Fashion Industry Boost Digital Photographers

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

1
Digg me


Working on digital fashion runs far off different than doing photos on films and television footages. The ultimate aim to capture every inch of details in the ramp; serving to focus the figures of the beautiful people donned in the most magnificent, fancy, weird, wild, and most outrageous fashion outfits, creates new sensitivity to multiple tasks in digital , with aims to capture the many aspects necessary to cater acceptance in global fashion trends.

Fashion capitals of the world such as Paris, London, and New York are full of designers allowing digital photographers to flourish. They linger around in make-believe world where a meticulous change in fashion is a vogue each year, as changes in designer’s creation covers every aspects in motif, hairstyles, touch (designer’s), color, and everything that goes with fashion culture of the moment.

While the digital fashion photographer circulates in high-end ease, filled with luxury, glamour, and beauty, he compensates position to get into a profession that is not as simple as you think, it is. Everything demanded of the glamour world is a vital move to make finish, its best in coping with fashion’s best photographs.

Points to Consider When on Ramp Shooting

1. Take time to concentrate

2. Be sure your camera is on hand always

3. Define your objective

4. Embrace the opportune moment

5. Visualize on how you could put up interesting elements on your picture to make it unique and interesting

6. Set your goals

7. Use different angles and distance for each shots

8. Apply contrasts by giving sharp emphasis and blurry ps over your pictures

9. Compose your subject

10. Pay attention to variety

11. Put emphasis to lines and shapes of interest

12. Create an impression that you are relaying information to your viewers

Always be aware that whatever output you’ll deliver from photo sessions determines the readiness, care and awareness of numerous important tips to remember before taking out your time on getting pictures.

Factors Surrounding a Successful Digital Fashion Photograph

1. Lighting - (a) Midday reflectors and curtains are a must, (b) if in low light, without flash, hold a firm grasp of your camera, or use tripod, (c) position lights at 45 degree angle to the left or right side of your subject, (d) avoid glares, otherwise, use polarizing filters, (e) never expose the entire photograph, underexpose other ps, (f) if subject’s dimension is important let the light comes from the right and left of your subject.

2. Harmony in Color - Use background materials to emphasize color and tint. Use filters, see-thru transparency, reflectors, and diffusers to devaluate or neutralize strong colors. Use white and gray for backgrounds.

3. The Artist Eye of a Photographer - As an expert in picture taking, others can’t see what you see. Amateurs pay importance to the subject and not the background. It should relate each other.

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

Author: Low Jeremy
Keywords: Digital Photography
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, age, amateur, amazon, and, angle, art, artist, aspect, backgroun, background, Backgrounds, beauty, before, best, blur, blurr, cam, camer, camera, capture, car, care, cat, col, color, colors, computer, create, ct, day, design, detail, di, diffuse, dig, digit, Digital, digital photo, digital photograph, digital photography, dust, EFL, Fashion, fill, film, films, filter, filters, fine, fit, flash, focus, footage, format, get, glamour, glare, harmony, history, in, information, ink, inks, interest, keywords, Light, lighting, Lights, lines, live, low, low light, mat, mem, mo, moment, mp, must, new york, ny, o, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, photographer, photographers, photographs, Photography, Photography, photos, pic, pict, picture, picture taking, pictures, polarizing, power, prin, print, product, ray, reflector, safety, sensitivity, sh, sharp, shoot, shooting, shot, simple, size, soft, story, style, styles, Success, successful, tent, time, tip, tips, tra, trends, trip, tripod, war, white, wild, work

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Getting Sharper Images Right From Your Camera

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


Yes, it’s possible to sharpen images digitally post-shoot, but it’s always best to get the sharpest shot up front, before your photo is even developed. It’s really quite easy to improve the sharpness of your daily shots - just consider these concepts!

1) Use a Tripod, if at all possible

Tripods are by far the best method of ensuring image sharpness right in the camera. The platform created by your tripod stabilizes the camera such that camera shake due to human interference is not an issue, regardless of the level of light available to you, and thus the length of your exposure. As a rule of thumb, a tripod should be used for all exposures longer than 1/30th of a second (e.g. 1/15th of a second or longer is too slow for you to get a crisp shot from handholding - increase your ISO to see if you can get a quicker exposure).

There are many types of tripods available - see my article on Tripods for more information. If you are able to use a tripod then the only shake you have to worry about now is subject shake - flowers moving in the wind, people moving or blinking, etc.

2) Use a Proper Handholding Posture when a tripod is not practical

When tripods are not practical or if you don’t have access to one, you should assume the proper handholding posture to minimize camera shake. This method of stabilizing your camera will never be as good as the use of a tripod, but it’s not bad - it all depends on whether you have a steady hand when the pressure is on!

a) Hold the camera with both hands such that your right hand has a finger on the shutter release button, and your left hand cradles the camera body (not the lens - it’s ok to rest your fingers against the lens, but be sure you don’t interfere with auto focus).

b) Press your elbows tightly against your torso and raise the camera to eye level (for SLR) or so that you can see the LCD (digital P&S), but never hold the camera with extended arms as this increases shake.

c) Stabilize your body against a solid object if you can - a wall or lamp post will do.

d) Use the focus lock feature by depressing the shutter release button half way; once the focus is locked, take a deep breath, and depress the button fully to take your shot while exhaling.

3) Use Image Stabilization (IS) or Vibration Reduction (VR) Lenses

Some lenses for SLR cameras include built-in methods of reducing camera shake. If you have such a lens, make sure you enable IS or VR when shooting hand-held. This technology reduces the effects of camera motion on image sharpness by countering the slight lens movements that result in a blurry image. In general, these lenses allow you to hand-hold a camera at a full stop increase over non-IS or non-VR lenses. These lenses are much more expensive than regular lenses, but if you find yourself hand-holding most of your shots with blurry results, it might be worth the investment. See my article on lens characteristics for more information.

4) Increase your shutter speed

The faster your shutter speed, the less aparent camera shake will be. Obviously, if the shutter is left open for 4 seconds then the slightest movement will result in a soft image, even the movement of the shutter release button! Conversely, if the shutter speed is 1/2000th of a seoncd then hardly any movement will result in image blur. As a guideline, at ISO 100, you should restrict your handheld shots to the reciprocal of your lens focal length. For example, with a 60mm lens, you should not hand-hold any shots that require a slower shutter speed than 1/60th second. (Of course, with an image-stabilized lens, that rule becomes 1/30th second.)

If you are stuck handholding your camera at shutter speeds that are slower than the reciprocal, then you should use flash or increase your ISO setting. The lower the ISO setting, the lower the noise, so it’s always best to stick with ISO 100; however, to reduce camera shake, it may be worth the trade-off to raise the ISO to 200, 400, or even higher. It all depends on your camera and how much noise it introduces at certain ISO levels. Some cameras are better than others, but some photographers have steadier hands than others!

5) Check your AF (auto-focus) sensors to confirm area of highest focus When using auto-focus mode, most cameras confirm with tiny red lights which part of the image is in sharpest focus before taking the shot. Be sure your camera has the same subject in mind that you do, or else your main subject may not be emphasized the way you had imagined. If the sensor picking up the area of focused is not hitting the area you want, it’s best to set it manually. You can do this by disabling auto-focus, or by recomposing your scene such that the correct area is selected, depressing the shutter release button half way to keep the exposure locked, and returning to your original composition.

6) Use continuous shooting mode

By taking two or more shots of the same scene in rapid succession (by keeping the shutter release button depressed), you remove the effect that pressing the shutter release button can have on camera shake. In other words, your second shot (and any subsequent shots, until you release the button) will not experience any shake due to vibration of the shutter release since the first shot took the brunt of it.

7) Use moderate apertures

The rule here is that your lens does its best focusing when set to two stops smaller than its widest aperture. For example, if your lens’ widest aperture is f/2.8, then it will produce the sharpest images (not at f/4) at f/5.6. Even high quality lenses with aspheric and low-dispersion glass elements may not produce their sharpest images at their widest apertures.

For more photography articles, please visit Jennifer Clarkson’s website at http://www.jclarksonphotography.com. To learn more about the books in her eSeries on Digital Photography, or to promote sales, please visit the following sites:

Choosing your camera and accessories
Getting the Most out of your Camera’s Basic Settings

Author: Jennifer Clarkson
Keywords: sharp, sharper, photography, camera, photos, photographer
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, Accessor, accessories, age, amazon, and, Aperture, art, articles, auto, auto focus, bad, before, best, better, blur, blurr, body, book, cam, camer, camera, cd, choosing, composing, composition, computer, creases, create, ct, day, Develop, di, dig, digit, Digital, digital photo, digital photograph, digital photography, don't, earn, experience, exposure, fast, flash, flow, flowers, focal, focal length, focus, format, get, Good, guide, hands, history, image, image stabilization, images, improve, in, information, ink, iso, keywords, Lab, LCD, learn, length, lens, lens characteristics, lenses, Light, Lights, long, low, manual, mat, methods, mo, motion, mp, noise, ny, o, one, out o, parent, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, photographer, Photography, Photography, photos, pic, posing, power, product, promote, Quality, quick, ratio, red, reduction, rule, safety, sale, sales, sensor, settings, sh, sharp, sharper, shoot, shooting, shot, shutter, shutter release, shutter speed, size, SLR, soft, speed, stabilization, story, stuck, Success, technology, tip, tips, tra, trip, tripod, tripods, type, types, web, website, wide

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Film vs Digital Don’t Be Too Quick to Jump Ship

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


As a photographer, people are often surprised to see me shooting film. I thought all you guys shot digital now, is a statement I regularly hear. I have also been called a rare breed because of the same misconception. Truth is, while digital is a great option for many applications, its certainly not the be all to end all and many photographers see no reason to change.

For a lot of commercial work, I do shoot digital. But for most of my work, especially where longevity of the image or quality is concerned, I stay with film.

I recently spent a month in Uganda, Kenya and Cambodia on a photojournalism assignment. There was no way I was going to risk shooting digitally. I packed my two trusty Nikons, 45 rolls of film (25 black and white, 20 colour) and jumped on a plane one of many as it turned out.

The reason was simple: the only cameras that have stopped working on me were digital, the only lenses that have ever seized up on me were auto focus (more on this later) and in 17 years as a photographer, Ive never lost a roll of film or had a lab mess one up. I have, however, lost all my images when a compact flash card went bad and have also had problems transferring images from my camera to a computer. The risk, as far as I was concerned, was too great and I stuck with film.

The rise and rise of digital is based primarily on one factor convenience. Contrary to popular belief, digital images are not higher quality than those taken on film. The misconception seems to be that because its digital, it must be better.

Not so. The information held in a negative or transparency far outweighs that of a digital image. The tonal variation is also greater on film, beautifully evident when using medium and large format. The thing is, all that information and beautiful tone and texture, often isnt needed; on a screen or in newsprint for instance. In these cases, the convenience of digital outweighs the quality of film and thats fair enough.

This is all well and good up to a point, and that point is reproduction. Having photographed for magazines for many years, there is one thing I have definitely noticed: magazines dont look as good any more. Why? Digital images. The top magazines still look great but they make much greater use of medium and even large format film. Its the run of the mill consumer style magazines that are suffering.

Compared to film, digital has less workable range than film, meaning that instead of a nice smooth transition from dark to light tones and across the colour palate, the highlights burn out and the colours get blocked. This is especially evident with reds that often appear overly saturated while other colours arent, resulting in an unnatural looking image.

Because of less tonality, the images, when reproduced, flatten out. There is a distinct lack of depth to the images that just dont grab a readers attention any more. So much used to be made of the psychology of colour and the importance of well-defined images that a reader would respond to. This all seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Most editors Ive spoken to agree: they all prefer film, think their magazines dont look as good as they used to and would much rather work with film but digital is more convenient and many photographers in that market use digital.

With that in mind, I choose film for as many jobs as I can as I believe it increases my chances of a cover, a full page or the use of as many images as possible. When freelancing, you usually get paid by the word and by the picture. You also get a lot less for a picture taking up 1/8 page than you do for a 1/2 page for example Im looking at the bigger picture literally.

If an editor is happy to accept film then I will shoot and submit film. And not just 35mm but 6×7 medium format wherever I can. An editor or art director will be very happy to see some medium format trannies as they know they can easily go full page, even with extensive cropping, and still retain amazing detail. Even 35mm will go full page A4 without any trouble.

Obviously, the shots themselves have to be great and to help with that I also prefer manual focus, fixed focal length (prime) lenses. Prime lenses are sharper than zooms, are faster (have bigger apertures), are lighter and just plain simple to use.

Interestingly, the evolution of lenses is like a macro example of where photography is at now: zooms came in and were more convenient because one lens could cover the same focal lengths of two or three prime lenses. There was a loss in quality and speed but for general applications this wasnt a problem. Zooms became the rage and it was forgotten that prime lenses were actually sharper. The same misconception existed: its older technology, therefore, not as good.

I should point out that the film verses digital debate isnt usually waged between professionals. Even though many have switched over or, like me, use digital for some jobs and film for others, most professionals will tell you that film is better. It all comes down to individual workflow and what the job requirements are.

Where the problem lies is R&D. Most camera manufacturers dont make their money from the pro market; rather the professional market is subsidised by the consumer market. In other words, for every pro camera sold a few hundred consumer models are sold.

The days where very little difference existed between professional and consumer camera models are gone and manufacturers arent going to pour R&D money into a camera series that makes up a tiny percentage of their market. Better for them to make professional digital as good as it can be and take advantage of the flow down effect.

Film is still the choice of many professionals especially in the studio, for architecture (where adjustable view cameras are needed), portraiture, fashion, weddings, advertising, photojournalism and art.

Dont forget, film can always be scanned, combining the beauty of film and the convenience of digital. Its not always a cheap option, especially when drum scanning transparencies, but more and more options are becoming available.

One option is having the whole roll processed and burned straight to disk. This seems to work best with negative film and my experience with it has been fantastic, especially when a professional neg film is used and a professional lab is handling it. The price is comparable to what getting a roll of film processed costs.

The good news is that by sticking with film, you can stand out from the crowd. With so many low-resolution and overly colour corrected images making their way to editors these days, a nice crisp, beautifully exposed roll of film might just give you the edge and the cover.

Matthew Smeal is a photographer, journalist and magazine editor from Sydney, Australia. To view his work or contact him, visit his website at http://www.matthewsmeal.com

Author: Matthew Smeal
Keywords: Film, digital, photography, professional, black and white, fine art
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, 35mm, advantage, advertising, age, amazon, and, Aperture, Architecture, art, assignment, australia, auto, auto focus, bad, beauty, belief, best, better, black, black and white, block, cam, camer, camera, cameras, cann, car, card, cat, Cheap, choose, col, colour, commercial, compact, compact flash, compare, computer, cost, creases, crop, cropping, ct, dark, day, depth, detail, di, dig, digit, Digital, digital image, digital images, disk, don't, editor, experience, fall, Fashion, fast, film, fine, fine art, flash, flow, focal, focal length, focus, format, free, get, Good, help, history, image, images, in, information, ink, interest, job, jobs, journalism, keywords, Lab, length, lens, lenses, Light, Lights, long, loss, low, macro, magazine, magazines, manual, manual focus, mat, medium, medium format, mo, model, models, money, mp, must, negative, nikon, ny, o, one, options, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, photographer, photographers, Photography, Photography, Photojournalism, pic, pict, picture, picture taking, popular, portrai, portrait, portraiture, power, PPI, price, prime lens, prin, print, product, production, Professional, Quality, quick, red, Reproduction, resolution, risk, safety, scanning, sh, sharp, sharper, shoot, shooting, shot, simple, soft, speed, story, stuck, studio, style, technology, tent, texture, tip, tips, tra, transfer, transparencies, TTL, web, website, wedding, weddings, white, work, workflow, zoo, zoom

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Hungry For Information

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


An instrument for the truth…

We don’t often think of a camera as a weapon. However, as society moves forward, it’s becoming more apparent that the camera, indeed, is becoming at least a protection device. Photographs and videos, used positively, have brought attention to ills of society, ranging from environmental destruction to political chicanery. The strong reality of still photos and video have served as evidence in court cases; ranging from the Los Angeles police beating of Rodney King a decade ago, to the more recent Madelyne Gorman Toogood beating of her 4-year old daughter in the parking lot of a northern Indiana department store.

It may be that the still photos and film footage the general public was exposed to in a distant land during the Vietnam War contributed to the halting of that war.

The PBS run of Ken Burn’s Civil War series has honed our awareness of what happened on our own soil to boys that went off to war and never came back. Mathew Brady’s records of tragically strewn bodies did not have television to increase their exposure. But the exposure they did get served as a powerful reminder to both sides that war wasn’t the answer to the eras burning issues.

In modern times we have seen reality images not only inform but entertain us. More often than not, they validate us. The success of The Blair Witch Project, the Survival series, CSI, COPS, etc., remind us that as we become more aware of our environment, both urban and natural, we are in a better position to understand where we are and where we are going.

As an editorial photographer, you fit into a society that is hungry for information. Some of it is uplifting - some of it is not always good. There will always be factions in your city, town, or village that will attempt to prevent you from capturing scenes in the course of your experience and observations. It goes with the territory. It’s your decision, as it was Mathew Brady’s… to do the job.

Note: According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington DC < epic.org >, the courts have generally ruled that someone in a public place doesn’t have the expectation of privacy.

Rohn Engh is director of PhotoSource International and publisher of PhotoStockNotes. Pine Lake Farm, 1910 35th Road, Osceola, WI 54020 USA. Telephone: 1 800 624 0266 Fax: 1 715 248 7394. Web site: www.photosource.com/products

Author: Rohn Engh
Keywords: Rodney King,PBS,Ken Burns, Mathew Brady,Blair Witch Project, Electronic Privacy Information Center
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, action, age, and, art, better, Blair Witch Project, cam, camer, camera, computer, ct, di, don't, editor, editorial, electronic, Electronic Privacy Information Center, environment, experience, exposure, Farm, film, fit, footage, format, get, Good, history, image, images, in, information, ink, job, Ken Burns, keywords, lag, mat, Mathew Brady, mo, mp, o, one, parent, PBS, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, photographer, photographs, Photography, photos, photosource, pic, power, product, project, protection, publish, record, Rodney King, rule, safety, sh, society, stock, store, story, Success, tent, time, tip, tips, tra, urban, video, videos, war, web

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Choosing a Digital Camera: Making Sense of the Technobabble

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


If you’re like most people, you don’t know a megapixel from an f-stop, you just want a camera that works well and takes nice pictures. But the ads and websites are almost drowning you in computer jargon and mysterious numbers.

The good news is that today’s digital cameras are much better than even a couple years ago, and most cameras from reputable brands will do a decent job. So the pressure’s off; don’t worry about your decision too much. Armed with just a little understanding, you’ll be able to find a camera that fits your needs and won’t break the bank.

Here are the things you’ll want to look for, and how they’ll affect your digital camera experience:

1. Megapixels

I’m listing this one first not because it’s really the most important, but because it’s the one the camera makers harp on the most. You’re going to see a megapixel number in every camera ad and product listing, so you might as well know what it is.

In a nutshell, the number of megapixels a camera can capture describes the level of detail and sharpness you will get. A 3-megapixel camera divides a photo into three million individual dots and records the color of each one of them. A 10-megapixel camera divides it into ten million dots, so of course it is recording more details.

However, it usually stops mattering after about 6 megapixels. That’s because this is already enough resolution for photographic-quality 8×10 prints, which are the largest that most people ever make.

Having a larger number of megapixels than that does give you some extra freedom - for instance, you can crop part of your photo away and still have enough for a large, high quality print.

But if you don’t think you’re going to be making poster-size prints, or using photo manipulation software to crop large areas out of your images before printing them, then don’t worry too much about extremely high megapixel counts.

2. Zoom

Zoom comes in two flavors - optical and digital. It’s usually expressed as a number followed by an x. A zoom listed as 3x, for example, can make the subject of your photo appear three times larger. That’s a typical zoom for pocket-sized cameras, but larger digital cameras may have up to 12x or more.

Optical zoom means lenses, just like with film cameras. The size of the image is increased by moving two lenses farther apart from each other in the camera. If the lenses are of good quality, then the resulting enlarged image will also be sharp and clear.

Digital zoom, on the other hand, is not so useful. Using digital zoom always decreases the quality of your image; no serious photographer would ever use it. Camera manufacturers include it because it doesn’t cost them anything and allows them to claim higher zoom ratios than they’re willing to provide with optics.

So it’s very important to look separately at the optical and digital zoom numbers, and only pay attention to the optical zoom.

The flip side of powerful optical zoom is that it makes the camera larger and heavier. So you have to decide how much extra weight that 10x lens is worth to you.

3. Manual features

All consumer digital cameras offer fully automatic focus and exposure control. This means you usually don’t have to worry about getting your subject sharply focused, or think about the level of light at different points in your shot and how that will affect the photo.

But sometimes the camera doesn’t make the right guess. It may keep focusing on the wrong thing, or it may get confused by bright or dark areas, and the whole photo may come out too light or dark.

If your camera only has automatic mode, then you’re stuck. On the other hand, if it has manual overrides, you can tell it exactly how to focus, or how bright to make the photo. Most people don’t care, but if you think you might want to be a perfectionist, then you should look for a camera with manual focus and manual exposure controls.

4. Movie mode

These days, digital cameras don’t only take still photos - almost all of them can also make movies. The movies usually aren’t that great, and the length may be extremely limited (maybe even less than a minute), but sometimes it’s nice to be able to capture something with motion and sound.

The most important things to look for is the maximum length of the movie - the longer the better, and unlimited is better still. Be aware that long movies can take up a lot of your camera’s memory - after all, a movie is really just an awful lot of still shots, one after another. You may find that after taking a long movie, you have to move it off your camera and into your computer before you have enough room to take many photos.

You may also want to check the resolution of the movies (this is like megapixels, explained above, except that the resolution for movies is usually much lower than for still photos). 320×240 is a standard resolution, but many cameras are now offering 640×480 or even higher.

The last thing to look for is frame rate. 15 frames per second (fps) is standard, but these movies tend to look kind of jerky, especially if there’s fast motion. 30 frames per second is the same as television.

5. Screen size and quality

You’ll spend a lot of time looking at the little (or not so little) screen on the back of your camera, so make sure it’s a good one. It should be large, have a lot of pixels and be bright.

Most current cameras have two-and-a-half inch screens, but larger ones are slowly becoming more common.

The more pixels the screen has, the easier it will be for you to check the quality of your pictures without having to view them on a computer monitor or print them out. 75,000 pixels is on the low end; 250,000 is currently about the best on the market.

The brightness is something you can only assess for yourself. If you get the chance, try out the camera in a shop during the daytime. Take it to the window, so there is lots of natural light, and check whether you can still see the image clearly with the sun at your back. It’s frustrating trying to use a camera when the screen is washed out and dim in daylight.

6. Size and weight

Cameras keep getting smaller and smaller. Some of them, like the latest Exilim cameras from Casio, are smaller than a pack of cigarettes and still deliver good shots. But you’ll pay for the privilege; the tiniest cameras cost a lot more than larger models with similar features.

When you’re thinking about size, probably the most important threshold is whether or not you can fit it in your pocket. If you can, it’s likely you’ll find yourself carrying the camera around - and using it - much more than you would if it required toting a bag. But any smaller than that, and you’re probably paying extra just to be able to show off.

7. Batteries

Some digital cameras use standard AA or AAA batteries, like you might use for a remote control or a portable CD player. These have several advantages. Probably the most significant one is that if you find yourself totally out of battery power, you can always nip into the closest convenience store and buy a new set, and be right back out taking pictures again.

Of course, it doesn’t make sense to use disposable batteries all the time for these cameras. It’s expensive, and bad for the environment. And they don’t last very long: A set of rechargeable AA batteries may last up to twice as long in your digital camera as the most expensive name-brand disposables. And that’s just on one charge - you can keep recharging them again and again.

Other cameras don’t give you the choice; they use custom batteries that are specially designed for digital cameras. These batteries tend to be smaller and lighter than AAs or AAAs, packing more power into a smaller unit. On the other hand, they’re also quite expensive. One will be included with the camera, but if you want to get a backup (so you can keep shooting photos after running through a full charge), you may find yourself ponying up $50 or more. Same thing if you accidentally lose it.

Well, that’s it. It’s still a lot to think about, but it really comes down to a few simple questions about priorities. At least now you know how to decide whether all those features are really worth the extra money. Good luck!

Max Carlton is a digital photography expert who has been advising consumers for almost ten years. His website can help you find your perfect digital camera in a snap: http://www.camera.u.nu

Author: Max Carlton
Keywords: camera,cameras,digital camera,digital cameras,photography,buying a camera,camera purchase
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, A Digital Camera, advantage, age, amazon, and, art, auto, automat, away, backup, bad, batteries, battery, before, best, better, buy, buying, cam, camer, camera, cameras, capture, car, care, Casio, cd, choosing, choosing a digital camera, col, color, computer, cost, creases, crop, ct, Custom, dark, day, design, detail, di, dig, digit, Digital, digital camera, digital zoom, disposable, don't, dots, environment, experience, explain, exposure, extreme, f-stop, fast, Features, film, fit, focus, frame, free, get, Good, help, history, how to, image, images, in, ink, jargon, job, keywords, length, lens, lenses, Light, listing, live, long, low, manipulation, manual, manual focus, mat, matter, megapixel, Megapixels, mem, memory, mo, model, models, money, monitor, motion, movie mode, mp, natural light, ny, o, one, optical zoom, out o, packing, perfect, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, photographer, photographic, Photography, Photography, photos, pic, pict, picture, pictures, pixel, pixels, player, poster, power, prin, print, Printing, prints, Priorities, product, Quality, rating, ratio, rechargeable, record, red, reputable, resolution, safety, sh, sharp, shoot, shooting, shooting photos, shot, show, simple, size, snap, soft, software, store, story, stuck, sun, taking pictures, tent, time, tip, tips, tra, TTL, war, washed, web, website, work, zoo, zoom

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Those Pesky Don’t Do Digital Clients Another Way to Market Them

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


The beauty of digital transmission of photos is that one image can be seen in forty (or forty million!) different places– all at one time. I wish that I could write that all photobuyers are accepting, or are ready to accept digital images via disk or on-line. They arent. Even though the digital concept is sound, and the technology is available, many of your photobuyers may continue to cling to 20th century methods for accepting transparencies only.

We are all faced with the dilemma and transition that this technology presents us. Should we wait until the greater majority of our photobuyers are up to digital speed, or should we operate as if digital photography did not exist?

My advice would be: Go at it, business as usual. Here at PhotoSource International we find that 90% of editorial photobuyers have made the switch to digital. However, what you do about those lucrative accounts that still have not made the transition? As long as youve developed existing clients, you can always make the transition to digital when they are ready. Eventually, when they are ready to make the transition (its usually a budget decision), youll be able to offer advice. By helping them through the transition period youll have increased their dependence on you as a supplier.

INTERIM MARKETING In the meantime, youll need to wrestle with the age-long problem of sending original transparencies to those photobuyers on your Market List. Since your images are your stock in trade, you want to have them available when you get a photo request. If some of your original transparencies are at a photobuyer’s, being held for consideration, those images are tied up and can’t be out there available for sales opportunities. Stock photographers are put in a bind when a photobuyer holds a transparency longer than normal. (Normal is two to three weeks.) On the one hand, if, after three or four weeks, you ask for the transparencys return, you might lose a possible sale. And on the other hand, if you let it remain at the publishing house, you have taken it out of circulation and others can’t see it (or buy it).

One of the answers to this dilemma is to always make in-camera dupes when you are photographing with film. This way you’ll always have extra originals and not be at a disadvantage when one buyer holds your picture(s) too long. Then you can circulate these other similars to buyers on your list who dont do digital.

THEYRE HOLDING YOUR IMAGES

What is an acceptable amount of time to hold an image? Magazines, with their short turn-around time, will usually hold a picture no longer than two weeks. Book publishers, in contrast, because of the complexities of putting an entire book together, will hold a transparency six to eight weeks or more, depending on the situation.

Publishers to avoid are those who by their actions show a disregard for photographers and little or no sensitivity to their need to keep pictures moving. Either because of faulty administrative practices or just plain ineptitude, these photo editors tend to hold transparencies well beyond a fair length of time. Publishers of bird, horse, and pet magazines, particularly, will often be lax and sometimes cantankerous in their attitude toward photos and photographers. (This comes from their advantage of having a huge number of photos and photographers to choose from.)

NO WORRIES: THE PERMANENT FILE

Probably the best way to solve the holding problem is to place your duplicate slides in a publishing house(s) that maintains a Permanent File. This, of course, would be publisher youve worked with a good while, and who has a track record for handling photographers well. In their central art library, an administrator files your (reproduction-quality) duplicate slides or B&W prints for possible future use. When a photo researcher at the publishing house uses one of your pictures, you receive a check. After publication, the image is returned to the central file until it is re-used, and a fee again is paid to you, usually 75% of the original fee they paid you. This no-worry method has been used for years by longtime stock photography professionals.

THE DIGITAL ADVANTAGE

Once your publishing house begins to realize the digital advantage of storing photos for reference in this manner, you will be able to scan appropriate photos in your collection and download them digitally to a publishing companys central art library. Its much more to your advantage to keep your digital pictures with a trusted buyer, rather than hoard them at home where no one can see them.

As far as thievery goes, yes, I have had a couple of reports where a new art director has come in and assumed that all the photos in their digital file belonged to the publishing house and therefore were accessible. However, were speaking of the early stages of a new technology, and a new working method, and such change is always fraught with mistakes and inconsistency. Give it a chance. Youll find that as we progress in this new digital era, well find fewer and fewer errors.

You’ll also update your digital collection when you return from a trip or assignment. You’ll repeat this process with each of the small core of publishing houses you work with. And, because you are a specialist in their specialized interest area (aviation, dog training, environment, agriculture, butterflies, backpacking) there will be little need for them to go outside their central library to obtain that just right image.

Rohn Engh is director of PhotoSource International and publisher of PhotoStockNotes. Pine Lake Farm, 1910 35th Road, Osceola, WI 54020 USA. Telephone: 1 800 624 0266 Fax: 1 715 248 7394. Web site: www.photosource.com/products

Author: Rohn Engh
Keywords: photo,buyers,digital,images,transparencies,market list,advantage
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, action, advantage, advice, age, amazon, and, art, assignment, attitude, B&W, beauty, best, bird, book, business, buy, buyers, cam, camer, camera, cat, choose, clients, col, computer, ct, day, Develop, di, dig, digit, Digital, disk, dog, don't, editor, editorial, environment, Farm, file, files, film, get, Good, help, history, home, House, image, images, in, interest, keywords, Lab, length, long, magazine, magazines, market list, marketing, methods, mo, mp, ny, o, one, out o, packing, ph, phot, photo, Photography, photos, photosource, pic, pict, picture, pictures, power, present, prin, print, prints, product, production, Professional, publish, publishing, Quality, rain, ratio, record, Reproduction, research, researcher, safety, sale, sales, search, sensitivity, sh, show, slides, soft, speaking, specialized, speed, stock, story, supplier, technology, Thievery, time, tip, tips, tra, track record, transparencies, trip, TTL, uses, uv, war, web, work

Related posts

By admin Add comment

How to Get the Best in Digital Lighting

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


Digital concerns photographs in hundreds of thousands, or millions of tiny square picture elements, pixel. Computers and printers use these minute pixels to display photograph images. It’s compared to a painter who dabs small bits of paint on subject he expressed in canvas.

Determining color and brightness is processed thru number-value counts of grid pixel from the digital photograph prints, after computer divides the screen and print page into grid pixels. Controlling grid of each pixel this way is bit mapping, and bit-maps are the produced digital images.

Purchasing a digital camera sts to digital . Hundreds are available but the best digital cameras run down to a few top feature cost brands, guaranteed to produce best quality results with complete lighting kits.

Combining passion in portrait skills, computer software applications, and digital technology completes the elements of digital . Putting into photos the perfect touch of light distribution and color is essential to a successful print copy.

Taking pictures in most cases does not focus on the subject always. It’s up for the photographer to apply a situation best suited to time and place of photo sessions. Manipulating control of lights is done either ways: under the direct heat of the sun, or in the interior of a closed dark room. A seasoned digital photographer can do both, finishing photos of standard quality.

Capturing Light Effectively

1. Direct Sunlight - The mid-day sun creates shadows immediately underneath a certain subject. Set some modifications to control bright sunlight in facing the reality, you can’t move the sun from its axis.

Dark shadows that bounce beneath developed the harsh raccoon image on the subjects’ face, an ill effect-results of the whole process. If it can’t be avoided, placing a reflectors underneath the subject’s chin, takes instant neutralizing effects of unpleasant shadow, could lighten intensity.

Other reflectors could cause eyes to be watery. Recourse is to use a white poster board also providing enough light to the shadowed face. Avoiding direct sunlight and be devoid from eye squinting that destroys beautiful facial expressions, is a shift to some shaded place with likewise shaded background. Bright backgrounds could result on the iris’ automatically turning the subject to silhouette form in effort to compensate the bright effect of the sun.

2. Orange Color - The hues of dawn and near twilight, best peak setting in . For best results in lighting about digital photos, do your shooting just after sunrise or just before sunset (at daytime and dusk, Orange disappears), when the color of orange around makes everything look better.

Your computer represents the dark room in digital , mediating to take the tasks necessary on adjustments you wish to achieve of images input after photograph sessions.

Necessitates cropping, working on brightness, contrast, and color adjustments. You can add special effects in frames and shadowing to create a unique dimensional appearance, taught in multi-task image editing software.

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

Author: Low Jeremy
Keywords: digital
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, A Digital Camera, age, amazon, and, art, auto, automat, backgroun, background, Backgrounds, before, best, best digital camera, better, bounce, cam, camer, camera, cameras, canvas, cat, col, color, compare, computer, computers, cost, create, crop, cropping, ct, dark, day, Develop, di, dig, digit, Digital, digital camera, digital cameras, digital image, digital images, digital photo, digital photograph, digital photos, digital technology, Display, editing, editing software, EFL, eyes, facial expressions, Finishing, focus, frame, get, heat, history, how to, image, images, in, ink, inks, interior, keywords, Lab, Light, lighting, Lights, low, Maps, mat, media, mo, mp, ny, o, one, passion, perfect, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, photographer, photographs, Photography, Photography, photos, pic, pict, picture, pictures, pixel, pixels, portrai, portrait, poster, power, PPI, present, prin, print, printer, Printers, prints, product, Purchasing a Digital Camera, Quality, red, reflector, safety, sand, sh, shadow, shoot, shooting, silhouette, ski, soft, software, special effects, story, subjects, Success, successful, sun, sunlight, sunrise, sunset, taking pictures, technology, tent, time, tip, tips, tra, war, water, white, work

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Digital Photography: Unsharp Mask Demystified

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


Whenever you resize or edit a digital image, you should consider sharpening your image as a final step. If you sharpen first, and then edit your image further, you are likely to exaggerate the artifacts created as part of the sharepening process. Make sure you save your edited image with a different file name, or in a different folder than the original, in case better sharpening algorthims come along in the next few years - I burn my Original images to CD and also store them locally in an Original Photos folder. I place the edited versions in a Photo Editing folder.

Unsharp Mask There are many techniques for sharpening a digital image, each with pros and cons. The following steps and ideas for using Unsharp Mask apply to Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Elements.

Radius: In general, if you have a low resolution image (fewer dpis) then you need a lower Radius - try setting it to 0.3; if you are working on a high resolution image, then you need a higher Radius. To avoid creating coloured halos around edges of things in your image, reduce your Radius. If you make the Radius too high, you may lose detail in light areas.

Threshold: For busy images, set this value to 0. As soon as you have large areas of a similar colour (e.g. blue sky), you should increase this setting to reduce introduction of noise in otherwise smooth areas.

Amount: This value will typically depend on the two settings discussed above. To reduce the constrast introduced by sharpening, try setting this value to its maximum (500%) and then find the smallest Radius at which sharpening is adequate (e.g. start at 0.1 and increase slowly). Be sure you view your image at 100% its actual size.

For more photography articles, please visit Jennifer Clarkson’s website at http://www.jclarksonphotography.com. To learn more about the books in her eSeries on Digital Photography, or to promote sales, please visit the following sites:

Choosing your camera and accessories
Getting the Most out of your Camera’s Basic Settings

Author: Jennifer Clarkson
Keywords: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Elements, Unsharp Mask, Sharpening, Image Sharpening, Photography, digital
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: 1, Accessor, accessories, adobe, Adobe Elements, Adobe Photoshop, age, amazon, and, art, articles, better, blue, book, cam, camer, camera, cd, choosing, col, colour, computer, create, ct, day, detail, di, dig, digit, Digital, digital photo, digital photograph, digital photography, disc, DPI, earn, editing, file, get, halo, history, Ideas, image, Image Sharpening, images, in, keywords, learn, Light, long, low, mo, mp, noise, ny, o, out o, ph, phot, photo, photo editing, photog, photograph, Photography, Photography, photos, photoshop, pic, power, product, promote, red, resolution, safety, sale, sales, save, settings, sh, sharp, Sharpening, size, soft, store, story, technique, techniques, tip, tips, tra, Unsharp Mask, web, website, work

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Excuse Me May I Shoot Your Dog? A Profitable Question for Photographers

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


Keeping your name, photography work and availability in front of people (potential customers) is desirable for all photographers, amateurs and professionals. It is especially critical if you are looking to be hired for your photography services.

Asking the appropriate people (re: pet owners) whether I can shoot their dog has proven to be one of the most successful marketing strategies for my portrait photography business.

Developing innovative methods to get your photography work in front of people is a must. Sometimes, there is a very thin line between innovative/creative and annoying. Asking people if I can photograph their dogs has proven to be a very innovative and effective method to find new photography customers. I have tested other questions and have found varying degrees of success. Walking up to complete strangers and asking if you can take their picture might prove challenging by itself. However, asking a person with a dog (or a bird, cat or pot-bellied pig, or a python, etc.) if you can take their pets picture is the perfect conversation starter.

Most of the pet owners that I ask grant my request. The few that dont, just dont feel up to taking a picture themselves. If people ask what the purpose of the picture is I tell them that Im a photographer and I am building my portfolio.

Sometimes, they ask how they can get a copy of the photo or see the portfolio. I give them a business card that includes a web site address with easy-to-follow instructions to view the photos. I use the services of companies like SmugMug.com and PrintRoom.com for fulfillment services. With such services, I simply upload the images to the web site provided and set the prices for the pictures. As a rule, I price the (may I shoot your dog?) snapshots very low. That way, they can purchase good shots (of them and their favorite companion) very inexpensively. They remember the moments and they remember me (especially since I put my web site address and telephone number on a magnetized business card).

The snapshots arent the photography services that Im marketing or that Im trying to make a large profit. Portrait photography is the photography niche that I promote with this method of marketing. Some of the customers view the snapshots online and order the low-priced photos. Others call and inquire about other photography services usually pet portraits. I am always able to include a mention of the people por trait work I do.

If youve never owned a pet, you may, understandably, not fully have appreciation for the attachment people have with the pets in their lives. We recognize that they love and adore their children. But, we forget or never know the passion that most people have for their pets.

In southern California, where I live, pets are definitely a way of life for many residents. In southern California communities, people walking their pets are as normal as heavy car traffic and smog. I pick a spot with good foot traffic; I wait with camera ready; I look for a happy face; and I ask the question: Excuse me, may I shoot your dog? I can usually ask the question, get a response, take 4 6 photos and give a business card in less than forty-five seconds. I work fast and I smile a lot!

Appealing to the passion that people have for their pets will open inviting doors for photographers that understand that passion. Photography is about visually capturing memories, moments and companionship/relationship. Using ice-breaker methods are made easier when you know the persons passion. Asking someone if you can shoot their dog surely gets their attention. By the time that they recognize the humor of the question they are open to capturing the moment visually.

The key to this method is preparation. I subscribe to the online photography fulfillment company like SmugMug.com or PrintRoom.com (there are many others with varying levels of quality services). I set up the provided web site, print the business cards and begin using the strategy. Of course, Im also prepared to provide whatever type portrait photography the potential client may be looking for.

Kalem Aquil is the owner of a website http://www.marketphotography.com that offers information and resources to assist all level of photographers display their work, find customers and market their photography as well as themselves as photographers.

Author: Kalem Aquil
Keywords: photography, amateur photographer, photographer, stock photography, photographer photography,
Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: age, amateur, amazon, and, art, bird, business, business cards, cam, camer, camera, camera ready, capturing the moment, car, card, cat, child, Children, computer, creative, ct, Custom, customers, day, Develop, developing, di, Display, dog, fast, fill, fit, format, get, Good, history, humor, image, images, in, information, innovative, keywords, Lab, life, live, low, marketing, mat, mem, memories, methods, mo, moment, mp, must, niche, ny, o, one, online, out o, passion, perfect, pet portraits, pets, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, photographer, photographers, Photography, Photography, photos, pic, pict, picture, pictures, portfolio, portrai, portrait, portraits, power, preparation, price, prices, prin, print, product, Professional, promote, Quality, ratio, red, rule, safety, service, Services, sh, shoot, shot, ski, skin, smugmug, snap, snapshot, snapshots, soft, stock, story, Success, successful, tent, time, tip, tips, tra, type, uv, web, website, work

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Photography

March 4th, 2009 at 01:42pm Under Uncategorized

0
Digg me


Since you were young the society has been teaching you to de-code messages. For instance when you look at a photo of somebody thin from Africa you relate it with being poor.

I have looked at a photograph taken by Heinz Kluetmeier. In the picture, four men are running a 400-metre contest. The author has very clearly achieved the sense of speed. Their feet are blurred which makes you recognise the speed at which they are moving and the determined expressions on the runners faces clearly shows how they are pushing themselves to win.

All pictures have signs, which signify something that we understand.

I have studied a picture by Martin Parr. He has taken a photo of a young girl with a cocktail drink in her hand and her mouth wide open. It has bright, clashing colours that signify a sense of fun and loudness. She also has a necklace saying, whore. I think she is trying to say that she doesnt care what people think and she will have fun anyway.

You can tell from this picture that she has a fun and bubbly personality. She looks like she is always up for a laugh. I think this because of the bright colours, the way she has her mouth wide open and the cocktail she is drinking looks exotic and different, a bit like her.

All photographers use different techniques when constructing a photograph. There are many different techniques that can be used such as camera angles, lighting, colour, shutter speeds, backgrounds, expressions, clothes and many more.

I have looked at a picture of a shell shocked U.S marine soldier taken by Don McCullin to study the techniques he used.

The lighting comes in from the left hand side of the picture and really makes the man stand out. He is central in the picture with nothing to see in the background and this makes you focus on him.

Apart from the fact that the subject is wearing a helmet, the picture has also been shot in just black and white making you automatically think it was an old wartime picture because it is dull with no bright colours. Also only black and white film was used during this time.

The mans face is very muddy with an unhappy expression, he looks scared and worried. The camera is looking up at him, which makes him look like he is hiding from someone or something.

Photography can affect the way we make sense of photographs.

Newspapers can determine the side of a conflict we see. They can show us the things only they want us to see. For example if there is a war going on, our newspapers could, if they wanted to, only show all the terrible things the opposition are doing, so everyone who reads it will start to hate that side and feel we are right by going to war. However, they dont always show both sides of the conflict and may intentionally miss out all the destruction our side are causing.

Don McCullin has taken a picture of The Bogside Derry. This is a very good example of how institutions can affect what we think. The picture is of six men holding guns running past a woman, she looks really scared and shocked. This picture makes me feel sorry for the woman and not for the six men. However it doesnt tell me what has happened so I shouldnt really take sides and assume that the men are obviously guilty.

The six men could have good intentions and be saving someone but because its a woman and she has a helpless and scared expression, I automatically think she is innocent. If it was I man I dont think I would have had the same reaction because somehow I feel a man can look after himself better than a woman in times of war.

James Nachtwei thinks newspapers are reluctant to show his pictures because his pictures tell the truth and they may not want people to see that image. The images are of wartime and can be quite disturbing.

Captions anchor a photo to give it a meaning because from one photo you can receive several different meanings. When we look at photos we think we are seeing the truth as it is taken at that specific time. This isnt always true as all photos can be cropped. James Nachtwei felt he wasnt showing the whole truth as the newspapers only wanted him to show one side of a conflict.

We trust photos to deliver the truth because we feel it is a form of proof If someone tells us something we may not believe they are telling the truth. However, if we are shown a photo we believe it straight away even though it could have been cropped to get a message across which is untrue. Photography is a very good source of media to get a message across. However, it might not be a truthful message you are getting.

The article was produced by the writer of masterpapers.com. Sharon White has many years of a vast experience in Advice Dissertation writing and Power by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Tags: action, advice, Africa, age, amazon, and, angle, art, auto, automat, away, backgroun, background, Backgrounds, better, black, black and white, blur, blurr, body, cam, camer, camera, car, care, col, colour, computer, contest, crop, ct, day, di, experience, faces, film, focus, get, Good, help, history, image, images, in, ink, inks, Light, lighting, live, mat, media, mo, mp, newspapers, ny, o, one, paper, ph, phot, photo, photog, photograph, Photography, Photography, pic, pict, picture, power, product, red, runners, safety, Saving, sh, shot, show, shows, shutter, shutter speed, society, soft, specific, speed, story, technique, techniques, tent, time, tip, tips, tra, war, white, wide, writing

Related posts

By admin Add comment

Previous Posts


Recent Blog Posts

Categories

Tags

RSS Feeds

Links