Posts filed under 'School of Photography'
June 23rd, 2010
I ought to, at the onset, let you know that I personally have possession of an assortment of cameras. They embody a variety of companies. The cameras I have include three Canons, one Panasonic, as well as a Konika. While I do fancy one maker over the rest, I’ll make sure that it does not have an effect on my judgment of the other ones.
consider the wondrous Sony A380L Digital Camera
If digital camera sales are any signal of what the topmost manufacturer is, then in accordabce Amazon.com Olympus will be a certain winner. Currently, this manufacturer carries the distinction of creating the most number of models in the list of the ultimate cameras. Additionally, it holds 8 out of the top 10 positions. Chipping in the topmost spots along with this maker are 2 of the cameras made by Sony cameras. The next best consist of cameras by Kodak. In the next position are cameras manufactured by Panasonic. And finally in a formidable 20th position, that erstwhile and powerfully built Agfa. gpoz324
An examination of a top-camera-evaluation site under the five star category show 39 Canon cameras, 21 Sony cameras, 11 Agfa cameras, 7 Contax cameras, 7 Fujica cameras, 4 HoneyWell cameras, 3 Bolex cameras, and 1 Lumix camera. A second camera appraisal site through their hundred best cameras showed 45 Nikon cameras, 21 Pentax cameras, 19 Kodak cameras, 3 Agfa cameras, 3 Minolta cameras, 4 Fujica cameras, 3 Aigo cameras, 4 Gami cameras, 1 Vivitar camera, and 1 Argus camera.
In case you total all that up, the best three comprise of Olympus, Pentax a distant second , and Samsung very close at third. Everyone else accounted for fewer than 10 top ranked offerings.
February 10th, 2010
Steve Stevanovich appreciates the splendor of America’s National Parks as a scenery for destination weddings and a plethora of other activities. The brilliant photography that results from holding an function in of these National Parks is what lures people to these handsome natural settings. From Yellowstone National Park and Zion National Park to Channel Islands National Park or Biscayne National Park, variety in locale abounds for tremendous destination weddings in America.
For those who debate premier countries for destination weddings, looking for a mixture of select qualities in a wedding locale is important. They consider the proximity of these locations to excellent cultural and heritage attractions. They also debate the typical weather patterns in a region. To Steve Stevanovich, and others, great weather is important for outdoor celebrations and distinct exterior photo shoots.
For beach style wedding destinations Steve Stevanovich knows that areas like Australia, the French Riviera, the Caribbean, California, and Florida are desirable to people. Additionally, he understands how places like Cuba, Brazil, and Spain enchant those who love waterfront experiences as part of their wedding holiday.
While a wedding in any venue is fantastic, it is that much better when you can relax on a wide beach and stare out at the sea afterward. Wedding pondering and the actual wedding day are hectic. Steve Stevanovich, and others, know full well that the “unwind time” afterward can be that much better on a glorious island beach.
Steve Stevanovich can see how those pondering destination weddings look to regions that offer quality amenities with glorious natural beauty. It can surely be worth the time and effort to explore the multitude of chances available in this regard. Steve Stevanovich and others who weigh the variety of places accessible for destination weddings understand that inexpensive wedding vacations in abundance in the world’s most exciting areas.
January 30th, 2009
There is one simple technique any body can do to eliminate red eye. It can be done with any type of flash on any camera because red eye only happens when using flash. Red eye is the result of a burst of light causing the reflection from the back of the eye blood vessel. I’m not a doctor or an expert on eyes but you get the idea.
Camera companies like Canon, Nikon, Minolta, Pentax, and Olympus have a thing called pre flash on consumer point and shot cameras and some really expensive ones also.
Pre flash also serves as an auto focus aid for these type of cameras.
Red eye is more relevent in the point and shot consumer type camera.
Have you ever noticed pro photographers have their camera flashes way up high or on top of the camera? The reason for this is because we as pros know the reason for red eye and how to eliminate it.
It is simple - keep the flash from directly going into your subjects eyes whether it is your relative, or pet.
Before you Take another photograph tilt your point and shot down ward a bit so the light from the flash does not go directly into the eyes of your subject.
Be sure to practice this because we know we like to take fun and creative pictures.
So the next time you are ready to take that important picture just tilt the camera a little.
John Franco - Hi Visit my website Avanti Photography .net or http://www.jftphoto.com
December 31st, 2008
Unlike humans, pets are not going to follow instructions when you’re trying to take photos of them. For that matter, some humans can make pretty lousy subjects as well. So what do you do in order to get the most out of your pet pictures? The following tips aren’t some miracle solution, but they will help make the job of photographing your Fluffy or Fido a little easier.
The first thing you have to understand when photographing your pet is it’s not going to do what you want it to do. So getting a “staged” or “posed” photo is not going to be possible unless you have a trained animal and good luck in finding one of those. The best thing you can hope for when photographing your pet is the best possible situation that is going to come about on its own. Having said that, there are things you can do to help the situation along.
For starters, you’re going to have to get down to your pet’s level in order to photograph it properly. That doesn’t mean you become a blithering idiot and start drinking out of the toilet. We’re referring to the angle of the shot. If you’re photographing a small cat, for example, you’re going to want to bend down to the floor in order to shoot the animal, unless of course it happens to be sitting on your favorite sofa taking a nap. In either case you want the camera to be at eye level with the pet. If it’s possible to get even lower than the subject, then by all means give it a shot. This will make for an even more interesting photo.
The next thing you want to make sure you DON’T do is startle the animal. No sudden movements or noises. These things are most likely going to end up chasing your subject out of the room in a hurry. You want to be quiet and sneak up on the subject slowly. This gives you the best chance of actually having a subject to shoot.
Action photos are great, but very unpredictable when it comes to pets. If you are lucky enough to catch your cat or dog in the act of playing with some object then don’t wait for him to look at you. Fire away. These make for some very interesting photos.
One way to get your pet to perform for you is to get a family member involved, especially if you have a child or somebody in the family who the pet is very attached to. Many cats and dogs will actually perform tricks for certain family members they are comfortable with. If you can orchestrate the situation then by all means do it. These will become some of the more interesting and entertaining photos you are bound to take.
When photographing pets, you’re going to probably have more “throw away” photos than good ones because of the nature of the subject. So make sure you have plenty of extra film. The last thing you want is for your cat to finally do that trick you were waiting six hours for and you’ve run out of film.
These tips are by no means exhaustive, but they will get you a good jump on getting the jump on your subject, before your subject jumps out of the picture.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Photography
December 28th, 2008
There are many different models and types of digital cameras available just as there are lots of different styles and skill levels of photography. Which digital camera you choose will often depend on what your individual needs are. If you want near professional results and lots of creative control over the photos that you take, then a digital single lens reflex camera can be what you need. But for most people, the choice of a compact or subcompact digital camera would be just fine. Here are some guidelines for choosing digital cameras:
Compact digital cameras are the most popular and common of the camera types. It’s still small enough to be very portable and is usually very easy to use with lots of automatic exposure features that produce great overall photos. Some can even have a few manual exposure controls too to help the photographer take charge of the image produced under certain circumstances.
The subcompact camera is even smaller than the compact and because of their small size can be put in a pocket or purse and taken almost anywhere, making them the most portable of all digital cameras. However, you also usually pay more for the smaller size, and will often have even less manual controls over exposure results than the compact cameras. You also have to be careful that the camera is not so small that it actually becomes hard to use.
The advanced digital camera is a step between the compact camera and a digital single lens reflex like that used by serious photography hobbyists and pros. It is larger in size and weight than the compacts and has a fixed lens, but also sports more advanced manual exposure controls and the ability to save in more and better file formats than just JPEG.
With that in mind, we have analyzed lots of independent reviews on digital cameras and have noticed a few models that seem to get universal acceptance and recommendation. Here are those models:
In the compact digital camera category the Fuji FinePix F10, the Canon PowerShot A510, the Kodak EasyShare Z700, and the Olympus Stylus 800 seem to consistently rank very well for their style, ease of use, price, and features. In the subcompact category the Kodak EasyShare V550, the Canon PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1, and the Pentax Optio SV were consistently rated at or near the top of most unbiased independant and consumer reviews.
It’s also noteworthy to mention that many reviewers felt that the gap between the best and poorest performing models has narrowed considerably and most cameras that were tested produced acceptable snapshot results overall. But the models mentioned above were often regarded as the cream of the crop and so would make the smartest consumer choices as the best rated digital cameras.
Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including digital photography. You can find the best rated digital cameras and buy digital camera online by visiting our Digital Photography website.
December 28th, 2008
When you are on your travels, it is always a pleasure to take photographs of those faraway and exotic places. It can remind you of your holiday and the fun you have had. But don’t forget those places nearer to home!
Most towns and villages have places of interest. It may be an area of parkland or woods. Or churches, monuments and imposing buildings. People and activities.
And, near to home you have one great advantage - you can return at any time of day! For landscapes this might be early in the morning or before sunset whereas for cities you might want some vibrant night shots or human activity.
And you can visit in different seasons. The local park might be a place for kids to play, but in winter, when it is covered in snow, it transforms in to a paradise of virgin white, hardly recognisable. Even on the same day, the weather can change and transform a scene.
You may not even have to contemplate going very far for your images either. Your garden can be a rich hunting ground if only you look. Plants, flowers, interesting artefacts. Insects, fruits, leaves, birds, people and even discarded rubbish! Colour and vibrancy, activity and action.
Don’t commit yourself to one area. Search around and find new images in new places. Make your camera work for you. Think about your photographs before you take them and always be on the lookout for a new twist or angle on an old scene.
Of course, take your camera on your travels. But photographs nearer to home can also be ones that you hanker to keep.
Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com
December 27th, 2008
Creating beautiful photographs can prove to be very difficult if you are not using the right equipment as well as the appropriate technique. To help you with that predicament, below are helpful tips to guide you in your quest for photographic enlightenment.
The first thing to keep in mind when shooting photos is that you have to look your subject in the eye. Direct eye contact can get your viewer transfixed with your picture thus enjoying more view time. Position your camera at your subject’s eye level to reveal those beautiful smiles. Getting a good angle will give you photos that are appealing and good to look at. A plain background is good for giving emphasis to your subject. It is never a good idea to have the background upstage the person or landscape you are taking a picture of. Also, if you are going to shoot pictures outdoors, use flash. Glare from the sun can create ugly facial shadows. For this problem, the flash is the key. You must also be particular with the proper distance between you and your subject making sure that you are not very near nor very far. The closest possible range for shooting pictures without making your subject blurry is about three feet. Other than that would be disaster. Subjects place in the middle make for boring photographs. Try to make your pictures livelier by placing your subject away from the middle. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder. Failure to do this will give you blurry images which are sure to hit the trash bin. A common mistake that usually happens is taking shots beyond the range of the flash resulting in very dark pictures. You can avoid this by reading your camera’s manual or if not take pictures below ten feet away from you. A very important component of a great photograph is good lighting as this will greatly enhance the appearance of your picture. Choose the right time of the day like a sunset to improve your subject’s appearance. Try to take vertical pictures from time to time. There are subjects that will look better if shot vertically. The last but not the least, make conscious efforts to have better control of your shots to boost your picture quality. Take charge of your photo sessions. Manipulate every situation to fit your taste.
Armed with the right knowledge, you are most likely to produce great looking pictures. Continually try to hone your skills to improve your chances of making worthwhile pictures. Making great shots can be a very rewarding experience.
About The Author
Ariel Velasco goes by the author alias of Paul Hood. This author is into books and writing. Reading is an essential part of his life and this has lent a considerable influence in his writing. Well traveled and would always want to travel more. He loves learning more about people and their ways. Took up a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology to further this fascination and had a fulfilling educational experience having been exposed to a wide spectrum of people. Always ready for new opportunities to learn and have a great deal of interest in different fields of expertise.
Additional Information about the articles can be found at http://www.fullcolorprintingcompany.com.
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December 13th, 2008
I get asked the question “How do I get Started as a Model” so many times and I have to say there’s not an easy answer to this.
First are you really sure that this is what you want! If the answer to this is yes and if you are at least 1.7 meters (5ft.7inch) tall, slim and beautiful and self confident and between 14 to 18 years of age, there is just a slim chance that you might make it.
But you need something to be in your favour, in fact it’s so important that you stand little or no chance without it and you might as well give up right now and get back to your high school studies.
So what is so important that it will make or brake you, the answer to that is quite simple, it’s your Mom. Without her blessing and indeed her help your going nowhere baby.
Lets start with the law, you are a minor until the age of 18 and unable to be photographed without your parent’s permission and unable to attend a shooting session with a photographer unless your parent or guardian is present at the shoot.
Now you can understand the importance of this, as it not only safeguards the Model who is a minor, but it also safeguards the photographer as well.
After the shooting session is over a ‘Minor Model Release’ form has to be signed on behalf of the minor by the parent or legal guardian. This form is a standard document in the profession and it gives the photographer and his client permission to use the photos for whatever advertising purposes that are required, in exchange for a modeling fee that has been previously agreed upon and paid on the completion of the shoot.
How do you get discovered and believe me this is the difficult bit. Years ago when I was a full time Advertising/Fashion Photographer, it was sometimes just good enough to be found by the photographer and his opinion would add some weight when the model presented some recent photographs of herself to a Modeling Agency, providing of course she had all the above requirements. However today, things have changed with young model hopefuls posting their photos all over the internet and of course many of the model agencies keep a presence on line as well.
But I know of a story of a 14 year old girl in London, who at the time had no idea that she really wanted to be a model, but in the summer vacation was doing ‘Work Experience’ in the offices of one of the UK Fashion Magazines when she was ’scouted’ by a model agency rep.
Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time, this of course does not prevent you from applying to all the top agencies yourself, getting to see as many as possible and if you are as good as you say you are and if they are looking for that special look you might just get lucky. But not without some hard work and discipline and dedication.
For example healthy eating and living, or put it another way eating correctly and getting to bed early. This healthy lifestyle would also include daily exercise to keep your body in shape.
Unless you become dedicated, when the time comes and you find that you have put on an extra kilo or two in weight, you’ve only yourself to blame if you didn’t get the job.
Last August I received an e-mail from a 14 year old girl who wanted to be a model. She had seen my website, read my comments on ‘wanna be models’ and wanted my opinion about her looks. I replayed and explained that I would run some test shots in return for adding a page of these photos to my website.
I contacted her Mom and we set up a meeting to shoot at my favorite beech location, this page has now become one of the most popular on the website. I think you should take a look to.
To read more about the above article go here: Wanna be Models.
About the author: I’m from London. I started out in the days of the Swinging Sixties and London was quite a place to be. In those days we use to shoot catalog fashion shots with a 10X8 inch View camera, so the color transparency images would be the same size as the image on the catalog page, I have to tell you right now that took quite some doing.
Now I spent most of my time with my website Pro SECRETS of Money Making PHOTOGRAPHY, writing about and teaching photography, occasionally shooting assignments.
To check out the story and Images of our 14 year old model go here: Teen Bikini Beach Shoot
November 10th, 2008
Ask yourself the question; Are you the next undiscovered photographer? Anyone can take a photograph of course, but it’s that creative spark and seeing the unseen that makes a photographer stand out and be noticed.
Choose an area of photography that holds the strongest fascination to you. For me
it was nature photography, but this is one of many areas including still life, portraits
and wedding photography to name a few. Once you’ve chosen an area, try
experimenting, taking shots on impulse, varying the viewpoint, altering the lighting,
basically - try the untried. As one of my favourite sayings puts it, ‘Walk the un-
walked path.’
Many people don’t posses the belief within them that they have what it takes to be a
good photographer. Challenge that perception! It can be changed through
exercising your skills and gaining experience. In the now digital age there has
never been a better or more exciting time to take up photography. There has also
never been a better chance to experiment with images. With the ability to view
your taken photographs within seconds, you have the opportunities to better your
shots instantly. Once you have mastered the basic techniques, photography can be
a wholly satisfying and rewarding hobby. And who’s to say it will stop as a hobby? It
could turn out to be your future profession!
My best advice would be, don’t stick to any rules! Free your mind and photograph
what you want and how you want, have fun and be adventurous!
John Threlfall is a self-taught photographer with a deep passion for nature
photography. John has a Masters Degree in ‘Creative Imaging’. His work can be
viewed at http://www.capturednature.com The images capture the pure simplistic, yet
breathtaking beauty that is hidden away in rural Britain.
October 19th, 2008
Do your people photographs tend to look - well, nasty?
Un-flattering?
What if you could exploit a basic lighting principle that professional photographers use, without spending a cent on expensive lighting equipment?
It may sound too good to be true, but it’s not. Actually, it seems obvious once you realise what it is.
So what is this amazing principle that will improve your photographs?
It’s to do with the size of the light source relative to the subject. Let me explain…
The bigger the light source, the softer the shadows.
And conversely, the smaller the light source, the harder the shadows.
How can you use this fact to improve your photographs?
The first thing to do is be aware of it - notice the lighting. Move things around or go to a different location if you need to.
But the main way to actually use this law is to make a rule of always photographing people (one of the most popular and common photographic
subjects) with large light sources.
Here are a few examples of easy to use, large light sources:
- An overcast sky (one of the best, because not only is it huge, it’s also still relatively bright)
- A window (still relatively large compared to someone’s head, they’re standing right next to it - yet also directional, which can provide a nice effect)
- A bright light (or lights) reflected against a white ceiling, or a white wall behind the photographer. A flash gun with an adjustable head is ideal for this technique because it provides substantially more illumination than, say, a desk lamp. If you specifically want hard shadows (less flattering but sometimes interesting), you’ll be seeking out small, point sources of light - like the sun.
Bear in mind that if you use only the full sun to light a shot, you’ll need to sacrifice detail either in the sunlit areas (by exposing correctly for the shadows), or the shadows (by exposing for the sunny bits).
One more thing - remember to experiment with the direction of the light source. While lighting from the front and/or top is the Conventional method (and often gives the best or most appropriate results), interesting effects can be achieved by lighting from the sides, back, or underneath, too.
Steven Pam is a digital commercial photographer based in Melbourne, Australia, specializing in people, aviation and music photography. http://www.stevenpam.com.au
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