Posts Tagged ‘Photography’

How To Improve Your Photography

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

If you aren’t an expert photographer and want to improve their skills then these five tips as well as a photogrpahy certificate can help. But, even though these are great tips they can’t improve the quality if you’re not already succeeding with the basics. Keep in mind to keep the photo rather balanced and centered. And if you’re taking a photo of a person or something in action use a faster shutter speed. There are lots of things you can do to improve your pictures but here are five main tips that can change the overall quality.

1. Focus the Camera
This may seem like common knowledge but fuzzy photographs keep appearing. Some people shoot great pictures without ever thinking about it while others have photo albums full of crappy photos. Many digital cameras come with automatic focus yet people still don’t recognize that they have to hold the button part of the way down before it goes into focus. Make sure you know how your camera works but if you struggle focusing on small subjects then put your camera in spot focus mode which will let you have more control over what the camera is really focusing on.

2. Using a Stand
Although tripods can be a pain to carry around they will improve the quality of your pictures. Especially if you’re trying to get a photo from a ways away and you have to use zoom. The more you use the zoom the harder it is to get a picture that isn’t blurry from the slightest movement. A low-priced tripod can make a huge difference in the sharpness of the photo.

3. Aperture Priority Mode
If you want to focus on a single thing then put your camera into the aperture priority mode. Setting the aperture to the highest number is essential the closer you are to the subject. This mode allows the photographer to manage the depth of the field and is used especially in landscape and portrait photography.

4. Use Soft Lighting
Product photography rarely gives good results if your camera has a built-in flash. So for soft lighting you should shoot outside or on an overcast day. Soft lighting produces the best product photography but if you can’t tell which type it is then do this test. Start out by holding out your left hand and keep it flat and then use your other hand to hold a finger sideways from a few inches away on top of it. The darker and harsher the silhouette cast by your finger the greater the hard light conditions.

5. Use Image Editing Software
It doesn’t matter what brand of software you use, but the superiority of your photo will increase by using it. Editing software is splendid because it allows you to take a flawed photo and crop, resize, or sharpen the image in a minimum of sixty seconds.

Sharpness and lighting are the greatest difference between individual and professional photographs. And these steps will help you improve your pictures. Suggestions one through three help with sharpness while four increases the lighting and five is the final solution. Photography can be enjoyable and these tips can help you improve the sharpness and lighting of your photos.

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Basic Photography Fundamentals

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

If you are a photographer whether a beginner or an expert, you are always going to be able to sharpen your skills in s your some way. Bettering yourself as a photographer can take a lot of time but it will be well worth it in the long run.

One important thing to recall is the fact that in photography there’s lots of different variables to think about that they could never be able to cover them all in one article so they will cover the essentials.

It is worth noting that it would be less hard to know your equipment if you purchase nice equipment in the first place. One of my all time favorite pieces of photography equipment would must be the Westcott 301 Photo Basics 40 inch 5 in 1 Reflector. This product gas such a great ease of use and is affordable also.Westcott 301 Photo Basics has other great products also, but this particular one is my favorite.

The first thing that they will discuss is knowing your equipment. This is necessary if you need to be a respected photographer. Some people think that the better your equipment, the better your work will be but this is not always the case. I am liking to say that the better you KNOW your equipment the better your work will be. There is absolutely nothing more important than being comfortable with the equipment that you are using, nothing…

Understanding how to control your lighting is also important when perfecting your photo taking skils. Lights, umbrellas, mist machines and any other pieces of equipment that can used to control lighting should be utilized. This is always less hard to do when you are in an actual studio as opposed to being outside.

Another important aspect to think about is knowing the subject that you are shooting. Be it a person or an object you must know how to get the best out of them. In order to get the right shots out of them you must know how to capture them in the best light, and I mean this in every aspect of the word, which leads me to our next topic: lighting.

The last concept that I will discuss here is understanding color. For you to properly understand color you must first create an “eye” for positive things. If you do not take photos in color then this will obviously have no advantage for you but if you do, (which I believe you will if you need to get paid) I would pay this some close attention.

If you can learn these basic fundamentals in the beginning stages of your photography career, I can almost guarantee that you will have a successful career in the long run. Photography is not for everyone, but everyone who practices it as a profession should be well versed in all of the concepts mentioned here and many more. If you are not, well… Lets just say that you have some serious work to do.

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Becoming A Good Photographer..

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Anything in life that you are just starting off at is usually going to cause you small confusion & frustration in the beginning, & photography is no exception to the rule. There’s so plenty of obstacles to surpass when attempting to become a successful photographer that without the proper having the proper training you will most likely waist a whole lot of valuable time and money with your futile efforts to change to the learning curve before making any money.

I myself love photography for a few different reasons. Three of the main reasons being the fact that I can actually control time through mt photos, I am the master of what I shoot, and it is very liberating.

With a photo you have the ability to make a moment in time basically stand still for you. You can capture it forever. Through photos you can learn to transcend time itself. Which brings me to the first rule of becoming a really good photographer: Never become a photographer basically because you think you can make a lot of money by doing so. If you truly require to become a great photographer you must do it basically because you love doing it, & this is the most important rule.

The next rule that I will give in this news story is that to become a great photographer is simple but not so simple to follow, Take great photos! But what exactly is a great photo? Well I am afraid that you must be the judge of that three. Every great photographer has his or her own unique style & this is in fact what makes them so great. With time & work you will soon generate your own style & create an “eye” for what people will love to see you shoot.

The last rule rule has a lot to do with the first. If you are planning to be great then you will must have great equipment, & obviously great equipment will cost a great amount of money. Cameras, backdrops, lighting kits ect. are all a necessary part of a photographers arsenal & can either make or break your career, so if you are not passionate about your craft to invest in it… you will ultimately fail. One of the best pieces of equipment that I could possibly advise anyone who is pursuing a career in professional photography is the Wesctott 301 Photo Basics 40 inch 5 in 1 reflector. This is a must have piece of equipment, it’s as simple as that. To find out more about Westcott 301 Photo Basics here is a great site http://westcott301photobasics40inch5in1reflector.com

Now there’s plenty of other rules and guidelines that could lead you to becoming a great photographer, but if you follow theses short and simple rules that I have outlined here, you will finally find your comfort zone and area of professional expertise… Best of luck…

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Starting Home Business Is Hard

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

I wanted to start a business for my wife for a while now but never had the finance for her to stop working and start it off. The other problem we had is that we didn’t know what home business to start. No matter what we thought of, there was expensive equipment to be bought.

Well as with many other people she got retrenched and we were in a panic…. (At first). After we calmed down we decided that this will be the time when we should start the business. We had a Camera that we bought a year ago so the obvious business to start is a photographic business. We at least had the camera and she liked photography and has an eye for it. But there was a big surprise waiting for us.

The camera and interest wasn’t enough. You have to have more expensive equipment to take provisional photos and the computer where the most work is done was old and not very reliable. We also didn’t have a web page, so no advertising. I learned how to do WebPages and set it up for her. www.newbeginningsphotography.co.za Pretoria Photographer is the page name and we hope it will attract people to do business with us.

I also had to buy more lenses, batteries and a flash, studio lights just to try and give her the best base to start off. Lenses are a hard decision because there are a lot of different kinds. The best ones is the most expensive and sense were on a budget we had to get the best all round lens. Now that that’s set we had to start with courses and advertising.

She had a advanced photography course that also cost her, her salary she use to get but she feels more comfortable working with people and have more confidence so that was worth it. We printed a bunch of catalogs on photo paper to show people what she does and how she manipulates pictures to make them more interesting. She wants to specialize in children and newborn photography as she is crazy about kids and really wants a baby of her own. She now goes around to kindergartens and drops off a portfolio of work she already done. But business is still slow and were struggling but I know God will help us and show the way.

All this financial expenses set a bit of strain on our relationship as she didn’t start to advertise as soon as I wanted her to and its almost Christmas and people have to spend money on Christmas gifts and not on photos for their young ones and everybody know that January is the hardest month of the year, but it draw us even more close to each other and to God.

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Digital Photography Lighting – Presets – Over Looked Helpers

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Digital photography has advanced a long way since it first started. Many ideas and techniques have come and gone in the digital photography world, but there has been quiet little helpers mostly over looked. Those would be the presets. As strange as it sounds people do tend to over look them for whatever reasons they might have. You may be trying to be a pro or just never thought presets would be much help. To all those who think this way you should really consider taking a look because these presets could be your best friend while having a tough lighting suituation.

Presets have been a long time standard in digital cameras because they do come in handy a lot of the time. The problem usually is that presets are seen as a crutch or an easy way out of taking good professional pictures, but in reality they could help you do great things and help you even mix it up a little if you like experimenting. To change this mind set would really help you with your digital photography lighting problems. You just need to remember that help does not mean your weak or bad at taking pictures.

Now there are many different cameras and they all tend to come with different features. I can not cover each and every preset there is but i will quickly go over a couple standard ones, and most presets come with self explanatory names or titles to them so you should not need much help finding out what they do. Night time presets are probably the most significant presets you can use. They allow you to take pictures in a lower lighting situation allowing you more freedom from having to need a good digital photography lighting setup. Motion presets are other pretty useful presets that really improve a picture taking session when used right. These setting allow you to snap moving objects without leaving a blur or poor quality shot.

You could see how in certain situations these two preset settings could really help with your digital photography lighting problems. Though these are only two of the more common presets, and there are many more which can come in handy with some of the digital photography lighting problems you may have. You should go out there and try some experimentation with the presets your camera may come with and see if they can help you out. You might be surprised at how much your presets can help.

Though this is only a small tip it can really start making an improvement in your photos instantly. If you would like more tips and helpful information you can visit digital photography lighting for some other things you might be missing. If your really looking into getting lots of help in digital photography, everything from what camera to buy, to how to put your photos online, you can go here digital photography course to find a great course on making the best out of your photography hobby or career!

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Cell Phone Photography

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Last month I ran across a contest that had to do with the BlackBerry Storm.  Although it is not really a picture contest, I was able to find a photo in my Storm that I thought was rather unique.  I used the unedited picture and posted it as part of my entry.  The reaction has been very positive – now we have to see if it wins! (As of this post, I am in 3rd place)

The picture was taken through the windshield of my car as I was sitting in traffic trying to get somewhere.  Before I get started, I do NOT condone the activity of texting while driving, taking pictures, posting to twitter, facebook, taking videos or otherwise.  With that out of the way, as I was sitting there (not, to barely moving), I noticed a rare opportunity.  I grabbed my BlackBerry Storm and held it in what I felt was an “artistic” angle and pressed the shutter release.  It was a cool picture.  But, what I noticed was a rich blue color in the picture that was not as rich in the sky.  The storm clouds were darker, the road signage was slightly blurred… It was a great shot!

When I showed the picture (and my contest entry) to a friend of mine, he asked me what I used to alter the picture – “Was it PhotoShop? Was it LightRoom? What was it, there is no way that came out of your BlackBerry without doctoring it!”  I grinned and asked him to think about it.  After a few moments, he figured it out and called it a “camera filter of opportunity.”  Wow, what a great assessment!

So, how was it done – simple.  Some cars – not all – have some sort of sun-screening material on the top edge of the windshield.  In this case, I was in my Acura TSX, which has one with a blue tint to it.  By holding my camera phone at just the right height and in that “artistic” angle, I was able to produce the shot you see below.

If you think this is a great shot – which I hope you do – I ask you to vote on it.  Then, share it with your friends via Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LiveJournal, Xanga, or just share this blog posting with others via email.  The only way I can stay in the top end of this contest is to not only get votes, but also get it on as many social networks, blogs, etc.  So, if you are going to share it, do so from the links provided after you vote.  Thanks in advance friends!

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Tips For Photographing Your Cat

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Every cat is proud of his or her friendly feline. Cats make perfect subjects in which to photograph. You can catch your cat and a variety of interesting and fun poses when you know how to take pictures of your cat. If you are interested in photographing your cat, here are some commands to help you purchase the best shots.

Catch your Cat Napping
Nothing looks quite as relaxing as a cat taking a nap. Cats do sleep a lot, so if you take a picture of your cat napping, you have plenty of opportunity. The best time to take a picture of your cat is to catch it when it is asleep. You can take close-ups of your cat either as it sleeps, or gently wake your cat up for a relaxed look. For a nice shot of your cat, try gently rubbing your cat’s belly right when you want to snap a picture. This will encourage your cat to roll over on its back.

Natural Sunlight
When you think of a sleeping cat, where do most cats enjoy sleeping? You can usually find a cat napping in the sun. If you have a window that gets full or filtered sunlight during the day, then try to open the curtains or blinds to encourage cap napping. As soon as you see your cat sit in the sun, try to take a few pictures. When the sunlight is good, try a few shots without using your flash. This will give your picture a nice natural glowing effect. In addition, natural light often works best anyway because if you use a bright flash, your cat will usually close his or her eyes or the eyes could end up looking red.

Forget Posing and Planning
Cats are much for posing. You cannot really ask that a cat stay and sit. When you take pictures of your cat, you should always have your camera on hand for candid shots. Look at your cat during the day and determine your cat’s schedule and favorite places. Accomplish around your cat and you will get better pictures. Try to be spontaneous, and above everything stay patient. It may take several tries to purchase a couple of great shots, but posing your cat rarely works.

I have tried to get my three cats to pose and let me take a picture, but even though they sleep together, play together, they cannot stand or in this sit next to each without someone starting something. If I had three people to help and set back out of the picture, it might work. As you can see, cat’s needs to do what cats do and take your pictures that way.

Buy Help
Another good tip for taking pictures of your cat is to purchase help. You can buy great pictures of playful cats and kittens by having someone help you wiggle a string, the throw a ball or call the cat’s name. It is very difficult to try to play with your cat and take pictures at the same time. Your pictures will turn out much better if you buy someone to help you. In addition, if you are trying to buy a picture of your cat looking directly at your camera, have someone stand above you can call the cat’s name, or make a noise that will prompt the cat to look directly above your head.

If you are a patient and willing, you can get some excellent shots of your cat. Cats are so fun to take pictures of because you never know what they will do. Keep your camera handy and ready to go as soon as your cat springs into action. Cat’s normal activity seems to make us smile and laugh, their antics always may wonderful pictures. Pictures of kittens playing from birth on also make for some great pictures. If you have the camera, you will never miss the perfect picture.

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Things We Don’t Get in Miami… The Colors of Autumn

Saturday, October 24th, 2009


Tall Trees with Autumn Leaves

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

So, I was in the Seattle, Washington area earlier this month for a conference at Microsoft when I found out that it happened to be the peak of the season for the leaves changing colors. With a little research, I found out about the Washington Park Arboretum.

The Arboretum consists of 230 acres including North America’s largest collection of Sorbus and Maple. Since I had NEVER seen this up close and personal, I eagerly drove to the park to see the famous colors of fall that everyone talks about. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!

My GPS took me directly to the visitor’s center at the park where I promptly gathered my back pack along with my camera to capture the spectacular beauty of the colorful trees. I shot hundreds of pictures (many bracketed for HDR later) as I walked along clearly defined paths in the park. The colors of fall are indeed something to be seen first-hand. Whether you are in the Pacific Northwest, or elsewhere, take a drive to one of these areas in the middle of October and see what you have been missing!

In capturing the image here, I was challenged with framing it properly. There is actually a sprinkler head on a pipe sticking out of the ground about 2 feet high just behind the center tree. I had to take small steps left or right of my optimal composition to get the shot you see here. My walk in the park was cut a little short that day unfortunately, as the famous rain in Seattle started to come down and chased me out of the park.

I hope you all get to see this in person sometime – it is spectacular!

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Considering Black and White Instead of Color

Sunday, August 30th, 2009


Black and White Clouds

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

While reviewing over 1,300 photos I had taken during my 1-week cruise to Alaska last week, I found that I was not totally happy with the way some of the pictures turned out. I wasn’t being overly critical, I wasn’t really being picky, I just found that the colors were not as vibrant as I was used to seeing in my pictures.

If you have traveled through places like Seattle, Washington and maybe even taken an Alaskan cruise yourself, you will find that it is an inherent issue with shooting pictures in these areas simply due to the dull, gray sky that seems to follow you everywhere your camera goes. My original intention was to take multiple exposures of these spectacular landscapes so I could create some great HDR images. However, since I was shooting from a moving platform, the software wasn’t doing much of a job to match up features to create a nice image.

I then started tinkering with converting some of my images over to black and white and tweaking levels to bring out the details I was looking to highlight in an HDR process. I found some presets to make my life easier and found that I could transform a mediocre (in my opinion) shot, to something quite dramatic – with just a few clicks!

If you find yourself unsatisfied with some of the pictures you have taken in this type of environment, give gray scale, or black and white a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised with the detail that is brought out to make up for the color that you otherwise were not happy with.

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How to take pictures for HDR processing

Sunday, August 9th, 2009


The US Capital HDR

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

During this week’s trip to Washington, DC, I decided to take some bracketed shots to process later to see what they would look like in HDR (high dynamic range).

The first – and most challenging thing to do was to convince the rest of my travel party to give me a few extra moments during our walk through our nation’s capital to take pictures, change some settings and take some more. If you have a choice, I suggest that you find the time to take pictures for HDR processing on your own.

Now that you have my first tip, the next and “real” first step is to setup your tripod. I like to attach my camera to the tripod and carry it around while looking through the viewfinder to frame the shot properly. Once you find your shot, set your tripod down and use the built-in bubble level to ensure your shot is setup as most people would expect to see it. Once the tripod is set, and your shot is properly framed, move on to “step 2.”

Next, you will want to go into your camera’s menu and look for AEB, or auto exposure bracketing. On my Canon Digital Rebel XSi, I set this to +/- 2 for this shot. I encourage you to experiment with this setting and take lots of practice shots using different settings. Check out the results when you set it at +/- 1, 1 1/2, 1 2/3, etc.

The third step I take is to attach my remote control AND turn off the image stabilization (IS) feature on my lens. The purpose of the remote control is to avoid causing any camera shake by simply pushing down on the shutter release. As for your IS setting, I suggest you read your user’s manual for the camera and/or lenses. My manual clearly states that one should NOT use IS when taking pictures on a tripod. The simple explanation is that the IS can make a mistake and compensate for movement when the shutter is released. Personally, I prefer the cable release over infrared – it’s just one less thing to fail in the field.

Now that your tripod, AEB, remote control, and IS setting has been taken care of, be patient! For this shot for example, I was waiting for the LEAST movement possible from the US flag. I also had to wait (along with the rest of my travel companions) for about 5-10 minutes for pedestrian traffic to clear this area, but in the end it was all worth it to me. Finally, the moment was here – I held down the remote control button and it took 3 automatically bracketed pictures for me within one second. I should take a moment to tell you that if you do not know, or like to use the AEB, you can also pause between shots and set your F-stops the old fashioned way too.

I hope this posting helped you get some kind of idea on what to do to take pictures for HDR processing. Now that you have your bracketed shots, I will let you decide on which method or program to use to process your shots.

One final note… Remember that the end result of your HDR creation is for YOUR enjoyment. If you are happy with the end result, that is all that matters. Some will say that it is too “fake” for their taste, or that it looks like a pencil drawing as opposed to a photograph – but that is quite alright. Your HDR creation is for YOU!

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