Digital Photography for the Dummy

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Even with the advent of digital technology and the sudden appearance of every kind, every shape and size of digital cameras in hobby shops, department stores and other shops in the metro, not everyone is a pro when it comes to operating this little gadget. In fact, even the most tech-tough can stumble every now and then.

One thing you should do when you own a digital camera is to of course read the manual from cover to cover. This will help you get familiar with all the functions of the camera as well as see the various effects that it can do. Most manuals will also have illustrations that will help you understand each function.

To further help you in your digital quest for information on good photography, here are some tips that will make geniuses out of digital photography dummies.

Tone up.

One of the few essential things that you must remember is to adjust the white balance of the digital camera. Adjusting the white balance will warm up the tones and increase the hues of reds and yellows. When you purchase one, most functions will be on the auto or automatic function. Change that to suit the environment that you are shooting.

For instance, if you are doing some outdoor shooting, change the setting from auto to cloudy. This means that the camera will compensate for the cloudy and hazy environment and produce photos that are richer in color.

Mad about macro

This is another really great feature that digital cameras now offer, the macro mode. This is a function in the camera wherein you can actually focus on object and get to picture the finer details. This is especially used when you are taking close-up shots. Macro mode is denoted by the flower symbol, which can often be seen on the main buttons of the camera.

One thing to remember in using this mode is that the focused object will be sharp while leaving the rest in soft detail. If you want all the elements in the photograph illuminated, this is not the function for you.

Flash it!

One of the great things about digital cameras is the fact that you can adjust the light to suit your subject. Although most manual cameras have flash modes, they do not have the slight flash, which comes in handy when you are shooting for a not-so-well-lit area but still pretty bearable. The slight flash will help put colors on the picture because too much flash can result to colors that are bland and pale.

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.

How to Start a Home Based Photography Business

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While it is very common to see home-based businesses promoted throughout the internet, most of us are aware of the fact that many if not most of those opportunities are either bogus or far too difficult to capitalize on. Count me in as a skeptic when I found a website touting my ability to start my own home-based photography business. I love my digital camera, but I did not want to take photographs at weddings or parties, as I had already seen numerous opportunities like those cross my desk. Luckily for me, I read long enough to see just how different and incredible this offer was, and I hope you finish reading this article because I can guarantee you will be as amazed as I still am.

If you have reliable transportation, a phone or cell phone, internet access on your computer, and a digital camera, you can become part of a growing industry that few of us even knew existed. You will not need any special training or education, just basic photography and computer skills.

Insurance and banking institutions all across the nation have interests in cars, homes, commercial property, trucks, boats, stores, or any other entity that requires insurance or financing. They always need updated information on the condition of this property. You may think to yourself that it would not be difficult for them to just send out a photographer to snap a few photos, but it is not very cost effective for them to have field reps in every single town in the country that they own property in. For that reason, these institutions contract this work out to freelance photographers all over the United States.

Your services will be in high demand because of the incredible growth of online financing, insuring, and mortgaging practices! In this day and age, people are no longer restricted to going to their local bank when they are ready to buy a home and acquire a mortgage. It is easier today to go online and apply for that mortgage to any number of major banks. When that application is completed, that bank or mortgage company may require a few photographs and measurements of the property before giving out the loan. Are they going to fly someone from New York to Georgia to take those pictures? Of course not!

This is unlike any photography business most have ever seen. No matter where you live, there are national companies that have financed and insured property of all types around your neighborhoods. The demand for this type of work is enormous, and people like you are getting paid $25, $50, $100 and more every time they take a few pictures with their digital camera and fill out a few reports. Some representatives are doing this upwards of 20 times per day. You can add that up yourself and figure out just how much money you are missing out on!

All that I can guarantee you is that if you do not at least give this opportunity a try, you will not make a dime. Visit my web site below and receive contact information for over 100 national firms that are looking for field reps throughout the country. Once you are on their list, they will start sending you assignments immediately.

Ken M. is an entrepreneur who has attemped many home-based businesses. His latest venture as a freelance photographer has proved to be both lucrative and entertaining. To see more about this venture, please visit his site How to Start a Home Based Photography Business.

The Role Of The Wedding Photography Helper In Professional Wedding Photography

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Wedding photographers often employ wedding photography helpers to help them at weddings but what are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Some of the disadvantages may be: (1) the photographer will have to pay her, and this will reduce his or her own income from the wedding (2) he will have to get along with her, there could be personality clashes (3) she may not have enough work to do. This is because wedding photography helpers mostly help the photographer take formal photographs, but many modern wedding photographers only take a few formal photographs, the others are often photojournalism wedding photography photographs, or `candid' photographs.

To counteract these disadvantages (1) the wedding photographer helper can help the photographer make money. By arranging people quickly and efficiently she speeds up the process of taking the formal photographs. This gives the photographer more time to take more photographs, and more photographs often produce more income (2) Personality clashes can be avoided if the photographer selects the `right' helper, someone that he can relate to and who understands what is required. One way to ensure this is to meet the helper first, get to know her, try to find out if she is the kind of person that can handle the stress of wedding photography.

(3) She may also be useful after the formal photographs have been taken, she can also help the photographer take the photojournalism wedding photography pictures. If it's a large wedding, with plenty of opportunities for these kind of photos, she might act as his `scout.' While he is taking one photojournalism wedding photography picture, she can be looking out for the next one. To summarise, a good wedding photography helper is a great asset to the wedding photographer.

Paul Gooch is a professional wedding photographer from Skegness UK who has published many articles, some controversial, about wedding photography, Press, public relations and portrait photography on his web site http://www.paulgoochimages.com.

Stock Photography, Royalty Free or Exclusive

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Acquiring stock photography images can be costly; however, the cost is often worth it. Nevertheless, when do you pay for exclusive rights to an image, and when is it just not worth it? Images can be purchased with different license types, either royalty free, rights managed or protected or exclusive rights.

All stock photography services offer different types of licenses and these licenses are all different from each other-you can even negotiate some licenses. Before purchasing a royalty free image, read through the licensing policy to make sure that their license applies to how you intend to use the image. For 'exclusive rights' or 'rights managed' images, you may have to relate to them the exact intended use before they quote a price.

Royalty Free (RF)
Royalty free images are usually the least expensive choice ranging from as low as $1 to $450/ea. Many stock providers offer a subscription program for RF images that support multiple downloads for $20 to $600 per month. Although RF images are inexpensive to purchase, they do not offer any protected licensing, which means that an unlimited number of that image may be sold to others and used for a variety of applications. Keep in mind it is the buyer's responsibility to check for model releases before using an image. Usually RF images only have to be purchased once to be used multiple times in multiple projects.

Even though RF images do not carry exclusive rights, they are still a wise and budget-friendly choice for many applications. If you need an isolated object image, RF is an excellent choice. Some agencies even offer pre-masked images you can buy for a dollar or two. Object images are usually not the focus of an ad campaign, a picture of a lollipop or a stapler are literally a dime a dozen and there is no need to spend a lot of money on such an image if it is not the center of your project.

Secondary webpages or short-term ads can use RF images. For example, during the holiday season, an image of a wreath or a group of friends celebrating can be purchased for nearly nothing, they add a little spice and timeliness to your projects, yet are still usually not the main focus.

Background images, landscapes or other flora or fauna photos are not usually specific enough to warrant an exclusive license, unless you are using it for an application that requires a license such a greeting card, calendar and so on. For example, a picture of sunset may be used to evoke a mood, yet that mood is related to previous experiences, not that specific image.

Rights Managed or Protected

Rights managed or protected licenses will usually allow you to use a photo for a specific use for a specific amount of time; the stock agency will ask you where you intend to use the image and the duration. However, generally they are not exclusive rights. Some services offer different agreements depending on whether the image is for commercial or editorial use. These types of licenses may start at under $200 for a small image, but for something like a calendar or home page, use may reach $1000.

This is a good choice for home page, magazine or medium to high exposure use. Typically, rights protected images can only be used for one specific application so there are fewer chances that another company will spread the image all over its pages at the same time that you do.

Sometimes these types of licensing will support template use, greeting cards, calendars or posters and so on, but be sure to read or negotiate the terms before you use the image.

Exclusive Rights

'Exclusive rights' restricts others from purchasing the same image. This is necessary if you need an image that is going to represent your brand, logo or for high exposure use, like the front page of your magazine. Images purchased for a large campaign should be exclusive; you do not want to chance that the ad agency across town chooses the same image for its next billboard.

If you hire an assignment photographer or commission work, you will also want to negotiate exclusive rights. Exclusive rights should be secured for book covers, CD jackets and so on.

Exclusive Rights can get costly, but for the rights and protection, they are well worth it.

Overall, make sure that you read over all the terms that a stock agency sets to protect yourself and your image. Diversity is key, you may use a subscription program for isolated images and low exposure RF stills, another for right protected images and another for commissioned work or editorials. Working with several agencies may, in the end, save your time and budget.

Pamela Stevens

Pamela Stevens writes for TopTenREVIEWS.com, a review site that publishes unbaised reviews on a wide range of subjects, including software, online services, hardware, movies and actors.

 

 

How to Get Started in Digital Photography

         >>  Digital Photography Secrets Revealed <<

 

Whether you are a seasoned photographer or a novice, or just someone who want to do photography as a hobby, the first thing you need to be clear on is, what exactly is digital photography?

Digital photography is the use of a digital camera to capture / take an image that can be viewed on a computer screen. The main benefits of digital photography are:

You can see the result of your work right away

You can delete unwanted photographs instantly

You can easily and cheaply edit your photographs by improving the tone, retouching some areas, adding background etc.

Digital photographs can be send instantly via email

Except for batteries you do not need to constantly buy items to use in digital photography such as films.

Next you will need to decide on the type of digital camera to buy. This will of course depend on the following factors:

How much money you can spend

What is your goal, that is, why do you need to take digital pictures: business, hobby, personal What functionality do you want with your camera

There are two basic types of digital camera, the DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) and automatic. If you are really serious about digital photography you will want to get yourself a DSLR since this type of camera gives you more control.

In making a decision on type of digital camera also explore the types of storage media available and see which one may be best for you. The two most popular storage media for digital camera are flashcards (digital film) and microdrives. The storage media in a digital camera is really important; it is what holds the pictures. It is important to read reviews and talk to other users of digital cameras to determine the type of memory, and the capacity of the memory (how much images can it hold) you will need. I recommend flash cards since they have no moving parts and are more reliable.

After you have decided on the type of digital camera to purchase, you must now look at the other types of equipment you need to make a success of digital photography. A good personal computer and printer is needed, especially if you do not wish to pay to have your pictures printed elsewhere.

Your computer is important because this is where you will download, store, edit, review and any number of other things to your photographs. If you are using an older computer, make sure your operating system is compatible with the camera and software you will be using.

If you plan to do this professionally, you will also need to invest in software to help you get the most out of your digital photographs. Software used by professional digital photographers include Adobe Photoshop and ImageReady.

How to take great digital photographs

There are seven main steps to ensuing that you take professional looking digital photographs. These are:

Subject: Pose your subject with care. Even with the best software some faults cannot be totally corrected.

Lighting: Right light is important in digital photography as the appearance of your subject will be affected if lighting is wrong. Too harsh a light will show up wrinkles

ISO calibration: To ensure that your pictures don?t come out looking like they were done by a total novice, check to ensure that your camera is properly calibrated. Getting the right camera setting can be the difference between brilliant pictures and blah.

Composition: Good photography is an art form, so your background is as important as your subject. Too much clutter in your picture will make the result look unprofessional.

White balance: If you want to ensure that your photograph has natural looking colors, then make sure to manually set the white balance.

Don?t be afraid to experiment: Do creative crazy things with your camera, the results may just surprise you. Remember, with a digital camera you can always delete the images if you do not want to keep them.

Zoom and flash: Practice using these features until you find what works best in different situations.

One point to remember about digital photography is that it cannot turn a lousy photography into a professional overnight, but with practice and learning you can become good at photography using a digital camera. And, with enough talent, business savvy, luck, downright determination and love of the craft you might even be able to turn it into a business venture.

Robert Provencher has been a professional portrait and wedding photographer for over 25 years. He has trained hundreds of professional photographers throughout North America in live workshops and through his online forum. Robert has authored several manuals on digital photography and photogaphy marketing. http://www.nobsphotosuccess.com

Architecture Photography.

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As a photographer, architecture offers many different challenges, especially for the new photographer. Technically, buildings can be very demanding to photograph, but the key in solving this and attaining good images is understanding image distortion and finding the best time to capture the building at its most glamorous moment.

Image distortion: When we look at a standard building, we see lines running horizontal and vertical. These lines often appear distorted and will make your image look warped. Image distortion occurs when we choose the wrong point to take our picture or use the wrong equipment.

With most SLR cameras a certain amount of image distortion will occur. Shooting directly in front of the building will limit your options but will limit the amount of distortion in your image.

View cameras are ideal cameras for architectural photography. They minimise distortion and allow you to shoot from any angle. If you are serious about architectural photography, an investment in a View Camera is something to consider.

Your lens may also make your image look distorted. A wide-angle lens will make the front of the building look massive compared to the rear.

If you are photographing a tall building, don?t shoot too near to the base. This will make the base of the building look too large compared to the top. Find a high advantage point, if possible, to take your picture.

Different light brings out different moods in a building. Just as with all other types of photography, studio photography being the exception, the time of day can make a big difference to an image. A building that looks plain and uninteresting during the day can be transformed by lighting at night. Also look out for photos that tell a story such as an office block with a single light on.

Side lighting will create long shadows along the front of the building adding mood to your image.
Back lit buildings are extremely difficult to photograph and are only effective as a photograph when captured as a silhouette.

Most buildings are best captured at night and if possible shoot when there is detail left in the sky. You don?t need the most costly camera gear on the market to get great building pictures at night - bring plenty of film and a good sturdy tripod.

Architectural photography doesn?t finish when the outside of the building is finished. Images of the interior of buildings are also in demand with many agencies. Great care should be taken when photographing the interior as elements within the interior may be distracting to the final image result. Remove any object that may interfere with your image.

Industrial photography is also as demanding and rewarding as any other type of photography. Take extra care when approaching large structures, use standard photography techniques and use the light creatively to add humour and mood.

Architecture photography is very demanding, but the rewards are great for any person that masters the technique. But like all types of photography - practice makes perfect.
TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer. For more tips you can visit his photography site. To view his images visit his on-line gallery of pictures of Ireland or see his travel site.#BREAK#

Saving Money on Wedding Photography

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Weddings are momentous occasions to all people involved; especially the families of the bride and groom. One very important aspect of a wedding is to commemorate the event with beautiful pictures so that the day never really disappears.

Hiring professional photographers is usually the preferred way for couples to capture the moments of their wedding forever.

Professional photographers can charge an obscene amount of money for their services at times, but there are a few ways that you can save money on photography at your wedding.

Here are some of things that you can do to save some of your money for the honeymoon instead. Lets take a look at what you can do.

1. Place disposable cameras on tables at your reception and let your guests capture special moments for you.

2. Ask a friend or family member to take special photos of the ceremony for you or videotape it

3. Check at colleges and universities who are studying photography and hire a student to do it. You can get professional looking photos for a fraction of the price.

4. Have your photographs taken before the wedding by having your wedding party to gather together at a professional photographers shop

5. Have your photos taken before the ceremony and keep the negatives yourself so that you can develop them later and make prints

During one of the most important days in your life, pictures and videos can make the day last forever. The above mentioned tips can also make sure that you will not go broke in the process.

When it comes to the disposable cameras, you can often find cameras that are decorated with wedding themes. If you cant, you can have the bridal party decorate them instead.

Using digital cameras can limit the amount of pictures that you have to take while making them easy to reproduce. Digital camera technology can make even an amateur take professional looking pictures. You can even use the prints to create thank you cards later that are personalized that show the guests and/or the bridal party.

For more tips and ideas on planning your wedding, check out The Ultimate Online Guide to Wedding Planning