Latest Photography Articles

Photography Basics - Introduction to lenses and focusing

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:40:34 -0700

One of the most important things in any camera, whether it's a digital model or a traditional film camera, is the lens. The lens is your camera's "eye" and it captures the scene. Professional photographers don't have whopping great lenses on their cameras for nothing. Good photographs depend on light and the lens is the point through which all the light must pass.
The job of the lens is to focus the image onto the sensor. Some very cheap cameras have a lens with a fixed focal length but most reputable cameras will have lenses with optical zoom. Optical zoom means that you can vary the focal length of the lens and the result of this is that you can fit in a wider landscape or zoom in on a distant object.
Focal lengths on digital cameras are, in reality, much shorter than they would be on traditional film cameras. However, manufacturers always give the focal length in terms of its traditional 35mm equivalent. So when a manufacturer says that a digital camera has a 3x optical zoom equivalent to a focal length of 35-105mm, they mean that the camera delivers the same zoom capabilities as a film camera with those measurements. Note that 35 multiplied by 3 is 105, so that's where the 3x figure comes from.
3x optical zoom lenses are som common on digital cameras these days that this is practically the minimum zoom ratio you would expect to find. Some better point and shoot models have 4x or 5x optical zoom. Cameras which are designed to be high zoom can have up to 10x or 12x optical zoom.
Be aware that digital zoom is not the same as optical zoom. Optical zoom uses the power of the lens to zoom in and out so you can choose how much of a scene you want to photograph. Digital zoom is really an on-camera cropping technique that takes the centre part of the image and enlarges it. This results in fewer and larger pixels and a degradation of image quality. If your camera has a very high pixel count then cropping the image in this way might not cause a problem, but it is something to be aware of.
Wide-angle lenses are those with short focal lengths. This might be in the region of 28mm or below. A wide-angle lens allows you to capture wider images without moving back so far.
Telephoto lenses have long focal legths. A camera with high zoom will give you a longer focal length so you can zoom in on distant objects.
Focusing More Clearly
A camera with Auto Focus will automatically focus on the subject to be photographed. Half pressing the shutter release button will usually focus the image before you take the picture. Continuous autofocus is a system that works even before the shutter release button is pressed.
Multi-point focusing is an autofocus system that uses several points in the points in the image to select the correct focusing point.
Multi-zone focusing is an autofocus system that automatically selects the zone (centre, left, right, upper, lower) on which to focus.
Cameras with Focus Assist use an infrared light to illuminate the subject so that the autofocus system can operate in low light.
Cameras with Manual Focus put you firmly in the driving seat so this is something to consider if you want complete focusing control.
This overview has hopefully helped to explain the basics around the tricky topic of exposure on modern digital cameras – other photography articles are available as a series.

Subject versus Content In Stock Photography

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:11:41 -0800

One question I get over and over from photographers is 'what subjects sell best'.

Mostly it's photographers thinking about getting into stock photography and wanting to know what subjects they can go out to shoot to make the most sales. Unfortunately it shows a fundamental lack of understanding of stock photography and the difference between Photo Subject and Photo Content.

Your Subject is basically whatever you happen to point the camera at to capture a photo.

Your Content is the way you combine the physical elements, the intangible elements and your photographic skills/techniques, to create an image.

So 100 random photographers could point their cameras at the same Subject and chances are you'd end up with 100 photos with very different Content. Of those 100 photos, my guess is only about 10% would have real sales potential. They might all be great photos, but in a commercial context, content rules.

The amateur takes a photo of the subject.

The professional uses the content to create an image.

A good example of this is 'people photos'. Pick up virtually any stock photography book, or read any articles on the subject on the internet, and you'll see it over and over ... 'people photos sell'.

However, you only need to take a quick look through Flickr or iStockphoto to know that most of the people photos in circulation won't sell in a million years!

It's not the Subject that makes the sale, but the Content.

It's not What you shoot that determines your sales potential, but How you shoot it.

Once you get clear on that -- once you really get it -- you get a whole new perspective on things and virtually anything you look at has real stock potential.

All you have to do is start at the other end and think about the possible end-users; what they will need the image to be and do, and suddenly even the most mundane subject can have 'stock' potential.

For most photographers making this step up requires a total reversal of their photographic process though.

Most photographers tend to approach a photo opportunity looking for some supposedly perfect or ideal photo, according to what they've learned from the camera clubs, photography magazines and critique websites.

There is a lot to be said for peer-feedback on your work, but all too often the comments in these forums suggest the 'right' or 'correct' photo could have been achieved "if only the photographer had just done it this way .... "

Unfortunately in a commercial situation that severely limits your options.

While you'll see some excellent images in any of these forums, chances are they aren't going to be all that commercial.

The best example I can think of is the extreme flower macro.

These turn up in all the photography magazines and on all the critique sites. Closer to home I see a lot of them in the Membership Applications that come through ... at least half of those we look at have at least one flower macro!
So it's no surprise that when the average photographer is faced with a flower, they will automatically reach for the macro lens ... because that's the 'best' shot they can think of.

The funny thing is, I don't recall ever seeing a macro flower shot published ... except in the photography magazines.

When I think published flower photos I think of the soft-focus single bloom shot for gift cards, the mass of blooms used on seed packets and plant labels, the specimen shot used for text books, the detail shot (not macro) that turns up in gardening magazines ... and so on.

Getting past this concept of the one perfect image can be quite simple. All it takes is a slight shift in mindset.

Instead of approaching each photo opportunity with your photographer mindset (what photo do I want to get here) train yourself to look at it from a buyer's perspective.

Before you even consider the photo possibilities, stop and think about what buyer-types might be interested in the subject matter, and what each of those buyer-types will need in terms of content.

As a result you'll usually come up with multiple buyers types and some very specific information on the type of content they might need.

Then you can go to work and use your skills to create images with the kind of content that sells over and over.

Try it next time you're out!

Better Photos More Often

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:47:16 -0800

Most photographers getting into stock appreciate that you need a large volume of images to make it work consistently. The numbers involved can actually be quite intimidating when you first start but don't let that put you off. Here's a simple system that will increase your output exponentially and ensure the resulting images are highly marketable.

Most photographers never really get around to it, but the more time you put into identifying your markets and researching them, the more saleable your work will be. There's no big secret there: the best marketers in any field are those who identify a market, research it and create a product that their new customers simply have to have.

The good news is it's quite straightforward to apply that approach to your photography. The added bonus is that when you do take this approach your volume will increase significantly as well!

It's a simple three-step process that you can start now and keep adding to for years to come. I'd suggest you get yourself a ring folder so you can add extra pages to various sections as required. Don't let the simplicity fool you; this is very powerful. Here's how it works:

1. Make a list of your main subjects ... aim for about 10 for now. You wil ladd to this constantly, so for now just write down a few of the main subjects you like to shoot, those you shoot well and those you'd really like to shoot more often.

Write each one down at the top of a fresh page. If you are using a ring binder, make these the divider pages so you can insert additional pages between them.

2. Now make a list under each of those 'Subjects' of the kinds of photo buyers who might be interested in photos of that material. Write these under the 'Subject' heading and be as specific as possible.

3. Now set up a page for each of those Subject-Buyer combinations. You need to go looking for specific examples of that buyer type using an image of that subject. You need to find examples and really study the image to try and work out what was about each image that the buyer just had to have.

Make a note of any technical details of interest if you like, but your main focus should be on the content and composition. Your are researching your market, so some study of the competition is useful, but the real value here is in understanding what your potential customers are spending their money on.

In every published photo you see there will usually be one or two elements that the buyer simply had to have.

Even when the photo is a fairly 'bland' portrait; human, animal or object, there will usually be some specific trait or feature captured and conveyed that caused the buyer to select that particular image.

Other times it won't be a physical element, but something less tangible: a mood or emotion or other message. They are the ones you need to study closely so you can see not just the message, but how the photographer used the physical elements of the image to convey it?

Has the photographer used props to add to the story? Are there more subtle symbols in play? How do all the elements fit together? How has the photographer used mood or emotion?

Until you start to recognise these kinds of elements in other images, it will be hit-and-miss whether you capture them in your own work. However, once you do start to look for these elements in other images, you'll start to see them in your own photo opportunities, and then you can start include them in your own work.

When you do that I'd almost guarantee you'll find yourself shooting much more marketable shots. You'll also find you're shooting a lot more prolifically as well!

Over time you might end up with notes on dozens of potential buyers for any subject you like to photograph, so when you're faced with the opportunity to shoot a specific subject, you'll have an extensive list of what buyer-types might be interested in images of this subject, and you'll have specific information on the images they want.

Instead of getting one or two 'photographer' shots you could easily walk away with dozens of highly marketable images, each custom shot for a different specific market!

What to remember when buying a digital camera this Christmas

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:33:18 -0800

Digital cameras remain a popular choice of Christmas present. Indeed, it's no surprise that
digital photography, with its blend of state of the art gadgetry and wholesome hobbyist
overtones, is still a fast growing pastime. Photography giant Nikon have just released their
D3x, but reading the blurb I realised how much research a regular person has to do before
making an informed decision of what type of digital camera to buy. I mean, what is a lag time?
And a CF card? What should the average shopper remember when purchasing a digital
camera?

When buying a digital camera it is first important to identify what the user will be using it for.
From this point on it will be easier to decide on whether you want to sacrifice some
functionality for a more compact model, or if the user would in fact be better of with a Digital
SLR (single lens reflex). Unlike ultra compact and compact cameras, advanced and DSLRs
are more likely to be able to accommodate accessories such as lenses and flashes etc.
Similarly, it is also important to bear in mind the weight of the model, and that just five
megapixels are perfectly acceptable for holiday snaps.

Lag time relates to the speed at which the photo is taken after the shoot button is pressed.
Cameras with longer lag times will make it more difficult to get those snaps that are
spontaneous and over in a flash, and are probably more suited to photographers with more
experience. Additionally, some models offer certain modes, i.e. continuous shutter, these
allow the user to take many photos in sequence.

Batteries are also another important aspect to consider. Some cameras take standard AA
batteries, whilst others come with rechargeable battery packs that could require a charger or
need to be charged by hooking up the camera itself to the mains. In these circumstances, it is
also a logical move to spend a bit extra on a secondary battery pack as back-up, just so you
don't get caught short and with an awesome potential picture before you â€“ the biggest
photographer frustration.

Finally, it is also important to remember such factors as zoom and exposure. It is accepted
that cheap digital cameras and those that are more compact may well not have the option of
being able to control these aspects manually. This, of course, might be a problem for the
budding photography hobbyist wishing to have more control. Also, it is important to note that
whether the model in question comes with presets where exposure is concerned. For
example, a camera with a sport preset might suit one user, but not be worth anything to
another, and may well still increase the price tag.

Don’t Gamble on Your Wedding: A Mans Guide to Planning a Wedding

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:47:12 -0800

Most of the time, the Groom has nothing to do with the planning of his wedding. Most of the time the bride, her best friends, sister and mother will do most of the planning for the wedding leaving only the matter of the grooms Tuxedo up to the Groom.

You may be thinking that this is the way you want your wedding to be done, but in the end this way will usually be worse on you then if you did the entire wedding yourself.
No matter how well you think you have planned things, some things will inevitable go wrong.

To help cut down the frustration and arguments that will arise over these things here are a few things that I learned when planning my wedding that may be helpful to you.

The List:

The first thing that needs to be done is you need make a list of people you wish to have at your wedding. You can not book a hall if you have no idea how many people you are planning on having at your wedding.

The bride, the groom and the parents of each should make a list of all the people they need to invite. Make sure this list includes even people you want to invite but will not show up. Make a note next to each name that you are fairly sure will show up. Your aunt from 2 towns over will probably show up but that friend from college who lives across the country who you barley ever talk to anymore will probably not show up. This list can be used to decide on how big a wedding hall you will need and how many invitations you need to order.

The Wedding Hall:

Your wedding is a very special day and choosing the place to have it is also very important because this is where all the memories of your wedding will be. Make sure you talk to friends and co workers and ask for suggestions. Even your single friends may have been to a wedding somewhere and can tell you about it. And the internet and the phone book are priceless at this stage in the wedding plans.

Make sure you go see as many different places as you can, some places will require you to make an appointment to see their facilities and others may want you to come during an event so you get to see the place decorated and some you can just show up, so call first so you do not waste your time have to go back to a place more then once.

Invitations:

Once you have an idea of how many people you need to invite and you have booked a hall and gotten a date for the wedding it is time to order Invitations. The printer you choose to make your invitations is important. Just like everything else go to more then one printer before making a choice.

For my own wedding we designed our cards and the printer was careless and placed them on top of each other with wet ink and we wound up with 200 invites that we needed to return, and then they used the wrong color ink on the second batch so we had to return those also.

The printer should be able to show you exactly what the invitations will look like on the computer, and do not accept them if they do not look perfect. If they tell you that they can not show you what it will look like until they have printed one out then you are dealing with a printer with old machines and in my opinion you will be safer with another printer who has more modern equipment.

Music:

Many people still use a live band but DJ's are becoming more and more popular. Whatever you choose do to for your wedding make sure you go see the DJ or the band play live before hand. The music is one of the most important parts of the Wedding. People go to a wedding to help you celebrate your marriage and they want to get drunk, eat well and dance.

Photography:

Over the next 40 or 50 years the memories of the wedding may fade but the pictures will always be there to remind you of that special day in your life. Since many brides like to have the photographer around while they have their hair and makeup done it is important to have someone there who helps create a fun atmosphere. The day of your wedding you will be nervous that things are going to go wrong and having someone around taking pictures of you does not help, but if the photographer has a good personality it can help put the bride at ease a bit.

Hair and Makeup:

It is not only important to interview many different hair and makeup people, but make sure you get names and phone numbers of former clients. The person may do beautiful hair but if they tend to show up late it is best to go with someone else.

My wives makeup person came 45 minutes late and because of that we did not have enough time to go to the shore with the photographer for a few pictures, before the sun went down.

On your wedding day things need to go according to a schedule and making sure the people you hire are trustworthy is very important.

The only other advice I can give you is that no matter how hard you plan people who said they could not come will change their minds last minute, people who you have sat together in your table chart will get into a fight and wont want to site together, so just remember that once you kiss the bride the stress all fades away.

Make sure you take some time to enjoy your wedding; it is probably the best party you will ever throw.

Using a 35mm Negative Scanner

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

To be successful in using a 35mm negative scanner, you must be sure to have the right tools and equipment and follow certain techniques that will ensure quality scans. Although 35mm negative scanner operations are fairly simple, it does require a bit more than just placing a negative on a scanners glass and pushing the scan button. There are certain things that you can do to help ensure the good quality that is possible with a 35mm negative scanner. First of all, you will need a 35mm scanner that is different from the typical at home scanner that is popular today. The 35mm negative scanner has to have a built in negative scanning ability, so make sure that when you are shopping for a new negative scanner, you get one that has this feature. A scanner for paper documents wont usually offer this feature, and with many of the special 35 mm negative scanners, you can produce great quality scans from scanning several of your negatives all at the same time. Using your 35mm negative scanner, you will want to maintain a high resolution setting so that youll be able to enlarge a picture if you want to, while still retaining the high quality. A good thing to remember is that for every time you double the size of the picture, you have to double your resolution settings, too. The recommended resolution setting for a 4X6 photo is 300 dpi. A photo that is twice that size will have twice the resolution. There are many different file formats when you use a 35mm negative scanner with computers. These file formats are TIFF, JPEG, and BMP files. The best files for a 35mm negative scanner are the TIFFs, because they can easily be saved and edited without loss of quality. Another setting that you will have to consider when using your computer for 35mm negative scanning is the output type. The output type that is usually the default type is Millions of Colors, which is obviously best for photos with lots of color. The output type Grayscale is for black and white photos. For your 35mm negative scanner, it is recommended that you keep the output at Millions of Colors because computer software does a good job taking the color out. Keeping the output at Millions of Colors ensures top picture quality. When using your new 35mm negative scanner, file sizes can get very large very quickly, with all of the saving and editing photos. Make sure you pay attention to the file sizes and the space that is available on the saving device. Make sure to plan ahead when working on 35mm negative scanning, and youll be sure to create scans that will preserve your memories for years.

The Benefits Of Photo Scanning

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Photo scanning plays a very important part in the process of photo restoration. Photo scanning provides a workable foundation for restorers to work on photos that need work, without having to alter the original photo in any way. When an original photograph is tinkered with, there is great risk for irreparable damage to occur to the photograph. When people handle their pictures and negatives, they do many things, unintentionally, that are very harmful to them, and most do not even know they are damaging their photos. Photo scanning can produce corrected copies of old photos and photos that have been damaged. Photo scanning can help with restoring photos that have been damaged by common wear. Besides sticking fingers all over the pictures, there are more than fingerprints that can slowly destroy your paper memories. Pictures are actually made of gelatin and tiny silver particles. This makes them susceptible to bug infestation, mold, mildew, and humidity. Unfortunately, many things that are made for use with pictures are the very things that hasten their disintegration. Photo scanning can give you a picture that is free from the damage that has occurred to your originals. Many picture boards, cardboards, and most glues contain an acid that slowly eats away at the pictures. Even the chemicals that are used to develop the film from negatives are to blame for the eventual demise of these photographs. Photo scanning can give you corrected duplicates of your original, damaged, photos. Photo scanning can correct sunlight induced fading damage. Most people are commonly aware that sunlight will ruin photographs. Even pictures that were never intentionally put in the sun can still show damage, even if the sun hit the picture for a few minutes each day. Photo scanning can provide a smooth replacement for a sticky, corroded picture. Never use rubber cement to adhere photographs to anything. The acids in rubber cement will ruin the picture quickly, cracking the emulsion and paper backing. Rubber cement contains sulfur, which reacts with the silver that sentences pictures to certain death! Scrapbooking and photo album hobbies have become very popular ways for people to store and share their photos. It is best to use pictures that have undergone photo scanning for these projects, with the original pictures stored properly. You should not use originals in these albums, but the photo scanning copies work well. Do not use the photo albums that have the self adhesive pages covered by clear plastic film. The glue, again here too, is acidic. Never display your pictures in vinyl sleeves. The sleeves are made out of a certain type of plastic that will cause both color and black and white photos to fade. However, if you find pictures that are dear to you that have fallen victim to any of these damaging mishaps, photo scanning can make it all better, and can even make your pictures better than they originally were.

Your Guide to 35mm Slide Scanning

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

To be successful with 35mm slide scanning, you must be sure to use the right tools and equipment and follow certain techniques that will ensure quality scans. Although 35mm slide scanning is fairly simple, it does require a bit more than just placing a slide on a scanners glass and pushing the scan button. There are certain things that you can do to help ensure the good quality that is possible from 35mm slide scanning. First of all, for successful 35mm slide scanning, you need a scanner that is different from the typical at home scanner that is popular today. The scanner you need for 35mm slide scanning has to have a built in slide scanning ability, so make sure that when you are shopping for a new scanner, you get one that has this feature. A scanner for paper documents wont usually offer this feature, and with many of the special scanners, you can produce great quality scans from scanning several of your slides all at the same time. There are many different file formats when you use 35mm slide scanning on computers. These file formats are TIFF, JPEG, and BMP files. The best files for 35mm slide scanning are the TIFFs, because they can easily be saved and edited without loss of quality. Another setting that you will have to consider when using your computer for 35mm slide scanning is the output type. The output type that is usually the default type is Millions of Colors, which is obviously best for photos with lots of color. The output type Grayscale is for black and white photos. For 35mm slide scanning, it is recommended that you keep the output at Millions of Colors because computer software does a good job taking the color out. Keeping the output at Millions of Colors ensures top picture quality. In 35mm slide scanning, you will want to maintain a high resolution setting so that youll be able to enlarge a picture if you wanted to, while still keeping the high quality. A good thing to remember is that for every time you double the size of the picture, you have to double your resolution settings, too. The recommended resolution setting for a 4X6 photo is 300 dpi. A photo that is twice that size will have twice the resolution. When doing 35mm slide scanning, file sizes can get very large very quickly, with all of the saving and editing photos. Make sure you pay attention to the file sizes and the space that is available on the saving device. Make sure to plan ahead when working on 35mm slide scanning, and be sure to back up your work in case your computer crashes and you lose files.

Tips for Successful Digital Photo Printing

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Digital photo printing is a very important part of taking pictures for memories that too many people do not have done. Digital photo printing can take your digital photographs that are nothing but files on your computer and turn them into tangible photos that you will be able to keep for generations. Many people these days are heavily interested in genealogy and family record keeping. Keeping your family tree intact by regularly participating in digital photo printing is important. If you want to keep the photos, you absolutely must get them printed, according to experts. Digital photo printing is important to the history of your life for many reasons. Of course, pictures are irreplaceable. Too many people take pictures and upload them to their computer, and there they sit until the hard drive one day crashes. The average hard drive life in a computer is three years. On average, that means that anywhere from 1,500 to 6,000 photos could be lost when a hard drive suddenly dies for good. Without digital photo printing, retrieving these photographs is not only time consuming and expensive, but is usually impossible as well. Photographs provide a visual connection to our past, and the past of family and friends. Digital photography has made it very easy and convenient to snap pictures and put them on our computers, but that is usually where it ends. The pictures sit on the computer and without digital photo printing, it is only a matter of time before those images will be lost forever. Our history will vanish without physical prints of photos, and digital photo printing is the most convenient, cost effective way to make sure that you dont lose the thousands of pictures that tell your life story. Whether you use an online digital photo printing service or you print the photos yourself at home, you should be sure that once the pictures are taken and put on your computer you do the digital photo printing. Trying to retrieve online photos after a computer crash is time consuming, frustrating, and most of the time is impossible. If you are interested in digital photo printing at home, there are printers that are designed for printing photos. Regular printers also will do an okay job with digital photo printing. Before you go to print out your photos at home, make sure first of all that you have plenty of ink for your printer. Also be sure that you are not using regular printer paper for your photos; the quality is extremely poor, and the photos will not last long. There are many kinds of special photo papers that are sold anywhere that regular printer paper is sold, so be sure to use photo paper. For digital photo printing, also make sure that you change the computer settings for your printer from standard paper to digital photo printing paper so that the computer and printer adapt to the photo paper. This will ensure that you are getting the best quality prints possible from your digital photo printing.

The Greatness of a Photo Scanning Service

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A photo scanning service can bring the most damaged of photographs back to its original splendor, and usually can actually make the digital restored photo look better than the original one. A photo scanning service is a business that can professionally scan photos for you, repairing them and restoring them along the way. When your irreplaceable pictures need to be put into good hands, a photo scanning service does a great job. A photo scanning service will have you mail to them your photos that need scanning. Once they receive your photos, they will start out by looking up your order that you placed with them previously, either on their website or via phone. The photo scanning service will start by cleaning the printed photographs that you sent in to them using only compressed air. Sometimes, in addition to the air, they may also use a soft cloth to clean them. A photo scanning service should never use any chemicals or liquids to clean your pictures; this could have devastating effects and create permanent damage to the photo. A photo scanning service will then place the prints on a high quality flatbed scanner. You may want to check with your photo scanning service to make sure they do not use an automated scanning system, because the automated ones do not turn out as good as manually scanned ones. Your photos should be scanned at around 600DPI, just to be sure to capture all of the details of the photo. When a photo scanning service is finished scanning, the photo scanning service can complete a number of different post scan restoration steps. Some of the services that they can do to the scans for you include color correction, rotation, exposure correction, and cropping. For images that are heavily faded or color worn, extra treatment can be done for color restoration to enhance the photos. When the photo scanning and refinishing are finished, your preview versions of your images usually are available online for you to view. The photo scanning service will usually let you delete any images that you dont want; you only pay for what you are happy with. After you have reviewed the scanned images online, the photo scanning service will return the digital images to you on DVDs or CDs and your original photos.