Photography Articles Archives

Choosing the Right Digital Camera

In the world of digital cameras there are way too many choices for the normal person to ever begin to grasp.  Without at least a Master’s degree in digital imaging, it can get quite confusing.  Do not despair though, there is hope.  Many of the features and options that are available in these new cameras can be overlookedby most of us and are geared more toward professionals in the field.  Nikon hascome to terms with this is now offering more convenience and simplicity to their cameras.  They are not the only ones though.  More and more companies are starting to cut back on the pro specific options and offer better phones for the average user.  Here is a look at what really matters with a digital camera.

Mega pixels are really the most confusing part about buying a camera.  How many are enough? What is a mega pixel?  Why does it matter? How tall is the space needle? These are just a few of the questions that you may have.  It is actually pretty simple when you start to understand the terms. Mega pixels are a digital measurement.  If you think of the old dot-matrix printers, you can get a great visualization of this.  Each dot is a pixel.  The more pixels you have, the clearer the image.  Anything over 5 mega pixels is not necessary.  A 35 mm picture from actual film is about 5 mega pixels in quality.  Mega Pixels only come into play when you are getting images together for digital display.  If you are going to display the picturesonline or in a digital frame, then you may choose to go up to ten, but other wise 5 and 6 are more than adequate.

Red eye reduction and the editing software are the other two important features of a camera.  Having the red eye reduction built in the camera is very nice and much more effectivethan having it in the software.  Having a nice software suite is another boon.You want to be able to get the precise image that you desire.  That is the luxury of a digital camera.  Having the right software can really make the images into your pictures.

If you’re looking for a local camera store or would like to learn more about photography visit us at CamerasLocal.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/choosing-the-right-digital-camera-1294794.html

With a soft-focus effect, it’s the highlights which become blurred and diffused.  When soft focus is created in the camera with a soft focus filter or lens, it is the whites, the highlights, which blur into the darker areas.

With traditional darkroom printing, when a soft-focus filter is used over the lens, the highlights of the negative are the clear parts of the film. These clear areas represent the shadow portions of the image. So with soft focus created at the printing stage, it is the shadow portions of the image which blur and spread into the lighter areas of the image.

The effect is reversed.
This would be the same with colour or black and white film.

The results can look very different and are achieved in Photoshop in different ways.

  1. Open an image, such as a portrait.
  2. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
    The image should be over-blurred at this stage, so enter a high value like 30, although this can depend on the resolution of your image.
  3. Go to Edit > Fade Gaussian Blur.
  4. Change Mode from Normal to Lighten.
  5. The amount of blur can be controlled here, so reduce Opacity to 90%. OK.
    This is the type of effect achieved when a soft focus filter is used over the camera lens.
  6. Open the History palette and click on the Create new snapshot icon at the bottom of the palette.
  7. Still in the History palette, click on the Open state, which takes the image back to before the Gaussian Blur filter was applied.
  8. Use Ctrl + F / Cmd + F to reapply the filter.
  9. Go to Edit > Fade Gaussian Blur.
  10. Change Mode to Darken.
  11. Reduce Opacity to 80%. OK.
    This is the type of effect achieved when a soft focus filter is used over the enlarger lens when printing a negative.
  12. Open the History palette and click on the icon at the bottom to create a snapshot of this image.
  13. Toggle between Snapshot 1 and Snapshot 2 to compare both images.

Either image can be saved while its history state is active.
One looks more romantic; the other can look more moody or with the right subject it can look sinister.

Different Blending Modes can really transform an image and produce interesting results, by changing the look and feel of an image.

Many more photoshop special effect tips can be found via Photoshop In A Day

Duncan Wherrett is an experienced professional photographer and Photoshop instructor.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/how-to-make-two-versions-of-soft-focus-in-photoshop-with-quite-different-effects-1299619.html

Tips for Taking Great Photos for Photo Gifts

Once you decide to get a custom photo gift you will need to get the photos for the gift.That is why we have created this quick help guide full of tips for taking the perfect photo for your photo gift.  These tips will help you get the best picture for your present.  There are a couple things that you will need to keep in mind.  Thereare likely several different questions that you may have on how to make the perfect gift even better. From color coordination to image selection and themes, you will want to make sure that you are getting the best image for the gift that you choose to give.  This can be even more important than picking the right gift.  There are several different aspects to keep in mind.  This guide will help to aid you inyour photo selection.  It may also help you to get the images for the gift if you do not already have them. If you still need help, feel free to contact us for even more tips and tricks to getting the perfect photo.

Image selection:

This maybe the most important step in the process of your personalized photo gift.  Once you have decided on the gift that you are getting for someone, you will need to choose the photo to put on it.  Many times, a theme is the best route to go.  If it is a Father’s day present, you will want to put a picture of the children or family on the gift, a romantic present will need a nice picture of the family or the significant other on it.  There are many different options for this step.  Only you will know what is best.  A fun loving gift will call for a more “whacky” or candid image, while more serious gifts or puzzles may call for a memorable landscape or professional looking photo.  You will want to look at the concept of the gift and decide on whether a current photo or new image is needed.  

Color:

Color isa very important thing when taking pictures.  If the colors are too bright or loud they may take from the image, while if they are too dull or lifeless, they will not be as appealing.  Color balance is our next tip for your photo gift. One thing that you will want to keep in mind is the color coordination to use.  Many personalized photo gifts will need to be in bright and vibrant colors.  Many photo gifts are used to be bright and cheery with the intent of making someone’s day brighter and happier.  This means that you should use bright and colorful images for many of the personalized photo gifts.  A nice bright colorful picture suits many ofthese photo gifts.  If you are taking the photo for the gift instead of a current image that you may have, you will want to look at the background and clothing that is going to be in the photo.  Dark backgrounds trend to brighten the image butcan often clash with the gift that you are putting the image on.  Brighter settings may also take away from the people in the image and dull the colors in the picture.  A nice balance of colors and background brightness is the best route to take.You will want to keep the photo gift in mind as well.  IF the image is being transferred to a darker wood style present, you may want a slightly darker background while the brighter, white cups and steins will require a lighter background color.  If you are using a darker background, brighter colors should be worn as well.  This will really help the focus of the photo stand out against the background.  Lighter backgrounds should contain darker and color rich clothing on the people in thepicture.  Bold colors tend to be more noticeable on a lighter background.  One other factor should be considered when you think of color.  

Theme:

If this gift will be used for a holiday, you may want to consider that many holidays have acolor theme.  One tip to making a great gift is to keep a theme.  Saint Patrick’s Day has green while Christmas has a red and green theme and Halloween is more orange and brown.  If you are making a holiday themed gift, you may want to keep with the color scheme of the holiday.  A Valentine’s Day keepsake boxmay require a more red color scheme to the photo, while an “over the hill” birthday theme may be better suited to a black and white layout.  The theme is also important when you are using several photos for your photo gift. If you are giving a gift that has multiple photos, you may want to keep to a common idea in the photos.  If you are giving a photo box with four different pictures for a Mother’s day present, you would want to have all four pictures of the family or children.  A picture of each child separately and one together may be a great idea for this present.  You will want to keep in mind the idea behind the gift when selecting the image.  

Taking the Picture:

When it comes to taking the picture that you will use, one tip is the placement of the people in the image.  It is a good rule of thumb to have the focus of the image take up around 60% of the total picture.  This puts the focus on the subject of the picture.  There is no set formula or magic equation for the perfect amount of space that the main object of the picture should be in, but having too much of the personin the picture can look very amateur while not having enough will lose the focus of the image completely.  By keeping the focus of the picture in about 60-70% of the whole photo, you will get the idea across and have a very professional looking product.  One other tip to a great photo is to keep the subject just off of center.  If you imagine a small square in the middle of the picture and put the subject of the photo on one of the corners, you can get a very professional looking picture.  Many times when the focus of the image is dead center, the background can belost or even distracting.  By having the main idea of the picture slightly off of center, you can have a very visually appealing look to your photos.  With the subject slightly to the side, the background will help to augment your picture and notlook like it is competing with the subject for dominance.  A slight offset tendto blend the image with the surroundings.

By following these tips and advice, you can easily create a keepsake that will be proudly displayed for years to come.  These are just some basic tips and ideas for your photo gifts.  For more advice and tips to taking great photos you can feel free to contactus.  We are always here to help you so that you can get the best pictures possible.  Whether you decide to use our services or not, we are always available to give tips and advice.  Here at Printable Memories, our goal is your satisfaction.

Learn more about photography or find a local camera shop near you at CamerasLocal.com. California residents, find a camera in California.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/tips-for-taking-great-photos-for-photo-gifts-1294812.html

Photo Books Make Great Gifts

The world is changing so fast now that it is difficult to keep pace. It is not only applicable to human beings, but also for the material world. Our needs are changing with our culture. And in such challenging times, it is difficult to find a present or gift, which is unique and creative and which satisfies people’s high level of expectation.

Then what are the options available to us?
After pondering much on the issue, and researching a bit on the idea, I’ve got the answer to it. The photo book is the answer. No other product can match the innovation, creativity and personal touch which you can give to your gift. A great gift for every age group and loved by all.

What exactly we are doing in presenting a photo book? You can fill the photo book with the cherished moments, memories, events, occasions you shared with your beloved ones. Fill it with color, customized sizes, looks, design, layout and what-not. A well-crafted, organized photo book can share a palpable sense of emotion with the person you want to give to.

For example, you can create a photo book as a gift to your son or daughter on their first year. A photo book will include all the best pictures of his or her first year; pictures related to their growth, moves, naughty things, etc. Another example can be putting together a collection of memorabilia of a deceased relative; your wedding or vacation pictures; significant events from your college or school, etc. There is no end to the creative possibilities of photo books.

You can find many online shops or websites which can produce photo books. You can drag the photos on the page, re size them, rearrange them, organize them, mix them with different color combinations, etc. Putting pictures in chronological order and arranging them will involve you so much that you will enjoy the activity and want to make the best of it. Therefore, it is very important that you have the required pictures, time and resources for the project.

The moment you have completed and can see the result, you yourself will believe that nothing can replace this great idea of gift. And the person who receives it will also cherish it for a lifetime.

Design, arrange, organize and send it to the photo book printing shop—they will print it professionally and deliver to you a soft or hardbound book of your precious memories.

David Dobson, Manager Digital Print Australia

At Digital Print Australia we pride ourselves on supplying a range of quality services including digital printing, self publishing, book printing, photo printing, photo album printing, photo gifts, finishing, film runouts and large format inkjet posters. Our experienced team will provide one creative solution to produce the highest quality results for your project.

Digital Print Australia – photo books

Digital Print Australia – Digital Printers

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All about camera flash

The camera flash is one of the most essential components in photography. The flash assists in providing lighting at the right moment so that one can capture the image with the right amount of light and exposure. All cameras come with a built in flash, but it is quite basic at most. It is sufficient for general photography, but when you need to take a really perfect photograph that requires consistent and well set up illumination, an additional flash gun for artificial light is your best bet. There are several types of camera flashes for one’s use.

A slave flash is a pretty commonly seen flash. These are actually electronic photoelectric sensor based flashes. These flashes are designed to go of, when the sensors sense that another flash is going off. They are best used in protected studio environments along with your built in or hot shoe flash, to provide a secondary flash. The hot shoe mounted flash is the most commonly used camera flash. It either can work independently or can be given controls via the camera depending on the camera model. This way, the hot shoe flash can work in tandem with the camera’s sensor or will have to be operated manually.

Ring flashes are used mainly for macro photography where a concentric ring of light has to be provided around the camera lens. Twin flashes offer similar features to a ring flash, but provide two concentric rings hence giving better illumination. In the event the hot shoe mounted flash is not sufficient, the hammerhead type of camera flash is used. This provides better illumination and better angle adaptability too in many cases.

To read about camera tripod and other information, visit the Photo accessories site.

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Why are there so many Free Image Hosting Sites?

You’ve heard about this service on the internet where you can just as easily share your photos around the world to your friends and relatives with a click of a link and even have the time to refer it to them since it is so convenient and simple to use. You can even search for the keywords, “image hosting”, and you will get nothing less than 70 million hits. But with the abundance of servers coming up with the same type of general idea, free image hosting sites are just so hard to choose from. How does one know which one is better than the other, when they almost have the same quality, same advertisers, and same qualifications? Image hosting is the term used to describe the process of uploading transferred data from one digital device onto the internet server for easy access and exposure to family and friends worldwide. Because of this demand for expediency, alternatives to the printed media have been made.

Looking at the list of free image hosting sites available online, what are the first things you look for when you pick one out? Does one go with the one with unlimited space for three months or the non-searchable on the internet until public settings are set option? Feasibility on the product endorsed is mostly the basis for choosing, yet if the outcome is the same, why go through all the worries of deciding between site A and site B? Most of the time, since these sites are quite similar in processes, users tend to create multiple accounts on several, so as not to crowd one server and in cases of any internet crash, and there is a back-up site available. Several users have accounts in social networking sites that sponsor these free image hosting sites and opt to utilize it more than those of the independent sites because they feel that it is much safer.

Why are there so many free image hosting sites when they offer the same things and the profit does not become that much of a big deal? It just may be because they are aware that their weaknesses might just be their strengths as well. When one site does not offer what the other site does, then it gives the user to have the choice of either getting one of them or both at the same time, to experience both the benefits from the site. Any user would get to notice which one serves better than the other through experiencing it. Going for the unlimited storage space is a big deal especially since it is free – this means that there will never be a time in the duration of use, will a prompt to delete photos be an option to lessen the server load. But keeping an eye out for those sites that offer non-searchable options is also a good way to start taking responsibility with engaging in these types of transactions. Personal photos can be used in any way people can see it, so if there is a choice to hide photos from anyone, nor should they have access to it, then it is best to run and patronize this type of service.

Reliable Image Hosting Site. Unlimited Space. http://upmyphoto.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/why-are-there-so-many-free-image-hosting-sites-1287587.html

Creativity & Quality in Photography

Photography, as a business resource, is now captivating slightly. Beside of so many wide-opened opportunities, it moves forward along with the equipments becoming more affordable. Compared to the era when digital camera has not existed, nowadays many hobbyists become businesspersons.

Many of them can even afford their lives from their businesses. Meanwhile, internet has been supportive in the means of promotion. When there are many who are now being involved in such activity, competitiveness becomes the consequences. This phenomenon is considered natural in open markets, and at the same time, quality is major due to attracting customers.

In photography business, not only services that need consistency, but also the products; namely photos. To keep up with the competition, competitive pricings obviously take place. What You Pay Is What You Get Business fields are fairly various in photography, such as fashion, advertising, still life to wedding photography, or it is more commonly known as pre-wedding/wedding photography. The last one mentioned is the most promising at least, from my point of view.
In this most promising business, competition goes impermeably from the healthy one to the unhealthy. The healthy one is not a problem, but the other; it results unfavorable circumstances. One example, when I was offering a pre-wedding price above Rp 5 millions, so many photographers offered pricing below Rp 1 million. Phew! It also happened when I was in a photography pitching in one hospital. It was not for the entire parts of the building only a shot taken in an examination room with the equipments.

I offered more than ten millions rupiahs, while there were so many people gave out only couple of hundred thousands rupiahs. Oh my God, what kinna equipments they used! That is the reality, and it even happens up to now. Admittedly, I did that too in the past, but it ended in regret. So, get rid of it.
I think, that kind of predatory pricing strategy that undermines or eliminates the existing competition is more disadvantaging than benefiting. If you are a client, you might doubt on the services and products quality. While if you are a photographer, you might not get proper profits because of your low pricing. As a result, your business will not survive. It might even undergo collapse.
Most important thing to remember is that photography business is one among so many creative works, where creativity is valuable. Thus, it is not cheap. Customers or clients will understand this if they put quality on the front row. Trust me. I often tell my clients whose “hobby” is bargaining, “What you pay is what you get.”
This means, I give him creativity and quality responsibly as how much he pays me. Various Experiences Beside of doing business, I have some unique and interesting experiences accompany me and my team, of course. I have experienced a couple of easygoing clients (for pre-wedding photography). Their main concern was to make photos for their albums, not more. They did not acquire something luxurious. For us, this was fun. We use two scheduled days to relax, have karaoke, play ping-pong and take a nap.

I regret the one that was taken place in Perth, Australia a pre-wedding too. We were there when winter was about to come. As a result, from 21 spots that I had prepared, only 10 that were granted. Meanwhile, something funny happened when I was casting models for a lingerie product. The client was involved at that time.
Unfortunately, the model agency forgot to tell the model that she would only wear two pieces. What did happen next? When the model took off her clothes, the next thing we saw – 1st piece and 2nd piece was a rainbow. Ups! But then, the show must go on. Not only casting for models, we had done it for dogs too. This one was for a pet food product. My misfortune was that the dog was aggressive and bigger than me. As a result, it ran after the photographer. My bad luck!

Dan has been writing articles for nearly 4 years. Come visit his latest website
over at harleydavidsonmotorcycleparts.info/
which helps people find the best Harley Davidson Motorcycle Parts and information they are looking on Harley Davidson Products

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Buying And Understanding High Speed Digital Cameras

In our high tech world we are used to having things done quickly; however, we don’t want quality to take a back seat to timeliness. Digital technology gives us incredible speed mixed with amazing performance. No where is this more evident than with digital cameras. High speed digital cameras are specifically designed for advanced professional and industrial usage. Thinking about buying a high speed digital camera? If so, let me explain this concept in more detail.

High speed digital cameras were designed to capture very fast images. These cameras are mainly used in industrial and scientific applications where a process of their function is moving or changing rapidly. These high speed digital cameras can take photos in both color and monochrome mode.

Monochrome photos are in either total black and white or a combination of both which will give you a grayscale photo. When taking color photos these cameras operate on the RGB method which generates a range of colors. RGB, or red, green, blue senses the red, green and blue components and then conjoins these components to form an extensive spectrum of colors.

A variety of unique features determine the performance of a high speed digital camera. These features are horizontal resolution, maximum frame rate and shutter speed. Horizontal resolution is the highest amount of individual photo elements which can be distinguished in one scanning line. This is an essential feature for characterizing correct horizontal video resolution for image aspect ratio. Horizontal resolution is also used to specify the resolution in the biggest circle which can fit in a rectangular image. For example, an 800×600 image would be specified as 600 horizontal lines.

Maximum frame rate refers to the maximum number of photos that can be taken in the specific time period. The time period is usually counted in seconds. Shutter speed refers to how much light will be let in during exposure. This can be set across a wide range, depending upon the subject and light conditions.

There are two basic types of high speed digital cameras. There are CCD and CMOS. CCD is short for charge coupled devices. The CCD is made up of a light sensitive silicon chip. As light hits the CCD the silicon chip begins converting the light into electrons. The chip then carries these electrons across the chip where they are read at one corner of the array. With the help of an analog-to-digital converter, the amount of electrons at each photo site is measured and then they are converted into the binary form.

CMOS refers to the complimentary metal oxide semiconductor. CMOS technology is also used to convert light into electrons. A CMOS uses a variety of transistors in every pixel to move and amplify the charge using traditional wires. The signals of CMOS don’t require conversion into digital form as they are already digital. The CMOS image sensors consume low power as they operate at lower voltages than the CCDs.

The most popular choices for digital output include Ethernet, RS232, DeviceNet, CANbus, USB, SCSI, modem and wireless. The usual choices for the number of mega pixels can vary from 8 bits to 16 bits. Even the color output can vary from composite, RGB or S-Video.

Some of the prominent physical features for the high speed digital cameras include radiation hardened, underwater rated, outdoor rated, gooseneck, board mount, pan or tilt and remote head.

Buying digital cameras can be a bit of a headache, but you will no doubt get a better deal buying online. Try putting the model you wish to purchase in the Google search box, and then you will see several online shopping possibilities. Check the prices, mailing charges and of course the guarantee you will have, in case the camera is faulty, and you need to return it.

Did you enjoy this article? Interested in Buying Digital Cameras? Read This Digital Photography Basics Report…what are you waiting for?

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Photoshop Business Guide To Make Money Using Adobe Photoshop Software

In today’s economy any extra cash is a welcome addition. If you have experience using Photoshop and have a few hours a day to dedicate to earning a few extra bucks online Photoshop business freelancing might be the answer.

What does a online Photoshop business freelancer do?

The obvious answer is that a online Photoshop business freelancer uses Adobe Photoshop to earn extra money. Adobe Photoshop is an image and photo editing software program that allows you to create new images and edit existing photographs. You can also add amazing effects to existing images or photos.

How can you make extra cash as a online Photoshop business freelancer?

Photoshop is a powerful program and if you have a working knowledge you can join hundreds of other Photoshop freelancers and potentially earn thousands of dollars monthly. A search of the Internet will pull up numerous web sites that offer this unique service.

Obviously, to become a Online Photoshop business freelancer you must know the basics of Photoshop. Understanding the various tools and how they work is essential to turning ordinary photos into extraordinary works of art.

The program, while very powerful, doesn’t take all that long to learn. Simply experiment and read the available tutorials. Play around with your own photos and soon you will be ready to take on smaller photo editing jobs.

Photo restoration is one example of a project you can take on using Photoshop. Fading, tears, even water damage can all be fixed using the tools available in Photoshop. All you need is a scanner, a computer with Adobe Photoshop installed, and a high quality color printer as well as a lot of photo paper.

Another basic task is the removal of red eye. The red-eye phenomenon is something that even professional photographers come across and can easily ruin a perfect photograph. With red eye detections tools available in Adobe Photoshop you can easily remove the red-eye.

Photo editing is another common job that freelancers take on. Removal of distracting items or extraneous people are common editing tasks that can easily be completed with a few clicks of the mouse. This is a bit more advanced than red eye removal but is possible with just a bit of work. Other tasks include changing the background of the photo. Again, this is also possible to do with Adobe Photoshop but it will also require more skills and you need to have plenty of time to do these kinds of jobs.

All these tasks plus hundreds of others are possible with Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is the professional photographers secret tool and is often why many are so successful.

By becoming an Online Photoshop business freelancer you will have the opportunity to earn some extra cash and create some amazing works of art. With time and attention you can improve your skills and increase your earning potential.

Did you find this article useful? Curious about starting an online photoshop business? Well now you can by watching this Photoshop Sample Video…what are you waiting for? Grab your Free Online Photoshop Tutorials for beginners today!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/photoshop-business-guide-to-make-money-using-adobe-photoshop-software-1278897.html

Proud Photography – In-Depth Review of Online Photography Course

Online Photography Course is the fastest rising craze over the Internet today. This started off as a hobby for most people but has no become the main stream where individuals can earn huge amount of money. However, even if there are many individuals that want to learn photography, they are thinking twice if there would really embark into this field. The primary reason for this is the tuition expenses and the time that they need to spend in learning the field. But with the expansion of technology and the usage of Internet learning to take quality pictures has become easier. Online courses that will make you produce quality pictures are now made available to the public. Now, here are some of the advantages in online classes:

1. You can have access to lessons at the comfort of your own home. There are many websites that offers great lessons and courses on photography. You can try to search them over the Internet. Online courses as that of held by photography school and other online websites are top of the class and will make you learn to master the field in about a few days of online classes and photo shoot.

2. The advantage of online learning is your cost of expenses will be lessened and you could save a lot on money. Also, you can create your portfolio for the world to see. Whether you want to label and tag your pictures or “my gallery” will not matter. You can create and establish your portfolio that will surely attract more people and clientele.

3. With online learning, you can learn as much as you want. There is no limit. You can even get free lessons. If you want to maximize your time, you can do so.

I will show you how to find a legitimate Online Photography Course and avoid being scammed. Do not join any site until you have read this. Online Photography Course Review


Let me show you how to successfully become a Professional Photographer.

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