By Mary Ann Sust
Q: What should people know and how should they prepare for a photography session?
A: People should know what to expect and how to prepare for a photography session in advance of arriving. The photographer should give them a layout of how things are going to be done. Details should have been discussed and agreed upon. What kind of look is the actor or model going for? What kinds of wardrobe will be used? You should be told how many different things or looks you can do for a headshot. Within reason, I don't limit the number of looks or outfits and actor can wear for a headshot.
If you are doing a photograph specifically for the Washington market the corporate/professional image is very useful. If you want photos to show in L.A. or New York, then the look can be more glamorous more dramatic. Headshots are generally not fashion oriented. Muted and mid-tone colors and textured fabrics are best. Solid white, like a white shirt, jacket, or sweater, don't reproduce well. Solid white and some other bright colors, like red, orange, and green, draw attention from the face. The focus of the picture should always be the face and the personality, and not the wardrobe. Setting aside the rules, you may have something you have wanted to try and it may break all of the rules. It may end up spectacular. Do something that is safe first and then if you want to do something more tricky you can have some of both.
Q: Should a makeup artist be used for a photographic session?
A: This should be discussed in advance. If a makeup artist is to be used, is this included in the cost of the shoot or is it paid directly to the artist? Some actors and models have become very skilled at doing their own makeup and prefer to do it themselves. Others definitely feel more comfortable and benefit from having a professional do it for them.
If a professional makeup artist will be doing the makeup, expect to spend about an hour-and-a-half with them before you start to shoot. As a general rule, the artists I use have been working professionals for ten or so years.
For women, I recommend not washing the hair the morning of the shoot. The hair will be more manageable if it has some natural oil. Wash it the day before.
If the subject is doing her own makeup and lives within a short drive of the shoot, I suggest doing the start of the makeup in their lighting as she would usually do. Then expect to add to it, refining it as test shots are done.
As I work, the makeup is completed and then test shots are done. Typically some adjustments will be made at that point. I don't begin to shoot until everyone is satisfied with everything including makeup, wardrobe, and lighting.
For men, the market generally prefers that men have a clean face. Sometimes men arrive with a light beard. Do some shots with that look and then shave to get some shots with the clean face look. Obviously, if a man wears a beard all of the time, he will just go with that.
Get an adequate night's sleep and bring with ample choices of wardrobe. Understand what is going to take place and feel comfortable with the process. You should feel relaxed and at ease when you get to the shoot.
Q: What advice do you have for young people wanting photos?
A: Young people should not go to a photographic session alone. They should bring along a friend or relative. This is for the protection of the young model or actor and for the photographer. Legitimate photographers want to maintain a good reputation. There are many good and legitimate photographers working in the industry, but there are some that are dubious. If young actors/models are less than eighteen years old, they should have a parent, guardian, or agent attend the shoot.
For more information on Charles Martin, visit his website http://www.charlesmartinphoto.com/
Mary Ann Sust
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Picture Perfect! Beautiful Photos Aren't Just in Studios Anymore!
By Josanne Anthony
Searching the internet for photography websites can be a real eye opener to all of the things that can turn into a prized picture. You don't even have to leave your living room anymore to capture a beautiful shot. With a little practice and a lot of digital shots, you can be amazed when you find that you have created some award winning photos of your own!
You don't actually need a digital camera, but because most of them have a screen to show you the pictures you have taken, it is quicker, much more convenient, and cheaper than using a 35 mm camera that holds film. It is much easier to practice as well, since you can see right away if the techniques you are trying to use are working or not.
A sink full of dirty dishes can almost be turned into a beautiful framed print! Maybe not quite, but look at pictures that professional photographers consider art, and notice how intriguing the most common items and settings can be! Beautiful prints on the walls of a home are no longer just of families sitting in studios, or vases of flowers in full bloom.
Wilted flowers in a woven basket, a pair of worn in baby shoes, a bench with a cat sitting on it, and the shadow of two children holding hands can bring out emotions and imaginations that we didn't know were there. Even the family photo session has changed! Pictures of laughing children and not-so-perfect hair are just priceless!
Take your camera outdoors and just look around! The more you practice, the more you will discover what becomes an appealing picture. Take pictures of the untouched blanket of snow in winter, or a close-up of a bee in a flower in summer. Catch a few shots of a child running with the pet dog. Take your children to a gazebo at the park and have them sit on the steps. I have one of my own pieces of art that a friend took. It was our two daughters, with two other teenage girls, all dressed in their church outfits with their flowing skirts, walking down a dirt path with the trees all around. It was a view from the back, and it is just beautiful and warm. And the next was of these four girls, turning around and blowing a kiss at the camera. It's amazing what you can see if you believe that the ordinary things in life can become something special.
While snapping your prints of people, animals, or certain objects, also keep in mind to zoom right in on the subject. Pictures where the person your are taking photos of is close up is much more appealing than one that has their tiny head and face showing, with nothing special in the background. Allow that extra space around your subject if the background is beautiful or unique, and deserves to be part of the one-of-a-kind snapshots you are taking. But be sure to get a few close ups in those settings as well.
Try out the black and white, sepia, and negative settings on your camera. Dress your children up in too big play clothes, or their Sunday best for black and white shots. Try shooting a flower in the negative.
Experiment with different poses and props. Take a picture of your daughter or friend looking in a mirror, your focus being on her reflection in the mirror. Have your kids lay on their stomachs on the floor and look at each other. Get a close up of a beautiful set of eyes-on a person or a pet. The possibilities of what you can do are endless. Look at photography sites for more ideas.
Grab your camera and set out to discover a whole new world of beauty! And don't forget to buy some special frames so that your best shots don't get tucked away in a box.
Josanne Anthony is a mother of 3 who enjoys the customers she cleans for, selling on ebay, and her newest passion-blogging. You can view two of her lighthearted, uplifting blogs at http://achocolatebouquet.blogspot.com/ and http://delightfuldomestications.blogspot.com/
Searching the internet for photography websites can be a real eye opener to all of the things that can turn into a prized picture. You don't even have to leave your living room anymore to capture a beautiful shot. With a little practice and a lot of digital shots, you can be amazed when you find that you have created some award winning photos of your own!
You don't actually need a digital camera, but because most of them have a screen to show you the pictures you have taken, it is quicker, much more convenient, and cheaper than using a 35 mm camera that holds film. It is much easier to practice as well, since you can see right away if the techniques you are trying to use are working or not.
A sink full of dirty dishes can almost be turned into a beautiful framed print! Maybe not quite, but look at pictures that professional photographers consider art, and notice how intriguing the most common items and settings can be! Beautiful prints on the walls of a home are no longer just of families sitting in studios, or vases of flowers in full bloom.
Wilted flowers in a woven basket, a pair of worn in baby shoes, a bench with a cat sitting on it, and the shadow of two children holding hands can bring out emotions and imaginations that we didn't know were there. Even the family photo session has changed! Pictures of laughing children and not-so-perfect hair are just priceless!
Take your camera outdoors and just look around! The more you practice, the more you will discover what becomes an appealing picture. Take pictures of the untouched blanket of snow in winter, or a close-up of a bee in a flower in summer. Catch a few shots of a child running with the pet dog. Take your children to a gazebo at the park and have them sit on the steps. I have one of my own pieces of art that a friend took. It was our two daughters, with two other teenage girls, all dressed in their church outfits with their flowing skirts, walking down a dirt path with the trees all around. It was a view from the back, and it is just beautiful and warm. And the next was of these four girls, turning around and blowing a kiss at the camera. It's amazing what you can see if you believe that the ordinary things in life can become something special.
While snapping your prints of people, animals, or certain objects, also keep in mind to zoom right in on the subject. Pictures where the person your are taking photos of is close up is much more appealing than one that has their tiny head and face showing, with nothing special in the background. Allow that extra space around your subject if the background is beautiful or unique, and deserves to be part of the one-of-a-kind snapshots you are taking. But be sure to get a few close ups in those settings as well.
Try out the black and white, sepia, and negative settings on your camera. Dress your children up in too big play clothes, or their Sunday best for black and white shots. Try shooting a flower in the negative.
Experiment with different poses and props. Take a picture of your daughter or friend looking in a mirror, your focus being on her reflection in the mirror. Have your kids lay on their stomachs on the floor and look at each other. Get a close up of a beautiful set of eyes-on a person or a pet. The possibilities of what you can do are endless. Look at photography sites for more ideas.
Grab your camera and set out to discover a whole new world of beauty! And don't forget to buy some special frames so that your best shots don't get tucked away in a box.
Josanne Anthony is a mother of 3 who enjoys the customers she cleans for, selling on ebay, and her newest passion-blogging. You can view two of her lighthearted, uplifting blogs at http://achocolatebouquet.blogspot.com/ and http://delightfuldomestications.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 23, 2009
5 Tips For Sharper Landscape Photos
By Brandon Baumgarten
The key to getting the sharper landscape and nature images is to use specific digital photography techniques. Disciplined use of these techniques by photographers leads to technically better photos.
Use a sturdy tripod - Camera movement is a common culprit of soft photos. Using a sturdy tripod will usually alleviate the problem, and also allow you to compose your image with precision. The use of a tripod allows the digital photographer to use a slower shutter speed, for a greater depth of field due to the corresponding aperture.
Use an appropriate ISO digital camera setting - Selecting the proper ISO setting on your digital camera is also one of the keys to sharper images. A low ISO setting on your digital camera will produce finer grained images, but requires longer shutter speeds and/or a large aperture. A higher ISO on the other hand allows the photographer to utilize a faster shutter speed which can be good for capturing sharp pictures of moving objects, although it sacrifices image noise.
Use a fast Shutter Speed - To freeze moving objects such as aspen leaves quaking in the wind or a tumbling waterfall, use the fastest possible shutter speed. Keep in mind however that your depth of field focus will be reduced at faster shutter speeds due to the larger aperture.
Use a Small Lens Aperture - By stopping down the camera lens, the image appears sharper by expanding overall depth of field focus. This results in objects both near and far being in good focus.
Control Subject movement - Much the same as camera movement, subject movement can be damaging to image sharpness, however sometimes subject movement can be impossible to control. For instance shooting close-up pictures of wildflowers on a windy day can be quite the challenge. The best advice is to restrategize, and go with the flow. Forget the close-up pictures, zoom out, wait for a lull in the breeze and shoot the pretty landscape.
The trick to getting better photos is to find that ideal combination of variables. Always use the lowest possible ISO setting, and for the best depth of field focus select a smaller aperture. For still landscape pictures, use a tripod and slower shutter speed. For moving landscapes, use a faster shutter speed to freeze the motion.
Brandon is a professional Lake Tahoe photographer. In addition to on-location photography in the Tahoe basin Brandon specializes in on-mountain action and portrait photography during the winter months, photographing skiers and snowboarders on the local ski slopes. Brandon also has a digital photography website, which in addition to many other topics, compares photography equipment and services online.
The key to getting the sharper landscape and nature images is to use specific digital photography techniques. Disciplined use of these techniques by photographers leads to technically better photos.
Use a sturdy tripod - Camera movement is a common culprit of soft photos. Using a sturdy tripod will usually alleviate the problem, and also allow you to compose your image with precision. The use of a tripod allows the digital photographer to use a slower shutter speed, for a greater depth of field due to the corresponding aperture.
Use an appropriate ISO digital camera setting - Selecting the proper ISO setting on your digital camera is also one of the keys to sharper images. A low ISO setting on your digital camera will produce finer grained images, but requires longer shutter speeds and/or a large aperture. A higher ISO on the other hand allows the photographer to utilize a faster shutter speed which can be good for capturing sharp pictures of moving objects, although it sacrifices image noise.
Use a fast Shutter Speed - To freeze moving objects such as aspen leaves quaking in the wind or a tumbling waterfall, use the fastest possible shutter speed. Keep in mind however that your depth of field focus will be reduced at faster shutter speeds due to the larger aperture.
Use a Small Lens Aperture - By stopping down the camera lens, the image appears sharper by expanding overall depth of field focus. This results in objects both near and far being in good focus.
Control Subject movement - Much the same as camera movement, subject movement can be damaging to image sharpness, however sometimes subject movement can be impossible to control. For instance shooting close-up pictures of wildflowers on a windy day can be quite the challenge. The best advice is to restrategize, and go with the flow. Forget the close-up pictures, zoom out, wait for a lull in the breeze and shoot the pretty landscape.
The trick to getting better photos is to find that ideal combination of variables. Always use the lowest possible ISO setting, and for the best depth of field focus select a smaller aperture. For still landscape pictures, use a tripod and slower shutter speed. For moving landscapes, use a faster shutter speed to freeze the motion.
Brandon is a professional Lake Tahoe photographer. In addition to on-location photography in the Tahoe basin Brandon specializes in on-mountain action and portrait photography during the winter months, photographing skiers and snowboarders on the local ski slopes. Brandon also has a digital photography website, which in addition to many other topics, compares photography equipment and services online.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
How to Print Quality Photos at Home
By James Steele
The improvements of the digital camera, inkjet photo printers, and photo paper over the years have finally allowed us to create quality photos from our home computer. It's wonderful to never have to worry again about saving pictures or film thanks to the digital revolution. Now we can take hundreds of photos and keep our favorites to be printed out at any time.
It does take a little bit of practice to learn how to print quality photos at home, but when you've done it a few times it's a snap. Let's take a moment and look at a few of the steps to make sure that your family photos turn out their best.
First off, your photo will never quite look right unless you have a quality photo paper. Most people will recommend a matte photo paper or a semi-satin paper for your home pictures. The reason these are talked about most is because they allow you to get the same quality of finish as you would by having someone else develop your photographs, while at the same time holding up well for the long-term.
If your photo paper is too glossy, there can be an issue of it having too much glare if it's being put into a picture frame, or if not protected can easily smudge.
Next you want to make sure that your photos have been loaded onto your computer and any necessary minor adjustments have been made to the pictures before printing. This might include reducing any red eye effects caused by the camera's flash, or lightning the picture and saturating the colors if the picture wasn't taken in the best light.
Fortunately almost all computers these days come with software already included when you buy it to do some minimal photo touch up in storage. It just takes a little bit of practice to get a feel for how the program works, so you want to make sure that you always save your original photo before making any adjustments.
Now that your photos are ready and you have quality photo paper it's recommended to print off a couple test photos to see the end result. This way you can tell if any slight changes need to be made to the picture or your inkjet printer before starting to print dozens of photos.
And that's all you need to do to get the best printed photos from your home computer. It's simple and fun once you've done the basics, and it'll be a great source of memories for years to come.
James provides information about HP matte photo paper through his website on HP premium matte photo paper.
The improvements of the digital camera, inkjet photo printers, and photo paper over the years have finally allowed us to create quality photos from our home computer. It's wonderful to never have to worry again about saving pictures or film thanks to the digital revolution. Now we can take hundreds of photos and keep our favorites to be printed out at any time.
It does take a little bit of practice to learn how to print quality photos at home, but when you've done it a few times it's a snap. Let's take a moment and look at a few of the steps to make sure that your family photos turn out their best.
First off, your photo will never quite look right unless you have a quality photo paper. Most people will recommend a matte photo paper or a semi-satin paper for your home pictures. The reason these are talked about most is because they allow you to get the same quality of finish as you would by having someone else develop your photographs, while at the same time holding up well for the long-term.
If your photo paper is too glossy, there can be an issue of it having too much glare if it's being put into a picture frame, or if not protected can easily smudge.
Next you want to make sure that your photos have been loaded onto your computer and any necessary minor adjustments have been made to the pictures before printing. This might include reducing any red eye effects caused by the camera's flash, or lightning the picture and saturating the colors if the picture wasn't taken in the best light.
Fortunately almost all computers these days come with software already included when you buy it to do some minimal photo touch up in storage. It just takes a little bit of practice to get a feel for how the program works, so you want to make sure that you always save your original photo before making any adjustments.
Now that your photos are ready and you have quality photo paper it's recommended to print off a couple test photos to see the end result. This way you can tell if any slight changes need to be made to the picture or your inkjet printer before starting to print dozens of photos.
And that's all you need to do to get the best printed photos from your home computer. It's simple and fun once you've done the basics, and it'll be a great source of memories for years to come.
James provides information about HP matte photo paper through his website on HP premium matte photo paper.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Five Essential Things to Do When Taking Your Pet's Pictures
By Alex Don
You do not need to be an expert photographer to take excellent looking pictures of your loose-skinned pet dog. When taking photographs of your pet its better to use a digital camera as you can see the photo outcome instantly. There is no restriction to use digicam or phone camera when taking photos of your canine. However, the best result can be obtained using a Digital Single Reflex camera because various exposure options are available. Taking photos of your pet dog is not easy because you have get it sit still and pose or wait for the right opportunity. Other important things look at are to deal with lighting and background issues. It is necessary to ensure you're taking pictures at the correct level.
1.You need to be well prepared.
The more you are organized and prepared to shoot your dog's pictures, the chances of turning out better pictures are certain. If you're alert, you can easily capture your dog poses with right focus resulting in best results. In essence, keep handy and ready of all your camera gear before bringing your pet to the seen. Keep spare batteries ready and check the batteries and memory card already in the camera. Now you are ready and then select the place where you will take your dog's pictures. Similarly concentrate on the background you want to have. Also, never forget to reward your dog for posing and sitting still.
2.Get some one's help.
Since you have to do many things during taking pictures during taking photos of your pet, you need some one assist you to look after your pets interest. For example, to control your pet or comb its coat, wipe its eyes and more importantly arrange the background around it. This means you can concentrate only one thing at a time such as focusing your shooting using your camera.
3.Plan Your Background
If you need to turn out excellent pictures of your pet dog, it is essential to plan your background. The distracting background will turnout worse pictures of your pet because the main subject will not be distinct. Make use of solid-colored or uncluttered background which will turnout the best pictures of your pet. As many suggest, green background such as grass or a green fabric will be ideal for a dog with dark tan color. However, experienced photographers prefer to take pictures of dogs in front of water.
4. Place Few Objects
Another method to add interest to the dog pictures is to place dog toys or a visual object. Similarly having a pole or a beam will add creative details to pictures of puppy. and Also, If you place a brightly colored item close to your dog, you are certain to capture perfect shot.
5. Be At Eye Level
Always be at to your dog's eye level when taking pictures. You will notice, the best dog pictures have been taken at eye level of the pet dog.The best dog pictures are taken at eye level with the dog. You will get amazing pictures of your dog if you follow the above tips and advice.
Alex D. is an expert on photography with http://reshade.com. The firm focuses on online image resizing applications and provides a free to use online image resizer tool. It's also possible to order an image resizer software application. Try it for yourself!
You do not need to be an expert photographer to take excellent looking pictures of your loose-skinned pet dog. When taking photographs of your pet its better to use a digital camera as you can see the photo outcome instantly. There is no restriction to use digicam or phone camera when taking photos of your canine. However, the best result can be obtained using a Digital Single Reflex camera because various exposure options are available. Taking photos of your pet dog is not easy because you have get it sit still and pose or wait for the right opportunity. Other important things look at are to deal with lighting and background issues. It is necessary to ensure you're taking pictures at the correct level.
1.You need to be well prepared.
The more you are organized and prepared to shoot your dog's pictures, the chances of turning out better pictures are certain. If you're alert, you can easily capture your dog poses with right focus resulting in best results. In essence, keep handy and ready of all your camera gear before bringing your pet to the seen. Keep spare batteries ready and check the batteries and memory card already in the camera. Now you are ready and then select the place where you will take your dog's pictures. Similarly concentrate on the background you want to have. Also, never forget to reward your dog for posing and sitting still.
2.Get some one's help.
Since you have to do many things during taking pictures during taking photos of your pet, you need some one assist you to look after your pets interest. For example, to control your pet or comb its coat, wipe its eyes and more importantly arrange the background around it. This means you can concentrate only one thing at a time such as focusing your shooting using your camera.
3.Plan Your Background
If you need to turn out excellent pictures of your pet dog, it is essential to plan your background. The distracting background will turnout worse pictures of your pet because the main subject will not be distinct. Make use of solid-colored or uncluttered background which will turnout the best pictures of your pet. As many suggest, green background such as grass or a green fabric will be ideal for a dog with dark tan color. However, experienced photographers prefer to take pictures of dogs in front of water.
4. Place Few Objects
Another method to add interest to the dog pictures is to place dog toys or a visual object. Similarly having a pole or a beam will add creative details to pictures of puppy. and Also, If you place a brightly colored item close to your dog, you are certain to capture perfect shot.
5. Be At Eye Level
Always be at to your dog's eye level when taking pictures. You will notice, the best dog pictures have been taken at eye level of the pet dog.The best dog pictures are taken at eye level with the dog. You will get amazing pictures of your dog if you follow the above tips and advice.
Alex D. is an expert on photography with http://reshade.com. The firm focuses on online image resizing applications and provides a free to use online image resizer tool. It's also possible to order an image resizer software application. Try it for yourself!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Foam Board in Picture Framing
By Alex Don
Photo framing is not only an important area of photography but also entertaining hobby, Painters or photographers make use of photo framing to display their art work to the public. For photo framing, foam board is used extensively for photo framing. You can buy foam boards either in black or white color. For example, it is available either either archival or non archival type quality in different thicknesses.
1.Framing is very important
Why you have to frame your valuable photos? You need to protect your photographs or paintings from harmful effects such as air pollution, moisture and other chemicals in the air. In this attempt, the archival quality foam board is the best option to protect your valuable photos. The advantage of Archival type boards are, it is light and less weight which is suitable for large picture frames which need to be hung on a wall. Other advantage is the its very rigid and will not get warped easily helping you to keep your photos or paintings firm and intact.
2.Framing Materials
In addition to foam mount boards, selecting suitable matting is very important. When choosing the matting you have to make sure it will work well with the photograph that has to be framed, otherwise you will not be getting the same great results that you can. There are custom or standard size mat boards. Generally, the pre-cut or standard mat boards are cheaper than the custom made ones. Also these are available in wide variety of colors.
The standard sized mats can easily be fitted to frames available in the market resulting cost savings. There are many designs of matting available for framing of photographs. For example, wide white mat is used if you want to show a border around the image or hide corners or the supporting devices, and fix the photograph intact preventing it from slipping inside the frame. Additionally, wide mats will help you keep a small gap between photo or and the glazing. In other words, keeping an air gap is important, to prevent moisture building behind the glazing.
Either a professional photographer or an amateur photo enthusiast, having a thorough knowledge on picture framing is a must. Especially, framing your valuable pictures will not only preserve or safeguard your pictures from the harsh climate but also is an attractive way to display them to your friends, close associates and family. If you are a professional photographer, the framing will be a definite advantage for him to display his valuable photos at a photo exhibition. All in all, picture framing is a very important area in photography.
Alex D. is an expert photographer for [http://reshade.com]http://reshade.com. The company focuses on picture processing and provides a free to use [http://reshade.com/online-image-resizer/add-image]online image resizer web-tool. It's also possible to download an image resizer software application. Try it now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Don http://EzineArticles.com/?Foam-Board-in-Picture-Framing&id=1875025
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alex_Don]Alex Don
Photo framing is not only an important area of photography but also entertaining hobby, Painters or photographers make use of photo framing to display their art work to the public. For photo framing, foam board is used extensively for photo framing. You can buy foam boards either in black or white color. For example, it is available either either archival or non archival type quality in different thicknesses.
1.Framing is very important
Why you have to frame your valuable photos? You need to protect your photographs or paintings from harmful effects such as air pollution, moisture and other chemicals in the air. In this attempt, the archival quality foam board is the best option to protect your valuable photos. The advantage of Archival type boards are, it is light and less weight which is suitable for large picture frames which need to be hung on a wall. Other advantage is the its very rigid and will not get warped easily helping you to keep your photos or paintings firm and intact.
2.Framing Materials
In addition to foam mount boards, selecting suitable matting is very important. When choosing the matting you have to make sure it will work well with the photograph that has to be framed, otherwise you will not be getting the same great results that you can. There are custom or standard size mat boards. Generally, the pre-cut or standard mat boards are cheaper than the custom made ones. Also these are available in wide variety of colors.
The standard sized mats can easily be fitted to frames available in the market resulting cost savings. There are many designs of matting available for framing of photographs. For example, wide white mat is used if you want to show a border around the image or hide corners or the supporting devices, and fix the photograph intact preventing it from slipping inside the frame. Additionally, wide mats will help you keep a small gap between photo or and the glazing. In other words, keeping an air gap is important, to prevent moisture building behind the glazing.
Either a professional photographer or an amateur photo enthusiast, having a thorough knowledge on picture framing is a must. Especially, framing your valuable pictures will not only preserve or safeguard your pictures from the harsh climate but also is an attractive way to display them to your friends, close associates and family. If you are a professional photographer, the framing will be a definite advantage for him to display his valuable photos at a photo exhibition. All in all, picture framing is a very important area in photography.
Alex D. is an expert photographer for http://reshade.com. The company focuses on picture processing and provides a free to use online image resizer web-tool. It's also possible to download an image resizer software application. Try it now!
Photo framing is not only an important area of photography but also entertaining hobby, Painters or photographers make use of photo framing to display their art work to the public. For photo framing, foam board is used extensively for photo framing. You can buy foam boards either in black or white color. For example, it is available either either archival or non archival type quality in different thicknesses.
1.Framing is very important
Why you have to frame your valuable photos? You need to protect your photographs or paintings from harmful effects such as air pollution, moisture and other chemicals in the air. In this attempt, the archival quality foam board is the best option to protect your valuable photos. The advantage of Archival type boards are, it is light and less weight which is suitable for large picture frames which need to be hung on a wall. Other advantage is the its very rigid and will not get warped easily helping you to keep your photos or paintings firm and intact.
2.Framing Materials
In addition to foam mount boards, selecting suitable matting is very important. When choosing the matting you have to make sure it will work well with the photograph that has to be framed, otherwise you will not be getting the same great results that you can. There are custom or standard size mat boards. Generally, the pre-cut or standard mat boards are cheaper than the custom made ones. Also these are available in wide variety of colors.
The standard sized mats can easily be fitted to frames available in the market resulting cost savings. There are many designs of matting available for framing of photographs. For example, wide white mat is used if you want to show a border around the image or hide corners or the supporting devices, and fix the photograph intact preventing it from slipping inside the frame. Additionally, wide mats will help you keep a small gap between photo or and the glazing. In other words, keeping an air gap is important, to prevent moisture building behind the glazing.
Either a professional photographer or an amateur photo enthusiast, having a thorough knowledge on picture framing is a must. Especially, framing your valuable pictures will not only preserve or safeguard your pictures from the harsh climate but also is an attractive way to display them to your friends, close associates and family. If you are a professional photographer, the framing will be a definite advantage for him to display his valuable photos at a photo exhibition. All in all, picture framing is a very important area in photography.
Alex D. is an expert photographer for [http://reshade.com]http://reshade.com. The company focuses on picture processing and provides a free to use [http://reshade.com/online-image-resizer/add-image]online image resizer web-tool. It's also possible to download an image resizer software application. Try it now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Don http://EzineArticles.com/?Foam-Board-in-Picture-Framing&id=1875025
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alex_Don]Alex Don
Photo framing is not only an important area of photography but also entertaining hobby, Painters or photographers make use of photo framing to display their art work to the public. For photo framing, foam board is used extensively for photo framing. You can buy foam boards either in black or white color. For example, it is available either either archival or non archival type quality in different thicknesses.
1.Framing is very important
Why you have to frame your valuable photos? You need to protect your photographs or paintings from harmful effects such as air pollution, moisture and other chemicals in the air. In this attempt, the archival quality foam board is the best option to protect your valuable photos. The advantage of Archival type boards are, it is light and less weight which is suitable for large picture frames which need to be hung on a wall. Other advantage is the its very rigid and will not get warped easily helping you to keep your photos or paintings firm and intact.
2.Framing Materials
In addition to foam mount boards, selecting suitable matting is very important. When choosing the matting you have to make sure it will work well with the photograph that has to be framed, otherwise you will not be getting the same great results that you can. There are custom or standard size mat boards. Generally, the pre-cut or standard mat boards are cheaper than the custom made ones. Also these are available in wide variety of colors.
The standard sized mats can easily be fitted to frames available in the market resulting cost savings. There are many designs of matting available for framing of photographs. For example, wide white mat is used if you want to show a border around the image or hide corners or the supporting devices, and fix the photograph intact preventing it from slipping inside the frame. Additionally, wide mats will help you keep a small gap between photo or and the glazing. In other words, keeping an air gap is important, to prevent moisture building behind the glazing.
Either a professional photographer or an amateur photo enthusiast, having a thorough knowledge on picture framing is a must. Especially, framing your valuable pictures will not only preserve or safeguard your pictures from the harsh climate but also is an attractive way to display them to your friends, close associates and family. If you are a professional photographer, the framing will be a definite advantage for him to display his valuable photos at a photo exhibition. All in all, picture framing is a very important area in photography.
Alex D. is an expert photographer for http://reshade.com. The company focuses on picture processing and provides a free to use online image resizer web-tool. It's also possible to download an image resizer software application. Try it now!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A Skylight Filter is Essential
By Dr. Mark Clayson
The importance and usefulness of a skylight filter cannot be overestimated. Rather than a mere appendage, the filter offers real benefits to photographers. Everyone should have at least one. Preferably, they should have one for every lens they own. These should be permanently fixed to the filter thread.
Skylight filters are cheap, freely available and come in various filter thread sizes. You will have little trouble obtaining one but you must ensure the correct size to fit your lens. Everyone can afford one and there will be a filter to fit every lens (or almost).
The primary function of a skylight filter is to cut down excessive UV rays which, in turn, make scenes in the distance appear to have a blue haze. The filter effectively reduces the haze and blue colour cast. Pictures of hills and mountains in the distance look clearer.
The secondary function, and why you should have one on each lens, is that of protection. Like a lens cap, the skylight filter fits over the front of the lens and helps to prevent the ingress of dirt and dust. It also protects the lens from the effects of oily and greasy fingers, stick hands and from accidental knocks. It is much cheaper to replace a skylight than it is to replace a damaged lens.
The filter is very light and has no effect on the exposure value needed for your photography (they do not stop the normal amounts of light getting in).
A skylight filter is one simple piece of kit that can enhance your photography and protect your valuable assets.
Mark Clayson is a professional, home business entrepreneur, mentor and speaker. Visit Start Work at Home for more information on starting or developing a home business or his official site to find out more.
The importance and usefulness of a skylight filter cannot be overestimated. Rather than a mere appendage, the filter offers real benefits to photographers. Everyone should have at least one. Preferably, they should have one for every lens they own. These should be permanently fixed to the filter thread.
Skylight filters are cheap, freely available and come in various filter thread sizes. You will have little trouble obtaining one but you must ensure the correct size to fit your lens. Everyone can afford one and there will be a filter to fit every lens (or almost).
The primary function of a skylight filter is to cut down excessive UV rays which, in turn, make scenes in the distance appear to have a blue haze. The filter effectively reduces the haze and blue colour cast. Pictures of hills and mountains in the distance look clearer.
The secondary function, and why you should have one on each lens, is that of protection. Like a lens cap, the skylight filter fits over the front of the lens and helps to prevent the ingress of dirt and dust. It also protects the lens from the effects of oily and greasy fingers, stick hands and from accidental knocks. It is much cheaper to replace a skylight than it is to replace a damaged lens.
The filter is very light and has no effect on the exposure value needed for your photography (they do not stop the normal amounts of light getting in).
A skylight filter is one simple piece of kit that can enhance your photography and protect your valuable assets.
Mark Clayson is a professional, home business entrepreneur, mentor and speaker. Visit Start Work at Home for more information on starting or developing a home business or his official site to find out more.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Photo Tips For Documenting Life's Events
By Peter Phun
There are really only 2 kinds of events: milestones and recurring annual events.
Milestones
Sorry for stating the obvious here, but these are the so-called once-a-life time biggies. Ones so important that you sometimes associate with a song or piece of music.
A partial list of milestones may be the following:
Graduations-happy, fun event but rife with access problems.
Weddings-can be easy or tough depending on your level of experience. Just don't get in the way of the professional whose job is to officially document the day.
Births-believe it or not, I had some friends who wanted this documented. I wouldn't want a stranger to do this though. I do wonder when and with whom you can share these pictures even if they're PG-rated.
First Communions-formal or posed portraits are the norm. Live coverage offers spontaneous moments which are often priceless.
First haircuts-the "firsts" are not necessarily very meaningful but they can be a lot of fun to look back at these pictures. The first fish your child catches can be fun too.
Recurring Events
The list below is fairly obvious. Your subjects may not change over the years but that doesn't mean your photography can't improve if you do a lot of these.
The key is to come up with a different way of looking at the same subject. No, don't stop taking the same pictures you took the year before, be bold and experiment.
Birthdays-hardest to find a fresh approach
Halloween-mostly for the costumes young children but priceless to parents
Vacation Trips-best prospects for great pictures simply because of different locales
Special Christmas programs-difficult due to poor lighting, accessibility
Better Milestone Pictures
Based on subject and setting of each event, your approaches will vary.
In the first group of events which I call Milestones, they are very important, just ask my wife. So don't blow it, there's no pressure.
When I worked at the paper and was very new, this sort of anxiety was normal. But a technic I learned in flying school called "bunk flying" helps. It's nothing more than pre-visualizing everything you think you'll encounter in your head at the event.
Everything right down to the equipment you'll bring and where you'll pose your subjects. It of course helps if you've been to the venue of the event preferably at the designated time. You want to get an idea of not only what the place looks like but also the lighting, hence the "time" element.
Mind you, when I worked for the newspaper, there are few instances when I can ask for something to be repeated or as they say in golf, ask for a "mulligan" or a "do-over."
Imagine asking for a repeat of the action when a baseball play occurs at home plate and you weren't paying attention.
So what's your best chance of capturing those once-in-a-lifetime moments?
Be prepared
Have all your gear in one bag. Keep your camera, flash, lenses and other accessories like extra memory cards in one bag. That way all you need to do is to grab it and you're ready.Remember, digital cameras without charged batteries are a paperweight. A camera with a full memory card is also a paperweight-both are good only for war stories.
Scout the location beforehand
Figure out where the light is for a particular venue or scene. In a church where there are stain glass windows and big doors, there will be spots where it is brighter than others. Be ready to shoot your subject at those spots.
Set Realistic Goals
If all you have is a short telephoto, realize you're limited by your equipment.
Either wait till your subject is closer, or try and get closer.
If you're shooting with a digital camera that has RAW capability, you could try taking your picture in that mode.
Shooting in RAW is like using a telephoto lens because you are capturing at the highest resolution you camera is capable of.
It will allow you to crop in, make your tiny subject bigger and just maybe allow you to get a decent image.
Because you don't have access to be front-and-center to most events, be realistic as to the kinds of pictures you can get. If all you have is a short telephoto, don't expect to get tight closeup shots. Instead wait for pictures with wide angles or pictures that you can take after an event is winding down.
As an example, graduations are great happy events to photograph, but you will be most hampered by lack of equipment and limited access.
Better Recurring/Annual Pictures
Just because you've shot some of these annual events over and over doesn't mean they need to be boring. Sure, shoot the same picture you did last year but push yourself to come up with something different.
Assess the lightingg
Have you stopped to think how those birthday cake scenes look with the room lights turned off?
Well, it actually looks very warm, inviting and nostalgic.
So next time you're ready to shoot this scene and it's indoors, turn off the lights.
If you have time, consider also changing the White Balance.
Don't forget there is no hurry. You can tell them to re-light the candles or wait while you check your camera's LCD as you make some tests.
Try a different viewpoint
If you've shot the quintessential blowing out the candles every year, try shooting from a different position or use a different lens.
A wide angle from close up from right up next to the cake by the candles can be a different view. This has the added benefit of allowing you to brace your camera in a low light situation.
Let the kids take their own pictures
Set up a makeshift photo studio. All you need is backdrop and camera on a tripod. Most cameras have a self-timer. You can try that or you can let them trip the shutter themselves if you can spare one camera on a tripod.
Do at least one group shot at the same location.
A group shot at the same location will show how everyone has changed year after year. If the same guests attend, this can be a great record to show how children have grown or changed. These need not be prize-winning pictures. They are mainly for the record type pictures.
Look for details and closeups.
An adult's hand holding a newborn's always makes for a nice intimate detail shot.
Finally while these are all events in your life, don't forget to gather important details like brochures of the places you camped. Years later, that information will add more meaning to your memories.
Peter Phun teaches photography at Riverside City College. He does portraits, weddings and editorial work. Read this more extensive illustrated article about photographing those special events. He writes about photography, Macs and the internet. He also designs websites and is a stay-at-home dad.
Previously, Peter worked as a staff photographer for 18 years at The Press-Enterprise, Southern California's 4th largest daily newspaper. He is the webmaster for the Mac user group in the Inland Empire. For more information about this Riverside based photographer, visit http://www.peterphun.com.
There are really only 2 kinds of events: milestones and recurring annual events.
Milestones
Sorry for stating the obvious here, but these are the so-called once-a-life time biggies. Ones so important that you sometimes associate with a song or piece of music.
A partial list of milestones may be the following:
Graduations-happy, fun event but rife with access problems.
Weddings-can be easy or tough depending on your level of experience. Just don't get in the way of the professional whose job is to officially document the day.
Births-believe it or not, I had some friends who wanted this documented. I wouldn't want a stranger to do this though. I do wonder when and with whom you can share these pictures even if they're PG-rated.
First Communions-formal or posed portraits are the norm. Live coverage offers spontaneous moments which are often priceless.
First haircuts-the "firsts" are not necessarily very meaningful but they can be a lot of fun to look back at these pictures. The first fish your child catches can be fun too.
Recurring Events
The list below is fairly obvious. Your subjects may not change over the years but that doesn't mean your photography can't improve if you do a lot of these.
The key is to come up with a different way of looking at the same subject. No, don't stop taking the same pictures you took the year before, be bold and experiment.
Birthdays-hardest to find a fresh approach
Halloween-mostly for the costumes young children but priceless to parents
Vacation Trips-best prospects for great pictures simply because of different locales
Special Christmas programs-difficult due to poor lighting, accessibility
Better Milestone Pictures
Based on subject and setting of each event, your approaches will vary.
In the first group of events which I call Milestones, they are very important, just ask my wife. So don't blow it, there's no pressure.
When I worked at the paper and was very new, this sort of anxiety was normal. But a technic I learned in flying school called "bunk flying" helps. It's nothing more than pre-visualizing everything you think you'll encounter in your head at the event.
Everything right down to the equipment you'll bring and where you'll pose your subjects. It of course helps if you've been to the venue of the event preferably at the designated time. You want to get an idea of not only what the place looks like but also the lighting, hence the "time" element.
Mind you, when I worked for the newspaper, there are few instances when I can ask for something to be repeated or as they say in golf, ask for a "mulligan" or a "do-over."
Imagine asking for a repeat of the action when a baseball play occurs at home plate and you weren't paying attention.
So what's your best chance of capturing those once-in-a-lifetime moments?
Be prepared
Have all your gear in one bag. Keep your camera, flash, lenses and other accessories like extra memory cards in one bag. That way all you need to do is to grab it and you're ready.Remember, digital cameras without charged batteries are a paperweight. A camera with a full memory card is also a paperweight-both are good only for war stories.
Scout the location beforehand
Figure out where the light is for a particular venue or scene. In a church where there are stain glass windows and big doors, there will be spots where it is brighter than others. Be ready to shoot your subject at those spots.
Set Realistic Goals
If all you have is a short telephoto, realize you're limited by your equipment.
Either wait till your subject is closer, or try and get closer.
If you're shooting with a digital camera that has RAW capability, you could try taking your picture in that mode.
Shooting in RAW is like using a telephoto lens because you are capturing at the highest resolution you camera is capable of.
It will allow you to crop in, make your tiny subject bigger and just maybe allow you to get a decent image.
Because you don't have access to be front-and-center to most events, be realistic as to the kinds of pictures you can get. If all you have is a short telephoto, don't expect to get tight closeup shots. Instead wait for pictures with wide angles or pictures that you can take after an event is winding down.
As an example, graduations are great happy events to photograph, but you will be most hampered by lack of equipment and limited access.
Better Recurring/Annual Pictures
Just because you've shot some of these annual events over and over doesn't mean they need to be boring. Sure, shoot the same picture you did last year but push yourself to come up with something different.
Assess the lightingg
Have you stopped to think how those birthday cake scenes look with the room lights turned off?
Well, it actually looks very warm, inviting and nostalgic.
So next time you're ready to shoot this scene and it's indoors, turn off the lights.
If you have time, consider also changing the White Balance.
Don't forget there is no hurry. You can tell them to re-light the candles or wait while you check your camera's LCD as you make some tests.
Try a different viewpoint
If you've shot the quintessential blowing out the candles every year, try shooting from a different position or use a different lens.
A wide angle from close up from right up next to the cake by the candles can be a different view. This has the added benefit of allowing you to brace your camera in a low light situation.
Let the kids take their own pictures
Set up a makeshift photo studio. All you need is backdrop and camera on a tripod. Most cameras have a self-timer. You can try that or you can let them trip the shutter themselves if you can spare one camera on a tripod.
Do at least one group shot at the same location.
A group shot at the same location will show how everyone has changed year after year. If the same guests attend, this can be a great record to show how children have grown or changed. These need not be prize-winning pictures. They are mainly for the record type pictures.
Look for details and closeups.
An adult's hand holding a newborn's always makes for a nice intimate detail shot.
Finally while these are all events in your life, don't forget to gather important details like brochures of the places you camped. Years later, that information will add more meaning to your memories.
Peter Phun teaches photography at Riverside City College. He does portraits, weddings and editorial work. Read this more extensive illustrated article about photographing those special events. He writes about photography, Macs and the internet. He also designs websites and is a stay-at-home dad.
Previously, Peter worked as a staff photographer for 18 years at The Press-Enterprise, Southern California's 4th largest daily newspaper. He is the webmaster for the Mac user group in the Inland Empire. For more information about this Riverside based photographer, visit http://www.peterphun.com.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Shooting Excellent Fireworks Photos - Tips and Tricks
By Alex Don
When sky is illuminated with fireworks, one may get excited and try to capture the instantaneous moment. Often it ends up with failure due blurred or foggy or mixture of lights which does not depict the fireworks which we saw. This means shooting fireworks display is a challenge to a amateur photographer and the professional too. Shooting fire works display is simple if you follow few simple tips as given below by www.reshade.com excellent online photographic store.
1.Have the Right Exposure.
In order to get the unique looking fireworks photos, it has to captured at the exact moment when it occurs.
If your shutter speed of your camera is set wrongly, it may not snap at the precise time resulting in blurry or smoky images. It is important to set your camera to manual mode and the shutter speed to be set to snap in 1.6 seconds. Manually set your camera to snap in 1.6 seconds. Under these settings, you are certain to capture precise colorful fireworks go off which you wanted.
2. Use a good Tripod.
It is better to use a Tripod when taking Fireworks photos.
The reason is fireworks display not only display vibrant colors in the sky but also shows different arrays of lights moving fast at different directions. Hence, the handheld camera may not be able to hold without shaking to capture the fire work in its natural way. Using a tripod, the camera could be kept very still so that you could get the fabulous image of fire display.
3.Get Rid of the Flash.
Many believe use of flash during fireworks photography will assist them. The flash will not add any value to the fireworks photos. Hence, always keep the flash turned off during photographing fireworks displays. This means, its better to use the manual mode if you are using the digital SLR.
4.Use Low ISO setting
It is important to note that photographing fireworks is not similar to other photo sessions. Since most of the fire works displays are done during night, the vibrant color displays instantaneously, the light sensitivity of your camera has significant importance. For example, the ISO setting of your camera has to be low.
What the experts say is you have to keep the ISO to be kept at 100 so that you could get fantastic photos depicting the fire display which you were shooting.
5. Less Dependence on Automatic Features
Since the fire works photos are all to do with lighting, When you set the camera to auto mode and use for fireworks shooting, it will not capture the lighting properly resulting blurry or overexposed images. Always set the camera to the manual mode when shooting fireworks photos, you are certain to get clearer and dramatic pictures.
So we hope by following the simple steps above, you are sure of getting amazing fireworks photography. Make use of the digital camera's many settings to take many fireworks photos that will give you excellent pictures which may have an interest to many people. In conclusion, fireworks photography will give any photographer the opportunity to explore his talent and creativity.
Alex is an expert on photography with http://reshade.com. The company is specialized in picture processing and provides a freeonline picture resizer web-tool. It's also possible to get an image resizer application for Windows. Give it a try!
When sky is illuminated with fireworks, one may get excited and try to capture the instantaneous moment. Often it ends up with failure due blurred or foggy or mixture of lights which does not depict the fireworks which we saw. This means shooting fireworks display is a challenge to a amateur photographer and the professional too. Shooting fire works display is simple if you follow few simple tips as given below by www.reshade.com excellent online photographic store.
1.Have the Right Exposure.
In order to get the unique looking fireworks photos, it has to captured at the exact moment when it occurs.
If your shutter speed of your camera is set wrongly, it may not snap at the precise time resulting in blurry or smoky images. It is important to set your camera to manual mode and the shutter speed to be set to snap in 1.6 seconds. Manually set your camera to snap in 1.6 seconds. Under these settings, you are certain to capture precise colorful fireworks go off which you wanted.
2. Use a good Tripod.
It is better to use a Tripod when taking Fireworks photos.
The reason is fireworks display not only display vibrant colors in the sky but also shows different arrays of lights moving fast at different directions. Hence, the handheld camera may not be able to hold without shaking to capture the fire work in its natural way. Using a tripod, the camera could be kept very still so that you could get the fabulous image of fire display.
3.Get Rid of the Flash.
Many believe use of flash during fireworks photography will assist them. The flash will not add any value to the fireworks photos. Hence, always keep the flash turned off during photographing fireworks displays. This means, its better to use the manual mode if you are using the digital SLR.
4.Use Low ISO setting
It is important to note that photographing fireworks is not similar to other photo sessions. Since most of the fire works displays are done during night, the vibrant color displays instantaneously, the light sensitivity of your camera has significant importance. For example, the ISO setting of your camera has to be low.
What the experts say is you have to keep the ISO to be kept at 100 so that you could get fantastic photos depicting the fire display which you were shooting.
5. Less Dependence on Automatic Features
Since the fire works photos are all to do with lighting, When you set the camera to auto mode and use for fireworks shooting, it will not capture the lighting properly resulting blurry or overexposed images. Always set the camera to the manual mode when shooting fireworks photos, you are certain to get clearer and dramatic pictures.
So we hope by following the simple steps above, you are sure of getting amazing fireworks photography. Make use of the digital camera's many settings to take many fireworks photos that will give you excellent pictures which may have an interest to many people. In conclusion, fireworks photography will give any photographer the opportunity to explore his talent and creativity.
Alex is an expert on photography with http://reshade.com. The company is specialized in picture processing and provides a freeonline picture resizer web-tool. It's also possible to get an image resizer application for Windows. Give it a try!
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Power of Black and White
By Patrick Simons
In sterile, dictionary language, photography might be defined as, "the process, of recording visual images", or words to that effect. I didn't actually look up the definition, but you get the idea. In any event, rigid definitions don't exist when you're talking about art.
Which is the superior medium, color or black and white, film or digital are subjective questions, without definative answers. What works in one situation may fail miserably in another. Sporting events are one example of a situation when color is superior. Landscapes and portrature can go either way. A black and white landscape can save a picture from being overwhelmed by excessive color. Everything comes down to application and execution.
Why Black and White?
Great novel's have a way of expressing profound ideas in ways that go beyond mere recitation of fact. One need only think of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle", or Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Just as great ideas are sometimes most powerfully expressed through fiction, the best black and white photography speaks to deeper truth. Black and white allows the photographer as artist to reveal a world invisible to the naked eye. In black and white, abstract shapes, contrast, and recurring patterns have a psychological impact and dignity often unrealized in color. When the beauty of a common place item comes through in a photograph, the photograph has become art.
Photography began as black and white, or more specifically monochrome. Not all early images were truly black and white. Many had a brownish tint (sepia), and others even had hints of blue when the cyanotype process was employed.
If a relatively young art form can be said to have a 'classical' period, it would probably be that time when monochrome was the only option. The fist photographs to be considered art were all black and white. I suspect this may have let to psychological expectations as to what a classic photograph should look like. Achieving a timeless look has much to do with why many masters of photography continue to work in this medium. From a purely technical standpoint, black and white prints simply last longer. Even the very best color prints degrade over time.
For reason's I cannot explain, some things simply look better in black and white. My personal rule when retaining photographs is......"If in doubt, throw it out". The last thing I do before deleting a picture, is converting it to black and white. Most of them still get thrown out, however, just often enough to keep me doing it, I'm stunned by what I see in black and white. A ho-hum color picture suddenly possesses that indefinable something that makes it a keeper. I've thought long and hard as to why this should be so. I don't have any answers.
I should point out, that most of my work is in color. I love color, and it will probably always be my primary medium. There are times, however, when black and white stands out. If you've ever tried doing serious landscape photography, you know one of the most important considerations is getting the sky right. The best composition in the world won't compensate for a white sky, something that's caused many of my photos have hit the circular file. Setting the exposure meter against the sky can go a long ways towards preventing this problem, but the technique isn't foolproof. On an overcast day metering against the sky can result in other features being too dark.
This is less of a problem with digital photography, especially when shooting in the RAW format, but it can be serious issue with film. Black and white offers a way around this difficulty. If your digital camera has the option of shooting in black and white, by all means use it. Shooting in the black and white mode seems to add a depth and quality lacking when removing color on the computer. An even worse time to set the meter against the sky is midday in summer as that's the time wave lengths of light are at their most constricted. Every outdoor photographer knows the best times are those hours just after sunrise, and just before sunset. Unfortunately, we don't always enjoy the luxury of hanging around until the conditions are perfect.
The next time you're faced with this situation, try black and white with a red filter. Ansel Adams used this technique, and if Ansel did it, it should be good enough for anybody. The red filter turns that whitish midday sky to a dark, lovely grey in black and white. The darker the red filter, the darker the sky. In black and white the sky will look as if it had been a deep dark blue, and no one will be the wiser. Some big, puffy cumulus clouds will make it even better. If you have the opportunity to look at a collection of Ansel Adams photos, pay attention to how he often used clouds to great effect.
Digital photography has taken the black and white medium to unprecedented heights. Today's high end digital camera's and powerful computer software, give the modern photographic artist control the masters of old never dreamed of.
To see some of my black and white work, please visit http://www.highplainsphotosandframes.com
Patrick Simons, photographer, philisopher, seeker and a wanderer. http://www.highplainsphotosandframes.com/
In sterile, dictionary language, photography might be defined as, "the process, of recording visual images", or words to that effect. I didn't actually look up the definition, but you get the idea. In any event, rigid definitions don't exist when you're talking about art.
Which is the superior medium, color or black and white, film or digital are subjective questions, without definative answers. What works in one situation may fail miserably in another. Sporting events are one example of a situation when color is superior. Landscapes and portrature can go either way. A black and white landscape can save a picture from being overwhelmed by excessive color. Everything comes down to application and execution.
Why Black and White?
Great novel's have a way of expressing profound ideas in ways that go beyond mere recitation of fact. One need only think of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle", or Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Just as great ideas are sometimes most powerfully expressed through fiction, the best black and white photography speaks to deeper truth. Black and white allows the photographer as artist to reveal a world invisible to the naked eye. In black and white, abstract shapes, contrast, and recurring patterns have a psychological impact and dignity often unrealized in color. When the beauty of a common place item comes through in a photograph, the photograph has become art.
Photography began as black and white, or more specifically monochrome. Not all early images were truly black and white. Many had a brownish tint (sepia), and others even had hints of blue when the cyanotype process was employed.
If a relatively young art form can be said to have a 'classical' period, it would probably be that time when monochrome was the only option. The fist photographs to be considered art were all black and white. I suspect this may have let to psychological expectations as to what a classic photograph should look like. Achieving a timeless look has much to do with why many masters of photography continue to work in this medium. From a purely technical standpoint, black and white prints simply last longer. Even the very best color prints degrade over time.
For reason's I cannot explain, some things simply look better in black and white. My personal rule when retaining photographs is......"If in doubt, throw it out". The last thing I do before deleting a picture, is converting it to black and white. Most of them still get thrown out, however, just often enough to keep me doing it, I'm stunned by what I see in black and white. A ho-hum color picture suddenly possesses that indefinable something that makes it a keeper. I've thought long and hard as to why this should be so. I don't have any answers.
I should point out, that most of my work is in color. I love color, and it will probably always be my primary medium. There are times, however, when black and white stands out. If you've ever tried doing serious landscape photography, you know one of the most important considerations is getting the sky right. The best composition in the world won't compensate for a white sky, something that's caused many of my photos have hit the circular file. Setting the exposure meter against the sky can go a long ways towards preventing this problem, but the technique isn't foolproof. On an overcast day metering against the sky can result in other features being too dark.
This is less of a problem with digital photography, especially when shooting in the RAW format, but it can be serious issue with film. Black and white offers a way around this difficulty. If your digital camera has the option of shooting in black and white, by all means use it. Shooting in the black and white mode seems to add a depth and quality lacking when removing color on the computer. An even worse time to set the meter against the sky is midday in summer as that's the time wave lengths of light are at their most constricted. Every outdoor photographer knows the best times are those hours just after sunrise, and just before sunset. Unfortunately, we don't always enjoy the luxury of hanging around until the conditions are perfect.
The next time you're faced with this situation, try black and white with a red filter. Ansel Adams used this technique, and if Ansel did it, it should be good enough for anybody. The red filter turns that whitish midday sky to a dark, lovely grey in black and white. The darker the red filter, the darker the sky. In black and white the sky will look as if it had been a deep dark blue, and no one will be the wiser. Some big, puffy cumulus clouds will make it even better. If you have the opportunity to look at a collection of Ansel Adams photos, pay attention to how he often used clouds to great effect.
Digital photography has taken the black and white medium to unprecedented heights. Today's high end digital camera's and powerful computer software, give the modern photographic artist control the masters of old never dreamed of.
To see some of my black and white work, please visit http://www.highplainsphotosandframes.com
Patrick Simons, photographer, philisopher, seeker and a wanderer. http://www.highplainsphotosandframes.com/
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Great Poses Make For Better Pictures - Photography Tips
By David Gladstone
If you're anything like me, you love photographing people. What else could be more rewarding? But how do you pose them? It's more that just coming up with great poses, it's also about making your subject comfortable. It's about paying attention to who you're photographing.
One mistake many people make is to try and pose everyone the same way, or to use cliche poses. It's really best to keep your posing natural. Make your subject look comfortable by talking to them and getting to know them a bit better. This way you'll see which poses will look most comfortable for them.
The best approach to starting to pose a subject, is to keep it simple. Let them put their hands where they want to, and let them stand how they naturally stand. Now you can move on from there. But always keeping it simple. It's okay for men to put their hands in their pockets and it's okay for woman to cross their arms. After all they need to put their hands somewhere. Crossed arms are not necessarily a negative gesture as some people think, on the contrary they can make someone look proud and confident. Especially when they're smiling.
Sometimes using a stool can help when posing a photography subject. It anchors them and gives them one less thing to think about. This makes me think of a really good point. When your subject is on the stool, just focus on their face. This will give you less to worry about - less to pose. You can just focus on the expression. And while they're there, talk to them. Ask them questions. Do they have kids, what interests them? Questions about kids and family always relaxes a subject, and it gets them thinking about something else instead of being nervous in front of the camera.
Your words and actions can sometimes be more important than actual poses. Your job - your responsibility is to make them comfortable so they look great in their photographs. For more tips on what you can do to ensure you can handle the technical and creative side of capturing a great portrait, visit this Informative Site!
Know your camera and how to use it without thinking. Don't make the mistake of jumping into shooting a portrait without knowing your equipment. And learn some basic techniques on posing, so the portrait session will make your subject not only feel comfortable during the shoot, but also love their photographs after as well.
If you're anything like me, you love photographing people. What else could be more rewarding? But how do you pose them? It's more that just coming up with great poses, it's also about making your subject comfortable. It's about paying attention to who you're photographing.
One mistake many people make is to try and pose everyone the same way, or to use cliche poses. It's really best to keep your posing natural. Make your subject look comfortable by talking to them and getting to know them a bit better. This way you'll see which poses will look most comfortable for them.
The best approach to starting to pose a subject, is to keep it simple. Let them put their hands where they want to, and let them stand how they naturally stand. Now you can move on from there. But always keeping it simple. It's okay for men to put their hands in their pockets and it's okay for woman to cross their arms. After all they need to put their hands somewhere. Crossed arms are not necessarily a negative gesture as some people think, on the contrary they can make someone look proud and confident. Especially when they're smiling.
Sometimes using a stool can help when posing a photography subject. It anchors them and gives them one less thing to think about. This makes me think of a really good point. When your subject is on the stool, just focus on their face. This will give you less to worry about - less to pose. You can just focus on the expression. And while they're there, talk to them. Ask them questions. Do they have kids, what interests them? Questions about kids and family always relaxes a subject, and it gets them thinking about something else instead of being nervous in front of the camera.
Your words and actions can sometimes be more important than actual poses. Your job - your responsibility is to make them comfortable so they look great in their photographs. For more tips on what you can do to ensure you can handle the technical and creative side of capturing a great portrait, visit this Informative Site!
Know your camera and how to use it without thinking. Don't make the mistake of jumping into shooting a portrait without knowing your equipment. And learn some basic techniques on posing, so the portrait session will make your subject not only feel comfortable during the shoot, but also love their photographs after as well.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Early History of Photography
By Alberto Maeses
It was the French who can be credited with inventing the photographic process and it all began back in 1827. That was when a man by the name of Joseph Nicephore Niepce took the first actual crude picture. However, he was not alone in his experimentation because there were other Frenchmen who were also working on the same process.
Two Other French Guys
Indeed in 1829, Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, a French painter with fellow friend and French man Joseph Nicephore Niepce sustained the earlier effort by the first Frenchman in improving the photographic process.
The Product of their Work
Their work collaboration paved the way for the time reduction in undertsking the photographic process. The original photo that was taken in 1827 took 8 hours to develop and these two man were able to finally take and develop a picture in 30 minutes.
Photos and Graphing Yield Photograph
The term photograph was brought out in 1839. It was coined by a scientist whose name is John Herschel by combining 2 Greek terms. These 2 Greek words are photos and graphein which mean light and to draw respectively.
Invention of the Negative
Another big event in the history of photography occurred in the early 1850s when a man by the name of William Talbot invented the method by which a photographic negative could be used to create multiple photographs.
The Pioneer Mass Production of Box Camera
However, it was the advent of the first mass produced box camera produced by a man named George Eastman in 1889 that was to set the stage for the future of photography. Aside from conceptualizing the said mass production, he also launched a practical type of film in support of his invention.
Written by Alberto Maeses. Find the latest information on Car photography including History of photography.
It was the French who can be credited with inventing the photographic process and it all began back in 1827. That was when a man by the name of Joseph Nicephore Niepce took the first actual crude picture. However, he was not alone in his experimentation because there were other Frenchmen who were also working on the same process.
Two Other French Guys
Indeed in 1829, Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, a French painter with fellow friend and French man Joseph Nicephore Niepce sustained the earlier effort by the first Frenchman in improving the photographic process.
The Product of their Work
Their work collaboration paved the way for the time reduction in undertsking the photographic process. The original photo that was taken in 1827 took 8 hours to develop and these two man were able to finally take and develop a picture in 30 minutes.
Photos and Graphing Yield Photograph
The term photograph was brought out in 1839. It was coined by a scientist whose name is John Herschel by combining 2 Greek terms. These 2 Greek words are photos and graphein which mean light and to draw respectively.
Invention of the Negative
Another big event in the history of photography occurred in the early 1850s when a man by the name of William Talbot invented the method by which a photographic negative could be used to create multiple photographs.
The Pioneer Mass Production of Box Camera
However, it was the advent of the first mass produced box camera produced by a man named George Eastman in 1889 that was to set the stage for the future of photography. Aside from conceptualizing the said mass production, he also launched a practical type of film in support of his invention.
Written by Alberto Maeses. Find the latest information on Car photography including History of photography.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Use Depth of Field to Improve Your Digital Photos
By Tom Bonner
Depth of field is a photographic term that describes the area in a photograph that is in sharp focus. Although only a single plane in an image can be in true focus, various lenses and certain lens setting can create the appearance of a much wider area of focus. You can alter DOF by changing the aperture of the lens, the focal length of the lens or the distance to the subject.
A more academic approach to DOF would include discussion of things like circle of confusion and hyperfocal distance. For all practical purposes, however, you don't have to know about these advanced topics to include DOF effects in your photos.
There is no "good" or "bad" depth of field. Depending on your subject and your artistic vision, you may choose to use a wide DOF for some images and a very narrow DOF for others. If you are shooting a portrait, you may want a shallow DOF, so only the person's face is in sharp focus. If you are shooting a front three-quarter shot of a car, you may require a wide DOF, so everything from the grille to the rear bumper appears tack sharp.
There are three ways you can control depth of field:
1: You can move farther away or closer to your subject.
2: You can switch the lens focal length.
3: You can change the aperture of the lens to a larger or smaller opening.
Let's look into these methods more closely.
Depth of field varies as you move closer or farther away from your subject. If you have ever shot closeups with a macro lens, you undoubtedly noticed that only your subject was in focus, while everything else was dramatically fuzzy. Because the lens was extremely close to the subject, the image exhibits very shallow DOF.
The same effect, although less pronounced, occurs when shooting any subject. The closer a lens of a particular focal length is to the subject, the less apparent depth of field you will see in the resulting photograph. Don't expect to see a great difference in DOF unless you move the lens significantly. When you photograph something from afar, such as Big Ben or the Grand Canyon, chances are the entire subject will be in focus, because the subject was far away from the lens.
The second way to manage DOF is by changing lens focal length. Wide angle lenses tend to exaggerate the apparent depth of field, while telephoto lenses usually offer a shallow field of focus. The result is that almost everything will tend to appear in focus with a wide angle lens. In contrast, a telephoto will allow you to isolate your subject from the background and foreground.
As I indicated earlier, which focal length you choose will depend on what you are attempting to show in the photo. Suppose you are shooting a group of people seated around a table. Your goal will be to have everyone in focus, so a wideangle focal length will be the most appropriate choice.
On the other hand, maybe you are shooting a craftsman working in his crowded shop. You can use selective focus to isolate the man from the background. A long lens will display only the man in focus, while the rest of the image fades into a soft blur.
Many zoom lenses include both wide angle and telephoto settings. This means depth of field produced by a zoom lens will vary with the selected focal length.
The final way to control DOF is with lens aperture. Larger lens openings (smaller f-numbers) create shallower depth of field. Smaller lens openings create greater DOF. Think about what happens when you are trying to make out a sign that is too far away to read. Most people squint, causing their eye opening to be smaller and the sign to be more focused.
Your camera lens works exactly the same way. When you open the aperture to allow more light to pass through the lens, DOF becomes shallower. Stop the lens down to a smaller f/stop and DOF becomes more pronounced, causing more of the image to appear in focus.
Now that you understand the concept behind depth of field, consider how you can use this knowledge to improve your photographs. I've already discussed how you can select an appropriate focal length for a particular subject. But the available DOF options are much more complex. Great photographers learn how to manipulate DOF to create arresting photos.
Isolating a subject from the background, whether it is a flea or a battleship, always produces interesting subjects. Most photographers choose to shoot architectural subjects with a wide angle, because the wide focal length allows them to capture the whole building while standing close to it. To capitalize on shallow DOF, however, you could walk several blocks away and shoot with a telephoto, separating the building from other structures nearby.
Should the subject require many different elements to be in focus, you now know that you can achieve that result by either moving farther away, switching to a wide angle lens or selecting a smaller aperture. Naturally you can combine all these techniques to increase the DOF even further.
To understand more about depth of field, visit the basic photography area at Alphatracks.com to see photos and illustrations showing how DOF changes under different conditions.
Tom Bonner is the author of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A300/A350 Digital Field Guide, published by Wiley Publishing. A photographer for more than three decades, he offers photography and web design services to clients in the Charlotte, NC area.
Depth of field is a photographic term that describes the area in a photograph that is in sharp focus. Although only a single plane in an image can be in true focus, various lenses and certain lens setting can create the appearance of a much wider area of focus. You can alter DOF by changing the aperture of the lens, the focal length of the lens or the distance to the subject.
A more academic approach to DOF would include discussion of things like circle of confusion and hyperfocal distance. For all practical purposes, however, you don't have to know about these advanced topics to include DOF effects in your photos.
There is no "good" or "bad" depth of field. Depending on your subject and your artistic vision, you may choose to use a wide DOF for some images and a very narrow DOF for others. If you are shooting a portrait, you may want a shallow DOF, so only the person's face is in sharp focus. If you are shooting a front three-quarter shot of a car, you may require a wide DOF, so everything from the grille to the rear bumper appears tack sharp.
There are three ways you can control depth of field:
1: You can move farther away or closer to your subject.
2: You can switch the lens focal length.
3: You can change the aperture of the lens to a larger or smaller opening.
Let's look into these methods more closely.
Depth of field varies as you move closer or farther away from your subject. If you have ever shot closeups with a macro lens, you undoubtedly noticed that only your subject was in focus, while everything else was dramatically fuzzy. Because the lens was extremely close to the subject, the image exhibits very shallow DOF.
The same effect, although less pronounced, occurs when shooting any subject. The closer a lens of a particular focal length is to the subject, the less apparent depth of field you will see in the resulting photograph. Don't expect to see a great difference in DOF unless you move the lens significantly. When you photograph something from afar, such as Big Ben or the Grand Canyon, chances are the entire subject will be in focus, because the subject was far away from the lens.
The second way to manage DOF is by changing lens focal length. Wide angle lenses tend to exaggerate the apparent depth of field, while telephoto lenses usually offer a shallow field of focus. The result is that almost everything will tend to appear in focus with a wide angle lens. In contrast, a telephoto will allow you to isolate your subject from the background and foreground.
As I indicated earlier, which focal length you choose will depend on what you are attempting to show in the photo. Suppose you are shooting a group of people seated around a table. Your goal will be to have everyone in focus, so a wideangle focal length will be the most appropriate choice.
On the other hand, maybe you are shooting a craftsman working in his crowded shop. You can use selective focus to isolate the man from the background. A long lens will display only the man in focus, while the rest of the image fades into a soft blur.
Many zoom lenses include both wide angle and telephoto settings. This means depth of field produced by a zoom lens will vary with the selected focal length.
The final way to control DOF is with lens aperture. Larger lens openings (smaller f-numbers) create shallower depth of field. Smaller lens openings create greater DOF. Think about what happens when you are trying to make out a sign that is too far away to read. Most people squint, causing their eye opening to be smaller and the sign to be more focused.
Your camera lens works exactly the same way. When you open the aperture to allow more light to pass through the lens, DOF becomes shallower. Stop the lens down to a smaller f/stop and DOF becomes more pronounced, causing more of the image to appear in focus.
Now that you understand the concept behind depth of field, consider how you can use this knowledge to improve your photographs. I've already discussed how you can select an appropriate focal length for a particular subject. But the available DOF options are much more complex. Great photographers learn how to manipulate DOF to create arresting photos.
Isolating a subject from the background, whether it is a flea or a battleship, always produces interesting subjects. Most photographers choose to shoot architectural subjects with a wide angle, because the wide focal length allows them to capture the whole building while standing close to it. To capitalize on shallow DOF, however, you could walk several blocks away and shoot with a telephoto, separating the building from other structures nearby.
Should the subject require many different elements to be in focus, you now know that you can achieve that result by either moving farther away, switching to a wide angle lens or selecting a smaller aperture. Naturally you can combine all these techniques to increase the DOF even further.
To understand more about depth of field, visit the basic photography area at Alphatracks.com to see photos and illustrations showing how DOF changes under different conditions.
Tom Bonner is the author of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A300/A350 Digital Field Guide, published by Wiley Publishing. A photographer for more than three decades, he offers photography and web design services to clients in the Charlotte, NC area.
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