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One of the most difficult subjects to photograph is your family pet. Most family pet photos are blurry, someone is holding the animal, or it’s sleeping. Animals are like little children and the best shots are the candid shots. So how do you get that elusive family member photo in a natural moment to show their personality?
Thanks to technology, a lot of the cameras out today have scene settings that will stop motion. I have found that the best setting is the children setting. The camera is quicker to act at the focus and is ready for movement.
Also be quick on the button. If the animal I playing keep shooting, follow the movement with your camera trying to keep your subject into the frame. Break away from LCD monitor and actually look through the view finder. This will help you follow the movement.
Get as close to the subject as possible without interrupting the action. With digital it doesn’t matter how many shots you take because you will only keep the ones that you like the best and there is no lose in film.
Reference:
Lexar.com
Desertusa.com
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Two of our dogs giving each other kisses
Camera
Muskex camcorder, set on picture taking and not video.
photography tips, pets, family photos
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When you buy your camera you will want to buy accessories to go with it. Determining the accessories you want at the time you purchase your camera will also help you choose the camera you want.
The most common accessories………
• The camera bag, make sure it is big enough to hold all the extra accessories you get plus your camera. Have separate pockets or compartments away from camera compartment. This is important so that they are not scratched or damaged and they do not fall out of the camera bag as you are removing and returning your camera. Also you do not want them bumping up against your camera and damaging it.
• Filters, the most popular filters are the UV filter and Polarizer filter.
• Extra batteries
• Extra memory cards
• Camera straps
• Extra lens, if your camera has interchangeable lens.
• Lens caps
• A tripod.
• A point and shoot camera if you purchase a DSLR.
Having the proper accessories can make the difference between a good photo and a great photo, and weather you will want to continue to take pictures for a long time.
References
Digital Photography
FMReviews
Photo of the day
Product Photography of a gold tone hat pin
Camera
HP315 , Macro +2.5 close up lens
shot on a mirror, diffused floresent lighting, black velvet background digital photography, accessories, tips, product photography
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I often like to check the status of the digital cameras on the market. I check the review sites and see where each brand stacks up against the others. This week I checked out Digital Photography Review. They have been a reliable unbiased source for some time now. One thing that is unique about this site is they have in place a counting system that counts the click through for the last 5 days. So according to their system the top 10 brands are as follows with their percentage of click through……
1. Canon – 35%
2. Nikon – 13.4%
3. Sony – 11.3%
4. Panasonic – 8%
5. Fujifilm – 7.4%
6. Olympus – 7.2%
7. Pentax – 3.3%
8. Kodak – 2.8%
9. Samsung – 2.5%
10. Leica – 2.1%
Although they go on to list every click through percentage until you have 100% I am just listing the top 10. If you don’t see your favorite brands go to the site and check it out. They also list the top 20 cameras by click through for the last 5 days.
Photo of the Day
A Herring with only 1 foot. Who knows how it lost its foot.
Camera
Olympus E-500
14-45mm lens
UV filter
camera brands, digital photography, reviews
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If you’ve ever gone to the beach or to a river and saw a beautiful waterfall or splashing waves on the rocks and thought it would be cool to catch a picture of that with the waves up in the air.
Well it’s not that hard. It may take patience to capture it while waiting for the right shot and you may have a lot of photos that you don’t want, but that’s the beauty of digital. You can erase all those unwanted photos. For the most part you don’t need a fancy DSLR to take a great photo of the water; unless of course you want special effects. The quicker the shutter speed the better the stop motion of the water. This is true with any object you are trying to stop motion on. The photo to the right was taken with my HP315 point and shoot with a UV and Polarizer filter.
If you have a DSLR or camera where you can adjust your settings, you can achieve special effects by slowing down your shutter speed. This will blur the water motion and give is a foggy or hazy look this is a good effect if you are at a river or waterfall. Put your camera on manual settings and adjust your exposure time. If you don’t have manual settings use your night scene mode to help slow down the shutter. Take several shots to until you achieve the result you are looking for. Patience and practice will get you the effects you want. Art is the artist perception and you are the artist. Do what is pleasing to you.
References
www.photoblink.com
www.digit-life.com
www.hp.com
water, digital photo, tips, shutter speed, special effects
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Welcome to part 3 of editing your background images. Today I am using Paintshop Pro 7.0 to edit my background image.
I will be editing the marbles
Quick color changes that you can do with this program
• Image 1. Colors > Negative, this gave the marbles a unique glowing pastel look with a grey background and black spots.
• Image 2. Colors > Adjust > Red, Blue Green> Levels 50% Red, 50% Blue, 0% Green. This changes the background to a purple hue.
Create a very different look by using
• Image 1. Effects > Geometric effects > Warp > size 75
• Image 2. Effects > Illumination effects > Kaleidoscope > petals 10
These are some fun effects that you can use for your web sites, family photo backgrounds, and any where you will want to enhance your projects.
Have fun with your images and photos.
References
diynetwork.com
photomemes.org
background, digital photography, photo editing
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Yesterday I talked about the different kinds of photos you can take for background images. Using one of those photos I will show you the different effects you can create. I am going to be using Photoshop CS3 the image. Tomorrow I will use PaintShop Pro 7.0 to edit a different photo.
Changing the colors a couple of quick ways to change the colors to match your project theme are…….
• Image > adjustments > invert. This effect is as if you are creating a negative of the image you are using. It used the opposite colors on the color spectrum. If you have ever seen or used a color wheel then you will know that each color has its opposite, designers use a color wheel to create pleasing effects and balance.
• Image > adjustments > gradient map > then I selected a color combination that I liked. The gradient effect takes colors and shades and blends them with smooth transitions so you do not have harsh lines. Using this tool is a good way to pick a color combination. You can also pick how the gradient effect will be applied.
To create unique effects with the background photo
• Filter > stylize > extrude > type block > pixels 30 > depth 30 > random.
• Without changing image from the effect above next Filter > distort > angle 218
Applying more than one filter will give you different effects.
References
diynetwork.com
photomemes.org
background, digital photography, photo editing
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You’ve probably wondered “why would I need a background image?� As a stock photographer I create a lot of background images for the stock photo sites, as a graphic designer I need those background images for the web sites I design. Even if you do not create websites or stock photography background images come in handy. Writers, Scrapers, even Crafters need background images to make their crafts pop! If you have a myspace, Flicker, Youtube, or other online community account background images reflect your personality. There is always a need for background images. Even if you are just hanging a family photo on the wall, a background image will make a beautiful framing option.
I’ve talked a lot about composition, editing and lighting. These are key elements to making the background image come alive. I never stop taking photos; any photo I take can be turned into a background image with just a little photo editing in the digital dark room. Some items to consider taking photos of
• Flowers
• A pattern off your favorite shirt, scarf, hat.
• Marbles
• Buttons
• Drinking glasses.
Anything that has contrast and a design can be used for a background images, do not wait for a specific need to take the photo, create your own library of stock background images then when the occasion rises you might already have the one you need.
References
diynetwork.com
photomemes.org
background, digital photography, photo editing
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Buying a digital camera can be confusing. Buying the most popular one might not be right for you. You need to think about what you are going to use it for and how big you want your printed photos to be. Almost all professional photographers have a point and shoot to go along with their expensive gear. That quick snapshot might just get them the shot that might have been missed otherwise.
For most people the point and shoot Camera is efficient enough. With that said here is a list of the most popular point and shoot cameras on the market according to PC World as of June 13, 2007. Ranking is by pricing and technology changes
1. Fujifilm FinePix S700 – 7.1 mega pixel
2. Fujifilm FinePix S31fd – 6.3 mega pixel
3. Kodak Easyshare C875 – 8 mega pixel
4. HP Smart shoot R927 – 8.2 mega pixel
5. HP Smart shoot R967 – 10 mega pixel
6. Kodak Easyshare Z612 – 6.1 mega pixel
7. Kodak Easyshare C633 – 6 mega pixel
8. Kadak Easyshare C743 – 7.1 mega pixel
9. Fujifilm FinePix E900 – 9 mega pixel
10. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 – 10 mega pixel
Before buying the camera, check up on it and read the reviews, see how easy it is to find help for the camera on the manufactures web site. Does the manufacture offer tips and tricks, what kind of warranty does it offer?
Make yourself a list of all the extra items you want. Check the camera you are considering buying, what accessories come with it? How easy is it to purchase accessories? How much do the media cards cost for it, not all media cards will work with all digital cameras. What about extra batteries?
A camera is a big investment and with proper care can last for many years. My last point and shoot digital camera lasted over 10 years before it finally gave out. (I guess I dropped it one to many times).
PHOTO OF THE DAY
SMALL TALK
These two were having a conversation when I took this photo.
I wish I could understand dog talk.
Camera
HP315 point and shoot camera
References
about.com
photo.net
PC World, Digital Camera Reviews, Digital Photography
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Lighting may be the most important aspect of your photo. You can have great composition, action, and subject; but without proper lighting your photo might well……
When taking your photos you need to consider what your subject and composition are, ask yourself what you are trying to achieve. Light is going to create the mood, emotion, and depth of your image. Your camera has sensors to determine the exposure with improper lighting the sensors on your camera will not be able to pick up the proper white balance and your image may become under or over exposed. Some of this can be corrected in your digital darkroom, but you need to start with a good photo. When choosing your lighting, weather it is natural or flash, consider the quality, the direction, and the intensity of the light. Use silhouettes, angles, and shapes to create unique shadows and contrasts.
In portrait and product photography, photographers use diffused lighting, and lens hoods to keep harsh lines and contrasts off the subject. And give softness to their photos. When shooting portraits your flash can create red eye. Avoid the flash on your camera and use a remote flash. If you are in a studio adjust your lighting to reduce unwanted shadows, use diffused lighting and reflectors to bring out colors and tones. Research your studio lighting options and see what type of lighting is right for your subject. Portrait photography uses different lighting than product photography.
Out side photographers use an array of filters, and lens hoods to keep the harsh UV lighting from washing out the colors of their landscape and subject. When outside position the sun behind you so that stray light doesn’t wash out your image. Consider taking your photos at different times of the day. Use proper filters and lens hoods to reduce stray UV lights from entering the camera sensors.
Always experiment and you might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome!
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Wild FLowers
I took this photo at dusk on a slopping hill, I knelt on the ground and turned the camera to take a long photo. The hill gave a unique angle to the image. The flash used actually washed out the very front flowers while giving contrast to the ones as you went farther away from the camera. In the digital dark room I cropped the image from the middle up to remove the washed out flowers. 
Camera
Olympus E-500
No filter
14-45mm lens
night portrait settings.
References
www.kodak.com
www.livingroom.org
malektips.com
picturecorrect.com
lighting, digital photography, tips
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Taking pictures is great; People flip thought the photo albums admiring pictures of the family photos. But you want to create something that you can hang on your wall, something that will stop people in their tracks and get them to admire what you created.
This is where you want to think about your composition. Think of what you would like to see on your wall, figure out where you can take that picture, and go get the shot.
Composition as put by Wikipedia is simply a “plan, placement, or arraignment of the elements of art in a work.�
Taking the Photo
“A picture is worth a thousands words�; and good composition allows you to draw the viewer in and tells the viewer your message; without you having to explain your image.
• The first thing you want to do when planning a composition is use the rule of thirds. Basically you will want to divide your image into third horizontally and vertically. Center you subject at one of these intersections.
• Use unique angles instead of the typical centered straight forward subject.
• Use contrast to convey an idea. Picking out the shadows and highlights
• Perspective is also important, show the different heights, and distances
• Balance your image to draw the viewer in. use visual cropping before snapping the shot. This helps you in the digital darkroom so you do not have to crop out to much of the image.
Editing the Photo
There are almost endless possibilities you can create with your editing program. First and foremost know how to use the program, and what it is capable of. You have an idea in your head on how you want it to look. Always save the original photo under a different file name so you can return to re-edit it when you want. I have a file just for all my original photos and then a file for all my completed works. I use the file name the camera gave then put a letter behind it so I know how many time I edited it. With that said a few things you can do to help your image along are
• Use your highlights and contrast to make parts of your image pop.
• Hue saturation to help bring out the colors or change the colors
• Use your editing filters to create different effects.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Terlingua, TX
As you can see in this photo I went extreme and inverted the colors after I did all my Photo editing. This actually brought out the contours and perspective of the landscape.
Camera
Olympus E-500
14-45mm lens
UV and Poloraizer filters
References
www.digital-photography-school.com
www.microsoft.com
digital photography, composition, tips, photo editing
