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.

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How to Photograph a Scene When Contrasts Are Too Great for Your Camera

One of the biggest struggles with photography is taking photos of scenes which have a great deal of brightness in one area of the image, and too much darkness in other parts of it.

Because our eyes are much more complex and advanced than cameras, we can make the adjustments easily. For cameras, it is more complex, and one of the most effective ways around this is to take several images at differing exposures and merge them altogether.

This is a technique known as HDR (High Dynamic Range). DSLRs such as Canons are the best equipment for doing this, because they allow you to easily set differing brackets (or exposures) and take image after image very quickly. Be sure to take with you a spare battery with you, so you don't run out of power at the wrong time.

I personally find HDR a great technique if used right. When you first try it, it's likely that you will want to play with the extremes and come up with some very interesting results. Ultimately though, these results can look crass, because it's what everybody does, and so the best results are those where HDR is used, but only lightly applied.

How to get an HDR image.

1. Go into your camera's menu system and set the AEB for +1 and -1. This sets your camera up to take your image at the proper exposure, increased exposure and decreased exposure. It's also best to set your camera up on a tripod to ensure stability and take the shots as quickly as possible.

2. You will need to press the shutter release three times to get the set of three shots. The theory is, for the increased exposure, you are boosting the dark areas of the composition, the decreased exposure, you are bringing back the bright areas, and the other shot is a balance between the two.

3. Import the three images to your computer and open up an HDR program such as Photmatix or Photoshop.

4. Select the three images and import them into the program. They will be merged as one image, but they will contain lots of information which will enable you to adjust the image accordingly.

5. Play around with the settings, unfortunately it's impossible to say what to set each component to, because every image will be different, but there are plenty of sliders which will enable you to boost dark shadows, lessen the bright areas, and generally bring your image together.

6. The real trick is to ensure you have a great balance in terms of your entire picture, while at the same time making it look as real as you can. These are the best HDR images because they have a cross between real life and surreal. When you explore this great technique, you will see exactly what I mean by this. But when you go out on your HDR shoots, always take a tripod with you because this ensures that the three images you take are in exactly the same position.

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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.

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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.

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How to Understand the Histogram on Your Camera

One of the great aspects of DSLRs is the histogram feature that can be set to appear each time you take a photograph. Most people either do not know about this feature, or do not understand what the information presented means, but for one who does know, it can present very useful knowledge as to how your photo has been taken.

If you know how to read a histogram, you will instantly be able to know whether the image you have has been under exposed, over exposed or is at the correct exposure.

The first thing you should do is to set your camera up to display the histogram. The way you do this varies on camera to camera, so if you don't know how to set it, refer to your user manual. It'll quickly tell you how.

Once you have the histogram set, you're ready to go, so go ahead and take a photo. Look at the photo and then look at the histogram displayed. For a perfectly exposed image, you should generally have a spiked graph with the majority of the information in the middle and tapering out towards the sides.

No two histograms will look alike, but generally, if your histogram is similar to described, it means all the information has been captured and your image should be good.

The set up of the histogram has the first third dedicated to dark tones, the center third to mid tones, and the right side to high tones.

If your image is under exposed, then the majority of your graph will tend towards the left of the graph. Furthermore, it will appear that the start of the graph does not begin at zero on the y axis (the vertical axis), and this means that not all the information in the image has been captured. This is known as clipping, and means your dark areas are far too dark for your camera to pick up the information.

Therefore you should recompose and consider increasing the aperture, the ISO slowing your shutter speed down.

Similarly, if your graph tends towards the right, then you have overexposed, and you have a lot of pure white in your image. Again, clipping will occur if on the y axis, the graph does not start at zero. So you should recompose the image, decrease shutter speed, ISO or reduce the aperture size so not so much light is coming in.

While the histogram is not perfect, it can give you a really good indication of how your image is, and enable you to understand if you need to reshoot. Your LCD preview will give you an idea of how your image came out, but the histogram tells you more precisely any potential problems.

Once you get used to the histogram and the information it displays, you'll quickly be able to correct on the spot any exposure problems you have and reshoot instantly.

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Photography - Working With a DSLR Camera's RAW Format

If you own and shoot using a DSLR then you should be shooting in RAW. RAW is the native format that your camera stores information as. Even if you shoot in JPEG mode, your camera will still shoot in RAW, convert to JPEG and then discard the information left over.

This means that a RAW image can be up to four times the size of a JPEG image, but that extra information can be priceless. Since I began shooting in RAW, the results of my photos have been outstanding.

I'm not one to boast, but I am very proud of several photos I have taken, all because I was able to manipulate the RAW image in the post processing stage. Once you are hooked on shooting in RAW, you'll need to get a bigger hard drive and SD card. Prices of these are quite low compared to what they used to be, and this makes RAW an even more attractive format to shoot in.

Your camera is likely to have come with some software, including a RAW editor. If you're lucky and have any of Adobe's design suites or stand alone Photoshop, then you'll find that it has a RAW editor called Adobe RAW. This is normally accessed from the Adobe Bridge software, which is a brilliant image management system.

When you open a RAW image, you have several tabs you can look through, and each plays a specific role in the post processing stage of your image (yes, all your good images should always be post processed, just as with a film camera). Even if you only focus on the main tab to begin with, then you'll find it useful enough to really spruce up your shots well.

Out of all the controls, my favorite is the clarity slider. It works as a sharpness control, and can really make your shots stand out, or if you slide it back, to create low contrast and more atmospheric shots. It really depends on what you want to achieve.

This main tab also allows you to correct under or over exposure if your image is too dark or light. It can also allow you to change the temperature, so if you've taken an outdoor shot with a tungsten white balance setting on your camera, you can fix this by bringing more warmth into the image.

It also allows you to boost or put back dark areas, and also control your bright areas too.

Once you've played with it for a while and seen the results, you'll never go back to saving your images as JPEGS on your camera. One final benefit of RAW, the file format is lossless, therefore the image will never degrade, and you can also go back and undo any changes you've made at a later date because the changes aren't actually made onto the RAW image, moreover a separate file is created with the information of changes made.

In all, shooting in RAW gives you so much more power and control. The main disadvantages with it are the large size, and the fact you have to use Bridge to view the images (you can't get previews in Windows Explorer), but the benefits for outweigh these minor drawbacks. So shoot in RAW, take a spare SD card.

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The Three Factors of Light in Photography

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.

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Choose Unique Gifts From A Digital Christmas Shop

When you read the words 'Christmas shop', the first thing you probably think of is somewhere selling tinsel, baubles, trees and holly. What we're looking at here, however, is an online outlet selling a wide range of Christmas photo gifts, items ranging from the small and inexpensive to the larger and more luxurious, meaning that it's possible to pay a visit to the one place and create personalized Christmas photo gifts for all of your friends and love ones.

The key part of the concept behind such a shop is the use of the word 'personal'. A generation or so ago, almost all of the gifts which people gave to each other on Christmas day would have been items which they'd fashioned themselves, using skills and gifts which were then commonly practiced. As these skills have died out, and creating your own gifts has become less prevalent, the impact created by such items has actually grown, increased by their rarity value. Opening a gift today and knowing that the person giving it has taken the time and trouble to actually create it just for you will touch the heart to a degree which retail goods quite simply can't match.

Making gifts like this is usually easier said than done, however, or at last that was the case up until the widespread take up of digital photography. Using your own digital images it is now possible to fashion a huge range of items, from personalized photo calendars to Christmas greeting cards, with the features they'll all share in common being the excellence of the manufacture and the uniquely personal content of the imagery.

Actually creating gifts of this kind has been reduced to a few quick and simple steps, meaning that it is actually no more difficult than merely ordering an ordinary set of digital photographs. It may be, for example, that you have a much love brother, spouse or uncle, and wish to choose from the many photo gifts for him which are available. Knowing that it's possible to turn digital images into canvas photo prints opens up a whole world of possibilities. You might take an image snapped of someone playing Sunday league football, for example, or an image of a keen amateur chef hard at work in the kitchen, and have it blown up into a full size, stunning work of art. Having selected the perfect image, all that you need to do is upload it to the right website and then utilize the software you'll find there. The key to this software is that it's been built with the absolute beginner in mind - no experience is necessary as you choose the size, shape and framing of your artwork. When you've done this, it will be printed onto top quality canvas stretched over a strong wooden frame, and will be the kind of once in a lifetime gift that's simply never forgotten.

Whether you just want to send Christmas greeting cards which are your own creation, or else fashion personalised christmas photo gifts to suit all budgets and tastes, you'll find the process deeply satisfying and incredibly easy. Handing over a gift of this type will merely confirm the old saying that it's better to give than receive.

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.

The intervalometer isn't the only add-on to your setup that you'll find useful. A matte box can really make a huge difference if you are suffering from light issues.

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.

As a matter of fact, users can acquire every item at a discounted price that can surely help you save a considerable amount.

An intervalometer is another must have for the serious photographer, as is the addition of a DSLR matte box to your setup.

The Matte Box: An Indispensable Tool for Filmmakers

Those who are in the profession of still photography must know what a DSLR matte box is. It's a tool generally used to block sun rays or any other source from which light can enter inside the camera. This tool also can carry out the same function as a lens hood. They are also used to hold plastic filters or glass intact. These days, they are often part and parcel of HD cameras. A few of them are even supported by rods that run the entire length of camera.

If you want to become a videographer, then these are essential tools to have. The matte box is an essential accessory which is generally attached to the end of the lens and checks any glare of light striking on the surface of the lens. A matte box is more or less similar to lens hood and hinders the path of any light source reaching to the lens. With the help of matte boxes, artificial glares can be prevented and therefore the final image produce is absolutely seamless.

The box is basically used to protect the camera from the direct glare of light. It serves dual purposes. It helps in keeping the lens of camera in shade so as to ensure that you do not get lens flares and it also enhances the ability of the lens to tackle contrast. If you are a film maker then you need to move your camera through a number of light trajectories and matte boxes are helpful in doing away with the consequences of moving camera.

Prices of these items can be high to the average consumer but the prices vary and depend on the brand of the box and its size.

The ones with low prices either do not have slots or have only one slot whereas costly matte boxes have two slots for holding filters. Therefore any assortment of filters can be used here such as color filters, ND filters, polarizing filters etc.

Also, sizes of these lens hood replacements differ greatly. Sizes of matte boxes vary and the fixtures of these boxes depend on their size. Some of them are fixed to the end of lens while others on the rod support system.

Apart from this, matte box is also used to maintain consistency in scenes in case of outdoor shooting when the camera has to be rotated in all the directions.

In all, this simple little (sometimes not so little) device can be termed a luxury, but if you need one, then it becomes a necessity. And not just for professional film makers. The enthusiastic amateur, or those who want to capture their memories properly, will really need to think hard about how far they want to go to attain perfection.

Build up your DSLR rig with other components too, such as an intervalometer for time lapse photography.

Wedding Photographers and Venues, Leicestershire

A huge aspect of creating beautiful wedding photos is providing your wedding photographer with the right backdrop. If you're getting married in Leiecestershire, you're spoilt for choice for stunning and unique venues which will give you a great atmosphere for your wedding pictures.

Most wedding photographers working in Leicestershire should be familiar with popular wedding venues in the area, and will probably have attended weddings there in the past. They should, therefore, already have an idea of the best locations for wedding photos and be able to guide you through a suggested shot list before your big day.

There are some iconic and impressive locations for your wedding reception located in and around Leicestershire, including halls, hotels, granges, manor houses, colleges - even a railway station! It's important to visit your venue with your wedding photography in mind, and try to visualise where you'd like your pictures to be taken. Keep in mind that natural light gives the best results, so if you are wanting photos to be taken indoors, ensure that there is enough light from windows, for example. It's a good idea to vary your photo locations from indoor to outdoor, intimate locations to wide open backdrops. Think about the types of shots you'd like of you as a couple, as well as spaces that will be able to accommodate your entire wedding party for a group photo.

Here are just a few wedding venues that Leicestershire wedding photographers should be familiar with:

The Great Central Railway - Loughborough

A preserved piece of history, the Loughborough railway offers a vintage backdrop for your wedding photographers to immortalise on your wedding day. Each station emulates a different era, from Edwardian, to 1940s wartime, to the 1960s. Dine on a steam train as you and your wedding party travel along the Great Central line and step back into history for your wedding day!

Prestwold Hall

A premier stately home in Loughborough with stunning gardens, a library, hall, and even a Church of England church where religious ceremonies can be held. Suitable for up to 175 guests, Prestwold has a stunning 18th Century interior and extensive gardens overlooking the beautiful Midlands countryside. Perfect for indoor and outdoor wedding photos.

Coombe Abbey

Coombe Abbey has a choice of 8 historical and medieval rooms for civil ceremonies, and 4 stunning reception rooms, as well as accommodation and dining facilities. The hotel is set within 500 acres of formal gardens and parkland, including a lake, and dates back to the 12th Century. Your wedding photographer will be spoilt for choice with locations for truly impressive pictures of your wedding celebrations.

When you're looking for a wedding photographer in Leicestershire, make sure they are acquainted with your venue, and use their knowledge and expertise to help you to design a plan for your wedding photography that really makes the most of your Leicestershire wedding venue.

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

Our work is inviting, fresh and creative. We pride ourselves on our diversity and flexibility; we can photograph you or your event in a variety of styles and offer a variety of packages for maternity photography, portrait photography and wedding photography, Leicestershire.

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.

Our work is inviting, fresh and creative. We pride ourselves on our diversity and flexibility; we can photograph you or your event in a variety of styles and offer a variety of packages for maternity photography, wedding photography and portrait photography, Leicester.

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.

The digital revolution has changed everything about photography, from the standard of the images you capture to the way you store them. Having amassed a collection of stunning images you can have them turned into a beautiful photo book, rather than sticking them in rather shabby photo albums.

The Rising Popularity of Levitation Photos and Trick Photography Ideas

Trick photography and levitation photos aren't a new phenomenon. Amateur and professional photographers have been creating trick photos since the beginning of photography itself. Some have made fortunes creating these photos. Not long ago trick photography was only discussed in photography clubs and forums and considered a fun way for hobbyists to master photography.

The ease of sharing photos online

A major reason why the sudden popularity of levitation and trick photography is due to the influence of social media. It is easier than ever before in human history to take a photo with a camera and share it with thousands or even millions of people around the world. We can now share our photos through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and a whole range of social-enabled websites and have it reach people we don't even know.

We love to spread great photography and ideas

Like most people, we are drawn to great ideas and photographs and can't resist the temptation to share it with our friends and family. They repeat the process with their friends and family and so on. The result are ideas and photos that get spread like a viral hit. Levitation photography created by ordinary people jumping in front of a camera got a huge boost in popularity when Natsumi Hayashi started taking beautiful shots of herself levitating and posting it in her blog. Her pictures captured the imagination of many people and so now we have photography clubs dedicated to levitation photos across the world.

We're waiting for your contribution

Given how easy it is to share our photos online, it isn't surprising to see great levitation and trick photos spreading like wildfire these days. Anyone with a great idea can just grab a camera and start sharing, so if you got a great and creative idea be sure to share it with the world!

Jim blogs about trick photography and special effects techniques that people use to create stunning photographs. You can sign up at his Trick Photography site to receive a free report on the top 10 trick photography ideas for travel photos.

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.

For information on photography digital cameras please visit http://www.42photo.com.

How To Securely Delete Your Digital Photos

Back when cameras used film it was quite easy to delete photos: you would literally burn the handful of prints you'd made along with the negatives. But with the advent of digital photographs it's a lot more difficult. But there are still times when you want to ensure that no-one else gets a look at the photos you've taken.

One of the most common times that you might want to make sure your photos are well and truly deleted is when you either sell your camera or loan your digital card to someone.

If there are photos of your family, you may well want to ensure that your children's faces don't end up on the wrong kind of site. Not that your friends would do that to you, but you never know where else the photos could get to.

So what can you do to securely erase the photographic evidence?

If the option is available, you can format the camera's memory card. Sometimes this is a menu option but you may need to refer back to the manual to find out how to do it as formatting any form of electronic storage isn't the kind of thing you want to do by accident.

Formatting will stop the casual user from retrieving the deleted photos from your memory card. But if you've ever watched programs like CSI or NCIS you'll know that their techies can press a few buttons from discs that have been subjected to much worse punishment than a simple format command and get back most if not all the data.

For once, the reality is there with the fiction. There have been programs out there for years which will do precisely that and after some time processing all your carefully deleted photos are back for the whole world to see.

There are a few ways to wipe out all the data from a camera memory card.

The most efficient is to physically destroy it. Smashing it into a myriad of tiny pieces (after having formatted it of course) works a treat. Except that if you're selling your camera, the person buying it off you on eBay will expect a memory card to be included and even nowadays a decent size card isn't overly cheap.

The next way is to repeatedly overwrite all the files on the card.

You could possibly do this by hand if you're super patient - you'd need to fill the card with random data, then delete them, maybe format the card again and repeat the process a few more times until the very last hint of the photos was removed.

But that's a pain in the neck to do by hand so it's better to use a software program to do the deed for you.

Software is cheap and, being a computer program, efficient as well. It will take all the necessary steps to ensure that even the NSA or the British equivalent, GCHQ, couldn't get your photos back.

It's a small price to pay for the peace of mind that your old photos will be misused and will never see the light of day again.

Take a look at this secure digital photo deletion software and find out how you can permanently delete digital photos.

Create Photo Calendars You'll Enjoy Looking At

There's a very good reason why photo calendars are so popular, to the point where virtually every house in the country has at least one pinned up on a wall somewhere, or maybe stuck to the fridge with a magnet or propped up on a desk. The main reason is that, despite the absence of computer chips and touch screen technology, calendars of this type are incredibly efficient and easy to use. If you have a family of any size then, at the beginning of the year, there are bound to be countless important dates you have to remember, from birthdays and anniversaries through to less appealing occasions such as the date the gas bill is due. 'Inputting' all of these dates onto a calendar is simplicity itself, requiring little more than the use of a pen or pencil, and once on the calendar they can be accessed quickly whenever you like.

What's more, with no batteries to run out or memory to fill, once the information is on there it's completely safe. Indeed, the only downside of a calendar like this is the fact that, ninety nine times out of a hundred, it will be extremely dull to look at. It may be tempting to think that, as long as it gets the job done, the aesthetics of it as an object make no difference, but since you'll be looking at it more or less every day, then why not actually enjoy what you're looking at?

One way to ensure that this will be the case is to use your own digital photographs to create personalized calendars. Think of the concept of personalized photo calendars as being akin to personalized photo albums - a collection of your favorite images, brought together in the same place. You may wish to create a calendar based on a particular theme, such as your children, or a memorable holiday, or you may opt instead to merely select a dozen or more of your favorite images. Whichever choice you make, the process has been streamlined to a few simple steps. Once you've uploaded the images of choice to the right website, use the software provided to design the layout and style of each page. No experience is necessary in either graphic design or computing, since you'll merely be presented with a series of logical, quick choices, opting for factors such as the size and shape of the calendar and even selecting the month on which it starts.

The same user friendly technology can be applied to creating individual works of art by designing canvas photo prints using your favorite single images. The resulting canvas prints will be printed and framed to a standard usually seen on the walls of a gallery, meaning that you'll be the proud owner of a unique work of art which combines the personal with total excellence.

Whether you create bespoke canvas prints to decorate the walls of your own home with unique art, or put together personal photo calendars to give as touching gifts to family and friends, the result will be the same - one off items which absolutely nobody else could have produced.

How To Prepare And Protect Your Camera In Winter

Winter is fast approaching and as always, many people are looking forward to celebrating the holidays with their friends and loved ones. Naturally, picture-taking will be one of the most frequent activities during this season as families get together to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year.

Before you get too excited, however, there's one important device that you need to prepare for the coming winter period -- your digital camera, what else. You have to make sure your photographic device is in good condition so it won't conk out in the middle of a special occasion where you're celebrating, having fun and capturing happy memories.

Protecting your camera is most important particularly if you see yourself shooting outdoors in cold and wet weather. Making sure you have the right accessories is as vital.

Keep batteries warm

The batteries should be your priority. Remember they won't perform well if exposed to extremely cold weather so better keep them warm at all times. If you're going out, place them in a warm pocket or in a compartment inside your camera bag. Do not let the batteries come in contact with metals such as your keys and coins. You have to fully charge them as well before you head out.

What batteries are ideal for winter use? The Lithium type normally does well in cold weather. You can get the rechargeable ones for DSLRs notably the lithium-ion.

Protect memory cards

Many of today's memory cards can withstand low temperatures and can resist water. But even then, you still need to take care of this storage media. Clean and dry your hands before holding them and avoid changing them when you're outdoors particularly during wet weather. Never allow moisture to get inside the card or even more, inside your camera.

Use underwater housing and rain cover

Don't be overconfident that you won't get your camera wet while shooting outdoors. It's still best to take precautions whenever possible.

To keep your device from getting wet, you may use an underwater housing. Normally, this accessory is meant for DSLRs and is capable of withstanding water up to 200 feet deep. Another option is to get a rain cover, cape or camcorder glove. These are better to use compared to the underwater housing because they let you operate the camera controls easily.

Use plastic bag

A condensation is a likely issue when you expose a camera from a warm to a cold environment, you need to have something to protect your device from this problem. The best solution is a plastic resealable bag. You can use this by placing your camera inside making sure you squeeze the air out before you move to a place where the temperature is different from where you came from. This will keep the device itself and it lenses dry.

Bring a dry cloth

Do bring with you a small piece of dry cloth every time. This will come handy should your viewfinder becomes foggy while shooting indoors or outdoors. Avoid breathing into the viewfinder and then wipe away the fog as your breath will only freeze on the lens surface.

For information on photography digital cameras please visit http://www.42photo.com.

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.

Colin McDonald writes on behalf Steven Brooks Wedding Photography

Become An Artist With Your Own Unique Canvas Prints

It's easy to see why people feel so strongly about the art works which hang on the walls of their home. After all, everyone who visits you is going to see the images you've chosen and, like it or not, they are going to make judgements of your personality and world-view based on the type of art which you prefer. In an ideal world, we'd all be able to commission talented artists to produce artworks which exactly fit our criteria, but the truth is that very few of us can actually afford to make this kind of expensive investment. The option which most people fall back on is a canvas print. Prints of this kind, whether traditional art works or more modern canvas photo prints are readily available from art shops, galleries and furniture shops and usually come in at an affordable price.

That much is the good news - the bad news, however, tends to be the limited range of options which are available. If choosing and buying art is a reflection of your personality, then where does the fact that the art in question is mass produce fit in? No matter how much you may enjoy a particular image, the fact that is also hanging in hundreds if not thousands of other people's houses at the same time can't help but take away from its' impact. That's why creating your own canvas prints is such a tempting option. Whereas, once, it would have required artistic skill and specialized equipment to do precisely this, the advent of digital photography has brought about a situation whereby absolutely anyone can put their own photos on canvas to create stunning works of art.

You may wish to create a gallery standard portrait of your kids, with the difference being that the image captured would have all the relaxed joy of a snapshot taken in your own home. Alternatively, you may want to create a canvas which is purely artistic in nature, selecting a dramatic landscape or urban shot. Whether you want a family image or something which showcases your skills as a photographer, the process is equally simple. Once you've selected the image which you wish to turn into art, simply upload it to the website in question. There, you'll move step by simple step through the process, altering the size and shape of the canvas and selecting any alterations to the color palette until you have exactly the image you desire. Then it will be printed onto artist quality canvas using the latest laser printing techniques, the canvas then being stretched round a strong wooden frame using the fashionable 'wrap-around' technique. Since the canvas is wipe clean and impervious to the fading effects of sunlight, it will spend many years looking just as wonderful as it does the very first moment you first put it up on your wall. The same sense of creation and empowerment can be applied to photo calendars, with a dozen or more images being transformed into a personalized photo calendar to get you through the year with a smile on your face.

Whether you create full size stunning canvas photo prints to decorate the walls of your home in a bespoke and unique manner, or photo calendars to give as touching gifts, you'll be utilizing your own images to create genuinely top drawer items.

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.

Another step that you can take to ensure a better night's sleep is photographer's insurance! Check out http://www.ppa.com/insurance to see a variety of options!

Enjoy each moment, but be prepared for the inevitable! Good luck and happy shooting!

Lesson learned from one photographer to another! I hope this is helpful to some of you! You can see my work at http://www.christipowellphotography.com

How To Make Sure Your US Passport Photos Pass First Time

Nobody likes having their passport photos taken. However you needn't worry the following tips will guide you through the minefield of special requirements. Passport dimensions can vary from country to country, here are the requirements of US style Passport pictures.

Each passport application requires two identical passport pictures.

Your Passport photos must be printed on photo-quality media.

You should have color Passport photos.

Only passport pictures taken within the last 6 months are acceptable.

The passport pictures must be 50mm x 50mm to qualify for a US passport application.

Your picture must be square to the camera with out anything obscuring the face. Clothing should be simple day to day dress without a head covering or polarised glasses in front of a white screen. As you look at the camera ensure your mouth is closed and your posture is natural with eyes that are open. The photos must be clear sharp and not have a grainy image otherwise they will be disallowed.

Your head should make up about 50% of the total photo area and should measure between 1 -1 3/8" from chin to crown. It should be in the center of the picture, level and not looking off to the left of right.

It is possible to wear a hat or headgear on grounds of religious belief as long as your face is not obstructed.

You may wear everyday spectacles in the passport photo, however there should be no glare or reflection that obscures your eyes.

If for medical reasons you wear tinted spectacles then you will be allowed to have them on in your pictures. It is possible however that you will be required to provide written proof from your Dr if asked.

Wearing a uniform in your passport picture is actively discouraged however you can for religious reasons.

It can be difficult to get passport photos of children in which case it is advisable to have them taken professionally. Parents and Grandparents shouldn't be visible in the pictures and any props or posing aids should be totally absent from the final photo.

Obtaining a copy of a photo from your driving license is not allowed. Digitally manipulating your photos using computer software will result in them being rejected.

Photographs copied from newspapers and magazines will not comply with the strict regulations. It is also likely that pictures from most vending booths will be rejected. Photos that are a full length body shot of the subject will also be disallowed.

It is possible to use your own digital camera at home to take your photos if it is of a high enough quality. The camera must be able to take pictures at a resolution of 1 million pixels or more. However when printing your passport photos you should go to a professional lab as most home printers cannot produce a satisfactory result.

Following this advice will ensure a smooth passport application helping you towards a happy holiday abroad.

David Hawkin runs the family pharmacy business Hawkin Pharmacy; the company specialises in Passport Photography, they have been providing the service for over 20 years.

What Improvements We Can Hope for From the Nikon D5200

I don't think there is any doubt that the file size should increase dramatically. Size seems to be everything at the moment and even though few of us could really tell the difference between a 16 MP file and, say the 22 MP file of the Canon 5D MKIII, the new Nikon D800 has blown the opposition away with its 36.3 MP sensor, and so we all expect more from the new cameras that are coming down the production line. The new Nikon D5200 should match the 24Mp chip in the D3200 at least.

The Nikon D5200 should also be able to offer a quicker burst speed, perhaps doubling the current 4FPS. If that could be combined with an inbuilt motor for no AF-S lenses, and a faster shutter speed, up to 1/8000, the D5200 would become a pretty awesome action camera.

The tiltable monitor was a really useful innovation when it came out on the D5100. It is especially useful for shooting video. However we could hope the resolution will be improved. Movie makers might ask for improved AF tracking in live view and a higher frame rate - perhaps up to 50 or 60 FPS for better quality.

I have never had any problems with the speed of the AutoFocus, but I know that others have found it a bit slow in live view mode. Increasing the number of autofocus points from 11 would be useful too - the D7000 has 39, for example, and the new D800 has 51. The current ISO max of 25,600 is OK, but, again the D800 has shown the way be practically shooting in the pitch black. Being able to push up towards 102,400 would be splendid.

Although we can program a function button to give direct access to ISO control, perhaps the D5200 will have a set button for it. And perhaps a Depth of Field preview button too. And whilst we are on functionality, the Effects modes could be positioned better within the menu options.

At the top of the camera, a full 100% frame viewfinder would be good and, although the pop up flash is satisfactory, it isn't the greatest. Room for improvement here we think - and adding built-in wireless flash control would be a real plus too.

Finally both storage and power could be improved. Two SD memory card slots marks a camera out as Pro kit and the EN-EL14 rechargeable battery is the same used by the D3100. It lasts for roughly 300 shots, which isn't really enough these days.

So for a remarkably good camera like the D5100, I suppose there is room for improvement. After raising the bar with the impressive D3200 this year, Nikon have got a lot to live up to...

Jeremy Bayston has worked in the photographic industry for two decades. He has a particular interest in digital photography. Learn more about the new Nikon D5200 and its release date from http://www.d5200.org. Alternatively visit here to see how the D5200 could help your own photography.

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.

Now, what are you waiting for? Get out there and have fun!

To learn more about how to use your GoPro camera for surfing and ocean sports, Check out my book: How To Use GoPro Cameras: The Surf Edition.

Available at:
http://www.HowToUsePOVCameras.com

Amazon Kindle Version
http://www.amazon.com/How-Use-GoPro-Cameras-ebook/dp/B008PII27M

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!

To see images that illustrate this process, click HERE.

If this article helped you, please give your support by visiting my blog and viewing my YouTube tutorials at:

http://www.elevatevisuals.com/blog

Thank You!

How to Encourage Your Guests to Take Pictures Through Photo Booths

Yes, it is true. Some of your guests during your important celebrations do not take pictures via photo booth hire service. There are varied reasons why. They may be just too shy, cannot have their own turn as some groups of people dominate the photo session scene, or are just totally indifferent and stoic when it comes to picture taking. However, it is your desire that all of your guests should have their pictures posted in your album so this is really a problem. How can you then encourage your guests to use the picture booth? There are several ways to do so. Here are some suggestions.

1. Take pictures with them. It will be a dishonor to the party host if guests will not indulge his or her request for a photo. When you notice that some of your guests are still adamant to take their pictures in the photo booth, a little encouragement from you by inviting them to share photo taking opportunities will help. This way, these people won't have any excuses as to why they cannot take pictures in the photo booth.

2. Threaten them with penalties. This suggestion works both for the super indulgent and the timid ones. Let everyone know how many pictures they are allowed to take and should any one of them exceed the limits, they will have to pay for the excess. This will discourage picture taking addicts and give room for others. Since pictures are developed quickly, request the crowd to wave the pictures and those who are empty handed will be given time to have their pictures taken and should they fail to do it, they will be asked to sing or dance or any penalties that you can think of.

3. Offer rewards. Even if the prize is a small token, it can definitely encourage guests to have their pictures taken through photo booth hire services. People love to win even if the titles are wackiest post, silliest pose, widest grin, and funniest face, among others. In addition, having this strategy adds more fun and excitement to your party.

4. Donate to charity ploy. Some of your guests might need an appeal to emotion in order to encourage them to have their pictures taken from a photo booth. A donation to a charitable cause gives social responsibility credence to your occasion and incites good deeds from your guests.

5. Make the pictures as their meal ticket. Nobody wants to be hungry and thirsty during parties, especially if the food is delicious and drinks are literally flooded everywhere. Thus, your guests will definitely fall in line in the photo booth before they can dig in their fork in their favorite dish.

All it takes is a little imagination and creativity when you want your guests to take their pictures in the photo booth. These suggestions add thrills to your party and might be a good conversation piece the morning after. If you have problems with guests who offer lots of excuses just to escape from taking their pictures with photo booth hire service, try the suggestions above.

Black and White Art - How Some Artists Learned To Capture Their Work

Before color photography, there was black and white. And although many people enjoy their colored paintings and photographed art, black and white is still loved by many and continues to be popular for not only the art buyer, but the artists that so creatively capture these shots. Although there is a wide range of photographers and artists that hold a passion for this art, it's nice to get into some of their heads and know where they got started creating the beauty of black and white.

Steven Myers, is a native of Washington state and claims that black and white has been a part of his daily life since 1971. He uniquely crafts his black and white art through radiograph images. He has experimented with this type of art form for 25 years; as a radiology technologist. His many years of involvement with traditional landscape photography, made it quite the challenge with radiograph images. Yet, he tries to keep his work as unique as he can. Myers works full time as a radiology tech, and has his own radiology unit for personal use so he can make his own black and white art and creates more than 700 exposures per year.

Jamie Cook is from Atlanta, Georgia. He attended Georgia State University majoring in Fine Art and Photography, which is where he began his formal training. He began his career as a professional advertising photographer. Cook created a digitally enhances photography approach. After traveling and capturing shots of his subjects he works closely with digital imaging programs on his computer to enhance his work. He uses a 35 millimeter camera to capture his subjects. He became well known for his photographs in the Southeast region and even got deals with clients who include The Ritz Carlton Hotels and Wrangler Jeans. He is also known for 4 awards he has received from Adweek. Cook continues to use various techniques to show art lovers his on-going passion for photography in black and white.

Monte Nagler was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received a degree in engineering as well as his MBA from The University of Michigan. After working for Ford Motor Company for a short while, he developed an interest in photography. It wasn't until his 30's that he became a renowned black and white photographer. Impressively, Monte only took a few photography classes and even worked with Ansel Adams who became a big inspiration to him and his work. Nagler quickly developed his own creative fine art photography. He believes that photographers should speak through their art "This is what I saw and felt and I'd like to share that!" Monte's has won several awards that can be found in many public as well as private collections. Some of these include Detroit Institute of Arts; The Dayton Art Institute and The Brooklyn Museum. Asisde from his art, he has conducted many of his own classes and seminars and has written 6 photography books. Nagler spends his time traveling to various places looking for his next opportunity to take more beautiful black and white shots.

It's nice to explore the minds of photographers and artists that can take a picture and turn it into a work of art that many of us love to obtain and have in our homes.