Don't Be Afraid to Stage Your Wedding Photographs!‏

How often do you look at wedding

photographs and wonder how the

photographer did it? We're not talking

about just the pictures of the bride and

groom but also the photos of all the

decorative elements and items you see at

every wedding. How did the photographer

manage to get all those beautiful elements

together to look as if that place setting or

centerpiece or the wedding cake was staged

just for them?

That right there is your answer - they

probably staged those photos before

they took them! Some photographers

who handle weddings are very hesitant

to actually stage the things they're

shooting, not wanting to interfere with

how things are decorated or arranged

or feeling as if everything should be

candid and spontaneous.

Yes, it is recommended that you get

photographs of the reception hall, the

tables, the decorations, and everything

else as they are laid out, but this doesn't

mean that you should never stage a shot

as well.

Very often you can get some amazing

photographs if you just move some small

items around so that details really shine

through. For instance you can take one of

the wedding favors and move it close to a

place setting and pull some flowers in closer

as well. A champagne glass can be set on

its side for a playful touch.

You can even usually move larger items

closer together to get some good photos.

Check with the decorator and ask for some

help to move candle stands and balloons

close to the table where the cake is located

or to move around the centerpieces on a

buffet table.

Staging also happens with photos where

people are involved; we often call this

posing. But certainly you can use people

to help stage photos of inanimate things

and details of the wedding as well - have

a flower girl stand near the cake or have

the young ring bearer stand near the dessert

table and catch their expression. A caterer

or server can also stand in the photos,

perhaps holding out a plate of food or a

glass of champagne.

You won't lose the spontaneity of a wedding

by adding your own personal touches this

away. The bride will no doubt appreciate

the extra work and effort you put into photos

like this and will enjoy reviewing these photos

for years to come.

By Nick Smith

Creative inspiration for your photos

I hate it when I just can't think of anything creative to use on a
web site or a photo presentation of some kind - any kind!
These days, that tends to happen all too often.

Thank goodness for me there are other photographers who have
inspiration coming out of their ears.

Here's a little gem that I thought was unique. You have to slide
your mouse across it to see the affects.

The point being that these types of photographic affects can be
done with many different settings, lakes, beaches, trees, rain etc.

You get the picture! (sorry, unintentional pun).

Have a look at it here and let you're mind go wild with your own

personal fantasy applications. You know what I mean...

Time Lapse Photo

If you like the way that works or you've thought of something better

and you don't like code, html and techy stuff (like me) you can always

get help at 'rent a coder' where they will bid on any project you put up for
tender. It would probably only cost a few bucks to get a template
code that you could use over and over again. Too good to pass up if
you can use it. Here's the link if you want to take action and
create stuff like this yourself.

Rent-a-coder

...enjoy yourself,

Krister

Cengage Course Tech. Book: Adobe Photoshop and the Art of Photography: A Comprehensive Introduction by Steven Weinrebe





Cengage Course Tech. Book: The Digital Photographer's Software Guide by John Lewell

Three Secrets To Mastering Perfect Exposure

Memorize this short “mantra” in order to master photography – ISO, shutter speed, aperture. If you repeat this to yourself a few times you will be able to easily remember the three things that will always save, or ruin, an exposure. They don’t have to come specifically in that order, but nevertheless, these three things are what will determine your exposure.

Why are they so important?

When we talk about a photograph we usually speak of it in terms of subject matter, lighting, balance, etc. In reality, the three things that make that picture possible or effective were the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. If you can master these three activities then you will be able to always create the kind of results you want, regardless of conditions.

Remarkably, even the most modern of digital cameras cannot always guarantee success. That includes top of the range digital cameras. If the camera allows the photographer to shoot entirely in manual mode, however, almost any sort of lighting conditions or photographic requirements can be tackled. Even better, if the camera has “semi-automatic” features such as aperture or shutter priority settings the photographer’s life just got even easier.

Don’t know about these settings?

Well, there are all kinds of descriptions, metaphors, and illustrations as to how these three factors interact to make a final image, but these tend to make very little sense unless you really understand the fundamentals of the three settings. It begins with ISO, which is the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to the light entering through the lens. The ISO can be automatically adjusted to ever increasing levels of sensitivity, but this comes at a cost, and that is digital “noise” or graininess in the photograph. Instead of making the sensor do the work, the photographer should consider letting more light into the camera.

This can be done via the aperture of the lens or the speed of the shutter. Both choices also come with some valuable and steady compromise, and it is up to the photographer to select the right setting for their photographic intention. When they decide to allow more light in through the lens, by opening or closing the aperture they will instantly change the depth of field. This will make the background and foreground sharper or blurrier. When the photographer sets the aperture at a very low number, such as 2.8, they are actually flooding the camera with light. This shortens the depth of field and makes everything but the subject extremely blurry. Obviously a smaller or higher aperture setting will do the opposite, and this is usually what a landscape or cityscape photographer chooses.

If they decide to control light through shutter speed they will have to understand that slower shutters allow a lot more light into the camera, but this runs the risk of adding blur to the image too. Shutter speed also has a lot to do with controlling motion. When something is moving fast, you will be able to capture that motion as sharp and “frozen in mid air” or, alternatively, you may simply choose a “streaky blur” look to add more artistic value to your image.

A common problem photographers have is shooting fast motion in low light. There really is no “magic” answer to this. You need as much light as possible. Since there are only really three ways to enhance the lighting in your images, you really only have three options available to you; a slower shutter, a wide aperture or a higher ISO. Each have their advantages and disadvantages and it is up to you what you are prepared to gain and prepared to lose. You may want a frozen in mid air look of a fast motion subject and are prepared to have a little more noise in your image. Or you may choose a slightly blurrier look but a lot less noise.

If the photographer knows that they must have a specific aperture or shutter speed for the image, and the camera has priority modes, they can simply set the element that they want, and the camera will tackle the rest. The trick is learning exactly what is required!

If you like this article, please feel free to leave a comment below and bookmark it if you can spare a minute.

This article provided by Amy Renfrey (visit her website)