus. So when you take photos of people or animals, the best option is to use the telephoto lens or zoom in with the zoom lens. You will get a three dimensional impression, making the subject emerge sharply and clearly from the blurred background. A wide-angle lens, on the other hand, does the complete opposite. It not only makes everything look smaller, but has a much wider angle, as the name says, and the depth of field is much increased. You will not only see more background, but it will be a lot more focused. This is why this lens is not a good option for portraits, as the background will distract the viewer's attention from the subject. Instead, it works great for landscape photos, especially if you have objects both in the background and foreground that you want to focus on.
The other thing you take into account when choosing the lens is perspective. The concept is very hard to explain without images, but let's give it a shot. Imagine watching a cricket game on TV. In a close-up image of the batsman, the wicket-keeper seems right behind him while the crowd is just a little further back. On a side-on view, you notice that the wicket-keeper is actually about 10 meters away from the batsman and the viewers are approx. 60 meters further back. This happens because the telephoto lens makes subjects look much closer to one another, compressing the natural perspective. The same thing will happen if you take a landscape shot. Imagine that you are photographing a tree and a mountain range further away. If you use the telephoto lens and take the shot from distance, the tree will seem very close to the mountains, because the lens also enlarges the mountains. If you take the same photo with a wide angle lens standing closer, the tree will take up the same amount of space, but when you reduce the scene so that the tree fits in the frame, the background also appears smaller... and therefore further away. So the wide-angle lens has the opposite effect of the telephoto lens, augmenting perspective and making the objects appear further apart.
In simple terms, the outputs of these two lenses is this: the wide-angle lens makes the foreground more prominent, reducing the background and making it seem more distant. The telephoto lens makes the background more prominent and larger. So just changing your lens can deeply affect the impact of your pictures. You can control not only the way the viewer views the subject, but also the surroundings. You cannot get the whole idea without photos, so why not try these things out right now?
Alex D. has been writing on picture resizer software applications for Reshade. The business specializes in online photo enlargement and makes available an online image resizer application. Also it makes available a photo resizing software.
Out of the many features that a digital camera comes with, one that we particularly take into account is the power and quality of the lens. However, not everyone understands what is it that can be achieved by using a lens to its best. The difference between telephoto and wide angle lenses is not just about magnification. To use your lenses in the best way possible, you need to know how the influence perspective and depth of field.
It is common knowledge that a telephoto lens enlarges all the objects in the photo. However, when you use the telephoto lens, you also reduce depth of field by removing the background. This is a good way to eliminate any source of distraction from the subject. There are two results of using a telephoto lens: you minimize the amount of background by narrowing the field and you get a small depth of field, ensuring that the background is out of focus. So when you take photos of people or animals, the best option is to use the telephoto lens or zoom in with the zoom lens. You will get a three dimensional impression, making the subject emerge sharply and clearly from the blurred background. A wide-angle lens, on the other hand, does the complete opposite. It not only makes everything look smaller, but has a much wider angle, as the name says, and the depth of field is much increased. You will not only see more background, but it will be a lot more focused. This is why this lens is not a good option for portraits, as the background will distract the viewer's attention from the subject. Instead, it works great for landscape photos, especially if you have objects both in the background and foreground that you want to focus on.
The other thing you take into account when choosing the lens is perspective. The concept is very hard to explain without images, but let's give it a shot. Imagine watching a cricket game on TV. In a close-up image of the batsman, the wicket-keeper seems right behind him while the crowd is just a little further back. On a side-on view, you notice that the wicket-keeper is actually about 10 meters away from the batsman and the viewers are approx. 60 meters further back. This happens because the telephoto lens makes subjects look much closer to one another, compressing the natural perspective. The same thing will happen if you take a landscape shot. Imagine that you are photographing a tree and a mountain range further away. If you use the telephoto lens and take the shot from distance, the tree will seem very close to the mountains, because the lens also enlarges the mountains. If you take the same photo with a wide angle lens standing closer, the tree will take up the same amount of space, but when you reduce the scene so that the tree fits in the frame, the background also appears smaller... and therefore further away. So the wide-angle lens has the opposite effect of the telephoto lens, augmenting perspective and making the objects appear further apart.
In simple terms, the outputs of these two lenses is this: the wide-angle lens makes the foreground more prominent, reducing the background and making it seem more distant. The telephoto lens makes the background more prominent and larger. So just changing your lens can deeply affect the impact of your pictures. You can control not only the way the viewer views the subject, but also the surroundings. You cannot get the whole idea without photos, so why not try these things out right now?
Alex D. has been writing on picture resizer software applications for Reshade. The business specializes in online photo enlargement and makes available an online image resizer application. Also it makes available a photo resizing software.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Making Large Prints With Online Photo Printing
By MJ Johnston
By now, you are probably aware that you can order prints of photos that you have uploaded into online galleries through the online gallery website. Maybe you're also aware that the quality of these prints is outstanding. But were you aware that you can print LARGE using online photo printing? It's true. Different online gallery websites have different printing sizes, but most offer at least an 8x12 printing option. From an aesthetic point of view, it's worth remembering that just because online photo printing gives you the option to print large, that doesn't mean you should always print that large. Large prints are a specialized application and you must take the nature of the image into account when deciding to print large. There are also some technical considerations.
Most people are aware of 'megapixels.' Megapixels give you an idea of the resolution of the photos that your camera takes. But did you know that megapixels don't tell the whole story? Indeed, megapixels are a quite overrated. Chances are you can't tell the difference between an 8-megapixel photo and the same image shot at 12 megapixel with your naked eye unless you enlarge the image to a massive size. Paradoxically, the higher megapixel image might be blurrier due to cramming so many megapixels onto such a small image sensor. The nature of the image matters. An image where tiny details are essential needs to be higher resolution. However, something like a cityscape-where the broad sweep and scope f the shapes and colors and dark and light of the picture matter more than niggling little details-is an outstanding candidate for large size online photo printing.
Another consideration when using online photo printing to make an image large is the viewing distance. How far away do you expect people to be when they look at the image? The greater the viewing distance, the less detail you need. The closer your viewer, the more detail. Thus an image that is large and designed to be seen from close up requires a really high resolution file, whereas a billboard, perhaps counter-intuitively, wouldn't require a very large file at all.
Online photo printing from online galleries is a great options for top quality printing. These printers are designed to print at a quality almost indistinguishable from actual photos The better online printers use Kodak photo paper, just like the paper used for printing enlargements from film negatives optically (the old fashioned way). They use very good quality photo printers to get vibrant, clear, accurate color. Most services offer a variety of sizes to suit your printing needs as well. Compare printers to get the size you need. You may find that you are quite satisfied with 8x10, or you may want something larger. Shop around. Prints can be ordered in either glossy or matte, with an easy online form. If you're in a hurry, many online galleries offer express shipping. Of course, the larger you print, the more expensive the shipping.
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Hoorray, a photo sharing site that offers the quickest and easiest way to build a free online photo album, as well as free online photo storage.
By now, you are probably aware that you can order prints of photos that you have uploaded into online galleries through the online gallery website. Maybe you're also aware that the quality of these prints is outstanding. But were you aware that you can print LARGE using online photo printing? It's true. Different online gallery websites have different printing sizes, but most offer at least an 8x12 printing option. From an aesthetic point of view, it's worth remembering that just because online photo printing gives you the option to print large, that doesn't mean you should always print that large. Large prints are a specialized application and you must take the nature of the image into account when deciding to print large. There are also some technical considerations.
Most people are aware of 'megapixels.' Megapixels give you an idea of the resolution of the photos that your camera takes. But did you know that megapixels don't tell the whole story? Indeed, megapixels are a quite overrated. Chances are you can't tell the difference between an 8-megapixel photo and the same image shot at 12 megapixel with your naked eye unless you enlarge the image to a massive size. Paradoxically, the higher megapixel image might be blurrier due to cramming so many megapixels onto such a small image sensor. The nature of the image matters. An image where tiny details are essential needs to be higher resolution. However, something like a cityscape-where the broad sweep and scope f the shapes and colors and dark and light of the picture matter more than niggling little details-is an outstanding candidate for large size online photo printing.
Another consideration when using online photo printing to make an image large is the viewing distance. How far away do you expect people to be when they look at the image? The greater the viewing distance, the less detail you need. The closer your viewer, the more detail. Thus an image that is large and designed to be seen from close up requires a really high resolution file, whereas a billboard, perhaps counter-intuitively, wouldn't require a very large file at all.
Online photo printing from online galleries is a great options for top quality printing. These printers are designed to print at a quality almost indistinguishable from actual photos The better online printers use Kodak photo paper, just like the paper used for printing enlargements from film negatives optically (the old fashioned way). They use very good quality photo printers to get vibrant, clear, accurate color. Most services offer a variety of sizes to suit your printing needs as well. Compare printers to get the size you need. You may find that you are quite satisfied with 8x10, or you may want something larger. Shop around. Prints can be ordered in either glossy or matte, with an easy online form. If you're in a hurry, many online galleries offer express shipping. Of course, the larger you print, the more expensive the shipping.
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Hoorray, a photo sharing site that offers the quickest and easiest way to build a free online photo album, as well as free online photo storage.
Monday, November 3, 2008
High Resolution Cameras - Facts & Myths
By Alex Don
Anyone who intends to purchase a digital camera may fall for the myth of high resolution. The resolution is the number of mega pixels the camera can produce and it is said that the higher the resolution, the better your photos will turn out like. This is indeed true for certain situations, such as when pictures are printed out on larger size paper. The truth is that for plenty of camera users the advantages of a high resolution camera are close to zero.
Let's start by understanding what a mega pixel means. Literally, it means one million pixels. A pixel is the tiniest part of a digital picture. If you have an application that you can use to zoom into an image you can really see those pixels - they look like the 'pixellated' effect you've seen on TV which hides people's faces. Each digital image, including your PC screen, is a rectangular made of pixels: the larger it is, the more pixels it has. You can find out how many pixels your monitor has in the display settings. For example, a 1024 (horizontal) x 768 (vertical) screen has 1024x768 pixels, meaning 786,432. This means a little less than 0.8 mega pixels. So if you look at an image with a higher resolution, the rest of the pixels just don't fit your screen and they are lost. You have to remember that you can never see more pixels than the screen can display. A 10 mega pixel image would be much resized to fit the computer screen and the remaining pixels would be lost. If your computer didn't do that, you could only see a small section of the picture and would have to scroll up and down to see the rest. When an image is zoomed out, the number of pixels is decreased. Viewed on the computer screen, an image which only has 0.8MP and needs no zooming out has the exact same level of detail with one of 12MP which has been zoomed out. To see for yourself, open two images of small and high resolution on your computer screen and see how they look like.
Many people never print their digital photos. They share them with friends and then store them on the computer to view them later. Most cameras found on the market nowadays are over 4MP, which is more than enough for your computer screen. If you buy a 12MP camera and only view the photos on the computer, the extra pixels are just lost. Moreover, higher resolution images take up more space on the memory card so you can hold fewer pictures. Not to mention the hassle to resize them when posting them on a website or sending them by e-mail. However, if you have a high resolution camera, you can adjust its resolution settings to take most of the pictures at lower resolution.The settings are either numbers or high, medium or low levels. If you choose a low resolution, you will be able to view your photos easier and upload them faster.
Alex D. usually writes on the theme of photo resizing technology at Reshade. Reshade.com works in the domain of online picture resizing providing a free online picture resizer application. And also it makes available a image enlargement application.
Anyone who intends to purchase a digital camera may fall for the myth of high resolution. The resolution is the number of mega pixels the camera can produce and it is said that the higher the resolution, the better your photos will turn out like. This is indeed true for certain situations, such as when pictures are printed out on larger size paper. The truth is that for plenty of camera users the advantages of a high resolution camera are close to zero.
Let's start by understanding what a mega pixel means. Literally, it means one million pixels. A pixel is the tiniest part of a digital picture. If you have an application that you can use to zoom into an image you can really see those pixels - they look like the 'pixellated' effect you've seen on TV which hides people's faces. Each digital image, including your PC screen, is a rectangular made of pixels: the larger it is, the more pixels it has. You can find out how many pixels your monitor has in the display settings. For example, a 1024 (horizontal) x 768 (vertical) screen has 1024x768 pixels, meaning 786,432. This means a little less than 0.8 mega pixels. So if you look at an image with a higher resolution, the rest of the pixels just don't fit your screen and they are lost. You have to remember that you can never see more pixels than the screen can display. A 10 mega pixel image would be much resized to fit the computer screen and the remaining pixels would be lost. If your computer didn't do that, you could only see a small section of the picture and would have to scroll up and down to see the rest. When an image is zoomed out, the number of pixels is decreased. Viewed on the computer screen, an image which only has 0.8MP and needs no zooming out has the exact same level of detail with one of 12MP which has been zoomed out. To see for yourself, open two images of small and high resolution on your computer screen and see how they look like.
Many people never print their digital photos. They share them with friends and then store them on the computer to view them later. Most cameras found on the market nowadays are over 4MP, which is more than enough for your computer screen. If you buy a 12MP camera and only view the photos on the computer, the extra pixels are just lost. Moreover, higher resolution images take up more space on the memory card so you can hold fewer pictures. Not to mention the hassle to resize them when posting them on a website or sending them by e-mail. However, if you have a high resolution camera, you can adjust its resolution settings to take most of the pictures at lower resolution.The settings are either numbers or high, medium or low levels. If you choose a low resolution, you will be able to view your photos easier and upload them faster.
Alex D. usually writes on the theme of photo resizing technology at Reshade. Reshade.com works in the domain of online picture resizing providing a free online picture resizer application. And also it makes available a image enlargement application.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
5 Great Online Photography Classes
By Ian Pennington
Are you interested in learning about photography, but are not sure where to begin? Are you limited for time, and want to find a class that will fit your busy schedule? What if I tell you that there are several online photography classes available for you that will allow you to learn on your own time and fit your budget.
If you are really looking to learn photography, here are 5 of the best courses available to you:
1. BetterPhoto
Whether you are looking to become a professional photographer or just looking to take better pictures, you will find whatever you need at BetterPhoto. Classes are taught by professionals and allow you to get as involved and experienced as you would like. Learn everything from the fundamentals to how to create the right composition and find just the right lighting for your images. Courses are available in 4 or 8-week sessions and divided into different skill levels.
2. Not Your Normal Photography
If you are looking for something a little more flexible, Not Your Normal Photography offers a free E-Book and free 6-day E-course. You can learn how to find the right markets for your photos while developing your own style of photography. The online photography classes available to you can provide not only real experience, but also help provide a great second income.
3. New York Institute of Photography
If you are serious about learning photography in order to become a professional, check out the New York Institute of Photography. Begun in 1910, it is one of the oldest and largest schools of photography and now offers virtual classes. Even listen to some lectures on podcast. No matter what you are looking for, the New York Institute has the experience to help you achieve your dreams. They have helped thousands of students develop their individual potential.
4. Picture Perfect School of Photography
Digital Film/Photography Courses are available in 4 or 8-week sessions. Classes are available in Wildlife Photography, Portraits, Lighting, Color Usage and many other subjects. Learn how to take pictures of food, flowers, pets and numerous other subjects. You will only be limited by your imagination once you learn the secrets of great photography. Even learn how to develop your own photos in a darkroom.
5. Photography Institute
If you are looking for a professional course with an economical price, check out the Photography Institute. You can receive your own diploma in photography with experience in new cutting-edge styles and designs. For under $1000 you can have professional training and learn a field which can provide you with an income for the rest of your life.
If you truly have a passion for photography, you owe it to yourself to check out these online photography classes! The only thing holding you back is you!
Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about online photography classes, please visit Photography Made Simple for current articles and discussions.
Are you interested in learning about photography, but are not sure where to begin? Are you limited for time, and want to find a class that will fit your busy schedule? What if I tell you that there are several online photography classes available for you that will allow you to learn on your own time and fit your budget.
If you are really looking to learn photography, here are 5 of the best courses available to you:
1. BetterPhoto
Whether you are looking to become a professional photographer or just looking to take better pictures, you will find whatever you need at BetterPhoto. Classes are taught by professionals and allow you to get as involved and experienced as you would like. Learn everything from the fundamentals to how to create the right composition and find just the right lighting for your images. Courses are available in 4 or 8-week sessions and divided into different skill levels.
2. Not Your Normal Photography
If you are looking for something a little more flexible, Not Your Normal Photography offers a free E-Book and free 6-day E-course. You can learn how to find the right markets for your photos while developing your own style of photography. The online photography classes available to you can provide not only real experience, but also help provide a great second income.
3. New York Institute of Photography
If you are serious about learning photography in order to become a professional, check out the New York Institute of Photography. Begun in 1910, it is one of the oldest and largest schools of photography and now offers virtual classes. Even listen to some lectures on podcast. No matter what you are looking for, the New York Institute has the experience to help you achieve your dreams. They have helped thousands of students develop their individual potential.
4. Picture Perfect School of Photography
Digital Film/Photography Courses are available in 4 or 8-week sessions. Classes are available in Wildlife Photography, Portraits, Lighting, Color Usage and many other subjects. Learn how to take pictures of food, flowers, pets and numerous other subjects. You will only be limited by your imagination once you learn the secrets of great photography. Even learn how to develop your own photos in a darkroom.
5. Photography Institute
If you are looking for a professional course with an economical price, check out the Photography Institute. You can receive your own diploma in photography with experience in new cutting-edge styles and designs. For under $1000 you can have professional training and learn a field which can provide you with an income for the rest of your life.
If you truly have a passion for photography, you owe it to yourself to check out these online photography classes! The only thing holding you back is you!
Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about online photography classes, please visit Photography Made Simple for current articles and discussions.
Friday, October 31, 2008
2 Outdoor Digital Photo Techniques
By MJ Johnston
If you love to take digital pictures outdoors, then you've probably already experimented with a variety of up a notch, and you may even start to prefer taking your photos to a lab for printing, or doing your digital photo printing through another professional service, like your favorite online photo sharing service, for the best results. However you do your digital photo printing, try these two techniques for outdoor photos and you'll end up with some of the best digital pictures possible.
If you love nature and the outdoors, then you already know that it's amazingly beautiful, from the impossibly vast sights like the Grand Canyon, to the tiniest stamen on a flower. And while shots of things like the Grand Canyon can be stunning, there's nothing quite like a close up of an intricate spider web, or an extremely close shot of the inside of a flower. Zooming into nature opens up a whole new interesting world that we take for granted every day and never really examine.
Flowers, especially, can look even more stunning when you can see the texture of the stamen, or the dots of pollen or dew resting on the petals. Some of the most beautiful pictures ever taken of flowers were extreme close-up shots. So look for the setting on your digital camera that allows these extreme close-ups. It's often called "macro mode" and sometimes is even represented by a flower symbol. When you've found your photo subject, focus on the part that moves you. Up close shots have a more shallow depth of field, so everything but the most focused part will soften a little into the background. Hold the button halfway down to give the camera a moment to focus, before depressing the button all the way.
Another gorgeous technique for stunning outdoor digital photo printing is that of photographing moving water. Find your waterfall, stream or other water source where water turns to "white" water by going over a fall or even just small rocks in the path of the stream. A shaded water source is best. You'll also want to use a tripod to keep the camera steady. Set the self-timer on your digital camera, and set the aperture to f-8, f-11 or f-16, if your camera has an aperture priority setting. This slows the shutter down for a longer exposure each time. If you can get each exposure to last a second or two, the water in your photo won't look captured or frozen in time, it looks as if its flowing. different ways to get the best shots possible, especially if you do your digital photo printing yourself. But there are a couple of techniques for outdoors shots that can make your photography time even more rewarding and fun, and make digital photo printing even better because the photos you'll be producing will be even more impressive than usual.
If you usually do your digital photo printing yourself, practicing these techniques could take your photography skills.
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Digitalphotoalbumsite, a photo site that offers advice on easy ways to enjoy digital photo printing, as well as free online photo storage.
If you love to take digital pictures outdoors, then you've probably already experimented with a variety of up a notch, and you may even start to prefer taking your photos to a lab for printing, or doing your digital photo printing through another professional service, like your favorite online photo sharing service, for the best results. However you do your digital photo printing, try these two techniques for outdoor photos and you'll end up with some of the best digital pictures possible.
If you love nature and the outdoors, then you already know that it's amazingly beautiful, from the impossibly vast sights like the Grand Canyon, to the tiniest stamen on a flower. And while shots of things like the Grand Canyon can be stunning, there's nothing quite like a close up of an intricate spider web, or an extremely close shot of the inside of a flower. Zooming into nature opens up a whole new interesting world that we take for granted every day and never really examine.
Flowers, especially, can look even more stunning when you can see the texture of the stamen, or the dots of pollen or dew resting on the petals. Some of the most beautiful pictures ever taken of flowers were extreme close-up shots. So look for the setting on your digital camera that allows these extreme close-ups. It's often called "macro mode" and sometimes is even represented by a flower symbol. When you've found your photo subject, focus on the part that moves you. Up close shots have a more shallow depth of field, so everything but the most focused part will soften a little into the background. Hold the button halfway down to give the camera a moment to focus, before depressing the button all the way.
Another gorgeous technique for stunning outdoor digital photo printing is that of photographing moving water. Find your waterfall, stream or other water source where water turns to "white" water by going over a fall or even just small rocks in the path of the stream. A shaded water source is best. You'll also want to use a tripod to keep the camera steady. Set the self-timer on your digital camera, and set the aperture to f-8, f-11 or f-16, if your camera has an aperture priority setting. This slows the shutter down for a longer exposure each time. If you can get each exposure to last a second or two, the water in your photo won't look captured or frozen in time, it looks as if its flowing. different ways to get the best shots possible, especially if you do your digital photo printing yourself. But there are a couple of techniques for outdoors shots that can make your photography time even more rewarding and fun, and make digital photo printing even better because the photos you'll be producing will be even more impressive than usual.
If you usually do your digital photo printing yourself, practicing these techniques could take your photography skills.
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Digitalphotoalbumsite, a photo site that offers advice on easy ways to enjoy digital photo printing, as well as free online photo storage.
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