How To Prepare For A Photo Shoot

by Michael Kryzer

One of the keys to being a good freelance photographer is being well-prepared. The following tips will help you to be ready for your next big photo shoot.

1. Plan Your Photo Shoot in Advance

Brainstorm before you go and make a list of all the photos, subjects and angles you want to shoot. Consider the places, attraction, activities, and scenery. Consider the people and poses. Evaluate possible backdrops and lighting conditions.

2. Be Familiar with Your Camera's Features

It is a good idea to read through your camera manual again so you know all the features that your camera offers. You might be surprised to discover a feature that you haven't used for a while or that you had forgotten.

3. Always Test Your Camera

It is vital to know that your camera is functioning properly. If you shoot with film have not used your camera for some time, then shoot a short roll with several pictures and have it developed. With digital camera take some shots and upload these to your computer to check that everything is working satisfactorily. There is nothing more embarrassing than discovering at the shoot that your camera does not work.

With digital cameras, make certain that the resolution is on an appropriate setting. There's nothing worse than discovering after the shoot that your digital camera was still on the smaller, lower quality resolution you used last week to take some funny shots of your dog.

4. Check You Have Sufficient Photo Storage

Be sure to pack plenty of film. For digital cameras make certain that you have sufficient storage disks or cards to hold all of your photographs at a high resolution.


5. Charge Your Camera Batteries

Be sure your camera has fully charged batteries and always take some spares. Don't forget to pack the power cord so you can recharge your camera on the go.

6. Clean Your Lenses

Always clean a lens using a proper lens cleaning brush. By doing this you will be able to remove fingerprints and dust particles without damaging the lens.

7. Pack Your Accessories

You'll need your charger and cables to connect your camera to your computer. Depending upon your camera model you will probably need to take a combination of lenses and filters as well as your flash. Don't forget a plastic bag in case you need to protect against moisture.

8. Take a Back Up Camera

Always take a back up camera to an important photo shoot. You might consider taking a one-time-use, waterproof camera which will serve as an emergency backup as well as being useful for any beach or underwater shots.

9. Check the Weather Forecast

Check the weather forecast in advance, and prepare contingency plans just in case it doesn't turn out as expected.

Now you can ensure your next big photo shoot is a good one. You cannot be a successful freelance photographer unless you consistently take good photographs. To do that requires good planning, so remember to follow these tips, and all the best with your next photo shoot!

About The Author

If you would like to start your own freelance photography business and learn how to sell your photos, please visit http://www.CameraCareer.com

You'll discover all you need to know including which photos to take and how to get the best fees possible for your photos.

Freelance Photography – 3 Ways to Sell Your Photos

by Michael Kryzer

If you love photography then a career as a freelance photographer is well worth considering. If you want to start a business in freelance photography there are three main ways to sell your photos.

1. Stock Photography

Stock photography refers to a stock of existing photographs that can be licensed for specific uses. Publishers, magazines, advertising agencies, filmmakers, web designers, and graphic artists are all examples of users of stock photography. They can use stock photography instead of hiring a photographer to shoot the photographs they need.

As a photographer when you take photographs those photos become a part of your “stock”. As the copyright holder you can license the images again and again. Your stock photos can be sold online through stock agencies and microstock sites, or by approaching publishers and other users directly, or you can sell them through your own web site.

2. Photography Products

You can take your photographs and create products for sale. Some examples of possible photography products include posters, prints, postcards, t-shirts and even books.

At CafePress, for example, you can design a wide variety of customizable products using your photos with zero upfront costs and zero inventory investment.

3. Photography Services

Another way to work in freelance photography is sell your skills, to sell your services as a photographer. In this capacity you could work on assignment for portraits, for weddings, or for various types of business project.

If you only want to work part-time at your photography, then working as a freelance photographer is still a great way to earn a little extra cash or to pay for your next digital camera or lens.

About The Author

If you would like to start your own freelance photography business and learn how to sell your photos, please visit http://www.CameraCareer.com

You'll discover all you need to know including which photos to take and how to get the best fees possible for your photos.

Who Will Buy My Photos?

"Who will buy my Photos?" is the question that many skeptics ask and it's a very valid question for anybody thinking of investing their time and resources in a new business venture. Well that list would have to begin with Web Masters who are constantly looking for images for promoting their online products and promotional materials.

Then you have traditional marketing and advertising agencies that need photos on all kinds of subjects for producing posters, billboards, leaflets and calendars. Basically in today's marketing industry the internet is virtually the only source for finding photographic images which serves millions of people all over the world.

If you want to make money with your photos on the internet you don't have to be technically minded. It really is simple and mainly involves just downloading photos to your computer and then uploading them to our recommended photo money making sites.

The techniques are very interesting and you might be surprised at how they really do work. In order to not scare you off at this point here's what they're NOT about:-

1. You DON'T need fancy or expensive camera equipment.
2. You DON'T need to be a professional photographer!
3. You DON'T need a website or any technical skills!

So bearing that in mind, these are the main reasons why you don't have to be technically gifted to make money with your digital photos:-

1. You can snap photos from anywhere in the world!
2. You get to work from home and choose your own hours!
3. No experience necessary - if you can take an average picture, you can make money with this system!

The reason these techniques are so effective is because they are the basic secrets to turning your photos into an additional cash income. Turning your photos into cash skills will be made so simple with the advice given by these training articles and the fact of the matter is that anybody could do this successfully.

Another great advantage with this online photography business is that you don't need years of training and that you will be making real money from your digital photos in no time at all.

Click here and learn how you can make an extra $200 to $5000 selling digital photos online…..

Top tips for landscape photography...




1. Harmonious thirds

The rule of thirds is a well-known method of framing images. Where the horizontal and vertical lines a third of the way through the image frame intersect are the most 'powerful' points in the composition.

2. Using reflections

Unlike the rule of thirds, reflections benefit from symmetry. However, a standard 4:3 frame may need to be cropped into to provide the optimum composition - something to consider when out shooting.

3. Looking high or low

Rarely is the best viewpoint from eyelevel. Try lowering your camera to get closer to the ground or, better still, find a high vantage point to produce truly stunning images of even the most usual of subjects.

The Art of Organic Photography

This article is all about Organic photography.

Get 20% off office photo gifts when you use the coupon code 20OFFGIFTS

Photography is a hobby for many but a passion for a few. In our day to day lives, most of us simply enjoy taking pictures, uploading them to the web, sharing them and preserving them for generations to come.

Photos are our way of looking back and cherishing those special moments in our lives - those special moments captured never to return. Being successful in taking pictures and making them seem real is an art on its own - a separate art from the typical point-and-shoot snapshots - and it is only certain people who can capture the moment and make the picture speak more than a thousand words.

It is not only children who like to have their photographs taken but also adults, as it gives them a chance to capture a moment and treasure it forever.

Looking at soft, warm pictures, full of emotions, always melts one’s heart and it is a feeling which can forever be preserved and treasured whether offline or online in galleries such as flickr or photobucket. In and around San Francisco Bay Area, in places like Palo Alto, Berkeley and Oakland are homes to many families from very diverse ethnicities and cultures, who enjoy having their portraits taken - both adults and children alike.




Talking about renowned photographers, we must make a mention of Anat Reisman Kedem (also known as Anat Kedem), who is one such lady for whom photography is a passion and a way of life. She lives in Foster City, near San Mateo, San Carlos, Belmont and Burlingame in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, USA - and specializes in taking pictures of babies, toddlers, children (kids), pregnancy, maternity and families.

Anat Reisman Kedem has been recognized many times for her skills - and has a track record of shooting quality pictures, unique photos in natural lighting and surroundings in places such as Menlo Park and Sunnyvale, home to Silicon Valley companies, such as Intel, Cisco, SanDisk and Adobe - as well as the Great America park and the Round Table Pizza chain of restaurants.

Hillsborough, Atherton, Los Altos are beautiful small towns and home to generations of families living together. Natural settings as such can really make photos stand out - whether everyday photos or holiday season photos for Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays where family pictures are a joy to share.

Anat Reisman Kedem summarizes it best when she says:

"I believe in taking pictures in a soft, natural ambiance and lighting, creating an atmosphere which adds depth and dimension to my photos. To that end, I generally try to photograph either in the late hours of the afternoon or in the early morning hours when the sunlight romances the lens. While photographing, I will seek the alternative angle, that special look, an honest expression, or a captivating smile. Pre-orchestrated or directed poses are practically out of the question. I simply don’t believe in doing things this way."

Located at the tip of the Bay Area is Los Gatos, which borders with San Jose, San Carlos and Santa Clara. This town has many small and large families, with a setting that serves as a real time, amazing backdrop and opportunity for taking photographs which showcase the town and its lovely residents. The suburban town of San Mateo is part of the Bay Area and has many country style houses which form the perfect setting for that cozy photograph. Known for the Coyote Point Park, its golf courses and beach - as well as its proximity to the San Francisco Airport (SFO), the ideal Mediterranean climate here paves the way for a calm and comfortable life. Sausalito and Tiburon in Marin Country, as well as Redwood Shores, Foster City, Alameda and Santa Cruz also provide waterfront scenic backdrops like nowhere else - a perfect setting for perfect photos.

A person can not only enjoy the visuals but also learn more about a person through photographs. And in this way Anat has gone to prove that it is not necessary to have studio lighting, layers of makeup, or a designer dress for a person to look great and resonate warmth - be yourself and let your personality and natural aura shine through the photos, taken in a natural setting with no "artificial preservatives" of any kind. In a sense, it's organic photography. And it's a talent only a few photographers possess.






Encyclopedia Of Twentieth-century Photography

More Photography Quotes

Here are some more quotes from more or less famous photographers revealing what they think of the art of photography. Enjoy!

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter." ~ Ansel Adams

"When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!" ~ Ted Grant

"The world just does not fit conveniently into the format of a 35mm camera." ~ W. Eugene Smith

"A good snapshot stops a moment from running away." ~ Eudora Welty

"Every time someone tells me how sharp my photos are, I assume that it isn't a very interesting photograph. If it were, they would have more to say." ~ Author Unknown

"My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph." ~Richard Avedon

"There will be times when you will be in the field without a camera. And, you will see the most glorious sunset or the most beautiful scene that you have ever witnessed. Don't be bitter because you can't record it. Sit down, drink it in, and enjoy it for what it is!" ~ DeGriff

"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~ Ansel Adams

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.

What you have caught on film is captured forever... 
it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything." ~ Aaron Siskind