Guide To Digital Photography

Learn How To Get The Most Out Of Your Digital Camera

Archive for the ‘photos’ tag

Wedding Photography: Making Memories More Alive for the Married Couples

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Wedding Photography: Making Memories More Alive for the Married Couples“1,2,3… Say Cheese!” One of the most common things we hear as we pose to have our photos taken. Needless to say, that every person makes sure that they have cameras with them on the most important events of their lives. Even as simple as your babies taking their first steps, you want to have it documented and captured. It does not only serve as an evidence but it is needed as every picture can represent achievements, happiness and most of all it makes memories more alive.Traditions to weddings and ImportanceJust as it is important to simple events, it is even more important to big occasions like the celebration of marriage. Yes, almost in every wedding celebration you will definitely be seeing bright lights flashing in all places where the couple is. It is already a tradition to have pre-wedding, during and post-wedding pictorials. Pre-wedding photos are usually done days before in places that can great sceneries. It can also cover photos, hours before the wedding as the bride undergoes a makeover and the as the groom gets ready on his own. Photos taken during and post-wedding are done on the same day. It is done spontaneously including the guests while making the bride and the groom the star in every photo.Wedding photography is always in this celebration. Some may hire a professional to do it while others settle to have one of their family members to do it on their own. Remember, time has evolved and technology has brought many changes. Manual cameras are out and digital cameras are in. Most of the professional photographers have the best cameras to allow you to have the greatest photos in all lighting conditions and they have great eye to take the best angles and focus of their subject. Any person will definitely be happy if they see a photo of themselves capturing their best forms. You can have this with the aid of these professionals. However, if one of your family members has talents in using digital camera, why not right? It will be an added bonus on your part because you can surely save money from it.If you ask, why do you need them? The answer is very simple. Ten, twenty or even 50 years from now if you are still alive, you will remember your wedding day. When this happens, you would want to look back at your precious memories and looking at the photos will make it more alive. Moreover, as you impart stories to your kids, you will be able to show them how wonderful your wedding was. The photos themselves are symbolic as they represent how a wonderful marriage life started with a simple love for each other.Wedding photography is one service that makes a simple photo look wonderful. Any couple will highly appreciate how photos are tweaked to make it more appealing to the eye. With the right tools and equipment, you will surely enjoy your wedding photos and without a doubt, you will be happier to display them on your rooms and your homes.SummaryYou can memories more alive in your wedding with the photographs. You should consider this one service on your wedding. It is one thing that you should make sure that you have on the wedding day.

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December 13th, 2009 at 11:59 pm

Seven Steps To a Better Photograph Part One

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Taking better photographs is a combination of proper technique, talent, and experience. Once you have shot your best work, you should consider sending your pics to a company that specializes in digital photo printing services, digital photo restoration, and 35 mm negative slide scanning, in order to obtain digital quality prints, even if a digital camera is not your preferred medium. Photo printing, restoration, and scanning services also give you the option of purchasing a CD of your photographs, which can be an invaluable backup resource in the event that your original files, film, or prints are lost or damaged.
Go in for the close up. One thing that photo restoration and 35 mm slide scanning services notice is that most people stand too far away from their subject, and since most photos are taken with digital cameras nowadays, this problem is becoming more prevalent. Before digital cameras, professional camera men used the term shoe leather zooms, when describing their photography techniques, meaning that if they wanted to zoom in on the subject, they just walked closer. Even if you are utilizing an antique camera, or a drug store disposable, you can improve your photographs, just by getting a little closer to your subject before taking the picture.
Use all of the space. It is important to focus on your subject, and less important to focus on the really pretty flower or interesting tree next to it. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised if you knew that amount of crowded shots that the average digital photo printing service company sees in a week, let alone a day. In other words, going along with the first tip, do not be afraid to get closer and make the subject, not the background, the focus of the picture. Take a look through the photo archives, particularly those of family portraits, and you will see that more often than not, the subject, or subjects was always the focal point of the shot, regardless of what was in the background.
Remember the rule of thirds. You should think of the viewfinder of your camera as being divided into three columns and three rows, and position your subject in a way that will cover as many of these blocks as possible. Often, the only real distinction between a professional photograph and an amateur one, according to digital photo restoration and slide scanning pros, is the placement and size of the photographs subject. At the risk of sounding redundant: do not be afraid to move in for that close up.

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December 13th, 2009 at 12:06 am

Kimberly Slavicek – Photography is More Than Just Taking a Picture

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Photography is an art form that can be easily learned.  It is a skill that is capable of making something that appeals to your senses, but technical know-how will insure that the results you get are exactly what you want.  Most people who simply take pictures and don’t understand the process end up with photos that are not clear and precise, are too dark, too light, etc.Obviously if you are interested in learning photography as a hobby or profession, you want to take the best pictures possible.  Even if you are just doing it for fun while on vacation, you want your images to be true to life in color and crystal clear.  While much of this is learned just by trial and error, there are little things you can do that will help improve the results you get.For example, some people think a flash will take care of everything, but this is not true.  In order for the flash to produce the best light in the photo, you need to be within a certain range of the subject.  If you are too far away, flash is not going to help all that much.  Also, consider where the sun is if you are taking photos during the day.  If it is behind your subject, you will not be able to see the details of a face as clearly, and the sun may cause a glare into your lens.A steady hand is another plus when it comes to photography.  It seems like the harder we try to be completely still, the harder it becomes.  Try shooting your subject at an equal level, so that you are not trying to get an angle shot from above or below the subject.  Fancy angles will come with time, but keeping things fairly basic is best when you first begin.You also want to avoid a confusing and congested look when shooting photos.  If you are at a park and there are dozens of people and all kinds of activity going on in the background, move to another location.  You want as little distraction going on as possible behind your subject, so that they can be the focus of the picture.  Having a mountain or the ocean in the background is idea, because you will have a solid color for the most part and no moving activity going on.No matter the reason for doing it, photography is fun, especially when you see results that are pleasing.  Keep practicing and you will gradually get better.  Of course if you want to learn more now, there are plenty of books, courses and guides you can find online to speed things up!

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November 23rd, 2009 at 12:07 pm

Stock Photography Probably The Best Way To Make Money on the Internet

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Please recognize that there are no “get rich quick” internet businesses out there, but we have found that there are a variety of Stock Photography sites that offer a pretty good value for your photographic efforts. All it takes is a few hours of your time to learn the basics of the business, after that you should be earning a regular monthly income. If you are interested in learning how to do this I recommend you find a good training program that guides you through the initial steps needed to launch your own digital photography internet business.

Obviously everyone has different interests and talents however if you are interested in making some easy cash, a digital photography internet business is well worth considering. To get started all you need is a digital camera and a computer. The only other overhead you can expect is your internet connection fee (of which I assume you are already paying); this is one business where you don’t need to make any heavy investment to get this business up and running.

If you would like to increase your earning potential you can consider setting up your own website, but even here you don’t need to worry about the expense as there are a variety of sites that offer hosting for free and all you need to worry about is adding your digital photographs to the site.

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November 19th, 2009 at 11:57 am

How to Photograph Artwork With a Digital Camera for Use on the Web

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Getting a good digital image of artwork is very important if you want people to get the full impact of your artwork. You need to have good quality digital images of your artwork for Online Galleries, PR materials, exhibitions and galleries. Your digital images are your artwork online, so they need to look as close to the original artwork as possible. You want to make a good first impression, don’t you? If you have a great piece of artwork and it looks dull, dark and gray on the computer screen, it will automatically disengage the viewer and viewers will not want to look at it, it will not interest viewers. Equipment – 1. Camera – I use an Olympus 4.0 Megapixel digital camera which is a decent camera, but any good quality digital camera will work. Read your camera instruction guide to find all the options for taking good quality pictures. Always take high resolution .tiff pictures because you can always decrease the image quality and file size of a digital picture, but you can’t start from a low resolution image and make it high resolution.2. Lighting – You do not have to have an expensive photo lighting system or a really expensive camera, what I use is those clamp on metal reflectors that you can buy from the hardware store and I use 500 watt photo light bulbs from the camera store in the clamp on metal reflectors. I use four of these at one time. 3. Tripod – A tripod is also very helpful, but you can do without it if you have to. Use a sturdy tripod with tilt and rotation. If you don’t have a tripod, make sure your shutter speed is at least 1/60 and hold the camera steady and squeeze the trigger gently. 4. Photo Editing Software – The final component is the computer software to adjust the images on the computer, I use Adobe Photoshop software which is awesome. There are many other Photo Editing software programs available, and basically you just need to be able to crop the image and adjust the colors and the lightness and darkness of your digital images.Procedures -1. Shoot indoors with at least two 500-watt photo flood lamps (3200K) mounted in reflectors. If your artwork is 22″ x 30″ or larger you should probably use four lights. 2. Put the artwork on a piece of black matte board for a background. Fasten art to the black board with double-stick tape, tacks or use a black mat. Place on the wall or on an easel or on the floor. The art must be parallel to the camera lens, the center of the lens pointing at the center of the art. Use a bubble level to be sure camera and art are level. Tape a gray/color scale next to the art so that you will have a reference for adjusting the color of your digital image.3. Lamps should be 4-5 feet away from the art, position the lights at a 30 degree angle to the surface of the artwork and point each of the four lights to a separate corner of the artwork so that the light will evenly illuminate the entire surface of the artwork. Check to be sure there are no hot spots, shadows or shine reflecting off the art. The room should be completely dark when you shoot. Cover the windows and turn out the lights. For textured work like collage try raking the light, using just one light from the side and adjusting the exposure accordingly.4. Fill the viewfinder or LCD (digital) with the IMAGE ONLY, centered and absolutely square to the sides, top and bottom. Move the camera or zoom lens, not the art. Focus carefully in the center of the art.5. The best combination is a slow speed setting (1/8, 1/15, 1/30 sec.) with a high f/stop (f11 or f16) for color saturation and sharp image. If you don’t have a tripod, you will need to use at least 1/60 shutter speed. 6. Always take the highest resolution .tiff image possible (for print applications), you can always save that as a .jpg or .gif or .png for use on the web. For the web, a .gif file at 72 pixels per inch resolution is good for most web applications because it has a small file size and loads quickly. 7. Edit your digital image, in your photo editing software, so that it matches the look and feel of your artwork.8. Organize you digital artwork files on your computer in folders so that you can easily browse to them for upload to online galleries such as the new and rapidly growing Artist Networking and Online Gallery – My Art Friends – http://www.myartfriends.comMiscellaneous – Group your artwork by size and shoot the same sizes in sequence, so you don’t have to adjust the camera or easel so much. If your pieces are a standard size, place tape on the floor to mark the position of the camera, lights and easel or art stand and also the placement of the art. It will save you time when you shoot again.Article by George McKimhttp://www.myartfriends.com

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November 14th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

Make Use of Your Digital Camera (memories Last, Time Goes by so Fast)

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   It starts from the moment you step out to start your day,  take an extra moment and have a look around, not at the usual, cars in the drive way,  a distant glance at people coming and going, a quick look at the weather, then off to the hustle bustle of everyday living, but at the things you have been missing!.

 

 You may discover there is alot that you had in plain sight you had not noticed before,  Let your senses guide you to some amazing things, (I should add here, its all free).

 

Next time you open your door, pause, listen, look a little closer.  You worked so hard shovelling, weeding, planting, watering your garden, why not get some beautiful images of the fragile flowers that greet you, (if you don’t have a gently blowing garden, that’s another topic, you need to look into!) “the beautiful images are worth the effort”

 

On a cold winter night you can look back and anticipate spring with a new urgency to get more inspiring shots of nature, that offers up some pretty amazing sights

 

I would suggest  to add a few birdhouses throughout your yard, you will be rewarded, the birds you will aquire can entertain for hours, especially in the spring, the baby birds appreciate an easy food sourse and will keep returning throughout the season, you may even get a visit from a squirrel or two, you may get them eating right out of your hand!, they like a quick meal too!.

 

 In stead of your usual route to work or the mall, wherever you are going, take a different route!, a drive through a local park will present you with more than a few photo opps. Sights that can take your breath away when captured with your digital camera, an early sunrise can turn into yout favorite fine art gallery in your living room, or on the way home a beautiful sunset can complete the grouping! With the ease of editing and framing in our digital age this is not hard to do!

 

Oh, and that special occassion gathering, with a little planning can turn those treasured memories into photographs that would rival a proffessional photographer, but watch out you may make money along the way, when your long lost relatives are calling “you” to photograph their next special occasion, snap away and enjoy, “your new found love of photography”!

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November 10th, 2009 at 12:55 am

Digital Photography Made Easy

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Today, digital photography is considered the most popular not only in the business industry but also for personal use. For all those who have shifted from film cameras, it is vital that you know the different terms related to it.

The first part of the digital photography tutorial will focus on the basic parts and terms you need to know before handling a digital camera. Below are the common terms used in digital photography:

1. Pixel- means the tiniest part of the digital photo. A photo image is composed of combined millions of pixel. 2. Resolution- the over all quantity of pixels in a photo. Increasing the resolution would make the image become sharper. Thus more pixels are needed to achieve a better photo image quality. 3. Mega pixel- a photo composed of three to four mega pixels will have a better quality that a photo with only one mega pixel.4. Dots Per Inch (DPI) – this term is used to describe quality of the computer monitor and printer. Specifically, laser printers have more dpi resolution than monitors. Hence, higher the dpi resolution means better quality.5. JPEG (joint photographic experts group) – it correspond to the format for saving images in the digital camera.6. Memory Card- this is where the digital files are stored. Memory cards consist of different sizes and capacity. A memory card with higher storage capacity would be more convenient to purchase.7. LCD (liquid crystal display) – almost all digital cameras have this specification. The purpose of LCD is for the photographer to be able to view the scene first before capturing the photo.

Now that you already understand the first part of the digital photography tutorial, the second part will discuss basically on correct handling of digital camera.

Proper handling of digital camera is the next important step in digital photography. This is because the success of a digital photographer depends on his output. And the key to achieve quality photos starts in the way you use and handle the digital camera.

Learning how a digital camera works, understanding the strategies in taking photos, and how to take indoor and outdoor pictures are all part of the things a beginner should learn.

Below is the second part of the digital photography tutorial. These are good ideas to help beginner master the secrets of taking photos.

1. Pay attention to the subject

One of the most fundamental digital photography tips. You should be able to compose carefully by working on the frame. Play with your camera, and explore the different shots. Avoid positioning your object at the center of the photo, as it may result to dead center image.

2. Capture Close Up Photos

Take great images by capturing them in extreme close up. Close up photos add a little creativity and excitement to the photos. In addition, this feature is only of the different ways to enhance you photo.

3. Use a tripod

Oftentimes digital cameras results to blurry photographs if your hands quiver a little. Getting a tripod will surely save your effort from taking low quality photos, and preserve otherwise great photos.

4. Be active

Try creative shots. Take photos from the top of a hill, or off the side of a yacht. Go outside and explore your environment. You’ll surely have fun taking those once in a lifetime photo shots.

5. Join a photography class

Your learning doesn’t only focus on the practical part. You must not only learn through your experience. Learning from an expert would also help to improve your skills as a photographer. Try to join a photography class in your community, or if there are online classes you can log on.

Becoming a professional digital photographer really takes time. You just have to be resourceful and keep on trying new techniques. Start by learning the digital photography tutorial because this will serve as a stepping stone for your future career growth.

Art or Science: the True Nature of Digital Photography

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What is the true nature of digital photography? Many people have been asking this question for a long time. In fact, when people ask the question about the true nature of digital photography, they often mean to ask whether it is art or it is science.

Here are some arguments for both sides:

A) Art – many people consider digital photography as an art because it allows for an expression of emotion. They believe that digital photography is a continuation of the art of drawing or painting. You see, digital photography is just like painting in the sense that although it does take accurate pictures of reality, it also allows for some modification through the various digital tools available today.

Even without the editing many people still believe that digital photography is art because of the fact that it does take an artist’s eye to find a great subject of digital photography. The nature of digital photography as an art has something to do with the fact that an artist is able to express emotions and statements through visual subjects.

The supporters of the “artistic nature of digital photography” also argue their case by stating its ability to convey emotional messages through aesthetics. The beauty of each photograph, of course, needs also to be credited to the person taking the pictures. One of the strongest arguments for the artistic nature of digital photography is the fact that the picture is rarely really what is seen with the naked eye. Through the camera and computer, a person can alter the image in order to present what he or she wants to show.

B) Science – some people argue that science is the true nature of digital photography. One argument is that photography, unlike painting, actually comes from something existing and not from a painters mind or emotion. This can be very persuasive since, indeed, a photographer does not actually make photographs. He or she merely takes them.

Another argument regarding the scientific nature of digital photography is the fact that the editing that people do and adjustments that photographers make are based on a series of steps that can be narrowed down scientifically. People who argue for the scientific nature of digital photography may reason that the same series of steps can be taken in order to achieve the same results. There is a certain quality of constancy about digital photography that renders it a science.

But what is the true nature of digital photography? We have read the various arguments supporting science and art. There appears to be no solution to this question, right?

The true nature of digital photography will always remain to be a paradox. This means that though it can be considered as an art, it can also be considered as a science. When is the paradox of the nature of digital photography solved? Well, it is solved when a person takes a digital photograph.

The true nature of digital photography lies in the hands of the person who takes the pictures. The way a person treats the process defines the nature of digital photography for him or her. It is not absolutely art nor is it absolutely science. The true nature of digital photography is a paradox. It might seem to be contradictory, but it is somehow true.

The Greatness of Digital Photography

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Photography encompasses several issues that one should take into consideration to understand its substance. The term “photography” has several meanings depending on how it is perceived by the people. Generally speaking, it is the art of taking pictures by means of light. Light is the most important ingredient in photography. It is the one responsible for identifying color and brightness.

When digital technology came into being, different advancements were developed. These advancements were very helpful in bringing utmost convenience to people’s way of life. The majority of the innovations that were developed have brought tremendous improvements in photography. This greatest breakthrough is known as digital photography.

Digital photography is quite a complex topic to discuss since many things should be considered in order for one to get a vivid picture of it. But one of the basics that you should remember about digital photography is that it doesn’t use film and there’s no processing time involved with it.  This type of photography offers convenience to people when it comes to editing and enhancing images. Not only does it offer customer satisfaction but it offers easy on the pocket photo printing solutions to people. This is mainly because digital photos cost less compared to conventional photos.

There are many advantages why you should turn to digital when you want a picture-perfect shot. Digital photography offers you many options on how you want your pictures to appear. You have the choice to print only the good photos that you have and edit out those that you don’t like. You’re also able to steer clear of bad images such as blurry prints and those that easily fade. This way you can save a bundle on printing only those pictures that are pleasing to the eye. You can even upload the images and share it with your loved ones. There are so many options that are available.

The quality of digital photography is said to be much more remarkable compared to the traditional type. In fact there are more and more digital photography innovations that were developed today. These innovations are designed to make digital photo prints that can last long without the fear of fading or yellowing. Another thing is that there are lots of budget-friendly options that you can enjoy with digital photos.

The difference of digital to classic photography lies on the way the image is generated. In the traditional form, the image is produced using film while in digital wave, the image is digitally captured. In the traditional method, the image that is captured on the film is developed in a darkroom where chemicals are used to create negatives. The negative are then printed before you can view the final product of the shot. In digital approach, there’s no need for film, dark room and processing because the image is captured digitally, that is by means of electronic sensor.

Hence with digital cameras around, there is no need to use film in order to develop your best picture. A digital camera allows you to edit and delete photos. This is done cost effectively, which means no hassle in printing and less cost in the production.

If you’re looking for some good resources about digital photography, digital imaging services and reviews, there are lots of them online. By searching online, you can find a wide display of samples of digital images and see how digital photography can fix the quality of your photos.  There are vast arrays of information that you can get. The majority of them offer samples of digital images, digital camera buyer’s guide, latest digital camera reviews and a lot more.

 

Digital Photography: In Focus

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Imagine taking pictures and printing those moments later. Unleash the power of digital photography and this is what happens. All that are required for taking a digital photograph is a digital camera, a PC, a USB connection to the computer, a printer and a photo-editing program. The first step in taking a digital photograph is to familiarize yourself with the digital camera. Now, do not get frightened! Here is how you can deal with it.

All about a Digi Cam

Pixel
This is short for picture element, the smallest piece of a digital image. A pixel is also referred to as a single point in a graphic image. These elements are the building blocks of your picture, similar to floor tiles or the squares in a mosaic. Put millions of these tiny squares together and you have a digital picture. In fact, “megapixel” is a simple way of saying one million pixels.

Resolution
This refers to the number of pixels in an image. The more the pixels in a digital photograph, the more detail the digital photograph can contain and better the image quality. It also refers to the sharpness and clarity of a digital photograph. It is measured in Mega pixels. One Mega pixel is equal to one million pixels. A low resolution refers to less than 1 mega-pixel, high-resolution refers to greater than 1 mega-pixel and advanced high resolution is 4 mega-pixels or more. In Digital Photography the resolution of the camera is the most necessary feature to produce first class photographs.

Auto Focus
A good choice for general picture taking is auto mode. This setting, allows your digital camera to automatically set the exposure, the focus, and the flash. With auto mode, you may override the automatic options of the flash and choose to turn the flash off, use fill flash, or red eye reduction.

Digital Zoom
This crops your image and magnifies the result of the cropping. This magnification process is called interpolation. Sacrificing image quality to capture the moment is more important than not getting the picture at all.

Optical Zoom
This physically tends to magnify the subject. A motor controls the lens movement. When you press the switch to W or T, the subject is either magnified or reduced in size. They are wide-angle (reduce) and telephoto (magnify) respectively. This allows you to view the subject before taking the picture.

Memory
It denotes the number of images stored in the camera.

What is up next, regarding the components that are drawn in with Digital Photography?

Items associated with Digital Photography

Computer
Keen to know the task of a computer in Digital Photography! The Computer is the vital component in Digital Photography. It does the most important task of storing and displaying digital photographs from the digital camera. It allows those digital photographs to get printed onto an array of digital printers that are available.

The display monitors
The display monitors shows you the images in a broad range of colors. However the image can be seen in different looks when viewed on various display monitors. It is for this reason that it is advised to set the settings of the monitor to the default values as set by the manufacturer.

Printers used for Digital Photography

This prints the image on a photographic paper. Inkjet, Dye sublimation and Thermo Autochrome are few of the Printers used in Digital Photography.

Now you know it all. Digital photography is no longer a stranger!! So, start clicking away.

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October 6th, 2009 at 7:06 am