Outdoor Photography

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If you are interested in beginning an interesting and exciting hobby while taking advantage of the outdoor opportunities of your city, it is time to consider buying a camera and photograph nature, people, sights, sports , landmarks, the sky, the sun and the landscape. The possibilities are endless and your intuition can lead you anywhere you believe you are going to take your next amazing photograph.

Being an amateur photographer, less than a year ago I decided to invest in buying a digital camera and a couple of extra lenses. Since then, I have taken more than 2,000 pictures of places and people trying to focus on what I wanted to portray and tell a story through the selected imagery. Although my photographic illustrations have not always been really great, I am extremely happy I decided to take this hobby as I have been walking the city streets since then looking with a different eye the things I have been crossing indifferently in the past.

Outdoor photography has evolved since the creation of the first photographic camera to an activity anyone can do as it offers tremendous possibilities and gives people the initiative to explore the unknown or known world with the eyes of a conscious observer.

During the summer, I usually go out looking for interesting spots to shoot my photographs and every digital album I create has a summer theme. The same I plan to do during the fall and winter times and in a year from now, who known, perhaps I will be able to show my photographic collection to friends, family and strangers in my first personal expedition.

Consider taking photography as a hobby as you can enjoy the fulfillment you will feel every time you press your camera's button. Moreover, your kids, friends or partner can act as the models of your frames and you will always save in your memory the times you will spend watching your children laugh while playing. Through the look of your camera you will become more conscious of your surroundings and you will remember how it feels to look at a tree or the sky and be content that you are alive and able to admire nature's miracles or humans' amazing constructions.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Outdoors, Recreation, and Fitness

5 Simple But Crucial Digital Photography Tips.

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Digital Photography is a highly complex activity, with a steep learning curve and many advanced techniques that take years to master! However, we all have to start somewhere. So, here's a list of 5 Great Tips that will ultimately help you improve your digital photography, and set you off on the right foot.

1. Use a Tripod or Bean-Bag.

Yes, these can be such a pain to carry around, but they're definitely worth the time. Using a Tripod or alternative such as a bean-bag will add stability to your camera, meaning you have greater control over exposure times and composition. You'll also never see that annoying camera shake ruin a picture again whilst using a tripod!

2. Get a High Capacity Memory Card.

Have you ever had one of those photography days which is going perfect? The light was great, your subjects look fantastic, the weather is holding off, your capturing the shots you only dreamed of...Then it happens.. Your Memory Card is full and you don't have a spare! You could manually sort through and delete, but it'd take hours. It's a much better idea to spend a bit more and invest in a high capacity memory card. They're now available up to 8GB!!

3. Use a UV Filter.

Using a UV filter on your camera lens is a great idea. They're small circular pieces of glass that screw over the end of your lens, and offer great protection from scratches, dust, finger prints and also filter out UV rays, improving the color of your images. Best of all they're dirt cheap!!

4. Add Warmth To Your Tones.

The White-Balance settings on your digital SLR control the tonal effects of your images, so try experimenting with them. Don't think that just because a setting is called 'cloudy' that you can only use it when it is cloudy! In fact, using the 'cloudy' setting when taking pictures adds warmth. Perfect for a sunset or evening landscape shot.

5. Shoot, Shoot, Shoot!

This will obviously depend on your memory card size as discussed in point 2, but is still very important in trying to get those great shots. Simply put, do not rely on a single shot to capture a great image. Imagine taking time finding a fantastic composition, only to find later that the shot you took has a lens flare or dark shadow in it! Its very frustrating indeed! Take several shots for each composition, try slightly changing the angle each time. This way you can compare and choose the best one later. Remember you can always delete the images you don't want, that's the beauty of Digital Photography!

For free Digital photography Tips, Tricks and Tutorials visit www.Your-Digital-Photography.com

Automotive Photography and Graphic Arts

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The selections of text below are excerpts from the soon to be released Ebook titled Automotive Photography and Graphic Arts by Anthony Palmieri.

1. Introduction:

If you have just picked up a camera for the first time, or have been taking pictures for years, the information contained in this guide will ensure that you do not overlook anything as you frame and shoot that picture. Taking your photographs to the next level, by using a few computer tools, no special filters, and free clip art, we will walk you through the steps to create a picture like the one on the cover of this book as easy as 1-2-3.

When displaying your vehicle at a show, enthusiasts like yourself pay close attention to every detail down to the shine on the bolts to ensure that the automobile is perfect. The end quality of your pictures is dependent upon your attention to details. Whenever we take a photograph for a client and create their unique art we do exactly the same. Starting with the right photograph is key and we will provide some often overlooked aspects of automotive photography. Remember that you must start with the right photograph in order to obtain good and even great results

2. Digital Photography Basics For Automobiles:

There are two assumptions made here. The first is, that you are interested in color photography and the second is that you have read your camera owners manual and understand the features and capabilities at least at a basic level. With that said the intent of this guide is to help you get started with taking photographs and getting the best possible results. Before we continue, there is one thing often overlooked until it is too late that will ruin a great photograph. Shut off the date and time stamp feature. You can be sure that it will always take away from the picture or be in the wrong place where no amount of editing can account for it.

The focus here is to start with the best of everything possible and use your camera to the fullest. This does not mean that you need to spend $2000 on a camera and special lenses, but it does mean taking advantage of the best capabilities your camera provides. Even a $100 camera can create good small prints. After you understand your cameras feature menu and how to navigate it go back and re-read the picture quality section again. Once you understand that section set your camera to the BEST modes possible

2.3. Always Use The Flash- Well Usually

No matter if you are using a standard film camera, or a digital camera you want to be sure that your camera ALWAYS uses the flash. The only possible exception to this would be for indoor photography where there are halogen or other obtrusive lighting that you may have to experiment with. To force your camera to use the flash set your camera to "FORCE Flash" or "Fill Flash", not "AUTOMATIC Flash". This flash is often represented by a "lightening bolt" symbol. Automatic flash will determine if the flash goes off based upon the amount of light detected. When we tell you to use your flash in the sun, automatic flash will almost never turn on since it will think there is sufficient lighting. Using the flash helps to illuminate the shadowing areas, as well as minimizing any glare along with balancing the overall lighting. Force flash should be used for exterior shots, cockpit shots, and engine bay shots.

You compose and shoot that great engine bay shot and then realize when you are working with the photograph later that all you see if the top of the engine and nothing more. The flash will make the steering box, headers and other components stand out as well as enhance the top of the engine detail and make the colors stand out even more. The following examples show the difference with and without flash. In the first figure the image is rather washed out and with the blue not so blue and the red and other colors not all that brilliant.

2.7. Lens Filters and Shades

If you must take photographs in bright sun, such as an outside car show, use a lens shade and force to overcome the harsh sun. The other alternative to use especially if your flash is not powerful enough flash is to use a polarizing filter instead of the flash. The polarizing filter is one of the most useful filters for outdoor photography and is a requirement for any serious photographer, especially for those that use a digital camera. A polarizing filter will reduce the glare and make colors stand out more in harsh sun conditions. These filters can significantly reduce white-outs or wash-outs (surfaces with the primary color all washed out) due to bright reflections. Some photograph flaws can be edited out and touched up, however, these flaws are nearly impossible to eliminate after the fact and make look natural.

A second important tool to have in your camera bag is a lens shade. A lens shade is inexpensive and is attached on the end of your lens to keep excess light from directly entering lens. It basically provides a tunnel that shields the optics (lens), and due to its black color absorbs any bouncing light. This helps the camera to better detect the light levels of the subject.

3. The Photo Shoot - How Do We Work With What We Have

Now that you have a general understanding of how to use your camera, lets focus on where, when, and how to get the optimum environment. There are some things in our control, and others that are not, and at any one time they can change. It is important that we discuss each elements so you can decide what to do given your situation. These elements are lighting, the location, and the position of the automobile. If you are restricted to a specific time of day, then you many not have any control over the lighting, or do you. If you are photographing the vehicle at a show, you are probably limited to its position and location. Ideally you want the best lighting, optimum flexibility with positioning the vehicle. Lastly if you are going to remove the background from the final print, the cleanest background for editing is desirable. This section will help you take advantage of any flexibility and optimize your shoot given the environment.

3.1. Pick The Right Lighting

Given that we are focusing on color photography, proper lighting is essential. In fact proper lighting actually means LOTS OF LIGHT, and the correct type of light. Without proper lighting it is nearly impossible to have an award winning photograph, even one that has touched up with the best photo editing tools. When it comes to lighting you want to have an even distribution of light over the entire surface of the automobile. This light illuminates all areas, is not harsh or glaring and does not cause shadowing. Sun light that is at a low-angle such as at sun rise or sun set is often the best. This low-angle light covers the side surfaces with light. Sun light that is high in the sky such as that mid-day harsh sun must be avoided or you will have glaring reflections. This harsh light results in the top surfaces being washed out, and the lower areas being dark with excessive shadowing. The ultimate goal is low angle, soft, evenly distributed light that illuminates the entire vehicle. Also remember to keep the sun behind you and watch out for your own shadow!

3.2. Picking The Location

The lighter color the ground surface the better the lower area lighting will be and less lower body panel shadowing due to the upward reflected light. Parking the vehicle on a light colored concrete surface versus a dark asphalt surface has this is a major benefit as well as making the tire profiles stand out due to the black rubber from the lighter surface. This reflection will better illuminate the lower areas including the undercarriage and minimize shadows.

The intent for many of the photographs put into fantasy scenes is to remove the background and have the vehicle stand alone. It is important that nothing sticks up in front of any part of the vehicle and causes an obstruction. Unless your final print will be of your automobile in a grassy field, do not take your pictures on a lawn or grassy field. The blades of grass will hide the bottom of the tires as well as produce reflections and irregular shadowing on the lower panels and any reflective surfaces such as bumpers. This is also true if taking pictures on a gravel area. The tires could slightly depress the surface hiding the lower portion.

3.3. Positioning The Vehicle

Park the vehicle away from anything that will cause a reflection on it. For example, the white parking lot stripes will be reflected on the side panels and in the glass. Any building signs or even trees will be reflected and even if they are not clear, they will end up looking like distorted body work in the final print. Remember your automobile can be like a mirror and many things around will show up as a reflection and later take away from the final picture.

Position the vehicle for the best lighting. Remember that you want to always take the picture from the sun side and not the shadow side (sun always behind you). This may require that you reposition the vehicle during a photo shoot for optimum lighting from all sides. Make sure that the areas that you are photographing (i.e. front/side, etc.) are positioned for best lighting.

3.5. What Angles Should You Take

Take a series of photographs with all doors, hood, trunk are completely closed. This series should include the following shots (refer to the example pictures). In this section we will include the final photographs that were created in order to help you jump ahead and start to visualize what can be done as you look at the different angles. These are only a few compositions, and many more combinations could be created using different backgrounds and the inclusion / exclusion of various elements. Just use your imagination, and eventually you will be able to look at a vehicle and have a good idea of what the final print will look like.

4. Basic Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator Introduction

For most photography work and picture manipulation you will be using Adobe Photoshop or other similar photo editing tool. If you will be creating large prints greater than 11x17 with text, you should use an illustration tool that provides good text and layout capabilities such as Adobe Illustrator. With these two types of tools you can create fantastic and artistic pictures, and then include them in professional looking layouts. The intent of this section is to provide some starting guidelines to create some of the basic pictures that are displayed on www.PalmieriConcepts.com. Keep in mind that the guidelines and steps provided here have been generalized, however, they will point you in the right direction to create a great picture. The references in this section are referring to Photoshop, so if you are using a different photo editing tool, you will need to find the equivalent features.

The full book contains the complete section on editing the photographs and creating an image like the one on the cover of the book.

So to get started, take what you have learned here, get out that camera and have fun.

For additional information on how to take great pictures and turn them into great art, take a look at the additional sections and the entire E-Book at Palmieri Concepts at www.PalmieriConcepts.com. There are many examples in this Ebook and it is full of pictures to walk you through every step.

Anthony Palmieri founded Palmieri Concepts after 20 years of creating custom artwork for his own pleasure and enjoyment. This business grew out of a love for motor vehicles and was started to share with others what began as a hobby. After taking his own pride and joys (yes this really started with family pictures and not cars) and combining them with creativity, it became obvious that many others would like to showcase their loves as he h

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - GRADUATED FILTER EFFECT - LANDSCAPE PHOTOS

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ENHANCE YOUR LANDSCAPE PHOTOS

If you see a landscape photograph taken by a professional photographer, you will usually notice that the sky is quite dramatic. This is an effect that's easy to reproduce in a digital image.

Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0. Time: 10 minutes. Suitable for: any landscape photo with a band of uninterrupted sky.

Open the image. Click Enhance>Auto Levels. This removes the dullness from the photo. Now click Enhance>Adjust Colour>Hue & Saturation and move the Saturation slider up to +15, to brighten the colour slightly, if required (this will depend upon your original photo).

CREATE AN ADJUSTMENT LAYER

First make sure that the Layers palette is visible on screen. If it isn't, click Window>Layers. Now click on the circular Create an Adjustment Layer button in the Layers palette. Click Levels. The Levels dialogue box will open, showing Input and Output levels. It's the Input Levels that you'll be adjusting in this case. If you look at the sliders under the Input Levels histogram, you'll see there are three sliders, the one on the left adjusts the dark areas of the image, the one in the middle the midtones, and the one on the right the bright areas. Move the middle slider to the right until the sky is considerably darker (ignore what the change does to the rest of the photo). Click OK.

Adjust the image so that only the sky is darker Click on the Gradient Tool in the toolbox on the left of the screen. In the Tool Settings bar near the top of the screen, an example of the gradient will appear. It should be graduated from white to black. If it isn't, click on the tiny drop-down arrow next to the example and choose the gradient in the top left-hand corner. If you look at the Levels adjustment layer that you created in the layers palette, you will see a Layer Mask (the all-white rectangle). Click on the Layer Mask, then put your mouse back over the picture. Click at the very top of the picture, hold down the mouse button and drag vertically from the top to the bottom of the sky. The Layer Mask should now be black with a small white area at the top. This will reveal the darkened sky, but the rest of the photo will now be unaffected by the change in Levels. If you're not entirely happy with the result, you can double click on the Layer Thumbnail in the adjustment layer and readjust the sliders until you achieve the desired effect.

Jan uses Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter for image editing and digital, see Jan's portraits website for more details.. She has been running popular digital photography training courses for four years. See Jan's digital photography website.

Cloudy Day Photography: Taking Advantage of Nature's Diffused Lighting

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Cloudy days are nature's softbox.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anita Cross is a self-employed Internet Marketing consultant, professional photographer and amateur writer. Her photography may be purchased at http://www.callofthewildphoto.com, where you can also find more Digital Photography Tips (http://www.callofthewildphoto.com/articles/) from Anita and other professional photographers.

Abstract Photography - Has Photography Come Of Age

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Macro Photography Inspirations, Tips and Tricks

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You wont have to look hr to find close-up ideas even everyday household objets can make fantastic subjects Once Youve trained your eye to look for macro photo opportunities, youll find them almost anywhere, even in objects such as stamps, coins, paper clips, drawing pins and so on. The fact that youre capturing them from an unusual viewpoint makes shot of found objects interesting in themselves.

Macro tips

If your camera focuses poorly at close range, use the telephoto setting to increase magnification. However, remember that this will further reduce depth of field.

Attach a close up lens that screws onto the cameras filter thread (assuming your camera has one). Available in +1, +2, +3, +4 and +10 magnification, many camera can be adapted with push on systems that enable a close up lens to be fitted

Use a small or white silver reflector to fill in shadow caused by overhead lighting or the camera itself

Boost the ISO setting to enable you to use faster shutter speeds or smaller apertures. Shots will be noisier, but images will be sharper with a larger depth of field

Use a tripod and cable release whenever possible to maximize depth of field and eliminate camera shake and ensure accurate focusing.

When using compact-style camera with an optical viewfinder, beware of problems with parallax an effect caused when the viewfinder is offset from the lens. Although you may have composed your shot perfectly in the viewfinder, the fact that the lens is in a slightly different position means that the composition of the finished image will be altered. The closer you get to the subject, the more inaccurate the view through viewfinder will be.

Paul Smith has been a proffesional photograper for the last 10 years. His works are mainly published as Postcards and Calendars in Australia.
More News, Reviews, Photography Techniques, Tips and Photoshop tutorials are available in his website: Digital Photography Journal

Photography Business: Taking Baby Photos - for Professionals & Families

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Babies make the best and the worst subjects to photograph. They are the best for two reasons, people are more tolerant at looking at baby photos, as well as the fact that babies are not aware their image is being captured, and therefore they do not tend to put on the camera face so typically used by elder children and adults. They are the worst subjects because their behaviour is unpredictable. Because their behaviour is uncensored, they show their emotions, and can just as easily cry as gurgle happily into the camera.

One of the most challenging aspects of photographing a baby is to control the subject. On the one hand you want them relatively still, but too much control and the photo loses its impetuousness. Lighting and background are both important, you want the background as uncluttered and simple as possible if the photograph is indoors, or as natural as possible outside, a piece of grass is ideal. The lighting should be coming from at least two directional sources, but if it is too strong it will throw shadows that complicate the picture, and often lose the wonderful facial expressions it is possible to capture. However dont miss those impromptu shots either especially with a digital camera, you can always edit the background later.

It is usually helpful to restrict babies activities; they are not portrayed at their best nappy high in the air crawling across the floor. A good way to restrict them is a highchair, or holding them in the arms of another person. Baby photography is often better taken very close up, and it is a wise move to look at the manual for your camera, and see how close you can get. It is better to get everything set up first, and then place the baby in position when the lighting and setting have been chosen. However that of course is not always possible.

Distractions in the form of noise, and toys can be a tool, but never forget that a babys emotions are always lightning fast, and it all makes for great photographs, whether it is tears of frustration, pouring a drink over your best camera, or laughing.

They are often easier to photograph when there is a minimum of people around because they are so easily distracted. The old school of thought was keep the mother well out of the way, however I personally can't see any mileage in that, as babies are calmer with someone they know, and in most cases that is the mother. Above all remember that photographing babies is fun, the unexpected if caught at just the right moment, makes great memories. Although I doubt if a father who has just picked up their offspring for a photograph will forget the time that their child was sick all over them. Control can only go so far with babies.

Babies are babies for short a period of time, you can never have too many photographs, and here a digital camera can save enormous amounts on both film and development. It also allows for wastage as you can view the results immediately and can the ones you dont want. You will have huge embarrassment value in later life showing your daughters first boyfriend her as a baby with no nappy! Another enormous advantage to digital photography is that you dont have to shoot the photograph with a little black box in front of your face. This will catch a babys emotions perfectly, but is not the best way to capture their best expressions. A small child will respond better when they respond to your expressions. By being able to hold the camera away from your face you have a chance to capture the best of their expressions as well; an LCD screen generally reaps huge benefits.

Another misunderstood statement is that the best photographs are taken by professionals, whilst there is no denying that professional take great formal photographs, and every baby should have at least one set to keep as an adult. It is hard to beat the formal professional photo. Some professionals offer annual sittings for family shots and supply regular updated montages specific to that family. A service that is hard to beat. However this formal stylised pose isn't always the answer, somehow, because children are not camera aware, they are not camera shy. Young babies are sometimes better photographed in an environment that they are entirely comfortable with and that place is often their own home or the garden. The great thing about photographing your own child is that it does not need any special equipment, special effects, or even any really special effort, and it certainly does not involve trailing somewhere in the middle of the night to capture a beautiful dawn. A point and shoot will work wonders.

Probably the most important technical point to remember when photographing a baby is that because of their size, you have to get down to their height to get that wonderful close- up. The easiest way and least dangerous way is to physically get down on the floor with them, not necessarily the most dignified way, but certainly the most rewarding. There are no imperfections in a babies face, you can get as close as you can without showing crows feet! You cannot engineer this type of photography it has to happen, but you can be creative in your approach and let the baby respond to you, because it has no knowledge of how to respond to the camera.

With a very young baby still in its crib, there is very little option, but to shoot from the above, unless you want the baby to look as though it is captured in a wooden box, but it is an approach to be avoided if at all possible.

You have more opportunities to photograph babies in more settings than at almost any other age. After all you dont photograph your mother on the toilet. Few props are useful with babies, but baths and pottys are great because they are both tools that they are familiar with and with a little patience they can be put to great effect regarding play. Surely you can put up with getting a little damp at bath- time, but of course try and remember to make sure the potty is empty! Above all remember that it fun and relaxed, you will never have the opportunity to have so many natural photos again. Enter into the spirit of it and you will be amply rewarded. Another great prop to use if you have one is the family pet, providing it is not intimidating to the baby.

There is no fun at all in photographing someone screaming the house down in fear. Whilst every parent should have at least one set of professional photos taken, dont rely on someone else to capture those truly enchanting moments, especially at momentous milestones. If it is your childs first birthday they will reward you with better photographs if you take them yourself. Get someone else (professional) to do it on a less important day.

The professional would do well to keep a file for the parents and offer services such as a montage on the childs or childrens yearly progress (updated every year). There is great value in personalisation and there is an abundance of software available to help you organise this service.

Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Roy is the author of the popular ebook, Income from Photography - a downloadable ebook which guides the reader on how to start up and market a Profitable Photography business. It can be viewed at http://www.profitable-photography.comOther related and reviewed services & research sources can be found at http://www.profitable-photography.com/html/117/