Senior Portraits San Antonio Photography

Graduation Portraits are a Wonderful Expression

2010-01-21T23:42:00.001-06:00

Graduation portraits can be the manner intended for anyone to party ones heard working accomplishment along with your loved ones plus tight mates. Definitely not just may these people become a new story to your legacy, however they have to help you try to remember exactly who you once used to be. Of course, in that respect will be a quite a bit going about throughout your final semester. Which is the key reason why you’ll find it significant to decide on professional graduation portraits very well in advance of ones last graduation ritual. Performing that should at the same time show you a excellent concept regarding just how much you are able to count on to devote and therefore whatever you will receive in gain. The introduction of professional digital photography, individualized graduation portraits will allow you to highlight your senior portraits having a personalized feel. Searching for a professional graduation photographer may be a superb substitute to having the ordinary photographs made at any school. The actual challenge with conventional school portrait photography sessions is usually their particular inclination to manufacture im-personal structures using cookie-cutter lighting effects.

That method is usually well-known for restricting ones range of facial expressions simply because of the enormous and impatient high schools lined up stalking close at the rear of you. When anyone seeks a professional graduation photographer on your personal time, you acquire the capacity to decide on unique graduation portraits rather of acquiring unpersonalized graduation portraits selected for you. Instead of experiencing limited to cap and gown graduation portraits, with a exclusive graduation portrait session you are likewise free to dress yourself in clothing of your preference to demonstrate your character – some thing quickly to take you away in to the real world. senior portraits are certainly notlike the particular typical graduation portraits you had inside grade classes simply because that they symbolize a move in to adult life. Showing ones motivators, like baseball or even electric guitar, may be one more wonderful technique to additionally convey oneself in your customized graduation portraits. You’ll find it simply no question you could experience a minor anxiousness about the actual day of ones photography shoot. Make certain you are well-slepped and thus geared up now you will be prepared to demonstrate your genuine essence. Interacting with with your graduation photographer as well as preparing your photography session in advance should lessen a great deal of burden and also will help a person organise. A person should recognize which clothings in addition to alternative possessions to take along with you.

Graduation Portraits in San Antonio

The Strength of Black and White Digital Photography

2010-01-19T22:43:00.001-06:00

It is fascinating precisely how occasionally old technology or even art varieties take on an even more significant importance once they are created obsolete via the brand new plus up-to-date. That can be surely accurate about black and white digital photography. Once colour digital photography occurred upon that picture, this seemed the years for black and white in both equally video recording plus digital photography had been finished permanently. However that seemed to be undoubtedly not necessarily the situation. Through the ages all of us have viewed black and white take on about an important fresh artistic significance in the two makes. In reality, this is definitely not at most unusual any further to understand an extremely advanced motion picture filmed totally in black and white.

It again is too typical to pay a visit to a fine art museum and even locate a photographic fine art exhibition which makes use of black and white substantially. Black and white provides a number of artistic and psychological characteristics that are simply not likely feasible to accomplish in color digital photography. Almost certainly the best quality which grabs a person using a black and white picture is its psychological energy. Actually if the picture is merely of an old house or even an vintage car or truck, in that respect is an over emotional attractiveness that can be tough to evaluate in words and phrases however universal to most of us as we glimpse at a black and white photograph. This is the reason why black and white pictures virtually instantaneously take on a great inspired appearance. Therefore if you are growing your creative photography design and collection, such as some experimentation with black and white would accomplish a great deal to advance your photography work.

Photographers is San Antonio Tx

I just added my photography website to: Statbrain

2010-01-12T15:49:00.001-06:00

I just added my photography website to

http://www.statbrain.com/www.richardsphotography.com

Trusting Your Family Portraits to a Family Photographer

2010-01-05T13:04:00.001-06:00

Photography is your trusty family's photographer, specializing in family portraits, children's portraits, pet photography and lawn weddings. we are a professional portrait studio centred on the beautiful open-air photography in which highlights our casual lifestyle here in the greater San Antonio area.

We are artistic photographers, producing excellent works of art from the photos we obtain: contributing artistic changes to the original picture: improved shades, subtle texture, smooth focus, sepia and black and white mingled into the mix. each of our photographers studies photography as an art form and we are constantly adding to our knowledge of special techniques that are developed to keep us up to date on the varying technology in the photography enterprise.

Fine art photography printed on textured paper, photographs on canvas and metal murals can be obtained through exclusive order and we accept commissions for artfully enhanced images that look more like paintings than photographs. We do agree to some commercial photography work as it fits into our schedule and we are happy to refer you to other photographers in the palm springs area should we be unable to fulfill your photography needs.

Family histories can be preserved by the telling and retelling of stories: as well as the photographs that accompany those tales of yesterday play an important role in keeping those stories alive in our memories. we consider that family portraits are an essential part of maintaining a family's the past for future generations.

Portrait Photography San Antonio

Digital Or Film Print Which Is Better These Days Of Photography

2010-01-03T11:46:00.001-06:00

Previously, you simply didn’t have to make a selection concerning any other photography techniques than video. Everybody had a picture camera and all of us either trained to produce their personal film or took it to their neighborhood processor. Today, you should have a choice and many consumers who are familiar with film consider, which is much better. Nowadays we have picture cameras and digital cameras. Here are the pros as well as cons to taking both digital and art print photography.

All Pros with Digital
Digital cameras can be fantastic for a lot of people. Possibly one of the best things about a digital camera is you have instantaneous access to the photographs you have snapped. By using a digital camera, you can automatically see the photograph that you just took and figure out whether you should re- shoot that individual subject. In addition, when you take digital pictures, you can easily download the prints to your computer. It is possible to save your portraits, enrich them along with print them on your printer. Additionally, digital prints cause for effortless storage. It is possible to shoot many digital pictures and store them on a few cd-roms. Evaluate that to the boxes pointing to printed pictures you in all probability have san antonio portrait studio.

The actual Cons of Digital
You will find many cons of using digital in addition. As an example, digital pictures are definitely damaged. In case you are like the majority, you in all probability download the photographs to your computing device and don't do anything different about them. If you fail to back up your digital photographs to disk, all it takes is for ones computer to corrupt a single time and you have likely damaged dozens of important portraits. Lots of people feel that digital senior portraits do not have the equivalent appearance plus feel as film prints. For this basis, most professional portrait photographers still have a preference for to make use of film, as opposed to digital. Digital photos can also become costly if you print them out on an inkjet printer. A great reliable printer paper, and also colored printer cartridges for ones printer could add up fairly quickly. .

My Pros of Film
As brought up earlier, many pro photographers still favor to use film to digital. When you take pictures for profession, you can correct your film camera to obtain the particular look you want. This isn't usually true using digital pictures. Some prefer to utilize a film camera, therefore it forces them to have their photos produced immediately. Instead of leaving your favorite memories on a disk, you must have your print pictures printed. You should always have them inside your hand to take a look at.

The particular Cons associated with Film
It appears that film cameras are giving up reputation. Film isn't as handy as digital. He should wait to have pictures created before you possibly can look at them down can also be expensive and having senior pictures processed, contributes unwanted cost. Besides, when you use film, you have to have everything on your roll of film printed out. You do not have the capability to scroll through and delete terrible pictures on the spot as you do by using digital.

When thinking about film over digital, one is actually no better than one another. The selection has more to do with your personalized preferences than everything else does. In case you are contemplating buying a brand new camera, consider both film and digital to figure out which ones might be right for your use. I have five digital cameras, a 35mm camera including a typical film camera. If I needed to choose, I might choose the digital as a result of the alternative to view senior portraits instantly. This way you understand if you are capturing the image the best way you meant too. I've been caught too many times with fuzzy photographs, lacking heads and the like. One more matter is with a digital camera, should you require a pair of glasses, you should still be in focus, where as with a 35 mm focus camera, you might have a surprise, fuzzy pictures, and you may under no circumstances find another occasion like that repeatedly.

Senior Portrait Photographer

The Study and Comparisons of Digital Photography

2010-01-01T18:54:00.001-06:00

Have You Studied any Digital Photography Comparisons Recently?

Don't overlook digital photography evaluations as anything not worth your effort. Contrary to what you may think, you'll get a lot of pertinent thoughts from following these reviews. Finally, they will aid you a lot in your digital photography wants and demands.

During the times, digital photography has consumed above the world of photograph- taking and snapshots. It can be the most same grounds why there are now loads of real- life pictures for people to take pleasure in.

Your need to have photographs taken digitally comes from the requirement to do apart with films and other complications brought around by shooting photographs. Not just that, the expenditures that used to pile up when purchasing films and having them produced can also be erased.

To be capable of maintain the change to digital photography, increasingly more digital cameras and printers have sprung. It seems that what seems to be the most sophisticated advantage nowadays will be outsmarted by another in a few months time. This is the reason why people are always on the lookout for digital photography critical reviews. This is where they get to read about the latest and where they get the option of what they should have next.

What are a few of the reasons why men and women embraced digital photography so warmly?

1. No film necessary.

This is most likely the key reason consumers would rather get digital camcorders even if they charge as much as 5 times more than the traditional film camera. After the initial money spent, there would be no need to buy films over and over yet again in order that they can take photographs.

Not including movies, you do not need to fear that they will run out any moment. This is particularly if you have to obtain some shots only to find you don't have film left. With digital cameras, it is possible to take as many pictures as you need as long as your camera has a substantial memory.

Not just that, weeks of waiting for the photographs to be developed is certainly out of the query. You can print the pictures on your own in the relaxation of your house.

2. Easy to hold.

Digital photography cameras are light and they are getting smaller and smaller yearly. You can expect companies to come up with supplementary functions that will make photograph taking much simpler.

Now, you can do away with handbags to carry your camera anywhere. You also do not have to bring camera accessories anyplace you go since a single digital camera is all that you have to take fantastic pictures all day long.

3. Immediate edit as well as delete.

Not satisfied considering the way the photo was received? No trouble. All you must do is edit these before you've gotten them printed.

Furthermore, you have the ability of deleting undesirable shots even ahead of they are printed. This surely saves you money and resources since you get to select the photos you must have in your photo album. The initial quantity of cash you've paid for the digital camera is worthwhile once you appreciate the small charges that you must pay in the producing and printing.

They are enough excuses why you ought to change to digital photography. Unsure yet when you want one? Attempt studying digital photography critiques and be persuaded.

Boudoir Photography San Antonio Texas

2009-12-29T14:25:00.001-06:00

Taking portraits in studio isn't the only method to fill our walls with san antonio boudoir photography . You will find those who are not interested in being behind the professional camera, but enjoy the art. If you have considered where you would probably find some terrific prints with a professional touch, but do not want to go to the websites you might want to take a tour of the online world. Many people who take photos place the pictures online for all to see. This helps you gain reorganization and potential clients for photography art.

The online world is full of boudoir portrait studios in san antonio waiting to be discovered. Places like deviantart. com, eBay, and other online galleries exist for the convenience of finding new photographs for you home. Simply by putting the words photography, photographs, or prints will not lead you to the more professional prints online. When searching online you will need to use specific keywords. These search phrases take you to picture of a distinctive character.

If you are more interested in professional studio portriats it is best to make use of those key phrases along with photography. Another drawback to online searching is getting the product from a reputable supply. You want to make sure that your credit card information is safe, that the shipping will be affordable and appropriate. How they ship the print is also important you want to make sure a shipping company will not damage it. The primary thing about shipping prints is they require some insurance to ensure your investment has safeguard against destruction, potential lost and theft when shipped.

There are several tips you should stick to when shopping online. Perhaps the most important tip is remembering you are seeing the print scanned into the online store. This means you are not in the gallery to check the print over and analyze it to the full extent. You will want to be a little wary if the photographs are grainy or they appear to have flaws. It is often best to shop via internet at art galleries with a reputation. These companies generally have great reputations and offer different shipping options and insurance.

In order to find appropriate san antonio portrait websites you will want to understand page rank. The search engines ranks the web pages in order to give you an idea of the pages with the information you want as well as letting you know the sites validity. The higher the page rank, the more traffic the website has seen. Big known websites might offer more photographs and quality picture from a reputable service or organization.

It can be very complex to find photography websites online that will actually sell their prints. It will take a little time and effort, but the results are most often worth it. Just searching for keywords may net you photography ways or schools rather than galleries to purchase from. If you have a favorite artist or gallery chances are you can enter their name to find the prints you are looking for online. If you are hoping for quality prints, but do not wish to pay for an artist’s name you may have to spend a few hours to find just the right photographs.

Online galleries are just one more way technology has become convenient for all of us. Finding photography online to get can be difficult if you are looking for an obscure artist or print topic. You have to search with specific keyword or topics to find prints. If you are in the market for New Mexico photographs of wildlife you should narrow your sure just by mentioning the town. We all find photographs add to a houses décor. Galleries can be the way most of us find photographs because we like to see the prints up close, however online is the new way for convenience. So the next time you wish to change out your homes décor you might look on the web for ideas if not the product to suit you and your families needs.

San Antonio Boudoir Photographers

Boudoir Photographers San Antonio

2009-12-29T14:13:00.001-06:00

Taking portraits in studio isn't the only method to fill our walls with boudoir photography in san antonio. You will find those who are not interested in being behind the professional camera, but enjoy the art. If you have considered where you would probably find some terrific prints with a professional touch, but do not want to go to the websites you might want to take a tour of the online world. Many people who take photos place the pictures online for all to see. This helps you gain reorganization and potential clients for photography art.

The online world is full of boudoir portrait studios in san antonio waiting to be discovered. Places like deviantart. com, eBay, and other online galleries exist for the convenience of finding new photographs for you home. Simply by putting the words photography, photographs, or prints will not lead you to the more professional prints online. When searching online you will need to use specific keywords. These search phrases take you to picture of a distinctive character.

If you are more interested in professional studio portriats it is best to make use of those key phrases along with photography. Another drawback to online searching is getting the product from a reputable supply. You want to make sure that your credit card information is safe, that the shipping will be affordable and appropriate. How they ship the print is also important you want to make sure a shipping company will not damage it. The primary thing about shipping prints is they require some insurance to ensure your investment has safeguard against destruction, potential lost and theft when shipped.

There are several tips you should stick to when shopping online. Perhaps the most important tip is remembering you are seeing the print scanned into the online store. This means you are not in the gallery to check the print over and analyze it to the full extent. You will want to be a little wary if the photographs are grainy or they appear to have flaws. It is often best to shop via internet at art galleries with a reputation. These companies generally have great reputations and offer different shipping options and insurance.

In order to find appropriate san antonio portrait websites you will want to understand page rank. The search engines ranks the web pages in order to give you an idea of the pages with the information you want as well as letting you know the sites validity. The higher the page rank, the more traffic the website has seen. Big known websites might offer more photographs and quality picture from a reputable service or organization.

It can be very complex to find photography websites online that will actually sell their prints. It will take a little time and effort, but the results are most often worth it. Just searching for keywords may net you photography ways or schools rather than galleries to purchase from. If you have a favorite artist or gallery chances are you can enter their name to find the prints you are looking for online. If you are hoping for quality prints, but do not wish to pay for an artist’s name you may have to spend a few hours to find just the right photographs.

Online galleries are just one more way technology has become convenient for all of us. Finding photography online to get can be difficult if you are looking for an obscure artist or print topic. You have to search with specific keyword or topics to find prints. If you are in the market for New Mexico photographs of wildlife you should narrow your sure just by mentioning the town. We all find photographs add to a houses décor. Galleries can be the way most of us find photographs because we like to see the prints up close, however online is the new way for convenience. So the next time you wish to change out your homes décor you might look on the web for ideas if not the product to suit you and your families needs.

Boudoir Photographers San Antonio

Private Label Rights Articles for Photography

2009-12-29T00:28:00.001-06:00

Wedding Plr articles tend to be awesome and a total time-saver to help us active internet marketers. But the expense of these once a month services will not be worth it if you will dump them in your hard drive, forget about them, or simply copy and paste them on your websites while hoping you”ll getaway from the particular search engines” evil eye balls. There are tons of advantages to using plr articles. If you just check on any of yahoo on the internet, you will find that it is easy to get a hold of plr articles. They are cheap and are usually well written. These articles can develop any online store that you may have or that you may wish to create. The next time you think of plr, just think of the many plr gains that can help you improve your business. Plr articles, plr contents, plr tools. Instant resale rights contents for your internet business.

Plr articles are usually very cheap. If you decide to use them as is you should deal with the "duplicate content" filters in search engines. This is as a result of in it's first form the article will appear on many other blogs besides your website. Don't be amazed by this because you're not buying unique content. To download several zero cost plr articles with numerous topics. If you prepare on using a plr article and want unique content, you must rewrite the article and change it's content considerably. If you're not keen to do that you must pass on the plr article and hire an expert copywriter to provide some exclusive photography articles for you. Gina hoover can be reached for questions about this article at.

Plr articles should be an www marketers resources because they conserve time and time is money. â photography private label rights let you quickly change the content into unique versions of your own. Find the content for your niche promptly and easily right now using our. Stop wasting your time sifting through loads of plr to find what you need. Simply check out the search outcome to see the yellow “high-lighted” search terms you were looking for. You will never find a faster way to identify plr post for your topic.

Wedding Photography Articles Private Label Rights

Getting Great Photography images

2009-12-27T00:25:00.001-06:00

Gone are the times when portrait photographers had to catch distinct shots of an image and develop them to find outside if a fine or much perfect image was taken. Diverse photographers of this art form refer to this technique as “trial and error”.

Nowadays, there are a numbers of photographers who have decided to shift from regular mark and shoot and ancient SLR models to digital ones. Through DSLRs, they can get more date to concentrate in taking those great pictures since images that are not par with their standards can simply be deleted away.

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. The designation implies the apply of lenses and a mirror. Mirror reflects brilliance entering the lens up into the viewfinder. Thus, a photographer can estimate how the image will likely appear when it is developed. Moreover, a SLR camera uses separate lenses that can be interchanged depending on the resolution needed. Hence, this camera can be used to capture image with varying depths.

Likewise, a digital SLR or DSLR camera uses lenses and mirror. However instead of a film that records the image, a DSLR camera uses brilliance sensor chips and digital remembrance. In other words, a DSLR camera is the computerized version of the traditional SLR camera.

However, the functions of these models are rather different so it is suggested that users spend age getting familiar or acquainted with these gadgets. Owners should employ that “trial and error” technique by taking a hardly any shots and storing higher quality pictures. Sooner or later, users can surely hack these models.

Individuals who decide on using these types of cameras should really invest on remembrance cards and lenses. Thus, if they happen to become professionals someday, additional equipment will surely keep them busy for choosing photography as a career.

Here are some helpful tips that will definitely aid owners of DSLR cameras in capturing a perfect image using the advanced art of digital photography.

1. Normally, human beings catch entire body shots against a background. However, it is more appropriate to catch a shot from shoulders up or an upper body one since image of those in the picture really appear small.

2. If doing the above technique happens to be difficult for the user, he or she can capture a shot of the person with him or her at one side rather than at the center. Then the owner can just zoom in so the person appears to be at the center.

3. The decree of optics remains the same whether using an ancient or a digital portrait camera. For instance, if the sun is behind an image, the picture will be silhouette. If brilliance is in front of the image, the picture will appear squint unless there are sunglasses on.

4. Use your sunglass to act as a polarizer to capture away unnecessary reflections from glaring objects.

5. You can also employ a sunglass to increase the expoconfident of objects.

6. When using a polarizer, be sure that the source of blaze is perpendicular to the body.

7. Change your white balance setting from auto to cloudy when shooting bright landscapes and outdoor portraits.

8. Do not employ the flash mode when the setting is already sunny.

9. Zoom in to emphasize a certain asset or characteristic of the subject being captured.

10. Practice. Practice. Practice.

It suffices to assert that the techniques in getting the perfect shot have not changed. However, using digital cameras and employing this fresh art of digital photography have simply improved photo shooting by making capturing pictures easy for everyone.

Photography San Antonio

The Essence Of Portrait Photography

2009-12-24T22:51:00.005-06:00

How do you know what kind of photos you will photograph? Will you be going to a family portrait photographers reunion? Are you going out for a scenic drive and hope to see some interesting sites wildlife and nature? These are just a few questions when it comes to digital photography. You will want to have a foundation of photography skills to obtain the nicest photographs and once you have those techniques established the subject will be your decision. Most portrait photographers either professionals or aspiring amateurs like you will have a certain technique they work around. It is the same with other professional artists; you have canvas painters, stone sculptors, starving artists, and many others. Photography is art and thus requires a keen eye for the right photo.

How do you know what subject you will shoot? This is where your interests lie. If you wish only to take pictures of wildlife then you will have to wait for the subject to come into view. Obviously you can go to a wildlife park such as the Rocky Mountain National Park and hope to find subjects. Most often it will depend on the time of year. Elk and Moose are seen around more when they come down the mountain side to co-habitate and graze. Birds will always be available, but the type of birds will be of a wide variety. If you live in Texas chances are you will have many picture opportunities to photograph a Hawk, while on Texas coast you may see heron or cranes. When you are practicing portrait techniques you will have to decide on your subject as you see fit. A lot of us are regulated to the area around us. Landscape photography requires the use of the land you have around you, unless you are going on vacation to some place new.

This is another important fact to choosing a subject. You are either limited or you have the whole world at your feet. It will depend on your traveling abilities. For now we will stick close to home. Once you decide on your filed of expertise you will then venture out looking for more photography subjects. The subject that speaks to you is what you should decide to photograph If a tree and the limbs it's formed get your attention, you may want to look at the lighting of the area. Deciding on from which angle or position to shoot from will also make the decision on the subject. The lighting may not be right for the subject you have chosen and the other side of the subject may not yield the best picture.

Again your eye is the best tool for finding a subject. How you choose what to photograph will depend on what is around you, the angle and the light. Moving quietly through a secluded area such as landscape will help you determine the subject. Looking under leaves or rocks is often beneficial to finding something new and different. You never know where you will find a picture just waiting for you to click a picture. Some people and animals do things that will never again happen and this is when you want to have camera near you. Most people interested in senior portrait photographers carry a digital camera in their bags everywhere they go. If this sounds like a habit, a real habit turns into a hobby and a possible income if you become skilled at taking the perfect pictures. As you improve at taking the pictures, you can then start displaying your prized images for others to observe and possibly spend their money on. Portrait Photography Studio

The True Meaning of Digital Photography

2009-12-22T19:21:00.003-06:00

The meaning of digital photography is nearly the same as 4x5 transparency photography. In addition to your photography craft you will excellent camera equipment plus you'll need additional camera batteries and media cards. If you’re going to take professional portraits with your Canon digital camera you should really opt for buying the best portrait lens. The regular lens that comes as a kit with your digital camera will not be sufficient as the glass on those lenses are as sharp. One of the important things about digital photography is the awesome ability to view your images once they are downloaded to your computer. Photographers have the ability to take additional family photographs from various angles while at the same time erasing images that are not up to par. Digital photography is by no means a cure-all to easier quality photographs. The same care and attention should be considered through the whole process. Digital photography gives a professional photographer a creative license to be more creative and talented. Only a trained eye can see light and know what poses are appropriate for each situation.

Studio Portraits in San Antonio

A Career in Senior Photography

2009-12-22T08:43:00.002-06:00

We see high school seniors all over, in Magazines, on Billboards , in High School football advertisements and on television. They are the kids of the future showing their grammar skills and extra ordinary math abilities. We are talking about the seniors of today, yesterday and next year. They are every place we look, but who brings them to us? Their photos are captured with photographic skills and precision, patience and that creative look for style, superb color and lighting composition. I am speaking about photographers who specialize in senior photography.

Here are some tips for the amateur and dreamer of dreams in getting started in senior portrait photography. Observe your subject very closely. You will never know enough. Read and look at any fashion Magazine available in stores. There are great books with articles and photos on portrait photography and senior photography available. Amazon.com has a wide array of photography books available.

High school seniors of today really want something different for their senior portraits as well as their yearbook pictures. They no longer want plain and boring blue or gray backgrounds. Many seniors prefer going for outdoor portraits. They get the feeling of being free in the great outdoors and a sense of peacefulness comes over them for some reason. Don’t cut your search short and hire the first photographer you come across. Look at several photography websites and choose your senior photographer based on their creative skills and uniqueness and not their prices as price means nothing if you don’t get the quality of photographs you were hoping for.

Author: Richard Rives

Digital Portrait Photography as a Qualified Skill

2009-12-22T00:27:00.003-06:00

Digital portrait photography is a quality skill that any professional San Antonio photographer is highly experienced in. Macintosh and Apple Computers and quality portrait editing software are now exclusively used in business photography for manipulation or modifying pictures to make it more commercially viable. An well groomed portrait photographer will have specialized comprehension of digital photography and computer software which is great advantage in commercial photography.

A professional digital photographer creates top notch photographic memories which could be utilized in a variety of ways. Photos can be used for more than one use, they may be placed on the living room wall or in the den but they could be used as memorabilia, graduation invitation cards or on menus in restaurants. A San Antonio photographer provides unique and artistic photography services at pricing that most people can afford for most of their gatherings and events.

Author: Richard's Photography in San Antonio. A San Antonio Photography Studio http://www.richardsphotography.com/

How to dress for senior portraits in San Antonio

2009-04-02T12:13:00.002-05:00

How to Dress for Senior Portraits in San Antonio by Richard's Photography

It's time for graduation and time for senior portraits. You've
ordered your senior class ring, your graduation invitations so, what's next?
Well, graduation portraits of course! Oh, what to wear. You get all excited and
rake through your closet pulling out outfit after outfit and shirt after shirt,
pants after pants wondering what to wear. It's really not that hard. Take your
skin tone for instance.

If you are light skinned you want darker clothing like deep
reds, deep blues even blacks. This will bring your skin and eyes out of the
photographs. If you are medium to darker skin then the colors you need are
brighter reds, brighter blues and some brighter greens. By all means necessary
please stay away from white or pastel type colors. These colors can leave your
facial features lifeless and can lead to a disappointing portrait session. Do
you want to know for sure if your clothing is suitable and matches your
complexion? Just hold that shirt or blouse under your chin and look under the
mirror and determine if the garment you're holding compliments your face and
eyes or does it compete or take over. These small details can make or break your
portrait session.

Clothing is very important for a successful senior portrait
session. You only graduate once in your lifetime so taking an extra 30 minutes
to 1 hour choosing the right clothes and clothing colors for your senior
pictures is nothing compared to a lifetime of regrets and disappointment. Be
sure to bring a brush with you as being outside for your senior portraits the
wind elements can play a factor in blowing your hair around. You don't want
stray hairs around your face or fly away hair sticking up all over the place.
Girls, we know most of you wear make-up so be sure to bring your powder with you
to avoid costly retouching fees to get those shiny spots off of your face and
nose area.

Article by: Richard Rives of Richard's Photography in San
Antonio, Texas.

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Portrait Website

Digital Photography and Cameras, Is There a Right or Wrong Camera?

2009-03-29T20:47:00.006-05:00

Digital Photography and Cameras, Is There a Right or Wrong Camera? By, Richard's Photography

So, you're in the market for a digital camera and you're wondering what camera to get. Are all digital cameras made equal when it comes to senior portraits or family portraits? This professional photographer seems to think so. In our 17 years of experience in the portrait world we have come to our personal yet biased conclusion that Canon digital cameras far outweigh and out perform Nikon and Olympus digital cameras.

Why Canon? One of main reason for the bias on Canon is the very friendly while balance Canon seems to have. Whether shooting this awesome camera in raw format, .jpg format or shooting in Auto white balance or setting the camera to custom while balance we also get the most perfect skin tones and color saturation.

Our experience with Nikon seemed to have put reddish or bluish colors that were very hard to adjust in Photoshop. Olympus was an ok camera but the images seemed to be a little on the soft side, a little too soft for our liking. It would make a good vacation camera where accurate skin tones out not crucial. Actually both Nikon and Olympus make great vacation cameras.

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It's all up to each individual portrait photographer on what brand of camera to consider for their portrait work. At the beginning, middle and end of your photo session you want to have that confidence that the images your professional eye captured will be the same results you see when uploading your images to your computer and open them up in Photoshop. It's all a matter of preference or choice on whatever digital camera you choose to use for your professional portrait photography

It's all up to each individual portrait photographer on what brand of camera to consider for their portrait work. At the beginning, middle and end of your photo session you want to have that confidence that the images your professional eye captured will be the same results you see when uploading your images to your computer and open them up in Photoshop. It's all a matter of preference or choice on whatever digital camera you choose to use for your professional portrait photography.

Article by: Richard Rives
Richard's Photography
231 Tammy
San Antonio, Texas 78216
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San Antonio Professional Photographer specializing in Senior Portraits

Senior Portraits? Where can I find a good photographer in San Antonio?

2009-03-28T10:23:00.003-05:00

Senior Portraits? Where can I find a good photographer in San Antonio?

Are you ready for graduation? You know, It time for senior portraits. Time to get those nice clothes together and find the perfect shirt, pants, dress, blouse, shoes instrument or favorite thing that's all you. Your senior portrait session will be more enjoyable if you have your personal belongings. Choosing the right photographer that will give you the type of portraits that you will remember the rest of your life.

When looking for a photographer don't just consider the price of the portrait packages but take into consideration the talent and experience the photographer has at taking portraits of high school seniors. In San Antonio you can find a photography studio by Richard and Patty Rives called Richard's Photography.

Your 2009 senior pictures should be memorable and you should be proud to show them off to friends and family. San Antonio photography studios offer indoor portraits only at their location but this photographer offers both indoor portraits and outdoor portraits in the same location.Visit: http://www.richardsphotography.com/ or http://www.richardandpatty.com/

Scrapbooking Graduation Memories

2008-01-09T11:07:00.000-06:00

Scrapbooking Graduation Memories By Rachel Paxton

It's hard to believe that my daughter has just graduated from high school. She has some great memories of this event for us to preserve in a graduation scrapbook.
We decided to purchase a ready-made scrapbook instead of assembling one. At a local bookstore we found a large spiral bound scrapbook/journal on clearance for $2.99!

My daughter was not able to get her senior yearbook before graduation, so she had her friends write notes to her in her scrapbook. She took the book with her to her senior class party, then we set the book out at her family graduation party for friends and family to sign.
We had many photo taking opportunities over the weekend. We have pictures from the graduation ceremony, from her senior class party, and from her family party to put in her scrapbook. I will mat one of her senior portraits on the front of the scrapbook.
There are other mementos you can preserve in a graduation scrapbook. Here are some ideas to get you started:

- Cards from family and friends - Program from graduation ceremony - Newspaper clippings - Report cards - Achievement and/or award certificates - Senior party mementos
I will finish off the scrapbook with graduation stickers from a local craft store.
A graduation scrapbook doesn't have to be a work of art. The important thing is to preserve the memories of your graduate's big day.

This would be a great project to do with your teen. If they would like to tackle the project themselves, give them all the supplies and let them unleash their creativity. My daughter loves the finished project, but is not much interested in scrapbooking, so she is more than happy to let me do it for her.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Paxton

Photography and The Portrait

2007-06-09T22:32:00.000-05:00

Photography is not about buying a sign and hanging it on your door and poof, you're now in the photography business. It's way more than that, it's about learning the trade or hobby you've been interested in all these years and learning about and turning it into a business. A portrait photographer is only successful if he can accomplish three things.

Number 1. Know your camera; Get to know shutter speeds, F-stops, lighting and composition. Practice taking pictures of your family members, your dog or pet. Go out at different times of the day and see the lighting results you get with each situation. Write down your results if you're shooting in bright sun, shade or a gloomy, overcast day.

Number 2. Have a plan on what kind of portrait photography subjects you want to attract whether it's all wedding and bridal portrait related or with local high schools photographing high school seniors. Whatever you decide on take one step at a time. Take each type of portrait and get to know what your client is looking for. Sit down and ask them what they're wanting out of their session. What are they wanting to say in their portrait? Who is the portrait for, etc. Get into what you're doing. I mean when you're in a photo session act like you've never photographed anyone so unique before. Get excited when your shooting and your client will feel your excitement and this will make for a successful session.

Number 3. How to treat your potential client. When a potential client calls always answer with a smile. The person calling can tell if you're in a good mood or woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Never put a client on hold! If you get a call on the other line tell your potential customer told and then answer the other line and tell whoever is calling if you can please get their phone number so you can call them back and give them your undivided attention and and answer whatever questions they have.

Follow these steps, as we have, and you should sound professional to your potential portrait customer. It's very important to have confidence and abilities to be in a business such as photography. Buy some photographic books, join a local photography organization, take some digital courses. Don't just jump out there blindly or, take a chance like I did and learn as you go. It's a long road but at least you will learn your own way and techniques for taking portraits of people. Don't ever give up your dream if photography is where you want to be. If it's in your heart then go for it.

Richard of Richard's Photography specialize in senior portraits in San Antonio, Texas. Richard's Photography has been in business since 1991 with a succesful home-based studio with a very well polished and colorful garden area for outdoor portraits. Visit our home page for general portraiture samples of our work or visit richardsphotography.com or for Senior Portraits visit senior-portraits.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Rives

Let Us Blast Out With School Graduation Party Games

2007-05-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

Let Us Blast Out With School Graduation Party Games By Gail Leino

Graduation time is the most exciting and rewarding time in one’s life and with the Graduation Party and the Graduation Party Games, one can just blast out with having a splendid time. For your Graduation Party, you must think of the different exciting events that you can incorporate in your party such as Graduation Party Games. These games must be focused with everyone’s participation and must include all the students of your class who have graduated with you.

Graduation Catwalk
This is going to be an exciting event. You must add in your invitation that you want all the guests to be dressed as they were for the graduation ceremony. All the guests, boys and girls, are supposed to be doing a catwalk and for that you have to fix an airport where everyone can walk as a model. It would be good if you get a model to declare the best male and female model. This is going to be an awesome event, as everyone would be getting tips from the professional model as to how they should catwalk before they do their final walk. The winners are going to get prizes.

Simon Sez Graduation Bunch Get Up
We have all played Simon Sez and it is a very interesting game, which is going to be cool for your Graduation Party Games. For this game, the entire bunch is going to participate and if there are a lot of students, then you need to play this in batches. The last man standing is going to be the winner. For this game, you need to have a person who is best at giving out the commands really fast, like Simon Sez Stand up, Simon Sez turn right and then saying turn left, this all has to be so fast that it gets most of the players, so the ones who are not catching up with that are going to be eliminated.

You can think of other games too for your Graduation Party Games and it is best that you sit with a few friends who can give you some excellent ideas that you can add to your party games.
Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for birthday party supplies and fun party themes. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes of Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino

New Updo Hairstyles for You

2007-03-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

New Updo Hairstyles for You By Stuart Simpson

Do you need a new hairstyle? If you have long hair, it is easy to get into the ponytail rut. Just put it up and go. But long hair offers a lot of hairstyle options if you are going to the prom, having senior pictures or bridal pictures made, going to a wedding, or just needing an updo for a formal party. You do need to know some basics of hair care before getting started with long hairstyles though. Knowing the best way to shampoo, comb, brush, and dry your hair and the tools to use can give you a head start in your hairstyle.
First, shampooing long hair is best done standing up, preferably in the shower. This helps reduce matting and tangling. You should choose a shampoo that fits your hair’s needs. For instance, chemically treated or damaged hair should be treated with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Only apply shampoo to the scalp and then rub in circular motions to clean the scalp thoroughly. When you rinse, work the shampoo through the ends of your hair and this will also help with less tangles. Your goal is to clean your scalp, so it is not necessary to rub shampoo into the ends of your hair. Use several towels to blot your hair dry. Never rub wet hair because this is a major cause of matting and tangling.
Second, combing and brushing long hair can be difficult if you do not use the proper tools and technique. To make combing wet hair easier, start with a leave-in conditioner. Using a large tooth bone comb, start at the ends and work up a little, about an inch at a time, getting the tangles out. If you are working with dry hair, a large paddle brush works best. Again always start at the bottom and slowly work up to the scalp. When blow drying long hair, use your fingers to comb through the hair from scalp to ends while drying.
Third, you need a few hair tools on hand to make the perfect hairdo. They include a large comb, square paddle brush, bobby pins, hairpins, and elastic bands. The best elastic bands to use are covered with some type of material. You might not have known there is a difference in bobby pins and hairpins, but using them correctly will help your hairstyle. Bobby pins touch in the middle and are designed to hold the weight of your hair. Hairpins are made to hold hair in place that has already been secured with bobby pins. You can make curls and then spread them and hold them in place with hairpins.
There are lots of great hairstyles you can choose once you have mastered the basics and have your hair clean and ready. Braids and updos are perfect hairstyles for proms, senior pictures, bridal pictures, weddings, and formal functions. Many hairstyle professionals can style your clean dry hair in an updo in about 15 minutes. Having long hair doesn’t have to mean always wearing a ponytail. Talk with your hairstyle professional about some of the many hairdos that would work for you.
Stuart Simpson http://www.formal-tuxedo.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stuart_Simpson

Photographer gets involved with Dumas Tornado Relief

2007-03-04T19:07:00.000-06:00

Richard of Richard’s Photography of San Antonio, Texas who is also a webmaster got involved with help and relief of the tornado victims of Dumas, Arkansas by donating and creating a website to help in relief efforts of raising money and help from all communities wanting to get involved. Lutian Murphy who is a Native of Arkansas is helping by collecting funds and spreading the word to get additional help for the people of Dumas. You can visit and or donate to the cause by going to:

http://www.tornadorelief.info

Avoid Skin Reflections in Your Portraits

2007-01-31T00:17:00.000-06:00

Avoid Skin Reflections in Your Portraits
By Eric Hartwell

“When I use a flashgun I get unsightly reflections form people’s skin. How can I avoid this?”

Reflections from the skin of subjects can cause a good deal of bother and ruin the image for the photographer and model. Most times it is caused by harsh light falling on the subject and reflecting back to the camera. It can be made worse by certain skin tones and by types of make-up.

It is easy to reduce this reflection:

- use bounced flash – bounce the flash off of the ceiling or use a diffuser card (if your flash is equipped with a swivel head)

- take the flash off camera and hold it to one side or higher

- use a diffuser lens over the flash head (you can make a simple diffuser using a small piece of white cloth or you can buy one)

- tell the subject to move the angle of their head

- for studio lighting, used diffusers or umbrellas compatible with your flash heads

- position the lighting further back to decrease the power hitting the subject

- use theatre make up or ask the subject to change to less troublesome forms of make up

- move the model to a different location (this can help to reduce stray light reflecting from windows etc

These simple measures should be enough to ensure that stray reflected light is kept to a bare minimum or eliminated completely.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

Career Education Programs

2006-12-29T10:29:00.000-06:00

Career Education Programs
By Marcus Peterson

Over the decades, the advancements in various sectors led to the evolution of specialized branches of studies. Today, a variety of career education programs are run by universities, catering to the growing needs of industries and business. These programs produce professionals in almost all areas of expertise. They provide opportunities for students to choose career-related coursework and workplace experiences that provide them with experience to advance their careers.

Students are more likely to succeed when they see a purpose to their studies. A career education program help to improve student motivation and academic performance, and helps them choose careers that they are interested in.

Major domains of these career education programs at different universities are art and design, business, culinary, education, engineering, health and medical, law and criminal justice and computer science. Art and design offers programs of different duration in advertising and commercial design, animation fashion design, film and video, game art design, graphic design, interior design, photography, music and video.

Business programs are available in construction management, supply chain management, forensic accounting and project management. Culinary programs are available in baking and pastry, catering, chef training, culinary arts and restaurant management. There are also specialized programs in curriculum designing, early childhood education, educational administration, special education and teaching. Engineering programs include electrical, mechanical, electronics, environmental, manufacturing and computer engineering.

The health and medical programs cover counseling, care and management. Law and criminal justice programs offer courses in court reporting, criminal justice forensics, law enforcement and legal services. Programs in sciences include aviation science, veterinary science, science and biotechnology. These programs are in coherence with the job market. Modifications as per the ever-changing job market are also incorporated in these programs.

Further career education can be pursued through either regular classrooms or distance education. Many universities provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships or loans.

Career Education provides detailed information on Career Education, Career Education Online, Life Centered Career Education, Career Education Programs and more. Career Education is affiliated with Adult Continuing Education.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Peterson

Digital Photography Glossary - After Knowing These You Are Officially An Expert

2006-12-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

Digital Photography Glossary - After Knowing These You Are Officially An Expert
By Mike Singh

Digital photography is made easier if an understanding of the different terminology is understood. There are many areas to list, with the basics listed here:

1 MP camera - This is a camera that can shoot an image which is made up of one million pixels, which are used for the number of pixels in an image and the number of sensor elements of the camera.

Aperture - The opening that lets light travel to the camera's interior where the sensor is placed. An important element in most optical designs, it is deliberate to prevent saturation of a detector or overexposure of film.

Digital zoom - The process of blowing up a part of the picture by increasing the size of pixels in the image. The function that is performed within the digital camera leads to a loss of picture quality. Similar in some cameras to cropping the image, but the image is physically the same in location and size.

JPEG - The term used to describe the standard compression of a photographic image. This compression ratio was fixed by the Joint Photo Experts Group to reduce the picture size. It is not well suited for line drawings and other iconic images, due to its type of compression. The PNG and GIF formats are used for these or their reduction would lead to a considerable loss of picture quality.

Megapixels - An image that is made up of one million pixels, or used to express the number of sensor elements of digital cameras, or the number of display elements of digital displays.

Memory - A solid state electronic flash memory data storage device. Also, non-solid memory card that do not use flash memory.

Optical Zoom - The ability to vary the focal length and lens magnification, as opposed to a prime lens which has a fixed focal length.

Pixels: The single points in a graphic image. They can be reproduced at any size without the appearance of visible dots or squares. The word pixel stands for "(PI)cture (El)ement, with the common abbreviation PIX for PICTURE". Having a numerical value between 0 and 255, each pixel is made of three-color channels.

Pixel Count - This is the number of pixels that go into making each image.

PPI - This is the acronym of "pixels per inch" and describes the picture quality. Used for distinct meanings in the printer field, as the ppi is a measure of the printer's resolution of dot printing. The higher the number of pixels per inch the better is the picture.

RAW/NEF - An uncompressed photographed image file that contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera or image scanner. The RAW picture format has been introduced by Canon. Nikon calls this format as NEF.

Sensor - An image sensor consisting of an integrated circuit consisting of an array of pixels. Each one contains a photo-detector as well as three or more transistors. Also referred to as the digital strip that receives light. It performs the same role that the negative does in the conventional camera.

Shutter Speed - The duration for which the shutter is held open when taking a photograph to allow the light to reach the imaging sensor. The time for which the shutter remains open (exposure time) is determined by a timing mechanism.

TIFF: A file format for storing images, photographs, and line art. Originally created by Aldus, jointly with Microsoft for use with PostScript printing. Used highly with high color depth images, along with JPEG and PNG. Abbreviation for "Tagged Image File Format". There is no loss of information in this format yet the file sizes are very large.

White Balance - A digital camera needs to find a reference point which represents white. Other surrounding colors will be calculated on this point. Many digital cameras feature automatic white balance, where it calculates the best-fit white balance. A digital camera normally has settings for sunlight, shade, electronic flash, fluorescent lighting and tungsten lighting which need to be adjusted before shooting.

Check out http://www.digicamland.org/ for more articles on digital camera zoom and digital cameras.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Singh

High School Technical and Vocational Training Courses

2006-12-02T23:22:00.000-06:00

High School Technical and Vocational Training Courses
By Low Jeremy

There was a time that vocational training meant focusing only on skilled trades such as being a mechanic or a welder. But since industries have diversified especially with the advent of the computer age, this now offers people better opportunities such as business and information technology.

The American education system offers students many things in primary and in the secondary grade level. Not only do the children learn how to add or subtract figures but also gives the opportunity to be well-rounded individuals.

This is the reason that Allen was able to learn about computers and pushed this person into pursuing a degree in computer maintenance after graduating from high school.

To Allen’s astonishment, there are a lot of vocational schools offering courses related to information technology. Some of these places are out of state while there were also those that are just a few bus rides away.

Here are a few tips that will be helpful in high school or even after graduation when looking for technical and vocational training courses.

1. It will be a good idea to check the vocational schools online so that a brochure can be delivered to the home.

One of the advantages of a vocational school over a university is that tuition is much more affordable. There is also internship or apprenticeship that means those who do well will get a job after completing the course.

2. If the person wants to pursue higher education, it will be a good idea to ask if other universities honor this so the student will not have to start over being a freshman again.

3. The student should ask if the vocational school offers scholarships or grants for those who do not have enough money to pay for tuition.

4. The individual should also ask if the vocational school offers this course part time especially for those who have to work and can only come in campus during the evening. If this is still difficult, perhaps asking the school administrator if there is distance learning.

5. It will also be a good idea to check on the success rate for getting a job if one decides to attend the vocational school.

There are a lot of factors to consider before choosing a technical or vocational course to purse. The person should weight the pros and cons of each before making that big decision.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more info on Vocational Schools, please visit http://vocational-schools.articlekeep.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Low_Jeremy

Digital Photograph: Memory Cards explained

2006-11-15T23:09:00.000-06:00

Digital Photograph: Memory Cards explained
By Jennifer Clarkson

What is a Memory Card?

A memory card is a storage device commonly used by digital cameras to write digital photos. It is a mechanism to store your photos, and later transfer them to computer for processing and printing. Essentially, a memory card is to a digital camera what a hard drive is to a computer. That means that the size of your memory card directly affects how many images you can store, and the speed of your memory card directly affects the how fast your camera can read and write photos!

The Need for Speed

As digital cameras evolve to store higher quality images, image size increases, and it becomes more important to find a memory card that is fast enough to write these images before you want to take another shot. Compact Flash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) formats are two types of memory cards that are improving their speeds dramatically to keep up with high megapixel counts in newer cameras. Not only does a faster memory card allow you to take a second shot sooner, but it also results in quicker download to your computer. The larger your memory card's storage limit, the more important transfer speed becomes. Otherwise, a 2 GB memory card might require an hour of transfer time!

Memory card speeds are measured based on a standard where 1x equals the transfer of 150 KB per second. That means that a 10x memory card transfers data at a rate of 1.5 MB per second and a 133x memory card transfers data at a rate of almost 20 MB per second. These numbers usually indicate the best possible rate when the card is used with a camera that has a super fast recording capability. Certainly not every digital camera is coded in such a way as to take advantage of these peak transfer rates, so you may wish to research very fast cards before purchasing. For example, Lexar has a line of 133x memory cards, but the super fast rates required cameras to be designed specifically with their card's technology in mind - in this case, they provided a list of cameras that would result in fast rates, but my camera wasn't on the list.

There are two types of speeds you should be aware of, each of which is measured relative to 1x:

1) Write speed - the time it takes your camera to save an image to the memory card
2) Read speed - the time it takes your camera to open an image on the memory card

For more tips on memory card care and maintenance, or to read more photography articles, please visit Jennifer Clarkson's website at http://www.jclarksonphotography.com. To learn more about the books in her eSeries on Digital Photography, or to promote sales, please visit the following sites: Choosing your camera and accessories

Getting the Most out of your Camera's Basic Settings

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Clarkson

Simplified Studio Lighting for Elegant Portraits

2006-11-12T22:53:00.000-06:00

Simplified Studio Lighting for Elegant Portraits
By Steve Barnes

When you are new to studio portrait photography, studio lighting can seem difficult, mysterious, and perhaps even ominous at times. You may read ten different books on lighting by the “experts”, and quite likely you will get ten totally different opinions about what constitutes proper lighting. Maybe this is because “proper” lighting for studio portraits is just that; a matter of opinion. Yes, there are classic styles of lighting such as: open loop, closed loop, butterfly or Paramount, broad lighting, short lighting, and so forth. But, ninety nine times out of a hundred, clients who come into your studio do not care about the technical aspects of lighting, or even the classical styles of lighting. They simply want to look great in their portraits, and it’s your job as a professional portrait photographer to help them do just that. The system of lighting used in my portrait studio is simple to understand, easy to work with, and it helps our clients look their best.

Our typical lighting scheme consists of three strobe lights with a forth strobe “hair light” used as needed. First, the key light is the main light source in the lighting scheme and is used to contour the face and add depth and interest to the subject. The key light is what enables the three dimensional subject to be rendered in a two dimensional plane, yet perceived as a three dimensional image. The key light in our studio’s light setup is mounted on a Studio Titan Side Kick stand. The beauty of this stand is that it is very stable, has lockable casters so it is easily repositioned, and the height of the key light is very easily adjustable with the “single touch” adjustable arm. The key light is usually the only strobe in our setup that is repositioned during the course of a photo shoot.

The key light is modified using a parabolic reflector, a shoot through umbrella or a reflecting umbrella, a soft box (several sizes may be used), or by other means, thereby achieving in each portrait the desired effect. A guideline to remember is: at a given distance between light source and subject, the smaller the light source, the harsher the incident light and the sharper (more contrast) the shadows. Choose the modifier accordingly to achieve the desired effect for your portrait (i.e. light modifiers in order of decreasing contrast: 6” parabolic reflector, 16” parabolic reflector, 40” reflecting umbrella, 40” shoot through umbrella, 3’x4’ softbox, 4’x6’ softbox). The key light is then metered (independently) to f11. This may be accomplished by adjusting the power to the strobe, and/or the distance between key light and subject.

During the photo shoot, the illumination of the subject will remain constant when you reposition the key light, as long as the distance between the key light and the subject remains constant. This simple fact is useful to keep in mind for one reason. It enables you to quickly relocate your key light for different desired effects without re-metering everything. Visualize your subject being at the hub of a wheel, the radius of the wheel being equal to the distance (between the key light and your subject) that gave you f11. The key light may be relocated to any position around the perimeter of the imaginary wheel, with the illumination on your subject remaining a constant f11.

Second, the fill light serves as contrast control by filling in the “sockets and pockets” of your subject. The fill light in our light set up is permanently positioned about 15 feet from the subject, directly out in front of the set. It is elevated to a height of about ten to eleven feet above the floor, so we are able to shoot from directly underneath the fill light if necessary. The fill light is diffused by a large soft box, and oriented (angled) to directly face the subject. It is typically metered (independently) to f5.6, by adjusting the power to the strobe. This gives a light ratio on your subject of about 1:4.

The third strobe in our studio light setup serves as the background light. The background light may be mounted on a short stand positioned directly behind the subject, and angled upward to illuminate the backdrop and eliminate any shadows behind the subject. Positioning the subject at least six feet from the background also helps to eliminate shadows on the background. For a vignette effect on a low key back ground use a small parabolic reflector and possibly a grid spot or barn doors to direct and focus the light where you want it. For a more evenly lit mid key backdrop substitute a soft box strip mounted on a boom stand, high and angled downward and toward the back drop. Typically for low key to mid key portraits we meter the background light to f5.6 or f8. This is a matter of preference depending on the desired effect. You can easily create elegant low to mid key portraits using this setup.

For super hi key shots, to get the snow white seamless background look, you must overexpose the background relative to the subject by two stops. For example, if you meter your key to f8 you should meter the background to f16 to achieve the desired effect. The trick is to get your subject far enough out from the background so they don’t pick up too much reflected light and you are able to blow out the background while maintaining proper exposure on your subject. The fill is still metered one or two stops below the key to maintain a nice contrast ratio on your subject. Super hi key portraits may best be accomplished using two background lights, angled in on each side of the background. This gives a more evenly distributed background light.
The forth strobe often used in our studio light setup, is the hair light. It is used to separate the subject from the background and to accentuate the subject’s hair and shoulders. The hair light may be positioned low or high behind the subject depending on the desired effect, and modifiers such as a snoot or a grid spot may be used to direct and focus the light as desired. Whether or not the hair light is used depends on the subject’s hair color relative to the backdrop and on the desired effect for the portrait (e.g. dark hair disappears on a dark backdrop and requires the hair light as a separator)
Beyond posing your subject in a flattering way, lighting your subject is the single greatest skill you must master in order to create exceptional portraiture. Your lighting scheme does not have to be overly complex, and your equipment need not be the latest and greatest. However, you must develop a basic understanding of light contrast ratio and how to control the light, in order to masterfully create elegant and beautiful portraits. The lighting setup described above may be a good starting point. It is very simple to understand and easy to use, generally, only the key light is repositioned during the course of a photo shoot. From there, experiment and practice to achieve the results that you imagine. As always, good day and happy clicking.

Steve Barnes is a professional portrait photography, a free lance writer, and co-owner of Hayley Barnes Photography, in League City, Texas. Please visit his website at, www.hayleybarnesphoto.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Barnes

All About Grants for College Students

2006-09-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

All About Grants for College Students
By Michael Carter

Grants are a type of student aid that is awarded by the government. Grants for college students do not have to be repaid.

Grants are based upon financial need, as calculated by the federal aid program. The first step in applying for government grants is by completing the FAFSA.

Of course every student and parent would rather receive grants instead of loans, since they do not have to be repaid. So the student hopes to see a grant award when the results are returned from the application.

There are a few things to be aware of, however, when expecting a grant. The funds available for grants are limited, therefore the grant will not usually fully fund educational expenses. If the student is planning on attending a community college where tuition rates are lower, it is possible that grants will cover a greater percentage of the tuition and fees.

The second thing to be aware of is that when the need analysis is done by the government or school, the expected contribution of the parent is usually higher than in reality what is possible for most families. This expected contribution effects the amount available to the student for grants.

Another significant factor is that if the parent or guardian claims the student as a dependent on income tax returns, this effects the amount of aid available to the student. In general, a student who is 'independent' of the parents as far as the tax law goes, will receive more in financial aid awards.

First year students may find that they receive less grant awards than they do in subsequent college years.

Michael Carter is a contributor at College Financial Aid Guide, an online informational resource for educational funding, scholarships and student loans. Learn more about Federal Pell Grants and Supplemental Educational Grants

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Carter

Choosing To Work On Your Marriage

2006-09-06T18:47:00.000-05:00

Choosing To Work On Your Marriage
By Angie Lewis

When marriage troubles come butting their ugly little heads in your marriage, you can choose to persevere and work through those troubles, or you can give up and become another divorce statistic. Why not choose the best and most beneficial option for you and your spouse and work on the issues that are affecting your marriage? God would be pleased with your decision.

It takes a lot of faith not just in God but in yourself as a person to want to work on a marriage you know that you could just as easily walk away from. Some people walk away from their marriages, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Is there a potential within your character that gives you the perseverance to want to put forth the needed effort that your marriage needs?

No matter what your marriage needs or what you think it might be lacking, through God, you and your spouse can discover the missing dimensions and put your marriage back together again. It only takes the willingness and spiritual effort to want to share yourself with your spouse; to give without wanting anything in return, and to bring love, joy, hope and encouragement to the person you married. Can you do that? Sure you can.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians’ 5:22-23

It takes courage for a person to stand up under certain sufferings in a marriage gone bad when all of their friends and family persistently tell them to leave their spouse. But it is at these trying times in marriage when we can really humble to Christ’s determination for us and allow Him to work through our troubled hearts while He works his awesome powers in our marriage.

Trusting in the Lord enough to hand over the reins to Him and developing from our newfound love of Jesus Christ is the faith I have been talking about. With God all things are possible and achievable. All marriages can be saved, even yours! Your marriage can be healed and restored.

…So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians’ 3:17-19

Choosing to work on your marriage makes you a stronger person; helps you to grow wholly in the Lord and gives you a newborn respect for the person you have become. Through your spiritual effort toward your marriage, you realize that you can choose to do what is right rather than what only gives YOU pleasure. You realize how much you really do love and respect the person you married. You learn that through God anything is possible and very achievable as long as you remain steadfast and faithful. You realize your marriage belongs to God, is sanctified by God, and is blessed only because of your willingness to allow God’s perfect design into your life. You realize now what Jesus meant when he said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

New Release! Love The Woman You Married, the companion book to Love The Man You Married. This book explores several main issues that are involved in preserving a happy and purposeful marriage, mainly the areas of submission and spiritual authority. Why are women afraid to submit to their husband’s spiritual influence? Over the years, society has turned this issue into something women should fear. Submission is not about control or power like many would like to believe, but about love. Submission is love; if it were anything else than it would not be true submission. More information and to buy the book click here. http://www.lulu.com/content/400517/

For more information about Angie's marriage ministry click here. http://www.heavenministries.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angie_Lewis

Printing your Photos at Home

2006-08-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

Printing your Photos at Home - Useful Tips and Hints for Best Quality
By Ziv Haparnas

Digital photography revolutionized the way in which we take, view and share photos and also the way in which we print them. Many digital photos never get printed but there are still many of us who prefer tangible paper prints. Photos can be printed using a professional service (in-store or online) or at home. In this article we will give you tips for getting quality prints at home.

A few years ago getting high quality prints at home was an expensive task that was only suitable for semi-professionals who could afford it and who had the know-how. Today low cost printers can generate amazing quality prints and sophisticated software can do most of the processing work behind the scenes. The result is that even amateur photographers can generate very high quality prints by pressing a single Print button.

There are a few simple tips to follow that can help in getting higher quality prints:

Edit your photos: make sure that you print exactly the photo that you want printed. Using simple photo editing tools (such as Photoshop or even Windows built-in Paint application) you can crop a photo to include just the area you are interested in or crop out parts which you do not want in the print. For example you took a photo of a group of friends but on the left corner of the photo there is a bystander that just happened to be there. You can crop the photo to include only your friends and thus effectively eliminate the unwanted object from the print.

When cropping photos always remember aspect-ratio – depending on the paper and the printer you’re using sometimes you’re limited to a certain photo size. For example if you print on a special 4X6 photo paper any source photo that is not in a 4X6 aspect ratio will have to be either stretched, cropped or parts of the print will be left blank. Make sure that you crop your photo to fit a specific aspect ratio if you’re printing on a specific aspect-ratio paper.

More photo processing can be done in order to enhance your prints. It can include red-eye removal (many software packages will do it for you automatically) contrast enhancement and more. For example if a portion of the photo that is important to you is a bit dark – you can “stretch” the color palette in a way that this section will look more lit and detailed. This will usually be on the expense of “overexposing” other portions of the photo that you care less about.

Always remember photo resolution: Every photo is built out of pixels. The more pixels in a photo the higher the photo resolution is. We will not get into details here about the correlation between mega pixels and print quality but a general rule of thumb is that to get good print quality you need 300 pixels per inch or more. This means for example that the biggest paper size a 2 mega pixels photo can be printed on is 4X6 while an 8 mega pixels photo can be printed on an 8X10.

Pick the right printer and paper: there are many different printing each with its advantages and disadvantages. They range in quality and cost. To get the best print quality you should use photo paper in conjunction with a printer that supports such paper. Photo paper and photo printers are more expensive than document oriented A4 Inkjet printers. Choose the printer by evaluating how many prints you will make and how important quality is to you. If you print occasionally for fun an Inkjet printer with normal or photo paper is probably good enough for you. If you print a lot and quality is very important photo paper with a photo printer is the way to go. As a rule of thumb glossy photo paper provides the best quality for color photo prints while matte photo paper provides the best quality for black and white prints.

Printer ink and maintenance: printers need to be setup and maintained. It is extremely important to follow the instructions and to use compatible ink cartridges. High quality compatible ink can make the difference between low and high quality prints. It is usually recommended to buy ink from the same brand as the printer. Some calibration is usually needed when replacing ink and sometimes every few months of use. Follow the instructions for such procedures carefully as a calibrated printer results in much better quality prints than a printer that is not aligned and is poorly maintained.

In conclusion it is very easy to print your photos at home. Just buying a mid-range printer and hitting the “Print” button in your photo viewing software will probably result in good prints that are satisfactory for most consumers. Following some simple tips can enhance those prints to professional quality. As technology advances and prices go down experimenting at home with various photo processing tools, paper sizes, paper types and inks becomes affordable and is probably the best way to find what combination yields the best print quality for you.

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ziv_Haparnas

Photojournalism Photography

2006-07-13T17:15:00.000-05:00

Photojournalism Photography
By TJ Tierney

Did you every pick up a newspaper or a magazine where a single image is used to tell a story. This is known as photojournalism. Photojournalism can fall under all subjects of photography but the image needs to be news worthy to end up being published.

There are two types of photojournalism.

The first type is where an image is used to illustrate a story. Many feature journalists work closely with photographers and commission them to produce images that will be published with their articles. There is no limit to how many images can be used. This is usually the photo editors decision.

The second is where an image is used to tell a story without any words. One single image may be used or as many as ten images are often used in magazines. If you can write - do so; it will be an advantage when you submit some images.

One of the most important qualities of a photojournalist is his ability to react quickly when he comes along a scene that may be news worthy.

Other than the obvious, here is a list of items which may be news worthy.

Impact pictures.
Pictures of the Environment
People.
New buildings.

If you are serious about photojournalism build a collection of images from your area. Many of these pictures will not be immediately news worthy but may be down the road. Take pictures of all the factories and buildings in the area. Some day a factory may close and you may not be able to get to the scene. Also have plenty of pictures of local businessmen and politicians.

Some photojournalists are lucky enough to get assignments from newspapers or magazines, most have to follow or find the news to make a living.

The world of digital photography has made the work of the photojournalist a lot easier. Being able to view, scan and e-mail images to a publisher instantly is a massive advantage.

The work of a photojournalist can be extremely harsh - taking pictures in all kinds of extreme conditions and in very dangerous situations. Many photojournalists die each year in war zones and at different natural disasters around the world.

We live in a world, where today’s news is forgotten tomorrow and the need to get the images quickly to the publisher is so important. If you have images that are news worthy don’t delay sending them to a news agency or publisher. They won’t stay in the news very long.

TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer and a freelance writer. He frequently writes for the photography directory http://www.goldprints.com and the shopping directory http://www.shop-4us.com To view or buy some of his images visit his on line gallery @ http://www.goldenirishlight.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TJ_Tierney

Turning Your Photos To Cash

2006-07-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

Turning Your Photos To Cash - How Can Your Photos Make Money For You
By Ziv Haparnas

If you are an amateur or a semi professional photographer then chances are that you can make some money out of your photos. In this article you will get tips on how to turn your photos to cash. This article is for you only if you’re looking to turn your photos into some extra cash on top of your main income source. This is not for you if you are looking to live off your photos this is not for you.

There are plenty of ways to make money from photography. Some are very easy and only require an Internet connection while others require more legwork and directly dealing with customers. Following are five options:

Sell your photos on photo stock web sites: there are many sites that let people trade and sell photos. They vary in their terms and the way they do business but the foundation is the same: they let you upload your photos, showcase them and set their prices. The site users can browse through your photos and purchase the ones they like. While some of these sites are free to use and only collect a commission from the proceeds other sites charge a setup fee or a membership fee. Examples of such sites are: http://www.photostockplus.com and http://www.smugmug.com

Build your own site attract traffic and sell advertisements: Many sites today generate revenues from advertisements placed on their pages. To generate such revenues the site has to attract visitors. If your photos are unique and can attract viewers you can create a blog or a site with your photos alongside with some text describing them and the story behind them. Spread the rumor about your site to your friends and family and post information about it in forums and chat boards. Once you generate traffic add advertisements to your site. To create your site you can use tools such as http://www.blogger.com and http://www.typepad.com. To place advertisements you can use advertisement syndication networks like http://www.google.com/adsense and http://publisher.yahoo.com.

Sell your photos yourself: If you created the site mentioned earlier you can also sell your photos on that same site. The photos published on your site are highly compressed low resolution versions of the original ones. If your visitors want to use the photos for prints or other photo processing they will have to buy the original high resolution photos. To easily collect funds from your visitors you can use tools such as http://www.paypal.com. The original photo can then be emailed to the buyer.

Photographer for hire: This option is more traditional and requires some more legwork. If you are willing to do some work for hire you can post your services in a local classifieds web site or paper. Many web sites such as http://www.craigslist.org let you do that for free. Make sure that you provide details about the work that you can do and your experience. It is also recommended to post examples of your work. Also – if you have a site with more of your photos post a link to that site. To get a better sense of how much you can charge try to contact other photographers in your area and get quotes for their services

Sell your photos in coffee shops and galleries: This option requires even more legwork and a more significant upfront investment. Print and frame a few of your best photos. Go to local galleries and try to convince them to showcase your photos. It is best to start with just a few prints to minimize both your risk and the risk the gallery takes. Another option which can work better for amateur photographers is to visit coffee shops and restaurants and convince them to hang your photos on their walls. It is very common today for such places to hang “photographs for sale” on their walls. This is a win-win option for both the coffee shop or restaurant and you. They get high quality free photos and provide their customers with an extra service buying photos that they really like. You get free exposure while most often only paying a commission from the proceeds.

One issue to remember when turning photos to cash is copyright. Copyright laws change from state to state and country to country. Make sure that you check beforehand that you have the rights to sell or post the photos that you take. For example taking photos of commercial symbols and logos usually requires a written permission.

There are many other ways to make some extra cash from your photos. Hopefully the ones mentioned here will give you ideas for what more you can do. Good luck!

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to digital photo printing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ziv_Haparnas

Photography Success Without School

2006-07-13T17:12:00.000-05:00

Photography Success Without School
By Tom Ray

What I learned from a mentor that enabled me to go from an amateur photographer to a professional portrait photographer in very specific steps is something I like to pass on. Rather than spending countless hours in classes learning every possible detail, I learned just the necessary specifics and now I work out of my home full time and have been in business for over 17 years, but I started out with practically nothing; just an interest in photography and the need to earn more money.

For one thing, my mentor taught me the Three Classic Elements to produce “salable portraits.”

"Salable" is an industry term every photographer quickly becomes familiar with to distinguish between the everyday reality of making money versus creating those “artistic competition” or “award winning prints” which don't earn the money.

I've been in the business for over 17 years now and I'm still amazed that:

People don't buy the award winning prints that you see wearing many of the ribbons at professional photography conventions.

When my clients are faced with the choice of buying an artistic pose of their child being demure and not looking directly into the camera or buying a pose smiling close-up straight into the camera, they buy the smiling close-up every time.

Not very original, but I'm telling you now so take note:

Happy people whose faces you can readily see are the most salable prints.

They'll never tell you this at a photography workshop, seminar, Annual Convention or at a photography institute because their job is to create award winning photo artists rather than people whom simply make a living, but... if you haven't learned all the fancy lighting techniques, then you've saved time because the most important thing about light is having enough to keep the face out of the shadows.

People prefer any kind of light, as long as there is enough of it to light the face and eyes so you can get a good look at the person!

The quality of light people prefer for portraits is soft light, whether it be from an artificial source like a flash umbrella or a natural source from the sky at sunset, but other than a soft quality of light they want enough of it to SEE the face of the person you're photographing, even if it is a flat almost straight on technique.

You may not win any competitions or awards this way, but if you get plenty of light on the faces you'll create salable prints.

This leads me to talk about fill flash. There are times outdoors when you'll need a flash on your camera to fill in dark shadow areas mostly in the eye sockets. Just use one f stop less flash than the existing ambient light calls for. That's enough light to fill the shadows and don't worry about not lugging around a portable umbrella to get the perfect modeling technique.

My mentor is right again: there is no change in the sale. The customer pays for well lit faces, not perfect modeling. I've tried it both ways and the customer buys the same amount of pictures in the same sizes no matter what you do.

Element number Two: Body Positioning.

This is a little more detailed area, but it is important, believe me.

My basic education from my mentor began with the same advice I'll pass on to you:

You should rarely photograph anyone straight on.

The exception to this rule will be for family and large groups, which for reasons of body placement will often break this rule. But for individuals or smaller groups of people this rule applies.

Now, when you're not just photographing a head and shoulders close- up you'll have to understand other aspects of body positioning that makes people want to buy their pictures. Hands. They should always be turned slightly so they are seen from the edge with fingers together, or hide the hands altogether behind your subject or somebody else next to them. Never position hands straight on with open fingers.

Simply put, anything that minimizes how much hand you see works to make it a better portrait. This is always more flattering in a portrait and you'll see they are the ones people buy.

Crossing legs at the ankles refines the pose and minimizes this area of the body making it more appealing.

Look at it this way, what's less of a distraction: two legs leading to two ankles leading to two feet -- or two legs blending into one ankle section with blended feet? Surely it's the latter.

When standing, one cannot simply cross their ankles unless they have something to lean against, so I will have one foot in front of the other in such a way that they taper into one general unit. Have them place their weight on the back leg (remember, they are at a slight 3/4 angle) and bring the front leg forward and slightly tilt the foot to face out toward the camera.

Whenever I'd show my mentor my portraits that I was just unsure of, it was these recurring themes that he patiently pointed out to me.

As I began to look for these simple things during my portrait sessions, my pictures got better!

I can't stress enough how basic, but important, it is to watch for these details.

I have people come to me who went to the contract photographer for their High School Senior yearbook portrait and disliked their picture. They want me to take one that they can proudly give out to friends and family. Usually the problem with the pictures I've seen is that the photography school graduate “intern” who works for the contract photographer took the photo without paying attention to some minor detail. I get it right and my reputation grows from “fixing” the contract photographer's mistake.

The techniques for salable body positioning are what you look for in any pose you try whether close-up or full body.

When photographing people full body standing, seated or reclining on the ground, noticing body angle, hands and feet is the way to “fine tune” your portrait and distinguish it from just a “snapshot”.

Lastly, I must share my favorite body positioning tool that makes it so easy to make a better portrait than someone who doesn't really know what they're doing: the head tilt.

A woman alone tilts her head just slightly in either direction to make a more stunning portrait. A man's head can stay straight up or tilt slightly away in the opposite direction from his most forward shoulder but never back towards his most forward shoulder.

Element number Three: Salable Composition

There are many compositional techniques in many books, but it doesn't take all that knowledge to make portrait compositions that are what the typical consumer considers good enough to call professional.

Once you know what the consumer considers salable, you will be able to reproduce it again and again for other clients. You also will thank me for saving you from thinking that in order to be good enough to sell portrait photography you have to create grand artistic images. You just have to know what works and be able to repeat it for the friends of your clients whom will be getting your business cards by way of referral.

When photographing one individual person, it's so simple I don't think you need too much input for that. In fact, I believe you know the naive simplicity with which you thought “hey, I can do this for a living” after taking some portraits of a friend or family member. Yet it truly gets challenging when there is more than one person involved.

I know of a local professional who has referred family portrait clients to me as she specializes in children outdoors. Do you know what that really means? It means she's intimidated by having to do groupings, but that's okay, most people are.

So here's the rule of salable composition:

Keep everybody's head at a different level.

Like I told you, I didn't have a fancy College degree so my mentor had to keep it simple enough for me. In some cases, you will recognize that it's not possible, but if you do your best to stagger head height from individual to individual, you will be creating professional looking images.

You will stand some people, seat some in chairs, seat some on the arms of chairs, seat some on the floor, kneel some, crouch some, lay some down, but you will achieve staggered head heights and salable compositions.

Tip heads inward toward one another for unity when photographing a family group.

Note that men are usually positioned higher than women.

No, I'm not aware of being a chauvinist pig, but I am aware that this is what usually sells. Not the images where mom's higher than dad but where dad (even if he's actually shorter!) is positioned just a head or so above mom.

Once you understand the rules, you can bend them where you need to in order to make a portrait work; but people will see that you know what you're doing as you position them for a good composition and especially when they see your finished work.

My mentor critiqued my work time and time again over several years as I brought images and questions to him. It almost always boiled down to my understanding these most simple aspects that I've shared with you.

I know it's not customary to learn photography on such simplistic terms, but trust me; I've had exposure over the years to many different photography educational venues such as classes, workshops, conventions, guest speakers, lectures, teaching videos and books but never have any of the teachers been willing to simply say “look, there are just a few rules to follow and people will be happy with their pictures”. Never have I received more helpful advice than I received from my mentor.

I guess if I could sum up the philosophy he embodied in word form I'd say it was rather like this:

“Not everybody wants a masterpiece. Most people just want to remember their loved ones as happy. It's not hard to capture that with your camera, just don't stand them in hard sunlight, standing in a straight line facing straight toward the camera.”

Tom Ray is a Certified Professional Photographer through the Professional Photographers of America. If you are interested in his full story please go to: Professional Photography: Success Without School

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Ray

Why a Good-Quality Photo Should Accompany Your Articles

2006-06-26T23:08:00.000-05:00

Why a Good-Quality Photo Should Accompany Your Articles
By Joan Stewart

I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you who are reading this don't have a good-quality photo that you could give the media if a reporter called you today.

I check the EzineArticles.com website at least once a week, looking for articles for The Publicity Hound, my subscription newsletter on how to generate free publicity. When I find an article my readers would like, I email the writer and ask for a photo. More times than not, I'm disappointed. Three out of four people have poor-quality photos or none at all.

Writing articles to position yourself as an expert in your field, sell more products and services and pull traffic to your website is admirable. But don't stop there. You need a good-quality above-the-shoulders photo for publishers like me who want to use it online or offline and give you lots of free publicity.

If you're among the 3 out of 4 who don't have one, stop being a media mutt and start acting like a true Publicity Hound. Here are tips on how to get an inexpensive, good-quality photo.

Use a professional photographer

If your cousin has a new digital camera, or a cell phone with a camera, and offers to take your photo to save you money, use a professional instead. Trust me, the expense will be well worth it.

Many of the bad-quality photos I see are too dark, out of focus, grainy, scanned incorrectly, or taken against a busy backdrop--often by amateur photographers. I've seen photos that look as though people have plants growing out of the tops of their heads. One writer gave me a photo that shows him with his eyes closed. A woman gave me a photo of her in a sleeveless blouse, with her bra strap showing.

Some people offer snapshots that show them with friends and family members. Most editors won't bother cropping out babies, husbands or friends. They just won't use your photo.

A standard, above-the-shoulders color photo is the bare minimum. Prices vary from market to market, but you can usually get a professional business portrait for less than $75 from a professional photographer.

To find a photographer in your price range, start with the Yellow Pages. Or ask people you know for recommendations. Even photo studios at places like Sears and J.C. Penney can often produce inexpensive photos that are better than the ones taken by your cousin.

Tips for looking your best

Here are tips to follow if you're having your portrait taken:

--Wear your usual hairstyle. Don't try anything new.

--Make sure your hair is styled the way you want it before you arrive at the studio.

--If you need a haircut, have it done one or two weeks before your photo session.

--Wear clothing appropriate to your profession. If you're a gardener, don't have your photo taken in a suit and tie.

--Avoid high-neck clothing that obscures your neck.

--Avoid sleeveless clothing.

--It's risky to wear prints that draw attention away from your face. When in doubt, be safe with solids (but not black or white).

--When applying make-up, pay special attention to your eyes. That's what people see first.

--Eye shadow adds depth. Avoid iridescent colors. Stick to neutral.

--If you wear glasses, ask your optometrist if you can borrow a pair without lenses. That way there won't be any glare.

--Powder reduces shine and helps eliminate shiny foreheads and noses.

--Be sure to tell your photographer the photos are for publicity so he knows what kind of backdrop to use. And tell him not to use a "soft focus" lense. Your photo should have sharp tones with good contrast.

--Don't have your photo taken when you have a dark suntan or it will look like your face is oily.

--Don't forget to smile! If you don't, you might come off looking bored or sad.

When I have my photo taken every two or three years, I splurge for a hair and make-up artist who primps me until I look my best, then stays with me during the entire photo shoot. Her fee is about $150, and the results are worth every penny. But you don't need to spend that kind of money if you don't have it. Just follow the tips above and you'll be fine.

Pay for as many shots as you can afford so you have a good selection of images from which to choose. Also, ask the photographer if the photo shoot can include one or two wardrobe changes.

In addition to the head shot, you might also consider a storytelling photo that shows you with "props" related to your event. A toy train collector who will be featured at a train show, for example, might be photographed behind his model train display. Weekly newspapers that don't have photo staffs would welcome these types of photos.

Ordering your photos

Most print and online publications use electronic photos, but some don't. So you should have several wallet-size photos and at least one 4-by-5 print on hand just in case someone asks for it. If you're mailing prints, attach a label to the back of the photo. It should include your name, address, phone number, email address and the year the photo was taken.

Never write on the backs of photos with a pen or felt-tip marker. If you are mailing more than one photo, slip a blank piece of paper between them. Sometimes the pressure of the post office's mailing equipment can cause the back of one picture to rub off onto the front of another.

I advise Publicity Hounds that when sending prints to publications, don't ask editors to return them. It makes you look cheap. Besides, you want to encourage them to keep the photos in their files for use months or even years later.

Make electronic versions available

If you're posting your photo to your website, you can scan it at 72 dots per inch and it will look fine.

But editors who want to use the photos in print publications will need the photo scanned at 300 dots per inch, at the size they want to use the photo or larger. That means you can't take a thumbnail-size headshot, scan it at 300 dots per inch and offer it to an editor who wants to use it at 2-by-3 inches. That editor needs at least a 2-by-3 photo scanned at 300 dpi. So make several sizes available. I make four sizes available scanned at 300 dots per inch. You can see how I offer it to editors by clicking here.

For most flexibility, offer a 4-by-5, color jpg scanned at 300 dpi. Any professional editor or publisher will be able to work with that. Some may use it in black and white, some may make it smaller, and some may lower the resolution.

I suggest you include your photos under a "Media Room" button on your home page so it's easy for editors to find what they're looking for.

And remember to smile!

Joan Stewart, also known as The Publicity Hound and a contributor to EzineArticles.com, writes a blog at http://www.PublicityHound.net and also publishes "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine on how to generate thousands of dollars in free publicity. Subscribe at her website at http://www.PublicityHound.com and receive free the handy checklist "89 Reasons to Send a News Release." She is writing an ebook on how to use photos and graphics in a publicity campaign.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_Stewart

Creating Portraits

2006-06-06T23:50:00.000-05:00

Creating Portraits
By Kenneth C. Hoffman

Portraits are not born, they are made. They are created in the mind of the artist from portions of the subject, experiences, lighting and composition. Some general parameters should be set early on.

A somber, serious mood is enhanced by dark background tones, contemplative expressions, loose low-toned clothing, and deep, but open shadows. A happy, carefree atmosphere is set more convincingly with light, airy background tones, piquant expressions, pastel casual clothing and soft, ubiquitous lighting.

Props should be kept to a minimum. Allowable is anything which will support the mood and which will not detract from the main subject. A high key portrait can be enhanced with a white wicker chair, a loose white flower arrangement out of focus in the background or a high-keyed landscape judiciously placed off center, blending with the other background tones. A large, dark sculptured bowl of red apples, a black poodle, or a dark-toned piece of furniture in the background would contrast too sharply with the generally light toned subject and background. Attention diverted to these items due to their strong intrusion in the composition is lost to the main subject and detracts from the ambiance.

Attention should be paid to the lines created by the subject and other components in the composition. Lines leading strongly out of the picture should be avoided. Rather use curves to bring the eye back to the main subject. Moveable items in the composition can be place to complete gap in a leading line so as to facilitate the eye in its movement around the work. Invisible paths of light can be created with the use of similar colors, a repeated pattern or item, or the play of light and shadow along an edge. Where possible choose components with care, preferring meaningful items which play a part in the life of the subject, rather than an object chosen solely for its shape and color. For instance, if the subject is a potter, choose an attractive urn instead of, say, an antique doll which has no place in the subject's interests.

The light that falls on the subject can be used to support the mood. Natural window light suggests an old master genre and the sharp golden rays of a small source of light created the highlights necessary for a mood with a positive spin. Any available light can create a beautiful portrait if the direction and ration of light to dark is controlled. Reflectors add light to a dark, shadowed area, scrims or shades can tone down a too-strong source. The direction or the main source of light should enhance the features by sending light into the eyes, outlining the jaw and cheek, and finding the proper areas to highlight. Additional highlights are supplied with back or side-back rays of light, as long as their effect does not invent unwanted facial highlights or block up needed detail. Pure rim lighting is fairly safe if used with care.

Forward planning a portrait gives the artist an important edge toward making a successful portrait. Proper clothing, location, time of day, weather and needed props go a long way in helping the artist concentrate on the critical tools present in the mind of the artist.

I search every face for strong and weak points.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_C._Hoffman

Portrait Photography : One of the Greatest Arts (Professional Photographers)

2006-06-02T08:42:00.000-05:00

Portrait Photography : One of the Greatest Arts (Professional Photographers)

Before doing any portrait photography there are some very important questions that any photographer should ask himself. What kind of light source it's going to be used? From what angle the light will fall on the subject? What film, camera and lens are best to use?

If you manage to answer all this questions before taking the photo then you will probably make quite a good portrait photography. But i know that you don't want a good portrait photography, you want a perfect one. So the best way to achieve this performance is to talk with the client trying to know him, his past, his desires. This way you can create distinctive portraits. If you want a real great portrait then you have to add a bit of the client's personality in the photo. This works very well especially when you make female portrait photography. You shouldn't look for a face that is over painted by a makeup artist. Try to surprise something that really represents the subject.

If you are wondering what to talk about with your clients then the answer is anything that will show you something distinctive for that person. Try to look for different face expressions and eye or mouth movement. When you see something beautiful keep it in mind and later capture it in your portraits. Belive me that studying the subject before making the portrait photography is the biggest secret in this art. Meeting with the client, building rapport, knowing the client, and planning the session are essential elements. So don't do the final session at the first meeting. After you are sure that you know everything you need to know to make a perfect portrait photography choose the best location and time of day and take the session.

I advice you to always use natural light if it's possible. Choosing the background it's also very important too. If the picture is to close then the background looses any meaning, if it's to far then the background will overwhelm the subject. So try not to merge the subject with the background in an indistinguishable shape.

From my point of view making portrait photography is the greatest art. I belive this because it's very different from making landscape photography or nature photography. When you make a photo you can make the subject to react to your wills and you really can control the picture.

So, in conclusion when it comes to portrait photography it all depends on how much you want the photo to be perfect and how dedicated you are to the art and the feeling of seeing that your client is really pleased.

Handmade Bridal Shower Invitations Can Reflect the Showers Theme

2006-05-29T20:34:00.000-05:00

Handmade Bridal Shower Invitations Can Reflect the Showers Theme
Handmade Bridal Shower Invitations serve a practical purpose, and you can make gorgeous invitations that reflect the bridal showers theme if you have the time and a bit of creativity. Youll impress the guests and heighten the sense of anticipation as they look forward to your party.

For any theme party, stick to the central idea and use it to design a simple but creative invitation. For a kitchen theme, for instance, you can cut out various shapes such as measuring cups, toasters, etc. A cute idea might be a toaster, with a slice of toast in a contrasting shade of construction paper popped into a slit. When they pull the toast out, all the information is written on it.

What about a beauty or spa theme? Just cut out invitations in the shape of hand mirrors and write the information on one side, then put aluminum foil on the other side for the mirrors surface. Or fan-shaped invitations of folded paper for a touch of the orient are nice, too.

A lingerie partys invitations can be written on invitations cut out in the shape of little bras or panties. If you really want to be festive, glue a bit of lace trim on each of the invitations to dress them up. Bridal shower invitations dont have to be boring!

If you are having a dressy or formal shower, use heavy stock paper from a stationary shop and print out your handmade invitations on your PC. Todays printing software packages include dozens of lovely fonts that you can coordinate for everything from place cards to the bridal shower invitations themselves.

After printing them out, place a sheet of sheer vellum (available at craft stores) over the top and cut to the same size. Punch two holes at the top and thread coordinating ribbon through, then tie in a bow. These are elegant and simple to make. You can choose ink and ribbon in colors to match your dcor or the wedding party.

A personal touch is always nice on an invitation, so dont forget to add a little something when youre ready to mail them out. For formal invitations, scatter just a bit glitter in silver or gold inside to match the trim. If you have a floral theme, find flower-shaped confetti and toss some in each envelope. Or if youre having a luau, tuck a single silk bloom into each one. Its the little touches that make them special!

Handmade Bridal Shower Invitations serve a practical purpose, and you can make gorgeous invitations that reflect the bridal showers theme if you have the time and a bit of creativity. Youll impress the guests and heighten the sense of anticipation as they look forward to your party.

For any theme party, stick to the central idea and use it to design a simple but creative invitation. For a kitchen theme, for instance, you can cut out various shapes such as measuring cups, toasters, etc. A cute idea might be a toaster, with a slice of toast in a contrasting shade of construction paper popped into a slit. When they pull the toast out, all the information is written on it.

What about a beauty or spa theme? Just cut out invitations in the shape of hand mirrors and write the information on one side, then put aluminum foil on the other side for the mirrors surface. Or fan-shaped invitations of folded paper for a touch of the orient are nice, too.

A lingerie partys invitations can be written on invitations cut out in the shape of little bras or panties. If you really want to be festive, glue a bit of lace trim on each of the invitations to dress them up. Bridal shower invitations dont have to be boring!

If you are having a dressy or formal shower, use heavy stock paper from a stationary shop and print out your handmade invitations on your PC. Todays printing software packages include dozens of lovely fonts that you can coordinate for everything from place cards to the bridal shower invitations themselves.

After printing them out, place a sheet of sheer vellum (available at craft stores) over the top and cut to the same size. Punch two holes at the top and thread coordinating ribbon through, then tie in a bow. These are elegant and simple to make. You can choose ink and ribbon in colors to match your dcor or the wedding party.

A personal touch is always nice on an invitation, so dont forget to add a little something when youre ready to mail them out. For formal invitations, scatter just a bit glitter in silver or gold inside to match the trim. If you have a floral theme, find flower-shaped confetti and toss some in each envelope. Or if youre having a luau, tuck a single silk bloom into each one. Its the little touches that make them special!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Doetsch is editor at eBridalShowers.com where you will find further advice on planning a bridal shower. Find ideas and have fun with our helpful tips, bridal articles, wedding directory and much more

Specializing in Graduation and Senior Portrait Photography

2006-05-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

Senior Portrait Photography

Specializing in Graduation and Senior Portrait Photography

Don't hesitate!

Call for your appointment today

Truthfully, the only difference between you and Studio Portraits for Seniors experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to Studio Portraits for Seniors.

We are professional portrait photographers. Graduation portrait photography is a very important time in a high school student's life. A creative portrait photographer should be the first professional a high school student graduate looks for while planning to graduate from high school. It is always a great idea to hire a senior portrait photographer at least 2 months before your graduation. Most of the creative photographers are available at anytime.

Tips For Awesome Looking Pet Portraits

2006-05-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

Tips For Awesome Looking Pet Portraits
By Chadder McD.

We love our pets. They do such cute, adorable, and funny things. They are more often than not, an integral part of our family. As such, you probably want to capture your beloved friend with great pet pictures. What if, when you go to take those perfect pet portraits, they run and hide, or simply won't cooperate? In this article we give some great tips to help you next time you go for that dog photo or pet picture of your best friend.

Here are some tips to help you to get some great pet pictures.

1. The first and most important step that will help the most is training. Your pet does not need to enroll for a 4-year pet school degree with an online dog picture heralding his success, but some simple commands will help. Simple commands like stand, stay, lay down or sit are easy to teach, with some patience added, and will help in taking your pet pictures.

2. Awaking a pet out of a deep sleep and forcing him to face a camera will not give you good results. If you wish to take pictures of your pet, try to take photos while they are playing or relaxing by that nicely lit window. It's a good idea to have your camera nearby at all times, not just one moment when you decide now is the time to have pet portraits. Take some time with it.

3. Using natural lighting is best. If enough, do not use your flash. Pets often times do not like the flash of a camera; they can learn to squint or run away when they see that camera come out.

4. If your pet is already camera-shy, try being as discreet as possible by not making it so obvious to your pet that you are up to something. Of course, with a cat this can be easier considering the attention span of a cat, but then again, they can be more wise to your ways, knowing that you are indeed up to something...it all depends on the personality of the pet. You can get a great, expressional dog photo just by saying the right word, in the right tone of voice, to a dog, but nice try with a cat.

Go for a nice, sophisticated shot of your cat if he's a snob. (Remember, you want to capture the essence of your pet in the best 'light' possible. If your cat does not fit that stereotype, a relaxed, playful or 'thoughtful' look is great. That's applies not just to cats, but dogs and whatnot too...well, maybe not if your pet is...oh, a snake perhaps.

5. If you are looking for that thoughtful or playful look, look to a friend or family member to help. A string with catnip or honeysuckle works great for a cat, squeaky toys work well with dogs.

6. Stay patient. If you are getting frustrated, time to take a break. It should be a fun, enjoyable time. You want to remember your pet...not the day you worked up a sweat, dusted the floor with your clothes, banged your knee, and yelled at your kids or whatever else trying to get that perfect dog photo. Plus, your pets can pick up on your stress and they may start to associate that camera, or how YOU behave with that camera with a bad time...like teenagers during family portrait time...NOT fun usually.

7. Take your pets coloring into consideration when choosing backgrounds. The less 'busy' the scene, the better, as well.

Remember; do not put pressure on your pet to face the camera. If you do want a shot looking directly into the camera, best way to achieve this is by first getting the camera and crop prepared. Once ready to 'snap', a louder, unusual sound just before shooting, works best for dogs. A soft, quiet sound, works best for cats to get their attention.

Be prepared to take a lot of bad photos to get a really good one. It will be better if you use a digital camera. With a digital camera you have lots of room for trial and error. You will be able to select your favorites and dispose the rest. Of course, that can be a problem too. If you are anything like me, you hate to erase any photos of your pet.

Most of all see it as fun, not a chore and before you know it you'll have awesome looking perfect pet portraits of your pet and maybe other pets too!

Submitted by Chad McDonald for the fun loving dog owner who is trying to find an online dog picture or simply looking for more dog picture information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chadder_McD

Top Wedding Decoration Themes - Easily Make Your Own Decorations for Cheap!

2006-04-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

Great Wedding Decoration Themes

Are you planning your wedding on your own? This scan be a huge undertaking but also a lot of fun. It will allow you to customize and create every tiny detail for that special day. One of the most difficult parts of planning a wedding is the wedding decorations. If you are planning out your wedding already then you are probably the do it yourself type of person and will want to find ways to make your own wedding decorations for cheap. However you don’t want them to look cheap. Below are a collection of different ideas that you can use while planning your wedding decorations.

Wedding Decoration with Balloons When done carefully balloons can be a wonderful decoration for a wedding. They set a light and celebratory mood for the guests and are yet very classy looking. Typically you will want to stick with white and pale or pastel types of colors for the balloons. You might want to plan the balloons to match the colors or theme of your wedding and even the bridesmaid dresses. Keep in mind that this does not have to be an exact match of colors but you want colors in a similar range. So if the bridesmaid dresses are a dark purple then you will want the balloons to be in a range of purple colors.

Another great benefit of using balloons for as part of the wedding decorations is they can easily be taken from the church to the wedding reception. In fact if you really want to save money while still looking classy you can easily do a large balloon arch at the wedding and then break the arch down into smaller pieces or groups of five or six balloons and then make these into table centerpiece for the reception. This comes with one piece of advice though. If you are the bride and groom don’t try to take the arch down yourself, instead enlist the help of a few friends.

Wedding Decorations using Flower Of course everyone has seen the flower as part of a wedding decoration. This is honestly nothing new. However many people really like a more traditional look and something more timeless then the light and fun environment created by balloons. In that case flowers are the way to go. You can easily by flowers in bulk from a local florist or even a grower and then make your decorations including table centerpieces, decorations for the pews and alter and so on a day or so ahead. This will be a little more expensive typically then balloons but the mood that it sets in the chapel or church and again at the reception is well worth it. Again if you plan ahead some of the decorations from the church can be broken down into small pieces and then used as table decorations.

Wedding Decoration and Pictures Pictures are a wonderful way to really add to the decorations both at the church and the reception. Often the wedding guests have not sent he bride and groom for a while and seeing updated and recent pictures of the couple together can be a nice touch. It makes those long lost cousins and relatives feel like they have shared a part of your life. It does not take much but a few well placed large pictures of the bride and groom can really add a lot. You will most likely want to vary the pictures, poses and setting that the pictures were taken in. it is nice to mix both formal pictures with fun family photos also. This gives the guests a real feel of sharing in your life. Once again pictures are a easy decoration that can be used again at the reception. In fact you might not feel comfortable using the pictures at the actual wedding and if that is the case don’t worry just use the pictures as wedding reception decorations.

Butterfly Wedding Decoration A trend that has been growing for many modern weddings is a butterfly release. Instead of throwing the traditional rice a release of butterflies as the new couple exists the church can be a wonderful and classy touch. The butterflies will make for wonderful wedding pictures, this is harmless to the environment and it creates a beautiful display of color. You might want to pick up on the butterfly theme even more and use butterflies and butterfly graphics in decoration the reception room. There are a ton of places online and in local craft stores that you can find all kinds of great butterfly resources to use for decorating a reception hall. For example napkin rings with butterflies in them can easily carry the theme. It is often just a light touch and a few nice quality pieces are all that is need to carry a theme.

These are just a few of the fun ideas that you can use to make your own wedding decorations for much cheaper then buying them. Often if you search around the internet for wholesale or discount wedding decorations you can find great deals on things. By being creative and putting in a little elbow grease yourself you can easily save a ton of money and have a completely original wedding. Unique wedding decorations really add the extra touch of class that everyone will rave about for a long time to come.

Plan Best Wedding. A great resource for: wedding planning articles including wedding decorations using butterflies, balloons, pictures or flowers and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

Finding a Digital Camera at Wholesale Price Without Getting Swindled

2006-03-26T21:45:00.000-06:00

Finding a Digital Camera at Wholesale Price Without Getting Swindled

When you think about Digital Photography and Cameras, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Digital Photography and Cameras are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

There is a vast number of different makes and models of digital cameras, and thousands of companies online selling digital cameras. So how do you sort through all the information to find a great digital camera at a wholesale price? Digital cameras are available in several price points and can be purchased wholesale or retail. So, what do you do if you want the best at the cheapest price?

Let the internet help you. There are numerous internet services called “price comparison engines” that search the internet for the best available price on any product. All you have to do is type in what you are looking for. It is a good idea to check on about ten different price comparison search engines so that you find the absolute best prices. This however only works if you know exactly what you are looking for. If you aren’t sure what make you want you will want to do some preliminary research. Go to electronics stores and try different cameras out. This will help you get a feel for what features you want or dislike and can do without.

Another option is to talk to friends and family and see if there are at least a few people that are also looking for a digital camera. If you can find a camera you all agree on and buy more than one camera with the same information you will most likely be able to get a better deal. Manufacturers give some generous discounts for buyers purchasing more than one item at a time.

Looking for wholesale prices can bring up some less than reliable companies promising items at amazing prices. Before you buy anything or give any information make sure you check out the company or website to be sure they are legitimate. Watch out for these signs when looking for a cheap digital camera.

·Drop Shipping Agents are a middleman. You will be spending more money through them then you would if you bought the camera directly from a wholesale company. Drop shipping agents never own their own warehouses, but they may constantly try to convince you they do.

Think about what you've read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Digital Photography and Cameras? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

·Do not get pulled into buying a list from a website that supposedly gives you information about wholesalers. Most of the time this information is free from other sources or very outdated.

·Online auction sites can be a great way to find a cheap digital camera but beware, most scams involving wholesale digital cameras are run through these types of sites. Do as much research as you possibly can, and be weary of sellers with hundreds of cameras to sell. If a seller asks you to send a money wire, don’t do it. There is very little that can be done to get your money back if it is sent this way.

Chris Simons is a prolific freelance writer. You are welcomed to visit http://digital-cameras.theconsumerguide.net, for more information on Digital Cameras.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Simons

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Tips On Finding A Los Angeles Photographer

2006-03-26T21:19:00.000-06:00

Finding Senior Portraits and Photographers
Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with Senior Portraits? This informative report can give you an insight into everything you've ever wanted to know about Senior Portraits.
How do you find a Los Angeles Photographer for that special occasion at a price I can afford? As if moving to Los Angeles isn’t difficult enough in and of itself, there is always the hassle of getting things done when you don’t know anyone to cope with. So to find a Los Angeles Photographer, or any other service for that matter, in the town, there are some steps I always take to make sure I get what I want at the price I want.

When it comes to service providers, like a Los Angeles photographer, the first step you should do is to figure out exactly what you want. In the case of a Los Angeles photographer, you will need to determine whether you are going to have portraits done, candid photos as a party, or formal pictures and portraits at an event like a wedding or graduation. Once you determine what exactly you need out of a Los Angeles photographer, you will have an easier time looking for someone who fits your specific needs.

Next, you need to do your homework. Get out your yellow pages and look up photographers. It seems like an elementary way of locating a good Los Angeles photographer, but it is a necessity to get started. Find a few that look good to you based on the ad and what it looks like they specialize in. Once you have scoured your yellow pages thoroughly, check out the internet. Look up Los Angeles photographers in a search engine or business directory and look for more places you can check out. Also, you may want to look up the ones you have chosen from the yellow pages to see if they have a website. Often the sites have sample photos, portfolios, and the like which can help you to make an informed decision about the photographer that will work best for you.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:
Last comes the calls. Once you have narrowed your list of Los Angeles photographers down, you should start making calls. Talk to the photographer, find out about availability, find out about prices, and get a feel for the business. You want someone you feel comfortable with, so it is okay to just go a little bit on gut feeling. In addition, you should ask about additional services, like video or album creation. Once you have talked to all of the photographers on your list you will likely have a fairly easy time making your decision. Choose someone you have confidence in and feel comfortable with and you won’t go wrong.

Moving to a new city can be incredibly difficult. Having to find a service provider in that city, then, can be equally as daunting. However, finding a Los Angeles photographer or any other services provider doesn’t have to be that bad. By taking three simple steps, you will have done your homework and be able to book a photographer that meets your needs at the price you are looking for. Take your time and work with confidence and you will find your Los Angeles photographer in no time.
If you would like to find more of my personal articles on california photographers please check out my website on photographers!

When word gets around about your command of Senior Portraits facts, others who need to know about Senior Portraits will start to actively seek you out.

Basics of Digital Portrait Photography

2006-03-25T20:31:00.000-06:00

Basics of Digital Portrait Photography

Basics of the Digital CameraBy Stephen Orgill

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Digital Camera Basics, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Digital Camera Basics.

Like most things in life when your experiencing something for the first time you are often unsure how to go about it. The same can be true when buying your first digital camera. You will undoubtedly be inundated with facts, figure and more jargon than you know what to do with. We will attempt in this article to help you along with some of the jargon and show you what to look for when buying a digital camera. Some of the feature may not interest you unless you need your camera to perform specific tasks, however its always worth knowing exactly what you are buying so you can pick a good deal when you see one.
Megapixels
The resolution of a camera is measured and advertised in megapixels. The idea behind this figure is the number of pixels that the camera has to take an image with. In this case the higher the number the better quality of picture you will be able to take. For example if you purchase a camera that has a resolution of 4 Megapixels, pictures that you take with that camera will be able to take images made up of 4 million pixels. Its obvious when you think about that a camera with a 2 megapixel resolution will not create as image as crisp or as detailed as the 4 megapixel one.

If you often print out your images on your PC or have them sent away to be printed then the megapixel rating of your camera can be very important to you. Higher megapixels on your camera will allow you to make prints larger in size while still keeping the quality. If you try to print a picture too large than what you camera was designed for then the image drastically loses quality.

The last thing to know about megapixels is the higher the resolution you take pictures in the more space on your memory card will be taken up. A picture taken on a 4 megapixel camera will need twice as much space on a memory card as a picture taken on a 2 megapixel camera. Be sure if you want quality pictures have enough memory on your camera to back it up., Either that or have spare media cards to plug in once your space has been used up.
Digital Zoom and Optical Zoom

No doubt when you are buying a camera you will want some sort of zoom function to take those in the distance shots. This is a troublesome area for some first time buyers. There are two types of zoom on the market for digital cameras. Digital Zoom and Optical Zoom. The only one that really matters is Optical zoom, this is true a true zoom function that brings the objects closer to you using the optics of the camera. Digital Zoom is like using the zoom function on an image editing software package. It enlarges a section of the image so it looks as if its closer to you.
Anything you can do with digital zoom you can do with a photo editing package so don't splash too much money on a camera with digital zoom only. Sometimes you will also so "total zoom" advertised this means the number that is quoted here is the optical zooms magnification added to the digital zooms magnification. Try to find out the magnification level of the optical zoom alone for the true value of the camera.

Aperture Size
We may be going a little further here than some of you would like to care about but bear with us as the aperture size can make a big impact on your pictures. The size of the aperture determines exactly how much light is let into the camera when your picture is taken. Think of the aperture like the iris of your eye. No big deal you may think, however having more light allows you take better pictures in a variety of lighting condition, cloudy days is a perfect example.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Digital Camera Basics now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.
With a large enough aperture you would be less likely to need the flash, personally I don't like to use the flash function, the artificial flash of light does not always do justice to the picture you are trying to take. Also effects like red eye are also common.

Shutter Speed
Great effects can be made to images using a variety of shutter speeds. The thing to look for when buying a decent digital camera in terms of shutter speeds is the broadest range you can find. This will give you the best chance of manipulating the picture the way you want it. Combined with a pro-active aperture the shutter speed can make pictures come to life or freeze images in an instant.

This technique is great when you want to take moving objects exactly how they look as if they were still. Setting the shutter speed on a slower setting gives more exposure to the CCD (charge coupled device - the digital equivalent of film). The effect is that the picture almost seems to run. Moving objects are slightly blurred. You may think this is a bad thing but take an example of running water leaving the shutter speed on for longer will soften the image creating a pleasing image to the eye much like the way a waterfall appears in real life.
You can take digital photography to the extreme with a camera that has a very wide range of shutter speeds. With an incredibly slow shutter speed, you can have a long exposure of light to the CCD and hence receive like the famous traffic scenes where the headlights blend into each other into a constant stream.

Storage Media
Digital Cameras come with a slot for a variety of media cards. Check when you buy your camera what type of storage media it requires. There are several popular types including Smart Media, compact flash and xD picture cards. As long as you know what type your is you should be able to safely by the correct type. Always ask at your local store if you are unsure. If you give them your make and model they should be able to point you in the right direction.

The size of the media card you choose depends on your budget but get as much as you can afford. More memory means that you don't have to change media cards, and you will be able to take pictures in the highest quality all the time. You will soon learn the benefits of having plenty storage space when you start to use your camera regularly.

The good thing about cameras media is that its just like a film if you do run out you can simply insert another one if you have one with you. It can be a bit of a pain when downloading your pictures to your PC but much less more of a pain than having to delete some picture because you have run of space on your media card.

Stephen OrgillEditor - http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk Computer related hardware articles and component reviews
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Orgill
Knowing enough about Digital Camera Basics to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you've just learned about Digital Camera Basics, you should have nothing to worry about.

Portraits with Digital Cameras

2006-03-25T20:29:00.000-06:00

Portraits with Digital Cameras

So what is Digital Cameras really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Digital Cameras--info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.
Dots Per Inch is a useful measure of relative resolution. But if you don't know the image size in inches or some other measure of size, then the amount of dots per inch doesn't mean much. That's why DPI is used in conjunction with scanner Specifications, because you know that the size is going to be 3.8 by 1.7 inches!

Different resolutions are used for different purposes. 72 or 75 DPI for screen viewing; 250 for digital photography and 300 dpi for printing. See how this is a nice comparison, yes, you can get away with 50 less pixels per inch in your photographs than would be required for A4 printing, this is because of the physical size of the photo!rnrnDots Per Inch specifies how much information is resolved in a picture, whereas the number of megapixels is usually used to describe the total output size (in pixels) of an image.

Example: I want to reproduce the standard photograph size. This would be 6 by 4 inches. Digital photography requires a minimum of only about 250dpi, So: 6 * 250 = 1500 and 4 * 250 = 1000, so you need an image sized about 1500 * 1000 pixels (about 1.5 megapixels). Thus you can get a perfectly good standard print from a 1.5 megapixel camera! rnrnIf you take a photo twice, one at 5 and the other at 1.5 megapixels, than ask your self which one looks "better"? They will both look reasonable because your computer generates colours such that the image looks better than it really is; if you were to print both as a 6 by 4 image, they will look identical, because your printer can't generate more than 300 dpi so the "better" image is effectively reduced in quality anyway. This example demonstrates how it is possible to literally waste memory, ie for everyday use the additional memory required for the other 4 megapixcels gives you no real benefit!

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Digital Cameras story from informed sources.
This is quite good because a 36 Megabyte media card can store 50 to 65 images at 1.3 megapixcels but only 8 to 10 at 5 megapixcels, so unless you are planning on getting your images printed larger than 6 by 4 there's no real advantage to the full 5 megapixcels.
Now we have established that a 1.5 megapixel camera will produce a 6 by 4 inch standard photograph, that is, it will generate a resolution such that each pixel is simply reproduced "as is", we come to the more interesting issue of enlargement.

If you wanted to print your 6 by 4 inch image as a 10 by 8 photo (which would normally need the full 5 megapixels), there would not be a sufficient number of pixels for the additional surface area, so we now need to scale up the existing pixels by "resampling" the existing pixels, a process which estimates how the "missing" pixels should appear, and fills them with the appropriate "colour".
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Hart
That's the latest from the Digital Cameras authorities. Once you're familiar with these ideas, you'll be ready to move to the next level.

Photography for Seniors and Graduation

2006-03-17T19:48:00.000-06:00

Photography for Seniors and Graduation
When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

Looks like film will soon become extinct. With digital photography at everyone's disposal, expect it to happen soon.

Using digital cameras have eliminated the need to use film in photo taking. Why many use digital is quite obvious. People can easily capture photos, save them and see the final results in seconds. Instantly, pictures can be shared to other computer users through the Internet.
Photos can be edited through some program in the computer. Minimizing and adding features in photos depending on what you like. In addition, the quality of printed digital photographs is unsurpassed. You can never get precision, vividness and life-like pictures anywhere than by using digital gadgetries. This you can achieve by having professional printers do the work for you.

But then a lot of computer users do not know that they can achieve professional-looking photo prints themselves in the comfort of their own home. By using quality color printer, this is very much possible. Granted the you have the best photo printer available, but if you are printing them on regular paper, the result would not be near as good as a professionally done one.
If you are quality-conscious of how your photos will look like, consider four things when choosing paper suited for your digital photographs.

1. Paper whiteness. The whites the paper used, the livelier and more vibrant pictures will look. White paper generates sharp images and lively colors. This is a crucial element in producing high-quality photo prints.

2. Paper thickness. You need to know how to balance the paper you are using. Use one that you think is thick enough to make your pictures appear alive but is not very thick that you cannot feed it to your printer. Choose the one that is capable of these two considerations.
So far, we've uncovered some interesting facts about Senior Portraits and Photographers. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

3. Paper exterior. Gloss and matte are two paper surfaces to choose from. Glossy paper produces great color but is susceptive to fingerprints. Matte paper gives less lively colors but is not sensitive to irregular handling.

4. Paper size. You can get the regular paper size you are used to when developing films.
When choosing the paper that will suit your photo prints perfectly, it is best to go with what printer manufacturers suggest. Many of them have already developed the kind of paper that is a perfect combination to the printer used.
Consider these things and you will have photo prints that look like they have come straight from a professional printer.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.digitalprintingcompany.com

About the AuthorFlorie Lyn Masarate got the flair for reading and writing when she got her first subscription of the school newsletter in kindergarten. She had her first article published on that same newsletter in the third grade.
Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Creating Unique Automotive T-shirt Pictures - Photography

2006-03-10T12:31:00.000-06:00

Creating Unique Automotive T-shirt Pictures By Anthony Palmieri

Creating Unique Portraits with Your Photography
Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Portraits and Photgoraphy. When you start sharing the fascinating Portraits and Photgoraphy facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

A low cost digital camera coupled with some imagination can open the door for you to create unique picture clothing with images of your family and pets all the way to your special autos and motorcycles. For a few years now the home user could use special iron-on transfer paper to print a picture on a home printer then iron it on to clothing. It looks great initially, however, it tends to be stiff, and after a few washes fades. High end T-shirt printing was expensive, and restricted to large companies that were making many many of the same T-shirt. As with most technologies, as they evolve they improve and become less expensive.

The most common technique for printing onto fabrics was silk screening, which is an expensive processes that is not cost effective for an individual looking to create only one or two shirts. A process called sublimation has gained more popularity and is available through many of the on-line development houses. Sublimation uses special inks called sublimation ink. This ink is used to print your photograph on a special transfer paper, and that along with heat, and pressure transfers the image to a variety of materials such as cotton and polyester (T-shirts ), metals, plastics, ceramics, and special high temperature plastics such as Plexiglas, Mylar or melamine. Sublimation ink is unique where it has the ability to convert from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid form moving into the fibers of the fabric. This conversion and ink transfer process creates a crisp color with a highly defined image that is very durable.

Now that you the individual, have all this capability available, what can you do with it? The basic starting point is to take a digital picture and send it as is to one of these houses to create a standard photo shirt. Lets go beyond the standard picture and create custom pieces of art for yourself that you can proudly wear.

Software packages like Adobe Photoshop have many capabilities that allow you to customize your pictures. The question often asked is well what should I do? The intent of this article is to give you a few ideas to spark your creativity and see what fits your personality. Our focus at www.PalmieriConcepts.com has been on automotive art, so we will use automobiles for examples, although these ideas can be applied to family portraits, pictures of your loving pets, and even landscapes. You can exchange the word "car" for dog, cat, boat, girlfriend, etc.
When you are taking a picture of your car, do not just think about what you see in the viewfinder, but think about the final composition. Also think about other T-shirts that you have seen and what you liked and disliked. A few questions to consider are:

1. Will the car be a stand alone in the picture?2. Will there be multiple images of the car merged together?3. Will there be multiple cars?4. Will there be different elements of the car used such as emblems?5. Can the car be used as both a background element as well as a foreground element (Car overlaid over the engine as a background.)?6. What unique features stand out?7. What angles will look best? (Stand on a ladder to get that down view.) …. and the list goes on.
Taking a digital picture does not cost you anything until you print it out, so I recommend that you take many pictures at different angles, and of all key elements. Looking through the viewfinder gives you only one perspective of the final picture, however, once the image is on your computer screen your mind will open the door to an unlimited world.

Things to consider when looking and photographing a car:1. Is there a large surface such as a sloping trunk with a minimal amount of details? If so, this may make a great background where you could overlay a side view of the car on the trunk. To add to the personalized component, keep the license place in the picture so it ties the picture to the owner.

2. Are there any distinctive features such as a massive open grill as on many pre 1965 cars? This may also make a great background to overlay a side view of the car in the grill. Keeping any logos or license plate adds to the personalized impact.

3. Many of the older cars have trim pieces that are art in themselves. Take for example a 1958 Bel Air. The front fenders and sides have bullet like trim that would make a great border.
4. Do not just focus on the exterior of the car, think about the interior. How about those detailed and distinctive dash boards and large buss like steering wheels. These also make a great backgrounds. Imagine the car centered in the steering wheel where you get a glimpse of the gages. Or for that fantasy effect for a performance car, edit the speedometer to show a high speed, and slightly blur the car to represent the speed.

The more authentic information about Portraits and Photgoraphy you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Portraits and Photgoraphy expert. Read on for even more Portraits and Photgoraphy facts that you can share.

The points above are general picture guidelines, but when composing a picture for print on a fabric you must remember that fabric does not have the depth and color representation of photo paper to show the details. Fabric also has a matt finish so these additional points must be kept in mind.
1. Keep the T-shirt image less busy, meaning, focus on the car image, and less of background.

2. To minimize a hard edge around a square picture, have the picture blurred or faded around the edges so it fades into the fabric, This can be done by taking a straight edge and adding 10 pixels (on a 200 DPI) of fade, or even creating an irregular outline like a irregular cloud fading into a fabric.

3. Try to make the foreground bold colors "BOLD" so the car stands out.

4. Complement the picture with some descriptive text to further personalize it, even if it is just the year of the car, or if you are lucky to have 2 of more cars, even a saying such as "Just cant have one!"

5. Lastly, remember to add that small text at the bottom with your name for the added personal touch.

This is a brief list of things to consider, and in time your mind will run with the endless possibilities. Your biggest challenge will be to weed through those ideas, do some experimenting and pick the best ones.

For some examples of what is described here, refer to www.PalmieriConcepts.com in the "Examples" and "T-shirt" sections. Look at these examples think about how you can apply these to your own work. Have fun!

Anthony Palmieri founded Palmieri Concepts after 20 years of creating custom art work for his own pleasure and enjoyment. This business grew out of a love for motor vehicles and was started to share with others what started out as a hobby. After taking how 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 trophies as he has done. He has also written numerous articles on automotive art and collector car photography.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Palmieri

Now that wasn't hard at all, was it? And you've earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert's word on Portraits and Photgoraphy.

Beach Vacation Photo Tips - Make Your Vacation AND Photos Memorable

2006-03-10T11:34:00.000-06:00

Beach Vacation Photo Tips - Make Your Vacation AND Photos Memorable By Robert Bezman

Getting the best family portrait photography

Current info about Unique Family Portraits is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Unique Family Portraits info available.
Most people, who go on a family beach vacation, take plenty of photographs.

Once you're home and you view or print them out; are you ecstatic, bored, or disappointed? Be honest, now!
Does this sound familiar… You arrive at your destination, check the place out, and quickly change to go to the beach. Happily, you've remembered to take your sun block, nose plugs, and bathing suit. Maybe you remembered your camera, maybe you didn't.
Going on a family beach vacation brings up contradicting desires. On the one hand, you want everyone to have a wonderful, fun, relaxing, memorable vacation. On the other hand, most people don't want to do what's required to preserve the memories.

We will show you how to have the best of both worlds. By providing photography tips, you can capture outstanding beach vacation pictures, enjoy taking the photos, and ensure that when you look at the photos at home, you won't be thinking: "Was this OUR vacation!?!"

Can’t-Miss Beach Vacation Photo Tips
1) Packing the Right Equipment
When you pack for your dream beach vacation, remember these essential items: Camera, batteries, memory cards, camera case, battery chargers, external flash (if available), tripod, and portable digital storage device. If you have an abundance of memory, you can leave the storage device at home.

2) Consider These Purchases
I know… you’re already spending more than you want to on the vacation. So the last thing you want is some stranger suggesting you spend more on photo accessories. But, read on and find out what these low cost accessories will do for you before you skip to Tip #3.
Consider purchasing a circular polarizer filter for your lens. STRONGLY consider it! It will be one of the least expensive accessories you can buy, and you will LOVE the results. What are the results? A bluer sky, the ability to see objects under water, and creating colors that will “pop” off the page.

3) Insurance
Do you have insurance on your possessions? Did your camera cost more than $25.00? Then do yourself a big favor and buy a UV filter to place over your lens for protection. If your lens becomes damaged, your camera is ruined. You can probably get a good UV filter for under $20.00.

4) The Magical Landscape Shot
See how much you can learn about Unique Family Portraits when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information.
If there are colorful bluffs, harbors, or other landscape picture opportunities on your beach vacation, you want to capture them, of course. Not only that, but wouldn't it also be impressive to add some family member(s) to the shot and have the people AND the background in focus?
Set your F-stop for a high number (at least F-11, or at the "infinity" or "landscape" setting of your camera). Position the people in the foreground, the landscape in the background. Focus on your human subject(s), while being at least 15 feet away (25 is even better, if you have a telephoto).
Adjust the circular polarizer filter to obtain the desired shade of blue in the sky. Skip this step if you didn’t purchase a filter. Don’t worry, though. If you don’t like the vividness of the sky after the print is developed, you can always take out a magic marker and color the sky. (You didn’t hear that from me.)
Finally, gently squeeze the shutter and… voila! A perfect “postcard” photograph.

5) Silhouettes
Silhouette beach vacation pictures (or, non-beach vacation pictures for that matter) produce one of the most artistic and/or emotional-looking photographs possible. Most people never take silhouette photographs, and yet, they are just as easy as photographs taken during the day light.
The best time to take silhouette photos is from approximately 1 hour before sunset, to ½ hour after sunset. Use evaluative or matrix metering (which is probably your default metering mode anyway), and focus on the HUMAN SUBJECTS, with plenty of the cloud-filled sky in the background. Then compose the shot, as desired.

Did I mention that sunset shots without clouds are fairly disappointing? Sort of like winning the lottery and losing the ticket.

The silhouette effect results from the camera thinking the overall scene is brighter than it is, and therefore under-exposes the dark areas (human subjects).
To see sample photos and additional tips, check out http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com/beach-vacation.html.
Article courtesy of http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com, where you can see numerous sample pictures & photography tips on many subjects and events.

Copyright 2005 Robert Bezman. All rights reserved.
Robert Bezman is a professional photographer and owner of Custom Photographic Expressions. Robert has created http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com to help the digital photography users create better photographs. Robert has a blog at http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com/family-photography-news.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Bezman
That's how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

Digital Photography Terminology

2006-03-06T08:35:00.000-06:00

Here's lesson 14 of "What You MUST Know To Get The RightDigital Camera!"

Digital Senior Portraits Photography Terminology — What Do All Those Strange Words Mean?
This section on digital photography terminology brings us tothe last lesson in our mini-course — the language andterminology of digital photography.
Digital photography includes many terms not used intraditional photography. If you've been wondering what some ofthem mean, here's a short glossary that could help you betterunderstand advertisements and reviews of digital cameras:
Digital Camera Terminology — What Do All Those Words Mean?
Aperture — An adjustable diaphragm of overlapping blades thatadjust the size of the lens opening.

Automatic Mode — A setting that sets the focus, exposure andwhite-balance automatically.
Burst Mode or Continuous Capture Mode — a series of picturestaken one after another at quickly timed intervals with onepress of the shutter button. It's perfect for action shotsbecause it eliminates lag time for a series of pictures.
CCD — A light sensitive chip that converts light intoelectrical charges.

CMOS — Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors (pronouncedSeemoss). Refers to a standard manufacturing process of makingchips for computer microprocessors and memory. This process isalso used in digital cameras.
Compression — The process of compacting digital data, imagesand text by deleting selected information.

Digital Zoom — Cropping and magnifying the center part of animage.
Dynamic Range — The ratio between the brightest and darkestparts of an image or scene.
JPEG — The predominant format used for image compression indigital cameras that compresses digital picture information toits lowest common value. It produces relatively small filesfrom large amounts of image data by discarding certaininformation (lossy).
Lag Time — The pause between the time the shutter button ispressed and when the camera actually captures the image(exposes the shot). Lag time varies according to camera model.
LCD — (Liquid-Crystal Display) is a small screen on a digitalcamera (like a miniature computer monitor) for viewing images.Once the image leaves the CCD sensor, it can be viewed on theLCD to check for accurate composition and exposure.

Lens — A circular and transparent glass or plastic piece thathas the function of collecting light and focusing it on thesensor to capture the image.

Megabyte — (MB) Measures 1024 Kilobytes, and refers to theamount of information in a file, or how much information canbe contained on a Memory Card, Hard Drive or Disk.
Menu — A listing of camera functions usually displayed on theLCD screen.
Metering — The autoexposure mechanism that "measures" thelight in the scene and determines the optimum exposure for theimage, which allows compensation for difficult lightingsituations.

Noise — The visible effects of electronic interference in thefinal image from a digital camera appearing as random spots,dots, or flecks of dust.
Optical Zoom — The magnification difference between minimumand maximum focal lengths in the lens system.

Pixels — Tiny units of color that make up digital pictures.Pixels also measure digital resolution. One million pixelsadds up to one megapixel.

RAM — Random Access Memory, the volatile memory used totemporarily store information for processing.

RAW —A lossless image format that captures raw data as itcomes directly off the CCD, without in-camera processing,resulting in smaller files than TIFF. (Lossless means pixelsare not discarded.) RAW files require a plugin to open.

RGB — Refers to Red, Green, Blue colors used on computers tocreate all other colors.
Resolution — Camera resolution describes the number of pixelsused to create the image, which determines the amount ofdetail a camera can capture. The more pixels a camera has, themore detail it can register and the larger the picture can beprinted. Monitor and printer resolution are different fromcamera resolution.

Scene Modes — Preset exposure/shutter speed combinations whichinclude white balance and exposure compensation.

Storage Card — The removable storage device which holds imagestaken with the camera, comparable to film, but much smaller.Also called a digital camera memory card.
Thumbnail Index — A page that displays 9 or more miniaturedigital pictures in a grid. It can be compared to "contactsheets" of traditional photography.

TIFF — Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), an industry standardraster file format consisting of the image and headerinformation. It is a "lossless" image format that doesn'tthrow away information in the compression process.
Viewfinder — The optical "window" to look through to composethe scene. It can be optical, electrical, or TT.

San Antonio Senior Digital Portraits

White Balance — White balancing adjusts the camera tocompensate for the type of light (daylight, fluorescent,incandescent, etc.,) or lighting conditions in the scene so itwill look normal to the human eye.

You'll find these terms and many more discussed in much greater depth in "Master Your Digital Camera in Four Easy Steps:" http://hop.clickbank.net/?photograph/dazzlepics
Here's what Leanne Carson-Boyd, Art Institute Online teachersays about this highly informative ebook:
"I'm blown away with the incredible work of this book! It hasa flow to it that is a perfect blend of the technical withthe conversational.
It's definitely going to fill a gap for many! It's writtenin such candid, "earthly" language. I really don't see a lotout there that addresses this quickly changing technology. "And here's what guitarist Robby LeBlanc, (RobbyLeBlanc.com) shares:
"I was completely confused about what I needed in a digitalcamera before I came across your book, 'Master Your DigitalCamera In Four Easy Steps.'
I couldn't tear myself away from it. I was blown away by allthe valuable info you crammed into it... I had NO idea!
After reading your chapter on how to buy a digital camera, Irealized I was about to make a big purchasing mistake.Instead, I went out and got exactly what I needed for a lotless!
Thanks for helping out the complete digital photographynewbie!"--------------------------------------------
Marketing consultant Ken Giddens appreciates the help it gave him in creating product shots:
"Taking product shots has been a constant challenge andfrustration for myself and my clients. This is the firstbook I have found that gives solid how-to advice and tips ontaking great digital camera product shots for ecommercewebsites without having to hire an expensive photographer. "

Go to the link now and take a look at how much time andeffort this information can save you... and how much your digital pictures can improve:

And don't forget to sign up for the Digicam Newsletter.You'll get news, reviews, tips and the latest developmentsin digital photography. Just send a blank email to:digicamnews@masteryourdigitalcamera.com

Thank you so much for joining me on this digital cameraadventure tour. You have just completed 14 valuable basiclessons that will help you select and buy an appropriatedigital camera for yourself or your family. Even though you'velearned a great deal, as you might have guessed, this is justthe beginning. To get the most out of your digital camera,you'll want to learn more about how it works and how to useit.

"Master Your Digital Camera in Four Easy Steps" can show you how. Grab a copy for yourself right now:http://hop.clickbank.net/?photograph/dazzlepics
Rufina Jamessupport@masteryourdigitalcamera.com

Portrait Photography : One of the Greatest Arts

2006-03-02T09:27:00.000-06:00

Senior Portrait Photography : One of the Greatest Arts By Ispas Marin

Before doing any portrait photography there are some very important questions that any photographer should ask himself. What kind of light source it's going to be used? From what angle the light will fall on the subject? What film, camera and lens are best to use?

If you manage to answer all this questions before taking the photo then you will probably make quite a good portrait photography. But i know that you don't want a good portrait photography, you want a perfect one. So the best way to achieve this performance is to talk with the client trying to know him, his past, his desires. This way you can create distinctive portraits. If you want a real great portrait then you have to add a bit of the client's personality in the photo. This works very well especially when you make female portrait photography. You shouldn't look for a face that is over painted by a makeup artist. Try to surprise something that really represents the subject.

If you are wondering what to talk about with your clients then the answer is anything that will show you something distinctive for that person. Try to look for different face expressions and eye or mouth movement. When you see something beautiful keep it in mind and later capture it in your portraits. Belive me that studying the subject before making the portrait photography is the biggest secret in this art.

"We provide senior portraits in San Antonio in our home studio. Visit our online photo gallery"

Meeting with the client, building rapport, knowing the client, and planning the session are essential elements. So don't do the final session at the first meeting. After you are sure that you know everything you need to know to make a perfect portrait photography choose the best location and time of day and take the session.

I advice you to always use natural light if it's possible. Choosing the background it's also very important too. If the picture is to close then the background looses any meaning, if it's to far then the background will overwhelm the subject. So try not to merge the subject with the background in an indistinguishable shape.

From my point of view making portrait photography is the greatest art. I belive this because it's very different from making landscape photography or nature photography. When you make a photo you can make the subject to react to your wills and you really can control the picture.
So, in conclusion when it comes to portrait photography it all depends on how much you want the photo to be perfect and how dedicated you are to the art and the feeling of seeing that your client is really pleased.

For great information on Portrait Photography, Digital Photography and any other photography related subjects visit us at the best photography site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ispas_Marin

What is Macro Photography?

2006-02-27T15:07:00.000-06:00

What is Macro Photography? By Felix Zhucha

One of the most satisfying forms of photography, and one of the easiest to master is macro photography.

A practical way for defining macro photography is by the strength of the lens, or how nearby it can focus. For true macro photography, you'll want st as small as 24×36mm ,because this is the size of the image on the film.to have a lens that focuses down to a 1:1 range. For example,for 35mm film,your camera has to have the ability to focus on an area at leaAfter having the film developed,the picture of the subject on the negative or slide will be exactly the same size as the subject photographed.

What makes macro photography seductive is the level of detail that you see, sometimes for the first time - familiar objects become unusual and abstract and unusual objects become even more interesting.

There are many applications for macro photography: flowers,plants,butterflies, minerals,snowflakes... Your own backyard, a local garden,beach or forest can provide you with hours of fun with macro photography.

Of course macro photography isn't always centred on the natural world. Collectors use macro photography to record coins,stamps and other collectibles that are very small.Some people use macro photography for documenting their possessions for insurance purposes or to illustrate their auction listings online.

Working with macro photography can be a whole new visual event for even the most advanced photographers.Every day can yield another subject and an endless supply of captivating images.The possibilities of macro photography are limited only by your imagination.
If you are interested in macro photography, then by all means consider purchasing a dedicated macro lens.SLR digital cameras with interchangeable lenses are ideal for macro photography.If you're primarily interested in outdoor photography, consider a 180mm or 200mm macro lens.
Alternatively you can use extension tubes,reversing rings, or close-up diopter lens.
An extension tube is placed between the camera body and the lens. There is no glass in the tube - its purpose is to move the lens farther from the film (or digital sensor) so that magnification can be bigger.

Reversing ring is attached on the front of a lens and makes it possible to attach the lens in reverse.

Close-up diopter lens are placed in front of the camera's main lens. These screw-in or slip-on attachments provide close focusing at very low cost.However,the quality of the pictures is variable.

Felix Zhucha owns http://www.postersphotosartwork.com. Come and find popular art photographs and posters.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felix_Zhucha

Senior Portraits and The Graduation Photographer

2006-02-13T14:48:00.000-06:00

This article explains a few things about Senior Portrait Photography, and if you're interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don't know. find Joy in Your Photos Again - Simple Steps to Regain ControlSenior Portrait Photographs are intended to bring us joy. Instead most people feel anything but joy when it comes to their photographs. Most people feel challenged, frustrated, and overwhelmed by their photographs! The information about Photography presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Photography or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by your photos, then start by taking these simple steps to find the joy in your photographs once again

Choosing The right portrait photographer for your senior portraits
:1. Practice Photo SafetyIf you were to ask someone to name their most prized possessions, they would likely tell you that their photographs and keepsakes were most important. And yet, most people are unknowingly damaging these very items that they consider most valuable!How about you? Are you damaging your precious senior photographs? If you have any photographs in shoeboxes, magnetic albums, manila folders, plastic baggies or standard film developing envelopes, then your answer is YES! If you have ever written on the back of your photographs with a ballpoint pen, then your answer is YES! That is because all of these items expose your photographs to the three biggest hazards: Acid, Lignin and PVC. Here's a quick explanation of these hazards:* Acid: A chemical substance that can weaken paper and cloth, causing it to brown and become brittle. * Lignin: An organic substance that is present in wood pulp.

It becomes more and more acidic as it deteriorates. (The yellowing effect of a newspaper is an example of lignin.) * PVC: (also known as polyvinyl chloride) A chemically active plastic that, when combined with moisture in the air can emit hydrochloric acid.This may sound complicated, but you don't need to worry about remembering the details. Just remember that acid, lignin and PVC will damage photographs! Whenever you purchase photo albums and scrapbooking supplies, be sure that they are acid-free, lignin-free and PVC free.
Senior PortraitsYou also need to protect your photographs from hazards in the environment, such as excessive heat, light and humidity. For ultimate safety, you should store your photo collection in a windowless closet away from water pipes and heat sources.

This may seem like extra work, but practicing photo safety should the first step in any of your photo organizing projects. The greatest organizing systems are useless if your photographs are destroyed in the process!2. Gather everything in one place.It's hard to organize your photographs if you don't know where they are! Having everything in one place will bring an immediate sense of peace, and it will make it easier for your family to enjoy your precious photographs. There's a security benefit, too! If the unthinkable happens and you need to evacuate your house, you will be able to quickly gather your treasured items.3. Don't get hung up on the "big picture".If you're like most people, then just thinking about your massive photo collection is enough to discourage you from taking action. You see years and years' worth of photos and think you could never get them all organized, so why bother? Get rid of that "all or nothing" mentality!Set mini-goals so that you can feel a sense of accomplishment. Focusing on one theme (such as holiday or vacation photos) will be a lot more manageable than trying to tackle the entire photo collection at one time. Don't sabotage yourself by thinking you need to set aside an entire day for your organizing. Take advantage of small blocks of time - even 15 minutes - and take some action.

Small progress is still progress!4. Purge your photos!Photographs hold so much meaning and significance for us, and most of us consider our photographs to be among our most prized possessions. Because of this, many of us would never dream of throwing away a photograph. It sounds dreadful doesn't it?But guess what? You don't have to keep every picture! Don't be afraid to sift through your collection and free yourself of those photographs that don't stir your emotions. For starters, release anything that is dark, blurry, or otherwise unattractive.If you insist upon keeping every photograph, then your truly special photographs will be lost in the mass of other photographs. Keep those photos that inspire you, and release the rest. Purging your photographs is one simple thing you can do to dramatically simplify your organizing.5. Develop a system for handling just-developed pictures.

Senior Portraits are a very important part of a high school graduates final days in school
We realize that you probably have oodles and oodles of older photographs that need organizing. So, you may think it odd that we're focusing on handling just-developed pictures. The simple reason for that is that you need to feel a sense of achievement, and this will give you an easy starting point. It may take you a while to go back and organize your older photographs, but at the very least you'll feel in control of your pictures from here on out. The system that you create should be simple, so that you'll use it every time.6. Capture your memories that go along with your photographs.Senior Portrait Photographers The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary. Your photographs will hold more meaning, for you and your loved ones, if they know the story behind them.

Senior Portraits PhotographyThe only way to keep up with the latest about Senior Portraits is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about Senior Portraits, it won't take long for you to become an influential authority. As you begin to get your photographs in order, you may be interested in discovering the joy of scrapbooking! Scrapbooking is the art of safely and creatively showcasing photos and memorabilia in albums using archival, acid-free albums and products.

Pages are embellished with stickers, artwork, and journaling. Scrapbooking is the fastest growing segment of the craft industry, with good reason. See how much you can learn about Senior Portraits when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information. Those of you not familiar with the latest on Senior Portraits now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come. "Scrapbooking is truly a magical activity with immeasurable benefits. It allows us to record our family stories and reflect on life's greatest treasures".Whether or not you plan to scrapbook, be sure to take the time to capture those magical moments in life. You know, those times in life when something wonderful happens and everything seems right with the world . . . or you're amazed by your child's words of wisdom. Capture those special moments as they happen. There's a lot to understand about Senior Portraits.

We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles. If you've picked some pointers about Senior Portraits that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won't really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don't use it.Christine Sutton and her business partner, Tracey DuBois have helped countless people organize, protect, and enjoy their precious photographs. As authors of "Save Your Photos and Your Sanity" and producers of "Treasure Your Memories" video, they take a unique and FUN approach to organizing photographs. They offer a FREE Photo Organizing Idea Kit at

http://www.organizedphotos.com/10days.html.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Sutton
Find Joy in Your Photos Again - Simple Steps to Regain ControlBy Christine Sutton

Wedding Planning - Choosing Wedding Gowns

2006-02-10T23:04:00.000-06:00

Wedding Planning - Choosing The Best Gown

It all began with fairy tales and a little princess with the beautiful
wedding gownsthey wear in those tales. But, we all know that the perfect wedding gown is what makes any wedding a stunning and most memorable ceremony.Sorry, guys, it not about your tux or any other fancy piece you wear, it is all about the bride and her beautiful
wedding dress,everyone attends just to see the bride to be.
That is why there are no chances to mess up when it comes to choosing the dress of your once in a lifetime event, you must make sure that all is done just right.
Best website for wedding planning, wedding dresses, and wedding day ideas.

"Wedding Planning includes choosing the right wedding gown and wedding photographer"

Formal Wedding Dresses
The theme of your wedding should go hand in hand with the theme of your dress, the whole wedding should be based on the choice of your wedding dress, and that is why it is best to first seek out the wedding dress and plan your wedding around the look and feel of your wedding dress.Don't overwhelm yourself with choices, go for a look and feel based on your life long wedding dreams, just take your time and make a decision, don't rush into picking a wedding gown.You should always plan your wedding in advance, and it is always better to give yourself enough time to pick out the wedding gown of your dreams. Only, set a date after you found the wedding gown, that way you can be ahead of the plan.

Bridesmaids Dresses Choose wisely, and choose a wise companion; take along one or two of your closest friends or confidants who know a thing or two about wedding dresses and style. Their advice will come in handy when choosing a gown. Your Mom has a keen eye on what fits you the best. Also, make sure you check the durability and quality of the wedding gown, the material and the wedding accessories. You don't want your gown falling apart on you during the wedding ceremonies.A well informed and complete wedding site that can assist you and help you organize your special day can be found at: http://weddingsorganizer.com.
Wedding Planning - Choosing The Best GownBy: Alexander Marlin

How to Build your Photography Portfolio

2006-02-09T18:58:00.000-06:00

How to Build your Photography PortfolioBy John S

As a photographer there is no greater joy than being recognized for what you love doing. A large part of that recognition will come through the self promotional tactics you employ. One way to ensure you get recognition for what you do is to create a photography portfolio which is second to none.

Step 1) Choosing your theme You may already have the pictures to create a themed portfolio or you may be planning on capturing them over the next little while. Either way, your portfolio, like a well written book, should have some unifying theme. This theme can be conceptual or it can be technical. For example, your theme could be about courage, love, urban life, rural life, garbage. Alternatively you can create a theme based on photographic technicalities. For example you could create a portfolio showcasing all of your best wide angle work, or one which displays your best black and white work. The themes for creating a portfolio are only limited by your own imagination. So take your time and create a themed portfolio which means something to you.

Step 2) Choosing the photos Choosing the right photographs to put in your portfolio will be a time consuming process. By the nature of the portfolio itself, only your best pieces should be placed within the portfolio. If you don’t’ have too many top picks spend some more time photographing until you get the desired results. Your portfolio is something you should be proud of, not something thrown together out of impatience and haste.

Your portfolio should be manageable for the viewer to get through. Too often photographers fill pages and pages with photographs that the viewer will skim through to get to the end. Most audiences have short attention spans. Don’t take it personally, it’s simply how we’ve been conditioned to see the world. If you’re photography portfolio is shorter, your audience will be more likely to slow down and spend more time looking at each photograph.

For those of you who have been to art galleries showcasing a particular artist work, you’ll remember, that their showcase was relatively easy to get through. This is because they don’t’ want to clutter the walls and they want to keep your attention the whole time. You must do the same as a photographer. Just because they make photo albums that can hold 500 pictures doesn’t mean you should try to fill it up. Narrow your portfolio down to 20-50 photographs. There is no hard set number you need to follow but this seems to be the range that most audiences would prefer.

Step 3) Showing your work Now that you’ve put together your portfolio, it’s time to show it off. Keep it in a public space in your house, show your friends and family, but a digital copy online and show it around to galleries and exhibits if you’re looking to sell some of the photographs in your set.

Completing your portfolio is a great feeling. It’s a great internal battle choosing the perfect pictures for your portfolio because it represents you and what you stand for as a photographer. Take your time putting it together, but make sure your complete your project. Too many photographers shoot all day long and fail to present their work properly. Don’t let your photographs sit around in boxes in the closest. Take the best ones out and show them off!
John SStare Online Photography School http://www.starephotography.com

Finding the Best Child Photographer For Your Kids

2006-02-07T23:58:00.000-06:00

Finding the Best Child Photographer For Your KidsBy Gary Thompson

Danny Jacobs wanted to give his wife a present for their tenth anniversary that she would remember forever. He thought about jewelry or maybe a weekend at the spa, but those gifts seemed too generic. He then decided to give her a gift that represented something they both loved more than anything else – pictures of their children. “She gave me the world when she brought our three little ones into the world, and I wanted to somehow give the gift back to her.”

There are a lot of things in life you can be cheap with, but photography of your kids is not one of them. It seems that every retail store has a photo studio, and then there are mall photo stores too, both promising to capture your family’s history for cheap. The truth is that they do an okay job for the price, but do the low paid and overworked employees of these retail stores really have the talent and desire to capture the spirit of your family? The answer is probably no. When selecting a child photographer you have to be selective, and you should never go cheap.

These are the memories of your children that you are capturing, and that can’t be left to just anyone.
There are as many types of child photographers as there are children. That is why you should carefully select a child photographer that is a good fit for both you and your children. One of the first things to ensure is that the photographer is good with children. This seems obvious, but sometimes parents forget that everyone doesn’t have the same high regard for kids as they do. The next thing to look for is a photographer that knows how to capture the child and not the background. The sets can be an important part of the photo, but they shouldn’t distract from the child. The most important thing when selecting a child portrait photographer is to look at some of their other work. If they have done a good job with other kids then you can be sure they will probably do fine with yours.

When getting pictures of your kids you have a several options. For many years child photos were taken in studios. Almost all of us have pictures from our childhood that include us sitting in front of a setting sun or behind a fence. These photos were fine then, but with the level of talent that is available now boring studio shots are a thing of the past. If you do get studio shots choose a solid background like white or black.

If you have the choice get a family photographer that can come into your home or meet you in a natural setting like a local park. It has been found that people are more comfortable in their homes and outside and the pictures turn out much better.
There are some things in life that are free like the love of your children, and there are some things in life that are just as good at any price.

There are, however, some things that a parent should never go cheap on, and one of those things is in the preservation of moments. Life is ephemeral and we can never go back and do things again. All we can do is capture the moments that are important to us, and one way to do this is with a professional child photographer.
Rhonda Thompson is a professional photographer in Georgia specializing in child portrait photography in Georgia. You can view her photography at http://www.RhondaThompson.com

Photography And Digital Photography Today - The Possibilities Are Endless

2006-01-28T18:35:00.000-06:00

Photography And Digital Photography Today - The Possibilities Are Endless By James Townsend

What is photography?
In the book sense of the word, photography is the art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces however to us as individuals, photography is a much more sentimental and meaningful activity. Photography is about capturing those special moments, it is about making a memory come to life, it is about making the living moments last forever, and it is about preserving years of your life in such a way that will allow you to enjoy them for many years to come. Today there are so many different ways to not only produce photographs but also many ways to save and preserve your most memorable occasions…your wedding or a child’s wedding, the birth of a child or a grandchild, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, the list goes on and on. We all know how great it is to have our special moments on hand to view at our leisure so that we can remember those times with our friends and loved ones, reminisce to times gone by but kept alive through our pictures.

Using a digital camera gives you so many options on how to both take pictures and share those pictures with your friends and loved ones. Not only is using a digital camera easy but it allows you to capture your memories and share them for all to see with minimal effort and at little to no cost to you. Using digital cameras allows you to review the pictures that you take, only keeping those pictures that you consider to be the best while deleting those that don’t meet your satisfaction, freeing up space to take more. Then the photos that are saved can be preserved and shared in a number of different ways.

These photos can be uploaded onto a computer and burned on to a recordable CD and DVD for viewing on your television or personal computer. As another option, your photos can be uploaded to photo sharing websites and from these sites you can have your memories printed on a number of different items such as magnets, calendars, greeting cards, tote bags, clothing, necklace charms, cakes, etc which serve as fantastic gifts for yourself, your friends and your family members. Additionally, your digital camera photo storage disk can be taken to a discount store where the photos can be extracted and printed as regular photos that can then be added to a personal scrapbook, picture frames for your home or office or shared with those people that are important in your life.

Using a photo sharing website, as mentioned above, gives you many options on which you can display your favorite photos. You can not only share them via email to your loved ones, you can also purchase a variety of products on which to enjoy your photos. If you are a coffee/tea lover, upload your favorite photo to a ceramic mug. If you don’t have the time to create a scrapbook on your own, select the photos that you want included and let these websites create a scrapbook for you or for someone as a gift. If you enjoy viewing a slide show of your photos to music, you can create a DVD from photos selected from your personal collection for viewing on your TV at home. If you enjoy the challenge of puzzles, have your photo added to a 250 piece puzzle to create not only a challenge but once complete, you will have a smile on your face looking at that favorite picture. If you are an avid poker, bridge, rummy or solitaire player, you can have your favorite pictures added to playing cards to use over and over again! One of the most creative options is to have your favorite photo added to photo frosting that can be added to a cake to enjoy at a birthday, anniversary, wedding shower or baby shower. You can create a number of thoughtful gifts for your friends and family that they will remember and enjoy for many years to come.

In conclusion, there is an abundance of information on the web today to help you decide what photography options will work best for you and your own personal needs and preferences.
So what are you waiting for? Go out and get started today.

About the author.
James Brian Townsend offers informational websites on today's hot topics and markets.
For more information on what has been discussed in this article and other related topics such as articles, products, tutorials and more, please visit My Online Photography Resource Directory.
This article is courtesy of My Online Photography Resource Directory - http://www.myonlinephotodirectory.com.

You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
COPYRIGHT 2006 JBT Ventures, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Townsend

Camera – Tips About Going Digital

2006-01-25T23:46:00.000-06:00

After seeing all the hype about digital cameras on television and watching all your friends endlessly taking hundreds of shots of their children in just moments, you’ve decided to go digital. If you’ve begun looking around the web or in nearby stores, you’ve surely realized that there is no end to the variety of digital cameras.

How do you know that the sales clerk isn’t trying selling you the highest priced camera in the building? How do you know if you’re really getting great quality at a fabulous price?
Before you begin shopping, determine your needs. Are you planning to use your camera to start taking photography classes, so you want a camera that will last and grow with you? Are you looking for a camera with a lot of capabilities for vacations and your child’s big events that will be easy to carry? Are you looking for something small and easy to carry for nights out with your friends?

For each of these situations, you would want to choose a different camera. You can spend your money wisely if you get a camera that has only what you will really need that’s practical for you to use.

You’ve probably heard hundreds of different terms dealing with digital cameras; here are some of the most important.
First, there is the famous megapixel, which describes the resolution, or the capability to produce larger, higher-quality prints. The higher the megapixel, the better the resolution.
If you’re only interested in printing 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 pictures, a 2-megapixel camera will be fine for you; however, if you’re planning to print larger 8 x 10 prints, you will need at least a 3-megapixel camera.

Another important aspect of your new digital camera will be its battery life. Digital cameras use batteries up quickly, and you will want to be certain your camera lasts through important events.

Buying a camera in which batteries will last for between 200 and 400 pictures is highly recommended by most experts. Although this may seem like a lot of pictures, one of the greatest qualities of a digital camera are its ability to capture many moments quickly and easily.
Other important capabilities that you should consider when purchasing your new camera are its zoom potential and storage capacity.
The zoom is especially important when you’re at major events, such as a basketball game or your child’s play. You want to get the closest, clearest pictures possible. Optical zoom produces clearer pictures, on average, than digital zoom.

As with battery life, the storage capacity of your camera can greatly affect the number of pictures you are able to take at a time. The recommended storage capacity for the average digital camera owner is between 32MB and 128MB.

Now that you have some ideas about what to look for in a digital camera, head out to the store or the Internet to find the perfect camera for you and your family. Many websites will actually allow you to compare different cameras and their features.
By doing a bit of Internet research, you may be able to cut down some of your time in the store by having an idea of what you’re looking for. This capability to get a general idea of the quality and price you are looking for will save you time and money.
Elisabeth Haywarden's articles on topics related to cameras and photography are published at For Camera, and FYN Photography.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elisabeth_Haywarden

Improving Your Landscape Images

2006-01-22T19:43:00.000-06:00

Improving Your Landscape Images; Part 2By TJ Tierney

We use filters in photography to bring back an image to the way our eyes have perceived the original scene. Some times it’s not possible for our cameras to record an exact scene - so we have to rely on the manufacturers of camera products.

If you are only going to buy one filter for your landscape photography a polarizing filter is the one you’ll use most. A polarizing filter can be used with colour or black and white and is probably the most important filter on the market today.
Lets take a quick look at the science behind it. A polarizing filter is made up of two pieces of glass which when rotated cut out all glare on non-metallic surfaces. Light travels in waves - these waves travel in all directions and at different rates and speeds. The polarizing filter works by limiting the amount of waves that enter your lens. You decide how many waves pass through your lens by rotating the filter.

The polarizing filter is most effective with side lighting.
For example: if you are taking a picture of a scenic lake area and there is a messy reflection of the clouds in the lake; it will be too much of a distraction in the final picture. This can be simply removed by rotating the polarizing filter ‘til the clouds disappear. You can view the filter working in the viewfinder of your camera.
The polarizing filter will also darken the blue sky to give it a strong rich colour. It will make mist stand out and can be also used to give fast flowing water a misty effect.

You don’t have to rotate the filter the full amount to get the maximum affect you need, sometimes you will only have to rotate it a small amount. You can decide best for yourself by viewing through your viewfinder while you rotate the polarizing filter.
This filter is not just for a landscape photographer.

There are many different uses for a polarizing filter, which make it so important for all photographers. Property photographers would find this filter extremely handy - when taking an image of a shop front, the polarizing filter will remove glare that reflects off the glass.
Take extreme care when calculating exposure. Remember that you will have to add two stops of light when using the polarizing.

TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If you are looking for more tips visit Photo tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery: Pictures of Ireland.
http://www.goldenirishlight.com

Safeguard Those Photography Images

2006-01-16T21:23:00.000-06:00

Safeguard Those Photography Images By Eric Hartwell

You really need to organise yourself if you are going to keep abreast of your photographic activities. If, like me, you tend to take between 200 and 300 images in a session, you must have a system for storage and retrieval and to prevent accidental losses. Nothing is more valuable than the last images you took.

Make sure, first of all, that you have sufficient memory card space before you start your shoot. Delete or transfer old images. Take care what you delete – it is so easy to trash ones that are important. Some people would keep everything – you never know when they could come in handy. Some photographers will take several smaller cards rather than one big one so that if one is lost or damaged, it won’t ruin all your images.

When you have taken your images, upload them to the computer at your earliest reasonable opportunity. This should be your priority. Images are so easily forgotten and left on the card. If this is the case, either you will have less space for future shoots or you will find yourself deleting something that you really wanted to keep at some stage.

Uploading whilst they are still fresh also makes it easier to organize your images and your thoughts. You can name them in groups either by subject (e.g. seaside, park shoot, zoo) or date order. You can, of course, assign your own special descriptions. By doing this you can safeguard you images and have them stored in a sensible and logical way. This helps for retrieval.
Consider making a backup copy of everything. You can either copy the images to an external hard drive or you can copy onto DVDs or CDs. Consider making more than one backup copy of everything. Once this process is completed, delete the files from your memory card ready for the next session.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.

I Will NOT Be Your Wedding Photographer

2006-01-16T21:21:00.000-06:00

I Will NOT Be Your Wedding Photographer By Eric Hartwell

“I’m having a wedding. Can you be my photographer?”
Let’s get one thing straight. I am an amateur photographer. I started photography as a hobby and it is still a hobby. I have a full-time job that is nothing to do with photography. I do it for love, not money.

You want someone to do some cheap photos for you, don’t you? As you know me, you have come expecting that I’ll do the job at little expense to you, perhaps even free.
Well I won’t.

I can’t guarantee that the results will be to your liking. I have no insurance against failures. I have no experience in wedding photography. I can’t do it.

It is YOUR special day. If you want good images and a professional organiser, then you have to pay for this sort of thing. If I do it, it will be a sham and I will lose the confidence of you and your guests. I may even lose your friendship.

I am happy to take some snaps of your cat. If they don’t turn out as expected, no worries. We can take them again or just laugh it off. However, you can’t get married again. It is a one-off process. The best and most reliable results will come from you paying what the service is worth. That means someone else, not me.

Get a professional wedding photographer. Don’t ask me to do it as refusal often offends.
Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

From Film To Digital Photography Technique

2006-01-11T22:31:00.000-06:00

Photography remains just that when you convert to digital cameras: you still have to know how to compose and shoot pictures to get the best results. The way you see your subject, and visualize the resulting image doesn't change in any basic way.

However, digital photography technique has some of its own challenges and rewards, and there are exciting new techniques and technologies to understand and to master!

These are 10 of the things you will need to look out for:

Bigger isn't always better: having more pixels doesn't always translate into better images, as the size and quality of the pixels are also important. 6 million pixels of a bigger size can actually give you a clearer image than 8 million of a smaller size.

Optical zoom is more important for your image quality than digital zoom. Optical zoom delivers more detail to your camera sensor, whereas digital zoom is more of a cropping function applied to existing data (detail) captured by the sensor.

Digital photography technique relies on sensors which are often less discerning than film where it comes to rendering detail in shadows and highlights. You should therefore be careful not to "blow" your highlights: if they're not captured to start with you can't adjust them afterwards in your software processing!

While there is a general acceptance of the grain sometimes visible in film prints, the human eye is particularly good at seeing regular patterns, such as row-and-column "noise" in some digital prints. When you purchase your digital camera, it is a good idea to check the reviews regarding noise levels for particular models!

What about black and white shots? Digital cameras take pictures in color, therefore the most basic element of the digital darkroom (eg Photoshop) you will need to master is how and when to turn your digital color images into exactly the black and white image you want.

Digital photography technique gives you the freedom to choose on a per-shot basis many settings you were locked into or restricted to, when using film, such as film speed and white balancing.

When purchasing a digital camera you will have the option of models which produce only JPEG files (which are processed on board by your camera), or some which give the option of RAW files, which are unprocessed. The assumption is that RAW files can then be processed on your computer with more powerful software to achieve the desired results. RAW converters are improved all the time. Over time you will get better results from your existing RAW format picture files by applying the latest converters when they become available. (RAW is like wine: it improves over time, just let it lie until the right converter comes along...)

The LCD screen drains battery power. Use the viewfinder to compose your photographs. Most digital cameras will let you switch between the two.

You will need to figure out how to use the histogram function - once mastered it is an indispensible tool to get balanced pictures. Some cameras show the histogram in real time for easy correction of your exposure.

Digital cameras are susceptible to artifacts and aberrations that film cameras are not, such as those resulting from JPEG file compression, oversharpening, etc. However, most of these problems can be dealt with by applying the correct sofware solutions before printing.

For more information visit http://www.Best-Digital-Photography.com/index.php . Rika Susan researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2005 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box - including the link - is left intact.

Digital Photography Histogram: Correcting The Unbearable Lightness Of Your Image

2006-01-07T00:06:00.000-06:00

Digital Photography Histogram: Correcting The Unbearable Lightness Of Your Image
By Rika Susan

Once you've learnt how to interpret and use it, the digital photography histogram is a handy tool to ensure your pictures are light and color balanced.

Some digital cameras show the histogram in real time, allowing you to make adjustments as you go along.

What is a digital photography histogram? A histogram will show if there is enough detail in the shadow, midtone and highlight areas of your image, and importantly, whether or not your picture is overexposed.

It indicates how the 256 levels of brightness are distributed in an image. Compare it to a horizontal line with 256 positions which represent all levels of brightness from pure black on the left, to pure white on the right.

It consists of a little graph which indicates hills, valleys and spikes of data according to the number of data pixels present for a given level of brightness. If your picture generally has low contrast, the pixels will cluster in the midtone (grey) area.

An image with high contrast will have high stacks of pixels on the opposite ends of the graph, with fewer in the midtone area.

An overexposed image will show a lot of pixel data stacked on the far right side of the graph (lots of white). If you have most data on the left, and a big space to the right of your data, your picture is likely underexposed.

If you're new to the concept of the digital photography histogram, it takes a bit of time to interpret, but you will soon begin to see how the graph relates to your pictures.

For example, the digital photography histogram of an outside picture with a lot of dark sky and little color variation in the rest of the picture will show a strong spike on the left (dark sky) an a low horizontal bar all the way to the right indicating little variation in light intensity.

In overexposure you lose data that you can't get back - even in Photoshop! Many photographers would argue that it is better to underexpose slightly. You can then correct a good deal of underexposure in an imaging program like Photoshop. It lets you distribute the lightness values of pixels more evenly across the spectrum from black to white.

Do you need the histogram? Many photographers never look at a histogram, but just view the images to check for exposure.

However, once you've mastered it you will find it quite useful to quickly analyze your pictures in greater detail - and even to correct them afterwards in an imaging program like Photoshop!

For more information visit http://www.Best-Digital-Photography.com. Rika Susan researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2005 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box - including the link - is left intact.

5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know

2006-01-02T22:59:00.000-06:00

5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know
By Gary Hendricks

Being familiar with the terminology used in any subject of interest in is always useful, and digital cameras are no exception. Although most digital cameras available on the market allow you to simply point your camera and quickly snap a picture with the touch of a button, there is often a lot more going on behind the scenes than you may have realized.

Put simply, understanding the most important terms about digital cameras will allow you to make a better-informed purchase of a new digital camera, let you have more control over your digital camera’s features, and help you to take the best quality photos possible.

1. Megapixel
When we use the term megapixel, we are referring to the maximum resolution at which a digital camera can take photos in millions of pixels. This means that a camera with a range of 4 megapixels can take photos which each contain a maximum of 4 million pixels.

But what does this mean to the consumer? One word: quality. A higher megapixel count means better quality photos, and considering the price of digital camera getting lower all the time; you should try to stick with a digital camera that has a 3 megapixel range or above, especially if you intend of making prints of your photos.

2. Focal Length
Focal length is a term overlooked far too often in amateur photography, and refers to how much the lens of a camera can magnify a shot. Focal lengths are generally split into two categories, these being wide-angle and telephoto, which are better for spacious and narrow fields of view respectively.

Due to the ease of manufacturing telephoto lenses, digital camera manufacturers seem to provide wide-angle lenses in a lot less cameras, even though these lenses are better suited towards the type of photos that most people commonly take, including groups of friends and wide landscapes. To sum up, a wide-angle focal length is the better choice in most cases, with the 20mm and 35mm varieties catering to most people’s needs.

3. Digital Zoom
Unlike the focal length, digital zoom is a term that seems to be given a lot more attention than it deserves. Unlike optical zoom, which uses the physical lenses inside the camera to enlarge a scene, digital zoom electronically enlarges the pixels in the center area of a photo, meaning that any time you use the digital zoom function on your camera you are actually sacrificing the quality of your photos. It is a good idea to disable the digital zoom function all together to stop this from happening.

4. ISO
The term ISO stands for the International Standards Organization, but what does this have to do with your digital camera? The organization sets standards for photography, and the ISO range of a camera refers to how sensitive the camera is to light.

For instance, a low ISO number (100 or under) is not very sensitive to light, and is best for shots in good lighting conditions. A higher ISO range means that the camera will be suitable for photography in darker conditions, so it is best to look for a camera that has an adjustable range; ISO 100 to 400 should be adequate for most people’s needs.

5. Shutter Lag
Shutter lag refers to the time between pressing the button to take a photograph and the time when the picture actually gets taken. This may not seem a very important factor when buying a camera, but think of it this way: if you have to wait a second or longer for a photo to be taken, like with many older and inexpensive digital cameras, then chances are that you won’t end up with the photo you desired. Many camera manufacturers do not list the shutter lag time for their cameras, so the best way to find this out is by testing a camera before you buy.

Conclusion
Hopefully this article has helped you to better understand some of the most important terms used when referring to digital cameras, and in turn will help you to choose the digital camera that best suits your needs. I think that testing a digital camera before you make a purchase can help greatly when it comes to making a final decision, and it makes sense to do so; you may be using the camera you choose to capture your memories for years to come!

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visit his website at Basic-Digital-Photography.com for tips and tricks on buying digital cameras, as well as shooting great photos.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Hendricks

Digital Photography: Now Everyone Can Join In

2005-12-27T22:05:00.000-06:00

Digital Photography: Now Everyone Can Join In
By Eric Hartwell

In this age of digital photography, there are almost limitless opportunities for taking great photographs. Despite the seemingly bewildering array of cameras and gadgets, it remains a fact that sales of digital cameras have rocketed in recent years as people discard film in favour of electronic imagery.

The world is going digital!

And this is great news. The mysteries of photography are being uncovered and being shown for what they are – a mockery! There are NO mysteries. There are NO hidden talents. There are NO barriers.

Sure, to be great you have to work at it. But people who used to restrict themselves to mere snapshots are now experiencing the wonderful world of digital where the opportunities are limitless.

Consider the basic compact digital camera. Not only does it take programmable shots, it can also be set for aperture priority, shutter priority or manual. It can zoom and autofocus. It has a flash inbuilt and can take, in most cases, additional lens attachments.

This is great if you occasionally wish to delve into more select areas of your hobby.

But there’s more!

When you take your shots it doesn’t matter if they are not as you would like. It costs nothing to retake the shot with digital and, moreover, you can manipulate the image in a photo editing program at home. The great shots you do take can also be manipulated and enhanced.

What does this mean? It means the man-in-the-street can, at last, forget the complexities of film photography, can discard the reasons to hold back on taking photographs and can share his newfound freedom with others.

This is great for him but it is also great for photography as a whole.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

Photographers Take Risks When They Become Involved in This Aspect of Photography

2005-12-26T21:29:00.000-06:00

Photographers Take Risks When They Become Involved in This Aspect of Photography
By Paul Gooch

As a newspaper photographer I’ve taken quite a few `snatch shots’, which are photographs of someone that were taken without the person in the picture being aware of it.

Actually there are two kinds of snatch shots, long range and close range. Long range shots are usually but not always taken with a zoom lens, usually from several hundred yards away. Close range snatch shots are best taken with a medium wide angle lens and they are taken from just a few yards away.

Let’s assume that you plan to take a long range snatch shot, that your subject (or prey, whichever way you want to look at it) is in a public park and that you are perhaps a couple of hundred yards away from him. Several things could happen.

You might casually raise your camera and pretend to be taking pictures of the park. Point it in several directions and perhaps play around with the camera controls to make it look as if you’re adjusting it, maybe changing the aperture or shutter speed.

But at some stage you’ll have to point the camera in his direction, and this is where the problems can begin. He may not be quite sure what you're taking a picture of; he may think that you're just taking a picture of the park or he may suspect that you're taking a picture of him.

It's bad news, either way, because he has now been alerted. This may be enough to make him turn his back on you and move away but if he doesn’t, if he keeps looking at you, keep cool.

Remember that he will be looking at the camera head on, and from this perspective all he can see is the front of the lens, he can’t see the body part of it. And as he can't see the body of the lens, the chances are that he doesn't know if it’s a standard lens or a zoom lens. If he decides that it’s a standard lens it might be ok, he might decide that you’re harmless.

Or he might tell himself that he doesn't care what kind of lens it is, you aren’t going to take his picture, period. He might decide to confront you about it, to walk over to you and find out what the hell you're doing. Keep calm, but also decide what you're going to do – and do it quickly. Basically you have three options.

One option is let him walk right up to you, let him demand to know what you're doing, admit that you were taking his picture and offer to delete the pictures. This may not be good enough for him, of course - he may decide to trash your camera and perhaps trash you too. Another option is to stand up to him; tell him you were taking his picture and ask him what he plans to do about it.

A third option is to take his picture as he is walking towards you, to forget how scared you are and keep pressing that shutter. Then, when you’re sure you have some good pictures of him... Run like hell!

* There are also important ethical issues involved in this kind of photography and I plan to discuss these in a future article.

Paul Gooch is a Press and wedding photographer located in Skegness UK. He sells his photographs to local, regional and national newspapers, has taught media studies at a local college and has published several thought provoking and perhaps controversial articles about photography on his web site http://www.paulgoochimages.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Gooch

High School Graduation Party Ideas For Easy Party Planning

2005-12-19T13:16:00.000-06:00

High School Graduation Party Ideas For Easy Party Planning
by: Dee Schrock

It's not too early to start planning for the graduate's big day. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Give out fun 2006 sunglasses for all the kids to wear, and a crown for the special graduate

Invitations

Create your own invitations by drawing graduation themes such as diplomas and graduation caps. You can roll the invitation to look like a diploma.

Games & Activities

Kids love to get together and just talk- so remember not to overdo the planned activities. Here are a few to choose from:

*Guests bring a white t-shirt and sign each other's shirts.

*Do a time capsule with memorable items from their school year- to be opened at a future reunion. Guests place personal notes to the graduate as memorable keepsakes.

*Make a large poster board collage of the graduate's pictures from baby to now.

*Water balloon toss

*Piñata

*Place a sticker on each guest's back with the name of a teacher. Guests give clues and help the person guess that teacher.

*Pin the tail on the teacher. Tape a teacher's picture to a wall and then the "tail" can be any item of choice- crazy hair, earring, etc.

Food & Drink

Any finger food works well, since guests are more interested in talking and socializing. Nachos served in miniature sombreros and salsa is great to have on each table.

Above all, provide an atmosphere for that is comfortable for plenty of conversation and reminiscing. Happy graduation!

About The Author

Dee Schrock has put together hundreds of theme party tips and fun ideas for easy (and budget conscious!) party planning.

Visit her website http://www.fun-theme-party-ideas.com for tons of popular theme party ideas, including decoration, costume, game, and party drink ideas, as well as printable invitations.

Senior Portraits Digital Photography: The Top Five Reasons Why

2005-12-18T21:13:00.000-06:00

One thing I discovered during my experience with digital photography after 20 years of shooting film, and I teach this point in all the many seminars that I've put on to hundreds of other full-time pros, is that digital photography is very well suited for the portrait photographer. So why are we the last to jump on the band wagon? Many commercial shooters have known about and mastered the use of digital in their business's for far longer than the portrait photographer.

My guess is that we're afraid. Afraid of the learning curve and afraid that the quality just isn't there unless we spend an ungodly amount of our hard earned cash on some scary looking gigantic array of confusing and awkward, let alone "how am I going to learn how to use this stuff" equipment.

Truth is, you can easily get away with as little as a 3.5 megapixel camera. I know, I used my Canon D30 for the first eight months of my digital journey. That camera created more memories, more sales and more wall portraits that I ever thought imaginable.

Whoa, wait a minute you say, wall hangings? Can't be!! When I put on my seminars I routinely display many large wall samples for all to see, with some of the older samples I created with the 3.5 megapixel camera; and the reaction I get is usually disbelief.

Listen. The quality is there. I've proven it over and over and I know anyone can replicate the same results. Yes, even with a 3.5 megapixel camera.

You've just got be careful, that's all. We have a collection of images at our studio, even large wall hangings captured with our dinky little D30, and they are "jaw-dropping" stunning. I know other photographers who have had amazing results as well. I know that it works and file size is secondary.

There are many reasons, but I'll work with the main list. Here they are:

*Quality.

The quality of images captured with a high quality lens, properly exposed and well posed is more than enough, even if you shoot JPEGS. Yes, JPEGS. Over 90% of the more than 30-40,000 exposures I put through my camera every year is shot in JPEG mode. Why? Why would anyone in their right mind shoot in such a "low quality" mode? The answer is simple: It works.

I like to compare JPEG's to shooting with portrait film. It is slightly softer (although not even noticeable to the human eye) and muted, ideal for skin tones, right? Besides, we slap on "softar" filters in front of these outrageously expensive lenses and degrade the image even more. Don't bother. Shoot with a good lens, in JPEG mode, expose properly, pose and create as usual, and it will all come together. Add any effects later.

Look at what else portrait photographers have been doing to their finished images besides purposely degrading the image with "softars". We retouch the surface of the print, sometimes extensively. We canvas mount. Add texture sprays.Oils. Linen laminates...on and on.

My point is simple. Portrait photographers do not need to create the very sharpest, highest resolution images available. If they have in the past, they've always degraded the image through these other means. It's kind of ironic don't you think? You can still shoot in RAW mode if you wish, but it isn't really needed.

If we needed the absolute highest quality image at capture we would have all been shooting with Kodachrome 64 or Velvia on a 4"x5 camera. But we don't. JPEGs work. I have many 30" prints, and even a 70" print, that was captured in JPEG. And they look amazing. Your can too.

*Control.

People want their photos fast. We live in a drive-through world and minutes count. In our studio we create a slide presentation for our sessions and we show them to the clients within 20 minutes of every shoot. Clients love it. They get to see the results instantly. If you fight this you're fighting basic human nature. We want, want, want, and want to see it sooner than later. Sales go up, the client is already in the studio ready to see the images, and ready to spend. Their is ample evidence that when you show the images sooner, and you create large projected images, which is a cinch with digital, sales go up. Digital gives the portrait photographer more control over the sales process, and ultimately it means more profits.

*Retouching.

Let's face it, people want to look good. What used to take hours and whole lot of aggravation with spray booths, smelly and dangerous lacquers, is now possible with absolute ease. Even when I decided to farm out all my retouching because I had had enough, it still took weeks or months, and huge retouching bills.

Not to mention the loss of control I had over the retouching aspects. It was up to the subjective interpretation of the retouching artist to enhance the images the way I wanted them retouched. Now, with a few basic skills, and all those years of retouching experience all transferred over to the new darkroom, my computer, I can easily retouch to any degree I like. In mere minutes. With absolute astounding results. This ultimately translates to satisfying a basic need that needs to satisfied in our clients, their vanity. They want to look good, and they want it fast.

*Innovation.

I could go on for days when it comes to what new products, ideas, services, sales processes, packages, etc, etc...I have been able to create because of digital photography.

Suffice it to say for now that I am excited and alive again with passion about my photography and about the possibilities. When you apply the power of digital, and get a handle on it in your workflow, you can create new and exciting products like never before.

I've seen it and experience it every week in our busy little small-city studio. The proof ultimately boils down to net profits, doesn't it?

After all, we are in business first, and creative artists second, right? Right? Are you with me on this one? We are in business to make money and survive. We need new and exciting angles, ways to stay afloat, so we can pay our bills, keep the bankers happy and provide for our families. No one can predict will total accuracy how digital photography will ultimately evolve, but my betting dollar is with it all the way. I'm not taking any chances.

Anyone remember when colour film and paper was introduced as a mainstream commodity? I don't, I was just a wee lad, but I heard stories about the many studio owners closing their doors and packing it in because they didn't want to keep up with the demand and latest craze that colour film and colour paper had created. Dinosaurs. Every last one of them. Their loss, all because of a thick head and mis-guided egos. Don't be a dinosaur.

My biggest discovery: Who the true expert is!

Ultimately the true expert in our business is not ourselves, or our peers. The real expert is the client. They open up their hearts and wallets and fork over hard earned cash for the memories we create for them. Do they care if it is shot on a JPEG? In RAW mode? Do they care if we use the biggest, best, strongest, fastest computers and software?

Of course not. When you get into your clients head and listen to the conversation that goes on these things are totally irrelevant.

Far more important to her, and to us, is the fundamentals of good photography. In a whirlwind of technological advances nothing seems to ever stay the same. Truth is, the fundamentals of good photography will never change. That's where is all starts.

Master that and you have 99% of your digital photography challenges mastered.

Robert Provencher has been a professional portrait and wedding photographer for over 25 years. Robert has authored several manuals on digital photography and photogaphy marketing. Photoshop tutorials & photography tips

Beautiful Photographs and Meaningful Portraits On Location in Southern California

2005-11-26T00:14:00.000-06:00

Tired of the same old studio portrait photographs with the same lighting, same background, same, same, same? Find a photographer that will go on-location, get out, go play, make it a day of fun somewhere that you love!

Taking pictures on-location isn’t a new concept. However professional, on-location still photography is usually reserved for fashion or magazine lifestyle pictures. Why is that?

Well for one, it’s much easier for the photographer to stay in the studio and spend an hour or so with each client. Take their pictures and move to the next customer. Also, it’s much easier for clients to just go into a studio for their annual family pictures and then head out on their daily routine. Yet pictures of this nature typically only capture a well lit, relatively uninteresting and dispassionate image of the customer.

Imagine however if you were to be able to go to your favorite spot, someplace you have a passion for and have your portraits taken? Wouldn’t you be more likely to enjoy the experience? Wouldn’t the photographs show you and others who you were at this time in your life? This type of photography is called On-Location Portraiture.

On-Location Portraiture is the Art of taking beautiful, meaningful, unique photographic images of people, families, friends, lovers, in a visually unique & personally meaningful setting. This style of photography is really a fun family friendly experience. Additionally people find it to be very spiritual, intimate and romantic. The resulting images and memories are unique because each location and each trip is a unique adventure. Generally you will find that you will receive:

- Images as art that tell a story about them.

- An exciting and fun experience to remember.

- Photographic memories that have real meaning beyond simply a beautiful picture.

Does this sound fun or what? So how do you get started?

The first thing to do is find a photographer that offers this kind of service, such as Scott Campbell, a Palm Springs Photographer. Once you’ve found someone willing to do this type of photography, interview them. You are going to spend a good part of a day with them so you better make sure you like them. Additionally, your pictures are guaranteed to turn out better if you like the photographer.

Another key aspect about your photographer is their ability to use natural light in their photographs. Natural light is perhaps the hardest and yet most rewarding lighting a photographer can work with. Used correctly, and the photographs will inspire emotions and feelings in the viewer that are nearly impossible to recreate with a studio lit photograph. Or used incorrectly and you will end up with a snapshot. Ask the photographer to see their portfolio or gallery of On-Location Photographs.

The next thing to do is choose a place, weather, time or all three. This may be a bit trickier. Everyone has their personal favorite place that holds deep meaning for them. Often these places are beaches, mountains, the desert or even a time of year or a type of weather. Usually these places bring out a passion and a certain beauty in a person that is unique to their experience in that location. There in lies the magic of On-Location Portrait Photography.

To find such a place you may need to spend some time thinking about what inspires you as a person, family, couple etc. Do you love to go beach combing together? Does riding a horse make you feel free? Does the city inspire you? Or maybe the deep blue sky at 7000 feet is your inspiration. These are the things you need to think about before choosing a location. If a place eludes you, yet you know the feeling you want to capture, use your photographer’s knowledge of their location surroundings. For example, Southern California and the Palm Springs area specifically contain some of the most stunning natural areas in the world. Ranging from the surreal windmills along I-10, the 8000 foot peaks surrounding the desert, the majesty of Joshua Tree and Santa Rosa National Monuments, the dunes of Kelso, the Pacific Beaches to the desolation of the Salton Sea, Southern California has plenty to choose from.

Once you have your photographer and your location, plan the date. If you would like to have your make-up done professionally, schedule an early morning appointment at a make-up counter or a salon. If the location requires permits now is the time to get them, not the day before. Got maps? Don’t get lost.

The time of day is absolutely critical to the quality of light available to you at your location. Typically the best light is either early morning or late afternoon/evening. Make sure your photographer knows the location you have chosen and knows the light at different times of day. Work with them to plan the timing to capture the best light time possible.

The day before your photography session eat well and get good sleep. Being tired and hungry on a long hike definitely shows up in pictures.

On the day of make sure you and your photographer are well prepared for the elements of your location. Bring water, some extra food, extra clothing and any portable beauty items you may need.

Make it a great fun day and you’ll come back with some amazing pictures to mark this time in your life.

For more information about On-Location Portraiture in Southern California contact the author, Scott Campbell http://www.scottcampbellphotography.com

Scott Campbell is a published, exhibited, award winning, professional photographer based in the Palm Springs area. He has a fine arts degree, 15 years creative experience and specializes in digital wedding photography, fashion, location portraits and fine art photography.

Love Scrapbooking

2005-10-01T13:29:00.000-05:00

If scrapbooking is your passion, or if you are interested in learning, don't miss out on this opportunity. Join the newest, most innovative scrapbooking company in the industry. New catalog just released with over 80 new and exclusive items. More brand new exclusive items being released in October!!

The "best" kits around. Pictures, directions, and everything that you need to get started scrapbooking. Complete pages that are fast and easy. Are you a more advanced scrapper, there are kits for you too.

Scrapbooking Business Ideas

Become a part of my team. Join now for only $25.00!! To get more information go to my website at www.SusiesScrappers.com. You will love what you see! If you have questions, just e-mail me.

Special Signing Incentives this Month!!! Email me for more information.

"Happy Scrapping"

Susie

SusieScrapper

I am a Scrapbooking Instructor. Have been scrapbooking for about 8 years. I also make 6x6 albums to sell. They make the perfect gifts!! I love scrapbooking and it is so great that I can make a living doing what I love!!

http://www.scrap-booking-arts-crafts.info/scrap-article/articles/index1.html

Going Digital with Scrapbooking

2005-10-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

Going Digital with Scrapbooking
By Sharon Odam

My best friend has been doing scrapbooking for several years now and I have admired the pages that she has created. But for some reason I just couldn't get myself interested in sitting down and doing all that clipping and pasting, not to mention trying to organize and keep up with all the extra "stuff" you could collect along the way. I did start to give it a little thought however, but when I took a look at the supplies in the store - that's when I got "sticker" shock - for real!

With the coming of the digital age, I decided to take up my photography work again. I put my film camera away and went totally digital. At the same time a close friend introduced me to Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements and all the really creative things one could do with the photo editing programs. From that moment on, I was totally hooked on the digital darkroom. It worked very well with my extreme interest in photo restoration, because scrapbooking and photo restoration are both about preserving memories and those special moments in time.

I started experimenting with montage designs using different techniques, filters, borders, frames, and elements. That's when scrapbooking took on a whole new meaning for me. With a little practice, there is no limit to the variety of elements and embellishments you can create. If you don't know how, there are plenty of free tutorials on the internet to get you started. The nice part of it is that you don't have to go searching through the stores for that one specific color of button or tag to match your color scheme. Forget the expense of background papers - create your own. For something different, use one of your images as a watermark for the background to tie your page theme together. And with a laptop, digital scrapbooking can be completely portable.

Digital scrapbooking is probably not for everyone, but for me it is a new creative outlet. I get so much satisfaction from learning new things and with digital scrapbooking, the sky is the limit. If you haven't done so, try it - you might like it, too!

Sharon Odam has been a professional photographer for over 30 years and is very skilled in digital photo restoration. Samples of her work can be seen at www.sharonodamphotography.com. She has also produced an extensive gallery of photographic art prints. You can find the select locations that carry her work at The Devine Connection.

Slow Shutter Speeds and Long Exposure Photography

2005-09-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

Slow Shutter Speeds and Long Exposure Photography by Rick Blythe

Many new cameras will come with built-in shutter speeds of up to 30 seconds or longer, which is enough for most long-exposure photography. Other cameras will have a B (bulb) setting that will keep the shutter open as long as you keep your finger on the shutter release button or a T (time) exposure setting that will keep the shutter open until you press the shutter release button a second time. Cameras with bulb settings can also be fitted with a locking cable release so that it isn't necessary to keep your finger on the shutter for long exposures. If your camera doesn't have a cable release, you can use the self-timer option found on most cameras. This will eliminate camera vibration from your hands.

A tripod, or something to rest your camera on, is essential because the camera must be completely still during the time that the shutter is open. If you want to make a fast-moving car blur as it speeds by you, a relatively fast shutter speed of 1/20 of a second may give you the results you are after, however, if you want to make stars in the nighttime sky look like glowing rings as the earth rotates, your exposure may last all night.

The light meter on your camera may not be able to accurately judge the best aperture setting for longer shutter speeds, especially in low-light situations, so your best bet is probably to "bracket." This means taking up to six pictures of the same subject, but doubling the shutter speed each time. This will give you a variety of effects and exposures and allow you to choose the best shot. In general, slow shutter speeds will allow a lot of light into the camera, which means that you will want to use a small aperture (ie. f/22) to avoid over-exposing the shot. In bright daylight it will be necessary to use the lowest ISO available and a neutral density filter to cut the light down.

Some great effects and shutter speeds to try are:

Moving stars: several hours Moving cars at night: 10 seconds Waterfalls: 4 seconds + Amusement park rides: 1 second

Macro Photography Inspirations, Tips and Tricks

2005-09-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

Macro Photography Inspirations, Tips and Tricks by Paul Smith

You won't have to look hr to find close-up ideas - even everyday household objets can make fantastic subjects Once You've trained your eye to look for macro photo opportunities, you'll find them almost anywhere, even in objects such as stamps, coins, paper clips, drawing pins and so on. The fact that you're 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 camera's 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.

About the Author
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

Thoughts about digital Snap Shot

2005-09-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

Thoughts about digital Snap Shot by Nick Peters

What is it that makes a good picture a great picture? For a run of the mill shutter bug like me, the answer can be summed up with three words, subject, composition and color; acronym SCC.

Unlike photographers of the late eighteen hundreds, todays photographer has unlimited possibilities for a truly great snap shot. To attain this level, you must develop the awareness of an observer. The rule of thumb that I follow when snapping, "more is better", you can never snap too many pics. Out of a hundred snaps, I can usually find two or three that make the grade for a great snap shot.

Subject

When shutter bugging be cognizant of smaller sections contained within the whole scene, a smaller section when cropped from the whole can sometimes make a superb photo. On identifying such a section, zoom in and snap away. If your digital camera is not equipped with a zoom, not to worry, the normal size pic can be cropped and enlarged with a paint program on your PC. For the best results set the camera to shoot super high quality JPG photos; on this setting the digital photo will not pixalize (degrade) as rapidly when enlarged.

People pics can be obtained in various ways, the standard posed portrait, candid photo and what I call realized or frozen moment snap. A realized snap is that instant, exceedingly brief instant, when the subject realizes she, he or it, is being photographed. The resulting photo, shot from the hip fashion without thinking on your part just reacting to the impromptu composition presented, is one of those rare instantaneous moments that can be frozen for posterity. I would say, always being prepared is your watch word, as you will most certainly not have this particular opportunity again.

Composition

Motion imparts the additional dimension of movement through time in the composition of a still snap shot. The quality of motion is therefore the most elusive element of a still and thus the by product of a large number of snaps, coupled with the luck of the Irish. To capture motion, click while trying different angles; a pro will run off hundreds of snaps with photographer and model in constant motion. I can not emphasize this enough, don't just stand there and shoot from eye level, ("very boring"). Get down on your knees, stand on something, snap both landscape and portrait pics of your subject. The reason being, a landscape format will give a different compositional look than a portrait.

Numerous Renaissance painters arranged elements in their paintings to create a compositional pyramid, resulting in a stable composition. Modern painters like Jackson Pollock, relied on the overall pictorial pattern, evenly loading the painted surface to anchor the paintings composition to the foreground. I would humbly suggest trying both forms of composition. Keep in mind, that with a paint program clone tool, you can remove any unwanted elements in the composition.

Color

Color is a very subjective component of a snap shot; strive to become a colorist of sorts and you photographic skills will be elevated. You say how can I accomplish this? My suggestion would be to look to the world of painters; this does not mean house painters.

To affect outdoor colors, I use a polarizing filter to deepen sky blues and significantly reduce bothersome reflections emanating from natural surfaces. When snapping shots in the desert, this type of filter is a must for me. Remember, you can always remove a filter to obtain unfiltered results; for the want of a filter a great snap could be mucked up.

On my very first photo trip to the desert, I was woefully unprepared for the lights intensity and forced to improvise, making due with my polarized sun glasses for a filter; this improvisation worked, just barely.

Conclusion

I constantly use my cameras auto setting, which leaves me free to concentrate on SCC. This strategy has been very productive in my search for the rare great Snap Shot. Good luck in your search and remember the Shutter Bug Motto," CLICK CLICK".

Do hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings. Nick Peters,

SNAP Shot ,SNAP Art Gallery, AquascapeArt.com

Open call for Snap Shots

If your would like a page of your snap shots shown on SNAP Shot, send five digital JPG snaps no larger than 300kb. each and a plain (txt) bio two hundred words or less containing no links, to snapshot@aquascapeart.com.. You must be the copyright owner of all work submitted. Aquascape Art does not accept any liability or responsibility for copyright infringements. I reserve the right to refuse any work deemed inappropriate, like porn. As the site fills up work will be removed at my discretion.

Now that the legal stuff is taken care of. Let the world have a look at your snaps.

About the Author
The worlds first underwater artist, creator of Aquascape Art and SNAP Art a new form of art done with your eyes closed.

Portrait Photography

2005-09-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

Portrait Photography by Roy Barker

The market opportunities for Portrait photography are now so enormous, that they include every dwelling where you live. Everyone wants his or her photograph taken for some reason, or the other. Not only can you target every building, but also it is a type of business where repeat business potential is also enormous. Parents now repeat the opportunities for formal portraits; add to that is that they have more than one child, the possibilities for repeat business is also enormous.

It is a business that you can start very easily from home; it means that you are not working in outdoor inclement weather conditions. The equipment you need is comparatively modest. A camera, good lenses, a tripod, two or three lights and several pieces of cloth that will make various backdrops. Not only is the equipment modest it is also light if you have to transfer it to an event outside your home.

The most important rule to remember is that it is a portrait, not necessarily of just the head, but the person, or group is the focal part of the picture, so it is important to take the photograph without any extraneous clutter. Because you will always be dealing with people you have to maintain control, not as a tyrant, but you have to guide your subjects. Therefore a certain degree of self-confidence is necessary. If you are taking a formal portrait of a group of children it is necessary for you as the photographer to ensure that none of the children are making faces.

When you have signed up a person for a photographic portrait take a few extra shots, and offer them as wallet or purse photographs at a smaller fee. You already have the start business capitalise on it, few people can resist the feeling that they have got “something for nothing”. This may seem a waste of time; they can be important additives for your portfolio.

Portrait photography has undergone many changes of style since the introduction of the formal portrait. The modern emphasis is to bring out each individual’s personality. Top glamour models are paid enormous fees to express a distinctive personality, but to bring that aspect forward in your subject is as much about people skills as camera techniques. It is imperative to be able to create a rapport with your subject to bring out the expressions that display their personality. Anyone over the age of two can pose for the camera, with a vacuous expression, but the secret of saleable portrait photography is capturing more than the pose. To be a really good portrait photographer you have to be able to connect with people, if you have not got these skills, then it is better that you concentrate on some other types of photography

If you want to flatter your subject, you'll probably want to minimize their nose. Stand about twelve feet from your subject, so that their nose isn't significantly closer to you than the rest of the face. However, at such a large distance from the camera, if you want to fill the frame with just your subject's face, then you need a high magnification lens. Typical "portrait" lenses are therefore between 90 and 135 millimeters long when you are using a 35mm camera.

Whilst a lot of portrait photography is completed inside a studio, the prospect of natural light can be very flattering. This can be achieved inside by positioning your subject in front of a window. Environmental portraiture presents different challenges. These portraits are best enlarges, otherwise the subjects face gets lost in the background. Slow film and the use of a tripod; help to keep your images sharp. There are a number of professional photographers who argue that a portrait is not shown to it’s best advantage when it is clinically sharp and they use a filter, but with modern digital cameras, you can make an adjustment in Photoshop at a later time. However if you are using a digital camera you will achieve the best results with a camera with a true single reflex lens.

Natural light or umbrella lighting can achieve soft lighting; both of these reduce shadows and show the face in a “better more attractive light”. However there is another type of portrait photography, which is high impact photography. This is a very dramatic type of portrait photography, which uses very strong light with a high contrast of tonal color. This technique is more effective indoors, as it is achieved by controlling light, and their is too much light to control out of doors. Position your subject at different angles to the light, from one side, or from underneath. This lengthens the shadows, rather than muting them, and gives a distinctly dramatic effect. You can achieve this in varying degrees, but if the light source is placed at 90 degrees to the face, it will throw the whole of the opposite side of the face in shadow. If you are using a digital camera you can also manipulate the contrast later to achieve a more dramatic effect.

You can also improve your photographs if you include some motion shots, as well as the traditional stills. Just make sure that you use the correct film speeds.

http://www.picturecorrect.com/

2005-09-06T10:03:00.000-05:00

Portrait Photography Tips and Methods by Richard Schneider

Portrait is defined as, “A likeness of a person, especially one showing the face, that is created by a painter or photographer, for example.” In the area of portrait photography there are some guidelines that you should consider when you go to take photos of people.

The different types of portraits are: close-ups, facial shots, upper body shots or environmental portraits. Environmental portraits are where you focus on the subject and on their surroundings that provide more character to the subject.

When people have a camera in their face it usually makes them nervous and they will try to put on a face that does not portray who they really are. The real skill to portrait photography is trying to capture photos when the subjects are comfortable and not worried about a camera.

Many professional photographers try to capture their subject’s true essence by using tricks. One example of this is counting to three so the subject prepares and then while they are relaxing after taking a planned photo the photographer will snap a few more unplanned photos. In most cases the subject won’t even know that more than one photo was taken but it’s usually the photos that the subject wasn’t expecting that capture their true essence.

Another more common strategy professionals use is to tell funny jokes that make their subjects genuinely laugh or smile. I’m sure that you have probably experienced something like this yourself.

CLOSE-UP PORTRAITS

These usually have the subject’s shoulders and head or less. They are framed around the face. These are the most common and best at capturing expressions and glamour shots. For these it is very important to have the light coming from a good angle. To accent wrinkles or small details you should have the light coming from the side or from the top. To create flattering pictures you should choose a cloudy day or try to create diffused light so there are hardly any shadows. Also make sure the subject is brighter than the background to reduce distraction.

For close-up portraits you should use a wide aperture (low f/stop) to make the background out of focus and therefore less of a distraction. Professionals commonly use a fixed telephoto lens that’s 90 mm or higher for portraits in order to de-emphasize the subject’s nose or any other unflattering feature. It works because at that distance the nose or any other feature does not seem closer to the camera than the rest of the face.

UPPER BODY OR MIDRANGE PORTRAITS

These are easier to capture because the subject is probably more relaxed because it’s less personal. These include a little more of the background than close-ups. These are commonly used for both single subjects and multiple subjects. This is the kind of portrait used to mark occasions such as graduation, yearbook, birthdays and other parties. The ideal lens would be about a 90 mm fixed telephoto or more wide angle depending on how many subjects there are.

ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS

These are the portraits that let you into the life of a subject. They might include the whole subject in a scenario or the subject participating in some hobby that they enjoy. These are best for telling a story to the viewer about the subject. They are almost always used by photojournalists to look into the lives of interesting people. They also make great Black and White pictures.

Use this information to develop what kind of portrait style you would like to take, and then practice it before dealing with any serious clients.

2005-07-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

Senior Portraits and Photography Services for San Antonio-Brad's Portrait

Senior Portraits and Photography Services for San Antonio

2005-07-27T10:34:00.002-05:00

Senior Portraits and Photography Services for San Antonio-Brad's Portrait

Senior Portraits and Photography Services for San Antonio

2005-07-27T10:34:00.001-05:00

Senior Portraits San Antonio-Senior Portrait-Kylees Senior Portrait

Kylees San Antonio Senior Portrait and Creative Photography Services in San Antonio

2005-07-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

Senior Portraits San Antonio-Senior Portrait-Megans Senior Portrait

Megans San Antonio Senior Portrait and Creative Photography Services in San Antonio

2005-07-27T09:52:00.002-05:00

Senior Portraits San Antonio-Senior Portrait-Chelseas Senior Portrait

Chelseas San Antonio Senior Portrait and Creative Photography Services in San Antonio

San Antonio Senior Portrait and Senior Photographer

2005-07-27T09:52:00.000-05:00

Senior Portraits San Antonio-Senior Portrait-Bonnies Senior Portrait

Bonnies San Antonio Senior Portrait and Creative Portriat in San Antonio

Senior Portraits - Senior Portrait Photographers

2005-07-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

Senior Portraits High School Portraits
This gives Senior Portraits High School Portraits the best of all worlds. Digital cameras record light differently than film cameras, depending on the lighting situation one will perform better than the other. If a photographer were to limit the style of the captured images at your to only one process you would have less variety and quality.

San Antonio Senior Portrait and High School Portrait Photographers

2005-07-23T20:37:00.000-05:00

Digital photography has been a new adventure in our senior portrait photography business in San Antonio. Our wedding couples love the clarity and sharpness of digital images. They also love all the special effects we can do to their photographs from colorizing to black and white. Photographing seniors digitally has taken over the photography field and is rapidly becoming the replacement to film. A good Senior Portraits High School Portraits portrait photographer should already have made the transition from film to digital photography.

Senior Portrait Photography
Photography is more than just a fabric of the average graduates memories, it has become an art form taking on many different types. Some types of photography are artistic photography, photojournalism, documentary photography, portrait photography, event photography, senior portrait photography, nature photography, advertising photography, underwater photography, satellite photography and more. Each of these types has many different directions in which they can go.

Click on our Senior Portrait Link