jewelry photography with photo studio box

Jewelry Photography with Photo Studio BoxWriten by Dan Ennis

For those who are selling on ebay or online, or any jewelry store owners, taking quality jewelry photos is a daunting task.

You are selling a product that is relatively expensive, and requires a high quality photograph to showcase your jewelry product. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In your case, a picture might worth a thousand dollars! A good piece of jewelry could retail for $1,000's or more.

As such, there should be no compromise on taking jewelry photography. The jewelry photo you take should be sharp, high detail and depicting the real color. In particular if you are selling diamond, gem stones, and other precious metals of which the color could easily distorted by light that is not suitable for jewelry photography.

By using a photo studio box product, a jeweler or jewelry seller can take high quality jewelry photos in a snap. No more running wires all over the place, and no more setting up different lighting tripods at different heights and at different angles.

Using this photo studio in a box system, you simply need to place your jewelry item inside the studio box, adjust the flexible LED lights to create the desired light intensity and reflection angles. Then take the photo with your camera. Viola, it's done. It sure makes life much easier. Most important, it will save you lots of time. Time that you can spend to promote and advertise your business, instead of spending countless hours on setting up the perfect stage for your jewelry photography session.

To achieve an optimum jewelry photography result, you should adjust the color setting of your camera to compensate for the various lighting effect that might affect the photo quality.

For example, if you want a whiter background and a whiter jewelry exposure. You might want to lower the color setting, and vice versa. Also, for diamond in particular, a daylight colored LED light is best suit to do the job. Using these daylight colored natural lighting will be least likely to distort the color of the diamond on the final photo.

With most higher end photo studio box system, this daylight natural color LED lighting is usually a standard accessory.

In short, if you are serious about making high quality jewelry photos that will attract the attention of potential customers. Using a quality photo studio box is essential. You might save a small amount with those cheaper ent-style fabric version. But with this tent type photo box version, a high quality lighting effect jewelry photo session would be more difficult and time consuming to achieve.

Dan Ennis is the distributor of Photo Studio Box. A product specially made for taking jewelry photography and other small to medium size products. Please visit http://www.PhotoStudioBox.com for more info.

wedding photography that will last a lifetime

Wedding Photography That Will Last a LifetimeWriten by Amy Spade

Having pictures that you can look at in the years that follow your wedding is just one of the things that you want to invest your money in. But if youre on a constricted budget, then there are also options for you.

Things to consider

One of the main things to consider when it comes to photography is what you want from your pictures. Do you want pictures of your while family or mainly of the two of you? If it a larger wedding or is a more private celebration?

You and your soon-to-be spouse should sit down and list all of the pictures that you would like to have in your wedding albumthat is, poses for pictures. With this list, youll be able to see if you should invest in a professional or consider other options.

Where do you want your pictures taken? Some couples like to have outdoor shots, so they will need to find a photographer that does that as part of their services. The length of time you would like the photographer to be at the wedding will also factor into the price.

Look at photographer samples to see if your styles match. If they dont, the photographer may recommend someone else. They want you to have good pictures, even if its not with them.

When youre on a budget

If youre nervous about spending a lot of money on your photographer, but still want a lot of picturesyoure in luck. With the new and improved digital cameras, you have a better shot (no pun intended) to get great pictures.

Have a good friend (who isnt in the wedding party) volunteer to take the pictures. Since digital cameras show you what the picture looks like instantly, you can take as many as you need in order to get it just right. And the quality is just as good as many professional photographers.

Another way to get a lot of chances for good pictures is to place disposable cameras at every table. People love to take pictures of other people, so youll get a lot of candid shots of your relatives and friends. Plus, the quality is pretty good, so youre not wasting your money at all.

It doesnt matter who takes your pictures as long as you get the ones that you want. If you want to have someone else do it, then invest in the professional. But for the budget conscious, having a friend or relative take charge is just as good.

Amy Spade is an expert on planning weddings, and she has written an amazing totally free minicourse on how to make sure that you have the day of your dreams and avoid wedding day disaster!

Get the free course Your Special Day from Start to Finish now by clicking this link now

photography have a rest

Photography - Have a Rest!Writen by Eric Hartwell

Sometimes, however hard you try, there is simply no way you are going take that special picture. Things have a habit of getting in the way. Perhaps work, perhaps family. Perhaps during some festivity or other you are simply too busy or tied up to care about your photography.

Then guilt can set in. Occasionally you can feel ashamed of your behaviour and somehow berate yourself for letting slip something that has been your life. You have told friends and family about your love of photography and you have bought expensive digital equipment to show off your talents. Everyone and his proverbial dog knows that you are THE man (or woman) in photography at least, in their world.

Yet suddenly you have a gap in your activity. A glitch, an emptiness.

And, yes, it can hurt. The feeling that you may have lost that spark. The feeling that you may have lost face amongst colleagues. The emptiness that you can feel when you are not busied with snapping the shutter, uploading to the computer, retouching the images, printing or otherwise sharing your talents.

Well, here is a message: Dont worry!

There are many things that take over importance in your life. Being with friends and family is special and precious. Taking time out to laugh, be merry or simply relax is fine. Being able to simply switch off and go and do something else is just dandy.

It shouldnt worry you. If you have a love of photography then you will soon be back to it. The potential images will still be there - the landscapes, the portraits, the action shots. The computer and other equipment will be ready and waiting, none the worse for you small diversion.

You dont have to feel guilty either! We all need special times just for us and our nearest friends and relations. You are special in the same way that you believe you love of photography is special.

The likelihood is that you will return to your hobby with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. Perhaps fired up with new and exciting ideas.

And that means even greater images!

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.

infrared photography and the car thief successful digital imaging

Infrared Photography and the Car Thief - Successful Digital ImagingWriten by Phill Petrovic

Infrared photography is sometimes placed on the outside edge of the mainstream photographic world. To the uninitiated observer infrared photography conjures up television images of car thieves speeding away from police helicopters during the dark hours of the night, only to be caught hiding beneath bushes beside a darkened home as their hot bodies light up the camera monitor in the police chopper like Bedouin camel herders atop a Sahara sand dune.

In recent times professional photographers have made use of infrared film predominantly for black and white portraits. However infrared photography is now not out of the realm of possibility for the average amateur photographer. Digital cameras are now providing the clever photographer with the opportunity to create beautiful infrared images at a fraction of the cost when compared to film.

Not all (or more accurately not many) digital cameras are set up to be able to shoot infrared images.

So how do you know if your digital camera can shoot infrared images?

This is a simple one to answer!

Point your digital camera at a television remote control and take a photograph of the infrared sensor thats located at one end of the remote while pressing buttons on the control to send out an infrared beam. If your camera can shoot an image of the infrared light being emitted from the LED of the TV remote control then you are on your way to producing an infrared image!

Its not enough to simply have any old digital camera for shooting infrared images. The type of digital camera that youve purchased will determine whether infrared images will be successful. Your camera should be at least a semi-professional digital or digital SLR-type with screw fittings to be able to connect filters to the lens.

The lenses of the cheaper and smaller digital cameras dont usually support fittings for filters so may not be appropriate for digital infrared imaging. Check your cameras documentation to see if it will accommodate filters.

Next you will require an infrared filter. The Hoya R70 infrared filter is one of the best and cheapest to buy, however at around US$40 or more it can be out of the price range for most would-be infrared amateurs especially since you still dont know if the end-product image will be what you want to achieve! If youve got the money to spare (or to blow!) then give it a go.

After purchasing an infrared filter, attach it to your camera, set up a tripod outdoors on a sunny day and shoot away! The first thing youll notice is that you can either see nothing or very little through the camera eyepiece.

Your camera will be recording images in the infrared spectrum not visible light so you would expect to see very little light through the filter with your own eyes.

Be aware that adding an infrared filter may have serious effects on your cameras electronics or lens. Consult your cameras operations manual or manufacturer before fitting any infrared filter to your camera, and never look through an infrared or any other type of filter with your own eyes.

Photo Shop Australia http://www.PhotoShopAustralia.com/ has a large array of infrared example images captured using combinations of shutter speeds, aperture and light sources.

Phill Petrovic is the owner of Photo Shop Australia at: http://www.PhotoShopAustralia.com/

Photo Shop Australia provides unique and amazing Australian nature photography including macro, infrared and landscape images of Australia. Photo Shop Australia also has a page of totally royalty free images available for free download for businesses and personal users.

make up tips for photography

Make Up Tips for PhotographyWriten by Noelle Wong

Photography make up is slightly different from daily make up applications. Here are some pointers -

Lighting:

• Use natural lighting for example, near a big window with lights coming in

• If photography is taking place outdoors, do so around 4pm to 5pm, when the sun is about to set. Soft lighting makes a person better

Preparing the face:

• Wash, exfoliate, tone and moisturize your face before applying make up

• Oil control is very important. If you can, use oil free formulated products

• Keep hair away from the face

• To reduce puffy eyes, use Preparation H

Foundation:

• Choose a thicker formulated foundation rather than the sheers ones that are used in daily applications so that all blemishes are covered easily

• Blend foundation from chin to neck so that they are of the same colour
  

Powder:

• Use lots of it, and reapply between shots, to create a mat finish look

Concealer:

• 2 shades lighter than skin to cover blemishes and dark spots; apply before foundation application

Contouring:

• Contour cheeks and eyes to create a sculpted look

• Use foundation in a shade that is 2 to 3 shades darker than normal skin tone

Eyes:

• Highlight eyebrow bones using light shadow to create lively eyes

• Avoid eyeshadow that is too frosty or shimmery itll appear shiny

• Apply eyeliner with precision

• Use waterproof mascara

• Overall application needs to be than normal make up

Lips:

• Use lipstick and liner of same colour, in a shade darker than natural lip colour

Noelle Wong sees and unveils beauty in people. She is the owner of iN-IMAGE! Inc., a personal image consulting company in Toronto that offers one-on-one consultations and workshops to help people increase their personal presence. For inquiries please contact her at noelle@in-image.com. Visit her website at http://www.in-image.com

photography ban lifted in saudi arabia

Photography Ban Lifted in Saudi ArabiaWriten by Lori Olson White

The decades-long ban on photographing and filming in public places was lifted recently in Saudi Arabia.

Specifically the new ruling allows photographing and filming for all citizens and residents in public places. No such ban has ever been in place for photographing or filming in private settings.

Although the stated intent of the new ruling references the desert Kingdom's on-going push to increase secular tourism, the wording does not directly include non-residents or tourists, and the implementation of the ruling is still to be tested.

Even with these newest freedoms on photographing and filming in the Kingdom, however, taking pictures continues to be a tricky proposition in Saudi Arabia. Many places remain off-limits to those with cameras or filming gear, including military installations, security personnel, government buildings and petroleum facilities - even when those places are in the deep background of shots.

And photographing people - especially local women - is still not allowed without direct permission, even in public settings. The traditional culture and beliefs of many Saudi Arabians include a deep commitment to privacy and modesty. In addition, some religious scholars contend depicting human images is forbidden in Islam which adds further weight to the prohibition.

Saudi Arabia offers photographers and film-makers an amazing variety of subjects - from towering sand dunes deep in the Rub Al-Khali to ancient archeological sites and the endless blue of the Arabian Gulf. And thanks to new ruling, the number of possible subjects just continues to grow.

Lori Olson White is an American expat writer and author living and working in Saudi Arabia. Her blog sandgetsinmyeyes.blogspot.com/ offers insights into life in the Middle East while her ezine arabiangulftraveler.blogspot.com/ gives travel tips and advice to tourists traveling to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.

photography online

Photography OnlineWriten by Michael Bustamante

Online photography schools, colleges, and universities provide opportunities to learn the art of photography at home, at your own pace, with no time limits. Distance learning and online photography school courses can be comprehensive, detailed, and technical for developing the skills of a professional photographer. Courses begin when you are ready to enroll.

Students should expect online photography school instruction to be presented in a clear, step-by-step approach, with illustrated text. Studies in exposures, lenses, and techniques accompanied by hands-on projects will provide professional training for earning the selected degree.

Online photography colleges and universities offer Associate of Arts (AA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees from accredited institutions. Also available are certificates in photography, as are individual classes meant simply for the pleasure of learning this art.

Online photography school programs provide guidance by faculty or working professionals to ensure that students understand and are able to produce aesthetically and technically sound work. Students can expect to be encouraged to be creative, to express viewpoints, and develop their individual style through rigorous training.

Among other topics in Online photography university and colleges, courses of study may include camera basics, lighting for photography, digital and video photography techniques, portraiture, fine art, image design, photo illustration, commercial advertising, documentary photography, photojournalism, setting up a studio, printing color and black and white photographs, presentation skills, and business skills for the professional photographer.

Graduates of online photography school programs will be prepared as professional wedding photographers, photojournalists, sports photographers, portraiture photographers, artists, and other photography specialists.

If you are interested in learning more about online photography schools, search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Photography Online at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

looking for a good digital photography school

Looking for a Good Digital Photography SchoolWriten by Low Jeremy

Although photography largely involve an eye for beauty and a natural instinct for clicking the camera, it is still important for photographers especially those that are just starting in the field to gather some experience in actual photography. Some practice on their spare time and learn the techniques on their own but this will take a lot of clicking time and magazine reading.

This is why most will go for the short-cut by enrolling in schools that offer short courses in photography. Of course, this will not guarantee to make you a master photographer in months but at least you already have all the tools that you need to make your way to the world of shapes and colors.

Here are some of the things that you should consider when looking for a good photography school to enroll to.

1.Course outline

This is perhaps the most important thing that you have to think about when looking for a school. The course outline will help you determine if the course is suited to the training that you need. It will contain a rundown of all the lessons that students like you will tackle in the class.

Take a look at the list and try to see if all the things that you need to learn are already there. If you find it lacking, try to shop around for other photography courses in the same school or better yet inquire in another school. With a lot of schools, museums and centers offering photography courses, chances are you will find the one that fits you to a T.

2. Specialization

There are courses that are offered according to certain specializations. For instance, some courses concentrate entirely on nature photography. Others go for portraits and human interest pieces. There are even some that do nude photography classes.

In other words, there are a multitude of specializations that you can go into. You can even take all of them; but of course, you have to shell out big bucks for that.

3. Laboratory and field work

Photography is a largely experiential field. You learn not from reading about it or discussing about the theories but in actual taking of shots and doing field works. In the course outline, try to look for the number of hours that will be spent outside the classroom.

Ideally, about 75 percent of the whole course should be used as practice time in fields or in the dark room. Only a quarter should be spent for theories and basics. Some courses offer a 50-50 ratio. Shop around for courses that emphasize field works and experiential learning as these are the courses where you can learn more.

Low Jeremy maintains http://digital-photography.articlesforreprint.com This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

freelance photography how to begin your career

Freelance Photography: How to Begin Your CareerWriten by Colin Hartness

Photography is a vast world. There are many different types of photography and many different kinds of people that enjoy it. Its 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 its a mother who takes photos at every of her childrens moments in life (first smile, first step, first spaghetti meal) or maybe its the father who never forgets his camera for a football or basketball game, or maybe its 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 cameras 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 dont 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. Its 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, its 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 others 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. Dont 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

high key photography

High Key PhotographyWriten by Kenneth C. Hoffman

The artistic-seeming tones of white on white brings to mind the innocence of youth, the fabric of dreams and long, hot summer days. In photography, the effect can be easily achieved by choosing elements of a white or pastel color placed on a white or very light background.

White curtains blowing in the breeze, white birches tufted with cotton snow, or a feather storm of a pillow fight are qualifiers for a high key photo. The center of interest benefits from a darker tone, contrasting with the light tones of the surrounding environment and bringing the eye to the action. Subtle shades of white and gray enhance the colors or darker tones of the main subject.

Often, a white vignetting filter can be used judiciously, blending the portion of the subject with the background. To make a vignetting filter, cut a four inch square from some colorless, pliable, and translucent material. In the center cut a small (one half by three quarter inch) hole with a nail scissors. Place the vignetter in about one half inch in front of the lens. Extra light may be aimed at the vignetter for a whiter effect. Vignetting can also be achieved with the computer. In your photo editor, choose the airbrush set at 300 pixels wide and 50% strength. Pass the brush repeatedly around the edges of the image, creating the fade out effect. When making the original exposure set the camera to overexpose the subject one f stop. The reason for this is that the camera light sensor will try to expose whites as light gray, underexposing the image.

In printing, care should be taken to insure a proper ratio of white, near white and deeper tones. If the photo is printed too dark, the high key effect is lost, and if printed too light, no detail will be discernible in the near-white tones. For a water color effect, leave lots of room around the edges (white) and mat carefully using white, black, or delicate pastel colors. A water color filter will further enhance the high key effect. If you have children, make a list of the white clothes available for a magical white on white shoot. They'll all come out like angels.

If you do something, be the best at it.

flash photography tips and techniques

Flash Photography Tips and TechniquesWriten by Richard Schneider

Flash photography is the use of a camera flash bulb in a variety of possible situations where there doesnt seem to be enough light. The most common use of flash photography is group portraits at gatherings where there is not enough light to take a satisfactory exposure.

But there are many other situations where the flash could be used such as: fill-flash situations when the background is brighter than the subject, using the flash to light up a room and creating better coloring, or using the flash to freeze a moving object in a dark situation.

-Indoor Flash Photography

In typical indoor situations there will probably not be enough light to take a normal hand-held well-exposed photo. There are many indoor flash photo opportunities you may be faced with. You may want to cast light on a group of people for a portrait photo. You may want to throw light into a room for an architectural photo. Or you may just want to cast light on certain objects in a lighted room that appears too dark for an exposure.

If your cameras auto-exposure settings say that the photo would require a shutter speed slower than 1/60 of a second then you probably shouldnt hand-hold the camera or the photo would come out blurry. The reason it would come out blurry is because the shutter would be open long enough for any minor hand shake to distort the composition. The use of a tripod or faster film will probably be needed but many of us do not regularly carry a tripod. Most photographers simply use their flash bulb when they are inside.

In order to take effective indoor flash photos there are some techniques you should keep in mind. When using the flash do not point it directly at a mirror or glass that will create a lens flare or just ruin the photo. Stand close enough to your subjects so the flash is actually effective (four to ten feet). Try to make sure your main subjects are about the same distance away from the flash as each other or some that are closer to the flash will appear brighter than ones that are farther away.

-Fill Flash Situations

Fill flash fills in the areas of a photo that would normally appear too dark. Fill flash can be used for sunny day portraits for shadows on a subjects face or to fill any shaded area that is out of the sunlight. Fill flash can also be used to cast light into a room where there are no windows. Fill in flash is ideal for back-lit and side-lit situations. In a backlit situation there will be a lot of light in the background but no or little light cast on the front of the subject. This would normally create somewhat of a silhouette effect, but with a fill flash it would balance the photo nicely. But in order for this technique to work, you must be careful to stay in flash range which is usually around four to ten feet. With common cameras in order to add fill flash to a photo just toggle the flash to go off when it normally would not be needed.

-Other Types of Flash

Many newer cameras now have a red-eye reduction mode where the flash may fire before the picture is taken in order to cause the subjects pupils to contract. The red-eye reduction modes in newer cameras are surprisingly effective and many work in different ways to contract pupils.

A slow sync flash is for more complicated exposures and is used commonly to create blurry long exposures. The flash fires at the beginning of the exposure, but the shutter still stays open for a moment after the flash has fired. This can freeze a car at dusk and create a blurry streak in the cars path. Or the slow sync flash could capture a sunset and freeze a closer subject that is moving through the frame. There are countless situations where a slow sync flash could possibly be used to enhance an exposure. There are also other versions of the sync flash such as the rear sync flash (where the flash fires at the end of an exposure) or the stroboscopic flash (where the flash fires multiple times throughout an exposure).

Many photographers also choose to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling to get a softer diffused kind of light commonly sought after for portraits. This kind of flash technique requires a flash that can be aimed in a direction that the camera is not pointed. It takes practice to refine this technique and only a small percentage of photographers actually use it.

-Conclusion

Practice using flash in your photos even when it is not necessarily needed and pay attention to your results. The best way to become better at flash photography is to analyze your photos and try to figure out what you could have done differently in order to create a better flash-filled exposure.

Richard Schneider is a digital photography enthusiast and founder of http://www.picturecorrect.com/ which offers tips and news about digital photography, digital camera reviews, and photoshop tutorials. Please also visit http://www.picturecorrect.com/freewallpaper.htm where there is free high resolution desktop wallpaper available.

fillin flash photography some things you should know

Fill-in Flash Photography - Some Things You Should KnowWriten by Roger Lewis

I've been asked should I use my camera flash when taking photos outside and under the following conditions the answer is YES.

If you're shooting a portrait or close up where the subject fills the frame completely and your shooting in bright sunlight where the person is partly back-lit, the answer is most definitely yes!

It will bring the image to life by making it stand out against the background, it will also light up the face helping to remove unwanted shadows and adding a sparkle to the eyes.

You see, when you are shooting pictures of people where the majority of the light is from behind or where the sun is reflected off water, without your flash turned on their face will be too dark .

The same applies when the sun is casting a shadow across the face but with the use of your flash, you can eliminate dark shadows from the eyes and nose and create a better result which will please the most discerning critic. In affect this also helps to soften the face and in some cases helping to hide wrinkles, but remember you cant please everyone.

Which reminds me of the story of the wrinkled old Woman that had her picture taken by the local portrait photographer and even after the photographer spent hours retouching her picture he still couldn't remove all her wrinkles. When she saw the picture she complained saying to the photographer, This picture doesn't do me justice, he said Madam you don't need justice you need mercy.

Why then, does you camera take a dark picture when the subject is back-lit, you see the camera will be fooled by the bright back-lit surroundings and set the exposure to cope with the bright conditions only allowing the face to appear dark, but with your flash turned on you end up with the perfect picture every time, so much so that your friends will ask how you did it. Also remember to use flash when bright sunlight is casting shadows over the subjects face, even if the conditions are not back-lit, it will also add a sparkle to the eyes.

By using your flash or turning flash on, you will fill-in the shadow areas making your picture much more pleasing.

Photographers please note, the best time of the day to shoot people is about two hours before sunset or two hours after sunrise, when the shadows are long and the light is soft and warm in color, especially by the ocean. It's no wonder that professional fashion photographers shoot around this time of day.

Consider the days when I started out studying to be a young photographer at the age 13/14, the camera was a medium format size roll film camera, image size 6x6cm. and the film size was 120 black and white negative.

There was NO built-in camera flash, in fact there was no electronic flash, period. I use to own a flash gun that used flash bulbs, which I attached to the camera with the flash sync cable plugged into the camera bulb flash socket. The flash bulb was like a light bulb in size which you screwed into the flash guns bulb holder directly in front of the large flash reflector. The bulb was filled with magnesium wire and when you fired the shutter the batteries in the flash gun would ignite the magnesium in the flash bulb and create a flash. The flash bulb was covered with a protective layer of plastic to prevent it from exploding and I seem to remember that most times it was successful in doing so, but on the odd occasion it would explode... quite an alarming experience. It was a good idea not to work too close to the subject!

Back in the early fifties, it was quite an undertaking to shoot any event. But I was busy studying photography at school and in my spare time and was learning the basics.

Soon the early electronic flash guns started to arrive on the market and I remember that they had huge power-packs that you carried on your shoulder via a shoulder strap. Also flash guns were starting to get popular with novice photographers, with smaller size flash bulbs and then later the smaller electronic flash guns.

What does this mean to you, very little I expect but it may be of some interest to those of who might be of the same age as I was then, to know how far we have advanced. Just think for a moment and supposing you are 14 years of age now, how far things would have advanced when you get to be my age...

But you know, the same conditions apply when shooting an image if your in a 'professional mode', I mean careful composition of you picture, correct exposure and lighting and although with the advance of digital cameras the technology has changed, the above mentioned facts apply and are still as relevant to day as they ever were, plus the added advantage of your computer and the ability of digital manipulation.

To learn more about your Flash Photography go here: Flash Photography Pro Secrets


I'm from London. I started out in the days of the Swinging Sixties and London was quite a place to be. In those days we use to shoot catalog fashion shots with a 10X8 inch View camera, so the transparency images would be the same size as the image on the catalog page, I have to tell you right now that took quite some doing. Now I spent most of my time with my website: Pro SECRETS of Money Making PHOTOGRAPHY, writing about and teaching photography, occasionally shooting assignments.


To learn more about the author go here: PhotoRog Secrets blog

saving money on photography for your wedding

Saving Money on Photography for Your WeddingWriten by Mia LeCron

Weddings are momentous occasions to all people involved; especially the families of the bride and groom. One very important aspect of a wedding is to commemorate the event with beautiful pictures so that the day never really disappears.

Hiring professional photographers is usually the preferred way for couples to capture the moments of their wedding forever.
Professional photographers can charge an obscene amount of money for their services at times, but there are a few ways that you can save money on photography at your wedding.

Here are some of things that you can do to save some of your money for the honeymoon instead. Lets take a look at what you can do.

1. Place disposable cameras on tables at your reception and let your guests capture special moments for you.

2. Ask a friend or family member to take special photos of the ceremony for you or videotape it

3. Check at colleges and universities who are studying photography and hire a student to do it. You can get professional looking photos for a fraction of the price.

4. Have your photographs taken before the wedding by having your wedding party to gather together at a professional photographers shop

5. Have your photos taken before the ceremony and keep the negatives yourself so that you can develop them later and make prints

During one of the most important days in your life, pictures and videos can make the day last forever. The above mentioned tips can also make sure that you will not go broke in the process.

When it comes to the disposable cameras, you can often find cameras that are decorated with wedding themes. If you cant, you can have the bridal party decorate them instead.

Using digital cameras can limit the amount of pictures that you have to take while making them easy to reproduce. Digital camera technology can make even an amateur take professional looking pictures. You can even use the prints to create thank you cards later that are personalized that show the guests and/or the bridal party.

Mia LaCron is the founder of Cut-Wedding-Costs.info - http://www.cut-wedding-costs.info - devoted to helping individuals live out the wedding of their dreams on a realistic budget they can afford.

digital photography for beginners seven ways to beat the learning curve

Digital Photography for Beginners: Seven Ways to Beat the Learning CurveWriten by Kate Sheridan

Even the most accomplished photographers who've moved into the digital age experienced an awkward first time, a dreaded beginner's learning curve. You don't have to face your digital future with fear and dread! Here are seven quick tips to make your new photographic venture quite painless:

1. Start Simply

Consider an inexpensive digital that will let you practice techniques using basic and automatic settings, including auto-flash and video display. You can easily move up to more complex models as you become more comfortable with the technology.

2. Step Into the Light!

One common characteristic of digital cameras is a small built-in flash that struggles in what you'd usually consider adequate lighting for decent pictures. Always automatically ask for the maximum amount of available light anytime you're shooting inside.

3. Get Up-Front and Personal

Getting closer to your subject helps shed extra light on the subject, improves contrast and definition, and self-edits those sometimes bizarre background elements that can ruin a photo.

4. Study the Background

Poles rising from a politician's head ... telephone wires seeming to extend out of your loved one's ears ... a bicycle protruding from the bride's backside ... the potential disasters of background oise are endless. Always check before you click!

5. Digitals Hate the Night

Just believe it. You'll want to use a tripod if you do a lot of night shots. Even with a ight setting, which most basic digital cameras have, you're apt to get blurred photos as the camera races against itself to manage the dim light.

6. Move Around

There's no better time to experiment with perspective, light and color than when you're starting out. Move around your subject to test your camera angles, your perspectives and to know both opportunities and limitations your digital presents.

7. Watch the Sun and Shadows

Even using an automatic flash adjuster, shooting into the sun on a blazing summer's day or giving in to your subject's natural move to shade his eyes or face, will likely give your digital photograph either so much light that all contrast is obscured, or else a zebra-like quality that detracts from the subject itself. Practice moving up close, keeping the sun behind you, or choose lightly shaded areas in which to shoot human subjects outdoors.

Kate Sheridan is a Michigan freelance writer, photographer and homesteader whose writings on the fun and foibles of country living may be found at http://www.gardenandhearth.com/RuralLiving.htm.

wedding photography finding mr right photographer

Wedding Photography: Finding Mr. Right PhotographerWriten by Jeanette Shinn

After you have booked the facility it is time to get down to the serious business of finding the right wedding photographer for your wedding celebration. This can be tricky because 1) you need to find a wedding photographer whose style agrees with your taste; 2) you need a wedding photographer whose body of work is up to your standards; and 3) you need a wedding photographer whose personality clicks with both of you.

This last trait is quite possibly the most important of the three, although you dont want to sacrifice any of them if you can help it, in choosing a wedding photographer. Why? Because it is the wedding photographers job to set everyone, and you especially, at ease so that the wedding pictures you get reflect the people you love and not some sick caricature of them. And this is best achieved by using a wedding photographer that you feel at ease with. True, there is no guarantee that everyone will feel at ease with the wedding photographer that you choose which is why it is so important for you to choose one that at least you will be comfortable with.

Before we move on, however, be aware that some of the bigger photography studios have a small number of representatives for you to meet with and sell you their wedding photography packages. The problem is that once your wedding party is booked they will give the assignment to someone else, even a freelance wedding photographer that you have never met before. Protect yourself by either using an individual wedding photographer, or a wedding photography company that will guarantee the particular individual that will photograph your wedding. If you cant get a written guarantee that the individual that you have become so comfortable with will actually be the one providing your wedding photography, keep looking.

Likewise, be sure when choosing your wedding photographer that you see several entire weddings worth of wedding photography that he (or she) personally shot. Anyone can shoot hundreds of pictures and have a few that have turned out great, especially in particularly photogenic situations like weddings tend to be. It takes a real skilled individual though to turn out an entire wedding worth of great wedding photography. Isnt that exactly what you are hoping to get when you hire your wedding photographer?

Finally, regardless of how sharp and how much of a people person the wedding photographer is there is no way that they are going to know who your great uncle Charlie is or where to look for him if he disappears. So save your wedding photographer (and yourself) time and grief by choosing someone within your wedding party (someone with a strong personality) who knows everyone involved to be the wedding photographers contact person.

Remember, any given wedding photographer is only one person (or, in some cases, one team). This means that they can only be in one place at a time. Since most weddings happen on Saturdays they are most busy on Saturdays, meaning that they will often charge a higher price to do a Saturday wedding than they would a Friday or Sunday wedding. It also means that the wedding photographer may well be coming from another wedding before yours, or be heading to another wedding after yours, if you do have a Saturday wedding so your cooperation with the wedding photographer will go a long way toward getting great wedding photography.

Jeanette Shinn is the founder, operator, and edible design artist behind Layer By Layer, http://www.frostingonthecake.com, a special order bakery serving weddings and other special occasion needs of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Jeanette is also the co-owner of Your Wedding Cake and Favors http://www.wedding-cakes-portal.com a website dedicated to helping brides realize their wedding day dreams with advice and resources for the entire wedding experience.

cloudy day photography taking advantage of natures diffused lighting

Cloudy Day Photography: Taking Advantage of Nature's Diffused LightingWriten by Anita Cross

Cloudy days are nature's softbox.

Cloudy days can present many opportunities for great photographs. In fact, once you discover how easy it is to get great results, you'll look forward to a cloudy day as much, if not more, than a sunny day.

The studio photographer's arsenal includes a number of tools to soften and redistribute light to the best advantage of the subject. Among these tools is the Softbox which provides soft, even lighting by using a diffuser in front of the light.

In outdoor photography, cloud cover diffuses the light of the sun much like a photographer's softbox, producing a soft even light that results in softer contrasts. While high contrast can be quite dramatic, the softer contrast allows for more detail in both the light and the dark areas of your photograph. The softer light is also more flattering for portraits or candid shots of people.

On your first few cloudy day adventures, consider taking your digital camera. In spite of the differences in the cameras, what you learn about how the lighting changes your compositions and setup will be equally useful with your film camera. And with the digital, you'll feel free to experiment without the added cost of film on your mind.

Some difficult subjects which benefit from the diffused light include waterfalls in shadowy forested areas, sea life caught in a tide pool and wildlife hiding in the shadows, as well as close ups of flowers and people.

Diffused lighting is not as bright as direct light, indoors or out, and you will need to compensate with a slower shutter speed. Or widen the aperture and adjust the depth of field. You should count on needing your tripod for wide or long shots. The picture can be blurred by even slight camera movement with really slow shutter speeds, so use your remote if you have one.

Anita Cross is a self-employed Internet Marketing consultant, professional photographer and amateur writer. She sponsors the Call Of The Wild Photo web site, where you can find more Digital Photography Tips from Anita and other professional photographers.

landscape photography amp painting

Landscape Photography & PaintingWriten by David Dunlap

If you love taking pictures or painting and know that you have talent, you should consider starting your own business in landscape photography or landscape painting. There are many people who pay a good amount of money for original paintings and photos to grace their home. They don't want a reproduction that one of their friends or colleagues might pick up as well, they want something fresh and unique that they can call their own.

What's more, having a job where you must be able to view beautiful scenery on a regular basis can be rewarding in many ways. You will be able to travel to different cities and countries in the name of art. Imagine taking a vacation to a country you have never before seen and knowing that you will only profit from it.

But what if you are a stay-at-home mom or someone who just doesn't want to travel often but know that you have a talent that can't be matched? You can always take photos and create paintings from your own yard. The bigger your yard, the more possibilities you will have. You may also find a great new pastime by sculpting and decorating your yard for your landscape pictures or paintings.

You will need to redress your yard each time and come up with new and innovative ways to make it shine. You may even want to utilize both your back and front yards to give you more options. If your neighbors have great yards, see about using theirs as well. You may want to offer a small monetary incentive if necessary.

There are many resources on the Internet for you to learn more about landscaping. You should start at http://purelandscaping.com. You will need to learn all you can to assist you in making your yard look beautiful, which will help sell the landscaping pictures or paintings you produce for more profit.

David Dunlap is the founder and owner of Pure Landscaping, an online resource directory designed to help with any sized landscape project. For more information, visit http://purelandscaping.com

photography schools

Photography SchoolsWriten by Michael Bustamante

Photography Schools develop the artistic eye and technical skills needed to become a professional photographer. Interested students can prepare for exciting careers by combining art and photography for applications fitted to their particular interests. Courses offered are comprehensive and technical for professional training in the care and use of cameras, and in handling or manipulation of negatives during film development.

Photography instruction will include cameras and other photography equipment, length of exposures, digital photography, types of lenses, and various techniques in developing finished prints with hands-on experience through individual projects. Various colleges and universities grant Associate of Arts (AA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in Photography. Some also provide graduate level studies for certificates in photography with specialized techniques. Students may be able to choose photography as a major, a minor, or to take photography classes simply to satisfy an interest in the subject.

Photography Schools encourage creativity, personal expression, and development of individual style through photography training programs. The general curriculum includes camera basics, digital and film techniques, portraiture, lighting, composition, fine arts, darkroom techniques for printing black and white photographs, and digital-imaging software. Some Photography Schools provide courses that include design, illustration, commercial advertising, documentary, photojournalism, presentation skills, setting up a studio, and business skills for professional photographers.

Photography School graduates can apply their trade to news, sports, portraiture, marketing, or to many other professions in the field of photography. Associate and bachelor degrees allow for entry-level positions as technicians, assistants, artists, and commercial photography.

If you are interested in learning more about Photography Schools colleges, universities, art institutes that teach photography, and even online photography schools, please search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Visit our Traditional School Directory and find Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.

abstract photography has photography come of age

Abstract Photography - Has Photography Come of AgeWriten by Henry Bateman

Never have I found the limits of the photographic potential. Every horizon, upon being reached, reveals another beckoning in the distance. Always, I am on the threshold. -W. Eugene Smith

The invention of the camera liberated painting from its reportage role. Gone was the need to produce a likeness, detail the events of the story, painting was free to express emotions. True what had gone before contained an emotional content but now painting could experiment and through imaginative interpretation allow the emotional content to predominate.

As the 19th century evolved and throughout the 20th century painters from the impressionists through the cubists and expressionists to the minimalists could to use colour, line and form to go straight to the emotional content of their work. The representational aspect of the work become coincidental and was pushed to the point that it became akin to lying on the grass making shapes out of clouds. Enjoyable as it may be it is secondary to the nature of clouds.

The introduction of the digital darkroom has given this freedom to photographers. The range of tools to fix and enhance the cameras capture when pushed to its extremes produces a range of fascinating effects. When added to the filters built into the better software, images can be produced that any comparison to the original photograph is purely coincidental.

With the use of these tools, the skilled photographic artist can take the pop song and create, in visual terms, the lyric beauty of a baroque symphony or the down town jive of a jazz variation without a tree or high rise in sight. Just the light captured by the camera and fine tuned into something completely different, something new that comes from the photographer.

The photographer has been liberated like the painter before them by technology. Now photographs can explore the full range of human experience including those that have no words to express them. Large statements will be accessible by the photographer not only in physical terms. Like their painter counterparts a large canvas is becoming the order of the day. That this canvas can express feelings rather than just illustrate them denotes that the photograph has become an adult in the arts

Henry Bateman is an artist/photographer. His work can be seen at http://www.pissedpoet.com

photography what makes a photograph great

Photography - What Makes a Photograph Great?Writen by Margaret Byrkit

Photography helps us capture memories; it allows us to
unleash our creativity. Even the most mundane subject can
become beautiful from the right angle. If this is what
photography does for us, what makes the difference between
a pro and an amateur?

For the most part the difference can be summed up in one
word: composition. Composition is the way in which a shot
is made as well as the subject of the photograph.
Composition almost wholly determines the popularity and
influence of a photograph.

A great photograph is a work of art; it evokes an emotion
from the viewer. The way you portray a scene, the
composition, is the way a viewer will experience the scene.

To create a beautiful work of art in a photograph, it
helps to have a plan, some emotion, or impact that you want
the picture to have. This will affect the way you shoot the
scene as well as the way viewers will eventually experience
it. Share your emotions with your viewers through your
photograph.

Professional photographers successfully draw on feelings
and memories that are common to everyone. Scenes
representing childhood, lost innocence, or connection with
nature grab the attention of viewers, reminding them of
their own experiences. Using unique scenes to pull on
common emotions allows a photographer to attract a wide
variety of people who respond powerfully to the photographs.

For a truly wonderful photograph, you must also consider
the way the parts interrelate with the whole that you are
trying to create. Proximity to the foreground often
determines what is considered the most important part of
the photograph.

In addition, the angle from which the photograph is taken
can greatly influence the viewer's understanding and
emotional reaction. A normal, everyday item shot from a new
angle can totally readjust a viewer's paradigm. Also,
combining different textures enhances the overall effect
and interest of a photograph.

True photography is not a point-and-shoot kind of thing.
Thought and care must be taken with each photograph, and
the viewer's perspective is often the most important
consideration.

Photography is like poetry; both the subject and the form
determine the effect on viewers. As you search to take the
great photographs of your life, remember that your job is
to make viewers think, to help them see something from a
new perspective.

As a studio photographer, Margaret Byrkit has made a study
of topics related to photography. She is contributing
writer of articles for FYN Photography a
premier resource on-line for information on photography.
Find additional articles by Margaret at For Camera and FD Electronics

market your photography business

Market Your Photography BusinessWriten by Roy Barker

Setting up your own photography business it easy, you don’t need office space in can be done from your own home. However this is not the easiest type of business to market, especially if you are new to the business. Quite often to market this type of business you need specialist contacts, and your newness to the business precludes you from having these contacts, unless of course your surname is Eastman.

Don’t underestimate the power of marketing, because it is the tool that can make or break your business. Marketing is the commercial aspect of transferring goods from one owner to another. Without this tool you are lost, but don’t despair, there are effective avenues you can explore to market your business successfully.

First of all you need to decide what form of business you are going to set up, there are only two basic types - Assignment photography and Stock photography.

Assignment photography covers jobs that you have been hired to photograph. In other words you have a specific target to photograph. An example of this type of photography is to cover Mr X’s wedding. This type of the photography is the bread and butter of photographers, however it is unlikely to win you the Pulitzer Prize for photography.

The photographs will have a limited appeal, in the case of Mr X’s wedding; no matter how technically perfect those photographs are, they are going to have a limited appeal. They are simply not marketable outside the field of the family of Mr X.

Stock photography, is exactly what the name suggest, you have a stock of photographs and you have to market them. You have taken the photographs without having a buyer. This type of photography is much more speculative, and you may waste a lot of resources. You may have to invest a great deal of time and or film, depending on whether you are using an SLR camera, or a Digital Camera. Non-professionals think these photographs occur when you are in the right place at the right time. In reality though, being in the correct place has an element of advantage, who can forget the child on fire from Napalm running out of a village in the Vietnam war; often they are a particular photograph taken out of a series of hundreds. Whilst these photographs are often more exciting to take, they can be boring as well, and you may never quite get that photograph that “Says it All”.

There are effective ways to market these stock photographs, which is wonderful for the beginner because you do not bear the cost of the marketing. There are several stock picture libraries on line. You submit your photographs to these libraries, and they then sell the rights for others to reproduce them. The price structure on this type of photography depends on its content and also where it is sold. It may go on the front page of an encyclopaedia with a print run of half a million, and it may go on someone’s private web site. There will be a different rate for the type of photograph and its market. When your photograph is sold the library will deduct a percentage of your commission for marketing and of course profit.

Most photographers when they start will combine these types of business to varying degrees. There are several ways that you can boost your marketing profile without actually spending any money. Join a local photography society is one way, another is to go to your local town hall and see if your local chamber of commerce has a group of professional photographers. Another more involved way to market your business and bring it into a higher profile with the local community is to offer to teach photography free of charge. Yes I know the chances are that you are working from home, but why not offer to do it in a local school.

The debate is still raging about SLR cameras versus digital, and it looks like it will for some time to come.

It is still fair to say that most photographers want great imaging, in a compact affordable package. Improved design techniques for the digital camera are now delivering a viable alternative to 35mm film, but one of the drawbacks to marketing this type of film, was the time consumed producing digital photographs at home. Home development often does not give a professional finish. There are now photo development agencies online which will give you great images. You upload the photographs on to your chosen site and they will print them and forward them on to you. This way you can ensure crystal clear prints to your instructions. Kodak gallery allows you to share your prints online afterwards by allowing you storage space, which means that you don’t even have to scan your pictures. Don’t forget to check out our other articles for great hints and tips for every step of your business development. Make your business work for you!

Whilst marketing is a very important aspect of the business, it does not compensate for lack of quality. Sharp clear prints sell, and others don’t. Make sure that you invest in good quality basics, such as a tripod. It is not necessary to invest in products you will use once a year, if you need them then hire them, especially when you are just starting. Even if you use digital, it is still a fact that the lens is more important than the camera. Make sure the equipment you buy is going to work for you. Extra time spent asking questions before you buy will pay dividends later, in terms of money saved. Everyone wastes money at some time or other, but being forethought and researching can reduce that substantially.

This article has been supplied courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy often writes and works closely with Profitable Photography Business. If the previous link is inactive, you can paste this one into your browser - profitable-photography.com This site is dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources (some free) from Photography or if this link is inactive, you can copy and paste this link into your browser - profitable-photography.com/resources.php If you seek further guides, articles and news, you can go to Photography Tips or if this link is inactive, you can paste this address in your browser photography-business-tips.com Why not bookmark these links!

diffusion amp softening of digital photography images

Diffusion & Softening of Digital Photography ImagesWriten by Tom Ray

Like many people whove made the switch from film cameras to digital,
Ive discovered that the lens tools I once used so effectively on my
cameras to soften, diffuse and vignette my images for quality finished
professional results wont do for digital what they did for film.

Im sure its arguable by some that their diffusers still work fine, and I too
have discovered that some tools still work okay under some
circumstances; my Ziess Softar #1 seemed to offer decent results when
photographing a single subject in the studio but I knew that the black
netting diffuser that I used with my Lindahl Bell-o-shade no longer
worked on the Nikon D70 zoom lens at the wider angles without
showing lines in the image. Not a risk I was willing to take professionally
so I just stopped using the Lindahl shade and drop-down filters for a
while.

Then it happened. A savvy carriage trade-minded customer brought in
a wall portrait that she had purchased several years ago by a
photographer obviously using medium format lens tools like I was used
to using in the past with my film camera. She wanted her new wall
portraits to have that same softened look. So I arrived at the portrait
session armed with my digital camera equipped with the very mild Softar
Filter that works at any aperture on any lens thinking that this was good
insurance at getting the kind of softness she could live with.

Understand that I knew any diffusion used on an entire family group
portrait would be more exaggerated by their relative head sizes but I
had explained that to her and she assured me she liked her portrait
images very soft.

While the images looked good on the small camera monitor, once I
opened them up in Photoshop and printed them out as proofs I knew
they were too soft. I called a colleague who is a digital expert and
explained to him what I had done. He told me that you simply cannot
use on-lens filters anymore for professional softening and diffusion
without creating mush on 35mm type digital camera images. This leaves
the special effects job now to the computer and not the camera. But Ive
tried using Photoshop CS for their diffusion tools and what I get doesnt
look like real photography, I complained, The results are terrible. He
agreed that Photoshops filters werent the right tools either to mimic the
professional photography filters of the past but told me that there is a
company that has a software program that is a plug-in for my Photoshop
and has filter tools to recreate believable results for various levels of
softening and diffusion.

The software is called PhotoKit and is available from Pixel Genius for
only $49.95. I bought the Mac version and it is wonderful. I have played
around with it now and have found that you can get varying degrees of
whatever you want that looks similar to what you used to be able to do
with your old lens filters and drop-down tools. Even more possibilities
are now available to you. One of my favorites is the ability to lasso areas
and clear the results of diffusion keeping eyes and teeth sparkly and
sharp.

If there is a downside to doing your diffusion this way its that the
customer cant really see the results on the proof, so they have to trust
your artistic license. But it was like this with retouching too so there will
be a short new education curve for your clientele to learn, or to save
yourself from disaster you might offer a second proof appointment to
show the customer a proof of their selected images with the added
softening or diffusion. Its going to take more time and youll end up with
having to rework some things more than you want so Id only
recommend this for customers like mine whos initial concern was the
diffusion issue.

In summary, softening and diffusion can be done effectively and
professionally but its not as easy as it used to be when youd just pick
the filter you wanted and pop it over the lens. Your old on-camera lens
filters will often turn your digital images to mush or images of weak
contrast that may or may not be salvageable.

Tom Ray is a Certified Professional Photographer through the
Professional Photographers of America. If you are interested in his full
story please go to: http://www.rayphotography.com/HomeBiz2info.html - Professional Photography: Success Without School!

digital or film for your wedding photography

Digital or Film for Your Wedding PhotographyWriten by Andy Heller

When selecting your wedding photographer you will inevitably have to decide whether you want your images captured using film or digital cameras. Both are capable of wonderful results, but the debate rages on as to which is etter, which will last longer and finally, would you even be able to tell the difference. There are many factors which come into play and I'll try to go over some of the most common misconceptions about digital wedding coverage and why I made the transition to all-digital wedding coverage three years ago.
Many falsehoods are circulated on various wedding chatboards where one person blurts out an unsubstantiated opinion and somehow this becomes chatboard gospel. One of my favorites is: digital photographs aren't as crisp and vibrant as those made with a film camera. This can certainly be true, if the photograph was made with a two megapixel point and shoot camera and the image printed out on an inexpensive desktop inkjet printer. However, a qualified professional will most likely be using what's known as a digital single-lens reflex camera, or DSLR Camera, with an average of 8 megapixels and perhaps even more. These cameras, manufactured by such well-known companies as Canon and Nikon are more than capable of producing wonderfully crisp enlargements of sixteen by twenty inches and beyond. While inkjet prints may be fine for family vacation shots, I much prefer to have digital album photographs printed by a professional processing lab. The digital printer used by a pro lab is an extremely expensive and specialized piece of equipment. The prints are made on actual photographic paper and should enjoy a long fade-free life given proper care. Ask your photographer to show you some samples. You won't be disappointed.
Digital wedding photos are becoming much more prevalant due to quickly evolving technology and advancements in image storage capability. Film has been around for more than 100 years but is rapidly fading in popularity. I was reluctant to provide full digital coverage for my clients until I was confident that the finished product could meet or exceed that which I could deliver using film. I've seen the wonderful results from my digital gear and nothing could convince me to go back to film. Other market factors influenced my decision, such as long-time medium format camera manufacturer Bronica discontinuing US availability for a number of products and Canon's recent announcement indicating that they may halt future development of their film camera line.
There are many advantages for the Bride and Groom when they choose an all-digital photographer. Some of these include the ability for online posting of their wedding photos, conversion of images from color to black and white or antique sepia tones and the ability to have the photos placed on a CD or DVD for easy storage. From your photographer's perspective, starting with a digital file allows for superior image retouching and corrections when necessary. Additionally, the larger storage capabilities of a digital camera allow the photographer to shoot more images, giving the client a greater selection when it comes time to assemble the wedding album.
Andy Heller is the owner/operator of Heller Photography, http://www.hellerphoto.com specializing in Boston Wedding Photography and social events throughout Massachusetts since 1987. He can be reached at 508-668-4277 or by email: andy@hellerphoto.com

portrait photography one of the greatest arts

Portrait Photography : One of the Greatest ArtsWriten by Ispas Marin

Before doing any portrait photography there are some very important questions that any photographer should ask himself. What kind of light source it's going to be used? From what angle the light will fall on the subject? What film, camera and lens are best to use?

If you manage to answer all this questions before taking the photo then you will probably make quite a good portrait photography. But i know that you don't want a good portrait photography, you want a perfect one. So the best way to achieve this performance is to talk with the client trying to know him, his past, his desires. This way you can create distinctive portraits. If you want a real great portrait then you have to add a bit of the client's personality in the photo. This works very well especially when you make female portrait photography. You shouldn't look for a face that is over painted by a makeup artist. Try to surprise something that really represents the subject.

If you are wondering what to talk about with your clients then the answer is anything that will show you something distinctive for that person. Try to look for different face expressions and eye or mouth movement. When you see something beautiful keep it in mind and later capture it in your portraits. Belive me that studying the subject before making the portrait photography is the biggest secret in this art.

Meeting with the client, building rapport, knowing the client, and planning the session are essential elements. So don't do the final session at the first meeting. After you are sure that you know everything you need to know to make a perfect portrait photography choose the best location and time of day and take the session.

I advice you to always use natural light if it's possible. Choosing the background it's also very important too. If the picture is to close then the background looses any meaning, if it's to far then the background will overwhelm the subject. So try not to merge the subject with the background in an indistinguishable shape.

From my point of view making portrait photography is the greatest art. I belive this because it's very different from making landscape photography or nature photography. When you make a photo you can make the subject to react to your wills and you really can control the picture.

So, in conclusion when it comes to portrait photography it all depends on how much you want the photo to be perfect and how dedicated you are to the art and the feeling of seeing that your client is really pleased.

For great information on Portrait Photography, Digital Photography and any other photography related subjects visit us at the best photography site.

travel photography some basic resources

Travel Photography - Some Basic ResourcesWriten by Susanne Pacher

I have been experimenting for a while now with travel photography, and every time I go away I take hundreds of pictures. The most I ever took on a trip were 900+ pictures on my trip last year to Spain! After that experience I realized that almost 1000 pictures was a bit much and it took me a very long time to sort out my images.

Since then I have become more discerning, and I no longer snap away at everything that moves (or everything that's stationary as well). But I still end up with a few hundred pictures after each and every one of my getaways. Fortunately, digital photography has made taking pictures easy, and the good thing is you can snap away and if you don't like the picture, you just erase it. (But make sure you don't erase the whole memory card, as my husband did after a fabulous first-time exploration of Paris....)

I am not much of a technical photographer (yet), I really rely very much on my camera's basic all-round settings. The only thing I have experimented with recently is macro (close-up) photography with the help of my brother-in-law. I try to follow some basic photography rules, such as getting closer to my subject, adding depth to landscape shots by placing people, trees or animals in the foreground, keeping the camera steady, or putting the sun behind me. Other than that I pretty much just try to frame the shot, pull the trigger and see what happens.

Last year I even tried to experiment using people as subjects for my photos. On the island of Ibiza I saw a really interesting family of Gypsies - 3 generations including grandmother, a young couple and their grandchild - and I asked in the politest Spanish that I could muster, whether I would be able to take a picture of them. What came next totally surprised me: the older woman started cursing me out and shook her fist at me. It took me a couple of seconds to realize she was serious, and ever since that time I have become quite shy when it comes to taking pictures of strangers.

That shouldn't deter you though. To help you improve your travel photography there are a large number of great resources on the web. Discussions cover topics such as whether to use regular film or digital photography, the types of subjects you can cover (animals, people, landscapes, architecture, plants, sports, aerial shots, underwater shots, etc.), techniques, techincal jargon and many more. In the end it doesn't much matter, as long as you get out there and have fun while you document your travel experiences.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest(http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons.

The interview with photos is published at Travel and Transitions - Interviews

making money with digital photography and live events

Making Money With Digital Photography And Live EventsWriten by Richard Meredith

A few years ago I became interested in digital photography, mainly for web publishing and
personal reasons. You know, how nice is it now to NOT have to deal with film, scanning
pictures, and the costs of developing all of those ot great photos that you didn't know were so
bad until you paid to have them developed!

So, at the time I got my first digital camera a friend of mine was playing in a rock band, and
needed pictures for their web pages and promotional printings and ads. When I first began to
do their photography, I had NO IDEA what it all would lead to... and now I will reveal to you some
of the MANY ways to make money, part-time, with your love for photography!

Now, at the clubs my friend's band played in- a lot of the time they would be in a line-up of 3
bands for the evening, of which I shot live pictures of my friend's band's performance. Then I got
another idea, I'm there already, usually to finish the night with the band, so I started to take
pictures of the other bands. Afterwards, as they were breaking down their equipment, I
introduced myself as the other bands photographer, and explained that I liked their music and
look- and also took pictures of them also.

I got the names of the band members, jotted down notes about which instruments each one
played, and then got a mailing address to reach them. I told them that I was going to print up
some proof sheets and send them off to them... all were very agreeable and willing (and why
not, it doesn't cost them a thing).

Then I printed the proof sheet(s), and selected three of what I thought were the best- of which I
made a little bigger on a seperate sheet and used Photoshop to refine and enhance the images
prior to printing (all on my little ink-jet printer).

I composed a form letter that I could customize for each mailing explaining details like:

- The first proof sheet was all of the raw digital images

- The second one with the larger images was digitally self enhanced

- I would professionally print any pictures they wanted for XXX cost (considering mailing costs,
printing costs at a local printing shop, labor for digital enhancement, and healthy profit margin)

- For any order I would give them a CD with ALL of the photos in digital form for them to use any
way they wanted

- Add my contact information

- And finally my availability to book shootings with them in the future

Now I could personalize this form letter and send it with the proof sheets to the band, and
when I would call them about a 8 days after I made the mailing to ask them if they recieved
the proof sheets and which ones they liked (and I liked)- and I simply asked for an order.

It was amazing how well this worked, and I expanded the idea.

I would go to fund-raising events, marathons, special events hosted by radio station
personalities... always getting the contact information for reaching whoever is in charge of
promotions and following the same system!

As you go along, you realize some other benefits to you new usiness- like free
admissions (and no club cover charges), press passes, exciting opportunities to meet
interesting people and celebrities, discount drinks, and much more! It's amazing what people
will GIVE you, if you just ask!

Then there are the home-business tax deductions that are eye-opening in themselves!

As soon as you can, upgrade to more professional equipment so you can not only play
the part, but also look the part. Print up business cards, and make up your own porfolio of
your est digitally enhanced photos of all kinds of subjects and previous shootings.

Seriously, this could turn your love for digital photography into an exciting lifestyle and an
income that could surpass your present one!

But then again, I know I have only just scratched the surface with professional digital
photography, and I'm sure you now have just entered a hink-tank that will spur many more
ideas for you to make digital photography more than just a love. Make it a great life!

Richard Meredith is the Author of
The BLACK BOOK of Online Business -
An amazing FREE SOURCE ebook for the online business person!

http://www.straight-talkmarketing.com

Feel free to distribute or publish this article conditional only by including the by-line intact.

saving money on your wedding photography

Saving Money on Your Wedding PhotographyWriten by Gary Thompson

The guy has finally popped the question and the big day is almost here. Everything is in place except for hiring someone to take the wedding photos. You want great wedding pictures, but you dont have a lot of money. What can you do to save money and still get great wedding photos? If you go too cheap on your wedding photography it will be obvious. Keep in mind that this is the day you have been waiting for your entire life, and you will want to remember it forever. If you follow a few simple ideas you can still get great wedding photos and save money.

The first thing is to get a professional wedding photographer. There is only one chance to get these pictures right. Becky Jenkins wanted to get the best Athens, Georgia wedding photographer she could find, but her uncle offered to do the pictures for free. He had been dabbling in photography and seemed to take good pictures. When she finally got the pictures back they were either too dark or over exposed. Becky was devastated, but there was nothing she could do at that point. You can cut corners in a lot of areas, but if you go cheap on your photos you have to be very careful. You can find professional wedding photographers with packages in every price range including yours.

A popular trick for getting good candid shots is to place disposable cameras on each table. This is a fun way to get good pictures for cheap, and to get pictures that the wedding photographer would miss. The problem with disposable cameras at weddings is that two or three dozen rolls of film are very expensive to develop. Instead of putting them on the table, maybe just hand them out to select people at the wedding.

Another way to save money is to be selective with what pictures you want. Maybe you are fine with only a few professional pictures being taken at your wedding reception. If you use the disposable cameras as mentioned above you wont need as many professional photographs and this can save you money. Decide early what is most important to you and make sure the wedding photographer gets only those pictures. Quality is better than quantity.

There are so many ways to save money on your wedding and still throw an event that everyone will remember forever. With a little ingenuity you can save thousands and still have a wedding that looks like a million bucks. Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and when it comes down to it the only thing thats important is that you are marrying the person you love.

The author Rhonda Thompson is a professional photographer in the Athens and northeast Georgia area specializing in wedding, family, portrait, and pet photography. You can view her photography at http://www.RhondaThompson.com

photography 101 part 2

Photography 101 Part 2Writen by Kelly Paal

Basic Composition

Now that you are beginning to understand how your camera works you can begin to understand basic composition. I know that many people that Ive talked to think that photography is just pointing your camera and taking a photo but its more than that. After you understand how your equipment works you can begin to get into the real art of photography and that art is called composition.

Basic principles:

1. Use all of your available space. Fill the image with the image. If the reason that your taking the photo is your daughters beautiful face then get closer. If youre taking an image of the breathtaking valley before you. Fill the frame with the valley. Keep distractions out of the frame. Theyre called distractions for a reason.

2. Look at the forms in your image. You almost have to look at the people or the landscape before you in their simplistic geographic forms. A good way to learn form is to practice taking photos of still life objects, that you can arrange into pleasing forms. A good photo is always a beautiful arrangement of form. Whether its the beauty of a womans face, her features being forms, or a wonderful landscape, trees, rocks, and hills being forms.

3. Line or direction, motion. The direction of the forms in your photos is very important. Never have action or motion moving outside of your image. It will direct the eye away from your image. Diagonal motion lines are good, curves and s curves are better. The last two is probably way landscape photography is so popular nature is full of curves. Also never put a horizon line in the center of your frame.

4. Contrast, the difference between black and white. Now it is possible to have a beautiful photo with little contrast if that is your intention, this works best with color. But a lot of shots, some really beautiful shots have a nice balance of black, white, and grays. This can be manipulated for artistic purpose of course, but in the beginning you want to focus on trying to take shots with equal amounts of black, white, and shades of gray. (Shoot a roll of B&W film to really learn this principle.)

5. Color, you may have to familiarize yourself with the color wheel. (See my article Graphic Design Using Color for more information its for graphic design but the first couple of paragraphs talk about basic color theory) Whether youre shooting nature or setting up your own shots in a studio you need to know what colors go together and why. Many of us have an instinct as to what looks good. When in doubt follow your instincts. Start out by taking shots of things that you think have pretty or beautiful colors. Show the photos to others and see if they agree. Photographers learn not only what they think is beautiful but what is universally beautiful as well.

Now the hard part practice all these principles at the same time. Its not easy! Now you really know why photographers take years to really learn their craft.

This weeks assignment: Lets break this down into four assignments. Youll need four rolls of film. Roll one, fill your available space. Shoot pictures of whatever you like, but get closer. Eliminate distractions from your image. Keep the focus of your image on whatever it was that made you want to take that photo. Roll two, forms. Heres an old stand by that I did in college. Get out an assortment of vegtables and fruit from your kitchen. Put a sheet down on your table, no distractions, shoot an entire roll of the veggies and fruit making sure that your rearrange with each shot. Make sure you study your results and see which forms looked best. Roll three, Contrast, you can do this in B&W film if you want to. Take a shot of the flower in your garden in the early morning, afternoon, and sunset. Shoot some portraits at the same times, by candlelight too. When you see the results you will be surprised. Roll four, color. Use the vegtables again, this time paying attention to the colors. If you can tell me why a red tomato looks best on a green bed of lettuce or the orange sunset with the purple clouds is so captivating then youve figured out some of color theory.

If you have some specific questions please visit my Photography Forum at: http://kellypaalphotography.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php and post your question there.

About The Author

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal

Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design. kellypaa@kellypaalphotography.com

christmas rush this holiday season to go to digital photography

Christmas Rush this Holiday Season to go to Digital PhotographyWriten by Kyle Summers

So you have rushed out into the malls in a mad panic for this christmas holiday and are going to purchase a electronic item on Credit think again. Consumers are paying again through the nose agin this year 1.5 billion in sales up from last year and sure to gain ground next year again.

Almost on a monthly basis you see a new digital camera rolls off the assembly line almost like clockwork. In order to save your money when getting into digital photography we suggest getting something more middle of the road like the Fuji F450.
Fuji F450 review

Don't fall for salesman tactics for upselling, you don't need anything over 5 mega pixel in my opinion. All digital cameras above 5.0 are a bit overkill unless your a professional photographer in which case you would most likely purchase a digital SLR camera. Kodak has stepped up to the plate like always with many versions of the easyshare cameras. Kodak packs value into every camera they produce in my opinion and their very inexpensive. I would recommend having a look at the Kodak easyshare DX7590 if your looking for affordable cameras.
Kodak DX7590 Review

If you are looking for a camera that is very universal and packs in my opinion one of the most respectable names and quality customer service, I would stick with a Sony Cybershot digital camera. Sony has some of the best cameras for quality and price with warranty out on the market today. Whatever you choose this holiday season take your time get information on what your buying and don't think that the higher the mega pixel the better the camera. As well be very wary and ask if the CCD sensor is the mega pixel number that they report or is it totalled by interpolation. Remember if you interpolate the mega pixels then the camera isn't reporting its correct processing of the mega pixels.

Good luck with your next camera purchase.

how to use and select stock photography services

How to Use and Select Stock Photography ServicesWriten by Roy Barker

There are two main types of photography to sell, that is assignment photography and Stock Photography. Assignment photography is taking photographs of a predetermined event, and stock Photography is taking photographs in the hope that you will be able to find a future buyer. Most professional photographers take both types, the weddings and portraits take care of immediate bills, as they command a higher price, because they are generally only of interest to a limited number of people. There are exceptions like being hired for a specific assignment to photograph an Olympic Event, and then being able to sell that photograph Internationally. In general, stock photographs command a lower price, but they are more saleable to a wider base.

Stock photographs are generally sold on the Internet through what is known as Stock Libraries. They generally all work on a very similar system, you take photographs and submit them to a stock library and they sell them to interested parties such as travel brochure companies, advertising agents, book publishers. This way of marketing photographs has distinct advantages, if you are a part time freelancer, or have just started your own business. Either way you are probably too busy making portfolios, and taking pictures to market them. Another factor, which makes this method of marketing advantageous, is that when you are starting you do not have the network of contacts to market your photographs. Added to that there are some people who wont or cant perfect their marketing skills.

A downside of this marketing method is that there is a little more to it than taking photographs and waiting for the Royalty cheques to come in. Most stock libraries, will want to re-caption your pictures to fit in with their image, this can be a time consuming process and it can take months to get them online. Like many aspects of selling it is a numbers game, the more photographs you have available to sell the more you are likely to sell. This is a fairly general aspect of marketing, but it is more specific in this instance, as prospective buyers may look at other images, if they like one particular one. Because of the time factor of getting your work to the buyers or the public, many stock libraries, have insisted on a minimum contract, which means that they typically ask to retain your work for a minimum of two years.

Some of the stock libraries are general and some are more specific. Marine Themes obviously specialise in underwater photography, and they scan and correct all their images before sale. They are then color corrected to ensure that any prints will be the best quality. All this takes time, to get the images actually for sale on the Internet. The benefit is that marine photography is highly specialised, and this process does increase your chances to merchandise your work.

In the past the market was limited to buyers who were sent colour brochures and made their selection from them, now the market is expanding, as many libraries have widened their sales base by allowing customers to make their purchases directly on line. This factor alone has increased the numbers game the more people who have access, the more who are likely to buy. Some stock libraries are general and some are highly specific such as South African images. Some cover specialist areas such as marine photography, or nature.

So how do you choose the stock library that will be the most beneficial to you? There are independent reports covering the various strengths and weaknesses. The annual Freelance Photographer's Market Handbook in the UK features a section on stock libraries and is an excellent reference guide. Some of the stock libraries have been established for ten years. They have hundreds of photographers and hundreds of thousands of images. As a result of this they may be reluctant to take on new clients. However if you have a large portfolio available immediately it may be worth trying one of the older companies. However you will be competing with established photographers who have built up a client base. Many of the new companies have less than a hundred photographers and you will start by being a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

At the end of the day, the choice has to be your personal decision, and there is nothing to stop you from registering with more than one library. Whilst the market is growing and will continue to grow to encompass on line sales, remember to consider that sales from a printed catalogue will be important for a while, and it may be advantageous for you to choose a library with a well referenced catalogue.

Every stock library has different terms and conditions. In general most give you a straight 50% of the earnings. However some do let the images go into the hands of sub agents, and they will expect an additional cut from any sales. Read your contract well before you sign and beware of copyright issues. Normally when the photograph is sold the buyer is issued with a license number, which only allows them to use the image the once. You minimise your royalties if you allow a buyer to pay once and then get multiple uses out of it.

All in all if you are prepared to look at your market strategy over a long period of time, stock libraries offer you an option. There are forums for professional photographers that do address the issue, and it may be worth you looking into othe peoples style and work. Here are some I recommend you look into and consider selling your stock through:- PhotoStockPlus and Photo.com

There are also available a huge number of royalty free sites. You may question why buyers would consider paying for an image whilst they can obtain others free? The answer here is that royalty free photographs dont make them free, you do purchase them, but you have the rights to re-use the stock photos and CDs for as many different projects and clients as you wish without paying further licensing fees.

This article has been supplied courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy often writes and works closely with Profitable Photography Business. If the previous link is inactive, you can paste this one into your browser - profitable-photography.com This site is dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources (some free) from Photography or if this link is inactive, you can copy and paste this link into your browser - profitable-photography.com/resources.php If you seek further guides, articles and news, you can go to Photography Tips or if this link is inactive, you can paste this address in your browser photography-business-tips.com Why not bookmark these links!