I received this email today, and thought you may like to share it.
Nothing to do with photography!
Len.
**********************************************************************************
A couple made a deal that whoever died first would come back and inform
the other of the after-life. Their biggest fear was that there was no
after-life.
After a long life, the husband was the first to go, and true to his word
he made contact:
"Mary. Mary."
"Is that you, Fred?"
"Yes, I've come back like we agreed."
"What's it like?"
"Well, I get up in the morning, I have sex, I have breakfast, off to the
golf course, I have sex, I bathe in the sun, and then I have sex twice.
I have lunch, another romp around the golf course, then sex pretty much
all afternoon.
After supper, golf course again. Then have sex until late at night.
The next day it starts again."
"Oh, Fred you surely must be in heaven."
"Not exactly,
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
I'm a rabbit in Suffolk ."
Thursday, 1 March 2007
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
A small tip for future brides to be.
Before posing at the front of your wedding carriage. Make sure the horse has been fed!
As for the photographer it might be better if it has not.
Bring a little fun into your digital wedding photography. Keep an eye open for that extra shot to make them smile, maybe misty up their eyes or just wow!
Len .
As for the photographer it might be better if it has not.
Bring a little fun into your digital wedding photography. Keep an eye open for that extra shot to make them smile, maybe misty up their eyes or just wow!
Len .
Friday, 23 February 2007
Photography for Professionals
Robyn Tellefsen
When French inventor Nicephore Niepce produced the first successful permanent photograph in 1826, he couldn't have known that photography would become such a popular pastime and profession.
These days, with the proliferation of digital cameras, photo editing software, and photo sharing sites, just about anyone can call himself a photographer. But if you aspire to be more than a blogger, you'll need to undergo specialized photography training.
Photography training
At Brooks Institute of Photography, you can prepare for your photography career through the bachelor's degree program in visual journalism. Throughout the course of the program, you'll work in depth on several photojournalism picture stories, emphasizing stories of social relevance that can make a difference in the world. For your documentary projects, you'll travel far and wide to find stories to tell visually. These photography courses will inspire you to discover how you see the world, what stories you need to tell, and what pictures are truly worth a thousand words.
In an interactive, all-digital, real-world photojournalism course, you'll gain the experience of transmitting photo assignments on deadline via FTP, just as you would for any newspaper or magazine today. In a digital video for photojournalists course, you'll build on photographic skills, learn simple storytelling and editing, and gain insight into other issues faced by videojournalists, whether working on a local paper's Web site or shooting for the broadcast world.
Photography certification
Once you've received solid photography training, you may wish to earn the Certified Professional Photographer credential offered by Professional Photographers of America through the Photographic Certification Commission. In order to earn this designation, you'll need to pass a comprehensive written exam measuring your technical expertise, and successfully submit your work to a panel of judges for review and approval.
You must renew this credential every five years to maintain your level of expertise and to continue to develop new skills and techniques. This can be accomplished by participating in continuing education programs and periodically submitting your work for critical evaluation.
Photography careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, photographers held about 129,000 jobs in 2004. More than half were self-employed, a much higher proportion than for most occupations. And, employment of photographers is expected to increase 9 to 17 percent through 2014.
Median annual earnings of salaried photographers were $26,080 in May 2004, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $54,180.
With specialized photography training, you can be more than a blogger -- you can become a professional photographer. To find college and career schools near you, surf http://www.CollegeSurfing.com.
When French inventor Nicephore Niepce produced the first successful permanent photograph in 1826, he couldn't have known that photography would become such a popular pastime and profession.
These days, with the proliferation of digital cameras, photo editing software, and photo sharing sites, just about anyone can call himself a photographer. But if you aspire to be more than a blogger, you'll need to undergo specialized photography training.
Photography training
At Brooks Institute of Photography, you can prepare for your photography career through the bachelor's degree program in visual journalism. Throughout the course of the program, you'll work in depth on several photojournalism picture stories, emphasizing stories of social relevance that can make a difference in the world. For your documentary projects, you'll travel far and wide to find stories to tell visually. These photography courses will inspire you to discover how you see the world, what stories you need to tell, and what pictures are truly worth a thousand words.
In an interactive, all-digital, real-world photojournalism course, you'll gain the experience of transmitting photo assignments on deadline via FTP, just as you would for any newspaper or magazine today. In a digital video for photojournalists course, you'll build on photographic skills, learn simple storytelling and editing, and gain insight into other issues faced by videojournalists, whether working on a local paper's Web site or shooting for the broadcast world.
Photography certification
Once you've received solid photography training, you may wish to earn the Certified Professional Photographer credential offered by Professional Photographers of America through the Photographic Certification Commission. In order to earn this designation, you'll need to pass a comprehensive written exam measuring your technical expertise, and successfully submit your work to a panel of judges for review and approval.
You must renew this credential every five years to maintain your level of expertise and to continue to develop new skills and techniques. This can be accomplished by participating in continuing education programs and periodically submitting your work for critical evaluation.
Photography careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, photographers held about 129,000 jobs in 2004. More than half were self-employed, a much higher proportion than for most occupations. And, employment of photographers is expected to increase 9 to 17 percent through 2014.
Median annual earnings of salaried photographers were $26,080 in May 2004, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $54,180.
With specialized photography training, you can be more than a blogger -- you can become a professional photographer. To find college and career schools near you, surf http://www.CollegeSurfing.com.
Monday, 12 February 2007
Hi! It’s Len again,
Well in the UK the last week we have a great opportunity to get a few good snow shots. Did you manage to get any? If you did why not share them with us. Send me an email to ...len@lenhuttonphotos.com
Well in the UK the last week we have a great opportunity to get a few good snow shots. Did you manage to get any? If you did why not share them with us. Send me an email to ...len@lenhuttonphotos.com
The Best Photo Business Opportunity
by Mark Fenwick
Where can you find the best photo business opportunity? Would you be surprised if I were to tell you that you don't have to look far ... that all you need to do is search inside yourself?
There are lots of photo opportunities, some of them don't work and even the opportunities that do work, will only work for some people.
Some people are happy taking wedding photos, or shooting sport. Others like to be out in the great outdoors capturing the magic light of dawn, or taking stock images for picture libraries. Some people are born to sell; others are terrified of trying to sell their work directly to say a gallery, or cold calling prospective clients. What's right for one person can be totally wrong for someone else.
Here are a few pointers that are worth bearing in mind:
1. Find something you're comfortable with and passionate about.
2. Match the business to your own strengths.
3. Look for multiple streams of income - have more than one source of income.
4. Carry on learning - the day you stop learning is the day you start to die. Take advice from successful people; you'll find most of them are happy to help.
One thing you must remember: it's not finding the best photo opportunity that's the really important thing; it's making it work. The successful business person is the one who makes a choice, sets some goals and then gets on with it; working at it until they are successful. You can do the same!
Some keys to making money are:
1. Give your business a professional image. Put yourself on a level footing with the big boys, even if you're only a one-person company.
2. Put the customer first. Take time and effort to look after your customers. You must be proud of your business and be happy to serve your clients.
3. Be market driven. Find out what the market wants.
4. Be ready for change and be prepared, for nothing is certain in business. Keep your eyes open and watch out for new trends and markets.
5. Learn not to waste money. Negotiate everything and run a tight ship, even when things are going well. At the same time realise that money invested wisely to improve the business, is money well spent.
6. Don't quit, believe in yourself and give everything your very best effort. Problems, new challenges, frustration, letdowns and mistakes are part of everyday business life. You must bounce back, learn from your mistakes and keep charging forward.
7. Realise that marketing is the key. Good marketing makes or breaks you.
Good luck with your photography business. Get out there ... and just do it!
About the Author
Mark Fenwick is a Fine Art Photographer. For photo tips of professional photography, and photography jobs and opportunities, visit http://www.PhotographyUpdate.com
Where can you find the best photo business opportunity? Would you be surprised if I were to tell you that you don't have to look far ... that all you need to do is search inside yourself?
There are lots of photo opportunities, some of them don't work and even the opportunities that do work, will only work for some people.
Some people are happy taking wedding photos, or shooting sport. Others like to be out in the great outdoors capturing the magic light of dawn, or taking stock images for picture libraries. Some people are born to sell; others are terrified of trying to sell their work directly to say a gallery, or cold calling prospective clients. What's right for one person can be totally wrong for someone else.
Here are a few pointers that are worth bearing in mind:
1. Find something you're comfortable with and passionate about.
2. Match the business to your own strengths.
3. Look for multiple streams of income - have more than one source of income.
4. Carry on learning - the day you stop learning is the day you start to die. Take advice from successful people; you'll find most of them are happy to help.
One thing you must remember: it's not finding the best photo opportunity that's the really important thing; it's making it work. The successful business person is the one who makes a choice, sets some goals and then gets on with it; working at it until they are successful. You can do the same!
Some keys to making money are:
1. Give your business a professional image. Put yourself on a level footing with the big boys, even if you're only a one-person company.
2. Put the customer first. Take time and effort to look after your customers. You must be proud of your business and be happy to serve your clients.
3. Be market driven. Find out what the market wants.
4. Be ready for change and be prepared, for nothing is certain in business. Keep your eyes open and watch out for new trends and markets.
5. Learn not to waste money. Negotiate everything and run a tight ship, even when things are going well. At the same time realise that money invested wisely to improve the business, is money well spent.
6. Don't quit, believe in yourself and give everything your very best effort. Problems, new challenges, frustration, letdowns and mistakes are part of everyday business life. You must bounce back, learn from your mistakes and keep charging forward.
7. Realise that marketing is the key. Good marketing makes or breaks you.
Good luck with your photography business. Get out there ... and just do it!
About the Author
Mark Fenwick is a Fine Art Photographer. For photo tips of professional photography, and photography jobs and opportunities, visit http://www.PhotographyUpdate.com
Thursday, 8 February 2007
How To Make Your Digital Photographs Stand Out
Ryan Gibson
Photography has become an increasingly popular hobby in recent years. With advances in technology, today's digital cameras make it possible to quickly and easily take good photos. Many people however are stuck in "automatic" mode (or rather their cameras are). Armed with a little knowledge about your digital camera (and some practice) your photos can go from good to outstanding. Following are some tips to help you get started.
White Balance
White balance is what determines the color temperature of your photo. Think in terms of warm and cool. Most photos taken with a digital camera will have a cool feel to them or in other words will have somewhat of a blue tint to them. This is generally the result you get when your white balance setting is set to auto. Photos with a warmer feel however, look more natural and thus are more pleasing to the eye. To achieve this affect locate the white balance adjustment on your digital camera. Most cameras will have several different settings for white balance. You want to choose the "cloudy" setting. This will add more red and yellow hues to your photo and in effect warms the tone of the shot.
Polarizing Filters
A polarizing filter is a great tool for adding a little extra "pop" to your photos. Polarizing filters actually serve two purposes; they reduce glare and unwanted reflections and they brighten up the colors in your photos. A polarizing filter is especially helpful when shooting outdoors. It will enhance landscapes with beautiful vibrant colors. Polarizing filters just screw right on to your cameras lens and you can find them in many sizes to fit most digital cameras. However, if you have a camera which doesn't accept filters (some of the smaller point & shoot ones do not) there is a trick you can use. Sunglasses will create the same basic effect. Just hold a pair of sunglasses as close as possible to the lens (make sure the glasses are not seen in the shot) and snap the photo.
Flash
Flash can add a lot of depth to your photos if used properly. When shooting in "auto" mode your camera will determine when to use flash. If your setting is bright enough, the flash will not be used. This is a great convenience if you're just taking quick snapshots but if you want to add more life to your photos switch your flash to "flash on" or "fill flash". This will allow your camera to use existing light for its exposure and will add flash to fill in dark shadows giving a softer feel to your photos. When shooting outdoors try to use the sun to light your subject from the side (never have your subject face the sun) and use the flash to fill in the shadows on the front of your subject. Check your camera's manual to determine the maximum distance that your flash will operate at.
Macro
Your digital camera probably has a setting called "macro" or "close up". This mode is best used in creative photography to achieve great detail in close up shots. What this mode does in essence is allow you to focus at a much closer distance to your subject than in your camera's normal mode. For example, if your camera in its normal mode has trouble focusing on subjects closer than 2 feet, you can switch to macro mode and you may be able to focus as close as 6 or 8 inches. This can make for a very dramatic shot. Be careful when using macro however because macro mode gives you a very shallow depth of field leaving a lot of your photo out of focus. Just experiment a little and you'll be taking great close up shots in no time.
These are just some basic tips and tricks to spark some creativity in your photography. Always experiment with your camera to find new and creative ways to express yourself. That's the great thing about digital photography you can experiment to no end without shelling out big bucks for film and processing. Happy shooting!
About the Author
Ryan Gibson is a freelance photographer and graphic artist. To learn more tips and techniques to enhance your digital photography visit http://www.digitalphotographyport.com
Photography has become an increasingly popular hobby in recent years. With advances in technology, today's digital cameras make it possible to quickly and easily take good photos. Many people however are stuck in "automatic" mode (or rather their cameras are). Armed with a little knowledge about your digital camera (and some practice) your photos can go from good to outstanding. Following are some tips to help you get started.
White Balance
White balance is what determines the color temperature of your photo. Think in terms of warm and cool. Most photos taken with a digital camera will have a cool feel to them or in other words will have somewhat of a blue tint to them. This is generally the result you get when your white balance setting is set to auto. Photos with a warmer feel however, look more natural and thus are more pleasing to the eye. To achieve this affect locate the white balance adjustment on your digital camera. Most cameras will have several different settings for white balance. You want to choose the "cloudy" setting. This will add more red and yellow hues to your photo and in effect warms the tone of the shot.
Polarizing Filters
A polarizing filter is a great tool for adding a little extra "pop" to your photos. Polarizing filters actually serve two purposes; they reduce glare and unwanted reflections and they brighten up the colors in your photos. A polarizing filter is especially helpful when shooting outdoors. It will enhance landscapes with beautiful vibrant colors. Polarizing filters just screw right on to your cameras lens and you can find them in many sizes to fit most digital cameras. However, if you have a camera which doesn't accept filters (some of the smaller point & shoot ones do not) there is a trick you can use. Sunglasses will create the same basic effect. Just hold a pair of sunglasses as close as possible to the lens (make sure the glasses are not seen in the shot) and snap the photo.
Flash
Flash can add a lot of depth to your photos if used properly. When shooting in "auto" mode your camera will determine when to use flash. If your setting is bright enough, the flash will not be used. This is a great convenience if you're just taking quick snapshots but if you want to add more life to your photos switch your flash to "flash on" or "fill flash". This will allow your camera to use existing light for its exposure and will add flash to fill in dark shadows giving a softer feel to your photos. When shooting outdoors try to use the sun to light your subject from the side (never have your subject face the sun) and use the flash to fill in the shadows on the front of your subject. Check your camera's manual to determine the maximum distance that your flash will operate at.
Macro
Your digital camera probably has a setting called "macro" or "close up". This mode is best used in creative photography to achieve great detail in close up shots. What this mode does in essence is allow you to focus at a much closer distance to your subject than in your camera's normal mode. For example, if your camera in its normal mode has trouble focusing on subjects closer than 2 feet, you can switch to macro mode and you may be able to focus as close as 6 or 8 inches. This can make for a very dramatic shot. Be careful when using macro however because macro mode gives you a very shallow depth of field leaving a lot of your photo out of focus. Just experiment a little and you'll be taking great close up shots in no time.
These are just some basic tips and tricks to spark some creativity in your photography. Always experiment with your camera to find new and creative ways to express yourself. That's the great thing about digital photography you can experiment to no end without shelling out big bucks for film and processing. Happy shooting!
About the Author
Ryan Gibson is a freelance photographer and graphic artist. To learn more tips and techniques to enhance your digital photography visit http://www.digitalphotographyport.com
Wednesday, 7 February 2007
Hi!
It’s Len here I’ll try to bring you a new tip or idea each week, when ever I can. If you have any questions or points you would like to discuss why not send me an email, and I’ll try to answer it or maybe one of you good people out there may have the answer and can help. Anyway feel free to join in.
len@lenhuttonphotos.com
It’s Len here I’ll try to bring you a new tip or idea each week, when ever I can. If you have any questions or points you would like to discuss why not send me an email, and I’ll try to answer it or maybe one of you good people out there may have the answer and can help. Anyway feel free to join in.
len@lenhuttonphotos.com
"7 Proven Tips and Techniques That Will Have You Taking Great Digital Photos That You Can Be Proud Of."
by Teresa Pocock
Taking great digital photos is not as hard as you might think!
In fact, if you are wondering how to take great digital photos, these 7 proven practical tips will tell you just that!
By following these quick tips and techniques you will significantly improve your digital photography to the point where you will be taking impressive photos everyday!
1) *** Take More Photos! *** Get out there and take more photos with your digital camera.
It won't cost you anything!
It will give you practice and skill using your camera so handling it will become second nature; you then have more time to think about the photo itself!
This tip will also increase your chances of getting that great photo - particularly with group shots, where you might find later that someone was blinking etc.
Children and pets are great to practice this tip on as they can be difficult to get that perfect shot of, and you will need to keep taking photos to capture it!
If you don't have a big enough memory card you will need to delete some photos every half hour or so.
A better option is to invest in a larger memory card. That way you can take as many photos as you need (always more than you think), and not worry about deleting those that don't quite make it until later!
2) *** Focus *** Make sure you and your camera are focusing on the same thing!
Check which 'mode' the camera is set at to see whether your camera is 'looking for' a single subject (often in Macro, Portrait and Sports Modes). Or is it trying to 'pull' everything into focus - such as in the Landscape Mode?
Set the camera to the appropriate mode for your subject, or use the auto mode - where the camera will decide for you the best focus and exposure for the subject.
3) *** Move In Closer *** Most people stand too far away from their subject!
Don't be afraid to get in close! Take a few steps closer and see what a difference it makes.
If you cannot get in closer, use your optical zoom (never the digital zoom) to bring the focus closer to you.
You could even kneel or stand on a chair to get in closer and to change the perspective of the photo.
Optical zoom uses the mechanics of your camera; digital zoom is an electronic function. Results from digital zoom often produce poor quality photographs.
4) *** One Key Subject *** Focus on one key subject to make the photo really stand out!
Stop trying to record everything you see!
Pick a focal point that will be the centre of 'attention' which you can concentrate on.
Using portrait or macro mode can help this technique as both have shallow depth of field - which effectively 'blurs' everything in front and behind the focused subject.
Try picking one key subject, such as a single flower, and see what the difference it makes to your digital photos!
There are factors which affect the depth of field, such as how close you stand to your subject, so you will need to experiment as see what works best for you.
5) *** Simple Backgrounds *** Try to find a 'simple' background for your subject.
One that is uncluttered and unobtrusive.
This can be particularly important for portrait and group photographs. You don't want to have a distracting background for a lovely soft portrait, or have the classic light pole 'growing' out of someone's head!
Move the subject/s into a position that will minimize the background.
Remember having the subject further from the background will also lessen its effect.
6) *** Off-Centre the Subject *** That's right! Get the subject out of the middle of the photo!
Use the 'rule-of-thirds' to position the subject in a pleasing location in the image.
The 'rule-of-thirds' is like having an imaginary 'tick-tack-toe' diagram drawn on your focus screen. Where those lines cross is where you place the subject.
This can really make a difference to your photographs.
But don't use it all the time - remember rules are made to be broken!
7) *** Use Flash *** Yes - even in daylight!
This is often called 'fill-flash'. Using it will lessen any harsh shadows, resulting in better light for your photo.
This tip is great if you take photos in the middle of the day when the light is harshest.
It works particularly well for portrait and group photography.
But remember the flash on your camera is only good for about 10 feet - don't stand too far away from your subject!
----------------------
These 7 tips and techniques are proven fundamentals of digital photography.
Start using them today and you will be taking great digital photos that you can be proud of!
Happy Snapping!
About the Author
Teresa Pocock is a successful author and published photographer who can teach you how to take first-class digital photos... even if you've never used a camera before! Ms Pocock is a member of the NAPP: National Association of Photoshop Professionals => http://www.yourdigitalphotosuccess.com
Taking great digital photos is not as hard as you might think!
In fact, if you are wondering how to take great digital photos, these 7 proven practical tips will tell you just that!
By following these quick tips and techniques you will significantly improve your digital photography to the point where you will be taking impressive photos everyday!
1) *** Take More Photos! *** Get out there and take more photos with your digital camera.
It won't cost you anything!
It will give you practice and skill using your camera so handling it will become second nature; you then have more time to think about the photo itself!
This tip will also increase your chances of getting that great photo - particularly with group shots, where you might find later that someone was blinking etc.
Children and pets are great to practice this tip on as they can be difficult to get that perfect shot of, and you will need to keep taking photos to capture it!
A better option is to invest in a larger memory card. That way you can take as many photos as you need (always more than you think), and not worry about deleting those that don't quite make it until later!
2) *** Focus *** Make sure you and your camera are focusing on the same thing!
Check which 'mode' the camera is set at to see whether your camera is 'looking for' a single subject (often in Macro, Portrait and Sports Modes). Or is it trying to 'pull' everything into focus - such as in the Landscape Mode?
Set the camera to the appropriate mode for your subject, or use the auto mode - where the camera will decide for you the best focus and exposure for the subject.
3) *** Move In Closer *** Most people stand too far away from their subject!
Don't be afraid to get in close! Take a few steps closer and see what a difference it makes.
If you cannot get in closer, use your optical zoom (never the digital zoom) to bring the focus closer to you.
You could even kneel or stand on a chair to get in closer and to change the perspective of the photo.
4) *** One Key Subject *** Focus on one key subject to make the photo really stand out!
Stop trying to record everything you see!
Pick a focal point that will be the centre of 'attention' which you can concentrate on.
Using portrait or macro mode can help this technique as both have shallow depth of field - which effectively 'blurs' everything in front and behind the focused subject.
Try picking one key subject, such as a single flower, and see what the difference it makes to your digital photos!
5) *** Simple Backgrounds *** Try to find a 'simple' background for your subject.
One that is uncluttered and unobtrusive.
This can be particularly important for portrait and group photographs. You don't want to have a distracting background for a lovely soft portrait, or have the classic light pole 'growing' out of someone's head!
Move the subject/s into a position that will minimize the background.
Remember having the subject further from the background will also lessen its effect.
6) *** Off-Centre the Subject *** That's right! Get the subject out of the middle of the photo!
Use the 'rule-of-thirds' to position the subject in a pleasing location in the image.
The 'rule-of-thirds' is like having an imaginary 'tick-tack-toe' diagram drawn on your focus screen. Where those lines cross is where you place the subject.
This can really make a difference to your photographs.
But don't use it all the time - remember rules are made to be broken!
7) *** Use Flash *** Yes - even in daylight!
This is often called 'fill-flash'. Using it will lessen any harsh shadows, resulting in better light for your photo.
This tip is great if you take photos in the middle of the day when the light is harshest.
It works particularly well for portrait and group photography.
But remember the flash on your camera is only good for about 10 feet - don't stand too far away from your subject!
----------------------
These 7 tips and techniques are proven fundamentals of digital photography.
Start using them today and you will be taking great digital photos that you can be proud of!
Happy Snapping!
About the Author
Teresa Pocock is a successful author and published photographer who can teach you how to take first-class digital photos... even if you've never used a camera before! Ms Pocock is a member of the NAPP: National Association of Photoshop Professionals => http://www.yourdigitalphotosuccess.com
Tuesday, 6 February 2007
When Pictures Paint A Thousand Words
by Low Jeremy
Portrait photography is probably the best kind of photography that defines human interest. Although it is considered as the easiest area of photography compared to others, portrait photography appeals to many people and photographers alike because it is quite interesting and challenging.
Since it's all about taking people's photos, a portrait photographer should possess a genuine interest in people that would eventually become their subjects. They should care about people and are natural conversationalists to break the ice.
Above all else, portrait photographers should also possess the skill to observe their subjects' characteristic gestures and expressions and can easily identify a person's best side and angle.
GETTING STARTED
If you think you have what it takes to be a portrait photographer, then you should familiarize yourself with the different areas of portraiture. Basically, there are different types of portrait depending on the usage or purpose.
Some of the common categories in which portrait photography falls into include amateur portraits of friends and family, photos of people in a social gathering, editorial portraiture where pictures are taken by photographers for newspapers, magazines and other publications' use, fine art portraiture where photos are taken specifically for display in museums and galleries, formal portraits where subjects pose for the purpose of a photograph and informal portraits or 'action shots' where the subjects do not intentionally pose for the camera.
THINGS TO CONSIDER AND RECONSIDER
Many photographers would agree that the intention of the photographer is what sets a photograph apart from a portrait. If you would want to try portrait photography, here are some of the things you might want to consider:
1. Camera. In portraiture, any 35mm SLR (single-lens-reflex) are fine. If you can afford a Digital SLR, it's better because you can save on film and processing. Never opt for a zoom point and shoot because it can't provide sharp outline and accurate results.
2. Lenses. There will be times that you need to emphasize or de-emphasize a specific feature of your subject at a certain distance. These are what the different kinds of lenses are for--to highlight or conceal any good or bad feature of the subject.
Many professional photographers suggest 300mm or 600mm lenses but for starters, typical portrait lenses that are between 90 and 135 millimeters long for 35mm cameras are okay. Nikon 105/1.8 (MF only), Canon 100/2 USM, and Canon 135/2 USM are some of the recommended portrait lenses available in the market.
3. Film. Since digital cameras no longer require the use of rolls of film, this should not be a big trouble for you. All you need is to look for a good compact flash that has high memory to produce high-resolution photos. But if you have a manual or SLR camera, purchase black and white and color films to provide choices to your clients.
4. Location. An ideal location for any portrait photography shoot is a studio. Aside from providing enough working space to work at, having a photo studio also ensures the safety of your equipment. But if you can't set up a studio yet, it is advisable to find a space that can provide you a working area.
In setting up a studio, consider the rental cost, size, accessibility to target market and the facilities offered. If you take environmental portraits, you wouldn't need a studio that much because your shoots will depend on the surroundings that create great impacts on your subject.
5. Lighting. If you have a portrait studio, consider the sources of light that would flatter your subjects. If your shoot is outdoors, it is advisable to choose an overcast day to avoid shadows in your photos.
About the Author
This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on photography & other useful information, please visit http://photography.articlekeep.com
Portrait photography is probably the best kind of photography that defines human interest. Although it is considered as the easiest area of photography compared to others, portrait photography appeals to many people and photographers alike because it is quite interesting and challenging.
Since it's all about taking people's photos, a portrait photographer should possess a genuine interest in people that would eventually become their subjects. They should care about people and are natural conversationalists to break the ice.
Above all else, portrait photographers should also possess the skill to observe their subjects' characteristic gestures and expressions and can easily identify a person's best side and angle.
GETTING STARTED
If you think you have what it takes to be a portrait photographer, then you should familiarize yourself with the different areas of portraiture. Basically, there are different types of portrait depending on the usage or purpose.
Some of the common categories in which portrait photography falls into include amateur portraits of friends and family, photos of people in a social gathering, editorial portraiture where pictures are taken by photographers for newspapers, magazines and other publications' use, fine art portraiture where photos are taken specifically for display in museums and galleries, formal portraits where subjects pose for the purpose of a photograph and informal portraits or 'action shots' where the subjects do not intentionally pose for the camera.
THINGS TO CONSIDER AND RECONSIDER
Many photographers would agree that the intention of the photographer is what sets a photograph apart from a portrait. If you would want to try portrait photography, here are some of the things you might want to consider:
1. Camera. In portraiture, any 35mm SLR (single-lens-reflex) are fine. If you can afford a Digital SLR, it's better because you can save on film and processing. Never opt for a zoom point and shoot because it can't provide sharp outline and accurate results.
2. Lenses. There will be times that you need to emphasize or de-emphasize a specific feature of your subject at a certain distance. These are what the different kinds of lenses are for--to highlight or conceal any good or bad feature of the subject.
Many professional photographers suggest 300mm or 600mm lenses but for starters, typical portrait lenses that are between 90 and 135 millimeters long for 35mm cameras are okay. Nikon 105/1.8 (MF only), Canon 100/2 USM, and Canon 135/2 USM are some of the recommended portrait lenses available in the market.
3. Film. Since digital cameras no longer require the use of rolls of film, this should not be a big trouble for you. All you need is to look for a good compact flash that has high memory to produce high-resolution photos. But if you have a manual or SLR camera, purchase black and white and color films to provide choices to your clients.
4. Location. An ideal location for any portrait photography shoot is a studio. Aside from providing enough working space to work at, having a photo studio also ensures the safety of your equipment. But if you can't set up a studio yet, it is advisable to find a space that can provide you a working area.
In setting up a studio, consider the rental cost, size, accessibility to target market and the facilities offered. If you take environmental portraits, you wouldn't need a studio that much because your shoots will depend on the surroundings that create great impacts on your subject.
5. Lighting. If you have a portrait studio, consider the sources of light that would flatter your subjects. If your shoot is outdoors, it is advisable to choose an overcast day to avoid shadows in your photos.
About the Author
This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on photography & other useful information, please visit http://photography.articlekeep.com
Sunday, 4 February 2007
Portrait Photography Tips
by TJ Tierney
Getting started at becoming a portrait photographer. Photographing people is the most popular form of photography today. Everyone takes shots of family and friends, but the majority of portraits end up poorly exposed, out of focus, and in the trash can..
A successful portrait photograph should capture a person's character and reveal something about their personality. A good portrait must be exposed correctly, with warm skin tone colours. The focal point of a good portrait image should be the eyes. This is the area of the face you must focus on accurately.
The eyes must be one hundred percent sharp to draw the viewer into the image. By choosing an aperture of F/8 or smaller and shooting at least three feet away from the subject you should create a depth-of-field to bring all parts of the face into good focus.
If you have a keen interest in portrait photography the potential to earn some extra cash or even set up your own studio is endless.
The equipment needed to get successful portrait images is basic. A standard 35mm camera is perfect. Cameras that use film are better than digital; portrait film allows you capture warmer skin tones. Digital cameras have their own advantage but the cost of having an up-to-date digital darkroom can be immense.
Once you have chosen your camera the next piece of equipment you need is a lens; lenses should have a focal length of between 85 mm and 135mm. They also permit you to fill the frame from a reasonable distance and help reduce perspective distortion, which I will cover in more detail in part 3.
Here is a list of equipment worth considering:
Exposure meter - this will help in calculating exposure
Cable release - is used to minimise camera movement
Studio lights - one studio light will do, but if you have more the effects can be a lot greater.
Reflector - this will be used to bounce light.
Now that you have your equipment, your next step is dealing with people.
Most people become tense in front of the camera - this is natural and the job of a portrait photographer is to make sure this doesn't affect the final print. A tense subject will lead to a poor dull image that no one will want to buy.
The key to creating a good portrait is having a relaxed subject - this may be achieved by talking to the subject while shooting the portrait. If this doesn't work play some music - people react to different kinds of things. Psychology plays an important part in the work of a portrait photographer and the younger the subject the harder it is to get a result.
TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer. For more tips you can visit his photography site. To view his images visit his on-line gallery of flower pictures or see his travel site.
Getting started at becoming a portrait photographer. Photographing people is the most popular form of photography today. Everyone takes shots of family and friends, but the majority of portraits end up poorly exposed, out of focus, and in the trash can..
A successful portrait photograph should capture a person's character and reveal something about their personality. A good portrait must be exposed correctly, with warm skin tone colours. The focal point of a good portrait image should be the eyes. This is the area of the face you must focus on accurately.
The eyes must be one hundred percent sharp to draw the viewer into the image. By choosing an aperture of F/8 or smaller and shooting at least three feet away from the subject you should create a depth-of-field to bring all parts of the face into good focus.
If you have a keen interest in portrait photography the potential to earn some extra cash or even set up your own studio is endless.
The equipment needed to get successful portrait images is basic. A standard 35mm camera is perfect. Cameras that use film are better than digital; portrait film allows you capture warmer skin tones. Digital cameras have their own advantage but the cost of having an up-to-date digital darkroom can be immense.
Once you have chosen your camera the next piece of equipment you need is a lens; lenses should have a focal length of between 85 mm and 135mm. They also permit you to fill the frame from a reasonable distance and help reduce perspective distortion, which I will cover in more detail in part 3.
Here is a list of equipment worth considering:
Exposure meter - this will help in calculating exposure
Cable release - is used to minimise camera movement
Studio lights - one studio light will do, but if you have more the effects can be a lot greater.
Reflector - this will be used to bounce light.
Now that you have your equipment, your next step is dealing with people.
Most people become tense in front of the camera - this is natural and the job of a portrait photographer is to make sure this doesn't affect the final print. A tense subject will lead to a poor dull image that no one will want to buy.
The key to creating a good portrait is having a relaxed subject - this may be achieved by talking to the subject while shooting the portrait. If this doesn't work play some music - people react to different kinds of things. Psychology plays an important part in the work of a portrait photographer and the younger the subject the harder it is to get a result.
TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer. For more tips you can visit his photography site. To view his images visit his on-line gallery of flower pictures or see his travel site.
Tuesday, 30 January 2007
Have Fun with your digital photography
A few weeks back we had our granddaughter over for the week end, I was walking past the bathroom when I heard my granddaughter call me. She was in the bath and wanted me to pick up one of her bath toys she had dropped; as I leaned over to do this she splashed me with water. I told her that I would get her back for that and I got my camera and took a photo of her. I was walking past a building construction site over the weekend when I saw a set of workman’s toilets and that gave me an idea. As I had my camera with me I took a photograph.
When I got home I downloaded the two pictures I quickly removed the background of the bath shot using the lasso tool and carried it over to the site toilet photo.
When I got home I downloaded the two pictures I quickly removed the background of the bath shot using the lasso tool and carried it over to the site toilet photo.
I asked my granddaughter what she was doing bathing in the toilet. You should have seen her face!
Go have fun with your digital photography.
Len Hutton
For more great hints on digital photography visit :
ttp://www.photographyebooks.co.uk/
http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/book/cb.html?hop=rowner
Monday, 29 January 2007
Thinking of being a professional wedding photographer.
By Len Hutton.
Planning on being a wedding photographer?
Plan the photographs you would like to take before the wedding day, talk the wedding photography plans over with the main parties involved in the wedding i.e. The Bride, Groom, Parents etc.
Before the ceremony.
Make sure you get to the wedding venue at least half an hour before the ceremony is due to start.
· Make a point of having a word with the Minister; ask if it is OK for you to take photographs during the ceremony. (Be warned most will say “No.”) That’s OK be polite and ask him where and when will be the best time to take the signing of the register and may be a couple of other shots, like leaving the church. i.e. Walking down the Aisle. (I have never met the minister that has not wanted to help me after that.)
· Now get back to the photography get photos of the Groom and Best Man arriving, Mum’s and Dad’s, the Brides Mum usually arrives with the Bridesmaids and the Brides Dad usually comes with the Bride, get the Bridesmaid’s arriving and take as many photographs as possible without keeping them hanging about, now you are using digital photography this will not be a problem as it will not be costing you any extra.
· Now the arrival of the Bride and Dad, take photos in the car, the Bride getting out of the car and the Bride and Dad standing by the car. Once again get as many shots as possible. But make sure you work fast, if they get fed-up at this early stage you’ve lost the battle before you start. Keep everyone sweet. SMILE. Tell the Bride how pretty she looks, or tell her what a lovely dress she has on or how nice her flowers look.
During the ceremony.
This may well be dominated by the perimeters that the minister allows you to work in. Many Priests/Ministers/Registrars etc will not allow you to take photographs during the ceremony, but, even if they do allow you to take photographs during the ceremony be discreet try not to use the flash, if you do have to use the flash avoid using it more than once or twice (no sooner than you use your flash, so too will many of the other guests and soon you will have started a light show that will not be appreciated by the minister!)
If possible try to get the main photographs. i.e. get Dad giving away the Bride, the exchanging of the rings, the blessing and the first kiss.
Make sure you get the signing of the register and walking down the Aisle after the ceremony, leaving the church.
After the ceremony.
At this point make sure that it is you who control of the show or else it will run out of control and you will never get it back. Get photos of the Bride and Groom coming out of the venue. Get the Bride and Grooms family, the Bridal groups variations of family groups and as many different poses of the Bride and Groom as possible also involving Bridesmaids, Pageboys, Aunts, Uncles etc. also try to get variations of brothers sisters and so on. Don’t forget to get the Bridesmaids on their own as solo portraits.
And finally the confetti photograph, avoid taking this photo too early on as this may upset the couples clothing as some friends try to put confetti down the couples back etc. and now a few photographs at the front of the car, maybe have one with the car door open, one getting into the car and one in the car.
At the reception
At the reception make sure you get your photographs before the Bride and Groom get too settled in, Try to get a mock photo of cutting the cake, and a few of the couple toasting each other. A good idea is to try to get Dad pouring out a glass of bubbly, and maybe the Best Man reading out a few cards with the Bride and Groom at the side of him looking at him maybe smiling or even laughing.
Finally
A few points to be sure you don’t forget.
Check your camera and flash before the wedding.
Keep an extra set of batteries handy on you all the time.
Keep checking your settings
Try to use a flash grip rather than a hot shoe flash on the camera.
Make the wedding FUN. You’ll enjoy it and so will everyone else.
Keep looking out for that WOW! shot.
Be polite.
In time you will develop your own style, but I find this a good template to work on.
One thing more
Always! Always make sure you get a wedding contract signed before you attempt to cover any weddings.
**************************************
If you are interested in photography or have any interesting stories or tips you would like to pass on, visit my web site. Or you can learn more about digital photography at;
http://digitalweddingphotographyinfo.blogspot.com/
http://www.photographyebooks.co.uk/
http:// www.lenhuttonphotos.com
**************************************
Planning on being a wedding photographer?
Plan the photographs you would like to take before the wedding day, talk the wedding photography plans over with the main parties involved in the wedding i.e. The Bride, Groom, Parents etc.
Before the ceremony.
Make sure you get to the wedding venue at least half an hour before the ceremony is due to start.
· Make a point of having a word with the Minister; ask if it is OK for you to take photographs during the ceremony. (Be warned most will say “No.”) That’s OK be polite and ask him where and when will be the best time to take the signing of the register and may be a couple of other shots, like leaving the church. i.e. Walking down the Aisle. (I have never met the minister that has not wanted to help me after that.)
· Now get back to the photography get photos of the Groom and Best Man arriving, Mum’s and Dad’s, the Brides Mum usually arrives with the Bridesmaids and the Brides Dad usually comes with the Bride, get the Bridesmaid’s arriving and take as many photographs as possible without keeping them hanging about, now you are using digital photography this will not be a problem as it will not be costing you any extra.
· Now the arrival of the Bride and Dad, take photos in the car, the Bride getting out of the car and the Bride and Dad standing by the car. Once again get as many shots as possible. But make sure you work fast, if they get fed-up at this early stage you’ve lost the battle before you start. Keep everyone sweet. SMILE. Tell the Bride how pretty she looks, or tell her what a lovely dress she has on or how nice her flowers look.
During the ceremony.
This may well be dominated by the perimeters that the minister allows you to work in. Many Priests/Ministers/Registrars etc will not allow you to take photographs during the ceremony, but, even if they do allow you to take photographs during the ceremony be discreet try not to use the flash, if you do have to use the flash avoid using it more than once or twice (no sooner than you use your flash, so too will many of the other guests and soon you will have started a light show that will not be appreciated by the minister!)
If possible try to get the main photographs. i.e. get Dad giving away the Bride, the exchanging of the rings, the blessing and the first kiss.
Make sure you get the signing of the register and walking down the Aisle after the ceremony, leaving the church.
After the ceremony.
At this point make sure that it is you who control of the show or else it will run out of control and you will never get it back. Get photos of the Bride and Groom coming out of the venue. Get the Bride and Grooms family, the Bridal groups variations of family groups and as many different poses of the Bride and Groom as possible also involving Bridesmaids, Pageboys, Aunts, Uncles etc. also try to get variations of brothers sisters and so on. Don’t forget to get the Bridesmaids on their own as solo portraits.
And finally the confetti photograph, avoid taking this photo too early on as this may upset the couples clothing as some friends try to put confetti down the couples back etc. and now a few photographs at the front of the car, maybe have one with the car door open, one getting into the car and one in the car.
At the reception
At the reception make sure you get your photographs before the Bride and Groom get too settled in, Try to get a mock photo of cutting the cake, and a few of the couple toasting each other. A good idea is to try to get Dad pouring out a glass of bubbly, and maybe the Best Man reading out a few cards with the Bride and Groom at the side of him looking at him maybe smiling or even laughing.
Finally
A few points to be sure you don’t forget.
Check your camera and flash before the wedding.
Keep an extra set of batteries handy on you all the time.
Keep checking your settings
Try to use a flash grip rather than a hot shoe flash on the camera.
Make the wedding FUN. You’ll enjoy it and so will everyone else.
Keep looking out for that WOW! shot.
Be polite.
In time you will develop your own style, but I find this a good template to work on.
One thing more
Always! Always make sure you get a wedding contract signed before you attempt to cover any weddings.
**************************************
If you are interested in photography or have any interesting stories or tips you would like to pass on, visit my web site. Or you can learn more about digital photography at;
http://digitalweddingphotographyinfo.blogspot.com/
http://www.photographyebooks.co.uk/
http:// www.lenhuttonphotos.com
**************************************
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
Have you bought that new camera yet?
By Len Hutton
Well … by now you must have decided to make it a digital camera.
Why a digital camera?
Here are just a few of the advantages to consider.
· The first most obvious advantage must be, that you know right away if you have got what you are trying to photograph, and if not you just retake it straight away.
· You can do away with having to wait till the film has been developed and printed to see your results, and of course the cost is negligible.
· With digital photography it costs no more to take 50 photographs than to take one.
· So having got the shot you were after you find you have made that dreaded mistake! You have a lamppost growing out of grandma’s head.
Why a digital camera?
Here are just a few of the advantages to consider.
· The first most obvious advantage must be, that you know right away if you have got what you are trying to photograph, and if not you just retake it straight away.
· You can do away with having to wait till the film has been developed and printed to see your results, and of course the cost is negligible.
· With digital photography it costs no more to take 50 photographs than to take one.
· So having got the shot you were after you find you have made that dreaded mistake! You have a lamppost growing out of grandma’s head.
Now what do you do? Once again with all the new software out there just download the image into your PC open a programme like Photoshop or Photo suite using a clone tool just eliminate the lamppost from the photo
and grandma will never know.
You also have many other tools you could use for various results.
You could crop your photo to any size you want
Eliminate red eye
Remove unwanted shadows
Zoom in to see if your image can be enlarged
Sharpen your image
Change colour to black and white or even sepia
Import other images into your photograph
And that’s just to mention a few of the things you can do with digital photography, you get the point.
Nowadays you can buy digital memory cards from one to eight GIG. That’s a lot of photographs. You can even get camera-to- printer if you want take your pictures plug your memory card straight into your printer and out come your photographs. So when you are on holiday, or even at a wedding you could just pop up to your room and while you are having your meal the wedding photographs could be printing and you will have your photographs even before the professional photographer.
You can also send your digital photographs instantly to your friends anywhere in the world on the Internet.
So if you were unsure as to whether you should buy a conventional camera or a digital camera I hope I have helped you a little toward making a decision
You can find a lot more information on digital photography, digital cameras, digital printing ETC at;
You also have many other tools you could use for various results.
You could crop your photo to any size you want
Eliminate red eye
Remove unwanted shadows
Zoom in to see if your image can be enlarged
Sharpen your image
Change colour to black and white or even sepia
Import other images into your photograph
And that’s just to mention a few of the things you can do with digital photography, you get the point.
Nowadays you can buy digital memory cards from one to eight GIG. That’s a lot of photographs. You can even get camera-to- printer if you want take your pictures plug your memory card straight into your printer and out come your photographs. So when you are on holiday, or even at a wedding you could just pop up to your room and while you are having your meal the wedding photographs could be printing and you will have your photographs even before the professional photographer.
You can also send your digital photographs instantly to your friends anywhere in the world on the Internet.
So if you were unsure as to whether you should buy a conventional camera or a digital camera I hope I have helped you a little toward making a decision
You can find a lot more information on digital photography, digital cameras, digital printing ETC at;
Monday, 22 January 2007
Freelance Photography: How to Begin Your Career
by Colin Hartness
Photography is a vast world. There are many different types of photography and many different kinds of people that enjoy it. It’s a hobby that be relatively inexpensive or one that you can invest a lot of money on. Photos are so special because they give us memories of times and places and events in our lives. We can hold onto these memories forever with a photograph.
As much as people love photos, many people love taking them even more. Whether it’s a mother who takes photos at every of her children’s moments in life (first smile, first step, first spaghetti meal) or maybe it’s the father who never forgets his camera for a football or basketball game, or maybe it’s the young girl who loves nature hikes with her camera; these people are not exceptions. They all have an eye for those special moments and they all appreciate the camera’s ability to capture that moment and freeze it in time forever.
What is Freelance Photography?
What if you love photography so much you wish you could do it for a living? I mean, you actually get paid for your photographs! But you work solely for yourself, selling each photo or series of photos individually. You don’t have a boss. You work sometimes on assignment and you may sell to magazines. That is freelance photography.
Freelance photography may be your entire career or it may start out as something you do in your spare time but begin making money from it. It’s just like freelance writing in this sense that many people turn it into a career and enjoy the freedom of working essentially for themselves on their own time and making money doing something they love doing anyway.
How to Build a Portfolio
To start getting jobs as a freelance photographer, you need a portfolio. A portfolio will show samples of your work. Even if you have never had photographs published or publicly displayed, you can start a portfolio of your best work and then add onto it if you win photography contests or start receiving paid work.
How to Get Jobs
As we mentioned, building a portfolio is the first step in submitting your work for pay but when it comes right down to it, it’s the quality of the photo that will determine if you get paid for it. Some people have more of a natural talent for taking great pictures than others but it is a skill that anyone can learn. There are schools dedicated to the art of photography and you can even get a degree in it. If you are just getting started, you can look into classes provided by your local community center or community college. Some cities have photography groups that meet to share photos and tips. There are also many groups online dedicated to photography and freelance photography.
You need to view as many famous photographs as possible. Take a look at what is getting published and compare it to your own photos. This allows you to compare and learn from other’s work. It takes more than just point and shoot to get a great photo. You need to learn about focus, lighting, colors and backgrounds and much more.
Once you start learning about photography and creating a portfolio, you can start submitting your photos to contests and magazines. Get a list of photography markets and start submitting to ones that accept your type of photos. Don’t expect to make it to the big times right away. Few people actually achieve this but you can start small and eventually make your way into a nice living from freelance photography. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looking for information about Photography?Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com 'ASA Photography' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Photography! Check out more Photography articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photography is a vast world. There are many different types of photography and many different kinds of people that enjoy it. It’s a hobby that be relatively inexpensive or one that you can invest a lot of money on. Photos are so special because they give us memories of times and places and events in our lives. We can hold onto these memories forever with a photograph.
As much as people love photos, many people love taking them even more. Whether it’s a mother who takes photos at every of her children’s moments in life (first smile, first step, first spaghetti meal) or maybe it’s the father who never forgets his camera for a football or basketball game, or maybe it’s the young girl who loves nature hikes with her camera; these people are not exceptions. They all have an eye for those special moments and they all appreciate the camera’s ability to capture that moment and freeze it in time forever.
What is Freelance Photography?
What if you love photography so much you wish you could do it for a living? I mean, you actually get paid for your photographs! But you work solely for yourself, selling each photo or series of photos individually. You don’t have a boss. You work sometimes on assignment and you may sell to magazines. That is freelance photography.
Freelance photography may be your entire career or it may start out as something you do in your spare time but begin making money from it. It’s just like freelance writing in this sense that many people turn it into a career and enjoy the freedom of working essentially for themselves on their own time and making money doing something they love doing anyway.
How to Build a Portfolio
To start getting jobs as a freelance photographer, you need a portfolio. A portfolio will show samples of your work. Even if you have never had photographs published or publicly displayed, you can start a portfolio of your best work and then add onto it if you win photography contests or start receiving paid work.
How to Get Jobs
As we mentioned, building a portfolio is the first step in submitting your work for pay but when it comes right down to it, it’s the quality of the photo that will determine if you get paid for it. Some people have more of a natural talent for taking great pictures than others but it is a skill that anyone can learn. There are schools dedicated to the art of photography and you can even get a degree in it. If you are just getting started, you can look into classes provided by your local community center or community college. Some cities have photography groups that meet to share photos and tips. There are also many groups online dedicated to photography and freelance photography.
You need to view as many famous photographs as possible. Take a look at what is getting published and compare it to your own photos. This allows you to compare and learn from other’s work. It takes more than just point and shoot to get a great photo. You need to learn about focus, lighting, colors and backgrounds and much more.
Once you start learning about photography and creating a portfolio, you can start submitting your photos to contests and magazines. Get a list of photography markets and start submitting to ones that accept your type of photos. Don’t expect to make it to the big times right away. Few people actually achieve this but you can start small and eventually make your way into a nice living from freelance photography. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looking for information about Photography?Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com 'ASA Photography' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Photography! Check out more Photography articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, 18 January 2007
Digital photography is art
Kevin Rockwell
Well we used to all go out and shoot images on our film cameras, run the film to the corner store or kiosk to get it developed and then once the prints were hand we tended to stick them away without much more than a few minutes notice. Those days are no more as digital photography has grabbed hold of the consumer marketplace. Now we have tons of images in our cameras, on our hard disks and the options of what to do with them are growing and growing every year.
Digital photography has now found its way into more than half of the homes in America. However most people still order out to get their images printed. Maybe it is not the corner film kiosk of the old days but there is still a very strong market for image printing. Nowadays you can take your images to Costco, the nearby photo store where they might have a digital printing kiosk in the store, or you can upload them to the various internet sites devoted to printing your images such as Shutterfly, Ofoto, and Snapfish to name a few.
Since the year 2000 the number of images converted into conventional prints has been steadily sliding down and could go 5% further this year. However due to the interesting rise of alternative ways to print your images the industry predicts that revenues will rise overall this year. Now why would that be?
Well it turns out that there are some very lucrative ways for companies to make money in the digital age including printing reproductions from digital photographs onto posters, stamps, postcards, T-shirts, chairs, wallpaper, and bronze plaques. Even ceramic tile is being used as a medium for digital printing as designers are using images to decorate them for spas, restaurants, and fireplace mantels.
We have now entered the era of functional art versus just decorative art. Now you can touch it and get a more personal feeling from your digital photography. In addition you can put these digital images on wood, stone, plastic, and metal as well as conventional paper of every type. Either through software on your own computer or through vendors consumers can print their images on birthday cards, calendars, and storytelling photo books that actually get used instead of being tucked away in a drawer like most of our albums of old.
The camera makers have done a fine job of selling digital cameras to the population, but now that they are so infused to the marketplace it will take some creativity to for them to make money off of these sales going forward beyond just getting us to upgrade our digital cameras every year or two.
That will require some new methods for organizing digital photos, new methods of displaying images (perhaps along the lines of the wireless digital display frames that have shown some promise of late) and the ability to print our own custom books using our own digital photographs. That is something that would stay out on display in my home!
Did you know that in the past ten years digital cameras have managed to be sold into over half the homes in the US? The prediction is that number could go as high as seventy per cent by the yearn 2009. Old line film companies like Kodak have had to scramble to move into the digital camera game, with a fair amount of success as they applied old film lessons to their line of digital cameras such as consumer simplicity first, but even they are still leaning on the sales of inks used to print images on computers to hold the profit line.
They have over 75,000 in store kiosks installed throughout the country and are planning for new ones that can handle 900 prints per hour! Retail is strong for getting your digital prints as the big stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco battle it out for your business and in the on line market the field has been whittled down to the strongest. That means that the price per print that was once in the high twenties has now dropped to around 17 cents per print on line and 21 cents per print in store.
So where do you go for these art versions of your digital images? Be prepared to spend more for the experience but get a nice artistic version of your digital photography. Some of the spots to check out are Zazzle.com, Photopetgifts.com, and Matthewsbronze.com. For custom digital photo books you should check out Shutterfly. Imagine the look on your kids face when you give them storybook and it features images of them in the story!
Kevin Rockwell worked in network TV for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography he works to gather tips and news for digital camera users. http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html
Well we used to all go out and shoot images on our film cameras, run the film to the corner store or kiosk to get it developed and then once the prints were hand we tended to stick them away without much more than a few minutes notice. Those days are no more as digital photography has grabbed hold of the consumer marketplace. Now we have tons of images in our cameras, on our hard disks and the options of what to do with them are growing and growing every year.
Digital photography has now found its way into more than half of the homes in America. However most people still order out to get their images printed. Maybe it is not the corner film kiosk of the old days but there is still a very strong market for image printing. Nowadays you can take your images to Costco, the nearby photo store where they might have a digital printing kiosk in the store, or you can upload them to the various internet sites devoted to printing your images such as Shutterfly, Ofoto, and Snapfish to name a few.
Since the year 2000 the number of images converted into conventional prints has been steadily sliding down and could go 5% further this year. However due to the interesting rise of alternative ways to print your images the industry predicts that revenues will rise overall this year. Now why would that be?
Well it turns out that there are some very lucrative ways for companies to make money in the digital age including printing reproductions from digital photographs onto posters, stamps, postcards, T-shirts, chairs, wallpaper, and bronze plaques. Even ceramic tile is being used as a medium for digital printing as designers are using images to decorate them for spas, restaurants, and fireplace mantels.
We have now entered the era of functional art versus just decorative art. Now you can touch it and get a more personal feeling from your digital photography. In addition you can put these digital images on wood, stone, plastic, and metal as well as conventional paper of every type. Either through software on your own computer or through vendors consumers can print their images on birthday cards, calendars, and storytelling photo books that actually get used instead of being tucked away in a drawer like most of our albums of old.
The camera makers have done a fine job of selling digital cameras to the population, but now that they are so infused to the marketplace it will take some creativity to for them to make money off of these sales going forward beyond just getting us to upgrade our digital cameras every year or two.
That will require some new methods for organizing digital photos, new methods of displaying images (perhaps along the lines of the wireless digital display frames that have shown some promise of late) and the ability to print our own custom books using our own digital photographs. That is something that would stay out on display in my home!
Did you know that in the past ten years digital cameras have managed to be sold into over half the homes in the US? The prediction is that number could go as high as seventy per cent by the yearn 2009. Old line film companies like Kodak have had to scramble to move into the digital camera game, with a fair amount of success as they applied old film lessons to their line of digital cameras such as consumer simplicity first, but even they are still leaning on the sales of inks used to print images on computers to hold the profit line.
They have over 75,000 in store kiosks installed throughout the country and are planning for new ones that can handle 900 prints per hour! Retail is strong for getting your digital prints as the big stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco battle it out for your business and in the on line market the field has been whittled down to the strongest. That means that the price per print that was once in the high twenties has now dropped to around 17 cents per print on line and 21 cents per print in store.
So where do you go for these art versions of your digital images? Be prepared to spend more for the experience but get a nice artistic version of your digital photography. Some of the spots to check out are Zazzle.com, Photopetgifts.com, and Matthewsbronze.com. For custom digital photo books you should check out Shutterfly. Imagine the look on your kids face when you give them storybook and it features images of them in the story!
Kevin Rockwell worked in network TV for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography he works to gather tips and news for digital camera users. http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html
Tuesday, 16 January 2007
Digital Photography: What Does It Mean?
Digital photography is very popular these days. If you have recently shifted from film cameras to digital photography, it is essential that you understand the various terms and abbreviations associated with it:
A PIXEL It is the smallest part of a digital image. Pixels are combined with millions of other pixels to form a photo image. The resolution of digital cameras is expressed in terms of pixels.
The total quantity of pixels in a photo image is the RESOLUTION. The quality of the picture becomes sharper and better with the increase in resolution; more pixels mean better the quality.
One million pixels make a MEGAPIXEL. A picture with three or four megapixels will have much better quality than a picture with just one.
DPI (dots per inch) is used to describe the quality of a printer or computer monitor. Laser printers have about 300 dpi resolution, while monitors only have 72. Photo quality inkjet printers have a dpi of at least 1200 dpi. Here again, more the dpi, better the quality.
MEGABYTE represents computer memory. One megabyte equals one million bytes of file storage capacity.
JPEG stands for joint photographic experts group. It represents a format for storing images in digital cameras. JPEG files can be displayed easily on the Internet and e-mailed.
The digital files of all digital cameras need to be stored on a MEMORY CARD. The sizes of these cards depend upon the amount of storage capacity required. For convenience, buy as big of a card as you can afford. This is one computer-related storage space youll use all of, routinely.
LCD is an acronym for liquid crystal display. Most digital cameras have this feature so that the photographer can check the scene before clicking, then review the picture after taking the photo.
Happy clicking!http://www.travel-outdoor-tips.com http://www.recreation-news-magazine.com
A PIXEL It is the smallest part of a digital image. Pixels are combined with millions of other pixels to form a photo image. The resolution of digital cameras is expressed in terms of pixels.
The total quantity of pixels in a photo image is the RESOLUTION. The quality of the picture becomes sharper and better with the increase in resolution; more pixels mean better the quality.
One million pixels make a MEGAPIXEL. A picture with three or four megapixels will have much better quality than a picture with just one.
DPI (dots per inch) is used to describe the quality of a printer or computer monitor. Laser printers have about 300 dpi resolution, while monitors only have 72. Photo quality inkjet printers have a dpi of at least 1200 dpi. Here again, more the dpi, better the quality.
MEGABYTE represents computer memory. One megabyte equals one million bytes of file storage capacity.
JPEG stands for joint photographic experts group. It represents a format for storing images in digital cameras. JPEG files can be displayed easily on the Internet and e-mailed.
The digital files of all digital cameras need to be stored on a MEMORY CARD. The sizes of these cards depend upon the amount of storage capacity required. For convenience, buy as big of a card as you can afford. This is one computer-related storage space youll use all of, routinely.
LCD is an acronym for liquid crystal display. Most digital cameras have this feature so that the photographer can check the scene before clicking, then review the picture after taking the photo.
Happy clicking!http://www.travel-outdoor-tips.com http://www.recreation-news-magazine.com
Monday, 15 January 2007
Photography Contest - a fun and rewarding experience
Colin Hartness
Do you like to take photos? Are you always standing by with your camera waiting for that moment that is meant to be captured on camera? You may even be taking photography classes or maybe you have already completed a photography course and you want to share your photos with others. You may want to get into photography as a career and winning a photography contest will help you get recognized. Maybe you are just an amateur that has a favorite photo that people keep telling you to enter.
Whatever your reasons, a photography contest can be a fun and rewarding experience for you. To find out all you need to know about entering a photography contest, read on.
How to Enter a Photography Contest
There are some excellent photography contests out there, some even offer large cash prizes, scholarships to photography schools and really nice cameras and camera supplies. Aside from the prizes, winning a contest may be your opportunity to showcase your photography skills in a national magazine. Its easy to see why someone would want to enter a contest.
First you are going to want to choose a contest. In fact, there are so many out there you should make a list of ones you are interested in competing in. There are contests in almost every category you can think of; wildlife, underwater, boats, boat docks, people, children, self portraits, birds, tress, flowers, and much more. Some contests are not category-specific but leave you freedom to use your creativity.
Next, you will double check the dates for entries to make sure you are not wasting your time sending to one that has already reached its deadline. You will also want to check any and all requirements to the contest and make sure you qualify. You will then want to check for any fine print and be sure you agree with the terms. For example, some contests have rules about copyright and you give up copyright by submitting, others ask for print to publish even if you dont win, and without notifying you. If you do not agree to the terms of the contest, you should not enter. By entering, you are agreeing to the terms. There may also be entry fees required for the contests.
Tips for Better Photos
You may be amateur but if you are entering a photography contest, you are competing with the best of the best. You are going to need your photos to be excellent if you expect to win. There are different things that make up a good photo. If your photography contest is based on a topic, then that topic is going to be counted as part of the score. You will want to be original and if possible, catch a scene that has not been done before. You really want to impress the judges with something you do not normally see.
Next to consider, are your technical aspects of your photograph. You are going to want to have excellent composition, lighting, focus, contrast, exposure, perspective and more. There are many factors involved in taking the picture that will win the photography contest. You may not win every time but you should learn something about photography and how to make yours better each time you enter.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Looking for information about Photography?Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com 'ASA Photography' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Photography! Check out more cruise articles articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive
Do you like to take photos? Are you always standing by with your camera waiting for that moment that is meant to be captured on camera? You may even be taking photography classes or maybe you have already completed a photography course and you want to share your photos with others. You may want to get into photography as a career and winning a photography contest will help you get recognized. Maybe you are just an amateur that has a favorite photo that people keep telling you to enter.
Whatever your reasons, a photography contest can be a fun and rewarding experience for you. To find out all you need to know about entering a photography contest, read on.
How to Enter a Photography Contest
There are some excellent photography contests out there, some even offer large cash prizes, scholarships to photography schools and really nice cameras and camera supplies. Aside from the prizes, winning a contest may be your opportunity to showcase your photography skills in a national magazine. Its easy to see why someone would want to enter a contest.
First you are going to want to choose a contest. In fact, there are so many out there you should make a list of ones you are interested in competing in. There are contests in almost every category you can think of; wildlife, underwater, boats, boat docks, people, children, self portraits, birds, tress, flowers, and much more. Some contests are not category-specific but leave you freedom to use your creativity.
Next, you will double check the dates for entries to make sure you are not wasting your time sending to one that has already reached its deadline. You will also want to check any and all requirements to the contest and make sure you qualify. You will then want to check for any fine print and be sure you agree with the terms. For example, some contests have rules about copyright and you give up copyright by submitting, others ask for print to publish even if you dont win, and without notifying you. If you do not agree to the terms of the contest, you should not enter. By entering, you are agreeing to the terms. There may also be entry fees required for the contests.
Tips for Better Photos
You may be amateur but if you are entering a photography contest, you are competing with the best of the best. You are going to need your photos to be excellent if you expect to win. There are different things that make up a good photo. If your photography contest is based on a topic, then that topic is going to be counted as part of the score. You will want to be original and if possible, catch a scene that has not been done before. You really want to impress the judges with something you do not normally see.
Next to consider, are your technical aspects of your photograph. You are going to want to have excellent composition, lighting, focus, contrast, exposure, perspective and more. There are many factors involved in taking the picture that will win the photography contest. You may not win every time but you should learn something about photography and how to make yours better each time you enter.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Looking for information about Photography?Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com 'ASA Photography' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Photography! Check out more cruise articles articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
What is Macro Photography?
Felix Zhucha
One of the most satisfying forms of photography, and one of the easiest to master is macro photography.
A practical way for defining macro photography is by the strength of the lens, or how nearby it can focus. For true macro photography, you'll want to have a lens that focuses down to a 1:1 range. For example,for 35mm film,your camera has to have the ability to focus on an area at least as small as 2436mm ,because this is the size of the image on the film.After having the film developed,the picture of the subject on the negative or slide will be exactly the same size as the subject photographed.
What makes macro photography seductive is the level of detail that you see, sometimes for the first time - familiar objects become unusual and abstract and unusual objects become even more interesting.
There are many applications for macro photography: flowers,plants,butterflies, minerals,snowflakes... Your own backyard, a local garden,beach or forest can provide you with hours of fun with macro photography.
Of course macro photography isn't always centred on the natural world. Collectors use macro photography to record coins,stamps and other collectibles that are very small.Some people use macro photography for documenting their possessions for insurance purposes or to illustrate their auction listings online.
Working with macro photography can be a whole new visual event for even the most advanced photographers.Every day can yield another subject and an endless supply of captivating images.The possibilities of macro photography are limited only by your imagination.
If you are interested in macro photography, then by all means consider purchasing a dedicated macro lens.SLR digital cameras with interchangeable lenses are ideal for macro photography.If you're primarily interested in outdoor photography, consider a 180mm or 200mm macro lens.
Alternatively you can use extension tubes,reversing rings, or close-up diopter lens.
An extension tube is placed between the camera body and the lens.There is no glass in the tube - its purpose is to move the lens farther from the film (or digital sensor) so that magnification can be bigger.
Reversing ring is attached on the front of a lens and makes it possible to attach the lens in reverse.
Close-up diopter lens are placed in front of the camera's main lens. These screw-in or slip-on attachments provide close focusing at very low cost.However,the quality of the pictures is variable.
About The Author:
Felix Zhucha owns http://www.postersphotosartwork.com . Come and find popular art photographs and posters.
One of the most satisfying forms of photography, and one of the easiest to master is macro photography.
A practical way for defining macro photography is by the strength of the lens, or how nearby it can focus. For true macro photography, you'll want to have a lens that focuses down to a 1:1 range. For example,for 35mm film,your camera has to have the ability to focus on an area at least as small as 2436mm ,because this is the size of the image on the film.After having the film developed,the picture of the subject on the negative or slide will be exactly the same size as the subject photographed.
What makes macro photography seductive is the level of detail that you see, sometimes for the first time - familiar objects become unusual and abstract and unusual objects become even more interesting.
There are many applications for macro photography: flowers,plants,butterflies, minerals,snowflakes... Your own backyard, a local garden,beach or forest can provide you with hours of fun with macro photography.
Of course macro photography isn't always centred on the natural world. Collectors use macro photography to record coins,stamps and other collectibles that are very small.Some people use macro photography for documenting their possessions for insurance purposes or to illustrate their auction listings online.
Working with macro photography can be a whole new visual event for even the most advanced photographers.Every day can yield another subject and an endless supply of captivating images.The possibilities of macro photography are limited only by your imagination.
If you are interested in macro photography, then by all means consider purchasing a dedicated macro lens.SLR digital cameras with interchangeable lenses are ideal for macro photography.If you're primarily interested in outdoor photography, consider a 180mm or 200mm macro lens.
Alternatively you can use extension tubes,reversing rings, or close-up diopter lens.
An extension tube is placed between the camera body and the lens.There is no glass in the tube - its purpose is to move the lens farther from the film (or digital sensor) so that magnification can be bigger.
Reversing ring is attached on the front of a lens and makes it possible to attach the lens in reverse.
Close-up diopter lens are placed in front of the camera's main lens. These screw-in or slip-on attachments provide close focusing at very low cost.However,the quality of the pictures is variable.
About The Author:
Felix Zhucha owns http://www.postersphotosartwork.com . Come and find popular art photographs and posters.
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