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

Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos

Review of "Photo Nuts and Bolts"

Improve my camera skills ...what for?

Learn to know your camera and take better photos.

Photo Nuts and Bolts is a how-to guide for the novice to intermediary photographer who would like to learn more about taking better photographs. Written by Neil Creek, this book is essentially a series of lessons to teach the basic fundamentals of photography and take the guesswork out of getting great shots. The author is passionate about digital photography and also loves to teach others. He has written a photography blog for over four years and is also a staff writer for Digital Photography School, and he currently is teaching a series of portrait photography classes.

This book grew out of Neil’s photography blog and writing for the Digital Photography School, where he ran a series of articles titled “Photo 101” which taught people how to use their cameras to best advantage, and venture away from the automatic settings to get truly great pictures.

Neil Creek offers a series of simple lessons that explain the how and why certain things are with respect to photography, and also explains why it’s relevant and important to the photos that you take. Each short chapter also gives you a series of resources to check out for further information, as well as some “homework” so that you get some hands-on experience with the theories and fundamentals he is introducing you to. Each chapter explains in detail, but in laymen’s terms for easy understanding, a different aspect of photography and how it can help you to take better photographs.

In ten relatively short lessons, the author begins by explaining light and how simple things like pinholes and bending light can make a great difference on the pictures you take. He moves on to more advanced things that many of us think are truly complicated- like lenses and F stops, and explains them so simply that anyone can understand.

The book gets into more complicated territory further on- like lessons on aperture, ISO, and shutter speeds, but if you start at the beginning and read all of it as well as doing the hands-on homework assignments, you will be well prepared to delve into those complex areas. By the time the author discusses light meters and explains how to get great shots of difficult images- like fireworks or shots with little natural light, you completely understand why you’re doing each thing and how to go about getting a great shot.

There is also a lot of information about white balance and metering modes that will help your shots to be perfectly exposed. The appendices offer a glossary of photography terms in easy to understand language, as well as a section about reading diagrams that helps to understand a lot of the concepts of physics and optics from the earlier chapters with charts and illustrations.

The book is very clearly written, in language that is easy to understand even for those who are photography novices. The author definitely lays out the information in a format that helps those who are new to the “non-automatic” world of photography to understand why it’s important for them to learn these things and how much better their good pictures can be by using these techniques.

Having once been one of the “novices” I referred to above, who only knew how to point and shoot my camera and hope for the best, I really enjoyed Neil Creek’s book, and his detailed explanations. I also like the way he presents a subject, offers additional reading resources, and then gives you some “homework” to help you learn in a more hands-on way. Though it might be a little basic for those with highly advanced photography experience, it is a “must-read” for those who wish they could do so much more with their existing digital camera.

Do yourself a favour and check this out. You know I wouldn’t go to this much trouble unless I thought this guide was pretty cool.

Review written by Roy Barker

Don't Make These Mistakes With Your Camera!

With digital cameras at their most affordable, anybody can be a photographer these days. Problem is, it takes more than a camera to take good pictures.

It takes a certain eye, a way of seeing things, to take pictures that make people go "Wow!". Fortunately, it can be learned. And the more you practice, the better you'll get.

If you're interested in becoming a good digital photographer, I recommend the "Shoot Digital Pics Like the Pros," a free report.

Start by taking a look at these most common mistakes people make when taking digital pictures:

1. Not knowing your camera

If you never read your digital camera's manual and learn its features and how to use them, you won't be able to make the most of it.

2. Not using a tripod

Tripods allow you to take the sharpest pictures even in low light. Use one as often as possible.

3. Not giving the camera time to focus

Digital cameras need time to properly focus and get the right exposure. It can take a fraction of a second or a couple of seconds. Account for this when taking pictures.

4. Relying too much on zoom

Using the camera's zoom feature makes the picture grainier. Get as close to the subject as possible.

5. Taking pictures against the light

This makes the subject dark and the background too bright.

6. Relying too much on the flash

Natural light gives the best pictures, so use it as much as possible. Flash tends to make images look harsh.

7. Not taking enough pictures

It's almost impossible to take the perfect shot at one try, so take many pictures. With digital photography, this doesn't cost you extra. Try different angles and compositions.

8. Always putting the subject dead center

Learn the rule of thirds in composition, and you'll have more interesting pictures.

9. Forgetting to check the horizon

When taking pictures with the horizon showing, make sure it's level.

10. Selecting a low-resolution setting

Your camera will allow you to select different resolutions. Don't be tempted to choose a low resolution just to save on memory space. Instead, buy additional memory for your camera and always take your pictures in high resolution.

11. Trying to take too much

Don't try to include too many things in one picture, such as people and scenery. A picture is more effective when it's focused on a single subject.

12. Not using the camera

You'll never know when a good photo op will come up, so have your camera with you at all times.

It may seem like a lot to think about, but with practice, these things will become second nature.

For those who want to learn even more digital photography techniques, check out the free report, "Shoot Digital Pics Like the Pros." It's a short but info-filled guide that will have you shooting digital pictures like a pro in no time.

Find out more about "Shoot Digital Pics Like the Pros" here:
www.learndigitalphotographynow.com

Photo subjects that sell

What sort of material is selling best on stock photo sites?

There's no real standout answer to this question - every sale seeems to be totally different to the last!

There are some regulars though....

Anything with people in it! These aren't necessarily "portrait" pics - they are more likely to be classed as "lifestyle" images.

People doing things - so it doesn't matter how you currently classify your work, if you can start including a few people you are probably going to improve your sales ability!

Other regular subjects are nature, wildlife, industry, technology, sports and communication, but even these are only part of the picture.

Perhaps the person who can best answer this question is you!

Only you really know the type of work you do; the subjects and styles etc, so you need to do some market research yourself and look for situations where your images could have been used.

Get in the habit of studying the images you see around you every day ... books, magazines, websites, billboards, packaging, junk mail! ... they are all commercial images and they are all selling. Pay particular attention to those subjects that overlap with your current work.

The trick is to then apply what you learn to your own work ... look for the elements within the images that make them work; think about why the buyer would have selected that image, and how you could improve on it.

This is regardless of which stock photo site you choose to sell your work through.

Make this a habit and you'll not only get a better idea of what's currently selling, your own work will become more saleable in the process!


Discover Further Photography Techniques By Reading This Free Digital Photography Report – www.LearnDigitalPhotographyNow.com

Basic Photography – How To Add Special Effects To Photos With Adobe Photoshop And Basic Photography Tutorials

In an effort to create a lasting impact from your photo, leaving the impressions on viewer’s minds, it should have something that keeps him glued. You can employ Adobe PhotoShop’s special effects tools in the menu to add a lightning effect. You can double your exposures or do whatever you choose. The advantage of owning Adobe Photoshop is the rewards it will bring. In fact, I used this program to design my book covers, make commercials, advertising slicks and more, so sit back and enjoy this basic photography course.

Lightning Effect: You can use various types of lightning effects and of different colors, applying them to an image using Adobe Photoshop. This will enhance your basic photography skills tremendously. Note that these tips are perfect for newbies as everything is explained in basic photography terms.

How to do it:-

We’ll follow a stepwise manner in doing this:

1. Open your editor or Adobe Photoshop program

2. Now open the desired image (make sure you open it in RGB format)

3. Now from the filter menu choose Renderer and then select your desired lighting effects.

4. You will see the lighting effect dialogue box opens up.

Then..

1. Choose the desired lighting style from the topmost selection menu; you will notice the options style of lights.

2. Choose the light type and move the sliders to set the intensity and focus.

3. You can also change the properties by toggling the sliders for glass, material, exposure, and ambiance.

4. You can also change the color of light. To change the color of light just click on the boxes to the right of the light type and properties. This will open the color, picker dialogue box. Choose a color and press ok.

5. To change the direction or placement of light just drag any of the points on the outside ellipse or center point. Click ok after you have adjusted the direction and placement of light. How about that for a basic photography lesson!

Creating Double Exposure effect is one of the best basic photography tips: A double exposure image is created by overlaying two images on one another.

Like above we’ll again follow a stepwise procedure:

1. Select all or a part of the image using the selection tools at the top of the toolbar.

2. Now from the edit menu choose copy.

3. Now open a second image file.

4. From the window menu, you can select the show layer.

5. On the ‘show layer’ popup right click and choose new layer and press ok.

6. Now go to the edit menu and press paste.

7. From the layer’s palette, move the opacity slider to 50%.

8. Now drag the mouse from inside the selection to move it.

9. To scale the pasted selection, click on image menu and then select image size. Adjust the size by adjusting the pixels and height from the pop-up window.

The editing programs today can do wonders to images. One of the most popular programs is Adobe PhotoShop, since this editing program is one of the most sophisticated tools. Most pro photographers will use this program, since you can create web sites, book covers, images, movies, and more. Adobe is also used to design manuals, graphics, commercials, fliers, and more. This particular program I miss. I lost my copy during a severe virus attack, and the downside is it costs around $1000 to $1500 to replace.

Outside of lightning effects, you can also setup brick backgrounds, or whatever background you choose. If you own this program you know what I am talking about, however if you have never had the experience and can get the opportunity to try out Adobe I promise you will have loads of fun. For additional editing assistance check out your menus, Help tools.

Discover Further Basic Photography Techniques By Reading This Free Digital Photography Report – www.LearnDigitalPhotographyNow.com

Photography Quotes You Should Know

“The important thing is not the camera but the eye.” - Alfred Eisenstaedt


"There are two people in every photograph: the photographer and the viewer” - Ansel Adams

“If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” - Robert Cappa

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.” - Ansel Adams

“You cannot depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus” - Mark Twain

BNDL: ACP MASTERING DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY



The Photography of Gustave Le Gray















PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY-E.RESOURCE

Photography: From Hobby To Your Very Own Business

For the transition of photography from hobby to your very own business, there are several tasks that you have to accomplish.





That’s right. Who could say that there’s no chance that your hobby could also be the foundation of your first business venture? There are a lot of people out there who are in need of a good photographer to capture images of their son’s wedding, their daughter’s graduation or their very own wedding. Why couldn’t you be the one to supply your photography services to their needs?

For the transition of photography from hobby to your very own business, there are several tasks that you have to accomplish first.

Market Your Photography Skills – Sell yourself, in other words! Let people know about what you can do in the field of photography, why they need your skills and why they should hire you. Make sure, however, that you charge them reasonable rates since you’re still more or less an amateur in the field of photography.

To effectively market your photography skills, don’t be afraid of spending a little money on posting ads in the classified sections. Don’t stop there but post about your photography business in as many places as you can.

Join Interest Groups – This could be the local photography club in your community or the association of young photographers in your school. It could also be a Yahoo Group that you could easily join.

Usually, these groups are able to hold regular or annual exhibits of their works and it wouldn’t hurt to expose to the world the beauty of your works in photography.

Join Photo Competitions – Two things that you could enjoy when joining photography competitions: fame and fortune. Both are equally important. Fame would do wonders to your career in photography because it would let the world know about your skills and winning a photography competition may also offer the prize of having an apprenticeship under a world famous photographer. And when it comes to wealth – well, when did extra money ever hurt?

Offer Your Skills For Free to Government Projects – The government is always on the lookout for professionals who are willing to work for free and you should take advantage of this. Offer your photography skills for free because this would give you the opportunity to show them what you got.

Offer Samples of Your Work to Newspapers and Magazines – This is just like joining a photography competition. When you offer samples of your work to newspapers and magazines, you’re improving the chances that you’ll get noticed by the people who matters.

Although we can’t say that the road to victory is easy, never give up, never stop taking pictures and you’re sure to go far!

Learn Digital Photography Highly effective and unique teaching method. Beginners to pros. Free demo.

Dreaming Winter Photography

Winter is one of the best times of the year to take photos, however, winter shooting can be tricky as majority of the landscape is white and the background is bright.


The sight of early morning snow, the shimmering frost in the trees, your sister falling off in your snow filled front yard and your stunning snow angel...

Don’t you ever wish you could just capture that moment right away and place them in your computer desktop? Right, sounds easy but for an amateur photographer this may sound too challenging and laborious. But thanks to the dawn of digital photography and winter photography need not be exclusive to the professional anymore.

You have to remember a few pointers though. Winter shooting can be tricky as majority of the landscape is white and the background is bright. When shooting a snow filled area, the brightness of the snow may often cause your digital camera to somewhat underexpose the scene, thus making the snow to look gray. To correct this, you might have to increase your exposure compensation so the whiteness of the snow can be appropriately captured. The time of the day you took the picture can also have an effect in your image. So if you want cooler shots shoot closer to midday but if you want warmer shoots, shoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Although traditional photography belief tells us that using flash outdoor is not necessary but if you are shooting a winter photograph, using a flash can bring out details and highlights that might not be captured without it. However, if you are shooting close shots avoid using flash as much as possible as the reflection can greatly reduce any detail in your photo.



With the flexibility of processing available with digital cameras, you have better choices when in comes to choosing the finished format of your photograph. There is really nothing to lose to trying winter photography. You might even be surprised with the images that you captured. Once you have become accustomed to winter photography and have been familiar with the different techniques, you will find that winter is one of the best times of the year to go out there, take photos and make use of your digital camera. You will be surprised to see that the final results are worth the hassle.

Now that even the UK is having alot of snow you should grab the opportunity before it quickly melts away!

Just be careful you don't slip and fall!

Krister

Did you get yours yet?

Digital photography is an art, but it most certainly doesn’t have to be complicated, no matter how frustrated you may get taking digital pictures.

If you haven’t used your camera for months or when you do use it, you’re disappointed with the results – it doesn’t have to be that way. Even if you’ve avoided buying a camera because you’ve never considered yourself to be a great photographer – it can all change right now.

Yesterday, I told you all about the f r e e guide from Dan Feildman called, “Shoot Digital Pics Like the Pros”…if you haven’t picked up your copy yet, I encourage you to do so now.

If everyone has goofy faces at all the parties or your vacation pictures turn out too dark to see that amazing sunset – you definitely need this. The highly-informative guide helps you choose the right digital camera, covers the basics and gives you the information you need to take AWESOME photos.

You can sign up for your no-charge guide:

www.learndigitalphotographynow.com

…and start taking better photos you can be proud of right away. Again, there’s no charge for the guide - simply sign up and get yours. It’s that simple!

To your digital photography success,

Krister

Free Guide Ends Your Digital Photography Frustrations

You have a digital camera (or plan to get one) because you want to preserve the important moments in your life – but it can be incredibly frustrating when the results aren’t quite what you’d expected. Blurry pics, over-exposed and under-exposed images – we’ve ALL been there.

But digital photography doesn’t have to be that complicated. To get yourself started out on the right foot, I really encourage you to download a complimentary digital photography guide called:

“Shoot Digital Pics Like the Pros”

This 28-page guide gives you rock-solid advice on:

- Getting started as a digital photographer
- How to choose a digital camera, if you don’t have already or are thinking of upgrading
- Understanding the settings on your camera
- 4 important photography basics
- 6 strategies for GREAT photos

…and more.

You can sign up for your no-charge guide:

www.learndigitalphotographynow.com

…and start taking better photos you can be proud of right away.

To your digital photography success,

Krister