Lighting for Portrait Photography (Part 2): Controlling Exposure within the Camera

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The term "photography" derives from the Greek "phos", meaning light, and "graphis", meaning to write or draw. If photography is defined as, the art and science of fixing images on a sensitive surface through the action of light, we see that at least some understanding of the nature of light and how to control it is fundamental to one's success as a photographer. In Part 1 of this article, the behavior of light as it concerns the portrait photographer is addressed. Now we shall begin to explore methods used by the portrait photographer to control the behavior of light in rendering artistic interpretations of their subject. There are many aspects involved in manipulating light for the purpose of portrait photography. One fundamental aspect is exposure. The degree of sensitivity to light (photosensitivity) of the surface on which an image is to be fixed, dictates the required length and intensity of exposure.

The aperture of the modern camera lens is designed to control the intensity of light falling on the film (or digital image sensor). In simple terms, the aperture is a hole or opening, through which the light reflected by the subject is admitted to the camera. The intensity of the reflected light being admitted to expose the film (or image sensor) is controlled by the size of this opening. The size of the aperture opening is commonly stated in "f/stops". F/stops may seem confusing at first. The f/stop value represents a fractional opening of the aperture, and therefore a decrease of one f/stop results in the intensity of light being admitted into the camera to approximately double, and an increase by one f/stop results in the intensity of light being cut by half. One may prematurely conclude, proper exposure is obtained simply by adjusting the size of the aperture until the intensity of light admitted is just right. However, the depth of field (range of distance in front of and behind the subject that is in focus) is also a function of the size of the aperture opening. In general, depth of field increases as the size of the aperture opening decreases.

Controlling exposure is also achieved by controlling the duration of the light striking the film (or image sensor). To control the duration of the exposure, modern cameras employ a shutter. The shutter may be thought of as a curtain with an opening or slit that passes in front of the film (image sensory) at a controlled duration or speed. Shutter speeds are expressed in seconds, and fractions of a second. A shutter speed of 1/100 allows twice the duration of exposure as a shutter speed of 1/200. The resolution of an image is partly determined by the duration of exposure in capturing the image. A typical approach in portrait photography is to set the size of the aperture to yield the desired depth of field, and set the shutter speed to achieve an acceptable exposure level.

A third fundamental parameter that is manipulated to control exposure when capturing an image is the film speed, commonly stated as an ISO/ASA number. Film speed is a quantitative description of the chemically derived photosensitivity of the material used in the film. The higher the ISO number, the more photosensitive the film is. Faster film speeds enable action shots and low light images to be easily captured. However, faster film speeds can also result in increased perceived graininess in an image and decreased sharpness and detail. Similarly, the ISO number on many modern digital cameras may be adjusted to control the sensitivity of the digital image sensor, with similar effect.

Light is controlled within the camera by manipulating the intensity and duration of exposure, and by selecting an appropriate speed of film for the light conditions, or adjusting the sensitivity of the digital image sensor. These methods work very well to control the average or overall exposure of the composition. A finer degree of control of the light to enhance specular highlights, falloff, and softness of shadows, is best achieved outside the camera. There are many methods employed to accomplish this. In Part 3 of this article, several such methods will be discussed. Until then, good day and happy clicking.

Steve Barnes is a professional portrait photographer, free lance writer, and co-owner of Hayley Barnes Photography, in League City, Texas. Please visit his website at: Hayley Barnes Photography. Elegant portrait photographer. Children, Families, High School Seniors, and Quincea?eras. "Custom Designed, Uniquely You"

Stock Photography - Who Wants To Know How To Sell Online? Learn The Business Of Stock Photography

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In the past getting into Stock photography was a huge undertaking. You either had to set up your own mini Agency or sign on with one of the big agencies. If you set up your own agency you were required to do all the leg work of sorting, filing and marketing your images. If you signed on with a big agency you were required to have at least 1,000 images before they would even talk to you. With the advent of the Internet and the growth of high-speed broadband connections these barriers have been eliminated. Today anyone with a quality digital camera can enter the stock photography market place and make money selling their images online.

There are literally hundreds of agencies online offering photographers a place to sell their images. In addition photographers have the opportunity to set up their own online mini agency or add a Stock Page to their portfolio site.

The big agencies have also moved online, but their requirements for acceptance have also become more difficult. Getting your images in Gettys or Corbis is very difficult and for the most part the domain of well established professional photographers.

However you chose to sell your images online, one thing is for sure you will have to adhere to the three basic principles of the successful stock photographer ? Quality, Quality, Quality. Oh and lets not forget Quantity.

What photos will sell?

The first step in selling your images on-line is understanding what images sell, and which sit and collect cyber dust. Truth be told there is very little restriction on what sells and what does not sell. The key here is to understand which type of images sell the most and in the case of Licensed images the most often. As you sell your images on line you will need to understand that just about any image can sell as long as it meets the technical requirements of the agency and you can find a buyer.

A search for ?Stock Photography? on Google returns 15,400,000 sites. The biggest agencies like Corbis and Getty are of course listed first. These agencies are still the domain of professional photographers with huge libraries, and will not entertain enquires from amateur photographers. They have huge libraries of images from professional shooters and even hire their own photographers to shoot stock on assignment for the agency, which the agency then owns. All the regular photos that you would think are really great and will sell have been done and are sitting in these agencies files. These are what are generally know as commercial stock photos and your chance of selling these is not so good.

What you will be able to sell are EDITORIAL stock. Editorial stock does not sell for as high a price as Commercial Stock, but you will sell more images more often than when trying to sell Commercial Stock.

The images you will be able to sell are the ones that no one else has or that no one else has access to such subject matter. What you need is a niche. Pictures of regular people doing regular things, shot in a professional and appealing manner are what you will be able to sell online. Photos that sell are the ones that tell a story or as stock photographers like to call them; photo illustrations. A photo illustration is a photo that has something going on in it. We have all heard the term ?A picture is worth a thousand words? well when you hear this, think Photo Illustration. These are the stock photos that sell well.

Also is is important to enjoy your photography so go out and shoot things that interest you; your trip to the fair, grandma doing her needle point, dad cooking burgers on a backyard BBQ & your brother mowing the lawn. If you work in a factory or mill and can get permission from your managers or boss to take pictures, these type of images have great potential. Industry, commerce and business are areas of high value in Stock Photography.

Always try to include a person doing something. A picture of a tractor in the field is good, but a picture of a tractor with the farmer sitting on it, is much better. (Image Farmer in the Field). If you insist on taking scenic pictures and expect to be able to sell them, if you include a person actively doing something, your chances of a sale are greatly increased. For instance, a shot of a beach sunset in great, but remember there are hundreds of just such images already in circulation, take the same shot and add a silhouette of a boy chasing a football and you have a much more saleable shot.

Also when you are taking pictures try to imagine a theme or mood. By this we mean try imagine a feeling you want to convey with your photos. Some are happy shiny people holding hands, while others will be more somber or moody. A photo that has a clear mood or theme will sell well. You can use colour, shapes and texture to illustrate different moods and themes. Images that convey feelings have high resale value. Images that are stereotypical have less. By stereotypical we mean the stuff we have all seen a thousand times in a thousand magazines and other places. While you may think that the silhouette of lovers kissing against a backdrop of a gorgeous sunset is a good marketable picture, it has been done to death and if we searched any of the major stock libraries we would find many examples of this exact picture. What might be better would be to show the couple doing something a little less typical, maybe one taking the picture of the other???

Also remember the rules of composition. The law of thirds works well and so do tightly cropped images. The old rule of ?keep it simple? applies. This is not a book about how to shoot good images, there are thousands of such references available, what we are teaching you here is how to sell them online. Just remember, the images that sell are the attractive appealing ones with good composition and good exposure.

One thing to remember though is that as most of the agencies websites display the images on thumbnail pages, having images that are attractive as thumbnails increases your chance of a sale, this follows from the rules of compostition and cropping already discussed.

Selling images online is the next big thing, something that every keen hobbyist is looking to get into. The principles of photography apply, but you must temper them with some business sense, knowing which photos sell is the best start.

Sean David Baylis is a photographer living and working in Hong Kong. Stock Photography - Who wants to know how to sell online? Learn the business of stock photography. Sign up now for the second lesson, also free...

Marketing Your Photography Business Website

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So you finally got your photography business website up and running. Congratulations! But how do you get visitors?

1. Include your website address on everything! Your business cards, brochures, outgoing email signature line, your signature line in all blog and message board postings, all mailings, and even your car (either a magnetic sign or bumper sticker)!

2. Of course you should tell all your friends and family about your site, but don?t forget past customers, too. You could announce your site launch by email or by sending out a nice postcard.

3. Use Google?s Adwords. This is easy and relatively inexpensive to do. Adwords are those little ads that show up on the right side of the screen when you do a Google search. Just do a google search for ?adwords? to find the registration page. Once there, you create your ad and choose the geographical area where your ad will show. When people click on your ad, you pay Google a small amount (you choose the amount). By limiting where the ads will show (only in your town or city, for example), the clicks you get will be in your target area. For your keywords, choose phrases like ?photographer in (your city)? or ?wedding photographers in (your city).?

4. Make sure to use keywords and phrases that will help people (and the search engines) find your site. For example, ?baby photographer in (your city)? or ?(your city) family photography.?

5. Get other sites to link to your site. You can do this by advertising on photographer?s listing sites, the yellow pages sites, city-search sites, etc. You should also contact other businesses in your area and ask to trade links with them. For example, you can have a ?links? page where you put up links to various businesses such as clothing stores, bakeries, florist shops, etc., and in return, they will put a link to your site up on their links page. This serves two purposes. One, people will see your link and click on it, and two, the search engines will give your page a better ranking depending on the number of sites that link to you.

By doing these things, you should be getting traffic to your website in no time!

Cindy Bracken is the founder of http://www.shuttermom.com, an online community for photographers of all levels of experience. Stop by to create a free blog, enter the photo contest, join in the discussion forum and more!

Start your photography business today

Perfect Digital Photography Secrets: How To Use Your Camera's Flash

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I hope you will like and benefit from these flash tips for the perfect digital photography!

You have to take full control of your digital camera's flash. Why? Because digital cameras and their build-in software are pre-programmed and make a few assumptions..

For example:

There are sensors inside your camera that measure the percentage of illumination in the scene at which your camera points. If the sensors measure low illumination then your flash will fire. That is because your camera is pre-programmed with the assumption that flash will improve the photograph in a low-illumination environment. On the other hand in a high-illumination environment the flash will not fire because the camera will assume it's not necessary. After all it's dark out there!

The issue with these assumptions is that there are certain situations when you want an opposite result..

For example there are times when you want to shoot the perfect digital photography in a low-illumination environemt without using the flash.. e.g. when you are in a dark room with a candle burning and no other light sources.. If that's the case you need to be really steady for the photograph to be sharp. You may want to use a tripod to achieve better results. If you do it right you will have a perfect digital photography with beautiful warm orange/red colours.

Remember that the straight light coming from the flash gives a cold commercial look to your photographs. That could be ok in some cases but not in all cases.. You should decide whether to use flash, not your camera.

But what happens when working in Bright Light, high-illumination environments?

Then, the flash will not fire! Of course that saves battery-power but what are the results of your perfect digital photography? You definitely don't want to lose in quality right?

Imagine when you want to take the perfect digital photography of a person wearing a hat and the sun is overhead in the sky shining.. Then you will notice that the person's face will be in dark shadow because of the hat! But even if there's no hat, you will usually see shadows under the chin or under the person's eyes.. So what you should do is fill those small shadows with light using your camera's flash!

Again, YOU should decide whether to use flash or not, and not your camera.. YOU should take control of your camera's flash..

Today's digital cameras have five basic flash settings:

- Setting #1:

Automatic Flash: This is where your camera is pre-programmed to make assumptions depending on the level of the environment illumination and use the flash accordingly.

- Setting#2:

Automatic Flash with Eye Reduction: Again, the camera uses its software to determine when the flash will fire but there's also some type of red eye filters to reduce the red eye effect.

You camera will probably automatically select, by default, one of the above two settings. I recommend to never use the above settings if you're aiming for the perfect digital photography.. And why is that you may ask..

As I said before YOU should be the one who decides whether to use flash or not.. And furthermore the eye reduction filters will not always do a good work and will confuse your subjects in most cases..

I recommend to make use of the following settings depending on the scene and the subject you're trying to shoot..

- Setting #3:

Flash Always: With this setting enabled your flash will fire in all cases. You may want to choose this setting when you want to fill small shadowed areas with light.

- Setting #4:

Flash Disabled: Your flash will not fire no matter how illuminated the environment or the scene is.. Make use of this setting when you want to shoot in a low-illuminated environment e.g. a dark room with a candle burning..

Just remember that in a low-illumination environment you have to be really steady in order to shoot the perfect digital photography..

- Setting #5:

Slow Shutter Flash: This is a very underestimated setting and the least used.. If you choose this setting your flash will fire ocassionally but the shutter will remain open for a longer time than usual. This will allow you to capture the subject illuminated by the flash, but it will also allow other lighting sources (like a candle's light) to record themselves.

This setting is perfect if there is high illumination on the background while infront of the subject there's certain darkness. For example when you want to shoot a person in front of a casino at night.

So.. If you're aiming for the perfect digital photography you should be able to switch between those five flash settings found in almost all digital cameras these days. Have a look at the camera's manual for more information on these settings. They are really importand.

How would you like to use your camera's flash like professional digital photographer? There are tons of information and digital photography secrets and guides out there. You may want to have a look at this Perfect Digital Photography Secrets Manual.

Improve Your Digital Photography Skills for Outstanding Pictures

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Once you have a digital camera, you?re on the right track to taking much better photos. But perhaps you?re unsure of how to get the best out of your camera and feel that your skills are lacking. Improving the quality of your photos can be achieved with some fairly basic and simple steps.

Keep a level picture unless you are looking for a special angle: Try to hold the camera level by aligning it with natural horizontal lines, like the horizon. This will give you a classic picture. However part of the fun of photography is experimentation, so take a few snaps of different angles to get an interesting perspective on your picture.

Portrait photos: Avoid putting the subject in the center of the frame. This is a habit most people find hard to break. Remember to move close and put the subject slightly off center. Again take more than one photo with a portrait if possible. Zoom in for a close up of just your subject or make a complete picture a little further away by including a favorite pet or another person. Always experiment with different angles and poses to make your photo more interesting.

Be careful of lighting and exposure with your photos. If indoors, make sure you have a strong light on your subject. If outdoors, be careful of strong sunlight. The best time to take your photos outside is first thing in the morning.

Think about the focus of your picture, when you frame the shot. If you are trying to capture the expression on your child?s face, you can leave out the other children, the swing, the dog, etc. You can do this by zooming in and taking a close up or you can put the background out of focus so that only your subject is standing out. This can make quite an interesting picture.

Always be conscious of the background. Many good photos are ruined by clutter in the frame. Change your position to avoid a messy background.

A small tripod can give you a much better shot, by lending stability. Tripods are not meant only for professionals, as some people think. Using a self-timer can put you in a number of pictures, where you are usually not visible. This is great for a family or group photo.

Get a media card with plenty of memory, so you will not run out of space, at a crucial time. Shoot at the highest resolution allowed by your camera, to get the best results and sharper enlargements. Upload your photos to a picture gallery like Yahoo. You can just send the link to friends and family instead of sending large picture attachments. You can also select the photos you want printed and have them developed within 24 hours.

If you want to find out more about great digital photography, click over to Jackie's site at greatdigitalphotography.com Get more digital photography tips

Travel Photography For Beginners: Choosing A Camera And Getting Started

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Travel photography can be as much fun for non-professionals as it can be for professionals. So what do you need to take up travel photography as a hobby and what else do you need to know? If you are a professional photographer this article will definitely be too basic for you. If you are a beginner then please read on.

Most of us travel these days anyway, so it is not a case of needing to travel anymore than what we already do, to start enjoying travel photography. Travel need not even be far, with the other side of your city still worthy of being called travel. The idea behind travel photography is that you are capturing images of culture, scenic views ie the essence of a place no matter what its location or size.

The more expensive the camera then generally you can of course expect better quality images, i.e. higher pixilation and more available optical zoom. Personally I find pocket cameras excellent because it is not realistic to carry a bulky camera everywhere, unless you are a real hard-core photographer (perhaps one who also carries a tripod everywhere, as though it were the car keys). I have found myself that I have some of my best photos from opportunistic moments and I have only managed to get these photos because I had a pocket camera ready on hand. If you are looking for a pocket camera so that you can begin snapping away wherever you are and whenever you want, then I personally think the Sony series of pocket camera's such as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W70 Digital Camera (with 7.2 Million pixels & 3x Optical Zoom and affordable) is a worthy buy.

Hard-core photographers will say that using a manual camera is better. The fact is though, that unless you are a series paid photographer, then digital camera's are fast closing the gap on manual camera's and many digital camera's now also have add on manual lenses and also manual features.

Many beginners to photography get confused also about zoom and the meaning of optical zoom, when buying a camera. Optical zoom refers to the zoom that you get which does not affect the quality. You zoom in on an object for example and the quality is not affected. Normal zoom is when you zoom in closer but the closer you zoom is, the less focus you get. Optical zoom is the zoom that matters. Buying a camera with optical zoom of 3 or 6 is usually sufficient. If you really want to zoom in from a distance then you might possibly need a camera with 8-10 optical zoom.

Others may disagree with me but I think that the way best to start off is buying yourself a pocket camera and just to start snapping away. Get a feel for what works, what comes out well, what doesn't. Do not be afraid to experiment with the features on the camera. Try night shots for example, and try shots of different subjects i.e. sunsets, objects, landscapes and people. From experience and experimenting you can move out of the beginners level.

Travel photos - stock free images
home sauna and jacuzzi

The Art of Nude Photography

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Nude photography is the ultimate expression of you as an individual and your connection to the world. Nude photography simply gets to the essence of the person. There is little to hide but a lot can be said or represented about a person, their beliefs, beauty, individuality, togetherness and expressions. A professional photographer will help you express sensuality, sensitivity, compassion and excitement, desires, innocence, appreciation of skin and celebration of self.

These days, expert nude photographers can make the experience very rewarding, and in some cases, quite spiritual even. Nude photography sessions are exciting, sensitive, intimate, personal and totally individual and unique. Every person is treated individually to produce the type of imagery that they like or envisage for themselves. Images can be artistic, sensual, sexy, stylish, natural, highlighting your best features and downplaying any less flattering attributes. Photographs are normally taken in artistic black and white tones. The session should be enjoyable and fun. The idea is to have fun and express yourself and be surprised at the extraordinary results that can be achieved. In nude photography it is important to be made to feel at ease and relaxed. The session is not about the photographer, but about the individual or the individuals concerned.

It?s important that the studio of your choice is fully equipped with the latest technology. High quality digital equipment will ensure high definition images. Also, make sure the studio environments are fresh, clean and welcoming. There?s no reason you shouldn?t be made to feel welcome and be treated to a special experience by friendly staff.

A professional nude photographer will make you feel relaxed and comfortable with yourself and your session. Making you feel comfortable and relaxed is the most important element and is important in creating timeless imagery. They should focus all their attention on your experience so that they can create the right mood and atmosphere that promotes outstanding photography.

Nude photography can also be enhanced with special props and accessories; something that can represent your individuality and uniqueness. As nude photography can already be very flattering, props should only be added if they do something to enhance your body, attitude or style. Sometimes the minimalist approach offers the greatest opportunity for uniqueness.

Along the same lines as props, your photographer (or you) may choose to capture your unique features such as skin art, tattoos, piercings - all which accentuate and adorn a person?s skin. It?s important that your photographer understands and appreciates your preferences and use all your unique feature?s to create a most individual work of art.

Posing, placing and positioning for nude photography is very important as is image design and style. It?s essential that your choice of photographer is well trained to allow this type of posing to occur naturally and capture these important attributes in a spontaneous and uninhibited way. Nude photography should end in wonderful pieces of timeless art for your pleasure and enjoyment.

Framing and composing images is also very important. The choice of settings and backgrounds should benefit and highlight your personality and uniqueness. Many photographers have a range of studio backgrounds, however often the simple backgrounds such as basic black or white are most popular.

Lighting is also essential when it comes to nude photography. The correct lighting can emphasize features and bring out the best in you. Studio lighting is totally controllable to highlight or neutralize areas as required to ensure superb creative imagery.

Spontaneity, mood and feelings are what nude photography is all about. Make sure you find a photographer that creates the mood and brings out the feelings that will become timeless memories forever.

Vittorio Natoli is the owner of Viva! Life Photography located in Fremantle, Western Australia. Award-winning Perth photographer and businessman, Mr Natoli has spent the past four years refining the systems that have made Viva Life Photography one of the most successful portrait and female and male nude photography studios in Australia. Visit Viva's website www.vivaphotography.com for more information on Vittorio, Viva! photography franchise opportunities or Nude Photography

Photography as a Fine Art

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Compared to most art forms, photography is a relative newcomer. Having been around for less than 200 years its place in the art world is still being established. Interestingly, there have been many arguments against photography being considered art, one of which is that the camera is a ?machine?. However, one must ask if a camera is any more a machine than a musician?s instrument, a sculptor?s chisel or a painter?s brush?

Another argument is that because of the nature of photography, endless prints can be made from the one negative. While true, it is for this reason that many photographers will produce their work as limited editions just as screen-printers, etchers and wood-block artists will. Some photographers have even been known to destroy their negatives after they have completed printing the edition. However, the ability to produce numerous prints is usually considered part of photography?s uniqueness.

Historically, many photographers themselves once considered photography a lesser art form. Called ?Pictorialists? these photographers produced work using soft focus, and often, poor quality, lenses hoping their work would look like Imressionist paintings. Although the Pictorialists won a small battle in having photography recognised and given wall space, they certainly didn?t help win the war of photography being recognised purely on its own artistic merits.

There is a great quote that states: ?There is no art, only artists.? Very true words, as there are many great artists who use photography as their chosen medium. It would be very hard for people to argue that the landscape and nature work of Ansel Adams; the natural world, nudes and still life?s of Edward Weston; the abstract forms and textures of Brett Weston and the compositions of Paul Strand are not art.

Because of the passion and extremely high quality work produced by these and other American photography pioneers, the American public and those within art circles could no longer deny that photography was a valuable and expressive art form. Oddly, Europe never seemed to have any trouble accepting photography as art. The work of Henri Cartier-Bressen, Brassai, Latrigue and others has always been held in the highest esteem.

The modern-day ease of photography has also led to a lot of very poor photographic work being passed off as art. Automated cameras have also lent considerable weight to the argument that it?s the camera doing the work, not the so-called artist. It is little wonder that many gallery owners are reluctant to give wall space to photographs. It must be remembered that the camera doesn?t make a good photographer any more than a piano makes a good pianist or a brush makes a good painter. An artist is an artist no matter what the medium.

Where Photography Becomes Art

What constitutes a fine art photograph would be quality: quality in composition, quality in the negative and quality in the print. Edward Weston once said that, ?composition is the best way of seeing.? Like other mediums, how the image is composed is of vital importance regarding how the print will be viewed. The photographer then needs to be able to put onto film what he or she is seeing and ?visualising? for the final print. Lens choice, film choice, aperture and shutter speed relationships, what to exposure for and which filters to use (especially for black and white film) all play a vital part in what the final print will look like. Finally, the photographer needs to bring that ?feeling? and expression out in the ?fine? print using a very demanding darkroom technique.

How a Fine Art Photographer Prints

Ansel Adams was fond of saying that the negative is like a musician?s score and the print is like their performance. Good photographers will know how to do both very well: photograph to produce good negatives and then make an expressive print that conveys what they saw and felt at the time of exposure.

A photographer will go through a few stages before arriving at the fine print. This begins with making a ?proof print? of the negative and evaluating it to determine how best to properly print from it. The photographer then moves through a series of ?work prints? as he or she fine-tunes the print exposure, cropping and contrast. More often than not, certain areas of a print will require more or less exposure than other areas. Giving more exposure to specific parts of the print, ?burning?, will darken those areas. Holding back exposure on specific areas or ?dodging? will lighten them. When the photographer believes that the print is as expressive as possible, they will make a ?fine print? using their (often) extensive notes regarding dodging, burning and contrast.

Most fine art black and white photographers will use fibre-based paper for their fine prints. Fibre-based paper tends to have the edge over its cheaper cousin resin-coated paper. Fibre-based paper also has more archival permanence, however, modern resin-coated papers claim to be the same. Fibre-based paper is harder to print on successfully, however, generally looks better, is preferred or demanded by museums and galleries and is also somewhat demanded by photographic tradition. Good photographers will have no qualms about this and would feel as though they were cheating if they produced their work on resin-coated paper.

There are myriad other variables in fine art photography that include: choice of film developer, choice of paper brand, choice of paper developer and whether to tone the print. All affect the look of the final print and it is the experience of the photographer to know how best to pull all these together to produce a print worthy of being called ?art?.

Matthew Smeal is a fine art black and white photographer and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. His work can be viewed on his website at http://www.matthewsmeal.com

Best Digital Photography Wedding

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The wedding is one of the most memorable occasions between two lovers. The years may go by since that day but people will be able to remember as long as pictures were taken.

More people are investing in digital cameras. This is because the images can be stored in the computer or in a compact disc that will not be damaged through time when the pictures are placed in an album.

The images captured can be edited on the digital camera instead of wasting the paper used in developing a bad picture.

Another thing, which makes digital photographer better, is that the person can take a lot of shots without having to reload and change the roll of film. The time it takes to replace it may make the individual miss the right shot that can never be done again.

Here are some tips for those who want to use a digital camera during the wedding.

1. The individual should pay attention to the background before taking the shot. There is no question the couple will look good but this can all change if the area where it is taken is not.

Things that should be avoided when taking the lovers or any of the guests is a cluttered area. This will make it easier for the viewer to see who is the picture focused on when these are ready after the wedding.

2. Some of the guests may be wearing glasses. This might cause bright flashes to come out when the pictures come out so this can also be avoided by making some changes. The people in the photograph can tilt the head down or to the side so this will not happen.

3. The best way to get a great shot will be to know when it is appropriate to take. This doesn?t only happen when people are looking at the camera but also in those candid moments.

4. The person will probably shoot more than a hundred shots during the wedding. After each shot, it is best to review the image on the LCD screen so this can be edited if it isn?t good and another one can be taken.

Photography has come a long way from the conventional form that was done for so many years. It has given people the opportunity to become an amateur photographer that could be just as good as a professional one.

Those who want to save on getting an expert should invest then in a digital camera so that a family member or a relative will be able to get the best shot.

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

Digital Photography and Its Advantages

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Gone are the days when one has to buy films, put up with bad or exposed shots and waste money having them developed. The creation of digital cameras has changed the landscape of photography not only for enthusiasts but also for beginners.

In fact, with the features of digital cameras, beginners can already make professional-looking shots and even put effects that are only reserved before to those who have done photography for a long time or those who have actually studied the techniques. Below is a rundown of some of the advantages of digital camera.

Zooming in

One advantage that digital cameras present is its zooming lens, that provide clarity even when shooting far away objects. Point and shoot cameras that are often used by beginners do not have this feature. Additional lens will have to be placed on the camera. But now, digital cameras have special lens that can zoom up to 8 megapixels.

No mistakes

Digital cameras allow users to erase shots that they feel are not good enough. This is perhaps one of the greatest features of digital technology. Now, people are able to choose not only the shots that they will develop but also those that they will keep. This is a huge savings not only on the film but also with developing.

No more films

With digital technology, one does not need films anymore. Picture files may be stored in memory sticks and in the camera?s internal memory. What is more, one can store digital files of the pictures. And unlike films, which may easily be destroyed, digital files are not as easily lost when stored properly.

Effects

Digital technology in cameras allow for the use of several techniques in photography that one will not be able to do if one is using a standard camera with film. One can shoot in black and white and sepia with just a click of the mode buttons. There is no need to develop them in the dark room in a special way. Digital cameras also allow photographers to shoot in macro settings, something that ordinary cameras would not have done.

No more developing

With digital cameras, you don?t have to develop the pictures anymore or use a dark room. You can actually print the pictures at your own home with the use of a colored printer. No need to go to the developing center.

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

Did You Ever Try Selling Your Photography...Part 2

         >>  Digital Photography Secrets Revealed <<

 

Have you ever tried to sell your images to an agency.

Anyone with the ability to use a camera correctly has the potential to sell their images. Picture agencies handle images of every subject and are always looking for emerging talent.

Pictures libraries and stock agencies are in the business of selling images. The don't give you advice on how to take better images. Their purpose is business - they sell images to magazines, book publishers, the travel industry and many other industries that use images.

Many photographers look upon agencies as a last resort to sell their work; if you have been unable to sell any of your images, the chances are that most agencies won't accept them.

If you are interested in an agency selling your images, you must be able to produce high quality images which are suited to the agencies market. Check out their website to view samples that are currently in use. If you feel your work meets their standards and suits their customers - then approach them by e-mail or by standard mail.

But, before placing your work at an agency make a short-list of the agencies that seem to suit your work. Contact each agency outlining your work and which magazines have already published your images. If an agency is then interested they will ask you to send them samples.

If an agency accepts your work, don't take this as a guarantee that your images will sell.

Don't approach an agency until you have a large collection of images. Minimum first submissions can consist of anything from 50 images to 500 and regular submissions are normally required thereafter. Most agencies work on a commission basis - 50 % being the standard rate. If an image sells for two hundred euro - the photographer receives a one hundred euro fee.

When an agency takes on a photographer's work, they normally require a four or five year retention period. Agencies normally sell the reproduction rights of a pictures - the image being licensed to a buyer for a specified purpose.

It may take as long as six months before an agency sells a picture belonging to you. First they need to scan your images if they are submitted by film; then they need to contact their clients and let them know that there is new material available - all of this takes time, so you must look at supplying a picture agency as a long term investment. It is only when you have several hundred images placed in a library that you'll start to see regular sales.

Remember: agencies can't sell images if there isn't a market for them and placing images at an agency does not guarantee you sales. TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer and a freelance writer. If you are looking for some photo tips visit the photography directory he frequently writes for: http://www.goldprints.com To view some of his images visit his on line gallery @ http://www.goldenirishlight.com

How to Easily Select the Important Photography Category for Your Home Based Business

         >>  Digital Photography Secrets Revealed <<

 

You may have already started to make money from your photography, but if you are still a gifted amateur, then there are effective methods you can use to kick start your chances of making a profit. At the present time there has never been more opportunities for the photographer. New technologies in the form of digital cameras are changing the face of the industry. However that has always been the case for photographers, and it is no reason to get discouraged.

It has never been easier for the amateurs to take their own photographs. However there are certain circumstances where it is harder than others. An example here is pet photography. There are plenty of people living alone, who have pets, and whilst they can photograph their pets it is far harder to get a photograph of them with their pets. Advertise locally to take pet photos, or take a walk in your nearest park and ask people. If you use a digital camera, you can advertise to people that not only can they have a copy of their pets, as a photograph, but they can have it on their desktop as wallpaper. Digital online printing services will also print the photo on postcards. Get some done and then post them to friends or relations overseas. mugs and serve them in your house to pet owners and see how long it is before someone else wants one.

There are other possibilities, with the tee shirts and mugs, some people will want their own photographs on a tee shirt with perhaps their own caption, advertise these services locally through the means of small ads.

Have some business cards printed, and go and cover local sporting events and contests, there is always someone without a camera, especially if they win, they will want a photograph. Or you may like to consider joining a local society, and advertising yourself as a photographer, there is nothing as effective as word of mouth advertising, all the money paid for advertisements cannot beat it!

Be aware of local activities that take place in your area that you can capitalise on. Graduations are an occasion when people wish to have a more formal record. The cost of graduating itself is so high that what is the cost of a formal portrait in comparison. Especially if you have a digital camera and have no film, you can almost use it in a speculative manner. In other words there are a lot of people together who constitute a market. If you photograph them all then the chances are that you will sell about 40% of your work. There is always someone who has a jammed camera, or in the wrong place, or even proud grandparents who do not possess a camera.

Not everyone lives down the Road from the Taj Mahal, or Gracelands, but many of you will live near a landmark that attracts photographers. Many people will have their cameras but they will not necessarily be digital. If you have a digital camera you should be able to show people a photograph they want in front of something. These photographs, though time consuming to start with, are a start on the photographic market ladder.

Join a photographic club, and talk to other photographers who are making money now. Not only will you make contacts, but you will have the opportunity to refine your techniques. Even in this digital age, it is vital that you keep abreast with technology, and you will be able to compare the value of equipment, that is being used now.

If you have a digital camera, take it in your local nightclub, there is always one in any time, which are new and trendy, take photographs of the range of cocktails on offer. Attractive looking drink will sell better with a photograph, see if you can sell the photographs, or better still negotiate a price for new printed menus. Speak with other local businessmen and see if they can improve their marketing techniques with the use of photographs. A second hand car dealer can increase his business potential with the use of photographs.

Remember when you are starting to make money from photography that you may feel as though you will attract more market share if you sell your work cheaply. Before you take this strategy though, think about some of the implications. It will have a short-term increase that is for sure, but in the long term how many businesses and families want to hire the cheapest photographer in town. People know that they rarely get good quality for super cheap prices and photos,...well, they're special items to most people. Don't be too expensive but don't be cheap either!

Your technical ability is sufficient to represent your clients marketing in a visual statement, that requires more than point and shoot. Do not sell these skills short. You have to be aware of the hidden costs of doing business; all to often it is easy to absorb a little loss of profit, because it is only small. These costs can add up to a sizeable amount. Ask other local photographers price their market, this may seem a strange technique, but they have a vested interest in not letting a new comer under price their market.

Take into account your realistic overheads, that is the depreciation of your equipment, your insurances, legal fees, accountancy fees, repairs, travel time and costs, subscriptions, and possible rent, both of equipment and studio space. Educate your client explain to them what the higher technology costs, but also what it can offer them. All businesses have to be made more profitable, and it is difficult but not impossible to find a balance between the price you need to charge, and the price the customer will pay, the more the client understands new technology, the less likely they are to balk at paying for it. After all it is cheaper to ride a bike to work than invest in a new car, but who realistically wants to do it.

It is a good idea to sit down and write a business plan to define where you want to go and define your target audience. This is a good marketing strategy; it stops you wasting time effort and money, targeting areas that will provide you with little or no return.

Publisher & author: Roy Barker. A 40 page guide to many more important & exciting categories of potential photography businesses are revealed at http://photography-business.blogspot.com Roy is the author of the popular ebook, Income from Photography - a downloadable ebook which guides the reader on how to easily start up and market your profitable photography business. It can be found at www.profitable-photography.com.

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