Maternity Portrait Photography

Maternity portrait photography is a wonderful way to document your journey into motherhood, especially when you choose a photography package that includes both maternity and newborn portrait photos. Most parents have hundreds of photos of their little ones, but few have a set of professional pregnancy portraits, despite those nine months being such an important time in any mother and father's life. Some women don't feel confident enough to have a photos taken when they're pregnant, or simply don't think about having a maternity photoshoot until it's too late! But no matter how shy or nervous you are about getting in front of the camera with your baby bump, an experienced portrait photographer will be able to put your fears at rest and coax a beautiful, natural pose out of you!

Your maternity photographer will help you to try a variety of poses to really show off your blooming and blossoming figure, and there are many different post-production effects that can be applied to your images to make your photos truly unique. You don't have to pose alone, either! Why not include your partner or your other children, if you have them, for a family photoshoot before and after your birth? Props, accessories and different clothing can also be used to give a variety of textures and colours, and if you're feeling really brave, why not try a semi-nude maternity photoshoot?

The lovely thing about maternity photography is that you can replicate your poses once baby is here in a newborn shoot, replacing your bump with your gorgeous new baby! The continuity of using the same photographer means you can come away with a set of portrait photographs that match and complement each other in their style and setup. Many photographers offer special deals for expecting mothers, which include a maternity photoshoot, a newborn photoshoot and even the option of further sittings to document your growing baby's journey.

The best way to approach your pregnancy portrait photography is to dress comfortably, ensure you're well hydrated and make sure you find poses and positions that feel natural for you. Bring along your partner or a friend who is sure to make you laugh and smile - a good portrait photographer will also do their best to make you feel at ease and often it's the unposed, candid photos that really capture your natural beauty and happiness.

When looking for a maternity photographer, word-of-mouth recommendation is always the best way to judge, and make sure you look through a photographer's portfolio or website so that you can get an idea of their style and approach. It's also a pertinent idea to check exactly how many prints you will receive with your photoshoot, and how much extra prints and frames will cost, so you are able to budget accordingly. Celebrate your pregnancy as well as your baby's arrival with a maternity photoshoot and flaunt that bump!

Rebecca Dawe Photography is an all-female team of experienced photographers working from a friendly studio in Leciestershire.

Street Photography

What is street photography exactly? One might guess its photos taken on the street; and that one person would be correct. But also street photography; is photographs of inspiration at that moment, where you find something that is visually intriguing. Something that is so eye-catching: you have to take that shot; that is my definition of street photography. The whole point of street photography is documenting what is happening before your very eyes, a situation perhaps that is playing out in front of you at that very moment. Being alert about everything going on around you so you can be quick enough to get that shot; because you'll never get that same shot twice.

Street photography can be very exhilarating because everything is constantly changing; never to be shot in the same way again. Street photography has many themes as long as you don't make it seem like an ongoing boring project. Its photographing things that will add up over time; things you document with your own eyes. One example is a shot of a business man being splashed by a car passing by as he stands at the curb waiting to cross the road after a heavy rain. This photo will tell many stories of that moment and you have only one opportunity to capture it. That is what makes street photography so absorbing. This can be photographs of people who actually work out in the street selling things: such as a street vendor. Taking shots of how they look at that moment; the expressions on their face could be telling you a story of the hardships they might be having, or success.

Street photography doesn't necessarily need any type of theme. Sometimes it might be about something in front of me that amuses or interest me while I'm taking pictures. When certain elements come together to form a visually striking image; and the composition is happening before you're very own eyes and the shot is there for you to take at that very moment, that's street photography. I took some photos of a parade and the most intriguing shot I had taken was a little girl who was sorting her parade candy out in the grass after the parade.

What's the best camera for street photography? The answer to that is what ever type of camera you're comfortable with; it can be a point and shoot camera or a digital SLR camera. As long as it's what you feel comfortable using. I prefer a SLR camera with a 50 mm lens which allows me to get up close in the area I'm shooting without getting in my subjects face. But you don't want to go out on the street to take photograph with a long focal length lens. This will make you too detached from the surrounding area and your mind really has to be in it to get those shots. You can't just look what's going on, you have to really see it. And a 50mm lens will help you pick out the interesting parts of your shot over the other random series of events that are not under your control during your shot.

Enhance Your Message With Personalised Greeting Cards

In this age of quick, simple electronic communication, it can often seem quaintly old fashion to want to send an actual physical card. After all, if you want to get a message across to somebody, then you can ensure that they receive that message in a matter of seconds by sending a text, tweet or Facebook message. It's this very simplicity which makes such formats unsuitable for marking special occasions. The fact that you receive multiple electronic messages every day of the week renders them somewhat common place and ordinary, and thus not remotely suitable for marking the likes of birthdays, anniversaries or Valentine's Day. The whole point of sending greetings on occasions such as this is that you want to show the person you're sending it to just how much they mean to you, and that's why going to the trouble of selecting and writing photo greeting cards is such a touching and heartfelt gesture.

Once you've decided to send a card, the task of picking one from the range of greeting cards available may prove somewhat daunting. After all, if you're going to this much trouble, then you want to ensure that the image on your card is as right as it possibly can be. When it comes to sending a card which is absolutely perfect, nothing is quite as effective as choosing to create your own photo greeting cards. In the past, making your own card would have been something which only a very talented artist could think about doing. After all, no matter how touching the thought which has gone into creating the card is, if the finished product look amateurish and shoddy then it won't do the job properly.

Making personalized photo greeting cards using digital photographs from your own collection has been made extremely simple. Indeed, choosing the perfect image for the occasion may well be the most difficult part of the process. If it's Mother's Day, then what could be better than a card featuring a much love photograph of the children sending their love, whereas a card saying 'Congratulations on Passing Your Driving Test' will be all the more effective it has an image of the recipient on the front, playing in a toy car when they were just a child.

When you're sure you've got the perfect image, you simply have to upload it to the relevant website. Once it's there, it can be turned into a bespoke card with just a few clicks of the mouse, using software which has been made as user-friendly as possible. The same easy, logical step by step process can be applied to producing personalized photo albums in the form of stunning photo books, meaning that you can now design and print a wedding album which will look truly professional whilst featuring intimate, special personal images.

The range of items which it is now possible to create using your favourite digital images is vast. From photo greeting cards to photo books, what they all share is a commitment to excellent production values, allied to the chance to create something of a truly personal nature.

Steps In Taking Photos During Winter

Some people don't find it very comfortable photographing outdoor scenes during the cold winter season. It's understandable if they feel this way because after all, who would want to stay long outside when the weather is freezing?

But people passionate about photography and living in areas where snow is a regular occurrence should feel lucky. Did you know that you can actually find great details when taking close up shots of scenes and objects with fresh frost or ice? It is because they can form unusual shapes that make for great compositions.

Winter may provide a short time for photographers to capture great images the reason why you also need to be observant enough to find areas and details worth snapping. Lighting may be an issue as well but there could be occasions where you won't need it. Again, your eyes should be fast enough to find those out of the ordinary details and compositions.

If you're searching for subjects, it would help a lot if you just walk around even just outside your home within your neighborhood. Driving in a car will not give you much result. Strolling, however, with your eyes wide open will surely give you opportunities to spot unique shapes, texture and patterns.

To get the best out of this cold season and to capture those amazing details, you will need certain digital camera accessories. One of these is the short zoom which new models already have. This is ideal for short focusing objects from a distance.

The telephoto lens is also ideal to use. Choose those between 100 and 400mm which is capable of compressing perspective.

If you're after a close up shot, the macro lens is strongly recommended. This is perfect for capturing images of objects covered with ice.

To get more creative, you can capture surfaces with sheets of ice. Keep in mind that ice creates a reflective surface which you can experiment on. So you may want to snap on those reflections of the sky, buildings or people in different angles and positions. Changing angles and positions will create different effects so take as many pictures as you wish.

With ice and snow, you will often get abstract figures. But it doesn't matter because it is through these exquisite shapes that you create drama in your images.

An important point to keep in mind when shooting during winter is to be very careful with your moves. Remember that sheets of ice and ice crystals are very fragile and can easily break with a slight touch or when you step on them. So if you want to capture wonderful details and take close up shots, go slow when taking your position.

Be particular about your background as well. Always aim for a clean background if possible.

Some subjects worth photographing during the cold weather are plants or shrubs covered with ice crystals or snow, ice formations, as well as reflections on icy surfaces.

So who says you can't engage in your favorite hobby of photographing scenes, people and objects in winter? Trust your instinct and keep your eyes open and you'll surely find that moment to snap on that shutter button.

How to Add Randomness With Point and Shoot Cameras

As a budding photographer, I always carry a camera with me, even if it's just a camera phone. However, I do prefer to carry my Canon S95 if I can't take my DSLR with me, as it's a great point and shoot, fits into my pocket nicely and always ready when needed.

My camera phone is ok, but it's not as flexible as a proper dedicated camera, but as a last resort, it's ok. What I do always bring with me is a spare Canon S95 battery, as one time I was out, wanted to take this great shot, and my battery was dead. It was very frustrating. Of course, these point and shoots and phone cameras aren't anywhere near as good as a good old DSLR, but they have taught me a lot.

Because of their own limitations, I've had to be more creative with the point and shoots, and this has led me to become a better photographer with my DSLR too. Let me explain... With my DSLR, I have complete control over many facets of photography. Things like controlling depth of field is a piece of cake with a DSLR, not so with a point and shoot. The zoom on my DSLR is optical, whereas the zoom on my S95 becomes digital, which is no where near as good. So, I've had to think outside the box a little when using my point and shoot.

I like creating interesting non representational shots on my camera, and one of the funnest ways of doing this is camera tossing. I'm not too keen on the idea of letting my DSLR out of my hands, particularly to throw up in the air, but with my point and shoot, it's not as much of a big deal. I've gotten some really great shots, especially at night with lights and I've used these shots as interesting backgrounds on web sites and so forth.

To make some of my other pictures stand out more, I've also thought more about my composition. Instead of taking the regular stand point of a scene, I look for alternative solutions. Trying to get higher, or crouching right down often make great and exciting vantage points. The key is to really think outside the box and look for new ways to capture something that no one else has thought of before.

In almost every photo rule book, it says always try to achieve the right exposure. One day, I was fiddling with my S95, and ended up taking a shot that was way over exposed. I was ready to delete the shot at first, but as I looked closer, I had a very minimalistic effect of a lot of white, and a slightly burnt out subject image. When I downloaded it to my PC, I opened it up in Photoshop, tweaked it a little and ended up with a really good photo.

There's a lesson there too, don't be too dismissive of your own shots, they can often be salvaged. And so, my S95 point and shoot has enabled me to do some things I may not have thought of with my DSLR.

Composition Tips For Outstanding Photography

You don't need a top of the range DSLR camera to take great and interesting shots. A Canon Powershot SD1400 IS can be all you need to take great shots. What you do need is an understanding of some basic composition and an eye for the unusual. These two elements can help you begin to understand and gain insight into what makes a great image.

Using a point and shoot like the Powershot, was a good way for me to get started and to understand important features in composition. The first thing you need to do when seeking to take a photo is to ask a simple question; why? Why do you want this shot? Why does it appeal to you? Focusing on this question will help you to visualize and to concentrate on this aspect that first attracted your attention.

Before you continue, you should already be aware of basic compositional principles. They are the rule of thirds where you place your focus point a third of the way into your frame, whether horizontally or vertically; keeping your frame square and any horizon completely level; and finally to keep the image in focus and as sharp as you can. With these basic techniques in mind, you are ready to go to the next phase, establishing a vantage point.

If your subject is a popular tourist building, consider thinking outside the box a little and trying to take it from another view. Perhaps focus on one part of it. Remember, there's already millions of photos out there, with the majority probably very similar. So try to think of something someone else hasn't thought of (difficult, I know). Look at your scene, and try to see if there are any lines in the composition. These lines could be physical (perhaps a road, telegraph poles or lines), or they could be implied, perhaps a small child looking across at something.

Remember your rule of thirds, and try to focus on the why of the image with regards any storytelling you may want to do. Maybe take someone down a road towards the main focal point, a building or something. Consider the three types of symmetry you have available to you. You have perfect symmetry where one side matches the other identically, then you asymmetry where the left and right don't match, but still balance out, and then you have radial symmetry where the focus starts in the middle and works its way out. All three symmetries when understood well can all help impact your photo positively.

When out and about with your camera, always be mindful, and consider your environment well. You never know what you may come across or see. Above all, look up, because many things are above us that we may never have considered looking around at our current hight.

The Three Factors of Light in Photography By Brett Gaine

If you have just bought a DSLR camera, then it is likely you are more serious about your photography than most others. To get the most out of your camera, it is very useful to know and understand the basic physics behind it, what affects certain settings of your camera have and so on. Photography is a rewarding hobby and profession, but it is difficult to master, and only with plenty of practice and no how will you get anywhere with it. So, the first thing you should have bought with your DSLR is an SD card, a skylight filter for your lens (for protection), and a spare battery.

There are three very important principles that you must understand, and these are common to every digital camera. These principles are essential to allowing light into your camera for capture of your shot, and used incorrectly will lead to some very wild results. Therefore, even for a beginner, I would suggest ignoring all automatic and help settings on your camera, and jumping at the deep end and setting it to M, for manual. It's involved at first, but in the long run you will learn and understand how your camera works much quicker. The three factors affecting light into your camera are:

1. ISO

In old film cameras, this dealt with the speed of the film. For bright sunny days, you would want to use 100 ISO film. For inside photography, you would need 400 ISO. It is similar in a digital camera, but it now determines the sensitivity to light of the sensor (which has replaced the film). In basic terms, if you are shooting outside on a bright day, you should set your ISO to 100. If shooting inside, again a higher ISO is needed, but this can go well beyond 400 ISO, most cameras allow up to 1600 ISO, but some newer ones go beyond even this. This eliminates the need for flash in many situations, and although the results can be grainier, modern technology is even eliminating this.

2. Aperture

The aperture is essentially the window into your camera. It is a hole that can be increased or decreased depending on what conditions you are shooting in and the amount of light. It controls the amount of light entering the camera. Basically, if you are shooting a landscape, you will need a small hole (high f stop number), because there will be a lot of light. If shooting a portrait, then a large hole (small f stop number) is needed. Aperture also controls depth of field.

3. Shutter Speed

The third and final way to control light entering the camera is through the shutter. This is the length of time the shutter is open. In basic terms, if you want to freeze action crisply and cleanly, then use a very fast shutter speed. If you want to show motion and blur, then a slower shutter speed should be used (with the aid of a tripod).

All three affect each other, and for a properly exposed photo, if you change one, you must change the other. Practice and taking note of your settings will help you to understand this better.

Getting To Know An Intervalometer

The world indeed is a beautiful place that has numerous beautiful sights, some natural while some man-made. With photography it is now possible to capture this beauty with a camera.

With the advent of technology, photography enthusiasts have been able to improve the quality of the pictures they click. One such device that helps them to do so is an intervalometer, which is basically a device plugged into a camera for counting intervals of time. In photography time is of essence. The quality, creativity and aesthetics of a picture depend on whether a picture was taken at the right moment. A delay of even a split second may cause a photographer to fail in capturing the right moment. These devices are usually used to indicate or signal other devices to start an operation at specific time intervals. For instance an intervalometer might activate another device after every thirty seconds. It finds ample application in various fields that even includes military operations.

As far as photography is concerned, these devices are mainly used for bringing out exposures, usually in a time lapse series. Exposures are basically the quantity of light that is allowed to fall on each unit of the area of the medium being photographed, typically an image sensor or a photographic film, during the process of taking a photograph. More often than not, the objective of using this device is to cut down on the resources one requires to either take a picture or to post-process it, as similar photographs can be obtained by enabling the camera to take photographs as quickly or fast as possible. The use of an intervalometer allows the restriction of the photographs taken to only those which have the required content. This does away with the need for resources such as storage media like a memory card.

Apart from being used for triggering exposures, these devices are also used for various other purposes in photography. To start with, people can shoot images for stacked compositions with it. It can even be used for capturing blurred images with long shutter speed.

For taking delayed shots or even creating self portraits where the camera takes one picture every 1.5 minutes or even every second, exactly like an iPhone's Photobooth app. For that matter, as usually DSLR cameras are confined to shorter exposure of roughly thirty seconds or even less, they use an intervalometer to take shots with exposures of longer than thirty seconds, with the 'bulb' in the device. In fact, very long exposures can also be managed to take shots at night and create effects like star trails, animation or even astro-photography to showcase the effect of heavenly bodies in the sky at night like a nebula or a galaxy. These devices also find application in aerial photography which includes delaying the time required to take a picture by an unattended camera of a moving vehicle or body.

The intervalometer has, undoubtedly, improved the scope of photography by leaps and bounds

Enhance The Way You Shoot Stills With Your DSLR Rig

In recent years, many DSLR cameras featured with high-quality HD video have been launched in the market to diversify the requisites of customers looking for manual control, focusing options and extended frame rates. Digital single lens reflex cameras have transformed the approach of independent film-making. The most attractive feature of this kind of camera is its relatively low price that can probably go up if you started adding rigs. For expanding the capabilities of your camera without affecting your pocket, users can put together DIY setups for productive results. In this cutting-edge competition, it is imperative to come up with a rig that is reasonably priced and presents the same performance level.

DSLR rigs are normally used in studios or photo shops but many photographers overlook their usage because of its high price. In contrast to offline stores, many online stores can help you grab the best deal at a competitive rate. DSLR are lightweight such that they do not even move like film cameras. When hand held, digital single lens reflex cameras jitter like consumer camcorders that can instantly mark the shooter as an amateur. Customers willing to buy a DSLR rig of top-notch quality are advised to carry out a thorough research of reputed online stores. If you are working as a professional photographer, then your search for standard quality gear can be demanding.

When it comes to extremely portable and handy kit, DSLRs are most apparent and ideal choice of myriad professionals. Modern and tailored DSLR rigs are designed specifically to meet the needs of videographers willing to shoot videos. Users are required to follow a two-step process for transforming your DSLR into handheld video recorder. You cannot use viewfinder for pressing camera against your face for the third point contact that you often use for shooting stills.

Beginning from scratch to the final creation of the rig, every single step entirely depends upon the basic requirements of customers. The foremost step involved in the modification of a rig comprises of changes in offset rig to an inline rig so that users can use the external monitor. In general, these are used for creating smoothness so that every shot is incredible.

With a DSLR rig and kit, you can make your shooting and video production smooth, accurate, enduring and comfortable. Handles and rubber grips of your equipment rest your arms when you are busy in shooting commercial as well as professional movies. Depending upon the combination you choose, you can stumble upon a wide array of rigs that are very decisive for videography and photography studio.

Lifestyle Portrait Photography

Lifestyle portrait photography offers an alternative to stuffy or repetitive studio photography, allowing you to create pictures full of life and personality in your own home or a place close to your heart.

Studio portrait photography isn't for everyone - sometimes it's hard to relax in an unfamiliar environment, especially when you have an expensive camera pointed at you! Having a portrait photography session in a studio also limits you to one or two backdrops, usually plain, and a few accessories or props that can give a staged feel to your images. And if you're attempting to have photographs taken of your kids then sometimes a studio environment is a recipe for disaster: some children might be too shy in a strange new place, others will see it as an opportunity for mayhem and destruction! So what do you do when you want natural, beautiful portrait photos of you and your family but don't want to go to a studio?

Lifestyle photography is a different way to obtain solo or group portraits that removes the unfamiliar enclosed space of a studio and allows you to roam free in your own environment, making for a far more relaxed atmosphere. And the more relaxed a subject is, the better the photos! Lifestyle portrait photography means your photos are taken on location, either at your home or another place that is special to you - perhaps a holiday home, garden or park. Your shots will be unposed and natural, producing candid images that reflect your personality and mood, as well as capturing your favourite place as a backdrop.

Treasure those special moments in a place that you love and capture a moment in time in a space that means something extra special to you and your family. Indoor or out, lifestyle photography is a wonderful way to move away from traditional or classic studio photography portraits and create something freer and more fluid.

From solo portraits to families, babies to teenagers, or even your pet, lifestyle portrait photography always produces brilliantly natural images with relaxed, happy subjects. Allow your portrait photographer to snap away while you relax, play, read, eat, work or just enjoy your favourite view. You can even invite your photographer along to a special event or to visit your favourite attraction or location. From a walk in the woods to a trip to the pool, rain or shine, whatever season, lifestyle photography is a great option for people who want more than posing in front of a white background.

Rebecca Dawe Photography is an all-female team of experienced photographers working from a friendly studio in Leciestershire.

Create Bespoke Online Photo Books

The reasons for this are simple: most such books are produced to showcase the work of the world's most famous photographers, to highlight certain celebrities or to detail the splendor of a particular part of the world's landscape. Therefore the pages are made of thick, glossy, rich photographic paper and the printing techniques used are state of the art, capturing every color and every piece of light and shade of the original photograph. Over and above this, the covers and the binding will be of the very best quality, thus ensuring that the finished photo book is put together in a way which ensures it will last in perfect condition for many years to come. There's a reason why such books are often referred to as 'coffee table books' and it's that they are such objects of opulence and style that you'd be happy to have them out on show in your home.

Until now, volumes such as this have been open only to professionals such as leading photographers, but now the opportunity to create online photo books which showcase your own favorite images to the same dazzlingly high standards is open to absolutely anyone who has a large enough collection. One of the chief consequences of the widespread switch to digital photography, and of the fact that virtually everyone's digital phone now doubles as a high quality camera, is the fact that more or less everyone finds it easy to amass a very large collection of digital images. Once you've captured these images - usually chronicling the lives of family or friends or the highlights of special moments in your life - it's only natural to want to keep them in a manner which is safe yet accessible and even, in the case of your very best shots, to want to show them off. In the past, this would have meant having your favorite photographs printed and then sticking them bodily onto the pages of photo albums - whilst these may well have been much treasured possessions, due to the contents, they were also bound to be rather scruffy and not exactly durable.

You no longer need to use some lightweight scrapbook, however, since you can have your photographs collected in bespoke, luxury quality photo books. The only step that you need to take to make this happen is to choose the images you wish to use and then upload them to the relevant website. You may wish to collect your favorite family shots, the images from a special day such as a wedding or long selection of shots to form a 'This is your Life' style volume. Whatever the subject matter, once they've been uploaded, they can be turned into a personally designed book using software which has been built to move through the process one simple step at a time, meaning that no experience whatsoever is required. The size, shape and layout of the pages can be modified and the material and appearance of the covers chosen, and the finished result will be produced to the standard found in bookshops. It's not just books, however, since you can make your own photo greeting cards which will be more than a match for the greeting cards available on the high street.

Digital Cameras Fit For Teenagers

What are teens made of today? Smartphones, tablets, social media, apps and not to forget, the digital camera -- these are the things most popular among them today.

With technology particularly electronics and handheld devices, teenagers are never satisfied. Many follow the trend and want to update their gadgets with what's new on the market. This is true even with their digital cameras. Although they may already own a smartphone or tablet with built-in camera, they still want to have a separate photographic device.

If you're a parent or grandparent looking for something to give to your teen for his birthday or for the coming Christmas holiday, you can consider getting a digital camera. There are plenty to choose from these days and we'll help you decide on what's best to purchase. A sturdy unit is your foremost consideration. Why is this so? It's because teens are not very careful with their stuff.

Samsung MV900F

The Samsung MV900F is ideal for teens who are fond of taking photos of themselves and their friends. This camera is best for taking self portraits because it has a multi-view display. This means the entire back part of the unit can be flipped up to 180 degrees so the user can see if he or she is within frame. What's best about this Samsung model is its large display that measures 3.3 inches and has a touchscreen capability.

Another feature your teen will surely love is it wi-fi integration which allows users to easily upload photos to social media sites right from the unit. Images can be shared directly with Facebook, Picasa, YouTube and Photobucket.

Nikon Coolpix S30

The Nikon Coolpix S30 is strongly recommended for teenagers. As its name suggests, it is a cool unit that's cheap and comes in vibrant colors. This is a 10-megapixel, high definition, lifeproof camera but very affordable at just below $100. It can be used underwater and can endure small drops up to 2.6 feet.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC W650

Diehard fans of Sony products can get the Cyber-Shot DSC-W650, a pocket sized camera. This ultra compact 16-megapixel unit features a steady shot stabilization capability and Sweep Panorama shooting mode. Being a fully automatic camera, it is very simple to use your teen won't need to spend so much time studying its controls.

This can be a perfect gift for the coming holidays and won't hurt the budget-conscious parents and grandparents as this is only worth less than $150. Additionally, it is small you can put it in your pocket or small bag. Varied colors are also available for this Sony digital camera model. You can choose from silver, red and black.

Polaroid Z2300

This Polaroid model is ideal for teens who want to keep hard copies of their photos. With a built-in printer, this compact camera will allow your teen to print out 2x3 photos immediately to give out to friends as souvenirs. This 10-megapixel unit stores images on an SD card which can be uploaded online for future use. Colors available are black and white.

My Top Three Online Photo Editors

Adobe's Photoshop is the most well known photo editing software program in the world. Professional image manipulators and digital artists skilled in its use are capable of creating images that dazzle and impress. But, for the casual user, using Photoshop can be daunting. While the professional user needs access to the thousands of filters available in Photoshop's repertoire, the casual user doesn't. For most users, freely available online photo editors are all they need to touch up photos and make them look their best. This article will examine and compare the positives and negatives of my top three online photo editors.

#1 - Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Photoshop Express is a free online version of Photoshop created by Adobe for casual users. While it lacks many of the filters available in the full version of Photoshop, the Photoshop Express has all the essentials covered.

The main features include:

Levels can be manipulated to ensure that black levels are consistent in a photo
Hue, saturation and colour can be changed to affect the mood of a photo
Red eye can be eliminated by using a special filter
Blur and sharpen filters
Crop and rotate tools to improve photo composition

Photoshop Express also comes with a 'decorate' function that allows for speech bubbles, titles and other text decorations to be added to a picture.

Photoshop Express also has a newer, simpler interface that takes no more than a few minutes to learn. The interface is quick, responsive and free of advertising, with menus and functions laid out in a simple and intuitive manner. Uploading photos to manipulate is a cinch while inbuilt social networking features make it easy to share photos to websites like Facebook, Picasa and Flickr.

#2 - Pixlr

Pixlr is a powerful online photo editor with a number of tools and filters. While Photoshop Express discarded certain filters and tools in favour of an easier to use user interface, Pixlr features a wide range of tools and filters designed to help make photographs look better.

As well as the tools and filters listed above (see Photoshop Express section), Pixlr also contains:

Filters, including vintage photo filters designed to age the look of a photograph
The ability to manipulate photos using layers
Typography and shape effects
Clone stamp

This added functionality comes at a cost, however. Pixlr's user interface is not as intuitive and easy to use as Photoshop Express, making it more difficult to learn to use. Pixlr also lacks some of the social networking features that Photoshop Express has.

#3 - Picmonkey

Picmonkey is a powerful online photo editor that features both an easy to use, intuitive interface as well as a number of powerful effects and filters. Effects and patterns can be applied to photographs, as can text captions. Photo frames and clip art can also be added to photographs while photographs can also be fine tuned using a number of menus. Certain features such as the ability to alter levels, saturation and hue are absent, however.

Like Photoshop Express, Picmonkey also has a number of social media features built in that make it easy to share photographs to friends and family.

Conclusion

All three of these online photo editors are powerful and very capable at manipulating photographs. Photoshop Express is ideal for those who are looking for a simple, no-nonsense photo editor that'll allow minor touch ups, while Pixlr allows more advanced users to make minute changes to photographs. Picmonkey sits firmly in the middle of the two, offering powerful features with an easy to use interface. Make sure to try all three of these photo editors out to find out which one suits you best.

The Techniques of Using Your Green Screen Background Kit

Green screen technology is no more restricted to big time photographers and Videographers. This technology is more accessible than ever for everyone; whether you are an amateur or professional photographer. The photography background kits are more affordable than you can imagine. Also, the relevant software and other required accessories have made Chroma keying simpler and faster. If you are one of those professionals who are looking to incorporate this cutting-edge technology into your work, here are some tips that will help you to harness the magic of green color!

    While buying your green screen background kits, make sure you get enough clamps to hold the screen tightly. Any wrinkle or fold in the screen can spoil your efforts. If you are shooting in natural light, you will need more clamps to prevent the screen from swinging due to air.

    Direct light can cast harsh shadows and create hot spots on your foreground as well as background. Therefore, never use direct light; rather, use a light modifier to spread the light and turn it softer. Diffusing the light will also help you to light your subject evenly thereby getting a natural looking picture or video. While buying your photography background kits, make sure you also get some light modifiers.

    Always backlight your subject. This is essential to separate the subject from the background and will make background replacement easier for you.

    Shadows are nightmares for photographers. They are the most notorious elements that are infamous for spoiling endless photographs and videos. To get rid of any shadow on your green screen background kits, position your subject about eight to ten feet away from the screen.

    Shadows are not always bad. If you play with them to create drama in your image or video, they can do wonders for you. Use your key light, fill light, and backlight to give all those special effects that you ever wanted.

    To make your final image look original, make sure the subject's lighting levels match with that of your new background. You have to spend a good amount of time to adjust the levels of your keyed footage or picture to make it match with the background.

    Although there are endless numbers of photo editing software, you must buy one that is specially designed for Chroma keying. This software is much simpler and faster to operate than the standard software.

    Chroma keying is not as difficult as it sounds; you just need to use the right techniques.

A Quick Tip To Professional Photographers

Regardless of how many shoots you have under your belt, or how much experience you have, Murphy's Law will jump out and surprise you! There are many things that we can do to protect ourselves in the event of a shoot gone bad!

During a recent shoot, I had a malfunction with my camera... it turned out to be a quick fix, but, at the time, I did not know the solution. I reset my camera, which solved nothing, called the Nikon support line, who rewalked me through the same reset, which surprisingly still did nothing! They offered no other suggestions, and then gave me the worse news possible! They told me I would need to mail my camera in to be serviced. Not wanting to lose several weeks with my camera, I decided to go to a local camera store. (Not your standard franchise camera stores, but the real pro camera stores). If you search local areas around you, I am sure you will find one with a convenient location.

In three minutes the guy was able to tell me what my problem was. It was such a simple fix, but honestly had not dawned on me. Of course, I felt like a complete moron, but after the stinging of my pride subsided, I realized I had learned something, and not all was lost! I hate having to learn things the hard way, but admit that lessons do seem to stick with you longer that way!

After fixing my problem, the associate at the store gave me his business card, and the best advice, which I wanted to pass along to you! Find someone at a trustworthy camera store, and when you run into Murphy's Law situations, call them and NOT the help line for your camera maker!

Unlike the hotline number you call, the camera store has real photographers working there! They will walk you through steps you can take to correct your error, and in the event that those steps do not work, they can offer alternative ways to still get the shots you want!

This is just one more step that can help you avoid the painful tail between your legs moment! I hope that you can get a good business card in your camera bag before you find yourself needing it!
Also, talk to the camera store about rental equipment in case you find yourself with malfunctioning equipment right before a big shoot.

How To Use GoPro Cameras for Surfing

So, you bought your GoPro camera and are ready to document your ocean-loving lifestyle! But, now what?

GoPro cameras harness A LOT of potential, but cameras and salt water aren't a natural match. Thanks to the crew at GoPro, we now have these little cameras built tough to handle our active lifestyles. But, just because they won't break down on you in the surf (as long as you make sure the case is closed) doesn't mean that they will get the footage you expect right out of the box. A little tried-and-true inside knowledge will help you along the way.

Follow these 5 Tips to help you learn how to use your GoPro camera to record your ocean lifestyle:

TIP #1- KEEP YOUR CAMERA CLEAN. Hero and Hero 2 cameras come with a waterproof case. Everything works well when you first get the camera, but the more you use it, the more likely you are to encounter technical difficulties. That is because sand, dirt or lint will cause your housing to fog up. Take the time to make sure your housing stays clean.

TIP #2- USE ANTI-FOG INSERTS. GoPro makes Anti-Fog inserts that will absorb any extra moisture that might collect in your waterproof housing. They help out a ton. You can put them in the oven for a few minutes after each use to take out any moisture they've absorbed. They last for multiple uses,

TIP#3- KEEP WATER OFF YOUR LENS PORT. The lens port is the part of the waterproof case directly in front of the lens. Licking the lens port will prevent water drops from beading up in front of the lens. (You can watch the video below for a demonstration and special tips for the Dive Housing).

TIP #4- USE A DIVE HOUSING FOR UNDERWATER FOOTAGE. GoPro's dive housing has a flat port on it which will make everything in-focus underwater. The curved lens port that come standard with the Hero or Hero 2 camera will produce blurry footage underwater. If you plan to use your camera for diving, you need a flat lens port like the one on the Dive Housing.

TIP #5- MOUNT IT RIGHT. When mounting your camera to your board or body, test out the angles to see which one works best for the shot you are trying to achieve. Check out the angle using an LCD BacPac or record a short clip before you to the beach and watch it so you know what you are getting.

DIY Macro Product Photography Tent

Recently I've been upgrading my lenses in an effort to get a uniformity throughout all my video. I've pretty much settled on getting a whole set of Contax Zeiss Primes. While this is great, it leaves me with all my old lenses just sitting around collecting dust. For example, my Nikon mount Nikkor 50mm f/2.0 Ai is a fantastic lens, that has even been recommended by the legendary Shane Hurlbut, but it makes no sense to keep with my new Zeiss 50mm 1.7, so I'm selling it on eBay.

You can get a significantly larger return when selling your gear online by taking the time to shoot some excellent photos that make the buyer see the item in a "good light". This is why I decided to build a DIY Macro Photography Tent out of a carboard box and printer paper. The store bought version of these handy little tents dont necessarily cost that much, but the time it would take to find one online, order it and wait for it to arrive is time I just didn't want to waste. Also, I just don't do a lot of still photography and would most likely rarely use it.

I decided I wanted to make an infinte white background, as well as diffuse the light hitting the lens to give it that beautiful "catalog" look.

Supplies...

Cardboard Box (to fit your item)

White Paper (or cloth could work)

Tape

Scissors/Box Cutter

Lights Camera (100mm lens or so would be good)

In order to do this...

1. I took a small cardboard box, cut out the sides, and taped in some white printer paper to diffuse the flash coming in from both sides.

2. I then taped two piece of printer paper together to create a long strip of paper. Next, I taped one end to the top back wall of the box and let the other end of the paper drape down towards the front of the box, creating a nice smooth curved background.

3. I set up both lights on either side of the box and turned up the exposure on the camera slightly to make the background slightly blown out so it will appear "infinite".

4. I experimented a bit with different exposure to get it dialed in and looking right with lots of detail. This will vary depending on your camera, lens, and amount of light. I didn't have any diffusion for the on camera flash so I improvised with a bit of folded up bubble wrap which raises the ghettoness level of this from about a 8 to around 11, but it worked.

5. Then I brought the images in to Aperture and did some levels and enhancements to make the lens pop off the background. The white of the background was brightened to the point you couldnt see any detail so it appears to be infinite, which really helps give the shots the professional "catalog" look.

I know the setup might seem a bit iffy... and in a way, it is. But its actually pretty effective. As proof, here's the final image of the lens thats going on eBay!

How Do You Start A Photography Business

The business of photography is something that you really need to approach based on a honest assessment of your abilities, strengths and interests. From there you can then see if there's any kind of market for your planned products or services, and do some proof of concept research to ensure those markets will indeed pay you for your offerings.

Then you'll be ready to start planning your business!

Unfortunately most photographers come at it from the opposite direction. They have a desire to make money selling their photos but no real understanding or interest in the business processes involved in converting photography to income. They mistakenly believe great photography is all it takes to build a successful business.

1. Start with an honest assessment of your current situation.

Photography is extremely competitive simply because it seems like such a dream-job to so many people. Modern digital technology means anyone with basic camera skills can create a good image, so everything thinks they're a great photographer with real prospects, you need to work out what makes you different?

    What specialised skills do you have that will set you apart from the crowd?
    What interests and knowledge do you have that you can use to in your work?
    What subjects & fields do you do your best work with?
    Do you have a distinct personal style of work that sets you apart?
    Is you equipment suitable for creating high-res, high quality images?
    Do you have the skills and software to take an image from your camera and create a commercial quality print-ready file?
    What business experience do you have?
    What sales & marketing experience do you have?

The idea here is to first of all identify the kinds of products and services you're able to offer, and then assess whether those skills are at a level where people will pay you for them?

2. Is there a market for those products and/or services?

It's one thing to know you can produce some amazing work, but it's another to know there are people out there who want to use it. So you really need to put in some time to determine whether or not there is a market for what you do?

It doesn't matter how good your work is if you can't find anyone to buy it, and yet many photographers go into business with little more 'market research' than the encouragement of friends and family. "Wow, those photos are good, you should sell them!"

So somehow you have to answer the following questions...

    Are there people who need the kinds of images you like to shoot?
    Are there people who buy photos of the subjects you shoot?
    Are there people who will pay you to create specific images for them?
    Are there people who will pay for your expertise or knowledge?

The best approach here is to find other photographers offering similar products and services, and then see how your offerings stack up? (Google is great for this!)

    Are your subjects similar?
    Is your technique as strong?
    Do you present as professionally?
    If the buyer was to view your portfolio and that of your 'competitor', who would they choose to do the job? Why?

If you're serious about making a business of your photography, you need to be totally honest with yourself when you answer these questions. The truth is, you don't necessarily have to be a great photographer to build a success photography business, but your work does need to be at least as good as your competitors.

You also need to be clear on what you're offering, who your offering it to, and why they are going to buy.

Unfortunately, many photographers -- and many other would-be business owners -- start with little more than a product idea, and rarely take the time to objectively test their idea to see if there's likely to be genuine demand.

They build a business based on little more than wishful thinking and wonder why it fails?

Fortunately these days it's quite simple to test any idea and assess the likely demand using the search engines and keyword research tools.

3. Proof of concept testing

This is where you prove to yourself that there is a real demand for your offerings. In days gone by this would have involved surveys and focus groups, and taken considerable time and money, but these days is super quick and easy.

The best place to start is to simply search in Google for other people offering something similar? The volume of search results will give you an indication of the competition, which is a good start. Too many competing results and possibly your idea needs to be more unique. None at all and there mightn't be enough demand for it to be viable.

The real test of course is whether people are making money offering those services, and that's easy enough to gauge.

For that you look at the AdWords ads, to the right of the search results. In simple terms, lots of ads mean that those photographers are making money offering those services. No ads means there's no money to be made in that market.

That probably seems a bit over simplified, but it really is quite simple...

People only spend money on ads that make them money, so if no one is paying to advertise a specific service, chances are good it has been tried but didn't work.

To be sure though, you should also test your idea in a proper keyword research tool. Google offers a very useful free keyword research tool... you may need to login to a Google Account to access it but it's well worth setting up!

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

The process is quite simple. Once logged in, type a keyword phrase into the tool that represents the product or service you're considering building your business around. It might be the style of photography, the field of work or the subjects you want to focus on.

Regardless, once you submit you'll get real-time data back showing you the number of people searching for that phrase -- and similar related phrases -- every month. So the first thing you're looking for is search traffic... proof that people are in fact looking for the services you plan to offer.

The next thing to look for is the CPC value. This is the average/approximate price paid by AdWords advertisers to have their ad shown besides the search results. This is a cost-per-click, meaning the advertiser pays this amount for every single visitor they get.

So while most general photography terms might be in the $1-2 range, when you start seeing prices higher than that... sometime $5 or more per visitor... you know you're looking at a highly commercial term. And if that is closely related to your business idea, then you also know your concept has merit!

Of course this kind of research is all relative and quite subjective, so spend plenty of time on it, test some broad phrases to give yourself a benchmark, and the zoom in on phrases related to your planned business, and see how it stacks up.

If you find genuine search volume you know there's interest and if you also people paying to advertise with those phrases, you'll know there's a viable market... and that's a good starting point for building your photography business!

4. Developing Your Business Plan.

It's only after you've done all this that you'll be ready to start planning your business, and that's where the real work begins.

You need to spend even more time now planning how you're going to market your offerings, transact your sales and deliver your products or services. As a photographer your options are virtually unlimited so it's important that you take your time to get clear on your business model so you can focus on the best options for that and avoid the distraction of trying to do too many things at once.

The good news is, by now you know you have the skills, the product or service, you know there's a market for it and you're confident that people will pay you for it, so it should be easier to focus on the specific processes -- sales & marketing, fulfilment and operations -- that will turn your idea into a sustainable business.

One final point to keep in mind is, you don't have to be a great photographer to build a successful photography business.

In fact, there are many mediocre photographers who do extremely well on the strength of their business skills. There's obviously minimal standards required to ensure customer satisfaction, but you should never assume great photography skills will guarantee you a successful photography business.

The truth is, you'll be hard pressed to find a successful photography business run by a great photographer with poor business skills.

So when you consider how many talented photographers share the dream of making a business out of their photography, it should be clear that the best way to succeed is to focus on your business skills as much as you do your photography.